Ding Dong, The Vista's DEAD!

This Halloween, let’s all celebrate what we’re really feeling: The Wicked Vista is DEAD!
In the United States, we’ve got a bunch of frivolous holidays.


I’ve always regarded Halloween as a particularly frivolous holiday, one in which we encourage our children to engage in mischief and vandalism, of which the original purpose has been co-opted by business, like Easter and Valentine’s day, all of which seem to be of a single mindset which is to support the mass-market confectionery and High Fructose Corn Syrup industry.

If you aren’t an adult, I also find Halloween parties to be rather pointless, because I think people beyond a certain age should never dress up in a silly costume, particularly if they aren’t paid to do so. I mean, you can still have a party without putting a costume on. Just add food and alcohol and loud music with uninhibited people, and you’ve got a formula for success. No Costume Required.

There is also the issue of what exactly we’re supposed to be celebrating on Halloween. Sure, I know about all this Celtic background and how it morphed from All Saints Day, but the modern tradition somewhat escapes me. I’ve always felt that it never had a purpose.

Valentine’s Day I can relate to, in that you are being reminded to express love for your sweetheart — but I get very annoyed that restaurants price gouge and people get pressured into spending money on dumb gifts in order to express affection, whereas should be giving people they care about affection all the time.

Easter, despite the pagan iconography that has been overlayed on top of mass chocolate egg and peeps consumption, still remains religiously important to Christians. But the American celebration of Halloween? I don’t get it. At least the Mexicans have a real purpose to Dia de los Muertos, it’s dead ancestor worship, a modern continuation of a practice that originated with the Aztecs in Mesoamerica thousands of years ago.

Dia de los Muertos has a lot of potential. I suggest that from now on, or at least for the next decade, that we focus our celebration on the passing of dead operating systems — the one we loved to hate the most, Windows Vista.

With the launch of Windows 7 last week on October 22, Microsoft put the final nail in the coffin for Windows Vista, its well-intentioned but poorly implemented predecessor.

Vista was despised almost immediately after launch, due to the fact that Microsoft tried to ram it down everyone’s throats, this despite the fact that the software wasn’t ready for prime time.

Many drivers for key peripherals and devices weren’t available until almost a year after the product’s initial release, the software used up considerably more resources than Windows XP and had major performance and compatibility issues, and the software just plain wasn’t tested widely enough or by the right people.

New UI behavior such as the much-maligned UAC (which still remains but is far more tolerable in its default behavior with Windows 7) drove end-users crazy. But perhaps worst of all, the OEMs weren’t involved with the software from the beginning of the design process, they were effectively told to suck it up and certify their hardware.

There are some that would like to blame Vista’s failure on bad press, or the slowing of the economy. I certainly published my share of articles slamming Vista, as did many other writers covering the technology industry. To be fair, with the two Service Packs, Vista definitely improved as far as responsiveness and resource utilization, but the damage was already done. The recession was simply just an accelerant for what amounted to an uncontrollable coal fire that had already started underneath Redmondville long before. It was time to sweep Windows Vista under the rug and wipe the slate.

To Microsoft’s credit, they went back and had an intervention and took corrective action. They went through the source code of all of Vista — the kernel, the driver architecture and most of the UI — and did a bottom up stack trace of all the things that were eating up resources and optimized the heck out of it. Instead of telling the OEMs to suck it up, they brought them all in and had in-depth discussions about what went wrong with Vista and what the PC vendors really wanted to deliver to their customers. As not to leave anything to chance, Microsoft beta tested the software with millions of installations.

The result was Windows 7 — the Vista we should have really gotten nearly three years ago.

I still have a number of issues with Windows 7 from a UI perspective that I would like to see fixed, but they really could be chalked up to annoyances that can be altered with a few third-party tweaks, such as the lack of “Classic” Start Menu mode. Overall, I’ve been very happy with Windows 7, and I’ve migrated all of my personally-owned Windows-based systems to it, although admittedly this is because I refreshed a bunch of hardware and I wanted to make a clean break. Still, I’m not so certain that it makes sense to move to Windows 7 if you are happy with the way XP is working on your current system.

For those of you who are current Vista users and aren’t eligible for a free Windows 7 upgrade with a recent system purchase, it’s up to you to determine whether or not the upgrade fee is actually worth it. As I said, the Windows Vista Service Packs do alleviate the majority of the issues that plagued the system during it’s early release phases.

