Windows 7 RTM Lacy Hearts Theme
With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, Microsoft is helping Windows 7 customers celebrate love right on their desktops. In this regard, the Redmond company has made available for download a new desktop theme designed to integrate seamlessly into the desktop of their Windows 7-power computers. The Lacy Hearts is, as the software giant has put it, “A dreamy theme for Valentine’s.” The theme pack is available as a free download via the Windows Personalization gallery website, along with the vast majority of themes that Microsoft has made available for the successor of Windows Vista.
Themes are personalization items unique to Windows 7, and not available for previous releases of Windows operating systems. Essentially, the packs feature multiple wallpapers, which can be scheduled to swap one another at specific intervals, but also color and sound schemes for the platform. This is the case of Lacy Hearts. Read more
Free PowerShell 2.0 Management Library for Hyper-V R2
PowerShell Management Library for Hyper-V is a rather self-explanatory label for any project, and to little surprise, it delivers just what it promises, namely a PowerShell management library for Microsoft’s hypervisor role in Windows Server. Put together by Microsoft Evangelist James O’Neill, the new PowerShell cmdlets for Hyper-V are designed to allow administrators to implement the resource as a module for PowerShell version 2. PowerShell Management Library for Hyper-V is available free of charge via Microsoft CodePlex, distributed under the company’s Public License (Ms-PL), which is an open source license. The latest version of the library represents an important update from the Release Candidate version.
“This update from the RC version contains more changes than would be normal , hence it is designated as “Gold” rather than “release”. I expect there to be corrections to the on-line help text,” O’Neill stated. “This release was produced to exploit PowerShell V2 and as a PowerShell module it will not run on v1 If you are running an R2 server OS, or are doing remote management from Windows 7 then you have PowerShell V2. If you are running on “Classic” 2008, you will need to upgrade the supplied PowerShell V1 to V2 or stick to V1 of the library.” Read more
15 Must Have Free Microsoft Downloads
Microsoft offers a plethora of software that users can download and install without paying a single cent to the company. However, the software giant hasn’t centralized all its free offerings into a single location, a move which would streamline access to the resources it is delivering. That’s why I included below a list with a consistent collection of free software products which can be grabbed free of charge, with the vast majority available through the Microsoft Download Center.
As far as I’m concerned the list needed to start with Windows client and server operating systems. In one way or another, packaged as ISO or VHD images, Microsoft is offering customers the chance to test drive, and even use, feature-complete versions of its platforms, again, completely free. In some cases, Microsoft is making it easier for customers to test drive a Windows release before buying, while in others it is actually offering the OS on top of an existing license.
However, the list doesn’t stop with Microsoft’s operating systems. The Redmond company is also providing free downloads of its “other” cash cow, the Office productivity suite, along with its development platform and tools, security solutions and additional offerings. Users will be able to find on the list both finalized products, as well as software that is still in development. As far as pre-release products are concerned, while the overall quality of the products is extremely high, customers should keep in mind that they might still run into issues. Read more
Windows Experience Pack
Undoubtedly, one of the aspects of Windows 7 that has generated a lot of user enthusiasm, and for good reason, is related to customization. The latest iteration of the Windows client comes with a range of personalization options, with the new Theme feature, and the actual themes released by Microsoft, being extremely well received. Still, the Redmond-based company is taking it one step forward with the release of a free Windows 7 Theme tool dubbed the Windows Experience Pack. And to top it all off, the Windows Experience Pack is not only designed to allow users of Windows 7 to customize their desktops, but also the software giant’s free instant messaging client: Windows Live Messenger.
“While we can’t send all of you on vacation, we can give you something special to help you daydream and customize your PC and online experience,” revealed Brandon LeBlanc, Windows Communications Manager on the Windows Client Communications Team. “With the Windows Experience Pack, you are able create an alter-ego of yourself in a specific destination – a beach, mountain, safari, or city. When you create your alter-ego, you create a fully customized avatar for that destination that becomes a part of a Windows Live Messenger and Windows 7 theme for your PC. You’ll also be able to download a .jpg image of your avatar to share, print, or use as your icon on social networks.” Read more
Centipede and Asteroids on Xbox via Xbox LIVE Game Room
Come spring 2010, Microsoft plans to dust off a plethora of arcade titles and to make them available to Xbox console owners via the upcoming Xbox LIVE Game Room. At the 2010 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas the past week, the Redmond company announced that Xbox LIVE Game Room would go live this spring and that it would bring to the table no less than 30 classics, including Centipede and Asteroids Deluxe.
