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Samsung already announced they would make a unit that can play both HD-DVD and Blu-Ray http://www.techspot.com/news/18625-samsung-to-supp ort-hddvd-and-bluray.html

Thanks for the belly-laugh^_^

Blu-ray:
http://www.exisle.net/mb/lofiversion/index.php/t30 259.html

Blu-ray and HD-DVD:
http://www.techspot.com/news/18300-bluray-discs-to -adopt-same-drm-as-rival-hddvd.html

You need to grow up and realize that breaking the rules/law is wrong whether or not you get caught.

I would like to point out that it is the previous generation(s) who hold positions of influence in business and government routinely get away with henious crimes. (Take small sentences for destroying retirement funds for thousands of people, among other things.) We frequently see the wealthy and powerful get away with minor punishments that are effectively summed up as serving a prison sentence on a yaht in the Caribbean. Meanwhile, our society is replete with cases of minor offenses being punished beyond any reasonable severity. ($250,000 and larger fines for music swappers, or felony charges for young children reading passwords printed on their computers, for example.) If I was a young person, I would be extremely confused. Does this mean that the more serious your crimes are, the less serious the consequences? Does this mean I can do whatever I want if I am affluent? Given that getting into some trouble is part of youth, this makes for a dangerous influence. There are also plenty of cases where breaking the law is not “wrong”, so we cannot treat this as an absolute either. What Rosa Parks did was not wrong or unethical (quite the opposite), but it was most certainly against the rules.

So, you are absolutely correct that stealing is wrong, as is breaking most laws. However, I think we as a society need to do a few things (which come to mind) if we are to have any success in reducing crime. First, the punishments must fit the crime. Copying digital music should not have equal or worse consequences to stealing millions, perhaps billions from a corporation. Murder is a felony charge, not typing a password printed on the bottom of your laptop. You get the idea. Second, we must teach people how to properly evaluate laws and whether or not they are just. This is intrinsic to the continued operation of our democracy but it is hardly given any treatment. People must be able to determine which laws are reasonable insofar as the gravity of violations, and which laws must be disobeyed for the greater good. Third, we need to restore equal application under law irregardless of political, social, or economic standing. Today, the wealthy can afford good lawyers who are better versed in the law and thus finding loopholes. Meanwhile, the poor rarely have competent defense. This is very biased, and aside from being unfair and unjust, it also leads to further crime (these cycles are much more likely to be perpetuated in the lower classes).

The cheaper model has 12 instead of 16 pixel shaders, and 5 instead of 6 vertex shaders. They probably use the same chip. The benchmarks are close. $17 cheaper. Big deal.

In terms of price/performance, Via is probably the leader. They've just introduced some new S3 Chrome boards that are roughly comparable to the GEForce 6800 line, but are priced around $150. That technology will probably be in Via's motherboard chipsets soon, at an even lower price.

http://www.techspot.com/news/19020-microsofts-halo -movie-produced-by-linux-servers.html

This might be a lead:
http://www.techspot.com/vb/all/windows/t-18052-Wir eless-not-working-on-Windows-XP.html

Apparently HP has a generic Broadcom wireless configuration utility.

Firefox 1.5 (now in beta) will have auto-update.

Reference: http://www.techspot.com/staff/38/thoughts-on-firef ox-auto-update/

In 2001 Intel dumped their surplus in Japan and gained some market share that way. Another thing driving the figures is the number of chips in the X-Box. Personally I am surprised by these numbers since I do prefer Intel but find the price range and functionality of AMD to be more appealing to my budget.

The story on the lawsuit is here.

I personally don't really enjoy about:blank

Hmmm, I'm just the opposite - I use it for my home page... It's the only thing more zen than the old BeOS 404 Haikus!

HERE

Windows server: Sure, some folks buy it, but plenty don't. So far, Microsoft only has about one third of this space, and Linux is nipping at its heels. They knifed Windows for Itanium, to the disappointment of both Itanium users.

Server appications: IIS has lost market share to Apache in recent years, and Exchange isn't ubiquitous yet either. SQL server enjoys showing the web its limits.

Windows CE/Mobile/Tablet/whatever: Still no monopoly, and since sales of PDAs are shrinking and tablet PC's haven't really caught on, even if MS did take over this market...

