N. Korea develops operating system with Windows-like GUI, Linux guts

Bundle includes thinly disguised versions of Firefox, OpenOffice.org

The North Korean government appears to have developed its own graphical Linux-based "Red Star" operating system, though its people still prefer that symbol of Yankee high-tech imperialism, Microsoft Windows.

That's according to the blog of a Russian college student, 'Mikhail,' studying at a university in North Korea's capital city, Pyongyang.


According to translations of the blog by Russian satellite news channel, Russia Today, as well as Google's Translate tool, installation DVDs of Red Star can be freely purchased in Pyongyang for $5 and come in both client and server versions.

Red Star requires, at minimum, a Pentium III 800 MHz CPU (state-of-the-art in developed countries about ten years ago), 256MB of RAM and 3GB of hard disk space.

Installation takes 15 minutes, and users may only choose to run it in the Korean language. A more serious quirk: The clock on the bottom right shows the year in both the standard international Gregorian calendar, and the North Korean "Juche Idea," in which 2010 is the year 99.

Local North Koreans told Mikhail that Red Star is not stable, and that they still prefer Windows XP, Vista or 7.

Mikhail did not comment on what version of Linux that Red Star may be built upon. Cuba released its own version of Linux last year called Nova that is based on Gentoo, a Linux variant that is run by a foundation based in New Mexico.

Red Star includes applications such as a thinly disguised version of the Mozilla Firefox browser, an OpenOffice.org-like productivity suite, an e-mail client called 'Pigeon,' and a number of other utilities.

Two programs that were apparently developed by North Korea include a firewall program called "Pyongyang Fortress," and an antivirus application called "Woodpecker."

The browser's search engine defaults to the North Korean government's official Web site, Naenara.

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Essential Windows Tricks

Whether you run Windows 7, Vista, or XP, these 25 tricks will make your PC faster, safer, and even more fun to work with.
PCWorld - The verdict is in: Windows 7 is Microsoft's best operating system ever. It's stocked with genuinely handy interface upgrades (hello, Aero Snap), long-overdue networking improvements (we love you, homegroups), touchscreen support (long live tablet PCs), and the best Windows Media Center experience yet (ClearQAM support at last).

Like every operating system, though, Windows 7 can benefit from a few tweaks here, some add-ons there, and a smattering of OS-enhancing apps and utilities. We've rounded up 27 of them, each one designed to make Windows 7 faster, easier, safer, or more fun. And because we know that many people still run Windows XP or Vista, we've identified the tips that work with those versions as well.

Make It Faster

Is Windows 7 really speedier than Vista or XP? Different Windows 7 performance tests have yielded varying results, but ultimately it depends on your hardware and the apps you run. Of course, with a few simple tricks, you can wring better performance from any system.

Go 64-Bit

Works in: Vista, 7 The old saw still holds true: Windows loves RAM. The more memory that you supply, the less the OS has to rely on the comparatively poky hard drive. But if you want Windows to address more than 3GB of memory, you have to run the 64-bit version. If you're buying Windows 7 as an upgrade, you should find a 64-bit installation disc in the box; ignore the 32-bit disc entirely. In addition to recognizing more RAM, 64-bit Windows makes better use of your PC's processor, giving you the best Windows experience possible.

Boot More Quickly

Works in: XP, Vista, 7 Does Windows 7 really boot more rapidly than other versions of Windows? Yes, a little. But the more programs you install, the slower your system will start (something that's true of all Windows editions). Many apps force Windows to run them at startup--a situation not unlike a dozen cars trying to merge into one lane.

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App Store grows, but apps are seldom used

At least that's the conclusion from data collected by Pinch Media, a company that helps developers track the use of their iPhone applications.

Pinch found that of the users who download free applications from the App Store, only 20 percent use the app the next day, and far fewer do as the days pass. For paid applications, the return rate is only slightly better: 30 percent of people use the application the day after they buy it. The drop-off rate for paid applications is about as steep as for free applications after the first day.

Generally, 1 percent of users who download an application turn into long-term users of it, Pinch found. Pinch has noticed some differences based on the kind of application. For example, sports applications get more use than others in the short term, while entertainment applications tend to keep users for longer than others.

Pinch has discovered, or at least confirmed, some other interesting usage trends as well. Developers have a far greater success rate once they rise to the top of the store, which Apple ranks based on popularity. Once applications hit the top 100, the number of daily new users increases by 2.3 times, Pinch said.

Also, free applications tend to get more use than those that cost. Users run free applications, on average, 6.6 times as often as paid applications, Pinch said.

The findings might surprise and disappoint developers, many of whom regard the iPhone's application ecosystem as the first real opportunity to build a business around wireless applications. Prior to the launch of the easy-to-use App Store, few phone users ever downloaded new applications to their phones. That meant that the best way for developers to offer their applications was to convince operators to preload the applications on phones -- an expensive, time-consuming and challenging proposition.

Pinch Media collected data from "a few hundred" applications in the App Store that use its hosted analytics product. Applications that use the analytics offering include those that have been the number-one paid and free applications available in the store, Pinch said. The store currently has more than 15,000 applications, and users have downloaded applications more than 500 million times.

The data from Pinch might be valuable for developers who are also considering building applications for other stores that have been planned following the success of the App Store. Stores for Android, Windows Mobile, BlackBerry and Palm Pre applications have either been announced or are already open.

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Blackberry Storm's components cost more than iPhone 3G's

iSuppli didn't heed James Dean's outburst in Rebel Without a Cause, because they keep tearing things apart. The latest device to go under their knives screwdrivers isn't an Apple product--rather, it's a competitor--but what lies beneath the surface can shed some light on Apple's iPhone too.

RIM's Blackberry Storm--it of the clickable touchscreen--was touted as a potential rival to the iPhone when it debuted late last year. Interesting thing, though: when iSuppli took apart the Storm, they discovered that its component costs are actually not only more than the price of the very device at your local Verizon store, but more than the comparable cost of the iPhone as well.

The bill of materials for the Storm totes up to US$202.89; the Storm itself has a suggested retail price of $250, but is currently being sold with a $50 rebate from Verizon. iSuppli says the iPhone 3G, meanwhile, costs approximately $174.33 in components, despite a similar retail price.

Of course, a teardown can only tell you what the cost of the physical materials is--it doesn't factor in software development, R&D, marketing, etc. More to the point, as iSuppli points out, the price subsidy from the carrier means it's hard to tell exactly how much each device is really costing.

Still, it's an interesting point that even though the Storm and iPhone seem at first blush to share most of the same parts--LCD touchscreen, camera, cell phone chips, flash memory, GPS--Apple would seem to be in a position to reap more profit of each device than RIM (of course, it's also hard to know what kind of deals each manufacturer has with component vendors).

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Google unwraps Apps partner program

Resellers can now offer the Apps productivity suite, but question remains whether Google can support a partner ecosystem soundly enough to entice enterprises.
Google on Wednesday detailed a new program under which resellers can now offer Google Apps to businesses -- effectively meaning that companies considering the alternative to Microsoft Office don't have to go it alone. But the search giant has yet to prove its strength in supporting a partner ecosystem that could bring enterprises much needed assurances.
"This is a natural evolution of where Google Apps is," says Stephen Cho, director of Google Apps channels. In the two years since Google launched its productivity applications, Cho continues, Google has made progress with enterprise features and SLAs and gotten more than 1 million.

With the new program, Google intends to offer the resellers training, support, and tools for integrating Google Apps into customers' infrastructures, including APIs for tasks such as directory synchronization, migration, reporting, and single sign-on. Resellers, in turn, can bundle in their own services and support and maintain a direct relationship with customers.

