How will HTML 5 change the Web?

How will HTML 5 change the Web? by ZDNet's Dana Blankenhorn -- The process, which began back in October 2005, has now reached the point of a public working draft which reveals major changes to how the syntax, the language, and how APIs connect.

The real antivirus programs

Deadly diseases outbreaks always seem to be grabbing the headlines, and many readers may be wondering if there is anything they can do to help counter these terrible threats.

Sure, you could donate to health charities or research institutions, or maybe even lobby the government for more health spending, but there's a more direct way you can help.

You could participate in various research projects which harness the unused processing power in millions of idle PCs located in homes and offices.

LOOKING FOR CURES: Drug Design and Optimization Lab (D2OL) is a distributed computing project with the goal of discovering drug candidates to fight SARS, avian flu, anthrax, and other diseases.

Pharmaceutical companies and research institutions are using an innovation called grid computing (also known as distributed computing), which runs life sciences research on millions of Internet-connected PCs owned by volunteers from around the world, thus creating a kind of "decentralised supercomputer."

There are currently grid computing projects to combat AIDS, cancer, SARS, avian flu, Ebola, smallpox, anthrax and other afflictions.

Anyone with a relatively fast computer and Internet access can take part in these projects merely by downloading and installing a small program (see Getting Involved).

Established method

While the use of grid computing for finding new drugs is relatively new, the underlying research methods are already well established. Scientists have used computer simulations in the drug discovery process for many years.

First, possible drug targets are identified from disease-causing microbes. Then scientists employ a process called virtual screening (also called silico screening or computational screening) which simulates the binding of millions of different drug molecules against a specific microbe, and identifies promising combinations that can potentially kill the microbe.

The approach is analogous to testing many keys to identify the one that will work with a specific lock – only in this case there are millions upon millions of molecular keys.

Until recently, researchers could only rely on expensive supercomputers or Unix clusters to attain the processing power needed to run these complex and time-consuming simulations.

By taking advantage of grid technology, researchers hope to tap into the combined power of thousands or even millions of PCs, resulting in significant time savings.

Better yet, all this processing power can be had at almost no cost if researchers can recruit volunteers from around the world.

"It's only fitting that a distributed computer platform allows global participation to potentially prevent a global pandemic," says Wolfgang Hinz, head of computational chemistry at The Rothberg Institute in Connecticut, United States.

The Institute has set up a grid computing project as part of its evaluation of potential drug candidates against various infectious diseases.

Proponents of grid computing say the technology has revolutionised computational biology and other life sciences; while solution providers are making inroads into financial services, engineering, and chemical research.

ET phone home

The concept of grid computing with home PCs is not new either. It first emerged in the late 1990s through a project aimed at finding signs of alien intelligence.

The SETI@home project used Internet-connected computers to analyse radio telescope data in the search for extraterrestrial life (SETI).

The project is still ongoing and currently has more than 670,000 participants, making it one of the largest grid computing projects in the world.

Dr David Anderson, director of SETI@home, said the project grew out of a realisation that the average computer user only uses a fraction of the processing power in today's machines.

The computing needs of users have not grown to match their increasingly powerful PCs, he said in an interview with Astrobiology magazine.

Consider, for example, that an "entry level" PC nowadays uses a minimum Intel Celeron D 331 2.66GHz processor or its equivalent AMD Sempron 3200+ AM2 processor.

"In the 1980s and early 1990s, there was a gradual transition from a situation where computers were busy most or all of the time – like shared mainframes, or early slow PCs that laboured to keep up with basic tasks – to a situation where they were almost never busy," said Anderson.

Today, most people still use their PCs for wordprocessing, checking e-mail and web surfing – hardly taxing such powerful processors.

All that spare processing power is ideal for a grid computing project, be it the search for aliens or cures for diseases.

Some way to go

The potential power of grid computing was clearly demonstrated at the conclusion of the Anthrax Research Project in 2002, in which 3.57 billion molecules were screened for suitability as a treatment for advanced-stage anthrax.

