 Half-Life 2 Stuttering Problem - Fix Coming Soon
A solution for the stuttering problem has been found and a fix is coming. I've been talking with Gary McTaggart about this today and it turns out that my texture management theory was correct. A patch will be coming for this issue that will load all of the required textures into video memory on level load, rather than doing it during game play. There is currently no ETA for this patch, but I will post an update as soon as I get more information.
News Posted by : Dodge On
: November 22, 2004, 11:34 pm
News Source : Warp2Search
 Winamp 5.06
Nullsoft Winamp is a fast, flexible, high-fidelity media player for Windows. Winamp supports playback of many audio (MP3, OGG, AAC, WAV, MOD, XM, S3M, IT, MIDI, etc) and video types (AVI,ASF,MPEG,NSV), custom appearances called skins (supporting both classic Winamp 1.x/2.x skins and Winamp 3 freeform skins), audio visualization and audio effect plug-ins (including two industry dominating visualization plug-ins), an advanced media library, Internet radio and TV support, CD ripping, and CD burning.
News Posted by : Dodge On
: November 22, 2004, 11:31 pm
News Source : File Forum
Download : WinAmp 5 Full
World of Warcraft movie
Blizzard has released a new movie trailer for World of Warcraft, their imminent fantasy 3D massively multiplayer online RPG. This high-resolution trailer illustrates the creation of the game's environments in nearly eight minutes of concept and in-engine fly-by footage, narrated by three of the game's developers.
News Posted by : Dodge On
: November 22, 2004, 11:30 pm
News Source : 3D Gamers
Download : Video
Call of Duty: Finest Hour
Be you British SAS, American Airborne, or Russian Spetsnaz you can all enlist for the war where no one fought alone...
Activision announced today that Call of Duty: Finest Hour has shipped to stores nationwide. A spin off of the successful PC series, this game marks the console debut of Call of Duty. Along with a full single player campaign, Call of Duty: Finest Hour also supports multiplayer for up to 16 people on both the PS2 and Xbox.
"An all-new experience for the consoles, Call of Duty: Finest Hour is an absolute thrill ride, driving players and their squads through intense WWII battles as they head for the final assault on Germany," said Kathy Vrabeck, President, Activision Publishing. "By marrying advanced technology with the Hollywood talents of actor Dennis Haysbert, award-winning composer Michael Giacchino, veteran writer/producer Michael Schiffer and rock-and-roll superstar Brian Johnson, we're able to deliver a completely unique experience that is unrivaled in its realism and intensity."
News Posted by : Dodge On
: November 22, 2004, 11:29 pm
News Source : Game Daily
Medal of Honor: Pacific Assault retail patch
Electronic Arts has issued the first patch for Medal of Honor: Pacific Assault, updating their new World War II first-person shooter sequel to an unknown version number. This release addresses mouse and input lag, the 999 ping bug, dedicated server CPU utilization, spawn code server hitching, and miscellaneous single-player bugs.
News Posted by : Dodge On
: November 22, 2004, 11:28 pm
News Source : 3D Gamers
Download : Patch
 Plextor Introduces 16X DVD?R/RW SATA Drive
New DVD/CD Burner Supports Dual-Layer DVD+R Technology for Increased DVD Recordable Capacity to 8.5 GB
Plextor? Corp., a leading developer and manufacturer of high-performance digital media equipment, today announced the new PX-716SA series DVD?R/RW drive. Featuring a native Serial ATA (SATA) interface and high-speed 16X DVD+R and 16X DVD-R recording, the internal drive combines fast performance, 150 MB/sec bandwidth, and recording features that ensure reliable, high-quality results across a broad spectrum of media.
The drive achieves blazing fast 16X CAV performance on recommended 8X DVD+R media, and burns a 4.7GB DVD in less than six minutes, one minute faster than leading ZCLV competitors. The new drive also supports dual-layer DVD media, enabling users to burn up to four hours of high-quality MPEG-2 video on a single 8.5GB DVD disc in approximately 28 minutes.
The internal PX-716SA drive features an integrated Serial ATA connection, enabling OEMs and System Integrators to leverage the benefits of SATA, including 150 MB/sec bandwidth, elimination of master/slave configuration jumper issues, a substantial pin count reduction, and thinner cables to help air-flow and improve cable routing.
