Computer Power User Sept 2009
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10> 0474470 81182 ® October 2009 • Vol 9 Issue 10 Appapalooza 60 They Have A Program For That? 2009 Edition Frontside Heavy Gear 8 What’s Happening 18 Dream Hardware 38 Enermax EVO Galaxy 1250W 13 Digital Economy 20 Resplendent Rigs Gigabyte MA785GMT-UD2H 16 The Saint PCs That Shred Benchmarks & 40 OCZ DDR3 PC3-17000 Blade Series Vista Explorer 8.0 Wallets Alike Fusion-io ioDrive 160GB 36 Antec Skeleton Mini 41 Anand’s Corner AeroCool Touch-2000 The SSD Update 37 Alienware M17x Copyright 2009 by Sandhills Publishing Company. Computer Power User is a trademark of Sandhills Publishing Company. All rights reserved. Reproduction of material appearing in Computer Power User is strictly prohibited without written permission. Printed in the U.S.A. GST # 123482788RT0001 (ISSN 1536-7568) CPU Computer Power User USPS 020-801 is published monthly for $29 per year by Sandhills Publishing Company, 131 West Grand Drive, P.O. Box 82667, Lincoln, NE 68501. Subscriber Services: (800) 424-7900. Periodicals postage paid at Lincoln, NE. POSTMAS- TER: Send address changes to Computer Power User, P.O. Box 82667, Lincoln, NE 68501. Did you find the hidden CPU logo on our cover? Turn the page for the answer. Page 88 Hard Hat Area Loading Zone Digital Living PC Modder 72 The Bleeding Edge Of Software 87 At Your Leisure 42 Tips & Tutorials Inside The World Of Betas Games, Gear, Movies & Music 43 Radeon HD 4890 73 Up To Speed 92 The Cutting Edge Overclocking Upgrades That’ll Keep You Kaypro II Get The Most From Humming Along AMD’s RV790 74 Web File Delivery Services 46 Mad Reader Mod Like FTP, But Without The Tears Tips & Tricks Monolith 80 Open Sores 94 Software Tips & Projects 48 PDXLAN 14 The (Other) Google Operating Photo & Video Editing For Welcome (Back) To System Budget-Tightening Times Vector’s Packed House 96 Warm Up To Penguins 50 Advanced Q&A Corner Caught In The Web Mixing It Up With Linux 52 X-ray Vision: Microsoft’s Project Natal 82 Web Comics For Everyone Hands-Free Gaming Our Generation’s Funny Pages What’s Cooking 86 The Department Of Stuff 54 White Paper: Global 100 Shavings From The Rumour Mill orwell.txt Foundries’ 22nm Process Intel Loves Chrome & New R&D Company You’ve Got To Ask Why Makes A Splash 101 Technically Speaking An Interview With Kaspersky’s Roel Schouwenberg 104 Under Development Infinite Loop A Peek At What’s Brewing In The Laboratory Strange stats and other 108 Intel LAN Fest oddball items from computing’s periphery Back Door 95, 98 110 Q&A With Mark Re Seagate’s Research VP Gets Spun Up Over Storage E DITOR’ S N OTE he other day I brought home and assembled one of those electric riding toys for my kids. It T was a blue, plastic replica of a Jeep Wrangler, and much to my satisfaction, the Big Reveal had the intended effect. My five-year-old son was especially thrilled, and was comfortable with driving forward Customer Service and in reverse in an astonishingly short time. (For questions about your subscription or to place an order or change an address.) The Jeep came with a governor screw installed [email protected] that restricts the gear shift lever to reverse and slow; Toll Free: (800) 733-3809 once your kids get a feel for driving at moderate Fax: (402) 479-2193 Computer Power User speeds, you can remove the screw and free them to tear P.O. Box 82667 around the yard at a blazing 5mph. As I was doing this, my son had Lincoln, NE 68501-2667 his first chance to really inspect the vehicle, and in particular its faux Hours dashboard, which is festooned with pretend controls, stickers that Mon. - Fri.: 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. (CST) Sat.: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. (CST) look like gauges and dials, and a pair of plastic “radio” knobs that Online Customer Service & Subscription really turn. Upon noticing these (and the digital radio dial-like Center sticker between them), the boy started turning the knobs and trying www.cpumag.com to push the buttons in an unsuccessful effort to turn on the radio. Web Services (For questions about our Web site.) “Dad,” he asked, casually certain that I could unlock this mystery [email protected] for him, “how do you turn on this radio?” (800) 733-3809 Distracted and taken a bit off guard, I stammered something about Authorization For Reprints the radio being pretend, and “just for looks.” At this, he tore his gaze Toll Free: (800) 247-4880 Fax: (402) 479-2193 from the Jeep for the first time in a half an hour, looked me in the eyes, and said, “Why would they put a pretend radio in here?” Editorial Staff [email protected] “That’s a pretty good question,” I replied. “I guess so you can Fax: (402) 479-2104 pretend you’re listening to the radio while you drive.” 