TechSpot - PC Technology News and Analysis

Cell Processor: “Dead In The Water” @ TheSixthAxis
Firefox: Heat and the CPU usage problem @ CNet
Top 10 Ergonomic Upgrades for Your Workspace @ LifeHacker
The 20 Best Gadgets of the Decade (2000-2009) @ PasteMag
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Five years ago in TechSpot:
Microsoft does not own "Excel"

How-to: run Chrome OS as a virtual machine Itching for some Chrome OS? Well, we all are, but you might be a bit disappointed at the fact that while Google has open-sourced its progress on the OS so far, the version that is currently available for download seems eons behind what Google showed off at its event yesterday. Still, if you just have to see it for yourself, the good news is that it's a total breeze to get a virtual machine running. Engadget

Fusion-io achieves one terabyte per second sustained bandwidth Fusion-io announced that it will deploy custom installations based on its ioMemory technology at two presently undisclosed government organizations. Each deployment consists of hundreds of terabytes of solid-state storage capacity and is capable of sustaining over one terabyte per second (1TB/s) of aggregate bandwidth with access latencies under 50 microseconds. Fusion-io

Bring: Google's OSes likely to converge Google's dual-pronged operating-system strategy will likely produce a single OS down the road, according to Google co-founder Sergey Brin. Many Google observers were puzzled when the company announced plans for Chrome OS in July, coming amid growing acceptance of the company's Android operating-system project as a smartphone and Netbook OS. CNET

Nvidia: We're still committed to gaming industry Nvidia has recently reiterated its strong commitment to the gaming industry, refuting the earlier rumors of "Nvidia is abandoning gaming market" for the HPC (high performance computing) market. The company’s spokesperson Bryan Del Rizzo told TG Daily that the rumors were "completely unfounded" and "ludicrous". EXPreview

NYT's Kristof: boycott Bing Microsoft's support for Referendum 71 won its Bing search engine a new fan in David Schmader of the Stranger, but the company's Internet search practices related to China have now lost Bing a user in Nicholas Kristof -- and the New York Times columnist is calling on his readers to follow suit with a boycott. TechFlash

Why Chrome OS will fail -- big time @ InfoWorld
Does Hidden Text Prove Shroud of Turin Real? @ FoxNews
Microsoft denies it built 'backdoor' in Windows 7 @ ComputerWorld
ASUS Shatters Netbook Conventions with Eee PC 1201N @ Asus
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Five years ago in TechSpot:
Which Soyo has quit the motherboard business?

Game Console Makers at a Crossroads @ BusinessWeek
The Google Phone Is Very Real. And It’s Coming Soon @ TechCrunch
India doubles billionaires; Mukesh Ambani tops list @ Reuters
How to Build Your Own 3D Camera Rig for Under $20 @ MaximumPC
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Five years ago in TechSpot:
Thinner CRTs to challenge LCD displays

The Pirate Bay Tracker Shuts Down for Good @ TorrentFreak
Microsoft co-founder treated for cancer @ Financial Times
Tip of the hat: Fedora 12 a strong update @ ArsTechnica
Age of cyber warfare is 'dawning' @ BBC News
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Five years ago in TechSpot:
One Linux to rule them all

Toshiba Wows With "Space Chair" Commercial @ Engadget
Nintendo Wii may provide actual exercise @ Reuters
The History of the Internet in a Nutshell @ Six Revisions
Five Best Online Backup Tools @ LifeHacker
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Five years ago in TechSpot:
Bill Gates says smart cards are the future

Potential fix for 1 million banned Xbox 360's has arrived A fix appears to have arrived, according to some of the forums, but it is rather complex and requires access to either an Xbox 360 you know the CPU key of, or did not update over the summer. DailyTech

Judge rules for Apple in Psystar case A judge has ruled in Apple's favor in its copyright-infringement case against Psystar, which has been selling Mac clones running Mac OS X. CNET

Google hopes to speed up the Web with new protocol Today we'd like to share with the web community information about SPDY, pronounced "SPeeDY", an early-stage research project that is part of our effort to make the web faster. The Chromium Blog

Bill Gates praises Steve Jobs for saving Apple When asked about Steve Jobs in a TV special that aired this week, Bill Gates said the Apple co-founder has shown "more inspiration" than any other leader in the tech industry. AppleInsider

Stick with XP? Windows 7 battery life worse on netbooks Back in August when we started testing the final version ofWindows 7, we noticed that several netbooks didn’t last as long on a charge with the new OS installed as with Windows XP. LaptopMag

The 50 Best Inventions of 2009 @ Time
NASA Moon Crash Finds 'Significant Amount' of Water @ FoxNews
GameStop lays out digital plans @ Variety
Dell Announces Mini 3 Smartphone @ PC World
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Five years ago in TechSpot:
Microsoft takes the lead over Palm OS for the first time

Modern Warfare 2 sells 5 million in a day @ ArsTechnica
Ready, Set, Read: Intel® Reader Launches @ Intel
Convicted Murderer Sues Wikipedia @ Wired
How to Deny Service to a Federal Wiretap @ PC World
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Five years ago in TechSpot:
VIA and 3Com enter Ethernet patent agreement

The inflation time bomb @ Reuters
Zune HD Gets Its First Free 3D Games @ Gizmodo
Dinosaurs May Have Been Warm-Blooded @ FoxNews
Samsung launches bada open mobile OS @ Electronista
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Five years ago in TechSpot:
Microsoft does not see Firefox as a threat

Making Yourself “Future-Proof” @ KokuGamer
The fight over the future of food @ Reuters
Controversial Game 'Call of Duty' on Sale at Midnight @ FoxNews
Apple releases Mac OS X 10.6.2 @ AppleInsider
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Five years ago in TechSpot:
Microsoft search engine ready to launch (Interesting quote from Steve Ballmer)

"Call of Duty" game shoots to make history @ Reuters
Update Fixes IPhone Sync Problem With Windows 7 for Some @ PC World
okia Recalls 14M Chargers, Offers Exchange Program @ HardOCP
10 most heinous hoaxes on the Net @ MSNBC
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Five years ago in TechSpot:
Pioneer invents 500GB optical disk

Nvidia to ramp up production of Fermi graphics cards in 2010 Nvidia Corp.’s chief executive officer said during quarterly conference call with financial analysts that the company would only ramp up production of its next-generation flagship Fermi-G300 graphics processing unit in the company’s first quarter of fiscal year 2011, which means January-April timeframe. X-bit Labs

Firefox and Chrome updates spike stability bugs Mozilla has pushed out a new version of Firefox that fixes a number of stability bugs that pose possible security concerns. The Register

Wal-Mart, Amazon, Target in DVD price war Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is upping the ante heading into the holiday season, trimming the online preorder prices of some upcoming DVDs following last month's price cut on books. Mercury News

Apple's Steve Jobs named CEO of the decade How's this for a gripping corporate story line: Youthful founder gets booted from his company in the 1980s, returns in the 1990s, and in the following decade survives two brushes with death, one securities-law scandal, an also-ran product lineup, and his own often unpleasant demeanor to become the dominant personality in four distinct industries, a billionaire many times over, and CEO of the most valuable company in Silicon Valley. Fortune

Nvidia fires back at Intel -- with cartoons Nvidia has quietly begun taking aim at Intel through a series of editorial cartoons, poking fun at the chip giant through a site known as IntelsInsides.com. PC Magazine

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