Windows 7 Gets Thumbs-Up from Linux CreatorIn Japan

In a world where all is fair in operating system war, Linux creator Linus Torvalds giving Microsoft’s Windows 7 a thumbs-up is nothing short of sacrilege. The “blasphemy” took place on October 22nd, 2009, the worldwide general availability deadline for Microsoft’s latest Windows client. As you can see from the picture accompanying this article, Torvalds was in Japan, just in time to witness Windows 7 hitting the shelves. But before the members of the Linux community start turning against the most prominent figure of the open source operating system, they need to know that Torvalds did not stray from the anti-proprietary path. The creator of the Linux kernel was attending the Japan Linux Symposium, and only took the photo as a joke.

“Microsoft tried to torpedo the success of the Japan Linux Symposium by launching their Windows 7 product that same day. They even had setup a big promotion booth across the street from the conference center,” a person known only as Chris explains the source of the image (via Bink). “During a break, we decided to make some fun of Microsoft and dragged Linus over there. When we arrived there, Linus was sold immediately on the product as you can see in the picture. At least that's what the sales guy thought. He obviously had no idea who he was dealing with. But in the end Linus surprisingly did not buy a copy. Wise man!”Torvalds’ sarcastic gesture toward Windows 7 does in no way change the fact that Linux continues to be largely irrelevant in comparison with its proprietary rival. In fact, according to statistics provided by Net Applications, Windows 7 had surpassed Linux in terms of usage share even before it was available to the general public. Such a rate of success certainly deserves a thumbs-up, perhaps even from Microsoft rivals. But even before Windows 7 had been completed, Windows had scored a new victory over Linux. The open source platform had had the advantage when it came down to netbooks, and, at one time, was preinstalled on approximately 90% of all “mini-notebooks” or “sub-notebooks.” Using Windows XP, Microsoft turned the situation around, and grew XP’s presence on netbooks to 80% of the machines in just a year. Brad Brooks, Microsoft’s corporate vice president for Windows Consumer Product Marketing, noted that this was made possible by the fact that end users found Linux netbooks to be disappointing.

Download Windows 7 Bing Theme – 20 Wallpapers

Even before it rebranded its search engine, Bing, killing off Live Search, Microsoft debuted an experiment that turned into a de facto characteristic of its decision engine. Users of Bing have undoubtedly noticed that the search engine features a different picture every day as a background. Some of the Bing wallpapers are absolutely superb examples of photography and Microsoft has went as far as selecting 20 items that were featured at one time as a background for the search/decision engine, and offering a downloadable pack designed to help end users customize their Windows 7 operating system.

Bing's Best is one of the extra Windows 7 themes that Microsoft released on October 22nd, 2009, concomitantly with the general availability of the platform. Two dozen background images from Bing are now available for download via a single Feature Theme for the successor of Windows Vista. Users only need to download the pack and execute the file in order to personalize their machine with Bing wallpapers. Of course, the Bing’s Best theme pack only works with Windows 7.“And to show our support for Windows 7, I’m excited to announce our first ever downloadable wallpaper theme for Windows 7 – Bing’s Best. A lot of people ask us for desktop versions of our images. And now you (and your friends, and your family, and your casual acquaintances) can get them!” Stephanie Horstmanshof, Microsoft Editorial lead, noted. “The homepage team selected the top images from June, July, and August, and then worked with the Windows 7 personalization team to create a theme pack featuring these 20 gorgeous wallpapers.”But, by all means, don’t stop at Bing’s Best. There are an additional 13 Windows 7 themes that went live on October 22nd, some of them representing collaborations with various companies, which resulted in Ducati, Ferrari and Porsche themes. A Windows 7 theme comes complete with a range of settings on top of the wallpapers, including Windows Aero tweaks and even new sounds.

Windows 7 RTM USB/DVD Download Tool Available

Microsoft is offering a free tool designed to streamline the creation of bootable Windows 7 RTM DVDs or USBs. Appropriately dubbed the Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool, the utility is available for download via the Microsoft Store at no cost. Customers that acquire a Windows 7 license online and download the RTM bits of the operating system themselves opting to get the platform packaged as an ISO file need to either create a bootable DVD or a bootable USB device in order to install the OS. This is where the Windows 7 USB/DVD Download tool comes into play.

