TechSpot - PC Technology News and Analysis

5 new technologies that will change everything @ MSNBC
12 common Windows 7 problems solved @ TechRadar
Epic Launches Free Unreal Development Kit @ ShackNews
Mods: 26 Sexy Steampunk Gadgets & Hi-Tech Hacks @ WebUrbanist
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Five years ago in TechSpot:
BitTorrent takes over, accounts for 35% of net traffic

What Bing Does Best @ LiveScience
The Beatles' music finally available in MP3 @ Neowin.net
Mickey’s Magic needed for Disneyland Shanghai @ Reuters
Why Android 2.0 is going to be a very big deal @ TechRadar
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Five years ago in TechSpot:
Intel claims edge over AMD on dual core chips

DirectX 11 comes to Vista Microsoft launched Windows 7 with full DirectX 11 support, but until now, Vista users running ATI’s newest 5000 series cards were left out in the cold. It's not like you’ve been waiting months to play the newest DX11 titles, but at least you now have the comfort of knowing that you don’t need to upgrade your OS in order to take advantage of your new GPU. Maximum PC

A-Data introduces industry's fastest SSD S596 A-Data Technology announced today its industry-leading SSD S596, a 2.5” SATAII SSD designed specifically for PC enthusiastic, multi-task and heavy-graphic users to perform assorted applications five times faster! Capacities are available at 64, 128, and 256GB, the S596 is completely in compliance with Windows 7 and Mac Snow Leopard. Legit Reviews

The lost decade; Why Steve Ballmer is no Bill Gates Last month Microsoft rolled out Windows 7 and opened the first of a chain of new retail stores. As usual with such announcements, there's been loads of hoopla and ginned-up excitement. But mostly people are just relieved. Windows 7 replaces Vista, one of the most disastrous tech products ever. It also caps the end of a decade in which Microsoft's founder, Bill Gates, stepped aside, and the company lost its edge. Newsweek

Windows 7 endless reboot answer evades Microsoft Users remained stymied today by endless reboots after trying to upgrade their PCs to Windows 7, according to messages posted on Microsoft's support forum. An answer has yet to be found for all users, who began reporting the problem last Friday after watching the upgrade stall two-thirds of the way through the process. Computerworld

Mozilla releases first beta of Firefox 3.6 Those keen to try out Mozilla's latest browser--and its new process to update the software more frequently--now can try Firefox 3.6 beta 1. CNET

Google's Creepy Social Search @ PC Mag
8 Tech Trends for 2010 @ Fox News
AMD Loses Its Linux Core Engineering Manager @ Phoronix
Simple Afghan mission turns deadly for U.S. soldiers @ Reuters
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Five years ago in TechSpot:
Intel sticks with Windows 2000

The genius brothers behind Google Wave @ CNN Tech
Directx 11 Now Available for Vista Through Platform Update @ DailyTech
Google Nav System Shakes up GPS @ PC World
Facebook challenges financial regulators: FINRA @ Reuters
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Five years ago in TechSpot:
Infinium Labs and Sun to deliver games on-demand

10 Ways to Spot an E-Mail Scam @ Switched
Apple shops tablet around Australia @ SMH.com.au
Cisco revs its acquisition engine @ CNet
Controversial couple dominates U.S. medical tourism @ Reuters
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Five years ago in TechSpot:
Firefox 1.0 Release Candidate available

Botnets: who's behind them and why? @ TechRadar
Neowin give-away: Windows 7 Ultimate @ Neowin.net
How Cisco Can Give Microsoft A Run For Its Money @ BNet
What Do Teens Want? Their Moms Off Facebook @ SFWeekly
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Five years ago in TechSpot:
The future of Dell and AMD

What's Holding Back Tech @ BusinessWeek
Net Neutrality FAQ: What's in it for You @ PCWorld
Mantis shrimp eyes basis for super DVD player @ The Australian
Palm Pixi Official Launch Date, Price Confirmed @ DailyTech
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Five years ago in TechSpot:
The next 20 years of Pentium

CHW interviews Nvidia CEO, Jen-Hsun Huang Our tech media was invited to interview Nvidia's founder and CEO, Mr. Jen-Hsun Huang. It happened a few days ago during the GPU Technology Conference event, formerly known as Nvision. The following text is the transcription of a 30 min meeting with JHH. CHW

Top 10 Windows 7 booster apps Windows 7 is a big improvement over Vista, and a pretty convenient OS in general—but it's by no means perfect. These 10 downloads improve Windows 7's looks, functions, and make it easier, safer, and more convenient to upgrade to. LifeHacker

