Gadget News - Wednesday December 12, 2007
In Vista's shadow, XP shines
By Jay Dougherty, dpa Washington - Thinking of moving to Windows Vista? Whether you are or not, it's becoming more difficult to ignore Microsoft's latest operating system, as it comes pre-installed on many new computers and generates all the buzz in the papers.
Behind all the fanfare, though, lies a seldom discussed secret: Vista may not be right for everyone - at least not yet, and perhaps not for quite some time. And XP, meanwhile, has just gotten better and better. It continues to be the workhorse operating system that can serve most users the best.
You can spend a lot of money and time preparing your equipment to run Vista, only to find that after all the effort, you really had everything you needed in Windows XP - and then some. So it pays to go into any migration to Vista with eyes wide open. Here's a blow-by-blow rundown of just what you'll be getting yourself into with Vista compared to XP.
XP is faster
You can throw a lot of hardware - and money - at Windows Vista and still end up with a computer that is considerably more sluggish than your XP machine.
Part of the issue with Vista is actually perceived sluggishness. The new interface is designed to mask, to some degree, how long operations are taking by distracting you with various visual effects: dialog boxes that open gradually, a pulsating circle that appears whenever some disk action is taking place, animation effects that let you see a minimised application gradually expand when called to the forefront.
At first, the visual effects may very well wow you. But after a while, when you just want to get your work done in the minimum amount of time, you may very well come to long for the snappiness of XP's interface.
The sad thing, too, is that today's dual core and quad core computers can really make XP perform quicker than you've ever seen it perform before. But with Vista, even the best of these boxes provide what appears to be just adequate performance.
XP is compatible
Microsoft has gone a long way in ensuring that Windows Vista is compatible with the majority of popular applications in use today. But "majority" won't mean anything to you if the one or two applications that you consider critical won't work under Vista or won't work as they should.
Virtually every Windows-based program will run under XP. That means that usually you won't need to give a second thought to compatibility. Run Vista, on the other hand, and you'll be visiting the Web sites of manufacturers on a fairly regular basis looking for Vista compatibility information or patches that make current software run properly under the new operating system. You'll also be learning about "compatibility mode" in Vista - a feature that allows you to specify that an older program should be run in a special mode under Vista that may enable the program to run without issues.
And software won't be your only concern with Vista. Printer, scanner, and other hardware manufacturers may or may not provide Vista drivers for their products. HP, for instance, is not providing Vista drivers for the popular and not-so-old LaserJet 1012 home printer.
XP is familiar
The interface of Windows XP may not be nearly as attractive as that of Vista. But that snazzy new look that Vista sports has its downsides, too. First, because a lot of things look and work differently in Vista than they did in XP, you'll spend a good deal of time re-learning common tasks.
Want quick access to some setting in the Display Properties dialog box, for instance? In Vista, you'll learn that the features formerly found in the Display Properties dialog box you're used to are now split up into several dialog boxes accessible from the redesigned Control Panel. There are literally dozens of examples of similar features that you'll have to relearn once you make the move to Vista.
The relearning wouldn't be so bad if the payoff were greater. But what many come to feel about Vista is that the interface changes are among the operating system's primary "improvements." In previous versions of Windows, interface changes were just a part of an operating system upgrade that included many, many technological advancements. Because a lot of technical improvements were stripped out of Vista mid-way through the development cycle, however, what users are left with is a new interface that requires relearning, along with a few new features - such as integrated search and security enhancements - that are nice to have but certainly available elsewhere as free add-ins to XP.
XP is mature
Millions upon millions of computer users have pounded on Windows XP for years. The result: Microsoft has had plenty of time to fix bugs that were identified after the initial release. Service Pack 2 for XP has been available for XP for some time, and Service Pack 3 - rumoured to include just rollups of bug patches, as well as Internet Explorer 7 - is slated to ship next year.
Compare that type of maturity with Vista, which reportedly was shipped with a long list of bugs still unaddressed, and you'd be hard-pressed to argue that Vista is ready for any type of critical production environment. Most corporations, in fact, won't even consider rolling out a new OS like Vista before the first service pack is released. Should you?
XP is flexible
If you really just can't stand the look and feel of Windows XP, there are ways to make it look like Vista - or a lot of other things, as well, thanks to the many "skins" in circulation. Repositories such as WinCustomize (http://www.wincustomize.com) provide plenty of options for changing the look and feel of XP, and many of these customisations are well tested and reviewed.
Make no mistake: Vista can be fun to work with, and there's no denying that the overhaul that Microsoft gave the interface made the whole operating system more attractive.
But there remain enough issues with Vista that a move to the new software should probably be undertaken only by those who want or need to stay on the cutting edge of technology - and those who understand the risks.
Bangkok Post
Showing posts with label Gadget News. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gadget News. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Computer and internet briefs
Gadget News - Wednesday December 12, 2007
Computer and internet briefs
Washington (dpa) - Want to make the Windows taskbar clock display the day and date as well? It's easy.
Just expand the width of the taskbar. To do so, unlock your taskbar by right-clicking a blank spot on the taskbar and deselecting "lock the taskbar." Now allow your mouse cursor to hover along the edge of the taskbar until you see the double-headed resizing arrow. With the resizing arrow displayed, hold down your mouse button and drag the edge of the taskbar out to make it larger. You'll see the time display expand to include the date and day. Stop resizing when the taskbar is large enough. Now lock the taskbar again.
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Washington (dpa) - In Windows, there are two ways to gain quicker access to the Run dialogue box. The quickest way is to hold down the Windows key on your keyboard and tap the letter R. Another way is to drag the Run command to your Windows desktop. To do so, open the Start menu, and drag the Run command to an open spot on your desktop. After you drop it there, a simple double click on the Run icon will open the Run dialogue box.
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Washington (dpa) - If your browser loads too slowly, it could be because the start page that you use is laden with slow-loading graphics or text. To speed up browser startup, choose a very simple Web site as your startup page. For example, the search engine Google (http://www.google.com) is designed for simplicity and quick loading.
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Washington (dpa) - If you'd like a folder or file always to be displayed at the top of a folder or file listing, there are a couple of tricks you can use. Just open Windows Explorer, highlight the file or folder, and press F2. Doing so activates the name of the file or folder so that you can rename it. Place an exclamation mark or the number "01" in front of the file name, and press Enter. Now any alphabetical listing of files or folders will feature what you just renamed at the very top.
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Washington (dpa) - Windows will theoretically allow you to install thousands of fonts, otherwise known as typefaces. While fonts can be fun, each font requires an entry in the Windows registry, and if you install hundreds of fonts, your system's performance will be impaired. Install only the fonts you think you'll use.
Bangkok Post
Computer and internet briefs
Washington (dpa) - Want to make the Windows taskbar clock display the day and date as well? It's easy.
Just expand the width of the taskbar. To do so, unlock your taskbar by right-clicking a blank spot on the taskbar and deselecting "lock the taskbar." Now allow your mouse cursor to hover along the edge of the taskbar until you see the double-headed resizing arrow. With the resizing arrow displayed, hold down your mouse button and drag the edge of the taskbar out to make it larger. You'll see the time display expand to include the date and day. Stop resizing when the taskbar is large enough. Now lock the taskbar again.
--------
Washington (dpa) - In Windows, there are two ways to gain quicker access to the Run dialogue box. The quickest way is to hold down the Windows key on your keyboard and tap the letter R. Another way is to drag the Run command to your Windows desktop. To do so, open the Start menu, and drag the Run command to an open spot on your desktop. After you drop it there, a simple double click on the Run icon will open the Run dialogue box.
--------
Washington (dpa) - If your browser loads too slowly, it could be because the start page that you use is laden with slow-loading graphics or text. To speed up browser startup, choose a very simple Web site as your startup page. For example, the search engine Google (http://www.google.com) is designed for simplicity and quick loading.
--------
Washington (dpa) - If you'd like a folder or file always to be displayed at the top of a folder or file listing, there are a couple of tricks you can use. Just open Windows Explorer, highlight the file or folder, and press F2. Doing so activates the name of the file or folder so that you can rename it. Place an exclamation mark or the number "01" in front of the file name, and press Enter. Now any alphabetical listing of files or folders will feature what you just renamed at the very top.
--------
Washington (dpa) - Windows will theoretically allow you to install thousands of fonts, otherwise known as typefaces. While fonts can be fun, each font requires an entry in the Windows registry, and if you install hundreds of fonts, your system's performance will be impaired. Install only the fonts you think you'll use.
Bangkok Post
New security hole in Apple QuickTime Player
Gadget News - Wednesday December 12, 2007
New security hole in Apple QuickTime Player
Cupertino, California (dpa) - New vulnerabilities have surfaced in Apple's QuickTime multimedia player, experts are reporting.
Seven security holes in all could allow attackers off the internet to execute arbitrary commands with the privileges of a registered user.
The German Federal Agency for Security in Information Technology (BSI) in Bonn is publicizing the hole. If the user is logged in to an account with administrator rights, then the attackers can gain complete control of the PC.
To exploit the hole, users must visit a specially-prepared internet site or open a manipulated file. The Microsoft Windows and Apple Mac OS X operation systems are both affected if they are running QuickTime up to version 7.3, the BSI reports. The agency is recommending that all users download the update released by Apple to close the holes. That can be performed via the integrated update function or manually at http://www.apple.com
Bangkok Post
New security hole in Apple QuickTime Player
Cupertino, California (dpa) - New vulnerabilities have surfaced in Apple's QuickTime multimedia player, experts are reporting.
Seven security holes in all could allow attackers off the internet to execute arbitrary commands with the privileges of a registered user.
The German Federal Agency for Security in Information Technology (BSI) in Bonn is publicizing the hole. If the user is logged in to an account with administrator rights, then the attackers can gain complete control of the PC.
