JD's World : JD's World

Lime green Motorola Q9c headed to Alltel, US Cellular

2008-03-31T19:45:16Z

Don't you dare say green wasn't already in style,
as in all actuality, it's US Cellular and Alltel following the crowd
yet again. As the run-up to CTIA 2008 continues, the aforesaid outfits
have both announced that a lime green variant of the Motorola Q9c will
soon be on their shelves. Aside from that, prospective customers can
also snap up the WinMo 6-powered Q9c in licorice, and of course,
they'll find a 1.3-megapixel camera, 2.4-inch display and 128MB of
onboard memory. As for pricing, you can call Alltel's version your own
for $99.99 on contract, and while US Cellular is being mum on the
subject, both providers will have 'em available "this summer."

PS3 homebrew hack found, Hello World!

2008-03-31T19:44:24Z

We haven't heard much out of the PS3 homebrew scene so far, which could
be due to the console's delayed popularity, or perhaps because Sony did
users a solid out of the gate and included Linux. That said, there's no
stopping these hardcore homebrew
types when they put their minds to something, and now Dragula96, a well
known PSP hacker, has supposedly found an exploit on the PS3 that let
him get a little Hello World proof of concept up and running. At the
moment he's not saying how he did it, but he does say the hack is
working on 60GB and 40GB PS3s, running the current 2.20 firmware. Next
on the agenda? Pong. Video is after the break.

HP goes all out with Blu-ray-packin' Pavilion laptops for Europe

2008-03-31T19:32:18Z

HP's not one to let its laptops sit on the shelf too long without a
revamp, and it's now let loose yet another raft of updates for its Pavilion
line, albeit only in Europe for now. The big news here is the addition
of Blu-ray drives across the board, which obviously replaces the HD DVD
option previously found on the models they're replacing. That desirable
feature finds its way onto the new Pavilion dv2800, dv6800 and dv9800
series models, which boast 14.1, 15.4, and 17-inch displays,
respectively, along with your choice of Core 2 Duo or Turion 64 X2
processors, integrated graphics or NVIDIA GeForce 8400M or 8600M
(depending on the model) and even a Blu-ray burner on the 17-inch
model. If you're looking for something other than a traditional laptop,
HP's also busted out an update to its monster HDX-9000 desktop
replacement series in the form of the HDX-9300, and a new Pavilion
tx2300 tablet PC (only the former boasts a Blu-ray drive). Otherwise,
you can expect the HDX-9300 to pack Penryn T8100 or T9300 processors,
3GB of RAM standard, and a beefy NVIDIA GeForce 8800M GTS graphics
card, while the tx2300 rolls in with a Turion 64 X2 TL-60 processor,
2GB of RAM, NVIDIA GeForce Go 6150 graphics, and a DVD burner standard.
No word on pricing or availability for any of 'em just yet,
unfortunately, nor is there any word of a release 'round these parts.

Is the iPod hype a cheat?

2008-03-31T19:21:39Z

Is the iPod hype a cheat?�From
October to December 2007, Apple Sold more iPods than in any quarter since the
introduction of the first iPod six years earlier. Record quarter sales of 22.1
million iPods helped Apple tally $9.6 billion in revenue and $1.5 billion in
profit for its first fiscal quarter.

Yet, financial analysts and media reacted by clobbering
Apple's stock, partly because Apple offered projections for its second-quarter
performance that were below what Wall Street was anticipating, but also because
the record iPod sales failed to meet expectations. Headlines proclaimed that
sales figures for the music player were a warning bell for investors, that the
shine was off the company and that the iPod sales totals were plodding.

