Ars Technica

Touch gestures meet the Windows 7 Media Center

Thu, 20 Nov 2008 02:08:00 GMT

The Windows 7 Media Center team has been hard at work bringing touch features to the application (video inside). Multitouch is on the way.

Xobni Outlook plug-in gets more social, integrated

Thu, 20 Nov 2008 02:05:00 GMT

Xobni made its public debut earlier this year as an Outlook plug-in that let users visualize e-mail habits and make better use of their contacts. Now, it's back with an update that offers integration of social networking tools and services like Skype, Facebook, Hoovers, and more.

FCC inquiry on cable channel pricing heats up, then cools down

Thu, 20 Nov 2008 00:49:00 GMT

The Chair of the FCC has been offering hot words about Comcast's response to a channel pricing inquiry. Now everybody is trying to cool off.

Canadians: Use Live Search, win a 2009 Mitsubishi Lancer SE

Thu, 20 Nov 2008 00:30:00 GMT

Big Ticket Search is a Canadian-only contest to promote Live Search. There are 1,488 prizes to be won, and all you have to do is search.

Office Labs and Live Labs release a new application each

Thu, 20 Nov 2008 01:19:00 GMT

Office Labs has released StickySorter, which helps people collaborate and organize ideas electronically. Live Labs has released Seadragon Ajax, which can bring Deep Zoom right to your own web page or blog.

New Opera designer looking for desktop UI feedback

Wed, 19 Nov 2008 21:03:00 GMT

Opera's new lead designer, Jon Hicks, is looking for comments from Mac, Windows, and Linux users (and everyone in between) about how the browser feels as a native app on their operating systems. If you have feedback, now's the time to give it.

Report: Want to be a green gamer? Turn off your console

Wed, 19 Nov 2008 20:01:00 GMT

The National Resources Defense Council has a released a report revealing that a) your game consoles can greatly increase your annual electricity bill, and b) there are some very simple steps one can take to avoid such costs.

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Thu, 20 Nov 2008 06:15:48 GMT

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TSMC urges move to 18-inch wafers and ramps 40nm production

Wed, 19 Nov 2008 19:45:00 GMT

TSMC calls the move to 18-inch wafers necessary to bring costs down for chipmakers.

Sony: Holiday rush to blame for LBP sales

Wed, 19 Nov 2008 19:40:00 GMT

Though LittleBigPlanet has sold well, it hasn't been quite the smash that Sony was hoping for. According to the company, the holiday rush is to blame for the lower than expected sales figures.

Super Street Fighter II HD coming next week

Wed, 19 Nov 2008 19:20:00 GMT

Capcom has quietly revealed the release date for the new Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix in a recently distributed batch of screenshots. Watch out for the game next week.

Co-op resurrected: Ars reviews Left 4 Dead

Wed, 19 Nov 2008 05:30:00 GMT

Left 4 Dead is a monstrously fun co-op title that has you helping your friends survive a zombie invasion while a sadistic AI god called the Director throws death at you from all angles. Welcome to the game that will make PC gaming cool again.

Antipiracy group pushes 10 years jail time for UK infringers

Wed, 19 Nov 2008 17:00:00 GMT

The Federation Against Software Theft is miffed at the UK Intellectual Property Office for not considering "recommended" changes to the copyright law that would punish online copyright infringers with 10 years of imprisonment in order to "bring parity with commercial dealing in pirated works."

Tennessee anti-P2P law to cost colleges over $13 million

Wed, 19 Nov 2008 02:42:00 GMT

Big Content got an early Christmas present from the state of Tennessee. A new law will force Tennessee colleges and universities to pay in excess of $13 million over the next two years in what is likely to be a futile attempt to stamp out campus copyright infringement.

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Thu, 20 Nov 2008 06:15:48 GMT

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Windows HPC Server 2008 makes top 10 in top 500 list

Wed, 19 Nov 2008 00:13:00 GMT

Running Windows HPC Server 2008, the Dawning 5000A ranked 10th on the the November 2008 Top500 list. Last year, the top Windows HPC Server computer ranked 116th.

EPOXI spacecraft tests modified TCP/IP in outer space

Wed, 19 Nov 2008 23:36:00 GMT

What's cooler than the Internet and cooler than outer space? Why, the Internet in outer space, of course. This month, NASA is building on ten years of work by testing an Internet-esque communications protocol designed for data transmission in deep space.

Rumor: Apple close to signing major labels to iTunes Plus

Wed, 19 Nov 2008 22:56:00 GMT

Apple is reportedly "in talks" at least three music labels to offer their content DRM-free. Ars' take on this news is: no duh?

App Store Lessons: Expect Delays after approval

Wed, 19 Nov 2008 22:35:00 GMT

"Ready for Sale" doesn't mean that your application appears in App Store right away. Expect to wait a bit before it goes live. Here's what you can do in the mean time.

Second wind for muni WiFi? Mesh-networking startup hopes so

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 05:05:00 GMT

Muni WiFi never lived up to its promise to bridge the digital divide and bring a third pipe to homes. But it didn't quite fail, either. More quietly, a new round of networks has been built, and San Francisco's Meraki hopes to be part of that future.

Microsoft on the cloud: Sharepoint and Exchange go Online

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 15:27:00 GMT

The online versions of Microsoft's solution for portals and collaboration (Sharepoint) and its solution for e-mail and calendaring (Exchange) are now available to business in the US.

Zune 3.1 firmware and software released, price cuts are here

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 22:50:00 GMT

Microsoft has released Zune 3.1, which includes three new games, a refresh to Zune Social, and incremental improvements to the software. Furthermoe, price cuts are afoot!

Judge slaps down Psystar's antitrust claims against Apple

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 22:39:54 GMT

US District Judge William Alsup has dismissed Psystar's legal counterclaims against Apple, saying that Apple has not violated various antitrust laws by tying its OS to its hardware, and that Psystar failed to provide sufficient legal support for its claims. With Apple's suit against Psystar still going strong, the clone-maker looks to be on thin ice.

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Thu, 20 Nov 2008 06:15:48 GMT

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Study reminds us why we're always fixing our parents' PCs

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 17:53:00 GMT

The American public has a lot of technology? and a lot of tech headaches. People have the most frequent problems with their Internet connections, cell phones, and home PCs, according to data from the Pew Internet & American Life Project.

Financial crisis puts focus on efficiency, not green power

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 05:45:00 GMT

Given the meltdown on Wall Street, will companies put aside plans for improved environmental standards? Talks from the recent Climate Leaders conference suggest that efficiency efforts still produce a big win for most companies, but green power may hit snags.

Google to bring Skynet to iPhone in voice recognition update

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 15:52:00 GMT

Google's Mobile App for iPhone will receive voice recognition search abilities in an update that could arrive as early as today. Users will be able to ask Google's servers for business locations, trivia answers, and even look up contacts in the iPhone's address book.