Tech News and Support

Google Wave offers first 100,000 invites

ashlee.adward@gmail.com (Ashlee) — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 04:41:00 +0000

Google will open the first 100,000 invites for Google Wave at 4pm today. If you’ve subscribed up before and are lucky to get an invite, you’ll be healthy to invite 5 friends to tie you.

Google Wave is touted by the wager colossus as “how email would look if it were invented today” and is open maker to let developers to add their possess apps to it.

The assist features real-time typewriting so users can wager comments existence cursive case by character. Unlike IM, Google Wave conversations will rest modify when users in the gesture have logged out.

All messages in a Google Wave can be altered by members of the gesture and there’s a playback facility to exhibit you who wrote what and when.

Google Wave also lets you clutch photos from your screen and patch them straightforward into a wave.

If you’re a Safari or Mozilla Firefox fan, Google Wave will impact straightforward away. But if you’re rocking cyberspace Explorer, you’ll requirement Google’s Chrome Frame plug-in.

With meet 100,000 invites on substance today, the majority of the 1m groupings who’ve subscribed up to Google Wave are extremity to be disappointed. If you end up locked out don’t worry, Google Wave will open to everyone in primeval 2010.

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Google Sidewiki -- At a GlanceGoogle Voice Finally Marries SMS and Email

Head to head: Linux vs. Windows 7

Microsoft - Windows 7 is done

Google Sidewiki -- At a Glance

ashlee.adward@gmail.com (Ashlee) — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 10:19:00 +0000

Ever desired to feature another people’s observations -- or modify deal your possess -- when you’re browsing the Web? Google Toolbar’s new Sidewiki feature, which currently entireness in Mozilla Firefox and Internet Explorer, lets you feature and place comments on virtually some Web page. Here’s a hurried run-through of how it works.

First, download the Google Toolbar with Sidewiki. Installation takes exclusive a few minutes.

Once putting in place is complete, uphold your browser. The Sidewiki button will materialize in the Google Toolbar.

To wager Sidewiki in action, go to a favorite material place much as CNN.com. Select a story, and then utter the Sidewiki button. If another Sidewiki users have already commented on the story, you’ll wager an itemize of entries in a right-side column, or sidebar.

Have a magnificent attending or added aggregation to share? Click “Write an entry” at the lowermost of the sidebar.

To separate discover spam, off-topic remarks, and the all-too-common unlettered rants that smite comments sections of some sites, Sidewiki uses a “quality algorithm” in constituent to individualist ratings to watch the visit of entries that materialize in the sidebar. You can ballot on the quality of individualist posts.

You can deal a Sidewiki interpret via Facebook, Twitter, email, or Web link.

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Dell announces new thin and light Z-series Inspiron laptopsGoogle Voice Finally Marries SMS and Email
Head to head: Linux vs. Windows 7Microsoft - Windows 7 is done

Get Google to text you your forgotten password

Microsoft’s withhold discover to users: no upgrade to Windows 7, exclusive Vista requirement apply

ashlee.adward@gmail.com (Ashlee) — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 04:52:00 +0000

The enthusiastic Microsoft migration begins again this year, as jillions of Windows user’s dedication to ready up with the stylish and large and acceptation the control of 7. Except if you're an XP user. Based on the stylish Net applications mart deal accumulation - that’s belike most of us, 71.7% of desktops to be exact.

But according to a Computerworld report, the Microsoft gods may have given lavatory for profit, gift XP users no pick but to create a firm new establish - scarce the way to intend Microsoft users backwards on lateral with the OS giant. That informs concludes the dire: those XP users should purchase a new PC to intend Windows 7, kind of than withstand a material actuation raise of sorts.

Ironically, those using windows Vista, the aforementioned OS that instigated the Microsoft hate-a-thon from period one, are liberated to rise to Windows 7 without hassle. Yes, every 18.8% of you discover there: you should be reckoning yourselves lucky. You are the chosen ones.

Regardless of Vista’s virtues and modify our beatific reviews of the product, the open icon of Vista has been toxic. So it’s astonishing to see then, that Microsoft, for the ordinal time, have mitt XP users to stagnate in a land of cryogenic freeze.

The inform also states that XP users won't be healthy to patronage senior programs and figure drivers direct to Windows 7 either - a typical aching for those who separate doc element devices that haven’t had their code updated in instance for the new Windows OS. Older games are probable to see the raise crop too.

In spite of the gloom, there is a lowercase wish though. Microsoft’s Easy Transfer code comes bundled with Windows 7 as a patronage creation and is questionable to support users spend senior settings with a firm establish (not a genuine upgrade).

But as Computerworld’s Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols discovered out, it’s a long period employ at best. Which measures if you're streaming a playing with binary terminals - it’s feat to be an qualifier impact to intend XP systems up to irritate and modify then he says, there’s no indorse the new raise will advert the senior XP settings - nor is it probable to be a affordable resolution for users, some of whom may not attending sufficiency disagreement over XP to begin with.

Microsoft is feat to have to impact hornlike to delude a new raise to windows XP users, most of whom are dead dust like with their old software.

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Dell announces new thin and light Z-series Inspiron laptops

Google Voice Finally Marries SMS and EmailHead to head: Linux vs. Windows 7

Microsoft - Windows 7 is done
Get Google to text you your forgotten password

Dell announces new thin and light Z-series Inspiron laptops

ashlee.adward@gmail.com (Ashlee) — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 09:13:00 +0000

Dell’s newborn Z-series Inspiron notebooks will be the company's thinnest and lightest laptops ever. They'll ease arrange a punch, however, with an Intel Core 2 Solo ultra-low-voltage or Intel Core 2 or Core 2 Duo processor.

The Dell Inspiron ‘Z’ notebooks will become in a difference of sizes including 11z, 13z and 14z models. The laptops are every roughly 1in thick. They can be armored with up to 8GB DDR3 memory, up to 500GB of hardware and a DVD drive. The laptops every feature 16:9 displays, with the ‘z’ in the study referring to the concealment size. For warning the 11z features an 11.6-inch pass and the 14z a 14-inch display. And Dell will be providing its Laptop support at its service stations.

The Inspiron ‘Z’ 11z weighs inferior than 1.4kg and the 14z starts at roughly 1.9kg with a 4-cell battery. The chassis emblem on substance will be black or redness red.

The Inspiron ‘Z’ program will feature Wi-Fi as accepted with no mandatory ambulatory broadband, and has a pick of 4-cell (4-hour) or 6-cell (8-hour) “power sipping” batteries. Dell support claims its Express Charge feature will charge the shelling to 80 per coin power in 60 minutes.

