Sheeple, anyone?

I mean really, does any one want me to do them Sheeple avatars?

As part of a campaign organised by Microsoft’s Bing search engine, these 10 new character themes (2 for each new character) have been released for download. Some Japanese have to do the legwork of actually using Bing such that the searches fill up an XP (see what I did there?) meter to unlock these moe-some characters for you to download and fap to use.

Normal Windows 7 users can simply download the themepack and double click to load them. Abnormal Vista and old-fashioned XP users can also download the wallpapers and sounds and  MANUALLY(what FAIL) put them in themselves…

Choose from the below names.

• Nanae (A very OL-ish character design)
• NANA (A LOLI imouto character)
• Nanako (A childhood friend character)
• the other Nanami (Microsoft’s Android) <- See what i did there?
• Nanao (Tomboyish character)

Click on the pics to get to download pages. There are 2 pages….. so please don’t blur.

Me? Still sticking to Madobe Nanami though. Mizuki Nana sama~~~~~~~~

BTW, I find Nanami’s WinIcon on her resembling the Shugo Chara Humpty Lock. Why?

WARNING: Flaming troll content may contain. Chibi is advised not to look.

Apparently, Win7′s touchscreen capabilities are glitched. Every touchy-touchy fella hoping to get a chance to touchy-touchy with Nanami ended up staring a non-responsive touchscreen. (Awww…)

Anyway, few people would have noticed it. (because not everyone has a touch-screen. But EVERYONE wants to touchy-touchy Nanami. Admit it, even the girls.)

IF IT WEREN’T FOR JAPAN TELEVISION.

Whoops. (At first, I thought the guy forgot to get a TOUCHSCREEN capable monitor. ) Nice booboo on Prime Time Televi.

The Fixed Version:

Yet more problems:

Microsoft (NSDQ:MSFT) downplayed the fact that its March Patch Tuesday security update included the first fix for its Windows 7 beta operating system, repairing a critical error that allowed hackers to infiltrate a user’s computer with a malicious image file.

In its security bulletin, released Tuesday, Microsoft stated that the critical fix was for just about every version of Windows, including Windows 2000, XP, Vista, Server 2003 and Server 2008. However, the software giant failed to mention that the update also was intended for Windows 7 under its “Affected Software” heading.

Microsoft did, however, mention that the update affected Windows 7 under the “Frequently Asked Questions” section. In addition to Windows 7, the patch repaired critical flaws in Windows Server 2008 Service Pack 2 Beta and Windows Vista Service Pack 2 Beta.

Altogether, the patch bundle resolved a total of four image vulnerabilities in the Windows kernel, the most serious of which could allow hackers to install malicious code on users’ computers without any user intervention by enticing a victim to view a maliciously crafted EMF or WMF image file. The user could then download a Trojan or other piece of malware that would enable hackers to take complete control of the machine and steal sensitive data. Other vulnerabilities repaired by the update could leave the user susceptible to a denial of service attack.

Microsoft’s March security update addressed two other security flaws, both deemed “important,” that could allow hackers to spoof Web sites in identify theft schemes.

One of the flaws, occurring in the Windows DNS server and the Windows WINS server, could allow a remote attacker to redirect Web traffic to his or her own malicious Web site. Once users opened the maliciously crafted page, attackers could then entice users to submit sensitive password, credit card or bank account information for identity theft activities. Hackers also could infuse the page with malware designed to record keystrokes and steal information, security experts said.

The other “important” fix repaired a bug in the Windows Secure Channel security package that could allow miscreants to spoof a Web site by gaining access to the authentication credentials utilized by the end user.

While there are thus far no known attacks exploiting the vulnerabilities, security experts recommend that users update their systems with the latest patches, which are available for download on Microsoft’s Web site, as soon as possible.

From ChannelWeb

Naturally, it’s been fixed. I think. Iunno. No Win7.

SO STOP TELLING ME HOW YOU GOT NANAMI ON YOUR COMPS AND HOW YOU HAVE MET GAWD! NO I DONT CARE! IMMA POOR POOR. RAWR.

(As of now, I’ve had 5 people trying to suan me over not having a Windows 7. And that’s only counting intentional suaning. There are a lot more people who are suaning me without knowing.)

Still, Nanami looks cute. (Maybe it’s the Humpty Lock) No fanarts of her yet. Only meh-ish ones.

