Sony's Home beta has received a sizable update, allowing a few graphical enhancements and interface tweaks.
the PlayStation 3 Home beta software has received its first update since the virtual community's exclusive launch in early May. Providing a number of graphical enhancements, the update offers better looking mini-games and allots users a few new customization options such as weight control, hair color toggling, and new clothing choices for their now sharper online characters.
Streaming has also improved for all video panels displayed in public areas, which will now take into account how closely one stands to the screens and adjust the picture quality accordingly. In addition, new movie trailers for upcoming Sony Pictures releases have been added as well. Moving about the virtual world of Home seems to be quicker, since the report also states that in-game avatars can now finally run as opposed to just walk. As a final bit of content, there are new items to adorn one's HomeSpace.
Tantalizing those who have been pining for cross media bar access while playing PS3 games, this update finally allows users to access the XMB at any time by pressing select, as gamers can now view their friends list and send messages without exiting Home. While Home has yet to deliver some of the promised arcade games and online chess playing capabilities, it has time for more tweaking and updates before its currently scheduled fall release.
Friday, June 29, 2007
PS3 beta sees some Home improvement
MySpace’s Explosive Video Growth Ushers in Beta Platform, MySpaceTV
MySpace Sees 100% Growth In Total Number of Video Streams and More Than 15 Million New Unique Streamers Since January
Content Partnerships, User Interface Changes Usher in MySpaceTV Beta Launch
LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--MySpace, America’s most trafficked website, today announced plans to beta launch its new global video platform, MySpaceTV (http://www.myspacetv.com). The announcement comes on the heels of explosive video growth driven by dozens of industry content partnerships and user interface changes. According to comScore Media Metrix, MySpace’s total number of video streams has leapt by 100% and the site has added 15 million unique streamers since January.
MySpaceTV in beta, will be an integrated component of the company’s worldwide community and content platform, continues the evolution of the company’s video offering by aggregating the best elements of video and empowers MySpace users to view, create, and share videos in new ways throughout the community. MySpaceTV will serve as the community’s primary video channel and as a stand-alone user destination at http://www.myspacetv.com.
“This is the tip of the iceberg,” said Chris DeWolfe, CEO of MySpace. ”The incredible video growth trajectory we’re seeing is a testament to the unique content and high user engagement in all corners of the MySpace community. In the last year we’ve added nearly 20 million unique users in the U.S. alone and continue to see incredible growth around the world.”
According to comScore, 38% of people streaming video on the Internet are doing so on MySpace and the company’s total number of unique streamers has gone from 35 million in January to more than 50 million in April, a 40% increase in past three months. MySpace’s overall growth has continued to rocket with the site clearing 110 million global active users in May, more than three times the size of the next largest social networking site.
MySpace’s growth in videos streamed has leapt 100% from January to April as a result of the recent video-focused content deals and partnerships including:
Broadband Emmy Awards
Michael Eisner’s Prom Queen
Mark Burnett’s INDEPENDENT
National Basketball Association
National Hockey League
The Sony Minisode Network
Branded channel partners (including the New York Times, Reuters, National Geographic)
“When you see us going from 332 million to 648 million videos per month you know something big is happening,” said Tom Anderson, co-founder and president of MySpace. “We’re going to be rolling out innovative video products and features in the coming months to further empower our users.”
MySpace has made significant video interface changes in recent weeks to make it easier for users to view and share content. Site-wide changes include “cool new videos” on the user homepage, an optimized video search tool, one-click video add to profile, one-click video bulletins, video slide show functionality, and enabling subscriptions to keep track of videos from favorite content creators.
In addition, the recent acquisitions of Flektor, a cutting-edge online media editing tool set, and Photobucket, the number one photo sharing site online, are expected to help continue driving MySpace’s explosive video growth.
Localized in 15 international territories, MySpaceTV allows users to share and create videos in their own language, discover the most popular and relevant videos in their markets, and connect with other local users. Localized versions of MySpace TV are immediately available in seven different languages across the UK, Japan, Australia, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Spain, Mexico, Canada, Netherlands, New Zealand, Latin America, Sweden, and Austria.
