Microsoft Security Essentials final version released

Finally, after a year-long development phase, Microsoft Security Essentials has been publicly released. If you can't wait to get your hands on Microsoft's latest security software, you don't need to wait any longer.

Microsoft recently confirmed the final version would be made available "in the coming weeks" but has taken the wraps off the final edition today. The final build number is 1.0.1611.0.

Security Essentials is designed to work on Windows XP, Vista and 7 and protects end users against virus threats and spy ware. MSE is Microsoft's free anti-virus and anti-spyware product that is set to replace Microsoft's paid Windows Live OneCare subscription service which was withdrawn earlier this year.

In June, a public-beta was offered, and the download limit was reached within 24 hours. It will be absolutely free for all users of Windows XP, Vista and 7, and distributed in both 32bit and 64bit flavors — as long as you have a genuine copy of Windows. Microsoft will not bundle it with Windows 7, though, when it's released on October 22nd, 2009.

"Consumers have told us that they want the protection of real-time security software but we know that too many are either unwilling or unable to pay for it, and so end up unprotected," said Amy Barzdukas, general manager for consumer security at Microsoft. "With Microsoft Security Essentials, consumers can get high-quality protection that is easy to get and easy to use – and it won't get in their way."

MSE is likely to be targeted to compete with the low end of anti-virus products from other providers, and it is not expected to make a big impact on sales of full-blown security suites. MSE is designed for home use. It requires no registration, trials or renewals and is available for download directly from Microsoft. Most users are expected to be home users or small businesses with a only a small amount of managed PCs.

In a statement earlier this year, Janice Chaffin, president of Symantec's Consumer Division claimed: "Microsoft's free product is basically a stripped down version of the OneCare product Microsoft pulled from the shelves. A full Internet security suite is what consumers require today to stay fully protected."

Security Essentials ranked fourth in a test with other leading free malware protection. If you are interested in MSE you can read an informative early review by Paul Thurott here. 

download: Windows XP (32 bit)
download: Windows Vista & Windows 7 (32 bit)
download: Windows Vista & Windows 7 (64 bit)

 

source: www.neowin.net

Windows 7 OEM prices unveiled, 50% off list price

ComputerWorld is reporting that online retailer Newegg.com has unveiled Windows 7 OEM pricing.

Newegg.com has priced the OEM version of Windows 7 Home Premium at $99.99 which is a price reduction of 50% down from the recommended retail price of $199.99.

Other savings are available for Windows 7 Professional and Windows 7 Ultimate at $134.99 and $174.99, respectively. This is a saving of approximately 50% on each version from the list price. OEM editions are priced lower as you typically do not get retail packaging, little official support and you're not able to transfer the operating system license from one PC to another.

Newegg is accepting pre-orders on the OEM editions of Windows 7, and has confirmed its pricing will stand until October 20.

 

source: www.neowin.net

Microsoft confirms no Windows 7 restrictions on netbooks

Microsoft announced that they have removed the netbook restrictions that previously prevented users from installing any version of Windows 7 on their netbook. The lifted restriction means users can install Windows 7 starter on a netbook, and that the three application restriction has been removed as per consumer's request.

"OEMs and ODMs have the choice to install any version of Windows on a netbook," a Microsoft UK spokesperson said. "[But] Starter is an entry version and doesn't have many of the consumer or business features. The three application limit isn't there anymore."

Windows 7 Starter and Home Basic variety only come in 32bit versions and are missing a variation of features from the higher end versions. Some of the features missing from Windows 7 Starter including:

• Aero Glass
• Taskbar Preview
• Aero Peek
• Desktop personalization
• Fast user switching
• Multi-monitor support
• DVD playback
• Support for domains and XP Mode
• Windows Media Center

Home Basic also lacks some key Windows 7 features including Aero, Taskbar Preview, Internet Connection Sharing and some other features. Windows 7 Starter and Home Basic will not be sold in the US, Europe and other established markets.

Retail stores and manufactures will be able to strip some of the cost off their netbooks using Windows 7 Starter or Home Basic. Microsoft will now have two entry level SKU versions of Windows 7 in some markets.

 

source: www.neowin.net

EU is considering volume limitations on MP3 players

The European Commission is going publish plans this week that will propose to limit the volume output on MP3 players and cell phones that are capable of playing music. The idea is that the current MP3 players and cell phones are able to play music at decibels that can do serious damage to a listener's ear.

"Campaigners say a safe listening level is below 85 decibels for 40 hours use a week, but some MP3 players play music at up to 120 decibels. Apparently Brussels wants the maximum decibel level to be reduced from 100 to 80 decibels, with all future music players built to the new standard."

An alternative to hard volume limiting is to place warning labels on such devices letting users know about the possible side effects of listening to loudly. Also proposed would be a software prompt that when volume is turned up to potentially harmful levels a prompt would appear letting users know of the dangers.

These proposals are a result of the EU scientific Committee that suggested five to ten percent of users of portable MP3 players risked permanently damaging their ears.

 

source: www.neowin.net

Microsoft believes Google Chrome Frame lowers security of IE

Google's recent release of Google Chrome Frame wasn't entirely expected, though that's not to say it wasn't welcome. Some people questioned the usefulness of it, whilst others were overjoyed. Regardless of public opinion, it was to be expected that Microsoft wouldn't be entirely pleased about the whole idea, and they've just given their official thoughts on the software, according to the lads at Ars Technica.

To give you a quick overview of Google Chrome Frame, the aim is for it to give Internet Explorer the rendering and javascript engines of the Chrome browser, which is of benefit to web developers and obviously users also. However, with great power comes great responsibility, and in this case, Microsoft believes that the security of its web browser has been compromised. In an email to Ars Technica, Microsoft stated, "With Internet Explorer 8, we made significant advancements and updates to make the browser safer for our customers. Given the security issues with plugins in general and Google Chrome in particular, Google Chrome Frame running as a plugin has doubled the attach area for malware and malicious scripts. This is not a risk we would recommend our friends and families take."

In short, Microsoft believes that the Chrome Frame doubles the risk to a user when browsing the Internet. This is, quite simply, a bit ridiculous. Ars Technica said, "Somehow we doubt there is a significant amount of malware specifically targeting Chrome, and for whatever exists, we're pretty sure most would fail when encountering IE + Google Chrome Frame. These Web attacks would be written to be able to circumvent Chrome's security measures and would simply not expect Internet Explorer's security layers," which makes sense. To add to that, Google is constantly updating its browser with security updates and other features, to ensure that it stays secure for those who use it.

There are many reasons as to why Chrome Frame isn't as big of a security risk as Microsoft makes it out to be, though no software is perfect. It will be interesting to see if Google has anything further to say on the matter, but they'll probably keep quiet from this point on.

 

source: www.neowin.net

Windows 7 PCs available early

Microsoft's new operating system, Windows 7, is set to officially launch and become generally available to the public on October 22. Some custom computer builders, however, have now been given permission to start selling PCs with Windows 7 pre-installed a week or more before the launch date.

