Bing 2.0 may roll out next week

Bing has had a busy few months, but if recent rumors hold any weight, a facelift may be just around the corner. Mary-Jo Foley over at ZDNet caught wind of a few Tweets that came from Microsoft's annual company meeting, which are hinting that Redmond may roll out "Bing 2.0" this fall -- and possibly as early as next week.

The Tweets quoted by Foley indicate that attendees of Microsoft's gathering have seen a demo of Bing 2.0. While none of the micro-blog posts offered a clear image of what's to come, most imply that some major changes are afoot. One Tweeter said, "Bing 2.0, out this month, has some exciting new features. Imagine seeing maps plus pics from the neighborhood of a restaurant to try."

Another backed the map additions with "BING 2.0 terrific !! watch out guys ! bing + silverlight in maps = amazing!! goodbye google," and one Tweet claimed the update would be rolled out next week. Microsoft declined to offer any worthwhile details when questioned by Foley.

Apple releases first Snow Leopard update

Less than two weeks after launching Snow Leopard, Apple has quietly released a 71.47MB update that will address a number of issues in the latest version of its operating system. Among them are unexpected DVD playback outages, problems with the auto setup features of Mail and certain SMTP servers, and unresponsiveness in Motion 4.

It also includes the latest 10.0.32.18 version of Adobe's Flash Player plug-in, which might have been accidentally downgraded with the move to OS X 10.6. But the list doesn't stop there. Other fixes address compatibility problems with Sierra Wireless 3G modems, issues with the Dock becoming unresponsive, a problem with the keyboard shortcut Command-Option-T bringing up the special characters menu and a few more.

The company also released a slew of updates for its older operating systems, along with an iMac Graphics Firmware Update (1.0.2.) that targets the ATI Radeon HD 2600 Pro and ATI Radeon HD 2400 XT graphics cards and an update for Max OS X server. As usual, these are all available through the Software Update tool or Apple's Support Downloads website.

JVC brings 46" 3D LCD display to US

If you're waiting for Sony to enter the arena with their 3D Bravia TV line next year, take a look at JVC's 46" 3D LCD display. The GD-463D10 is 1.5" (39mm) thick, and has a high-gloss cabinet -- a quality that is equally loved and loathed these days. It makes use of JVC's unique 3D visual engine to deliver flicker-free images, and is compatible with the industry standard line-by-line and side-by-side 3D formats.

he monitor is reportedly already popular with major Hollywood studios, and it has been available across the pond for some time. It features a native 1920x1080 resolution, 2000:1 contrast ratio, 178-degree viewing angles, and three HDMI-in connectors that support the standard HD video signals, including 1080/24p, 50p, 60p, 50i and 60i. JVC throws two pairs of battery-free light polarizing glasses in with the GD-463D10, and will ship one to your doorstep for $9,153.

OWC Mercury On-The-Go Pro with super fast boot

One of these days, SSDs will hit a price point that doesn't require a second mortgage to buy one. Until then, we can just gawk at things like OWC's latest, which is a portable version of Crucial's still relatively new line of affordable SSDs, built around the familiar Indilinx controller and Samsung NAND flash. Coming in sizes from 64GB ($280) to 256GB ($730), the new Pro devices can transfer data and get their power from either a Firewire or USB port. Alas, that means you'll be limited to 100MBps read rates -- as opposed to the 250MBps you could get from an eSATA connection -- but that's a small sacrifice to make if you care about losing the moving parts in your portable storage.

iPhone OS 3.1 enforcing Exchange device encryption, only supported by iPhone 3GS

Noticing a "Policy Requirement" error when trying to use your Microsoft Exchange account after upgrading to OS 3.1? Then there's a good chance you're not using an iPhone 3GS, as Apple has just confirmed via a support page that the upgrade can now enforce the Exchange ActiveSync mailbox policy requiring encryption on the device, which just so happens to only be supported by the 3GS (guess that "S" stands for more than just speed). Not surprisingly, the only solution for non-3GS users is to contact their Exchange Server administrator and hope that they're willing to change the policy to no longer require device encryption.

