NVIDIA Releases PhysX Power Pack for GeForce 8 Series & Above

NVIDIA has released its highly anticipated PhysX Power Pack, which officially enables PhysX support on all GeForce 8 series and above graphics cards.

If you head over to NVIDIA's Force Within web page, you will find the 2.78GB Power Pack, which consists of a wide selection of free applications and demos, as well as the new PhysX-enabled 177.83 drivers.

The Power Pack contains:

• GeForce Graphics Driver - v177.83
  
• Unreal Tournament 3 - PhysX Mod
  
• badaboom Media Converter: Beta Version (Expires August 29th)
  
• Warmonger – Full Game
  
• Folding@home - Join The Fight Against Cancer
  
• Sneak Peak: Nurien Demo
  
• Sneak Peak: Metal Knight Zero Demo
  
• The Great Kulu: Technology Demo
  
• Fluids: Technology Demo

"Intrepid Ibex" Alpha-4 released

"Intrepid Ibex" Alpha-4 released

Hello Ubuntu developers,

Welcome to Intrepid Ibex Alpha-4, which will in time become Ubuntu 8.10.

Pre-releases of Intrepid are *not* encouraged for anyone needing a stable system or anyone who is not comfortable running into occasional, even frequent breakage. They are, however, recommended for Ubuntu developers and those who want to help in testing, reporting, and fixing bugs.

Alpha 4 is the fourth in a series of milestone CD images that will be released throughout the Intrepid development cycle. The Alpha images are known to be reasonably free of showstopper CD build or installer bugs, while representing a very recent snapshot of Intrepid. You can download it here:

http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/releases/intrepid/alpha-4/ (Ubuntu)
http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/edubuntu/releases/intrepid/alpha-4/ (Ubuntu Education Edition)
http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/kubuntu/releases/intrepid/alpha-4/ (Kubuntu)
http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/xubuntu/releases/intrepid/alpha-4/ (Xubuntu)

See http://wiki.ubuntu.com/Mirrors for a list of mirrors.

Alpha 4 includes a number of software updates that are ready for large-scale testing. Please refer to http://www.ubuntu.com/testing/intrepid/alpha4 for information on changes in Ubuntu.

This is quite an early set of images, so you should expect some bugs. For a list of known bugs (that you don't need to report if you encounter), please
see: http://www.ubuntu.com/testing/intrepid/alpha4

If you're interested in following the changes as we further develop Intrepid, have a look at the intrepid-changes mailing list:

http://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/intrepid-changes

We also suggest that you subscribe to the ubuntu-devel-announce list if you're interested in following Ubuntu development. This is a low-traffic list (a few posts a week) carrying announcements of approved specifications, policy changes, alpha releases, and other interesting events.

http://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-devel-announce

Bug reports should go to the Ubuntu bug tracker:

https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu

Enjoy,
--
Martin Pitt
On behalf of the Ubuntu release team

DirectX End-User Redistributable 9.0c - August 2008

Microsoft DirectX is a group of technologies designed to make Windows-based computers an ideal platform for running and displaying applications rich in multimedia elements such as full-color graphics, video, 3D animation, and rich audio. DirectX includes security and performance updates, along with many new features across all technologies, which can be accessed by applications using the DirectX APIs.

At the core of DirectX are its application programming interfaces, or APIs. The APIs act as a kind of bridge for the hardware and the software to "talk" to each other. The DirectX APIs give multimedia applications access to the advanced features of high-performance hardware such as three-dimensional (3-D) graphics acceleration chips and sound cards. They control low-level functions, including two-dimensional (2-D) graphics acceleration; support for input devices such as joysticks, keyboards, and mice; and control of sound mixing and sound output. Because of DirectX, what you experience with your computer is better 3-D graphics and immersive music and audio effects.

Additional Information:
- The DirectX redist installation includes all the latest and previous released DirectX runtime. This includes the bi-monthly D3DX, XInput, and Managed DirectX components.
- The DirectX runtime cannot be uninstalled. We recommend Windows Me and Windows XP users create a "System Restore" point before installing.

Simply put, DirectX is a Windows technology that enables higher performance in graphics and sound when you’re playing games or watching video on your PC.

