Posted 10/13/08 at 10:00:00 AM by Will Smith

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9

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windows, microsoft, apple, linux, OS X, PC Advisor

Posted 10/09/08 at 05:15:33 PM by Alex Castle

Microsoft’s upcoming internet-based OS, heretofore known only as Windows Cloud, might finally have a name: “Strata.” On the website for their Professional Developers Conference, Microsoft briefly listed a number of cloud computing session under the heading “Windows Strata.” The listing was quickly taken down, but not before observant bloggers picked up on the slip.

Of course, the Strata name is far from a sure thing. Beyond Binary reports that as of Wednesday morning, no trademark had been filed for “Windows Strata,” and that a Microsoft representative said, via e-mail “As you know, Microsoft uses internal code names for pending technologies and from time to time they make their way to the public. We’re looking forward to talking more about our cloud services platform at the Professional Developers Conference in Los Angeles.”

In the mean time, what do you think of the name “Windows Strata?” Tell us after the break.  

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windows, microsoft, Internet, cloud computing, Windows Cloud, operating sytem, windows strata

Posted 10/06/08 at 02:45:36 PM by Paul Lilly

Startup company G.ho.st is crying foul over Microsoft's new ad campaign, but not because the commercials suck. Instead, the company claims Microsoft's ads violate the startup's trademark, specifically the phrases "life without walls," "imagine without walls," and "imagine no walls." G.ho.st. CEO Zvi Schreiber has sent a letter to Steve Ballmer requesting that the phrases in question be removed from Microsoft's product lineup, website, marketing materials, and anywhere else the software giant might be using them.

Michael Marinello, a Microsoft spokesman, did acknowledge that Microsoft had received the letter, but said in an email "the allegation is without merit." Not so says Schreiber, who claims that G.ho.st has been using the phrase "no walls" in conjunction with its G.ho.st Virtual Computer software, which Schreiber describes as an alternative to Windows.

Going for the gusto, Schreiber not only wants Microsoft to stop using the above mentioned phrases, but wants Microsoft to amend existing ads clarifying that it has not licensed G.ho.st's technology or trademark, as well as mentioning that they do not use the same "features or benefits of the G.ho.st Virtual Computer." All this on top of wanting Steve Ballmer and Co. to negotiate a "good faith" license for past use.

Ready for the kicker? Not only does G.ho.st not yet officially own the allegedly trademarked phrases, but according to PC World, the company filed an application for the trademarks on the same day it sent Microsoft the ceast and desist letter.

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windows, microsoft, Software, legal, ads, trademark, advertising, court

Posted 10/02/08 at 07:52:55 PM by Mark Edward Soper

"Windows Cloud" is the code name for a new operating system that will make its debut at Microsoft's Professional Developer Conference later this month, InfoWorld reports.

It's no secret that Microsoft has been developing what it calls "software plus services" for some time now. In addition to SharePoint, Exchange, and Dynamic CRM software for enterprise and business clients, the list of S+S from Microsoft also includes the home and small-business-oriented Windows Live family, which has just been upgraded.  So, what exactly will be in "Windows Cloud" (or whatever its actual name will be)? For a peek behind the curtain, and the Microsoft rival preparing to use Microsoft's own tools against it, join us after the jump.

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windows, microsoft, operating system, Internet, steve ballmer, cloud computing, Windows Cloud

Posted 10/01/08 at 05:30:03 PM by Andy Salisbury

That’s right, you didn’t misread the headline – Microsoft is looking to pay you to use their search engine (again). Not with real money mind you, but points that can be redeemed for prizes (read: Chuck E. Cheese).

The program, called SearchPerks, will give users of Microsoft’s LIVE Search a point each time they search, with the possibility of accumulating 25 per day. However, users will only be able to collect these points once they’ve agreed to download and install a small program that allows Microsoft to track their usage.

In the past, Microsoft hasn’t been successful in getting new users for their search engine, currently only holding 8.3 percent of the search engine market. With the Live Search Club, Microsoft saw an initial boost in their search engine usage of nearly 3 percent, but the results failed to hold. The success of the search engine appears to be directly tied with the incentive programs that Microsoft offers.

If you’re looking to get in on the point-spending goodness, be sure to sign up soon. Microsoft is only allowing people to sign up until the end of the year, or until they get their target of 250,000 participants.

I bet you never thought all those searches for Lindsay Lohan would one day be profitable, did you?

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windows, microsoft, Software, Google, Live Search

Posted 09/25/08 at 08:47:41 PM by Mark Edward Soper

Windows Vista Ultimate users, it's time to check Windows Update for another group of Ultimate Extras, the first new ones since April. 

