January 26th Apple Event Confirmed

According to Fox News, a big event that will "focus on mobility space".  Hopefully this will be the fabled Apple Tablet.  Apple has apparently taken out a domain called islate.com.  So, hopefully, we'll see the "iSlate" on January 26th.

New Flight Rules Restrict Electronics: Oh boy...

After the failed terrorist attack on a US-bound plane from Amsterdam, the TSA has tightened restrictions, yet again.  The new rules are, reportedly, no electronics on a case-by-case basis, cavity searches if deemed necessary, and no getting up the last hour of the flight.  Keep in mind this only applies to international US-bound flights but it's still absurd.  This person didn't even use any technology he tried to light his groin on fire!

RUMOR:Google Phone May be on the Horizon

No, I'm not talking about Google's Android OS. I'm talking about a full-fledged, Google made device. Sources from Gizmodo say that a Google-made Android based device is "a certainty". The sources also say that it is running a new version of Android "that has never been seen before".

Google Chrome OS First Look: Google has officially taken over computers

Google's long-fabled operating system has come to fruition, well, at least is in a working state.  Today, Google released its first glimpse at Google Chrome OS, and so far, I like it.

iMac Benchmark Tests

Apple's new iMac are obviously faster then the older models, they use Intel's new chipset of course! But, how fast are they? These Geekbench results show a nearly 35% performance increase!

Rumor: November Launch of Project Natal

A rumor has sparked from Microsoft's visits to developer with Natal.  Natal, if you don't know, is Microsoft's newest Xbox 360 peripheral that allows users to use their bodies to control the game.  More info after the jump.

Apple Sends out a Whole Slew of New Stuff

Today Apple updated many of it's computers.  They revamped the Mac Mini, Macbook, and the iMac.  Apple also released a new wireless keyboard, and a new, multitouch, unibody mouse.

Google Announces E-Book Store to Compete with Amazon

It looks like not only Barnes & Noble is trying to compete with the Kindle and Amazon's E-Book store.  Google announced last Thursday that it will have an ebook market that can be used by "anyone with a web browser".  They did, though, rule out any possibility of a Google-made E-book Reader.

2010 Olympic Medals Will be Made of Old Circuit Boards

Next years Winter Olympic medals in Vancouver will have a lot more computers in them.  We actually mean computers in them, The medals are made of melted down circuit boards.  The medals will also have a different shape then most, a "wavy" shape as opposed to the normal flat medals (pictured below).

Get the PS3 "Fat" for $250

Sony is now selling old 80gb PS3 "Fat" models for $250.  Yes, that's a formerly $400+ system selling for the price of a Wii.  Boy, Sony must be really hurting.  You can snag this deal (and an extra controller to boot) from Sony themselves.

It's "Normal" For iPhones' to drop 30% of Calls

If you're an iPhone user in New York City you have probably had quiet a few dropped calls.  Now, the iPhone is an amazing device, but it has a tendency to drop calls.  But, apparently, on average they drop 30% of their calls in New York City. 

Weekly Time Waster : Fig 8.

Figure 8 is an interesting (and very addictive!) web game.  The point of the game is to control a bicycle (using the arrow keys) while avoiding any and all black lines. This includes text, scenery, anything!

Fig. 8 is very easy to pick up and gets gradually difficult.  Save points along the way allow you to save your progress by circling them with your bike.  There are also score indicators as you go along.  The art is plain black and white, but adds the feel of history.  You  seamlessly traverse through a series of architectural drawings, each more difficult then the last.

First Look At Micosoft Pink Phones

These "leaked" pictures below show what Microsofts new line of phones, The Pink Phone, looks like.  It will be probably Microsoft's answer to the iPhone.   The phones, called Turtle and pure will be made by Sharp, the same company that made T-Mobile's Sidekick series.

Really, Awesome, Great, Apple Video

This video was taken from cuts of the Apple iPod event last week. It made me chuckle a little.

T-Mobile Axes Plan to Charge for Paper Bills

I'm going to right out and say it; I HATE T-mobile, I usually do not write biasedly ( probably not a word) but I have had nothing but trouble from T-Mobile. A T-mobile had another plan to get money from you for inferior service set to go into effect soon. They were planning on charging unfortunate customers a $2 surcharge for having there bills printed out.

I mean REALLY, it's considered a a common courtesy for bills to be printed out and mailed to you. But T-mobile decided to be "Green" (as in give them more greenbacks!) and email you your bill for free instead of mailing it to you normally. Apparently, people caught on to the fact that T-mobile was doing this solely for themselves so they revoked it. Apparently tons of there customers complained so now they are not moving forwards with the plan.

T-mobile had this to say: "Since the announcement we've heard everything from kudos to concerns about the move to paperless -- especially from our customers who today are receiving paper bills at no charge. So, we've decided to not charge our customers a paper bill fee for now. Instead, we'll be taking more time to determine the fairest way possible to encourage people to go paperless." But, they still will charge $2 extra for a more "detailed" bill.

Youtube in Talks Offer Streaming Movie Rentals

The Wall Street journal has reported that Youtube is in talks with 4 major movies studios, Lions Gate Entertainment Corp., Sony Corp., Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. and Time Warner Inc.'s Warner Bros, to offer retail movie rentals. These rentals would be payed, about $4 per movie, or could be ad-supported. The negotiations aren't anywhere near finished but this could help Hollywood survive the dwindling DVD market.

Google's Chrome Web Browser is getting Desktop Notifications

Google's Chrome web browser is going to get built in "Desktop Notifications" soon. (similar to Growl)  A document on this feature can be found on the Chromium Developer site.  On Macs and Linux computers, the notifications would run through Growl and DBus (respectively). 

At this moment these notifications are off by default, but with some command line fiddling you can get them to work.  It's uncertain how this will be used, Growl has few applications that run it, and if it will not be used for "nefarious purposes".

