Tech News
With PiVi from Prilaine you can easily view photographs, e-mail them to friends, resize them, change their format and there are more features!
PiVi is 100% free and there are no advertisements.
Download: PiVi 1.0 | Screenshots
Last chance to check out the forthcoming Microsoft OS
Microsoft will be closing its public beta programme for Vista today. Users who want to participate in the beta test have until 30 June to download a copy before it is withdrawn from Microsoft’s website.
The Vista public beta programme was launched earlier this month and demand for the 3.5GB download was so great that Microsoft had to restrict access after fears that it could bring down the internet.
Ian Moulster, product manager for .Net platforms at Microsoft, said on his MSDN blog that users should start the download today, even if they don’t complete it.
This will allow them to continue the download after the cut-off date, at least until 14 July.
Full article: vnunet.com
Virtual VCR is a small, free and versatile DirectShow video capture application designed to work with TV tuner and video capture cards that have WDM drivers.
It has some unique options and features that make is a useful tool for all types of video capture tasks.
Download: Virtual VCR 2.6.9
We are buying the gadgets, but not the music.
While interest in MP3 players and multimedia downloads is rising, more music is being ripped from CDs than downloaded, according to a study released Thursday by Ipsos Insight.
Twenty percent of Americans over the age of 12 own at least one portable MP3 player. Among teens exclusively, ownership reaches 54 percent, according to the study.
That last figure is something the online media industry should be quite pleased to hear, according to Ipsos analyst Matt Kleinschmit. Multimedia downloads such as TV shows, music videos and movies are most popular among the under-25 crowd, he said.
But about 44 percent of all music downloaders use their existing CD collections as their primary source of MP3 player content, and 6 percent rip from the collections of others. Only 25 percent use fee-based music downloads, and even fewer use subscription services, the study reported.
“As the music industry starts to look at this, they are realizing that the idea of the CD as the only product is an antiquated one,” Kleinschmit said. “A product could be a ring tone, bundled with a song, bundled with a music video–taking a step outside of the CD, and moving into an era where people who are younger have a completely different mind-set.”
Full story: CNET News.com
It used to be that running Windows programs on a Mac was a slow, painful process. There was only one option: running Virtual PC emulation software.
But with Apple Computer’s shift to Intel chips, the pool of options has expanded considerably. For one, Apple has its own Boot Camp software, which lets Intel-based Macs boot up with either Windows or Mac OS X. Meanwhile, start-up Parallels has released software that lets the Microsoft operating system run in a separate virtual machine with only a slight loss in performance.
Soon there will be yet another option, which, unlike the current choices, doesn’t even require a copy of Windows. A company called CodeWeavers is using an open-source technology called Wine to allow some Windows programs to run under Mac OS X.
CodeWeavers is in early testing with CrossOver Office for Mac now and plans to release a final version of the software in July or August. CEO Jeremy White said he would have liked to have seen his product out before the rivals.
“It’s unfortunate we couldn’t get it out before,” White said in an interview. “We would have loved to have been the only solution out for a while.”
Full article: ZDNet
At its core, the Community Bar is simply a vessel that enables people to snap-in panels that look at the page you?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢re browsing in IE and return some hopefully useful information to you. The panels are really not much more than framed web pages that serve some specific purpose (tagging a site, enabling comments about a site, rating a site, etc). In this release, the CB is an Internet Explorer add-in that enables users to annotate, notes about and descriptively tag web sites they visit in IE. The bar enables sharing of opinions, tags, and help among all users of the bar and in no way modifies the visited page. The bar is envisioned as a way for people to asynchronously tag and comment on web pages and domains ?¢‚Ǩ‚Äú in essence, to build a community around sites that is distinct from the site itself and enables interaction among people who visit the site from all over the world without having to have to be there at the same time.
Download: Microsoft Community Bar 1.0.0.349
It’s not every day that a potential security risk emerges that could affect both Microsoft’s Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox Web browsers. But it is today.
Reports abound of a flaw that exists in both browsers that could allow for unintended information disclosure that could put users at risk.
Security researcher Plebo Aesdi Nael first reported a pair of vulnerabilities on a public security mailing list. Only one of the flaws affects both IE and Mozilla browsers.
Security firm Secunia has rated the flaws “less critical,” but the SANS Internet Storm Center noted that the risk has, “raised some of our neck hairs.”
The first flaw involves HTML applications (HTAs), which, according to Microsoft, are full-fledged applications that are trusted and display only the menus, icons, toolbars, and title information that the Web developer creates.
The alleged vulnerability requires a user to click on an icon which then takes advantage of the software flaw to disclose potentially confidential user information.
The second flaw involves the exploitation of the “object.documentElement.outerHTML” property.
Full story: internetnews.com
MPlayerX is a free Windows multimedia player working with DirectShow and its installed codecs.
