Are you a ... Windows Developer? Interested in ... testing the vulnerabilities inherent in your own operating system? If so, you're in luck. This video tutorial demonstrates a simple hack that will allow you to remove the Windows Genuine Advantage Validation software. For step-by-step instructions on removing the Windows XP Validation tool, watch this video guide.

Zenith Smart Style PC H55

The new Zenith Smart Style performance PC H55 is a All in One Desktop PC with a 19-inch display screen . It is powered by the 3.2GHz Intel Core i3-550 processor and comes pre-loaded with the latest Windows 7 Professional operating system . In a all-in-one PC the motherboard (with CPU) is in-built in the display unit .

ASUS Eee Box EB1020

• AMD C-50 CPU | 1 Ghz Dual Core
• 250GB HDD
• ATI Radeon HD 6250 graphics
• 1GB DDR3 RAM

ASUS Eee Box EB1021

• AMD E-350 CPU |1.6Ghz Dual Core
• 250GB HDD
• ATI Radeon HD 6310 graphics
• 2GB DDR3 RAM
• 
  

Like any new technology, the 3D gaming landscape is murky. Different types of 3D technologies, multiple display requirements, and varying kinds of glasses make purchasing decisions difficult. On the most basic level, you're going to need a few things to get you going.

1. A 3D HDTV or 3D monitor
2. 3D glasses
3. A 3D-capable PC or console

We'll break down the guide into two distinct parts--console and PC. Going down the console route is comparatively simple. The PC route isn't terribly complicated, but it does require a little bit more thought.

If you want to learn more about 3D gaming in general, check out our Guide to 3D Gaming.

At the moment, Sony is actively pushing 3D gaming with the PlayStation 3. The console supports 3D gaming once you've installed firmware version 3.30 and higher. There are numerous games available that support 3D, both in stores and for download from PlayStation Network. Don't forget about the Blu-ray player either--it's also capable of 3D Blu-ray playback.

Microsoft's been mostly silent on the 3D-gaming front. The Xbox 360 is certainly capable of displaying 3D visuals, and Microsoft has stated that developers are free to enable 3D content for the console. However, the decision to omit HDMI outputs on early models of the console didn't help the company in terms of compatibility. 3D visuals cannot be transferred via component, composite, or S-Video cables.

Nintendo's Wii lacks an HDMI output and is, consequently, not capable of 3D gaming in the modern sense. There are a few titles that take advantage of 3D gaming via glasses with conventional red-and-blue lens filters. Outside of the glasses, you don't need any additional hardware to play the games in 3D.

There's no shortage of manufacturers rushing to fill the 3D display scene. Pretty much all the big names have models in varying sizes and price points. These three model lineups represent some of the best 3D HDTVs out on the market. They don't come particularly cheap, but then again, you won't save all that much by going with the alternatives. Panasonic's 3D HDTVs rule the roost with both excellent 2D and 3D quality and come bundled with 3D glasses. Samsung's HDTVs also provide great visual quality, but do not come bundled with glasses. The LG models feature the first THX display certification for 3D sources.

Panasonic Viera TC-PVT20/25 series - $1800 50-inch
From the CNET Review:
Superior black-level performance and excellent shadow detail; accurate primary colors in THX mode; great color saturation; effective antireflective screen; reproduces 1080p/24 cadence properly; VieraCast provides access to select Internet services and improved customization; solid 3D picture quality; includes 3D glasses.

Samsung PNC8000 series - $1650 50-inch
From the CNET Review:
Excellent black-level performance; accurate color overall; properly handles 1080p/24 sources; excellent bright-room image for a plasma; numerous picture controls and tweaks; sleek styling with inch-deep panel; superb streaming and widget content via well-integrated Apps platform; very good 3D picture quality.

LG PC950 series - $1350 50-inch
From the CNET Review:
Produces relatively deep black levels; accurate color overall; correctly handles 1080p/24 sources; solid 3D performance; plenty of streaming and interactive features; extensive picture controls; sleek styling with single-plane design and 2-inch-deep panel; Magic Wand remote works well.

