scattered technology news

Upcoming DS & PSP Games: June - Monday, May 29, 2006

The following is an offical list of games that will be released for the Sony PlayStation Portable (PSP) and the Nintendo Dual Screen (DS) in North America for June 2006. Note: This was the accurate list of games as of 05.29.06, games may be removed and new ones may be added later. Check PlayStation and/or Nintendo for the most accurate information. You may also wish to search our archives for previous release lists and reviews.

Sony PlayStation Portable:

• Astonishia - UbiSoft
• Cars - THQ
• Gradius Collection - Konami
• Juiced: Eliminator - THQ
• Metal Gear Solid: Digital Graphic Novel - Konami
• Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest - Buena Vista
• Race Driver 2006 - CodeMasters Software
• Tomb Raiders: Legend - Eidos
• Wold Tour Soccer 06 - SCEA

Nintendo DS:

• Disney/Pixar Cars - THQ
• Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest - Buena Vista
• Big Brain Academy - Nintendo
• Magnetica - Nintendo
• Superman Returns - Electronic Arts
• Harvest Moon DS - Natsume
• Micro Machines V4 - Codemasters

Links: Nintendo DS Game List | Sony PSP Game List

Motorola Q - Verizon Wireless - Tuesday, May 23, 2006

Today, Motorola announced the Motorola Q, a PDA Smartphone to compete with the Palm Treo and RIM Blackberry. The phone is powered by Windows Mobile 5.0 and supports the high-speed EV-DO network. The phone will be available starting next week (May 31, 2006) through Verizon Wireless. The Moto Q also includes a full QWERTY keyboard, Bluetooth, 1 mega pixel camera, miniSD expansion slot, and speakerphone. This phone will be especially useful for people that exchange many emails continuously since it supports synchronizing up to 8 Microsoft Outlook Accounts at once. The phone is quite expensive, and will run you $199.99 even after signing up to Verizon’s Voice/Data Plan and signing a 2-year contract. Although Motorola didn’t state when they would release this phone for other carriers, they probably will do so soon.

“On Verizon Wireless’s broadband EV-DO network, the Moto Q brings together all of the converged solutions you need to work, stay in touch or have fun.” - Ed Zander, Motorola CEO

This phone has not been officaly reviewed by anyone at this time, but the specs speak for themselves. The phone seems to be promising, however this such as the short 4-hour talk time may just not cut it for everyone.

Links: Motorola Q (demo) | Verizon Wireless (info)
Related: Offical HQ Images | PhoneScoop Specs

Vista Hardware Requirements - Friday, May 19, 2006

As Windows Vista is getting closer to launch, Microsoft has published a comprehensive guide to outline the minimum hardware requirements necessary to run their new operating system. Their new “Get Ready” program will help consumers, who are planning to purchase new machines, determine whether their new computer will be able to run Vista. According to Microsoft, to be able to run Windows Vista on the bare minimum specifications, your hardware must meet the following:

• Processor: 800 MHz / 32-bit or 64-bit
• System Memory: at least 512MB
• Hard Drive: 20GB (15GB free)
• Optical Drive: CD-ROM drive

However, to be able “To better experience Windows Vista,” (use the new “aero theme“) you must have the following hardware specifications:

• Processor: 1 GHz / 32-bit or 64-bit
• System Memory: 1GB recommended
• Graphics Processor: DirectX 9 capable
• Graphics Memory: 128MB or above
• Hard Drive: 40GB (15GB free space)
• Optical Drive: DVD-ROM or CD-ROM
• Others: Audio Out and Internet Access

Most new computer manufacturers such as Acer, Dell, Fujitsu, Gateway, HP, Sony, and more will begin to brand their machines with “Windows Vista Capable” logos. If you want to know whether your machine can run Windows Vista, visit Microsoft’s “Get Ready” website. Microsoft has also released a “Vista Upgrade Advisor” tool which will determine if the hardware on your machine is “Vista Capable”.

Links: “Get Ready” Information | Windows Vista | Microsoft
Other Links: Offical Press Release | Vista Upgrade Advisor
Related: Windows Vista Editions | Wikipedia: Windows Vista

Firefox - “Private Browsing” - Thursday, May 18, 2006

Are you a Firefox user? Do you want a better way to cover your surfing history? Distrust, a little Firefox extension, will allow keeping all your browsing history in a single session private. Distrust is a type of “silent browsing” which is very similar to the “Private Browsing” feature on Apple’s Safari browser. With a click of a button anyone can easily clear/delete any new sites you may have visited since your session began. Distrust will automatically delete any new items added to your [History], [Cache], [Cookies], [Forms], [Downloads], and anything else that was stored or logged on your computer when “Distrust” was enabled.

This is much more efficient than clearing your cache after finishing your “private browsing” since clearing all content manually would delete even items that existed before you began your “private session”. Distrust is definitely an easy to use tool for all Firefox users. The extension works on Firefox 1.0 and above and runs on both Windows and Macintosh machines. The extension is still buggy at times, but usually gets the job done.