AMD demos "Eyefinity" multi-monitor technology

Those of you who run dual monitor setups know the freedom it gives for multitasking. But with its upcoming DirectX 11-capable Radeon HD 5800 series, AMD is hoping to take this experience to a whole new level, via a new technology called Eyefinity that allows for multiple displays to be driven off of a single video card.

Specifics on the technology are still being kept under wraps, but a recent demonstration showed six 30-inch Dell displays running together to form one insane 7680 x 3200 resolution surface. The graphics card used in this particular demo sported six DisplayPort connectors, made possible due to the connector's compact size, though a spokesperson said that HDMI and DVI-based cards with fewer outputs should be available as well.

Apparently AMD has coded their driver to tell the operating system that a single huge screen is attached, instead of multiple monitors, thus enabling games to take advantage of the entire surface. Anandtech notes that the upcoming race title Dirt 2 was shown off at 7680 x 3200 with "definitely playable frame rates," for example, while Left 4 Dead on a three monitor, 7680 x 1600 configuration produced better results.

Maximum PC cites 12-20 frames per second performance in a 3DMark 2006 test, which is not what many would consider "playable," but getting that resolution from a single card is nonetheless impressive. Of course this six-connector GPU isn't a production model, but there should be three-connector versions at launch that will allow an ultra-widescreen setup off a single card. AMD didn't announce specific price-points, but did state that Eyefinity-based graphics will make it into desktops and notebooks "at very affordable prices."

The downside to using so many monitors (besides their total price of course) is that their bezels might get in the way. For this, Samsung is reportedly working with AMD to produce ultra-thin-bezel monitors and stands designed with Eyefinity in mind.

The iPod touch and the big picture

In a New York Times interview of Steve Jobs conducted by Engadget columnist aspirant David Pogue, Apple's CEO suggested that the company did not include a camera on the iPod touch because the company was now marketing the iPod touch as a game machine and that a camera was not germane to such a device. "We don't need to add new stuff," said Jobs.

But why is adding a digital camera any less germane to the portable game device of the iPod touch than it is to adding it to the media player of the iPod nano? Or, if price is an issue, why not exclude it only on the entry-level model? The iPod touch market will soon be large enough to support such diversity. And if the iPod touch is indeed being marketed as a gaming console and a low-cost point of entry to the app store, excluding a camera disrupts the continuity of the touch/iPhone platform, while the iPod imaging message is now more muddled: If you're buying the iPhone 3G, you can capture stills but not video, while the "lower-end" iPod nano offers video capture but not stills, the iPod touch offers neither, and only the iPhone 3GS offers both.

Worm attacks WordPress blog software

Serving as a stern reminder of why it's important to keep desktop as well as server software up to date, a new worm can reportedly infect certain versions of the WordPress blog software. WordPress announced the discovery today, saying that a security bug which has already been fixed is now being exploited in the wild.

The worm is able to attack versions of WordPress prior to 2.8.4 and its immediate predecessor. Version 2.8.4 was released in early August to specifically address this flaw, which results in a password reset of WordPress accounts and allows someone to take control of the admin account. Doing so would give the person access to further information, as well as the ability to wreak havoc on the blog itself.

Though the vulnerability was initially published several weeks ago, this is the first report of malware specifically identifying and trying to exploit it. The WordPress developer is concerned that many servers are still running old versions, which puts them at risk. If you're maintaining a WordPress server that's behind on updates, consider this a heads up.

Firefox 3.6 to arrive this year, 4.0 in late 2010

Although Mozilla released Firefox version 3.5 not long ago, the team has been showing mockups of future designs. In addition to embracing glass on Windows Vista and 7, future versions will have reorganized interfaces. Previews of Firefox 4.0 suggest that it may have a combined and relocated reload, stop and go buttons, as well as a tab sidebar, tabs on top, and many other UI tweaks -- none of which are set in stone.

