DreamScene and DeskScapes Released

Windows Vista Ultimate users are getting a preview release of Windows DreamScene today, with an animated Aurora background included. Any WMV or MPEG2 file can be used as a background, though there are some limitations. I expect that the community will rally and create some great looking content around this idea very soon.

One note ... MPEG2 files tend to perform better than WMV files, due to CPU requirements. However, unlike what is being spread by Stardock, it's not a pure performance bonus, as you're trading CPU time for GPU time. If you're using a laptop, expect to see lower battery life and more heat generated when using DreamScene.

Also released today is the companion to DreamScene ... Stardock's DeskScapes product. Basically a wrapper around a DreamScene MPEG2 file, these can be scripted to transition between videos based on the time of day or other critera, and can even support true 3D content. There is no dynamic content available yet, but this is also a product I can see the community rallying behind.

DeskScapes is free, and if you install it, be sure to get the Nebula theme. All that moves on this background are the stars pulsating; it's very subtle and soothing. I'd like to see more DeskScapes like this one, and not the incredibly busy ones I can anticipate seeing in the next few weeks.

Transform DreamScenes into DeskScapes

Looks like the team at Stardock has been busy! (Heya, Brad!) I haven't run much of their software in recent years because it's very hard to find a desktop that's clean and that I felt was an extension of my personality. Lately, the Zune skin for Windows XP has been close.

Vista's a trickier bird, with the new desktop compositing engine and whatnot. However, it seems like Stardock has been working hand in hand with Microsoft and actually helped develop the Windows Ultimate Extras feature that is now being called "DreamScenes." However, it's far more than animated desktops. Stardock has built this feature to be extensible (and theoretically for free if you bought Ultimate) and you'll be able to add something they're calling "DeskScapes."

Basically a DeskScape is a series of video files (while DreamScenes are a single video) that allow you to switch video files based on some criteria, whether it be weather, time, or some other event. I'm trying to dig up more information on the feature, but that's all I've got for now.

What is strange is the following quote from Brad Wardell in the comments on the page linked above ...

Incidentally, DeskScapes will be part of Object Desktop.

Could this be a Vista Ultimate loophole? How do you make the upgraded feature available as part of a pay service without locking out regular Vista users? I'm sure more info will come to light soon.

Xbox 360 in 2007

I was debating going to CES this year, but after having heard that there wouldn't be a lot of innovation (evolutionary, rather than revolutionary, progress), I decided not to go.

Sure enough, sounds like Microsoft is having a big show, announcing IPTV support for the Xbox 360. Never mind that the video downloads are effectively the same thing, just not in real time, but there you have it. Would it get me to ditch DirecTV? Would it get me to get another 360 for the bedroom? These are questions Microsoft needs to be asking, because for all intents and purposes, this is the model you're looking at. Then again, it could be that Microsoft is hoping that IPTV providers will give away Xbox 360 units in exchange for programming contracts.

The elephant in the room with that announcement is the complete lack of mention regarding the "Xbox 360 2.0", the one that had pictures and specs floating around in the past week. HDMI, new HD scaler, and a 120GB hard drive. I could take or leave the rest, but the 120GB drive is absolutely necessary for the sort of features Microsoft is trying to pack into the white box. That leave the obvious question ... what about those of us with first-gen hardware? How do we get our data off the 20GB drive and onto the 120? Could the drives be stackable? Another question people might be pondering is, could a new Xbox 360 be quieter? Features aside, one of the biggest complaints about the Xbox 360 is the distracting fan noise coming from the console.

Surprisingly, outside of the announcement of new Gears of War content, all the news seemed to center on the stuff moving from the Xbox 360 over to Vista, Geometry Wars and Uno being notable examples. Even Gears is rumored to be hitting Vista, after some stray lines of code in an Nvidia graphic driver hinted as being optimized for the game. There's going to be a lot more Vista/360 crossing over as Live Anywhere starts to gain momentum. I'm just wondering if Microsoft will be keeping the promise of making Vista and/or mobile versions of the games free for anyone that purchased the game on 360 already.

Other Vista talk revolved around Gates announcing two specific features that would be released as part of the Windows Ultimate Extras. One, DreamScene, is essentially video on your desktop. Could this be the form that the "Desktop Aurora" will take? The other feature is specialized sports content for the Windows Media Center. No discussion at all of Texas Hold 'Em or any other features that were rumored to be part of the Extras.

Update: Yep, DreamScene is Desktop Aurora (or Motion Desktop), and the guys at Stardock are the ones behind it. Looks like it'll get a lot of community support at dream.wincustomize.com. I expect that "Matrix Desktop" will be available within the week. Also, the Extras page at WindowsUltimate.com specifically lists Hold 'Em.

Finally, Gates specifically mentioned the "secret meeting" at the Bellagio tonight at 6PM. If you needed any confirmation that this is when Vanishing Point officially kicks off, there you have it.

Note: Links coming soon ...