Cho explains that this partner program was built from the ground up, SaaS style, so Google hosts all the tools resellers can use. He also points to Google's acquisition of Postini, which already had a robust channel in place. "We've taken lessons from that to bring this new reseller program into play."

But Philbert Shih, analyst with Tier1 Research, is skeptical. "Google does not have a lot of experience working with partners. I've not seen the groundwork, a foundation, for keeping them up to date," Shih says. "Will the resellers have expertise in Google products? I don't think Google can just hand off support and services."

What's more, "part of the appeal of Google is the no-install proposition and the fact that the apps are pretty intuitive," explains Jim Murphy, research director at AMR Research.

That said, Murphy expects that down the line, companies tapping Google Apps will look to partners for help employing and integrating processes, particularly those that interact with Microsoft Office. "Enterprises need reassurance about things such as privacy and security," qualities that signing on with a reseller can bring.

Of the large-enterprise customers Murphy speaks with on a daily basis, in fact, many are currently discussing a five-year plan for collaboration, a gradual evolution that often begins with Gmail and eventually includes other Google Apps. "For some companies, the SaaS model is a way of isolating that move from the unpredictable costs of being able to support all this stuff. Going with Google, which provides the infrastructure, can relieve those headaches," Murphy explains, adding that "it could also stifle the growth of Microsoft Office."

Microsoft, for its part, is simultaneously working on packaged and hosted editions of Office, the next tentatively dubbed Office 14. Although officials have offered little detail, Microsoft did say that Office 14 will include lightweight Web versions of Excel, PowerPoint, and Word offered via its Office Live Workspace service. Sources this week speculated that Office 14 will not ship in accordance with Windows 7 and may not become available until 2010.

In the meantime, Web-based applications not only from Google but also Adobe, IBM, and Zoho, among others are gaining purchase in small businesses. However, they have failed thus far to gain enterprise adoption, according to a report Forrester Research put out last week: "Companies use Word out of habit, not necessity."

Google's U.S. partners consist of SADA Systems, Excel Micro, Horizon Info Services, Cloud Sherpas, and others, including providers from 25 countries. The company is also working to sign up Capgemini, which is already a partner in another Google program. "There are other recognizable names we're in advanced discussions with," Google's Cho says.

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Free BlackBerry Storm Apps: Seven Essential Downloads

CIO.com-The weeks following the release of the Research In Motion's first touch screen BlackBerry, the Storm, on November 21, were unfortunately filled with complaints from users, reviewers and critics alike regarding the extremely poor quality operating system that shipped with the device. And rightly so; RIM and Verizon Wireless rushed out buggy OS code that was simply not ready for prime time, in order to meet previously stated release dates.
However, behind the scenes, a variety of mobile software developers were studiously working those weeks away on new applications for the much-anticipated device. Now, less than a month later, Verizon has updated and improved the Storm OS, and many of those apps are starting to pop up on the Web. Best of all: Many of them are free.

Not all of the following applications were developed specifically for the Storm, but each and every one functions well on the device--with the exception of a few minor bugs. I've mentioned most of the apps in previous free BlackBerry software stories, but that was before the Storm landed and before anyone knew whether or not they'd work on RIM's first touch BlackBerry.

(Note: All of our recommended applications were downloaded and tested using a Verizon Wireless BlackBerry Storm 9530 running OS 4.7.0.75, the latest official Verizon release.)

WeatherBug for BlackBerry Storm: Makin' it Rain

One of my personal favorite free BlackBerry applications, WeatherBug is a unique and valuable mobile weather app. The software creates a dynamic icon on your BlackBerry home screen that updates itself according to your local weather conditions--or the weather conditions in a pre-specified locale. For instance, when it's partially cloudy, your WeatherBug icon displays an image of the sun with a cloud eclipsing it, as well as the current temperature and the day's predicted high and low. And when the weather changes, the icon is automatically modified accordingly.

The software pulls its information from the company's WeatherBug Network, which it claims is the largest, most technologically advanced weather system in the world, at more than five times the size of even the U.S. National Weather Service.

WeatherBug is available for a variety of BlackBerry devices, but the Storm specific-version is different in that you can employ touch-based gestures for navigation. And the app utilizes the Storm's built-in accelerometer to determine the device's orientation--portrait (vertical) or landscape (horizontal)--and customize the display accordingly.

Additional WeatherBug features include the ability to view a weather summary for the current day, with metrics like dew point, wind chill/heat index and humidity levels; seven day forecasts; maps with numerous overlays including current temperature and precipitation; and local weather alerts.

WeatherBug for the BlackBerry Storm is available for free over-the-air (OTA) download via the BlackBerry browser.

Viigo for BlackBerry Storm: The Ultimate Lifestyle App

I've mentioned Viigo many times on my blog and in various mobile tips and tricks articles, for good reason: The application is by far my favorite mobile RSS reader.

I won't get into too much detail about that software--there's plenty of information on Viigo available in those other stories--but Viigo is much more than just a simple RSS reader. For example Viigo provides a variety of weather information; sports schedules, live scores and standings; stocks and finance data; flights and travel updates; and much more.

And the Storm-specific version of Viigo--though still in alpha testing stages and a bit buggy--takes advantage of a number of the device's unique features to improve an already impressive user experience. Storm users can scroll through stories in an RSS feed by simply swiping a finger across the screen to the left for newer stories and to the right for older ones. And the app works with the Storm accelerometer, so you can switch back and forth between portrait and landscape modes.

The most notable bug that I spotted was fact that you consistently need to tap the BlackBerry Escape key twice to return to previous screens--after hitting it only once, the screen often freezes midway through the transition between pages.

Surf on over to GetViigo.com using your Storm's BlackBerry browser for a free download.

Facebook for BlackBerry Storm: Mobile Social Networking Done Right

One of the few apps officially available through Verizon's on-device BlackBerry Application Center, Facebook for BlackBerry is also one of the most popular.

That's because it brings most of the social networking site's basic functionality directly into the palm of your hand. Though not as robust as the real Facebook site--you can't access groups, for example--the mobile application displays your home screen notifications, such as status updates, and you can "poke" or message friends and write on their "Walls." Lists of friends and their status updates are also available with a single click from the mobile home screen. Photo uploading and sharing is as simple as snapping an image with your smartphone's camera and uploading it to the site from the application's home screen.

The Storm-specific version of Facebook for BlackBerry, though not exactly feature-rich, runs seamlessly on the device. It incorporates the Storm accelerometer to let users employ both portrait and landscape views. And uploading photos is significantly more interesting than with other BlackBerrys due to the Storm's 3.2 megapixel digital camera--the highest quality camera of any RIM device.

Flickr for BlackBerry Storm: Strike a Pose

The Flickr Photo Uploader for BlackBerry is a free, yet truly valuable mobile photo uploading application that works in conjunction with Yahoo's online photo storage and sharing service.

To upload images stored on your device or media card, just launch the app, locate the photos and tap an upload command. You can give photos custom names, choose privacy settings--Private, Friends, Family, etc.--and even select the size in which you want the image to appear. Within a minute or so, the photo will be available on your Flickr page.

The Storm-specific version of Flickr Photo Uploader for BlackBerry is exactly the same as the general BlackBerry app, except it utilizes the Storm's accelerometer to let users pick between portrait and landscape orientations.

Flickr for BlackBerry is available for free on RIM's website, as well as through Verizon's on-device BlackBerry Application Center, and all you need is a Flickr account, which is also free.

TwitterBerry on the BlackBerry Storm: Reach Out and "Tweet" Somebody

At this point, if you've never heard of the social networking/microblogging service Twitter, you'd be wise to perform a quick Google search on the subject. Go ahead, I'll wait.

TwitterBerry, a free, easy-to-use mobile application for BlackBerry, offers much of the same functionality as the standard, desktop Twitter. With a single click from the BlackBerry home screen, you can input Twitter updates.