PC vs. Mac now vs. PC and Mac then In one of Apple's latest TV ads we see PC going retro. It's actually a cute ad as PC regresses back in time with various incarnations of himself through the years, each time promising that a particular version of Windows won't suck. But since we're going retro, maybe we should look at a few of Apple's ads from around the time PC and Mac apparently met (according to the ad): the '90s. CNET

eBooks: replacement or enhacement of the printed page? In the 15th century Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing process. This newtechnology changed the world forever. One specific task was made incredibly easy — the spreading of written words. eBooks take us to the threshold of a possible shift in the way we read books. Neowin

Apple files patent for OS embedded advertising Steve Jobs has submitted one of the most devious patents of all time: operating system advertising. That’s right, according to the patent, Jobs wants you looking at ads embedded right into your operating system. Maximum PC

Left 4 Dead 2 Trailer - Zombie Survival Guide HQ @ YouTube
Western Digital reports record revenue @ WD Press
Microsoft Says No Xbox Blu-ray Drives Period @ Gizmodo
Five Ways Windows 7 Could Become another Vista @ PC World
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Five years ago in TechSpot:
Doom movie going into production for real!

Sony unveils prototype 360° 3D display (video) @ NetworkWorld
Shakira says she supports file-sharing @ MailOnline
Why Laptop Deals Will Only Get Better @ Forbes
Nokia suing Apple over the iPhone @ BBC News
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Five years ago in TechSpot:
Grand Theft Auto San Andreas leaked

Yahoo: Online Advertising Has Stabilized @ BusinessWeek
Firefox's crossroads: Cutting-edge or mainstream? @ CNet
Deforestation to be Monitored from Space @ DailyTech
50 Kick-Ass Websites You Need to Know About @ MaximumPC
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Five years ago in TechSpot:
Mobile phones to get TV reception

BlackBerry Watch is an accessory @ CrackBerry
Electronic Popables by Jie Qi @ YouTube
U.S. Spies Buy Stake in Firm That Monitors Blogs, Tweets @ Wired
Top 10 Most Pirated Movies on BitTorrent @ TorrentFreak
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Five years ago in TechSpot:
World's First Video Game Advertising Network

Android 2.0 First Look: Fresh Face, Sick Speed @ Gizmodo
Upcoming Xbox 360 update locking out 'unauthorized' Memory Units @ Joystiq
100 Oldest Currently Registered .COM Domains @ Whoisd.com
Windows 7 vs. Mac Snow Leopard: The Great Debate @ PC Mag
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Five years ago in TechSpot:
Microsoft to uphold per-processor licensing when multi-core comes of age

Maximum PC's 2010 technology preview So much in life is unknowable. Will the economy rebound? Hard to say. Will oil prices skyrocket? Maybe, maybe not. Will Brangelina add to their brood? Frankly, we don’t care. But one thing’s for sure: Technology is ever-changing and each year guarantees new advances for the PC user. Maximum PC

P55 Extreme Overclockers: Check your sockets! We have what seems to be a potentially serious issue with proper socket loading on several P55-based motherboards when overclocking to the limit. We are of course not the only ones experiencing the problem as several of our overclocking peers have run into the same problem. AnandTech

Sneaky Microsoft plug-in puts Firefox users at risk An add-on that Microsoft silently slipped into Mozilla's Firefox last February leaves that browser open to attack, Microsoft's security engineers acknowledged earlier this week. One of the 13 security bulletins Microsoft released Tuesday affects not only Internet Explorer (IE), but also Firefox, thanks to a Microsoft-made plug-in pushed to Firefox users eight months ago in an update delivered via Windows Update. Computerworld

Best Buy loads up for Windows 7 launch I visited a Best Buy Friday night in Southern California where the cages were loaded exclusively with new models preloaded with Windows 7. And I learned a few odd tidbits from a stoked salesperson who had definitely been drinking the Windows-7-is-totally-awesome Kool-Aid. Let me add that the information was conveyed to me at one store in Southern California and may not necessarily apply to all stores nationwide. CNET

Bargain-hunting gamers turning to impulse buying, used titles The video game industry has been overcome by a wave of impulse purchases fueled primarily by creative packaging and online accessibility. According to The Canadian Video Game Purchase Process, a study conducted by The NPD Group, 40 per cent of video game buyers stated that they have purchased a game on impulse in the past six months despite the recent recession. NPD

Geek Quiz 2009 @ Maximum PC
Apple sees Windows 7 as an opportunity to sell Macs @ CNet
50 most annoying things about the internet @ Telegraph.co.uk
Laptop for every pupil in Uruguay @ BBC News
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Five years ago in TechSpot:
Many IT jobs to go in next four years

