DisplayPort 1.2 doubles bandwidth, enables Stereoscopic 3D

And a mini-DisplayPort for laptops

For those who have been following VESA standards,  DisplayPort is a royalty-free digital display interface concept introduced back in May 2006 that has been trying to gain ground in the computer industry for some time now.  

The open industry standard, supported by HP, Philips, Samsung, AMD, Nvidia, Intel and many other companies, seeks to eventually replace the de facto DVI standard over the next several years due to its greater bandwidth allowance, slimmer display support, internal chip-to-chip communication, and reduced electromagnetic interference levels among other technical advantages.

According to Register Hardware, VESA is set to publish its new DisplayPort 1.2 specification by the middle of the year.  Among the interface's central improvements include a doubling of available bandwidth to 5.4 Gbit/s.  As a result, this should provide sufficient throughput for 120Hz stereoscopic 3D imagery at 1920 x 1080, or four standard 1920 x 1200 screens.  However, VESA anticipates multi-display setups to be linked in a daisy-chain fashion rather than through a four-way split cable.

Although DisplayPort does lacks xvYCC color space support in contrast to HDMI, the increased bandwidth in the 1.2 specification will also allow 3840 x 2160 resolutions to be reached with a color depth of 30 bits per pixel. 

Very soon, laptop vendors will be able to implement the interface in upcoming lineups with the mini-DisplayPort connector. According to Apple, the smaller version of the interface is 10% the size of a full DVI connector.  As a result, there is more free space inside a laptop and on its sides.

Facebook makes a major change to its code

Today, in a blog post, Facebook announced major changes to the proprietary language in which Facebook applications are written, called Facebook Markup Language (FBML). The code will now be capable of being edited using custom tags which can be shared between multiple applications. Currently, the feature is only available on the site, but it will eventually be shared with all of the Facebook Connect supporting sites on the web. Effectively this means Facebook will now be more open. But the question is, how open?


FBML was designed to make sure that malicious applications would not be able to infect the browsers and PCs of their users. More than likely the new version of FML will take into account security measures so that code can efficiently be shared. 

Developers have built many applications on the Facebook platform, the majority of them lack in quality, however, and don’t function well after the site redesign.

With Facebook moving to a more open source platform, it will open the doors to higher quality programs.

We’ll have to wait to see how Facebook moves forward with this development, and whether or not they choose to become a more open software platform.

Apple approves four iPhone web browsers into the App Store, but not mobile Firefox

Apple has once again loosened its iPhone approval process to allow third-party web browsers into the App Store, those that rival Apple's Mobile Safari which comes preloaded on the handset. As always, there's a catch: Apple's iPhone SDK strictly prohibits applications (web browsers included) from using their own frameworks. This means that all alternative browsers approved for App Store are and will be based on Apple's WebKit framework that powers desktop and mobile Safari versions. As a result, browser like mobile Firefox (dubbed Fennec and based on Mozilla's Gecko framework) remain off App Store's limits for now.

The unexpected news caught Apple watchers off guard since Apple had previously kicked Podcaster applications out of the App Store solely on the grounds that they duplicated the podcasting features found in iTunes software. Apple then added podcast downloading features to the iPhone just weeks later via 2.2 firmware update. Apple also rejected NetShare's modem tethering application, and currently prohibits VoIP applications that use cellular data - both are due to the terms of Apple's agreement with carriers. In addition, some aspects of the iPhone remain off limits to developers, including mostly critical features like the dialer, SMS application, iPod media player, and more.

But Apple has learned a lot since it first allowed third-party applications to run on its handset six months ago. The company has tweaked App Store approval rules several times to address concerns. Most recently, Apple allowed a new kind of entertainment applications that would have been previously rejected because of their tongue-in-cheekiness, like iFart and iSteam.

Early this week, Apple once again loosened restrictions and now allows third-party web browsers to co-exist on the device alongside its own built-in Mobile Safari web browser. Four web browsers that are now available in the App Store are all based on Apple's WebKit engine, the same one which powers mobile and desktop Safari versions as well as several other browsers.

