View Full Version : General Technology News
Don Sweey
19-11-2007, 08:56
For general news.
USB 3.0 Coming in 2009
A new generation of USB interface will allow for much faster downloads, writes Darren Osborne.
Transferring files from your digital video camera to your computer will happen in an instant as USB enters a new generation.
The head of the USB Implementers Forum, Jeffery Ravencraft, said last month that USB had become the standard for connecting devices to computers. He said the formation of the USB 3.0 Promoter Group would help deliver a "faster sync-n-go capability".
"USB is the most successful interface in the history of computing. Last year 2.1 billion USB connections [were shipped] and to date over six billion units [have been sold]," Ravencraft said at the Intel Development Forum in Taiwan in October.
"It's phenomenal, people use it everywhere. [But] the consumer has very low tolerance and is impatient with technology."
The growing use of video and audio devices, with their bigger files sizes, was one of the reasons behind the development of faster transfer rates, he said. For example, a 27GB high-definition movie takes about 14 minutes to download with high-speed USB 2.0. With superspeed USB 3.0, it will take 70 seconds, according to Ravencraft.
USB 3.0 would also be more energy-efficient than its predecessor, reducing the load on laptops, he said.
"We're wanting to drive power efficiency for all of our platforms, (therefore) USB 3.0 will not constantly [talk to] the device."
However, users will still be able to charge devices such as mobile phones and PDAs, Ravencraft said.
"We may even allow the ability to charge even better."
He confirmed the next generation of USB would be compatible with previous versions of USB interface.
The promoter group is expected to deliver its USB 3.0 specifications in the first half of next year and the first products may appear in late 2009.
On display at the forum was wireless USB, which has received regulatory approval in several countries, but is yet to get the tick in Australia.
The technology uses ultra-wideband technology to deliver transfer rates of 480Mbps at a distance of three metres; comparable to wired USB 2.0 and several hundred times faster than Bluetooth.
The US, Japan, Europe and South Korea have decided which portions of the radio spectrum ultra-wideband devices may use, and Canada and China are expected to announce similar decisions before the end of this year.
There is no word on when Australian regulators will reach a decision on spectrum approval for wireless USB.
Mozilla's Firefox 3 beta: Improved but imperfect
A few months later than had been planned, Mozilla released on Monday night the first beta version of an overhauled Firefox, the widely used open-source Web browser.
Firefox 3 beta 1 includes a number of significant features that Mozilla said should improve security, ease of use, rendering of Web pages, and location of previously visited Web pages. And for the new era of rich Internet applications, the browser can run Web-based applications even when the computer is disconnected from a network.
The software is available for Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux at Mozilla's download site in 20 languages. You can also download the English versions for Windows or Mac from CNET Download.com.
Although Microsoft's Internet Explorer remains the dominant Web browser, the open-source rival has achieved a critical mass of users--Firefox has been downloaded more than 400 million times--and it's now common for designers to make sure their Web pages work with the browser. Even Microsoft has bowed to the reality, testing its Live.com Web sites with Firefox and helping with technical issues such as playing Windows Media files from Web pages.
According to the release notes, the core Gecko rendering engine--the component that interprets Web page instructions and draws text and graphics on your screen--has seen major changes in the upgrade to the new version 1.9 used in Firefox 3.
"Gecko 1.9 includes some major re-architecting for performance, stability, correctness, and code simplification and sustainability," the notes said. Those changes "put foundations in place for major performance tuning which have resulted in speed increases in beta 1, and will show further gains in future beta releases."
The Firefox 3 beta had been due to arrive in July, and there's no word yet on when the software will come out of beta. "The final version of Firefox 3 will be released when we qualify the product as fully ready for our users," the release notes said--a polite way of saying it'll be ready when it's ready.
http://i.i.com.com/cnwk.1d/i/bto/20071120/firefox_3b1_locationbar_400x33 .png
The location bar automatically presents Web pages with the text you type.
(Credit: Mozilla)
A quick test
A quick test of the new browser revealed that various important sites including eBay, Gmail, Amazon.com, and Icanhascheezburger appeared to work fine.
However, I got error messages at two, both with snazzier Web 2.0 user interfaces. Yahoo Mail threw errors and choked, and Adobe Systems' Buzzword online word processor told me the browser wasn't supported. On the other hand, others rich sites were happy, including Picnik and Flickr's Organizr.
