Future Technology Now

I have a new blog up

2007-03-18T14:33:00.000-05:00

It is called FixMyPC.wordpress.com . It is a blog that i write. When i have a problem with a computer and find a fix for it, i post the solution on the site to hopefully help others that may be having the same problem as i did. It's just meant to help others out. You should check it out and see what you think for yourself.

http://fixmypc.wordpress.com/

Best Buy Black Friday Specials!

2006-11-07T21:12:00.000-06:00

Automotive

Insignia CD/MP3 Deck With Free Speakers - $49.99
Kenwood iPod/Sirius Ready CD Deck - $99.99

Blank Media

Dynex 100-Pack DVD-R Discs - $4.99
Memorex 20 Pack 16x LightScribe DVD+R Disc Spindle - $8.99
Memorex 3 Pack Mini DVD-RW Discs - $4.99
Memorex Mini DVD-RW Discs 3 Pack - $4.99

CD/DVD Drives

DVD / CD Burner - $29.99

Cell Phones

Motorola Bluetooth Headset - $14.99
Pay-As-You-Go Phone - $9.99

Computer Accessories

Cyber Acoustics 2.1 Speaker System - $9.99
Dynex Desktop Web Camera - 2 For $24.99

Computers

AMD Athlon 3700+ Computer W/15" LCD Monitor - $399.97
E-Machines Celeron 512MB Computer w/15" LCD Monitor (Doorbuster Item: 5am - 12pm Only) - $189.97
Gateway AMD Turion X2 15.4" Notebook Computer - $699.99
HP 17" AMD Turion 64 X2 Notebook Computer - $899.99
HP Core Solo Notebook 15.4", 1024 MB Ram, 80GB Hard Drive, CD/DVD Burner (Doorbuster Item: 5am - 12pm Only) - $379.99
Intel Coro 2 Duo Processor E6300 w/17" LCD Monitor & Printer - $699.97
Sony Intel Centrino Core Solo Laptop - $599.99

Digital Cameras

Canon 6 MP Digital Camera - $219.99
Canon Digital Rebel XTi 10.1MP SLR Camera - $899.99
Canon PowerShot 6MP ELPH Digital Camera - $219.99
Disney 3.0 MegaPixel Digital Camera - $49.99
Kodak 5 Megapixel Digital Camera (Doorbuster Item: 5am - 12pm Only) - $79.99
Kodak EasyShare 7.1 MegaPixel Digital Camera With 10x Optical Zoom - $189.99
Nikon Coolpix 5.1MP Digital Camera - $119.99

Digital Media Cards

PNY 1GB Secure Digital Memory Card - $14.99
SanDisk 2GB SD Memory Card - $29.99
Sony 1GB Memory Stick PRO Duo - $19.99
Sony 2GB Memory Stick PRO Duo - $39.99

Electronics

AT&T Analog Cordless Set With Answering Machine - $79.99
BestBuy Black Friday Ad Posted On BlackFriday.info - $0.00
Casio Electronic Keyboard - $69.99
Garmin Nuvi 350 GPS Navigation System - $499.99
GPS Karaoke Machine - $39.99
Insignia 8" Portable DVD Player (Doorbuster Item: 5am - 12pm Only) - $69.99
JVC Hard Drive Camcorder - $499.99
Magellan Roadmate 2000 GPS System - $279.99
Panasonic 5.8GHz Digital Cordless Set - $79.99
Panasonic MiniDV Digital Camcorder with 2.7" Widescreen LCD Monitor - $159.99
Philips Progressive-Scan DVD Player - $29.99
Sony DCR-DVD105 DVD Camcorder - $449.99
Toshiba DVD-R/RW Recorder - $79.99
VTech 5.8GHz Analog Cordless Set - $69.99
Yamaha Electronic Drum Machine - $54.99

Hard Drives

Seagate 250GB Internal Hard Drive - $59.99
Western Digital My Book Essential 250GB External USB 2.0 Hard Drive - $69.99

Home & Garden

Boom Chair Gaming Rocker - $79.99
Cordless Hand Vac - $8.99
Westinghouse 7" LCD Digital Photo Frame - $79.99
Whirlpool 3.2 Cu. Super Capacity Washer - $349.99
Whirlpool Super Capacity Dryer - $299.99

Home Theater

10" Powered Subwoofer - $199.99
Dual In-Dash DVD Player - $349.99
Insignia 10.2" Widescreen TFT Portable DVD Player - $139.99
Insignia 200W 5.1-Ch. Home Theater System with DVD/CD/MP3 Player - $59.99
Klipsch Synergy Series Quintet 5-Piece Speaker System - $249.99
LG Progressive Scan DVD Player - $69.99
Panasonic 5.1 Channel Home Theater System w/ Wireless Rear Speakers - $299.99
Panasonic Micro Shelf Stereo System - $49.99
Pioneer 5.1 Channel Home Theater System - $199.99
Samsung Multiformat DVD Recorder And VCR Combo - $199.99
Sony 5.1 Channel Home Theater System - $399.99
Sony 6.1 Channel Home Theater Receiver - $199.99
Sony Progressive Scan DVD Player And VCR Combo - $89.99

Kitchen & Housewares

Sanyo Microwave - $39.99

Memory

PNY 512MB PC2700 DDR SoDIMM Notebook Memory - $49.99

Miscellaneous

Panasonic 4 Pack Mini DV Tapes - $4.99
Panasonic 4pk MiniDV Digital Videocassettes - $4.99
Portable DVD Bags - 50% Off

Monitors

MAG 17" Flat-Panel LCD Monitor - $79.99
Samsung 19" LCD Flat Panel Widescreen Monitor - $129.99
Westinghouse 22" LCD Flat Panel Widescreen Monitor - $199.99

Movies

Click, Mission Impossible 3 (DVD) (Doorbuster Item: 5am - 12pm Only) - $7.99
My Name is Earl Season 1 DVD Set - $19.99
Select DVD's (Bad Boys 2, 50 First Dates, My Best Friend's Wedding, Hitch, Groundhog Day) (Doorbuster Item: 5am - 12pm Only) - $2.99

MP3 Players

Harmon Kardon iPod Car Kit - $79.99
Insignia 2GB Video MP3 Player - $99.99
Logic3 i-Station Portable 2.1 iPod Dock And Speaker System - $39.99
SanDisk 1GB MP3 player (Doorbuster Item: 5am - 12pm Only) - $34.99
Sandisk Sansa Rhapsody 2GB MP3 Player - $99.99

Music

High School Musical (Doorbuster Item: 5am - 12pm Only) - $9.99
Pioneer Inno Portable XM Satellite Radio w/ Extras - $199.99
Select CDs, N.O.W. 23, Janet Jackson: 20 Y.O, Keith Urban: Love, Pain & the whole crazy thing (Doorbuster Item: 5am - 12pm Only) - $5.99

Networking & Wireless

Belkin Enhanced-G Plus MIMO Broadband Router And Notebook Card - $49.99
Belkin Wireless MIMO Router and Notebook Card - $49.99
Linksys 802.11g Wireless Router - $49.99
Linksys SpeedBooster 802.11g Wireless Broadband Router - $69.99
Linksys Wireless-G MIMO Router With SRX200 - $59.99
Linksys Wireless-N Wireless Router With 4-Port Switch - $129.99

