• Tips to help you work less and relax more in 2009
• Getting a new PC? Protect and purge files now
• Secure your laptop while travelling this holiday season
• Manage your family’s hectic holiday schedule with Windows Calendar
• Mobile blogging made easy
• Personalize your PC: It’s all about you
• Reduce stress and stay organized while running errands
• Plan your financial future
• Claim victory over your e-mail
• Save time with a tablet PC

• Microsoft security updates for July 2009
• Microsoft security updates for June 2009
• Microsoft security updates for May 2009
• What is a botnet?
• What is spam?
• What are Internet filters?
• What is identity theft?
• Microsoft security updates for April 2009
• Protect yourself from the Conficker computer worm
• How to prevent a computer worm

TechRadar: latest computing news

• In Depth: OS X Finder tweaks to speed up your workflow
  

  Think about your most-used Mac apps. You might choose Safari, Pages, iPhoto or iTunes. However, an app that might escape your furious list-making is Finder, largely because the Mac's file-browser is so ubiquitous that people often forget it's an application.

  Finder is designed to be sleek and efficient, providing you with various ways of accessing and viewing documents on your Mac. But like many Apple apps, it's also multi-layered, having by default a simple setup, but offering extra options 'under the hood'.

  We'll look at some of the best options, show how to access and activate them, and detail how they can speed up your workflow.

  If you find the current Finder a little too cluttered and pine for the simpler days of Mac OS 9, windows can be changed to resemble those from Apple's older system. Click the pill-shaped button at the top-right of a Finder window and the toolbar and sidebar vanish.

  This also reverts Finder to a more 'spatial' model; when accessed from within Icon view, clicking folders opens them in a new window, and you cannot open the same folder in multiple windows – instead, Finder reveals the window that's already displaying the folder you're trying to access.

  01. The default setup

  If you've not made any changes to Finder's setup since you've had your Mac, it will resemble what's shown in the grab above.

  

  Finder window toolbars will show the Spotlight search field and eight buttons: Back/Forward, the four views (Icon, List, Column, Cover Flow), Quick Look, and Actions. On the desktop, icons for files and folders will be scattered around, positioned wherever you left them, and only some volumes will be visible.

  02. Tidy your desktop

  

  There are two steps to a neater desktop. First, go to Finder > Preferences. In General, uncheck volumes you don't want to show on the desktop (bearing in mind mounted volumes can be accessed from Finder window sidebars). Then go to View > View Options and set Arrange by to Name to force items to be listed alphabetically.

  03. Show and hide item info

  

  Leave the View Options window open. Keep an eye on the items on your desktop and check Show item info. You'll see that for certain document types, additional information is displayed. This option can in fact be set for any folder (via the View Options window) when you're using Icon view.

  04. Tweak icon mode
  

  
  

  On the desktop, icons are restricted to a maximum size of 128x128 pixels (adjusted by using the slider in the View Options window). However, open another Finder window, change it to Icon view (via the toolbar button) and drag the slider to the right. At its maximum setting, icons are 512x512 – handy for PDF and image previews.

  05. Control column sizes

  

  Column view also has some handy resize tricks, this time relating to column widths. You can drag each column's widget, but a double-click stretches a column to fit the longest item's name. Option-click a widget to expand all columns in this way. Shift+Option-clicking expands all columns to match the widest. Option-drag to resize columns manually.

  06. Customise Finder windows

  

  Finder windows can be customised. With the sidebar, system-level items are toggled using the Sidebar section of Finder's preferences, but you can drag any file, folder or app there as a shortcut. (Drag a link out of the sidebar to remove it.) You can also drag items to the toolbar; To remove an item Ctrl-click and select Remove Item.

  07. View path information

  View > Customize Toolbar offers access to more buttons. Path is useful for rapidly moving up a folder hierarchy. Use View > Show Path Bar for an always-onscreen equivalent at the bottom of each Finder window. Path-bar folders can also be dragged and dropped, and items can be dropped into them.

  

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• Guide: How to solve a Rubik's Cube
  

  We've all seen the algorithms for solving Rubik's Cube by hand using a step-by-step approach: get all the corners done, then get the side cubelets done. Or: do a complete side, then do the next one, then the next.

  There are several approaches and, by dint of some fairly rigorous practice, experts can solve a cube in under a minute. But how jumbled can a cube get? Or, to put it another way: what's the minimum number of moves necessary? Enter God's Algorithm.

  

  Way back when, I studied mathematics at Kings College, London. Every year, in the summer term, the Mathematical Society organised a weekend away in Windsor Great Park, where we'd invite guest speakers to present topics we wouldn't normally encounter in our regular maths courses.

