Universe’s Tech Blog

The beta version of Skype 2.0 for Mac has moved out of beta status and is now an official release.

For those who don’t know, Skype is an Internet telephony app that offers free voice calls anywhere in the world to other Skype users. You can make calls to normal phones through Skype although it costs money (not very much) and also receive calls normal phone calls through Skype if you get a SkypeIn number.
The big, shiny, new iChat-threatening feature in Skype 2.0 is video chat. It promises to break the Mac-only restriction on video chatting with iChat, giving you the chance to see and talk with your friends even if they are on the dark side.

Skype 2.0 offers support for iSight camera (built-in or free-standing) and also third party webcams like the Philips SPC900NC, or Logitech QuickCam Pro 4000.
At the same time, some tweaks were made the video codecs and the resolution of outgoing video on PPC Macs was reduced to 160 x 120 in an effort to improve performance.

Not every one has seen improvements with the new codecs. The Skype blog contains posts from users who find that the quality in the beta version was much better.

To use video enjoyably with Skype 2.0 a base level G4 800 Mhz processor, 10.3.9 or better and 512MB of RAM is recommended.

4,660 Total Posts by all members…

Last week a Korean gaming site carried pictures from a presentation on Xbox 360 peripherals at Microsoft’s X06 Korea event. The snapshots included art of the Xbox Live Vision camera, a 256MB memory card, the Xbox 360 wireless gaming receiver that lets players use the system peripherals on a PC without cords, and an Xbox 360 hard drive with “100GB” written across the top.

The news was picked up and reported around the Web, and Microsoft today finally addressed the issue directly. A representative for the company passed on the following statement:

“The reference to a 100GB hard drive in a recent presentation in Korea has been misleading, and in fact we have no plans to bring a 100GB hard drive to the market. We apologize for any confusion this may have caused.”

The representative could not explain exactly how the reference was misleading. When asked if the company had plans for a larger Xbox 360 hard drive, he did say it was “always a possibility.”

“The device is modular, and there’s the possibility that different hard drives will be available in the future,” the representative said. “To reiterate, we have no plans to announce such an accessory in the near future.”

Microsoft Corp. plans to charge and arm and a leg to allow users of Apple Computer’s Intel Macs to run its next-generation Windows Vista operating system under virtualization.

In its licensing terms for Vista published this month, the Redmond, Wash.-based software giant said users of Vista Home Premium and Vista Home Basic “may not use the software installed on the licensed device within a virtual (or otherwise emulated) hardware system.”

Instead, Microsoft will require that users purchase a Vista Business or Vista Ultimate license, which will retail for $299 and $399, respectively, in order to emulate the Windows environment.

“You may use the software installed on the licensed device within a virtual (or otherwise emulated) hardware system on the licensed device,” the company wrote in the licensing agreements for the higher-priced systems.

“If you do so, you may not play or access content or use applications protected by any Microsoft digital, information or enterprise rights management technology or other Microsoft rights management services or use BitLocker.”

Apple, which plans to allow Windows operability as part of its own next-generation “Leopard” operating system, has so far stated that it will do so through its Boot Camp software — a dual-booting solution that runs Windows operating systems natively and without the need for emulation.

However, users of the company’s new Intel Macs have so far preferred virtualization solutions such as Parallels Desktop and VMWare for running Windows on their systems. Unlike Boot Camp, which requires that users choose either Mac OS X or Windows each time they start up their machines, virtualization solutions allow both operating systems to run simultaneously.

Earlier this year, Apple took such a liking to Parallels’ Desktop solution that it began advocating it over Boot Camp, making prominent mention of the software on its website and in its national television advertising campaign. It also began carrying the software in its retail stores.

While Apple has maintained that it continues to have “a plan” to incorporate Boot Camp into Leopard — due in the first half of 2007 — the company has declined to comment on whether it has been working behind the scenes to transition the technology into its own virtualization solution.

Word of Microsoft’s Vista licensing restrictions were first noted in a post on the MacBidouille forums.

