Microsoft giving away another 777 copies of Windows 7

Microsoft giving away another 777 copies of Windows 7

Author cobster | 15.10.2009 | Category Windows

Microsoft Netherlands is giving away 777 copies of Windows 7 to people who live in the small town of Zevenhuizen, which literally translates to “Seven Houses.” They will be getting an English-language copy of Windows 7 Ultimate with a license code valid for one Windows PC. In fact, one of the requirements is that you must be in possession of a PC with Windows as the primary OS; those using mainly Mac OS or Linux can’t participate. Another requirement is that the PC gets a green light from the Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor. Microsoft employees and those under 18 years of age not included.

Zevenhuizen residents must opt in over at zevenhuizengaatover.nl. The site explains that there are four options to choose from for getting Windows 7: pick up a copy, bring the computer over to have it installed, have Microsoft come pick up the PC and bring it back with everything installed within 48 hours, or have Microsoft install it for them at home. Microsoft is also offering to back up files (but not software) and to install Windows Live programs as well as Microsoft Security Essentials. Users are on their own for reinstalling their other applications.

Signup on the actual website ends tomorrow, though signup in person is possible till Tuesday, October 20. Actual Windows 7 installs will take place from October 17, 2009 to October 23, 2009, meaning these residents have the option to get the operating system early; much like those who choose to buy PCs from small custom PC makers as of earlier this week.

Microsoft’s obsession with the number seven for Windows 7 marketing became obvious in September 2009 when it debuted a Windows 7 sweepstakes on Twitter over at @mswindows with the #WinWin7 hash tag. Their most recent giveaway was for tickets to Family Guy Presents: Seth & Alex’s Almost Live Comedy Show in LA.

Microsoft claims 200,000 people in the Netherlands have already tried the beta version of Windows 7, but now it’s time to promote the RTM version, and this is one of the ways to do it. Microsoft has already given away the RTM version of Windows 7 to its faithful testers, to event attendees, to launch party hosts, and so on. The software giant is going to keep at it for the next few months though, so if you still don’t have your free copy, don’t make any rash decisions to move to Zevenhuizen.

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Microsoft’s Bill Gates Supports Technology in Agriculture to Fight Hunger

Author cobster | 15.10.2009 | Category Windows

Farming has the power to lift up lives of the poor, says Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft and co-chair of The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which is funding agricultural research for developing countries. Gates spoke this morning at The World Food Prize in Des Moines, Iowa.

“Helping the poorest small holder farmers to get food from field to market is the single most powerful lever to ending hunger and poverty,” Gates says.

But Gates fears that solutions to solving the world’s food crisis are being endangered by division. On the one side are groups who want to increase technological improvements in crop production, including biotechnology, and on the other side are those fighting for sustainability.

“They say you have to choose, but I believe it is a false choice,” Gates says. “I believe we can have both.”

The next green revolution must be guided by technology, Gates explains. “When productivity is high, people can farm on less land,” he says. “We have to develop more crops that can be grown in a drought. But we will never get there without a continuous and urgent science based approach.”

The Gates Foundation is collaborating both public and private partners around the world to support a wide range of crop production methods, including some transgenic approaches. Gates says he was inspired by the work by Dr. Norman Borlaug, father of the green revolution.

“We can be the generation that sees Dr. Borlaug’s dream fulfilled, a world free from hunger,” Gates says.

For more information on The Gates Foundation work on crop production, read the upcoming issues of Farm Journal magazine.

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IBM boosts ‘09 guidance again even as sales slump

Author cobster | 15.10.2009 | Category Technology

SAN FRANCISCO — IBM Corp. has jacked up its profit guidance for the second time this year, a sign of the company’s confidence that it can uncork more profit from its business despite falling sales.

The company’s third-quarter results, reported after the market closed Thursday, show that corporations are still reluctant to spend on some kinds of technology. IBM’s sales fell 7 percent, and all its major divisions suffered declines.

But IBM keeps making more money — net income was up 14 percent — largely because it has been focusing on outsourcing and other services that save clients money and are more profitable for IBM than selling hardware. That has been the key element of IBM’s transformation from a hardware company on the brink of collapse in the 1990s to a one-stop technology shop that rivals are trying to emulate.

Nearly a fifth of the company’s revenue still comes from hardware, however, and IBM’s chief financial officer, Mark Loughridge, said in an interview that a significant help in the quarter came from market share gains in servers at the expense of Sun Microsystems Inc.

IBM has exploited uncertainty about Oracle Corp.’s proposed $7.4 billion takeover of Sun, the world’s No. 4 server maker, to steal customers. That deal still needs antitrust approval in Europe.

IBM says 2009 earnings should be at least $9.85 per share, ahead of analysts’ forecasts for $9.78 per share, according to Thomson Reuters. IBM had raised its guidance before, in July, to at least $9.70 per share.

