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Blog Details for "The Microsoft Wow Blog!"
The Microsoft Wow Blog!The Microsoft Wow Blog!Microsoft - Change the world or go home! - Get all the latest news from the house of Microsoft which includes Xbox 360, Windows Vista, Windows Seven, Zune, Windows Mobile, Visual Studio 2008, The 2007 Microsoft Office System, Microsoft Expression etc Articles
Microsofts First Office up for sale - Own a piece of history!
2007-11-28 20:02:00 Own a piece of history, the original building where Bill Gates and Paul Allen formed Microsoft is now For Sale . Property offers a variety of floor plans for retail, office or warehouse uses. Condominium Association rules apply. Value priced and centrally located to NE and SE Heights and New Mexico State Fair grounds (EXPO New Mexico). Property Flyer Property LocationStreet Address 1:6320D Linn Ave. NEState or Province:NMCountry:USAMunicipality/City:A lbuquerquePostal Code:87108Nearest MSA:AlbuquerqueCounty:BernalilloSubmarket :Southeast General InformationListing Name:Cal-Linn Unit 13Sign Visible:YesProperty Subtype/Proposed UseOffice Type:GeneralProperty Use Type:Vacant/Owner-UserEssential InformationProperty Status:ExistingBuilding Size (RSF):1,185 SFSale Price:$82,950Sale Terms:Cash to SellerZoning:C-3 Source: www.carnm.com Taimur Asad (The Microsoft "Wow" Blog!) More About: History , Organizations
Red Five Labs releases Net60 Beta 1 - a .NET Compact Framework for Symbian
2007-11-27 23:09:00 What, now Symbian phones can run Windows Mobile software? In reality Net60 in fact makes it possible to run .NET Compact Framework applications on Symbian phones but compatibility is very low - only .NET Compact Framework 1.0 while nowadays all Windows Mobile phones already have .NET Compact Framework 2.0 in ROM pre-installed and recently released Visual Studio 2008 offers already .NET Compact Framework 3.5 ! The release is not public but the software vendor is handpicking those who can get it or not: Red Five Labs announces a beta release version of Net60 - the .NET Compact Framework for S60. Beta testers please need to complete our sign up process and wait for the account to be approved by our team. We expect to have to provide support to a large user community and tightly coupling our website to our support ticketing system allows us to provide great support to users of our site. You will efficiently be able to submit queries to us, whether bug reports or sales related questions....
Autumn colors screensaver collection
2007-11-26 23:09:00 This gorgeous collection of screensavers will help you celebrate the beginning of the fall in style. From falling leaves and auburn forests to cute woodland creatures, it's easy to get images of autumn on your desktop. 3D Falling Autumn LeavesThere will be no doubting it's fall on your PC with this nifty screensaver featuring pretty autumn-colored leaves gently falling. 3D Autumn Wood 2Leaves fall, while birds, butterflies and other animals frolic in the background in this tranquil screensaver. Desktop Autumn Screensaver Make autumn come alive by watching auburn leaves fall on your desktop. Fall Vail Volume 1The quintessential Colorado town of Vail provides a beautiful setting for the fall season. Grace your desktop with several scenes from the surrounding area. 3D Woodland Thanksgiving 2The only thing better than little animals frolicking in an autumn forest is a screensaver that captures their overwhelming cuteness. Colors of Fall Photo ScreensaverPut high-quality images of...
Is Windows Vista SideShow finally coming to Windows Mobile?
2007-11-24 01:57:00 It's been a while that we talked about Microsoft's Windows Vista SideShow feature and while SideShow is still not too popular, finally there are some good chances we might see it officially coming to Windows Mobile as well. Windows SideShow is a new technology which was introduced with Windows Vista and so far it's mostly used to support a secondary screen on mobile PCs, even if the developers also had remote control support for Windows Media Center, and digital photo frames in mind.With this additional display you can view important information whether your laptop is on, off, or in sleep mode. However, so far there isn't too much SideShow compatible hardware available and even HTC's Shift UMPC isn't utilizing SideShow to display received E-Mails and PIM data but HTC decided to use its own technology called SnapVUE, which is based on Windows Mobile . One problem is, that SideShow requires dedicated hardware instead of utilizing exisitng hardware - namely Windows Mobile. Anyway...
