Google, whose entire product line seems to be in a constant state of beta, has upgraded its Google Talk client, trying to catch up with the rest of the instant messaging world with file transfers, voicemail and the ability to show contacts what music is playing on your PC. Undaunted by the fact that virtually no one uses its Google Talk application—reportedly only 44,000 people used it last month—Google presses on with, yes, another updated beta that doesn’t support the Mac.

Now you’ll be able to send files with a button click while talking to another user of Google Talk, leave voicemails up to 10 minutes long that will be e-mailed to the person who didn’t pick up the phone, and for some reason you’ll be able to reveal the music you’re listening to, which changes as the tune does. Why you’d want to do this, we’re still scratching our heads. Anyway, maybe these new features will help Google Talk pick up a few dozen more users. – Charlie White

Google Talk Swings Back [TechCrunch]

Phill Ryu’ fakie screenshot contest for Apple’s next OS just finished, and the entries are less like screenshots and more like porno-tastic centerfolds for mac lovers. The winner of the contest, Eric Patterson, didn’t just pretty things up. He went ahead and polished the interface in Finder, Safari, Mail, and an advanced version of Preview called Peek. Apple, give this man a job! If the new operating system, due before 2007, is half as good as these photoshop fakes, we’ll be happy Mac perverts. Full sized photos and links to runner-ups after the jump.

– Brian Lam

Fake Leopard Screenshot Contest Winners [ Via Phill Ryu ]

Filed under: Transportation

Even though air travel has gotten marginally safer since the tragedies of 9/11 -- thanks in part to fortified cockpits, increased air marshal presence, and a ban on toenail clippers -- it still doesn't seem impossible for a group of determined individuals to hijack a plane and turn it into a deadly missile. And should such a suicide-style attack happen again, the only surefire way of protecting targets on the ground would seem to be shooting the plane out of the air -- a nightmare scenario that no one wants to see. Well, soon airlines may have another, much safer option at their disposal in the form of a software platform being developed by a consortium of 30-odd European businesses and research institutes that would make an aircraft's systems completely unusable in the event of a cockpit breach -- control of the plane would be passed to officials on the ground -- even if one of the hijackers was among the 1337est of hackers. The $45 million program is being spearheaded by Airbus (already big fans of auto-pilot), Siemens, and the Technical University of Munich, with the first results of the collaboration scheduled to be revealed at an October conference in the UK. Here's to hoping that the group comes up with a working solution sooner rather than later, because this is one technology that just can't be deployed quickly enough.

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Filed under: Desktops, Laptops

Even though we’ve resigned ourselves to the fact that Windows Vista isn’t coming out until it’s good and ready, EU regulators aren’t as forgiving as us when it comes to Microsoft playing the delay game, and have hit the software giant with a $357 million fine based on that 2004 anti-competition ruling. What’s more, EU Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes has decided to slap the company with a three million euro-per-day fine starting on July 31st if the document disclosure stipulation of the original decision — which requires Microsoft to make the Windows source code more accessible to rivals — has not been fulfilled. Redmond, for its part, claims that it has been fully cooperating with regulators; general counsel Brad Smith argues that the commission’s original demand was too vague, and therefore the issue is not one of compliance but clarity. In the end, Microsoft can complain all day and night about unfair rulings and unclear requirements, but if it wants to continue having unfettered access to the lucrative European market, it seems the company has little choice but to toe the line on this one.

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Filed under: Desktops, Laptops

If you’re one of the many folks eagerly awaiting the January release of Windows Vista, then there’s a small-but-not-insignificant chance that you may be in for a letdown — a 20% chance, actually, according to outgoing Microsoft CTO, lifelong Engadget reader, and occasional video pirate Bill Gates. During a presentation in Cape Town, South Africa, Mr. Gates informed his audience that although there’s an 80% probability that the next-gen OS will ship as scheduled, “we’ve got to get this absolutely right,” and stressed that “if the feedback from the beta tests shows it is not ready for prime time, I’d be glad to delay it.” Now, we can’t imagine that anyone would want to purchase buggy software, so it’s reassuring to see that Microsoft is committed to only pushing a polished product out the door, but we have to say that Gates’ choice of words here makes him come across as just a little cavalier. Because if he’s “glad” to continue frustrating us with these tragi-comic delays, then there’s probably quite a few people out there who will be just as glad to stick with their copies of XP out of spite — or even worse, make the dreaded leap over to Leopard or Linux.

