KELEBIHAN DAN KEKURANGAN WINDOWS XP,VISTA,7

 

Kelebihan:

1.Windows XP relatif hemat resource ketika booting, sehingga lebih stabil dan cepat ketika melakukan booting;
2.Sudah banyak aplikasi yang dapat mendukung kinerja Windows XP secara maksimal;
3.Dengan tools yang kompleks namun relatif ringan dan mudah untuk dipahami pengguna sehingga nyaman dan bersahabat serta tidak rumit untuk digunakan;
4.Pada Windows XP Plug and Play yang bekerja otomatis dan dukungan driver-driver-nya yang competible dengan hardware supliers sehingga mudah untuk mengenali perangkat hardware tambahan yang terkoneksi;
5.Windows XP lebih stabil dalam kecepatan kinerjanya ketika menjalankan beberapa aplikasi, dikarenakan tidak ada file system untuk aplikasi bawaannya yang rakus resource dan memory ketika dijalankan dan relatif cepat untuk men-decode file-file yang diolah secara berbarengan dengan aplikasi tambahan yang cukup besar untuk mengambil memory CPU.
6.GUI yang familiar
7. Dukungan driver yang lebih banyak.
8.Banyak aplikasi berbasis MS Windows lebih mudah untuk menginstal aplikasi pada MS Windows dibandingkan pada Linux, yang terkadang harus di-configure terlebih dahulu dan Banyak gratisan GPL dan Freeware ditawarkan untuk  Windows
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Kelemahan:

1.Sistem keamanan yang kurang baik, tidak heran banyak virus dan Hecker yang gampang sekali menyerang pengguna windows XP dan Proteksi security Windows XP ketika Melakukan browsing diinternet sangat rawan, karena Windows XP ketika menginformasikan Virus Aktif baik itu yang sering menyusup seperti virus dan worm dengan melalui Security Centre tidak memberitahukan penyebabnya hanya sekedar mendeteksi untuk dikonfirmasikan terhadap pengguna, sehingga sipengguna harus menambah aplikasi utillity tambahan;
2.Resiko kehilangan data sangat besar dibanding Vista, dikarenakan sistem security centre nya tidak secara otomatis mendeteksi input-output yang tidak dikenal (unknow);
3.Dalam Remote Administration Windows XP, Network Securitiy-nya sangat lambat untuk membaca file-file crack yang bercampur dengan file system sehingga saat melakukan Akses Remote sangat rawan dari virus dan penyusup;
4.Tampilan Visual Windows XP tidak terdapat Aero (Aplikasi bawaan untuk tambahan tampilan visual ) sehingga tidak memiliki tampilan 3D;
5.Terlalu banyak system-crash dibanding pada Windows Vist;
6.Windows XP tidak dapat menampilkan preview semua file system yang dibawanya;
7.Sharing data di area jaringan tidak dapat dilakukan dengan cepat, dikarenakan Firewall-nya terlalu lama untuk menginformasikan lewat security centre terhadap server;
8.Windows XP tidak dapat mendeteksi suatu type jaringan untuk dipilih kemudian diaktifkan, ketika terdapat type jaringan dalam satu ruang dan waktu yang bersamaan seperti LAN dan WLAN;
9.Windows XP ketika ingin merestore file-file sistem harus senantiasa diinstal ulang.

WINDOWS VISTA


Windows Vista adalah nama dari versi terbaru Microsoft Windows, sistem operasi berbasis grafis dari Microsoft yang digunakan pada komputer pribadi (PC), baik untuk pengguna rumahan maupun bisnis, pada laptop, maupun media center.Sebelum diumumkan dengan nama Windows Vista pada 22 Juli 2005, sistem operasi ini lebih dikenal dengan codename Longhorn (berasal dari nama Longhorn Saloon, sebuah bar terkenal di Whistler, British Columbia, Kanada).Microsoft meluncurkan Windows Vista pada 8 November 2006 untuk pengguna bisnis, dan 30 Januari 2007 untuk pengguna rumahan. Dengan demikian, peluncuran Windows Vista ini berjarak lebih dari lima tahun sejak peluncuran Windows XP pada 25 Oktober 2001.

Kelebihan:

Security
1.Windows Vista secara otomatis dapat mengaktifkan Firewall terintegrasinya sehingga ketika layanan jaringan berfungsi, sistem tidak dapat diakses dari luar;
2.Proteksi security Windows Vista ketika Melakukan browsing diinternet lebih aman, karena Windows Vista menggunakan Konsep SDL (Secure Development Lifecyle) yang menginformasi Virus Aktif baik itu yang sering menyusup seperti virus dan worm tidak melalui Security Centre melainkan lewat Windows Monitor dengan jalur interface yang lebih aman, sehingga penyebabnya pun terdeteksi;
3.Resiko kehilangan data lebih kecil karena chace mode yang lebih baik untuk removable strorage ( seperti pada flash disk ) membuat data tersimpan aman;
4.Dapat mengenkripsi partisi dan drive lain serta dapat dikunci dengan Multi Factor Authen Tification dengan menggunakan TPM Module ( PIN ) dan UFD;
5.Pada saat instalasi, pengguna harus menyimpan Password Hint. Tanpa ini windows tidak berjalan;
6.Dalam Remote Administration Windows Vista dilengkapi Digital Signature sehingga saat melakukan Akses Remote sangat aman.

