CrossFire and SLI Performance Fix for Vista, Part Deux

Back in July, Microsoft rolled out a fix for a nasty bug in its Windows Vista SLI and CrossFire multi-GPU support: Windows Vista was using only one of the GPUs! However, the Inquirer.net website reported yesterday that a more subtle bug is still plaguing some multi-GPU setups: a problem with load-balancing between GPUs.

Load-Balancing Woes and System Slowdowns

If one of the GPUs in your system is very busy, and and other idle GPUs receive a new DMA packet, you may experience scheduling latency. In plain language, your system slows down until all GPUs are assigned work to do. If you like to juggle games and other applications at the same time on your SLI or CrossFire system, you're a prime candidate for this type of slowdown.

Meet LDA, a Way to Avoid Saying "SLI" or "CrossFire"

This update isn't going to show up in Windows Update, at least not for awhile. And, if you ran into it during a casual scan of recent downloads, you might not even recognize it. That's because Microsoft is now referring to multi-GPU configurations as Linked Display Adapter (LDA) setups. SLI and CrossFire fans, make a note of this: every time you see a reference to LDA at Microsoft, think SLI (nVIDIA) or CrossFire (ATI/AMD).

Learning More About the Update...and Getting It

Microsoft has information about the hotfix, available for both 32-bit and 64-bit Windows Vista, at Knowledge Base article 945149. You must request the hotfix from Microsoft, rather than download it directly from the KB article. Microsoft promises a download link within 8 business hours, as we discussed in our article Hotfixes by Email - Just What the Windows Doctor Ordered.

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Help Windows Vista newbies learn how to use BitLocker to stop data theft, get organized with Windows Calendar, and back up data and systems the easy way: give Mark's new book Maximum PC Microsoft Windows Vista Exposed. It's now available at Amazon.com and other fine bookstores.

Daily News Brief: MS Conspiracy Theory Exposed!

Microsoft Fueling HD Wars?

That's what Michael Bay believes, who directed the Transformers movie. Still peeved that Transformers only appears on HD-DVD and not Blu-ray, Micheal wrote that "Microsoft wants both formats to fail" in an attempt to move consumers toward digital downloads, and that MS is "handing out $100 million checks to studios" to push HD-DVD and confuse the market. Makes perfect sense too, because, well, if two formats manage to gain a foothold in the market, said formats will spontaneously combust, leaving digital downloads to rule over masses of confused movie watchers.

Nokia Offers Free Music for a Year

As part of their 'Comes With Music Program', Nokia announced they'll be giving away free music from "millions of artists[...], past, present, and future." To qualify, consumers need only purchase a Nokia device, making them eligible to download free music for a year, which they can keep forever. As of yet, it's unclear which record labels will participate, save for UMG, who is already on board.

iPhone Searches Dominate Google

Score one for technology and entertainment, which saw more Google searches in 2007 than any other category. And the fastest-rising search term? The iPhone, of course, which didn't exist a year prior. Also making the top 10 list are Webkinz, celebrity news site TMZ, and transformer toys, which held the 2, 3, and 4 spots respectively. See the rest here.

iPhone Dominates France

French mobile phone operator Orange reports they've sold 30,000 iPhones in the first five days since it's November 29 launch. Meanwhile, T-Mobile in Germany said it sold 10,000 units on the first day, who yesterday won a lawsuit allowing them to lock iPhone customers into a two year contract. Orange remains the only Apple network partner to sell unlocked phones, which does so to comply with French law.

$222,000 RIAA Verdict Constitutional

After losing a copyright infringement suit brought forth by the RIAA to the tune of $222,000, Jammie Thomas appealed the verdict claiming the damages were in excess of actual damages the music labels might have incurred. But the U.S. Department of Justice didn't agree, dismissing Thomas' claims and stating that the Copyright Act serves both a "compensatory and a deterrent purpose." File sharers take note...

Shrinky Dink Chips

While most of us can remember using Shrinky Dinks to downsize Smurfs and He-Man characters, Michelle Khine recently found another use for them. Armed with a laser printer, a toaster oven, and Shrinky Dinks, the University of California Merced professor managed to make microfluidic devices, which are computer chips with plumbing typically fabricated in multimillion dollar labs. Read all about the process here.