  Gleaning the cube

  In 1979, we had Professor David Singmaster as our guest. His topic was a brand-new toy called Rubik's Cube – not yet officially available in England – and the use of combinatorial mathematics to solve it.

  The cube had been invented by Erno Rubik in Hungary some five years previously and at that point Ideal Toys were just on the verge of licensing the cube from Rubik for worldwide distribution. Singmaster had a set of cubes with him that we could buy and, needless to say, after his talk he sold the lot.

  Within a couple of months, I'd got the art of solving a cube sufficiently practised that I could regularly solve one within a couple of minutes. As we were maths students, we understood the mathematics behind the cube.

  The initial solution that Singmaster discovered used combinatorial mathematics to solve it. In essence, he'd devised a set of combined moves (let's call them Moves, each containing about seven to 12 individual face rotations), that would move around three corners or three sides.

  All of the Moves were of the form aba' – that is, a set of rotations a, followed by a single rotation b, followed by the reverse set of rotations that formed a.

  Instead of hopelessly randomising the cubelets, the Moves were designed to only swap the positions of three cubelets around. By identifying three cubelets that were out of position, you could solve the cube by repeatedly applying these Moves.

  I practised two Moves by heart – one to swap three corners, one to swap three side cubelets – until I could do them in my sleep. With my tuned cube, that meant I could solve a random position in about two minutes. That's not a brilliant time to be sure, but acceptable.

  Two questions left open at that time were: how randomised could you make the cube, and what would be the optimal number of moves that an omnipotent solver – in other words a solver who could perfectly analyse the cube – would take in order to render the cube to its default state?

  Obviously our combinatorial solution would require many moves – possibly 100 – but what about if you could visualise the solution perfectly? 10? 20? 42? This optimal cube analysis became known as God's Algorithm, not because there is such an algorithm necessarily, but because it gives us something to aim for in our ever-better algorithms for solving the cube.

  Back in 1982, Singmaster hypothesised that God's Algorithm might only need a number of moves "in the low twenties", but he was unable to refine that hypothesis much further.

  The magic cube

  Before we can even begin to solve the cube, we need some notation so that we don't drown in descriptive phrases. Even today, we still use the same notation devised by Singmaster back in 1982 in his book Notes on Rubik's Magic Cube.

  The Cube consists of three types of cubelets, assembled together with what looks to be utter magic in a 3 x 3 x 3 cube.

  

  There are 12 edge cubelets, each with two faces of different colours.

  

  Similarly, there are eight corner cubelets, each with three visible faces, with each face a different colour. Finally there are six centre cubelets each showing one face.

  

  The centre squares form the sprung matrix that holds it all in place.

  These centre pieces define the colour of their sides in the solved state. Hold the cube in front of you, such that there is one side directly facing you. The six sides of the cube are called Front, Back, Left, Right, Up and Down.

  We use Up and Down instead of Top and Bottom because we're about to use the initial letters to signify the rotations of their respective face, and to use both Bottom and Back in this case would clash confusingly.

  The letters F, B, L, R, U and D denote a clockwise quarter-turn of the respective face. By clockwise we refer to the direction you rotate the face if you were looking directly at it. A half turn of a face is denoted by either repeating the letter (for example, FF or UU) or by squaring the letter (such as B2 or R2).

  A quarter-turn anti-clockwise is denoted by using a prime mark or apostrophe (such as D' or L'). Of course, a quarter-turn anticlockwise could be denoted by repeating a letter three times, but this is rarely seen.

  Cross wits

  As an example, here's how to get the simple crosses pattern from a default cube: L2R2U2D2F 2B2 (or LLRRUU DDFFBB). To return to the solved cube, just reverse the moves.

  For the cleverer looking centre dots pattern, try L'R•U'D•B'F•L'R (here I've separated the moves in pairs to make it easier to see what's going on). Again, to return to the pristine cube, just reverse the moves.

  Singmaster's original solution was in three main stages: First, choose a colour (I always go for white as it's the most visible) and then restore that particular face. In general, you do this by first restoring the edge cubelets and then the corner cubelets.

  

  CROSS PATTERN: Putting the Cross pattern on the Rubik's Cube can set you up for some quickfire puzzle-solving

  Second, restore the middle layer. This of course means making sure the four edge cubelets are properly positioned and in the correct orientation.

  Third, restore the final face. Singmaster did this part in four main phases: flipping the edge cubelets so that they all showed the final colour, forming a cross with the centre cubelet (of course, they could be in the wrong position); restore the edge cubelets to their proper position; place the corner cubelets in their proper position (although they may be oriented incorrectly); twist the corners until they are in the correct orientation.

