Ode To Sound Blaster: Are Discrete Audio Cards Still Worth the Investment?

MojoKid (1002251) writes “Back in the day (which is a scientific measurement for anyone who used to walk to school during snowstorms, uphill, both ways), integrated audio solutions had trouble earning respect. Many enthusiasts considered a sound card an essential piece to the PC building puzzle. It’s been 25 years since the first Sound Blaster card was introduced, a pretty remarkable feat considering the diminished reliance on discrete audio in PCs, in general. These days, the Sound Blaster ZxR is Creative’s flagship audio solution for PC power users. It boasts a signal-to-noise (SNR) of 124dB that Creative claims is 89.1 times better than your motherboard’s integrated audio solution. It also features a built-in headphone amplifier, beamforming microphone, a multi-core Sound Core3D audio processor, and various proprietary audio technologies. While gaming there is no significant performance impact or benefit when going from onboard audio to the Sound Blaster ZxR. However, the Sound Blaster ZxR produced higher-quality in-game sound effects and it also produces noticeably superior audio in music and movies, provided your speakers can keep up.” Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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Ode To Sound Blaster: Are Discrete Audio Cards Still Worth the Investment?

iTunes 11.3 was released today and includes improvements to iTunes Extras, Apple TV support for Extr

iTunes 11.3 was released today and includes improvements to iTunes Extras, Apple TV support for Extras features, and more. You can snag the update from Apple right now . Read more…

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iTunes 11.3 was released today and includes improvements to iTunes Extras, Apple TV support for Extr

DHS Mistakenly Releases 840 Pages of Critical Infrastructure Documents

wiredmikey (1824622) writes The Operation Aurora attack was publicized in 2010 and impacted Google and a number of other high-profile companies. However, DHS responded to the request by releasing more than 800 pages of documents related to the ‘Aurora’ experiment conducted several years ago at the Idaho National Laboratory, where researchers demonstrated a way to damage a generator via a cyber-attack. Of the documents released by the DHS, none were related to the Operation Aurora cyber attack as requested. Many of the 840 pages are comprised of old weekly reports from the DHS’ Control System Security Program (CSSP) from 2007. Other pages that were released included information about possible examples of facilities that could be vulnerable to attack, such as water plants and gas pipelines. Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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DHS Mistakenly Releases 840 Pages of Critical Infrastructure Documents

You’ll be able to learn a whole language eating a pill in the future

When MIT Media Lab founder Nicholas Negroponte says that humans will be able to learn an entire language by eating a pill, you better listen. In this new TED Talk, Negroponte shows all the times he was right predicting the future in the 1970s and 1980s even while people laughed at him. Here’s what he thinks that will happen next. Read more…

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You’ll be able to learn a whole language eating a pill in the future

Radical Dual Tilting Blade Helicopter Design Targets Speeds of Over 270mph

Zothecula writes: As one of the contenders in the race to win a $100 billion contract from the U.S. government for the next generation of attack helicopter in the Army’s Joint Multi-Role Technology Demonstrator (JMR-TD) program, AVX Aircraft Company has conceived a futuristic machine kitted out with coaxial rotors, ducted fans and a retractable undercarriage that could hit speeds of over 270 mph (435 km/h). Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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Radical Dual Tilting Blade Helicopter Design Targets Speeds of Over 270mph

Apple’s Secret Ebay Store Is Back With Cheap Refurbished iPhones

Just like the odd eBay storefront that popped up last year , a new site called Factory Outlet eBay Store is selling refurbished Apple products and, despite the lack of any official Apple branding, is almost definitely the result of a partnership between Apple and eBay. And it’s selling Apple Certified Refurbished iPhones for cheap . Read more…

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Apple’s Secret Ebay Store Is Back With Cheap Refurbished iPhones

Huge Scam Sends 30,000 Fake Copyright Notices Containing Trojans

TorrentFreak reports that in recent days some 30, 000 fake copyright infringement notices demanding cash settlements have been circulating in Germany. In addition to defrauding unwitting folks out of cash, the notices also come bundled with malicious software designed to steal personal info. Read more…

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Huge Scam Sends 30,000 Fake Copyright Notices Containing Trojans

Self-Serve Beer Vending Machines Are Coming to the Ballpark

The Minnesota Twins’ Target Field will be one of the first sports venues in the country to introduce DraftServ’s beer vending machines, which will reduce the long lines at concession stands, help regulate alcohol consumption, and give attendees more choice when it comes to what they’re drinking. Read more…

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Self-Serve Beer Vending Machines Are Coming to the Ballpark

Amazon Is Baiting Hachette Authors With 100 Percent Profits

Amazon and publishing company Hachette remain in negotiations after a very public brawl over ebook pricing, and Amazon’s pulling out some down and dirty trick to win its battle, including jacking up Hachette book prices . Amazon’s latest gambit is more carrot than stick: Amazon executive David Naggar sent a letter to a number of Hachette authors proposing that they keep 100 percent of their sales while the dispute persists. Read more…

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Amazon Is Baiting Hachette Authors With 100 Percent Profits