New and changed features in Windows 7

Windows 7 includes a number of new features, such as advances in touch and handwriting recognition, support for virtual hard disks, improved performance on multi-core processors, improved boot performance, DirectAccess, and kernel improvements. Windows 7 adds support for systems using multiple heterogeneous graphics cards from different vendors (Heterogeneous Multi-adapter), a new version of Windows Media Center, a Gadget for Windows Media Center, improved media features, the XPS Essentials Pack and Windows PowerShell being included, and a redesigned Calculator with multiline capabilities including Programmer and Statistics modes along with unit conversion. Many new items have been added to the Control Panel, including ClearType Text Tuner, Display Color Calibration Wizard, Gadgets, Recovery, Troubleshooting, Workspaces Center, Location and Other Sensors, Credential Manager, Biometric Devices, System Icons, and Display. Windows Security Center has been renamed to Windows Action Center (Windows Health Center and Windows Solution Center in earlier builds) which encompasses both security and maintenance of the computer. The default setting for User Account Control in Windows 7 has been criticized for allowing untrusted software to be launched with elevated privileges by exploiting a trusted application. Microsoft's Windows kernel engineer Mark Russinovich acknowledged the problem, but noted that there are other vulnerabilities that do not rely on the new setting.

Internet Spades, Internet Backgammon and Internet Checkers, which were removed from Windows Vista, were restored in Windows 7. Windows 7 will include Internet Explorer 8 and Windows Media Player 12. Users will also be able to disable many more Windows components than was possible in Windows Vista. New additions to this list of components include Internet Explorer, Windows Media Player, Windows Media Center, Windows Search, and the Windows Gadget Platform. Windows 7 includes 13 additional sound schemes, titled Afternoon, Calligraphy, Characters, Cityscape, Delta, Festival, Garden, Heritage, Landscape, Quirky, Raga, Savanna, and Sonata. A new version of Virtual PC, Windows Virtual PC Beta is available for Windows 7 Professional, Enterprise, and Ultimate editions. It allows multiple Windows environments, including Windows XP Mode, to run on the same machine, requiring the use of Intel VT-x or AMD-V. Windows XP Mode runs Windows XP in a virtual machine and redirects displayed applications running in Windows XP to the Windows 7 desktop. Furthermore Windows 7 supports the mounting of a virtual hard disk (VHD) as a normal data storage, and the bootloader delivered with Windows 7 can boot the Windows system from a VHD. The Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) of Windows 7 is also enhanced to support real-time multimedia application including video playback and 3D games. That means that Direct X 10 can be used in a remote desktop environment. The three application limit will be removed from Windows 7 Starter

The taskbar has seen the biggest visual changes, where the Quick Launch toolbar has been replaced with pinning applications to the taskbar. Buttons for pinned applications are integrated with the task buttons. These buttons also enable the Jump Lists feature to allow easy access to common tasks. The revamped taskbar also allows the reordering of taskbar buttons. To the far right of the system clock is a small rectangular button that serves as the Show desktop icon. This button is part of the new feature in Windows 7 called Aero Peek. Hovering over this button makes all visible windows transparent for a quick look at the desktop. In touch-enabled displays such as touch screens, tablet PCs, etc., this button is slightly wider to accommodate being pressed with a finger. Clicking this button minimizes all windows, and clicking it a second time restores them. Additionally, there is a feature named Aero Snap, that automatically maximizes a window when it is dragged to either the top or left/right edges of the screen. This also allows users to snap documents or files on either side of the screen to compare them. When a user moves windows that are maximized, the system restores their previous state automatically. This functionality is also accomplished with keyboard shortcuts. Unlike in Windows Vista, window borders and the taskbar do not turn opaque when a window is maximized with Windows Aero applied. Instead, they remain transparent.

Raga, Spark and Luxe new mp3 players from Philips

Philips is not a common name when it comes to mp3 players. It is still trying to get a good grip in the market which is dominated mostly by iPod, Zune etc. Philips are rolling out three new mp3 players in there GoGear series which are Raga, Spark and Luxe. The new music players look promising and are available at a decent price.

Simplest of them is the ‘Raga’ which has a tiny multi line display. It has decent battery life which can last for hours and is available at 2GB and 4 GB capacity. On the other hand, Spark has got a small 1.5 inch OLED screen which can display Album arts and photos. It has got a cool navigation style and comes with Philips Full EQ technology. It has even got a stylish look. Luxe is the stylish of them all and is also feature rich. Along with Full EQ technology, it also has Bluetooth support. Users can easily clip it into there clothes and it can also be synced with mobile phones.

Raga is priced at $35 - $45. Spark will cost around $50 - $60 while Luxe will cost $90 - $100.

Dell Latitude Z starts at $1,999

Dell started to sell the new ultra-thin and sexy Dell Latitude Z notebook and offers already discounts. The Dell Latitude Z is the world's first ultra-thin 16-inch laptop that is less than an inch thin and starting at 4.5 pounds with a four-cell battery, which comes standard.

The Dell Latitude Z starts at $1,999, but you get right now $200 off in the Dell Store bringing the start price of the Dell Latitude Z down to $1,799.

For the $1,799 you get a Latitude Z with a 64GB SSD, Intel Core 2 Duo SU9400 CPU and 2GB RAM.

The cool wireless charging stand is included in the Latitude Z Business Package which starts at $2,397.

Tech Tip : USB Drive not working?

When i have mounted some unix box's in my win xp machine using Magic disk it has created various drives according to my request. But when i insert my pen drive (JetFlash TS4GJFV30 USB Device) it shows in the system tray but when i open My computer i am not able to find the device.

I have done the following to get it back, (choose any one)
1. Search for JetFlash TS4GJFV30 USB Device in drivers.com and download the search result, install it then re-start.

2. Uninstall the Generic Volume from Device Manager (My computer->properties->Hardware->Device Manager)

Both worked for me :)

NY Times Website had a Malware

If you are a regular web reader of the New York Times, you need to exercise a bit of extra caution for the time being. The paper just issued a warning to readers that some malicious ads have found their way onto the esteemed paper's web presence. The attacks are likely the result of a malware scammer who is trying to spread his diseased software across the Internet.

The bad ads take the form of pop-ups that automatically re-direct your computer to various websites. You don't even have to click a thing. Thankfully, the Times believes that they have managed to kill the ads, but you should still exercise caution. If you visited today, run an anti-virus check on your computer.

Pop-up malware like this is usually relegated to the dark corners of the Internet. Warez sites and porn rings are often littered with programs like this, lying in wait for un-savvy users browsing without security. If you want to be protected, install a good pop-up blocker and make sure your anti-virus software is always up-to-date. And remember; nine times out of ten, a little vigilance is all you need.

Click here to see the warning message from NYTimes