Windows 7 goes a long way to re-establishing consumer confidence with Microsoft’s products, but I am still of the opinion that the OS upgrade should be provided at minimal or free cost to the consumer, particularly for the early-adopting Windows Vista users that do not have a free entitlement. While I often criticize the company for their tying of their software to their hardware platform, Apple really did the right thing by making the Mac OS X Snow Leopard upgrade $30 for just about every current Mac user.

If Microsoft did the same thing for all of the legacy Vista users, we could all just move on and pretend Vista didn’t happen. Heck, why not distribute the download entitlement link at Staples and other retailers with a pack of 5 recordable DVDs along with downloadable freeware ISO burning software (DeepBurner Free, perhaps?) for $30.00 with online-only documentation. It would get people into stores at the very least, and maybe they’d even think of buying other durable goods or even a new PC.

Are you going to celebrate this Halloween by installing Windows 7?

'Paranormal Activity' slays 'Saw VI' for top Friday box office

Little-horror-movie-that-could Paranormal Activity continues to defy all box office rules, leaping to the number one spot at the box office on Friday with an estimated $7.6 million — in its fifth weekend in theaters. Okay, technically, it’s the ultra-low-budget flick’s first weekend opening in a true wide release (1,945 theaters), but it still managed to snag enough horror fans to force Saw VI into the second spot with $7 million, well below the opening-day take of every Saw film since the first one. None of the other new releases this weekend are faring well, either: Cirque du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant dug up $2.2 million for seventh place, the animated sci-fi action film Astro Boy struggled mightily with just $1.8 million for eighth place, and the biopic Amelia landed outside the top 10, with $1.3 million in 818 theaters. Be sure to check back here tomorrow for the full box-office report.

1. Paranormal Activity – $7.6 million
2. Saw VI — $7 million
3. Where the Wild Things Are — $4.4 million
4. Law Abiding Citizen — $4.1 million
5. Couples Retreat — $3.7 million

Five Things You Should Know About Upgrading From XP to Windows 7

Now that Windows 7 is here, the three out of four users who have rejected Windows Vista and clung to the tried and true Windows XP can breathe a sigh of relief and consider moving to the new flagship operating system.

Upgrading or switching operating systems often comes with some trials and tribulations and the Windows 7 upgrade is no exception. Microsoft has tried to provide the tools users need to make the transition as easy as possible, but you may hit some snags. Here are five things you should be aware of as you upgrade from Windows XP to Windows 7.

1. You can't upgrade directly. Unfortunately, Microsoft has not provided Windows 7 with the capability to upgrade directly from Windows XP. The explanation is that so much has changed between Windows XP and Windows 7 within the operating system kernel itself, the Registry, the drivers, etc. that trying to get from Point A to Point B just won't work.

That isn't as horrible as it sounds. Frankly, although in-place upgrades are convenient, experts always recommend doing a fresh install when moving to a new operating system in order to ensure the best performance and overall experience. Just think of it like Microsoft did you a favor by forcing you to do it the right way. You're welcome.

2. Or can you?? You can't get from Windows XP to Windows 7 directly, but there was a little known operating system that came out between the two. I know you have blocked out that part of your memory to avoid horrible Windows Vista flashbacks, but surely you could make the switch to Windows Vista if its only for an hour or two.

Windows XP users can work around the upgrade issue if they have a copy of Windows Vista. It doesn't even have to be licensed since you won't be activating it and won't have it loaded for more than a few hours-- well within the 30-day trial period. Just upgrade from Windows XP to Windows Vista, then upgrade the Windows Vista system to Windows 7.

I make no assurances that this will go off without a hitch. I will add a disclaimer: refer to the first tip where I reminded you that it is recommended that you do the clean install.

3. Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor. If you bought your printer when Clinton was still in office, or your graphics card when Michael Jordan was still ruling the NBA, you might have a hard time finding software updates and drivers to make them work with Windows 7.

Thankfully, Microsoft has an app for that. Microsoft created the Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor tool which scans your hardware and software and identifies any known compatibility issues. It provides guidance on how to resolve identified issues, and makes recommendations for what you should do to ensure a satisfying Windows 7 upgrade experience

4. Windows 7 Easy Transfer. Whether you do the clean install or some sort of crazy work-around to upgrade from Windows XP to Windows 7, arguably the most important part is making you're your data and personal preferences stay intact. That's where the Windows 7 Easy Transfer tool comes in.