Stabilitas
1.Windows Vista dapat menampilkan preview setiap type file;
2.Windows Vista lebih cepat dalam pencarian data walau dalam struktur susunan yang kompleks dengan Aplikasi pencarian Cepat. (aplikasi yang dikembangkan oleh apple thn 2005 yang disebut spotlight);
3.Vista dapat membaca media dengan menggunakan sistem file exFAT;
4.Vista dapat membaca SD Card dengan tekhnologi SD ADMA ( Advanced DMA );
5.Sharing data di area jaringan dapat dilakukan dengan cepat;
6.Vista dapat meakukan transfer data dari hardisk sampai 25MB/Second;
7.Vista sangat cepat dalam proses menampilkan File Visual;
8.Vista sangat cepat dalam proses extarct file dari ZIP ataupun WINRAR;
9.Vista dapat mendeteksi suatu type jaringan untuk dipilih kemudian diaktifkan;
10.Dapat melakukan emulator dari FAT 64 ke FAT 32;
11.Windows Vista tersedia SRT (Starup Repair Tool) sehingga dengan SRT dapat merestore file-file sistem tanpa harus instal ulang.

Keistimewaan :
1.Secara visual Windows Vista lebih unggul ketimbang OS lain dengan diperkaya tampilan 3D, Air Bruss, dll.
2.Tools yang ditampilkan kaya dengan icon.
3.Windows Vista lebih bergengsi dengan tampilan yang sesuai dengan life syle psikologis kehidupan jaman sekarang (Funky – Trendy – Gaul).

Kelemahan
1.Pemakai dibuat bingung. Sejak awal, pemakai mengeluh tentang banyaknya versi Vista yang dijual. Siapa yang membutuhkan semua varian ini? Yang dibutuhkan hanyalah satu versi sederhana (Home) dan satu versi yang memiliki semua fitur (Pro). Kebingungan ini tampaknya terjadi karena tidak ada karyawan Microsoft yang mengerti strategi pemasaran.
2.Ukuran source code. Terlalu besar, sehingga menyita banyak ruang memori PC pemakai.
3.Kinerja Lambat. Hal ini dikarenakan terlalu besarnya ukuran Source Code
4. Komponen – komponen yang hilang. WinFS, filesystem yang dijanjikan dan salah satu pilar utama Vista tidak datang dengan Vista. Pengembangan filesystem ini dimulai di tahun 1991, dan hingga kini masih belum terselesaikan. Mengapa?
5. Pemborosan baterai laptop. Hal ini seharusnya diperbaiki dengan source code terpisah dan hybrid hard disk (HHD). Tetapi, saat ini pemakai masih harus menggunakan SSD yang sangat mahal.
6. HDD. Beberapa pengguna masih sangat kesal ketika diberi tahu oleh industri HD bahwa keuntungan generasi baru hard disk (HD) akan “membuat semua pemakai pindah ke Vista.” Hal ini diumumkan dua tahun yang lalu, dan hingga kini masih belum ada kelanjutannya. Tebakan kurang lebih adalahproduk ini tidak akan bekerja dengan baik, dan masih belum yang dapat menyelesaikan masalah ini.
7. Stiker Vista Capable palsu. Kampanye “Windows Vista Capable” Microsoft adalah sebuah kegagalan marketing yang besar. Banyak komputer dijual dengan stiker “Windows Vista Capable” yang ternyata tidak mampu mengoperasikan Vista.
8. Tampilan tidak begitu membanggakan. Hal ini di karenakan karena hanya ada sedikit perubahan tampilan sehingga tidak nampak “wah” untuk seukuran New Produk dari sebuah perusahaan besar seperti Microsoft
9. Driver yang minim. Cukup mengherankan bahwa semua driver Windows yang ada di XP tidak kompatibel dengan Vista. Apa yang terjadi?
10. Tidak ada saran yang konsisten untuk pemakai, dan Microsoft tidak turun tangan. Beberapa orang mengatakan bahwa anda sebaiknya membeli komputer baru dengan Vista dan tidak melakukan upgrade dari XP, ada yang mengatakan upgrade boleh dilakukan. Microsoft seharusnya membuat sebuah situs khusus yang dapat menguji komputer dari internet dan menyarankan pemakai apakah mereka sebaiknya membeli komputer baru, atau melakukan upgrade.
11. Pemasaran yang tanggung. Tidak seperti peluncuran Windows versi sebelumnya, Microsoft tidak    banyak memasarkan Vista. Walaupun ada beberapa poster dan iklan TV untuk Vista, pemasaran Vista    tidak dapat dibandingkan dengan peluncuran beberapa versi sebelumnya, di mana mereka berhasil mendapatkan perhatian orang di seluruh dunia.
12. XP mania. Semua orang cinta XP, dan ingin mempertahankan OS ini. Hal ini membuat Vista tampak lebih buruk lagi. Terlebih lagi, banyak sekali laporan yang mengatakan bahwa pemakai kembali menggunakan XP setelah mencoba Vista.
13. Kinerja secara Keseluruhan. Anda tidak seharusnya mengeluarkan sebuah OS baru yang dikembangkan selama lebih dari empat tahun dengan kinerja yang lebih buruk dari OS sebelumnya. Kinerja seharusnya merupakan prioritas teratas.

