Modern PC News for
the Month Ending June 15, 2004
TomsHardware.com |
XBox Media Center Mod
  Modding
The Xbox Into The Ultimate Multimedia Center Like a teenage kid with a
genius IQ who is addicted to video games, Microsoft's Xbox offers a lot of
untapped potential. THG downloads a version of Xbox Media Center software
and installs it on an Xbox mod from FriendTech to show just what the game
console is capable of...
BetaNews.com |
Halo 2
Prepped for Holiday Xbox Launch
The countdown to Halo 2 has begun. The long
waited sequel to Bungie Studios' smash hit Halo will hit the shelves
November 9, just in time for the holiday season. In Halo 2, the Covenant
-- an alien race bent on the absolute destruction of mankind -- has
targeted Earth. All that stands between the citizens of the blue orb and
annihilation is a genetically altered "super solider" named Master
Chief.
...An aggressive marketing
campaign will prelude the game's arrival. To wet the lips of enthusiasts,
Microsoft has announced that it making a limited edition copy of Halo 2
available, which arrives inside of a collectible metal box with a second
DVD that includes special content. No further information on the pre-order
program is available at this time.
WinSuperSite.com |
Laptops To Have "Auxiliary Displays" in The Lid
Hardware-based auxiliary
displays will begin appearing on Tablet PCs and other notebook computer in
2005 or 2006, Microsoft says. This handy feature gives the user quick
access to personal information management (PIM) information, time, battery
life, multimedia functionality like DVD and music playback, and other
useful features while a laptop is closed and/or off. There will be
different size and quality displays, which can be black and white or
color. Microsoft's hardware partners will create the actual displays and
integrate them into their product lines, while Microsoft will provide the
software links to make it work.
BetaNews |
Microsoft Downgrades Longhorn & Announces Windows XP Premium
By David Worthington
...Business Week is
reporting that Microsoft will fall short of its aspirations to include
the full scope of the Windows file-storage system (WinFS) in the
operating system; instead, the software giant will focus on rolling out
WinFS for the client - leaving network support to the dust.
The WinFS system along
with the Indigo communications subsystem and Avalon graphical subsystem
serve as the three technologies at the foundation of Longhorn.
According to Microsoft
Watch, Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates publicly acknowledged that the
Longhorn client will be pushed back well into 2006.
To fill the void left by
the absence of Longhorn, Microsoft was expected to release an interim
release of XP rumored to be called Windows XP "Reloaded". However,
according to emails allegedly viewed by Business Week, those plans have
been shelved indefinitely.
Instead Microsoft will
deliver Windows XP Premium: a conglomeration of Windows XP Service Pack
Two and Windows Media Player 10...
TomsHardware.com |
AMD Athlon64 FX Speed Leap
 The
new Athlon64 FX sets the new performance standard to beat, leaving the
Pentium 4 3.4 GHz Extreme Edition far behind. But that is not all: unlike
the FX-51 we tested, we were able to overclock the latest Athlon64 FX 53
without too much trouble keeping it cool.
AMD is planning an
onslaught of product launches this year. While it will not break the 3GHz
envelope until the fourth quarter, there will be plenty of new processors
to go around, not least of which will be the Socket 939. New versions of
the AthlonXP will be launched this year, as well.
Click the CPU benchmark
chart to the left to get an idea of performance.
WinSuperSite.com |
More Windows Longhorn Pictures and Descriptions
 ...Windows
has included an integrated contact management application, dubbed Windows
Address Book, for several years, but in Longhorn, the Contacts library
will gain new precedence and will likely be adopted by the Office team for
Outlook, and by numerous third parties. Microsoft has big plans for the
Contacts library in Longhorn, though those dreams are only partially
realized in build 4074. Eventually, you will be able to
connect Contacts to numerous portable devices (like cell phones) through
the Longhorn SyncManager infrastructure, connect electronically with
nearby contacts for peer-to-peer collaboration and file sharing...
 ...At
WinHEC 2004, Microsoft and HP were back with the Troy PC prototype, an
updated version of Athens that again featured shipping HP hardware and a
breakout box, but this time included the Longhorn Aero user experience...
Commodore.ca |
Google
Options
There is a little known
feature in Google searches that sets Google search results to open a new
browser session. Just go to
www.google.com and
click the PREFERENCES link to the right of the search field. Scroll
to bottom and select OPEN SEARCH RESULTS IN A NEW BROWSER.
On the off chance you are
unaware that Google has about 4 million features, click
HERE
to see a complete list. Did you know you can:
-
enter your stock symbols
in Google and it will return quote information
-
enter a mathematical
formula and Google will return the result (i.e. but wait... it's also a
calculator!)
-
enter your FedEX, UPS, or
other common tracking #, and Google will return your package's status
-
enter street address' and
Google will return a map link...
BetaNews.com |
Service Pack 2 For Windows XP Will Not Install on Pirated Copies
By David Worthington
...a Microsoft
spokesperson told BetaNews, "Press reports indicating Windows XP Service
Pack 2 will install on pirated or illegal copies of Windows XP are not
entirely true. Prior to installing, SP2 will check the OS' product ID (PID)
against a list of known pirated PIDs. If a PID is found to be invalid,
SP2 will not install."