Supported Operating Systems: Windows 2000; Windows 2000 Advanced Server; Windows 2000 Professional Edition ; Windows 2000 Server; Windows 2000 Service Pack 2; Windows 2000 Service Pack 3; Windows 2000 Service Pack 4; Windows 98; Windows 98 Second Edition; Windows Home Server; Windows ME; Windows Server 2003; Windows Server 2003 R2 (32-Bit x86); Windows Server 2003 R2 Datacenter Edition (32-Bit x86); Windows Server 2003 R2 Datacenter x64 Edition; Windows Server 2003 R2 Enterprise Edition (32-Bit x86); Windows Server 2003 R2 Enterprise x64 Edition; Windows Server 2003 R2 Standard Edition (32-bit x86); Windows Server 2003 R2 Standard x64 Edition ; Windows Server 2003 R2 x64 editions; Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 1; Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 2; Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 2 x64 Edition; Windows Server 2003 x64 editions; Windows Server 2003, Datacenter Edition (32-bit x86); Windows Server 2003, Enterprise Edition (32-bit x86); Windows Server 2003, Standard Edition (32-bit x86); Windows Server 2003, Web Edition; Windows Server 2008; Windows Server 2008 Datacenter; Windows Server 2008 Datacenter without Hyper-V; Windows Server 2008 Enterprise; Windows Server 2008 Enterprise without Hyper-V; Windows Server 2008 Standard; Windows Server 2008 Standard without Hyper-V; Windows Small Business Server 2003 ; Windows Vista; Windows Vista 64-bit Editions Service Pack 1; Windows Vista business; Windows Vista business 64-bit edition; Windows Vista business N; Windows Vista Enterprise; Windows Vista Enterprise 64-bit edition; Windows Vista home Basic; Windows Vista home Basic 64-bit edition; Windows Vista home Basic N; Windows Vista home Premium; Windows Vista home Premium 64-bit edition; Windows Vista Service Pack 1; Windows Vista Starter; Windows Vista Starter N; Windows Vista Ultimate; Windows Vista Ultimate 64-bit edition; Windows Web Server 2008; Windows XP; Windows XP 64-bit; Windows XP home Edition ; Windows XP home Edition N; Windows XP Media Center Edition; Windows XP Professional Edition ; Windows XP Professional N; Windows XP Professional x64 Edition ; Windows XP Service Pack 1; Windows XP Service Pack 2; Windows XP Service Pack 3; Windows XP Starter Edition; Windows XP Tablet PC Edition

Homepage - http://www.microsoft.com/windows/directx/default.mspx

Size: 80.3 MB

Download for WinXP/XP x64/Vista/Vista x64

Realtek High Definition Audio Driver R2.01

The ALC882 series 7.1+2 Channel High Definition Audio codecs with UAA (Universal Audio Architecture), featuring five 24-bit stereo DACs and three 20-bit stereo ADCs, are designed for high performance multimedia PC systems.
The ALC882 series incorporates proprietary converter technology to achieve over 100dB Signal-to-Noise ratio playback quality; easily meeting PC2001 requirements and also bringing PC sound quality closer to consumer electronic devices.

The ALC882 series provide 10 channels of DAC that simultaneously support 7.1 sound playback, plus 2 channels of independent stereo sound output (multiple streaming) through the Front-Out-Left and Front-Out-Right channels. Flexible mixing, mute, and fine gain control functions provide a complete integrated audio solution for next generation multimedia PCs.

Features of Realtek High Definition Audio Driver :
- High-performance DACs with 103dB SNR are ideal for Dolby Master Studio
- ADCs with 90dBA SNR
- Meets performance requirements for audio on PC2001 systems
- 10 DAC channels support 16/20/24-bit PCM format for 7.1 sound playback, plus 2 channels of independent stereo sound output (multiple streaming) through the - Front-Out-Left and Front-Out-Right channels
- 3 stereo ADCs support 16/20-bit PCM format, two for microphone array, one for legacy mixer recording
- All DACs support 44.1k/48k/96k/192kHz sample rate
- All ADCs support 44.1k/48k/96kHz sample rate
- Applicable for DVD-Audio solutions
- 16/20/24-bit S/PDIF-OUT supports 44.1k/48k/96k/192kHz sample rate
- 16/20/24-bit S/PDIF-IN supports 44.1k/48k/96k/192kHz sample rate
- Up to four channels of microphone input are supported for AEC/BF application
- High-quality analog differential CD input
- Supports external PCBEEP input and built-in digital BEEP generator
- Software selectable 2.5V/3.75V VREFOUT
- Six VREFOUTs are supported by default, with additional four VREFOUTs available by sharing unused analog I/O pins
- Two jack detection pins each designed to detect up to 4 jacks
- Reserve analog mixer architecture for backward compatibility with AC'97
- Wide range (–80dB ~ +42dB) volume control with 1.5dB resolution of analog to analog mixer gain
- All analog jacks are stereo input and output re-tasking for analog plug & play
- Built-in headphone amplifiers for each re-tasking jack
- Supports both analog DC volume control and GPI digital volume control
- 2 GPIOs (General Purpose Input/Output) for customized applications
- Optional EAPD (External Amplifier Power Down) is supported
- Power support: Digital: 3.3V; Analog: 5.0V (Minimum AVDD is 3.6V)
- Power management and enhanced power saving features
- 48-pin LQFP lead (Pb)-free package
- Meets Microsoft WHQL/WLP 2.0 audio requirements
- EAX 1.0 & 2.0 compatible
- Direct Sound 3D compatible
- A3D compatible
- I3DL2 compatible
- HRTF 3D Positional Audio
- Emulation of 26 sound environments to enhance gaming experience
- 10 Software Equalizer Bands
- Voice Cancellation and Key Shifting in Karaoke mode
- Realtek Media Player
- Enhanced Configuration Panel and device sensing wizard to improve user experience
- Microphone Acoustic Echo Cancellation (AEC), Noise Suppression (NS) and Beam Forming (BF) technology for voice application
- ALC882D features Dolby Digital Live output for consumer equipment
- ALC882H features Dolby Home Theater software
- ALC882M features Dolby Master Studio software

