Microsoft details new changes to Windows 7

Following on from its previous update, Microsoft has unveiled 27 more changes it plans to make before upgrading Windows 7 from beta to release candidate. Once again, these are small tweaks based on user feedback aimed at improving the desktop experience, and more such adjustments are expected to come as Microsoft rushes to get their next operating system out the door.

This time the company has made some usability tweaks to how the taskbar thumbnail overflow feature works, modified the Control Panel Jump List so that it offers quick access to recently used items, and particularly focused on improving several aspects of the Windows Explorer file manager. Interestingly, Microsoft also decided to trim the shutdown and logoff sounds to gain up to 400 milliseconds because “every little bit counts.” The rest of the changes involve a number of different performance and operating areas, you can check out the full list on the Engineering Windows 7 blog.

Source: http://www.techspot.com/news/33909-microsoft-details-new-changes-to-windows-7.html

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Opera tests server-side optimization technology

Opera has unveiled its latest innovation for faster browsing and posted a test version for those who would like to take the technology for a spin. In a nutshell, Opera Turbo is a server-side optimization and compression technology that provides improvements in browsing speeds by compressing network traffic. This will come in handy not only for those with slow internet access but also for connections with a monthly cap or people on a pay per usage plan.

When turned on, Opera Turbo will display the average compression rate along with the amount of bandwidth saved at the bottom of the screen. The company warns that, as a result of compression, images on a website may appear with a considerably lower resolution but the layout and text will look exactly the same. Also, for those worried about their privacy, Opera assures them that encrypted traffic will not go through their servers.

This is a limited time release but the company hopes to eventually make Opera Turbo a part of its desktop client. It should work with any type of connection. However, to get the most out of it, Opera claims users need to be on a situation with limited bandwidth.

Source: http://www.techspot.com/news/33908-opera-tests-serverside-optimization-technology.html

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Free POP3 access hits Hotmail users worldwide, finally

Microsoft began rolling out free POP3 support to Windows Live Hotmail users back in January, albeit only on a few select markets. The company had previously offered this feature by asking users to pay $19.95 a year for a premium “Hotmail Plus” account, but with other online email services such as Gmail and Yahoo allowing it free of charge, Hotmail had to follow suit eventually – and it only took them a few years.

In all fairness, Microsoft has been offering a free way for synchronizing web services with offline clients since last year using their proprietary DeltaSync protocol. Another alternative for users is to use the Windows Live Mail desktop client which has built-in support for Hotmail. Neither solution, despite having their advantages over POP3, is more commonly used and accepted than the latter protocol.

Thus, those who had still been waiting for the update to hit their country will be happy to know that it has finally rolled out to every customer. Check out the details on how to setup your email client after the break.

POP server: pop3.live.com (Port 995)
POP SSL required? Yes
User name: Your Windows Live ID, for example yourname@hotmail.com
Password: The password you usually use to sign in to Hotmail or Windows Live
SMTP server: smtp.live.com (Port 25 or 587)
Authentication required? Yes (this matches your POP username and password)
TLS/SSL required? Yes

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VIA launches 1080p-capable chipset for netbooks

Via has launched a new chipset today described as a highly integrated ‘media system processor’ that meets the needs of today’s netbooks and other mobile devices. Dubbed VX855, the new part offers support for the Via Nano, C7, and Eden processor lines at 400 to 800 MHz FSB speeds while also integrating a DDR2 memory controller that handles up to 4GB of RAM and several input/output capabilities (including support for up to six USB 2.0 ports) in a single chip.

A new Chrome9 HCM graphics engine is also present to provide some modest 3D graphics – this is still a DirectX 9 part. Its main selling points, however, are its ability to deliver 1080p video playback while using a maximum of just 2.3W of power. The hardware supports a variety of video standards, including H.264, MPEG-2/4, VC-1 and WMV9.

Although it seems a bit unnecessary for a netbook to be capable of 1080p video decoding, considering the lack of a large display, it is a feat that Intel's current netbook platform is still unable to claim. Nvidia’s Ion platform, on the other hand, does offer such functionality but we've yet to see a retail product using it. Via could take advantage of this if it can get the VX855 chipset into a netbook soon.

Source: http://www.techspot.com/news/33904-via-launches-1080pcapable-chipset-for-netbooks.html

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OLPC to use ARM processors on the XO-2?

The OLPC foundation has hinted today that it might be dropping x86 processors in their next generation XO-2 laptops in favor of an ARM based solution. Apparently the move is aimed at improving battery life while cutting costs, using a system-on-chip design, but this could also come at the expense of losing compatibility with Microsoft Windows operating systems.

The current XO model already uses an average of only 5 watts but the company claims power draw is still their biggest problem. A typical ARM processor, on the other hand, uses significantly less than a watt. Microsoft has traditionally declined to make a full-blown Windows OS for ARM, but then again, as Nicholas Negroponte states, the XO-2 is still 18 months away from release and a lot can change in that time frame.