So Much for that Front Panel

Oh, Creative. This has not been the week for you.

About a week or so ago, I came upon the startling realization that no sound was coming from my computer. It's a great feeling, especially when you haven't touched a single bit of the case for God-knows-how-long. Rudimentary physics tells us that in the absence of meddling, external stimuli, or cats, an object in a particular state should stay in that state forever. Seriously, it's science.

In theory, the same should hold true with geeky pursuits. If I haven't messed with my computer's internals, and have tread nowhere near the special cords that attach to its butt, then why -- oh why -- would sound stop coming out of my computer speakers?

I never did figure out what the problem was. I'd unplug and replug the front speaker cord, which fixed the issue a little bit and let me go back to enjoying my massive iTunes library. It was but a brief comfort. A few days later, no amount of unplugging or jiggling would give me a sustained bit of sound from the speakers. Not unless I sat behind my case and physically held the wires at a few particular angles. Alas, my cat could not be trained to do the same, so this idea was scrapped in favor of replacing the semi-functioning card.

I decided to swap my Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeGamer Awesomeness WooHah (I didn't think the name was long enough) for its fatter brother, a Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeGamer Fatal1ty Pro Series (just right) sound card. The installation was as easy as a sound card installation could be, and I now get fully functioning sound from my speakers one-hundred percent of the time. Mission accomplished.

Sort-of.

For while I have fully functioning audio coming from the rear of my case, I now have front panel audio jacks that are utterly worthless. Creative, in its infinite wisdom, decided not to include any connection mechanism for front-panel case audio with the Fatal1ty series of cards. The little jack is right there on the XtremeGamer -- I almost wish I could solder it right off one card and onto the other. But alas, I will never be able to plug my headphones into the handy front part of my case. I'll now have to go behind the case each time, unplug all the speakers, plug in the headphones, then reverse the process when I'm done fragging Will and Friends in Team Fortress 2.

Sigh.

I'm not sure why Creative wouldn't slap such a useful and important feature onto a sound card. Perhaps they want to encourage more support for their proprietary 5.25"-bay i/o drives. Maybe they just hate freedom. Either way, buyer beware -- be sure to check the exact technical configuration of your sound card prior to purchase, else you might end up with a bunch of wires that now have nowhere to go. Frown.

Seven Rules for Safer Holiday Shopping

Tis the season to buy new PCs, electronics, and a bunch of other stuff for that matter. There are great deals to be had, but whether you're buying for yourself or others, the road to electronic bliss is fraught with peril. Before you shell out your hard-earned dough for that new gaming rig or plasma screen TV, read our guide--or suffer the consequences!

1. Find the best deals online

By shopping around, you can sometimes find a better bargain than is even available at Wal-Mart. Yes. Really. Wal-Mart.

We’ve actually found that one of the best ways to find a deal is to cruise the technology “coupon” sites. Sites such as techdeals.net and techbargains.com track supercheap bargains from retailers and often provide links and the coupon codes needed to get the low price. These sites are quite different than search engines because they are geared toward the best deals, not simply searching a store for an item and its price. For example, on one particular day, you could get a 20 percent discount on a Canon Rebel XTI digital camera at Dell.com, but you had to buy the camera that day and use Paypal. Taking advantage of these steep discounts is certainly more work but can be worth it if you're willing to do the legwork.

As always, be wary of offers that seem too good to be true. It's entirely possible that Circuit City will run a crazy cheap special on an HDTV to get people in the door, but if Bob's Internet Tire & Battery Emporium is offering a cheaper deal on the same TV, beware.

2. Sometimes extended warranties are good, most of the time they're bad

Extended warranties on desktop PCs are rarely worth the money. Desktop PCs have become so reliable that if one works for the first three hours out of the box, it probably won’t die for five years. For notebook PCs, however, extended warranties have a better chance of paying off, as notebooks have far higher failure rates than desktops. Notebook PCs get carried around, pressed, compressed, vibrated and knocked about. Add that to hundreds of delicate components operating in a tiny space and it’s not a question of if your laptop will break, but when. That doesn’t mean you should automatically say yes when the man in the blue shirt asks if you want to buy an extended warranty for your new notebook, but there's a much higher likelihood that your investment will pay off.