The beta launch of MySpaceTV introduces a new video user interface, categorical organization for all content, a personalized video channel, exclusive and original content, user generated and partner driven branded channels, and video charts. The platform blends user generated, premium, licensed, and sponsored content.
MySpaceTV’s easy-to-navigate user interface includes:
Home Page – Includes a hot video of the day, a variety of featured videos, premium and other unique content.
My Videos – MySpaceTV evolves the company’s community driven approach to video by offering worldwide users the option to create a personal video channel in addition to their already existing MySpace profile. Users will have a personalized video channel within their MySpace page which will allow them to save their favorite videos, comment, and create playlists.
Video Charts – A ranking of the most popular videos determined by the MySpace community available in 16 categories and 7 languages.
Categories – Includes unique video content based on user’s interests in 16 categories (animals, animation/ CGI, automotive, comedy and humor, entertainment, extreme videos, instructional, music, news and politics, schools and education, science and technology, video blogging, sports, travel and vacations, video games, and weird stuff).
Channels – A community where musicians, filmmakers and comedians can post videos along with other user generated content.
In advance of the launch, MySpace has already announced deals with a variety of content partners for branded channels that will appear on MySpaceTV. Partners include National Geographic, The New York Times, Reuters, and lifestyle outlets including Animation Show, The Daily Reel, Expert Village, Flow, FOX’s IGN Entertainment, Kush TV, LX.TV, Octane TV, Ripe TV, Studio411, VBS.tv (from the makers of Vice Magazine), and Young Hollywood.
The beta launch of MySpaceTV marks the first phase in a high volume of video-specific product innovations, partnership announcements, and new community-driven functionalities.
About MySpace.com
MySpace, a unit of Fox Interactive Media Inc., is the premier lifestyle portal for connecting with friends, discovering popular culture, and making a positive impact on the world. By integrating web profiles, blogs, instant messaging, e-mail, music streaming, music videos, photo galleries, classified listings, events, groups, college communities, and member forums, MySpace has created a connected community. As the first ranked web domain in terms of page views1, MySpace is the most widely-used and highly regarded site of its kind and is committed to providing the highest quality member experience. MySpace will continue to innovate with new features that allow its members to express their creativity and share their lives, both online and off. MySpace’s international network includes localized community sites in the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan, France, Germany, Australia, Ireland, Spain, Italy, Mexico, Canada, Netherlands, New Zealand, Sweden, Austria, and Latin America.
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Thursday, June 28, 2007
Sword of the New World Open Beta Now Live
K2 Network has announced that the open beta for "Sword of the New World: Granado Espada" is now live.
"The growing Sword of The New World community has been waiting for this day and it's finally here," said Grantley Day, Vice President of Development at K2 Network. "Until now gamers could only read about the unique and exciting experience that is Sword of The New World; but now they can experience this truly exceptional game firsthand."
"Gamers who are interested in being part of the open beta which is now live and continues through until early July should visit the official site to sign up and start playing. In the beta, players will have access to 4 worlds while experiencing the game's extensive costume selection feature and unique multi-character control system, while testing out the deep and compelling character classes.
Licensed to K2 Network by Hanbitsoft, Sword of the New World is developed by imcGAMES. imcGAMES is headed by CEO Hakkyu Kim, the creator of Ragnarok Online, one of the world's most popular MMO's with more than 25 million subscribers. A fantasy MMORPG whose story is modeled after Europe's exploration of the New World, this gorgeous, original title allows players to create and simultaneously control a family of characters utilizing the excusive Multiple Character Control (MCC) system.
This innovative fantasy adventure lavishly unfolds its luscious graphical style through a rich and compelling story comprised of thrilling missions and quests. Swept by an exotic New World fever in the 17th century, this fictional yet profoundly historical exploration of the new found continent includes features that are all-new and exclusive to the U.S. and European versions of the game."
New screenshots from the open beta can be found in the game's gallery.
Machines at War - Free Public Beta
Isotope 244, makers of fine classics such as Atomic Cannon, have a new public beta out. The game is called "Machines at War" and can be found in either exe or cab form here. From what I understand, it's a real-time/resource-based strategy.
They've also posted a feedback form so they can make improvements/fixes prior to launch. Some good news: it's compatible with both Smartphone and Pocket PC operating systems.