(info from TechCrunch)

Lazy Tuesday post

I feel lazy today (for reasons that I will not disclose) and will instead post this informative webcomic instead of actual tech news. Use this chart well and thanks the gods of xkcd.

aug43dngpa

PS3 Slim is True-Along with a $100 Price Drop

It turns out Sony's rumored PS3 Slim is true after all. And, if a slimmer, badder PS3 weren't enough, they are also going to drop the price to $299, putting in line with its competitor the Xbox 360.

It will come with a 120GB hard drive (more then my old Dell!) and will be 36% lighter, 32% smaller, and use 34% less power then the original (that's a lot of percents). There will also be a Bravia Sync feature that will allow you to use you Bravia TV remote to control your PS3. It will go on sale in the first week of September, with a $300 price for all the models.

Sony will also be eliminated the option of installing Linux on the Slim so don't even try. (yet...) There will also be a vertical stand that will be selling September 3rd for $24. Also, there will only be 2 USB ports.

(info from Gizmodo)

New Zune HD Photos Show How Awesome Microsoft Can Be,

Microsoft has released a new set of photos for their upcoming Zune HD. I'm amazed it's not a phone (...geeky grumble...). You can view the photos in this gallery.
(info from Engadget)

Mac OSX Gets it's own (Unofficial) App Store

Now that the Palm Pre, Blackberry, iPhone, Nokia Phones...have App Stores, why shouldn't this move into the desktop world? Well, that's the idea behind App Bodega, a piece of (MAC ONLY) software, mad by IDFusion, that allows users to download, and sell, Applications for Mac OSX. This will allow you to easily download new software.

IDFusion has said it will not repeat Apple's mistakes with the iPhone App Store. For example, Apple pulling Apps after they've been approved (Baby Shaker App, and, most recent, GV Mobile).They also say that the Approval process is better and clearer then Apple's. Hopefully all these claims hold true.

Bodega will also feature many similarities to the App Store. It will feature user ratings and reviews; and the ability to browse, Top Rated and Recommended Applications. Bodega will also store all license keys and other data; making re-downloading applications very easy. You can download bodega at appbodega.com

(info from Cnet)

Barnes and Noble Enters the Ebook Market

Barnes and Nobles has released an ebook section of its website today. This confirms that it wants to battle Amazon's Kindle. They have many popular novels such as (groan) Twilight for $9.99 a pop. These books available to read on your iPhone, computer (Cross-Platform), or Blackberry, via Barnes and Noble's free eBook reader. They are also in talks with Plastic Logic on plans to release and eBook reader. (Do I smell Kindle competitor?)

Here's the press release regarding this:

BARNES & NOBLE LAUNCHES WORLD'S LARGEST eBOOKSTORE

Introduces "Every Device" Strategy

Upgrades eReader Application

Free Downloads

Announces Strategic Partnership with Plastic Logic

New York, New York – July 20, 2009 – Barnes & Noble, Inc. (NYSE: BKS), the world's largest bookseller, announced today the launch of the Barnes & Noble eBookstore (www.bn.com/ebooks), the world's largest eBookstore, on Barnes & Noble.com (www.bn.com), enabling customers to buy eBooks and read them on a wide range of platforms, including the iPhone and iPod touch, BlackBerry® smartphones, the forthcoming new eReader device by Plastic Logic, as well as most Windows® and Mac® laptops or full-sized desktop computers.

Barnes & Noble's launch encompasses:

· Barnes & Noble's eBookstore offering its customers seamless access to more than 700,000 titles, including hundreds of new releases and bestsellers at only $9.99, making it the world's largest selection of eBooks available in one place. The company expects that its selection will increase to well over one million titles within the next year, inclusive of every available eBook from every book publisher and every available eBook original, which is a fast growing marketplace.

· More than a half-million public domain books from Google, which can be downloaded for free. Readers can discover and explore this rich treasure trove, including everything from classic works by well-known writers to long-forgotten and obscure titles that are historically much harder to access.

· An upgraded version of its eReader application, which was part of the company's Fictionwise acquisition earlier this year. This device-agnostic eBook application supports both wireless and wired access to the new Barnes & Noble eBookstore. Millions of internet-enabled devices are currently supported by eReader, including the nation's two leading smartphone device families from Apple and BlackBerry®, as well as most Windows® and Mac® laptops or full-sized computers.

· First-time users of the eReader will have the opportunity to download free eBooks, including titles such as Merriam-Webster's Pocket Dictionary, Sense and Sensibility, Little Women, Last of the Mohicans, Pride and Prejudice, and Dracula. See site for further details.

· A strategic commerce and content partnership with Plastic Logic, whose eReader device is especially designed for business professionals. Barnes & Noble plans to power the eBookstore for the Plastic Logic Reader. The ultra thin 8.5 x 11 inch wireless eReader is slated to debut in early 2010.

· The free, full-featured B&N Bookstore app for iPhone and iPod touch users, which is now the #1 downloaded book app in Apple's App Store. In addition to enabling customers to easily place orders for books, movies, and CDs, the app also lets users search millions of products simply by snapping a photo. Using the iPhone's camera, customers can snap a photo of the front cover and within seconds get product details, editorial reviews, and customer ratings – even find and reserve a copy in the nearest store. The app also includes a store locator, bestseller lists, book recommendations, and a store events calendar.

"Today marks the first phase of our digital strategy, which is rooted in the belief that readers should have access to the books in their digital library from any device, from anywhere, at any time," said William J. Lynch, President of BN.com. "As America's #1 bookstore and newsstand, our goal at Barnes & Noble is to build a service that revolves around the customer, enabling them to have access to hundreds of thousands of titles and read on their smartphone, PC, and many other existing and future devices. We want to make eBooks simple, accessible, affordable and convenient for everyone."

