Technology Insight

In May 2005, the entertainment of computer of Sony opened gamers Japanese of the ‘options of color with PlayStation thin-towards bottom 2 with a white ceramics console. Later that the year, Sony gave Japanese gamers a third choice with a silver plated line of PS2 thins. And while Sony prolonged these colors in Europe thereafter, it wasn ‘T until at October 2006 that the American gamers could take the silver plated console. Now it is obvious that the North-Americans will obtain a slit in white thin PS2s as well–temporarily, at least. via

Microsoft Corp. the human error of a problem blamed which identified the legitimate users of Windows like pirates last week. “nothing error more than human began all, ” Alex Kochis, chief of elder product for Windows the advantage that true at Microsoft company of blog Tuesday wrote harms. The new software was accidentally in charge on the waiters of phase exploiting the system, it said. That finally made decrease the waiters activation and the requests for validation which were good, he wrote. While Microsoft noted the problem quickly and rolled behind the changes in half an hour, the problem continued to affect the service of validation, it said. The process of activation was fixed in this section of time, it said. The company applies some changes to secure a similar doesn of incident “T to still occur. It improves the monitoring in order to discover earlier if there is a problem, it said. Microsoft also adds the points of control which should prevent the accidental changes with the waiters. Kochis ” explanation is very well but the incident worries, always indicated the cherry of Michael, an analyst with the directions on Microsoft. “I think it ‘S shaking for people when it doesn ‘T validates, ” it said. via

The astronauts incorrectly did not employ alcohol during the time before the flight immediate, FOX Tuesday learned by news.  “the review of safety of NASA did not find any obviousness of the abuse alcohol or the abuse in, before the immediate flight of period ” according to a press release of NASA about the internal civils servant of review.NASA launched a review after signals that an astronaut flew on a Russian spaceship after the drinking of alcohol. A panel of the experts independent in health of astronaut indicated civils servant of NASA is not listened to surgeons of flight and other astronauts on allegations about use of alcohol. Management did not neglect the surgeon of flight or the concerns for crewmember are used as team-member approximately the weakening of alcohol and the flight, according to the release of NASA about the griffon of Michael of administrator of review.NASA will hold a press conference Wednesday to discuss the review.NASA of the allegations reviewed by Comité of review of system of health of astronaut of S about the astronauts of use, interviewing alcohol and any other personnel.

The Nokia 7500 tones things down a bit. Instead of 49 shades of LED to choose from, buyers can choose interchangeable color plates to decorate the phone. The phone retains the 2-megapixel camera on the 7900, but loses some of the etched styling accents. No internal storage, either, though the phone will accept 2GB microSD cards. Via

A newly discovered alien planet is so large and light that it could float on water, posing new challenges to astronomers who are devising theories to explain how planets are born.

The gas-giant planet is about twice the size of Jupiter - the largest discovered so far - and its density as low as that of cork or balsawood, according to the study led by Georgi Mandushev of Lowell Observatory in Arizona to be published in the Astrophysical Journal.

The strange world is so hot, puffed up and diffuse that it is likely to have only a tenuous grasp on its outer atmosphere.

Astronomers predict it has a curved comet-like tail as it loses its grip.

The bloated planet lies in the constellation Hercules and is orbits the star catalogued as GSC02620-00648, which is about 440 parsecs Via

Nine out of 10 American adults believe that driving while texting is dangerous and should be against the law, according to a new survey.

In addition, 91 percent of adults surveyed by research firm Harris Interactive thought that drivers sending text messages or e-mails are as dangerous as those who have had a couple of drinks before getting behind the wheel.

However, the survey, which was commissioned by Pinger Inc., a mobile messaging service that uses a hands-free head set, also found that 66 percent of adults who drive a car and have used text messaging said they have read text messages or e-mails while driving, and 57 percent of the same people said they have sent text messages or e-mails while driving. Via

This won’t surprise many close watchers of the video-game business. Microsoft is lowering the price of the Xbox 360, effective Wednesday, to lure more buyers to its console as the next edition of one of the most popular video games of the last decade � "Madden NFL" � goes on sale next week.

Leaked images from upcoming retail advertisements appeared on video-game enthusiast blogs as early as last month showing the price cuts, which Microsoft confirmed Monday: The low-end or "core" version of the console will cost $280, down $20; the midrange version’s new price is $350, down $50; and, the high-end "elite" system will sell for $450, down $30. Via

The seven members of the crew of the current mission of the space shuttle Endeavour include a teacher-astronaut, an electrician-turned-chemist, combat pilots and a doctor. The mission, which is officially designated as STS-118, will bring new structural elements up to the International Space Station and carry on the process of building the station.

The crew:

Scott J. Kelly, the commander on this mission, is also a commander in the Navy. He is 43 and was born in Orange, N.J. He and his wife, the former Leslie S. Yandell, have two children.

Commander Kelly graduated from the State University of New York Maritime College, and earned a masters in aviation systems from the University of Tennessee. His twin brother, Mark, served as pilot of the shuttle Discovery on a mission last year.

NASA selected Commander Kelly for the astronaut corps in 1996, and he has flown in space once before: as pilot on a flight in 1999 aboard the shuttle Discovery to the Hubble Space Telescope. Via

With Monday�s news that it will bundle Linux on laptops, Lenovo becomes the second major PC maker to offer the open-source operating system on consumer PCs. But though the move is a boost for the OS, analysts say it�ll be years before desktop Linux can seriously threaten proprietary systems like Windows.

�It�s still very early stages,� 451 Group analyst Raven Zachary said when asked about the No. 3 PC maker�s decision to sell its ThinkPad notebooks preloaded with Novell�s SUSE version of Linux. �In terms of elegance and aesthetics, Microsoft and Apple are many years ahead of Linux.�

For the scrappy OS to truly trespass on territory long held by Windows and the Mac OS, commercial Linux distributors such as Novell, Ubuntu, and Red Hat would have to place engineers and designers on their payroll, Mr. Zachary suggested.

�Apple and Microsoft have the advantage of having usability engineers and designers on staff and working on a single initiative,� he said.

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As the format battle rages on, today Toshiba announced three new HD DVD players: the HD-A3, the HD-A30, and the HD-A35. Michael Imperioli, star of The Sopranos and�recent Toshiba HD DVD commercials, is not included.

Toshiba’s third generation of HD DVD players are all priced lower than the cheapest Blu-ray drives I could manage to find online.�Why Toshiba decided to launch three new players at once is unknown, but it’s likely because it’s trying to crowd up store shelves with the lower-priced HD-DVDs in order to draw consumer attention away from Blu-ray Disc

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