Gregarius » BetaNews.Com » juillet 18, 2012

BetaNews.Com (15 non lus)

Windows 8 launches October 26

Publié: juillet 18, 2012, 10:49pm CEST par Joe Wilcox
Steven Sinofosky, president of the Windows & Windows Live division, announced the date during a Microsoft sales meeting this afternoon. Windows 8 follows other October launches -- its predecessor (Oct. 22, 2009) and XP (Oct. 25, 2001). Vista should have been as well, but Microsoft couldn't ship soon enough, unbelievably missing Christmas 2006.

Microsoft plans to release gold code the first week of August and make Windows 8 immediately available to volume-license subscribers. Everyone else will wait for Windows 8.

Windows Server 2012 release to manufacturing is expected around the same time, but Microsoft plans to make it widely available sooner, in September.

The Big Risk

Windows 8 is by far Microsoft's most ambitious version ever, and it's the riskiest undertaking, too. When viewed alongside Office 2013, Microsoft's new flagship operating system marks a dramatic directional change. After years of denial, Microsoft's leadership clearly accepts the transition from the PC to cloud-connected device era is well underway. For most of the Noughties, Microsoft acted like IBM during the last big computing era shift -- from mainframes to PCs -- and sought to preserve existing revenue streams and customers.

Risk-adverse Microsoft is suddenly big risk-taker, pushing a jarring but enticing new Windows user interface (Metro), releasing its own tablet (Surface), lowering the initial upgrade price ($39.99) and making a priority native code development (WinRT). Considering that large businesses compromise the majority of Microsoft customers, and they typically resist change of any kind, the company takes major risks indeed.

Microsoft needs Windows 8 to be the launch hoped for Vista. The 2007 "Wow" marketing campaign encapsulated what the company expected, but customers weren't wowed by Vista, which never gained much market acceptance. For last month, Net Applications puts Vista usage share at a paltry 7.29 percent. XP: 47.28 percent. Launch success is more than about sales but establishing positive perceptions -- that Microsoft is hip and Windows is cool again and just as much Apple. The fruit-logo company's iPad blindsided Microsoft, leading many PC upgraders to stick with the PC they have and augment their computing needs with the tablet. To that Microsoft needs an immediate response, and Windows 8 is it.

Continuing an accelerating trend, second-quarter PC shipments disappointed again, in the United States falling 10.6 percent year over year, according to IDC. The market needs something. Ultrabooks are a start, but Windows 8 -- and perhaps tablet-centric Windows RT even more -- should be it. Right now, there are few affordable Windows tablet alternatives to iPad or new Androids like Google's Nexus 7.

"Consumers are less interested in spending on PCs as [they] are other technology product and services, such as the latest smartphones and media tablets that they are purchasing", Mikako Kitagawa, Gartner principal analyst, says. "In the second quarter of 2012, the PC market suffered through its seventh consecutive quarter of flat to single-digit growth", Kitagawa says. Apple started selling the iPad eight quarters earlier. Surely that's no coincidence.

Seeding the Cloud

Microsoft risk-takers have amassed an amazing arsenal. If the company fails to maintain computing and informational relevance, it won't be for lack of trying. Microsoft pushes cloud services as core features for Windows 8 and Office 2013. If you look closely at the marketing collateral and FAQs for the Customer Preview released this week, Office 365 is front and center rather than the desktop suite. As I explained two days ago, the new version really isn't about applications but the cloud. It's a hugely ambitious undertaking, looking to fundamentally change how customers use Office (cloud plus applications) and pay for it (monthly subscription). Such colossal change is risky to the core, because too many individuals -- businesses more so -- resist change.

But combined with Windows 8, Office 2013 represents a cloud continuum as Microsoft puts connected devices ahead of traditional PCs while making them more part of the emerging device landscape. These devices empower people, by giving them access to more information at much lower cost, much like the PC did compared to mainframes a computing generation ago. Microsoft has been moving in this direction -- enabling access to data and information anytime, anywhere and on anything for some time -- but this product release cycle is a convergence across product lines. That's everything from Office to Windows to Windows Server to other Office System server software and more.

The approach also embraces the BYOD (bring-your-own-device) to work trend and could extinguish it as a Wild West routine. Employees bring their own gear in part because so many businesses are so risk-adverse -- that is slow to change. But BYOD creates IT management and security problems that Microsoft seeks to solve with this cloud converged release cycle.

Whether or not Windows 8 succeeds -- or any of the products in this dramatic release cycle -- is anyone's guess, and lots of people are doing just that. Here at BetaNews:
- Wayne Williams says "Windows 8 will flop"
- Randall C. Kennedy asks "What if Windows 8 fails?"
- Martin Brinkmann asks if "Windows 8 will be the new Vista?"
- Chris Wright says "Windows 8 is pointless for the enterprise"
- Jeremy Liu sees Windows 8 leading "Microsoft's road to redemption"
BetaNews readers sure seem determined to make Windows 8 a success: 45.65 percent of respondents to our recent poll plan to buy the software as soon as it's available.

