Written on 8:13 AM by Rahul Mathur
The Wii (IPA: /wiː/) is Nintendo's seventh-generation video game console. Previously known by its project code name of Revolution, it is the successor to the Nintendo GameCube and competes against Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3.
A distinguishing feature of the Wii console is its wireless controller, the Wii Remote, which may be used as a handheld pointing device and can detect motion and rotation in three dimensions. The console also notably features WiiConnect24, which enables it to receive messages and updates over the Internet while consuming very little electrical power.
Nintendo first mentioned the console in the 2004 E3 press conference and later unveiled the system at the 2005 E3. Satoru Iwata revealed a prototype of the controller at the September 2005 Tokyo Game Show.[3] At E3 2006, the Wii console won the Game Critics Awards for Best of Show and Best Hardware.[4] In the December 2006 issue of Popular Science the console was awarded with the Grand Award Winner in Home Entertainment. The console was first launched in some markets in 2006 (see release date and price for detailed information).
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Written on 1:38 AM by Rahul Mathur
Like it or not, you'll probably be using Windows Vista before you know it.
Microsoft expects to sell 200 million copies of the new operating system within 24 months. By comparison, Windows 95 sold 67 million copies in its first two years.
Vista is being marketed as a "breakthrough computing experience." That may be pushing it, especially since some of the more radical innovations were cut when the project bogged down two years ago, but it will rapidly change the way many people use a PC.
Most of those 200 million Vista users will really like the new software, after they've worked through the transition from Windows XP.
But Vista's not perfect, and it has plenty of things to gripe about. This isn't a comprehensive preview, but a heads-up about some of the best and worst things to expect.
THE GOOD
Appearance
Vista looks and feels great. In fact, it's dazzling. Its 3-D icons, transparent "glass" effect and improved buttons and layout feel crisp, modern and sharp — as if you're using a high-definition PC. Mac users will note that OS X has had a similar feel for years; still, Vista feels new and different.
Microsoft says this is more than eye candy. It's easier to find things on the desktop, and you get a preview of what's inside file folders — a thumbnail shows the first document or photo in a folder, for instance.
Vista also finally gives Windows a built-in search bar, like OS X, that makes it as easy to search for computer files as it is to search the Web.
At the very least, it's a refreshing change from that XP screen you've been staring at for five years now.
Security
This is Microsoft's first new operating system since the company realized in 2002 that it had to make security and reliability its top priority. Vista includes an improved firewall, a browser that runs in a "protected mode," built-in malware protection and changes that will reduce the damage an attack can cause to a system.
Out of the box, the system is configured to run more safely, although you'll still want to have additional virus protection.
It's early to say, but it appears that Vista will remove the cloud of uncertainty about computer attacks that have loomed over Windows users for the past five years.
Networking
During the long life of Windows XP, broadband came to a majority of the U.S. population, home networking proliferated, laptop sales outpaced desktops and wireless became a standard feature on most PCs. The circa 2001 networking tools in XP needed an overhaul.
Vista has an innovative tool for connecting a PC to networks, setting up a home network and connecting other devices. The software makes it easier to share files on a network, and it includes a troubleshooter that diagnoses problems and suggests a fix.
Windows Media Player
Digital music will move further into the mainstream, and the media player built into Vista introduces the phenomenon to tens of millions of people. Good thing it's a great piece of software.
When you copy a CD onto your PC, the software automatically finds information about the music, including a crisp image of the album cover — without requiring you to register as other music jukeboxes do.
Your digital music collection appears in Windows Media Player 11 as a collection of colorful albums, instead of a list of file names, and its big control buttons make it feel less like you're using a database to play music.
Best of all, the player is available free to Windows XP users.
Applications
It's easier than ever to find high-quality, free software applications. Google, in particular, is trying to lure users by offering a word processor, desktop tools and photo-management applications.
Microsoft's response includes several great applications bundled with Vista that make the system more useful out of the box. They include an improved e-mail program that replaces Outlook Express, and a slick calendar that you can synchronize with other users.
Also included are Photo Gallery, for managing and editing digital photos, and Movie Maker for working with digital video.
THE BAD
Security
It's vastly improved, but at times that's going to make the software frustrating to use. It could be especially frustrating shortly after Vista is released, if other software companies haven't updated their applications to work smoothly with Vista's more restrictive settings.
A cornerstone of Vista's security is User Account Control. What this does is make it easier to run the system in a restricted mode. Users in restricted mode don't have authority to do things like download new programs. This prevents attacks from taking over a PC. When users want to change settings or download a program, a window pops up and asks if the user wants to invoke administrative privileges and proceed.
The system can also ask for the administrator password, so children can't override parental controls, for instance.
Microsoft has been fine-tuning the system to minimize the pop-up privilege requests, but this feature is likely to interrupt users more than they'd like. It's probably a small price to pay for improved security.
Cost
Standard home and business versions of Vista will cost the same as XP. But given all the concern about security and stolen information, consumers and businesses will want Vista Ultimate, a pricey premium version with the new BitLocker Drive Encryption security feature.
Businesses, in particular, will want BitLocker because it locks down files if a computer is stolen. Unfortunately it's only available to big corporations, governments and people who buy Ultimate, which costs $399 — double the price of XP Home and $100 more than XP Professional.
That's just part of the cost. Many will have to buy a faster PC or upgrade their current machine to run Vista smoothly. At a minimum, you'll need a system with a recent processor, 1 gigabyte of system memory and 128 megabytes of graphics memory. The word from insiders, including Dell's chief executive, is that you'll really need at least 2 gigabytes of RAM.
