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phpBB Launches Next Wave of Social Networking and Forum Features

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Worldwide launch of phpBB Version 3.0 and the seventh anniversary of the most widely used open source collaboration system.

 

London, UK (PRWEB) December 13, 2007 — phpBB™, the leading open source forum and online collaboration system, announced today the availability of phpBB Version 3.0. This release includes enhanced collaboration features, better security and delegated administration features, extended support for open source and commercial database management systems, and optimisation for mobile devices and search engines. phpBB is available at no cost, released under the GNU General Public License.

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Online discussion forums and user-generated content represent the largest source of new information on the Internet. phpBB is used throughout the world by commercial and non-commercial companies to share documents, collaborate and encourage peer-to-peer resolution of issues to reduce the cost of product and/or technical support.

"phpBB is a highly scalable, feature rich environment that can be easily deployed and integrated into any Web site or online application," says Bob Norton of HREnhancement. "phpBB version 3 represents a huge milestone and we continue to be amazed by this project and its community."

phpBB is easy-to-use with an intuitive administration system and extensive customisation capabilities. It is capable of supporting hundreds of millions of discussions in any language and boasts some of the largest forum communities on the Internet. phpBB is developed by six core developers, more than forty team members and is supported by a community of almost 300,000 users and developers. Among the new features announced today, phpBB has been specifically optimised for the mobile market.

"With the enhanced search engine optimisation of phpBB, we see a huge opportunity for companies to deploy more customer self-service and collaboration features for their customers," says William Leake, Chief Executive Officer of Apogee Search. "The mobile Web is a key component for every 2008 Web strategy and phpBB is a perfect fit for the growing mobile collaboration market."

The phpBB community, comprised of users, Web developers and designers, have produced more than 5,000 add-ons and 400 styles for phpBB2 making it easy for Website owners to customise the system to their needs. The phpBB community has already made nearly 500 enhancements, modifications and extensions for phpBB version 3.0, even before final release.

Organisations can quickly build advanced social and peer networking communities using phpBB and it can be deployed with "one-click" through cPanel, Plesk, Ensim, DirectAdmin and Fantastico. Hosting providers such as GoDaddy, The Planet, and 1and1 provide phpBB with many standard hosting packages.

"phpBB version 3 represents over five years of development from some of the most talented developers in the world. As the project continues to grow, we hope to serve our community better and deliver innovative software that is released under the GPL. Our sincere thanks go to our users, developers, team members and partners." Says Meik Sievertsen, Lead Developer of the phpBB project. With phpBB version 3, detailed source code analysis and penetration testing has also been performed to proactively make steps toward improved enterprise security.

For developers who want to quickly and inexpensively integrate collaboration and forum capabilities into their own Web applications, phpBB provides a flexible framework, documented Application Programming Interfaces (APIs), customisable themes, and extensions. phpBB can quickly integrate into almost any content management system (CMS) or static Website.

About phpBB
phpBB™ ("PHP Bulletin Board") is the world's leading Open Source forum software. Distributed under the GNU General Public License, phpBB is free software, developed by volunteers from around the world. phpBB is used on over 2.4 million commercial, non-profit, social networking and community websites in over sixty languages. For more information and to learn how you can contribute, please visit http://www.phpbb.com

Press Contact
Christopher Justice
(512) 493-2071
justice @ sparksight.com

LimeWire Now Found on One-Third of All PCs Worldwide

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File-sharing application LimeWire is now found on more than one-third of all PCs worldwide, according to research jointly published by Digital Music News and BigChampagne. The companies surveyed more than 1.5 million systems for this report.

 

(PRWEB) December 13, 2007 — More than one-third of all PCs worldwide now have LimeWire installed, according to data jointly released by Digital Music News and media tracking specialist BigChampagne. The discovery is part of a steady ascent for LimeWire, easily the front-running P2P application and the target of a multi-year Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) lawsuit. For the third quarter of this year, LimeWire was found on 36.4% of all PCs, a figure gleaned from a global canvass of roughly 1.66 million desktops.

The installation share is impressive, and unrivaled. But growth has actually been modest over the past year. LimeWire enjoyed a penetration level of 34.1% at the same point last year, a difference of merely 2.3%.

"LimeWire continues to be the iTunes of P2P by a wide margin … but growth has remained flat over the last several months," said Richard Menta, research analyst at Digital Music News.

The report closely follows a legal defeat for LimeWire owner Lime Group LLC, which alleged anticompetitive, collusive behavior amongst major labels. But that challenge was thrown out by a federal court, shifting the attention back towards a massive infringement suit being spearheaded by the RIAA. For consumers, the legal volleys are mostly background noise, and more users than ever are relying on the application to acquire freebie downloads.

