Dr. Augustine Fou's Online Scrapbook

Friday, September 17, 2010

Make Sure TRIM Is Enabled for Your Solid State Drive in Windows 7 for Better Performance [Windows Tip]

Source: http://lifehacker.com/5640971/check-if-trim-is-enabled-for-your-solid-state-drive-in-windows-7

One of the best way to take full advantage of your solid state drive (SSD) is to use the performance-maintaining TRIM command. Technology blog GHacks shows us how to make sure TRIM is enabled in Windows 7.

While using something like Intel's previously mentioned Toolbox application to TRIM your drive is extremely useful, you need to make sure Windows 7 has enabled it first. And, while Windows is designed to automatically detect most SSDs, sometimes it doesn't work as intended. If you find the performance of your SSD is degrading (or just want to make sure TRIM is properly enabled), run Command Prompt as an administrator and type:

 fsutil behavior query DisableDeleteNotify

It will give you one of two results, either a 0 or a 1. A zero indicates that TRIM is enabled correctly, a one means that it is not. If you have a TRIM-compatible SSD, but find that Windows 7 hasn't enabled the command, you can easily do so by running this command:

 fsutil behavior set disablenotify 0

Note that TRIM is only supported in Windows 7, so if you have an SSD but are running an older version of Windows, it's probably a good idea to upgrade. Hit the link for other SSD optimization tips, and share your own with us in the comments.

Verify that TRIM is Enabled in Windows 7 [GHacks]

Remoter Controls Android's Music Player from Your Home Screen [Downloads]

Source: http://lifehacker.com/5640972/remoter-controls-androids-music-player-from-your-home-screen-widget-free

Remoter Controls Android's Music Player from Your Home Screen Android: If you use your phone to listen to music, it can be annoying to open up the player just to switch tracks. Remoter is a set of home screen shortcuts that control the default Android music player.

You could, of course, use some of the built-in widgets for the music app, but widgets take up precious space and memory. Remoter was originally designed for the scrollable, easy-access dock of previously mentioned LauncherPro, but it works with any launcher. It's essentially a set of small apps, each of which performs some function—like play/pause or next track—so you can put them right on your home screen, launcher dock, or anywhere else you can attach shortcuts.

The app is still in development, and not yet available in the Market, but you can head over to the XDA-Developers forums and grab a copy of the app as-is right now. It works great; there are currently play/pause, next and previous track buttons, and a helpful fellow on the thread has created some icons to make them look a bit nicer.

To install it, just download the zip file to your SD card. You'll need a file manager like previously mentioned Astro to access them, and you can just install each package separately by tapping it (you'll need to make sure you have "Unknown sources" checked in Settings > Applications, though). Then, you can add them to your home screen or launcher as you would add any other app. Hit the link to check it out.

Remoter is a free download for Android devices. It only works with the default Android music player at the moment, and you'll need an account at the XDA-Developers forums to download the file. It only takes a moment and I highly recommend getting one anyways—there's a lot of great Android stuff to be found on that forum.

[APP] Music Controls as APP - Remoter [via Talk Android]

Apple's 27-Inch LED Cinema Display is Now Available [Apple]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5640586/apples-27+inch-led-cinema-display-is-now-available

Apple's 27-Inch LED Cinema Display is Now Available It took a good month and a half, but today Apple stocked its virtual storefront with the 27-inch LED Cinema Display. Shipping will take between 1 - 2 weeks for the $999 monitor. [Apple via @gaberivera]

Google Video Chat Goes High-Res, For Double Chins 'N All [Google]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5640793/google-video-chat-goes-high+res-for-double-chins-n-all

Google Video Chat Goes High-Res, For Double Chins 'N All As part of a new Labs feature for higher-res video in Gmail Chat, you will now see even more of your chat partner—double chins, warts, you name it. The chat window will also increase in size. [Gmail Blog]

And the Most Ridiculous Photochopping Award Goes To... [Photoshop]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5640825/and-the-most-ridiculous-photochopping-award-goes-to

...Al-Ahram! Egypt's state-run and largest newspaper, whose editors weren't happy to see their Big Boss—President Hosni Mubarak—in the last place of this photo at the White House. Thankfully, Photoshop made him win the race, even beating President Obama.

The photo was taken by Pablo Martinez Monsivais of the Associated Press, during last Wednesday peace talks in Washington, D.C. The Middle Eastern leaders—Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Palestine President Mahmoud Abbas and King Abdullah of Jordan—were being
guided to the East Room of the White House by President Obama.

In Egypt, however, Mubarak was guiding all of them, which is what happens in a country where they have a state-run newspaper and the President is President since 1981. The editors of 1-million-reader Al-Ahram could have put him leveled with King Abdullah II of Jordan—on the right of the image—but no, they wanted their beloved leader to be ahead of Obama himself. [Copydesk]

Pi Calculated to Five-Trillionth Number by Yahoo! Employee [PI]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5640833/pi-calculated-to-five+trillionth-number-by-yahoo-employee

Pi Calculated to Five-Trillionth Number by Yahoo! Employee So, this is what Yahoo! employees do during work hours? Crack Pi records, using 1,000 of Yahoo!'s computers over 23 days? Glad to see they're working hard on simplifying what their company actually does...

