As a vice president at security software leader Symantec, Matthew Moynahan applauds Microsoft's effort to make its Windows operating system safer from attack. But Moynahan is not so excited about the flood of help-desk calls almost certain to come when Microsoft releases a comprehensive security overhaul of Windows XP next month. His company's Norton antivirus software runs on about 100 million desktop computers.

Read More | Wired News

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Well, the rumors have been running rampant, and it has now been confirmed - on Monday Apple will announce the new, updated iPod. Check it out on the cover of this Monday's Newsweek Magazine. As you can see, there are some changes - most notably the new "brushed metal" scroll wheel which eliminates the 4 navigation buttons iPod owners are used to. The scroll wheel is a carryover from the iPod mini, incorporating the navigation buttons and the old touch wheel into one interface.

Read More | MSNBC

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Okay, so the new 4th Generation iPod is going to be officially announced tomorrow. Either you are feeling excited about getting one of these upgraded models, or you are upset about paying for the current gen iPod very recently. Well, here is a rundown on some of the new features found on the 4th Generation iPod:

• Click Wheel - Taken from the iPod mini, the new iPod eliminates the four navigation buttons and puts the functionality what was once the scrollwheel.
  
• 50% more battery power. That's right, you now get 12 hours of use per charge.
  
• Simplified menu's allow you to get to your music with less clicking, as well as creating multiple On-The-Go playlists, and other play options.
  
• Price - The 20 GB iPod will be priced at $299, while the 40 GB version will be $399 as both enjoy a $100 price drop. Of course, the rumor is that a 60 GB model will be announced, retailing at $499. The 15 GB iPod is no more.

Read More | Newsweek

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In what has got to be seen as an amazing feat, the XBOX Live service has reached 1 Million subscribers. Don't get me wrong, it's not that I dont like the service. What is amazing to me is how quickly Microsoft was able to garner 1,000,000 subscribers to its service. It usually takes a while to get 1 Million people to do ANYTHING, let alone play video games together. As Microsoft noted in the announcement, they reached this milestone faster than the AOL, HBO, and TiVo services did. It appears that the slogan must be true: "It's Good to Play Together".

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Gear Live contributing reporter Hector Martinez was able to spend some time testing the Samsing SCH-A670 mobile phone. While it appears stylish on the outside, you can never judge a book by its cover. Hector gives us the down low on how it performs.

Click to continue reading Samsung SCH-A670 Review

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If you haven't heard, freeiPods.com is a site that rewards you with either a 15 GB iPod, an iPod mini, or a $250 iTunes Gift Certificate - whichever you choose. All you need to do is sign up for one of the offers on the site, and then refer five friends. You are free to cancel the offer at any time, thus, you get an iPod for absolutely nothing.

We have gotten reports from several sources that the site is legit, and just the other day I met someone that got their Pink iPod mini through the site. I am now here to share the wealth. Click the link below to get started with freeIpods.com.

We also set up a thread on the Gear Live Boards dedicated to helping readers sign up and gain referals.

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As a technology enthusiast, when I first heard of the Chillow on the Oprah show a while back, I have to admit I was interested to say the least. The Chillow apparently used some sort of cooling technology to keep its internal material cool to the touch at all times. It is meant to stop one from "pillow flipping" to find the cool spot. Well, after using it for a few weeks, I am here with the results.

Click to continue reading SoothSoft Chillow Review

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Jaguar has a unique giveaway happening at it's X-Type website. If you sign up for the newsletter, you will be entered in a drawing to win a black X-Type iPod. Just by the looks of it, it does look stylish. You will also be entered for an opportunity to see Zero 7 perform on tour in your area.

As a side note, if you don't win you can still get one of these. Apparently, Jaguar got these iPods customized at ColorWare.

Read More | The X-Type

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As a follow up to the previous story, it appears there was a misunderstanding regarding Sony's announcement. To clear it all up, the new Sony handheld console, the PlayStation Portable (PSP) will be the console to launch in March 2005.

At the same press conference, it was also revealed that the PlayStation 3 (PS3) will be on display in full working, playable form at E3 in May 2005.

Read More | Reuters

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Turn your Xbox into a media center with XBMC. What is XBMC?

XboxMediaCenter is a free open source (GPL) multimedia player for the Xbox from Microsoft. Currently XboxMediaCenter can be used to play/view most popular video/audio/picture formats such as MPEG-1/2/4, DivX, XviD, MP3, AAC, JPG, GIF plus many more less known formats directly from a CD/DVD in Xbox DVD-ROM drive or of the Xbox harddrive, XBMC can also play files from a PC over a local network and even stream media streams directly from the internet. XBMC has playlist and slideshow functions, a weather forecast and many audio visualizations. All these features enable the Xbox running XboxMediaCenter to fully function as a multimedia jukebox.

Download Here | XBOX Media Center

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