By Marcus Yam - Source : Tom's Guide

Though not without its own set of imperfections, the new PSP-3000 model is the latest and greatest, improving upon the previous generation with a more vibrant LCD and built-in microphone. But now, there’s one fewer option in how to you may buy one.

Those who have it already in their hands had to purchase it as part of a Ratchet & Clank bundle, which comes with a 1GB Memory Stick, National Treasure 2 on UMD, echochrome download on PSN and, of course, the Ratchet & Clank Size Matters game.

It seems however, as that will be the only way to buy the new PSP, as Sony Computer Entertainment America has just axed the bundle that was set to come with only a black handheld and a 4GB Memory Stick just weeks before it was to hit stores.

John Koller, director of hardware marketing at SCEA, explained on the official PlayStation Blog, “Based on ongoing discussions with our retail partners and the feedback they have received from their customers, SCEA has seen significant interest in the Ratchet & Clank Size Matters PSP Entertainment Pack in North America, which includes the updated PSP-3000. As a result, we will be streamlining our PSP hardware lineup and will no longer be offering the previously announced 4GB Memory PSP Entertainment Pack.

“Consumers who are interested in a larger capacity memory option can purchase a 4GB PSP Memory Stick PRO Duo, which will be available this fall for $44.99 (MSRP). The Ratchet & Clank Size Matters PSP Entertainment Pack will continue to be available in Mystic Silver in North America, and, starting in December, will be available in Piano Black.”

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By Aaron Heibert - Source : Tom's Hardware

Microsoft’s cloud-based operating system, originally referred to as ‘Windows Cloud’ has finally gotten is official name – Azure. The Azure Services Platform is an internet-scale cloud services platform hosted in Microsoft data centers, to provide an operating system and developer services that can be used individually or together.

Cloud computing, also referred to as ‘On Demand Computing’, is a system in which tasks and functions are assigned to a combination of connections, software and services, accessed over a network. The network is referred to as ‘the cloud’. Cloud computing allows users to access supercomputer level power – using a browser, thin client or other access points like an iPhone, BlackBerry, or other mobile computing device. Users can virtually ‘reach’ into the cloud for resources when they require them – hence the ‘On Demand’ reference.

The amount of processing power is made available to users through distributed cluster computing, often in conjunction with server virtualization software like Xen, and other parallel processing systems. So what exactly is ‘Cloud Computing’ used for?

Cloud Computing is generally used to sort or process through extremely large amounts of data. For example, Google essentially ‘clouds’ due to its need to produce accurate results from literally millions of incoming search inquiries at any given time of the day. Google’s approach has been to manufacture hundreds of thousands of its own servers / datacenters from commodity components, connecting relatively inexpensive processors in parallel to create a very powerful and scalable system. Things that general consumers use quite frequently such as, Google Apps, Google Maps, and Google Mail are all ‘cloud’ based applications – they are accessed via the client and handled by a cloud system in the background. Get the idea?

For those of you that do not keep up on this type of stuff, ‘Cloud Computing’ is just another way of saying ‘Grid Computing’ – Grid Computing has been around for a very long time, so there is really nothing new here. ‘Cloud Computing’ or ‘Azure’ is just a new way of marketing the whole idea and making it more readily available to everyone – this is the really good part about it.

According to Microsoft’s description of the ‘Azure’ service:

“Azure reduces the need for up-front technology purchases, and it enables developers to quickly and easily create applications running in the cloud by using their existing skills with the Microsoft Visual Studio development environment and the Microsoft .NET Framework. In addition to managed code languages supported by .NET, Azure will support more programming languages and development environments in the near future. Azure simplifies maintaining and operating applications by providing on-demand compute and storage to host, scale, and manage web and connected applications. Infrastructure management is automated with a platform that is designed for high availability and dynamic scaling to match usage needs with the option of a pay-as-you-go pricing model. Azure provides an open, standards-based and interoperable environment with support for multiple internet protocols, including HTTP, REST, SOAP, and XML.

