| Old School: Overclocking Your CPU Posted: 15 Aug 2011 05:27 PM PDT Overclocking a PCU today is about as exciting and risky as driving to the grocery store to pick up milk. Back in the 1990s though, overclocking or "speed-margining" was a black art and strictly verboten. But just what if you wanted to OC your Pentium or 486 a bit? Fortunately, boot breaks it down for you. 
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| Redefining Mobile: A Moving Wi-Fi Network Made of Cars Posted: 15 Aug 2011 03:19 PM PDT  I'm extremely impressed, and maybe a little nervous, about the automotive industry's fascination with "intelligently networked cars."
The principle is simple: Our actual vehicles become the nodes for a massive, moving Wi-Fi network, one that would bounce data around between points, i.e. that trusty four-door or other car, all while alerting onboard computers of any problems up ahead. But this isn't your run-of-the-mill Wi-Fi, like you've got at Starbucks or at home. It's more like a souped-up, high-powered, encrypted ad-hoc network. Imagine a car (or several) slamming on their brakes due to an accident up ahead. A system like this would instantly know that this took place, and could communicate that to all other oncoming autos for half a mile. It's not hard to see why this concept has gotten tremendous support from the likes of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which has already said it would like to see all cars outfitted for such a system by 2013. And Ford Motor Company is actively exploring this technology. The latter is no surprise; Ford has spent the past year touting its Sync Destinations cloud-sourced traffic data solution. This would be like a progression from that, one that wouldn't shock a consumer market already acquainted with integrated GPS/satellite and cellular networks. The primary use of this intelligent network would be to offer real-time, instantly accessible data that could ease congestion, save lives and, at the least, burn less fuel (as fewer cars would be hanging around, waiting in colossal cluster fumps of traffic). But there's also potential in a secondary use-case: lifestyle apps. For example, imagine parking structures rigged up to communicate with this network. Drivers would more easily be able to contact their destination, reserve a space, and even get directions that guide them to a specific spot. Intelligent roads could warn drivers of pothole maintenance ahead, so they could adjust their routes. Toll booths would be able to let people know the lines in front are jammed, or how much their toll is, and even accept an instant credit card payment ahead of time. And there are many more benefits for safety purposes, government works or emergency response. There are literally endless ways to use this type of technology, much of which can't even be imagined yet. And that's where I get a little nervous. What happens if we increasingly rely on such systems? Would they become targets for a tech wunderkind to tunnel into? Sure, this version is highly encrypted, but that hasn't stopped hackers from breaking their way into other "locked-down" networks. And given that we're talking about our transportation routes, the stakes could be really high. In the hands of kids, hacks could turn into irritating, inconvenient pranks that go from funny to dangerous in a heart beat. That alone is scary. Now imagine about what could happen if the hacker wasn't just some rambunctious kid, but a genuine terrorist. I shudder to think. What's your take on this? Do the benefits of intelligent cars outstrip the risks? Or should the potential security vulnerabilities end this concept before it even really gets underway? [via Connected Planet Online] 
TechnoBuffalo.com is a technology site created by a team of professional writers that are self-proclaimed tech-enthusiasts. Their articles cover a breadth of technology-related issues and topics from the everyday uses to the business side of the industry.
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| June 2011: Google Power Guide Posted: 15 Aug 2011 12:55 PM PDT  In the PDF archive of the June 2011 issue you can find:
- Google Power Guide
- Build a Home Theater PC
- How to Hack Microsoft Kinect to work with Win7
- Solid-State Drive Roundup
- Deathmatch: iPad 2 vs. Motorola Xoom
- Ask the Doctor
- Best of the Best
- 10 Biggest PC Failures
- And a whole lot more!
Click the cover image on the right to download the PDF archive today! |
| Chrome Web App of the Week: Kindle Cloud Reader Posted: 15 Aug 2011 12:49 PM PDT  When there's twenty minutes left until the end of the work day and you can't stand the thought of crunching another number, there's nothing better than obliterating any chance you might have had at being productive with a little light reading from fine sites like--dare we say it--PC Gamer or Maximum PC. That said, there's also times when nothing else will do but to dig your teeth into the meat of a good book. If you neglected to tuck a paperback, e-reader or tablet into your bag, Amazon and Google have you have you covered, thanks to Kindle Cloud Reader, our Chrome Web App of the Week.
Kindle Cloud Reader provides users with the ability to access their library of Kindle books through their PC (as well as Linux and Mac, if you must), without having to install any additional applications, as well as any bookmarks or notes you may have. In addition being able to scarf down the tomes you already own, it's also possible to purchase new content from Amazon's constantly growing collection of over 950,000 books. 
Best of all, Kindle Cloud Reader has been designed to let you take your literary show on the road, making it easy to download content for offline reading. While it might not be as portable as a Kindle reader or smartphone, having your favorite books available to read on your laptop during your next cross country flight is nothing but win. Be sure to check back every Monday for another edition of Maximum PC's Chrome Web App of the Week. |
| May 2011: Ultimate Guide to Digital Media Posted: 15 Aug 2011 12:18 PM PDT  In the PDF archive of the May 2011 issue you can find:
- Ultimate Guide to Digital Media
- How to Build and Overclock a Fast, Cheap AMD System
- Antivirus Shootout! 10 Antivirus programs put to the test
- Webcams: Upgrade your videochat with 6 superior HD cams
- Deathmatch: x86 vs. ARM
- Ask the Doctor
- Best of the Best
- 7 Libations Nerds Love
- And a whole lot more!
