Windows Washing: Microsoft Talks Up Tweaks Following Public Beta

Microsoft has detailed some of the changes it plans to make following its public beta of the Windows 7 OS. Meanwhile, remarks made by the president of a Taiwan laptop manufacturer suggested the final version of Windows 7 may arrive as soon as this fall. Vista, however, remains the company's flagship product, and as such it needs regular service. An SP2 release candidate has been made available to select parties.

With its big round of public beta testing out of the way, Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) is apparently moving quickly to the next milestone on the Windows 7 upgrade path. On Thursday, the company revealed some of the changes users can expect to see in the upcoming Windows 7 Release Candidate (RC) -- possibly the penultimate stage prior to the release of a final product -- in its Engineering Windows 7 blog. Looking at feedback garnered during the first round of public beta testing, Microsoft has been working on incorporating some needed changes. "It should be no surprise, but the Release Candidate for Windows 7 will have quite a few changes, many under the hood, so to speak, but also many visible. The goal of having a fully functional Beta was to make sure we received reliable feedback and not a lot of 'hey this doesn't work at all' sorts of reports. This has allowed us to really focus on delivering a refined RC where the changes we made are all the reflection of feedback we have received," wrote Chaitanya Sareen, senior program manager at Microsoft.

Microsoft Zune (second generation, 80GB, black)

Product Summary The good: The 80GB Microsoft Zune MP3 player features a 3.2-inch glass LCD; a user-friendly interface; exceptional navigation control; audio and video podcast support; a superlative FM radio with RBDS information; wireless syncing and sharing; high-quality earphones; revamped Zune Marketplace PC software; Zune Pass subscription music support; good audio quality; and a built-in composite-video output. The bad: The Zune is a PC-only device that requires its own software and still does not support older WMA-DRM9 music files; Zune Marketplace does not offer TV or movie downloads; the USB connection is proprietary; no Wi-Fi music streaming; and the EQ feature has been removed. The bottom line: The Zune has blossomed from an ugly duckling into a worthy iPod alternative. Specifications: Device type: Digital player / radio ; Digital player supported digital audio standards: WMA , WMAPro , Audible , MP3 , AAC ; Digital storage media capacity: 80 GB ; Price range: $162.96 - $399.99

Microsoft grants Windows XP a reprieve

Some PC makers now have an extra four months to sell Windows XP. The BBC reported Monday that Microsoft has extended the deadline for smaller PC builders and resellers to obtain licenses for the discontinued operating system from the previous deadline of January 31, 2009 to May 30, 2009. "Microsoft is making accommodation through a flexible inventory program that will allow distributors to place their final orders by January 31, 2009; and take delivery against those orders through May 30, 2009," a Microsoft representative said in an e-mailed statement. "This is not an extension of sales." Even after May 30, however, it's still not the end of XP. The operating system will be available on ultra-low-cost PCs until June 30, 2010, and the low-end Windows XP Starter Edition will continue to be available in emerging markets until the same date. Plus, big PC makers plan to offer PCs with Vista Ultimate and Vista Business that have been factory downgraded at customers' request until July 30 next year.

Microsoft Metes Out Vista SP2 Beta to Wider Audience

Microsoft has widened the pre-release sampling of Vista's second service pack. It's inviting pro users to try it out and cautioning laypeople to wait for a finished version in early 2009. Though service packs may be diminishing in importance now that so many updates are routinely pushed out online, they do serve to make a statement about a product's maturity level.

Microsoft exec: Windows 7 is no service pack

Microsoft is attempting a challenging task with its positioning of Windows 7. The company is trying to make the case that the product won't break things that work with Vista, but at the same time trying to convince users its a worthy upgrade.

Bill Veghte, the senior vice president of the Windows business put it this way in a speech to investors on Wednesday:

"It's a minor release when it comes to incompatibilities," he said, adding that most applications and hardware that worked with Vista should work just fine in Windows 7. At the same time, Veghte tried to make the case that Windows 7 will nonetheless be a significant step forward. "There are plenty of great things in there that make it much more significant than a service pack," Veghte said. In addition to improving some of the annoyances of past releases, such as slow boot time, Veghte pointed to new features that make it easier to connect to both home and business networks. "In Windows 7 there's a capability called Direct Access," Veghte said, that allows users to more easily connect to their corporate network. "You no longer have to VPN in," he said. Windows 7 also adds an improved taskbar for managing multiple windows as well as support for multitouch--assuming one buys a touch-screen computer. But it is clear that one of Microsoft's biggest challenges with Windows 7 will be to convince users that it is an important upgrade.

