Microsoft to reinvent desktop UI in Longhorn

Microsoft Corp. is working away on the next-generation of Windows, code-named Longhorn, due in 2006. According to developers, the new operating system will reshape the Windows graphics architecture, from 2D to 3D, with the Windows Graphics Foundation.

The new architecture was given a sneak peek at Microsoft's Meltdown conference, which is all about building games on Windows. Originally started as a compatibility test-fest for hardware makers and software developers, the event has matured into a Windows game developer convention. Highlights from this year's gathering, held July 27th and 28th in Seattle, included presentations about the company's XNA development tools and how to get the most out of Direct3D and DirectSound.

Well it seems that Microsoft has done it again. They are reworking the desktop graphics on their next major Operating System - Windows codenamed Longhorn. This could only mean one thing for those waiting for it - more wait. Sure it will only be released around 2006/07 period but Windows XP is starting to look plain and I don't want to install any third party skinning application to improve the look. I am also running Linux on my other partition but it is not my main OS. And don't even start on MacOS. The hardware is too pricey and I can't build my own Mac. Steve Jobs won't let me.

Source: eWeek

Download for free: Pride and Prejudice

eReader is offering Jane Austen's classic novel Pride and Prejudice for free download. The offer is only valid for today and expires at midnight US time (which will be then replaced by another free e-book).

This is an amazing read and I urge you to download the book and read it on your Palm, PocketPC or PC. And then go down to your local video store and rent the 300 minute movie.

An interesting tidbit information for your local pub quiz. Colin Firth who stared in the 1994 movie as the aristocrat Fitzwilliam Darcy and then plays as the sort of aristocrat Mark Darcy in the 2001 hit Bridget Jones's Diary. Both characters are similar in their deep rooted personalities.

Today I rebuilt my iPAQ

Today I rebuilt my Hewlett-Packard iPAQ h4150 Pocket PC PDA. What can I do? ActiveSync quit on me (typical crapware). I don't know what happened. One day it was working fine syncing all my database with Outlook 2003 and the next I did not.

Uninstalled and reinstalled ActiveSync - did not work. Finally after looking up Microsoft's Knowledge base and found that nothing can help me I decided to do the hard reset. So I spent three hours of my time reloading all the applications I had on my iPAQ. I kinda glad I did - I managed to clear up 700k of junks left over by demo programs that were not uninstalled properly.

The problem is - if HP ever ever ever release a Windows Mobile 2003 SE for Pocket PC ROM update on my iPAQ I would need to rebuild again. This is my third rebuild since acquiring this model in April and it is not something you would like to do every now and then. For PalmOS veterans - a rebuild on a Pocket PC is much different than a rebuild on a PalmOS device (PalmOne, Sony Clie etc). It requires the device to be connected through ActiveStink and a manual one by one installation process (like on the desktop). Shit isn't it? Imagine if your desktop got formatted and you needed to go through every CD to reinstall every piece of software - that is how it feels like.

One thing I did find out is when I hard reseted the PDA - there were still left over database file name left on the iPAQ. Not good HP! Security wise it should have been better.

What is this man...

I had nothing to do so I switched on Astro and what do you know - The Mummy was showing on TV3. Hmm...I guess since there is nothing else on except some cheesy chinese soap on WLT, I would just watch it for the tenth time. Man - how many scenes were cut out!? The scene where Rachel created the mess in the library, the boat fight scene was cut - hell even the scene where they bought the camels. After the camel race scene was cut I decided to just switch it off. Why did TV3 paid money for to buy the rights of a crippled movie - unless they are getting it cheap. I did see some improvements in the way they chopped of scenes though. The movie still flowed as smoothly except that its much faster now. I think I will bring home the original DVD for me parents to watch.

There is nothing on TV except repeats of Sex and the City (HBO) which I have already watched the final season (forced to by someone) in the UK. Want to know what happened? Like I care or remembered. I wish we have BBC World but I doubt they would bother showing The Office repeats or one of those current BBC comedy like Two Pints Of Lager, Dead Ringer or Coupling.


Bring David Brent to mainstream Malaysian TV!

Are Real and Apple playing fair?

