Cooltech zone currently has an article(slashdotting underway I think), on the topic of an inkjet buying guide. It may be a bit slow at the moment, but if you’re in the market for an inkjet printer, this may be just what you need to help sift through the marketing.
Category: Hardware
-
PS3 ( Playstation 3 ) to be linux or Apple Tiger compatible
This interesting article says that Sony has released some information on the PS3 (Playstation 3) that says “The integrated Cell processor will be able to support a variety of operating systems (such as Linux or Apple’s Tiger).” Prior to that in their release they mention that “Sony is expected to offer optional hard drives for the PS3 with potential memory capacity of 80 or 120 GB”. So is Sony looking to turn the PS3 into a desktop replacement?
(more…) -
Wireless ethernet security
Flexbeta has an article giving a good primer on the different approaches to wireless security that are currently available and what seems to be on track for the next generation of wireless networking. One thing that is worth noting, if it’s transmitted through the air it can be intercepted. Breaking the code is just a matter of time and computing power.
(more…) -
Planning for disaster recovery
This covers all operating systems really. What would happen if your hard drive crashed right now? What data would you lose? What about if the server room flooded? What if your mission critical system went down. What data would you lose and how long would it take to be back up and running?
(more…) -
3GB USB bootable Micro Hard drive with Ubuntu Linux
Just found a reference to this product at barrapunto.com. It’s a 3GB microdrive in a “big usb cracker”kind of form factor. (Not solid state, it does have moving parts I understand.) It comes with Ubuntu linux preinstalled with Office suite/web browser, all the trimings. It will boot on PC’s that support booting from USB. Of course any changes are saved to the micro drive itself, and no touches are made to the computer systems internal drive. It’s about 35 grams, the size of a square lighter and is selling for 135 Euros.
(more…) -
Secure your bluetooth devices?
If the last article is having you feel a bit nervous about your bluetooth devices…. I’ve come across this resource on bluetooth security basics. Essentially the big ones are disable what you don’t need running (disable the discoverable setting) and the other one is to use encryption where available and set a passcode.
(more…) -
Here I come to save the day – Mighty Mouse
Apple Mac Users that have longed for innovation in mouse design can, starting today, order a Mighty Mouse. Apple has released a mouse now with more than one button. Mighty Mouse does give some interesting features, up-down and left-right scrolling from the same wheel. It’s also programmable and has nice styling. It sells for $49 US
-
802.11n closer to reality
I see that The Register is reporting that 802.11n rivals have agreed to cooperate on the new standard. 802.11n is to be the wireless networking successor to 802.11a and 802.11b and 802.11g. One of the groups thinks they have 802.11b compatibility, another group had been focusing on 802.11a and 802.11g support. Hopefully this agreement will mean something that will be compatible with all three will be coming out of 802.11n. The biggest interest though is the speed. 540 Mbps is what is expected from the new standard (802.11b gives about 10 Mbps by comparison, with 802.11g at 54 Mbps)
(more…) -
Using a linux livecd for Data recovery
This one makes into the hardware AND software categories. I don’t remember how many times I’ve replaced a failing hard drive. Usually the biggest headache and anxiety is if you’ll be able to get any data off of the old drive. Sometimes if luck holds and the system can read both the old and the new drives, you can easily. You can just copy data from the old drive to the new one. But sometimes you’re not as lucky, the drive starts to have reading errors and things go from bad to worse.
(more…) -
LCD displays versus older CRT displays
Sometimes I find that people are surprised that you could replace just the monitor (the display) of your computer without replacing the tower (the part that holds the CPU and drives). You can though and it’s a pretty easy thing to swap. There are however some choices out on the market and a bit of confusing marketing. LCD’s have the coolness factor to them and for good reason, they take up less space, use less power and are usually easier on the eyes than traditional CRT monitors. There are a few things worth knowing when you go out to buy a new monitor though.
(more…)