Here's what's new:

• Microsoft Tinker, a new casual game
• Ultimate Extras game sounds from Microsoft Tinker
• Dream Scene Content Pack #4

The total download size for all three is 120.8MB.

Microsoft Tinker, developed for Microsoft  by Fuel Industries, puts you in control of an old-school robot that's exploring a miniature world.  Move to each level's destination by moving blocks, jumping on elevator buttons, and destroying objects. Along the way, you can also turn switches on and off and collect cog wheels. You can control your journey with the arrow keys on the keyboard, an Xbox 360 controller, or a Windows Media Center remote. You can also record a video of a game level, and while you play, a cool jazz soundtrack keeps your spirits up.

Game sounds from Microsoft Tinker make up the second Ultimate Extra, joining previous audio Ultimate Extras Glass and Pearl.

Dream Scene Content Pack #4 adds three variations on a mountain lake at sunset (see illustration) to previous full-motion wallpaper offerings.

To learn more about Ultimate Extras and other offers for Windows Ultimate users, drop by  the Ultimate PC website.

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vista, windows, microsoft, operating system, Ultimate Extras, downloads, Vista Ultimate

Posted 09/24/08 at 12:40:17 PM by Paul Lilly

As if college students didn't already have enough studying to do, it appears they made need to brush up on the fundamentals of PC security. For example, when presented with a popup, do you:

• A: Click it, because what company would lie about promising to remove all your adware?
• B: Click it, because in your hungover state you can't read what it says anyway
• C: Click it, because that's how you assert your independence
• D: Close it out

The answer's obvious for Maximum PC readers, but not so for those who reside on a college campus. The Psychology Department of North Carolina State University concocted a series of four fake popup dialogs, with one warning: "The instruction at '0x77f41d24 referenced memory at '0x595c2a4c.' The memory could not be 'read.' Click OK to terminate program." Only one of the warnings blended in with XP, and the others were designed to be easy to spot as adware.

Surprisingly (or maybe not so surprisingly), 25 students out of a panel of 42 clicked the button for two of the fake alerts, and 23 hit OK on the third. Only 9 of them closed the window.

So why'd they do it? Nearly half of the students said that their main concern was getting rid of the dialogs and the distraction they presented. Time to add Computers for Dummies for next semester's textbook shopping list.

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windows, Software, web browser, study, popups

Posted 09/23/08 at 07:30:48 PM by Mark Edward Soper

CNet's Ina Fried reports that Microsoft has decided to remove Windows Photo Gallery, Windows Movie Maker, and Windows Mail from Windows 7. Given the fact that Microsoft continues to upgrade its Live replacements for Photo Gallery and Mail, and added Movie Maker to the Live family, as we reported last week, this move seems to make a lot of sense. 

As someone who's been recommending that Windows Vista users replace Windows Photo Gallery with Windows Live Photo Gallery ever since Live Photo Gallery was launched, I think that stripping Windows of utilities that only some people will use makes plenty of sense. Here's why:

1. Faster development of operating system releases. As Windows Live general manager Brian Hall told Fried, "It [this decision]makes it [Windows 7] much cleaner." 

2. Fewer worries about antitrust actions. Lawsuits by the EU forced Microsoft to distribute EU-specific versions of Windows XP and Windows Vista that are missing Windows Media Player. By dropping other multimedia features, Microsoft makes Windows 7 even less appealing as a lawsuit target.

3. New partnership opportunities. According to Hall,"We can do things with specific partners to enable really great experiences that might be hard in Windows." We might see Windows 7+Adobe, Windows 7+Corel, or Windows 7+open source bundles from various OEMs.

4. Fewer opportunities for compatibility problems. As anyone who has ever wrestled with Windows Vista multimedia tools being broken by installing third-party tools (I recommend the freeware Vista Codec Package, available at http://shark007.net, if you can't burn CDs or DVDs in Windows Vista anymore after installing a third-party DVD burner), the possibility of reducing the chances of a "codec war" or other compatibility problems is a welcome one.

So, what do you think? Do you like the idea of choosing your favorite free or commercial photo, video, and email clients right from the start, or do you prefer the current method? Are you more likely to buy a preinstalled version of Windows 7 if it had a well-integrated third-party media and email software bundle, or do you prefer to create your own "best of breed" combination? Do you have a horror story of third-party apps and Windows butting heads? Tell them now before Windows 7 does away with them. Hit the jump for your chance.

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windows, microsoft, operating system, OS, Windows Mail, Windows Live, Photo Gallery, windows 7, Movie Maker