Microsoft Lied, Vista Died, 7 Alive

ITS OVER SEVEN

Remember when microsoft tried to pitch vista as the next new step in OS technology and how support for it would be overwhelming? Well guess they didn’t actually believe it themselves. All those gimmicks such as direct  X 10 technology, gaming enhancements, and the like proved to be a colossal failure. In fact direct x 10 is pretty much dead with the advent of 11 on the way and most 3d gamers would rather stick with xp then get clogged down by vista’s resource hogging junk. So after a mere 2 yrs on the market, Microsoft recently unveiled Windows 7 or rather “Vista done right”. It includes better architecture overall, lower system hogging resources, and numerous UI enhancements. (Yes that means no more sidebar and gadgets anywhere! Also more control over that annoying User Account Control notification so it won’t pop in your face every second) Read a professional walkthrough at the link for the full list of new features. Farewell Vista, you will not be missed.

http://gizmodo.com/5069661/windows-7-walkthrough-boot-video-and-impressions

Laptops that smell?

Anyway, back to some non-Milf posts:

This one smells like Calvin Klein

Laptops today have a plethora of features, ranging from fingerprint readers and webcams to 7 second boot times, with the newest enticing your sense of smell. Asus has released its new F6V series of laptops which has one of several scents on the lid. There are four scents available: grass, ocean, floral, and cologne (?!) as well as a variety of colours. The specifications include an Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 4 GB RAM, ATI HD 3470 graphics, and Wireless-N networking making the F6V a pretty well-rounded laptop. As for the olfactory feature, I don’t see any possible use for it on a laptop – unless you’re looking to attract women, which probably wouldn’t work anyway. The designs are still pretty cool so if you’re interested check it out here.

Google’s shiny new browser: Chrome

Google released it’s open source web browser: chrome recently and it already has caused a stir in the browser community. Going up against giants such as Firefox and IE, google has lots to prove with its own version.

Pluses

• non-obtrusive, simple interface
• speed-dial function
• fantastic use of tabs
• the omnibox:  a version of firefoxes awesome bar that autocompletes url
• unused tabs display most visited sites and other stats
• fast: miles ahead of IE and matches firefox
• small install
• incognito mode “privacy mode” where nothing is saved

grab it now at http://www.google.com/chrome

Apple Products: Repackaged garbage? & The deal with iFires.

I have been wanting to make a post about apple products for awhile. Now, I finally found the chance to! I read a few reports about apple products and how they are just so sleek, just works..etc etc all that trash. Then I looked the other way and saw what i wanted to see, apple products screwing their customers over!! HAHAHA, I guess if you are stupid enough to buy any apple products you deserve to have your house burnt down. Or!! Better yet!! Have your pants be set ON fire!! Apparently, these little, inconvenient, mishaps have happened so much that they have been given the name: iFire. As in: “Joe, I left my iPod in my pants and it started an iFire and burnt down my house!!!” .

Moving on now, Apple recently released a ” fix ” (updated firmware) for their 3G woes with their iphoNes. Apparently, the iphoNes had a problem with getting a good 3G signal. WIth the new firmware update, some were suspecting that applE simply updated the UI so it shows a stronger signal when the signal reception hasnt changed. After all of these problems, people are still buying into Apple’s iTrash. These same people are so smug about it, they are regurgitating Apple’s iPropaganda in their tech discussions (and they actually feel like they didnt get shafted!!) . To sum it up, Apple is definitely apt at screwing their customers and still be praised for it.

May the iFires keep on blazing for millenias to come!!

D-Link DIR-655 Xtreme N Router Review

After owning this router for an entire two days, I felt that I should do a little review on it. I picked this up at a local Best Buy for $95 and it’s the best damn purchase I’ve made in a long time. It was a welcome replacement for my now-dead Netgear WGT624 (Netgear = massive shit fail) and boasts several new features. First off, some specs and pics:

Wireless standards: 802.11b/g, Draft-2.0 802.11n

Bandwidth: 2.4GHz

Security: WEP, WPA, WPA2, NAT

Notable Features: 4-port Gigabit switch, 1 USB port (to transfer wireless settings), “Intelligent” QoS (Quality of Service), lots  of router settings, 3 removable antennae, wall mountable

Although the included CD was pointless, the initial setup was quite simple – I had my network up and running in a few minutes. The only annoyance I found was that I couldn’t access the web-interface router settings through Firefox 3, but Internet Explorer 7 (boo) worked fine.

This router is one of the fastest Draft-N routers around, providing better data throughput than its competitors (D-Link even goes as far as mentioning this claim on the retail box). Having been hooked up to a fast ethernet router till now, my internet connection actually seems deserving of its name (Shaw XTREME cable); after setting everything up, I noticed a great increase in wireless speed. My wireless downloads are now as fast as my wired downloads (10 Mbit/s or about 1250 KB/s).

The new security features and the plethora of settings are a nice bonus too; with support for WPA, WPA2, and even the breakable WEP encryption (not really a plus), this is as safe as it gets for most consumers. I’ve always felt the WPA on my Netgear was pretty safe, but using WPA2 made me feel that much safer.

