Friday, June 12, 2009
Mozilla, Opera upset over IE8 as default browser in Windows 7 RC
Mozilla and Opera may be jumping the gun a little here, but both companies have already spoken out about IE8 in Windows 7 RC. The reason being it is automatically selected as the default browser when upgrading your machine – even if you previously had another browser set as default. Mitchell Baker, chairwoman of Mozilla said:
Our initial review suggests this is a blatant use of the Windows operating system to change the market dynamics of browser usage … What we’ve seen so far is a clear example of why and how Microsoft’s Windows monopoly damages competition in related products.
Hakon Wium Lie, chief technology officer at Opera added:
This issue highlights the problem with the browser market. It’s certainly something we would want to discuss
Microsoft is trying to calm their fears stating that the Windows 7 release candidate is just a test version of the operating system and not the final version. Presumably they intend to ensure users can set (or keep) their preferred browser as default in the final release of the OS.
Mozilla aims for stability with Firefox multi-processor project
Mozilla has started a new project called Content Processes that will see a version of Firefox developed that takes advantage of multi-processors and splits the content displayed in each tab and the UI between different processes on your PC.The project, which will see Firefox start to work in the same way as Google Chrome, has several advantages over the current Firefox implementation. The main one is a much higher level of stability and a crash in one browser tab not meaning an end to your entire Firefox session. The responsiveness of the UI is also expected to be improved and overall performance on a multi-core machine will be noticeably better.
The first deadline for this new version is July 15th, but it won’t be a fully featured version. On the project page Mozilla’s goal for that deadline is as follows:
Get something hacked together as quickly as possible. This is probably not the Firefox chrome, but a really simplistic page with a URL bar.
Realistically we can’t expect to see a usable version with multi-processor support until sometime next year, but it’s good to see Mozilla working on such an enhancement. Read more at Mozilla Links
Intel, Microsoft, Dell and Panasonic looking for WiGig - faster home wireless
We have Wi-Fi, WiMAX, WirelessHD, WHDI, but the new buzzword for higher-speed at-home wireless networking is WiGig — short for Wireless Gigabit Alliance. And not just for peripherals, but also for cell phones, TVs and video cameras; basically anything that has wireless data transmission needs.WiGig is the name given to a new association created to develop “an even faster wireless technology”, that is expected to be at least 10x faster than Wi-Fi. It’s greatest strength (and potential weakness in some people’s eyes) is that it will only operate over short distances, such as within a single room (or possibly two) by operating in the 60 GHz band.
Intel, Microsoft, Dell and Panasonic have all teamed up to form the association. Their effort will compete against other approaches to in-home wireless data transmission, including SiBEAM’s WirelessHD — which connects set-top boxes and Blu-ray players to TVs; and Amimon’s WHDI, which uses a Wi-Fi-like technology for the same purpose.
WiGig will provide enough bandwidth to fully transmit an entire DVD in 15 seconds, which is about 6 Gigabits per second. Its range will be limited to about 30 feet max, with notably drop-offs in throughput beyond 15-20 feet. Within 10 feet it will have its strongest transmission range, making it ideal for nearby entertainment center components.
Is Intel on the outs with Microsoft? Pushing Moblin with Novell
Last week Intel and Novell Inc. announced “broad efforts to closely collaborate and encourage original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and original design manufactures (ODMs) to adopt Moblin, an optimized open source Linux software platform” that Intel has targeted with their Atom-based CPU, one that’s used in netbooks and other Atom-powered mobile systems, including MIDs.Intel and Novell “signed an agreement outlining their plan for collaboration”. Novell also announced it will create a Moblin-based product for netbooks “that it will take to market to a wide range of OEMs and ODMs”. Novell will also establish Novell Open Labs in Taiwan to aid in the adoption of Moblin, working with the Taiwan Moblin Enabling Center (MEC), which is a joint effort between Intel and the Taiwan Institute for Information Industry. Their task will be to validate designs for Moblin compliance.
In 2007, Intel launched its Moblin software and even at that time raised questions about their continued support of Microsoft-based products. The effort largely remained under wraps, however, until resurfacing last month when The Linux Foundation became host to the Moblin community (as what many at first thought was an April Fool’s joke — it wasn’t).
Doug Fisher, Intel’s VP of Software and Services Group, and GM of the System Software division, said:
Novell has taken a significant leadership role in the Moblin community since joining the effort late last year, and today’s announcement will extend Novell’s level of involvement. The combination of Intel Atom processor-based platforms and Moblin-based Novell software will provide even more opportunities for OEMs, ODMs and the broader Moblin community to deliver excellent mobile Internet solutions.