To exploit the hole, users must visit a specially-prepared internet site or open a manipulated file. The Microsoft Windows and Apple Mac OS X operation systems are both affected if they are running QuickTime up to version 7.3, the BSI reports. The agency is recommending that all users download the update released by Apple to close the holes. That can be performed via the integrated update function or manually at http://www.apple.com
Bangkok Post
New Mac system "Leopard" shows Windows its claws
Gadget News - Wednesday December 12, 2007
New Mac system "Leopard" shows Windows its claws
By Christoph Dernbach, dpa
Hamburg (dpa) - Mac users were certainly in a hurry this time. Two million copies of the new Mac OS X Leopard operating system flew off store shelves in the first weekend it was sold.
Drawn in by over 300 new functions, long-time Apple users showed up in particularly large numbers to snap up the sixth version of the Mac OS X system.
Leopard is also intended to show some claws to the PC operating system Windows. Harry McCracken from the online magazine Slate even called the product "Apple's Microsoft-Devouring Jungle Cat."
What's interesting is that both Microsoft's and Apple's developers followed remarkably similar approaches in creating Windows Vista and Mac OS X Leopard: "3D effects, security, parental protections, and search functions are the big issues at the moment," said German computing magazine c't. And user-friendliness too, of course.
To make the software easier to use, Apple took some tricks from the interface on its music software iTunes: files can be flipped through like CD albums in CoverFlow mode. While searching, QuickLook provides a preview of the data without opening the actual program.
One of the central innovations is related to data security: more and more of our personal lives are landing on the hard drive, yet few users seem to consider the implications of securing that data against hard drive failure. With its Time Machine function, Apple expanded its Mac OS to include a complete yet extremely easy-to-use backup function: if an external hard drive is connected, Leopard asks automatically if the drive should be used for backing up data. And that's it.
To roll back through the history of a file or even to recreate the entire system, the user browses into the past and can examine how the folder content has changed. "Not everyone falls under the spell of that gorgeous animated starfield," writes David Pogue, technology reporter for the New York Times. "Yet the more people who can be persuaded to turn it on, the more will be spared the misery of losing their photos, music and e-mail," says Pogue.
When it comes to parental controls, Windows Vista has had the slight edge to this point. Leopard retakes the lead. Parents can set time limits for the computer usage of their offspring, or take a different tactic and force the Mac to power down at night. A log file can also be set to log all online activity.
Leopard does have a bit of catch-up to do when it comes to security. True, it does have all the tools that make Macs so effective against attacks. And while Windows is under constant attack from viruses and Trojans, there have been as good as no legitimate pests for Mac OS X to date. But Apple also made the decision to tear down the firewall and allow all incoming connections. This gap can be closed by Leopard users with the click of a mouse, however.
Apple did improve Boot Camp. That software allows users with Intel-chip based Macs to install a Windows system parallel to Mac OS. No Windows drivers CD is required anymore. The Leopard installation DVD is enough.
The expert opinions have generally been positive: "Leopard is powerful, polished and carefully conceived," Pogue writes in the end. Even veteran Mac reviewer John Siracusa, known as a purist when it comes to software, finds little joy in the new 3D effects but otherwise praises the results: "Leopard is absolutely packed with improvements," he says.
Bangkok Post
New Mac system "Leopard" shows Windows its claws
By Christoph Dernbach, dpa
Hamburg (dpa) - Mac users were certainly in a hurry this time. Two million copies of the new Mac OS X Leopard operating system flew off store shelves in the first weekend it was sold.
Drawn in by over 300 new functions, long-time Apple users showed up in particularly large numbers to snap up the sixth version of the Mac OS X system.
Leopard is also intended to show some claws to the PC operating system Windows. Harry McCracken from the online magazine Slate even called the product "Apple's Microsoft-Devouring Jungle Cat."
What's interesting is that both Microsoft's and Apple's developers followed remarkably similar approaches in creating Windows Vista and Mac OS X Leopard: "3D effects, security, parental protections, and search functions are the big issues at the moment," said German computing magazine c't. And user-friendliness too, of course.
To make the software easier to use, Apple took some tricks from the interface on its music software iTunes: files can be flipped through like CD albums in CoverFlow mode. While searching, QuickLook provides a preview of the data without opening the actual program.
One of the central innovations is related to data security: more and more of our personal lives are landing on the hard drive, yet few users seem to consider the implications of securing that data against hard drive failure. With its Time Machine function, Apple expanded its Mac OS to include a complete yet extremely easy-to-use backup function: if an external hard drive is connected, Leopard asks automatically if the drive should be used for backing up data. And that's it.
To roll back through the history of a file or even to recreate the entire system, the user browses into the past and can examine how the folder content has changed. "Not everyone falls under the spell of that gorgeous animated starfield," writes David Pogue, technology reporter for the New York Times. "Yet the more people who can be persuaded to turn it on, the more will be spared the misery of losing their photos, music and e-mail," says Pogue.
When it comes to parental controls, Windows Vista has had the slight edge to this point. Leopard retakes the lead. Parents can set time limits for the computer usage of their offspring, or take a different tactic and force the Mac to power down at night. A log file can also be set to log all online activity.
Leopard does have a bit of catch-up to do when it comes to security. True, it does have all the tools that make Macs so effective against attacks. And while Windows is under constant attack from viruses and Trojans, there have been as good as no legitimate pests for Mac OS X to date. But Apple also made the decision to tear down the firewall and allow all incoming connections. This gap can be closed by Leopard users with the click of a mouse, however.
Apple did improve Boot Camp. That software allows users with Intel-chip based Macs to install a Windows system parallel to Mac OS. No Windows drivers CD is required anymore. The Leopard installation DVD is enough.
The expert opinions have generally been positive: "Leopard is powerful, polished and carefully conceived," Pogue writes in the end. Even veteran Mac reviewer John Siracusa, known as a purist when it comes to software, finds little joy in the new 3D effects but otherwise praises the results: "Leopard is absolutely packed with improvements," he says.
Bangkok Post
Beef up your notebook's storage
Gadget News - Wednesday December 12, 2007
Beef up your notebook's storage
By Jay Dougherty, dpa
Washington (dpa) - They say the only things you can count on in life are death and taxes. But if you use a notebook computer, you can probably add "not enough storage" to that list, as well.
With multimedia files and digital photographs proliferating, the hard drives delivered in most notebook computers can fill up faster than you imagined. And notebooks can seem impenetrable when it comes to upgrades. But upgrading a notebook's hard drive is something that anyone who is handy with a screwdriver should be able to accomplish.
- Know your drive
First, you should know that virtually every notebook computer today comes with 2.5-inch hard drives, so when you buy a replacement drive from a local store or an online retailer such as Amazon.com, you'll want to be sure you're buying a 2.5-inch drive rather than a 3.5-inch drive, which are for desktop computers.
Before you start shopping, you should also know the type of interface the hard drive has to your notebook. Most notebooks older than six months or so will typically use the IDE interface. More recently-made models, however, may very well use the newer SATA interface.
Be sure that your replacement drive uses the same interface as the one currently in your notebook. The manufacturer of your notebook may be the best place to find this information if it's not in the sales documents or manuals that came with it.
- Start shopping
Equipped with this basic information, you can start shopping. Find a hard drive that has enough storage capacity for your needs.
Figure on buying a drive with at least twice the amount of space that you currently have. You'll find reasonably-priced hard drives with capacities ranging from 80 to more than 160 GB these days, so finding a drive with ample storage should be no problem.
Focus, too, on drives with spin rates of 7200 revolutions per minutes (rpm), since these will give your system an overall performance boost over older hard drive models, which typically spin slower. 7200 rpm drives may cost a tad more than the slower 5400 rpm models you see on the market, but the extra money will be well spent, since today's operating systems and applications often see a noticeable performance boost from improved hard drive speed.
Along with the hard drive itself, purchase an external USB hard drive enclosure for a 2.5-inch hard drive. These are inexpensive "shells" that allow you to hook up a hard drive to your notebook computer using a free USB port. Search for "external enclosures" at your favourite online computer retailer.
The other tool that you'll need in your upgrade kit is hard drive imaging software. Look at Acronis's DriveImage Home software, or search the Internet for free imaging software.
This type of software will allow you to create a perfect clone of your existing hard drive onto a new hard drive. After the image is created, all you'll need to do is install the new drive in your notebook, boot up, and everything should be exactly as it was before - except that you'll have a lot more free hard drive space.
- Prepare to clone
Once you have the drive, the enclosure, and the software, install the software and slide the hard drive into the enclosure as specified on the instructions that came with the enclosure. Then attach the hard drive enclosure to your notebook computer using the USB cable and launch the imaging software.
Follow the wizard to create a complete hard drive image of your current notebook. Note that you may need to use the imaging software to create a bootable CD-ROM, boot from that, and then launch the cloning wizard. This is especially true if you use Windows Vista. Once started, the entire cloning process may take several hours.
- Swap the drives
When your notebook's hard drive has been cloned successfully, you'll want to remove the new drive from the external enclosure and install it in your notebook in place of the existing drive. Replacing a hard drive typically requires only a small Philips screwdriver and instructions, which are usually provided by your notebook manufacturer, either in the manual that came with your notebook or online. Dell, for example, provides on the Internet instructions for swapping the hard drive on all of its notebook models.
With the new hard drive installed, you should be able to boot up your notebook and enjoy the extra storage space. Note that if you use Windows Vista, you will probably get a message upon bootup saying that you need to insert the original Windows Vista disk into your CD- ROM drive and select Repair once the installation process has begun. Do this, and in a jiffy Vista will activate the new hard drive, allowing you to boot normally.
Once you have determined that everything is working properly, you can insert your old hard drive into the external enclosure and use it as a backup device or as some very handy and plentiful mobile storage.
Bangkok Post
Beef up your notebook's storage
By Jay Dougherty, dpa
Washington (dpa) - They say the only things you can count on in life are death and taxes. But if you use a notebook computer, you can probably add "not enough storage" to that list, as well.