�What gives? The
disparity between Apple's reported iPod sales and analyst's strong reaction to
those results boils down to which aspect of the iPod business your looking at. "Apple is always at the front of the market and always will be for
mp3 players now," says Joby Kent,
owner of PiczoTube and online websites where members can share pictures,
videos, games, and live radio. "The iPod is a
great product and deserves its hype, and the iPods are only getting better and
thinner." Apple moved more than 22 million iPods last quarter,
keeping the company lodged securely in first place in the digital music player
market in December with a share of 67 percent of the market. "Well I�m not sure if the sales are true or false but I can tell you
the Apple iPod is a very good selling product." Joby puts in once more.
"But I think people will always try to make Apple look bad somewhere even
if their product is perfect."

�

What it seems like is that what the analysts and the media
were reacting to was a lack of big growth in iPod sales during the previous
year. For the fiscal first quarter of 2007, Apple sold those 21 million iPods,
meaning over that year-to-year, the iPod sales grew only 5 percent-still an
increase, though not the kind of robust Wall Street had come to expect.� �I think if they
got any bigger in the Mp3 market - They'd burst� Says Joby once more. �Seriously
5% is good regarding the amount of share they already have in the market.�

It seems that the critics are only trying to make Apple look
bad. Thanks for reading.

~~~~JD

Online file hosting? Is it safe?

2008-03-31T06:51:57Z

As our lives become more digital we rely more on the internet and its
features. One of the most popular features is online storage. The internet has
seen a major uprising of online file hosts, such as Box.net, SaveFile,
RapidShare, and the list goes on into the thousands.

Many people find it easier to have their files on the internet because its
easier to get to them. For instance, if you were working on a document and were
leaving for vacation. You could find a computer at the hotel, go on the net,
and login to your online file hosting provider and open up the document from
there. According to Alexander C, owner of a customization site called Galaxy
GUI: "I like it a lot because most of the
time the links are private and its a much easier way of sharing things with
people rather than sending them over IM, which takes forever"

According to Joby Kent, who owns PiczoTube, an online social site with games,
videos, pictures etc, and also a huge contributor to an online OS called Trax. "I think that, file hosting is good but not always reliable. There is
different forms of file hosting with Trax eyeOS you can manage your files,
hosting them online like a real computer which is my recommended way of File
hosting. "

Online OS's are also becoming a huge hit, such as Trax. Completely internet
based, all files on a profile that stores everything on a server. One thing
that troubles users is that ALL of the files are on the internet. Is that safe?

According to Joby Kent: "Once again Trax
eyeOS comes into mind which is based on the eyeOS-base.. I think that there are
different levels of security, For instance if you can access the Online OS by
your web browser then hackers will find it much easier than they will in Trax
for instance - As the address of the Online OS isn't displayed."

Since online file hosting seems to be safe for the moment, is their enough
space to host all of your files that you would on your home computer? According
to Joby, Sometimes, its not always enough: "Not for most people, Plus uploading
will take quite a long time for bigger files - So it's slow getting your files
on there. Also some File Hosts have a limit. I'd rather stick with my Hard
Drive. Saying that though I do sometimes store files on my Server which can be
accessed anywhere with a computer online. So I guess buying web hosting which
is extremely cheap with HostGator at only $14 per month for 1,000gb of storage
which is more than most people have on there Home Pc! Of course you'd need an
Ftp client to upload the files but Google should solve anyone wanting to do
that. It's not common but buying a shared bit of a server is faster and has
more storage than File hosts - Hey, you never know if you might even be
starting your own website sooner of later!"

So, for the moment, it seems online file sharing is perfect for some, not
for others.

~~ JD

�

How to Get Windows Dreamscene on Windows Vista Home Premium

2008-03-31T06:20:56Z

http://jrem95.blogsup.net/admin.php?ctrl=posts&tab=edit&blog=1

^^ Go there.