Edge Browser

Edge Browser is not exactly an all-new browser. Instead, it is based on the same engine and framework that Safari uses. Its main feature is the total absence of address and navigation bars so as to maximize screen real estate for displaying web page content. When I say "total absence of address bar," I mean it literally: There is no way to bring up the URL entry field other than resorting to Edge Browser's preferences found in the iPhone's Settings application.

There, you can set the default home page and an associated username and password to log in (if needed) along with several minor options as well. This doesn't bode well for the Edge Browser at all, and the fact that it comes free of charge doesn't change this one iota.

The program remains useless unless developers can come up with a better way enter URLs, thereby providing basic navigation features. Would semi-transparent on-screen navigational controls that fade in when I flick my finger really be that hard to implement?

Incognito

Incognito borrows more than just a name from Chrome's private browsing feature. This browser is dedicated to anonymous web browsing on your iPhone and iPod Touch. It doesn't leave history, and it deletes all files accumulated over browsing session upon exit. Incognito guards your privacy even while playing known media types. It also comes with a customizable homepage and an orientation lock mode.

Overall, it doesn't replicate Safari's browsing experience, and the fact that it comes with a $1.99 price tag doesn't help it out any either. After all, you could always delete browsing history and saved files in Safari manually, as its preferences are found in iPhone's Settings.

Webmate: Tabbed Browser

As its name suggest, this one is all about tabbed browsing - but with a twist. Although Safari lets you open several pages at once and flip between them back and forth, you can't open a link on a page you're currently viewing in a new tab. Besides that, Safari reloads content of each tab as you switch to it - which is pretty annoying if you constantly switch between tabs. Webmate nails down tabs by queuing up all the links you click on, allowing you to view them one by one whenever you want to.

An On/Off switch at the bottom lets you navigate between queuing and standard behavior where links are followed immediately after you click them. Additional controls at the screen's bottom let you cycle through queued links, jump to any link in the queue, or to trash the currently selected link from a queue.

If you desperately need tabbed browsing on your handset, a feature highly valued among those that read lots of news on the go, you may want to consider Webmate. Priced at just 99 cents, it may prove a worthy investment - assuming you live in tabs.

Shaking Web

This $1.99 browser exists to solve the problem of reading web pages while commuting by bus or metro, along with other situations when you can't hold the handset steady. You guessed right, Shaking Web comes with "anti-shake technology" that helps stabilize web page during the user's jostling, thus increasing on the go readability. Similar to Vibration Reduction technology employed in digital camera, Shaking Web is able to compensate for the minor shaking which occurs as a result of body movements when commuting.

It does not, however, miraculously stabilize image in more extreme circumstances, such as when walking down the street during rush hour.Besides, why would you want to surf the web while walking down the street, anyway? You can choose to stabilize only vertical movements - which is the most common scenario for majority of users, or both vertical and horizontal movements. The usefulness factor of this application is limited by its lack of support for pop-up windows. In addition, it does not work with sites that require a new window to open links.

Final thoughts

As you can see, the four non-Safari browsers are not full-blown rivals to Safari, nor are they ones which would offer a better user experience out of the box. Although it is reassuring to know that Apple now allows third-party vendors to rival Mobile Safari on the iPhone, the policy change does not open the doors fully for the arrival of mobile Firefox version (dubbed Fennec), Opera Mini or any of the several other browsers which do not use iPhone's official frameworks. In fact, Apple's iPhone SDK specifically prohibits applications from using non-Apple frameworks. Apple may have left this policy in place for security and user experience reasons, but it is the one fact which also prevents real Safari rivals based on non-Apple technologies from appearing on the iPhone.

