Windows 8 hardware requirement tidbits listed

Engadget compiled a list of things they learned about Windows 8's hardware requirements:

Controversially, ARM-based tablet users won't be able to deactivate secure booting and (therefore) install another operating system. Clearly that's not gone down well with people -- and a straw poll of our editors agreed

Ctrl + Alt + Del for tablets without physical keyboards will be supplanted by Windows Key + Power.

There's a mandatory five points of touch -- which we already knew thanks to our hands on with Synaptics at CES.

If your gear has NFC, physical "touch marks" will be visible on the hardware so people know where to plonk their devices.

All tablets must have Power, Rotation Lock, Windows Key, Volume Up and Volume Down buttons.

After all operating system updates, there must be 10GB free space, all machines must run UFEI Firmware.

All hardware must include one USB 2.0 port, a magnetometer, speakers, Bluetooth 4.0, WLAN, gyroscope and accelerometer.

Any camera must have a minimum resolution of 720p.

The minimum display for any tablet is 1366 x 768.

You'll be able to update your graphics drivers without rebooting.

Windows 8 hardware requirement tidbits listed - More news at DV Hardware

Web Monitoring Hardware

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To effectively monitor web activity, most users will turn to the software packages available on the market. While many of these packages are effective, there is an element of risk associated with their reliability and defeat-ability. This is where hardware monitoring tools become extremely effective.

Considerations

For parents looking to monitor their tech savvy children on the Internet, a hardware monitoring device is the definite choice. This is due to the fact that hardware monitoring devices cannot be "hacked" and do not have the vulnerability of a password being guessed or cracked in order to defeat it.

Types

The main type of hardware monitoring device is known as a key logger. This is a small USB device that plugs in between the keyboard and the PC. As the user type information into the keyboard, every key stroke is stored as text within the USB device. The USBdevice can be reviewed by removing it from between the keyboard and PC and plugging it into a USB port to access the contents. The second type is a specialized keyboard that functions the same as the USB device.

Results

The information from the key logger will provide the person monitoring with account passwords, websites visited, chat history, email content and other tidbits of information. This method ensures all information is recorded without the risk of the device being defeated, short of it being physically removed by the target.

View Hardware Components on Your Computer

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If you want to view a comprehensive listing of all of the various hardware components installed inside your computer, you need look no further than the Windows native "System Information" utility. This single utility will allow you to view information about every aspect of your computer, including both hardware and software, as well as detailed information about each and every one of your system resources. The steps work in window XP.

1). Click "Start."

2). Click "All Programs."

3). Click "Accessories."

4). Click "System Tools."

5). Click "System Information”. From the "System Information" window, click on "Components" to view a list of all of the hardware components inside your computer. These components will be separated into sub-categories.

How to Safely Remove Computer Hardware

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This article will show you how to remove hardware such as mp3 devices and cell phone from your desktop safely.

1). You've heard it before, "safely remove hardware". It pops up every time you plug a device into your computer through some sort of cable. What a lot of people don't know is that if you don't safely remove this hardware, it could throw your entire hard drive out of whack.

2). The first step in safely removing hardware is choosing the disconnect button from any software it might be connected too. This includes cell phone software, music software like iTunes that your iPod might be connected too, or just a device you use for work or school.

3). Once the software is disconnected, you can disconnect the device from the cord.

4). After the device is completely disconnected, remove the cord from the computer. Make sure when removing the cord that you do not pull it out wrong. Pull it straight out and if any prongs or buttons need to be pushed in, make sure they are. If done wrong, you could damage the cord or even worse, damage your computer.

Computer Hardware Diagnostics Tools

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A computer can have issues in either of its two main components; hardware or software. While software issues are generally resolvable through the built-in repair function of the software, hardware issues require proper diagnosis and evaluation before they can be resolved.

Hardware Diagnostic Tools

Computer hardware diagnostic tools can be either software written expressly for detecting problems with a computer's hardware or external machines that help find what is wrong with the system. Software too can be of two types:

·        Internal, Computer software diagnostic programs reside on the computer with other software to find and resolve hardware issues.

·        External, External tools, on the other hand, are used from outside the computer to scan for hardware issues without operating system influence.