  Singmaster's algorithm was guaranteed to solve the cube, but the number of moves was not optimal in any sense of the word. It could take over 100 moves to solve the cube using his algorithm.

  Once Singmaster had published his algorithm (a solution that required you to learn six basic Moves and then apply them over and over), the race was on to reduce the number of moves drastically in order to solve the cube more quickly.

  Quite soon after Singmaster published his initial book, Jessica Fridrich devised a four-pass algorithm known as CFOP (Cross, First two layers, Orient last layer, Permute last layer) that proved to be extremely fast for the new sport of speedcubing – that is, solving the cube very fast in competitions.

  Unfortunately, the algorithm requires the knowledge and use of some 120 Moves, but offset against that a practiced speedcuber can analyse and solve a randomised cube in about 55 rotations.

  Picking up speed

  Philip Marshall then described an algorithm that only required learning two Moves (plus the art of knowing how to recognise when to apply them), but that would solve the cube in somewhere around 65 moves.

  It's a five-step process: Cross, centre section edges, top edges, five corner pieces, end game. Next up was Lars Petrus' method, which he devised at roughly the same time as everyone else in the early '80s.

  He decided to avoid the traditional layered approach used by everyone else and to restore the cube from one corner, building it out via a solved 2 x 2 x 2 cube, to a 2 x 2 x 3 rectangular block (otherwise known as a cuboid) to the completed cube.

  Although the first few passes use several types of Moves, the final stages of the Petrus System only use three. Overall the cube can be solved in 45 moves, provided that time is available to study the cube in advance.

  In speed contests, the number of moves increases somewhat to something in the region of 60 moves because there's less time to study the cube in order to devise the most efficient solution. Apart from some tweaks of these methods over the years, that's where human-solving now stands.

  The fastest speedcubers use some variant of these methods. But what about computer solutions? Can they get closer to God's Algorithm through lengthy analyses of the randomised cube?

  The first approaches were made by professor Morwen B Thistlethwaite at the same time as Singmaster was explaining his method, and were published in Scientific American in 1981 by Douglas Hofstadter. In essence, Thistlethwaite divided up the solving process into subproblems.

  Rather than concentrating on solving portions of the cube and endeavouring to not jumble up those parts as you tried to solve the remainder of the cube, he concentrated on the kinds of moves you were allowed to make. To do this, he made use of group theory and searching by computer.

  He started off with what's known as the cube group. This is a mathematical group whose operations are all the usual moves we've discussed here: F, B, L, R, U, D and the moves obtainable from them (F 2, F', B2, B' and so on).

  The number of possible positions in this cube group is immense: 4.3 x 1,019. He then posited another smaller group, one that only allowed the following moves: L, R, F, B, U2 and D2 . Next he worked out a set of tables of the Moves that would take the cube from the larger group to the smaller group.

  Once in this smaller group, he devised yet another smaller group that only allowed L, R, F 2, B2, U2 and D2, and then worked out how to transform the cube into a member of this group. From there he went to the next more restrictive group that only allowed L2, R2, F2, B2, U2 and D2. From this particular group it was a small search that led to the final and smallest group of all: the identity group (the solved cube).

  It is important to note that Thistlethwaite's algorithm requires many searches at each step down the group chain and is only feasible for computers to do, not humans. Using this algorithm, it is possible to solve the cube in a maximum of 52 moves.

  Nearing God's algorithm

  The final improvement was made by Herbert Kociemba in 1992. He built his algorithm based on Thistlethwaite's by removing most of the interim groups. Kociemba's algorithm just used three groups: the cube group, the U, D, F2, B2, L2 and R2 group, and the identity group.

  He called it a two-phase algorithm, because you transform the cube into a member of the smaller group, and then transform that into the only member of the identity group.

  The important thing about the U, D, F2, B2, L2 and R2 group is that the orientations of the corners and edges cannot be changed using those particular operations.

  Furthermore, the edges in the middle slice between the Up and Down faces stay within that slice. The first phase uses a modified A* search algorithm known as iterative deepening A* (or IDA) in order to find the moves that will constrain the corners and edges (and the middle slice) of the cube to fit into the second group.

  The second phase then searches for the moves to solve the cube using only the restricted moves allowed. In fact the algorithm is a little cleverer than it may at first appear: it solves the cube multiple times in order to find the shortest solution path available.

  First it uses the shortest path provided by the first search and transforms the resulting cube to the solved state. Then it uses the less successful paths from the original search and tries to transform those to the solved state.

  After completing this process, it chooses the shortest path it finds as the solution. In general, it finds a path that is 20 moves or shorter to solve the cube. Note however, that the shortest path it finds is not necessarily guaranteed to be the most optimal solution.