Dr Graham Richards, chairman of the Chemistry Department at Oxford University, said the project was completed in only 24 days, and called the results "unprecedented."

"Had we done this using traditional methods, it would have taken years instead of less than four weeks," he said.

Still, participants in various life sciences projects should not expect quick cures to materialise from the current simulations. Virtual screening is only one of the early stages in a long progression of processes required to discover a new drug or therapy.

Once such drug candidates are identified using computational methods, they can be chemically synthesised in an actual laboratory, and are subjected to component analyses and tested in a battery of cell cultures.

This is then followed by years of testing for toxicology and side effects – a good biochemical reaction is not the sole requirement.

Very few molecules make it to the final stage of testing, which involves human trials conducted according to rigorous FDA (Food and Drug Administration) guidelines in the United States, for instance.

If successful, the compound is finally released as a prescription drug.

Due to the necessarily long validation process, it is not clear at this point whether drug candidates produced from grid computing will ultimately result in cures or vaccines.

Still, most researchers agree that grid computing can significantly increase the speed and scope of molecular research.

"Many pharmaceutical companies are starting to realise that grid computing can be an important source of competitive advantage in drug research and development," said Piush Patel, United Devices' director of global grid services, in an interview with GRIDtoday.

Better yet, it gives ordinary citizens a chance to contribute directly to disease-fighting efforts and scientific research, instead of merely living in fear of an invisible and unpredictable threat.

Windows 7: The Anti-Vista?

Windows 7: The Anti-Vista? by ZDNet's Mary Jo Foley -- Can Microsoft make everyone happy with Windows 7? Should it even try? What would you do, if you were on the team that's charged with "Shipping Seven"?

Virgin Galactic unveils SpaceShipTwo; Plans open architecture spaceship

Virgin Galactic unveils SpaceShipTwo; Plans open architecture spaceship by ZDNet's Larry Dignan -- Virgin Galactic on Wednesday unveiled designs for SpaceShipTwo and the WhiteKnightTwo, two vehicles that are designed to usher in private spaceflight. The technology behind the system will have an open architecture “like Linux,” said officials. In an event at the American Museum at Natural History in New York (see gallery right), Virgin Galactic unveiled the first [...]

Could Windows 7 be the best Windows yet?

Could Windows 7 be the best Windows yet? by ZDNet's Adrian Kingsley-Hughes -- Given all the feedback that Microsoft has had from Vista users (both negative and positive), could Windows 7 be the best version of Windows yet?

Webcams for Live Messenger

Home User Tuesday January 1, 2008

Webcams for Live Messenger

MICROSOFT has optimised its latest LifeCam webcams for Windows Live Messenger.

The VX-7000 for desktops and NX-3000 for notebooks have a dedicated button that easily initiates a video chat session in Windows Live Messenger.

Users can also control the webcams from within Live Messenger and perform actions such as pan, tilt, zoom and face tracking as well as add video effects.

The webcams also has a One-Touch Blogging button that allows users to post photos on Microsoft’s blogging and social networking site, Windows Live Spaces.

Plus, they can use the Photo Swap feature to easily exchange pictures during a video chat session.

The VX-7000 has a 2.0-megapixel camera that captures high-resolution videos and still images, the company claimed.

The webcam also features a built-in unidirectional microphone for better audio quality, a wide-angle lens, and a universal attachment base that will fit most monitors.

The NX-3000 has a 1.3-megapixel camera and a swivel lens, which allows users to easily point it in any direction. It also comes with a carrying case to protect it from scratches.

The VX-7000 retails for RM329 while the NX-3000 goes for RM199.

www.microsoft.com/hardware

Why does the MacBook Air make so many so dumb?

Why does the MacBook Air make so many so dumb? by ZDNet's David Morgenstern -- Believe it, Apple's new ultralight notebook is perfect technology. It's an elite product, something that seems appears to drive populist Mac fans crazy. But this notebook will be Apple's next step in a strategy to infiltrate the enterprise.

