Microsoft Windows 7 Pricing Announced

Most of us are excited for Windows 7 but have some reservations regarding how expensive it's going to be. Fret no more, at least now the mystery is over as Redmond has finally made its 7 pricing official. Those of you planning to upgrade from XP or Vista to Windows 7 Home Premium, Professional or Ultimate will have need to come up with $119.99, $199.99 or $219.99 respectively, while those who opt for a brand new retail copy will have to spend $199.99, $299.99 or $319.99. If that’s too rich for your blood, don’t resolve yourself to piracy just yet — limited pre-orders start tomorrow with Home Premium upgrades running $49.99 and Professional upgrades coming in at $99.99.



More good news: If you absolutely need to replace a dying computer ASAP, you should feel pretty good because nearly everyone who buys a new Windows computer as of tomorrow should be able to get a free upgrade to Windows 7 (although not all manufacturers are participating in this program).

Source: Windows Team Blog

Microsoft Bing Search Engine Goes Live

Microsoft’s new search engine has created quite buzz since its introduction a few days ago. Finally, the search engine is now live for everyone to test. But Microsoft seems to have it optimized for English speaking users from the United States and the UK who get more functionality than someone from non-english speaking countries.

Users from the United States get previews of the contents of each site by hovering the mouse cursor over a search result while users from unsupported countries do not get these previews. The previews can contain up to five links to other content of the site which is a very interesting feature as search engines usually limit the exposure to one or two links to a site on each page. Many aspects of Bing look like Google Search (But It's Not Google - BING). There are also sponsored advertisements on top of the search results pages and on the left and some content related images will be added where appropriate to the results.



Bing also categorizes search results appropriately. A search for let's say a city like New York will start with all results on the top and display categories like maps, weather, travel or attractions below each with a handful of search results. This is actually an interesting concept as it might aid inexperienced users in their search. Experienced users on the other hand will perform targeted searches to find the information they are looking for.

Bing will display the categories, related searches and the search history on the left. The image search of Bing displays image results on an infinite scrolling page with some nice features like an option to filter images by size, layout, color, style or people, and a virtual map that can be displayed for location based searches. It will for instance link pictures to locations on the map.

Bing's Video search makes it possible to play videos directly on the results page. This can be done by hovering the mouse over a video or by clicking on the play button that appears when hovering over the video. Videos can also be filtered by length, resolution, screen size or source. Bing seems to have improved over Windows Live, especially for popular search terms.

Zune HD Officially Available this Fall

This is the real thing, the Zune HD is coming this Fall. Microsoft officially announced it today and made all Zune hopefuls' dream into reality. The specs goes something like this: 3.3-inch, 480 x 272 OLED capacitive touchscreen display, built-in HD Radio receiver, and HD output (utilizing a new dock). Microsoft is set to feature a full multitouch screen in a 16:9 aspect ratio with TV out port on the side (apparently HDMI), and they seemed to indicate that some new touch-friendly apps and games would be headed our way. Coming in 16 and 32GB versions, the device will also support wireless syncing to your computer. Some even speculate the PMP will support 3D Xbox games, if the Zune HD will actually use Nvidia's Tegra chipset. The device will boast an IE-based, customized browser, but let's hope it won't be anything similar to Internet Explorer on Windows Mobile.



Details are also scarce concerning storage capacities, CPU performance, and other crucial numbers, but it seems like they've got more in store come E3.

Microsoft official release:

Microsoft Announces the Expansion of the Zune Entertainment Service to New Platform and Markets; Confirms New Zune HD Portable Media Player

Premium Zune digital entertainment service to be available internationally on Xbox LIVE.

REDMOND, Wash. - May 26, 2009 - Microsoft Corp. today announced the evolution of Zune, the company's end-to-end music and entertainment service, to a new platform and new markets. Zune will extend its video service to Xbox LIVE internationally this fall. This marks an important development in the Zune strategy and brings the Zune brand to more than 17 million international Xbox LIVE subscribers. In addition, Microsoft confirmed the next generation of the Zune portable media player, Zune HD. Available in the U.S. this fall, Zune HD is the first portable media player that combines a built-in HD Radio receiver, high-definition (HD) video output capabilities, organic light-emitting diode (OLED) touch screen, Wi-Fi and an Internet browser.

