Philipp

PC Stats has posted a review on the Tyan Trinity KT-A Motherboard Even with the stability problems I experienced, there are a few general conclusions about the board we can draw. First, the general layout of the KT-A is pretty good, the IDE and floppy drive connectors are exactly where you´d want them to be and the ATX power plug is at the top of the board and isn´t going to obstruct air flow (this I like a lot). I also like the relative small size of the KT-A´s PCB. Its performance is on par with other KT133A boards that I´ve worked with in the past, and thanks to it´s lack of extra features, the Tyan KT-A should be one of the cheapest boards around. Also, if the KT-A is even close to it´s brethren in terms of reliability, it would easily rival its competitors best efforts. While this isn´t something we normally comment on, I feel I must say that the instruction manual Tyan pack with this motherboard is very well done. Granted, most of us don´t spend too much time reading a motherboard´s instruction manual, but in this case it was nice to see a very well layed out manual full of coherent explainations (that even the first time user could understand). Read more

Overclockers New Zealand has posted a review on nPOWER NP60D HSF. Although many recent coolers come out with various shape, the NP60D is the most strange looking cooler I have seen so far.When I opened the box at first time, I though the unit was damaged because all fins are bended into an odd angle. There are total 37 fins inserted that´s more than most of HSFs on the market. The bottom is pretty flat like a mirror which you can see your reflection by looking at it. This is a good sign as flat surface is important for cooling efficiency. There is no pre-applied thermal pad which is good for Overclockers who prefer to use their own thermal compounds like Artic Silver. Read more

PC Stats has posted a review on the Samsung 1100P-plus 21 inch CRT Monitor As most of us have made the leap from the tiny world of the 17" display to the more wide-open pastures of the now common 19", there still remains one more step towards the pinnacle of cathode-ray monitors. That last step may very well be the SyncMaster 1100P-plus. Weighing in at nearly 60lbs, the 1100P-Plus will make any 17", or even 19" for that matter, look like a "Mini-Me." Of course we´re talking about a 21" CRT monitor here, and one with [RGB, HV, V] BNC inputs to boot. Whether gaming by night or working by day, a large screen monitor can make the difference between an easy gaming session and a productive work day. After all, if you can justify to your boss the benefits of a large screen display while working in excel, or while writing code you can surely take advantage of what such a screen would offer during a quick game of QIII. Read more

Agfa has released a beta version of Scanwise 2.0. Thanks Steffen. Download

The 92nd issue of ZZZ online is out. Read in the latest issue of ZZZ online about: - skateboard without moving parts - automatic submarine docking system - quiet car tires - the most precise 3D map Read more

MooSoft has posted a new trojan definitions update for "The Cleaner" Database v3251, dated August 11, 2001, 3655 trojan definitions. ------------------------- Added Hai Added Last Door Added Mini Oblivion Added Neurotic Kitten Added PIF.Fable Added Skullcrush Added WoW23 Updated Magistr Updated Moses Updated NeuroticKat Updated RTB666 Updated SubSARI Updated SubSeven Download

OC Workbench has posted some pictures from the MSI K735Pro mainboard. MSI K735Pro supports multiplier adjustments 5x-12x, Vcore is adjustable from 1.3 - 1.85v at 0.025v intervals. FSB is not at 1Mhz intervals but support the following 100/103/107/110/112/124/133/137/143/150Mhz. At 150Mhz, 1/5 divider is available thus PCI is at 30mhz. Read more

Sun Microsystems has turned up the volume in its long-running battle with Microsoft over Java. In full-page ads in The New York Times, San Jose Mercury News and The Wall Street Journal on Thursday, Sun called on consumers "to demand that Microsoft include the Java platform in their XP operating system." Sun also said consumers should demand "PC vendors like Dell, Compaq, Gateway, IBM and HP (Hewlett-Packard) include the Java platform in their applications." Read more

TweakTown has posted a review on the Vantec CCK-6035D heatsink Vantec has been making cooling products for a good while now, but their history was more grounded around making economy type heatsinks and fans. That is, of course, until they decided to capitalize on the high-powered heatsink market that came alive with the advent of the Thunderbird processors. Read more

