taiwanjc.org

(Credit:
Microsoft)

With Metal Gear Solid 4 finally available for the
PlayStation 3, it doesn’t take a genius to predict that the PS3 is going to get a boost from having a hit console-exclusive title under its belt. Nevertheless, analysts are boldly proclaiming change is asunder. Sony’s got the Big Mo–as in momentum–while Microsoft’s got the big Slo–as in demand for its
Xbox 360 is slowing down. Which inevitably means the price-cut rumors are getting the Big Sto–as in stoke those flames, baby.

The post goes on to note that the “Xbox 360 could also get a new hardware SKU with added features” (Blu-ray anyone?) and that Divnich claims that “if Microsoft does cut the price, Sony will respond with a drop of its own within two months.”
Unfortunately, Divnich doesn’t predict exactly what the price cut will be, but I’m saying $50 across the board, with the XBox 360 Elite dropping to $399.99, the Premium (20GB) to $299.99 and the Arcade (no hard drive) hitting $249.99 or even less. It’s about time someone matches the
Wii’s pricing, right?

Joystiq is reporting that EEDAR analyst Jesse Divnich, “Believes the PS3 is going to keep increasing its sales and Microsoft will announce a price cut for the Xbox 360 at E3″ next month. And in another shocker, Divnich, “Foresees the PS3 gaining momentum and claims Metal Gear Solid 4 will actually have a greater impact on the console’s hardware sales than Grand Theft Auto IV did.” God, these guys are good.

The chatter for a July price chop gets louder.

Anyway, feel free to predict your own pricing scenarios and new models in the comments section.

The Google robots.txt file on Friday begins with the following exclusion:

Most of the time when people do this sort of thing it’s called an Easter egg. Is there such a thing as a Halloween egg?

Showing some timely techie humor, the search giant updated its robots.txt file for Halloween. For the uninitiated, search engines trying to index Web sites look for robots.txt files for instructions about whether they’re permitted access to particular pages.

Google, whose servers constantly crawl the Web, doesn’t have anything against spiders. But zombies, well, that’s another matter.

User-agent: zombies

Disallow: /brains

(Credit:
CNET News)

Google's robots.txt file wards off brains-devouring zombies.

(Via Matt Cutts.)

One of its key improvements over the standard U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s Web site is the image viewer, which I found far easier to use. It’s essentially a PDF viewer, but it’s stuck right on the page instead of opening in a new window. Also, unlike the U.S. patent office site, it does not require reloading the page each time you want to see another image. Users of Google’s patent search will feel right at home.

As for the actual sale of ideas, if you’re a patent owner you can claim patents on the site and, once verified, you can sell them. Patents.com includes a list price set by the patent holder, and anyone who is interested can be contacted through Patents.com. This is definitely a useful service for people who know what they’re doing. Like anything that involves legality and potentially large sums of money, it’s probably best to do some research before buying a patent on a site like this. The search, however, is quite a fun way to explore human ingenuity, and hopefully will lead to some fun patent discoveries from bloggers looking to unearth a major company’s next big thing.

Got the next big idea floating around in your head but want to see if someone else has already come up with it? Digging through the mountain of patents on file at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s Web site can be a bit daunting. To help in that search is Patents.com, which has an index of more than 450 million patents in 15 different languages. All of this is combined with an online marketplace where these patents can be bought and sold.

Did you know sugar could be patented? Apparently it's true for the owner of this patent, which we found while browsing Patents.com.

(Credit:
CNET Networks)

Like Google’s patent search offering, Patents.com offers some great exploration, which is where I found the most value. The front page shows off some of the most recently approved and submitted patents, but the star of the show is the search tool, which goes from basic to “expert” mode with just one click. The expert mode gives you a whole new bag of search tricks like word proximity, a cheat sheet of commonly used patent jargon, as well as a “fuzzy” search that will look for alternate or misspelled words in patent titles or the actual copy.

And according to Rebus CEO Vijay Rangarajan, the software has one major additional feature, an ability to locate information even when a user doesn’t know exactly how things are spelled or when the process of scanning a paper document resulted in misspellings being introduced into the digital document.

(Credit:
Rebus)

These days, people are managing so much information on a daily basis that being able to find it quickly and efficiently is becoming crucial.

