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Redmond, Wash — Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1) was released to manufacturing on Monday, Feb 04, and will start being available to customers in March, starting with Microsoft Volume Licensing customers.

Windows Server 2008 was also released to manufacturing today and will be available for purchase to new customers on March 1. Microsoft Volume Licensing customers with active Microsoft Software Assurance coverage or an Enterprise Agreement will be able to download the server software toward the end of February as part of the joint Microsoft SQL Server 2008 and Visual Studio 2008 “Heroes Happen Here” launch event.

Windows Vista SP1 includes quality improvements that help enhance reliability, security and performance. Windows Server 2008 builds on the success and strengths of past server solutions and helps give organizations a solid foundation for their information technology (IT) infrastructure. Organizations using Windows Vista SP1 and Windows Server 2008 together can see a number of improvements for IT professionals, including benefits in security and manageability, overall system performance, and streamlined planning and deployment.

More at Microsoft, WindowsVistaBlog.

CES 2008 — LAS VEGAS –BUSINESS WIRE– Jan 07, `08 — Hauppauge announced today the introduction of the new dual tuner WinTV-HVR-2250, USB based WinTV-HVR-1950, WinTV-HVR-950Q and WinTV-HVR-1250.

– The WinTV-HVR-2250 has two complete on-board analog and digital TV receivers, which allow users to watch and record two NTSC, ATSC or clear QAM digital cable TV programs at the same time.

To support the popular analog and digital TV formats used in North America, the WinTV-HVR-2250 supports NTSC analog cable TV, over the air ATSC high definition digital TV plus clear QAM digital cable TV. There are two complete TV receivers on the WinTV-HVR-2250, which allow two programs of any type to be watched, paused or recorded at the same time.

WinTV-HVR-2250 will be available in February 2008 for $129.

– The WinTV-HVR-1950 allows a PC or laptop user to watch, pause and record NTSC, ATSC or clear QAM digital TV onto their hard disk, without slowing down their computer. To support the popular analog and digital TV formats, the WinTV-HVR-1950 supports NTSC analog cable TV, over the air ATSC high definition digital TV plus clear QAM digital cable TV.

WinTV-HVR-1950 will be available in February 2008 for $149.

–  The WinTV-HVR-950Q is a small, portable USB TV tuner “stick” which can be used to watch and record clear QAM digital cable TV on a laptop or desktop PC. In addition, it can also be used to watch and record NTSC analog cable TV and over-the-air ATSC high definition digital TV. ATSC is the new standard for high definition TV broadcasts in North America, and is transmitted at up to 1080i. These three TV formats, NTSC, ATSC and QAM, are the most popular TV transmission formats.

WinTV-HVR-950Q will be available in January 2008 for $99.

– The WinTV-HVR-1250 allows PC users to watch, pause and record analog NTSC cable TV, ATSC high definition digital TV and clear QAM digital cable TV on their Windows XP or Vista PC, in a window or full screen.

WinTV-HVR-1250 will be available in January 2008 for $49.

PALO ALTO, Calif — Dec 17, `07 –BUSINESS WIRE– DisplayLink today announced immediate availability of its DisplayLink Virtual Graphics Card (VGC) software version 4.3, which allows all DisplayLink-based network display systems, including USB graphics adapters, universal docking stations and USB-enabled monitors, to support the Windows Vista Aero 3D interface.

It is the first network display technology to support Aero, which is the visual interface that provides the 3D “glass effect” for Windows Vista and which looks even more stunning in a multiple display environment.

DisplayLink’s industry-leading network display technology enables simple and high quality connections between devices and screens via standard USB connections while maintaining nearly instantaneous mouse and keyboard response, DVD-quality video, and high-resolution graphics.

Compatible with all DisplayLink-powered hardware and virtually every Windows Vista PC, the new software enables users to add up to six displays to a single Windows Vista PC. Products that are compatible with the new DisplayLink Software v4.3 include universal notebook docking stations from Kensington and Toshiba, USB-enabled monitors from LG and Samsung, and USB graphics adapters from a variety of DisplayLink partners.

DisplayLink VGC Software v4.3 can be immediately downloaded from the DisplayLink Web site at DisplayLink.com/downloads.

Oslo, Norway and Brussels, Belgium — Dec 13, ‘07 — Opera Software ASA filed a complaint with the European Commission yesterday against Microsoft.