[Thanks, Matt and Oliver O.]

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The PSP 1.50 to 1.00 downgrader we mentioned the other day has been released. The usual precautions apply, since you can brick your PSP whenever you write to your PSP firmware.

1. Find someone with a 1.0 PSP and get them to install the downhelper program from the downdater download.
2. Copy the downhelper100 folder to /PSP/GAME/ and start the program.
3. It will dump your flash and your ipl to the memory stick. After finished, the program will exit.
4. Send the folder created at the root of your memory stick called “DOWNDATER” to someone with 1.50 to allow them to downgrade using the Easy downgrader app.

You probably shouldn’t attempt this unless you know what you’re doing and have a good reason for going down to 1.0. – Jason Chen

1.50 to 1.00 Easy Downgrader Released! [QJ.net]

Using the internal sudden motion sensor in your MacBook and MacBook Pro, the SeisMac program displays real time, three-axis graphs of laptop movement. Leave your MacBook on your desk to let it act as a seismograph, or put it on your chest to measure your heartbeat. You could also use it as proof of how g*ddamn loud your neighbor’s bass is at 2AM.

SeisMac also works with older Powerbooks and iBooks with the sudden motion sensor. – Jason Chen

Product Page [Seismac]

AppleInsider has been all over the Leopard—Apple's latest operating system—and the features that it may include. The good news for Apple computer-using iPoders is that Leopard will include mapping software similar to Google Maps and Microsoft Virtual Earth that may eventually employ GPS tracking software to keep a watchful eye on iPods and other Apple products.

This could be some useful functionality with iPod theft on the rise every day. There is probably only one way to prevent iPod theft that I am considering—until Leopard is released, of course. Just get the iPod permanently embedded into your body. You carry it around all hours of the day anyway, why not just get it surgically attached? Leopard, which is tentatively named, will make its formal debut at WWDC on August 7. – Travis Hudson

VoIP features expected in Apple's Leopard [AppleInsider]

 
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Related: Last Chance: Windows Vista Beta 2 Download
Related: Windows Vista Beta Screenshot Tour
Related: Western Digital Settles Hard Drive Capacity Lawsuit

Filed under: Software, RIM, Palm OS, Symbian, Windows Mobile

Another day, another mobile RSS reader, this one coming from San Jose-based startup Plusmo. To be fair, Plusmo does appear to offer a few more features than the average RSS reader, most notably what they call Plusmo Gadgets -- which is just a clever name for a whole raft of widget-like utilities including things like a Starbucks locator, a Flickr browser, a cheapest gas locator, as well as tools for MySpace, LiveJournal, and other sites. They also have something called Plusmo Channels, which basically just combines a bunch of related RSS feeds into one "channel" for easier browsing. Still, it's free, and it runs on just about anything, including Java MIDP 2.0 and MIDP 1.0 enabled cellphones, BlackBerrys, and Windows Mobile devices. Plusmo says a BREW version and a native Symbian version are also coming soon.

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Few people will deny that the Apple's MacBook and MacBook Pro are two pretty decent machines. Yet, how many of these people are willing to transform their fancy new computers into a whooshing and whirring Jedi-inspiried weapon of doom? Thanks to MacSaber, nerds everywhere will get the chance to do just that.

MacSaber is a charming piece of software for Mac OS X that uses the built-in motion sensors of the MacBook and MacBook Pro (but not earlier Apple notebooks, at least not in this beta release) to make the sounds of the all familiar Lightsaber as the MacBook is twirled majestically through the air.

Just imagine how popular you'll be at the office as you wave your LightsaberBook around like you just don't care, never mind the number of señoritas you'll attract.

MacSaber: Turn Your Mac Into A Jedi Weapon [isnoop.net blog via Slashdot]

 
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Related: Google Reader Available For Cellphones
Related: Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor Program

We know what the official Vista requirements are now, so most of us are well informed and on our way to Best Buy. But isn't there an easier way to tell if your PC is Vista ready? Microsoft thought so, and they just released a Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor program that scans your machine to tell you whether it's Vista capable.

We imagine this would be useful for non-technical folk, especially your parents. Email this link to them, tell them to install it—well, some parents don't know how to install software—and they'll know whether their old Dell can run the newest OS out of Redmond.

Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor [Microsoft]

 
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Related: Windows Requirements, Then and Now
Related: 3D Printing for Second Life Residents

Filed under: Software, Samsung, Java, Palm OS

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Reader Paul Blakeman found some between designing websites to make a OS X dashboard widget for Gizmodo. Plop it down into your dashboard and it shows you the latest 20 RSS feed items from the Giz.

Good work Paul!

Download Page [Pixel Kid]

 
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Related: Vonage USB SoftPhone Kit Leaked
Related: NEC Blurs Line Between Real and Virtual Robots
Related: Airfoil for AirPort Express Now Works on Windows

Our Bothan spies sent us some shots of a USB-key based Vonage SoftPhone that will be available in June. This thing consists of the USB key containing the software and a headset. You plug it into any PC—no Mac support, apparently—up comes your home phone and voicemail et al. No pricing yet.

Product Page [Vonage]

 
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Related: NEC Blurs Line Between Real and Virtual Robots
Related: Airfoil for AirPort Express Now Works on Windows
Related: Skype for Mac Now a Universal Binary

One of the nicer features of Apple's AirPort Express wireless router is that it can wirelessly stream iTunes audio from your PC or Mac to a real life sound system, so that you don't have to listen to your undoubtedly cool tunes on your small computer speakers. But what if you want to stream audio from something other than iTunes? That's where Airfoil comes in, a small piece of software from Rogue Amoeba that lets users stream audio from pretty much any application.

It's been available for the Mac for some 14 months, but starting today Windows users can participate in the fun. It's still in beta for Windows, so be mindful of any bugs that haven't been worked out quite yet. It does cost $25 for the full version, but that's a small price to pay to be able to use the AirPort Express the way you want to use it, without any of Apple's annoying meddling. Thanks, Christopher!

Airfoil [Rogue Amoeba via Under The Microscope]

 
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Related: Skype for Mac Now a Universal Binary
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Napster announced yet another iteration today, allowing users to stream over two million tracks on their ad-supported website and to share links to artists, albums and even specific songs through email or on other websites. Sounds good, but in practice it's not so wonderful.

Catch #1: you can only play each track a maximum of five times before you have to buy it for $0.99. You can pay Napster $9.95 a month to listen to unlimited music both offline and off, except that you can't listen to the music you download after you stop paying, or join Napster To Go for $14.95, which lets you transfer your music to compatible mp3 players.

Letting you play a track all the way through (albeit not in the greatest sound quality) five times + the 99 cent price is a nice touch as it makes you more likely to get addicted to a song they have on offer than the short clips the iTunes store provides. The subscription services are still as ludicrous as they were when first launched, especially Napster To Go, and we'd still much rather just buy a few tracks and own them for good, supplemented with listening to Last.fm's personalized radio stations.

Catch #2: Sharing a link is just that, passing along a text link to Napster's page to whatever it is. Here are two examples, the first url is the format you're supposed to pass by the email and the second the format for adding to sites: Basement Jaxx's Oh My Gosh(Radio Edit) and Sia's Breathe Me (Four Tet Remix). We can see how this would be useful for when you just want a friend to hear a song once or twice, but for linking on a website it's just ridiculous that you can't place a Napster-branded audio player for a particular song on your blog or MySpace, the way you can with video from YouTube, Google Video or Vimeo.

Napster, c'mon now, you've got to learn from the success of the video sites: if you want people to link to your media, you have to let them do it without making their users have to 1) immediately leave their site and 2) register with yours. A little less greed upfront will make using your site so much more useful and therefore more appealing.

Napster [via Alpha Blog]

 
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Related: Xbox Live Update Tuesday?
Related: Microsoft Fingerprint Reader Firefox Extension
Related: Dr Sbaitso Will Listen To You

It’s a week and change before E3 and rumors are already flying. The scheduled outage of Xbox Live on Tuesday is leading some people to guess that Microsoft is finally releasing the update that allows people to download marketplace content in the background. This makes sense, seeing as MS providing loads of E3-related content on Xbox Live during the event.

Along with the improved downloading, another rumored feature is the ability to send voice and text messages to people during games. Isn’t this already there on dashboard?

Xbox Live 3.0 Tuesday [Whodigs]

 
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Related: Microsoft Fingerprint Reader Firefox Extension
Related: Dr Sbaitso Will Listen To You
Related: 58 Days Worth of Drawing Exercises in Microsoft Excel

Microsoft Fingerprint Reader may look cool and be very useful in storing your passwords, but it's lousy when it comes to working with Firefox. We found this out the hard way last year when we purchased a reader and it didn't work a lick with Firefox.

