Hasta La Gadget!

We’ve witnessed a very interesting development cycle with the Zune HD, getting to witness the software at various early stages of development, instead of a completed device all at once. Our latest glimpse of the player is along the lines of what’s been cropping up the last week or so: wild transitions, fun motion graphics and plenty of beautiful media to show it all off with. We did get to touch the new keyboard briefly, and while there’s no telling what sort of predictive text Microsoft has worked in, since we only had a URL bar to work with, it’s a passable (and certainly beautiful) attempt to cram a full QWERTY touchscreen keyboard into such a small device. Reports are conflicting as to whether there will be a landscape keyboard in the final build of the device, but it’s been spotted in some iterations of the device — it didn’t show up when we tried to rotate the player, however.

Unfortunately, while the browser is up and running, the hotel we were at wasn’t able to offer us a working internet connection — hopefully we’ll be able to rectify that soon. For now hold tight, check out the gallery below and the peep the video after the break for a magical exploration of the Zune HD’s truly impressive interface.

Continue reading Zune HD video hands-on: chock-full of media edition

Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video

Zune HD video hands-on: chock-full of media edition originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 11 Aug 2009 16:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

You didn’t have to read much of our recent Kindle DX review to get a handle on our opinions of the super-sized e-reader, but as you’ve likely gleaned from the headline, this one’s not about us. Instead, we’re asking you to chime in with your take on this here device during this week’s How Would You Change. Did you really gain anything from the larger screen? Have you found it useful in your line of work / education? Are you down on the keyboard? Given Amazon’s history, we can’t imagine that the DX will stay in this form forever, and listen, wouldn’t you want to have a say in what gets changed on Revision B? Drop your most intimate thoughts on the matter below — who knows, maybe Sir Bezos is tuning in just to cash in on your two pennies.

Filed under: Handhelds

How would you change Amazon’s Kindle DX? originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 08 Aug 2009 03:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Entelligence is a column by technology strategist and author Michael Gartenberg, a man whose desire for a delicious cup of coffee and a quality New York bagel is dwarfed only by his passion for tech. In these articles, he’ll explore where our industry is and where it’s going — on both micro and macro levels — with the unique wit and insight only he can provide.

In one of the great blunders of journalism, Mark Twain once found his name listed in the obituary column. His famous reply, “Reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated,” has forever become part of our lexicon for describing hyperbole. Yet, at a certain point in time, Mark Twain’s death was no longer exaggeration and Samuel Clemens did indeed pass away. Today, many are lamenting the passing of the personal computer as the information device of choice for the masses of consumers, and like Mark Twain, the news of its death is greatly exaggerated. But like all good things, the PC and its complex operating system foundation will also eventually come to an end. Here’s why the PC isn’t dead yet but over time might no longer be the dominant platform for the digital age.

Continue reading Entelligence: The death of the PC is greatly exaggerated (at least for now)

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

Entelligence: The death of the PC is greatly exaggerated (at least for now) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 07 Aug 2009 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

This article was written on October 18, 2007 by CyberNet.

Microsoft just launched Windows Live Photo Gallery Beta 2, and just like the previous version it is available for both Windows XP SP2 and Vista. In order to get the update you must have the first Beta already installed, and then you must perform a Windows Update with the Microsoft Updates enabled. In the available updates you should see a “Critical Update for Windows Live Photo Gallery (KB943550)” listed.

On my Vista machine the update process took about 3 minutes for it to download and install itself, and then I got all of the new features! Well, really there only appears to be one feature, but it is BIG. I think you better sit down for this one … Microsoft actually added support for uploading photos to the Yahoo!-owned Flickr photo service. Here’s how it works (click any thumbnail for a fullsize view):

1. You highlight the photos that you want to upload in the Windows Live Photo Gallery, and then go to Publish -> More Services -> Publish on Flickr.
   
2. You’ll have to give the program access to your Flickr account just like you would with any other Flickr uploader.
   
3. Now you’ll be able to select the properties for all of the photos that you are about to upload. You can create a new set or choose an existing one, select the maximum photo size, and choose a privacy option.
   
4. Sit back and enjoy a cup of coffee while it finishes things up.
   

When you upload the photos it will grab the description and tags that you have given your photos on your computer, so you don’t have to worry about doing that on Flickr! Honestly, I have to admit that Microsoft really stepped up their game with the new Windows Live Photo Gallery by adding support for Flickr. And the “Publish on Flickr” option is located under the “More Services” menu, which seemingly implies that support for more services will be coming in the future. Or, at the very least, they will let users create plugins for other photo services.

One thing that really bothers me with the Windows Live Photo Gallery is that it has the blue-colored bar that stretches along the top. I’m not a big fan of that color, and in other “Live” programs such as Live Writer and Messenger I’m able to change it to any color I want. I have no idea why I can’t do that in Windows Live Photo Gallery, but I would like to get it back to the black color that ships with Vista.

And remember, this is available for both Windows XP SP2 and Vista. After you download and install Windows Live Photo Gallery you’ll just have to do a Windows Update to get the latest Beta.

[via LiveSide]

Copyright © 2009 CyberNet | CyberNet Forum | Learn Firefox

Related Posts:

Download Windows Live Apps EarlyFlickr Uploadr 3.0 Beta Now AvailableWindows Live Photo Gallery Will Get Facial Recognition SoonCyberNotes: My Favorite Free Flickr ToolsWindows Live Gallery Released

Continue reading Google Wave dev preview hands-on and impressions

Filed under: Software

Google Wave dev preview hands-on and impressions originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 06 Aug 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments