Windows 8 to come with Bult in Malware Protection

Microsoft's next version of Windows will ship with "tons of security features," including one that automatically scans boot drives for malware and a revamped version of the Windows Defender antivirus program, company executives said.

At the company's BUILD conference in Anaheim, California on Tuesday, Corporate Vice President of Windows Planning and Ecosystem Michael Angiulo demonstrated an early version of Windows 8 that automatically scanned an infected USB drive used to boot the next generation operating system. Before the OS was able to load, the computer stopped the process and displayed a warning that the boot volume contained an "invalid signature" indicating it had been compromised.

He was able to get the valid version of Windows to load by turning off the system and turning it back on. The presentation starts around the 1:08 mark in the following video:



The technology making this possible is known as UEFI, short for Unified Extensible Firmware Interface. A successor to the BIOS ROM firmware that Microsoft operating systems have relied on since their beginning, UEFI was designed to shorten the time it takes a PC to start up. It was built by Intel, but is designed to work with a variety of CPU architectures.

"It's not just about speed and having a boot that looks better," Angiulo said during Tuesday's keynote, referring to UEFI. "It's about security, too."

Steven Sinofsky, president of Microsoft's Windows and Windows Live division, went on to say that Windows 8 developers "have taken Defender and we've actually built a whole new range of protection, all the way up though antimalware, antivirus." Users are free to run Defender or security software supplied by another company. In all, the new OS will offer "tons of security features," he added.

The company issued a statement Wednesday saying Windows 8 would include "low-level security features such as Secured Boot to help defeat classes of threats, and user facing features including Windows Defender and SmartScreen" spam-filtering. The statement didn't elaborate.

Windows 8 will also offer a new way to log on to PCs equipped with a touchscreen. Sam Bowne, a security instructor at San Francisco City College, provided a  screenshot here that describes the feature this way: "You choose the picture – and the gestures you use with it – to create a password that's uniquely yours."

Bowne and his students have been testing the security features in the new Windows beta, according to a source.

"There is built in antivirus, and it works!" he wrote "It stopped not only thr EICAR test file, but more than a dozen malware items in Metasploit. So it might be time to sell your Symantec stock."

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Make Free Calls/SMS using fring

fring is a mobile internet service and community that allows you to access and interact with a variety of communication services such as Skype®, MSN® Messenger, Google Talk™, ICQ, SIP, Twitter, Yahoo!™ and AIM®. Through fring, you can send and receive calls as well as message all of your contacts all will using your cellular data plan or a WiFi connection rather than use your minutes. You can even make affordable local and international calls to landline and regular cellular numbers using your SkypeOut/SkypeIn account or almost any VoIP service. fring is compatible with Symbian 8, 9.1, 9.2, Windows Mobile 5 & 6 and UIQ handsets.

• Availability – fring service can be used anywhere you have cellular or WiFi network connectivity.
• Free Calls - fring allows you to make free calls to all of your Skype, MSN Messenger, Google Talk, ICQ, Yahoo! and AIM friends. 
• Instant Messaging - With fring you can instant message your Skype, MSN Messenger, Google Talk, ICQ, SIP, Twitter, Yahoo! and AIM friends. 
• Special Features - fring users can send and receive files, in addition to setting up auto-roam so that fring automatically detects when you move from one WiFi hotspot to the next.

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Where is Telnet Client Tool in Windows 7?

If you are still using the old school Telnet from time to time, you may be surprised when you are trying to use it in a new installed Windows 7, because it’s not recognized as an internal or external command, by default.

That’s right, Telnet is not included as a standard feature in a new installation of windows 7. To add it back on,

1. Open Programs and Features from Control Panel.

2. Click Turn Windows features on or off at the left side panel, which pops up Windows Features window.

3. In Windows Features window, enable Telnet Client by ticking the option box on.

4. Click OK to finish and install the feature.

Hurray, now typing in Telnet in the command window successfully opens the Microsoft Telnet Client in new command window.

