According to GameSpot the upcoming Nintendo DS (the successor of the Nintendo GameBoy Advance) will "enable free phone calls at wireless hotspots".
Last week Gizmodo posted about the "mystery hole" on the Nintendo DS and confirmed that it was for a microphone headset, which definitely jives with the news being released today. What still isn't known so far though, is whether you'll be able to call anybody over the VoIP setup, or if it can only call other Nintendo DS users. Here's a quote:
Analyst Boris Markovich in his weekly memo said, "The headset will allow gamers to use the DS as a phone handset enabling free phone calls over wireless network hotspots. We think that this will be a very compelling application of the handset..."[GameSpot]
Information has come out about Nintendo's upcoming DS handheld's ability to serve as a voice-over-IP handset, allowing DS gamers to make phone calls when connected to a Wi-Fi access point. There's no word if the service will allow DS users to call other, regular phones or not. Knowing Nintendo, it's probably more likely that DS users will be able to chat to other DS users, and not serve as an actual phone.
[via Gizmodo]
Exactly on schedule, the people at SixApart (makers of MovableType) have launched Movable Type 3.1, sporting many great improvements.
We're extremely excited about this new release, and also about how quickly this update is coming on the heels of Movable Type 3.0 Developer Edition. Whereas it took more than a year between 2.6 and 3.0, we're now releasing 3.1 only three months after 3.0 Developer Edition. The release of 3.0, combined with the changes in licensing, has allowed us to recommit resources to Movable Type development, and that's a big reason why you're seeing major features in a free update released so soon after 3.0.
Check out the latest version at MovableType.org
Movable Type 3.1 boasts the following improvements:
Here's a look at the major features in Movable Type 3.1.DYNAMIC PAGES
The Best of Both WorldsThe most prominent new feature in Movable Type 3.1 is the dynamic page functionality, allowing you to choose between static page generation or dynamic pages on a per-template basis. This allows you to optimize the performance of your weblog, providing you the best of both worlds: you can turn on static page generation for frequently-requested pages like your site index and feeds, and use dynamic pages for your monthly, individual, and other archive pages. This allows you to create the best balance of fast rebuilds and low web server load. Dynamic pages completely eliminate the need to manually rebuild your files; when you update the design of your archive templates, for example, the design of your site will immediately be updated without requiring you to rebuild.
SUBCATEGORIES
The new category management interface in 3.1 gives you fine-grained control over the organization and display of your posts. You can easily create new subcategories, and move a subcategory from one parent category to another using a sleak, intuitive interface. Not only that, the subcategory support is extremely powerful, because it builds upon David Raynes' SubCategories plugin and thus inherits all of the tags included in that plugin. David has done a great job helping us integrate the plugin into the core Movable Type engine.POST SCHEDULING
Using post scheduling, you can set a time and date for your posts to appear, permitting automatic updates to your weblog even when you're away. Using post scheduling, you can keep your weblog community up to date and involved, even if you're not at your computer to create new posts.BETTER EXTENSIBILITY
Building on the new extensibility in Movable Type 3.0 are new features that developers will appreciate. The object callback interface added in 3.0 allowed developers to intercept all calls to save, remove, and update data objects in the database. This added an infinite new amount of options for developers to hook into, but in 3.1 we're adding even more.We've added a number of new application callbacks, hooks that allow developers to associate new actions with critical pieces of the application code. Plugins can now add code to be executed to filter comments and TrackBacks before they're posted; to hook into the publishing process, filtering and modifying the list of files that will be published; etc.
PLUGIN PACK
The plugin pack is the result of our Plugin to Movable Type 3.0 Developer's Contest. We got some great entries and both the winners of the contest and some notable finalists are included in the pack. Many of these plugins are still in active development (and enhancement stages) so consider them pretty cool works in progress. Included in the pack is information about all the developers and where to find more information on their plugins and projects.
I was reading some Technotes for Dreamweaver and Windows XP Service Pack 2 today and came across Macromedia's XP Service Pack 2 Support Center. It seems that the fine folks at Macromedia have built an entire section dedicated to the latest version of Microsoft's latest service pack. So, if you're thinking of installing XP SP2, want to know more about it, or perhaps are just curious about if your site still works for your visitors, I definitely recommend heading on over and checking it out.
Yay! After weeks of speculation and a few faked photos, Apple has officially announced their new G5 iMacs.
You can check out the details and all the sexy photos straight from the Apple site at apple.com/imac.
