Online data storage service from Microsoft - Windows Live SkyDrive

Now you can Upload and share 5GB of data to Windows Live SkyDrive, an online storage website from Microsoft that's just came out from beta last month. Your SkyDrive account will require a Windows Live ID, you get that 5GB of storage for personal folders accessible only to you, shared folders accessible to your friends, and public folders open to everyone. They can also be subscribed to via RSS. Here is the official word from Microsoft.

When you sign in to Windows Live SkyDrive, you're in charge

For each folder you create, you choose who has access to it. Add new folders, rename them, or change who has access at any time.

Always where you need them

• 5 GB of free online storage, available from any computer with Internet access.
• Create personal, shared, and public folders -- you decide who has access to each folder.
• Windows Live SkyDrive works well on any Windows or Macintosh computer with Firefox 1.5 or higher, or Internet Explorer 6 or higher.

How we help protect your files

• Your personal folders are password-protected with your Windows Live ID, so only you have access.
• When you create a shared folder, the friends you're sharing with need to sign in with their own Windows Live ID and password.
• Just like at your online bank, all file transfers are protected using Secure Socket Layers (SSL).

Personal

• Use personal folders to back up important files that are only for you.
• Get to your files from any computer with Internet access by signing in with your Windows Live ID.

Shared

• Shared folders make it easy to collaborate with coworkers or classmates.
• You decide how much control each person has over each shared folder. Some can just read what's there: others can add and delete files.
• Everyone who is sharing uses their own Windows Live ID.

Public

• With public folders, anyone on the Internet can view your files, but they can't change them.
• Want to show your public files to others? Just send them a link! Each folder and file has its own web address.

For further information You can Visit Skydrive Homepage or Skydrive team Blog.

[Via]

Stuck in traffic? Let Microsoft help

Microsoft, with a new software technology, is now all set to help car drivers avoid traffic jams.

The software giant is launching a software technology called "Clearflow" for its website (http://maps.live.com/) that helps users with driving directions, to now avoid traffic jams as well.This technology has been under development for over the past five years by a group of artificial-intelligence researchers at Microsoft's Research lab.

Clearflow is an ambitious attempt to apply machine-learning techniques to the problem of traffic congestion. The system is intended to reflect the complex traffic interactions that occur as traffic backs up on freeways and spills over onto city streets, reports NewYork Times.

Taking into account details such as sporting events, current weather, and the time of day, the service will guide drivers to reach their destinations in the shortest amount of time.

Once launched, Clearflow will be available through Microsoft's maps.live.com service and would support around 72 cities in the US.

Microsoft Wireless Notebook Optical Mouse 3000 now in five new colors

Special edition versions of the Microsoft Wireless Notebook Optical Mouse 3000 have been announced in the US; the mouse now comes in five new colors. These being: Aloe (green), Dragon fruit (dark pink), Milk Chocolate (brown), Pomegranate (red), and Creme brulee (khaki).

In addition to the riot of colours, the special edition versions of the mouse feature Microsoft's Intelligent Tracking System for smoother tracking, 6,000 frames per second for greater precision, and 1,000 dots per inch for better responsiveness. The mice come fitted with rubber side grips and sculpted finger grooves for greater ease-of-use.Here is a photo of the mouse firstly introduced.
They are powered by AA batteries; to save on battery, the mice come fitted with snap-in receivers that automatically turn off when snapped into the bottom.

As of now, special edition versions are available with Best Buy for around $30.

Check out the Coffee Table of the Future - Microsoft Surface

In a technological break-through, Microsoft has unveiled a first-of-its-kind coffee-table shaped surface computer, called 'Microsoft Surface'. Surface is essentially a Windows Vista PC tucked inside a shiny black table base, topped with a 30-inch (76-centimeter) touchscreen in a clear acrylic frame. The company says that 'Microsoft Surface' turns an ordinary tabletop into a vibrant, dynamic surface that provides effortless interaction with all forms of digital content, through natural gestures, touch, and physical objects. In a statement, Steve Ballmer, Chief Executive Officer, Microsoft, said, "With 'Surface' we are creating more intuitive ways for people to interact with technology. We see this as a multibillion-dollar category, and we envision a time when surface computing technologies will be pervasive, from tabletops and counters to the hallway mirror. Surface is the first step in realizing that vision."