Even in just a few minutes of use, I found the location bar's automatic search handy. It popped up lists of previously visited URLs and page titles that contained the words I typed into the location bar, trimming a couple steps out of a few searches.
http://i.i.com.com/cnwk.1d/i/bto/20071120/firefox_3b1_error_msg_270x79.p ng
Yahoo Mail wouldn't work for me with Firefox 3 beta 1.
(Credit: Mozilla)
One of Firefox's chief merits is the large collection of extensions that can be downloaded to bring new abilities to the browser. Alas, all four of the ones I use--Fotofox, FireFTP, Delicious Bookmarks, and Foxmarks--don't yet work with the new beta. That's no surprise--the release notes warn such breakage is likely.
Another feature I've been eagerly awaiting is the support for color profiles, which lets people see photos correctly even when they're encoded with color systems besides the long-in-the-tooth sRGB standard. It's not enabled by default, but I switched it on and was delighted to see the test images in a CNET News.com story displayed correctly.
New features
Besides Gecko 1.9, there are a number of areas of change for Firefox 3. Among them:
• Security. New features include the ability to integrate antivirus software with downloads; one-click Web site identity verification; automatic testing to make sure plug-ins aren't older versions found to be insecure and automatic disabling if they are; and support for Windows Vista parental controls.
http://i.i.com.com/cnwk.1d/i/bto/20071120/firefox_3b1_navigation_400x172 .png
The location bar indicates bookmarked Web pages with a star.
(Credit: Mozilla)
• Ease of use. Touted improvements include downloading that can be resumed after the browser has been restarted or network connection reset; users can zoom and out of Web pages in their entirety, including layout, text, and graphics; plug-ins can be managed centrally with the Add-On Manager; and mailto links can now launch Web-based e-mail applications such as Gmail, not just local applications on the PC such as Outlook.
• Personalization. Web pages can be bookmarked with one click and tagged with a double-click (though the interface looked rough to me); the aforementioned feature provides a list of possible matching Web pages based on what you type in the location bar; and a new Smart Places folder provides access to pages that are frequently visited or that have been recently bookmarked and tagged.
Microsoft are releasing XP SP3 on First Half of Q1 2008
Microsoft late last week released an updated test version of Windows XP Service Pack 3 to about 15,000 beta testers. The update, the third such service pack for the six-year-old operating system is due out in final form in the first half of next year. The company said before its final release it expects to issue a public test version of the service pack, though it did not provide more specificity than at "a later date."
"We are targeting (the first half of) 2008 for the release of XP SP3," Microsoft said, "though our timing will always be based on customer feedback as a first priority."
Speculation over the timing and features of the release has been going on for years. The release was initially expected as early as 2006, but was pushed out as Vista work remained the priority for the Windows team. The first service pack for Windows Vista is also due out in the first half of next year.
Both updates are focused largely on things such as bug fixes and performance improvements rather than new features.
Don Sweey
03-12-2007, 19:53
Samsung develops GDDR5 memory.
We’ve only seen a handful of graphics cards using GDDR4 memory so far, but Samsung is already on the case with the next generation of GDDR5 memory, and claims that it’s already sent samples out to the ‘major graphics processor companies.’
Of course, Samsung isn’t the first company to start sampling GDDR5 memory. Both Hynix and Qimonda also announced similar parts in November, but Samsung’s memory has gone one step further by offering a data transfer rate of 6Gb/sec, over the standard 5Gb/sec. As such, Samsung is boldly claiming that it’s offering ‘the world’s fastest memory,’ and says that it’s ‘capable of transmitting moving images and associated data at 24 gigabytes per second.’
As well as increasing the bandwidth, GDDR5 memory also has comparatively low power requirements, and Samsung claims that its memory operates at just 1.5V.
Samsung is currently sampling 512Mb GDDR5 chips (16Mb x 32), and Mueez Deen, Samsung’s marketing director for graphics memory, said that the memory ‘will enable the kind of graphics hardware performance that will spur software developers to deliver a new level of eye-popping games.’ However, we may have to wait a while before GDDR5 becomes widespread. Samsung estimates that the memory will become ‘the de facto standard in the top performing segment of the market’ in 2010, when the company says it will account for ‘more than 50 percent of the high-end PC graphics market.’
No silly questions please Wan.
I won't.
TV Screens Grow, Prices Drop
Last year, Randy Waynick watched as 32-inch flat-panel liquid crystal display televisions flooded the electronics market and brought prices crashing down more than 30 percent. So this holiday season, the senior executive from Sony Electronics, a unit of Sony Corp., decided on a new strategy: sell bigger TVs.