Features
- GPL (GNU General Public License)
- Play all DirectShow formats: wav, mp3, avi, mpg…
- Dynamic scroll, aspect ratio, and zoom
- File explorer with contextual menu
- Playlist with contextual menu, drag’n drop, load/save, random
- OSD (On Screen Display)
- Girder hardware plugin support (WinLIRC, UIR, etc…)
- ScreenSaver mode
- Desktop mode (overlay mode only)
- Subtitle support (Formats: MicroDVD, SubRip, SubViewer, SAMI, SubStationAlpha)
- Recent file and directory menu
Download: MPlayerX 0.9.9
Microsoft said Thursday that it is making another slight delay to the planned arrival time for Office 2007, citing performance concerns with recent test versions.
The software maker now plans to finish the code for the revamped Office suite by the end of the year, with a mainstream launch in “early 2007.” It said in March that the product would be ready by this October, but said at the time it was delaying the retail availability until January, in order to jointly launch the product with Windows Vista. That operating system update has also seen postponements.
“Based on internal testing and the beta 2 feedback around product performance, we are revising our development schedule to deliver the 2007 system release by the end of year 2006, with broad general availability in early 2007,” a Microsoft representative said in an e-mail. “Feedback on quality and performance will ultimately determine the exact dates.”
It was not immediately clear how the Office delay would affect Microsoft’s Vista plans or a potential joint product launch. Many outsiders have already said they expect the Windows update to also be delayed beyond January, but Microsoft has yet to acknowledge a further delay.
“We are assessing the impact this timing change will have to our specific launch plans,” a Windows unit representative said, adding that Microsoft is “still targeting January for general consumer availability.”
Full story: c|net News.com
Flickr Viewr is an application for viewing images from Flickr. It is very simple to use! All you have to do is write the tags you want to view images from. Let’s say that you want to view images from the beaches in Rio, you can write “Rio,beach” in the tag field, and then click “Feed me with pics”, then the images will come to you desktop! Each image will show for approximately 5 seconds, then a new image will automatically load.
You need to be registered with Flickr to use this, but it’s totally free, and takes 20 seconds to sign up!
Requires the .net framework 2.0
Download: Flickr Viewr
Internet Explorer, provides a flexible and reliable browsing experience with enhanced Web privacy features for Windows users.
Say goodbye to bulky toolbars. Internet Explorer 7 has a new interface that shows more of each webpage you visit. The streamlined toolbar makes it easier to add websites to your Favorites, search the web, clear your history, and access the other tasks and tools you use most.
The new design, including consolidated menu items, smaller icons, and an overall decrease in toolbar height, optimizes the space on your screen so you see more of the websites you’re visiting.
The new Favorites Center makes it even easier to manage your favorite websites, your browsing history, and your RSS feeds with just a few clicks.
Whether you’re searching the web, comparing prices, or just staying on top of your favorite topic, Internet Explorer 7 lets you view many different websites at one time ?¢‚Ǩ‚Äù all within one organized window. The new tabs in Internet Explorer 7 make it easy to browse multiple Web sites.
Internet Explorer 7 brings your favorite web search providers to you. With the built-in search box, you can search the web at any time without having to open a search provider page. You can display search results in a separate tab, and then open the results in other tabs to quickly compare sites and find the information you want. You can even customize your search by setting your favorite search provider as the default.
Internet Explorer 7 helps keep your information safe by alerting you to potential phishing sites ?¢‚Ǩ‚Äù sites that look legitimate but actually are designed to capture your personal information. It’s also easier to see which sites provide secure data exchange, so you can shop and bank online with confidence.
Security badges indicate whether the site you are currently visiting is suspicious or a site known for phishing (capturing your personal or financial information).
Download: Internet Explorer 7 Beta 3
Google has launched its online Google Checkout payment system, which was developed under the codename Gbuy.
The Google Checkout service allows consumers to buy products online without having to reveal their credit card details or even their email address to the seller. The service will be integrated with existing Gmail or Google Accounts.
Sellers who sign up to the programme will get a discount on transaction fees for any money they spend on Google Adwords.
For every $1 spent on Adwords, sellers can process $10 in sales free from transaction charges.
In addition, any ads they place will be accompanied by a logo identifying them as a member of the Google Checkout scheme.
Read more: vnunet.com
Microsoft on Wednesday released the first Beta of Service Pack 2 for Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP x64 Professional to private testers. Would-be participants have to apply for the beta via Microsoft’s Connect Web site.
Participation requires installation of the software, application testing, answering surveys, reporting bugs, and providing feedback. Microsoft expects this to require a few hours per week and the beta test is planned to run through the summer. Service Pack 2 is due in the second half of this year.
Read more: internetnews.com
AOLserver is America Online’s Open-Source web server. AOLserver is the backbone of the largest and busiest production environments in the world. AOLserver is a multithreaded, Tcl-enabled web server used for large scale, dynamic web sites.
AOLserver works with a great many databases including all the popular enterprise systems.
Download: AOLserver 4.5.0
A revolution in mobile open source is on the way, according to one Linux vendor, but analysts say the floodgates aren’t ready to open just yet
The co-founder of one of the most popular mobile Linux platforms has predicted a “revolution” in the use of open source software on phones and handheld devices.
