Saturday, February 28, 2009

Facebook Lets Users Comment On New Terms of Service

Facebook Inc is asking its members to help shape its governance policies after drawing their ire for a policy change that many perceived as being overbearing and potentially compromising privacy.
From now on, the social networking site will be guided by a set of principles that reflect its dedication to transparency and openness in communication, Facebook said on Thursday. Two draft documents are being put to test under what Facebook Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg called a "new model of governance." The "Facebook Principles" lay out the startup company's philosophy on privacy and control of information, while the "Statement of Rights and Responsibilities" are operating guidelines based on its big-picture stance. Any Facebook member can access these proposals on the site and opine on them over the next few days.
The networking site will incorporate people's reviews when firming up governance policies. Future policy changes will follow the same democratic model, the company said. "It's a big statement that we trust users and we want their involvement in the process," Zuckerberg said in an interview.
The move comes after thousands of people reacted angrily to a revision in Facebook's terms of service earlier this month that suggested it was asserting permanent control over people's personal information even after they quit the site. Facebook responded to the controversy last week by reverting to its old terms of service for the short term, as it solicited feedback from members and figured out how to create a new user agreement.
The new proposals make it clear that Facebook users have ultimate control over their information, including messages and photographs. One of the 10 principles states that people should own their information and have the freedom to take it with them wherever they go, including removing it from Facebook. The "Statement of Rights and Responsibilities," which replaces the old terms of use, translates the principles into specific rules. Simon Davis, director of Privacy International, a watchdog organization, said it was a "bold move" on Facebook's part. "The devil will be in the detail, but, overall, we applaud these positive steps," he said.

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SE Unveils 4 New Panels For The Xperia X1

Sony Ericsson has recently unveiled four new panels for its Xperia X1 mobile phone. Available for download from mid-March 2009, the latest panels should help enhance the unique user interface of the X1 that enables users to customize the handset.

  • A new CNN panel will allow users to constantly get updates of the latest news, sports, or weather and a host of CNN content including access to CNN’s  popular citizen journalism tool, ‘i-Report’. Users will also be able to browse information by category, personalize their experience or plug in their location and get instant updates for wherever they are in the world.  
  • A unique Skype panel brings quick access to Skype on the X1, allowing users to get instant information on friends online. Users can easily browse through their contacts and call or IM them in just a couple of clicks, or customize their handsets using the evening, daylight or event based effects.
  • A new Mytopia panel will let users play bingo and poker games with people around the world. Users can even collect virtual coins and improve their rank by winning live matches.  
  • The specially developed ‘On the Road’ panel includes large touch icons and a simple layout. Offering direct access to your music playlists and tracks, navigation tools and easy to use call-handling, this panel will make a users driving convenient and entertaining while on the go.
According to Sony Ericsson, since its launch in Q4 2008, close to 420,000 panels have been downloaded onto X1 devices around the world with half a million unique hits for X1 panels on the Sony Ericsson Fun & Downloads service.

Catherine Cherry, Global Marketing Business Manager, Sony Ericsson commented, “We are very pleased with the success of the Xperia X1 and will continue to evolve the device to meet the consumer demand for a rich, individualized multimedia experience on their phones. By partnering with some of the world’s most popular content providers and applications we are giving consumers the opportunity to customize the device bringing the applications that they use most directly onto the desktop. Users can personalize the device to suite their mood and lifestyle making the mobile experience even more enjoyable and entertaining.”

As you may already know, the X1 comes pre-loaded with a range of panels including a Google search panel. Facebook and Windows Live panels are already available on www.sonyericsson.com/fun for download onto the Xperia X1.

Via Tech2

Windows Live Messenger Installation Error 1601, Error 1603 and Error 1635

After you upgrade to Windows Installer version 2.0, the Windows Installer Service may not start, and you may receive the following error message:
The Windows Installer Service could not be accessed. This can occur if you are running Windows in safe mode, or the Windows Installer is not correctly installed. Contact your support personnel for assistance.
CAUSE
This behavior can occur when either of the following conditions exist:
• In the DCOM permissions, the default authentication level is set to None, and the default Impersonation level is set to Anonymous.
• The system account does not have Full permissions on a folder or registry key that the Windows Installer is trying to access. This is NTFS-specific.
SOLUTION
Method 1: Unregister and re-register the Windows Installer
1. Click Start, click Run, type MSIEXEC /UNREGISTER, and then click OK. Even if you do this correctly, it may look like nothing occurs.
2. Click Start, click Run, type MSIEXEC /REGSERVER, and then click OK. Even if you do this correctly, it may look like nothing occurs, or you may briefly see an hourglass. After you run this command, the operation is complete.
3. Try your Windows Installer-based application again.
Back to the top Back to the top
Method 2: Verify the DCOM permissions
This method involves changing the DCOM default impersonation level to Identify, removing the Msisip.dll file, and then reinstalling SP 3 for Windows 2000.
To do this, follow these steps:
1. Click Start, click Run, type dcomcnfg, and then click OK.
2. On the Default Properties tab:
a. In the Default Authentication Level list, click Connect.
b. In the Default Impersonation Level list, click Identify, and then click OK.
3. Click Start, click Run, type explorer /select, %windir%\system32\msisip.dll, and then click OK.
4. Rename the Msisip.dll file as Msisip.old.
5. Reinstall Windows 2000 Service Pack 3.
Back to the top Back to the top
Method 3: Give Full Control permission to the SYSTEM account
1. Start Windows Explorer, right-click the computer's root hard drive, and then click Properties.
2. Click the Security tab, and then click Add.
3. In the Select Users, Computers, or Groups dialog box, click the SYSTEM account, click Add, and then click OK.
4. Under Allow, click to select the Full Control check box, and then click OK.
5. Click the TEMP folder and then verify that the SYSTEM account has full control.
Back to the top Back to the top
Method 4: Verify the registry permissions
1. Click Start, click Run, then type Regedt32.
2. For each of the registry hives, follow these steps:
a. Select the hive.
b. For Windows XP, on the Edit menu, click Permissions.
For Windows 2000 and Windows NT 4, on the Security menu, click Permissions.
3. Verify that the SYSTEM account has been added and that it has Full control. If it does not, add the SYSTEM account with Full control.
Back to the top Back to the top
Method 5: Fix the broken security key for the MsiServer service
1. Start the computer by using Windows 2000.
2. Click Start, click Run, type regedit.exe, and then rename the following key to Old_Security:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\MSIServer\Security
3. Restart the computer (you must do this).
4. Run Instmsiw.exe for installer 2.0 again; this corrects the broken security key for the MSI service.

Friday, February 27, 2009

World of Warcraft is as addictive as cocaine

The computer game World of Warcraft is the most dangerous game on the market with a high risk of addiction, according to a new report from a Swedish youth organization

The Youth Care Foundation (Stiftelsen Ungdomsvård), which works to advocate active alternatives to gaming, described the game as "the cocaine of the computer games world".
The foundation's report is as yet unpublished and is based on the experiences of gamers and their parents who have been in contact with the group.
"There is not a single case of game addiction that we have worked with in which World of Warcraft has not played a part," according to Sven Rollenhagen at the foundation to the newspaper Metro.
World of Warcraft is an online fantasy game, which according to the Game Over treatment centre in Linköping in central Sweden are the types of games which carry the highest risk of addiction.
The Local reported in November 2008 that a boy in Laholm, southern Sweden had been admitted to hospital after collapsing following a 20-hour World of Warcraft binge.
The foundation, founded in 1991, works with all types of addiction and since 2007 this has included computer games. The group runs the help website spelfritt.se.
Of the 2,000 calls received by the foundation in 2007, 170 concerned computer games, Metro reports.

 

Full Post Here

Need For Speed: World Online Interface Revealed

Here is a preview screen shot from Need For Speed: World Online. Also, there is a bit more info from the producer of NFSWO.

nfswo_interface

Click to enlarge

“Key to the concept of NFS World Online is the user interface which has been built from the ground up to take advantage of the PC architecture. Instead of a traditional console view of a game, we’re using a user-selectable gadget interface designed specifically for the PC. The system allows the gamer to choose which components of the interface they want to add to their game. The gadgets are really flexible and offer a wide range of display options: docked/undocked, floating in the game window or just sitting outside of the game space.

Full Post here

Thursday, February 26, 2009

Asus Launches G50V Gaming Laptop in India

Asus has announced the launch of the Asus G50V gaming laptop in India.

