By David Ponce

[ This article concerns a paid campaign currently running on the site. ]

So here’s the deal. Symantec’s been working on Norton. They know many people find it a slow resource hog and sometimes annoying. They’re trying to change that perception (and the product itself, from what I hear). As part of this process, they’re asking four Federated Media Authors to build PCs, test them and document the process. While there was an HTPC and a gaming PC to build… I was not so lucky. I got the Home Office PC. But that’s ok, Home Officing can be exciting… right?

They’re giving us a ,000 budget, and free rein on just how we do this. They’re not asking us to say anything nice about Norton. Heck, if it’s still slow, I’ll be the first to say it. But before I get there, I have to build this PC. And this is where you guys can maybe help.

Pasted below is a passage of the first article in the series. (The whole thing is here.) Since there’s no PC yet, this article is about the setup I’ve got now, and the direction I’m planning to take with the new one.

Now, you have to understand that I’m 27. While I enjoy getting work done, I’m not one to poo poo a good game of UT4 now and then. So not only is this PC good enough for Home Offic-ing, it happens to have a couple of components that could be considered extravagant for the more restrained home office worker. Like the Ultra case with see-through side panel. Or the XFX GeForce 8600GT video card with two DVI outputs. Or the 4GB of RAM. Or the massive 700W power supply. Or even the 1.5TB of storage over four hard drives. Oh, and the 250GB WD MyBook extrnal drive sitting on top. Heck, even the Acer 22-inch LCD could be considered a bit of overkill for the typical home office.

Where do you come in? Well, heck, what would you want in a Home Office PC? I want suggestions, guys. Ideas.

[ Old Vs. New PC ]

Link to the original article…

On the surface, Darkmarket.ws appeared much like any other Internet platform used by fraudsters to trade their wares. Members traded in just about everything that could turn a dishonest buck, ranging from specialized hardware to personal data, electronic banking details, credit card information and fake IDs.

The difference with Darkmarket, however, that it was being operated by the man; the man in this case being one J. Keith Mularski, a senior cybercrime agent for the FBI who is based with the National Cyber Forensics Training Alliance in Pittsburgh and who went by the name of Master Splynter to penetrate the criminal network. With Darkmarket now shuttered, we can expect the arrests to start any day now. Don’t drop the soap boys.

Check out Wired for more detail on the story. [Südwestrundfunk via Wired]

Link to the original article…

This post is syndicated with permission from GamerFront.net

A lot of people decide to make modifications to their PC case, and they turn out alright. Other people decide to go all-out, and you’re left with a creation that can only be described as “pure awesome”. This Battlestar Galactica PC mod falls into the latter category.

This machine has just about everything you could imagine, right down to functioning runway lights. You’ll find 3 2.5-inch LCD screens, and a nice 10-inch LCD screen on the side, just in case you’ve forgotten a full-sized one. Even more impressive is the slot-loading optical drive hidden behind the Battlestar Galactica medallion. I can’t even imagine the sort of time and effort it took to put this together. Kudos to Boddaker, the mastermind behind this incredible project.

Link to the original article…

By Andrew Liszewski

While this electric toy car/windmill model kit is recommended as an educational toy for kids 15 years and older, it seems better suited for the younger set who go through batteries like they grow on trees. Once assembled, the electric car is actually recharged by connecting it to the turbine on the back of the windmill. The windmill itself features a loop-wing design that can be turned with even the slightest breeze, but also has a switchable gear system for better harnessing the power from a particularly strong wind. The electric car will run for about 1-2 minutes with about 5-10 minutes of charging, and since it attaches to the windmill your kid can spend the afternoon running around the backyard with it, creating their own breeze. The kit is available on the Tamiya America website for .

[ Tamiya Loopwing Wind Power Generator Set ] VIA [ Crave ]

Link to the original article…

By Andrew Liszewski

I don’t get out camping as much as I used to, but one of the skills I at least mastered as a kid was how to build and start a fire. (Because when you’re a kid, when else are you allowed to play with fire?) However the Kinderlite disposable campfire seems designed for those who probably wouldn’t last much longer than a weekend in the great outdoors.

From what I can tell it uses a hanging cardboard container that probably contains a fuel source as well as kindling-type material, as well as a wooden frame with pre-drilled holes that makes it easy to create a teepee structure from gathered twigs. It was designed by Philip John Luscombe from Northumbria University and while it looks like a ridiculously easy way to get a fire started, you’ll probably want to be throwing some bigger logs on there once it gets going if you want it to burn for longer than 20 minutes.

[ Kinderlite Disposable Campfire ] VIA [ Cribcandy ]

Link to the original article…

By Andrew Liszewski

A few months ago I wrote about a couple of pairs of limited edition Puma Disc Blaze sneakers that featured a Tetris design, complete with a blinding 90’s neon color scheme. I have no idea how well the shoes sold, but given how rabid some sneaker collectors can be, I have to assume they were quite popular. And that’s probably why Puma is releasing another custom pair of Disc Blaze sneakers that feature a more subtle design inspired by the 1985 film, The Goonies. In reality the shoes can only be considered ’subtle’ when compared to the Tetris kicks, since these also feature a pretty crazy design with skulls and treasure map patterns, and what looks like hemp loops on the tongue and heel. They even appear to come in a Puma/Goonies-themed burlap sack, and like the Tetris versions before them, they’ll only be available in limited numbers when they go on sale in December.

