Oct 06

The New BlackBerry 9000

Posted in: Gadgets, mobile, Today's Chili

This article was written on March 28, 2008 by CyberNet.

blackberry 9000

We know a lot of our readers are owners of BlackBerry devices, and so many of you will be interested to get your first glimpse of the BlackBerry 9000, the latest device from RIM. Pictured above is the brand spankin’ new BlackBerry. I must say that the first thought that popped into my head was that it reminded me, in one way at least, of the iPhone because of the silver rim/border around the phone. This is something new for BlackBerry, none of their other devices had such a rim.

Aside from looks, Engadget Mobile points out some of the new features:

  • New interface – previous interface was “cartoonish” while the new one is more modern with wireframe icons
  • New “slick” animations
  • Features WiFi and HSDPA

For the longest time, rumor had it that the new BlackBerry device from RIM was going to be touch-screen and there were even mock-ups of what it would look like. As you can clearly see, there are the usual buttons that all BlackBerry devices have. RIM has stuck to what they do best, and that does not involve any fancy touch-screen. In the business-world, actual buttons is what a lot of people want versus an on-screen keyboard like what the iPhone features.

Compared to most other BlackBerry models, this one does seem to be a lot more curvy than others (even the BlackBerry Curve). Overall we’d say it’s the best looking phone to come out of RIM, now we’re just left wondering how it performs.

Source: Engadget

Copyright © 2011 CyberNetNews.com

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Oct 06

Microsoft’s Giveaways Cause Quite a Stir

Posted in: Software, Today's Chili, Windows

This article was written on December 28, 2006 by CyberNet.

Acer Ferrari I can’t believe what a stir Microsoft’s recent giveaways have caused in the blogosphere! The big talk is about Microsoft handing out Acer Ferrari laptops (completely loaded) to bloggers in what many people are calling a bribery. These laptops come fully loaded with Vista Ultimate Edition and Office 2007 Professional, so what is so horribly wrong about that?

Before I get into anything else I’ll throw it out on the table that we do have a Velocity Micro Media Center coming to us this weekend compliments of Velocity Micro, Microsoft, and AMD. This is the original email that I received from the Microsoft employee regarding the machine:

I’m working on getting some hardware out to key community folks, and I’d like to offer you a review PC.   I’d love to send you a loaded Velocity Micro Media Center courtesy of Windows Vista and AMD.  Are you interested?

This would be a review machine, so I’d love to hear your opinion on the machine and OS.  Full disclosure –  while I hope you will blog about your experience with the pc, you don’t have to.  Also, you are welcome to send the machine back to us after you are done playing with it, or you can give it away on your site, or you can keep it.  My recommendation is that you give it away on your site, but it’s your call.  Just let me know your opinion on Windows Vista and what you plan to do with it when the time comes.

If you are game, would you send me your address and phone?

You will not be able to see the unit on Velocity Micro’s website because they are going to be releasing this new Media Center PC when Vista launches. Here is a quick image of what it looks like:

Velocity Micro PC

This is a review machine as the email stated. It has an AMD 64-bit processor and a lot of amazing specs that I’ll layout in my review, but most importantly for me is that it has Windows Vista. Our blog primarily focuses on software and it is important for us to have the latest releases so that we can accurately review them for you. We have been talking about Vista for over a year now but we have only had hands-on experience for a fraction of that time. If I didn’t test out the latest software then this blog would not be nearly what it is today.

With that being said we are still determining whether to give the machine away or hang on to it for now so that we can begin writing reviews for Vista in preparation for the January 30 consumer launch. Receiving this machine does not affect how I view Vista because it is still an operating system. We’ll criticize it in areas that it needs work, but we’ll praise it for things it does right…which is no different than the past. Having a Media Center unit also gives us the ability to fully review the Media Center portion of Windows Vista, which is something we have not been able to do because we lack the necessary hardware to do so.

So whether it is a Ferrari laptop or a Velocity Micro Media Center, it is indisputable that a lot of bloggers are receiving these units to help hype the Vista launch in January. Here are other people who are discussing or have received (or are going to receive) these review units from Microsoft:

  • Michael Arrington – TechCrunch
    “And anyway it doesn’t really matter. Microsoft did something smart, because many of us wouldn’t have taken the time to download and install Vista on our own computers. The fact that it was delivered to us, ready to go, made it a lot easier.”
     