Mozilla is now indicating that we may see the launch of Firefox 4.0 next October or November. It has also reportedly updated its roadmap for the release of Firefox 3.6 and 3.7, with the former expected to debut later this year and the latter to arrive in the second quarter of next year. There are also reports that Fennec 1.0 -- the mobile version of Firefox -- will be made available at the same time as Firefox 3.6, and Fennec 2.0 with Firefox 4.0.

If the suspense is killing you, fear not; pre-release builds are available. Feel free to download Firefox 3.6 and 3.7 at your own risk.

Apple runs into technical difficulties ahead of event?

Apple is expected to unveil its new line of iPods at music-related event tomorrow. Although, as usual, no official details are available as to what their exact plans are, several leaks and speculation in general point to built-in digital cameras on nano and touch models -- and possibly a microphone paired with VoIP capabilities on the latter.

But a new report from blog Apple Insider casts doubt on whether or not the revamped touch-based player will see the light of day this Wednesday. Citing "a person with a strong track record in predicting Apple's upcoming product launches," the site claims Apple has run into technical difficulties with the 3.2-megapixel modules it plans to use and that it may not be ready for a September launch. A separate report from Hardmac echoes this notion and says production problems affected the first dozen of thousands units produced.

Though the faulty units have reportedly been kept aside, there's no information on whether the problem was solved or not. That's not to say an announcement isn't due at tomorrow's event but, if reports are accurate, availability could be delayed and initial volumes reduced.

Even without the immediate availability (if at all) of a camera-equipped iPod touch, Apple supporters and music lovers might still have reason to be excited about tomorrow's event; some believe the company will announce a new version of iTunes with social networking features and add The Beatles' discography to its catalog.

HP readies new Pavilion laptop models

HP is getting ready to announce a revamped notebook lineup in the coming days and apparently some of it has been uncovered in advance courtesy of a pair of leaks. According to Engadget, an 18.4-inch desktop replacement will be heading the pack sporting one of the first mobile Core i7 processors, the 720QM, as well as 640GB of storage and 4GB of memory.

As detailed in a previously leaked Intel roadmap, the 1.6GHz quad-core chip will come with 6MB of cache, Hyper-threading support, and will scale up to 2.8GHz via Turbo Boost. Pricing for this system, dubbed Pavilion dv8, is listed at about 1,427 Euros (or the equivalent of $2,043).

Additionally HP will be launching two models using Intel's CULV processors, the 11.6-inch Pavilion dm1 and 13.3-inch dm3. Both will come with 1366 x 768 glossy displays, with the former boasting 2GB of RAM and a 320GB hard drive for the equivalent of $690 in Europe, and the latter double the memory and a larger 500GB hard drive for about $970. The Pavilion dm3 will also offer a cheaper AMD Neo flavor.

Last but certainly not least, HP is supposedly readying an Ion-powered netbook to be known as the Mini 311. This model will sport an 11.6-inch display, non-DX10 Nvidia Ion LE graphics and 1.6GHz N270 Atom processor, 1GB of RAM, 160GB hard drive and a six cell battery.

Firefox to start warning users of outdated plug-ins

Mozilla doesn't just want users to have the most current version of Firefox installed, it also is launching a new feature to warn users of outdated and possibly insecure plug-ins. Beginning with an update tomorrow, Firefox 3.5.3 and 3.0.14 will both automatically check which version of Flash users are running and, if needed, prompt them via the "What's New" landing page to visit a link where an updated version is available.

With this Mozilla is hoping to significantly cut the number of users who are currently running old and vulnerable versions of the ubiquitous plug-in. However, it won't stop there -- the company has plans to add checks for other common plug-ins that are often insecure and users fail to upgrade like QuickTime, Reader, Silverlight and Java.

For now the checking will be limited, as it will only occur when a Firefox update is released, but apparently this is only the first step in a multi-step process to make Firefox safer. Starting with Firefox 3.6, for example, the plug-in check functionality should be available through the component currently used to upgrade conventional extensions.

Fujitsu unveils Blu-ray and Core 2 Duo packing mini PC

Small form factor computers have been growing in popularity recently with the introduction of Atom-based nettops. These low cost systems have proven very compelling options for consumers with budget and space constraints, but for the most part are limited to basic computing tasks such as web browsing, document processing and some audio / video playback.

