Microsoft dropping 'Metro' name in Windows 8

Since Microsoft first showed off Windows 8 last year, the company has consistently referenced the operating system's dual interfaces - the standard, Windows desktop with which we're all familiar and the more mobile-friendly Metro-style option that replaces icons with apps.

Now it appears that we will bid adieu to the phrase "Metro style" before Windows 8 makes its official debut in October.

"We have used Metro style as a code name during the product development cycle across many of our product lines. As we get closer to launch and transition from industry dialog to a broad consumer dialog we will use our commercial names," a Microsoft spokeswoman said in a statement today.

News of the switch was first reported yesterday by The Verge, which said Microsoft was notifying its developers not to use the word "Metro" within their apps and swap that term for "New User Interface."

Despite the insistence from Redmond that Metro is simply a code name that it always planned to phase out, there are reports that the move was prompted by a trademark challenge from Germany-based Metro AG.

Metro AG did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Verge later pointed to an internal memo from Microsoft to its employees, which said that "discussions with an important European partner" prompted it to ditch the Metro moniker.

At the Windows 8 Consumer Preview launch in Barcelona earlier this year, Microsoft handed out a product guide that included a brief section on Metro style app principles.

"More than just an app platform, Metro style is a design philosophy that helps you build attractive, easy-to-use apps that will delight your customers with their intuitive and common interaction model," the guide said.

Common principles associated with Metro-type apps, according to Microsoft, include: fast and fluid; support for multiple states; support for the right contracts; live tiles; and settings and data that roam through the cloud.

The news comes several days after Microsoft released Windows 8 to manufacturers. It will roll out to several other groups in the coming weeks before its general availability on Oct. 26.

Copyright © 2010 Ziff Davis Publishing Holdings Inc

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Microsoft announces Windows 8 has been Released to Manufacturing

Microsoft has announced that Windows 8 has been Released to Manufacturing (RTM). With this, industry partners are readying products in time for the Windows 8 worldwide launch on 26 October, 2012.

Select audiences, including developers, IT professionals and partners will have early access to the final RTM code beginning later this month. Highlights include:

• August 15th: Developers building new apps for Windows 8 will be able to download the final version of Windows 8 via an MSDN subscription, and can visit the Windows Dev Center to get access to the final build of Visual Studio 2012.
• August 15th: IT professionals testing Windows 8 in organizations will be able to access the final version of Windows 8 through aTechNet subscription.
• August 16th: Customers with existing Microsoft Software Assurance for Windows will be able to download Windows 8 Enterprise edition through the Volume License Service Center (VLSC), allowing them to test, pilot and begin adopting Windows 8 Enterprise within your organization.
• August 16th: Microsoft Partner Network members will have access to Windows 8.
• August 20th: Microsoft Action Pack Providers (MAPS) receive access to Windows 8.
• September 1st: Volume License customers without Software Assurance will be able to purchase Windows 8 through Microsoft Volume License Resellers.

Developers can visit the Windows Dev Center to get access to all the tools and resources they need to design, build, and sell apps in the Windows Store. While all apps during the preview phases were free, with RTM, developers can begin charging for apps, so those with access to RTM bits will begin to see paid apps appear in the Windows Store.

Windows 8 will be generally available to customers on 26 October.

Microsoft had already announced a Windows 8 upgrade offer for consumers who purchase a new laptop or desktop PC with a brand new copy of original Windows 7. If you buy a PC with original versions of Windows 7 Home Basic, Home Premium, Professional or Ultimate which includes a matching and valid OEM Certificate of Authenticity (COA), then Indian consumers are entitled to a downloadable upgrade to Windows 8 Pro for a price of just Rs. 699. The Windows Upgrade Offer is valid from June 2, 2012 to January 31, 2013 and is redeemable before the programme expiration at the end of February 2013.

Microsoft has also revealed a limited-time offer that allows not only Windows 7 users, but also those stuck on Windows XP and Windows Vista to upgrade to Windows 8 Pro for just US $39.99 (roughly Rs. 2,200).

For those wanting to try a pre-release version of Windows 8 before general availability, the Windows 8 Release Preview is available to download here.

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Mac OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion tops 3 million downloads in just 4 days

Cupertino, California-based technology giant, Apple has announced that downloads of OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion have exceeded three million in just four days, making it the most successful OS X release in Apple’s history.

With more than 200 new features, Mountain Lion is the ninth major release of Apple’s desktop operating system. The OS is available through the Mac App Store as an upgrade to Lion or Snow Leopard users for $19.99 (Rs. 1,110 approx.).

“Just a year after the incredibly successful introduction of Lion, customers have downloaded Mountain Lion over three million times in just four days, making it our most successful release ever,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing.

Facebook integration, which was one of the big highlights of the OS, still hasn't seen the light of day. Apple says that Facebook integration will be available in an upcoming software update to Mountain Lion.

Users who still haven’t upgraded to the new OS can download it from the Mac App Store but be warned, the size of the download file is 4.3GB.

If you are wondering whether your Mac will be compatible with the new OS, then fear not. Here’s a list of all the devices that will be compatible with the new OS:

• iMac (Mid 2007 or later)
• MacBook (Late 2008 Aluminum, or Early 2009 or later)
• MacBook Pro (Mid/Late 2007 or later)
• MacBook Air (Late 2008 or later)
• Mac mini (Early 2009 or later)
• Mac Pro (Early 2008 or later)
• Xserve (Early 2009)

Apple is not the only company with a new OS this year. Microsoft’s highly anticipated Windows 8 tablet is expected to hit store shelves later this year. If you are torn between which OS to upgrade to, here’s a quick comparison between the two OSes.

