Firefox 3

The official date for the launch of Firefox 3 is June 17, 2008, so I figured that I'd remind everyone to download the browser on Tuesday to help them get in the Guiness Book or Records for the most software downloaded in 24 hours.

I saw a real in depth review of the improvements over at Paul Thurrott's Supersite for Windows. You can read it here.

I will definitely be trying it out. Maybe this time it will supplant IE7 as my default browser. They are saying that with more than 15,000 improvements, Firefox 3 is faster, safer and smarter than before. We'll see.

All You Can Download Music Coming To iTunes

This is what I'm talking about Apple!!!!

Financial Times is reporting that Apple is in deep talks with music companies about an all you can eat music service, this from an anonymous executive. The article suggests that customers would pay an extra $100 for an ipod, and would get free downloads for the life of the device, or pay a monthly fee of $8.

Now this is what you do to combat piracy and completely dominate the music industry. All you can download for $8 a month? Where do I sign up Apple!!!

[FT via Gizmodo]

MSN Direct for Windows Mobile

MSN Direct is Microsoft's platform for pushing weather, stock updates, sports, and other news to mobile devices via an FM radio frequency. The service was available for internet enabled GPS devices, watches, and other appliances. Yet for some reason Microsoft is just now getting around to releasing an MSN Direct client for cellphones and PDAs. The service will use available data connections like WiFi or 3G connections, rather than FM radio.

The Windows Mobile client is considered a "technology preview," which is a fancy word for beta. Right now it's available for Windows Mobile 5.0 or newer phones only. You can either download the client from your phone by pointing your mobile browser to phone.msndirect.com, or you can download the application from the same site using your desktop browser and install it to your phone using ActiveSync or Windows Mobile Device center.

MSN Direct is available as a free download.

I just added this to my Blackjack (which is now successfully running WM6) and I love it.

RIAA Wants Your Anti-Virus To Scan For Pirated Content

So now the RIAA wants your Anti-virus to scan your downloads for pirated content. The one thing that went through my mind at first was "I can barely get the damn Anti-virus to do what it was designed to do", and now the RIAA wants to Big Brother my downloads via Anti-virus? Cary Sherman says "doesn't give rise...to any privacy concerns because it can operate automatically and anonymously"? uhh.... yeah, right.

But Sherman at least knows that people wouldn't go for this:

"Why would somebody put that on their machine? They wouldn't likely want to do that, they'd do that when it benefits them such as for viruses and so on and so forth...it could be enforced at the modem or put in by the ISP."

Oh, so now you want my ISP provider to filter my content now? Yes copyright material should be protected, but this isn't the way. If the ISP providers open this Pandora's Box, where will it end?

What else will be filtered one day? News? Blogs that bad mouth ISP's?

We can't afford to let this happen.

[Public Knowledge via Gizmodo]

Free Software To Unlock Your Gadgets

Lifehacker.com is giving you the option (for free) to get more from your gadgets than you've ever gotten before. Lifehacker has come up with some pretty cool software to get your ipod, Xbox, router, or iphone unlocked and rock'in.

Check it out.

lifehacker.com

NBC To Sell Shows On Amazon's Unbox

Looks like NBC is doing its best to piss in Apple's Wheaties today.

Amazon and NBC have reached an agreement to sell its shows on Amazon's Unbox video download service. Popular shows like "Heroes" and "The Office" will make its way over to the new service, pissing off Apple in the process. This most likely will happen after the current contract with Apple runs out in December.

Will this be good for the consumer? Not likely, due to the fact that they wanted Apple to raise prices in the first place, and charge more for newer content.

Greed once again wins out!!!

NBC in Deal With Amazon to Sell Shows on the Web [New York Times via Crunchgear]

PlayStation Network Store: Updates

If you own a PS3, you got some good news yesterday as the PlayStation Network Store was updated. And it brought a bunch of new nuggets that you may find interesting, so here's what you can login and get:

• EA's NCAA Football 08 Demo.
• DiRT Demo
• Heavenly Sword Videos: Making Of Video and a new animated episode
• Folklore trailer
• Timeshift trailer

It also has new wallpaper and more trailers for you to download, so go check it out.

Thanks G4TV