The complete Digital Media Desktop Application report – which covers thousands of ecommerce, jukebox, BitTorrent, P2P and other applications – can be purchased at http://www.digitalmusicnews.com/invoice/desktop_q32007

PC Pitstop collected the data required for this report though voluntary systems scans.

About Digital Music News
Digital Music News is a targeted news and information authority for music industry professionals worldwide. The Digital Music News Daily Snapshot is delivered every business morning to thousands of executives, and was founded by Paul Resnikoff in 2003. Its research group was started in 2007. The company is based in Los Angeles, CA.

About BigChampagne
BigChampagne Online Media Measurement is the leading provider of information on popular entertainment online.

The company was founded in 2000 as a technology-driven market research firm, specializing in peer-to-peer (P2P) networks, but today BigChampagne is a nexus for intelligence about media consumption. The company aggregates and analyzes information about media consumption of all types, and from a variety of sources.

BigChampagne is a privately held company, headquartered in California with offices in Beverly Hills and Atlanta, GA. BigChampagne was founded by a small group of seasoned professionals from the technology, market research, and entertainment businesses.

About PC Pitstop
PC Pitstop, LLC hosts a web site, (www.pcpitstop.com), that allows individual PC users to run their PC system through a battery of online tests and diagnostics. The primary purpose of these tests is to identify things that might help improve the performance of the PC in question. Based on the results of these tests, the service offers tips and suggestions to the user for improving PC performance or enhancing the PC experience. Literally hundreds of thousand PCs are tested each month through this service, and an aggregated total of more than 1.5 million are tested annually.

New Report: How Ethernet is Transforming CEDIA

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This past year has seen a surge in interest in the use of Ethernet in advanced Digital Homes designed by Electronic Systems Contractors. This situation is quite a change from just a few years ago when most systems were based on proprietary communication systems.

San Jose, CA (PRWEB) December 12, 2007 — Advanced Digital Homes can have over a million dollars of electronics in them. These homes let the homeowner control their home theater, every television, whole-home audio system, all of the lighting, drapes, heating, alarms, cameras, gates and more from one wireless touchpad. The Electronic Systems Contractor (ESC) that designed, installed and supports the electronics in these homes is usually a member of the Custom Electronic Design and Installation Association, or CEDIA.

A new report from DIGDIA explains how the ESC is starting to embrace the use of Ethernet networking in their Digital Home designs. Years ago these designs were based on linking all of the electronic devices in the home with proprietary communication systems. This approach meant that systems were less flexible and more difficult to maintain. By using Ethernet networking to link these devices together, modern Digital Homes are moving to a new level of flexibility and capability.

For example, in the past it when something stopped working the ESC would get a call from the homeowner. The ESC might try to solve the problem over the phone, but often times they'd have to schedule a service call. This meant the homeowner would have to sit around and wait for the ESC to show up.

Now the ESC could be sitting in a coffee shop, pull out their laptop and diagnose and fix the problem using a web browser. The homeowner gets the problem solved without having to wait around and the ESC doesn't have to rush across town to fix something. At the end of the day, the homeowner views this type of service as more valuable than a home visit by the ESC. So, even though the ESC didn't have to work as hard, they can actually charge a premium for this type of service!

Installation and configuration is likewise easier when everything is connected by Ethernet. Instead of thick bundles of dedicated cabling for every kind of function, one CAT5e type cable might do the trick. Changes are also potentially easier to make.

The average consumer, even the tech-geek, might be wondering about now – haven't Ethernet-based gadgets that claim to automate all kinds of things in the home been a general failure? Retailers have seen high return rates, sometimes over 50%, of such products because the consumer either couldn't get it to work or the product didn't work as claimed. There have been a few successful products, to be sure, but the past years have produced a graveyard of failed products from some very big names.

So, how is it that these ESCs are embracing Ethernet? The differences are in the devices and the installation. The devices that go into these advanced Digital Homes are generally not bought at the local big box retail store. These devices are designed for the CEDIA market and have price tags that would make the average consumer blush. For example, a device that can hold all of your DVD movies and play them anywhere in your home might cost more than $25,000. But, the designers of these devices have also made sure that they are very easy to use.

To make these systems easy to use requires the second difference – the ESC. These people spend hours to customize the user interface to each individual homeowner's situation. Touch screens don't have generic labels; instead they show a diagram of the home's layout with graphical symbols for everything. Despite the complexity, the average homeowner rarely needs more than a half hour of instruction on how to use everything.

