Life Digital

Google Earth for iPhone is now available for free download to use on the iPhone and iPod Touch. Here’s a quick run through of its features and how to use the application on the iPhone and iPod Touch.



From the opening screen, GPS can be used to determine your location. Then, you can use Google’s search function to narrow down your destination. When the destination is fixed, Google Earth will use all of the iPhone’s multi-touch gestures to provide an interactive experience.





To switch to the horizon view, you can tilt the phone up or down. You can also make two-fingered circles and spin the landscape to your liking. Tapping on the compass in the upper right-hand corner of the screen realigns you northward. Use the iPhone’s pinch to zoom in and out or double-tap with one finger to zoom in, while zoom out with two fingers. Swiping a finger spins the globe around. It really does make you feel like the world is at your fingertips.



Moreover, the Google Earth is paired with Wikipedia that comes with eight million Panoramio geo-located photos. Touching location-specific icons, you can read up on your locale and check out some beautiful snaps. Google’s local search engine helps you to find specific businesses and then meshes with Google Maps to give you immediate directions.

Google Earth is a great addition to the App Store. It is useful for tourism and information hunting, and highly entertaining too. Lastly, it comes free. There’s no reason why you should not have it in your iPhone.

To make its presence felt in a highly competitive market, Microsoft finally unveiled its upcoming release of Microsoft Office suite which offers a “lightweight” browser-based version at the 2008 Professional Developers Conference. While making public debut of its new Windows 7, the Microsoft team took the opportunity to highlight a revolutionized MS Office suite to the public. Its main office applications like MS Word, MS Excel, MS PowerPoint and OneNote will be bundled with the next release of Office, thus, users will be able to create, read and edit their MS Office documents via their IE, Firefox or Safari browsers (no mention is made however on whether it works with Google Chrome). This browser based application will be offered in both Silverlight and HTML/Ajax.



Microsoft has identified Google’s suite of online office applications as one of the key rival targets to outdo. Of course this will not be an easy task. Google web-based Office suite is offered free and has catered to a lot of users since it was released a few years ago. Undoubtedly this office application suite isn’t as feature-rich as Microsoft Office, but it has all the basic and necessary tools and it has built up its users/clientele network throughout the years. Microsoft has yet to announce its pricing model for the browser-based office application although it is almost a foregone conclusion that Microsoft will offer this web application to commercial users on subscription basis and bind them via some licensing agreements.

Casio has just announced a new model mobile phone cum digital camera, the Exilim W63CA. It comes with impressive 8MP camera that features with 9 auto focus point and wide angle lens.


Casio is taking the same tactic Sony Ericsson does with their Cyber-shot cellphones by placing a camera brand on a high-end camera phone. It is just the matter of time before the others follow.




The Exilim W63CA comes with a new OmniVision sensor along with WVGA 800×400 pixel display. It also features 3G and some of features just for Japanese carriers.

It is available in some ‘interesting’ colors, including a rusty brown, champagne, garish pink and a lovely off-lime green. It is expected to hit the Japanese stores during the autumn but price still remains unknown.

Free CrossOver Mac, Linux and GamesCrossOver Mac
Professional is a Windows-to-Macintosh compatibility virtualization software tool that allows unsupported Windows application programs and games to run on Mac OS X system platform without having to install (and hence not require to buy a full license) Windows operating system on a virtual machine or by dual-booting. CrossOver Linux Professional is the similar product for Linux operating system.



Both products is developed by CodeWeavers, and normally sells for $69.95 for a copy of license with serial number key, but for today (Tuesday, October 28, 2008) only, fully working, fully activated and fully supported CrossOver Mac Pro and CrossOver Linux Professional is available for free download complete with legitimate serial key number and support, thanks to Great American Lame Duck Presidential Challenge, where one of the goal has been met - a gallon of gasoline now cost below $2.79.




According to the press release, here’s how to get the free software:

On Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2008, any one visiting the CodeWeavers’ Web site (www.codeweavers.com) will be given a deal code that will entitle them to one free copy of CodeWeavers’ award-winning CrossOver software. Each copy comes complete with support.

To get the free software, simply go to http://lameduck.codeweavers.com/free/, select the product (either CrossOver Mac Professional or CrossOver Linux Professional), enter and confirm the email address in the fields provided, and then type agree into agreement code box. Finish by clicking on Get Free Serial Number button.

An email will be sent to the mailbox of registered email address containing a serial key code. Go to http://register.codeweavers.com to register the free CrossOver software. An new account will be created for new user, with login username and password emailed to the email address entered during registration, who then can log into the account on CodeWeavers’ web site, and download the free product at My Downloads page. For existing CodeWeavers customer, the deal entitles you for completely new support entitlement for another 12 months, and all users of CrossOver Standard edition products is upgraded to Pro edition for free.

