Microsoft: 46% Windows 7 installations are 64-bit

For the first time in history, 64-bit operating systems are gaining serious traction with the arrival of Windows 7. In a blog post today, Microsoft revealed that 46% of Windows 7 users are running a 64-bit version, which compares to only 11% of those on Vista and less than 1% on XP. Steam recently released stats showing an even higher adoption rate among its customers, with around two times more people running Windows 7 x64 than x86.

OEMs have finally embraced the architecture, with some converting their entire consumer lineups to 64-bit-only machines. NPD says that 77% of retail PCs sold in the US during April 2010 ran the updated architecture – but it's not just end users buying into 64-bit computing.

Gartner estimates that 75% of all businesses will ditch 32-bit systems by 2014, and Intel recently migrated to a 64-bit environment to take advantage of features such as support for more than 4GB of RAM and additional security benefits.

Netgear preps four-bay, six-bay ReadyNAS Ultra products

Netgear has announced a new range of NAS devices that supposedly mark the "beginning of the end of local storage" – a bold claim from the company's CEO, to be sure. Along with the features you might expect to find on networked storage, the ReadyNAS Ultra line can stream media to any TiVo device, DLNA-certified machine, and mobile devices including iPads, Blackberries, and Android devices via Orb technologies.

The series is comprised of two models, one with four bays and another with six. The Ultra 4 ships with dual 2TB hard drives and is priced at $899, while the Ultra 6 packs 6TB of storage for $1,349. Both carry a 1.66GHz Intel Atom processor, 1GB of RAM, and support RAID 0, 1, 5, and 6. Preorders should be open relatively soon with units set to ship mid-July. A two-bay system, presumably the Ultra 2, is due in October.

Dragon Age II available for preorder, coming March 2011

If you're dying to slay more Darkspawn and catch up with your party around a virtual campfire, then we're pleased to inform you that a new installment of Dragon Age is only eight months away. Along with opening preorders for Dragon Age II today, EA promised a trailer for August 17 and revealed plans to ship the new chapter on the PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 next March. Additionally, the next issue of Game Informer magazine (208) will feature an exclusive 10-page cover story of the title.

According to the official game page, players will embark upon an all-new adventure that spans an entire decade, where they'll be "forced to fight for survival in an ever-changing world" and "gather the deadliest of allies" – just like the first title. You can also expect an emphasis on character interaction, with decisions greatly affecting the world. There's also talk of updated combat mechanics, revamped graphics and a "new visual style."