Category Archives: Technology
Tech Update: The Land Of Graphics
NVIDIA
The latest news from NVIDIA involves the release of their latest graphics card and the soon-to-be-released new core.
NVIDIA has just released the GeForce GTX 275, which is like a trimmed down GTX 285 and is the equivalent of a single GPU concealed in the Dual-GPU Card, the GTX 295. NVIDIA released this to battle and counter ATI’s card, the Radeon 4890. This card fills the gap between the GTX 260+ and the 285. It has 240 stream processors and a 448-bit memory bus width; its core is clocked at 633MHz; its memory clocked at 2268 MHz DDR and its shaders at 1404MHz. It contains a GT200 core, like all currently released modern-day cards.
The 275 and the 4890 are very similar in performance but the 275 is a bit more expensive than the 4890 currently.
Leaked information says that NVIDIA is releasing a new core: the GT300. I’m not completely confident about the current specifics, but it’s probably similar to what it will be.
The GT300′s structure will be completely different unlike the GT200′s, whose architecture was similar to the GT100 but just updated and a bit better. It also moves from the SIMD to the MIMDstructure.
SIMD stands for Single Instruction Multiple Data and is currently used by both ATI and NVIDIA companies. MMID stands for Multiple Instruction Multiple Data (as you may have probably guessed) and is completely different to the GT200, making it quite revolutionary. The major difference is that it makes your GPU being able to perform tasks which previously had to be performed by your CPU, making it more versatile.
No one really knows the core frequency yet, and probably won’t until NVIDIA actually releases news on the GT300, but tech experts believe that it should nearly double performance (which is pretty spectacular). It’ll probably have up to 512 shader cores in groups of 32 and be built on a 40nm process. It’s also said that it’s going to supporty DirectX 11. I’m really excited about this new core!
ATI/AMD
AMD has just released the RV740, which only comes with their latest card: the Radeon 4770. It is to counter the 9800 GT. It has 60 shader cores running at 850MHz, 512MB of GDDR5 RAM at 3200MHz but has a skinny memory bus of 128-bit, but the 4770 is still a monster. It has a 6-pin power connector and its core is a 40nm process.
Other than its new core size, the 4770 is most easily compared to the Radeon 4830. They both have the same number of stream processors but the 4770 runs it at a higher frequency. However, the 4770′s slim 128-bit memory bus can be countered by its super fast GDDR5 RAM. The 4770 is only a bit more expensive than the 9800 GT, maybe $15 more.
The 4770 still performs very well, and it beats the 4830 in tests for frame rates and is only about slower than the 4850. It also outperforms the 9800 GT just slightly.
The New iPhone 3.0. Update – Unlock and Jailbreak…Windows…2G/3G/3GS
Its been a really long time since I last posted here. But I feel it’s my duty to keep the ‘Underground Community’ informed about the information I have access to. Personally, I feel that the ‘Underground’ has lost its true meaning, its sense of presence – after 3 WordPress bans and removing of ’Objectionable’ Content on the blog. I still believe that V1 i.e. this blog is a better way to communicate with the community rather than V2 as this blog is better known. Also, I feel that this ‘ban’ has limited my potential in terms of a writer here.
iPhone 3.0 Explained
Now to move on to the topic for which this post was actually written. I’m sure that most of you have heard of the new 3.0 update from Apple to the iPhone; and the subsequent release 3.0.1. If you have not, then let me give you a brief expansion:
The iPhone 3.0 update came out with the iPhone 3GS on June 17, 2009. It can be compared to the Windows 7 release: much awaited features were added which increased stability and enchanced user experiece. Apple finally incorporated many of the features we asked for 
Among them, some are:
- Copy and Paste Text
- Copy and Paste Photos
- Search Spotlight – Search your iPhone for anything
- Search in mail, Calendar and iPod
- Landscape Keyboard in SMS, Mail and Notes
- Multimedia Messaging or MMS
- Support for new Calendar types
- Improved Stocks Application
- Connect iPhones/iTouches with bluetooth
- Notes syncing with iTunes
[How To] Use Emerge Desktop – A Novice’s Guide to Greatness
Revisions:
5-9-09: Initial Release. More rev’s to come to do into more specifics, screenshots, and third party tools!
