Brandon Dimmel

The still-chic Facebook may have finally sold out. The online community, which seems to have eclipsed MySpace as the next big user managed environment, has taken a rather commercial turn. Facebook will now allow major Internet partners, 65 in total, ... to craft their own applications for the website, with programs ranging from news feeds to -- alas -- new and more exploitive advertising ventures. (Source: clickz.com ) For those who aren't yet familiar with it, Facebook allows those who join (for free) to upload photos, videos, and other personal notes to their very own "space". Not to be ... (view more)

A few weeks ago, the rumored acquisition of Yahoo by software behemoth Microsoft appeared to be a done deal. There was some motive for it, as the pair lagged behind hegemonic web power Google in both search and advertising functionality. And with ... the latter acquiring major ad agency DoubleClick a few months ago, the impetus appeared to be on Microsoft to match such a move. Despite the sense it seemed to make at the outset of May, it's now looking more and more as if Microsoft is no longer interested in the Yahoo deal. (Source: Infopackets.com ) So, what's changed in recent weeks? Most notably ... (view more)

There was much hope in Redmond, Washington on the morning of January 31, 2007. That day, Microsoft's Windows Vista launched into retail outlets, for the first time available -- in completion -- to home users. Unfortunately, Vista failed to match ... lofty expectations, struggling to remain parallel with XP's early support while remaining far, far behind the mega-popularity of Windows 95. One of the reasons for consumer boredom with Vista was simply the PC market; insiders believed no one was buying computers, and thus, no one really needed an operating system. According to some experts, that may ... (view more)

As a result of his creating the video game "V-Tech Massacre", Australian Ryan Lambourn, all of 21, has received plenty of criticism. However, he's also received plenty of attention, being featured on web mainstay MSN -- all this for a game that ... looks like something that's been rejected a Seal of Quality from Nintendo for its 1985 NES console. Here's the deal: the game, in rather primitive 8-bit-like graphics, depicts a killer slaughtering students. It's not nearly as realistic as Manhunt or Grand Theft Auto, and doesn't have much on Pac Man violence. However, the name alone has suckered in ... (view more)

At this rate, it wouldn't surprise any of us if Microsoft constructed its own golden arches outside its Redmond, Washington headquarters with a handy counter recording the number of Vista units sold. It seems as though the company is constantly ... touting the retail success of its recently released operating system (OS). The newest sales figure? According to big boss Bill Gates, 40 million Vistas sold. Another conference, another update, it seems. Chairman Gates announced the numbers at Microsoft's recent Windows Hardware Engineering Conference, a forum for the company to let slip its upcoming ... (view more)

A couple weeks ago, we reported on the launching of a couple hundred human remnants into space. Sound whacky? It is, but the stunt -- which included the ashes of a former astronaut and Star Trek actor James Doohan -- attracted quite a bit of ... attention. Now, teams associated with the project are scrambling to relocate the cremated ashes as they return to earth: a task that's proving unexpectedly tricky. For those who missed it, the actor who once portrayed the lovable "Scotty" on Gene Roddenberry's original Star Trek series (Doohan) was amongst 200 long-gone souls launched towards the heavens ... (view more)

When it was first introduced some time ago, the BlackBerry received its most fervent fanfare from business users who fawned over its push email and tiny keyboard. However, the original BlackBerry was never much of a looker, and its size made it the ... Pavarotti of handhelds. That changed with the introduction of the smaller, sleeker-looking Pearl, and now a modernization may be complete with the release of the Curve 8300. Although maker Research in Motion's BlackBerry has certainly had its success, the mainstream is still dominated by sleek, feature-laden cell phones. The Curve 8300 may just ... (view more)

Imagine you walked out to the front step tomorrow morning, clad in bathrobe, boxers, and scruffy slippers, only to find a note with the message "I'm going to kill you." Now, imagine that same sentiment came in the form of a personal email. Is there ... a difference? Most long-time users of the web and electronic mail would be hard-pressed to consider both mediums in the same manner. Although it takes some backbone and effort to leave a note like that on someone's porch, doing so via email isn't quite as personal. Regardless, the "Killer Spam" that is now finding its way into electronic mailboxes ... (view more)

It seems the weather has officially reached the "extreme". After a chilling, below-average start to 2007, forecasters are now predicting hotter than usual temperatures for this coming summer and those thereafter, meaning the market could become ... quite lucrative for heating and cooling repairmen, fan salespersons, and the ice cream guy. Researchers are blaming global warming for the predicted spike in temperatures, which will allegedly climb an astounding ten degrees along the American eastern seaboard by 2080. It means current summer average temperatures, which float around the low 80s, will ... (view more)

It may be safe to say that Microsoft's much-anticipated operating system (OS), Windows Vista, has, at least in the eyes of the mainstream and even tech media -- fallen flat. Some complaints have surrounded the OS' extensive technical requirements, ... its new, controversial interface changes, and of course, its cost. That's why the Microsoft hounds over at ZDnet have comprised a list of possible suggestions to improve the company's PC software. How? Put the Xbox team in charge at Redmond HQ. Although the Xbox and newer Xbox 360 have had their struggling moments, the latter's current position in ... (view more)