Some smaller system builders have been told by Microsoft that they can start selling PCs pre-loaded with Windows 7 as soon as they receive the product keys, TechFlash reports. The product keys - used to activate the operating system - are expected to be distributed to these system builders as soon as October 13, over a week before the official release of Windows 7.

Jon Bach, the president of custom computer builder Puget Systems who are based in the Seattle region, told TechFlash that he found out about the early release stance simply by speaking to Microsoft. He had been led to believe that the policy applies only to system builders who buy Windows 7 via the official distribution channels, and not to large OEMs or retailers.

"I'm surprised this hasn't come out. It was freely shared with us, and confirmed in writing. We almost didn't believe it," Bach said of the arrangement. He added, "The way they said it was, 'This is your competitive advantage, make use of it'."

Puget Systems are prepared to start selling Windows 7 machines as soon as they receive the product keys from Microsoft. Bach himself has been testing the operating system for the past six months and feels confident that they are ready for launch. His company has copies of the RTM version, ready for preconfiguring computers so that all they need to do is enter the product key before handing it over to the customer.

 

source: www.neowin.net

Apple rumored to be releasing new iMacs very soon

Another rumor has hit the world of Apple just earlier, bringing some whispers that the company has a refresh of its iMac line all geared up and ready to be released. As usual, AppleInsider has the sources behind the headline, and they believe that the new model of the computer was finalized some time in September.

The machines are said to have been in production for the last two weeks, bringing some aesthetic changes as well as packing some new features. It's expected the new iMac will look more Apple's LED Cinema Display, keeping in line with previous rumors that have said the machine will come with a thinner design. Aside from this, and the usual pricing decrease, Blu-Ray could very well be included with the machines; Apple CEO Steve Jobs infamously described the technology as a "bag of hurt" at a MacBook event a little while back. However, as eagle-eyed iTunes users have pointed out before, the software started giving copyright credit to 'Blu-ray Disc' a little while ago.

Adding fuel to the rumor fire, Apple's corporate and educational sales teams have apparently been offering volume amounts of current-model iMacs at a discounted rate, to help clear out inventory. To aid in getting things sold quicker, the discount offer was said to be only available for a week.

The new iMacs could be available next week, or even as late as mid-October; AppleInsider believes that it's just a matter of Apple's marketing team giving them the green light.

 

source: www.neowin.net

First pictures of Microsoft's 'Pink' phones revealed

Microsoft's secret project, dubbed 'Pink', is quite a big deal amongst the rumor community. Just earlier, Gizmodo revealed the first pictures of two 'Pink' phones which Microsoft hasn't officially acknowledged yet.

The two phones are called 'Turtle' and 'Pure', and are going to be produced by Sharp, who will share branding with Microsoft on the devices. Please note that in the photos included below, the first one is 'Turtle' and the latter is 'Pure'. They're quite interesting devices, very rounded and sleek, with the 'Turtle' looking similar to the Palm Pre.

Unfortunately, Gizmodo's sources won't reveal any other information about the devices yet, though no doubt more information will come out soon. It's rumored that the Pink phones will have Zune services and an app store also, to distribute third-party applications.

 

source: www.neowin.net

Intel demonstrates 22nm chips scheduled for 2011 release

Gordon Moore, co-founder of Intel, stated in a 1965 research paper that the number of transistors on a CPU will double approximately every two years; this belief became very famous, and is now known as 'Moore's Law'. Intel is still very determined on keeping to that law, as Paul Otellini, President and CEO of Intel, has just demonstrated the world's first CPU constructed with a 22nm manufacturing process. This means that, according to Intel's press release, a massive 2.9 billion transistors are squeezed onto a wafer in about the same area as the average fingernail.

Otellini stated, "At Intel, Moore's Law is alive and thriving. We've begun production of the world's first 32nm microprocessor, which is also the first high-performance processor to integrate graphics with the CPU. At the same time, we're already moving ahead with development of our 22nm manufacturing technology and have built working chips that will pave the way for production of still more powerful and more capable processors." This is fantastic news for the technology industry, and even other non-related industries.

The 22nm wafer that Otellini demonstrated has a rather hefty 364 million bits of SRAM memory, as well as packing the smallest ever SRAM cell used in working circuits (.092 square microns). To add to this, the technology isn't too far on the horizon, either; according to Engadget, the chips are said to be heading for a release in the second half of 2011.

 

source: www.neowin.net

Thunderbird 3 beta 4 available for download

Mozilla's popular email client 'Thunderbird' is progressing nicely, having hit the beta 4 milestone of version 3 just earlier, bringing some nice new changes and improvements with it according to the guys over at ghacks. The release brings a few new optimization features, including support for Windows Vista's search and better Gmail integration.

Some of the improvements, as listed by Mozilla, can be found below:

• New Search with Advanced Filtering Tools:
  Search results now include advanced filtering tools. You have the option to filter your results by sender, tag, attachments, people, folder, and mailing list. You can also filter your email using the timeline tool.
• New Global Search Field with Autocomplete:
  When typing in the Global Search field, Thunderbird autocompletes against your address book. You have the option of searching everywhere or filtering against different parts of the email such as by subject or by sender.
• Redesigned Mail Toolbar:
  The Mail Toolbar is redesigned to include the new Global Search bar. Buttons such as reply, forward, delete, junk are part of each email message. You can add those buttons back to the main toolbar by customizing the toolbar.
• Smart Folders:
  The folder pane offers a Smart Folders mode which combines special mailboxes, like Inbox, from multiple accounts. Smart Folders is now on by default.
• Improved Gmail Integration:
  Better recognition and integration of Gmail's special folders such as Sent and Trash including non-English versions of Gmail. Thunderbird also uses All Mail as the Archives folder.
• For Windows Vista users, Thunderbird 3 is now integrated with Vista search results. On first start, Thunderbird will prompt to install its indexing system into Windows Vista and you can choose to see Thunderbird email and news messages in Windows search results.
• For Mac users, Thunderbird 3 can import from Mail.app, read your OS X address book, and use Growl for new mail alerts.

These are all excellent improvements, and will certainly help Thunderbird in becoming an even bigger competitor to its rivals. If you want to try out the fourth beta, you can find download links below, directly from Mozilla.

download: Thunderbird 3 B4 for Windows.
download: Thunderbird 3 B4 for Mac OS X.
download: Thunderbird 3 B4 for Linux.

 

source: www.neowin.net

Google brings Chrome rendering engine to IE6, 7 and 8

A thorn in the side of many web developers is Internet Explorer 6. It's an old browser that has many annoyances that cause those creating websites to have to add additional code just to have things render as they should. Google, being a company that develops a web browser, has taken it upon themselves to solve this problem somewhat. It has just released an early version of a project called Google Chrome Frame, which, when used, will cause Internet Explorers 6 through 8 to use Chrome's rendering engine, not their default one. This allows stubborn users (or those in a workplace environment) to continue using the browser they want to, and no longer aggravate web developers.