Are you a PC enthusiast? Does the thought of customizing your PC the way you want it to appear give you shivers down your spine at the mere thought of it? Of course! Why do you think websites such as customize.org, deviantart.com, and interfacelift.com exists? These type of websites can give you themes, wallpapers, and additional items to trick out your desktop.
As a Window’s user, I am getting sick of my Windows XP desktop. There are programs called Windows Shell Alternatives, in which they replace the entire GUI of Windows with a different interface. For some, this might be disorienting in the beginning, but after a while, you get used to it. In today’s guide, I show you one of my favorite open source Windows Shell Replacements – Emerge Desktop!
[How To] Determine DVD Class Media
Revisions:
12-26-09: Added new Youtube link.
11-28-12: Fixed youtube video link.
This video was made because I was sick of people asking why their DVD+R or DVD-R discs do not work in their PS2. By watching this video, you will have the knowledge to determine if you are using quality media or not.
[How To] Use Bittorrent – Utorrent
Update 4-5-09: Added another youtube video explaining Utorrent options more in depth.
I love Bittorrent. Bittorrent is an extremely efficient method of using P2P technology to distribute files across the Internet to the masses. This post is not a lesson on the technology behind bittorrent. Instead, I am going to show you what you need and how you can start finding software (among other things) on the Internet. Please note that Bittorrent itself is a legal medium, but the content that you download with Bittorrent may not. This is a tool, and I am not held responsible for how you use it.
Tools:
Need a Bittorrent client. I recommend utorrent. Find it at www.utorrent.com
Get the latest version. After installing it, it will look like the screen shot below:
Now afterwards you need what is considered a Torrent file. This is a small 1kb file that tells your Bittorrent client how to download the file. If you go to http://www.torrentz.com and search for Ubuntu, you will see many links. I happened to find a link and download it off of mininova.org.
After you add it to your torrent client, the file will start downloading. Once the file finishes downloading, you can then decide what you want to do whether that is install the program, or burn it to a disc.
What is important to achieve faster Bittorrent speeds is to enable the ports on your router. For a good guide on this, go to www.portforward.com and find the utorrent guide for your router.
When you go to the speed guide in Utorrent, you can specify a manual port:
To see a video of this in action, watch my video below for a quick tutorial on how to setup yourself for Bittorrent usage and port forwarding.
Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Mdpb5FH5tY
Below is another video going into some of the other utorrent options.
How to Jailbreak the iPod Touch 2G [2.2.1]
Hey guys.
So if you own an iPod Touch 2G (i’ll be lazy and might write touch), never fear, the jailbreak is finally here!
Ok, that’s not strictly true. The jailbreak has been around for awhile, but it was the tethered version, which required you to connect your touch to the computer every time you wanted to reboot.
A few days ago, someone was finally able to crack the final layer and make it such that you don’t need to tether the touch anymore. A few hours later, a program called QuickFreedom was built as a GUI to allow jailbreak.
All you will need is:
-iPod Touch 2.2.1 firmware, which you can download online, through iTunes, or through QuickFreedom itself.
-LIBUSB (which you can install through QuickFreedom)
-an iPod Touch 2G (obviously.)
QuickFreedom works in a 5 step process, it’s actually not too hard to do.
Step 1:
You can download and install all the software you need from QuickFreedom, just make sure to refresh or restart the program when you do that so you can go onward, otherwise you will be stuck here.
Step 2:
Select your options and create a custom firmware. You can save it wherever you want, and you can add a custom bootscreen as well. When I did this, I didn’t use a custom bootscreen, but it should work fine.
