W.I.L. Tech-News Highlights for December 2004

Hardware

Gifts to sate your technolust -- link.

PC World’s holiday wish list, from big-screen TVs to big-time DVD players -- link. The 5 Gifts of Christmas -- link. ArsTechnica’s holiday gift guide here.

Top hardware articles of the year at X-bit labs -- link. Top news-stories of the year at X-bit labs -- link.

How do you drown out the office (and other loud background) noise? -- link.

Systems

A guide to troubleshooting your PC -- link.

ArsTechnica’s latest system guides -- here.

Aopen Pentium M-based system is a little expensive, but if quietness is paramount then maybe it is for you -- link.

Sony Vaio U70P wi-fi micro PC is smaller than a laptop, bigger than a PDA. The perfect PC size? -- preview.

The post-PC era is upon us -- analysis.

Goodwill stores may offer used computers at bargain prices -- link. How much techno-trash is actually recycled? -- link.

Close encounters of the small (form factor) kind: If you can live with the limitations, SFF designs are really great -- link.

Build your own Windows Media Center PC (it won’t be cheap) -- link.

$199 Sempron 2200+ PCs and cheapo ink cartridges -- link.

Via’s latest 1.2GHz C3 on an Epia MII motherboard-powered Mini-ITX system is perfect for basic movie and music playback, all in a not-far-off silent package at a ridiculously small size -- review.

CPUs/motherboards/chipsets

State of the industry: CPUs and chipsets -- link.

2004 was the year of the long chip yawn, as will be 2005 -- link.

The year (2004) in microprocessors -- link.

One core is good. Two cores are even better! -- link.

Comparative CPU benchmarks from 1995 to 2004 -- link.

Great moments in microprocessor history -- link.

-- AMD

AMD moves Athlon 64 3500+, 3200+ and 3000+ to the 90nm process -- link. More favorable notes on the move to 90nm -- link.

AMD has a compelling lineup for 2005 -- link 1, link 2.

AMD has no plans to push BTX form motherboards -- link.

AMD cools down Opteron chips with PowerNow! -- link.

ATI’s Radeon Xpress 200G integrated chipset with PCI Express is a tempting package for just about anyone considering an Athlon 64 or Sempron Socket 754 based machine -- link.

AMD, IBM announce new strained silicon transistor technology aimed at improving processor performance and power efficiency, with first products slated to begin shipping H1 2005 -- link 1, link 2. Discussion here.

SiS 755FX chipset for Socket 939 Athlon 64 holds its own against the latest nForce 4 and Via offerings, as long as you do not want to overclock -- review.

-- Intel

Multicore chips may force Intel to introduce integrated memory controllers or redesign its frontside bus -- link.

nVidia plans to make desktop, server, mobile chipsets for Intel chips -- link.

Pentium M on the Linux Desktop is not the miracle chip one might hope for, and is horribly expensive still, notwithstanding that does some awesome things on Windows. But the promise of cool, efficient powerhouses from Intel commands attention -- link. More analysis of Pentium M desktops -- link.

On Intel’s 65nm plans -- link.

-- Other

Is IBM PC sell off preparation for a Power chip attack? -- analysis.

Interview with Via regarding the EPIA platform -- link.

PowerPC development from the bargain basement -- link.

IBM to incorporate virtualization technologies into Power Chips in 2005 -- link.

Graphics

Tom’s Hardware Guide’s graphics card buyers guide -- link.

Tom’s Hardware Guide’s PCI Express graphics card roundup -- link.

AnandTech’s December video cards price guide -- link.

Beginner’s guide to upgrading your video -- link.

nVidia Editor’s Day 2004 coverage includes details on new TurboCache technology -- link.

State of the industry review: graphics in 2004 -- link.

Mainstream PCI Express graphics cards compared: PowerColor X600 XT vs. Albatron Trinity PCX 5750 -- link.