The complaint alleges how Microsoft is abusing its dominant position by tying its browser, Internet Explorer, to the Windows operating system and by hindering interoperability by not following accepted Web standards.

Opera has requested the Commission to take the necessary actions to compel Microsoft to give consumers a real choice and to support open Web standards in Internet Explorer.

Opera requests the Commission to implement two remedies to Microsoft’s abusive actions. First, it requests the Commission to obligate Microsoft to unbundle Internet Explorer from Windows and/or carry alternative browsers pre-installed on the desktop.

Second, it asks the European Commission to require Microsoft to follow fundamental and open Web standards accepted by the Web-authoring communities. The complaint calls on Microsoft to adhere to its own public pronouncements to support these standards, instead of stifling them with its notorious “Embrace, Extend and Extinguish” strategy. More at Opera.

Dec 12, ‘07 — Microsoft has released Service Pack 1 (Release Candidate) for its flagship Windows Vista on Tuesday, Dec 11.

Microsoft also announced shipment of Service Pack 1 for the 2007 Microsoft Office system, which includes both client and server products under the Office umbrella. More at Microsoft here and here.

REDMOND, Wash — Dec 04, 2007 — As part of a comprehensive effort to address piracy of its products, Microsoft today announced that the company will increase efforts against piracy and outlined new steps being taken to protect Windows Vista from ongoing and known counterfeiting threats.

The upcoming Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1) will include updates that target and disable two types of known exploits to the Windows Vista activation process. Also, as part of SP1, the company is making changes in how it differentiates user experiences for genuine and counterfeit systems based on feedback from customers and partners.

Microsoft is to withdraw an anti-piracy tool from Windows Vista, which disables the operating system when invoked, following customer complaints.

The so-called “kill switch” is designed to prevent users with illegal copies of Vista from using certain features.

But the tool has suffered from glitches since it was introduced with many Windows users claiming that legal copies of Vista had been disabled.

Microsoft says its efforts have seen a drop in piracy of its software.

In a statement released by the company, Microsoft corporate vice president Mike Sievert, said:

“Users whose systems are identified as counterfeit will be presented with clear and recurring notices about the status of their system and how to get genuine. They won’t lose access to functionality or features, but it will be very clear to them that their copy of Window Vista is not genuine and they need to take action.”

Microsoft has described the new approach as a “change of tactics”. It said efforts to tackle piracy had seen numbers of fake copies of Vista at half the level of XP, the previous Windows operating system. The change will take effect with the release of Service Pack 1, a major update to Windows Vista. More at Microsoft.

Dec 04, ‘07 — Dell has teamed up with the folks at Blizzard Entertainment to create a product that allows fans of World of Warcraft (WoW) to immerse themselves in the game and today unveiled XPS M1730 World of Warcraft Edition.

Every system comes pre-loaded with the games themselves: World of Warcraft and The Burning Crusade expansion pack. Dell will also install all the major client patches for both games as well and will continue to test and ship future patches pre-installed as they are released by Blizzard.

Everyone who orders this system will get three things: a Quest Envelope, a WoW backpack full of stuff and the system itself.

XPS M1730 World of Warcraft Edition

* 17″ HD widescreen notebook complete with World of Warcraft backpack
* Illuminated speaker grills and faction specific Honor Badges
* Back-lit keyboard stays awake as long as you can
* Track your stats with the world’s first built-in notebook Logitech GamePanel LCD
* Pre-loaded with World of Warcraft, World of Warcraft: Burning Crusade and all major game patches
* Golden Ticket for a custom FigurePrint of your actual in-game World of Warcraft character with your actual armor and weapons
* World of Warcraft Beta Club Key Card with a key to future World of Warcraft beta tests
* World of Warcraft and The Burning Crusade Collector’s Edition Account Upgrade Certificates
* Intel Core 2 Duo Processor T7500 (2.2GHz/800Mhz FSB, 4MB Cache)
* Genuine Windows Vista® Ultimate Edition
* 2GB Shared Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 667MHz
* Speed: 160GB SATA Hard Drive (7200RPM)
* CD / DVD Burner (DVD+/-RW Drive)
* 1Yr LoJack for Laptops Theft Protection (CD Shipped Separately)
* 17inch UltraSharp TrueLife Wide-screen WUXGA
* 512MB Dual NVIDIA GeForce 8700M GT with NVIDIA SLI
* AGEIA PhysX Physics Accelerator
It starts at $4500 and still comes with just one year warrenty. You can get one here.

