Month: October 2007

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Mac Hack: Install Leopard on a PC

osX86
Once upon a time trying to install OS X on a PC was like trying to squeeze blood from a turnip. The operating system just wasn’t designed to run on Intel processors. But now that Apple is releasing Intel-based Macs, you can install Windows on a Mac, and with a little bit of hard work and license-breaking, you can install OS X 10.5 on a PC with an Intel processor.

Don’t expect everything to work properly. You might be missing drivers for graphics cards, audio, or even WiFi. But the installation process doesn’t look too complicated. Basically you download an illegal disc image (which we would never condone doing), patch it, install the operating system from a DVD and then throw another patch at it.

Once again, if you really want Leopard to run properly on your hardware, your best bet is to buy an Apple computer. But we’re still pretty impressed that the OSX86 hackers were able to figure out how to install the OS on non-Apple hardware before Leopard was even officially released.

[via Daily Apps] | [originating url]

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360’s IPTV features spotted in dashboard

Several images of IPTV options being displayed in the Xbox 360’s dashboard have made their way into the blogosphere, courtesy of our pals* at X3F. According to tipster Aaron, the console recently returned from the oft-visited Microsoft repair center, only to display several new and seemingly incomplete menu additions. Appearing under the Media and System blades, mentions of DVR storage, live television services and pause buffers all seem to imply that the Xbox 360’s IPTV services are close enough for us to start using words like “impending.”

If these images are indeed proof of premature tweaks to the console (which still shows an older dashboard version number), one can speculate that IPTV may be introduced with this Fall’s dashboard update. We’ve already asked Microsoft to comment, but if they treat this anything like the Arcade SKU, we can expect them to deny it until well after everybody’s started watching TV on their consoles.


[originating url]

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Instantbird: Mozilla does chat

Instantbird
We’re starting to think there’s nothing you can’t build on top of Mozilla. There’s the Firefox web browser, Thunderbird e-mail client, Songbird music player/browser, and now it looks like we’ve got a Mozilla-based instant messaging client.

Instantbird is still in early beta. But version 0.1 already shows some promise. The application is a multi-client chat program letting you connect to popular instant messaging services including AOL, MSN, and Yahoo!. You know, pretty much like Pidgin. In fact, Instantbird uses libpurple, the same code library used by Pidgin.

Version 0.1 is still pretty buggy, Instantbird has a long road in front of it. The goal for version 1.0? Make a chat client that has all the same features as Pidgin. But beyond that, the developers hope to add voice and video functionality to Instantbird, which would make it a killer multi-protocol messenger application.

Like most things Mozilla, Instantbird comes in Linux, Windows, and Mac varieties. But we don’t really recommend compiling it from source on Ubuntu unless you really know what we’re doing. We waited over 2 hours for it to compile before getting an error message.

[via Mozilla Links]

[originating url]

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Designer Knockoff?

Designer Knockoff?

LG’s slick new cell has a familiar face

October 15, 2007—Our long national nightmare is finally over: The LG Prada phone is coming to the U.S. Sorry, just kidding, but the company’s new Voyager model is the next best thing, with a similarly sleek form factor and an equally elegant touchscreen, a first for an American LG. (So is it the exact same screen as found on the Prada phone? LG’s U.S. reps wouldn’t say; we’ll take that as a “probably.”) While the Voyager is heavier than its Italian cousin—4.7 ounces versus three—you get something useful for that extra heft: a foldout keyboard for texting and e-mailing the old-fashioned (and, yes, superior) way. (The Voyager’s actually a sequel to LG’s popular enV phone, which offered a similar approach, sans touchscreen.) What’s under the hood isn’t bad either, including Verizon’s full suite of speedy V Cast options, a respectable 2.0 megapixel camera, and the VZ Navigator GPS service, which, as with certain other things, gives you a little vibration when you’ve reached the right spot.

LG VX10000, available in November; price has not yet been set, but expect to pay significantly less than the $500 it costs to import the LG Prada; verizonwireless.com, us.lge.com.

[check it out man.style.com]

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Jukebox Hero

What’s the point of investing in a high-end home audio system if you’re going to use it for crappy-sounding MP3s? That’s the premise behind the new Sooloos music server, which combines the random-access, all-in-one convenience of digital music storage with CD sound quality. Yours for the price of a secondhand Volvo, it’s obviously not intended for casual listeners—though if you’re the type to blow ungodly sums on amps, preamps, speakers, and cables, what’s another 12 grand? And frankly, the Sooloos sounds like money: It uses FLAC (Free Lossless Audio Codec), an uncompressed (a.k.a. “lossless”) audio file format that retains fidelity as your tunes are converted from disc to hard drive. Those sweet-sounding FLAC files take up significant space—about 1,000 times more than MP3s—but the system compensates with three terabytes, or about 3,000 gigs, worth of storage, which is enough for 6,000 albums. And it’s all housed in an unobtrusive, brushed-aluminum storage unit with a separate 17-inch touch-screen monitor, where you can browse and shuffle as you please. Preferably with a beer in hand. As Sooloos cocreator Rob Darling reminds us, “Everyone has a favorite memory in their life that involves alcohol, loud music, and a jukebox.”

Sooloos high-fidelity music server, $12,000, sooloos.com

[check out men.style.com]

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Puzzle Quest this Wednesday on XBLA

According to a press release IGN received from D3 Publisher, Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords will release on Xbox Live Arcade Oct. 10. Although no specifics were given on price, the game is expected to cost 1200 MS points ($15) based on previous leaked info.

Although the 1200 MS price point may be a little steep compared to what we’re used to paying for an XBLA game, considering the game normally costs between $20 – $30 on various other platforms (DS, PSP, PC), it doesn’t seem unreasonable — and the HD is a nice perk. If you haven’t played the acclaimed puzzle/RPG hybrid, or are looking forward to playing again on a bigger screen, it appears the wait is almost over.

[Via Evil Avatar]

[originating url]

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New Zunes support DVD quality video over TV-Out

Zune Insider has a little update about specifics of the new Zunes up on their site, with the rather minor — but interesting — tidbit that the new Zunes natively support video of up to 720×480 at 30fps, or 720×576 at 25fps. These formats will only play at full quality via TV-Out — the Zune display is expected to be a regular 320 x 240 affair — but it’s nice to know that you’ll be able to lug around full DVD resolution movies on the next Zune, right?

[Thanks, alexsv: via Zune Online]

[originating url]

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XP SP3 Beta Preview Out, Last Update to XP

Microsoft sent out an e-mail to Windows Vista SP1 and Windows Server 2008 beta testers, announcing the arrival of the Windows XP Service Pack 3 Beta Preview. Saying that this will be the final update for the aging operating system, which debuted in 2001.
No new features are planned for what is essentially a roll-up of existing updates. As Windows XP nears its end-of-life, Microsoft can ensure customers are up-to-date by telling them to upgrade to SP3, as opposed to SP2 with over one hundred additional patches. Final availability of XP SP3 is scheduled for the first half of 2008.

[originating url]

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