Game Consoles: XBox did just have its first profitable quarter. Ever. But it doesn't seem to sell so well overseas, and Nintendo and Sony haven't been persuaded to go away yet.

Media: Media Center PC's aren't selling so well, and in a world with iTuneszilla stomping around, Windows Media suddenly seems less likely to rule the universe than it did a few years ago, even with "PlaysForSure."

Internet Services: Even with its added features, MSN Messenger doesn't seem to be destroying AIM or Yahoo Messenger. MSN doesn't seem to be destroying anybody in general, even if Verizon throws it in free with DSL, and even if MSN is the homepage for Internet Explorer. Now Microsoft wants to go after Google, too.

It's pretty interesting to consider that Windows Client and Office are so frickin' profitable that Microsoft can afford to throw gobs of money at their unprofitable products and divisions (which are pretty much everything but Windows Client and Office) and still have huge heaps of cash left over.

(Oh, and I left off Apple, because if 95% of the world abruptly switched to Apple, Microsoft is second only to Apple itself in Mac software development, and would still be one of the most profitable companies out there, on sales of Office for Mac, VirtualPC, etc. Also, because as long as Apple is out there, and isn't owned by Microsoft, Microsoft can point at it and say "look, there are other choices, we're not that much of a monopoly!" :)

HL2 didn't entirely live up to its hype either, though ... I remember when it was first shown in summer 2003. The combine soldiers kicked down a door that had a table jammed behind it, and they claimed that it wasn't scripted. When the game was leaked, it turns out it was scripted. When they demonstrated NPC's helping Gordon, they said that they "act independantly" and not just follow you blindly. I don't know about you, but I found myself bumping into them (and not being able to get around them) quite a bit.

I thoroughly enjoyed HL2, it's one of the best games I've ever played... but people seem to be forgetting the things Valve promised and didn't deliver on.

Neither does Microsoft own the word "Windows". Yet if Novell or Sun started a new unix-based OS called "Novell Windows" or "Sun Windows", I have the vague feeling that they would be fined into bankruptcy by the courts.

As I pointed out in another post, Microsoft has paid people (Lindows being the latest notable one) rather than risk a judgment that Windows when used with computers is a generic, non-trademarkable term.

So you may in fact see a Novell Windows or Sun Windows in the future.

Since people are too lazy to do the research, here are some quotes:

http://www.techspot.com/story10974.html

Lindows.com wins over Microsoft Trademark Case

by Julio on Wed 11 Feb 2004, 01:24 AM

The United States District Court in Seattle has ruled in favor of Lindows.com Inc. ( lindows.com ) concerning key legal issues in the company's dispute with Microsoft over the "windows" trademark. The Court flatly rejected Microsoft's arguments today that the jury should consider the meaning of the term "windows" in its current day usage, ruling rather that the jury should focus on the timeframe prior to the release of Microsoft's Windows products, which is 1983-1985. The Court also ruled that once a word is declared generic it would continue to be generic, informing Microsoft that no amount of marketing around a generic word changes the generic state of the word.

http://www.gigalaw.com/articles/2002-all/isenberg- 2002-04-all.html

Windows v. Lindows: High-Tech Trademark Troubles

By Doug Isenberg

Summary: When Microsoft sued Lindows.com for violating its rights to the trademark "Windows," a judge cast doubt on the validity of the "Windows" mark. Ultimately, the move could cost the company rights to one of its most valuable pieces of intellectual property. In this column, Doug Isenberg discusses the Lindows.com case and finds lessons in it for all trademark owners.

Is "Windows" a Generic Term?

The current dispute, which Microsoft brought against Lindows.com, already has backfired against the software giant. In March, a federal district judge in Seattle denied Microsoft's request for a preliminary injunction preventing Lindows.com from using its trademark, which Microsoft said violated its own rights to the Windows trademark. In doing so, the judge said the case raised "serious questions" about the validity of the Windows trademark.

Here's why: An elementary principle of trademark law says that generic terms cannot be protected. So, for example, no company could obtain trademark rights to the word "computer" to describe what we all know as a computer. As the judge in the ongoing Lindows case explained: "when a trademark's primary significance is to describe the type of product rather than the producer or source, the mark is a generic term." Generic terms can be used by anyone.

Here's another way of looking at it: If you can't think of any other term to describe a product, that term probably is generic. So, ask yourself this question: What term could the maker of a windows-based user interface (such as Lindows.com) use, other than "windows," to describe its product? If you can't think of one, then windows just might be generic.

