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McAfee scans cloud environments for security vulnerabilities

Ellen Messmer — 2010-03-16T03:00:00-04:00

McAfee's new vulnerability-assessment scanning service is aimed at giving cloud-computing service providers a way to provide security assurances to their customers.

Windows Phone 7 Series: Everything You Need to Know

Ian Paul — 2010-03-16T12:00:00-04:00

Devices running Windows Phone 7 Series software won't hit store shelves until later this year, but Microsoft recently offered a peek into the upcoming OS at its MIX10 conference for developers and Web designers. The latest version of Microsoft's mobile platform promises to deliver a radical shift, with a new focus on features like social networking, the Web, and gaming.

Microsoft unveils IE9 public preview

Gregg Keizer — 2010-03-16T12:00:00-04:00

Microsoft today unveiled a public sneak peek of its newest browser, Internet Explorer 9, aimed at Web developers and the technically brave of heart.

8 things you didn't know about Windows Phone 7

John Cox — 2010-03-16T12:00:00-04:00

Details of Windows Phone 7 and the development environment are coming to light at Microsoft's MIX10 Web developer conference.

A shortcut for Googling the current Website

Dan Frakes — 2010-03-16T12:00:00-04:00

Savvy Google users know you can restrict your search to a particular Website using the syntax site:[site] [search term(s)]. For example, a Google query of site:macworld.com "ipad case" will search Macworld.com--and just Macworld.com--for pages that include the specific phrase ipad case. While many sites provide their own search feature, I find that Google's searches often provide better results. I also like Google's options for narrowing down your search.

Why is cloud computing hard? Top tech execs speak their minds

Ellen Messmer — 2010-03-16T12:00:00-04:00

Everyone's talking about cloud computing and security. But what makes it so hard? Execs at Microsoft, Trend Micro, EMC's RSA division, McAfee and Symantec tackle the question.

Novell's Mono project bringing .Net development to Android

Paul Krill — 2010-03-16T12:00:00-04:00

Developers for the Mono project also are readying a version of Silverlight for Apple's iPhone

Microsoft provides new Windows 7 phone game and app details

Dave Rudden — 2010-03-16T12:00:00-04:00

At the company's MIX10 designer and developer conference, Microsoft revealed new details about the development kit that will aid in Windows 7 game and app development, including 3D mobile games and a Netflix streaming app.

NSW gets world's largest Wi-Fi network

Darren Pauli — 2010-03-16T12:00:00-04:00

NSW will soon have the largest centrally-controlled wireless network in the world with Wi-Fi covering every school in the state, according to the NSW Department of Education and Training (DET).

KaleidoVid turns your iPhone into a kaleidoscope

Dan Moren — 2010-03-16T12:00:00-04:00

Surely you must have played with a kaleidoscope at some point in your life. The combination of mirrors and colored beads can yield amazing geometric patterns when pointed at light sources and it's a great example of the principles of reflection. Now you can have the exact same experience on your iPhone, with App Cubby's KaleidoVid.

The Trouble With Twitter's @anywhere Service

Sarah Jacobsson — 2010-03-16T12:00:00-04:00

Twitter CEO Evan Williams announced Monday that the company plans to introduce a new platform called "@anywhere." The new service will allow Twitter users to connect to their Twitter accounts through third-party Websites such as The New York Times and eBay -- similar to the way Facebook Connect allows Facebook users to sign into other Websites using their Facebook accounts.

Desktop PC Buying Guide: The Specs Explained

Nate Ralph — 2010-03-16T12:00:00-04:00

Once you've determined the type of desktop system you want--a compact PC, a budget system, a mainstream all-purpose model, or a performance crackerjack--you need to know what components to look for. The processor and graphics chip you choose will determine many of your machine's capabilities, as will the system's memory and hard drive. Understanding those components will help you get the performance you need, without paying for things you don't. (Our buying guide includes further shopping tips for purchasing a desktop PC.)

Canon EOS 5D Mark II firmware udpate released

Heather Kelly — 2010-03-16T12:00:00-04:00

Canon released a firmware update today for its EOS 5D Mark II camera. The free firmware update 2.0.3 adds a handful of new video capabilities to the 5D Mark II, including the ability to shoot at 24 frames per second, which creates a more film-like look. Additionally, the camera's 30 fps rate has been changed to 29.97 fps to make it compatible with current television standards.

