Office 2008, New Blogging Tool and HD DVD

Here are the latest headlines in the world of technology. Office 2008 Released Yesterday, Microsoft officially released Office 2008 for the Mac. The announcement was made at MacWorld, which is taking place in San Francisco. The software was originally scheduled to be released sometime last year, but lingering problems and software bugs delayed the release. Microsoft is also becoming more support of Mac, redesigning a website, Mactopia.com, that showcases Microsoft products to be used with the Mac platform. New Blogging Tool Going into Beta testing today is a new blogging tool that promises to allow you to update your blog … Continue reading

Blu-ray Frequently Asked Questions

After yesterday’s article about Blu-ray and HD-DVD technology, I received several private messages from readers who wanted to know more about this technology. Most of the questions were about Blu-ray, so I thought I would start there. 1. Will I be able to play my old DVDs on a new Blu-ray player? Yes, definitely. Blu-ray players are backwards compatible with DVDs, meaning that they will be able to play movies and other content that are on standard DVDs. The players come with multiple heads to support the different formats. You are likely to notice an improvement of quality in your … Continue reading

HDTV Settings and Room Lighting

With the new high definition television (HDTV) sets, you can get amazing picture quality! You will feel as though you are in the movie theater at home or perhaps even in the middle of the movie itself, and the picture quality gets closer and closer to reality. Unfortunately, you can also get eye strain, garish colors and more if your setting and room lighting aren’t correct. In fact, I would bet that most HDTV users haven’t considered some of the basic things that should be done before watching your HDTV. Let’s first take a look at lighting. Most people turn … Continue reading

Can You Return Your HD DVD?

For those who are “stuck” with the outdated HD DVD system, reminiscent of the old format war that plagued video recording systems, life may be sad; at least as far as home theater systems go. As we all know, HD DVD is dead, beat out by Blu-ray whose global distribution system was far superior and, in my opinion, the main reason for its winning the race. But, the good news is that if you do have an HD DVD system, you may be able to return it for store credit. Some stores are allowing you to do just that. If … Continue reading

HD DVD RIP

Toshiba, the manufacturer of the HD DVD format announced yesterday that it will no longer manufacture players with the HD DVD format. This basically ends the extended war between the two high definition DVD formats, HD DVD and BluRay. If you have been following this blog, you already know all about the battle of HD and BluRay, manufactured by Sony. Like a house of cards, movie companies and retail companies announced how they wouldn’t be supporting the HD format. Just last week, both Wal-Mart and Neflix said that they will no longer be carrying anything HD DVD. And just last … Continue reading

Computing Week in Review: January 7th Through January 13th

This week we have focused on televisions and high definition electronics, along with a bit of news from Apple, including a possible new iPhone. Did you miss any of these articles? Check them out right here. January 7th What Can You Do with Old Electronics? Did you get blessed with some new electronics this year? From cell phones to televisions, from ink cartridges to batteries, here is what to do with all of that old stuff. Hint: some of these items are considered hazardous waste and should not be thrown away in the regular trash. Materials can leach from the … Continue reading

Philips New Eco HDTV

One of the shining performers at the Consumer electronics show was a new HDTV that promises to sip power instead of guzzle it. Dubbed the Eco TV, the 42-inch, flat-panel LCD television, this new model has plenty of energy-saving features. Among these features are the ability to dim the backlight as a response to the program being watched, or as a response to room lighting. This is similar to the “local dimming” featured on the Samsung LED HGTV, but in this case with Philips, the backlight can be dimmed up to five times the brightness of its normal high peak. … Continue reading