With its Spotlight desktop search tool–part of
Mac OS X–Apple made it possible to search not just text-based files like Word documents, but also things like PDF files that don’t have modifiable text.

That is a big step forward for desktop search, the company argues, because it means that the file cabinets full of documents many people have, things such as medical files, insurance papers, tax returns and the like, have to date been beyond the grasp of any easy digital filing system.

Now, however, people can scan such documents and then, when they need information from those papers, they can use Recollect Desktop to find what they’re looking for.

Windows users, too, have choices for desktop search, like offerings from Google and Microsoft.

But now, Windows users will have a more powerful tool at their disposal, Rebus Technology’s Recollect Desktop, a search tool that, according to Rebus, can find just about any kind of data on someone’s computer, including information from scanned documents.

Rangarajan said the software costs $150 and will be useful for large numbers of people due to the mass proliferation of inexpensive all-in-one printer/fax/scanners.

Rebus Technology’s Recollect Desktop software makes it possible to search scanned documents for information, a feature the company says hasnt been commercially available until now.

However, he added that no one has yet figured out how to digitally search handwritten documents.

Cray billed the CX1 as an expansion of its lineup, aimed at universities, laboratories, and departments within big businesses. It said that the machine will be “the world’s highest-performing computer that uses standard office power.”

Cray announced the CX1 supercomputer, which will run HPC Server 2008 and have list prices between $25,000 and $60,000–prices which make it the company’s most affordable system ever.

Although trying to offer Microsoft-based systems at the low end and proprietary systems at the high end may make sense for Cray, it’s also an option that can be fraught with peril.

The Cray CX-1 supercomputer.

Microsoft’s entry into the supercomputing market took another step Tuesday as high-end system leader Cray announced plans for its first machine running the Windows HPC Server operating system.

For Microsoft, it is yet another step in the company’s bid to be taken more seriously at the highest end of the computing market. Its current product, Windows HPC Server 2008, is the successor to the company’s inaugural effort, Windows Compute Cluster Server 2003.

(Credit:
Cray)

“Cray sees Microsoft Windows becoming an increasingly important force in the HPC market,” Cray Senior VP Ian Miller said in a statement. “With the Cray CX1 high productivity system and Windows HPC Server 2008, we’re bringing the power of Cray supercomputing to a much wider range of new users with an affordable and adaptable system that provides incredible value and is easy to install, program and use with a broad array of applications from independent software vendors.”

Consider the fate of SGI (formerly Silicon Graphics), which tried a similar approach with its Virtual Workstation product line.

The in-game economies of virtual worlds are being hijacked by criminals who attempt to hide their profits through the exchange of virtual currencies, Dr. Igor Muttik, a senior architect at McAfee’s Avert Labs says in a white paper entitled “Securing Virtual Worlds Against Real Attacks–The Challenges of Online Game Development.”

Because virtual worlds appeal to the underground, there’s also the possibility they could serve as honey pots to attract criminals and terrorists and provide counterterrorists a glimpse into terrorist activities.

Also increasing in number and frequency are data-stealing Trojans that use keystroke loggers and other software to record IDs and passwords, mouse movements, and even screenshots, the report says.

Scammers also are increasingly attracted to virtual worlds, where they have numerous ways of trying to steal private data for fraud. For instance, sloppy scripting in some online games allows viruses to auto-execute and propagate. There are also phishing attempts and messaging spam luring members to malicious sites for “free” games.

(Credit:
McAfee Avert Labs)

Virtual worlds are playgrounds not just for people who want some online fantasy role-playing, but for cybercriminals who are looking for places to launder money and steal data, according to a new white paper from McAfee (PDF).

And that’s not all; there have been other threats in the virtual worlds. A virtual illness wiped out entire servers of users in World of Warcraft in 2005 when a design flaw allowed the disease to spread throughout low level players. Meanwhile, user-created code caused a virtual terrorist attack in Second Life, according to the report.

Gaming Trojans and Trojans (Password Stealers or PWS) targeting online banking are about equally common.

“Typically, when a gaming account is compromised, attackers will convert the objects they steal into virtual currency–and then convert the virtual currency into real money,” the white paper says.

