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Technology Update

By Lance Concannon

Top tier resellers to offer preloaded Linux on desktop PCs?

CRN reports that Hewlett-Packard is signing so many custom deals for large scale PC deployments using Linux on the desktop that the company is now considering offering factory loaded Linux as a standard option on its PC line. HP isn't the only company mulling this idea over, Dell has recently been thinking along the same lines. After launching a new website to get some feedback from its customers, the company was inundated with requests to offer pre-installed Linux on its desktop and laptop lines, and the company says it is now looking into the option.

New hard disk drive increases PC performance, battery life and reliability

An innovative new type of hybrid hard disk drive launched by Samsung this week will significantly increase the performance of PCs. The Samsung MH80 HDD features up to 256Mb of on board flash memory which is used to store frequently used elements of the operating system software. Because data can be transferred considerably faster from the flash memory than from the hard drive, this will result in faster start-up times and improved overall system performance.

Furthermore, this design considerably lowers the amount of work that is required of the hard drive's moving parts, which lowers power consumption and increases battery life in laptops. This also increases reliability significantly, since wear and tear on a hard disk's moving parts is one of the main points of failure in a computer. Samsung claims it is the first company to deliver this type of hybrid drive to the market.

Microsoft pushing new image format

The ubiquitous JPG format for image files could soon be resigned to the dustbin of tech history if Microsoft gets its way. The company wants to replace the aging standard with its own HD Photo format which, it's claimed, offers higher quality images with smaller file sizes compared to JPG.

Microsoft will have a tough job convincing the world to switch from JPG which has been in common use for well over a decade, but it's already working with specialist graphics software vendor, Adobe, to produce a PhotoShop plug-in to enable support for the new standard.

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Consumer Technology Update

By Dave Wilby

You've seen Web 2.0, now Sony unveils Game 3.0

Sony Consumer Entertainment (SCEI) chose this week's Game Developer's Conference (GDC) in San Francisco to unveil it's first entry into the virtual world of social network community gaming. The company claims its latest creation, Home, will allow Playstation 3 owners to meet, chat and share content in a 3D avatar universe that builds on the most popular aspects of current social networking success stories MySpace and Second Life.

Sony's Phil Harrison told the BBC the games industry had to learn from the success of the web 2.0 movement: "We want to start a movement called Game 3.0. It's about emerging entertainment, powered by the audience at the centre of the experience.&qupt; In its early stages Home will feature locations dedicated to game publishers, game developers, and titles but is intended to expand into a broader networked community available on the Playstation Network as a free download from the Playstation Store launching directly from XMB (XrossMediaBar) on PS3. Check out these first-look screenshots of Home on CNET.com.

"In my experience, there's no such thing as luck."

Avatar worlds and networked communities are all well and good, but if you're looking for a truly innovative approach to virtual entertainment that will give you a dramatic edge over your rival gameheads, nothing comes close to mind control. Can it really be true? Did this year's Game Developer's Conference (GDC) really see the emergence of Jedi-like mind games into the mainstream market? NewScientist has been investigating the technology behind Behold Project Epoc, a wireless headset developed by Australian start-up Emotiv Systems.

Incredibly, developers claim this headset riddled with electrodes can scan gamers' brainwaves, work out what they're thinking and manipulate objects on the screen accordingly. Soon would-be Skywalkers will only have to think "Bullseye that womp rat" to see the on-screen critter disappear in a puff of Tatooine sand. The software may still be in its early stages of development, but already uses adaptive learning to work out what a gamer's brain signals look like when they're thinking about moving, or perhaps blasting, objects. Could this be the next logical step to jacking into the metaverse?

Web-based Photoshop on its way

Adobe announced plans this week for a web-based version of PhotoShop, that won't require any desktop installation, reports Times Online. The company promises that its online take on Photoshop will be a fully-featured, viable replacement for its locally-installed Photoshop Elements application, and a direct competitor to Google's Picasa photo-editing and image sharing system. The application will be free, but will generate revenue through onscreen advertising.

They tried to make me go to rehab but I said no, no… hello?

If you're a regular commuter, you'll be well aware that some suits feed on their Blackberry PDAs as if their personal trainers had recommended these gadgets as part of their 5-a-day regime. Help is at hand. New website Crackberry.com launched this week to support both users and abusers of the BlackBerry, providing new, tips, downloads and reviews, as well as a rehab area for users who are mentally addicted or suffering from 'Blackberry thumb'.

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US Media Report

By Kay Wilson

Hearst Corporation, publisher, broadcaster and owner of the "greenest" office tower in the New York skyline is introducing 14 new internet TV channels to complement its publications. The sites will run on a new internet TV platform produced by Maven Networks.

Also moving into the 21^st century is USA Today which has released its updated and "refined" website. The new site aims to improve interactions with the magazine and its readers through blogs and discussion forums

The Village Voice is in the media news again by firing editor in chief David Blum and naming his replacement as Tony Ortega. As Ortgea is the Voice's 5^th editor in chief in a little over a year, he probably shouldn't get too comfortable.

Moves in the media this week include Robert Pollock being promoted to features editor within The Wall Street Journal replacing Tunku Varadarajan who moves to the assistant managing editor position. Steve Kastenbaum joins CNNRadio as a correspondent based in New York and Alexandra Wallace is named as executive producer of NBC Nightly News. Wallace has previously produced programmes such as The Today Show and CBS' The Early Show.And after a few months stint as editor in chief for the political web-site Hotsoup.com Ron Fournier returns to the Associated Press as online politcal editor.

In the tech-media, Richard Martin is now editor at large for InformationWeek, moving from senior editor at Unstrung.com and Scott Gramling has become editor-in chief for all Wizard Entertainment publications such as InQuest Gamer.

Finally, in a world where www.wikipedia.com is read by some as gospel, the discovery that one of its main religious contributors is a fraud, may be seen as divine intervention. The editor, formerly know as Essjay and believed to be a professor, is in fact a 24 year old Kentucky college student called Ryan Jordan. Jordan who is no longer part of the publication was using text such as "Catholicism for Dummies" for reference according to the New Yorker. Shame he didn't think to use a slightly better known source such as the Bible.

UK Media Report

By Annie Kasmai

Justin Pearse is now the editor of New Media Age. Pearse takes over from Michael Nutley who has become editor in chief of NMA. Nic Howell has also been promoted to deputy editor as well as carrying on in the role of features editor. Ed Dorrell has joined NMA as news editor.

This week, Lucy Tuck started as editor of the FT Weekend section. Tuck was formerly arts editor for the Sunday Telegraph. Steve Lodge has joined the Financial Times' personal finance team in the role of personal finance reporter. Prior to this position Lodge was freelancing.