Filed under: Desktops, Laptops

Don't look now, but Microsoft is apparently readying a Vista Performance and Reliability Pack for release, and while it's certainly not available through Windows Update just yet, that doesn't mean it's not hiding elsewhere. Reportedly, the aforementioned pack and the Vista Compatibility and Reliability Pack will institute a number of welcome fixes and performance increases in a variety of areas, and though the list is indeed lengthy, a few notables include:
Increased compatibility with many video drivers.
Improved visual appearance of games with high intensity graphics.
Improved quality of playback for HD DVD and Blu-ray disks on large monitors.
Improved reliability for Internet Explorer when some third party toolbars are installed on Vista.
Improved reliability of systems that were upgraded from XP to Vista.
Resolves an issue where creating AVI files on Vista may get cor...

It takes a lot to get us excited about a laptop, but we're pumped about this Fujitsu LifeBook N6460. We've been hearing about this laptop for a while now, but now it's finally shipping to all points in the United States. Besides that whopper 17-inch screen, it's rocking an optional Blu-ray drive inside. Its other specs aren't too shabby, either.
galleryPost('fujitsu6460', 8, 'Fujitsu N6460');
Its 2GHz Core 2 Duo T7300 processor can do some serious number crunching, and that ATI Mobility Radeon HD 2600 graphics chipset lets you seriously game on the plane. This mutha even has a subwoofer on board, and teamed up with its remote control, video optimization innards and 500GB of disk space ought to be enough to keep you entertained 24/7.
The basic model is around $1800, but if you add that Blu-ray drive and run up the hard drive space to 500GB, that'll cost you $2749. [Fujitsu, via PC Launches]

Blu-ray's comparisons with Betamax have proven unfounded, at least in the case of pornography. Because Sony is not only allowing pornography on Blu-ray, but they have begun offering resources and technical support to Japan's adult film industry.
The pornography industry in Japan is complicated, including restrictions on manufacturing pornographic discs that are outside of Sony's control. To get around this, Sony has sold a Taiwanese company the necessary equipment to copy thousands of DVDs at once in collaboration with Japanese studios.
Plus, during Japan's recent Adult Treasure Expo 2007, adult filmmakers said Sony had begun offering technical support—which was later confirmed by Sony PR, which stated that Sony would offer support to any filmmaker working on the format, no matter the industry they were part of.
At last, we will have our tentacle rape in full HD resolution. [pcworld]

Filed under: Laptops

It was but a few weeks ago that we caught Fujitsu's LifeBook N6460 showing off in Singapore, and now it looks like the beastly machine has made its way stateside for all of us Americans to enjoy. This 17-incher touts an XGA+ panel, Intel's 2GHz Core 2 Duo T7300 CPU, ATI's Mobility Radeon HD 2600 graphics set, 2GB of DDR2 RAM, up to 400GB of hard drive space, an optional Blu-ray drive, integrated fingerprint scanner, a remote control, 56k modem, gigabit Ethernet, WiFi, and a plethora of ports including five USB 2.0 connectors, FireWire, a multicard reader, and an ExpressCard opening to boot. Granted, you can certainly opt to customize the aforementioned specifications to fit your budget, but pre-established configurations range from $1,499 to $2,599 and look to be shipping right away.

[Via PCLaunches]

Gallery: Fujitsu's LifeBook N6460 launches in US
 
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Office Depot Featured Ga...

Filed under: Laptops
Good news for those waiting in tense anticipation for a confirmation on Eurocom's quad-core lappie: it's for real. Dubbed the D900C Phantom-X, this powerhouse will reportedly pack Intel's "newest line of quad-core processors," up to 750GB of internal HDD space, your choice of NVIDIA GPUs running in single or dual SLI, a Blu-ray optical drive, up to 4GB of DDR2 RAM, and a slew of ports including USB 2.0, FireWire, DVI, S-Video, a multicard reader, optical and analog audio in / out, and a gigabit Ethernet jack for good measure. 'Course, you'll also find integrated Bluetooth 2.0, 802.11a/b/g, stereo speakers, a built-in microphone, and an optional TV tuner that could certainly make you question the necessity of your desktop. So, you big spender you, go on and get your order in now and let the bragging commence -- if you've got the $2,999 it'll take for the base configuration, that is.