The market for all this is currently fairly young and selected, but prices are beginning to drop. Sometime in the next decade many of these devices will be more common place in more average consumer's homes, much like the PC with broadband service is now more the rule than the exception. Maybe you, too will have an advanced Digital Home, too.

About DIGDIA
DIGDIA helps companies find growth opportunities, create winning strategies and business plans in the digital entertainment value chain. A free excerpt of the report CAT5 Transforms CEDIA is available. Services include strategic consulting and market analysis with an understanding of the industry value chain and technology. Reports on Digital Cinema, Digital Cable, IPTV, Digital Home, and Consumer Electronics and other topics may be found at www.digdia.com.

Online Tool Developed to Check for Botnet Activity

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It is estimated that 1 in 4 computers on the internet today are part of a botnet. After observing bot activity from thousands of compromised computers, local administrator develops easy way to check for botnet activity.

Daytona Beach, FL (PRWEB) December 12, 2007 — It is estimated that 1 in 4 computers on the internet today are part of a botnet. After observing bot activity from thousands of compromised computers, local administrator develops easy way to check for botnet activity.

A botnet is a group of computers (bots) networked together and controlled by someone other than the owner of the computer. Systems Security Administrator Rusty Crawford states, "After attempting to notify thousands of owners of automated bot activity coming from their compromised computers, it was obvious this is a growing problem and a solution was needed. The majority of the public is not even aware that their computers have been infected and are a part of botnet activity."

Botnetchecker.com has developed a "honeynet" to detect and analyze bot activity. As new bots are detected, they are added to the lists at botnetchecker.com. It is free to visit botnetchecker.com and just by visiting the site an IP will be cross checked for bot activity. If botnetchecker.com detects bot activity a red warning is shown on the screen. Links are provided to information and tools that can help safely remove the offending programs from the infected computer.

Botnetchecker.com does not block anything. It is simply a free tool to help identify if the computer IP used is, or has been, involved in botnet activities on the internet. Botnetchecker.com obviously does not have a list for every bot on the internet but the "honeynet" is detecting new ones all the time. Crawford recommends bookmarking and using botnetchecker.com on a regular basis.

 http://www.botnetchecker.com

 

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OnChip Devices Introduces Low Capacitance ESD Protection Chips for USB Port

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Superior electrostatic discharge protection with ultra low capacitance now available for USB port.

Santa Clara, CA (Vocus/PRWEB ) December 12, 2007 — OnChip Devices, a world leader in Integrated Passive Devices (IPD), has introduced low capacitance ESD protection devices for single and dual USB ports. These devices protect the two data lines and the power rail of the USB 2.0 high speed interface. The very low sub-1pF line-capacitance of the new ESD2100-02 and ESD2100-04 ensures minimal dis495 East Java Drive Sunnyvale, CA 94089tortion of the 480-Mbit/s USB 2.0 signal. These devices offer optimum trade-off between low line-to-ground capacitance and compliance with IEC61000-4-2 level 4 (air discharge up to 15kV, contact discharge up to 8kV).

New generation mobile computing and consumer products are increasingly susceptible to ESD events since they predominantly use integrated circuits (IC) with sub-micron geometries and lower working voltages. Furthermore, portable electronics require lower capacitance to maintain the signal integrity of their high speed I/O ports. Traditional silicon TVS diodes offer low ESD clamping voltage and fast response time, but their large line-capacitance limits their use in high speed applications. Other solutions such as polymers and varistors offer low capacitance, but their high clamp-voltage limits their ability to adequately protect ICs from latch-up after an ESD event thereby causing soft errors.

  The introduction of the ESD2100 family of products reflects the increasing use of higher data rates for interfaces in computer and consumer electronics. "USB is the most common port in all Computer Peripherals and Portable Consumer Electronics such as MP3 Players, Digital Cameras and Mobile Handsets," said Sona Joe, product marketing manager. "The rail-to-rail topology of our ESD2100 provides protection of both upstream and downstream USB 2.0 (full speed) and on-the-go (OTG) ports. The additional ESD diode between the Vcc and Ground prevents charging of the Supply Line."

Availability and Pricing
The OnChip ESD2100-02 offers 2-channels of ESD protection suitable for a single USB port. It is available immediately worldwide at $0.11 USD in quantities of 10,000. Pricing for the ESD2100-04 with 4-channels of ESD protection suitable for two USB Ports is $0.15. Developed at OnChip Devices' Santa Clara facility, these components are produced to the highest quality standards.