What if you could fit your whole life — all your music, all your photos, all your movies, all your email — in a computer as fun and useful as an iPod? Now you can. Introducing the futuristic iMac G5 in 17- and 20-inch widescreen models. The entire computer, including a G5-based logic board, slot-loading optical drive, hard disk, speakers, and even the power supply — dwells inside the enchanting display. Modern living starts at $1299.
According to iPodlounge, Apple VP of Marketing, Phil Schiller announced during the keynote speech at the Apple Expo Paris that the iTunes Store will be "available to all European Union countries by October".
In the Keynote presentation at Apple Expo Paris, Apple Vice President of Worldwide Marketing, Phil Schiller has announced that the iTunes Music Store will be available to all European Union countries by October. Schiller also noted that Apple is the first company to sell 100 millions songs online since its debut in April 2003. Itunes Music Store has also sold 8 million songs in its first eight weeks since being introduced in France, Germany and the United Kingdom.
I wonder if use crazy Canadians will EVER get the store up here in the frozen tundra.
Although at least a day old, I just recently had a chance to try out MSN's online web chat client, MSN Web Messenger.
So far I'm really impressed. It looks a lot like their regular chat client and it seems pretty full featured, albeit a little slow. So if you ever happen to find yourself somewhere where you can't install programs but want to quickly send a few MSNs out, it is nice to know that this exists.
Sean Combs (aka: Puff Daddy, Puffy, P-Diddy, "that guy who dated J-Lo") shows off his custom HP hPod/iPod with no less than 120 diamond encrusted all over it. No word on whether its a 20 gig or 40 gig, but since you can't have one, what does it matter.
You can check out Engadget's "exclusive" photos, or see them over at Gizmodo (apparently anybody who asks for the photos can get a copy, so they ain't very exclusive by any means).
For those of you unfamiliar with the hPod, HP basically releases Apple's iPod, but with a slightly different logo on the back (HP's logo as well as than Apple's).
Unfortunately the hPod doesn't come in any cool colors as previously thought. But, at least the one good thing is that now you can walk into a Costco and pick one up, although don't expect to get it at any great discounts (if any).
Using the UIScrollBar Component with a Dynamically Created Text Field
The new UIScrollBar re-introduced in Flash 7.2 (codename Ellipsis) with dynamically created text fields is actually fairly simple and straight forward. Basically it can be broken down into two main steps:
1. Drag an instance of the UIScrollBar component from the Components panel on to the Stage and then immediately delete it from the Stage by pressing the Backspace or Delete keys. This removes the component from the Stage, but leaves a copy of the component in the Library so you can dynamically attach later using ActionScript.
2. Create a new layer named actions in the Timeline and add the following code to the first frame of the new layer:
this.createTextField("news_txt", this.getNextHighestDepth(), 10, 10, 160, 120);
news_txt.html = true;
news_txt.multiline = true;
news_txt.wordWrap = true;
//
this.createClassObject(mx.controls.UIScrollBar, "news_sb", this.getNextHighestDepth());
news_sb.move(news_txt._x+news_txt._width, news_txt._y);
news_sb.setScrollTarget(news_txt);
news_sb.setSize(4, news_txt._height);
//
news_txt.htmlText = "<p>Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi.</p>";
You can break this ActionScript down into three small sections. The first section creates the dynamic text field and sets the html, multiline and wordWrap properties to true. The second section dynamically attaches an instance of the UIScrollBar component into the Stage and assigns it an instance name of news_sb. Next you call the move, setScrollTarget and setSize methods and resize and reposition the scroll bar to the right of the dynamic text field. Finally the last section of code assigns some HTML formatted text to the dynamic text field.
That’s it! If you publish your Flash document you should see some Latin text and have the ability to scroll the contents of the text field using the handy scroll bar. Thank you 7.2.
Using the UIScrollBar Component
1. Create a text field on the Stage using the Text tool. Using the text field’s handles, try and resize the text field instance to approximately 200 pixels wide by 300 pixels high.
2. Give the text field an instance name of news_txt using the Property inspector.
3. Drag an instance of the UIScrollBar component from the Components panel onto the Stage.
4. Give the UIScrollBar component an instance name of news_sb. In either the Property inspector or Component Inspector panel set the _targetInstanceName property to news_txt.