[Thanks, Mark B.] 
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments...

Filed under: HDTV
As noted on Engadget HD the other day, and further clarified by Major Nelson this morning, that story about Target going exclusively Blu-ray was false. Turns out they're just installing Blu-ray aisle end caps, thanks to a new promotional deal with Sony, but HD DVD isn't going anywhere. Hopefully you haven't chucked out your HD DVD collection just yet in a concession to defeat at Thursday's "news," but if you have it's always good to know you can score replacements at your local Target, just like always. 
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

These 1080p-capable Inteset media centers not only have a 7.1 channel surround sound, they have both Blu-ray and HD DVD support with a hybrid drive built right in. They also support Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD and DTS audio, which is great since you probably won't have enough cash left over after you buy this to get another media center. Couple that with two HDTV (over the air, not cable) and two SDTV tuners, and you've got a media center capable of replacing much of your current entertainment system. Having both Blu-ray and HD DVD, even in a mid-'90s styled box, is nothing to complain about. [Inteset via Cepro]

We here at Gizmodo enjoy our Battlemodos, Linux controlled robots, dedicated students, iPod rumors, and stories of conversion involving Dvorak. We hope you enjoy them too in the Thursday round-up.
• We had a Fuji Camera ">blowout early thursday morning.
• Rumor: Apple 6G coming next month, no touchscreen, widescreen, or OSX.
• Monster and Monoprice go toe to toe in a HDMI Battlemodo.

• Hello Kitty Can Now Be Yours.
• Dvorak likes Mac, Apple fanboys everywhere smile.
• Chinese students bring new meaning to commuting.
• An inflatable bar in your pool will go nicely with your super margarita machine.
• Stinky shoes, be gone!
• Xbox 360 lowers the price of its HD DVD add-on, Target will exclusively sell Blu-Ray Players.
• Kameraflage is only visible to the digital eye.
•Cockroaches, now powered by Linux.

Who'd have thought the next-gen format spin war would be full of half truths and twisted facts? Oh, right, EVERYONE. It all started from Sony's statement that Target stores will feature Sony's BDP-S300 as the exclusive high-definition player, and AP's article picking up on it saying Target was exclusively featuring Sony's player in lieu of selling any HD DVD players. That's exactly not true. Here's what Sony really said:
Beginning this fall and continuing at least through the holiday season, Target will feature Sony® Blu-ray Disc® players as the exclusive product in the emerging category of high-definition home video systems, as well as an expanded assortment of Blu-ray Disc movies. That sentence is vague enough that you can say Sony claimed to be the exclusive high-definition product sold at Target, both in terms of standalone players and overall. Sony's the exclusive standalone high def player, but not the exclusive high def player period. Target's still selling Xbox 360 H...

I just wanted to give you a heads up that I will finally be posting the finale of our HDMI Cable Battlemodo today at 2pm EST. Before you see the results, though, I wanted to take you through the testing process, so the results will make total sense. You with me?
As you will recall, our previous test took place at Monster Headquarters. We brought Monoprice cables ranging from 6 feet to 50 feet, and pitted them against Monster cables using Monster's in-house testing system. A pulse pattern generator simulating real-world and futuristic TV signal sent bits through the cables to a digital serial analyzer. If the lines of 1s and 0s were clearly defined, the cable was good; if the lines grew too fuzzy, the cable's quality was deemed poor.
It was a good way to evaluate the physical differences of cable. Fortunately for cable shoppers, nearly all of the cables we tested—both pricey as hell and totally on the cheap—passed all of the tests, guaranteeing that they'd be...