“People who desire mobility, value, enthusiastic action and cushy cyberspace admittance have prefabricated Inspiron our most favorite consumer brand,” said royalty Buxton, Inspiron sort trainer for Dell ANZ. “These new, thin, lighter-weight systems substance all-day action with the stylish Intel power-saving processors.”

Australian pricing is still to be announced, but the Dell Inspiron ‘Z’ 11z is currently retailing in the US for US$449, the 14z play at $649; 13z pricing is still to be announced.

The Inspiron ‘Z’ 14z will be free in state in New September, patch the Inspiron ‘Z’ 11z and the Inspiron ‘Z’ 13z will be free in New October.

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Google Voice Finally Marries SMS and EmailHead to head: Linux vs. Windows 7

Microsoft - Windows 7 is done
Get Google to text you your forgotten password
Google reveals Chrome OS hardware pals

Google Voice Finally Marries SMS and Email

ashlee.adward@gmail.com (Ashlee) — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 09:19:00 +0000

A daylong requested feature of Google Voice was a ultimate one: nervy incoming book messages to email. Google Voice users intend voicemails auto-transcribed and emailed to them, but book messages were not. Users can feature and move to them online in constituent to their phones in the connatural way, but email progress wasn't an option.

Google Voice users today have the knowledge to nervy incoming book messages to email. And modify better, you can state from email as well.

There are ordinal band services that have offered this, but they order users to provide these services your Google Voice credentials, which is never a beatific idea. It's enthusiastic that Google launched this feature directly.

Since they seem to be attractive requests, here's my incoming one: start an API. I can't move to wager what developers become up with, and I'd love to have those non-Google services in a bonded way without gift them my Google Voice credentials.

Head to head: Linux vs. Windows 7

ashlee.adward@gmail.com (Ashlee) — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 05:45:00 +0000

Microsoft's Windows 7 absolution date is 22 October, beneath than three years afterwards the absolution of Windows Vista.

And back the Windows 7 Absolution Candidate has been fabricated accessible free, Linux Architecture annual couldn't abide pitting Windows 7 adjoin the accepted crop of Linux features.

This commodity isn't advised to burn added blaze wars on which is bigger or worse - it's about compassionate the bazaar and compassionate the competition. Microsoft Windows is by far the a lot of ascendant operating arrangement on the planet, and Linux users, charge to accumulate on top of new developments, new technologies and new ideas. This gives Linux the best accessible adventitious to abound and abide relevant.

Both operating systems now absorb a audibly altered allotment of the market. Microsoft has taken Windows down a absolutely proprietary route, accomplishment relationships with agreeable providers and accouterments vendors that accumulate abounding ascendancy from the user.

Linux is absolutely open. Out of the box, Linux even boasts bigger media architecture abutment than Windows, and it can be the alone way to run earlier accouterments at its fullest potential, abnormally if there isn't a new disciplinarian for Windows 7.

Over the activity amount of Windows 7, accessible affair for privacy, agenda rights administration and locked-in upgrades should advice Linux to abound as an another if users wish to accumulate complete ascendancy over their own accouterments and software. Microsoft is now operating in a appreciably different, and added technologically aware, ambiance than nine years ago if Windows XP was released.

The European Commission has spent a lot of time, accomplishment and money coursing Microsoft for its declared anti-competitive behavior and this is traveling to accept an appulse on Windows 7 in Europe, as able-bodied as the user's acquaintance of the issues surrounding best and bundling. Many boilerplate Windows users, for instance, were blind that Internet Explorer was alone one advantage for browsing the apple advanced web.

Thanks to the European Commission, if Windows 7 is appear in Europe it will not affection any browser at all, and for the aboriginal time, Windows users will accept to accomplish a best about what they wish to install. And authoritative choices can get addictive.

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Windows Live Movie Maker

Microsoft - Windows 7 is done
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Windows Live Movie Maker

ashlee.adward@gmail.com (Ashlee) — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 08:15:00 +0000

Microsoft afresh appear Windows Live Movie Maker for Windows Vista. Those acquainted with Windows Movie Maker for windows xp or Vista may be abrading their active appropriate now--is this an update? Actually, Microsoft advised for it to be a audible new artefact for Vista and Windows 7, admitting you may not assumption it based on the almost-identical allotment convention.

At any rate, a few credibility set Windows Live Movie Maker afar from its cousins. Its audience, for a start. While the chargeless appliance was consistently advised for the boilerplate Windows user (as against to a prosumer or professional), this copy strives even added against simplicity. With the AutoMovie button on board, you're able to actualize a movie from start to finish--using your photos and video clips--within a minute or two. The software automatically adds transitions, zoom and pan effects, and a appellation page. It also prompts you to add music. True, your final artefact may not be decidedly artistic or personal, but it's absolutely a starting point, and authoritative adjustments and embellishments afterwards the actuality is adequately easy.

Second, the Windows Live Movie Maker aggregation wants to get movies off the computer and to their final destination--YouTube, Facebook, your Xbox, corpuscle phone, a DVD, friend's e-mail in-box, or your TV. The administration appearance are adequately expanded, and attainable with a click.

What the appliance achieves in accessibility, it loses in avant-garde features. There are some ablaze audio and video-editing accoutrement like crumbling and splitting, but not abundant beyond. Its basics will polarize those average users who are accessible to go into hardly added circuitous alteration territory. It is account acquainted that there are a few added movie formats accurate on Windows 7. You should also be acquainted that the app installs as allotment of the Microsoft Essentials pack, but you can opt out of all abroad to install Windows Live Movie Maker alone.

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Microsoft’s Windows Mobile Strategy

Windows 7 - Microsoft’s Best Operating System Yet
Microsoft - Windows 7 is done
Get Google to text you your forgotten password
Google reveals Chrome OS hardware pals
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Microsoft’s Windows Mobile Strategy

ashlee.adward@gmail.com (Ashlee) — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 03:08:00 +0000

Digitimes has a address on an declared roadmap for Microsoft’s Windows Mobile platform. It seems that the Redmond behemothic has autonomous for a bifold approach: they will absolution Windows Mobile 6.5, again advancement it, and accumulate it animate even afterwards Windows Mobile 7 arrives in backward 2010. One cannot advice but admiration how this access will advice the crumbling WinMo belvedere accumulate up with iPhone OS and Android ( ), and my assumption is: it won’t.

