Retail sales of Windows 7 were well over 200% higher than Vista's in the two operating system's first days of being on sale in the States, the NPD Group has revealed.

But although Windows 7 software unit sales were 234% higher than Vista's, it seems revenue growth wasn't as strong, said to be due primarily to discounts.

"Microsoft's program of early low-cost pre-sales, high visibility marketing, and aggressive deals helped make the Windows 7 software launch successful", said Stephen Baker, vice president of industry analysis at NPD.

"In a slow environment for packaged software Windows 7 brought a large number of customers into the software aisles".

Perhaps a result of the different economic climate as Microsoft has launched this latest OS, compared to when Vista was launched, it seems PC hardware sales were down.

Windows PC sales were down 6% compared to PC sales during the Vista launch week.

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Tags: Software Windows 7 Microsoft Vista Statistics NPD Biz

Windows 7 retail sales up 234% on Vista originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 10:29:50 +0000

It's been a bumper year in 2009 for software, services and apps as the overarching trend of tech creeps glacially away from its hardware focus and more towards what the Internet and its friends can do for us. So, before you shout out in the comments who you think should be nominated for the Vodafone Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2009 Best Software/Service/App - and we hope you do - here's a little reminder of how the year panned out.

The Big Players

It was something of a solar eclipse moment in 2009 with both Apple and Microsoft releasing completely new versions of their desktop operating systems. Although Snow Leopard only claimed to be a relatively small upgrade there was still plenty to get excited about with the arrival of 64-bit computing and addition of Grand Central Station, as well as all the other speed, efficiency and power boosts under the hood of the new caged cat. Microsoft, on the other hand, was a lot more overt about the scale of Windows 7 - partially because of the disappointment over Vista and also, with good reason, because of the success with which the product has launched. Like Snow Leopard, it boasts speed and efficiency but, more importantly, the coming of age of the new AERO look and feel which its predecessor introduced.

Naturally, a new version of iTunes came with the OS for Apple with more playlists and more album art as well as offering a block to the Palm Pre's compatibility feature. Aside that, it was really just the next release in the hugely popular video editing Final Cut series with the launch of Final Cut Studio. It seems the Cupertino company was keeping itself busy on mobile matters but more on that in a minute.

The 'Soft, though, hasn't been so content to leave things as thin. 2009 has seen Gates, Ballmer & Sons embrace the cloud with their re-offensive on Google. First there was the highly successful revamp of the MSN Live search into the colourful Bing, and later the launch of Office 2010 web apps to try to take something back from Google Docs. Beyond that, the company has had another go at both the MSN music download store and the free offering of Microsoft Security Essentials, plus there's been some mobile movements with Microsoft too but, again, more of that later.

The real powerhouse this year though has undoubtedly been Google. The company has spread its arms even wider round the globe with its fingers now in the telephone industry with Google Voice, social location software with Google Latitude, the encyclopeadia business with Sidewiki, the energy saving push with Power Meter and, of course, the what-the-hell-is-it business with Google Wave. More recently the company has announced the smack down on TomTom and friends with the arrival of Google Maps for Navigation for Android 2.0, which may or may not make it out in time for a nomination.

Of course, Android itself has been a very big deal but leaving its mobile impact alone for now, let's not forget the OS's arrival as desktop software on products like the Archo 9 and more recently the dual booting Acer Aspire One D250. It hasn't had the traction to make any significant in-roads this year but it's certainly a space to watch for 2010.

Desktop Software

As the cloud rolls in there's a storm slowly gathering for desktop software. By no means will it ever disappear, but what we're certainly seeing is a lot less diversity in this sector. 2009 has largely been left to improvements from the old guard. Avid has put a smile on the faces of both video and music editing enthusiasts with the launch just last month of the Pinnacle and ProTools suites, Adobe has done the same for the imaging community with the more basic Photoshop Elements 8 and the photographer's friend in the free beta of Lightroom 3.0, and Roxio has thrown in a bit of everything with the company's annual release. This season's colour is Roxio Creator 10.

Antivirus has been as strong an area as ever with malware, phishing and scareware on the rise and a tonne of Christmas shopping round the corner. Symantec's new Norton 2010 product managed to block 100% of threats in independent testing - making it the first time ever for any such software but, of course, if you'd still rather not pay, then at least AVG are still helping out on that front.

Last, and more certainly not least, a certain Swedish company also happened to a make a certain popular social music streaming application that rather set the world on fire. Technically, Spotify was released in private beta in November last year, just before our 2009 awards cut off limit, but it has since gone public within the required time frame. Just to confuse matters it's in private beta once more, so I'll leave it to the judges to sort that one out.

Web Services

During the current aftermath of the eighth renaissance of the bursting of the dot com bubble, new sites have been thin on the ground - certainly ones worth mentioning anyway. The majority of developers and start ups have moved to mobile apps in search of the gold, but there have still been one or two notables over the year - all heavily on the quirky side. Wolfram Alpha provided an alternative, well-meaning but rather leftfield form of internet search; Hunch added a layer of advice to the conundrum and Invisible Hand has begun in its quest to help us find cheaper prices on the Web automatically. As with most of these things, it'll take a while for them to catch on. Twitter wasn't built in a day.

Finally here, the latest craze could be on its way with FourSquare. Like Twitter it was released at the general and social media liquorice allsort that is SXSW and it's been going great guns in the States. Now on UK shores, has it left it too late to win our coveted award or have we assessed its potential already?

Mobile Sofware

From apps to OSes it's all about mobile phones these days. We know this. Smartphones have become our windows on the world. If there's a great service on the Internet, then we want it as an app, and most of all, we want it to run like clockwork.

We've seen four significant mobile operating systems launched this year with the rebranded, reskinned and user-friendlified Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.5 now known as Windows Phone. We've also seen the coming of age of Android - or at least its growth into adolescence - and the launch of the superb iPhone 3.0 software with its 100 or so features. Finally, we saw a rather specific piece of software from Palm with webOS at January's Las Vegas annual tech binge, but that didn't stop it making an enormous splash and perhaps inspiring a few ideas in other mobile software developers.

On the next tier down are those that have deemed their handsets too special to run the common-or-garden versions of Android and Windows Phone and have come up with their own Custom UIs. Probably the two of most note, and certainly the ones who qualify for this year's awards would be HTC Sense as seen on the Hero with its social contacts integration and Motoblur on the Dext.

Any phone can of course have its OS customised by the addition of an alternative browser. Opera has been going strong for years and supplying those on the Symbian platform with a very strong option. 2009 has brought Opera Mini 10 and for the first time, Firefox has gone to the small screen too with the currently underused Mozilla Fennec. Still both certainly well worth a shout though.

At the bottom of it all, though, and yet king of the mountain for many consumers are apps. We saw the little devils explode in 2008 with the launch of the iTunes App Store and this year has taken the trend to a sickening extreme. The world and its wife now has some kind of platform where they can pedal often highly novelty and often profitable software along with a good chunk that are seriously useful too.

It's the latter group which we'd rather you considered for this year's award but if the Mr T Soundboard ends up being the most popular, then so be it. The apps of major note in 2009 have been largely for the iPhone with the arrival of Tweetdeck, Google Lattitude and TomTom. Spotify has offered its premium service for music streaming on the move to both the Apple phone and Android and finally Facebook has got round to supporting Google's mobile OS too. But the big question is which is your favourite? Which is the app you simply can't do without? Let us know at the bottom.

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What do you think?

But these are just some of the fantastic choices our readers have had in 2009. What would you like to see held aloft as the winner of Pocket-lint Best Software/Service/App 2009? Who have we missed out? Which are your unsung heroes and of those we've already mentioned, which would get your vote? Let us know in the comments below and you can help our panel decide which make the shortlist of nominees to be announced here on Pocket-lint on 16 November. We'll have all out coverage of the Vodafone Pocket-lint awards 2009 right here. Don't miss a minute of it.

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Related links:

• Feature - Vodafone Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2009 - laptops
• Feature - Vodafone Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2009 - digital cameras
• Feature - Vodafone Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2009 - car gadgets

Tags: Software Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2009 Pocket-lint Awards Features Apple Microsoft Google Android Mobile phone applications Operating Systems Windows 7 Spotify Symantec iPhone 3GS

Vodafone Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2009 - software, services, apps originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 18:23:29 +0000

Microsoft has revealed it is cutting an additional 800 jobs across its global operations, further to the previous cuts announced in January.

Reuters quotes a spokesperson for Microsoft stating these latest job cuts are spread out across the company's global operations, but with around 200 positions to go from its headquarters in Redmond, Washington.

Back in January Microsoft said it would be slashing 5000 staff from its workforce as it revealed a sharp drop in profits.

At the time the layoffs were reported as a first for Microsoft since it was founded in 1975, apart from staff cuts made from reorganisation after company acquisitions.

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Tags: Software Microsoft Biz

Microsoft cuts another 800 jobs originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:19:18 +0000

Whether you're a Mac or a PC (or a bit of both) this witty concept design has something for all-comers, with the clever design idea to create real-world versions of the calculators found in operating systems.

Just a concept at this stage, although we reckon with real product potential, the Mintpass designer has managed to capture the individual characteristics of the XP calculator and Apple's more metallic option perfectly.

Of course, if they were real world products the Mac version would be over-priced - and likely boast a non-replaceable battery - while the Windows version would crash often and may well come with an over-friendly paperclip as a free gift.

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Tags: Software Calculators Microsoft Apple Concepts Operating Systems

Clever concept sees OS calculators created in real life originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 14:44:52 +0000

HTC has announced the HD2, its new high-end Windows Mobile 6.5 handset, is now shipping in Europe and Taiwan.

In addition, HTC has confirmed the HD2 will be available in the United States with "a major US carrier" in early 2010.

Here in the UK we're still waiting for exact launch info. It seems T-Mobile may be offering the device - it was named on the operator's coming soon section - although there's no official comment yet as to when, how or why.

The HD2 offers the speedy Snapdragon processor, a 4.3-inch display, a 5-megapixel camera, HSDPA, Wi-Fi, GPS, and HTC's Sense UI interface on top of Windows Mobile 6.5.

We will keep you posted on its UK debut.

Tags: Phones Mobile phones HTC HTC HD2 Windows Phone Microsoft

HTC announces HD2 is now shipping originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 12:05:49 +0000

Microsoft has relaunched its previously-shuttered MSN Music download store in the UK, which offers album and single-track downloads from all four major labels. Microsoft says the store is "large and competitively priced".

As well as purchasable tracks, Microsoft hopes to differentiate its service by offering playlist creation, artist bios and discographies, and editorial content from the MSN Music channel. All tracks downloaded will be free of DRM, and users can choose between getting an MP3 or a WMA file.

To use the store, customers will need a Windows Live ID to log in. From there, you have to buy credits - 10 will cost you ?8. A "standard" single (again, unclear if this includes B-sides, or just refers to single tracks) will cost 1 credit, and a "standard" album will cost 10.

In the same release, Microsoft says: "As part of the service, free music streaming will be tested on a limited basis". It's not clear what that means - whether there'll be Spotify- and We7-style adverts supporting the content, and whether the streamable tracks will be just previews or queueable in the interface.

We're trying to find out more about this one, but for now the FAQ suggests that it's a very limited offering that employs Windows Media Player to deliver 30-second previews of tracks before you download them. That's not exactly revolutionary, and the press release seems to suggest more, so we're digging deeper into this one. Stay tuned.

UPDATE: The streaming service is confirmed to be more than just a 30-second set of previews, for some users, anyway. It's a full-on competitor to Spotify and We7, but employs display ads, rather than audio ads - which could be very attractive to those who want to leave it on in the background.

It supports playlists, though you can't share those lists with other users like you can on other services. For now, though, it's a closed beta that only a few thousand users will have access to. We're in the process of gaining access right now and will give you the lowdown as soon as we're in on it.

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Tags: Software Online Music Microsoft MSN

Microsoft relaunches music download store originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 11:02:44 +0000

Across the Web, it's becoming common knowledge that it's technically possible to buy an upgrade edition of Windows 7 (which is considerably cheaper) and install a full version of the operating system from it. Microsoft has got wind of the hack, and has issued a stark warning that such practices are illegal.

Eric Ligman, Global Partner Experience Lead at Microsoft, has written a blog post that points out: "Technically possible does not always mean legal". He goes on to explain the differences between the EULA agreements of the two. The upgrade version very clearly states: "To use upgrade software, you must first be licensed for the software that is eligible for the upgrade".

He also clarifies the situation when it comes to OEM licenses - copies of Windows that came pre-installed on your machine. While boxed copies of Windows can be transferred between machines, OEM copies can't. That means that you can't pull out an ancient laptop with XP on and say "this is the one I'm upgrading" when you install Windows 7 on your netbook that shipped with Linux.

The beta or RC installs don't count either. Ligman says: "Those who don’t own a full previous version Windows license, and just downloaded the Windows 7 Beta, RC, or RTM code during the trial phases, the Windows 7 Beta, RC, and RTM trials are not qualifying licenses for the upgrade since they are just trial software, not fully licensed software".

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Tags: Software Microsoft Windows 7 Software updates

Microsoft addresses Win 7 upgrade hack legalities originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 30 Oct 2009 09:44:19 +0000

Sky?and?Microsoft?will attempt to launch the new?Sky Player for Xbox 360?for a second time after the companies had to pull the service on the official launch day on Tuesday.

"The service has been suspended due to an unforeseen technical issue". Sky said in a statement. "Sky Player engineers are hard at work to resolve the problem. We expect to have the full service available on Wednesday".

The breakdown of the service on launch left gamers confused as to what had happened.

"How do i actually pull up sky on my Xbox, i have Sky Player account and an Xbox Gold Account. Confused... :S", said Sam in a comment on Pocket-lint.

"The Sky player system went "Offline" before I had a chance to try it! The current news is that it will be fully back online tomorrow (Wednesday) - so you're not alone, Jamie! Shame - I'm itching to give it a try...", said Doombar.

To access the player you'll need both an active Sky subscription and an Xbox Live Gold subscription. The former costs ?15 per month, and the latter is ?40 per year, totalling ?220 per year. The same channels will be available to you that are available on your existing Sky subscription.

Alternatively, Sky will be selling a bundle pack of a month's Sky Player subscription (with the Sky Sports pack), a media remote, and 3 months of Xbox Live Gold subscription for ?30. If you just want to try out the service without committing to a long-term plan, that could be an option.

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Tags: Gaming Home Cinema Xbox 360 Sky Player Microsoft Sky

Sky Player on Xbox 360 goes for second time lucky originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 04:17:23 +0000

Ladies and gentlemen, Sky Player for Xbox 360 is finally here. The service, which allows you to access on-demand streams of Sky content and live broadcasting, has been long-trailed (see our coverage here, here, here and here), but has now arrived and should be accessible on your console.

Of course, to access the player you'll need both an active Sky subscription and an Xbox Live Gold subscription. The former costs ?15 per month, and the latter is ?40 per year, totalling ?220 per year. The same channels will be available to you that are available on your existing Sky subscription.

Alternatively, Sky will be selling a bundle pack of a month of Sky Player subscription (with the Sky Sports pack), a media remote, and 3 months of Xbox Live Gold subscription for ?30. If you just want to try out the service without committing to a long-term plan, that could be an option.

Tags: Home Cinema Sky Sky Player Gaming Microsoft Xbox 360 Xbox Live

Sky Player arrives on Xbox 360 originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 11:38:11 +0000

Microsoft has quietly issued a variant of its brand new Windows 7 operating system that can be copied to a USB stick and used to install the OS on computers that don't have a CD drive, which includes many netbooks available today.

In our review of Windows 7, we found that the software performs admirably well on even relatively low-spec hardware, so putting it on a netbook is being actively encouraged by Microsoft, especially as most of those netbooks are running 2001's Windows XP.

All you've got to do is buy "Windows 7 For Netbooks" from Microsoft's online store, then download an ISO file. Make that drive bootable, then reboot your netbook with it plugged in and you should be away. We'd like to hear your experiences of Windows 7 on your netbook - share it in the comments below.

UPDATE: Seems like the USB stick edition is US-only for the time being. PC Pro quotes a Microsoft spokesperson saying:?"This option is available in the US, but we have nothing to officially announce in the UK at this stage". We'll let you know if the situation changes on that front.

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Tags: Software Windows 7 Microsoft Operating Systems USB drives USB

Windows 7 available in USB stick edition originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 15:18:20 +0000

We've already seen Sky Player in Windows 7, but now you can see it on the Xbox 360 ahead of the official UK release on Tuesday 27 October.?

The 8-minute video, sent to techtv101.com, details the channel selection process and what you can expect from the service next week.?

Announced back in May the?Sky Player, which is accessed via the Xbox interface, will offer the chance for viewers to watch live?games?in a virtual stadium that allows fans to comment and chat via on screen messages or voice on the screen, as well as access key stats while the match is going on.

Sky confirmed at the time that users will be able to buy a package similar to the current PC Sky Player that means they don't have to be a set-top box subscriber, a move that is clearly aimed at appealing to those who live in a house without a dish.?

The Tuesday update will also feature?Twitter, Facebook and Last.fm support, as well as the Zune video marketplace and its associated instant-on 1080p high definition streaming.

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Tags: Gaming Xbox 360 Sky Microsoft Sky Player Video

VIDEO: Sky Player for Xbox 360 walk-through originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Sat, 24 Oct 2009 05:32:51 +0100

So here we are at the end of the week, having covered all the latest and greatest news and launches with the highest profile debut of the week undoubtedly Windows 7.

With the general release of the OS, Pocket-lint has offered a whole host of special Windows 7 related articles.

These features should help you by not only giving you an idea of which version to buy - or for that matter whether to buy it at all - but ease you into its use, allowing you to get the most out of Microsoft's latest OS.

So here in no particular order is the run down of the useful features, articles and guides Pocket-lint has dished out throughout this week.

Find out whether Windows 7 is actually right for you with Pocket-lint's Seven reasons to buy Windows 7. How much faster is it? Are the new multimedia elements any good? Is it any easier to use than previous efforts? It's all here so just click through.

With the new OS being touchscreen-compatible you might find this Five touchscreen Windows 7 PCs useful. Products covered include the HP Touch Smart, Asus Eee Top ET2203 and Dell Studio One 19.

You've decided to make the break with your old OS but which version of Windows 7 should you go for? You'll be like a kid in a sweet shop with our feature Windows 7: Which version should you get.

If you have a little uncertainty as to how to install/upgrade then this next feature is just what you need. Follow the step by step instructions for a stress-free experience in How to upgrade to Windows 7.

If time is of the essence then you need Pocket-lint's Windows 7 Quick Guide, which gives a smart little run down of the OS, telling you all you need to know. What's new? What's not?

Finally, for those of you who need that little bit extra clarification of what the OS is like to use, then our Windows 7 full review is a must, was it really worth the wait after all?

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Tags: Software Windows 7 Operating Systems Microsoft

Pocket-lint's complete coverage of Windows 7 originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 23 Oct 2009 18:32:47 +0100

Microsoft has quite a task on its hands. Most people agree that its last operating system release, Windows Vista, was actually a perfectly respectable bit of software once driver manufacturers were on board after a year or so, but that didn't stop it becoming the butt of almost every single one of the tech industry's jokes since 2006 (that weren't about the Zune).

This time round, Microsoft has taken a decidedly different approach to the launch of the OS. In stark contrast to the relative secrecy of the Windows Vista release, combined with a marketing campaign with the slogan: "The Wow Starts Now", the launch of Windows 7 has been totally open and subject to very little marketing.

Many technology enthusiasts, ourselves included, have been running 7 in either its Beta or Release Candidate version since early 2009. The OS hasn't changed significantly in that time, but a few features have been tweaked and improved upon, and we've been running the final release of the OS now for a little while.

