Windows 7 to Implement "Action Center", Reduce Number of Balloon Pop-ups

When Windows Vista first launched, the biggest complaint from most people (and the a humorous target of Apple) was the number of "nag" notification screens, or an overzealous number of questions that aren't really all that important in the grand scheme of things. We posted last month that the developer team was working towards reducing these nags, and last week, they followed-up by admitting they have even more work to do.

According to the blog post made last week, Windows 7 will add in an "Action Center" (picture below) which will offer central control over both notifications and security features. Here, you'll be able to look at key issues important to the system at the current time (such as the need to update Windows), and also handle tweaking of the notification options. There's also an action here to restore your computer to an earlier time, which is nice, since that's one feature that's always been complicated to find.

The end goal is to rid as many needless notifications as possible, including both the UAC screens and systray balloon pop-ups. Going forward, Windows 7 hopes to deliver only the most important messages and nothing else that will disrupt your work. All of the lesser-important messages will be stored within the Action Center for later review. Sure sounds like a step in the right direction!

It is also action based so the layout emphasizes messages and the corresponding solutions with even more detail. Additional actions are available if you expand the UI to view them. Finally, we know that we won’t always have messages about the issues a person might be having on their machine. To make sure you can solve those issues, we provide top level links to Troubleshooter and Recovery options.

Source: Engineering Windows 7 Developer Blog

OCZ's Neural Impulse Actuator, More Affordable than Ever

Over the weekend, I was strolling around some e-tailers checking up on prices of a few things, and one thing I stumbled upon was OCZ's Neural Impulse Actuator, or NIA for short. This gaming peripheral, if you are unaware, straps to your head like a normal headband, and allows you to use your brain signals for simple commands in your games. Odd, but true.

I first tried the device at Computex this past summer and was impressed overall. It's certainly not going to make you a better player, but for now, that's not the point. It's going to be a while before anything like this will be perfected, so for now, it's all about having fun and experimenting.

When the NIA was first released, it was priced at over $200, which still seemed like a reasonable deal given the uniqueness, but I found it on the weekend at Newegg for only $119.99, which becomes $99.99 after a $20 mail-in rebate. It's not cheap by any means, but it's not expensive either, given what it is. Some gaming mice cost almost just as much, and they are nowhere near as unique. So if you are looking for a way to spice up some of your gaming, even if it won't make you a better player, definitely keep an eye on it.

OCZ's Neural Impulse Actuator (nia) marks a new era in gaming. Rather than being a substitute for a mouse, the nia is a pioneering new peripheral to be used in conjunction with your mouse for a more immersive gaming experience. The nia is compatible with any PC game using keyboard input… past, present, or future.

Source: Newegg - OCZ Neural Impulse Actuator

Adobe Releases 64-bit Alpha Flash Plugin for Linux

Ask anyone running a 64-bit Linux operating system what they'd like to see improved most under the OS, and their answer might be to have native Adobe Flash support. Users of 64-bit Linux distros have been in a Flash predicament for quite a while, although lately the side-effects aren't as blunt as they once were.

Although there is no 64-bit plugin for any platform at current time (Adobe is really, really slow on that ball), it was made worse and more complicated for Linux since 32-bit emulation needed to be brought in. Even now, 64-bit Linux users, like me, have to run a 32-bit version of Firefox just so Flash can operate. Sadly, even then, issues of stability can arise at the most inopportune times.

At their MAX 2008 conference in San Francisco, Adobe will be announcing multiple notable announcements with regards to the Flash platform, but at the same time, they'll also release the initial 64-bit plugin, which is considered to be in Alpha phase. The plugin can be grabbed on their Adobe Labs site, but be aware that it's a very early release, so issues can and probably will occur.

Linux was chosen as the initial launch platform is because users there have been the most vocal for quite some time (and for good reason). Windows and OS X will have support in the future, once all the bugs are worked out with the Linux version, we can assume. All I can say is... it's about time.

These new innovations include technology previews of Adobe Flash Catalyst and the next version of Adobe Flex Builder, code named Gumbo. Adobe also announced the availability of Adobe AIR 1.5 and an alpha version of Adobe Flash Player 10 software for 64-bit Linux operating systems. The Adobe Flash Platform is tightly integrated with the Adobe Creative Suite 4 product family, the industry-leading design and development software for virtually every creative workflow.

Source: Adobe Press Release

Intel Makes Core i7 Official, Processors Ready for Purchase

It's been a long wait, but today marks the official launch of Intel's latest processor lineup, Core i7. Although the origin of the name itself is still a mystery, the performance that the new models offer is not, as seen in the preview article we posted a few weeks ago. We still plan to follow-up to that article, but are awaiting a few more motherboards to test with, so we can get the full story.