Taipei, Taiwan — Nov 19, ‘07 – Dell will soon launch a 12.1-inch notebook featuring touch panel technology with the panel being sourced from AU Optronics (AUO) with Chi Ling Technology, an affiliate of the Chi Mei Group, being in charge of assembling LCD panels with touch screen panels, Digitimes is reporting citing chinese daily, Economic Daily News.

Digitimes further writes, “The new 12.1-inch notebook uses a touch panel solution from Israel-based N-trig, according to the paper. Instead of adopting capacitive or resistive touch panel technology, the Dell notebook uses a battery-free electrostatic pen, the paper added.” Digitimes.

Nov 19, ‘07 — Long Zheng of istartedsomething.com has gotten his hands on leaked specs and a pic of Dell’s first ever multi-touch tablet PC, Dell Latitude XT. According to Zheng, the Latitude XT was supposed to be released on Nov 16 in most regions and on Dec 03 in the US but got delayed because of recent LCD shortages. There’s no word on when it’d available.

Dell Latitude XT Specs
- Intel 1.2GHz Core 2 Duo, ULV
- Windows XP Tablet PC Edition
- Windows Vista Business / Ultimate 32/64 Bit Options
- ATI RS600ME/SB600 Chipset
- 1GB DDR2 667MHz RAM, Max up to 3GB
- 12.1″ 1280×800 WXGA LED Back-Lit / Dual-Bulb CCFL
- ATI Radeon Xpress 1250
- 256MB Graphics Memory
- 8X DVD +/-RW
- Dell Wireless a/b/g, Bluetooth 2.0
- Broadcom BCM5756 Gigabit Ethernet
- Express Card / SD Card Slots
- 3xUSB 2.0, 1394a Connectors
- Weight: LED Back-Lit 1.6Kg(with 4 cell battery) / Dual-Bulb CCFL LCD 1.8Kg(with 6 cell battery)

More at iStartedSomething.com

FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif –BUSINESS WIRE– Nov 19, ‘07 — Kingston today announced it is shipping 1066MHz ValueRAM designed specifically for the new AMD Phenom Processor. Kingston worked closely with AMD on the launch of the Spider Platform, comprised of the new Phenom Processor, ATI Radeon HD 3800 Series graphics card and the AMD 7-Series Chipset, to ensure peak memory performance. Kingston’s 1066MHz ValueRAM modules help take advantage of Phenom’s ability to deliver true quad-core performance.

“The new Phenom processor from AMD will give high-performance and multi-threaded applications room to excel,” said Mark Tekunoff, senior technology manager, Kingston. “DDR2 1066MHz ValueRAM desktop memory has been designed and tested to complement AMD’s new chipset and CPU technologies, giving high-end users the ultimate experience.”

Memory is essential in optimizing the performance of the new Spider Platform. Kingston’s DDR2 memory modules help fuel Phenom’s four natively integrated processor cores, breaking system bandwidth barriers and turbo-charging platform performance.

Kingston DDR2 ValueRAM 1066MHz Specifications
Part Number                    Capacity and Features                                    MSRP (US only)
KVR1066D2N7/512           512MB 1066MHz (CL7-7-7-20 @ 1.8V)              $ 89.00
KVR1066D2N7/1G            1GB 1066MHz (CL7-7-7-20 @ 1.8V)                  $ 178.00
KVR1066D2N7K2/1G        1GB 1066MHz (CL7-7-7-20 @ 1.8V) kit of 2       $ 170.00
KVR1066D2N7K2/2G        2GB 1066MHz (CL7-7-7-20 @ 1.8V) kit of 2       $ 340.00

SAN JOSE, Calif –BUSINESS WIRE– Nov 19, ‘07 — Samsung announced today that its highest-speed DDR2 main memory and its fastest graphics memory have been designed to work smoothly with the new AMD Phenom processors and new ATI Radeon HD 3800 Series of graphics processing units (GPU) for desktop PCs.

AMD Phenom processors provide a high-speed L3 2MB cache to enhance the information flow between processor cores, main memory, and graphics and video accelerators.