Overclockers Online has put up a review up of Macpower´s Digidoc 5 unit which allows people to measure a truckload of temps, monitor voltages and control fans. The main device has a large LCD screen with an orange backlight (very c00l indeed!), 5 buttons on the front and a 40mm fan. The Digidoc can measure op to 8 temperatures inside your case by using external thermal sensors. On each temperature channel, you can also attach a fan to control the temperature. Because the Digidoc5 supports up to 8 channels, you can attach up to 8 fans (60mm - 120mm high performance fans) and thermal sensors! Now that are a lot of temperature readings when attach all of the sensors I´d like to note that MacPower includes two types of thermal sensors in the Digidoc5 package, two flat sensors and six bulb sensors. Read more

UKGamer.net has posted a review on the Alpha PEP66U heatsink/fan. If you are one of the many slot-to-socket users (like myself), then you´ll know how hard it is to find a good heatsink/fan which doesn´t take up a couple of DIMM slots. This is where Alpha´s PEP66U steps in. A cooler specifically designed for slot-to- socket users in mind, it features Alpha´s trademark copper base, among it´s other traits. Read more

Warp2Search send words that Elby has released a new version of the 1:1 CD copying tool CloneCD. Here´s a list of the more important additions and fixes: Added: - Added sanity checks for invalid recorded ISRC and Catalog numbers. - Update program got a progress bar. - Improved drive locking. - Less CPU use (Windows 95/98/ME). - Improved Language Selection. Bugfixes: - Fixed display problems, when a Desktop font - Fixed wrong creation of Cue Sheets with CDs having PreGaps. - Fixed error when copying such CDs in SAO or SAO-RAW mode. - Fixed potential problem in ElbyCDIO.vxd (Windows 95/98/ME). - Fixed wrong font character set assignment in context sensitive help (Windows 2000). Download

TweakNow has released Customizer XP 1.0 Beta 2 Customizer XP is a special utility which is designed to optimize Windows 2000 and XP performance. Using a graphical user interface, it allows you to modify many hidden Windows registry settings only by simply clicking the provided checkboxes. The Customizer XP enable you to get a better internet connection, just by clicking a specified button and it will set all recomended provided settings for you. The Customizer XP also, in addition, offers a wide range possibility to customize your Windows program, such as : give a background at your wish in pre-logon, automatic restart Windows Explorer when crashes while you´re working to avoid loosing your works. Download

Maximum Hardware has posted a new editorial "Drivers: is leaking a good or bad thing?" I´ve been a long time supporter of NVidia products but one of the most desirable aspects of NVidia´s products has been their nearly constant flow of updated drivers. These drivers are more or less leaked onto popular internet websites where people can download them, and these drivers are completely unsupported; they´re not even supposed to be on the internet (although one must wonder if NVidia really is organizing these leaks...). Read more

SEOUL (REUTERS) - The Code Red computer virus has mutated into a third more dangerous variant, South Korea´s Information and Communication Ministry said Friday. "About 10 damage reports have come in which were believed to have been the result of the latest Code Red III," Ko Kwang-sup, an official at the ministry, told Reuters. Read more

Creative has posted Vienna Soundfont Studio 2.3 for Sound Blaster Live! cards. Download the latest Vienna SoundFont Studio (Version 2.3) for your Sound Blaster Live!. Vienna SoundFont Studio is a professional sampler that allows musicians to create and edit SoundFont banks. With this new version, Sound Blaster Live! owners will be able to: - Double-click on a sample to launch the assigned wave editor automatically and edit the sample - Assign up to 4 MIDI controller bars to send real time controller messages to your MIDI synth Please note that this is the same version of Vienna SoundFont Studio as on Sound Blaster Live! installation CDs - not a later version. Vienna Soundfont Studio 2.3 can also be used with AWE32/64 cards in Windows95/98/ME using VXD drivers (SBW9XUP.EXE) only. Does not work with AWE32/64 cards in WindowsME using WDM drivers or in Windows2000. Download

Digit-Life has posted a IDE CD-RW Drives Roundup "It´s high time to think about beauty", - I thought when choosing CD-RW drives for testing. At last, my attention was drawn by recorders Sony CRX 160E and Acer 1208. Of course, the Acer has no extraordinary novations in the design, but at the same time the drive looks more advantageous as compared with the Ricoh MP7200 or any other model from the TEAC series. The CRX 160E drive doesn´t, in fact, differ from its brothers, except its black color. Any attempt of drive makers to bring into the design of CD recorders something unique should be welcome. It´s important, though, that such imperfections of the design won´t distract users from low performance or defects of the device. So far I haven´t seen a successful combination of the performance, quality and design, except TDK drives. But let´s look at the newcomers... Read more

