Stargate Computers News

New Web Browser for Download, Google Chrome

2008-09-02T22:06:00.001+01:00

Google has introduced a new Web browser, called Chrome, aimed at wresting dominance of the browser market from Microsoft’s Internet Explorer. The move takes the Google-Microsoft rivalry to a whole new level. If Google succeeds, it will be a big deal, with major ramifications for the future of the Web.

But just how good is Chrome? How does it differ from IE and from less popular, but still important, browsers like Mozilla’s Firefox and Apple’s Safari?

I’ve been testing Chrome for about a week, trying out all its features, and using it side by side with Microsoft’s latest iteration of IE, which came out just last week.

My verdict: Chrome is a smart, innovative browser that, in many common scenarios, will make using the Web faster, easier and less frustrating. But this first version—which is just a beta, or test, release—is rough around the edges and lacks some common browser features Google plans to add later. These omissions include a way to manage bookmarks, a command for emailing links and pages directly from the browser, and even a progress bar to show how much of a Web page has loaded.

Chrome’s interface has some bold changes from the standard browser design. These new features enhance the Web experience, but they will require some adjustment on the part of users. For instance, Chrome does away with most menus and toolbar icons to give maximum screen space for the Web pages themselves. Also, Google has merged the address bar, where you type in Web addresses, with the search box, where you type in search terms. This unified feature is called the Omnibox.

One striking difference in Chrome is how it handles tabs, which display a single Web page. In Chrome, each tab behaves as a separate browser. The bookmarks bar, Omnibox, menus and toolbar icons are located inside the tab, rather than atop the entire browser. The tabs appear at the top of the computer screen. Chrome also groups related tabs. If you open a new tab from a link in a page that’s already open, that new tab appears next to the originating page, rather than at the end of the row of tabs.

Google’s Chrome browser displays thumbnails of a user’s most-visited pages when a new tab is opened, rather than a blank page.

Despite Google’s claims that Chrome is fast, it was notably slower in my tests at the common task of launching Web pages than either Firefox or Safari. However, it proved faster than the latest version of IE—also a beta version—called IE8.

Meanwhile, Microsoft hasn’t been sitting still. The second beta version of IE8 is the best edition of Internet Explorer in years. It is packed with new features of its own, some of which are similar to those in Chrome, and some of which, in my view, top Chrome’s features.

For example, while IE8 also groups related tabs, it assigns a different color to each such tab group and allows you to close them all with one click. It has a “smart” address box of its own, that drops down a list of suggestions as you type, though it retains a separate search box.

IE8 also has breakthrough privacy features that exceed Chrome’s, and includes a new technology called Accelerators, which allows you to take rapid action on any selected word or phrase on a Web page, such as generating a map for a place name, without switching to a new page.

As they develop, each of these browsers has a good chance of besting Firefox 3.0, which I have regarded as the best Web browser for Windows, the only operating system on which Chrome currently runs. But they will have to get faster at loading pages. And, to best Firefox on the Macintosh, Google will have to make good on its promise to produce a Mac version of Chrome, something it says it will do in the coming months. Microsoft has no plans to produce a Mac version of IE8.

Microsoft’s IE8 has an ”Accelerator” feature that lets users select any Web text and then map, translate, search or email their selection without leaving the page.

Chrome and IE8 are far more advanced than Apple’s Safari. Safari is speedy on both Mac and Windows platforms, but lacks many of the key intelligent features of its newer Google and Microsoft rivals.

Why is Google igniting a new browser war? There are two main reasons, and both involve competing with Microsoft. First, the search giant fears that because its search engine and other major products depend on the browser, Microsoft—with its rival online products—might be able to gain an advantage by altering the design of IE, which has roughly a 75% market share.

Second, and more important, Google sees the Web as a platform for the software programs, or applications, that currently run directly on computer operating systems, notably Microsoft’s Windows. It says current browsers lack the underlying architecture to enable future, more powerful Web applications that will rely more heavily on a common Web programming language called JavaScript. Chrome was designed to be the world’s speediest browser at handling JavaScript.

That move might one day make Chrome a sort of online operating system that competes with Windows. “Think of Chrome as more than a simple Web browser,” Google declares. “It’s a platform for running Web applications.”

I tested Chrome, and IE8, on a plain-vanilla Lenovo ThinkPad laptop running Windows XP, and equipped with a modest processor and one gigabyte of memory.

To gauge Chrome’s speed at loading Web pages, I launched two large groups of typical Web pages simultaneously, each site opening in its own tab. One group included 15 sports sites, the second 19 news sites. In both tests, Chrome’s speed fell in the middle, at 35 and 44 seconds, respectively. IE8 was slower, taking 49 and 75 seconds to open the two groups of sites. But Firefox and Safari were much faster, notching identical speeds of 19 seconds for the 15 sites and 28 seconds for the 19 sites.

Google claims that future, more sophisticated Web applications relying more heavily on JavaScript than today’s sites do would run faster on Chrome. Of course, I couldn’t test any claim about future scenarios, but I did run Chrome on several JavaScript test sites, used by developers. It handily beat the other browsers. However, Google doesn’t claim users would see much difference on current Web application sites.

I also tested Chrome’s compatibility with scores of common Web sites. In general, it did well, rendering the sites properly. But I ran into problems with video. Some video sites refused to recognize Chrome, because its development has been a secret. On others, like Major League Baseball’s site, videos mostly played properly, but sometimes didn’t.

