IT News Head Lines (TechSpot) 9/10/2013

Weekend tech reading: The man behind Bitcoin
Satoshi Nakamoto doesn't exist. Or, at least, if he does, he's one of the rare modern individuals who is practically impossible to locate. Nakamoto is the creator of Bitcoin. Over the years since the virtual currency's inception, there have been several quixotic expeditions to find him...












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New Apple TV software, not hardware, expected at iPhone event
It’s all but a given that Apple will unveil new iPhone hardware at next week’s media event but if you were hanging on to hope that a new Apple TV would also be forthcoming, you’re out of luck. All hope isn’t lost, however, as a new software update is in...












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Amazon wants to give away its smartphone free of charge
Amazon’s oft rumored smartphone could eventually arrive as a freebie. That’s right, Amazon is reportedly considering giving their smartphone away free of charge according to unnamed sources as reported by former Wall Street Journal reporters Amir Efrati and Jessica E. Lessin.












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Weekend Open Forum: What is your favorite stealth video game/franchise?
For me video games have always been about the immersion of putting myself in the shoes of a single character on screen -- and maybe because I've never been naturally good at fast paced FPS games -- stealth experiences have always resonated with me. Developers have been trying to master...












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EU commission drafts proposal to ban mobile roaming charges
Wireless roaming charges could soon be a thing of the past in Europe if a leaked draft of legislation is to be believed. Apparently European commission vice president Neelie Kroes is hell-bent eliminating the fees she claims are a cash cow for operators and a disproportionate irritant for travelers.












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Apple likely to launch Mac OS X Mavericks in late October
Apple is widely expected to release OS X 10.9 Mavericks at the end of October. Anonymous sources indicate Cupertino will more than likely stick with tradition and launch the software the day after their fourth quarter earnings announcement.












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Groups claim Facebook's new policy threatens user privacy, asking FTC to step in
Facebook is running into to some trouble with about a half a dozen different privacy groups regarding some changes the massive social networking site is trying to make to some of its most important user privacy documents.












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Found: Parkour specialist recreates Mirror's Edge gameplay
Mirror’s Edge was the first game of its kind (at least, to my knowledge) to focus on the discipline of parkour – the act of quickly and efficiently overcoming obstacles in an environment using only your body and the momentum it creates.












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Video game study demonstrates increased cognitive responses
Neuroscientist Adam Gazzaley from the University of California, San Francisco, has published a study suggesting video games created to specifically target a cognitive deficit can improve the daily life of the individual in question. What’s more, Gazzaley claims other non-targeted cognitive areas can also reap benefits.












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Friday tech deals: Dell Inspiron 17 $400, Samsung 840 EVO SSD $177, Razer Gaming Headset $53
Topping our lists as one of the best bargain laptop deals ever, right now you can grab a 17" Inspiron 17 laptop with Core i3 and in-home warranty for only $399.99. Students will want to snag the bundle deal that includes Microsoft Office 365, 1 year Xbox Live Gold membership,...












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Power Cover keyboard accessory for Surface to include built-in battery
Microsoft is said to be working on a new keyboard cover accessory for Surface Pro, Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2 that will ship later this year. Known tentatively as the Power Cover, it will include an integrated battery and a new connector style that won’t be compatible with the...












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Spotify seeking new investors at a $5.3 billion valuation
Popular music streaming service Spotify is continuing its growth plan and is now seeking additional funding in order to do so. The company is looking for new investors at a $5.27 billion valuation, a report from Swedish based financial publication Dagens Industri said.












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FCC filing outs Nexus 5 details: 5-inch display, Snapdragon 800, LTE
The Nexus 5 rumor mill is in full tilt this week following what appears to be an accidental leak of a device fitting its profile in a promotional video for Android KitKat a few days ago. Now an FCC filing has surfaced revealing new details on an unreleased LG handset...












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Elon Musk details 3D modeling setup, inspired by Iron Man
Elon Musk, the epitome of mad scientist and the supposed inspiration for Tony Stark, has just released a video detailing the type of 3D modeling that has only been seen in the Iron Man movies. Musk tweeted about his latest innovation just last week, which was made possible by the...












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Bigger iPhone: Apple said to be testing up to 6-inch screens
The iPhone 5S and 5C haven’t even been announced yet but that isn’t stopping Apple from looking to the future. That future reportedly includes larger displays ranging in size from 4.8-inches up to six inches according to "people familiar with the matter" as reported by the Wall Street Journal. ...