Google's official blog explains it in detail, and demonstrates how simple it is to get it up and running. All web developers need to do is add the following tag to their sites:

<meta-http-equiv="X-UA-Compatible" content="chrome=1">

Once that's done, and everything is installed correctly, Google Chrome Frame detects the tag and promptly switches automatically to Google Chrome's WebKit-based rendering engine.

 

source: www.neowin.net

iPhone developer ports game to Zune HD in a mere 12 hours

A few days ago, Novell unveiled its new 'MonoTouch' SDK to be used for developing iPhone applications in .NET, much to the happiness of some and, unfortunately, the opposite for others. It seems that developers are already taking advantage of this, according to Ars Technica, with a developer porting its popular game to the Zune HD in just 12 hours.

The developer, Foundation42, posted their milestone via Twitter, showing the power of Novell's new SDK and what can be achieved with it. The game that was ported is called WordMonger, and was displayed on a YouTube video which we have included below. Many have questioned Microsoft's games which were included with the Zune HD, as (although they're free) they display a short ad each time they are launched. To add to this, Microsoft doesn't have an official way of distributing apps as Apple does with its App Store, though that will perhaps come in the near future. The only way to install third party apps properly on the Zune HD so far, according to Ars Technica, is to, "[have the user] download and install Visual C#, .Net 3.5, and the XNA Game Studio 3.1. Then, the developer must give the source code of their game to the user, and make them build and deploy it manually."

This is a great step forward for iPhone developers, .NET developers, and even Novell, as their SDK will begin to show off its capabilities as more companies pull this off.

source: www.neowin.net

New in Leaked WM 6.5-Build Series: 23052 and 23412

Windows Mobile 6.5 has just seen some new builds leaked into the wild and that add to the series of builds that we've already seen available for download in cooked ROMs for some of the WM-powered mobile phones out there. Among the new builds for the OS, we can count Build 23049, spotted a few days ago, as well as Build 23052 and Build 23412, which have popped up recently on the xda-developers forums.

Following the leaked Windows Mobile 6.5 Build 23047, which came around with a series of finger-friendliness touches, as well as with a series of user-interface changes, the Windows Mobile 6.5 Build 23049 also includes a series of visual changes. Thus, those who will try out this build will enjoy square soft keys, a somehow darker theme, as well as better integration with Manila 2.5 (HTC’s TouchFlo3D UI).

The next in line is Windows Mobile 6.5 Build 23052, which can be admired with an HTC Hero Android-like look. The build can be seen on the xda-developers forums here, and seems to come with stablility improvements, as well as with speed enhancements. In addition to the theme changes, it also comes with a relocated start menu, and might soon surface in a series of cooked ROMs, though none has been announced until now, it seems.

Another build that emerged on the forums at xda-developers is Windows Mobile 6.5 Build 23412, which surfaced in a cooked ROM for HTC TouchHD, and that also includes a series of visual changes, as well as some improvements in speed and stability. While we do not encourage you to install these builds unless you know what you are doing, we do recommend you to take a look at the screenshots below to make an idea of what they look like. A video with WM6.5 Build 23412 is also available.

As many of you might already know, for it has been said a few times before, these leaked builds and ROMs do not show what the upcoming Windows phones will deliver to users. The Windows Mobile 6.5 OS that will come to the market starting with October 6 is based on a previous build, while the new ones mark the path towards a WM 6.5.1 flavor that was already rumored to come to handsets at the beginning of the next year, before the next-generation Windows Mobile 7 makes an appearance.

source: www.softpedia.com

Windows Mobile 7 info, 1,000 engineers working on project

Microsoft has confirmed that the current team of 1,000 developers, working on Windows Mobile 7, are planning to feature social networks as a key element of Windows Mobile 7.

In a company job posting, spotted by Mobile Tech World, officials are looking for a senior program manager in the Windows Mobile 7 Communications Group:

The Windows Mobile 7 Communications group is building experiences on the phone that present your content - friends, pictures, messages, events - to you in immersive and engaging ways. Our vision is to bring social networks to life by integrating them into the core experience of the phone. For example imagine seeing all the newsfeeds from all the networks you care about in a single hub on the phone. Or imagine the phone instantly telling you what your friend is doing and where he is when you get a call from him.

Paul Spain, who attended Tech-Ed in New Zealand last week, confirmed that Microsoft announced there were currently 1,000 engineers working on Windows Mobile 7. Over at the Microsoft jobs center, there are currently 69 jobs posted concerning Windows Mobile. Clearly Microsoft is ramping up its efforts in the mobile space to provide some healthy competition for devices such as Apple's iPhone and Palm's Pre.
Earlier this month, UX "evangelist" Stephen Chapman unearthed some confirmed features of Windows Mobile 7. In a blog posting, Chapman posted various features ranging from a Windows Live ID feature to MEMS sensor capabilities in Windows Mobile 7, including accelerometer and compass.

According to insiders close to the Windows Mobile 7 project, Microsoft had originally planned to unveil Windows Mobile 7 at the Professional Developers Conference, Los Angeles, in November this year. It's not yet clear if this has been pushed back as the project has run into several delays during its time.

 

source: www.neowin.net

Microsoft launches Office Web Apps

Microsoft made available today to a select group of beta testers the Community Technology Preview (CTP) test build of its online version of Office. The online version of Office (while not intended to replace office but simply compliment it) will compete directly against Google Docs.

The online version of the applications will allow for basic editing and manipulating but will not offer a full fledge replacement for the Office software. Targeting on the go and light users Microsoft will expand the already massive presence of its Office platform.

While this may work well for home use or small business users don't expect these online apps to take over the business world. Security is a huge issue with these applications and not knowing who all will have access to your data is a huge risk for sensitive information. Microsoft says that these previews are not feature complete nor are they free of bugs. Expect continued improvement to the applications as Microsoft expands the beta testing pool and irons out any reported bugs.

Images courtesy of ZDNet.com

source: www.neowin.net

Firefox 4.0 Confirmed for Fall 2010, 2x More Performance over Firefox 3.5

The next major version of the Firefox open-source browser for Mozilla will be made available to end users in approximately one year. While the fact that Firefox 4.0 was planned for general availability in the second half of 2010 was already a public detail, Mozilla has now confirmed this aspect officially courtesy of Chief Executive Officer John Lilly. According to Lilly, Mozilla will release Firefox 4.0 in the fall of 2010, with speculation pointing to either an October 2010 or a November 2010 launch.

In an interview with Netease Technology, Lilly talked about the future of Firefox beyond version 3.5, which Mozilla made available to end users earlier this year. The opportunity also served for Mozilla CEO to confirm that there would be no less than two versions of Firefox between 3.5 and 4.0. Firefox 3.6 is currently cooking, with an Alpha development milestone already offered to testers, and plans have been made public for the release of Firefox 3.7 early in 2010.