Note that the free serial license number for DreamWeavers’ CrossOver software must be requested and serial key must be registered on DreamWeavers’ site before 23:59 PM Central Standard Time on Tuesday, October 28, 2008. Each user is entitled to 1 download copy per customer limit. A trick (or hack but not crack), if you want to have both software for Mac and Linux, just use two different email addresses. Both products can be registered in the same account by using just one email address during registration (to register the serial number as yours), regardless of what email you entered during sign up for offer (to receive serial number).

The free serial number promotional deal entitles users to free support at Level 3, which according to DreamWeavers’ Upgrade Policy, covers installation and show stopping issues on problems reported against DreamWeavers’ supported applications. After the free support term has expired, customers will still be able to download the latest update they were entitled to, but will not receive further updates or support. Which means the software can be used forever for life, if the user can live with not updated version when support expires in a year. Or, just wish for other Great American Lame Duck Presidential Challenge goals are met, when CodeWeavers will once again provide free software. Goals include:

* Return the stock market to it’s 2008 high
* Reduce the average price of a gallon of milk to $3.50
* Create at least one net job in the U.S. this calendar year
* Return the median home price to its Jan. 1, 2008 level
* Bring Osama Bin-Laden to justice

Setup installer downloaded from your account does not require any unlock code or unlocking step as it’s a full version installation file which is already fully activated and unlocked. Due to high traffic, if you’re offering a trial version downloads, don’t worry, the demo version of CrossOver has all the functions and features of the full version, and can be unlocked easily by running the registration tool (as long as you already have the user name and password and registered the serial number). You can do this by clicking Register anytime CrossOver displays a demo warning. Or, you can run the tool directly by selecting Register and unlock this demo from the CrossOver menu. Or, simply download the unlocked version and install over the demo trial version when download traffic receding.

CrossOver Mac: DreamWeavers’ flagship Windows-to-Macintosh compatibility tool. Intended for Intel Mac OS X machines, CrossOver Mac will allow Mac users to run their favorite Windows applications seamlessly on their Mac. Windows files can be opened directly within your file browser, or from email attachments. No rebooting, no switching to a virtual machine, and no Windows Operating System license required; CrossOver is a complete replacement for your Windows OS as far as your Windows software is concerned.

CrossOver Games: Based on the latest Wine Games development work, CrossOver Games allows Mac and Linux users to run their favorite Windows games in the environment of their choice. No rebooting, no switching to a virtual machine, and no Windows Operating System license required; CrossOver gives you the best performance possible if you’re not running on Windows.

CrossOver Linux: DreamWeavers’ flagship Windows-to-Linux desktop productivity tool. Allows you to run many popular office productivity software applications on Linux, such as Microsoft Office, Lotus Notes, Microsoft Project and Visio, graphics applications like Macromedia Dreamweaver MX, Flash MX, and Adobe Photoshop, and many more. Not only that, but CrossOver Linux also allows you to use many Windows Web browser plugins, such as QuickTime and Shockwave, directly on your Linux browser. Runs on many popular Linux distributions, such as Ubuntu, Redhat, Novell, Suse, Xandros, Mandriva and others. No Windows Operating System license required; CrossOver is a complete replacement for your Windows OS as far as your applications are concerned.

The famous multinational technology company, Dell has introduced its new slim and stylish netbook - Dell Inspiron Mini 12 (1210), which designed primarily for teens, tweens, travelers and ‘Tweeters’ to surf the Web on the go.





Key Features Of Dell Inspiron Mini 12:

• Intel Atom processor


• Sharp 12.1-inch WXGA (1280 x 800 pixels) widescreen display offering wider viewing angles and exceptional brightness


• Built-in Bluetooth and 802.11b/g wireless


• Built-in 1.3 megapixel webcam



• 1GB of RAM


• A choice of 60 GB or 80 GB hard drive, providing ample capacity for mobile applications, content creation and storage


• Windows Vista Home Basic


• Measures just 0.92-inch thick


• Starting weight of only 2.72 lbs

The new Dell Inspiron Mini 12 is expected to be available by late November 2008 with configurations starting under $600.