"Command an army of forces across the battlefield with ease in this real time strategy game. You are challenged to construct an epic war machine and use it to become a dominating world power. Machines at War features a random map system so every game you play is unique and poses new challenges. Build bridges to cross water, mow down forests to clear a path to the enemy, build walls to defend your position, track tread marks left by enemy tanks to their base, hide under trees for an ambush attack, these are just some of the unique game play elements available."
Swaptree Beta
Ages ago I signed up to be a beta tester for a service called Swaptree. I finally received my invite last month, and at long last signed on last night. (The beta is public as of July 4th, so you can try it out yourself.) The premise of Swaptree is simple. You list books, movies, games and music that you’re willing to trade and then browse for items you’d like to get in exchange.
I set up my Swaptree account by typing in the ISBN numbers of 9 books I have and got a list of 176 items that I could potentially receive in a trade. These included 143 books, 18 CDs, 8 video games and 7 DVDs. Not bad. I initiated one trade and now I’m sitting back to see what happens.
The service is drop-dead simple and I can see how it might get addictive. However, it does have a few quirks.
Despite the fact that Swaptree is willing to set up three-way trades to help you get what you want, there’s still an issue of critical mass. Only 3 of the 9 books I put in my “have it” list came up with possible trades. Many people would like my copy of Life of Pi, but there are no takers for Virginia Woolf’s To the Lighthouse.
Trades are free, but you do have to factor in shipping costs. Paying a couple of bucks in shipping to receive the first season of Lost is a great deal. But if you’re getting a paperback book, you might as well hit the local library.
Got a bunch of VHS tapes you’d like to get rid of? Sorry, no can do. They’re bulky to ship and the number of VCR-owning households is rapidly declining. Swaptree says, sell’em on eBay!
Get the full Swaptree FAQ here. I’ll post again when my first trade goes through.
Microsoft unveils Web storage beta
Microsoft Corp. is giving computer users up to 500 megabytes of online storage for their documents, music, photos and video.
Microsoft made an early, "beta" version of the Web-based file storage system available to 5,000 people Tuesday night in its latest effort to bulk up its online offerings and fend off challenges from Google Inc. The beta will be widely available later this summer.
The service gives users who e-mail documents between home and work computers an alternative way to access their files on the go. Users can keep files private or share them with people they know or with anyone on the Web.
Rumors and leaked details have circulated for more than a year that "Live Drive" was in the works. Microsoft, however, is calling its new service "Windows Live Folders" - and it'll get another name change when the final version launches.
Time Warner Inc.'s AOL already offers 5 gigabytes of free online storage - 10 times more than Microsoft's offering - through its Xdrive unit.
The proliferation of digital media such as photos and music has increased the demand for storage, while server-space costs have been declining.
Yahoo Inc. recently began offering unlimited storage for e-mail, while Google's Gmail offers nearly 3 GB and Microsoft gives 2 GB for e-mail.
Google also has launched free, Web-based word processing, spreadsheet and presentation software to compete with Microsoft's flagship Office suite.
Brian Hall, general manager of Windows Live, said Microsoft is working on making its offerings more coherent and interconnected. But he made no commitments on a Web version of Microsoft Word or other desktop programs targeted by Google.
"We have nothing to announce right now - but we are the productivity leaders today and certainly will continue to keep providing the best solutions for people," Hall said. "If that's a scenario people are excited about, we're going to (do it)."
BBC iPlayer to launch in beta July 27
The BBC has confirmed that iPlayer, its unified online TV and audio player, will launch in beta on July 27.
"BBC iPlayer is a free catch-up service for UK licence fee payers," said Ashley Highfield, director of future media and technology at the BBC. "Your favourite programmes from all the BBC's network TV channels will be available to download over the internet, and watch on your PC without advertising for up to a week after transmission."
On January 31, the iPlayer passed a public value test carried out by the BBC Trust. Plans to offer live TV simulcasts and a 7 day catch-up TV service with a 30 day storage window - watered down from the BBC's hoped 13 week window - were approved, as were certain iPlayer-integrated podcasts.
