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19/05/2006 - Google distribuisce strumenti per creare Ajax - Google fornisce strumenti per programmare applicazioni Ajax
19/05/2006 - Schede audio X-Fi e compatibilità: Creative fornisce informazioni - Alcuni utenti hanno evidenziato problemi di compatibilità con le schede audio Creative della famiglia X-Fi; il produttore fornisce alcune risposte ufficiali sul proprio forum
19/05/2006 - Intel: in arrivo anche Celeron M 410 - Intel prossima all'introduzione di un processore di fascia bassa ideale per l'impiego in sistemi embedded PC
19/05/2006 - Emergono nuovi dettagli su Dark Sector - Il progetto di Digital Extremes annunciato l'anno scorso è, in realtà, ancora in cantiere. Ecco le informazioni emerse negli ultimi giorni.
19/05/2006 - Resi noti i requisiti per Windows Vista - Microsoft rende noti in via ufficiale i requisiti di sistema per le categorie "Windows Vista Capable" e "Windows Vista Premium Ready"
19/05/2006 - Due strategici da Slitherine - La software house specializzata in strategici Slitherine è al lavoro su due progetti completamente nuovi.
19/05/2006 - Apple cita Creative per...violazione di brevetto! - Apple contrattacca e cita Creative in tribunale per violazione di brevetto. Si preannuncia una battaglia piuttosto aspra
19/05/2006 - Chipset nForce 570 per Abit - Il produttore taiwanese presenta una nuova piattaforma per processori AMD Socket AM2, basata su uno dei nuovi chipset NVIDIA della serie nForce 5
19/05/2006 - Dell userà processori AMD Opteron - Dopo un susseguirsi di notizie e smentite, arriva l'annuncio ufficiale: prossimamente disponibili server Dell basati su processori Opteron
19/05/2006 - Solo la PlayStation 3 più costosa in Europa? - Secondo la rivista britannica MCV, in Europa sarà commercializzata solamente una delle due versioni di PlayStation 3 annunciate, ovvero quella più costosa.
19/05/2006 - PC con DisplayPort nel 2007 - Stando alle previsioni della canadese ATI, le prime soluzioni PC dotate di tecnologia DisplayPort arriveranno in commercio nei prossimi 12 mesi
19/05/2006 - I pirati nel prossimo aggiornamento di Oblivion - Sul sito XBox.com si parla del prossimo aggiornamento a pagamento di Oblivion. Stavolta i protagonisti sono i pirati...
19/05/2006 - Nuovi dettagli su Woodcrest - TDP ridotto e versioni a basso consumo nel prossimo futuro delle cpu Intel Xeon di nuova generazione
18/05/2006 - Ritardo per Optimus mini three keypad - Annunciato un ritardo per l'uscita sul mercato del dispositivo con tre tasti OLED programmabili
18/05/2006 - Apple chiude una parte di Darwin - La casa della Mela ha deciso di chiudere una piccola porzione del kernel per combattere la diffusione di copie pirata di Mac OS X su macchine PC
18/05/2006 - Nuovi chipset ATI per sistemi Turion 64 X2 - A seguito del debutto delle cp Turion 64 con architettura dual core, ATI presenta nuove piattaforme chipset con video integrato
18/05/2006 - Lavori completati su Hitman: Blood Money - Hitman: Blood Money è definitivamente entrato in fase di masterizzazione. Sul mercato entro la fine di maggio.
18/05/2006 - Lo SPEC prepara un benchmark per il consumo energetico - L'esigenza di uno strumento in grado di misurare il consumo energetico di un sistema in relazione alle prestazioni offerte spinge lo SPEC ad attuare un tavolo di lavoro
18/05/2006 - Scudetto adesso giocabile anche online - Eidos conferma la presenza di una nuova versione di Scudetto, la quale è interamente giocabile online.
18/05/2006 - Viewperf 9 disponibile per il download - SPEC rilascia la versione 9 del proprio popolare benchmark per l'analisi delle workstation grafiche, in ambiente Open GL
18/05/2006 - Asustek: consegne notebook al di sotto del previsto - Asustek potrebbe mancare l'obiettivo di 3 milioni di notebook a proprio marchio nel 2006. Ottimismo comunque per la seconda metà dell'anno
18/05/2006 - Le difficoltà di PlayStation 3 per Bloomberg - Il celebre servizio di informazione realizza un riassunto dei punti critici in cui Sony sta andando incontro con PlayStation 3.
18/05/2006 - Riduzione di prezzo per le cpu Core Duo - Il prossimo 28 maggio Intel dovrebbe praticare una riduzione di prezzo per le proprie cpu Core Duo, in previsione del lancio del modello T2700
18/05/2006 - Mostrato per la prima volta in video Command & Conquer 3 - Electronic Arts rilascia il primo trailer ufficiale di Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars, l'ultimo episodio della celeberrima serie di RTS.
20/05/2006 - L'equo compenso danneggia gli artisti - Lo sostiene uno studio presentato a Bruxelles: il quid pagato su supporti e sistemi di registrazione comprime il mercato e persino gli introiti degli autori e dei musicisti. Genera economie che riducono la circolazione stessa delle opere