[ ALBOTAS - Limited Edition “Goonies” Pumas ] VIA [ CrunchGear ]

Link to the original article…

I’ve recently highlighted several reports showing that the RIAA’s method of identifying and suing P2P users is painfully inaccurate. This was further illuminated by the recent case of Jammie Thomas, a Minnesota woman who was originally ordered to pay $220,000 for making files available via broadband, but may now see a new trial.

Why? Because the Judge has decided that actually showing evidence of a crime might be a good idea. In response to that ruling, a few weeks ago the MPAA publicly stated that they should be able to collect as much as $150,000 in damages from individuals without any real evidence of wrong doing. Says the MPAA:

Wired’s Threat Level Blog says the RIAA has now filed their response to the Thomas case, and like the MPAA, apparently the organization feels that that concepts like “evidence” and “proof” are somewhat over-rated:

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AT&T has released additional iPhone pricing details. The third-generation HSDPA-supported iPhone will be available in AT&T Stores starting July 11 at 8 a.m. The $199 (8GB) and $299 (16GB) pricing has conditions: in order to get the reduced pricing, you need to have purchased a first-gen iPhone before July 11, be activating a new customer line with AT&T, or be an existing AT&T customer eligible for phone upgrade (in all cases you’ll need to sign a new two-year contract). AT&T also has this to say:

Should you not want a contract, you’ll need to pay $599 for the 8GB and $699 for the 16GB model. AT&T says this option won’t be available at launch, but sometime “in the future.”
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Comcast VoIP customers might be interested to note that Comcast this morning unveiled new pricing plans for international calling. The company’s new “Carefree Minutes” plans offer flat-rate calling to more than thirty countries, and come in four different flavors depending where you call most. The company’s “Western Europe 100,” “Mexico 100″ and “Asia 100″ plans cost $4.95 per month, while their “Latin America 100″ plan costs $9.95. The individual countries covered by each plan are broken down in the company’s press release.
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In May, Connecticut’s DPUC ruled that AT&T must get the approval of landowners and municipalities before it plunks down a controversial VRAD near (or on) a CT resident’s lawn. The fixtures, required for AT&T to offer VDSL & IPTV, have angered home owners in several states who say they erode property values. The DPUC also ruled that AT&T must get retroactive consent from property owners where the cabinets have already been installed.

AT&T initially balked at that last point, but the State last week clarified that retroactive consent is only necessary from homeowners who previously opposed VRAD placement. The Hartford Courant suggests that AT&T and CT have now patched up their differences. While VRAD placement opposition originated among regular citizens, AT&T blames the whole affair on the cable industry:

With their previously strained relationship now smooth, AT&T says they’ll continue their $250 million network upgrades in the state, something they claim wouldn’t have happened “if the DPUC had said something different,” according to AT&T spokesman Dave Mancuso.
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T-Mobile claims UKs first national HSUPA mobile broadband service TechDigest.tv
Mobile Internet users are a rare breed SeekBroadband.com
Round 3 in Enron broadband case Chron.com
WiFi Alliance takes on wireless IP telephony MacWorld.co.uk
Google free to offload ‘$1bn’ AOL stake TheRegister.co.uk
Netgear Debuts Open-Source Router Yahoo News
Apple’s fourth Leopard spits out 25 patches TheRegister.co.uk
Vonage Extends Financing Talks, No Deal Yet InformationWeek.com

In June, Verizon issued a press release stating they’d be adding “more than” 25HD channels this summer, and should have more than 150HD channels by the end of the year. According to the company, the deployment was set to begin in July on a market-by-market basis. Fort Wayne, Indiana users in our FiOS TV forum note that the channels have arrived in their region (here’s a pdf channel lineup for those interested).
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Neither competition or the already massive profit margins for text messaging have stopped Verizon Wireless, Sprint or AT&T from recently bumping their per message rates to around 20 cents per message (both to send and receive). Just a little over a year after going to 15 cents per message, T-Mobile is now joining the crowd, and will also be bumping their per-message fee to twenty cents starting August 29. Obviously, the move is to get customers to sign up for pricier bulk SMS/MMS plans.
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In June, Verizon issued a press release stating they’d be adding “more than” 25HD channels this summer, and should have more than 150HD channels by the end of the year. According to the company, the deployment was set to begin in July on a market-by-market basis. Fort Wayne, Indiana users in our FiOS TV forum note that the channels have arrived in their region (here’s a pdf channel lineup for those interested).
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The FCC has announced (pdf) that they’ll be holding a public hearing on “broadband and the digital future” on July 21, at 4PM EST, at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. The FCC has recently held hearings on network neutrality at both Harvard University and Stanford University. This particular hearing will instead focus on competition and broadband deployment. Perhaps someone in attendance can ask them why it took the better part of a decade to realize we should have accurate broadband penetration data before making policy decisions.
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