As such, we've got a good idea of how it runs in both the short and long-term. We've worked with it, played games with it, and this review will aim to answer three main questions - "is it any good?", "should I install now, or wait a year like with Vista?" and "is Ultimate worth the price over Home Premium?".

So let's start with the first thing most people will experience - the install procedure. For a long time Microsoft has been trying to cut down the amount of steps required to install its operating systems and Windows 7 seems to have stripped the whole thing down to the bare minimum.

The whole process is mercifully brief - slightly longer if you want to upgrade from Vista rather than reformat your hard disk (required if you want to switch from XP or any of the early releases of Windows 7). You just pick a language, pick a drive to install on, and that's it! Go make a cup of tea and you'll be done.

When you get into the OS itself, the first thing that'll strike you is the brand new taskbar. It's wider, and the start button no longer says "Start" on it, but it functions mostly the same as it always did with one exception - the quicklaunch area and the list of running programs have been merged.

Now, when you launch a program its icon appears along that list and mousing over it will give you a preview of what the window looks like. In some cases, you'll also be able to interact with that program, thanks to "jump lists" accessible with a right-click. These lists include options like skipping between tracks on a music player, or setting status on an IM application.

This seemingly minor UI improvement actually increases productivity quite a bit. Instead of a rammed taskbar where you can't see which windows are which, icons will stack, so it's a rare situation where you run out of space. Also handy is that the system tray won't fill up with icons either - it's easy to relegate ones you don't need into a hidden space.

That usability factor is a difficult one to pin down. We found that after using Windows 7 for a bit it was actually a little bit painful to go back to Vista. We would work slower, despite having used Vista for years in the past. Windows 7 is a genuine pleasure to use, and seems to suffer considerably less than its predecessors from random crashes and blue screens.

Media streaming is another big deal in Windows 7. Straight out of the box you can have a hard disk chock-full of content (acquired legally, obviously) and then share that media with other Windows 7 devices on your network, or even over the web. A biref download lets you link a Windows Live account with your Windows account, and from there you can use Windows Media Player to send audio and video wherever you like.

You can share particular libraries from Windows Media Player 11 and 12, from Windows Home Server, but most excitingly of all you can hook up a DLNA-enabled television or stereo and see it appear as a device on your network to stream music to. From there, you can just right-click tracks and send them to your television, for example.

Windows Media Centre is mostly unchanged from its Vista incarnation, but has a few nice features that you may find useful. There's a whole pile of media extenders available that are a bit like Firefox Extensions - they can enable additional functionality.

For example, if you have an Xbox 360, you can install an extender that lets you view all your computer's multimedia content on your Xbox. If you have a Sky subscription, another extender will add a tile in the "TV" section that enables Sky Player content streamed over the web. Windows Media Centre is a well-put-together bit of software that should cover most of your audiovisual needs in the OS.

Those of you who are purchasing the Ultimate edition of Windows 7 will get a few extra features too. There's BitLocker encryption for drives if you want to protect particular content from prying eyes. This offers AES encryption algorithm in CBC mode with a 128 bit key, combined with the Elephant diffuser for additional disk encryption specific security not provided by AES. If you're not sure what that means, then it basically means "you're not breaking into this one".

If you're upgrading from Vista to 7, you'll have relatively few of the problems that you might have run into between XP and Vista. 7 uses almost exactly the same architecture, meaning that if something worked in Vista then it's more-or-less likely to work fine in Windows 7 too.

In fact, it's fair to say that if your device doesn't work in Windows 7 or Vista now, then the blame can only be pinned on the manufacturer - they've had nearly four years to get things working. The only issues we faced were linked to running a 64-bit operating system which, while supported pretty well, didn't have quite the same catalogue of drivers as the 32-bit edition.

And if the worst happens, and a program defiantly refuses to work then Ultimate edition also includes an XP Mode that lets you virtualize the aging OS inside Windows 7. From there, anything that worked on Windows XP will work, though you'll suffer a slight performance degradation.

Those who experiment a lot with different operating systems will also find Windows 7's virtual hard disk booting a boon. This allows you to section off a bit of your drive and pretend that it's an entirely different hard drive, allowing you to test out alternative operating systems without having to partition your drive. It's a bit like Boot Camp in OS X - allowing you to run more than one operating system with ease.

There's now widespread support for more file formats. Wordpad, for example, supports .docx and .odt extensions from Office 2007 and upward and OpenOffice respectively. Microsoft seems to have tried very hard to make Windows as compatible as possible with a wide range of different bits of hardware and software - a task that's not trival for it to accomplish thanks to the huge ecosystem of software developers that code for its platform and the sheer weight of users that go for Windows.

We don't really do benchmarks or overwhelm you with graphs here - instead we prefer to tell you what kind of experience you'll get. With Windows 7, performance is great. While Windows 7 isn't as lightweight as the latest Linux builds, it behaves beautifully on both weak and powerful machines alike.

We didn't get the change to test it on a netbook, but we did try a laptop that's about four years old. We found Windows 7 perfectly operable on systems that Vista struggled with. Give it a try on a netbook or old laptop to see what we mean - you'll likely be impressed.

You might have to turn off Aero mode, which is the translucent window edging that you'll see in many screenshots of Windows 7. This was present in the more expensive editions of Vista and also lets you use the Windows and Tab keys to scroll between Windows as if they were bits of paper. Try it and see.

Windows 7 doesn't waste the capabilities of top-end hardware, either. While you might lose one or two frames per second on the latest games compared to the same hardware on XP, you'll benefit from considerably better security and usability than Microsoft's 2001 OS. We found games performance unnoticably different in real terms from XP and considerably better than Vista. Gamers have nothing to fear from Windows 7.

Verdict:

So, firstly then - is it any good? Unequivocably yes. Windows 7 is the best OS Microsoft have ever made, and they've learnt all they necessary lessons from Vista. While it doesn't have some of the slickness of OS X, or the speed of Linux, it offers a fantastic compromise between the two with by far the biggest choice of software available.

But if you're happily running XP or Vista, is it worth the upgrade right now? We'd still say yes, but more hesitantly this time. Despite Microsoft's wide-open testing process, once the final version of Windows 7 hits the big, bad, world there's sure to be one or two glitches that show up and need patching.

Lastly, is it worth shelling out for Ultimate over Home Premium or Professional? On this one, we'd probably say that for most users it's not. If you're using software that refuses to work in Vista and Windows 7, but worked fine in XP and you need the virtualization mode, then you could be swayed. If you work with sensitive information regularly, and need Bitlocker's encryption, then you should get it. But most users don't need those things and will be happy with Home Premium or Professional.

Microsoft, probably as a result of being such a big company, can be a little schitzophrenic with the quality of its products. Sometimes you'll get an Xbox 360, other times you'll get Windows Mobile. This time round, Microsoft has learnt from its mistakes in the past and created a stable, speedy, and usable platform for computing. Thumbs up.

Tags: Software Operating Systems Microsoft Windows 7

Windows 7 Ultimate originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 23 Oct 2009 16:11:23 +0100

We brought you the news that the Japanese arm of Burger King was offering a seven-pattie Whopper - for 777 yen - to celebrate the release of Windows 7, but can now offer 46 seconds of video footage that answers the question of just how you'd go about eating one of those bad boys. The Japanese clip needs no translation as a brave soul tackles the meat-monster - hit play now to see the burger porn play out.

Tags: Software Microsoft Windows 7 Burger King Video

VIDEO: Burger King's Windows 7 Whopper - that tricky first bite originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 23 Oct 2009 12:57:15 +0100

Over in the States Microsoft opened the freshly-painted doors on its first Microsoft store as its new operating system, Windows 7, hit general release.

The very first Microsoft store - designed to showcase both software and hardware from Microsoft and its partners - is in Scottsdale Arizona.

YouTube user gt2697 was on hand to grab some footage of inside the new shop - hit play to see a quick overview of the format - incidentally shot and uploaded on an iPhone.

Tags: Hardware Microsoft shopping Windows 7

VIDEO: Inside the new Microsoft store originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 23 Oct 2009 11:07:51 +0100

So, you want Windows 7. You've read our guide to Microsoft's latest OS, you've worked out the benefits of making the switch are the right one's for you, in fact you may already have chosen which version you want to install and have your Windows 7 disk in your hands, the question now is how do you actually upgrade your computer to Windows 7? Well, that's why we're here.

Upgrading from anything other than XP, Vista or other versions of Windows 7

Let's get the easy one out of the way quickly. You can't. Whether you've got a blank computer, Linux or you're still running Windows ME for some strange reason, then you'll have to buy the complete version and do a clean install. Back up all your personal files, put them on a DVD/USB stick/external HDD, do a clean install of Windows 7, make several cups of tea and then put your files back on again. Job done.

Upgrading from Windows XP

First of all, bear in mind, you XP users, that if you're planning on using the feature of Windows 7 that allows you to run a virtual version of XP then make sure you've got Windows 7 Professional Edition or Windows 7 Ultimate. The Home version does not have that function. It doesn't mean that you won't be able to run all your Windows XP supported programs but you may have an issue with the odd obscure one. Ok? Right.

Step 1: Buy
Go down the shops - virtual or otherwise - a pick up an upgrade version of Windows 7.

Step 2: Check you system
It's a touch on the anal side but for measures of completeness, download and run the Windows Upgrade Advisor software. It'll take a quick look at your machine and tell you if you're going to have any problems with the current software you're running if you intend to transfer it over to Windows 7. Chances are that if it does come up with any issues, they'll probably still run fine but it might be worth doing this process for piece of mind. You can then have a look online for the software developer's site and see if they have any advice on the matter.

Step 3: Back up
From XP you'll need to do a Custom install rather than a straight Upgrade. It'll wipe all the files on your system, so grab yourself an external HDD of some sort or a very large USB stick and prepare to move files. You can do it manually, but an easy way to do it is by downloading and running the free Windows Easy Transfer software. It'll create one massive file with all your docs, sheets, photos, music, vids etc which is great if you have the space for it. What it won't copy is your programs and installers, so you can either pick those up from the Internet once you've finished the upgrade or copy them over manually which is probably a bit unnecessary.

Do bear in mind here that Windows Easy Transfer will not work if you're planning on going from a 32-bit version of Windows to a 64-bit version. If you're doing that you'll need to back up your files by hand. Secondly, it won't copy your media licenses, so if you have DRM-ed music and videos, you'll have to pick them up elsewhere afterwards. Another reason why DRM can be a total pain in the recharge socket.

Step 4: Run your anti-virus
Again, marginally on the picky side but the last thing you want to do is carry your malware over if you're doing a fresh install, so have a last run of your anti-virus program for good luck and then switch if off.

Step 5: The big install
Ok, let's do this. Connect to the Internet so that the program can pick up any new updates as it goes. Disk in, run the program and select Custom install. Choose the partition that currently has XP on it - usually C: - and hit install.

Step 6: Make tea

Step 7: Replace your files
Run Easy Transfer again which will plop all your personal files back in the equivalent places on your spanking new OS. If you haven't used this program, then you'll have to do it by hand. Make sure you do this before adding the applications back in, so that your programs will know where to look for the files or at least have a go at finding them if you copied them to the wrong place.

Step 8: Update your drivers
Run Windows Update to make sure you're all patched and that you've got all the relevant drivers to keep your system happy.

Step 9: Clean up
A couple of weeks after the install, run Disk Clean, hunt down your previous windows install if it's indeed still there and delete it to remove any last traces of what is now totally redundant. That'll reclaim all those sectors for good. You can even defrag if you fancy it too.

Step 10: Enjoy your new OS.

Upgrading from Windows Vista

Sadly this isn't quite as straight forward as it looks. If you're planning on going from a 32-bit version of Windows to a 64-bit version then you'll have to a do a Custom install even though you have an Upgrade version of the Windows 7 software. Go to the "Upgrading from Windows XP" section above and follow the steps. Also, if you're planning on moving from a Home or Ultimate version of Vista to a Professional version of Windows 7; if you're trying to go from a Business Vista to an Ultimate or Home version of 7, or in fact if you'd like to go from Vista Ultimate to any non-Ultimate version of Windows 7, then again, you'll need to do a Custom install, so you'll have to follow the XP steps above.

Step 1: Buy Windows 7 Upgrade
Go down to the shops or online and buy yourself the relevant edition of the Windows 7 Upgrade that you wish to install. You can go from any edition of Windows Vista to any edition of Windows 7 but do bear in mind that if you're crossing from one type to another, you'll probably have to do a Custom install as mentioned and laid out above rather than a straight Upgrade.

Step 2: Install Windows 7
The advantage of doing the Upgrade option is that you don't need to muck around with saving any files or anything like that at all. Just put in the disk, hit the Upgrade option and it'll keep all your settings just the way they are. The only thing you will want to note is if you use a finger print reader, then make sure you've got a copy of the system password before you install as it won't remember your finger print patterns.

Step 3: Make tea

Step 4: Update your drivers
Run Windows Update to make sure you're all patched and that you've got all the relevant drivers to keep your system happy.

Step 5:? Enjoy your new OS

Upgrading from Windows 7 RC

For one reason or another, Microsoft didn't want people using beta and RC versions of Windows 7 to be able to use the simpler Upgrade option. You can still buy the Windows 7 upgrade software, but you'll have to do a Custom install option as in the Windows XP example at the top. However, if you'd like to, there's a little hack-aroo to get around that nonsense. It goes a little something like this...

Step 1: But Windows 7 Ultimate upgrade
All RC versions of Windows 7 are Windows 7 Ultimate, so this is the version you'll have to buy if you intend on using the hack.

Step 2: Find the file
Insert you Windows disk into your machine and copy all the files to your computer rather than actually running the install. If you have no disk drive and you're using an ISO image, then use the Windows 7 extractor to get hold of the files. Once extracted go to the sources folder and find the cversion.ini file. Open it up and change the MinClient line value of 7233.0 to 7100. Save it. Close it and run the setup.exe file from the same folder and run the installer as normal.

Step 3: Install Windows 7
Select the Upgrade option as the wizard starts, make tea and enjoy your new OS.

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Related links:

• Review - Microsoft Windows 7 - First Look review
• Feature - Windows 7: Which version should you get?
• Feature - Quick guide to Microsoft Windows 7
• Feature - Seven reasons to buy Windows 7

Tags: Software PC software Microsoft Windows 7 Operating Systems How to Features

How to upgrade to Windows 7 originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 23 Oct 2009 10:41:05 +0100

Apple has said that it will offer?Windows 7?support for users who want to dual install the new Microsoft operating system on a Mac by the end of the year.

"Apple will support Microsoft Windows 7 (Home Premium, Professional, and Ultimate) with Boot Camp in Mac OS X?Snow Leopard?before the end of the year. This support will require a software update to Boot Camp", the company posted on its support pages.

However, while most Mac users will consider the move the equivalent of sleeping with the devil, some users won't be able to install Windows 7 even if they wanted to.

"The following models will not be supported for use with Windows 7 using Boot Camp".

?

• iMac (17-inch, Early 2006)
• iMac (17-inch, Late 2006)? ? ??
• iMac (20-inch, Early 2006)? ? ? ?
• iMac (20-inch, Late 2006)? ? ? ?
• MacBook Pro (15-inch, Early 2006) ?
• MacBook Pro (17-inch, Late 2006)?
• MacBook Pro (15-inch, Late 2006)?
• MacBook Pro (17-inch, Early 2006)? ?
• Mac Pro (Mid 2006, Intel Xeon Dual-core 2.66GHz or 3GHz)?

?

Users of course will need to own an "authentic copy of Microsoft Windows 7 or Microsoft Windows 7 upgrade"

Users wishing to run the new Microsoft OS under a virtual system like Parallels Desktop 4 or the new VMWare Fusion 3 will be able to do so without waiting for the new drivers from Apple.

?

Read

Related links:

• Via - macrumors.com
• image via - krunker.com

Tags: Software Mac software Apple Microsoft Windows 7 Snow Leopard

Apple says Windows 7 support by year end originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 23 Oct 2009 03:50:09 +0100

Apple?just couldn't resist taking a swipe at the launch of?Windows 7?with its latest advert that many say are getting tired.

This time Apple play the "broken promises" card with PC claiming that it's the best yet, before Mac claims a spot of d?j? vu.

There then ensues a series of PCs stating the same thing with different Windows operating systems in getups from the ages.

Has this series finally run out of steam? Let us know in the comments below.

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Tags: Software Adverts Apple Microsoft Windows 7 Video

VIDEO: Apple "Broken Promises" ad attacks Windows 7 originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 23 Oct 2009 02:59:33 +0100

How do you celebrate the launch of Microsoft's Windows 7 in Japan? Team up with Burger King of course to offer the Windows 7 Whopper.

The burger of burgers, features not one burger, but of course seven burgers in a bun in what is no doubt a gut busting experience.

On sale for the magic price of 777 yen (to the first 30 customers) the price soon hikes to 1500 yen suggesting the hamburger chain has taken a leaf out of Microsoft's book with regards to pricing.

Bloatware any one?

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Read

Related links:

• Via - Electronista

Tags: Software PC software Microsoft Burger King Windows 7 Operating Systems

Windows 7 Whopper celebrates bloatware originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 23 Oct 2009 02:40:30 +0100

Windows 7 has launched, but it's already in the hands of many people across the UK thanks to a postal strike sparking Microsoft to begin deliveries early. If you've already installed your brand new operating system then you might be interested to hear about a few features that haven't been well-documented, but could prove useful.

If, on the other hand, you haven't had a chance to get everything backed up for the install process yet, you might want to bookmark this page so you can have a butchers at it over the weekend once everything is up and running again. But without further ado, let's take a look at the top 5 secret Windows 7 features.

Shakin' Windows

One handy little user interface improvement that Microsoft has added to the mix allows you to drag windows to the edges of your screen to anchor them there, or to the top to maximise something. However, there's another neat little trick in a similar vein that you can use.

If you grab a title bar of a window and shake it around with the mouse, you'll find that everything flies out of the way and leaves you with a pristine desktop and the window you were holding. Much more Zen, no?

Problem Steps Recorder

Once you've convinced your parents that they need to upgrade to Windows 7, and they've bought it and you popped round to install it for them, they'll invariably find something that doesn't work - something that you can't fix over the phone and have to actually be there to sort out.

Well, instead of trying to talk them through installing a remote desktop viewer like VNC, you can now just ask them to press the Windows key, tap in "PSR", hit enter, and then hit record before trying to do whatever it is they're trying to do. Once they're done, the recording is saved as a zipped MHTML file that they can email to you so you can see exactly where they're going wrong.

Resource Monitor

Seasoned Windows fans will know that when the system locks up, the first thing you want to check is the Task Manager. You can still do that, but there's now a better option instead, called the Resource Monitor. This lets you take a look in considerably more detail about exactly what's going on with your CPU, RAM, disk and network.

To access it, just hit the Windows key and type "resmon" before hitting enter. It'll bring up an overview of all the processes that are currently active on your computer, and exactly what they're doing. You can then do something about that irritating program that won't stop crashing.

So what do you do? Well, you can force quit something like you would in Task Manager, but you can also right-click a process and hit "Analyze Wait Chain" to see more info about why it isn't doing anything - it could be waiting for a response from another process, for example. With Resource Monitor you'll hopefully be able to track down the issue more quickly.

Desktop slideshows

So you've seen that most of the default themes that comes with Windows have auto-changing backgrounds, and you'd like to get in on that action. How do you do it? Well, it's actually pretty simple. All you have to do is right-click an empty part of the desktop and hit "personalize". From there, hit "desktop background" near the bottom and pick a folder full of pictures that you'd like to rotate through, and select how often you'd like to rotate.