Mozilla is making headway toward a November 2009 GA for Firefox 3.6, currently codenamed Namoroka. Designed as a minor update to Firefox 3.5, version 3.6 will bring to the table enhanced personalization capabilities, deeper integration with Windows 7, and features such as Personas, asynchronous location bar, an evolved TraceMonkey engine, improved scrolling, optimized session restore, and a boost in terms of startup speeds, according to the official Firefox roadmap from Mozilla.

Following the release of v3.6, Firefox will evolve to 3.7, a release that is planned for availability in the spring of 2010. Firefox 3.7 will support out of process plugins and animation in XUL, but also the ability to run websites as apps and optimizations to pageload times and TraceMonkey.

It will be in autumn 2010 that users will be able to download and run the final version of Firefox 4.0, Lilly promised. The Mozilla CEO revealed that development was focused on improving the performance of the open-source browser. While Firefox 3.5 is twice as fast as version 3.0, Firefox 4.0 will deliver twice the speed of v3.5. In addition, Firefox 4.0 will include JetPack and Weave, and will come with an overhauled graphical user interface design not just for Windows 7, but also for Mac OS X and Linux.

 

source: www.softpedia.com

Hacker: Snow Leopard less secure than Windows

As reported by Techworld, Snow Leopard, Apple's highly anticipated new operating system, lacks basic security features that are found in Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7 says Charlie Miller, a noted security researcher.

Address Space Layout Randomization, commonly referred to as ASLR, randomly assigns data to the memory to make it more difficult for hackers to locate the of critical operating system functions.

Charlie Miller of Baltimore-based Independent Security Evaluators who many people may remember from when he successfully hacked a fully patched Macbook in seconds, was disappointed upon hearing that Apple did little to improve ASLR from Leopard to Snow Leopard.

"Apple didn't change anything. It's the exact same ASLR as in Leopard, which means it's not very good. I hoped Snow Leopard would do full ASLR, but it doesn't. I don't understand why they didn't. But Apple missed an opportunity with Snow Leopard. Apple did make various moves to improve Mac OS X 10.6's security including a revamp of QuickTime and additions to Data Execution Prevention (DEP), a security feature built in to Windows Vista."

"Having both ASLR and DEP in an operating system makes it much more difficult for attackers to create working code," Miller argued. "If you don't have either, or just one of the two [ASLR or DEP], you can still exploit bugs, but with both, it's much, much harder. Snow Leopard's more secure than Leopard, but it's not as secure as Vista or Windows 7," he said. "When Apple has both [in place], that's when I'll stop complaining about Apple's security."

In the end, Miller agreed that hackers' disinterest in Mac OS X comes down to numbers rather than the security measures that Apple adds to the operating system. "It's harder to write exploits for Windows than the Mac," Miller said, "but all you see are Windows exploits. That's because if [the hacker] can hit 90% of the machines out there, that's all he's gonna do. It's not worth him nearly doubling his work just to get that last 10%."

"I still think you're pretty safe [on a Mac]," Miller said. "I wouldn't recommend antivirus on the Mac."

 

source: www.neowin.net

Zune HD apps and games confirmed, Twitter and Facebook due

Today is Zune HD day in the United States and just as the Zune HD is about to go on sale Microsoft has confirmed that the Zune HD will have applications and games later this year.

In a press release, company officials confirm that both Twitter and Facebook applications are due later this year and the following 3D games:

• Project Gotham Racing: Ferrari Edition
• Vans Sk8: Pool Service
• Audiosurf Tilt

Games can be added to Zune HD via Zune Marketplace over the Wi-Fi connection or when connected to the Zune PC software.

 

source: www.neowin.net

Bing gains market share

Microsoft's new search engine, Bing, has managed to take the third spot in the top search providers for August 2009. Bing was launched back in May 2009 and has managed to snatch 10.7% market share with 1.1 billion searches in August 2009.

Bing has a month-over-month growth of 22.1%, becoming the fastest growing search engine in the top 10 search providers. Bing also just released Visual Search earlier this week that returns thumbnail images using Silverlight. Microsoft will also be releasing Bing 2.0 sometime in the near future, adding new features to the decision engine.

Google still takes the top spot with 64.6% total market share, an increase of 2.6% over last month, generating almost 7 billion searches for August 2009. Yahoo! search comes in second place with 16.0%, a decrease of 4.2% over July 2009, generating 1.7 billion searches.

Microsoft has recently signed a deal with Yahoo! to make a Bing powered search, with a ten year term, merging the two technologies to create a single search engine to compete with Google.

AOL and Ask.com search fall into the fourth and fifth spot. AOL brought in 333 million searches, while Ask.com only received 186 million.

 

source: www.neowin.net

Google releases Chrome 3

Google has released its third major revision of Chrome. The updated browser boasts a 150% (25% over its most recent stable release) increase in javascript performance since the launch of version 1.

Other new features include a redesigned "new tab" page, an improved omnibox, themes capability, and HTML5 features.

Since Google has released Chrome it has taken a 2.8% market share. It is expected that the market share will continue to grow as more people become aware of the browser. Also, Google has been marketing its browser heavily to users who also use other Google products such as Gmail or Google search.

The browser marketplace is packed with heavy hitters from Microsoft, Apple, and Google. All of which are backed by massive corporations with seemingly unlimited resources. Other well known browsers that also provide serious competition to Chrome are Firefox and Opera.
The competition in the browser market place keeps all the competitors on their toes as they try to gain or maintain their current market share. With Google releasing an updated browser you can be sure that their competitors are watching closely.

 

download: Chrome 3.0

source: www.neowin.net

Zune 4.0 software now available

Microsoft has officially released the Zune 4.0 software today.

The software package introduces a number of new features for Zune owners and some great additions for Windows 7 owners. Outside of the software package, Microsoft has also made the Zune Marketplace catalog available to stream through a browser. Zune Pass subscribers will have access to close to 6 million songs from the Zune Marketplace catalog for $14.99 per month which will allow them to stream full albums and tracks through a computer's browser.

Quickplay

Quickplay allows instant access to the stuff you care and use the most with shortcuts to favorites, recently downloaded or played music, videos, and Smart DJ mixes. This will be the starting point to the Zune software.

Smart DJ

Smart DJ is a similar feature to Apple's iTunes Genius feature. Smart DJ allows you to choose an artist, album, or song to create a custom mix. Smart DJ will then mix in results from your own music collection and those that appear in the Zune Marketplace.

Mini mode

This allows you to keep the player always on top of other windows but in a smaller version.

Optimised for Windows 7

Zune 4 is optimised for Windows 7 features including jump lists and taskbar previews.

The Zune HD is available today at retail stores across the US priced at $219.99 for 16GB and $289.99 for 32GB. You can also visit Zune Originals to order a Zune HD in green, blue or red in addition to black and platinum, in either of the capacities.