Serial Addiction has posted a review on the Hercules 3D Prophet II 64Mb video card. Hercules was the first video card manufacturer to release a 64Mb version of the popular Geforce 2 GTS line of videocards. Hercules got the 64Mb cards out their doors two weeks ahead of schedule. The card itself shares the same box as the 32Mb card with the only difference being that the box I got says 64Mb instead of 32Mb on the front. In a strange twist Hercules decided to follow the Nvidia reference design for this card. As some of you may know the 32Mb GTS didn´t follow the standard reference design. Read more

TweakFiles has posted a new version of Motherboard Monitor. Thanks Tom. Motherboard Monitor (MBM) is a tool that will display information from the sensor chip on your motherboard in your Windows system tray. MBM supports a wide range of Chipsets & Sensor Chip combinations. Download

Thanks to Warp2Search for informing me that Asus has released new bios updates: - Bios CUSL2-M / -LS ( i815e ) 1009 - 03 Beta - Bios CUEP2-M ( i815ep ) 1009 - 03 Beta - LiveUpd. Bios TUSL2-C 1009 Final (=1009 - 03 Beta) - LiveUpd. Bios CUSL2 with OnB. Audio 1009 Final (=1009 - 03 Beta) - LiveUpd. Bios CUSL2 without OnB. Audio 1009 Final (=1009 - 03 Beta) - LiveUpd. Bios CUSL2-C(A) with OnB. Audio 1009 Final (=1009 - 03 Beta) - LiveUpd. Bios CUSL2-C without OnB. Audio 1009 Final (=1009 - 03 Beta) - LiveUpd. Bios CUSL2-C( Black Pearl 1009 Final (=1009 - 03 Beta) - LiveUpd. Bios CUSL2-LS 1009 Final (=1009 - 02 Beta / AHA v3.10 ) - LiveUpd. Bios CUV4X-LS 1004 Final (=1004 - 07 Beta / AHA v3.10 ) Download

Windows XP Preview Program customers in germany have received yesterday their Windows XP Release Candidate 1 package. The german preview program doesn´t include a free 120 day trial copy of Windows XP RTM. Thanks Thorsten.

FrostyTech has posted a review on the Dynatron Model-R 1U Cu Microfin Heatsink As selection goes, the options for cooling 1U servers are still small compared with the huge variety of heatsinks designed for desktops with AMD or Intel processors. However, with the introduction of the Dynatron Model-R (DC1206BMR) that list has at least grown by one. Based on Dynatrons´ signature high-density Microfin technology, the Model-R sports a high fin pitch and solid copper construction. With its sixty 0.35mm thick fins spaced 1.0mm apart, the 24mm tall Model-R closely resembles the Model-O. However, to comply with the requirements of cooling a 1U server processor, the Model-R uses fins of only 7.0mm in height - an extraordinarily thin profile for a server if you really think about it. Read more

Tech Extreme has posted a review on the Klipsch ProMedia 2.1 Speaker System Being a 2.1 system (two satellites and a subwoofer unit), most would not expect a lot from the satellites that ship with the ProMedia 2.1. But Klipsch is out to establish its name in the multimedia market, and thus decided to only include quality components on the system. Each of the satellites house a 0.75-inch polymer dome tweeter and a 3-inch-long throw cone driver, which, as the tests show, do an admirable job of reproducing the full effect of any music one cares to pass through the system. Read more

Hardware Mania has posted a review on the TYAN Thunder K7 motherboard. Recently AMD processors, especially Athlon and Duron series became popular. They mostly attracted the 3D artists and those who make Video Editing/Compositing with its acceptable cost/performance rate and high arithmetic processing power. And thus, many people looked for dual Athlon systems. AMD’s processors already had multiprocessor support in its CPU’s since K6s however a supporting chipset was not released for a long time. AMD, with the release of AMD760 chipset, released AMD760MP and although with a lag, this chipset found its place in mobos. As you can guess from the title of the review, Tyan’s with dual Athlon support has been released. Read more

Another beta build of NVmax is out. What´s new? - Added scroll mouse code. - Disabled functions now have a red border and come up with an error window. - Another problem with Windows 2000/XP detection has been fixed. - PCI memory problems fixed. Download