Replies to status updates, as well as timelines of their latest posts and the last public posts, are available through the TwitterBerry menu, which is accessed via the BlackBerry menu key. You can even refresh timelines without ever leaving them and set your own custom TwitterBerry notifications.

While there's no Storm-specific version of TwitterBerry quite yet, version 0.8--the latest official release--works well on RIM's touch screen device. But since it's not built for the Storm, the app does not work with the handset's accelerometer, which means it's only viewable in portrait mode.

Unfortunately, that means the default keyboard option is the dreaded SureType keyboard--though multitap format is also available. You also cannot hide the keypad, which takes up half of your total screen real estate.

You can download TwitterBerry OTA from Orangatame Software.

[ For more information on additional mobile Twitter applications, read "The Best (Free) Mobile Twitter Apps for BlackBerry, iPhone, Windows Mobile."
FREE CIO BlackBerry Newsletter Get better use out of your BlackBerry and keep up-to-date on the latest developments. Sign-up » ]

WorldMate Live: A Travel Maestro

The WorldMate Live service aims to simplify the lives of frequent travelers by automatically delivering a variety of valuable content and services to mobile devices. Free features include the My Itineraries function, which stores information on flights, hotels, meetings, public transportation and car rentals on BlackBerrys. The application also lets you export travel information from booking confirmation e-mails, corporate calendars and more, directly into WorldMate Live, and it automatically assembles your itineraries. You can even read hotel reviews from other WorldMate Live users and then book a residence directly from the application.

The "Clocks" feature provides the current time and weather for one set location, as well as the time differences in four additional cities of the your choice. The Weather function offers a five day forecast for any major city, and the currency converter quickly translates U.S. dollars into Euros or Japanese yen and back again.

Finally, a full color, searchable map of the world provides locations of cities as well as the date and time of day in each selected location.

The Storm-specific version of WorldMate Live is exactly like the general BlackBerry version, and it doesn't use the Storm accelerometer so you can only view the application in landscape mode, for now.

Download WorldMate Live OTA for the BlackBerry Storm by visiting the company's site via BlackBerry Browser.

You Can Never Have Too Many Browsers

The BlackBerry browser that ships along with BlackBerry OS 4.7 on the Storm works significantly better than previous versions of RIM's Web surfing app. However, some of those earlier versions were so weak that I became accustomed to--and even fond of--Opera Software's free Opera Mini browser.

So naturally, Opera Mini was one of the first BlackBerry apps I installed on the Storm. Unfortunately, though the latest version of the software, v4.2, works on the device, it's not Storm-specific: therefore, some of the browser's most basic functions don't work as well as they should--or at all. For example, zooming in on pages using Opera Mini on a BlackBerry typically calls for a few clicks of the trackball. But the Storm is trackball-less and clicking the screen doesn't zoom like you might expect.

The app does, however, work with the Storm's accelerometer, so you can view pages in both portrait and landscape modes. But beware of switching orientation while a page is loading, as it could keep the page from rendering correctly. In fact, if you do change your screen orientation from portrait to landscape while loading a page, or vice versa, an on-screen dialogue box warns you that you may want to reload the page in the current orientation.

Like newer versions of the BlackBerry browser, Opera Mini gives you a tiny cursor that you can move around to any spot or link on a page, instead of having to scroll up and down to get to the links you want. Alternatively, you can also use a number of keypad shortcuts for navigation--however, this is a bit awkward since the Storm's keyboard takes up valuable screen space.

Though not perfect for the Storm, Opera Mini's a valid alternative to the default BlackBerry browser.

Download Opera Mini OTA via BlackBerry browser from Opera Software's website.

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Google shows early version of Chrome 2.0

Following the full release of Chrome in December, Google has made available an early test version of Chrome 2.0, which overhauls the way the browser handles HTTP and adds functionality such as auto-complete in fields.

Released quietly via Google's Chrome developer channel, the early access code has an updated version of the WebKit rendering engine, and new network code to provide a cross-platform implementation of the HTTP protocol.

The new version, build 2.0.156.1, also implements auto-complete in text fields, a feature rival browsers have had for some time. It also now correctly implements the zoom feature so that everything on the page scales together, according to Google's release notes.

Google said that the new version of Chrome supports faster and more reliable Safe Browsing that uses the disk less often, while users can open new browser Windows with different profiles for different uses.

The new version of Chrome is available via Google’s developer preview channel and is likely to prove less stable than even beta versions of software, so downloaders should use it with caution.

Copyright © 2008 vnunet.com

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Review: Windows 7 Beta 1 shows off new task bar, more UI goodies

Goodbye, Quick Launch bar -- there's a new task bar in town.

January 7, 2009 (Computerworld) The just-released Beta 1 version of Windows 7 is a solid, fast-performing, stable operating system that appears to be just about fully baked and ready for prime time. It is much further along than Windows Vista was during its initial beta phase, and it appears to be feature-complete. Based on the stability and speed of this beta, don't be surprised if Microsoft Corp. releases Windows 7 before 2010 rolls around.

The new, powered-up task bar makes an appearance for the first time in this beta, and it proves to be something of a mixed bag. As I'll explain later in this review, the task bar makes it much easier to manage and switch between open windows and applications, but it also mixes icons for launching applications with icons for managing open windows.

Note that this review covers only the features that made their debut with Beta 1 of Windows 7. For an overall review of all of Windows 7, see "Windows 7 in-depth review and video: This time Microsoft gets it right." Also see my blog "Hacking Windows 7 beta problems" for help fixing some problems with the current release.

The new Windows task bar

The task bar, new in this beta, will no doubt be the most controversial new feature introduced in Windows 7. Gone is Quick Launch bar for launching applications that used to live at the left side of the task bar. Instead, large icons across the task bar are now used to launch applications.

The new task bar. Click to view larger image.

By default, Internet Explorer, Windows Explorer and Windows Media Player all have icons in the task bar. You can, however, add an icon for launching any application to the task bar by dragging the program's icon to it, for example, from the Most Recently Used list on the Start menu.

Those icons do double duty because they also manage your open windows. For example, if you've already launched Internet Explorer, and you have three tabs open to three different Web sites, the Internet Explorer icon changes subtly to show three icons stacked on one another, as shown in the image above, indicating that you have three tabs open.

The task bar in thumbnail view.
Click to view larger image.

Hover your mouse over the stacked icon, and you'll see all three open tabs as thumbnails just across the top of the task bar. Hover your mouse over any of the thumbnails, and your entire desktop is taken up by that open window. Hover it over another thumbnail, and the desktop is taken up by that one. Click any of the thumbnails or open windows, and you'll go straight to that window.

The task bar in stacked list view.
Click to view larger image.

If you aren't a fan of thumbnails displaying open windows, you can instead have all open windows display as a stacked list. When you're using stacked lists, to go to any open window, click on it in the list. To close the window, hover your mouse over it in the list, and click the red "X" that appears.

One more nice touch: When you download a file using Internet Explorer, a green bar on the icon shows you the progress of the download.

Jump lists

The task bar also makes use of another new feature that debuts in this beta -- "jump lists." A jump list is a list of actions or items associated with a particular application. To see a jump list for any application, right-click its icon in the task bar.

Typically, you'll see a history list of the most recent open files -- or Web sites, in the case of Internet Explorer -- as well as options to pin the application icon to the task bar (if you haven't already pinned it there) or unpin the application from the taskbar (if you've already pinned it there).

You can also unpin the three default task-bar icons -- Internet Explorer, Windows Explorer and Windows Media Player -- in this way.

Right-click an icon on the task bar, and a jump list of associated actions appears.
Click to view larger image.

