Driver Scanner 2009
All computers have drivers installed on them in order to run or communicate with hardware devices such as printers, graphics card, keyboard and mouse. Without the drivers these hardware devices will be useless. Drivers for common devices are usually already preinstalled in your operating system but you can always install drivers that came with the hardware.
The drivers for hardware devices are continuously being improved, bugs being removed or features are added, by the manufacturers in order to achieve better performance for the device. In turn, a user must update his machine’s driver regularly to optimize performance. If this is not done problems can occur such as hardware failures, conflicts and even complete system crashes.
But how can a user keep track of all the outdated drivers in his system? Then this is where the Driver Scanner 2009 comes in. The Driver Scanner 2009, from Uniblue, is a driver update management software which can keep track of outdated drivers and give the user a list of those needing an update. Another good thing about the software is it will backup all drivers to an external device.
Minimum System Requirements:
* Intel Pentium 3 500MHz or Equivalent processor
* 256 MB RAM
* 200 MB free hard disk space
* Additional space for driver backups and new drivers
* Graphics mode 1024×768 true color (highest 32-bit)
* Internet Explorer 5.5
* Internet connection
* Microsoft Windows XP or Vista (32 bit)
Source: Uniblue
Linux 2.6.28 to be released
The lastest, and
maybe the last for 2008, kernel of Linux will soon be released by the open source software creator Linus Torvalds. What a way to end the year for all Linux users around the world. Linux 2.6.28 will be the fifth kernel to be released for 2008 following the release of Linux 2.6.27 last October.
The new kernel is loaded with a number of improvements from that of the previous release. This includes better graphics performance, improved power utilization, which tops all features, and a wireless USB support which is totally new to Linux.
One of the big items in the Linux 2.6.28 release is the ext4 filesystem. The ext4 filesystem had been undergoing development and implementation all throughout 2008 but this is the first time in a kernel release wherein the filesystem was declared stable. The new system evolved from ext3 which is currently the default filesystem on many Linux distributions.
Linux 2.6.28 might be a significant milestone for video on Linux. With this kernel release, a proper memory manager, GEM or Graphics Execution Manager, for video memory is included. GEM is making Linux perform better in terms of graphics performance. The video improvements also improves power utilization for graphics. What the new kernel does is reduce power consumption across the video driver subsystem. Aside from these, Linux 2.6.28 is also loaded with the new Wireless USB support which was not included in Linux before. Virtualization is also improved in this new kernel with improvements to its Kernel-based Virtual Machine (KVM).
Source: Internet News
Sony P-series Netbook Unleashed
It appears like Sony is finally joining the grand netbook bandwagon. The company released its very netbook-ish P-series.
After a long while of teasing the public with short blurbs, tech enthusiasts finally see the soon to be a serious player in the market dominated by ASUS and Acer.
There is no formal press release yet but from what was leaked to the blogoshpere, there are a few interesting and noteworthy facts about the netbook. The P-series main computer will have an 8-inch LED screen and 1600 x 786 resolution. It has 1.33GHz GPU and a 60GB hard drive that some tech blogs note to be expandable up to 128GB SSD. It will come in preinstalled with Windows Vista Home Basic or Premium.
While other netbooks are stuck with basic black and white versions, P-series will give you more choices: Crimson Red, Champagne Gold, and Black Silk.
Even with the netbook label, indicators say that Sony’s new units will not be on the same price range.
Source: JKontheRun