Microsoft shot way up the buzz meter when blurry pics of the "iPod-killer" surfaced on the net. Of course, we know better than to believe rumors. But there's an intriguing twist to the story. We know that if Microsoft intends to come up with a rival to the iPod, the company has to find a way to break Apple's stranglehold on the music store market. Ergo, it has to get around the iTunes lock-in. We've heard that a "trusted insider" who's privy to some of the Microsoft discussions with potential content partners has revealed more exciting information about the new portable audio and video player. All this would complement the dizzying pics that we posted a couple of days ago.

First off, the source said that the new device will have a bigger screen than that of the iPod video. And as expected, it's supposed to come with built-in Wi-Fi for easy content download. This is a basic feature really, but with WiFi, the possibility of Xbox Live-style interaction becomes more apparent. The new social network has a tag line of "Connected Entertainment".

Well, that's a feature that would certainly set it apart from iPod services. But what's going to get you all excited is that Microsoft is going to let you download songs for "free", provided these songs were already bought from the iTunes Music Store. Microsoft will pay the rightsholders for the songs.

Sure sounds like Microsoft's really taking the fight to Apple. IF it's all true, of course.

Everybody has their good days and bad days, right? Well, yesterday was a bad day - especially for our faithful forum family. Due to a series of unfortunate events that were enough to make us pull our hair out (yes, we're all bald now, even the ladies), the QJ.NET Forums have been down for the last 24 hours.  After a year of uninterrupted  service on our forums, it was bound to happen eventually. Despite the rumors, this was nothing more than miscommunication with our server hosts - nothing malicious or diabolical about it at all. Just a Grade-A snafu.

Nevertheless, the forums are now back online and everything is as it was. Just in case you've forgotten how to get there (a common withdrawal symptom), here's a direct link back to the QJ.NET Forums Directory where you'll find forum categories for each and every one of the QJ Blogs. And in case some of you have never visited the Forums, here's some highlights that you should check out - especially if you're a new 1.50 PSP user looking to get into homebrew!

PSP:

• FAQ's, Guides, and Tutorials - Your one stop shop for details on how to do just about anything with (or to) your PSP!
• PSP Homebrew and Hacks Help - If the Tutorial section doesn't answer your question, one of our many helpful and knowledgeable PSP experts will!
• PSP Development Forum - Find out what homebrew developers are up to - they're cranking out new stuff everyday!
• Official eLoader Forum - If you're sticking with 2.0 - 2.60 Firmware, this is the place to be!

Next-Gen:

• Xbox 360 Forums - Talk about all the latest that Microsoft is offering!
• PS3 Forums / Wii Forums - Plenty of rumors and excitement going on waiting for these two systems to be released!

Nintendo DS:

• NDS Homebrew - No reason the PSP should have all the fun!
• NDS WFC & Games - Join up with our community and play with your friends online! A great place to exchange friend codes!

Consumer:

• Apple Forums - One of our newer and fast growing forums, take a bite out of the Apple!
• Gadgets and Electronic Forums - Another new community here at QJ.NET but quickly on the rise! Get in on the fun!

QJ.NET:

• QJ.NET News and Help - This is where you'll find out about what's new with the QJ.NET Forums! If you've got a question, comment, problem, or suggestion about the site, this is where to go!

Plus so many more forums! Again, we sincerely apologize for the unscheduled downtime - if it happens again, we'll eat our hats... which we now need to keep our hairless heads warm!

According to reports, Apple's iWork productivity suite will welcome a new software to the family by it's second anniversary in January of 2007. It is assumed that it is meant to be a competitor for Microsoft's Excel. But Apple denies this, saying that it is more of a consumer friendly spreadsheet, without the added complicated functions of Excel. It is geared towards home users and small businesses. Charts will support importing and exporting Excel formatted documents, as well as legacy AppleWorks spreadsheets.

Rumored to come with this software is a built-in media browser, drag-and-drop support of spreadsheet and chart data view in new Mail messages, and some level of Address Book interoperability.

There is no news yet as to how big a hole it will cause in our pockets.

And I thought the rumor about Microsoft creating an iPod rival was long gone. Apparently, it isn't...and that rumor's back, providing us with some believable info on Microsoft's plans for this Apple iPod rival. "Sources" close to this matter are saying that the company does have a plan to start the sale of digital music and video players by Christmas.

Since it's aiming to compete with the iPod - which inevitably means also competing with the iTunes Music Store - Microsoft plans to have a wireless feature which will enable the downloading of videos and music over-the-air.

Aside from this, the company has also been reported to be talking with several record companies these past weeks and has been said to be developing a media software application similar to the integrated ecosystem of iTunes for this rumored media player. If Microsoft is going to push through with its plans to go head-to-head with Apple's iPod, it really needs to build an "integrated seamless ecosystem for digital media" like the iTunes.

We'll see soon enough if this rumor turns out to be true.

There are a lot of speculations on what the highly-anticipated and much publicized Operating System from Apple, Leopard, will have as its spots, I mean, features. Some possible candidates that are being thrown around are Boot Camp, Bit Torrent, Maps...

Yes, you read it right, Maps. I bet you never saw that one coming huh? What good purpose will maps on your Macs serve, you ask? Apparently, Leopard will come bundled with something simply called Maps, which works pretty much the same way as Google Maps and Microsoft's Virtual Earth does. Maps, insiders say, will use GPS to track down stolen Apple goods. How Steve Jobs and the people a Apple are going to do that before its release in August, I absolutely have no clue. We simply know they can.

We earlier featured some articles pitting Microsoft's Windows Vista with Apple's Mac OS X. That's highly unsurprising at all since the two companies have been each others' competition for a long, long time now. And both companies are bringing their best features forward in this battle for OS supremacy.