“There’s a generation of people who grew up with a set of games like Centipede that are favorites,” says Robbie Bach, president of Microsoft’s Entertainment & Devices Division. “They look almost like casual, fun games today, (but) at the time they were high-end, edgy games. Game Room is the idea of bringing that back to the market and bringing that to a very broad audience.” Read more
Microsoft Unveils the $50,000 PhizzPop Design Challenge
The PhizzPop Design Challenge is an open invitation to web design agencies to overhaul the website of Boys & Girls Clubs of America, a nonprofit organization which has been involved with philanthropic work focused on the youth of America for over 104 years. Microsoft has partnered with The Webby Awards for the design contest which features prizes in excess of $50,000. The Microsoft PhizzPop Boys & Girls Clubs of America Design Challenge was kicked off on January 11th, 2010, and all US-based web design agencies are welcome to participate for a chance at the grand price, by tailoring the Boys & Girls Clubs of America website for the Web 2.0.
“For 10 years, we’ve had the privilege of working closely with the Boys & Girls Clubs of America to witness the incredible work they do in transforming the lives of children,” stated Jon Roskill, corporate vice president of Microsoft’s U.S. Business and Marketing Organization and King County Boys & Girls Club board member. “As more tech-savvy kids connect through the Web, it’s critical the Clubs bolster their online presence to engage and inform people of their critical services. Read more
Crack Available for Windows 7 BitLocker Hard Drive Encryption
One of the major features that, at least in Microsoft’s perspective, recommend Windows 7 Ultimate and Enterprise to customers is the ability to encrypt the hard drives via BitLocker, in order to safeguard data in the eventuality of computer theft, or access from unauthorized persons. Just a little over a month since the latest iteration of the Windows client has been made available for download, a third-party company revealed that it had produced the first commercially available crack for BitLocker Hard Drive Encryption. Passware indicates that customers in need of decrypting BitLocker Hard Drives in Windows 7, and with $795 to spare can turn to Passware Kit Forensic 9.5.
According to Passware, version 9.5 of its password recovery, decryption, and evidence discovery software can “recover encryption keys for hard drives protected with BitLocker; recover passwords for PGP archives, virtual disks, and keyring files; and instantly resets Administrator passwords for Windows 7.” Read more
Windows 8 Coming into Focus in 2010
Windows 7 was released to manufacturing on July 22nd, 2009, along with Windows Server 2008 R2, and both platforms made it to customers by October 22nd, 2009, with the client flavor of the OS being the last to reach the general availability stage. Undoubtedly, for the latest iterations of the client and server operating systems, the Redmond company will produce the first service pack come next year. There might even be a third service pack for Windows Vista, although Microsoft is keeping all details under a hermetically shut lid. But one thing is certain, as 2010 rolls in, Microsoft will shift its focus to Windows 8, the next generation of Windows.
Users are bound not to come across publicly shared details on Windows 8 from Microsoft for quite some time. Going out on a limb, I would say that the software giant will start unveiling the first Win8 information through official channels no sooner than the end of 2010, or even in 2011. After all, Jon DeVaan, senior vice president, Windows Core Operating System Division, and Steven Sinofsky, president, Windows and Windows Live Division, kicked off the Windows 7 engineering conversation with the public in August 2008, a year and a half after Vista’s GA in January 2007. Read more
Sugababes Love Windows 7
There’s little doubt that Windows 7 is getting more than its fair share of love out there, with Microsoft citing double the number of sold licenses compared to that of Windows Vista in the first month on the market. In the UK, the software giant has tapped local girlband the Sugababes for a special promotion built around Windows 7. The best place to get started along and get a chance to win the prizes that the Redmond company has reserved is the Sugababes Love Windows 7 website.
But, by no means is the Windows 7 promotion a coincidence. The girls’ latest album is titled ‘Sweet 7,’ and believe it or not, it’s their 7th album. At the same time, Microsoft is apparently nowhere done with 7-related Windows 7 marketing stunts, so the collaboration with the Sugababes is a match made in heaven. Read more
Top things to do after you upgrade from Windows 7
The Windows 7 launch is a proud moment for us at Windows Live. Windows Live delivers the software and services that make your new, or upgraded, Windows 7 PC lots of fun. So, we want to remind you to get the latest and greatest of Windows Live for your new Windows 7 PC!
We recommend the following top things to do after installing Windows 7:
1. Personalize your PC: Make your Windows 7 PC your own by pinning your favorite programs to the enhanced Windows Taskbar, to easily preview and switch between Windows. Then, customize your desktop with one of the many new themes available in Windows 7 (or easily download a new one that suits your personality), and drag your favorite gadgets where you want them on your desktop.
2. Download Windows Live Essentials – the killer apps for Windows 7: Once you have Windows 7 installed, go to download.live.com to download free programs for email, IM, movie-making, photos and more!
3. Organize your multiple email accounts in one place: Organize your multiple email accounts using Window Live Mail (including Hotmail, Yahoo! Mail Plus and Gmail) so you can receive email in one place, organized into separate folders. You can even add RSS feeds to stay up on your favorite sites and blogs. Read more