More About the eReader Application

Designed with the reader in mind, Barnes & Noble eReader client software provides an easy-to- use interface to access the Barnes & Noble eBookstore and to manage their personal eBook libraries. It features powerful tools to optimize the reading experience, including the ability to modify type size and font and annotate and bookmark text, as well as an innovative auto-scroll feature enabling users hands free reading. In addition, users will have the added convenience afforded by true eBook portability, allowing them to access their eBooks from any of their eBook software-equipped devices, so that, for example, they can shift from reading their ebook from a smartphone while commuting to a notebook PC or eReader device at bedtime.

(info from Gizmodo)

Techy Tip: Speed up Windows XP's Startup Time

If you have had your Windows XP computer for a long time, like my 6-or-so year-old Dell Dimension, it probably isn't as zippy as when you first got it. Well, today I will show you how to speed up XP's boot time with NO DOWNLOADS REQUIRED.

(NOTE: I have a custom theme one my computer so XP looks like Windows 7)

To start, go to the Start Menu (tee-hee) ans select "Run" from the left side.


Then, type in "msconfig" (no quotes) into the form and click "OK"

After you have done that, a window looking like this should appear.



Then click the "Startup" tab and select the button "Disable All".

Once you do that, unnecessary programs will not run at startup greatly increasing the startup time on you computer. Hope you found this tip helpful!

Apple Tablet Rumored to Come in October

The dream of Apple Tablet, which always seemed to be vaporware from its start, may finally come true. Well-maybe, just maybe- The China Times published an article saying that Apple will be releasing tablets this October, priced at $800. Even though this is a reputable source, the rumors have been wrong before.

Here is a translated quote from the MacRumors forum:

"During the past several years, there have been countless rumors about Apple competing in the netbook market, but this year, Apple formally finalized orders for netbooks. According to past patterns, Apple normally holds news conference showcasing new products in October, announcing new products for the upcoming shopping season."

Witnek had rumored they had sold touchscreens to Apple before, but that proved to lead to nothing at WWDC. This rumor may also vanish into the air like all the previous ones.

(info from Gizmodo)

Google Unveals Chrome OS

Google has finally gone and done it. After years of rumors, it is finally releasing its own operating system. It will be, in typical Google fashion, Open-Source. Not much is known yet, since Chrome OS is set to release in 2010.

Chrome OS will be "fast, lightweight...start up and get you on the web". This will be a welcome change since other OS's (*cough* Windows) take forever to load because of personal settings, tons of programs, and other crap. Oh, and Chrome will be based on Linux so it will be familiar to other Linux users and will have many of its great applications (OpenOffice, Firefox, etc.).

Chrome OS will most likely largely be based on web apps, using Google's applications (Docs, Wave, Gmail). Hopefully, since it is running with Linux as a base, it will have a large amount of applications it can run offline. With lightweight netbooks in mind, it will most likely use little CPU and hard drive space.

Google already has some sponsors lined up to run this OS, mainly netbook manufacturers. There may never be a Google supported downloaded, a "simple" Os may not be able to handle all the variations in computers. This begs to question whether this Os will ever take off (like Linux). You can read the official post on it on the Google Blog.

Cool Site of the Week: Eternal Moonwalk

I figured I would fan the flames that is the death of Michael Jackson. This week's cool site is a fun little video site. It is literally, and eternal Moonwalk. People submit videos of them doing the Moonwalk around the world and it is posted on a scrolling "wall" to make a seamless("ish") Moonwalk that goes on forever. It is a simple site that, for some reason, you will stare at for hours. You can get your grooves on at Eternalmoonwalk.com.

$17,500 NES Game Sells on Ebay

This is a story of a true fanboy; someone willing to pay $17,500 for an NES game with under 7 minutes of playtime on it. Why would anybody buy such a game you ask? Well, your answer: The Internet.

A man by the name of JJ Hendricks had purchased this game for an insane amount off of Ebay-A "cheap" $17,500. He bought the game as a collectors item, it is a special gold colored cartridge used in a contest run by Nintendo. The contest involved players getting the highest score in several Nintendo games (Super Mario Bros., Tetris, &Ridge Racer) within a time limit of 6 minutes 21 seconds.

Only 26 of these cartridges were made (according to Wikipedia), so they are the "Holy Grail" of games, as Hendricks says. This was actually a good deal, the game was originally list for $25,000.

Youtube Adds HD Embeds, 2GB Uploads, and more

The Youtube Blog made a post about new improvements to the popular video site yesterday.
Some of the changes include:

• Changing the upload limit from 1GB to 2GB.
• Adding HD video embedding options.
• Last but not least, link to HD videos by ending the url with "&hd=1" (no quotes).

For more information, see the post on the Youtube Blog.

Weekly Time Waster: Hedgehog Launch

This week's time waster is a bit on the strange side. In Hedgehog Launch 2 your goal is to launch a hedgehog (yes, a hedgehog) to the moon. You work for the "country" of Minovia Cay. You must launch your hedgehog through a hole through the center of the Earth to Nebraska, and then to the Moon.

The game itself is simple to learn, and pretty easy to master. You hold down the mouse and pull back to launch your hedgehog and use the arrow keys to steer him with a jetpack. You can also hit platforms to gain money and speed, there are also coins that give you money. At the end of the level you can buy upgrades and clothes for your hedgehog.

The Story mode of the game is fairly short, but the Free Play mode adds a lot of fun. You just try and get as high as you can. This game will suck up hours of productive workdays. You can play Hedgehog Launch 2 at Armor Games.

