How to Clear Windows Update Cache upon Update Failure

We all know that generally speaking, Windows Updates help solve old problems while bringing in new problems. Every once in a while, the update process itself fails, and you’re left with updates that don’t fully install, and can’t be removed from the update queue.

 

Here is a simple trick to clear that update cache in order to re-try the update or to disable it on your next Windows Update attempt.

1. Open Command Prompt by Start -> Run and type "cmd"

2. On the Command Prompt, type "net stop wuauserv". This is done so that you will terminate the windows automatic update service to allow us to delete the cache files

3. Still on the Command Prompt, type "cd /d %windir%" or "cd\windows"

4. Type "rd /s SoftwareDistribution"

5. Thats it, the cache has been purged. Now we need to restart the windows automatic update service again. To do that, type "net start wuauserv"

Break Dancing Robot from Japan

The Japanese have been pioneering some amazing robotic technology in the past few years, and this robot improves on that by adding some 'style'. Check out this break dancing robot I found on the web!

Lenovo Unveils New AMD-Powered Business Laptops - PC World Business Center

I am a big fan of business laptops such as Dell Latitudes and IBM Thinkpads. Lenovo has never impressed me with their incarnations of the beloved Thinkpad laptops, but this new series of laptops that Lenovo is pushing seems to follow many of the design elements that made the Thinkpad such an attractive business machine. They've changed the keyboard and the matte finish has been replaced with a somewhat glossy one, but overall, the laptop is as close to the real Thinkpad experience as Lenovo is going to get.

For $449.00 you get:

Processor AMD Athlon Neo Single-Core MV-40 (1.6GHz, 800MHz, 512KB L2) Operating system Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 32 System graphics AMD M780G with ATI Radeon HD 3200 graphics Total memory 1 GB PC2-5300 DDR2 SDRAM 667MHz SODIMM Memory (1 DIMM) Supports 2GB Hard Drive 160 GB Hard Disk Drive, 5400rpm Battery 6 cell Li-Ion Battery 2.6 Ah Integrated WiFi wireless LAN adapters ThinkPad WiFi (BGN) Wireless WAN accessories Integrated Mobile Broadband - Upgradable

Designed for extreme mobility, lightweight ThinkPad® X Series laptops deliver big in reliability, performance and durability. And with the edgy new X100e—Lenovo's first business entry ultraportable—X Series is more affordable than ever. Beyond light Lighten your load with X Series—most models weigh in at less than 3 lbs! Small footprint Starting at just 11.1" wide and 7.4" deep, crowded tables and tiny airline trays are no match for compact X Series laptops.
All-day computing The X200s model gives you up to 13.2 hours of battery life on a single charge! Spacious displays Enjoy roomy widescreens—up to 13.3" on the X301 model. Its LED backlit display helps ease eye strain, too.

Key features: - Bold color options: Midnight Black or Heatwave Red in smooth finishes - Full-sized, spill-resistant keyboard combining legendary ThinkPad feel with a more contemporary design - Lightweight with a small footprint and an 11.6" HD display - Affordable price with a variety of robust warranty options - Two navigation options: familiar TrackPoint® and an easy-to-use multitouch touchpad - New low-light-sensitive Web camera - Multiple connectivity options - Business-class operating system and corporate-level support Model Max. battery life67 X200s 4 hrs. to 13.2 hrs. X301 4.3 hrs. to 10.0 hrs. X200 3.1 to 9.8 hrs. X100e 2 to 5 hrs. Extra long battery life On the road, your laptop is only as good as its battery performance. X Series features Lenovo's Power Manager, carefully selected low-voltage processors, less power-hungry displays and the latest battery technology, allowing up to 13.2 hours* of worry-free computing. Plus Lenovo Battery Stretch lets you temporarily extend battery life in extreme circumstances. *Depending on model.