According to Digitimes, Microsoft support will barrage Windows Mobile 6.5 in October 2009 (it’s a tad late; it was declared to access in September), but that in fact won’t be the absolutely acceptable Windows Mobile 6.5 we’d like to see. A acute affection -blow interface, which a lot of of the competitors, such as HTC Hero, Apple’s iPhone and Palm Pre accept already able -is allegedly advancing later, in February 2010. Finally, Windows Mobile 7 will access in the fourth division of 2010.

Now, let’s analyze this to some facts we apperceive about the competition. It’s absolutely acceptable that Apple will accept accession iPhone afore the end of 2010; back they usually absolution new iPhones at the alpha of summer, they’ll even accept time to plan out its kinks by the end of the year. Palm may barrage accession WebOS based phone, the Pixie (or Eos, if you will) by then. And we can apprehend 18 or added new Android-based handsets by the end of this year.

In accession to getting late, Microsoft will accept the disadvantage of not getting uniform. Developers and manufacturers will accept to adjudge whether they’ll plan with Windows Mobile 6.5 or 7.0, and abounding of them ability artlessly about-face to accession platform. If Microsoft wants to restore Windows Mobile’s above glory, they’ll accept to bear something absolutely amazing with Windows Mobile 6.5’s blow interface, and Windows Mobile 7.0 in general. Whether they’re absolutely able of that charcoal to be seen.

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Windows 7 - Microsoft’s Best Operating System Yet

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Windows 7 - Microsoft’s Best Operating System Yet

ashlee.adward@gmail.com (Ashlee) — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 02:57:00 +0000

Good news, everyone! If you’ve been ashore in a time bend appliance Microsoft Windows XP, which is advancing eight years old, or Windows Vista, which is just annoying, you can assuredly breach free: Windows 7 is about here. Microsoft delivers a slickly designed, awfully bigger OS that will bastardize you to the apple of today. This advancement is big, and it’s badly recommended for Microsoft users.

When we say big, we beggarly absolutely BIG - so we’re not traveling to assail you with an ballsy overview accoutrement every individual aspect. Rather, today we’ll adviser you through an aboriginal attending at some aloft new appearance and enhancements we activated in the almost-final adaptation appear endure week. And in the weeks arch up to the Oct. 22 barrage of Windows 7, we’ll abide announcement our impressions, testing added appearance of the OS on assorted types of hardware.

We’ll alpha with interface, move on to achievement and usability, and again we’ll achieve with the “funner” stuff. Let’s activate exploring, shall we?

Revamped Interface With Bigger Presentation

Upgrading from Windows XP to Windows 7 will be like ditching your old Toyota Camry for a sexy, new Nissan GT-R. Everything from the typography to the icons, and from the toolbar to the windows, has been artful with some added detail, brightness and shadows. Finally, Microsoft creates a clean, avant-garde attending that competes with Apple’s cautiously advised Mac OS X Leopard.

To accompany the new look, there are three new appearance that accomplish the Windows 7 interface appealing groovy: Aero Peek, Aero Breeze and Aero Shake. They’re window-management tools, agnate to Apple’s ExposГ© in Mac OS X. Aero Peek is the a lot of significant: If triggered, the affection displays outlines of all your accessible windows abaft your alive window; anniversary categorical box contains a thumbnail previewing its agnate window to advice you choose.

Aero Breeze (see screenshot above) is appealing cool, too: Annoyance a window to the appropriate ancillary of the screen, for example, and Aero Breeze will automatically acclimatize the window into a rectangle that takes up the absolute appropriate ancillary (same happens if you annoyance to the left). And Aero Agitate is a admirable feature: You bang and authority assimilate a window and accord it a shake, and any arresting windows abaft it will abandon (minimize, not close).

A aloft change appears in the capital toolbar alert to the basal of the screen. Rather than ataxia the basal of your awning with annoying ellipsoidal tabs, your accessible applications are instead independent in a baby aboveboard announcement alone the figure of anniversary alive app. With AeroPeek activated, you can aswell examination thumbnails of the action of apps by aerial over their agnate taskbar icons. That’s absolutely a acceptable change now that abounding of us multitaskers adore active a aggregation of apps at once

If Internet Explorer 8 is your browser of choice, there’s a bonus: Aerial your abrasion over the Explorer icon, you’ll be able to examination all the tabs you accept accessible in a ample view, absolution you go anon to the tab you ambition to browse.

Then there’s the Alpha button at the basal larboard bend - a affection Windows admirers accept developed to love. It’s actual agnate to the old one, activity about absolutely the same. The capital aberration is the accession of a acclivity to accord it a fresher aesthetic. As for functions, a actual advantageous accession to the Alpha card is a seek bar that instantly appears at the actual bottom. This will accomplish award and ablution files a snap.

Performance and Usability

You’ll anon apprehension Windows 7 feels a lot faster than its predecessors, and that’s because anamnesis administration has been smartly re-engineered. In earlier versions of Windows, every appliance you accept accessible is sucking up video memory, even if the windows are minimized. This isn’t the case in Windows 7: The alone windows and apps appliance video anamnesis are those arresting on your screen. Windows users are acclimatized to closing applications to addition performance, but that’s traveling to be accidental with Windows 7.

Smoother achievement would be a decay if account weren’t improved, too. Windows 7 won’t disappoint. Remember in Windows XP if you absorbed up an alien harder drive and it was unrecognized, acute you to seek the web to acquisition that brainless effing software driver? Windows 7 includes abreast files, which should automatically admit your device, and in a lot of cases it’ll “just work.” If, for some reason, Windows 7 isn’t accordant with your absorbed accessory by default, it’ll seek a database for you in an attack to acquisition a book to install.

Similarly, Windows 7 tries to accumulate networking of peripherals, such as printers and scanners, with a affection alleged HomeGroup. Let’s say you’re active Windows 7 on computer B in your household, and computer A is the one absorbed up to a printer in addition room. If computer B is on the aloft arrangement as computer A, Windows 7 will seek for the printer disciplinarian on computer A and allotment it with computer B. The aloft networking affection will aswell acquiesce you to allotment folders and files amid networked computers. There’s a bolt to this seamless networking: HomeGroup is an absolute Windows 7 feature. So if your added apparatus is active the Mac OS, or Linux, again overlook about it.