The G50V looks at delivering extreme gaming performance with intense visual computing power and is equipped the G50V with an Nvidia GeForce 9700M GT graphics processor backed by 512MB of dedicated GDDR3 memory. The 9700M has 32 DirectX 10-class "compute cores" and a 128-bit memory interface, and it is largely derived from the G96 GPU that powers desktop graphics cards like the GeForce 9500 GT. The G50V a 15.6" LCD and comes equipped HDMI, LifeFrame, SmartLogon and Virtual Camera and comes with double SATA hard disc drive (up to 640GB).

Stanley Wu, Country Head for Notebook Business, Asus India said, "We believe in providing the best technology in all our product categories to our customers. The G50V is one of the most revolutionary products in the high end gaming category. With a gaming focused design and strong graphics, the Asus G50V will redefine performance and enhance the entire gaming experience for the user."
The laptop comes bundles with a Republic of Gamers backpack, a 1600dpi mouse and a Siberia Steelseries Gaming Headset.

The Asus G50V is priced at Rs. 1,15,000.

Sony Launches Noise-cancelling Headphones

Sony has launched MDR-NC7 noise canceling headphones that feature a foldable and swivel design.

Claiming a battery life of approximately 50 hours, the haedphones have a dual-use capability that gives users the option to listen to music with or without the noise cancellation feature. The 30mm driver (Neodymium magnet), and an on/off switch for noise cancelling will allow someone to use the headphones even if the battery runs dry.
The headphones weigh approximately 134g (including AAA battery) and work on a 30 - 20,000Hz range with a maximum output of 100mW and a sensitivity of 102dB/mW while it is switched on and 100dB/mW in switch off mode. A plug adaptor is also supplied to connect directly to stereo or dual jack of in-flight music services.

Priced at Rs. 4,490, the Sony MDR-NC7 will be available at Sony owned stores, select Sony authorized dealers, as well as national retail partners across the country.

Click on the ads for more info on latest news

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Google Launches Toolbar 6 Beta for IE

Google has launched Toolbar 6 launch for Internet Explorer and has introduced the Quick Search Box (QSB) feature that provides search functionality outside of the browser.
QSB will provide search and website suggestions and relevant bookmarks - as users type - and allow them to launch applications directly from the search box. With use, QSB will customize itself to usage patterns, so over time users will have to type fewer characters to get to favorite sites and applications.
Google is also bringing elements from their search results page directly into the toolbar. They're experimenting with displaying high-quality website suggestions and sponsored links as users type their query. Clicking on these will take users directly to the website.
They've also brought the new tab page to Internet Explorer users. Users can access their most viewed sites, recently closed tabs and bookmarked pages from this new tab page.
This update is launching in 40 languages. Check it

 out here.

X-mini II Capsule Speaker Officially Launched

XMI Singapore has officially launched the second generation X-mini capsule speaker

 

.

The X-mini II features a new, larger 40mm driver  and comes with a new built-in rechargeable battery.
The built-in retractable 3.5mm audio cable can be tucked neatly into the base for a cleaner and sleeker look.
The X-mini capsule speaker costs Rs. 1800.
Check out our review of it here.

Hitachi L32S02A LCD TV

It's been a while since we reviewed a straight up 32-inch LCD - something for the entry level consumers in the HDTV market. The last time we covered Hitachi, it was for their Ultra Thin series, which was superb but pricey. Now we have a no frills 32 incher by them, called the Hitachi L32S02A LCD TV.

Design and Features
It seems Hitachi has cordoned off all their design ideas and fancies to their UT series, as this model is quite a basic looking piece, and could use a bit of pizzazz. It’s got a gloss black bezel, with a old fashioned speaker grille on the bottom panel. This is something that should have been concealed better. There is a silver strip outlining this grille, plus we have the Hitachi logo etched bang on center, also in silver. The stand is oval and of the same gloss black finish.

The back panel is bare, with the input terminal window facing downwards, another iffy for me. Though it's not such a big deal, a little bending backwards doesn’t hurt. Speaking of inputs, we have 2 HDMIs, one VGA in (mini D-SUB) for PC, 2 component ins and a couple of composite video inputs. There is a set of input on the left panel too: a headphone out and a composite video in. The model might be new, but the design sure seems old.
As for rated specifications, we have native contrast at 1000:1, with a 500 cd/m2 brightness. Response time is 5 ms, and the main thing with Hitachi LCDs that is advertised in bold: an S-IPS panel. This technology boasts very good viewing angles, and they actually do have good angles, though backlight bleed can be an issue, something we have observed in past reviews.

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GTalk Users Get Phished

All doesn't seem to be going well for Google. Along with the Gmail outage it has been reported that a phishing attack spread through chat sessions, including Google Chat, and directed victims to a Web site called "ViddyHo."
A link to a video is sent to users in IM sessions and the link directs them to a ViddyHo login page that in turn instructs them to enter their Google account information. This info is then used to break into the victim's account and send the link to other users in the address book.
Google reportedly has blocked the addresses being used to send messages, and that several browsers - including Firefox, Safari and Chrome - were displaying a warning when users attempt to visit the ViddyHo Web site.
Viddyho.com has also been identified as a phishing site in Google's search results.
Google is asking users who've entered information into 'ViddyHo', to change their security question and account password.
Read more here.

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Msn Messenger Error 80048820

You are unable to sign in.
"Sorry, we were unable to sign you in to the MSN Messenger at this time. Please try again later"
SOLUTION
If you are using a ‘NETGEAR Wirelss Router’ you will need to enter the ‘Netgear’ router set-up settings page, via internet Explorer.
1.Enter IP address 192.168.0.1 on the address bar.
2.Log on via your user name and password of your ISP.
3. Enter Admin, password
4.GOTO advance menu (left hand side of screen)
5.GOTO WAN set-up
6.GOTO MTU size, and change to 1400
7.Apply, OK.

LEGO USB Drives

Ahh the USB (Universal Serial BUS) drive, a boon to mankind for its simple, storage option for data transportation and transference. Without the technical jargon it’s just a pen drive to copy stuff off of one computer to another. Piracy you say? I think not!
In this day and age, the USB portable flash-drive has not remained just a transfer-and-tote device and gone are the streamlined designs of the once simplistic device. Of course for most of the branded drives, the form factor hasn’t deviated too much. But companies have begun to make these devices more personal and in some cases rather ridiculous. Here are some of my favorites.
For the Love of TV
Star Wars

A company called mimobot has designed limited edition pen drives, (and those are words I never thought I’d hear in the same sentence till joined this industry) to pay tribute to what could possibly be called the greatest Trilogy of all time - Star Wars. That’s not true any more though, considering the prologued trilogy that came out a lot later than the originals.

However this company has designed USB pen drives after some of the famous characters in the films for those true fans. They’re about 2.5-inches tall and 1-inch wide and support USB 2.0. The drives are available in 1, 2, 4, and 8GB capacities. The range consists of characters like Luke Skywalker in his flight suite, C3-PO, R2-D2, Boba Fett, Han Solo and others. The list would be quite incomplete without Vader, so of course he’s there as well, although a lot less menacing than usual. The Data Transfer Force is strong with these.

Disney

The toons have fascinated us since we were kids and some of us just didn’t bother to grow up, but rather just upgrade our likes. For the old school and new Disney cartoon lovers, Buffalo a name that’s become quite synonymous with memory, has a line of USB drives with some of Disney’s more memorable characters. The RUF2-DFNR series of USB drives from Buffalo caught my eye while I was researching this feature. They were equipped with just 512MB of internal memory, which was pretty decent for January 2007, but I have to admit the designs were really detailed and sharp.

VIA

Monday, February 23, 2009

Apple sued over screen rendering technology in iPhone

Apple is facing another iPhone lawsuit, this time focusing on the screen rendering technology Apple uses in the iPhone and iPod touch.

In the suit, filed in the United States District Court for the District of Delaware, Picsel Technologies claims that the rendering process Apple uses on the iPhone violates Piscel's patents. Specifically, Picsel said its technology accelerates the process of updating the display on a device.

In the lawsuit filed by Nixon Peabody LLP on behalf of Picsel, lawyers said users would experience long screen update delays if it weren’t for the use of the patented technology. Zooming and panning documents, Web sites, and images would not work on the iPhone as fluidly, according to the lawsuit.

Picsel says its technology has been included in more than 250 million units worldwide. The company counts KDDI, Motorola, Nokia, NTT DoCoMo, Palm, Samsung, Sony Ericsson, and Sharp as customers.

Picsel is asking the court to order Apple to compensate Piscel for devices already sold with treble damages.

 

Via-yahoo news

Contacts missing from my contacts list?

