Test If Your Computer Is Windows 7 Ready

Windows 7, the new operating system from Microsoft, has some high technical requirements and you should first test if your computer can handle Windows 7 before you buy or download it.

Technical requirements:

- 1 GHz processor (32- or 64-bit)
- 1 GB of RAM (32-bit); 2 GB of RAM (64-bit)
- 16 GB of available disk space (32-bit); 20 GB of available disk space (64-bit)
- DirectX 9 graphics device with WDDM 1.0 or higher driver

In order to test if your computer is Windows 7 Ready you need to download the software provided by Microsoft, and install it on your harddrive.

You can download Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor from here.

1. After you install it start up the program and click Start Check.


2. Wait until it finishes the checking.


3. You will see a list with all the problem that you need to fix in order to install Windows 7.

Remove the Username and Picture from Windows XP Start Menu

If you don't like that your username and picture are displayed in Start menu, then dont worry, there is a solution to disable that. Just follow the steps in this tutorial.

1. Start Windows Explorer and go to the folder C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Microsoft\User Account Pictures.
(The option Show hidden Files from Tools/Folder Options must be checked)

2. In that folder, rename the picture which corresponds to your user account.
For example, if your username is Cristian, rename Cristian.bmp to old_Cristian.bmp.

3. Rename the following folder:
C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Microsoft\User Account Pictures\Default Pictures

to something else. For example:

C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Microsoft\User Account Pictures\No_Default Pictures

4. Go to Start -> Run.


5. Type regedit and press Enter.


6. Navigate to this key: HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Software \ Microsoft\ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Policies \ Explorer and set NoUserNameInStartMenu value data to 1.

If you don't have this dword make it by right clicking on the key and select New.


7. After you Restart your computer you see that your username and picture are gone from your Start menu.

Make Your HDD Faster

Many people do not know this, but it is actually possible to speed up your Hard Disk Drive. To speed up your hard disk speed you need to configure a special buffer in the computer's memory in order to enable it to better deal with interrupts made by the disk. This tip is only recommended if you have a primary memory (RAM) 256MB or higher.

Buffer Configuration

1. Click Start -> Run...
2. Type sysedit and hit Enter.

This command will open your System Configuration Editor, which has four windows open: SYSTEM.INI, CONFIG.SYS, WIN.INI and AUTOEXEC.BAT.


3. Click on the SYSTEM.INI window, place the cursor after [386enh] and hit Enter.

4. Type Irq14=4096. Make sure you type it correctly because the command is case sensitive.

5. Go to File -> Save in order to save the new configuration.
6. Close the System Configuration Editor and restart you computer. The most speed improvement is visible with IDE drives, however there are reports that this tweak also does good for SCSI disks. In any case, it won't harm your system, so why not give it a try yourself.

Apple, Microsoft And Google Sued

A law suit has emerged, that could have a sweeping impact on multiple software majors and a host of smaller graphical suite-makers. This law suit has been filled by Cygnus Systems and accuses major companies like Adobe, Google, and Microsoft of having violated their patent by using thumbnails, which Cygnus claims it invented.

To this purpose they have patented a broad-base technology which states "a method and system for storing, navigating, and accessing files within an operating system through the use of a graphical thumbnail representing the video display of the active document within the active application."

This directly affects just about every other graphical software that utilizes thumbnails. Be it Apple’s cover flow or Windows explorer, the number of software that utilizes this particular feature is too vast to list. It even shows up in hardware like mobile phones, iPods, PMPS and all sorts of other devices. If this case goes to court and goes in favor of the company, they could very wind up as one of the richest on the planet. In such cases normally not only is the victor entitled to current expenditures and costs, it can also sue for past damages caused by the use of their patent.

Windows 7 Beta In Jan 09 announced....!

It seems that Microsoft is really in a tearing hurry, to put the specter of Vista very quickly behind it. Windows 7 that was only recently announced, has already been displayed to developers and is now all set to enter a beta by sometime in January. This fact has been confirmed in this blog, by Microsoft’s Keith Combs. It seems that copies of the new OS will be available, to people who attend the Microsoft developer conference, that will take place in January, in Chicago and Minneapolis.

This marks probably the fastest turn-around time for a new OS, by Microsoft. Keeping in mind just how long Windows Vista was in development and how badly it has been panned by consumers, Microsoft is now just focusing on taking Vista, polishing it up with improved UI features and performance related tweaks and just introducing it as a new OS called Windows 7.

Gates Hints at Windows Next Coming 2009

Expect the next version of Windows (Windows 7) sometime in the next year or so -- as hinted by none other than Microsoft Boss Bill Gates.