Microsoft also offers cloud applications ready for consumption by customers such as Windows Live, Microsoft Dynamics, and other Microsoft Online Services for business such as Microsoft Exchange Online and SharePoint Online. The Azure Services Platform lets developers provide their own unique customer offerings by offering the foundational components of compute, storage, and building block services to author and compose applications in the cloud.”

Feel free to browse around Microsoft’s Azure pages to get yourself familiarized more with what it is all about – located here.

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By Jane McEntegart - Source : Tom's Guide

During these troubling financial times it’s fairly normal for companies to resort to drastic competitive measures to ensure they keep up their numbers when it comes to customers and revenue. What we didn’t expect to hear was that Wal-Mart would be offering the just released Google phone for cheaper than anyone else around.

According to CNN money, Wal-Mart announced yesterday that it would be selling HTC’s Android-based G1 handset for over $30 less than competing retailers. Wal-Mart spokeswoman Melissa O’Brien said starting Wednesday, customers can pick up the mobile phone for $148.88 with a two year contract. This price applies to both new and existing customers who are availing of an upgrade.

The G1 has only been in stores for about a week and while T-Mobile sold a reported 1.5 million handsets during online presales in the run up to the official launch, numbers for physical sales remain a secret, although we’d be interested in seeing how many people will pick up a G1 now that they can get it for $31.11 less at Wal-Mart.

This discount is obviously going to drag in those who feel like they’re getting a top of the range, brand new product for cheaper than everyone else. however, when you look at the big T-Mobile picture, $31.11 isn’t really going to make that much of a difference to those who can afford the kind of price plan the carrier is pushing in the first place.

(Via CNN Money)

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By Jane McEntegart - Source : Tom's Guide

Just in time for the holidays, toy superstore Toys ‘R’ Us will begin stocking Eee PCs and iPods.

According to Twice.com, the toy shop will sell Apple’s iPod Shuffle and the company’s latest versions of its iPod Touch and Nano along with iPod accessories in an “iPod boutique” section of the store.

The sale of iPods aside, the company is also going to carry four different models of Asus’ Eee PC netbooks in both black and white. Available running Linux or Windows XP, Toys ‘R’ Us plans to sell the enromously popular netbooks at $269 and $299, respectively.

While we can see the appeal of selling Apples tutti-fruity MP3 players in a toy store (the fact that they come in all the colors of the rainbow makes them all the more attractive to children, we’re not so sure we get the idea of selling Eee PCs. Using low cost laptops for education is an idea that has been around for the last couple of years but that’s based on a curriculum that incorporates those computers into classwork.

While there’s no doubt some kids will get Eee PCs for Christmas, we can’t imagine they’ll be allowed use them in class because not everyone will have one. Expect to see Toys ’R’ Us stores ramping up advertising for the Eee PC in the next few weeks and we’re sure it’ll shift a fair amount of the computers once it gets closer to Christmas and people start to have trouble getting their hands on them.

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By Aaron Heibert - Source : Tom's Hardware

Not everyone may have a use for such high-end audio, such as the Symphony 64 by Apogee Digital – but for those audiophiles who would be interested in an affordable recording system, here you go.

The Symphony 64 PCI Express card is made to interface Apogee’s X-Series and Rosetta Series converters directly to the Mac Pro – supporting 64 channels, 24bit/192kHz with ultra low latencies based on its price range. The Symphony 64 also features Extended Audio Routing with VBus and SBus technology.

VBus is something that allows users to route their software instruments directly between Core Audio based applications instead of running them as ‘plug-ins’. SBus technology doubles Digital Signal Processing (DSP) power of the system – making it possible to route audio to a second workstation and back again for plug-in processing (off-loading), sample libraries, soft-synth players, and session transfers from one Core application to another.

The Symphony 64 prices in at US$995. Apogee is also offering a $250 upgrade option for customers that have purchased a card between the dates of August 1, 2008 and December 31, 2008. Good deal! Now obviously the price seems high to those of us that aren’t into the business of the recording industry, but believe me – this is definitely on the ‘affordable’ side. Obviously you would need more than just this card, but Apogee is still one of the most affordable solutions when it comes to pro-audio recording.

