http://keznews.com/news.php?title=News News en-us http://media.keznews.com/pics/logo_windows_portal.jpg http://keznews.com/ http://keznews.com/43611=Neowin_s_top_5_Windows_7_Features We&#39;ve all been playing with Windows 7 for quite some time now, and now that general availability has passed we recently asked the community what their favorite feature of Windows 7 was. We&#39;ve tallied the results, and just in case you haven&#39;t explored these features yet here&#39;s an in depth overview of our community&#39;s favorite features: #5 Libraries Since the days of Windows XP, Microsoft has continued to simplify the way users can store their data on a PC. Windows 7 has introduced users to a new way of file organization by adding a new structure called libraries. What exactly is a library? By default Windows 7 has four separate libraries: Documents, Music, Pictures, and Videos. <br /><br /><a href='http://www.neowin.net/news/main/09/11/06/neowins-top-5-windows-7-features'>Read full story...</a> Sat, 07 Nov 2009 07:16:15 http://keznews.com/43610=Microsoft_emancipates_Digital_Cable_Tuners_with_second_Media_Center_update_today Scant hours after the SDV tuning, DRM-relaxing firmware update for Vista and Windows 7 Digital Cable Tuner users became available, <em>Missing Remote</em> let us know Microsoft has come through on the other half of its <a href="http://www.engadgethd.com/2009/09/09/media-center-cablecards-freed-from-oem-requirement/">CEDIA promise</a> by pushing the Digital Cable Advisor to Media Center Extras galleries everywhere...<br /><br /> <br> <br><img src="images/news/icons/view.gif"></img> View Full Article: <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/06/microsoft-emancipates-digital-cable-tuners-with-second-media-cen/" target="_blank">Engadget</a> Sat, 07 Nov 2009 07:16:09 http://keznews.com/43609=Google_introduces_Google_Dashboard Google&#39;s one of the biggest companies on the Internet; between search, IM, email and everything else, they have a huge user base. Though, with that comes the worry of how much user data they&#39;ve collected; to remedy this, a tool has been announced, showing users that exact data. Google has an extremely vast range of services. <br /><br /><a href='http://www.neowin.net/news/main/09/11/06/google-introduces-google-dashboard'>Read full story...</a> Fri, 06 Nov 2009 23:16:13 http://keznews.com/43608=Windows_7_surpasses_Snow_Leopard_in_under_two_weeks In only two weeks since the official commercial launch of Microsoft&#39;s latest operating system, Windows 7 has managed to surpass Apple&#39;s Snow Leopard market share. Snow Leopard has been on the market for three months while Windows 7 has only been on the market for two weeks. Microsoft still stands dominant in the market share, holding strong at 92.52% of all computers in October, compared to Mac OS X with 5.27%, Linux with 0.96% and 1.25% with other operating systems. Windows 7 managed to surpass Snow Leopard&#39;s market share (1.17%); Windows 7 managed to grab 2.15% of the market share, where Vista shows 18.83% and Windows XP with 70.48%. <br /><br /><a href='http://www.neowin.net/news/main/09/11/06/windows-7-surpasses-snow-leopard-in-under-two-weeks'>Read full story...</a> Fri, 06 Nov 2009 19:16:15 http://keznews.com/43607=Seven_perfectly_legal_ways_to_get_Windows_7_cheap_(or_even_free) Ed Bott: Only suckers pay retail.<br /><br /> <br> <br>If youve read any reviews of Windows 7, youve seen references to its price list, which ranges from $120 for a Home Premium upgrade to $320 for a fully licensed copy of Windows 7 Ultimate.<br /><br /> <br> <br>Well, guess what? You dont have to pay that much. Most people have much better options available, if you know where to look. As Ive detailed <a href="http://blogs.zdnet.com/Bott/?p=1514" target="_blank">here</a>, the best deals go to PC manufacturers, which you benefit from if you buy a new PC...