Momentus 5400 FDE.2: HDD with embedded encrypting system from Seagate

Many users ignore safety of their data. Most of them are well protected against harmful software: they have anti-virus and firewall. But there are few who thinks about protection from physical stealing. And here comes a solution - new Seagate HDD    Momentus 5400 FDE.2

There are two possible dangers: losing of data and information leakage. If hard drive is broken, data stored on it will be lost. If you make backups regularly, actual damage to the data will be minimal. But if you cannot physically protect storage device or whole system, your data may be compromised, which means unauthorized users will have access to your information.

Most troublesome are mobile users. When they work on PC's inside corporate building data usually stored on unified file servers or local discs. Local security policy and IT-infrastructure are usually enough to provide maximum data security. It could be compromised only in case of breach in IT-infrastructure or if someone will physically steal disc drive or copy data via direct access.

You know some standard methods of protection: BIOS password, Windows authentication and so on. But is good only for keeping your kids from playing on your PC while you are absent.

The only effective mean of protection is a hardware one. Seagate used new Trusted Platform Module in it's Momentus HDD. But you'll need special software all the same.

All models of Momentus series are represented by most popular modifications of  80, 120 and 160 Gb. It is not as fast as leaders such as Spinpoint M5 (Samsung), Hitachi Travelstar 5K250 or new Momentus 5400.4, but encrypting almost does not affects speed.

It is not supported by Windows Vista for now so you'll have to use Windows SP Home or Professional. To activate encrypting procedures you have to install FinallySecure package by Secude. After that you receive small second partition where you can store your most valuable information. To access it you'll have to enter login and password. When connected to other system this partition renders empty.

Technorati Tags: HDD,Seagate,Security,Windows,Samsung,Hitachi,PC,data storage

GeForce 9600 GT with passive cooling

It seems engineers of Micro-Star International intend to provide customers with all imaginable and unimaginable accelerators based on graphic processing unit GeForce 9600 GT. No other manufacturer can boast such variety of goods based on D9P chip technology.

Developers brought another modification with index N9600GT-2TD512Z to international exhibition CeBIT 2008. It has alternative double-slot passive cooling system which consists of impressive-sized radiator and four heat pipes.

This modification built on non-standard red circuit board, has 512 Mb GDDR3 memory with 156-bit interface and functions on frequencies of 650/1625/1800 MHz perfectly matching etalon numbers.

There is no approximate information about price and public release date of N9600GT-2TD512Z.

[via 3dnews.ru]

Technorati Tags: GeForce,MSI,Nvidia,PC,Video Card

Board game tests PC graphics to limit

Unable to display Scrabble

Just how difficult can it be to write a version of the board game, Scrabble, that could be viewed on a regular, XP based PC? Too difficult for Ubisoft, it seems.

It seems fairly reasonable to assume that if you're a keen games player, you do a bit of research and get yourself a decent graphics card allied to a pretty reasonable display.

That surely applies to a contemporary shoot-em-up game but to Scrabble for Heaven's sake? All it needs to do is display a board and a few tiles (chips).

Yet this INQ hack wasted a couple of hours trying to get Ubisoft's Scrabble 2005 to work and to no avail.

The irony is that the game was bought purely because an ancient version – also by Ubisoft – refused to load under XP, having run happily under Windows 95 and 98.

Does everybody have to possess the graphics industry knowledge of a Fudo to get a PC game to work, the INQ wonders?

Another irony is that a close friend of the INQ, Dr Peter Turcan, made his name by creating a version of Scrabble that could run on a Sinclair ZX80!

Just for the record this is what the PC has: a SiS Mirage 3000+ display adaptor, married to a Video Seven (V7) L17GM LCD display.

The game requires DirectX – for which the drivers have very definitely been loaded.

At this rate, going back to playing the game with a physical board and tiles seems to be the most sensible option.

(c) www.theinquirer.net

Dungeon & Fighter PC

You might not have heard about Dungeon & Fighter, but it is a shoot 'em up from Korea that is wildly popular. Samsung has created a gaming rig that pays homage to that fast and furious shooter, but the model number could do with a rename. Known as the DM-Z60/Sport PC, it is powered by an Intel Core 2 Duo processor and comes with an entry-level SLI video card. The popularity of this game has even spilled over to Japanese shores and it is known as Arad Senki there. Those who love the game ought to start saving some money today in order to get a matching computer. Pricing details are unavailable though.

(c) www.ubergizmo.com