The actual file is migwiz.exe. You can find it on the Windows 7 DVD under Support\Migwiz. First you run it on your existing Windows XP system to migrate your user profile(s) to some external storage. Then, after Windows 7 is installed you run it again to import the user profile(s) to Windows 7.

One small caveat. If you have 32-bit Windows XP and you are taking the opportunity while upgrading to make the switch to 64-bit Windows 7 you might run into some problems. I was unable to transfer user settings from a 32-bit to a 64-bit system using this tool during a previous upgrade.

5. Security software. If you're running Windows XP I assume you have invested in some security software-- antivirus, antispyware, personal firewall, etc. Because of changes that Microsoft has made to protect the operating system kernel, those Windows XP-era security programs will most likely not work in Windows 7.

The good news is that the Windows 7 firewall is significantly better than the Windows XP firewall, and Microsoft provides adequate security protection for free with Windows Defender and the recently released Microsoft Security Essentials antivirus program. You may still want to explore alternatives and install more robust protection, but these tools should provide sufficient protection for the time being without costing you any money.

If you don't want to spend all that time alone, maybe you could throw one of the Windows 7 parties and you and all of your Windows XP friends can have ice cream and cake (or pizza and beer) while you make the transition.

Of course, you might better off to simply invest the extra money and get a whole new system with Windows 7 already installed. If you have held on to your computer hardware as long as you held onto the Windows XP operating system then you are really skewing Moore's Law and its time you upgrade.

New Moon Cast Goes on Nationwide November Tour

Get ready for a lot of screams in a mall near you.

Fans of the vampire-infused Twilight series will get a treat before New Moon hits theaters next month.

Summit Entertainment is giving Twihards the chance to meet the cast of the highly anticipated film Nov. 6-19 on a nationwide mall tour.

Each of the tour's 15 stops will feature prize giveaways, Q&As with New Moon castmates as well as other surprises.

And in a move sure to start a fan frenzy, a select group of fans who snap up VIP credentials Oct. 31 will be granted access to a special event with castmembers.

To obtain the coveted VIP pass, fans must visit a Hot Topic or Nordstrom store at 8 a.m. Oct. 31 at a participating mall location. VIP credentials will be given out on a first come, first serve basis.

The nationwide tour kicks off at L.A.'s Hollywood & Highland Center Friday, Nov. 6, and will feature live performances of songs from the New Moon soundtrack from the likes of Death Cab for Cutie, Sea Wolf and Anya Marina.

MAMA Producers, “We want to invite Jaebum”

Fans have expressed their curiousity as to whether 2PM will be performing at MAMA, especially since 2PM has been revealed to be releasing their album mid November.

The MAMA staff met with Newsen and discussed their plans and desires to stand Jaebum on the 2009 MAMA stage. The producer stated “We have been expressing our opinions with JYPE. If further action is needed, I would like to invite Jaebum from America. 2PM is this year’s most anticipated guest and Jaebum was with them for all of their activities. Should 2PM receive an award this year, I believe it is only definite that Jaebum should stand on stage and receive that award also.”

He went on to state “I will work and try my best to make sure that everyone can see Jaebum on the 2009 MAMA stage.”

Your Windows 7 Upgrade: Why and How

Having trouble deciding whether to upgrade to Microsoft's newest? If so, you may be better off waiting. Upgrading to Windows 7 is not a no-brainer for most users.

Microsoft offers a free Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor and that is the best place to begin your upgrade odyssey. Also, here is a link to the official Windows 7 Upgrade and Migration page. You may want to read it before making your upgrade decision.

Be warned: Vista users get to upgrade while XP users will migrate to the new OS. The difference is important, as you will see.

Windows Vista Users -- If you have survived this long with Windows Vista, you may be in no hurry to upgrade. People who like Vista may actually consider Windows 7 a step backwards in some regards.

The good news is that you can upgrade a Windows Vista machine to Windows 7 with a minimum of difficulty. Also, a machine that runs Vista may run Windows 7 a bit faster.

Windows XP Users -- On the Windows Upgrade Advisor page, Microsoft states: "If your PC can run Windows Vista, it can probably run Windows 7, but it's still a good idea to use the Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor."