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How To Change The Default Language For Windows 7 Logon Screen

First of all, if you run a Windows 7 version that doesn’t support multi-language you won’t be able to use the Multilingual User Interface (MUI) functionality to change the default language for Windows 7 welcome screen. Unfortunately, MUIs are only available in Windows 7 Ultimate and Enterprise edition.

Basically, you are able to change that only when the Keyboards and Languages tab in Region and Language setting looks like below.

To change the default language on welcome screen

Go to Administrative tab in Region and Language window, which can be launched from Control Panel, and click on Copy settings button.

You will see what the current language settings on Current user, Welcome screen, and New user account.

To make the default language setting on Welcome screen the same as your current user account, simply check the option “Welcome screen and system accounts” at the bottom.

Click OK to save the setting, and reboot the computer for the change to take effect.

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10 New Rumored Features in Windows 8 That I am Looking Forward to

There are a lot of rumors around the net about what will be offered in the new up coming Windows 8, many of which look cool and inspiring. Here are 10 of them, not in particular order, that I really like, addition to the Tile-based Windows 7 Phone type of user interface, which most of us already saw in their first hand demo.

1. User Account Roaming

Well, this is not new but what is new in Windows 8 is that you can roam your user profile to the cloud along with your own Windows Live account. Not sure how this is going to address the corporate network, but it does sound like the Windows Live cloud might be able to play as a domain controller in a way to move corporate to the cloud based computing.

i started something | Networkworld

2. The New Windows Explorer

The Ribbon finally arrives in Windows Explorer, after years ago when it’s firstly introduced in Office 2007. Whether you like it or not, Ribbon seems to be the way to go as a Windows user interface. I like it.

SuperSite for Windows

The new Windows Explorer also finally allow you to drag a file and drop it to a folder listed in the address bar. A missing piece has finally been found.

Tech Exclusive

3. Restore to Factory Settings

Restoring Windows system back to factory settings is nothing new. Almost all manufactories have included the recovery disc in every new computer sold that can already to do that. But an option restoring back to factory settings on only systems not user data is what I am really looking forward to.

Windows 8 beta

4. ISO mounting

Finally, another long missing piece has been found. Why took so long? Now, one more 3rd party tool will be eliminated on my computer.

SuperSite for Windows

5. SmartScreen on Windows

SmartScreen built in Internet Explorer 8 & 9 look like will be emerged not only in IE but in OS itself as well. This will be interesting to see whether or not this will be the anti-virus piece out of the box. It also can be used as a File Download Verifier.

i started something

6. History Vault

This Microsoft version of Time Machine is a better version of Shadow Copy? Sound like it is.

winrumors

7. Better Reading Experience

Not only does Microsoft finally developed its own version of PDF reader, but is the modern reader also an eReader that utilizes the new AppX application package type.

Windows 8 Secrets: Modern Reader

8. Portable Workspace

Basically, it’s a feature that allows user to run Windows system right from a USB storage device. A portable office indeed. Really, if you can have all your application and data stored on an encrypted flash drive and are able to run on any computers why would you still need a cloud service?

Windows 8 supports running windows from USB storage device

9. Xbox Media Service in Windows

No surprise at all, considering the huge success Microsoft made on Gaming area with their extremely demanded Xbox.

Microsoft Confirms that Xbox Will Provide Media Services in Windows 8

10. App store

Well, even though I am not a huge fan of this, an Windows app store seems inevitable, all because of the huge success on Apple’s App Stor

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A Small Hack Showing All Your Neighbor’s WiFi Profile in Windows 7, and How You Can Optimize Your Signal

If you are a geek like us, you will find this trick very helpful on diagnosis your wireless network experience. Particularly wireless interference, if you are living in a crowed neighborhoods.

You can run the following command on your Windows 7 or Vista to find more details about all your neighbor’s wireless network.

netsh wlan show networks mode=bssid

As you can see, this command will show you all the wireless network your card detects. Not only that it will give you information such as their Signal Strength, Channel, Radio Type, Authentication Method, Encryption Method, etc.

