Filed under: Desktops, Gaming, Laptops

It might be a bit early for us to be talking Windows 7 feature cuts, but that said, isn’t it a bit early for Microsoft to be talking Windows 7 feature cuts? If The Inquirer’s “reliable sources” are to be believed, Microsoft is giving DirectX 11 the boot from its next version of Windows to keep hardware requirements down — apparently the DirectX 10 requirements of Vista were enough of that sort of trouble for one decade. Obviously there’s no official word on Microsoft at the moment, so we’ll reserve judgment for the time being — and hey, maybe no DirectX 11 wouldn’t ruin our year — but with the endless quantity of features cut from Vista still fresh in our memory, this is certainly not an encouraging sign if true.

[Thanks, Isaac]

How about a machine that prints “dot-matrix messages directly onto the spherical surface of ping pong balls”? Look no furthur than the “PingPongPrinter”. Video after the break.

Builders Vern Graner and Rick Abbott of The Robot Group used a Parallax inkjet print head kit and the EFX-TEK Prop-2 controller board to bring their wondrous creation to life. As each ball leaves the hopper, it’s loaded onto a rotating platform, and sprayed with tiny ink droplets

[via Technabob - HackedGadgets]

Via Techeblog

Would you buy the new MacBook Pro, if it looked like the mockup above (darker gray and cleaner / more rounded lines)? Continue reading to vote.

Our guess is that Apple would lose the DVI port in this new generation however, probably replaced by the mini-DVI on the Air. What I like most about it, however, is that it reminds me of the good old Titanium PowerBook G4

[via Gizmodo - Spicu]

Via Techeblog

In Porsche’s latest 911 GT2 video, the supercar hits “Nurburgring Nordschleife under the trained hands of Porsche test driver Walter Rohrl.” Video after the jump. Click here for first picture in gallery.

[via MotorAuthority]

Via Techeblog

A standard clock may get the job done, but if you’re looking for something a bit more exciting, then check out the “Danger Bomb Clock”. It lets you “virtually blow-up things” at the push of a button. Video after the break. Click here for first picture in gallery.

Here comes a new “Bomb Clock” with all the necessary features to feel like Jack Bauer every morning, an excellent way to start your days and boost your confidence, saving the human race on a daily basis

[via AkihabaraNews]

Via Techeblog

In this GT featurette, the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions of Turok are pit against each other in an HDMI graphics comparison. Video after the break. Here’s the bottom line:

Sometimes the PS3 has better textures, sometimes it doesn’t. Sometimes the PS3’s full RGB gamut offers colors that pop a bit more, sometimes it doesn’t. Bottom line: if you have Turok for either of these next gen systems, you’re doing fine

[via Kotaku]

Via Techeblog

Called the LoneStar, this 18-wheeler features a “Monsoon stereo system with 11 speakers / subwoofer / amp, desk with swivel chairs, wooden floors, 42-inch mattress, Bluetooth” and a host of other high-tech gadgetry. Click here for first picture in gallery.

Fuel efficiency is increasingly important for truck owners. LoneStar is projected to be five percent to 15 percent more fuel efficient than classic trucks, equating to an annual savings of $3,000 to $8,000

[via Gizmodo]

Via Techeblog

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Rockstar has just released a few new Grand Theft Auto IV teasers for your viewing enjoyment. Continue reading to watch. Click here for first picture in gallery.

GTA IV reinvents the series with a renewed version of Liberty City detailed to the last pothole and rooftop vent. There are now four boroughs to explore plus extra footage outside of Liberty City proper, and with the ability to climb obstacles, drive vehicles, steer boats and pilot helicopters, the world of GTA is more accessible than ever before

Via Techeblog

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These boat home concepts of the future include “airtight foundations with slack built into electricity and water cables” — allowing them to just “bob upwards” when water levels rise. Click here for first picture in gallery.

Holland might soon be dotted with floating buildings as Dutch architects plan against global warming. The country is already 20 percent below sea level, and rising water levels are a concern

[via Gizmodo]

Via Techeblog

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Filed under: Features, Laptops

Ah, the MacBook Air. Quite the expensive piece of kit, but if you’re one to pay a premium for design, chances are you may not mind. Apple’s latest ultraportable is certainly one of the most polarizing products to emerge from Cupertino in quite some time, as it makes no apologies for throwing utility to the wind in favor of absolute sexiness. After Stevie J’s keynote at Macworld 2008 concluded, many were left wondering why Apple didn’t (re)introduce the compact MacBook Pro, and while this little bugger did indeed demand a double take (for a couple of reasons), the initial excitement of such a minuscule machine was quickly deflated after taking one solid look at the specifications.

Make no mistake, the MBA has quite a bit going for it. Three pounds, ultrathin, oodles of attractiveness, a LED-backlit display and a trackpad worth drooling over. But for all the things this device is, it seems that folks are honing in on everything it isn’t. During our time with the unit, we found plenty of reasons to love and hate it, but folks looking for an impressive showing at the benchmark marathon won’t find it here. We already heard quite a bit of ranting when we polled you dear readers and asked if you were plunking down the $1,799+ that Cupertino was demanding, but now that the MacBook Air has shipped to early adopters and has landed in Apple stores everywhere, how would you owners go about changing this hot hot hunk of aluminum? Integrate a user-serviceable battery? How about the ability to upgrade your RAM? Would you toss in an option for built-in 3G? Beyond the typical hopes and dreams, we’re also curious as to how you actually will change your MacBook Air. Got an eye on a specific USB hub? Springing for a Bluetooth mouse to keep that sole USB port open for more critical tasks? We’re absolutely positive the choices are endless, so don’t be shy — here’s your chance to tell Apple how you really feel about its tiniest laptop ever.