Major Snow Leopard bug causing massive data loss

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: PC / Laptop, Software

All you Snow Leopard users, take heed: if you have the Guest account enabled, you’ll wanna remove it until Apple fixes the latest bug that’s been found, if you don’t want to lose your data. In a nutshell, what’s happening is that if you attempt to log into the Guest account, and the system hangs, it could lead to mass deletion of all user files on the primary account. That means everything. So you reboot to clear out the frozen system, log in to the main account, and files have vanished. Yeah, that’s pretty bad, and worse, Apple has yet to acknowledge it and issue any sort of statement to users on how to avoid this until they release a patch.

To be safe, we recommend simply disabling the Guest account on all your Macs that happen to be running Snow Leopard until a fix is released. Seriously, better safe than sorry.

Read More | Neowin

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See Bugs Better With Improved EyeClops

Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: CES, CES 2008, Misc. Tech, Science, Toys

We aren’t all that crazy about gadgets that have the potential to hurt any living creature under the guise of science, but apparently the JAKKS EyeClops was so well received that they updated the device. It now has 3 lenses for 100x, 200x and 400x magnifications. You can still play back images on your TV so your whole family can be freaked out by spiders. This would be particularly meaningful if you had at least a 42-inch screen. There is now an optional vacuum with detachable lid so that you can suck up the little buggers. The new and improved EyeClops will still be available for $50.00 this fall with the vacuum costing an additional $15.00.

Read More | JAKKS

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Electronic Plant Traps Unsuspecting Flies

Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Household, Misc. Tech, Science, Toys

We never could get Venus Fly Traps to stay alive long enough to chomp down on all the nasty summer visitors. Now, with Discovery’s motion activated Trap, just feed it 3 AA batteries (not included) and its sensor will close its “mouth” on bugs without you having to tend it. Add bait if the flying creatures don’t want to go for the pseudo plant and, after they are captured, you can release them or study them for a bit. At a size of 4.25 x 4.25 x 9-inches, the plastic VFT will set you back $19.95.

Read More | Discovery Channel Store

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Firefox 3 Beta 3 Available

Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Corporate News, Internet, Software

Some of us have enjoyed the advantages of Firefox ever since it was suggested to replace our ailing Explorer. Mozilla has now released their Beta 3 based on Gecko 1.9, which they have been working on for the last 30 months, after almost 2 million lines of code changing. They are now encouraging feedback for those who are brave enough to download it. After some initial testing and bug correction, they are planning on Release Candidate versions. If you have no fear, back up what you have now, check out their notes, download, and report back to Bugzilla if you run into complications.

Read More | Mozilla Release Notes

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The definitive iTunes WiFi Music Store review

Posted by Sparky Categories: Apple, Cell Phones, Internet, Music, Portable Audio / Video, Product Reviews, Software, Wireless / WiFi

After a couple of frustrating days fighting with a flaw in password entry fields in the newly released iPhone software version 1.1.1, Gear Live has finally gotten the chance to probe the inner depths of the iTunes WiFi Music Store. The new WiFi Music Store brings mobile media impulse buys to the millions of iPhone users all packaged up in the typical Apple fashion: sexy, easy to use, and slick as glass. While my experiences with the WiFi Music Store were not 100% positive it’s definitely off to a stunning start and has great potential. Click through the jump to continue reading the review to learn more about the plusses and minuses of our adventuresome journey through Apple‘s mobile media e-commerce wonder.

Click to continue reading The definitive iTunes WiFi Music Store review

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Mercenaries 2 Delayed Until 2008

Posted by Paul Hamilton Categories: Electronic Arts, PC, PlayStation 3, Release Dates, Xbox 360

EA‘s upcoming open-world game Mercenaries 2: World in Flames is being pushed back until 2008, further relaxing the pressure on a still crowded holiday season for games. Speaking to developer Pandemic Studios President Josh Resnick, IGN coaxed out a few more details:

We’re adding nothing at this point. Our only goal is to make gamers proud that they own a copy of Mercenaries 2 by making the highest quality next-gen open-world experience the world has ever seen. If that sounds ambitious, then you should see how many cans of caffeine our programming guys have choked down during the past two years of development.

Resnick also complimented Rockstar and said that he wasn’t concerned about competing with Grand Theft Auto IV because, as he puts it, “We know gamers are bloodhounds when it comes to sniffing out a quality gameplay experience, and we’re hoping that scent leads them directly to Mercenaries 2.” He said they were using the extra time to focus on fixing bugs, tuning the physics and working on the mission structures.

The delay was initial rumored because retail outlets adjusted their release dates from late ‘07 to 2008, forcing Pandemic and EA to confirm the delay. Commenting on the leak, Resnick said, “Those dang sneaky retailers! You just can’t seem to keep a lid on something once they hear about it.”

Read More | IGN

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Is BioShock a Perfect Game?

Posted by Paul Hamilton Categories: Features, First Person Shooters, PC, Reviews, Xbox 360

The reviews have been coming in for a week now, and they have been phenomenal. Consider that according to GameRankings.com, BioShock is the 4th best game of all time. On Metacritic, BioShock has received more perfect 100 scores than even The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, usually the game cited as the best of all time. Clearly, 2K‘s Mature-rated, failed utopia FPS is a critical smash hit.
Perhaps then there is little need for another glowing review of the game. Except this is not a glowing review in the strictest sense, because BioShock is not exactly the masterpiece of perfection indicated by these scores. Instead, BioShock is a wonderful game that happens to draw to light the inadequacies of the way games are typically reviewed and the inherent inconsistencies of how games are judged.

Click to continue reading Is BioShock a Perfect Game?

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Necro-Nesia Coming to US, With Scary Name

Posted by Michael Cardiff Categories: Action, Nintendo, Rumors, Survival Horror, Third Person Shooters, Wii

This might go down in history as the worst move by Nintendo, ever. And yes, I’m even including the release of the Virtual Boy. Nintendo has decided to bring their ho-hum survival horror game Necro-Nesia stateside, under the oh-so-scary title Escape from Bug Island. Yes, you read that right Escape from Bug Island. Let it just sink in a bit. Escape from Bug Island.

That’s one scary title - if you’re trying to scare people away from buying the game. Frankly, I think Nintendo would see better sales of this game if they’d even decided to call it Don’t Buy This Game: EXTREME. This game had better start finding a way to get some good press before its May 15 release date. As of right now, the gameplay, the graphics, and the title just don’t seem to be cutting it.

Read More | GoNintendo

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Vista RTM Is Buggier Than RC2?

Posted by Rob Stevens Categories: Microsoft, PC / Laptop, Software

I’ve had the RTM version of Windows Vista on my Toshiba Tecra M4 for about a week now. Strangely, I’m having issues with the machine that didn’t happen in RC2. I think it’s all traceable to the nVidia video driver, which was updated through Windows Update right after the install completed. I’m getting massive video corruption coming out of sleep mode (making the machine unusable), to the point where I now have to hibernate the machine instead of sleep.

I can’t exactly fault Microsoft for this, except that the driver came through Windows Update, so it should have been checked for issues like this before it was released. Hopefully this can be sorted out before the widespread release in January.

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