TechZone is now Byte Lounge

Over the past year, you might’ve noticed that there wasn’t any updates on TechZone. This was because the website was unfortunately shut-down, and this post will officially be the final post on this website. Of course, the site will still be kept up online, and you’re more than welcome to browse through the archives over the year that TechZone was active and alive.

However, Radtech Software Technology, a Durban-based online media company, has officially taken charge of the TechZone franchise, and overhauled it into what is now Byte Lounge, a digital lifestyle blog that offers news, reviews, views and how-to’s on the world of technology.

Byte Lounge is very much alive and active, and is updated on a regular basis by the same blogger who started and ran TechZone Online, Rahul Dowlath. Essentially, it is very similar in nature to TechZone, but the quality of the content has been greatly improved, and we sincerely hope that you’ll enjoy reading it.

So, to keep up with trends in the online world, visit the digital lifestyle blog Byte Lounge today!

URL: http://www.bytelounge.blogspot.com/

Also, don’t forget to subscribe to the RSS feed on Byte Lounge to get all the great content delivered directly to your favorite RSS reader.

The Road to 7 Begins!

Where’s the point to upgrade to Vista, when in approximately 2009-2011 Microsoft will release Windows 7 – the successor to Vista, and possibly the ray of hope for most PC users (like me).

What’s even more exciting for us “Windows fanboys” is that Microsoft has reportedly begun work on the new OS (operating system), and Milestone 1, the name of the very first build of Windows 7, with development version 6.1.6519.1, has already been completed (on December 20, 2007).

Here’s a screenshot of the Desktop of Windows 7 Milestone 1:

(click image to enlarge; source from Wikipedia “Windows 7″ search).

MXit for PC now available

Well, folks, this is one that we’ve all been waiting for! The wonderful guys over at Stellenbosch  have announced a PC version of MXit! The download is a reasonable 6MB, and contains a Flash version of the popular MXit client.

However, if you’re a first-time user to MXit, you’ll need to register via your mobile phone (it’s free, don’t worry).

So, click through to http://www.mxit.com/mxitpc/ to get yourself a copy!

Advice Corner: Just a little friendly reminder…

Hi there! Thanks for visiting TechZone Online! Just to let you know, the Advice Corner has not died, much to contrary belief, and we still answer any questions relating to technology. In fact, we’ve even got a so-called “Mac Guru” who’s more than happy to answer to your Mac-related queries.

So, if you need a question relating to technology answered in a matter of days, look no further than the official TechZone Advice Corner! Click through to visit the page….

Some Cool Stuff Coming Your Way Soon!

As most of you would’ve known, Bryan Smith recently joined the TechZone Online Team. He has been appointed the position of writer, and you can look forward to some interesting posts from him, on his opinions about technology and the world we live in (welcome, Bryan!!)

Wii: We Need More Games!!

The Nintendo Wii, whilst already quite established in many parts of the world, was only recently released here in South Africa, over the last December holiday season (2007).

A number of games were available to us consumers at launch, such as Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, Spiderman 3, The Simpsons Game etc. However, many of the popular titles, like the much coveted (and highly anticipated) Super Mario Galaxy are nowhere to be found in popular tech retail stores.

The question I find myself, and other gamers, asking, is “where are the ‘real’ games?” Ok, so Zelda is a killer game… but we want Mario and Super Smash Bros. Brawl!!

So, I think it is quite clear amongst the gaming community of South Africa: if the Nintendo Wii is to gain any foothold (and by that, I mean a rather strong userbase), then the “big” titles need to be brought in, such that it is able to attract the vast userbase that Nintendo had hoped for (and, I must say, was quite successful at doing so).

Could “7″ Be Our Saviour?

So, the truth’s been out (quite a long time ago, in fact): Windows Vista sucks. In fact, it’s so bad that Microsoft is even allowing you to “downgrade” (read: upgrade) to XP. But the big question is, what will happen when there is no alternative, but for us PC users to “upgrade” (or is that “downgrade”?) to Vista.

Firstly, Vista is overpriced. If you, like me, want to get the full and proper version of Vista (“Ultimate” – why couldn’t there just be ONE version?!), then you’re going to have to fork out about R4000 (South African Rands). And that’s EXCLUDING the numerous hardware components you’re going to be forced to buy (even so Vista will still run sluggishly).

So, the question I think all tech geeks are asking themselves right now is, “Will Microsoft wake up and smell the coffee, and realise that Vista is going all wrong, or will they continue to hide this fact?”. Well, as most of the aforementioned geeks would’ve noticed at the recent Consumer Electronics Show (CES), Microsoft played very low-key regarding their flagship OS. Advertisements around CES by Microsoft only mentioned “Windows”, and not “Windows Vista”, meaning that the Redmond giant was marketing the entire Windows brand (which includes Live, Spaces, Messenger, Mail etc.), and not Vista, their primary product (and primary concern).

This leads many to think that Microsoft is already heading towards the next version of Windows, codenamed “Windows 7″. Apparently, if rumours are to be believed, they’ve already begun work on the OS, and it’s slated for release sometime in 2010.

Windows 7, I believe, will have to be something so mind-blowing, that it’ll be able to win back the thousands (and counting) customers that Vista has driven away. A key issue that I believe Microsoft should address, is the GUI. Yes, Vista looks great. In fact, it looks AWESOME! But can it really do anything? Nope. Well, not unless you scream at it, and even (possibly) get close to punching your PC’s screen. Windows 7 will have to maintain the GUI of Vista, but add more functionality to it. It’ll have to be remarkably robust, and versatile – meaning, we won’t have to spend thousands upgrading our systems to handle it.

And, I seriously hope Microsoft will get the message – “cut down on so many variations!!” I mean, there’s like 6 different versions of Vista, as opposed to 1 “ultimate” version of Mac OS X, Windows’ prime competitor. Hopefull the Redmond will release Windows 7 in just (hopefully) 1 version.