Favorite iPhone apps

This correspondent considers the iPhone to be that rare game-changer in the technology industry. While it is in some ways still a work in progress, the iPhone does for smart phones what the iPod did for music about 7 years ago. For one thing, unlike other smart phones (and certainly those more traditional ones), the iPhone really is a computer in your pocket. With faster 3G connectivity, it starts to work at reasonable speeds for computing, or surfing the internet (remember telephone modems- well, my 3G iPhone is faster than those were). But today I am going to focus on a different killer feature of the iPhone; namely, the app store. And below I am going to describe 2 of my favorite games, both available for the iPhone and iPod touch for $2.99.

First, QUORDY, a simple yet addictive word game. It consists of a 16 square grid, with games consisting of how many words you can make in either 1, 3 or five minutes (there is also an untimed game). Also variable is the minimum letter words that count, though I always go with the easier version of 3 word minimum (I mean, why make it harder than it already is?). The game is totally addictive, and even (so I tell myself) educational. The user interface is very smooth, and you spell words by dragging your finger over the letters. Each letter you use must be adjacent to the next letter, and letters may only be used once in each word. It is perfect for killing time when waiting on a line, or when you are otherwise with a few minutes to kill. (If I had this game during my LIRR commuting days, commuting may have been more fun. I might have even missed my stop-- pretty hard, considering I got off at the last stop!) For certain things, like longer letter words, more points, or badges are awarded. the game keeps track of your best games in points and percentages. Trying to get all the possible words is almost impossible particularly when plying in the all words no matter how obscure mode, but getting close is a fun effort. Oh yes, you also get a special badge for spelling QUORDY, a badge, I may add, that I have yet to earn.

Another game worth mentioning is Frenzic, a game involving the speed in which you are able to fill six circles (or pies) with the appropriate shaped pie pieces. Additional points are given for filling a pie with pieces of only one color, earning bonuses. The game is actually fairly simple, and there are only 3 colors and 6 pies at a time, but not surprisingly, the game starts to speed up, and it does get a bit frenetic. This one I have a harder time convincing myself is educational, but I guess it does test your reaction time. While I haven't played Frenzic in a while, it is a fun game, and like QUORDY, designed perfectly for the iPhone gaming platform.

In coming editions, I will discuss some other apps, including ones that are either educational or designed to help with various tasks. There are thousands out there!

And have I mentioned that it is also a phone?

Signing off, by The Trash Bin's Humble Pie correspondent.

Happy iPhone 3GS Day!

Today is the day the iPhone 3GS comes out! TechCrunch took one apart earlier and showed its pretty innards. But, since I already went over all its cool feature it's time for a poll!

Key differences Between iPhone 3G and 3GS

Instead of posting a long review in my words. I figured I would let the readers decide what they think of the new iPhone. Apple has a chart of all the features, compared side by side. (see below)

Weekly Time Waster:Upgrade Complete!

Have you ever played a game where you can upgrade almost EVERYTHING.  Well, Upgrade Complete takes that to another level.  The entire goal of the game is to upgrade everything in the game.  You can upgrade the menu, graphics, even the copyright text.  

The core way of making money in the game is to play a shooting game.  You control a fully-upgradeable ship makes the game interesting and fun.  You can progress through 20 stages of different enemies to collect coins when they die.  Unfortunately, there is no final boss battle.

There is also an achievement system to give you a sense of pride.  You can play this game for hours, even after you have "beaten" it.  You can lose track of time and play this game at Armor Games.

Xbox Live Post-Maintenance Glitches

Microsoft is having glitches from yesterday's crippling maintenance. Users are unable to preorder the new Ghost Busters game, or find entire games missing from their hard drive. Oops. But, here's Microsoft's excuse-I mean "reason":

"Users may experience difficulties when attempting to use Marketplace and/or making purchases. We are aware of the problem and working to resolve the technical issues. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and thank you for your patience."

Cool Site of the Week: This is why your fat.

No, I'm not insulting you, it's the name of a blog called This is why you're fat.  It's a blog on food, and lots of it.  As the name implies, its on the richest and fattiest treats around.  It has everything from a Fluffernutterbutter Sandwich to Kentucky Nachos.  Just looking at the site makes me salivate.  

This is why you're fat is updated daily with a fresh supply of heart attacks from readers.  You can send in pictures to the site through their email address.  Or, you can be like me and look at all the delectable goodies on show for hours at a time, and think: This why you're fat.  

iPhone OS 3.0 Out Today

Apple's new OS for the iPhone, 3.0, comes out today.  iTunes will prompt you to download it and I strongly suggest you do so.  If, by some reason, you don't want to upgrade to a faster OS with MMS, cut and paste, and loads of other new features; go do so.  Though your friends will all be laughing at you as they preorder their iPhone 3GS's (which are sold out on AT&T by the way) on their Macbook Pro's.  Oh, and now we have a Twitter page.

Xbox Live will be down today

Xbox Live, Microsoft's online gaming service, will be down today for maintenance. Microsoft has said: "On Tuesday, June 16 beginning at 12:01 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. PDT (2009-06-16 0701 to 2009-06-17 0659 UTC) Xbox LIVE and Xbox.com will be offline for scheduled maintenance."
I suspect someone pushed the big red button.

Apple WWDC Roundup

Apple's WWDC was yesterday and they announced basically everything that was rumored (that Apple Tablet is still just a rumor).

The update for the iPhone's software, version 3.0, will be released June 17th. It was released yesterday for developers though so they can start making and updating their Apps. It will bring many long-awaited improvements, including cut and paste, HTML 5 support, and MMS (on all carriers that carry it expect AT&T at launch). Another feature is that "Find my iPhone" feature that allows users to find there phone through MobileMe, no more calling your phone to find it I guess. iPhone OS 3.0 will be released for free for the iPhone and will cost $9.95 for the iPod Touch.