IE8 also has some compatibility issues, for different reasons. It’s the first version of Internet Explorer to hew closely to Web standards. Earlier versions used some nonstandard ways of rendering Web sites, prompting some site designers to adopt techniques that made their pages work in IE, but look odd in Firefox and Safari. Now, ironically, these pages also look strange in IE8. So Microsoft was forced to build in a special Compatibility View button that users must click to see the sites properly.

Chrome is built on three core design principles. The first is its spare user interface. There are only two menus and a handful of toolbar icons. Internet Explorer introduced a similar approach in its version 7, but with a difference. Microsoft allows users to restore a traditional menu bar; Google omits that option. And the only toolbar icon you can add in Chrome is a Home button.

The second big principle behind Chrome is that a user can type anything he or she wishes into a single place, the Omnibox, and instantly receive suggestions on where to go, gleaned from the user’s own browsing history and Google’s rankings of popular sites. Whether you type in a Web address or a search term, the Omnibox is very smart. In some cases, in my tests, it came up with the right destination after I had typed only one or two letters of the name of a site I frequently visited.

The Omnibox has another cool feature, called Tab-to-Search. If you type in the name of another site that includes its own search feature, like Amazon.com, the Omnibox allows you to simply press the tab key to search within just that site, without opening it first. Chrome, through its Options settings, also lets you change the default search engine used by the Omnibox. Instead of Google’s own search service, you can use Microsoft’s Live search, Yahoo search, or others.

The third big principle behind Chrome is that each tab runs, under the hood, as a separate browser. Tabs can be dragged off the main browser and turned into separate windows. If one tab crashes, the rest of the browser keeps running. But this doesn’t work perfectly. In my tests, all of Chrome died on me when I tried watching an Olympics video on the NBC site.

You can even turn any tab into a standalone application that can be run from the Start Menu, or the desktop, as if it was a separate program.

Chrome has a few other key features. When you open a new tab, you don’t get a blank page, but a set of thumbnails for your most-visited pages, plus lists of recent search engines you’ve used, recently used bookmarks and recently closed tabs.

Like other browsers, Chrome puts up a warning when you try to visit a malicious or phony Web site, and it has a private browsing mode, called Incognito, which allows you to browse without leaving any history on your computer—a feature popularized in Safari.

Chrome also has a pop-up blocker, but it’s annoying, because it flashes a notice that a pop-up has been blocked. IE also does this, but unlike in Chrome, it allows the warnings to be made much less intrusive.

Internet Explorer 8 has some new features Chrome lacks. Its private browsing mode, called InPrivate, is the first I’ve seen that not only leaves no traces on your own computer, but also bars Web sites from collecting some types of information on where you’ve previously been surfing.

While IE8’s address box and search box remain separate, each also offers rapid suggestions; and both are organized better than Chrome’s. For instance, the suggestions that drop down from its address bar are divided neatly into categories drawn from the browser’s own guess, your history and your favorites. One downside: For this to work in Windows XP, you must first install Microsoft’s desktop search product.

Like Chrome, IE8 lets you switch your default search provider, but it also allows you to switch search engines on the fly. When you type in a search term, icons for alternate search engines appear at the bottom of the suggestion list, and you need only click on these to see search results from, say, Google, instead of Microsoft’s own Live search engine.

IE8’s Accelerators feature presents a blue-arrow icon above any text on a Web page that you have selected. Clicking on the icon brings up a list of actions you can take using the selected text, such as posting it to a blog, emailing it, mapping it or searching it. While these actions are set by default to use Microsoft’s own Web services, you can change them to use Google’s, Yahoo’s, or those from other companies.

Microsoft has also built in a feature called Web Slices. These are portions of a Web site that a site developer can designate to appear in the IE8 Favorites bar and to constantly update themselves. An example might be the bidding for an item on eBay.

Like Chrome, IE8 also displays useful information whenever you create a new tab, including a list of recently closed tabs and a list of Accelerators.

With the emergence of Chrome, consumers have a new and innovative browser choice, and with IE8, the new browser war is sure to be a worthy contest.

You can download Google Chrome Here.

iPhone 3G Pay & Go announced

2008-09-02T08:09:00.001+01:00

O2 has finally announced details of its long-awaited Pay & Go deal for UK customers.

UK customers wishing to pick up an iPhone 3G without contract will be able to do so from 16 September 2008. The cost will be £349 for an 8GB model; or £399 for a 16GB model.

Interestingly, the deal also includes 12 months of completely free WiFi and 3G data transmission. After the initial 12 month period customers will be able to get unlimited data for £10 per month.

Customers will, however, have to agree to a minimum top up amount each month of £10 with calls to a UK landline charged at 5p per minute, texts charged at 10p each.

The tariff also includes O2's Favourite Place deal. This entitles you to 500 free minutes from a postcode that you have registered with O2. So if you make most calls from home you can register your home's postcode and get 500 free minutes per month from that location. The amount of free minutes rises if you have a higher minimum amount placed on your tariff. Unused credit is taken from one month to the next, but not unused free minutes on the Favourite Place deal.