As a result, if "Windows" is generic for graphical user interfaces, then Microsoft cannot prevent anyone else from using that mark -- or a similar mark, such as "Lindows."

The judge in the Lindows case did not rule that Windows is a generic term. But he sure found lots of evidence indicating that it might be. Among other things, he noted that the press used the word "windows" to describe a graphical user interface for personal computers even before Microsoft launched the first version of its current operating system -- and that it continues to use the term generi

How to remove it from ie

Interestingly, BitTorrent sites, such as Suprnova and LokiTorrent, were hit with massive DDoS attacks this week, just after Lycos started their ScreenDoSer effort.

For more: BitTorrent takes a hit from DDoS attacks

It wouldn't be a surprise if the spammers re-directed their sites to the trackers, as both Suprnova and Lokitorrent had torrents for the screensaver. At the current time, it is still unknown who was behind it.

Yeah, Nintendo isn't a big bloated company that engages in acts such as price fixing. Oh wait, they are. My bad.

http://www.techspot.com/gallery/showphoto.php/phot o/433 :)

I wonder if this processor ran again after thermal paste was lightly applied.

A Guide to turning off Windows File Protection. Most of the time, the only reason you need to reboot is for windows to replace a protected file. Once you tell Winblows that its okay to replace it, you can update all day every day and not have to restart your boxen. Pretty groovey right?

Next challenge for them, WinXP under 1 gig

OK, here ya go. A detailed guide. :D

TechSpot OpenBoards - Cutting the fat - XP installs under 700mb

The glasses are relatively comfortable, and seem to be well constructed. The package comes with 2 different sets of bows for different sizes of heads to ensure a good, comfortable fit. I would defiantly advice of wearing in a dark room, with nobody in sight, because they are sure to ignite a little bit of harassment due to the nerdy look (my kids tore me apart). After testing, I dropped them a few times to check for strength, and they didn't break.

[3d picture of a chess board]

The entire installation process was quite simple, and the hotkeys make tweaking the settings very convenient. The first game I tried was Jedi Outcast, which is an Open GL based game using the Quake 3 engine. I checked the game list, and fired the game up. One thing you need to remember is that your monitor might not support stereo 3D with the same resolutions and refresh rates you'd normally use, so try starting low and increase as you go on. I found the 3D effect to be simply amazing; these glasses provide the best 3D images I have ever seen on a PC, including those output by the DTI 3D LCD I reviewed in the past.

The images looked very cool, and I spent about 10 minutes gawking at my new surroundings. After playing around with Jedi Outcast, I was ready for more. I checked the supported game list, and just about every game I had was listed there.

[ 3d image of an airplane]

There is a very nice selection of supported titles, and also a link to request a game that's missing from the list. I chose Motocross Madness 2 for my next adventure, notably because it's based on Direct3D and wanted to see how that worked. The 3D images looked great here too, especially after a bit of tweaking. Overall, these glasses are very easy to use and offer beautiful 3D environments for every game I launched.

After going through about 20 different games, my feelings from the beginning have not changed. Racing games look impressive, and flight simulator 2002 looked incredible. These glasses make PC games fun again and actually kept me glued to it for quite sometime (which is not an easy task due to the Xbox sitting right next to my computer). It takes a lot to impress me, and this product really did.

Final Thoughts

The first thing to remember is that if you are using Windows 2000/XP, be sure you have an NVIDIA based card, of it will not work. Like I said previously, the glasses are well constructed and are comfortable at first. After a while, they became a bit uncomfortable around my nose, mainly because the relatively hard plastic resting on the bridge. I don't wear glasses, and rarely wear shades so this might just be a getting used to thing. The cord isn't really an issue, but if you have the extra cash for the wireless, it would be nice. The cord could have been a little longer; you might have problems if your tower isn't close by.

Also notice 3D images on computers are not perfected. As good as they look; they are still a little blurry but that's not to say they don't look unbelievable. The 3D images are amazing, and will definitely add some spice to some of your favorite titles. I'd say if you want 3D, then these glasses are the best thing on the market, hands down.

In the other hand it's just not something I would use with every game. When playing a racing game by myself, sure, but when playing Quake 3 online, forget it. Frame rates drop considerably, so you end up playing at lower resolutions. Lower resolutions mean graphics don't look as sharp.

