IObit Game Booster 2.3 Review

IObit Game Booster 2.3 is a fantastic Windows program that has been designed to speed up the performance of games that you play on your PC. Game Booster achieves this by ending unnecessary background processes & services to increase the amount of free RAM & CPU power available to the game. This becomes very useful when you try to play games on integrated graphics chips that lack the power & performance of dedicated graphics cards.

Game Booster features a very simple and easy to use interface that offers a lot of punch without bloating the experience. On the main tab one central button exists that when clicked initiates the boost process. The software also allows users to check & update game drivers, download & install useful software, defragment game directories, tweak the system and view game tools. Anybody will be able to use Game Booster, no skill is required to operate the utility.

Game Booster is a free download although a Premium paid version is available to purchase as well. The free edition offers basic boosting performance for the average user but for hardcore gamers who require more tweaking options then the premium offering is the one for them.

Game Booster is a must have for any PC gamer, great hardware or not. With this utility you can finally use integrated graphics processors to play modern games at low to medium settings without lag or glitches.

To download IObit Game Booster 2.3 please visit: http://go.alistairstechblog.co.cc/gamebooster

Sony says 'Some services up and running within a week'

At last there's a bit of good news for all PSN & Qriocity users out there, Sony says that they should have 'some services up and running within a week'. Also, when the outside intrusion happened, there were scares that credit or debit card numbers had been compromised, however Sony state that the card number database was encrypted and that there are no signs of intrusion but they can't be sure. Before the network relaunches, Sony is apparently releasing a more secure SDK to game developers to prevent a repeat of this ever happening again. When the service does come back online, expect a mandatory system software update and a possible mandatory password change.

Qik Video Connect now allows cross platform video calling

Ever wanted to video call you mate that uses an Android or iPhone handset? Well now you can with Qik Video Connect. With the acquisition of Qik by Skype the software engineers have enabled cross platform video calling over 3G, 4G or WiFi to & from either an Android or an iPhone. Forget FaceTime, use Qik!

Important Notice concerning PSN users

As you may have noticed you have not been able to sign into PSN as normal for the past week or so. This is due to hackers infiltrating Sony's PSN servers and therefore bringing them down. There is a more sinister side to all of this though, private user data has been exposed and is available to these hackers. Sony UK have compiled a list of data that has been compromised by the attack. The data compromised is as follows:

• Name
• Shipping address
• Billing address
• Country
• E-mail address
• Birthdate
• PSN/Qriocity ID
• PSN/Qriocity password
• PSN/Qriocity security question and answer
• Purchase history

Is this the iPhone 5?

The iPhone 5 rumor mill just keeps on spinning and doesn't look like its going to stop anytime soon! Today's bit of news is leaked images (Mr. Blurrycam again) of the supposed iPhone 5 (in white to!). The image shows the device with a larger screen (probably a 4") and a thinner bezel around it. The exterior of the device looks a lot like the iPhone 4 as it still maintains the metal antenna frame and looks about as thick as the 4 as well. There is still the Apple trademark home button at the bottom with a video call camera, speaker & light sensor dominating the top of the handset.

At first glance you may think that this device is a fake as it doesn't feature the spotlight search icon down by the springboard page dots. Do you remember the video of a white iPhone 4(S) running an experimental build of iOS? That didn't have a spotlight search icon either. Could the OS displayed in these photos & videos be iOS 5? I guess we will have to wait and see.

iPhone 4 left, iPhone 5 right

White iPhone 4 launching this week

At last the long awaited white iPhone 4 will hit the shelves of millions of stores across the world on Thursday (28th April) to the joy of many Apple enthusiasts. In June 2010 Apple explained that the white variant of their iPhone 4 had proven more challenging to manufacture than previously thought stating that they would come into the market in the second half of July. Of course this didn't happen. At least the white iPhone 4 actually does exist and that it will come to markets starting Thursday.