Despite IBM’s optimistic forecast, some investors apparently expected an even greater increase. IBM shares fell 3.7 percent in extended trading after closing the regular session at $127.98, down 37 cents.

“A lot of us thought you might get even better than this,” said Peter Misek, an analyst with Canaccord Adams. “But these results are solid.”

The recession has made it hard to win new business. Corporations have coped with evaporating revenue by canceling or delaying big technology projects. Indeed, the value of services contracts that IBM signed in the quarter was $11.8 billion, a decline of 7 percent from the same period in 2008.

One sign of the lingering distress came this month in disappointing guidance from the Accenture consulting firm, an IBM competitor. It hesitated to predict the timing for a full recovery in business spending. Another technology bellwether, Intel Corp., has been talking up a recovery in personal computer sales, but warned this week corporate spending would likely remain weak until the new year.

In IBM’s third quarter, which ended Sept. 30, net income was $3.2 billion, or $2.40 per share, ahead of analysts’ expectation for $2.38 per share. In the same period last year, IBM’s profit was $2.8 billion, or $2.04 per share.

Sales were $23.6 billion, slightly better than the $23.4 billion expected by analysts polled by Thomson Reuters. Revenue would have been down 5 percent instead of 7 percent if it were not for currency fluctuations. A weak dollar means deals IBM does in other currencies translate into more greenbacks.

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Blockbuster OnDemand lands on TiVo

Author cobster | 14.10.2009 | Category Innovation

Broadband-connected TiVo DVR subscribers have access to Blockbuster’s long-awaited OnDemand rental service, TiVo announced on Tuesday.

The service is available to owners of TiVo Series2 and TiVo Series3 digital-video recorders (including the TiVo HD and TiVo HD XL).

According to the company, users will be able to stream films ranging from new releases to classics. Users will be charged $2.99 for classic hits and $3.99 for new releases. Blockbuster will be adding more films over the coming weeks, including “select HD titles.”

As part of the agreement, Blockbuster will also begin selling TiVo DVRs in “thousands” of participating Blockbuster stores around the United States.

Blockbuster OnDemand’s arrival on the TiVo (and TiVo’s arrival in Blockbuster stores, for that matter) has been a long time coming. The partnership was first announced in March.

Whether Blockbuster will enjoy success on the TiVo is up for debate. The company’s main competitor, Netflix, is already streaming films and television shows to TiVos for no additional fee beyond the company’s unlimited-plan charges. Amazon Video On Demand is also available to TiVo users, and like Blockbuster, it, too, allows them to purchase individual videos, rather than pay a monthly subscription fee.

TiVo owners can also access content from YouTube, as well as films through Jaman and CinemaNow’s Disney.

To access Blockbuster OnDemand, users will first need to create a Blockbuster account. Once complete, they can access Blockbuster OnDemand content from the TiVo’s video-on-demand menu.

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Critical Windows 7 holes fixed in record Patch Tuesday

Author cobster | 14.10.2009 | Category IT Security

Microsoft released a record number of 13 bulletins for 34 vulnerabilities on Patch Tuesday–and the first critical update for Windows 7–as well as fixes for zero-day flaws involving Server Message Block (SMB) and Internet Information Services (IIS).

The most severe of the three SMB flaws, which were first reported last month, could allow an attacker to take control of a computer remotely by sending a specially crafted SMB packet to a computer running the Server service. Exploit code for one of the SMB holes has been posted to the Web, Microsoft said.
Windows 7 is affected by two critical patches intended to mend vulnerabilities that could allow remote code execution if a malicious Web page were viewed, one part of a cumulative security update for Internet Explorer and the other in .Net Framework and Silverlight.
The official release date for Windows 7 is October 22, but the new operating system has been available to some large businesses with volume licenses since the summer. The code was finalized in July.

Other critical patches in the security bulletin for October fix a vulnerability in Windows Media Runtime that could be exploited if a user opened a malicious media file or received malicious streaming content from a Web site or application, and if a specially crafted ASF (Advanced Systems Format) file is played using Windows Media Player 6.4.

Among the critical updates: a cumulative security update of ActiveX Kill Bits that is being exploited and that affects ActiveX controls compiled using Active Template Library (ATL); and another patch resolving several vulnerabilities in ATL ActiveX Controls that could allow remote code execution if a user loaded a malicious component or control. ActiveX and ATLs were the subject of an emergency patch Microsoft released in July.

The final critical bulletin fixes a hole in Windows GDI+ (Graphics Device Interface) that could allow an attacker to take control of a computer if the user viewed a malicious image file using affected software or browsed a malicious Web page.