Lib Dems back down on Internet filtering

Richard Plant — 2010-03-16T12:00:00-04:00

According to a report on the Guardian website, Lib Dem peers are preparing to alter their amendment to the Digital Economy Bill, which passed its second reading in the House of Lords last week.

TomTom App for iPhone now warns of traffic jams

Zoe Smith — 2010-03-16T12:00:00-04:00

Updated app offers high definition (HD) traffic information and local search via Google

Alex eReader Available for Pre-Order

Melissa J. Perenson — 2010-03-16T12:00:00-04:00

If you've been anxious to get your hands on the Alex eReader from Spring Design, you won't have to wait much longer. The e-reader, which sports an unusual, double-display design, is now available for pre-order and will be shipping on April 14.

Union claims HP missed targets due to strikes

Anh Nguyen Www.computerworlduk.com — 2010-03-16T12:00:00-04:00

Work on HP contracts has been lost to rival companies due to last week’s two-day strike, the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union claims

Wrangle Your Desktop: Hide Icons, Beef Up Previews

Rick Broida — 2010-03-16T12:00:00-04:00

One of the things I love about Stardock's icon organizer, Fences, is the way the program can quickly hide all your desktop icons. Just double-click any empty area and poof: They're gone. A second double-click brings them back again. You can do the same thing in Windows Vista and 7, and you can also easily flip between external displays. Read on for those tips, plus a great little free app that beefs up your taskbar previews.

Desktop PC Buying Guide: Choosing the Right Desktop PC

Nate Ralph — 2010-03-16T12:00:00-04:00

Today's modern desktop PCs offer a wealth of options: You can go for a PC with a fixed retail configuration, or you can customize your system by stepping through a sometimes dizzying array of choices from a configure-to-order vendor. The resulting array of components is no longer wrapped up in a beige box, but in a colorful shell of highly variable shape and size, differentiated by indecipherable naming conventions.

IBM adding development and test offering to public cloud

Chris Kanaracus — 2010-03-16T12:00:00-04:00

IBM will soon offer software development and testing services through its public cloud, adding to a private cloud option launched in June 2009, the company said Tuesday.

NVIDIA App Brings 3D Gaming to Your TV

Alessondra Springmann — 2010-03-16T12:00:00-04:00

Are you excited to start gaming in 3D? NVIDIA wants to show you how awesome 3D video games and movies can be, and it has teamed up with Panasonic for a US-wide road tour to showcase the latest in 3D home theater technology. As part of the tour, you'll be able to test out PCs running NVIDIA's 3DTV Play software with Panasonic's 3D HDTVs and shutter glasses (what a mouthful!).

NorthernNet opens ultra-fast file transfer hubs

Mark Hattersley — 2010-03-16T12:00:00-04:00

The UK's first Pay and Go high speed digital pipeline opens in the North of England, enabling digital producers to transfer files between 17 hubs via fibre optic broadband.

DWP increases contractor spend on Directgov

Anh Nguyen — 2010-03-16T12:00:00-04:00

Government spending on contractors for the citizen website Directgov has nearly tripled since 2007.

TalkTalk switch staff from PCs to Apple laptops

Anh Nguyen and Computerworlduk — 2010-03-16T12:00:00-04:00

Broadband provider TalkTalk is planning to scrap desktop PCs for all its office staff and bring in MacBook Pro laptops from Apple.

Apple loses PA Semi chip executive

Zoe Smith — 2010-03-16T12:00:00-04:00

PA Semi founder and CEO Dan Dobberpuhl who joined Apple two years ago when it bought the semiconductor company, is reported to have left Apple, to undergo a new start.

Save over £260 on pick and mix software bundle

Zoe Smith — 2010-03-16T12:00:00-04:00

Save £266.60 when purchasing up to 19 items of software from TheMacBundles Build Your Own Bundle (BYOB) store.

Apple leads smartphone sales smash

Lexton Snol — 2010-03-16T12:00:00-04:00

Smartphone sales surged in the last three months of 2009, with 25 percent more sold than in the preceding quarter. Apple's iPhone, the BlackBerry and even Nokia were the overall winners.

Blue Coat offers virtual appliance for branch offices

Maxwell Cooter — 2010-03-16T12:00:00-04:00

Blue Coat has launched a software-only WAN optimiser

IT industry launches new Technology Manifesto

Anh Nguyen — 2010-03-16T12:00:00-04:00

A new Technology Manifesto has been launched which calls for for the government to create tax incentives to encourage the IT sector in the UK to grow and make 250,000 new IT jobs available over the next 10 years.

