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Filed under: Beta

Filed under: OS Updates, Windows, Microsoft, Ask DLS, Beta

Ask DLS: Vista SP2 Beta released: Does the public care?

While most people probably don't care what Microsoft does to patch or improve Windows Vista any more, Service Pack 2 is now available to Technet and MSDN subscribers and is slated for public release on December 4th.

Could SP2 actually take care of some of the irritations that have plagued other Vista users? Perhaps more importantly, does anyone really care? Vista has been taking such a beating in the media that it seems as though no one will. Prevailing sentiment seems to be that Vista should be ignored and left to die while development on Windows 7 continues.

While enhancements like Windows Search 4.0, native Blu-Ray media burning, improved wireless, and Bluetooth 2.1 support are great, I've yet to see any perception-altering features mentioned.

Personally, I've never hated Vista, and I've been able to work through or disable any of the annoyances I've encoutered (like UAC). I recently installed Ultimate x64 and I've been enjoying quite a bit. Photoshop CS4 runs like a dream, and Eset recently released a beta of my favorite internet security suite.

My Vista install is running just fine right now, but if SP2 can tweak my system's performance or squeeze a few more minutes of battery life out of my laptop, then I'm all for it.

What are your thoughts? Do you think Vista SP2 will do anything to really improve the OS, or does it stink of a last-ditch effort to "salvage" the experiment?

Filed under: Windows, Web services, Beta, web 2.0

Mount remote storage, use web apps as local apps with Gladinet

Gladinet
Gladinet is a new Windows utility that aims to help bridge the divide between desktop and web-based applications and storage. Here's how it works. You install the free (at least while in Beta) Gladinet utility and select the web based services and applications that you want to access locally. For example, you can mount your Windows Live SkyDrive or Amazon S3 Storage as a local drive that you can access using Windows Explorer.

You can also mount your Google Picasa Web Albums and Google Docs folders as if they were local folders, allowing you to upload, download, and access documents and images stored on Google's servers as if they were on your desktop.

But the ability to mount remote storage as a local folder is just the tip of the iceberg. You can also use Gladinet to launch web based applications like Google Docs, Google Calendar, or ThinkFree Doc, XLS, or PPT viewers in a standalone window as if they were desktop apps.

Last, but certainly not least, you can use Gladinet to mount folders on remote computers as local folders.

[via ReadWriteWeb]

Filed under: Utilities, Windows, Freeware, Beta

FileAlyzer shows you detailed info for any Windows file


FileAlyzer is a Windows utility from the makers of Spybot Search & Destroy, which provides you with all sorts of information about any file on your computer. Once you install FileAlyzer, just right click on any file and click the Analyze with FileAlyzer button to see detailed information that goes far beyond the usual size and last modified date.

The utility can display the contents of archived files, display audio tag information, and a whole bunch of other information that I'm not smart enough to understand.

The latest beta version of FileAlyzer adds the ability to analyze multiple files in one window.

[via Life Rocks 2.0]

Filed under: Security, Utilities, Windows, Commercial, Beta

Eset Smart Security Beta 4 available for download

Eset has released the first public beta downloads of their excellent Smart Security suite. It's available for both 32 and 64-bit Windows systems.

The list of enhancements in the new version is lengthy, including:
  • a new device driver has been added which can remove malware at boot time
  • improved scanning of files over 2gb, network files, and Microsoft Office documents
  • hardened kernel service that better resists malicious tampering attempts
  • scanning of SSL-encrypted SMTP and POP3 email, as well as IMAP mail
  • support for Windows Live Mail and Mozilla Thunderbird
  • better support for Windows Vista's UAC
  • a "Watch Activity" pane shows File and Network Activity and can graph by hour, minute, or second
  • addition of a text-mode UI with keyboard navigation
Among numerous new features and improvements to the antivirus/malware protection, the suite now also includes Eset's SysInspector, an excellent system diagnostic, monitoring, and reporting tool. Antispam and firewall features are also included in the package, as is the SysRescue tool which can create bootable rescude media.