Jump lists also make their appearance on the Start menu, in the Most Recently Used application list. A small arrow appears to the right of any application with an associated jump list. Click the arrow to see the list, then make your choice from the list.

There has also been a minor change to the Windows Shut Down button. Click an arrow to the button's right, and you get a list of shutdown options, including switching to a different user, logging off, restarting, locking the desktop, or putting your machine into sleep or hibernation mode.

The new Windows 7 Shut Down button.
Click to view larger image.

Aero Peek

The other major change to the interface in this beta is the addition of Aero Peek, a nifty little enhancement to the Aero interface introduced in Vista that lets you "peek" behind any open window to your desktop. It's far more fully featured than the Show Desktop icon that lived on the Quick Launch bar in previous versions of Windows.

Aero Peek lives as a small, rectangular area just to the right of the clock at the right edge of the task bar. When you have windows open and you mouse over the Aero Peek rectangle, all of your open windows disappear, and you see through to your desktop. But you don't see just the desktop -- you also see the outlines where each of your open windows would be.

Aero Peek makes your open windows disappear but shows their outlines on the desktop. Click to view larger image.

So, for example, if you have three open windows -- one near the top of the desktop, one to the left side, and one to the right -- you would see the outlines of each of those screens. If you prefer just to see the desktop itself, with no outlines, click the Aero Peek rectangle instead of hovering your mouse over it.

Aero Peek also works in concert with the task bar. As I mentioned previously, when you hover your mouse over an application with open windows, you'll see thumbnails of the open windows, and you can preview them by hovering over any thumbnail. That's Aero Peek at work. If you turn off Aero Peek, you won't be able to see the thumbnails -- you'll only see them as a stacked list. To turn Aero Peek on and off, right-click the Aero Peek rectangle, and either check or uncheck the box next to Preview desktop.

I did experience some problems with Aero Peek and the task bar thumbnails (which are turned on when you turn on Aero Peek). They worked only intermittently, then inexplicably stopped working entirely. I haven't heard reports of this happening to other people, so it's possible that the issue was specific to my test machine.

Update, 1/8/09: I fixed the problem using one of Windows' built-in troubleshooters. For details, see my blog, "Hacking Windows 7 beta problems."

Speed and compatibility

Microsoft set out to make sure that Windows 7 wouldn't have the same issues with hardware compatibility that Windows Vista had, and the company said that all hardware that works with Windows Vista should also work with Windows 7.

It appears that even in this beta version, that goal has been met. Windows 7 immediately recognized all the components of my Dell Inspiron E1505 without a hitch -- something that early versions of Vista had serious problems with, particularly when it came to wireless networking adapters.

And while the prebeta version of Windows 7 had problems connecting to my Linksys wireless router, this new beta version immediately recognized the router and connected to it without a problem.

I found no software problems either. Windows 7 ran every piece of software I threw at it, including not just obvious programs such as Microsoft Office, but lesser-used ones as well, such as Windows Live Sync. In addition, several antivirus applications are already compatible with Windows 7, including AVG and Kaspersky. I've been running the free version of AVG without problems.

I found a problem with Windows 7, in which it doesn't recognize multiple drives. Several people have reported similar problems. I installed Windows 7 on a dual-boot machine, in which the C: drive boots to XP and the J: drive boots to Windows 7. Unaccountably, when I boot into Windows 7, Windows 7 shows the J: drive as if it were a C: drive. And the real C: drive is invisible -- it simply doesn't show up in Windows 7 at all, and I have no access to it. However, when I boot to XP, I can see both the C: and J: drives.

Update, 1/8/09: I've found a fix for the problem. See my blog "Hacking Windows 7 beta problems" for what to do.

Beta operating systems typically run slower than the shipping version, but Beta 1 of Windows 7 is already surprisingly fast. It appears to be clearly faster than Vista, without delays associated with displaying menu items or boxes, launching programs, or doing other tasks.

The bottom line

This first beta of Windows 7 is a polished piece of work, with few apparent kinks to be worked out. Windows 7 is much further along at this beta stage than Windows Vista was at a similar point. In Vista's Beta 1 stage, the user interface was still being tweaked, the operating system was sluggish, and there were many hardware incompatibilities. Not so with Windows 7. Because so little has changed between the prebeta and beta versions of Windows 7, don't be surprised if Windows 7 is on a fast track to release.

That being said, the new task bar is somewhat confusing to use at first. After you live with it for a while, you get used to it doing double duty as a task launcher and windows manager. Still, it wouldn't surprise me if Microsoft tweaked it in future beta versions.

Given the beta's stability and speed, you can safely download it and use this on a test machine. As with any beta of an operating system, though, you shouldn't use it on a production machine.

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10 must-have free BlackBerry apps

Your BlackBerry might be plenty powerful out of the box, but there are hundreds of third-party applications out there that can make the device even more useful.

Adding the apps to your BlackBerry is a breeze, because they can all be installed "over the air," either by visiting the app's site with your BlackBerry's built-in browser and downloading the file directly, or by having an e-mail sent to your BlackBerry with a direct download link.

Even better, some of the best of these apps are totally free. Here are 10 of the best free apps available for your BlackBerry.

Viigo

Viigo is a full-featured RSS feed reader that lets you read your favorite feeds and keep up with important news wherever your day takes you.

Choose from Viigo's array of built-in feeds, or add your own.

You can add your own feeds (Viigo's auto-detect function can discover the feed address for most Web sites), but Viigo also comes well equipped with a variety of tech, politics, sports, weather and other feeds.

Preconfigured feeds also allow you to easily set up traffic alerts, stay up to date with flight information, and track packages from UPS, the U.S. Postal Service, FedEx and DHL. The new version, now in beta testing, adds support for custom search alerts and even podcasts.

Vlingo

The speech-recognition app Vlingo goes way beyond voice dialing.

Although recent BlackBerries support voice dialing, the speech-recognition app Vlingo goes far beyond dialing numbers from your address book.

Using only your voice, you can run Web searches ("Find post offices in Punxsutawney"), launch built-in BlackBerry applications ("Open Calendar"), compose e-mails and send text messages.

The transcriptions tend to be very good, so you don't have to worry about double-checking before sending. Vlingo takes over the application key on the side of your BlackBerry, making it easy to access even while driving.

Google Mobile

Google Mobile provides easy access to Gmail, Picasa, Google Maps, Google Sync and more.

Access the entire suite of Google's mobile-friendly services in one place with Google Mobile. A single interface gives you one-stop access to Google's Gmail and Maps applications (the latter of which can integrate with your built-in GPS tool, if your BlackBerry has one).

It also includes links to Web services including search, Google News, Google Reader, Google Docs (which is read-only on mobile devices), Picasa photos, and your Google Notebook, all of which open in your BlackBerry's built-in Web browser. Google Mobile also includes the Google Sync service, which allows two-way synchronization between your BlackBerry's built-in calendar and the Web-based Google Calendar.

BBNotePad

Write full-length documents with BBNotePad.

Packing a little more oomph than your BlackBerry's built-in MemoPad, BBNotePad is a plain text editor that allows you to write full-length documents or even code wherever you might be.

BBNotePad sports three text sizes for tired eyes, and it saves files as .txt files that can be opened directly on any computer, saving to either your BlackBerry's internal memory or on your removable flash card. It's very useful for sending notes and memos over Bluetooth to other handheld devices.

GridMagic Community Edition

GridMagic lets you create spreadsheets or run complex calculations.

Whether you need to run complex calculations or simply need to organize some information into a table, GridMagic Community Edition from the Simprit Free Software Community lets you create spreadsheets on the move.

GridMagic supports a wide range of mathematical functions, and lets you add formatting to keep everything clear and readable. Typical spreadsheet functions like freeze panes, select by row or column, and copy-and-paste are also available. Spreadsheets can be e-mailed as Excel .xls attachments via a new menu item in the BlackBerry's built-in e-mail composition screen.