Portable USB Storage

PNY Attaché 1GB USB 2.0 Flash Drive - $14.99
Sandisk 1GB MS Pro Duo Memory Card - $19.99
Sandisk 2GB Flash Drive - $29.99
Sandisk 2GB MS Pro Duo Memory Card - $39.99
Sandisk 2GB SD Memory Card - $29.99
SanDisk Cruzer Micro 2GB USB 2.0 Flash Drive - $29.99

Printers

Canon PIXMA All-In-One Photo Printer/ Copier/ Scanner - $19.99
HP C4180 All In One Printer - $84.99
HP Photosmart 385 Compact Photo Printer - $69.99
HP Photosmart Compact Portable Photo Printer - $69.99
HP Printer/Scanner/Copier C4180 - $84.99

Television

Advent 15" LCD TV (Doorbuster Item: 5am - 12pm Only) - $129.99
Bush TV Stand For Flat Panel TVs Up To 62" - $199.99
Curtis 7" Widescreen LCD Portable TV - $89.99
Hitachi 51" CRT Rear-Projection HDTV - $699.99
Insigma 27" Flat Tube HDTV - $269.99
Insignia 20" Stereo TV with Component Video Input - $54.99
Insignia 20" TV/DVD Combo with Front A/V Input - $89.99
Magnovox 34" Stereo TV - $99.99
Sharp 32" Digital Flat Tube SDTV - $399.99
Toshiba 32" Flat Panel LCD HDTV Monitor - $799.99
Toshiba 50" Plasma TV (Doorbuster Item: 5am - 12pm Only) - $1699.99
Toshiba 56" DLP Projection HDTV - $1199.99
Toshiba DLP Projector - $399.97
TV Wall Mounts - 20% Off
Westinghouse 19" LCD HDTV Monitor - $199.99
Westinghouse 27" Flat Panel LCD HDTV - $479.99
Westinghouse 32" LCD HDTV (Doorbuster Item: 5am - 12pm Only) - $479.99
Westinghouse 42" LCD HDTV (Doorbuster Item: 5am - 12pm Only) - $999.99

Video Cards

ATI X1600 Pro 512MB AGP Graphics Card - $99.99
ATI X1600 Pro 512MB PCIE Graphics Card - $99.99

Video Games

18 In 1 Starter Kit for Nintendo DS Lite - $9.99
2142 Battlefield (PC) - $24.99
Age Of Empires 3 (PC) - $24.99
Bejeweled (PC) - $4.99
Blue Nintendo DS System - $99.99
Boom Chair SVC Gamer's Chair With Vibration - $79.99
Call of Duty 2 (XBox 360) (Doorbuster Item: 5am - 12pm Only) - $19.99
Desperate Housewives (PC) - $4.99
GUN (PS2) - $4.99
Play & Go Kit for PSP - $14.99
React Wireless Guitar Controller for PS2 - $39.99
Sony PS2 Value Pack W/Game - $129.99
Superman Returns (PS2) (Doorbuster Item: 5am - 12pm Only) - $19.99
The Outfit (Xbox 360) (Doorbuster Item: 5am - 12pm Only) - $19.99
XBox 360 Core System - $299.99

Source: Black Friday

MIT Researchers Show Off a 'Silent Aircraft'

2006-11-07T13:04:00.000-06:00

Researchers at MIT and Cambridge University have unveiled a design for a "silent aircraft" that would radically reduce the noise emanating from airports. As it turns out, the design from the universities' Silent Aircraft Initiative is fuel-efficient as well. SAI collaborators say the plane, designed to carry 215 passengers, is expected to offer a 25 percent reduction in passenger-miles per gallon when compared with the operating efficiency of current aircraft (and, at 124 passenger-mpg, just slightly better than the 120 passenger-mpg of a Toyota Prius carrying two riders).

Source: CNet

Wallmart Release For Wii and PS3

2006-11-04T20:58:00.000-06:00

Wii:

Software and accessories are not street dated, stores can put those out upon receipt

Price is $249.24 (75 cents cheaper and matches NeoGaf poster price)

11/16, Wii product will arrive direct to Wal-Mart stores. Same day, the accessories for Wii will be set out

11/18, at 10PM, tickets will be passed out for midnight sales

Start selling Wii on 11/19 at 12:01AM

Our tipster said he had 50 Wii tickets, but the actual amount of units arriving is unknown.

PS3:

Software and accessories are not street dated, stores can put those out upon receipt

11/9, PS3 peripherals will start shipping to stores

11/11, PS3 interactives (kiosks) will be in final install stages at stores

11/14, PS3 software will start to ship

11/16, PS3 arrives in stores

At 10PM or earlier on 11/18 [sic] (we are guessing he meant to write 11/16) employees will pass out tickets for midnight sales. There are 50 tickets for PS3, but actual units arriving is unknown.

Source: Joystiq

Chemists build the world’s smallest auto dealership

2006-11-03T00:15:00.000-06:00

The most prolific car manufacturer on the planet resides in a Rice University laboratory in Houston, where chemist James Tour and his colleagues have built one trillion trillion nanoscopic cars. The tiny four-wheeled vehicles are only four billionths of a meter wide—25,000 of them parked side by side would be about as thick as a piece of paper. Not just another nano-gimmick, Tour’s cars could one day carve tiny channels in silicon, creating more-powerful computer chips.

Although other groups have made nanocars that slip or slide across a surface, Tour’s team is the first to construct ones with actual rolling wheels. To get the cars moving, scientists either heat an atomically smooth gold roadway (the temperature difference incites the wheels to spin) or use a scanning tunneling microscope to emit a beam of electrons that drags the car along by static electricity. In the future, Tour hopes to install an active propulsion system. “What we want to do now is put an internal motor in there and drive the thing,” he says.

Several different motors are in the works, including a photon-powered version [see illustration below]. Tour is also fine-tuning new 2006 models, including a nanotruck capable of transporting molecules, such as oxygen. Before long, he says, “we’ll have a little Daytona 500.”

Inside the Nanocar:

Engine: Some cars will use light-powered motors. Photons strike a paddle-wheel-like molecule in the chassis, creating a reaction that turns the wheels.

Suspension: The wheels are made of carbon spheres known as buckyballs. Hydrocarbon axles rotate perpendicular to the ground so the wheels can ride over bumps.

Trunk space: The truck model will include a molecule in its center that acts as a cargo bed to transport other molecules.

Road: A heated gold surface enables the carbon wheels to rotate freely.

Source: popsci.com

Cheoptics360 = 3D TV

2006-11-03T00:04:00.000-06:00

Revolutionizing new product for showing products and films. Cheoptics360 XL display revolving video images that can be viewed 360° under all ambient light conditions.

The unit is made for indoor or outdoor use in sizes from 1,5m – 30m, capable of visualising cars and humans in scale 1:1.

The shape and form of Cheoptics360 XL can be customized to integrate with any branding and environment. The unit can be suspended from buildings and structures or used free standing.

Product Website

Download New Black Windows Theme From Microsoft!