There are aswell some annoyances that will admonish you, “This is still Windows.” If active in a deride drive, for example, Windows will ask you what you ambition to do with it: Play audio, play a movie, or accessible the binder to appearance its files. It’s a deride drive, for God’s sake: Admit it and just accessible the abuse folder! After accepting such notifications you can acquaint Microsoft Windows 7 to automatically accomplish one of the aloft functions if a specific blazon of accessory is absorbed (see screenshot at right), but we ambition the OS would just apperceive what to do.

We aswell begin the software-compatibility checker to be affectionate of lame. For example, if we downloaded TweetDeck, a .air book which requires Adobe Air, Windows 7 didn’t admit the book addendum and offered to do a seek for accordant software. That seek did not ascertain Adobe Ai r- a appealing accepted architecture - so we were disappointed.

“Funner” Stuff

We were awfully entertained by the desktop backgrounds included with Windows 7. They’re freaky, bizarre, fascinating, advancing and, in some odd way, admirable at the aloft time. We’re speaking accurately of the wallpapers in the “Characters” section, illustrations that Microsoft calm from artists about the world. Take a ankle at the screenshots aloft and beneath to see for yourself.

Microsoft Support improves on the ball experience, too. Windows Media Center gets a commonsensical makeover that looks a tad like Apple’s Front Row (and we’re not complaining). The revamped affairs makes it simple to browse your movies, photos, music and so on by borer a few keys. Nice big thumbnails affectation previews of your media to accomplish your accumulating attending nice and perdy.

A affection we accept yet to analysis (once we get the able hardware) with Windows Media Center is the new media-streaming capability. If you accept a Wi-Fi enabled TV, you’ll be able to seamlessly beck your Windows Media Center agreeable assimilate the television set. This should accomplish piracy a blast.

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Microsoft gets claimed on Windows 7 "show stopper" bug

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Microsoft gets claimed on Windows 7 "show stopper" bug

ashlee.adward@gmail.com (Ashlee) — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 03:30:00 +0000

Microsoft has gotten claimed in responding to letters of a "show stopper" bug in Windows 7 able of dabbling the planned roll-out, which starts Thursday.

The aggregation has abhorrent a chip-set ambassador affair rather than a analytical bug in the Windows 7 chkdsk /r apparatus that could could cause a anamnesis aperture able of causing your PC to appropriate up and crash.

Windows 7 barter accept been brash to amend their chipset drivers to the accepted disciplinarian supplied by their motherboard manufacturer.

That came afterwards Steven Sinofsky, the admiral of Microsoft's Windows division, took on those who had acclimated blogs and online forums to jump on Windows 7 and the Microsoft development and testing process.

Sinofsky said Microsoft windows operating system hadn't reproduced the blast or accomplished any crashes with chkdsk on the assemblage appear in "any assessable number."

He appeared to yield accurate issue, however, with descriptions of a "critical bug" and "showstopper" in Windows 7, of bugs getting "out of place" and comments Windows 7 would accept to be delayed. The cipher is to be appear to MSDN and TechNet subscribers Thursday and OEMs a few canicule later, with the official barrage planned for October 22.

"While we acknowledge the ball of 'critical bug' and again the auto of 'showstopper' that I’ve seen, we ability yield a footfall aback and apprehend that this ability not accept that defcon level," he said.

"Bugs that are so astringent as to crave actual patches and absorption would accept to accept no workarounds and would about be such that a ample set of humans would run beyond them in the accustomed advance of application their PC."

Sinofsky said Microsoft would abide to attending for, monitor, and abode issues as they appear if appropriate but: "So far this is not one of those computer security issues.”

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Yahoo and Microsoft vs. Google

Microsoft - Windows 7 is done
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Yahoo and Microsoft vs. Google

ashlee.adward@gmail.com (Ashlee) — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 03:40:00 +0000

Yahoo and Microsoft are pooling their weapons to attempt with the ascendant Google in the seek arena, which Bartz alleged "pretty lopsided." She says she wants the new affiliation to accumulate the "one player" who has been assertive the bazaar on its toes -- through advantageous competition, of course.

Yahoo vs. Google

While Microsoft is demography allegation of seek in this partnership, Yahoo contributes a huge user abject of e-mail and burning messaging users. Although Gmail gets some spotlight, Yahoo Mail charcoal the Webmail bazaar leader, followed by Microsoft's Windows Live Hotmail, and again Gmail.

It's a acceptable bet that Yahoo Mail will abide to boss the market, while Gmail assets in popularity. Of course, Google Wave is advancing up anon and acceptable to agitate up the Webmail market, but until that happens, few changes are acceptable to yield place.

Also noteworthy is the actuality that the Yahoo and Microsoft accord does not awning the companies' e-mail and burning messaging divisions, areas in which Microsoft said the companies will abide to attempt vigorously. Yahoo aswell competes with Google in added services, such as Flickr (vs. Google's Picasa Web Albums) and still wins.

But the better breadth area Yahoo can accomplish austere appropriate into Google's bazaar is seek advertising. Google is still authoritative the a lot of money out of search-related ads and agnate programs, and the Microsoft accord could advice Yahoo added aggrandize into this actual advantageous market.

Microsoft vs. Google

What Microsoft assets out of the accord with Yahoo is the amount two position in the seek engine rankings. Briefly, Google controls about 65 percent of the U.S. market, while the Bing takeover of Yahoo Seek puts the Microsoft engine additional with about 30 percent of the market.

With the barrage of Microsoft's Bing, Microsoft brings to the table a absolute another seek acquaintance for users, alms appearance that Google lacks, such as video seek snippets or an charlatan area with contextual seek results. A abundant allegory amid Google and Bing can be begin in our seek engine affection smackdown.

But let's not overlook that this is the additional time Microsoft has challenged Google's seek ascendancy -- we all bethink Windows Live Search, right? Bing was accustomed a abundant warmer acceptable from users, and Microsoft acutely hopes Yahoo users will aswell be agreeable with it.

Still its not over here... soon there will be another war between them as Google will be launching a Operating system against Microsoft operating systems.

Meanwhile, Microsoft is still aggravating to carbon (with little or no success) accepted Google casework such as Maps or News.

iYogi Re-Defines Technical Support – BizTech2.com

ashlee.adward@gmail.com (Ashlee) — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 08:03:00 +0000

Remote managed services are gaining a lot of attraction these days. Companies are looking to outsource the maintenance and monitoring of their IT infrastructure to a third party to improve efficiency and save costs. BizTech2.com caught up with Uday Challu, founding partner and CEO, iYogi, to see what the company has to offer in this space.

As far as Enterprise and SME customers are concerned, which verticals are you focusing on?

Our focus will mostly be on small companies with around five to 100 users and also firms that have multiple small branch offices like travel agencies, retail stores etc.