Delete your Contacts cache folder
If your contact list is empty or incomplete after you upgrade to Windows Live Messenger, the cached contact list may not have updated correctly. Before you can delete your Contacts cache folder, make sure you can view your complete folder list in Windows Explorer.
View your complete folder list
1. On the taskbar, right-click Start, and then select Explore.
2. Click on Tools, and then select Folder Options.
3. In the Folder Options window, click the View tab.
4. In the Advanced Settings list, select Show hidden files and folders, make sure Hide extensions for known file types is not selected, and then click OK.
5. In the Windows Explorer window, click View, select Explorer Bar, and then verify that Folders is checked.
Delete your Contacts cache folder
After changing your Windows Explorer settings:
1. On the taskbar, right-click Start, and then select Explore.
2. In the folder list on the left-hand pane, navigate to the folder C:\Documents and Settings\Your Windows logon name\Contacts\Your Messenger email address.
3. Delete all of the files within the folder Your Messenger email address.
4. In the folder list on the left-hand pane, navigate to the folder C:\Documents and Settings\Your Windows logon name\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Windows Live Contacts\Your Messenger email address.
5. In the Your Messenger email address folder, delete the real and shadow folders.
6. Close Windows Explorer and try to sign in to Messenger again.

BenQ V2400W LCD Monitor

BenQ is slowly but surely building a reputation for itself. A consortium of some 10 companies, these guys have been getting higher notches in their reviews over the months, and this time we have a high end 24 inch LCD monitor by them, called the BenQ V2400. Let me also state a point here in the intro itself: this is claimed to be the thinnest LCD monitor in the world.

Design
This particular model, the V2400W has won awards for its design, so I will strip it down and see what the fuss is about. The bezel is glossy black, piano style finish, and does look pretty good. The slim design only exists on the edges and corners of the unit, the center part of the monitor is fatter. The glossy back panel smoothly contours into this convex bulge. BenQ has definitely concentrated on the design.
What I actually do not agree with is the permanently attached, brushed aluminum colored stand, sporting a mild luster. It does not look so good in the overall scheme of things. The bezel is not actually all glossy; it has a thin inner strip of matte black finish, on the screen’s edges. Plus on the outer edge is also a thin strip, similar in material to the stand. This has buttons on the left end at the bottom.

Everything is asymmetrical about the monitor, the column of the stand, position of buttons etc. This does look pretty nice, plus the fact that the bezel has very less clutter in the form of unnecessary logos. The buttons, when on, have a brilliant blue LED backlight on their labels and edges, and this is what really imbibes class into the design. There is an optional beep sound that occurs when these buttons are pressed.

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Sunday, February 22, 2009

Sagem Aims to Beat Rivals With Speed

Sagem Wireless, the successor company to French phone maker Sagem, is reinventing itself as a white-label company with a strong research and development team it hopes will help it beat rivals to market with new ideas.
The company, now majority-owned by technology venture capital firm Sofinnova Partners, will make phones that customers such as Vodafone, Sony Ericsson or Porsche Design will market under their own brands.
Sagem, a survivor among once-thriving European phone companies that included units of Siemens, Alcatel and Philips, says it has phones in the pipeline including one that can last a month on standby without being charged. Under Chief Executive Thierry Buffenoir, Sagem Wireless has slimmed down to 470 people from 3,000 but still has a contract with the company that took over its R&D team, and will choose a outsourcing manufacturing partner later this year. Buffenoir told Reuters that Sagem's continuing access to R&D expertise will allow it to bring innovative products to market faster than bigger rivals, thanks to its ability to modify the software around the chipsets at the heart of its phones.
"Frankly speaking, Sagem cannot compete on the left with tier one - we're too small, not a huge brand - and cannot compete on the right with ultra-low cost companies." "We have to concentrate on niche markets where the big, tier-one companies are not there," he said. He said Sagem would aim to use its small size and nimbleness to bring innovative phones to market faster than bigger rivals, as quickly as six months, and to get out and chase the next idea when those bigger rivals followed. "The idea of Sagem is... to be present during the first six months, the first year with this kind of technology... and to leave the market to switch to another when the big companies decide to come to this technology." Sagem's other plans include making mobile phones with integrated solar cells, which it wants to produce by the end of the year, and making phones that use fingerprint recognition instead of a password to unlock.

Canon Pixma iP2680

Canon's Pixima range of desktop printers has had a pretty good life from the perspective of sales. When it comes to performance, it hasn’t fared all that bad either. The latest form the company is from their iP2600 series - the iP2680 desktop inkjet printer.
On the plus side the iP2680 is quite light weight so it’s easy to move around although that shouldn’t really be necessary at all. While it may have the look of classy styling with its sleek black glossy finish, it’s also quite the finger print magnet. The front output tray is not something that can easily get in the way of work space and the extension can easily be swung inside to save on space again. The tray even comes with a sensor that will notify users that a print has been given and the tray is closed. It’s designed to be as compact as possible while retaining the design and form of a rather traditional desktop printer.

It has a very simplistic design, like most printers. There aren’t too many buttons or settings you need to worry about. It’s print and go. A small switch is located just inside the front panel (very easily accessible) to choose between regular paper or envelope. The USB port is conveniently located at the rear on one side. I really wish they’d provide longer USB cables. In case your CPU

 

happens to be on the opposite side you’ll end up either having to move it or have the wire stretching across your table. This is perhaps the only faux pas in the otherwise sleek design.
On the whole it does have a certain appeal in terms of looks and comfortable design. I could, however, have done without the glossy finish, just plain matt-black would have been better in my opinion.

The iP2680 is equipped with Canon's FINE print head with 1,472 nozzles for high speed and quality print. The ChromaLife100 technology is also part of the printers make up. This technology helps produce fade resistant prints that should, according to the company last up to 100 years. I’m not sure how that’s calculated though.
Bundled with the iP2680 was Canon's Easy-Photo-Print EX software. It will allow you to edit your pictures (to a certain extent) to help enhance your prints. It’s a handy application to have, but of course no substitute to Photoshop or others like that. Nevertheless, the inclusion of the same is a bonus and the preloaded settings for creating calendars, albums etc. is always useful when you’re looking to create and personalize.

Saturday, February 21, 2009

Windows 7 might just change Microsoft’s luck

Let us cut to the chase. Will the next iteration of Microsoft’s dominant operating system be any good? After spending a couple of weeks playing around with the beta version of the software, our verdict is that yes, it will be. But why? Windows Vista was a marketing and public relations disaster.

Vista, which was code-named Longhorn , was delayed by over a year and many people who bought machines with the Vista Capable logo on it were horrified to see that Windows Vista barely managed to work on their hardware when they upgraded from Windows XP.

It must be understood that Vista was the first operating system the Redmond-based behemoth launched after the advent of social media blogs, MySpace, Twitter, Facebook, Digg and the like. Technology blogs and websites took no time in shredding Vista.

But the fact is, if you have a new computer (with dual-core processor and at least two gigabytes of memory), and not a Netbook, Vista works quite well. The integrated search function on Vista is brilliant if you, like most people, have files spread all across your computer.

Source: sify

Friday, February 20, 2009

Nokia 8 Megapixel camera phone N86

It’s now as official as it can possibly get. Nokia’s very first 8 Megapixel camera phone, the N86, is a reality. Although it already seemed like that earlier today, we were just hoping that a release and some higher resolution images would hit the Nokia site soon so we could be 110 percent sure. Thankfully that was a short wait.

"People demand mobile cameras that take excellent pictures in all light conditions," says Juha-Pekka Sipponen, Director, Nokia Nseries. "That's why the aperture of the Nokia N86 8MP is comparable to that of a high-quality, stand-alone digital camera. Whether it's running with the bulls in Pamplona or capturing the panoramic beauty of a sunrise over Sydney, the Nokia N86 8MP will take brilliantly clear, wide-angle images that are instantly geotagged to be uploaded onto sites like Ovi Share or Flickr."
The Nokia N86 8MP camera includes a wide-angle Carl Zeiss Tessar lens for panoramic pictures, shorter latencies and variable aperture for super sharp photos in challenging bright and low light conditions. A fast mechanical shutter will help ensure pictures with less motion blur. What could be construed as a disappointment would be the presence of  a dual LED camera flash instead of a Xenon.

"When it comes to taking the best digital photos, it's the quality of the lens and the sensor that count, not just the quantity of pixels. The Nokia N86 8MP is the first mobile device with variable aperture, adding to the Carl Zeiss Tessar lens for excellent results. It has never been easier to capture special moments in such a great quality," says Helmut Heier of Carl Zeiss.