Matrox unveils its highly-anticipated first PCI Express graphics card, targeting professionals from audio, photo, engineering and video industries -- link.

ATI’s new Radeon X850 and X800 lines provide a smorgasbord of GPUs -- review. The X800 XL is a very solid $300 3D card that will deliver a good chunk of the performance of an X850 XT for about half the money -- review. ATI unleashs graphics cards price war -- link.

$200 graphics showdown: GeForce 6600GT vs. Radeon X700 Pro -- review.

GeForce 6200 TurboCache: PCI Express made useful (and cheap) -- review. nVidia apes ATI to revive mid-1990s AGP feature -- link. Discussion here. Reviewers like the new nVidia TurboCache GPU, and ATI’s new upper-midlevel card, the X800XL -- link. XGI’s XG47 to copy TurboCache, HyperMemory approaches -- link.

Club 3D continues to ship XGI chip-based graphics cards (as well as those based on ATI, nVidia, and Via chips) -- link.

Workstation AGP graphics solutions compared -- link.

Memory, storage

Newest DDR2 modules finally showing advantages over ordinary DDR memory -- link.

OCZ PC2-4200EB is the new DDR2 performance leader -- review.

Ultra Dual Channel 512MB PC4000 proves that DDR is not dead yet -- review.

How to set up a Matrix RAID array to maximize both performance and security -- link.

Seagate’s 5400rpm Momentus 5400.2 2.5” HDD series intrigues and raises doubts -- pre-production review.

Seagate’s ST1 1” HDD (5GB, apx. $300) proved very fast, very reliable and robust against external physical vibrations and shock, and provides real competition to CompactFlash -- review.

Seagate’s Baracuda 7200.7 SATA-150 HDD with NCQ -- review.

Fujitsu introduces 5400rpm 100GB HDD for notebooks -- link.

9 notebook HDDs make their debuts -- review.

Western Digital’s new 7200rpm Caviar HDDs have higher capacity, lower temperatures and power useage -- link 1, link 2.

Seagate’s new external 200GB HDD -- review.

Cryptography Research wants piracy speed bump on HD DVDs -- link.

The Lexar USB JumpDrive works with Linux, Mac, and Windows -- link.

Miscellaneous components, periferals, and gadgets

Zalman’s TNN500AF case, or +1 kilogram of silence -- review.

Lian-Li’s PC-V1000 Case, “an ATX case with BTX thinking”, is something of a hit and miss proposition -- review.

Home Theater PC case roundup -- link.

Zalman’s CNPS7700-AlCu is the new giant of coolers -- review 1, review 2.

SilenX’s Ixtrema 120mm copper CPU cooler runs extremely quiet, but compatibility might be a problem and it is not as effective as the Zalman competitor -- review.

State of the industry review: audio components -- link.

HiTeC HDA Digital X Mystique 7.1 gold is world’s first PCI Dolby live card -- link.

5.1 sound on the cheap -- review.

Creative Audigy 2 ZS notebook PCMCIA sound card is worthwhile if you intent to have any sort of fun with your laptop -- review.

Creative’s Inspire T5900 5.1 acoustic speaker system offers excellent sound quality at a very affordable cost -- review.

A novel chip-cooling technology is an ingenious twist on the fluid-and-pipe concept that promises to cool, with no fan noise, a hard-driving workstation chip from 212º F to 149º -- link.

Display technology shoot-out: CRT, LCD, plasma, and rear-projection DLP compared -- Part I, Part II, Part III, Part IV.

PC photo printers challenge professionally produced photographs -- link.

3 sub-$150 digital cameras compared -- review.

Operating Systems

Getting started with Bochs -- link.

10 axioms of computing? Call them Windows flaws -- link.

Boot-managing your Linux+Windows box -- link.

Rethinking the OS -- link.

Next-generation VMware software to get memory boost -- link.

Linux

Linux 2004 summary of the major events -- link.

