Dell servers reveal embedded spyware concealed in their replacement motherboards!

Dell has reportedly made a startling revelation that some of its PowerEdge server replacement motherboards are shipped with embedded spyware. According to Dell, the damage is limited across four PowerEdge server motherboard models namely: PowerEdge R310, PowerEdge R410, PowerEdge R510 and PowerEdge T410.

Although, there is no clear evidence of the type of malware infection or the cause of infection till date, Dell has confirmed the occurrence of this issue, in response to a call warning received by a customer regarding the infected motherboard.

Addressing the issue to the customer, Dell has reportedly stated, "As part of Dell’s quality process, we have identified a potential issue with our service mother board stock, like the one you received for your PowerEdge R410, and are taking preventative action with our customers accordingly. The potential issue involves a small number of PowerEdge server motherboards sent out through service dispatches that may contain malware. This malware code has been detected on the embedded server management firmware as you indicated."

Microsoft & Bungie unveil Limited Edition 250GB Xbox 360 Halo: Reach bundle for $399

Bungie and Microsoft, with their long history of partnership on the Halo franchise, have gone ahead and made a Halo: Reach Xbox 360 bundle, which apart from featuring the game, also gives a fresh new UNSC look to the console. This is not the first time that Microsoft has released Halo-inspired special edition Xbox 360 hardware.

Priced at $399, the Limited Edition Halo: Reach 250GB Xbox 360 bundle gets you two wireless Xbox 360 controllers, a copy of Halo: Reach, apart from visual and audio Halo design elements in the interface. It goes on shelves on September 14th, the same day the game releases.

5 common iPad problems solved

As well received as Apple's new iPad has been, it's not been without a few technical hiccups. Here we've rounded up the most common faults and annoyances and provided a solution for each.

Obviously, if you suspect that something is badly wrong with your iPad, your first port of call is to take the faulty unit back to your point of purchase for a replacement.

1. iPad not charging or slow to charge

The iPad is a hungry beast, and requires a high-powered USB port to charge. Plug it into an old laptop and you get a 'not charging' message.

Even with relatively recent laptops it doesn't always work. For example, even on a recent aluminium MacBook, if we plugged our iPhone in first, then plugged in the iPad, it wouldn't charge.

However, plug the iPad in first and your MacBook will allocate its USB port to "high power" and work. But even if your iPad charges when connected to your USB device, you'll still find that it charges quite slowly.

For the fastest charge possible plug your iPad directly into the mains using the supplied charging plug.

Another useful tip to know is that if you put your iPad into sleep mode, then even older, lower-powered USB ports will be able to charge it, albeit slowly.

2. Can't connect to a Wi-Fi network

There has been a lot of press coverage over the iPad's Wi-Fi problems. The jury is still out on whether this is a genuine design fault, since the vast majority of iPad users haven't experienced these issues, but we did experience something similar with our test unit one day when web pages failed to load.

And that's despite having all 3 signal bars lit in our Wi-Fi connection, which remained unbroken. We solved the problem with a hard reset - simply press and hold the iPad's Sleep/Wake button until a screen asking you to slide to power-off appears. After your iPad has reset simply press and hold the Sleep/Wake button again to restart it.

3. Can't sync Outlook Calendar or Contacts

Your iPad can sync events from your Outlook calendar and contacts on a PC. While this often works flawlessly, syncing isn't a trivial matter, and your computer, or the iPad, can get confused.

The end result is that nothing syncs properly. The solution is actually pretty straightforward. You need to reset your iTunes Sync History (in iTunes choose Edit/Preferences/DeviceHistory/Reset Sync History). Doing this should have you syncing properly in no time.

For more information see this Apple Support article.

4. Losing the network after sleep

If you find that your iPad is losing connection to the network after it's been to sleep and you've woken it up, try turning the brightness up slightly. That's right, we're not kidding, and it does sound like tech voodoo, but several users have reported that it completely fixed their problem.

5. Argh! There's no word count in Pages!

Unbelievably, Apple hasn't included a word count in Pages. While this might not matter to the casual user who simply wants to write a letter to their bank manager explaining why their iPad purchase tipped their account into the red, for anybody who has to write professionally, it matters. The solution is found in an app called Pastebot.

It's a clipboard manager that not only enables you to copy multiple items to the clipboard, including images, but also gives you an automatic character or word count on any text you've selected.

If you're too tight to spend the £1.79 that Pastebot costs on the App Store, don't forget that there are quite a few websites that will enable you to get a quick word count on pasted text, like Wordcounttool.com, for example.

Buyers guide to netpads

What is a netpad? Well, think "netbook" with no keyboard – it's a small tablet PC that's primarily designed for browsing the web on the move and using touch-based applications.

A netpad is a small device that is used by many to replace a full size notebook or netbook when all the user really wants is the ability to surf the internet. The netpad is also known as a MID or mobile internet device. These little machines can be found in different sizes, but they usually have small screen sizes of 5in or under.

Many MIDs have screens sized like smartphones in the 3.5-inch and under range. Netpads were once thought to be the next big up and coming category of electronics but today the devices are not that popular. The reason is that the average user who wants to be able to surf the internet wherever they are simply buys a smartphone. However, with players like Amazon and Apple invigorating the eBook reader space with more web capabilities, the category is poised for a resurgence.

Some netpads offer integrated 3G connectivity, though typically, netpads only offer WiFi connectivity (which is a self-limiting feature!) These little machines sometimes have small slide out keyboards like smartphones or use on-screen keyboards similar to the iPhone.

Netpads offer slower performance than a notebook and are typically geared more towards long battery life rather than outright speed. The devices offer processors from a variety of companies, many of which don't make processors for notebook computers with names like Qualcomm and ARM common. You will find netpads powered by many processor brands.

A netpad might be appealing to the user who doesn't want a smartphone thanks to the added cost of a data plan – or simply wants a device with a bigger screen than a smartphone to browse the web while on public transport, for example. Several music players also fall into the netpad category, the iPod touch is the most notable. These machines also often feature the ability to play basic video games and may support instant messaging. Many netpads also allow users to load music and their own video content to use on the go. Prices vary greatly in the category and the netpad will often cost as much as a netbook.