Adobe Releases Photoshop Lightroom 2

2008-08-28T13:48:00.001+01:00

Adobe Systems Incorporated announced the immediate availability of Adobe® Photoshop® Lightroom® 2 software, the photographer's essential toolbox for managing, adjusting and presenting large volumes of digital photographs. With new enhancements such as dual-monitor support, radical advances in non-destructive localised image correction, and streamlined search capabilities, Lightroom 2 is a compelling upgrade that simplifies photography from shoot to finish. As Adobe’s first application to support 64-bit for Mac OS X 10.5 Macintosh computers with Intel® processors and Microsoft® Windows® Vista® 64-bit operating systems, Lightroom 2 also provides improved memory performance for dealing with large scale images.

“A worldwide community of photographers provided valuable insight and feedback, as part of the Lightroom 2 public beta program, ultimately helping us deliver a better product,” said Tom Hogarty, senior product manager for Lightroom and Camera Raw at Adobe. “We’ve considered their requests which helped us develop useful features that make it easier than ever for our customers to quickly refine, enhance and present brilliant photographs.”

Photoshop Lightroom 2: Smarter, Faster and More Accurate
The enhanced Library module in Lightroom 2 helps streamline and accelerate photographers’ workflows. With the ability to visually organise images across multiple hard drives, Lightroom 2 and its powerful Library Filter Bar makes it easy for users to quickly find the images they need. The Suggested Keywords feature helps photographers keyword their images by making intelligent suggestions based on their own previous efforts. New dual-monitor support allows users to expand their workspace, giving them flexibility to edit and organise images in a way that maximises an additional display.

In the Develop module, the new Local Adjustment Brush lets photographers fine-tune specific areas of an image to precisely adjust colour, exposure and tonal range without affecting other areas of the image. The new Graduated Filter expands the toolbox in Lightroom, allowing for edits to larger areas by applying gradually diminishing or increasing adjustment effects such as exposure, clarity, and saturation, alone, or in any combination. Lightroom 2 also helps photographers print more efficiently by quickly arranging photos of multiple sizes on one or many pages with flexible and customisable templates to maximise paper and ink. Intelligent algorithms automatically determine optimal sharpening for screen or print, producing crisper images faster. Developers can further extend the Lightroom workflow with Web, Export and Metadata Software Development Kits available at the Adobe Developer Connection, http://www.adobe.com/devnet/.

Ground-Breaking Innovation in Raw Technology
New raw technology gives photographers access to flexible camera profiles. Camera profiles are the visual starting point for the raw processing workflow, but image preferences vary for every photographer. To minimise surprises, Adobe is supplying default camera profiles that closely emulate the visual looks that photographers are used to seeing from their favourite camera, while also providing the ability to create highly customised profiles to suit different tastes. Camera profiles are available for immediate download on Adobe Labs (http://labs.adobe.com) for use with Lightroom 2 and Camera Raw 4.5, along with the DNG Profile Editor for the community to test and create their own profiles.

The Adobe Camera Raw 4.5 plug-in and DNG Converter 4.5 are also now available on Adobe.com and support over 190 camera models including the Olympus E 420 and E 520 models.

“One of the big reasons why Lightroom has become such a phenomenon among serious photographers is that Adobe built it with the input of a very vocal user community,” said Scott Kelby, president of the National Association of Photoshop Professionals (NAPP). “Adobe really listens to the issues and challenges today’s photographers face and they’ve built a complete solution that not only meets the needs of photographers; it really feels like it was made just for us. The enhancements to Lightroom 2, combined with the power of Photoshop, give photographers the ultimate freedom to produce professional images quickly.”

Pricing and Availability
Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2 is available now through the Adobe Store at www.adobe.com/store in English, French and German with the Japanese language version planned to be released at a future date. The estimated street price is £175 for new users with an upgrade price of £69 for registered users of qualifying Lightroom customers. Recommended system requirements are Macintosh OSX 10.4, 10.5 1 GHz PowerPC G4 or G5 or Intel® based processor, or Microsoft Windows® XP SP2 or Windows Vista Home Premium, Business, Ultimate, or Enterprise, Intel Pentium 4® processor, 1 GB RAM and a 1024x768 resolution screen. Additional information on product features, upgrade policies, pricing, and language versions is available on www.adobe.com/products/photoshoplightroom/.

Adobe Launches Photoshop Elements 7 and Premiere Elements 7

2008-08-28T13:46:00.001+01:00

Adobe has announced Version 7 of Adobe Photoshop Elements and Adobe Premiere Elements. Apart from a few new Quick Fix tools, Photoshop Elements 7 offers a new Scene Cleaner option that lets the user brush away unwanted objects from a scene and a Smart Brush which lets the user apply effects to a particular area of a photograph. Adobe Premiere Elements 7 now supports AVCHD format and features a Videomerge option that allows users to create a "green screen" effect and automatically place themselves within a scene.

Internet Explorer 8 beta 2: a first look

2008-08-28T12:02:00.001+01:00

With the public release of its second beta, Microsoft said it intends for the Internet Explorer 8 browser to be more customer-oriented than previous versions of its browser. Our initial impression of Internet Explorer 8 Beta 2 is positive: we think Microsoft has not only caught up with Opera, Safari and Firefox, but in some cases even surpasses these other browsers with its innovative new features. IE8 offers several enhancements like colour-coded tabs, increased privacy options and greater security features built right in. Most of the new features require systems to be running Windows Vista SP1 or Windows XP SP3. The final version of Internet Explorer 8 is expected in November 2008.

