Microsoft Live Wave 3

Microsoft Live Wave 3

Author JoeDigital | 19.12.2008 | Category Consumer Electronics, Telecommunications, Windows

Microsoft has introduced a new set of live applications which takes Microsoft a step closer towards its end goal of integration of all its online services, like MSN Spaces, MSN Messenger, Hotmail etc. although it has faced some delays, a new set of applications namely “Messenger beta, Mail beta, Writer beta ,Photo Gallery beta, Movie Maker beta, Family Safety beta, Toolbar beta ,Microsoft Office Outlook®, Connector Office Live Add-in, Microsoft Silverlight”. Microsoft has focused integration and so accordingly all applications come with an online and desktop component, pulling a page out of Google’s (picasa) book. On top of this multiple computers and mobiles can be synchronized using Live Mesh.

Microsoft has an all new approach towards integration this time around, partnering with services like Flickr, Photobucket, StumbleUpon, TripIt, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pandora and Yelp. The end result of which coming very close to facebook.

Microsoft offers a bundled package for downloads, though one has the options to install individual programs if one was so inclined. Microsoft however wants to supply its users with a complete solution to all their needs a step up from its “passport” days. Mails to messengers and everything in between has been poked at by Microsoft. Of course the one stop solution does have its disadvantages as well, if you loose one account you can’t access anything, not just your mail.

Goodbye Mircosoft Windows 3.x

Author JoeDigital | 06.11.2008 | Category Computers, Windows

Say Farewell to Microsoft Windows 3.x

If you’ve noticed, the not so new OS of Windows 3.x (yes, the one with 7MB hard disk space, 640 KB RAM, a VGA video card that runs on a 10MHz 8086 CPU) is currently selling on eBay for as low as $4. There’s a reason for that: it’s shutting down. Yes, Microsoft has officially declared that Windows 3.x is no longer for sale.

It’s about time, though, since even the Windows XP is slowly giving way to Vista and its more innovative counterparts, and it would be a shame if it went out first before the REALLY old OS dies out.

Because of this, supermarkets and other simple calculating machine-reliant establishments that use cash registers and ticketing systems are going to have to upgrade their OS to at least the next available one in order to ensure their own maintenance and support from Microsoft. Although it seems that it’s a bit of an inconvenience, it’s actually one big step for technology today.

Windows 7 Coming Soon

Author JoeDigital | 28.10.2008 | Category Computers, Windows, World Wide Web

Windows 7 is Coming soon!

Microsoft has announced that initial testing for Windows 7 will begin early 2009, setting back the beta release date from its original october 2008 projection. For consumers, it means that there is a little longer to wait before XP can be left behind and Vista swept under the rug. The good news for everyone is that Windows 7 is promising some features that seem competitive in todays OS marketplace.

One example of this si that Windows 7 will be able to operate in today’s new geneteration of small footprint ultra miniature personal computers, a feat that is far beyond the scope of vista for any but the most scaled down uses. In fact, Windows 7 promises to provide interaction between the host computer and internet services in a hitherto unexpected way.

Another tantalizing tidbit for the next generation of Windows products are the Windows 7 versions of of Microsoft’s productivity suite of applications.  Sources report that web-based versions of Word, Exce, and Powerpoint will become available, and provide collaborative work possibilities without geographic constraints, as multiple people are able to work on a document in progress. 

Many of the suggested features of Windows 7 look very promising, but it is easy to see where Microsoft is competing with non-traditional rivals such as Google.  Only time will tell whether Microsoft is able to bridge to gap from proprietary offerings to open and available modulization, but it is nice to see the company taking strides in the right direction.

Microsoft: Six Months more for XP

Author JoeDigital | 11.10.2008 | Category Computers, Windows

After setting stores to stop providing to consumers Windows XP media by January 31, 2009, Microsoft has extended the deadline to six months later, changing the date to July 31 of the same year. This is to allow consumers who haven’t used Windows Vista yet to enjoy their downgrade rights as well as help them have smooth transitions between versions of the Microsoft operating systems.

Generally, this means that consumers can still ask their local retailers to uninstall the built in Windows Vista in the computers that they buy and have them install the XP version in its place.

This life extension for Windows will also affect other companies such as HP and other manufacturers that use Microsoft products (which is virtually all of them) because they also have their own downgrading plans and timelines.

The rules on the downgrades vis-à-vis the new releases are quite unclear, but at least the company declarations are making it easier for consumers worldwide.

