John Lister

Microsoft has released free security software for Windows. But the company has confirmed it will only work with legitimate copies of the operating system. The software, once codenamed Morro , is now known as "Security Essentials." It's a replacement ... for OneCare, a previous Microsoft security product that was not free. Effective, but Falls Short of Rivals Independent tests of the finished product suggest it's a useful tool, though falls short of the protection offered by commercial rivals. One company testing it found Security Essentials detected 98.4% of malware and 90.9% of spyware ... (view more)

If you buy a standalone copy of Windows 7 or a PC shipped with the operating system (OS) by a big-name manufacturer, it's unlikely you'll get your hands on the highly-anticipated Microsoft OS before October 22nd, 2009. But firms selling custom-built ... PCs will now be able to ship Windows 7 machines from October 13th. Jon Bach, president of Puget Systems, recently revealed that Microsoft told him in writing he has permission to ship the machines nine days before the official release. Microsoft has noted the scheme does apply to all such "system builder" manufacturers, but says the advantage ... (view more)

In a remarkable piece of frankness, Microsoft boss Steve Ballmer says the firm has "screwed up" in past efforts to bring Windows to mobile devices. He also reiterated that the firm is not planning to develop its own handsets. Ballmer's comments ... about the Windows Mobile operating system came at an event for venture capitalists. Though journalists were not allowed to attend, one delegate, Paul Jozefak, wrote on his Twitter account: "Ballmer says they screwed up with Windows Mobile. Wishes they had already launched WM7. They completely revamped the team." (Source: twitter.com ) Windows Mobile ... (view more)

Over the next four years, Australia's New South Wales region will be dolling out 240,000 Lenovo laptops. The goal is to give every high school student a computer by 2012 -- and protecting that many computers has become a matter of top priority. ... Machines Use RFID and Tracking The machines will be equipped with Windows 7 and Microsoft Office, and thanks to bulk pricing, will cost no more than $500 each. To keep costs down, officials have arranged for the machines to be customized with a range of security measures. As well as password protection, there's also tracking software and an RFID chip ... (view more)

Microsoft has begun confirming which members of the public will be hosting Windows 7 Launch Parties . In return for holding the promotional event, hosts will get a free copy of the Ultimate edition of the new system. Microsoft is organizing the ... events through houseparty.com, a site known for coordinating corporate events. The hope is that enthusiastic Windows users will help promote the new system and convert any skeptics. Host Selection Process There has already been some confusion with the host selection process. Microsoft's plan was to send out an email to selected finalists, who were then ... (view more)

AT&T is testing a system that uses home broadband to solve poor home cellphone reception. If successful, it would lead to the biggest audience yet for the technology, though consumers may not be impressed with the proposed pricing scheme. The ... technology involves a device known as a "femtocell," which AT ... (view more)

Among the more publicized points of Microsoft's highly-anticipated operating system Windows 7 is the touchscreen technology. But there's some debate about how much impact it will have on the majority of user experiences. There's no doubt that ... touchscreen technology has been boosted in the past few years thanks to cellphones and other portable devices. Many people who'd previously seen a touchscreen as futuristic and unrealistic will have become regular touch users through the likes of the iPhone. As reported in March , Microsoft revised the touchscreen technology of Windows 7 to make it ... (view more)

The U.S. Justice Department says it has legal concerns over a proposed deal between Google and American book authors and publishers. While not a killer blow to the deal, the comments significantly decrease the likelihood that it will ever receive ... court approval. The deal would settle a long-running case in which the Authors Guild and the Association of American Publishers sued Google for scanning books without permission. Pages from these books then appeared as results in the Google Books search service. The proposed settlement would include setting up a registry of copyrighted books, ... (view more)

Microsoft has unveiled the next incarnation of its Project Management software. And for the first time, it will be a formal part of the Microsoft Office suite. The product itself is geared toward corporate users and is designed to understand and ... control project schedules and finances, effectively communicate and present project information, and get productive quickly. (Source: microsoft.com ) Project 2010: 3 Flavors Offered Project 2010 will come in three editions: Standard, Professional and Server. A beta edition will be available for testing sometime this year, with the final release ... (view more)

Microsoft has launched a new feature for its Bing search engine that displays results as images rather than a list of websites. While the images are attractive, its appeal is likely to be limited. This isn't the same feature as the image search ... options available on most major websites, including Bing (which was recently accused of using explicit language to attract visitors). Those look specifically for images which best match the search term. Instead, the image results involve displaying specific categories of information in a visual form. For example, somebody searching for information on ... (view more)