Microsoft confirms it will replace some Xbox units

Microsoft is planning to replace an unspecified number of Xbox 360 units with new 250GB Xbox 360 S consoles.
Yesterday, Twitter user @lovedecake posted an image of an e-mail he apparently had received from "Xbox Customer Support." That e-mail cited an issue with a recent Xbox 360 firmware update that was "preventing a very small number of Xbox 360 owners from playing retail game discs." A Xbox support staffer tweeted a confirmation to @lovedecake that verified the e-mail.
Earlier reports asserted the issue was related to the most recent firmware update for a group of Xbox 360 testers that allows for an extra gigabyte of space on game discs. However, Microsoft confirmed to CNET today that the issue actually relates to an earlier firmware update that was released to all Xbox users. The company would not specify which one.
"Following a recent update to our system software, we have become aware of an issue that is preventing a very small number of Xbox 360 owners from playing retail game discs," a Microsoft representative told CNET today in an e-mailed statement. "This issue manifests itself as a unique 'disc unreadable' or 'disc unsupported' error on the screen and is unrelated to our recent public beta.
"We are also able to detect this issue over Xbox Live and are proactively reaching out to customers that may be impacted to replace their console," the rep continued. "Any Xbox 360 owners receiving this error are encouraged to contact us so we can verify if the console has been impacted."
Microsoft is requiring affected customers to "start a repair request," verifying key information, including their console serial number, to ensure the respective device is one impacted by the update. Once that's complete, users will need to send their Xbox 360 consoles back to Microsoft to get a new Xbox 360 S.
Though it might not be the best scenario for an upgrade, consumers would be getting the latest version of the Xbox 360 on the market. The device comes with a black finish and the aforementioned 250GB hard drive. It's also smaller than its predecessor.
To further sweeten the pot for affected users, the e-mail posted by @lovedecake states that Microsoft will also offer a free 12-month subscription to Xbox Live. Microsoft's console offer is valid through the end of September, the e-mail states.

Windows 7 almost five times more secure than XP

Windows 7 is four to five times less vulnerable to malware infections than is Windows XP.
Those are the findings of Microsoft's latest Security Intelligence Report (PDF), which detailed in depth the state of software vulnerabilities, exploits, security breaches, and malware in 2010.
Overall, the study found that infection rates for newer Microsoft operating systems with the latest service packs are consistently lower than those for older OSes, giving Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 the highest marks for security.

(Credit: Microsoft)

Looking at the number of reported infections per 1,000 computers, Microsoft found that Windows 7 64-bit had the lowest number at 2.5, while the 32-bit version had 3.8.
Windows XP with SP3 came in with 15.9 infections per 1,000, while XP with SP2 had the highest number at 19.3. Breaking down the numbers, Microsoft's stats mean that Windows 7 is around four to five times more secure than XP.
Windows Vista's infection rate was considerably lower than that for XP but still turned out to be double that for Windows 7.
Drilling down further, the 64-bit versions of Windows 7 and Windows Vista are less infection-prone than are their 32-bit counterparts, which Microsoft attributes to a couple of factors.
First, the 64-bit versions of both systems may appeal to more tech-savvy users, presumably ones that would better know how to secure their computers. But second, Windows 64-bit offers a feature called Kernel Patch Protection, which protects the Windows kernel from unauthorized changes.
Analyzing server-based operating systems, Windows Server 2003, which offers both 32-bit and 64-bit editions, had 5.8 infections per 1,000. Windows Server 2008 R2, which comes only in a 64-bit flavor, had 3.6 infections.
Security holes in applications versus those in operating systems or Web browsers accounted for most of the vulnerabilities last year, according to Microsoft. However, the total number of holes found in applications fell 22.2 percent from 2009. But exploits that take advantage of Java vulnerabilities rose dramatically in last year's third quarter, surpassing every other category, the report noted.

Microsoft uses Facebook 'likes' to battle Google

Microsoft will launch a new feature in Bing Search, baking in recommendations from Facebook friends, to make results more relevant.
The new feature, to debut tomorrow, will elevate results that have received a thumbs up "like" from a friend on Facebook. So if a user is searching for a Thai restaurant in San Francisco, for example, a particular spot that received kudos from that person's Facebook posse will climb in the results.
Microsoft, which likes to call Bing a "decision engine" to distinguish from Google, wants Bing to mimic the real world, where people often seek advice from friends before making decisions. And while recommendation sites such as Yelp offer utility, they don't include insights from trusted friends.