Opera Mini

Although a Web browser is included with your BlackBerry, the built-in browser's lack of power and features gives you a limited view of the Web at best. Opera Software's Opera Mini browser allows you to surf standard Web pages and renders quickly and accurately.

The secret of Opera Mini's success is that it processes page requests through Opera's servers, offloading much of the page processing away from your BlackBerry. Its caching is especially good, allowing almost instant return to the previous page; that's useful for checking out Web search results, for example.

Opera Mini includes excellent bookmark features, as well as the ability to view pages as they would appear on a full-size computer screen, zooming in and out with a click of the track wheel.

Opera Mini is a quick and full-featured mobile Web browser.

Mobipocket Reader

You'll always have something to read with Mobipocket's e-book reader. Text is easy to read, even on a BlackBerry's small screen, and you can add your own annotations as you go.

Mobipocket offers a wide range of titles for purchase through its store (which can be accessed on your PC or directly from your BlackBerry), but the .mobi format is a standard offered by most e-book sellers.

Mobipocket Reader brings e-books to the BlackBerry.

What's more, you can use the desktop software to convert documents from PDF, HTML and most word processing file formats to load on your BlackBerry, making Mobipocket Reader ideal for reviewing work and personal documents in addition to e-books.

iSkoot

Send and receive Skype calls on your BlackBerry using iSkoot's excellent Skype client. Sound quality is better than you'd expect -- even on slower 2G Internet connections -- and iSkoot's tabbed interface makes navigating your contacts list easy. ISkoot also allows you to chat by text, if you prefer.

iSkoot lets you make Skype calls on your BlackBerry.

It also integrates nicely with your BlackBerry's regular phone settings, using your existing ring tones and the BlackBerry call log.

The program is not only free to download and install, but there's no additional charge for sending and receiving calls to and from non-Skype numbers. (Normal SkypeIn and SkypeOut charges apply.)

TwitterBerry

Don't fall out of the Twitter loop when you're away from the computer. TwitterBerry from Orangatame Software lets you read all the latest tweets from your Twitter friends, plus you can send tweets, read and write direct messages, and view your @ replies.

TwitterBerry lets you Twitter on the go.

Menu items let you call up your BlackBerry's spell checker (so you don't embarrass yourself) and insert symbols easily (so you can make the most of your 140 characters). You can also view your friends' timelines individually, as well as the public timeline of all Twitter users.

(Need tips for using Twitter? See "Twitter for business: 5 ways to tap the power of the tweet.")

WebMessenger

CallWave's WebMessenger lets you chat with friends or business contacts on the most popular IM networks.

WebMessenger provides a solid alternative to desktop chatting.

You'll need to create a single "master" account to log into the software, but once logged in to WebMessenger, you can automatically log in to your existing accounts with AOL, Google, ICQ, Jabber, MSN, Skype or Yahoo. You can be logged in to multiple accounts at the same time, and once you log in to whatever networks you've chosen, WebMessenger will keep you logged in even when it's running in the background.

WebMessenger downloads your buddy lists so you can see at a glance who's online and start chatting almost instantly. Depending on the abilities of each particular network, you can create chat groups, send messages to multiple recipients, and add or remove contacts, just as you would with a desktop client -- making WebMessenger a solid alternative to desktop chatting.

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HP Firefly with Voodoo DNA laptop hands-on

The geeks over at Laptop Magazine got hands-on with a concept gaming notebook from HP called the Firefly with Voodoo DNA. The notebook has some interesting features that would be cool to be able to buy in a notebook. The two most notable features are the secondary LCD and the repositioned track pad. When you hear second display in conjunction with a laptop, your mind may immediately go to the massive Lenovo W700ds with its side mounted 10-inch LCD.

HP takes a different route for its secondary display, and I question the usefulness of the display at all. It's a tiny 4.3-inch job with a resolution of 800 x 480, which is a lot of resolution for such a small screen. The most appealing of the features is the track pad that is repositioned from below the keyboard to the right side. Since most of us are right handed that means your mouse is to the side of your notebook in a more comfortable position. If you are a lefty, I am betting the track pad is a big bag of suck. Considering the keyboard appears to be full size, the Firefly (not to be confused with the Firebird) will be a massive beast of a notebook. The primary 17-inch display isn't the largest LCD available on a notebook, but the firefly is a behemoth. If you travel a lot and the notebook actually makes it to market, your back will hate you for getting one.
Further Reading: < Laptop Magazine

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Microsoft refutes reports claiming it's using Home

Sony made headlines just a few days ago when word came up that a number of high-profile companies were testing out PlayStation Home as a potential candidate for corporate virtual meetings.

One of the companies that was reportedly testing out Sony's free social community software was Microsoft, but the company has now publicly refuted the reports.

CVG got word from the company directly. "Microsoft will not be using Home as a tool for virtual meetings," a spokesperson said. "With fantastic Microsoft-developed products and applications like Live Meeting and even Xbox Live Party, we have everything we need to host a virtual meeting in-house."

Clearly the company wouldn't want to play up whatever internal testing with Sony's software it is doing, but there is undoubtedly a team watching carefully as Sony experiments with social communities through its console to see if there is anything worth following up on. After all, the Avatars certainly were not drawn from the inspiration of Nintendo's Miis. Certainly not.

Still, it's safe to say that while Microsoft would never need to use Home, the company has surely tested the product to see what it does well. Would anyone admit to it? Of course not, but it's silly to think that Microsoft hasn't fully explored Home, deep in the cold of its Borg cube.

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Five things Apple needs to do at Macworld

There are two important dates coming soon for Apple Inc.: Its last appearance at the Macworld Expo & Conference that begins in San Francisco today, and the Mac's 25th anniversary later this month.

With those two events so closely linked, it seemed that the stars would align to make this year's Macworld presentation even more exciting than in past years. Then Apple suddenly announced its withdrawal from Macworld, saying it would not take part in the Expo after 2009 -- and that CEO Steve Jobs wouldn't even be at this year's big show. As the Expo's primary draw since its inception, Apple's departure leaves a cloud over future such events, although the 2010 Expo is still scheduled to take place. It also upset Mac fans who were already looking forward to the big speech.

But there is logic behind the move: Apple's stores are hugely successful, reaching far more people throughout the year than the Expo can in a few days. And making a big splash every January practically forced it to release products on an artificial timetable.

Even with the Mac's 25th anniversary looming, the chances that Jobs stand-in Phil Schiller -- Apple's senior vice president of worldwide product marketing -- will unveil a major wow product isn't in the cards. (Computerworld's Seth Weintraub will be live-blogging Schiller's keynote, which begins Tuesday at 1 p.m. EST.) Although rumors are flying about new Mac minis, updated iMac, the "iPhone Nano" and Apple apps in the cloud, this year's show probably won't feature announcements as dramatic as the original Mac or the iPhone. But there are a few simple things Apple could do to make this a memorable Macworld while bolstering confidence in company's future among investors and fans alike.
Unveil products worth hyping

Clearly, there's value in Apple's products, even those priced at the higher end of the market. If Apple wants to maintain its current pricing, then it needs to continue pushing its integration, design and technological prowess to new areas, all the while maintaining and building out currently successful technologies. While that sounds like a tall order, Apple is in a unique position to make good on that potential. With software foundations like Mac OS X, the iTunes/App store, and the MobileMe platforms to build on -- coupled with Apple's lack of fear of cutting-edge hardware design -- the possibilities are fascinating. That potential is basic reason for the hype that builds before every Macworld Expo. Along with Apple's knack for showcasing its software and hardware, the accompanying media fervor is a given. All Apple has to do is release a product that's worth the attention -- and after the iMac, iPod, MacBook Air, the unibody laptops of last fall and the iPhone, a new wow! product isn't just a pipe-dream, for fans and media it's inevitable. Schiller should continue Jobs' tradition. Cloud-centric apps, anyone?
Find a way to trim prices

No matter how well-designed, how au courant Apple's offers are, all the recent talk of global economic crisis will take a toll. If people can't afford to buy Apple products, they won't buy them. That doesn't mean they'll be picking up PCs at Wal-Mart. But they'll hang on to what they have a lot longer -- and so will companies. While early indicators are that Apple had a good holiday season, it's clear that the recession is having an affect on purchases. Since Apple has a healthy 30% average margin for its products, it might not hurt to give a couple of percentages back to the buying public in the form of lower prices or even discounts on other Apple products.