Macbook with lid closing


Square one: a solid block of aluminum.
Instead of assembling a notebook from many minor parts, the new MacBook was reinvented from just one: the new, solid-aluminum unibody enclosure. It gets full credit for making MacBook thinner, lighter, and even more stunning. But it’s not all beauty. Because of the unibody, this MacBook is also durable. It was designed to take on your world. So slip it into your backpack or briefcase and pull it out wherever you go — it’s impressive in any setting. Learn more about design
Using the new trackpad on MacBook notebook



The MacBook keyboard is solid, responsive, and comfortable. Just put your fingers on the crisp keys and you’ll feel pure typing bliss. An illuminated keyboard, a popular feature of MacBook Pro and MacBook Air, now comes standard on the 2.4GHz MacBook model. So when you’re in low-light settings such as airports or lecture halls, you can always see what you’re typing. It’s a luminous feature for anyone on the go.

Hey, where’s the button?

The amazing new trackpad doubles as a button — just press down anywhere and consider it clicked. No separate button means there’s 39 percent more room for your fingers to move on the silky glass surface. Now that Multi-Touch gestures have come to MacBook, all the function is in your fingers. Use two fingers to scroll up and down a page. Pinch to zoom in and out. Swipe with three fingers to flip through your photo libraries. Rotate to adjust an image with your fingertips. Using the new four-finger swipe gesture, swipe up or down to access Exposé modes and left or right to switch between open applications. If you’re coming from a right-click world, you can right-click with two fingers or configure a right-click area on the trackpad. The more you use the Multi-Touch trackpad, the more you’ll wonder what you ever did without it.

Simply stunning.
The beautifully seamless, remarkably thin design isn’t the only gleaming quality of the LED-backlit display. Open your MacBook and you’re instantly greeted by glorious full screen brightness. The aluminum enclosure is perfectly integrated with a glass overlay that stretches to the edge of the notebook, providing a completely unobstructed picture. Anything you view, including the glossy widescreen display itself, is a spectacular experience. The LED-backlit display is more power efficient. And it’s mercury- and arsenic-free, so it’s greener than ever.

Cooler creatures. Richer worlds.
The NVIDIA GeForce 9400M brings up to five times faster, discrete-level graphics performance to MacBook.1 That means high-end, high-speed 3D game-playing power. Graphics-intensive features in iPhoto and iMovie are smooth and responsive. Movies and video offer rich colors and fine details. NVIDIA performance even makes a difference as you flip through your music library with Cover Flow or use the Dashboard.

Even the keyboard is advanced.


Take it all along.
With a hard drive up to 320GB,2 you can load MacBook with movies, photos, and documents and take everything with you. You also have the option to upgrade to a 128GB solid-state drive, which has no moving parts, for enhanced durability. With the ultrafast 8x SuperDrive, burn everything you watch, listen to, or create onto DVDs and make room for even more.

Ports with possibilities.
MacBook is iPod, iPhone, digital camera, and external hard drive ready. You’ll find two USB 2.0 ports to connect a wide variety of peripherals. You’ll also see a Mini DisplayPort — a perfect fit for the new Apple LED Cinema Display. The MagSafe power port gives you a trip-proof connection to safeguard your system and valuable data. And you can use the Kensington lock slot to protect your MacBook, battery, and hard drive

Mobility mastered.
Wherever you go, wireless capabilities go with you. With the latest 802.11n wireless technology built into MacBook, you’re always connected to the wireless world out there, at home, and at work.3 It’s seamless and effortless to connect to a Wi-Fi network and surf the web, send email, video chat, and more. With up to 5 hours of wireless productivity battery life, consider yourself a free agent.4 At home, stream music wirelessly from your couch. Rent movies wirelessly with iTunes. And print documents or photos from anywhere. For an instantly ideal workspace, connect your MacBook to the new Apple LED Cinema Display. MacBook also includes Bluetooth capabilities, so brilliant accessories such as the optional Apple Wireless Keyboard and wireless Mighty Mouse free your desk from cables and cords.
iChat video screen

You. In two places at once.
Cleverly integrated — almost hidden — at the top of the MacBook display is an iSight camera. Use it with iChat, and you can be anywhere without actually being there. Video chat with a buddy, share a photo slideshow with Mom, or run through a presentation with a colleague.5 Use iSight with Photo Booth for fun photo effects. And there’s no need to waste valuable primping time installing software or configuring the camera. Like everything Mac, iSight just works.

The leading provider of Web communication services made for mobile devices, iSkoot has recently announced that its iSkoot For Skype mobile VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) application is now available for download in Google’s newly launched Android Market. It’s the first mobile VoIP solution for Android handsets (such as T-Mobile G1), allowing the users to keep in touch with friends, family and business colleagues all over the world anytime.



