Leopard Eats More Power Than Tiger-Apple Worried
Apple Inc. new operating system “leopard”( Mac OS X 10.5) is seemingly eating up battery life and backup according to many experts and leopard holders.Its pretty much like, their laptops were giving 3 to 4 hour backups before leopard came their way,and now with leopard the battery backup has dropped considerably to nearly half of its previous performances.
The apparent speculation among the experts and the users is that this flaw in battery backup is because of the numerous advanced graphical interfaces that leopard carries along with it.Tags involved owing to the problems with leopard are really funny!!People say-Their computer gets locked up and get “the blue screen of death”as display, following an upgrade to Leopard. Others had frozen keyboards.
On the contrary the previous OS by Apple,TIGER(Mac OS X version 10.4) had no such problems related to it.Six weeks after its official release, Apple had delivered 2 million copies of Tiger, representing 16% of all Mac OS X users. Apple claimed that Tiger was the most successful Apple OS release in the company’s history.
Now the interesting fact is that despite the problems, Leopard appears to be selling well. Apple has reported that it sold more than 2 million copies of the OS during its first weekend of availability far outrunning first-week sales of Tiger.
Amazon’s Kindle To Change The World Of E-books
Amazon, the e-tail giant with thick roots in the sale of physical books, will reportedly make a push into the hardware space with the release of Kindle, a new e-book reader. Amazon has apparently secured a deal with Sprint to give Kindle the ability to access the retailer’s site anywhere via the EVDO network. E-books are just part of Amazon’s clear push into digital media sales.
Amazon is unabashedly looking to the iPod for inspiration, attempting to make a piece of hardware that needs minimal expertise to run and that ties specifically to its own store, in this case, Amazon.com, which will offer 88,000 book titles for sale at launch. Even better, the Kindle is designed to be usable sans computer. It connects directly to a special Sprint-powered cellular network called Whispernet (not Wi-Fi) and lets you download directly from the web. However, there are no additional monthly service fees for the privilege.
The Kindle not only allows users to download books, but also newspapers and magazines, and they can subscribe to blogs in less than a minute. Bezos said it will revolutionize the way people read, and it’s simple to use. “When you’re ready to buy this book, you just scroll up to the buy button and you click on your scroll reel,” he said. “The book will be wirelessly downloaded to your device.” Part of the Kindle’s charm is that it aims to read like a real book with a paperlike display. But unlike old-school periodicals, users control the settings on the eBook. I’m not really sure if such a device can succeed in today’s market, but one thing is clear: reading ebooks on your computer isn’t definitely flawless and the ol’ good paper still matters.
The device, which will reportedly sell for US$399, was made possible through a variety of deals, including a reported deal with Sprint (NYSE: S) Latest News about Sprint Nextel for access to its EVDO (Evolution-Data Optimized) high-speed wireless Let RIM Professional Services help you optimize mobile solutions. Targeted at the road warrior contingent and business-related travelers, the Kindle will give readers a download of the digital editions of The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal every morning.
Another 50 to 100 newspaper publishers have also signed on to put their electronic editions on the reader as well.
PHP 5.2.5 beats down PHP 5.2.4
The PHP development team have announced the latest version of PHP i.e PHP 5.2.5 after the previous version of PHP 5.2.4.The release of PHP 5.2.5 stresses on improving the stability of the PHP 5.2.x branch with over 60 bug fixes, several of which are security related where as PHP 5.2.4 version stresses on improving the stability of the PHP 5.2.X branch with over 120 various bug fixes in addition to resolving several low priority security bugs.
The various enhancements done in these two version are as follow:-
Security Enhancements and Fixes in PHP 5.2.4:-
* Fixed a floating point exception inside wordwrap().
* Fixed several integer overflows inside the GD extension.
* Fixed size calculation in chunk_split() .
* Fixed integer overflow in str[c]spn().
* Fixed money_format() not to accept multiple %i or %n tokens.
* Fixed zend_alter_ini_entry() memory_limit interruption vulnerability.