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First Xbox One TV ad highlights NFL partnership, Skype and TV integration -- zero gaming action
If you’re concerned that Microsoft may be positioning the Xbox One as more of an entertainment device than a video game console, the system’s first television commercial to air in North America won’t help you feel any more at ease. That’s because the 30-second spot doesn’t showcase a single second...












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Finding the Best CPU Cooler: 10 units reviewed and tested
An often overlooked but always important side of PC building, we must admit our knowledge on the latest aftermarket CPU cooler offerings was a little dated, so it felt like the perfect time for a roundup.












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Apple sends team of experts to investigate worker abuse allegations at iPhone 5C supplier
Apple has dispatched a team of experts to Wuxi, China, to investigate worker abuse allegations at one of their longtime suppliers. The supplier in question, Jabil Circuit, has been targeted by China Labor Watch over a number of allegations including hiring discrimination, overcrowding, lackluster training, mandatory overtime that is at...












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American vigilance over online privacy on the rise following NSA leaks
There are few things Americans can mostly agree on but apparently anonymity on the Internet – or lack thereof – is one of them. A recent study conducted by Pew Research Center found that most users like the idea of anonymously surfing the web but realize such a luxury simply...












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Found: LG pulls post-apocalyptic prank on unsuspecting interviewees using 84-inch UHDTV
You may think investing in a 4KTV right now is not very wise, however it does make a pretty good tool for tricking people, just ask LG. After an elevator prank went viral garnering over 19 million views on YouTube last year, LG Chile decided to get in on the action.












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Jelly Bean adoption nears 50 percent as KitKat waits in the wings
Adoption of Android Jelly Bean continues to climb as we await the arrival of its successor, KitKat. The latest stats from Google’s developer dashboard reveal the mobile operating system is now installed on more than 45 percent of all Android devices as of September 5.












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HP energizes gaming desktop line with affordable Envy Phoenix 810
HP’s Phoenix line of desktop gaming PCs has earned a refresh at this year’s IFA trade show. The Envy Phoenix 810 won’t be able to compete with super heavyweight contenders from the likes of Maingear and Puget but it certainly appears to be a step up from previous middle-tier offerings. ...












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Samsung teases 4K OLED and shows off massive 98-inch & 110-inch Ultra HDTVs
At this year's IFA conference in Berlin, Samsung is showing off the massive 98 and 110-Inch Ultra HDTVs we were expecting. The company also teased its own 4K OLED display as well as introducing the world's first curved TV with UHD resolution.












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Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi unveils latest hero phone, Mi-3
Chinese smartphone manufacturer Xiaomi just unveiled their latest hero phone, the Xiaomi Mi-3. The impressive looking device could make serious waves in the smartphone market as the 16GB variant will retail for CNY1999 ($327) off-contract while the 64GB version will command just CNY2499 ($410).












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HDMI 2.0 announced, brings 18 Gbps bandwidth for 60fps 4K video
The HDMI Forum has announced the release of HDMI 2.0 at IFA 2013, which ups the specification's bandwidth to 18 Gbps (from 10.2 Gbps in HDMI 1.4) and adds a range of new features designed for upcoming Ultra HDTVs.












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The Best CPU Coolers: 10-Way Roundup

An often overlooked but always important side of PC building, we test 10 of the best CPU coolers in the market including units from Noctua, Thermalright, Xigmatek, Silverstone and Thermaltake.












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Splinter Cell: Blacklist Performance, Benchmarked

Equipped with his iconic night vision goggles and a new counter-terror agency, Sam Fisher has returned to foil another anti-US plot in Ubisoft's sixth Splinter Cell game. PC gamers can look forward to a typical array of graphics options including TXAA antialiasing, soft shadows, horizon-based ambient occlusion and advanced DX11 tessellation












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LCDSysInfo for GOverlay Review

As a PC builder and gamer I find it fun and incredibly interesting to tinker around with my set-up, whether that's buying a new graphics card to improve its speed, fiddling with the cooling to ensure everything can run smoothly, or overclocking to squeeze out some extra performance.












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Plants vs. Zombies 2 Review: Free-to-play that's better without paying

Plants vs. Zombies 2 is a free-to-play game with optional in-app purchases. But rather than alienating fans of the franchise by locking content behind pay walls or dumbing-down gameplay, the game is every bit as challenging and rewarding as the original.