That means newer Windows XP machines can migrate to Windows 7, perhaps where you chose not to have Windows Vista preinstalled. However, if you are running a 5-year-old XP machine, I would not expect to upgrade or to have some regrets if you do.

Be warned that there is no easy upgrade option for Windows XP to Windows 7. Here is what Microsoft has to say about it:

"The upgrade option is not available in Windows 7 Setup when installing Windows 7 on a computer running Windows XP. However, you can use Windows Easy Transfer to migrate files and settings from Windows XP to Windows 7 on the same computer.

"To do this, you must first copy files to a removable media, such as an external hard drive or UFD, or to a network share. Next, you will install Windows 7 and then migrate your files back from the removable media onto your computer. When you are finished, you must install your software programs again, but your files and settings will have been copied from Windows XP."

Corporate IT -- I will not presume to tell IT Pros whether to upgrade. I believe many companies will find the new enterprise features of Windows 7 a good reason to switch, though many may wait until the OS has been on the market for a while and the presumed kinks have been worked out.

Small Business -- I treat small businesses much like consumers and, to that extent, I don't recommend upgrading XP machines unless they are fairly new and you don't mind having some people running XP and others running Windows 7.

New Computer Buyers -- This is the very best way to get Windows 7: Preinstalled on a shiny new (and faster) PC. If you have had your XP machine for a while, you will be impressed with performance, features, and the low prices now available. This is how Windows 7 has entered my life.

I am not planning to upgrade my XP or Vista boxes to Windows 7. Not because I do not like the new operating system, I just want to avoid unnecessary hassle.

My older XP machines will not stand the strain of the new OS and my Vista box is finally working the way I want it to. Why change?

Windows 7 is a very nice OS, but upgrading and migrating is not as simple as it might be. Have fun shopping for a new Windows 7 machine.

Grey’s Anatomy’s New Mommies Return to Set

The Grey’s Anatomy cast is whole again! New moms Ellen Pompeo and Katherine Heigl returned to work on the show this week, PEOPLE has learned.

“They’re both back at work and everyone’s really happy to see them,” says a show source.

Pompeo, who welcomed Stella Luna Pompeo Ivery on Sept. 15, won’t be absent from any episodes of the show thanks to the production team’s planning ahead for the actress’s maternity leave by pre-taping Meredith’s scenes.

After adopting 10-month-old baby Naleigh on Sept. 10 — and taking five weeks off to film the romantic comedy Life As We Know It — Heigl also returned to the set this week. Heigl’s character Izzie will return to Seattle Grace in the episode airing Nov. 12, the same episode where guest star Kim Raver will begin her stint on the show.

No word on whether or not Stella and Naleigh have come to work with their moms yet, but if Chyler Leigh’s experience with 5-month-old Anniston is any indication, they’re more than welcome on the family-friendly set. “My trailer is overtaken by kid’s stuff. Anniston has a buzzy chair, diapers, wipes, formula, toys,” she told PEOPLE in August. And the cast takes to it well, too. “Justin [Chambers] crowned [Anniston] baby Elvis because of her mowhawk!”

One thing is for sure — soon Anniston, Naleigh and Stella will have a new playmate: Eric Dane and his wife Rebecca Gayheart are expecting their first child together next year.

Charmaine and Kenny Filming for "Heaven and Earth"

Lately Charmaine Sheh has been busy promoting for "Beyond"; and is working on new series "Heaven and Earth". Last night at 11pm, Charmaine and Catherine Chow, Kenny Wong and Tsui Wing were at the Soho district in Central shooting for outdoor scenes. Filming attracted many onlookers to surround the location.

That night, Charmaine and Tsui Wing were shooting a kissing with hug scene. Before filming the two stood aside to study the plot together, a male worker first helped Charmaine test the positions and pretended to kiss Tsui Wing. Before Charmaine got into position for filming, she had done all the preparations.

When it was officially time to start shooting, Charmaine turned serious, she initiated the hug and kiss on Tsui Wing, but because the location was near a bar, many onlookers were watching them. Pedestrians saw that Charmaine was kissing so passionately, they cheered loudly and took pictures, but this interrupted the filming process, the two then had to do the scene again, kissing again and again. Charmaine couldn't hold in her laughter thus leading to a few NGs. After an OK take, she was so anxious that she stood next to the camera to watch the playback and discussed with the director on the scene.