Step 3:
This is the pre jailbreak. This was the hardest step for me, I don’t really know why. The whole trick is to get the touch into DFU mode. You can follow the DFU instructions, but it seemed almost impossible to use that, so I just ended up doing the DFU in various ways until I got it. I left iTunes open for the entire process, so you can use it as a check to see if you are doing it properly. It is my guess that QuickFreedom does not detect the DFU perfectly everytime since it told me that I was in DFU but would not let me proceed. Keep at it, you’ll eventually get there.
Here what I finally did at the end. It doesn’t matter if the iPod is on or off.
To do the DFU, hold the Power and Home buttons down for 10 seconds.
After 10 seconds, release the Power button and continue holding the Home button for 8 to 10 more seconds. At some point, iTunes should find an iPod in recovery mode unless you disconnected the iPod. I orginally tried doing this by turning off first, but in the end, I’m not too sure if that really mattered because my touch was in some limbo state between going on and off.
After you DFU, start the pre-jailbreak. WAIT. This is a mistake I almost made and got really lucky on. The log is there to help you, so read it! Do not go onward until you read that the patch was installed correctly. I almost started the next step before the patch was completely installed, this might screw things up, so just be careful.
Step 4:
Using iTunes, install the new software firmware that you built. Hold SHIFT and click Restore in iTunes, and find the custom firmware you built. Let the software install. It might take some time.
Step 5:
You are done! The touch should be jailbroken with Cydia and Installer. Have fun!
Some interesting notes:
I was not able to install more than 9 full pages of apps. I think that’s the limit. At 16 apps per page, thats 144 + 4 (from the dock) to total at 148. I haven’t tested this out, but you can probably use categories from Cydia to put all the apps in folders and get around this. Apps will still be there, but they are hidden away and will only appear if there is some more space (aka deleting old apps).
Thanks to the guys who made QuickFreedom and for http://proudofmylife.net, whose pictures I just copied because I was too lazy to screenshot my own in XP with Jing. If there is a problem, contact us.
Anyway, if you have questions, feel free to ask away! This worked perfectly for me and I’m happy with the results.
Voltaire.
F.lux – Self-Adjusting Monitor Brightness
Let’s face it, a lot of us are using computers longer than we need to. Whether you are at work, or at home, staring at a bright screen all day long can be tiresome and annoying to your eyes. Ever been in a situation where it is 1am in the morning, and you know should sleep, but you don’t feel tired because you got “sunlight’ radiating from your monitor?
F.lux is a neat program that will adjust the brightness of your monitor according to the time of day. If it is early in the morning, the screen is super brite. As the day progresses, the LCD screen starts to tint a faint orange and the screen becomes more natural and soothing to the eyes. Check it out here.
FREE – 250 GB File Hosting Account at FileDropper ($10 Monthly Value) – SlickDeals.net Forums
FREE – 250 GB File Hosting Account at FileDropper ($10 Monthly Value)
For a limited time, till January 15th, FileDropper is bringing back the free file hosting accounts special.
The link is here http://www.filedropper.com/green-project.php
This is for a 250GB File Hosting account ($10 monthly value) absolutely free.
via FREE – 250 GB File Hosting Account at FileDropper ($10 Monthly Value) – SlickDeals.net Forums.
Props to go Voltaire for letting me in on this secret. Check out my proof below:
Look at my space, its real!
Pabswikk’s Monotonous Speeches [PMS]
Hello! Welcome to the latest edition of my posts.
As people who read my last post will know, this post is about the:
Console Wars!
As Christmas approaches, happy parents shop dilligently for the consoles their children want so badly.
New deal at Target: You can now buy the Nintendo Wii using only your soul as currency
So that all you readers can beg your parents/friends/lovers/God to get you the right one I am going to give a brief summary of the strengths and weaknesses of each of the three contenders. I will give each a rating out of 5 stars.
Nintendo Wii.
The release of this console led to every guy to ask the nearest girl to 'Play with his Wii'
Now, ridiculous name aside, I’m sure alot of you know more about Wii than I do. Hell I barely even play with my Wii anymore. I mean, wii all have one right? It’s definitely the cheapest and has the potential to give the most fun.
