Web Talk

Just in case you missed all the soap-opera posts, related to the leaked versions of Windows Vista SP1 (which can be viewed here) well, today I want to give you a great news. If you are afraid that your Windows SP1 is not the original one, if you fear that your nice Vista SP1 is full of virus and may not work properly, you have to know that Microsoft has just released the original version of it, for your peace of mind. The final Windows Vista Sp1 which is labeled SP1 RTM 6001.18000 built is downloadable directly from Microsoft servers. Here are the links:

Windows Vista Service Pack 1 Five Language Standalone for x32-based Systems (KB936330): Windows6.0-KB936330-X86-wave0.exe (434.5 MB)

Windows Vista Service Pack 1 Five Language Standalone for x64-based Systems (KB936330): Windows6.0-KB936330-X64-wave0.exe (726.5 MB)

These service packs are just for the following languages: English (US), French, German, Japanese, or Spanish (Traditional). Other languages are scheduled for the next months. If you want to read the Knowledge Based Article 936630 (for Vista SP1) click here (for 32-bit SP1) or here (for 64-bit SP1).

The famous OCZ Technology Group has just unveiled its brand new OCZ Sata II Solid State Drive, which promises to run at light-speed. In fact, its reads speed is set at 120 MB/sec while its write speed is of 100MB/sec. The SSD is available in two flavours namely: 32 Gb and 64GB. Other features include: 100.2 x 70 x 9.5mm, 77g, Shock Resistant 1500G , RAID Support and MTBF 2 million hours.
No word about its price or the release date. If you want to know more visit this page.

Apple has just released the all-new Safari browser which has reached its 3.1 version. Along with this new release, Apple states Safari is the fastest browser in the world, since it is 1.9 times faster than IE 7 [Internet Explorer 7] and 1.7 times faster than Firefox 2. Personally speaking, I believe the guys at Apple, but I would also like to hear other independent reports since, before playing the big trumpet to the world, it is always better having some more solid facts at hand, and possibly coming from indipendent sources, right?. But let’s see in details some of the most important Safari’s features:

• Better bookmark organisation.
• Pop-up blocker.
• Integrated Find banner, to look website and whatever you want directly from the browser.
• Multi-tab functionality.
• Auto-fill, to fill-in form in a breeze.
• Built-in RSS.
• Private Browsing, to keep your surfing private.
• Better security
• Javascript is also reported to be faster (up to 6 times)
• “And best of all, Safari supports the latest audio, video and animation standards for an industry-leading Web 2.0 experience.”

If you want to download the new Safari version, click here.

But what does OCCT stand for? Simple, it means OverClock Checking Tool and lets you check your CPU stability, just in case you applied some little hack in order to overclock your CPU. This simple, but rather effective freeware software, is quite rich of features, which let you constantly keep an eye on your computer inner services to make sure everything is running all right. I also like its simple interface which make easy, even for a person with little knowledge, use it with no problems. But let’s see in details all its specs:

• 3 different test types
  • CPU = no RAM tested, alot of heat generated on the CPU, errors are usually CPU-centered
  • RAM = Maximum error detection, tests the whole chain CPU-Chipset-Memory
  • Mix = CPU and RAM alternated
• 3 tests modes
  • Auto = 1h long Mix test
  • Custom (Infinite) = Infinite loop of the test type of your choice
  • Custom (fixed) = A test of the type of your choice, and of a duration of your choice

If you want to download it click here.

Do you remember the Zelda Wii hack? It required a GameCube slot which, for some of you guys, could not be very easy to find, above all if you are lazy brats. Well, now with this hack you have no excuse anymore. In fact Zelda Wii hack can now run on a regular SD card. No fancy installation is required, now major hack, no special knowledge. Just drop a small file into the SD, put the little card into the Wii slot and you are done. For more info watch the video.

Just in case the outgrowing number of ultraportables was not enough for you, here is another one which is going to hit the market soon. This time is the turn of NorhTec which is about to introduce its nice ultraportable named Gecko. This new machine will sport a 1GHz Via C7M ULV processor, integrated graphics, a 7-inch display and the Linpus Linux Lite operating system. Its price will be set around $300. Stay tuned for more infos.

How many MP3 players have you seen during these last years? Many, right? How many MP3 players have you seen that look like the iPod? Many, right? Well, the new Sandisk Sansa Fuze makes no exception. Its look, so familiar, brings you the so-used-iPod-style into your house to entertain you with its lots of features. Here is a list of its specs:

• Bright 1.9-inch color screen display.
• It reads MP3, WMA, WMA, WAV, Audible, and Overdrive, photos (JPEG) and audio books.
• FM radio tuner.
• Voice recorder.
• microSD™/microSDHC™ slot for additional content.
• Music subscription download from Rhapsody To Go, Napster, eMusic etc.

The new Music Sandisk Sansa Fuze will be available in different flavours namely 2GB, 4GB and 8GB and it is expected to hit the market by the beginning of April for a price of about $80, $100 and $130, respectively. I expected more from such a company to tell you the truth. Its lack of fantasy let me think how such companies are becoming standardized to the Apple style more and more. It looks like nobody is willing to risk on something new anymore in the name of secure profits. What a shame Sandisk, You missed your chance to create something original!

If you have tried YouTube at least once, you know how disappointing it is to watch a video sometimes. No matter what people upload, YouTube automatically re-sizes any format such WMV, AVI, MOV and MPG into a more handy 320 x 240 pixels, encodes the video into Flash at a data rate of about 250kbps, and converts the audio into MP3 (22.050KHz monophonic). This means that a barely acceptable video, becomes crappy on YouTube. Anyway there is a little trick, which is unknown to most people, which lets you improve the video quality, letting you enjoy YouTube even more. As you know a video on YouTube gets an address like this: http://youtube.com/watch?v=CQzdGtFqtW0. This is the address YouTube gives to its videos after being resized. If you add the address this little code &fmt=6 (changing in this way the address into: http://youtube.com/watch?v=CQzdGtFqtW0&fmt=6) you will be able to enjoy the same video at a resolution of 448 x336 pixels. You can get even more (but you need a very fast Internet connection) by adding this code instead: &fmt=18 (changing the address into: http://youtube.com/watch?v=CQzdGtFqtW0&fmt=18). In this way YouTube will deliver you the same video but in a MP4 format (H264 with AAC audio), encoded at 480×360 resolution. Keep in mind that this trick doesn’t work for all Youtube videos.