If you are one of those few out there looking to do some serious audio work, this is a good start. More information regarding Apogee products can be found on their site.

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By Jane McEntegart - Source : Tom's Guide

Following last week’s barrage of Gmail updates from Google, the search giant this week brings us another project from Gmail Labs which might actually prove to be quite useful.

As of late many users have been requesting that the Gmail team find a way to incorporate Google Docs and Calendar into the left-nav tool bar along with Chat and Labels so they could easily access their information on the Google apps without leaving Gmail.

Google announced today (via its blog) that the Gmail team had recently gotten together with some of the engineers in charge of Calender and Docs and added both applications to the left-nav, allowing users to monitor their calendars and keep an eye on upcoming appointments, as well as showing them recently accessed Google Docs and enabling them to quickly and easily search their documents without opening new tabs. The new tool will also mean users are reminded of upcoming appointments, a welcome addition for anyone who uses Google Calendars.

That aside, the company also announced a third Lab, which allows users to add any gadget to the left-nav by pasting in the URL of its XML spec file, however Gmail Engineer, Dan Pupius writes that this tool is a sandbox mainly aimed at developers who want to play around with gadgets in Gmail and says that the “iframe-style Gadgets we’re using today” can sometime slow down the page.

Last week saw the release of Gmail Mobile 2.0, updates for emoticons and the addition of Canned Responses to Gmail Labs. To read about last weeks updates, click here.

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By Michael Brown - Source : Tom's Guide

IDC reported today that in the third quarter of 2008, shipments of notebook computers into the U.S. market exceeded desktop shipments for the first time ever. Notebook PCs accounted for 55.2 percent of all computer shipments according to the research firm’s U.S. Quarterly PC Tracker report.

In spite of the deteriorating state of the U.S. economy, IDC reported that a record volume of 9.5 million notebooks were shipped in the third quarter, a figure that represents growth of 18 percent over the same period last year. Every notebook manufacturer experienced growth in the quarter, according to IDC, including both companies that sell notebooks exclusively (such as Toshiba) and those that sell both notebooks and desktops (including Acer, Sony, and Lenovo), with notebooks accounting for more than 65 percent of the latter’s U.S. shipments.

“The consumer market continued to be the top driving factor in the notebook offensive,” said IDC research manager David Daoud, “but the commercial sector played a critical role too. The consumer market has long favored notebooks, with mobile ratios exceeding the 70 percent mark.”

Asus and Samsung are making aggressive moves into this space, sensing new opportunities among a growing base of U.S. consumers who own multiple PCs, according to IDC’s analysis, with the potential for lower prices to stimulate demand and fuel continued market growth.

“Prolonged economic tension could have an adverse effect on the PC space leading to reduced growth,” said Daoud, “but the good news is that virtually every buyer considers PCs as must-have products and not secondary wish-list items.”

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By Michael Brown - Source : Tom's Guide

Sonos introduced new software today that allows you to control their Sonos Digital Music System using an iPhone. they also announced that Sonos owners will now have free access to Last.fm and Pandora (as in free forever, not a free trial).

Sonos made two important announcements related to its excellent Sonos Digital Music System today: They now have an iPhone app that turns that smartphone into a controller for their music-streaming system, and all Sonos customers now have free access to the Internet radio services Last.FM and Pandora.

By most accounts, the Sonos controller, which features an iPod style control wheel and a luscious 3.5-inch LCD, is better than what comes with any other music-streaming system on the market. Unfortunately, its $399 price tag renders the device more costly than many other entire music-streaming systems, including Logitech’s excellent Squeezebox Classic ($299, including a decidedly simpler remote control).

But if you own an iPhone, you can now download a free app that turns that device into a Sonos controller with all the same (some would say more) functionality.