2006-11-02T22:36:00.000-06:00

In the waiting of the release of Microsoft's Zune MP3 player, Microsoft released a black Windows XP theme that looks like Vista's for the Zune. I really like the orange start menu they put in there as well. What makes it really sweet is it is a Microsoft made theme, meaning it will work well with all your programs being run.

What do you think of the new theme?

Download it here, or Visit the website

YouTube Video Of The Nintento Wii Interface!

2006-10-30T12:34:00.000-06:00

Check out this video from IGN that shows off the features of the Nintendo Wii console! November 19 is going to be a good day!

Add-Ons For Internet Explorer 7 Page

2006-10-30T12:17:00.000-06:00

Why should Firefox be alone with browser improvements? Internet Explorer 7 has them now too! Check out Microsoft's official Internet Explorer 7 add-on page, and check it out for yourself. I wont be one to ridicule a new idea, but i think there is still some room for improvement for additional add-ons to be developed for IE7.

Xbox 360 Fall Update Tomorrow, 85+ Tweaks!

2006-10-30T12:05:00.000-06:00

Complete Dashboard Update Feature List

New Features

HD 1080p video mode support over VGA and component cables.
Xbox 360™ HD DVD Player support.
Stream WMV video from a Windows PC running Windows Media Player 11, Zune software, or Windows Media Connect.
Play video from storage devices such as USB flash drives, Xbox 360 Memory Units, etc.
Play video from CD or DVD data discs.
Xbox 360 Wireless Headset support, including battery level indicator in the Xbox Guide.
Video support for 50 Hz HDTV modes (DVD and HD DVD only).
Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel support.
Set up automatic downloads of newly released Xbox Live Arcade trial games.
Support for upcoming release of XNA Game Studio Express (separate download and subscription required.)
Stream music, pictures and video from a Zune device.

Xbox Live Arcade

Lightning-fast enumeration and listing of all Xbox Live® Arcade games on the console.
Find games quickly with two new sort options: Recently Played and By Category.
Have all new Xbox Live Arcade games at the ready with auto downloads. Auto downloads optionally adds newly released trial versions of games to active downloads when you enter Xbox Live Arcade.
View full achievement info in Xbox Live Arcade, including icons, achievement point details, and descriptions.
Friends leaderboard: Compare yourself with friends and view leaderboard details right from the Xbox dashboard.
Tell a friend: Send a message to a friend about your newest favorite Xbox Live Arcade game.

DVD Player

Optionally disable notifications from Xbox Live while watching DVD movies.
Improved support for audio streams on incorrectly authored DVDs.
Better handling of unreadable discs.
Updated count-down timer.
HD DVD player support.
Added zoom support for non-anamorphic content.
Added support to Family Settings to block Unrated Content

Video Player

Improved support for extended all black scenes in WMV content.
Added support for Windows Media Video 9 Advanced profile video.
Screen saver now becomes active when videos are paused.
Now shares UI and player controls with DVD player.
Improved video playback while downloading from Xbox Live.
Added skip controls (forward approx. 30 seconds, back approx. 7 seconds).
Improved messaging around unplayable video content.
Added time elapsed and time remaining displays.
Improved playback of high bit-rate HD content on fragmented hard drives.
Improved visual quality of video playback.
Added selectable display modes: default and letterbox zoom.

Localization

New locale setting for China
Improved German translations in console settings.
Improved German translations in memory area.
Improved Japanese translations in Family Settings.
Added localized text for all supported languages in pictures area
Improved Spanish translations in camera effects.
Improved locale-specific decimal denominators.
Added localization support for title menu and main menu in the DVD player.
Added localization support for “Attempting to Read Media” system message.

Memory Area

Added support for Xbox 360 HD DVD Player content..
Added new page for viewing content size by category.

Other System Improvements

Updated support for new Daylight Savings changes coming in 2007.
Improved support for games to better handle host migration in multi-player matches.
Improved Xbox Live Vision camera support for changing room lighting while zooming.
Background downloaded videos appear in video area
Improved Xbox Live Vision camera support while using VGA.
Playing photo slideshows from PC now maintains picture folder hierarchy.
Improved user experience when playing and deleting videos from the Games or Media areas.
Improved handling of invalid characters during Xbox Live signup.
Better handling of watermarks in gamer cards.
Improved text for Windows Media Connect..
Improved UI performance in Media Center Extender
Improved connection support for Buffalo WZR-G108 wireless router when using Xbox 360 Wireless Adapter.
Redownload of deleted Arcade Games no longer re-enumerates all games on the Arcade page.
Improved visual display of text in themes.
Improved support for CD playback after signing up for Xbox Live and losing network connectivity.
Improved support for long names of items memory area.
Improved handling of gamer pictures downloaded from Xbox Live.
Improved background download notifications when downloading many small items from Xbox Live.
Improved support for custom backgrounds after returning to the Xbox Dashboard from the Account Management area.
Improved network reliability between Windows Media Center Extender on Windows Vista and Xbox 360 consoles using Xbox 360 Wireless Adapter.
Improved voice chat quality in Xbox Dashboard and in-game chats.
Improved messaging when failing to connect to Windows Media Center Extender.
Improved USB keyboard support when using a USB hub.
Improved consistency of user experience when deleting various types of content.
Improved handling of low storage space for background downloads.
Improved handling of Picture streaming from attached Digital Cameras over MTP protocol
Improved error messaging for optional iPod support download when storage devices are full.
Improved handling of multi-key repeating for USB keyboards.
Expanded Family Settings to include support for blocking unrated DVDs and videos.
Added ability to clear space from storage devices in download areas.
Added support for low-speed and full-speed USB keyboards.
Improved CapsLock behavior for USB keyboards.
Improved look and feel in Xbox Live Marketplace and Xbox Live Arcade areas.
Added redeem code option to Xbox Live signup.
Removed system message at the start of new downloads. Messages will be displayed for completed items.
Added support for CCV credit card validation field in Xbox Live Marketplace purchase areas.
Updated “More Information” instructions in the Xbox Dashboard for connecting an Xbox 360 console to a Windows PC to stream digital media content.
Added auto-scroll to long text descriptions in Xbox Dashboard UI.
Improved support for DVD insertion while playing a video file.

Source: Xbox.com

Download Windows Media Center Theme For Reqular XP Home/Pro

2006-10-30T11:46:00.000-06:00

There has been lots of interest around the internet surrounding a theme that was officially made by Microsoft for Windows Media Center Edition, but you can run it on your regular XP computer as well. It is much better than running a separate 3rd party program to change your theme, and its pretty good to note that its actually designed by Microsoft. Click the link below to download it if you are interested in changing your boring XP theme.

Download here

MySpace Accounts Compromised by Phishers!

2006-10-29T13:07:00.000-06:00

Be careful the next time you log into MySpace.com. The site has been compromised and MySpace knows about the flaw, but has not fixed it yet.

The hackers have engineered a fake login form on MySpace's own web site. Netcraft has notified MySpace of the issue, although it currently remains live. Because the fraudulent login page is hosted on MySpace's own servers and does not exhibit any signs of external content, such as cross-site scripting or open redirects, it is convincing and even security-conscious users are at risk of becoming victims. The attack is launched from a profile page, where the username is login_home_index_html, and uses specially-crafted HTML in order to hide the genuine MySpace content from the page and instead display its own login form.

