Maximum PC Windows RSS Feed

Windows Live Wave 4 Beta May Wash Up on Shore This Week

Mark Edward Soper — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 16:31:40 -0500

ArsTechnica passes along a rumor that the next release of Microsoft's Windows Live, Wave 4, may reach beta status this week. Details are scarce, but Softpedia points out that Windows Live Hotmail Wave 4 Milestone 1, which offers a number of new features, has been live since mid-September.

When will Windows Live Wave 4 Beta shed the beta tag? ArsTechnica has run a Japanese blog entry about Wave 4 through a couple of online translators, with the rather fractured results pointing to a spring to summer 2010 target. Stay clicked to MaximumPC.com for more information.

Windows Home Server Power Pack 3 Beta Adds Windows 7 Support and More

Mark Edward Soper — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 16:34:18 -0500

With Windows 7 coming down the pike in less than a month, it's time for Microsoft to update its Windows Home Server product to support new features in Windows 7, such as Libraries and image-based backup. Windows Home Server Power Pack 3 (now available in beta via Microsoft Connect) provides the Windows 7 support Windows Home Server needs, but that's not all that's new.

What's New in Power Pack 3 for Windows 7 Users?

Because Windows Home Server is designed to provide a Windows-ready back end for backup and file organization on a home network, many of the changes in Windows Home Server Power Pack 3 add Windows 7 compatibility. These include:

Windows 7 library support, including Windows Search 4 integration to enable WHS to search libraries and EFS (encrypted) files
Windows 7 Action Center backup integration
Windows 7 power settings support for scheduled backup

...and Everyone Else?

Other improvements include:

More reliable file restore and image restore
Improved backup repair
Support for displays with resolutions as low as 1024x600
Automatic TV recording archiving from Windows Media Center to Windows Home Server in your choice of formats
Console view of Windows Home Server from within Windows Media Center

So, how soon will "beta" become "production?" According to the Windows Home Server blog (a great way to keep track of the latest news on WHS0, the production version should be ready by the end of 2009. See the Microsoft Connect intro site to learn more about joining the program.

Adobe Adds Photomerge, Recompose, More in Photoshop Elements 8

Mark Edward Soper — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 16:49:45 -0500

This week, Adobe announced its eighth generation of Photoshop Elements for both PC and Mac, and this time Mac users need to wait only a month for the latest version.

PSE 8 for Windows Adds Easy Smarts

Adobe's new Photoshop Elements 8 for Windows adds a number of features for easier photo editing, including:

Photomerge Exposure, which builds upon the powerful Photomerge feature in earlier versions of PE to enable you to combine the properly-exposed areas in two otherwise-identical photos into a "single, perfectly-lit photo." The example Adobe demonstrates uses two photos of friends posing in front of a floodlit building, one with and without flash. It'll be interesting to see how Photomerge Exposure does with a pair of RAW images optimized for bright and dark areas.
Recompose, which allows you to intelligently stretch a photo to fit in a particular frame without distorting the main subject. The example Adobe uses converts a landscape-format photo into a square photo, but inquiring minds (like mine) are wondering about converting 4:3 photos into 16:9 photos (and vice-versa).
Smarter, faster quick fixes for exposure, teeth whitening, bluer skies, contrast, and more with better previews.
Get more online storage (20GB versus 2GB), tutorials, artwork, and templates by upgrading to (or buying up front) Photoshop Elements 8 Plus.

PSE 8 also adds better photo management:

An enhanced Organizer with Auto-Analyzer technology automatically tags photos by type (closeup, high contrast, and more).
People Recognition technology for automatic tagging of people in both video clips and photos.
Automatic media synchronization across computers.

Compare PSE 8 for Windows to PSE 7 and PSE 6 here http://www.adobe.com/products/photoshopelwin/upgrade/?view=compare.

Mac Users Get Even More Goodies

The Mac version, due out in October, has all of the features of PSE 8 for Windows, and also adds:

Adobe Bridge CS4 technology for photo management
PhotoMerge Scene Cleaner to remove unwanted elements from a series of similar photos
SmartBrush and Touch-Up brushes for retouching

How to Try, How to Buy

Adobe, which has sometimes been laggard in providing trials of its latest Photoshop Elements editions, is on the ball with Photoshop Elements 8, offering information, free trials, and special rebate or prerelease offers for PSE 8 for Windows, PSE8 for MacOS, the companion Premiere Elements 8 for Windows, and the Photoshop Elements 8/Premiere Elements 8 bundle for Windows. Note: you must have (or sign up for) a free Adobe account to download trials.

Illustration adapted from Adobe website illustrations of product cover art.

Hands-On with Lenovo's Multi-touch Thinkpad T400s

Florence Ion — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 23:00:00 -0500

When we last visited the Lenovo Thinkpad T400s, we gave it a relatively good score based on its sleek, black matte chassis, its comfortable ergonomic keyboard and its reliable on-the-go specifications, which included a 128GB SSD. Now, the T400s has had a minor overhaul in hardware (including a touchscreen LCD) and software and we were lucky enough to get some hands-on playtime with the still-in-beta SimpleTap multi-touch software.