Before filming, many housewives ("see lai") fans approached Charmaine for pictures and autographs. They praised her good acting skills winning Charmaine's big smiles. Kissing Tsui Wing on the busy streets, Charmaine said that she's not embarrassed: "I am not embarrassed because it's work. At the time there were many reporters, I was a little nervous, but the results in the end were very good. We are very satisfied with the outcome. Tsui Wing and I have another kiss scene later, but that would be done back at the studio."

Windows 7: Whose idea was it really?

In many countries around the world, there are people who have come out and claimed Windows 7 as being their idea.

Microsoft chose to reveal in its new advertising that the operating system is one that came about because the people demanded it, because the people created it.

And in the process, they hope Windows becomes the people's brand rather than their injury-prone Elton brand.

Yet, as the week of the launch winds down and the hard graft of daily selling begins, it seems instructive to examine just a couple of nuances in the campaign.

Here are two spots, one from Australia and one from the U.S. Both feature individuals who claim that the Snap feature of Windows 7 was their idea.


In the U.S. version, we see Jack, who seems to be a slob. Baggy t-shirt, baggy jeans and, who knows, a baggie in one of the pockets.

Jack claims he had the idea for Snap in the shower. Jack wears his glasses in the shower.

Jack's wife is glumly tolerant and reveals that not only did Jack immediately inform Microsoft of his fine solution, but that he also had to tell his mother. Being American, it seems, means having issues.


By contrast, there's Kevin. Kevin is an Australian who claims that it was, in fact, he who invented the Snap feature.

Kevin is seated in a rather nice waterfront cafe. His shirt is pressed, his gaze determined. Kevin reveals that he got an early look at the streamlined Windows 7 and this forced him to cogitate to great depths.

Unlike Jack, who thinks naked in the shower, Kevin thinks topless on the beach. And the thought he had was "streamlinier." Yes, a new word to define just how much more streamlined Windows 7 is with the Snap feature.

Kevin is so convinced of his genius that he believes the product should have been called Windows Kevin.

So which of them do you believe? Was it Jack's idea? Or Kevin's?

Is Windows 7 the invention of a slobby chap whose first thought is to tell his mother how clever he is? Or is it the creation of the rather slick Kevin who believes not only that he is rather clever, but that the product should bear his name?

The Ordinary Joe or the Extraordinary Egotist? Which of those encapsulates Windows 7 best?

Star Trek's Uhura: Ready to Take Her Shirt Off Again

Beam us up, Scotty!

Zoe Saldana says she's on board to start filming the sequel to this summer's blockbuster megahit Star Trek.

"We're working on it," Saldana, who plays Uhura in director J.J. Abrams' revived sci-fi franchise, tells me. "They were calling to see where we were going to be and how my schedule is next year."

She smiled, "Just that was worth me doing a cartwheel when I got the phone call, because I cannot wait to put on the suit and go back to the Enterprise, take my shirt off and be with all those yummy guys."

For those who can't wait that long for more Saldana, we've got Avatar coming up. Yes, she's seen director James Cameron's much anticipated flick, in which she stars as Neytiri…

"Just last Friday, I went to Fox and Jim was able to show me scenes along with [composer] James Horner's music incorporated in it," Saldana said. "O-M-G is all I'm going to say."

She was willing to share more about The Losers, an indie that its filmmakers are hoping to take to the Sundance Film Festival.

"I play a toughass broad—sort of like a viper, snaky girl," Saldana said. "Guys find it really sexy when they see a girl hanging from wires with guns. They even like it more when there's a girl-on-guy fight and it looks like she's kicking his ass.

"Jeffrey Dean Morgan was such a gentleman," she added with a laugh. "He was like, 'Zoe, you can kick my butt any day.' "

YG Entertainment Delays 2NE1 Album Date

Ever since 2NE1 hit the scene in May, they've been climbing their way up the ladder of fame - from picking up awards to toying with the idea of a 2009 solo concert, it seems like they've been gaining momentum with no signs slowing down! While their jampacked activities can be a delight for many Blackjacks, many other fans & nonfans are concerned with how fast 2NE1 is moving, and it looks like YG Entertainment just might be on the same page.


In an interview with Money Today Star News on October 23, Yang Hyunsuk (YG) revealed, "In September, 2NE1 originally had plans to release a full studio album after their first mini-album activities ended in November. However, 2NE1's debut single Fire as well as I Don't Care received so much love, so we'd like to repay by putting in more passion and work into the full album."