Though Eset has yet to announce an official release date, my Beta 4 install license reports that it will remain valid until March 2, 2009.

[via CyberNet]

Filed under: Mozilla, Beta, Browsers

Firefox 3.1 still not ready, another beta coming soon?

Firefox 3.1 beta
Mozilla is thinking about adding a third beta to the Firefox 3.1 development cycle. The original plan had been to release 2 betas and then move onto the release candidate phase. But Mozilla's Mike Beltzner says a third beta would give the team time to work out some existing bugs while giving people more time to kick the tires on new features like the new private browsing mode which allows you to surf the web without saving any data to disk.

The new beta wouldn't include any new features, but it will give the developers a chance to squash any major bugs before Firefox 3.1 is officially released early next year.

[via ComputerWorld]

Filed under: Windows, Google, Freeware, Beta, Browsers

Google Chrome gains a bookmark manager

Google Chrome Bookmark Manager
Google Chrome 0.4.154.25 is now available. Aside from having a nearly impossible to remember version number, the latest version of Google's web browser also has a few important updates, the most noticeable being the inclusion of a bookmark manager.

The bookmark manager allows you to import and export bookmarks in HTML format, which makes importing your bookmarks from Firefox or another web browser a snap. Of course, you run the risk of realizing just how out of date your bookmarks are when you do this, but that's another story for another day.

Google has also changed the way its pop-up manager works, by displaying the number of pop ups minimized in the corner of your screen. Google Gears and the V8 JavaScript Engine have also been updated in this release.

[via WebWare]

Filed under: Fun, Internet, Video, Beta

Anyone can make animated digital clips with Xtranormal

I can't remember how many times I've had a seemingly great idea for a skit with one of my coworkers. Sadly, most of us don't have the time or resources to produce our own animated shorts.

A beta web app by Xtranormal aims to level the playing field by making movie creation drag-and-drop simple. If you can write dialog that makes sense and click a mouse, you're well on your way to creating a digital masterpiece.

Choose a character, type in a block of text, and drag in facial expressions, actions, and sounds. The speech is surprisingly fluid, all things considered - no MS Sam here!

You're currently limited to one or two actors, but that's plenty for putting together a quick, fun clip. You can choose either Lego-style (my preference) or more life-like actors to play out your script.

When you're done piecing together elements, just click the action button and Xtranormal will render your clip. If you've registered for an account you can save your work for later. Finished clips can, of course, be shared for anyone to view.

Quite honestly, I don't have the time or skills to throw together 3d animations from scratch. Even if I did, I'm not certain the half-baked ideas I come up with would merit expending any serious effort.

Xtranormal is a great way to finally see your cinematic ideas in come to life with minimal fuss.

Filed under: Internet, Linux, Adobe, Beta, Browsers

Adobe releases alpha 64-bit Flash plugin for Linux

What exactly is Adobe trying to prove? First, they release a 64-bit version of CS4. Now they're showing 64-bit Linux users some love by releasing an alpha version of the Flash player for their OSes.

It's been a long time coming. For ages, users have been forced to use nspluginwrapper to enable the 32-bit Flash player in their browser. With the official alpha release from Adobe, there's light at the end of the tunnel. Adobe's increased attention to Linux may have something to do with the fact that nearly a quarter of all Firefox crashes on Linux systems are related to the Flash plugin.

Availability of the 64-bit version is yet another boost for Flash on Linux. Version 10 made significant strides in terms of performance and compatability.

Linux users can get their hands on the plugin from this page at Adobe Labs.

Since I've recently installed Vista Ultimate x64 on my workstation, I'm hopeful that Adobe will do the right thing and roll out a Windows version as well. The company has stated that next major release the plugin will feature 64-bit versions for all three major platforms.