Have no doubt: Apple is a company that makes money by releasing products people find value in. Its usual tack is to add features to revamped models and leave prices unchanged. More value, same price. Go ahead: Ask anybody who has recently bought a MacBook Pro, an iMac or an iPhone if they think the money spent was well spent. They'll likely say yes. But keeping those big margins in the face of economic bad times, at a time when Apple is gaining ground, could stall the company's recent progress.
Showcase the talent

Here's the thing: There are a lot of rumors circulating about Steve Jobs' health. I don't even want to mention them, so sickened by the rumors am I, but Apple needs to address the issue openly. There are signs that Apple knows this, including the not-so-subtle hint of change coming in the form of a Jobs-less keynote. Replacing Jobs as Apple's sole voice has likely been in the works for a long time. While Jobs has always had help during specific portions of his keynotes, he's been offloading more and more of the work to others. Just look at how he handled the October announcement of new MacBooks.

This is a good move. As brilliant as Jobs has been at turning Apple around over the last 10 years, it's clear that "Apple" and "Jobs" are seen as interchangeable. They're not. Jobs the man is not Apple the company. While it's clear Apple -- and the entire computer/music/mobile industry -- wouldn't be where it is now if not for Jobs' vision, there needs to be separation between the company and the man; if only to soften the blow for investors who are easily spooked by rumors about about Jobs' health.

After all, it was Jobs himself that told Fortune magazine: "We've got really capable people at Apple. I made Tim [Cook] COO and gave him the Mac division and he's done brilliantly. I mean, some people say, 'Oh, God, if [Jobs] got run over by a bus, Apple would be in trouble.' And, you know, I think it wouldn't be a party, but there are really capable people at Apple. And the board would have some good choices about who to pick as CEO. My job is to make the whole executive team good enough to be successors, so that's what I try to do."
Plot a course for the future

Both in terms of leadership and in regard to their products, Apple has to leave the Macworld audience with the sense that it has a solid grasp on where the company is going. This doesn't mean Phil Schiller has to spend keynote time plotting out leadership hierarchies or detailed product blueprints. But by the end of the presentation, investors and watchers alike need to have a sense that Apple is prepared to deliver successful products and services regardless of Jobs' leadership. At this year's Macworld Apple should parade its leadership team to help promote their different products even more than it has for the last few shows. Since Jobs is confident in Apple's leadership, there's no reason not to showcase the talent. And those executives, whether it's Schiller or Cook or Jonathan Ive should heed Jobs' advice and retain the laser-like focus Jobs is famous for.

"Apple is a $30 billion company, yet we've got less than 30 major products," Jobs said to Fortune. "I don't know if that's ever been done before. Certainly, the great consumer electronics companies of the past had thousands of products. We tend to focus much more. People think focus means saying yes to the thing you've got to focus on. But that's not what it means at all. It means saying no to the hundred other good ideas that there are. You have to pick carefully."
One more thing....

With the Mac's 25th anniversary looming, and all that storied history on everyone's mind, Apple's final Macworld would be incomplete without "One more thing...." Schiller should cap off Apple's last Macworld keynote with a swan-song product announcement worthy of Jobs' trademark keynote ending phrase. And, assuming he's healthy, Jobs himself should deliver the line and the product. It would be an upbeat ending to the relationship Apple has had with Macworld and the Macworld-visiting fans, ending this chapter in the Expo's life on a high note.

Michael DeAgonia is a Neal Award-winning writer, computer consultant and technologist who has been using Macs and working on them professionally since 1993. His tech-support background includes tenures with Computerworld, colleges, the biopharmaceutical industry, the graphics industry, Apple and as a Mac administrator at a large media company.

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Windows 7 may add spice to CES

Microsoft is expected to shed light on its upcoming OS.
Software could overshadow gadgets at the upcoming Consumer Electronics Show, with Microsoft Corp. expected to shed light on its upcoming Windows 7 operating system.

The financial meltdown may also be lingering topic as tech vendors gather to flaunt products at the show in Las Vegas, hoping to show enough glitter and sparkle to bring them better fortunes in the new year. Attendees will pore over the latest technologies, including OLED (organic light-emitting diode) TVs, netbooks, smart phones, media players and other entertainment devices.

Audiences may miss the show's perennial star, Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates, who gave his final CES speech last January. Instead, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer will kick off the event with a keynote address on Jan. 7. He's expected to give a peek at Windows 7, which many hope will be zippier and less resource-hungry than Windows Vista.

Microsoft expects to make "significant" Windows 7 announcements, including a possible release of Windows 7 beta software. A "sneak peek" at future Microsoft Office software may also be offered.

A look at Microsoft's future software could add pep to what otherwise might turn out to be a subdued show. Attendance at CES 2009 is expected to drop as consumers and technology vendors cut spending amid the economic crisis. Hotels, which in previous years were often packed months before the show, have been offering discounted rates to fill rooms.

The Consumer Electronics Association insists that preregistration has been strong and says it's too early to call it a quiet show. Organizers expect 130,000 attendees, said CEA spokeswoman Tara Dunion.

However, that would still be a significant drop from 144,000 attendees at CES 2007.

The prospect of a reduced audience hasn't fazed companies such as Intel, Microsoft, Hewlett-Packard, IBM and Dell from showing products in or around the show. Overall, 2,700 companies will be present at various locations, including the Las Vegas Convention Center and surrounding resorts and hotels.

A standout at CES could be netbooks, small laptops used for basic applications such as Web surfing and e-mail. The category was defined by Intel Corp.'s Atom processor and then solidified by the success of Asustek Computer Inc.'s Eee PC. The show could see an evolution of netbooks, with features such as touch screens attracting interest. Asus will likely show a touch-screen netbook, and Intel plans to show off its Convertible Classmate, a netbook with a touch screen that swivels.

Via Technologies Inc.'s elusive Nano processor may also make an appearance. Rumor has it that Samsung Electronics Co. will show its NC20 laptop based on a Nano processor.

Meanwhile, some of Intel's competitors may try to redefine how people think of netbooks by pushing more advanced capabilities. Advanced Micro Devices Inc. and Nvidia Corp. may talk more about boosting graphics on netbooks. Freescale Semiconductor Inc. and Qualcomm Inc. could demonstrate netbooks with more communication-savvy chips.
Mundane laptops will also get a makeover. Expect plenty of buzz around a new Sony Vaio laptop, which the company says is "revolutionary" and will change the way users think about the products. It remains unclear if the tiny laptop is a netbook or a full-featured ultraportable. For power users, Lenovo Group Ltd. is expected to show the ThinkPad W700DS laptop with two screens -- a first in laptops -- for people who want to perform multiple tasks at the same time.

Rounding out mobility computing offerings will be smart phones with new operating systems, touch screens and 3G connectivity. Many mobile phone companies are expected to adopt Google Inc.'s Android platform, including Samsung, which may show an Android phone at CES.