How would you like a desktop wallpaper that automatically updates from an RSS feed? That functionality appeared in the beta, though it was buggy and seemed to have been removed from the final version. However - there's a way round the limitation.

Visit the feed you want to get pictures from in Internet Explorer, and then subscribe to it. On the right-hand-side you should have a "View feed properties..." option. Hit that and then enable the "Automatically download attached files" option. Close the window, and re-open it, then hit "View files" and use that folder as your rotating background folder as above. Voila!

Colour and ClearType Calibration

Lastly, if you view a lot of images, movies or play games a lot on your computer - and doesn't everyone? - then you might want to make sure that your monitor is calibrated to display colours correctly. You can do this very easily with a wizard included in Windows 7 called the Display Colour Calibration Wizard.

To access it, all you have to do is hit the Windows key, type DCCW and hit enter, and the wizard will appear and take you through all the steps necessary to make sure your display has its gamma, brightness and contrast set correctly. After that, you'll have the option to view the ClearType calibration wizard.

Conclusions

So there you go. Five features that Microsoft hadn't told you about, but are still incredibly useful. Have you discovered anything else that's noteworthy and relatively undocumented in Windows 7? Be sure to share it with us in the comments, just down below.

Tags: Software Operating Systems Windows 7 Microsoft Features

Five secret features in Windows 7 originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 22 Oct 2009 16:47:26 +0100

Gaming maestro Peter Molyneux has officially confirmed that the next version of Fable, Fable 3, for the Xbox 360 will be?Project Natal?enabled.

"Fable 3 will have Natal support. Is that an announcement? #molyneux", Nicholas Lovell, founder of Gamesbrief, non-exec at nDreams, consultant to the game industry on strategy, finance and online sales tweeted after hearing Molyneux at a BAFTA lecture in London.

"Providing the audience with an insight into video games of the future, Molyneux demonstrated his latest project called Milo which utilises Microsoft's Natal technology that relies on voice, facial and motion recognition". reports BAFTA.

Molyneux also confirmed that the third instalment of Fable, Fable 3, will have in game transactions that allow you to buy extra gear for real cash to enhance your gaming character.

Project Natal, first announced at E3 in June in the US, is Microsoft's play at making the gamer the controller. It will monitor movements and then recreate those on screen.?

So far all the major games publishers are on board. Microsoft hasn't given an official launch date for the new technology, however have suggested a spring 2010 launch date.

Read

Tags: Gaming Xbox 360 Microsoft Fable 3 Project Natal

Molyneux: Project Natal support for Fable 3 originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 22 Oct 2009 16:18:47 +0100

What is Windows 7?

Er, ok. You really need this one answered? Well, Windows 7 is Microsoft's eighth consumer focused operating systems for personal computers. Don't ask us why the company chose 7 - possibly because it's a suggestion that we forget about either Windows ME or Vista or perhaps because someone miscounted. Either way Windows 7 it is and after quite a long run up it's finally been released for purchase by both consumers and businesses.

Why do I want it?

There's plenty of reasons to want the latest version of any OS, not least of which is that it's most often more secure than the last version meaning that your system is less likely to become compromised and your data and ID should stay exactly where you want them - with you. The slightly sexier reasons for wanting to upgrade are because it has a more modern look and feel, it runs smoother and quicker and it gives you a whole bunch of new bits and pieces to play with. In fact, the only real downside is having to part with some money for the privilege.

So, what's new?

At its core, Windows 7 has improvements to the kernel, which is at the heart of all operations, better performance with multi-core processors to get the most out of new CPU technologies and a more efficient boot too. What that translates to is a faster start up and shut down, a faster resume from sleep mode, a more responsive performance and more better use of processing power. That's the theory, anyway. To make it happen, Microsoft used a set of tracing tools to identity all the slack code and dysfunctional pathways of previous versions of the OS to work out exactly where the majority of the tweaks needed to be. There's also been special attention paid to laptops specifically by fitting a series of power saving functions like auto-screen dimmers and such. So, two reasons to make the switch is to get your battery to last a little longer and your PC running like the hot rod it promised it was when you bought it.

And what about the differences I can actually see?

Windows 7 continues the shell design first implemented in Vista - Windows Aero. Much of it will appear similar to many users. A lot of focus has been given to the taskbar with the addition of Jump Lists, bigger icons and even just the ability to move them about at will in the knowledge that they'll stay in whatever order you left them. If you hover the mouse over the icon of an open application in the taskbar, then mini full screen previews will pop up for each window that that program has running. So, if you have three Word documents open, then you'll see three small versions of each one when the curser is over the Word icon in the taskbar. From there, you can click on the one you want to go straight to it or just move the mouse away from the taskbar and go back to whatever it was you were doing on the desktop.

If instead, you right click on icons on the taskbar, then a Jump List will pop up. These lists contain all the recent files that you might have been accessing for that specific app. It doesn't remember all your browser pages but if, say, you right click on your media player icon, it'll come up with a list of all your recently played video and music files for you to shortcut straight to and in the case of media, you'll also be offered a degree of playback control straight from the taskbar too, but the level of access will vary from app to app. You can also choose to pin files to these lists for good or even pin them to the taskbar itself which might be handy if it's something you use all the time or at least repeatedly over a small period.

The windows themselves have also had a bit of a functionality twist too in a feature called Aero Snap. If you drag any open window up to the top of the screen it automatically maximises it. Likewise, if you throw them to the sides of your display, they'll take up exactly half the desktop. Drag one to the opposite edge and now you can compare two open windows in a split screen view. Very useful if you're taking notes from information online, for example. Finally, if all your open windows are beginning to take over your desktop, you can press the small button at the bottom right hand corner of the screen on the taskbar called Aero Peek which makes them all translucent, and if you actually click on the button, it minimises everything on the screen and shows you your desktop and any gadgets you might be running.

Any new applications?

Naturally, there's new versions of Windows Media Centre, which now comes with its own gadget, and Internet Explorer, if you really must. IE8 features a revamped address bar which can be used for search, there's new tabs and a make-over for the favourites bar as well. Web Slice allows users to be updated of any changes to sites they're monitoring without actually having to switch back to the tab in question. For example it would display updates to an eBay auction or a web mail inbox up on the favourites bar at the top of the browser. The final addition is the IE Accelerator which offers contextual menus for selected pieces of copy within a web page. So, you might be able to right click on the name of a shop and the options could include links to reviews, its online retail site or a map with its location.

One of the more impressive improvements is to the desktop search function which has now gone truly universal. Located at the foot of the Start menu, the search starts working as soon as you start typing and will bring up a string of results immediately from all corners of your machine including external devices and any shared PCs on the same network. It groups the suggestions by file type - be they docs, images, e-mails, applications etc - and highlights the part of the titles that responds the letters of your query. The whole process is also given a slight extra speed kick by suggesting frequently selected results from familiar search enquiries too. If you want to get deeper into it, you can open out the panel further and use the dynamic options with graphics to help you sort by date, size, name and other criteria in a much more simple way that was often quite painful in Windows packages of days gone by.

Windows 7 also sees some consolidation of functions too. The old Windows Security Centre has been renamed the Action Centre and works as an issues and problem solver to do list including requests from Windows Defender as well as any other tasks as recommended by your machine for you to deal with when you have a moment. Each is listed with a warning of how important it is. Finding an anti-virus program, for example, qualifies for the top of the list.

The other area of consolidation is of device management. Printers, phones, MP3 players and pretty much anything you can plug into your PC are all now dealt with in one specific area. Of course, each offers slightly different options of action but the place to find them has been homogenised and should be far easier for viewing and transferring the content off and onto them. One neat feature particular to printers is an auto-detect default which will recognise where you are based on the network connection and automatically select the appropriate default printer from your list without you having to chop and change manually.

And what about multi-touch?

Yes, probably the most high profile addition to the Windows OS is the added support for touchscreen PCs and more specifically multi-touch as well. There is a slew of computers set to arrive that take advantage of this. There's also some added fun with the trainable handwriting recognition software built-in, as well as smaller apps like post it notes and graphical add ons too. At its most basic though, the touchscreen allows you to scroll, zoom and navigate your way around the operating system using your fingers. You will, of course, require a touch enabled computer or PC tablet for this to work.

Anything else?

Naturally, there's a bunch of new desktop themes, there's better support for SSDs and virtual hard disks, there's a redesigned calculator with a statistics mode and the return of internet connected versions of the games Spades, Checkers and Backgammon, all of which had been apparently mistakenly dropped for Vista. Networking has been made easier with WindowsHome and DirectAccess which allow an automation of the set up of sharing content across Windows 7 machines in the home and intranet set up for businesses. A particularly useful feature called Play To lets users choose which machine in their network they'd like to stream any particular media onto.

Is it any good?

Well, early reports indicate that Windows 7 will be a winner. It's essentially a refined version of the unpopular Vista which should give the new OS a head start in a lot of departments, not least of which is general public feeling. It has a greater user-centric experience with performance improvements for far smoother day to day running. There's even a a few bits of fun left for the future with an upcoming patch for USB 3.0 support expected very soon and all the high speed data transfer that should allow – fingers crossed.

Can my PC handle it?

A 32-bit version of Windows 7 will require a machine with a minimum of a 1GHz CPU, 1GB of RAM and 16GB of disk space. If you want to go 64-bit, then obviously you'll need a 64-bit CPU, a minimum of 2GB RAM and 20GB of space to put it.

How much is it?

That all depends which version you go for. There are a slightly confusing six different variants but actually only three different names to take care of. The standard consumer version is Windows 7 Home Premium for ?149.99, then comes Windows 7 Professional for ?219.99 intended more for businesses and finally Windows 7 Ultimate at ?229.99 for those in need of serious data protection and computing in 35 languages. You can also buy upgrade packages of each version for ?79.99, ?189.99 and ?199.99 respectively but they'll only work if you already have Windows Vista installed. Officially speaking you can't even upgrade from the Windows 7 release candidate but there's a way around that one for the more adventurous.

Related links:

• Feature - Five touchscreen Windows 7 PCs to look out for
• Review - Microsoft Windows 7 - First Look review
• Read - All things Windows 7
• Feature - A brief history of Windows

Tags: Software Microsoft Windows 7 Operating Systems Quick Guide Features

Quick guide to Microsoft Windows 7 originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 22 Oct 2009 16:13:31 +0100

Microsoft is promoting its Windows Marketplace for Mobile app store with a comedic clip revealing apps that didn't make it through the vetting process.

Highlights include a virtual sundial, the familiar-looking game pung, the enabler and moustaches of the world.

Hit play now to see the ad and be sure to head on over to the Marketplace to check out the available apps because "the ones that did survive you're really gonna like".

Read

Tags: Phones Mobile phones Microsoft Windows Marketplace Advertising Video Mobile phone apps

VIDEO: Rejected Windows Marketplace apps revealed originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 22 Oct 2009 14:17:37 +0100

A team of students at Carnegie Mellon University has developed a Dungeons & Dragons application for Microsoft Surface. It's a little like a printed out map, but completely interactive and able to recognise items placed on top.

It can then calculate line-of-sight, roll dice, and perform other functions for the RPG though notably it doesn't play the game for you - this is still a traditional board game, just one with a rather remarkable board.

Have you spotted any cool applications of Microsoft Surface? Let us know in the comments.

Read

Related links:

• News - Microsoft demos possible future of Surface

Tags: Gaming Dungeons and Dragons Microsoft Microsoft Surface Video RPG

VIDEO: Dungeons and Dragons on Microsoft Surface originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 22 Oct 2009 12:23:16 +0100

While there are plenty of wireless notebook mice around, that hasn't stopped manufacturers attempting to try and innovate. Microsoft's latest attempt is the Wireless Mobile Mouse 4000.

It's a wee little nipper - 61mm by 103mm - but despite its size it's relatively comfortable. Rubber grip pads on either side hold your hand in place, while your fingers rest on the smooth upper surface. In the middle of that surface is a black panel with a Microsoft logo, battery indicator and the mousewheel.

But not just any mousewheel. Imagine coating yourself in vaseline, then getting in a bath of baby oil, then slipping yourself between a set of the smoothest, most silken velvet sheets you can picture. That's what using this mousewheel feels like.

Of course, what that means is that gamers will hate it. There's no definition between clicks - it's one fluid motion. Flicking between weapons will be irritatingly imprecise. Though, to be fair, gamers aren't exactly the target audience for this product.

Along with left and right clicks, the mousewheel click, and the ability to click the wheel left and right to scroll in those directions, there's also a fourth button positioned forward on the left. Unfortunately, it's just out of comfortable thumb-reach, but that's not too big a deal.

The sensor seems accurate and responsive. It was able to track with only a couple of very minor glitches on the surface of a glass desk that we tested it with. On a mousepad, it was very quick so if you find you need a bit more precision, it might be worth dialling that down a little in the settings.

The sensor is miniscule - so small you might lose it - but luckily it slots into the base of the device for when you're travelling. The mouse also has a hard on/off switch so you can save battery if you're not going to be using the device for a little while.

Verdict:

Microsoft's latest iteration of its mobile mouse is great. It's compact, smooth, and full-featured. The only criticisms we could level - like comfort - would require a full-size mouse to rectify.

Available for just ?25 at the time of writing, the Mobile Mouse 4000 is a great investment for a regular traveller that's fed up with their cramped trackpad.

Tags: Hardware Mice And Keyboards Mice Microsoft Microsoft Mobile Mouse 4000

Microsoft Mobile Mouse 4000 originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 22 Oct 2009 09:53:51 +0100

"Nearly a billion people use Windows. Their ideas added up to Windows 7", says Microsoft of the above advert, as Windows 7 sees its official general release.

While some UK consumers have received their copy of the new OS in the last couple of days due to early shipping because of the postal strikes, hundreds queued up last night for a midnight launch at PC World's flagship store.

Amazon has reported record pre-orders, so it will be interesting to see how long before Microsoft reveals official figures.

Tags: Software Microsoft Windows 7 Operating Systems Video Advertising

VIDEO: Windows 7 launches with new ad originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 22 Oct 2009 09:20:38 +0100

Google has moved in to steal Bing's thunder by announcing it will be adding tweets to its search pages.

"At Google, our goal is to create the most comprehensive, relevant and fast search in the world. In the past few years, an entirely new type of data has emerged", Marissa Mayer, vice president of Search Products and User Experience said in a blog post before confirming:

"Given this new type of information and its value to search, we are very excited to announce that we have reached an agreement with Twitter to include their updates in our search results".

However unlike Bing's?offering, which went live earlier on Wednesday, Google's won't be live for a couple of months according to Mayer:

"We look forward to having a product that showcases how tweets can make search better in the coming months".

Earlier on Friday, Microsoft confirmed that it would be bringing Twitter and Facebook status updates to its search engine, bing.com.?

"We have two deals to announce", said the demo man at the Web 2.0 summit conference. "The first is Twitter, which will be going live in the beta straight away, the second is Facebook which will come later".

Both systems will access all public data, leaving direct messages secure and out of sight.?The tweets will, however, be vetted for quality and factor in a number of features including quality of tweet, the length and relevancy of the tweet, the Twitter users social standing (ie number of followers) as well as the tweet is being re-tweeted.

Search it seems, just went real-time.

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Tags: Software Online Google Twitter Bing Microsoft

Google shouts "me too" with twitter search deal originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 21 Oct 2009 22:21:49 +0100

After all the hullabaloo, Windows 7, Microsoft's new operating system, is now here. Finally you can now officially ditch Windows Vista or Windows XP once and for all. But why should you spend ?79.99 on getting it? Here are seven reasons why you should and one reason you shouldn't.

Faster

Windows Vista is, was, and always will be, a dog to run. It needs plenty of RAM, needs plenty of processor power and isn't netbook friendly. One of the biggest reasons the software was hated so much was people tried to run it on machines that just weren't powerful enough. The good news is Windows 7 doesn't suffer from the same afflictions. It's a lean mean operating system and that means it's netbook and old computer friendly. Huzzzah.

Cleaner

While the Mac boys will tell you that you should still feel dirty for using Microsoft, the Windows 7 interface has had a massive overhaul making it a lot cleaner on the eye. The task bar has been improved, the graphics are now tidier, and the overall look and feel much more "Mac". Microsoft has come a long way since the days of?Windows 3.11?and this iteration of the company's OS shows it.

Easier to use

Never thought you would hear us say that did you? But it's right, Windows 7 is easier to use. The company now tries to explain what it's doing rather than expecting you to have a degree in computing from Cambridge. The search has been vastly improved, the taskbar now makes sense, the device manager lets you know what's going on and where, and even the networking isn't the dog it once was.

Touch enabled

Those who like to get more touchy feely with their computers will love the fact that Windows 7 comes with touch support out of the box. Why should you care? Well if you've got a touch-enabled PC or laptop you can get involved with your fingers rather than just use your keyboard and mouse.

Media, media, media

The multimedia elements to Window 7 have also been enhanced. There is the Remote Media Streaming feature than lets you stream your music and video around the home or over the Internet as well as new services like Sky Player?that means Sky subscribers can stream Sky via the Media Center without the need for a TV or even a Sky box.

64-bit support

64-bit computing means you should, all being well, get things done faster as a 64-bit PC can handle larger amounts of information than a 32-bit system. Bring on the speed.

Windows XP mode

It's like you never installed Windows 7. While Microsoft says that you can run virtually all applications on the new OS, you just know that there is going to be one app you've got, most likely your favourite one, that won't. In steps Windows XP mode that allows you to run XP as a virtual machine so that one old programme can still work.

And finally why you shouldn't...

It's made by Microsoft - just kidding.

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Related links:

• link - Microsoft.com

Tags: Software PC software Microsoft Windows 7 Operating Systems Features

Seven reasons to buy Windows 7 originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 21 Oct 2009 21:47:55 +0100

Microsoft's digital head Qi Lu has confirmed, as rumoured earlier today, that it has signed a non-exclusive deal with Twitter and Facebook to provide status updates to its Bing search engine.

The two new services will allow users to use Bing to search tweets in real-time posted on the micro-blogging service.

"We have two deals to announce", said the demo man at the Web 2.0 summit conference. "The first is Twitter, which will be going live in the beta straight away, the second is Facebook which will come later".

Both systems will access all public data, leaving direct messages secure and out of sight.

The tweets will, however, be vetted for quality and factor in a number of features including quality of tweet, the length and relevancy of the tweet, the twitter users social standing (ie number of followers) as well as the tweet is being re-tweeted.

Users will be able to search tweets via a real-time stream as well as a cloud trending option.

Microsoft has also said that it will strip out bit.ly links turning them back into full url's so users can see what the domain is before clicking on it.

The beta, which can be accessed via bing.com/twitter should be live in the next hour.?

UPDATE: Google has now said that it will be offering Twitter status updates as well.

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Tags: Software Online Social networking Search engines Microsoft Twitter Facebook Bing

Twitter comes to Bing originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 21 Oct 2009 19:45:55 +0100

Sky today showed off their Sky Player integrated to Windows 7 which will appear as a tile in the TV section of Media Centre.

The aim is to provide a seamless experience as a value-added benefit for existing Sky subscribers, but also as a subscription package for non-subscribers. Prices were not confirmed at the event, but we'd guess it will follow the "from" ?15 a month or ?0.98 on-demand offering in the existing service.?

Sky also confirmed you won't have to commit to long-term contracts and that you'll be able to dip in for pay-per-view events as you wish.?

You'll be able to watch live Sky content, with the channels reflecting your subscription package, or access content on demand.

All content is streamed, however, and unlike the BBC iPlayer content is not stored locally, so you can't download films to watch on your travels and you won't be able to access the service outside the UK.

High-definition content will not be available on the service, with Sky saying that they were concentrating on offering a good standard-definition experience before looking at HD.