<br /><br /> <br> <br><img src="images/news/icons/view.gif"></img> View Full Article: <a href="http://blogs.zdnet.com/Bott/?p=1533" target="_blank">Ed Bott's Microsoft Report</a> Fri, 06 Nov 2009 19:16:11 http://keznews.com/43606=October_2009_OS_stats__Windows_7_passes_Snow_Leopard__Linux Windows 7 arrived <a href="http://arstechnica.com/microsoft/news/2009/10/windows-7-is-here.ars">two weeks ago</a> and so far it's selling <a href="http://arstechnica.com/microsoft/news/2009/11/first-week-sales-of-windows-7-up-234-vs-vistas-first-week.ars">quite sell</a>. With Mac OS X 10.6 becoming available <a href="http://arstechnica.com/apple/news/2009/08/snow-leopard-now-available-on-apple-store-for-aug-28.ars">less than three months ago</a>, and Ubuntu 9.10 arriving <a href="http://arstechnica.com/open-source/news/2009/10/ubuntu-910-brings-web-sync-faster-bootup-gnome-228.ars">last week</a>, we feel it's a good time to start watching the market share for operating systems, in addition to our monthly posts on <a href="http://arstechnica.com/microsoft/news/2009/11/october-2009-browser-stats-firefox-finally-passes-ie6.ars">browser market share</a>. At this point in time, Windows continues to dominate with more than 90 percent of the market, Mac OS is above the five percent mark, and Linux is just under one percent. In October, Windows was the only operating system not to show positive growth.<br /><br /> <br> <br><img src="images/news/icons/view.gif"></img> View Full Article: <a href="http://arstechnica.com/microsoft/news/2009/11/october-2009-os-stats-windows-7-passes-snow-leopard-linux-1.ars?utm_source=microblogging&utm_medi um=arstch&utm_term=Main%20Account&utm_campaign=microblogging" target="_blank">Ars Technica</a> Fri, 06 Nov 2009 19:16:10 http://keznews.com/43605=Rivals_challenge_Microsoft_browser_settlement Three rivals of Microsoft&#39;s Internet Explorer web browser are seeking last minute changes to a proposal, that would see new users of Windows presented with a ballot screen of the top five browsers. Rivals believe that the current ballot screen proposal still gives Internet Explorer an unfair advantage. After a complaint from the makers of the Opera web browser, the European Commission decided in January that Microsoft&#39;s inclusion of Internet Explorer in Windows constituted an abuse of their dominant market position. In October, the Redmond-based company proposed a so-called browser "ballot screen", which would display a list of the top five browsers to consumers when they boot a new computer for the first time. <br /><br /><a href='http://www.neowin.net/news/main/09/11/06/rivals-challenge-microsoft-browser-settlement'>Read full story...</a> Fri, 06 Nov 2009 15:16:13 http://keznews.com/43604=EU_embraces__quot_Internet_Freedom_quot_ The EU took a big step forward last night and approved a measure to ensure "internet freedom" would remain and that individuals would not have their internet cutoff unjustly. The Internet freedom provision, which was part of a massive telecommunications package, was approved late last night after France determined that its own HADOPI law assumed guilt rather than innocence. The passage still allows for countries to adopt a three strike policy but "must presume innocence, guard privacy, and allow for judicial appeal". This differs from previous policies that gave EU governments the full ability to cut off ones internet with little chance for appeal. <br /><br /><a href='http://www.neowin.net/news/main/09/11/06/eu-embraces-internet-freedom'>Read full story...</a> Fri, 06 Nov 2009 15:16:12 http://keznews.com/43603=Windows_7_sales_exceed_Vista_sales_by_234_ Consumer Market Research firm NPD has confirmed that initial sales of Windows 7 have surpassed those of the Windows Vista launch. According to NPD&#39;s weekly tracking service, Windows 7 software unit sales in the U.S. were 234 percent higher than Vista&#39;s first few days of sales. The most popular choice for consumers was the Windows 7 Home Premium upgrade followed by the Pro upgrade and Home Premium Family Pack. According to NPD, software sales of Windows 7 were strong compared to Vista&#39;s sales partly due to early discounts on pre-sales and a wide range of promotions. <br /><br /><a href='http://www.neowin.net/news/main/09/11/06/windows-7-boxed-copy-sales-exceed-vista-sales-by-234'>Read full story...