ViReal

n March, the Windows team announced the upcoming release of Service Pack 1 for Windows 7, and Windows Server 2008 R2, but did not set a date of availability. At the time, Microsoft's Brandon LeBlanc said, "For Windows 7, SP1 includes only minor updates, among which are previous updates that are already delivered through Windows Update. SP1 for Windows 7 will, however, deliver an updated Remote Desktop client that takes advantage of RemoteFX introduced in the server-side with SP1 for Windows Server 2008 R2." Now, ahead of the beta cycle, it appears a recent build of Windows 7 SP1 beta (6.1.7601.16537.amd64fre.win7.100327-0053) has leaked, and it is available as a torrent. We checked a couple of torrent sites, and it is a relatively easy archive to find, so it has been downloaded thousands of times already.

iPhone Dev-Team member MuscleNerd revealed this afternoon that he has already managed to jailbreak the iPad after just a day of sales. The crack is a variation on the same "Spirit" jailbreak recently used to de-restrict iPhone 3.1.3 and, like the earlier technique, is believed to use a browser-based exploit as part of a trick to get root access and let unsigned apps run on the tablet. It's not yet evident how easily this could be made into an automated process for regular users. A jailbreak was virtually expected following the iPad's launch, but the rapid discovery has shown that the iPhone 3.2 firmware used on the device hasn't patched all of the security holes that were present in the 3.1.3 code. Most jailbreaks to date have used vulnerabilities either in Safari or the OS itself to grant unrestricted access. The combination of the risk to users and Apple's own general discouragement of jailbreaking has led to many of these jailbreaks being rendered inert ove...

A bionic eye prototype developed by researchers in Australia aims to implant an array of electrodes in the eye that can deliver electrical impulses directly to neurons in the retina. The group, called Bionic Vision Australia, has developed a device called the wide-view neurostimulator for patients suffering from degenerative vision loss. “It is really designed to give people back their mobility so they can move around their environment and avoid obstacles,” says Anthony Burkitt, research director of Bionic Vision Australia. “We are also working on a second-generation product that will help people recognize faces and read large print.”

A new flexible and biocompatible electronic device can produce a more detailed picture of the electrical activity of a beating heart. This high-resolution electrical map could help improve the diagnosis and treatment of heart abnormalities by pinpointing areas of damage or misfiring circuitry.

Let's make sure we've got the concept behind GameCrush right. The Web site pays girls to play video games and live-chat with gamers (presumably somewhat lonely gamer boys), who pay for the privilege. This isn't a joke. This is GameCrush's business model. GameCrush is set to launch at 6 p.m. PDT Tuesday, and its premise, in theory, is simple. It's the gaming equivalent of buying a girl a drink to chat her up, the developers say. A Player (yes, they're called "Players") buys points--500 cost $8.25--and uses them to buy "game time" with a PlayDate (yes, they're called PlayDates). Xbox titles including Modern Warfare 2, Gears of War 2, Grand Theft Auto IV, and Halo 3 cost 400 points and last up to 10 minutes. PC-based casual games like Checkers, Battle Ship, Billiards Pool, Four Across, and Tic Tac Toe cost a little less. Players browse through PlayDate profiles, and once they find one they're interested in they can send a gaming invite. ...

More than 100 drivers in Austin, Texas found their cars disabled or the horns honking out of control, after an intruder ran amok in a web-based vehicle-immobilization system normally used to get the attention of consumers delinquent in their auto payments. Police with Austin’s High Tech Crime Unit on Wednesday arrested 20-year-old Omar Ramos-Lopez, a former Texas Auto Center employee who was laid off last month, and allegedly sought revenge by bricking the cars sold from the dealership’s four Austin-area lots. Is it safe! To be soulfully believing in the automated systems that we build with our own two hand!! As i believe what we may build today; may be broken tomorrow! Can we make technology that last longer than our lives.... Its all based on need'ss

Google is working on Android-based set-top box software with Intel and Sony. It's the latest in Google's ongoing efforts to enter the TV industry. Here's what we learn from Nick Bilton's article for the Times: Google is working on a platform called Google TV with Sony and Intel. It's based on Google's Android OS, and will be open source. Users will be able to do Web stuff like search, plus watch Web video from sites like YouTube, and maybe Hulu. Google and Intel want to move into the TV business, where they have little presence. Sony wants to compete with Vizio on something other than price. Google wants software companies to write apps for Google TV, the same way they do for Android phones. Logitech is teaming up for peripherals, including a remote with a tiny keyboard. The companies are hiring for Android-related jobs. Google obviously wants to put ads on this system. Google has built a prototype set-top box, but the software might be built straight on to TV s...