For the first time, the Japanese electronics giant is debuting 52-inch TVs at U.S. retailers such as Best Buy Co. and Circuit City Stores Inc. Sony has also increased the number of LCD TV models 40 inches or larger that it sells in the U.S. to nearly 20, up from 13. In September, Sony began dispatching more than 500 employees across the U.S. into stores to talk to shoppers about larger-size TVs. Overall, LCD TVs 40 inches or larger will increase to 68 percent of Sony's TV lineup, from 55 percent last year.
Pushing big sets for the holidays
One of the points Sony is stressing is that its large TVs offer better quality than those from cheaper vendors. "As you get into the larger screen sizes, it becomes more and more noticeable the difference between us and them," says Mr. Waynick, who is based in San Diego.
Sony isn't alone. For the holiday season, Toshiba Corp., LG Electronics Inc. and Philips Electronics NV are also pushing TV sets measuring 40 inches or larger, moving away from the most prevalent 32-inch size flat-panel TVs. The change comes in the wake of last year's glut of flat-panel TVs, which led to heavy discounting of the products. The price war partially contributed to Circuit City's net loss in its 2006 fiscal third quarter after the company tried to match discounts from rivals. Sony reported that sales of some of its TVs also fell amid the cutthroat pricing.
For TV makers, larger flat screens offer higher average selling prices and fatter profit margins. A 40-inch LCD TV today sells for around $1,273 in the U.S., while a 32-inch costs an average $763, according to research firm iSuppli Corp. of El Segundo, Calif. The big-TV market also is relatively less competitive than the smaller-sized TV market, where value brands such as Syntax-Brillian Corp.'s Olevia and closely held Westinghouse Digital Electronics LLC are crowding the market with cheap models.
"If more (consumers) step up to larger screen sizes, it's going to generate some extra revenue," says Tim Alessi, LG's product development director for consumer electronics in Englewood Cliffs, N.J.
Flat-screen remain hot
Overall, flat-panel TVs are expected to remain one of the hottest-selling products for the holidays. "The meltdown that had already occurred in 2006 at this time last year hasn't occurred and won't occur because supply and demand is balanced," says Stewart Muller, president of Philips Consumer Electronics North America.
As Americans upgrade from older TVs, sales of LCD TVs in the U.S. are expected to jump roughly 85 percent to 21.3 million units, according to iSuppli. In a recent annual survey of 1,000 U.S. households conducted by the Consumer Electronics Association, Arlington, Va., big-screen TVs also moved to the third spot on adults' holiday wish lists, up from the 11th spot last year.
This month, Elizabeth Lawley, a 45-year-old professor in Rochester, N.Y., purchased a $2,700 46-inch Sony LCD TV from online retailer Amazon.com Inc. to replace her old 27-inch General Electric Co. cathode-ray-tube television.
Ms. Lawley says she made the big-TV purchase, the first for her family in 15 years, after recently receiving a hefty tax refund and remodeling the family living room. She adds that her family wanted to get the largest TV she could afford that still has good picture quality.
"If we were going to get a new one, we wanted to go for a much more immersive theater experience instead of the small box," says Ms. Lawley.
Screens are expanding, prices dropping
But going big for manufacturers isn't foolproof. It costs more to make big TVs as the machines can require more expensive components. And as more companies build larger TVs, prices for these machines will also decline, say analysts.
The average selling price in the U.S. of a 45-to-46-inch TV is expected to drop 29 percent to $2,463 this year from $3,488 last year, according to iSuppli. In contrast, U.S. LCD TV prices overall are forecast to fall only 12 percent to an average $1,076.
Still, most electronics makers say that the price declines for larger TVs will be less drastic than for smaller-sized TVs. "There's still price erosion overall, but (going bigger) helps to offset it," says LG's Mr. Alessi.
Mike Mohan, a merchandising vice president for Richfield, Minn., retail chain Best Buy Co., says consumers appear very interested in big TVs for the holidays. Over the past five months, Best Buy has increased floor space in its stores devoted to larger TVs.
"You'll see us start to debut more and more of our holiday promotions focused on larger sizes for our customers," says Mr. Mohan.
Technology tweaks
To add appeal to big TVs, electronics makers are tweaking the machines' designs and are adding new technologies to improve picture quality. Sharp Corp., for one, in August unveiled redesigned new flat-panel LCD TVs in sizes 42 inches and larger.