Bing search results that include recommendations from Facebook friends

(Credit: Microsoft)

"We're trying to infuse this idea of emotion into the decision engine," Bing director Stefan Weitz said. What's more, Microsoft is deepening its relationship with Facebook, creating a bulwark against Google, which dominates Web search. The Facebook partnership offers Bing searchers something they can't get on Google.
"They don't have access to the Facebook firehose," Weitz said.
Google continues to dominate search with 65.4 percent share in April according to ComScore, compared to just 14.1 percent for Bing and 15.9 percent for Yahoo, which uses Bing's search technology. The closest social recommendation offering from Google is its "+1" feature that gives users the ability to effectively "like" search results.
Microsoft estimates that roughly 3.5 million sites have "like" buttons. What's more, the company says more than 30 billion pieces of content - everything from news stories and blog posts to music links and photo albums - are shared each month. The companies didn't share data about how often users "like" products and services, the cornerstone of the new Bing feature.
The social recommendations will be most obvious in searches for products and services. Hotels, stores, and goods, such as electronics and clothes, will all rise in search results if user's friends have clicked the "like" icon in Facebook. When those results pop up, they'll include a line that a specific friend liked the product or service along with a tiny thumbnail photo from their Facebook profile.
Bing will also elevate news articles in results if a Facebook friend posted a link to the piece on their wall. And when users look broadly in a product category, such as "thin laptops," review sites that focus on the category and have been liked by friends will surface in results.
The feature only works when a user is logged into both Facebook and Bing at the same time. Microsoft said that more than 60 percent of Facebook users have a Facebook tab open in their browser while online.

MV Agusta F4 RR Corsacorta

Yesterday, MV Agusta announced the Brutale 990R Italy 150 Special Edition, and today the company has launched the first teaser video for the 2012 F4 RR Corsacorta super bike. The new bike will make its world debut at the EICMA show in Milan in November 2011.

Compared to the standard F4 model, the new RR version will add an extra 18 HP and will be equipped with Brembo brakes, an Ohlins TTX, and carbon fiber components. The video also reveals a new paint scheme and various sport components making the RR model even more sportier than its previous version. The bike in the video features a new matte white exterior paint, but we expect more options to be offered when the bike goes on sale at the beginning of 2012. Expect prices to be in the $30K area.

UPDATE 05/11/2011: MV Agusta has revealed the official details on the 2012 F4 RR - "the most advanced and powerful superbike in the world." The new bike will be put on sale at a starting price of 22,900 euro, or about $32,900 at the current exchange rates. The F4 RR is powered by a short-stroke radial valve engine that delivers 201 HP at 13,400 rpm and will be offered with even more exotic materials and reduced weight. For 2012, the model will also get two new color schemes: pastel red/white and matte pearl white.

iSmart Dialer

iSmart Dialer claims to completely change the way you use your dialer, and it does, though I'm not sure in the way they were hoping. It features a robust settings menu that gives you some flexibility in the way the app works, but like many Cydia apps, the features are poorly explained, leaving the user to test them via trial and error, which can be frustrating.

Once you've activated the trial, you can see it work immediately by opening the dialer and trying to place a phone call. Shake the phone to bring up a search menu, which lets you search contacts by pressing the numbers on the phone keypad.
This seems to work pretty well, although I'd like to be able to click the search box and get a keypad to type from, as using numbers to correspond with letters seems so 1999.
I do like the photos in the favorites menu, which is much easier to use when you need to dial someone quickly. The speed dial option is nice, once you have it set up, and there are plenty of tweaks to play with, but overall, I find it to be too much, and more trouble than it is worth. As a trial, it's nice, but I wouldn't pay the 7.99 they are asking.
I like apps that speed up my user experience, but with iSmart Dialer, I feel like I'm moving in the opposite direction, and complicating things that need not be difficult. If you would like to learn more, you can visit their website here.

Maserati GT Garbin Concept

Jaime Cervantes, Andrea Coccia, and Chetan Rajput, a trio of students from the Transportation Design at the Politecnico di Milano in Italy, have come up with a design study that is fit to wear the Maserati crown. Under the guidance of Fiat, these students chose to create a design study of what a Maserati GranTurismo inspired vehicle would look like in 2020 with a throwback to the Maserati Ghibli produced in the late sixties/early seventies. It goes by the name of Maserati GT Garbin, but its look is anything but retro with some unique and modern interpretations.

The GT Garbin’s surface language features discontinuous shapes and luminescent fabrics as seen a fashion design concept called the Armani Collection Privé 2010. The modern edge was added through the use of dramatic, futuristic shapes inspired by the Opera Theatre of Valencia, by Calatrava. The sparkle comes in the form of various blue LED lights scattered throughout the exterior and unique doors that open outward and then slide forward. A typical Maserati grille was thrown in there for good measure.

The same design language was brought to the interior of the vehicle and is used to connect the door panels to the dashboard. The GT Garbin Concept can fit four adults in seats that seem to be a little awkwardly shaped. A long piano-black center console breaks up the look of the interior and houses the air conditioner, navigation, and entertainment system controls.

This concept was sponsored by Fiat, so the GT Garbin will use the same 4.7 liter V8 engine as seen on the Maserati GranTurismo. Not that we will ever see this concept out on the road.

Brother's Justice

In an attempt to reinvent his career, actor Dax Shepard makes the rash decision to abandon comedy in pursuit of his true dream: to become an internationally-renown martial arts star. Without any formal martial arts training, nor adequate funding for his ‘blockbuster’ action movie script, Dax enlists the help of his buddies including producer Nate Tuck and actor Tom Arnold. Together, they fight to realize Dax’s true passion while facing rejection at every turn. With maniacal conviction, Dax journeys on a bizarre path that becomes increasingly nonsensical and destructive, all at the expense and exploitation of his personal and professional relationships.