They also announced the new iPhone, iPhone 3GS (the "S" stands for speed by the way), as expected. Also, the 8GB iPhone 3G will sell for $99 starting June 19th. Here are some of the new features:

• A new, 2x faster processor, that also consumes less battery.
• A new 3 megapixel camera with auto white balance, auto exposure, and auto focus.
• You can tap to zoom in on the camera.
• A 30fps VGA video in the camera, you can trim video in your iPhone and share it via Youtube, email, MobileMe, and MMS
• There will also be support for the faster, 7.2 mbps 3G.
• 3D graphics support, which means better and faster-rendered 3D games.
• The same size as the iPhone 3G with the same glossy finish.
• A fingerprint-resistant, multitouch, screen with an oleophobic coating.
• Weight increases to 4.8 ounces, still pretty light compared to the G1 (5.6 ounces).
• It is also now made with greener materials like most of Apple's products.
• Voice control: You can instruct your iPhone, like a technological servant, to call people, play songs, or hang up on telemarketers.
• Increased battery life: 9 hours on Wifi, 10 hours of video, 30 hours of music, 5 hours of talking or internet use on 3G, and 12 hours of 2G talk time.
• It will sell for $199 (16GB) and $299(32GB) starting June 19th.

Mac software wise there is now much to be announced (comparatively). Snow Leopard will be released in October at a price of $29 for a single upgrade and $49 for a five-user upgrade. It will have integrated Youtube support, and will be faster and take up less space then Leopard. Safari 4 is also being released.

Tetris Turns 25 Today

Tetris was the game that every child in the 90's played on the archaic Game Boys, with polyphonic music, squinting at the unlit screen.  The music still rings in my head.  Time to take a look at the history of Tetris, courtesy of one of my favorite web-shows, Play Value.

TechFellow Awards Winners Announced

You can see the list of winners on Techfellow.com
The TechFellow awards recognize the biggest innovators of the tech world. Those who would spend hours and hours coding when a weaker person had gone to bed. Those who disproved their parent's theory that "this website thingy you have will never work". Those who made the internet what it was today-a mindless wasteland of email and social networking sites, then the vast underground of hidden gems such as Newgrounds and SomethingAwful.

Bing: Microsoft may have got it right this time

A few days ago Microsoft released its new, long-awaited search engine, Bing. It touts video previews, easy business listings, and much,much more. It has a nice, dead simple interface and a nice color palette. Right on the start page non"internet savvy" people will feel right at home, the sidebar on the right directs with large type to Shopping, Travel, News, Images, Videos, and Web search.

One of the nice features is all the ways you can narrow down the image search. You can choose the size, the style of photo, and who is in the photo. There are also options to change how the thumbnails are shown, from only one at a time to many on screen at once. While it can't give you witty humor like Wolfram Alpha can, it sure has some snazzy features.

If you search something in Bing it will give you many options to expand on it, from searching downloads to repairs and games for the Wii or any other product.

When you search for videos it plays a preview of it when you roll over the video, with sound too. If you click on the video it will show a larger preview with the results still under it, along with a link to view the video at its site of origin.

Bing also give phone numbers for businesses when you search for them and search suggestions inside of the results, and probably more that I'm not putting here.

The search results, overall, are comparable to any other engine. It seems like a solid, all purpose search engine that really wants you to use it. I think Microsoft hit it right with this one, bit, it is not the Google-killer we are waiting for, and, it may never come.

What could this Mean?

This is Apple's WWDC poster, just put up. I'm not sure on it's meaning but my guess is it is comparing the iPhone to the Pre. The Pre, buy the way, came out today.

Microsoft E3 Summary

Microsoft's Press Conference showed us many things, here are videos of some of the coolest stuff.

Halo 3:ODST Has been rumored for a while now. Instead of taking control of the usual Master Chief, the super-soldier Spartan, you take control of of an ODST soldier, the "ninjas" of the Halo world. They have silenced weapons and incredibly powerful pistols (remember Halo 1?, that, but WAY MORE DEADLY).

Video Games | Halo 3: ODST | E3 09: Press Conference Gameplay HD

XBox 360 | Playstation 3 | Nintendo Wii

Project Natal is Microsoft's new baby. It is a camera that you stick to your tv and allows YOU to be the controller.

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Other notable titles include Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and The Beatles: Rock Band (shown below).

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Microsoft also announced new features to the Xbox. They will be adding Facebook and Twitter access from your Xbox, if you have Xbox Live to use it. There will also be changes to Netflix, including HD video and a queue list.

PSP GO Is GOing to Be Here Soon

EuroGamer obtained official pictures of the new PSP yesterday. The new PSP GO has a slide out control pad and lacks a UMD. It had 16 gb of memory (more then one of my computers had). This spells bad news for UMD owners, all games must now be downloaded. This means if you don't have wifi, you don't get games for it.

This new PSP also has a not-so-vague resemblance to Sony's failed internet device called the Mylo. You know, a few years ago Sony came out with the Mylo as a "communication device" that had almost know need. Blackberries could do everything the Mylo could do and more, and for $300, it cost a pretty penny.

There is no price yet, but in the coming week Sony is expected to announce one. The new PSP still only has 1 analog stick, meaning that FPS's will be hard to play on it. It is also supposed to pack Bluetooth (which almost no one uses) and a Memory Card Slot.

Weekly Time Waster: Spewer

Spewer is a game about, well, puking. Wait, don't stop reading just yet. It's not the gross cousin-at-Thanksgiving-ate-too-much-turkey barf so much as cartoonified, "cute" barf. You use this projectile to solve the various and puzzling levels throughout the game.

A warning though, this game is hard. If you give up easily on games when the going gets tough you will not be fond of Spewer. It is near impossible to get through some levels on one try (unless you use the nonexistent walkthrough). Luckily, you have many lives though.

The gameplay, surprisingly, is remarkably simple. Within the first 2 levels you will be spewin' like a pro. The addition of a level creator makes the game hard to stop playing. Spewer also has the addition of Newground's new Wide Layout. You can "dim the lights: (like on Hulu) and maximize the game to fill the page, and there's also Achievements (like on Xbox 360). You can start upchucking on Newgrounds.com.

