Blogetery.com was shut down on July 9, and iPBFree.com disappeared in the next week.  No reasons are forthcoming, as everybody who seems to know something claims to be legally restricted from saying anything.  However, both sites have released a few details that match up, claiming that the sites are permanently shut down and that they obeyed copyright law.

The secrecy and lack of warning for both sites has raised some serious questions, such as to what the nature of the offense could be, and whether due process was followed.  Benjamin Arcus, VP of BurstNet (the former web host of Blogotery) says that the issue was not copyright related, but that a law enforcement agency was involved.  What could users have been doing on these sites that prompted such immediate action?

One anonymous cybercrime investigator in particular has questioned the legality of shutting down sites hosting thousands of people without prior legal process.  Generally, this involves obtaining search warrants and IP addresses of offenders.  Clearly, there’s something deeper going on here.

Keep an eye on Tony Talks Tech, as well as other tech news sites like CNET, for more on this story as it develops.  No one can be sure how this’ll all play out, but when it does, it’s likely to be a doozy.

Some key new features discussed as possibilities include:

• More secure authentication, with a focus on facial recognition
• Faster start-up times, such that laptops could resume from sleep in under a second
• 3D displays
• Wireless connectivity to TVs
• Compatibility with USB 3.0 and Bluetooth 3.0
• Automatic display readjustment to ambient light
• A possible means of returning a PC to default mode while maintaining all files and settings

In addition to new features, the slides discuss how Apple and a new focus on laptops and other portable devices, with an emphasis on energy efficiency.  Microsoft has not made any comment on the slides, and has not discussed any OS beyond Windows 7, except a comment by Server and Tools president Bob Muglia to say that it will be a significant release.  An update for Windows 7 is set to be tested next month which fixes a variety of bugs without adding significant features.  Instead, the company seems to be focusing on the Windows Live Essentials series, which are free downloadable programs that include Photo Gallery and Movie Maker.

A final interesting point is that the slides indicate Microsoft still wants more data before “M1,” a common reference by the company to milestones in development (M1, M2, etc.).  This seems to indicate that the project was still in the planning stage at the time of the slides, some of which are dated April 20.

Pulsar is an efficient way for listeners to play satellite radio without using a web browser.  Users have access to information on the artist currently playing as well as artwork associated with that station.  The new version adds the option to pause as well as skip songs, while also giving users the ability to replay a favorite song.  Other options include the ability to easily get more information about a station, and to save favorites.

Rogue Amoeba has developed a number of other radio-related applications, including Airfoil, a wireless audio program, and Audio Hijack Pro, an application for recording from programs like iTunes, Skype, and DVD.  They also feature a fun diversion called PongSaver, a screensaver of the classic game in which the left side wins every hour, and the right side every minute, providing an interesting way to keep time.

In addition to the new playback options, more functionality has been added to the Favorites list and the overall graphics and user interface have been updated.   Pulsar is available for a one-time fee of $20, and the new options for satellite radio listening could win over fans who have been holding out with standard radio.  Try it for yourself and see if you are one of them.

The rumor originated from a tweet by Digg founder Kevin Rose claiming he had a “very credible source” which said Google would launch their “Facebook competitor very soon.”  Recent circumstances made the claim suspicious, including the announcement of Facebook’s Open Graph feature, which some see as capable of competing with Google.  In addition, Google Buzz, a tool designed for networking and messaging, was integrated into Gmail just months ago.  Google also owns a network called Orkut which is gaining popularity—in Brazil.

Many researchers believe Google is simply updating its profiles—the systems which determine how Google users present themselves online and allows users to integrate sites like Facebook, LinkedIn, and personal blogs.  However, others believe that Google may be intending to integrate Orkut and Buzz.  This would launch a network with a base of 200 million members, which has reached very high user levels in Brazil and India, especially in the 18-to-25 age demographic.

Is there any truth to this rumor?  If so, how will Facebook respond?  The news is fresh right now, but could fizzle out quickly if new information comes to light.  However, it reveals the ways in which companies are trying to stake their claim online, and will not be the last we hear of the competition between these two powerhouses.

• Faster processing speed coupled with longer life
• Sizes ranging from 13-17 inches, with Core i5 processing chips in the two largest models
• Also in the 15- and 17- inch models, new technology which switches between graphics chips: an energy-efficient one for web surfing and e-mail and a high-performance one for video editing or games
• Snow Leopard OS
• “Inertial scrolling” on the trackpad, allowing users to move easily through large documents and libraries

The new Snow Leopard OS features a completely revised Finder which takes advantage of new features like 64-bit support and Grand Central Dispatch, Mac’s new set of programs for organizing workloads and increasing application efficiency.  The redesigned Time Machine and Time Capsule also make it quicker and easier to back up your hard drive.

The 15- and 17-inch models contain the strongest chips, the Intel HD Graphics chip and the NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M.  Apple has proven its track record to consumers with its long-lasting products, and the new technology for switching between these chips ensures that the new MacBooks will be even more efficient, making them well worth your money.  Each MacBook can also be made to run on solid state drives up to 512 GB.  Prices range from $1,200 for the 13-inch models (with a 10-hour battery life) up to $2,300 for the 17-inch MacBook Pro.  Still available are the basic $1,000 model as well as the Air lightweight models, with prices starting at $1,500.

The system is Microsoft’s Kinect, a system which relies on cameras to read body movements.  This allows players to kick soccer balls, tickle tigers, and more.  There is also voice functionality, so that saying the words “play movie” will start whichever film the player has chosen.

Extensions of this type of computing are already in development.  For example, John Underkoffler, who created a futuristic data-processing system for the 2002 movie Minority Report, has developed a real-life system called “g-speak,” in which the user moves through files and data sets by moving their hands.  The system is already in use at Boeing and other large companies, but its price range (from $100,000 to the low millions) makes it a little impractical for the home computer.  But Underkoffler expects that to change in the next five years.

Elsewhere, researchers are looking into brain-controlled and eye-tracking software.  Restrictions (other than price) do exist, though.  Gesture-based computing can becoming exhausting, especially at a 9-to-5 job, and the gestures can be misconstrued.  Robert Wang from MIT has also pointed to the difficulty of moving an object you can’t touch.

While most developers see the mouse as on its way out, the keyboard may gain a reprieve, since it is currently the most efficient way to write.  The monitor will also likely stick around, although new technology could project information onto walls or people’s hands, taking the world one step closer to Pranav Mistry (MIT’s) goal of “get[ting] rid of computer hardware entirely.”