Jerry Yang offers sneak peak of Yahoo’s future: Life!

Jerry Yang offers sneak peak of Yahoo’s future: Life! by ZDNet's Dan Farber -- Yahoo co-founder and CEO Jerry Yang made his inaugural CES appearance, outlining how he plans to evolve his company ahead of the curve and to become an indispensable starting point for consumers’ Web experience, which has become richer and more complex over the last decade. “We call this Life with an exclamation point,” Yang said. [...]

Say 'No' to bundled apps!

Say “No!” to bundled apps! by ZDNet's Adrian Kingsley-Hughes -- You've gotta be careful when you install software nowadays - you install one thing and you end up with a couple of applications that you didn't expect to get. Welcome to the world of applications bundling, and it seems that everyone is doing it nowadays.

Spyware & Browser Hijack removal & links

Guide to Removing Spyware

This article is more of a preventive measure than a fix and will harden internet explorers security but at the same time retaining the functionality that IE has.

First in tools, internet options, advanced uncheck "Enable Install On Demand (Internet Explorer)" and "Enable Install On Demand (Other)" and "Enable Third-Party Browser Extensions (Requires Restart)" and choose apply and ok. Also ensure your internet security setting is at least medium (unless you know what you are doing and have made it custom).

Goto http://www.windowsupdate.com and make sure you have all the latest updates.

Then download Suns Java JRE from http://java.com/en/index.jsp (the link you want to hit is the "get it now" in the top right). Running Suns Java protects you because it has less exploited vulnerabilities than microsofts Java. Lots of spyware use holes in Microsofts java to install thier spyware so switching to Sun's closes a lot of holes.

>> Download: Sun Java

Then download Spybot Search and Destroy from http://www.safer-networking.org/ run it and make sure to let it download the newest updates. Now goto Spybots immunize function and under "permanent internet explorer immunity" choose immunize, then under "permanently running bad download blocker for internet explorer" select "ask for blocking confermation and choose install.

>> Download: Spybot S&D

Next, download spyware blaster from http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/spywareblaster.html run it and ensure it's fully updated. Now choose "select all" and then hit "Protect Against Checked Items". Just for reference all the items that are in red are items that Spybots immunize doesn't protect you against that's why you should use both programs.

>> Download: Spyware Blaster

Both Spybot search and destroy's immunize function and spyware blaster are one time set things, these programs no longer have to be running to keep you from getting infected with the stuff they block against. What they do is disallow any activeX program that's was known to them at the time you immunized from even running. With both Spybot and Spyware Blaster it is important that you check for updates every two weeks or so and re-immunize yourself when new updates are released to stay current. Spybot's other immunize function ("permanently running bad download blocker for internet explorer") installs a BHO that will ask you for permission to block other known bad BHO's from installing. BHO's are really not needed and fairly rare and most people only have the adobe acrobat BHO. You could have set this option to always block but I chose "ask for blocking confirmation" for those people that use something that I do not that uses a BHO.

Now download both DSOstop2 and HTAstop2003 from http://www.nsclean.com/freebies.html and run both of those.

>> Download: DSOstop2. HTAstop2003

In addition there's another great free utility that you can run but unlike everything above it has to always be open just like an antivirus called spywareguard from javacool. You can download it and run it as well to further increase your security against spyware if you choose. It's available here: http://www.wilderssecurity.net/spywareguard.html

>> Download: Spyware Guard

That should beef things up considerably. Having a good antivirus is also helpful because many of them are starting to add spyware to thier definitions, for instance my McAfee 8 caught that spyware trying to install.

I hope this helps you guys because these settings are pretty solid but at the same time loose enough that you can still have active scripting enabled and activeX. Granted you could disable those as well but at that point you might as well go download an old version of Mosiac browser because it isn't worth using IE with everything disabled.