CyanogenMod 7.0.2 is out, fixes a lot of issues present in the previous release

Its good news for all Android CyanogenMod fans out there, version 7.0.2 is here! But guess what? It fixes loads of bugs that users have been complaining about! Yay! Some of these include proximity & light sensors and GPS issues! To grab yourself a copy of the latest revision head over to http://www.cyanogenmod.com/devices, select your Droid phone, then follow the instructions on the site.

A Blackberry Playbook that runs on Android 3.0 Honeycomb?! Wow!

The people over at MacMall seem to have forgotten that the RIM Blackberry Playbook isn't an Android tablet and that it runs on a special Blackberry tablet OS. Maybe they should do some research before asking their photography team to go wild on Photoshop!

A white iPhone shows up on T-Mobile USA, don't think your getting one yet though!

Prototype T-Mobile iPhone

Yes here it is, an iPhone on T-Mobile! Oh wait, its only a test unit that will not be sold anytime soon! So you won't be able to walk into a T-Mobile store to pick one of these up but it does give hope to the thousands of T-Mobile customers that want a chunk of the big Apple, without jailbreaking & unlocking!

So anyway the device clearly states that it is operating on the T-Mobile 3G network, that's good. But why has this device suddenly appeared? Is it a secret project by Apple? Could it have something to do with the soon-to-be-happening AT&T T-Mobile partnership? Will the iPhone 4 be hitting T-Mobile or will we have to wait for the iPhone 5? Who knows! All I can say is that a T-Mobile iPhone in 2011 looks promising.

*Breaking News* Wii 2 Releasing in 2012, playable units at E3 2011

Nintendo have officially confirmed that the successor to the popular motion controlled gaming console, Wii, will release across the world in 2012. They also said that they would be showcasing the Wii 2 at the 2011 gaming exhibition, E3 hosted in Los Angeles from 7th to 9th of June.


According to sources at the IGN gaming website, who say they have obtained specifications for the device, the Wii 2 will feature a tri core (3 processing cores) IBM PowerPC processor combined with an AMD Fusion APU. This I am not so sure on. Why have a PowerPC CPU with an AMD APU (Accelerated Processing Unit) when the APU combines both a processor & a graphics processor on a single dye? Therefore I believe that the Wii 2 will be powered by an AMD Fusion APU only.

There is no doubt that the Wii 2 will be Full HD (1080p) compatible via HDMI or Component outputs. Also, the consoles proprietary controller will supposedly be featuring 8 buttons and a 6.2" TFT LCD screen that will be used to display extra game content such as tracks maps for racing games.

Leaked Images
To view leaked images please visit: http://go.alistairstechblog.co.cc/wii2

Press release:

April 25, 2011

To whom it may concern:

Re: Wii's Successor System

Nintendo Co., Ltd. has decided to launch in 2012 a system to succeed Wii, which the company has sold 86.01 million units on a consolidated shipment basis between its launch in 2006 and the end of March 2011.

We will show a playable model of the new system and announce more specifications at the E3 Expo, which will be held June 7-9, 2011, in Los Angeles.

Sales of this new system have not been included in the financial forecasts announced today for the fiscal term ending March 2012.

New IRC Channel

Just a quick post to let you all know that I have moved #alistair, my very own IRC channel, to the IridiumIRC network. To add IridiumIRC to your network list please watch this short video on YouTube made by Milo Noblet:





Please note: I have a bot & a BNC in my IRC channel. All text gets recorded & gets reported back to me. If I find that a user is bullying, trash talking or being horrible to another user, I will ban you from the channel & the network.

Short Links

Did you know I set up Google Short Links? Well I did! Below is a list of all the short links you need to follow me around the world wide web!

• Facebook Fan Page - http://go.alistairstechblog.co.cc/facebook
• YouTube Channel - http://go.alistairstechblog.co.cc/techyoutube
• Twitter Profile - http://go.alistairstechblog.co.cc/twitter

Windows Live Writer – is it good for posting?

Hello there readers of Alistair’s Tech Blog it is me, Alistair, posting via Windows Live Writer. The purpose of this post is to see whether or not WLW is good at posting to blogger blogs. Please feel free to comment on this post using the embedded Disqus system to expose your view on posting from Windows Live Writer.