One indication of just how neatly Microsoft is trying to thread this needle is the fact that the server unit is saying its version of Windows 7 will be a minor release. The product that had been code-named "Windows 7 Server" is getting the designation Windows Server 2008 R2. The "R2" designation has in the past been used for very minor updates to Microsoft products. Veghte was asked about things like how many versions of Windows 7 there will be and about pricing, but offered no new detail there. The company released a pre-beta version of Windows 7 for developers at two conferences earlier this year, with a broader beta scheduled for early next year, followed by a release candidate. There are some indications that January may be the timing for the beta. As for the final release, Microsoft's internal goal has been to get it out next year, although its public target has been for release within three years of Vista's January 2007 mainstream launch. Veghte appeared to give even more wiggle room on Wednesday, though, saying its goal was a release to manufacturing (as opposed to a formal launch) by January 2010.

Windows 7: A better Vista?

Microsoft on Tuesday offered up far more details on Windows 7, successor to the company's oft-maligned Windows Vista. In particular, Microsoft is focused on improving the time it takes for Windows to start up and shut down. In addition to its own work, Microsoft has been working directly with computer makers to address all of the factors that affect system performance. As far as other features, Windows 7 features support for multitouch input and a new taskbar that makes it easier to manage multiple open Windows. "The focus is on making sure the things you do (today) are easier and that the things you always wanted to do are possible," Corporate Vice President Mike Nash said in an interview Monday. "There's a lot of work we've done to just make things easier and faster. The early, prebeta version being handed out to developers at the Professional Developer Conference here has all of the programming interfaces that will be in the final version but only some of the planned features. Several enthusiasts who have been checking out the new code for the past couple of days praised the stability of the release, particularly for an operating system, at this early stage. With Windows 7, Microsoft has changed the way it approaches building early releases. In the past, Microsoft included features at various stages of development. With Windows 7, features are included in the main Windows build, only after they are fully baked. Microsoft is clearly looking to leave a far different first impression than it did with Windows Vista, which made major changes under the hood and led to considerable incompatibilities. With Windows 7, Microsoft is not introducing any major changes to the Windows kernel and is keeping much of the other plumbing substantially similar to that of Vista. The software maker has also tried to reduce some of Vista's other annoyances, such as the frequently criticized User Account Control feature, which some complained led to too many annoying dialog boxes. With Windows 7, users will be able to choose for themselves how often the system warns them of changes being made to their computer. The next external release of Windows 7, a feature-complete public beta, is slated for early next year. Nash wouldn't say whether the company plans more than one beta version before its final release. "We'll see how the first one goes," he said. The company has said it will have the release out within three years of Vista's January 2007 mainstream release, however, CEO Steve Ballmer has said he wants Windows 7 out next year.

Windows Server 2008 R2

After two weeks of focus on the desktop version of Windows 7, it's server counterpart finally got a day in the sun. Vice President Bill Laing began on Thursday pointed out the obvious difference between the products that would use the server software, as compared to Netbooks and other PCs built on Windows 7. "We actually use forklift devices to bring our toys," he said, pointing to several refrigerator-size servers that were on stage with him. Laing traced the company's progress in developing its various server operating systems, which now span from its Windows Home Server product to the data center and high-performance computing versions of Windows Server 2008. Windows Server 2008 Service Pack 2 is now in technical beta, he said. Next week, the company plans to launch the small and midsize business versions of its server products--Windows Small Business Server 2008 (formerly code-named Cougar) and Windows Essential Business Server 2008 (formerly code-named Centro). But the main focus was on the server version of Windows 7, known as Windows Server 2008 R2. It's noteworthy because, on the server side, Microsoft is characterizing Windows 7 as a minor release, while the desktop Windows 7 is being called a major release--albeit one with fewer low-level changes than came with Vista. As for Windows Server 2008 R2, Laing confirmed its statement that it will be 64-bit only. Other features include support for more processors--256 compared to 64 in Windows Server 2008--as well as live migration and the next version of its PowerShell scripting language. Live migration was a feature originally planned for the first release of Windows Server 2008, but the plan was scrapped as Microsoft aimed to get the product out the door. WinHEC attendees received a prebeta version of the new server operating system alongside their copy of desktop Windows 7. Microsoft said on its server blog that the prebeta is available only to those at WinHEC or the TechEd EMEA conference, while everyone else will have to wait until the beta is released early next year.