"That'll be sometime in the next year or so that we'll have a new version," Gates is reported to have said during a Q&A session at a meeting of the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB) in Miami. The audience had gathered to hear him talk about corporate philanthropy. Gates added, "I'm super-enthused about what it (the new version) will do in lots of ways." However, he didn't give details as to what changes or features the new version would have.Afterwards though, a company spokesperson reportedly said that Gates was talking about pre-release versions of Windows and not the finished product. Yet, it is true that Microsoft has started the developer program for Windows 7, with reports doing the rounds that a test version named 'Milestone 1' has been given to some of the software major's biggest customers.
Also, presently Windows Vista isn't doing too well with several incompatibility and instability issues making users and businesses reluctant to shift from Windows XP to Vista. Microsoft could be in a hurry to release the next version Windows because of this reason. All said, given Microsoft's track record, it may well be late 2009 or early 2010 by the time Windows version 7 actually starts shipping.Source

Microsoft Surface in Stores

AT&T and Microsoft have formed a collaborative alliance to bring Microsoft Surface to a retail environment, and give customers the ability to explore their mobile worlds using touch and device recognition technology.Microsoft Surface is a 30-inch table-like display that looks like something Isaac Asimov wrote about but never got published. It gives individuals or multiple people the opportunity to interact with devices and content in a way that feels familiar - by using touch, gestures and placement of devices on the display. AT&T plans to place Surface in its retail stores and give its customers the opportunity to learn about the growing universe of mobile applications and devices. The interactive touch displays will work without a traditional mouse or keyboard and will allow customers to review features of a particular mobile device by simply placing it on the display. Surface will recognize the device and provide a graphical overview of its capabilities. Customers will be able to place two devices side by side on the unit and easily compare their features.

Customers will be able to view interactive coverage maps at the national, state, local or street level, using touch and hand movement to scale and move the maps, determining their coverage area. In the future, they will be able to drag and drop ring tones, graphics, video and more by "grabbing" content with their hands from a menu on the display and "dropping" it into the phone.Microsoft Surface is the first commercially available surface computer from Microsoft. Beginning April 17, customers can experience Microsoft Surface in select AT&T retail locations, including stores in New York City, Atlanta, San Antonio and San Francisco. Based on the success and learning from these initial pilot deployments, plans for further expansion across AT&T’s 2,200 U.S. retail stores will be determined.In addition to these features, AT&T and Microsoft will continue to collaborate on new and innovative ways to expand Surface capabilities in AT&T stores.
"We are thrilled to bring this groundbreaking new technology to our stores so we can introduce customers to their mobile worlds in a very personal and easy way," said Ralph de la Vega, president and CEO, AT&T Mobility. "We look forward to working with Microsoft to continue developing new ways for our customers to learn about the ever-growing lineup of mobile devices and applications."
"Microsoft Surface transforms the retail environment from a transaction destination to a customer engagement destination," said Robbie Bach, president, Entertainment & Devices Division, Microsoft. "With innovative and intuitive ways of accessing information and digital content on Microsoft Surface, consumers now have an entirely new, unique and personalized shopping experience. We’re excited to have AT&T bring this to life and be the first company showcasing Surface in its retail locations."
AT&T plans to unveil the new displays in stores located in New York City, Atlanta, San Antonio and the San Francisco area on April 17, followed by additional stores in other markets based on the success of the first phase of deployments.Source

Turok (PC) Dated

After stabbing the crap out of dinosaurs on the Xbox360 and the PS3, Turok, the dinosaur hunter is all set to invade PCs this April. The PC port (that by the way will be available from the 22nd of April) will be developed by Aspyr Studios (Stubbs the Zombie) and will not feature any sort of unique content except for mouse and keyboard support.

If you’ve missed this game on consoles you may want to try it out for the PC since it’s a pretty enjoyable albeit brainless shooter. Source

Free Web Version of Photoshop Launched

he maker of the popular photo-editing software Photoshop today launched a basic version available for free online.

