Microsoft's new Internet Explorer 9 (IE9) browser will require Windows 7 Service Pack 1 (SP1), a not-yet-released major update to the operating system, the company said today. According to a FAQ posted on the company's site, Windows 7 users will need to install SP1 prior to adding IE9. People running Windows Vista must have that operating system's SP2 in place.
The Ars Technica technology site first reported on the Windows 7 SP1 requirement Thursday.
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Earlier this week, anti-piracy lawyers ACS:Law had their website taken down by a 4chan DDoS attack. Adding insult to injury, owner Andrew Crossley was harassed at home in the middle of the night by prank phone calls. Now, through a fault with his website, hundreds of megabytes of private emails have been exposed to the public and uploaded to The Pirate Bay. To those hoping that this is a MediaDefender-type fiasco all over again, trust us – it is.
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The PlayStation 3 video game console has received this week a new firmware upgrade, 3.50, which enables 3D Blu-ray playback as well as an array of other things, but also blocks the use of third-party PlayStation 3 controllers, according to a recent report.

As you can imagine, quite a few PS3 users have started complaining, as their controllers didn't register with the console and they weren't able to use it, unless they had an official DualShock 3 controller.
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Today, Bloomberg reports that the Facebook phone is going to be sold in Europe via Carphone Warehouse and other European carriers. It will be made by INQ, which is a relatively new handset maker that got its start making a Skype phone. In the U.S., INQ is said to be working with AT&T, where the phone is going to be sold under Ma Bell’s brand. Reports say the phone will be sold in two models: a touch screen model and a QWERTY model. We reported on INQ building touch-screen phones earlier in the year.

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Though all keyboards are meant for the same thing, there are quite a few different designs and technologies that give them varying degrees of uniqueness, and SteelSeries took a fairly radical step when it put together the Shift.

There are several features that make this product stand out more than others, the extra wide feet and wrist rest with rubber to prevent slipping arguably being the least of them.
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This one's been expected and rumored for a long time. Now it's official: Blockbuster has initiated "pre-arranged" chapter 11 proceedings. Under the plan, Blockbuster's debt would be reduced from $1 billion to about $100 million when implemented. The press release states that Blockbuster is currently evaluating its US store portfolio as part of the recapitalization process. For the time being, all 3,000 stores will remain open. However, we've been told by a trusted tipster that up to 1,000 could be shed before things are said and done. Now make no mistake, Blockbuster is still open and wants you to know that it's business as usual during the restructuring -- the details of which you can read in the press release after the break.
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