NEW BLOG

I have moved!!! (again)

The new blog address is http://www.buildyourown-computer.com/blog

CLICK THIS LINK

Have a look at my website at Build Your Own Computer

Wolfra|Alpha Easter Eggs

The latest craze in search engines is Wolfram|Alpha. It may not be all too useful now but there are a few amusing things you can ask it.

Try typing:
"What is your name?"
"Hello"
"Where are you?"
"How are you?"
"What is the meaning of life?"
"How old are you?"
"What is the time?"
"How much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?"
"Can you speak [Insert Language here]?"
"Why did the chicken cross the road?"
"To be or not to be"
"Where have all the flowers gone?"
"How many angels can dance on the head of a pin?"
"88mph"
"Can you eat?"
"Are you self-aware?"





Have a look at my website at Build Your Own Computer

Core i7 or Core 2

I have seen a lot of people who are confused as to which processor is better for them,the new Core i7 or the older Core 2 Duo or Quad. The answer to this question is quite simple, do you really need the Core i7. For most people the answer should be no because it is a bit overkill at this time. Maybe later on as more applications come out suited to this new processor will it be worth the money. For now, even if you buy outdated technology, the Core 2 series is perfect for gaming and photo editing. The extra money you save not buying DDR3 RAM and a more expensive processor can be better spent on a nice video card, monitor or any accessories such as sound cards or larger hard drives. This will bring a much more noticeable performance difference to your computer than the Core i7 processor. if you have the money though, by all means go out and buy the Core i7 but right now there is just no point to it.


Have a look at my website at Build Your Own Computer

Nokia Unveils Cheapest 3G Handset

PARIS (Reuters) - Nokia unveiled three new cell phone models on Monday, including the cheapest 3G phone to date from the world's top handset maker.

The new 2730 Classic is expected to retail for 80 euros ($108), excluding taxes and operator subsidies, and go on sale from the third quarter of this year.

An analyst said some smaller rivals might sell 3G phones for less, but this was the cheapest model on the market from any top-tier manufacturer.

"The pricing is very, very interesting, especially for operators trying to migrate users to 3G. It will make a difference to sales," said Gartner analyst Carolina Milanesi.


READ FULL STORY

Have a look at my website at Build Your Own Computer

Intel fined $1.45 billion

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Commission imposed a record 1.06 billion euros ($1.45 billion) fine on chipmaker Intel Corp on Wednesday and ordered it to halt illegal rebates and other practices to squeeze out rival AMD.

"Intel has harmed millions of European consumers by deliberately acting to keep competitors out of the market for computer chips for many years," European Union Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes said in a statement.

The EU executive said Intel paid computer makers to postpone or cancel plans to launch products that used AMD chips, paid illegal, secret rebates so computer makers would use mostly or entirely Intel chips, and paid a major retailer to stock only computers with its chips.

It ordered Intel "cease the illegal practices immediately to the extent that they are still ongoing."

Intel may continue to offer rebates, so long as they are legal, the Commission said.

The EU antitrust fine is the biggest imposed on an individual company, exceeding an 896-million euro penalty last year against glass maker Saint-Gobain for price fixing, and a 497-million euro fine in 2004 on Microsoft for abuse of dominance.

The Commission investigated practices dating back to 2002, and said Europe accounted for 30 percent of Intel's current worldwide 22 billion euro market.

The Commission said Intel must pay the fine, which represents 4.15 percent of the company's 2008 turnover, within three months of the date of the notification of the decision.

Intel, whose microprocessors power eight out of every 10 PCs in the world, posted first quarter sales of $7.1 billion. Analysts estimated the company enjoys a sizeable cash balance, generating close to $10 billion in cash last year.

The Commission, tasked with ensuring companies do not abuse any market dominance or make deals that restrict competition in the 27-country European Union, started its investigation into Intel in 2001 after a complaint by Advanced Micro Devices.

AMD has also filed a U.S. lawsuit against Intel, which is set to be heard in court in 2010.

The Commission characterized its investigation as one of several, citing rulings against Intel by the Japan Fair Trade Commission and the Korean Fair Trade Commission.

It also referred to investigations by the U.S. Trade Commission and the State of New York.

The decision comes against the background of a renewed determination by the United States to pursue dominant companies that use their power to crush rivals.

The U.S. Justice Department's antitrust chief, Christine Varney, announced this week she "will be aggressively pursuing" such abuse

Source: Reuters

Have a look at my website at Build Your Own Computer

Web Pirates targeting books

Books in print have become the target for web pirates with new e-readers available. The market for these electronic copies of books are growing larger and larger.

"Ursula K. Le Guin, the science fiction writer, was perusing the Web site Scribd last month when she came across digital copies of some books that seemed quite familiar to her. No wonder. She wrote them, including a free-for-the-taking copy of one of her most enduring novels, “The Left Hand of Darkness”...."