Netcraft Claims, however, that if users use their browser toolbar, they will be safe from this specific attack.

Sources: Slashdot, NetCraft

The Invisible Warship

2006-10-28T03:52:00.000-05:00

Source: Popular Science

DDG1000 Zumwalt
Purpose: Multi-mission destroyer designed for shallow-water dominance
Manufacturer: Northrop Grumman and General Dynamics
Dimensions [feet]: 600 (length); 80.7 (beam); 27.6 (draft)
Weapons: Two 155-millimeter Advanced Gun System launchers; 80 Advanced Vertical Launch System cells; two 57-millimeter close-range guns
Cost: $2.3 billion

It will be almost silent, nearly invisible to enemy radar—and capable of dropping six powerful missiles simultaneously on a single target up to 95 miles away. But the most important feature of the DDG1000 Zumwalt, the Navy's first new destroyer in 30 years, could be its versatility. The 600-foot-long ship will be just as comfortable in the deep ocean as in the mine-infested shallows of the Persian Gulf.

Yesterday’s big boats were designed for open-water standoffs, not hostile coastlines. They show up like giant bull’s-eyes on land-based radar installations. And the ships lack sufficient sensor systems to dodge the waterborne mines common to enemy harbors.

That’s not going to cut it for the fleet of the future. Captain Jim Syring, the DDG1000’s program manager, says the need for littoral dominance is obvious if you consider the shallow waters near potential conflict regions: “All you’ve got to do is look at the areas of interest: the Persian Gulf, the Sea of Japan, the Korean Peninsula.”

Whether it’s dropping off a SEAL team or launching missiles inland, the Zumwalt is going to have to slip in unnoticed. It will be quiet—the diesel engine’s noise will be stifled by an inch-thick rubber coating that Syring likens to elephant skin—and stealthy. The spinning dishes and antennas common to today’s ships easily register on enemy radar, so the DDG1000 will instead feature communications hardware that lies flat, embedded in the skin of the deckhouse. This sleek design, combined with a hull that slopes inward from sea level up, rather than outward like most ships, will scatter the energy from an enemy’s radar. According to Syring, on scanners the Zumwalt will look like a fishing boat.

Though hard to find, the DDG1000 will announce its presence with a bang. The Advanced Gun System will be able to fire 600 GPS-guided Long Range Land Attack Projectiles in only 30 minutes—or plant six of them in the same spot at the same time. Staggered around the ship’s perimeter, 80 launchers packed with Tomahawks and other missiles will provide additional power.

For added protection, a new dual-band radar system that searches both the sky and the sea surface will be able to locate something as small as a terrorist speeding in on a Jet Ski, and the ship’s bulbous front protrusion sports a super-sensitive sonar array for identifying underwater minefields. All that’s left now is to start cutting metal. Construction on the first of seven ships is expected to start early next year, with a planned delivery date of 2012.

Halo 3 Pictures and Information Leaked

2006-10-27T13:15:00.000-05:00

Here is some information that was translated from the Swedish magazine to English. It was posted at xbox360fanboy.com and other information was taken from videogamesblogger.com.

3 Levels are revealed.
- Valhalla = Blood gulch
- High Ground = Zanzibar
- Snowbound = Frost bite

Weapons
-Spiker - a new Brute weapon
-Spartan laser - a laser that tears vehicles apart
-Nail Grenade - sticks into walls and sends nails everywhere

Vehicles
-The Mongoose is in! This is the ATV that was cut from Halo 2. It seats two and has no weapons. Designed from recon and quick travel.

Multiplayer features
- Man Cannon: Launches you into the air. You can still be fired at and you can fire back. It sounds like the jump pads from Unreal and Quake Arena. Though the cannon part could mean that you are a weapon if you collide with someone physically.
- No bots: No bots again.
- Controls: The X-button will have a special use which game developer Bungie will not reveal. A guess is it’s for stealing the opponent’s weapon in close range. Bumpers are now used to reload both weapons independently.

Controls
-The X button has a new, still secret feature. Reloading has now been allocated to the bumper buttons. Right bumper reloads the right weapon, and the left bumper reloads the left. Genius.

Halo 3: Legendary Edition.
The Collector’s Edition will be called “Legendary Edition” and is a replica of Master Chief’s helmet complete with four DVD discs.
- The first disc will be the game disc.
- The second will contain documentaries and developer comments.
- The third disc is all about the spin-off material that has been created (Red vs. Blue, Spark of Life etc).
- The fourth disc will contain all of the cut scenes from Halo 1 to 3 in HD. (you can see it on the 3rd photo)
- A taste of the Halo movie will be on one of the discs.

On plot twists.
-“Halo 3 will contain more plot twists than any other game in the series” -Jaime Griesemer

On Gears of War being competition.
“We’ve played lots and lots of multiplayer and some singleplayer, and yeah, it’s really good. But it’s also quite a bit different from what we’re doing. I realize that a lot of people are concerned that Halo 3 and Gears of War are going to compete for the same audience, but I think that when people get to play, they’ll realize how different the games are. Gears is a much slower game where stragegy and cover plays a bigger part.” -Jaime Griesemer

On graphics.
“A lot is still missing in this build. Weather- and water effects are missing, and most of our HDR isn’t in there yet. We’re still at alpha stage, but when everything is in place, Halo 3 will be the best X360 has to offer.” -Brian Jarrard

“We definitely have another strategy than Epic Games when it comes to graphics. We’ll never engulf our game environments in lots of details like that. Gears of War looks absolutely fantastic, but we want to avoid compromising Halo’s unique visual style. That’s why we’re making a clean, sharp game as opposed to one with insane amount of details.” -Brian Jarrard

“There are many ways to convey emotion. Graphics is not the most important one.” -Brian Jarrard

On multiplayer and bots.
“Multiplayer has always been important, but it’s developed in a different way which makes it look bigger for every game. We have a base that we always build the MP part on, whereas the SP mode practically has to be built ground-up every time. Xbox Live also made MP in Halo 2 even more important.” -Brian Jarrard

“A lot of people ask us about bots. They think that the AI in Halo was pretty damn good, and would work well in MP as well, but it’s really not that simple. The enemies in Halo are optimized for encountering the player in large numbers. They would be a lot worse at abstract thought AI like ‘I have to defend my flag’ and so forth. In short, to create bots for Halo would be an immense undertaking, and we rather put that time into making new levels, weapons and netcode.” -Jaime Griesemer

Best Buy Reveals Halo 3 Launch On Their Website!

2006-10-22T11:47:00.000-05:00

Best Buy's website shows that Halo 3 releases 12/30/2010! Does this mean it's being developed for the XBox 720?

Obviously, this is not the real release date of the game, but it was hilarious to see Best Buy has some humor on the "it will be released when its finished" release date. Hopefully us Halo fans will not have to wait another 4 years to see this game in our living rooms.

Apple Ships New IPods With Virus And Blames Microsoft For Making A Bad Operating System!