New features of Windows 7

Seven things you may not know about Windows 7 While Windows 7 has gotten plenty of attention over the past two weeks, there are some features in there that haven't gotten as much attention. I wrote on Friday about a new programming interface for location-based services. Here are seven more features that caught my eye. 1. Standard approach to mobile broadband Windows 7 treats cellular modems as a standard connection, much like a Wi-Fi network, popping them up in the same available wireless networks dialog. Sierra Wireless has already said it will support the new approach, which should make life much easier for road warriors (myself included). One of my few gripes about the prebeta Windows 7 laptop I'm using is that it doesn't recognize my relatively new USB Sprint modem. 2. Help with public Wi-Fi spots. This was a little feature I discovered on my own. With many public Wi-Fi hot spots, once you connect to the network, you have to do something in your browser, such as agree to certain terms or enter a password. Windows 7 pops up a notification that tells you that, although you have to be connected to the network, more action may be needed and it gives you a direct link to open your browser 3. Windows Troubleshooting Sure, it would be better if your computer worked problem-free. But, acknowledging that's not the case, Microsoft has added a central place in Windows 7 to try to figure out what went wrong and why. Among the kinds of problems that Windows Troubleshooting aims to help solve are issues with networked printers, detecting hard drive problems, and even some proactive things, like figuring out how much life a laptop battery has before it will likely need to be replaced with a new battery. 4. New sensor support Windows 7 adds base-level support for all kinds of sensors, from GPS, to ambient light sensors, to accelerometers. Light sensors, for example, can now be used not only to light up a keyboard, but an application could sense daylight and make type larger so that it's easier to read. At WinHEC, Microsoft handed out 700 free sensor developer kits that included a light sensor, touch pad, and accelerometer. The kit was a big hit with the developers, prompting one of the only long lines of the show. 5. Improved battery life and playback of DVDs Microsoft is trying to do a couple things to make the DVD-playing experience better in Windows 7. First and foremost, it has changed things so that DVD movies just start playing, as opposed to bringing up a long list of options. Second, the company has worked to adjust power settings while playing back movies to enable better battery life. "I'm hopeful it will have battery life equivalent to a portable DVD player," Microsoft's Jon DeVaan said in an interview. The issue is personal, he said. If Microsoft can reach its goal, he might be able to only bring a laptop on outings. "I hope to spare my back on family trips," he said. 6. Windows Biometric Framework According to a press release from fingerprint sensor make AuthenTec, the operating system features improved biometric support that should enable a more standard way for fingerprint management applications to work with fingerprint readers in Windows 7. "This provides ease of fingerprint sensor integration for PC manufacturers and a more consistent user experience," AuthenTec said in its release. 7. Enhancements to Windows Media Center Microsoft hasn't given up on its dream of having Windows gain a prominent spot in the living room and its main effort in this area--Windows Media Center--is back in Windows 7. BetaNews has a look at some of the new features, including support for H.264 video, an on-screen keyboard, and better method of scrolling through large libraries.