Download / Install: Distrust-0.5.5.xpi
Links: Mozilla Addons: Distrust | Offical Distrust Page
Related: Top Firefox Extensions | Get Mozilla Firefox

Apple Introduces The “Macbook” - Wednesday, May 17, 2006

Today, 05/16/06, Apple announced the second line of Intel Core Processor based laptops. The new “MacBook” line is more affordable than the MacBook Pros which were released in January. Although the MacBooks are cheaper and more compact, the new line now lacks many features and has less power than the MacBook Pros. The MacBooks have a 13″ widescreen display and are available in 1.83/2.0 GHz models and comes in two colors, black and white. (The MacBook is a replacment to the iBook)

The new MacBooks have many of the features the MacBook Pros had such as the built-in iSight camera, Front Row media center, Mag Safe power adaptor, FireWire, WiFi 802.11g, and Bluetooth. The white model is available in 1.83GHz for $1,099 and 2.0GHz for $1,299. The slightly higher-end black MacBook also has 2.0GHz processor, but costs $1,499 because of an extra 20GB of storage. MacBooks are customizable and are available 512MB-2GB RAM, 60-120GB HDD, 4x-8x DVD±RW Drive, and a 64MB Intel Video Card. If you do plan to order one you are in luck, Apple has stated that orders placed today will be delivered by the end of the week.

Links: Apple MacBook | MacBook Tech Specs
More: Apple Store | Comparision Chart | MacBook Pro
Related: 17″ MacBook Pro | Boot Camp

Skype Out Calls Now Free - Monday, May 15, 2006

Today on May 15, 2006, Skype announced that all “Skype Out Calls,” which are PC to Landline calls, would be free in the United States and Canada until the end of this year. Starting today, anyone that lives in the U.S. or Canada will be able to make calls anywhere within either of the two countries at no cost. To utilize this feature, if you live in the U.S. or Canada, download the latest version of Skype and create a free account.

“Millions of consumers around the world are flocking to Skype every month … SkypeOut calling will rapidly accelerate Skype adoption … We’re very excited to be bringing Skype’s convenience & voice quality to so many people for free.” - Henry Gomez, Skype Manager

The Press Release stated that PC to PC will remain free, however “Skype In” (Landline to PC) and International calls will still cost money. Skype has been growing rapidly for over two years now, and as of May 1, 2006, Skype reached over 100 million members worldwide. Skype now is available in many languages and runs on Windows, Macintosh, Linux, and a few portable devices. As Skype Out will remain free until the end of this year, I suggest utilizing or at least trying out this service sometime.

Links: Skype | Download | Press Release
Related: eBay Buys Out Skype | Skype Out Info

Gmail Gets Buddy Icons - Thursday, May 11, 2006

Google has constantly been adding new features to Gmail since it originally launched in 2004. Over the last two years they have added over 2GB of storage space, RSS feed reader, virus scanning, chat, and many more features. Their latest add-on allows Gmail users to associate images with each contact (email address), therefore making it easier than ever to identify contacts. Although this may be a “new feature” for Gmail, other email services such as Yahoo! Mail have already been working on implementing custom “avatars,” which are used in Yahoo! Messenger, into their mail services for a long time.

This feature, as usual, is currently only available to a few users; however Google will eventually enable this feature for every account. Once this feature is enabled, the next time you get an email from your friend you may see an image your friend has selected or one that you may have set for him. Check back here for more information, but in the meantime login to your Gmail account and check if you already have this feature.

Links: Gmail | Gmail “Whats New!”
Related: Google Integration | Gmail Anti-Virus

NeWs Up^2-DaTe (32) - Sunday, May 7, 2006

1) As of 04/26/06 Google Maps now has BETA maps for France, Germany, Italy, and Spain. Google Maps satellite imagery has also been updated with new higher resolution images. Google stated that they plan to continue to expand their coverage to many new areas. A new “Google Maps 2 API” should be available for developers soon.
Links: Google Maps | GoogleBlog Announcement

2) On 04/25/06, Yahoo! released a new free PC “Software DVR” called Yahoo Go TV. This program was re-created based off Meedio TV, a company which Yahoo acquired a week earlier. This product is intended to compete with Windows XP Media Center, TiVo, and even Apple Front Row. Yahoo Go can not only record shows, but can be used to easily access music, photos, videos, and online media. However, the DVR function will only work if you have already purchased a TV Tuner card for your machine.
Links: Yahoo Go TV | Features | Yahoo TV

3) ABC has launched a free online streaming service to watch full episodes of shows such as Desperate Housewives, Lost, Alias, and Commander In Chief. The video is played using Macromedia Flash technology and the live streaming quality is pretty impressive. Unfortunately you will need to sit through 30-second commercials and there’s no way of skipping them. This service is not permanent and is only up for BETA testing. Go ahead and try it out when it’s still free.
Links: ABC Episode Streaming | ABC Home

Read More