  • Robert McLaws – Windows Now
    “You can flame us all you want. Question our credibility if you want. Say we “sold our souls” for $2400. Fine. Most of you have been taken out to lunch for a business deal or interview. And most of you have made up excuses to have your company “comp” a trip to a conference. So get off your freakin high horse, you don’t have the moral high-ground. Read my blog, don’t read my blog. I don’t care. But don’t act like you’re so altruistic.”
     
  • Long Zheng – IStartedSomething
    “I don’t see the Free Software Foundation handing out any Ferrari’s.”
     
  • Mitch Denny – notgartner
    “I am going to give the laptop to my wife who has hardly used Vista at all and has actually being resisting until it came out of BETA. This will be her first laptop and her first time running Vista and my plan is to somehow capture her feedback as a “Vista-newbie”.”
     
  • Scott Beale – Laughing Squid
    “I’m not sure how I was selected to be one of the people receiving this (I’m assuming there are others, but I haven’t come across any yet). It could be that they are reaching out to bloggers who are Mac users (I switched to a Mac back when OS X came out) or it might just be that people I know who work for Microsoft or other influential bloggers who recommended me.”
     
  • Brandon LeBlanc – MSTechToday
    “With this laptop, I have several options I could make with it on top of keeping. I could offer it up as a prize for my readers here at MSTechToday or I can give it back to Microsoft. Not sure what route I’ll take just yet.”
     
  • Barb Bowman – Barb’s Connected World
    “The nice folks at AMD recently provided an Acer Ferrari 5000 with 2 gigs of RAM and swapped out the hard drive for a faster 7200 RPM upgrade from the stock configuration.”
     
  • Robert Scoble – Scobleizer
    “That is a GREAT idea. After all, how can anyone have a decent conversation about Windows Vista without having put a bunch of time on one of the machines?”
     
  • Mauricio Freitas – Freitasm
    “This is no different from freelance journalists getting free flights to Taiwan to attend the IDF. Or being sponsored to attend the PDC. Or attending the CES and receiving a laptop bag from Toshiba, or going to ShowsStoppers and receiving a bag with goodies from the exhibitors.”
     
  • Ed Bott – Windows Expertise
    “Microsoft is just doing some smart marketing, seeding the market and increasing mind share. They could spend the same amount of money hiring people to write white papers or running ads in the Wall Street Journal. But the world will get a lot more valuable feedback if that information comes from real people actually using this technology.”
     
  • Michael Calore – Monkey Bites (Wired blog)
    “If Microsoft were to give away copies of Vista that would make sense and probably raise no eyebrows at all, but giving away a whole laptop understandably strikes some as little more than bribery.”

Those are all of the posts that I have come across regarding the Microsoft/AMD “giveaway” and I just wanted to let everyone know that we are also a recipient. I don’t think this will change the way you view our site because if you are a dedicated reader of ours you’ll surely know that we can’t be bought. Our independence is something that helps keep news exciting and fresh, and we plan on keeping it that way. If you frown upon Microsoft (or us) for this, just think about if the situation would be any different had Google or Ubuntu been the ones handing out the laptops and Media Centers.

Update:
Was just checking my email this morning and saw this from the Microsoft representative:
“You may have seen that other bloggers got review machines as well. Some of that coverage was not factual. As you write your review I just wanted to emphasize that this is a review pc. I strongly recommend you disclose that we sent you this machine for review, and I hope you give your honest opinions. Just to make sure there is no misunderstanding of our intentions I’m going to ask that you either give the pc away or send it back when you no longer need it for product reviews.”
From the looks of it I am not the only one who has received that email.

Copyright © 2011 CyberNetNews.com

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Oct 04

Sony Cybershot DSC-T9 Review From PC Magazine

Posted in: Reviews, Today's Chili

This article was written on January 20, 2006 by CyberNet.

Sony Cybershot DSC-T9 Review From PC Magazine

PC Magazine has finished the Sony Cybershot DSC-T9 review today. They gave it 3.5/5 which is a good rating. I currently own the DSC-T5 and the H1 cameras by Sony and both are really great. I just received the Sony H1 a few days ago so I will have my own personal review of this camera up as soon as I have used it more. The DSC-T5 is a great camera because I am able to carry it around in my pocket and almost forget that it is even there. That is why I am sure that the DSC-T9 is even better since it has the higher megapixels while maintaining the sleek and thin body. It also has a nice boost of internal memory (58MB) over the DSC-T5 which is always nice to have because you never know when you won’t have room for that last picture. Of course, being a new camera and all, the $499 price tag can make you a little weary. I was able to catch a deal at Dell for my DSC-T5 for $250!