For "dumber" consumer electronics and home appliances, the extended warranty is rarely a good idea. Devices like washing machines and dishwashers rarely, if ever, break. When they do, it's inevitably beyond even the extrended warranty period. The exception may be high-end consumer electronics--think large-screen HDTVs--it may be worth paying for the extended warranty just for the in-home service.

Warranty policies are generally written by horrible beasts with the brain of an insurance actuary, the soul of a lawyer, and the mouth of a politician. In other words, they’re not designed to help you, they’re designed to help the company increase profits without increasing liability. The warranties are written with the knowledge that most consumers won't have any problems over the life of the extended warranty. Of course, shady companies can pad that profit margin even more by simply refusing to cover a customer's warranty claims. Just because you have that warranty doesn’t mean that a company will honor it. Oftentimes, extended warranties carry verbiage that absolves the company from intentional damage caused by the customer, which is a vague enough claim that they can choose not to cover accidental damage--like dropping your laptop. Once the company determines that you intentionally damaged your gear, you're screwed. We don't want to imply that every extended warranty is designed to screw you, but they’re not going to cover every problem you have. As always, buyer beware.

3. Beware of hidden fees

If you prefer to shop online, watch out for the landmines that online stores have laid. Many stores, especially smaller, less reputable stores (and even some larger stores) will charge you a restocking fee if you need to return anything--even defective products. The restocking fees are often quite high in order to dissuade you from trying to return items that you bought. A really disreputable store will actually try to charge you a restocking fee on defective items that you return. How do you watch out for this trap? Read the store’s return policy before you click the check-out button.

The other common hidden fee is the shipping and handling charge. Frequently, unscrupulous online vendors will list an item at below retail cost and then make up their money on exorbitant shipping and handling fees. Always pay attention to what shipping and handling are going to cost you

Daily News Brief: USPS Warns Netflix Over Mailers

Netflix Mailers Cause Trouble

Apparently Netflix's pre-addressed mailers are costing the USPS big money in additional labor costs, to the tune of $41.9 million over the past two years, and another $61.5 million over the next couple. It's not that USPS workers have suddenly become incredibly feeble, but the mailers "sustain damage, jam equipment, and cause mis-sorts during automated processing," which could ultimately result in a $0.17 surcharge per DVD if Netflix refuses to redesign their mailers. Estimates have the surcharge cutting into 67% of Netflix's margin.

House Passes Online SAFE Act

In an overwhelmingly majority vote (409-2), the House of Representatives passed the SAFE act (Securing Adolescents From Exploitation), which requires anyone offering an open public Wi-Fi connection to report illegal images, including "obscene" cartoons and drawings, or be hit with a $300,000 fine. The Act isn't intended to target consumers with Wi-Fi access points at home, but some feel the bill was rushed too quickly to the floor and as a result left too much up to interpretation.

AMD RV635 Sports DisplayPort

AMD's had a rough time in the news as of late, but it's not all bad coming out of Santa Clara, as evidenced by HotHardware's look at the RV635.. The new card comes equipped with dual DisplayPorts, which looks to beat nVidia to market with the new port. DisplayPort was designed specifically for computers, and is expected to co-exist with HDMI, which targets living room consumer electronics.

University Incorporates Video Games into Classrooms

Doug Thomas, associate professor at the University of California's Annenberg School for Communication, is busy developing a game for students aged 10-12 with the goal of teaching ideas and skills not easily taught through textbooks. His game 'Modern Prometheus' attempts to teach ethical decision making by casting students into the role of Dr. Frankenstein's assistant, which at one point makes students decide whether or not to steal body parts from a cemetery to cure the town's plague. The challenge for Thomas will be convincing teachers to incorporate video games into the curriculum, like we got to do as youngster with Oregon Trail.