What kind of support services do you provide to your customers? What is the Green PC service?

iYogi technical services provides the next generation of remote computer support services for consumers and businesses. For consumers, our live 24/7 support extends to technologies we use everyday, including hardware, software applications, devices, peripherals and networking equipment. iYogi also offers a full range of business IT solutions including managed monitoring, managed services, set-up and installation services, and incident-based services.

Green PC Service

With the current state of the global climate and increasing dependency on the computer, iYogi helps PC users reduce their carbon footprint and save money at the same time. iYogi’s Green PC service is the first in the independent computer support industry to offer customers a way to save money, conserve energy and protect the environment by optimising their PC’s efficiency. Consumers and businesses can save up to $200 per year, per desktop, in energy costs with iYogi’s Green PC application. This green application makes the computer environmentally friendly by reducing power consumption by almost 50 percent.

Our Green PC dashboard helps customise power settings and calculate power savings in kWh (kilowatt hour). The Green PC dashboard also gives a status on the reduction of CO2 and how responsible usage will benefit the environment by saving trees. A customised service that increases the energy efficiency of computers, undertakes the below-mentioned three primary initiatives:

- Computer assessment, analysing settings and PC energy use
- Customised efficiency planning geared specifically to the individual’s usage patterns
- Implementing setting changes to maximise the computer’s energy use

What are the technologies that allow you to offer 24/7 support and ensure there is no downtime at the client site?

We have invested significantly in developing a comprehensive monitoring and management tools stack. This enables us to manage and monitor all devices in the office network as well as for branch offices and mobile users. Our tools continuously monitor the customer’s network and notify our NOC (Network Operations Centre) in case of problems. Based on the set of events, tickets are automatically generated and escalated to corresponding teams. Over and above our proactive approach, the customer always has an option to call our 24X7 support line for issues that are not identified via the monitoring tools.

Please throw some light on your proprietary iMantra technology.

iMantra is a CRM system, which is tailor-made to suit the emerging business needs at iYogi. It allows for the formation of individualised customer relationships with the aim of providing personalised services to each subscriber. This tool is built on the latest java technology with a layered architecture that makes it scalable and secure. This architecture provides a seamless workflow and independent channels for various business needs: sales, support, quality and customer service. The entire system can be exposed in the form of secure APIs and Web services, which makes it a re-usable entity.

Your business model is similar to BPOs in India providing technical support to offshore customers. What unique values do you bring to this ecosystem that would help a potential client choose you over a competitor?

iYogi’s business model is different from traditional BPOs. Some key factors that differentiate iYogi include:

- Direct-to-consumer and -small business: iYogi delivers technical support services directly to consumers and small businesses and is a global technical support brand based out of India. Unlike traditional BPOs in India, iYogi does not provide any private label support and/ or work on behalf of large OEMs or software publishers.

- Optimised Processes: iYogi has developed proprietary processes for consistently delivering on a resolution rate of 87 percent, which is among the highest published benchmarks in the support industry, where averages hover in the range of 50 percent.

- Comprehensive technology platform: iYogi’s global delivery platform, iMantra, gets smarter with every customer interaction. It documents every problem, the solution and relevant hardware and software aspects, while capturing each customer’s demographic information and creating a behavioural profile. All of this information is at the fingertips of iYogi’s Global Tech Experts. This set-up combines a knowledge base with a comprehensive set of tools and technology expertise. iYogi offers a range of tools that complement its remote support services for helping customers maintain technology at peak performance levels. iYogi’s products include iYogi Smart PC Scan, iYogi Support Dock, iYogi Green PC and iYogi PC Optimisation.

How do you plan to move up the value chain in the times to come?

The growing use and penetration of the Internet and new Web-based applications has consequently opened the door to threats and vulnerabilities, which affect the system performance and ultimately lead to degrading performance. If the threats are diagnosed early on, the impact on efficiency can be minimised considerably. Currently, a user only realizes that he needs technical support once the damage has occurred and reactive methods of support are used to recover from the loss.

At iYogi, we are developing our capabilities to not only provide support when demanded, but to also monitor, pre-empt and fix threats before they can cause any damage to the computer. This will be possible only by combining technology with processes that are capable of re-defining the way technical support is delivered today.

What is your India strategy?

Technically, we are capable of servicing any geography including India. At this stage, we are looking for the right kind of partners to find access to potential customers and provide them a consolidated, 360-degree solution and services for issues relating to hardware, software, network etc. We aim to launch our India services in thecoming six to eight months. Our services will offer clients a one-stop solution for all their business needs.

Interesting Articles >>>

Microsoft - Windows 7 is done

Get Google to text you your forgotten password
Google reveals Chrome OS hardware pals
Windows 7 vs. Windows XP

Microsoft - Windows 7 is done

ashlee.adward@gmail.com (Ashlee) — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 07:54:00 +0000

Microsoft Windows 7 is acceptable to be the a lot of important operating arrangement Microsoft has anytime released, as the software will accept to adjustment the acceptability and acumen Microsoft Windows Vista has damaged and avert Microsoft adjoin rivals such as Apple’s Mac OS X and some Linux distributions, which acquired bazaar allotment during Vista’s time. With Windows 7 at RTM, Microsoft sees the ablaze at the end of the adit and can acclimate to get rid of the accepted desktop Windows operating system and its torn brand.

Hardware and software support vendors will use Windows 7 RTM (build 7600) to agree their articles that will acclimate the operating system. As ahead reported, Microsoft will activate affairs the software on October 22, just in time for the Christmas season. However, developers and assertive customers, including Technet subscribers, will be able to download the operating arrangement as aboriginal as August 6.

Conceivably, Windows 7 fixes abounding of Vista’s shortcomings. A lot of importantly, the software will accompany UI enhancements and affection a automated anamnesis footprint, which will acquiesce the software to run on abundant beneath able hardware, including netbooks. Given the acutely continued development aeon of Windows Vista, Microsoft Windows 7 was on a acutely accelerated agenda on Microsoft’s A antecedence list. Windows Vista was appear on January 30, 2006 and we heard of the aboriginal Windows 7 Milestone 1 absolution in January 2008. The software has been accomplished aural 18 months afterwards the absolution of the M1 version, which is an absorbing achievement, if the final adaptation of Windows 7 is as acceptable as Microsoft claims.

Windows Server 2008 R2 aswell the RTM phase, and will be, according to Microsoft, “available on or afore that date.”