San Jose, Calif.-based Adobe Systems Inc. says it hopes to boost its name recognition among a new generation of consumers who edit, store and share photos online.While Photoshop is designed for trained professionals, Adobe says Photoshop Express, which it launched in a ''beta'' test version, is easier to learn. User comments will be taken into account for future upgrades.Photoshop Express will be completely Web-based so consumers can use it with any type of computer, operating system and browser. And, once they register, users can get to their accounts from different computers.Web-based software is increasingly popular, and Adobe knows it's got to get on that train, said Kathleen Maher, an analyst at Jon Peddie Research.Many kinds of software are available for use online in a trend known as ''software as a service,'' or ''cloud computing.'' The earliest were e-mail programs, but they now include services to create and manage content and even whole operating systems. And they don't require time-consuming upgrades because they're maintained by the service provider.
Google Inc. provides a host of such services, as do Microsoft Corp. and others.
''This is the battlefield where Adobe and Microsoft and Google are going to fight some pretty big battles,'' Maher said.
Photoshop enters the online photo-management arena many years after such services first appeared. Some companies have already made a big name for themselves, like 9-year-old storage solution Shutterfly Inc., photo-editing service Picnik or image-sharing site Photobucket Inc.Adobe says providing Photoshop Express for free is part marketing and part a strategy to create up-sell opportunities. It hopes some customers will move from it to boxed software like its $99 Photoshop Elements or to a subscription-based version of Express that's in the works.Ron Glaz, a research analyst at IDC, says the move was necessary for Adobe to keep pace. Users are less likely to switch to a software they aren't familiar with, he said.''They have a whole market that they are missing out on, and they need to make sure that the market is aware there is a Photoshop solution for them. As that market grows and becomes more sophisticated, hopefully it will generate money,'' Glaz said.
''It's one of those things, if you can't beat them, join them,'' Glaz said. ''If they don't join them, the long run could be really painful.''Source

Microsoft Denies pursuing Blu-ray!

Earlier, the London Financial Times had reported about Sony Corp being in talks with Microsoft to woo the latter to adopt the Blu-ray format for its Xbox 360 gaming console. We'd even reported Microsoft as having said that it was considering the best possible way to connect with the Blu-ray format. However, Microsoft has now done a volte-face: it has denied having any talks with Sony for incorporating Blu-ray technology in its Xbox 360. Incidentally, in the midst of all this speculation whether Microsoft was actually working out ways of going with Blu-ray or trying to go it alone, Aaron Greenberg, group product manager for Xbox 360, had reportedly told Reuters that Microsoft is currently not in talks with Sony or the Blu-ray Association to integrate Blu-ray high-definition (HD) DVD technology in its Xbox 360 gaming console. So what is true? Is what the London Financial Times reported simply a rumor or is Microsoft now trying to hide facts by going back on what it earlier said. When Toshiba went public with withdrawing its HD DVD format, Microsoft, till then an arch supporter of HD DVD, initially kept mum before announcing that it would stop offering HD DVD players as add-on for its Xbox 360 console. But the software giant refused to say anything on whether it would or wouldn't switch to Blu-ray. The London Financial Times report seemed to have given some closure on all the speculation doing the rounds on the Web and in other media. And now this? The company has done a complete turn-around on what it is initally believed to have announced. Guess we'll only have to wait and watch till we know what's the real truth? Source

Finally Microsoft, Yahoo meet up this week......

All's not over on the Microsoft-Yahoo! front. First, the Wall Street Journal reported (quoting an unnamed person familiar with the deal) that both companies had met earlier this week on Monday to discuss Microsoft's impending takeover bid for Yahoo!. Now, Reuters has reported the same, quoting two anonymous sources familiar with the matter. The meeting is significant because it's the first to happen since Yahoo! famously spurned Microsoft's unsolicited $45 billion bid in Jan this year, calling it "inadequate". According to one of the Reuters sources, the meeting was not a negotiation and no bankers were present. Apparently, it was intended to allow Microsoft present their vision of a 'combined company' while Yahoo! executives mostly listened. As per the Wall Street Journal, financial terms of the deal weren't discussed during the meeting, neither was it clear which executives participated. Spokespersons for Microsoft and Yahoo! meanwhile haven't commented on the matter yet. Since Yahoo! rejected Microsoft's bid, neither has Microsoft fattened its offer nor have any other bids been made public leaving the two companies in an impasse. Importantly, the value of the original offer has declined from $45 billion to less than $42 billion with the value of Microsoft's shares having fallen since. Yahoo! meanwhile has been in much-publicized discussions with News Corp and Time Warner's AOL. However, News Corp Chief Executive Rupert Murdoch has clearly said he will not fight Microsoft for a Yahoo! deal. While AOL has just made a $850 million offer to takeover social networking Web site Bebo. According to some in the know, even Yahoo!'s meeting with Microsoft is part of its strategy to keep all options open.Source

