Brandon Dimmel

Although their popularity is growing all the time, lightweight and portable 'ultrabook' PCs will soon get another boost from a number of emerging technologies, including next-generation batteries that could double the amount of time an ultrabook can ... function unplugged. Chipmaker Intel unveiled some of these new technologies at its recent Intel Developer Conference. A "massive, massive amount of innovation is coming," Intel said. Haswell Chips Key to Ultrabook Advancement The key to this major step forward in ultrabook design will be a fourth-generation of Intel Core chips, currently code- ... (view more)

Network Monitor II 15.8 Network Monitor II is a small but useful Windows utility program that reveals important and interesting information about a computer's wired or wireless network and Internet connections. The software creates a variety of ... graphs and charts, showing the real time activity of each of these connections. http://www.myfavoritegadgets.info McAfee Stinger 10.2.0.78 Stinger is a standalone utility program that works to detect and remove specific viruses from a computer system. It is not a substitute for full anti-virus protection. Rather, this tool is intended to assist network ... (view more)

Microsoft says it will add the "browser ballot" to European copies of its upcoming Windows 8 operating system (OS). Many observers believe the idea stems from an ongoing investigation of antitrust abuse by the Redmond, Washington-based firm. The ... browser ballot allows Windows 8 users to choose their Internet browser the first time they fire up the new OS. First Browser Ballot Bungled, Badly While Windows 8 is new, the browser ballot idea is not. It was first used with European copies of Windows 7 after smaller browser companies (like Opera or Mozilla) complained that Microsoft was monopolizing ... (view more)

Webcam Archiver 1.08 With the free software called Webcam Archiver you can create a different, detailed profile for every webcam you use on your Windows computer. Once you've done this, it's easy to save all your new images according to its webcam ... profile. This allows you to better organize and display all the pictures and videos you take with all your different webcams. http://cyber-d.blogspot.ca Autodelete 3.1 Autodelete is a free software utility for Windows that can automatically delete old files in any folder you select. Once you indicate the folder you wish to have cleaned ('Downloads ... (view more)

The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is going ahead with a $1 billion program that will help it find persons of interest more rapidly. Between now and 2014 the money will be used to upgrade the FBI's facial recognition system and national ... fingerprint database. Officially, the upgrading program is called "Next Generation Identification" (NGI). The idea has been percolating for at least two years. In 2010, FBI representative Richard Vorder Bruegge first discussed the bureau's desire to use facial recognition technology to "identify subjects in public datasets." Bruegge ... (view more)

fireBwall 0.3.12.1 fireBwall is a personal Windows software-based firewall system which allows for modular network access. Think of fireBwall not as a commonplace firewall, but as a 'network Swiss army knife.' fireBwall is designed for the more ... advanced user with some knowledge or experience in network security, who can easily develop modules in any language supporting .NET 2.0. http://firebwall.com Speedy Painter 2.0 Speedy Painter is an OpenGL-based painting software utility for Microsoft's Windows operating system. The software works with Wacom digitizers to vary the size and opacity of ... (view more)

VirusTotal, a company that produces a free online malware scanner service, says it has been acquired by search giant Google. Google has confirmed the transaction took place, but has not released financial details of the sale. We do know that ... VirusTotal announced the acquisition late last week. The firm's online malware scanner evaluates website addresses (URLs) and also files on your hard drive, to ensure they do not contain viruses, trojan horses, or other forms of malware. VirusTotal says it utilizes more than forty different antivirus strategies to detect potential problems. (Source: pcmag ... (view more)

BatteryInfoView 1.16 BatteryInfoView is a small software utility for laptops and netbook computers running Windows. It displays information about a computer's battery. The displayed battery information includes the battery name, manufacture name, ... serial number, manufacture date, power state, current battery capacity, voltage, charge and drain rates, and more. http://www.nirsoft.net JavaRA 2.0 JavaRa is a simple software tool that does a simple job: it removes old and redundant versions of the Java Runtime Environment (JRE). Simply select "Check for Updates" or "Remove Older ... (view more)

Sound Lock 1.3.1 This free program tackles the problem many people encounter while watching late night movies or TV shows on their Windows PC. Sound Lock automatically adjusts the system volume per channel (controlling up to 14 channels). It turns ... the volume down during loud scenes and winds it back up after they finish. By using the "neighbor friendly" application Sound Lock while you watch your favorite movies and shows, you will no longer disturb people around you. http://3appes.com xShredder 3.1.3.2 With the free software utility xShredder, you can permanently erase your ... (view more)

One of the toughest decisions one has to make when buying a new laptop computer is to opt for portability or power. It's often difficult to do both. For gamers, the term 'portable' has evolved into a uniquely relative term, with most gaming-oriented ... laptops weighing in at a hefty ten pounds or more. But now Razer, best known for its gaming mice and other PC peripherals, has built a laptop that effectively erases the line between power and portability. Unfortunately, the machine is a bit pricey. Razer Blade "Completely Re-designed": CEO Although Razer is a less established name in ... (view more)