WINDOWS 7




1. Dapatkan akses lebih cepat ke semua program yang anda gunakan
2. Gunakan banyak program, dengan hanya sedikit menunggu
3. Kompatibilitas yang lebih baik
4. Berbagi file dan printer diantara beberapa PC
5. Tetap terhibur dengan mudah
6. Mudah untuk membuat dan berbagi film
7. Menjaga PC anda agar lebih terlindungi dengan hanya sedikit gangguan
8. Sentuh dan tekan pada titik dan klik
9. Mendukung lebih banyak TV, film, video, dan musik dengan banyak cara
10. Mengelola perangkat menjadi lebih mudah
11. Multi-task menjadi lebih mudah
12. Berkomunikasi dan berbagi foto, e-mail, dan program-program IM secara gratis
13. Menjelajahi web dengan lebih mudah dan aman
14. Mencari file dan program dengan seketika
15. Membuka program yang sering digunakan hanya dengan satu atau dua klik
16. Navigasi jendela yang dibuka dengan cepat
17. Mudah berbagi file, foto, dan musik di antara beberapa PC di rumah
18. Cetak ke Printer dari PC mana saja yang ada di dalam rumah
19. Mengatur banyak file, dokumen, dan foto dengan mudah
20. Koneksi ke jaringan tanpa kabel yang tersedia hanya dalam tiga klik
21. Personalisasi desktop Anda dengan tema, foto, dan gadget
22. Menjalankan banyak program sekaligus dengan performa yang lebih baik pada PC 64-bit
23. Membantu menjaga data pribadi dan aman
24. Menjalankan berbagai program produktivitas Windows XP
Kelemahan:
1.Beberapa aplikasi belum bisa beroperasi di Windows 7;
2.Bug pada Windows Player 12;
3.Ada hardware yang bisa langsung dikenali di Vista, tapi tidak di Windows 7;
4.Susah memaksa software yang sebelumnya bisa dipaksakan diinstall di Vista, juga dipasang di Windows 7;

Namun sekarang masih terdapat banyak kekurangan. ”Tampilannya mendekati Windows Vista dan terlihat lebih hidup. Tetapi untuk secara keseluruhan memang belum bisa dinilai, karena versi finalnya belum keluar.

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Bill Gates: Kombinasi 'Ctrl-Alt-Del' Itu Kesalahan

Tombol Ctrl-Alt-Del adalah kesalahan

CALIFORNIA – Jika Anda pengguna personal computer (PC), tentu sudah tidak asing lagi dengan kombinasi keyboard ‘Ctrl-Alt-Del’. Ya, kombinasi itu umum digunakan dalam komputer IBM atau Microsoft jika mesin komputer mendadak tidak merespon perintah Anda atau membeku (freeze).

Dengan kombinasi itu pula, Anda tidak perlu melakukan restart komputer secara fisik melalui tombol power di CPU. Sebab, merestart komputer secara paksa seperti itu bisa mengakibatkan kerusakan baik pada CPU maupun sistem dalam komputer Anda.

Namun menurut pendiri Microsoft Bill Gates, kombinasi tiga perintah di keyboard itu adalah sebuah kesalahan fatal. Dalam sebuah kampanye penggalangan dana di Hardvard, Gates mengakui jika menekan tombol ‘Ctrl-Alt-Del’ itu ketidaksengajaan yang salah.

“Ttu adalah kesalahan. Sebab, kita bisa memiliki satu tombol perintah saja. Tetapi, orang yang mengembangkan desain keyboard di IBM tidak mau memberi kita tombol tunggal,” kata Gates, sebagaimana dikutip dari Ubergizmo, Jumat (27/9/2013).

Saat itulah seorang insinyur IBM bernama David Bradley hadir memperkenalkan kombinasi tombol ‘Ctrl-Alt-Del’ pada PC untuk memunculkan Task Manager komputer (seperti pada sistem operasi Windows XP dan WOndpws Vista) atau mengunci mesin

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BlackBerry Terpuruk karena Keluar dari Pakem

WATERLOO - BlackBerry belum mampu bangkit untuk meladeni ketatnya persaingan di pasar smartphone global. Salah satu pendiri perusahaan, Mike Lazaridis menganggap, keterpurukan terjadi karena BlackBerry keluar dari pakem.

Lazaridis dilaporkan prihatin dengan kehadiran Z10 yang dianggap tak punya cukup kekuatan dalam bertarung dengan smartphone besutan Apple atau Android. Menurutnya, BlackBerry seharusnya konsisten untuk menelurkan perangkat dengan keyboard fisik yang sudah dipercaya sebagai senjata utama bukan sebaliknya, dan memilih meluncurkan produk dengan layar sentuh.

Dalam sebuah pertemuan dengan petinggi BlackBerry, sebagaimana dilansir dari The Next Web, Senin (30/9/2013), ia menjelaskan kepada forum bahwa dengan keyboard fisik, smartphone BlackBerry memiliki kekuatan dan berbeda dibandingkan dengan smartphone yang beredar di pasaran.

"Ini jelas berbeda," katanya sembari menunjukkan smartphone BlackBerry dengan keyboard fisik.

Lebih lanjut, ia menilai BlackBerry telah melakukan kesalahan besar dengan meluncurkan smartphone layar sentuh ke pasar. Sebab, dengan banyaknya pemain yang menggempur segmentasi produk tersebut, Lazaridis menilai BlackBerry sulit betarung.

