technology Articles


DivX player announced

A new combo DVD and DivX player has been announced at CeBIT last week. According to this article on Design Technica, Kiss Technology announced the DP-450 and DP-500, which provide progressive scan DVD, DivX, MP-4, etc. playback. For those unfamiliar with DivX, it is a high-quality, very high compression (7-10x …

MySQL 4.0 gets green light

According to a release on the MySQL web site, version 4.0 is now deemed production quality. This version has been in test for a long time, but there are still many who will wait for the .1.

Cool TV feature

OK, this was neat. I was sitting in a room with a television on mute and all of a sudden, the mute came off and an EAS (Emergency Alert System) message was displayed. Very cool.

Initial P800 review

OK, I admit it, I'm a cellular phone and portable gadget addict. There, I said it... now, to heck with the remaining 11 steps, because I ENJOY being an addict. The fact of the matter is that this industry is moving so quickly that (with the sole exception of the …

Tom's Hardware talks dead pixels on LCDs

With more people dependent upon laptops or stand-alone LCD displays for their computers, it is about time that somebody did a review of the various policies about dead pixels. The folks at Tom's Hardware have once again done a nice job of putting together a variety of information as well …

UK Broadband penetration surges

According to an article from the BBC News service, UK Broadband installations have surged to the point where the UK now has higher penetration than France, once the Internet center of Europe (and the birthplace of interactive television).

Companies ready solutions to Do-Not-Call list problem

We, as consumers, all look at the idea of a national list of Do Not Call numbers as a great step forward in reducing the cold-call telemarketing that bothers our boudoirs. However, there's another group of people even happier about the new law that we are--the computer software and telephony …

RIM releases smaller Blackberry

If you liked the old Blackberry, you'll like the new one less... or, rather you'll like the little new one, or two. The new models will operate on existing GSM/GPRS networks or on CDMA2000 networks (one or the other, decide when you buy) and supplements the existing device that …

India/Pakistan dispute takes to the net

According to an article in Wired, a group of Indian hackers have released a new variant of the Yaha virus in retaliation against a group of Pakistani hackers who claim to be defacing Indian web sites. Virus makers use the unwilling recipients of the virus to launch a denial of …

AMD announces new laptop chips

PCWorld discusses in this article AMD's new laptop chips. The company announced new low-power chips (25W dissipation max) and new high- power chips (75W dissipation max) aimed at the lightweight laptop and desktop replacement markets respectively.

Free money for copyright holders in Germany

According to an article on UPI, the German government has new plans to enforce a 3-year old law requiring a ~$13 + 16% tax on computers sold in the country. It's hard to tell where the pre-paid penalty would go once it hits government coffers, but the intention is to compensate …


Article questions schism in computer industry about DMCA

An article out today (no longer available) raises the question of where certain high-profile technology companies really stand on the issues involving the DMCA. In particular, it sites statement releases by the BSA (Business Software Alliance) against new attempts to remove some of the more heinous provisions of the DMCA …



SCO sues IBM for ... 1 million... 1 Billion dollars

I just couldn't resist the comparison to Dr. Evil. The Santa Cruz Organization, who brought you fine issues such as sexual harassment and diversity training, has now decided that if they can't succeed on the merits of their business, they are going to sue. According to an article in InfoWorld …

Broadcast flag for digital TV in question

As with any compromise position, the FCC's decision to go forward with some form of "broadcast flag" to limit the reproduction of TV signals that have copyright protection is taking heat from all sides. According to an article on CNet, congress is upset that the FCC might make rules that …

Cox FAQ says Win95/98 is "quite secure"

This morning, I'd gone to the Cox High-Speed Internet FAQ to see if they had any limits on the amount of bandwidth consumed. While there, I found this interesting statement amongst the security info they provide to their users: "The majority of our customers use Microsoft Windows 95/98, which …

Antitrust lawsuit filed against Lexmark

In the latest salvo in the DMCA war started a couple of months ago by printer manufacturer Lexmark, SCC has filed an antitrust lawsuit against them claiming unfair competitive practices. It appears, based on this article that the manufacturer is going to be the poster child for anti-competitive DMCA fights …

ITTT: Internet to the trailer

You've heard of FTTC (Fiber to the Curb), enter ITTT (Internet to the Trailer). According to an article in the Orange Country Register, a company called The Wireless Web (couldn't find a like, but apparently out of Texas), is trying to get RV parks online for $2.5/user/day …