If you are fond of the small footprint but not the low-end specs, however, you might be interested in Fujitsu's latest addition to the Esprimo Q series. Dubbed Q1500, the top of the range model that was recently shown off at Germany's IFA trade show sports a 2.8GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T9600 processor, 320GB Western Digital hard drive and 4GB of DDR2 RAM. Also inside were a Blu-ray optical drive and an accompanying HDMI port, making this 50mm tall system an ideal out of the box HTPC that uses a mere 19 watts of power when idle.

Intel’s GMA 4500HD graphics chip and Gigabit Ethernet complete the specification, with 802.11b/g/n wireless cards and Bluetooth available as optional extras. Although pricing for the model on display was not disclosed, Fujitsu said cut-down versions of the Q1500 will start at a rather pricey 699€ (about $1,000).

Altec Lansing's InMotion Classic has good looks, bad price

Altec Lansing has updated its InMotion line of iPod / iPhone docks with the Classic, which takes the iM600, washes off most of the ugly, slaps on a multifunctional handle, and asks for the same $149 MSRP. An auxiliary input, FM tuner and rechargeable battery make it decently versatile, while the remote and the "cubby hole" for its storage score cuteness points aplenty. Unfortunately for Altec, the "cute" price range doesn't quite extend to the heights of its asking price, so it'll be down to sound quality to deliver the final verdict.

Philips introduces new 16GB GoGear Muse PMP.

Philips' GoGear Muse boasts a predictably glossy motif, 16GB of internal storage space and a 3-inch display. As it overtakes the Opus for the company's top-of-the-line player, it also gains support for BMP, GIF, PNG, OGG, APE, Real Video and Real Audio formats, and just in case you're curious, it'll also handle those ultra-rare "MP3" things as well. Philips asserts that users could see up to 25 hours of audio playback on a single charge, while watching Family Guy re-runs could suck it dry in just 5 hours. As with pretty much everything else that Philips produces these days, it'll first hit Singapore for S$349 (or around $244 in Greenbacks), with only a faint chance of ever seeing significant action here in North America. One more look is after the break.

Grant Fidelity's $3,200 Impression II weds CD player, tube amp!!!

It's a $3,200 CD player, which will be impossible to justify for pretty much anyone not featured on Joan Rivers' newest TV show. Designed and produced by Grant Fidelity, the CD-1000 Impression II packs a high-end Sanyo CD drive, tube analog output, tube headphone amplifier and a rather basic display screen, while the "anti-vibration aluminum chassis" tries as hard as it can to look both unorthodox and absurdly expensive. It's hard to say if your burnt MP3 discs will actually sound better on this thing (okay, so they won't), but at least you can rest easy knowing that shipping on this 50 pound beast is completely gratis.

Sherwood's new 700W R-904N NetBoxx AV receiver

Not sure if you've noticed, but CEDIA has just kicked off down in the ATL. One of the first to introduce something genuinely fresh is Sherwood (of all companies), with its R-904N NetBoxx pulling double duty as a 7.1-channel AV receiver and an internet media portal. For starters, the compact set-top-box looks nothing like a typical AVR, but you'll still find 700 total watts of amplification, three HDMI 1.3 inputs, one Toslink input, a pair of coaxial audio inputs and support for Dolby Volume, Dolby TruHD and DTS-HD Master high-resolution audio formats. Once you're done hooking up your music makers, feel free to shove an Ethernet cable in there and witness its ability to pull down material from PlayOn (Hulu, Netflix, CBS, CNN, ESPN, Amazon, etc.), CinemaNow, YouTube and SHOUTcast. There's also a USB socket for loading up media locally, and at just 17- x 10- x 2.5-inches, it shouldn't take up too much room underneath your current HDTV. It'll set you back $649.95 when it ships later this month, and you can feel free to dig even deeper in the full release just past the break.

Samsung I5700 Galaxy Lite running Android

Well, what do we have here? Looks like someone's got their hands on Samsung's low-cost, Android-packin' I5700 Galaxy Lite. It should include a: a 3.2 megapixel camera, 1GB memory, and an AMOLED display.