Nah, pada akhirnya, strategi yang kurang tepat inilah yang mengakibatkan perusahaan yang dulunya bernama Research In Motion (RIM) itu harus rela mengalami kerugian sebesar USD956 juta sekira Rp1,1 triliun (kurs Rp11.537 per USD). Laporan yang diterbitkan per 28 September 2013 itu mempertegas kembali nasib perusahaan yang tak kunjung membaik alias kian terpuruk.

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iOS 7.0.2 Memperkenalkan Kerentanan Baru bahwa Apple Harus patch - Video

Sebuah kunci cacat layar baru telah ditemukan di iOS 7, kurang dari sehari setelah Apple telah ditambal dua kerentanan yang sama dengan merilis iOS 7.0 .

Dalam video tertanam di atas, uploader Dany Lisiansky menunjukkan bahwa meskipun Apple telah berusaha keras untuk mengamankan sistem operasi, masih ada satu kerentanan unpatched yang memberikan akses ke jeroan telepon terkunci.

Demo mengungkapkan bahwa jika Anda memanggil perangkat lain menggunakan Siri atau Kontrol Suara, Anda dapat mengaktifkan FaceTime, memukul tombol Tidur / Bangun, membuka iPhone lagi, jawaban dan segera mengakhiri panggilan di perangkat lain, dan - dalam hitungan detik - Anda ' akan mendapatkan akses ke aplikasi Telepon.

Itu tidak mungkin terdengar seperti banyak bug, tetapi jika Anda mempertimbangkan bahwa iOS memberikan Anda akses ke hampir semua melalui aplikasi Telepon, itu salah satu heck of kerentanan.

Memang, Anda membutuhkan seseorang dengan akses fisik ke dua perangkat FaceTime, dan pikiran yang cukup bertekad untuk melakukan hack. Tapi jangan tertipu. Ini serius, dan perlu patch. Semoga iOS 7.0.3 akan dirilis pada waktunya.

Dowload iOS 7.0 free here  for iPhone 6 or later

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MATE 1.8 dan 2.0 Cinnamon Dikonfirmasi untuk Linux Mint 16

Dalam pengumuman terbaru tentang Pack Pembaharuan baru untuk Linux Mint Edition sistem operasi Debian Linux, Clement Lefebvre telah mengungkapkan bahwa mendatang Linux Mint 16 distribusinya akan mencakup Cinnamon 2.0 dan 1.8 MATE.

Ini resmi! Yang sangat diantisipasi Linux Mint 16 (Petra) akan mencakup belum akan dirilis Cinnamon 2.0 dan 1.8 lingkungan desktop MATE, sebagai pengembang Linux Mint terungkap dalam posting blog baru-baru ini "ISO LMDE akan diperbarui dengan Update Pack 8 setelah Mint 16 rilis untuk fitur MATE 1.8, Cinnamon 2.0 dan semua perbaikan yang direncanakan untuk versi mendatang dari Linux Mint. "

Linux Mint 16 yang dijuluki Petra, dan akan resmi tersedia untuk di-download pada akhir November 2013, sebagai Clement Lefebvre sendiri mengungkapkan musim panas ini.

Linux Mint 16 akan didistribusikan dalam edisi terpisah, dengan Cinnamon, MATE, KDE dan Xfce. Dukungan untuk  64-bit dan 32-bit arsitektur akan disediakan.

The versi Release Candidate dari Linux Mint 16 (Petra) harus melihat cahaya terang dalam beberapa minggu ke depan, jadi pastikan Anda memeriksa website kami untuk berita terbaru.

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Stanford Membangun Komputer First Out Karbon Nanotubes

Nanotube karbon bahan semikonduktor dengan potensi untuk memimpin dunia ke era perangkat elektronik lebih cepat, dan insinyur Standford akhirnya berhasil menggunakannya dalam komputer.

Ada upaya untuk menciptakan sistem kerja dari nanotube karbon selama bertahun-tahun, tapi ini adalah keberhasilan pertama yang sebenarnya. Stanford profesor Subhasish Mitra dan H.-S. Philip Wong adalah orang-orang di kepala proyek.

Karbon nanotube (CNT) adalah rantai panjang atom karbon yang sangat efisien menjalankan dan mengendalikan listrik, terlepas dari menjadi begitu tipis sehingga ribuan CNT bisa muat berdampingan dalam rambut manusia. Mereka juga perlu energi yang sangat, sangat sedikit harus dimatikan.

Memang, satu-satunya masalah dengan mereka diwakili oleh beberapa ketidaksempurnaan yang melekat. Untuk satu, CNT tidak tumbuh dalam garis paralel rapi sebagian besar waktu, produsen chip sesuatu bergantung pada.

Kedua, sebagian kecil dari CNT tumbuh dapat berperilaku seperti kawat logam yang selalu menghantarkan listrik, bukan bertindak seperti semikonduktor yang tepat yang dapat dimatikan.

"Kami membutuhkan cara untuk merancang sirkuit tanpa harus mencari ketidaksempurnaan atau bahkan tahu dimana mereka berada," kata Mitra.

Memang, para peneliti mungkin telah menemukan cara untuk tumbuh CNT dalam garis paralel rapi, tapi tingkat kesalahan sebesar 0,5%, masih signifikan ketika miliaran nanotube dalam satu chip (pengolahan kesalahan ahoy).