5. Drag the news_sb instance so that is snaps to the upper left corner of the news_txt text field.
6. Before you can test the Flash document you’ll need to populate the text field with enough content that it will scroll. Create a new layer at the very top of the Timeline and enter the following line of ActionScript:
textfield_mc.news_txt.htmlText = "<p>Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi.</p>";
7. At this point you should be able to test the current Flash document and see scrollbars attached to the text field on the Stage. You’ll notice that the scroll bar extends the entire height of the text field it is bound to. If there wasn’t enough text within the text field you’d also notice that no buttons appear on the scrollbar as well as no slider.
Next… using the UIScrollBar component with a dynamically created text field.
Here's a simple example of using the V2 TabBar (version 1.0.1) in Flash.
1. Add a TabBar and Loader to the Library.
2. Add this code (frame 1 of Timeline):
var tabListener:Object = new Object();
tabListener.change = function(evt:Object) {
content_ldr.load(evt.target.value);
};
this.createClassObject(mx.controls.TabBar, "myTabBar", this.getNextHighestDepth());
myTabBar.addEventListener("change", tabListener); myTabBar.setSize(550, 30);
myTabBar.addItem({label:"Home", data:"http://www.flash-mx.com/images/image1.jpg"});
myTabBar.addItem({label:"News", data:"http://www.flash-mx.com/images/image2.jpg"});
this.createClassObject(mx.controls.Loader, "content_ldr", this.getNextHighestDepth(), {_x:0, _y:30, _width:550, _height:370});
3. Ctrl+Enter.
If you bought DRK5 which includes the original version of this component, you can update to the V2 version for free. For more information, visit this link.
Well, not sure exactly when it happened, but I just checked it out and you can grab XP SP2 directly from the Windows Update site rather than download the 266 MB zip file. For some reason the version on Windows Update is telling me that it is only 75 MB, so not sure what all it contains.
But if you're feeling frisky, go head over and give it a whirl. I mean, c'mon, "what's the worst that could happen"™?
Windows Update [Microsoft]
For those of you who are less impulsive, feel free to gander Microsoft's well titled "Application Compatibility Testing and Mitigation Guide for Windows XP Service Pack 2" [Microsoft.com]
Or for all you sassy ones, you can get a free CD of Service Pack 2, yours for the askin (but you also have to wait 4-6 weeks for shipping) [Microsoft.com]
The fine folks at InformationWeek have the following to say:
Microsoft on Wednesday made Windows XP Service Pack 2 available via Windows Update and free CD. It also began distributing the update to its flagship operating system to Windows XP Professional customers via Automatic Updates.
The CD Request Page had been live for several weeks; however, the option to make the request was not turned on until now. The installation, which requires 1.6 Gbytes of available hard disk space, was previously only available in a 75-Mbyte download (for individual PCs; the full "Network Install" version is 266 Mbytes). This could be time-consuming for most XP users--and nearly impossible for those consumers still using dial-up connections to access the Internet.
According to InfoWorld, WinXP SP2 could be availabe on Windows Update as soon as Wednesday August 25th. Although the 266MB service pack has been available to download for a couple weeks (see: WinXP SP2 network install available from Microsoft) Microsoft has delayed its release to allow corporations a bit more time to disable automatic updates to prevent the service pack from being automatically installed.
Here's a spicy quote from the InfoWorld article:
Faced with concerns from business users, Microsoft two weeks ago made available a tool that allows users to set a Windows registry key that will instruct the system to skip downloading and installing the service pack for 120 days, but still download other critical updates. The tool was released one day after the network installation package for SP2.SP2 is more than the usual roll-up of bug fixes and updates; it makes significant changes to Windows in the name of increased security. As a result, SP2 can render existing applications inoperable. Because of those changes, many businesses want to hold off on installing the update and are taking time for testing. Automatic Updates initially did not give users that flexibility.
You can find more info on disabling automatic installation of SP2 at: Temporarily Disabling Delivery of Windows XP Service Pack 2 Through Windows Update and Automatic Updates [Microsoft.com]
[via InfoWorld]
CNET is reporting that AT&T has selected Best Buy to sell its line of Voice Over IP (VoIP) service.
Here's a quote:
AT&T on Monday named Best Buy retail partner for its Internet telephony service.Best Buy will sell AT&T's residential voice over Internet protocol service through 628 stores nationwide as well as online, beginning this fall, the companies said. The two companies will jointly promote the CallVantage service through in-store marketing and advertising in print, broadcast and online media.