...A second release
candidate of the service pack is slated for late May or early June, with
RC3 also a possibility. The final release of Windows XP Service Pack 2 is
expected to be completed by the end of the summer.
PCMag.com |
Gateway Axes More Jobs After eMachines Purchase
By Jeffrey Burt
In the wake of its
acquisition of eMachines Inc., Gateway Inc. will cut another 1,500 jobs by
the end of the year as it continues its push toward profitability, the
company revealed during its first-quarter earnings call Thursday.
The job cuts will come on
top of the 2,500 positions lost when the Poway, Calif., company closed its
188 retail stores last month, a move that Gateway officials said would
save about $60 million.
The cuts are part of an
initiative by new CEO Wayne Inouye to streamline the company after its
$290 million purchase of eMachines last month. Inouye, who was eMachines'
CEO before the acquisition, has moved quickly to put his imprint on
Gateway, shaking up the executive management team and aggressively moving
ahead with a plan to put Gateway systems on retail store shelves next to
eMachines computers...
News.com |
Wireless "Smart
Dust" Harold's the On Set of a Truly Connected Big Brother
...Dozens of
universities, venture capitalists, technology start-ups and
major corporations are working on an experimental technology
that could give computer networks millions of tiny electronic
feelers. But they must untangle some thorny technical and
economic problems before the technology takes off.
Central to these
wireless monitoring systems are special miniature
sensors--"smart dust"--programmed to observe their environments
and wirelessly relay information back to a central computer
system. What sets these sensors apart from a standard
sensor--such as a thermostat--is their ability to link to each
other in intelligent clusters and collectively process and
transmit data...
...The devices
are expected to dwindle to the size of an aspirin or grain of
rice over the next several years, at which point they could be
dropped into waterways to detect pollutants or embedded into
asphalt in roads to monitor traffic patterns. Imagine scattering
thousands of these minute devices around buildings, bridges,
factories and fields, giving people the power to observe the
world on a finer scale than ever before...
...researchers
expect the price to fall to as low as $1 in the next five years
or so...
...Many sensors
run on batteries--which can create a maintenance hassle if users
are expected to replace them frequently. Dust Networks, which
relies on batteries to power its sensors, has come up with a
design that keeps the devices running for five to 10 years
before they run out of juice. Eventually, developers want to tap
solar and kinetic energy to power the devices...
PCMag.com |
Sony Ships
"Digital Paper" Display
 Yes,
those are Japanese characters on Sony's LIBRIe e-book reader
($380 street), the first commercial product using Philips' and E
Ink's electronic ink display technology. Shipping in April only
in Japan, the LIBRIe is the fruit of a three-year collaboration
between Sony, Philips, Toppan Printing, and E Ink.
Electronic ink
technology allows light, low-power displays with newsprint-like
contrast ratios and viewing angles. Here's the key: The display
requires only intermittent battery power—when the displayed
image changes—so four triple-A batteries in the LIBRIe can
deliver 10,000 pages. Sony claims that it stores 500 books...
Associated Press
|
Adidas Creates Computerized "Smart Shoe"
 ...The
Adidas 1 is the product of a three-year secret project the German
company developed at its U.S. headquarters in Portland, Ore.
...After thousands of hours of testing,
Adidas is confident the computerized shoe will endure the wear-and-tear
of running in almost any condition — from hard pavement to dirt trails,
and dry streets to wet beaches.
The microprocessor is located in the arch
of the shoe, and drives a tiny screw and cable system that adjusts the
heel cushion depending on the signals sent back by an electric sensor
coupled to a magnet.
It is powered by a battery that conserves
power by adjusting the shoe while it is in the air during a runner's
stride, avoiding resistance from the ground.
...But
the $250 price tag is likely to make it a luxury
PCMag.com |
Microsoft Discontinuing WiFi Products
By Mark
Hachman
Microsoft Corp. will sell
through its line of broadband wireless access products, after which the
technology will be phased out
BetaNews.com |
Zone Alarm Expands into AntiVirus Business
By David Worthington
...ZoneAlarm Pro is the
deluxe boxed version of Zone Lab's standard firewall, offering added
protection against worms, trojans, spyware, and malicious e-mail
attachments. Zone Alarm Pro extends its sphere of protection into the
Web browser by managing cookies and blocking unwanted ads.
The new beta adds three
main features: AlertAdvisor, Antivirus Monitoring and Alert Viewer.
AlertAdvisor provides users with automatic program policy
recommendations while Alert Viewer organizes log details into
categories. In addition, ZoneAlarm will now monitor third-party
antivirus engines and definition files for Symantec, McAfee, Trend Micro
and Computer Associates products.
Zone Lab's ZoneAlarm
Security Suite includes many of these same updates, but offers some
extended functionality of its own. Rather than monitor systems for
third-party software, Security Suite has its own signature and heuristic
based antivirus protection. The suite also filters out incoming instant
messaging traffic for content, scripts and files...
Video News Feed from The FeedRoom.com:
These are NOT advertisements; they are streaming video of
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They will change every few days.
|
Yes,
those are Japanese characters on Sony's LIBRIe e-book reader
($380 street), the first commercial product using Philips' and E
Ink's electronic ink display technology. Shipping in April only
in Japan, the LIBRIe is the fruit of a three-year collaboration
between Sony, Philips, Toppan Printing, and E Ink.