Ad-Aware Personal: freeware adware removal tool
Trojan Defense Suite >> discontinued
Pest Patrol
Free Online Spyware Scanner and Cleaner
Bazooka Adware and Spyware Scanner

HijackThis
A general homepage hijackers detector and remover. Initially based on the article Hijacked!, but expanded with almost a dozen other checks against hijacker tricks. It is continually updated to detect and remove new hijacks. It does not target specific programs/URLs, just the methods used by hijackers to force you onto their sites. As a result, false positives are imminent and unless you are sure what you're doing, you should always consult with knowledgable folks (e.g. the forums) before deleting anything.
Download: Hijackthis
View: Homepage
View: Tutorial


CWShredder
A small utility for removing CoolWebSearch (aka CoolWwwSearch, YouFindAll, White-Pages.ws and a dozen other names). Spybot S&D and Ad-aware tend to forget essential parts of the hijack, so until they update, you can use this to completely remove the hijack. This program is updated to remove the new variants once they come out.

Download: http://www.trendmicro.com/ftp/products/onl.../cwshredder.exe

Browser Hijacking

Hijacking browser is a common problem for Internet Explorer users.
The browser had certain bug that allow people to modified the registry so that it will direct to some other page.
Hijacking browser is a serious matter.. But i learn a few tricks on how to fight no hijacking in no time at all.

Note: Hijacking browser only happen 99% in most cases for IE users.

How do you fall prey to a browser hijacking? There are numerous ways. Here are some common ones:

1. By installing software which changes your browser settings. This may happen with commercial software, but is much more common with freeware or adware.
2. By visiting a site which exploits a browser bug to change settings without your permission.
3. By visiting a site which persuades you to allow your settings to be changed, usually by offering freebies. When you accept the offer, your browser settings are changed or software installed. While such sites may tell you of their intentions, usually it’s in the fine print or couched in deceptive terms

And to the worst thing is spyware removal such as Spybot S&D won`t help much in repairing your hijack browser..

Reclaming hijack browser

These instructions involve editing the registry and other advanced techniques. Do not attempt these procedures without making proper backups (read Backing Up and Restoring the Windows Registry to learn how) and don’t attempt them at all if you’re not familiar with registry editing.

1. If you’ve been hijacked, you can reclaim your browser with a bit of work.
If your Control Panel’s Internet Options have been disabled, get them back by locating the file control.ini (use Start -> Find/Search to locate it). Open control.ini in Notepad and look for the lines:

[don’t load]
inetcpl.cpl=yes

Delete the second of these two lines, close and save the file and reboot your computer.

(IMG:http://www.geekgirls.com/images/Hijacked%20-%20Step%201.jpg)

2. Close any open Internet Explorer windows.
a. Click Start -> Run, type regedit and click OK to open the Registry Editor.
b. Navigate to:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Internet Explorer
If you find sub-folders called restricted or control panel, delete them.
Check for the same sub-folders in:HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\ Software\Policies\Microsoft\Internet Explorer and delete them, too, if they exist. Then close Regedit.

3. If your search pages have been redirected, re-establish the defaults:
a. Open the Registry Editor and navigate to:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main
Change the Search Page value to:
http://home.microsoft.com/access/allinone.asp
and, if it exists, change the Search Bar value to:
http://search.msn.com/spbasic.htm
b. Navigate to:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\SearchURL and change the default value to:
http://home.microsoft.com/access/autosearch.asp?p=%s
c. Navigate to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Search
Change the SearchAssistant value to:
http://ie.search.msn.com/{SUB_RFC1766}/srchasst/srchasst.htm
and change the CustomizeSearch value to:
http://ie.search.msn.com/{SUB_RFC1766}/srchasst/srchcust.htm

4. Reset your home page to your chosen page:
a. In Internet Explorer, choose Internet Options from the Tools Menu and, on the General tab, type in your preferred home page.
b. Do a search for any files with the extension HTA. If you find any such files, open each in turn in Notepad and see whether they contain a reference to the site which has hijacked your browser. Delete any HTA files which contain such a reference.
c. Locate the file HOSTS (it has no file extension) and open it in Notepad. Once again, look for any reference to the hijacking site. If you find any references, delete the lines containing those references.