Jadi, menghilangkan nanotube seperti kawat atau logam sangat penting, sehingga tim dimatikan semua CNT baik dan dipompa semikonduktor dengan listrik, menguap kabel melalui overheating belaka. Hanya karbon dioksida yang tersisa, bersama dengan nanotube yang diinginkan saja.

CNT sejajar yang rumit. Butuh tim peneliti menciptakan algoritma, yang kuat juga, yang memetakan tata letak sirkuit yang dijamin untuk bekerja apakah CNT adalah miring atau tidak.

"Ini 'desain ketidaksempurnaan-kekebalan' [teknik] membuat penemuan ini benar-benar patut dicontoh," kata Sankar Basu, direktur program di National Science Foundation.

Pada akhirnya, para ilmuwan berhasil dalam mendirikan komputer dengan 178 transistor (mereka menggunakan fasilitas universitas pembuatan chip daripada proses fabrikasi industri, maka jumlah kecil). Menghitung dan nomor penyortiran dilakukan di bawah sistem operasi dasar yang memungkinkan untuk swap antara proses-proses tersebut.

Ini akan memakan waktu bertahun-tahun untuk apa pun yang akan datang ini, tapi setidaknya masalah terburuk telah diatasi, untuk saat ini.

"CNT bisa membawa kita setidaknya urutan besarnya dalam kinerja luar di mana Anda dapat memproyeksikan silikon bisa membawa kita," kata Wong.

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Windows 9 Design Mixes the Desktop and the Modern UI – Screenshot

                 The concept packs a new Start Menu based on Metro apps
 

Windows 8.1 is almost here, but users are already thinking about Windows 9, the next major release prepared by Microsoft and supposed to bring many more changes to the new and modern OS.

As you can see in this concept created by DeviantArt user Chris Lombardo, users are still thinking about a full-featured Start Menu that would be much more helpful than the existing Start screen.

The designer this time mixed the Modern and the desktop UIs for a pretty appealing concept that packs not only a Start Menu showing the available Metro apps, but also the currently running programs, thus giving you the option to quickly switch to another screen.

At the same time, it packs multi-desktop support, which would be a first for Windows, even though users have been asking for such a feature for years.

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AiRace Speed Review (3DS)

AiRace Speed is QubicGames Studio’s third attempt at making a decent racing game and I think they've come pretty close to their goal. It's a reflex-driven game where speed, reaction time and a quick eye for details will very often save your ship's life.

The game is a tunnel racer and has no actual story, you just find yourself loose in a pipe-like corridor, while driving a cool ship.

The controls are very easy and will require just a quick look to memorize: there is left, right up and down, brake and nitro (boost). Roll left and right options are also available separately and, if you learn to use them correctly, they will really help you complete levels faster.

The high-tech, industrial look complements the metallic frame and outlines the 3D feel. On the same note, I have to say that only a few players will be able to keep the console steady and in place while sliding through the narrow passages, and I count myself out of this tiny group.

Used to the accelerometer present in most smart devices nowadays, I had a very hard time keeping the 3DS properly balanced and benefiting from the great-looking 3D visuals.

Some obstacles are crowded inside narrow tunnels ...	... while others are located in huge industrial rooms

The levels consist of narrow, rarely linear tunnels, with random obstacles placed at uneven distances. Sometimes, you'll encounter larger rooms that also serve as path splitters, allowing gamers to choose a colored pipe with unique walls and traps (sometimes a shorter way to the finish line).

There is a wide range of obstacles and sometimes they will make the game frustrating; yet, this is what drives you further, nudging towards proving yourself you can reach the end, or finish a race without crashing (even if that means restarting a dozen times).

Inside the dangerous tunnels lie various types of traps: sequences of narrow pillars, moving platforms with only a narrow gap top pass through, sudden loops, deadly compressors and even curves that seem to pop out of the blue and make you crash into the sharp walls.

Besides the normal obstacles, which can kill you faster than you can say "Look at me mom, I'm speeding with hundreds of miles per hour in a spaceship through some dangerous and narrow pipes," your ships' hull can be damaged by the surrounding walls. Make sure you keep an eye out on your health bars located at the bottom screen.

Not all pipes are round ...	... and not all obstacles are easy to avoid

Aside from the normal controls, the game features a brake system that uses the ships’ flaps to slow your vehicle down. It also allows you to take a closer look at the obstacles ahead and even wait for a revolving wall to slide open so you can pass through.

The nitro feature is very useful and will allow you to gain gold and silver stars by finishing the levels faster. Every three levels your ship is changed and each ship comes with increased speed limit. However, you cannot use the same ship across multiple levels, which is pretty annoying; I mean, what's the point of unlocking cooler-looking and faster space ships if I can't race them as I please?

The game length is controversial, depending on what kind of person you are. To a gamer that needs to have every last achievement unlocked, this game will keep you busy for days. It is also suitable if you just want to get to the last level and brag to all your friends that you've finished the game in record time.

There are 12 levels, broken into groups of three, which can be played one after the other (re-played at any given moment). Two of these stages are endless – meaning that there are no checkpoints and the goal is distance and not speed.