The handset features -

  • 2.6 inch OLED, scratch resistant hardened glass display with a 240 x 320 pixel resolution
  • Dual Slider
  • 8GB of internal memory (microSD card support)
  • HSDPA, Wi-Fi, EDGE
  • Bluetooth with A2DP, USB 2.0 (micro)
  • GPS with A-GPS support (Nokia Maps)
  • FM radio with RDS and FM transmitter feature
  • 3.5mm AV socket
  • Rear kickstand
With full Ovi integration, users can share their location with personal content like geotagged photos. The Nokia N86 8MP comes with a built-in compass, along with an integrated 3-month license for full voice and pedestrian navigation.

The Nokia N86 8MP is expected to begin shipping in the second quarter of 2009 at an estimated retail price of Rs. 23, 331 (EUR 375), before taxes and subsidies.

VIA Tech 2

Street Fighter IV Review

With a lineage like Street Fighter IV's, the thick cloud of anticipation that's been looming over it since its announcement is all but expected. With the numerous successful sub-series and cross-overs the franchise has spawned, there's been a whole lot of hope and skepticism alike amongst fans. Will the franchise harness the pace of the Alpha series, or will it be the boring sloth fest that EX was?

As you might know, Street Fighter IV moved away from the traditional sprite-based 2D art style and found its way into the arms of 3D cel-shaded character design with full 3D backdrops. It made a lot of us leer and sneer at it, since the last 3D transition of the series - Street Fighter EX - failed miserably. The biggest flaws in EX were that it was painfully slow, and the fact that you could sidestep almost every special attack (since the game played out on a three dimensional plane) made it the least tactical of the lot.

Thankfully though, Capcom hasn't made the same mistake a second time; so while Street Fighter IV is in 3D, all combat takes place on a 2D plane. It pretty much sticks to what worked best for the franchise, so all you skeptics and purists can breathe a sigh of relief. If you're looking for the blazing pace of the Alpha series though, you'll be a little disappointed.

Street Fighter IV has shed the insane pace that the Alpha series popularized, and has instead stuck to the Street Fighter II pace. While I loved the pace of Alpha, this change works incredibly well for SFIV since there are so many layers of tact introduced, that it would be close to impossible for all but the elite to play the game without button mashing if the pace was any faster.

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Canon Powershot SX10 IS

Zoom levels are getting ridiculously high these days in consumer cameras

 

and I couldn't be happier. While anything that supports 10X optical zoom and above can be technically classified as a superzoom camera, manufacturers are pushing the envelope with 15X, 18X, and with the new SX10 IS - 20X (28 - 560mm) optical zoom. By adding the IS (Image Stabilization) in the name of the camera itself Canon is reassuring the people that their images at full zoom levels will not end up a blurry mess. After using the camera for a couple of weeks, I can back that claim.

But before we get to that, let's put first things first and talk about its looks and ease of use.

Build Quality
Even though the SX10 IS has a completely plastic body, it feels quite sturdy and is also a bit on the heavier side at 600g (with 4 AA batteries). The body's almost as big as an entry-level DSLR camera at 128 x 88 x 87mm. Rest assured, this is not one of those cute pocketable superzooms; it's a camera that makes it clear that you're serious about your photography.

The tilt-n'-swivel screen is always an appreciated factor in a camera, and as Canon's superzoom tradition goes, this one has it too. Compared to some of the giddily consumer-friendly cameras out there, the 2.5-inch screen may not sound impressive, but considering its excellent outdoor performance and the fact that it can move around to adjust to any tricky angle o may want to shoot in, I'll give the display a big thumbs up.

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Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

MSN Messenger Errors 80040111 and 80040154

Fix 80040111 and 80040154 Error.
Cause: MSXML library may be corrupted and may have to be reinstalled
Troubleshooting steps:
Step 1. Re-register msxml3.dll
- Click on the Start menu, select Run and type the following:
Regsvr32 %windir%\system32\msxml3.dll
Hopefully, you will see a window popup that says: DllRegisterServer succeeded in C:\Windows\System32\msxml3.dll is succeeded.
Step 2. Restart your computer and sign into Messenger again

23 Memorable Deaths in Gaming

Kicking the bucket, biting the dust, getting moved into ‘upper, upper management’, the big game over, getting married to OJ – whichever morbid euphemism you choose to use, they all boil down to the same universal truth: death is unavoidable, and it sucks arse.
As gamers, we have a much more intimate relationship with the Grim Reaper when compared to our non-gaming cousins, because virtual death is always just around the next corner. For the most part this makes some among of us blasé towards the concept of carking it; but every once in a while we experience a truly unique shafting, a beautiful death, that will stick around in our memory longer than it probably should…
Spoiler warning: if you haven’t played the game through yet, don’t read about it.
DEATH BY WTF? (Shocking)
Game: Silent Hill
Type: Shocking
Event: Dying right at the beginning of a game can be an artsy experience, or it can give you a heart attack – either way. This is especially true if the death involves flailing about in the dark amidst inescapable barbed wire, with rotting corpses on gurneys and skinless mole people slashing at your nether region with rusty razor blades.

 

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Nvidia aims at top Netbooks, Windows 7

Nvidia is working with top-10 PC makers to bring its graphics chips for the first time to Netbooks, according to an executive at the company. And an important part of this push is getting its silicon working with Windows 7, a more Netbook-friendly operating system than Vista.
Nvidia Ion

This week, Nvidia released Windows 7 beta drivers for the “Ion” Netbook silicon that it’s handing over to customers. In conjunction, Nvidia demonstrated in Taiwan this week applications running on Windows 7. Nvidia also announced that its Ion platform has been certified on Windows Vista.

The Ion chipset is based on Nvidia’s GeForce 9400M graphics chipset, which currently handles graphics tasks in Apple’s MacBook line.

The goal is to replace the Intel silicon that supports the Atom processor and make a Netbook perform more like a typical laptop. Currently, Netbooks from companies such as Acer, Asus, Hewlett-Packard, and Dell use the Atom with an accompanying Intel chipset.

“Why would you buy a small notebook and not expect it to do what a PC can do?” Dan Vivoli, Nvidia senior vice president, said in a phone interview Thursday.

Intel, in fact, took a small step in that direction this month. The chipmaker upped the ante by shipping a new Atom N280 processor and chipset that for first time on an Intel-based Atom system can run 720p high-definition video. Graphics silicon that can handle 720p video is considered a minimum requirement for larger mainstream laptops.

Nvidia, as the world’s largest graphics chip supplier, believes, not surprisingly, that minimal graphics is not good enough.

“I remember back in 1998 when Intel came out with their 740 (graphics chip), there was this worry that no one would want to buy anything more than that,” Vivoli said. “Of course, that didn’t happen.”

The 740 eventually faded as graphics chips from 3dfx, ATI Technologies, and Nvidia bested it in the marketplace.

All companies tend to exaggerate the prospects of a new product–and Nvidia is no exception. But there seems to be more at stake than usual because getting Nvidia graphics into small devices–where its graphics have historically been almost completely absent–is imperative for its growth.

“In all the years I’ve been here I’ve never seen a product generate more excitement than Ion. At Microsoft, at Apple. Everybody we expose it to says we had no idea you could get this kind of experience on a platform this small and this inexpensive,” Vivoli said.

“Big names that you would know are working on Ion designs,” Vivoli said. “These are top-5 and top-10 companies,” Vivoli said. He expects products by midyear.

In Nvidia’s fourth-quarter earnings conference call on Tuesday, CEO Jen-Hsun Huang was more circumspect. Though he claimed that Nvidia had Ion notebook projects happening all over the world, “a lot of this depends on the success of our customers and these platforms. There’s still a lot execution between now and then. And lots of unknowns,” he said.

Also, on the same call, a financial analyst brought up the point that Netbook makers are not marketing the devices for 3D gaming and added that 3D graphics is not a feature that consumers care a lot about on a Netbook. Huang countered that anything people want to do on a typical laptop, they want to do on a Netbook.

Source: cnet

Monday, February 16, 2009

30-year-old seen for first time in 3,000 years

The beautiful singer was about 30 years old when the world forgot about her. But now we know what she looks like for the first time in nearly 3,000 years.

It's all thanks to one of the most sophisticated CT scanners in the world. Without even cracking open the Egyptian casket, you can now see the smallest details of the woman's features. Her skin, muscles and bones are intact.

"Her eyes are set far apart, and she has a very full mouth and high cheek bones. You know, I think I could recognize this individual if I saw her in life," said Michael Vannier, a radiologist at the University of Chicago Medical Center.

Read full article »

Convert MKV files to PS3 Playable Files with Linux - updated

Its been some time since I wrote a script to transcode matroska video to a playable format on the PS3.  I know this script has been available for a while but I have decided to keep the original script right here so I can maintain it.  Any forum links will point to here in future.