Another feature – which I have yet to test – is the Intelligent QoS technology. Typical QoS features on other routers prioritize packets of data (for wired connections only) for different applications so one person on the network can browse the web without lagging the hell out of another’s Unreal Tournament 3 game. The D-Link version of this can use QoS on wireless devices, and has more advanced settings.

Of all the great features in this router, the USB port is almost damn useless. Its only apparent function is to transfer wireless settings to another computer via flash drive. No printer support, no external storage support. D:

So, there you have it. For $95 I think it’s a pretty good deal but then again, I’ve only had it for two days.

Building a Top of the Line Computer: Part 1

Hey guys sorry for the long hiatus but ive recently been busy with family matters. (PS. Also sorry for any mistakes in this post cuz i’m currently writing under the influence)  So sorry for the naysayers but this blog is not dead it is UNDEAD. Ive been thinking of doing this post for awhile but I just havn’t managed to put time into it. I recently bought a new computer, building it from scratch with my fellow blogger toasted. Its top of the line stuff… well top of the line for what you can get for under 1500. These parts include:

• Intel Q9450 Quad Core ($350~)
• Evga nforce 780i sli motherboard ($280~)
• Corqsair 620W PSU ($100~)
• Evga 9800 GX2 ($290~)
• 2 x2gb corsair ddr2 ram (
• seagate barracuda 650 gb HDD
• LG light scribe optical drive
• Antec 900 Gamers Case

First AMD Based Netbook debuted!!!

As of now,  all netbooks have been powered by Intel’s underwhelming Atom processor or Via’s C7 processor. AMD’s answer (allbeit temporary) to the Atom is the Turion X2 1000+ (in this case, the 1200+) . Tom’shardware recently did a compaison of the Atom vs the underclocked dualcore, and to my surprise, AMD defeated intel in both performance and efficiency. Apparently, this AMD based netbook is also pretty impressive in performance. I’ll be waiting for AMD’s bulldozer release before I get any netbooks, though 8D. 

nVidia raped. ATi Rules. All is Well with the world.

Quite contrary to my co-blogger’s opinion  below; the 4870 x2 is simply fantastic (despite poor driver and game support as of this moment.). It is the single fastest card money can buy, yes, faster than nv’s gtx 280

by 25% on regular resolutions and up to 51% on high res. cite: TomsHardwareGuide.  nVidias bumbling mammoth-sized GPUs have been beaten by ATi’s fast and agile multi-GPU solution. Way to go AMD! In other news, nvidia’s G84/G86 chips are apparently ALLLLLL defective regardless whether it is a desktop or laptop. This defect sure is kicking nvidia in the crotch. Much like the old man with the football to the groin (simpsons), nvidia can do nothing except shrivel up in the fetal position on the ground and take deep breaths. . I wanted to include a photo of hans moleman getting nailed in the groin by a footbal; but couldnt find the photo in 30secs so settled with someone getting kicked in the groin.

Alternate review: http://www.custompc.co.uk/reviews/604626/ati-radeon-hd-4870-x2.html

PhysX released for Geforce 8 Series and Up, ATI fanboys am cry

Quick Update: Our holy graphics maker Nvidia has just released their FREE geforce power packs which enables PhysX technology using CUDA (Compute Unified Device Architecture) in all geforce cards 8 series and above! Best of all it includes plenty of stuff in the package to test out the new toys, including tech demos, unreal engine stuff, drivers to make it work, and warmonger (PhysX original shawcase) totalling 2719 mb in all! What are you waiting for nV owner? Experience real-time physics like the kids over at ATI never could! Oh and dont feel totally left out ATI fanboys, the 4870×2 just came out. Too bad ATI driver and game support suck so much!

link

Leo Laporte: Tech Guru or Poser?

I’ve recently watched a tv show called The Lab with Leo Laporte on G4 Tech TV (I don’t have this channel at home just so you know) and after watching the show it made me wonder the title of this post. At first glance, this guy, Leo Laporte (apparently a pretty well-known tech personality), seemed to be a generic tech guru who happens to have his own tv show; the show I watched was about backing up data. It was filmed in a studio on a counter where there were four different external hard drives and some other guy was explaining to him the features of each hard drive. The guy basically explained storage capacities and the different ports available – while Laporte just stood there nodding and occasionally adding ambiguous remarks like, “that’s interesting” and others. But if this self-proclaimed techie really is a tech guru, why doesn’t he present the hardware himself? This question answered itself the moment I heard him say something along the lines of, “…I have one of these with my Mac at home and it just works”. Not only that, he just plain doesn’t seem to know what he’s talking about – near the end of the show, a girl in their studio demonstrated a backup (on a Mac, of course) at which point this Laporte guy kept talking about how backups are important and that if you get a virus you could lose your data – all those obvious facts that anyone with at least some computing history would know. If you’ve noticed, the show has been cancelled as stated on their website. I don’t know if you consider him a tech personality, but from what I’ve seen on his “tech” show, he’s about as techie as my mom (who is often troubled by the simplest of problems, on a MAC)