InfoWorld says Windows 7's not that fast

While many of those who have played around with the early version of Windows 7 have noted that it feels pretty zippy, especially for a pre-beta version, InfoWorld says early benchmarks show the software is just on par with its predecessor. In an article on Monday, InfoWorld said that Windows 7 is a "virtual twin" of Vista when it comes to performance. On the one hand, this could be seen as bad news, considering Microsoft's efforts to position Windows 7 as better performing. At the same time, this is a pre-beta version. Early releases often lag in performance since optimizations tend to be among the later steps in operating system development. For its part, Microsoft is encouraging folks to withhold judgment. "Microsoft consistently encourages people to hold benchmark tests until software is finished and ready for broad release," Microsoft said in a statement to CNET News. I've been using Windows 7 for a couple of weeks on a loaner machine from Microsoft (a Lenovo X300). It does feel considerably faster than my work machine, but that's a several-year-old IBM ThinkPad T42. And, as a colleague points out, a new Windows image often feels fast, until you load all of your usual add-ons and third-party software on top of it. I will say, the new Windows has been incredibly stable for an early build. I used it a bunch at PDC and WinHEC and am currently using it as my main machine. Most things I have tried are working, including the software I use every day, such as iTunes and several IM programs. On the not-so-hot list, I haven't gotten it to work with my Sprint wireless broadband card. I also haven't been able to connect to CNET's VPN, meaning I've been using Outlook Web Access as opposed to the real thing. But to me, the testament to Windows 7 is that I still want to use it, even though Outlook Web Access is way less convenient than Outlook itself. I'll be interested to see if Microsoft continues in the right direction with its broad beta, which is slated to be released early next year, as well as whether it hits its internal goal of shipping Windows 7 in time for next year's holiday shopping season.

Memo to Intel: Netbooks morphing into notebooks

Looking for signs that netbooks are catching on? And even morphing into notebooks? Here's a few. Netbooks were the big end-user gadget on display at the Windows Hardware Engineering Conference that ended Friday. And all the Netbooks at a Microsoft booth were running Windows 7, Microsoft's next-generation operating system due next year. A Microsoft person on the floor said that a lite version of Windows 7 will run on 1GB of memory and 16GB of (solid-state drive) storage. Higher-end Netbooks will have a 160GB hard disk drive, according to Microsoft "guidance." This person also said something surprising. Dual-core Atom processors will be used in Netbooks. I tried to disabuse him of the notion that netbooks would get dual-core Atom processors. No, I said, it was Nettops (Atom-based desktops) that would get dual-core. But he assured me that vendors were planning to bring out dual-core Netbooks. So, I contacted Intel. There are no immediate plans for dual-core Atom chips designed specifically for Netbooks, according to Intel. But what's stopping a netbook supplier from using a dual-core Atom 330 (designed for nettops) in a Netbook? Answer: nothing. At 8 watts, the chip has a higher power envelope than single-core Atom processors, but 8 watts is still low compared with a mainstream Core 2 Duo processor. Other specifications for the Atom 330 include a core clock speed of 1.6GHz, 1MB of level-2 cache, and support for DDR2 667MHz memory. Beginning to sound more like a low-end notebook? I think so. Netbook market share appears to be growing too. A little more than 5 million Atom processors shipped in the third quarter of 2008, according to Shane Rau of IDC, a market researcher. "Will it add to the total market or will it eat into the total market? Another question might be is Atom eating into another processor brand such as Celeron (Intel) or Sempron (AMD)?" Rau says that the total market can grow while Netbooks eat into notebook market share. "The TAM (Total Available Market) can grow even as Atom eats into another brand. But we don't know how it's shaking out yet," he said. And here's evidence of Netbooks penetrating the consumer consciousness. Best Buy now has a separate category for Netbooks on its Web site. Right under laptop computers you'll see "Netbooks". Interestingly, the Netbooks category is ranked above desktops and most other "computer" categories. Other signs. Dell has a 12-inch laptop, the Inspiron Mini 12 based on the Atom processor. Is this a Netbook or notebook? You tell me.

Tech News :Microsoft Launches Popfly: Mashup App Creator Built On Silverlight

Microsoft will announce the private beta launch of Popfly this morning, a new Silverlight application that allows users to create mashups, widgets and other applications using a very cool and easy to use web-based graphical interface. We previously covered the launch of Yahoo Pipes and compared five different applications that let you mix data and build applications online. At the time we mentioned how this space was really heating up - and how Pipes from Yahoo simplified the creation of mashups and mini-applications by providing a drag+drop interface. Microsoft are the latest entrants in this market, and they have completely leapfrogged every other application we have seen so far.

Popfly is a big leap forward from the competitors above because it lets you do so much more, and it is one of the nicest web application interfaces I have ever seen. With Popfly, you can create applications, mashups, web pages and widgets (gadgets) and it is all tied together in a social network (as part of the Live Spaces platform) where you can connect with other users and publishers of applications. Mashups are created by dragging in and connecting ‘blocks’ which produce an output. Blocks are modules that connect to various web services API’s, and even today there are dozens of different blocks that work with a whole variety of different web services.