“We are honored to be the first mobile VoIP application available in the Android Market because we are dedicated to bringing carrier-grade Web communications services to mobile phones and platforms around the globe,” said Jim Hudak, iSkoot Vice President of Business Development. “iSkoot continues to work on delivering innovative products that give people a rich mobile experience so that they can cut the cord from their desktop.”

In addition to Android-based phones, iSkoot for Skype mobile VoIP application is also available for most mobile platforms, including J2ME, S60v3, UIQ, Palm, Windows Mobile and BlackBerry.

According to the company, “iSkoot for Skype leverages the voice-optimized circuit-switched wireless networks of mobile carriers, allowing for full operation even without access to WiFi or 3G networks and ensuring the best possible call quality. Normal carrier voice and data charges always apply.”

After the almost disastrous launch of IE 8 Beta 1, the second beta of IE8 (Internet Explorer 8) has been released for free download. Various improvements, enhancements, bug fixes and some new features are added to the new version of IE8 Beta 2.



A lot of users’ reviews on IE8 Beta2 have been outright negative, which means that IE8 Beta 2 is not even worth a try. But for users who are daring to try, it’s possible to download and install IE8 Beta 2 version 8.0 from microsoft.com. There is no WGA validation required (Microsoft has removed the WGA check since IE7) for downloading and installing the web browser. So even if your PC is not genuine and fails validation, IE8 Beta 2 can still be installed and used, but probably it’s not a good choice, yet.

For convenient, here’s the direct download links and IE8 Beta 2 information pages on Microsoft Download Center for various operating system, both 32-bit and 64-bit versions available.

Internet Explorer 8 Beta 2 for Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 (x86)

Direct Download: IE8-WindowsVista-x86-ENU.exe

Internet Explorer 8 Beta 2 for Windows Vista x64 Edition and Windows Server 2008 x64 Edition

Direct Download: IE8-WindowsVista-x64-ENU.exe

Internet Explorer 8 Beta 2 for Window XP SP2 and SP3

Direct Download: IE8-WindowsXP-x86-ENU.exe

Internet Explorer 8 Beta 2 for Windows Server 2003 SP2 x64 Edition and Windows XP Professional 64-bit Edition


Direct Download: IE8-WindowsServer2003-x64-ENU.exe

Internet Explorer 8 Beta 2 for Windows Server 2003 SP2 (x86)

Direct Download: IE8-WindowsServer2003-x86-ENU.exe

Some features of IE8 Beta 2 include InPrivate browsing, reopen closed tabs, Smart Address Bar, Web Slices, Accelerators and SmartScreen Filter.

The Samsung Pixon M8800 is being marketed as "the world's slimmest full-touch 8.0-megapixel camera phone", at 13.8-mm thin. Measuring 3.2-inch, the touchscreen is a 240 x 400 resolution-boasting WQVGA TFT LCD number. The camera has a 16x digital zoom, auto-focus, face detection and geo-tagging, and there's even a dedicated photo browser to view and share your pics. Capture video footage at 30fps (720 x 480 resolution) or 120fps (QVGA), and even film in slow-mo. Play video in files including MPEG4, WMV, DivX and Xvid. There are a host of connectivity options; these include GSM, GPRS, EDGE as well as HSDPA at 7.2Mbps. You also get Bluetooth 2.0 and USB 2.0, a TV out connection. It features an internal memory of 200MB, however there's the microSD card slot, so buy yourself one of those 16GB SanDisk cards and load it with thousands of tunes. As long as they're in MP3, AAC, e-AAC+, e-AAC+ or WMA format.

The Samsung Pixon M8800 will be available in the UK and Ireland from 1 November 2008 for prices that are as mysterious as UFO sightings occurring in USA only.

USI, a leading DMS company, has announced the world’s thinnest Mobile Internet Device (MID), i.e. MID-160. The device is based on the Intel Atom processor. The MID-160 shows good example that USI’s expertise in miniaturization technologies
and systems integration, and make it possible for consumers to carry the full Internet in their pockets.


The MID-160 features 5-inch 800×480 pixel touch screen with 167,000 colors. The device weighs 250 g and is 1.5 cm thick. To date, the MID-160 is the thinnest MID launched in the world. It comes with an 8GB solid state disk (SSD), a microphone and instant communication software. With that, users can communicate on the Internet
anywhere at any time.



In order to make the MID thin and light, MID-160 uses an in-house small footprint WiMAX SiP (system
in package), a dual-band WiFi/WiMAX module, and a world smallest 3G module (GTM501) from Option. The new Intel Atom processor enables the best Internet experience in pocketable mobile Internet devices. It was designed to help make the Internet on small devices possible and for energy efficiency.