"All of the songs in 2NE1's first full album will have the quality of a title track," the YGE figurehead continued, adding, "We don't know when we will release this album; depending on what happens, it may not even be released this year."

But Blackjacks, fear not - 2NE1 won't be completely off the map until then. YG has maintained that member Bom's first solo track You and I, which will be included in the full album, will still be released on October 28. "This is Park Bom's first solo song after her debut with 2NE1," he expressed. "Following Dara [with the digital single Kiss], she is the second 2NE1 member to release a solo track. You and I is a medium-tempo R&B song."

And just like with Dara's 180ยบ transformation with Lee Minho, Bom will also have a music video of her own. "Filming for the music video was recently done in Daekwan Pass and other areas," YG revealed. There has been no decision as to whether Bom will promote You and I or not.

I'm sure this is disappointing for many fans who want to get more glimpses of their girls, but hey, an album jam-packed with title-track-status songs sounds good to me. But does this mean 2NE1 won't be having a concert this year? Only time will tell. Make sure to check out 2NE1's top international forum, YG Ladies, to show your love for this awesome foursome!

More : Yang HyunSeok reveals more information about 2NE1’s first full length album

G Entertainment Yang Hyunseok has revealed future plans for group 2NE1.

He said in an interview on 23rd October, “We have plans initially for them to release a full-length album coming November after they end promotions for their 1st minialbum with the title song ‘I Don’t Care’ in September.”

But it seems that fan may not be able to see the album release within this year, go under the cut to read more.

“But with the love that fans have shown for their hits ‘Fire’ and ‘I Don’t Care’ since their debut in May, this first full length album holds great meaning to them, hence much more effort and passion was put into it.” he emphasized.

He continued, “For the high quality of this first full length album, we want to work until all the songs can be title songs. With that, we cannot confirm now when exactly 2NE1’s first full length album will come out, according to the situation there may also be a possibility that the album will not come out this year.”

But for the benefit for fans who are waiting for 2NE1’s new song, YG has plans for member Park Bom to release her new solo song coming 28th October. There are plans for this song to be included in the group’s first full length album.

Park Bom will be the 2nd member after Sandara Park out of the 4 to release her solo song after debut as 2NE1. Park Bom’s solo song ‘You and I’ will be a medium slow R&B number. The MV filming was also completed recently.

About Park Bom’s promotions of the song, Yang HyunSeok revealed, “We have not decided whether we want her to promote the song officially.”

Entelligence: Seven on 7

Entelligence is a column by technology strategist and author Michael Gartenberg, a man whose desire for a delicious cup of coffee and a quality New York bagel is dwarfed only by his passion for tech. In these articles, he'll explore where our industry is and where it's going -- on both micro and macro levels -- with the unique wit and insight only he can provide.


This was a big week for Microsoft, as Steve Ballmer took the stage in New York and formally introduced Windows 7 to the world. It was almost a little anti-climactic: the OS has been finished and shipped to OEMs for months, while developers and pretty much any enthusiast who wanted a copy has one by now. Still, this is the week that Microsoft takes the message and OS to the mass market and the PC holiday sales system formally kicks off. I've held back from writing about the OS for the most part, but here's seven things about Windows 7 -- three features that I think are over-hyped and four things that make 7 something worth purchasing, either as an upgrade or as part of a new PC.

Ready? Let's get the irrelevant stuff out of the way first.

Aero whatever: Whether it's Aero Glass, Aero Peek, Aero Shake or Aero whatever, it's gotten a lot of hype, but it's really just so much eye candy. After trying Aero Peek and Aero Shake I find I've never used them in any productivity setting. Sure, some people love gratuitous UI fluff but stuff like this is hardly worth shelling out money for.

Touch: First, you need a touch-enabled PC, which you probably don't have. Even then, the native touch features just aren't worth an upgrade on their own. TouchPack (which is cleverly branded as Surface apps) is nothing more than a tech demo. Give me a PC OS optimized for touch across the board and I'm all there, but this is just a gimmick.

Device Stage: Microsoft says this is "a new way to interact with your phone, camera, printer, or portable media player from the Windows desktop. Device Stage is new visual interface that makes it easy to find the things you want to do with your devices on your Windows 7 PC." I say, well, it doesn't do all that much. Perhaps in the future more devices will recognize the feature and help users do more advanced things, but for now Device Stage is more promise than delivery.