  So, Kociemba's Algorithm, although very effective, can only ever approximate God's Algorithm. We're still waiting for that one.

  

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• IFA 2010: Hands on: Toshiba Satellite A665 3D laptop review
  

  If 3D is going to take off in the UK, then it will the games industry which pioneers the technology in the home.

  There's simple logic to it: if you are happy to play a fake guitar, sing into a fake microphone and wield a controller like it's a tennis bat, then it is more than likely you won't mind putting on a pair of plastic specs to play a game.

  Toshiba's foray into 3D gaming is with the Satellite A665 3D laptop. The Satellite A665 comes bundled with a pair of Nvidia 3D Vision active shutter glasses, which means you can have out-of-the-box 3D playback.

  Nvidia has been pushing the merits of 3D gaming for a good while now, so this means there are a number of games on the market that utilise 3D. We had a go at Prince of Persia and there was a certain amount of immersion you got that is missing from the game when played in 2D.

  

  To power 3D content you need a fair amount of back-end chug and the A665 certainly has this in spades.

  Beneath the chassis is Intel's powerful i7 processor. This is backed by up to 4GB DDR3 RAM and there's also a 500GB hard drive on board which is fairly capacious for a portable computer.

  

  An 15.6-inch TruBriteHD display (running at 120 Hz) with LED backlighting makes sure that the 3D content you view sparkles.

  The A665 is not just about gaming, though. On board is a Blu-ray player which has been spec'd up to play 3D content. It also moonlights as a rewriteable drive.

  

  This will be a big draw for those looking to bring Blu-ray 3D into their home. The supplied HDMI connection means this will double as a 3D Blu-ray player. As long as you have a compatible 3D TV, then you are all ready.

  When it comes to other connectivity, the A665 houses 3 x USB 2.0, 1x eSATA / USB combo port with Sleep-and-Charge and a Multi-Card Reader.

  

  Internet connectivity comes in the form of WLAN, Gigabit Ethernet LAN and there is also good ol' Bluetooth inside.

  The A665 has certainly been built with the 3D enthusiast in mind. The machine wants you to view as much 3D content on it as possible, which is why there is also a 2D-to-3D converter inside, which will add another dimension to movies and games in real time. It's not perfect but it does fill the current content gap.

  

  Couple this with some meaty audio courtesy of Harman Kardon stereo speakers and Dolby Advanced Audio and this is one desirable piece of kit.

  The Satellite A665 is available now. And if you have already purchased one without all the added 3D goodness, then you can download a software update from www.toshiba.co.uk/computers.

  

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• Guide: How to diagnose and fix blue screen of death crashes
  

  There's nothing quite as frustrating. One moment you're working at your PC, the next your screen turns blue and your system reboots, destroying all unsaved work. Then, an hour or so later, it happens again. What's going on?

  To diagnose and fix blue-screen crashes you need to know what is causing them. But don't expect Windows to help.

  Head off to 'Problem Reports and Solutions' in Vista, for instance, and you'll typically see useless crash descriptions like 'Windows shut down suddenly'. Gee, thanks. Fortunately there's a free alternative: Microsoft's debugger, WinDbg.

  Point this at the last crash dump and it can tell you the most likely file, DLL or driver behind the crash; list everything else that was running; warn you of potential memory leaks; and provide useful troubleshooting and diagnostic information.

  If your PC is unstable then there's no better tool to find out the cause.

  Configure WinDbg

  Microsoft does its best to hide WinDbg. You'll have to download the Windows Driver Kit ISO image, a chunky 619MB, and then burn it to disc.

  Launch KitSetup and you'll be presented with a list of various driver development options. Just check the box for 'Debugging Tools for Windows' and click 'OK'.

  For WinDbg to work properly it must be able to download 'symbols': files that help the debugger convert raw binary information into the function and variable names used by Windows components. These can be saved locally – a good idea as it'll mean you only have to download them once. Create a folder for them – something like 'C:\Windows\ Symbols' will be ideal.

  You'll then need to tell the program where its symbols can be found and saved. Click Start, type WinDbg and click the 'WinDbg.exe' link to launch the debugger.

  Click 'File | Symbol File Path' to see the current path. Next, enter a path like SRV*c:\windows\ symbols*http://msdl.microsoft.com/download/symbols in the box, where 'c:\windows\symbols' is replaced by the path to your own local symbol folder. Click OK, close the program and click 'Yes' when asked if you want to save information for workspace – this will save the path you've just entered.