BlackBerry Users Willing to Swap for an iPhone

Daniel Ionescu — 2010-03-16T12:00:00-04:00

Almost 40 percent of BlackBerry users would switch camp to an Apple iPhone, a recent study into smartphone brand loyalty shows. Google's Nexus One is almost as desirable, according to the study by Crowd Science (PDF link), which shows that a third of the BlackBerry users polled were willing to switch their device for the Android-based phone.

Embarrassment as 10,000 Microsoft staff buy iPhones

John E. Dunn — 2010-03-16T12:00:00-04:00

Steve Ballmer doesn't use one but apparently as many as 10,000 Microsoft employees do. Embarrassingly, the device in question is Apple's iPhone.

US military plotted revenge on Wikileaks

John E. Dunn — 2010-03-16T12:00:00-04:00

The US military was so fearful of classified information ending up on Wikileaks it considered ways to undermine the organisation, a newly published secret report on the site appears to show.

Digital Economy Bill passed to MPs

Carrie-ann Skinner — 2010-03-16T12:00:00-04:00

The controversial Digital Economy Bill has been approved by the House of Lords and will now be put before MPs

One-letter '.co.uk' domain names on the way

Carrie-ann Skinner — 2010-03-16T12:00:00-04:00

Domain names comprising just one or two letters will be made available in the UK from June, Nominet has revealed.

Wanova's desktop virtualization software now available

Jon Brodkin — 2010-03-16T12:00:00-04:00

Wanova's virtualization technology lets IT manage desktops centrally while securing remote computers and giving users the ability to customize their desktop.

Open-Xchange adds integration with VoIP

Mikael Ricknäs — 2010-03-16T12:00:00-04:00

Open-source collaboration software vendor Open-Xchange has integrated VoIP (voice over Internet Protocol) and social networking sites in the latest version of its e-mail server and client.

Virtustream targets midsized businesses with cloud package

Nancy Gohring — 2010-03-16T12:00:00-04:00

Virtustream is unveiling a new cloud computing service aimed at midsize enterprises.

Mac sales jump nearly 40%

Gregg Keizer — 2010-03-16T12:00:00-04:00

Retail sales of Apple's Mac computers jumped 43% last month compared with the same month in 2009, research company NPD Group said.

Baidu stock overtakes Google's for first time on China spat

Dan Nystedt — 2010-03-16T12:00:00-04:00

The price of stock in Chinese search engine Baidu.com surged past Google's on Monday following reports in several news sources that the U.S. giant plans to quit China's Internet search market, leaving it to Baidu.

Can the iPad make it as an e-textbook reader for students?

Matt Hamblen — 2010-03-16T12:00:00-04:00

Apple's iPad, which arrives April 3, is already regarded as a high-end, color e-reader and multimedia device. But its potential as an e-textbook reader for students remains debatable.

Indian security startup offers free software

John Ribeiro — 2010-03-16T12:00:00-04:00

Wep Solutions, an Indian security software and services startup, is offering its unified threat management appliance software free to small businesses around the world.

Intel's new Xeon 5600 chips outperform predecessors

Agam Shah — 2010-03-16T12:00:00-04:00

Intel introduced a line of Xeon server chips that operate up to 60 percent faster than previous server processors, the company said on Tuesday.

HP, IBM, Dell launch servers with new Intel chips

Agam Shah — 2010-03-16T12:00:00-04:00

Hewlett-Packard, Dell and IBM rolled-out new servers on Tuesday based on Intel's latest Xeon 5600 microprocessors, which promise better performance and power consumption.

Twitter in China? In due time, Twitter founder promises

Joab Jackson — 2010-03-16T12:00:00-04:00

During a New York panel discussion on social media and digital activism held Monday, Chinese artist and activist Ai Weiwei secured a promise from Twitter creator Jack Dorsey that his company will offer a Chinese version of its social networking service.

Dell sues five LCD makers for alleged price-fixing

James Niccolai — 2010-03-16T12:00:00-04:00

Dell has filed a lawsuit against five LCD makers that charges them with colluding to fix prices for products, a Dell spokesman said Monday.

FCC's national broadband plan: What's next?

Grant Gross — 2010-03-16T12:00:00-04:00

When the U.S. Federal Communications Commission officially releases the nation's first national broadband plan Tuesday, the document will be just the start of a long process to extend broadband service to millions [m] of U.S. residents.

