Video game battlefield
CNN reported last week that the Nintendo Wii is outselling both of its big rivals:
For serious gamers, the choice of a platform is an emotional subject, and it’s interesting that as with computer operating systems, consumers basically have three choices. However, unlike the Windows/*NIX/Mac contest, no one game system clearly dominates the market. And gamers seem more willing to quickly “jump ship” and switch allegiances if a competitor makes a better product. We want to see what our blog readers think; tell us which gaming system you think is the winner: Nintendo Wii, Sony Playstation3 or Microsoft Xbox 360. Leave a comment if you have a chance.
Visit unknown galaxies (virtually) that is
Want to help scientists analyze and classify millions of galaxies? Galaxy Zoo is a project seeking volunteers to view photos of galaxies online and look for patterns. You have to take a short test of your ability to recognize galaxy types and go through a tutorial, then you can sign on and start participating in the project. You’ll get to see pictures of places in the universe where no one has gone before. If you’re interested, find out more here.
Lightning strikes iPod users
Strolling in the rain, listening to your tunes, can turn out to be a dangerous pastime. There have been several reports of iPod users being struck by lightning, giving a new and ominous meaning to the term “shock rock.” The problem is that the devices conduct the electrical current and you can end up with major burns where the earphones, cords and device itself touch your body. Some victims suffered ruptured eardrums and possible permanent hearing loss. Ouch. And although most reported incidents cite iPods, any type of portable electronic device could cause the same injuries. Link here.
Network open cancellation tip
Got this great tip from John Roller: “Do you remember way back when you could hit CTRL+C to cancel an operation? Well, it’s back with Vista – sort of. Try to open a document on a network resource that it can’t find. In Windows XP, you were stuck until the OS decided it couldn’t connect. Vista allows you to hit cancel and it returns control back to you. If you’re at the command prompt, CTRL+C works again. Play around with it and discover the power.” Read more of John’s tips here.
Free Download of the Week
Love the Vista sidebar but wish you had more gadgets to choose from? Now you can create your own – sort of – without being a programmer. This freeware program allows you to turn web widgets on web pages, such as the Google Gadgets, into Vista sidebar gadgets or use them on the Mac OS X dashboard. How cool is that? Check it out here.
Deb Shinder