[ via Ars Technica ]

Filed under: Windows, Social Software, Beta, Search

Xobni brings Skype, Facebook, Yahoo! integration to Outlook

Xobni
Xobni is a plugin for Outlook that adds advanced search and social functions to the email client. When we last looked at Xobni, the service indexed your email messages and created personal profiles for each of your contacts by automatically extracing phone numbers and loking users up on LinkedIn. Now Xobni has rolled out an update that adds integration with Skype, Facebook, Hoovers, and Yahoo! Mail.

Here's how it works. You can search for email using the Xobni sidebar. When you click on a message, Xobni will pull up information about the sender, including information from Facebook, LinkedIn, and Hoovers. If your contact's Skype profile or phone number are available, you can also initiate a call with the click of a button.

In addition to searching your Outlook mail, you can also have Xobni index your Yahoo! Mail, although in order to reply to messages you'll need to login to the Yahoo! Mail web interface.

Filed under: Windows, Macintosh, Linux, Mozilla, Beta, Browsers

Firefox 3.1 beta adds new tab functions


Mozilla has added a tab tearing feature to Firefox 3.1 beta, which can best be explained by saying, "watch the video above." But in a nutshell, what tab tearing lets you do is drag and drop tabs, not just within your browser window, but outside of it as well. For example, you can click and drag a tab outside of your Firefox window and it will open a new browser instance. Or you can grab a tab from one browser window into another browser instance.

Now before you say anything, yes, I know that the Opera web browser has been able to do this for ages, and Google Chrome has supported similar behavior since it was launched. But that doesn't make mean it's not nice to see the feature come to Firefox. It takes more than innovation to make a good web browser. You also have to be willing to recognize good ideas where you find them and be willing to implement them in your product.

[via Mozilla Links]

Filed under: Windows, Macintosh, Linux, Mozilla, Open Source, Beta, Browsers

Help Mozilla track add-on compatibility with Firefox 3.1 beta

Firefox 3.1 compatibility
One of the things that makes Firefox one of the best web browsers around is its support for thousands of add-ons that extend the functionality of the browser. But since most of these plugins are developed by third parties, and not Mozilla, every time the developers behind the web browser prepare a major new release, they run the risk of breaking compatibility with many of those add-ons.

So before releasing Firefox 3.1, one of the things Mozilla wants to do is make sure that as many add-ons as possible that work with Firefox 3.0 will function properly with the new browser. And they want your help.

Here's how it works. You download a beta version of Firefox 3.1 and see if your favorite add-ons work. If you run into a problem, you can leave a comment at the Mozilla Add-Ons blog.

As of today, about 28% of the most popular plugins are compatible with Firefox 3.1. And that's about 8% more than a few weeks ago, so things are moving in the right direction.

Filed under: Internet, Windows, Freeware, Beta

FeedDemon 2.8 beta shows numerous improvements


Yesterday BradSoft announced the second beta of FeedDemon 2.8, the popular desktop newsreader for Windows.

Bugfix work continues, and the user interface has been streamlined - which developer Nick Bradbury refers to as "toolbutton slaughter." The new sharing and tagging icons caused some overcrowding, but users who still want the old icons displayed can customize the settings under options -> reading.

Several tag-related features have been added. FeedDemon's subscription home page now includes a tag cloud, making it easy to access similar posts you've tagged. Tags can also be dragged and dropped onto posts, and tagged items can be exluded when purging old news items.

The addition of automated error reporting to the previous version allowed Bradbury to correct nearly 30 issues. So far, the changes have made FeedDemon faster, easier to use, and more stable than ever.

For a full list of bugfixes and changes, check the Bradsoft release notes.

[ via gHacks ]

Filed under: OS Updates, Windows, Microsoft, Beta

5 very basic things Windows 7 still isn't any good at


While I'm generally pleased with Windows 7 so far, I've found myself shaking my head every now and then. In some instances it's obvious that Microsoft has been paying attention. Other times, not so much.

I've noticed five issues so far that, though minor, leave me wondering if Microsoft is going to be able to pull off a really great OS by its projected mid-2009 release.

.ZIP Files
Windows 7 still takes forever to extract files from a zip archive, which leaves me dumbfounded. An 18.4mb zip containing only two files took me almost 23 seconds to extract using the right-click context menu's extract all option. Using 7zip's context menu extraction, the same operation took less than three seconds.