Happy 25th Birthday 'Dot Com': A Look Back

Ian Paul — 2010-03-16T12:00:00-04:00

The Internet is filled with nostalgia on Monday as geeks all over the world celebrate the 25th anniversary of the registration of the first dot-com domain. On March 15, 1985, a small Massachusetts-based computer manufacturer Symbolics, Inc. registered Symbolics.com. It would be more than a month before the second dot-com was registered, and there wouldn't be 100 registered dot-coms until November 30, 1987.

Massive data center opens in Wales

James Niccolai — 2010-03-16T12:00:00-04:00

One of the world's largest data centers has opened for business in the U.K., protected by bomb-proof glass and powered by enough electricity to run a small city.

SXSW: Twitter Announcement a Real Yawner

Mark Sullivan — 2010-03-16T12:00:00-04:00

Why the low key? Why no fanfare? Twitter just announced for the first time a way to make money! That's a big deal right?

Location-based Ads, a Coming Nightmare

David Coursey — 2010-03-16T12:00:00-04:00

Foursquare and other location-based applications are a great idea, but commercializing them may be a challenge. Key will be making them minimally intrusive and maximally useful, as well as avoiding the nightmare scenario of a world totally engulfed in personalized, located-based ads.

Hack Lets You Control A DSLR Camera From A Nintendo DS

Alessondra Springmann — 2010-03-16T12:00:00-04:00

The folks at the HDR Labs have released the Open Camera Controller (OCC), a system that uses an older Nintendo DS handheld to provide more options to photographers seeking to get the most out of their DSLR cameras.

Video game designer among top 10 well-paid creative jobs

Aj Glasser — 2010-03-16T12:00:00-04:00

A top 10 list of well-paid creative jobs pegs video game designer as the fifth-most attractive profession, just ahead of a professional animator. Web designer nabbed the top spot.

Broadband Internet for All?

John Davison — 2010-03-16T12:00:00-04:00

Tomorrow, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will deliver its National Broadband Plan to Congress, in which it outlines an ambitious agenda for connecting "all corners of the nation" with what it is describing as "the communications network of the future -- robust, affordable Internet."

Silverlight: Windows Phone 7 Secret Weapon

Tony Bradley — 2010-03-16T12:00:00-04:00

Microsoft is using the MIX'10 Web developer conference in Las Vegas this week as a platform for unveiling new details about the upcoming Windows Phone 7 series. One detail, which could drive support for Windows Phone 7 apps, is the reliance on Silverlight as a development platform.

Bethesda unveils co-op fantasy game Hunted: The Demon's Forge

Dave Rudden — 2010-03-16T12:00:00-04:00

While it may not be a new Elder Scrolls title, Bethesda is publishing a new game featuring fantasy elements, as the company announced that it will be putting out Hunted: The Demon's Forge, a co-op dungeon crawler from developer inXile Entertainment.

Did Uncle Sam try to kill Wikileaks?

Robert X. Cringely — 2010-03-15T12:00:00-04:00

I just received an email from Wikileaks editor Julian Assange that's pretty wild. It accuses the U.S. government of deliberately trying to take down the whistle-blower site [PDF] two years ago.

SXSW: Pandora in the Car Could Kill Sirius

Pc World Staff — 2010-03-15T12:00:00-04:00

"Sirius will be around for a long time," said Pandora CTO Tom Conrad in answer to a suggestion by an audience member here that his company will kill Sirius.

Flurry reveals prominence of gaming on iPhone

Aj Glasser — 2010-03-15T12:00:00-04:00

Around 19% of companies building iPhone applications initially came from traditional video games, according to an analysis of iPhone developer origins. Games were only outmatched by devs who just wanted to build apps for the iPhone and those coming from the internet.

Original Castlevania: Rondo of Blood finally available in US

Dave Rudden — 2010-03-15T12:00:00-04:00

The original version of one of the most highly-regarded Castlevania games is now available for download in the U.S., as the import TurboGrafx16 CD game Castlevania: Rondo of Blood has joined the ranks of the Virtual Console.

Will You Pay for Online News? Pew Study Says No

Jeff Bertolucci — 2010-03-15T12:00:00-04:00

The average U.S. consumer loves to read news online, but only one in five is willing to pay for it. And if your favorite news site suddenly erects a pay wall that requires subscription or pay-per-article fees, more than four of five of you would simply get your news elsewhere.

Did Video Games Wreck 1,000 Marriages?