  It's important to check that Windows is configured to create memory dump files when your PC crashes, because WinDbg needs these to figure out what was happening at the time. To set this up, click Start, right-click 'Computer' and click 'Properties | Advanced system settings | Startup and Recovery Settings'. Ensure that the 'Write an event to the system log' box is checked to make sure that Windows collects information on your crashes.

  

  DIAGNOSIS: Crash diagnostics starts with the blue-screen error itself – this will sometimes name the file that's most likely to have caused the crash

  Next, clear the 'Automatically restart' box so that you'll have a chance to read any on-screen error messages, and select 'Kernel memory dump' in the 'Write debugging information' list to ensure Windows saves all its memory blocks if it crashes.

  Make a note of the dump file name – it's probably 'Memory. dmp'. This is the crash dump file you'll need to locate later. Finally, click 'OK' to finish the job.

  Create a report

  Once WinDbg has been set up, it's surprisingly easy to use at a basic level, and absolutely anyone can use it to find out more about their system's last crash.

  To give this a try for yourself, click Start, type WinDbg and click the WinDbg link. Click 'File | Open Crash Dump', then navigate to and select your last crash dump file. This will probably be at '\Windows\Memory.dmp', although you may have additional files in '\Windows\Minidump'. Click 'Open', then wait as the file is analysed.

  

  DEBUG-IT: Just open your crash dump file to make the Windows Debugging Tools identify the file that it feels caused the crash

  This can take a while – five minutes or more – depending on the complexity of the dump file and the speed of your PC, so be patient.

  A '0 : kd>' prompt appears at the bottom of the screen when it's done, and you can then scan the rest of the report to see what's on offer. Typically, near the bottom of the report, you'll see a line like 'Probably caused by : driver.sys', where 'driver.sys' is replaced by the name of the file that WinDbg believes was responsible for the crash. Perfect!

  If you don't recognise the name, Google it – maybe with additional keywords like blue screen – and you might immediately discover the app behind the instability, as well as some potential fixes.

  Blue-screen crashes can be complicated, though, because the file that caused the crash isn't necessarily the one responsible for your problems. That sounds odd, but look at it this way: if a faulty driver gives Windows an incorrect memory location, then this may be passed on to several other Windows components. Eventually one may try to access the memory, triggering a crash in that file – but the real problem is in the driver.

  If WinDbg names some core Windows component or another application that you're sure is working just fine, then it may be a problem like this. You'll need to do a little more research to figure out what's really going on.

  Dig a bit deeper

  Scan your WinDbg report again, looking for lines highlighted with '** ERROR', complaining that 'symbols could not be loaded' for a particular file.

  If you've correctly configured WinDbg then it will be able to load symbols with Windows components with no problem, so you'll know that these must be third-party drivers that were active at the time of the crash. Anything named like this is a possible culprit: again, search the web for the filename and you may locate other crash reports.

  If that turns up nothing then click in the command line at the bottom of the WinDbg window, type !analyze –v (the '-v' means 'verbose') and press [Enter] for a more detailed analysis of your crash file.

  The verbose report will be very much in developer-speak, with lots of figures, pointers, and development-related jargon, but you don't have to understand all of it. Just pick out the parts that provide more information.

  You'll probably see an error message that spells out the crash reason, for instance. In one of our tests, the first report simply said our crash was 'probably caused by nvlddmkm.sys'. The verbose report explained that the crash occurred when an 'attempt to reset the display driver and recover from timeout failed', which is much more specific and useful.

  If something similar appeared for you then you might install the latest driver updates for your display driver, and maybe that would solve the problem.

  The verbose report may also contain details of the stack, essentially a list of the functions being called by Windows and your software immediately before the crash. This looks complicated – and to be honest, it is – but again, you don't have to understand every word. All you're looking to do is figure out what your PC was trying to do when the crash occurred, and the stack can offer very useful clues.

  Examine your system

  If the standard and verbose reports can't explain your crashes, you should take a closer look at your PC's configuration at crash time. It's just a matter of choosing the right command. Typing !vm and pressing [Enter] will display comprehensive details on your system's memory use, for instance. Scroll down the report, looking for oddities.

  For example, is there a warning of 'excessive usage' around the 'paged pool' or 'non-paged pool' details? This could mean that you have a resource leak somewhere, perhaps a driver that's allocating Windows resources but not releasing them. Is your paging file near its maximum size, maybe? If this is happening, it may also be caused by a resource leak, or perhaps you've manually set it to a size that's smaller than it needs to be.

  Finally, below the general report is a list of Windows components and the RAM they were consuming at crash time. Does anything stand out?

  

  CRYPTIC MESSAGES: Windows event viewer will sometimes include error messages that explain problems

  The Process command can also be useful, as it shows you the system processes that were running at crash time. Type !process 0 0 (to clarify, those are zeroes) and press [Enter] to get the full list.