20/05/2006 - NSA, svelate le chiavi del monitoraggio - Si chiama Semantic Traffic Analyzer ed e' prodotto da un'azienda californiana. Wired rivela: era installato nella stanza dei bottoni di ATeT, l'operatore telefonico coinvolto nello scandalo delle intercettazioni governative statunitensi
20/05/2006 - Cassandra Crossing/ Infezioni via radio - di Marco Calamari - Bello il nuovo telefonino, no? Bello anche il Bluetooth che puo' veicolare virus. Gia', ma chi li ha visti quei virus? Ecco come per undici volte hanno tentato di salire a bordo di un cellulare ultimo modello
20/05/2006 - Download/ Lo schermo e` salvo (1) - Salvaschermi per tutti i gusti, anche per Mac e Linux. Pecore elettriche, trailer, gatti romantici e vortici planetari
20/05/2006 - Il Darwin di Apple non e` piu` open - Il cuore di Mac OS X non e' piu' open source. La Mela ritira dal pubblico dominio il codice della versione x86 del proprio kernel, una mossa tesa a contrastare i tentativi di far girare Mac OS X sui PC generici
20/05/2006 - Google frulla AJAX nel biberon - Gli sviluppatori di bigG hanno sviluppato un tool gratuito che permette anche ai programmatori meno esperti di convertire le proprie applicazioni Java nell'equivalente AJAX
20/05/2006 - WinMediaPlayer 11 si rivela al pubblico - Disponibile la prima versione di test pubblica di Windows Media Player 11, lo stesso lettore che debuttera' in Windows Vista. Provini anche per il nuovo negozio di musica di Microsoft e MTV
20/05/2006 - Sony: la PS3 base sara` aggiornabile - Il colosso giapponese sta tentando di spiegare ai propri utenti perche', a suo modo di vedere, la versione base della PS3 non va vista come una console monca. Questa - sostiene Sony - sara' ampiamente aggiornabile
20/05/2006 - AIVA, aeroplano robot senza cavi - Alcuni ricercatori portoghesi hanno creato un velivolo che utilizza una nuova tecnologia chiamata fly-by-wireless: sistema di navigazione, motori e sensori di bordo sono interconnessi via Bluetooth
20/05/2006 - Cam di sicurezza, ora WiFi e automatiche - Segnalano scippi e reati in automatico. Senza fili, possono essere installate in ogni angolo della giungla urbana e controllate da cellulare. Londra ed Helsinki sperimentano le nuove telecamere di sorveglianza
20/05/2006 - 8 megapixel da CMOS ai cellulari - Il chipmaker statunitense Micron Technology ha realizzato un microsensore fotografico ad altissima definizione, progettato per le microcamere equipaggiate sui cellulari
20/05/2006 - Il massacro di Columbine? Un videogioco - Controversa iniziativa di un anonimo utente statunitense: lancia un gioco di ruolo dove i protagonisti sono Dylan Klebold ed Eric Harris, i due adolescenti che uccisero 13 persone in una scuola superiore del Colorado
20/05/2006 - Nasce la Wikipedia dei Videogame - Alcuni studenti della Carnegie Mellon University danno vita ad una enciclopedia videoludica aperta ai contributi degli utenti. Sara' la memoria collettiva degli appassionati e degli studiosi di videogiochi
20/05/2006 - Fregature nelle aste online? Lo dice un'asta - Capitato mai di non ricevere alcunche' da un venditore web dopo aver vinto un'asta online e pagato il dovuto? Ecco, ora un'asta su eBay va oltre: offre il niente al miglior offerente. Per protesta
20/05/2006 - Software libero, aggirare la diffidenza della PA - La Pubblica Amministrazione dev'essere tenuta ad adottare nuovi software solo se aperti, e i sorgenti di quelli gia' in uso devono essere pubblicati. Anche cosi' si stimola il settore dei servizi del software
20/05/2006 - Blindano tutto? Non angosciamoci - L'Arte, quella con la A maiuscola, lascia il segno, lascia qualcosa dentro, e vive di una vita indipendente dai supporti blindati. Ne parla un lettore che spiega: se perderemo la battaglia forse non avremo perso la guerra
20/05/2006 - Jukebox online senza bollino DRM - L'assenza di un chiaro avvertimento sulle protezioni dei brani in vendita nei jukebox web configura la fornitura della musica come un servizio: l'utente non e' proprietario di quei brani. Di fatto li noleggia
20/05/2006 - Spyware, siamo all'emergenza? - Websense traccia scenari drammatici: negli ultimi dodici mesi le segnalazioni di presenza di malware e keylogger sui computer aziendali e' aumentato piu' del 50 per cento
20/05/2006 - Zigbee, sensori e Rfid ovunque - Convegno
19/05/2006 - Symantec Sues Microsoft - It was bound to happen sooner or later but security firm Symantec is taking legal action against Microsoft accusing it of misusing its technology the BBC reports.