With this in-pocket device, users can enjoy a PC-like internet experience including browsing the Internet with Flash and latest web technologies, connect with families and friends and enjoy full access to rich email including attachments.

MID160 Specifications

* Processor : Intel Atom Processor
* Display : 5-inch touch screen
* Memory : 512MB
* Operating System
: Ubuntu Linux
* Hard Disk : 8GB SSD
* Wireless : Supports WiFi 802.11b/g, Bluetooth, GPS, HSDPA or WiMAX
* Weight : 250g
* Others : 3.5 Mic or headset jack, Docking port, Micro SD Slot, SIM slot, Front-facing web cam, Ambient light sensor (Top-right), Capacitive ‘home’ button (Top left)

It is not always feasible to have both X86 and ARM based core processors
been designed in a mobile device due to higher BOM (Bill of Material) as well as design complexity. However, Miutech, a Korean based ODM (Original Design Manufacturer) has able to work in this direction to develop a new HDPC (Hybrid dual portable PC) utilizing a famous Intel
Atom Z510 processor clocking at 1.1GHZ together with an ARM based processor, featuring an extremely powerful mobile devices while able to keep its operating power reasonable low.





The next generation HDPC is capable of operating in two modes. When it is intended to be use as a mobile phone (with a case closed up), the mobile device will be powered by ARM processor running with Windows CE to conserve battery life. On the other hand, it can be used as a UMPC by unfolding the cover whereby the processing will be handled by more powerful Intel Atom processor for navigation, multimedia playback, web browsing and etc. Some of the initial specifications include optional DMB TV receiver, GSM or CDMA wireless module, 5-megapixel web camera, 30GB mass storage devices, QWERTY keyboard as well as 4-inches 800 X 480 resolution touch screen with dual independent display support.

This is not the first time to design both X86 and ARM processors in HDPC market and if you recall, HTC had introduced its Shift, an UMPC based on two independent processors featuring Intel Stealey A110 Pentium M core based processor together with a Qualcomm MSM7200 ARM11 based core since last year. No pricing and availability information yet, but Miutech emphasizes that the HDPC will be preloaded with both Windows XP and Windows CE and will be available for consumer market in short future.

Maker Faire is this weekend in Austin, Texas. Robot builders from Austin, Dallas, and Houston as well as other parts of the world will be there to show off their strangest robot creations. You'll also see giant tesla coils, medieval siege weapons, art cars, and electronic musical instruments. Any crazy idea a geek might have will likely be found at Maker Faire. See the list of robot stuff or even a full list of Makers and Project on their website. Robots.net editors will be there too so expect to see plenty of photos of the event next week. In the meantime, enjoy some photos of last year's Maker Faire.

As I have already mentioned above, only the 9800 GX2 and 9800 GTX cards copy the reference design. So we won't examine them in detail again, as we have already published reviews of 9800GX2 and 9800 GTX. Just note that ASUS products are factory-overclocked. Other cards are also very interesting.

Let's take a look at the 3850 card with 1 GB of memory and an original button on the bracket, which raises GPU voltage and turns on DVI port LEDs. Frankly speaking, the idea to illuminate ports has never crossed my mind, so ASUS impressed me here. Still, this feature is of little interest as PC enclosures usually have interfaces pointing at the wall, preventing you from seeing any illumination. Besides, it's only one port, the second is connected to the monitor.



What else there is about this card, except for its cooling system? It was very silly to equip it with slow DDR2 memory, paring down memory bandwidth that radically. As a result, the card might not be able to fully use 1 GB it has. We'll get back to this later, when we analyze test results.

The 3850 X2 is a complete copy of ASUS 3870 X2. The latter had four connectors (two GPUs with two connectors each) as well as a noisy cooler. The 3850 X2 modification lost two additional DVIs (there are empty seats for these elements on the PCB) and got a slower and quieter cooler. Everything else is the same.

The noiseless GeForce 9600 GT has also been designed by ASUS. Along with a custom cooler it features a custom PCB with memory chips circling the GPU on both PCB sides.

All cards except 9800 GX2 have original TV-Out interfaces that require a special adapter to output video to a TV set via S-Video or RCA.

An analog monitor with a D-Sub (VGA) interface can be connected by means of a special DVI-to-D-Sub adapter. Also bundled are DVI-to-HDMI adapters (these graphics cards support video/audio output to HDMI receivers), so there should be no problems with such monitors.

Maximum resolutions and frequencies:

*240 Hz maximum refresh rate
*2048 x 1536 x 32bit @ 85Hz Max - analog interface
*2560 x 1600 @ 60Hz Max - digital interface (all Dual-Link DVIs)
*As of MPEG2 playback (DVD-Video), we analyzed this issue in 2002. Little has changed since that time. CPU load during video playback on modern graphics cards does not exceed 25%.