About OnChip Devices
OnChip Devices head-quartered in Santa Clara, CA is a global leader in Integrated Passive Devices. With it's own silicon fabrication facility and strong partnerships with full turn-keys assembly houses in Asia, OnChip is offering state-of-the-art silicon and ceramic solutions for High-brightness LED, Computing and Consumer Electronics.

A New Resource For Old Equipment: Custom-Manufactured Replacement Circuit Boards

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As the global economy tightens up, more companies are seeking innovative ways to get more life out of their old equipment. One increasingly popular approach is to use replacement PCBs to extend equipment life, add updated capabilities, and enhance system performance.

Glen Arm, MD (PRWEB) December 10, 2007 — It's a familiar story for many small manufacturers. The printed circuit board (PCB) controlling a critical piece of equipment fails, bringing the machine — and an entire production process — to an abrupt halt. Buying new equipment is prohibitively expensive. But replacement PCBs are no longer available, making repair impossible. Until now.

Reverse engineering firms like Armistead Technologies are filling this rapidly emerging need in the market. Armistead Technologies specializes in the design and short-run manufacture of replacement circuit boards.

"We take your worn-out old circuit board, reverse engineer it, update it with new components, and deliver a brand-new board that plugs right into your old equipment," says John Armistead, founder and owner of Armistead Technologies. "Not only is your equipment up and running again, but it also can be repaired easily because all the electronic components on the board are from currently available stock lists."

One bonus to reverse engineering a custom replacement PCB is that functions can be added to extend the capabilities of the system, creating additional efficiencies.

Since 1995, Armistead Technologies has reverse engineered replacement PC boards for clients in the electronics industry as well as manufacturers and even commercial printers. In addition to reverse engineering services, Armistead Technologies also offers custom PCB manufacturing and assembly, making it a one-stop shop for its customers.

"We do it all," Armistead says. "We're not some offshore company that requires an order of several thousand PCBs. We can reverse engineer and manufacture as few as five or ten replacement PCBs. And we handle everything, from design to assembly, right here in the U.S."

Armistead points out that the cost of reverse engineering and manufacturing a few replacement PCBs is a tiny fraction of the cost of replacing an entire piece of equipment. In most cases, the cost savings are dramatic.

"When a system isn't working any more, you might think your only option is to replace the system," he says. "But you can call in someone like me and just replace the PCB, and keep your current system in operation."

About Armistead Technologies, LLC.
Armistead Technologies is an engineering firm based near Baltimore, Maryland. It was founded in 1989 by John Armistead, a graduate electrical engineer from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Armistead Technologies specializes in reverse engineering printed circuit boards, and re-engineering older PCB designs to be compliant with updated standards and compatibilities.

For more information about getting re-engineered replacement PCBs, visit http://www.armisteadtechnologies.com/replacement-boards.shtml or call John Armistead at (410) 627-2408.

New PowerPoint rival uses 3D animation to slash preparation time

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Presentations that blend text with 3-D animation can now be created in minutes with Executive Impact – a new low-cost software package from www.wclass.com.

Ireland (PRWEB) December 10, 2007 – World Class Solutions has just launched a new class of presentation software that combines the advantages of 3D graphics and animation with significantly reduced preparation time. The low-cost package is available from the firm's web site.

"It's called 'Executive Impact' because it's possible to create a complete presentation from scratch in less than 7 minutes", explained CEO Pat Hough. "Most business people don't have enough time to create effective presentations because they're just too busy. This package will help them focus on their message – the most important part of any presentation. The graphics and structure are already built-in."

Executive Impact actively blends 3D graphics with text. "Our aim was to develop something new to give our customers a professional edge. I think they also enjoy the irony that the best-looking presentations now take the least time to create", said Pat Hough. Audiences agree that the results are exceptional – a departure from PowerPoint templates that use graphics only as a backdrop.

World Class Solutions also develops high-end custom presentations. All of the key points in those presentations are illustrated using 3D animated graphics. "First we profile the audience", Pat Hough explained. "Then we fine-tune the graphics to appeal specifically to the decision-makers in the audience. The sequence, the timing and the keywords all have to be carefully chosen for maximum impact. Custom presentations can take between four and six weeks to prepare but the same underlying technology is used in the new product."

Executive Impact is a stand-alone presentation package for Windows XP or Vista. It does not require Microsoft PowerPoint or other presentation software. Each package is based on a single theme and costs €25 + VAT (about US$37). More information is available on the website.

 

CompUSA to Close

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(TheForceField.net ) December 7, 2007 — CompUSA, known for its mix or computer, accessories and other electronic products, is closing all of its 103 stores beginning in January. The company plans to liquidate its inventory during the holidays with closing sales.

