Tech Features
Microsoft holiday 2006
By Anne Brodie Oct 12, 2006, 13:59 GMT
Toronto, Canada (M&C) -- On your marks, get set – it is nearly That Time!
Microsoft has unveiled an ambitious holiday array of gifts for the computer whiz and novice. These gift ideas cover fun, information and education. Some products make their debut and others get up-dos.
Speaking of racing towards the holidays, the practical among us will want the new and improved Streets and Trips, a state of the art maps and directions software that connects to the car screen, with voice prompts.
Amazingly, it will give an approximate trip time guide that takes into account traffic delays, time of day, areas to avoid and your personal normal driving rate to come up with approximate arrival times and best route suggestions. It can even factor in coffee shop runs.
No excuse to be late now!
The less practical who need a game fix will enjoy the incredible, heart pounding Microsoft Flight Simulator X, which is emphatically not for the faint of heart. It’s so realistic, even heightened, that some folks may need to look away from the screen! As your aircraft glides through the air, it shows changing natural light over the course of day and night, seasons and places, 3-D landscapes, buildings and flora and fauna, and you don’t need to take your shoes off at security to get onboard.
Entertaining as well as educational is Student with Encarta Premium 2007 a whopper of a source for facts, with unprecedented researching facilities.
Whether students or not, the contents are crack for the curious. Want a course in English literature, 3-D terrain and political maps to Middle East hot spots or help in organizing and presenting assignments? How about explanations of mathematics for natural born poets?
It’s all inside and marks a colossal sea change for home and school educators, too as an interactive portal into a world of knowledge. Information is provided by trusted sources, best of all.
Okay, so web cams are fun, but they are also effective communication tools, and Microsoft has launched two goodies. The Microsoft LifeCam VX-3000 and VX-6000 are its first forays into web cam technology and claim to eradicate common problems experienced by users of previous hardware.
Web cams enhance live communications tools and that’s important, says Elana Zur Hardware Marketing Manager at Microsoft Canada.
“Two thirds of Canadians have embraced Windows Live Messenger as the way they chose to communicate with family and friends, and every month, a billion minutes are spent just in Windows live video conversations all over the world,”
They utilize one touch calling, blogging, and an easy to read dashboard. The live pictures are state-of-the-art still quality (5.0 megapixels interpolated), High Definition video (1.3 megapixels) 3 and 3x digital zoom with a 71-degree wide-angle lens up to three people to join in the conversation.
The Microsoft LifeCam VX-3000 offers High Definition still photography (1.3 megapixels interpolated) and brilliant video (640x480 pixels). The 3000 is $69.95 CDN and the 6000 $129.95 CDN.
Microsoft has hooked up with Razer to create Habu, a gaming mouse that actually guards the gamers hand health with special ergonomically designed elements and eye health with 2,000 dots per inch clarity.
Wireless Entertainment Desktop 7000 is paired with the new rechargeable Bluetooth® powered Wireless Laser Mouse 8000. It provides low interference and long range and measures only one inch at its tallest point.
It even has ‘proximity awareness’ which powers down to save battery life when the user leaves the room and re-ups on re-entry. It’s $199.95 CDN. The 8000 goes steps further including a backlit keyboard with proximity awareness. It retails for $299.95 CDN.
Copyright 2006 by Monsters and Critics