For now, Miyamoto looks ahead to other projects for the
Wii, mentioning his desire to continue the Pikmin series.

(Credit:
Jeff Bakalar/CNET Networks)

Interestingly enough, Wii Fit was conceived by Miyamoto in the process of his own personal awareness of his body weight. By graphing his weight over a period of time, he was able to see a visual representation of how it fluctuated. With his family encouraging him to keep in shape, Miyamoto did so by creating a personal game out of the whole thing–as a result, Wii Fit was born.

The Wii Fit balance board is quite an advanced piece of hardware. With four sensors in each of the corners on the board, the device has a large spectrum of data it can measure. Miyamoto explained that the board lets your body essentially become the joystick, something rarely attempted in video games.

(Credit:
Jeff Bakalar/CNET Networks)

What separates Wii Fit from other “working-out-can-be-fun” concepts is that it creates a game around each person who plays it. Nintendo hopes that this personalized experience will attract people who would otherwise not be playing video games–and we think they’re on to something. By making Wii Fit an easy-to-use, practical, and accessible device, it can appeal to just about anyone who can stand on a scale. Wii Fit may not have you dropping pounds as fast as intense exercise and dieting would, but it can definitely make keeping track of your progress a whole lot easier and definitely more entertaining. Miyamoto explained that Wii Fit makes you more aware of your body, which is the first step toward improving your health. Wii Fit is already starting to pop up in gyms across Japan and we’d imagine a similar response here in the states.

Check out Kara Tsuboi’s report on WiiWare and Wii Fit:

Coming off the overwhelming success Wii Fit has already secured in Japan–more than 2 million units have been sold so far–Nintendo is ready to bring the balance board to North America. While Wii Fit has become somewhat of a family sensation in Japan, Miyamoto says he’s not sure how an American audience will receive the game. When we asked Miyamoto what he expected from American consumers, he noted that on average, American families are apart more often than those in Japan. A lot of families have parents who have separated or divorced, so it’s tougher to predict the role family will play in the American response to Wii Fit–and we couldn’t agree more. While there are sure to be families who will scoop the game up for its health-oriented encouragements, we think Wii Fit will also be a hit with individuals and those who live independently.

CNET was more than happy to attend an exclusive roundtable Q&A regarding Wii Fit with Nintendo mastermind Shigeru Miyamoto on Thursday afternoon at the Le Parker Meridien in New York. Miyamoto led the presentation with an in-depth look at the origin of Wii Fit and the challenges that came along in developing such an ambitious platform.

But where do we go from here? If Wii Fit is as successful in North America as it has been in Japan, there will be a seemingly endless amount of directions Nintendo can take with incorporating the balance board into other applications besides Wii Fit. Miyamoto explained that once there’s a solid install-base of Wii Fit users, Nintendo can entertain third-party game developer’s interest in creating games that take advantage of the hardware. This has already taken place in Japan with a skiing game from Namco Bandai. Miyamoto even flirted with the idea of incorporating connectivity with the Nintendo DS as a part of Wii Fit–we’re certainly hoping that will come to fruition. On whether we could see the balance board being used in first-party Nintendo games, Miyamoto said it’s possible that it could be included as an optional input device.

Miyamoto then proceeded with a demonstration of the Yoga section of Wii Fit. He showed how the balance board helps you become aware of your own balance and posture by displaying it onscreen in a way that is easy to understand. Most people who get on the board for the first time are surprised at how uneven their stance is and are eager to try to improve their overall posture.
The game bundled with the balance board is split into two features; a weight and body mass index tracker, and a training section. Once you’ve created a profile (of course, you can use your Mii character), you take an initial balance test that will combine your age, BMI, and weight, and calculate your Wii Fit age. This number is used to track your progress and ultimately encourage you to get it lowered. Once you start completing the various strength training, aerobic, yoga, and balance games, you earn Fit Credits–the in-game currency that lets you unlock more challenges.

Wii Fit will go on sale May 19 in North America. Be sure to check CNET in the coming weeks for a full review.

commentary

(Credit:
Matt Asay)

Reading the agreement, it sounds like this is an antispam measure? Seems a bit like the guns debate in the U.S. I doubt many of the spam kings and criminals that would be affected by it are going to register…

News recently broke that Russia is requiring registration for Wi-Fi use. I had forgotten until I checked into my hotel in Moscow tonight, and had the bother of having to go to a special desk in the lobby to sign up.