The Samsung 512 megabit (Mb) DRAM (dynamic random access memory), capable of 1066 million data transfers per second, is Samsung’s fastest DDR2 chip and is available in densities up to 1 gigabyte (GB) per module.

“AMD is delighted that Samsung is producing a high performance memory solution well suited for our new AMD Phenom processors,” said Bob Brewer, corporate vice president of marketing and strategy, AMD. “Samsung’s leading-edge GDDR4 and GDDR3 graphics memory can provide a significant performance boost for systems that use our ATI Radeon HD GPUs.”

Samsung’s fastest memory chip – its GDDR4 1.2Ghz has been designed to be fully compatible with AMD’s new ATI Radeon HD 3870 GPU. ATI Radeon HD 3800 Series of GPUs transfer data at 72 gigabits (Gbps) per second, while consuming less power than current ATI graphics processors. In addition, Samsung’s 900Mhz GDDR3 is engineered to work seamlessly with the ATI Radeon HD 3850 GPU. Samsung’s 1.2 Ghz GDDR4 is offered in a 16Mx32 configuration, while the 900 Mhz GDDR3 is available in a 8Mx32 configuration.

The AMD Phenom processor incorporates four natively integrated processor cores and provides a system bandwidth of up to 14.4 Gbps of high bandwidth I/O. The ATI Radeon HD 3800 series is designed for Windows Vista, with the ability to navigate the Windows Aero 3D user interface.

Samsung‘s 1.2 Ghz GDDR4 and 900 Mhz GDDR3 are now in mass production. Samsung’s DDR2-1066 DRAM is planned to be mass produced beginning at the end of the year.

Nov 16, ‘07 — Shortly after Michael Dell’s keynote address at Oracle OpenWorld on Nov 14, Dell has finally start selling brand new addition to its desktop lineup, 20-inch Widescreen Display All-In-One PC XPS One.

Dell is offering XPS One in four flavors, configurable with Intel Core 2 Duo E6550 processor, 2GB of DDR2 RAM, Bluetooth 2.0, 8-in-1 multicard reader, 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi, 256MB ATI Radeon HD 2400 PRO Graphics Card, and a 500GB 7,200 RPM SATA hard drive. Additionally, you can add on a built-in Blu-ray DVD-Burner and a hybrid Analog / Digital TV tuner, starting from $1499, all the way up to $2399. More at Dell.

REDMOND, Wash — Nov 15, ‘07 — Microsoft on Thursday officially released Windows Live OneCare 2.0, which has been in beta testing since July.

Windows Live OneCare is an online service that provides managed maintenance and security for consumers and small businesses. It offers protection from viruses, spyware, and phishing, helps with firewall settings, and coordinates system tune-ups and data backup.

“Customers have told us they want an all-in-one solution for PC care that is simple and easy to use across all the PCs in their home,” said Amy Barzdukas, senior director of Windows Live OneCare at Microsoft, in a statement. “Windows Live OneCare helps address this need by providing a comprehensive set of security and performance tools while adding new features, including multi-PC management, printer sharing support and centralized backup options.”

The service’s main new feature is the OneCare Circle, which links PCs together over a wireless connection to make them manageable from a single place. OneCare Circle allows, for example, a parent to see that a child has disabled the firewall on his or her PC and to turn it back on. It also helps centralize data backup by allowing a hard drive connected to any linked machine to serve the whole home network.

The service also includes the new Start Time Optimizer, which helps users load only the programs they require at startup, thus accelerating the startup process. In addition, it includes a “Proactive Fixes and Recommendations” feature to help optimize PC performance, and it helps maintain wireless networking security. More at Microsoft.

Linksys is set to introduce new media center extenders this month and here’s what Linksys say about ‘em.

It’s great to store photos, music and movies on your computer. But it’s hard to share them with friends and family. What if you could view digital photos, movies and high definition programs on your TV, and listen to downloaded music on your home theater sound system? With the Linksys Media Center Extender you can!

Access digital content and Internet services from your Microsoft Windows Vista Premium or Ultimate Media Center PC and wirelessly stream it to your home entertainment system.

• Easily navigate menus with a single learning remote
• Built-in upscaling DVD player with the DMA2200
• Uses existing high-speed Wireless-N home network

More at Linksys.

Even though the new Dell all-in-one desktop XPS One is out there for everyone to see, thanks to FCC, Dell is still trying to tease with this “All Beautiful, The End of The PC As You Know It” ad. Enter you addy in there to receive email when Dell releases “The One”.