So lets get on with it.  If youre interested in transcoding using Windows then you can get tools like mkv2vob

“After many days of hair pulling / grey inducing conversion trying to work out how to convert matroska video files to a playable format for the PS3. I have produced the following script :-
keywords “mkv mux mp4 ac3 ps3 stream convert mp4box ffmpeg mplayer”

As you can see in the comments at the top of the script you need to install a few packages and use the correct values to the compile (package.use, for Gentoo users).

I have tested this on many files with great results.

I also know this could be written better so I appreciate any responses.

This script does NO conversion of video and is really quite quick

It takes me 17mins to remux a 1.2GB MKV file to a PS3 playable format. It has ac3 audio which can be seen whilst playing the ps3

I hope this helps everyone else whos had the problems I have.

Regards

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V12-designed dual-screen laptop going into production

Sure, we were skeptical when we first saw V12 Design's dual LCD concept -- but it seems to be one step closer to production. Named the Canova, the Italian designed laptop boasts an LCD where the keyboard and trackpad traditionally are. We don't have any specifics about the construction or innards of this crazy-looking beast yet, but they've hooked up with an American company, Estari, to bring the laptop into reality. We also hear it's going to cost somewhere around $400 when it hits the streets sometime "soon." Check a few more photos after the break.
[Via Notebook Italia]

Is Microsoft Giving up on Console Visual Superiority?


When it comes to pushing what is possible on a console, it seems as of late that Microsoft has 'taken the back foot' so to speak, the titles that are making huge waves in the gaming industry in terms of console technology are mainly PS3 exclusives.

Now before the Xbox 360 fanboys out there chew up this article and spit it out, hear me out...

Earlier in the life cycle of the Xbox 360, there were games released that were praised and adored for the technology and visuals they brought to gaming, one of which was 'Gears of War', this highly intense Third Person shooter was epic in every sense of the word, no pun intended.

'Gears of War' was THE game to own an Xbox 360 for, with Xbox 360 owners using it as a  tool for arguments against PS3 users, who argued their system was more "powerful"

Everything from the games' graphics to it's cover-centric gameplay was brilliant, and indeed one of the many reasons the original 'Gears of War' was hyped for, was it's visuals. However after the release of the sequel, 'Gears of War 2', which saw noticeable visual improvements to the first, the Xbox 360 has wittered out of the race to console visual superiority.

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Sony Ericsson unveils world's first 12MP phone

Sony Ericsson jumped the gun on its competition at Mobile World Congress this year by announcing the world's first 12MP cameraphone, as well as a new Entertainment Unlimited service.

The Idou, which is currently only a concept but will launch in the second half of 2009 features a 12.1MP sensor, a large 3.5-inch touchscreen with 'intuitive touch features' according to Sony Ericsson and a 16:9 widescreen screen ratio.

The Idou will also launch a new interface for Sony Ericsson, based on the work from the Symbian Foundation, so all those who have loved SE's interface for all these years will possibly weep (though the rest of us will cheer).

United we stand

Sony Ericsson also unveiled Entertainment Unlimited, which it said will be "Uniting best in class entertainment experiences into one offering such as the Walkman music experience, the Cyber-shot imaging experience, Java gaming and messaging integrated with services and applications."

full post

Wearable Computer Project

Sunday, February 15, 2009

Sony Releases New Range of Bass Heavy Headphones

Sony has unleashed a new range of headphones, comprising of five new models. These are designed for listeners who like their bass heavy. The Sony XB Series - the XB standing for “extra bass” - consists of three circumaural style headphones and two in-ear style, with brushed metal accents and exclusive Bass drivers.

The five-model XB range is headed by the closed-type MDR-XB700, with extra-large 50mm dome-type drivers, “king sized” synthetic leather ear cushions and an extra-wide headband to spread out weight. The MDR-XB700, MDR-XB500, MDR-XB300 are wide headband headphones, while the MDR-XB40EX and MDR-XB20EX are in-ear headphones. These latter in-ear models claim to deliver good bass due to ‘direct vibe’ acoustic design that minimizes sound spillage. The vertical driver orientation (with MDR-XB40EX only) claims to deliver extended bass without compromising listening comfort.
The Sony XB Series headphones will go on sale from March 2009. Sony is yet to reveal pricing for the range.

Fujifilm FinePix S1000fd

After checking out Fujifilm's latest offering in the ultra compact sector (the FinePix F60fd ), it's time to look at their new addition to the S series of super zooms - the Fujifilm FinePix S1000fd.
The S1000fd measures 102.5 x 73 x 67.8 mm, making it quite small and portable for a super zoom. It weighs 325 grams though, which wouldn't be too much normally; but since the frame is so small the density (mass per square millimeter, in this case) is pretty high, making it feel like a heavy little rock. In spite of this, it feels reasonably comfortable to take shots with the S1000fd, since most of the weight is on the back-right corner of the camera (where you'd grip it), ensuring that there's no weight imbalance that would normally make it difficult to keep your hands steady.

Most of the body is made of tough plastic with a textured rubber grip running across the right side of the camera that feels great to the touch and enhances grip for all you people with sweaty palms. To add to the comfort there's a well contoured groove along the right side, making the S1000fd incredibly convenient to wield.

The button placement is quite convenient, with the trigger on the top, far side of the extended grip, with a plastic ring around it to zoom in and out. Behind the trigger are the Face Detection and Burst setting buttons along with the power switch. The mode selection dial is located right near the flash.
The facing side of the camera hosts a 2.7-inch LCD, with the controls neatly laid out to the right of it. These buttons include the Viewfinder toggle button, the Preview and Photo mode buttons, a display/back and an exposure compensation button, and a 4-way navigation pad with a menu button perched in the middle.

The only thing I couldn't wrap my head around is why Fujifilm would bother making the body this small. I mean it's good for portability, but that's not exactly why you'd buy a super zoom now, is it? If it were a little bigger, it would be way more comfortable to hold and would suit the target audience far better.

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Fix msn 80070002 Error

When you are try to sign in WLM or MSN Messenger you get 80070002 Error.
"Service is Temporarily Unavailable"
How to fix WLM 80070002 Error?
- Search for ppcrlconfig.dll (probably located in X:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Microsoft\IdentityCRL\ppcrlconfig.dll) and delete it.
- Remove any WLM or MSN Messenger installed (including MSG Plus).
- Restart Windows Live Messenger or MSN Messenger.

How secure is Google Chrome?

Google deserves much credit for the wealth of security information (download PDF) posted on the Internet and on its Google Chrome blog and for making Chrome’s source code available for anyone to examine.The security model Chrome follows is excellent. Chrome separates the main browser program, called the browser kernel, from the rendering processes, which are based upon the open source WebKit engine, also used by Apple Inc.’s Safari. The browser kernel starts with all privileges removed, the null SID (a security identifier in Windows Vista that denotes the user as untrusted), and multiple “restrict” and “deny” SIDs enabled. On Windows Vista, Chrome runs as a medium-integrity process.

(Tomorrow: “How secure is Mozilla Firefox?” For more on browser security and protection against Web-borne threats, see Security Adviser and Test Center: Browser security tools versus the evil Web.”)

Every Web site is given its own separate rendering process, memory space, global data structures, access token, tab, URL bar, desktop and so forth. Currently, Chrome will open as many as 20 separate processes, one for each Web site, and start sharing processes between Web sites after that. Rendering processes are highly restricted as to what they can and can’t do. On Windows Vista, Chrome’s rendering processes run with low integrity, much like Internet Explorer in Protected Mode. But Chrome actually uses Vista’s mandatory integrity controls more securely than Microsoft does. For one, Chrome attempts to prevent low-integrity browser processes from reading high-integrity resources, which is not normally prevented. (By default, Vista prevents lower to higher modifications, but not reads.)

Both the browser kernel and rendering processes run with DEP (Data Execution Prevention) and ASLR (Address Space Layout Representation) enabled and with virtualization disabled. Any supplementary browser add-ons are run in a separate, medium-integrity (or higher-integrity) process. This screen image shows the various browser processes and their security settings, as enumerated by Process Explorer on Windows Vista. Chrome even has its own Task Manager and internal page to show memory and CPU statistics. With respect to the base security model, Chrome is leading the pack. It’s beautiful.

Interesting innovations

A slightly questionable choice is Google’s decision to allow Chrome to be installed without requiring administrator-level access. This can make Chrome installs difficult to manage in an enterprise environment, but Microsoft is encouraging this sort of behavior in all vendors (to prevent Windows system modifications). Chrome is just one of the first major apps to follow Microsoft’s advice.