Squeezebox fans, of course, will point out that an iPhone controller has been available for that music-streaming system for months. That’s just one of the many benefits—to both manufacturers and end users—of open-source software; the Sonos system is entirely proprietary.

Sonos’ other big announcement today is that all Sonos customers now have free access to the Internet radio subscription services Last.fm and Pandora. Both services analyze the music you listen to and make recommendations of other songs and artists that you might like.

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By Steve Seguin - Source : Tom's Guide

Dell ’s newly announced Inspiron Mini 12 netbook is coming Stateside in November for under $600.

Dell officially announced its new Inspiron Mini 12 on Sunday. The new Inspiron blurs the line between netbook and ultra-portable notebook, offering consumers MacBook Air portability with a price tag under $600. The Inspiron Mini 12 is now available in Japan and it will be coming Stateside later this year. The Inspiron Mini 12 weighs around 2.73-pounds and it has a thickness of less than 1.09-inches.

According to the Dell Japan website, the Dell Inspiron Mini 12 can be configured with a choice of Intel Atom Z520 or Z530 processor and 60 GB or 80 GB 4200 RPM hard drive. The choices seem to end there however; the rest of system specifications include a 12.1-inch glossy TFT Truelife WXGA LCD display, Intel US15W system controller hub, Intel GMA500 integrated graphics, 802.11g and 1 GB of DDR2 memory. The Inspiron Mini 12 also comes with a standard set of ports, including three USB ports, a 10/100 Ethernet port, a VGA port, audio ports and an AC adapter port. Some nice extra features include a 5-in-1 media card reader, Bluetooth v2.1 with EDR, 1.3-megapixel webcam and built-in microphone.

Even though the new Inspiron Mini 12 uses an Intel Atom processor, it distinguishes itself from the Inspiron Mini 9 and other netbooks in a few key ways. The most obvious difference is that the Dell Inspiron Mini 12 features a 12.1-inch screen, while nearly all other netbooks to date have been essentially limited to no more than about 10-inch screen sizes. The Inspiron Mini 12 is available with Windows Vista Home Basic operating system, although Windows XP and Ubuntu alternatives will become available later this year.

Also uniquely difference about the Inspiron Mini 12 is the type of Intel Atom processor it uses. While most other netbooks use the laptop-centric Atom N270 processor, the Inspiron Mini 12 is equipped with either the Atom Z530 or Z520 processor, both of which are designed for UMPCs. While the Atom N270 and the Atom Z530 are virtually identical in terms of performance, both with a 1.6 GHz clock speed, 512 KB of L2 cache and a 533 MHz FSB, the Atom Z530 uses slightly less power. The Atom Z520 also has a low power consumption, but it features a slower clock speed of 1.33 GHz.

Lastly, the Inspiron Mini 12 uses the Intel SCH US15W chipset with Intel GMA 500 integrated graphics, which also seems to be a first for netbooks. The US15W chipset has a low system TDP of just 4.3-watts, however the chipset is limited to just 1 GB of RAM. For those hoping they could upgrade the amount of memory are out of luck it seems, which is rather disappointing considering that Windows Vista really likes as much memory as it can get. The Intel GMA 500 graphics solution uses the PowerVR SGX core licensed from Imagination Technologies and it will provide hardware video acceleration and Direct3D 10.1 support.

Battery life for the Dell Inspiron Mini 12 will hit up to 3 hours and 32 minutes with a 3-cell battery, which is quite excellent. There will be a 6-cell battery option available as well. Overall, the new Inspiron Mini 12 appears to have the makings of a truly popular netbook. Although not as powerful as a full-fledged ultra-portable notebooks, the Inspiron Mini 12 offers the same portability and function that many consumers desire, but with a lower price tag.

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By Kevin Parrish - Source : Tom's Guide

Software developer Stardock Systems revealed Friday that it is working on a new, non-intrusive copyright security solution.