PSP slim modded for dual analog sticks

2008-03-31T05:56:46Z

Been longing for a second analog stick on your PSP? Modder LordNico's
got you covered with the Razor X (seriously, where do these guys come
up with their names?), a user-installable analog stick that appears to
mimic the functions of your standard four button pad. (In other words,
getting the games to take advantage of the controls is another matter
entirely.) Apparently details of the mod will be released soon enough
for those brave enough to consider relocating their power switch to the
start button -- yikes.

My Mac addiction

2008-03-31T05:53:56Z

I am so addicted to Macs. I need one like super badly. I love all the features, and I know they arnt perfect but they freaking own. I see all my freinds with them and they say how much they love them and I just look at them and I am all mad and stuff and I get this feeling that makes me all mad and stuff and I feel like I need one even though I have a really nice laptop that I am working on right now. But what will happen is if a I get a Mac right now when a new one comes out I will be like "I want that one" and this whole cycle will continue. I dont know what to do. Any advice guys?

2 Los Angeles freeway drivers shot

2008-03-31T05:12:59Z

LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- Rescue crews responding to a
wreck on a Los Angeles freeway found a driver fatally shot in the head
early Sunday, while another driver was shot and wounded in a separate
attack about 30 miles away, authorities said.

Police close a portion of the 101 Freeway when a motorist crashed after being shot in the head.

The shootings were the latest in a string of attacks on Southern
California freeways that have alarmed motorists and authorities.

Investigators did not know what led to the fatal shooting on the 101
Freeway in the San Fernando Valley Sunday. The wreck snarled traffic
for several hours near Van Nuys.

"There's absolutely no witnesses at this time, no information," Los Angeles police Officer Norma Eisenman said.

The car crashed near a freeway onramp, so it was possible the victim was shot before entering the highway, Eisenman said.

The second shooting was in Long Beach, where the victim was able to
drive himself off the freeway and phone for help Saturday night,
Officer Jackie Bezart said.

The man told officers another
motorist shot at him as the result of road rage along the 710 Freeway,
Bezart said. The man was hospitalized with non-life-threatening
injuries.

Don't Miss

Suspects held in Virginia highway shootings

Investigators do not think the cases were related to three other
shootings, two that were fatal, in the past several weeks on Southern
California freeways.

In Virginia, authorities Friday arrested
two teenagers in connection with random shootings along Interstate 64
and potshots taken at a credit union and a residence a day before. Two
people were slightly injured, prompting investigators to briefly shut
down a 20-mile stretch of the highway between Waynesboro and
Charlottesville.

Those shootings stirred memories of the Washington-area sniper shootings six years ago that killed 10 people.

The CPU contest lost, AMD seeks gains in graphics

2008-03-31T01:40:48Z

AMD has lost the CPU benchmark war
to Intel--for now. But there's another--possibly more important--fight
brewing in GPUs. Here, AMD is in the thick of it.

First the bad news. The bevy of Phenom X4 processor reviews that followed the Thursday announcement
made it clear that AMD will not catch Intel anytime soon. Though some
reviews were couched in vaguely optimistic language such as "AMD is
back in the game," the bottom-line benchmarks don't lie.

"This $235 CPU (X4 9850) comes in only $10 less than Intel's
comparable quad-core chip, but with noticeably slower performance on
almost every one of our tests," Rich Brown said in a CNET review.
Another review cited the X4 as an alternative but offered little more
than this. "Today's launch gives the company a decent quad-core
alternative, and that's probably the best the company can hope for,"
said ARS Technica.

Graphics is another story, however. The Phenom processor combined
with AMD's 780G integrated graphics, a new hybrid graphics option, and
competitive pricing could give AMD a leg up on Intel in the consumer
segment. And it could help get AMD chips into a broader selection of
popular PC models as a big spring refresh design cycle approaches for
computer makers.

Pat Moorehead, vice president of advanced marketing at AMD, had a
lot to say about AMD's 780G hybrid graphics technology and why having a
better graphics processing unit (GPU) is sometimes better than merely
