News...

Do you use Window Media Player? Your system may not be safe!
Microsoft Corp. Security bulletin MS01-029 warns Windows Media Player users that versions 6.4 or 7.0 have a vulnerability that "potentially" lets attackers run the code of their choice. The bulletin advises users of version 6.4 to install a patch immediately, and users of version 7.0 to upgrade to 7.1. Older, or unsupported, versions of Media Player may or may not possess the same vulnerability - it's your risk.
Read the complete article at TechWeb

------

Hearing Things
Imagine hearing a voice in your ear, turning around and seeing nobody there. No one else has heard it. Or perhaps you hear footsteps in a room, the product of an invisible presence. Sounds like an old Twilight Zone episode!

F. Joseph Pompei, a 28-year-old graduate student, has invented a device that projects a beam of sound much like a spotlight projects a beam of light.

He's nicknamed it the "audio spotlight". The machine emits a column of sound enveloped by silence, the way a spotlight pierces the darkness. Standing inside the beam, you'll hear the sound loud and clear. Outside the beam: nothing or, if there are surfaces nearby, only faint whispers of reflected sound waves.

Supermarkets and retail stores may begin using the technology to attract customers toward featured products. Vending machines may soon talk as people pass by. Dance clubs could divide up a single room into different music zones. Consumers may start being hit by sound beams within two years.

To read more visit The New York Times

------

The Future of Hi-Fi
It's been twenty years since compact discs improved the quality of audio we listen to, but two emerging technologies are competing for your ears: DVD-Audio and Super Audio CD (SACD). But most consumers aren't aware of the benefits.

Both DVD-Audio and SACD have been around a couple of years. They offer superior multichannel sound, and greater storage capacity. But consumers aren't ready to upgrade their CD collections to a more expensive format. SACD doesn't have enough player models or discs on the market. As for most DVD players, they're not completely DVD-Audio compatible, and both players and discs are too expensive.

For the complete article, visit Cnet.com