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The Biggest Technology Flops of the Decade

Sun, 27 Dec 2009 01:19:53 GMT

HD DVD

Backed by Toshiba and friends, HD DVD lost a battle that ran most of the decade to be the format for high-definition video disks. Sony and its movie studio pushed Blu-ray in an echo of the fight over Betamax and VHS tape formats, except that Sony lost that one. HD DVD actually had the early lead over Blu-ray, but movie studios eventually sided with the Sony group. Blu-ray is selling more players this holiday season (some can be bought for $100 or less). But the nasty format fight cost high-def disks crucial time in trying to be the successor to DVD, and Blu-ray faces growing competition from Internet downloads.

Where Are the Xbox 3, Playstation 4 And Wii 2?

Wed, 23 Dec 2009 13:56:49 GMT

Did you realize that the Xbox 360 is now four-years-old? I sure didn't until recently, and that got me to wondering just when might we start seeing the next generation of gaming consoles roll out.

Most Expensive PS3: Sony PS3 Supreme Unveiled

Thu, 24 Dec 2009 16:20:57 GMT

GG posts, "Stuart Hughes has now unveiled the gold and diamond studded Sony PS3 Supreme video game console. Fashioned and designed specifically by Stuart Hughes, the company states that the system is the most expensive PS3 in the world."

NVIDIA Fermi GF100 Video Cards To Support 32x Anti-Aliasing Mode

Thu, 24 Dec 2009 09:05:44 GMT

NVIDIA has been releasing all sorts of GeForce GF100 Fermi video cards facts on Facebook and Twitter for the past month. Tonight they just posted up that the GF100 supports a brand new 32x anti-aliasing mode for ultra high-quality gaming

Infamous Chinese pirates launch Ubuntu that looks just like Windows XP

Sun, 27 Dec 2009 17:08:16 GMT

From the Chinese pirate masters of the non-sea-faring variety comes ... Ylmf OS! Not happy with pirating Windows XP itself, these creative Chinese have gone one step further and hacked Ubuntu to look exactly like Windows XP. Why have they moved to Ubuntu? Because their previous release -- a pirate version of Windows XP itself -- is being cracked down on by Microsoft.

Latest HDMI 1.4 specification to add 3D support

Sun, 27 Dec 2009 12:37:00 GMT

HDMI Consortium is preparing to add 3D support to its latest 1.4 specification, which could bring 3D gaming and movie watching to high-definition TVs.

I Don't Think You Understand How Cheap Blu-ray Really Is

Thu, 24 Dec 2009 19:31:48 GMT

Gizmodo - "The downward trajectory of Blu-ray player prices matches DVD almost to the dollar-actually, Blu-ray's cheaper. And that's not considering inflation, or that the best players do a whole lot more than Blu-ray."

Ferrari engineers most advanced Driving Simulator

Mon, 28 Dec 2009 22:55:17 GMT

Ferrari has developed one of the most advanced driving simulators to date.

Soldiers in Afghanistan using £19 iPhone app to kill Taliban fighters

Sun, 27 Dec 2009 20:44:33 GMT

Soldiers in Afghanistan are using a £19 iPhone "app" created from computer game technology to kill Taliban fighters.

BulletFlight helps sharpshooters work out how the wind and the rotation of the Earth will affect their bullet - and even predicts the wounds the enemy will suffer if it hits him. Snipers are using the ballistics program downloaded on to their iPhones to target the enemy over long distances.

Allied forces already use adapted Xbox 360 video game controllers to pilot robotic vehicles.

OnLive Beta Still Expanding, Public Launch On Track For 2010

Thu, 24 Dec 2009 21:42:55 GMT

OnLive vice president John Spinale thanked the cloud gaming service's beta participants in a new blog post today. He also gave a general status report.

Intel hoping Nintendo will include Larrabee processor in next console, says writer

Sun, 27 Dec 2009 19:09:12 GMT

According to writer Hiroshige Goto, Intel is hoping that Nintendo will include the Larrabee processor in the next Nintendo console.

Apple's tablet is the iSlate ?

Mon, 28 Dec 2009 14:05:05 GMT

The "iSlate" brand name had been patented back in November 2006 by a Delaware based company called Slate Computing. This screen-company would have served as a shield for Apple to protect the brand name of the future most wanted Apple product while remaining discrete.