Widely known for its games Galactic Civilizations, Sins of a Solar Empire and Dark Avatar as well as Object Desktop, its desktop enhancement utility suite, Stardock is no stranger when it comes to speaking out against anti-piracy software. In fact, the company has released a few of its titles without any kind of copy protection and even established "The Gamer’s Bill of Rights," a statement of principals the company hopes the PC industry will eventually adopt. As an example of the principals, Stardock allowed consumers to return copies of The Political Machine for a full refund if their PC wasn’t suited to play the software.

Sounds insane? It might to most publishers stuck on including DRM software, and Stardock CEO Brad Wardell is fully aware of their unwillingness to release games without any kind of protection. "So the publishers are telling us, ’Put your money where your mouth is," he told Edge Magazine in regards to his approach to copy protection. "Why don’t you guys develop something that you think is suitable that would protect our IP, but would be more acceptable to users?’ We’re investigating what would make users happy to protect their needs, but also provide some security for the publishers. ... We’re actually developing a technology that would do that."

Wardell made a good point, however. Stardock’s theory is that gamers - not the machine - purchase a license to play. Consumers shouldn’t be limited to the number of installs and they shouldn’t be limited to just one PC. If the customer loses the physical copy, they should be able to re-download it as long as there’s a registered e-mail address attached to the license; it is this system that Stardock is exploring although the company doesn’t want to label the final solution as "DRM."

And rightfully so. The acronym has been a hot issue for the last few years. However, EA’s release of Spore re-ignited the huge debate on what is considered obnoxious and what should be suitable to protect publishers and their valuable IPs. With Spore, the game secretly installs SecuROM onto the consumer’s computer without warning and without consent. The anti-piracy software cannot be removed without formatting the entire system. Stardock hopes to offer something more non-intrusive for all publishers that will also benefit the consumer.

According to the company, gamers have the right to return games that don’t work on their computer, that games should be in a finished state when published, and that games don’t install hidden drivers or "other potentially harmful software without their consent." Stardock also believes that software should run without the CD/DVD in the drive, and consumers should not be treated as potential criminals by developers and publishers.

"As an industry, we need to begin setting some basic, common sense standards that reward PC gamers for purchasing our games," stated Wardell. "The console market effectively already has something like this in that its games have to go through the platform maker such as Nintendo, Microsoft, or Sony. But on the PC, publishers can release games that are scarcely completed, poorly supported, and full of intrusive copy protection and then be stuck on it."

Having a set, universal standard such as the Gamer’s Bill of Rights - whether it involves a game or Windows Vista - sounds like a good idea, and implementing copy protection that won’t infect the innards of the PC’s operating system sounds even better. But getting Microsoft or Electronic Arts to allow consumers to install software on multiple PCs sounds more far-fetched than anything based in reality.

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By Michael Brown - Source : Tom's Guide

Netflix announced today that it has begun deploying a new streaming media player based on Microsoft’s Silverlight, although only users of Intel-based Macintosh computers will be able to use the product in its initial deployment.

Currently, Netflix subscribers who wish to stream movies and television episodes to their PCs must use Internet Explorer. Silverlight, which will be rolled out to all Netflix subscribers by the end of the year, will provide cross-browser compatibility. Netflix also claims that Silverlight will enable faster connections and a “more robust viewing experience…due to the quality built directly into the player,” according to today’s press release. Content will be protected by Microsoft’s PlayReady digital rights management technology.

“Silverlight with PlayReady offers a powerful and secure toolkit for delivery of dynamic streaming,” said Netflix Chief Product Officer Neil Hunt, “which offers faster start-up and higher quality video, adapted in real time to users’ connection speeds.” Netflix will also continue to support non-PC clients, such as the Roku Netflix Player, the LG BE300 Blu-ray disc player, and the Samsung BD-P2500 Blu-ray disc players. Support for Microsoft’s Xbox 360 is expected soon, according to Netflix.

Netflix subscribers can choose from 12,000 movies and TV episodes to watch instantly, although few of those titles are new releases. The company recently announced new content deals with CBS, the Disney Channel, and Starz. Netflix counts more than 100,000 titles in its DVD library.

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