by Sue Crane Vice President & Editor, Big Bear Computer Club
From the December, 2005 issue of the I/O Port Newsletter
SP3 for Win XP
Microsoft has confirmed that there will be a 3rd service pack for Windows XP.
They declined to release further details, but said that Windows XP SP 3 will be
available after Windows Vista ships, scheduled for the end of 2006. Microsoft
released the most recent Windows XP service pack, SP2, in August 2004. The
service pack was one of the most significant updates to the Windows OS that
Microsoft ever produced, and it included features to make Windows more secure.
Microsoft Employee warns against downloading from unofficial site
A Microsoft employee has warned against downloading an unauthorized version of
Windows XP Service Pack 3 (SP3) that has surfaced on Hotfix.net, a popular Web
site that provides software patches. The employee told users that downloading an
unofficial version of Windows XP SP3 provided on The Hotfix.net would likely
harm their computer and put them "out of support" from Microsoft because it is
not an official Microsoft package. Each of these hotfixes can be obtained for
free from Microsoft by calling their support lines, the employee said. SP3 will
be released after Windows Vista ships next year.
Robotic Cars Make History
The Stanford Racing Team's robotic car, "Stanley," drove autonomously across
131.6 miles in the Mojave Desert in six hours and 53 minutes, finishing about 11
minutes faster than Carnegie Mellon's "Sandstorm." All of the teams made history
during the weekend. They were the first autonomous vehicles to travel far within
a specific time frame, as well as the first to finish the 2-year-old race (last
year no one finished at all). A DARPA spokesman said this likely means the end
of the Grand Challenge. DARPA is now hoping to see the technology take-off.
Real ID Act
The Real ID Act lays out minimum national standards for licenses, which will
have to include a digital photo, anti-counterfeiting features and
machine-readable technology. States will have to verify all documents presented
to support license applications, such as birth certificates, Social Security
cards and utility bills, with the issuing agency, and will be required to link
their license databases so they can all be accessed as a single network. States
will also be required to verify that a person applying for a license is in the
country legally. Another Real ID Act requirement is that a person's license and
Social Security card must bear the same name--not a nickname or shortened
version.
HP Recalls Laptop Batteries
HP has recalled around 135,000 lithium ion rechargeable battery packs worldwide
after several melted or charred the plastic cases of laptops. The battery is
used with the HP Pavilion, Compaq Presario, HP Compaq and Compaq Evo laptops,
company spokesperson, Mike Hockey, said.The company received 16 reports of
batteries overheating, with four cases of damage to the laptops. No injuries
have been reported. Consumers can verify if they have the faulty battery pack
by going to www.hp.com/support/batteryreplacement.
New Intel Technology Could Shorten PC Boot Up Time
With Robson, a PC pulls data and applications off an add-in flash memory card
and Intel software, rather than the PC's hard drive. Potentially, notebook users
could experience a longer battery life because the hard drive wouldn't have to
work as hard. Intel did not provide exact boot-up time comparisons, but a
representative said Robson will cut the amount of time it takes from when you
hit the "on" button to when the PC can operate, the time it takes to go from a
sleep state to an active state, and the time it takes to launch an application.
Some Camera Models Have Defective Sensors
Several major camera makers have announced plans to replace faulty CCD sensors
in digital cameras and camcorders. CCD sensors capture images. As a result of
the defect, images are distorted or nonexistent.The CCDs were manufactured
between October 2002 and March 2004. Konica Minolta, Canon, Fujifilm and Nikon
have sold models that are affected by the problem. More information can be found
on their respective sites:
http://www.fujifilm.com/JSP/fuji/epartners/ServiceSupportHome.jsp;
http://www.nikonusa.com/email_images/nikonusa/service_advisory
Chip-enabled Soccer Ball
Engineers working on a chip-enabled soccer ball are optimistic about the
technology being used at the FIFA (Federation Internationale de Football
Association) World Cup soccer tournament in Germany next year. FIFA has shown
interest in the technology--largely to help referees make crucial goal-line
calls--but has yet to make a final decision. The radio-based tracking system
could also be used to determine whether a ball has gone out of bounds, to
compile statistics about individual players, and more
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as it is kept in context with proper credit given the author. The Editorial
Committee of the Association of Personal Computer User Groups (APCUG), an
international organization of which this group is a member, brings this article
to you.
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