Changes in Driver Package R2.01:
Realtek HD Audio Driver support all of Realtek HD Audio Codec in Vista/WinXP/Win2000/Win2003 .
1. Vista WHQL Supporting: ALC882, ALC883, ALC885, ALC888, ALC889, ALC861VD, ALC660, ALC662, ALC663, ALC260, ALC262,ALC267, ALC268, ALC269, ALC272, ALC273
2. Windows 2000/XP WHQL Supporting: ALC880, ALC882, ALC883, ALC885, ALC888, ALC889, ALC861VC, ALC861VD, ALC660, ALC662, ALC663, ALC260, ALC262, ALC267,ALC268, ALC269, ALC272, ALC273
3. HDMI Device WHQL Support: ATI HDMI Devices
4. OS Supporting: Microsoft WindowsXP, Widnows2000, Vista x86/x64
5. Pack with Microsoft High Definition Audio UAAV1.0a(5013)
6. Add/Fix
1.) Driver :
1. Customizations.
2. Support ALC273.
2.) Package :
1. Change warning message for upgrade driver .
2. ChCfg.exe add version and manifest embedded feature .
3. Add Manifest to Rtlupd.exe and HideWin.exe .
4. The SetCDfmt function was included by RtlExUpd.dll Ver.1.0.1.1

Homepage - http://www.realtek.com.tw

Size: 24.8 MB

Download Driver for Windows 2000, Windows XP/2003 (32/64 bits)

Download Driver for Vista (32/64 bits)

All Downloads from Page

Messenger Plus! Live 4.70.334

Messenger Plus! Live is an add-on for Windows Live Messenger that adds tons of features and extras to the software. Extend the possibilities of Messenger and make your experience a lot more entertaining!

Changes in Messenger Plus! Live 4.70.334 (09/08/2008):
* Messenger Plus! is now better prepared for the future with several internal changes.
* New feature: you can now paste very large chunks of text and pictures into a conversation. Messenger Plus! detects pasting operations that are not originally supported by Messenger and, when possible, generates a temporary file to send to the contact.
* Emotion sounds played by Messenger Plus! are now played in stereo. This fixes problems caused by faulty hardware or drivers that do not handle mono sound files properly (resulting in incorrect playback or no playback at all).
* New feature: all scripts and skins can now be automatically updated! this will ensure you always get the benefits from the latest versions of the components you use without worrying about them.
o Almost all the current scripts and skins are supported by the system. Update check is done once a week, as usual, and you can force a manual check by using the /checkupdates command in any chat window.
o If an update is available, you will be notified once automatically. If you choose not to install a particular update, Messenger Plus! won't prompt you about it anymore unless another update is available. This was done to remove the annoying factor of this kind of auto-update procedure.
o This feature may be used in the future to offer exclusive new scripts, skins and more for download. This will also help the distribution of minor updates using delta patches.
o Script and skin developers are encouraged to use the new UpdateId and BuildNumber information elements in their XML file to ensure proper future updates or their products (see updated documentation).
o Of course, all of this can be disabled in the preferences.
* New "panel size" option added for the Quick Icons panel. Use it to display more emoticons in each page of the panel.
* The (!VER) tag now correctly identifies Windows Server 2008.
* Double-clicking on a contact in the Contact List Clean-Up window now opens the Contact Information window.
* A new page has been added at the end of the Setup to confirm that installation was successful and to offer a link to download new skins.
* Security fix: mis-formated URLs saved in HTML chat logs can corrupt log files (fixed previously in build 326).
* Messenger Plus! now prevents you to specify an encryption password hint equal to the password itself.
* The Interface Tester program now supports command line arguments (use -? for more details). External programs wanting to display a preview of Messenger Plus! windows may want to use this.
* Fixed: skin shapes are not always properly applied.
* Fixed: invalid skin packs may display an error message twice on import.
* Scripts: added element for RichStatic controls.
* You know it's not the end...

