Microsoft Reveals VISTA Packaging

Microsoft released marketing photos of the packaging for Windows Vista. All of the editions feature the same style packaging, with varying colors to represent each version. [Pictured at right is the Ultimate Edition packaging.]
The next release of Microsoft Office will also use the same styling, lettering, etc. for packaging.
I don't know about you, but the packaging looks like a VCR tape box with a rounded off corner at the upper right. Not bad, but not that exciting either. Let's hope Windows Vista's many editions will be worth the wait... and cost.

God Unplugged Puts Celebrity Faith in the Spotlight

by Gretta Curtis / Christian Today
How Do You Know He's Real? God Unplugged, the second book in the He's Real series, will be released by Destiny Image Publishers on 1 November.
Author Amy Hammond Hagberg shares the profound real-life journeys and dramatic encounters with the living God by young athletes and musicians. According to the book, celebrities, despite their fame, struggle with the same issues that most young people deal with; insecurity, anger, peer pressure, addiction and self-esteem.
Olympic gold medallists, recording artists, professional athletes or extreme sports fanatics are contributors of the book. Always inspirational and often miraculous, How Do You Know He's Real? God Unplugged is a must-read for those who desire to go deeper in their relationship with God. Notable people who contributed are:

Musicians
Jonny Lang - (platinum selling blues artist)
T-Bone - (rap artist and actor)
Jon Micah Sumrall - (“Kutless”)
Kalel - (“Pillar”)
Trevor McNevin - (“Thousand Foot Krutch” and “FM Static”)
Tricia/Melissa Brock - (“Superchic[k]”)
Vince Lichlyter - (“Jonah33”)
Jontez - (musician and actor)
George Huff - (American Idol finalist)
Kate Earl - (singer/songwriter)
Mark Mohr - (reggae band “Christafari”)
Joseph Rojas - (“Seventh Day Slumber”)
John Cooper - (“Skillet”)
Clay Crosse - (Dove award winner)
Zoro - (drummer for Lenny Kravitz)
Barlow Girl - (CCM recording artists)
Katie Harman - (Miss America 2002)

Athletes
David Carr - (NFL quarterback)
Bethel Johnson - (NFL wide receiver)
Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila - (NFL defensive end)
Dwight Howard - (NBA forward)
Alana Beard - (WNBA shooting guard)
Jeremy Affeldt - (MLB pitcher)
Aaron Baddeley - (professional golfer)
Brandon Slay - (Olympic Gold Medalist, wrestling)
Josh Davis - (5-time Olympic Medalist, swimming)
Kimiko Soldati - (Olympic diver)
Leah O'Brien-Amico - (Olympic gold medalist, softball)
Kristi Overton-Johnson - (water sports champion)
Christian Hosoi - (skateboarding legend)
Tim Byrne - (pro skateboarder)
Jud Heald - (pro skateboarder)
Bruce Crisman - (BMX pro)
Jimmie McGuire - (Motocross pro)
Matt Beacham - (pro surfer)
Hannah Steffens - (pro mountain biker)
Shannon Dunn-Downing - (Olympic medalist, snowboarding)
Lauren Harf (champion wake boarder)
Dave Downing - (pro snowboarder)
CJ Hobgood - (world champion surfer)
Mick Hannah - (World champion mountain bike racer)
Cat Reddick - (pro soccer defender)

Give the Gift of Audio Books from Simply Audiobooks

A promotional campaign is underway, including a national promotional tour that has Hagberg making numerous television appearances, including At Home Live!, The Jim Bakker Show, Positively Arkansas, Atlanta Live!, Bridges, The Morning Show, and Babbie's House. The author is also making numerous appearances on national radio programs including Strength For Living and Today's Issues on American Family Radio.
The first book in the series, How Do You Know He's Real? Celebrity Reflections on True Life Experiences With God was released in April. The popular book contains 34 real-life stories about celebrities who know God is real because of their personal relationship with Him. The book provides a forum for Christian celebrities blessed with professional career success to share their very personal stories about life in the spotlight.
The third and final book in the series, How Do You Know He's Real? God for All Generations will be released in mid-2007.
Author Amy Hammond Hagberg is a frequent contributor to numerous magazines, such as HomeLife, Living With Teenagers, Christian Singles, Ignite the Fire, Sports Spectrum, Relevant, Radiant, Living Light News, Disciples World and more. She also speaks to church and corporate groups all over the country.