With multimedia files and digital photographs proliferating, the hard drives delivered in most notebook computers can fill up faster than you imagined. And notebooks can seem impenetrable when it comes to upgrades. But upgrading a notebook's hard drive is something that anyone who is handy with a screwdriver should be able to accomplish.
- Know your drive
First, you should know that virtually every notebook computer today comes with 2.5-inch hard drives, so when you buy a replacement drive from a local store or an online retailer such as Amazon.com, you'll want to be sure you're buying a 2.5-inch drive rather than a 3.5-inch drive, which are for desktop computers.
Before you start shopping, you should also know the type of interface the hard drive has to your notebook. Most notebooks older than six months or so will typically use the IDE interface. More recently-made models, however, may very well use the newer SATA interface.
Be sure that your replacement drive uses the same interface as the one currently in your notebook. The manufacturer of your notebook may be the best place to find this information if it's not in the sales documents or manuals that came with it.
- Start shopping
Equipped with this basic information, you can start shopping. Find a hard drive that has enough storage capacity for your needs.
Figure on buying a drive with at least twice the amount of space that you currently have. You'll find reasonably-priced hard drives with capacities ranging from 80 to more than 160 GB these days, so finding a drive with ample storage should be no problem.
Focus, too, on drives with spin rates of 7200 revolutions per minutes (rpm), since these will give your system an overall performance boost over older hard drive models, which typically spin slower. 7200 rpm drives may cost a tad more than the slower 5400 rpm models you see on the market, but the extra money will be well spent, since today's operating systems and applications often see a noticeable performance boost from improved hard drive speed.
Along with the hard drive itself, purchase an external USB hard drive enclosure for a 2.5-inch hard drive. These are inexpensive "shells" that allow you to hook up a hard drive to your notebook computer using a free USB port. Search for "external enclosures" at your favourite online computer retailer.
The other tool that you'll need in your upgrade kit is hard drive imaging software. Look at Acronis's DriveImage Home software, or search the Internet for free imaging software.
This type of software will allow you to create a perfect clone of your existing hard drive onto a new hard drive. After the image is created, all you'll need to do is install the new drive in your notebook, boot up, and everything should be exactly as it was before - except that you'll have a lot more free hard drive space.
- Prepare to clone
Once you have the drive, the enclosure, and the software, install the software and slide the hard drive into the enclosure as specified on the instructions that came with the enclosure. Then attach the hard drive enclosure to your notebook computer using the USB cable and launch the imaging software.
Follow the wizard to create a complete hard drive image of your current notebook. Note that you may need to use the imaging software to create a bootable CD-ROM, boot from that, and then launch the cloning wizard. This is especially true if you use Windows Vista. Once started, the entire cloning process may take several hours.
- Swap the drives
When your notebook's hard drive has been cloned successfully, you'll want to remove the new drive from the external enclosure and install it in your notebook in place of the existing drive. Replacing a hard drive typically requires only a small Philips screwdriver and instructions, which are usually provided by your notebook manufacturer, either in the manual that came with your notebook or online. Dell, for example, provides on the Internet instructions for swapping the hard drive on all of its notebook models.
With the new hard drive installed, you should be able to boot up your notebook and enjoy the extra storage space. Note that if you use Windows Vista, you will probably get a message upon bootup saying that you need to insert the original Windows Vista disk into your CD- ROM drive and select Repair once the installation process has begun. Do this, and in a jiffy Vista will activate the new hard drive, allowing you to boot normally.
Once you have determined that everything is working properly, you can insert your old hard drive into the external enclosure and use it as a backup device or as some very handy and plentiful mobile storage.
Bangkok Post
iPod speakers not all created equal
Gadget News - Wednesday December 12, 2007
iPod speakers not all created equal
Munich (dpa) - Speaker systems for the iPod can vary greatly in sound quality.
For that reason, music fans should determine before making their purchase how they intend to use the sound system.
That was the finding of a comparative test done recently by Munich-based Macwelt magazine. Devices appropriate for a garden party are not always appropriate for the office or for on the go. Different musical styles can also require different volume levels.
Listening to the sound in person before making a purchase is key, the magazine noted. The test examined 18 loudspeaker systems in all.
Bangkok Post
iPod speakers not all created equal
Munich (dpa) - Speaker systems for the iPod can vary greatly in sound quality.
For that reason, music fans should determine before making their purchase how they intend to use the sound system.
That was the finding of a comparative test done recently by Munich-based Macwelt magazine. Devices appropriate for a garden party are not always appropriate for the office or for on the go. Different musical styles can also require different volume levels.
Listening to the sound in person before making a purchase is key, the magazine noted. The test examined 18 loudspeaker systems in all.
Bangkok Post
The computer helper : Figuring out firewalls
Gadget News - Wednesday December 12, 2007
The computer helper : Figuring out firewalls
By Jay Dougherty, dpa
Washington - If you use a computer, you've heard of firewalls. After all, there's a firewall delivered in recent versions of Windows, and you may also have one in your high-speed modem.
There are even free firewalls online, as well as ones that you can buy. Despite their ubiquity, however, a lot of folks are confused about what firewalls are and what they actually do.
Read on to find out:
Q: I hear the term "firewall" used all the time. What is a firewall, and why do I need one?
A: A firewall is a software program that monitors all incoming and outgoing activity over a network such as the Internet. Whenever a program such as an e-mail client or a web browser tries to access the internet, a firewall will alert you, asking whether the activity is to be allowed or blocked. If you unblock an activity, you can generally choose whether to unblock it just once or always. If you choose always, then the next time that type of activity is detected, you will not be notified.
A firewall is important because, although most types of access to the internet are initiated by you and are therefore legitimate, some of the most malicious programs around will attempt to steal your personal information and transmit it stealthily over the internet or deposit harmful code on your PC. Without a firewall, you may never even be aware that such activity is occurring. Thus a firewall exists for your protection.
Q: If I use a firewall, do I also need an antivirus program?
A: Firewalls do not take it upon themselves to identify and eradicate particular types of threats. Instead, their primary function is that of monitoring and logging - and alerting you to unsanctioned network activity.
That's why a good security toolkit typically includes a firewall as well as antivirus, antispam, and malware detection and removal tools.
You can use a firewall to view reports of any program that has tried to access your computer or exchange data with it. As you are browsing the list of accesses or attempted accesses, you can generally decide whether to block future activity from a given program.
Be careful at this stage: while you'll recognise some programs and want to continue allowing them access to your computer, others you may not recognise. Before you block access, it makes sense to perform an internet search on the program in question. You'll want to make sure that you're not blocking access from a program that you may need.
Q: Windows XP comes with a firewall, and so does my antivirus program. Which firewall should I use?
A: You'll probably want to use the one that comes with your antivirus program, for two reasons. First, Windows XP's firewall, while offering basic firewall protections, does not monitor outgoing connections. So if you happen to get a malicious program on your computer that wants to send information out without your knowledge, XP's firewall won't tell you about it.
Many third-party firewall solutions offer more thorough solutions. Initially, they're often more annoying, as well, however, since they may interrupt your work with messages asking whether you wish to block a particular type of internet access. Over time, though, the firewalls will have a record of the types of activity you allow and expect, and will prompt you less often.
Second, the firewalls that come with antivirus solutions are designed to work integrally with those antivirus components, so there's little likelihood that you'll run into one part of your security solution raising false alarms about activity initiated by another.
Bangkok Post
The computer helper : Figuring out firewalls
By Jay Dougherty, dpa
Washington - If you use a computer, you've heard of firewalls. After all, there's a firewall delivered in recent versions of Windows, and you may also have one in your high-speed modem.
There are even free firewalls online, as well as ones that you can buy. Despite their ubiquity, however, a lot of folks are confused about what firewalls are and what they actually do.
Read on to find out:
Q: I hear the term "firewall" used all the time. What is a firewall, and why do I need one?
A: A firewall is a software program that monitors all incoming and outgoing activity over a network such as the Internet. Whenever a program such as an e-mail client or a web browser tries to access the internet, a firewall will alert you, asking whether the activity is to be allowed or blocked. If you unblock an activity, you can generally choose whether to unblock it just once or always. If you choose always, then the next time that type of activity is detected, you will not be notified.
A firewall is important because, although most types of access to the internet are initiated by you and are therefore legitimate, some of the most malicious programs around will attempt to steal your personal information and transmit it stealthily over the internet or deposit harmful code on your PC. Without a firewall, you may never even be aware that such activity is occurring. Thus a firewall exists for your protection.
Q: If I use a firewall, do I also need an antivirus program?
A: Firewalls do not take it upon themselves to identify and eradicate particular types of threats. Instead, their primary function is that of monitoring and logging - and alerting you to unsanctioned network activity.
That's why a good security toolkit typically includes a firewall as well as antivirus, antispam, and malware detection and removal tools.
You can use a firewall to view reports of any program that has tried to access your computer or exchange data with it. As you are browsing the list of accesses or attempted accesses, you can generally decide whether to block future activity from a given program.
Be careful at this stage: while you'll recognise some programs and want to continue allowing them access to your computer, others you may not recognise. Before you block access, it makes sense to perform an internet search on the program in question. You'll want to make sure that you're not blocking access from a program that you may need.
Q: Windows XP comes with a firewall, and so does my antivirus program. Which firewall should I use?
A: You'll probably want to use the one that comes with your antivirus program, for two reasons. First, Windows XP's firewall, while offering basic firewall protections, does not monitor outgoing connections. So if you happen to get a malicious program on your computer that wants to send information out without your knowledge, XP's firewall won't tell you about it.
Many third-party firewall solutions offer more thorough solutions. Initially, they're often more annoying, as well, however, since they may interrupt your work with messages asking whether you wish to block a particular type of internet access. Over time, though, the firewalls will have a record of the types of activity you allow and expect, and will prompt you less often.