'Microsoft Surface' has an intuitive user interface that works without a traditional mouse or keyboard, allowing people to interact with content and information on their own, or collaboratively with their friends and families, just like in the real world. It also has a 30-inch display in a table-like form factor that small groups can use at the same time.


'Microsoft Surface' has the ability to recognize physical objects that have identification tags similar to bar codes. This means that when a customer simply sets a wine glass on the surface of a table, a restaurant could provide them with information about the wine they are ordering, pictures of the vineyard it came from, and suggested food pairings tailored to that evening's menu

According to Microsoft, it will manufacture the machine itself, and sell it initially to corporate customers, deploying the first units in November this year in Sheraton Hotels, Harrah's casinos, T-Mobile stores, and restaurants in the US.

Photo Credit : AP
Via : Msn

Open Excel 2007 Files without Microsoft Office

Hello everyone.I hope most most of you have worked on Microsoft Excel 2007.It can open both XLSX & XLS files.On the other hand if you are using an older version of Excel it won't open XLSX files.And in another condition if you have any of these files & you don't have Microsoft Office then you will not be able to open those files.Here is a solution to open both XLSX & XLS files without Microsoft Office. It is called Microsoft Excel 2007 viewer.It has just added support for XLSX files.You will be able to view as well as print the spreadsheets with the Help of Microsoft Excel 2007 viewer.If you want to download it you can download it from this download center .

If you like this post Subscribe for more.

Microsoft to acquire Musiwave

The acquisition would bring together Musiwave's relationships with music labels, device makers, and mobile operators and Microsoft's Connected Entertainment technologies and services

In a bid to deliver mobile entertainment to consumers, Microsoft is planning to acquire 'Musiwave', a leading provider of mobile music entertainment services to operators and media companies.

The acquisition would bring together Musiwave's relationships with music labels, device makers, and mobile operators and Microsoft's Connected Entertainment technologies and services, including Windows Mobile, Zune, MSN, and Windows Live.

'Musiwave' offers software that allows mobile operators to deliver self-branded music applications to their subscribers, including full length song-over-the-air downloads, ring tones, ring-back tones, and customized play lists.

Microsoft believes that bringing 'Musiwave' on board will provide them an opportunity to explore new areas in the mobile space that were previously untapped, as well as showcase the power of software plus services.

This becomes even more important considering the pace at which the mobile music device market is growing today. According to technology research firm Ovum, by 2010, nearly 1,106 million mobile music phones will be shipped all over the world.

At present, Microsoft's technology runs on a variety of mobile platforms, and is featured on more than 140 mobile phones made by nearly 50 handset-makers.

Source: Techtree.com

Google Fight's Back -Introducing “Maka-Maka” In Response to Facebook

Google Fight's Back -Introducing “Maka-Maka” In Response to Facebook

As we all know that Google has lost the "Facebook bidding war" from Microsoft,but it is actually planning something really big.People in the Googleplex are using a code name “Maka-Maka” or perhaps “Makamaka”.
Its a part of Google's mission to bring all its applications under they the social layer.Maka-Maka is planned to be unveiled several in stages. Starting in early November. Google is planning to introduce a new set of APIs that developers can use to build applications for its social network Orkut, iGoogle.
As it is reported on Techcrunch Earliar:

"Google will announce a new set of APIs on November 5 that will allow developers to leverage Google’s social graph data. They’ll start with Orkut and iGoogle (Google’s personalized home page), and expand from there to include Gmail, Google Talk and other Google services over time.

On November 5 we’ll likely see third party iGoogle gadgets that leverage Orkut’s social graph information - the most basic implementation of what Google is planning. . . . Google is also considering allowing third parties to join the party at the other end of the platform - meaning other social networks (think Bebo, Friendster, Twitter, Digg and thousands of others) to give access to their user data to developers through those same APIs."