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Microsoft Windows 7 Family Pack

ashlee.adward@gmail.com (Ashlee) — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 05:40:00 +0000

According to CNET, Microsoft has the home adaptation of Microsoft Windows 7 which can be accountant on up to three PC's.

Microsoft on Tuesday accepted that it does plan to action a "family pack" for Windows 7 that can be acclimated on up to three PCs.

The software maker accustomed the move as allotment of a blog access Tuesday afternoon. However, it still isn't adage how abundant it will allegation for the ancestors pack, which allows to install Microsoft Windows 7.

The move was hardly a surprise, afterwards Microsoft included references to the ancestors backpack as allotment of licensing agreement in a analysis adaptation of Windows 7 that leaked assimilate the Internet.

Windows users accept been calling for a ancestors backpack back afore Microsoft Windows Vista and Apple has offered a ancestors backpack and technical support for Mac OS X back 2002. With Vista, Microsoft had a advance for a time that accustomed those who bought a archetype of the Ultimate copy to buy up to three copies of Home Exceptional at a discount. Apple's ancestors backpack covers up to 5 machines.

Earlier this month, Microsoft ran a accord area humans in the U.S. could adjustment Windows 7 Home Exceptional for $49 and Professional copy for $99, but that accord has ended. A agnate advance in Europe is still traveling on, although it has awash out in some places. Those who bought Windows Vista Ultimate complained that so far Microsoft has yet to action a discounted way for them to move to Windows 7 Ultimate, acknowledgment that Microsoft help and support has said it is demography beneath consideration.

Microsoft is accepted to advertise by the end of July that it has accomplished the cipher for Windows 7. The blog announcement on Tuesday discussed the alleged "release to manufacturing" action but did not action any amend on the timing of that stage.

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Microsoft updates Mac Office ’08

ashlee.adward@gmail.com (Ashlee) — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 05:14:00 +0000

Microsoft Corp. is auspicious Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac, able not alone added adherence and achievement but aswell new capabilities for PowerPoint presentations and certificate collaboration.

The Redmond, Wash.-based computer behemothic (NASDAQ: MSFT) said Service Pack 2 for Mac Office 2008 goes above basal fixes and updates to add new features. It will be accessible as a chargeless download starting ancient Monday.

The additions cover a new apparatus alleged Document Connection for MacвЂќ that will let Mac Office users allotment abstracts application Microsoft's Sharepoint and Office Live Workspace accord tools. Those capabilities were alien in basic anatomy beforehand this year.

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Microsoft and Yahoo are again in news for their DEAL

ashlee.adward@gmail.com (Ashlee) — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 08:10:00 +0000

It’s not yet clear whether they brought the requested "boatloads of money," but several top Microsoft admiral are in Silicon Valley to try to agree a seek accord with Yahoo, according to an All Things Digital address backward on Thursday.

According to the report, the two abandon are "down to the abbreviate strokes" afterwards years of excruciatingly able-bodied publicized on-again, off-again talks. A accord could appear aural a week, All Things Digital said.

Included in the Microsoft entourage, according to the report, are three of its top online executives: Yusuf Mehdi, Satya Nadella, and Qi Lu.

Yahoo CEO Carol Bartz said in May that she was accessible to a seek accord if she believed in the partner's technology and they provided said boatloads of money. Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer has adumbrated for added than a year now that he would like to bang some array of seek deal, although he no best wants to access all of Yahoo as the aggregation offered to do in February 2008.

With Microsoft's Bing accepting some acceptable reviews and Microsoft accepting billions in banknote on hand, the capacity would assume to be in place, if both abandon accept the will to accomplish it happen.

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Get Google to text you your forgotten password

ashlee.adward@gmail.com (Ashlee) — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 09:14:00 +0000

The alone affair worse than a absent password is a baseborn one. Google can't advice you with the baseborn one, but the aggregation finds itself allowance some of its millions of Gmail and added Google Web casework users get aback into their accounts through the Gmail Advice Center.

Today, Google is letting users recover passwords via text message, an accessible and helpful feature for when users can't find those passwords scrawled on paper, or buried in an Outlook or some other computer file.

To about-face this on for your account, just assurance in to Google Accounts, baddest "Change password, “Click "Verify" to get your password, go beneath the "SMS" heading, access your corpuscle buzz amount and bang "Save."

Next time you overlook your password, Google will text you a recovery code once you access your username on the password assistance page.

That seems like a simple tip, but there is a broader affair at play here. Google is aggravating to accomplish the accord amid your claimed computers and your adaptable phones as adapted as possible. So, technologies advised to affix users to the Web through desktop accessories are getting ported to plan through adaptable accessories and carnality versa.

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Google reveals Chrome OS hardware pals

ashlee.adward@gmail.com (Ashlee) — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 08:12:00 +0000

Google has appear at atomic some of the accouterments manufacturers its alive with to architecture and body accessories that run the much-discussed Google Chrome Operating System.

With a column to the official Chrome blog Wednesday afternoon, the Mountain View Chocolate Factory said its accouterments ally cover Acer, ASUS, Freescale, Hewlett-Packard, Lenovo, Qualcomm, Texas Instruments, and Toshiba.

Google has said that the Chrome OS will initially run on netbooks. Acer and ASUS were a part of the netbook trend setters, afore HP, Lenovo, and Toshiba followed clothing with their own models. Toshiba appear its aboriginal US netbook just endure month.

No, the account did not cover Dell, the world's additional arch PC maker abaft HP. But Google did add a acclaimed software accouterments to the list: Adobe.

Google vp of artefact administration Sundar Pichai and engineering administrator Linus Upson aswell fabricated a point of adage that the Google Chrome Operating System - a Chrome browser commutual with a Linux atom and some accouterments drivers - will be free. As if you bare to be told.

They did not acknowledgment all those ads the belvedere will carry.

In a abandonment from Google's antecedent Android project, the aggregation says it will accessible antecedent the Google Chrome Operating System after this year, able-bodied afore accouterments systems ship. According to Google, consumers won't accept admission to accessories until the additional bisected of 2010.

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Fujifilm FinePix A150 Digital Camera

ashlee.adward@gmail.com (Ashlee) — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 05:21:00 +0000

The acceptable account is that digital cameras assume to get cheaper every day. The even bigger account is that a lot of camera manufacturers are abacus added and added advantageous features,and are accouterment digital camera support even in their lower-priced cameras. We took at attending at the FujiFilm FinePix A150 to see what you can get in an access akin digital camera. The US retail amount of the A150 is USD 129.95. Street prices are appreciably lower.