Looking back at 2004 -- link.

Kernel version 2.6.10 released -- link. Linux 2.4.28 released -- link. Picking a stable 2.6 patchset -- link.

Help for Linux newcomers

Choosing a Linux distribution -- link.

Popular Mechanics on getting started with Linux -- link.

TUX, the magazine for the new Linux User, will be launched in February 2005. Marcel Gagné is the editor in chief -- link 1, link 2. 2005 features preview here.

Making a painless exit from Windows, Outlook -- link.

Hints for organizing your Linux home directory -- link.

LinuxFoo community site is a friendly haven -- site review. LinuxQuestions.org has answers, and a lot more -- site review. Loads of Linux Links provides what its name promises -- site review. LinuxVirgins.com is a gentle guide for first-time Linux users -- site review

Of modems and Winmodems -- link. Being realistic about Linux hardware compatibility -- link. In revisiting Linux GPUs, nVidia builds its case as the vastly stronger brand on Linux hardware -- link.

10 things to do with a Live Linux CD -- link.

Installing software packages under Linux -- link. An apt-get primer -- link.

Linux Client Migration Cookbook from IBM available for free download -- link.

Listen to music on Linux using KsCD -- link.

BenQ DW1620 DVD burner tested on Linix -- link.

The wide world of Linux word processors -- link.

Distributions in 2004 -- link.

Why I will not upgrade my Linux distribution -- link. Discussion here.

Dual-booting multiple Linux distros -- link.

Killing the 5 myths against Linux -- link.

Linus’s Law (“Given enough eyeballs, all bugs are shallow”) in effect -- link.

Open Sense targets SoHo market with new Linux desktop -- link.

On the Linux roadmap, or lack thereof -- link.

Linux.com’s “CLI Magic” series latest -- passwd and passwords, Environmental issues, Hdparm and the Zen of data transfer, Be careful what you wget for. Series index here.

Linux 2.7 may see code fork -- link.

New Linux distros, old problems communicating with a Windows network -- link.

KDE 3.3.2 released -- link. KDE 3.4 previewed -- link.

XFce 4.2’s future is now -- link 1, link 2.

The LC2100 LinuxCertified laptop reviewed -- link.

How to get a job as a Linux administrator -- link. Linux consultants find a niche in growing market -- link.

Can a professional photographer get by using Linux? -- link.

HPs launches a new open-source (GPL) Linux project that supports its printing, scanning, and digital camera products, HPLIP -- link.

Quickbooks, the missing link for small business Linux -- link.

Open Source: It’s the community, stupid! -- link.

The Sub300 store, a Mecca for the “Anything But Microsoft” crowd, pushes Linux, Open Source -- link.

Wal-Mart breaks price barrier with $498 Linux laptop running Linspire (on a Via C3 1Ghz CPU) -- link.

Does Linux really need a “killer app” to succeed? -- link.

A lengthy Richard M. Stallman interview -- link.

Next-generation Linux shells falling behind? -- link.

BSDs, other Unixes

FreeSBIE, a LiveCD based on FreeBSD, 1.1 is released -- link. First look at FreeSBIE -- link.

Solaris 10 ably equipped with fixes and features -- link. Solaris 10 reviewed -- link.

Scott McNealy’s Christmas dream -- link.

NetBSD 2.0 released -- link.

Is FreeBSD 5.3 “Stable” production-ready? -- link.

Windows and DOS

Getting KDE to run in Cygwin -- link.

XLiveCD = Cygwin and X For Windows on a Live CD -- link.

TheOpenCD, a small collection of only the highest quality OSS for Windows, version 2.0 released -- link.

Open Source on Windows: Boon or bane for Linux? -- discussion.

My workstation OS: Windows XP Professional -- link.

EU judge upholds penalties against Microsoft -- link.

The inside story of Windows XP SP 2 -- link.

How to set up a (software application, etc.) project source control on Windows without spending a dime, using CVSNT -- link.