#%*@#! The Top 10 Tech Fails of 2009

Thu, 24 Dec 2009 15:32:33 GMT

It was a big year for technology: Twitter and Facebook's popularity exploded, while new smartphones, e-readers and a host of other gadgets cropped up to compete for our plugged-in affection.

But into each electronic life a little digital rain must fall.

Microsoft Eyeing Google, Apple with Windows 8 Development

Wed, 23 Dec 2009 19:10:01 GMT

It has been months since Windows 7's successor has entered the planning and early development stages, and already Microsoft is taking aim at its competition deep inside its headquarters. At least two of them, Apple and Google, are being scrutinized especially closely, according to sources within the company. Despite the strong start Windows 7 has had, and Windows' huge installed base, the company realizes that there are new challenges in the changing marketplace that have to be met head-on if the Windows brand is to continue to flourish.

No Electronics on International Flights to the U.S.?

Mon, 28 Dec 2009 14:04:01 GMT

Due to that Yemeni moron that tried to blow up Detroit - and yes, he's absolutely a moron for targeting a city that has become so minor due to rampant crime and dreadful unemployment - it looks like electronics will not be allowed on international flights headed for U.S. destinations. That's right, some travelers have reported that they were not allowed to use electronic devices at all during flights headed to America. What's even more ridiculous is that the restriction isn't limited to personal electronics - airlines were instructed to turn off their in-flight entertainment, leaving some passengers with nothing to do but sleep for 13+ hours.

Microsoft, Intel to Cede Tablet Market to Apple?

Sun, 27 Dec 2009 23:16:16 GMT

So, here's the $64,000 question, uh, make that the $64 billion question. Why can't the combined R&D smarts, market clout, and overall technological resources of Microsoft-Intel-HP-Dell come up with a thin, sexy compelling tablet and/or media pad that will turn heads and convince the unbelievers (the average why-would-I-need-something-like-that consumer) that a tablet is a must-have product?

Answer: Because Apple will.

Nvidia's Fermi GPU gets cut back

Thu, 24 Dec 2009 13:16:10 GMT

Nvidia has had to cut back its Fermi GPU because of the chip's low wafer yields and its high heat output, if the latest reports are to believed.

Fermi has long been thought to be too hot to handle and Nvidia has now cut down the number of stream processors to 448 instead of the previous 512, and it has admitted that the GPU chip will be a 225 Watt part. Nvidia's own Fermi information pages still show it as having 512 SPs, but according to a recent PDF this is no longer the case.

Gigabyte GA-P55A-UD6 USB-3 SATA-6G Motherboard Review

Fri, 25 Dec 2009 08:40:43 GMT

Benchmark Reviews: Computer hardware always evolves, and in the interest of making lives more productive technology continues to advance. Gigabyte has recently launched their P55-A series of motherboards on the Intel P55-Express chipset, which incorporate a new 3-3-3 theme of features: Super-Speed USB 3.0 and 3x the USB power output, as well as SATA-3.0 for 6Gbps bandwidth. In this article, Benchmark Reviews tests the Gigabyte GA-P55A-UD6 and inspects the new SATA-6G functionality in-depth. Performance will be measured between the Intel Core i7-860 fitted to the LGA1156 socket on the Gigabyte GA-P55A-UD6 motherboard and the Core i7-920 equipped GA-EX58-UD4P. Testing a Core i7-860 against an i7-920 might not seem fair, and it's a little biased to compare P55 against X58, but the final outcome might just surprise you.

Epic Demonstrates Unreal Engine 3 for the iPod Touch/iPhone 3GS

Tue, 22 Dec 2009 17:18:45 GMT

Anand Lal Shimpi sits down with Epic's Mark Rein and plays a demonstration of Unreal Engine 3 running on an iPod Touch. Screenshots, impressions and a short video after the jump!

10 Things Microsoft Did Right in 2009

Wed, 23 Dec 2009 16:19:47 GMT

Vista got off to a bad start and we all know how that turned out. But the next version of its operating system was a different story. Microsoft released Windows 7 without a hitch, easily besting Apple's "Snow Leopard" release.