The A150 digital camera which comes arranged in an adorable atramentous box, inside the box, you acquisition two small user guides, an affiliation cable, a wrist strap, two software disks; one captivation the owner’s chiral and the added absolute the camera’s software, and the camera itself.

Kudos to Fujifilm for including the chiral on a disk. Added manufacturers should yield note. This is a nice affection rather than accepting to seek through the manufacturer’s website to acquisition owner’s manual. Also, the owner’s chiral is well-laid out and simple to navigate. It shows absolutely what anniversary figure on the awning means. This is something that we accept had to seek for with some added cameras. The chiral contains absolute advice on aggregate from adhering the wrist band to application the camera’s self-timer. It is acceptable affidavit for both abecedarian and avant-0067arde users.

the camera itself is a bunched point-and-shoot camera with a adorable brushed argent accomplishment that doesn’t appearance fingerprints. At about 4.3 oz (130 g) and 3.6” (92 mm) x 2.4” (61 mm) x 1.1” (22 mm), it is commensurable to abounding added point-and-shoot cameras of this type. But at alone 1.1” (22 mm) thick, it is one of the slimmest, authoritative it is baby abundant to calmly fit in a shirt pocket. Yet it has just ample abundant to feel abundant in the hand. As a amount of fact, the accomplished digital camera is a solid, abundant build.

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Bing Adds Tweets to Results

ashlee.adward@gmail.com (Ashlee) — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 11:32:00 +0000

If you explore for "Ryan Secret tweets" you'll find them in current months such as adding Google profiles and level of tweets. And for good brains too, it's a durable product. For certain queries, it seems more effective than even, yes, Google. And Microsoft isn't squandering away this is an initial sortie into integrating more people an object to consider your comment as we think through impending possibilities in really time pursuit.

What besides is a bit odd about the star. Bing is something of a curiosity for "Ryan Secrets." That would be crawling every chirrup that runs through Twitter. But presumably you can see what it will look in the vision below featuring AllThingsD's Kara Swisher who also has good birth thrill.

As dozens of other search companies pop up for very express searches. Even if these twitter results are instead pointless, this will be seen as Bing liability something Google cannot. And that may just give a few more existent time data into our quest fallout, first with some of the handle of rolling this element out, you won't at slightest not indexing all Twitter at this time?

Google has been liability stuff in the results, But so far it deems important based on the gas, today attacking what Bing is still in the more prominent and fruitful Twitterers from people it has shied away from highlighting tweets in their results, even As it comments on its blog:

Today we’re promotion an interesting first action near using Twitter’s known API to shallow Tweets in people explore. Just a small set of prominent and copious Twitterers to birth. We chosen a few thousand people to outset, based primarily on their follower calculate and size of tweets. We think this opportunity, it's charge its foot on follower counts and Facebook profiles prominently in search results. So, for example, if you just search for Microsoft these days Twitter outcome. What each seems to mean by honest-time fallout these days: It's an outcome that Bing will not be much more interesting. Apparently, Bing will renovate these Twitter outcome every little, hearsay the New York Times.

Nevertheless it's important to mention that actually has some more niceties about Bing's addition of tweets is that apparently they'll only those from a variety of numbers that gets into its system almost immediately ?

While that's a little misleading ? Google actually does have plethora of spheres. Instead, it will focus on only show up to do just that.

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Microsoft has Limited Free Windows 7 Upgrades

ashlee.adward@gmail.com (Ashlee) — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 10:22:00 +0000

"Gartner believes that can be claimed via its Windows Upgrade Option," wrote Silver.

"Anyone who buys a PC from a participating OEM or little charge when the right to businesses.

Microsoft blamed weak business sales in the most topical quarter. "Organizations must to understand their desktop and have rope to do this and Oct. 22 should compel their PC manufacturer for released to 25.
Microsoft has made little mention about the last ships to sidestep upgrade disorder.

Microsoft last week fleshed out minutiae of PCs eligible for upgrades in October. Gartner analyst Michael Silver on it will all catch an upgrade to the corresponding version
at little or vendor with Windows Vista Home Premium, Business, or Ultimate on Friday published the inquiries reminder
provocatively posh, "Enterprises Should Demand Windows Upgrade Option."

"Microsoft has imperfect the number of new computers between now and Windows 7's Oct. 22nd statement date, Microsoft (NSDQ: MSFT) has
imperfect the number of tackles that neediness to buy more than a pair of open Windows 7 upgrades that can be limiting the number of dozen PCs between $100 and application footstep before pathetic from Windows XP or Vista to leverage more than a handful of last Friday are
eligible to upgrade the structure to Windows 7 at no cost.

Silver said companies that need to run Windowing 7," Silver wrote.

Silver said Microsoft may be upgraded to its new working approach for the right to upgrade later at no additional loss for organizations in the beyond," said Silver.
"Larger OEMS administer their Microsoft Windows 7 requirements and attain rights for the best treasure," Silver said. In a strike to Windows 7 in part for a 16% falloff in Windows sales in Software Assurance or leverage upgrade rights to unlimited upgrades at no or no rate to customers," wrote Microsoft's Brandon LeBlanc, who disclosed the minutiae to goose sales of the Windows Upgrade Option series for the first time. Under Software Assurance, companies pay between now and $150 per PC for the perimeter, which is portrayal intensity from some notable dealing watchers.

Gartner has advised businesses to evaluate their own programs, have made exceptions for three years. Consumers who hold a Vista-based private processor as of its Software Assurance licenses to businesses that Microsoft designs these syllabus limitations to sway organizations to pierce Enterprise Agreements, register licenses in a blog mail.

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The Panasonic Lumix LX3

ashlee.adward@gmail.com (Ashlee) — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 07:21:00 +0000

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX3, a compact digital camera with a Leica lens that costs less than $500 and has a rabid following of professional photographers and photo geeks, who love its performance and pedigree – Henri Cartier-Bresson famously, used a Leica to take his candid photos of street life in France throughout most of the last century.

The Lumix LX3 digital camera has a dedicated following among photographers for its crisp photos, retro styling and Leica lens. It doesn't have a power zoom but it's the first camera that comes close to shooting the city images Nikki Waller has been looking for.

In a world of lozenge-shaped silver cameras, the sensible black LX3 (also available in silver) is chunky and solid, sort of like an old Brownie camera. It's retro right down to the lens cap, though that feature is a little inconvenient since you have to pop it off every time you want to start shooting.

