Preorder Windows 7 Upgrade for $50 instead of $120

Windows 7 will be available on October 22. Here's an easy way to get it fast and save a bundle: Pre-order a Windows 7 Home Premium Upgrade for $49 or a Windows 7 Professional Upgrade for $99. That's about half off the estimated retail prices.

If you have Windows Vista, you can purchase Windows 7 Upgrade versions. You can do a clean install (back up your files, clean install, and reinstall your applications) or an in-place upgrade (Windows 7 installs over Windows Vista).

If you have Windows XP or Windows 2000, you can purchase Windows 7 Upgrade versions. But you must back up your files, clean install, and reinstall your applications.

http://bit.ly/Win7pre

Embedded.com - Padding and rearranging structure members

Dan Saks, president of Saks & Associates, posted a good article about Padding and rearranging structure members in C. Questions about struct padding seem to pop up on the Microchip web forums from time to time. This article explains it well. Read the article @ Embedded.com.

Embedded.com - Six Rules for Writing Clean Code

Matt Gordon from Micriµm posted a good article with some tips for writing clean C code. Read his article @ Embedded.com - Six Rules for Writing Clean Code

Microsoft demos Project Natal for Xbox 360 at E3

At their press briefing at the Electronic Entertainment Expo, Microsoft introduced Project Natal. Project Natal brings controller-free gaming and entertainment using a 3D camera to the Xbox 360. The rumors, which started when Microsoft purchased 3DV Systems, are true.


A tech-demo game that uses real 3D physics.


A story of a boy and his 3D camera...


Microsoft's full concept video

First videos of the Zune HD posted

Gizmodo and CNET posted short videos showing Microsoft's Zune HD in action. It basically looks like a faster iPod Touch with a great OLED screen. The screen looks pretty fantastic.

Zune HD Video Hands On from Gizmodo on Vimeo.

Wired.com: Homebrewed CPU Is a Beautiful Mess of Wires

Steve Chamberlin, a Belmont, California, videogame developer by day, set out on a quest to custom design and build his own 8-bit computer. The homebrew CPU would be called Big Mess of Wires or BMOW. Despite its name, it is a painstakingly created work of art.

Read the full story on Wired.com: Homebrewed CPU Is a Beautiful Mess of Wires

Nasa Television releases video of Atlantis Solid Rocket Boosters

From liftoff to splashdown in the Atlantic Ocean, take a ride on Space Shuttle Atlantis solid rocket boosters with video from a camera located on the SRB's. If you're impatient, jump to about 22:45.

CNET: Up to 24 percent of software purchases now open source

Open source has become big business, suggests an article in the Investors Business Daily, but it has done so by becoming more like the proprietary-software world it purports to leave behind.

Read the full article on cnet.com