having a faster central processing unit (CPU). Moorehead's point is
that graphics are taking on more of the overall processing load and
it's sometime a better value proposition to have a better graphics chip
rather than a better CPU.

This is where hybrid graphics can play a role. To date, adding a
"discrete" (standalone) graphics card would disable the integrated
graphics, making it virtually useless. Hybrid graphics allows a
graphics add-in card to utilize the integrated graphics chip that is
already present in the computer. In essence, providing a low-cost
dual-GPU solution. This will match up well with AMD's X3 triple-core
processor, Moorehead said.

"That's where the huge value kicks in. Slip in a $50 (HD 3450) graphics card and on a $599 system you can do Call Of Duty 4.
Not at HD levels, at lower resolutions, but at a price point you
couldn't even dream of before," he said. The 780G by itself is also
more powerful than previous integrated graphics chips and is the only
integrated solution to do low-cost Blue-ray off-loads, he added.

The downside is that the 780G hybrid graphics is a new, relatively
untested technology that applies mostly to games--and has been shown to be inconsistent.
(Future driver revisions will probably rectify this, however.)
Technical problems aside, the gist of what Moorehead is saying echoes
Nvidia's rallying cry: graphics are becoming more important than the
central processing unit as visualization applications increase.

Jen-Hsun Huang, Nvidia's president and CEO, made this price performance argument
during the most recent earnings conference call. In short, users can
save money by buying a system with a lower-performance Intel CPU and
high-performance GPU--and get better price performance overall than the
other way around.

Whether the market is buying into this argument or not is not clear.
AMD-ATI--along with Nvidia--has to convince people that having better
graphics is, in every day use, actually more necessary than a better
CPU with Intel-integrated graphics.

Also, the market is actually moving in the opposite direction in
some respects. "Web browsing and e-mail we've long been saying is not
very taxing and (any graphics) was good enough. People have figured
that out," said Dean McCarron, founder and principal of Mercury
Research. This is creating new markets where graphics is less critical.
"You look at the Netbook and you're not going to playing Crysis on that device."

Twitter Update

2008-03-31T00:21:03Z

Hey guys! Just got back from skiing! Tweet, or IM me!

Twitter Update

2008-03-30T20:14:26Z

Im off to go skiing! See ya!

Twitter Update

2008-03-30T20:07:48Z

Hey guys, I am going skiing in a few minutes so I might not be on for a while, thanks.

New steps aimed at reaching Mideast deal

2008-03-30T19:23:28Z

RUSALEM - Israel pledged to remove some West Bank
roadblocks as a start to "concrete steps" in an agreement Sunday with
the Palestinians that is aimed at paving the way for a final peace deal
this year.

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"This is a program that will improve the daily lives of Palestinians and help make Israel secure," the U.S. said.

Under the plan that Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice
announced, Israel will remove about 50 roadblocks and upgrade
checkpoints to speed up the movement of Palestinians through the West
Bank.

The Israelis also will give Palestinians more security
responsibility in the town of Jenin with an eye toward looking at
"other areas in turn." They also pledged to increase the number of
travel and work permits for Palestinians and to support economic
projects in Palestinian towns.

In return, the Palestinians promised to improve policing of Jenin
"to provide law and order, and work to prevent terror," according to a
State Department statement.

Rice, visiting the region for the second time this month in hopes of
energize faltering talks, said the moves "constitute a very good start
to improving" a Palestinian economy crippled by the Israeli
restrictions.

Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak
and Palestinian Prime Minister Salaam Fayyad consented what the U.S.
termed "concrete steps" at a joint meeting with Rice. They agreed "on
points of special, immediate emphasis and work," the statement said.

"We've been told that this is going to start and, hopefully even be
completed in a relatively short period of time," Rice told reporters.
"I am expecting it to happen very, very soon."

"We will be monitoring and verifying," she added.

The agreement includes:

