Blizzard Entertainment released the long-awaited Starcraft II: Wings Of Liberty real-time strategy game Tuesday to mixed reviews which sent shockwaves on many gaming newsgroups. Many users praised the game for its action-packed gameplay and cool graphics, while others decried its limited campaign options and lack of LAN support.

The upshot: users who ranked the game using Amazon’s scoring system gave it a so-so, average score of 2.8 out of 5 stars as of early Tuesday.

Many were impressed with Starcraft II’s graphics, which bring state-of-the-art 3D to the franchise, now more than a decade old. “I have to say that the game has definitely passed my expectation of what I would consider a game of 2010 to be,” posted one on a gaming newsgroup.

Others welcomed the fact that gameplay is similar to the original Starcraft, but faster and with some new twists. Seasoned and new gamers alike will appreciate the simple yet highly enjoyable gameplay. The factions are well balanced and the units are perfectly valued/

“Blizzard has released yet another wonderful product,” gushed one on newsgroups.

But Starcraft II is also drawing plenty of barbs from users unhappy with Blizzard’s technical and pricing decisions. Unlike with the first Starcraft, players cannot go head-to-head over a LAN. Instead, they must play over Blizzard’s Internet-based Battlenet service.

“LAN play isn’t dead, Blizzard. Some of us like having the ultra-low latency of getting together face-to-face with our friends,” complained one.

Others said Blizzard’s plan to limit the first version of Starcraft II’s campaign play to the Terran race (users must wait for future editions to play as the Zerg or Protoss) is nothing more than a money grab. “So basically it’s, ‘Here, buy this game three times and then never play it in the same room with your friends,” complained a USENET newsgroup user.

Still, Starcraft II is bound to be a massive seller despite the grumblings. The basic $59 title, available for Macs and PCs, was the top-seller in Amazon’s video game category as of mid-morning Tuesday. A Collector’s Edition, which includes a 176-page book of original Starcraft II art and other extras, sells for $99.

Apple may not be alone in keeping certain projects under wraps. Eighteen documents, which appear to have been part of an internal Microsoft presentation regarding the upcoming Windows 8, were first published on various Usenet newsgroups, and have now migrated to various websites, blogs and news channels.

How real are these slides? They’re extraordinarily detailed, and stamped with “Microsoft Confidential” and “Windows 8 Discussion–This is not a plan of record” on every page. Of course, they’re also riddled with grammatical errors, so if this is a genuine document, it’s definitely not one meant to be shown to partners or clients.

So, assuming the slides and information in question are genuine, which appears to be fairly likely, what can we expect from the next-gen Windows?

The PowerPoint slides include projections of up-to-date technology for the next Windows, such as faster boot times, support for USB 3.0 and Bluetooth 3.0, touch input, and HD video relevant features. More intriguing are next-generation features such as facial recognition, wireless 3-D displays, attention detection, and easier self-diagnostics.

According to the leaked presentation, Microsoft is focusing on reducing the time it takes for Windows to start up time, as well as providing a one-touch restore button that will return the PC to its default settings without deleting any user information.

With Windows 8, Microsoft is planning to launch an application store from which users will be able to buy apps for PCs and other devices that run Windows. One slide describes it as “Store as a Service” and notes that Microsoft sees its developer army as a significant advantage to getting up and running quickly.  Previously it has been rumored that the next version of Windows will launch in 2012, which isn’t too far away now.

This Thursday, the FCC opens up comments on its proposal regulate the online world, possibly including Usenet newsgroups.  While no one is quite sure all that it will contain, insiders have pieced together recent FCC filings from Google to outline how Net Neutrality regulations could be part of a grand plan to control how virtually all media enters your home.  Here’s a brief summary:

Under the guise of “Net Neutrality” and “consumer protection” the FCC would begin regulating online access in the US for the first time under a completely new regulatory scheme (even though they lack the authority to create it).  Meanwhile, the FCC would push regulations – cloaked in the heart-warming language of competition and innovation – mandating that your cable box (known as a set-top box) become a “broadband gateway device” controlling access to your online access, Usenet newsgroups, TV, and phone.  The FCC has already started looking at set-top box regulations in their National Broadband Plan.

The legal maneuvering is so tenuous and the desire from left-wing groups so strong that a mere promise to “forbear” from rate setting is certainly no guarantee.  On top of this, it would open the door for the FCC to begin monitoring or censoring content on the Internet (in addition to your TV), something Free Press and other progressives, as well as the White House regulatory czar advocate.  The Songwriters Guild of America has a great op-ed on why government censorship is entirely possible if the online access becomes regulated.

There are a lot of hurdles for the FCC should they choose this horrendously anti-free market route to take over the nation’s Internet networks and control the flow of media.  Already facing severe bipartisan opposition from Congress and the court, the FCC would certainly invite another legal challenge.  But if it works, Internet, phone, and TV service will simply become Google Chrome, Android/Google-Voice, and Google TV.

Microsoft officials announced the worldwide availability of Office 2010 today. Although Office 2010 is expected to sell well, it enters a changing landscape marked by the rise of cloud-based productivity apps such as Google Docs, something Microsoft has somewhat anticipated with its own new Office Web Apps.

More than 100 million PCs with Office 2010 preloaded on the system will be shipped over the next year. All versions include Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote. New computers from Sony, Dell, Toshiba and Hewlett-Packard will come with Office Starter, a free, lite version of Word and Excel. People can pay to upgrade to the full version of Office, which will include Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote and other software. For those who don’t use Outlook, Microsoft’s integrated email program, the $149 Home and Student Edition is the least costly alternative. Adding Outlook bumps the price to $279 for Office Home and Business versions. At the top of the line is Office Professional that adds Access for database management and Publisher for easy layout design tools.

Microsoft launched Office 2010 to businesses last month and says adoption is going well, but many companies will get the software automatically through volume licensing agreements and won’t have to decide whether to upgrade. Consumers, on the other hand, will offer a more accurate picture of whether the improvements Microsoft has made in its latest update will translate to market success. Microsoft said a new comScore study found that one billion computers are running Office. Nine million people downloaded the free test version of Office 2010, six times the number of downloads to test Office 2007, according to Microsoft.

Microsoft has tapped the cloud to offer a free online version of its Office suite that rivals products like Google Docs and Open Office in attempt to urge users to collaborate and share Microsoft documents via the web. Software you are familiar with like Word, Excel and PowerPoint now have a place in Windows Live account that will enable you to upload documents to share with team members, clients, as well as family and friends.

“We’ve made dramatic changes to the way we deliver Office 2010 to give consumers more buying choice, making it easier than ever to unlock the power of Office on new and existing PCs,” said Stephen Elop, president of Microsoft’s Business division, in a statement.

There are some cool features of Office Web Apps like the ability to co-author an Excel document. Instead of being locked out of a document or have the check in/out a document for control like SharePoint, two authors can be in the same document making changes at the same time. There some drawbacks, though. The co-author feature doesn’t include a way to actually see what the other author is editing. So there is the possibility that two authors could be in the same document, at the same time, editing the same content! So you have to be careful when collaborating in real-time, cause it could turn out to be real-confusing.

A free trial of each version is available for download from the Microsoft Office 2010 site through October of this year. At the end of 60 days, trial users will be required to purchase the product for continued use. With purchase, the product key to unlock the program can be used for up to three computers. Added features include new video and editing options in PowerPoint, updated text effects and table formatting in Word, advanced e-mail management and calendaring options in Outlook, co-authoring options in Word, PowerPoint, and OneNote, and a Web-based option via Office Web Apps.