Ad: Manage updates with the Download App
ie8 fix

ultimate

I-mate's Ultimate quartet of smartphones

I-mate may be the leading wireless device manufacturer in the Middle East, but it doesn't enjoy quite the same popularity here in the United States. However, today's announcements are sure to turn some heads here. I-mate introduced its Ultimate line of four handhelds at the fall CTIA 2007 show, which including the Ultimate 6150, 8150, 8502, and 9502. All are quad-band smartphones running Windows Mobile 6 but have varying form factors to meet people's different needs. Here's the breakdown:

I-mate Ultimate 6150: Traditional PDA-like design with a 2.8-inch, 65,000-color touch screen, integrated Bluetooth and … Read more

Microsoft to include free games with new Xbox 360s?

[Update: Microsoft has now officially confirmed the pack-in games. The bundled systems ship at the end of the month, and will run at least through the holiday season.]

The Xbox 360 price cut wasn't enough for Microsoft, so now it's adding free games to the mix. According to Kotaku, Microsoft will start bundling Forza Motorsport 2 and Marvel Ultimate Alliance with all new Xbox 360 and Xbox 360 Elite systems.

While they're not Halo 3 or Bioshock and are a few months to a year old, the two pack-in games present extremely solid plays. GameSpot gave Marvel … Read more

Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio, still not ready for prime time?

As an audio guy I'm super curious about HD DVD and Blu-ray's high-resolution audio formats, Dolby TrueHD and DTS HD-Master Audio. Yes, they've been around for awhile now, but listening to the super duper formats hasn't been easy. I haven't yet heard them at home, and show demos haven't been of much help in determining the sonic advantages of the lossless formats. The potential for much better than standard Dolby and DTS sound is there, but getting there, well, I'm still waiting.

Thomas J. Norton's recent Ultimate AV column described in detail … Read more

New 'Blade Runner' Ultimate Collector's Edition includes unicorn, car, Sir Ridley letter

Sorry if the is old news to some, but I just got back from vacation and noticed that details are out on the hotly anticipated new version of Blade Runner that's due to arrive December 18. Blade Runner was one of the first movies released on DVD, and while it sold well, the video transfer sucked. Well, for the 25th anniversary of the film, Warner Brothers and director Ridley Scott finally got around to restoring and remastering the thing--and a lot of folks are pretty stoked, especially now that the film will be available on both Blu-ray and HD … Read more

Microsoft: Sorry for the lack of Vista Ultimate Extras

Be patient, Vista Ultimate owners. That's what Microsoft is telling those who plunked down for the flagship version of Vista. One of the selling points of Vista Ultimate--aside from combining the multimedia-friendly features of Home Premium with the security features of Vista Business--was the BitLocker encryption tool and the promise of exclusive Vista Ultimate Extras. As Justin Hutchinson, the Group Product Manager for Vista, stated in his guest spot during Bill Gates's CES keynote in January, Microsoft would roll out Ultimate Extras "on a regular basis."

To date, only four Ultimate Extras have been released: a … Read more

A smart collar for noisy dogs

We've gotten some interesting response to an anti-barking system cited recently (especially from cat owners), and apparently a few people are skeptical about the reliability of sound waves alone in keeping noisy mutts under control. So for those who still favor the traditional collar method, there's a new "Ultimate Dog Silencer" on the market. Among the improved features is a DuraProof coating that's "ideal for tough weather and active dogs." (You'd think they would have done this for the original version too, given that these are electronic devices.)

The collar operates like … Read more

Core 2 Duo and Vista Ultimate on the cheap

Thrifty laptop shoppers can easily put together a decent system for around $800 or so (or even dip down to $500 if they're brave), but these low-cost machines have always had major trade-offs in terms of components and performance.

We can't speak to the performance aspect just yet, but Systemax has hit the $999 sweet spot with a just-announced Vista Ultimate version of its Core 2 Duo 15.4-inch Pursuit 4155 laptop. It's also got 1GB of memory, a 60GB hard drive, and a built-in Webcam.

The Core 2 Duo T5200 processor is admittedly on the low … Read more

Windows Vista Ultimate for $200

Have you been jonesing for the top-tier version of Microsoft's new operating system, Windows Vista Ultimate, but not willing to part with $400 of your hard-earned cash? Does spending half that amount make taking the plunge more palatable? If you can do without the fancy packaging and user manuals, consider instead Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate 32-bit for System Builders, selling for $200 at Amazon.com, Newegg.com, and other e-tailors. The license agreement for this particular version states it is meant specifically for "system builders." Paragraph one of the license agreement provides several definitions of who a … Read more

Extra, extra! Vista Ultimate extras go live

If you've been playing around with a prerelease version of Windows Vista Ultimate (millions of people have been testing different versions of the new OS for months), you might have been wondering about all the extra features promised in the highest-end Ultimate edition.

Instead of the usual "no extras are currently available" message, users can now download two new features. The first is Hold 'Em Poker, a basic single-player poker simulator. The second is a series of enhancements that make it easier to use the BitLocker hard drive encryption system.

It may not be the most awe-inspiring … Read more