Show your Zune Card on Facebook & other sites (UPDATE: Zune Card FB App)
2007-11-23 15:36:00 Do you want your friends on Facebook to see what?s playing in your Zune software? Even though Microsoft has a stake in Facebook we?ve not seen official Zune integration into Facebook yet. However, a crafty Zune forums user has posted instructions for getting your Zune Card into Facebook. While there are a few steps to it, it?s really not too tough and you should up and running in no time. Here is my Zune Card (zSilverlight) so to add your Zune Card to Facebook or any other site, just copy and paste this code into HTML segment of your site: <div id="zunecard_big" class="zunecard"><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash& quot; src="http://social.zune.net//xweb/lx /swf/zunecard.swf?ver=1192" style="" id="flashUserCard" name="flashUserCard" bgcolor="#FFF" wmode="opaque" salign="tl" flashvars="baseURL=http%3a%2f%2fsoci al.zune.net%2fzcard%2fusercardservice.ash x%3fzunetag%... More About: Show , Sites , Update
Office Live Documents - Hotmail Founder Challenges Microsoft
2007-11-22 16:38:00 Sabeer Bhatia sold Hotmail to Microsoft in 1997 for around $400 million. After selling Hotmail, Sabeer tried new ventures but none of them were very successful. Now Sabeer has decided to challenge the cash cow (Microsoft Office ) of the same company that made him a millionaire. Today he has launched Office Live Documents - an online+offline Office suite of programs similar to Word, Excel and PowerPoint. Like Zoho Office and Google Docs, Live Documents lets you create, edit and share Office documents in the web browser. All your edits are automatically synchronized with all other copies of the documents. And if you own a copy of Microsoft Office, you can download a Live Documents toolbar that makes it easy to upload documents from your Office programs to the Live Documents cloud (very similar to Office Live Workspace). Live Documents is done in Flex so should work on any system that has the Flash plug-in. Overall, Live Docs sounds like a good concept but they are definitely up aga... More About: Founder
XNA Game Studio 2.0 Beta Now Available
2007-11-20 23:08:00 The XNA team is pleased to announce the Beta release of XNA Game Studio 2.0! This Beta release is your chance to try out the new features available in XNA Game Studio 2 .0, including support for Visual Studio 2005, multiplayer support over System Link and LIVE, and many more features and enhancements, many suggested by you, the community members.If you?re an existing XNA Game Studio Express user, you won?t have to worry about uninstalling anything ? XNA Game Studio 2.0 (Beta) lives comfortably side-by-side with XNA Game Studio Express. Just follow the link below to find out what?s new in XNA Game Studio 2.0 and download the Beta, as well as updated sample content you can use with the Beta right away. There?s even a multiplayer-enabled starter kit you can use to familiarize yourself with multiplayer programming in the XNA Framework. LinksXNA Game Studio 2.0 (Beta) Download PageXNA Team Blog Taimur Asad (The Microsoft "Wow" Blog!)
The Wait for Visual Studio 2008 is Over!
