The Core Duo chipset has only been around for a few months, but Intel has already announced that they will be coming out with a 4 core cpu by January of next year. That happens to be the same month that Microsoft plans on releasing the next generation Vista operating system, which is expected to use a lot more processing power than any operating system ever made. That could mean great initial sales in the Quad Core. I have a feeling computer hardware sales are going to double next year when compared to this year, as people will want top-of-the-line parts to run their top-of-the-line operating system.
Intel Kentsfield quad core slated for Q1 2007

Here are some great side-by-side shots of modern video games versus video games from the 1980's. The most striking difference is between 10 Yard Fight, a football game made by Nintendo in 1985, featuring players made from about 20 sprites, and Madden NFL 06 for XBox 360, with a player who looks like he might be real.
Gaming now and then - Fosfor Gadgets

High-end computer manufacturer Alienware has been acquired by Dell. I wrote a lot about this last week, when the acquisition was just a rumor, and I'd rather not write it all again, but my feeling is this will only improve Alienware, and can't really hurt Dell. Alienware has had some major reliability issues, which most likely happens because the high-end computers they built are just barely above the level of "experimental." When they load a laptop with a top-of-the-line desktop CPU, a 256mb video card, and dual DVD burners, do they really know that heating will not be an issue over thousands of hours of use? Of course not, and that's why owners continually have problems. We might see Alienwares become a little less cutting-edge and a little more reliable under Dell's watchful eye. It will be interesting to see how Dell handles having 2 high-end lines: Alienware and the XPS series that they started less than a year ago.
Alienware: High-Performance Systems - Notebooks, Desktop PCs, Workstations, Peripherals

Here's a really cool product that I was just made aware of. LED-Flex is just as bright as traditional neon lights, but 70% more energy efficient. It looks just like neon, but the material is so flexible it can be tied in knots. Could we see neon making a comeback? Will the late 50's and early 60's come with it? Will Henry Winkler ever play The Fonz again? Stay tuned...
Transmaterial: LED-Flex

Apple may be breaking its relationship with Motorola this year so it can start making its own iPod-like cell phones. The iPhone will hopefully be much better than the mp3 enabled cell phones made by Motorola, including the Rokr, which was terrible.

If Apple could integrate their upcoming touchscreen video iPod (which is currently just rumored, not a fact) with cell phone capabilities it could be the type of consumer product that would cause an international phenomenon. Just imagine what that could do for iTunes mp3 and movie/TV video sales. Now might be a good time to consider a long-run investment in Apple.
MobileRead Networks - Apple to introduce iPhone this year, says Barron's

If you've bought a new Macbook with an Intel processor it probably has a Magsafe power connector, and it may not be so safe after all. A Macbook purchaser recently found his Magsafe connector burned to a crisp, and he took pictures of it and posted it to image sharing site Flickr. In an obvious attempt to cover up the problem, Apple contacted Flickr and demanded that they remove the photos. The story spread quickly, and the company has since replaced the faulty Macbook with a new computer. The pictures have since been posted on several other sites, so Apple has no chance of completely white-washing this story. Those pictures are available at the link below.
The Cult of Mac Blog

Here are over 60 screenshots of the upcoming Windows Vista operating system. I'm not as excited about this kind of thing as most people, particularly because I won't be buying Vista anytime soon. My computer is several years old, and all indications are that Vista will only run well on the most top-of-the-line systems being made today. I've even heard that it will require 800MB of RAM just for the operating system. Did you really think your 1GB of RAM was going to be enough to run everything the future could throw at it?
Images: Windows Vista - Here's the new stuff

Here are over 60 screenshots of the upcoming Windows Vista operating system. I'm not as excited about this kind of thing as most people, particularly because I won't be buying Vista anytime soon. My computer is several years old, and all indications are that Vista will only run well on the most top-of-the-line systems being made today. I've even heard that it will require 800MB of RAM just for the operating system. Did you really think your 1GB of RAM was going to be enough to run everything the future could throw at it?
Images: Windows Vista - Here's the new stuff

Here are over 60 screenshots of the upcoming Windows Vista operating system. I'm not as excited about this kind of thing as most people, particularly because I won't be buying Vista anytime soon. My computer is several years old, and all indications are that Vista will only run well on the most top-of-the-line systems being made today. I've even heard that it will require 800MB of RAM just for the operating system. Did you really think your 1GB of RAM was going to be enough to run everything the future could throw at it?
Images: Windows Vista - Here's the new stuff

An update for Norton AntiVirus software issued this week appears to have what some are calling a glitch when used by AOL users. The program will now boot AOL users offline, apparently recognizing AOL as a virus. I've been telling people this for years, but some people still signed up for AOL's "service". I thought AOL had their own antivirus program, so why would users be running Norton AntiVirus? Oh right, because they're AOL users.
Norton Security Update Boots AOL Users Offline @ Alice Hill’s Real Tech News - Independent Tech

Not only does digital rights management (DRM) cripple how you can use the songs you legally purchase, but it also uses more energy from your mp3 player battery. A study has revealed that mp3 players use more of their computing power to handle DRM music files, thus causing a 25% reduction in battery life. So what's the solution? Don't buy DRM songs. Either buy digital mp3 files that don't have DRM, or rip your own digital music from your CD's.
MP3 Insider: The truth about your battery life

Griffin Technology, the company behind the iTrip and other devices for the Apple iPod, is now making products for the Sony PSP, including an FM radio transmitter. This will allow gamers to use their radio for their PSP audio output. Now they can annoy everyone in the car with sounds of MLB 2006.
iTrip with Dock Connector - Griffin Technology

