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The unofficial user guide to the Media Center TV Pack
It's been almost two months since we got our hands on the Media Center TV Pack (aka Fiji) and although CEDIA has come and gone, we haven't really seen much fanfare from Microsoft touting the new update for Media Center -- we haven't even seen as much as a change log or feature list. The good news is that when big companies fail to spell out what's new in an update, usually someone in the community steps up and fills in the gaps. This time around it's PC Mag, which has really done a great job of not only spelling out most of the new features, but the bugs as well. So instead of holding your breath waiting on big blue to clue you in if this update is worth all the fuss, head on over and give it a read.
PC Magazine likes the new iMac
PC Magazine has been reviewing Mac for awhile now, but it still strikes me as rather novel when they recommend a Mac. That's just what they did for Apple's latest iMac. PC Mag doesn't find anything too groundbreaking on this new model, but the speed improvements are welcome.But why mess with success? The current design of the iMac is serving it well, and similar computers from other companies still haven't caught up with the iMac in terms of looks.However, not everything is rosy in iMac land. PC Mag disses the Mighty Mouse (I usually toss the included Mighty Mouse aside myself), and would like to see an integrated media card reader.
Hands-on with HP's Computerlicious designer laptops
In honor of PC Mag's 25th anniversary, HP commissioned ten well-known designers to spruce up one of four different laptop models (the Pavilions tx1000z, dv6500t, dv9500z, and HDX 9000 -- a.k.a. The Dragon). These one-of-a-kind machines made their debut last night at the magazine's rockin' quarter-century celebration hosted at the MGM Grand's Tabu Ultra Lounge -- well, almost all of them did: apparently Applebottoms by Nelly wasn't able to ship its unit out in time. The other nine notebooks from such names as James De La Vega and Paul Frank -- which will be auctioned off after making a short PR tour -- run the gamet from glitzy to understated to politically-minded. You can scope out the entire lineup in the gallery below, and catch the full listing of contributors by clicking the Read link.%Gallery-13220%
Leopard review rodeo
We've talked so much about Leopard already here at TUAW that I'd find it hard to believe you readers haven't decided yet whether you're ready to pick it up (or not), but just in case, here's a few concise reviews from around the 'net to let you know whether this is something you want or not. PC Mag gives the OS a whopping 4.5 out of 5: "Leopard performs all such tasks even better than previous versions did-and Leopard is the only OS on the planet that works effortlessly and intuitively in today's world of networked computers and peripherals. Leopard is far from perfect, but it's better than any alternative, and it's getting harder and harder to find good reasons to use anything else." Laptop Magazine isn't quite as harsh on the glitches, but also give it 4.5/5: "Part useful, part flash, all beautifully easy: Apple's Mac OS X 10 Leopard bounded into stores Friday, thrilling the Mac faithful with a solid and extremely useful upgrade." CNET gives Leopard an 8.0 out of 10, saying that while Leopard is nice, it might not be necessary: "Should you pay for Leopard? If you're happy with the way Tiger works, then maybe not. If you need Bootcamp, however, then you must have Leopard. And if you're considering the purchase of a new computer, Leopard makes Macs more enticing than Tiger did." And Macworld says that while you might not use everything, the stuff you will use is worth it: "Given the impressive value of Time Machine and improvements to existing programs such as iCal, iChat, Mail, and the Finder, most active Mac users will find more than enough reasons to consider that upgrade cost money well spent. Despite a few interface missteps, particularly when it comes the menu bar and the Dock, Leopard is an upgrade that roars." Now, once again, odds are that either you've using Leopard right now, or you're already waiting on a specific reason to upgrade for it. But across the board, reviews on the new OS are generally good. And even though lots of users are dealing with bugs and unfixed errors right now, the best days of Leopard are still yet to come.Thanks to everyone who sent these in!
Apple TV review, and geek details
I am sure some of you are thinking, 'Enough with the Apple TV already,' but considering that even Scoble likes it, I think some more coverage is in order. Two Apple TV links worthy of your attention have come across NetNewsWire. First off, our iPod loving friends over at iLounge list the top ten geek details about the Apple TV (I'm a geek, are you?). The list includes: The 40 gig harddrive only has 33 gigs available for your use Some H.264 videos won't play on the Apple TV The Apple Remote does not control the volume (you have to use your TV/Receiver remote) PC Magazine has given the Apple TV 4 out of 5... circles, which rates it as 'Very Good.' Interestingly Apple told PC Mag of the video codecs supported by Apple TV 'If it plays on your iPod, it should play on Apple TV, BUT if it plays in iTunes, it doesn't necessarily play on Apple TV.'
WinDVD 8 HD Upgrade pack priced, tested
DL.TV has a clip up showing a preview of the HD Upgrade pack for the Intervideo WinDVD 8 player. Although the software was slated to be available already, it's still not up on Intervideo's website. The Blu-ray / HD DVD playing add on is priced at $26 and the DL.TV guys hooked up the cheapest HD DVD drive they could find to test it out. They confirmed you'll need a pretty powerful PC to play back movies smoothly, and they weren't able to get it working over non-HDCP connections (no word on if they tried VGA) at all. While Sony BWU-100A owners got their Cyberlink upgrade recently, other HD drive owners will have to find a player by other means until the HD Upgrade is available.