Last time we heard of the Pi record being broken, a Japanese man calculated the five trillionth digit as being "2," using a custom-built computer (pictured).

The 2,000,000,000,000,000th (two quadrillionth) digit? It's a "0," according to Nicholas Sze, at Yahoo!. [BBC]

HDCP Master Key Is Real, But It Won't Do You Much Good [Security]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5640907/hdcp-master-key-is-real-but-it-wont-do-you-much-good

HDCP Master Key Is Real, But It Won't Do You Much Good Intel confirmed that the HDCP "master key" posted anonymously last week is indeed real. But while it's always fun to see restrictive security measures get picked apart, this particular crack probably won't do you a whole lot of good.

CNET talked to all types of security folk to get the scoop on the implications of the leaked key, and while Cryptography Research president Paul Kocher says it'll let you "play god for this protocol,"—designed to protect content as it's beamed from set top boxes and Blu-ray players to HDTVs over HDMI—what the key really means is that a few years down the line there could be some hardware boxes that'll be able to create perfect bit for bit digital copies of HDCP-protected movies and broadcasts.

HDCP, short for High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection, is built directly into the chips in TVs and Blu-ray players, an Intel spokesperson explained, and to reap the benefits of the key you'd have to "implement them in silicon...a difficult and costly thing to do." Of course, Intel's still pushing ahead with the technology, which they license to all sorts of hardware manufacturers, so it's in their best interest to downplay the significance of the key making it into the wild.

But for those up to speed in the cryptology world, the appearance of the key is of little surprise. In 2001, researchers at Carnegie Mellon determined that only 39 HDCP-equipped devices would be required to reverse engineer the master key. So it's been something of an inevitability that someone would figure out the "master key"—the idea of a "master key" in any context is pretty enticing—but for now there will still be far easier ways for media pirates to do their pirating. [CNET]

Samsung Galaxy Tab loses voice capabilities in the US

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/16/samsung-galaxy-tab-loses-voice-capabilities-in-the-us/

Bad news, folks: not only is the Sprint Samsung Galaxy Tab a 3G-only device, but Samsung just confirmed to us that telephony was cut out of the Tab for the US market. That means you won't be able to pair up a Bluetooth headset and use the Tab as a really large phone like you can on the Euro model. That's super lame -- telephony features might have been the only way the inevitable two-year carrier contract would have been justifiable. Suffice to say, we're even more curious to hear about official pricing now, but it doesn't look like we'll be getting it until Samsung and its carrier partners are good and ready. We'll let you know.

Samsung Galaxy Tab loses voice capabilities in the US originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 16 Sep 2010 20:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | | Email this | Comments

Toshiba slims down its LED lit HDTVs with UL605, SL400 series

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/16/toshiba-slims-down-its-led-lit-hdtvs-with-ul605-sl400-series/

Just because it's introducing its new 3DTVs to an unsupecting US populace this fall doesn't mean Toshiba has forgotten about sets that come in slightly lower on the price and feature scale. The UX600 series that just launched this year is already getting a refresh -- now dubbed the UL605 series, these LCD HDTVs keep the edge lit LED lighting, but in a slimmer frame. NET TV widgets are still in effect bringing DLNA access, VUDU, Facebook and Twitter, all of which connect easier to the 55- ($2,499), 46- ($1,699) and 40-inch ($1,399) TVs with an included WiFi dongle. After that, the SL400 series drops all extra frills for a simple edge LED lit TV with two HDMI inputs in smaller sizes from 19- to 32-inch versions for between $399 and $649. More details on spcs and pricing follow after the break, these should be popping up on shelves locally any day now.

Gallery: Toshiba UL605, SL400 series HDTVs

Continue reading Toshiba slims down its LED lit HDTVs with UL605, SL400 series

Toshiba slims down its LED lit HDTVs with UL605, SL400 series originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 16 Sep 2010 21:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | | Email this | Comments

Confirmed: Intel says HDCP 'master key' crack is real

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/16/confirmed-intel-says-hdcp-master-key-crack-is-real/

It's been just a few days since we broke news of the HDCP master key crack -- a rogue unlocking of the code that keeps HD content under strict control. Now Intel has independently confirmed to both Fox News and CNET that the code is indeed the genuine article. According to company spokesman Tom Waldrop, "It does appear to be a master key," adding that "What we have confirmed through testing is that you can derive keys for devices from this published material that do work with the keys produced by our security technology... this circumvention does appear to work." Coming from the company that developed and propagated the protocol, that's about as clear as you can get.