2006-10-17T20:33:00.000-05:00

From Apple: "We recently discovered that a small number - less than 1% - of the Video iPods available for purchase after September 12, 2006, left our contract manufacturer carrying the Windows RavMonE.exe virus. This known virus affects only Windows computers, and up to date anti-virus software which is included with most Windows computers should detect and remove it. So far we have seen less than 25 reports concerning this problem. The iPod nano, iPod shuffle and Mac OS X are not affected, and all Video iPods now shipping are virus free. As you might imagine, we are upset at Windows for not being more hardy against such viruses, and even more upset with ourselves for not catching it."

This sounds really interesting, almost purposely done. It has been known that Apple is going to start a massive marketing campaign this winter advertising mac computers to raise their holiday sales. Their main reason to switch is security vulnerabilities within Windows.

I personally hope Apple gets sued up and down over this, especially from Microsoft. Does anyone remember Sony's rootkit issue?

iPhone Release Coming Soon?

2006-10-16T21:40:00.000-05:00

Apple Computer is moving closer to releasing its rumored mobile phone, analysts revealed on Monday, moving the company into areas of the consumer electronic industry previously untouched.

The Cupertino Calif.-based company may begin to compete in the cell-phone market as early as March of 2007, analyst believe, introducing one phone with video capabilities, and another slimmer version with music playback abilities.

"Based upon our recent checks, we expect Apple to unveil two models of its widely anticipated cell phones in early [Calendar Year] '07," said Jesse Tortora, research analyst at Prudential Equities.

"We have learned that one model will be a smart phone, including integrated keyboard, video and music capability, while the other model will be a slimmer phone with music capability. At least one of the models will include WiFi."

Though the quantity of the new phones are not available, Tortora believes that the computer maker will ship in limited supplies initially, giving the firm time to test the market and observe consumer response. The phone's numerous features may be its downfall, he remarks.

"Although these phones represent significant upside earnings potential for the company, there are some concerns regarding market acceptance and battery life, given the number of functions included in the phones," he adds.

Rumors of an Apply phone first surfaced when an Apple senior vice-president alluded to Apple's ability to compete in the cell-phone market last May. During a conference call with analysts, Apple's Peter Oppenheimer said that he was "very confident" his firm's ability to compete in the cell-phone marketplace, and stated he was "very excited about what we have in the product pipeline."

Analysts expect the phone to be officially announced at Apple's MacWorld Conference in January of 2007.

Source: IBTimes

Verizon to get its own MOTORAZR MAXX

2006-10-16T13:13:00.000-05:00

Verizon gets a strangely colored variant of a high-end RAZR we didn't even know existed. It looks like a 2-megapixel cam is in the cards, and if the specs mirror its GSM cousin, we can expect a QVGA display, microSD expansion, and 50 odd megabytes of internal storage.

Source: Engadget Mobile

Bubble Helmet Makes You Look Like Bigger Dork Than You Really Are

2006-10-16T13:02:00.000-05:00

Is this the way we will all be 'enjoying' our television programmes and computer games in the future?

In this astonishing photo, a model is wearing a new gadget, from electronics manufacturer Toshiba, that enables the wearer to experience a full 360-degree view on a 40 centimetre dome-shaped screen.

But, looking more like the helmet from Neil Armstrong's space suit than the next must-have gizmo, this three kilo full-faced helmet might make it a little tricky to relax with a drink in front of the football.

Source: Daily Mail

Folding@home On The GPU

2006-10-16T12:47:00.000-05:00

Most of us have heard about the people at Stanford working on making a folding at home that can be run not on your computers CPU, but on its GPU (your graphics card). They said the graphics cards processors are much more powerfull than todays greatest processors (upto 10x better) at crunching numbers. Finally someone has decided to release some real world number comparision of a CPU vs. GPU in folding at home.

________________Total points__24-hour average___Work units
GPU client___________2640_________377 __________8
CPU client___________899__________128___________6

CPU client x 2*_______1798__________256__________12

Source: Techreport

Apple Now Selling Red Ipod Nanos On Website

2006-10-13T09:14:00.000-05:00

Choose the iPod nano (PRODUCT) RED Special Edition and Apple will give $10 of its purchase price to the Global Fund to fight AIDS in Africa.

You make choices every day, from the clothes you wear to the music you play. Now making a choice means making a difference. The iPod nano (PRODUCT) RED holds up to 1,000 songs, 25,000 photos(1), and a little hope. That’s because $10 from every iPod nano (PRODUCT) RED sold goes directly to the Global Fund to fight AIDS in Africa. Which means your iPod nano (PRODUCT) RED sounds good and does good at the same time.

100% iPod nano

Sleek, lightweight, and just $199, the 4GB(2) iPod nano (PRODUCT) RED delivers everything you’d expect from the world’s best-selling digital music player. A brilliant, 1.5-inch color display. Up to 24 hours of battery life(3). Seamless iTunes integration that lets you import your CDs and shop for songs, podcasts, and audiobooks on the iTunes Store, then sync them in minutes. All in a durable aluminum enclosure that tells the world you’ve chosen to join (RED).

Music matters

When you buy an iPod nano (PRODUCT) RED, it matters even more. For further information about the Global Fund and (RED), visit www.JOINRED.com.

Source: Apple

Oprah and Bono to Unveil Product Red iPod Nano

2006-10-13T00:43:00.000-05:00

Activist and rock singer Bono, with help from Oprah Winfrey and other celebrities, is partnering with Apple Computer on a red-colored iPod to promote his new charity aimed at battling AIDS, AppleInsider has learned.

Both the U2 frontman and the famed talk show host will publicly unveil the new "iPod nano Red" -- a 4GB version of Apple's second-generation iPod nano in a red anodized aluminum enclosure -- on national television this friday.

The two celebrities swung by Apple's North Michigan Ave. retail store in Chicago, Ill. on Thursday afternoon to film a promotional segment for the cause, which will air on tomorrow's edition of the "The Oprah Winfrey Show."

Apple, which has agreed to price the player inline with its existing 4GB iPod nano models at $199, will donate $10 from the sale of each unit to the PRODUCT RED charity.

Created by Bono and Bobby Shriver, Chairman of DATA, the charity aims to raise awareness and money for The Global Fund by teaming up with the world's most iconic brands to produce PRODUCT RED branded products. Proceeds from the sale of each PRODUCT RED product are donated to The Global Fund, where it goes to help women and children affected by HIV/AIDS in Africa.

Rumors of a red-colored iPod first surfaced when a note in the Jan. 20, 2006 edition of the popular celebrity gossip newsletter stated that Bono was overheard at Dublin's Michelin-starred Patrick Guilbaud restaurant "discussing a new charity red AmEx card and red iPod."

Other companies that have so far stepped up with PRODUCT RED offerings include the Gap, American Express, Armani, Converse, and Motorola.

Source: Apple Insider

Google And YouTube A Good Match?

2006-10-11T00:39:00.000-05:00

There's no denying the success of YouTube... Alexa puts it as the 10th most visited website on the internet. [in case you're wondering, DV Guru is about 13,000]. With all that success, many pundits around the web said YouTube was Web2.0 Napster and would likely see the same fate, but they've come through and proved all the naysayers wrong. Now that they're nearly legit, with only a regulatory hurdle away, the $1.65 Billion company isn't being sued into oblivion, but instead striking content deals with big media companies.