This version of the T400s now includes a capacitive multi-touch screen, which integrates the finger-gesture actions a tablet PC into the desktop interface. Tap twice with your index and middle-finger to initiate the proprietary SimpleTap interface; you’ll be able to control the basic functions of your computer from this menu, including the brightness of the display and the audio settings, as well as any hot keys and web pages you may want to bookmark. Additionally, you can use your fingers instead of the Multi-touch Touchpad or the TrackPoint joystick to navigate around Windows, though we found that using touch to hit small Desktop icons was a chore.

The SimpleTap Menu, which pops up when you tap the screen twice with both your index- and middle-finger

This Simple Tap feature reminds us a lot of the iPhone home screen, with each transparent square tile functioning as its own application. In essence, SimpleTap accomodates new customizable hot keys that are not embedded into the hardware, and can be switched out and utilized in any manner the user prefers.You canadd custom application links or even bookmarks to your favorite websites.

The SimpleTap menu icons can be arranged however you like. Some buttons bring up other options, like the volume menu in the top left corner.

Though it seems to be a bit of an overkill for a laptop that does not have a reversible swivel LCD screen, we can see how the touchscreen could benefit professionals that do not have the luxury of having an external mouse or a tablet with them at all times—like graphic designers, doctors, and engineers using Auto Cad. The screen however, isn't a pen-based digitizer, so you'll have to rely on your fingers.

SimpleTap is currently still in beta mode and the multi-touch gestures are not supported by all programs. Regardless, the new T400s comes equipped with Windows 7 and the Microsoft Touch Pack, which includes a handful of nifty games, a touch enabled screen saver, and the Microsoft Surface Collage, which allows you to arrange your photos into a collage for your desktop. Though it may seem a little out of place to include a touch screen on a non-tablet computer, we’re excited to see if more laptop makers will adopt this hardware in the future.

Canon's New EOS 7D: Bigger, Faster, Smarter, Stronger

Mark Edward Soper — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 09:46:42 -0500

Canon fired the latest salvo in the hotter-than-ever digital SLR wars this week, introducing its new EOS 7D. The $1699 (body-only) EOS 7D includes some now-familiar features, such as APS-C image sensor size (1.6x crop factor), 3-inch LCD with Live View, and Full HD Video.

The $1699 (body-only) EOS 7D includes some now-familiar features, such as the APS-C image sensor size (1.6x crop factor), 3-inch LCD with Live View, and Full HD Video. Here's what's new and different.

Bigger - The EOS 7D cranks up the size of several subsystems, including

18MP image sensor
Two DIGIC 4 image processors for faster image processing and better low-light performance
ISO expandable to 12,800
100% viewfinder coverage
19-point autofocus
63 zone dual-layer metering that uses AF and color information for better exposure and image quality

Faster - Shoot faster with the EOS 7D, thanks to

8 fps burst shooting (up to 126 large JPEG or up to 15 RAW; requires Ultra DMA Compact Flash Card)
1080HD video mode now offers frame rates up to 30 fps and includes adjustable frame rates for all supported video resolutions

Smarter - The EOS 7D provides a smarter viewfinder and AF system for better information and composition

New toggleable LCD overlay for better framing and focusing even in total darkness
New Spot AF mode for focusing on tiny areas of a scene
AF Point expansion (borrowed from the EOS 1D series) automatically shifts to adjacent focus points if the selected manual focus point loses focus
Improved automatic AF point selection and Zone AF

Stronger - The EOS 7D is designed to stand up to protracted use:

Magnesium body with dust and weather resistant features
Shutter rated for up to 150,000 cycles

Lens Options, Accessories and More Information

The EOS 7D will also be bundled with Canon's 28-135mm EF IS lens, which provides framing comparable to a 45-215mm lens on a full-frame 35mm camera. The kit will sell for an estimated $1,899.

Wide-angle fans will want to consider Canon's new 15-85mm EF-S IS (24-135 35mm equivalent) and 18-135mm EF-S IS (28-215mm 35mm equivalent) lenses.

Canon's new optional WFT-E5A Wireless File Transmitter ($699.99) provides a variety of storage and backup options for the EOS 7D, including the ability to record to a USB external hard disk and an Ultra DMA Compact Flash card inside the camera at the same time, and it also supports geotagging through Bluetooth. Learn more about the EOS 7D and WFT-E5A here.

Learn more about the EOS 7D's new AF features here.

Are you excited about the new features in the 7D? Wishing it had a different mix of goodies? Click Comment and sound off.

Photo courtesy Canon USA.

Microsoft Blocks AutoRun/AutoPlay Vulnerability in XP, Vista, and Windows Server [Updated!]

Mark Edward Soper — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 11:41:03 -0500

AutoRun was originally intended to help automatically start programs stored on optical media. However, once USB drives became popular, AutoRun also became a popular way to launch programs from hard disks and thumb drives by working with Windows' built-in AutoPlay functionality.