"The Zune music player is an integral part of the overall Zune experience, and we're proud to be growing and extending our offering beyond the device," said Enrique Rodriguez, corporate vice president of the Microsoft TV, Video and Music Business Group. "Delivering on Microsoft's connected entertainment vision, this news marks a turning point for Zune as it brings cross-platform experiences and premium video content to living rooms around the world."

Zune Service Expands to New Platform

Zune will be a premium partner in the Xbox LIVE Video Marketplace, bringing an exciting catalog of TV and film to the platform. Zune will occupy the first slot within the Xbox user interface in the Xbox LIVE Video Marketplace, exposing the Zune brand experience to millions of new consumers for the first time. At the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) next week, attendees will see firsthand how Zune integrates into Xbox LIVE to create a game-changing entertainment experience.

Introducing Zune HD

Zune HD is the next iteration of the Zune device family and brings a new level of listening and viewing experiences to the portable media player category.

* Zune HD comes with a built-in HD Radio receiver so users can listen to higher-quality sound than traditional radio on the go. Users also will have access to the additional song and artist data broadcast by HD Radio stations as well as additional channels from their favorite stations multicasting in HD. If you don't like the song playing on your station's HD channel, switch to its HD2 or HD3 channels for additional programming.
* The bright OLED touch screen interface allows users to flip through music, movies and other content with ease, and the 16:9 widescreen format display (480x272 resolution) offers a premium viewing experience on the go.
* The HD-compatible output lets Zune HD customers playback supported HD video files from the device through a premium high-definition multimedia interface (HDMI) audiovisual docking station (sold separately) direct to an HD TV in 720p.*
* Zune HD will include a full-screen Internet browser optimized for multitouch functionality.
* Zune HD is Wi-Fi enabled, allowing for instant streaming to the device from the more than 5 million-track Zune music store.

More information on Zune and related images is available at http://www.zune.net/press and http://www.zune.net/ZuneHD.

About Zune

Zune is Microsoft's music and entertainment brand that provides an integrated digital entertainment experience. The Zune platform includes a line of portable digital media players, elegant software, the Zune Marketplace online store, Zune Pass music subscription service, and the Zune Social online music community, created to help people discover more music. Zune is part of Microsoft's Entertainment and Devices Division and supports the company's software-based services vision to help drive innovation in the digital entertainment space. More information can be found online at http://www.zune.net/en-us/press.

About Xbox LIVE

Xbox LIVE connects more than 17 million members across 26 countries to each other and the entertainment they love. Home of more content from one remote than can be found from any device connected to the television, Xbox LIVE is also a unified online social network bringing friends together, no matter where they are - in the living room or across the world. More information and Xbox LIVE membership can be found online at http://www.xbox.com/en-us/live.

About Microsoft

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq "MSFT") is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.

* Supported 720p HD video files play on the device, downscaled to fit the screen at 480 x 272 - not HD resolution. Zune HD and AV Dock, and an HDTV (all sold separately) are required to view video at HD resolution.

HD Radio™ and the HD Radio logo are proprietary trademarks of iBiquity Digital Corp.

Bigwig Industry Players Formed WiGig Alliance to Stream Everything Over 60Ghz

A newly formed WiGig Alliance backed-up by a group consisting of bigwig industry players like Microsoft, LG, Dell, Samsung, Marvell, Nokia, NEC, Intel and Broadcom (just to name a few), aims to use the 60Ghz unlicensed band in order to stream just about anything imaginable. From HD videos, images, instant messages, audio, contact infos, etc. This "unified" approach differs from most other alternatives, which generally pick one niche (1080p video, for instance) and stick to it. If the more than 15 technology firms have their collective druthers, the WiGig specification will find its way into everything from set-top-boxes to telephones to home stereos, ready and willing to stream to other WiGig-enabled devices at a moment's notice.



According to their representatives, plans and specifications will be submitted to the committee fourth quarter of this year. Which means, we could be waiting for another year before we see products carrying the WiGig logo in the market. But nevertheless, a year or more ss worth a wait as everyone's excited to see such new high-bandwidth wireless technology take off.