The widths of the Sharp TVs were reduced 25 percent and their weight cut by 20 percent from previous models - without reducing the screen sizes - to make it easier for shoppers to get the TVs home and mounted. Sharp, which launched an ad campaign about its TVs this month, says its new 42-inch TV can now fit in the same space as a traditional 40-inch flat panel TV because of the smaller frames.
Sony's efforts to go big with its TVs started in 2005, when it decided to focus on LCD technology. The company now has equipment that cuts the glass into bigger sizes while wasting as little as possible.
Mr. Waynick says that even though 32-inch televisions were the biggest sellers last year, he noticed Sony's 40-inch TVs were also selling well. After the 2006 holiday price war, Mr. Waynick researched pricing trends and sought advice from big-box retailers and consumer focus groups. Around late winter, he and his team decided to raise the number of TV models larger than 40 inches in the U.S.
Mr. Waynick has traveled to Japan to work with corporate executives and factory representatives on what new technologies to fit into its larger TVs. In the high end of its new line of larger Bravia TVs Sony decided to add screen technology that improves the appearance of fast on-screen action in sports or videogames.
"We've done quite a bit of research over the last couple of years trying to understand this," Mr. Waynick says. "Almost everybody wants a bigger set."
Zoolander
05-12-2007, 19:06
Have you heard of the Asus Eee PC? Looks cute.
mufcsean
06-12-2007, 02:23
Looks awful if you ask me
Public test next week for Vista SP1
Microsoft on Tuesday said that it has reached the "release candidate" with the first service pack for Windows Vista, with plans to make the test software available publicly next week.
It is releasing the test code this week to the 15,000 or so people who have been beta testing SP1 already, and will also make it available on Thursday to those in the MSDN and TechNet developer programs.
"We feel really good and we look forward to receiving feedback from our larger set of testers," said David Zipkin, a senior product manager on the Windows Client team.
Microsoft also said on its Vista blog on Wednesday that it will make available a "blocker" that will allow customers who have Vista and use Windows Update to block SP1 upon its final release to allow for further testing. Microsoft offered a similar option with Windows XP Service Pack 2.
Service Pack 1 is mainly designed as a collection of bug fixes and performance improvements rather than an attempt to add new features. Among the changes that are more feature-related is the ability to use BitLocker encryption on multiple hard drive volumes as well as changes to the desktop search feature, which were made to satisfy antitrust concerns from Google.
Microsoft also said this week that it will change the way its antipiracy features work in SP1, eliminating a system in which Vista machines found not to be genuine are relegated to a near-unusable "reduced functionality mode." In its place, Microsoft will show prominent warnings and prompt those with non-genuine software to get a properly licensed copy. The new antipiracy approach will be in the final version of SP1 but is not part of the release candidate version.
The software maker has made some changes to SP1 since it began testing it earlier this year. In particular, the company has worked to reduce the size of the update as well as the amount of free space required to perform the update.
Vista still requires up to 4.5GB of free space for a typical user, but that's down from the 7GB required in earlier beta versions. Most of that space is returned back to the user. For some people, though, particularly those with ultramobile machines or running Vista in a partition on their Mac, the free space limit can be an obstacle.
Microsoft has also significantly reduced the file size of the Windows Update and full versions of the service pack, Zipkin said.
The release candidate version of the Vista service pack comes just as the Windows Server team issues a public release candidate for Windows Server 2008. Development of Vista SP1 and Windows Server 2008 have been fairly closely aligned and both are slated for release in the first quarter of 2008. However, Zipkin said it is conceivable the release of the two products could vary, particularly if quality concerns arise for either one.
Stella Artois
06-12-2007, 16:32
With this news, would it be worth getting Vista now?
I wouldn't bother getting Vista unless you're going to play DX10 games. XP is fine, although I haven't had too many problems with Vista (except online gaming which is a fucking nightmare). The price is the main reason to go with XP.
Zoolander
08-12-2007, 16:32
Anyone else think Apple will take a dip in the game console market?
Don Sweey
08-12-2007, 16:36
I think they're in a brilliant position to do so and would be surprised if they didn't do something, be it a games console or a mini Mac media unit.
mufcsean
08-12-2007, 16:38
iCore or something cheesy like that
Zoolander
08-12-2007, 16:41
I think they're in a brilliant position to do so and would be surprised if they didn't do something, be it a games console or a mini Mac media unit.
Hopefully they've learnt from their mistakes.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Pippin
Epic fail!
CompUSA to close all of its 103 stores
The consumer electronics store will run store-closing sales during the holidays to get rid of inventory.
