Silverlight 3 released to web!

The newest version of Microsoft's Flash-contender, Silverlight 3 was released to web yesterday. Download here.

Features include:
• Media: GPU hardware acceleration, new codec support (H.264, AAC, MPEG-4), raw bitstream Audio/Video API, and improved logging for media analytics
• Graphics: GPU Acceleration and hardware compositing, perspective 3D, bitmap and pixel API, pixel shader effects, and Deep Zoom improvements
• Application development: Deep linking, navigation and SEO, improved text quality, multi-touch support, 60+ controls available, and library caching support
• Data: Data-binding improvements, validation error templates, server data push improvements, binary XML networking support, and multi-tier REST data support

The new Silverlight 3 should enable better delivery of HD content using GPU acceleration instead of the usual CPU-intensive Flash. Here's a demo of Smooth Streaming which enables continuous playback at variable bitrate.

The big question now is whether Silverlight 3 will be used to power Office Web Apps? This Monday, you'll get the answer.

Battlefield 1943 has been released to high ratings!

The much-awaited WW2 first-person shooter Battlefield 1943 has been released on Xbox 360 & the early reviews suggest Electronic Arts have delivered yet another gaming hit!

One of the great strengths of Battlefield 1943 lies in its multiplayer ability to accomodate up to 24 players at the same time!

Battlefield 1943 is expected to be one of the highest-selling multiplayer games this year. Don't believe me? Take a look at these reviews:
A perfectly sized, expertly crafted romp, Pacific gives other download games their marching orders. - 9/10 - Edge

Its stripped-down nature (though definitely not a no-frills release) means its easy to get into, and the high potential player count should have the servers filled with players for quite some time. And even if EA and DICE opt to supplement the $15 premier bundle with more maps (for more $$), this might be one of the best reasons in recent months to put some Microsoft Points back onto your account. - 8.8/10 - Team Xbox

Battlefield 1943 is being distributed only on Xbox Live for $15. But you can always give the trial a go before making up your mind. Note that the game will be released on PS3 tomorrow & on Windows in September.

A New Beginning

That's one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.

I'm Teh Insider & I've just discovered something that can satiate my passion for sharing - news, stuff, articles, anything. At least for me, it's as ground-breaking as the moon landing as I look forward to a journey with no final destination. So here starts my new adventure in the world of blogging. Good luck blog for this new beginning.