[via CNET]
In other news, the Ohio state attorney general is suing Best Buy for "a pattern of unfair and deceptive acts and practices". Basically, they're claiming that Best Buy has been repackaging used electronics as new and failing to honor rebates, refunds, and exchanges.
[via Engadget]
Seven new articles were added to Macromedia's Developer Center this morning
It seems that Engadget is flashing a bunch of photos of the new HP h6315 PDA/Phone that CompUSA seems to be selling a wee bit early. So head on over and check out their 10 or so photos.
[via Engadget]
I've already seen a few rumblings about this off of Google News, but it seems like Macromedia is getting ready to launch Flex Builder (the app formerly known as "Brady") sometime this week.
Here's a slice from InfoWorld:
Flex Builder, formerly code-named Brady, is specifically tuned to work with Flex so that users can visually design Internet applications without having to write them in code first, said Jeff Whatcott, vice president of product management at Macromedia. Developers can, for example, drag and drop UI widgets and components for use in an application interface. Also, enhanced coding support enables quick use of ActionScript or MXML (Macromedia Flex Markup Language) to build Flex apps.
So, if you're a Flex developer, this could be exactly what you've been waiting for.
[via InfoWorld]
You can also check out the news on eWEEK and Computerworld Australia.
According to the Washington Post, for the first time high-speed internet usage has surpassed dial-up. Let's hope the trend continues and dial-up usage continues to fall.
For the first time last month, the New York-based market research firm found that more people used high-speed Internet connections from home (mostly cable-modem or digital subscriber lines) than dial-up lines. Some 63 million folks logged on from broadband connections at home in July, representing 51 percent of all U.S. Internet users -- up from the 38 percent share that broadband had one year earlier. Only 61.3 million people were using dial-up lines last month, Nielsen found.
[via Google News]
Although not really Flash related in the least, it is usually pretty significant in the gaming world when a new GTA (Grand Theft Auto) game is released. Rockstar's latest incarnation, GTA: San Andreas, is due to hit the Sony PlayStation 2 in October 2004 [Electronics Boutique lists the game as "Pre-Order: Ships on 10/18/2004"].
Although very little information has been posted so far, you can check out the official game website at rockstargames.com.
For those of you perhaps unfamiliar with the upcoming GTA: San Andreas "plot" (if you can call it that), here's a quote from worthplaying.com:
Five years ago Carl Johnson escaped from the pressures of life in Los Santos, San Andreas...a city tearing itself apart with gang trouble, drugs and corruption. Where filmstars and millionaires do their best to avoid the dealers and gangbangers. Now, it's the early 90s. Carl's got to go home. His mother has been murdered, his family has fallen apart and his childhood friends are all heading towards disaster. On his return to the neighborhood, a couple of corrupt cops frame him for homicide. CJ is forced on a journey that takes him across the entire state of San Andreas, to save his family and to take control of the streets.
I have to admit, I wasn't really blown away by the trailer. The environments look fantastic and the city is supposedly massive compared to previous versions of GTA. But the trailer just seemed to lack any sort of "action". I expected at least one car-jacking or gratuitous beating.
Definitely looking forward to the game's release, although I'll have to wait a bit longer until it is available for the Xbox. So far I haven't been able to find release dates for the PC or other consoles.
Saw this fun little Flash game over on Gadgetopia and it is pretty addictive. So far my highest score is 1795.
The basic concept is to catch a ball of paper and toss it into a waste paper basket. Sounds simple, but it has pretty realistic physics, so you have to arc your shots carefully.
[via Gadgetopia]
If you've been waiting for more affordable iPods, this may be your lucky day. It seems that Apple is selling refurbished iPods for about 31-44% off their original price. Not exactly the newest 4th Generation models, but they have everything from 10GB to 40GB (so no iPod Mini either). Considering the newer full-sized iPods seem to have a few "glitches" this may not be such a bad deal after all...
Check out Apple's Hot Deals
[via iPodLounge]
Think Secret posts that Apple is planning to release a software update that will incorporate many changes found in the recently released 4G iPods. Changes such as:
shuffle music library with a single click
vary audiobook playback speed
create multiple On-The-Go playlists and delete songs from them
They also plan on improving synchonization, here's a quote (from Think Secret's site):
The iPod mini update will also offer synchronization improvements and the ability to hear user interface "clicks" through the headphones when scrolling through a music library.
[via Think Secret]
In an effort to be more competitive with Google's fantastic Gmail service, Microsoft seems to be upgrading Hotmail in a few interesting ways (including 2GB of storage space)!