Reports are circulating that Sony has laid down a concrete release date for the Playstation 3, and it's November 11. It will be a worldwide release, not a staggered release like the previous Playstations. I think November 11 is a good choice. It's Veterans Day, so lots of people will be able to go shopping and buy the system and lots of games. It will also give them a small window to fix any distribution problems before Black Friday, which comes at the end of November.
Playstation 3 launches worldwide on November 11! - videogamesblogger.com:

Here's a quick review of the Alienware M7700 laptop, one of the famous desktop replacement notebook computers made by famed high-end PC maker Alienware (which may or may not not be part of Dell, as I reported this morning). They claim this baby has duel P4 processors and a 256MB GeForce Go! 7800 GTX video card. Yeah, that sounds about right. Price on the reviewed system is $3700, which is actually several hundred dollars cheaper than the Alienware laptops my friends bought last year.
Alienware m7700 Laptop Reviewed - Gizmodo

Sony has officially delayed the release of the Playstation 3 in Japan to November of this year. No word on whether or not this will push back the US release date, which most recently was suspected to be spring of 2007. This is very bad news for Sony, and great news for Microsoft, which has already released its XBox 360 system and will have a huge head start on the competition.
Sony Delays PlayStation 3 News Story From 1UP.com

A highly credible member of a Mac forum appears to have successfully booted Windows XP on a Mac, which could entitle him to a reward of over $12,000. The challenge was set up soon after Mac started making computers with Intel processors a few months ago. A post on the WinXP on Mac forum yesterday links to pictures of the succesful boot, along with the method for doing it. If this is confirmed the member will be awarded the prize.
Infinite Loop: WinXP on Mac... for rizzle this time?

Rumor has it that computer giant Dell Inc. has purchased high-end PC maker Alienware. The deal would make a lot of sense for Dell, which started its own line of high-end computers, the XPS series, in the past year. Alienware was the main competitor to that line, aimed at gamers who will pay thousands of dollars to play the newest games at full resolution. Speaking from personal experience, Alienware has had some quality issues within the past year, particularly with their desktop replacement notebooks. Dell would probably be able to handle those problems more efficiently, along with building a smoother supply chain.
Unconfirmed: Dell buys Alienware - Alpha Blog - alpha.cnet.com

This appears to be an early April Fools joke, but I think it's funny and has viable potential. Isolatr claims to be an anti-social network, which can help you find where other people aren't. That sounds like the perfect site for a social hermit like myself. I'm constantly embarassed by my low friend totals on sites like Facebook and MySpace (no, I'm not going to link to them just so you can be my friend, I don't even know who you are). I reject people who are too ugly, too fat, or just plain too annoying. My friends, for the most part, are the cream of the crop. That's why I need a service like Isolatr, to make sure my friends are only of the highest quality. Even if I find my little corner of their service and have no friends, I'll always have myself, and I'm the highest quality friend anyone could ever need... so stay away from me!
seanbonner: Isolatr launches

Tagworld is a MySpace competitor that started in November, 2005. It's sort of a mix of MySpace and del.icio.us, with tags used to connect people and various topics. It has about 1 million users, which pales in comparison to MySpace's 60 million, but it is just a few months old. They just recently received a $7.5 million investment from Draper Fisher Jurvetson. They will be launching a music and music video product (web-based) in the near future.
TechCrunch » Tagworld Hits 1 million members, announces $7.5 million from Draper Fisher Jurvetson

It looks like we could be receiving official news on the Playstation 3 launch straight from Sony's mouth sometime next week. Most experts expect the launch to be delayed, although no official date was ever set, so it's not really a delay, just a missed target. Production should start sometime this summer or possibly late spring.
PlayStation 3 launch details may be announced next week // GamesIndustry.biz

Laptop batteries are terrible. Anyone who owns a laptop knows this. They last 1 1/2 to 2 hours during regular use, and sometimes even less than that. In addition, they tend to be the first component that needs to be replaced. Soon there may be an alternative power source for laptops. Fuel cell technology, which we all know is currently being used in new cars to improve gas mileage or do away with gas altogether, may be the future source of power for notebook computers. They use methanol cartridges for their power, which allows them to keep your mobile computer running for up to 9 hours. Although methanol is flammable, it would appear that these cartridges are safe, and soon you'll even be allowed to take them on airplanes.

New energy sources such as this will become more important as laptops begin to suck more and more energy. New models are coming out with dual video cards, 2 hard drives, and multiple DVD burners (my buddy has one, and he has yet to explain to me how he will ever end up burning more than one DVD at a time). Although processor speeds have pretty much leveled off and the focus is now on power reduction, like the AMD Turion series, they still use a lot more power than processors did a few years ago.
BBC NEWS | Technology | Fuel cells to change laptop use

How many graphics processing units (GPU) does your computer have? If it's not 4, it's no longer top-of-the-line. Quad SLI technology will allow computers to leapfrog back into the front of the pack in the gaming wars. Makers of the most technologically advanced video games were able to test the Quad SLI on high-end PCs and it enabled them to max out the resolution on games like TimeShift, which is 2560x1600. Even at this high resolution, the graphics processors could still provide gameplay at framerates several times higher than is necessary for human eyes.

This technology could also prove to be important in displaying high definition television, as more and more people are using their computers to watch and record television.
NVIDIA Quad SLI(TM) Technology Enables Fastest Class of Commercially Available Gaming PCs: Financial News - Yahoo! Finance

Google has purchased Writely, and innovative Web 2.0 collaboration website that allows users to write documents collectively, along with storing documents securely online and allowing remote access from anywhere (a great idea, especially for all you college and grad students who have those 100 page thesis papers saved on your fickle laptop hard drive.
Writely Blog