That being said, mobile Firefox on the iPhone is out of the question unless Mozilla decides to completely re-write the application using Apple's WebKit framework (instead of Mozilla's Gecko framework that powers mobile and desktop Firefox which, of course, will not happen). When and if Apple decides to allow developers to use other frameworks (besides iPhone's), only then will projects like mobile Firefox hit Apple's handset. For the record, it should be noted that neither Mozilla nor Opera have expressed even the least amount of eagerness to bring their browsers to the iPhone.

How to Get, Install and Play With Windows 7, Pain Free

You've been thinking about installing Windows 7 Beta 1 now that it's totally available to anyone. Well, here's our complete guide to grabbing, installing and playing with Windows 7—it's (mostly) painless, so no excuses!

Are You Ready?
First thing's first—you might be tired of XP, but can your computer handle Windows 7? Probably! Here are the minimum requirements:
• 1 GHz 32-bit or 64-bit processor
• 1 GB of system memory
• 16 GB of available disk space
• Support for DirectX 9 graphics with 128 MB memory (to enable the Aero theme)
• DVD-R/W Drive (actually not necessary)

Where to Get It
Microsoft is obviously the first stop to getting Windows 7. Here's the download page, where you'll pick either 32 or 64-bit version. If you have 4GB of RAM or more, get 64-bit. You'll need your Live ID and Microsoft will want some info about you, but just lie or tell the truth or whatever, and you'll be taken to a download page with your product key. If you have some trouble getting the download link to work after getting your product key (like me), here are the direct links to the 32-bit image file and 64-bit image file.

Even if Microsoft's own servers are crumbling under the strain of surprisingly strong demand (though I downloaded at 1MB/sec just fine), you can always hit BitTorrent. You're looking for Windows 7 Beta 1, build 7000. Other benefit to torrent: It'll still be available afterMicrosoft's Jan. 24 deadline and you don't need a Microsoft Live ID. But you will need toget your own product key.

Getting Stuff Ready
Windows 7, from everything we've heard is surprisingly stable beta, and it's easy to upgrade from Vista, since it happens automagically. However, that doesn't mean you should run it as your sole OS (especially on your work computer), because your programs might not work with it (they should, but you never know), crash possibilities and other unknown unknowns. should dual boot it, meaning you'll be able to run either OS at startup. Luckily, Lifehacker has a step-by-step guide to doing just that.

It works especially nicely if you have two hard drives in a desktop (like me), but most likely, you'll have to partition. Keep in mind if you're partitioning a single hard drive, the minimum space for Windows 7 is 16GB, and you'll probably want more room than that. Again, Lifehacker has the complete details, but the short version is that in Vista, run "Computer Management" from the Start Menu and you can complete all of the partition voodoo from Disk Management, like shrinking your current volume to give your new Windows 7 partition that minimum 16GB of breathing room. And you know, actually creating the fresh partition for Windows 7. (Do that now, and remember which one it is!) For XP, you'll need the GParted Live CD, which you burn to a CD, restart, boot from disc, and do the partition thang.

How to Get Windows 7 on Your computer
After getting install downloaded and hard drive prepped, you've got a couple of options for actually getting Windows 7 onto your computer. The first, and easiest, is to make a Windows 7 disc by burning the image to a DVD using something like ImgBurn.

If you're installing Windows 7 on a Mac, you can burn the image to a DVD with Disk Utility.

Or, you can do what I'm doing since I'm out of blank DVDs at the moment, and put it on a flash drive for installation. This is also how you'll get it on a netbook or MacBook Air. You'll need a 4GB USB 2.0 flash drive and a mounting program likeDaemon Tools on Windows or MountMe on Mac. Format the flash drive in FAT32, mount the Windows 7 image, then copy everything over to the flash drive.

Installing
Hello easy part! Pop in your disc or your flash drive. Boot from it, and follow the wizard, installing Windows 7 on your clean partition (under Custom installation type). On a Mac, Boot Camp Assistant will take you through the process after you slide in the Windows disc.Make sure it's the right partition or you will hose your actual current Windows install. Then go watch some TV or take a poop while it does its thing. Come back, and you'll have a few more setup screens—hope you wrote your license key down!—then you'll be up and rolling with Windows 7.