“Microsoft has repeatedly had to fix problems related to the Graphics Device Interface in Windows, and vulnerabilities in the component have been exploited broadly in the past. We can expect that security researchers will be looking to reverse-engineer today’s patches, which may very well lead to exploits being created,” said Dave Marcus, director of security research and communications at McAfee Labs
Nine of the vulnerabilities were previously disclosed, which meant that attackers had time to come up with so-called “zero-day” exploits before the patches were available, Marcus noted.

The most alarming vulnerability in the mix is the SMB flaw, which was introduced by the patch for a different vulnerability, according to Josh Phillips, virus researcher at Kaspersky Lab.

Andrew Storms, director of security operations at nCircle, said the bug that is likely to have the biggest impact will be the critical one that affects Windows Media Runtime and involves a speech codec bug that has limited exploits in the wild. “This is a typical file-parsing issue and similar to vulnerabilities that have allowed attackers to create drive-by attacks that infect unsuspecting video viewers,” he said.

Meanwhile, the critical SMB vulnerability is relatively difficult to exploit given default firewall conditions, but the IIS bugs are easy to exploit, Storms added.

“The sheer volume of the bulletins and patches is extreme,” said Jason Miller, senior data team leader for Shavlik Technologies. “This is really going to affect administrators. It’s going to be very challenging because of the time and research that’s going to be needed” to patch systems.

Also released were five bulletins rated “important” to fix vulnerabilities in IIS, for which exploit code has been publicly released and for which there have been limited attacks, along with Windows CryptoAPI, Windows Indexing Service, Windows Kernel, and Local Security Authority Subsystem Service.

The update for Windows CryptoAPI relates to flaws in the way domain names are verified on the Internet, which could allow attackers to impersonate a site and steal information from unsuspecting Web surfers. The holes were revealed by researchers Dan Kaminsky and Moxie Marlinspike at Defcon in August.

Affected software includes Windows 7; Windows 2000; Windows XP; Windows Vista; Server 2003 and 2008; Office XP, 2003, and 2007; Microsoft Office System; SQL Server 2000 and 2005; Silverlight; Visual Studio .Net 2003; Visual Studio 2005 and 2008; Visual FoxPro 8.0 and 9.0; Microsoft Report Viewer 2005 and 2008; Forefront Client Security 1.0; and Office software including Visio, Project, Word Viewer, and Works.

The installation also removes the Win/FakeScanti Trojan, which displays fake malware warnings and then asks computer users to pay for fake antivirus software.

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Photos Of Barnes & Noble E-Reader Posted Online

Author cobster | 14.10.2009 | Category Gadgets

 
4:01 PM EDT Wed. Oct. 14, 2009 The online gadget site Gizmodo has posted photos and descriptions of what it says is the upcoming Barnes & Noble e-reader device, which seems to have a dual-screen configuration with a monochrome e-book reading screen and a color touch-sensitive LCD for browsing.
Gizmodo declined to publish the name of the device because it may change and because the existing name “is freaking terrible,” it wrote on its Web site. However, in one of the photos, the word “Athena” appears to be silk-screened on the upper right of the front bezel.

Barnes & Noble has been expected to launch such a device in the near future. Sources have said in the past that the device is expected to be produced by Plastic Logic.

The company, which is best known as a nationwide book seller, already makes an e-reader application available free of charge in order to encourage the downloading of both free and purchased e-books from its Web site. It also provides AT&T Wi-Fi service free of charge in its bookstores.

Gizmodo on its Web site posted several photos with descriptions of what it claims to be the Barnes & Noble e-reader device.

The photos show a device with two screens.

The main screen is a 6-inch, 800 x 600 pixel e-ink display similar to that of other devices such as the Amazon (NSDQ:AMZN) Kindle.

Under that screen is a separate smaller color LCD screen with touch function that can show color images of the book covers and allow browsing of the titles. Gizmodo said the LCD is 480 x 144 pixels and has a resolution of 150 dpi. That LCD screen also seems as if it can be configured as a QWERTY keyboard for searching. The LCD supposedly turns off when the user is reading the e-book, Gizmodo said.

There are two sets of page-turn buttons, one for front and one for back on each side of the reading screen. There also is what appears to be a “home” button marked “BN,” as well as a button with a drawing of a person that might be used for sharing books, although Gizmodo wrote that such a function may be cut.

Pricing for the supposed e-reader is not yet available, but Gizmodo said the price should be less than that of an Amazon Kindle, with Barnes & Noble making its money via e-book sales.

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Report: Apple developing radio app for iPhone

Author cobster | 14.10.2009 | Category Mac/Apple

 Apple is allegedly building a new app for its iPhone and iPod Touch that will bring FM radio to the devices, according to a report on 9 to 5 Mac.

(Credit: AppleCiting anonymous sources, the Apple news site says the functionality of the application will be similar to what Apple built into the iPod Nano. That includes the ability to pause live FM transmissions and fast-forward when you resume playing.