Long before October 26, however, we'll have sense of how well Windows 8 may sell. By then, Microsoft's most important customers -- and hardest to please and least likely to upgrade -- will have had access to the software for nearly two months.
PowerArchiver 2012 13.00 is seriously impressive

Publié: juillet 18, 2012, 9:46pm CEST par Mike Williams

ConeXware has released the latest edition of its comprehensive archiving tool, PowerArchiver 2012 13.00. And it’s seriously impressive, with a stack of new and interesting features to explore.

Security sees several enhancements, for instance. We like the new password policies, which allow you to set rules for password length and the use of upper- and lower-case characters, numbers and symbols. And the program’s temporary files can now be securely wiped using US DoD-approved methods to ensure your confidential files stay private.

New file list color-coding varies the background color of an archive’s file list columns according to file size, type and compression ratio. We like this -- it’s a great way to get a feel for an archive at a glance, literally -- and it’s fully customisable (or you can even turn it off entirely, if you prefer).

Performance has been improved again, with RAR extraction speeds 5% faster than before.

Launching Help now takes you to PowerArchiver’s Wiki-based online system. And it’s a good one, with capable search tools and YouTube-based tutorials, but this does highlight the only problem we’ve noticed with the update, so far: offline help isn’t yet available.

And elsewhere PowerArchiver’s already excellent interface has been further revised and updated to make it even easier to use.

Put it all together and this is a major upgrade. If other archiving tools never quite have the power you need then PowerArchiver 2012 13.00 is definitely one to try, and the 30-day trial build is available now.

Photo Credit: Arkady/Shutterstock
UK Judge tells Apple to run adverts Samsung doesn't copy iPad

Publié: juillet 18, 2012, 9:37pm CEST par Wayne Williams

According to the Bloomsberg News Agency a UK judge has ordered Apple to publish a notice on its website and in various newspapers and magazines (the Financial Times, the Daily Mail, Guardian Mobile magazine, and T3) informing visitors and readers that Samsung did not copy the design of the iPad. The judge, Colin Birss, also stipulated that the notice on Apple’s website should remain there for a minimum of six months.

The order follows Apple’s failed attempt to block sales of Samsung’s Galaxy Tab tablets in the United Kingdom and is apparently intended to correct any damaging impressions consumers may have been given about the South Korean company as a result of the litigation.

What makes the order most interesting: While Apple’s implication that Samsung copied may well have caused a few lost sales, and perhaps -- at the most -- put the tiniest of dents in Samsung's reputation, the greatest kicking to its name came directly from the judge himself when he declared that electronic giant's products are "not as cool" as Apple’s. Perhaps to even things up, he’ll pin his own pro-Samsung damage limitation notice on a tree in his garden. It’s only fair, surely.

Although the order did not feature in Judge Birss’s judgment published on July 9th, it's understood that it was discussed following the verdict. Richard Hacon, a lawyer representing Apple, told the court: "No company likes to refer to a rival on its website". Apple is currently considering taking its case to the court of appeal.

Running the notices would be a major blow for the Cupertino, Calif.–based company, and may well have some impact on its decision to sue other tech companies in the future. Apple is unusually image conscious, after all.

Photo Credit: Andrey Burmakin/Shutterstock
I don't know whether to cheer or cry for Microsoft

Publié: juillet 18, 2012, 8:14pm CEST par Joe Wilcox

From one perspective, 2012 looks like a great year for Windows Phone, with about 17 percent year-over-year growth in the United States. Outstanding! But, uh-oh, that's from a tiny base. Get out your magnifying glass -- share will rise from 3.5 percent to 4.1 percent, according to Strategy Analytics. Ah, yeah.

The analyst firm's forecast is for actual number of smartphones sold, not shipped -- 123 million, 5 million of which will have Windows Phone. That's up from 101.8 million and 3.5 million, respectively, in 2011.

It's quite remarkable how positively Neil Mawston, Strategy Analytics executive director, spins the numbers. "Microsoft is making a determined push to crack the United States because it is the most valuable and influential smartphone market in the world". That's why I cheer for Steve Ballmer and Co. The pride is back!

But Mawston adds: "However, Microsoft's US smartphone market share remains relatively niche at present and breaking the stranglehold of leaders Android and Apple will not be easy". Whaaaaaaaaaa, where's my hanky?

"To grow further, we believe future versions of Microsoft's Windows Phone 8 platform will need to dramatically improve support for advanced technologies like multi-core chipsets, enhance the Marketplace app store, expand the number of phone models available from major partners like Nokia or Samsung, and consider reducing the license fees it charges per unit to smartphone makers", Mawston advises.

Suddenly there's sense to Microsoft's Windows Phone 8 strategy that effectively makes even the newest WP7.5 handsets obsolete. None can upgrade to WP8. So to get it, buy a new phone. Brilliant, Microsoft!

While Windows Phone lapdogs along, Apple's handset makes money faster than a US mint. Strategy Analytics estimates $150 billion in cumulative revenue over the first five years of sales.

"The iPhone portfolio has become a huge generator of cash and profit for Apple", Mawson says. "A quarter of a billion iPhones have been shipped cumulatively worldwide in the first five years since launch". But wait!