While the site was worth $1.6 Billion to Google, and the big media companies feel like they've got a place to distribute their content online to the masses, what does the deal mean for indies? The impending sale doesn't affect independent content creators as much as it does big media, but there are defininite advantages for the independent content producer. Read on after the break for a breakdown of today's transaction.

YouTube isn't technologically different than a host of other companies offering online video. DVG broke down the differences between ten different online video sharing services earlier this year, and other than popularity, what does YouTube really have going for it? They broke new ground (some reactions are here). Their major differentiating factor plays off of another Web2.0 breakout: MySpace. YouTube allowed users to leech their bandwidth, and syndicate content on MySpace pages, blogs and any form of web site. That alone opened up the distribution channel. Millions of internet users knew the name YouTube and knew it was the place to find free movies on the web. With clips like "Juggernaut, Bitch!" and Ok Go's "Here it goes again" among a smattering of fart jokes, men getting hit in the crotch, and other random home movies, YouTube became the place to go for video on the web.

Google and YouTube is the only scenario that works in YouTube being purchased. If a traditional media company purchased YouTube, their competitors would remove their copyrighted content thereby limiting YouTube's effectiveness. Google, being the internet zen garden for smart internet startups (although some would argue YouTube isn't necessarily a smart startup), had their own solution, Google Video, failing to gain traction. Ultimately, Google is the only company that could be a neutral third-party that traditional content creators could trust to distribute their content.

Now that you're up on the history of the site, let's talk about the future, post-Google buyout. The house that Sergey built says they're planning on leaving YouTube as its own entity, and now that they've got a sugar daddy, YouTube's employees will get paid, no more worrying about astronomical bandwidth charges and Google will be taking the cease and desist letters, as well as the deep pockets for lawsuits.

As for Google, they've essentially taken the lead in online video with this move. $1.6 Billion may seem like a huge amount, but Google just purchased a huge catalog of content that they can slap AdSense on. Since YouTube will stick around, one can safely assume Google Video's destiny lies in the trash heap. The Google Video programmers will likely keep their jobs, and relocate to YouTube, adding great new features. While we'll have to see whether Google scraps Google Video in favor of YouTube.

Independent content creators can (mildly) rejoice, since the leader in syndicated web video will stick around for a while. The most obvious benefits are added stability: videos already uploaded will continue to work in spite of lawsuits. That, and as Jason Calacanis pointed out, Google is the sort of media company that will be unlikely to put pre-roll advertisements in front of other people's video content.

That's the obvious route, but what other benefits might we see as independent producers? A direction I'm certain Google is thinking of would be dynamic ads for video content. Their AdSense for Video program hasn't been incredibly well received, but with the YouTube acquisition, dynamically placed revenue sharing advertisements could be coming to a video near you. Videobloggers have longed for a solution that leverages the power of the web with the ease of drop-in spot advertising. Perhaps the GooTube alliance will see some traction towards monetized videoblogs, and for that matter monetized home videos.

One feature Google video has that YouTube hasn't touched yet is selling videos for download. The new GooTube conglomeration has the potential to offer indpenedent content creators the ability to reach a wide audience, and even make money off of potential direct sales. Time will tell if they end up implementing this with YouTube, but regardless, there's definate potential.GooTube is really in it's infancy, and we'll have to see where it goes. There's one thing for certain though, YouTube is going to stick around, and we'll all be watching.

Source: http://www.dvguru.com/2006/10/10/gootube-match-made-in-heaven/

Revive Your Dead IPod?

2006-10-10T03:09:00.000-05:00

I found an interesting post about a way to possibly fix your dead IPod after you have lost all other hope. Some say it actually works:

**do this only if your ipod is out of warranty**
**be extremely careful pulling things apart. once they’re broken, replacement parts are expensive**
**if windows recognizes the ipod, start at step 7. if you can get it formatted without taking it apart, try that first.
**If your ipod is *just barely out of warranty*, take it to an apple store genius bar. They can fudge the warranty stuff a bit and give you a new one even though it’s technically out of coverage.
If your ipod is getting the bad file system icon, the dead-ipod icon, constantly rebooting, etc….and you cant get the computer to recognize it:

(1) get it open using a very thin screwdriver, plastic opener tool, or the like. it just pops apart. i used my leatherman because it has a few very tiny screwdriver parts. *be careful, the white acrylic face chips easily.* try to get under it and down into the metal back cover.

(2) disconnect the HOLD and VOLUME ribbon by gently pulling the connector out of the socket. its a small black connector at the top of the ipod. the ipod’s back cover should be completely disconnected now.

(3) disconnnect the hard drive. it’s a ribbon at the top of the hard drive which connects just like an IDE cable. good news is it only goes in one way. be careful not to bend the pins.

(4) disconnect the battery. its a small white connector at the bottom of the logic board. be gentle.

(5) leave the ipod for 5 minutes to make sure the memory is clear

(6) put the ipod back together. Connect the HARD DRIVE first, then the BATTERY, then the HOLD BUTTON/HEADPHONE ribbon. make sure everything sits correctly, then gently squeeze the ipod back together till it all pops into place.

(7) let it turn on, then put it in disk mode by first holding MENU + CENTER until you see the apple logo, then immediately CENTER + PLAY/PAUSE until it displays a CHECK MARK and says DISK MODE.

Before you connect the ipod to the ‘puter, kill the ipodservice.exe and ituneshelper.exe processes…just to make sure that nothing’s interfering with windows’ formatting the drive.
(8) connect it to the computer. use windows to format the drive (not the ipod updater). this should let you know about / fix hard drive errors.

(9) when its done, safely remove (make sure windows is finished with it, itunes isn’t using it, and then stop the device so it can be “safely removed”) and disconnect the ipod. reset it (MENU + CENTER) and let it boot in normal mode.

(10) RESTORE the ipod software to the lastest version of the software. after its done it should ask you to set the language and not display any songs.

Source: SunkenTome.com

A Look at Firefox 2.0 RC2 And How It Compares To IE7

2006-10-10T02:55:00.000-05:00

Site Link: http://arstechnica.com/reviews/apps/firefox2-rc2.ars/1

The official release of Firefox 2.0 is right around the corner and the second release candidate (RC2) was made available last week. Release candidates provide insight into the features and functionality that will be available in the final release. Much has changed since the Firefox 2.0 alpha builds were made available to the public early this year. A number of prominent features, including the innovative Places interface and revamped bookmark system have been removed and slated for resurrection in future versions. The postponement of highly anticipated features generated a lot of controversy and led many to challenge the validity of the 2.0 designation. Now that we are on the verge of the official 2.0 release, we can evaluate the changes and determine if the upcoming version lives up to the high standards set by its predecessors.

Take a look at the site for the full review, it is defiantly worth it.

Lyrics Plugin For Windows Media Player and Winamp

2006-10-10T02:37:00.000-05:00

I have been using this plugin for about a month or so and I really enjoy it. It is very fast and does exactly what it should, plain and simple.

The author describes it as "Lyrics Plugin is a piece of software tailored for music fans. To put it simply - it is an add-on to view lyrics in WinAmp or Windows Media Player. No more searching for lyrics. Just start listening to your favourite songs and lyrics will be displayed automatically. Oh, and if lyrics is not found, you can add it yourself :)"

You can download a version for either Windows Media Player or Winamp from http://lyricsplugin.com/

Official: Google Buys YouTube!