</a> Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:16:16 http://keznews.com/43602=Fortune_names_Steve_Jobs__CEO_of_the_decade_ Fortune magazine has named Apple CEO, Steve Jobs, as "CEO of the decade". In an article confirming the title, Fortune wrote: "How&#39;s this for a gripping corporate story line: Youthful founder gets booted from his company in the 1980s, returns in the 1990s, and in the following decade survives two brushes with death, one securities-law scandal, an also-ran product lineup, and his own often unpleasant demeanor to become the dominant personality in four distinct industries, a billionaire many times over, and CEO of the most valuable company in Silicon Valley." Jobs has certainly turned Apple around. <br /><br /><a href='http://www.neowin.net/news/main/09/11/06/fortune-names-steve-jobs-ceo-of-the-decade'>Read full story...</a> Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:16:15 http://keznews.com/43601=Bing_aiming_to_win_this_Christmas The holiday season is nearly upon us and Microsoft has signaled it wants to be the search engine for Christmas this year. A new commercial, released earlier this week and spotted first by the folks at LiveSide, highlights the familiar "search overload syndrome" that Microsoft referred to in its first Bing commercials in June when Bing officially launched to the world. Since the launch of Bing, Microsoft has managed to snatch 10.7% market share with 1.1 billion searches in August alone. The advert has a holiday season feel as a young child visits Santa to explain his wish list for Christmas. <br /><br /><a href='http://www.neowin.net/news/main/09/11/06/bing-aiming-to-win-this-christmas'>Read full story...</a> Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:16:14 http://keznews.com/43600=How_the_default_Windows_7_wallpaper_evolved Gizmodo tracked down Chuck Anderson, the creator of Windows 7&#39;s box art, default wallpaper and login screen. In an exclusive overview of the evolution of the Windows 7 wallpaper and login screen, the gadget lovers managed to secure some rare development shots of how Microsoft came to the wallpaper that is now used worldwide. Chuck Anderson is a 20 something digital media artist living in the US. Both the login screen and wallpapers took approximately four months, start to finish according to Gizmodo. They were achieved by a mix of pen and paper, wacom tablet and Photoshop. <br /><br /><a href='http://www.neowin.net/news/main/09/11/06/how-the-default-windows-7-wallpaper-evolved'>Read full story...</a> Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:16:13 http://keznews.com/43599=Google_CEO__Hopefully_we_won_t_repeat_Microsoft_s_past_mistakes Eric Schmidt appeared on Fox Business Network tonight for an extensive interview with host Neil Cavuto, who pressed the Google CEO a couple times over whether the company has the potential to become the next Microsoft when it comes to antitrust issues and its attempts to fend off new Internet rivals...<br /><br /> <br> <br><img src="images/news/icons/view.gif"></img> View Full Article: <a href="http://www.techflash.com/seattle/2009/11/google_ceo_hopefully_we_wont_repeat_microsofts_mistakes.html?ana=from_rss" target="_blank">Todd Bishop's Microsoft Blog</a> Fri, 06 Nov 2009 07:16:09 http://keznews.com/43598=Patch_Tuesday_for_November Microsoft is set to release six security bulletin patches this coming Tuesday. Three of the six have been labeled as Critical, Microsoft&#39;s highest security rating, and three more patches labeled as Important, the second highest security rating. The patches are due to release on November 10 and will focus on patching Remote Code Executions and DoS (Denial of Service) flaws in the Windows operating system. Four of the patches will be released for Windows, while two will patch Remote Code Executions in Microsoft Office. <br /><br /><a href='http://www.neowin.net/news/main/09/11/05/patch-tuesday-for-november'>Read full story...