Download : Messenger Plus! Live 4.70.334

DirectX End-User Redistributable 9.0c - August 2008

Microsoft DirectX is a group of technologies designed to make Windows-based computers an ideal platform for running and displaying applications rich in multimedia elements such as full-color graphics, video, 3D animation, and rich audio. DirectX includes security and performance updates, along with many new features across all technologies, which can be accessed by applications using the DirectX APIs.

At the core of DirectX are its application programming interfaces, or APIs. The APIs act as a kind of bridge for the hardware and the software to "talk" to each other. The DirectX APIs give multimedia applications access to the advanced features of high-performance hardware such as three-dimensional (3-D) graphics acceleration chips and sound cards. They control low-level functions, including two-dimensional (2-D) graphics acceleration; support for input devices such as joysticks, keyboards, and mice; and control of sound mixing and sound output. Because of DirectX, what you experience with your computer is better 3-D graphics and immersive music and audio effects.

Additional Information:
- The DirectX redist installation includes all the latest and previous released DirectX runtime. This includes the bi-monthly D3DX, XInput, and Managed DirectX components.
- The DirectX runtime cannot be uninstalled. We recommend Windows Me and Windows XP users create a "System Restore" point before installing.

Simply put, DirectX is a Windows technology that enables higher performance in graphics and sound when you’re playing games or watching video on your PC.

Supported Operating Systems: Windows 2000; Windows 2000 Advanced Server; Windows 2000 Professional Edition ; Windows 2000 Server; Windows 2000 Service Pack 2; Windows 2000 Service Pack 3; Windows 2000 Service Pack 4; Windows 98; Windows 98 Second Edition; Windows Home Server; Windows ME; Windows Server 2003; Windows Server 2003 R2 (32-Bit x86); Windows Server 2003 R2 Datacenter Edition (32-Bit x86); Windows Server 2003 R2 Datacenter x64 Edition; Windows Server 2003 R2 Enterprise Edition (32-Bit x86); Windows Server 2003 R2 Enterprise x64 Edition; Windows Server 2003 R2 Standard Edition (32-bit x86); Windows Server 2003 R2 Standard x64 Edition ; Windows Server 2003 R2 x64 editions; Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 1; Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 2; Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 2 x64 Edition; Windows Server 2003 x64 editions; Windows Server 2003, Datacenter Edition (32-bit x86); Windows Server 2003, Enterprise Edition (32-bit x86); Windows Server 2003, Standard Edition (32-bit x86); Windows Server 2003, Web Edition; Windows Server 2008; Windows Server 2008 Datacenter; Windows Server 2008 Datacenter without Hyper-V; Windows Server 2008 Enterprise; Windows Server 2008 Enterprise without Hyper-V; Windows Server 2008 Standard; Windows Server 2008 Standard without Hyper-V; Windows Small Business Server 2003 ; Windows Vista; Windows Vista 64-bit Editions Service Pack 1; Windows Vista Business; Windows Vista Business 64-bit edition; Windows Vista Business N; Windows Vista Enterprise; Windows Vista Enterprise 64-bit edition; Windows Vista Home Basic; Windows Vista Home Basic 64-bit edition; Windows Vista Home Basic N; Windows Vista Home Premium; Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit edition; Windows Vista Service Pack 1; Windows Vista Starter; Windows Vista Starter N; Windows Vista Ultimate; Windows Vista Ultimate 64-bit edition; Windows Web Server 2008; Windows XP; Windows XP 64-bit; Windows XP Home Edition ; Windows XP Home Edition N; Windows XP Media Center Edition; Windows XP Professional Edition ; Windows XP Professional N; Windows XP Professional x64 Edition ; Windows XP Service Pack 1; Windows XP Service Pack 2; Windows XP Service Pack 3; Windows XP Starter Edition; Windows XP Tablet PC Edition

Homepage - http://www.microsoft.com/windows/directx/default.mspx

Size: 298 KB

Download Web Installer (August)

Download for WinXP/XP x64/Vista/Vista x64 Full (June)