5.
a. Click Start -> Run -> msconfig and check the programs under the Startup tab. If you find an entry which contains regedit.exe /s disable it, and disable other programs you know to be suspicious.
b. Still in msconfig, click the System.Ini tab and click the + beside [boot] to expand the section. Look for a line reading shell=explorer.exe. The line should read exactly that; delete any following commands, but make sure you leave shell=explorer.exe intact.
Note: If you’re using Windows NT, 2000 or XP, this information is contained in the registry key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\Shell
which should contain the value explorer.exe.
c. Click OK to exit from msconfig and reboot your system.

OK guys... There are alot of pop ups when you access certain says which says:-
Your Computer is not safe from Adwares or Spyware! Click here to download
Warning - if your computer has been running slower than usual, it maybe infected with adware or spyware.

Dun believe these links there are must probably adware or spyware itself. Just Ignore these popup and just close it.

One example is the attached picture

This post has been edited by benlye: Oct 4 2004, 09:26 AM

Attached thumbnail(s)


when all else fails you can install a trial of
Process Guard
it will then intercept each and every process that tries to start
(generally its installed on a known clean box and you just approve all these processes)
you can then allow, allow once, disallow or disallow once each process
this is enough to interrupt the most serious infection of not only spyware but truely serious malware infections

of course you need a clean or at least functional box to research which process is which
and then manually root them out (from the GUI, Safemode and sometime the commandline of the recovery console)

a list of potential startup processes > http://www.aros.net/~zaphod/startups.htm#A
Pest Patrol Research Library > http://www.pestpatrol.com/pestinfo/
googling individual processes is generally perferable however
Default Processes in W2K



How to manually unregister dlls (from Pest Patrol)

UnRegister DLLs

You can use the Regsvr32 tool (Regsvr32.exe) to register and unregister object linking and embedding (OLE) controls such as dynamic-link library (DLL) or ActiveX Controls (OCX) files that are self-registerable.

RegSvr32.exe has the following command-line options:

Regsvr32 [/u] [/n] [/i[:cmdline]] dllname

/u - Unregister server

/i - Call DllInstall passing it an optional [cmdline]; when used with /u calls dll uninstall
/n - do not call DllRegisterServer; this option must be used with /i

When you use Regsvr32.exe, it attempts to load the component and call its DLLSelfRegister function. If this attempt is successful, Regsvr32.exe displays a dialog indicating success. If the attempt is unsuccessful, Regsvr32.exe returns an error message, which may include a Win32 error code.

Example: To unregister Winshow's winshow.dll:

1. Click the Start button, and select Run
2. Enter this command line:

regsvr32 /u [systemroot]\winshow.dll

For example, in a Windows XP machine in which your systemroot was at c:\winnt, you would enter:

regsvr32 /u c:\winnt\winshow.dll

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
from the commandline you can also generally use %systemroot%

Good Luck, if a reinstall is the alternative,
be not afraid, and ruthlessly cull registry entries :P

the worse you can do is bork the registry
but its Ideal for you to have multiple backups of your registry
from a known good state, dig out the current infection and then replace
%systemroot%\WINNT\system32\config with your backup

Hottest Gadgets For 2008

Every year, gadgets come out that rock the foundations of what’s possible and bring us closer to the world of tomorrow. Last year’s top gadget was, absolutely, the iPhone, but this year we’re seeing glimpses of virtual reality, the beginning of the fully automated car, printing without ink, and the death of the written word. With that being said, here is a preview of the 10 gadgets that will have consumers reaching for their credit cards in 2008.

Number 10

Sony Network Sharing Camera

Where to get it: SonyStyle.com

What is it? This is a camera built for everyday life; it’s compact enough to take with you, it can shoot up to five hours of web-ready video and it switches to a 5-megapixel digital camera with the push of a button. The built-in software means uploading is easy, and you can transfer your videos to the web right away.

Hottest feature: The ability to shoot video and instantly expose it to an internet audience means any budding filmmaker can share his work right after the take.