Donwload "Internet Explorer 7" Without WGA Check

Donwload "Internet Explorer 7 " Without WGA Check

Hi all,
If you are fond of browsing on Microsoft's internet browser "Internet Explorer 7 " and can't use it due to the WGA (Windows Genuine Advantage) check.Then i have a good news for you.Now Microsoft allows you to download a special version which is without the WGA check.Microsoft has done this to stop the increasing dominance of "Mozilla Firefox".
If you want to download this version of Internet explorer 7 you can download it here.

Google Earth Has an Easter Egg : A flight Simulator !!

Hi everyone,
Well today i am posting about an easter egg.And its a huge one!!.Its an easter egg in Google Earth.But most of all its a Flight Simulator.Yes you read it right, inside Google Earth is a hidden flight simulator.Looks like Google is eager to end Microsoft's Desktop dominance.
Coming back to the game,its not as great as the Microsoft Flight Simulator but surely a good start.


To access this hidden game :

Open the application, press Ctrl+Alt+A. You should see this dialog that lets you choose one of the two aircrafts (F16 "Viper" and SR22) and an airport.

And Here is a screenshot during the simulation.Try it.Its fun & as always feel free to post comments.

Autopatcher site forced to be closed by Microsoft

Microsoft sent a cease and desist to autopatcher.com. AutoPatcher was a program users could download to install all updates to windows instead of using Microsoft's Windows updates, this allowed a much faster patch process than offered by Microsoft.

AutoPatcher was an alternative to Microsoft's Windows Update developed by Antonis Kaladis and Jason Kelley, and a comprehensive collection of up-to-date security patches, addons and registry tweaks collated into a single package designed to update a Windows XP Service Pack 2, Windows 2000 SP4, Windows Server 2003 SP1 or Windows Vista system from a local file, without the need to use Windows Update or connect to a network each time.

Distribution of the program was stopped on 29 August 2007, after more than four years of existence, as a result of several Cease and Desist orders being given to the team, Neowin and some download mirrors. Microsoft stated this was for "security reasons" but would not further clarify.

AutoPatcher was designed for:

• Users that format their hard disks or reinstall Windows frequently
• System administrators seeking to quickly deploy updates to multiple Windows PCs.
• Security conscious users seeking to avoid prior connection to the Internet with an insecure computer, in order to download the patches needed to secure their systems.
• Users with a slow connection to the Internet could download AutoPatcher using a faster connection on another computer, and burn it to a CD or flash drive.
• Users seeking flexibility in patch deployment (AutoPatcher includes for convenience, a number of common "add-ons", and allows for a configuration to be saved and redeployed on other machines)

Create A XP Boot Disk from System Files

As a hedge against being unable to start XP, you can create a boot disk specifically for Windows XP that may allow you to boot the operating system. This can occur when the active partition boot record or other required files become corrupted.

Using Windows XP, place a blank floppy in drive A and format the disk. Navigate to the root folder of the system (in most cases this will be C:\) and copy the following files to the floppy disk.

Boot.ini
NTLDR
Ntdetect.com

If you can't see the files, click [Tools] and [Folder Options...] in the Menu Bar of Windows Explorer. Click the [View] tab and click the radio button next to [Show Hidden Files and Folders]. Remove the check mark next to [Hide Protected Operating System Files (Recommended)] then click [Apply] and [OK]. The files should now be visible in Windows Explorer. If the files still cannot be copied, right click each file, click [Properties] and remove the checkmark from the Read-Only attributes. Reset whatever attributes were unchecked after the copy procedure is completed.

In addition to the files listed above, check the same directory for bootsect.dos and ntbootdd.sys files. If they are present on your system, copy them to the same floppy diskette.

The disk is used as any other boot disk, inserting it into the floppy drive (A:\) and initiating a cold boot. Make sure the BIOS is set so that the A:\ drive is first in the boot sequence.

Change Hard and CD-ROM Drive Letter in XP

If you want to change your hard drive letter or your cd-rom drive letter, this is the tip you want.