Some real hacker will use such exposed information to target an attack on particular network,  in fact lifehacker has an excellent article on how to hack WEP based Encryption Wi-Fi network.

Since we aren’t the real hacker, we won’t go deeper on this topic, rather we can talk about how you can improve your network experience from such information.

Improve by selecting a different Channel

The first obvious choice is to select a different channel, why so ?

Little you may already know, your 802.11g/n wireless device is usually operating on 2.4 GHz frequency. By selecting different channel your wireless network will have a distinct frequency different by 5 MHz. For example, by default, 2.4 GHz won’t operating at exact 2400 MHz frequency, rather the first channel on this category is operating at 2412 MHz, if you keep adding 5 MHz bandwidth per channel, channel 6 will then operating at the frequency of 2437 MHz. However, that being said, your router won’t just operating on this exact frequency, it usually will cover a range of 25 MHz per channel, which means if you want to complete avoid the other channel you need to select at least 5 channels apart. (5×5 = 25 MHz) And there is only 1-11 channels available for average consumers. (note: with the latest 802.11n it will use as much as 40 MHz per channel.)

By selecting a different channel will definitely help to improve any interference you might experienced before. However, that said, you need to also keep in mind your other wireless device at home. Things like your wireless home phone (if its targeted at 2.4 GHz frequency), Microwave oven (at a frequency near 2.45 GHz) usually will also interfere with your Wi-Fi signal, also keep in mind Bluetooth device is also using 2.4 GHz frequency.

Enjoy.

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Samsung Galaxy S3: review of reviews

The early verdicts are in on the Samsung Galaxy S3, the follow-up to the best-selling Android smartphone and Samsung's latest rival to the iPhone 4S.