Mac

Is Apple the apple of IBM’s eye? -- analysis.

Inside the Mac revolution -- link.

Apple releases OS X 10.3.7 -- link. Discussion here.

Apple to unveil sub-$500 iMac -- link 1, link 2.

Other OS’s

Syllable 0.5.5 is now available -- link.

What was BeOS? A quick intro -- link.

Splash, a newsletter covering the ReactOS arena -- link. ReactOS made to run on the XBox -- link.

A QNX trial proves to be a pleasant surprise -- review.

Visopsys 0.5 available along with initial public release of Partition Logic, a small, GPLed, standalone graphical partitioning utility based on Visopsys -- link.

AmigaOS4 update available -- link.

Applications

GnomeMeeting, the VoIP and IP telephony application for Linux, releases ver. 1.2 -- link.

Connecting road warriors with a full-blown open-source VPN solution -- link.

Intuit, Best Software offer new features, prices with 2005 editions of their small business accounting applications -- review.

Online backup for a penny a megabyte -- link.

Contribute (and use) public domain images -- link.

XPP: The X Printing Panel -- link.

CleanSoftware.org lists free software for Windows that has no spyware, adware, and other malicious/intrusive components -- link.

Databases

CA claims that Open-Source Ingres is beginning to pay dividends -- link.

Firebird targets the enterprise database -- link. Firebird 1.5.2 released -- link.

Gambas speeds database development -- link.

PostgreSQL goes enterprise this Christmas -- link. PostgreSQL gets new Website, 8.0 Release Candidate -- link. PostgreSQL 8.0.0 Release Candidate 2 is out -- link.

SQLite tutorial on common commands and triggers -- link.

db4o opens its source -- link.

phpMyAdmin for effective MySQL management -- link.

Database vendors are joining the open source party -- link. Discussion here.

Rekall, a database front end for MySQL and PostgreSQL, version 2.2.3 is announced -- link.

Internet applications

Mozilla’s email client Thunderbird 1.0 is unleashed -- link. Mozilla Thunderbird is shaping up to be a better mail client -- review.

Mozilla’s Lightning project, which aims to integrate calendar application Sunbird with email client Thunderbird, takes aim at Outlook -- link. Discussion here.

Firefox makes the 11:00 p.m. news! -- link. IT execs eye Firefox with hope -- link.

Three days after running a community-sponsored two-page ad, the New York Times runs a news story on Mozilla Firefox.

Konqueror browser Web shortcuts -- link.

How to build a better browser -- link.

Thunderbird, Firefox, and other transitional applications between Windows and Linux -- link.

Mozilla 1.7.5 released -- link.

Trillian, the multi-IM service application, version 3.0 is released -- link.

Online photo service that lets people share pictures, is gaining a strong following among bloggers and digital camera enthusiasts for its speed, simplicity and open standards -- link.

The quiet RSS revolution -- link.

Use Universal Feed Parser to tame RSS -- link.

Opera’s latest version has so many new bells and whistles that developers decided to skip the traditional version release and opt for a full-scale version 8 launch -- link 1, link 2. Discussion here.

OpenOffice.org news

OpenOffice.org 1.1.3 released with KDE/GNOME Support -- link. OO.o 1.1.4 has been released -- link.

OO.o goes Swahili -- link.

Working with OpenOffice.org Writer objects -- link.

Create a Letterhead Using OO.o Writer -- link

Building a map application with OO.o Calc -- link.

Reading external data sources with OpenOffice.org -- link.

Microsoft PowerPoint vs. OpenOffice.org Impress -- link.

OOoFf! bringing OpenOffice.org and Firefox to retail channels -- link.

OpenOffice 2.0 preview release quick review -- link.

Reasons for choosing OpenOffice -- link.

When not to use a word processor -- link.