Apple iOS 5, what should be next for Apple's mobile OS?

Apple iOS 5 (Expected Release Summer 2011)

Earlier last year (2010) Apple Inc. unveiled the much anticipated iPhone 4 running the latest iOS 4 system software. The upgrade brought a host of new features (to Apple devices) such as multi-tasking, an updated unified mail client & home screen wallpapers. Despite this, many wanted features remained absent. These included:

• Official Adobe Flash Player
• FM Radio - Even the iPod Nano has one!
• Lock Screen Widgets - Email, Messaging, RSS Feeds
• OTA (Over the Air) Syncing - WiFi, Bluetooth
• Storage Device Mode
• Syncing with Multiple Computers

With the iPhone 5 launch fast approaching around the corner, is iOS 5 going to deliver some of these features or will the OS still be left to fall behind its rivals? No doubt the iOS mobile platform has come a long way since its introduction in 2007, but compared to rivals such as Android & WebOS it is still lacking in functionality.  I believe that Apple & Adobe should sort out their differences in order to bring either Flash Lite or Flash Player to the iOS platform. I also think that iOS should become more customizable so that it can be tailored to the specific needs of its users. The next version of iOS has the potential to be the best yet, but will Apple implement the features that users are so longing for? I guess we'll have to wait and see.

*Breaking News* New Alienware Laptops

Alienware have just finished showcasing some of their new gaming laptops, the new M11x (R3), M14x & M18x. All three machines are beasts! Check out the specs for the M18x if you thought the M17x R3 was something amazing! Up to 32GB DDR3 RAM! Factory OCed Intel Core i7 (Sandy Bridge) XE CPU! 4GB GDDR5 VRAM on the graphics chip! Prices for the M18x start at $1999!

Alienware Special Event

Look what Alienware just sent me. 'Tune into an important Alienware announcement', are they going to be revealing the M14x & M18x? Whatever is happening over at Alienware, I will cover it.

Samsung Galaxy S II Pre-order

I have now pre-ordered my Samsung Galaxy S II from Amazon for £499.99. When I have the device, I shall be creating new & exciting videos such as an unboxing, a review and other great content.

*Breaking News* Samsung Galaxy S II (2) UK Release Date Announced

Samsung have just officially announced the UK release date for the Galaxy S II as being 1st May. This comes as great news to me as I myself will be getting the 1.2GHz dual core monster.

Samsung official press release:
SAMSUNG ANNOUNCES UK AVAILABILITY OF THE GALAXY S II

Samsung's most powerful smartphone yet set to hit UK shores on 1st May

11th April 2011, London, UK – Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., today announces that its slimmest and lightest smartphone yet, the Samsung Galaxy S II (Model: GT-I9100), will be available in UK shops on 1st May 2011. The Galaxy S II is the first handset to offer Samsung's Super AMOLED Plus screen technology, the largest, brightest and most colourful screen available in Samsung's portfolio of devices.

Super slim (8.49mm) and lightweight (116g) Samsung's Galaxy S II runs on Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) and is super-fast thanks to its dual-core 1.2GHz processor. The device's exceptionally bright screen makes it perfect for watching movies and TV or playing games and looking at apps, with its ground-breaking 'organic' LED technology, Super AMOLED Plus also saving energy so you can enjoy watching content without affecting the battery life.

The Galaxy S II is built for multi-tasking, its dual-core processor makes switching between applications and loading web pages such as Google, Yahoo and YouTube quick, whilst superior 3D hardware means games and videos can be loaded and played with ease. What's more, there's immediate access to content and services such as catch up TV and movie downloads, thanks to super-fast connectivity and WiFi, with speeds up to 21Mbps which provides increased download speeds, and Bluetooth 3.0+HS which reduces data transfer times significantly.

