Daily News Brief: Get Ready to Rock...On Your PC!

Rock Out on your PC or Mac

The PC faithful have had to sit back and watch all of their console lovin' brethren rock out with their...guitar controllers out whilst nailing well timed riffs in Guitar Hero, the rock star version of Dance Dance Revolution for the fingers. Frets of Fire provided a decent enough facsimile on the computer, but wielding a keyboard just isn't the same as holding a fake, colorful, plastic guitar. Come this fall, you can shove the keyboard aside. Aspyr Media announced they're partnering with Activision to port Guitar Here III: Legends of Rock to the PC and Mac. And if that's not enough music to your fingers, the latest incarnation will bring with it online play, so you can punk poseurs worldwide in your skivvies from the comfort of your PC room, or mother's basement, whatever the case may be.

iPhone Unlocking Software Offered for Free

Last week we told you to keep an eye on iphonesimfree.com, as they were working to develop software that would unlock iPhones, freeing them from AT&T's shackles and giving end users a choice of service provider. They've since achieved their goal, with the software now selling for around $99 online, but early adopters may find themselves burned once again. Just one day after the software hit the retail segment, a group of developers dubbed the iPhone Dev Team have come up with a software solution of their own, and they're giving it away for free. That's right, you can now unlock your iPhone without opening it or your wallet.

In Related iPhone News

Apple celebrated the sale of its one millionth iPhone over the weekend, and with the recent price slashing, have tripled their sales. This coming well before the holiday scramble when tech gadgets see a surge in sales, and with consumers now apparently able to control which carrier they go through, this could shape up to be a very merry Christmas indeed for Apple.

Vista SP1 to Change Desktop Search

Shipping with SP1, Microsoft plans to change the way their Desktop Search functions. The pressure to do so stems over antitrust concerns, especially those voiced by Google, Microsoft's (and everyone else's) primary search rival. Users already can change their default search option in IE7, and the first Service Pack will integrate access via the Start menu and Explorer Windows, according to a Microsoft representative. The changes will require search providers to register their service using the new protocol being introduced in SP1, and Microsoft's releasing three documents this week in helping to clarify the changes.

Bebo and Yahoo Join Hands

Bebo, the MySpace alternative sweeping the UK and Ireland, signed a major ad pact with Yahoo. This means that Yahoo won't be purchasing the social networking service for $1 billion as recently rumored, at least for the time being. Instead, the deal includes direct sales for most of Bebo's ads, and of course yet another toolbar, this one capable of monitoring Bebo when users are away or busy working. Yahoo Answers will also get integrated into Bebo, finally giving the service a search function.

Students Steal Office 2007 Ultimate

Not literally of course, but what else would you call it when you can pick up the highest edition (Ultimate) of Office 2007 for a mere $60? Microsoft agrees, and they're calling the promotion the "Ultimate Steal." Aimed at college students, MS first dipped their marketing toes into the higher education waters by offering the promotion as a pilot program in Australia. Effective now, college students living in the US will get a chance to participate, up until April 30, 2008 when the promotion ends. To be eligible, you must be actively enrolled and have a valid email address from the institution you're attending. Not a bad deal for a suite that normally retails for $679, and at just $60, will cost less than some of your text books!