1. Click the start button

2. Go into Administrative tools (either in the start button or in "All Programs"

3. From Administrative Tools, go into "Computer Management"

4. In "Computer Management", click on "Disk Management" under "Storage" from the left menu

5. You should see a window from the lower right hand corner open (it shows all the hard disk drives and cd-rom drives)

6. To change...

...hard drive, click on the hard disk with a blue horizonal bar, the box should be shaded; next right click that box that you desire to change the letter then click on "Change Letter Drive and Path"

...cd-rom drive, click on the box that you desire the drive letter; next right click that box that you desire to change the letter then click on "Change Letter Drive and Path"

7. click the "change..." button

8. from the "assign the following drive letter", select the letter you want to assign to the hard drive or the cd-rom drive

9. click ok

10. click ok

11. (optional) redo the whole step to reassign other hard drives or cd-rom drives


There! You have succeeded in changing the hard drive or cd-rom drive letter. Enjoy!

Notes: You can not change the drive letter of your boot or system drive this way. You can not assign drive letters that are already in use. Assign temporary letters as a workaround.

Delete A File That Is Seemingly "Undeletable" in Xp

Delete A File That Is Seemingly "Undeletable" in Xp

Every so often you'll run across a file you want to delete that defies every effort made to send it packing. There are no guarantees when you encounter this situation, but give the following procedure a try and see what happens.

Open a Command Prompt Window via Start | All Programs | Accessories | Command Prompt

Leave the Command Prompt Window open and close all other open programs.

Go to Start | Run and type [taskmgr.exe] in the Open: line. Click OK.
In the Image Name column, highlight [explorer.exe] and click End Process button.

Very Important: Leave Task Manager open and return to the Command Prompt Window

In the Command Prompt window, navigate to the directory that contains the file to be deleted.
At the command prompt type DEL where is the file to be deleted.

In the example above, the file TestFile is being deleted from the root of drive C

Return to the open Task Manager window and click File | New Task to open the Create New Task window.

Type "explorer.exe" in the Open: line to restart the Graphical User Interface (GUI).
Click the OK button to close Task Manager and complete the operation.

Microsoft updates Windows without users' consent

Microsoft has begun patching files on Windows XP and Vista without users' knowledge, even when the users have turned off auto-updates.

Many companies require testing of patches before they are widely installed, and businesses in this situation are objecting to the stealth patching.

Files changed with no notice to users

In recent days, Windows Update (WU) started altering files on users' systems without displaying any dialog box to request permission. The only files that have been reportedly altered to date are nine small executables on XP and nine on Vista that are used by WU itself. Microsoft is patching these files silently, even if auto-updates have been disabled on a particular PC.

It's surprising that these files can be changed without the user's knowledge. The Automatic Updates dialog box in the Control Panel can be set to prevent updates from being installed automatically. However, with Microsoft's latest stealth move, updates to the WU executables seem to be installed regardless of the settings — without notifying users.

When users launch Windows Update, Microsoft's online service can check the version of its executables on the PC and update them if necessary. What's unusual is that people are reporting changes in these files although WU wasn't authorized to install anything.

This isn't the first time Microsoft has pushed updates out to users who prefer to test and install their updates manually. Not long ago, another Windows component, svchost.exe, was causing problems with Windows Update, as last reported on June 21 in the Windows Secrets Newsletter. In that case, however, the Windows Update site notified users that updated software had to be installed before the patching process could proceed. This time, such a notice never appears.

For users who elect not to have updates installed automatically, the issue of consent is crucial. Microsoft has apparently decided, however, that it doesn't need permission to patch Windows Updates files, even if you've set your preferences to require it.

Microsoft provides no tech information — yet

To make matters even stranger, a search on Microsoft's Web site reveals no information at all on the stealth updates. Let's say you wished to voluntarily download and install the new WU executable files when you were, for example, reinstalling a system. You'd be hard-pressed to find the updated files in order to download them. At this writing, you either get a stealth install or nothing.