Seeing applications like Popfly coming out of Microsoft is something that I couldn’t have imagined all too long ago - and together with the recent Silverlight announcements (which we were also very excited about) the new Microsoft is really starting to come out through their product releases. Popfly so far seems to be another potential big hit from the new Microsoft under Ray Ozzie (Ozziesoft).

Invites: While the private beta is very limited (even within Microsoft), we do have TEN invitations to send out. Leave a comment about how you would use Popfly and the best (or funniest) ten will be sent an invitation to the application.

Useful Alt+Tab Replacement Power Toy

For those of you who use the Alt+Tab key combination to switch between open windows on your desktop, I am sure you have encountered times when you cannot distinguish one window from the other due to having more than one instance of the same program open.

Microsoft became aware of this draw-back after releasing the XP operating system and subsequently released a "Power Toy" to resolve this issue. The Power Toy resolves this issue by replacing the program icons with actual screenshots of your open windows. This way you can locate exactly which window you wish to switch to, which is immensely useful when navigating between several SAP windows at one time. Here are pictures of using the Alt+Tab key combination both pre- and post- installation of the Power Toy:

As you can see in the first example above, it is impossible to differentiate between the IE instances and the SAP instances by looking at the icons. In the subsequent example, the screenshot clearly differentiates the windows.

Here are the instructions to install:

-Copy URL to browser: http://download.microsoft.com/download/whistler/Install/2/WXP/EN-US/TaskswitchPowertoySetup.exe

-Choose "Run" from pop-up dialog box

-Choose "Run" a second time, this will kick-off the installation of the Power Toy

-Once you get the "Installation Complete" dialog, the toy is successfully installed. No need to reboot your PC.

Windows Live Hotmail Debuts

Hotmail, perhaps the first major success of Web 1.0, has evolved.

Microsoft has announced the launch of Windows Live Hotmail globally in 36 languages, complete with AJAX goodness.

The new service has been built to be a vast improvement over the previous Hotmail offering, incorporating input from more than 20 million beta testers. However todays offering is only the move from beta to roll out.

We’ve covered Windows Live Hotmail previously: back in February Michael Arrington took a look at the then beta service and the results weren’t positive, the new Hotmail ranking third behind Gmail and Yahoo! Mail.

Windows Live Hotmail launches with an initial 30 million users, with over 250 million additional users to be bought across in the coming months.

The new Hotmail is built on completely new code and marks the continued consolidation around the Windows Live brand.

In the coming weeks, Microsoft will be releasing a new free mail client meant to replace Outlook Express, Windows Mail, and Windows Live desktop. The new client is called Windows Live Mail and will be a desktop client that provides Hotmail’s feature set locally on a users desktop. It will also support management of non Hotmail accounts.

There is some added benefits of logging into the new Hotmail; support is built in to allow Instant Messaging of contacts, or VOIP call contacts, with one click, which will also tie in with the Microsofts desktop IM platform.

My only question is why didn’t Microsoft build on the wonderful foundation that is Silverlight. Instead of promoting a platform that has such wonderful potential, Microsoft has seemingly ignored it with Hotmail. I’m sure in the coming months that others will be more willing to utilize the potential of Silverlight than Microsoft is.

Microsoft's Vista sales boost 3Q profit

Windows Vista buoyed Microsoft Corp.'s quarterly results, easing fears that the new operating system is too pricey, requires too many hardware upgrades and doesn't work with other companies' applications.

For the quarter ended March 31, Microsoft's profit jumped 65 percent to $4.93 billion, or 50 cents per share, from $2.98 billion, or 29 cents per share, in same period last year, boosted by sales of Vista and Office 2007, and by upgrade coupons issued over the holidays.

Excluding one-time items, profit totaled 49 cents per share, ahead of Wall Street's view for 46 cents per share, according to Thomson Financial.

Shares rose $1.20, or 4.1 percent, to $30.30 in extended trading after the results were released Thursday. The shares had gained 11 cents to close at $29.10 on the Nasdaq Stock Market.