The beta player launched next month will offer these features but will only be available for Windows PCs. A full marketing launch will take place in the Autumn, at which time features including streaming on demand (the ability to watch a programme without having to download a file first), series stacking and the BBC Radio Player will be added. Over the next few months the BBC will be working on making the iPlayer - which currently uses Microsoft digital rights management (DRM) technologies to ensure that downloaded programmes are rendered unviewable after 30 days and may not be copied to DVDs - available to non-Windows computers, as the BBC Trust said it must do.
"We are committed to making it as easy as possible to use BBC iPlayer," said Highfield. "Developing a version for Apple Macs and Microsoft Vista is absolutely on our critical path."
The Autumn launch will also more closely ally the iPlayer brand with the BBC's existing 7 day catch-up TV service offered on Virgin Media's digital cable service.
"Our vision is for BBC iPlayer to become a universal service available not just over the internet, but also on cable and other TV platforms, and eventually on mobiles and smart handheld devices," explained Highfield. "It underpins our Creative Future strategy, to maintain the BBC's relevance among all audiences in the digital age."
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Google Announces Beta Version of Google Desktop for Linux
Google has announced the release of a beta version of Google Desktop for Linux. Now available on Linux, Mac OS X and Windows, the Google Desktop application allows users of every major operating system to search their desktop and the Web as quickly, easily and comprehensively as they search the Web with Google.
Major features of Google Desktop for Linux (beta) include:
- Comprehensive Indexing: Users can search the full text of virtually all their computer's content, including text, PDF, PS, source code, HTML files, email from Thunderbird, OpenOffice.org documents, Man and Info pages, folders, images, and music. Google Desktop for Linux can even find previous versions of files or recover those that have been accidentally deleted.
- Quick Search Box: The Quick Search Box is the fastest way to do Web and desktop searches. Hitting the command key twice calls it up, instantly displaying results as users type.
- Gmail and Web History Search: Not everything users are looking for resides on their computer. Google Desktop for Linux makes it easy for users to simultaneously search their Gmail webmail, Web search history and the Web at large. And because their index is stored locally on their own computer, users can even access their Gmail and Web history while they're offline.
With this release, Google Desktop joins the Picasa, Google Earth and Google Toolbar for Firefox applications among Google's offerings for Linux. In addition to creating products that run on Linux, Google supports the Linux community in a variety of ways, such as releasing open source code, running the Summer of Code and hosting tens of thousands of open source projects on Google Code.
Google Desktop for Linux (beta) was developed by Google's Beijing engineering team, and is available in English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Dutch, Chinese (simplified and traditional), Japanese, Korean and Portuguese. It runs on Debian 4.0, Fedora Core 6, Ubuntu 6.10, SUSE 10.1, and Red Flag 5, and can be downloaded for free at desktop.google.com.
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
IIS7 Go Live license now available for Windows Server Codename "Longhorn" Beta 3
After months of development, Microsoft's Internet Information Services (IIS) team believes that it has reached a point of extreme stability with IIS7. The team has so much faith in its code base that, starting now, it is offering a special Windows Server "Longhorn" Beta 3 (aka Windows Server 2008) Go Live license specifically for IIS7. Why would the company do this? One of the most important aspects of IIS is the ability to handle load, and what better way to load test the server than allow it to be used in real-world environments?
Here's the word straight from Microsoft:
To facilitate rigorous testing under real conditions, Microsoft is now offering Windows Server Codename "Longhorn" Beta 3 under a special Go Live license, prepared exclusively for IIS7. The IIS7 Go Live License permits customers to deploy beta releases of IIS7 into live production environments well before the official release of Windows Server Codename "Longhorn".
If you insist on having your applications and servers use the absolute latest technology, this is a great deal. For those unfamiliar with what a Go Live license does, it gives you legal permission to run beta software in a production environment. Still, it is important to note that while some Go Live software receives formal support, this specific offer does not. Microsoft also does not plan to offer hot fix support for the Windows Server "Longhorn" Beta 3 Go Live software.
Those interested can commit to the Go Live license at Microsoft Connect. It's short, simple, and warns you several times that the product is a pre-release and may not be stable.