With the utility, Windows 7 ISO file copies can be created on either a USB flash drive or a DVD. The tool will guide end users through the necessary steps, after which they will be able to install Windows 7 directly from the USB flash drive or the DVD media. “The copy of the ISO file that the Windows 7 USB/DVD Download tool creates is bootable. Bootable media allows you to install Windows 7 without having to first run an existing operating system on your machine. If you change the boot order of drives in your computer's BIOS, you can run the Windows 7 installation directly from your USB flash drive or DVD when you turn on your computer,” Microsoft noted. Obviously, users can turn to any DVD-burning solution in order to create a bootable DVD of Windows 7. But the Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool, although also supporting DVD scenarios, was in fact meant to help end users create bootable USBs. More and more portable computers, especially netbooks, come without a DVD drive, making it difficult for users to install a new operating system. Bootable Windows 7 USB flash devices can also be created manually, but the free tool offered by Microsoft simplifies the process as much as possible. Microsoft even offered a small “Frequently Asked Questions” piece.The following are some frequently asked questions about using the Windows 7 USB/DVD Download tool:What size USB flash drive is required? You need a USB flash drive with a minimum of 4 GB of free space. Can I use my newly created USB drive to install Windows 7 on someone else’s computer? No. The Windows 7 ISO file on the USB flash drive is only intended to be used to install Windows 7 on the licensed user’s own computer. Can I backup to a CD-R? No. The Windows 7 ISO file is too large to fit on a CD. Can I backup to a Blu-Ray DVD disk? Yes, as long as your DVD drive can write to a Blu-Ray DVD. If I have other files on the USB flash drive will the Windows 7 USB/DVD Download tool delete them? This tool requires the USB flash drive to be completely blank before the Windows 7 files are copied. This helps ensure that the device is bootable after the copying has completed.Can I backup to an iPod, camera, or other device with enough free disk space? Yes, but this is not recommended. The device must be formatted in order for the device to be bootable. A dedicated USB flash drive would be a better option. Can I use the Windows 7 USB/DVD Download tool to backup other files? No. This tool is only for use with the Windows 7 ISO file purchased from Microsoft Store.The Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool is available for download here.

Windows PC Scout Still Stuck on Vista

If you feel like you need a Windows expert’s recommendation when you’re buying a new laptop, then a new interactive guide from Microsoft might just be the thing for you. The Windows PC Scout is a web-based application that will allow users with absolutely no experience to find a laptop that is best suited for their needs, and to buy it. This is not to say that more advanced users won’t be able to also leverage the Windows PC Scout in order to maybe bring some clarification to a selection of laptops that they’ve been looking at, trying to decide on a single product. At the same time, Windows PC Scout is an excellent point to start when shopping around for a new machine, if all you want to do is to get some recommendations for a new laptop, while not having a precise idea of what you want to buy.

“We’ll start by making sure you understand laptop computers. Then, find out exactly what you’re looking for in a new laptop. Finally, we’ll match your needs against PCs recommended by the experts here at Windows. We’ve hand-picked these PCs—the best of the best,” Microsoft promises in the welcoming message. The Windows PC Scout is currently focused entirely on laptops, but the promise exists from Microsoft that it will also add desktops in the future. However, the Redmond company has chosen to provide guidance on buying a laptop specifically because customers find it more difficult to select a mobile computer suited to their needs. The voice from the guidance app notes that “the experts at Windows went far and wide screening laptops to find the ones they think are best.” And while it might be so, fact is that I found Windows PC Scout lacking in two ways.

First off, Microsoft has not updated the application for Windows 7, and it continues to recommend Windows Vista as the operating system of choice. Since Windows 7 general availability is just one day away, I find this at least a little upsetting. And second, as you can see from the image on the left, the Windows PC Scout had absolutely no recommendation for me. This is indeed troublesome as I have recently bought a new laptop that more than matched the criteria I served the application. So it’s either that the Windows experts didn’t search far and wide enough, or that I did a better job at finding the best laptop according to my preferences than the Windows PC Scout. Either way, I still think that Windows PC Scout should be given at least a small chance.