A few Web forums have already started to discuss the updated files, which bear the version number 7.0.6000.381. The only explanation found at Microsoft's site comes from a user identified as Dean-Dean on a Microsoft Communities forum. In reply to a question, he states:

• "Windows Update Software 7.0.6000.381 is an update to Windows Update itself. It is an update for both Windows XP and Windows Vista. Unless the update is installed, Windows Update won't work, at least in terms of searching for further updates. Normal use of Windows Update, in other words, is blocked until this update is installed."
  

Windows Secrets contributing editor Susan Bradley contacted Microsoft Partner Support about the update and received this short reply:

• "7.0.6000.381 is a consumer only release that addresses some specific issues found after .374 was released. It will not be available via WSUS [Windows Server Update Services]. A standalone installer and the redist will be available soon, I will keep an eye on it and notify you when it is available."
  

Unfortunately, this reply does not explain why the stealth patching began with so little information provided to customers. Nor does it provide any details on the "specific issues" that the update supposedly addresses.

System logs confirm stealth installs

In his forum post, Dean-Dean names several files that are changed on XP and Vista. The patching process updates several Windows\System32 executables (with the extensions .exe, .dll, and .cpl) to version 7.0.6000.381, according to the post.

In Vista, the following files are updated:

1. wuapi.dll
2. wuapp.exe
3. wuauclt.exe
4. wuaueng.dll
5. wucltux.dll
6. wudriver.dll
7. wups.dll
8. wups2.dll
9. wuwebv.dll

In XP, the following files are updated:

1. cdm.dll
2. wuapi.dll
3. wuauclt.exe
4. wuaucpl.cpl
5. wuaueng.dll
6. wucltui.dll
7. wups.dll
8. wups2.dll
9. wuweb.dll

These files are by no means viruses, and Microsoft appears to have no malicious intent in patching them. However, writing files to a user's PC without notice (when auto-updating has been turned off) is behavior that's usually associated with hacker Web sites. The question being raised in discussion forums is, "Why is Microsoft operating in this way?"

How to check which version your PC has

If a system has been patched in the past few months, the nine executables in Windows\System32 will either show an earlier version number, 7.0.6000.374, or the stealth patch: 7.0.6000.381. (The version numbers can be seen by right-clicking a file and choosing Properties. In XP, click the Version tab and then select File Version. In Vista, click the Details tab.)

In addition, PCs that received the update will have new executables in subfolders named 7.0.6000.381 under the following folders:

c:\Windows\System32\SoftwareDistribution\Setup\ServiceStartup\wups.dll
c:\Windows\System32\SoftwareDistribution\Setup\ServiceStartup\wups2.dll

Users can also verify whether patching occurred by checking Windows' Event Log:

Step 1. In XP, click Start, Run.

Step 2. Type eventvwr.msc and press Enter.

Step 3. In the tree pane on the left, select System.

Step 4. The right pane displays events and several details about them. Event types such as "Installation" are labeled in the Category column. "Windows Update Agent" is the event typically listed in the Source column for system patches.

On systems that were checked recently by Windows Secrets readers, the Event Log shows two installation events on Aug. 24. The files were stealth-updated in the early morning hours. (The time stamp will vary, of course, on machines that received the patch on other dates.)

To investigate further, you can open the Event Log's properties for each event. Normally, when a Windows update event occurs, the properties dialog box shows an associated KB number, enabling you to find more information at Microsoft's Web site. Mysteriously, no KB number is given for the WU updates that began in August. The description merely reads, "Installation Successful: Windows successfully installed the following update: Automatic Updates."

More Details : Windows Secrets

Remove Windows Messenger from Xp

To remove the ability for anyone in the world to pop up messages on your computer,
you can disable the Messenger service.

1. Click Start->Settings ->Control Panel
2. Click Performance and Maintenance
3. Click Administrative Tools
4. Double click Services
5. Scroll down and highlight "Messenger"
6. Right-click the highlighted line and choose Properties
7. Click the STOP button
8. Select Disable or Manual in the Startup Type scroll bar Click OK

Microsoft ups Hotmail storage to 5 GB

Microsoft Corp. will soon let users of its Hotmail service store 5 gigabytes of photos and other e-mail messages, more than double the previous limit.