</a> Thu, 05 Nov 2009 23:16:13 http://keznews.com/43597=Danish_students_allowed_use_of_internet_during_exams In a bizarre alteration of examination rules, the Danish government has taken the bold steps of allowing pupils full access to the internet during their final school exams, according to the BBC&#39;s technology page. Currently, a total of fourteen schools in the country are piloting the scheme and all schools are invited to do the same by 2011. It seems like a great deal of trust is put into the students themselves not to cheat. BBC News journalist Judy Hobson describes the Danish exam hall at Greve High School, south of Copenhagen as a strange place: "On the morning of the exam, the exam room the floor is covered in cables. <br /><br /><a href='http://www.neowin.net/news/main/09/11/05/danish-students-allowed-use-of-internet-in-exams'>Read full story...</a> Thu, 05 Nov 2009 19:16:16 http://keznews.com/43596=Microsoft_raises_cloud_computing_concerns Packaged software powerhouse Microsoft on Thursday released a paper outlining privacy concerns businesses should consider prior to leaping into the computing "cloud."<br /><br /> <br> <br>Shifting to software being hosted online as services in the Internet "cloud" brings enormous economic potential as well as serious questions about protecting data, according to Microsoft.<br /><br /> <br> <br><img src="images/news/icons/view.gif"></img> View Full Article: <a href="http://tech.yahoo.com/news/afp/20091105/tc_afp/usitinternetsoftwaremicrosoft" target="_blank">Yahoo News</a> Thu, 05 Nov 2009 19:16:11 http://keznews.com/43595=Windows_7_sales_outshine_Vista Judging by its initial sales, Windows 7 is certainly proving more popular than Vista.<br /><br /> <br> <br>Microsoft sold 234 percent more boxed editions of Windows 7 than it did Vista in the initial releases of both products, according to research released Thursday by NPD Group...<br /><br /> <br> <br><img src="images/news/icons/view.gif"></img> View Full Article: <a href="http://news.cnet.com/8301-10805_3-10391484-75.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-5" target="_blank">CNET News</a> Thu, 05 Nov 2009 19:16:10 http://keznews.com/43594=Apple_co-founder_Steve_Jobs_named_Fortune__CEO_of_the_Decade_ For his role in turning Apple into a groundbreaking technology leader and the most valuable company in Silicon Valley, <em>Fortune Magazine</em> has named Steve Jobs its "CEO of the Decade."<br /> <br><br /> <br> <br>The magazine's <a href="http://money.cnn.com/2009/11/04/technology/steve_jobs_ceo_decade.fortune/index.htm?source=yahoo_quote">profile of Jobs</a> noted that the 54-year-old overcame rejection from his own company in the 1980s, a <a href="http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/07/09/20/steve_jobs_subpoenaed_by_sec_for_deposition_report.html">Securities and Exchange Commission investigation</a> scandal, two <a href="http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/09/09/09/steve_jobs_returns_to_stage_at_apple_keynote.html">brushes with death</a> and "his own often unpleasant demeanor" to earn the title. Given that Jobs has transformed American business, the publication has heralded the 2000s as "the decade of Steve."<br /><br /> <br> <br><img src="images/news/icons/view.gif"></img> View Full Article: <a href="http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/09/11/05/apple_co_founder_steve_jobs_named_fortune_ceo_of_the_decade.html" target="_blank">AppleInsider</a> <br> Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:16:08 http://keznews.com/43593=10_Ways_Vista_is_more_annoying_with_Windows_7_available We all know Windows Vista got a bit of a bum rap. Its biggest sin was that it shipped earlier than it should and its reputation has never recovered. However, with Windows 7 now out, those of us who have to switch between PCs now find ourselves discovering completely new things about Windows Vista that are annoying -- because they are things that Windows 7 made so much better. Here&#39;s our list... #1 "Program not responding" Windows Vista loved to throw programs under the bus for not responding. This was especially true of Windows Explorer which regularly would fade out a window because it was trying to access a network resource. <br /><br /><a href='http://www.neowin.net/news/main/09/11/05/10-ways-vista-is-more-annoying-with-windows-7-available'>Read full story...