Google Maps Typography

Revealing Virtual Windows XP Mode for Windows 7

Rafael Rivera and Paul Thurrott reveal a new Windows 7 application compatibility feature called Windows XP Mode. Yes, it’s that “secret new feature” you’ve been hearing about …

Over a month ago, we were briefed about a secret Microsoft technology that we were told would be announced alongside the Windows 7 Release Candidate (RC) and would ship in final form simultaneously with the final version of Windows 7. This technology, dubbed Windows XP Mode (XPM, formerly Virtual Windows XP or Virtual XP, VXP), dramatically changes the compatibility story for Windows 7 and, we believe, has serious implications for Windows development going forward. Here’s what’s happening.

XPM is built on the next generation Microsoft Virtual PC 7 product line, which requires processor-based virtualization support (Intel and AMD) to be present and enabled on the underlying PC, much like Hyper-V, Microsoft’s server-side virtualization platform. However, XPM is not Hyper-V for the client. It is instead a host-based virtualization solution like Virtual PC; the hardware assistance requirement suggests this will be the logical conclusion of this product line from a technological standpoint. That is, we fully expect future client versions of Windows to include a Hyper-V-based hypervisor.

Microsoft Could Be a Winner in Sun-Oracle Deal

Microsoft has had few critics more vocal than Oracle CEO Larry Ellison and Sun Chairman Scott McNealy. With their companies set to merge in a blockbuster US$7.4 billion deal announced Monday, is it time for Microsoft to worry?

In fact, the opposite may be true, some industry observers said.

Twitter’s big day? Here comes Oprah

 

Updated 11:33 a.m. PDT with new @Oprah follower statistics.

The official answer is in regarding Twitter Chief Executive Evan Williams’ teasing tweet Thursday about Friday being a “very big day”: @Oprah.

Windows 7 RC 1 Coming May 5?

      

As we noted earlier that Microsoft was rumored to unveil Windows 7 release candidate in May. On Saturday, Michael Stanclift of Neowin.net pointed out the Microsoft Partner Program page stating Windows 7 RC release date.

Japan child robot mimicks infant learning

                

A “Child-robot with Biomimetic Body” or CB2, follows an object with his eyes at a laboratory in Osaka University

The creators of the Child-robot with Biomimetic Body, or CB2, say it’s slowly developing social skills by interacting with humans and watching their facial expressions, mimicking a mother-baby relationship.

Amazon follows Apple to $1.29

 

     

 

As expected, Apple on Tuesday introduced variable pricing on iTunes, meaning that some popular tracks now cost $1.29 instead of $0.99. Less expected: Amazon.com has followed Apple into the fray. Scroll down today’s listof top downloads, and you’ll see a few tracks at $1.29.

Apple Releases Three New iPhone Ads: ‘Itchy’, ‘Office’, and ‘Student’

                

Apple today posted three new iPhone commercials to their ad gallery.

– Itchy features three apps linked by the common theme of being used on a nature walk: Compass Go [App Store, $1.99], iBird Explorer Plus [App Store, $19.99], and How To Videos from Howcast.com [App Store, Free].

Sun and IBM Breaking Up: Who Wins?

 

                      

The news today about IBM and Sun possibly going separate ways leaves a door open for others to dodge what could have been a pretty blockbuster combination.  I remember back in late 90’s how cool Java was and what it meant for Sun.

Lynnfield to boost Intel quad core share

                   

Quads currently account for only 10% of total sales

Intel’s flagship Core 2 Quad 65nm, Core 2 Quad 45nm Yorkfield and Core i7 Bloolfield 45nm quad-core CPUs are currently at some nine percent of total Intel’s OEM guidance for consumer market.

Google Eyes Twitter

                

Google is rumored to be in talks with microblogging phenomenon Twitter on acquiring the latter. Michael Arrington of TechCrunch reported that news sources mentioned about Google’s interest in acquiring Twitter. Furthermore, it was rumored that Google was in “last-stage talks” to buy Twitter.

Intel’s Share Of Chip Market Rises, AMD’s Falls

While Atom certainly contributed to Intel’s success, other brands and products in the desktop, notebook, and server segments added to its power.

ntel (NSDQ: INTC)’s share of the global microprocessor market increased every quarter of 2008, while rival Advanced Micro Devices (NYSE: AMD) saw its share fall, a market researcher said Wednesday.

Tim O’Reilly: 5 Technologies That Make The Web Smarter

          

Tim O’Reilly, co-founder of the Web 2.0 Conference, gave a short address on the 5th anniversary of that event at tonight’s Web 2.0 Expoin San Francisco and offered some thoughts on what’s going to come next. He discussed five applications that he believes point the way.

TomTom suit suggests Microsoft’s still Microsoft

 

                               

The more that Microsoft’s patent lawsuit against (and subsequent settlement with) TomTom simmers in my consciousness, the more I want to boil.

I gave Microsoft the benefit of the doubt early on: I know a few of the Microsoft personnel involved in the case, and I think that they’re wonderful people of integrity and intelligence.

Linux geek calls for death of FAT

 

       

LINUX FOUNDATION executive director Jim Zemlin claims it is time that developers killed off Microsoft’s FAT filesystem from their projects and adopt the unencumbered open source alternative.

Next iPhone ‘evolutionary’ not ‘revolutionary’

 

                 

Apple Inc’s upcoming launch of iPhone 3.0 OS and iPhone Pro will fill in the “gaps” and help keep the competition at bay, but the lack of an entry level iPhone, could cut into Apple’s market share, says RBC Capital analyst Mike Abramsky.

New Windows Mobile 6.5 themes and Windows Marketplace

    

Microsoft have been spilling more details on Windows Mobile 6.5, including screenshots of a newly-refreshed GUI and a long list of over 25 companies signed up to produce content, software and generally lend a hand.  

Mark Cuban Fined for Twitter Comments

 

                   

The NBA’s true maverick has been fined $25,000 for his recent comments on Twitter. Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban recently used the social networking tool to voice his anger at league officiating after Friday’s loss to the Denver Nuggets. Cuban’s “tweets” referred to an altercation between Nuggets player J. R. Smith and Mavs player Antoine Wright.

First post (7:25 p . m . , March 27):

how do they not call a tech on JR Smith for coming off the bench to taunt our player on the ground ?

Online advertising up

               

NEW YORK – US INTERNET advertising revenue climbed in the fourth quarter in spite of the poor economy, but the growth rate was sluggish compared to previous years, according to an analysis released on Monday.

 

The report from the Interactive Advertising Bureau and PricewaterhouseCoopers said that revenue from online ads – which companies like Google and Yahoo heavily rely on – totaled US$6 billion (S$9 billion) in the last three months of 2008.

Google launches free music site in China

 

               

Chinese internet users will be able to download more than 1m music tracks for free after Google launched a new web service with the world’s four largest music labels.

Pulling the L-plates from a service that launched in trial mode a year ago, the downloads service marks an aggressive move by Google to take on the Chinese search site Baidu.com, which has more than twice the market share of the California-based technology giant.