Trolltech?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s Eirik Chambe-Eng told delegates at the Open Source Business Conference in London that Linux is set to “make a lot of headlines going forward on embedded devices and mobile phones”.
“We believe we are just now at the beginning of a revolution,” he said on Wednesday, citing what he called the five Cs ?¢‚Ǩ‚Äú complexity, control, customisation, cost and community ?¢‚Ǩ‚Äú as motivating factors for manufacturers to switch to Linux.
“Linux gives manufacturers and OEMs [original equipment manufacturers] complete control,” said Chambe-Eng, who also claimed that Windows Mobile and Symbian ?¢‚Ǩ‚Äú Linux?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s two great competitors in the mobile phone market ?¢‚Ǩ‚Äú come with “agendas attached”.
“Manufacturers are scared of Microsoft coming in and pushing margins away from the hardware. There are very thin margins in this business, and Symbian and Windows Mobile are typically expensive,” he said.
Full article: ZDNet UK
MediaJoin is software that enables you to easily join (combine) all popular audio and video formats into a single merged audio or video file. Formats supported include MP3, WMA, WAV, OGG, AVI, MPEG-1, MPEG-2, and WMV. Optionally include audio tag information for combined output audio files. Settings are available for bitrate, frequency, channels, VBR, and WMA profile for audio files; and AVI audio and video codec, MPEG bitrate, frame rate, size, and WMV profile for video files, providing complete output control.
The software supports more formats than other audio and video joiners on the market. In fact, it is the only complete all-in-one solution for joining (combining) audio and video files. With MediaJoin, you get a MP3 joiner, WMA joiner, WAV joiner, OGG joiner, AVI joiner, MPG joiner, and WMV joiner all in the same application!
Download: MediaJoin 2.0
Give Google credit for one thing: The search giant has a way of generating a lot of buzz.
This week, possibly as soon as Wednesday, Google is expected by many to unveil a new Internet payment system. It may start out as an online wallet but could become a PayPal-like infrastructure for payments across the Web, handling everything from skis to music and videos, analysts said Tuesday.
Interesting as that may sound, Google execs have actually said little about this service publicly. But–as has been the case with most other assumed product launches, from the successful Google Earth to the so-called Google Cube co-founder Larry Page was supposedly going to unveil at the Consumer Electronics Show in January but never did–that hasn’t stopped Google watchers on Wall Street and in the blogosphere from going into high predictive mode.
“There is quite a bit of excitement and buzz among merchants,” about Google Gbuy, as reports have called it, said Safa Rashtchy, an analyst at Piper Jaffray.
Rumors of a Google payment system have been circulating for months. Two weeks ago, Google Chief Executive Eric Schmidt confirmed that the company was testing a system that aimed to speed online purchases, but he said it would not compete directly with eBay’s PayPal. The system is targeted at advertisers and not general consumers, Schmidt said during a meeting in New York hosted by Conde Nast’s Portfolio business magazine, without elaborating.
Google released a vague statement Tuesday saying: “Billing and payments have historically been a part of Google’s advertising programs and online services. As we’ve previously announced, we offer users the ability to buy items on Google Base and at the Google Store as well as pay for services like Google AdWords, Google Video and Google Earth. We have nothing specific to announce at this time.”
Full article: TechRepublic
Apple Computer on Tuesday in the US released an update for its Mac OS X that repairs several security flaws and includes feature updates.
The update, Mac OS X 10.4.7, fixes four security vulnerabilities, Symantec said in an alert sent to customers. “These issues can be exploited to cause denial-of-service conditions, gain access to sensitive information, and execute code,” it said.
The security flaws lie in various components of Mac OS X, Symantec said. There is no known attack code for the vulnerabilities, the company said, indicating that there is no threat imminent to Mac users.
An Apple representative did not immediately return calls seeking comment on the security issues. The Cupertino, California-based company also had not published any security fix information on its security Web site as of Tuesday late afternoon (Wednesday AEST). Apple’s last security update was last in May, addressing bugs in Mac OS X and QuickTime.
Aside from the security fixes, Mac OS X 10.4.7 delivers some improvements and repairs a few issues related to Mail, Finder and iChat, among other things, according to a posting on Apple’s support Web site.
Read more: ZDNet Australia
Synergy lets you easily share a single mouse and keyboard between multiple computers with different operating systems, each with its own display, without special hardware. It’s intended for users with multiple computers on their desk since each system uses its own monitor(s).
Redirecting the mouse and keyboard is as simple as moving the mouse off the edge of your screen. Synergy also merges the clipboards of all the systems into one, allowing cut-and-paste between systems. Furthermore, it synchronizes screen savers so they all start and stop together and, if screen locking is enabled, only one screen requires a password to unlock them all.
Synergy is open source and released under the GNU Public License (GPL).
Download: Synergy 1.3.1 Windows 95/98/Me/NT/2000/XP, Mac OS X 10.2 or higher, Unix
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