Reg Hardware

31st October 2007 Archive

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  • Best GPS-enabled Nokia phone?

    Q&A

    My query is regarding two new arrivals from Nokia, the N95 8GB and the Nokia Navigator 6110. I don't know which to choose. Basically, I want a good, accurate GPS already pre-installed with voice direction. Can you guide me which one of the above has a better GPS?

    Q&A 31 Oct 2007, 09:02

  • World to face laptop famine this Xmas?

    Plenty of demand, not enough parts

    Want a new notebook this Christmas? Then get your order in early. That's the message coming out of Taiwan, source of almost all of the world's laptops, from the big brands to the little-known names. Intel's operation on the island this week confirmed that demand for its laptop-oriented processors, Wi-Fi modules and chipsets - …

    PCs 31 Oct 2007, 10:13

  • Samsung spins out world's fastest dual-layer DVD writer

    The 16X DVD+R dual-layer drive

    Samsung claims to have created the world’s fastest dual-layer DVD burner, a drive with Lightscribe label-etching technology that can write a DVD+R DL disc at 16x speed. Samsung said that since 10-12x is the current standard for dual-layer burning, its new internal drive, the SH-S203N, takes a 30-40 per cent less time to fill a …

    Storage 31 Oct 2007, 11:01

  • Blu-ray BD+ crypto tech to be cracked by year's end?

    Method discovered, claims software developer

    Bullish optical disc decryption software developer Slysoft has claimed it has cracked Blu-ray Disc's BD+ copy-protection technology, though the most recent version of its disc hacking tool only extends to the AACS anti-rip mechanism. Slysoft announced AnyDVD 6.1.9.3 earlier this week. Among its features, the developer claimed …

    HD 31 Oct 2007, 11:39

  • Freecom MusicPal gets friendly with internet radio

    If you’re not connecting with friends anymore, then Freecom hopes you’ll be attracted to its pal - or, more specifically, the MusicPal, a digital radio and MP3 streamer. Freecom's MusicPal: internet radio and MP3 streaming The MusicPal receives internet radio transmissions over 802.11b/g Wi-Fi, although an Ethernet port’s …

    Media players 31 Oct 2007, 11:50

  • Sony updates Alpha 700 DLSR camera firmware

    Thanks to Apple, we live in the age of the firmware update. Time was, only computers needed system software patches, but since Apple began rolling out regular tweaks to the iPod's operating system, more and more consumer electronics kit is gaining updates too. The latest: Sony's Alpha 700 digital SLR camera. Announced …

    Cameras 31 Oct 2007, 12:22

  • Western Digital pitches pink product... for charity

    Are pocket hard drives, WD's forté?

    Western Digital is the latest drive maker to offer pocket-friendly storage that triggers a charity donation every time one's purchased. Like Sony, Belkin, Seagate and other before it, WD's targeting Breast Cancer, but it's not going to stop giving after a month. WD's pink Passport: bad colour, good cause Register Hardware …

    Gadgets and Gizmos 31 Oct 2007, 13:22

  • OQO Model e2 UMPC

    Review Probably the world's best ultra-mobile PC

    OQO may sound like a city in Japan, but it’s actually a company that makes ultra-mobile PCs - handheld computers capable of running a full-size operating system. It’s been around for seven years, and was founded by a team of ex-Apple engineers. The Model e2 is the company’s third shot at a UMPC, following in the diminutive …

    PCs 31 Oct 2007, 14:19

  • Toshiba DVR dumps HD to HD DVD

    But there's no cassette deck

    HD DVD backer Toshiba has unveiled a digital video recorder (DVR) that can archive HD broadcasts onto standard DVD discs. The Vardia RD-A301 uses an HD transcoder to convert HD broadcasts from their native MPEG 2 format into MPEG 4 AVC. Toshiba claims its transcoder compresses the HD video enough for it to be burnt onto a 4. …

    HD 31 Oct 2007, 14:33

  • WD 'first to ship' 320GB laptop hard drive

    Out before Toshiba?

    It's hard to find a laptop with more than 200GB of hard disk storage - at least ones that contains just a single drive - but you now can add your own, larger capacity drive, thanks to Western Digital. WD's Scorpio 320: biggest laptop hard drive money can buy? WD today rolled out its latest 2.5in Scorpio notebook-oriented HDD …

    Storage 31 Oct 2007, 16:24

  • Newegg serves up Asus Eee PC to US buyers

    $400 a pop, in stock now, apparently

    US online retailer Newegg has begun offering the 4G version Asus' tiny Eee PC, offering the unit for $400. Asus formally launched the Eee PC earlier this month. Then, it announced four models, including an 8GB version that's proving tricky to track down. In the UK, we're likely to get only the 4G model, though the 2G version …

    PCs 31 Oct 2007, 17:05

  • Macs seized by porn Trojan

    When nudity attacks

    Miscreants have released a sophisticated Trojan into the wild that targets Mac users, according to Intego, a company that markets security software that runs on OS X. The malicious Trojan, dubbed OSX.RSPlug.A, is making the rounds on several porn websites. When Mac users try to view some videos, the site feeds them a page that …

    Mac 31 Oct 2007, 23:03