Durability X Series notebooks are tough enough to take the rigors of business travel.   • Next-generation ThinkPad roll cage on X301 and X200s   • Magnesium-alloy top and bottom covers on X200 and X200s   • Solid-state drives with no moving parts on X200, X200s and X301   • Spill-resistant keyboard   • Reliable, sturdy metal hinge construction designed for daily use

Model Max. CPU performance X200 Dual-core processor 2.40GHz X200s Dual-core processor 1.86GHz X301 Dual-core ultra-low voltage processor 1.40GHz X100e Single- and dual-core processors* 1.6GHz

Fast and energy efficient From CPUs that offer true parallel processing when running multi-threaded applications or multiple applications simultaneously to ultra-low voltage processors that balance performance and energy efficiency, X Series gives you several performance options. Need hardware-based security and integrated graphics for less battery power usage than discrete graphics? Or DirectX® 10 graphics support and enhanced visual performance? No problem. Check out all our X Series models to find the processor that's perfect for you. *Dual-core processors on X100e available first quarter 2010

Integrated fingerprint reader Built-in solutions and security   • ThinkVantage® Rescue and Recovery™ helps you recover from system crashes quickly, even if the primary operating system won't boot.   • ThinkVantage Active Protection System™ detects sudden changes in motion and temporarily stops the hard drive to help protect it from damage (not applicable to models with solid-state drives).   • Integrated fingerprint reader (not available on X100e) helps you securely access your data and easily manage your passwords.   • 32-byte pre-boot password protection, available on select X Series models, helps guard against external threats.   • ThinkVantage Client Security Solution software   • BIOS disablement of ports acts as a final layer of protection for your business-critical data.

Hack your UPS and get more run time in the data center.

Although power outages may occur only once or twice a year, when they occur, the modern office generally comes to a halt. Without internet access, email, or phone, your entire team can be left disconnected from the rest of the world. Depending on your business, this downtime can cost thousands of dollars in lost profits. One way to circumvent this problem is to create a backup power system. In this post, we will explore an 'inexpensive' option that will provide uninterrupted power while you switch over to a generator. We're talking about hacking UPS systems with larger batteries in order to extend their run time. Stay tuned for more details on locating the right parts, safety issues, and how to assemble the units.

Here is a good video giving a rough idea of what we plan to do:

Skype now support 720p HD video!

Skype users can now make high-definition video calls as long as they have an HD webcam and sufficient bandwidth and processing power. The feature is only available in the beta version of Skype.

Download the latest developer’s version here.

Ostendo CRVD - 2880x900 DLP 43" Curved LCD - $6499

The Ostendo CRVD features LED powered DLP technology to generate a 2880x900 resolution image on a 43" curved surface. 

Augmented Reality: MIT's sixth sense

'SixthSense' is a wearable gestural interface that augments the physical world around us with digital information and lets us use natural hand gestures to interact with that information.

The SixthSense prototype is comprised of a pocket projector, a mirror and a camera. The hardware components are coupled in a pendant like mobile wearable device. Both the projector and the camera are connected to the mobile computing device in the user’s pocket. The projector projects visual information enabling surfaces, walls and physical objects around us to be used as interfaces; while the camera recognizes and tracks user's hand gestures and physical objects using computer-vision based techniques. The software program processes the video stream data captured by the camera and tracks the locations of the colored markers (visual tracking fiducials) at the tip of the user’s fingers using simple computer-vision techniques. The movements and arrangements of these fiducials are interpreted into gestures that act as interaction instructions for the projected application interfaces. The maximum number of tracked fingers is only constrained by the number of unique fiducials, thus SixthSense also supports multi-touch and multi-user interaction.

The SixthSense prototype implements several applications that demonstrate the usefulness, viability and flexibility of the system. The map application lets the user navigate a map displayed on a nearby surface using hand gestures, similar to gestures supported by Multi-Touch based systems, letting the user zoom in, zoom out or pan using intuitive hand movements. The drawing application lets the user draw on any surface by tracking the fingertip movements of the user’s index finger. SixthSense also recognizes user’s freehand gestures (postures). For example, the SixthSense system implements a gestural camera that takes photos of the scene the user is looking at by detecting the ‘framing’ gesture. The user can stop by any surface or wall and flick through the photos he/she has taken. SixthSense also lets the user draw icons or symbols in the air using the movement of the index finger and recognizes those symbols as interaction instructions. For example, drawing a magnifying glass symbol takes the user to the map application or drawing an ‘@’ symbol lets the user check his mail. The SixthSense system also augments physical objects the user is interacting with by projecting more information about these objects projected on them. For example, a newspaper can show live video news or dynamic information can be provided on a regular piece of paper. The gesture of drawing a circle on the user’s wrist projects an analog watch.

The current prototype system costs approximate $350 to build.

More information can be found at the project website:
http://www.pranavmistry.com/projects/sixthsense/