BOTTOM LINE:
The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T9 is a super-thin stylish 6MP digital camera that will be sure to get you noticed in a crowd. There are a few issues, but for the most part, it’s a solid buy.

PROS:
2.5-inch LCD. Very sleek and stylish. Very good picture quality.

CONS:
Lens distortion. Slightly confusing menus. Pricey.

Read The Review: PC Magazine

Copyright © 2011 CyberNetNews.com

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Oct 04

CyberNotes: New Computer Viruses – Beware!

Posted in: CyberNotes, Humor, Today's Chili

This article was written on November 16, 2007 by CyberNet.

CyberNotes
Fun Friday

Keeping you informed about anything that could potentially harm your computer is one of our top priorities. That’s why we’ve dedicated a whole post to informing you of some new computer viruses that you should be aware of!

Bill Gates Virus: This dominant strain searches for desirable features in all other viruses via the Internet.  It then either engulfs the competing viruses or removes their access to computers until they die out.

Alzheimer’s Virus: It makes your computer forget where it put your files.

Birthday Virus: Keeps advancing your clock by another year.

Child Virus: It constantly does annoying things, but is too cute to get rid of.

Donald Trump Virus: Harmless unless you use online banking.

Health Care Virus: Tests your system for a day, finds nothing wrong, and sends you a bill for $4,500.

Titanic Virus: Makes your whole computer go down.  You get a sinking feeling when your system crashes.

Texas files: This virus makes sure that it is bigger than any other file on your computer.

virus found

Teenager Virus: Your PC stops every few seconds to ask for money.

Gallup Poll Virus: 60% of the PC’s infected will lose 30% of their data 14% of the time (plus or minus a 3.5% margin of error).

Arnold Schwarzenegger Virus: It terminates and stays resident. It’ll be back!

Linux Virus: Causes the computer to hang for several days while it tracks down hardware drivers, networking how-to’s, and window managers.  Then it quits, saying that if you had better programming skills, your hard drive would be wiped by now.

Mike Tyson Virus: Quits after one byte.

PBS Virus: Your computer stops every few minutes to ask for a tax deductible contribution.

Public Transportation Virus: Makes your browser stop at every website.

Survivor Virus: Deletes your files one by one over 13 weeks until only the most annoying one remains.

Tech Stock Virus: At the slightest hint of an error, plays a screaming panic sound and shuts down your computer.

Source

Copyright © 2011 CyberNetNews.com

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Oct 03

Blu-ray Destined to be the HD Winner?

Posted in: blu-ray, Today's Chili

This article was written on January 10, 2008 by CyberNet.

wanted hd winner This is not good news for the HD DVD camp if it turns out to be true.  According to The Digital Bits, Paramount and Universal will be following the footsteps of Warner Brothers and making the big switch to Blu-ray.  That means that HD DVD is seriously wounded in this battle and they’re about to lose big-time to Blu-ray. Whose behind HD DVD you’re wondering? Well, it’s mainly Toshiba and Microsoft and I’m sure they’re not too happy at the moment.

While none of this has been confirmed,  “second to none sources” are saying that this is true and both Universal and Paramount have made the decision to make the switch. Paramount is expected to make their announcement soon while Universal will be waiting until sometime in February after their contract with HD DVD is up to make the announcement. One Engadget commenter summed up what many of you may be thinking, “Looks like Sony is finally going to win sweet revenge after losing out to VHS back in the day.”

To make matters worse,  the L.A. Times is reporting that Paramount’s decision was in fact triggered by Warner’s move. Here’s part of what they say: “Warner Bros.’ decision last week to start making movies exclusively for Blu-ray players, rather than HD DVD, triggered an “out” clause in Paramount Pictures’ contract with the HD DVD camp. An industry source said there was a significant possibility that Paramount would exercise that clause. It plans to decide within a month.”

Over at Digg, there were a few interesting comments as well:

  • SupaDawg says: “I’m no fan of Sony whatsoever, but this is a very good thing.  One of the formats needed to die.  The format war has been a mess for consumers, hardware companies and the studios alike.  Lets get this over with so we can finally progress into the era of HD.”
  • Floejoe says: “At last.  I couldn’t care less who wins the ‘war.’ I just want to buy my favorite shows in high definition.  I’m a bit tired of being an early adopter with a house full of crap that will never be used.”

Thanks for the tip Google!

Copyright © 2011 CyberNetNews.com

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Oct 01

Dell’s XPS 700 Will Offer Overclocking In The BIOS

Posted in: Today's Chili

This article was written on July 17, 2006 by CyberNet.