  Look for the HandleCount number here – this shows you how many Windows objects a process has open. This is normally a few hundred, perhaps a few thousand in some cases, but if it's many thousands without an obvious good reason – it's not an antivirus tool scanning your entire system, for instance – then again this might indicate that there's a problem.

  For the in-depth report on exactly which processes were in memory when your PC crashed, type lmv and press [Enter]. The command is an abbreviation for 'Loaded Modules Verbose', and the report gives you a very long list of programs, drivers and Windows components that were active at crash time. Have a scroll through the list, and you'll probably find many drivers that you never knew you had.

  On our test PC, for instance, were drivers installed by HWiNFO32, VMware, VirtualBox, Paragon Partition Manager, assorted security tools and more. If you want to keep similar third-party drivers on your PC, that's fine.

  If you spot any relating to applications that you no longer use, though, it's a good idea to uninstall them. There's no guarantee that it will stop your blue-screen crashes, but you'll free up a few system resources and simplify your system, and that's always a solid step forward.

  Perhaps the most important point of all is not to give up. Crash dump analysis is tricky, and WinDbg won't always help with every crash, but you should keep digging anyway. It's likely that, before long, it will provide the clues you need to get your PC running smoothly again.

  

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• IFA 2010: Acer announces Aspire easyStore H341 NAS
  

  Acer has announced the Aspire easyStore H341 NAS, offering up to four hot-swappable HDDs to store and stream your digital media.

  The Aspire easyStore H341 is designed to store, organise and protect your entire digital media library, and make it accessible not only through computers but also consoles and other DLNA compliant devices.

  "What's more, with the new Aspire easyStore H341 you can stream digital media content to multiple applications or DLNA compliant devices, such as console games or TV, making it possible to share games from the server or enjoy music, photos and movies on a big screen TV," adds Acer's release.

  Adding drives

  Acer has tried to make adding HDDs easy, and the device is driven by an Intel Atom D410 chip.

  "Uploading pictures, video or data files on the Aspire easyStore is easy, too," adds Acer's release.

  "All you need to do is connect the device through the USB port and press the Copy button. Data is automatically sorted and stored by file type into folders of your choice."

  The data can be got at through the internet (as you would expect) with a "user friendly web interface" allowing you to connect to your content from anywhere.

  
  
  
  
  
• IFA 2010: ViewSonic ViewPad 100 with Windows and Android shown
  

  ViewSonic has formally announced the ViewPad 100, a 10 inch tablet that dual boots Android and Windows 7 Home Premium.

  The ViewSonic range has already been boosted by the arrival of the ViewPad 7, and that has now been joined by the 10 inch dual-booter that the company teased in its pre-IFA release.

  The ViewPad 100's biggest selling point is, of course, the fact that it comes with both Android and Windows.

  Combination

  "The combination of operating systems means that users have the speed and portability of an Android-based OS without sacrificing the power and compatibility of a Windows powered system," explains ViewSonic.

  "Users can quickly check their emails or browse the internet with Android while still being able to rely on the traditional PC experience that a full Windows environment provides, such as USB connectivity, video output via mini VGA, Adobe Flash support and the ability to create presentations and word documents from scratch.

  

  Other details on the tablet include a 16GB solid state drive, aGPS chip and 1GB DDR3 memory with the beating heart of the ViePad 100 a 1.66Ghz Atom N455 processor.

  "We want to supply users with a tablet computer that incorporates both Android and Windows as we believe in providing an open approach to mobile technology to users who may not wish to be tied to a specific operating system," says Derek Wright, European Product Marketing Manager.

  "The ViewPad 100 is aimed at those who want the speed and portability of Android without losing the advantages of having a Windows-based system.

  "We recognise many users may be transitioning from a netbook but will possibly struggle with the learning curve of a new OS, even for simple tasks as uploading photos or using a VPN. Eventually they may choose to favour one over the other, but they will always have the choice."

  More specs

  The screen resolution is 1024x600 and there are built in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connections as well as a 'G' Sensor that reorients the screen.

  The tablet's storage is boosted by the inclusion of a Micro SD slot, offering up to 32GB extra, and there is two USB connections along with a 1.3MP webcam.

  We dont yet have UK release date details or pricing, but rest assured we are chasing.

  

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• Apple and Facebook in spat over Ping
  

  Apple and Facebook are not seeing eye-to-eye over the former's entry into social networking this week, with the announcement of Apple Ping.

  Ping is available now, as part of the new Apple iTunes 10, although Facebook doesn't seem to want to get officially involved.

