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Posts with tag 2008

Filed under: Internet, Video, Web services, Google, web 2.0

YouTube and New Orleans team up for presidential forum

youtube new orleans presidential forum
YouTube, the mayor of New Orleans, and the governor of Louisiana have publicly invited the presidential candidates to participate in a presidential forum this September. Since this is not an official debate, it is unknown if any of the candidates will actually show up. Either way, the event should prove successful -- here's why.

It's been quite some time since New Orleans was hit by Hurricane Katrina, but the city is not done suffering. There's about 86,000 evacuees stuck in Houston, Atlanta and 40 other cities, and there the government currently has no plan on how it will bring these people home (not to mention the city's other 921,332,437,208 problems). So even if the candidates don't show up to the debate, the publicity stunt should help to remind government officials that it's not over yet. In other words, it's a giant call for help.

Despite that many may dismiss YouTube as a time-waster, this isn't the site's first dive into the presidential race. Last year, YouTube allowed its users to record and send in questions, which would be answered by the candidates on TV. And though we know the Google owned site gets a lot of great publicity out stuff like this, we can't help but tip our hat for the good work.

[via Silicon Alley Insider]

Filed under: Audio, Fun, Games, Photo, Video, Hardware, News, Windows, Microsoft

Zune to have games by 2008

ZuneBloomberg reports that Microsoft is planning to add gaming to the Zune by 2008, to better compete with Apple's iPod, which already has games on-board. Zune must add games and continue to include more and better features than Apple to be ahead of the curve, instead of trailing behind. Nothing will come close to challenging the iPod for a while, since it is so far out in front, including the mind-share of the country that the iPod holds, but having played with the Zune a bit, I think it has a good chance to be a popular second place item. Microsoft execs also are contemplating a Zune phone, and possibly wi-fi video-sharing as well. Will Zune be a sleeping Lion, and eventually take some of the market-share from Apple? Do you have a Zune? Care to share your experiences with using it daily, how it works, what you like about it? Please, feel free.

Filed under: OS Updates, Windows, Microsoft

Microsoft delays XP Service Pack 3 to 2008, or never?

Windows XP SP3January 2008... that's 14 months away, and it's the soonest, says Microsoft, that we can expect Service Pack 3 for Windows. Redmond has pushed back the Big Patch to the first half of '08, which means, some analysts say, we may never see it at all. They remember how Microsoft totally dropped SP5 for Windows 2000 in favor of an "update rollup," which some say wasn't as thoroughly tested as a full-fledged Service Pack would have been. With the imminent release of Windows Vista, you might be wondering why any of this matters, but keep in mind that there are still millions of computers out there running Windows 98, and likewise XP is going to be hanging out on corporate networks for a long time to come. While Microsoft may eschew a third Service Pack, the hackers won't stop finding vulnerabilities and turning them into zombies. Some analysts see a bigger Vista connection: They say Microsoft is pushing back SP3 to give consumers and businesses a bigger incentive to buy their latest product.

Featured Time Waster

Forumwarz - a potentially offensive time waster

I pwn UAfter spending the better part of an hour on Forumwarz I still can't decide if it's just sick or if it's kind of fun. It's a bit like a car wreck on the highway. I know I shouldn't be looking but I can't quite turn away.

It's sick, it's twisted, it's the internet on it's worst level and darn it, it's kind of fun. At least for a little while.

Forumwarz is a parody role-playing game that takes place on the internet - or at least the Forumwarz version of it. Your goal is to complete missions that are given to you through a mock up of GoogleTalk called Sentrillion.

Your first "friend" is ShallowEsophagus who begins giving you missions to pwn various forums by being a troll. Depending on the character type you are assigned at start up, you have tools like drooling on the keyboard or bashing your head on the keyboard that you can use to destroy forum threads and eventually, pwn a forum.

Future missions involve buying illegal software from the Russians, pwning more difficult forums and other internet oddness.

Completing missions gives you cash, called Flezz in game, and items that you can pawn or use in other missions. The game is NOT for those easily offended. It's crass, coarse and there are frequent f-bombs in the fake chat sessions.

This is also a game for a more mature audience as it requires you to shop at the Drugs R Fun store to get various concoctions to improve your playing, engage in certain cyber activities to get more Flezz and just generally use a more adult perspective.

If you can get past that, here are the more enjoyable and time-wasting aspects.

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