* Fixed INFILE LOCAL option handling with MySQL extensions not to be allowed when open_basedir or safe_mode is active.
* Fixed session.save_path and error_log values to be checked against open_basedir and safe_mode.
* Fixed a possible invalid read in glob() win32 implementation.
* Fixed a possible buffer overflow in php_openssl_make_REQ.
* Fixed an open_basedir bypass inside glob() function.
* Fixed a possible open_basedir bypass inside session extension when the session file is a symlink.
* Improved fix for MOPB-03-2007.
* Corrected fix for CVE-2007-2872.
Key enhancements in PHP 5.2.4 include:-
* Upgraded PCRE to version 7.2
* Added persistent connection status checker to pdo_pgsql.
* Fixed oci8 and PDO_OCI extensions to allow configuring with Oracle 11g client libraries.
* Fixed bug #41831.
* Fixed bug #41770.
* Fixed bug #41713.
* It fixes over 120 bug.
Security Enhancements and Fixes in PHP 5.2.5:-
* Fixed dl() to only accept filenames.
* Fixed dl() to limit argument size to MAXPATHLEN (CVE-2007-4887).
* Fixed htmlentities/htmlspecialchars not to accept partial multibyte sequences.
* Fixed possible triggering of buffer overflows inside glibc implementations of the fnmatch(), setlocale() and glob() functions.
* Fixed “mail.force_extra_parameters” php.ini directive not to be modifiable in .htaccess due to the security implications.
* Fixed bug #42869.
* Fixed bug #41561.
Key enhancements in PHP 5.2.5 include:-
* Upgraded PCRE to version 7.3
* Updated timezone database to version 2007.9
* Added ability to control memory consumption between request using ZEND_MM_COMPACT environment variable.
* Improved speed of array_intersect_key(), array_intersect_assoc(), array_uintersect_assoc(), array_diff_key(), array_diff_assoc() and array_udiff_assoc() functions
* Fixed bug #43139.
* Fixed bug #42785.
* Fixed bug #42549.
* It fixes over 60 bug.
For download latest version click here:- PHP 5.2.5
XBox Has Its Two And PS3 Has its One Now
XBox 360 after its launch on September 27, 2005 has never looked back and has been the hot favourite of millions in the gaming fraternity,it began with a game called “Our Colony” and now it has expanded its regime over the biggest hits in game,Halo3 for one such game.Well the graphics the multimedia environment the resembling reality,the breathtaking sound all were stars studded in the self made star XBox360.
On the contrary its arch rival Sony Computer Entertainment America’s (SCEA) “PS3″ has dragged itself into its first maiden year,after a nail biting attack from XBox360 in the markets.PS3 although not any behind Xbox360 in its thrilling features has rocked the gaming realm equally with computational power, Blu-ray Disc capabilities, and free access to the PlayStation Network where users can experience online gaming, connect with other PS3 users, as well as download games, movies and other content.
PS3 also is the maiden gaming system to possess an astounding capacity of 50GB, its Blu-ray functionality to be credited. Current PS3 first party games are in the 20GB range, well north of the threshold of HD-DVD or DVD, allowing for unmatched potential for games, movies and other media.
Jack Tretton, President and CEO of SCEA was quoted as saying,”When we designed PS3 our goal was to introduce a system so technically advanced that it could stand the test of time and could take the industry in a whole new direction, which for PS3 was high-definition entertainment.”
Samurai Warriors: KATANA Out Now On Wii
KOEI today announced that Samurai Warriors: KATANA for Nintendo Wii will be coming to North American retailers beginning January 15, 2008. Players can pre-order the game now at GameStop.com, EBGames.com and Amazon.com.
Samurai Warriors: KATANA offers gameplay in a first-person perspective and is based on the hugely popular Samurai Warriors series. The game offers arcade-style action using motion-sensitive Wii Remote to do battle as a lethal samurai warrior. On each mission, legendary samurai and allies will serve as your guide. Prevent pirates from invading your ships, rescue maidens from a burning castle, and explore mysterious caverns stalked by ninjas. These and many more challenging missions require quick reflexes, fast thinking, and precision marksmanship.