The user interface hasn't changed much since Internet Explorer 8 Beta 1, except to add a Security pull-down menu between Page and Tools on the main toolbar. In addition to blocking phishing sites, IE8 now highlights the main domain of any web site you visit. Thus, if something other than eBay.com is highlighted, chances are you're on the wrong web site. Perhaps the most anticipated addition is Internet Explorer's new anti-malware protection. Opera 9.5 and Firefox 3 both recently added anti-malware protection. Safari has so far not announced plans for similar protection. Using mostly its own anti-malware technology, Microsoft will block emerging threats by masking the entire IE 8 browser screen with a warning to users. The addition of malware protection to the existing anti-phishing protection will be rebranded as the Microsoft SmartScreen filter.

In another feature, known as InPrivate, Microsoft allows the browser to suspend caching functions while you surf. Some scenarios for using InPrivate might be when you're using someone else's computer, when you need to buy a gift for a loved one without ruining the surprise, or when you're at an internet kiosk and don't want the next person to know which web site you visited. Although you can currently clear the browser cache with a mouse click, it's an all-or-nothing action. InPrivate temporarily suspends the automatic caching functions, allowing you to keep the rest of your browsing history intact.

IE8 also contains a cross-site scripting filter, one of the first in a mainstream browser. Cross-site scripting allows an attacker to execute script on a user's browser without them knowing. When the IE8 filter finds a web page with a cross-site scripting request, it changes the content on the page with a notice. Users are not presented with an option; IE simply blocks the malicious script from executing and displays the rest of the page.

IE 8 Beta 1 has already introduced several changes when handling ActiveX components. Components will be installed per user, which eliminates the need for everyone to have administrator privileges. In addition, you must acknowledge or opt-in for the component to run, eliminating drive-by downloads. Components will be per site and will only be available from the site of origin. Finally, site developers can request killbits, code that identifies a particular ActiveX control, from Microsoft which can be sent via Windows Update to terminate risky or outdated components. Killbits look for a specific identifier; if the identifier is missing or marked bad, an application will not run within Internet Explorer until the developer issues an updated version of the application.

Getting back to the customer experience, there's an underlying assumption by Microsoft that everyone wants new tabs. For instance, opening a bookmark means automatically opening a new tab. To re-open a closed tab, you need first to open a blank tab; same if you want to restore a previous session within IE8.

Fortunately, IE8 has included a new colour-coded tab system that interrelates tabs. If you are on one page and click a link to open another tab, the two will appear side by side and share a colour. This may work for casual users, but for a power user who needs 10 to 15 tabs open with tools and sites frequently visited, the proliferation of new tabs becomes unwieldy — whether or not they are grouped and associated by colour.

IE8 provides what Microsoft calls an 'accelerator'. Here's how it works: highlight any word or phrase on a web page and the browser will prompt you with a blue arrow icon. Now, use that icon to associate that word or phrase with a Web 2.0 service, such as Google Maps to conveniently find an address. You can customise the options. Your accelerated item will appear in a new tab that is colour-coded and adjacent to the original reference tab.

All this is good news for loyal Internet Explorer fans, but Firefox users still retain the customisation edge — for every new feature in IE8, there will undoubtedly be another Firefox extension produced soon enough. If anything, IE8 will serve notice to the other browsers that the sleepy giant has awakened. The browser wars have reignited.

Nokia confirms flaws in Series 40 handsets

2008-08-24T10:39:00.001+01:00

Nokia has admitted to serious vulnerabilities in its Series 40 mobile platform, but claimed the flaws do not pose a significant risk to handsets using the operating system.

The flaws affect Sun's mobile version of Java (J2ME), particularly as used in Nokia Series 40 handsets, and were revealed by Polish security researcher Adam Gowdiak. Gowdiak made Nokia and Sun aware of the vulnerabilities' existence shortly before going public with his findings, but demanded €20,000 (£16,000) from the companies to give them full details of the flaws.

Sun has not said whether it paid up, and Nokia has now said in a statement that it will not comment on that point "for security reasons".

Gowdiak identified two main flaws: holes in older versions of J2ME that allow remote access to phone functions that should be restricted, and problems in Series 40 that allow stealth installation or activation of applications. Series 40 is an enormously popular platform, generally found on Nokia's lower-end handsets. It is used in more than 100 million devices.

"Our testing has been concentrating on products that might have both of the claims present," Nokia said in a statement late this week. "We can confirm that both claims are valid in some of our products. Once we have completed testing and analysis of the alleged issues, we will communicate the next steps. We will also investigate potential measures to counter the risk of stealth installation."

Sun has already said it will be issuing a fix for the J2ME flaws in the coming weeks.

Nokia stressed in its statement that it was "not aware of any malicious incidents on the Series 40 platform". "We do not currently believe these issues represent a significant risk to customers' devices," it added.

Apple releases MacBook Air Update

2008-08-23T01:56:00.001+01:00

Apple on Friday released an update for its MacBook Air notebook. The update weighs in at just 368KB, so it’s a very small download.

According to the notes provided by Apple, the update addresses issues with video playback and processor core idling. Apple also said that third-party software that modifies processor operating characteristics such as frequency and voltage is not supported and should be removed before installing this update.