2006-10-10T00:39:00.000-05:00

Google Inc. has laid speculation to rest--it will buy YouTube for $1.65 billion in a stock transaction.

YouTube operates a wildly popular Web site where original videos appear in a range of quality from amateurish to professional. It will continue to operate independently after the Google acquisition "to preserve its successful brand and passionate community," Google said today. The deal is expected to close in the fourth quarter.

Though YouTube CEO and cofounder Chad Hurley had previously insisted that YouTube wasn't for sale, his view changed when Google agreed to allow YouTube to operate independently, Hurley said during a conference call that included Google and YouTube executives this afternoon.

'A Better Experience'

Bringing YouTube into the ever-growing Google empire will mean that users have a "better, more comprehensive experience" when they upload, watch, and share videos, Google said. It will also give professional content owners more opportunities to get their work out to a wider audience, Google and YouTube executives said during the conference call. Rumors of the purchase first surfaced last week.

The two companies share a commitment to users first and also to innovation, Google CEO Eric Schmidt said. "Together, we are natural partners to offer a compelling media entertainment service," he said.

The deal is "an exciting next step" for Google, Schmidt said, adding that the company expects to make other deals related to providing video over the Internet. YouTube has "built a remarkable team" that is "a perfect example of the kind of people we like to work with," he said in the conference call. YouTube's business is "extraordinary," both as a financial success story and in its vision of serving users, Schmidt said.

Backscratching

YouTube will benefit from Google's global reach and technological know-how, Hurley said. "We're excited by this announcement and thrilled to join forces with the Google team," he said. The acquisition will boost YouTube's new video content platform, which is expected to launch in the next month, he said.

The companies will merge Google's search expertise with YouTube's video expertise, pushing what executives believe is a hot emerging market of video offered over the Internet. Google Video will continue to operate, executives said, calling that service "a very valuable aspect of the Google experience." The aim is that it will improve as a result of the acquisition, Google executives said.

The number of Google shares to be issued will be based on the 30-day average closing price two trading days before the deal is completed, Google said.

Reaction

The deal is a good move for Google, said analyst Aram Sinnreich, founder and managing partner with Radar Research, a Los Angeles technology and media research firm.

"$1.65 billion is certainly a lot, but for a company like Google who will be using it as part of an integrated cross-media advertising strategy it may actually pay off," said Sinnreich. "There aren't a whole lot of companies left to acquire with this kind of reach online," he added.

Analysts also noted the similarities between the corporate cultures and how the companies developed and have grown. "Google has become a huge brand without advertising--same with YouTube," said David Hallerman, a senior analyst at Emarketer in New York.

Because YouTube has registered users, Google over time will know more about user behavior, which will enable the company to target advertising, he said.

Although Google executives adamantly said otherwise, Hallerman doesn't think there is a future in the YouTube brand name. "YouTube is a silly name," he said. "Google will get rid of it over time."

Source: http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,127436/article.html#

PS3 Pre-orders Tomorrow at EB Gamestop

2006-10-10T00:35:00.000-05:00

And they'll likely close 10 seconds after. In what is sure to result in a pulsating mass of pushy gamers waving their hundred dollar bills in the air, PS3 pre-orders are opening at Gamestop and EB Games stores tomorrow. According to an e-mail sent to online customers, Tuesday, October 10 will be the supply and demand doomsday that has been anticipated and dreaded by countless gamers across the world -- Europe excluded, of course.

The message goes to great lengths (it has bolded text) to point out that supplies are "extremely limited" and that you'll have to part with $100 in cash, credit or trade in order to secure your PS3. And by "secure," we mean "a reservation deposit does not guarantee receipt of a system available to purchase at launch." The full e-mail text:

"GameStop and EB Games will begin accepting limited pre-orders for the PlayStation 3 console on Tuesday, October 10, on a first come, first served basis. Due to extremely limited supply, we expect to deplete this allocation very quickly, most likely in minutes. We will not accept additional pre-orders at this time. To avoid an unnecessary trip we strongly recommend you call your local store to determine availability. A $100 reservation deposit is required, which can be funded with cash, credit or trade. As we cannot control production and shipping issues by the manufacturer, a reservation deposit does not guarantee receipt of a system available to purchase at launch. Reservations/Purchases are limited to 1 per household.

Our limited online pre-order program will be announced at a later date, after software and accessory availability dates are confirmed. Online product pricing and availability will vary and will be fulfilled independent of store reservations."

Source: Joystiq.com

13 Great Firefox Extensions for Web Professionals

2006-10-10T00:20:00.000-05:00

HTML Validator (http://users.skynet.be/mgueury/mozilla/) – validates web pages to the W3C HTML standards with a simple green check in the corner of the page if the page validates, a red check if it doesn’t, and a yellow exclamation point if there are warnings. It also includes an enhanced view of source code that allows you to see where errors are within the code.

FireFTP (https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/684/) – free, secure, cross-platform FTP client that provides easy and intuitive access to FTP servers. This eliminates a piece of software for those of you who use a separate program for FTP.

Professor X (https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/2823/) – lets you view header information without having to view source code. The page “slides” down and Professor X shows you the contents of the page’s head element, including Meta, Script and Style content.

WHOIS (https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/2646/) –view the WHOIS information for any page by clicking the button on the top-right of the browser.

IE Tab (http://ietab.mozdev.org) – sick of swapping between Internet Explorer and Firefox when testing out a web page you’re developing? With IE Tab you can view Internet Explorer in a Firefox Tab!

FireBug (https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/1843/) – an advanced debugger console that lets you monitor your JavaScript, CSS, HTML and Ajax.

Codetech (https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/1002/) – web page editor that has the feel of Dreamweaver. An amazing extension for anyone doing web design that doesn’t want to fork out a few hundred dollars for Dreamweaver.

Server Switcher (https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/2409/) – easily switch between sites on your development and live servers by clicking the switch server icon.

SEO for Firefox (http://tools.seobook.com/firefox/seo-for-firefox.html) – pulls useful market research data right into Google’s and Yahoo!’s search results, including Google PR, Age, links, Alexa rank, WHOIS, and more. It also adds a few helpful links to the top of the search pages, including Google Trends, Google Traffic Estimator, and the Overture View Bid tool.

Yet Another Window Resizer (https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/2498/) – allows you to resize browser window to default screen resolutions.

AdSense Preview (https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/2132/) – preview the Google AdSense ads that would appear on that page. This is incredibly useful if you are considering putting AdSense on a page and don’t want to go through the hassle of signing up for an account and putting the ads up just to see what type of ads will show.

Screen grab (https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/1146/) – takes a screenshot of the webpage and saves it as an image file. This saves a ton of time compared to the method I used to use – take a screenshot and open Adobe Photoshop to crop the image.

Server Spy (https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/2036/) – indicates what brand of HTTP server (Apache, IIS, etc.) runs on the visited site on the lower-right side of the browser.