Chrome also installs the Googleupdate.exe application. It’s scheduled to run automatically in Windows Vista Task Scheduler, which frequently dials home (although only when the user is logged on and the computer is idle), checks for browser (and other Google application) updates and silently installs them. This is a great way to keep the browser up to date — patches are currently applied more frequently than once a week — but it riles many security administrators because there is no notification of the outward-bound search, no notification of pending patches and no approval requested for patches to be applied. In addition, this behavior can’t be easily changed.

Another interesting concept is Chrome’s virtual JavaScript machine, called V8. Google’s Chromium team built its own virtual environment for all JavaScript execution. V8 even converts JavaScript code into native machine language (to speed up Web-page loading) and has its own memory garbage-collection processes, source-code inspector and debugger. V8 significantly limits what can be accomplished by JavaScript against the user’s system, including preventing the normal JavaScript pop-ups. In testing, Chrome did pretty well against pop-up ads but suffered from user-interface problems and slowness on some of the JavaScript modal tests.

Chrome has many standard security features, including a browser-session privacy mode called Incognito; antiphishing capability called Google Chrome’s Safe Browsing; one-button setting resets; forced file saves before launching; moniker handling, which helps thwart attempts to fool the browser into launching helper applications that can be exploited; and MIME content-type sniffing, which helps thwart attempts to fool the browser into downloading malicious content. Chrome actually has many more security features that I could go on about; so far, so good.
Questionable controls

But then reality hits hard. One of the most glaring lapses is the inability to disable JavaScript. Because JavaScript is involved with most malicious Web attacks, all of Google’s competitors allow its use to be disabled globally or per site or per zone (albeit, Firefox requires a third-party add-on, NoScript, to be site-specific). The world has yet to create a virtual machine that can’t be breached, so despite all the cleverness that went into V8, I can’t understand how Google committed such an oversight, even if the company is trying to promote JavaScript-enriched applications and sites. If a large JavaScript exploit happens against Chrome — or rather, when it happens — it seems that the only recommendation Google will be able to offer will be to stop using it.

Most user-selectable security settings are under an option tab called “Under the Hood.” It’s when you first go here that you realize how little Chrome offers in the way of fine-grained security settings. The options are very sparse and often lack a secure default. For example, all cookie types (both first- and third-party) are allowed by default. This isn’t surprising for a company that makes its living from ads. But even the third-party-cookie restricted mode allows the reading of any third-party cookie, which is almost as bad as allowing modifications. In another example of a poor default, HTTP data is allowed to commingle with HTTPS data in the same view, without warning to the user.

Another critical security feature that’s missing is the ability to place different Web sites into separate security zones or domains. Most browsers provide at least two zones (Internet Explorer has five) or the binary ability to whitelist or blacklist sites. Chrome is also glaringly absent of enterprise management features. SSL/TLS (Secure Sockets Layer/Transport Layer Security) server-revocation checking is enabled by default, but Chrome does not support the more efficient OCSP (Online Certificate Status Protocol) revocation-checking protocol, though all of its competitors do.

Google has also washed its hands of responsibility for the security of add-ons. Reviewers are very mixed on this approach. While it is true that browser vendors should not be ultimately held responsible for others’ add-ons and applications, Chrome offers no add-on management. You can’t easily determine which add-ons will render particular content, nor can you easily disable them.

Many users are perturbed by the treatment of their own saved passwords. Chrome allows the current user to reveal the saved log-on names and passwords in plain text with a few clicks of the mouse. This is convenient for the user — and for anyone else who wants to learn all of the user’s passwords and finds the computer left unattended for a few seconds. Internet Explorer doesn’t allow this at all, and Firefox and Opera at least have the ability to assign another password to protect the saved passwords. On the Password Manager Evaluator testing Web site, Chrome scored the worst among all of the browsers I’ve tested, including Firefox, Internet Explorer, Opera and Safari, passing only four of 21 tests.
Bugaboos

Chrome has a very limited feature set and relatively moderate complexity. This might help it avoid some security issues in the long run, but so far it hasn’t. Chrome has had 10 exploits in the five months it has been released (you can search on keyword Chrome at milw0rm.com to see the individual exploits). They have been patched. Most were simple denial-of-service exploits, but at least one allowed complete system compromise and another allowed malicious redirection.

On a good note, Chrome passed all of the browser security tests I threw at it and prevented the automatic installation of any malware. These tests included dozens of predefined tests made in the lab, several browser-security tests on the Web, including scanit and Jason’s Toolbox. I sniffed traffic looking for information leaks, tested the browser’s handling of cross-site scripting, tested privacy features, confirmed digital certificate handling and surfed to more than 100 malicious Web sites. With less than 2% market share, Chrome isn’t yet the popular target of hackers. That gives its users additional insulation compared with its competitors.

One key feature simply doesn’t work as promised. Google repeatedly makes the claim that Chrome’s rendering-process isolation prevents one browser session from bringing down another or affecting the whole browser. Yet, vulnerability after vulnerability has proven that Chrome’s process separation isn’t nearly as perfect as it sounds on paper. Malicious Web pages of all kinds have caused denial-of-service problems, lockups and complete system failure. I and every other Chrome user I know have experienced complete browser lockups while browsing ordinary, legitimate Web pages.

Far more indicative of systematic problems is that the initial vulnerabilities found in Chrome were very simple, well-known exploits. Initially, Google shipped its beta with a known vulnerable version of the WebKit engine, for which a patch had been issued months before. I realize it was only beta code, but how embarrassing. The buffer-overflow attacks that were soon discovered were often simple string overflows, a vulnerability that any normal security code review or fuzzing tool should have found. Most of the other vulnerabilities were flaws that had been widely reported in other browsers and should not have been present in Google’s first try. Google should have known better.

This is the security paradox of Chrome. It begins with a beautiful idea and an excellent security model but then compromises the vision with questionable decisions, a dearth of granular security controls and the obvious failure to perform a serious code review. This may be Google’s first version of its first browser, but it has more experience with browsers and malicious content than any of its competitors. Why introduce yet another new Web browser and not blow away the competition?

Chrome’s excellent security model and newness give it a chance to quickly improve in areas where other vendors must tread more slowly because of backward-compatibility issues. The real challenge is that the bigger flaws are human- and process-oriented, and they can’t be solved with fast patching. They are systematic and will require a serious paradigm shift within Google to achieve.

Source: computerworld

Saturday, February 14, 2009

Unable to Sign in to MSN Messenger, Error Code 80048869

Please download, install and then run the Windows Installer CleanUp Utility and click on the line(s) that show MSN Messenger(s) and then select the Remove button as pictured below.

Before
trying to re-install MSN Messenger open up IE and then go to Tools -> Internet Options -> General -> Delete Files -> select Delete All offline Content and then select OK and then OK.
Then, go to explorer and delete the MSN Messenger folder typically located in C:\Program Files\MSN Messenger. Re-boot your computer and then go to the MSN Messenger Download Site and re-download the latest Messenger. Do not choose to open it - instead download the entire program to your desktop as pictured below;


You should now have a completely removed MSN Messenger program, a cleared out Internet cache and a new download of the MSN Messenger program on your desktop. It's important to have followed the steps above in the proper order as outlined.
Now install the new Messenger by clicking on the icon and following the on-screen prompts and then re-start and re-try to see if the issue is gone.
If the issue persists then please visit Windows Update and ensure that all updates are installed for your operating system. If you find some that were not installed please install them and then re-start your computer and re-check for MSN Messenger functionality.

Adding Windows 7-Style Icons to Vista

As most Windows watchers know by now, Windows 7 brings a handful of interface tweaks to the table, starting with large, eye-pleasing program icons that take up residence in the taskbar. Of course, this is little more than an update to the Quick Launch feature that debuted in Windows XP. And believe it or not, Vista users can easily bring that Windows 7 look to their own taskbars.

Here’s how:

1. Right-click any open space in the taskbar and clear the checkmark from Lock the Taskbar.

2. Right-click the taskbar again and choose Toolbars, Quick Launch. A small batch of icons appears next to the Start button.

3. Click and drag the Quick Launch toolbar’s right handle to the right to create some extra icon space.

4. Right-click in an open space within that toolbar, then choose View, Large Icons.

Presto! Now your Vista taskbar should look a lot like Windows 7’s. To add icons, just drag and drop any program, folder, or individual file to the Quick Launch toolbar.

I’ll admit I’m not so ga-ga over Windows 7’s interface changes as some folks, but as a longtime Quick Launch fan, I’m definitely liking these larger icons.

Source: washingtonpost

Nine-year Old Writes iPhone Application

While most children his age sketch on paper with crayons, nine-year old Lim Ding Wen from Singapore, has a very different canvas - his iPhone.