Overall, eDimensional glasses offer excellent 3D, and the $69.00 price tag is pretty reasonable especially compared to 3D monitors which cost in excess of $1500! I really liked them better than the 3D monitor, but I don't know how much I will really use them. For you this might be different, but this is just how I feel. The glasses are also said to work with DVD titles, you just need to purchase additional software to witness this (which I did not). To sum it up, if you're looking to add a little zing to some computer favorites, these 3D glasses will deliver.

The glasses are relatively comfortable, and seem to be well constructed. The package comes with 2 different sets of bows for different sizes of heads to ensure a good, comfortable fit. I would defiantly advice of wearing in a dark room, with nobody in sight, because they are sure to ignite a little bit of harassment due to the nerdy look (my kids tore me apart). After testing, I dropped them a few times to check for strength, and they didn't break.

[3d picture of a chess board]

The entire installation process was quite simple, and the hotkeys make tweaking the settings very convenient. The first game I tried was Jedi Outcast, which is an Open GL based game using the Quake 3 engine. I checked the game list, and fired the game up. One thing you need to remember is that your monitor might not support stereo 3D with the same resolutions and refresh rates you'd normally use, so try starting low and increase as you go on. I found the 3D effect to be simply amazing; these glasses provide the best 3D images I have ever seen on a PC, including those output by the DTI 3D LCD I reviewed in the past.

The images looked very cool, and I spent about 10 minutes gawking at my new surroundings. After playing around with Jedi Outcast, I was ready for more. I checked the supported game list, and just about every game I had was listed there.

[ 3d image of an airplane]

There is a very nice selection of supported titles, and also a link to request a game that's missing from the list. I chose Motocross Madness 2 for my next adventure, notably because it's based on Direct3D and wanted to see how that worked. The 3D images looked great here too, especially after a bit of tweaking. Overall, these glasses are very easy to use and offer beautiful 3D environments for every game I launched.

After going through about 20 different games, my feelings from the beginning have not changed. Racing games look impressive, and flight simulator 2002 looked incredible. These glasses make PC games fun again and actually kept me glued to it for quite sometime (which is not an easy task due to the Xbox sitting right next to my computer). It takes a lot to impress me, and this product really did.

Final Thoughts

The first thing to remember is that if you are using Windows 2000/XP, be sure you have an NVIDIA based card, of it will not work. Like I said previously, the glasses are well constructed and are comfortable at first. After a while, they became a bit uncomfortable around my nose, mainly because the relatively hard plastic resting on the bridge. I don't wear glasses, and rarely wear shades so this might just be a getting used to thing. The cord isn't really an issue, but if you have the extra cash for the wireless, it would be nice. The cord could have been a little longer; you might have problems if your tower isn't close by.

Also notice 3D images on computers are not perfected. As good as they look; they are still a little blurry but that's not to say they don't look unbelievable. The 3D images are amazing, and will definitely add some spice to some of your favorite titles. I'd say if you want 3D, then these glasses are the best thing on the market, hands down.

In the other hand it's just not something I would use with every game. When playing a racing game by myself, sure, but when playing Quake 3 online, forget it. Frame rates drop considerably, so you end up playing at lower resolutions. Lower resolutions mean graphics don't look as sharp.

Overall, eDimensional glasses offer excellent 3D, and the $69.00 price tag is pretty reasonable especially compared to 3D monitors which cost in excess of $1500! I really liked them better than the 3D monitor, but I don't know how much I will really use them. For you this might be different, but this is just how I feel. The glasses are also said to work with DVD titles, you just need to purchase additional software to witness this (which I did not). To sum it up, if you're looking to add a little zing to some computer favorites, these 3D glasses will deliver.

From page 3 of the review:
"I would defiantly advice of wearing in a dark room, with nobody in sight,..."

I'm all for this "pubishing power to the people" meme but jeepers, can't they get someone to at least give it a once-over for stuff like this? Sloppy.

But to be fair, the review is well-done. Just poorly edited.

Sorry.
I totally agree; actually, I should have edited my original post to say "No wonder Nvidia is largely percieved as better!"; that's what I really had in mind at the time. All the gamer children friends of mine are always going on about how 'superior' Nvidia is. I was perfectly happy with my Voodoo3!