2007-11-20 03:57:00 On Monday, Nov. 19, Microsoft announced that Visual Studio 2008 and the .NET Framework 3.5 were released to manufacturing (RTM). With more than 250 new features,Visual Studio 2008 includes significant enhancements in every edition, including Visual Studio Express and Visual Studio Team System. Developers of all levels ? from hobbyists to enterprise development teams ? now have a consistent, secure and reliable solution for developing applications for the latest platforms: the Web, Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008, the 2007 Office system, and beyond. MSDN Subscribers: Get Visual Studio 2008 Now Download Trial Editions of Visual Studio 2008 Download Visual Studio 2008 Express Editions Download the .NET Framework 3.5 Source: msdn2.microsoft.com More About: Wait
Ballmer Welcomes Google's Android OS to "Microsoft's World"
2007-11-17 20:02:00 Ballmer has some more interesting insight into looking at the world through Microsoft -colored glasses. At a recent Tokyo press conference, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer had some interesting things to say about Google and its new Android OS, the mobile phone OS that Google has in development.Ballmer has a penchant for colorful remarks; for example. he recently likened his relationship with Microsoft founder and good friend Bill Gates to a marriage which has produced many, many children.Ballmer was at it again, raining harsh criticism on Google, dismissing Android OS as nothing but a press release.He also stated that he would like to welcome Google into "Microsoft's world," apparently referring to t he mobile phone market.He said, "Right now they have a press release, we have many, many millions of customers, great software, many hardware devices and they're welcome in our world."His remarks seem slightly curious as Microsoft is dominated in market share of the ... More About: World , Competitors
Microsoft makes November build of Windows Server 2008 available to testers
2007-11-17 16:57:00 Microsoft didn?t release only a refreshed test build of Windows Vista Service Pack (SP) 1 this week. It also quietly posted an updated test build of Windows Server 2008. Testers with pre-approved access to Microsoft?s private Connect download site can grab the Windows Server 2008 November Community Technology Preview (for both X86 and X64 machines). The build number is 6001-17042-071107-1618. No word yet from testers on what?s new in the latest Windows Server 2008 build. It?s not yet quite Release Candidate (RC) 1, but the Softies are getting closer. Microsoft has said to expect Windows Server 2008 to be released to manufacturing in the first calendar quarter of 2008. Windows Server 2008 will ship in eight flavors, some of which will include Microsoft?s integrated Hyper-V hypervisor, and others which won?t, Microsoft announced earlier this week. Given that the new Vista SP1 build and this server refresh came out simultaneously, I?m wondering about any new features in the SP1 bu... More About: Microsoft , Build
Vista SP1: Release Candidate test build goes to 15,000 testers
2007-11-15 20:39:00 Microsoft has delivered yet another test build of Windows Vista Service Pack (SP) 1 to testers. On November 14, the new build ? designated the SP1 Release Candidate (RC) Preview ? went to a slightly expanded group of 15,000 pre-selected testers. Microsoft made a first public beta of Vista SP1 available to 12,000 testers in September. The new build can be downloaded by invited testers from Microsoft?s private Connect test site. Microsoft has been making builds of Vista SP1 available to progressively larger groups of testers since earlier this spring. The company has been dangling the promise of making a test build Vista SP1 available more broadly, first as a semi-public build downloadable by Microsoft Developer Network (MSDN) members, and ultimately, by any interested parties. Microsoft posted a note to MSDN two weeks ago announcing availability of a Vista SP1 beta, but later pulled the note and apologized for the false alarm. As of November 14, Microsoft officials declined to sa... More About: Test , Build
Windows Live OneCare 2.0 launches!
2007-11-15 14:27:00 Today?s families increasingly have more than one PC at home, and with Microsoft internal data suggesting the average U.S. household now owns approximately 2.5 PCs, households and small businesses have a strong need to simplify the way they provide security and care for all of their PCs. With increased mobility and the rise of the home computer network, ensuring a stable, secure computing experience has become more complex, yet important as ever before. To address this complexity, Microsoft introduced Windows Live OneCare, one of the first software products to provide a comprehensive PC care solution. Today, Microsoft announced the next version of Windows Live OneCare, which provides even greater security for home or small offices, and delivers features that make it easy to back up data and manage multiple PCs. PressPass spoke with Amy Barzdukas, senior director for Windows Live O neCare, about the launch of Windows Live OneCare and how it can provide customers with an easier way to...