Although today marks the launch of the new processors, some e-tailers began selling the new models over the weekend, such as NewEgg and Mwave. Those two actually happen to be the only two right now I can find that are currently selling (or have them even listed), but more will undoubtedly pop up during the week.

Of the two e-tailers mentioned above, Mwave undercuts NewEgg's prices by a rather healthy margin, although since I have no experience with them, I can't personally attest to their customer service in order to recommend them for the purchase.  At the time of this post, here are the links and prices for all three models at both stores:

• Intel Core i7 920 2.66GHz - Mwave ($289.00)
• Intel Core i7 920 2.66GHz - NewEgg ($319.99)
• Intel Core i7 940 2.93GHz - Mwave ($575.00)
• Intel Core i7 940 2.93GHz - NewEgg ($599.99)
• Intel Core i7 Extreme 965 3.20GHz - Mwave ($1,039.00)
• Intel Core i7 Extreme 965 3.20GHz - NewEgg ($1,069.99)

(Click for 1920x1200 desktop wallpaper.)

As a reminder, the i7 920 and 940 both have locked multipliers, meaning the overclocking will be via increasing the Base Clock only, while the Extreme chip has a fully unlocked multiplier (up to 40x) to allow even higher clocks to be seen. It's still a little early in the game to take a guess at typical overclocks for either of the three new models, but for a point-of-reference, we hit a stable 3.60GHz on the Core i7 920 using near-stock voltages on the ASUS P6T Deluxe.

Need to know even more? Be sure to refer to our preview article from a few weeks ago and also our "Choosing the Best Memory Kit", which might just save you some cash in what will be an already expensive upgrade.

ISODisk Allows Simple Mounting of Your ISO Disk Images

One question I hear quite often is, "How do I mount a disk image?", and for the most part, I don't have a great answer. Well, until now, that is. The need to mount ISO images can vary from person to person, but for me personally, I like to backup my DVDs of music concerts by converting them to ISO format and then watch later on the PC (surprisingly, VLC does a decent job of reading the ISO directly).

So you have an ISO image and need to mount it... what to do? Well thanks to Lifehacker's investigative sleuthing, we found an application called ISODisk, and really, the name is all you need to know. Not only does the application allow you to create ISO images of CDs/DVDs, but it allows you to mount up to twenty at a time.

The reason there is a limit at all is likely due to how Windows handles assigning drive letters. With twenty-six letters in the alphabet, there has to be a limit somewhere! The tool doesn't allow mounting of disk images in formats other than ISO, but if ISO is all you deal with, then this free tool deserves to be "mounted" in your toolbox.

ISODisk is a FREE and powerful ISO disk image file tool, allows you to create virtual CD/DVD driver up to 20 drivers, mount an .ISO disk image and access the files on it as if it were burned to CD or DVD. This free program can quickly create ISO image file from CD/DVD-ROM, with ISODisk, you don't need install any other virtual drive software. Once you map the archive to a virtual drive, you can be able to view the contents in Windows Explorer.

Source: ISODisk, Via: Lifehacker

Tech Roundup - November 17, 2008

Motherboards & Processors
• ASUS Rampage II Extreme - PC Perspective
• Gigabyte GA-EP45-UD3P - Bjorn3D

Displays & Video Cards
• Honeywell Altura MLX 42-inch 1080p 10-bit HDTV - Benchmark Reviews
• NVIDIA Driver Brings PureVideo Features To Linux - Phoronix
• NVIDIA VDPAU Benchmarks- Phoronix
• Samsung LN40A650 40" LCD HDTV- ModSynergy
• Sapphire Radeon HD 4550 - Modders-Inc
• Palit 9800GTX+ - Overclockers Club
• Zotac AMP Graphics Card Round Up - Virtual-Hideout

Memory & Storage
• Kingston HyperX Triple Channel DDR3 2000 - Bjorn3D

Peripherals & Gadgets
• Black and Decker Power Monitor - Test Freaks
• Cirago HS-450 Bluetooth Headset - Hardware Logic
• Eagle Neptor ET-NPWG100 Shotgun Peripheral - Bjorn3D
• Microsoft Explorer Mini Mouse - EverythingUSB
• VidaBox Premium Wireless HTPC Media Center Keyboard - APH Networks

Chassis & Power Supplies
• Antec Skeleton - Overclock3D
• Corsair HX1000W Power Supply - Overclockers Club
• Corsair TX750W 750Watt Power Supply - Test Freaks
• Lian Li PC-A77B Full Tower - Big Bruin
• Lian Li PC-V2010 Full Tower - Bjorn3D
• Sans Digital MobileNas MN4L+(B) Four Bay NAS - TweakNews
• Silverstone Grandia GD02-MT - Overclock3D

Competitions, Complete Systems & Et cetera
• How To Play Movies on the BlackBerry Bold Using Badaboom - Legit Reviews
• Lenovo IdeaPad S10 10.2-inch Netbook - Think Computers