Lim, who is in fourth grade, writes applications for Apple's popular iPhone. His latest, a painting program called Doodle Kids, has been downloaded over 4,000 times from Apple's iTunes store in two weeks, the New Paper reported on Thursday.
The program lets iPhone users draw with their fingers by touching the iPhone's touchscreen and then clear the screen by shaking the phone. "I wrote the program for my younger sisters, who like to draw," Lim said. His sisters are aged 3 and 5.
Lim, who is fluent in six programming languages, started using the computer at the age of 2. He has since completed about 20 programming projects. His father, Lim Thye Chean, a chief technology officer at a local technology firm, also writes iPhone applications.
"Every evening we check the statistics emailed to us (by iTunes) to see who has more downloads," the older Lim said. The boy, who enjoys reading books on programming, is in the process of writing another iPhone application - a science fiction game called "Invader Wars"

Cell Phone Use Linked to Brain Tumours

A leading Russian scientist has said, citing a Swedish study, that the use of cell phones from an early age could lead to brain tumors.
"We have a very cautious attitude as regards children, our future generation. There is data suggesting that brain tumors could develop," Yury Grigoryev, a leading scientist at the Burnazyan medical biophysical centre said Thursday.Grigoryev cited Swedish research data, which he said showed that if a child uses a cell phone from 8 to 12 years, then the risk of developing a brain tumor by the age of 21 increases fivefold.He also said that every person in Russia is subject to electromagnetic radiation from cellular base stations. He said people use mobile phones too often, which means the dose of radiation they get is comparable to that received by workers whose profession involves dealing with radiolocation equipment and transmitters.Grigoryev said there is as yet no reliable Russian research proving cell phones are harmful to health. However, he said that according to the World Health Organisation, Alzheimer's disease, depression and a greater risk of epileptic reactions could be the possible consequences of mobile phone usage.The head of the medical centre's radiobiology and non-ionizing radiation hygiene lab, Oleg Grigoryev, said that in line with Russian sanitary norms, the use of cell phones is not recommended for minors."The brand or price of a cell phone doesn't matter. The dose of radiation is defined by the network operation mode and phone use intensity," he said.
Oleg Grigoryev also said that a wire or wireless headset would make the distance from a person's head to the phone over 0.5 meters, a distance believed to be safe. He also advised cutting down on calls.

Friday, February 13, 2009

Fix error 8004888D

If you are running Windows XP try the following steps;
Solution:
Go to a DOS prompt and type in the following OR go to Start -> Run and then copy and paste each line below hitting after each one.
regsvr32 Msxml3.dll /s
regsvr32 Dssenh.dll /s
regsvr32 Gpkcsp.dll /s
regsvr32 Slbcsp.dll /s
regsvr32 Sccbase.dll /s
regsvr32 Softpub.dll /s
regsvr32 Wintrust.dll /s
regsvr32 Initpki.dll /s
regsvr32 Rsaenh.dll /s
regsvr32 Mssip32.dll /s
regsvr32 Cryptdlg.dll /s

Microsoft repeats IE8 lock-in warning for XP users with SP3

Microsoft Corp. today again warned users of Windows XP Service Pack 3 (SP3) that they may not be able to uninstall either the service pack or Internet Explorer 8 (IE8).The warning, made by Jane Maliouta, a Microsoft program manager as the company delivered Release Candidate 1 (RC1) on Monday, was a repeat of a caution she gave last August when Microsoft launched the browser’s second beta.

In a post to the IE blog, Maliouta recommended that users who had installed IE8 Beta 1 or Beta 2 before upgrading Windows XP to SP3, manually uninstall the older IE8 previews. Users who don’t take her advice will be stuck with both IE8 RC1 and Windows XP SP3.

“Windows XP SP3 and IE8 RC1 will become permanent,” Maliouta said. “You will still be able to upgrade to later IE8 builds as they become available, but you won’t be able to uninstall them.” As in August, when Windows XP SP3 users ran into the same situation as they upgraded from IE8 Beta 1 to Beta 2, a warning dialog will appear.

To avoid lock-in, Maliouta told users to first uninstall Windows XP SP3, then uninstall IE8 Beta 1 or Beta 2; they should then reinstall XP SP3 and follow that by installing IE8 RC1.

The big change in RC1’s deployment, Maliouta said in a video question-and-answer posted to the TechNet site, is that Microsoft no longer asks users of Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 to manually uninstall earlier IE previews before installing RC1. “We definitely heard feedback about how difficult it was,” she said, referring to the earlier requirement.

Because of the change, Microsoft will be able to push the RC1 update to all users running IE8 Beta 1 or Beta 2 via Windows Update, a change from August when people running Vista and Server 2008 had to manually do a download. Microsoft, however, has not said when it will trigger the RC1 update, nor did Maliouta specify a date today.

Also unknown is a timetable for delivering an update to people running Windows 7 beta, Microsoft’s preview of its next operating system. The company unveiled the public beta Jan. 10.

Because of the timing of Windows 7’s beta, its version of IE8 is a “pre-RC,” according to James Pratt, a senior product manager for IE. Microsoft will upgrade IE8 in Windows 7 to RC1 via Windows Update, Maliouta said, although she did not disclose a timeline. Users will also be able to download IE8 RC1 manually from the company’s Web site, she added.

At least one additional update is required before IE8 RC can be installed, or before it will run. Without one of the two slated for Vista, IE8 RC1 will balk during setup and show an error message of “Setup cannot continue because one or more updates required to install Windows Internet Explorer 8 are not present.” That patch is a revised version of a Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1) prerequisite that in February 2008 sent machines into an endless round of reboots.

Systems already running Vista SP1 will have that update in place.

Microsoft has also posted a support document that offers installation troubleshooting tips, as well as release notes that spell out compatibility problems with a variety of software, including Intuit Corp.’s popular TurboTax tax preparation program, Google Inc.’s Toolbar and older versions of the Skype voice-over-IP add-on. Older editions of Microsoft’s own Windows Live Login add-on — which was installed with earlier versions of the Windows Live Essentials suite — are also incompatible with IE8, and are, in fact, unstable.

Users can download IE8 RC1 for Windows XP, Vista, Server 2003 and Server 2008 from Microsoft’s site. The new browser will not run on Windows 2000.

Source: computerworld

How secure is Firefox?

Mozilla’s open source Firefox browser has made a significant dent in Internet Explorer’s dominant market share. Much of its popularity is due to the wide availability of third-party add-ons that significantly extend Firefox’s functionality — allowing Firefox to disable Java or JavaScript on the fly, perform JavaScript whitelisting, even host ActiveX controls, for example. Firefox has always pushed the boundary in terms of features and functionality, and it can boast both growing enterprise support and the ability to run on Windows, Mac, and Linux. One claim Firefox can’t make is a high granularity of security control.

Firefox does not automatically ask for elevation when installing, so be sure to run as administrator beforehand if you want it to install the browser into the normal Program Files folder in Windows Vista or another user-securable location. If installed on Vista, Firefox runs as a single process (Firefox.exe) with medium integrity, DEP (Data Execution Prevention) and ASLR (Address Space Layout Randomization) enabled, and file system and registry virtualization disabled. The latter is a feature in Vista that allows users to run applications without having administrative privileges.

[ See also “How secure is Google Chrome?” and “How secure is Opera?” Tomorrow: “How secure is Internet Explorer?” For more on browser security and protection against Web-borne threats, see Security Adviser and “Test Center: Browser security tools versus the evil Web.” ]

Like Google Chrome, Firefox has a JavaScript engine that converts JavaScript source code into native machine code; Firefox uses an open source engine called TraceMonkey. Unlike Chrome, in which the V8 JavaScript engine is always on, Firefox’s JavaScript support can be enabled or disabled across the browser. By using the NoScript add-on, you can enable JavaScript (and Java and Flash) on a per-site basis.

Although add-ons such as NoScript, and plug-ins such as Adobe Flash, bring many useful capabilities to Firefox, at the same time they come with problems and security issues of their own. Firefox has a built-in add-on manager that allows you to browse available extensions, install and uninstall them, and enable and disable them, but again, they can’t be enabled or disabled with per-site granularity.

Security settings

Security can be defined through the normal Tools > Options menu or by typing “about:config” in the URL bar. The latter option opens up hundreds of behind-the-scenes settings, similar to what might only be found among the registry settings of other browsers. Serious users always configure security using the about:config method, although detailed descriptions on each option can be a little hard to find.

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Firefox has made tabbed browsing all the rage. The latest version, 3.0, allows tabs from one window to be moved to another browser window — a pretty cool feature. Firefox 3.0 also contains a private browsing mode, which saves no data after the session is ended. First- and third-party cookies are allowed by default, but exceptions to the overall cookie policy can be made on a per-site basis. Third-party cookies can’t be read by unrelated parties, as they can be in Safari and Chrome, but the privacy policy does not have the granularity offered in Internet Explorer.