Mcafee's List of Terms Not to Search

Mcafee released a list of search terms that lead to dangerous sites today. My question is, why would someone search the word "Web"?

Comic: Facebook Investment

Facebook confirmed that it received an investment yesterday from a Russian firm. The firm Digital Sky Technologies invested $200 million in the popular social networking site. This investment represents 2% of the company, valued at $10 billion. They're is a Facebook Money Page and a page for this blog.

Wolfram Alpha comic

I figured I draw up a little comic based on this article. You might be able to (hint hint!) expect some more comics in the future. Depends on how much energy I have. (Yes, I know they're not that good, but I was tired...excuse excuses)

Cool Site of the Week: Cubeecraft

Papercraft as found an large following on the internet with blogs such as Paperkraft.net. For those of you who don't know what papercraft toys are, you can check the ever-accurate Wikipedia. Cubeecraft takes this to a whole new level.

Cubeecraft doesn't just show good papercraft models, but it has the actual sheets so you can make them yourself. They have popular characters (Storm Trooper anyone?) original creations and pop culture references.

This will be something good to do over the weekend(yes, I know it's only Thursday). Well, if you have the patience to spend hours trying to find your old art supplies. You can become a cube-head at cubeecraft.com.

Palm Pre Update

Sprint has now confirmed (finally!), that the Pre will launch on June 6th. It will sell for $299 with a $100 rebate available. So get em' while they're hot!

New iPhone May Overshadow the Pre's Release

The Palm Pre, the fabled device that may breath life into the Palm devices, is set to release in "the first week of June"; as the New York Times reports. Whether this is a viable fact, I have no idea, but it is promising. The new iPhone will also (maybe) be launching on June 8th, the day of the Apple keynote at WWDC. The New York Times is now reporting that the iPhone will launch on the 5th, or the 7th, or within the time frame of a year from that(sarcasm). The iPhone may overshadow the Pre's hype, by my guess, the new iPods overshadowed the Zune. But their is still one uncertainty about the Pre. The pricing. The Pre is thought to be selling for $199, but a recent survey now says that Palm may sell it for $542.01; a completely random and insane amount.

Wolfram Alpha Impressions

A few weeks ago I wrote about the new search engine called Wolfram Alpha. It is made by the Wolfram company, that makes mathematics and science software such as Mathematica. So, obviously, this is one nerdy search engine. Yesterday they let beta testers check it out (I...um...forgot to...sign up) and it ran a tad rocky. Today, though, its released to the whole world. And it is cool, not amazingly useful, but still pretty cool.

But, on using it for myself, I now know it will definitely not be the Google killer. It does have a vast amount of information on very advanced topics. But, it is far to complicated for normal users, for people who do not understand how to even email it will be completely useless. But, Wolfram Alpha is not made for those people, it is made for tech savvy teachers, scientists, and geeks(like me!). It can tell you advanced equations, facts about universities, information on historical figures, and much much more.

The interface is incredibly easy to use, surprising on such an advanced search engine. The website runs fast, even under incredible loads of traffic. It also has nice, easy to read type. But, the real reason you want to use it so you can say you didn't use Wikipedia on school projects. I give it an A- (pun intended).

Sony's Losses mount

Even with Sony's CEO, Howard Stinger, trying to stage a comeback for the company. Sony has reported a $1 billion loss for the fiscal year the ended March 2009, it says its losses will mount to $1.26 billion by the end of the year. Sony, like many electronics companies, has been hit hard by the recession. The failing PSP and PS3 doesn't help too much either.

This Thursday, Sony said it would "ramp up its cost cutting measures". After his start as CEO in '05, Stinger's results aren't really that good. In February, Stinger completely restructured Sony's management, including adding the title of President. All this to try and keep Sony aggressive with companies like Apple and Nintendo. Now all he has to do is bring some life into Sony's product line, a elderly home of gadgets, with old technology, failed ideas, and useless innovations.

Sony also said Thursday that it would be cutting 16,00 jobs and close 6 factories to save $2.6 billion(250 billion yen). It will close 4 factories in Japan and the others in The US, Mexico, France, and Indonesia. Hopefully Sony will be able to dig themselves out of this one.

Microsoft's new Useless Ad: Ipod's Cost $30,00 to fill up

Microsoft's new ad for the Zunepass (fork over $14.99 a month for unlimited music) takes aim at iTunes. It's states that it costs $30,00 to fill up a 120gb iPod. There are a bunch of problems with this theory though, and, apparently Microsoft is unaware of an invention called the internet. For starters, many people borrow friend's Cds to get free music. Also, ever since Napster, people illegally download music off of P2P(peer-to-peer) networks such as Limewire. Also, many people don't buy 14 songs a month from iTunes so paying Microsoft in advance for something (as usual) is pointless. Also, the Zune is barely alive anyway, so why would anyone care?

Nerf Tank Tutorial

Instructables has an awesome tutorial on how to make an RC Nerf Tank. It uses a Vulcan Nerf gun, has a wireless camera, speakers+and AV outlet, and a ton more stuff. It seems fairly easy to make (haven't tried yet though!). You can see the tutorial at Instructables.com

Weekly Time Waster: Wizard Defense

Wizard Defense is free online game by the BigPark (recently acquired by Microsoft). Wizard Defense is a tower defense game with a magical twist. It has solid design and the graphics are top notch. It has blistering fast load times, no lag, and has a learning curve of about a minute. When you first start the game you can choose to sign in to an account to play (to save scores and such and such) or you can just get right to the fun part. Once you first start playing (and choose your character) you can choose to take a short tutorial. The tutorial is incredibly simple and will have you playing in about a minute. Once you finish the tutorial you will be plunged right into the magical, and incredibly addicting, world of Wizard Defense. You can play this game, and see your productivity drop by about 75%, at wizarddefense.com.