Now what?
The initial setup is fast and easy, but you might wanna check out your driver situation. Mac users, for instance, have a little bit of work ahead of them, since you'll have to install drivers from the OS X disc, and if you're running 64-bit, download theBoot Camp 2.1 update.

Well, there's a lot to check out in Windows 7. Like the new Media Center, which has 10 new features we're really hyped about, like sweet dissolve effects, turboscrolling, virtual channels and remote copying.

The new taskbar is one of its major new UI features that's both exciting and at first a little confusing, since it works a lot differently than the taskbar you're used. Checking out Microsoft's video tour before you jump might save you some frustration. There's also Aero Shake, which knocks all the clutter off your desktop instantly; Snap, with its instant window resizing; and Peek, which is like turbocharged thumbnail previews.

Oh, and whatever you guys do, don't play your MP3s in Windows Media Player, since it could corrupt them! Update: There's a patch out for this issue, here's the 64-bit download and here's the 32-bit.

There's definitely a lot to play around with. Let us know in the comments once you get your install running what else you think people should check out as soon as they get their machine fired up! If you've got any other install tricks, let us know about those too!

Nvidia to have two high end chips in 09

CES 2009: DirectX 10, 40nm and DX11

We've learned that Nvidia plans two chips for its high end roadmap of 2009. The first one is 40nm GT200 derived chip and the big rumour surrounding it is that this chip will be sort of an optical shrink of the existing GT200. 

This would mean that the spec would not change, but that the transistors would get smaller, and so would the TDP and the chip itself, but at the same time 40nm is not an optical shrink process. Nvidia has to develop the chip for it, not just optically shrink it, which dramatically complicates things.

We expect that the new GT200 derived 40nm product will have at least a few more clusters, shaders, TMUs and ROPs, naturally all at higher clocks.

The second chip that should be with us in late 2009 is a DirectX 11 part. Nvidia needs it more than ATI, as it decided to skip DirectX 10.1 and all of its advantages. This chip is rumoured to be based on a new architecture that some call GT300, and we decide to call it Geforce 11, but we have only a few sketchy details about it, DirectX 11 support being the major one.

Console prices to drop before summer

Both Xbox 360 and PS3 to see cuts

With the exceptional sales numbers that Nintendo did with the Wii this holiday season, it is now expected that both Microsoft and Sony will make additional price cuts to remain competitive and to capture more market share, but each will do it for different reasons.

According to our sources, Sony will likely hold off on a major price cut of the PlayStation 3 till the June time frame. With PS3 software sales growing, the company may not feel that cutting the price any sooner than necessary would be a good thing at this point because of the poor initial yields and the longer ramp-up to get die shrinks, as well as other cost reductions. If our sources are correct, expect to see a $299 PlayStation 3 arrive in April.

Once Sony makes its move into the $299 range, we expect Microsoft to respond with a price cut to $249 on their Pro system bundle. We expect to see this cut either right before or after E3 in the June time frame. We also expect to see a slight price cut on the Elite system in this time frame, as well, but our sources are doubtful that the price cut on the Elite system will be a full $50. The Arcade bundle will continue to stay at $199 and be the price leader.

We think that once Sony slashes the price of the PlayStation 3 to $299, you will see sales of the console grow again; but as soon as Microsoft moves the Pro bundle to $249, we think that sales for Sony have the potential to stall if Microsoft announces a stellar slate of titles for the Xbox 360 at E3.

As for the Wii, we are doubtful that you will see a price cut. However, we do expect Nintendo to make some changes to the console in favor of cost reduction to boost profit on the Wii console sales. We also expect to see some developers moving to announce and release more titles for the Wii. We don’t expect hard core titles to come to the Wii in droves, so most hard core gamers will still stay away from the Wii and opt for the Xbox 360 or the PlayStation 3.