The date has not yet been confirmed, but we know that the Sky Player service is launching on the Xbox 360 on 27 October, so we'd expect it to appear in Windows 7 soon after.

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Tags: Home Cinema Software Sky Microsoft Windows 7 Sky Player Video

VIDEO: Sky Player in Windows 7 originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 21 Oct 2009 19:00:00 +0100

Microsoft is about to sign up both Twitter and Facebook in a non-exclusive deal to help improve the Bing search engine.

The deal, which will see both sites integrate their real-time feed of status updates into the Bing search engine is, if true, expected to give Microsoft's fledgling offering a massive boost in the real time search game.

According to All Things Digital "sources, Microsoft (MSFT) digital head Qi Lu will announce the deal onstage in a few hours at the Web 2.0 Summit".

Although the article states that neither offering is expected to be up and running for weeks if not months, it does expect Qi Lu to demo the new project at the conference.

However, the article also states that any deal is expected to be non-exclusive suggesting that similar offerings could be coming to Google as well.

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Tags: Software Twitter Bing Facebook Social networking Search engines Microsoft Biz

Twitter and Facebook Status updates coming to Bing originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 21 Oct 2009 18:50:13 +0100

To celebrate the forthcoming Windows 7 release, PC World has announced that it will be discounting some of its hardware as well as Window 7 itself.

Perhaps one for the more enthusiastic among you this deal begins at the PC World Tottenham Court Road shop from midnight on 21 October.

Toshiba and Dell laptops are included in the discounts as well as the Packard Bell iXtreme quad core PC, which will be available with up to ?150 off the RRP.

PC World is also doing a trade-in offer for all UK customers which will mean an entitlement to ?100 off any laptop when you hand in your old one.

In terms of the Windows 7 discount, it'll possibly mean queuing up outside the shop, as it's only the first 200 who are entitled to the half price offer.

Cameron McMillan, manager of the PC World Tottenham Court Road store comments: "This is well worth staying up late for. By opening the doors at midnight our customers will not only be the first in the country to get hold of this fantastic new operating system but will also be able to advantage of some amazing deals in-store".

So if you're not a student (who've already had their opportunity to pick the new OS at a discount) you live in London and don't have work in the morning, this could be for you...

Tags: Software Microsoft Windows 7 Operating Systems PC World Daily Tech Deal

Daily Tech Deal: Windows 7 half price originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 21 Oct 2009 13:00:00 +0100

Amazon.co.uk has revealed that Windows 7 is now the biggest grossing pre-order product of all-time, having eclipsed? pre-orders of both "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" and the Nintendo Wii.

"The launch of Windows 7 has superseded everyone's expectations, storming ahead of 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows' as the biggest-grossing pre-order product of all-time at Amazon.co.uk, and demand is still going strong", says Brian McBride, MD of Amazon.co.uk.??? ?

"Over the past three months, only Dan Brown's 'The Lost Symbol' has sold more copies than Windows 7 which is an incredible achievement for a Software product".

Amazon says it sold more pre-order copies of Windows 7 in the first 8 hours of its release than Windows Vista managed in its entire pre-order period, stats echoed by the DSGi group.

Tags: Software Windows 7 Amazon Statistics shopping Microsoft

Windows 7 beats pre-order records at Amazon.co.uk originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 21 Oct 2009 10:37:06 +0100

It's being reported that Google is planning to launch a music service imminently. A number of sources quoted by TechCrunch are saying that the company is securing content from major labels, and one source has named the offering "Google Audio".

At a time when the whole world and its dog are launching music services, it's unclear whether the music platform will be download-based like iTunes, streaming-based like Spotify and Pandora, or a hybrid of the two like Napster and Sky Songs. It'll be available to "at least" the US, but we'd predict that it'd be limited to the States for the time being - licensing of tracks in multiple territories is a real headache.

Google already has a music service in China that allows users to download tracks for free, and it has a music search engine that can be accessed by putting "music:" before a query in the search box. Songs accessed that way aren't available to listen to, however.

This is a breaking story and we'll bring you more news as it arrives.

Thanks to Alan for the tip.

Update: A little trawling has revealed that Google Audio popped up in 2006 on the company's job search boards. There were talks at the time with major labels, but nothing came of it. Could it be that Google decided the industry wasn't ready back then, and it is now?

Update II: TechCrunch is now reporting that iLike and Lala will be partnering with Google on this one, and it'll allow users to stream songs from search results. There'll also be the option to buy downloads. Seems like an odd move to us, especially as current streaming options from both iLike and Lala are very limited, but perhaps there's more to it. We'll keep you posted.

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Tags: Audio Music Online Google Music downloads Google Audio Rumours Spotify Napster Pandora Sky Microsoft

Google launching music service? originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 21 Oct 2009 10:03:09 +0100

Those that pre-ordered Windows 7 are already seeing their copies drop through their letter box as the US software giant has been forced to ship early due to the threat of postal strikes here in the UK.

Microsoft has authorised retailer PC World to send out copies of the OS ahead of its general release date of 22 October, with customers receiving their discs days ahead of the due date.

"October 22nd sees both the launch of Windows 7 and a planned postal strike in the UK. ?In order to minimise the impact on customers, Microsoft has authorised those partners who participated in the pre-order programme to ship Windows 7 to those customers who pre-ordered it." A Microsoft spokesperson told Pocket-lint.

Other retailers have apparently been given the go ahead to do similar with Microsoft stating it is "aware of the planned postal strike and has taken action to minimise impact on those customers who pre-ordered their copies of Windows 7".

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Tags: Software Microsoft Windows 7 PC World Operating Systems

Windows 7 ships early to avoid postal strike originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Tue, 20 Oct 2009 16:56:33 +0100

If a rose by any other name would have smelled as sweet then we'd all be looking forward to the launch of Interlace Manager 7 this week. That was how it all began for Microsoft's projected in 1981 when Windows was first under development. Fortunately, by the time Windows 1.0 was released in 1985 someone clever soul had thought a slightly more consumer focused name might be better. They were right. And the rest, as they say, is history.

Windows 1.0 (1985)

Initially, Windows was little more than operating environment add-on for DOS. MS DOS Executive was another of its names that fell by the wayside but it more accurately described the user friendly GUI addition to computing. Microsoft had worked on the early Apple computers - prior to the Macs - on their desktop accessories and much of the Windows look was licensed from Apple. There could be no overlapping of windows, so tiling was used to put them side by side instead, and there was no trash can either, as implemented in the Apple OS. Despite the addition of some familiar faces in the shape of Calculator, Calendar, Cardfile, Clipboard Viewer, Clock, Control Panel, Notepad, Paint, Reversi, Terminal and the Word predecessor, Write, there was no great popularity for the system.

Windows 2.0 (1987)

Two years on, the second iteration was fundamentally about improvements to the memory management and the interface itself; two of the most important areas of any OS. Windows 2.0 opened up the expanded memory for programs to use which was normally saved for running peripherals. It meant greater ability to multi-task and it began to look more like the real picture with Microsoft sneaking overlapping windows into the design. The system introduced new keyboard shortcuts and the now famous Excel and Word applications. The real boost to the OS though was that the hugely popular desktop publishing software AldusPagemaker was released in a Windows variant. It was the first major piece of third party software to come in both Windows and Mac and is the moment many historians herald as the turning point for Microsoft. The system was now, on one level, an equal to Apple's.

Windows 3.0, 3.1 & 3.11 (1990)

Windows 3.0 was the first success for Microsoft in the commercial sense. The company had re-written critical operations in Assembly rather than C making them lighter and faster and the introduction of virtual memory and VGA cards meant a more efficient, more powerful and more graphic capable platform. Virtual memory was able to trick applications into thinking that they were using large blocks of address space when it was actually fragmented and often spilled into the storage disk rather than just using the RAM. It meant Windows could successfully run more programs at once. The system was also flexible at the same time, meaning that if you would rather offer applications the protection of running in one block them you could automatically assign specific space for that too. Windows 3.0 sold 2 million copies in its first six months rising to 10 million over the next 18.

3.1 was released in reaction to IBM's OS/2 2.0 operating system software that had initially been a joint venture with Microsoft. It contained the same bug fixes and multimedia support. By the time 3.11 came out Microsoft had made sure they'd seen off the threat from IBM and Windows had gone 32-bit.

Over the same period Microsoft had been added more and more Appley features to their OS until the former employer sued the company under 189 charges relating to the Apple "look and feel" of Windows. Of those, 179 were dismissed and the last 10 were deemed ideas that were simply non-copyrightable.

Windows 95 (1995)

10 years down the line and it was time for a serious facelift. Windows 95, originally codenamed Chicago, saw a significant step in the GUI as well as offering impressive under the hood improvements too. It introduced pre-emptive multi-tasking into the operating system which was a way to ensure that each application gets a fair chunk of the CPU while it's trying to run. It's possible because of an interrupt mechanism which can suspend apps already in execution and order their power resource demands. Every 32-bit program was now also given a separate address space meaning that one bad program wouldn't bring the whole system crashing down. Through these two advances Windows was now much more stable than before.

The great addition from the user end was Plug and Play which made the previous driver hunts a lot less important along with a lot of CD-ROMs that came with various bits of peripheral kit. The system allowed for automatic detection and installation of hardware with considerably less faff than ever before on PCs. File names could now be as ling as 250 characters and the supported RAM on Windows 95 was up to 512MB with a virtual effect of 2GB. DOS was pretty much altogether bypassed and now just used as a boot loading device.

Windows 98 (1998)

Despite better support fir the FAT-32 file system, new hardware drivers and allowances for disk partitions larger than 2GB, Windows 98 was heavily criticised for its slowness and unreliability compared to the previous release. Most of the problems were cleaned up by the second edition one year later but there was further controversy in the GUI with Internet Explorer's integration into the design and into Windows Explorer. It eventually lead to the accusation that Microsoft was abusing its position as the OS at the expense of the waning browser competition that was Netscape Navigator. Ultimately, the case has had little effect on the success of either company and eventually Windows 98 was appreciated by consumers the world over.

Windows ME (2000)

The Millennium Edition, on the other hand, never received a lot of love. Much like Windows Phone today, the turn of time OS was more of a stop gap than anything else while plans were afoot to merge the Windows business line, Windows NT, with the consumer stream. Essentially, it had the same core as Windows 98 but had adopted many of the features of the latest in the NT range - the very popular Windows 2000. It had enhanced multimedia and internet capabilities with the introduction of Windows Movie Maker as well as Universal Plug and Play which allowed for a far more seamless, automatic approach for connecting network devices. You could no longer boot the OS into DOS and it was the last version not to include the online Product Activation system. ME was lambasted for its instability and often referred to with alternative acronyms like Mistake Edition but perhaps its one moment in the sun was the introduction of System Restore which still exists today and works very well so long as you remember to use it.

Windows XP (2001)

Codenamed Whistler, XP was the Microsoft's messiah in the unification of their business and consumer OS products. Until now, Windows NT had been running very successfully alongside since 1994 and had been the company's answer when the OS/2 project with IBM had fallen apart. The problem was that NT's increasingly complex structure became harder and harder for developers to write for and eventually they stopped bothering as it was for a relatively small percentage of the market. Seeing as operating systems with no drivers aren't of much use, the new approach of one OS with several variants was added which is why we got Windows XP Home Edition and Windows XP Professional. XP even inherited the NT5.2 kernel at its core and, after several service pack updates, became not only secure and stable but also the longest lasting Windows OS, selling from 2001-2007.

Windows Vista (2006)

Releasing the software to the commercial sector first was never going to be much of a hearts and minds campaign for what has become one of Microsoft's most contentious operating systems. When codename Longhorn was finally given to the public at the beginning of 2007 with a brand new GUI just to upset more people, it got on the end of some very harsh reviews indeed. As well as introducing the Windows AERO look with its more powerful, more efficient and aesthetic designs, Vista also had a strong focus on security. The administrator had always been the default user on a PC and that was now switched to a rather irritating system of passwords and user management that, although certainly safe, didn't really help matters.

There was a new version of IE, Windows Media Player, a new generation of games like Mahjong and despite all the troubles, it still outsold XP in its equivalent first month with 20 million copies leaving the shelves. However, in a survey of businesses, only 8% were satisfied with the product compared to the 41% that had been happy with XP. There were reports of many users downgrading back to Windows XP but the one group who were pleased with the new system was the gamers. Vista was the first to include DirectX 10 which offered them even better graphic fun than ever before.

Windows 7 (2009)

Curiously, the 8th consumer release of the Microsoft OS, Windows 7 is in fact very similar to its predecessor but with just enough refinements and some time to get used to the AERO GUI. It was codenamed both Blackcomb and Vienna, has none of the user account issues of Vista and predominantly comes in both 32-bit and 64-bit versions. It has a significantly faster boot time, better power management options for notebook users and has also gone multi-touch. So far, throughout all the beta tests, and RC versions, there have been no real complaints. The only issue is perhaps the ever-growing number of variants, now standing at six.

Windows 8 (?)

Barely have we tasted 7 and already there is a smattering of rumours about Windows 8. There's only two things to go on but both should raise an eyebrow each - 128-bit computing and cloud-optimised operating system. Certainly should keep us talking.

Related links:

• News - Windows 8 and 9 could go 128-bit
• Feature - Quick guide to Windows Mobile 6.5 - Windows Phone
• Review - Microsoft Windows 7 - First Look review

Tags: Software Microsoft Windows 8 Windows 98 Operating Systems Features Windows 7 Windows XP Windows Vista Windows ME

A brief history of Microsoft Windows originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Tue, 20 Oct 2009 15:41:25 +0100

After a roll-out to 19 countries, Microsoft has revealed some stats relevant to the release of its Security Essentials security software.

In the first week Microsoft saw well over 1.5 million downloads of the security suite, but admits "the price (free to Windows users) is hard to beat!"

As far as successful detections goes, Microsoft says up to 6 October it's seen almost four million detections on 535,752 distinct machines.

In terms of the OS split, 33% of downloads were to XP machines, 23% to PCs running Vista and a whopping 44% of downloads were on machines running Windows 7.

Microsoft says overall its seem "far more detections per XP machine, with the fewest from Windows 7". ?

Ahead of the general release of Windows 7 on 22 October Microsoft states: "this follows our usual observed trend of seeing less malware on newer OSes and service packs".?

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Tags: Software Microsoft Security software VirusesAndMalware Microsoft Security Essentials

Microsoft Security Essentials sees 1.5 million downloads originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Mon, 19 Oct 2009 16:50:10 +0100

If you've got an unauthorised Xbox 360 memory unit, then you might want to think about getting an official one ASAP - the forthcoming software update for the console will render it inoperable.

Xbox Live's Major Nelson posted on his blog that "one of the changes is that unauthorized Memory Units will no longer work with the Xbox 360", adding "If you continue to use an unauthorized Memory Unit after the update, you will not be able to access your stored profile or saved games".

If you have a hard-disk equipped 360 then it's not too big a deal - just shift everything onto your hard drive - but if not then you'll need to buy a licensed unit instead and copy the data across. To know whether it's licensed or not, you need a stamp that says "Licensed for Xbox 360" somewhere on the device or its packaging.

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Related links:

• News - Eye-Fi wireless memory cards to launch in the UK

Tags: Gaming Xbox 360 Memory cards Microsoft Software updates

Xbox 360 update blocks unlicensed memory units originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Mon, 19 Oct 2009 11:24:40 +0100

While the first Zune was just another MP3 player to many, the same can't be said about the Zune HD, the follow-up player from Microsoft. Could the Windows maker finally have a device that will give a new impetuous to the MP3 player market? We've been living with one for the last month to work it whether the hype is justified.

Coming in two sizes - 16GB and 32GB - the Zune HD is sleek, solid, and well-made, with plenty of wow factor. It is light years ahead of the original model: it's Schwarzenegger to Danny DeVito in Twins. It really is that different.

Now you get a thin player, dominated by the 3.3-inch OLED screen with a single button underneath. The screen, which is capacitive, multi-touch and gesture-enabled is crisp, bright and clean in its performance. It will make your video and images come alive to an extent that we haven't seen on a PMP before. It's impressive.

The rest of the design is equally minimalist. The single button is rectangular as not to be confused with another more popular MP3 player on the market, while the power button can be found at the top. A 3.5mm headphone jack can be found next to the dock connector at the bottom, which is used for charging and plugging into accessories. Placing it at the bottom means its ready to use when you pull it out of your pocket - a nice touch. For those who like buttons there is a further side button that gives you direct access to the player controls.

The metal casing, which is held down by four mean looking screws is tough and all in all this is one good looking device.

Power it up and you'll quickly find that it's made by Microsoft. Why do we say that? Well because before you go anywhere you have to sync it with your PC. Once synced, you've then got to update it with the latest firmware version and that's after you've downloaded the Zune software to get the thing working in the first place. It's not the end of the world, but you expect gadgets these days to just work, not to have to be updated from day one.

Mac users with the urge to sign up, take heed: the Zune software isn't Mac compatible and therefore you'll either have to find a friend to install the software or invest in virtualisation software to run on your Mac. If you don't it's a charming looking paperweight. Microsoft has teased with the promise of Mac software, but don't hold your breath.

So you've updated the software and you're up and running. The Zune's interface is stunning: graphically luscious and very fast thanks to the Nvidia Tegra chip inside. That means rather than a 2D menu interface that sees you scrolling from left to right, things pop, slide, shizzle and generally pazzam their way around the screen.

The touch interface only helps in the day-to-day control of the player and we found it incredibly responsive to use, Apple responsive to use.

The Zune HD offers two menu systems to get to your music, pictures, videos and apps quickly. The main menu gives you an overview of what is happening now with a "Now Playing" box starting proceedings. Then there is something Microsoft has called "Pins" that allow you to Pin something to the menu.

The idea, and it's one that works, is if you have a favourite album or video you can "pin" it to the menu for quick access. After "Pins" comes "History" so you can see what you've been listening or watching and then "New" which lists the latest tracks you added to the player - handy if you are wanting to go straight to that new funky track you just bought.

While the system works incredibly well it does look complicated if you don't have all the album art in place - you just get placeholders.

A more traditional menu system, and the one you are more likely to use on a day-to-day basis is the list menu that lists the core functions and features of the player. Here you get access to music, video, pictures, radio, Marketplace to buy apps, social aspects of the player, the Internet browser, apps, and settings.

The main focus here is the music, although it's not the only focus. Pressing the music button whizzes you into the your music collection and you can, as you would expect, list songs as Playlists, Songs, Genres, Albums, and Artists.?

If you don't have your own music collection, or are just bored with it, then you can sign up to get a Zune Pass. Think Napster or Spotify for your MP3 player. For $14.99 you can access thousands of songs to download them on to your Zune HD and swap them out when you are bored. It's not a new idea, but it is a great way to get unlimited music with minimum of fuss, if you are happy to pay the price of two new albums a month. Within the deal you also get to keep 10 tracks a month, so when you exit the programme you at least have something to show for it.

With your Zune Pass sorted (you get a 14 day free trial in the box) you can then go about creating Smart DJ lists. Basically they are like Genius lists from Apple, created in the accompanying PC software rather than on the player itself.

When you think you're just about done on the music front, the player then smacks you with what Microsoft call HD radio. In reality it's a standard FM radio, but the reception is excellent (we tested it in New York). If the radio station provides track details then you get that information on the screen, and the player allows you to seamlessly pause the radio so you don't miss the best bit, be it a song or documentary.?

Better still if you really like the song, and it is recognised, you can add it to your "cart" to buy the track from Marketplace. Clever.

Marketplace is where you spend your money. With a music and apps store, the offering isn't massive at the moment from the player itself. It's more of a "glance" rather than a compressive offering on the go, and you get access to top songs, top albums, new releases.