Dell's XPS 700 Will Offer Overclocking In The BIOS

CNet is now reporting that Dell has no intentions of overclocking the XPS 700 at the factory. However, they will make it easy for customers to overclock the system themselves by offering the option right in the BIOS. Here is what Dell had to say about it:

Recent demonstrations of the XPS 700 at the recent World Series of Video Games Summer Tournament used an Intel Core 2 Extreme processor overclocked by Dell engineers to show the potential performance that build-your-own enthusiasts can achieve when the processor becomes available. Dell has unlocked the BIOS so that customers can overclock the processor themselves, but at this time Dell is not factory overclocking the system.

The rumors that Dell was going to overclock the system at the factory all started at the the Video Games Summer Tournament where they had the system setup. The description of the system stated that it was an overclocked Intel Core 2 Extreme processor which got people thinking that Dell was going to do the overclocking by default. I definitely don’t blame them for not overclocking the system because if there is a heat issue or people start to have problems with their system then the customers will blame Dell right away saying that it was because they overclocked it. I assume that they have a screen in the BIOS that states they are not liable for any damage caused by overclocking they system

The Dell XPS 700 starts around the $2,000 range but can easily climb to twice that price if you want a great gaming machine. More information can be found at CNet’s review which also includes a quick video of the system.

Copyright © 2011 CyberNetNews.com

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Sep 29

TechCrunch Tablet PC Slowly Coming to Life

Posted in: Gadgets, Linux, Today's Chili

This article was written on September 01, 2008 by CyberNet.

techcrunch tablet.jpg

It was only about 6-weeks ago that TechCrunch decided they wanted to build a $200 web tablet, and they were trying to recruit all of the talent they could to get the job done. The image above is showing off the first prototype that has been assembled, but it won’t be nearly as thick as what you see:

Prototype A has been built. It’s in a temporary aluminum case that a local sheet metal shop put together for us that’s at least twice as thick as it needs to be, but the hardware has been defined and is nearing lockdown. We booted the machine in the case for the first time today, accessed the Wifi network and were able to navigate a web page via the touch screen.

They haven’t given out any of the hardware specs for the prototype, but I know they were shooting for 512MB of RAM and a 4GB Solid State Drive. The screen will be either 10 or 12 inches, but which one will likely depend on how much they need to lower costs in order to hit the $200 price point. All of this will be wrapped up with Linux using Firefox as the web browser of choice.

Unfortunately they didn’t put together a video demonstration of the unit working, but I’m sure it’s still pretty rough around the edges. I wonder how long it will be until we actually see one of these babies running in a slim and sleek casing?

Copyright © 2011 CyberNetNews.com

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Sep 29

Get $100 Off the Price of the iPhone

Posted in: Apple, iPhone, Today's Chili

This article was written on August 20, 2007 by CyberNet.

Iphone refurbished

Think the iPhone is a little too pricey? Good news,  now there’s a way to get one cheaper! The Apple Store recently added refurbished iPhones to the list of refurb products they offer which means you have the chance to own an iPhone for $100 bucks less than the new retail price. Apple says that they are certified, and as good as new: “We test and certify all Apple refurbished products and include a 1–year warranty.”

So now the 8GB model went from $599 to $499 and the 4GB model went from $499 to $399. Seeing as the iPhone has only been around for going on two months, I’m amazed that Apple has a stock-pile of refurbs around to be sold. The website says that it ships in 1–3 business days which means there will be no delay. They also offer free shipping.

I’ve purchased refurbished products in the past and never had any problems, although none of those purchases were from Apple. I’d assume though that buying an iPhone refurbished from Apple is no different and it’ll really be as good as new. Just $100 cheaper. Not a bad deal!

Copyright © 2011 CyberNetNews.com

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Sep 28

When Guitar Hero and Nerds Collide

Posted in: Gadgets, Games, gaming, mod, Today's Chili, videos

This article was written on April 23, 2008 by CyberNet.

It’s pretty crazy the things geeks can come up with when they get an idea. A group of undergraduate students over at Texas A&M have obviously been playing too much Guitar Hero, and decided that they could make a robot to conquer the game for them. After much thought they have named their dubious creation Slashbot. They even started a blog for people who want to follow the progress of the project.

Slashbot is able to jam with the best of the best thanks to some actuators, wires, code, and of course a guitar. It’s actually using what appears to be an unmodified guitar, and literally “presses” the buttons while strumming by using actuators. The video below shows just how crazy fast you have to be if you want to become a Guitar Hero expert.