The price of Windows XP desktops has fallen to around $300. It's going to be a shock when you have to pay two or three times that much for a decent Vista machine.
Confusing versions
Vista comes in six flavors, four available to consumers. Home users are being targeted with Vista Home Basic, a barebones version without the cool new desktop appearance, and Home Premium, which includes the 3-D stuff, support for handwriting recognition and the Media Center entertainment features.
There's also a Windows Vista Business, which is roughly the equivalent of XP Professional. Microsoft is producing a high-end enterprise version for corporations and governments and a low-end Starter Edition for developing countries.
But what's really confusing are the "Vista ready" labels Microsoft and PC makers have on machines available now.
Some "Vista capable" PCs may only be able to run Vista Home Basic.
If you want that "breakthrough computing experience," buy a PC that's labeled "Vista Premium Ready."
Digital-rights management
Vista works in tandem with new chip sets to create powerful new system locks.
The locks will prevent illegal copying of Vista itself. But they can also be used by Microsoft, movie studios and record companies to restrict how people use digital media files on Vista PCs.
Combined with Microsoft's sophisticated copy-protection software, the locks enable new subscription services — so you can rent a movie by downloading a copy that will expire after three days, for instance.
But expect the system to add even more restrictions to digital content in the future, particularly high-definition video content.
Timing
It may seem like ancient history after Vista is widely available, but Microsoft's long and troubled development process created uncertainty and confusion for consumers, software developers and the PC industry.
The project also forced Microsoft to confront one of its biggest weaknesses, its bloated bureaucracy. The delays and tribulations demoralized employees.
It turns out Microsoft itself was also due for a system upgrade
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Written on 1:23 AM by Rahul Mathur
Oh k so here the specifications of MS Zune-
Size and Weight
4.4 in. x 2.4 in. x 0.6 in. (h x w x d)
Weight: 5.6 ounces
Battery[2]
Music, up to 14 hours (wireless off), up to 13 hours (wireless on); pictures, up to 4 hours; video, up to 4 hours
Charge Time: 3 hours; 2 hours to 90%
Display
Size: 3.0 inches
Orientation: Vertical and Horizontal
Resolution: 320 x 240 pixels
Audio
Windows Media® Audio Standard (.wma): Up to 320 Kbps, CBR and VBR, up to 48-kHz sample rate
MP3 (.mp3): Up to 320 Kbps, CBR and VBR, up to 48-kHz sample rate
AAC (.mp4, .m4a, .m4b, .mov): Up to 320 Kbps, Low Complexity (LC), up to 48-kHz sample rate
Pictures
JPEG (.jpg): All resolutions (desktop software will automatically convert to 640x480 at sync time)
Video
Windows Media Video (.wmv): Main Profile, CBR or VBR, up to 1.5 Mbps peak video bitrate, 320 x 240 pixels, 30 frames per sec., with Windows Media Audio up to 192 Kbps, 44.1 kHz, stereo audio; Simple Profile, CBR, up to 736 Kbps video bitrate, 320 x 240 pixels, 30 frames per sec., with Windows Media Audio up to 192 Kbps, 44.1 kHz, stereo audio.
Wireless
Connectivity: 802.11 b/g
Range: Up to 30 feet
Language
English
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Written on 1:19 AM by Rahul Mathur
Play B3YOND™
PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system unleashes a brilliant, high-definition entertainment experience.
As its digital soul, the Cell Broadband Engine™ represents a tour de force in parallel processing, which means a gaming experience that is beyond what you know today. Its built-in Blu-ray Disc™ drive delivers a whole new generation in high-definition gaming and unmatched digital media storage. Whether it’s gaming, Blu-ray movies, music or online services, PLAYSTATION®3 invites you to Play Beyond.
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High-Definition Capabilities
Enjoy high-definition entertainment, HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) means you can use your PLAYSTATION®3 with High-Definition displays as well as conventional or standard TVs.
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Hard Disk Drive (HDD)
The PLAYSTATION®3 comes with either a 20GB or 60GB removable hard disk drive (HDD).
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System Interoperability
PLAYSTATION®3 and PSP® (PlayStation® Portable) play nice together. Easily exchange media like photos, videos and music from your PLAYSTATION®3 system to your PSP® system. And get ready to witness an explosion in creativity as developers take on the challenge of integrating the PSP system into PLAYSTATION®3 games.
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Backwards Compatibility
Play thousands of PS one® and PlayStation®2 games as well as your CDs and DVDs on the PLAYSTATION®3.
Cell Broadband Engine™
The online capability of the PLAYSTATION®3 features the unpredictability of live competition. Play, strategize and compete with friends and opponents, even if they're in a different time zone.
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Blu-ray Disc™
The built-in Blu-ray Disc™ player means you can enjoy next-generation high-definition entertainment, including games and movies.
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Always On
PLAYSTATION®3 delivers “always-on” online connectivity; offering a world of online possibilities including multiplayer gaming, text and video messaging, voice chatting, downloading content and browsing the internet.
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SIXAXIS™ wireless controller
The new SIXAXIS™ wireless controller enables you to harness the powerful potential of the PLAYSTATION®3 system.
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Games
Experience high-definition gaming with PLAYSTATION®3 games!
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Multimedia:
Music, Photos, Internet,
Videos & Movies
PLAYSTATION®3 provides an endless array of multimedia activities, all without even inserting a game.
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Product Details
Which is right for you? The PLAYSTATION®3 is available in two configurations: 20GB hard disk drive (HDD) and 60GB HDD.
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