  Apple CEO Steve Jobs informed reporters this week that the two companies had discussed how to work together to promote Ping, but that Facebook's terms were "onerous."

  Ping causes 'issues'

  Apple used some of Facebook's open programming interfaces to let users find their Facebook friends on Ping, although this stopped working earlier this week.

  While Ping could well have directed considerable amounts of traffic to Facebook, sources claim that this would have caused site stability and infrastructure problems, hence Facebook pulling the Ping plug.

  Following this, Facebook said in statement: "We're working with Apple to resolve this issue. We've worked together successfully in the past, and we look forward to doing so in the future."

  Apple has not yet responded to the matter.

  Facebook boss Mark Zuckerberg has already opened his own account on Ping.

  

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• Nvidia's new Fermi graphics chips unveiled
  

  Nvidia has announced its latest family of Fermi laptop graphics chips this week, balancing support for 3D with decent battery life.

  Nvidia's new GeForce 400M series of graphics chips will be used by a number of major laptop manufacturers including Acer, Asus, Dell, Lenovo, Samsung and Toshiba.

  Switchable graphics

  All of those aforementioned brands will bring out laptops with Nvidia's 'switchable graphics' Optimus technology, to allow users to switch effortlessly (in the background) between the graphics chip on the motherboard and the more powerful discrete (but power-hungry) discrete graphics chip when needed.

  A lot of new laptops from these manufacturers will also be supporting stereoscopic 3D under the Nvidia 3D Vision brand, with the likes of Asus and Toshiba already marketing such products.

  Nvidia released seven new graphics chips today, with the GeForce GTX 470M and GTX 460M at the top of the range for hardcore gamers and power users.

  The Fermi family

  The chips are all based on Nvidia's Fermi architecture, with Nvidia claiming that they are 40 per cent faster than its previous GeForce 300M series chips.

  Nvidia also says its new graphics chips for laptops are three times faster than Intel's integrated graphics chips for tasks such as editing and sharing high-definition video.

  Look out for a number of new 3D Vision laptops on the way later this year, including the Asus G53Jw, with a GeForce GTX 460M graphics chip, and the Acer Aspire 5745DG with a GeForce GTX 425M chip. Asus is also set to launch its 3D all-in-one PC, the Asus ET2400XVT which will feature a GeForce GTX 460M graphics chip.

  Via Nvidia

  

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• In Depth: Samsung Galaxy Tab vs iPad
  

  Samsung has now officially outed the Galaxy Tab, its eagerly awaited 7-inch Android tablet.

  But how does it match up to the Apple iPad, which has set the standard for slate computing? Sure, the iPad has a bigger screen. But there are several areas where the Galaxy Tab is superior...

  Samsung Galaxy Tab vs iPad: display

  The Apple iPad incorporates a touch-sensitive IPS display that measures 9.7 inches across. It's undoubtedly a gorgeous screen, boasting a resolution of 768 x 1,024 pixels.

  Samsung has opted for a smaller display in the Galaxy Tab. It's still a decent size at 7 inches, which is a full 2 inches bigger than the Dell Streak tablet-phone. It gets closer to the iPad's specification with a resolution of 600 x 1,024 pixels, which looks superb on an LCD this size.

  Winner: Apple iPad

  Samsung Galaxy Tab vs iPad: size & weight

  Despite its size, the Apple iPad measures 242.8 x 189.7 x 13.4mm and weighs 680g (although it feels a lot lighter when you hold it in your hand).

  With its 7-inch display, the Galaxy Tab is obviously more compact. Samsung's quoted dimensions are 190.09 x 120.45 x 11.98mm, which makes it thinner than Apple's device. The Galaxy Tab weighs a mere 380g, which is almost half the weight of an iPad.

  Winner: Samsung Galaxy Tab

  Samsung Galaxy Tab vs iPad: wireless

  As you'll know by now, the Apple iPad is available in two versions, one with 3G networking and one without. We'll use the basic 16GB 3G + Wi-Fi version in this example. It means that Apple's lust-object features data-only 3G/HSDPA connectivity, 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 2.1 with EDR.

  The Galaxy Tab arguably has a better specification. It also packs 3G/HSDPA (up to 7.2Mbps), but like the Dell Streak, the Samsung tablet can be used to make phone calls (via a Bluetooth headset) and to send/receive SMS/MMS data. The addition of 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 3.0 complete a great specification.

  Winner: Samsung Galaxy Tab

  Samsung Galaxy Tab vs iPad: storage

  Again, using the basic 3G + Wi-Fi iPad in this comparison, both entry-level models feature 16GB of internal memory. Of course, like Apple's iPhones, the iPad lacks any sort of expansion slot so you're stuck with 16GB if you opt for that model. If you demand more storage, you'll need to look at the 32GB or 64GB models.

