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The rumored iDJ dual iPod mixing board looks like it might just be a reality after all! The iDJ from Numark will feature two iPod docks and all the usual mixing board controls. Perfect for that techie geek just getting into spinning, or the professional DJ who wants to avoid carrying around 100’s of pounds of records. I for one am very excited about the possibility of having an entire portable DJ setup that I could carry in a backpack including the mixer, more music than I would ever need, and still have enough room left over to throw my Powerbook in there for some extra tweaking. The iDJ will also support USB2.0, and I assume iDJ will also accept line in from other MP3 players if the iPod isn’t your thing.
Read More 
| FutureMusic
Windows Longhorn = Windows Vista
Posted by Kristin Wenzel Categories: Corporate News, PC / Laptop, Software,
The powers that be at Microsoft have decided on an official name for their long-overdue follow-up to Windows XP: “Windows Vista.”
Microsoft employees and lay-people like myself alike stood back stunned for a moment at the sheer… monumental… absurdity of the name. As if “Longhorn” wasn’t easy enough to snicker about, “Vista” is such a “fluffy” sounding name that it’s hard to believe that they are serious. It’s hard to say without sounding like you have a serious lisp, implies a frothy nothingness, and conjures mental images of vast, empty space stretching for miles. Granted, I’m not the biggest fan of the Windows OS, but seriously. “Vista?!” Watch the announcement here.
Straight from the horse’s mouth — I can’t make stuff like this up.
Read More | Windows Vista
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This week The Final Cut takes a look at 2 of Friday’s most anticipated releases, The Island, with Ewan McGregor and Scarlett Johansson, and Bad News Bears starring Billy Bob Thornton and Greg Kinnear. Also hitting theaters this Friday are The Devil’s Rejects, a sequel of sorts to House of 1,000 Corpses directed by Rob Zombie; and Hustle & Flow, a film that was the talk of Sundance, even winning an Audience Award. Check out The Final Cut’s recommendations after the jump, and feel free to leave your take on any of this weekends releases in the comments section.
Click to continue reading The Final Cut: A Closer Look At The Island, Bad News Bears
Latest Gear Live Videos
If you own a modded Xbox and have been playing Halo 2 on Xbox Live I invite you all to log in to Xbox Live and install the latest update. That’s right, fire up your Xbox, load up your copy of Halo 2, log in to Xbox Live, download the update and be BANNED! Bungie has released its latest update and without it you cannot play Halo 2 on Xbox Live. This update is to rid most of the people using mods on Halo 2 – I say most, because there is no doubt someone will come up with some way to go around it. For now, I once again invite you all to install the update.
Q: What will happen to a player if his or her Xbox contains modded content?
A: You will be banned if you are detected playing our game with modified Halo 2 content. Your ban will be from matchmaking, it will be permanent, and there will be no appeal process.
Read More | Bungie Update FAQs
500GB miniStack External Hard Drive for Mac Mini
Posted by Alex Grahmann Categories: Accessories, PC / Laptop,
Newer Technology has unveiled its most recent storage behemoth, the 500 GB miniStack. The miniStack line of hard drives, in addition to being an aesthetically perfect match for the tiny Mac, are a good solution for anyone struggling within the Mac mini?s internal storage constraints. As far as ease of connectivity, the unit feature 3 USB 2.0 and 1 Firewire port and powers up and down along with the rest of your system. Though 500GB might seem like overkill to some, it?s perfect for those working in video or other multimedia ? an area where Macs still offer the best solutions.
Read More | Newer Technology
White PSP and Firmware Update Official Announcement
Posted by Alex Grahmann Categories: Portable/Mobile, Wireless,
The white PSP has moved from rumor to official according to Sony?s announcement at the Playstation Meeting 2005 today. The ?Ceramic White? unit, which should now blend in perfectly with your iPod, will ship in Japan in mid-September. Additionally, Sony announced PSP firmware v2.0. This update, due in Japan this week, will include a web browser, a photo-swapping program, and an opportunity for hackers to make a fresh start, as many previous hacks will probably be addressed and rendered useless.
Debate Over Cost of Web-Surfing to Businesses
Posted by Alex Grahmann Categories: Internet, Misc. Tech,
Ken ?Caesar? Fisher, a writer for Arstechnica.com, is challenging recent claims made by Websense, a web-filtering service, on the amount of money lost by businesses due to employee web-surfing. Websense has reported that $178 billion dollars is lost every year, which works out to around $5000 per adult employee. However, Fisher points out several weaknesses in the wording and data produced by Websense, specifically that many of the conclusions are drawn from ?beliefs? of managers, rather than firm data. With the growing availability and usability of internet access in the workplace and such huge numbers being thrown around, any article which balances the story is worth the read.
Read More | ArsTechnica
Resident Evil 5 Details Emerge, No Mention of Nintendo
Posted by Alex Grahmann Categories: Adventure, PlayStation 2, Xbox 360,
According to details uncovered from scans of an official announcement, Resident Evil 5 will be coming to the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360. Overseeing the project will be Street Fighter and Onimusha series veteran producer Jun Takeuchi. While details and speculation are already pointing toward issues of main character (Chris Redfield of RE1) and atmosphere (brighter), the biggest surprise is in what is NOT being discussed ? namely, Nintendo. Even with strong sales of Resident Evil 4 during the period of exclusivity for Nintendo?s Gamecube, there seems to be no intention by Capcom to bring the next installment of the franchise to the Big N. Strange, really, if you consider what some see as a strong connection between Nintendo and the waking dead.
Read More | 1Up
A guy named Matt has successfully completed what is undoubtedly the world?s first home-brewed gummy bear that exceeds the previously-untouched 13 pound barrier. The gargantuan gummy creation required the use of an empty animal crackers bin, the sacrifice of thousands of regular-sized gummy bears, and what must have been pure commitment. In the midst of all the sad news nowadays about Rockstar?s production woes, MacWorld?s generally-accepted blandness, and overall degradation of our planet and people, it?s reassuring to see that there are some among us that are still able to reach for the confectionary stars.
Read More | Gummy Images
Blogging has been the Internet buzz-word for the last year or so. Many have jumped on the bandwagon, only to stop updating their blog a short while later. Others have fallen into a groove, and have picked up readership - and in turn, income - through perserverance. Duncan Riley makes some valid points about what it takes to be a successful blogger:
1. Post regularly
I can’t emphasize enough that you wont build traffic unless you post regularly. Blogging should never be a chore but try setting a time each day you can spend reading and blogging as required. By all means take days off, but develop a pattern
2. Post quality
You need to provide readers with a reason to return, and quality does it all the time. Quality is of course subjective, so some research in your market or amongst your peers might give you an idea of what works, or what isn’t being catered for.
3. Don’t give in
There are going to be times where you get the blog blues, where you’d ask yourself why you even bothered, we all get them at some stage, your success will be measured on your ability to get past this and get on with the task at hand. Remember, the longer you post and the more you post, results in more traffic from search engines, which means more visitors to your blog.
Click to continue reading Perserverance Is Key When Blogging