</a> Thu, 05 Nov 2009 03:16:13 http://keznews.com/43592=Rivals_to_Challenge_Microsoft_Browser_Settlement Three rivals of Microsoft are seeking last-minute changes to its proposed settlement with European regulators that would give buyers of computers loaded with Windows the ability to choose a default browser other than the companys Internet Explorer...<br /><br /> <br> <br><img src="images/news/icons/view.gif"></img> View Full Article: <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/05/technology/companies/05soft.html?partner=rss&emc=rss" target="_blank">The New York Times</a> Thu, 05 Nov 2009 03:16:08 http://keznews.com/43591=Sophos__Windows_7_vulnerable_to_8_10_viruses__FUD_alert FUD - Fear, uncertainty and doubt Yesterday, a senior security advisor at Sophos, who is responsible for working with the security community and communicating information on security threats to IT professionals, posted an entry on his blog entitled "Windows 7 vulnerable to 8 out of 10 viruses". Given the bad publicity that surrounded the launch of Windows Vista, is this yet another failing on the part of Microsoft that will lead to poor adoption of the Windows 7 platform? <br /><br /><a href='http://www.neowin.net/news/main/09/11/04/sophos-windows-7-vulnerable-to-810-viruses-fud-alert'>Read full story...</a> Wed, 04 Nov 2009 19:16:16 http://keznews.com/43590=Microsoft_cuts_800_more_jobs Microsoft has confirmed that it will be cutting 800 jobs effective today. The jobs will be cut across many different product groups and about a quarter of them will come from the Seattle area. The final 800 cuts complete the announcement in January that the company would terminate 5000 employees over the following 18 months. Employees who are affected will be notified today. "Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer had said in May that the company was almost, but not quite completely, finished with the planned 5,000 job cuts at that point. <br /><br /><a href='http://www.neowin.net/news/main/09/11/04/microsoft-cuts-800-more-jobs'>Read full story...</a> Wed, 04 Nov 2009 19:16:15 http://keznews.com/43589=Microsoft_Courier_s_Swipes__Snips_and_Scribbles__The_Leaked_Interface We've seen <a href="http://gizmodo.com/5365299/courier-first-details-of-microsofts-secret-tablet" target="_blank">slides and videos</a> of Microsoft's Courier booklet in action, but nothing has quite explained how all of these things actually work. This document explains Courier's interface, gestures and features more in-depth than ever before...<br /><br /> <br> <br><img src="images/news/icons/view.gif"></img> View Full Article: <a href="http://gizmodo.com/5381011/microsoft-couriers-swipes-snips-and-scribbles-the-leaked-interface" target="_blank">Gizmodo</a> Wed, 04 Nov 2009 19:16:10 http://keznews.com/43588=Microsoft_laying_off_800_more Microsoft confirmed on Wednesday that it is cutting 800 more employees, completing the large round of layoffs the company announced in January.<br /><br /> <br> <br>With the goal of eliminating 5,000 positions by June 2010, Microsoft began laying off employees this past spring. Spokesman Lou Gellos said Wednesday's cuts bring the total to about 5,800 “ more than what was expected.<br /><br /> <br> <br><img src="images/news/icons/view.gif"></img> View Full Article: <a href="http://blog.seattlepi.com/microsoft/archives/184078.asp?source=rss" target="_blank">Seattle PI's Microsoft Blog</a> Wed, 04 Nov 2009 19:16:09 http://keznews.com/43587=Hoops_Bring_Hope_to_Children_in_Philippines Two years ago, Microsoft employee Bill Hilf founded High Five Hope, an organization that uses basketball to help children in the Philippines build their confidence in hopes of giving them a path out of poverty. Wed, 04 Nov 2009 15:16:58 http://keznews.com/43586=TechSpot__Asus_P7P55D_Deluxe_Motherboard_Review Asus anticipates selling nearly half a million P55 motherboards by the end of the year. If this is the case, it will mean that P55 products alone will have accounted for 10% of the annual motherboard shipments for the Taiwanese manufacturer. In other words, there is quite a bit on the line for both Asus and its competitors. In an effort to meet the diverse demand expected for P55 products, Asus released a total of nine P55-based motherboards on the platform&#39;s launch day, ranging in price from &#36;135 for the basic P7P55D LE to &#36;250 for the Maximus III Formula and P7P55 WS SuperComputer. <br /><br /><a href='http://www.neowin.net/news/main/09/11/04/techspot-asus-p7p55d-deluxe-motherboard-review'>Read full story...