The part which makes Geek.com question Intel’s loyalty to Microsoft was given a voice through this signed agreement by Ron Hovsepian, Novell’s President and CEO. He said:
We are extending our involvement with Moblin because we believe that it provides a richer mobile Internet experience. The emergence of such mobile computing platforms as netbooks presents a significant growth opportunity. We believe that Moblin-based Novell software on Intel-based platforms will offer OEMs and ODMs exceptional solutions for delivering a full Internet experience on such devices.
Moblin is currently in its alpha release stage and appears just like any other graphical form of OS, though its boot time is reportedly only “a few seconds”. Click on the thumbnail to see a larger screenshot
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Microsoft renames new WGA “Windows Activation Technology”
Any one who runs Windows as an OS for the past few years will be well aware of what Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) is. But Microsoft have decided that the name no longer fits the functionality and will be changing it for Windows 7.The new name we’ll have to get used to is Windows Activation Technology (WAT), which was announced via a Q&A session with Joe Williams, general manager for Worldwide Genuine Windows at Microsoft. One of the questions asked was whether the anti-piracy experience on Windows 7 was similar to Windows Genuine Advantage on Windows XP. He responded by saying:
Fundamentally the goals are the same. The guiding principle is to enable the customer to know when the software they are using is genuine and licensed and help them to do something about it if it’s not. However the technology used in Windows Vista and Windows 7 is fundamentally different from that used with Windows XP. It consists of new code and the latest methods for protecting Windows in ways that can only really be achieved with the components that are built in to both Windows Vista and now Windows 7. For that reason the anti-piracy features in Windows 7 — and future versions of updates of the technology for Windows Vista — will be referred to more accurately as Windows Activation Technologies. We will continue releasing Window Genuine Advantage updates for Windows XP-based systems.
We can therefore expect to see WAT rolled out with Windows 7, but also appear for Windows Vista too. Ultimately, Microsoft want to make it easier to ensure your copy of Windows is genuine and hope that WAT will achieve that goal.
Microsoft to raise $3.75 billion from unsecured note debt
Microsoft announced today as part of the $6 billion debt authorization approved by the company’s board back in September, 2008, that they would seek to raise $3.75 billion in senior unsecured notes. This is the first time in Microsoft’s 35-year history the company has raised funds by purchasing debt.The notes will be issued in three groups:
* $2 billion in 2.95% short-term notes, maturing June 1, 2014 (5 years), which is 95 basis points above U.S. Treasury notes.
* $1 billion of 4.20% long-term notes, maturing June 1, 2019 (10 years), which is 105 basis points above U.S. Treasury notes.
* $750 million of 5.20% long-term notes, maturing June 1, 2039 (20 years), which is 105 basis points above U.S. Treasury notes.
Microsoft will use the net proceeds for general corporate purposes, which “may include funding for working capital, capital expenditures, repurchases of stock and acquisitions” — though there are no specific or defined plans for the money.
Microsoft is expected to close all details of the note offering by next Monday, May 18, 2009. A prospectus is available from J.P. Morgan Securities, Morgan Stanley & Co, or other underwriters. The bond issue has received a triple-A rating from Moody’s Investors Service.
Review: Microsoft SideWinder X8 Gaming Mouse
In this review we’ll be looking at the SideWinder X8 gaming mouse in this review. In the past we’ve looked at the original SideWinder with its very cool metal buttons and scroll wheel, as well as the SideWinder X5, an affordable take on the original. The SideWinder X8 tweaks the design of the X5 while going wireless and moving from a 2000dpi sensor to 4000dpi. The X8 also jumps up to $80, which is the highest price for a SideWinder so far.On the exterior the X8 is almost the same as the SideWinder and the X5 so be sure to check back to those reviews for comments on the shape of the mouse, the fit in the gamer’s hand, the contours of the design, and button placement. The X8 is very similar to the previous two, but some changes were made and we now have a more angular mouse than in the past. The X8 uses a 10-button design like the original (the X5 has nine) with the layout being: two primary buttons, the scroll wheel, three sensitivity buttons below the scroll wheel, one in the palm rest, forward and back buttons on the side, and a macro-record buttons in front of those two. This seems like a lot, but all you will really need to rely on during gaming are the two primaries, the wheel, and forward/back so you generally will just be tracking five. The X8 also has had its LCD restored so users can one again see what dpi setting they are running (4000, 1000, and 500, by default). The feet are replaceable and two extra sets made of materials with slightly different textures (some are slicker than others) are included, hidden away in the wireless transmitter. Swapping sets takes just a few second per foot.
