Brandon Dimmel

News out of the console world today is a bit depressing, unless you're keen on buying an Xbox 360 for cheap in the United Kingdom. The sad news? The Sony Playstation 3, anticipated for its hulking power (and certainly not its equally giant price ... tag) has lost about 10% of its core GPU (Graphics Processing Unit). The not-so-sad news? Another retailer has brought down the price of the Xbox 360 across the pond. When it was first announced a few years ago, the buzz about the Playstation 3 was louder than any Sony system before it, because this time the Japanese hardware king was going to be the ... (view more)

Just yesterday, we reported on the recent judicial attack on pirates and hackers in the technology world. For those profiting off of the industry's power-players by ripping off their software, there is, evidently a price to pay. Ditto for those ... breaking into secure computers. Still, the recent crackdown is not deterring the world's hackers, as major communications provider AT ... (view more)

In the midst of my scouring the web for the day's most interesting tech headlines, I stumbled across something completely unrelated to Microsoft, Apple, or even Sony. Why'd I decide to click, and then comment on it? Call it national interest. As a ... recent MA History graduate who wrote his thesis on border economics and culture, it appeared particularly fascinating that Thunder Bay, Ontario's Lakehead University has recently attracted the ire of American yuppies with its public criticism of Yale University, whose amlumnae include the last three U.S. Presidents. So, what is Lakehead's ... (view more)

Maybe everyone is just bored, tired, and a little restless. There haven't been any monumental releases lately, and Sony's highly anticipated Playstation 3 is still -- at best -- another eleven weeks away. Personally, I'll be okay. It's September, ... and north of the border, which means that the next version of the NHL series is about to make its slightly-updated re-appearance into the gaming world. With that said, it seems many writers covering the video game industry are just a bit frazzled with the current dry spell, with many coming out to question Sony's entire future and the importance of ... (view more)

Generally, I don't much like email. It's impersonal, often leads to miscommunication, and simply doesn't carry the satisfaction of personal interaction with someone on the phone, or, better yet, in person. However, for those rare occasions when I ... want to completely avoid emotional contact, email is often the best choice. And apparently, tech retailer Radio Shack feels the same way. Rather than approach employees in a respectful, consolatory manner, the company recently laid off 400 employees through email. The affected workers are (or were) employed at Radio Shack's Fort Worth, Texas ... (view more)

All right, I am officially "ticked" (I can think of a better word for it, but my editor has a clean mouth). ;-) Not long ago I wrote about my experience in acquring a laptop for purchase. Sure, they're portable and that's very neat-o, but when it ... comes to getting the best bang for your buck, desktop systems are where it's at. So, if you don't mind, I'll now vent about my recent, frustrated experiences in finding a good desktop system. First off: if you've read much of my material in the past, you know that I like the games. Not so much that I'd turn down an evening out with friends for a ... (view more)

Evidently, crime doesn't pay, even in the tech world. Although it seems that in the land of Microsoft, PDAs, and Google criminals routinely get away with their crimes (even as corporate entities in various industries, like music, begin to get ... tough), there is evidence that the courts are fighting back. In the last week two major sentences have been handed down, including a three year jail term for a botnet attacker and a six year lockup for a software pirate. Christopher Maxwell, 21, pleaded guilty in May of launching a computer attack that affected tens of thousands of systems. Last Friday, ... (view more)

You want proof that the seemingly endless number of antitrust suits against Microsoft is actually having some effect? Look to South Korea, where the Redmond-based company is currently launching a version of its operating system XP that has seen many ... of its prominent features removed. Late last year, long after its legal troubles began in the United States, a South Korean court found Microsoft guilty of monopolistic actions. At that time, the South Korean Fair Trade Commission lashed out at the Big M for its bundling of media player software and instant messaging with its newest operating ... (view more)

According to Electronic Arts -- the biggest game developer in the world -- just 40% of teenage girls are involved in gaming, a number that is much lower than the 90% of teenage boys who confirmed that they played games. Although the BBC does not ... thoroughly explain EA's study, it adds that most girls lose interest in games within a year. Gardner believes the answer might lie with the film industry. Certainly, movies are not only made for men, and many of the year's Oscar nominations (although often not box-office successes) are "chick flicks." If the video game industry wants the attention of ... (view more)

Although many are eagerly anticipating the release of Microsoft's new operating system (OS), Windows Vista, don't expect to ring in the New Year with it. Although Microsoft has been working feverishly to get Vista out within the first few days of ... 2007, a post for the operating system on Amazon.com has the product listed for January 30. (Source: amazon.com ) Vista is of course Microsoft's number one project as it juggles goals for the coming year. The Redmond-based company recently assigned its upcoming personal digital music player, the "Zune", to Toshiba for manufacturing, perhaps as a ... (view more)