Matt Peckham — 2010-03-15T12:00:00-04:00

Troubled home life? Blame the internet if you're using it to do work, view pornography, gamble, and of course, play computer games.

Whip Up Super-Cool Art Objects with ImageChef

Rick Broida — 2010-03-15T12:00:00-04:00

Want to soup up your Facebook profile picture? Create some custom artwork to go with, say, a party invitation? How about generating some fun and eye-catching photo art for your blog? For all this and more, head to ImageChef, where you can whip up cool images in a matter of minutes.

New Aperture update fixes video issues

Serenity Caldwell — 2010-03-15T12:00:00-04:00

Yet another fix for Aperture 3 users came down the pipeline on Monday in the form of Aperture SlideShow Support Update 1.1.

Google launches Street View in Hong Kong and Macau

Computerworld Hong Kong Staff — 2010-03-15T12:00:00-04:00

Google launched Friday its Google Maps Street View feature for Hong Kong and southern areas of Macau.

Google betting big on mobile, executive says

Nancy Gohring — 2010-03-15T12:00:00-04:00

Google has high hopes for the potential of the mobile market, executives said on Monday during an investor webcast.

FCC wants 120MHz of spectrum from TV stations

Grant Gross — 2010-03-15T12:00:00-04:00

The U.S. Federal Communications Commission will seek to take back 120MHz of spectrum from U.S. television stations in the next five years and reallocate it to wireless broadband providers in a voluntary program that would allow the stations to share or keep spectrum auction revenues, under a national broadband plan that will be officially released Tuesday.

Microsoft: No native code for Windows Phone 7

John Cox — 2010-03-15T12:00:00-04:00

Microsoft officials Monday confirmed at the company's MIX 10 developers event in Las Vegas that native applications will not be allowed on Windows Phone 7 devices. Only applications running in the Silverlight runtime environment or games in the XNA Game Studio runtime will be allowed.

Blizzard working on StarCraft II Mac beta

Dave Rudden — 2010-03-15T12:00:00-04:00

While select PC gamers have been able to enjoy the StarCraft II beta for a few weeks now, Blizzard will soon be letting Mac owners in on the fun, revealing that a beta for that platform is in the works, with a projected April start.

Game Developers Conference sees record attendance

Aj Glasser — 2010-03-15T12:00:00-04:00

Organizers of the 2010 Game Developers Conference announced today that total attendance for the week long event hit 18,250. Last year's GDC headcount clocked in at only 17,000.

AMD CEO's pay falls 15% to $4.5 million in 2009

Ann Bednarz — 2010-03-15T12:00:00-04:00

Advanced Micro Devices turned a profit in 2009 after three successive annual losses, but CEO Derrick Meyer's total compensation fell 15%.

Hackers lock Zeus crimeware kit with Windows-like anti-piracy tech

Gregg Keizer — 2010-03-15T12:00:00-04:00

The newest version of Zeus, a do-it-yourself crimeware kit responsible for millions of dollars in losses by consumers and businesses, comes with anti-piracy provisions similar to those used by Microsoft's Windows, a researcher said today.

Google may soon leave China, reports say

Sharon Gaudin — 2010-03-15T12:00:00-04:00

Google is likely to close its Chinese operations soon as its negotiations with the Chinese government are apparently breaking down.

Appistry launches 'big data' computational storage system

Galen Gruman — 2010-03-15T12:00:00-04:00

Distributed-file-system approach promises to eliminate performance bottlenecks by allowing analytics workloads to go where the data is

Street Fighter IV for iPhone

Sarah Jacobsson — 2010-03-15T12:00:00-04:00

Street Fighter fans are rejoicing everywhere, because Capcom's Street Fighter IV has finally made its way onto the iPhone. Unfortunately, its graphics and features won't knock you out, but Capcom ensures you'll want to come back for a few rounds with this initial release. While not a pitch-perfect port of the popular console fighter, Street Fighter IV for the iPhone captures the spirit of the intense one-on-one battles that distinguish the series.

Free Microsoft Windows Phone 7 developer tools released

John Cox — 2010-03-15T12:00:00-04:00

At the start of its annual MIX 10 Web developer conference, Microsoft announced the immediate free release of mobile-enabled versions of its latest core development tools for Windows Phone 7.

Digg, like Twitter, rips out MySQL

Jon Brodkin — 2010-03-15T12:00:00-04:00

Digg's engineering team has stopped using MySQL, echoing a move recently made by Twitter, another major social networking site.