Apps are a combination of games, productivity tools and bits and bobs. So far there are just 10 available, eight of which are games. The other two are a weather app and a calculator app.

Of course this will grow in size and scope as Marketplace gains momentum. At the moment you can only search via New, Update and All. If you had 85,000 apps in there it would get very complicated to find relevant apps.

With a multi-touch gesture-based screen and a Tegra graphics chip, this should, if the Marketplace can get momentum, have huge potential. But for now it is a bit of a damp squib. Why Microsoft didn't allow developers to port games from Windows Mobile is beyond us. Apps is definitely one to watch, but for the moment not something you would base your purchase on.

Something else you shouldn't base your purchase on is the browser. It might say internet browser on the box, but it is very basic experience. Utilising the on-board wireless connectivity you get a very simple browser based on Internet Explorer. On the plus side it's quick and you can zip around the Internet checking out your favourite websites like Pocket-lint.

There is an on-screen keyboard (portrait and landscape) so you can enter the URL, there is a favourite button so you can access your favourite sites, and finally a Bing search button so you can search the web. There isn’t multiple tab browsing, history, and any navigation elements apart from refresh and back. There is no Flash support for watching video, YouTube or not.

As for the software, the interactive interface is easy to use allowing you to manage your syncing options, and follows the same flow based interface found on the device. It owes more to Microsoft's work with the Xbox 360 rather than PowerPoint.

Verdict:

As a music player this is a pretty compelling offer. The player is small, well priced, and sexy enough to impress. The music, HD Radio, video and image playback on that OLED screen is very cool, and the Zune Pass if that's what you want, is great. However that's where it stops. The Internet browser is pretty worthless for anything other than checking the odd web page and the app's offering at the moment is heavily unrepresentative of what it could be.

So where does that leave you? If you are anti-Apple and just want a decent MP3 player that will grow over time then this is a great choice. If Microsoft had released this as the first Zune it's market share would be very different. Compared to the competition, other than Apple, we would put this in second place.

However just as Microsoft catches up with Apple and it's iPod touch, Apple moves the focus towards gaming and being a device that's more than just music. If you are looking for something more than just a music player and more along the lines of a games console, come internet browser, come app device, come music player, then while the Zune tries, it falls drastically short.

It's a shame, because combined with the Zune Pass, the Tegra 3D chip, and OLED screen the Zune HD has the potential to be so much more than it currently is. The good news for Microsoft is that its a lack of software that's the problem, not something lacking with the device itself.

Lots of potential, but at the moment very much a wait and see unless that Zune Pass really is what you are after.

Sadly, it's only available in the US, starting at $219.99 for the 16GB version.

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Tags: Audio MP3 players Microsoft Zune HD Microsoft Zune HD

Microsoft Zune HD MP3 player originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 16 Oct 2009 19:05:43 +0100

In a happy, if unexpected, twist to the Sidekick data-loss fiasco, Microsoft has confirmed that it's managed to recover pretty much everything.

Roz Ho, Microsoft's VP of Premium Mobile Experiences, posted on the Sidekick forums that the company has managed to get back "most, if not all, customer data for those Sidekick customers whose data was affected by the recent outage".

That'll come as a pleasant surprise to many users, but it could also disappoint others who'd already decided what they were going to buy with the $100 T-Mobile gift card that was being offered as compensation.

Contacts will be restored first, then calendar entries, notes, tasks, photographs and high scores in that order. Microsoft has also changed its data management policies to try and prevent anything similar from occurring again.

Microsoft has also revealed what went wrong - in broad terms at least - "the outage was caused by a system failure that created data loss in the core database and the back-up".

All's well that ends well?

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Tags: Phones Mobile phones T-Mobile Danger Sidekick Microsoft

"Most, if not all" Sidekick data now recovered originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 15 Oct 2009 17:51:45 +0100

Microsoft has, just like earlier in the year, offered its users the chance to take a look at the forthcoming dashboard upgrade a little early in the hope of getting rid of any bugs that testers might not have spotted.

The next version of the dashboard will have, as previously reported, integration with Twitter, Facebook and Last.fm, as well as the Zune video marketplace and its associated instant-on 1080p high definition streaming. Here in the UK, we'll also be getting the Sky Player. For most of that lot, though, you'll need an Xbox Gold subscription.

If you'd like to sign up, you'll need to be in an Xbox LIVE region, know your console ID, ISP, make and model of your TV and router, and how you connect your Xbox to your network and your TV. Even then, there's no guarantee that you'll get in - Microsoft is being picky about who gets early access.

If you still feel like trying your chances, then head over to the Xbox Live Update Preview and fill in all your details. Good luck!

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Related links:

• News - Sky Player coming to Xbox 360 in October?

Tags: Gaming Xbox 360 Xbox Live Microsoft Facebook Twitter Lastfm Sky

Xbox 360 Dashboard preview program reopens originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 15 Oct 2009 11:11:31 +0100

Getting excited about the forthcoming release of DJ Hero? Well hit play on the vid-box above to see a new promo for the music-themed game.

As most of you will know, DJ Hero is a turntable-based take on the current crop of popular music games.

DJ Hero promises to "transform players into DJs who rule the club scene by creating original mixes of popular songs and music from the world's most exciting artists and DJs".

The game - and controller - is due for release in the UK on 30 October. Amazon's currently got a pre-order going on for ?89.99.

Tags: Gaming Xbox 360 DJ Hero Music games Advertising Video Microsoft Activision

VIDEO: New DJ Hero ad revealed originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Mon, 12 Oct 2009 13:18:38 +0100

A new advert from Microsoft for its mobile platform sees the software giant pushing the "Windows Phone" branding that's gone live with the release of the 6.5 OS.?

Promoting the HTC Pure - this version of the ad is for AT&T in the States - some commentators argue the ad could be a little misleading in suggesting Windows Phone is a product, rather than a platform.

Hit play now to see the new clip, complete with app icons in white tights, and let us know if you think it's a classic or a clunker in the comments box below.

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Tags: Phones Advertising Microsoft Windows Phone Windows Mobile Video HTC

VIDEO: Microsoft pushes Windows Phone in new ad originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Mon, 12 Oct 2009 12:43:27 +0100

Microsoft has announced that it's adding three titles to its range of Xbox 360 Classics, and that range is getting a price cut. From 9 October, immigrant adventure Grand Theft Auto IV, street racer Midnight Club Los Angeles: Complete Edition and undersea escape fps BioShock.

The titles join a whole raft of other big hits for the console, including Halo 3, Gears of War, Forza Motorsport 2, Project Gotham Racing 4 and Mass Effect. All will henceforth be available for ?15.

Ubisoft has also seen fit to cut the price of some of its games. Splinter Cell Double Agent, Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2, Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas 2 and Naruto: Rise of a Ninja will all be available for 15 quid too. Very useful if you've just got an Xbox but don't want to spend a fortune on games.

Want a quote? Of course you do. John Parkes, EMEA marketing director at Ubisoft, told us: "We are happy to bring some our best IPS to this Classics range, these titles offer some of the best gaming experiences, now made available for even more people to enjoy".

Microsoft's Classics range has been available for several years and originally cost ?25 for the best-selling titles.

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Related links:

• News - Christmas 2009: The year the Xbox 360 should rule the roost

Tags: Gaming Microsoft Xbox 360 Bioshock GTA

Microsoft adds three titles to Xbox 360 Classics range originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 09 Oct 2009 16:42:17 +0100

Microsoft has announced that it's dumping its Office-lite software, Microsoft Works, in favour of an ad-supported "Office Starter 2010". The idea is that PC makers will install the full version of Office on computers they sell, but that users will be subject to advertising and reduced features until they purchase a license for the software.

Buying that full version will be made easier, too. Instead of selling a big box, retailers will instead carry a plastic card with a license number inside - you can enter the number and your software will be unlocked. Only Word and Excel will be available in the ad-supported version.

This appears to be a "win" for all concerned. Light users get a functional MS Office, without all the functions that heavy users need but which they probably wouldn't use. Microsoft get revenue from those light users - a source of cash that wasn't previously open to them. Retailers get an easier way to sell office, and heavy users get the benefits of more features from the new cash rolling in.

What this means for Office Web Apps, though, remains to be seen - it could harm its development. We'll keep you posted of further info.

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Related links:

• News - Office 2010 Web Apps go live...
• Via - Betanews

Tags: Software Office software Microsoft Microsoft Office 2010

Microsoft introduces Office Starter 2010 originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 09 Oct 2009 10:00:26 +0100

It's being reported that Twitter is currently in mega-money talks with Microsoft and Google, discussing using Twitter content in searches separately with each search giant.

All Things D reports: "According to sources familiar with the situation - Twitter is in advanced talks with Microsoft and Google separately about striking data-mining deals, in which the companies would license a full feed from the microblogging service that could then be integrated into the results of their competing search engines".

Microsoft's Bing already encompasses some Twitter content in its results while Google recently announced Hot Trends that offers real-time results for popular search terms, so it's a little unclear at this stage what the talks may result in.

All Thing D's sources say "a number of scenarios are being discussed to compensate Twitter for its huge and potentially valuable trove of real-time and content-sharing information, generated from the data stream of billions of tweets from its 54 million monthly users".

We will keep you posted.

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Tags: Software Websites Twitter Google Microsoft Biz Rumours Search engines Social networking

Twitter in talks with Microsoft, Google originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 08 Oct 2009 18:00:50 +0100

Microsoft's follow ups to its soon-to-be-released Windows 7 operating system are already in development, and the first nuggets of information about the software packages are starting to appear. It looks like the operating systems could feature 128-bit support.

A LinkedIn profile for a Microsoft employee called Robert Morgan included the phrase: "Research & Development projects including 128bit architecture compatibility with the Windows 8 kernel and Windows 9 project plan". It also added: "Robert Morgan is working to get IA-128 working backwards with full binary compatibility on the existing IA-64 instructions in the hardware simulation to work for Windows 8 and definitely Windows 9".

Windows 7 is reckoned by many to be the last Microsoft OS that'll support 32-bit technologies. If Windows 8 adds 128-bit support in addition to 64-bit then Microsoft looks to be moving considerably faster to the next level than it has with 32-bit.

We'll bring you more on Windows 8 and Windows 9 as it arrives.

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Related links:

• News - Five Windows Mobile 6.5 phones to watch out for

Tags: Software Microsoft Windows 8 Windows 9 Operating Systems

Windows 8 and 9 could go 128-bit originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 08 Oct 2009 11:52:08 +0100

Back in April, Microsoft declared that Windows Mobile 6.5 would offer "Tellme" functionality via a side button that would let users control their phones with their voice.

Fast forward to now as handsets with the new mobile operating system become available and it seems it's not something manufacturers have jumped on whole-heartedly.

However, the new Samsung Intrepid - that will launch on Sprint in the States - will offer such voice control: "This new interface will allow you to search the Web with Bing by speaking your search query, compose a text message or even dial a contact by simply talking instead of typing".

Hit play now to see a demo, which does not look that much quicker than doing the deed with your fingers, but who are we to judge...

Tags: Phones Samsung Sprint Microsoft Windows Mobile Windows Phone Video Bing

VIDEO: Windows Mobile 6.5 Tellme function demoed street-style originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 07 Oct 2009 16:31:11 +0100

Seemingly giving up on the bigger picture as far as hardware goes, Microsoft is considering offering its Zune software and services to other platforms, ZDNet reports.

The whisper is a credible one - it comes direct from Jose Pinero, director of communications for Microsoft's TV, video and music business. "We are evaluating a lot of options in terms of platforms", Pinero confirmed to ZDNet.

As well as devices from smaller players, this possible Zune offering is reported to include Apple's iPods, in a strategy said to be "under active consideration".

The logic goes that die-hard PC users may prefer using the Zune software on their Windows PCs, or the subscription-based model might appeal to those currently buying their songs piece-meal.

Pinero also confirmed that Microsoft is looking to bring the Zune music and video service to Windows Mobile phones. "Our next step is mobile phones, but we haven't talked about a timeline for when that will happen", Pinero said.

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Tags: Audio Software Microsoft Zune Apple iPod Music software Phones Zune HD

Zune services considered for iPods, other platforms originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 07 Oct 2009 12:17:37 +0100

Windows Mobile 6.5 swoops in and ousts the 6.1 variation of the mobile phone operating system. We first got our hands on Windows Mobile 6.5 at Mobile World Congress back in February and today it finally comes to market on a slew of handsets from a number of different manufacturers. If you are after a Windows Phone, then from today you have the choice of all shapes and sizes.

The most surprising thing, perhaps, is that Windows Mobile 6.5 was outlined at the same event that saw the unveiling of the HTC Magic, which has since been supplanted. Such is the rapid pace of evolution in mobile phones, does Windows Mobile 6.5 earn its place in today's line-up of smartphones?

There are improvements across the board, but it's obvious from the name – 6.5 – that this is more of an upgrade than a complete redesign. At Tuesday's launch event for the "new" operating system, Microsoft representatives were careful not to comment on what we already know is incoming: Windows Mobile 7.

So what is Windows Mobile 6.5? It is essentially a stop-gap, plugging the holes apparent in previous editions of the operating system before we see more significant changes in the next iteration. But with such a long lead-time, there's every chance that consumers will find themselves stuck in a contract with 6.5, when 7 emerges. For business users this is perhaps less of an issue, but if you are forking out your hard earned cash, it's certainly a consideration.

Windows Mobile 6.5 is all about shifting from the awkward interface of 6.1 (which bears hallmarks going back to editions much, much, earlier), to a more consumer focus. In this regard it addresses a major hurdle in the fastest changing segment of the mobile phone market: touch control.

One of the biggest changes in recent times has been the adoption of capacitive screens over resistive. In the past, all Windows Mobile devices were resistive, but that's all set to change with this latest iteration. We've had our hands on the HTC HD2 which features a 4.3-inch capacitive display. The response is remarkable, completely changing what you expect from Windows Mobile, and a world away from the experience of Toshiba's TG01, it's closest hardware rival.

With this capacitive display comes multi-touch too, giving you the sort of features that Apple iPhone users have been enjoying for years. But not all Windows Mobile 6.5 users will experience this with their device. In fact, the demonstration by Microsoft to assembled journalists at the official launch saw an awkward dragging around of an internet page, jumping and staggering around. A stark contrast to what is actually possible.

Microsoft's new homepage is one of the first things to be obliterated by customisation from the manufacturer. The Windows Mobile default homepage presents a selection of major heading bars like pictures, music, through to email and text messages. On each bar you can scroll left and right too, so if you have multiple email accounts you'll get easy access to them. Make a selection on the homepage takes you with a tap through to that image. It isn't whizz-bang flashy, but works well enough.

Microsoft has made a point of adding features to the lock screen too, so rather than just giving you a method of unlocking your phone, you can see your next appointment and notification alerts, with easy access to things such as text messages. It's a mindful modification and considers the way that people actually use their phone.

6.5 users are presented with a new honeycomb menu system, arranging icons which can be easily tapped to launch an application. It works well enough, giving you a long list of your applications, including those you pickup from the Marketplace, or sideload. You can rearrange to a certain degree, sending icons to the top, but you don't get a multi-page arrangement to organise these icons. An application search is included, so it's perhaps not a problem.

Many menus have this honeycomb layout, which is fair enough – getting to your applications or settings is pretty easy, but then the stop-gap which is Windows Mobile 6.5 ends. Dive into the Sounds and Notifications menu for example and you are presented with small tick boxes and tiny tabs, regardless of all the screen real estate on offer.

In fact, these menus are almost identical to a 2002 to a Compaq iPAQ we found in the office, running Pocket PC ver 3. And therein lies the problem that blights Windows Mobile: at its core, it is still an antiquated system and as you dig into Windows Mobile 6.5, it becomes abundantly apparent.

Getting back to new features, your new smartphone now features Microsoft MyPhone. This is a feature we like, not only because it apes Apple's MobileMe offering, but because it is free. All you have to do is run a quick set-up on your device, plug in your Windows Live ID and away you go.

MyPhone backs up your handset to the cloud, a quick and easy process that costs you nothing but the data. It will take care of your contacts, calendar, tasks, text messages, favourites, photos, videos, music and documents. You get to select what you want to sync too, so if you don't want a record of banal text messages, you don't have to have them.

You can then share items through the MyPhone website, with connected social networking sites including Facebook, MySpace and Flickr, as well as the obligatory Windows Live network.

Other exciting features include viewing your phone's last known location. Great! If your phone is stolen, you can see where it got to, until the thief disabled the feature in the menus. "Premium" features include ringing the phone, seeing it on a map, locking it and erasing the content. The MyPhone website offers a "limited time offer" on these features, so if you are planning on having your phone pinched, you'd better do it fast.

The Marketplace is another addition to your smartphone. It has been a long time coming and Windows Mobile users will appreciate finding applications in a central location, rather than having to fish around for them. The Marketplace is currently going through plenty of changes and in the last 2 days we've seen content come and go. Launch teething troubles, we hope.

The interface is rather basic and lacks the gloss you'll find on other devices from the Android Market to the BlackBerry App World. But there is a capable search function and you can select to browse only the free stuff if you want. It's a little early to judge at the moment, but first impressions are a little underwhelming.

The final major overhaul comes in the form of Internet Explorer Mobile. Browsing the Internet on the move has seen massive growth over recent years, fuelled by increasingly affordable data packages and enhanced solutions. Microsoft's Mobile browsers have never been very well received and Internet Explorer looks to change all that.

In reality, it's a bit of a clunky experience still. Double tap zooming in and out, dragging the pages around with a finger, it doesn’t really impress. No surprise then that HTC's CEO Peter Chou demoed multi-touch on the HTC HD2 with the Opera browser. It's free and still delivers the better experience.

Verdict:

But the killer criticisms of Windows Mobile still persist. If you want to close an application, you are faced with a tiny X in the top right-hand corner. Come to make a selection and often you are presented with a small Menu or Done button across the bottom, which is just as frustrating as it always has been. This, unfortunately, is the enduring impact that you are left with.

As a mobile phone operating system it is clear that Windows Mobile 6.5 is still a long way behind the pack. This update doesn’t bring it up to the offerings from Apple or Android which are gunning in the same market and walking off with the fat consumer contracts. Yes, Windows Mobile still delivers stalwart business support and when we hooked it up to our Windows 7 PC to sync with Outlook, the sync process swung in and took over. No messing around, no hiccups, and easy to solve conflicts. It may also be the only operating system that your company will support.

The experience that you get from Windows Mobile will differ greatly from device to device. Today we have seen handsets from Samsung, LG, HTC and Toshiba: all are different, but all have 6.5 lurking under the skin. In this battleground for your slightly-too-sensible smartphone, the lines are drawn out between Microsoft and all the manufacturers. Windows Mobile won't sell itself, but the Sense UI or S-Class interface might just.

These third-party skins can change many aspects of your device, not least including the keyboard. Today we've seen four different on-screen keyboards, QWERTY handsets, sliders and touch phones from the compact Samsung Omnia Lite to HTC's massive HD2.

The choices are almost overwhelming, but cut to its core Windows Mobile 6.5 isn't drastically different from its predecessors. Having seen the stark difference between device performance today, it is clear that there will still be "good" and "bad" devices to choose from.

Tags: Phones Mobile phones Windows Phone Windows Mobile HTC Samsung LG Toshiba Microsoft Windows Mobile

Windows Mobile 6.5 originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 07 Oct 2009 08:55:15 +0100

Microsoft should expect it to be an Xbox 360 Christmas this year if search queries for the games console are anything to go by.

Although the launch of the PS3 Slim caused a massive spike of interest according to search analytics firm Hitwise, Microsoft's Xbox 360 console is consistently ranking highly in searches suggesting its popularity will be strong come the Christmas rush.