Which brings us to this junction. Apparently, Microsoft chose to install the the awaited Windows Vista to an Apple contraption - specifically on a MacBook Pro. Not only did they install the Vista, they also installed the Microsoft Office 2007 in that MacBook.

The MS people most likely want to demonstrate how powerful their upcoming OS and application suite is. Apparently, the presentation of Windows Vista and Office 2007 for a group of bloggers at Microsoft HQ in Diegem, Belgium just recently.

Good strategy I should say since MS would definitely take advantage for it ensures that MS would make some profit out of adamant and hard core Mac users. I could literally hear the MS block saying, "beat that Apple"! Let's see what Apple has up its sleeves.

Apple Computer is looking to outshine rival Microsoft Corp. yet again. Same company, different scenarios. This time, it is for the inevitable battle between the two companies' software operating systems -- Leopard and Vista.

With over a month to go before Apple releases their latest software operating system, Leopard - the next version of Mac OS X, rumors have been sprouting like mushrooms. Apparently there are a couple of screens that depict some features of the software.

With Leopard hitting the market about the same time as Microsoft's Vista, it isn't surprising if there are backfence talks that says Apple has been keeping a close watch on the Bill Gates camp. Allegedly, Apple has been developing a handful of features for Leopard that will specifically rival those available to Vista users.

Heard through the grapevine that one of Leopard's features is OS-level integration of a geographical mapping technology, similar to Microsoft's Virtual Earth. The technology will presumably allow Leopard users to scour the globe through satellite imagery and whisk up driving directions on the drop of a dime. Another rumored feature of Leopard is the unification of Apple's Address Book and iCal applications into a single app. This is coupled with the absence of the traditional iCal icon in the Mac OS X Dock.

But the juiciest morsel of rumors surround Apple's Boot Camp and where the company may or may not take the technology. It seems that some sources are saying that the technology is being groomed as a rival to Microsoft's Virtual PC Express. The similarities do not end there it seems that Apple is also rumored to be contemplating for a "more marketable" name for its next-generation OS just like what Windows did for the Vista (it was formerly known as Longhorn, if you don't remember).

Apple plans to unveil Leopard for the first time at its World Wide Developers Conference, which runs from August 7-11 at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, Calif. By that time, these rumors would either have been confirmed or trashed, we'll see.

Bill Gate's desk is still warm but looks like Microsoft is already changing corporate directions. Two weeks ago, MS denied rumors the company was planning a coup to topple Apple's monster hit iPod. The day after Bill Gates announced his semi-retirement phase, insiders whispered the software empire is indeed building the iPod killer.

The buzzing says MS is not only developing a music and video device but its own music service to rival Apple's iTunes. Handling the reins of this project is MS rising star Robbie Bach, former overlord of the Xbox video game business. The company, according to sources, has already held licensing discussions with the music industry and has been showing off a demo version of the still brandname-less device.

Meanwhile, iTunes' counterpart (also in demo stage) has been described by someone who has seen it as an improvement over Apple's music service. "They have been developing technologies that have really good music discovery and community...iTunes is the 7-11 (of music stores). You don't hang out there."

Sources said Microsoft has not made any plans regarding the launch of the entertainments device and music service.

Microsoft has just released Microsoft Office 2004 for Mac 11.2.4 Update. Several fixes on security issues and some unidentified enhancements to the work productivity suite are included in this latest update.

One of the security issues this update fixes is the vulnerability in Office 2004 for Mac that gives an attacker means to overwrite the contents of your computer's memory with malicious code. Also fixed were some of the issues in Microsoft PowerPoint 2004 and Entourage 2004 plus the improvements in all previous Office 2004 updates.

This latest update applies to Microsoft Office 2004 Standard Edition, Office 2004 Student and Teacher Edition, Office 2004 Professional Edition, Word 2004, Excel 2004, PowerPoint 2004, and Entourage 2004.

The following minimum system requirements are needed to be able to install Microsoft Office 2004 for Mac 11.2.4 Update:

• Processor: Mac OS X-compatible processor that is a model G3 or a later model
• Operating system: Mac OS X 10.2.8 (Jaguar) or a later version of Mac OS; if you want to use Spotlight, Sync Services, or smart cards, you must be running Mac OS X 10.4.3 (Tiger) or a later version
• Memory: 256 MB of RAM

Over the next month, other improvements will be delivered to the Office 2004 with Update 11.2.5 and to Office X with 10.1.7. In the meantime, for instructions on how to install Update 11.2.4, just visit Mactopia.

Download: [Microsoft Office 2004 for Mac 11.2.4 Update]

Accommodating users of its Office Software for the Macintosh, Microsoft last Tuesday unveiled their Wireless Laser Desktop for Mac. Included in this desktop set is a high definition laser mouse that lets you work tangle free, along with a Magnifier, that works just like a magnifying glass that is held up to your computer screen. With a simple press and hold motion, the Magnifier enlarges the area of your screen that fits inside the lens.

Your hands and wrist rest naturally on the Comfort Curve keyboard that was customized with Mac-specific keys and easily programmable hot keys. Also, zoom in quickly and accurately with the intuitive Zoom Slider, useful when touching up small details in photos like red eye, then zoom out to view the entire imageÂ?without taking your hand off the keyboard.

Additional Features:

• Customizable Buttons
• Sophisticated Finish
• 4-Way Scrolling
• Unique Style
• Cutting-Edge Design
• 4-Way Scrolling

The Redmond, Wash., company said it is street-pricing its Wireless Laser Desktop for Mac at $99.95 and it will be available this summer.