DALLAS (AP) -- Consumer electronics retailer CompUSA said Friday it will close its stores after the holidays following sale of the company to an affiliate of Gordon Brothers Group, a restructuring firm.
CompUSA operates 103 stores, which plan to run store-closing sales during the holidays.
Privately held CompUSA, controlled by Mexican financier Carlos Slim Helu's Grupo Carso SA, said discussions were under way to sell certain stores in key markets. Stores that can't be sold will be closed.
Gordon Brothers will also try to sell the company's technical services business, CompUSA TechPro, and online business, CompUSA.com.
Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Dallas-based CompUSA has struggled for nearly a decade with falling prices on personal computers, its most important product, and competition from big-box retailers such as Best Buy (Charts, Fortune 500).
Helu took the company private in 2000. The chain went through several CEOs and tried different turnaround strategies, such as a move this year to focus on core customers such as gadget users and small-business owners.
CompUSA closed more than half its stores this spring and got a cash infusion of $440 million to restructure.
During the wind-down, Weinstein and Stephen Gray, managing partner at CRG Partners, will run the company. The chain's current chief executive, Roman Ross, will serve in an advisory role, CompUSA said.
DJM Realty, a Gordon Brothers Group affiliate, will review leases of CompUSA's store locations.
Zoolander
07-01-2008, 08:05
http://www.shinyshiny.tv/
This website is aimed at women btw. :wave:
Zoolander
08-01-2008, 16:13
http://www.microsoft.com/surface/
Think it will take off?
Don Sweey
08-01-2008, 16:36
Saw this a few months back and not sure what to make of its functionality and future usage in the mainstream. Looks nice though.
Zoolander
08-01-2008, 16:56
Oh lawd!
http://www.tomsgames.com/us/2008/01/07/alienware_display/
http://www.microsoft.com/surface/
Think it will take off?
Looks pretty interesting.
Don Sweey
09-01-2008, 09:18
Oh lawd!
http://www.tomsgames.com/us/2008/01/07/alienware_display/
Not sure if the article touches on the fact that the monitor has three panels which are visible by slight vertical discolouration/greyness on the display.
Would be a fantastic monitor but unless running quad SLi (not sure there's quad crossfire yet), the graphics card would likely weep for attention. Perhaps two 8800GTX's or Ultras.
Would be a fantastic monitor but unless running quad SLi, the graphics card would likely weep for attention.
:laugh: Yes, it surely will with Crysis. :/
Zoolander
13-01-2008, 04:42
http://gizmodo.com/341849/video-of-pioneer-kuro-concept-plasma-shows-how-thin-this-thing-really-is
Do want!
A bit late but ....
http://ces.cnet.com/8300-13855_1-67.html?tag=ces2008_tnav
SSD & WiMAX interest me.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7202396.stm
Don Sweey
27-01-2008, 22:32
Service Pack 1 for Windows Vista remains on track for a Q1 2008 release. Microsoft has repeatedly stated that no new features will be implemented, simply performance boosts and security updates. According to PC Pro, file copying under SP1 will be much faster - which is good because it is shockingly poor in Vista.
Rumours abound that Windows 7, the successor to Vista, will be pushed forward by one year to a 2009 release with severe testing of three early builds to take place in each of the first three quarters of 2008. No official word from Microsoft and to be fair if Vista is anything to go by, even the initially rumoured 2010 release date won't be met.
Microsoft to buy Yahoo for $45bn
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/tech/20080201-0938-microsoft-yahoo.html
Google have responded by launching a new marketing campaign:
http://i31.tinypic.com/wkfprr.jpg
Zoolander
02-02-2008, 01:50
They'll have most of the email provider market!
Notts police seize mobile phone stun gun
'This could potentially kill someone'
By Lester Haines
Notts police are in a state of semi-shock after seizing a "potentially lethal" stun gun disguised as as Sony Ericsson W700.
The weapon was recovered from two young men on 28 February in the Hyson Green area of Nottingham, according to the Nottingham Evening Post. It looks like a normal mobile phone but boasts a handy "Stun" button which can, police forensic experts claim, deliver a 900,000-volt electric shock via two small metal prongs.
Detective Sergeant Dave Bola, of Notts Police, told the BBC: "It's a shock that we found it. We are always concerned about finding different types of weapons on the streets. This could potentially kill someone."
A police spokesman elaborated: "It could render someone unconscious and may even be powerful enough to kill an older person. Forensic tests have been carried out on the weapon and we are making inquiries as to where it originated from."