“China is moving to require people to use their real names when blogging. The proposed solution, arrived at by the Internet Society of China (affiliated with the ministry of information) would allow bloggers to use a pseudonym when blogging as long as they used their real name when registering.”

Microsoft execs had a look of triumph when they announced that soon after the release of GTA IV, XBox Live users would be able to download two exclusive, new episodes adding hours of new gameplay. Now, it appears, PS3 owners will be given a similar option but with different content, exclusive to Sony’s next-gen platform.

Some information about the content of these two new episodes has also been revealed to Eurogamer and it is suggested that these episodes will be new areas, expansions to the game map, presumably featuring new missions and enhancing the game’s storyline.

This is an anti-climactic end to the GTA saga which initially was advertised by MS as a big win over rivals Sony. The truth is that Sony has now lost its special relationship with Rockstar and the old days of GTA exclusivity on the Playstation platform are now over.

Throughout this story we are all assuming that the exclusive PS3 and X360 content will be significantly different, it will be interesting to see what Rockstar comes up with in order to keep both MS and Sony happy.

THQ announced its launch line-up for Nintendo’s next-generation system, the Wii. THQ’s Wii line-up features games based on some of the most popular television and movie properties, including Disney Pixar’s Cars, as well as Avatar: The Last Airbender, Barnyard and SpongeBob SquarePants: Creature from the Krusty Krab.

About the Avatar: The Last Airbender Video Game

Based on one of Nickelodeon’s hottest TV shows, the Avatar: The Last Airbender video game brings to life an adventure of intrigue, deceit and revelation. Players can play as all four main characters from the show: Aang, Katara, Haru and Sokka, as they mimic their martial arts movements from the show using the Wii remote and nunchuk. Players will be able to use the Wii’s controller to perform melee attacks in sweeping gestures to create combo-moves, draw symbols from the “Avatar world” in a time based series in order to generate special moves, and control the game camera through tilting action.

About the Barnyard Video Game

Players will enter the world of Nickelodeon’s newest adventure and bring the “Barnyard” movie to life in the Barnyard video game. The variety of gameplay suits the Wii controller perfectly in mini-games including golf, darts, billiards, and shooting tomatoes to defend the farm. Players will feel like they are actually swinging a club, throwing darts, aiming a pool cue, as well as pointing and shooting the tomato gun. In addition to taking full advantage of the new controller, Barnyard will also feature higher resolution graphics, new minigames, and customization options not seen in the previously released console versions.

About the Disney Pixar’s Cars Video Game

The Cars video game challenges players to relive the excitement created by Lightning McQueen and his friends in the blockbuster film. Fans will interact with their favorite characters and environments from the film with more than 10 playable characters to choose from. Cars features a fully immersive re-creation of expansive worlds, such as Radiator Springs, and exciting gameplay - including use of the Wii controller as a steering wheel - in more than 30 races and minigames.

About the Sponge Bob SquarePants: Creature from the Krusty Krab Video Game

In a unique and creative twist, SpongeBob SquarePants explores the peculiar world of Bikini Bottom as it transforms through a series of unusual visual styles. The game offers fans different Wii gameplay mechanics through nine visually bizarre levels. Players can knock down buildings with the Wii nunchuk as they rampage as Giant Plankton, blast through space as Patrick using the Wii controller as an aircraft control stick, or turn the Wii controller on its side to use as a steering wheel for a virtual driving experience.

Sony Computer Entertainment of America Co-Chairman, Jack Tretton, has commented that Sony may not even manage the 2 million units by the end of 2006 target it had recently set.

Speaking to Bloomberg, the Sony exec commented on the 2 million unit target, The honest answer is it’s more of a target. Tretton accepted that the company is facing production issues, mainly centered around the Blu-Ray drive. The overall target by Sony remains the global shipment of 6 million units by March 2007.

Sony has had a bad fall season with slow PSP sales, the PS3 European launch delay, the recall of faulty notebook batteries and the production issues facing the PS3.

Japan will be the first country to see the PS3 as it will launch there on November 11 while the U.S. will get it on November 17. Europe will have to wait until spring for Sony’s new console.