"However, there are emerging signs that the iPhone’s next five years could get tougher", he warns. "Some mobile operators are becoming concerned about the high level of subsidies they spend on the iPhone, while Samsung is expanding its popular Galaxy portfolio and providing Apple with more credible competition".

Last month, Sameer Singh exposed how much Apple depends on iPhone subsidies and how severely they hurt carriers' profits. If you missed this two-parter, grab a coke and popcorn before reading his riveting analysis.

As for Windows Phone market share, sometimes we laugh. Sometimes we cry. Sometimes we do both. I'm rooting for you, Windows Phone. My soft spot for underdogs is huge.
Watch out, Apple, HTC is coming for you

Publié: juillet 18, 2012, 6:46pm CEST par Mihaita Bamburic

HTC is like a child with shiny new toy taken from HP and used against neighborhood bully Apple. Enjoying its December 2011 patent purchase, yesterday the Taiwanese smartphone manufacturer filed a counterclaim in a Florida court, accusing Apple of infringing on two patents. HTC wants to keep momentum after a win against Apple in a UK court, invalidated the famous "slide to unlock" patent.

Apple has targeted major competitors -- HTC, Motorola Mobility and Samsung primarily -- with patent infringement lawsuits. While counterclaims are common, HTC has so far mostly been on the losing end against Apple. HTC purchased two patents -- US Patent No. 7,120,684, titled "Installation of network services in an embedded network server", and 7,571,221, named "Method and system for central management of a computer network". Both patents are claimed to be infringed by the fruit company.

According to HTC, Apple remote Desktop and Apple Profile Manager violate ‘684 patent, while the ‘221 patent is infringed by iOS and OS X through embedded network servers, software and services. Newsstand is believed to be one of the offending applications.

HTC plays a dangerous game by going against Apple with purchased patents, as last month the International Trade Commission denied HTC’s request to use patents on loan from Google, claiming that only Google has the right to claim foul play. That said, patent loaned is very different from patent owned.

The Taiwanese smartphone manufacturer is determined to keep its financial state in check, as the posted profits are fragile enough to trigger self-preservation mode. But it’s unknown yet what’s at stake as far as possible financial gains go, with a possible “better to haven’t bothered with” case.

As far as public interest goes, patent infringement trials cause more harm than good with infamous cases of blocked shipments or product bans, making customers the victims. Take for example another case. A US ban against most high-end Motorola mobiles effectively starts today. Microsoft brought that case.

Be it Apple or HTC, doesn’t matter who’s the aggressor, but what really matters is the common good, which seems to be forgotten by all parties. Settling outside of court is a far better idea and one that makes more sense for customers, too. It's a win-win situation, and win-win is what we need in these tiresome patent disputes.

Photo Credit: JefferyTurner
Marissa Mayer might achieve greater things in her career, just not at Yahoo

Publié: juillet 18, 2012, 5:28pm CEST par Robert X. Cringely

If Aaron Sorkin (The Social Network, The West Wing, Newsroom) wrote the story of Yahoo and he got to Marissa Mayer’s surprise entrance as Yahoo’s latest CEO, here’s how he would probably play it: the brilliant, tough, beautiful, charismatic engineer defies her Google glass ceiling and, through sheer vision and clever example, saves the pioneering Internet company. That’s how Sorkin would play it because he likes an underdog, loves smart, well-spoken people and revels in beautiful if slightly flawed characters and happy endings. But in this case Aaron Sorkin would be playing it wrong.

To be clear, were I in the position of Yahoo’s board I would probably have hired Marissa Mayer, too. On paper she’s nearly perfect (only CEO experience is missing) and the drama of her going from not even being on the list of candidates discussed to getting the big job is wonderful theater that will play well on Wall Street for weeks, maybe months. For once the Yahoo board seems to have been on the ball.

Still it probably won’t work.

Understand I have nothing against Ms. Mayer. I’ve met her only once, and I’m sure she doesn’t remember me. I don’t know her. But I know about her and, more importantly, I do know Yahoo.

I can see why she’d want the job. It’s an epic challenge for someone who didn’t really have anywhere else to go at Google yet feels destined for greater things. And I’m not here to say Marissa Mayer won’t achieve greater things in her career.

Just not at Yahoo.

Here we have a company in crisis. No, it’s worse than that: If companies had asses, Yahoo’s ass would be on fire. I knew that when I saw they had pulled founder David Filo into the position of spokesman. Filo, who is a nice guy and as nerdy as they come, is typically comatose in interviews, so whatever is happening in the executive offices at Yahoo has shot him full of fear-induced adrenaline for what would appear to be the first time in years, maybe ever.

This is it, I’m sure they’ve decided -- Yahoo’s last chance to fix itself before the for sale sign goes up.

Yet Yahoo is still Yahoo and I’d put money on this old dog not learning enough new tricks to make a difference. It’s not that Yahoo has changed, by the way, but that it hasn’t changed. It’s the world that changed around Yahoo. What worked so well in the Clinton years today barely works at all.

In our rock star CEO-obsessed business culture we believe that all it takes is the right guy or gal at the top with the right mojo to save the day. And on the short list of available charismatic leaders, Marissa Mayer looks pretty darned good.

