Pinnacle reveals ShowCenter 250HD media receiver

F As the flood of media receivers continue to pour out, we've noticed a new one from Pinnacle Systems that comes with WiFi built-in, hearts Macs and PCs alike and handles HD streaming like it's its job. The ShowCenter 250HD is a self-proclaimed "plug-and-play digital media adapter" that includes an Ethernet jack, UPnP support and the ability to play nice with HD WMV, DivX HD or MPEG2 video formats. Read more

Monaco Media Forum: Barry Diller Is Not Shy

One of the great things about interviewing Barry Diller, the Hollywood mogul turned Internet impresario (via InterActiveCorp), is that he actually answers questions you ask him. Here is a sampling of quotes from my one-on-one interview with him onstage at the Monaco Media Forum on Friday morning, taken from the not-so-audible audio of my Flip video camera. But you’ll get the idea of why Diller (pictured here) remains one of the more robust characters out there. We began talking about the split of IAC into five parts, lopping off unrelated businesses, with the backdrop of a struggle he has been engaged in with Liberty Media’s John Malone. Why do it? “We were being superficial managers,” said Diller. For example, of the mortgage business around LendingTree, he said: “I have little to no interest and that is not how I want to live my life.” (Very few execs, I can assure you, will admit to rank corporate boredom about their businesses.) But Diller was just getting started, taking shots at everything from the “dumb” Hollywood writers’ strike to the insanity of Facebook’s $15 billion valuation, as well as his own corporate shortcomings. (more…)

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Microsoft offers up new Windows XP license for refurbished PCs

Good news for companies looking to refurbish and resell their dust-collecting PCs -- as of Friday, Microsoft has broadened its refurbishing rules in order to give outfits with heaps of not-quite-antiquated computers a way of offloading them with genuine copies of Windows XP. More specifically, Redmond will now be offering up a license for refurbishers "that is only available through the MAR program," and PCs that get equipped with Windows XP Home for Refurbished PCs or Windows XP Professional for Refurbished PCs will need to have a Certificate of Authenticity, too. Essentially, Microsoft is attempting to make the lives of those looking to deliver preinstalled Windows XP licenses on refurbed rigs a bit easier, but of course, there's a pretty rigid list of requirements that you'll have to meet before the MAR welcomes you in. [Via Yahoo / TechWeb] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

NBC Direct launches, everybody still misses iTunes

It's no secret that all TV studios hate writers, puppies and you, so it's really no surprise that NBC dropped iTunes distribution a couple months back -- it's all part of the master plan. Luckily, the new NBC Direct service, which is now in beta, is a tiny breath of fresh air. But by tiny, we mean minuscule. Read more

Books Category Position

This is a test to show which content shows up in which position. This is the Books category.

Eee PC heads to the desktop in 2008

Filed under: Desktops Like your Eee PC do ya? Good, how about a desktop version to go with it? With the unexpected success of their new ultra-portable, Asus is looking to RAZR that momentum with a desktop version of the Eee PC. Jonathan Tseng, Asus president of marketing, says that the new Eee -- Easy to learn, Easy to play, Easy to Work -- will launch in 2008. Good news for us consumers but likely unwelcome tattle for Redmond. As you may have noticed, the recent onslaught of low-cost, low-powered, low-speced (Lll?) PCs are all Linux-happy slabs in order to avoid those heavy Microsoft licensing fees. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

The High-Tech Search for Amelia Earhart!

Here’s an interesting video from WSJ Online about new wrinkles in the never-ending search for high-profile flier Amelia Earhart, including using new gadgets like an autonomous underwater vehicle and magnetometers.

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Software That Knows What You Like

Cleverset's approach to e-commerce exposes consumers to the long tail.

The Neurological Roots of Aggression

Recent findings shed light on the brain deficits that underlie aggression and could aid in the development of preventative treatments.

Barry Diller Shatters John Malone’s Stake Into Little Itty Bits

Oh, how much do we love when moguls clash? Much, much, much. Yesterday, the battle between InterActiveCorp’s Barry Diller and John Malone of Liberty Media (pictured here in cartoon form) got much more interesting. Read more

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