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No more Longhorn. Enter Windows Vista
http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2005/jul05/07-22LHMA.mspx


Check for unsigned drivers in XP
If you want to check if your any of your drivers are not signed, you can use "sigverif.exe"

1. Click Start, click Run, type sigverif, and then click OK.

2.Click Advanced, click Look for other files that are not digitally signed, navigate to the Winnt\System32\Drivers folder, and then click OK.

3.Click Start.


Free XP Tweak Softwares
Want to tweak for performance and stability? Or just for games? Check out Safe XP & Game XP @ http://theorica.mirrorz.com/

http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,121823,tk,cx071405a,00.asp

For a bit of its nine-year history, Palm Computing got a hit when it released the Pilot Organizer. Then it was bought by US Robotics, then gobbled up by 3Com. Palm's founders resigned and formed Handspring, a direct competitor for Palm. 3Com split Palm into PalmOne (hardware) and PalmSource (Software).

Handspring goes back to Palm....and they will all be called PALM. Exciting company isn't it? :)

Not much technology adventuring for me this past week. I've been reading Dan Brown's Da Vinci Code, playing Gunz, DOTA and San Mig Light Draft!

Well, just have time playing gunz a few hours a week but at least I'm now at Level 12. I still use the default shirt armor & pants, but upgraded everything else (while still saving for a good rifle). You can inconspicuously upgrade your HP & AP by buying boots, gloves & rings.

I love it when your opponents still think you're a noob in a room with players having lower to slightly above your level....and kicking their asses!

But on rooms when you have the lowest level it's a different story. They're all gunning after you looking for an easy kill! which I also like. you get more experience points killing opponents with higher levels.

I also find myself playing more on "sword fights only" rooms which I think is more fun to play. Takes longer to gain experience but that's not why I play Gunz.

Before I hated those dagger %$&*@^. But now I really enjoy fragging them for an easy kill! (well, not all of them)

There's also this interesting room type called "Honorable Sword Fights only". It's a swords only deathmatch solo.....but 1vs1 only. "How do you do that in DM solo? you only enter then kill anyone in sight! The match is initiated by bowing first and getting an acknowledged bow in return (type "/bow"). That's the only time you start fighting.....The way of the Samurai. :)


After all of that,...had a bit of a celebration this weekend drinking San Mig Light Draft! I remember my college days of sanmig draft but SanMig Light Draft was even better! (not a paid advertisement. Hey, but if you want to...)
....We had 1 keg, 8 persons.




Ok, at least I tried reading some IT news....
Amazon.com turns 10. 'THE' Internet e-commerce king. Read it here.

Goodbye Windows 2000, now OS/2? (It's about time!)
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2005/071505-ibm-os2.html

Next High capacity storage media...HD-DVD or Blu-Ray DVD?
http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,121822,00.asp
Me, I just like the Blu-Ray because of its higher capacity. But I'm sure HD-DVD will be cheaper. Cheaper meaning it will be more acceptable in the local market.

DOTA
A new map is here v6.10. For starters, a new hero & Faceless Void remake.

The new scourge Hero (Invoker) is fun to play. He's like the ultimate caster boasting of 27 spells! Yeah, you heard that right, 27 spells. But you can only use one at a time. (Here's a tip Guinsoo-Chaos Meteor-Firebolt combo rules!)

Gunz Online
I just found out that network code for Gunz International SUCKS! there's no central server to synchronize battle operations (movement, shoot/slash/locus points and even items) So you connect & send network messages to all users you are playing with. (Talk about lag, a resource hog and very prone to hacking!) That's why they clearly state that Gunz Beta does not yet support NAT/Firewall setups.

But I still like the game tho' :) And I've read that this is not the same w/ Korean server, so most probably after the beta this will not be an issue.

RayCrash
Here's an upcoming hit online game...RayCrash. A Mech Battle Online action game. Check it out at http://www.raycrash.net.sg/


[thoughts]
Some local organization should really push online games development here in the philippines. We've got the right designers & animators, talented programmers & enough user base. (Well, VCs are another story) :P

GunzOnline.com
What can I say,...many refer to this Online 3rd person shooter as a cross between Counter Strike & Devil May Cry. I say, shooting from CS, dodging from Max Payne (w/o the bullet time) and dashing/jumping/slashing from Devil May Cry.

My first time playing and I got to Lvl 5.

Microsoft ® Windows Server ™ 2003 Performance Advisor

"which is a simple but robust tool that helps you diagnose the root causes of performance problems in a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 deployment. Server Performance Advisor collects performance data and generates comprehensive diagnostic reports that give you the data to easily analyze problems and develop corrective actions"


Microsoft USB Flash Drive Manager

"USB Flash Drives are also a great option for saving information and share it with others. When you have many things to save and share but you have a limited number of USB Flash Drives, you will need to backup the information and restore it when needed. This is where the Microsoft USB Flash Drive Manager application can help you. The Microsoft USB Flash Drive Manager will help you backup and restore presentation, pictures, songs and applications from and to USB Flash Drive devices and take them with you. The application can also help you to classify and name USB Flash Drives images (for instance "My network configuration" or "The pictures for my grandma") and lets you see this name whenever the USB Flash Drive is plugged into the computer."

With the mainstream support for Windows 2000 over.
Get your "Update Rollup 1 for Windows 2000 SP4" here

..And about the remaining "security related only" support. They will still be giving it out for free until March 31, 2010.