Desktop-oriented application news

Introducing Inkscape 0.4 -- link 1, link 2. Inkscape supplies a serious vector graphics program for the Linux platform -- link.

GIMP 2.2 released -- link. Discussion here.

Paint.NET: The Anti-GIMP? -- link.

QCad is simple 2D CAD system for everyone, GPLed and free -- home page.

Gnumeric 1.4.0, AbiWord 2.2 released -- link. Discussion here. Gnumeric 1.4 announcement includes news that it will soon run on Windows -- announcement.

Crossover Office 4.1 released -- link.

Dragon Naturally Speaking gets close(r) to perfection -- review.

The “Grumpy Editor’s” guide to PDF viewers -- link.

VideoReDo brings fast MPEG 1/2 video editing -- review. Adstech DVD Xpress 2.0 brings decent quality hardware MPEG2 encoding at a price that anyone can afford. Time to ditch the VHS tapes -- review.

Quick do-it-yourself greeting cards using Scribus -- link.

Programming

Two developer books now online, including Smalltalk-80, Bits of History, Words of Advice -- link. More free books available here, here.

Language Oriented Programming: the next programming paradigm (?) -- link.

Skills shortage could mean growing pains for Open Source -- link.

Platform-independent software develoment -- link.

Learn the art of debugging -- link.

Guerilla software development, the true story of the development of Apple’s Graphing Calculator -- link.

Replies to a request for suggestions on source code editor/browser, that display functions and classes as connected graphs ... preferably free -- link.

Graphical user interface, Web design

Gambas speeds database development (Linux-only as of now) -- link.

Graphics programming for beginners (using SDL) -- link.

Open Source Web Design is a community of designers and site owners sharing free web design templates as well as web design information.

C/C++/Java family

A Humble Framework (library of C++ classes) for SkyOS -- link.

Introducing the Heron programming language -- link.

Netbeans 4.0 released -- link.

Scripting and high-level languages

Python 2.4 released -- link. Discussion here.

Py Magazine Issue #7 is under construction -- preview.

Functional programming with Python -- link.

15 line P2P program written in Python -- link.

Two books on Plone, the Zope front end -- link.

RAD with Ruby -- link.

Ruby on Rails is a full-stack, open-source web framework in Ruby for writing real-world applications with joy and less code than most frameworks spend doing XML sit-ups.

Getting started with Ruby -- link.

Lightweight Languages Workshop Webcast from MIT -- link.

IBM releases Object Rexx as Open Source -- link.

Get to know a free Pascal compiler, Free Pascal -- link.

Build an online store with PayPal, PHP, and MySQL -- link.

Security & Privacy

How long is your digital trail? -- link.

CIA has been funding research into IRC monitoring -- link.

The UK ID scheme has certainly mastered doublespeak. Take, for example, the way it will force businesses to joyfully embrace ID card checks ... or else -- link. ID cards will hit business, watchdog warns -- link. Think tank survey claims 81% support UK ID cards -- link. ID checks could have stopped pickler deaths, says Blunkett -- link. Tories come out in support of ID card scheme -- link.

Who would you like to attack today? -- link.

Looking for an HTTP proxy server that has metering built in -- link.

Setting up GPG (opensource version of PGP) encryption on Windows -- link 1, link 2.

Bringing down a copycat site fraudulently selling the author’s software -- link.

Wal-Mart slows RFID implementation plans as suppliers resist -- link.

EPIC’s top 10 privacy resolutions for the New Year -- link.

Holes, patches, defenses, spam

What you should know about firewalls -- link.

Universities struggling with SSL-Busting spyware -- link.

Spyware on my machine? So what? -- link. Spyware removal tools reviewed -- link.

Why spam, scams, and viruses are coming soon to a phone near you -- link.

Microsoft issues 5 bulletins on Windows flaws -- link.

Adaptive and behavioral approach to new threats to your network -- link.

Symantec, McAfee hope raising virus-definition fees will move users to suites -- link.

