fans

A couple weeks ago, we reported on Microsoft's plans to unveil special Facebook, Twitter, and Last.fm applications for its popular Xbox Live online service. They've now been officially set live on Live, and they're being heralded as handy ways to ... keep in touch with friends. For those unfamiliar with Xbox Live, it's Microsoft's online service for the Xbox 360 console. It allows those who subscribe to the service (about $60 per year) the ability to play games with one another, chat, download free (and not free) games and movies, and upload music and videos to the system's hard drive. Although ... (view more)

Just how far should artists go to defend their music? The Record Industry Association of America, or RIAA, seems to believe it should mean the prosecution of average Americans, with fines reaching into the hundreds of thousands of dollars. Now, one ... artist is taking matters into his own hands, attacking fan sites using his name without permission. The artist in question is none other than Prince, and recently he's been rocking his own fans like its 1999. Sites dedicated to the 80s legend have now been served notice that they must remove images of Prince, his song lyrics, and "anything linked ... (view more)

Since so many tech fans are also, quite naturally, Star Wars fans (myself included), many of you might be interested in what 'ol George Lucas is doing now that his most famous movie franchise is complete. According to some reports, he's taking the ... next logical step: television. You could call it a step down the entertainment ladder, but it only makes sense that Lucas would capitalize on Star Wars' massive popularity by bringing it to TV. However, don't expect to see your favourite characters from the flicks; Lucas assures fans that this will introduce the lives of formerly minor characters. " ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader Robert G. writes: " Dear Dennis, I've been a fan of your newsletter for quite some time. Thanks for that! Question: at the end of the day, is it best to log off and keep the computer running and ready for the next time it is used, ... or should I shut it down completely and power off? I've heard different variations on the answer to this age-old question. If I leave it running, the fans are always spinning, which causes wear and tear. What do you think? " My response: Good question! I personally always leave my laptop running 24 hours a day because I'm always using it (I'm ... (view more)