Microsoft Sidewinder Review

I have owned mice from Microsoft since my first scroll mouse way back in 1997. Say what you will about the operating system, the assimilation of an entire culture, and what ever else you want to about Microsoft, but their hardware in general kicks ass! With that in mind, have a look at this Mini Review from forum member FIDDYOWNZ about the new Microsoft Sidewinder.

I will be honest. I was pretty skeptical at first when I saw the shape of the Sidewinder. It looked awkward...and uncomfortable. I was pleasantly surprised, however, of how comfortable it actually was.

The Year in Tech

So we are reaching the time of year when everyone starts to reflect on what occurred this year, what did not happen, and what is going to happen next year. PCMagazine weighs in on what got us talking this year, what got us angry, and what made us excited.

#6 Shut Up About the iPhone, Already! Dvorak was at it again, but this time it was the iPhone and the endless babble surrounding it that got John all riled up.

Top YouTube Videos

I'm not sure which is sadder, the "Leave Britney Alone" rant or the fact that it was one of the most watched videos on YouTube.

While it was clear Barely Political was producing political satire in the name of entertainment, Internet surfers might initially have been less certain what Chris Crocker was trying to do in his "Leave Britney Alone" clip in September.

Man Hacks Cab

So people are hacking into everything these days, from MP3 players to video game consoles to ?cabs? That's right, with the new initiative in New York to add high tech equipment to all of the cabs on the street, even the back seat of a car is no longer immune.

Using his cell phone camera Chasen documented how he was able to open Internet Explorer using the touch-sensitive screen. He was then able to use a Sprint card listed on the monitor to get a dial-up connection giving him full administrative access to the monitor's operating system.

Sex Offender = No Internet Access

Looks like New Jersey just enacted a law barring certain sex offenders from even having access to the internet. Although the intention seems good, I just see too many ways for the creative ones to get around the law for this to work. Then again that seems to be the way with every law.

In signing the restrictions into law, Acting Gov. Richard J. Codey, who is filling in while Gov. Jon S. Corzine is vacationing, noted that sexual predators were as likely to lurk at a computer keyboard as in a park or playground.

A Very Un-Merry Christmas

Picture this scenario: You walk into Wal-Mart, pick up what you think is a brand new MP3 player from the store. Wrap it up for your daughter. You then have her gleefully open it Christmas Morning, only to discover it was not exactly new. In fact it was already loaded with some extra special content.

Now Daryl Hill wants to know why an MP3 video player he bought at a Wal-Mart in Sparta was preloaded with pornography and explicit songs.

If I were a parent and as a consumer, I would be upset as well. My only problem otherwise is probably that I already have the content.

AOL Pulls Plug on Netscape Web Browser

AOL has pulled the plug on Netscape and no one really noticed. Sad to see them go out this way after so many years. Thanks to [H] forum member RoBo for the link.

Netscape Navigator, the world's first commercial Web browser and the launch pad of the Internet boom, will be pulled off life support Feb. 1 after a 13-year run. Its current caretakers, Time Warner Inc.'s AOL, decided to kill further development and technical support to focus on growing the company as an advertising business.

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[H]ardware Round-Up II

ETC.

Rosewill 2.5 Inch External USB Enclosure @ TechwareLabs

Tagan Icy Box IB-3220STU-B External HDD @ Hardware Logic

Motherboards

Intel Skulltrail Platform Motherboard Sneak Peek @ HotHardware

Video

Powercolor Radeon HD3870 (German) @ PC-Experience

BFG Announces The 8800GTS OC2™ 512MB Water Cooled Edition

BFG Technologies, Inc., the leading North American and European supplier of advanced NVIDIA-based 3D graphics cards, motherboards, power supplies and other PC enthusiast products, announced today the BFG NVIDIA® GeForce® 8800 GTS OC2™ 512MB Water Cooled Edition PCI Express® 2.0 graphics card with ThermoIntelligence™ for a suggested retail price of $529.99 USD.

“BFG continues to demonstrate its commitment to enthusiasts with some of the best custom cooling solutions available” said John Malley, senior director of marketing for BFG Technologies. “Our new GeForce 8800 GTS OC2 512MB Water Cooled Edition is no exception. Featuring a custom ThermoIntelligence water block co-developed by BFG and Danger Den™, this extremely cooled card delivers up to a 30°C lower GPU operating temperature.”

Future Phishing

This type of article isn’t aimed so much at you as it is the people you know that could use this info. You guys are pretty damn savvy when it comes to security stuff but we all know people that aren’t so knowledgeable. I pass these types of articles on to my relatives all the time, you should too.

Forget the Nigerian prince. Phishing scams are moving beyond the misspelled, far-fetched ruses that clog your in-box and beg for your bank codes. In the year to come, security professionals are warning of bank code-stealing exploits that are much slicker and more convincing--hidden in guises as harmless as a banner ad on a reputable Web site or a message from a friend on a social network.

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Privacy Delays Ad Targeting on Phones

Personally, I think there will be a mass revolt against any system like this that has advertisers targeting and tracking your whereabouts through your phone. Carriers are smart to guard your privacy or end up facing the backlash Facebook did. What do you think?

Your cell phone is a potential gold mine for marketers: It can reveal where you are, whom you call and even what music you like. Considering the phone is usually no more than a few feet away, these are powerful clues for figuring out just the right moment to deliver the right coupon for the store just around the corner.

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Gaming News

"Fewer, Bigger, Better" Games from Midway in 2008 @ Shacknews

Kingdom Under Fire: COD Demo @ Major Nelson

PlayStation 3 Tips For New Owners @ Kotaku

Rapper Raps About Violent Video Games @ GamePolitics