Function

There are two main methods for computer hardware diagnostic tools:

·        Black box methods use known input and output data to analyze issues with the hardware without actually knowing how it works.

·        White box techniques on the other hand test issues directly by understanding the inner functions of the hardware.

There are also continuous monitoring diagnostic systems that monitor operations as they happen to scan for issues.

Types

Computer hardware diagnostic tools can be single-purpose, multipurpose or modular.

·        Single-purpose hardware diagnostic tools have been designed to check for problems in a particular module or hardware only.

·        Multipurpose tools on the other hand would be programs that while created for one main component, also provide troubleshooting options for other hardware components, though at lesser accuracy.

·        Modular diagnostic tools on the other hand are like a kit containing many single-purpose tools that can quickly be applied to check for issues across the board.

Self-Diagnostic Tools

Certain computer hardware components come with built-in self-diagnostic features that allow for easy assessment of the problem. For example, most network routers come with a command prompt function through which hardware experts can determine what is wrong with the router and resolve the issue through a predefined set of commands. Similarly, many hardware devices also have log functions that automatically log all failure events and automatically correct any mis-alignments.

Use

Computer hardware diagnostic tools find application in a wide range of environments, right from manufacturing testing for quality checks to end-client diagnostic testing for easy resolution of live working problems.

These tools can be used directly by a trained technician on the computer system in question or remotely by the service team through an Internet or network connection.

tonymacx86 Hardware Contributions

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So you've upgraded your components, and have a ton of extra hardware sitting around collecting dust. Contribute your unused or underused hardware to us! Anything we physically have on hand can be utilized in testing to help develop better methods and tools for the community.  

Contact us using the form below if you might have anything to give. We'll get back to you as soon as we can to let you know if we can use it. Thanks in advance!

-tonymacx86 & MacMan

User Name:
Email:
Type of Hardware:	-- Graphics Card Motherboard System Other
Details:

NOTE: Please do not submit if you don't have a serious offer.  Thanks!

For discussions on this and other topics, register today at tonymacx86.com!

Tools to Test Computer Hardware

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If your computer hardware is not working properly, software programs are available that allow you to test the efficacy and performance of your hardware. These hardware testing tools allow you to check your computer's motherboard, graphics cards and memory systems. All of these programs require a fee to use.

R.S.T. Pro 3

The R.S.T. Pro 3 program allows you to test and validate your RAM (random access memory) that you have on your desktops, workstations and servers. The tool is compatible with Intel and AMD x86 single- or multi-core processors, and it also works with 32- and 64-bit computers. The program will search your RAM and find areas where memory failures have occurred, and you can use this as a bootable disk. A bootable disk is one that does not need an operating system to run. It uses a GUI (graphical user interface), which means that you do not need to know code to run this program. The GUI lets you see where the memory issues occurred. The R.S.T. Pro 3 is also Flash upgradable, which means that you can use this program for future upgrades.

Desktop Motherboard Diagnostic Card

This tool plugs into your computer and runs diagnostic tests on your motherboard. It will output error codes, which you can look up to figure out what is actually wrong with your system. The card comes with a code manual, which will assist you with this process. The Desktop Motherboard Diagnostic Card plugs into your computer's ISA (industry standard architecture) or PCI slot. The card must be plugged into these slots before you turn on your computer. Once on, the card will run the test on the computer. The program will let you know why your system will not start, and it will also figure out why your motherboard is dead. Codes will display on both sides of the diagnostic card.

PerformanceTest

The PerformanceTest comes with a 30-day trial version so that you may try the software before you buy it. It is compatible with Windows 2000, Server 2003, Server 2008, Windows XP and Windows 7, and it supports both 32- and 64-bit computer systems. The program runs tests on encrypted files, data compression (source codes) and math functions. It also performs tests on 2D and 3D graphics, CD-ROM drives, DVD drives and hard disks. The PerformanceTest runs tests on memory systems to determine how well they are performing and at what speed. The program will output information in graphs, and it also allows you to print out the results. You can also export information in the following formats: HTML (HyperText Markup Language), BMP (bitmap) and GIF (graphics interchange format).