The Buzz Around Windows Server 2008 Beta 3
Microsoft has decided on the name Windows Server 2008 for the final version of what has been known as Longhorn Server up to this point. The Beta 3 release will be the final test version before the RTM (release to manufacturing) sometime in the second half of this year. Beta 3 includes a number of new features and performance improvements to previous releases.
Microsoft (www.microsoft.com) is pushing Windows Server 2008 as the perfect complementary server to go along with Windows Vista workstations. You’ll need a Windows Vista workstation to take full advantage of some of the new features in Windows Server 2008, including features such as native IPv6 support and NAP (Network Access Protection).
Key Themes
Microsoft is pushing three key areas as the benefits of Windows Server 2008. These include more control, greater flexibility, and increased protection. Each area addresses what the company sees as customer pain points when dealing with the management and operation of a server. The proliferation of servers in companies of all sizes has made it vitally important to simplify the IT administrator’s task as much as possible.
Eric Rezabek is a program manager on the Windows Server 2008 team. “We put a great deal of effort into understanding our customers’ top issues with the current server offerings in order to address them in Windows Server 2008. Many of those issues were well known, while others were somewhat of a surprise,” says Rezabek.
The more control and greater flexibility themes are closely related. “Many of our customers told us they wanted the ability to install servers for specific purposes and at the same time reduce the amount of time and effort required to manage those servers,” says Rezabek. The new modular approach has been named Windows Server Core and focuses on creating a server custom-tailored with only the necessary components needed to accomplish a specific task.
Security and reliability have been at the top of Microsoft’s list for quite some time. Windows Server 2008 addresses this subject from multiple angles to provide the highest level of protection possible. NAP incorporates a number of technologies and techniques to isolate systems that don’t meet a minimum level of requirements such as antivirus and operating system patch level.
New Features
Microsoft has done a lot to help make Windows Server 2008 easier to manage. The new version of Windows Manager has a much improved user interface, along with a multitude of wizards that help simplify many of the typical administration tasks. Those same management functions are also available from the command line, making it easier to automate standard configuration tasks.
One key component to Microsoft’s automation strategy is Windows PowerShell. This replacement to the venerable command line based on Microsoft’s DOS adds a whole new world of capability to creating scripts. Beta 3 is the first version of Windows Server 2008 to include Windows PowerShell in the distribution. You can find a wealth of information on Windows PowerShell on the Microsoft Script Center site (www.microsoft.com/technet/scriptcenter/hubs/msh.mspx).
“We see PowerShell as a key part of Microsoft’s overall management automation story. PowerShell will make it possible to automate numerous tasks into a single command file executed in one step. IT administrators will be able to either use scripts provided to them or create their own,” says Christopher Voce, analyst with Infrastructure and Operations for Forrester Research.
IIS (Internet Information Server) 7.0 is available for the first time in the Beta 3 release of Windows Server 2008. The latest release of IIS includes a whole host of features and a new modular architecture with more than 40 installable modules. Modularity also makes it possible to configure the Web server with just the minimum capabilities needed to reduce the overall attack surface.
BitLocker drive encryption was a new feature introduced with Windows Vista, making it possible to encrypt an entire disk drive as an added protection layer against data theft. This same technology has been incorporated into Windows Server 2008 for situations such as a remote branch office that could contain sensitive information.
Missing In Action
Virtualization is the most high-profile component that didn't make it into the Beta 3 release. Microsoft has announced that a beta version of the technology will be available with the RTM release of Windows Server 2008. The final version of Windows Server virtualization is scheduled for release within 180 days after the release of Windows Server 2008.
Some of the features originally planned for Windows Server Virtualization have been cut as well. One significant feature cut was something called live migration. This would allow running virtual machines to be moved or migrated from one physical machine to another. Live migration will make managing dynamic application loads as simple as moving a file from one server to another.
Another feature removed from the initial release of Windows Server Virtualization is the ability to add resources while the virtual machine is running or “hot resource adding.” This feature is another helpful tool to deal with dynamic loads.