Samurai Warriors: KATANA offers three different modes of play. Offering nearly 30 hours of game play, Musou Mode takes you on an adventure through Feudal Japan. Samurai-in-training can prepare for battle with a multitude of challenges in Trial Mode. Here you’ll earn gold which can be used to purchase weapons and precious items. And in Vs. Mode, you can go head-to-head with a friend in eight mini games.
Developed by Omega Force, Samurai Warriors: KATANA is rated “T” (Teen – Mild Language, Violence) by the ESRB. Samurai Warriors: KATANA has three difficulty levels for players of all skill levels, and is for up to 2 players (in Vs. mode).
Call of Duty 4 On Xbox For 72 Hours For Play And Win
Starting in a couple of days Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare will invade Xbox LIVE for a 72-hour Play & Win Sweepstakes full of games and prizes. Hourly prizes will be awarded all weekend, including Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare shirts, Infinity Ward autographed posters and Xbox LIVE point cards. One Grand Prize winner also will receive an Xbox 360 Elite console and a Limited Edition Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare faceplate, among other items. Full details can be found below:
Friday, Nov. 16 – Sunday, November 18 – Play and Win. 
Register and Play COD4: Modern Warfare on Xbox LIVE during the weekend and win an Xbox 360 Elite, Infinity Ward team autographed Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare swag, limited edition Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare faceplates, Xbox 360 accessories, Microsoft Points and other great Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare prizes. There will be one winner for every hour this weekend (72 hours) as well as the grand prize which includes the Elite, autograph swag, faceplate and accessories. (The hourly winners get Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare poster, t-shirt, and MS Points.)
Friday, Nov. 16 – 6pm -9pm EST – Play with over a dozen gamers from developer, Infinity Ward.
Saturday, Nov. 17 – The PMS Clan joins the online action for Saturday night gaming.
More details on registering for the Call of Duty4: Modern Warfare LIVE Fire weekend and information regarding terms, conditions, and official rules are available on the official event page: www.xbox.com/livefire/ . Registration is open now and will end at 11:59pm (ET) on November 18, 2007.
Play Station3’s sales double after price cut
U.S. sales of Sony’s PlayStation 3 more than doubled in the weeks following a price cut.Sony cut the U.S. price of its PS3 with an 80GB hard drive by 17 percent to $499 in mid-October. It started selling a new model with a 40GB hard drive on November 2 for $399 in an effort to ignite demand ahead of the crucial holiday-shopping season.
Sony, locked in battle with Microsoft and Nintendo in the global video game market, suffered a slow start for the PS3 after its launch a year ago because of high prices and a scarcity of strong game titles.
Nintendo sold 519,000 units of the Wii in the United States in October, while Microsoft sold 366,000 Xbox 360 consoles and Sony sold 121,000 of its PS3 machines, data from market researcher NPD released Thursday.
Apple Updates Security On Leopard, Tiger, And Panther
Apple has released a major security update to current and previous versions of its OS X operating system.Apple on Wednesday released Mac OS X 10.4.11, a 70 Mbyte update for the Tiger version of its operating system that’s available through Apple’s Software Update program or as a standalone installer.
The update brings Apple’s Safari browser to version 3.0, which previously was available to Apple customers who upgraded to Leopard or who sought out and downloaded the software.It also adds RAW image decoding support for several cameras, including the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ50, the Leica V-Lux 1, the Olympus E-400, the Olympus EVOLT E410, the Olympus EVOLT E510, and theCanon EOS 40D.
And the update improves compatibility when using OpenType fonts in QuarkExpress, reliability when using VMware’s Fusion, and synchronization between iPhone andYahoo address books.Apple also released a security update for Safari 3 Beta for Windows XP and Vista on Wednesday. The patch fixes a tabbed browsing flaw that could expose user credentials, several cross-site scripting vulnerabilities, and a buffer overflow bug, among other issues.