Second, the firewalls that come with antivirus solutions are designed to work integrally with those antivirus components, so there's little likelihood that you'll run into one part of your security solution raising false alarms about activity initiated by another.
Bangkok Post
Terabyte hard drives gain traction
Gadget News - Wednesday December 12, 2007
Terabyte hard drives gain traction
Berlin - In some ways, it's good to be digital: the housing is getting bigger by the day, even while prices are level or even sinking.
The real estate in question, though, is hard drives, with 160 gigabyte models going for less than 50 dollars at present. And the ongoing development of hard drives with even greater capacity is depressing prices even further. Soon the market will see prices of hard disks that hold a terabyte - that's 1,000 gigabytes - begin to come down. That's a lot of storage space for films, photos, music and programs.
Hard drives with such enormous capacity can either be built into the computer or used externally via a USB cable. There is little difference in price any more between external and internal models. The bigger question is how the hard drive will be used. That's because external hard drives take longer to access than internal devices.
"External hard drives are therefore primarily useful as backups," says Peter Knaak, a computer expert at the German consumer testing organization Stiftung Warentest in Berlin.
One example of an external solution is the "Datastation duo w.u". The device, sold by Trekstor, comes with either one or two terabytes of memory - configured as either two 500 GB or two 1 TB drives. The drives cost 349 and 799 dollars respectively and will work with computers running any of the following operating systems: Windows 98, ME, 2000, XP, Vista, Mac OS X or Linux Kernel 2.6 or newer.
As with the Trekstor unit, the HD-35x2PUK from Teac provides one terabyte of storage capacity, in this case connected to the computer via USB 2.0. The portable hard drive costs 259 dollars. Other external solutions offering at least a terabyte of capacity can be found from Maxtor, Iomega, Fantec and Buffalo, among others.
Internal terabyte hard drives are sold by Hitachi and Samsung. Both require a motherboard with a SATA interface, which rules out installation in older PCs. While the Hitachi model rings in at 314 dollars, the Samsung hard drive is available for 260 dollars. "The price war is just getting started for terabyte hard drives," says Boi Feddern from Hanover-based c't magazine.
Peter Knaak advises against making changes to the computer as external solutions are better. "A quick interface is important, though." For that reason, he recommends using a network storage unit that is connected to several computers via Ethernet. That provides significantly quicker access to the data than via USB 2.0.
Anyone with a reasonably modern computer should have no difficulty installing a terabyte-sized hard drive. 'Older' here means over three years old. "The operating system shouldn't be ancient either," Feddern says. Terabyte hard drives can be integrated with no problem for machines running a fully updated version of Windows 2000, Windows XP or Vista.
The investment in a large hard drive may well be worth the money for users who record HD videos. "Each film is several gigabytes," Feddern says. A more affordable alternative to a terabyte drive is two hard drives with 500 gigabytes of storage space apiece. Those can be had for roughly 100 dollars per unit right now.
The sky appears to be the limit when it comes to increasing capacity. Hitachi is current trying to shrink the distance between data tracks on hard drives to 30 nanometres or less. That would mean a capacity of four terabytes within a few years. Of course, by that point most PCs will come with hard drives of at least one terabyte pre-installed anyway.
Bangkok Post
Terabyte hard drives gain traction
Berlin - In some ways, it's good to be digital: the housing is getting bigger by the day, even while prices are level or even sinking.
The real estate in question, though, is hard drives, with 160 gigabyte models going for less than 50 dollars at present. And the ongoing development of hard drives with even greater capacity is depressing prices even further. Soon the market will see prices of hard disks that hold a terabyte - that's 1,000 gigabytes - begin to come down. That's a lot of storage space for films, photos, music and programs.
Hard drives with such enormous capacity can either be built into the computer or used externally via a USB cable. There is little difference in price any more between external and internal models. The bigger question is how the hard drive will be used. That's because external hard drives take longer to access than internal devices.
"External hard drives are therefore primarily useful as backups," says Peter Knaak, a computer expert at the German consumer testing organization Stiftung Warentest in Berlin.
One example of an external solution is the "Datastation duo w.u". The device, sold by Trekstor, comes with either one or two terabytes of memory - configured as either two 500 GB or two 1 TB drives. The drives cost 349 and 799 dollars respectively and will work with computers running any of the following operating systems: Windows 98, ME, 2000, XP, Vista, Mac OS X or Linux Kernel 2.6 or newer.
As with the Trekstor unit, the HD-35x2PUK from Teac provides one terabyte of storage capacity, in this case connected to the computer via USB 2.0. The portable hard drive costs 259 dollars. Other external solutions offering at least a terabyte of capacity can be found from Maxtor, Iomega, Fantec and Buffalo, among others.
Internal terabyte hard drives are sold by Hitachi and Samsung. Both require a motherboard with a SATA interface, which rules out installation in older PCs. While the Hitachi model rings in at 314 dollars, the Samsung hard drive is available for 260 dollars. "The price war is just getting started for terabyte hard drives," says Boi Feddern from Hanover-based c't magazine.
Peter Knaak advises against making changes to the computer as external solutions are better. "A quick interface is important, though." For that reason, he recommends using a network storage unit that is connected to several computers via Ethernet. That provides significantly quicker access to the data than via USB 2.0.
Anyone with a reasonably modern computer should have no difficulty installing a terabyte-sized hard drive. 'Older' here means over three years old. "The operating system shouldn't be ancient either," Feddern says. Terabyte hard drives can be integrated with no problem for machines running a fully updated version of Windows 2000, Windows XP or Vista.
The investment in a large hard drive may well be worth the money for users who record HD videos. "Each film is several gigabytes," Feddern says. A more affordable alternative to a terabyte drive is two hard drives with 500 gigabytes of storage space apiece. Those can be had for roughly 100 dollars per unit right now.
The sky appears to be the limit when it comes to increasing capacity. Hitachi is current trying to shrink the distance between data tracks on hard drives to 30 nanometres or less. That would mean a capacity of four terabytes within a few years. Of course, by that point most PCs will come with hard drives of at least one terabyte pre-installed anyway.
Bangkok Post
Digital copies made easy: Scanners can do almost anything
Gadget News - Wednesday December 12, 2007
Digital copies made easy: Scanners can do almost anything
By Verena Wolff, dpa
Munich - Photos, slides, documents: even in a digital age, old paper treasures continue to clog countless folders and crates around the home and office.
One way to fight the clutter is to scan the analog versions and then manage them on the computer. Yet there are also factors to consider with paper documents to make sure that the original copies can be safely replaced in favour of digital copies.
"First of all, the hardware has to be able to image the thing you want to copy digitally," says Schahin Elahinja, a scanner expert for hardware maker Epson. Anyone looking to scan a negative or slide will need what is known as a shine-through unit to illuminate the object from above instead of below as is normally the case.
"If you want to copy large documents, the device requires a corresponding format as well," Elahinja says. Similarly, anyone looking to scan forms, cooking recipes and witnesses would be well served with a feeder unit.
The precise type of scanner and resolution are largely factors of the user and his or her needs.
"In many cases it's simply a matter of backing up and archiving digital documents," Elahinja says. "Two-hundred dots per inch (dpi) are enough for text," says Thorsten Neumann from Chip Online in Munich.
"More dots per inch make sense if you'll need to enlarge a detail," Elahinja says. "Two-hundred to 300 dpi are sufficient for one-to-one copies of documents."
Good hardware usually provides simple controls. "The buttons can usually be programmed with various functions, with scanning at the press of a button," Neumann says.
Epson calls this "One Touch Scan". "You just put the document on the scanner, and then the scanner adjusts and refines its scan to predefined formats like DIN A4, 10 x 15 centimetres or 35 millimetres."
Two things are important when making the connection: the scanner driver must be installed with the included software. "There are scanners that are integrated into the operating system - but it can happen that certain special functions are then not available," Epson expert Elahinja explains.
And every scanner comes with a CD containing programs to help scan properly. This includes options like where the document should be positioned and help for image processing functions like rotating, justifying, cutting, and retouching.
"Scanners can now provide processional results for photos even for users at home," says Barbara Wollny, a press spokeswoman for hardware maker HP. Adaptive lighting technology ensures that the contrast is better defined and that details in dark shadows are visible.
"Red-eye can also be corrected, washed out colours can be pumped up, and even dust motes and scratches can be airbrushed out," Wollny says.
Bangkok Post
Digital copies made easy: Scanners can do almost anything
By Verena Wolff, dpa
Munich - Photos, slides, documents: even in a digital age, old paper treasures continue to clog countless folders and crates around the home and office.
One way to fight the clutter is to scan the analog versions and then manage them on the computer. Yet there are also factors to consider with paper documents to make sure that the original copies can be safely replaced in favour of digital copies.
"First of all, the hardware has to be able to image the thing you want to copy digitally," says Schahin Elahinja, a scanner expert for hardware maker Epson. Anyone looking to scan a negative or slide will need what is known as a shine-through unit to illuminate the object from above instead of below as is normally the case.
"If you want to copy large documents, the device requires a corresponding format as well," Elahinja says. Similarly, anyone looking to scan forms, cooking recipes and witnesses would be well served with a feeder unit.
The precise type of scanner and resolution are largely factors of the user and his or her needs.
"In many cases it's simply a matter of backing up and archiving digital documents," Elahinja says. "Two-hundred dots per inch (dpi) are enough for text," says Thorsten Neumann from Chip Online in Munich.
"More dots per inch make sense if you'll need to enlarge a detail," Elahinja says. "Two-hundred to 300 dpi are sufficient for one-to-one copies of documents."
Good hardware usually provides simple controls. "The buttons can usually be programmed with various functions, with scanning at the press of a button," Neumann says.
Epson calls this "One Touch Scan". "You just put the document on the scanner, and then the scanner adjusts and refines its scan to predefined formats like DIN A4, 10 x 15 centimetres or 35 millimetres."