 

download: Zune 4.0

source: www.neowin.net

Lenovo introduces multitouch ThinkPad X200 Tablet and T400s laptop

Press release:

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC – September 15, 2009: Lenovo today is bringing business users a new way to work with multitouch screen technology¹ on the versatile and portable ThinkPad X200 Tablet PC and slim and powerful ThinkPad T400s laptop. Lenovo is also introducing SimpleTap, an application that brings simplicity to the multitouch screen experience.

"We see now as the right time for multitouch screens on PCs," said Sam Dusi, vice president, worldwide ThinkPad product marketing, Lenovo. "With touch screens increasingly becoming part of more devices we use routinely and continued improvement of the technology including the integration of touch in the upcoming Windows 7 operating system, the environment for making touch part of our Tablet PC and ThinkPad T400s laptop experience couldn't be better. We've also extended the touch experience with SimpleTap to make frequent hardware-based functions touch-enabled and simple."

Lenovo also today announced a new defense against the sun for outdoor workers with a new super bright optional screen on the ThinkPad X200 Tablet.

 

 

source: www.lenovo.comm

DirectX 11 for Windows Vista SP2 Available for Download

Microsoft is beginning to backport Windows 7 features to Windows Vista, and as an integral part of the process, the company is also upgrading Vista’s graphics technology to the level of Windows 7. In this regard, the Redmond-based company has made available for download the Beta development milestone of the Platform Update for Windows Vista. It is via the Platform Update for Windows Vista Beta that users running the second service pack for Vista will be able to access the new DirectX 11 package, and bring the operating system that succeeded Windows XP on par with Windows 7.

Essentially, what Vista SP2 users will be getting is the latest iteration of the DirectX platform. DirectX 11 is in no way a single component. It is, however, a sum of technologies packaged together. The Platform Update for Windows Vista Beta offers the complete new DirectX package, allowing end users and developers to take advantage of components such as DirectWrite, Direct2D, Direct3D 11, Direct3D 10 Level 9, and DXGI 1.1. In addition, the download will also deliver Windows Graphics, Imaging, and XPS Library updates to the Windows Imaging Components, XPS Print API, and the XPS Rasterization Service. Following the integration of the Platform Update for Windows Vista Beta, customers will have the same DirectX technologies on Windows Vista as in Windows 7.

A critical aspect that must be noted is that Microsoft will only target Windows Vista SP2 with the DirectX package in Platform Update for Windows Vista. Users that are currently still running the RTM or SP1 versions of Vista will not be getting upgraded, unless they first upgrade to Service Pack 2. The same is valid for Windows Server 2008, with only SP2 being supported for the DirectX  upgrade introduced with the Platform Update for Windows Vista, and RTM-SP1 being ignored completely. SP2 is mandatory for the time being; however, the Platform Update for Windows Vista's DirectX refresh is bound to be tailored to Service Pack 3 (SP3) for Vista and Windows Server 2008 moving onward.

Microsoft revealed that it would offer the Platform Update for Windows Vista through Windows Update. The refresh will be supplied automatically via WU and will be labeled a "recommended" install. The Beta release of the Platform Update for Windows Vista is already served through WU. According to Microsoft, plans are in place for official launch during the Windows 7 general availability time frame. The Redmond-based company mentioned nothing about the possibility of DirectX 11 to be offered as a standalone download to Vista users.

 

source: www.neowin.net

Apple fixes 33 security holes

Today Apple shipped another security update for Mac OS X, this time they published at least 33 updates according to ZDNet. The updates include various third party software updates affecting Mac OS X users.

One of the updates includes a fix for Adobe Flash Player, which was shipped with Snow Leopard last week. Apple shipped Snow Leopard to stores with a vulnerable version of Adobe Flash Player, leaving all users who upgraded or did a clean installation at risk.

The security package patches for software includes Adobe's Flash Player plug-in, Clam AV, MySQL and PHP. The security package also includes more serious security patches for components including Alias Manager, CarbonCore, ColorSync, CoreGraphics and ImageIO.
Update 2009-005 will patch several "arbitrary code execution" vulnerabilities that can exploit a user's machine if tricked into opening certain file types.

Adobe Flash Player plug-in released nine different vulnerability patches yesterday, included in security update 2009-005. The most dangerous security hole could compromise a computer through rigged websites.

 

source: www.neowin.net

The Cliq: Motorola's first Android phone

On Thursday morning, Motorola officially introduced its first Google Android device: the Motorola Cliq. The announcement was made by Motorola's co-CEO Sanjay Jha at the Mobilize 09 conference here in San Francisco, who was later joined by Cole Brodman, T-Mobile's chief technology and information officer, to show off the Cliq.

Long-rumored as the Morrison, the Motorola Cliq will be available from T-Mobile later this fall, just in time for the holidays, but pricing was not revealed during its introduction. T-Mobile will offer the phone in two colors: titanium or winter white, and it will be sold worldwide in 2010 as the Motorola Dext. Unfortunately, Motorola did not unveil the Sholes but did say that it would announce a second Android phone in the coming weeks.

The Cliq measures 4.49 inches tall by 2.28 inches wide by 0.62 inch thick and weighs 5.6 ounces. It features a 3.1-inch HVGA touch screen with a 320x480 pixel resolution and has a slide-out QWERTY keyboard as well as a soft keyboard. It's also equipped with a 3.5 millimeter headphone jack.

The phone will run Android 1.5 Cupcake and offer access to Google's various services, including Google Maps with Street View, Google Voice Search, Picasa, and GTalk. The smartphone supports a number e-mail clients, such as Yahoo, Windows Live, and other POP3 and IMAP services, and syncs with Microsoft Exchange, including calendar. The QuickOffice Suite is also onboard for document viewing.

The quad-band Cliq is 3G-capable and offers a full HTML Google browser, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and GPS. Multimedia features come in the form of a 5-megapixel camera with video recording capabilities and a built-in music and video player. The smartphone also comes preloaded with the Amazon MP3 Store, a dedicated YouTube app, Shazam, Last.fm, and Imeem. Rated talk time is 6 hours and up to 13.5 days of standby time.

Obviously, it's a pretty full-featured phone, but it's not any different from a lot of smartphones today, which is why Motorola hopes its MotoBlur user interface will help differentiate it from the rest of the pack. As discussed in the keynote today, MotoBlur syncs information from different sources, such as Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, and your personal and work e-mail accounts, and automatically streams updates to your home screen. The idea behind it is that this constant stream of information will mean you have to spend less time opening and closing applications.

MotoBlur is certainly nice in that it brings together all your information, much like Palm's Synergy feature, but it'll be interesting to see the real-life user experience of it. Will it be really useful to have all that data on your home screen or will it just be a jumbled mess? Also, while the specs are good enough, they're not exactly mind-blowing either.

We'll be getting some hands-on time with the Cliq later this afternoon, so we'll be able to tell you more then. We'll also have photos and videos. In the meantime, please chime in and tell us what you think of the device.