CompUSA, managed my Mexican financier Carlos Slim Helu, closed half its stores this spring, had been struggling for several years. The company recently sold to a subsidiary of restructuring firm Gordon Brothers Group.

The company will sell certain stores that are still profitable. The rest will be closed.

 

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Data Clean Corporation Offers Test Kit to Aid in the Identification of Tin Whiskers

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A self-administered Tin Whisker Test Kit helps determine if Tin Whiskers are present.

Des Plaines, IL (PRWEB) December 6, 2007 — Data Clean Corporation now offers a self-administered Tin Whisker test kit to help identify the presence of Tin Whiskers. The Tin Whisker test kit is a natural extension of product offerings from Data Clean, a known specialist in Zinc Whisker identification and remediation.

Tin Whiskers and Zinc Whiskers are tiny metallic crystalline growths believed caused by stress at the molecular level. Phenomena within the Tin or Zinc plating on many common metal components causes the molecules to align in such a way to produce tiny growths, or whiskers, on the surface. These fuzz-like pure metal growths can easily break off, become airborne, and enter sensitive electronic systems such as computers, servers, and telephone systems.

The metallic whiskers can cause electronic failures. From fighter jets to missiles and nuclear plants to commercial satellites, reports of malfunctioning electronics caused by Tin Whiskers are well-publicized.

Tin is a good conductor of electricity and is commonly used to plate the leads of electronic components and wires. If whiskers come to rest on exposed tin plated circuitry, short circuits and failures are likely. "Inside a Data Center, a commonly reported symptom of whisker contamination [Zinc Whiskers is a high incidence of power supply failure", reports Rich Hill, President of Data Clean Corporation.

Although the exact cause of whisker growth remains a mystery, there are various metallurgical methods used to attenuate growth. The electronics industry has historically used a mixture of tin and lead to plate electronic leads to make the leads more solderable and to prevent Tin Whisker growth. Recent lead-free initiatives (RoHS) in the European market and the subsequent return to pure tin plating in electronics are leaving many with questions as to whether their products are growing whiskers.

Data Clean's Tin Whisker test kit includes a labeled sample container(s), instructions for collecting a sample, a record sheet, and analysis of each sample. After a sample is collected by the customer, it is sent to the laboratory for professional analysis.

The analysis utilizes Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Energy Dispersive Radiation to review both the geometry and elemental makeup of the sample. The analysis is able to distinguish between simple tin particles, common to almost all tin plated materials, and the dangerous tin whiskers.

Data Clean Corporation cautions users. The test is intended to confirm the presence of Tin Whiskers at the time and location the sample is collected. Whiskers could be growing on other components, not tested. And an object that shows no signs of Tin Whiskers could grow whiskers later.

About Data Clean Corporation

Data Clean Corporation, a leader in controlled environment cleaning and maintenance services, helps administrators of data centers, cleanrooms, environmental test chambers, laboratories, and computer rooms avoid the high cost of contamination.

In addition to Zinc and Tin Whisker testing, Data Clean takes a holistic approach to controlled environments by offering specialized cleaning services, cooling analysis/hot spot remediation, access floor repairs, contamination source identification, and related product offerings.

Headquartered in Des Plaines, Illinois, Data Clean Corporation is a global company with sales offices in the US, Canada, Asia, and Europe.

For more information visit www.dataclean.com or call (800) 328-2256. 

CNR.com Beta For Linux Goes Live

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(TheForceField.net ) December 4, 2007 — Linspire, Inc., makers of a popular desktop Linux distro for consumers, launched a web-based version of its CNR program delivery service in beta today. The CNR service, designed to give Linux users one-click access to thousands of software applications directly to their desktop, was controlled by a program installed on the user's PC, but is now web-based, utilizing only a small client to install and update applications.

The web site offers several enhancements to the CNR service and new features, such as Open Source APIs and Open Standardized Packaging. The service supports mutliple desktop Linux distros including Linspire 6.0, Freespire 2.0 and Ubuntu.

"Previous versions of CNR were proprietary and closed sourced," Larry Kettler, President and CEO, Linspire, Inc.wrote in the December issue of The Linspire Letter. "The new CNR Client is open sourced and utilizes open and publicized APIs to communicate with CNR.com. This means anyone can now experiment with new and exciting ways of utilizing the CNR service, and even create their own customized Clients" Kettler said.

According to Kettler, CNR.com will remain a free service. Existing CNR users can update their CNR client at  http://www.cnr.com/supportPages/aboutClientInstall.seam . The new site is located at www.CNR.com

 

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