Wireless Laser Desktop 7000 Keyboard by Microsoft

Microsoft has launched a new keyboard-and-mouse desktop combo, the Wireless Laser Desktop 7000, and an independent keyboard, the Digital Media Keyboard 3000. Both are designed to complement Vista-based PCs, in the sense that they give quick access to Flip 3D. The Wireless Laser Desktop 7000 features an ultra-thin Comfort Curve keyboard; Comfort Curve is a design that's been much appreciated over the past few years -- it has a slight (six-degree curve) that makes typing more comfortable. The keyboard features a Vista Aero-inspired translucent design and three "Floating" My Favorites keys, meaning the user can push and hold a key to assign it to the current destination (such as a local folder or a Web site). The rechargeable mouse of the Wireless Laser Desktop 7000 set has a horizontal charging station that provides a sturdy base; there's a battery status indicator that lets users know when it's time to charge the device. The 2.4 GHz wireless communication frequency means users can expect virtually no interference. In addition, the set is capable of frequency-hopping in the case of interference being encountered. The range for the mouse is as much as 30 feet. The Digital Media Keyboard 3000 gives users one-touch access to photos and to Windows Media Player. It also has keys for zooming in.The Wireless Laser Desktop 7000 will retail in the US in April for around $130 (Rs 5,000 approx) while the Digital Media Keyboard 3000 will retail in June for about $30 (Rs 1,200).Source

Office Live Workspace announced by Microsoft

Microsoft has announced the worldwide availability of Microsoft Live Workspace Beta , the new Web-based extension of Microsoft Office that lets people access their documents online and share their work with others.Currently it is being offered in English but Microsoft plans to offer the beta program later this year in various languages for international markets. The company expects to release the final public version of Office Live Workspace later in the year."Today's announcement moves us further down the path of bringing a software plus services experience to people at home, work and school," said Stephen Elop, president of the Microsoft Business Division. "By combining the rich client experience of Microsoft Office with flexible, intuitive service offerings, we're providing seamless computing experiences for our 500 million Office users worldwide."Microsoft is also unveiling a number of new Office Live Workspace features, such as an activity panel, notifications, direct links and multifile upload.Office Live Workspace features an activity panel that shows all the activity in a workspace at a glance. It notifies users about changes made to their workspaces or documents and allows them to bookmark their workspace or a workspace item via a unique URL in a browser window. People will be able to upload several files simultaneously by simply dragging and dropping from their desktop and the new sharing functionality includes an easier user interface and auto-completion of e-mail addresses. Microsoft is also launching a $100,000 sweepstakes for U.S.-based Office Live Workspace users.Source

Boxed Vista price reduced by Microsoft...!!!

Microsoft Corp. will cut the price of some versions of Windows Vista, the software maker said late Thursday.The move came a day after court filings revealed internal dissent over which Windows XP computers would be considered capable of running the new operating system - and a feeling on at least one executive's part that the company had "botched" the marketing of computers as "Vista Capable." Only copies of the year-old operating system that are sold in boxes directly to consumers are affected by the price cuts - not the versions pre-loaded on personal computers. The cuts will range from 20 percent to 48 percent.The reductions are to coincide with the late March release of Vista Service Pack 1, a collection of security fixes and other improvements.The reductions are to coincide with the late March release of Vista Service Pack 1, a collection of security fixes and other improvements. Microsoft said the new prices will apply to the Home Premium and Ultimate versions of Vista, in both their full editions and the editions that upgrade an older or more basic operating system. Both versions serve the tiny percentage of users who install an operating system on their own; most people get the latest version of Windows only when they buy a new PC. Windows Vista's January 2007 launch was plagued by delays. To keep consumers buying PCs in the holiday season of 2006, Microsoft and PC makers promised free Vista upgrades later to shoppers who bought Windows XP computers. At the launch, Microsoft was widely criticized for offering too many versions of the operating system - including Home Basic, which didn't have the snazzy new signature look called "Aero" - and for setting the price too high for the high-end versions. Brad Brooks, a corporate vice president for Windows marketing at Microsoft, said in an interview that the company has since tested lower prices and found "product was moving much, much faster." Brooks said he expects so many customers to buy Vista at the new prices that the price cuts will increase Microsoft's revenue, not subtract from it. A federal judge recently said consumers could pursue a class action suit against Microsoft for labeling PCs as "Vista Capable," even though many were not powerful enough to run all of Vista's features, including the Aero interface. That realization apparently caused computer makers like Dell Inc. to worry that people would stop buying PCs for almost a year - until Vista launched. The e-mails also showed Microsoft lowering the bar for "Vista Capable" to protect Intel Corp.'s sales of some widely used chips that weren't powerful enough for the full Vista experience.Microsoft employee Anantha Kancherla was particularly blunt in his March 2006 response to a question about whether a certain PC configuration would be considered "Vista Capable." According to the e-mails, Jim Allchin, the executive in charge of Windows at the time, wasn't involved in the decision to brand a wide swath of XP computers as "Vista Capable." Upon learning the details, Allchin wrote, "We really botched this."Source

A $1.3 billion Fine on Microsoft........!!!!!!