That’s from the outside looking in. Inside Google Ms. Mayer had a reputation for being mean and not all that effective. She wasn’t in charge of that much and as time went on she was marginalized. She was employee #20 and the first ~~woman~~ female engineer but that didn’t make her a great leader or a visionary, just an early hire.

Now maybe Ms. Mayer was held back and never given a chance to shine. Or maybe people above her saw her deficiencies and kept her at a level where she could do no harm or could remain effective. Only time will tell.

This is one instance where I’d be happy to be wrong. I have no desire to see Ms. Mayer fail. I like underdogs and happy endings, too.

If Aaron Sorkin were to get a happy ending for his Yahoo story he’d need a few more elements that probably aren’t there. He’d need a subordinate character willing to risk all and act as a moral center for the company, demanding the new CEO do the right things. He’d need his Marissa Mayer character to listen and learn. But most importantly for a Sorkin story he’d need a caricature antagonist, a powerful bully of a competitor unable to get out of its own way.

Yahoo might yet find the first two of these required components, but I know it doesn’t have the third.

Reprinted with permission
Texting is more popular than talking in United Kingdom

Publié: juillet 18, 2012, 5:10pm CEST par Wayne Williams

According to Ofcom’s ninth annual Communications Market report, more people in the UK are texting on their mobiles than talking. The report, which stretches to 409 pages and covers TV & Audio-Visual, Radio & Audio, Internet & Web-Based Content and Telecoms & Networks, finds that 47 percent of people still make a daily voice call. However, 58 percent now regularly send texts, with the average user sending 200 SMS/MMS messages per month.

Unsurprisingly, it’s the 16-24 age group that leads the way here, with the growth in text messaging partly fuelled by mobile providers including generous or unlimited SMS allowances in their tariffs. Thirty-two percent of people also now regularly use social networks to stay in touch, while 26 percent use some form of instant messaging.

James Thickett, Ofcom's Director of Research, says: "Our research reveals that in just a few short years, new technology has fundamentally changed the way that we communicate. Talking face to face or on the phone are no longer the most common ways for us to interact with each other. In their place, newer forms of communications are emerging which don't require us to talk to each other especially among younger age groups. This trend is set to continue as technology advances and we move further into the digital age".

Other interesting snippets from the report show that 39 percent of adults now own a smartphone (up 12 percent from 2010), with 42 percent saying it’s their most important device for accessing the Internet. Fifty-one percent use it daily for email, while 42 percent access social network sites. The average time spent using mobile data services was 2.1 hours a month in 2011, 25 more minutes than in 2010, while the amount of data consumed doubled in the 18 months to January 2012.

The total number of UK fixed broadband connections passed 20 million in 2011, while mobile broadband connections (dongles and tablets) exceeded 5 million. That all means that by Q1 2012, 76 percent of UK homes had broadband.

The report also reveals that UK households now own, on average, three different types of internet-enabled device, including PCs, tablets, smartphones and game consoles, with 15 percent owning six or more such devices.

As you’d expect, ownership of tablets has grown considerably, up from 2 percent to 11 percent in the year from Q1 2011 to Q1 2012, and 10 percent of people now own some form of eBook reader.

Photo Credit: iofoto/Shutterstock
Got Windows XP or Vista? You won't get Office 2013

Publié: juillet 18, 2012, 4:57pm CEST par Mihaita Bamburic

Microsoft really wants you to stop using XP and Vista. Office 2013, which preview released this week, only supports Windows 7 and 8. XP is still the most widely-used Windows version (although Net Applications says that could change this month). From the perspective of customers, the move doesn't make much sense. But Microsoft, of course, is more interested getting them to upgrade.

Microsoft gambles a lot on this decision. According to NetApps, 47.28 percent of computers run the rather old Windows XP and a minuscule 7.29 percent use Vista. Combined they have 54.57 percent usage share, which is not insignificant by any matter and a clear warning sign about the move. Office 2013 cuts off more than half the current Windows install base.

By comparison, Windows 7 is fighting its two brothers quite well but hasn't sent them to the history books. With a 45.09 percent share in the Windows world, it is currently the only shipping version supporting Office 2013 and so far it’s as good as it gets.

Microsoft announced that Windows 8 will release to manufacturing in early August. Volume-license subscribers will get it right away, while everyone else will wait until October. That doesn’t leave much room for it to gain ground to justify eliminating Windows XP, for instance. The risk reminds of Internet Explorer 9, which doesn't support XP. As such, IE9 isn't gaining browser usage share (just 17.96 percent in June, according to NetApps).

Microsoft is locking Office 2013 into less than 50 percent of the Windows user base, which can be called a rather stupid move.

So what’s Microsoft thinking? They hope, yes hope, that Windows XP and Vista users will mostly upgrade to Windows 8, thus making a wider target audience for Office. There's incentive. Earlier this month, Microsoft announced that consumer Windows XP, Vista and 7 versions are eligible for a downloadable upgrade to Windows 8 Pro and combined with the low price of just $39.99 it’s a great marketing strategy. But it begs the question: if Windows XP users wanted to upgrade couldn’t they have done it already? Windows 7 is considered the best desktop operating system to come from Microsoft.