The mobile stun gun is, of course, at an estimated 900,000V, 18 times more potentially lethal than the 50,000V "non-lethal" Taser, which now forms part of the Nottingshire force's law enforcement arsenal.*
The mobile phone version of the Taser has, meanwhile, been available for some time. Back in 2004, we reported they were being punted on eBay in the UK, and security-conscious Americans can pick one up for just $49.95 - a price which includes a "100dB high pitch tone alarm" and useful "Super bright LED flashlight".
Where can I buy one?
Windows XP SP3 set to be released on April 29th
At long last, Windows XP Service Pack 3, certain to be the final Service Pack for the beloved XP, is off to "manufacturing." Of course, since there's nothing to actually manufacture, that just means they're priming the system for delivery to you via Windows Update. And that begins on April 29.
ZDNet has a helpful blog post answering just about every question you could have about SP3. The big info: Download via Windows Update will be about 70MB, and enhancements will be minimal. Security is the main focus, with some of Vista's enhancements (yeah, I'm nervous about this too...) showing up in XP. Of course, all prior XP updates are included in this roll-up as well, so if you missed something along the way, you'll be getting it come next Tuesday.
Answering one big question you all have sent my way numerous times: No, performance is unlikely to be affected by SP3 in any significant way.
Another biggie: Internet Explorer 7 is not included in the Service Pack, but updates to both IE6 and IE7 are packaged into the rollup, so your browser will be updated no matter what you're using.
One neat feature: If you have an XP CD with SP3 already on it (and these can be made by "slipstreaming" the update into your existing XP disc), you can install Windows without a product key, just like you can with Vista, and provide the key later when it's time to validate.
On the whole, don't expect an awful lot from SP3. While service packs normally bring with them extensive updates, remember that XP is a very mature OS, now seven years old, and Microsoft is trying to sweep it under the rug as quickly as possible. Still, an SP is an SP, and I'll take it. I'll have hands-on coverage as soon as possible.
http://tech.yahoo.com/blogs/null/90289
Microsoft's next operating system (OS) will come with multi-touch features as an alternative to the mouse.
It is hoped the successor will have a better reception than the much-maligned Vista OS, released last year.
Scheduled for release in 2010, the new fingertip interface lets users enlarge and shrink photos, trace routes on maps, paint pictures or play the piano.
"The way you interact with the system will change dramatically," said Microsoft chairman Bill Gates.
Speaking at the All Things Digital conference in San Diego, Mr Gates said Windows 7 would incorporate new forms of communication and interaction.
Despite issuing more than 140 million licences for Vista worldwide, it's seen by many as a failure
Darren Waters, Technology editor, BBC News website
Read more on the dot.life blog
"Today almost all the interaction is keyboard-mouse. Over years to come, the role of speech, vision, ink - all of those things - will be huge."
Chief executive Steve Ballmer described the limited demo of the multi-touch screen at the conference as "a small snippet" of the next version of Windows after admitting he wants "to do better" than Vista.
Even though Vista has suffered from a poor public image and a lukewarm welcome from many firms and users, Mr Ballmer said the company had shipped 150 million copies of the program.
Touch-enabled
Industry watchers say Microsoft is hoping that Windows 7 can change the way people interact with PCs in the future.
"Touch is quickly becoming a common way of interacting with software and devices," writes Windows product manager Chris Flores in a blog post.
Making music using the touch screen interface
"Touch-enabled surfaces are popping up everywhere including laptop touch pads, cellphones, remote controls, GPS devices and more."
When challenged as to who would get to market first with a new touch screen device, Microsoft or Apple, Mr Ballmer said it was not much of an issue.
"We'll sell 290 million PCs and Apple will sell 10 million PCs.
"They're fantastically successful and so are we and our partners. But it's a different job. Steve [Jobs, Apple chief executive] can flip his hand and sell a few models and I don't take a thing away from him."
Website Beta News reports that "beta testing of the product should begin later this year although a lack of touch-screen devices could slow widespread trials of the new interface".
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7422924.stm
RIP mouse.
Don Sweey
27-07-2008, 15:56
DirectX 11 is coming, and will be compatible with Vista and DX10 hardware.
The Compute Shader sounds interesting and the fact you won't need Windows 7 or DX11 hardware to take advantage of it is welcomed with open arms considering the virtually non-existant take-up of DX10 in games so far.
I.N Extasy
27-07-2008, 15:58
Thank God it'll be compatible with DX10 hardware!
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