HiWEB-Interactive Show Log – 010 – 050808

-Opening Comments                                                                                                                   

“Welcome to HiWEB-Interactive, bringing you information from the edge of technology”

*This is a summary of recent news and technology highlights.

HiWEB-Interactive – Show #10 – From May 8th 2008

Airing weekly Thursdays at 8p (PST) – And available on LIVE.HIWEB.NET as well as archived

 

-Hot News Topics this week       (*Prepped 24 Hours Prior)                                                                                                                                   

1 - Microsoft is probing Facebook's merger interest

2 – Grand Theft Auto IV Breaks Sales Records

3 - Sprint, Clearwire form $14.5B WiMAX venture

4 - XP SP3 Finally on Windows Update and Microsoft Download Center

5 - Apple continues seeding test builds of Mac OS X 10.5.3

6 - Apple and AT&T to launch iPhone 3G a lot sooner than we think?

 

 

*Youtube viewers make sure to see HiWEB.NET for the live streaming, also this entire show and other past shows.

See http://live.hiweb.net

 

-Review of Hot Topics       (*Elaborate on Hot Topics)                                                                                                      

*SEE PRINTED NOTES…..

1 - Microsoft is probing Facebook's merger interest - Among the many choices on Microsoft's table after the Yahoo deal fell apart, you have to admit that a wholesale buyout of social networking phenom Facebook would make some of the biggest waves. A tech industry blog published by Wall Street Journal reported this morning that Redmond's bankers had contacted Facebook leaders to "gauge their interest" in a buyout. Microsoft already holds a 1.6 percent stake in the social portal thanks to a $240 million investment last year, a ratio that would suggest a final price tag in the $15 billion range. Facebook has remained standoffish to such advances, and even the Journal sources who talked to the company think it will stay independent and eventually go public on its own. Facebook has remained standoffish to such advances, and even the Journal sources who talked to the company think it will stay independent and eventually go public on its own.

“Microsoft is focused on its independent strategy"  I'm still mildly bemused and amused at the lengths Microsoft seems willing to go in order to counter the perceived threat from Google.

 

http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080507-microsoft-is-probing-facebooks-merger-interest.html

<Change Slide>

2 - Can any game break the 'GTA IV' sales records? – Take Two Interactive released  'Grand Theft Auto IV' (4) broke the all-time records for single-day and one-week entertainment industry sales. It looks like it could be tough for any forthcoming game to knock GTA IV off the top of the hill. (Credit: Rockstar Games)

Though Halo 3 held the all-time entertainment industry record for single-day sales for eight months, it could be a long time before anyone bests the record-shattering sales achieved by GTA IV.

On Wednesday, Take-Two Interactive, which owns GTA IV developer Rockstar Games, announced that the new game had raked in all-time records of $310 million on its launch day of April 29 and $500 million during its first week. The single-day figure shattered the previous record, set last September by Halo 3, of $170 million.

And given how quickly Bungie Studios' Halo 3 was reduced to second place, it stands to reason that even the monstrous pile of cash GTA IV has earned so far--it has already sold more than 6 million copies, Take-Two said--could be in danger from some game already in the pipeline.

3.6 Million Sold First Day = $310 million dollars,

Compared to the movie Spiderman 3 made only $150 million on its release

http://crave.cnet.com/8301-1_105-9938601-1.html

<Change Slide>

3 – Sprint, Clearwire form $14.5B WiMAX venture - Tech, cable companies invest combined $3.2 billion in new venture.  After months of speculation, Sprint and Clearwire today announced that they are combining their WiMAX businesses to create a new $14.5 billion mobile broadband company.  As expected, the new company will be focused primarily on deploying a nationwide WiMAX network that will provide 4G coverage in both rural and urban markets. The new company, which will be known as Clearwire, will also concentrate on delivering wireless broadband to consumers, businesses and even government public safety services, Sprint says.  In addition to forming their new joint WiMAX venture, the two companies also announced that they had secured $3.2 billion in total investments from several major tech and communications companies, including Google, Intel, Comcast, Time-Warner Cable and Bright House Networks.  Sprint will own the largest stake in the new company at 51%, Clearwire will own about 27% of the company, and the group of five major investors will own 22%.

http://www.networkworld.com/news/2008/050708-sprint-and-clearwire-seal-145.html

 