ASUS Designo MS Series is 16.5mm thin, venerates form over function

Imagine yourself a dozen years ago, inhabiting the age of the CRT monitor, where a depth of 16.5 centimeters was considered a space-saving solution. Now open your eyes, breathe in the fresh air of modernity, and gaze upon ASUS's new line of 16.5mm deep monitors with the admiration they deserve. Coming out with no less than five models ranging from 23.6 to 20 inches -- MS246, MS236, MS226, MS227 and MS202 -- ASUS has strapped touch-sensitive buttons to 2ms response panels with 250 nits of brightness, and a 50,000:1 dynamic (boo!) contrast ratio. The top three models feature Full HD resolution and HDMI, while the 22-inch MS227 makes do with 1680 x 1050 and the MS202 gets downgraded to a 5ms response time and 1600 x 900 resolution. Prices aren't yet available

Acer launches HX2000 and FHX3200 LCD monitors.

Got a thing for glossy black, narrow bezels and decent resolutions? If so, why not have a gander at Acer's latest duo? Announced this fine morning over in Japan, the HX2000 is a 20-inch panel with a 1,600 x 900 resolution, 1,000:1 contrast ratio, 300 nits of brightness and a five millisecond response time. The big brother has admittedly garnered the majority of our love, as the 23-inch FHX2300 packs a 40,000:1 contrast ratio, 300 nits of brightness, a five millisecond response time, an HDMI socket and a Full HD (1,920 x 1,080) resolution. There's no word yet on pricing and availability for the little guy, but the large card should launch soon in the Land of the Rising Sun for around ¥20,000 ($214).

Sony Ericsson Aino and Satio hitting the UK on October 7

It's not like we didn't know this already, but Sony Ericsson has now officially confirmed an October UK release for its latest pair of handsets. The half-Swedish, half-Welsh mobile empire has set the seventh day of the tenth month of whatever year this is as the date for a nice little corporate get-together and unveiling of whatever little details haven't been seen or pored over by now. The Aino slider hopes to capture fans with its slender looks and PS3 Remote Play skills, while the Satio (formerly known as the Idou, pictured) works the multimedia phone crowd with a 12.1 megapixel cam and a 3.5-inch 16:9 display.

ASUKA's SK700 digiframe adds DVB-T!!

Truth be told, ASUKA's first digital photo frame with integrated DVB-T wasn't all that invigorating, so it should come as no surprise that its second one has also failed to get our juices flowing. Of course, we may have felt entirely different if we called South Korea home, but until mobile TV takes off here in the States, we can rest soundly knowing that nothing of this sort will ever make its way into the mainstream. The SK700 that you see above quietly debuted this past week at IFA, bringing with it a 7-inch touchscreen, integrated DVB-T tuner, 800 x 480 resolution, FM reception, multimedia playback, real-time TV recording, 2GB or 4GB of built-in memory, a pair of stereo speakers and even an AV input. There's no word on a price or release date just yet, but you'll probably have to look real hard to spot this one in between the me-toos scattered about.

HTC Tattoo (aka, Click) brings Android

This one sure took awhile but the oft leaked HTC Click has been renamed and kicked out the door as the Tattoo. While HTC is light on specs with the press release, we know it has a 3.2 megapixel autofocus camera, 3.5-mm headset jack, and microSD expansion. And besides being small and compact, the Tattoo can be personalized with owner-designed covers -- hence the name. The HTC Tattoo lands in Europe early October before hitting select global markets in the months to follow.

The specs: 528MHz Qualcomm MSM7225 processor, 512MB/256MB ROM/RAM, 106 x 55.2 x 14-mm / 113 grams, 2.8-inch touchscreen LCD pushing 240x320 QVGA pixels, 900/2100MHz HSPA/UMTS and quad-band GSM/EDGE, internal GPS, 802.11b/g WiFi, digital compass, accelerometer, and Bluetooth 2.0. Not bad for a mass-market device.