The update can be downloaded from Apple’s Web site.

Microsoft officially launches Photosynth

2008-08-22T10:00:00.001+01:00

Microsoft has officially launched Photosynth, software for home and business users looking to turn their pictures into fully developed 3D images.

The software, released on Thursday, was first developed by Microsoft's Live Labs research arm in 2006 and subsequently became available in trial versions. It allows users to display multiple pictures at the same time, so that, if a user takes multiple pictures of a landscape, for example, the software will bring the pictures together into one larger, cohesive image.

When used properly, the software should make it possible for a user to walk around a subject taking multiple pictures and then create a 3D image from those images.

The software, which is free, comes in two parts: a browser plug-in for viewing the 3D images, and an application for creating them. To create an image, a user must first collect pictures, then use the client-side application to collate them into a multiple image, or 'synth'. The synth can then be embedded into blogs, social-networking sites or any other HTML-editable site, in much the same way as a YouTube video can be embedded.

Microsoft's development evangelist for Photosynth in the UK, Paul Foster, said each user would have only 20GB of online storage for their synths "for the time being", but said the company was looking into making more space available. He added, however, that customers would need to pay for such an extension of storage space. He would not speculate on how much extra storage space might cost, saying it was "early days" for the software.

Foster also noted that the Photosynth plug-in would only work with Internet Explorer 7, Firefox 2 and Firefox 3. Photosynth uses a Microsoft standard, JPEG XR, to handle multiple pictures. Foster said Microsoft intended this to become a "public standard".

Photosynth can be downloaded from Microsoft's dedicated website.

Microsoft: Windows 7 for servers to be minor release

2008-08-19T12:45:00.001+01:00

Microsoft said on Monday that the server version of Windows 7 will not be a major release and will bear the name Windows Server 2008 R2.

The move is surprising, given that in the past, Microsoft has used R2 monikers to signify a product with a few new features, as opposed to major changes to a product.

Microsoft declined to discuss what will be in Windows Server 2008 R2, but a spokesman confirmed that it is the server version of Windows 7. The release is due sometime in 2010, Microsoft said.

The server move calls into question just how different Windows 7 is going to be from Windows Vista on the desktop side. Steven Sinofsky, the head of development for the desktop version of Windows, has said that Windows 7 on the PC side will not make major changes to, for example, the kernel and driver model, but has maintained that it will be a major release of Windows.

Microsoft has said that the desktop version of Windows 7 will include a new multitouch interface, but has not talked about other features.

On its server roadmap page, Microsoft describes its minor, or update, releases thus: "Update releases integrate the previous major release with the latest service pack, selected feature packs, and new functionality. Because an update release is based on the previous major release, customers can incorporate it into their environment without any additional testing beyond what would be required for a typical service pack. Any additional functionality provided by an update would be optional and thus not affect application compatibility or require customers to recertify or retest applications."

If Windows Server 2008 R2 needs no more testing than a service pack, the question seems to be whether it is really possible for the desktop team to add enough features on top of it to make Windows 7 a big improvement upon the often criticised Windows Vista.

Microsoft has said it will share technical details on Windows 7 at its Professional Developers Conference in late October in Los Angeles

Apple releases iPhone software 2.0.2

2008-08-18T23:46:00.001+01:00

As with the 2.0.1 update, Apple says little about what exactly 2.0.2 does, other than a terse description that reads only “bug fixes.” The update, which iPhone users will be prompted to download through iTunes when they plug in their devices, weighs in at 249MB when upgrading an iPhone 3G from 2.0.1 (updates for other models or from different software versions may have different sizes).

There have been numerous accounts of bugs and problems with the iPhone 2.0 software, and while the iPhone 2.0.1 update seemed to improve performance on some counts, many of the issues have persisted.

This update is for iPhone and iPod Touch.

Intel releases draft USB 3.0 spec

2008-08-18T14:05:00.001+01:00

Intel has released part of the draft specification for USB 3.0, a move that could speed up the release of the next-generation data transfer standard.

The Extensible Host Controller Interface (xHCI) draft specification revision 0.9 is available under royalty free licensing terms to all USB 3.0 Promoter Group members, and AMD, Dell, Microsoft and NEC were among those to back the move, according to Intel.

USB 3.0 -- also known as SuperSpeed USB -- is expected to enable transfer speeds of up to 4.8Gbps, a significant leap from the 480Mbps supported by the current USB 2.0 spec.

"The future of computing and consumer devices is increasingly visual and bandwidth intensive," said Phil Eisler, corporate vice president at Intel rival AMD. "Lifestyles filled with [high-definition] media and digital audio demand quick and universal data transfer. USB 3.0 is an answer to the future bandwidth need of the PC platform. AMD believes strongly in open industry standards, and therefore is supporting a common xHCI specification."

Intel said it expects to release a revised xHCI 0.95 specification in the fourth quarter, and the technology should become widely available in 2010.

The chip giant announced plans to release more details on the USB 3.0 spec earlier this year. In June, Intel spokesman Nick Knupffer said on his blog: "The sooner USB 3.0 hits the market, the sooner everyone will be flooding their devices and hard drives with insanely large files requiring masses amounts of computational resources, improving your lives, and making you pleased that you bought a quad-core processor."

Microsoft updates Office 2004 and 2008

2008-08-13T08:39:00.001+01:00

Microsoft’s Macintosh Business Unit released updates on Tuesday for Office 2004 and Office 2008.