Here's the word on a few of their new upcoming upgrades:
Beginning this fall, MSN will increase free Hotmail account inbox storage by 125 times its current capacity to 250MB. Additionally, you will be able to send attachments up to 10MB.
In addition, free Hotmail customers will also receive MSN Calendar free, enabling both individual and shared calendaring with your storage upgrade.
It seems that in order to qualify for the 2GB of storage space you need to subscribe to MSN Hotmail Extra Storage plan (approximately $30 US/year).
You can check out more details here:
How do I get the MSN Hotmail storage upgrade?
MSN Hotmail Plus will launch this summer. However, if you signup for the MSN Hotmail Extra Storage — 10MB today, you will automatically be upgraded for no additional charge once it becomes available. Go to http://join.msn.com to sign-up.What is MSN Hotmail Plus?
MSN Hotmail Plus is an upgrade from MSN Extra Storage that provides:
- 2GB of Storage Space -- Get virtually infinite storage! With Hotmail Plus, you'll get 2 GB of online storage.
- Send/Receive Attachments up to 20MB -- Easily share photo, audio or video files with double the attachment size of free Hotmail.
- No Expiration -- With MSN Hotmail Plus, you will not have to re-register or logon every 30 days to keep the account active. MSN Hotmail Plus accounts don't expire if inactive.*
- No Graphical Advertising -- Enjoy a more streamlined Web e-mail experience with no graphical ads.
Wow! I saw this today over at ThinkSecret. Not all PowerBooks are affected, only certain 15-inch batteries specific model numbers.
The batteries in question were sold worldwide beginning in January 2004 for use with the 15-inch Aluminum PowerBook G4, both individually and included with PowerBooks. The batteries have the model number A1045 and serial numbers that begin with HQ404, HQ405, HQ406, HQ407, and HQ408, the letter says, and contain cells that were manufactured by LG Chem Ltd. of South Korea during the last week of December 2003. Apple is stressing that no other PowerBook or iBook batteries are part of the recall.
[via ThinkSecret]
Although it isn't supposed to be officially announced until the end of the week, it seems like Canon accidentally posted some photos of the new camera in their Press Room.
This new Digital SLR is rumored to be 8.2 MegaPixels (According to the DPReview forums [view]). The camera also shares the same lens mount as the Canon Digital Rebel (Canon EOS 300D).
[via Engadget]
[via Gizmodo]
[via PhotographyBLOG]
[via DPReview Forums]
EOS-20D
8.2 MegaPixels
DIGIC II
1:1.6x Crop
9 Point focusing
1/8000s Max Shutter speed
5fps Continuous speed
25 frame buffer
EF-s support
E-TTL II support
0.2sec startup time
50g lighter than 10D
Price US$1600 RRP
(Street price should be closer to 1300 they say)August 20 - Announcement
September 20 - On SaleAlso 2 Lenses will be announced at launch of 20D
EF-s 10-22mm /f 3.5-4.5
EF-s 17-85mm /f 4-5.6 IS (Will be sold with 20D also like the 300D)
Remember to enter our contest! All you need to do is send your name and address.
===
Win the latest version (4) of Swift 3D! You don't need to do anything more than send an email to enter to win. Flash MX.com doesn't make you jump through hoops - we just dole out the goods!
Go to this page for information on entering to win this great software, courtesy of erain and flash-mx.com:
http://www.flash-mx.com/erain_contest2.cfm
The prize:
Swift 3D version 4 - Windows
Swift 3D Xpress plug-in for Flash MX 2004
Bonus source files and tutorial series!
Wondering how Flash Player 7 is doing out there? Pretty well, particularly overseas for sure! Latest numbers for FP7 (just released, for up to June 2004) are:
US: 66.7
Canada: 75.3
Europe 81
Asia 76.9
Canada is beating them out in Flash Players 2-5 though. Go Canada!!
Edit:
I forgot the link! Yikes -
http://www.macromedia.com/software/player_census/flashplayer/version_penetration.html
As everybody knows, Macromedia recently announced their new Flash Video Kit and launched a Flash Video section on the Developer Center. If you purchase Macromedia Studio MX 2004 with Flash Professional and register it online by September 30, 2004 you are entitled to download the Flash Video Kit for free (a $99 USD value - Terms and Conditions).
But a question was recently asked on the Chattyfig FlashComm mailing list about whether people who already own it would be be able to get a copy.