TiVo Comes to Your PC

Author JoeDigital | 04.10.2008 | Category Computers, Windows

TiVo comes to the PC

Now you can record your favorite television shows on your computer with the brand new LiquidTV | TiVo PC – the PC version of this DVR player in a box, minus the box. It still has the original interface but instead of using the TiVo box, you just set things up easily by plugging in the USB components and the audio/video jacks.

Being PC ready, laptop users not only get to watch their favorite shows wherever they go, they also get to record their videos on their hard drive too. The software also converts those videos to all sorts of formats to be compatible with popular media techs such as iPod, iPhones and your Sony PSP.

The regular video feeds are brought to the user by the TiVo subscription, which regularly provides fresh listings at $99 a year. The initial 12 month subscription, however, comes free with the purchase of the product package.

Windows Antivirus 2008: Scareware, Beware!

Author JoeDigital | 02.10.2008 | Category Computers, Windows, World Wide Web

If this screen pops up, close your browser IMMEDIATELY!

Microsoft and the Washington State, in pursuit of the 2005 Computer Spyware Act, have recently filed lawsuits companies that pretend to offer free downloadable anti-spyware applications.  There are many such scareware products, but the one shown above, Windows Vista AntiVirus 2008 is one of the worst, because it can literally take control of your computer.

So far, however, some of the culprits are yet to be identified, even if some of them have already been found.

Commonly known as “scareware”, this is an online scam where a window pops out informing the unwary online surfer that the computer is under the threat of viruses and spyware. The message usually sounds like: Warning! Your Computer is Vulnerable! Click here to be protected. What happens is that once clicked, the computer pretends to scan and find all sorts of viruses on your computer and then requiring the user to buy the full version of software in order to get rid of these problems. Such, obviously, is false.

Experts advise that when coming across these fake warnings, it is best to right click the window from the taskbar and close it manually because clicking on “cancel” or the “x” button of the window might initiate the download, which is usually where the chaos begins.

Vista Antivirus 2008 behaviour:

• Vista Antivirus 2008 may download and execute malware
• Vista Antivirus 2008 generates fake security warnings to scare users
• Vista Antivirus 2008 may slow your computer
• Vista Antivirus 2008 may redirect you to fake malware scanners and hijack your desktop

Internet Explorer 8 ‘Phone Home’

Author JoeDigital | 17.09.2008 | Category Computers, Windows, World Wide Web

IE 8 beta 2 was released earlier this month

Mimicking the suggested sites feature of Google Chrome, the new Microsoft Internet Explorer 8 also makes suggestions as you type, based on your personal experience.  But Microsoft has also caught a lot more flak concerning this feature, perhaps because the company has had such poor success in secure products when they are first released.

Microsoft assured people this week, in a press release, that the information the company retains when the browser ‘phones home’ for suggested sites, is minimal, and further goes on to say that IP addresses are discarded almost immediately.  So why is there a commotion about Microsoft doing this if its safe, and if other browsers do the same thing?

Mainly this is because Microsoft does not have a reputation of being secure, from the consumer standpoint.  A previous software product that used similar tactics was defended in much the same way, but when pressed to define ‘almost immediately’ the result turned out to be anywhere from 0 to 90 days.  That’s 3 months for your personal data to sit on the servers of one of the most attacked Internet sites in the world.  For many, this is too much of a risk.

Again, to set minds at ease, Microsoft remarks that the service requires user confirmation before it will work.  However, the ability to turn the feature off is only presented once, and will not be repeated if the software is re-installed.  For many IT professionals, the risk of a security breach is just too high for peace of mind.

MIcrosoft Announces DirectX 11 Coming Soon

Author JoeDigital | 24.07.2008 | Category Computers, Innovation, Windows

DirectX 11 is coming soon, and it boasts the ability to make your video processor behave as a secondary system processor.  Using GPU technology in this way isn’t new, but this is a new feature for DirectX, which is already an industry leader in video display technology.  For the average PC user, this may not have impact at all, but for gaming fans, it opens doors of possibility that are certain to have far-reaching implications for future game designs.

The following snippet comes from Wikipedia:

Microsoft unveiled DirectX 11 at the Gamefest 08 event in Seattle, with the major scheduled features including GPGPU support, tesselation support, and improved multi-threading support to assist video game developers in developing games that better utilize multi-core processors. DirectX 11 will run on Windows Vista and its successor Windows 7. Unlike DirectX 10 it will not require new graphics card hardware specifically supporting the new API version, and will support both DirectX 10 and DirectX 10.1 hardware.