"For most of 2009 the Microsoft Xbox 360 has been the most searched for games console in the UK, while the popularity of the Nintendo consoles has waned significantly", says Robin Goad, Hitwise UKs research director.

Good news for Sony is that its PS3 has maintained second place throughout most of year while Nintendo has struggled following its massive success in 2008.

Without the Wii Fit to dominate Christmas wish lists, as it did last Holiday season, Xbox 360 games are the most popular options, after all-format titles, picking up 11.9% of searches according to the firm.?

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Tags: Gaming Xbox 360 Microsoft Sony Hitwise Nintendo Survey

Christmas 2009: The year the Xbox 360 should rule the roost originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 07 Oct 2009 02:31:44 +0100

Microsoft has officially launched Windows 6.5 or Windows Phone to you and me on Tuesday, but what phones can you get with the new operating system and what phone can you upgrade?

If you've already bought a HTC Touch Diamond II, HTC Touch Pro II, HTC Snap S552 or Toshiba TG01 WP, you can upgrade today via the HTC and Toshiba websites bringing you all the new features without having to buy a new handset.

If you want to upgrade your handset, here is the official list from Redmond of what you can get your hands on now and in the near future:

New handsets in the UK

• HTC Touch II from T-Mobile and Carphone Warehouse
• HTC Touch HD II from O2 and Carphone Warehouse
• LG GM750 from Vodafone
• Samsung Omnia II and Samsung Omnia Lite from Carphone Warehouse
• Samsung Omnia Pro - B7730 from Carphone Warehouse on 30 October?
• Sony Ericsson X2 from Vodafone on 30 October?
• Samsung Omnia Pro B7610 from O2 on 30 November

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New handsets in North America

• HTC Pure from AT&T
• HTC Imagio from Verizon Wireless
• Samsung Intrepid from Sprint, available 11 Oct, 2009
• HTC Tilt 2 from AT&T, available in the coming weeks

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In Europe

• MDA Vario V, MDA Compact V and HTC Touch2 and the Samsung Omnia II from Deutsche Telekom in select European markets
• HTC HD2 from Orange, available in the coming weeks in France
• HTC Touch2 from Orange, available in the coming weeks in France, Spain, Switzerland and Romania
• A software update for the HTC Touch Pro2 from Orange, available in the coming weeks in France, U.K. and Romania
• Samsung Omnia II from Orange, available in the coming weeks in Poland, Switzerland and Slovakia and from early December in France
• Samsung Omnia LITE from Orange, available in the coming weeks in France and Spain
• Samsung Omnia PRO B7320 from Orange, available in the coming weeks in France and the U.K.
• Toshiba TG01 W from Orange, available as an update to the TG01 in the coming weeks in France, the U.K., Switzerland and Romania
• LG GM750 and Samsung Omnia II from SFR in France?
• TMN Bluebelt 2 and TMN Silverbelt, made by ZTE Corp., from TMN in Portugal
• Samsung Omnia II and Omnia LITE from TMN in Portugal
• HTC Touch Diamond2 from Vodafone in Germany, Spain, the Netherlands, Australia, South Africa and Central Europe
• HTC Touch Pro2 from Vodafone in the U.K. and Switzerland
• LG GM750 from Vodafone in Germany, the U.K., Spain and the Netherlands?

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In Latin America

• Samsung Omnia available in the coming weeks from TIM Brasil

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Open market in Europe:

• Samsung Omnia II, Omnia LITE, Omnia PRO B7320, Omnia PRO B7330 and Omnia PRO B7610 available in October

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In Asia

• ZTE X60 from China Unicom
• HTC Touch Diamond2 from Telstra

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Open market in Asia

• Acer beTouch E100, beTouch E101, beTouch E200 and Acer neoTouch
• Garmin-ASUS n?vifone M20 ?
• HTC Snap, HTC Touch Pro2, HTC Touch Diamond2 and HTC Touch2
• LG GM730 and LG GM550
• Samsung Omnia II and Samsung Omnia PRO B7320, Omnia PRO B7330

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Handsets that can be upgraded from 6.1 to 6.5

• HTC Touch Diamond II from T-Mobile and Carphone Warehouse?
• HTC Touch Pro II from Vodafone on 14 October
• HTC Snap S552?
• Toshiba TG01 WP from Orange

Related links:

• Link - HTC

Tags: Phones Mobile phones Microsoft Windows Phone Windows Mobile HTC Samsung LG Orange T-Mobile AT and T Sony Ericsson

Microsoft Windows Phones: What phones are available originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 07 Oct 2009 02:18:39 +0100

VMware, the company behind the software package that allows you to run Windows on a Mac, has announced it will be launching its latest version, VMware Fusion 3, at the end of October.

According to the company, the package that launches on the 27 October will add over 50 new features and is "the best way to run Windows on a Mac", including a strong focus on letting you run games on the ungame friendly Mac OS.

Key highlights will be Snow Leopard support and the ability to run all versions of the new Windows 7 OS from Microsoft.

However, the company is also promising easier switching options and the ability to support OpenGL 2.1 and DirectX 9.0c to run games without rebooting the machine.

The new software package will cost $79.99 or $39.99 for users wishing to upgrade.

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Tags: Gaming Software Apple VMware VMware Fusion 3 Windows Windows 7 Microsoft

VMware Fusion 3 brings gaming to Mac, proper originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 07 Oct 2009 01:46:12 +0100

Interesting stats just in from the NPD Group's 2009 Household Penetration Study in the States show that most US Mac-owning households are more gadgeted up than the average, with 48 consumer electronics devices compared to the average PC computer household that owns about 24.

And, despite the companies behind the systems trying to create a marketing division between PC users and Mac users, it seems that 85% of all Mac users also own a PC.

12% of US households have Macs, according to the data, up from 9% in 2008. And it seems those with Macs own quite a bit more gadgetry on the whole with 66% owning more than three computers, compared to 29% for PC-only homes.

72% of Mac owners also own a netbook, compared to 50% for PC owners, 63% of Mac owners have an iPod, compared to the 36% average and 50% own a GPS device, again compared to a 30% norm.

"While Apple owners tend to own more computers and more electronics devices, there is also a high correlation among Apple owners and more affluent consumer households", explains Stephen Baker, vice president of industry analysis.?

36% of Apple computer owners reported household incomes greater than $100,000, compared to 21% of all consumers.

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Tags: Hardware Apple Microsoft NPD Statistics

US Mac users have more gadgets and money originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Tue, 06 Oct 2009 17:22:24 +0100

It may not have been quite the upgrade Microsoft had conceived of with the company's initial route map for 2009 but the launch of Windows Phone/Windows Mobile 6.5 today comes with no less ceremony. Naturally, an operating system is all very well and good so, here are some of the first flush of Windows phones to show it off.

HTC Touch2

Samsung Omnia II (i8000)

LG GM750

Toshiba TG01

HTC HD2

Related links:

• Feature - Quick guide to Windows Mobile 6.5 - Windows Phone
• News - HTC HD2 coming this month with Sense UI

Tags: Phones Windows Mobile Windows Phone Operating Systems Mobile phone apps Mobile phones Windows Marketplace Microsoft HTC Samsung TG01 Omnia II Omnia LITE LG HTC HD2 HTC Touch2 Features

Five Windows Mobile 6.5 phones to watch out for originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Tue, 06 Oct 2009 15:05:00 +0100

Newly revealed designs from Microsoft's Applied Sciences Group and Microsoft Research bring the world five new input devices - presented as the Mouse 2.0 - that combine mousing abilities with multi-touch capabilities.

"Our goal is to enrich traditional pointer-based desktop interactions with touch and gestures. To chart the design space, we present five different multi-touch mouse implementations - the Arty Mouse, Cap Mouse, FTIR Mouse, Orb Mouse and Side Mouse", says the team.

Hit play now to see the different touch applications in action, as well as the different form factors your future mouse might well take...

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Tags: Hardware Mice And Keyboards Concepts Microsoft Video Microsoft Research

VIDEO: Microsoft's Mouse 2.0 concepts originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Tue, 06 Oct 2009 11:18:53 +0100

Want to know what all the fuss is about? Read our quick guide to find out more about what the changes are, what they mean, and how they affect you. We'll also give you a run down of the good and bad points.

What is Windows Phone?

It's the rebranded name of Windows Mobile. As part of Microsoft's long term strategy the company has chosen to ditch the Windows Mobile title as of the release of version 6.5 and just refer to it as Windows Phone. On the one hand it's supposed to simplify the OS and extend the software to handsets such that people refer to them as Windows phones but it's also not a bad way to try to drop some of the stink surrounding what has never quite been the platform that it could be. It also helps to refer to the operating system as something in its own right like the iPhone OS rather than being a squished down, mobile version of what you get on a full size PC.

What's changed from Windows Mobile 6.1?

Sadly not as much as we'd all like. Windows Mobile 6.5 was announced back in February at Mobile World Congress but only as a stop gap while the delayed Windows Mobile 7 was put back to 2010. As a result, there is no multi-touch to keep the Windows phones up with the likes of Android, S60 and iPhone and you still have to use a stylus for certain applications. The biggest change is the GUI on the front of the system which has been simplified considerably, made much more user-friendly and more like the Zune interface. It's less fiddly and goes to an Android/iPhone/S60-like menu screen of three columns of app icons when you press start rather than folder expansion. Everything from e-mail to Bluetooth is now set up through better looking wizards and the whole thing is really targeted at users looking to make the step up from a feature phone to a smartphone. The back end of the software is largely the same.

What about apps? Do we finally get apps?

Yes indeed. Microsoft announced a codename project to go with 6.5 called SkyMarket which has in fact turned out to be the long awaited Windows Marketplace for Mobile expected to go live as the OS is launched. There are currently 731 developers working worldwide on more than 200 initial applications that will be available when the marketplace opens. Developers get a 70% cut of the profits after paying a $99 fee for a year's licence unless they're registered as students from Microsoft in which case the licence will be free.

Apps so far include a number of business solutions as well as Facebook, MySpace, Netflix, Twikini, WunderRadio, Zagat and games like Revenge of the Fallen, Sudoku, Transformers and the Pac-Man series. Browsing the Marketplace is a straight forward affair with the usual lists of genres and top sellers and the Zune-look menus also have a section for your operator's app store which is sure to please the networks if no one else.

What else?

Microsoft's mobile synching cloud service is the other main area of note which is known as My Phone. It's been in beta for 7 months but on launch users will get 200MB of storage where they can save SMS, contacts and images which they can also publish on Flickr, MySpace and Facebook straight from their phones. Much like another smartphone service out there, you'll also be able to remotely lock your phone should you lose it, locate it on a map from its last synch, send out a "please return to" message, make it ring even if on silent and, if all else fails, wipe the data. There will also be a premium service with more storage available.

The final update of significance is of the Internet Explorer mobile browser which works in a standard desktop view mode as well as a mobile format and there are other Microsoft applications you'll find on-board include Windows Live, Bing, Mobile Office Communicator and Microsoft Online Service (Exchange and SharePoint).

Good points and bad points

Well, it certainly looks better and the simplification and face lift appear to be a definite step in the right direction. The fact that 6.5 has come as a stop gap doesn't really help with the biggest disappointment of all the missing multi-touch and the fact that certain programs, such as Windows Media Player, still need the use of the stylus. HTC has added a multi-touch front to the OS but many of the applications like Explorer will still not support it. It's a fairly low cost option which should make it a competitive option for those making a step up and it will coexist in the market when Windows Phone 7 is released next year.

How do I get it

Unfortunately, you can't just upgrade your version of Windows Mobile 6.1. It would require an update of the firmware as sent by your operator who will not necessarily do this for free. Your handset might also not be able to cope with it but, of course, there are always more shady unofficial ways of making the switch yourself. For most, it will be a case of buying a specific handset. The platform will launch on the HTC Touch2 but there will also be Samsung, Sony Ericsson and Motorola Windows Phones coming soon, as well as an upgrade for the HTC Touch HD Pro.

Tags: Phones Quick Guide Windows Mobile Windows Phone Operating Systems Mobile phone apps Mobile phones Windows Marketplace Microsoft

Quick guide to Windows Mobile 6.5 - Windows Phone originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Tue, 06 Oct 2009 11:00:00 +0100

Steve Ballmer, Microsoft's CEO has echoed comments by Bill Gates earlier in the year saying that Project Natal could make it in to the boardroom.

In an interview with the BBC's business editor, Robert Peston, Ballmer told how "customers" are already asking for the new motion controlled bolt-on for the Xbox 360 in the boardroom:

"Initially you will see it just for gaming, but we are already getting customers saying that they could use it in their business, that it would be great in their conference room, so I am sure we will find other applications as well".

The comments show that Microsoft isn't just looking at motion controlled gaming, but possibly a new way to control our PCs in the future beyond touching a screen.

Back in July Bill Gates said that the company was considering camera-based controls for a future version of its Windows operating system.

Talking about future tech, Gates said: "I'd say a cool example of that, that you'll see... in a little over a year, is this (depth) camera thing".

Stating it was not just for games, Gates explained: "but for media consumption as a whole, and even if they connect it up to Windows PCs for interacting in terms of meetings, and collaboration, and communication".

"Both the Xbox guys and the Windows guys latched onto that and now ever since they latched onto it the idea of how it can be used in the office is getting much more concrete, and is pretty exciting".

The news follows Microsoft confirming that publishers actively working on games for “Project Natal” include Activision Blizzard, Bethesda Softworks, CAPCOM, Disney Interactive, Electronic Arts, Konami, MTV Games, Namco Bandai, Sega, Square Enix, THQ and Ubisoft.

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Tags: Gaming Microsoft Xbox 360 Steve Ballmer Project Natal

Microsoft Project Natal not just for the boardroom originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Mon, 05 Oct 2009 21:37:05 +0100

It's being reported that passwords for "thousands" of Hotmail accounts have leaked out online. An anonymous user posted details of over 10,000 accounts with user names running from A to B on a site called PasteBin, which is used by developers to share small chunks of code.

The details have been removed, but they covered @hotmail.com, @msn.com and @live.com accounts mostly based in Europe, according to Neowin, which says it saw a chunk of the list that was posted. It's believed that the passwords originate from phishing scams.

Given that the list covers just A and B, there's a good chance that C, D, E, etc lists exist too. If you're a Hotmail user, then it might be a good idea to go change your password, especially if you use it as your main email account. You should be changing it regularly, y'know.

Update: Google has confirmed that this problem is industry-wide.

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Related links:

• News - Laptops hacked by repair technicians

Tags: Software Online Email Hotmail Microsoft Hackers Rumours

Hotmail passwords leaked out online? originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Mon, 05 Oct 2009 15:13:35 +0100

Google could easily crank out a Chrome Frame for Firefox, in the same way that it has for Internet Explorer, according to Mozilla's VP Engineering, Mike Shaver. "The code is certainly there", he told Computerworld.

"But source code doesn't speak to intent", he added, indicating that he doesn't know whether such a plugin is in development at Google. The frame, which launched on 23 September for Internet Explorer, allows IE users to use the speedy WebKit rendering engine that Chrome itself uses.

Google has admitted that it launched Chrome Frame for Internet Explorer because it wasn't worth the time and bother to make Google Wave work nicely in IE6, which doesn't support HTML5 standards.

However, given that Firefox - and other browsers like Opera - support these standards, there'd be no need for Google to make Chrome Frame for those platforms, except for completeness' sake.

Shaver hopes that won't come to fruition: "I'd be unpleasantly surprised if Google did do a [Firefox] plug-in". "We wouldn't want Google to do for us what they did for Microsoft".

Read

Related links:

• News - Google Chrome Frame aims to bring IE6 kicking and screaming into today's web
• News - Microsoft warns of Chrome Frame security flaws

Tags: Software Online Google Firefox Mozilla Foundation Microsoft Chrome Google Chrome Frame Browsers

Google planning Chrome Frame for Firefox? originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 02 Oct 2009 10:11:47 +0100

In the States Verizon Wireless has announced the launch of its first Windows Mobile 6.5 device, the HTC Imagio.

Available from 6 October, the Imagio will be among the first of the Windows Mobile 6.5 handsets to market although it will still get HTC's TouchFLO 3D user interface.

The GSM/EDGE/UMTS/HSPA Imagio offers a 3.6-inch touchscreen with a 800 x 480 resolution, a 5-megapixel camera with video recording, Wi-Fi connectivity and a 3.5mm headphone jack.

As a US launch, the Imagio will offer Verizon's MediaFLO-based mobile TV as an added extra for $15 a month.

The HTC Imagio is being offered by Verizon for $199.99 if customers sign up for 2 years and do a $100 mail-in rebate.

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• News - Vodafone to offer HTC Tattoo from October

Tags: Phones Mobile phones HTC Verizon HTC Imagio Windows Mobile Windows Mobile Microsoft

HTC Imagio launches on Verizon originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 01 Oct 2009 15:21:22 +0100

Microsoft might not have the cool factor that Apple has, but today they are every student's best buddy.

The reason for this is that Microsoft is selling its soon-to-be-released (22 October) Windows 7 OS on pre-order for just ?30 to all students sporting an academic email address. Be warned though, the deal is only available until 3 January 2010.

Microsoft says: "Students will benefit from many of Windows 7's unique functions and applications which make PCs easier, simpler and more fun to use. For those students who have the latest laptops with touch screen technology, Windows 7 comes with enhanced capabilities for an enriched touch experience".

"Other features include remote media streaming, improved gaming experience, enhanced security and integration of Windows Media Centre for more central and convenient management of music, movies and photos".

There's a link below that'll take you through to the Microsoft Education site and we'll have another tech deal for you tomorrow.

Related links:

• Link - Microsoft

Tags: Software Microsoft Windows 7 Daily Tech Deal

Daily Tech Deal: Windows 7 student discount available now originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 01 Oct 2009 13:00:00 +0100

Following the fiasco that was the Windows Vista logo programme, Microsoft has revealed plans for its "Compatible with Windows 7" logo programme.

The company says it has made "a number of changes" to both the logo criteria and the process of being granted a logo and the process for manufacturers, which has been made cheaper.

Designed to help customers "make better purchase decisions by identifying products that have passed Microsoft designed tests for compatibility and reliability with Windows 7", some 6000 products are already stickered up and ready to go.

Microsoft says logo-ed products should experience minimal crashes, hangs, and reboots, and now testing includes all versions of Windows 7 including 64-bit.

Windows 7 is due for general release on 22 October. We will keep you posted with all the news as we head towards that date.

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Tags: Software Microsoft Windows 7 Hardware

Microsoft announces Windows 7 logo programme originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 01 Oct 2009 09:34:38 +0100

Microsoft's free antivirus package, "Microsoft Security Essentials", is now available to anyone, just over three months after it went into a beta test period in June that was limited to US users.

But now everyone can grab the bare-bones security package from Microsoft's website. It's a replacement from the company's paid-for OneCare package that never met with great success, being trumped by McAfee, Symantec and other companies whose products are preloaded on new computers.

Other companies, like AVG and Avast!, provide free antivirus software, and it's these that will likely be most hurt by Microsoft's move. Although some have accused McAfee, Symantec and Trend Micro of producing bloated software that consumes system resources, it's difficult to fault them on the strength of their protection.

Security Essentials is free, available now, and works on XP, Vista and Windows 7. There's a link to download it below.

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• News - Microsoft's free antivirus software nears public release
• Link - Microsoft Security Essentials

Tags: Software Microsoft Viruses And Malware Security software PC software

Microsoft's free antivirus now available originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Tue, 29 Sep 2009 17:23:46 +0100

Lenovo has begun the Windows 7 battle with a shot across the bows of other hardware manufacturers. The company is claiming that it has the fastest boot and shutdown times out there - it says that its ThinkPad notebooks and ThinkCentre desktop PCs will boot Windows 7 56% faster than XP or Vista.