Symantec is angry and alleges that Microsoft improperly used Symantec's data storage techniques in its own software. Symantec wants compensation, saying the alleged infringement amounts to misappropriation of its trade secrets.

The disagreement is based on Symantec's Volume Manager software, which allows operating systems to store and handle large amounts of data.

Symantec believes Microsoft has "deliberately and surreptitiously misappropriated" the technology "and thereby convinced the US government to issue patents to Microsoft based on technologies invented by Symantec".

Symantec is mostly known for its corporate and home anti-virus software that is used widely across the world.

Microsoft describes the accusation as unfounded and says it has tried unsuccessfully to resolve the issue.

View: Symantec

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18/05/2006 - Windows Vista: Betas show potential and problems -
Windows Vista shows a lot of promise. With beta 2 of Microsoft's much anticipated operating system nearly ready to be released to the public, users will soon have the ability to judge for themselves how Microsoft's next generation operating system is coming along.
 
With WinHec next week (which Neowin will be attending), now seems to be a good time to take an inventory of where things stand with Windows Vista.
 
As the article below makes clear, Windows Vista is very impressive but it also has some serious problems that Microsoft needs to address prior to release.  How serious are the problems, read the whole thing and decide for yourself.
 


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18/05/2006 - Dell to use AMD by end of the year - On Thursday, Dell released its second-quarter earnings that showed the companyÂ’s profits fell 18 percent from a year ago, and sales grew six percent, a moderate rate compared with previous quarters.

Dell also announced in its second-quarter earnings press release that the company will offer AMD Opteron processors in multiprocessor servers by the end of this year.

Speculation has mounted for years as to whether the company would adopt the chips, despite DellÂ’s exclusive relationship with Intel to this point. AMD has enjoyed a performance lead in server benchmarks over IntelÂ’s Xeon processors.

At this time, Intel is stillthe sole supplier of processors for DellÂ’s desktop and mobile computers, excluding those manufactured by its recently acquired Alienware division.

View: AMD
View: Dell Press Release
News source: CNET News.com


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18/05/2006 - RIAA Sues XM Radio Over Portable Device - LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The recording industry on Tuesday sued XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc., alleging its Inno device that can store music infringes on copyrights and transforms a passive radio experience into the equivalent of a digital download service like iTunes.