Struggling smart-phone maker Palm Inc. is holding a big event to announce its new Linux-based operating system code-named Nova, along with new devices. The company hopes to use CES as a springboard to regain prominence in the smart-phone market, where it has been eclipsed by Research In Motion Ltd. and Apple Inc.

Like past CES shows, televisions will grab the imagination of visitors as vendors fight for the centerpiece of home entertainment. CES 2008 saw the emergence of OLED screens with prototypes from Sony and Samsung, and CES 2009 could see further progress. In May, Sony Corp. CEO Howard Stringer said a 27-in. OLED TV would be coming, and it could be launched at the show.

Samsung showed a 40-in. OLED high-definition TV prototype in October, and larger screens may be on tap.

Given TV's ease of use, some may prefer these devices for Internet access in the future. With that in mind, some companies are working to merge the Internet and TV. Silicon Mountain Holdings Inc. will show its Allio high-def LCD TV with a built-in PC so users can simultaneously use the TV and Internet through a split screen.

Intel will show prototype products for running mini-applications to complement TV viewing with information from the Internet. For example, widgets will allow TV watchers to talk to friends in real time or buy products advertised on TV from online stores.

The Internet also continues to shape how entertainment is delivered. Streaming media will battle Blu-ray DVD as the way to deliver entertainment and movies to end users. Having conquered HD DVD, Blu-ray still has a hurdle to pass, because most players are priced above $150, so expect prices to drop at CES.

Some kinks also need to be worked out to better stream media between entertainment devices, and expect to see some improvements at the show. Tzero Technologies Inc. will demonstrate devices for wireless HDMI (high-definition multimedia interface) multimedia streaming between devices using ultrawideband (UWB) wireless technology. Tzero's technology enables uninterrupted wireless delivery of high-definition video and surround sound at a rate of 480Mbit/sec. over 60 feet, the company claims.

Users may also see progress in data transfers between PCs and devices such as digital cameras with improvements in the USB 3.0 specification.

Overall, many other gadgets will be on display to enjoy over the show's four days. CES may end up being more relaxing and intimate because its floors may be less crowded.

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Microsoft downplays Windows Media Player bug

Not a vulnerability, just a 'reliability issue,' say company researchers.
December 29, 2008 (Computerworld) Microsoft Corp. today dismissed reports of a critical vulnerability in its Windows Media Player, saying that the researcher who claims the bug could be exploited is wrong.

The flaw is a "reliability issue with no security risk to customers," Microsoft researchers said.

According to researcher Laurent Gaffi, the vulnerability could be used by hackers armed with malformed .wav, .snd, or .mid audio files to compromise a PC running Windows XP or Vista.

Several editions of Windows Media Player, including Versions 9, 10 and the newest, 11, are vulnerable, Gaffi reported in a Dec. 24 disclosure to the Bugtraq security mailing list. Gaffi also included proof-of-concept attack code that he said would allow remote code execution.

Microsoft disputed Gaffi's findings and took him to task for publishing information about the vulnerability before he reported it to company security researchers.

"[Gaffi's] claims are false," said Christopher Budd, a spokesman for the Microsoft Security Response Center, in a post this afternoon to the MSRC's blog. "We've found no possibility for code execution in this issue."

Budd acknowledged that Gaffi's sample exploit crashes Windows Media Player, but he said that the program can be restarted without affecting the rest of the system.

Microsoft researchers with the company's Security Vulnerability Research and Defense (SVRD) group spelled out the impact of Gaffi's exploit in more technical detail in a separate blog entry today.

"This bug cannot be leveraged for arbitrary code execution," said Jonathan Ness and Fermin Serna of the SVRD team. Ness and Serna said company researchers had found the bug earlier and had fixed it in at least one version of its server software.

"We found this already through our internal fuzzing efforts," they said. "It was correctly triaged at the time as a reliability issue with no security risk to customers."

"We do like to get these reliability issues fixed in a future service pack or a future version of the platform whenever possible. This particular bug, for example, has already been fixed in Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 2," Ness and Serna said.

Microsoft has been wrong before when it has denied that a flaw can be exploited. Last April, for example, the company had to backtrack, and issue a security advisory, about a Windows vulnerability it had denied was a bug just three weeks earlier.

Although that vulnerability has been actively exploited since mid-October, Microsoft has yet to plug the hole.

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Microsoft may release Windows 7 beta at show

Signs are pointing to sometime in January and possibly the CES show in Las Vegas as a likely first public look at Windows 7 .
Attendees at next month's Consumer Electronics Show (CES) could get the first public look at Windows 7, the next version of Microsoft's client OS.
At its Professional Developers Conference in Los Angeles in October, Microsoft said it would release the beta early in 2009. Though nothing has been confirmed, signs are pointing to sometime in January and possibly the CES show in Las Vegas as a likely release date. CES is scheduled for

A member of Microsoft's public relations team in the U.K. said in an e-mail that at the show, "Microsoft will be making some significant announcements including Windows 7." She did not specify exactly what the news around the OS would be. But several blogs, including All About Microsoft, have reported that beta testers are expecting a Windows 7 beta any day.

Furthermore, Microsoft wrote on a Web site for its Microsoft Developer Network Conferences (MDCs) that attendees of those conferences, some of which are scheduled for mid-January, can expect a Windows 7 beta DVD.

Some of the MDCs were this month and the site gave Microsoft an out if the beta wasn't released in December, saying that "the DVD will be shipped to attendees when it becomes available." A Windows 7 beta was not released at those conferences, and the next MDCs are scheduled for Jan. 13 in Chicago and Minneapolis.
Microsoft expects to release Windows 7 in early 2010, although some industry observers expect it may be out by the end of 2009 because of lackluster customer response to Windows Vista. Many business customers in particular have opted to skip Vista and run XP until Windows 7 is available.

Copyright © 2008 infoworld.com

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Choppy water ahead for VMware?

Wall Street and other investors are openly expressing caution about the virtualization darling
uestion marks have been raised over the ability of VMware to meet its fourth-quarter revenue numbers, after a turbulent 12 months for the virtualization giant that saw the ousting of its co-founders, and a massive decline in its share price.

Despite a string of healthy trading figures, Wall Street seems to have fallen out of love with the virtualization vendor. Other investors are becoming openly cautious about VMware, a point highlighted in a blog by Zachary Scheidt, a managing general partner for a private hedge fund.

Scheidt pointed out that last month Morgan Stanley issued a "sell" recommendation on VMware's shares. UBS followed suit and also rated the virtualization software vendor as a sell.

"On November 4th we initiated an RTI (Research Tactical Idea) for a trading sell on VMW, and now see further risk near term," said Morgan Stanley in its latest research note on VMware. "First, Q4 is off to a slow start and we believe VMW may struggle to hit consensus. Second, ELA (VMware's Enterprise Licence Agreement) momentum is slowing, which likely removes a major driver of license growth. Third, headcount will weigh on margins in the first half of 09."

"Now, I don't always put too much credence in recommendations from brokerages, but since sell ratings are so rare, I thought it worth a look," said Scheidt on his blog. "Upon further review, there were some very interesting red flags raised that indicate caution is still important with this name," he wrote.

Scheidt highlighted the disastrous slide of VMware's shares over the past 14 months. Shares in the company are currently trading at the $24.50 (£16) mark, a far cry from the heady heights of $122 (£82) reached in November 2007.

Scheidt also picked up on Morgan Stanley's concern that VMware will have a difficult time meeting its fourth-quarter revenue numbers. This is because as early as November, the "channel checks" that analysts undertake have suggested weakness in the sector.

A more detailed analysis can be found here.

"As a matter of policy, we don't comment on stock price fluctuations," said Reza Malekzadeh, EMEA Senior Director of Products and Marketing at VMware. "But what I can say is that the fundaments of the business are sound. According to a recent Goldman Sachs IT spending survey, for the past 12 quarters VMware has been gaining increasing amount of IT spend. Indeed, VMware has been the number 1 recipient for IT spend for past 12 quarters."

