.::REALITYRECALL::.

Windows/Mac/Linux: Firefox is out with another beta of its improved and redesigned Firefox 4. This second early release gives Macs the same tabs-on-top look as Windows, and adds an “App Tabs” mode for sites you want to keep an eye on. More »

The System File Checker (sfc.exe) is a command-line tool built into Windows that helps you repair corrupted system files. If you can’t boot your PC, the Winhelponline blog explains how to use it from the install disc. More »

To say RIM has a lot riding on BlackBerry 6 is an understatement. With new kids on the block like Android and iOS stepping in with lustworthy apps and attractive UIs, the BlackBerrys have been sitting in a corner BBMing everyone else at the party trying to convince them of its sustained utility. Regardless, the latest tease on the BlackBerry Blogs shows off some of the “fresh, but familiar” elements that are getting polished in the jump from OS 5 to OS 6. While some features do have us intrigued — its implementation of universal search, for example — other headlining changes to the otherwise staid homescreen have us begging for more. New “views,” toggled from a space right under the notification bar, are essentially glorified folders, and the “quick access area” is much like the functionality offered by years-old “Today”-style themes for the handset. Don’t get us wrong, the refinements definitely help, but at the end of the day we just hope it isn’t RIM trying to put lipstick on a pig — guess we’ll find out when we get a commercial release to really bite into.

[Thanks, Jason K]

Latest BlackBerry 6 preview proves that the more things change… originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Jul 2010 15:20:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A man charged with second-degree murder in the fatal stabbing of his brother, 60, on the weekend will appear in a Yorkton court on Tuesday.

The search giant’s music industry talks are said to be “accelerated,” a federal judge declares DRM-beating hacks legal for non-infringement purposes, Google gets a foothold in government infrastructure, and the last ever roll of Kodachrome film gets its story told. More »

Google’s OneBox has long offered quick definitions when your search query includes text like “define flummox” or “what is flummox“, but the search engine has just added “implicit triggering” that automatically offers a dictionary result when you search for single words. More »

The federal government rarely hands fair use proponents cheerful news—usually it's quite the opposite. But a judge of the 5th Circuit Appeals Court has ruled that circumventing DRM for non-infringing purposes isn’t illegal, contrary to years of precedent. More »

‘Snake,’ the classic game installed on many early cell phones and, most memorably, the TI-83+ calculator, has made a jump to a new platform: YouTube. The recently discovered Easter Egg lets you play ‘Snake’ on a paused or buffering video by simply tapping (or holding) left. Just load up your favorite video on YouTube.com (the trick doesn’t work on embedded video) to try it out. Details are slim on the required settings; some claim you need to press up and left at the same time, some say the video has to be in the ‘Gaming’ category, and some even suggest that the video can be fully loaded. Regardless, most of our attempts were successful, and YouTube has successfully found a way to be an even bigger time-suck. [From: Engadget and Kotaku]

Filed under: Video Games, Google, Web

Tap ‘Left’ to Play Classic ‘Snake’ Game on YouTube originally appeared on Switched on Mon, 26 Jul 2010 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Windows only: If you’re a Chrome fan and want to see the very latest in features and fixes, even if potentially unstable, you’ve now got a Canary Build. It’s an auto-updating, near-nightly build that runs separately from your standard Chrome installation. More »

One of Canada’s top jet fighter pilots is in good condition in hospital following the crash of his jet in Lethbridge, Alta., on Friday.

One man is dead and another is in custody after an early-morning stabbing Saturday in Melville, Sask.

That man in the top of this photo? That’s Captain Brian Bews and he’s lucky to be alive. The skilled pilot barely managed to eject before his CF-18 fighter jet crashed during a practice flight. Update: Video added. More »

These are dark times for Dell. As we reported last month, the computer manufacturer has been under fire for knowingly selling over 11.8 million faulty computers, and is currently embroiled in yet another lawsuit. Now it comes to light that some of the motherboards it recently sent out were filled with malware. The company has admitted as much, saying that the problems have only affected a “small number” of their PowerEdge PCs. According to DigitalTrends, the malware is showing up in the server management firmware embedded in the boards, and is really only affecting enterprise-level servers, not consumer computers.

But, in even worse news, the company settled yesterday with the Securities and Exchange Commission for fraud charges — to the tune of $100 million. According to the SEC’s allegations, Dell misled investors by padding its quarterly statements with money it had received from Intel during back-room agreements to not use chips made by competitor Advanced Micro Devices. Investors were not made aware of the dealings, and Dell was able to project greater financial results than it had actually achieved. [From: DigitalTrends and New York Times]

Filed under: Computers

Bad Day for Dell: Company Fined $100M and Gets Caught With Infected Motherboards originally appeared on Switched on Fri, 23 Jul 2010 15:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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With the box office success of Predators — both domestically and internationally — Robert Rodriguez, who produced the film, told IGN today that sequ…

The FCC has re-defined the minimum requirements of broadband to 4 Mbps downstream and 1 Mbps upstream. That’s a huge jump up from the previous minimum of 200Kbps but is fitting given our video streaming, downloading and cloud living times. As for myself, I could barely live with 4 Mbps down but then the FCC reminds me that 24 million people lack access to high speed internet, so I shut up. [FCC via ExtremeTech] More »