All Posts by Paul

Export Hardware Drivers with DriverMax

Paul

Windows only: Want to format your hard drive and reinstall Windows but you’re not sure you have all the hardware driver disks to get everything working again? Free utility DriverMax analyzes XP or Vista systems for installed hardware drivers and exports them to a folder or external drive. Install DriverMax on a newly built system and import those drivers to get everything from your video card to TV tuner working again. I didn’t have the chance to test DriverMax’s import function on a clean system, so do image your hard drive just in case. DriverMax isn’t the most modern-looking application and you have to hand over an email address to get a free registration code (Boo!). DriverMax is a free download for Windows XP and Vista.

DriverMax [via How-To Geek]

Another good program to check out!!

Enlarge Your Taskbar Previews with Thumbnail Sizer

Paul

Windows Vista only: Vista’s thumbnail taskbar preview feature is attractive, but unless you’ve got superhuman vision, the very small thumbnails aren’t all that useful. Freeware application Thumbnail Sizer manually adjusts the size of the thumbnail so you can super-size those previews for a much closer look at the window contents via a simple width and height slider. With some simple tweaking, your taskbar previews can be large enough for you to even be able to read text in the preview, which means you’ll be able to understand what window you’re seeing at a glance. While you’re at it, you might want to enlarge your Alt-Tab thumbnails, too. XP users, you can add Vista-like taskbar previews with freeware application Visual Tooltip.

Thumbnail Sizer [via TweakVista]

I think this is a nice little program. If you use vista go check it out!!

SUMMARY: Vista – a 50/50 proposition.

Paul

Many readers remember when Prescott came out – basically Intel hit the wall with Prescott, with cooling issues severe enough to render this CPU as a problem. Fast forward and now we see CPUs where raw speed is not the paramount issue and cooling is not as severe a challenge as with Preshott – a decided marketing shift from the horsepower race.

I think it’s fair to ask if Microsoft has in fact hit the wall with Vista – an operating system that has garnered decidedly mixed reviews with users. There are a number of factors cited:

* The need for LOTS of RAM
* UAC (User Account Control)
* Lack of driver support (improving over time)
* Problems with legacy devices
* Cost of hardware upgrades to make Vista run well
* Minimal performance difference between Vista and XP

I say we know how this turns out mostly people don’t like Vista and would like XP a whole lot better. I actually agree to Vista not being totally up to the challenge. I say XP has a lot on it’s side!!

Contest: Win a Xbox 360 + HD DVD Player From Gizmodo

Paul

The Xbox 360 is finishing up its second year on the market, which means this is the perfect time to get in on all the great titles coming out this holiday season courtesy of Gizmodo. From Mass Effect to Lost Odyssey to PGR4 to Halo, it’s hard to beat the amount of games on 360. Plus, when you throw in an HD DVD player addon, you can watch a crapload of high-def movies as well. Here’s how you can win the two.

Send an email to contests@gizmodo.com with the subject “Xbox 360 and HD DVD contest”. We’ll pick a winner at random on October 22. Standard Gawker contest rules apply.

Sponsored by Xbox 360 HD DVD: Your center for home entertainment.

Thought People should know you too could win a free Xbox 360!! Enter to win!!

Verizon Shares Your Call Data Unless You Opt-Out (Update!)

Paul

The folks from Skydeck just received a written notice from Verizon Wireless for an opt-out system for sharing your call records to third-party advertisers. Unless you call them and opt-out, Verizon will sell what numbers you called, how often you called, and your call length with “authorized companies,” which includes their “affiliates, agents, and parent companies.” Although it doesn’t include your own name, number or address, something like this should be opt-in, not opt-out. If you’re a Verizon customer, call 1-800-333-9956 and tell them you want to opt-out. Why should you let Verizon get even richer off your data for nothing in return? [Skydeck via Crunchgear]

I hope people realize just how bad this is for you!! Would you like them to know who you called? What if your number is Private, It isn’t no longer!!