Identity Thieves Seek Plea

Jocelyn Kirsch, 22, and her boyfriend Edward Anderton, 25, are accused of stealing the identities of neighbors in their upscale building, making away with $100,000 this year alone. The money was used to fund overseas vacations to locales that included Paris and London, and a jaunt to Hawaii. Police seized from their $3,000/month apartment a laptop with travel photos, fake driver's licenses, credit cards, and an industrial machine used to make ID cards. The couple will seek to make a plea bargain as charges continue to pile up.

Symantec Slips Up

Customers running both Solid Oak Software's CyberSitter filtering program and Norton AntiVirus saw their internet connection turned off when the latter identified the former as a virus. The erroneous tag affected schools, libraries, and personal accounts, possibly accounting for tens of thousands of individuals. The issue is now fixed, but according to Brian Milburn, president of Solid Oak Software, this is the third time this year Norton has adversely affected CyberSitter customers, prompting him to proclaim "Norton products are worse than any virus [he] can think of."

December 2007's Patch Tuesday's Going to Be Big - Really Big

Tuesday, December 11, 2007, is the last 'Patch Tuesday' of the year, and Microsoft's getting ready to hand out significant security fixes for Windows 2000, XP, Vista, Windows Media Format runtime, Internet Explorer, and DirectX. Here's what to expect.

A Trio of Critical Patches

First up is a remote code execution patch for DirectX versions 7.0 (Windows 2000) through 10.0 (Windows Vista). Multimedia users will also need to get patching with a remote code execution patch for Windows Media Format runtime for all Windows versions from Windows 2000 and Windows XP to Windows Vista). Third on the list of "must squash now" bugs is yet another remote code execution patch for Internet Explorer versions for Windows 2000, XP, and Vista all the way back to the pre-Cambrian version IE 5.01 SP4 and all the way forward to IE7 for Windows XP and Vista.

As a security expert interviewed by InfoWorld points out, these fixes are designed to prevent attacks that take advantage of users' desires to view online multimedia content, which would be just about everyone that reads this page (and uses Windows).

A Quartet of Important Patches

Patch Tuesday will also roll out a quartet of so-called 'important' patches for Windows:

• Remote code execution fix for Windows Vista
• Remote code execution fix for Windows 2000 SP4 and Windows XP
• Elevation of privilege fix for Windows Vista
• Local elevation of privilege fixes for Windows XP SP2 and Windows Server 2003.

Critical, Important, What's the Difference?

A 'critical' patch blocks Internet worms that don't require you to click, open, or view an attachment or website to start. An 'important' patch blocks attacks that compromise local systems.

Details to Follow

Once 'Patch Tuesday' arrives, we'll have more details on these and other non-security updates for your Redmond-powered PC. In the meantime, think before you click.

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Know a Windows Vista newbie? Help a new Vista user get up to speed with Mark's book Maximum PC Microsoft Windows Vista Exposed. It's a great introduction to what's new and different in Windows Vista, and it's available from Amazon.com and other fine bookstores.

CrossFire and SLI Performance Fix for Vista, Part Deux

Back in July, Microsoft rolled out a fix for a nasty bug in its Windows Vista SLI and CrossFire multi-GPU support: Windows Vista was using only one of the GPUs! However, the Inquirer.net website reported yesterday that a more subtle bug is still plaguing some multi-GPU setups: a problem with load-balancing between GPUs.

Load-Balancing Woes and System Slowdowns

If one of the GPUs in your system is very busy, and and other idle GPUs receive a new DMA packet, you may experience scheduling latency. In plain language, your system slows down until all GPUs are assigned work to do. If you like to juggle games and other applications at the same time on your SLI or CrossFire system, you're a prime candidate for this type of slowdown.

Meet LDA, a Way to Avoid Saying "SLI" or "CrossFire"

This update isn't going to show up in Windows Update, at least not for awhile. And, if you ran into it during a casual scan of recent downloads, you might not even recognize it. That's because Microsoft is now referring to multi-GPU configurations as Linked Display Adapter (LDA) setups. SLI and CrossFire fans, make a note of this: every time you see a reference to LDA at Microsoft, think SLI (nVIDIA) or CrossFire (ATI/AMD).