Microsoft Investigates IE7 Breach

iAfrica.com Staff Reporter
Microsoft on Thursday said it would investigate a reported security vulnerability in its new web browser software, Internet Explorer 7, but downplayed the risk. Danish security company Secunia on Wednesday announced that they've discovered a security vulnerability in Microsoft's new browser, which could allow "spoofing" of a URL in the browser's address bar. "The problem is that it's possible to display a popup with a somewhat spoofed address bar where a number of special characters have been appended to the URL. This makes it possible to only display a part of the address bar, which may trick users into performing certain unintended actions," Secunia said in a release to users.
Microsoft, however, downplayed the seriousness of the vulnerability, while vowing to investigate, reports InformationWeek. "We're not aware of any attacks that are attempting to use this," said Microsoft's security program manager at its response centre, Christopher Budd. "But as always we will continue to monitor the situation throughout our investigation." He also suggested that users look at the complete URL by scrolling in the address bar before proceeding on a suspicious website.
Secunia, however, did not share Microsoft's appraisal of the situation: "These are the kind of spoofing vulnerabilities, which IE7 was supposed to be better at protecting against than its predecessor," Secunia's chief technology officer, Thomas Kristensen, told iTWire. "While the issue isn't clear cut since the vigilant user might be able to spot that something isn't quite right, then any user not wearing the paranoid glasses is easily fooled by this trick — despite the built-in anti-phishing mechanism being enabled."

Apple Patent for Touch Screen iPod?

Sources: CNet News & Hrmpf.com
Apple Computer has filed Patent Application #20060197750 for an iPod-like device that has a around the display and can touch-sensitive bezeltoggle between different operating states. However, there seems a scepticism on the web about designs becoming reality due to the problems of screen smudging and scratching.
The user interface seems particularly well conceived and relies on on-screen indicators of the control surface’s function. In addition to buttons the surfaces can act as scroll surfaces. The interface works by the user selecting a control to change and then, using the bottom surface to scroll, adjusting the element in real time.

Will this be the next generation iPod? Only Apple knows for sure...
Patent sketch from Hrmpf.com

PhoneScoop Review: BlackBerry Pearl

by Eric Lin / Phone Scoop
RIM BlackBerries, long the standard phone for any high powered executive to carry, have begun to draw more interest among mainstream users. Maybe it's because people see famous stars carrying them around now. Or maybe it's because they've been talked about for so long.
The Pearl is RIM's first attempt to grab some mainstream market share. It adds a and camera and media player to the Blackberry's email and phone skills and packs it all into a slimmer and dare we say, sexier body. Unfortunately, though they updated the features and design, they seem to have ignored the interface.
If you've never used or held a Blackberry before, the Pearl simply looks elegant. The smooth, slim shape and dark color scheme give the Pearl a classy look. With the screen off, it doesn't look geeky or even like a Blackberry.
If you've ever handled a Blackberry before, the Pearl is simply shocking. You'll wonder what happened to your old Blackberry. The Pearl is significantly thinner and smaller - about half the volume - of even the smallest 7100 series devices. It makes the 8700s look positively huge and clunky.
The Pearl is quite small for a smartphone - even a smartphone with a numeric keyboard. Considering it has 2 extra columns of keys for its hybrid keyboard, the Pearl's size is even more impressive. Its thinness is the most impressive aspect. You wonder how there's room for circuit boards and screens and such inside, especially when you see how large the battery is.
Like the SLVR and other North American thin candy bar style phones, the Pearl looks wide, but only because it is thin. In truth it is not any wider (or taller) than the SLVR or many other phones. But it looks wide because its shape accentuates its thinness. Not only is it the same width as your average candybar, but the sides have mitered edges - visually subtracting size and making it easier and more comfortable to grip than similarly shaped phones.

Read the entire article -- including specifics
on the three S's (Screen, Signal, Sound) -- here.

Integrity Media Launches 'Devotional' Mobile Phone Service

by Gretta Curtis / Christianity Today
Integrity Media recently announced the launch of a mobile phone service that provides daily devotions, insights and a vast range of inspiring content directly to mobile phones by Christian leaders, artists and ministries. At www.MWorship.net visitors can sign up for a daily inspirational text message sent directly to their phones, watch free music videos, download hundreds of ring tones from top Christian artists and much more. Members have a variety of channels to choose from including devotionals, daily scripture, music news, movie reviews, artist song-stories, parenting and relationship tips.
According to Integrity President and CEO Michael Coleman, MWorship was created to use today’s technology to offer spiritual encouragement, entertainment, practical insight and advice. To do so, Integrity partnered with SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT and trusted ministry and resource content providers including FamilyLife, Focus on the Family, the Gospel Music Channel, Integrity Music Group, LifeWay and Provident Music Group.
The resulting initiative includes both regular text messages and a mobile web (WAP) site that provides inspirational thoughts and content from notables such as Dr. James Dobson, Max Lucado, Beth Moore, LifeWay and FamilyLife, along with ring tones from popular Christian artists including Michael W. Smith, Darlene Zschech, Israel and New Breed, Mary Mary, Kirk Franklin and many more.
MWorship also offers daily Scripture readings, tips on parenting and relationships, articles and wallpapers. In addition, the “Send-A-Blessing” and “Prayer Group” programs allow customers to send notes of encouragement and to manage and quickly communicate prayer needs to individuals and groups from the web or directly from their cell phones.