Number 9

SanDisk Sansa TakeTV Video Player

Where to get it: BestBuy, Circuit City, Costco or Office Depot

What is it? Finally, you can take video from your computer and see it as it was meant to be seen -- on your TV. Just download the videos to the TakeTV flash drive and plug it into the TakeTV cradle for viewing. That’s it, no wires, cables or complicated hookups, just plug and play with the included remote.

Hottest feature: With the SanDisk Sansa TakeTV Video Player, your computer and your television become a harmonious unit. The ability to easily take video from your computer and watch it on your TV means that there are no more boundaries between these two technologies; leaving video to be seen as it was meant to be.

Number 8

Pantech Duo

Where to get it: In an AT&T store or online on the company’s website.

What is it? The Pantech Duo is a Windows Mobile 6 double slider phone that features a 12-key numeric keypad, a QWERTY-style keyboard that slides out of the device, and a 1.3-megapixel camera with 4x zoom. Enjoy e-mail, instant messaging and a full Microsoft Office Mobile package along with music and video at mobile broadband speeds. Lastly, the Duo’s data and voice capabilities allow you to talk and surf the web at the same time.

Hottest feature: The Pantech Duo is a full-service desktop computer fused with a multimedia phone. It’s the best of both worlds; for getting down to business during the week and then enjoying yourself with its entertainment capabilities, like the camera, music player and video player, on the weekends.

Number 7

Nike + iPod Sport Kit

Where to get it: The Apple Store or Nike Stores.

What is it? Stick the allotted sensor in your Nike+ shoes and during your workout you'll be able to track distance, time, pace, and calories burned. Plus, real-time verbal feedback makes your nano your personal coach, telling you milestones in your workout.

Hottest feature: In a country suffering from an obesity epidemic, there is finally an iPod accessory that has lasting benefits to overall health. The fact that the software can help coordinate your work out makes this the hottest iPod peripheral -- bar none.

The rest of the hottest gadgets for 2008...

Number 6

Slingbox SOLO

Where it’s available: A list of retailers as well as online purchasing details can be found at SlingMedia.com.

What is it? The latest model in the Slingbox arsenal, the SOLO allows you to watch your television television anywhere in the world, either through your laptop or your mobile phone. A streaming device that doesn’t require any monthly fees, the SOLO connects to equipment such as your DVR, satellite system or cable box to deliver HD-quality TV signals to anywhere in the world -- meaning you can watch your local news from a hotel in Bangladesh or a documentary on China in your office’s break room.

Hottest feature: The SOLO's easy-to-use software, SlingPlayer, allows laptop-users to watch their favorite programs and use programs like Microsoft Office at the same time.

Number 5

Intel Penryn

Where to get it: Initially, the Penryn is expected to be unleashed in next-generation Mac Pro desktop computers.

What is it? The Intel Penryn is the Core 2 Duo’s successor and the debut of processors clocked to 45 nm. It also includes the new SSE4 instructions, which speed up tasks -- such as video encoding -- to uncharted levels. Plus, it features the new Bearlake chipset and fabrication materials like the hafnium-dielectric. All of these elements combine to create a processor with a clock speed of 3.0GHz and an FSB of 1333MHz.

Hottest feature: Those who said processors couldn’t go any faster were wrong... so very wrong.

Number 4

ZINK Digital Camera/Printer

When you can get it: Go to ZINK.com to inquire about retailer locations.

What is it? Like a new-age Polaroid, the ZINK’s camera/printer allows you to take your digital shot, preview it and then print it on 2” x 3” paper, all in a matter of seconds.

Hottest feature: ZINK stands for “zero ink,” that means that there is no toner, ribbon or ink required. Instead, the camera heats the color-spectrum crystals embedded within the paper to bring the high-quality image to the surface. Like the Polaroid before it, this gadget could literally change how society takes and prints digital photos.

Number 3

Microsoft Sync

Where it’s available: Widely available on all high-end Ford and Mercury models, and standard on Lincoln models.

