A CHAP who managed to sneak a peek at the Vole's internal beta version 2 of Windows 53xx informed us that, even while idling, Vista eats as much as 800Mb of system memory.
Yeah, we were shocked too, but you have to believe the screenshot below.
Memory manufacturers couldn't be happier about that, as it will make people to go out and buy more memory. Our source reported that Vista runs ok with 1024Mb of system memory but no-doubt 2048Mb would be much better.
In its latest bid to catch up with rivals Google Inc. and Yahoo Inc., Microsoft Corp. is launching a revamped Internet search engine it says will help computer users find information faster, view it more easily and organize it better.
Debuting in test form Wednesday, Windows Live Search is Microsoft's latest move in a major strategy shift that has the world's largest software company focusing more heavily on Internet-based software and services.
The annual CeBIT high-tech fair is set to show off a new range of advanced mobile phones, ultra-light laptops, powerful yet compact digital cameras and -- maybe -- Microsoft's latest secret project.
Established names such as Intel and Samsung will vie for product buzz with newcomers seeking entry into the minds and wallets of consumers at the fair beginning Thursday at the sprawling exhibition center in Hanover.
Never mind worrying about hackers stealing your password. A security researcher with the Finnish military has shown how they could steal your fingerprint, by taking advantage of an omission in Microsoft's Fingerprint Reader, a PC authentication device that Microsoft has been shipping since September 2004.
The Microsoft Passport universal-login service is undergoing a major upgrade under the Windows Live umbrella. The plan is to rebrand the Passport Network as Windows Live ID to serve as the authentication system for Windows Live, Office Live, Xbox Live, MSN and other Microsoft online services.
According to a blog entry by Trevin Chow, program manager in Microsoft's Windows Live Identity Services team, current implementations of Passport will be compatible with the new Windows Live ID.
In a MSDN blog posting yesterday, a Microsoft developer responds to speculation about BitLocker providing government back-doors with a resounding "Over my dead body."
The speculation was centered around a BBC News posting several weeks ago where UK officials were said to be in talks with Microsoft regarding back-door functionality for its upcoming Windows Vista operating system. The blog author, Neils Ferguson mentions that Microsoft is indeed talking to governments but in the context of helping them use BitLocker for their own needs.
Microsoft Tuesday updated Internet Explorer 6 for Windows XP SP2 and Windows Server 2003 SP1, but denied that the changes were security related.
"The update is labeled as 'non-security' given that it does not include any new updates that affect the security of IE," said a company spokesman Tuesday afternoon.
They're asking the question over at Scobleizer … and Microsoft's Robert Scoble isn't offering more than hints. Visitors are just guessing.
The Origami Project's teaser of a Web site offers even less … but does have an RSS feed.
Fortunately, we know someone who knows for certain. According to an industry source who has seen the thing and calls it "very cool," Origami is one and the same with this ultraportable "lifestyle PC" we were talking about here earlier today. This source is under NDA, an honest fellow and unwilling to share more than his help connecting the dots.
A new preview version of Microsoft's Internet Explorer, with tabbed browsing, an integrated search box, and RSS support -- all features long taken for granted by Firefox users -- is now available.
The Beta 2 preview of version 7 also sports a much more compact and streamlined interface than that of the current IE, with a strong emphasis on dedicating as much of the window as possible to the displayed Web site.
Microsoft kicked off the beta 2 testing cycle for Windows Vista on Wednesday with the release of its planned Enterprise Community Technology Preview (CTP) for businesses.
The Enterprise CTP, the first feature-complete test version of Vista, is one of two CTPs that Microsoft plans to make available to roughly 500,000 testers as part of the unofficial beta 2 process. The Redmond, Washington, company last month detailed its plans for a two-phased beta 2 process.