Click the cover image on the right to download the PDF archive today! |
| Firefox to Lose Version Numbers Posted: 15 Aug 2011 12:16 PM PDT 
We all know that Chrome has become famous for its light-speed update cycle. The Mozilla foundation has been hard at work to emulate that model, and is now in the process of taking a big step that even Google has yet to make. Firefox will be losing its version number. This comes in addition to the Chrome-esque Nightly, Aurora, and beta channels. Technically, there will still be build number details, but they will be buried deep in the code where only developers and enthusiasts will see them. The new About window will just indicate the date of the last update, and whether or not the install is current. Users that need the version for support or development uses will find be able to find it in the about:support page. With Chrome's Dev Channel around version 15, we have to admit the numbers are getting a little pointless. But is removing them from the About page the right path for users? |
| Malware Operators Pay Big Bucks For Access To US And British PCs Posted: 15 Aug 2011 10:18 AM PDT  When someone says the word "Zombies," we immediately mutter the word "Cool" in a low voice and think back to the fun zombie-killing action in Shaun of the Dead or Dead Rising 2. But while zombie movies and video games may strain the outer edges of awesome, zombified computers just suck. If you live in the US or UK, we have bad news: a recent report studying malware distribution claims that your computers are the most valuable compromised computers in the world.
That's right; not all computers are created equal. Researchers report that infected British and American computers command top dollar on the malware market, with the pay-per-install groups that "own" the compromised PCs selling access to them at $110 to $180 per 1,000 machines in those markets. Network World reports that access in other European countries clocks in at less than half that price, at $60 per 1,000 machines. Tapping into infected PCs in the rest of the world is downright cheap; $10 will net you access to 1,000 machines. In other terms, that's just about the cost of a Triple Whopper meal. The article suggests that while some malware, such as the now nearly dead Rustock spam network, can operate from any IP address, other malware, such as SecuritySuite, accesses the infected PCs in order to convince its owners to purchase things like fake antivirus programs. That requires pitches tailored to the specific markets – hence the higher price for US and UK machines as opposed to, say, Asian and African PCs. Image credit: memeburn.com |
| Intel Expands Its Upgrade Service Offerings To Include More CPUs Posted: 15 Aug 2011 10:11 AM PDT When it comes to add-ons, EA and its nickel-and-dime strategy to expandable video game content is generally considered king of the unlockable roost. But adding functionality via paid downloads doesn't only work for Xbox 360 games – it works for CPUs, too! Intel introduced the idea of boosting CPU performance via a software upgrade last year with the Pentium G6951. It must've been a success, because the chipmaker's offering the same service for three more of its products. 
AnandTech pointed us to the "Intel Upgrade Service" page on Intel's website, which supplied the details. Check out the chart above to see what upgrading the Core i3-2312M, Core i3-2102M and Pentium G622 achieves. Intel ran the processors through a number of benchmark tests both before and after enhancement and reported anywhere from 10 – 23 percent increases in speed, with the Pentium seeing the most drastic changes. You can check it all out on the Upgrade Service page. Reading the site, it seems like the process will be the same for the new upgrades as it was for the Pentium G6951; you'll need to purchase a physical upgrade card at a store, then run Intel's installer and enter the scratch-off code manually. Intel hasn't released pricing for the new upgrades, but if they're in line with the Pentium G6951 offering, expect the service to cost around $50. |
| Intel Engineers to Flip a Firmware Fix at SSD 320 Series Owners Posted: 15 Aug 2011 09:21 AM PDT  Hold up a minute playa, before you go tossing that shiny Intel 320 Series SSD on Ebay with a big, bold warning about how it's a bug ridden storage device with an identity crisis, there's a fix! Intel over the weekend announced that new firmware is in the final validation testing phase and will be released within the next two weeks, if you can hang on that long.
"Intel has reproduced, identified root cause, and developed a firmware update which addresses the Bad Context 13x Error being discussed on the Communities site and elsewhere," Intel said in a statement. That "Bad Context 13x Error" is a bad one indeed, causing some 320 Series SSDs to report a capacity of 8MB under certain circumstances. Owners found the bug a tough pill to swallow, considering they're already paying a premium for SSD storage over a mechanical hard drive. But hey, if you can hold out for two more weeks, this will all be just a bad memory. Image Credit: Intel |
| MSI: CR430 Laptop Offers More Bang for Your Buck (Take Our Word for It) Posted: 15 Aug 2011 09:01 AM PDT  Ah, the bang for buck angle. It's one of the reasons AMD stays relevant even when it has a hard time catching up with Intel in performance, and it's the tried and true method for piecing together a system on a budget. It's also the angle MSI taking with its new CR430 multimedia laptop built around -- drum roll please -- AMD's E-450 accelerated processing unit (APU).
Is it any surprise AMD's E-series Fusion platform would be behind MSI's bang-for-buck claim? The E-450 APU consists of two Bobcat cores clocked at 1.65GHz and is assisted by AMD's Radeon HD 6320 discrete class graphics with DirectX 11 support. Other features this 14-inch laptop bring to the table include: - 1366x768 resolution
- 320GB/500GB/640GB SATA HDD (5400RPM)
- DVD burner
- 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi
- Multi-card reader
- 2 x USB 2.0; 1 x USB 3.0 (optional); HDMI; GbE LAN
- SRS PC Sound
- HD webcam
- 6-cell battery
- Windows 7 Home Premium
Now about that bang-for-buck claim. We're down with that, but, uh, hey MSI, don't you think it'd be helpful to announce an actual price to back that up? Just a suggestion... Image Credit: MSI |