Taking a page from Apple’s most recent updates, Microsoft was stingy with details on what exactly the Office 12.1.2 update fixes. According to notes provided by the company, “this update contains several improvements to enhance stability and performance.”

Office 2004 11.5.1 does offer a bit more information for users. While it does offer “several improvements to enhance stability and performance,” the update also includes fixes for vulnerabilities that an attacker can use to overwrite the contents of your computer’s memory with malicious code.

Both updates are available from Microsoft’s Mac Web site.

Intel Set To Introduce Mobile Quad-core Processors

2008-08-12T07:07:00.001+01:00

NewsFlash: San Francisco (CA) - Lots of new processors will be announced next week at the Intel Developer Forum. Among them will be two special processors for enthusiast notebooks.

Intel’s first two quad-core processors for notebooks will be the Core 2 Quad Q9100 and Core 2 Extreme QX9300. The 9100’s four cores will run at 2.26 GHz, while the Extreme Edition will be clocked at 2.53 GHz. Both CPUs integrate FSB1066, but only the QX9300 has an unlocked multiplier.

In terms of price, don’t expect these new flagships to be cheap. Tray-pricing for the Q9100 will be $851; the Extreme QX9300 will go for $1036. Vendors are likely to charge even more for dual-core to quad-core upgrades. For example, Eurocom charges $1220 for an upgrade from a 2.2 GHz Core 2 Duo P8400 to a Core 2 Extreme QX9300.

Both quad-core CPUs are identical to their desktop counter-parts, albeit with a reduced FSB clock (266 MHz QDR instead of 333 MHz QDR or 400 MHz). The CPUs will also feature 12 MB of L2 cache.

T-Mobile first to announce BlackBerry Bold in UK

2008-08-07T18:22:00.001+01:00

T-Mobile is the first mobile phone operator to announce it will be offering the much-anticipated BlackBerry Bold smartphone to UK customers. The handset will go onsale in the UK from September.

The BlackBerry Bold is a 3.5G HSDPA (high-speed download packet access) handset capable of internet access at rates of up to 4.5Mbps (megabits per second) via the T-Mobile network.

A GPS-enabled device, the BlackBerry Bold is a quad-band phone and is the first T-Mobile BlackBerry handset that is being launched across all territories, including the Far East. It will come with BlackBerry Maps and offer Wi-Fi connectivity in addition to HSDPA.

The BlackBerry Bold has a full qwerty keypad, offers mobile web access as well as push email, a 2Mp camera and an onboard media player for viewing and roughly editing photos and playing videos.

Extra storage is offered via the Bold’s miniSD/miniSDHC (Secure Digital High Capacity) removable media card slot. These flash memory cards are currently available in capacities of up to 8GB, with 16GB coming later this year.

The device, which is being distributed to UK reviewers this week, was reportedly delayed due to battery issues, which meant it wasn’t able to steal Apple’s thunder when it launched the iPhone 3G in June.

In May, BlackBerry maker Research In Motion (RIM) announced it would start selling the Bold smartphone worldwide this summer, with initial reports suggesting UK availability as early as late June or early July.

Microsoft finalises SQL Server 2008 code

2008-08-07T09:02:00.001+01:00

Microsoft said on Wednesday that it has finished work on SQL Server 2008, the latest version of its database software.

The software maker said in a statement that it has reached the 'release to manufacturing' stage, meaning that the company has finalised the code for the software.

Although SQL Server 2008 has been delayed, Microsoft said it was able to meet its goal of having a new version within 24 to 36 months from the release of SQL Server 2005.

SQL Server 2008 comes in a number of editions, ranging from the free SQL Server 2008 Express to SQL Server 2008 Enterprise. Other editions include Standard, Workgroup, Developer, Web, and Compact, which runs on both PCs and Windows Mobile devices.

Pricing is comparable to that of SQL Server 2005. One edition, the Web version, is new. Microsoft vice president Ted Kummert said in a conference call that hosting customers had complained of not having a version that met their needs, in terms of features and pricing, and that the Web edition was an attempt to meet those needs.

"We nailed it, and that just feels so good," said Dan Jones, a member of the product's engineering team. "This is such a great day. The sun is shining in Redmond."

The release is important for Microsoft, as the database product has been a strong performer in the company's financial results for many quarters, helping the company gain ground against rivals.

Kummert declined to give a specific target, in either units or dollars, by which Microsoft will measure SQL Server 2008's success, but he said the company hopes to continue the growth it has seen with the prior version of the database software.

"We expect SQL Server 2008 to continue the growth trajectory," Kummert said. "We are focused on winning with customers of all sizes."

Apple releases iPhone software 2.0.1

2008-08-05T03:16:00.001+01:00

Apple on Monday released iPhone software 2.0.1, an update to the original software released with the iPhone 3G. In its typical terse style, Apple didn't go into details on what the new software fixed. According to Apple iPhone software 2.0.1 contains "bug fixes."

At this time the 249MB update is only available by connecting the iPhone to your computer and downloading through iTunes. iTunes will then prompt you to install the software and take care of the update procedure.

Apple security update patches critical DNS flaw

2008-08-01T08:29:00.001+01:00

Apple on Thursday released Security Update 2008-005, patching a critical DNS (Domain Name Server) flaw that other companies began fixing on July 8. The DNS fix is among 13 items updated in the security release.