You'll likely get one or two sets of glasses with the 3D HDTV you purchase, although some models don't have glasses bundled in, and you'll likely need more pairs if you have friends over. An extra set of glasses runs between $130 and $150, depending on the brand. As a general rule, don't futz around with trying to match different brands of glasses with different brands of TVs. If you have a Panasonic HDTV, get Panasonic glasses. Companies like XpanD also have universal glasses (which aren't entirely universal) in the marketplace for about the same price.

Should you own a 3D-ready HDTV, you'll need a 3D-sync device. Like the glasses, each company sells its own branded device. Expect to spend about $50 on the unit, although most come bundled with glasses.

Watch out for passive 3D glasses being sold in stores. The vast majority of 3D HDTVs require active glasses to function. Passive 3D glasses are currently used inside of movie theaters. Unless you're looking to get a personal set for use at a theater, these won't cut it for home use.

You will need HDMI cables to view 3D content. If you pick up a set of HDMI 1.4 or higher rated cables, they're also referred to as high-speed cables. Don't spend an exorbitant amount of cash on the cables; anything more than $10 is money down the drain unless you're buying superlong cables. Online retailers like Monoprice and NewEgg carry the cables at fair prices.

You might also want to pick up a few USB charging cables for those glasses. Those shouldn't run you more than $1 apiece at the aforementioned online stores.

In this age of technology it seems that no sooner have you taken your brand spanking new machine out of its packaging than it is already defunct and obsolete thanks to a newer, sleeker, sexier model. However, there are some exceptionally old machines still out there and some exceptionally stubborn users who still think that Windows 95 is the height of technological evolution.

If you find yourself nodding along knowingly to any of the below, it’s time to treat yourself to a new machine.

 

Does this process sound familiar? You switch on your computer to boot up, go away to make a cup of coffee, come back to your desk, skim through the morning paper, put on the kettle for a second beverage, and only then settle down to the starting screen of your machine. If you can achieve all of this while your computer is starting up, it’s time to get a new one.

 

Fans and cooling systems in modern machines are mercifully quiet. So if, as you turn on your computer, you are treated to the deafening howl of the whirring fans which could be likened to a Dyson hooked up to a megaphone, then it’s time to change machine.

 

Flash drives are among the most effective portable data storage system on the market right now. For larger storage needs then RAID data recovery may have to be an option, but floppy disks are now an obsolete technology. If your machine has a disk drive, it’s probably part of a forgotten generation of machines.

 

Everything is USB-oriented these days. There was a time when your keyboard, mouse and external hard drive all had separate plugs – now everything has gravitated towards the USB port. If your machine is lacking USB slots, it’s too old.

 

Ah, the dot matrix – a classic of its time. Ribbon printers are now (thankfully) consigned to the annals of history though.

 

If you still need to dial into the Internet, thus rendering your phone permanently engaged, and creating a cacophonous sound that sounds like R2D2 was having an android hernia, then you need to upgrade to broadband. Seriously, do it for your eardrums if nothing else.

 

Nature abhors a vacuum, and so do humans it seems. Desks remain the same size, yet despite the invention of the space efficient flatscreen monitor – which replaced the cumbersome CRT – the desk is still cluttered and overloaded. If your monitor has a rear end larger than Jennifer Lopez, it’s time to upgrade to a new slimline model.

 

Remember the days before social networking, Gmail and Outlook organised all of your contacts for you? If you don’t, and you still have all of your contacts saved to a Microsoft Access database, then you are living in the technological past.

 

The black screen of DOS was an infuriating system for the uninitiated. Having to memorise the commands to make DOS function was a test, a test which prompted furious and colourful cursing for those who could not remember if it was /C: or /D: that they needed to access SimCity. If you are still struggling with DOS now, then get Microsoft’s new package (or Google’s Chrome which comes out in the autumn), which does all that stuff for you.

 

OK, this one is only for exceptionally old users. The tape deck, God bless it, was a phenomenal piece of kit in its day, but thank the heavens technology has moved on from the Commodore 64. Still fiddling with this archaic technology? Then there really is very little hope for you.