More Court Dates for Microsoft

It’s bad enough for Microsoft that a European judge ruled on Dec. 22 that the software giant will have to disclose proprietary technical information to rivals and sell a version of Windows with its audio and video player stripped out. But the ruling’s real damage is far more subtle. Microsoft had hoped that it would win a modest point, a setback for the European Commission that would bring it back to the negotiating table. But its victory was so sweeping that the EC has little impetus to resume talks. And that means Microsoft will continue to slog this case out in court. Further information can be found at BusinessWeek Online.

Separately, Microsoft has announced it would remove the Media Player from a special EU version of Microsoft Windows XP operating system in accordance with the EU ruling.

Graphics cards

Tom’s Hardware Guide has posted an article containing a comparison of modern graphics cards. This “VGA chart part V” contains a comparison of all the latest graphics cards which feature PCI Express interface. The author also included performance numbers for dual-GPU GeForce 6800 GT and 6600 GT SLI graphics cards setups.

Displays

TrustedReviews has taken a look at Dell W2600 LCD TV set. This 26” widescreen LCD TV set boasts with screen resolution of 1280x768, DVI and D-Sub ports along with RCA and mini-jack audio.

Memory

MetkuMods has compared a pair of DDR2 memory module kits: Mushkin PC2-5300 and Corsair PC2-5400. Although both products are validated to operate at 667MHz frequency, Corsair also allows its top memory to function at 675MHz clock-rate.

Modding

3DVelocity.com has reviewed Sunbeam’s Lightbus light controller. This product gives you control of virtually every LED and lamp in your PC case as well as fan speeds.

HWZone has reviewed FSP BlueStorm 400W power supply unit. This PSU offers solid construction balanced with an assortment of unique features, such as Over Current Protection (OCP), Over Voltage Protection (OVP) and Short Current Protection (OPP). Users concerned with cable clutter will appreciate the professionally sleeved cables as well as the “EZ Grip” Female Molex connectors. The painted blue chassis combined with the blue 120mm exhaust fan adds several benefits in terms of maximizing cooling levels. The blue illuminated power switch is also nice touch that adds to the overall aesthetics of the product.

Mobile devices

After several years of bulking up to meet consumer demand for high-performance models with large screens, many notebooks will shed weight to dip below 7.5 pounds. New hardware, including an updated version of Intel’s Centrino chip bundle, will help usher in the era of slimmer portables, which aren’t expected to cost much more than heavier counterparts with equal components, industry watchers say, An article at CNET News.com contains some information about notebook’s short-term future evolution.