Reg Hardware

1st July 2008 Archive

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  • Photos fool cigarette age-verification software

    Whoops...

    A Japanese reporter has used family photos and magazine cut-outs to fool face-recognition software currently used in some of the country's cigarette vending machines into selling him smokes. From July, Japan’s set to introduce tough regulations allowing prosecutions to be brought against vending-machine companies whose …

    Gadgets and Gizmos 1 Jul 09:11

  • AMD chipset roadmap signals new southbridges, DDR 3

    Greater emphasis on integrated parts too

    AMD's going to be shaking up its chipset offerings this quarter, if an allegedly leaked roadmap slide is the real deal. The timeline stretches out into 2009 and highlights the increasing dominance of integrated parts. Later this quarter, AMD will revamp its enthusiast-oriented 790FX chipset, launched in November 2007, with its …

    Bits 'n' Chips 1 Jul 09:42

  • AMD rolls out line-leading four-core Phenom

    And an energy-efficient quad-core CPU pair too

    AMD has launched a trio of quad-core Phenom X4 processors today, including a new top-of-the-line part, the 2.6GHz 9950. The other two are lesser parts, but AMD's pitching their "energy efficiency", particularly when lined up against Intel quad-core CPUs. The 9150e and 9350e are clocked, respectively, at 1.8GHz and 2.0GHz. AMD …

    Bits 'n' Chips 1 Jul 10:03

  • Apple's fourth Leopard spits out 25 patches

    Mac OS X 10.5.4 lands

    Apple has coughed up 25 security updates that come bundled with yesterday's release of Mac OS X 10.5.4. The firm said its latest Leopard release addresses operating system and application performance issues and fixes a heap of security flaws. The update affects operating system components that include CoreTypes, c++filt, Net- …

    Mac 1 Jul 10:23

  • Sony touts weird multi-sensor handheld gadget tech

    Invented by former PlayStation chief

    A Sony patent application has revealed the firm’s possible plans for a handheld gadget, featuring a standard touchscreen and a bizarre array of individual ‘pressure pads’ running around its edge. Sony's patent drawing of a "handheld device with touchscreen and digital tactile pixels" The electronics giant’s application to …

    Gadgets and Gizmos 1 Jul 10:54

  • Boffins invent 42GB DVD

    A disc capacity to rival Blu-ray?

    Blank DVDs are a cheaper storage option than Blu-ray, but the HD format has greater capacity. However, Japanese storage scientists claim to have invented a method for storing up to 42GB onto a single DVD. Researchers from the Institute of Multidisciplinary Research for Advanced Materials, based in Japan’s Tohoku University, …

    Storage 1 Jul 12:59

  • Getac E100 rugged UMPC

    Review Armour-plated 'ard drive

    This UMPC has been specifically designed for use in in the field - conditions where you'd never normally take a laptop. So if you're an engineer, an architect - or perhaps a sniper - this PC's for you. The Getac E100 meets military and ruggedisation standards MIL-STD-810F and IP54, which basically means it's resistant to dust …

    PCs 1 Jul 14:06

  • Nikon unveils mid-range pro-friendly DSLR

    Better than the D300, but not quite the D3

    Nikon has launched a digital SLR designed to appeal to photgraphers with their eye on its entry-level D300 DSLR but hungry for a few more features, and to those looking for top-end D3 specs, but not willing to pay its price tag. The result is the D700, a mid-range - but still professional quality - DSLR that sits between the …

    Cameras 1 Jul 14:26

  • Videogame cartridge business card holders

    Show off your gaming geek chic

    The UK’s videogames industry may be in turmoil because of a lack of properly qualified geeks, but if you’re lucky enough to be an employed videogame designer then why not show off your credentials with a retro game cartridge business card holder. Business card holders inspired by Nintendo videogame cartridges Online …

    Gadgets and Gizmos 1 Jul 14:31

  • Arnie terminates driving and dialling

    California introduces hands-free law

    As The Terminator, Arnold Schwarzenegger was once seen engaging in all manner of automotive chaos, but as Governor of California, the former actor now wants to ensure that the state’s residents don’t drive and dial. From today, California joins a number of other American states, including Connecticut, Illinois, Nebraska and …

    Phones 1 Jul 16:02

  • AT&T prices up PAYG 3G iPhones

    Remarkably close to alleged O2 price plan

    AT&T will sell a contract-free 8GB 3G iPhone for $599 (£301) - exactly what the first version was priced at when it went on sale a year or so ago. The 16GB model will cost $699 (£351). Subsidised, the two models will set buyers back $199 and $299, respectively, but that price comes at the cost of a two-year airtime package. …

    Phones 1 Jul 16:02

  • Trekkies to flip lids over Star Trek bottle opener

    Get off my bridge beer!

    If evenings spent drinking with your buddies are growing a little stale, then set your phasers to stun by cracking open a set of stubbies using a Star Trek bottle opener. The Star Trek Bottle Opener: out of this world? This bottle opener is no ordinary Trekkie tool though, because the drinking gadget is light years ahead of …

    Gadgets and Gizmos 1 Jul 16:06

  • Mandriva One 2008 Spring Eee PC Wi-Fi glitch

    I've installed Mandriva One 2008 Spring onto an Eee PC 900 using the installer on the Live CD. I did this in the office and it works reasonably well. At home, it's another matter however. Here, booting takes an age, and when it gets to loading the GUI, all I get is a black screen with the pointer and the rotating Mandriva icon …

    Q&A 1 Jul 18:53

  • Japanese military shamed by USB device

    Stolen, found, loaned, lost

    Like ball point pens, cigarette lighters, and the occasional key, flash memory devices have a nearly unstoppable need to be set free upon the world at large. The result of this seemingly natural law is generally little more than irksome at home, but when combined with the cosmic force of sensitive data misplacement that is a …

    Storage 1 Jul 21:30