Fran O'Sullivan, Lenovo's SVP for the Think product group, said: "To achieve Windows 7 Lenovo Enhanced Experience certification, Lenovo's technical team and developers have worked with Microsoft
during the making of Windows 7 to create an exceptionally-engineered hardware and software experience".

Lenovo took several steps to pump up the boot times. It contacted the driver for a "popular wireless device" that was causing trouble and demanded that they fix it. It hid certain devices from the BIOS so that the OS only loaded them when the boot had finished.

It did a similar thing with programs that autoload on Windows startup - relegating them until after Windows has booted up. Finally it stuffed an extra chip into its notebooks to more precisely measure how much battery was left than Windows does and help make it last as long as possible.

Lenovo's got a pretty sticker that says "Lenovo Enhanced Experience" on it, which it'll be putting on the PCs that contain these upgrades. If you're shopping for a Lenovo computer, that could be worth looking out for.

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• News - Lenovo ThinkPad X200 and T400s announced

Tags: Software Lenovo Operating Systems Windows 7 Microsoft

Lenovo promises ultra-speedy Windows 7 boot times originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Tue, 29 Sep 2009 14:33:46 +0100

It's rumoured that the next Xbox 360 update will be arriving in October. The October issue of Sky Magazine says that the Sky Player will be avaialble to download on the console, and a web address that the publication links to also features "OCT" in the url.

The service was announced earlier in the year, but hasn't been available until now. To use it, you'll need two active subscriptions - one for Xbox Live Gold membership, costing ?40 per year, and one for Sky Player - ?15 per month, which is ?180 for a year. Is on-demand TV on your Xbox worth ?220 per year to you?

Along with Sky Player, it's expected that the already-announced Facebook and Twitter integration (which also require Xbox Live Gold) will be included in the update. We'll bring you more news of the Dashboard refresh when it's officially announced.

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• News - Sky Player comes to Xbox 360
• Link - Sky Player on Xbox 360 coming soon

Tags: Gaming Xbox 360 Microsoft Sky Home Cinema Twitter Facebook Rumours

Sky Player coming to Xbox 360 in October? originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Mon, 28 Sep 2009 17:31:04 +0100

Steve Ballmer, Microsoft's CEO, has admitted that Microsoft "screwed up", according to attendees. He made the comments at Microsoft's Venture Capital Summit in Mountain View, California.

Ballmer expressed regret that Windows Mobile 7 hadn't yet launched, saying "we've pumped in some new talent" and "this will not happen again". The company says that it's currently their second priority, after Windows 7.

Windows Mobile 6.5 was released to manufacturers on 11 May 2009, though devices running the OS are only now starting to filter through to the public with the first few due to debut in the next month. Windows Mobile 7 is currently planned for sometime in 2010.

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• News - Ballmer to head Microsoft's MWC press conference

Tags: Software Windows Mobile Mobile phones Microsoft Steve Ballmer

Ballmer expresses Windows Mobile frustration originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 25 Sep 2009 11:32:56 +0100

Microsoft has warned of security issues when using Google's recently-announced Chrome Frame plugin for Internet Explorer 6. As previously reported, the plugin allows users to get access to HTML5 coding within the older browser.

Microsoft says: "With Internet Explorer 8, we made significant advancements and updates to make the browser safer for our customers. Given the security issues with plug-ins in general and Google Chrome in particular, Google Chrome Frame running as a plug-in has doubled the attach area for malware and malicious scripts".

"This is not a risk we would recommend our friends and families take. For a deeper look at how the browsers stack up in security, take a look at the latest phishing and malware data from NSS Labs".

While it's quite entertaining hearing Microsoft play the security card in response to Internet Explorer, the company has a point that this trick will expose your computer to the flaws of both IE6 and Chrome. Still, given that this trick is intended for those who don't have the option to upgrade, users may not have any choice when they need to access HTML5 coding.

Thanks, Mark

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• News - Google Chrome Frame aims to bring IE6 kicking and screaming into today's web
• Link - Google Code

Tags: Software Online Google Microsoft Chrome Google Chrome Frame Browsers

Microsoft warns of Chrome Frame security flaws originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 24 Sep 2009 17:58:56 +0100

Microsoft has drawn sniggers across the industry with its "Windows 7 launch party" plans but this really takes the biscuit. A video guide showing four "ordinary" consumers chatting over how they made their launch parties a success ("after my overview, I went straight to an activity!") it left us speechless, no gobsmacked. Hit play now to see the awfulness in full, and remember if you are hosting such a shebang - it's not as daunting as you might think - "you're just throwing a party with Windows 7 as an honoured guest"...

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• VIDEO - Microsoft's SongSmith advert

Tags: Software Microsoft Windows 7 Video

VIDEO: Microsoft's mental Windows 7 launch party video originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 24 Sep 2009 10:09:01 +0100

Microsoft has said that it has signed big name publishers like EA and Activision to create new games for it's yet to be released Project Natal.

Talking at the Tokyo Games Show in Japan, Microsoft confirmed that publishers actively working on games for “Project Natal” include Activision Blizzard, Bethesda Softworks, CAPCOM, Disney Interactive, Electronic Arts, Konami, MTV Games, Namco Bandai, Sega, Square Enix, THQ and Ubisoft.

First debuted in June at E3, the Project Natal concept ditches the need for the controller instead using the gamer to contol and affect actions on the screen. Previous example by Microsoft shows a gamer steering a car with their hands.

“Microsoft ‘Project Natal’ could fundamentally change the way players experience sports games,” said EA Sports President Peter Moore after being wheeled out by the makers of the Xbox 360. “At EA, some of our top development teams are experimenting with these tools with the goal of delivering a completely fresh take on genres like sports and racing.

Project Natal is expected to be out some time in 2010.

Tags: Gaming Xbox 360 Microsoft Project Natal Activision Blizzard Bethesda Softworks Capcom Disney Interactive EA Konami MTV Games Namco Bandai Sega Square Enix THQ Ubisoft TGS2009

Project Natal: EA, Ubisoft, Konami and others sign up originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 24 Sep 2009 06:38:49 +0100

Although Microsoft has repeatedly told the press that it would not be delevoping a Windows Phone of its own to go against the likes of HTC and other handset manufacturers, that hasn't stopped a new set of pictures leaking purporting to be just that.

Gizmodo, who seems to be on a Microsoft leaking role, are claiming that a pink handset manufactured by Sharp and sporting a qwerty keyboard will be released sometime in the not too distance future.

Aimed at the kids and leveraging Microsoft's Danger (the software company behind the sidekick) acquisition last year, the "Project Pink" phones are currently being referred to as Turtle and Pure and will have social media at its core and promise the usual array of communications skills.

"The hardware design has a definite younger feeling: Turtle looks like a chunky child's version of a Palm Pre, while Pure seems like a standard slider, and both are clearly plastic, with an overall sense of roundedness, thanks to lots of soft angles and circular keys," Gizmodo is reporting.

According to the story, the phones will also sport a Zune music store.
However as tech writer Richard Lai points out, the Turtle has a key marked with a ;) symbol suggesting this could just be a prank to entice and destroy Gizmodo's reputation.

We will keep you posted.

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• and via - Richardlai.co.uk

Tags: Phones Mobile phones Microsoft Rumours Sharp Microsoft Turtle Microsoft Pure

Microsoft developing own brand smartphones? originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 24 Sep 2009 05:02:26 +0100

Rumours that Microsoft is about to enter the tablet market took a step backwards on Wednesday when it turned out that the new concept being touted on the internet by gadget site Gizmodo could be just a rehash of a concept from Microsoft that was first detailed in 2008.

The original concept, called Codex, saw two touchscreen displays that could be used and accessed like a book allowing the user to work on multiple projects at the same time.

Although the new concept images and videos feature a more slimline "2010" design, they mirror the concept first touted in October last year by Microsoft's internal research department.

The original article cites the creation for the device because:

"Dual-screen devices have become the subject of increasingly elaborate internet fantasies. Now, rumors about an Apple "Brick" device have stirred up dreams of future tablets, such as the alluring One Laptop Per Child v2.0 concept photos, which now orbit the internet once again."

As for why you can buy one? The Microsoft post answers that too:

"The Codex is a prototype-- and a rather flaky, cobbled-together one at that. But it uses off-the-shelf devices, and there's nothing magical about the software. So the crass answer is that you can have one now if you are willing to spend some dollars, build yourself a custom binder, and write a little bit of code, write Ken Hinckley, the author of the article before saying that "In my office, at least, that future is already here. It's just not evenly distributed."

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• Via - beingmanan.com
• News - Microsoft Courier dual screen next-gen tablet revealed

Tags: Hardware Microsoft Tablet PCs Courier Rumours Gadgets

Microsoft Courier debunked, probably just Codex concept from 2008 originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 23 Sep 2009 21:34:04 +0100

In hindsight, Halo 2 wasn't quite what we'd expected. After the original Halo single handedly made the Xbox a legitimate rival to Sony's PlayStation 2 console, early videos promised that it's sequel was due to include battles on a ruined earth, taking place huge cityscapes. It didn't. And as fantastic as the series continued to be, it sadly missed out on what looked to be a brilliant turn for the Halo games. Halo 3: ODST feels just like Halo 2 could have been.

Everyone knows by now that the star of the first three games, the tall figure of the Master Chief doesn't reprise his role in ODST. Instead, you take control of various members of a squad of Orbital Drop Shock Troopers. Hence, the overwhelming brute force that we all loved to wield in the first three games has now disappeared, with the various ODST members certainly more than a few notches below the skills of the Chief.

The story itself - which Bungie seem desperate to set as the new "star" of the Halo show - is played out in a novel manner. Each section begins with The Rookie, who was knocked out for 6 hours after plummeting towards the Earth city of New Mombasa, stealthily stalking the streets, picking off a few enemies, and ultimately discovering an item that induces a flashback towards the events surrounding the rest of the squad during the previous 6 hours. Each character's sections play a touch differently, with some focusing on brute strength and weaponry might, and others utilising all those Halo-developed FPS skills we've practiced over the years.

This change to how a Halo game is set out at first feels awkward. Characters feel so underpowered that deaths are frequent as you struggle to come to terms with the lack of the Master Chief. Stealth sections feel slightly cumbersome, particularly as you struggle to understand just what an enemy can't see/hear and what it can.

But, the sections using the other characters, which consists of the major part of the single player campaign, feel much more Halo. Well, like the original Halo: Combat Evolved. Gone is the ability to duel wield, take out bigger enemies with a single melee assault, and make huge hulking jumps. Instead the scaled back nature does hark back to the absolutely sublime combat of the original title. And that's certainly a major plus for Halo fans.

The other change is to the health system. Gone is the fondly loved recharge system, replaced by both shield and health stats. Once your shield has been knocked through - which still recovers through avoidance of combat for a short period - your health will be eaten up. And this can only be recovered due to picking up health packs scattered around the game world. It's an awkward change, and certainly makes things much more tactical when taking on a large group of enemies. Halo veterans in particular may find it a little tricky to get used to.

So the single player campaign is fun and action packed. It's a touch shorter than the rest of the series, but it certainly keeps you gripped for its entire lifespan. But the Bioshock esque influence hits again, just like it did in the recent Batman: Arkham Asylum, by allowing you to discover the back story by listening to snippets of information you pick up during searches as The Rookie. It's a much more complex tale than the series has told before, and it certainly adds to the somewhat depressing tone of The Rookie's in-game sections. Whether it's for everyone however is a different matter. Some Halo fans might just tire of these sections which lack pace and urgency, and just be desperate to rack up the kills.

Thankfully for them, Firefight mode is fantastic. After the popularity of Gears of War 2's Horde mode, Firefight allows you and up to three friends the chance to take on wave after wave of enemies, holding out for dear life. As the kills progress, the waves get tougher, and your score mounts up to wicked levels.

The addition of skills which give certain rounds a specific gameplay nuance makes things even more exciting, and Firefight will undoubtedly prove to be a real time drain for all multiplayer Halo fans. The only minus point is you can only play with friends. There's no chance to hook up with randoms and take on the onrushing hordes. A real odd decision from Bungie, particularly if you're lacking the online friends packing copies of ODST.

Also for multiplayer fans, the second disc comes complete with the entire Halo 3 multiplayer mode and maps, and tosses in a few more for good measure. Everyone knows how popular and brilliant Halo 3's multiplayer modes have proved to be, hence it's a terrific bonus to the entire package.

Verdict:
Halo 3: ODST is a truly terrific game. While the single player campaign might not be quite to everyone's taste due to its more structured and story-driven nature (though it's certainly a blooming brilliant ride while it lasts), the mutiplayer options are guaranteed to keep us all gripped for months on end. Yet another Halo must-buy.

Tags: Gaming Xbox 360 Halo Halo 3 ODST FPS Bungie Studios Microsoft Halo 3 ODST

Halo 3: ODST - Xbox 360 originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 23 Sep 2009 15:21:40 +0100

We brought you news that the Halo Encyclopedia - "the definitive guide to the Halo universe" - was incoming, but can now reveal pricing and a date for the launch of the new book.

Created in full collaboration with Microsoft, the Halo Encyclopedia is the first official reference book to give fans a comprehensive guide to the Halo universe.

Published by Dorling Kindersley, the new reference guide offers a foreword by Frank O'Connor, ex-Bungie and creator of Master Chief.

DK says: "From the characters to the history, the weapons to the locations, Halo Encyclopedia reveals everything you need to know from Halo: Combat Evolved, Halo 2, Halo 3, Halo: Wars and the latest instalment Halo 3: ODST".

The 352-page guide goes on sale 2 November 2009, priced at ?30.

Tags: Gaming Books Halo Dorling Kindersley Xbox 360 Bungie Studios Microsoft

Halo Encylopedia priced and dated originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 23 Sep 2009 13:28:43 +0100

It looks as if Microsoft's Windows 7 promotion is to be a many-pronged approach. In this latest advert, the software giant pushes the personalisation options of the new operating system ahead of its 22 October launch. Hit play to see promo clip now.

Related links:

• News - Windows 7 RC wallpapers revealed
• VIDEO - Microsoft kicks off Windows 7 advertising with

Tags: Software Microsoft Advertising Video Windows 7

VIDEO: Microsoft pushes personalisation in Windows 7 originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 23 Sep 2009 11:28:15 +0100

As well as revealing the existence of the Microsoft Courier, a dual screen next-gen tablet "notebook" from the software giant, Gizmodo has also come up with this demo video.

The video is supposedly from "Pioneer Studios", a division within Microsoft's "entertainment and devices" group.

Hit play to see the theoretical capabilities of the futuristic device, and we'll keep you posted with more as we hear it.

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• News - Microsoft Courier dual screen next-gen tablet revealed

Tags: Hardware Tablet PCs Microsoft Rumours Microsoft Courier Video

VIDEO: Microsoft Courier conceptual demo originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 23 Sep 2009 09:38:35 +0100

A tablet PC from Microsoft has apparently been revealed, pipping the much-rumoured, but not officially acknowledged Apple iTablet to the punch.

The new tablet will be called the Courier, according to Gizmodo. Although not detailed in the site's story, insiders have told Pocket-lint that it is from a reputable source from somewhere "you wouldn't expect".

The new product will, according to Gizmodo, sport dual 7-inch screens that are multi-touch, and designed for writing, flicking and drawing with a stylus, in addition to fingers.

The screens are connected by a hinge with a home button. Wireless signal and battery life statuses are displayed along the rim of one of the screens.

On the back of the device is a camera, and Giz suggests the tablet could charge through an inductive pad, like the Palm Touchstone.

The Courier project is said to be headed up by Microsoft's head of experiences J Allard and is said to be in the "late prototype" stage of development.

Gizmodo promises more Courier news soon.

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• VIDEO - Microsoft Courier conceptual demo

Tags: Hardware Microsoft Tablet PCs Microsoft Courier Rumours

Microsoft Courier dual screen next-gen tablet revealed originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 23 Sep 2009 09:19:01 +0100

Google is trying to help those stuck with Microsoft's Internet Explorer browser embrace the latest the Internet has to offer, with the launch of a new meta tag and additional plug-in.

Called Google Chrome Frame, the new system will let website developers tell the browser to load in the Chrome Frame so it can support web services that sport HTML 5 coding, like Google Wave.

"We're building Google Chrome Frame to help web developers deliver faster, richer applications like Google Wave", said software engineers Amit Joshi and Alex Russell along with Mike Smith, product manager at Google.

According to Joshi: "One challenge developers face in using these new technologies is that they are not yet supported by Internet Explorer. Developers can't afford to ignore IE ? most people use some version of IE ? so they end up spending lots of time implementing work-arounds or limiting the functionality of their apps".

According to Google Chrome Frame, all developers need to do is to add a single tag to their pages for the technology to work.

However users will also have to download an IE plug-in, something that a corporate system is unlikely to let them do. After all, if they were able to download additional applications then chances are they would upgrade their browser.

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Related links:

• Link - code.google.com

Tags: Software Online Google Microsoft Chrome Google Chrome Frame Browsers

Google Chrome Frame aims to bring IE6 kicking and screaming into today's web originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Tue, 22 Sep 2009 20:55:34 +0100

It seems Microsoft is taking more than Apple's retail business model with its new high street stores - it's nicking staff too.

Reports into The Loop suggest that Microsoft is poaching Apple retail store managers to run its own retail chain, branches of which are due to open this year.

The Loop says that in addition to "significant raises", managers are being offered moving expenses.

Once successfully poached, the ex-Apple bosses are then recruiting their previous top sales staff with the lure of higher salaries.

Previous reports have suggested the location of Microsoft's new stores will be near to existing Apple stores, seeing the two tech giants go head-to-head on the high street.

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• News - Microsoft stores will have resident geeks
• News - Microsoft starts work on Windows retail stores
• News - Microsoft to target Apple Stores for new shop locations

Tags: Hardware shopping Microsoft Apple Biz Rumours

Microsoft poaching Apple retail staff originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Tue, 22 Sep 2009 15:09:15 +0100

A new chapter in the "Halo" saga opens up today with the launch of "Halo 3: ODST".

The game takes players back in time to experience the "Halo" universe from a whole new perspective as an Orbital Drop Shock Trooper.

The new game also gets "Firefight", a new cooperative multiplayer mode where up to four players "battle waves of unrelenting Covenant onslaughts".

Halo 3: ODST is available now for the Xbox 360 from around ?30.

Tags: Gaming Xbox 360 Bungie Studios Halo FPS Halo 3 ODST Video Advertising Microsoft

VIDEO: Halo 3: ODST out now originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Tue, 22 Sep 2009 14:17:31 +0100

The CEO of game publisher Square Enix has said that he's expecting a new Wii in 2011, and that motion sensing controls won't be the success for Sony and Microsoft that the companies are hoping that they'll be.

In an interview with the Financial Times, Yoichi Wada said that Nintendo's next Wii will be released in 2 years time, with functionality more like that of the Xbox 360 and PS3 and "possibly a different controller".

It's expected that a follow up to the Wii would include the powerful multimedia centre functionality of the console's rivals, as well as the ability to output in high definition - a weakness of the current console is that it's limited to 480p output.

Wada also said that although the potential of motion controllers like Microsoft's Project Natal is "fantastic" and would become standard, the impact on sales of the consoles will be "small", as they only have an effect on the gaming part of the console - not the machine's other features.

"Present game machines already have a lot of functions: they are a network terminal, a Blu-ray or DVD player, and a gaming machine. Compared to these three pillars, the [new motion] controllers are quite limited, so the impact may be small. They are an extension of the gaming function".