Two things are important when making the connection: the scanner driver must be installed with the included software. "There are scanners that are integrated into the operating system - but it can happen that certain special functions are then not available," Epson expert Elahinja explains.
And every scanner comes with a CD containing programs to help scan properly. This includes options like where the document should be positioned and help for image processing functions like rotating, justifying, cutting, and retouching.
"Scanners can now provide processional results for photos even for users at home," says Barbara Wollny, a press spokeswoman for hardware maker HP. Adaptive lighting technology ensures that the contrast is better defined and that details in dark shadows are visible.
"Red-eye can also be corrected, washed out colours can be pumped up, and even dust motes and scratches can be airbrushed out," Wollny says.
Bangkok Post
Blu-ray drive, more "Everquest" : New items for technology fans
Gadget News - Wednesday December 12, 2007
Blu-ray drive, more "Everquest": New items for technology fans
Lite-On presents its first BD-ROM drive
Eindhoven, Netherlands (dpa) - The joint hardware venture between Philips & Lite-On Digital Solutions will produce its first Blu-ray drive for the PC. The Lite-On DH-4O1S is a read-only device for Blu- ray discs and all standard media formats, the manufacturer reportedg. The drive will be available for 179 dollars from December. ---
Expansion for Everquest II
San Diego (dpa) - A new expansion is available for the online role playing game Everquest II entitled "Rise of Kunark" and offers a new race for players to control: a "classical dragon-like race of humanoids," Sony Online Entertainment reported. The expansion software also expands the gaming world. Figures can now explore the jungle or the "Skyfire Mountains." "Everquest II: Rise of Kunark" is available in stores or for download at 29.99 dollars. ---
New Linux - Fedora 8 released
Munich (dpa) - A new version of the free Linux operating system Fedora is available. Fedora 8 includes improved security functions as well as a reworked user interface, reports Red Hat, the company supporting the Linux project. Fedora 8 can also be started from a USB stick. The software can be downloaded at http://fedoraproject.org.
Bangkok Post
Blu-ray drive, more "Everquest": New items for technology fans
Lite-On presents its first BD-ROM drive
Eindhoven, Netherlands (dpa) - The joint hardware venture between Philips & Lite-On Digital Solutions will produce its first Blu-ray drive for the PC. The Lite-On DH-4O1S is a read-only device for Blu- ray discs and all standard media formats, the manufacturer reportedg. The drive will be available for 179 dollars from December. ---
Expansion for Everquest II
San Diego (dpa) - A new expansion is available for the online role playing game Everquest II entitled "Rise of Kunark" and offers a new race for players to control: a "classical dragon-like race of humanoids," Sony Online Entertainment reported. The expansion software also expands the gaming world. Figures can now explore the jungle or the "Skyfire Mountains." "Everquest II: Rise of Kunark" is available in stores or for download at 29.99 dollars. ---
New Linux - Fedora 8 released
Munich (dpa) - A new version of the free Linux operating system Fedora is available. Fedora 8 includes improved security functions as well as a reworked user interface, reports Red Hat, the company supporting the Linux project. Fedora 8 can also be started from a USB stick. The software can be downloaded at http://fedoraproject.org.
Bangkok Post
New vulnerability found in Windows XP
Gadget News - Wednesday December 12, 2007
New vulnerability found in Windows XP
Redmond, Washington - A new vulnerability has been discovered in Windows XP that hackers could potentially exploit.
A mishandling of the http:// or ftp:// header by the Windows system component "System32.DLL" could enable malicious programs to be executed using the registered user's rights. The German Federal Agency for Security in Information Technology (BSI) in Bonn is publicising the hole.
For the attack to function, Internet Explorer 7.0 must be installed and the user must call up a properly manipulated web address, the BSI reports. Experts recommend installing Windows Update "MS07-061" from Microsoft to close the hole. The software can be downloaded from Microsoft (http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com).
Users who have activated the Automatic Updates function in Windows XP should already be covered. Various versions of the Windows 2003 Server are also affected by the vulnerability.
Bangkok Post
New vulnerability found in Windows XP
Redmond, Washington - A new vulnerability has been discovered in Windows XP that hackers could potentially exploit.
A mishandling of the http:// or ftp:// header by the Windows system component "System32.DLL" could enable malicious programs to be executed using the registered user's rights. The German Federal Agency for Security in Information Technology (BSI) in Bonn is publicising the hole.
For the attack to function, Internet Explorer 7.0 must be installed and the user must call up a properly manipulated web address, the BSI reports. Experts recommend installing Windows Update "MS07-061" from Microsoft to close the hole. The software can be downloaded from Microsoft (http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com).
Users who have activated the Automatic Updates function in Windows XP should already be covered. Various versions of the Windows 2003 Server are also affected by the vulnerability.
Bangkok Post
Computer and internet briefs
Gadget News - Wednesday December 12, 2007
Computer and internet briefs
Washington - Spyware can be used to track your every move on the PC without your knowledge. That's why every PC user should have an anti-spyware toolkit. Ad-aware (http://www.lavasoftusa.com) is free, reliable, and a staple for many. Two programs -SpyCop, http://www.spycop.com/) 49.95 dollars, and SpyDetect 29.95 dollars - uncover snooping programs installed on a hard drive.
--------
Washington - When it comes to hard drives, quiet is in. Hard disk manufacturers are paying attention to how much noise their hard drives make. Drives from some manufacturers, such as Seagate and Western Digital, are being designed specifically with noise control in mind. Before you purchase your next hard drive, check the manufacturer's web site to see whether any mention is made of how loud the drive is.
--------
Washington - Memtest86+ (http://www.memtest.org/#downiso) is a free memory testing application that you can download and use to put your computer's RAM through a thorough test. Download one of the pre-compiled bootable packages and copy or burn it to whichever media you can boot your PC from other than the hard drive. Packages for CD- ROM, USB key, and floppy are available. Once started, Memtest86+ will run exhaustive tests on your RAM to determine whether any errors exist.
--------
Washington - Still looking for the best sized LCD display? If you're still working with old-style cathode ray tube (CRT) monitors, you can buy LCD screens that are rated at one or two inches smaller than your current CRT monitor and still retain the same amount of screen real estate. An LCD rated at 18 inches, for example, will give you a bit more screen real estate than the typical 19-inch CRT. But many people nowadays consider LCDs of 20 inches or more best for Vista and other modern operating systems.
--------
Washington - Inkjet printers designed to print photographs must be used with recommended photographic paper. Otherwise, your photographs will not look as you intended. The exception is when you purchase or create special printer "profiles" - software that tells your inkjet printer about the special properties of each paper you use.
Bangkok Post
Computer and internet briefs
Washington - Spyware can be used to track your every move on the PC without your knowledge. That's why every PC user should have an anti-spyware toolkit. Ad-aware (http://www.lavasoftusa.com) is free, reliable, and a staple for many. Two programs -SpyCop, http://www.spycop.com/) 49.95 dollars, and SpyDetect 29.95 dollars - uncover snooping programs installed on a hard drive.
--------
Washington - When it comes to hard drives, quiet is in. Hard disk manufacturers are paying attention to how much noise their hard drives make. Drives from some manufacturers, such as Seagate and Western Digital, are being designed specifically with noise control in mind. Before you purchase your next hard drive, check the manufacturer's web site to see whether any mention is made of how loud the drive is.
--------
Washington - Memtest86+ (http://www.memtest.org/#downiso) is a free memory testing application that you can download and use to put your computer's RAM through a thorough test. Download one of the pre-compiled bootable packages and copy or burn it to whichever media you can boot your PC from other than the hard drive. Packages for CD- ROM, USB key, and floppy are available. Once started, Memtest86+ will run exhaustive tests on your RAM to determine whether any errors exist.
--------
Washington - Still looking for the best sized LCD display? If you're still working with old-style cathode ray tube (CRT) monitors, you can buy LCD screens that are rated at one or two inches smaller than your current CRT monitor and still retain the same amount of screen real estate. An LCD rated at 18 inches, for example, will give you a bit more screen real estate than the typical 19-inch CRT. But many people nowadays consider LCDs of 20 inches or more best for Vista and other modern operating systems.
--------
Washington - Inkjet printers designed to print photographs must be used with recommended photographic paper. Otherwise, your photographs will not look as you intended. The exception is when you purchase or create special printer "profiles" - software that tells your inkjet printer about the special properties of each paper you use.
Bangkok Post
Professional grade digital cameras making inroads among amateurs
Gadget News - Wednesday December 12, 2007
Professional grade digital cameras making inroads among amateurs
Frankfurt (dpa) - In the early days of digital photography, professional grade digital cameras were a dream for many amateur photographers.
Due to their high prices of sometimes up to 1,000 euros (1,473 dollars), they remained a dream for many.
But prices have fallen to less than 400 euros for some models, not including the lens making the cameras affordable for many, says Constanze Clauss of the Frankfurt-based Photo Industry Association.
Brands like Canon, Nikon and Olympus have fairly affordable cameras for sale because they're probably trying to sell a newer, more advanced version of their camera to buyers with deeper pockets.
Still, this opens several doors and keeps prices down for photographers who want a single lens reflex camera but do not need the absolute latest model.
Photo enthusiasts, who already have a little experience and a camera only need to buy a new camera housing, as their old lenses should still work with the digital camera. Complete beginners will have to budget in the cost of a camera and a lens. However, many vendors offer package deals combining cameras and lenses, especially during the Christmas season, says Clauss.
Those deals are usually more affordable than buying individual components. Prices start at 500 euros for older models from the major names.
The camera packages usually include a lens with a focal length of 18 to 55 millimetres. "That covers everything from a wide-angle lens to a short telephoto lens," says Herbert Noll of the Berlin-based Stiftung Warentest, a consumer affairs organization. "That's roughly the same standard as the classic basic lens for an analog camera. It's pretty practical."