This year’s focus on futuristic PC designs inspires people to pursue their passions.

REDMOND, Wash. — Oct. 29, 2007 — Microsoft Corp.’s annual Next-Gen PC Design Competition is open for online entry submission until 11:59 p.m. EST Dec. 14. The competition aims to encourage ongoing enthusiasm for Windows-based PCs by engaging the imagination and creativity of the industrial design (ID) community and delivering a resource for the PC industry at large.

All eligible entries will be reviewed January through April 2008 by a distinguished panel of Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA)-member judges from the international PC and industrial design community in addition to representatives from leading hardware manufacturers. The entries will be scored by the following criteria:

• Innovation. Is the design new and unique?

• User experience and interaction. In what ways does the design make the PC easier to use?

• Aesthetics. How does the appearance enhance the emotional appeal of the product?

• Technology integration. How is the design enhanced by new technologies?

• Windows software. How does this design enhance or expand the users’ experience with Windows?

• Market viability and manufacturability. Who does this design appeal to, and what are the viable markets?

• Ecology. How is the design environmentally responsible?

Five winners will be selected, and up to five honorable mentions may be chosen by the judges. From Feb. 15 through March 15 the selected finalists will be posted on the Next-Gen PC Design Competition Web site, Nextgendesigncomp, where the public will be invited to vote for its favorite entry to determine the Public’s Choice Award. The winners will be announced in May 2008 and honored at the 2008 Windows Hardware Engineering Conference (WinHEC). More information about the competition, including how to enter, is available at Nextgendesigncomp.

It’s time to brush the digital dust off your captured moments and media—for good. Introducing a simpler, smarter way for families to organize, share and protect photos, videos, music and much more. Windows Home Server brings it all together in a central hub, connecting your home PCs and making it easy to keep and enjoy your family’s most important memories. Says Microsoft.

Here are some of the Windows Home Server features at a glance:

- Your family’s digital memories and media organized in one central hub
- Home PCs backed up daily, automatically
- Simple recovery of lost files or even entire PCs
- Complete access from networked PCs to all your Windows Home Server files
- Share photos and home videos through a personalized web address
- A personalized Web address for sharing your photos and home videos
- Easy and quick setup
- Expendable storage space for future use
- Innovative third-party applications

Coming soon in late 2007. And to take a little more closer look, see its Demo here.

Microsoft Reports 27% Revenue Growth; Fastest First Quarter Since 1999.

REDMOND, Wash–October 25, 2007–Microsoft Corp. said first-quarter earnings rose 23 percent, exceeding analysts’ estimates, and raised its forecasts for this year on sales of the new versions of Windows, Office System and the “Halo 3” video game.

The company said net income increased to $4.29 billion, or 45 cents a share. Sales advanced 27 percent to $13.8 billion, beating projections by more than $1 billion.

Microsoft, the world’s biggest software maker, brought in $300 million in one week from “Halo 3″, the latest installment of its flagship shooter franchise, in its first week of sales after its Sept. 25 debut, double some analysts’ estimates.

More computer makers installed the pricier versions of the new Windows Vista program on their machines. Sales of Windows for personal computers jumped 25 percent and Xbox almost doubled, putting both units ahead of Microsoft’s forecasts in the first quarter.

The holiday quarter is a crucial one for Microsoft as it aims to spur adoption of new computers running its latest Windows Vista operating system. Its entertainment arm also counts on the December quarter generating twice as much revenue as any other quarter of the year.

More detailed results at Microsoft

Although Vista Media Center supports up to 4 CableCARDs for a while this is the first stand alone ATI TV Wonder Digital Cable Tuner made available by VAIO, Sony. It works as an Optional/secondary external TV tuner supporting NTSC, ATSC, Clear QAM and CableCARD™ (to be obtained from local Cable TV provider).

With the addition of a CableCARD and depending on cable TV subscription, this tuner enables viewing and recording of premium channels, including HD (ESPNHD, HBOHD, etc.) Adds ability to simultaneously watch and record TV signals on models that ship with ATI TV Wonder Digital Cable tuner.

It requires Windows Vista® Home Premium or Ultimate, at least 2GB of RAM and an Intel Core 2 Duo or Core Duo processor.

More at SonyStyle