Apart from the several features that make it great, there’s probably another reason you should get Windows 7, though this might only apply to Nana Mizuki fans.

The premium set (DSP edition) of the operating system (in Japan) will include 3 sound event packs (and an original wallpaper) voiced by none other than the afore-mentioned voice actress, under the character name Nanami Modobe (窓辺ななみ). She even comes with her own character art, possibly making her the first official OS-tan ever created, with her own voice to boot.

Source: Dospara

Whether or not the packs will be available to users living outside of Japan has yet to be confirmed. Then again, there will probably be “unofficial ways” of hacking them into your copy once the voice packs are out.

To quote our source:

I wonder how many Fans will bite…

Plenty, I’ll bet. Of course, if you like, you can always follow Nanami on Twitter.

(Source: ANN via The Bonkurasu Brigade)

Many of you were confused when I gave the GameCom 777 a bad review, asking “why even buy it in the first place” or something similar.

Truth was, I didn’t buy it.

If you had been reading the comments of my Dragonica CBT post you’d have noticed there was an exchange between me and Kaye, the Community Manager over there. Simply put, there was a test drive held at the IAHGames’ site for any interested gaming blogger. Though the “event” had already ended, there weren’t enough bloggers, so I got the chance to test the headphones anyway.

If you’ve read the review post and still don’t believe the surround sound doesn’t work, let me show you how exactly I install the bugger on my XP system.

First, I plug the Dolby USB dongle (responsible for the surround sound effect) and let the bugger install itself.

Then I let Winamp play a 5.1 test music file, found here, making sure that the “Allow surround sound” option is enabled. The center channel is softer, and the rear channels are almost inaudible. –1

I set the speaker setup in Windows’ Audio Properties and try again. Still the same. –2, since the pamphlet that came with the headphones claims that the headphones are easy to set up.

I open Left 4 Dead, set its speaker configuration to “5.1 Speakers”. I start a game, and find out I can’t hear the Infected running (or gunshots) from behind, unless I set the speaker configuration back to “Headphones” or “2 Speakers”.

Still don’t believe me, or want to buy the headphones anyway? According to Kaye’s review, these cost $169 here. I can probably buy a Sennheiser set for cheaper, and it’d sound better too.

Anyway, the Plantronics people are taking the headset back (finally) today, so… I guess this is the last I’ll ever see of it. Time to go back to my Sennheiser MX-400s.

Overall rating: 7/10 for the headset, 4/10 for the Dolby Headphone USB dongle.

Overview

From the Plantronics website:

Experience the thrill and excitement of 5.1 Dolby surround sound with the GameCom 777 Stereo PC Headset. Designed specifically for gamers who demand top-level sound performance, the GameCom 777 enhances any gaming experience with its surround sound, powerful 40 mm speakers, and hidden mic boom with built-in noise-canceling microphone.

The Gamecom 777 headset is actually a “package” of two separate devices: the headset itself and a Dolby Headphone USB dongle, which is responsible for delivering 5.1 channels to the headset. The headset connects to the dongle via its microphone and stereo output jacks, which can also be connected directly to a computer (or any other compatible device). More on that later.

First, the headset.

The Headset

Comfort

The headset has cushioning around the ears and at the top to provide comfort while gaming. You won’t feel much pushing down on your head either, and the headset can last more than just a few hours before you begin to feel the “pain”.

The headset also feels solid (though it’s lighter than most) and doesn’t feel prone to damage. The “military-grade” cables (which appear to be grooved cables) are also a nice touch, but the connector to the headset isn’t detachable, and this (according to an audiophile friend) will probably force you to send it in for repair if it actually detaches due to wear and tear.

The volume and microphone muting controls are also easily accessible via a controller on the headset cable, so no more reaching for the keyboard. Volume is controlled by a iPod-esque wheel, while microphone muting is controlled with a simple switch.

Hearing

The Gamecom 777 does not seal sound at all (due to its cloth-based cushioning); instead, it is advertised as having an “open-ear design”, allowing you to hear external noise. The headset is therefore not suitable for loud environments at all(unless you plan to turn up the volume all the way). It’s also not suitable for private listening since the sound leaks as a result.