Now there's a Firefox extension that allows a workaround for the reader software to recognize Firefox as a valid fingerprint capable app. Wee! Yet another way for us to pretend we're Tom Cruise.

Finger Fox [Google Translated from French]

 
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Related: Dr Sbaitso Will Listen To You
Related: 58 Days Worth of Drawing Exercises in Microsoft Excel
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Those of you born in the 80s—or the 90s! You zygotes!—should probably feel free to just skip this post, but everyone else, if you had a Creative Labs Soundblaster card in the early 90s you probably spent more than a few hours in conversation with Dr Sbaitso, a program meant to show off the sound card’s then-impressive range of digitized voices. Matt of X-Entertainment remembers the good doctor:

Doctor Sbaitso was meant to be the player’s “psychiatrist,” able to converse to-and-fro both with onscreen text and a horrendously off-kilter voice coming through the speakers. Though some would consider the game to have included some degree of artificial intelligence, it really didn’t: Doctor Sbaitso couldn’t understand a thing, and all of his responses were essentially rephrasings of whatever you said, mixed with a few key phrases that would illicit more surprising answers. This didn’t keep my gawky nearly-teenage self from considering Doctor Sbaitso my best friend and only social outlet, and God, I used to sit up all night long trying to get this 10KB computer game to solve all of life’s problems.

Did you get Dr Sbaitso to help you with your existential crises, or did you spend your time trying to get him to pronounce fantastically obscene things and give you the overly dramatic Parity Error? Is LiveJournal the new Dr Sbaitso? Are there any good answers to these questions?

Dr Sbaitso Was My Only Friend [X-Entertainment]

 
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Related: 58 Days Worth of Drawing Exercises in Microsoft Excel
Related: Nokia Podcasting Application Doesn’t Actually Podcast
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Some of you who visit Gizmodo at work do so to escape the drudgery of Excel, and we expect those of you reading this for that reason will especially appreciate artist Danielle Aubert's book 58 Days Worth of Drawing Exercises in Microsoft Excel, which surprisingly contains exactly what it says it does.

Aubert creates her drawings by manipulating cell preferences for background color, fill pattern, and border styles, occasionally inserting words or letters and comment boxes into the grid; most of them are abstract, unlike the one pictured here. We've spent our lives thus far avoiding having to use Excel, but if you have other enjoyable/artistic ways of tinkering with spreadsheets, let us know.

58 Days Worth of Drawing Exercises in Microsoft Excel [Danielle Aubert, via information aesthetics]

 
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Related: Nokia Podcasting Application Doesn't Actually Podcast
Related: MotionGames.net: Web-based Webcam Games

Filed under: Wireless, Networking

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Not horribly techie, but it kind of pisses us off. Apple has siccing lawyers on all sorts of sites with iPod in the name and iPod Garage is the latest to go. While the site, now called iProng. Why iProng?

The iPod will still represent one prong in our coverage, iTunes will represent another prong, and there will be more prongs to come.

Damn. Poetry. Anyway, thanks Apple. Maybe it’s time to Think Different and Switch back.

iPod Garage evolves into iProng on May 8th! [iProng]

 
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Related: Yahoo! Go for TV — Free PC DVR Software
Related: Ads on iTunes
Related: Skype Music Store, Coming Soon?

When Microsoft’s Windows XP Media Center edition outsells their standard edition, people start to notice a trend in do-it-yourself video recording. Yahoo sure did, and is releasing their Go for TV software in order to act as an all in one video, photo, and TV player — just like Media Center.

You’ll have to have a Windows PC in order to use this, and you’ll have to have a TV Tuner in order to use the DVR features. The software has a fairly slick interface that looks nicer in screenshots than open source solutions (we couldn’t test this for ourselves because our XP machine with a Tuner card is busted). With free almost always beating out not free, Yahoo may just have a competitor for MCE that people will jump on.

Check out Zatz Not Funny and Eirikso for some first takes.

Yahoo! Go for TV [Thanks Mike!]

 
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Related: Ads on iTunes
Related: Skype Music Store, Coming Soon?
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Not unlike P2P systems of yore, PeerBox is piracy with a heart of gold. This first version allows you to search the P2P networks for music and download it to your Symbian phone. You know, for free. Future versio