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Microsoft's Windows Blue may have just hit milestone 1

posted onFebruary 20, 2013
by l33tdawg

The Windows team at Microsoft just completed the first milestone build (M1) of Windows Blue, the first full-fledged update to Windows 8, according to a couple of sources of mine.
windowsbluem1

One of my contacts said that M1 marks the half-way point in the Windows Blue development schedule. The last and final milestone build of Windows Blue will be M2, said this contact, who requested anonymity.

Nokia starts delivering Windows Phone 7.8 update

posted onJanuary 31, 2013
by l33tdawg

Microsoft officials said in November last year that the 7.8 update would be preloaded on new Windows Phone handsets aimed at specific markets, and then pushed to existing Windows Phone 7.x handset users in "early 2013."

If you are a Windows Phone user with a different handset, when will you get the update? I asked Microsoft and officials declined to comment. I'm guessing this lack of comment is because Microsoft isn't controlling when the carriers will push this. But otherwise, all I can say is SIGH!

DMDE is a handy free data recovery tool for Windows experts

posted onJanuary 10, 2013
by l33tdawg

Whether you’ve accidentally deleted a file, a partition or an entire drive, there are plenty of recovery tools you can turn to for assistance. And most of these claim ease of use as a key selling point. You won’t have to worry about low level drive structures or other complexities, as the program will try to handle everything for you.

If you’re at home with file systems, though, and familiar with partition tables and the MFT, you may sometimes get better results with a tool which lets you take more hands-on control. And the free (for personal use) DMDE is a great example.

Windows RT can be tweaked to run desktop apps, hacker says

posted onJanuary 8, 2013
by l33tdawg

Running traditional desktop apps on Windows RT may be one step closer to reality, thanks to a vulnerability that a hacker claims lets you run any desktop app on the ARM version of Windows.

A hacker called 'clrokr' recently detailed the Windows RT exploit, which requires manipulating a part of Windows RT's system memory that governs whether unsigned apps can run. Clrokr says the exploit was possible thanks to a vulnerability in the Windows kernel that was ported to Windows RT.

Windows 7 is great, but I won't go back

posted onJanuary 7, 2013
by l33tdawg

There is friendly disagreement here at BetaNews. My friend and colleague, Mihaita Bamburic, uses Windows 8, but laments that he wants to return to the last era by downgrading to version 7. While I feel for him, and he certainly has that option, I would say the same thing I did to my family when I upgraded our household computers -- yes it is different, but I doubt Microsoft is going back now.

A win for enterprise as RSA SecurID now available for Windows Phone

posted onJanuary 3, 2013
by l33tdawg

We heard rumours of this app being in development as far back as early last year but it is now available to download for Windows Phone. RSA securID tokens should be familiar to many who work remotely, they allow business to secure access to their systems.

Cached Windows passwords sound risky -- but aren't

posted onDecember 12, 2012
by l33tdawg

I deal with a lot of customers who area worried about Windows password attacks. These days, the biggest fear is of pass-the-hash attacks, a topic I've written about many times in the past couple of years.

Often, when customers voice concern about pass-the-hash attacks, they ask me about cached log-ons in Windows. They've heard about the vulnerability and have read one or more whitepapers about it. Even Microsoft recommends disabling cached log-ons.

In fact, cached Windows log-ons aren't a big risk at all. I'll tell you why in a minute, but first, let's review the basics.