Ambitious hobbyists who think they need more than a standard lens can easily spend hundreds of extra euros on additional lenses. But there's still life in older lenses that were once used with analog camera.
"Sometimes you will have to accept slightly lower quality," says Clauss. "That applies mostly to the extreme photography ranges, like a large telephoto lens or wide angles, for example."
Aspiring photographers remember to factor in technological advances when looking at older lenses. "There have been a lot of developments, for example in light intensity." Noll says older lenses can mean lower quality pictures, but adds "That's not automatically the case."
Like point and shot digital cameras, single reflex versions have also seen pixel counts rise to dizzying heights. Six million pixels has become the low-end threshold and 12 million pixels is no longer uncommon.
"Whether you need that is a different question," said Noll. "Buying a new camera just to get more pixels is nonsense."
Anyone bent on buying a camera should get proper advice, recommends Clauss. "It's best to go to a special shop. There, you can take the camera outside and test it out."
Shoppers should take some time, especially to test the camera and its display in daylight. "It's always a good idea to see which camera feels best in your hand. And when photographing, you should always try a couple of different positions."
The quality of the display usually becomes clear as soon as the sun is shining. "A lot of merchants will also let you borrow the camera for a short time if you leave some kind of deposit."
Digital cameras are like mobile phones - users often don't know what all they can do with them and completely overlook some functions.
"You have to put in a little effort," says Clauss. "Many Canon and Nikon manufacturers offer seminars to help." Sometimes the cameras even come with a coupon for those classes.
Bangkok Post
Professional grade digital cameras making inroads among amateurs
Frankfurt (dpa) - In the early days of digital photography, professional grade digital cameras were a dream for many amateur photographers.
Due to their high prices of sometimes up to 1,000 euros (1,473 dollars), they remained a dream for many.
But prices have fallen to less than 400 euros for some models, not including the lens making the cameras affordable for many, says Constanze Clauss of the Frankfurt-based Photo Industry Association.
Brands like Canon, Nikon and Olympus have fairly affordable cameras for sale because they're probably trying to sell a newer, more advanced version of their camera to buyers with deeper pockets.
Still, this opens several doors and keeps prices down for photographers who want a single lens reflex camera but do not need the absolute latest model.
Photo enthusiasts, who already have a little experience and a camera only need to buy a new camera housing, as their old lenses should still work with the digital camera. Complete beginners will have to budget in the cost of a camera and a lens. However, many vendors offer package deals combining cameras and lenses, especially during the Christmas season, says Clauss.
Those deals are usually more affordable than buying individual components. Prices start at 500 euros for older models from the major names.
The camera packages usually include a lens with a focal length of 18 to 55 millimetres. "That covers everything from a wide-angle lens to a short telephoto lens," says Herbert Noll of the Berlin-based Stiftung Warentest, a consumer affairs organization. "That's roughly the same standard as the classic basic lens for an analog camera. It's pretty practical."
Ambitious hobbyists who think they need more than a standard lens can easily spend hundreds of extra euros on additional lenses. But there's still life in older lenses that were once used with analog camera.
"Sometimes you will have to accept slightly lower quality," says Clauss. "That applies mostly to the extreme photography ranges, like a large telephoto lens or wide angles, for example."
Aspiring photographers remember to factor in technological advances when looking at older lenses. "There have been a lot of developments, for example in light intensity." Noll says older lenses can mean lower quality pictures, but adds "That's not automatically the case."
Like point and shot digital cameras, single reflex versions have also seen pixel counts rise to dizzying heights. Six million pixels has become the low-end threshold and 12 million pixels is no longer uncommon.
"Whether you need that is a different question," said Noll. "Buying a new camera just to get more pixels is nonsense."
Anyone bent on buying a camera should get proper advice, recommends Clauss. "It's best to go to a special shop. There, you can take the camera outside and test it out."
Shoppers should take some time, especially to test the camera and its display in daylight. "It's always a good idea to see which camera feels best in your hand. And when photographing, you should always try a couple of different positions."
The quality of the display usually becomes clear as soon as the sun is shining. "A lot of merchants will also let you borrow the camera for a short time if you leave some kind of deposit."
Digital cameras are like mobile phones - users often don't know what all they can do with them and completely overlook some functions.
"You have to put in a little effort," says Clauss. "Many Canon and Nikon manufacturers offer seminars to help." Sometimes the cameras even come with a coupon for those classes.
Bangkok Post
Microsoft launches new Windows Live Messenger service
Gadget News - Wednesday December 12, 2007
Microsoft launches new Windows Live Messenger service
Redmond, Washington (dpa) - Microsoft has launched a new version of its Web-based Windows Live Services suite. The free program packet includes the Windows Live Mail, Windows Live Messenger, Windows Live Photo Gallery, and Windows Live Writer services, among others. The programs will be offered in a bundled download for the first time, Microsoft reported. The programs can then be installed all at once.
Among the new features is Windows Live Events event planner. Users can set appointments, issue invitations to events, and swap data with other participants. Changes have also been made to programs previously available in earlier Live Service versions. Parents now have the chance to restrict the chat activity of their children for Windows Live Messenger, for example.
The suite's e-mail program, Windows Live Hotmail, has also been reworked. Invitations now include RSVP buttons for a direct yes or no, for example. The inbox now provides up to five gigabytes of storage as well.
Bangkok Post
Microsoft launches new Windows Live Messenger service
Redmond, Washington (dpa) - Microsoft has launched a new version of its Web-based Windows Live Services suite. The free program packet includes the Windows Live Mail, Windows Live Messenger, Windows Live Photo Gallery, and Windows Live Writer services, among others. The programs will be offered in a bundled download for the first time, Microsoft reported. The programs can then be installed all at once.
Among the new features is Windows Live Events event planner. Users can set appointments, issue invitations to events, and swap data with other participants. Changes have also been made to programs previously available in earlier Live Service versions. Parents now have the chance to restrict the chat activity of their children for Windows Live Messenger, for example.
The suite's e-mail program, Windows Live Hotmail, has also been reworked. Invitations now include RSVP buttons for a direct yes or no, for example. The inbox now provides up to five gigabytes of storage as well.
Bangkok Post
Don't set computer monitors too high
Gadget News - Wednesday December 12, 2007
Don't set computer monitors too high
Hamburg (dpa) - Computer monitors should rest directly on desktops, not perched atop pedestals or stacks of paper, to facilitate the head's natural inclination to point slightly downward, according to the Management Professional Society (VBG) in Hamburg.
"It's how we read books and newspapers," said Sylke Neumann, a prevention expert with the VBG. The group recommends a 35-degree incline, which should help prevent headaches, shoulder, neck tension and dried out eyes. The upper edge of the monitor should be no higher than eye level. Most LCD screens can be tilted so that the screen image is at eye level, making it easier to watch the monitor.
Bangkok Post
Don't set computer monitors too high
Hamburg (dpa) - Computer monitors should rest directly on desktops, not perched atop pedestals or stacks of paper, to facilitate the head's natural inclination to point slightly downward, according to the Management Professional Society (VBG) in Hamburg.
"It's how we read books and newspapers," said Sylke Neumann, a prevention expert with the VBG. The group recommends a 35-degree incline, which should help prevent headaches, shoulder, neck tension and dried out eyes. The upper edge of the monitor should be no higher than eye level. Most LCD screens can be tilted so that the screen image is at eye level, making it easier to watch the monitor.
Bangkok Post
Recovery tools: Emergency helpers for data crashes
Gadget News - Wednesday December 12, 2007
Recovery tools : Emergency helpers for data crashes
By Berti Kolbow, dpa
Hanover, Germany - It can happen very quickly: you empty the Windows Recycle Bin just a bit too quickly, or format a thumb drive unintentionally - and important data is suddenly gone.
Yet hope is not lost, because in most cases the operating system has not actually deleted the file but just released it for overwriting.
"It's like a thick book that's had part of the table of contents ripped out. Then you can't find specific pages without a bit of help," says Boi Feddern, an editor at German computing magazine c't.
The files can still be recovered - if you have the right recovery tools. These search through the surface of the hard drive to look for which snippets are left over to be restored into compete files. Cost- free programs are available on the internet. "The freeware options are effective enough in many cases and are easy for beginners to use," Feddern says.
One cost-free tool, PC Inspector File Recovery, from Convar, reconstructs files with their original time and date.
Accidentally deleted vacation photos can be retrieved with "PC Inspector smart recovery," which is intended for storage media for digital cameras. If the problem runs deeper, however, then you'll have to purchase more powerful software.
"If the missing file is a system file or a special file format, then freeware can't get the job done," explains German computer expert Jaroslav Smycek.
Yet there's also a lot of variety among the commercial software as well. The recognition rates can vary greatly, Smycek says.
"Particularly for very large files and special formats like .zip or .pst, many programs just aren't up to scratch," says Robert Globisch from the online catalogue computeruniverse.net.
One product that has drawn praise from the experts is the "EasyRecovery" series from Ontrack. The "professional" version contains an extensive tool collection for recovery, repair, and diagnosis. The software can recognize up to 290 file formats, the manufacturer claims.
Given the price of around 570 dollars, the software is intended for users whose files are truly essential. The scaled-back "lite" version as available for around 94 dollars but can only restore up to 25 files per search pass. Another tool packet is "RescueBox" from O&O for around 100 dollars. This can be run straight from CD for emergency cases.
To keep the chances of success high, the user should stop writing to the hard drive as soon as possible following the loss of data - which means no installing the recovery tools either. "The danger of overwriting important data fragments is high," Smycek explains.
Unsuccessful rescue attempts can make the damage even worse. Users should therefore first make an identical image of the drive. Further recovery attempts can then be made with the image file at a later time. R-Studio, from Haage & Partner (starting at around 50 dollars), offers this kind of functionality.