 

source: www.cnet.com

Mac OS X 10.6.1 Snow Leopard

Apple has announced the roll out of v10.6.1 Update for their existing OS X Snow Leopard users.

This new Mac OS X v10.6.1 Update is recommended for all theMac OS X 10.6.1 Snow Leopard current Mac OS X v10.6 Snow Leopard users and includes general operating system fixes that enhance the stability, compatibility and security of your Mac.
What’s New in Mac OS X Snow Leopard 10.6.1:
* Improves compatibility with some Sierra Wireless 3G modems
* Addresses an issue in which some printer compatibility drivers might not appear properly in the Add Printer browser
* Addresses an issue that might cause DVD playback to stop unexpectedly
* Addresses an issue that might make it difficult to remove an item from the Dock
* Resolves an issue in which the Command-Option-T keyboard shortcut would sometimes bring up the special characters menu in applications such as Mail and TextEdit
* Addresses instances in which auto account setup in Mail might not work
* Resolves issues when sending mail with certain SMTP servers
* Addresses an issue in which Motion 4 could become unresponsive
* Includes an update to Adobe Flash Player plug-in version 10.0.32.18
The new Mac OS X v10.6.1 update can be downloaded and installed from Software Update in OS X or optionally from the standalone installer through the download link given below.

Download: Mac OS X 10.6.1 Snow Leopard

source: redmondpie.com

Apple announces new iPod nano and touch models

Among the release of the iPhone / iPod touch firmware 3.1 and the release of iTunes 9.0, Apple has announced a new iPod nano to the market, available as of today.
The new iPod nano supports a slightly larger 2.2 inch display, upgrading from 2 inches. The newest feature is the sporty camera, fixed to the back of the device. The 640x480 VGA camera mounted to the back only records video and does not double as a still camera.

The new iPod nano also comes with an integrated microphone for recording audio, found on the side of the device, also including a speaker for playback on both audio and video. The updated nano also comes with a built-in pedometer and FM radio for easily listening on the go.

(Image courtesy of cnet.com)

Prices for the iPod nano start at $149 (8GB) and $179 (16GB).

The iPod shuffle remains the same, but offers new colours and a cheaper price tag $59 (2GB) and $99 (4GB) "Special Edition" that's made of polished stainless steel.

The iPod touch is also now offered at $199 (8GB), $299 (32GB), and $399 (64GB). The 32GB and 64GB are both new products and come with Voice Control, currently not available on the 8GB Touch, and a new set of earphones with remote and mic.

 

source: www.neowin.net

Windows 7 RTM Media Center Evolves

Windows Media Center is one the main vertebrae of Windows 7’s backbone user experience, an operating system component that should be pushed to the foreground when it comes to entertainment capabilities without hesitation. Not without its shortcomings, Windows Media Center continues to grow, Microsoft proved at CEDIA EXPO 2009, even after Windows 7 was released to manufacturing. In this regard, the company announced the addition of support for Switched Digital Video (SDV) to Windows Media Center in Windows Vista’s successor.

Available in the Home Premium, Professional, Enterprise and Ultimate SKUs of Windows 7, Windows Media Center is now capable of allowing end users to tune to SDV channels. The software giant explained that the support for SDV was catalyzed by customer feedback and by the proliferation of the distribution method for digital video via cable among cable providers. Users will, of course, need a tuning adapter in order to watch SDV channels, and they will have to get one from the cable provider. The complete receipt to tune to SDV channels involves Windows Media Center in Windows 7, as well as a digital cable tuner with CableCARD.
But not to fret, Microsoft has assured customers running Windows 7 that adding digital cable tuners with CableCard to their PCs will be a seamless experience. The Redmond-based company plans to deliver a new tool designed to scan Windows 7 machines and evaluate their ability to support the CableCard tuners.

Microsoft noted that digital cable support would only be enabled once the tool had verified that the scanned computer met all requirements. Besides adding a digital cable tuner with CableCard, Windows 7 users will also be able to connect up to three more solutions, namely a total of four per tuner type. Want to watch/record no less than four digital cable TV channels? Well, with Windows 7 and Windows Media Center, now you can.

“We are excited that digital cable customers will now be able to take advantage of this new opportunity to bring great cable TV programming to the PC,” said So Vang, vice president of OpenCable at CableLabs. “We are dedicated to helping customers get the most from their cable service, and this will be a great win for both the customer and the cable operators.”

In addition, because of the collaboration between Microsoft and CableLabs, digital cable TV marked as “copy freely” (CF) will provide a high degree of portability. Digital cable tuner with CableCARD customers will essentially be able to enjoy CF-marked digital cable recordings on other computers or devices than on those they were recorded.

“We’re continuing to work on creating opportunities for partners that will enable great entertainment experiences on the PC,” said Craig Eisler, corporate vice president of entertainment client software for the TV, Video & Music Business at Microsoft. “Consumers understand that having access to content via the PC is critical when it comes to entertainment experiences, and with these announcements, we’re underscoring our broader commitment to deliver a rich experience with Windows Media Center.”

source: www.softpedia.com

iPhone OS 3.1 adds new features and functionality

The new features of 3.1 are:

• Improved syncing for music, movies, TV shows, podcasts, and photos
• iTunes U content organization
• Redeem iTunes Gift Cards, codes, and certificates in the App Store
• Display available iTunes account credits in the App Store and iTunes Store
• Save video from Mail and MMS into Camera Roll
• Option to Save as new clip when trimming a video on iPhone 3GS
• Better iPhone 3G Wi-Fi performance when Bluetooth is turned on
• Remotely lock iPhone with passcode via MobileMe
• Use Voice COntrol on iPhone 3GS with Bluetooth headsets
• Paste phone numbers into the keypad
• Option to use Home button to turn on accessibility features on iPhone 3GS
• Warn when visiting fraudulent websites in Safari (anti-phishing)
• Improved Exchange calendar syncing and invitation handling
• Fixes issue that cause some app icons to display incorrectly

There's now also a App Store Genius function, which will recommend Apps based on your purchase history. The Genius of Apple also extends to iTunes, which will now create up to 12 playlists for you based on what's in your library. You can now purchase and download ringtones from your iPhone, and organize apps in iTunes.

Apple's security info page will be listing the security content of the OS updates shortly. The new versions include 10 security fixes, including patches for SMS vulnerabilities, Exchange passcode lock workarounds, and Unicode character spoofing flaws.

 

source: www.tuaw.com

iPod nano: Cheaper, more features, and a video camera too!

