Hybrid OS lovers were ecstatic to find that the latest Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard came with the complete release of Boot Camp, a utility which helps install Windows-based applications on the Mac. While the idea of Microsoft and Apple holding hands in solidarity was something rather farfetched a little while back, evidence of growing compatibility between the two rival OS types has slowly been piling up.

Read more about this in the full article!

Greenpeace has released their "Guide to Greener Electronics" which scores the 18 top manufacturers of gadgets and devices according to their policies on toxic chemicals and recycling.

Apple, which was under Greenpeace's black books for the iPhone, got a better score this time around. Among the three console manufacturers, Sony scored the best. Microsoft was third to the last and Nintendo was in last place (because both are new entries to the guide).

Microsoft and Apple rivalry is nothing new nowadays, after Apple's advertising efforts have taken to the airwaves and become a staple of competitive adverts. But it seems a new development in the gadget scene is causing some annoyance, and that Apple has once again did something to keep an Apple product from working well with a Microsoft platform. Apple just rolled out a new software update for their Apple products, and a few iPod owners have found it has swatted more than just bugs.

Want to jailbreak your iPhone but still scouting for other solutions? You may want to check out Drakenza's iDemocracy, a tool that lets you jailbreak your iPhone and give it extra wallpapers, ringtones and 1.1.2 support. More info in the full article!

Download: iDemocracy v2.0
Download: iDemocracy v2.0.1 update
Download: Microsoft .NET Framework 3.0

The collaboration between CCP and TransGaming, Inc. we reported on a couple of months back has finally borne fruit. CCP's interstellar MMORPG title, EVE Online, is now available on all three of the most widely used operating systems in the world: Microsoft Windows, Macintosh and Linux. Gamers can now enjoy cross-OS play with other EVE Online players around the world. Learn more at the full article.

We posted an article one month ago that invited readers to do a little thought exercise. Here's what we said: "On the 5th of November we're going to post an article or two about video games, gadgets, technology, and general geekness ... the things about video gaming and technology that ought not be forgotten."

So here's our list of some video gaming and technology moments worth remembering. Hope this gets you thinking (and feeling nostalgic too!). And we look forward to your comments (and arguments). What do you remember and wish that the world will never forget?

CNET has just released the poll results for their top 20 most wanted products for the week ending October 28. And from the looks of it, Microsoft's getting a pick-me-up as their upcoming Zune 2 media player pulls ahead of the Nintendo Wii and Sony PlayStation 3 to first place. From an ugly duckling to a swan, indeed.

Getting into specifics, the Zune 2.0 player (available only in black) will carry a new iPod-style Zune pad, a 3.2-inch screen, and a set of downloadable features that are expected to be available come this fall. And while Sony has already made plans to phase out their 60 GB PlayStation 3 by the end of this year, the polls indicate that it's still on shoppers' wish lists at third place.

Other notables we spied in the list were the Apple iPhone, which got fifth place, and the recently released black PSP Slim, which was at eleventh place.

The iPod was a success - the iPhone was a success - the iPod Touch is a success. The effect? The word is spreading and the Mac is more popular than ever: research indicates that the company may move to become third strongest computer company in the US when it releases its latest quarterly report.

Currently, Apple may be moving at a faster pace than Microsoft which took nearly seven years to launch the Vista after Windows XP. Apple, on the other hand, is releasing a new operating system almost every year. Their latest, the Leopard version of the OS X, will actually be released this Friday.

Steve Jobs, on comparing the Vista and Leopard, commented that Apple's gives more value for money than Microsoft's Ultimate Edition (Vista's most elite version): "Everybody gets the Ultimate edition and it sells for 129 bucks, [...] the Ultimate edition of Vista [...] sells for 250 bucks."

Apple is particularly popular for its laptops. Two-thirds of a Apple machines sold in the US are laptops. In terms of revenue, Apple already outstripped the competition (because their machines are [generally] more expensive). A lot of their consumers are former Windows users who have crossed over to the other side, partly in thanks to the success of the iPod and iPhone.

The research firm Gartner has forecasted that Apple will rise 37% in the market. And if Leopard continues the tradition and sweeps the market off its feet, what's Apple's plan? Upgrades. Lots of product upgrades for the Leopard that might last for as long as a decade, says Jobs.

New details have come in for the Google phone whose rumors have been going on and off for some months now. The Google phone is coming, but not as a competitor to the messiah of all phones, the iPhone. Instead, it aims to compete with Microsoft's Windows Mobile service.

Google's objectives are expected to be more software based, aiming to expand their advertising services, rather than competing with the hardware of the iPhone. It's also expected that they'll be migrating their Internet applications to run on the mobile platform. The advertising function is theorized to subsidize part of the phone's cost.

What new functions can they offer the mobile scene though? Most mobile carriers declined to comment on the subject, but as Arun Sarin of Vodafone points out, Google is already accessible from a number of devices, "you don't need a Google phone to do that." Some also speculate that its reception in the mobile world may not be as successful as on the Internet.

The Google phone won't be limiting its services to only one mobile carrier like the iPhone. Analysts also suspect that Google won't be making the phone itself but will only offer its software to manufacturers. Their software will be based on open-source Linux software, according to executive informants who wish to remain unnamed.

Microsoft just came out with a sack-load of information about its line of Office suites for Apple platforms. Office 2008 for Macs is the latest installment, allowing for document cross-platform compatibility (the sure-fire way) if you could afford the price. Because for the three offered flavors of Mac-compatible suite, the lowest tag would still cost a student a leg and part of an arm.

Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac Home and Student Edition is the cheapest flavor of the three offered packages, but it asks students to shell out US$ 149.99 for its full retail version. A single purchase allows for three licenses, though it comes with limited features, such as no connectivity to Microsoft Exchange servers and automated workflow tools.

Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac is the name of the regular package, though it costs US$ 349.99 for a full license of the retail version. Users can shave off US$ 160 from the price tag if they own a previously licensed version. The package has a good share of features, including most of the core programs of the Office suite: Word, PowerPoint, and Excel.

Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac Special Media Edition rolls as Microsoft's premiere Office for Mac package, costing up to US$ 499.99 for a full retail version. Users can get up to US$ 200 discount if they own a previously licensed version and decide to get the upgrade version instead. Aside from what the regular package offers, Media Edition carries extra tools and features for digital file management, including annotation and distribution of such content.

For the cautious business shopper, there could be another one of those "60-day trial" bundles for new Macs just like Office 2007, but no official word on that has been revealed by the company.