ASUS gets first WHQL motherboard certification for 32-bit Windows 7
ASUS Tek Computer announced this week that they have become the first motherboard manufacturer to obtain WHQL (Windows Hardware Quality Labs) certification for 32-bit Windows 7. ASUS’ P5Q PRO and P5Q SE PLUS have received the coveted seal of approval. The company is expecting other models to be certified soon.
Hardware undergoes specific tests by the manufacturer and stringent testing by Microsoft before being allowed to use the “Compatible with Windows 7″ logo. To ensure that ASUS motherboard users “will enjoy a complete and flawless Windows 7 experience when the operating system is officially launched,” ASUS is striving to obtain certification for its entire line of motherboards.
The Windows 7 Logo Program is supposed to ensure that companies who are awarded the use of the logo have products that are reliable and compatible with Microsoft. Companies that meet the requirements get to use the logo, and benefit from the market recognition, and consumer confidence it supposedly brings to a product.
For now, Microsoft has only blessed ASUS’ two models. One is the P5Q SE PLUS, with an Intel Core 2 Extreme/Intel Core 2 Quad, or Intel Core 2 Duo Processor; the Intel P45/ICH10 chip set; Gb LAN, with a 1 x PCIe 2.0 x16 graphics slot. Its memory stands at 16GB, DDR2 1200 MHz. The front side bus (FBS) is 1600 MHz. The second winner, the P5Q PRO runs the same CPU, FSB, LAN and memory. Its chip set is the Intel P45/ICH10R, and the graphics slot is 2 x PCIe 2.0 x16.
ASUS also was joined this month by DTS thereby incorporating the Surround Sensation Ultra PC into their P5Q Turbo and the latest M4 Series. The partnership will entertain users with a surround effect from just two speakers or even headphones. DTS was founded in 1993 and pioneered in multi-channel audio. They’ve expanded their repertoire to include home theater, car audio, PC and game console products. More recent products involve DVD-Video, Blu-ray Disc and Surround Music software.
In addition to motherboards, ASUS is also involved in a broad spectrum of products from PC components to complete solutions including desktops, smartphones, PDAs, broadband communications products, LCD monitors and notebooks, notably the Eee PC. The huge company has over 10,000 employees and revenues of $8 million. They probably know how to cash in on today’s WHQL certification.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Microsoft My Phone available to everyone
If you want to sync your contacts, calendar, photos, videos, text messages, music and more to the cloud and are running a Windows Mobile phone with version 6 or above, then you now have a free way to do it thanks to Microsoft’s My Phone service. Back in February Microsoft slipped a bit and prematurely made its new My Phone service live. Now it’s officially available to everyone.
When I was using a Windows Mobile phone as my primary device I used to pay for a hosted Exchange service at 4smartphone. Then I moved to Google Sync since I also use an iPhone and other devices. The process was a bit involved but it was worth it for me.
For the everyday Windows Mobile user, though, this service is a no brainer since you just have to install the My Phone service on your phone and then Microsoft takes care of the rest. If you lose your phone in the future or want to make changes to your information from a web-based interface, My Phone will deliver what you need.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Microsoft and Intel hamper consumer choices with new Windows 7 netbook plan
It’s being reported that Microsoft and Intel have jointly reached a consensus to limit the screen-size for netbook PCs certified with Windows 7 to 10.2-inches, down from a previous 12.1-inch limit. The move is designed to harm the competition, primarily VIA, and to reduce consumer choice while bolstering Intel’s Atom-based platform, which now dominate this 10.x inch niche, according to Taiwan ODM notebook makers.
In addition, the move will likely end PC vendors’ current Atom Zxx-based netbook offering, that of 11.6-inche and larger products, shortly after the launch of Windows 7, meaning netbooks stay on the small end, with CULV-like products taking up where netbooks could otherwise be.
This artificial limitation (of imposed hardware specs by Microsoft/Intel) runs contrary to VIA’s standard operating procedure, the chief competition in this area, and a company that does not limit its vendors’ ability to choose any components, including CPUs, chipsets, and display sizes, for their products. VIA lets the market decide for itself.
Reducing the maximum screen size from 12.1-inches to 10.2-inches for Windows 7 validation will reportedly push VIA out of the reduced OEM-price for Windows 7 licensing rates as well, thereby lowering the advantage of choosing a VIA product (such as the outstanding Samsung NC20 I