It might sound like I'm being negative but there's also four things in Windows 7 that I really like, and if you can make use of these features, they're certainly worth the price of the upgrade.

Performance and stability: Sure it seems like silly thing -- in fact high performance and relative stabilty should be table stakes for a modern OS. But the fact is that 7 is the best version of Windows Microsoft's ever produced. While Vista

was not nearly the disaster most folks thought it was, it doesn't matter -- too many folks are still using Windows XP. Windows XP is like the "Jason" or "Freddie" of operating systems. It refuses to die no matter how many times Microsoft has tried to kill it. Windows 7 in my experience is stable, performs well and is compatible with a range of devices and device drivers.

Windows Media Center: Windows Media Center has gone from being a pokey mess in Vista to something sleek, fast and powerful in Windows 7. With consumer-grade, user-installable cable card tuners available at last, MCE is now best of breed for DVR and home theater applications.

Home Group and remote access: Another winner. Home networking is a mess but Microsoft has made some nice efforts to tame the beast with Home Group. Setting up and configuring a home network has never been easier in Windows, and sharing media and content across the network to other Home Group PCs is just as simple. Even better, accessing your content like recorded TV shows from afar has never been easier on a PC. It's a must for anyone with a home network, multiple PCs who wants to do remote access simply and easily.

Eyefinity: Okay, this isn't a Windows 7 feature at all. It's an AMD feature that allows its latest line of consumer grade Radeon video cards to drive six monitors simultaneously.as one giant desktop of up to 268 megapixels. It offers a gaming and graphics experience that needs to be seen to be appreciated. And it works best on Windows 7.

Windows 7 is important and it's a big deal. Yes, under many circumstances it can be a hassle to get to, especially with no direct upgrades from Windows XP and many versions of Vista, but it's worth it. We've already seen the latest from Apple, and with the holiday season buying season officially on, it's going to be an interesting race with two strong and yet very different contenders.

'Dollhouse': A sense of 'Belonging'

By common consensus in reading around in all the usual Dollhouse internet haunts, last night’s “Belonging” is ranking among the best-ever among fans. How much of this is true, and how much is based on the knowledge that the show is going on a just-this-side-of-cancelled hiatus?

Well, it was a damn good hour, especially if you didn’t care whether Eliza Dushku was in it very much. As an origin-story for Sierra, this was one of the most emotional, and emotionally coherent, entries in the series, written by Maurissa Tanchareon and Jed Whedon, and directed by Jonathan frakkin’ Frakes. It’s always a better Dollhouse when you give Topher something to do besides be a wiseass. And last, he was proud of his molding of the pre-doll Sierra (Priya), who’d been “a paranoid schizophrenic when she came here… a psychotic,” as he put it, when she came to the Dollhouse. Of course, Topher couldn’t claim any fundamental virtue. As DeWitt said to him with her unique chilliness, “Everyone is here because their morals have been compromised in someway, except for you, Topher. You have no morals.”


Sierra’s manipulation by Nolan Kinnard — “a raping scumbag,” in DeWitt’s tart summation — was both repulsive and propulsive for the narrative. This hour sped by, aided by strong support-work from Keith Carradine as DeWitt’s imperious boss. In a sense, DeWitt was as controlled as any of her dolls, given the threats Carradine’s character made.

In the end, Sierra was brought together with Victor (who’s fast becoming my favorite chameleon-character… I know, just when it’s too late), and Echo spoke forebodingly of the coming “storm.” Her discovery of a computer card in her book with the note “For The Storm” certainly left things open-ended and ominous.

All around, a satisfyingly intricate and well-acted hour from top to bottom, from Dichen Lachman to Carradine (is he really dying in Dexter?).

What did you think, and how do you feel about Dollhouse’s removal from Fox during November sweeps?

William Chan confirms Charlene Choi is experienced

Charlene Choi (Ah Sa) and William Chan have recently been very busy with new film <Beautiful Mission>. When speaking of the heated kissing on bed scene, William exposed that when there were chest-chest interactions with Ah Sa, he felt that she was experienced. The two even did a re-enactment of the intense kiss scene at the event, what a funny joke!

Ah Sa, William, Sherman Chung and Vincy Chan attended the "Metro Charitable Karaoke Singing Tour" kick off event. The group of EEG singers sang fast songs from the 90's generation with fans, it was a very lively scene.