Learning More About the Update...and Getting It

Microsoft has information about the hotfix, available for both 32-bit and 64-bit Windows Vista, at Knowledge Base article 945149. You must request the hotfix from Microsoft, rather than download it directly from the KB article. Microsoft promises a download link within 8 business hours, as we discussed in our article Hotfixes by Email - Just What the Windows Doctor Ordered.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Help Windows Vista newbies learn how to use BitLocker to stop data theft, get organized with Windows Calendar, and back up data and systems the easy way: give Mark's new book Maximum PC Microsoft Windows Vista Exposed. It's now available at Amazon.com and other fine bookstores.

PC Proves Fatal

The dog days of summer are upon us, which means not only keeping ourselves cool, but our PCs too. As we all know, ambient temperatures have a direct impact on how hot our components get, and even the best laid airflow schemes can find themselves lacking if your air conditioner's on the fritz. But who thought it could be fatal?

I've always been aware of the dangers of opening up a PSU, even one that's unplugged, but up until now, I've never heard of anyone being electrocuted from having their case open. But that's exactly what happened to one unfortunate 20-year-old student in Shanghai who opted to remove his PC's cover to cool the processor rather than run the air conditioner. While details are scarce, authorities suspect that the victim, Wu, brushed his sweaty legs against the internal components or wiring, causing the fatal electrocution.

Freak occurence or not, play it safe this summer and find alternative ways to keep your PC cool. Not just for your own safety, but if you own pets, those dangling, colorful wires can make awfully tempting chew toys. So rather than whisk your side panel to the side, run the air conditioner, invest in some Arctic Silver 5 thermal paste, pick up a third party heatsink/fan combination, tidy up those wires for increased air flow, add a case fan or three, and above all else, find some time to turn the PC off and get outside in the sun! Just don't forget your SPF 45.

EA Newsapolooza: Crysis 2, New Dragon Age, Medal of Honor Dated; Dead Space 2 Skipping PCs

PIQOO | www.piqoo.blogspot.com

EA recently released its Q3 fiscal statement, and it’s a magnitude seven doozy. Not to be a downer, though, but first on the release schedule is The Waiting Game, as most of these titles won’t be out until the second half of 2010.

First up, Crysis 2’s positioned itself deep within the overgrown jungles of 2010’s holiday season with an October-December 2010 release window. Medal of Honor and massively multiplayer cops ‘n’ robbers sim All Points Bulletin, meanwhile, are both dropping between the months of July and September. As if three whole games weren’t enough, EA also announced a new Dragon Age title for early 2011.

It’s not all good news, however. For some mystifying reason, the mega-publisher’s decided to release Dead Space 2 on every platform under the sun – even handhelds! – except the PC. Well, whatever. We don’t need the pants scared off us. We’ll take off our own pants. That’ll show ‘em.

Ghost Recon: Future Soldier Coming to the PC… “Later”

PIQOO | www.piqoo.blogspot.com

As a so-called “Future Soldier,” we can only assume you’ll be working with the latest, greatest technologies in an effort to get an upper hand on the battlefield. And where’s the latest, greatest real-world gaming tech these days? On the PC, of course! So where’s the newly announced Ghost Recon: Future Soldier making its biggest push? Why, on consoles, naturally.

Wait, what?

Yep, sure enough, the game apparently “features cutting-edge technology, prototype high-tech weaponry, and state-of-the-art single-player and multiplayer modes,” but – via Twitter -- Ubisoft senior community developer Kimi Matsuzaki pegged the game for a holiday 2010 release on consoles, adding that “We will tell more about the PC version later."

When’s “later”? We have no idea. You’ll remember, however, that Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter’s PC version was its own beast, designed specifically for our favorite platform. We can only hope Ubisoft is giving Future Soldier’s PC tour of duty similar consideration.

(Aside: an “Advanced Warfighter” is nothing like a “Future Soldier.” God. Why would you even think that?)

It’s Finally Happening, This Is Not a Drill: StarCraft II Beta Launching “This Month”

PIQOO | www.piqoo.blogspot.com

You’ve watched. You’ve waited. More than once, you’ve probably lost all hope, given in to despair, and cursed Blizzard’s name while holding your beta key inches away from an open flame. Well, watch, wait, and get all melodramatic no more, because the StarCraft II beta’s been cleared for take-off, and it’s launching “this month,” according to Blizzard.