Whilst playing with my Wii, I realised that the companies other than Nintendo who were making games weren’t using the console effectively. With it’s motion sensing technology, I’m sure many consumers thought ‘OMFG SWORDFIGHTS’ One company realised what was going through every man’s mind and made ‘Red Steel’. I felt….underwhelmed with this game. And after the first 2 months of having the console I’d stopped playing. The Guitar Hero was released, and I played for another month. Now Christmas is approaching again, and I see no possible reason to get back into playing. But the point remains. This console can be fun, and is best used to have a laugh with mates. The graphics aren’t great, but graphics aren’t everything. It’s relatively cheap, can be fun and has a great name. Just don’t expect it to deliver all your gaming needs if you’re a hardcore gamer.
Final Verdict: * * *
A solid Three stars. Fun, accessible, and great for parties. And the controller is multi-use!
Xbox 360
You know why they call it the Xbox 360? Cos you see it, turn 360 degrees, and walk away.
Ok, that was a poor pun, but the xbox does have one reason people walk away from the it:
The Red Ring of DOOOOOOM.
Xbox has the worst figures when it comes to breaking down. Something in the region of 40% of all Xboxes collapse within a year of purchase.
The good news is its become so much cheaper in the past few years, and it has a huuuuuuuuuuge range of games. It’s got more exclusives than the other two consoles and good internet access. It’s made for the casual gamer. Something you can play with mates, or by yourself, and not be a total geek. Good graphics as well, as good as anyone needs, and can also play DVDs. Unfortunately they lost the ‘High Def’ Vs ‘Blu Ray’ war, meaning that you can’t fully utilise their movie playing features.
Final Verdict: * * * *
This console has alot going for it, and will provide endless hours of entertainment. Possibly the best fact is that most gamers have one, so you and your friends can play over Xbox LIVE. Unfortunately that has a subscription fee, and the console is prone to breaking down.
Playstation 3
.jpg "PS3")
Am I the only one who feels threatened by this picture?
Ok. It’s the best console. Full stop. Best graphics, best hardware, and perhaps even the best looking. So why is it the least purchased?
The hardware is years ahead of it’s time. It won’t be until roughly 2012 that we see consoles matching it.
I can’t really diss this console, but I can point out why it’s not selling (And perhaps why it’s a bad purchase)
1) Not enough games. The same games are on this console as are on the xbox 360, albeit less of them
2) Companies aren’t maximising the consoles potential. The graphics on most games are xbox 360 standard.
3) It’s just too damn expensive. Full stop. Not worth the money.
Final Verdict: * * *
Give it a few years, wait for the price to drop more, then it will be worth it.
So in conclusion, what do I think you should play your games on?
Suck it conventional game consoles!
Yes. The PC.
Why do I choose this?
It’s got the most games, the best multiplayer games, and free internet play, if you have internet OFC.
It also can have splendid graphics, if you choose to splash some money. but even some lower end computers can play iconic modern games, on low grahphic settings. Everyone has a computer, making it easy to get started. All you need to do is going out and buy some goddamn games.
Also it has the easiest purchasing of games. For instance STEAM is cheap, and all your games are downloaded and stay on your account.
Next time on P M S:
The names Bond. James Bond
HUM THE THEME TUNE NOW!
Windows 7 Beta – Build 6801
I did it. After 17 hours on bittorrent, I now have Windows 7 beta 6801 installed in VMWare. It takes up 2.20 gigs of hard drive space, so not bad so far.
Above are screenshots of some of Windows 7. It really does look like Vista, but it has some new features like the “Aero Shake” and the Peeking. Please note that the “Peeking” feature is not part of this build, and that the new toolbar was enabeled through a hack. So far I am running the OS in VMware, and it works fine.
I may install it into a real parition and try it out for a couple days. Please note that this is not a stable version, so it should only be used for testing purposes.
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