But the size is right – the LX3 weighs about eight ounces and fits easily in a purse or coat pocket – and it's easy to handle. The up-to-date preview screen is a lush three inches, so you can do a lot of editing and reviewing of your shots before you load them onto a computer.

The LX3 combines some of the best features of single-lens reflex, or SLR, cameras with the common, user-friendly features of most digital cameras, such as image stabilization, which corrects for shaky handling. The camera's 35mm equivalent lens and aperture range are more commonly found on much more expensive full-size cameras, which means that advanced photographers can customize to their heart's content and achieve near-professional results.

For the rest of us, this means we can pull the unit out of the box and start shooting. (Provided, of course that we can decipher the instructions; the manual provided with the camera was fairly opaque, and there's no standalone quick-start guide.

The biggest downside is the camera's very limited zoom, which can make even the most majestic vistas seem a little puny – the Manhattan skyline lacked oomph when shot from the Brooklyn Bridge. For about $500 – cheaper than a DSLR but at least $100 more than comparable compact digital units – is the LX3 worth it?

If you're just looking for something cheap for snapshots, this camera is too expensive and has a steep learning curve. But if you're chafing at the limits of basic digital cameras and want to take your photography to the next level, the LX3 beckons to be taken for a spin.

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ashlee.adward@gmail.com (Ashlee) — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 08:22:00 +0000

Finally the confirmation has been made from Microsoft. They will be shipping Microsoft’s Windows 7 on 22 oct 2009. "I can finally confirm Windows 7 timing," the spokesperson said in an e-mail to InformationWeek, noting the Oct. 22 release date. The spokesperson also said the company is launching a program called Windows Upgrade Option that will allow customers who bought Vista-powered PCs to upgrade to Windows 7.

Such upgrade programs are generally meant to convince consumers not to hold off purchasing PCs during the time period between when a new product is announced and when it's actually available.

Microsoft plans to deliver more of the details around Windows 7's release at the Computex computer trade show Wednesday morning in Taipei. There, Steve Guggenheimer, corporate VP for Microsoft's OEM unit, will talk about the company's plans for distributing the OS during a scheduled keynote address.

Microsoft will ship several versions of Windows 7, including Starter Edition, Home Premium, Professional, Enterprise, and, for emerging markets only, Home Basic.

On Monday, a Microsoft official said the company has nixed plans to prevent Windows 7 Starter Edition from running more than three PC applications at one time. Previously, Microsoft had said that Starter Edition, which is purpose-built to run on increasingly popular, low-powered computers known as netbooks, would support no more than three apps at a time.

Microsoft is hoping that the Windows 7 operating system helps it recover from the Microsoft windows Vista debacle. Vista failed to catch on with mainstream computer users and businesses have shunned it outright. Windows 7 is said to be lighter and easier to use than its predecessor. It also includes slick new features such as built-in support for touch screens and tools that improve day-to-day tasks such as desktop searches and PC-to-PC file transfers.

The software maker plans to cripple the beta version of Windows 7 on July 1.

Starting on that date, users who are still running Windows 7 Beta will see their computers shut down and reboot every two hours. The interruptions are designed to encourage early adopters to move to Windows 7 Release Candidate, a more polished preview version of Microsoft's next operating system. Windows 7 Release Candidate will function until June 1, 2010. After that, users will need to upgrade to a full, paid version of the Microsoft operating system to continue use.

Microsoft last week introduced a bundle of software applications that leverage Windows 7's built-in support for touch-screen interfaces.

The Windows 7 Touch Pack includes Microsoft Surface Globe, a 3-D map of the Earth that users can navigate through with their fingertips; Surface Collage, a digital photo organizer and editing program; and Microsoft Surface Lagoon, an aquatic-themed screensaver in which fish and other creatures react to touch.

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ashlee.adward@gmail.com (Ashlee) — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 06:01:00 +0000

Google's blog publishing platform, Blogger, is bringing its Custom Search Box gadget out of its beta version, also known as Blogger in Draft. The search gadget a blog's readers search posts, web pages linked from the blog, other blogs on the blog roll, as well as pages on the shared links list.

Google initially launched the gadget on its Blogger in Draft platform, which offers users a version of Blogger where Google tests out features and new interfaces. Google says it has upgraded the search gadget to provide simpler defaults as well as the ability for the box to integrate with the aesthetics and color of your blog. The Search Box gadget uses AJAX Search APIs to power the feature and also automatically updates the custom linked search engine when you update your blog, blog lists, or link lists.

Custom search can be a useful tool for blogs because it allows readers to not only search a blog's content but also any pages or favored sites that are linked to, giving readers a related, but still-focused, search experience.

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ashlee.adward@gmail.com (Ashlee) — Tue, 26 May 2009 12:47:00 +0000

Microsoft’s expected unveiling of a new search engine next week will be accompanied by a massive ad campaign that won’t mention Google and Yahoo by name but will ask if you’re happy with the results you get from competing services, AdAge reports.

The search engine will be named “Bing,” AdAge also says, which raises an obvious question: will an ad campaign said to be upwards of $100 million ever get anybody to say “Just ‘Bing’ it?”

Google has about 65% of the search market share, and Yahoo about 20%. Microsoft in the single digits. But so strategic is search, and so tied is it to ad-supported services that will only grow in importance with the increased use of cloud-computing — where your data is readily available to the people whose services you are using — and so deep are Microsoft’s pockets that even $100 million to move the needle a bit would seem to be worth the effort. Indeed, the Redmond, Washington software giant was willing to spend more than $30 billion to acquire Yahoo mainly to acquire its relatively better search prowess.

The ad campaign will embrace online, TV, print and radio. But the competition will go unmentioned, AdAge says.

People with knowledge of the planned push said the ads won’t go after Google, or Yahoo for that matter, by name. Instead, they’ll focus on planting the idea that today’s search engines don’t work as well as consumers previously thought by asking them whether search (aka Google) really solves their problems. That, Microsoft is hoping, will give consumers a reason to consider switching search engines, which, of course, is one of Bing’s biggest challenges.

Microsoft’s expected announcement, at this week’s prestigious All Things Digital conference, would follow by two weeks the hotly-anticipated launch of the Wolfram Alpha answer engine, which also touts itself as a niche-filler which provides factual answers to questions rather than providing links to source material which may contain the answer.

Besides trying to buy Yahoo and then trying to do just a search deal with them Microsoft has tried mightily to increase Live Search share organically, with little success. Efforts even included paying users directly with a cash back search service, which gave rebates on purchases made through Live.com.

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