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.