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Leap Motion Controller Review

The miniscule gadget barely measures larger than a USB flash drive, however inside the Leap you'll find two cameras and three infrared LEDs that are capable of tracking hand movements in all three spatial dimensions. Making use of motion-sensing technology to interact with your computer is at least refreshing, if not magical.












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Lenovo IdeaCentre Horizon 27-Inch All-in-One Review

Lenovo's IdeaCentre Horizon embraces Windows 8's touch capabilities with a social twist - it moonlights as a Surface (the table, not the tablet) that can be used by the entire family for a "fun night in." The design is innovative and has a ton of potential on paper. But how does this translate to real world usage?












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Corsair Obsidian Series 350DW Case Review

Branded the Obsidian 350D, Corsair's newcomer crams its more expensive sibling's features into an affordable microATX package and sports the same clean, black brushed-aluminum finish, handy tool-free design and innovative cable management.








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Nokia Lumia 925 Review

The Lumia 925 is what the Lumia 920 should have been at launch: a device with some fantastic technology packed into a design that isn't a massive, heavy slab of plastic. If you're after a Windows Phone, this is the high-end device you should be looking at, as it's simply the best one out there.








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Gigabyte Brix Mini PC Review

Gigabyte's pint-sized Brix systems come in four different processor configurations, from Celeron to Core i7 variants. More powerful than Intel's NUCs, the BRIX is Gigabyte's take on SFF systems, adding more ports and Wi-Fi out of the box.








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TechSpot PC Buying Guide

The TechSpot PC Buying Guide provides you with an in-depth list of today's best hardware, spanning four unique and yet typical budgets. Whether you are a first time builder seeking guidance or a seasoned enthusiast, we've got you covered.








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Building a Small Form Factor Gaming System with the Silverstone Sugo SG10 and Haswell Hardware

We are putting today's top small form factor hardware together in hopes of building an enthusiast-worthy gaming system that you can easily transport, use as a a small workstation or fit comfortably along your living room equipment for HTPC purposes.








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How To Use a Console Controller on Your PC

While keyboard and mouse remain the best means of controlling many titles on the PC, especially PC staples like FPS and strategy, there are plenty of other options that are really crying out for a pad. Luckily, chances are you already own a control pad to use on the PC: the ones that came with your console.








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How To Use A Console Controller On Your PC

While keyboard and mouse remain the best means of controlling many titles on the PC, especially PC staples like FPS and strategy, there are plenty of other options that are really crying out for a pad. Luckily, chances are you already own a control pad to use on the PC: the ones that came with your console.








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Lian Li D8000 Review: Double-Sized, Full HPTX Tower

Lian Li's latest HPTX chassis is larger than any case we've seen before, supporting well over a dozen hard drives, which should make it a hit among case modders, folks with liquid cooling and other extreme setups as well as professional users such as photographers, video editors and animators.








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Lenovo Yoga 11S Ultrabook Review

A lot has changed since late last year when I first looked at the Yoga 13. That system showed that there is a market for convertible notebooks and while the Yoga 11S is essentially a slimmed down version of the original, there needs to be more to it at this point to make it a true standout device.








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Palit GeForce GTX 780 Super JetStream Review: Overclocking to reach Titan-like performance

We've only previously seen water-cooled GTX 780 cards pushed this far. Palit's GTX 780 Super JetStream is no ordinary graphics card, however, as its massive heatsink and three large fans keep its core cool when under stress -- a solution that allows the card to outpace the Titan, Palit says.








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Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet 2 Review

Apple won't appreciate my perversion of their iPad Mini slogan, but the Lenovo ThinkPad 2 is every inch a ThinkPad. Polarizing as it may be in the consumer world, ThinkPads have long-donned an inky-black design with well-defined corners and edges. Love or hate it, the ThinkPad 2 tablet lives up to its namesake.








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Ouya Gaming Console Review

The Ouya sets the bar low with its $99 price tag and its initially-free games. There are some good games, but not many, and they're hard to discover. Yet the system is a fascinating experiment and can be fun for those for whom $99 isn't much to plunk down. Read on for some of the hits and misses along with a look at the game lineup.








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Razer Blade 14" Gaming Laptop Hands On

At a mere .66 inches thick and powerful enough to capably handle some of the most demanding games on the market, Razer's new 14-inch Blade might be the coolest piece of equipment I've ever played a PC game on. Crammed inside its sleek aluminium body is an Intel Core i7-4702HQ and Nvidia GeForce GTX 765M.