Source: NY Times

Have a look at my website at Build Your Own Computer

Robot takes over teaching in Tokyo classroom

An experiment in Tokyo was performed to show students that science can be fun. The robot taught a 5th grade class at Kudan Elementary School in Tokyo.

TOKYO (Reuters) - Saya the teacher doesn't mind being poked or pinched, or if the students play in class: she's an android designed to show children that science and technology can be fun subjects.

Saya, a life-like female who started her career as a robot receptionist at Japanese companies and was then re-programed to teach, gave a lesson to fifth-graders at Tokyo's Kudan Elementary School after being carried to the podium.

Professor Hiroshi Kobayashi of Tokyo University of Science, who built Saya, says she's not meant to replace human teachers, just to highlight the joys of technology.

"We are not looking at making something that will take over from teachers, but rather our main reason for building this robot is to use new technology to teach children about technology," Kobayashi told Reuters....

Reuters

Have a look at my website at Build Your Own Computer

Microsoft- Windows 7 on track for Summer holidays

Microsoft has officially said that Windows 7 is on track for release in the summer holidays. The new OS is supposed to be what Vista should have been two years ago and hopefully this will make up for it.

"SEATTLE (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp is on track to release its new Windows 7 operating system in time for the holiday shopping season, an executive said on Monday, confirming talk it is ahead of its own conservative schedule for replacing the unpopular Vista system.
The world's largest software company has so far been vague on specifying the timing of its new operating system, wary of disappointing customers. But it has broadly targeted the end of this year or the beginning of next year.

"Windows 7 is tracking well for holiday availability," Bill Veghte, senior vice president of Microsoft's Windows business said at an event on Monday, citing good test results on the early version of the system released to developers and the public over the past few weeks...."

Reuters


Have a look at my website at Build Your Own Computer

Intel found by EU to be anti-competitive

The EU is expected to find Intel guilty of paying computer manufacturers and makers to postpone the launch of computers carrying products other than Intel CPUs.

AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - EU antitrust regulators are expected to say this week that Intel Corp illegally paid computer makers to postpone or cancel the launch of products containing chips made by its main rival, sources familiar with the case said on Sunday.

The European Commission is set to decide on Wednesday to fine the world's largest chipmaker and order changes to its business practices for what the EU executive sees as "naked restrictions" to competition, the sources said.

There was no indication of how big a fine might be levied. The largest fine levied by the EC for an abuse of market dominance was the 497 million euros ($655 million) demanded from Microsoft on March 24, 2004.

The sources said the Brussels-based Commission is expected to rule that Intel committed two violations in which the firm abused its dominance of the market for central processing units, the chips at the heart of the world's 1 billion personal computers.

The EU executive will say Intel gave rebates to computer makers to restrict or eliminate the use of chips made by its rival, Advanced Micro Devices, and provided other inducements to retailers to sell only machines with Intel CPUs.

In its ruling the Commission will order Intel to end by a specific date those rebates which it deems to be illegal, the sources said.

In its second finding, the Commission will say Intel paid PC makers to delay or scrap the launch of products containing AMD chips. The Commission will characterize the payments as "naked restrictions" to competition, the sources said.

The Commission will state that the violations occurred during a period stretching back eight years, they said.

In committing the first violation, Intel set percentages of its own chips that it wanted PC makers to use, the sources said.

For example, NEC Corp was told that 20 percent of its desktop and notebook machines could have AMD chips, the sources said.

All Lenovo notebooks had to use Intel chips, as did relevant Dell products. The figure was 95 percent for Hewlett-Packard's business desktops, they said.

European Commission spokesman Jonathan Todd said the commission had no comment. Intel spokesman Chuck Mulloy, speaking by telephone from California also declined to comment.

The EU executive charged Intel in 2007 over illegal rebates to computer makers. In July last year, it charged the firm with paying retailers not to sell PCs using AMD chips.

Intel has said repeatedly it has done nothing wrong.

Source: Reuters

Have a look at my website at Build Your Own Computer

Why iPod - The age old debate

I know there are probably many posts about this now but recently, a friends came upto me and saw me listening to my iPod. He asked "is that an iPod?" and I answered yes. He replied with "iPods are sh*t". It turned out he preferred the Microsoft Zune despite living in Australia. This got me thinking, what is the real reason people like iPods so much. Of course it is easy to use but there are tons of players from brands like Creative which are even easier to use. There are products which have better features and aren't as limited. So what makes an iPod so great?

iTunes is a slow program (for windows anyway) and it is the only program which you can use your iPod with (fully with all of the features - I know WinZip support some features). It doesn't let you copy music from one iPod to another. Everything which people expect to be able to do is made so difficult. Could it be Apples dominance of the market? Are people afraid to move away from iPod? Experts say that the reign of the iPod has to end some time. There are only so many upgrades you can give a device which is meant to be portable. So what do you think? Is the iPod doomed to fail or will it stay at the top of the food chain for years to come?

Have a look at my website at Build Your Own Computer