detection device connects to your Xbox 360, tracking your every movement, turning your actions into gameplay. The tiny two eyed camera connects to any Xbox 360, and is completely controller-less, allowing dozens of possible combinations with the need for additional peripherals.

If you were one of the lucky ones and received an email, your Xbox 360 will be prompted with an update within the next 24 hours and your Microsoft Kinect will begin shipping out to you soon.

Kotaku.com managed to get a hold of the beta invite email, asking participants to keep the beta testing hush-hush:

Congratulations! We’re pleased to report you’ve been accepted in the Xbox LIVE and Kinect beta program. We look forward to your active involvement and feedback along the way.

REMINDER:The Xbox LIVE and Kinect beta program is confidential. Please don’t disclose, share, or discuss beta program materials, except as allowed in the Xbox LIVE and Kinect Beta Program Agreement. Specifically, please:

DO NOT Blog about the beta materials.
DO NOT Post pictures, screenshots, or video clips of the beta materials.
DO NOT Discuss the beta materials in discussion forums, emails, or podcasts.
DO NOT Talk with the media or press about the beta materials. This includes bloggers, newspaper reporters, and television reporters.
Only use approved support methods for your Kinect experience which are listed on https://connect.microsoft.com/XboxLIVEupdate.
DO NOT contact Xbox Support over Twitter. For support options, please go to https://connect.microsoft.com/XboxLIVEupdate
DO NOT post in the public Xbox support forums (only use the private Kinect Beta forums)

The Xbox LIVE and Kinect Beta information has been updated on the Microsoft Connect website (https://connect.microsoft.com/XboxLIVEupdate). Your console should be prompted for a system update within the next 24 hours. Kinect hardware is being packed and will be shipped to the address you provided when applying for this program. Please be patient and review the Microsoft Connect website for any status updates.

For any troubleshooting or program questions, please review the support information at https://connect.microsoft.com/XboxLIVEupdate

Congratulations, we look forward to your participation!

Sincerely,

Xbox LIVE Beta Team

http://www.neowin.net/news/microsoft-kinect-shipped-to-testers

E-Paper is a thin, flexible sheet of plastic-like material that is capable of displaying images, videos, and text. It can be rewritten (refreshed) thousands of times over the span of its lifetime. There are many different forms of E-Paper that exist currently. They include E-Ink and Gyricon. The E-Ink version is made by Lucent and uses thin, plastic, flexible transistors and Polymer LEDs (light emitting diodes).

There is also a 9.7-inch version in the works. According to Gizmodo via SEC, “LG’s going to be “mass producing” the two screens, according to an SEC filing dug up by PC World, and even with Amazon boss Jeff Bezo’s comments that a color Kindle is “still some ways out,” we all know that it’s inevitable.”

This technology could potentially bring us into the era of Harry Potter-like Newspapers with moving images. It could do so because it can create Newspapers that are small and portable — like standard Newspapers, and it is big enough to remain easy to read for the average user. A great benefit is that it could be more “green” because people could pay for a subscription and be sent a flexible E-Paper one time.

The E-Paper would then be updated daily with the newest version of the Newspaper. It could also allow you to view video stories right from the Newspaper. Gizmodo states that this E-Paper display weighs 130g and is only 0.3mm thick. The light weight, small size, and flexibility would make E-Paper very convenient for those that are constantly on the go.

The only major concerns with this technology are battery life and cost. Although, battery life could be extended if power is only required to update the display and then it gets turned off. Only time will tell if the battery life is truly a problem. Cost would likely be prohibitive initially because of the fact that the technology is newer and hasn’t yet gone main stream.

http://www.neowin.net/news/lg-plans-to-mass-produce-flexible-19-inch-e-paper

The first issue with Android on tablets is that there isn’t a reference hardware design for Android tablets, meaning that applications have to be designed with a large range of hardware configurations in mind (a problem that also exists with Android on phones). Tablets running Android do not have access to the Android marketplace, and so far manufacturers have opted to create their own marketplaces for their devices – but with developers already being flooded with marketplaces and devices to develop for, this is not an ideal solution. Even standard Google applications aren’t available on Android tablets, such as  Google Maps and Gmail. Although Google is not encouraging Android tablets at the moment, it has noticed the tablet-trend and appears to be answering those demands with Android 3.0.

Gingerbread, Android 3.0’s codename, is rumored to have a minimum requirements similar to those of Windows Phone 7 (1GHz CPU, 512MB of RAM), but will also introduce support for larger screens/resolutions (possibly up to 1366×768) which will be perfectly sized for Android tablets along with a revamped UI. If all goes to plan, Android 3.0 will be the Android OS that manufacturers have been looking for – and should solve the multiple-marketplace problem that’s currently troubling developers. It’s expected that Android 3.0 will launch before the years end, but that might not be soon enough for those itching to get their hands on an iPad competitor such as the Eee Pad, WindPad or Galaxy Tab. For those people, they need to be aware that there’s no guarantee that those devices will receive an Android 3.0 makeover when Google releases that anticipated update later this year – especially if they don’t meet the minimum requirements.

http://www.neowin.net/news/want-an-ipad-alternative-wait-for-android-30

Microsoft Surface first started back in 2001 under the code name “Milan”. It was a project that was started by a very small group of Microsoft employees. The design was changed 10′s of times, but was finally presented to Bill in 2003. Of course, Mr. Gates liked it, and the project took on new life as it grew. By 2005 the final design had been chosen, and in 2007 it was presented to the public. The public was in awe, and Microsoft was proud.