This is an interesting blog on the BBC News Technology site by Bill Thompson concerning Real's attempt to 'hack' iTunes's DRM.

An interesting read I have to admit. Even his previous blog entry on the iPod is recommended although ironic. It is very clear that Bill is not happy with mp3 being the so called future of digital music format. And I agree with him since mp3 has existed since 1988. I even remember back in 1998 when I was downloading all the new Metallica mp3 crap from Napster (you all remember that event didn't you?). That was six years ago. Since then Windows Media Audio has improved (current version 9), OggVorbis emerged, mp3pro and AAC is put forward as the replacement for mp3. Suddenly the iPod became a hit and its all about mp3 and no longer about the future.

Back to Bill's blog. His final shot was spot on! Ditch Real's crappo of a software (spyware infested) as well as dumping away the iPod! Get a real digital music player.

Source: BBC News

Storm over iPod 'hacker tactics'

Apple has reacted angrily over RealNetwork's claim that it has found a way for music bought over its stores to be played on iPods and has accused Real's of adopting the tactics and ethics of a hacker.

Hmm... I don't know what you make of this - but it sounds like just another normal Apple rant. Remember this was the company that claimed to have the World's fastest computer which was later rebutted. They are not exactly ethical either.

Whatever it is Apple has the World's most popular digital music player. And they are forcing users who own the iPod to shop on iTunes - a product of their own. Sounds familiar - well because this is the kind of practice that is made famous by Microsoft. Microsoft got a slap on the wrist for forcing Internet Explorer (and now Windows Media Player) on Windows users (which they have a monopoly on the OS market) and now Apple is essentially doing the same thing! Tut tut!

Apple's new iPod remains as uninteresting as ever. Why bother with an iPod - just get the excellent Rio Karma 20 or i-River's H140 (which supports mp3, WMA & OggVorbis) for less money and buy yourself a white coloured Sony MDR-EX71SL fontopia which you can use. iPodders would ask you where you get your latest Mac headphone - you can show them your shiny better digital music player. That is what I did!

And get the CD! Why bother paying for a compressed 128kbps mp3 (ancient format) file when you can physically own the CD, own the artwork as well as being able to rip the tracks of to virtually any digital music file format?

Source: BBC News

Jackito fingertouch PDA

Well, this seems to be the first purposed built PDA with fingertips (instead of stylus) in mind. It comes with a variety of options and add-ons and customers can customised the PDA design and features. The only problem it seems is that it comes with its own operating system. This is not unusual as non of the major PDA OS'es out there - PalmOS, Symbian OS and Windows CE were designed for large thumb input. Third party softwares would be scarce due to that fact and would be the dealbreaker in many PDA consumer's mind.



Apart from that, the design looks very well built and though it is not cheap - this PDA would be useful in the vertical market where the user would favour ease of use rather than the complexity that all the other major players bring. For one thing, the lack of stylus would be useful as people are prone to losing them.

Here are some specs:

• 1 Mitsubishi CPU (M30803)
• 1 Texas Instruments CPU (MSP 430)
• Sparten FPGA w/ 5 Automata
• Reversible wired Logic
• Direct hardware execution
• Multi processing mode
• up to 128Mb RAM, 64Mb NAND Flash ROM
• 4.5" LCD display, 240x320 resolution, landscape & portrait supported
• Choice of three different LCDs: Black & White, Colour and Bistable (white paper - sounds like eInk to me)
• 150g
• 138x78x16mm
• Power jack, stereo jack, RS232 serial connector, SPI, 2 SD/MMC card slots, 2 internal bus
• Requires one AA battery
• Battery life ranges from 10 hours to  months depending on screen model
• Choice of colour

Source: PDABuyersGuide

How Tolkien triumphed over the critics

I have been a fan of The Lord of the Rings ever sinced I picked up the Hobbit back in 1998. I believed it was a few months before they began the shooting of the movie. Anyway, this article by the BBC showed what critics thought about the book 50 years ago. Most of them are positive although some has dismissed the book as a "juvenile trash".
 
To me the question is whether after Peter Jackson completes the remake of King Kong would he attempt the film The Hobbit - as well as The Silmarillion?
 
Source: BBC News