  In contrast, you can expand the 16GB of memory in the basic Samsung Galaxy Tab (a 32GB variant will also be available). Like its Galaxy S smartphone, the Tab features a microSD slot and will support memory cards up to 32GB. This will boost the overall capacity of a 16GB model to 48GB and elevate the roominess of a 32GB Tab to 64GB.

  Winner: Samsung Galaxy Tab

  Samsung Galaxy Tab vs iPad: camera

  The camera in the iPad... No. Wait. There is no camera in the iPad. The Galaxy Tab, meanwhile, boasts a 3 Megapixel lens with an LED flash. In fact, it has TWO cameras. There's also an extra 1.3MP camera on the front for basic QVGA video calling.

  Winner: Samsung Galaxy Tab

  

  LACKING: The Apple iPad is missing some key functionality. Roll on iPad 2...

  Samsung Galaxy Tab vs iPad: battery life

  Apple claims a ten-hour battery life for its iPad, which compares to 7 hours quoted by Samsung for the Galaxy Tab. We shouldn't be surprised. The Galaxy Tab is smaller and lighter, there's less space for a meaty Li-Ion cell.

  Winner: Apple iPad

  Samsung Galaxy Tab vs iPad: performance/usability

  In terms of performance, it's hard to separate the two. Both can rev up a 1GHz engine - the iPad is powered by Apple's own A4 chip, while the Galaxy Tab uses a ARM Cortex A8-based 'Hummingbird' processor. It also gets some extra graphical grunt from a PowerVR SGX540 core.

  The big difference is in the software. Apple newest updates to the already impressive iOS4 will include a new Game Center, TV rentals, iTunes Ping functionality and AirPlay wireless streaming. Apple's App Store is also a colossus, boasting an unrivalled 250,000 apps.

  The Galaxy Tab, meanwhile, runs Android 2.2 (Froyo) and can match the iPad for multi-touch control, pinch-to-zoom and general speediness. The Android Market might have fewer apps (around 70,000+ at last count), but Android still boasts one thing that the iPad doesn't have - Flash 10.1 support.

  Winner: Draw

  And the rest...

  The iPad also includes A-GPS functionality (3G + Wi-Fi models only) and a built-in digital compass. It can playback H.264 video up to 720p and doubles up as a e-reader thanks to Apple's own iBooks app and downloadable Kindle software. Prices start at £429 for the 16GB Wi-Fi only model, rising to £699 for the full-whack 64GB Wi-Fi + 3G variant. Ouch.

  As for the new Galaxy Tab, it will come with built-in gyroscopic and geo-magnetic sensors, plus A-GPS or even full-blown GPS - Samsung's press release is vague on the details. It has its own iBooks rival too in the shape of 'Readers Hub', which has access to 2 million books, over 2,500 magazines and more than 1,600 newspapers. Samsung has yet to reveal pricing details, which will probably be set by the mobile carriers who sell it.

  Samsung Galaxy Tab vs iPad: Our verdict

  While the iPad is still the most desirable tablet computer available, the Galaxy Tab will provide some stiff competition. Especially if it's sold at a sub-£300 price point.

  Samsung's device can't match the iPad for screen loveliness or battery life. But it steps up the technology battle by including a built-in camera and expandable memory.

  With Android rapidly improving and Samsung currently producing some of the best mobile hardware on the planet, the prospects for the Galaxy Tab look bright. As ever, seeing the new device, holding it, surfing the web and watching videos on it will be key.

  Winner: Samsung Galaxy Tab

  Ooh. Now that's controversial...

  

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• Official Twitter iPad app released
  

  The official Twitter app for iPad has been released today, with a host of new features to keep Twitter fiends happily poking away at their Apple tablet's screen for the foreseeable future.

  Twitter's official iPad app is far more than a mere expanded version of the iPhone app, offering an entirely new-looking interface which lets users see links to webpages, pictures and videos from tweets almost immediately in a new pane on the screen.

  "Panes" and "Gestures"

  Twitter for iPad also makes really good use of the iPad's multitouch interface.

  For example, you can pinch outwards to get more information on a particular user whose witty tweets you might be reading at any given time or you can swipe down with two fingers to reveal the whole conversation.

  "Today we are bringing Tweets to a device that really lets content shine - the iPad", says Twitter on the company's blog.

  "Twitter for iPadtakes advantage of the iPad's fluid touch interface, letting you move lots of information around smoothly and quickly - without needing to open and close windows or click buttons".

  Twitter for iPad is available worldwide from the App Store. Grab it now over on iTunes

  

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