Weighty Issues

In 2002, the average weight for American men was 191 pounds and 164 pounds for women. That's about 25 pounds more than the average in 1960, according to U.S. government figures.

Exxon-Mobil = Extortion-Motive?

Source: FOXNews.com
Once again, it's more than obvious that the American public is being ripped off and lied to by the oil companies.
Oil industry behemoth Exxon Mobil Corp. (the most aggregious of the wallet looters) said Thursday its third-quarter earnings rose to $10.49 billion, the second-largest quarterly profit ever recorded by a publicly traded U.S. company. The report comes as high crude prices this year have fueled record profits in the oil industry, triggering an outcry from consumers who were being asked to pay about $3 a gallon for gasoline in early August.
Although crude oil prices began to decline toward the end of the third quarter, the average market price for crude held at around $70 a barrel in the period after peaking above $78 per barrel in July. Oil futures prices have recently traded near $61 a barrel, and gasoline prices have dropped to an average of about $2.43 a gallon.
The world's biggest public oil company said its net income amounted to $1.77 per share for the July-September period, up from $9.92 billion, or $1.58 per share, a year ago. The results surpassed the expectations of Wall Street analysts. On average, analysts expected the company to earn $1.59 per share in the quarter. Revenue fell to $99.59 billion from $100.72 billion from a year ago, which saw then-record oil prices (reportedly) because of hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
High oil prices helped Exxon Mobil realize earnings from its oil and gas drilling activities of $6.49 billion, up 13 percent from the prior year. The company also saw stronger earnings from its refining operations and gas stations, and profits at its chemicals segment more than doubled. The largest quarterly profit ever was Exxon Mobil's $10.71 billion profit in the fourth quarter of 2005. Its shares rose in premarket trading to $72.14 after closing Wednesday at $71.01 on the New York Stock Exchange.

Computer History - The Laser Printer

Xerox researcher Gary Starkweather invented the laser printer concept in 1969. Starkweather used a laser beam combined with the xerography process to create a laser printer method. Remarkably, the Xerox company showed little interest in his invention. Mr. Starkweather persisted and continued to refine laser printer technology. He completed the first working laser printer in 1971.

Microsoft offers Vista upgrade for PC buyers

(MarketWatch - Updated with additional information in the third and fifth paragraphs.)
Holiday shoppers won't miss out on the newest version of Microsoft Corp.'s Windows operating system, Vista, or Office if they buy a personal computer -- since the software maker is offering a new program that will give buyers either a free or discounted version of the products. The amount of the Express Upgrade offer will depend on each individual PC maker, according to a company press release.
Microsoft said a number of computer manufacturers worldwide have confirmed plans to participate in the Express Upgrade. Lisa Emard, a spokeswoman at Gateway Inc., said starting this Thursday all Gateway and eMachines computers sold direct will be eligible for a free upgrade to Vista when it becomes available. According to the spokeswoman, some customers that buy PCs at retail locations or internationally could be charged a shipping and handling fee or duplication fee.
Meanwhile, Hewlett-Packard Co. spokeswoman Ann Finnie said the company will also offer free upgrades starting Thursday. She said customers in the U.S. won't have to pay a shipping and handling fee.
Dell spokesman Bob Kaufman said Dell will charge customers a $45 fee to upgrade to Vista Home from Windows XP Home edition when it comes out. The spokesman said customers will only have to pay shipping and handling if they are upgrading from Windows XP Pro or Windows XP Media Center to Vista Premium. Given that some of Dell's peers have opted not to charge for the upgrade, Kaufman said, "As with many things we do, Dell will evaluate the marketplace and competition on behalf of customers to make appropriate moves if and when its necessary."
Microsoft held a press conference at 5:30 p.m. EDT Wednesday to discuss the program. Microsoft is planning to issue its business version of Vista to business customers in November and to consumers in January, missing the critical holiday purchasing season. The discount program begins Thursday and runs through mid-March, 2007. It has been long anticipated that Microsoft would offer some type of discount program since the delay in the release date for Vista was announced this spring.
Earlier this fall, a company official confirmed during an event that Microsoft was speaking with computer makers about a possible program. Roger Kay, founder of Endpoint Technologies, said Microsoft's move to offer vouchers could mitigate some delays in purchases by consumers this holiday season. Still, he said it doesn't solve the main problem, which is that consumers who buy a computer this holiday season will have to face an upgrade when Vista comes out in January. "It's better than if they had done nothing," said Kay. "It's not as good as if they had hit the schedule." Kay added that most industry watchers had anticipated some form of a voucher.