It’s time to move on, Microsoft says to Windows XP users. If they want the newest version of Office, upgrade will be the only choice. Businesses more typically than consumers buy applications not operating systems. Office matters more than Windows. But Microsoft also risks these same users sticking with older Office versions, too.

I’m running Windows 7 on my computers so I can theoretically upgrade to Office 2013 if I want to, but what about you? Are you running a compatible version of Windows? Will you upgrade to run the new Office?

Photo Credit: Konstantin Sutyagin/Shutterstock
InternetOff takes back your time (and life)

Publié: juillet 18, 2012, 3:45pm CEST par Mike Williams

You’ve work to do. And lots of it. But you just need to check your email, first. And Facebook. And Twitter. And a few websites, and your RSS feeds, and the latest news, and the list goes on.

Sounds familiar? If you’re really busy and could do without the usual lengthy list of online distractions then InternetOff may be useful, as the program does just what its name suggests -- turning off your Internet access at a click.

To get started you must first install the program. We’re not entirely sure why -- it’s such a simple task that a portable tool seems more appropriate -- but InternetOff is at least compact and compatible, running happily on Windows 2000 and upwards (both 32- and 64-bit editions).

The program then runs in the background, which also seems slightly unnecessary (we’d have preferred something portable which could be pinned to the taskbar). InternetOff uses less than 6MB RAM, though, and it’s certainly straightforward: click the program’s system tray icon, click “Turn off the Internet”, and that’s it, Windows and your applications will now behave as though they’re offline.

And if you later begin to suffer withdrawal symptoms (or you’ve finished your real work) then relaunching the program and clicking “Turn on the Internet” will restore normal service. (Although InternetOff does also provide the option to ration access, by only turning the internet on for a fixed period – 15 minutes, say – before blocking it again.)

We’re not entirely sure whether InternetOff will really help most people get any more work done. If you just can’t resist all those online restrictions then probably you won’t be able to resist clicking the program’s “Turn on the Internet” button, either.

It does provide a quick and easy way to disable your internet connection, though, which could be useful for other reasons (security, for instance). And as it’s also small, free and doesn’t include any annoying adware, InternetOff just might be worth adding to a quiet corner of your PC.

Photo Credit: Sukharevskyy Dmytro (nevodka)/Shutterstock
Manage all your social networks in one place with AVG MultiMi

Publié: juillet 18, 2012, 2:15pm CEST par Mark Wilson

Social networks are great tools, but there are now so many of them it can be something of a nightmarish task keeping on top of all of them. Using the likes of Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn should be fun and rewarding, but if you use more than three or four networks things can quickly spiral out of control and become unmanageable. AVG MultiMi has now left beta and enables you to manage all of your social networking needs from one place.

With support for Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Flickr, YouTube and countless email services, whatever your online life includes, there’s a high chance that it’s supported by MultiMi. If you have used the beta version, you’ll notice that there has been something of an interface overhaul but there are also a range of new options. There is now support for Google Reader although there is also a built in RSS reader, and if you are a Read It Later user who has migrated to Pocket, there’s support for this service too.

There are impressive performance gains that come about largely because of the shift from using Internet Explorer as the built in browser to using Chromium instead. MultiMi not only enables you to see all of your social networking and social media in one place, it also helps to make it much easier to share content between accounts. Drag and drop can be used to copy text, image and more from, say, Twitter to an email, or from an email to Facebook.

The program enables you to quickly jump to all of the messages you have been sent regardless of which network it was sent through and there are similar shortcuts that can be used to view all of your photos, videos and more. This is particularly useful when working out your calendar as it is possible to view all of the events and appointments from all of your various calendars. You can also see the full activity of each of your contacts in one place -- click on a friend’s name and you can see what they have been posting on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube without the need to keep switching accounts.

You can find out more and download a free copy of the program by paying a visit to the AVG MultiMi review page.

Photo Credit: d3images/Shutterstock
Is your PC wonky? Try Microsoft Malware Prevention troubleshooter

Publié: juillet 18, 2012, 12:34pm CEST par Mike Williams

SmartScreen, Windows Defender, User Account Control, the Security Center -- Windows now includes a host of tools and technologies that aim to keep your system safe and secure. But are they all configured to offer the best possible protection? It’s not easy to tell, as you have to browse lots of applets and dialog boxes to find out.

Microsoft have just released one possible answer, though, in their new Malware Prevention troubleshooter. It’s portable, so easy to run anywhere, and in just a few seconds will scan your system for issues and highlight anything it finds.

The program is designed to be novice-friendly, the type of tool that absolutely anyone can use. And so at a minimum all you need do is click “Detect problems and apply the fixes for me”, at which point the Malware Prevention troubleshooter will look for any settings issues and resolve them automatically.

If you’ve any Windows experience, though, we’d recommend you click “Detect problems and let me select the fixes to apply”, instead. It’s only marginally more complicated, and you’ll get much more information about (and control over) everything the troubleshooter is doing.