So what makes Microsoft Surface so unique? It is unique because it goes where no computer has gone before. It uses a Natural User Interface (NUI). An NUI is an interface that attempts to take out any space between the digital and real world. It makes digital information and data seem real, by using Multi-touch interaction. Mult-touch interaction is simply a touch screen that supports multiple input points (touches) at the same time. In fact, Microsoft Surface supports up to 52.

Multi-touch is the biggest part of a Natural User Interface. It makes tasks such as viewing pictures… natural. There is practically no learning curve. To move a picutre, you simply put your finger down and drag it to the desired location, and to resize a picture simply pinch the picture with two fingers.

Another part that makes Surface’s interface natural is the object recognition feature. Object recognition has three parts to it.

The first part is the ability to recognize more than just fingers, which means it can recognize objects. This is different from normal touch screens because normally touch screens require an electric current or heat, which come from fingers. However, unlike those touch screens, Surface does not care whether it is a finger or a Zune.

Second, the use of byte tags allow for unique object recognition. By simply creating a relation between a specific byte tag pattern and an object, such as a camera, the Touch Table can recognize that that object is a camera.

Thirdly, Surface can transfer data via Bluetooth between certain digital objects. When you set the camera down, Surface recognizes it as a camera through the byte tag, and then opens ports for data transfer. Then, to transfer photos on to the camera, you simply drag them to it. And when you set the camera down at first, the photos dump out onto the Surface table top.

All these factors make Microsoft Surface’s Natural User Interface truly amazing and state of the art.

The author of this article is the WebMaster of a Microsoft Surface Website and Blog athttp://www.surfacehq.com

http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Scott_Ring

Microsoft’s internal plans indicate that the product will be marketed in 2012 but that can be delayed as we saw in the case of Windows Vista whose launch got delayed by a few months. The ideas for Windows 8, that were revealed in the powerpoint presentation that the Italian website got, are sure to bring remarkable changes. The key ideas Microsoft is upto put in their Windows 8 include fast bootup, face recognition and Windows app store.

The face recognition system will be integrated in the windows itself. It would be a better option rather than the orthodox method of user, password and guest. The Windows 8 will have the capability to recognize the person and take them directly to their account. However, this feature requires a webcam for this purpose and MS would surely be looking for a way to get it integrated in the best possible way.

Microsoft is also working on making Windows 8′s bootup as fast as possible. This will give instant on connectivity to the user. Currently Linux has the fastest bootup time of not more than 10 seconds. It would be fun to see the competetion of booting up, let’s see if Microsoft will be able to compete with Linux in terms of bootup speed.

Microsoft has also introduced the Windows App Store in the Windows 8. In the Windows app store, the user can look up for the latest and genuine applications for Windows and can buy them online. This feature is a good addition and will also help in stopping piracy. The ‘Windows Reset’ option will be used to backup the system in case of system failure. Upon system reinstall, the apps that the user had bought earlier can be reinstalled. This means that the apps you’ll buy from the Windows App Store will have the lifetime license.

Microsoft’s earlier version of the Windows, Windows Vista and Windows 8, were not preferred a lot like the Windows XP because of many reasons. Microsoft was put on backfoot twice as their expectations from the two Windows versions were let down. Now, Microsoft is ready to bang again possibly in 2012 with the new Windows 8. It has got more hopes from Windows 8 and want it to be as popular as Windows XP.

http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Meghan_Morrison

Pros: Great cast, Great acting Superb Special Effects

Cons: Complex story thats a tad hard to follow.

Overall this movie gets a 5/5 from me. If you havn’t seen it, GO SEE IT.

RSS Feeds

Chat

Bug fixes

And more!

compatibilities

internet explorer

firefox

and now safari

I give it 4.5 out of 5 stars

Papermaster joined Apple in November 2008, following the stepping down of Tony Fadell earlier in the month, but was soon ordered to cease work at the Cupertino-based technology giant after IBM, Papermaster’s previous employer, claimed he broke a clause in his contract which stated he couldn’t work for any competitors (despite Apple saying it wasn’t one) for at least a year after leaving.

As part of a resolution that was eventually made in January between Apple and IBM, Papermaster was unable to work at Apple until April 2009, and Papermaster was forced to contact the courts to make sure IBM’s secrets weren’t being told at Apple.

Apple won’t comment on the circumstances surrounding Papermaster’s decision to leave, but from what Daring Fireball’s John Gruber has heard, it seems as if Papermaster was forced to leave the company after the outcry over the much-publicized iPhone 4′s antenna issues.

“From what I’ve [Gruber] heard, it’s clear he was canned,” Gruber wrote today. “Inside Apple, he’s ‘the guy responsible for the antenna’.”

Notably at the company’s press conference to deal with the antenna problem last month, Papermaster was not present — instead the man expected to be his replacement, Bob Mansfield, the senior vice president of Macintosh hardware engineering, was there answering questions about the problems.

Neowin.com