Simon Stanford, Managing Director, Mobile, Samsung UK and Ireland said: "From the moment it was revealed at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona there has been a huge buzz about the Galaxy S II, so we're pleased to announce that it will be available for UK customers to buy from 1st May. Our slimmest, lightest, fastest smartphone is our first device to offer of Super AMOLED Plus screen technology, alongside the most advanced technical specifications including the latest Android OS and a dual core processor. We're confident it's a great package for anyone wanting a superior smartphone experience."

The Galaxy S II also features an 8 megapixel camera with 1080p HD recording and playback, Samsung's patented AllShare technology so you can share pictures, movies, and music with other devices and Samsung's new Kies Air which lets people manage their smartphone contents from their PC via local WiFi connections.

A new 'Live Panel' feature on the Galaxy S II allows aggregation of live web, social networking and application contents to a single customisable home-screen, whilst it's possible to place all the important parts of your life onto three adjacent home screens which you can switch between simply by pressing and holding on the screen. As with all the Samsung Galaxy family, the Galaxy S II features Samsung Hubs, providing a huge range of entertainment content, advanced mobile games and the ability to manage social networking accounts.

The Samsung Galaxy S II will be available in the UK across all major networks and retailers.

How to Jailbreak iOS 4.3.1 & 4.3.2 (Untethered)

How to Jailbreak iOS 4.3.1 & 4.3.2 (Untethered) using Redsn0w 0.9.6 rc 9 & 13

Jailbreaking Apple's iOS 4.3.1 or 4.3.2 is really simple using Redsn0w. Before we get started, you need to know a few things. 1) Devices that are supported:

• iPod Touch 2G, 3G, 4G
• iPhone 3G, 3GS, 4 (GSM, iPhone 4 4.3.2 very buggy)
• iPad 1

 2) You need a copy of iTunes installed.
 3) You need the .ispw (firmware file) file that corresponds to your iDevice & firmware.
 4) If you rely on the Ultrasn0w iPhone unlock then do not use this jailbreak yet!

Ok, lets get cracking!

First you need to download Redsn0w, for Windows it can be found here & for Mac here. Once you have downloaded & extracted the Redsn0w application/program, you need to download your corresponding ISPW file. To do this either visit http://www.felixbruns.de/iPod/firmware or http://www.iclarified.com/entry/index.php?enid=757 (for iPod Touch), http://www.iclarified.com/entry/index.php?enid=750 (for iPhone), http://osxdaily.com/2010/11/02/download-ipad-firmware-ipsw/ (for iPad).

So now you have the Redsn0w program & the ISPW file your ready to jailbreak! Now you need to open up the Redsn0w utility, don't worry, Redsn0w doesn't contain any viruses because it is a legitimate program by the legitimate Dev Team! Anyway, once you have opened up Redsn0w, you need to click the 'Browse' button and locate the ISPW file you downloaded earlier. This may be in My Downloads or My Documents depending on where you saved it. The program will then process the firmware, this usually takes about 25 seconds depending on the firmware & computer. Once this has completed click next to proceed to the next step. When this is clicked, you will get a dialog box that says preparing jailbreak data, this is normal.

When the dialog box has closed you will be presented with some options. It is recommended that you only select the Install Cydia &, if you want this feature, Enable Battery Percentage options. When you have checked the options that you want click next.

The next step requires you to connect you iDevice to your computer using the USB cable. Redsn0w also tells you to power off your device (Hold the power button then slide to power off) before proceeding. Once this is done click next.

This part can be a little difficult. Redsn0w will guide you through putting your device into DFU (Device Firmware Update) mode. To put your device into DFU mode you need to:

• Hold the power button for 3 seconds
• Continue holding the power button but hold the home button (Bottom, centre button) together for 15 seconds
• Release the power button but keep holding the home button for about 5 seconds.
• Your iDevice should now be in DFU mode.

Once this is done Redsn0w will start applying your jailbreak. This usually takes around 2-3 minutes to complete & you will see lots of code on your devices screen, this is normal.

Ok, so if everything went right you will now have an untethered, jailbroken iDevice on 4.3.1 or 4.3.2!