Preloaded contents from the new Zunes are now available for download
2007-11-14 21:55:00 Microsoft today has made available the entire preloaded contents pack downloadable (ZIP) of the newer Zune s available for download. The reason this has been made available is that if you have accidentally deleted the preloaded content, you can download it. This comes at a whopping size of 410MB which contains all of the preloaded content on the 2nd-generation Zunes . Audio TracksDatarock, ?Fa-Fa-Fa?Mexican Institute of Sound, ?El Microphono?Sidestepper, ?Paloma?CéU, ?Ave Cruz?Barenaked Ladies, ?Easy? John Doe, ?Golden State?The Handsome Furs, ?Cannot Get Started?Pop Levi, ?Sugar Assault Me Now?Junkie XL, ?Dark Territory?Pacha Massive, ?Don?t Let Go? Music VideosAvril Lavigne, ?Make Five Wishes? TrailerLow, ?The Hatchet?Pacha Massive, ?Don?t Let Go?Joya, ?Funky C?Dntel, ?The Distance? PodcastsKEXP Live?This American Life: Squirrel Cop?Nylon TVMSNBC.comIntro to PodcastsIntro to Podcasts (Spanish) Short Videos?Red Bull BC1? (Red Bull)?A Passion for Film Making? (IFC)?First Kiss? (CA... More About: Download , Contents , Available
Zune Outsells Every Player on Amazon
2007-11-14 00:00:00 Thanks to the Zune 2 firmware update and the $89 deal, the Brown Zune is outselling every other player (flash or hard drive) on Amazon . Source: ZuneStyle.com Taimur Asad (The Microsoft "Wow" Blog!) More About: Player
Fall Xbox 360 dashboard update revealed: download Halo December 2
2007-11-13 23:40:00 The Fall Xbox 360 dashboard update has now been officially revealed, and it's looks awesome with Xbox Classics and films on demand. December 4 is the date you'll need to watch out for; that's the day you'll be able to download and play Halo . Yes, Halo as in the Xbox game, through Marketplace, on your Xbox 360 . Isn't technology great! Microsoft is introducing games it has published for the original Xbox on XBL Marketplace, with the eventual plan to bring as much of the back catalogue across as possible. Third party games will also be available to 'demand'. Games cost about 1200 Microsoft points (about ten quid), which according to us puts them a little over what you'd pay for them second hand. The initial list of downloads includes Halo, Fable, Fahrenheit, Crimson Skies: High Road To Revenge, Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath Of Cortex and Burnout 3. All good then, apart from maybe Crash.The official blurb reads: "Starting on Dec. 4, all Xbox Live members will receive a free s... More About: Dashboard , Download
ZuneStyle.com launches with the launch of Zune v2
2007-11-13 01:02:00 Today, The Microsoft Wow Blog! kicked of another site namely Zune Style.com which launches on the eve of the launch of Zune v2's. For more details, check out ZuneStyle - "You Make it You!" Taimur Asad (The Microsoft "Wow" Blog!) More About: General , Launch
Zune 2.0: Exclusive features info!
2007-11-11 20:07:00 ZuneBoards.com has got some exclusive info from Microsoft about the new features we can expect from all the Zunes come this Tuesday: 1. Pairing Zune to a new computer will not delete your content. In 1.0 and with iPods, they require you delete all of your content when you pair it with a new computer. In 2.0, this requirement didn?t seem to be very customer-friendly and was lifted. 2. Copy music to your computer. Reverse sync was a feature in v1 and we?ve made it even easier to do in v2. When looking at music in your device, just click and drag any music to the computer icon in the bottom left of the screen, and you can copy your music to the computer you?re connected to. This is especially great when moving music from your home PC to your work PC and vice-versa. 3. Express yourself. The Zune Social is launching in beta, and it is incredible how addictive it is to be able to see what music your friends are playing and what their favorite artists are. The Z... More About: Exclusive , Zune , Features , Info
Zune 80 Secret Leaked!