DJ Hero Controller: First Look

Activision (maker of Guitar Hero) has just released a photo, and a press release, on its new game, DJ Hero. DJ Hero will be in stores this Fall (that's a few months from now so don't get your hopes up just yet).

"SANTA MONICA, Calif., May 7, 2009 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX News Network/ — Activision Publishing, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI) is set to once again revolutionize how consumers interact with music by releasing three new titles this fall - DJ Hero(TM), Guitar Hero(R) 5 and Band Hero(TM) - that will redefine the company's popular music gaming platform. The slate will transform the way consumers enjoy and engage with music by offering the largest variety of music genres, innovative technologies and new social entertainment experiences for existing fans and millions of new consumers who previously have not joined Guitar Hero's global community of fans.


— The company's groundbreaking DJ Hero expands Guitar Hero's
signature social gaming to all-new consumers with the addition of
diverse music genres including hip-hop, R&B, Motown, electronica and
dance. Introducing an all-new innovative turntable controller, DJ Hero
transforms players into DJs who rule the club scene by creating original
mixes of popular songs and music from the world's most exciting
artists and DJs.

— Letting fans continue to fulfill their rock fantasies, Guitar Hero 5
features the hottest rock and roll artists today as well as classic rock
bands and gives players an unprecedented level of control over the way
they play the game with the ability to drop in and out of songs and
change band members, instruments and difficulty levels on the fly.

— The franchises' first E10+ rated console game, Band Hero delivers
an exciting music collection featuring top-40 hits designed to expand
the appeal to a broad family audience who can play together on the
guitar, drums, bass and microphone and experience a new genre of music.
The game builds upon Guitar Hero's easy-to-play,
difficult-to-master signature gameplay and allows novice players and
expert fans to join together on their favorite songs.

"Guitar Hero has made music social again and has become one of the most popular ways to experience music," said Dan Rosensweig, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Guitar Hero franchise. "Today's fans enjoy a variety of music and are looking for more ways to engage with their favorite songs, artists and fellow fans. These games will let them listen, participate and socialize with music in ways they have never been able to before.""

Apple Adds Integrated Youtube into Snow Leopard: Tries to Bypass Adobe

Apple has already been hesitant to add support for Adobe's widely used Flash plugin on the iPhone but today marks another harsh blow by Apple. Apple will now have integrated Youtube support in its new operating system Mac OSX 10.6 (Snow Leopard). This is good because this will lead to more profits for Apple (and most likely a copycat from Microsoft). But, here's the catch, Apple will only do this if Google(which owns Youtube) will transfer all of Youtube's videos from Flash format to H.264 format. This means even more share is lost to Apple, already Adobe is losing ground due to iTunes. I don't think Flash is going to die any time soon though. Many widely popular sites still use Flash, such as Myspace, Facebook, Apple (suprisingly), and many game sites such as Kongregate. You can read more at 14U. Also, thanks to The Eclectic Skeptic for the tip.

Game Consoles Get X Rayed (NOTE:most likely not a word)

You probably have opened (or broken) game consoles to see there guts before (I haven't , well, on purpose anyway). Technabob has an interesting post that shows game consoles in a way you've never seen them before. You can see the splendor here.

Wolfram Alpha Search Engine may be a Google-Killer

Wolfram Alpha is a search engine that is releasing this month (May 2009 for those of you who are still running Windows NT or Mac OS9). But whys is it a big deal? Well, this search engine like the super-genius child of Google OneBox and Wikipedia. Unlike the strangely named Ask.com, this will actually answer your questions, like Wiki Answers except with instant gratification. It will also ooze with data-y goodness for all the techies out there. You can visit it at wolframalpha.com (its not up and running yet though). The video below this (its a tad blurry) shows how Wolfram Alpha works. But, will it actually be the Google-Killer?

Swine Flu is officaily "Web-ified"

Google Maps has a map of the Swine Flu progression, and now there is a Twitter set up for it. Happy day for hypochondriacs!

Happy B-Day Game Boy!

20 years ago today the first Game Boy was released in Japan. Now it's been giving kids an excuse to tune out their parents for 2 decades! Kotaku has a great post paying homage to this portable gaming veteran.

Vatican installs Europe's largest solar plant

The sun may not revolve around the earth, but that doesn't mean we can't use it for power, right? Don't mind us people-who-gave-up-technology-for-Lent, just putting up a $660 million solar plant (that was originally only going to coat $1.5 million). Now, the Vatican is embracing the Solar bandwagon (unlike almost all of the world) as is installing the largest solar array in Europe. Now where did they get all that money?

Netflix subscribers recieve unplayable cracked discs

Many Netflix subscribers are receiving Blu-Ray discs from the service that arrive cracked and unable to be played. One of the main reasons this is happening is because Blu-Ray discs are made differently then normal DVD's. Standard DVD's have 2 two clear polycarbonate discs with metal in between to record data. Blu-Ray discs, on the other hand, uses a single polycarbonate disc and is recorded on top of the disc, making it more vulnerable to scratches. This may not be only the fault of the discs though. Much fewer Blockbuster customers have reported problems with their discs, suggesting Netflix has issues wit the handling of their discs. Ironically, these reports come in as Netflix is preparing to hike up Blu-Ray rental fees 20%. These reports have been around since as early as 2007 in the Netflix forums. Netflix replied to these claim by blaiming the Post Office. So I'd just recommend you check those little red envelopes with a tad more scrutiny. You can get more information from Wired.

The Munchables Trailer: Pac Man Meets Katamari

The new trailer for the Wii game The Munchables it out. Basically, you go around and eat stuff, like Pacman, in 3d. The character grows bigger as you eat, though, like Katamari. Also, you need to be a certain size to go into certain places. Also, it has some of Katamari's "flair" (or insanity).