Six more levels are available, which can be played only if certain conditions are met: silver or gold stars are unlocked; one of them is also endless. These special stars are obtained if you complete a level under a given time, this can prove to be quite difficult, especially when it comes to the Gold stars.

Some ships are faster ...	... and some corridors are shorter

If you like achievements, you're in luck. There are 42 different ones just waiting to be unlocked. Upon completing the game, you'll have the surprise of possessing only a handful of these special badges, as most of them require lots and lots of replay time.

Graphics are very nice for a 3DS game, the tunnels are uniquely built and allow almost no time for boredom with countless twists, turns and bends, while 3D has the exact amount of depth (if you can play with the 3D on). The psychedelic music beautifully complements the frenetic gameplay while the sounds are industrial themed.

I enjoyed this casual game more than I expected, and even if I died – this happened quite a lot – I did manage to unlock all the levels and earn some achievements, too.

The fast-paced gameplay, the diversity of the levels and the trance tunes kept me going even when my fingers were saying enough. Let's be honest, the game is a bargain at 4.99 (USD, GBO or EUR) on eShop

The faster you fly ...	... the more stars you'll earn

Indeed, AiRace can seem quite short to some (without the optional levels), and it is brutally hard to complete without crashing, which makes it very frustrating (sometimes you just want to crawl away under the bed and cry). Yes, it could use a little more diversity (AI opponents, multiplayer mode and the option to choose your ship on each level). However, I would recommend it to those who are in need of a time out from the world after a hard day's work.

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GTA 5 Diary: Running from the Police Is Hard

Grand Theft Auto 5 appeared last week and delivered an absolutely massive open world for players to explore on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 platforms, leading to broken sales records and a massive anticipation for the upcoming GTA Online.

Like all past GTA games, the newest one doesn't exactly focus on upstanding citizens, as the three main protagonists, Michael, Franklin, and Trevor go on a variety of not so legal adventures.

Like in real world, these missions usually end up with one or all three characters running from the police.

While in GTA IV, for example, you simply needed to run as fast as possible from the police in order to get outside their radius of interception, in GTA V law enforcement operates on a line of sight basis, like in various stealth games.

Players must first break the line of sight with the police cars and then lay low or try to avoid the roaming police cars, which are shown on the mini-map alongside their line of sight.

Sadly, this is easier said than done, as the police in GTA 5 is quite aggressive and will employ lots of violent tactics, ranging from ramming your car, to surrounding it or pinning it to a wall, so that you can't push your way through.

If you do manage to break the line of sight, hiding from the roaming police cars is also a bit tricky, largely because the mini map shows a small portion of your surroundings. As such, you need to constantly tap down on the D-pad so that the map zooms out and, hopefully, shows the cars that are in your vicinity.

On several occasions, I started racing into the opposite direction of the nearest police cars, only to end up with one such vehicle being spawned in front of me, which reactivated the whole chase.

While I'm sure that this aggressive police force just serves to reinforce the severity of your crimes, it does put a damper on the game's fun factor, especially since you're usually going to a certain waypoint and the chase takes you into a completely different direction.

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Web of Trust – Review

WOT (Web of Trust) by Against Intuition Inc

Version reviewed: WOT (Web of Trust) 20130924

WOT is a nifty web browser add-on that provides reputation details about websites based on a large community that contributes to the service.

It can warn about suspicious pages and block access to websites unsuitable for children based on crowdsourced information as well as trusted external sources.

Download WOT (Web of Trust) 


Recently, WOT (Web of Trust), a crowdsourced website reputation service, has been updated to a new version that promises increased visibility in user ratings.

Its purpose is to provide users with ratings for the sites they visit in order to prevent them from landing in the dark corners of the Internet. Website reputation is offered for search results, too, from Google, Yahoo!, Bing or any other search engine.

The information about a website is available in the form of a traffic light icon displayed at the end of the link. WOT can be downloaded as a browser extension, for all major browsers: Google Chrome, Firefox (requires browser restart), Internet Explorer, Opera and Safari.

Immediately after installing the extension, you can choose one of the three protection profiles available: basic – with ratings display in a pop-up window, light – no pop-ups, parental control – blocks access to pages with a low reputation score for children.

In most cases, WOT is visible as a traffic light icon in the browser interface, generally next to the address bar, which colors differently, according to the reputation of the website you’re on. In Internet Explorer, the add-on is located under the address bar, chipping at the screen real estate.

A particular case is Google Chrome, where the only way to benefit from the service is to launch the web app from the new tab page and run an “optimized” search through WOT’s own service.



The only controls you have are for making the search safer and exclude sites that have been labeled as unsuitable for children and those with a poor reputation. Results are different from what Google lists, though, and contain sponsored links.

The list of options is larger in Opera, but still not complete. For this browser, you get to select the level of protection (normal, light or none) and add parental control filtering as well as enable the reputation icon at all times or just for poor ratings.

As part of advanced settings, you can enable the display of website reputation in a pop-up window.

A similar configuration window is available for Mozilla Firefox, but there is slightly more flexibility available. One of the differences is that in the case of the normal level of protection you can select between the display of a warning pop-up only and blocking access to pages with poor reputation.

The advanced options in Firefox are also richer. In Mozilla’s browser, the extension offers the possibility to re-pin the button if it gets removed and to disable the extension when browsing in Private mode.

Options present both in Opera and Firefox are enabling cookies to automatically log into your WOT account and viewing reputation details in a pop-up window in search results.