131 W. Grand Drive This answer seemed to satisfy him at least in part, or maybe he Lincoln, NE 68521 was too caught up in the moment to give it further thought. The Subscription Renewals (800) 382-4552 governor screw removed, he jumped back into the driver’s seat and Fax: (402) 479-2193 sped off, whooping and hollering just the way I’d imagined he www.cpumag.com would as I put the Jeep together. Advertising Staff His question gave me pause, though, and as I rolled what he’d said Toll Free: (800) 247-4880 Fax: (402) 479-2193 over in my mind, it occurred to me how different his world is than was 131 W. Grand Drive mine at the age of five. Sure, the toys I played with then were covered Lincoln, NE 68521 with the same kinds of fake controls and dials and knobs, but they were as close as I ever got to actually playing with or listening to a real radio. My kids have had CD players since they were learning to walk (I got my first one in high school), and more recently they’ve grown accustomed to using an MP3 player we got for them; the idea of moving music from a computer to the player seems as natural to them as breathing. Having had such constant, ready access to technology for literally all of his life, my son had no reason not to assume that the radio in the Jeep was real, whereas I would have had no reason what- soever to assume it would work. My point in relating this story is not to decry the way Kids These Days are spoiled and have no imaginations, nor am I indulging in a “I walked to school in 10 feet of snow” moment. Rather, when I think of Gotcha. all the stuff he justifiably takes for granted, I can’t help but wonder Here it is. what kinds of amazing technology his kids will assume have been around forever, and I can’t wait to find out. Chris Trumble, Publication Editor, CPU What’s Happening • Hardware Compiled by Blaine Flamig And The Winner Is . USB Sorry, FireWire, Bluetooth, DVI, and HDMI. When it comes to the most pop- ular interface among users of home and business PCs, you all rank behind the mighty USB, according to a recent In-Stat survey. To that end, let us point you to Super Talent’s (www.supertalent.com) new diminutive water-resistant Pico USB memory drives in gold- and nickel-plate designs. Ranging from $85 to $99, each model features up to 32GB capacity and 30MBps transfers, while the $99 models include AES 256-bit encryption. Elsewhere, if you’re of the mind that two heads are better than one, check out the $24.99 Split Stick flash drive from Quirky (www.quirky.com), a unique community that collaborates to bring user ideas to life. In case the Split Stick’s name didn’t tip you off, the drive integrates two 2GB retractable drives into one anodized aluminum body. ▲ Shure Brings Joy To The Entire Ear Apologies for the cheesiness, but Shure’s (www.shure.com) release of its first-ever line of over-the-ear headphones is U.S. Supercomputing Lead music to our ears. The company’s sound-isolating earbuds have been long-time favorites, and it is difficult imagining Over Russia the SRH840 ($199.99; studio recording, critical listening), SRH440 ($99.99; pro-level DJing, recording/monitoring), Russian President Dmitry Medvedev is none too happy these days and SRH240 ($59.99; consumer- and pro-level action) with the state of supercomputing in his country. In a late-July will disappoint. address at the Security Council meeting on supercomputers, Elsewhere, AblePlanet (www.ableplanet.com) has an- Medvedev said despite Russia having “something to show for our nounced its $99 noise-canceling PS500MM for December efforts, we remain significantly behind the global leaders,” pointing availability featuring a design specifically for gamers. To com- out that Russia ranks just 15th among countries with the most bat gamers’ extended exposure to “rich multimedia sounds” powerful SCs. Medvedev added that it’s well known that “476 out that put “a cumulative strain on the ears,” the PM500MM of 500 supercomputing systems use computers manufactured in the uses the company’s patented LINX Audio technology United States of America” and characterized Russia’s current situa- designed to preserve hearing. tion as “very difficult.” How difficult? Medvedev said Russia has Audio-Technica (www.audio-technica.com), meanwhile, “extremely few aircraft (actually one airplane) created on a super- recently announced its ATH-ANC7b QuietPoint Active computer,” with everything else being “done on Whatman’s draw- Noise-Cancelling Headphones ($219.95) with newly ing paper like in the 1920s and 30s using the old approaches.” ▲ designed, more comfortable earcups.