Here’s how IBM’s logo evolved:

Here are some of the company’s earlier products:

[Images courtesy of Wikipedia]

(1958) The IBM 632 Electronic Typing Calculator

The IBM 1130

(1980) The IBM 5120

(1983) The IBM Personal Computer XT

Makes you appreciate your computer doesn’t it?

Microsoft has just released the first service pack for Windows 7 and it’s available for download. Interested users can get it by downloading it from the official site, through Windows Update, or by ordering the installation DVD.

From the official site, here’s what’s included:

“Windows 7 Service Pack 1 (SP1) is an important update that includes previously released security, performance, and stability updates for Windows 7. SP1 also includes new improvements to features and services in Windows 7, such as improved reliability when connecting to HDMI audio devices, printing using the XPS Viewer, and restoring previous folders in Windows Explorer after restarting.”

Installation takes less than an hour and you’ll have to reboot your computer.

Magic Desktop lets you customize your desktop icons, wallpaper, start menu, themes, etc. with just one click. It even lets you create your own personal pack called “suit” which is basically a combination of elements from different packs. There’s just a little catch. The packs or even specific elements will all be downloaded once you’ve chosen them. Depending on your connection speed, this could be a non-factor or a bit of a hassle. Once the customizations have been installed you’ll have to restart your computer. You don’t get a “restart later” option. Want to see how it looks? Here you go.

Magic Desktop runs on Windows XP, Vista, and Windows 7. It’s also free.

StandaloneStack lets you have your own customized stack docklet without having to install RocketDock or ObjectDock. In fact, you won’t have to install StandaloneStack either. Just run the executable file to customize the stack and you’re good to go. The app does not replace your taskbar if you were wondering.

Aside from the usual customization options like grid and fan stacks, the app lets you view animated thumbnails and preview videos though the video preview isn’t very fluid.

No install required and free. We love it.

StandaloneStack runs on Windows.

The Falcon Northwest DRX is a monster. There’s just no other way to put it. Powered by an Intel Core i7-930 or with the latest six-core i7-980X, you know you’ve got serious power. Not convinced? How about 12 Gigabytes of DD3 memory? The beast comes with a 17″ WUXGA (1900 x 1200) widescreen display and an Nvidia GeForce™ GTX 280M with 1 GB of dedicated DDR3 VRAM.

Now if you’re worried about storage, this laptop can hold up to 3 SATA II drives with RAID 0, 1, and 5 capability. That would be the included 160 GB hard drive and two more 320 GB drives. Once your head stops spinning, take a look at some of the available models:

Still not convinced? Take a look at the complete spec list:
* Processor: Intel Core i7 (desktop class) processors up to 3.3 GHz
* Memory: 1333 MHz DDR3 (12GB Max)
* Display: 17″ WUXGA (1900 x 1200) widescreen
* Video Cards: Nvidia GeForce™ GTX 280M
* Video RAM: 1 GB dedicated DDR3 VRAM
* Hard Drives: Up to 3 SATA II drives, RAID 0, 1, and 5 capability
* Optical Drive: 8x Dual-layer DVD+-R/+-RW, 8X Blu-Ray optional
* Camera: Built-in 3.0 Megapixel
* Networking: Built-in 56K V.90/ V.92 AC-Link Modem
* 1 Gigabit LAN
* Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n Wireless LAN
* Sound: Built-In Hi-Def audio with 4 internal speakers
* Keyboard: Full-size w/ numerical key pad
* Touch Pad: Touch pad with 2 buttons and scroll feature
* Ports: 4 USB 2.0 ports
* 1 External DVI port (HDCP compliant)
* 1 External HDMI port
* 1 RJ-45 for LAN access
* 1 RJ- 11 for Modem connection
* 1 mini IEEE1394 Firewire port
* 1 S-Video port for TV output
* 1 headphone jack
* 1 microphone jack
* 1 audio line-in jack
* 1 S/PDIF out jack
* 1 E-SATA port
* One ExpressCard/34/54 slot
* Media: Standard internal 7-in-1 Card Reader supporting RS/MultiMedia Card, Mini/Secure Digital, Memory Stick/Duo/Pro (MS Duo, Mini SD, RS MMC cards require adapters)
* Battery: 12-Cell Smart Li-Ion battery (~1hour DVD runtime)
* Power: Universal AC adapter Input: AC 100-250V AC 220W max.
* Dimension: 15.5″ (W) x 11.9″ (D) x 2.5″(H)
* Weight: 12.1 lbs (fully loaded)
* Carrying: Falcon Northwest custom backpack included fits in aircraft overhead carry-on bins
* Warranty: 1 year warranty • Perfect Pixel Guarantee
* Optional: 3 year extended warranty

We told you it was a monster.

This sleek desktop comes with an Intel G41 + ICH 7 chipset, your choice of Vista or Windows 7, up to 4 GB of memory, 1 hard drive with up to 640 GB storage, an 8x DVD R/W, and Intel GMA X4500, Integrated on board graphics.

If you’re wondering about the integrated graphics card, well it’s for work remember? Still, you have to admit, this is one sleek rig.

It seems that the fight with the Stuxnet worm isn’t over as new variants of the worm were discovered and reported by the ESET blog.

The post by Pierre-Marc Bureau goes on to say:

“We have identified a new family that exploits this unpatched vulnerability in order to spread, which we have labelled Win32/TrojanDownloader.Chymine.A. At the time of analysis, this threat downloads and install a key stroke logger which we detect as Win32/Spy.Agent.NSO trojan. The server used to deliver the components used in this attack is presently located in the US, but the IP is assigned to a customer in China.

Minutes after identifying this new attack, we observed a known threat, Win32/Autorun.VB.RP, which has been updated to include the CVE-2010-2568 exploit as a new propagation vector. Win32/Autorun.VB.RP seems to download and install additional components on infected machines.”

While Microsoft has yet to release an official patch to address the problem, it has released a workaround solution on its support site. The workaround will disable .LNK and .PIF file functionality on most Windows machines. Microsoft also offers an undo option for the workaround should users change their minds after implementation.

Take a look at Intel’s Multitouch Concept Laptop. Aside from the main 15 inch screen, the Tangent Bay laptop includes 3 3.5 OLED screens above the keyboard. All the screens including the main display are touch screens, which means you could drag and drop files to and from different screens.

If you want to move something on the auxiliary display to the main screen, a flick of the wrist is all it takes. There are quite a number of possibilities, you could have your RSS feeds on one screen, your clock on the other, and whatever else you want displayed.

Credit: Nicholas Aaron Khoo

Of course you want to see it in action right? Here you go:

This is one concept laptop we’d love to have.

SevenVG RTM is a free transformation pack that will give your XP machine the look and feel of Windows 7.

Click on the image to view the full-sized sample.

Make sure you follow the instructions to get this to work. Set a restore point before you install anything just to be safe. You’ll need a patched uxtheme.dll for getting third party themes to work.

Extras like the Windows 7 icons, wallpaper, boot screen, etc., can be found on the same site at this link. Instructions on getting all the extras to work are provided as well. It’s quite easy to install and set up as long as you follow the instructions.

Open Hardware Monitor is a free Windows utility that shows you the current state of your hardware. The app displays fan speeds, load and clock speeds, voltages, temperature sensors, mainboard status, hard drive status, video card status, and CPU status. Users can choose what they want displayed and have the application minimized to the system tray. No installation needed.

The program is still in beta so there are bound to be bugs from time to time but definitely worth using.

Open Hardware Monitor runs on 32 and 64-bit Windows and requires .Net Framework.