Ah Sa and William both revealed that the new film they are working on has got them sleepless. Speaking of the bed scene that they just completed, much experienced Ah Sa said: "I filmed so many scenes, but I had never been this awkward. I was touching his face and did not know how to kiss him. (Good aftertaste?) Perhaps we are just too familiar with each other, I just felt that it was really funny." William laughed and said that the director Wong Jing "added" a bed scene and can be considered a category III film. He said: "It's quite intense this time, kissing from the front to end of the bed. (Did you guys touch any sensitive areas?) My chest felt that Ah Sa is an experienced person, so I need to help her rehabilitate!"

Also speaking of the rumors that Gillian Chung accepted a 10 million HKD reward for breast augmentation surgery, Ah Sa said: "Crazy! She won't do it, if that's the case, it would be me first! There has always been some people who offered a high salary for me to be their spokesperson, but I am just too satisfied with my body figure, so I will not accept these kinds of endorsements for money!" Earlier Vincy went to Nanjing with some friends and played with a palm reading machine that she felt was quite accurate. Vincy said: "The machine said I'll find my 'peach blossom' (other half) with people who are rabbits or tigers. Next year is the year of the tiger, I hope to find my happiness then. (Do you have a partner?) I have one in mind, still stabilizing the relationship!"

Nokia pushes back N900 Net tablet

Nokia has delayed the release of its N900 Internet tablet.

The N900 was previously set to arrive in October--and Nokia's preorder site still states that. However, it is now set for release "during November," Peter Schneider, head of Maemo marketing at Nokia, said Thursday in a post. Schneider did not state the reason for the delay, but Reuters reported that the company is waiting for more feedback from developers.

N900, which costs $649, is part cell phone and part computer. It's considered a potential game-changer for Nokia, which is pushing it as "fusing the power of the computer, the Internet and the mobile phone."

The device uses Nokia's Linux-based Maemo 5 operating system to offer multitasking, Web browsing via Mozilla, a touch screen, and slide-out keyboard. It includes an ARM Cortex-A8 processor, 1GB of application memory, and 32GB of storage (expandable to 48GB with a MicroSD card). It measures 4.4 inches by 2.4 inches and features a 3.5-inch widescreen display.The device also sports a 5-megapixel camera.

Jiro Wang hurts his hand during dance practice, bringing his injuries to the opening of the concert

Fahrenheit from today will have concerts at the Taipei arena in the next 2 days, Jiro Wang who has been busy with dance practice, strained a muscle in his right wrist just 3 days ago, aching if he doesn't move his wrist. Once again he takes his injuries to stage, as last year in the concert in Hong Kong he had hurt his right knee and even had to sit in a wheel chair, alas unable to breakaway from the curse of being injured on the opening concert. With a bitter laugh he said "I will try my best".

Jiro in order to practice his own dance routines sprained his right wrist, he was rushed to hospital where the doctor advised him to rest his right hand, but because the concert is so close he had no choice but to continue with dance practice. He also took out $40 000 NT to buy 5000 crystals sticking them one by one with his own hands onto his electric guitar. When seeing his guitar becoming super bling he forgot about the pain in his hand. As with his shiny electric guitar no one is allowed to touch it, if he sees staff members trying to help put it away he will stop them and tell them "I'll do it!"

Wu Chun, Calvin Chen and Arron Yan with fear and trepidation welcomed their 1st ticketed concert in Taiwan, at present 80% of tickets have been sold in their 1st concert while 70% has been sold in their second concert.

Motorola Aura Diamond Edition announced, costs $5,730

Remember the Motorola Aura, the uber-expensive luxury phone announced by Moto last year and promoted by David Beckham? Well, Moto has announced an even more expensive Aura, called Motorola Aura Diamond Edition.


The new Aura is plated with 18 carat gold and has 34 diamonds, 30 of which are embedded above and bellow the phone’s circular display.

Specs-wise, the Aura offers quad-band GSM/EDGE connectivity, CrystalTalk technology, stereo Bluetooth, Music and video players, email, web browser, 2MP camera and 2GB of internal memory.



Motorola Aura Diamond Edition should be available starting October 26. As for the price, well, the phone costs no less than £3,500 (about €3,815 or $5,730).

If luxury phones aren’t your thing, you should know that Motorola is getting ready to launch the Motorola Droid (via Verizon), which should be the company’s flagship Android phone

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