Goldman profit quadruples on trading gains @ Reuters
Preview Last.fm, Facebook and Twitter on the Xbox 360 @ HardOCP
Wii Exercise Bike: Biggest Game Controller Ever? @ Wired
10 Stories of Teenage Hackers Sticking It the Man @ ITSecurity
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Five years ago in TechSpot:
Intel drops plans for 4GHz Pentium 4

Michael Dell Talks Up Windows 7, Trashes Netbooks @ Giga.com
Q&A: Why Wozniak is hot on solid state storage @ ComputerWorld
Bringing tech jobs to Third World refugees @ CNet
Sony Aino phone launches today with PS3 Remote Play @ Joystiq
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Five years ago in TechSpot:
Google to unveil desktop search

Fingerprint Tech IDs Leonardo da Vinci @ Fox News
7 Ways To Hide Your Subwoofer @ Sound&Vision
Dungeons and Dragons Online: behold the power of free @ Ars Technica
2.8 Million File-Sharers Break Law Daily In Sweden @ TorrentFreak
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Five years ago in TechSpot:
WiMAX just hype for now?

M-Commerce's Big Moment @ BusinessWeek
LED TVs: 10 things you need to know @ CNet
The Future of The Internet: Mind to Mind Communication? @ HotHardware
India set to be global leader in tech services: Forbes chief @ Reuters
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Five years ago in TechSpot:
Dell Recalls AC Adapters For Notebooks

Randy Pitchford talks Borderlands, piracy, and why he doesn't trust Valve "It would be much better if Steam was its own business. There's so much conflict of interest there that it's horrid. It's actually really, really dangerous for the rest of the industry to allow Valve to win. I love Valve games, and I do business with the company. But, I'm just saying, Steam isn't the answer. Steam helps us as customers, but it's also a money grab, and Valve is exploiting a lot of people in a way that's not totally fair." Maximum PC

25 Items the iPhone has rendered useless We had no doubt iPhone would be the best smartphone we ever used, but we never could have imagined just how many ways it would take over our lives. From tools we'll never need again to places we won't be going back to, iPhone's versatility never ceases to amaze us--and we're not just talking about pocket fishermen, paperbacks and newspapers. Want to avoid sleeping on the couch after a fight with your better half? There's an app for that. MacLife

Google: Computer memory flakier than expected Wondering why your computer just crashed again? Its memory might be to blame, according to real-world Google research that finds error rates higher than what earlier work showed. With hundreds of thousands of computers in its data centers, Google can collect an abundance of real-world data about how those machines actually work. That's exactly what the company did for a research paper that found error rates are surprisingly high. CNET

Innovation: The psychology of Google Wave Early reviews have been positive, and demand for invitations outstrips supply (Google says ours is still on the way). But even for those who have tried and liked it, Wave's potential is still hard to assess. The problem is that most talk about it is focussed on technology, not people. New Scientist

Seeing the future in 3-D television Flat-panel television screens can't get much flatter and consumers don't want the screens to get much wider, so Japanese television makers are banking on a whole new dimension to buttress their lineups. The New York Times

The chip that changed the world When Robert Noyce invented the integrated circuit, even he could never have imagined how it would transform the lives of everyone on the planet. Times Online

The Evolution of 3D Gaming @ Elite Bastards
Twitter on the verge of big search deals? @ AllThingsDigital
Google’s Abandoned Library of 700 Million Titles @ Wired
10 Ways to Take your Site from One to One Million Users @ High Scalability
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Five years ago in TechSpot:
Nintendo DS to feature wireless downloading

Kindle now $259, available worldwide with wireless delivery @ ArsTechnica
As dollar fades, gold's currency shine brightens @ Reuters
The Pirate Bay Relocates to a Nuclear Bunker @ TorrentFreak
Commercial Plasma Rocket Reaches 200 KW @ DailyTech
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Five years ago in TechSpot:
Futuremark vs HardOCP - round one, fight!

The Most Powerful Smart Phones @ Forbes
Schmidt: We paid $1 billion premium for YouTube @ CNet
Teenage-Built Diesel Hybrid Does 0-60 in 4 seconds @ Gas 2.0
Study: Tetris Is Good for Your Brain @ FoxNews
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Five years ago in TechSpot:
EU Wants Windows Cleaned of DRM

UN: Best and Worst Places to Live @ NatGeo
Thousands of Hotmail passwords leaked online @ Neowin.net
Sony PSP GO: What You Need To Know @ PCWorld
Why Google isn't evil @ TechRadar
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Five years ago in TechSpot:
Sony home server with 1 TB HDD space!