As of HDTV, a review is available here.

All cards require additional power source, so each is bundled with a molex to 6-pin adapter, even though all modern PSUs have such cables.

INFO FROM digit-life.com

GeForce 8300 does not catch up with AMD 780G, although its shader domain works at a higher frequency than that of GeForce 8200. Still, this chipset is successful enough to attract certain motherboard manufacturers. Thus, NVIDIA partners actively seeking ways to expand product ranges presented motherboards on it (copying the reference design as usual).

It's not hard to guess that ASUS released a product based on GeForce 8300. Probably following its rule "No chipset should be missed" for both economic and also "political" reasons. On the face of it, it's a very interesting full-size ATX motherboard supporting processors with TDP up to 125 W and equipped with its own graphics core -- NVIDIA's most advanced. It may attract users looking for a motherboard for a work PC -- featuring integrated graphics, but high-performing in other respects. It's also an attractive product for users going with integrated graphics as a temporary solution until they install a discrete graphics card. Now let's take a look at this motherboard.



Unfortunately, it suffers from a lot of strange design flaws, which are not typical of ASUS solutions. We have an impression that this motherboard was put under care of some probationary employee or a trainee. See for yourself: full-size format and single-bridge chipset, what can be easier to layout everything in the perfect way? However, two SATA ports are sure to be blocked by a long graphics card (most NVIDIA cards, for example.) A power connector in the center of the board does not help this motherboard either, especially if you have a large CPU cooler. Anyway, it's not optimal to have the thickest power cord go above half the board. The motherboard houses three fan headers, but they are all installed in the upper part of the board, while it's more optimal to distribute them along the entire surface. In particular, it's more convenient to plug case fans to a header in the bottom of the board. To say nothing of the floppy connector in the very bottom, even though it was possible to install this element behind memory slots.

And finally, here goes the oddest solution that will certainly make the motherboard less attractive to its potential users. Video connectors on the rear panel include only HDMI. If you need VGA, you should plug an additional bracket to the connector behind PCI slots. It definitely deteriorates analog signal quality. Besides, the bracket will occupy one slot on the rear panel and decrease the number of available PCI slots.

We had no problems with audio output via HDMI (stereo-PCM with the maximum bitrate of 192 kHz/24 bit) and video output at 1360x768 (Full HD resolutions are also supported, but some users of HD-Ready devices used to have problems with early versions of the drivers, so such resolutions are more interesting to test). Heatsink on the chipset resembles the one installed on the M3A-H/HDMI motherboard, which cools only AMD 780G Northbridge (lower heat release). On the other hand, that motherboard supports GPU overclocking, while motherboards on GeForce 8200/8300 do not offer such features. And this heatsink is more than enough for GeForce 8300 in the nominal mode.

The motherboard uses a 5-phase (4+1) switching voltage regulator for the CPU. Phases responsible for CPU are equipped with four field-effect transistors per channel. And the memory controller phase comes with two transistors. This circuit contains 10 x 560 uF and 4 x 270 uF capacitors. The motherboard uses only brand solid-state capacitors and potted coils. Praiseworthy design.

There are no empty seats on the board. Motherboard dimensions -- standard ATX (305x244 mm), 9-screw mount, all corners are firmly fixed.

INFORMATION FROM digit-life.com

Dell's multi-touch screen is still undergoing teething issues According to an online report published on Monday. The N-Trig digitizer used in Dell's multi-touch Latitude XT Tablet PCs has issues that, nearly seven months since the products' launch, have not been resolved. According to users, some of the problems include errors that prevent the digitizer software from being found, making the tablet useless in auto and dual modes. While this problem goes away after a couple of reboots, many see it as frustrating and counter-productive. The report goes on to name an additional flaw that has the digitizer clicking items while the stylus is hovering when the tablet is exiting standby mode.


The problems are not apparently relegated to the digitizer, as the wireless card seems to quit functioning at random, with a reboot getting it back on track. Despite efforts to work with Dell technical support on resolving these issues, they persist, the author claims, before concluding the Latitude XT is not ready for the mass market.

The Korean mobile communications leader, LG Electronics, has again collaborated with PRADA to release its second generation of PRADA phones before the year end. This new mobile phone from the joint effort between LG, one of the most advanced technology companies, and Prada, one of the high fashion companies in the world, comes with an elegant look and a digitally sophisticated interface. It features a full touch screen, a unique and easy to use QWERTY keyboard, 3G compatibility with video calling, 7.2Mbps HSDPA, full HTML browser, a 5 mega pixel camera with Schneider-Kreuznach certified lens, and Wi-Fi accessibility.