Of course, only a small number of Hotmail users will ever approach that threshold, a reality the software maker acknowledged in a blog post this week outlining the storage boost and other upgrades to the free, Web-based service.

"Just when you were wondering how you'd ever fill up 2 or 4 GB of mail, we've given you more storage," wrote Ellie Powers-Boyle, a program manager for Windows Live Hotmail.



Microsoft's new limit, from 2 GB currently, will leapfrog Google Inc.'s nearly 3 GB. Yahoo Inc. and Time Warner Inc.'s AOL e-mail services already include unlimited free storage.

Yahoo has the most active users in the United States among Web-based e-mail services, according to Nielsen/NetRatings. Hotmail ranks second, followed by AOL at third and Google's Gmail at fourth.

Microsoft said Hotmail will also get faster in coming weeks thanks to performance improvements. E-mail users will also see a new "report phishing" button and a way to combine duplicate contacts in the address book.

When Hotmail users log in, they currently see a page filled with news headlines and photos from Microsoft's MSN sites — not their inbox. Soon, Microsoft will let users choose to go straight to their e-mail and skip the extra content.

"We know this is going to be a big hit with a lot of you out there in blog land," Powers-Boyle wrote.

Harvard dropout Bill Gates finally gets degree

New York: Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates finally got his Harvard degree, more than 30 years after dropping out of the prestigious university to enter the software business and become the richest man in the world.

"We recognise the most illustrious member of the Harvard College class of 1977 never to have graduated from Harvard," said Harvard University Provost Steven Hyman, Thursday in granting Gates the honorary law degree.

Replying in the official graduation address, Gates said, "I did the best of everyone who failed." But he revealed that his true regret was leaving university "with no real awareness of the awful inequities in the world - the appalling disparities of health and wealth and opportunity that condemn millions of people to lives of despair."

Gates, 51, now runs the largest philanthropic endowment in the world, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, with roughly $60 billion in assets. He urged the graduating class to use their talent, privilege and opportunity to help in fighting poverty around the world. "When you consider what those of us here ... have been given - in talent, privilege, and opportunity - there is almost no limit to what the world has a right to expect from us," he said.

"I want to exhort each of the graduates here to take on an issue - a complex problem, a deep inequity, and become a specialist on it. I hope you will judge yourselves not on your professional accomplishments alone, but also on how well you have addressed the world's deepest inequities, on how well you treated people a world away who have nothing in common with you but their humanity."

LEAKED: Windows Live Messenger 8.5, language trick

Today an internal build of Windows Live Messenger 8.5 was leaked by Messenger Addictos, a site dedicated to Windows Live Messenger and related products.

The new build includes a completely new installer system (though it appears it might need some tweaking). Messenger itself also got a complete overhaul, featuring a new UI that combines the best of Windows Live and Vista. The new build also includes several minor new features, some of which are still unknown. Unfortunately support for Plug-Ins (or "Add-Ins") has been dropped.

The leaked build is only available in Spanish at the moment, but if you managed to download it somewhere, you can copy the old language file ("msglang.dll") of Windows Live Messenger 8.1.0178 over the new one ("msglang.8.5.1235.0517.dll"). Note that the installation directory has also been changed to "C:\Program Files\Windows Live\Messenger\" making the transition from MSN Messenger to Windows Live Messenger complete.

Note: The new build does not appear to be compatible with Messenger Plus!, so if you have obtained the new version somewhere then you won't be able to compete for cool prizes in the Messenger Plus! Live competition, mentioned earlier on Mess.be.

[Reported by: Chris]

Reduced: 99% of original size [ 514 x 69 ] - Click to view full image

Great, it doesn't look rubbish in Vista anymore

From: Mess

Microsoft buys online ad firm aQuantive for $6 Billion

Microsoft Corp. said Friday it will purchase online advertising firm aQuantive Inc. for about $6 billion in cash in a move to expand the software company's role in the Internet advertising technologies market.