Barb’s Connected World

Posts Tagged ‘Microsoft’

I was intrigued and dazzled by the surface computing technology used in the Minority Report movie where objects and images could be moved around on screens using finger tips to drag them around.

Turns out this was not entirely fiction. Microsoft has unveiled a technology called Surface Computing that has many of the same features. MSNBC is running a really good piece on this new technology.

Pop Mechanics got an up close and personal view. Here’s their video:

Look for this at T-Mobile stores, Harrah’s in Vegas and Sheraton (Starwood) Hotels. It’s a mere $10,000 per unit, but when the price comes down, I know what my next living room coffee table will be.

Some of you may remember that back in December 2006, Microsoft and AMD shipped me a Velocity Micro Cinemagix Pro Cinema Entertainment System.

This AMD Athlon X2 system with an ATI x1950 dual DVI card, 2 gigs RAM and huge hard drive was a wonder. Microsoft installed Windows Vista x64 Ultimate and Office 2007 and I was in, well, computer heaven. It was exactly the box I’d spec out myself. Perfect in every way. And certainly the fastest computer I’d ever had in my home.

It was perfect then, but today it is more than perfect. It returned last week after visiting the Velocity Micro factory where it received a BIOS upgrade and a tune up. Why send it back for a BIOS upgrade? The only thing missing was Digital Cable Tuner compatibility (to use CableCARD technology to view and record high definition TV). That feature was not available at the time I received this computer, but IT IS NOW.

To use CableCARD technology with Windows Media Center in Windows Vista, you need five pieces:

1. A machine with a certified (by CableLABS) DCT BIOS
2. A video card with HDCP compliance
3. A monitor or TV that is HDCP compliant
4. A Digital Cable Tuner (formerly called OCUR device)/DCT (or two if you want to watch and record at the same time)
5. A CableCARD from your local cable company.

Velocity Micro is offering this amazing machine with either an internal or external DCT. (You can add a second tuner as well).

I’ve got two external DCT’s attached to this machine and I’m in, well, high definition TV heaven.

If you’ve been waiting for the ability to watch and record high def TV on a kick-ass machine, run, don’t walk to Velocity Micro and customize one of these. Even if you aren’t into high def, this is one great computer.

Just received an email from Chris Morley at Velocity Micro that they are shipping these awesome machines at last!

I’m still enamored of the custom box I received and think it’s an awesome Media Center box not to mention a screamer of a Vista machine.

If you’ve been waiting for the ability to use a cable card and get high def in the US via Media Center, it’s finally here.

Here’s the computer I have here.

Microsoft has released a Photoshop CS2/3 beta plugin for a file format that they are hoping will replace jpeg.

There is native support in the Vista shell and Windows Photo Gallery to display WDP format (but sadly, none in Windows Media Center).

I actually have been testing the plugin with Adobe Photoshop Elements 5.0. Using the default setting of .9 lossy, the file size is about half of saving to a non compressed jpg. Hit the slider and go up to 1.0 on this new format and the size is bigger.  The plugin allows files to be saved as WDP or HDP. HDP is not working for me in the Windows Shell or Photo Gallery (x64 Vista). The files save, but no file association is created. I can open them in PSE 5.0, however.

Screen capture below shows support in PSE 5.0, Windows Photo Gallery, and the explorer shell.