The European Union (EU) has imposed a fine of 899 million ($1.3 billion) on Microsoft for its non-compliance with a 2004 antitrust order. The fine is the largest ever to have been imposed on a single firm, and brings the total levied by the EU on Microsoft to about 1.7 billion ($2.46 billion) in the past four years.
This decision comes as Microsoft has continued to abuse its powerful market position after the EU's March 2004 decision requiring it to change its practices. An investigation into the company's behavior was triggered by a 1998 complaint by Sun Microsystems. It alleged Microsoft was refusing to supply information that servers needed to be able to work with Windows. This information was eventually made available to rivals, but at unreasonable prices -- which rendered the offer of the information pointless. According to Neelie Kroes, European Commissioner for Competition Policy, "Microsoft's behavior did not just harm a few individuals or a handful of big companies... directly and indirectly this had negative effects on millions of offices of companies and governments around the world."
This is the third time in four years that EU has imposed fines or penalties on Microsoft. The first fine was for the abuse itself everything up until March 2004. In July 2006, another penalty was imposed for non-delivery of complete and accurate interoperability information. And now, the penalty is for unreasonable royalty rates up until October 2007.
Kroes said the European Commission's being forced to levy these three fines reflects a clear disregard by Microsoft of its legal obligations, and that the fine is a reasonable response to a series of quite unreasonable actions.
After three years of allegedly illegal behavior, it appears that Microsoft has finally come into compliance with the 2004 decision. But the company is still not completely in the clear: last month, the EU launched a fresh probe into issues relating to MS Office and Internet Explorer.
So is this a lot of money? Actually, we hear that this much money equals two weeks' free cash flow for Microsoft; analysts say this is a drop in the ocean for them. You don't call them M$ without reason.Source

Xbox 360 will have HD DVD Players no more...!!

Finally, after much dilly-dallying, Microsoft has publicly conceded to stopping making HD DVD players for its Xbox 360 gaming console.
However, the company said it will continue to provide standard warranty support for its HD DVD players. With this move, the last of the support to the dying (now dead) HD DVD format has ended. During the time the format lasted, Toshiba, Intel, NEC, and Microsoft were arguably its main proponents.
Actually, HD DVD's downfall began quite some time back when major Hollywood studios, including Sony Pictures, Walt Disney, Twentieth Century Fox, and Warner Bros Entertainment chose rival Blu-ray over HD DVD for distributing their high-definition content.
This was followed by nearly all of USA's major retail chains, the likes of Best Buy, Target, and 'last but not the least' Wal-Mart Stores, pledging support to Blu-ray over HD DVD
With Toshiba's public withdrawal of the format, the fate of HD DVD was more or less sealed, leaving Blu-ray the unchallenged victor.
Now that Microsoft has said it will stop making HD DVD players for its Xbox 360 console, Blair Westlake, a Corporate Vice President with the company's media and entertainment group, further said they will continue to give consumers the choice to enjoy digital distribution of high definition movies and TV shows directly to their living room, along with playback of DVD movies that they already own.
Just how are they planning to do this?
With HD DVD players firmly out of the way, is Microsoft now going to make attachable Blu-ray players for its Xbox 360. In any case, Sony's PS3 gaming console already has built-in Blu-ray playback capability.
Or is the company now going to increase high-definition downloads on its Xbox Live service, as it said earlier. Source

THE Origami Experience 2.0

Origami Experience 2.0 is been shown at CES this week and is being made available to UMPC manufacturers for testing and pre-installation this month. Here's a quick peek into it :-

The release has four applications.

Origami™ Central

Origami Central is an update to the original Origami Experience application in the 1.0 release. As well as the familiar media features, we have created a fully-optimized browsing experience for UMPCs and an RSS reader. We have also extended the media features to include feeds that can provide information on new movies, audio books, or any media content that can be published using RSS.

Origami™ Now

Origami Now provides one-touch access to the information that’s important to you, email, calendar, RSS feeds, weather, to-do lists… . All organized into one context-sensitive screen that can change the information displayed according to the time, your current location, and freshness of content.

Origami™ Picture Password

This is a real breakthrough for using mobile touch PCs. Origami Picture Password allows you to login by tapping on a sequence of points on a picture; this not only makes it easier to login on a UMPC but also personalizes the login experience. You can choose your own picture and select points that mean something to you. It’s fun and secure.

Touch Settings

This is the familiar Touch Settings application from the Origami Experience Pack 1.0 release.That is you can perform all the functions by just simply touching the screen.