In Firefox and Opera, WOT relies on two components to calculate the warning for each page: trustworthiness and child safety. Each can receive a rating ranging from “very poor” to “excellent.”

The new part in this version of the service is the use of an analysis algorithm for calculating the relevance of an opinion into the reputation of a web page.

Making your opinion count more requires a bit more effort as the developers make available a questionnaire where you can mark the website for privacy risks, as suspicious, online tracking, controversial or as potentially illegal.

WOT uses behind-the-scene analysis to calculate user input into the reputation of a website. Different aspects are considered, such as activity in the community and behavior. Suffice it to say that not all ratings weigh the same and that some of the Bayesian inference principles are used to avoid manipulation of the service.

Not just community input is balanced in; external, trusted sources such as phishing and malware listings are also contributing.

In Internet Explorer, the settings panel for Web of Trust has not been updated to the simplicity available in the one for Opera and Firefox. It is not more difficult to handle, but there are more panels to go through and the options have not been contracted.

For instance, customizing the level of protection entails choosing the relative rating for trustworthiness and child safety that should trigger a specific behavior (warning or blocking access).

However, I don’t suppose it will be long until the developer rolls out a revised interface that requires less time to get through configuration.



Configuring WOT does not require an account, but by registering you can contribute to the community with your own input (comments). It can be easily done when rating a website.

The reliability of the service has grown in the past years, despite voices accusing it of being exactly the opposite of what it should be, and proof is the collaboration with Facebook, Opera and Mail.ru Group.

At the moment, according to the developer’s real-time count, the number of downloads is getting close to the 95 million mark and there are more than 44 million websites rated by the community.

Markus Suomi, CEO of WOT, said “WOT protects users from online threats such as scams, spam and rogue online stores that are encountered within social networking sites, when shopping online or navigating the Net. The *Instagram scam was an excellent example of the kinds of threats users experience in social networks.”

*The developer reported that said Instagram scam was spotted on Facebook and consisted in offering a PC version of the application. The fraud was identified through WOT and a poor rating was assigned for the website, thus warning other users in the community of the scam.



The Good

The developer touts a hefty community that contributes with information. The process of rating the websites is simple and you can also leave a comment

Configuration is flexible and offers the possibility to regulate the action to be taken when a page meets a specific rating.

The Bad

There isn’t a unified set of options for configuring the extension on all supported web browsers.

Low confidence reputation is not marked visibly and the rating of just a few users could be misleading. Also, there are no details on the total number of contributors for a rating.

The Truth

As a service, WOT (Web of Trust) may be viewed as biased, but the latest developments in balancing the user opinion in order to provide relevant information point to the contrary. The extension is non-obtrusive but still has room for improvements.

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Mind-Controlled Robotic Leg Enables a 32-Year-Old to Truly Live Again – Video

We've seen plenty of prosthetic arms and legs, enough to almost forget that there were times when people used peg legs, but the most advanced one yet might have just been unveiled.

Scientists and doctors from the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago have outfitted a 32-year-old man with a robotic prosthesis that is controlled by thought.

The man lost his leg below the knee in a motorcycle accident four years ago and couldn't have expected to regain so much of his ability to walk, at any point.

We've actually seen mind-controlled bionic arms in the past, but this is the first leg that operates on a similar principle.

How does it work? It decodes electrical signals that travel through Zac Vawter's remaining leg muscle, this interpreting intended movements.

Motors integrated into the knee and ankle provide the needed mobility and force to go up stairs or perform other activities normally too complex for regular prosthetic limbs.

All in all, compared to passive lower-leg prosthetics, which act like a spring, the new bionic leg will feel much closer to an actual limb.

“[The leg] responds much more appropriately to the environment, and where I want to go, and how I want to walk,” Vawter said, pointing out that with normal prosthetics he'd have to use the same lag (his good one) to climb every stair.

“Whereas with this leg, it's more so that I just interact with my environment how a normal person would [and can walk up stairs foot over foot].”

Here's how it all works: the researchers first performed a surgery on Vawter, to redirect the nerve signals from where his leg was amputated. Where they once went to the lower leg, they were led to the healthy hamstring muscle in the top part of his leg instead.

Electrodes were then placed on the leg, to detect those signals. Then a computer program decoded the signals and added to the data collected by mechanical sensors on the robotic leg (including an accelerometer and a gyroscope). In the end, the error rate was of 1.8%, unlike the 12.9% provided by only the mechanical sensors.

How Does Robotic Legs do

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Curved Samsung Smartphone Confirmed for Q4 2013

The buzz around Samsung’s flexible display and the potential for embedding it in future smartphones is at its peak. We reported yesterday on rumors regarding the possible release of a limited edition Samsung Galaxy Note 3 with flexible display and now new details on the handset maker’s plans have just emerged.

Yonhap News Agency reports that Samsung SDI’s CEO Park Sang-jin has told reporters that his company does not plan to launch a smartphone with flexible display per se. Instead, Samsung is looking into curved screens, which is not the same thing at all.

For those unaware, Samsung SDI is the company that provides battery products for the South Korean handset maker’s smartphones, as well as other portable devices.

“As plastic liquid crystal displays are strong enough to neither shatter even when dropped on the ground nor need frames, it is possible to produce devices with unique designs. The curved panels are not flexible,” said Park Sang-jin, CEO of Samsung SDI.

