memory

Chrome makes itself felt across the Internet

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 12:02:47 -0400

It has only been days since Google's Chrome browser was released. Reactions are mixed across the Internet and blogosphere. While everyone likes its isolated tab model--a crash on a tab will not affect the other tabs--it has been called a memory "pig" and not suitable for lower-end machines with slower processors and less memory. ZDNet listed five reasons why Chrome will crash and burn, while CNET News came up with an objective list of 10 things that they would like to see added into Chrome. Whatever the case, some sites like TechCrunch, whose readers are more likely to be early-adopters, is already seeing more than 6 percent of its readership logged by Google Analytics as using Chrome.

To find out more:
- check out this article

Encyclopedia lists internal security threats

Judi Hasson — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 21:15:16 -0400

A new and free online encyclopedia of internal network security issues has been released by provider Promisec, and includes some popular web-based applications among possible data-loss threats. These threats, the encyclopedia says, can come from usage of USB memory sticks, programs like Skype, unwanted file types, and any services or applications that are not permissible, or are not covered by registered software licenses.

The company hopes that the encyclopedia, which lists and dates dozens of potential threats and ranks them on a five-part scale, will help promote its marketing and sales efforts. Promisec says some recent applications that may pose as security threats include EnterMyPC, Kismet and Wireshark. It ranks the top five threats as MySpace, Skype, Tencent QQ, PacketTrap and Google Talk. PacketTrap Networks, however, has challenged Promisec over its inclusion on the list.

For more on security risks:
- see this CSOonline.com article

Intel launches new desktop chipsets

Paul Mah — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 06:19:18 -0400

To those who say that the desktop is dead, Intel is showing off four new desktop chipsets at this year's Computex trade show in Taiwan. The fastest of the lot features support for dual-channel DDR-3 memory running at up to 1,333 Mhz for Intel's Core 2 Duo and Core 2 Quad desktop processors, though they will not support the new Nehalem desktop chips due at the end of this year. The most interesting feature here seems to be the on-board support for high definition resolutions of up to 1080-progressive, as well as hardware-accelerated H.264 playback on the G45 and G43. They also include support for HDMI and the new DisplayPort standard.

For more on the new Intel chipsets:
- check out this CNET News.com article

HP gives workstations CPU bump

Mehan Jayasuriya — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 12:31:12 -0400

If you're the type of guy or gal that has a high-end workstation sitting in front of you, chances are that you're either crunching some serious numbers or designing the next great CGI film about zoo animals. And either way, you're a hero in my book. So this one goes out to you: all new high-end workstations from the folks at HP. The HP xw8600 rocks two of Intel's latest, namely the quad-core Xeon X5482, with a 1,600-MHz front side bus and 800-MHz memory. If Amd is more your style, look to the xw9400, which has two Quad-Core AMD Opteron 2300s inside. No word yet on price, but you can bet that performance like this isn't going to come cheap.

For more on the new high-end workstations:
- see this press release

Gartner: Better BI tools on the way

Mon, 31 Mar 2008 07:59:58 -0400

A new Gartner study finds that the role of corporate IT units in business intelligence will be shrinking. In its place, search and collaboration tools will allow individual users and business units to build their own analytical applications, according to the study released last week. Gartner said that it expects this change to occur by 2012. By then, users will turn to interactive visualization, in-memory analytics, search integrated with BI, Software as a service and service-oriented architectures to build their own reports. Search and collaboration tools, probably off-the-shelf, will allow individual users and business units to build their own applications. "Evidence suggests that BI is used aggressively by just 15-20 percent of business users," said Kurt Schlegel, an analyst at Gartner, in a statement. "For the BI sector to thrive, it needs to overcome the fact that most business users feel BI tools are hard to use." And we bet that BI tools will get much cheaper, too.

For more on BI tools to come:
- See this ComputerWorld article

Software to protect names and passwords

Mon, 17 Mar 2008 07:59:58 -0400

It's time to get more sophisticated about protecting your name and password. A new technology called ID Vault does just that. It uses its own memory to store your name and password information, and is encrypted, too. The newest 2008 version can store user names for up to 100 online accounts and information for up to 25 credit cards. If this sounds too good to be true, try it. The purchase price is just $39.95, and it's just one of the tools available on the market these days.

For more on security devices:
- See this cio-today article

Microsoft releases new security APIs

Fri, 01 Feb 2008 06:59:56 -0500

Windows Vista SP1 and Windows XP SP3 might almost be upon us but that doesn't mean that Microsoft doesn't have a few surprises up its sleeve with regard to the service packs. To wit, the company has announced that new security-related APIs will be made available with the service packs, making it easier for developers to plug into the Data Execution Prevention (DEP) technology that's built-into Windows. DEP is designed to prevent certain types of exploits, like common buffer overflow attacks, by blocking the attack code from being executed in a machine's memory. With the new APIs, it should be easier for developers to take advantage of DEP protection in the applications that they build. "We can now allow the application to be protected, even if the developer is using an old version of [Active Template Library]," said Michael Howard, principal security program manager at Microsoft. "DEP is a good defense, and we want to make it easier for developers to use it."

For more on the new APIs:
- see this ComputerWorld article

ALSO NOTED: Jonathan Ive set to succeed Steve Jobs at Apple's helm?; Peter Chou, elusive CEO of HTC, speaks out;

Mon, 10 Dec 2007 06:59:51 -0500

> Save 25 percent on Lenovo laptops, now through the holidays. Article
> Engadget interviews Peter Chou, elusive CEO of HTC. Interview
> OLPC ships out XO units to North American buyers today. Article
> Analyst: Apple TV is not a hit. Article
> Eee PC: now memory upgrade friendly. Article
> Toshiba preps 128GB SSD. Article
> Verizon sued over GPL code in FiOS routers. Article
> Jonathan Ive set to succeed Steve Jobs at Apple's helm? Article

And Finally... How to: Make an iPhone/iPod Touch stand from a $100 bill. Video

ALSO NOTED: Firefox: over 125 million served; IBM sues over flammable laptop batteries;

Mon, 03 Dec 2007 06:59:51 -0500

> IBM sues over counterfeit, flammable laptop batteries. Article
> 8GB Asus Eee PC gets spec'd, priced, is now available. Article
> Tiny PC is dirt and waterproof. Article
> This holiday, give the gift of iPod repair. Article
> Samsung announces the world's fastest memory...again. Article
> AMD CEO Hector Ruiz claims that Intel "copied everything from AMD." Article
> Firefox: over 125 million served. Article

And Finally... Re-purpose an old CRT monitor as a cat bed. Seriously. Article

AFP hack allows iPhone root access

Mon, 12 Nov 2007 06:59:53 -0500

Good news for iPhone hacking enthusiasts and bad news for iPhone security enthusiasts: An iPhone hacker going by the name of "Core," has uncovered a previously unknown AppleTalk Filing Protocol vulnerability that allows for full read/write access to an iPhone or iPod Touch's memory. The hack makes loading applications onto the device as easy as pie; unfortunately it also makes pulling data off of the phone easy--including confidential emails and documents. It seems pretty likely that Apple will patch this hole with the next software update--so as usual, iPhone hackers, enjoy it while it lasts.

For more on the hack:
- see this article from TUAW