Windows Live OneCare 2.0 Released By Microsoft
Microsoft on Thursday officially released Windows Live OneCare 2.0, which has been in beta testing since July.Windows Live OneCare is an online service that provides managed maintenance and security for consumers and small businesses. It offers protection from viruses, spyware, and phishing, helps with firewall settings, and coordinates system tune-ups and data backup.
The service’s main new feature is the OneCare Circle, which links PCs together over a wireless connection to make them manageable from a single place. OneCare Circle allows, for example, a parent to see that a child has disabled the firewall on his or her PC and to turn it back on. It also helps centralize data backup by allowing a hard drive connected to any linked machine to serve the whole home network.The service also includes the new Start Time Optimizer, which helps users load only the programs they require at startup, thus accelerating the startup process. In addition, it includes a “Proactive Fixes and Recommendations” feature to help optimize PC performance, and it helps maintain wireless networking security.
Simplicity and ease of use, however, don’t necessarily make for maximum security. According to an August 2007 test published on AV-Comparatives.org, Microsoft Live OneCare version 1.6 ranked 14th out of 17 products tested, with a virus catch-rate of 90.37%. The top performing product in the test, AEC’s TrustPort Antivirus, caught 99.64% of the virus samples.
Windows Live OneCare requires a Microsoft Live ID. It’s available through retail outlets in 17 countries and as a down loadable file.
Philips DCP750 Portable Video Player Review
Like far, far too many iPod-compatible accessories out there, Philips has taken the easy road with the DCP750. Or, in other words, it’s white. Until you open it up, that is, where it sports an all-black casing with silver lettering. The size of the DCP750 is a touch misleading; while it measures in at 210mm by 39mm by 178mm, the display is only seven inches wide, with speakers integrated underneath. The left side of the base of the unit houses the DVD tray, while the right hand side is where the remote control is stored — as well as something else. The design of the remote is about the only thing we don’t like about the DCP750. It’s chunky and doesn’t match well with the sleek aesthetics of the rest of the player. The remote sticks very firmly in place and pops out via a two-part release mechanism, which means you’re very unlikely to lose it.
The display screen on the DCP750 swivels, tablet-PC style, allowing you to present it either as a flat tablet or standard flip-top DVD player, even with the remote control or an iPod installed.
If there’s a video format out there, then the DCP750 will pretty much play it. We were somewhat surprised to note that it’s not region free, which is a tad annoying for a portable player. Some quick Googling fixed that for us, thankfully. The optical drive also supports DVD, DVD+R/+RW, DVD-R/-RW, SVCD, Video CD, CD, CD-R/CD-RW, MP3-CD, Picture CD and DivX, which should keep you entertained. If that’s not enough, an SD card slot on the side lets you browse photos. Finally, the compatibility with 5th generation iPods lets you access any iPod-compatible media.
The DCP750 also doesn’t slack when it comes to connectivity. It boasts AV input and AV output — so when you get to your motel room, you can plug it in and watch your DVDs and iPod videos full-screen. It’s also got two headphone sockets, ideal for subduing two unruly backseat passengers.
The DCP750’s display has what Philips calls a Zero Bright Dot screen. In non-marketing speak, that means it shouldn’t have any over-bright pixels distracting from the image. In our tests we were very impressed with the screen quality of the DCP750 across all media. We were less impressed with the inbuilt speakers on the player. At higher volume levels — such as those found in the average car — we found the speakers distorting a touch.
Switching to other media is as simple as hitting the source button on the player, or the dedicated buttons on the top of the remote. We did become intermittently annoyed with the remote, which wasn’t always responsive to our button presses.
The only major caveat we’d apply to the DCP750 is that with an RRP of over AU$300, it’s not exactly an inexpensive player, and certainly not one you’d want pinched out of your car. There’s certainly enough lurking within its interior to justify the asking price, but if you only want an in-car DVD option to pacify the kids and don’t care for the iPod connectivity then cheaper options are available.