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Windows 7 Release Candidate starts bi-hourly hiccups today, seemingly affects nobody
Well here's an interesting one: starting today, users of the legendary Windows 7 Release Candidate should "begin experiencing bi-hourly shutdowns," yet we haven't received a single tip on this annoying "feature." We have only two assumptions: either our faithful readers have already moved on to the real thing, or you sly devils are on a hacked RC of some sort. In any event, you've got until June 1st to do a full reinstall (no upgrade options on RC, sadly), after which you'll be blocked from important updates and persistently bugged by a "This copy of Windows is not genuine" notice. Need more arm-twisting? Just picture Steve Ballmer hunting you down with a sledgehammer.
Found footage: History of Apple in 2 minutes
Here's a great video assembled by applemctom that presents the history of Apple (more or less) in two minutes. There are some huge leaps in time and some obvious errors (Apple Mac II? MacIntosh?), but that's OK. It isn't easy to cram decades of history into 120 seconds. There's much nostalgia for old-timers like me, as the Pippin and Newton make an appearance. Though I still use my Newt, I've never had the pleasure of a face-to-face meeting with a Pippin. The dark days described in the video (the early 90's after Steve left) is exactly when I started using Macs in earnest. It's amazing that I stayed a customer after bloodying my hands on a 7100's beastly innards. The video ends with the introduction of the iPhone, so don't expect to see anything beyond that. Still, it's a bit of fun. Check it out.
Nokia rolls deep on the cheap, cooks up six models
Looking through the pictures here, you might not suspect that the sticker prices for these bad boys range from just €90 ($117) all the way down to a jaw-droppingly low €25 (about $32), but they do, which raises a question: why must they be targeting emerging markets alone? Nokia has a history of going after emerging economies with the occasional barrage of models, and the latest round ups the game with features we'd be totally cool with seeing on your average "mature market" handset -- goodies like integrated flashlights, sturdy lanyards, and a vaguely-defined "Nokia Life Tools" service that delivers relevant information in a graphical interface to phones via SMS (the logic being that GPRS isn't always available where these phones are going to be used). The most expensive device of the lot will be the 5130 XpressMusic, the first music-centric Nokia destined for low-income areas of the world with an integrated FM radio, 2-megapixel cam, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. Next up we've got the fancy 7100 Supernova, joining Nokia's fashion-friendly line in a couple tasty colors with a 1.3-megapixel cam. If we skip all the way to the bottom, we have the lowly 1202, a rugged-looking little monochrome beast with an extended battery, a five-user phonebook to make it easy to pass around the whole family, and extra-loud ringtones -- and at 25 euros, it's Nokia's lowest-cost phone ever. Why do we want one really badly? Are we crazy? Look for all six of these to start filtering around the globe between now and early 2009.
Nokia's S40-based 7100s gets outed
Hard to say if we North Americans will ever see this one (without the kind assistance of an importer), but Nokia's slip-slidin' 7100s has surfaced overseas. The S40-based handset will reportedly boast a QVGA display, 1.3-megapixel camera, built-in FM radio, multimedia player and a microSD card slot. Additionally, you'll find a complete dearth of 3G support, tri-band GSM connectivity, Bluetooth 2.0, Opera Mini pre-loaded and a microUSB connector. Look for it to ship somewhere in Europe sometime before the next decade for around 5,000 crowns ($277).
Epson churns out 1080p PowerLite Pro Cinema 7100 and 7500 UB projectors
The HD projector flood gates have officially opened here at CEDIA, and next down the waterfall is Epson. The company is introducing the PowerLite Pro Cinema 7100 (shown after the break) and 7500 UB (pictured above) today, both of which boast a full 1,920 x 1,080 native resolution using the latest-generation 3LCD chips. As for the former, it features an 18,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio while the latter comes up with 75,000:1. Hit the read link for lots, lots more details on the pair, but here's the low-down on pricing / availability. The Pro Cinema 7100 ships in November for just under $3,000; the Pro Cinema 7500 UB lands just before Christmas for around $4,500.
Navigon unveils 5100 / 7100 GPS units at CeBIT
While we suspect a fair amount of rebadging will be going down at CeBIT this year, we've got good news for those hoping for Navigon to step it up a notch. The firm is reportedly coming clean and finally manufacturing a unit of its own, and based on what we're seeing right now, it's not a half bad first effort. Both the 5100 and 7100 GPS navigation systems purportedly sport a Bluetooth handsfree calling system, "exclusive lane assistance," free traffic jam reports, voice input, and PIN code security as well. The higher-end 7100 boasts a 4.3-inch widescreen display, while the more budget-minded 5100 sticks with the more diminutive 3.5-inch variety, but both units do feature a new technology dubbed "Reality View" to give you a "more realistic" look at those oh-so-critical signs and upcoming roadways. Of course, both devices are slated solely for a European release, and while the 7100 series will be landing this summer for around €450 ($593) to €500 ($659) depending on map selection, the 5100 series will demand just €350 ($461) to €400 ($527).