Office 2010 Web Apps Technical Preview Access Expanded

Microsoft is opening up access to the Cloud-based components of the Office 2010 System. September 17th, marked the second Technical Preview development milestone associated with Office 2010. However, this time around Microsoft was not introducing a new testing build of the productivity suite, but unveiling to a limited pool of testers the Could components associated with Office 2010. In mid-September 2009, the software giant launched the Office Web Apps Technical Preview.

The successor of Office 2007 is the first productivity suite from the Redmond company no longer anchored exclusively on the desktop. In fact, in order to provide an alternative to rival web-based offerings and services such as Google Docs and Spreadsheets, Microsoft has decided to also stretch Office into the Cloud. Office 2010 comes with a collection of alternative services offered as components of the productivity suite running in the Cloud, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote, all intimately connected with Windows Live SkyDrive and accessible via a Windows Live ID. “About a month ago I [told you] about the Technical Preview on Windows Live. Since then we’ve seen a lot of interest in Office Web Apps and received numerous requests from people wanting to try them out. To make this possible, we are opening up the Technical Preview and inviting more people to try out the Office Web Apps,” revealed Nick Simons, program manager, Office Web Apps. While Microsoft is indeed welcoming additional participants to the Technical Preview of Office Web Apps, fact is that it still considers only a limited number of extra testers. “For a limited time, you can sign-up for a Technical Preview account here (if you are already a part of the technical preview, this link will generate an error): http://skydrive.live.com/acceptpreview.aspx/.documents?aobrp=browse. The features in this expanded Technical Preview are the same as the initial preview; however, during the preview (and beyond) you can expect to see new functionality added over time. Thanks for helping us make Office Web Apps even better,” Simons added. The public Beta of Office 2010 is expected to drop in November 2009, with the final version of the productivity suite expected to be made available come spring 2010. Microsoft did not indicate when it expected to debut the public Beta of Office Web Apps.

Windows 7 RTM Desktop Optimization Pack Available

The latest version of the Desktop Optimization Pack offered by Microsoft is tailored to the company’s most recent iteration of the Windows operating system. While Windows 7 is scheduled for general availability on October 22nd, the Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack (MDOP) 2009 R2 was already offered to customers on October 20th. However, not all users will get their hands on MDOP R2. Fact is that the suite of applications is exclusively available to Microsoft’s Software Assurance customers via Volume Licensing.

“If you are an MDOP customer, you can download MDOP 2009 R2 through Microsoft Volume Licensing Site (MVLS). For others who wish to evaluate MDOP products, the MDOP software is available at MSDN and TechNet (in accordance with your MSDN or TechNet agreements, except for AIS),” Ran Oelgiesser, Microsoft's senior product manager for MED-V, revealed. MDOP was initially made available for customers running Windows Vista Enterprise, and, with R2, Microsoft is addressing corporate customers, and especially those with the Enterprise SKU of Windows 7. The Enterprise edition of Windows 7 is, just as MDOP and MDOP R2, exclusively available to Software Assurance customers through Volume Licensing. There is a number of components in the Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack, including: Microsoft Application Virtualization (App-V), Microsoft Enterprise Desktop Virtualization (MED-V), Advanced Group Policy Management (AGPM), Microsoft Diagnostics and Recovery Toolset (DaRT), System Center Desktop Error Monitoring (DEM) and Microsoft Asset Inventory Service (AIS). Corporate customers with large IT environments can turn to MDOP R2 in concert with Windows 7 Enterprise to help them fuel productivity, boost manageability, but perhaps most importantly cut back the total cost of ownership for enterprise desktops. “If you're running a business, MDOP can provide immediate savings with little IT investment, especially when integrated into your Windows 7 plans: Optimize Windows 7 deployment using Application Virtualization, reducing PC provisioning time, simplifying application delivery and update, and increasing productivity with user roaming. Enhance Windows 7 manageability, by addressing common system/application failures (with DEM), repairing unbootable PCs (with DaRT), and controlling Group Policy change (with AGPM),” Oelgiesser added.

