IT News HeadLines (HardOCP) 28/09/2010

Is PC Benchmarking Getting Out of Hand?
Hmmm, somehow I don't think this guy is going to win any fans in the overclocking community with editorials like this. It is funny that many of the reasons he list against benchmarking and overclocking are precisely the reasons people are doing it in the first place. I do think however that some of this has gotten way out of hand and more than borders on the obsessive. When you spend thousands of dollars on a PC for gaming, probably the last thing you should be thinking of is pushing the hardware further than it was intended. Comments
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Video Games Rewire the Human Brain
This isn't the first time we've heard about the benefits of video gaming but I do believe this is the first time anyone claimed they can rewire the human brain. In fact, playing action video games rewires how the brain steers hand-eye coordination. When controlling objects with a joystick, experienced video game players don't use the side of their brain, where visual information guides muscle movement for most people, but employ the front of their brain normally involved in higher-level decision making. Comments
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Sprint Stores Blocking Anti-Sprint Content?
I'm not sure if this is just one store blocking anti-Sprint content or all of them but this is strange no matter how you look at it. Comments
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Words That Google Instant Doesn't Like
I'm not sure why, but this guy made a list of all the words Google Instant has blacklisted. Some of the words are pretty obvious but others are downright confusing as to why they are on the list. Give it a try. Go to the Google home page. Type in "puppy" and see the many results that fill your screen. Now type "bitch" and admire the blank screen. In this case, the two words could mean the exact same thing. But Google Instant is erring on the side of caution, protecting the searcher from seeing something they may not want to see. Comments
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Charging Six Figures for a Tweet?
Seriously? Charging six figures for promoted tweets? Then again, who knowsÂ…that might be a bargain depending on how many people you can reach. Right? Twitter is now charging in the six figures for "promoted tweets," a remarkably humble term for advertising that will run $1,000+ per character. Only the primo content gets to insert itself next to @KimKardashian and @50Cent tweets. Comments
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Kinect for Xbox 360 Connects Advertisers and Consumers
Brands are jumping in to a new era of engaging and connecting with consumers. Microsoft Advertising today announced at Advertising Week 2010 that a full lineup of forward-thinking companies is bringing its brands to Kinect for Xbox 360, the new controller-free gaming and entertainment experience that responds to body movement and transforms how people play, entertain and connect with family members and friends. Chevrolet, Sprint and T-Mobile USA Inc. will each launch respective ad campaigns throughout the Kinect console experience, "Kinect Sports," "Kinect Adventures" and "Kinect Joy Ride" game titles. Comments
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Avaya Unveils Atom Processor-Based Video Device
Avaya, an enterprise communication systems company, announced new real-time enterprise video communication tools and services this week, including the Avaya Flare Experience. Powered by an Intel Atom processor, the desktop video communications device allows users to launch video-conference calls, IM sessions or audio conferences in just seconds. Comments
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Corsair H70 Water Cooler Performance Testing
Last time around with the Corsair H70 we compared it to its elder H50. This time we stock the field of comparison with a couple more heavy hitters from both the water cooling and air cooling categories while conducting all tests in-chassis, just like you would see in a real world build.
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Best GTX 460 1GB We Have Seen
You probably do not know that Gamestop is once again getting into PC hardware, and it is being very aggressive in order to get some attention. And guess what, it worked. Gamestop has Galaxy's standard clocked GeForce GTX 460 1GB GC video card on sale for $159.99 after $20 MIR. It will be back ordered for right now, but Galaxy told us that it has plenty of stock waiting in Chicago to fulfill Gamestop orders. Good things come to those that wait. Discussion
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The 17 Most Dangerous Places on the Web
What can be better than a list of the most dangerous places on the web (no, we didn't make the list)? Ranking the most dangerous places using a color coded "threat level" chart. Most dangerous? BitTorrent sites. Least dangerous? Social networking sites (huh?). Ummm, okay. You've been warned that the Internet is something of a security minefield--that it's easy to get in trouble. You can do everything you can think of to protect yourself and still be taken by a malware infection, a phishing scam, or an invasion of online privacy. We'd like to provide a little help. Comments
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RIM Unveils iPad Competitor
Don't you think the new BlackBerry PlayBook kinda looks like an iPad for business users? "It's ultra-mobile and it's ultra-thin. The PlayBook delivers a no-compromises web experience," he said. The PlayBook weighs 400 grams (14 ounces). It will launch with a dual-core, one gigahertz processor running a QNX kernel and operating system that can incorporate BlackBerry OS 6, which RIM introduced in its Torch smartphone in August. Comments
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Taxi Cabs That Advertise To You
Ads are everywhere these days, you just can't get away from them. There are ads in your movies, music, software, the internet and, if you do try to get away from them (by taxi anyway), you'll soon be out of luck. It won't be long before the advertising sign on top of your taxi cab will direct you to a nearby late-night hot dog stand as you're paying your tab, while patrons hopping in after you receive a different advertisement relevant to their own destination, such as a bar special or local movie theatre show times. Recently, Intel India, Meru Cabs and iWave System Technologies announced a partnership to develop an Intel® Atom™ Processor-based mobile digital signage solution that will allow advertisers to target passengers with tailored content. Comments
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Intentionally Taking Steel Wool To Your Laptop
Hate that high gloss finish on your laptop? Do what this guy did and scrub the hell out of it with steel wool or a Scotch Brite pad! Comments
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iPhone 4 Reception Problems Fixed
You know that iPhone 4 "crappy reception" problem? Well, thanks to Chuck Norris the problem has been solved. YesÂ…I said Chuck Norris. The proof: Comments
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Get A Geek In Five Easy Lessons
How I missed this little gem, written by AMD's corporate vice president of marketing, is beyond me. My personal favorite: 3. Ask questions. You don't really have to understand what these questions mean, but throw them into the conversation and then act interested when he answers. (Actually, this works for pretty much any topic.) Comments
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