Russian Wi-Fi Agreement

Ultimately, it’s hard to tell how the general response will be, especially since no one outside the company has tested the new design yet. Major changes to Facebook have a spotty history: Facebook members freaked out about the News Feed but welcomed the ability to spice up their profiles with developer applications, and while some prominent critics lambasted the Beacon advertising program, members as a whole didn’t seem to care.

“Much, much better. More dynamic. More room for breathing,” a developer who asked to remain anonymous told CNET News.com regarding the new design. “The older design was very constricted.”

Then there are the thousands of developers who have created applications for Facebook’s platform and who will have a chance to test out the new design several weeks before the greater membership. Although the code for application creation isn’t changing, the way that Facebook users interact with apps certainly will: posting to feeds and “walls” is different, and some applications will have their own browser tabs whereas others will be an additional click away. Some developers have already voiced concerns that Facebook’s platform is dominated by “corporate” apps and that it’s hard for an indie creation to catch on. With applications on separate tabs, it’s inevitable that some will say this worsens the situation.

And considering Facebook has more than 70 million members, many of whom don’t consider themselves particularly tech-savvy, a massive overhaul won’t go over smoothly with everyone.

On Wednesday, after months of nothing but ambiguous screenshots, Facebook finally talked about its upcoming site redesign. It’ll make it easier for members to see immediate, dynamic updates from their network of friends, a company representative said, and it’ll cut down on some of the profile clutter by distributing user information across a set of tabs rather than having it all on one page.

“Any user interface changes, large or small, carry with them a certain risk,” developer Kyle Bragger told CNET News.com, adding that big decisions can easily create more confusion. “Audience really should always be considered when making user interface decisions.”

At the same time, some developers say they appreciate the fact that Facebook will now be able to convey more immediate information into “news feeds” that are more advanced, and are looking forward to an expanded profile environment that isn’t crammed into a single page.

A look at the tabbed interface that Facebook will be rolling out soon as part of its profile redesign.

(Credit:
Facebook)

But none of those situations involved a total redesign that will put some information in different sections of the site and require users to click around in ways the site didn’t before. “Completely switching up the profiles on people will be like upgrading Windows (from XP) to Vista,” said Nick O’Neill, the blogger behind All Facebook. “I think Vista looks cool but I have no idea how to use any of the tools, (so) I stayed with XP.” The problem is that Facebook members won’t have a choice: everyone’s getting the new design, like it or not.

The big question: Will members like it?

“Not all of the details have been announced for what changes need to be made. What is clear is that applications are going to need to readjust how their content is displayed.” O’Neill said. It’s true: a lot of information was left unsaid, including how it might tie into the extension of Facebook’s API into Friend Connect. He estimated that some developers likely are “going to be forced to make substantial changes to their applications.”

One developer who asked to remain anonymous speculated that members might not like the fact that you can no longer view a Facebook profile on a single page. “(It takes away) the user’s ability to create a unique profile page that they identify with,” he said. “Even your Twitter profile seems to do a better job of representing you these days.”

Taking over from current chair Florence Devouard will be Michael Snow, who has been on the board since February and has been an active member of the Wikipedia community since 2003. A lawyer based in Seattle, Wash., Snow created the “Wikipedia Signpost” community news resource in 2006.

Another Wikimedia Foundation board member has been announced, too: Ting Chen, who has worked on both the German and Chinese editions of Wikipedia. He currently lives in Mainz, Germany and works at IBM.

The Wikimedia Foundation restructured its board in April, formally naming creator Jimmy Wales as “community founder” and expanding the total membership of the board from eight to ten. The nonprofit also received significant donations this spring, including $500,000 from venture capitalist Vinod Khosla and $3 million from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. But things haven’t all been sunny: the Wikimedia Foundation has come under fire regarding use of funds on Wales’ behalf.

As part of its annual “Wikimania” conference in Alexandria, Egypt, the nonprofit Wikimedia Foundation–parent company of Wikipedia, Wiktionary, and a number of others–announced two new members to its board of trustees. The announcement went out on Friday and is effective immediately.