Full release:

Industry Leaders Form Wireless Gigabit Alliance to Promote 60 GHz Wireless Technology

Diverse Group of PC, Consumer Electronics, Handheld and Semiconductor Companies Unite to Develop High Speed Wireless Ecosystem

SAN JOSE, Calif. – May 7, 2009 – More than 15 technology companies today announced the Wireless Gigabit (WiGig) Alliance, an organization formed to establish a unified specification for 60 Gigahertz (GHz) wireless technologies. The widespread availability and use of digital multimedia content has created an ever-increasing need for faster wireless connectivity that current wireless standards cannot support. This has fueled demand for a single technology that can support instantaneous file transfers, wireless display and docking, and streaming high definition media on a variety of devices. To meet this demand, WiGig Alliance is developing a 60 GHz wireless technology that provides the optimal way to connect consumer electronics, handheld devices and personal computers.

The WiGig specification will allow devices to communicate without wires at gigabit speeds within a typical room. The group's vision is to create a global ecosystem of interoperable products based on this specification, which will unify the next generation of entertainment, computing and communications devices at speeds more than 10 times faster than today's wireless LANs.
Bringing together a diverse group of leading wireless semiconductor, PC, consumer electronics and handheld device manufacturers, WiGig Alliance is creating a unified 60 GHz specification that meets the performance and energy efficiency requirements of many types of wireless devices and applications all around the world. This will drive an interoperable ecosystem of easy-to-use, high speed, low power wireless products. Among the companies that comprise this industry-leading board of directors are:

• Atheros Communications, Inc.
• Broadcom Corporation
• Dell, Inc.
• Intel Corporation
• LG Electronics Inc.
• Marvell International LTD.
• MediaTek Inc.
• Microsoft Corporation
• NEC Corporation
• Nokia Corporation
• Panasonic Corporation
• Samsung Electronics Co.
• Wilocity


"Our member companies are leaders in the wireless, CE, PC and handheld markets. They have the technical acumen and business experience to make the 60 GHz wireless technology a reality for both the home and enterprise," said Dr. Ali Sadri, President and Chairman of the Wireless Gigabit Alliance. "To help bring this technology to market, we welcome new member companies to join our group."

WiGig Alliance members are defining a unified specification that leverages the unlicensed 60 GHz spectrum to provide unprecedented wireless performance. This technology is being designed from the ground up to address the specific requirements of various platforms, to coexist with future 60 GHz solutions and complement millions of Wi-Fi devices already in use around the world. Wireless docking, display and entertainment, without performance compromise, will become a reality with gigabit-speed wireless I/O and eliminate the unsightly cables that clutter today's homes and offices.

"We're now at the point where the last barrier to wireless being able to do everything that wire can has fallen," said Craig Mathias, a Principal with the wireless and mobile advisory firm, Farpoint Group. "In both the residence and the enterprise, more capacity and throughput are always desirable. WiGig Alliance is going to deliver technology that will have an enormous impact on connectivity and mobility, information technology, consumer electronics, and many other applications."

The WiGig specification is expected to be available to member companies in Q4 of 2009. To register as an adopter in advance of the final specification, visit http://wigig.org/specification.

About the Wireless Gigabit Alliance

The Wireless Gigabit Alliance envisions a global wireless ecosystem of interoperable, extremely high performance consumer electronics, handheld devices and personal computers that work together seamlessly to connect people in the digital age. WiGig's technology enables multi-gigabit-speed wireless communications among these devices and fuels industry convergence to a single radio using the readily available, unlicensed 60 GHz spectrum. By bringing together the leading manufacturers of semiconductors, personal computers, consumer electronics and handheld devices, WiGig Alliance is creating a comprehensive specification to drive a global ecosystem of easy-to-use, interoperable, high speed wireless products.

Among the companies that comprise this industry-leading board of directors are Atheros Communications, Inc., Broadcom Corporation, Dell, Inc., Intel Corporation, LG Electronics Inc., Marvell International LTD., MediaTek Inc., Microsoft Corporation, NEC Corporation, Nokia Corporation, Panasonic Corporation, Samsung Electronics Co. and Wilocity. At launch, these founding companies are also joined by the following contributor companies; NXP, Realtek, STMicroelectronics and Tensorcom, Inc. For more information, please visit http://www.wirelessgigabitalliance.org.