Computer makers aim to banish boot-up blues In the time it takes your computer to boot up, you can probably make some toast or a cup of tea before the thing is ready to use. In the near future, you might only have enough time to take a sip of that tea or check your watch. Mindful of how frustrating the wait is, makers of PCs' basic input/output systems (BIOS) are working on bringing instant-on computing closer to reality with promises of significantly faster boot time. Wired

Why Google Chrome Frame makes Mozilla Firefox folks uneasy Mozilla's Mitchell Baker and Mike Shaver both lamented Google's release of Chrome Frame in blog posts. The browser experts, who helped Mozilla's Firefox browser reach 23.8 percent market share largely at the expense of Microsoft IE, are concerned Chrome Frame will further muddy the already cloudy waters of a fragmented browser market. eWeek

Google CEO Eric Schmidt on newspapers & journalism Is Google a newspaper killer? Not by a long shot, says Google CEO Eric Schmidt. Nor does he want it to be. In a long interview about his company's relationship with newspapers and the print journalism industry, Schmidt made it clear he wants established players to survive. In fact, he thinks Google has a "moral responsibility" to help. Search Engine Land

Eleven years of Google: A look back Google has come a long way in its eleven-year history, from its humble beginning as a Stanford University research project in 1998, to the global, multi-billion dollar online presence Google enjoys today. Earlier this week, the company celebrated its 11th birthday and chose to mark the occasion with an all new Google Doodle, a fun take on their colorful identity. PCWorld

Why CIOs are saying no to Macs Apple's desktop market share has been inching up for some time and, if analyst stats are right, now hovers around the eight per cent mark. But the business world remains immune to the pull of Apple's hardware, with few - if any - workers in most companies using anything other than the classic Wintel combination, in spite of demand for alternative desktop options from staff. Silicon

95 websites you should totally bookmark today Google is the internet surfer's best friend and worst enemy. If you know what you're after, just type it into the search engine's famous little box and -- hey presto -- you'll be given a list of related sites in order of relevance. TechRadar

Twitter seeks to build value, not revenue Despite its rapid growth, Twitter has yet to make any money. Or even earn any revenue. And Evan Williams, co-founder and chief executive of the microblogging service, is totally fine with that. The New York Times

America's High-Tech Sweatshops @ BusinessWeek
Teen Wins $150K Over Amazon Kindle Lawsiut @ ABA Journal
33 Creative and Beautiful Logos @ WebDesignLedger
Rio to host 2016 Games after landslide win @ Reuters
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Five years ago in TechSpot:
Microsoft CEO says most iPod music is stolen

Has Apple lost the plot? @ TechRadar
Should You Give Up XP for Windows 7? @ PC World
'MythBusters' ready to storm fall TV season @ CNet
Star Wars: The Old Republic now accepting beta applications @ Ars Technica
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Five years ago in TechSpot:
Videogame prices on the rise?

15+ amazing anti IE resources @ CatsWhoCode
Five Zune HD features Apple should steal @ CNet
Coming soon to the small screen: TV in 3D @ Reuters
The Rise of Sex Robots and Pleasure Machines @ FoxNews
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Five years ago in TechSpot:
1 Terabyte on one optical disk?

Microsoft: Google Chrome Frame makes IE less secure The release of Google Chrome Frame, a new open source plugin that injects Chrome's renderer and JavaScript engine into Microsoft's browser, earlier this week had many web developers happily dancing long through the night. Finally, someone had found a way to get Internet Explorer users up to speed on the Web. Microsoft, on the other hand, is warning IE users that it does not recommend installing the plugin. Ars Technica

Microsoft DRM patent could revive peer-to-peer music nets Here's an odd twist that might give new life to the dying horse of music digital-right management. Microsoft has just been awarded a U.S. patent for a distributed DRM system -- it works over peer-to-peer networks -- which uses encrypted public and private keys as the licensing mechanism. InformationWeek

Up to 9 percent of machines in an enterprise are bot-infected In a three-month study of more than 600 different botnets found having infiltrated enterprise networks, researchers from Damballa discovered nearly 60 percent are botnets that contain only a handful to a few hundred bots built to target a particular organization. Dark Reading

AT&T says Google Voice violates net neutrality principles AT&T is playing a "gotcha" with Google. The big phone company filed a letter with the Federal Communications Commission Friday saying the Google Voice calling system violates the commission's network neutrality principles. The New York Times

Hackers pay 43 cents per hijacked Mac A network of Russian malware writers and spammers paid hackers 43 cents for each Mac machine they infected with bogus video software, a sign that Macs have become attack targets, a security researcher said yesterday. ITworld

Intel inside? Try Intel everywhere At a major conference in San Francisco this week, Intel showed how it is squeezing more functions of a personal computer into fewer chips, answering the call for smaller, more mobile devices. The New York Times

Survey: Half of businesses don't secure personal data The personal information you give to businesses may not be as secure as you hope, according to a new survey. CNET