Recovery tools are also helpless against physical defects in the hardware. If the read/write head on a hard drive is damaged or afflicted with water or flames, then a trip to the data rescue lab may be the only remedy.
Bangkok Post
Recovery tools : Emergency helpers for data crashes
By Berti Kolbow, dpa
Hanover, Germany - It can happen very quickly: you empty the Windows Recycle Bin just a bit too quickly, or format a thumb drive unintentionally - and important data is suddenly gone.
Yet hope is not lost, because in most cases the operating system has not actually deleted the file but just released it for overwriting.
"It's like a thick book that's had part of the table of contents ripped out. Then you can't find specific pages without a bit of help," says Boi Feddern, an editor at German computing magazine c't.
The files can still be recovered - if you have the right recovery tools. These search through the surface of the hard drive to look for which snippets are left over to be restored into compete files. Cost- free programs are available on the internet. "The freeware options are effective enough in many cases and are easy for beginners to use," Feddern says.
One cost-free tool, PC Inspector File Recovery, from Convar, reconstructs files with their original time and date.
Accidentally deleted vacation photos can be retrieved with "PC Inspector smart recovery," which is intended for storage media for digital cameras. If the problem runs deeper, however, then you'll have to purchase more powerful software.
"If the missing file is a system file or a special file format, then freeware can't get the job done," explains German computer expert Jaroslav Smycek.
Yet there's also a lot of variety among the commercial software as well. The recognition rates can vary greatly, Smycek says.
"Particularly for very large files and special formats like .zip or .pst, many programs just aren't up to scratch," says Robert Globisch from the online catalogue computeruniverse.net.
One product that has drawn praise from the experts is the "EasyRecovery" series from Ontrack. The "professional" version contains an extensive tool collection for recovery, repair, and diagnosis. The software can recognize up to 290 file formats, the manufacturer claims.
Given the price of around 570 dollars, the software is intended for users whose files are truly essential. The scaled-back "lite" version as available for around 94 dollars but can only restore up to 25 files per search pass. Another tool packet is "RescueBox" from O&O for around 100 dollars. This can be run straight from CD for emergency cases.
To keep the chances of success high, the user should stop writing to the hard drive as soon as possible following the loss of data - which means no installing the recovery tools either. "The danger of overwriting important data fragments is high," Smycek explains.
Unsuccessful rescue attempts can make the damage even worse. Users should therefore first make an identical image of the drive. Further recovery attempts can then be made with the image file at a later time. R-Studio, from Haage & Partner (starting at around 50 dollars), offers this kind of functionality.
Recovery tools are also helpless against physical defects in the hardware. If the read/write head on a hard drive is damaged or afflicted with water or flames, then a trip to the data rescue lab may be the only remedy.
Bangkok Post
Telekom wins court battle to lock Apple iPhone
Gadget News - Wednesday December 12, 2007
Telekom wins court battle to lock Apple iPhone
Hamburg (dpa) - Deutsche Telekom won Tuesday a court battle to keep its Apple iPhone locked, preventing German customers of competitor Vodafone from using the stylish new gadget.
Telekom's T-Mobile wireless division had earlier been forced under a temporary injunction to sell the iPhone in Germany without any calling plan or the software lock which confines users to Apple's chosen marketing partner.
But after full argument of the case in state court in Hamburg, Vodafone's legal claims under German competition law were rejected. The two international companies are the dominant mobile providers in Germany.
Judges said T-Mobile was entitled to limit sales of the 399-euro (588-dollar) iPhone to customers signing up for a two-year T-Mobile contract which costs about 1,200 euros. Both prices include tax.
The software lock has been controversial in all four nations where the iPhone is sold: the United States, Germany, Britain and France. Many consumers want to use bargain calling plans from independent wireless companies.
Hackers can unlock the phones so they can be used on a cheaper network, but this invalidates the Apple guarantee.
The iPhone, effectively an iPod music player with phone and computing features added, has been one of year's most celebrated new products.
For more than a week, Telekom had offered the iPhone with a disabled lock and no calling plan, in line with the temporary injunction.
However it posted a price of 999 euros for the multi-network version, meaning there was no ultimate financial benefit to most customers in forsaking the T-Mobile network.
The unlocked phones would be withdrawn from sale at Telekom outlets as soon as possible, the company said.
Vodafone attacked the verdict, saying it disadvantaged German consumers. It would decide its next move after company legal counsel had analysed the judges' written ruling, which has not yet been handed out.
"We reserve the right to appeal," a spokesman said. Vodafone contended that basic German fair trade laws had been breached, along with laws against business collusion.
The phone is legally on sale without a lock in France.
Vodafone, which vied for the iPhone itself, has warned that other handset manufacturers might copy Apple, offering desirable gadgets to exclusive partners in exchange for a cut from the call-charges revenue.
Industry analysts say T-Mobile passes about one third of iPhone revenue to US-based Apple.
Bangkok Post
Telekom wins court battle to lock Apple iPhone
Hamburg (dpa) - Deutsche Telekom won Tuesday a court battle to keep its Apple iPhone locked, preventing German customers of competitor Vodafone from using the stylish new gadget.
Telekom's T-Mobile wireless division had earlier been forced under a temporary injunction to sell the iPhone in Germany without any calling plan or the software lock which confines users to Apple's chosen marketing partner.
But after full argument of the case in state court in Hamburg, Vodafone's legal claims under German competition law were rejected. The two international companies are the dominant mobile providers in Germany.
Judges said T-Mobile was entitled to limit sales of the 399-euro (588-dollar) iPhone to customers signing up for a two-year T-Mobile contract which costs about 1,200 euros. Both prices include tax.
The software lock has been controversial in all four nations where the iPhone is sold: the United States, Germany, Britain and France. Many consumers want to use bargain calling plans from independent wireless companies.
Hackers can unlock the phones so they can be used on a cheaper network, but this invalidates the Apple guarantee.
The iPhone, effectively an iPod music player with phone and computing features added, has been one of year's most celebrated new products.
For more than a week, Telekom had offered the iPhone with a disabled lock and no calling plan, in line with the temporary injunction.
However it posted a price of 999 euros for the multi-network version, meaning there was no ultimate financial benefit to most customers in forsaking the T-Mobile network.
The unlocked phones would be withdrawn from sale at Telekom outlets as soon as possible, the company said.
Vodafone attacked the verdict, saying it disadvantaged German consumers. It would decide its next move after company legal counsel had analysed the judges' written ruling, which has not yet been handed out.
"We reserve the right to appeal," a spokesman said. Vodafone contended that basic German fair trade laws had been breached, along with laws against business collusion.
The phone is legally on sale without a lock in France.
Vodafone, which vied for the iPhone itself, has warned that other handset manufacturers might copy Apple, offering desirable gadgets to exclusive partners in exchange for a cut from the call-charges revenue.
Industry analysts say T-Mobile passes about one third of iPhone revenue to US-based Apple.
Bangkok Post
ASUS rejects IBM's patent infringement claims
Gadget News - Wednesday December 12, 2007
ASUS rejects IBM's patent infringement claims
Taipei (dpa) - Taiwanese computer company ASUS on Friday rejected US computer giant IBM's claims that its products have infringed three IBM patents.
"Investigation by our US-based patent lawyers showed that there is no evidence of our violating IBM patents, and these patents maybe do not exist," ASUS said in a statement.
On Thursday, IBM said it had filed a complaint against ASUS and its North American subsidiary, ASUS Computer International, with the US International Trade Commission.
It claimed the patent infringement occurs in ASUS' own-brand computers as well as in products the Taiwan contract manufacturer makes for other brands.
The allegedly infringing ASUS products include notebook computers, so-called backbone computer systems, servers, networking, semiconductors and other computer components, IBM said in a statement.
"IBM has made repeated attempts to reach a licensing agreement between the companies. IBM's position has been - and remains - that ASUS either must license or stop using IBM's patented technology," it said.
Founded in 1989 by four engineers from Acer, ASUS has grown into one of the world's leading computer and peripherals companies. Its 2006 revenues totalled 17.4 billion US dollars.
Bangkok Post
ASUS rejects IBM's patent infringement claims
Taipei (dpa) - Taiwanese computer company ASUS on Friday rejected US computer giant IBM's claims that its products have infringed three IBM patents.
"Investigation by our US-based patent lawyers showed that there is no evidence of our violating IBM patents, and these patents maybe do not exist," ASUS said in a statement.
On Thursday, IBM said it had filed a complaint against ASUS and its North American subsidiary, ASUS Computer International, with the US International Trade Commission.
It claimed the patent infringement occurs in ASUS' own-brand computers as well as in products the Taiwan contract manufacturer makes for other brands.
The allegedly infringing ASUS products include notebook computers, so-called backbone computer systems, servers, networking, semiconductors and other computer components, IBM said in a statement.
"IBM has made repeated attempts to reach a licensing agreement between the companies. IBM's position has been - and remains - that ASUS either must license or stop using IBM's patented technology," it said.
Founded in 1989 by four engineers from Acer, ASUS has grown into one of the world's leading computer and peripherals companies. Its 2006 revenues totalled 17.4 billion US dollars.
Bangkok Post
Managing Internet Explorer plug-ins: The secret to stability
Gadget News - Wednesday December 12, 2007
Managing Internet Explorer plug-ins: The secret to stability
By Jay Dougherty
Washington (dpa) - Everyone knows the story: When Internet Explorer (IE) is first installed, it flies. The browser itself opens quickly, and pages load without incident.
But after awhile, things start to break down. The browser crashes, freezes, or loads slowly. Sometimes it won't load at all. Typically the blame falls on security holes in IE. But there are usually other, less mysterious causes: plug-ins.
Like it or not, until you get a handle on what plug-ins are and how you manage them, your Web browsing experience with Internet Explorer is likely going to be laced with frustration.