Apple appears to be aiming right at the Flip market with its release of the updated iPod nano today. A quick rundown includes:

• Storage capacity: 8GB for $149USD, 16GB for $179USD.
• 2.2-inch color display. 240-by-376-pixel resolution at 204 pixels per inch.
• Battery: 24 hour playback for audio, 5 hours for video
• Video camera. H.264 VGA video, 640 by 480 pixels, up to 30 frames per second with AAC audio. Real-time special effects include: Sepia, Black and White, X-Ray, Film Grain, Thermal, Security Cam, Cyborg, Bulge, Kaleido, Motion Blur, Mirror, Light Tunnel, Dent, Stretch, and Twirl
• FM radio featuring iTunes tagging and live pausing (for those who still like to listen to Delilah.)
• Pedometer and accelormeter
• Built-in mic and speaker with voice memos
• Genius features
• Voice Over kit featuring a multiple number of languages
• Variety of colors, but two of those colors -- yellow and red -- are in-store only.
• Environmental features: Arsenic-free glass, BFR-free, Mercury-free, PVC-free

 

source: www.tuaw.com

Windows 7 RTM Safe from Vista SP2 and XP SP3 Vulnerabilities

Not only is Windows 7 RTM not affected by the Server Message Block (SMB) Protocol 2.0 critical zero-day vulnerability, but the latest iteration of the Windows client is also safe from a range of vulnerabilities impacting previous Windows releases. Microsoft released five security bulletins on September 8, 2009, addressing a total of eight vulnerabilities in Windows and Windows Server. However, the lucky few that are already running the gold versions of Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 R2 don’t have to apply a single patch. The same is in no way valid for users of older versions of Windows, who are advised to download and deploy the security updates as soon as possible.

According to Jerry Bryant, senior security program manager for Microsoft, the five bulletins, which are all rated Critical, are designed to bulletproof Windows machines against two types of threats, namely browser-based and network-based attacks. In this first case, the malicious code is hosted on malformed websites, while in the latter, exploits can come over the network attempting Remote Code Execution (RCE) or Denial-of-Service (DoS) attacks.

Windows Vista RTM/SP1/SP2 contains vulnerabilities patched by no less than four of the total five patch packages released by Microsoft. In this regard, customers need to patch their Vista copies for vulnerabilities in the Wireless LAN AutoConfig Service, in Windows TCP/IP, in Windows Media Format and in the JScript Scripting Engine. As far as Windows XP SP2/SP3 is concerned, the security updates plug holes in the DHTML Editing Component ActiveX Control, the JScript Scripting Engine, in Windows Media Format, and in the Wireless LAN AutoConfig Service.

“The company recommends that all customers sign up for Microsoft Update and enable the Automatic Update functionality,” Bryant advised. “This will enable customers to download all available updates and help to make their systems more secure.”

Bryant enumerated all the security bulletins released by Microsoft on September 8th. The patches have been released to Windows Update and are currently available for download:

• MS09-045 (Maximum severity of Critical): This update resolves one privately reported vulnerability in Windows, which could allow remote code execution if a user opened a specially crafted file or visited a specially crafted Web site and invoked a malformed script. This update received a 1 rating from Microsoft’s Exploitability Index.

• MS09-046 (Maximum severity of Critical): This update resolves one privately reported vulnerability in Windows, which could allow an attacker to exploit it by constructing a specially crafted Web page. When a user views the Web page, the vulnerability could allow remote code execution. This update received a 2 rating from Microsoft’s Exploitability Index.

• MS09-047 (Maximum severity of Critical): This update resolves two privately reported vulnerabilities in Windows, which could allow remote code execution if a user opened a specially crafted media file. If a user is logged on with administrative user rights, an attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could take complete control of an affected system. This update received a 1 rating from Microsoft’s Exploitability Index.

• MS09-048 (Maximum severity of Critical): This update resolves three privately reported vulnerabilities in Windows, which could allow remote code execution if an attacker sent specially crafted TCP/IP packets over the network to a computer with a listening service. This update received a 2 rating from Microsoft’s Exploitability Index.

• MS09-049 (Maximum severity of Critical): This update resolves one privately reported vulnerability in Windows, which could allow remote code execution if a client or server with a wireless network interface enabled receives specially crafted wireless frames. This update received a 2 rating from Microsoft’s Exploitability Index.

 

source: www.softpedia.com

Steve Jobs returns to stage at annual Apple music event

Apple's co-founder made a triumphant return to the spotlight Wednesday, as the man who is arguably technology's ultimate showman took the stage at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco.

Jobs earned a standing ovation as he took the stage at the Sept. 9 event, his first official public appearance in nearly a year. The Apple executive returned to work full-time in June after he received a liver transplant.
At Wednesday's event, the Apple co-founder acknowledged his road to recovery and was gracious for the liver he received in the event of someone else's tragic misfortune.

"I'm very happy to be here today with you all," Jobs said. "As some of you know, about five months ago I had a liver transplant. I now have the liver of a mid-20s person who died in a car crash and was generous enough to donate their organs."

"I am alive because of their generosity," he added. "I hope we can all be that generous. I'd like to thank everyone in the Apple community for their concern. It means a lot. I'd like to thank Tim Cook, and everyone at Apple who rose to the occasion. Thank you guys."

"So, I'm vertical, I'm back at Apple and loving every minute of it, and working with some talented teams to come up with some great products for the future," he continued. "It's wonderful."

 

source: www.appleinsider.com

Opera 10.0 Final: 10 Million Downloads and Counting

Opera 10.0 Build 1750 is the latest release to enter the dominant browser downloads measuring contests. And by all means, Opera 10.0 managed to hold its own against other household names such as Firefox and Internet Explorer. In the first week since it was released to the general public, Opera 10.0 Build 1750 was downloaded no less than 10 million times, Opera Software revealed. The Norway-based browser maker noted that the record number of users that crowded to grab a copy of Opera 10.0 is indicative of the appeal generated by the evolution of Opera, and the latest enhancements introduced. In total, Opera accounts for in excess of 40 million active desktop users, the browser maker said.

“While we have consistently grown in our download rates with each consecutive launch, Opera 10 has far exceeded any previous record we had,” revealed Jon von Tetzchner, CEO, Opera Software. “To us, this means that Opera 10 delivers a more compelling reason to choose Opera, and that reason is Opera Turbo. The concept of turbo browsing was the result of our One Web initiative, as our goal is to ensure that Web browsing is fast, efficient and universal, anytime, anywhere.”

Opera Turbo is a new technology introduced in Opera 10.0 designed to make sluggish and low-bandwidth Internet connections feel like broadband. The compression technology is set up to address certain scenarios with the concept of turbo browsing. Fact is that users with broadband connections will not notice a gain in performance, as Opera Turbo is tailored to improve browsing, particularly for low bandwidth and multiple browsing situations when the user experience is impacted by limited connectivity. Opera 10 with Turbo comes to compensate the handicap of slow and congested networks, the Norway-based browser maker revealed.