It's official: Sprint, ClearWire merging WiMAX operations - It's official. Sprint and ClearWire are combining their WiMAX business to form a new joint venture. Sprint will have 51 percent ownership, ClearWire 27 percent, and new investors Intel Capital, Time Warner Cable, Bright House, Google, and Comcast will own 22 percent. That 22 percent stake cost $3.2 billion. Sprint and ClearWire's investment will consist primarily of their spectrum holdings. The new company will keep the ClearWire name, and will own enough spectrum to blanket the US with WiMAX, with an eye towards serving half the US population in 2010.   The deal has financial support in the form of $1.05 billion from cable giant Comcast, $1 billion from chip champ Intel, $650 million from Time Warner Cable and its subsidiaries, and $500 million from search Brobdingnagian Google. That's a grand total of $3.2 billion of outside investments, plus whatever cash Clearwire and Sprint might bring to the table.  Touted as a viable wireless broadband alternative, WiMAX has lurched out of the gate so far. Sprint had planned to launch its Xohm WiMAX network by now, but public availability is on hold as Sprint attempts to work out some serious backhaul issues. Lurking on the horizon is LTE, the 4G wireless tech favored by rivals AT&T and Verizon. Fortunately for Sprint, LTE is still in development and the first commercial deployments are at least two years out. Still, WiMAX is approaching put-up-or-shut-up territory in the US, and the Sprint-ClearWire joint venture may be enough to push it from its perpetual Real Soon Now™ state and into reality.

http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080507-sprint-clearwire-wimax-venture-sees-daylight.html

 

“As I said before, this is a disaster waiting to happen. Sprint and Clearwire need the deal to try to salvage the billions they’ve already sunk into their money-losing WiMax networks. But putting more cooks into the kitchen with different WiMax aspirations is not going to help.”

http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/05/06/32-billion-wimax-deal-goes-through-take-cover/

 

<Change Slide>

4 - XP SP3 now on Windows Update and Microsoft Download Center - While Microsoft was supposed to release Windows XP Service Pack 3 (SP3) on April 29, 2008, the service pack only became unofficially available on the download.windowsupdate.com domain. On May 6th (Tuesday), XP SP3 has officially hit the Release to Web (RTW) milestone. In other words, SP3 is available both on Windows Update and the Microsoft Download Center (network installation, ISO CD Image, and Checked build).  The final build of SP3 (5512) reportedly includes 1,073 fixes, including every security update, out-of-band release, and hotfix released since Windows XP SP2 hit Microsoft's servers back in August 2004.  The delay of SP3 was due to a problem XP SP3 and Vista SP1 has with the Microsoft Dynamics Retail Management System (RMS). There is now a filter to block Windows Update from offering Windows XP SP3 or Windows Vista SP1 to systems with RMS.  In addition to the XP SP3 release, automatic distribution of Windows Vista SP1 has also resumed. Microsoft is still working on a fix for the RMS problem.

 

*Downloaded, Installed and all good here, get yours at http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=114f3599-12af-42b2-aab1-b969a62c68a7&displaylang=en

http://arstechnica.com/journals/microsoft.ars/2008/05/06/xp-sp3-now-on-windows-update-and-microsoft-download-center

<Change Slide>

5 - Apple continues seeding test builds of Mac OS X 10.5.3 Another test build of 10.5.3, 9D27, was released last night to ADC members. This comes just one week after build 9D25, two weeks after build 9D23, and three weeks after build 9D20. The release notes included in the latest build indicate that the 10.5.3 update will include well over 200 fixes and improvements in total when it becomes available. The latest build adds nine additional fixes to the tally, the majority of which are network related.    Regardless, we've heard anecdotal reports that even the latest version has stability issues which means Apple still has some work to do.

 

http://arstechnica.com/journals/apple.ars/2008/05/07/apple-continues-seeding-test-builds-of-mac-os-x-10-5-3

<Change Slide>

6 -  3G iPhone again rumored for summer US/Europe launch, AT&T preps - Apple and AT&T to launch iPhone 3G a lot sooner than we think? Last year, AT&T limited employee vacation requests between June 15-July 15 in anticipation of the original iPhone launch which took place on June 29th, 2007.  On May 6th, a Boy Genius Report publishes another AT&T memo that is again restricting vacation requests, this time between June 15th and July 12th 2008. The reason for the restriction is "to ensure adequate store staffing and to give everyone an equal opportunity to benefit from an exciting product launch." AT&T expects "heavier than normal customer traffic" in their stores due to an "exciting Summer Promotional Launch". Of course, speculation points to Apple launching their new 3G iPhone during that time. The timeframe is consistent with a previous report that claimed that Apple was targeting "on or around June 27th" to approximately coincide with the one year anniversary of the iPhone launch. Meanwhile, the NYTimes believes that the European launch for the 3G iPhone will be "by the August summer holidays" according to a person close to the situation.

http://www.macrumors.com/2008/05/06/atandt-blocking-out-june-15-july-12-for-3g-iphone-launch/

http://www.boygeniusreport.com/2008/05/06/apple-and-att-to-launch-iphone-3g-a-lot-sooner-than-we-think/#more-3448

http://arstechnica.com/journals/apple.ars/2008/05/06/3g-iphone-again-rumored-for-summer-useurope-launch-att-preps

<Change Slide>

- Viewer Questions             (*Troubleshooting, New Tech, Etc.)                                                                                                                                       

How can I use my webcam with multiple programs simultaneously?

