.::REALITYRECALL::.

The CRTC is demanding broadcasters turn down the volume on ads after Canadians complained that TV commercials are just too loud.

Today, Windows Division prexy Steven Sinofsky treated Build 2011 attendees to a walkthrough of the various tweaks, subtle or otherwise, Microsoft’s made to Windows 8. Staying true to its roots, the new OS implements the familiar keyboard commands users have become accustomed to over the years — you know, like CMD and Ctrl+F. And as for its update to Internet Explorer, MS has imbued its tenth iteration with the ability to switch between the much-hyped Metro-style UI and plain old desktop view — all according to your whimsy. Of course, Redmond’s instituted other sweeping changes across the platform, and you can check some of the highlights after the break.

Continue reading Windows 8 details: new features, UI enhancements and everything in between

Windows 8 details: new features, UI enhancements and everything in between originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 13 Sep 2011 15:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Windows has countless drive cloning programs available, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. It’s almost impossible to pick the perfect one, but if you have a drive to clone, we recommend starting your search with DriveImage XML. More »

Continue reading Medfield-based Android phone shown at IDF 2011, future Android builds to be ‘optimized’ for Atom

Medfield-based Android phone shown at IDF 2011, future Android builds to be ‘optimized’ for Atom originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 13 Sep 2011 13:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Microsoft showed us a more in-depth look at Windows 8 today, from the previously mentioned tablet interface to the traditional mouse-and-keyboard desktop. Here’s what it looks like. More »

Just last week, we got our paws on Samsung’s Series 7 Slate, and it’s already making its second debut. This time around, however, it’s sporting a much more mouthwatering setup. No, it’s not dawning Lady Gaga’s edible leftovers; this new look comes courtesy of Microsoft’s much teased and hotly anticipated touch-friendly OS, Windows 8. As you’ve likely already heard, the latest incarnation of the operating system is something entirely new for Redmond, and, as it turns out, the world. It’s unlike anything we’ve seen before, but that won’t stop us from making comparisons.

Like Apple’s latest attempt at a desktop OS, Windows 8 borrows largely from its mobile kin, Window Phone 7, bringing its signature live tiles to tablets and PCs, and from what we’ve seen it does so effortlessly. Before we go ruining a good thing, however, we have to point out that this isn’t everything Windows has to offer — it’s still a developers preview (and in turn, an OS under construction), and the device it’s running on hasn’t been approved as an official Windows 8 slate. Got all that? Good. Read on for our first impressions!

Continue reading Windows 8 for tablets hands-on preview (video)

Windows 8 for tablets hands-on preview (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 13 Sep 2011 12:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We got a taste of Windows 8 back at D9, but the real bounty is waiting in Anaheim. The company’s kicking off its Build conference with a full-on developer preview of its next major desktop operating system, still code-named Windows 8 for the time being. According to Steven Sinofsky — president of the Windows and Windows Live Division at Microsoft — the company has “reimagined Windows,” bringing about a “new range of capabilities” that coders will begin to dig into sooner rather than later. As we’d seen before, the “Metro-styled” user interface is front-and-center, bringing graphical elements of Windows Phone 7 to desktop, laptop and tablet users of the future. Internet Explorer 10 is also onboard, as well as a focus on “apps” that can communicate with one another, and content that can sync across devices. Folks comfortable in a Win7 environment ought to be right at home here — Win8 is built on the same foundation, though the retooled Task Manager and Windows Explorer should tickle the average fancy.

The Windows Store will enable devs to hawk their apps to any nation where Windows is sold, and yes, support for ARM-based chipsets is proudly included alongside compatibility with x86 devices. In other words, everything from “10-inch tablets to laptops to all-in-ones with 27-inch HD screens” will be able to ingest Win8 with ease. That’s a markedly different take than the folks in Cupertino have expressed, with an (admittedly limiting) mobile OS being chosen to run the tablet side of things. Only time will tell which mantra proves more viable, but we’re guessing the both of ’em will find varying levels of success. Microsoft has also confirmed backwards compatibility with “devices and programs” that support Windows 7, and while an exact time has yet to be revealed, we’re told that developers will be able to download the Windows Developer Preview via the new Windows Dev Center later this week. Full fact sheets can be seen in the source link below, and our hands-on impressions of the new code can be found right here.

Update: Downloads are live! Get in!

Continue reading Microsoft launches Windows 8 developer preview, downloads are live!

Microsoft launches Windows 8 developer preview, downloads are live! originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 13 Sep 2011 12:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Curious what the minimum specifications for Windows 8 will be? As are we. Microsoft’s remaining mum on specifics, but the outfit’s Steven Sinofsky — President of Windows and Windows Live — just confessed during the opening Build 2011 keynote that an antediluvian Lenovo S10 was potent enough to run Windows 8. And in fact, it’ll do so with more poise than with Windows 7. A brief demonstration explained that Win8 demanded fewer system resources (barely, but still) than Win7 on the same hardware, proving that an early-gen Atom CPU and 1GB of RAM is “enough” to run the outfit’s upcoming operating system. We highly doubt it’s enjoyable, but at least you (probably) won’t be forced into an upgrade if you don’t want to be. Have a gander at the actual numbers just after the break!

Continue reading Windows 8 can run on an Atom CPU, 1GB of RAM

Windows 8 can run on an Atom CPU, 1GB of RAM originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 13 Sep 2011 12:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A rocky planet with the potential to support liquid water — and therefore the potential to support life — has been found orbiting a sun-like star near our solar system.

By Kyle Dettman. Spotted on Boing Boing.

edit@hollywoodreporter.com (Philiana Ng)
Wentworth Miller will appear in the eighth season, creator David Shore tells THR, who hints at a “slight shift” in storytelling.

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Last week, it was announced that Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger would return for The Expendables 2 with expanded roles. Now, Sylvester Stallone confirms to EW that the long-rumored casting of Chuck Norris and Jean-Claude Van Damme is also true. What’s more, the Face/Off pair of Nicolas Cage and John Travolta may be getting into the action as well.

“We’ll have a big showdown between me and Van Damme,” Stallone told the outlet, “which has been anticipated for a long time, so it should be a good one.”

Co-written and directed by Stallone, the original Expendables also starred Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Eric Roberts, Randy Couture, Steve Austin, David Zayas, Giselle Itie, Charisma Carpenter, Gary Daniels, Terry Crews and Mickey…

A man’s testosterone levels fall when his child is born, researchers have found.

You can't be fired for complaining about your workplace on social networks like Facebook—that's according to a judge's ruling and the National Labor Relations Act, which Forbes (and the judge) says gives employees “the right to converse among themselves about workplace conditions.” So the law’s on your side when it comes to complaining about work on the internet. Keep in mind though that there are a whole host of other serious consequences you may want to consider before you take that as a sign that now’s a good time to vent every frustration you have about your job. [Forbes] More »

An x86-friendly version of Android Gingerbread will be available for Intel’s Atom E series in 2012.

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Very sad news to report tonight, as we’ve learned that Andy Whitfield, the star of Spartacus: Blood and Sand, has died at the age of 39.