Pirated Vista Black Edition ISO Infected with Malware

The fact that attackers were using infected pre-release copies of Windows 7 to spread their malware to unsuspecting users is simply an example of the most recent releases of the Windows client being turned into vessels for malicious code. Fact is that pre-release versions of Office 2010 were also infested with malware, under a similar malicious code distribution model. However, this practice is not new to Windows 7 and Office 2010. Microsoft has warned that one of the most notorious pirated editions of Windows Vista is also infected with malware and that it will compromise the systems of users looking to grab a free copy of Windows 7’s predecessor from torrent trackers or warez websites.

“After MSE’s release, we’ve seen a spike in a particular variant of Win32/Bifrose – Backdoor:Win32/Bifrose.EO. Why, you ask? Well, it seems that the malware authors (or perhaps an unsuspecting pirate) are distributing a ‘cracked’ version of Windows that comes pre-infected for your convenience – labelled, fittingly, “Vista Black Edition”. Just to clarify, this means computer users are downloading an ISO of pirated Microsoft software (and saving to disk on a Genuine Windows system) and a free Microsoft anti-virus product is alerting them to a potential infection in their freshly stolen software. I’m not really sure if ‘irony’ really emphasises the situation enough. But hey, at least the Windows is free, right?” asked Matt McCormack, from MMPC Melbourne. Win32/Bifrose – Backdoor:Win32/Bifrose.EO, is, as the moniker implies, a backdoor. In itself, Bifrose will not cause much damage to a machine, outside of switching off Windows Firewall. However, once it has compromised a machine the backdoor will communicate with servers under the control of its author and download additional pieces of malware. McCormack underlines the dangers of “free but pirated” products, especially in the context in which the fact that a piece of software is infested with malware does in no way deter end users from attempting to run it. “Underground forums are teeming with helpful hints on how to disinfect your newly acquired (though somewhat ‘not as advertised’) software. No doubt some of the instructions include using other pirated software products,” McCormack noted. ““Free” may be changed at any time to actually mean “cost you”, with one or more of the following words appended to the end: passwords, bandwidth, login information, bank account details, email accounts, credit rating, dignity,” he added.

Fingernail-Sized Chip Can Hold 20 HD DVDs

Scientists at the North Carolina State University have recently developed a new kind of memory material that is apparently able to store the data equivalent of more than 20 high-definition DVDs, or roughly 250 million pages of text. The innovation, which far exceeds existing memory capacities, was obtained from a magnesium oxide ceramic with nickel atoms. In charge of the research team at NC State has been the John C.C. Fan Family Distinguished Professor of Materials Science and Engineering, Dr. Jagdish Narayan, ScienceDaily reports.

The expert, who is also the director of the National Science Foundation Center for Advanced Materials and Smart Structures, says that a process known as selective doping is what enabled them to produce the new, fingernail-sized memory chip. According to Narayan, the find could be applied not only to the field of information technology, but also to vehicle production, and to eliminating the extremely large amount of heat produced by today's semiconductors. If applied to cars, the find could significantly reduce emissions from fossil fuel-powered vehicles. The new material is produced at the nanoscale, the team reports. It is obtained by doping magnesium oxide with nickel, which results in a structure featuring nickel-atom clusters no larger than ten nanometers in size. “Instead of making a chip that stores 20 gigabytes, you have one that can handle one terabyte, or 50 times more data,” the Distinguished Professor says. He adds that the new, metallic property-endowed ceramics could be used to construct engine blocks able to withstand twice the temperature in modern engines. This can result in a fuel efficiency of more than 80 miles per gallon. For the investigation, which was supported by a grant from the US National Science Foundation (NSF), the expert teamed up with NC State research associate Dr. Sudhakar Nori, and NC State Adjunct Professor of Materials Science and Engineering J.T. Prater. The researchers say that the thermal conductivity of the new ceramic material could be significantly improved from the draft version they have just obtained. As a result, the future could see the nickel-doped magnesium oxide being used for a new generation of solar cells that would produce more electricity than existing systems.