Hacking group warez has released a patch allowing gamers to run Halo 2 and Shadowrun, both released by Microsoft as Windows Vista-only titles, on the firm’s older Windows XP operating system.

ImageIt had been claimed that neither title would be able to run successfully using the older DirectX 9 graphics engine, with Microsoft urging gamers to take the plunge and switch to the Vista.

The news is sure to irk Microsoft who may now face an increased delay in some consumers adopting Vista at this early stage. However, it shouldn’t come as a surprise. Earlier this month Falling Leaf Systems said in a press release that it believed Microsoft was deceiving consumers by stating that the titles would only work on Vista, and announced its intentions to release compatability software to disprove the claim.

Microsoft will work with 3D design and visualization software developer Dassault Systèmes, to add a new dimension to its Virtual Earth mapping and satellite imagery service, the companies announced Tuesday.

Through this partnership, Microsoft will be able to invite users of Virtual Earth to contribute their own 3D models of buildings featured on the maps, much as Google already does with the “3D Warehouse” layer in its Google Earth software and the free modeling tool Google SketchUp, now at version 6.

To encourage development of models for inclusion in Virtual Earth, Dassault Systèmes has built an online community, 3dvia.com, around consumer uses of its and other companies’ 3D modeling tools. The community began life as Teapotters.com, a creative project set up by a group of Dassault employees, but opened its doors as 3Dvia.com

AT&T Inc. and Apple Inc. on Tuesday said wireless service for the iPhone will range from $59.99 per month to $99.99 per month.

The highly anticipated gadget retails for $499 for a model with 4 gigabytes of storage and $599 for one with 8 gigabytes. It’s slated to go on sale at 6 p.m. local time Friday at Apple and AT&T retail stores as well as Apple’s Web site.

The $59.99 monthly plan includes 450 minutes of voice time; a $79.99 plan includes 900 minutes; and a $99.99 plan includes 1,350 minutes. All three offer 200 text messages, unlimited data services, minutes that roll over month-to-month and mobile-to-mobile calls. There also is a $36 activation fee.

Apple claims the iPhone - which combines the functions of a cell phone, iPod media player and Web-surfing device - will be easier to use than other smart phones because of its unique touch-screen display and intuitive software that allows for easy access to voice mail messages, the Internet, and video and music libraries.

Digital entertainment services company RealNetworks, announced that the much anticipated new RealPlayer is now available for consumers to download.

For the first time, consumers can use one application to record and download videos from tens-of-thousands of Web sites with a single click, bringing the digital video recorder (DVR) experience to the Web and ushering in a new era in Internet video.

Google is close to buying phone management company GrandCentral which provides one number for life which can be routed to various actual numbers.

Neither company is commenting but blog speculation puts a $50m value on the deal. GrandCentral offers one central number and voicemail for a variety of phones. You can change how your phone reacts to incoming calls on different numbers, with different voicemail messages or ringtones.

Disk drive maker Seagate Technology on June 25 introduced what it calls “the first second-generation” 1TB storage hard drives for a variety of enterprise and desktop uses.

The Barracuda 7200.11 for desktops and Barracuda ES.2 enterprise PMR (perpendicular magnetic recording) hard drives deliver 1TB of capacity on a four-disk platform, 7,200-rpm spin speeds, and caches up to 32MB, Willis Whittington, Seagate product marketing manager, told eWEEK.

The new drives will be marketed both as branded items to the public and as OEM components to Seagate computer-making partners, Whittington said.

Both drives will begin shipping in volume during the third quarter of this year. Pricing for each is set at $399.99.