XBoy, Xplayer, X marks the spot?

Well, well looks who is joining the portable game. Microsoft appears to be readying a it answer to the well… I’m not really sure; iPod, PSP, Nintendo DS, you pick. I would have to say it’s a wait and see game, again, although it would appear that Microsoft is probably prepare more of a mobile entertainment device and not necessarily a mobile gaming device. This would just be another piece in there quest for the Entertainment provider extraordinaire include:

• XBox 360
• Windows Vista
• Music Store

And possibly include:

• Origami/UMPC
• Windows Mobile

Anything is possible at this point, but we will just have to wait and see, and from what I’ve read it sounds like this has been in the works for a little while.

(Source: Microsoft’s Plans for Handheld Game… – PocketPC Thoughts)
(Source: Microsoft developing”Xplayer,”… – arstechnica)

Stick a fork in me, I’m done with HP

In an earlier post I talked about my iPAQ hx4705, a Microsoft Windows Mobile device, that I really like. It is a great device and is defiantly a head of it’s time. But with them saying they are getting out of the PDA business, and working with converged (PDA and phone) devices only. I am calling it quits with HP, with this latest snafu, they finally post on the Windows Mobile 5 upgrade page that the CD is ready for order, but do not have it listed on the actual order page. So now I’m looking at getting a Fujitsu/Siemens Loox device next for a PDA, and probably a iMate for a phone.

Here is my contribution/and venting to a post on the subject.

“And to think I was going to upgrade the memory, and the 4700 had such potential. Stick a fork in me I’m done with HP, I’ve been waiting and waiting for the upgrade and now this. Those monkeys banging on typewriters didn’t exactly duplicate Shakespeare, but looks like we know where they ended up. As with the rest of you I’m looking forward to the new Loox too, not quite ready for a converged device as my PDA, I had been wanting to get one [Loox] anyway.

Hey HP if you listening, and can hear of the monkeys and typewriters, get a clue!”

I miss the good old days of Compaq when the iPAQ name still meant something. Thank you all for listening to my ranting and taking the time to allow me to vent.

(Source: HP iPAQ hx4700 WM5 Upgrade… – PocketPC Thoughts)

Update: Live, From The Web, IT’S MICROSOFT!!!

It appears that I hit the nail on the head. Microsoft is “beta” testing ads advertisement on there Live properties in different contiries around the world, including Itialy and the United States.

(Source: Microsoft tests Live ads – c|net News.com)

On a display far far away (x4)

Matrox Graphics has released a new line cool hardware, the Extio remote graphics unit. The Matrox Extio F1400 allows you to hook up to 4 analog or digital monitors, a keyboard and a mouse at a distance up to 800+ feet over a fiber optic cable.

Matrox Graphics Newsletter: March 2006
* Matrox Extio F1400 is world’s first remote graphics unit
With this solution, the user interface of the computer – the keyboard, mouse, monitors, audio peripherals, and graphics hardware – are separated from the rest of the computer by up to 250 meters (820 feet) of fiber-optic cable. Designed for professional applications, this product supports up to 4 digital or analog monitors at a time, and has passive (fanless) cooling: http://www.matrox.com/mga/start/newsletter/mar_2006/extio.cfm

So my friends this is so true Geek-itude. Well OK, if you are a graphics designer then not so much what great screen real-estate, can you imagine having all for hooked up to 24in wide screen…

Opps, got distracted there thinking about it. I’ll have to watch that in the future or it could be sleep deprivation!

In the immortal words of Tiger
TTFN (“Tata for Now”)