Windows PC

http://download.manycam.com/ - Many Web

- Add text to your webcam video window with any application.
- Add cool animations to your video window.
- Show your local day and date in your video window.
- Add live CGI graphics like fire and water effects. You can even make it appear as if it is snowing inside your house!

http://www.superwebcam.com/ - SuperWebCam

http://www.superwebcam.com/download.php?rand=417049

After installing SuperWebcam you will be able to:

 

http://www.webcammax.com/ $30

 

MAC

CamTwist

http://allocinit.com/index.php?title=CamTwist

 

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-New Technology to keep an Eye On                                                                                    

(Auto Tech, Alt. Fuel, Environment, Hacking, High Tech, etc…)  

1 - Coming to a mall near you: Power-generating windows Solar company HelioVolt and Architectural Glass & Aluminum on Tuesday announced a partnership to produce glass windows capable of generating electricity.  

HelioVolt is one of several new solar manufacturers using different materials to produce thin-film solar cells.

The company intends to make solar cells for rooftop panels and later get into building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV), where cells are embedded onto roof shingles, blinds, awnings, or other building components.  The deal with Architectural Glass & Aluminum calls for the companies to design solar-enabled curtain walls, the glass facades on the outside of buildings, or architectural glass in the interior of buildings. Citing a Department of Energy study, HelioVolt said that solar cells integrated into buildings can produce about half of a building's energy usage.  Last week, another thin-film solar producer, Global Solar Energy, announced a partnership with Dow to make solar shingles.  Another company doing solar-enabled roofing is DRI Energy, a division of a construction company that has developed roof shingles and solar cells that glue onto flat roofs of commercial buildings.

 

http://crave.cnet.com/8301-1_105-9937182-1.html

<Change Slide>

2 - The Race to Create the First Solar Airplanes is ON! - The last barrier to greener transportation is up in the air and if these newly designed planes can get up there, the future of air travel may look decidedly different. While cars have been going green for decades, airplanes have remained behemoth fuel-gulping modes of transportation. EcoGeek put together a list of ways in which air travel is gretting greener...but there's a long ways to go.   A French and a Swiss company are both vying to complete the first viable solar-powered plane. The Solar Impulse Project, which we've discussed previously is backed by Swiss adventurer Bertrand Piccard, is aiming to use only solar energy to keep its aircraft up both day and night.  The Solar Impulse plane, which hopes to be about 1,500 kilogram of "take-off weight" is constructed around a skeleton of carbon fiber-honeycomb composite.  French company Lisa Airplanes is putting its efforts into the "Hy-Bird" project which plans to fly around the world with a 100 per cent clean electric airplane powered only by solar energy and hydrogen. For take-off, the Hy-Bird will use solar photovoltaic cells affixed on the wings and on the horizontal tail and for on-board power supply. A fuel cell will then fuel the aircraft for cruise flight and an electric engine will propel the plane.

Booking a seat on board won't happen any time soon. Both Hy-Bird and the Solar Impulse Project hope to take trial flights next year, but only one person will be on board. Meanwhile, unmanned solar airplanes are already in the air, with one that will be able to fly almost indefinitely planned for the near future.

http://www.ecogeek.org/content/view/1613/83/

 

<Change Slide>

3 - Cell phone power is in your hands - Even if your telecom operator gives you cellular coverage all the way into the heart of a tropical rainforest, it won't mean a thing if your mobile phone runs out of power. Here's a product that will address that problem: the Hand-Crank USB Power Charger sold on the National Geographic online store.

If your mobile phone can be charged using USB, it'll probably work with this. The idea is simple--plug in your phone and start cranking. You'll probably work up a sweat just trying to get one call.

This device costs $39.95 and includes adapters to fit most Motorola, Samsung, Nokia, and LG phones. For those using brands not listed here, getting a third-party USB charger for your phone will probably do the trick, too. The Hand-Crank USB Power Charger even comes with an AC adapter so you can deposit power into the device when you have access to a power outlet--that'll help save you a few turns of the handle when out in the field.