Twitter to simplify integration of 'tweets' into Web sites

Juan Carlos Perez — 2010-03-15T12:00:00-04:00

Twitter plans to launch a new platform that lets Web publishers display 'tweets' on their sites more broadly and easily than is possible today via the company's APIs (application programming interfaces).

Unveiling the FCC National Broadband Plan

Tony Bradley — 2010-03-15T12:00:00-04:00

Drum roll please. After months of hype and speculation, the time has finally come for the FCC to present its National Broadband Plan to Congress. Over the past few weeks FCC chairman Julius Genachowski and other FCC members have hinted at some initiatives in the plan, building some support, but also drawing fire from both sides.

60% of virtual servers less secure than physical machines, Gartner says

Jon Brodkin — 2010-03-15T12:00:00-04:00

Sixty percent of virtual servers are less secure than the physical servers they place, the analyst firm Gartner said in new research Monday.

Popular Modern Warfare maps to reappear in DLC

Dave Rudden — 2010-03-15T12:00:00-04:00

When Modern Warfare 2's "Stimulus Package" DLC lands on the Xbox 360 on March 30, it'll apparently have a duo of older Modern Warfare multiplayer maps in the file. According to an Xbox Live Marketplace listing, the Crash and Overgrown maps from Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare will be included in the DLC, along with three new multiplayer maps. Here's the complete description from the listing:

Pay plummets for Motorola co-CEOs

Ann Bednarz — 2010-03-15T12:00:00-04:00

Without the benefit of an enormous sign-on bonus, Motorola co-CEO Sanjay Jha saw his total compensation fall to $3.8 million in 2009 from $104.4 million in 2008. Greg Brown's total compensation declined to $8.5 million from $24.2 million.

FCC's broadband plan: $15.5 billion for deployment

Grant Gross — 2010-03-15T12:00:00-04:00

The FCC would spend $15.5 billion on broadband deployment in a national broadband plan unveiled Monday.

Microsoft touts Windows Phone 7 Series and Silverlight 4

Paul Krill — 2010-03-15T12:00:00-04:00

The company showed off tools and demos during a presentation at the Mix10 conference

OpenLogic pushes open-source scan service for M&As

Chris Kanaracus — 2010-03-15T12:00:00-04:00

OpenLogic, which provides support and auditing services for open-source software, announced a new offering on Monday aimed at customers in the process of buying other companies.

The Cost of Managing Macs vs. PCs: Readers Weigh In

Tom Kaneshige — 2010-03-15T12:00:00-04:00

One thing is clear about our recent CIO.com story, Are Macs Really Cheaper to Manage than PCs--readers have vehement opinions on this topic. One other thing: there is no "right" answer to this question.

March Madness Productivity Drain: Calling a Foul

Thomas Wailgum — 2010-03-15T12:00:00-04:00

Executives and IT departments have more important things to worry about than the NCAA Basketball Tournament's effect on employee productivity and network bandwidth. March Madness doesn't hamper employee effectiveness, but bad software and systems do.

iPad orders fall after Friday's rush, claims blogger

Gregg Keizer — 2010-03-15T12:00:00-04:00

Orders for Apple's iPad fell off sharply over the weekend after a big opening day Friday, an investment blogger claimed today.

Enterprise 2.0 changing the way we work

Sharon Gaudin — 2010-03-15T12:00:00-04:00

Sure, companies have started using Web 2.0 tools, but one man says we've only seen a glimmer of the serious change that they're going to bring to the way we do business.

Molyneux: PlayStation Move 'Not as Big a Step' as Natal

Matt Peckham — 2010-03-15T12:00:00-04:00

When Fable III lead designer Peter Molyneux talks, gamers listen, especially when it's about the upcoming motion control craze. Calling it 'upcoming' isn't fair to Nintendo's four-year-old Wii, but when Sony and Microsoft release their respective dual-wand and controller-free console add-ons this holiday, change is in the offing. Question is, who's the real change-maker?

Rhapsody app to sport offline listening 'very soon'

Serenity Caldwell — 2010-03-15T12:00:00-04:00

Real's Rhapsody iPhone app has had mixed reviews since its initial release last September. The companion app to the $15 monthly service requires a 3G or Wi-Fi signal to listen to any of the music, frustrating some users. Rhapsody's development team has been hard at work on an offline play option to help remedy these woes, and now it looks as if the feature might finally be ready.