According to 9 to 5 Mac, the delay in getting the app to market is Apple’s decision to integrate it with the iTunes Store, which is built into the devices. With this integration, people will be able to tap on a song they hear on the radio and buy it through iTunes.

Of course, Apple wouldn’t be the first company to offer some type of FM functionality on the iPhone. Applications like Wunder Radio have been around for over a year and enable people to stream Internet radio to their iPhone and iPod Touch.

The big advantage Apple would have is linking its application to the iTunes Store, which creates the potential for more revenue.

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iMovie update reveals new Apple video format

Author cobster | 13.10.2009 | Category Mac/Apple, Movies

Like most companies, Apple periodically releases software updates for its applications, fixing minor issues. However, an iMovie update released on Tuesday revealed a brand new video format the company has been developing.

(Credit: Apple Dubbed iFrame, the new video format is based on industry standard technologies like H.264 video and AAC audio. As expected with H.264, iFrame produces much smaller file sizes than traditional video formats, while maintaining its high-quality video. Of course, the smaller file size increases import speed and helps with editing video files.

iMovie 8.0.5 released on Tuesday adds compatibility with camcorders using the iFrame video format. Currently there are two cameras that support iFrame: the Sanyo VPC-HD2000A and the Sanyo VPC-FH1A.

The two cameras were introduced earlier Tuesday and default to shooting video in the new format. iFrame shoots at 960×540. The cameras can also record in high-definition 1080p (1920×1080), as well as high-speed video formats for slow-motion playback, according to Sanyo.

Apple hasn’t said how long it has been working on iFrame or if other video camera manufacturers would adopt the format. The company also didn’t say when support for the iFrame format would be added to its Final Cut Pro video-editing suite.

The iMovie update can be downloaded from Apple’s Web site or from the software update mechanism in Mac OS X.

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Yahoo Class Action Settlement Is Bad News For Domainers!

Author cobster | 13.10.2009 | Category Domains

DirectNavigation.com wrote today about a notice that went out to anyone who advertised with Yahoo or the its prior service GoTo.com, on its PPC program(s) anytime from May 1, 2000 until September 22, 2009.

That’s a lot of advertisers.

The class action arose out of a suit by advertisers against Yahoo, alleging that Yahoo:

“””breached its contract with its customers by allowing Yahoo! ads to be displayed in spyware, domain name parking sites (also known as bulk registration sites), pop-ups, pop-unders, and typosquatting sites. Plaintiffs brought claims for breach of contract, unjust enrichment, misrepresentation, civil conspiracy, and unfair business practices.””

According to the settlement each advertiser is entitled to receive the earth shattering sum of $20.

Right $20 USD.

The lawyers, well they are getting only $4,170,000.00, in fees, plus reimbursement of expenses of approximately $100,000.

But I digress.

Back to how this settlement is bad news for domainers.

In settling this case, Yahoo basically agrees to allow advertisers to basically opt out of the domain channel starting sometime next year:
“””Yahoo! has agreed to develop and offer a new ad placement option that will enable Yahoo! Ad customers to control where their Yahoo! Ads appear.””

“”The Ad Placement Option will allow Yahoo! Ad customers to specify that their Sponsored Search ads should be displayed only on websites and other Internet properties owned or operated by Yahoo!, and the websites of certain “Premium” distribution partners.””

“”Yahoo! has agreed to make best efforts to launch the Ad Placement Option as early as the first quarter of 2010, but in no event later than September 30, 2010.””

“”Yahoo! will maintain the Ad Placement Option for at least two years from the date of its launch.”””

Moreover Yahoo says this change will carry over to its deal with Microsoft.

“”Microsoft will agree to implement ad distribution controls on the Microsoft paid search platform””

The problem is that there is general perception that the domain channel is full of typo traffic and generally undesirable traffic, as alleged in the lawsuit.

Unless Yahoo ad executive are trained to understand and educate their advertisers as to the difference between opting out of the domain channel completely, rather than selectively, keeping ads up on generic domains geared toward their business, all domains will suffer.

By the way, if you were an advertiser and want to check in on that $20 windfall, you need to submit a claim online by March 22, 2010.

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Internet breaks in Sweden after DNS maintenance error

Author cobster | 13.10.2009 | Category Domains

A problem during routine maintenance of Sweden’s top-level domain, .se, took down the Internet for the country for about an hour on Monday night.

Basically, the .se registry used an incorrectly configured script to update the .se zone, Sweden-based Pingdom, which monitors Web site performance, wrote in a blog post on Tuesday. A period was dropped at the end of DNS domain name system records for the Swedish top-level domain, breaking the entire DNS lookup chain.

What this meant was that Web sites ending in .se could not be accessed and e-mail to Swedish domain names stopped working. For some sites the problems will take longer to resolve because of the fact that DNS lookups are cached externally and those servers had to be flushed, Pingdom said.

There are more than 900,000 .se domain names and every one of them was affected, the company said.

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