Firefox has an anti-phishing feature, and it will attempt to block connections to previously reported malicious Web sites. The latter feature is similar to Internet Explorer’s SmartScreen Filter. These features can be easily turned on and off. Firefox had the best pop-up prevention of any of the browsers I’ve tested. Whereas even the other top browsers would occasionally hiccup or suffer slight delays or GUI issues, Firefox simply blocked the pop-ups and warned in a non-annoying way.

But when I took Firefox to a malicious Web site known for starting dozens of browser windows, pop-up ads, and programs, Firefox locked up like most of the other browsers I tested (the lone exception was Opera). I had to reboot the system to regain control. Further, when I restarted Firefox, it attempted to re-open my last visited Web pages (again, like nearly every browser today), which in this instance was the killer Web site. With a little bit of Task Manager fighting, I was able to end the new Firefox sessions before they caused another lockup. Luckily, like Internet Explorer, Firefox has a “safe mode” that can be launched to recover from such disasters. Even better, whereas Internet Explorer only disables all add-ons by default, Firefox Safe Mode allows you to erase the history files, return browser settings to the defaults, make other necessary changes, and then automatically restart in normal mode. It’s a great little feature.

Ciphers and zones

Although Firefox does not highlight true domain names as some of its competitors do, it has excellent digital certificate handling. It supports Extended Validation (EV) certificates, OCSP (Online Certificate Status Protocol), and ECC (Elliptical Curve Cryptography) ciphers, and it’s very in-your-face about certificate errors. Users must click on several confirm messages to get to a Web site with a bad or untrusted certificate, and they’re given multiple opportunities to review and install the certificate in question. Plus, Firefox offers the strongest SSL/TLS (Secure Sockets Layer/Transport Layer Security) cipher order of any of the major browsers, preferring TLS using ECC with AES 256-bit symmetric key strength. (Internet Explorer offers RSA with 128-bit AES first.) Most Web sites do not yet support 256-bit AES keys, so Firefox is being aggressive in its cipher order. When connected to a Web site containing an EV certificate, Firefox prepends the URL on the address bar with the company’s name highlighted in green.

Firefox automatically checks for browser, add-on, and search engine updates. Like Chrome, it fails to ask the user for permission to check or install, but unlike Chrome, that default can easily be changed. Firefox also has some limited MIME content-type sniffing capabilities (see Mozilla.org). And because Firefox does not natively support ActiveX controls (only Internet Explorer does), its users get a lot of implicit protection that Internet Explorer users don’t get.

The absence of built-in, user-definable security zones in Firefox is a serious detraction for many users. Today, any browser hoping to compete in the enterprise must utilize the concept of multiple security domains, each with user-definable settings. Firefox doesn’t go the distance here. But in perhaps one of the oddest middle-ground solutions, Firefox provides limited support for Internet Explorer’s security zones.

Strangely, Firefox added the ability for downloaded files to be marked with Internet Explorer security zone identifier information. The zone identifier is attached to the file as a “hidden,” alternative data stream (as shown here using Windows Vista’s new DIR /R parameter). Firefox will then honor file-download treatment as configured in Internet Explorer. Oftentimes, the file will have to be “unblocked” to run on the user’s desktop. Although this feature is a definite plus to Mozilla users, I’ve yet to miss the dumbfounded look when you tell a Firefox fan that their coveted browser depends on Internet Explorer’s security settings.

Firefox passed 7 of the 21 password handling tests on the Password Manager Evaluator, matching Opera for tops among the browsers I tested (also including Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, and Safari). Firefox allows locally stored passwords to be protected by a separate master password, and even tells you how strong your master password is. Firefox also passed my browser security and JavaScript security tests, negotiating dozens of predefined tests in my lab and several browser security test sites on the Web without permitting automatic installation of malware. Still, it is a shame that Firefox fell to real-life malicious Web sites such as the “DoS attack” site mentioned above.

Firefox in the wild

Naturally, Firefox’s popularity has brought out the attackers. Many different attacks “in the wild” specifically target Firefox users, making it the second-most-attacked browser behind Internet Explorer. Firefox 3.0 has had at least 39 separate vulnerabilities in less than six months (as compared to 154 vulnerabilities for Firefox 2.0 during its lifetime). Seventy-five percent of these exploits were ranked high-criticality, and a third allowed complete system compromise.

One of the common complaints about Firefox is its lack of support for the enterprise. Although Mozilla doesn’t directly offer tools to ease large installations or to centrally manage Firefox through Group Policy, these are available from independent providers including FirefoxADM and FrontMotion.

All in all, Firefox is a sophisticated open source browser that has earned its place as a market leader. Like Internet Explorer, Firefox enjoys widespread popularity and third-party support. And like Internet Explorer, it continues to struggle with frequently found vulnerabilities, perhaps due in part to the vendor’s commitment to SDL (Security Development Lifecycle) processes, which initially lead to more vulnerabilities being uncovered during testing. Firefox makes a good browser choice for anyone, but especially for users who want to purposefully avoid Internet Explorer (and ActiveX) or who don’t need the finest granularity (e.g., multiple security zones) in their browser’s security.

Source: infoworld

Thursday, February 12, 2009

81000395 Error - Service Temporarily Unavailable

You see this error, when trying to sign-in, using Windows Live Messenger 9, or 9 Beta. We noticed it may also happen when you are already logged in.

Follow these simple steps:
- exit WLM 9, or previous version of MSN
- remove WLM leaked Beta version
- download latest full version from official site
- install WLM
This problem is Beta related, it's nothing wrong with your settings and PC at all.

India Planning $10 Laptop

You thought the $100 laptop was cheap? How about a $10 laptop? That's the promise of the unfortunately named Sakshat computer (it actually means "before your eyes"), to be built in India as soon as the designers get a manufacturer signed up.

Details are scarce, but at least the people behind it have pedigree. The Indian government is funding it, and the design is from scientists at science and technology institutes in Vellore, Madras and Bangalore. The price of making this machine is now around $20, but should fall to half that as production runs get longer.

But you want the specs, right? There isn't much, sadly, just a claim that the machine will have Wi-Fi and 2GB RAM. A quick look at memory prices tells us that a 2GB stick alone costs around that (the cheapest I found was $16). Clearly the Indians are up to something here, perhaps designing their own chips.

However this goes, don't expect to see Windows on there. XP can bump the price of a netbook up $50 over a Linux version. That means it would more than quintuple the price of the Sakshat. Then again, Microsoft might just offer a cheaper version.

 

Source Wired

Wearable Computer

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Microsoft To Kill Windows 7 Beta On Feb. 10

Computer enthusiasts who want to get their hands on the trial version of Microsoft’s next operating system have just two more weeks to do so.There are a couple of loopholes, however. Users who started to download the OS before that date will have until Feb. 12 to complete the process. Also, Microsoft will continue to distribute product keys beyond Feb. 12 to users who have previously downloaded Windows 7 Beta but have yet to obtain a key.

“We are at a point where we have more than enough beta testers and feedback coming in to meet our engineering needs, so we are beginning to plan the end of general availability for Windows 7 Beta,” said Brandon LeBlanc, Microsoft’s in-house Windows blogger, in a post Friday.

Microsoft will post warnings on its Web site that the download program for Windows 7 is about to end starting Tuesday. A final version of Windows 7, Microsoft’s follow-up to Windows Vista, is expected to be available in late 2009 or early 2010.

Perhaps due to Vista’s unpopularity, computer users have been downloading Windows 7 Beta in droves. Microsoft dropped limits on the number of available copies of the software after a crush of download requests for the new operating system brought the company’s servers to a halt during the first weekend of availability earlier this month.

Windows 7 offers numerous new features, including native support for touch-screen interfaces and more than 20 hotkey combinations designed to simplify use.

Microsoft needs Windows 7 to be a hit. Vista has failed to catch on with mainstream computer users and businesses have shunned it outright. Many users have complained about Vista’s hardware requirements, intrusive security measures, and lack of compatibility with older applications.

Dissatisfaction with Vista has allowed Apple to gain share against Microsoft in the computer operating system market in recent months. Windows’ market share in November fell below 90% for the first time in years while Mac OS is now flirting with the 10% mark, according to market watcher Net Applications.

It’s all taking a toll on Microsoft’s bottom line. Last week, the company said second quarter profits tumbled 11%. It also announced a restructuring plan that will see it lay off 5,000 full-time employees and an additional 5,000 contract workers.


Source: informationweek