Revenue for the fiscal third quarter rose 32 percent to $14.4 billion. Analysts were looking for $13.89 billion in sales.

Vista Security

In late March, when security researchers stumbled upon drive-by download attacks exploiting yet another serious Windows hole, they had an eye-opening surprise: The vulnerability--caused by the way Windows handled animated cursor (.ani) files--didn't affect just Windows XP. It also hit Vista, Microsoft's new security-centric operating system.

Security experts still proclaim Vista a major improvement over previous Windows versions, and readily say that its important new safety features--including an improved firewall, a "Protected Mode" for Internet Explorer, and User Account Control--make it much more resistant to the most common forms of spyware and malware.

However, this latest flaw (now fixed) is a major black eye for Microsoft; along with two other critical security patches issued for Vista in its first three months on shelves, the problem has tarnished Vista's security sheen (see "Vista's Vulnerabilities" for details). The new OS may be safer, but its users must still be on their guard.

Microsoft Live Spaces Rolls Out New Features

Microsoft Live Spaces (rebranded last summer from MSN Spaces) is rolling out some new features this morning and announcing recent usage updates. The enhancements are aimed at making Live Spaces more of a social network and less of a simple blogging/home page service. The changes should be live at 6 am PST.

The main change is that the new home page when you log in shows what’s happening with contacts in your social network, a similar approach as Facebook. Users can also now send messages directly to each other, and add a guestbook module that allows visitors to leave rich-text comments, including photos and videos. There are also enhancements to their APIs - see dev.live,com/spaces for details.

Microsoft says Live Spaces now has 93 million user spaces; recent Comscore stats put them at 112 million monthly unique visitors. 4 billion photos have been uploaded to the service by users, and 18 million new photos are uploaded daily.

Live Spaces is clearly one of the larger social networks. Like Google’s Orkut, though, most of its users seem to be non-U.S. and it is frequently forgotten in this MySpace/Facebook world.

Time is Running Out for Windows XP

Microsoft will force PC makers to stop selling machines running XP by the end of this year, despite ongoing compatibility problems and demand for XP from users.

Demand for XP is particularly strong among small and medium-sized businesses, according to Dell, which announced it will continue offering some machines with XP pre-installed.

However, the clock is ticking, and Dell and other PC makers will be obliged to stop selling machines running XP by the end of the year, despite ongoing compatibility and performance issues with Windows Vista.

Dell has decided to continue offering XP on business systems through the summer through a feature called "Customize with

Windows XP," the company said in a recent blog post.

Dell said the move reflects strong demand for XP machines, especially for smaller businesses, which often buy systems in small numbers from OEMs.

"Dell recognizes the needs of small business customers and understands that more time is needed to transition to a new operating system," said Tom West, director of small business marketing at Dell, on the company's blog. "The plan is to continue offering Windows XP on select Dimension and Inspiron systems until later this summer."

Dell isn't planning to offer XP on consumer systems, saying they prefer the "latest and greatest," a situation that displeased some customers. "Thumbs down for not offering this to home users," wrote one user.

"Many home users- especially gamers- do consider XP the 'greatest'- especially after all the media articles and benchmarks showing very poor gaming performance and compatibility on Vista," wrote another.

At the end of this year, however, Microsoft OEMs' contracts will no longer give them the option of selling XP-powered machines. This is despite problems that have surfaced for consumers as well as businesses, such as games and application incompatibility and driver problems.

Most recently, users complained that Vista's start-up, shut-down and application load times are far too long compared with Windows XP. Users on Microsoft's Performance & Maintenance forum, who sound pro-Vista for the most part, have vented about a variety of speed issues.

"I have XP and Vista running side-by-side [but] I twiddle my thumbs waiting for certain apps to load up on the Vista machine while the load is instantaneous on the older XP machine," wrote a user identified as William. "I've tweaked it as best as I could with the info available and I am still very disappointed."

Doubts have also been raised about Vista's security, after it emerged that Vista was affected by recent widespread hacks involving Windows' animated cursors, even though that portion of the code was addressed by an update more than two years ago.

Microsoft Suspends Video Site

Microsoft’s video site, Soapbox, launched in September, has temporarily closed to new users. This comes in response to the (inevitable) video piracy on the site.

