The Zone

You might have heard of this - you might have not.  For those in the dark, did you know Vista's DVD has an easter egg in the form of hidden pictures of some scenes?

They are rather small to be seen with the naked eye though - so you might want to whip out that camera with macro turned on, if you have a Vista DVD with you.

Source : Sugiero's Blog

For all of you folks out there who aren't lucky enough to have a computer running Vista, with a DirectX 10 (Shader Model 4) graphic card, and a copy of Company of Heroes updated to version 1.7, we present to you:

The differences between DirectX 9.0b / Shader Model 3 / HDR (High Dynamic Range), and DX10:

DX9...

...and this is:

DX10...see any differences? Here...let us help you narrow down the details... 

If you've been waiting for a long time for Vista (Windows 6) Service Pack 1, you'll be glad to know that it's finally out - though only manual download for now.

Automatic download will commence next month. So if you've been waiting to solve those slow file-copying times, go on over to Microsoft's Download page here (435MB). That's the x86 (32-bit) version. If you have x64 (64-bit) Vista, use this, but it's a whopping 727MB!.

Note: 

Please be advised that there are certain things you should do before installing Vista SP1 to avoid any problems. One of them is to update all your drivers to their latest versions. This avoids any conflicts from installing SP1.

Secondly, if you encounter problems after installing SP1, uninstall your drivers and install them again - seriously, we're not making this up! Read it from Microsoft's site here.

That's right, Windows 6 is the last Windows that will come in a 32-bit (x86) version!

In order words, future Windows will only come in 64-bit (x64).  No fret though, for 32-bit software can still run on 64-bit Windows, due to a built-in emulator.  However, if you have 32-bit software with 16-bit code, now that's a problem.

64-bit Windows can run 64-bit software and 32-bit software, but not 32-bit software with 16-bit code.

Likely this won't be a problem when the next Windows comes out years from now, for by then, it's likely all existing software will be updated to 32-bit at least, and it's highly unlikely 32-bit software with 16-bit code will be around anymore.

In the least, the problem would be computers with 32-bit processors won't be able to run post-Vista Windows.  So this means if you have the Intel Core Solo (single-core) or Core Duo (dual-core), you won't be able to run post-Vista Windows, for it's a 32-bit processor.  Only the Core 2 Solo and Duo onwards are 64-bit for the Core line of Intel processors.

On the Pentium line, only the 600 sequence of Pentium 4 processors, and the 800 and 900 sequence of Pentium D processors are 64-bit. The initial 500 sequence of the first pin-less (775 contacts) Pentium 4 processors are 32-bit.

For all its worth, being at the cutting-edge of technology is a slow and excruciating torture process on your wallet and I for one, couldn't resist the hype around Windows Vista, since its so cool (that's my #1 reason) and my not-so-legit downloading machine at home is using an *ahem copy of XP (the #2, real world reason), so I bit the bullet, forked out the remainder of my ang-pow money and bought a full-fledged legit copy of Home Premium.

Windows Vista and Office 2007 was finally launched last weekend at LowYat Plaza in Malaysia and we were there to capture all of the excitement! We'll have a full report in the next issue of HWM so in the mean time, enjoy this batch of photos! :3

Heya people! What a wonderful, gloomy and hot morning it is and while most of the exhibitors from last weekend's PC Fair is either dozing off or repacking their booths for the next one to come, I am proud to present to you a collection of deliciously cute and beautiful women that was spotted over the weekend. Let's face it, no R600, no cutting edge stuff, what are we supposed to photograph then?

Not only do you get to oogle and drool over these pics, but you can also vote for your fav darling via the comments box and we'll give you something in return!

Sparkfun Electronics has released their first wall-mounted tetris game which also features buttons so that you can actually control the blocks as they fall, and full RGB LEDs so that your game is no longer dictated by white dots on a black background. We simply love the blinking lights in a full rainbow spectrum, and playing it almost seems like an ethereal experience....

Check out the video after the break!

More often than not, Taiwanese products are acknowledged as "affordable and bang-for-the-buck" alternatives in the world of IT, though sometimes their "design philosphopies" are rather questionable. Case in point, the Amigo R622AG Wi-Fi Router spotted at the recently concluded Computex Fair in Taipei, Taiwan. Looks familiar, doesn't it? 

Well, you don't get a prize if you guessed that it looked like Microsoft's Xbox 360 console. If Microsoft didn't come up with the Xbox 360 first, we'd say that this router looks dashing and rather sleek, although we're not so sure about the, uhm, large Xbox-ish size.

Like most Wi-Fi routers nowadays, the Amigo R622AG supports 802.11a/b/g and has four Ethernet ports for wired connections. It also has an additional two USB ports for connecting USB devices to the network. If you need to boost the range of the wireless connectivity, you can even stick a high-gain antennae on the back as well.

If you're interested in one, too bad. It's not on sale in Malaysia, yet. From the official website, www.amigo.com.tw, we think it's probably only available in Taiwan and the US for now.  

One question. If the thing breaks down, will it get the dreaded 3 Red Rings of Death just like the Xbox 360 too?

Via digg

If you can't stand anymore of the irritating fingerprints on your treasured black DS Lite, do what this guy did - sand it down with sand paper! Madness! Absolute madness!

Link

Hurrah! It was a fine day for Malaysian gamers yesterday as the 2007 chapter of the World Cyber Games closed. For some, it was an eye-opener and a place to learn more skills. For others, it was a place to reunite with old friends and rivals. Like our CELgames this year, the competition in WCG '07 made us grit our teeth in anticipation, especially during the final matches on the stage. No matter what, congratulations to all the winners and may our flag fly high in Seattle!

More pics after the break!! 

Just a friendly reminder that registration for the World Cyber Games 2007 Malaysia is now open and it's FREE! That's right! It will cost you zilch, nada, niet to sign up so join the world's largest cyber game tournament and you stand a chance to win big prizes! Places are limited so point your browser to Multiplay.Lowyat.net and register today!

Hahaha, its time for you 'gamers' to show what you're made of....check out the reaction time tester, and see how well your training has come along (especially if you are a hardcore DOTA-er who loves changing directions within a few nanoseconds from each other)

Chek this out @ Iconinteractive.com and see how well you fared. That score is mine btw, and I'm an old fart.

Engadget Chinese has captured a couple pictures of the Lantern Festival in Taiwan, where the Taiwanese district of Jiayi put up a massive 1:2.5 scale model of a Gundam in lantern form. Awesome! Since Malaysia likes making breaking records, maybe we should make a giant Zeon Lantern or something to counter it. ;)    

Read 

Check out this video from YouTube - its an USB-powered, BB gatling!

Makes the regular BB gun you have at home look puny, eh? Unfortunately we weren't able to search for the dude who did this; he's new on You Tube >.<