Windows 7

Now that the download period for Windows 7 Beta is over, many people may have lost their chance to try Microsoft’s new operating system. If you’re among them, worry not: you still have the opportunity to take a sneaky peek at Windows 7, even if it’s only by disguising your dear old Windows XP as the new Microsoft OS.

SevenVG RC Theme is a nicely tailored Windows 7 skin that gives Windows XP the new look. The theme is dead easy to install – something you don’t usually find in this kind of software - and includes a wide array of changes: new fonts, new common tasks bar, new window style and much more. Continue reading »

Protects Windows 7 and Vista applications from undesirable network incoming and outgoing activity, controls applications Internet access. Allows you to control personal information leakage via controlling application network traffic.

What’s new in this version:

Version 3.0 features full Windows 7 compatibility.

Download Windows 7 Firewall Control (via CNet)

The Windows 7 Codec Pack is a simple to install package of codecs/filters/splitters used for playing back music and movie files.

After installation you will be able to play 99.9% of files on the Internet. Also included in the package are a number of encoder codec’s, allowing you to encode files in formats such as DivX. XviD, x264 and many more in your favorite encoding application.

Video file types supported include AVI, MKV, MP4, OGM, MPG, MPEG, VOB, FLV, PS, TS, NUV. Audio file types supported include AC3, DTS, AAC, APE, FLAC, TTA, WV, OGG, Vorbis, MO3, IT, XM, S3M, MTM, MOD, UMX. Please Note: Commercial (Digital Rights Managed) as iTunes and RealMedia may require a specific player. Continue reading »

Microsoft said Friday that its inquiry confirms that a tool aimed to make it easier to load Windows 7 on a Netbook does in fact contain open-source code.

“After looking at the code in question, we are now able to confirm this was indeed the case, although it was not intentional on our part,” Microsoft’s Peter Galli said in a blog posting. “While we had contracted with a third party to create the tool, we share responsibility as we did not catch it as part of our code review process. We have furthermore conducted a review of other code provided through the Microsoft Store and this was the only incident of this sort we could find.

As a result, Microsoft said it will make available next week the source code for the tool as well as the binaries under the terms of the General Public License (GPL v2). Microsoft will also make the tool again available to customers at the Microsoft store. Continue reading »

Hackers have managed to find a way around one of the key antipiracy protections built into Windows 7.

Ordinarily, the operating system requires users to activate their copy of Windows 7 within 30 days. However, a recently outlined method allows the normal notifications to be turned off.

The software doesn’t actually get confirmed as legitimate, but users are able to keep using the product indefinitely.

Microsoft confirmed on Friday it is aware of the technique, but said that it is working to shore up the activation procedure.

“We’re aware of this workaround and are already working to address it,” a Microsoft representative said in a statement, which also urged customers to only use genuine software, noting the fake stuff can contain malware and other bad things.

It’s the latest in a long history of cat-and-mouse moves between the makers of Windows and those who would rather not have to pay for the privilege.

Three new features are now available to Windows 7 users of the new beta release of Firefox. Firefox 3.6 beta 1 introduces enhanced previews for both the new Windows 7 taskbar and the tabs.

The taskbar previews for tabs brings Firefox into parity with Internet Explorer 8, allowing users to see and select their open tabs via Aero Peek. The obvious limitation with this feature is how it impacts the display when you’ve got a high number of tabs open. As you open more tabs, their preview panes will shrink. Continue reading »

WindowsPager is not a new tool, but the latest update brings seamless integration to Windows 7. It is an opensource portable pager utility for Windows that creates four virtual desktops(also called virtual workspaces).

It integrates perfectly in the Windows 7 taskbar(also called superbar) with complete preview of apps running in virtual desktops. Clicking each icon will take you to it’s respective virtual desktop.

Apart from switching the desktops by clicking the icons in the taskbar, you can also switch by right-clicking any Windows title bar and selecting the virtual desktops. Continue reading »

Microsoft have embraced video like never before with the launch of Windows 7.  One of the most useful of these videos is a quick tutorial on how to upgrade your PC from Windows XP.

Continue reading »

Microsoft have launched the compatibility centre for Windows 7.  A website simply containing a database of software and hardware that is known to work fine with their new operating system. Continue reading »

With all of the excitement surrounding the testing and launch of Windows 7, it seems that one demographic of PC users have been left out…the gamers. While I have read a few articles on gaming in the new OS, very little has been said as to how Windows 7 will improve this experience. This is also one of the few areas that pertains to users of both PC and Mac users, because whether Mac users like to admit it or not, they probably use Windows for PC gaming. Many will contest that the PC gaming market is dying, but that’s perception of the few. There are a few popular titles that will probably never be written for a console, not to mention, a PC is able to constantly push the threshold of graphics because graphics cards are developed and upgraded more often than gaming consoles. So, what are the advantages of gaming in Windows 7 versus Vista or XP?

DirectX 11 – DirectX 11 is perhaps the largest improvement in WIndows 7 gaming. PC game developers have already begun taking advantage of the improvements that DirectX 11 will allow. Stage Select claims that, “The power of DirectX 11 also claims to improve in-game details without sacrificing gameplay”. Continue reading »