You must be aware that Microsoft has made DirectX 10 a Windows Vista exclusive. This is another evil move by Microsoft to force you to buy Windows Vista. Alky Project from Falling Leaf System wants to thwart Microsoft’s plans by porting DirectX 10 first to Windows XP and then to Linux and then OS X. The Alky Project Libraries would act as a proxy to all Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) accessed by a game. It would redirect API requests made by the game to existing platform functionality or custom implementations as needed.
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Thanks to elralfaro at deviantART.com you can make Winamp look like the yet to be released iPhone.

This is a gorgeous looking skin with built in cd-cover displayer. However, this skin does have a minor usability issue.

All the buttons in the Playlist has been removed in favour of a “Open” button in the main body. But, when you add files using the Open button, existing playlist is removed. Hence, the only way you can add media files from multiple folders (if they are not present in the Media Library) is by drag and drop. However, if you use Winamp’s Media Library this shouldn’t cause any headache.

You can download this skin from here.

Launchy is a file launcher for Windows XP. The developers claim it would help you forget about your start menu, the icons on your desktop, and even your file manager.

How Does it Work?

To begin with Launchy indexes your start menu programs, control panel applications and Firefox bookmarks. When not needed Launchy hides in the background utilizing very little system resources. Upon pressing Alt+Space a tiny window pops up. You can type the name of the application or bookmark you want to launch and Launchy would provide suggestions as you type. All this is so easy that you have to simply use it to believe.

It’s Not Just a File Launcher

Launchy is not just a file launcher. Here are some of the things you can do with Launchy.

Search The Web : Launchy allows you to search in Google, Msn, Yahoo, Live Search, Weather.com, Amazon, Wikipedia, Imdb, Msdn, Netflix and Dictionary.com.

Calculate : Launchy features a built in calculator that can add, subtract, multiply and divide.

Explore : You can even explore your computer using Launchy. Start by typing the root directory (example “c:\”). Then enter partial name for a directory or press down key to view the list of directories. Use Tab key to enter a directory.

Launch Bookmarks : Launchy v1.25 includes the Foxy plugin which allows you to launch Firefox bookmarks directly from Launchy. Opera users can use Opery plugin for similar functionality.
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Technorati.com - the popular blogsearch engine, received a major update today. In brief the major changes are -

Technorati.com is no longer restricted to blogs. Technorati search has been expanded to include videos, photos, music and events.
The Home Page has been revamped to accommodate videos and music.

The search feature has been made simpler. Multiple search mode (keyword search, tag search and blog directory search) has been replaced by a single unified search option.
A new barebones Technorati Search page has been added. It is available at search.technorati.com or s.technorati.com.

You can read about the changes in greater detail at Dave Sifry’s (CEO of Technorati.com) blog.

YouTube has struck a content sharing deal with Eros Entertainment that will enable it to offer content from Bollywood movies. The Eros Entertainment - Bollywood Channel will feature music videos, trailers and promotional videos. As of now 163 videos are available for viewing.

Content from several Bollywood movie is already available illegally on YouTube (many movies are available in their entirety). However, I believe that this is the first instance of YouTube tying up with an Indian media company. With the penetration of broadband increasing in India, companies are finally realising the benefits of leveraging the web. Rajshri Media already provides significant amount of video content on their portal for free.
I am sure this is only the beginning. The web offers an easy and cost efficient venue for promoting content. As broadband connection gets cheaper and faster, I expect Indian companiesto start taking advantage of the internet in a big way.

( Via Mashable and KrishWords )

[If you want invites for Me.dium read on]

Me.dium (medium) is a Social Networking startup which wants to make web browsing social. It connects you with users based on their websurfing habbits. Me.dium is a small add-on available for Firefox which operates through a sidebar. This sidebar connects you with people visiting similar websites via a visualization system somewhat similar to Digg Swarm. You can also see what websites your friends are visiting. Me.dium also has a simple instant messaging system built into it which allows you to shoutout to other Me.dium users or chat with your friends.

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Richard at theapp.net has created a blogroll for tech and entertainment related websites called - Techroll. Any technical/entertainment related blog can join. Rules for joining and more information is available here.

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Justice Peter Openshaw, a judge in an internal terrorism trial in United Kingdom admitted in front of stunned prosecutors that he had no idea what a website was. His exact words were:

The trouble is I don’t understand the language. I don’t really understand what a website is.

He was later coached by a computer expert on the World Wide Web through a PowerPoint presentation. The question is can someone like Justice Peter Openshaw be expected to deliver an informed and intelligent judgement in a case of cyber-terrorism?
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