The new Samsung Galaxy S3 smartphone. Photograph: Ki Price/Reuters

Samsung has released a new flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S3, including voice control, wireless beaming of content and exclusive apps, as it aims to consolidate its position at the top of the mobile sector.
The S3 has a super AMOLED 4.8in screen, larger than its predecessor the S2, with an 8 megapixel rear camera and 1.9MP front camera which offers "intelligent camera features" that the company says will adapt to what it sees you doing.
The phone runs on Google's Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) software, but has a number of Samsung additions – including voice recognition and eye tracking.
The phone will go on sale on 30 May in the UK, with Orange and Phones4U already lined up to sell it. No price has yet been given. It will go on sale in the US this summer. Samsung said it will go on sale with 296 carriers in 145 countries. It can connect at "4G" speeds in compatible countries.
"S Voice" can respond to spoken orders such as "wake up" when its screen is off, "snooze" for an alarm, or to play a particular song, change volume settings, and take pictures. It also responds to gestures, so that lifting the phone to the face while sending a text message will dial the recipient's number instead.
Samsung has also souped up Google's Android Beam (which can pass data such as business card details) so it is capable of sending a 1GB file between two S3 phones in three minutes, or a 10MB file in two seconds by touching them together.
It comes in a 15GB or 32GB version, though the company said a 64GB model would come soon. Buyers can get an optional wireless charging pad, similar to that offered with the now-defunct HP TouchPad last year.
At 4.8in, the screen size is only just below the minimum 5in that most analysts class as a tablet – indicating Samsung's confidence that top-end users will want larger screens. The first-generation Galaxy S in 2010 had a 4in screen; the S2, a 4.3in screen.
The company sold an estimated 44m smartphones across its entire portfolio in the first quarter of 2012, more than any other company. It dominates the Android sector too, selling around 50% of phones on a platform which itself makes up 50% of smartphone sales.
Jason Jenkins, editor of CNET UK, said: "The Samsung Galaxy S3 is a cracker of a smartphone that makes the iPhone look a little like yesterday's model. It cements Samsung's place as one of the leading phone manufacturers and really puts the pressure on Apple to come up with something different for its next iPhone later in the year.
"It's also starting to look like this will be a two-horse race – Samsung and Apple fighting it out for the number one spot with everyone else left to pick up the crumbs. HTC, Sony, BlackBerry and Nokia are the ones with the real work to do."
Ian Fogg, an analyst at IHS Suppli, said: "What's striking is that Samsung is focusing on software and the experiences, more than the hardware (although that is excellent too). Features like Pop over, social tag, and S Voice all aspire to differentiate from the opposition through the user experience that Samsung's software customisation delivers.
"Samsung have been leading up to this for a while, but this is the first time they've led their product positioning on user experience and software."
Francisco Jeronimo, IDC's smartphones analyst, was downbeat, saying: "It is not an eye-catching device that will overwhelm consumers."
He noted that analysts had not been given the chance to try out the voice control in pre-release demonstrations of the phone. Of a brief test, he said: "Overall, [it] seems very similar to Siri, but my first impression was that is not as well integrated with the phone as Siri is with the iPhone."
Carolina Milanesi, smartphones analyst at the research group Gartner, said that Samsung was looking for ways to remain ahead of rivals in the Android space, as well as Apple.
"They need to push the boundaries in order to remain ahead," she said. "It will be interesting to see how many of these new features [in the S3] will be open to developers so that they can take advantage of them in their apps."
However, if developers start to target Samsung APIs for apps, that could potentially split the Android platform still further beyond the individual versions produced by Google – and would also tend to increase Samsung's control of Android.
Such an "embrace and extend" manoeuvre would build its control of the platform, where it already presently has half of worldwide sales and is the biggest profit-maker.
Jeronimo observed: "Samsung definitely embraced Android, and is extending it. We shouldn't also forget that Samsung has a quite opportunistic approach to market trends.
"If Android is now the new kid on the block that can best contribute to its success, they will invest and nurture it to maximise the opportunity. But if the trend changes (and they are very good at anticipating that), they will also change the platform they embrace in the future."
But, he added: "It is clear that Samsung has no other strong options at the moment."
No price was announced, though Milanesi suggested that it would be priced similarly to the Google-branded (but Samsung-made) Galaxy Nexus, released last October, and that prices of the year-old Galaxy S2 would be cut to boost Samsung's already dominant share.
Milanesi was generally impressed with the device, though with some reservations. "The design is much improved, and despite the fact that it is still plastic it feels much less cheap than the Galaxy S2 and the Nexus," she said.
But she thought the S Voice control was less convincing: "It came across as a little gimmicky when I played with it. But to me the main issue is that these features are quite buried in the device, so might not be that obvious to consumers. S Voice is not as complex as Siri – more like voice activation for simple commands."
Overall, she suggested: "I think Samsung has similar challenges to Apple but with a less convincing overall package and a weaker brand."
But Fogg suggested that the real problem would be for other companies. "For Nokia, this must be deeply concerning," he said. "One of Nokia's stated reasons they opted for Windows Phone was because they believed that it would be impossible to differentiate using Android.
"Samsung is showing with the the Galaxy S3 that it's perfectly possible to innovate with Android software. In fact, Android is enabling faster innovation than any handset maker has managed with Windows Phone."
But the new Galaxy S3 could also pose problems for the smaller players in the Android space, Fogg suggested. "Samsung's marketing spend and brand awareness are second to none. This combination of marketing spend and channels will cause serious problems for smaller handset makers such as HTC, LG and Motorola."
Jeronimo warned that Samsung needs to consolidate its position: "Samsung needs to come up with unique features and not to catch-up once again with other vendors. What is there that's completely unique on the S3 that we haven't seen on other devices? Maybe slight differences on the features, but nothing disruptive.
"They entered a new era. The only way to succeed is to set the pace of innovation. I believe that's exactly what they want to do, but they still suffering from the 'follower-syndrome': to improve what others created. That's why consumers will compare the S Voice to Siri and not the other way around."

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