Moreover, Park has confirmed that Samsung is going to release a brand new portable device (smartphone?) that will pack “plastic organic light emitting diode panels.”

Basically, Samsung plans to launch a portable device that sports a plastic OLED screen. This is the same thing that LG is trying to do, but Samsung’s competitor is reportedly using flat screens for this particular device that is said to arrive on the market later this year.

According to the cited source, Samsung will launch a curved smartphone in the fourth quarter of this year, though there’s no mention whether this device will be a limited edition of an already existing handset or a completely new model.

Even though handset makers are still a long way from bringing flexible displays onto our hands, technology is improving fast and in a few years, these types of screens will probably become pretty common components of future smartphones.

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Shadow Warior Review

Shadow Warrior by Flying Wild Hog

The good: +Great swordplay mechanic +Gorgeous visuals +Fun dialog The bad: -Guns aren't very impressive -Enemies aren't that varied Final score: 9 / 10 Controller support: Yes

System requirements: Minimum: OS: Windows XP / Vista / 7 / 8 Processor: 2.4 GHz Dual-Core Processor or higher Memory: 2 GB RAM Graphics: ATI Radeon HD 3870/NVIDIA 8800 GT or better DirectX: Version 9.0c Hard Drive: 8 GB available space Recommended: OS: Windows 7 SP1 64-bits Processor: Intel Core 2 Quad 8200 / AMD Phenom X4 9950 Memory: 4 GB RAM Graphics: ATI Radeon HD 4890 / NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 or better DirectX: Version 9.0c Hard Drive: 8 GB available space

The original Shadow Warrior title impressed lots of first-person shooter fans, as original developer 3D Realms combined the knowledge from its Duke Nukem 3D title with a special sword slashing system that left its mark on gaming back then.

Now, the classic game has received a reboot, courtesy of Polish developer Flying Wild Hog, which previously made old-school shooter Hard Reset.

With the promise of brilliant graphics, the same tongue-in-cheek dialog, not to mention gory gameplay, the new Shadow Warrior appears to be a successful reboot of the classic experience.

Does the game deliver on these promises or should Lo Wang retire from his quest? Let's find out.

Play as Lo Wang ...	... and explore the gorgeous game

The new Shadow Warrior title reboots the plot of the original, even if most of the main characters remain the same, starting with protagonist Lo Wang, who's a sort of bodyguard to a wealthy businessman called Zilla.

While trying to buy a sword from a mysterious source on behalf of his boss, Lo Wang witnesses an apocalypse of sorts, as the whole world is invaded by demons. As such, he needs to partner with an exiled demon called Hoji and search for a powerful katana that can set things right. Besides this rather cheesy plot, another story concerning the demons also unfolds and that one is a bit more sensible, especially since it's not constantly being displayed to players.

While you won't be getting Shadow Warrior for its story, Lo Wang more than makes up for everything thanks to clever dialog with himself and with Hoji, as well as through lots of remarks concerning his foes, and, as always, many puns and jokes concerning the word "wang."

In terms of gameplay, Shadow Warrior is an updated love letter to the original game, managing to combine gunplay with swordplay, allowing Lo Wang to dispose of his enemies in many different ways.

While the gunplay isn't that impressive, as the guns don't really pack that big of a punch, besides the revolver or crossbow, the swordplay, in which Lo Wang uses a deadly katana, is much better. While the slashing mechanics aren't up to par with, for example, those from Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, they're quite sufficient.

What's more, besides simply cutting his enemies to bits, Lo Wang can also employ different special moves using his sword, and ki attacks using his ki energy. The sword attacks can be charged up for a devastating effect but, considering the game is more than eager to throw lots of enemies at you, you won't have a lot of time to deploy these moves.



Lo Wang's weapons and powers can all be upgraded, using money for the guns and katana, Ki crystals for the attacks, and Karma for the special moves. The actual upgrade system is quite impressive and its visual style is stunning, as the Ki attacks are represented by tattoos on Lo Wang's body, while the special moves consist of beautiful Japanese artwork.

Enemies aren't that varied, unfortunately, as you'll be fighting the same regular demons quite often, even if some can become enraged and deal more damage. As you progress, other mythical beings start appearing, like Trolls or Necromancers, and you'll even fight a few humans from time to time. The boss enemies are much more impressive, however, but require a lot of work to take down.

Those who played Hard Reset will find a lot of similarities, as it's the same retro movement system as well as the emphasis on variety in executions and attacks, which get rewarded with a ninja star rating at the end of each encounter and affect the amount of Karma points you get.

In terms of visuals, Shadow Warrior is downright gorgeous, as Flying Wild Hog has made significant upgrades to its Road Hog engine, improving it in a variety of ways. The slashing mechanics are very impressive, while the gore and blood contribute to the violent tone of the whole game.

Sound-wise, the title is quite good, although its soundtrack becomes a bit repetitive from time to time. Fortunately, the voice acting makes up for it, particularly Lo Wang and Hoji, who have some great dialogs.

Fight big demons ...	... and slash them up

Conclusion

Shadow Warrior is an impressive game that manages to combine great swordplay with tongue-in-cheek dialog and gorgeous graphics. It's a successful reboot of the original title and, while using guns is a bit lackluster, Lo Wang's adventures will certainly delight retro gaming fans.

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