Add TiVo Inc. to the list of companies trying to wed the Internet to television. The digital recording company will soon allow customers to download TV shows to their set-top boxes via the Internet ? even before the shows air on TV.

TiVo has struck a deal with the Independent Film Channel to transmit several of the cable channel’s shows through a broadband connection as part of a trial program. Participating customers will begin receiving the shows next week, said TiVo spokesman Elliot Sloane.

Sloan confirmed that TiVo sent messages to its customers ? later posted on the technology Web log Engadget.com ? offering to transmit three IFC shows beginning Aug. 19, before they aired on the cable channel.

Source: Yahoo News

Hopefully, by now you’ve seen from our posts that there are a lot of new features and work going into IE 7. As part of this update, we’re refreshing our icon and logotype. We considered more radical departures from our current logo, but blue “e” with the ring is very recognizable and familiar to users, so we elected instead to make more subtle changes.

As you can see, the new “e” has more modern look, and the edges are a bit darker so the icon stands out better against different backgrounds. We liked the gold ring too since it brings in new energy and helps the icon pop a bit more than the old one.

This icon and text treatment will be used on the versions of IE 7 for Windows XPSP2, Server 2003 SP1, and x64 versions. We’ll have a slightly different look for the Windows Vista™ version, one that’s more consistent with the icons there. We’re not quite ready with that one yet, but we’ll share it here once we do.

Source: ieblog
See a bigger image here: click me

Incase some of you do not have automatic updates enabled or do not know that the second Tuesday of every month Microsoft releases Security Updates, then make sure to continue reading this.

Well that Tuesday was yesterday, so make sure to go to Windows Update and Update anything that is in the High Priority category.

View: http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com

Amazon.com job listings for software engineers raise the specter of the internet retail giant entering the online DVD rental market in the United States, challenging companies like Netflix and Blockbuster.

Advertising for positions based at the company’s Seattle headquarters, the listings seek engineers to help in “building systems and algorithms that must move inventory between our fulfillment centers and our customers in a way that gives customers exactly what they want, when they want it.” The postings indicate they are specifically for an online DVD rental service.

Source: WiredNews

Since late 2004 Microsoft’s Macintosh Business Unit (MBU) have not released a single update for the failing MSN IM Client for Apple OSX.

Today the team released Microsoft Messenger 5.0 for Mac OS X. Aimed more at workers than home users who use the MSN IM protocol the client has the ability to use two unique accounts at the same time. Personal & Corporate accounts have been integrated (Windows has two separate clients for this use ? MSN Messenger & Windows Messenger). The “personal” account stays the same like the previous MSN client; the “corporate” account allows users to connect to a Microsoft Live Communications Server to transfer data securely behind a firewall within a business or corporation.

You are now able to use multiple IM protocols with Microsoft Messenger, something that has been lacking for a long time which has made users migrate to other IM clients on OS X. AOL/AIM/iChat/Yahoo protocols are now supported within the client by default.

Interface-wise, Microsoft Messenger has had an overhaul that adheres to the Mac OS X interface (Aqua), using the familiar brushed-metal that is contained in mainstream applications such as Safari and the iLife applications. Interface buttons are now customizable in the sense they can be moved as well as added or deleted.

Display pictures are default in the new client with a sidebar to show a display picture of the person you are talking to. Emoticons have been taken from the current version of MSN Messenger for Windows and integrated into Microsoft Messenger (which are animated). However it doesn’t allow you to add your own custom emoticons like the Windows client. Winks and Nudges are also not present in this version.

Audio & web cam support is still missing from this version, which will infuriate users of waiting for these features being added. The preferences have stayed the same with the exception of a few things being added for the “corporate” account, such as message logging and the ability to block users ? like the “personal” account.

File transfers have improved greatly and are very fast in use with multiple file transfers, which the previous version was lacking.

All in all, people were expecting this version to bury the gap between the Windows client. Alas it hasn’t and we play the waiting game again for MBU to release a top notch version of Messenger for the Mac.

From discussions I have read, I guess file transfers still do not work? no personal messages, no pictures on contact list, but a nicer interface, display pictures and that now AOL/AIM/iChat/Yahoo Protocols are now supported.

Download: Microsoft Messenger for Mac 5.0
Screenshots: Courtesy of Neowin/Radish, all credit for these screenshots go to him.
Main Window | Main Message Window | Contextual Menu | Corporate Login | General Tab | Appearance Tab | Alerts Tab | Accounts Personal Tab | Accounts Corporate Tab | Mobile Tab | History Tab | Privacy Tab

WinRAR 3.50 Final has been released (finally)
Yahoo! Messenger 7.0 Final
AIM Ad Hack 4.12
Nero 6.6.0.16
Messenger:Mate for AIM 1.4
Google Earth Free 3.0.0464 Beta
Virtualdub 1.6.10

It seems that Cisco Systems Inc. is considering buying the worlds leading mobile handset producer. This, in a bid to gain its wireless infrastructure technology. The value of Cisco, the worlds leading provider of internet equipment is valued at $123 billion dollars, while Nokia’s market value is around $78 billion dollars.

Source: Yahoo!

Konfabulator is now free. Yup. If you download version 2.1 you know what you’ll never ever see? That’s right a registration reminder. Fear not, there’s nothing sneaky in there, no spyware, no ads, nothing that’s keeping track of information and sending it to us… it’s pure, uncut Konfabulator goodness.

Right after releasing the free version (2.1), the Konfab. team has released an update to the ever-popular cross-platform Javascript runtime engine.

Download: Konfabulator