As a part of the NBC/News Corp/AOL deal in the works, Microsoft is trying to ensure that videos they’ll be paid to distribute won’t simultaneously be pirated on their video site. Think that ever happens on YouTube?

Or maybe the move has something to do with a certain $1 billion lawsuit.

My question is: how does not letting new pirates sign up help deter present piracy? Part of the answer, though certainly not all of it, is a partnership with Audible Magic, the same company charged with detering piracy on Google and MySpace.

Live Search Maps Adds New Features And Firefox 3D Support

Microsoft added a range of new features to Live Search Maps, including Firefox support for Virtual Earth 3D. Some of the new capabilities are live right now, and some are going live later today. Below is a list of the new tools and features and their descriptions from the distributed press materials.

Firefox support: Previously, 3D functionality for Live Search Maps was only available on IE. With this update, customers in the US who use Firefox as their web browsers will be able to enjoy the immersive 3D mapping experience available with Live Search Maps.

Updated 3D cities: With this update, 16 additional cities will be available with 3D buildings including San Diego, CA and Portland, OR. The 3D functionality is also now available in five cities in the UK including Plymouth, Cardiff, Bristol, Gloucester, and Wolverhampton.

Ratings and Reviews for Business listings: Live Search Maps customers now have the ability to view ratings and reviews of hundreds of thousands of businesses in the US, provided by third party sites and Live Search Maps customers.

RSS collections feeds: Customers are now able to subscribe to a Live Search Maps collection and their RSS reader will automatically receive any updates that are made to that collection.

Traffic conditions: Our real time traffic feature is automatically presented as an overlay when directions are displayed, providing our customers with relevant information they can act on without the need for an extra step.

Instant Answers Maps feature: For Live Search queries with “local intent”, customers will now be presented with the picture of a map, embedded into their traditional search results. For example, if you type in Las Vegas in the Live Search bar, a map of Las Vegas will be included at the top of your Live Search results.

How to easily protect your system from Rootkits?

Well, you may ask what is a Rootkit? A rootkit is a set of software tools intended to conceal running processes, files or system data from the operating system. Rootkits have their origin in relatively benign applications, but in recent years have been used increasingly by malware to help intruders maintain access to systems while avoiding detec

Six Rootkit Detectors Protect Your System

RootkitRevealer 1.71 RootkitRevealer (RKR) was one of the very first rootkit detection tools, courtesy of the ever-overachieving Mark Russinovich and Bryce Cogswell of Winternals (now part of Microsoft). It's fairly limited in scope, although it's been updated pretty regularly — the most recent version was published in November 2006 — and since Messrs. Russinovich and Cogswell are among the technical authorities on Windows out there, I would imagine it will continue to be updated, at least provisionally.

RKR is pretty simple to use. Fire it up (no installation required), click "Scan," and it will iterate through the Registry and the file system to try and find anything that's attempting to conceal itself from the operating system. The program does turn up a few false-alarm readings by default, mostly in the Security section of the Registry, but these are well-documented and easily ignored.

		Six Rootkit Detectors
		• Introduction • F-Secure BlackLight • IceSword • RKDetector • RootkitBuster • RootkitRevealer • Rootkit Unhooker • Conclusions

The results are displayed in an exportable report, but it's not possible to take action against any of the detected items in the program itself — you can't, for instance, right-click on a suspected file and mark it for deletion. Any action you take, you have to do so entirely on your own, which can be a little difficult if you're dealing with a cloaked file or process.

RKR's documentation indicates that it's not designed to detect rootkits that cloak themselves in memory only, such as Fu (which it didn't detect at all). It checks specifically to see if something is attempting to conceal itself in the file system or Registry, so in that respect it's limited.

It did detect signs of the other two rootkits, though, so as a quick-and-dirty first line of defense it's not bad. But for more comprehensive scanning and the ability to take more definitive action against a rootkit, there are definitely better tools available.

RootkitRevealer 1.71 Winternals Software LP/ Microsoft Corp. www.microsoft.com/technet/sysinternals/utilities/RootkitRevealer.mspx Price: Free Summary: Summary: One of the first rootkit detectors, it's now overshadowed a bit by some of the other programs here but can still do some decent work.