Maximum PC video RSS Feed

Sony Ericsson Dips Its Toes in the Android Pond

Pulkit Chandna — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 17:51:01 -0600

Sony Ericsson today published the specs and a video of the Xperia X10, its debut Android smartphone, which was hitherto known by its code name “Rachel”. It can be expected to be a guaranteed fixture on the list of the most powerful Android phones by the virtue of its 1GHz Snapdragon processor.

As for the software, the X10 will run Android 1.6 Donut. In addition to apps found on the Android Marketplace, apps for this phone will also be available through Sony Ericsson’s PlayNow arena service. The X10 will feature a 4-inch TFT touchscreen, an 8MP camera with LED flash, WiFi, A-GPS and 3G. The company is expected to release the X10 in the first quarter of 2010.

Image Credit: Sony Ericsson

Best Buy Prepares for the Physical Media Apocalypse

Pulkit Chandna — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 14:25:27 -0600

Technology purists may still swear by the ubiquitous DVD. It is probably a sense of nostalgia that usually deludes them when a much loved technology draws perilously close to the brink. But the writing surely has to be on the wall for the DVD if one of its biggest backers and beneficiaries is busy bracing for its demise.

Best Buy has announced a new deal with Sonic Solutions. It will use the latter's Roxio CinemaNow service to stream DVD titles to a wide range of internet-enabled devices, inlcluding Blu-ray players, TVs, PCs, smartphones, and personal media players. Users will be able to enjoy their favorite movies on a host of devices after they purchase them on DVD: pay once and watch on any device.

“All these guys — Best Buy, Blockbuster and Netflix — realize is that the era of the boxed DVD is about to end,” Creative Stratigies' president Tim Bajarin told the New York Times. The service is set to debut early next year.

Video: A Quick Peek Inside the Microsoft Store

Paul Lilly — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 12:57:06 -0500

As advertised, the very first Microsoft Store opened this morning in Scottsdale, Arizona, and unless you happened to be in the area, you weren't there to take part. But that's okay, because Microsoft has posted a handful of videos and pics documenting the occasion.

Consumers lined up overnight and stood for hours to be the first customers ever to set foot in a Microsoft Store, which they're sure to boast to their grandkids (or favorite message board). And hey, the first four campers would undoubtedly tell you it was totally worth the wait, as each of the four received a free Zune HD from Microsoft. Not a bad score.

As expected, there was plenty of hype leading up to the ribbon cutting, and the energy stayed high at least for the duration of the next video, which has the camera man panning around the room amid hoots and hollers and lots of hand clapping from the crowd.

Check the whole thing out here.

Twitter Looking to Offer Live Video-Tweeting

Bart Salisbury — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 16:12:13 -0500

And then again, maybe it’s not. Rumors have surfaced which suggest Twitter is considering whether to allow users to video-tweet. These rumors appear to have originated from unsourced reports in a both the TimesOnline and the Telegraph.

Two problems seem to exist for video-tweeting. First, video-tweeting is currently available, but not very popular. Twiddeo and Tweetube, which require linking to their site currently offer the service, but there aren’t many takers. Second, video is contrary to Twitter’s standing rules. Biz Stone, Twitter co-founder, in an email to the social media website Mashable, makes this clear:“...no video hosting. 140 characters of text including spaces. You know the drill.”

Image Credit: Twitter

No Video in Normal Mode

The Maximum PC Staff — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 14:05:00 -0500

I have an Acer L310 that runs Vista Home. Recently, I have only been able to start in Safe Mode. When I try to start in normal mode my monitor won’t work, but when I go with Safe Mode with Networking the monitor works. How can I get around this?

—Terrence Kyles

Terrence, it looks like your videocard is defaulting to a resolution your monitor can’t handle. Go ahead and boot into Safe Mode and adjust your monitor’s resolution to something pretty low, then reboot and start Windows normally. It wouldn’t hurt to check Acer’s website for an updated video driver while you’re at it. From there, you can fiddle with the resolution to see how high you can set it and have your monitor still work. If you set it too high and your monitor blanks, you can just wait 15 seconds and it will revert to the previous resolution.

SUBMIT YOUR QUESTION Are flames shooting out of the back of your rig? First, grab a fire extinguisher and douse the flames. Once the pyrotechnic display has fizzled, email the doctor at doctor@maximumpc.com for advice on how to solve your technological woes.

New Video Sheds More Light on Microsoft's Courier Booklet

Pulkit Chandna — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 21:47:41 -0500

Another video of Microsoft’s Courier booklet made its way onto Gizmodo today, a week after the same site had leaked the first video of this exciting multi-touch device. The second video is meatier and more informative compared to the first one. Apparently, the device is centered on the “infinite journal,” which can be uploaded on the internet and freely shared with friends.

A journal, once it is published online, can be downloaded in three different formats - a Courier file, Powerpoint or PDF, making it possible for even non-Courier users to access it. The “infinite journal” can seamlessly shift between being an insipid digital notepad to an artist’s canvas. It also features a library that catalogues subscriptions, notebooks and apps.

Two videos of the device have now been leaked but there is not even a single frame grab of Courier’s media capabilities. ZDNet’s Mary Jo Foley claims to have learnt from one of her sources that the Courier is based on Windows 7, although it is not possible to install Windows 7 apps. This is because Microsoft only wants it to run applications that are “tailored to a tablet form factor.”

Image Credit: Check the Image

Google's Video Sites Serve More than 10 Billion Videos in August

Paul Lilly — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 13:30:20 -0500

According to comScore, Internet users are spending a lot of time watching online videos, with 161 million users tuning in online during the month of August, which ranks as the largest audience ever recorded. And with 25 billion videos viewed, August also recorded its busiest month ever.

Google Sites continues to lead the charge, again taking the top spot, this time recording over 10 million videos viewed and claiming just shy of 40 percent market share. Not surprisingly, YouTube accounted for all but 1 percent of Google Sites' video views.

Microsoft came in second and claims 2.2 percent of the online video market, enough to edge out Viacom Digital at 2.1 percent and Hulu at 1.9 percent.

More stats here.

Image Credit: comScore

Microsoft's Embarrassing Launch Party Video Takes a Turn for the Hilarious

Andy Salisbury — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 06:33:40 -0500

There’s no doubt that you’ve seen the top-notch Windows 7 launch party videos by now (and if you haven’t, do your self a favor and get on that!), and sure – while they may be pretty painful to watch as is, there is a light at the end of that tunnel of misery.

Enter Cabel Sasser, the founder of software company Panic Inc, who remixed the “Hosting Your Party” video in a way that made it far more entertaining (and believable). But, don’t let me hold you up any longer – check out his version here. And, as long as we’re on the subject, are there any other remixes out there that we missed? Let us know in the comments.

Image Credit: Microsoft