With a luxury design and high-tech features, the second generation PRADA phone produced by LG is more than a mobile phone for pleasure. It is a product for style and a symbol for status and luxury. This new phone is priced around 600 Euros though major mobile dealerships in Italy, UK, France, Germany, Spain and the Netherlands in the 4Q of 2008.

RIM, Verizon Wireless and Vodafone Group have announced the launch of the long-awaited BlackBerry Storm smartphone, which includes an unique touch screen and cutting-edge multimedia capabilities, aiming to deliver an ultimate smartphone experience.



“We are proud to introduce the first touch-screen based BlackBerry smartphone together with Verizon Wireless and Vodafone,” said Mike Lazaridis, president and co-chief executive officer at RIM. “The BlackBerry Storm is a revolutionary touch-screen smartphone that meets both the communications and multimedia needs of customers and solves the longstanding problem associated with typing on traditional touch-screens. Consumers and business customers alike will appreciate this unique combination of a large and vibrant screen with a truly tactile touch interface.”



Impressive Highlights Of BlackBerry Storm:

*High resolution (480×360 pixel) 3.25-inch diagonal TFT LCD display, supporting over 65,000 colors

*Innovative “clickable” touch-screen that actually depresses ever so slightly when the screen is pressed (supports for multi-touches, taps, slides and other touch-screen gestures)

*3.2 megapixel camera with variable zoom, auto focus and powerful flash that also provides continuous lighting when recording video

*Built-in GPS (Global Positioning System) supports location-based applications and services, as well as geotagging of photos

*BlackBerry Internet Service, BlackBerry Unite!, BlackBerry Professional Software and BlackBerry Enterprise Server support

*Preloaded DataViz Documents to Go allows users to edit Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint files directly on the phone

*Full HTML high-performance browser and built-in RSS support

*1GB integrated memory storage, expandable with external microSD/SDHD card slot (supports up to 16GB)

*Media player that can play movies smoothly in full screen mode, display pictures and slideshows quickly and manage an entire music collection; playlists can be created directly on the handset and there’s an equalizer with 11 preset filters - including “Lounge,” “Jazz” and “Hip Hop” - for customized audio ranges when using wired headphones or external speakers

*Standard 3.5 mm stereo headset jack supporting for Bluetooth stereo audio profile (A2DP/AVRCP) and dedicated volume controls

*Ambient light sensor that automatically adjusts backlighting for ideal screen viewing and built-in accelerometer, allowing customers to view applications in either portrait or landscape mode by simply rotating the handset (RIM’s SureType keyboard layout is available in portrait mode, while full QWERTY keyboard layout is available in landscape mode)

*Removable and rechargeable 1400 mAhr battery supporting approximately 6 hours of talk time on 3G networks and 15 days of standby time

“The BlackBerry Storm offers our customers more ways to stay connected to both their personal and professional lives - whether in their communities or around the globe,” said Mike Lanman, vice president and chief marketing officer of Verizon Wireless. “The BlackBerry Storm combines the reliability of our 3G network with the dependability and network efficiency of the BlackBerry platform to deliver our customers the ultimate wireless experience - all in one of the coolest smartphones available on the market today.”

According to the release, “The BlackBerry Storm is a top-of-the-line 3G mobile phone with premium features and global connectivity. In the U.S., the BlackBerry Storm 9530 gives Verizon Wireless customers 3G EV-DO Rev. A/CDMA technology - and (2100Mhz) UMTS/HSPA and quad-band EDGE/GPRS/GSM for global use. The BlackBerry Storm 9500 from Vodafone supports (2100Mhz) UMTS/HSPA and quad-band EDGE/GPRS/GSM networks.”

“We are delighted to bring the power of the purpose built BlackBerry Storm, directly into the hands of consumer and business customers,” said Frank H. Rovekamp, global chief marketing officer, Vodafone Group. “With its unique clickable touch-screen, giving access to all the desirable multi-media features and services such as browsing, music and video, turn-by-turn satellite navigation, messaging and social networking, and BlackBerry’s mobile heritage and strong business reputation, the BlackBerry Storm is being brought by Vodafone into the consumer world. With Vodafone’s ultra high-speed, reliable mobile network and this exclusive and exciting new smartphone, there has never been a better time to be with Vodafone.”

The new BlackBerry Storm smartphone which measures 110 x 60 x 6.3mm is expected to be available later this fall, exclusively to Verizon Wireless customers in US and Vodafone customers in Europe, India, Australia and New Zealand, but no price has been announced yet.

