So you're not submitting any wallpapers, WindowBlinds or icon packs to the 2006 GUI Champs . So you've decided you don't want to compete for some of the $12,000 in prizes. But, you might be thinking to yourself "I wish there was some other way I could participate!" Well, since you're letting me project my own assumptions onto you, let me tell you that you indeed CAN participate in the competition without drawing a pixel, without putting together a single bad Bryce render!...
Here are some news items of note that while I didn't think they deserved individual posts, were interesting and worth sharing nonetheless. Lenovo Recalls 500,000 Laptop Batteries More Sony Lithium Ion batteries recalled for safety reasons Microsoft Prices Zune Directly Against the iPod The 30GB Zune will retail for $249, the same price as the 30GB iPod The Chicago Manual of Style Goes Digital The gold-standard of grammar and style, the Chicago Manual of Style, is now available on...
Rumshot is an application for Windows similar to SnapShooter (Mac OS X) . Rumshot is designed to create a beautifully framed preview in a few seconds, as well as taking screenshots of your desktop. Rumshot supports themes for its previews. While Rumshot ships with only one default theme, you can download the extra Theme Packs, or easily create one. Rumshot makes it a snap to generate a stylish preview image for posting your screenshot on the web with no need to have or use Photoshop or a...
As it has recently come out that Symantec is one of the companies central in encouraging the European Commission in causing trouble for Microsoft and its Vista launch next year, it's no surprise that the security software and services company would start leveling accusations aimed directly at the software giant in Redmond. Symantec, a company best known to consumers for its anti-virus and anti-spyware tools, is now accusing Microsoft of withholding key APIs needed to build effective securi...
From everyone's favorite electronics company comes the newest entry into the eBook reader market; The Sony Reader. The new device, instead of using a standard LCD screen like previous devices, uses a new "E Ink" technology that is much easier to read over extended periods of time. The screen on the device is roughly 6" diagonally, giving it close to the viewing size of a regular paperback novel. Sony says the device will read documents in a variety of formats, including DRM protec...
It's been a few days since we had a news post about Google, so what better time to throw another one up, but to celbrate search engine company's 8th birthday? The little search engine that has helped change the world first launched as a research project in 1996 by Stanford University graduate students Larry Page and Sergey Brin and has seen phenomenal growth since, due to its much-praised PageRank technology for determining relevant search results. Some other relevant dates in Google Hi...
Ok, everyone takes it as generally accepted fact that Internet Explorer under Windows has a track record of being horribly insecure unless the user takes steps to tweak security settings, install pop-up blockers, bog their system down with AntiVirus, and run regular sweeps of the system to make sure nothing nefarious ever makes it through. But then there's the rest of the computing population that has turned their noses up in contempt and gone off to use Firefox and Opera under Windows.&nb...
If you want to find the company with the most patents held in the United States, you need look no further than Big Blue. IBM, the behemoth of the enterprise technology world, is the big kid on the block when it comes to technology patents (they were granted 2,941 patents in 2005 alone), and in recent years has taken steps to be less of the scary 900 pound gorilla in the corner, and more the benevolent patriarch to the tech community. First through the donation of certain patented tec...
Welcome back Weekly Poll fans to a fun-filled, exciting, thrilling Monday!* According to my calendar and little to-do list gadget, it looks like it's time to get a new poll up, and do a bit of a summary on last weeks results. Pretty much the standard fare you've come to expect. So sit back and relax as I spin you a tale of a question in search of answers. Which answer would our questing question choose? Which answer would rule supreme among its brother and sis...
Since I started covering WinCustomize in July, I've tried to bring in some regular, weekly content up on the front page and in the articles sections. This comes in the form of daily news articles, weekly polls, the moderator picks of the week, product announcements, contests, Skinner of the Month and more. The hope is to generate more community involvement, to encourage our daily visitors, skinners and forum readers to take an active role in making this site a more relevant and inte...
Today, Microsoft posted their first public post-RC1 build of Windows Vista to beta testers. This build, 5728 includes a number of bug fixes and interface tweaks but nothing major in terms of functionality or usability. This is an interesting number since the 5700 range has been reserved for the final, Release To Manufacturing, the final build of Vista that goes to DVD reproduction and then ships to retailers worldwide. This indicates that Vista could be declared "done" by the e...
So you bought some music from an online site like WalMart's music store, or any other service that gives you a DRM-wrapped. Today, you have a license associated with your purchased music that tells Windows Media Player that the files are in fact yours and allows you to play them. Currently, you can move your license files around to any PC you own that you want to play your music on. It's a cumbersome method, but it makes it possible to share purchased music on a network. Ent...
As the GUI Championships 2006 progresses, we're slowly revealing what prizes are up for grabs in this years competition. Earlier in the week, we revealed cash prizes totaling $3850, a good step towards our touted $12,000 total prize package! Today, we fill in a few of the remaining blank spaces on the prize grid. The event prizes revealed today are: Best Overall WindowBlinds Best Overall Icon Pack 2nd Place, Overall Competition So what are you going to get for having...
Microsoft has issued a declaration of sorts to developers on MSDN. The message? "be cool!" At least, that's the word from Windows chief, Jim Allchin. His declaration to developers reads as a pep rally speech before the big game in an attempt to whip the home crowd into a frenzy. Claims are made of an expected 200 million people purchasing and loading Vista in the first 2 years, and that those millions of people will be looking for applications, cool applic...
At long last, ObjectBar 2.0 is available now on Stardock.com . This upgrade is free to existing customers. ObjectBar is a program that can replace or extend the Windows taskbar. It provides the functionality of the Start bar while adding a vast array of new features and benefits. Because it is so flexible and skinnable, it can be made to look like any sort of toolbar, menu, dock, etc. found on any OS, or it can be used to create something entirely new, giving you a level of personalizati...