According to Macromedia's FAQ, people who already own Studio MX 2004 with Flash Professional are entitled to buy the Flash Video Kit from the online store for $49 USD (for a limited time).
How can I get the Flash Video Kit if I already own Studio MX 2004 with Flash Professional?The Flash Video Kit will be available at the Macromedia Online Store for $99 on or about September 1, 2004. For a limited time you will be able to purchase it for $49. [view]
Check out the Flash Video Kit FAQ [Macromedia.com]
The Flash/Gadget community's own Phillip Torrone posted a How-To article over at Engadget on using your fancy Apple iPod as a bootable drive. A pretty good read, but the downside is that it only seems to work with OS X, so if you don't have an Apple, then you can only look at the pretty screenshots and move along.
The article also comes with this dandy disclaimer/warning:
Before we get started, we should warn you that doing this can and will use your iPod in a way it was not intended and may severely shorten the life of your iPod. The reason is that the little iPod hard drive wasn’t meant to be a full-time operating system drive. It’s okay to boot from it from time to time, but the little drives are rated to about 20,000 hours while desktop drives are usually rated to 750,000 hours or more.
[via Engadget]
The Inquirer reports that the new service pack for Windows XP causes some problems with Firewire speeds. Although that sounds bad, it probably won't affect 90% of the people because it only seems to affect devices that use the new Firewire 800 device. Itr seems that WinXP SP2 causes Firewire 800 devices to run a bit closer to Firewire 100 speeds (roughly 1/4 the speed of regular Firewire).
So if you have shiny new Firewire 800 devices and have been holding off in installing Service Pack 2, you may want to hold off a bit longer. The Inquirer says you can fix the new driver problems introduced in SP2 by installing the old SP1 Firewire drivers over the new service pack 2 ones. You can probably expect Microsoft to release newer drivers eventually that will fix this problem though.
[Via Engadget]
It would appear that Think Secret have done it again. They seem to have it on good authority that the new G5 based 17-inch and 20-inch iMacs will be running several models at 1.6GHz and 1.8GHz.
To quote Think Secret:
In addition, the new models will be housed in an all-in-one body with the motherboard and components attached to the back of the display.
Color me impressed!
Check out all the scandalous details, while they last, over at Think Secret's site.
It seems some clever chaps have come up with some signal blocking paint that blocks radio frequencies between the 100MHz and 2GHz range. This means you could now repaint your apartment and make it that much harder for your neighbors to try stealing your WiFi connection.
DefendAir™ Radio Shield [via Engadget]
There was a new article posted on the Macromedia Developer Center on the new changes in Windows XP SP2 and how some of them relate to Macromedia. Pretty useful and informative info. Definitely worth checking out if you haven't yet taken the plunge or even if you have installed the latest update and want to better understand the new features.
Upcoming Changes in Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2
A list of upcoming Nintendo DS games is at the following link:
Check it out. Now this is pretty impressive! The list includes 60 anticipated games from a variety of publishers, with titles such as Frogger 2005, Castlevania (ah, the memories), SpongeBob Squarepants and the one I really want to see/try - "Project Rub" from the boys at SEGA. One can only guess at this point, but this DS gadget seems like it'll probably be a must-have.
Win the latest version (4) of Swift 3D! You don't need to do anything more than send an email to enter to win. Flash MX.com doesn't make you jump through hoops - we just dole out the goods!
Go to this page for information on entering to win this great software, courtesy of erain and flash-mx.com:
http://www.flash-mx.com/erain_contest2.cfm
The prize:
Swift 3D version 4 - Windows
Swift 3D Xpress plug-in for Flash MX 2004
Bonus source files and tutorial series!
Tell your friends, steal this blog entry - whatever you want. Good luck!
PS: don't forget about our other contest to win a couple of books! We really like to give things away.
http://www.flash-mx.com/contest.cfm
Not only has Apple announced that it has begun shipping "Motion", but they've also announced a new suite, cleverly entitled Production Suite.
Not only do you get Motion, but also Final Cut Pro HD and DVD Studio Pro. The suite seems to be retailing for $1300 USD (full) or an upgrade price of $700 USD, which seems like a good deal considering the full version of Final Cut Pro HD is $1000 and Motion is $300.