2007-11-11 13:59:00 Have you wondered why the Zune 80 only has 1 color to choose from? Have you wondered if Microsoft is hiding some big secret for launch day? According to our source inside of Microsoft, this information is absolutely top secret. Well, it was until now. Here is the exact leak from our source verbatim: "...but there is something that Microsoft is holding onto releasing information...about until Tuesday. They have been keeping this info very secret, as they want to get the "bang" effect when it is announced. There is going to be an option from the Zune website called "ZUNE ORIGINALS". People who order their zune from Zune.net, will have the added bonus of being able to customize their zune. This will include colour, up to five lines of custom text, and the choice of 25 preset logos that they can have etched into their zune prior to delivery. There will be no added cost, but it is only available through Zune.Net... ...I do believe that Microsoft will go Ape$h%t ... More About: Secret , Leaked , Zune 80
Live Custom Domains renamed to Live Admin Center + new features added!
2007-11-11 01:49:00 Windows Live team today renamed Windows Live Custom Domains to Windows Live Admin Center . LiveSide.net has full report on this: "Windows Live Custom Domains has today undergone its Wave 2 update that sees it renamed as Windows Live Admin Center, though the old url of domains.live.com still works. This name change reflects the wider array of features now offered by the service, which has transitioned from a hosted email service into a more complete Windows Live package. The update now allows those who manage a domain to redirect a subdomain to a Windows Live Space, a Windows Live Map of a location you specifiy, a Live Search page complete with custom macros or even a customised live.com page. To see what this means, check out the urls we've redirected: http://spaces.liveside.net/http://maps.li veside.net/http://mail.liveside.net The new Windows Live Admin Center now allows co-branding of Windows Live sites. Users who manage a domain through Windows Live have the ability to add ... More About: Windows Live , Features
New Zunes already hitting store shelves!
2007-11-09 20:53:00 You can't keep a good retailer down, especially the kind that gadget nerds like us so adore: those that breaking sales embargoes and put hotly anticipated product (like these new Zune s, for example) on store shelves early. Behold, new Zunes -- which aren't supposed to be on sale until next week -- popping up on store shelves at Circuit City and Target. Granted, we don't know how many (if any) sold, since it sounds like they may have actually gotten pulled before customers made a dash for the registers, but who knows, perhaps you might strike Zune gold by trawling the shelves at your local mega-retailer this very weekend. You know who to tip off if you bring home the booty, right? (Note: read link only hits up the Target Zunes, not CC's Zune batch, which is separate.) Source: engadget Taimur Asad (The Microsoft "Wow" Blog!) More About: Store , Shelves
Get your @live.com email now!
2007-11-07 13:42:00 Its official!! Microsoft has officially enabled the registration of @live.com ids. You can get yours now from http://get.live.com/getlive/overview/ So far the list of confirmed available aliases is: Country-Domain-Register at this link ARGENTINA-LIVE.COM.AR-Create LIVE.COM.AR addressAUSTRALIA-LIVE.COM.AUAUSTRIA-LIVE. AT-Create LIVE.AT addressBELGIUM-LIVE.BE-Create LIVE.BE addressCANADA-LIVE.CA-Create LIVE.CA addressCHILE-LIVE.CL-Create LIVE.CL addressCHINA-LIVE.CNDENMARK-LIVE.DK-Creat e LIVE.DK addressFINLAND-WINDOWSLIVE.COM-Create WINDOWSLIVE.COM address (Finnish Wizard)FRANCE-LIVE.FR-Create LIVE.FR addressGERMANY-LIVE.DE-Create LIVE.DE addressHONG KONG-LIVE.HK INDONESIA-WINDOWSLIVE.COMIRELAND-LIVE.IE- Create LIVE.IE addressITALY-LIVE.IT-Create LIVE.IT addressJAPAN-LIVE.JP-Create LIVE.JP addressKOREA-LIVE.CO.KR-Create LIVE.CO.KR addressMALAYSIA-LIVE.COM.MYMEXICO-LIVE.CO M.MX-Create LIVE.COM.MX addressNETHERLANDS-LIVE.NL-Create LIVE.NL addressNORWAY-LIVE.NO-Create LIVE.NO addressPAKIS... More About: Email , Windows Live , Live
Windows Live Wave 2 launches!