How well does it work? On expert mode it was able to achieve 96% on “Cliffs of Dover” and 97% on “My Name is Jonas.” Unfortunately the system isn’t able to maximize its score because it has a hard time keeping multiplier streaks. Disappointing, I know, but it’s still a sight to see. Here’s a video that demos Slashbot’s ability to tear up the Cliffs of Dover song:

Slashbot [via Engadget]

Copyright © 2011 CyberNetNews.com

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Sep 27

$199 8GB iPhone 3G with GPS Launches July 11th

Posted in: Gadgets, iPhone, Today's Chili

This article was written on June 09, 2008 by CyberNet.

3G iPhone.pngAs expected, Apple just got unveiling the new iPhone 3G today at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference going on in San Francisco. It took FOREVER for them to cut-to-the-chase and outline all of the details. We’ll start with the iPhone first and then go back to fill you in on some of the smaller details.

iPhone 3G with GPS on July 11th

Steve Jobs called the iPhone the phone that has changed phones forever and said that they currently have 90% customer satisfaction with the device which is astounding. He talked about how 6 million iPhones have been sold, but they still have a few challenges to address like introducing a 3G network, enterprise support, 3rd party apps, availability (more countries), and a more affordable price. With that he introduced the iPhone 3G with the following features:

  • Flush headphone jack (something minor but makes a difference)
  • Improved audio
  • Thinner at the edges
  • “Amazingly Zippy”
  • Faster data
  • Battery Life improved- 300 hours of standby, 10 hours of 2G talk time and 5 hours of 3G talk time, 5-6 hours of browsing time, 7 hours video time and 24 hours of audio
  • GPS

And of course we know enterprise support and 3rd party apps will be available as well.

When Jobs said they needed to make the phones more affordable, he was serious. The 8GB model will be sold for $199 while the 16GB model will be available for $299. The 16 gig model will also be available in white (not just black).

Even more impressive is that over the next several months, it will be available in 70 countries. July 11th is the big day for 22 countries including the United States.

Other WWDC Info

.Mac is now MobileMe

Another rumor that has turned out to be true is that Apple is replacing .Mac with MobileMe. MobileMe looks pretty impressive with push email, contacts and calendars. Data gets synched automatically between all of your devices, both ways including PC’s, Mac’s, iPhones, etc. The new location for this is found at me.com. A subscription fee of $99 will be charged and users will get 20 GB of online storage.

Applications for the iPhone

The beginning part of WWDC was all about applications for the iPhone. They invited several app developers on stage to explain the work that they had done. First was Sega who built Super Monkey Ball with 110 stages in just three months. Once the app store launches in July, it’ll be priced at $9.99.

Other applications that we saw include:

  • Auctions – from eBay for buyers and sellers (free)
  • Loopt – a location-aware social network that displays a map with pins representing where your friends are (free)
  • TypePad – blogging while on your iPhone – (free)
  • Associated Press – The Mobile News Network will be available so that users can keep up on the latest news. Local news will also be displayed. Watch news videos and get involved with reporting by sending images and text immediately from your iPhone (free)
  • Pangea – has designed two games. One game is Enigmo – a physics based puzzle game while the other is Cro-Mag Rally, a 3D caveman raving game. Both games will be $9.99 each
  • Band (developed by a solo developer out of England) – lets people make music on the iPhone
  • At Bat – from MLB, shows games, stats, live game info. No price was mentioned, but our guess is that there will be some type of subscription fee
  • Epocrates – has designed two medical related applications
  • Digital Legends – 3D fantasy adventure game

iPhone 2.0 Firmware…

They mentioned that developers have requested background support and so it will be available in September as an update to the SDK.

New features we can expect wit the firmware update:

  • Contact search
  • iWork support
  • Support for Office documents as well including PowerPoint
  • Bulk delete emails
  • Ability to save images to your photo library
  • Scientific calculator
  • Parental controls
  • Asian language support

This firmware update will come early July (likely with the launch of iPhone 3G) and will be free for iPhone users and will cost $9.95 (cheaper than the previous $19.95) for iPod Touch users.

The app store will be available on every iPhone as a way for developers to reach every single user. When there is an update available, you will be notified so that you’ll always have the latest. If the app is 10MB or less, users can download it over the cellular network. If it’s larger than that, users will have to get it via Wi-Fi or iTunes. For enterprises, they can create their apps and make them available only to their employes via company intranet. There is also Ad-hoc support to distribute apps.

iPhone 3G 2.png

I think that’s about all for now! We’ll keep you posted on more iPhone 3G news between now and July 11th!

Copyright © 2011 CyberNetNews.com

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