If Intel is worried about the potential damage to copyrighted material and a new flood of super high-quality pirated material, however, the company certainly isn't showing it. "For someone to use this information to unlock anything, they would have to implement it in silicon -- make a computer chip," Waldrop told Fox News, and that chip would have to live on a dedicated piece of hardware -- something Intel doesn't think is likely to happen in any substantial way. Of course, like any major corporation, Intel seems prepared to duke things out in the legal arena should any super-rich hackers decide to do the unthinkable. So, to the Batcave then?

Confirmed: Intel says HDCP 'master key' crack is real originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 16 Sep 2010 22:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | source

source

Fox News, CNET | Email this | Comments

Dell Inspiron Duo touched for the very first time

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/16/dell-inspiron-duo-touched-for-the-very-first-time/

Yeah, you made me feel, shiny and new... We digress. That's jkkmobile's finger in the photo above, testing out Microsoft Surface Globe on the Dell Inspiron Duo convertible's swiveling 10-inch screen -- a rite of passage that you can watch after the break in all its low-res glory. We're seriously jealous of this dude right now, but thankful that he discovered a few more facts about the device: for one, that swivel only spins in one direction, and for another, we're looking at a capacitive multitouch screen. We still don't know what those sensors are on the left side of the netbook's clamshell frame nor what resolution that webcam shoots at, but we do see a set of flaps on the left-hand side presumably concealing some ports, and what could be a flat removable battery pack on the bottom of the cherry-red unit. Video after the break.

Continue reading Dell Inspiron Duo touched for the very first time

Dell Inspiron Duo touched for the very first time originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 16 Sep 2010 22:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | source

source

jkkmobile | Email this | Comments

New Apple TV's iOS can be jailbroken and made to run apps?

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/17/new-apple-tv-runs-ios-could-be-jailbroken-for-apps/

Remember the mysterious reference to iProd 2,1 that appeared in the iPad's code? We thought it might be a new CDMA or camera-equipped iPad, but it just might have been the new iOS-based Apple TV instead. Diving through the iOS 4.2 beta, a TUAW tipster allegedly uncovered the above key, which hints that we might have been right about the device's app potential all along. Though Apple may rely on a simpler media streaming UI for the home theater to enhance accessibility and ease of use, there's always the chance the community might jailbreak the $99 set-top box to do far greater things. While you wait with bated breath for confirmation of this wondrous possibility, why not check out our Apple TV hands-on?

New Apple TV's iOS can be jailbroken and made to run apps? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Sep 2010 01:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | source

source

TUAW | Email this | Comments

Apple's 27-inch Cinema Display is now shipping

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/17/apples-27-inch-cinema-display-is-now-shipping/

Your favorite fruit-flavored company couldn't stand idly by and let Dell take all the IPS glory this week. Apple's 27-inch Cinema Display, announced in late July, has at long last been set free to venture forth and mesmerize people with its glossy screen and 2560 x 1440 resolution. The entry fee is set at $999, though deliveries will take a pretty glacial one to two weeks to reach your porch.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Apple's 27-inch Cinema Display is now shipping originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Sep 2010 05:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | source

source

Apple | Email this | Comments

Brother's AirScouter floats a 16-inch display onto your eye biscuit (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/17/brothers-airscouter-floats-a-16-inch-display-onto-your-eye-bisc/

First announced in July, Brother's updated AirScouter wearable display is finally getting its first live demonstration at Brother World in Japan. The prototype Retinal Imaging Display (RID) projects safe, fast-moving light directly onto your retina that appears to the viewer as a 16-inch display floating transparently at a distance of about 3 feet. The tech used by Brother was harvested from its own optical system technologies found in laser and inkjet printers. Brother plans to launch the AirScouter for industrial uses in Japan where the glasses could overlay operating manuals onto machinery, for example. Later, Brother plans to adopt its RID tech into consumer products worldwide making for a more immersive (and practical) augmented reality experience.

Continue reading Brother's AirScouter floats a 16-inch display onto your eye biscuit (video)

Brother's AirScouter floats a 16-inch display onto your eye biscuit (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Sep 2010 05:35:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

CrunchGear | source

source

DigInfo (YouTube), Brother | Email this | Comments

LG's FB614M micro stereo plays DVDs, streams tunes, fits nicely in your pal's spaceship

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/17/lgs-fb614m-micro-stereo-plays-dvds-streams-tunes-fits-nicely/

We've seen our fair share of funky micro stereos over the years, but LG's latest just might be the most bodacious yet. Curvaceous and compact, the FB614M all-in-one system is ready for every DVD and CD you could toss at it, and streaming jams from your phone or PMP won't be an issue so long as your device is equipped with a little-known protocol by the name of Bluetooth. Naturally, there's an iDevice dock up top as well as a touch sensitive control dial, and the inbuilt USB ensures that most every other player is well taken care of, too. Your guess is as good as ours when it comes to wattage and sound quality, but South Koreans can find out themselves later this week for ₩299,000 ($257).

LG's FB614M micro stereo plays DVDs, streams tunes, fits nicely in your pal's spaceship originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Sep 2010 08:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Engadget Korea, Akihabara News |

Hankyung | Email this | Comments

Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)