2007-11-06 16:42:00 New installer featuring the final Windows Live Wave 2 programs is available for download thanks to Microsoft's early preparations. While not much has changed in the applications themselves since the last beta releases, its just nice to be running the final versions. You can grab the new Windows Live installer here: http://g.live.com/1rewlive/en/WLInstaller .exe Messenger is now 8.5.1302.1018 and Mail is now at 12.0.1606 . If you have any problems installing/upgrading from the betas, the following support article should help. This now supports x64 systems too!. Links:Windows Live Taimur Asad (The Microsoft "Wow" Blog!)
Photo Album: BIMCSdotNET Launch Event
2007-11-05 22:36:00 BIMCSdotNET Launch Event Event Host Madhat Yousufi welcomes the guests on the eve of BIMCSdotNET launch.Event starts with the recitation of verses from Quran by M. Ali.Event starts with the recitation of verses from Quran by M. Ali (1).Sumair Shaikh, MSP - Bahria University--Taimur Asad speaks on INETA, its user groups & their benefits.-Taimur Asad speaks on INETA, its user groups & their benefits (1).Right-Left: Syed Khusro Azmat, Capt. Ashfaq Agha, Sumair Shaikh, Arafat Tehseen, Umair Khan.More Photo s... More About: Photo Album , Album
Visual Studio 2008 to launch in November 2007
2007-11-05 20:41:00 Today, during the keynote address at Microsoft TechEd Developers 2007, S. ?Soma? Somasegar, corporate vice president of the Developer Division at Microsoft Corp., announced that Microsoft will release Visual Studio 2008 and the .NET Framework 3.5 by the end of November 2007. Visual Studio 2008 and the .NET Framework 3.5 enable developers at all levels to rapidly create connected applications that offer compelling user experiences for Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008, the 2007 Microsoft Office system, mobile devices and the Web. Soma also unveiled plans to open new opportunities for Visual Studio partners, as well as to deliver new tools and resources for developers, including a first Community Technology Preview (CTP) of the Microsoft Sync Framework and new capabilities for Popfly Explorer. ?The highly social and visual nature of the Web has fundamentally changed what users expect from all applications they interact with, regardless of whether it?s on a customer-facing Web site o... More About: Launch
Photo Album: BIMCSdotNET Launch Event
2007-11-05 13:17:00 BIMCSdotNET Launch Event Event Host Madhat Yousufi welcomes the guests on the eve of BIMCSdotNET launch.Event starts with the recitation of verses from Quran by M. Ali.Event starts with the recitation of verses from Quran by M. Ali (1).Sumair Shaikh, MSP - Bahria University--Taimur Asad speaks on INETA, its user groups & their benefits.-Taimur Asad speaks on INETA, its user groups & their benefits (1).Right-Left: Syed Khusro Azmat, Capt. Ashfaq Agha, Sumair Shaikh, Arafat Tehseen, Umair Khan.More photos... More About: Photo , Photo Album , Album
Microsoft SharedView Beta 2
2007-11-04 20:01:00 When you write for an organization that spans multiple time zones and often involves collaborative effort between two or more people, one of whom might be in California while another is in New York, the concept of a collaborative online workspace can be quite attractive. Read the copy on Microsoft 's SharedView web site, and it's clear Redmond is trying to attract the type of users who need multiple sets of eyeballs scanning the same document at the same time, but who are separated by a few hundred miles in any given direction. SharedView connects up to 15 people in different locations to collaborate on documents and get your point across by showing them what's on your screen. Share, review, and update documents with multiple people in real time.A Windows Live ID (Passport, Hotmail, or MSN) is required to start sessions, but not to join sessions. New in Beta 2: now even easier to use, with group chat and performance improvements! Hold more effective meetings and conference callsC... More About: Office
You Make it You ? New Zune Ad
2007-11-03 21:45:00 This past week saw the launch of the new marketing campaign for the new Zune s heading our way November 13th. Cesar Menendez of the Zune Insider put the first TV commercial on Soapbox: This years Zune campaign slogan: You Make It You. Makes sense. Zune is about your music, your videos, your photos, and now even your podcasts. Last year was welcoming us to the "social" - this year is making it about you. I love it. However - I?m not loving the commercial. Something about it just doesn?t work. Sure, its really cool to watch but it seems disconnected from the music, the device - essentially what Zune is all about. How can someone not knowing what the Zune is watch this commercial and get what Zune is all about? Folks watch iPod and iPhone commercials and *get* them and know what the devices are about. I?m sure this is one commercial of many planned so I?m not worried. I am pretty damn excited for the new Zunes - specifically the Zune 80 for me. And I simply cannot wait for th...