After a very quick scan you’ll probably be offered the chance to clear your IE cache, before the program lists any issues it’s found on your PC.

On our system, for instance, it noticed that Internet Explorer’s default security and privacy settings had been changed, and offered to reset them. And the troubleshooter recommended that we disable the Remote Registry service, too.

The program scans much more than this, though, as clicking the “View detailed report” will reveal. You’ll be reassured (or maybe not) about your Windows update settings, the IE pop-up blocker, proxy settings, Windows policies, the Securty Center service, UAC, SmartScreen and so on.

When you’re ready, click Next to return to your list of issues, decide which fixes you’d like to apply, click Next and the settings will be corrected for you: easy.

Plainly there’s nothing too revolutionary here. If you’re an experienced Windows user then the Malware Prevention troubleshooter isn’t really doing anything you couldn’t figure out for yourself; it’s just doing it a little more quickly.

If you’re trying to help out a less technical friend or relative, though, the program could be very useful. Email them a copy and just about anyone should be able to figure out how to scan for and plug any security holes.

And if you carry around a USB toolkit ready to assist on any nearby PC, then the Microsoft Malware Prevention troubleshooter may also be helpful, as it provides a quick way to review and fix a host of potential security issues from a single, simple interface.

Photo Credit: Roger Jegg - Fotodesign-Jegg.de/Shutterstock
Nexus 7 sells out

Publié: juillet 18, 2012, 6:50am CEST par Joe Wilcox

Google's tablet is off to a rousing debut. I doubt sales numbers will reach iPad standards, but Nexus 7 is nevertheless hotly pursued and reports from early adopters evoke pure delight. If you want one and haven't ordered, be prepared to wait. In the United States, delay is now nominal for the 8GB model -- 3 to 5 business days before shipping, according to Google Play. Prepare to wait three to four weeks for the 16GB tablet, however. That's from Google, which right now has best availablity following the first weekend rush.

I preordered one for my wife on June 29, hours after returning from Google I/O. Soon as she saw my Nexus 7, Kindle Fire was history. Shipment notice dispatched while I was at Comic-Con on July 14, and the tablet arrived early afternoon yesterday. I watched a fairly consistent stream of Google+ posts all day, as those people who preordered received their tablets.

Some people who didn't preorder got Nexus 7 sooner in stores -- Costco, GameStop and Staples, among others. Now, the majority of these shops are sold out. I called a couple local GameStops. The largest only received models for which there were reservations -- and 8GB at that. I asked when more might be available, and a sales rep told me, "Probably not for a month or more". GameStop online lists only the 16GB tablet, available in 3 to 4 weeks.

In fact most of the online stores I checked -- everything from B&H Photo to Fry's Electronics and more -- only list the 16GB for sale, and backordered. That surprises me since the $199 price is as appealing as the features. The higher-capacity model sells for 50 bucks more.

The 16GB Nexus 7 is special order from Staples, in stores -- forget online. However, I called my local store, where an associate told me that "every Staples in the area sold out". He expects 8GB tablets in stock by the end of the month and the larger capacity middle of August.

What Google Says

Google has posted updated shipping information, and not just for the United States:

We’ve had incredible demand for our new Nexus 7 tablet and are shipping them as quickly as possible. When your device ships you will receive a notification from Google Play with a shipping tracking number. We will have all orders placed through July 13 processed and shipped soon. Orders placed after July 13 will ship according to the quoted timeframe when you purchased and we will update you with a tracking number when we've shipped. Thanks for your patience.

Below are more specific details by country for devices ordered through July 13. If the below information is not true for you, and you ordered on or before July 13, please reach out to our support team so we can investigate.

In the US:

We’ve shipped all standalone Nexus 7 8GB orders (e.g.: those without a case, charger or Nexus Q). By the end of day on July 19 (PDT), we will have shipped all standalone Nexus 7 16GB orders placed through July 11 (PDT), and upgraded these orders to overnight shipping. We will process the remaining standalone Nexus 7 16GB orders by the end of next week with overnight shipping.

If you ordered your tablet with a case, charger or Nexus Q, your Nexus 7 will ship this week with overnight shipping, in some cases ahead of the rest of your order. But don’t worry, the rest of your order will be on its way soon.

In Canada:

We’ve shipped all Nexus 7 8GB orders. We are in the process of shipping Nexus 7 16GB orders and will ship them in 1-2 weeks.

In the UK:

All Nexus 7 8GB orders will ship by July 20 (BST). All Nexus 7 16GB orders placed through June 30 (BST), will ship by July 20 (BST). The remaining Nexus 7 16GB orders will ship next week.

In Australia:

All Nexus 7 8GB and Nexus 7 16GB orders will be fulfilled by the end of day on July 19 (AEST) and will arrive in 3-5 days.

Early Reaction

Joy is pejorative across techdom. Nexus 7 owners are mighty pleased, if social network postings are any indication.

Michael Dominick: "Loving the Nexus 7. I may finally have found a device I like more than my iPad well done #android. Makes me really want to refocuses a bit. Of course then I use the Kindle FIre and run back to the iPad or Nexus ;)"

Coincidentally, as I started writing this section, Brian Fagioli chatted: "Unlocked, rooted and on a custom ROM already. Love this n7!" I replied: "Beats the hell out of iPad, doesn't it?" "Totally. I'm in love". He sold a first-generation iPad to buy Nexus 7.