Source www.33rockers.com

Funny Screenshot of a Spyware Infested Computer

2006-10-08T18:32:00.000-05:00

This is what happens when a computer runs into a problem called an ignorant user...I found it rather amusing and so may you. (Click on the image for a larger size)

Windows "Crossbow" Uncovered: Window's Future Mobile OS

2006-10-08T17:22:00.000-05:00

Windows Mobile 5 is the current OS of choice for Windows Mobile users however the next iteration, codenamed Crossbow, has shown its face, check out the full Pocket PC home screen shown above! It has a glossy title bar and soft keys and will feature Vista-esque folder icons etc.

Pieter Knook, a Microsoft Sr. VP, has commented that Microsoft plan to release an upgrade to their mobile platform yearly which is interesting and could mean a new OS with every yearly upgrade for pay monthly contracts. Knook has also commented that Crossbow will have strong links with Office 2007 and Exchange 12 as well as including the mobile version of Office Communicator, an Instant Messenger tool for enterprises.

Google cache caught a leaked presentation which told us that Crossbow will be released to manufacturer in Q4 2006 ready for release in Q1/Q2 of 2007 and that the next operating system (codenamed "Photon") will be released to manufacturers in Q4 2007 ready for release in Q1/Q2 2008 (Photon is set to include a new, flexible shell with modular containers and utilise the “Yamazaki” CE kernel).

Source: Mobilenews.com

MS to Offer Free, Discounted Vista To Customers Who Purchase An XP Computer Now

2006-10-08T12:06:00.000-05:00

Microsoft is set to offer either free or discounted Vista upgrades to those who purchase new computers during the holiday season, press reports indicate. To qualify for the coupons, a PC would need to be purchased after October 28 of this year, and the upgrade would be good through March 15, 2007.

The Redmond company would not confirm the program publicly, other than saying "we're working with partners on this." Reports indicate that the free or discounted upgrade would be based on the version of operating system installed.

For example, those who have Widows XP Professional, XP Tablet PC Edition, and XP x64 Edition would be entitled to the free upgrade. Those using Windows XP Home would be permitted to upgrade to Vista Basic for $49 and Premium for $79. No upgrade price was specified for Media Center Edition.

"I like this move on Microsoft's part, even though they haven't confirmed it. It should help boost holiday sales of computers," Microsoft MVP Terri Straton wrote for The Hive. " People will be able to buy Vista-ready computers confidently, knowing that they won't have to pay full price to upgrade when Vista is released."

Source: Betanews

Firefox 2 Release Candidate 2 Is Available For Download

2006-10-08T11:44:00.000-05:00

Firefox 2 Release Candidate 2 (RC 2) is a preview release of our next generation Firefox browser and is being made available for download to Web application developers and users who want to get a sneak peek at the next version of Firefox. Please note that at this time, users should not expect all of their extensions, plugins and themes from previous versions of Firefox to work properly.

This version provides several enhancements over the previous releases of firefox including:

Visual Refresh
Built-in phishing protection
Enhanced search capabilities
Improved tabbed browsing
Resuming your browsing session
Previewing and subscribing to Web feeds
Inline spell checking
Live Titles
Improved Add-ons manager
JavaScript 1.7
Extended search plugin format
Updates to the extension system
Client-side session and persistent storage
SVG text
New Windows installer

Check out firefox's website for a download.

Internet Explorer 7 Launches This Month

2006-10-07T21:43:00.000-05:00

According to the IE Blog, Internet Explorer 7 will be released officially later this month. After more than a year of beta testing it, this is a welcome sight for me. In case you haven't heard of any of Internet Explorer's new features, here is a link to Microsoft's official site that lists it's improvements.

Most noticeably, however, users will see it has tabbed browsing and a built in search box like FireFox. It has advanced RSS feed features, and much improved printing system. It also provides more secure browsing due to revamped security measures built into it.

Now, don't get all excited too fast. It still isn't a perfect world for Internet Explorer 7. Do I mean the software is bad? Nope. I mean some websites still need to be updated to accommodate the software and the way it renders sites. So, that may mean some of your favorite sites still may not work in Internet Explorer 7 properly. If your afraid of this, hold off for a few more months.

Nintindo Wii retail prices leaked

2006-10-07T20:30:00.000-05:00

Thanks to a post at Engadget, someone released some information about the prices of some Wii hardware and what it actually costs the retailer to purchase from Nintendo.

WII CONSOLE - $249.99 / $237.50

WII REMOTE CONTROL - $39.99 / $32.00

WII POINTS CARD - $24.99 / $17.00

WII CLASSIC CONTROLLER - $19.99 / $14.50

WII NUNCHUK CONTROLLER - $19.99 / $14.50

WII GPAK ORGANIZER&TRAVEL - $29.99 / $18.95

WII RAYMAN RAVING RABIDS - $49.99 / $41.20

WII THE LEGEND OF ZELDA:TW - $49.99 / $40.00

WII RED STEEL REVOLUTION - $49.99 / $41.22

The Wii is going to be a really competitive console in the next generation console wars.

Windows Vista RC2 Download Available

2006-10-07T15:58:00.000-05:00

Microsoft has released the next version of their newest Windows operating system: Windows Vista RC2 (Release Candidate 2). You can click on the link to download the 2.49 GB file directly from Microsoft. (Don't attempt to download if you only have dial up...the real thing will be released before the download would finish...) I am currently downloading it as we speak and i will dual boot my main machine with this release asap and post with some screen shots asap. I have been very happy with the previous releases of Vista so far, and hopefully this one adds the icing on the cake to my Vista experience.

Download Windows Vista RC2 here:

http://download.windowsvista.com/preview/rc2/en/download.htm

2006-10-07T13:37:00.000-05:00

NVidia have announced the details for their upcoming 8800-series cards, built on their new "G80" core. The 8800 is one of the first generation of DirectX 10 compatible graphics cards. The 8800 GTX and GS will be released in November 2006, and support the Shader Model 4.0. As the specs below reveal, the cards are apocalyptically powerful.

As a DirectX 10 capable card, the 8800 will give users access to graphics far better than DirectX 9, and improve performance of the DWM under Windows Vista. This is because DirectX 10 compatible cards use a new version of the Windows Device Driver Model (WDDM), which gives the operating system much more control of graphics card resources.

NVidia 8800 GTX
575Mhz "G80" core
768MB GDDR3 memory at 900Mhz
384-bit memory bus, delivering 86GB/s memory bandwidth
128 unified shaders, clocked at 1350Mhz
theoretical fill rate: 38.4 billion pixels per second
HDCP compliant
Length: "just under 11 inches"
450W PSU required
SLI capable

NVidia 8800 GTS
500Mhz "G80" core
640MB GDDR3 memory at 900Mhz
320-bit memory bus, delivering 64GB/s memory bandwidth
96 unified shaders, clocked at 1200Mhz
HDCP compliant
Length: 9 inches
400W PSU required
SLI capable

Welcome To My Blog!

2006-10-07T13:25:00.000-05:00

Some of you may already who I am and what I am about, while others may not. I have created several blogs in the past about technology. These blogs included topics such as computer hardware, computer software, cell phones, televisions, video game systems, and any other innovation that seemed important for me to share with others. How do I get my information? Well, I spend countless hours each and every day searching the internet on various websites and compile what I believe to be the best of the best on my blogs. I hope you enjoy what I post, and please share my site with friends!

-nizzy1115