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Company of Heroes 2 Performance, Benchmarked

Company of Heroes 2 takes advantage of DirectX 11 but also supports DirectX 9, and Relic's proprietary Essence 3.0 engine has a mess load of new features. Our tests comprises nearly 30 graphics cards from AMD and Nvidia paired with an Intel Core i7-3960X to remove any CPU bottlenecks.








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SanDisk Extreme II SSD 240GB Review

The SanDisk Extreme II series is aimed at enthusiasts, with initial models offering capacities of 120GB, 240GB and 480GB. The Extreme II features an in-house developed firmware, dumping the SandForce controller in favor of the new Marvell 88SS9187.








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Last Call: Google Reader Dies Monday, Here Are The Best Alternatives

With Google Reader nearing its imminent death, a race to build the perfect alternative for the service's refugees has been taking shape over the last few weeks. Even though there are dozens of alternatives already out there, if you care about cross-platform compatibility and synchronization across different devices (read and favorited items) then your options are a little more limited than you'd imagine.








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Company of Heroes 2 Review

Seven years is a long time between wars, though, and now that we have a sequel, people are expecting a lot from this game, the first time Company of Heroes has ditched Western Europe for the Eastern Front. So what's new?








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Duolingo: Learn Languages Free for Android 1.2.2
Free language education for the world.









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ChrisPC Free Ads Blocker 2.00
ChrisPC Free Ads Blocker is a small but powerful free software that will block all ads while you surf the Internet.









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Earth Alerts 2013.2.30
Earth Alerts is a Windows-based application that allows you to monitor in near real-time a variety of natural hazard events that are occurring anywhere around the world.









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Shutter 3.3
Shutter is a multifunctional shutdown utility, which has a user friendly and easy-to-use interface and supports many different Events and Actions.









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phpMyAdmin 4.0.6
phpMyAdmin is a free software tool written in PHP, intended to handle the administration of MySQL over the World Wide Web.









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VirtualBox 4.2.18
VirtualBox is a general-purpose full virtualizer for x86 hardware. Targeted at server, desktop and embedded use, it is now the only professional-quality virtualization solution that is also Open Source Software.









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AceMoney Lite 4.35.1
AceMoney Lite is a free personal finance software, the best free Quicken and Microsoft Money alternative. All features from its big brother are there, limited only to two accounts.









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Xplorer2 2.4.0.0
xplorer-2 is a file and information manager that adheres to the philosophy "efficiency through simplicity".









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32bit Web Browser 13.09.01
An easy to use, lightweight and very fast web browser.









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AVG PC Tuneup 2014 14.0.1001
You already know how AVG can protect you online. Now we take that expertise one step further by fixing problems that slow you down.









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CopyTrans 4.849
CopyTrans is an easy solution to transfer music, videos, apps, playlists, etc from iPhone, iPad and iPod to PC or iTunes.









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Junkware Removal Tool 5.5.8
Junkware Removal Tool is a security utility that searches for and removes common adware, toolbars, and potentially unwanted programs (PUPs) from your computer.









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J. River Media Center 19.0.0.37
Organize and experience all your media: Music, photos and video YOUR way -- all from a single software program.









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Aero Glass for Windows 8 1.0
Experience native look of Aero Glass interface on Windows 8.









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K-Lite Codec Pack Update 10.0.3
This is a cumulative update for the latest version of the K-Lite (Mega/Full/Standard/Basic) Codec Pack.









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FrostWire 5.6.4
BitTorrent/Cloud client with a full featured media player.









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SRWare Iron 29.0.1600.0
Iron is designed to be an alternative to Chrome and other Chromium based browsers with emphasis on privacy and security.









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DivX Player 10 for Windows
Play DivX, AVI, MKV, MP4 and MOV videos, transfer videos to your devices with DivX To Go and navigate your videos with greater speed and precision.









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FrostWire for Android 1.1.2
BitTorrent/Cloud client with a full featured media player.









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Wise Disk Cleaner 7.93.563
Free up disk space by deleting junk files that are no longer used.









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Reaper 4.52
Record, edit, render and arrange multi-track waveform audio.









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SafeIP 2.0.0.2426
Hide your IP address and protect your online identity with SafeIP.









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PassMark BurnInTest Standard 7.1.1015
Simultaneously exercises all of the major components of a computer, to test for endurance and reliability.