First reported by Dan Kaminsky of IOActive, the DNS flaw would allow an attacker to introduce forged DNS information into the cache of a caching nameserver. The end result of the attack, known as cache poisoning, is that a visitor to a Web site is redirected to wherever the attacker choses to send them.

BIND has been updated in the security release to version 9.4.2-P1, which implements source port randomization to improve resilience against cache poisoning attacks.

Apple’s Data Detectors Engine in Mac OS X has been updated to fix a problem that caused a user viewing maliciously crafted messages with Data Detectors to experience an unexpected application termination.

Running the “Repair Permissions” could allow a local user with emacs to run commands with system privileges. The update corrects the permissions applied to emacs in the Repair Permissions tool. This issue does not affect Mac OS X 10.5 or later.

Issues with OpenLDAP and OpenSSL where a remote attacker may be able to cause an unexpected application termination have both been addressed. Rsync has been updated to fix a problem that would allow files outside the module root to be accessed or overwritten remotely.

Mac OS X 10.5 users get a new version of PHP with this security update, which fixes multiple vulnerabilities, the most serious of which may lead to arbitrary code execution, according to Apple.

QuickLook also got updated to fix a problem that happened if a user downloaded a maliciously crafted Microsoft Office file causing an unexpected application termination or arbitrary code execution.

The Open Scripting Architecture was updated so local users could not execute commands with elevated privileges.

Apple Security Update Security Update 2008-005 is available from the software update mechanism in Mac OS X or from Apple's Web site.

Apple releases iTunes 7.7.1

2008-07-31T10:45:00.001+01:00

Apple released a new version of iTunes late Wednesday night, bringing the current version to iTunes 7.7.1.

While Apple is normally terse in describing its software updates, the new version of iTunes is the shortest in a while. According to the notes provided by the company, iTunes 7.7.1 “includes fixes to improve stability and performance.”

iTunes was last updated the day before the launch of the iPhone. That update brought support for the iPhone 3G and the App Store. The release also supported Apple Remote, a new application that allows users to connect to their iTunes library or Apple TV from the iPhone or iPod touch.

iTunes 7.7.1 is available via the Apple software update mechanism in Windows and Mac OS X.

Apple ships Lexmark Printer Driver 1.1

2008-07-30T12:48:00.001+01:00

Apple has shipped its latest print driver update package for a third party printer manufacturer, this time for Lexmark.

The Lexmark Printer Driver 1.1 is available now for download from the company. It's a 71MB download which Apple claims, "includes the latest drivers for printers you have used on your system".

These print driver patches are intelligent, Apple explains. "This update is available via Software Update and will only be visible if the printer is connected to your computer or a print queue has been created for an earlier version."

Apple has released similar printer driver software collections for HP and Brother in recent weeks.

Adobe releases Photoshop Lightroom 2

2008-07-29T10:39:00.001+01:00

Adobe on Tuesday officially released Photoshop Lightroom 2, a product that was first released as a beta in April 2008. Lightroom has many new features including being Adobe’s first application to support 64-bit for Mac OS X 10.5.

Tom Hogarty, senior product manager for Lightroom and Camera Raw at Adobe, told Stargate Computers that the Lightroom 2 beta was downloaded 130,000 times. The company received a lot of valuable feedback about the new features and some insight into how professional photographers were using the application during the beta process.

One of the ways that a photographer’s workflow is changing is with the use of Raw image format. Adobe is supplying default camera profiles that closely emulate the visual looks that photographers are used to seeing from their favourite camera.

This means that a photographer can use a profile to match what they see when they take the picture or build their own profile to suit their own preference. Profiles can be created by photographers using the DNG Profile Editor and Camera Raw 4.5, also being released today.

The Adobe Camera Raw 4.5 plug-in and DNG Converter 4.5 are available for download and support over 190 camera models.

Among the changes made in the new version of Lightroom is the ability to visually organize images across multiple hard drives. As more professional photographers use the Raw format, multiple hard drives are becoming the norm in the industry, making this an important feature.

New features like Suggested Keyword aim to make the mundane task of keywording images more intuitive. The application suggests keywords based on your keywording habits. For instance, if you go to the beach and always take your dog, when you enter the keyword “beach,” Lightroom will probably suggest “dog” as the next keyword.

Hogarty said that Local brush enhancements, library filleting tools and output sharpening refinements were major topics of discussion among photographers during the beta period.

Now, using the Develop module, the Local Adjustment Brush allows photographers to adjust colour, exposure and tonal range of specific areas, without affecting other areas of the image.

A new Graduated Filter allows users to edit larger areas by applying gradually diminishing or increasing adjustment effects such as exposure, clarity, and saturation, alone, or in any combination, according to Adobe.

Other changes in Lightroom 2 include dual-monitor support, Library Filter Bar, and streamlined search capabilities.

Lightroom 2 is available immediately for $299 or $99 for an upgrade for qualifying Lightroom customers.

Apple updates Aperture

2008-07-29T10:35:00.001+01:00

Apple on Monday released an update for its professional workflow photography application, Aperture.

According to Apple, the Aperture 2.1.1 "update supports general compatibility issues, improves overall stability, and addresses a number of other minor issues." Unfortunately, specific changes of the update were not made available.