Zip files have been supported natively since Windows XP. Seven years later, there's still no improvement. Third party applications are so much better at handling .zip files it makes me wonder why Microsoft bothered adding support in the first place.

Read more →

Filed under: OS Updates, Features, Windows, Microsoft, Beta, Lists

10 genuinely kick-ass features to get excited about in Windows 7

After reading yet another rundown of what's so great about Windows 7, I noticed an annoying trend. Things like "no sidebar!" and "wallpaper slideshows!" appear to be among the most noteworthy achievements to some reviewers. I decided our loyal DS readers deserved to read a list of features that really do kick ass.

Enough mucking about: here are ten Windows 7 features that are genuinely worth getting excited about.

10. Easier and better wireless networking. Windows 7 takes a little from XP and a little from Vista, and rolls it all into a neat little package. Connection switching only requires two clicks and it can be done right from the system tray icon. Windows 7 also detects three more access points near my home than XP and Vista, and the connections to my work and home routers resume instantly when my laptop wakes.


9. Device stage. Right now, Windows treats multifunction devices like separate entities.This really doesn't make much sense: is your all-in-one three separate pieces of hardware? No? WIth device stage, you'll see only a single device in the control panel which you can then explore to access its multiple capabilities. To see it in action, check out Engadget's video from WinHEC.

Device Stage will improve integration with cell phones, PDAs, personal media players, cameras, and more - and it's a sign that Microsoft is more concerned about simplicity and ease of use than they were with Vista.

Read more →

Filed under: Internet, Security, Mozilla, Open Source, Beta, Browsers

Firefox's private browsing feature debuts in latest Minefield build


Back in September, the Mozilla wiki provided clues that private browsing was indeed back on the radar for version 3.1 of Firefox. With the release of beta 2 looming, anxious testers can preview the feature by downloading the latest nightly build.

To enable the feature, click the tools menu and then click private browsing to enable it. You'll be asked to confirm your selection and restart the browser. Eschewing any blatant notification that you've activated the feature, Minefield will simply add (Private Browsing) to the application 's title bar.

You'll also see a notice that private browsing is enabled and what exactly that means: browsing, search, form, and download history will not be saved, nor will cookies or temporary files. Any new downloaded files or bookmarks will be retained.

Eshan Akhgari has more information available about private browsing, and thankfully he's put forth a possible application that doesn't directly involve NSFW surfing: "an example scenario would be looking for a new employer while at work."

Interested in trying it out? Grab the latest release from Mozilla's ftp.

Featured Time Waster

Forumwarz - a potentially offensive time waster

I pwn UAfter spending the better part of an hour on Forumwarz I still can't decide if it's just sick or if it's kind of fun. It's a bit like a car wreck on the highway. I know I shouldn't be looking but I can't quite turn away.

It's sick, it's twisted, it's the internet on it's worst level and darn it, it's kind of fun. At least for a little while.

Forumwarz is a parody role-playing game that takes place on the internet - or at least the Forumwarz version of it. Your goal is to complete missions that are given to you through a mock up of GoogleTalk called Sentrillion.

Your first "friend" is ShallowEsophagus who begins giving you missions to pwn various forums by being a troll. Depending on the character type you are assigned at start up, you have tools like drooling on the keyboard or bashing your head on the keyboard that you can use to destroy forum threads and eventually, pwn a forum.

Future missions involve buying illegal software from the Russians, pwning more difficult forums and other internet oddness.

Completing missions gives you cash, called Flezz in game, and items that you can pawn or use in other missions. The game is NOT for those easily offended. It's crass, coarse and there are frequent f-bombs in the fake chat sessions.

This is also a game for a more mature audience as it requires you to shop at the Drugs R Fun store to get various concoctions to improve your playing, engage in certain cyber activities to get more Flezz and just generally use a more adult perspective.

If you can get past that, here are the more enjoyable and time-wasting aspects.

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