AutoRun Versus AutoPlay

AutoRun uses an AutoRun.inf file in the root folder of CD or DVD media and other removable drives to specify what happens when the media is inserted or the drive is plugged into a USB or other hot-swap port. Allowable actions include launching a program, displaying an icon, and so on.

AutoPlay is a hot-swap-drive-specific technology in Windows that displays a list of actions that are specific to the media and its content. For example, if you insert a music CD, the AutoPlay menu would provide options for music playback with Windows Media Player or other installed media playback programs. If you connect a USB thumb drive or hard disk that contains different types of media, the AutoPlay list displays programs that can be used to view or play back each of the supported media types (such as photos, music, videos, and so on) stored on the drive. In Windows XP, AutoPlay is configured on a drive-by-drive basis, using programs such as TweakUI. Windows Vista and Windows 7 control AutoPlay on a media-type basis through the Control Panel's AutoPlay applet.

On removable drives, any executable files included in the AutoRun.inf file are automatically added to the AutoPlay menu [thanks to reader MRrelabled for suggesting this new section - updated 8-31-2009].

AutoRun is Not Your Friend (Unless You're a Malware Developer)

Unfortunately, AutoRun's ability to provide instant launching for programs has also been widely exploited by malware such as the notorious Conficker/Downadup worm and others.

First Windows 7, Now the Rest

Back in May, we reported how Microsoft changed how AutoPlay and AutoRun work in Windows 7, preventing USB drives from automatically starting programs using AutoRun. Now, as promised, Redmond's reining in AutoRun's interaction with AutoPlay on Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Windows Server 2003 with its KB971029 security update. It's not available on Windows Update yet, so if you want the update, download and install it manually.

Once you install KB971029, only CD and DVD drives (and programs that emulate CD/DVD drives, such as U3, which is used by SanDisk and other USB flash drive makers) can use AutoRun.

Better Security, But at a Price

Are there downsides to disabling AutoRun? Microsoft points out that you'll need to launch programs from USB drives manually - unless the USB drive emulates a CD drive when you plug it in (such as SanDisk Cruzers and others that use U3 software).

Like the improved security? Find it annoying? Want to report problems with some of your favorite utilities? Hit Comment and sound off.

ATI Graphics Scout Gets Debugged

Mark Edward Soper — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 16:50:42 -0500

AMD's new ATI Graphics Scout is a visual wizard designed to help you find the "perfect" ATI GPU for your needs. Graphics Scout provides feature selections in four categories: video applications, pictures and photos, games, and office applications. Select the most important feature or features in some or all categories, and Graphics Scout (which resembles a Star Wars R2-D2 with a flat-panel upgrade) suggests a suitable match.

Earlier this week, The Inquirer complained that Graphics Scout was pushing out some questionable suggestions. Thankfully, as an update to the original story indicates, ATI's been making some changes, and in our tests today, it made recommendations that make sense:

When we selected video editing, photo editing, DirectX 10+ gaming, and Microsoft Office applications, it suggested the top-of-the-line HD 4890.
When we changed our mind and selected big-screen TV connections with Blu-Ray support, photo viewing and editing, online gaming, and web browsing, Graphics Scout suggested the mid-line HD 4550.

The ability to move up and down the GPU line to see what upgrading or downgrading the recommended selection is handy, as is the ability to compare any other card with the recommended card. For its intended UK audience, Graphics Scout is great, as it provides links to various UK dealers. For users in other countries, it's still useful, but you'll need to use a site such as Cnet's Shopper.com to find actual products for sale. Take Graphics Scout for a spin and tell us if you think it's on the money.

Microsoft Releases Workaround for Video ActiveX Vulnerability That Can Pwn Your PC

Mark Edward Soper — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 19:40:58 -0500

This week, Microsoft announced that DirectShow ActiveX code in Internet Explorer 6 and 7 that was reserved for future use has finally been used - by malware providers. The DirectShow Video ActiveX control in the msvidctr.dll file can be used to take over your system if you visit an infected website. According to Symantec, thousands of websites (primarily in China and other parts of Asia) have been affected.

Who's vulnerable? According to Microsoft Knowledge Base article 972890, Windows Server 2003, Windows XP SP2, Windows XP SP3, and Windows XP 64-bit edition are at risk if they haven't upgraded to IE8. IE8 is not vulnerable because the DirectShow ActiveX control being exploited was disabled in IE8. But, if you're still running IE7 (or - horrors! - IE6), what now?

Although Microsoft doesn't have a software patch, it's offering the next best thing: visit KB article 972890 to download and run Microsoft Fix it control 50287 to work around the problem (the same site also offers Microsoft Fix it control 50288 to disable the workaround). The woraround and disable workaround controls are distributed in .msi installer files. Microsoft also recommends the workaround for Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 users who are still running IE7.

If you want to learn more about what the workaround changes, you can visit the Microsoft Security Advisory (972890) page. This page lists the CLSID values that must be changed. This information can be incorporated into a .reg file, or can be distributed to multiple PCs in a domain using Group Policy. For additional information, see Security Focus article 35558.