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Windows 8 much more secure than Windows 7

Researchers Chris Valasek (Senior Security Researcher at Coverity) and Tarjei Mandt (senior vulnerability researcher at Azimuth Security) spend their days seeking ways to compromise security in Windows. They're good guys; if they find a problem they report it, rather than exploiting it for illicit gain. At the Black Hat conference they reported on their analysis of new low-level security features in Windows 8.

The precise details of what they discovered were barely within the realm of my comprehension. Apparently many doubly-linked lists within Windows 8 are now protected by "pool cookies." To avoid exploits that involve forcing arbitrary code or data into places it doesn't belong, Windows 8 randomizes locations for memory allocation and adds "guard pages" as needed. That sort of thing.

In between slides filled with code and intense details, Valasek and Mandt displayed a couple that anybody could understand. The column for Windows Vista was all red, meaning not secure. Windows 7 was close, with just a few green checkmarks. And of course Windows 8 displayed a column of solid green checkmarks. Expert or not, we know that green is good.

After the talk I checked in with Valasek.

Rubenking: Back in the day I would write TSR (Terminate and Stay Resident) programs in DOS, and they were great, and useful. But the malware writers used the same DOS features to write bad stuff. Microsoft could have shut them down, but they would have shut me down too. It seems from your talk like they don't plan to shut anybody down. They're doing fine-tuning, working really hard to ensure that everything still works while they crank up security. Do you think it's conceivable you could write an operating system that just wouldn't be vulnerable to attack?

Valasek: No, that doesn't exist. Not as long as humans are writing the code. Once Skynet takes over and humans don't write code any more that might be possible. They have to have a certain amount of data and algorithms and structures that are needed, so there's always a potential to use this stuff for exploitation purposes. Here's the thing. If you don't make it impossible, but you make it severely difficult so only a tenth of one percent of the population can do it, you've effectively lowered the threat to decent levels.

Rubenking: And if you hire that one tenth of one percent…

Valasek: That's just what Google and Microsoft have done. Hire that one tenth of one percent, then you're good.

Rubenking: Thank you Chris!

Indeed, Windows 8 isn't perfect. Valasek and Mandt laid out a number of possible avenues that hackers might conceivably exploit. But as Valasek said, it will be severely difficult, and only the most adept will come close to exploiting the tiny vulnerabilities that remain.

 

Copyright © 2010 Ziff Davis Publishing Holdings Inc

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Apple Mac OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion: What's great, and what's not

Apple’s latest desktop OS, Mac OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion, has done a great job of integrating features of the company’s mobile OS, iOS.

Apple claims that there are more than 200 new features in OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion. If you are interested in going through all the features, you can take a look at them on Apple’s website here.

For now, the general consensus on the Internet is that if you are a user of Apple devices, the $20 update is definitely worth it. The OS has also has a positive effect on the overall performance of the machine.

There are many features of the OS that have left us impressed, but not all is well. There are also a few features which have left us a tad disappointed, especially when it comes to the functionality of the OS, or the region specific features unavailable in some parts of the world.

So, read on to see what Mountain Lion does well, and what it doesn’t!

Great Stuff

Notification Center

Taking a leaf from iOS, Apple has introduced the Notification Center for OS X 10.8. The notifications appear on the right side of the display and can be easily accessed with one swipe of the trackpad or by clicking the icon in the topmost right corner of the screen.

The Notification Center not only gives you updates, but also allows users to directly share their content on Facebook and Twitter.

Gatekeeper

Want to protect your Mac from fraudulent apps and malware? Well, Gatekeeper is the feature for you. Gatekeeper gives users three security options for downloading and installing apps. Users can download and install apps from anywhere, so long as the source has a Developer ID. Mountain Lion alerts users if they download and try to install applications from developers that don’t have a Developer ID.

If you’d still choose to install an app from a developer that doesn't have a Developer ID, you can do so.

Power Nap

Wouldn't it be great if your Mac works even when it is in sleep mode? With Power Nap, applications such as mail, notes, reminders, and messages are updated in the background while the Mac is in sleep mode. Power Nap also lets the system backup to Time Machine in sleep mode, as well as download updates.

Game Center

The Game Center app on Mountain Lion is the same as it is on your iOS device. Logging in is as simple as entering your Apple ID and password. You are ready to game. Game Center not only gives you access to the plethora of games available for the Mac, but also has the ability to add friends, and show you everyone who is online in your gaming network. Game Center also lets you see the games your friends are playing, and recommends games to you based on your preferences.

One of the best features of Game Center is that it allows multiplayer gaming cross platform. So, you can play multiplayer games with friends on a Mac, iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch.

iCloud

Setting up your account with Apple’s cloud-based service is as easy as signing in once with your Apple ID. Once iCloud is setup, you get seamless access to Mail, Contacts, Calendar, Messages, FaceTime, Game Center, Safari, Reminders, iTunes, the Mac App Store, and Notes.

The iCloud Document Library gives users access to their iCloud documents across all their Mac computers and iOS devices. The cloud sync helps you begin work on once device and finish it on another.

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