HDCP Support 8500GT and 8600GT

clipped from forumz.tomshardware.com So far I have found two non-8600GTS cards which are positively identified by their manufacturer as having HDCP support (not the lame 'HDCP-capable' pasted verbatim from the Nvidia site by some makers and many resellers): - Gigabyte 8500GT (their 8600GT isn't HDCP-enabled): http://www.gigabyte.com.tw/Products/VGA/Products_Overview.aspx?ProductID=2516 - BFG 8600GT: http://www2.bfgtech.com/CMDocs/BFGTech/pro=112-8600GTOC_256_PCIe_SellPiece.pdf The Gigabyte card looks ideal for a HTPC, being passively cooled. I would have liked to see an inexpensive passive HDCP 8600GT, since the 8600GT is rated at 43W max, and the 8500GT only at 'a few watts less' (I'm assuming 35-40W). The other option is to wait for the Radeon HD 2400XT (35W, can handle 1080p unlike the 25W HD 2400Pro's 720p), which although saddled with a 64-bit memory bus, apparently sports built-in HDCP). Hopefully the Radeon HD's can also offload 100% of VC-1 off the CPU, not only H.264 like Purevideo HD.

Firefox Extensions

clipped from www.lockergnome.com 13 Awesome Extensions for Firefox 2.0.0.4 *Configuration Mania: This extension is accessible through your Tools menu, and has an incredible array of advanced settings. If you aren’t hip to tweaking your Firefox manually, this is the extension for you! *Sage: A handy RSS reader…simple, basic, and easy to use. *Tab Mix Plus: This is a feature I can’t imagine any Firefox user going without. Completely control how your tabbed browsing functions; one never could imagine so many possibilities! My family can’t stand how my tabs are set up…good thing they have their own computers! *UI Tweaker: This little gem allows me to configure my Firefox UI to my personal taste…which I will admit is quite complex! If you are picky, make sure you get this extension!

Another CPU Cooler comparison

clipped from overclockercafe.com LGA 775 CPU Cooler "Mega Test" 25 Coolers compared at Hexus.

Top Air Cooling HS

clipped from www.anandtech.com Top air-cooler performance solidly belongs to the Thermalright Ultra-120 eXtreme at 3.94GHz, with the Tuniq Tower 120, the regular Thermalright Ultra-120, the Scythe Ninja B Plus with SilenX fan, the OCZ Vindicator with SilenX, and the Scythe Infinity with dual push-pull Scythe fans all right behind and tied at 3.90GHz. This is a remarkable group of performers that definitely deliver value for your money. So far we have tested three down-facing designs - the Cooler Master GeminII, Scythe Andy Samurai Master, and Thermaltake MaxOrb. That's quite an illustrious group, but none of these three could really compete with our top tier of coolers.

TriCor

clipped from bl101fd.blu101.hotmail.msn.com There are also potential concerns over its #4-selling TriCor fat-reducing drug: A March study by Dr. Steven Nissen showed that 19 patients (38%) in a control group that took fenofibrate (its generic name) saw their creatinine levels rise above the upper limits of normal, which could reduce kidney function and increase cardiac events. Nissen, who previously raised concerns over Glaxo's (GSK) Avandia Merck's (MRK) painkiller Vioxx, says he will not prescribe the drug.

Windows Utilities

Autoplay Repair: www.snapfiles.com/get/autoplayrepair.html
Startup Cop Pro 2
FEBE for firebox backup
Myaboo: sharing web links.
TweakUI: tweak windows interface.
TweakVI: tweak Vista Interface

FEBE Firefox utility

Other utilities: Myaboo: sharing web links urls

clipped from www.pcmag.com Ever since I started using Firefox and adding extensions to it, I've been waiting for this tool. FEBE (Firefox Extension Backup Extension) backs up your extensions (plus profile info, themes, bookmarks, saved passwords, even cookies if you want) for easy restoration and transfer to other PCs. The files aren't tiny: My 50 or so extensions and themes, plus bookmarks and user preferences, added up to nearly 7MB. But even if I'd had to use floppies to propagate the extensions to my other Firefox PCs, I'd still have saved a tremendous amount of time.