"We are very mature software company, but some quarters are more back end loaded than others," Malekzadeh told Techworld. "I would say that we have the same financial rhythm as other companies.

"But it is unprecedented times we are currently in, and it would be foolish of me to say it is not affecting us, like other companies," he added.

"VMware as a technology company has to maintain its leadership and has to innovate, and we have no intension of slowing innovation down," he said. "The path that typically customers start down with virtualisation is to virtual the servers in order to get a capital gain (capex), but as they move forward with deploying virtualisation, they start to achieve operational expense savings, for example it requires less administrators to run workloads etc."

Malekzadeh pointed out that we could expect to see product announcements in the following areas over 2009, namely Virtual Datacentre Operating System; Vcloud (allows customers to move their applications seamlessly between their facility and a hosting facility without closing it down); and finally the client.

"The desktop is a huge marketplace with a lot of pain points for companies (managing the systems etc), and virtualisation can bring whole new advantages to that world," he said.

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Marshal8e6’s new software locks down Microsoft Exchange

Marshal8e6 promises to secure all Internet-based communication streams in the workplace with an internal filtering solution for Microsoft Exchange 2003 and 2007.

Inappropriate content, malware and confidential information are all targeted by the new MailMarshal Exchange product, which inspects all traffic crossing a company’s Microsoft Exchange Server.

“Marshal8e6 is the only independent software company capable of securing all forms of Internet-based communication streams -- including internal corporate emails, Internet-based email services, websites and Instant Messaging, said chief strategy officer and former CEO of Marshal Ed Macnair.

“This announcement shows that Marshal8e6 is on track to be the leader in the Secure Internet Gateway market,” said Macnair.

MailMarshal Exchange safeguards a company against malware, data leakage and can prevent confidential information such as credit card and social security numbers, payroll or medical information from being leaked between employees.

MailMarshal Exchange also blocks the distribution of illegal, offensive, pornographic or harassing content via company email.

Macnair quoted a recent survey which showed that workplace bullying and discrimination costs Australian businesses between $6bn and $13bn a year in lost productivity.

He further said that the Australian Human Rights Commission found in 2008 that 22 per cent of women and 5 per cent of men experienced sexual harassment in the workplace.

“Increasingly, companies are asking for solutions that enforce ethical walls to comply with corporate and regulatory legislation such as SEC and HIPAA. For example, public companies need to prevent insider information from leaking and influencing trades,” said Bradley Anstis, director of Technology Strategy at Marshal8e6.

The product is currently available in Australia with Marshal’s resellers.

Marshal8e6 is a new company created following the recent merger of Marshal, a UK-based vendor of email content filtering and Web security products, and 8e6 Technologies a US-based vendor of Web filtering appliances.

Copyright © 2008 itnews.com.au

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New font uses holes to cut ink use

Dutch marketing and communications company Spranq has come up with a novel and free way of slashing printer ink costs by developing a font with holes in it.

The creators of Ecofont took their inspiration from the holes in Dutch cheese, and aim to cut down on the amount of ink used when printing documents for daily use.

"After Dutch cheese, there now is a Dutch font with holes as well," said a Spranq spokesman.

The font is based on the standard Sans Serif typeface, but has a number of small circles removed from each letter. The company spent a long time experimenting with different shapes and sizes to cut down on the amount of ink used while still maintaining readability.

Spranq reckons that the result is still perfectly readable, but can cut the amount of ink used by up to 20 per cent. The Ecofont can be downloaded free although donations are requested.

Copyright © 2008 vnunet.com

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Google Chrome uses rivals' code

Google's Open Source web browser Chrome incorporates code and features developed by rivals Apple and Mozilla, Google acknowledged today.

"We were able to make a web browser because there were already good open source projects on which we could build, including [Apple's] WebKit and [Mozilla’s] Firefox," said Sundar Pichai, Vice President of product management.

Apple's WebKit is the rendering engine that forms the foundation of Chrome.

Further, several features championed by Google are already key elements of other browsers. The 'speed dial' homepage and placement of tabs are features of Opera, while the 'Incognito' privacy mode is already implemented in Internet Explorer 8.

Pichai also acknowledged that some of the project's engineers had worked on other browsers previously. For example, software engineer Ben Goodger was previously the lead engineer for Mozilla Firefox.

"There is an element of 'all roads lead to Rome' when you look at the complexity and intricacy of this project. It’s a small pool of people who work on browsers."

Pichai defended Chrome's development by reiterating Google's commitment to the Open Source community.

"To ensure that any advances we made benefit the web community as a whole, [and] not just us, Google Chrome is completely open source," he said.

"Open source projects spur healthy competition. Competition stimulates innovation. Innovation drives evolution. And evolution is the lifeblood of the internet."

Return of the browser wars?

With Chrome, Google steps into the heated competition between web browsers.

It will compete against two key browsers: Microsoft’s Internet Explorer, whose newest version that was released just weeks ago has been slow to pick up market share, and Mozilla’s Firefox, which has almost 20 per cent of the global browser audience.

Mozilla was magnanimous about the release. Former CEO Mitchell Baker said in her blog that Mozilla had created a competitive browser market and would continue to compete in it.

"Yesterday Google announced that it will release its own browser, validating once again the central idea that this tool we call the browser is fundamentally important. Our first great battle — that of relevance and acceptance — has been won," Baker wrote.

Microsoft remained confident that users would prefer Internet Explorer 8 to Chrome.

"The browser landscape is highly competitive," Dean Hachamovitch, general manager of the Internet Explorer group, told the New York Times.

"But people will choose Internet Explorer 8 for the way it puts the services they want right at their fingertips, respects their personal choices about how they want to browse and, more than any other browsing technology, puts them in control of their personal data online."

Pichai dismissed the idea of a new browser war. "I think browser wars are a thing of the past," he said.

Copyright © 2008 itnews.com.au

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Westpac online customers get free security software

Westpac has extended a deal to give its online banking customers 12 months' free access to PC Tools’ Internet Security suite for a second year.
The new deal covers what is claimed to be an ‘all-in-one security suite featuring anti-spyware, anti-virus, firewall and spam protection’ as well as customer support.

It is now available to Westpac customers that register online .

It extends a previous agreement where PC Tools’ software was offered to customers in its bespoke pieces rather than as a complete security suite, according Rafal Potega, VP of Asia Pacific sales in the business unit at PC Tools.

Potega refused to be drawn on how many of Westpac’s customers had taken up the offer in the first year or how the licenses were being financed.

“It’s under NDA – I can’t disclose or comment on that,” said Potega.

“We were very happy with the uptake last year. It was very much within our expectations.”

Potega said that pursuing banking and finance sector customers was part of PC Tools’ business strategy in the Asia Pacific region.

It has already led to similar deals with NAB’s consumer and SME divisions ; however these offers are for discounted – rather than free – software, and are non-exclusive.

The bank provides similar discounts on ZoneAlarm security software.

NAB’s offer comes with a number of attached legal conditions, including that it ‘does not specifically recommend [PC Tools] over others in the marketplace’ and that ‘no security product is able to protect against all security threats and frauds’.

Westpac has been contacted by iTnews for comment on the extent to which it views the PC Tools suite as a security guarantee for its customers – particularly as the vendor is openly encouraging customers to switch over to their software.

“We encourage customers to uninstall any previous AV software [they have] as the PC Tools package incorporates an AV scanner in conjunction with anti-spam and a firewall,” a PC Tools spokesperson said in a separate statement.

According to a recent F-Secure report, NAB is the third most targeted Australian bank by trojans, while Westpac is ranked sixth.

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