Fagioli isn't alone. "Not gonna lie, this Nexus 7 is the real deal. The ipad1 may be going into an early retirement", Erik Westin remarks.

Linux creator Linus Torvalds received his Nexus 7 yesterday but has "absolutely nothing to report". Do get back to us, Linus.

Rob Horton: "First impressions of my Google Nexus 7: Google has put forth a winner! Totally rocks!!!"

Satisfaction with device and Jellybean is tasty cake, but people want -- and aren't getting -- the icing. "Loving the Nexus 7. Definitely the right size for a tablet", Michael Heller posts. "Of course, it is also letting me see that the Play Store selection for tablet apps can be a bit wonky. Not to mention the ever present issue of apps not being compatible with the newest Android update. I cannot understand why devs put a platform version ceiling on apps. If NBA Jam worked on ICS, there's no reason it shouldn't work on JB".

Rashun Roc Mallory: "Loving the Nexus 7! Think I'm sticking with the pure Android experience for a very long time. I'm a believer lol. And I didn't think I'd like a 7 inch tablet -- boy was I wrong".

Did you get Nexus 7? Do you love it? Do you not?

I've already done a first-impressions review and likely will do another. What I'd really like is your review. In comments is fine, but for publication with your byline, bio and photo is better. Please email joe at betanews dot com.
Will Novell-Microsoft ruling make developers digital serfs to platform lords?

Publié: juillet 18, 2012, 3:05am CEST par Patrick Roanhouse

Today marked another win for Microsoft while under the watchful eyes of Judge J. Frederick Motz, who dismissed the antitrust lawsuit brought by Novell. The case stems from a complaint that Microsoft deliberately withdrew namespace extension APIs for Windows 95, knowing they were key to Novell's application, with the intent of thwarting software application competition. Specifically to give an edge to the Microsoft Office suite over third-party products.

At the time, 1994, WordPerfect had 30 percent productivity suite market share worldwide. WordPerfect had developed its rich user base since the days of MS-DOS and was more widely used than Microsoft's own competing upstart Office suite, which had only been released a few years earlier.

Novell in a public statement says it plans to appeal the decision.

As previously stated, Novell and Microsoft were before Motz last year. The 2011 case ended when he issued an opinion granting Microsoft a "Rule 50 motion", essentially dismissing the case. A Rule 50 motion, which is made by a judge in hung-jury cases, is called a "judgment as a matter of law motion." In the 2011 case, a lone 21-year-old security guard was the holdout juror for the dead-locked jury.

But in the other court case, Novell's argument had been cut down to a single claim that Microsoft violated Section 2 of the Sherman Antitrust Act by monopolizing the software applications market, limiting competition. Novell sought nearly $1 billion from Microsoft. Judge Motz explained in the published decision why he dismissed the case:

Although Novell presented evidence from which a jury could have found that Microsoft engaged in aggressive conduct, perhaps to monopolize or attempt to monopolize the applications market, it did not present evidence sufficient for a jury to find that Microsoft committed any acts that violated [Sherman Act Section 2] in maintaining its monopoly in the operating systems market.

Even though I am not a lawyer this is still a very puzzeling decision as some of the evidence brought to trial even included what some called a smoking gun memo from Bill Gates that stated:

I have decided that we should not publish these extensions. We should wait until we have a way to do a high level of integration that will be harder for the likes of Notes, WordPerfect to achieve, and which will give Office a real advantage.

And in what could only be more head wrapping after this damning memo is Judge Motz's reason in saying why this isn't a prime example of an antitrust case:

A monopolist is free 'to exercise [its] own independent discretion as to parties with whom [it] will deal, It is well established that a monopolist generally has no duty to cooperate with its competitors.

This ruling leaves me with a disturbed, ominous concern for the future of software development. Has Judge Motz opened a precedent that will allow companies like Microsoft, Apple or even Google the right to dictate a total monopoly market power over third-party applications that run on their Operating System and platforms? If Microsoft, Apple, Google or any platform developer has competing application products, can it now just refuse to cooperate technically with software vendors that write applications for their platforms?

It seems that Motz is ruling in favor of unfair market advantage completely negating the point of the Sherman Act and antitrust laws. If this is so companies like Apple; who already do the same thing with their iOS platform in blocking "applications that duplicate iOS features", now have legal carte blanche to do so. This could turn out to be a very disturbing ruling for all third-party software developers.

It could be the digital equivalent of the days of old when the king of France took a liking to your wife, and then sent you off to war so he could have his way with her. Or in this case, copy your application's features and then block your app from being able to run on the King's platform.
Eight awesome ways to improve Windows 8

Publié: juillet 18, 2012, 12:16am CEST par Wayne Williams

Like all previous versions of Microsoft’s operating system, Windows 8 is highly customizable, so if there’s something about it you don’t like -- something fairly minor that is, rather than the entire OS -- you might be able to change it by installing a third-party app, or making some registry tweaks.

