Mozilla strikes again

It's here! Firefox 1.5, the final version, is available for download and consumption. But what's all the fuss about? Well, if you haven't tried Firefox, you're certainly missing out. Let me count the reasons: tabbed browsing, RSS feeds, live bookmarks, open-source software, customization, skins, extensions, HTML standards-compliancy, built-in popup blocker...

Okay, I'll stop drooling. Honestly, if you're still using Internet Explorer, it's time to get with the times, especially with this great, stable release with improved speed, reliability, menu user interface and features. Firefox 1.5 has already had more than 2 million downloads, and more are on the way.

Still not convinced? Okay, check out 1337tech.org's review and technical analysis of the browser. It shows its improved speed, new features, and compares it to the 'Net's other best browser, Opera. But seriously, if you're not using Firefox (or Opera, for that matter), you just lost some major geek cred. Enhance and secure your online experience with a superior browser.

TiVo's last stand

TiVo seems to have become more of a verb than a product identity. A lot of people (myself included) say they "TiVo" stuff on TV, when they don't actually own the specific product. Now that local cable companies offer personal digital video recorders (DVRs) for cheaper than TiVo can, the stock and company have taken a serious tumble.

But they're not going down without a fight. Recently, TiVo announced plans to allow users to take programs off their set-top box and onto personal video playing devices, such as the iPod or PSP. That's caught the attention -- and not in a good way -- of major TV studios, which are allegedly contemplating legal action against the company.

But, in news that may please advertisers (and those of you who love commercials), TiVo also announced a new ad-searching feature, that will allow viewers to search for and watch specific advertisements on demand.

Xbox 360 launch day

Well, I tried valiantly to snag an Xbox 360 tonight. Unfortunately, there were lines wrapped around the building at Best Buy, Target and Rhino Games before I could even get there. And Wal-Mart had people waiting there all day. Looks like Microsoft has what they want: this year's must-have toy.

Let's just hope people weren't trying to buy a 360 because of Best Buy's advertisement that claimed the system burned CD's and DVD's (it doesn't).

Of course, Sony had to try to take away at least some of Microsoft's thunder on launch day. The CEO of Sony announced a general pricing point (between $300 and $400) for the Playstation 3, whenever it manages to launch. That dispels rumors that the PS3 was going to cost gamers upwards of $500.

Either way, if the buzz for the 360 can carry past tonight, Microsoft has a great jump start on the competition with their second foray into console gaming. Sony will be in unfamiliar territory -- playing catch-up.

Time's best inventions

Think innovation is hard to come by these days? Then check out Time's best inventions of 2005. No flying cars yet in the automotive department, but some really cool aerodynamic vehicles and space-age looking things that will probably never see the light of day.

Perhaps the most obtainable item on the list is Sony's Playstation Portable, the uber-chic geek item of the year for many. I'm not sure if proprietary UMD movies and a short battery life constitute it being on the list, but it's an impressive machine nonetheless.

As for my favorites, the Power Tap wins from a personal standpoint -- fill up your beer in the shortest time possible. But for the more important, might-save-lives category, the LifeStraw is the hands-down winner. It's a straw that filters and cleans water as the person sucks it through. Even better, it can be made for only $3 a straw. This could obviously save lives in the developing world, as well as provide hikers and outdoors people with a safe way to find and drink water.

360 degrees of hype

Microsoft's second foray into the world of home video game consoles, the Xbox 360, is only a week away. As the noise surrounding the launch gets louder, Microsoft has added to the buzz by releasing tidbits of information on a regular basis. This past weekend, it revealed the full list of backward-compatible games, coming in at just over 200. While that number is more than many expected, some are still disappointed. The problem for Microsoft lies in the fact that the Xbox 360 is running on an ATI-built chip, while the original Xbox ran on an Nvidia chip. This requires the 360 to emulate the original Xbox architecture, rather than play the software natively. Microsoft also provided an informative Q&A on the subject, for those unfamiliar.

But really, the "Catwoman" and "Barbie Horse Adventure" games make the cut, yet no Splinter Cell? No Star Wars: Battlefront?

But there's good news: Since the emulation is all done through software and requires the "Pro" Xbox 360 with a 20 gigabyte hard drive, updates to the emulation code will be made available through a free download. Because of this, Microsoft can (and will) add the ability to play additional old games on the 360... as soon as the company figures out how to make the games run, that is.

Sony's 'rootkit' controversy

About two weeks ago, the Internet community got into an uproar after news surfaced that Sony-branded music CDs installed potentially malicious software on users' computers. The type of software installed is known as a 'rootkit,' and while the software does not have bad intent, it can be manipulated by others for purposes of destruction. A good, basic explanation comes from CNet's excellent FAQ on the debacle:

A rootkit is a powerful piece of software that takes over control of a computer at the most fundamental level. In computer terms, it establishes "root" access, which is similar to administrative access, instead of access for just an ordinary user. It can potentially prevent a computer user from detecting its presence or from performing certain tasks on their own PC.

And so, lo and behold, two weeks later, the first exploits are out on the Internet. Unfortunately for users at risk, uninstalling Sony's software may kill your computer and force you to reformat your entire hard drive. As a result, the Electronic Frontier Foundation is 'considering litigation' against Sony on behalf of affected users. Sounds to me like Sony has some trouble on their hands.

MySpace terror "attack"

Ah, the Internet. You have to take the good with the bad. It's great that information can travel so quickly in this virtual world, but it's also dangerous if given to the wrong hands. Like teenagers.

Two high school students in San Antonio used the popular social networking site MySpace to broadcast a threat to students of their high school. The message stated that two boys were planning on showing up to school with guns.

Whether or not the threat was intended to be real, only 400 of the school's 3,000 students showed up the date posted on MySpace. And nobody showed up to school with guns, either.

Did the students get the attention they wanted? If they were hoping to cause fear and disrupt people's lives, they certainly did a good job of it. Let's hope the authorities can work with MySpace to catch the culprits.