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FlashGot 1.5.5.7
Free Mozilla/Firefox extension to handle downloads with external download managers.









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WindowBlinds 8.01
Make Windows skinnable with WindowBlinds.









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AMD Mobility Catalyst Display Driver 12.4 for Windows Vista/7 64-bit
Driver Date: 4/25/2012 OS Support: Windows Vista / 7 64-bit



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AMD Mobility Catalyst Display Driver 12.4 for Windows Vista/7 32-bit
Driver Date: 4/25/2012 OS Support: Windows Vista / 7



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AMD Catalyst Display Driver 12.4 for Windows Vista/7 64-bit
Driver Date: 4/25/2012 OS Support: Windows Vista / 7 64-bit



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AMD Catalyst Display Driver 12.4 for Windows Vista/7 32-bit
Driver Date: 4/25/2012 OS Support: Windows Vista / 7



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AMD Catalyst Display Driver 12.4 for Windows XP 64-bit
Driver Date: 4/25/2012 OS Support: Windows XP 64-bit



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AMD Catalyst Display Driver 12.4 for Windows XP
Driver Date: 4/25/2012 OS Support: Windows XP



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Realtek 10/100M Fast Ethernet PCI Express Driver 7.053 for Windows 7
Driver Date: 3/22/2012 OS Support: Windows 7



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Realtek 10/100/100M Gigabit Ethernet PCI Driver 5.719 for Windows XP
Driver Date: 3/22/2012 OS Support: Windows 2000/XP



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Realtek Wireless LAN ICs IEEE 802.11b/g/n RTL8188SU Driver 1086.48
Driver Date: 4/19/2012 OS Support: Windows XP/Vista/7



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Realtek Wireless LAN ICs IEEE 802.11b/g/n RTL8192SU Driver 1086.48
Driver Date: 4/19/2012 OS Support: Windows XP/Vista/7



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Realtek Wireless LAN ICs IEEE 802.11b/g/n RTL8191SU Driver 1086.48
Driver Date: 4/19/2012 OS Support: Windows XP/Vista/7



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Cisco Linksys E1500 Firmware 1.0.04
Driver Date: 3/28/2012 OS Support: Windows XP/Vista/7



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Nvidia GeForce Graphics Driver 301.24 Beta for Windows 7 32-bit
Driver Date: 4/10/2012 OS Support: Windows Vista / 7



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Nvidia GeForce Graphics Driver 301.24 Beta for Windows XP 64-bit
Driver Date: 4/10/2012 OS Support: Windows XP 64-bit



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Nvidia GeForce Notebook Graphics Driver 301.24 Beta for Windows Vista/7 32-bit
Driver Date: 4/10/2012 OS Support: Windows Vista / 7



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Nvidia GeForce Graphics Driver 301.24 Beta for Windows 7 64-bit
Driver Date: 4/10/2012 OS Support: Windows Vista / 7 64-bit



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Nvidia GeForce Graphics Driver 301.24 Beta for Windows XP 32-bit
Driver Date: 4/10/2012 OS Support: Windows XP



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Nvidia GeForce Notebook Graphics Driver 301.24 Beta for Windows Vista/7 64-bit
Driver Date: 4/10/2012 OS Support: Windows Vista / 7 64-bit



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Cisco Linksys E2500 Firmware 1.0.04
Driver Date: 4/9/2012 OS Support: Windows (all)



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Realtek PCIe FE GBE Family Controller Series Driver 6.250 for Windows Vista
Driver Date: 4/3/2012 OS Support: Windows Vista



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Realtek PCIe FE GBE Family Controller Series Driver 7.053 for Windows 7
Driver Date: 4/3/2012 OS Support: Windows 7



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Realtek PCIe FE GBE Family Controller Series Driver 5.794 for Windows 2000/XP
Driver Date: 4/3/2012 OS Support: Windows 2000/XP



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Realtek HD ALC 880 Audio CODECs R2.68 for Windows Vista/7 64-bit
Driver Date: 4/2/2012 OS Support: Windows Vista / 7 64-bit



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Realtek HD ALC 880 Audio CODECs R2.68 for Windows Vista/7 32-bit
Driver Date: 4/2/2012 OS Support: Windows Vista / 7



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Realtek HD ALC 880 Audio CODECs R2.68 for Windows 2000/XP (32/64 bits)
Driver Date: 4/2/2012 OS Support: Windows 2000/XP



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