?The newest 16X DVD drive from Plextor is specifically designed for personal computer manufacturers who want to integrate a DVD/CD burner that sets new standards for performance, convenience, and reliability,? said Howard Wing, vice president of sales and marketing for Plextor. ?The combination of Serial ATA interface, support for dual-layer media, and the Intelligent Recording features can really help OEMs differentiate their PCs from competitive offerings.?
News Posted by : Dodge On
: November 22, 2004, 11:28 pm
Music industry tests digital-only releases
As an unsigned band, the Shazam has never gotten the perks enjoyed by acts attached to major record labels.
"The budgets we've used probably wouldn't even pay the catering on a major-label release," said Hans Rotenberry, a singer and guitarist for the Nashville band, which he said had sold several thousand copies of its self-produced recordings over the last 10 years.
But this week, the Shazam and seven other relatively unknown acts will get a shot at the kind of exposure that only the major record labels can provide, after being recruited for an experiment by Universal Music Group. Universal, which like other record companies has heavily relied on profits from sales of CDs, has signed the artists to a digital-only label. Starting Tuesday, it will release songs through services like iTunes from Apple Computer, Rhapsody from RealNetworks and MSN Music from Microsoft.
News Posted by : Dodge On
: November 22, 2004, 11:27 pm
News Source : CNet
 Linux Phishing Attack Circulates on Net
A fake security bulletin purporting to be from Red Hat resurfaced, warning Linux users of a "critical-critical" security hole.
A security bulletin circulated on the Internet late Friday and warned Linux users of a "critical-critical" security hole that could compromise systems and allow root access to a remote attacker. The message and its "patch" were the return of a phishing hoax aimed at Linux users.
According to the fake security bulletin, the vulnerability was found in fileutils, the package of essential system utilities that manipulate files on a system. It warned of problem distributions including Red Hat versions 7.2 through 9.0, and Fedora Core 1 and Core 2 as well as others. However, the warning said BSD and Solaris platforms were unaffected by the vulnerability.
News Posted by : Dodge On
: November 22, 2004, 11:26 pm
News Source : eWeek
NASA launches cosmic blast hunter
A new space observatory has been launched to hunt down and study the most powerful explosions seen in the Universe since the Big Bang itself.
The Swift satellite will detect and analyse gamma-ray bursts - very intense but fleeting flashes of radiation. Scientists think they may signal the birth of black holes which are created when giant stars fall in on themselves. Swift - a combined US, UK and Italian mission - was launched on a Delta rocket from Cape Canaveral in Florida.
News Posted by : Dodge On
: November 22, 2004, 11:25 pm
News Source : BBC News
 Nvidia to put more force behind Intel processors
Nvidia, a maker of graphics chips, on Friday announced plans to create a version of its nForce chipset for Intel processor PCs. That's something Nvidia couldn't legally do in the past but can do now, thanks to a broad patent swap with Intel.
A chipset is a PC's nervous system; it stewards data as it travels through the machine. The patent swap will help give the chipmaker access to a broader swath of the chipset market. Nvidia--along with ATI Technologies, its rival in the market for graphics chips--entered the PC chipset business several years ago in an effort to remain competitive as desktop and notebook PC makers moved to so-called integrated graphics chipsets, which incorporate graphics processors.
News Posted by : Dodge On
: November 22, 2004, 11:24 pm
News Source : Neowin
Need for Speed: Underground 2 Demo
Electronic Arts have released the eagerly anticipated playable demo for Need for Speed Underground 2, offering the first opportunity to try out the upcoming street racing simulation sequel by their Black Box studio. This hefty demo contains the Downhill drift and Circuits tracks available in Free Roam, Quick Race and Online modes, additional Free Roam content, and the Car Lot and Specialty Shop, all drivable in the Nissan 350Z.
News Posted by : Dodge On
: October 27, 2004, 11:23 am
News Source : Warp2Search
Download : 3D Gamers
 Maxthon v1.1.050
Maxthon is a powerful web browser with a highly customizable interface. It is based on the Internet Explorer engine (your most likely current web browser) which means that what works in IE, works the same in Maxthon but with many additional efficient features.