Introducing Production Suite, the essential software suite for film and video production that delivers real-time production tools in one comprehensive and integrated package.Combining Apple’s industry-leading Final Cut Pro HD, DVD Studio Pro 3 and Motion, Production Suite offers the most comprehensive collection of professional graphics, video, audio and DVD authoring applications to deliver real-time interactivity on a desktop or notebook computer. With common user interface elements shared across all the applications, Production Suite provides a seamless, intuitive and integrated workflow for film and video production.
Final Cut Pro HD [Apple]
Now you can capture and edit in DV, SD and high definition (HD) formats in real-time on your Power Mac G5 and Cinema Display.Motion [Apple]
Groundbreaking real-time previews, behavior animations and a streamlined interface will change how you do motion graphics.DVD Studio Pro [Apple]
Open your Final Cut Pro HD files and your Motion projects natively in DVD Studio Pro, add menus, transitions and more and burn your DVD title.
Sheesh, just off the heels of the Windows XP Service Pack 2 blog entry comes word that yesterday Apple released an update to OS X.
Boasting improved support for NTFS formatted volumes, improved font management and better Bluetooth support (and oodles of other improvements). Naturally the fine folks at Apple suggest everybody install the update...
Mac OS X Combined Update 10.3.5
Key enhancements include: - network volumes are now available in the Finder sidebar and Desktop for convenient access - improved file sharing and directory services for Mac (AFP), UNIX (NFS) PC (SMB/CIFS), PPTP, and wireless networks - improves reliability of user logins and mounting of home directories in a networked environment - improved support for NTFS formatted volumes - improved PostScript and USB printing - improved font management - improved disc burning and recording functionality - improved Bluetooth compatibility for Apple Wireless Keyboard and Mouse and Bluetooth phones - iPods connected via USB 2.0 are now recognized by iTunes and iSync - improved Open GL technology and updated ATI and NVIDIA graphics drivers - updated Address Book, Disk Utility, DVD Player, Image Capture, Mail, Safari, Stickies, and QuickTime applications - improved compatibility for third party applications - additional support for FireWire and USB devices - FileVault, FireWire 800 and WebDAV improvements from Update 10.3.1 - previous standalone security updates and Bluetooth Update 1.5
This showed up on my FeedDemon radar today... Seems that there is some speculation running rampant that Sony may be producing a PDA sporting Pocket PC rather than the Palm OS.
...Sony may be reentering the US PDA market with another Clië - this time running Windows Pocket PC operating system. Although there's not much to go on at the moment - just the overheard comments of a Sony executive - it would be an interesting turn...[Gizmodo]
I'd definitely be interested to see if this turns out to be true, but personally, I'm still very excited to see the new HP iPAQ hx4700, which has a 624 MHz Processor, 4.0" Transflective VGA (480 x 640 pixels) TFT color display; landscape and portrait display modes and Touchpad with mouse-like curser.
Saw this over on The Tech Report web site this evening.
It would appear that Microsoft has made the Windows XP SP2 network installation available on its web site. You can grab the 266MB download here.
I haven't tried installing it yet, so basically try at your own risk (of course). I suggest not installing it on any mission critical computers as sometimes these things can cause more problems than they're worth. In fact, I didn't even spot this on the Windows Update site yet.
You can read the 8 page manifesto of changes here: Changes to Functionality in Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2
Or, for those of you running Wi-Fi, you probably want to stop by and read these articles: Wireless LAN Enhancements in Windows XP Service Pack 2 and Wireless Resources for Windows XP
Perhaps these:
I think the one I'm personally most concerned about will be the pop-up blocker.
Internet Explorer Pop-up Blocker - Makes browsing the Internet more enjoyable by enabling you to reduce unwanted ads and content.
As for the Flash/Gadget crowd, I guess the following two also rank pretty high as well:
Improved wireless support - Dramatically improves and simplifies the process of discovering and connecting to wireless networks.Bluetooth technologies - Enables you to easily connect to the latest Bluetooth-enabled hardware devices such as keyboards, cell phones, and PDAs.
Several people have asked how to remove or make the maximize button invisible (set visibility to false) on the Media Playback component. The maximize button on the MediaPlayback component (at the upper right-hand corner) makes the FLV you stream full-screen. This can be useful, but if you have a layout that doesn't accomodate full-screen or maximized video, this can be a problem. After Google searches turning up nothing, we worked on a solution for awhile, and just figured it out. If you have a MediaPlayback component with the instance name mediaPlayback_mp, the following code unloads the maximize button so it's removed at runtime:
mediaPlayback_mp._chrome._toggleNE.unloadMovie();