Buy Here http://shop.nationalgeographic.com/product/678.html

http://crave.cnet.com/8301-1_105-9938091-1.html

<Change Slide>

4 - EcoBlogger Exposes Fake List Global Warming Skeptic Scientists - Curious about the Heartland Institute's list of "500 Prominent Scientists" who deny global warming, Kevin decided to contact some of the folks on the list. He put together a list of 150 email addresses...simply the addresses he found it most easy to acquire. After only 24 hours, he'd received 45 emails from angry scientists saying that they, in no way, denied anthropogenic global warming.  It turns out that the heartland institute had never told the scientists they were going on the list, nor did they check to see if these people actually had any doubts about the causes of climate change.

Just a sampling of quotes from emails Kevin received:

I am horrified to find my name on such a list. I have spent the last 20 years arguing the opposite.

I have NO doubts ..the recent changes in global climate ARE man-induced. I insist that you immediately remove my name from this list since I did not give you permission to put it there.

Please remove my name. What [they] have done is totally unethical!!

That is SCARY! Thanks for digging for the truth! Appreciate your posts.”

http://www.ecogeek.org/content/view/1618/73/

<Change Slide>

  

-Tech Tip / Demo

Virtualization is changing the computing landscape. Virtualization essentially lets one computer do the job of multiple computers, by sharing the resources of a single computer across multiple environments. Virtual servers and virtual desktops let you host multiple operating systems and multiple applications locally and in remote locations, freeing you from physical and geographical limitations. In addition to energy savings and lower capital expenses due to more efficient use of your hardware resources, you get high availability of resources, better desktop management, increasedsecurity, and improved disaster recovery processes when you build a virtual infrastructure. Virtualization breaks the bond, making it possible to run multiple operating systems and multiple applications on the same computer at the same time, increasing the utilization and flexibility of said hardware. In essence, virtualization lets you transform hardware into software. Use software such as VMware ESX to transform or “virtualize” the hardware resources of an x86-based computer—including the CPU, RAM, hard disk and network controller—to create a fully functional virtual machine that can run its own operating system and applications just like a “real” computer.

 

Run Virtual Machines on for Free with VM Ware Player/Server (Windows/Linux) Desktop or Server

·         Run multiple operating systems simultaneously on a single PC

·         Experience the benefits of preconfigured products without any installation or configuration hassles

·         Share data between host computer and virtual machine

 

Get more out of your existing computer hardware. Use the free VMware Player application to run multiple operating systems simultaneously on a single PC.

 

Download a free copy of VMware Player 2.0 today and try it for yourself.

http://www.vmware.com/download/player/

 

 

VMware Fusion 2.0 Public Beta 1

 

VMWare is proud to announce the availability of VMware Fusion 2.0 Public Beta 1

VMware Fusion 2.0 Beta 1 brings support for multiple displays, tools for even easier switching to VMware Fusion, experimental support for DirectX 9.0 Shader Model 2 3D acceleration, and more!

When released, VMware Fusion 2.0 will be a free downloadable upgrade for all VMware Fusion 1.x users, as a sincere thank you to VMware Fusion early adopters.

VMware Fusion 2.0 Beta 1 is available as a free download.  

http://communities.vmware.com/community/beta/fusion

·         Two Heads Are Better Than One—True Multiple Display Support

·         Experimental DirectX 9.0 3D Acceleration That’s Made in the Shade

·         Flip the Switch—Import Parallels and Virtual PC for Mac Virtual Machines, or Even Your Boot Camp Partition

·         Windows Printing Even Easier on the Mac

·         Even Easier, Mac-Native Design

Please note: Beta software can be prone to instability and bugs. Do not run beta software in mission-critical environments.

 

There are many Virtualization Product solutions like Parallels for MAC and many other VMWare products for Microsoft Operating Systems – IE: Application, Desktop and Server environments.

See http://www.vmware.com also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtual_machine

 

-General Talk/Discussions                                                                                             

1- Viewers see giveaway link on HiWEB.NET for more details.  Next Giveaway May 15th – Remember the eligibility requirements.   Sub to Youtube, Register and Comment on Blog – *And then stay Tuned for Hot Giveaways  

2- Future segments will include music production segments, hardware reviews and product demos…

3- We are currently engaging SME to produce custom segments away from live show –  

4- Viewers can send show Tips / Recommendations to live@hiweb.net

5- HiWEB-Interactive Past Shows on http://www.hiweb.net/pastshows.html (past shows)

 

-Closing Comments                                                                                                                                              46:00

This was HiWEB-Interactive – Show #10

Remember tune in anytime at live.hiweb.net and Thursdays at 8p (PST) for the HiWEB-Interactive Tech Show

“Thank You for participating in HiWEB-Interactive, we look forward to bringing you more information from the edge of technology” Until next time have Fun with your tech