Tech Stuff 4 You

Extremetech has a nice article on how to speed up Windows Vista by getting rid of stuff you don’t need and some other nifty tips. Check it out.

Performance is probably the most coveted intangible when it comes to PCs, and tweaking, to the performance hungry, is considered more of a necessity than an option. Gearheads go to great lengths to get quicker system response times, faster-running games, and shorter PC bootup and shutdown times.

One way is to overclock the heck out of the poor components (and then, for bragging rights, to log on to a message board and claim a stable CPU frequency of about 300MHz faster than what's actually possible). Another way is to tweak out the operating system itself.

After about a week of rumors and speculation, here it is. The Xbox 360 Elite live on video on on10.net.

While everyone else is talking about it and showing grainy camera phone pictures from undisclosed bunkers, we thought we’d go right to the source and get you an exclusive video. You think you need it, you know you want it, and we have it – the Xbox 360 Elite. I sat down with Albert Penello to get some of your questions answered. Yes, it has HDMI & 120GB hard drive. No, it doesn’t have an HD-DVD player. Yes you can still pull audio separate from the HDMI. No, it isn’t going to be a limited edition. Yes, it’s awesome! Watch the video for more, including what comes in the L337 box.

Check out the video after the jump.

EXCLUSIVE VIDEO! First look at the Xbox 360 Elite

IPTV may be a ways off for the Xbox 360, but that doesn't mean you can't have a little internet TV fun right now. Introducing Orb, a media streaming solution for the Xbox 360, Wii, and PS3. Orb allows users to stream video, photos, and music to selected devices, including our beloved Xbox 360. Of course, the Xbox handles streaming all by its lonesome, but Orb adds the option of streaming content from internet sources as well. While we've seen similar functionality in programs like TVersity, we've actually managed to get Orb up and running with minimal hassle. So far we've watched a little BBC and a Japanese rock concert with little trouble (over a wireless connection no less). The program takes some time to buffer (over a minute in our case) but the ease of use is appreciated. To give it a shot yourself, head over to Orb.com, read the Xbox 360 guide, download the software, and get cracking.

Keep in mind you will have to create an Orb account, but it's free (for now at least). Also, we have no knowledge of how reliable Orb is, so use it at your own risk. Give it a whirl and tell us what you think.

Via Xbox360fanboy Via Teamxbox

The first time you boot up Windows Vista, you notice the differences between it and XP. The visual differences, that is. But there is a lot more under the hood that is different as well. Ars Technica has a detailed review of the new features in Vista here.