(I use this one - Ed.)
News Posted by : Dodge On
: October 25, 2004, 7:22 pm
News Source : Neowin
Download : Maxthon
Messenger Plus! 3.25 Released
Patchou writes:
As promised a week ago, here is Messenger Plus! 3.25. This version focuses on security and user satisfaction. I hope it will help you wait for the next "real" update with full MSN Messenger 7 compatibility . For the security part, every binary file of Messenger Plus! is now signed with a Verisign Digital Signature. The publisher's name is "Patchou"; with that protection, you'll always be sure that you are downloading and installing a genuine version of Messenger Plus!.
Now, about the user satisfaction part, I have completely redesigned the setup and the way the sponsor's agreement is presented to the user. It is now ten times clearer, with a separated explanation message, a delay forcing the user to pay attention, a screenshot of the search bar installed by C2Media, a clearer "I refuse" option, ... there is no way you can miss the point of this screen now . Let's hope it will calm down some of the people who have been criticizing me over the past months, my first goal is to make a great Messenger plugin that everyone will enjoy, and if I have to take a pay cut for this to happen, so be it.
Stay tuned for more news about the next major release of Messenger Plus!. Until then, you can continue to enjoy MSN Messenger 6.2 and its plugins!
News Posted by : Dodge On
: October 25, 2004, 7:21 pm
Download : Messenger Plus
Nvidia DVD Decoder 1.00.58
NVIDIA DVD Decoder combines the industry?s highest quality DVD and MPEG-2 playback with rich surround sound audio and provides the best experience with Windows Media Player and Windows Media Center Edition. Featuring Dolby Digital surround sound audio and hardware-accelerated video on all Microsoft DirectX compatible graphics processors, the decoder delivers unmatched color fidelity and smooth DVD, video, and TV viewing.
It is the first software decoder to receive the ?Designed for Media Center Edition? certification, ensuring that it will deliver premium video quality and unmatched performance for Media Center PCs. In addition, it is designed to work with Portable Media Centers allowing users to take their recorded TV shows with them on the road.
News Posted by : Dodge On
: October 25, 2004, 7:20 pm
News Source : Neowin
Download : Decoder
Avant Browser 10.0 Build 029
Avant Browser is a custom Web browser application based on Internet Explorer with versatile multi-window support. It allows users to browse multiple Web sites simultaneously and block all unwanted pop-up pages. All opened pages can be easily stopped, refreshed, closed or arranged with one click. The integrated cleaner helps users to clear all traces and keep privacy. The built-in Google search engine enables users to easily search for Web pages and images.
News Posted by : Dodge On
: October 25, 2004, 7:20 pm
News Source : Neowin
Download : Avant Browser
Microsoft's Worst Nightmare
Blake Ross is lounging at his parents' Florida Keys condo, thinking ahead to his first day back at Stanford. His goal for his sophomore year: nothing less than to "take back the Web" from Microsoft. You might think the shy 19-year-old is outmatched. Think again. Ross, a software prodigy who interned at Netscape at age 14, is the lead architect behind Mozilla's Firefox -- a revolutionary new browser that's catching on the way Mosaic did in 1993. In beta for the past four months, Firefox version 1.0 is set to be released in November. With that, Ross will issue the first truly formidable challenge to Internet Explorer that the world has seen in seven years. "We're hoping for 10 million downloads in 10 days," Ross says proudly.
That's not sophomoric hype. Firefox, a free open-source browser that loads twice as fast as Internet Explorer, has already been downloaded 2.7 million times, and it has siphoned off nearly 2 percent of Microsoft's browser market share, now at 93.7 percent. Along the way, Firefox is fast becoming the browser of choice for anyone fed up with all the nasty things polluting the Web (pop-ups and viruses and spyware, oh my!). Google (GOOG) is rumored to be building its own browser based on the Firefox framework, and entrepreneurs are churning out hundreds of microprograms for it (see "The Spawn of Firefox," below). A minister in Kentucky is even exhorting his flock to switch to Firefox because it blocks those pesky Viagra ads.