_removing 50 travel barriers in and around Jenin, Tulkarem, Qalqiliya and Ramallah; they are major Palestinian towns in the northern and central West Bank.

_dismantling of one permanent roadblock.

_deploying 700 Jordanian-trained Palestinian police in Jenin and
allowing them to take delivery of armored vehicles. Jenin is known as a
stronghold of Palestinian militants and has been a frequent site of
clashes between Israeli troops and Palestinian gunmen.

_raising the number of Palestinian businessmen allowed into Israel to 1,500 from 1,000.

_increasing the number of work permits for Palestinian laborers by 5,000 from its current number of 18,500.

_building new housing for Palestinians in 25 villages.

_connecting Palestinian villages to the Israeli power grid.

_Israeli support for large-scale economic development programs and encouragement of foreign investment.

Neither Barak nor Fayyad commented on the developments when they
appeared at a brief photo opportunity with Rice after their meeting.

One Palestinian official said he welcomed any improvement, but that Israel's moves were "too little, too late."

"We want Israel to move quickly in removing these obstacles that
make no sense and make the lives of the Palestinians difficult," said
Samir Abdullah, the Palestinian planning minister.

Israel maintains hundreds of checkpoints, roadblocks and other
travel restrictions in the West Bank, and says they are needed to stop
suicide bombers. The Palestinians say the restrictions are excessive
and have stifled their economy. They have made removal of the
checkpoints a priority as the two sides, with U.S. backing, try to
negotiate a peace agreement by year's end.

Rice had said she was looking for "meaningful" steps to put in
place the stalled U.S.-supported plan that envisions the creation of an
independent Palestinian state through concessions on both sides.

"There has not been enough momentum," she said. "This is a start in terms of delivering on some of those obligations."

Israel's prime minister, Ehud Olmert, and the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, restarted peace talks at a U.S.-hosted summit last November, after seven years of fighting.

Despite the pledge to reach a final deal by year's end,
negotiators have made no visible progress, and Olmert has warned that
Israel cannot carry out any agreement as long as the Hamas militant group controls the Gaza Strip.

Hamas, which is committed to Israel's destruction and opposes the peace talks, seized control of Gaza from Abbas' forces last June. The Palestinians hope to establish an independent state that includes the West Bank and Gaza, which lie on opposite sides of Israel.

From Jerusalem, Rice later went to Amman, Jordan, for separate sessions Sunday with Abbas and Jordan's King Abdullah.

On Monday, Rice planned a three-way meeting with the Israeli foreign minister, Tzipi Livni,
who is leading the Israeli negotiating team, and the Palestinian's
chief negotiator Ahmed Qureia. Rice later will head back to Amman for further talks with Abbas.

Report: Complaints trigger rewrite of Photoshop Express terms

2008-03-30T19:22:16Z

It appears Adobe is quickly
responding to concerns about a surprising clause in its terms of
service for Photoshop Express, the free Web-based software launched Wednesday that has otherwise been well-received.

Users were taken aback by a clause that basically gives Adobe the right to do anything it wants with their photos. As CNET's Lori Grunin first pointed out in her review on Webware, the clause in question goes like this:

Adobe does not claim ownership of Your Content.
However, with respect to Your Content that you submit or make available
for inclusion on publicly accessible areas of the Services, you grant
Adobe a worldwide, royalty-free, nonexclusive, perpetual, irrevocable, and fully sublicensable license
to use, distribute, derive revenue or other remuneration from,
reproduce, modify, adapt, publish, translate, publicly perform and
publicly display such Content and to incorporate such Content into
other Materials or works in any format or medium now known or later
developed.

Grunin's response: "I'm going to give Adobe the benefit of the doubt
and assume someone forgot to put the choke collar on the lawyers,
letting something this undesirable slip through." And she was right on
the money, at least according to a report from Adobe blogger John Nack, who contacted Adobe with concerns about the terms of service.

Nack wrote that he got a note back from the Photoshop Express team
Friday stating that it agrees the clause "implies things we would never
do with content," and therefore the legal team is making it a priority
to post revised terms.