Microsoft Disclosed Adding Web Widgets to Windows Mobile 6.5

Microsofts official blog confirmed the addition of web widgets in the upcoming release of Windows Mobile 6.5. Jorge Peraza, a software engineer and member of the development team disclosed the following:

A good way to think of a Windows Mobile Widget is as a “Portable chunk of the web” or just basically a rich internet application. Widgets are written using all the web technologies we know and love (HTML, CSS, AJAX, JavaScript) and, since they are powered under the covers by our new internet browser, they have full access to flash and other ActiveX controls available on the device (Like MediaPlayer).

The interesting thing about our Widget Platform is that it allows them to look and feel, to the end user, as a normal standalone application does; they have their own start menu icon, they show up as an individual apps in task manager and, most importantly, they have full control of the SK menu bar as any other application would (just easier J).

He also added that the exact capabilities of the widget framework and more details about it and the mobile OS will be available soon in the following months specifically during sessions on TechDays in April and TechEd 2009. He also shared some screenshots of the MSN widgets created by the Windows Live team below.

Internet Explorer 8 Gold Now Available for Download

Microsoft today announced the availability of Windows Internet Explorer 8. When the clock strikes 12:00 noon in New York, Microsoft says it'll release its much anticipated Internet Explorer 8 software in 25 languages to the world. Non-beta! Steve Ballmer claims that IE 8, "gets people to the information they need, fast, and provides protection that no other browser can match." We will definitely check it out.

Microsoft Press Release
IE 8 Download Link

Latest on Windows 7: Release Candidate out in May

Latest report from Neowin.net said that Microsoft will deliver a release candidate to the public in late May this year.

Microsoft will also give out an "escrow build" of the release candidate and offer it to a small invitation-only group of testers end of April, said Neowin, citing information from a Russian-language Web site and sources within Microsoft's technical adoption program, which gives large corporations sneak peeks at pre-release software. An escrow build is a post-development edition given to testers for one final examination for any show-stopping problems or bugs.

No ship date issued yet for Windows 7 RC, although program managers have recently revealed details about the changes that developers have made to the operating system since the public beta was released Jan. 10. Last week, for example, Chaitanya Sareen, a senior program manager on the Windows team, blogged for the second time in two weeks about RC progress.

Pirated post-beta builds of Windows 7 have also been regularly leaking to the Web. The latest, build 7057, reached BitTorrent last week and contained references to "Release Candidate 1" in its end-user licensing agreement.

While Microsoft has not promised that it will issue Windows 7 RC to the public, Steven Sinofsky, senior vice president in charge of the Windows engineering group, has repeatedly hinted that it will do so.

Microsoft today declined to comment on Neowin's projected delivery date, saying through a spokeswoman that it had "nothing new to share" on the subject.

How to Upgrade from Windows XP to Windows 7

It's quite difficult but doable. We all know that Microsoft seems to tell us that a Windows 7 upgrade is will only work from Windows Vista-based computers. Is this some kind of strategy Microsoft's playing on us loyal Windows XP users to purchase Vista before upgrading to Windows 7? I hope not. But if you're running XP, you may not be out of options.

Can we get around without purchasing and activating Windows Vista before upgrading to Windows 7? Yes we can. We have tried upgrading one old Windows XP machine over the weekend to Windows 7 Build 7000. It took us from morning till evening to wrap up the upgrade. But it's all worth it. We had the machine running Windows 7 without a glitch, at least until now.

We got a copy of a Vista promo installer to upgrade our Windows XP SP1 (yes SP1, we specifically want to try it on the earliest XP release, but should at least have Office 2007 on it). We were able to install Vista without entering any serial number. Afterwhich we installed the latest Windows 7 public beta, after waiting through a long installation process... It went in without any problem. We entered a legit serial number and activated it, crossing our fingers, it did. Everything's running without a hitch including Office 2007.

But then, this may not guarantee that everyone can have the same system installation experience when upgrading XP to Windows 7, most particularly with the final Windows 7 release. But this experience will at least tell us, at the very least that inspite of a difficult long process, Windows XP users can get their system upgraded to Windows 7 without the extra cost of purchasing a Windows Vista.