What is it? We’ve all seen the in-car, voice-activated phone, but Microsoft’s Sync kicks it up a few notches. For the first time, your iPod, cell phone, BlackBerry, and Zune can all be controlled with the sound of your voice -- thanks to an intricate voice-recognition system -- making for an entertaining in-car experience and a safe ride home.

Hottest feature: Now your car’s home entertainment system responds to your velvety vocal stylings, turning your car into possibly the closest we’re ever going to get to Knight Rider’s KITT.

Number 2

Wii Fit & Wii Balance Board

When it’s available: Expected to launch in North America in late 2008.

What is it? The active-play craze that began with Wii Sport now extends to the whole body with Wii Fit. Step onto the Balance Board and your Wii will input your body weight into its system and then allow you do to everything from aerobics to hula-hooping, while the character onscreen mimics your every movement.

Hottest feature: Work up a sweat on the Wii and, in the bigger picture, see home gaming technology move closer to fully realized virtual reality.

Number 1

Amazon Kindle

Where to get it: Amazon.com.

What is it? Weighing less than a paperback at 10.3 oz, Amazon’s new e-book reader includes 88,000 titles, with all bestsellers listed at $9.99. It can hold 200 titles at one time and has a battery life of up to a week without a recharge. It also includes exclusive subscriptions to top U.S. and international newspapers and magazines, 250 blogs, e-mail capability, and Wikipedia access. It’s a one stop shop for all things literary and it’s all delivered wirelessly in under a minute from the Kindle store.

Hottest feature: Not since the printing press has one product had the potential to affect the written word so drastically. With so many titles, blogs, newspapers, and the Amazon brand behind it, the Kindle could finally spell the death of the paperback as we know it.

the year of the gadget

So, there you have it, this year's hottest gadget is the Amazon Kindle, but there are still loads of questions to be answered: Will the Kindle take off and kill the book as a delivery system for information? Does Amazon really have enough brand recognition to finally make the e-book cool? Only time will tell.

Tech Tips From Teenagers

Teens are gadget-savvy because they have time to explore their gear without reading manuals. We asked them to share their top tips:

Say no to junk Minimise the spam you receive by using more than one e-mail address. ''I have an address for stuff I sign up to on the internet and one that I use properly,'' says Harry Browne, 15.

Clean up images ''My parents assume their camera's auto mode is all they need,'' says Rebecca Goldstein, 18. Instead, she advises using ''fill flash'' (activated via the lightning bolt button). This helps balance the amount of light when the subject is backlit or the contrast is too low or high.

Crush, then send Many adults e-mail photos without shrinking the resolution down to 72dpi (dots per inch), says Kate McCormack, 16. That's why a photo file can take forever to send. Make sure each attached file is 100kb or smaller.

Protect your phone ''Teenagers are always losing mobiles,'' says Natalie Sivolella, 16. ''Make a note of your phone's IMEI number.'' You can usually obtain this 15-digit code by typing *#06# into your phone. Quote it to your network to render the phone useless, even if the sim card is changed.

Just Like New PC

The PC you bought 18 months ago probably felt like the leading edge of technology. Yet today you're bombarded by ads ramming home the point that you can now buy more computing power, more extras and more memory or less than you paid.
That's the way with computer technology. It changes quickly, with components getting better and cheaper all the time. Economy of scale, intense competition, and economic factors in the producing countries also force prices down.

Here's the good news: you don't need the latest go-faster PC. What you've got will almost certainly do what you want. And even if you could use some more oomph, it is possible to give your system a boost on a modest budget. Here's what you can do to keep your PC trim:
• Regularly delete the temporary files that clutter up your disk. Remove fonts you don't use – they have to be loaded at every start up. Use a disk defragmenter every week.
• Check out the latest version of every bit of software you use. As well as bug fixes, the later versions usually offer performance improvements.
• Invest in a disk maintenance utility that extends and automates the housekeeping process.
• Open the hood and get out the screwdriver. Add more memory, a second hard drive, a faster graphics card, even a new processor.