In addition to Opera Turbo, Opera 10.0 Build 1750 brings to the table an overhauled graphical user interface. The visual redesign represents a step forward in terms of UI for Opera, and users will even be able to enjoy a revamped icon for the latest iteration of the browser. While some aspects of the graphical user interface have been touched up, Opera 10.0 Build 1750 also reinvents the tab thumbnails. Tabbed browsing is a must-have feature, but Opera has taken it one the further, delivering similar functionality as Windows 7’s Live Thumbnail Previews, except that within the browser. Via visual tab thumbnails, users will be able to not only receive basic text-based information about all open tabs, but also a screenshot of the specific webpage opened.

 

source: www.softpedia.com

Windows 7 Tips, Content, Demos, and Training Live on September 15th

Microsoft is cooking a range of resources that are indicated to be ready to be taken out of the oven in about a week. Come September 15th, 2009, baking time will be over for Windows 7 tips, content, demos, and training, however, the offering will in fact be focused on the Windows 7 parties Microsoft is looking for customers and its own employees to host, although covering the latest Windows release.

In this regard, although the Redmond company is only accepting Windows 7 party hosts from a few countries around the world, it notes that it will not limit access to the new resources available next week. Australia, Italy, Canada, Japan, Mexico, France, Spain, Germany, the USA, the UK and India are the main markets that Microsoft is targeting for its Windows 7 parties.

“If you don’t live in a country where Launch Parties are available to host – don’t worry! You can still hold a Windows 7 gathering of your own. We will be providing Windows 7 tips, content, demos, and training online starting September 15th for you to host your own gathering or ‘meet-up,” Brandon LeBlanc, Windows communications manager on the Windows Client Communications Team, says.

LeBlanc indicates that the software giant is looking for the Windows 7 general availability bashes to increase the visibility of the operating system via word of mouth, and to drive customer excitement. The geeky shindigs with Windows 7 at center stage are designed in such a manner for those already familiar with the platform to get the word out to friends, families, acquaintances, etc. The Redmond company is not even that pretentious about the location, revealing that any “old” household, cafe, school, or a community gathering hotspot can do the trick.

“If you live in one of the countries where Launch Parties will be available for you to host, you can apply here to be a Launch Party host. In order to host a Launch Party, your application must go through a review process first. If your application passes the review process, you will be sent an email letting you know you have been accepted. A MyParty page is created for you by House Party where you (as the host) can add who you want to invite to your party and invite them. You will also receive a kit to help you with your party, including Windows 7 Host Help Videos and Host Notes (demos) and other materials to make your Launch Party fun,” LeBlanc adds.

Microsoft is ready to send free copies of Windows 7 to all that will host a Windows 7 party, provided that they will find themselves on the short list of hosts officially approved by the company. According to LeBlanc, the Windows 7 launch-party initiative was kicked off by an email from Tami Reller, chief financial officer and corporate vice president for the Windows Business Group.

 

source: www.softpedia.com

Windows 7 Video Ads, Sneak Peek

With Windows 7 released to manufacturing since July 22nd, 2009, and set for general availability on October 22nd, 2009, the focus will soon shift on the marketing effort built around the operating system. So far, although its did start to fuel the Windows 7 fire for consumers, just as it was the case with Windows Vista, Microsoft is keeping mum on the campaign that will introduce the latest iteration of Windows to the market. However, via the video ads embedded at the bottom of the article you’ll be able to at least get a sneak peek at three video ads and infer a strategy that the Redmond-based company might opt for in the end (via Long Zheng).

Director Marty Martin shot all the three videos, and an additional two ads he did not share with the rest of the world. “Microsoft sent us out on a tight budget to shoot 5 spots in 3 days that would communicate the new approach they're taking with Windows 7 and how it resonates with college students,” Martin noted. “For 3 out of the 5 videos (this being one of the 3) we found 3 independent music artists to put together original tracks for the spots. For 2 out of the 5 videos, we embarked upon creating silly abstracts spots that indirectly communicated a feature in Windows 7.”

The abstract video advertisements are more than sufficient to properly advertise features that represent the backbone of the Windows 7 user experience. And fact is that with Windows 7, Microsoft has what to show off with, and as the video fragments prove, the correlation between the abstract ads and the operating system itself, the little that appears, is enough to communicate to consumers what the platform will bring to the table.

There’s no word from Microsoft on what exactly is the purpose of these video ads. The director himself only revealed that a Canon 5D Mark II was used, with the cuts done via After Effects, Imagineer Mocha, Shape, Motor, and FCP 7, offering some details about each ad, but with little information about what the Redmond-based company was looking for.

 

source: www.softpedia.com

Windows Mobile 6.5 Comes to Europe on the LG GM750 on October 6

Just as it is the case with Windows 7, the latest iteration of the Windows platform for mobile phones will also enjoy a global launch come October 6th, 2009. For the European market, Microsoft has partnered with LG and Vodafone in order to introduce Windows Mobile 6.5 on LG GM750, in just a few days over a month. The Redmond company indicated that the GM750 and Windows Mobile 6.5 bundle was the end-result of the collaborative efforts made together with LG to ensure a seamless experience for users.

“Vodafone, LG and Microsoft share a focus on delivering great customer experiences, and the LG GM750 is [a] powerful example of how customers benefit when industry leaders rally around a common goal,” Todd Peters, corporate vice president, Microsoft, explained. “This new Windows phone benefits from our work with LG to deeply integrate the phone’s software and hardware as well as our continued work with Vodafone to make Windows phones broadly available on Vodafone’s high-speed network.”

On October 6th, the LG GM750 will be made available in no less than seven countries across Europe. Plans are already in motion to offer the phone on additional markets, but neither of the three companies involved wishes to make them public at this point in time. But, early next month, customers in Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, the UK and France (via SFR) will be able to get their hands on the LG GM750 and the successor of Windows Mobile 6.1.

“We’re excited to be bringing a new Windows phone with Vodafone high-speed mobile services to our customers through the exclusive LG GM750 Smartphone,” Patrick Chomet, group global director of Terminals for Vodafone, added. “This stylish, touch-screen Smartphone will have great appeal to both consumer and business customers, and ensures Vodafone delivers on its promise to constantly bring customers new services and greater choice.”

The LG GM750 with Windows Mobile 6.5 fits perfectly into Microsoft’s vision of its mobile platform, which the company is advertising as tailored to both work and play. In this regard, the phone comes equipped with built-in GPS navigation capabilities, and supports the Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync email protocol. At the same time, the device offers users a 5-megapixel camera, seamless integration with Windows Live, Windows Marketplace for Mobile and My Phone, as well as a touch-based UI taking advantage of the 3-inch screen.

“A significant group of consumers demand mobile phones with the most advanced features and services to help them do their job and stay in contact with friends and family on one easy-to-use device. They need the technology and services to access e-mail, the Internet and the ability to download widgets, applications and fun tools without complexity,” Harrison Lee, senior vice president Europe at LG Electronics Mobile, stated. “The combination of Vodafone’s services, Windows Mobile 6.5 platform and our S-Class UI, technology and design expertise, makes the GM750 the mobile package consumers with busy lives have been waiting for.”

source: www.softpedia.com