30 gb ipod

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

New evidence of Martian water

New evidence of Martian water
LOS ANGELES - Nasa's Phoenix spacecraft has discovered two minerals on Mars that suggest water was there in the past. Scientists report that the minerals - calcium carbonate and sheet silicate - don't usually form without...

Converting Safari RSS feeds into exportable OPML file

At first, saving and reading your RSS feeds from Safari may have seemed appealing. But that may have changed. After all, there are a good five or six solid RSS readers for the Mac that can do the job better. Well, there seems to be a way to move those RSS feeds out of Safari and into the reader of your choice.

By using an XML stylesheet and running it in the Mac terminal, you can convert the RSS feeds into an OPML file. Nearly all RSS readers -- both desktop and online -- will let you import feeds via OPML. Here's how you do it:

Download the XML stylesheet from here. Then run it in the terminal with these commands:
$ cd ~/Library/Safari
$ plutil -convert xml1 Bookmarks.plist
$ xsltproc SafariFeeds2OPML.xslt Bookmarks.plist > SafariFeeds.opml
$ plutil -convert binary1 Bookmarks.plist

Now you have an OPML file called SafariFeeds.opml. Download a news reader or use an online one and import the file. Now you can enjoy those RSS feeds in a more comfortable reading environment.

Via Mac OS X Hints.

Read�|�Permalink�|�Email this�|�Linking�Blogs�|�Comments

MUO Games - Analyze Your Computer For Game Compatibility

Some time ago (years ago, to be exact), I bought myself a copy of “The Chronicles of Riddick” for the PC. The game received positive reviews by Xbox owners, and although the PC review was a little less promising, I decided to try it out. It was hell. I don’t know how the gameplay was - I [...]

It was hell.

I don’t know how the gameplay was - I never got to that part. I was playing at about 60 seconds per frame and my flashlight wasn’t working. 50 Euros ($72) washed down the drain. If only I would’ve known!

can my computer run this game

If only people would’ve invented a way to compare the strength of your computer with game requirements and tell user whether his computer can play that gameR30;Wait, they have! Meet ‘Can You Run it?‘, an online tool to check if your PC is up for the job.

‘ Can You Run it?’ uses System Requirements Lab, which weighs hardware specifications from the user’s computer against certain minimum and recommended values.

System Requirement Lab is used on many big websites, like nVidia, GameSpy, Activistion, EA, and others alike.

Can You Run it?

We’ll run you through an example of the CYRI test, using my PC and a copy of Crysis. I’ve already completed the game, so I know it runs perfectly fine, although I’m not able to maximize the video settings.

1. Select Your Game

Select your game from the drop-down menu on the main page. If you can’t find your game, your best option is to perform a Google search for the game’s specifications.

2. Installation

The title is misleading. You’ll have to give Java permission to run the program and upload your computer specs. Don’t worry, the nice people at ‘Can You Run it?’ promise absolute anonymity.

Hereafter, ‘Can You Run it?’ will analyze your data. Just give it a moment.

3. Interpretation

After analyzing, ‘Can You Run it?’ feeds you three things. First, an overall analysis, where it tells you in simple terms if you can or cannot run the game.

Please note that although my computer barely approaches the middle between the Minimum and Recommended marks, I was able to complete the game without any noticable framedrops and with stunning, although not maxed out graphics.

Next, two comparable pages. On the first page, ‘Can You Run it?’ compares your specifications to the minimum requirements, on the second one to the recommended requirements.

‘Can You Run it?’ looks at the following things:

CPU type and speed
System RAM
Operating System
Video Card and Driver
DirectX Version
Sound Card and Driver
Free Disk Space
DVD

These components all get rated on a six degree scale, and you’ll be provided with information and tips.

On the subjects where you score below the minimum or recommended specs, ‘Can You Run it?’ provides you with some improvement advice, such as what graphics card they advise you to get, or where you can get your driver updated. Basically, ‘Can You Run it?’ not only helps you summarize the problems at hand, but also points you in the right direction for fixing them.

If I had this site a few years ago, I wouldn’t have made the mistake of buying that game. Also, I wouldn’t have made the stupid mistake of buying a new video card that STILL didn’t support the game. God, that was embarrassing!

(By) Simon is a student from Belgium who wastes his time relaxing, gaming and surfing the net. He would tell you to check out his blog, only he doesn't have one (yet)!

New subscriber? Get your freebies at MakeUseOf Downloads. Enjoy!

Tags:analyzer, compatibility, Games, requirements

Unlock iTunes for other MP3 players, says watchdog

Unlock iTunes for other MP3 players, says watchdog
OSLO - Norway's top consumer advocate has announced the start of legal action to try to force Apple to open its iTunes music store to digital players other than its own market-leading iPod. Norway has led a two-year European campaign,...

LG set to release WWAN-enabled X110 Momo netbook

Filed under: Laptops

LG doesn't look to be pushing the envelope all that hard with its netbook entry -- are you sick of 10-inch screens, 1.6GHz Atom processors, and Windows XP yet? -- but the company's X110 Momo looks to up the ante ever so slightly with a built-in HSUPA modem and a slightly reconfigured keyboard with bigger arrow keys and a full-size right shift key. No pricing or availability yet, but we'll take LG at its word when it says the Momo is "coming soon."

[Via Wired]

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

First Looks: BeeJive for iPhone

Filed under: iPhone, App Store, iPod touch

BeeJive has had an instant messenger application for the iPhone in the form of a Web App for quite some time -- in fact, it was one of the best! Recently, BeeJive has ventured into the world of native iPhone applications. I already mentioned most of the features of BeeJive in a previous post, so this time I'll examine the main features.

"Push" notifications of new IMs
The BeeJive developers are proud to offer 24/7 connectivity, meaning you can receive IMs even if the app is closed. They accomplish this feat by connecting you through their servers and sending you updates through email if you receive an IM while the application is closed. This works well, as long as you have a push email account.

Landscape view
You can send IMs in landscape mode using the larger iPhone keyboard, which is nice, but it would be nicer to initiate landscape mode from any tab, not just chat.

Bottom Line
BeeJive has created an application that is very polished and refined. You are able to customize almost every aspect in the iPhone's Settings (from background color, to turning on/off vibration). This kind of customization really allows the user to connect with the software -- it would be nice to see this amount of customization in other iPhone apps.

However, this application is a little pricey at $15.99 (US). You can download BeeJiveIM from the iTunes App Store [link]. Be sure to take a look at our gallery of screenshots.

Gallery: First Look: BeeJive for iPhone

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Monday, September 29, 2008

New Samsung DDR3 allows 16GB RAM sticks

Samsung tonight pushed its DDR3 memory lineup forward with news of a new two-gigabit (256MB) module. Using a new 50 nanometer manufacturing process, the memory is twice as dense as before and enables RAM capacities that are still rare: a dual-die, error-corrected RAM stick can now hold as much as 16GB by stacking the chips. Notebooks should also see a boost with up to 4GB per stick in a thin pac...