Samsung's neXus XM DAP reviewed
We've always been a bit skeptical of portable DAPs like the Sirius S50 and Samsung neXus that promise to let you listen to sat radio content on-the-go, because since neither device includes a built-in satellite receiver, you're stuck with the programming you've recorded while the player was docked at home. PC Mag seems to agree that this class of gadgets offers rather limited functionality, and their review of the neXus isn't very promising for potential customers: unless you buy the $70 car kit for listening to live feeds in your ride, you're basically spending either $219 or $269, respectively, for either a 512MB or 1GB MP3 player that delivers neither great sound quality nor an acceptable battery life. What's more, you have to make sure that you keep the unit docked for at least eight hours a month so that XM can properly authenticate your subscription to keep your recorded tunes from disappearing. Ultimately, unless you're a on a tight budget and absolutely need some XM swag in your pocket at all times, PC Mag suggests -- and we tend to agree -- that you're better off shelling out a few more bucks for the Pioneer Inno or Samsung Helix, which both allow you to pick up and record live feeds right out of the box, no dock necessary.
Wowwee's Roboreptile reviewed
PC Mag, always one to get the scoop on these types of products, got the chance to play around with Wowwee's upcoming Roboreptile for a little bit, and frankly, the toy bot sounds like it leaves something to be desired. The main problem with this model is that its constant aggressiveness has the potential to scare off younger kids (it's not for children under 8, cautions Wowwee), while at the same time limited programmability will probably cause the older crowd to quickly tire of its basic functionality. Still, PC Mag does report that the $120 Roboreptile indeed performs as advertised, skulking around and avoiding objects (mostly) on its constant search for "food." The included remote supposedly allows you to calm Roboreptile long enough to slide a cowl over its head, but PC Mag found itself chasing down the bot more often then necessary due to its quick reflexes. All-in-all, if you're looking to buy your kids a dinosaur-inspired plaything, it sounds like you're better off with either a Pleo or Wowwee's other dinobot, the Roboraptor, unless the little ones have been real brats lately, in which case they probably deserve the frightening and/or frustrating experience that Roboreptile offers.[Thanks, Dave Z.]
The "game console couch squat" phenomenon
John Dvorak has posted an article over at PC Magazine that takes a look at new technology from the modern world that has caused us to behave strangely, at least from the perspective of a person from 100 years ago. Some examples include the chatroom, where teenagers spend hours typing and reading pointless messages and the "digital camera arm stretch" where people hold their digicams at an arm's length instead of peeking through a viewfinder.The most relevant example for this blog is the "game console couch squat" that many gamers tend to exhibit. As Dvorak says, "this is now a stereotyped image" that is used to represent gamers in TV commercials, TV shows and movies. The couch squat is usually accompanied by gyrating body and hand movements as the player guides his or her on-screen persona. I take issue with Dvorak's claim that this is an entirely new phenomenon: the phrase "on the edge of your seat" was used decades before video games to imply a person's immersion in a story or a movie. We can expect that the Xbox 360 and the PS3 controller will continue to advance the stereotype (and, in the case of the PS3's motion sensitivity, the arm movements), but there's always the chance that the Wii's single-handed approach to game control will stir things up a bit. [Image: Couch Gamers on Flickr]
VK Mobile's waif-like VK2020 musicphone reviewed
VK Mobile seems like a very flashy company to us, what with their fashion-over-function ethos, their, shall we say, liberal "borrowing" of design elements from some of the sexier phones on the market, and who could forget the airbrushed nude models that they employed to hawk their products at CeBIT this year? We think PC Mag would agree that the company's quad-band GSM VK2020 musicphone -- that, like the models, we also spotted at CeBIT -- falls in line with this assessment, as their review highlights the handset's RAZR- and SLVR-killing thinness and "wow factor," but knocks it on nearly every aspect important to people who actually like their stuff to function properly. Among the laundry list of flaws reported are this model's small, dim screen, barely acceptable MP3 and call audio quality, lack of even EDGE-speed data, sub-four-hour battery life, limited filetype support, and flaky Bluetooth connection. Still, PC Mag's Sascha makes a good point when he compares the VK2020 to a hot date, in that you're a lot more likely to accept its faults just because it looks so damn good. If you're the type that rushed out to buy LG's silly Style-i non-hands-free, non-headset Bluetooth headset when it became available from Verizon this week, then you'll probably be just fine with forking over $400 to Dynamism in order to sport one of today's hotter-looking imports.
Apple tech winner and loser in 2005
PC World has created a list of the tech winners and losers of 2005. Apple made the list 3 times. How is that possible you ask? Well, Apple Computer (remember they still make computers!) was listed as both a winner and a loser.Apple was a winner thanks to%uFFFD the Mac mini, the new iPod, and Intel inside. However, Apple found itself on the loser list because of the various lawsuits against rumor sites. However, I doubt many people even remember those (other than the folks directly involved in the suits) so I think that is a bit of a stretch.That's only two mentions, the third comes in the form a iTunes which is listed on the winning side because of the new video content, holding fast to pricing, and making buying digital music with DRM cool again.[via Paul Thurrott's Internet Nexus]