Yes, you could ditch IE altogether and move to Mozilla's Firefox, but most Firefox users swear by plug-ins, so there's really no escape from plug-in issues there, either.
What are plug-ins?
The plug-in concept is fairly straightforward. Also known as add- ins, plug-ins are small programs developed by third parties that tie in closely with the browser, enabling it to view documents or do things that otherwise it could not. After a plug-in is installed, it loads whenever the browser starts up.
Most plug-ins will ask your permission to be installed. Others, however, manage to sneak their way into your browser by means of an installation of a program that you didn't know would affect your browser. Recent versions of Skype are examples of this.
If you've used IE for several months, you might have a dozen or more plug-ins installed and not even know it. The "not even know it" part is what's bad. Since plug-ins can not only add needed features but also cause a browser to become less stable. Recent versions of Skype, for instance, install two add-ins to Internet Explorer - and they can cause the browser to crash when you visit certain pages on the Internet. So you need to know which plug-ins you're browsing with.
Identifying plug-ins
In IE, identifying your plug-ins is the first step toward getting them under control. To see which plug-ins are installed in IE, either version 6 or 7, open the Tools menu, and select Manage Add-ons. "Add- on" is the term that IE uses for plug-in. The resulting Manage Add- ons dialog box will show you exactly which plug-ins have been installed and give you the option of disabling anything that's listed.
To disable a plug-in, first select it, and then click the Disable option button that will appear in the Settings section. You can disable on plug-in at a time or a series of them, one by one. Click OK, and your changes will take effect.
If you're having trouble with your browser, start by disabling all of the plug-ins that are installed. Then close the browser and open it up again. See whether the problems have disappeared. If so, enable the plug-ins one by one until you find the culprit. Once you do, keep it disabled.
Essential plug-ins
Not all plug-ins cause trouble, of course. There are some plug-ins that are absolutely essential to be able to search the Internet efficiently today. First is the Adobe Reader plug-in, which is installed automatically when you visit http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html and follow the installation instructions. This is probably one of the first things that IE users should install. Frequently today, you'll run across links that take you to a document in the PDF format, which will be visible only with the Adobe Reader.
Another essential plug-in is IE7 Pro (http://www.ie7pro.com), which adds several sanity-saving features to Internet Explorer. The most important of these is session restoration. Let's say you've been working in IE 7, for instance, with several tabs open, and all of a sudden the browser crashes, taking with it the collection of Web pages you had open and needed in order to get your work done.
With the standard IE installation, such a crash would require you to bring back up everything you had open. With IE7Pro's session restoration, you can restart IE with all of the browser pages open to where you had them. IE7Pro has a lot of other useful features, including a flash blocker, pop-up blocker, and its own plug-in manager.
Internet Explorer has never had a spell checker - an odd omission, given the number of times Web users are asked to type lengthy text passages into browser forms. Luckily, Red Egg Software's ieSpell (http://www.windowsmarketplace.com/details.aspx?view=info&itemid=1513 531) addresses that shortcoming. This free plug-in does exactly what you would expect: allows you to spell-check text that's typed into text boxes online. It's free.
Inline Search (http://www.ieforge.com/InlineSearch/Home page) is another handy, free plug-in for IE. The normal Find dialog box in IE frequently hides the very information you're searching for on a Web page. Inline Search gives IE a feature that Firefox users enjoy every day: a Find text box in the status bar that will allow you to search for any text on a Web page without obscuring the page itself with a dialog box.
Clearly plug-ins aren't all bad. But these days, you do need to know how to manage them - and disable them - to troubleshoot some of the most annoying problems with IE. Be sure to install plug-ins one at a time, and use the browser for a while before deeming the plug-in installation a success.
Bangkok Post
Managing Internet Explorer plug-ins: The secret to stability
By Jay Dougherty
Washington (dpa) - Everyone knows the story: When Internet Explorer (IE) is first installed, it flies. The browser itself opens quickly, and pages load without incident.
But after awhile, things start to break down. The browser crashes, freezes, or loads slowly. Sometimes it won't load at all. Typically the blame falls on security holes in IE. But there are usually other, less mysterious causes: plug-ins.
Like it or not, until you get a handle on what plug-ins are and how you manage them, your Web browsing experience with Internet Explorer is likely going to be laced with frustration.
Yes, you could ditch IE altogether and move to Mozilla's Firefox, but most Firefox users swear by plug-ins, so there's really no escape from plug-in issues there, either.
What are plug-ins?
The plug-in concept is fairly straightforward. Also known as add- ins, plug-ins are small programs developed by third parties that tie in closely with the browser, enabling it to view documents or do things that otherwise it could not. After a plug-in is installed, it loads whenever the browser starts up.
Most plug-ins will ask your permission to be installed. Others, however, manage to sneak their way into your browser by means of an installation of a program that you didn't know would affect your browser. Recent versions of Skype are examples of this.
If you've used IE for several months, you might have a dozen or more plug-ins installed and not even know it. The "not even know it" part is what's bad. Since plug-ins can not only add needed features but also cause a browser to become less stable. Recent versions of Skype, for instance, install two add-ins to Internet Explorer - and they can cause the browser to crash when you visit certain pages on the Internet. So you need to know which plug-ins you're browsing with.
Identifying plug-ins
In IE, identifying your plug-ins is the first step toward getting them under control. To see which plug-ins are installed in IE, either version 6 or 7, open the Tools menu, and select Manage Add-ons. "Add- on" is the term that IE uses for plug-in. The resulting Manage Add- ons dialog box will show you exactly which plug-ins have been installed and give you the option of disabling anything that's listed.
To disable a plug-in, first select it, and then click the Disable option button that will appear in the Settings section. You can disable on plug-in at a time or a series of them, one by one. Click OK, and your changes will take effect.
If you're having trouble with your browser, start by disabling all of the plug-ins that are installed. Then close the browser and open it up again. See whether the problems have disappeared. If so, enable the plug-ins one by one until you find the culprit. Once you do, keep it disabled.
Essential plug-ins
Not all plug-ins cause trouble, of course. There are some plug-ins that are absolutely essential to be able to search the Internet efficiently today. First is the Adobe Reader plug-in, which is installed automatically when you visit http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html and follow the installation instructions. This is probably one of the first things that IE users should install. Frequently today, you'll run across links that take you to a document in the PDF format, which will be visible only with the Adobe Reader.
Another essential plug-in is IE7 Pro (http://www.ie7pro.com), which adds several sanity-saving features to Internet Explorer. The most important of these is session restoration. Let's say you've been working in IE 7, for instance, with several tabs open, and all of a sudden the browser crashes, taking with it the collection of Web pages you had open and needed in order to get your work done.
With the standard IE installation, such a crash would require you to bring back up everything you had open. With IE7Pro's session restoration, you can restart IE with all of the browser pages open to where you had them. IE7Pro has a lot of other useful features, including a flash blocker, pop-up blocker, and its own plug-in manager.
Internet Explorer has never had a spell checker - an odd omission, given the number of times Web users are asked to type lengthy text passages into browser forms. Luckily, Red Egg Software's ieSpell (http://www.windowsmarketplace.com/details.aspx?view=info&itemid=1513 531) addresses that shortcoming. This free plug-in does exactly what you would expect: allows you to spell-check text that's typed into text boxes online. It's free.
Inline Search (http://www.ieforge.com/InlineSearch/Home page) is another handy, free plug-in for IE. The normal Find dialog box in IE frequently hides the very information you're searching for on a Web page. Inline Search gives IE a feature that Firefox users enjoy every day: a Find text box in the status bar that will allow you to search for any text on a Web page without obscuring the page itself with a dialog box.
Clearly plug-ins aren't all bad. But these days, you do need to know how to manage them - and disable them - to troubleshoot some of the most annoying problems with IE. Be sure to install plug-ins one at a time, and use the browser for a while before deeming the plug-in installation a success.
Bangkok Post
Quad core PC processors : Good for multi-taskers
Gadget News - Wednesday December 12, 2007
Quad core PC processors : Good for multi-taskers
Hanover, Germany (dpa) - Quad core processors will primarily be of interest to users who run several programs at the same time. Quad core processors can be helpful, for example, if video conversion software will be running parallel to a virus scanner - at the same time the user wants to surf the internet, says Benjamin Benz from Hanover-based c't magazine.
True multitasking is not the same thing as simply keeping several programs open at once. Working with Word while Excel is open in the background consumes few system resources and does not require the latest chips from Intel and AMD.
Chipmaker AMD recently presented its first desktop processors with four cores. AMD will initially bring two "Phenom" models onto the market with processing speeds of 2.3 and 2.2 Gigahertz. Taken together with a chip set and a graphics card, the new AMD processors form what is known as a spider platform.
AMD's competitor, market leader Intel, has already been offering quad core chips for the PC for some time now. Intel currently is ahead by a nose when it comes to processor speed, says c't expert Benjamin Benz. AMD's chips, though, are cheaper.
Bangkok Post
Quad core PC processors : Good for multi-taskers
Hanover, Germany (dpa) - Quad core processors will primarily be of interest to users who run several programs at the same time. Quad core processors can be helpful, for example, if video conversion software will be running parallel to a virus scanner - at the same time the user wants to surf the internet, says Benjamin Benz from Hanover-based c't magazine.
True multitasking is not the same thing as simply keeping several programs open at once. Working with Word while Excel is open in the background consumes few system resources and does not require the latest chips from Intel and AMD.
Chipmaker AMD recently presented its first desktop processors with four cores. AMD will initially bring two "Phenom" models onto the market with processing speeds of 2.3 and 2.2 Gigahertz. Taken together with a chip set and a graphics card, the new AMD processors form what is known as a spider platform.
AMD's competitor, market leader Intel, has already been offering quad core chips for the PC for some time now. Intel currently is ahead by a nose when it comes to processor speed, says c't expert Benjamin Benz. AMD's chips, though, are cheaper.
Bangkok Post
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