Internet
Antivirus Pro is an extremely dangerous virus which has spread widely recently. It confuses users by popping up fake security alerts on their taskbar. It prompts users with messages like these: “Insecure Internet activity”, “Threat of virus attack “; “Due to insecure Internet browsing your PC can easily get infected with viruses, worms and Trojans without your knowledge, and that can lead to system slowdown, freezes and crashes”. This virus will thence trick users into purchasing their software. It will recommend users to protect their system and enjoy safe internet browsing by getting a full real-time protection via a link given.

This new counterfeit anti-spyware application is installed into users’ PC without their knowledge and permission using Trojans and other malware. With the fake alert notice, it intentionally leads users to purchase the fabricated antivirus software and probably that’s the way the creator makes money from non-tech savvy users. The risk level for this Internet Antivirus Pro is extremely high. Besides prompting users with the irritating messages, it can slow down the system, alter your browsers’ settings, affect your internet connection, etc.

Users can manually remove the dangerous application via the following steps:

1. Press “Alt+Ctrl+Delete” and go to “Task Manager”. Go to “Processes” tab and end process for these files: iv.exe, iavir.exe, InternetAntivirusPro.exe.

2. Subsequently you need to un-registry some files. To un-registry file, you need to go to your command prompt windows. Click “Start”, “Run” and thence type “cmd” and click ok. You can un-registry your vial by typing in this command: C:\“regsvr32 /u filename.dll

3. The filename above is the name of the file that you want to unregister. With this process, unregister the following files:
- iv.exe
- iavir.exe
- InternetAntivirusPro.exe
- %ProgramFiles%\IA\InternetAntivirusPro.exe
- %ProgramFiles%\Internet Antivirus Pro\activate.ico
- %ProgramFiles%\Internet Antivirus Pro\cookies.log
- %ProgramFiles%\Internet Antivirus Pro\db\config.cfg
- %ProgramFiles%\Internet Antivirus Pro\db\DBInfo.ver
- %ProgramFiles%\Internet Antivirus Pro\db\ia080614.db
- %ProgramFiles%\Internet Antivirus Pro\Explorer.ico
- %ProgramFiles%\Internet Antivirus Pro\IAUpdater.exe
- %ProgramFiles%\Internet Antivirus Pro\IAvir.exe
- %ProgramFiles%\Internet Antivirus Pro\Scanner.log
- %ProgramFiles%\Internet Antivirus Pro\unins000.dat
- %ProgramFiles%\Internet Antivirus Pro\uninstall.ico
- %ProgramFiles%\Internet Antivirus Pro\working.log

4. The next step is to remove and modify the corrupted Registry values. Again, go to “Start”, “Run” and type “regedit” to open your Registry Editor. Modify/remove the following infected or corrupted registry
entries:
- HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\microsoft\windows\currentversion\Internet Antivirus Pro
- HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run\”Internet Antivirus Pro” = “”C:\program files\Internet Antivirus Pro\IAvir.exe” /s”
- HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce\”3P_UDEC_IA:” = “”[Installer Path]\IAInstall.exe” 0;C;”
- HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer\Run\”iv:” = “””C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\iv.exe”””

The worldwide technology and design leader in mobile communications, LG has announced the launch of its new attractively-priced full touch screen mobile phone - LG KP500, coming in black, Vandyke brown, Anodizing silver and Elegant gold colors.



“The feedback we receive from consumers around the world indicate that there’s more people who wish to try the latest touch screen phones,” said Dr. Skott Ahn, President and CEO of LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company. “We want to reach out to this group and LG KP500 is our answer to deliver a high quality full touch screen phone that is easy to use and much easier to afford. Within reach of many consumers, we hope that more people will experience the joy of using the latest touch screen technology with LG KP500.”

Main Features Of LG KP500:

*3-inch wide full touch screen display
*Active flash UI (user interface) allowing users to attach friend’s photo for the speed dial feature
*Easy-to-use smart handwriting recognition function allowing users to send text messages without using the touch keyboard
*Embedded stylus pen for advanced handwriting recognition program
*Includes motion sensor games that requires eye-hand coordination to balance, flip, shift, and twist the handset to play the games, using advanced motion sensor technology
*The QWERTY onscreen keyboard slides into view when the LG KP500 is held horizontally, and the auto rotating display always shifts images or documents for proper viewing no matter which way the cellphone is turned
The new stylish and slim LG KP500 handset which measures 4.1 x 2.1 x 0.5-inches is expected to be available by the end of October 2008, but its price has yet to be announced.