Sound quality is excellent for both music and gaming; I can hear no apparent loss in quality for stereo music, and the same goes for in-game effects. There’s enough bass to satisfy a mild audiophile, and overall the quality is on-par with some of the more expensive headsets out there.

Although some sources ambiguously advertise the headset as being able to play back 5.1 surround sound, that in fact is handled by the included Dolby Headphone USB dongle.

Speaking

The headset has a concealed microphone which may be folded out to place the receiver closer to your mouth. The noise-cancelling advertised by Plantronics appear to work; ambient noises are almost muted in the final recording and my voice was very clear. However, there was a slight buzzing noise during testing, and nearby voices could still be heard.

A game of Left 4 Dead with a friend proved the microphone’s clarity, though the room was fairly quiet at the time.

The Dolby Dongle

Quality Improvement?

The included USB dongle is very compact, and has stereo output and input jacks for the headset (or any other pair of audio device) to plug into. Otherwise, the headset may connect to the computer (or any other device with compatible 3.5mm ports) directly.

The dongle is claimed to be able to translate 5.1-channel audio into stereo audio output, using special algorithms such that the wearer is still able to discern surround sound while wearing a pair of headphones.

Directly from the Dolby website (FAQs):

Dolby Headphone is designed to process a 5.1 signal. It can also process stereo sources, but the stereo signal must first be converted to a 5.1 signal. Products can feature either of these logos, depending on the manufacturer.

The problem is that this 5.1-channel translation will never happen, since not on one operating system I’ve tested this on was able to detect it as a 5.1 surround sound card. This means that you can only output stereo audio to it, which makes Dolby Headphone less effective somewhat.

Windows XP recognises it as a stereo device by default.

I used two methods to confirm this on Windows XP (after forcing it to recognise the dongle as a 5.1 surround sound system via the above screenshot):

• A 5.1 test track. Front left and right voices are clear, but the center voice is very faint on both sides, and rear voices are completely inaudible.
• A game of Left 4 Dead (in 5.1). Rear sounds were rendered inaudible, so a horde of Infected were able to run from behind without me noticing.

Using the same 5.1 test track, Windows 7 and OSX also gave me similar results, and Ubuntu totally screwed it up. “Front left” is heard on the left, “center” is heard on the right, “front right” is heard on the left, and so on.

However, set up as a stereo (2-channel) audio device, the dongle serves to emulate 2-channel speakers pretty accurately. I got the feeling of “virtual space” while the device was activated, as if there were two invisible speakers in front of me. It is, however, a far cry from the 5.1-channel emulation that was promised.

The device has an “on-off” switch, which simply enables or disables the Dolby Headphone filter, allowing you to hear the difference. It gives off a soft blue glow as a power indicator, and sound quality isn’t hampered terribly when the filter is turned off.

Overall Verdict

The Gamecom 777 headset by itself isn’t bad. The sound quality is excellent, and the microphone is well-hidden but clear when unfolded (but still has room for improvement). It’s also solid but lightweight and comfortable, and won’t make you sore for the first few hours at least.

However, the audio leaks both ways due to its “open-ear design”, so it won’t be useful during a very noisy LAN party where someone’s shouting “GRENADE!” every minute. It’s a very strange feature for a gaming headset, especially since every other gamer prefers to “seal in” their sound.

The Dolby Headphone dongle fails to deliver its promise of delivering 5.1-channel audio to the headset as it was only recognised as a stereo output device and its full potential was never “unleashed”, even though it was advertised as having an easy, no-configuration-needed setup. Shame, really, unless someone out there can prove it’s capable of 5.1-channel emulation.

It did demonstrate its ability to emulate “spatial” 2-channel audio, and if the 5.1-channel emulation actually succeeded, I believe it would have made the overall experience much better.

The headset deserves a 7/10 score for me – good quality, but still has a few bumps to smoothen out.

The dongle, however, only deserves a 4/10 as its full potential can never be utilised, but still works well with stereo.

Reviewer’s final thoughts

My recommendation? Since the dongle didn’t work as I thought it would, I’d recommend getting the Gamecom 377 instead. It’s much cheaper as it’s essentially the same pair of headphones without the Dolby Headphone dongle, and that’s good enough for most.

Or better yet. get the Gamecom 367, which features a “closed-ear design” instead of the “open-ear design” present in the 777 and 377 models. Much more suitable as a gaming headset, in my opinion.