Order Windows Home Server 120-Days Evaluation Kit!
2007-11-03 19:25:00 Can't wait to centralize and showcase your family's memories and media? Order the Windows Home Server 120-Day Evaluation Kit today. You're just a few clicks away from a new digital life. What will you receive? Windows Home Server Installation DVD Windows Home Server Connector CD Home Computer Restore CD Are you ready? This software is intended for evaluation purposes only. In order to preserve your existing data, you must backup prior to installation. The setup process for server installation will erase any existing data. To install the Windows Home Server 120-Day Evaluation Kit, you need: Computer with 1 GHz Pentium III (or equivalent) or faster processor 512 MB of RAM or more 70 GB or larger ATA, SATA, or SCSI hard drive as the primary hard drive and any number of additional hard drives of any size DVD drive?your home server must be capable of booting from this drive VGA or higher-resolution monitor for software installation Keyboard and Microsoft Mouse or compa... More About: Days
Microsoft format to become JPEG successor
2007-11-02 16:21:00 A new attempt to provide a higher-end sequel to the ubiquitous JPEG image standard is officially under way. The multiple countries participating in the Joint Photographic Experts Group, which created the JPEG standard, have approved an effort to make Microsoft 's HD Photo format a standard called JPEG XR, said Bill Crow, who has led Microsoft's HD Photo effort and who just took over the company's Microsoft Live Labs Seadragon imaging project. XR stands for "extended range," a reference to the format's ability to show a wider and finer range of tonal gradations and a richer color palette. "The country vote is done, and it passed," Crow said. "That means the International JPEG committee has decided to go ahead and create the standard. Now it's just a process of doing that work," a process that will begin later this month in a meeting in Kobe, Japan. The move is an important step in the transformation of the photo format from an in-house technology ... More About: Format , Jpeg
Windows Live Messenger 9.0
More articles from this author:2007-10-31 17:20:00 Forget about Windows Live Messenger 8.1 and 8.5, Microsoft is cooking Windows Live Messenger 9.0. Currently, Windows Live Messenger 9.0 is in the very early stages of baking, but this does not mean that the Redmond company is not perfecting the receipt of its instant messaging client. Andrew Jenks, a Microsoft employee speaking at the Georgia Institute of Technology revealed that Windows Live Messenger 9.0 is planned for availability towards the end of 2008, but it could slip into 2009. LiveSide, quoting Ampcoder, focused on Jenks' announcement of a new Microsoft application programming interface designed to be joined at the hip with the 9.0 version of Windows Live Messenger. The API will permit third-party developers to build upon Windows Live Messenger 9.0, creating customized versions of the instant messaging client or even programs that take advantage of the features available. The details are scarce, but developers apparently will be able to access a technical preview of the ... 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 |



