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The core of any long-standing technology company is research and development. Here’s how Apple, Microsoft and Sony’s last decade of spending stack up.

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Research and Development: Apple vs Microsoft vs Sony [Graphs]

That annoying, proprietary cord that you need to duplicate/upgrade your Xbox 360 hard drive used to be bundled exclusively with Microsoft’s overpriced drives. Now it’s being sold on its own for $15, making eBay drives attractive. [ Blast Magazine via Kotaku ]

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Xbox 360 Data Migration Kit Sold On Its Own, Hello Knockoffs [Xbox 360]

The Netgear Universal Wi-Fi Internet Adapter can connect anything with an ethernet port to your 802.11n network, be it an Xbox 360 or a TV. But so can many other devices on the market. What’s better about this one? Much like the Xbox 360 Wireless N adapter , Netgear’s latest wireless N adapter is tiny, easily squeezing behind components in your home theater

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Netgear’s Universal Wi-Fi Internet Adapter Connects Consoles and TVs Alike [Wi-Fi]

General Manager for Microsoft’s Asia-Pacific Mobile Communications Business confirms it: There is no upgrading to Windows Phone 7 , not even for the badass HD2 . So! Every Windows Mobile phone out there’s officially dead in the water.

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Every Windows Mobile Phone Out Now Is Officially at the Evolutionary Dead End [Windows Phone 7]

It’s a time commitment, no doubt. But if you REALLY want to know more about Windows Phone 7 , MSDN posted a 22-minute tour with Joe Belfiore (VP of Windows Phone Program Management) explaining each of the features. If this is a bit too much, you can get a good feel of WP7 in motion here , too

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An Epic 22-Minute Walkthrough of Windows Phone 7 [Windows Phone 7]

Nvidia seems to be shopping around a teeny netbook running the company’s Tegra ARM chipset and, of all things, Windows CE . It looks very barebones, since Tegra is really meant for smartphones, and nobody seems too thrilled with it. Tegra is a huge strength for tiny devices like the upcoming Zune HD, but in a full-sized netbook, it’ll have a hard time running media or multitasking. OS is a problem too—does anybody actually like Windows CE? Maybe a Linux distro (or Chrome OS) could work, but even that’s kind of pushing it. Regardless, it’s rumored to have a September release date, though of course we hardly know anything about the product and don’t have any particular reason to trust that date. Come on, Nvidia, just stick the Tegra in a bunch of smartphones where it belongs! [ Semi-Accurate News via Crunchgear ]

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Nvidia’s Tegra-Based Netbook Christened "Firefly" [Unconfirmed]

Neowin talked to an alleged “software engineer” on the Zune team who revealed that the 16GB Zune HD —though its price is not finalized—should run somewhere between $249 and $280 this September (a date that was rumored previously .) The interview is filled with lots of other interesting rumors, however, including that Microsoft is considering not only 16/32GB models but a 64GB Zune HD as well.

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Zune HD to Cost Between $249 and $280 in September [Unconfirmed]

If you want Windows 7 Home Premium for $50, or Pro for $100, you’ll have to pre-order it. Here’s a list of places where you can find it, starting at 12 midnight Eastern, 9pm Pacific tonight! Remember, this is a limited-time offer , and it only applies to Windows 7 Home Premium and Windows 7 Professional—not Windows 7 Ultimate, which may be what you’ve been running in Beta or RC. These retailers are also supposed to begin selling Vista systems tonight that will come with a free Windows 7 upgrade on October 22.

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How to Pre-Order Windows 7 Tonight (and How To Cut The Line) [Microsoft]

That’s the vision Troy Batterberry, product unit manager for Microsoft energy management and home automation , laid out for the new site, which is expected to be available throughout the United States some time next week at …

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WSN Buzz » Microsoft Launches Home Energy Site, Sees Devices …

We finally received the official word on Windows 7 pricing. For the most part, people itching to upgrade immediately or buy a new Win 7 machine are in luck. Odds are, you won’t pay the official prices, so I’m telling you the launch specials first

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Windows 7 Pricing: Good News, Mostly [Windows 7]