Defend your company from scammers -- link.

Botnets, phishing and spyware: 2004 in security review -- link.

DefendAir Radio Shield Paint Additive mixes with your paint to reduce the transmission of radio waves through walls, ceilings and doors, thus protecting your Wi-Fi, Wi-Max, Bluetooth or other wireless networks -- link.

Lycos wisely abandons denial-of-service attacks against spammy websites scheme -- link.

Miscellaneous

PowerPoint message is the medium -- link.

On the importance of e-courtship -- link.

Supreme Court preps for P2P battle royal -- link.

How important is a well-known CS degree? -- link.

The nonphotorealistic imaging technique -- link.

No street signs. No crosswalks. No accidents. Surprise: Making driving seem more dangerous could make it safer -- link.

Why nerds are unpopular. Some of us would rather build rockets than friendships -- link.

Evolving swarms with swarmstreaming -- link.

Huge ballistic parachute saves crashing planes -- link.

Media wish list for 2005 -- link.

Making modern art seem ancient -- link.

Business

The paranoid are having a hard time with this new rule: The more you give away, the more you have -- link.

The patent approval system is a looming threat to U.S. high tech’s future -- link.

Renewable energy = the next opportunity for Silicon Valley -- link.

Linux, security certifications gain popularity -- link.

Newspapers should really worry given how young people’s viewing habits are developing -- link. Goodbye, newspapers -- link.

Hewlett Packard: What a screw up -- part 1, part 2.

Merrill Lynch analyst says Sun must acquire Red Hat or Novell -- link.

A toy for bloggers could disrupt real Web businesses-- link.

A flat fee alternative for digital music -- link.

How Microsoft played the patent card, and failed -- link.

How Craigslist costs newspapers money -- link.

What is next for Google? -- link.

SCO ends another year -- link.

The Internet

The new world’s A to Z, courtesy of Google -- link.

ICANN goes top-level domain crazy -- link. Discussion here.

ICANN plans to charge fees to .net domain owners -- link.

Google to digitize much of Harvard’s library -- link.

The BitTorrent P2P file-sharing system -- analysis. Discussion here. SuprNova.org, the most popular BitTorrent file-sharing site, will stop hosting torrent links -- link. You could think of BitTorrent as Napster redux, but it is something deeper and more subtle: a technology that is changing the landscape of broadcast media -- link.

Inside the pirate networks that are terrorizing the entertainment business -- link.

Science

Build a house out of recycled cardboard -- link.

Consensus on global warming -- link.

The U.S. government’s weather data is now available in a more friendly XML format -- link.

Sunlight to fuel hydrogen future -- link.

A century after Einstein’s miracle year, most people still do not understand exactly what it was he did -- link.

Technology Research News’s top 10 picks for advances of 2004 -- link.

Fuel-cell vehicles close the gap -- link.

Telecommunications

Wi-Fi extensions should breathe new life into 802.11a -- link.

Is an Internet phone right for you? -- link.

WAN/LAN/VoIP training other than Cisco? -- link.

Atheros unveils “world first” Wi-Fi access-point-on-a-chip -- link.

Internet-by-airship scheduled for trial next month -- link. Discussion here.

WaveSat claims first true WiMax chip, wireless broadband systems should be available next year -- link.

Rosy future for Sprint-Nextel marriage -- analysis.

IEEE’s 802.16 Metropolitan Area Network standard (MAN) promises to break the cable modem/DSL monopoly on the “last mile” of Internet connectivity -- link.

Wi-Fi with a coat and tie -- link.

New U.S. wireless airwaves for advanced, or “third-generation”, services like high-speed Internet will be auctioned off as early as June 2006, the F.C.C. said -- link.

Xcelis Communications claims it will soon make cheap, unlimited cell phone calling a reality, but cell phone companies are not hopping on the bandwagon -- link.

You, too, can be a Podcaster -- link.