The news came during a conference call today, straight from Blizzard boss Mike Morhaime. StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty, meanwhile, is still on track to release in “mid 2010.”

Is there anything more to say? You will be playing StarCraft II in less than 30 days. If you’re not leaping up-and-down while squealing like a big man imitating a little girl, you might want to check yourself into a morgue, because you’re dead.

Launching Today: Google Buzz, a Gmail-Integrated Twitter Killer

PIQOO | www.piqoo.blogspot.com

Google has just announced their Twitter competitor, named Google Buzz. The twist--this service is completely integrated into Google's Gmail service. It's basically a new way to connect to your existing contacts in Gmail. Google lists 5 unique features of Buzz:

1. Auto-following. Google Buzz is populated by your Gmail contacts.

2. Rich, fast sharing experience. Same UI and keyboard shortcuts in Gmail. Special attention to media that users like to share, like YouTube.

Buzz has an integrated fast photo viewer, and plays videos in-line with messages. Connects with other web services, like Picasa and Flickr.

3. Public and private sharing. Real-time indexing in Google search for public posts. You use a drop-down menu to make posts either private or public.

4. Inbox Integration. Buzz is a new item under the "Inbox" link in your Gmail navigation sidebar. It looks like an integration of Wave in Gmail.

Any item in Buzz can become a conversation. When you share, and get comments and likes in your activity, you don't just get a new email update. Updates show up in your inbox. Comments and activity populates your inbox in real-time.

5. Just the "good stuff." With the amount of social data going on in Twitter and Buzz, you tend to miss a lot of good stuff. In Buzz, you get updates from a recommendation system, even from people you aren't following. You can *thumbs up* and *thumbs down* posts to teach the system to filter out the "bad buzz." Posts that you aren't interested in get collapsed and hidden.

Next up, Buzz on mobile devices. It won't just be the desktop experience. "Signal relevancy" will be taken into account (ie. increased filtering, location services, etc).

More than just GPS location, Buzz will include Google's decade-long investment in their location-tracking platform, including turn-by-turn directions.

Buzz will work right from Google's mobile homepage on Android or iPhone. There's also a new Buzz app at buzz.google.com (only for Android right now).

When you use Buzz from Google's homepage, it will make a "best guess" at your location, based on GPS or cellphone towers. It'll also make guesses about businesses nearby.

On Android, you can also post to Buzz with text-to-speech.

Thoughts: All this location-tracking integration and recommendations makes Buzz way more complicated than Twitter. Not sure if tweeters are going to like that. There's an elegance and appeal to the simplicity of Twitter's limitations.

In Google mobile maps, you can see geo-tagged posts from people around you.

Eventually, Buzz will be launched as an enterprise product. This won't be in version 1, though.

Buzz will begin to roll out at 11AM PST today! The roll out will happen over the course of this week for most people.

Insights from Q&A Session:

- Wave integration will happen in the future.

- Google Latitude isn't obsolete, since it's built into Google Maps. It's just being utilized differently.

- Buzz is Google's vision for how "open" a social network should. At launch, Buzz will support the pubsubhubub protocol.

- No integration with Facebook Connect at this time, but it's something they've considered.

- There's an "embarrassment of opportunity" to integrate Buzz with other services. Phoning in a Buzz is just one example.

- You can pull in posts from Twitter to Buzz, though they didn't confirm that Buzz would be able to push out to Twitter.

- Buzz spam filtering will use Gmail's existing system.

Top Image credit: Gizmodo

Acer Not Interested in Producing iPad Competitor

Acer Not Interested in Producing iPad Competitor

Acer Taiwan President Scott Lin said in a DigiTimes report that the company will not be producing an Apple iPad competitor. An iPad-like device would not fit into Acer's business model, apparently. Instead the company is going to continue pushing ultra-thin notebooks this year, which are expected to account for 20-30% of its shipments. Standard-sized notebooks account for 50-60% of Acer's shipments, and netbooks 20%. Last year the company shipped about 31 million notebooks.

Full Story (DigiTimes.com)