Square Enix plans to release Final Fantasy 13 in Japan this December.

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• News - Survey proves Wii is after dinner console
• News - Wii demand finally slowing, says Nintendo

Tags: Gaming Nintendo Wii Square Enix Nintendo Sony Microsoft

Square Enix: New Wii in 2011 originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Tue, 22 Sep 2009 09:58:21 +0100

Rumours of a phone-themed project from Microsoft code-named "Pink" have been doing the rounds since spring this year, but more information is coming to light now, as well as talk of a new Microsoft tablet.

Over the last couple of days a few online news sources are quoting various insider, or close-to-the-matter sources that have information about the two projects.

As far as the Pink phone goes, the received wisdom appears to be that it will be a Windows Phone, Microsoft-branded but not Microsoft-made.

One source has Sharp down as the manufacturer producing two models, while a Sidekick look and feel is a strong favourite, with content due to be available from the Zune store.

Possibly a Windows Mobile 7 device, it's not expected until late 2010, although a January 2010 announcement is not thought to be out of the question.

As far as the tablet goes, Microsoft's Surface team is said to be involved, perhaps suggesting a wider product line/branding than just the current table-top computer.

With possible project lead from Microsoft's chief experience officer J Allard, word on the street has it that Microsoft is waiting to see Apple's rumoured tablet before getting official with its rival device.

Read

Related links:

• News - Verizon and Microsoft in talks over iPhone rival
• Via - 9to5Mac

Tags: Hardware Tablet PCs Microsoft Apple Rumours Phones Pink

Microsoft prepping Surface tablet, project Pink phones originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Mon, 21 Sep 2009 14:54:54 +0100

Microsoft's free antivirus product, "Security Essentials", is leaving beta and a final version will be released "in the coming weeks", according to an email sent to participants in the beta test.

Although it's not been officially available in the UK, British users with an MSN account set to America have had access since the beta began in June. The release candidate has now been rolled out to those testers - version 1.0.1500.0 - so if you're running the older 1.0.1407.0 then now is the time to update.

Microsoft has said that Security Essentials will offer a very basic level of protection against a wide range of viruses. It won't offer the encryption, firewalls, password storage, parental controls and backup services that high end security software includes.

Microsoft's ambitions towards free antivirus are expected to hurt sales of Symantec and McAfee products, but will probably hit already-free apps like Avast! and AVG even harder. We'll let you know when it becomes fully available.

Related links:

• News - Microsoft Security Essentials not available in Britain
• News - Microsoft to unveil free antivirus product

Tags: Software Microsoft Viruses And Malware Security software PC software

Microsoft's free antivirus software nears public release originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Mon, 21 Sep 2009 10:43:43 +0100

Microsoft has announced a second bundle pack for its Xbox 360 console that'll come with a 250GB hard drive. It's based around the Forze Motorsport 3 title, and as a result it's called the "Forza Motorsport 3 Super Elite Bundle".

The package comprises a limited edition version of the console, a 250GB hard drive, two Xbox 360 Wireless Controllers, an official Xbox 360 Headset, and a standard edition copy of the Forza Motorsport 3 game. It'll cost ?250.

It'll be arriving in shops on 23 October and joins the Modern Warfare 2 edition of the console, which comes in a similar bundle. That version will be sold exclusively at GAME, but there doesn't appear to be any such deal for this version.

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Related links:

• News - Xbox 360 Modern Warfare 2 console announced

Tags: Gaming Xbox 360 Microsoft Racing games Forza 3

Xbox 360 gets limited edition Forza 3 bundle originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 18 Sep 2009 17:44:46 +0100

Microsoft has shown off its full 09/10 range of mice, keyboards and webcams and Pocket-lint was on hand to get photos of everything. Most of these products we've seen before in the form of a press release, but here's some close up shots of what they look like in person.

On the keyboard front there's the Bluetooth Mobile Keyboard 6000, which has a detachable numpad and 6-degree curve, and the Wireless Comfort Desktop 5000 (that comes with a mouse), which has full Windows 7 capabilities - buttons are assigned to quicklaunch icons on the task bar.

In the mouse arena, there's the Wireless Mobile Mouse 4000, the Wireless Mobile Mouse 6000, and the Wireless Arc Mouse - which folds in half for easy storage. It's clear that portability is an important factor for Microsoft here.

Lastly, Microsoft was showing off the high-definition Lifecam Cinema, and the lower-end Lifecam VX 800 - which represent both the bottom and the top of Microsoft's webcam range - all of which come equipped with microphones.

Related links:

• News - Microsoft LifeCam VX-2000 webcam debuts

Tags: Hardware Mice And Keyboards Mice Keyboards Webcams Microsoft Photos

PHOTOS: Microsoft's 2009/10 accessories lineup originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 18 Sep 2009 15:24:54 +0100

Microsoft has started opening up its Office 2010 Web Apps on Thursday with a select handful of Technical Preview invites via Windows Live SkyDrive.

"SkyDrive customers will be invited to try out a technical preview of the online versions of Microsoft Office Excel, Word and PowerPoint, also known as the Office Web Apps, integrated right inside their Windows Live SkyDrive experience", said Microsoft.

When those of you participating in the Tech Preview upload or create a new document, you'll be able to view them much like you do today when using the full Office programs?without the loss of formatting or data and with the familiar Office 2007 ribbon.

However, Microsoft appears to be only offering the "preview" to a select handful meaning the 500 million plug users of Hotmail, Messenger and other Windows Live services will have to wait for the full release to become available.

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Tags: Software PC software Office software Microsoft Microsoft Office 2010

Office 2010 Web Apps go live... originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 17 Sep 2009 18:45:46 +0100

Samsung is doing for the Windows smartphone market what Asus has done for the netbook market, by announcing a range of devices with similar features - and even more similar names.

Adding to the already available variety of Omnia handsets (not including of course, the non-Windows Samsung i8910 Omnia HD - that lost the "Omnia" for fear of confusion) we now have the official announcement of the Omnia II or I8000, Omnia LITE or B7300, the Omnia PRO or B7610 and last, but in no ways least, the Omnia PRO or B7330.

All models will offer the Windows Mobile 6.5 operating system, making them "Windows Phones", as opposed to the older Windows Mobile handsets.

The Omnia II is the upgrade to the original Omnia. The Omnia LITE gets multimedia features and a simpler user interface, the Omnia PRO (B7610) offers a hybrid touch/QWERTY keyboard while the Omnia PRO (B7330) loses the touch.

Confused? Brief specs lists below to try and differentiate between the models, some of which we have already brought you news, and indeed hands-on pics, of.

Omnia II (I8000)
The HSDPA Omnia II gets Windows Mobile 6.5 Professional, TouchWiz 2.0 UI, a 3.7-inch AMOLED display, 5-megapixel camera, AGPS, up to 32GB memory via microSD, Wi-Fi and will launch in October.

Omnia LITE (B7300)
The HSDPA Omnia LITE gets Windows Mobile 6.5 Professional, TouchWiz 2.0 UI, 3-inch WQVGA display, a "3D" multimedia player, 3-megapixel camera, AGPS, Wi-Fi, up to 32GB memory via microSD and will launch in October.

Omnia PRO (B7610)
With separate modes for "Work" and "Home" the HSDPA Omnia PRO gets Windows Mobile 6.5 Professional, a 3.5-inch AMOLED display, a 5-megapixel camera, AGPS, up to 32GB memory via microSD, Wi-Fi and will launch in October.

Omnia PRO (B7330)
With a full QWERTY keyboard, the HSDPA Omnia PRO gets Windows Mobile 6.5 Standard, a 2.62-inch display, a 3-megapixel camera, AGPS, up to 32GB memory via microSD, Wi-Fi and will also launch in October.

Related links:

• PHOTOS - Samsung OmniaPRO
• PHOTOS - Samsung OmniaPRO
• News - New Samsung Omnia not one, but four new handsets

Tags: Phones Mobile phones Samsung Omnia Windows Mobile Microsoft Omnia LITE Omnia PRO Omnia II

Samsung announces Omnia series of Windows Mobile 6.5 smartphones originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 17 Sep 2009 16:43:16 +0100

Microsoft has announced a deal for cash-strapped students ahead of the start of the University term across the country. Windows 7 will cost anyone with an .EDU email address (eg yourname@reading.ac.uk) just ?30.

The offer is available from 1 October for those who want to pre-order the software, and will run through the release of the OS on 22 October until 3 January 2010, at which point the OS will cost the full price again.

Microsoft says: "Students will benefit from many of Windows 7's unique functions and applications which make PCs easier, simpler and more fun to use. For those students who have the latest laptops with touch screen technology, Windows 7 comes with enhanced capabilities for an enriched touch experience".

"Other features include remote media streaming, improved gaming experience, enhanced security and integration of Windows Media Centre for more central and convenient management of music, movies and photos".

You'll need an academic email address for the deal, but if you've got one of those then just hit up microsoft.com/uk/studentoffer after 1 October to access the discount.

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Related links:

• News - Windows 7 gets Family Pack

Tags: Software PC software Operating Systems Microsoft Windows 7

Students get discount Windows 7 originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 17 Sep 2009 14:39:20 +0100

Over in New Zealand, Microsoft's Tech.Ed conference is taking place and a Windows Mobile app developer has relayed some details of how everything will work in the marketplace to the rest of the world - including that there'll be a kill switch for naughty applications that'll remove them from your phone.

Apple, Google and Palm have similar policies for their app store, though there's the problem of paid apps - Microsoft doesn't guarantee that it'll refund you the cost of the app. Analysts think it's unlikely, however, that Microsoft will take as draconian an approach as Apple does to its App Store.

Some other bits of info have been unveiled - It costs $99 to enrol your first five applications, and then $99 for each app after that. Upgrades are free. Revenue sharing is 70/30. No mapping/routing apps will be permitted. Apps can be reinstalled up to five times and developers are able to specify hardware requirements for their apps.

It'll be interesting to see how successful Microsoft's platform is - historically development for Windows Mobile has been strong, but since Apple's entry into the market the game has changed. Android is now the only platform that's able to really compete with Apple's volume of apps.

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Related links:

• News - Microsoft Marketplace for Mobile app store unveiled

Tags: Software Phones Windows Mobile Mobile phone apps Microsoft

Windows Mobile App Store detailed originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 17 Sep 2009 12:59:58 +0100

Microsoft's Bing search engine has taken 10% of the US search market since it launched in May. Latest stats released by Nielsen suggest that Google is still growing, though, and that Bing is cannibalising other small search engines.

The big G's share of search traffic rose 2.6% over July's figure to 64.6%, taking nearly 7 billion searches over the month. Yahoo dropped 4.2% over the same time period, leaving it with 16% of the market. Bing's rise continued, though, up 22.1% to 10.7% of all US searches - 1.1 million, to be precise. Beyond the big three were AOL, Ask.com, and then a number of more specialist search providers.

With Bing rising fast and Google sitting firmly at the top, where does that leave Yahoo, caught in the middle? It remains to be seen whether the company's revamping of its homepage will bear fruit in the search market or whether its endeavours to be more "social" will see it lose focus in a tough market.

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Related links:

• News - Bing visual search declares war on Cooliris

Tags: Software Search engines Microsoft Bing Statistics

Bing takes 10% of US search market originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 17 Sep 2009 11:23:24 +0100

Microsoft has announced the launch of ?Office 2008 for Mac Business Edition? an updated offering in the Office 2008 for Mac product line.

As well as the Business Edition, the only other product in the simplified range is "Office 2008 for Mac Home & Student".

The new Office 2008 for Mac Business Edition gets the familiar Office applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, all updated with Service Pack 2) while including new tools "to provide a more complete productivity package for the enterprise".

These include Entourage 2008, Web Services Edition, "Document Connection for Mac" and more than 200 business-related templates and clip art.

The new Business Edition has an estimated retail price of ?439.99 (it's $400 in the States) or ?269.99 for the upgrade.

Tags: Software Mac software Microsoft Office software Software updates Biz

Office 2008 for Mac Business Edition announced originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 16 Sep 2009 17:40:18 +0100

Following the deconstruction of the brand new iPods last week, iFixit has given the same treatment to Microsoft's new Zune HD PMP.

Of particular interest to those who care about what components the new player is comprised of, it seems it's a Samsung display, Toshiba memory and as is known, an Nvidia Tegra processor.

The iFixit team says: "Microsoft has taken a long time to get to market with this device, and the hardware shows it. It's lighter than the iPod touch, smaller in two dimensions (skinnier and shorter, but 0.4 mm thicker), claims better battery life with a smaller battery, and beat Apple to market with an OLED screen".

The full tear-down, with detailed pics and tons more spec info, is now live over on the iFixit site, with video promised soon.

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Tags: Audio Zune Microsoft iFixit Zune HD

iFixit's Zune HD tear-down is complete originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 16 Sep 2009 11:13:36 +0100

Microsoft and Activision have announced the Xbox 360 Modern Warfare 2 limited edition console.

The companies say the sequel to the first-person action game "Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare", is the inspiration for the console's "high-speed, low-drag, battle-ready design", which will be available exclusively at GAME and GAMESTATION.

The console will go on sale when "Modern Warfare 2" is released on 10 November and features a 250GB hard drive, two Xbox 360 wireless controllers, an Xbox 360 headset and a copy of the game.

In the UK, the Xbox 360 Modern Warfare 2 limited edition console will be sold exclusively at GAME but pricing is yet to be confirmed.

Tags: Gaming Xbox 360 Microsoft FPS Call of Duty 4 Modern Warfare 2

Xbox 360 Modern Warfare 2 console announced originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 16 Sep 2009 10:59:38 +0100

The Xbox 360 will shortly be getting an upgrade to its plug-in Wi-Fi adaptor, if an FCC filing is to be believed. The ?60 module is being pumped up to 802.11n-standard wireless networking capability.

What that means is more range, more power, and more antennas (two, rather than one) when it comes to attaching your console to your home network. Of course, to get the benefit you'll need an n-compatible router, too.

There's no pricing information yet, but the "Xbox 360 Wireless N Networking Adapter" is unlikely to cost less than its b/g grandaddy, which fans have long-slated as overpriced and under performing. It remains to be seen whether the same will be true of the new dongle.

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Related links:

• News - Xbox 360 to save lives while you play games
• Link - FCC Filing

Tags: Gaming Xbox 360 Microsoft Wi-Fi

Xbox 360 getting 802.11n Wi-Fi adaptor originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Tue, 15 Sep 2009 12:28:39 +0100

The Microsoft Zune HD is now available in the States, while an update for the Zune PC software has also now been released.

For the first time, both standard and high-def movies can be purchased or rented through the Zune Marketplace online store, while a new streaming music service on Zune.net lets Zune Pass subscribers listen to music from a web browser.

As many readers will know, the Zune HD gets an OLED multi-touch screen, an NvidiaTegra HD processor, gaming functions, a web browser - oh - and music and video playback.

Later this year, the Zune will get applications such as Twitter for Zune and Facebook for Zune, in addition to 3D games.

The Zune HD is available now in a black 16GB version for $219.99 and a platinum 32GB version for $289.99.

Although there's no confirmed plans for a hardware launch in the UK or Europe, Microsoft's Zune video service will be rolled out later this autumn to Xbox LIVE users.

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Related links:

• PHOTOS - Zune HD

Tags: Audio MP3 players Zune PMPs Microsoft Zune HD Software updates Gaming Home Cinema Xbox Live OLED

Zune HD goes on sale in the US originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Tue, 15 Sep 2009 11:17:16 +0100

A startup called Spawn Labs has launched at TechCrunch50, which promises to stream the output of your games console to you, wherever you are in the world.

The company will stream 720p video across the internet to you, and send back your commands with whatever input device you like. It can also let you connect to other people's consoles, with their permission, to locally play a multiplayer game without actually being there.

The service is built around the Spawn HD Pro box, which costs $199 and is available right now. It also allows you to stream video over a home network so that you can play in a different room to where your console is, or you can put it in "watch" mode to broadcast your l33t skillz to the world without anyone else interfering.

The drawback to this approach compared to "cloud gaming" alternatives like OnLive and OTOY is that you have to have the game in the drive of your console - and you can't swap it out from miles away unless there's someone you can phone at home to do it for you. We also wonder if the console has to be switched on for the duration of your trip, too.

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Related links:

• News - Gordon Brown planning gaming holiday
• News - OnLive games streaming console and service
• Link - Spawn Labs

Tags: Gaming Xbox 360 Nintendo Wii PS3 Nintendo Sony Microsoft Spawn Labs Video

Console streaming tech company launches originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Tue, 15 Sep 2009 10:29:33 +0100

The Xbox 360 looks set to follow the PS3 in helping solve the world's ills following a discovery by a group of UK researchers.

Academics over at the University of Warwick have taken the game console's GPU and made it perform parallel processing functions that one day could mean you will be able to crunch data while you set about chain-sawing someone in half in Gears of War.

According to the BBC, who broke the story, "Dr Simon Scarle, a researcher and former software engineer at Microsoft's Rare studio, built the system to help him model how electrical signals in the heart moved around damaged cardiac cells".

Speaking to BBC News, Dr Scarle said that the code controlling the chip was modified, so instead of working out graphical calculations, it could perform other ones instead.

"Instead of pumping out stunning graphics, it's reworked; in the case of my research, rather than calculating the position of a structure and texture it's now working out the different chemical levels in a cell".

The discoverery, which is new for the Xbox 360, isn't new for games consoles however. Sony's PS3 console already offers its gamers a chance to help crunch data with the Folding@Home application.

The results of the University of Warwick's research are published in the journal Computational Biology and Chemistry.

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Tags: Gaming Xbox 360 Microsoft

Xbox 360 to save lives while you play games originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Tue, 15 Sep 2009 00:05:17 +0100

Bing, Microsoft's search engine, has demoed a new "Visual search" tool which it hopes will help people find what they are looking for even when they are lost for the right words.

Called Visual Search, the new service allows you to "formulate and refine your search queries through imagery", and is designed to be used for sets of results that tend to be more structured say Bing.

The new demo, which will require Microsoft's Silverlight technology to work, will let users search through a number of different products and people via the new search feature.

Microsoft is suggesting people use it for shifting through products, books, cars, and people like US congressmen and NFL players.

Working in a similar way to Cooliris, users can quickly scan through a stack of images and pick the one they want (according to colour for instance) by scrolling images with their mouse.

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Related links:

• Link - Bing (Need to be on the US version)
• Link - Cooliris

Tags: Software Search engines Microsoft Bing Cooliris

Bing visual search declares war on Cooliris originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Mon, 14 Sep 2009 21:43:28 +0100

October 22nd is a little way off yet, but it seems Microsoft has already kick-started its advertising campaign for its new OS, due to be released on that date. The clip, featuring a cute kid, focuses on the "happy words" that Windows 7 has garnered from reviewers. If you're good with making your next OS purchasing decision based on a precocious child's PowerPoint presentation, then it's clearly the ad for you...

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Related links:

• News - Microsoft's latest "I'm A PC" poster girl is 4... and a half

Tags: Software Microsoft Windows 7 Advertising Video Operating Systems

VIDEO: Microsoft kicks off Windows 7 advertising with "happy words" ad originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 11 Sep 2009 17:39:26 +0100

Cup holders are the punchline in this latest instalment in the long-running "I'm a Mac, I'm a PC" adverts from Apple. Undeniably successful, but now a little long in the tooth, has the format now run its course?

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Related links:

• VIDEO - Apple's new "Get a Mac" ads revealed

Tags: Hardware Apple Microsoft Advertising Video

VIDEO: Apple's lastest Mac/PC ad unveiled originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 11 Sep 2009 17:10:23 +0100