Loewe seems like it's taking a lead in the design stakes. Shown here is the Loewe Masterpiece - other than the usual cool design they've actually stuck a PVR (Personal Video Recorder - something like a TiVo) with a 160 GB harddrive. Beauty and function... what more could you want?

I've got this thing called the lust stakes: namely every few months I kick around and decide on what the most desirable goodies are. Generally it's three or four categories in the audio/video/computing/telephony worlds.
As far as the esthetics of audio and video systems are concerned, Bang & Olafsen have always been my favourites. But now I just don't know.

Microsoft busted again

The Competition directorate of the EU Commission has (quelle surprise) concluded that Microsoft is not complying with the agreement it made with the Commission. Apparently they're:
- not making it easy for competitors to get access to compatibility protocols
- overcharging for the licenses they require before the allow companies to see Windows' innards
- not allowing companies to see into specific protocols but force them to gain licensed access to 'everything' (also relates to pricing)
- not allowing open source access to their protocols
- gouging companies eyes out with royalties

(Please don't mind the 'protocol' part - the original article was pretty unclear on what they meant with that but my guess is that they meant Windows APIs. Any developer of a complementary/competing product would rather hook into the APIs at a source level than at the OS level but Microsoft is doing its best not to allow this access.)

We've all known it's been coming. You could feel it in the water. You could feel it in the air. The PSP is here and it's looking to rumble. Just came across the following add on the PCMag site.

Eat this iMac!

No don't eat this iMac - rather, Eat this!

Anyway, Sony's gone off and done what the Jobistas should have done with the new iMac. They've created an all in one computer with a TV tuner. Who cares? I do. You should too. I mean, you have this sweet sizeable LCD which in Apple's case cannot be used for non-PC purposes. (Feel free to flame about all the add ons which would enable you to watch and record TV but the point was that it was an all-in-one device, right? Well, what's all in one about having to use a USB box to enable you to watch TV?) The Sony Vaio VGC-V520G sports a 20 inch screen and a built in tuner/PVR enabler. Plus, it seems that it also comes with media server software installed. Okay, haven't used it so I can't say what makes this different from sharing a directory on a home machine.

According to PCMag the media server

"...means you can install the VAIO Media client on other VAIO desktops and notebooks in your house and enjoy photos, video, and music on those VAIO systems on your network. For playing MP3s and ATRAC-encoded music files, Sony preinstalled the Sony SonicStage package. You can also use a Sony RoomLink set-top box to view VAIO-resident photos and videos on your TV"

Sounds cool. Definitely the preferred personal computer out there.

Pretty dodo

Sometimes someone'll release a brilliant product that you know is going to be dead in the market by the time you blink yet the idea is so cool that you can't help but marvel.

Well Siemens has just gone and done that. they've brought out a home automation control unit. Huh? See here. Allegedly (according to Gizmodo and http://www.we-make-money-not-art.com/)
the unit in question is supposed to enable you to roam the house, telling it (the house) what to do. The device recognizes some 300 voice commands out of the box (no training required). the problem is that the device will be relegated to the most advanced of X10 users. X10? That's what I mean.

(Once a very long time ago in a galaxy... well actually here on this planet, a company called x10 made 'home automation' devices. The idea was that you could switch your lamps and appliances on vai a browser or even via WAP. They would and should have gone bust had they not come up with the idea that people might want to install wireless cameras as a security measure. Well, from what I understand the cameras have been used in a wide number of cases, most frequently to watch people without their knowledge. Que .avi of you neighbour’s wife)

Bottom line, great idea. Utility value: 0.

Is there such a thing as good spyware?

It seems Microsoft thinks that there juat may be. Or atleast, spyware seems to be doing a good job of masquerading as legitimate software. See their analysis: Windows AntiSpyware (Beta): Analysis Approach and Categories. One of their (IMO valid) points is that the failure of a software package to validly indentiy and later remove itself is a good clue about its 'evil' intent.