Action Plan
The big question for many IT administrators is should they download and test the Beta 3 release or just wait for the RTM release. Forrester’s Voce says, “We think there’s real benefit for administrators and IT pros in organizations of all sizes to begin to get familiar with the new features and changes in Windows Server 2008.”
by Paul Ferrill
System Requirements For Windows Server 2008 Beta 3
Processor
• Minimum: 1GHz
• Recommended: 2GHz
• Optimal: 3GHz or faster
Memory
• Minimum: 512MB RAM
• Recommended: 1GB RAM
• Optimal: 2GB RAM (full installation) or 1GB RAM (Server Core installation) or more
• Maximum: 32GB RAM (32-bit systems) or 64GB RAM (64-bit systems)
Available Disk Space
• Minimum: 8GB
• Recommended: 40GB (full installation) or 10GB (Server Core installation) or more
Note: Computers with more than 16GB of RAM will require more disk space for paging, hibernation, and dump files.
DVD-ROM drive
Super VGA
• 800 x 600 pixels or higher resolution monitor
Keyboard
• Or compatible device
Mouse
• Or compatible pointing device
SOURCE: MICROSOFT WINDOWS SERVER 2008 BETA 3 REVIEWERS GUIDE
ASNA Announces AVR Support for Microsoft Visual Studio “Orcas”
ASNA, a long-time provider of development solutions bridging the Microsoft and iSeries worlds, announced at Microsoft Tech-Ed 2007 that it will release Version 9.0 of ASNA Visual RPG for Microsoft .NET Framework which works with the upcoming release of Microsoft Visual Studio 2008. The new release will enable both RPG and Visual Studio development teams to collaborate on the development of connected, secure, and compelling applications and services for the Windows .NET Framework and Windows Server 2008.
”Our success is tied directly to the success of our customers who rely on our ability to integrate the benefits of Microsoft development tools with ASNA development solutions designed for iSeries RPG applications. Our development teams continually strive to deliver new value by synchronizing our releases with those of Microsoft, just as we have done since the first release of the Microsoft .NET Framework and Visual Studio,” said ASNA President Anne Ferguson. “The newest release of AVR will affirm our commitment to greater developer productivity, improved collaboration across development teams, and ease the creation of software and services.”
ASNA has demonstrated through its development efforts in creating ASNA Visual RPG for .NET, ASNA Monarch, and ASNA DataGate a deep understanding and commitment to help enterprises and independent software vendors extend their applications, programs, and development resources to Microsoft .NET. ASNA leads the way for the AS/400, iSeries, and System i Community to evolve their application assets to take advantage of Web services, improved user accessibility, and high-performance application integration while leveraging the rich experience and enterprise value of existing applications, data, business processes, and development staff.
The Beta release of ASNA Visual RPG for Microsoft .NET Framework (AVR) will become available following the Beta 2 release of Visual Studio 2008. ASNA plans for its own Beta 2 release of AVR following the final ship date for Visual Studio 2008. The general release of AVR with support for Visual Studio 2008 should follow the AVR Beta 2 release by approximately 60 days.
“ASNA continues to be a leader in the market with innovative solutions for customers seeking to integrate their System i applications with the Windows platform,” said Prashant Sridharan, senior product manager for Visual Studio at Microsoft Corp. “ASNA’s unique approach to adapting the RPG language to .NET Framework and enabling collaborative development between RPG and Visual Studio programmers ensures that customers benefit from development efforts enhanced by the improved communications, collaboration, predictability, and reliability of Visual Studio 2008.”
ASNA (Amalgamated Software of North America, Inc.) has been developing visual programming and systems software for the midrange community since 1982. ASNA Web and Windows development products include ASNA Visual RPG for .NET, DataGate, and the ASNA DataGate Component Suite. ASNA Monarch is a fully integrated solution for transforming RPG applications to the Microsoft .NET platform. ASNA is a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner, a Microsoft Visual Studio Industry Partner, an IBM Tools Network Partner, and an Advanced Tier Member of IBM's PartnerWorld for Developers. ASNA is also a founding member of the Midrange Alliance Program, or MAP, and an exclusive Delivery Partner for the Microsoft NXT program for ISVs. Business applications developed with ASNA Visual RPG (AVR) and DataGate are used by more than 750,000 end-users. Based in San Antonio, Texas, ASNA also has offices in Europe (Guildford, UK) and more than 20 international distributors. For more information, please visit www.asna.com.