News Posted by : Dodge On
: October 25, 2004, 7:17 pm
"Brain" In A Dish Acts As Autopilot
A University of Florida scientist has grown a living ?brain? that can fly a simulated plane, giving scientists a novel way to observe how brain cells function as a network.
The ?brain? -- a collection of 25,000 living neurons, or nerve cells, taken from a rat?s brain and cultured inside a glass dish -- gives scientists a unique real-time window into the brain at the cellular level. By watching the brain cells interact, scientists hope to understand what causes neural disorders such as epilepsy and to determine noninvasive ways to intervene.
As living computers, they may someday be used to fly small unmanned airplanes or handle tasks that are dangerous for humans, such as search-and-rescue missions or bomb damage assessments.
?We?re interested in studying how brains compute,? said Thomas DeMarse, the UF professor of biomedical engineering who designed the study. ?If you think about your brain, and learning and the memory process, I can ask you questions about when you were 5 years old and you can retrieve information. That?s a tremendous capacity for memory. In fact, you perform fairly simple tasks that you would think a computer would easily be able to accomplish, but in fact it can?t.?
?If we can extract the rules of how these neural networks are doing computations like pattern recognition, we can apply that to create novel computing systems,? he said.
News Posted by : Dodge On
: October 25, 2004, 7:16 pm
Windows XP Release 2 coming
If you thought that Service Pack 2 for Windows XP was the last of the big updates, think again. Speaking yesterday at the Gartner Symposium in Orlando, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer said that a number of important security initiatives were underway for Windows, some of which would be part of a pre-Longhorn "Release 2" for Windows XP. Beyond noting this, Ballmer did not disclose any details regarding when we might see R2, or just what it would contain. In fact, he didn't give any time frames for anything, be it Longhorn, Windows Server 2005, Office 12, or when Steinbrenner plans to make his life easier by recruiting Clone War rejects.
Our man on the scene noted that several people understood this talk of Release 2 to be a kind of rebranding of "XP Reloaded," but our gut feeling here is that we're looking at something different. From our talks with Microsoft (both on and off the record), XP Reloaded was nothing but an internal name for what we're seeing now: the big 2004 refresh, featuring not only Windows XP SP2, but also Media Center Edition 2005. It's important to note that in Microsoft's eyes, MCE 2005 is the start of something special, and by special I mean a new OS that won't be relegated to entertainment centers in the home if Microsoft has their way. Think XP Home + MCE. But I shan't get into that now, because there are bigger obstacles to address.
News Posted by : Dodge On
: October 25, 2004, 7:16 pm
News Source : Neowin
Far Cry 1.3 Patch Released
After a long wait since the recall of the 1.2 patch, Ubisoft has finally released the latest version for the beautiful action adventure FPS, which supposedly bring an undocumented HDR and 3DC graphics feature for the latest nvidia and ati cards, respectively, amongst various other updates.
However, a list of known issues for this version is maintained by ubisoft, and one major issues to be noted by all current users for the 1.2 Patch: * Save games created with the recalled patch (1.2) are not compatible with patch 1.3. So make sure you revert back to 1.1 before updating incase you are midway through the game.
News Posted by : Dodge On
: October 25, 2004, 7:15 pm
News Source : Neowin
Download : 1.3 Patch
Doug Lombardi of Valve Software
Earlier this week, gamers around the world got the news they've waited so patiently for: Half-Life 2 is finished and will be available in stores and via Valve's Steam servce starting November 16. unable to contain ourselves, we sent a few questions their way, which were answered by Valve's Doug Lombardi. Here's what he had to say.
Q. Will the boxed versions of HL2 require any sort of Steam installations?
Doug Lombardi: During installation the user will be prompted to authenticate the copy and create a Steam account. After that is complete, the single-player and LAN games do not require an Internet connection.
Q. When will the tools be released for the mod community?
Doug Lombardi: Now that development on the game is done, a number of engineers are preparing the first version of the Source SDK for release. I don't have an exact date for when this will be available, but it shouldn't be too much longer and will send out word when I have an ETA.
News Posted by : Dodge On
: October 25, 2004, 7:13 pm
News Source : Neowin
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