A spokesman for the Recording Industry Association of America, comprising major labels such as Vivendi Universal's Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group Corp., EMI Group Plc and Sony BMG, said the suit was filed on Tuesday in New York federal court.

The suit accuses XM Satellite of "massive wholesale infringement," and seeks $150,000 in damages for every song copied by XM customers using the devices, which went on sale earlier this month. XM, with more than 6.5 million subscribers, said it plays 160,000 different songs every month.

"...Because XM makes available vast catalogues of music in every genre, XM subscribers will have little need ever again to buy legitimate copies of plaintiffs' sound recordings," the lawsuit says referring to the hand held "Inno" device.

News source: Yahoo News

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18/05/2006 - Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor Beta - Thanks to Radish™ for the heads up on the forum.

It looks like Microsoft wants to make sure you know if your computer is ready for Windows Vista. Currently, the beta only works on Windows XP systems. Chances are, if you are running something older than Windows XP, your computer wonÂ’t run Windows Vista anyways. ItÂ’s nice to see a downloadable tool in advance. So that you do not have to buy Windows Vista and then find out your computer won't run it.

In the FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) portion of the site, Microsoft also mentions the minimum system requirements for Windows Vista are the following:
• An 800 MHz processor.
• 512 MB of RAM.
• A 20 GB hard drive with 15 GB of free space.

The Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor is a small beta application that you can run on your current Windows XP-based computer to find out if it's ready for an upgrade to Windows Vista. When you run the Upgrade Advisor, it will scan your computer and generate an easy-to-understand report of any known system and device compatibility issues, along with recommendations on how you can get your PC ready for Windows Vista. Microsoft plans to add functionality to Upgrade Advisor, such as checking how your software applications will run with Windows Vista. Download the beta version today and check this site in a few months for a new version.

Download: Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor (3.97MB)
View: Neowin Discussion
View: Upgrade Advisor Website | FAQ

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18/05/2006 - Seagate, Maxtor Merger Approved by Shareholders - After a deal was reported to be in the works months ago, shareholders for both Seagate and Maxtor have approved a merger of the hard drive giants. Under the deal, Seagate will acquire Maxtor, whose profits had seen a sharp decline over the recent market periods. The changes are expected to take two to three business days to take effect.  Maxtor will no longer be listed on the New York Stock Exchange when the markets open this coming Monday, the 22nd.

"Seagate has approached this transaction much differently than traditional mergers and acquisitions. This combination will deliver greater scale by leveraging Seagate's successful business model and is not intended to be a traditional integration of product lines or operations," said Bill Watkins, Seagate's President and CEO.

The company will hold a conference call this Monday which will be distributed for replay on its website.

News source: ITworld.com


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18/05/2006 - Microsoft to spell out Vista's needs - On Thursday, Microsoft is expected to give details of two marketing programs that computer makers and retailers can use to indicate whether, and how well, their computers will run Windows Vista, the successor to the aging Windows XP. The “Vista-capable” program lists the features needed to minimally run the new operating system. The “Premium Ready” program will identify PCs that can take advantage of Vista’s high-end features, including its new Aero graphics.

To be Vista-capable, a machine needs at least an 800MHz processor, 512MB of memory and a graphics card that can run DirectX 9 graphics. To carry the Premium Ready designation, a PC must have a 1GHz processor, 1GB of main memory, 128MB of memory and a graphics card that supports VistaÂ’s new graphics-driver model.

The new programs are designed to help PC makers characterize and label new systems, but they also give existing PC owners a better sense of whether it is feasible to upgrade their machines.

The Vista-capable program comes as Microsoft is preparing to offer a broader test version of the Windows update, which the software maker has said will be made available this quarter to about two million testers. The company also hosts its annual Windows Hardware Engineering Conference (WinHEC) for hardware makers next week in Seattle.