When Aperture was updated earlier this year it brought an open plug-in architecture that will allow photographers to use third-party imaging software in Aperture. Aperture included the Apple-developed plug-in, Dodge & Burn, which adds brush-based tools for dodge (lighten), burn (darken), contrast, saturation, sharpen and blur. Several third-party companies have also developed plug-ins for the software.

The 48MB update can be downloaded from Apple's website.

UK ISP's reach anti-file-sharing deal

2008-07-24T16:17:00.001+01:00

Six of the UK's biggest internet service providers have reached a deal with music industry body the BPI to combat music-piracy.

The agreement commits the companies working together towards reducing the illegal sharing of music and will see hundreds of thousands of letters sent to net users suspected of illegally sharing music.

The deal - which has been agreed to by BT, Virgin, Orange, Tiscali, BSkyB and Carphone Warehouse - also means file-sharers could see their broadband connections slowed, or removed altogether.

Geoff Taylor, chief executive of the BPI, which represents the music industry, said: "All of the major ISPs in the UK now recognise they have a responsibility to deal with illegal file-sharers on their networks."

“Government has played an important role in bringing all parties together to arrive at this point, but the work really begins now. We look forward to creating the procedures necessary to effectively tackle repeated unlawful filesharing with the other signatories and Ofcom," he added.

Music industry bodies have been pushing UK government to force ISPs to become the internet's file-sharing policemen for years. Music labels argue that ISPs have effectively benefited from file-sharing, as it has made their services popular.
The plan commits the firms to working towards a "significant reduction" in the illegal sharing of music. However, the move also indicates new music services could soon debut to fill the gap.

It's thought that UK music industry bosses are now negotiating a controlled and licensed peer-to-peer scheme in which users pay £30 per year as a blanket fee for their music.

"In addition, the music business is constantly innovating to offer new, safe and legal ways to enjoy music online, and to create a future for digital music where creativity and copyright are respected. This (agreement) will help to create an environment in which such new digital services models can flourish," Taylor added.

The deal also commits the net firms to develop legal music services, however the music industry wants people's internet cut off if they ignore repeated warnings.
Martin Warner, new media entrepreneur and co-founder of Technology of Tomorrow 08 said: "Today’s deal is a major breakthrough for consumers and the record industry, though many challenges still remain on how this is going to work out in practice and be policed.”

He adds- “The rapid advances in technology have a major impact on how music is consumed. This has presented many opportunities and challenges for artists and record companies but the consensus of opinion is that there is no alternative but to embrace new technology.”

Apple updates iLife apps

2008-07-23T02:23:00.001+01:00

Apple has updated its iLife 08 applications and accompanying software. The updates are available for download from Apple’s Web site, and can also be downloaded through the Software Update system preference.

The new versions are as follows:

iWeb 2.0.4
iLife Support 8.3
iMovie 7.1.4
iPhoto 7.1.4

For the most part, the updates “address general compatibility issues, improve overall stability and address a number of other minor issues,” according to Apple. The exception is iPhoto 7.1.4, which contains new holiday greeting card and postcard themes for use with Apple print products.

However, there is one cosmetic change to the updates. References to Apple’s recently shelved .Mac service in the apps’ menu commands have been replaced with references to the newly launched MobileMe Service, a move Apple executives characterized as a “branding” update. Earlier this month, Apple released Mac OS X Update for Mobile Me 1.1, which included general system fixes that enhanced OS X 10.5.4 for running MobileMe.

iLife Support includes system software components shared by all iLife ’08 applications.

Apple ships updater for HP printer drivers

2008-07-16T15:16:00.001+01:00

Apple has released the latest in its series of updates for third-party printers, HP Printer Driver 1.1.

The HP Printer Driver Update includes the latest drivers for printers you have used on your system. Like previously introduced software updates for third party printers, this update only appears as required to be installed in the event a printer from HP is connected to your system.

“This update is available via Software Update and will only be visible if the printer is connected to your computer or a print queue has been created for an earlier version,” Apple explains.

Apple has previously released Canon Printer Driver 1.1 and Brother Printer Driver 1.1, both of which exhibited the same characteristic of only demanding installation if a printer of the same brand were connected to a user’s Mac.

Intel's quad-core mobile chip coming next month

2008-07-15T10:16:00.001+01:00

Intel will release it's first quad-core processor for laptops next month, rounding out a broad update to its mobile computing platform.

"We're bringing quad-core to mobile in August," said Sujan Kamran, regional marketing manager for client platforms at Intel in Singapore. Kamran declined to disclose specifics of the quad-core chip, which will carry Intel's Core 2 Extreme name.

Getting a quad-core processor into a laptop is more about bragging rights than a genuine boost in performance. Very little PC software is designed to take advantage of multiple cores and it's unclear what performance benefits a quad-core chip would offer over a dual-core chip, such as the 3.06GHz Core 2 Extreme QX9100.

While official details of the upcoming quad-core chip are scarce, Australian PC maker Pioneer Computers is taking preorders for laptops based on an unreleased quad-core mobile chip, the 2.53GHz Core 2 Extreme QX9300.

The chip is advertised as an upgrade to Pioneer Computers' DreamBook Style 9008 laptop. But adding a quad-core processor to the laptop doesn't come cheap: the cost of the upgrade is more than the laptop's basic price.