Preordering for HTC Magic Begins from Vodafone

Exactly a month ago we wrote about the "G2", the HTC Magic. Well, while there is still no word on a US release date or even a name; Vodafone, the European carrier that will sell the Magic, has began taking preorders for the phone. The Magic will go for a whopping £0. The catch: You have to sign up for a £30 a month plan to start with, oh, and the plan can raise to any price they see fit. The Cupcake-powered HTC Magic will begin shipping out on May 5th.

Youtube takes on Hulu: Adds "Shows" Section

Youtube added a "Shows" section to its video section today, apparently try to take on the 10 ton behemoth that is Hulu. Youtube has already been offering Movies for months (though you may not notice it). This new features adds shows from MGM, Sony, CBS and other companies. Most of the shows, though, are about a decade too late to attract any viewers. Not exactly very tactical, when you can watch last night's episode of 30 Rock on Hulu. Hopefully Google's weight will get some better shows in the future. (well, there's always reruns of Astro Boy).
One of the nice features is the fact that you can "dim the lights" to get a better view. The size of the video is also set to a large size by default, with the option to make the video smaller. Youtube may be a viable source for television shows online if they can get better content. It would be nice to see Youtube get away from amateur videos. (sure, we all like the Evolution of Dance, but it still would be nice) You can go rot your brain at Youtube Shows.

Weekly Time Waster: RetroShoot

If you've ever spent weekends playing Space Invaders all day you'll get a kick out of this game. RetroShoot is space shooter that has graphics similar to Geometry Wars, but a little more "neon-er". The controls are simple, mouse to move your ship around, you shoot automatically. When you hit an enemy they explode with a satisfying fireworks display. There are many, many levels to keep you occupied and an achievement system to boot. The powerups always seem to appear just at the right time, too. But, this is not a shooter for people who need to hit ever single enemy on screen, for you will probably want to set you computer on fire. The enemies seem to fly past the screen faster then Apple nerds at an Apple Store the day a new iPhone comes out (no offense guys). You can play it on Newgrounds.

Happy Easter Everyone!

LED Sheep Video

The two most useful things I know of are Duct Tape and LED's. This video is an example of how to use LED's with sheep.

Apparently, Windows Vista is Fast

Apparently, a seven year old wants a laptop that runs pipe-clogging Vista then OSX (oh..where art though Apple!). Just remember, this ad is made by Microsoft not some company that would have an unbiased opinion. Who new Vista was good? I sure didn't know, this was such an informative commercial.

BumpTop 3d Desktop Amaizement

BumpTop, the 3d desktop is finally available for download. (it's only been a few years, right?)

What is BumpTop
The video below shows the overview of BumpTop, but it is basically an application that turns your desktop into a fluid, 3d space, like a real desk.



Pro's and Cons
I downloaded BumpTop today and used it for a few hours on my 7 year old Dell. It ran surprisingly smooth, the application itself only took up about 45mb. Their was a quick tutorial when I first started it up that showed me how to use it, it was very easy to learn. After I completed the tutorial I was able to use without any problems. One of the drawbacks is some of the cool features the show in videos (ie. flipping through piles like pages, sliding files onto a memory stick, most used files automatically getting bigger) require you to buy the $29 "Pro"
version. The sticky notes feature in it also cool, but, you can only put 2 up at a time unless you get the Pro version. (so sorry, sticky note freaks) You can also add themes from the website's community section, I haven't tried that yet but it seems pretty cool.

Where can I get it?
You can download BumpTop from their website, bumptop.com.
You can also get it from Cnet.

The race is on!

With Windows 7 coming up by the end of the year, it seems that Apple is getting closer and closer with its next Snow Leopard update. At first it seemed to be mostly "under the hood" type improvements, but your Humble Pie correspondent is getting the sense that there may be some other things as well, as the following report indicates:

Apple seeded developers with the latest build (10A314) of Mac OS X 10.6 (Snow Leopard) today. The latest beta version of Snow Leopard is said to be more stable than previous builds. Specifically, QuickTime X is said to have made significant strides since the previous version.

Apple, however, has not yet deployed the "Marble" user interface changes that have been rumored for Snow Leopard.

An exact release date for Snow Leopard has not been established , though recent rumors have suggested it could be as late as September. Apple will likely make further announcements and demos of Snow Leopard at the Worldwide Developers Conference in June.

CD Turntables: Why?

These CD turntables (patent pending) are possibly one of the most useless things I've ever seen. My brain can't comprehend why someone would take a genius invention and put it into an unneeded application. What's your opinion?

Weekly Time Waster: Totem Destroyer 2

Totem Destroyer 2 is a puzzle game where you destroy a tower of blocks to get the totem to the bottom of the tower without touching the ground. There is interesting physics dynamic to the game, with different totems have different masses and different blocks reacting in different ways. There is also a level creator so you can make your own puzzling levels. You can play this very addicting game on Newgrounds.

Conficker Stays Quiet-For Now

The dreaded date, April 1st, has come. But, the "super worm" Conficker C has not gotten its orders to attack. A few things could have happened: it has not found the instructions on the web yet, the coder has stopped the virus in its tracks out of fear because of all the media attention it got. Or, more likely, the it's creator is waiting till the tension dies down, and people let their guard down, and then will "activate" this dangerous worm. Considering how advanced Conficker is, I don't suspect that it is just some April Fool's Day joke, I thinks it's a serious threat. SO, as always, keep your antivirus software up to date and be on your lookout. Also, Mac users (the lucky ones) are exempt from all this Conficker mayhem, well, at least for the time being. If you don't have antivirus software (you really should) you can download a tool from Symantec to remove it, and to find more about the worm, at Norton Anitvirus's website.