</a> Wed, 04 Nov 2009 15:16:13 http://keznews.com/43585=HTC_HD2_available_in_Europe_today__US_2010 HTC has officially confirmed that the HTC HD2 will be available today in the UK, Europe and Asia. The HTC HD2 is HTC&#39;s latest Windows Phone which includes the latest operating system Windows Mobile 6.5. The HD2 also comes with HTC&#39;s latest user experience, HTC Sense. Sense is based on the TouchFLO 3D interface found on older HTC models. Sense sits on top of Windows Mobile and provides extra functionality and an improved user interface for accessing common applications. According to Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer: "Working with HTC, we&#39;ve delivered great phones that help customers connect to the people and information they care about, wherever they are," said Ballmer. <br /><br /><a href='http://www.neowin.net/news/main/09/11/04/htc-hd2-available-in-europe-today-us-2010'>Read full story...</a> Wed, 04 Nov 2009 15:16:12 http://keznews.com/43584=MSN_unveils_new-look_home_page Microsoft&#39;s MSN.com has undergone a clean up, focusing on a cleaner look and access to essential information. MSN has also unveiled a new logo to complement the fresh looking web portal. The new site also allows Windows Live, Twitter, and Facebook users to easily update those services from the home page. MSN will also be offering inline high-quality streaming video, employing Silverlight technology, from more than 300 sources including Hulu, National Geographic and FOX Entertainment Group. Microsoft is using the latest web technologies to power MSN.com to ensure the site loads seamlessly. An array of tabs are available for users to flick between content such as Sport, Finance and Games. <br /><br /><a href='http://www.neowin.net/news/main/09/11/04/msn-unveils-new-look-home-page'>Read full story...</a> Wed, 04 Nov 2009 11:16:15 http://keznews.com/43583=The_Beatles__music_finally_available_in_MP3 The Beatles are finally available in digital form. However, you need to shell out &#36;279.99 for it. Granted, it comes in an apple-shaped USB stick, both in FLAC and MP3 formats. It seems they are all-together shunning the iTunes music store. Apple Corps and EMI Music have announced the worldwide release a limited edition of only 30,000 Stereo USB devices. What do you get for that? The same thing the band and EMI Music Group are already selling for &#36;219: All of the band&#39;s music, in a remastered stereo mix &mdash; the same just released in a CD set. For all those die-hard fans paying extra yet, you get the same tunes bundled up in a single USB stick. <br /><br /><a href='http://www.neowin.net/news/main/09/11/04/the-beatles-music-finally-available-in-mp3'>Read full story...</a> Wed, 04 Nov 2009 11:16:14 http://keznews.com/43582=MSN_Music_Downloads_beta_service_launches_today_[UK] Microsoft was originally planning to roll out MSN Music Downloads (beta) back in July this year but due to some quality issues it has finally launched today. Microsoft has penned deals with the four major music labels: EMI, Warner Music Group, Universal Music Group and Sony BMG. The software giant expects to offer approximately one million tracks for download at launch. Tracks, on average, cost 79p but in order to purchase tracks or albums customers have to purchase credits. A package of 10 credits costs &pound;7.99. One credit will buy one single the full 10 credits will purchase most of the albums available. <br /><br /><a href='http://www.neowin.net/news/main/09/11/04/msn-music-downloads-beta-service-launches-today'>Read full story...</a> Wed, 04 Nov 2009 11:16:13