Source: http://www.techspot.com/news/33900-olpc-to-use-arm-processors-on-the-xo2.html

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IE8 release date set for March 20?

The next (and potentially last) iteration of IE8 has been reviewed many times, demoed across several platforms and anticipated by many for a variety of reasons. Throughout development Microsoft has never given a solid release date for the browser, though there's been a lot of speculation that it would be out sometime this month. Now, however, Microsoft Taiwan representatives are offering a more specific date saying that the local version of Internet Explorer 8 will be released just over a week away, on March 20.

If true, it could also mean that the company has already ended development on the browser and is planning to unveil its final version, stateside, at MIX09 the day before. This is supported by the fact that, in the most recently leaked builds of Windows 7, the version information of IE 8 in the About screen does not reflect a release candidate status. It also means that IE7 has had a development lifespan of only two and a half years, compared to about five for its predecessor, and it can easily be said that the success of other browsers (most notably Firefox) fired up Microsoft's development team to try and keep up.

Source: http://www.techspot.com/news/33899-ie8-release-date-set-for-march-20.html

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Samsung intros 4Gbit DRAM, touts memory modules of up to 32GB

Using its 50nm technology, Samsung claims it's made the world’s first 4 gigabit DDR3 DRAM chip, which is double the density of earlier chips and could yield memory modules with up to 32GB capacity. They are also said to consume considerably less power than previous chips, which the company is pitching as a selling point to the enterprise segment saying it will “lead to a reduction in data center costs by requiring fewer machines, improve server time management and increasing overall efficiency.”

A 16GB module, for example, can consume 40% less power using these new chips rather than 2 gigabit versions because the higher density means it uses half the number of chips – 32 versus 64. Samsung's latest development is not targeted at data centers and servers exclusively, as the 4 gigabit chips will also be used to produce 8 GB DIMMs for workstations, desktops and laptops as well. With the majority of the consumer market still using 32-bit systems, however, I wouldn’t expect these massive desktop memory modules to be widely available any time soon.

Source: http://www.techspot.com/news/33413-samsung-intros-4gbit-dram-touts-memory-modules-of-up-to-32gb.html

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Microsoft has no plans for additional Windows 7 betas

It was only a few weeks ago that Microsoft publicly released the Windows 7 beta, letting anyone who wants to get a sneak peak at what awaits many desktop PCs in the near future. The incredible demand for the beta ultimately led to Microsoft being forced to pull the beta, restoring it only after they were able to cope with traffic. That won't be happening a second time, however, as it's been revealed that build 7000 will be the only public beta available before the OS is released.

If you followed the development of Windows XP and Windows Vista, you'll recall that numerous betas for each were released. They were often missing features present in the final build, which isn’t the case this time around because build 7000 is supposed to be a “feature complete” release, meaning that from here they're only focusing on bug fixes. After progress is made on that, any future releases before it goes gold will be a release candidate. That leads more credence to the belief some have that 2009 will be the year Microsoft launches Windows 7, though the company itself has warned their partners and distributors that it may not come until 2010. Whether or not it arrives this year, there will be no more betas.

Source: http://www.techspot.com/news/33416-microsoft-has-no-plans-for-additional-windows-7-betas.html

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FTC fines DNC offenders $1.2 million

The FTC has levied fines on another set of violators of the Do Not Call registry, the national database that restricts telemarketers from calling people. Several companies had charges brought against them for not referencing the list before they called, and as a result a total of $1.2 million has been issued out in fines. At the same time, the FTC took the opportunity to cite the success of the DNC registry, elaborating on numerous cases they have dealt with. All in all, over $17 million has been collected from offenders.

The Do Not Call list is taken very seriously, as we have seen in the past. The FTC has proved true to their word that they will fine violators of the list, ranging from trivial fees to tens of millions of dollars. Of course, that has no effect on criminals who might use the list for other purposes, operating outside of the law. Even if that is the case, I am glad to see that at least sometimes regulatory agencies will work for the people, as opposed to against them.

Source: http://www.techspot.com/news/33388-ftc-fines-dnc-offenders-12-million.html

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Monster.com compromised again

In what many hope is not becoming a pattern, Monster.com has found themselves at the wrong end of a malicious attack, once again. The site was abused recently, and while Monster is revealing almost no details of the attack, they did admit that account names, passwords, email addresses, names, phone numbers and more were all compromised to some extent. The scope of the attack isn't clear, but the company is urging their customers to change their passwords and to be cautious about any emails they receive claiming to be from them.

This is the third time in two years that Monster.com has been compromised, the last coming at the end of 2007. What makes this new attack particularly interesting is that after the second attack, the site promised their customers an increased level of protection of sensitive data. Whether those heightened security measures were never put in place or were ineffective isn't mentioned.

Any reassurance Monster might give at this point will probably be ignored, as obviously the company has issues with security. I for one would have a hard time signing up with a company that has such a bad history of data breaches.

Source: http://www.techspot.com/news/33345-monstercom-compromised-again.html

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