News source: CNET News.com


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17/05/2006 - Blue Security Gives up the Fight - "According to The Washington Post, Blue Security has closed its doors, which can be confirmed by the Blue Security application failing to work today and their domain no longer resolving. Blue Security's CEO is quoted in the article: "It's clear to us that [quitting] would be the only thing to prevent a full-scale cyber-war that we just don't have the authority to start," Reshef said. "Our users never signed up for this kind of thing." You have to wonder where it goes from here. It seems an effective method has been found but more than a small private company could handle. Will someone else adapt this concept, or does the internet world give up?"

Reshef's Silicon Valley company, Blue Security Inc., simply asked the spammers to stop sending junk e-mail to his clients. But because those sort of requests tend to be ignored, Blue Security took them to a new level: it bombarded the spammers with requests from all 522,000 of its customers at the same time.

That led to a flood of Internet traffic so heavy that it disrupted the spammers' ability to send e-mails to other victims -- a crippling effect that caused a handful of known spammers to comply with the requests.

Then, earlier this month, a Russia-based spammer counterattacked, Reshef said. Using tens of thousands of hijacked computers, the spammer flooded Blue Security with so much Internet traffic that it blocked legitimate visitors from going to Bluesecurity.com, as well as to other Web sites. The spammer also sent another message: Cease operations or Blue Security customers will soon find themselves targeted with virus-filled attacks.

Today, Reshef will wave a virtual white flag and surrender. The company will shut down this morning and its Web site will display a message informing its customers about the closure.

Security experts say the move marks a disheartening development in the ongoing battle by computer users, online businesses and law enforcement against those who clutter e-mail inboxes with a continuous glut of ads for drugs, porn and get-rich-quick schemes. According to Symantec Corp., maker of the popular Norton antivirus software products, more than 50 percent of all e-mail sent in the latter half of 2005 was spam.

View: Blue Security (Not Resolving) | Cached
News source: The Washington Post | Slashdot

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17/05/2006 - Intel to launch 65nm Celeron D on May 28 - Intel on May 28 will launch its 65nm single-core Celeron D processors, based on a Cedar Mill core, and having a power consumption of about 65W, according to unspecified motherboard makers. The launch date will follow right after the scheduled May 23 launch of AMDÂ’s AM2-compatible processors, the makers indicated.

The first 65nm Cedar Mill products, the Celeron D352 and D356 processors, will feature core speeds of 3.2GHz and 3.33GHz, respectively, 512KB of L2 cache memory and a front-side bus (FSB) of 533MHz, according to a November 2005 article, which already hinted that the introduction will come by the end of the second quarter. The Celeron D352 and D356 will be priced US$79 and US$89, respectively, in 1,000-unit quantities, the sources noted.

Intel will launch the 3.46GHz Celeron D 360 in the third quarter, according to the sources. Unit prices of the Celeron D 360 will be US$103, the sources added.

In the third quarter, dual-core Pentium D processors will also account for 47% of IntelÂ’s overall CPU output for desktop OEMs, followed by single-core Pentium 4 processors with 38% and the Conroe segment with 15%, said the sources.

For next year, Intel expects dual-core processors to account for almost 85% of its total CPU shipments to desktop OEMs in the first quarter of 2007, and by the end of next year Pentium 4 CPUs will completely phased out while the Celeron D series will be the mainstream entry-level platform, according to sources familiar with IntelÂ’s plans.

AMDÂ’s upcoming AM2 processors will only be manufactured on a 90nm process technology. A 65nm AM2 version will not appear in the market until December, according to sources at Taiwan motherboard makers.

News source: DigiTimes

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17/05/2006 - Windows Media Player 11 Beta Released - Microsoft has today made available the latest beta version of Windows Media Player, version 11.

WMP11 sports an improved UI, better performance and improved library features. The subscription based service, URGE, is intergrated into the client and offers quick and easy downloads of the latest tunes for $14.95 per month.

URGE is currently being offered as a 14 day trial for a limited period.

Microsoft hopes to attract more people into using WMP11 by offering additional features in the Vista client such as Media Center intergration.

Download: Windows Media Player 11 - 11.0.5358.4827
View: Windows Media Player 11 Information
View: URGE

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