There are a lot more than eight ways to improve Windows 8 of course, but these are some of the ones I’ve found the most useful.

1. Add a Start orb. After you’ve used Windows 8 for a while you soon get used to the absence of a Start button, which is exactly what Microsoft is hoping for. That doesn’t mean you won’t necessarily miss it though. If you think its absence is dumb, you can reintroduce it using Start8 from Stardock.

2. Bypass the Metro version of Internet Explorer. The Metro version of IE is pretty limited. Fortunately, you can link the Metro tile to the desktop version of the browser instead. Open the Search charm and find inetcpl.cpl. Click the Programs tab and under “Choose how you open links” select “Always in Internet Explorer on the desktop”. Also check “Open Internet Explorer tiles on the desktop” and click OK.

3. Improve window responsiveness. When you minimize or maximize a window, an animation plays. This looks nice, but also adds an unnecessary delay. You can make Windows feel much snappier, by disabling this feature. Go to Search and type SystemPropertiesPerformance. Hit enter. Find “Animate windows when minimizing and maximizing” in the Visual Effects tab and uncheck it. Click OK.

4. Activate God Mode. Like Windows 7, Windows 8 has a hidden “God Mode” that displays all of the admin tools and control options in a single screen. To activate it, right-click on the desktop and select New, Folder. Highlight this folder and press F2. Call the folder: GodMode.{ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C} and hit enter. Double-click the icon to view the contents.

5. Change the number of apps. Not a big fan of scrolling left and right? A simple registry tweak will let you pack in more tiles on a single Metro screen. Search for and run “regedit”. Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\ImmersiveShell\Grid and find Layout_MaximumRowCount. Right-click it (if it’s not there you’ll need to create a new DWORD and call it that), select Modify and enter the number of rows to display. Quit the editor and restart your computer. It’s worth noting that you’re limited to between 1 and 6 rows, with the maximum number of rows dependent on your monitor’s resolution.

6. Launch apps and websites from the taskbar. If you prefer typing to clicking, there’s a simple (and very old) trick you can use to launch apps directly from the taskbar. Right-click the taskbar, select Toolbars and click Address. You can now launch apps by typing in their short name (“calc” for example) and websites by typing in the URL. You can hide the address toolbar label by right-clicking the taskbar, unlocking it, and then right-clicking on “Address” and unchecking “Show title”.

7. Bypass Metro. Install the latest version of Start8 and you can have Windows 8 go straight to the Windows desktop on login. If you’d rather not install the program, there is another trick you can use that doesn’t require any third-party tools or playing around with the registry.

Drag the desktop tile in Metro to the top left-hand corner. Restart Windows and when prompted to enter your password, type it in and hold down enter. You’ll go straight to the desktop. Should you forget to hold down the key, tapping enter again will open the desktop from the Start screen.

8. Improve battery usage. If you’re running Windows 8 on a laptop and it seems to be draining your battery at a ridiculous rate, you can try fixing the problem using a built-in wizard. Open the Control Panel, and search for “Troubleshooting”. Under System and Security you’ll see a link to “Improve power usage”. Click this and the Power troubleshooter will open. Click Next and it will go to work, and hopefully fix any battery problems you might be experiencing.

If you like this article, and would like to see more tips on the subject just let me know in the comments.
Maritz may be out as VMware's CEO, but now heads EMC's business strategy

Publié: juillet 18, 2012, 12:16am CEST par Ed Oswald

EMC and VMware confirmed that Paul Maritz is leaving his position as CEO of VMware late Tuesday, transitioning to chief strategist within parent company EMC. As first reported by CRN Monday, and confirmed by the Wall Street Journal, Pat Gelsinger will move from his current role as EMC President and COO of Information Infrastructure Products to CEO of VMware. Both appointments take effect September 1.

EMC acquired VMware in 2004. Insiders say that while the two companies initially stated their respective management teams would stay separate, many expected an eventual blurring of those lines and a shuffling of executives between the two companies. Maritz has been with EMC since 2008, and Gelsinger joined a year later.

In addition to Maritz and Gelsinger moves, EMC executive vice president and CFO David Goulden will take Gelsinger's position as president and COO. After the shuffle, Maritz is being tasked with creating EMC's overall big data and cloud strategy, Gelsinger will lead VMware's cloud infrastructure initiatives, and Goulden EMC's information infrastructure business.

CRN and other's reports starting on Monday night sent both EMC and VMware's stock tumbling. VMware's stock dropped over four percent in midday trading, with EMC down as much as two percent. This announcement, which came after the close of the markets, was likely aimed at calming investor's frayed nerves.

"Today we are witnessing an extraordinary transformation in the IT industry unlike anything we have seen before", EMC Chairman and CEO Joe Tucci says. "To capitalize on this tremendous opportunity we are positioning our executive talent so that we can benefit from their exceptional professional strengths with the goal of further advantaging EMC and VMware to deliver long-term value to our respective shareholders".

Tucci himself has been the subject of some speculation over his retirement: in a conference call he confirmed that he plans to stay with the company through at least 2013. So for now EMC's pending leadership crisis is resolved.