There are lots of post flying around the tech bogs about the Windows 7 Beta that's out. From what I read, the reaction is quite positive, not that I've given it a spin myself, but by the sounds of it, it's much improved over Vista; mind you that's not hard as Vista is pants.

To be honest, after sacking my 5 month old Vista desktop and employing a nice new MacBook Pro to replace it. I got fed up with sluggish performance and this constant battle of trying to get Vista to let me do what I needed so I'm not sure I'm in a big hurry to try another new Windows out at the moment and the other PC's seem quite happy running Windows XP still.

Related post via Lifehacker: Top 10 Things to Look Forward to in Windows 7 >

Sony Ericsson have reported 'worse than expected' results for 2008 and expects a further downturn in the first half of this year. Full Article via Mobile Today >

Boy are Sony Ericsson not have a good day at all - Apple's iPhone is kicking their butt, results are down and Sony won't share their PSP branding stopping them from maybe creative the phone that could turn it all round.

Related post >

New virus, 'Downadup", exposes millions of PCs to being hijacked

There's a new sleeper virus in town and it looks like it's a major one at that. The following article is from CNN by Barry Neild. Normally I don't like just copying and pasting people content to our blog, but in this case I think it's vital people are aware of this virus so I've quoted what CNN have reported.

" LONDON, England (CNN) -- A new sleeper virus that could allow hackers to steal financial and personal information has now spread to more than eight million computers in what industry analysts say is one of the most serious infections they have ever seen.

Experts say a single infected laptop could expose an entire network to the worm.

Experts say a single infected laptop could expose an entire network to the worm.

The Downadup or Conficker worm exploits a bug in Microsoft Windows to infect mainly corporate networks, where -- although it has yet to cause any harm -- it potentially exposes infected PCs to hijack.

Mikko Hypponen, chief research officer at anti-virus firm F-Secure, says while the purpose of the worm is unclear, its unique "phone home" design, linking back to its point of origin, means it can receive further orders to wreak havoc.

He said his company had reverse-engineered its program, which they suspected of originating in Ukraine, and is using the call-back mechanism to monitor an exponential infection rate, despite Microsoft's issuing of a patch to fix the bug.

"On Tuesday there were 2.5 million, on Wednesday 3.5 million and today [Friday], eight million," he told CNN. "It's getting worse, not better."

Hypponen explained to CNN the dangers that Downadup poses, who is most at risk and what can be done to stop its spread.

How serious is it?

It is the most serious large scale worm outbreak we have seen in recent years because of how widespread it is, but it is not very serious in terms of what it does. So far it doesn't try to steal personal information or credit card details.

Who is affected?

We have large infections in Europe, the United States and in Asia. It is a Windows worm and almost all the cases are corporate networks. There are very few reports of independent home computers affected.

What does it do?

It is a complicated worm most likely engineered by a group of people who have spent time making it very complicated to analyze and remove. The real reason why they have created it is hard to say right now, but we do know how it replicates.

How does it spread?

The worm does not spread over email or the Web. However if an infected laptop is connected to your corporate network, it will immediately scan the network looking for machines to infect. These will be machines that have not installed a patch from Microsoft known as MS08-067. The worm will also scan company networks trying to guess your password, trying hundreds and hundreds of common words. If it gets in, even if you are not at your machine, it will infect and begin spreading to other servers. A third method of spreading is via USB data sticks.

How can I prevent it infecting my machine?

The best way is to get the patch and install it company-wide. The second way is password security. Use long, difficult passwords -- particularly for administrators who cannot afford to be locked out of the machines they will have to fix.

What can I do if it has already infected?

Machines can be disinfected. The problem is for companies with thousands of infected machines, which can become re-infected from just one computer even as they are being cleared.

Article by Barry Neild, CNN

Apple App Store: 500 million apps downloaded and counting!

Apple has just announced the iTunes App Store for the iPhone and iPod Touch apps has had over 500 million downloads so far since it's launch with over 15,000 apps released so far. That's half-a-billion downloads in just over six month.

WOW! I bet Apple are glad they change from their originally idea of not doing installable apps!

Apple released the news in adverts on Friday in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, USA Today and on their site.

Well, last week we saw Macworld and CES with, what I had hoped, lots of new tech and goodies for the gadget freak in me, but in reality I found the keynote for Apple almost dull without Steve Jobs delivery and a real lack of anything that was going to get me exciting for what after all was the end of an era, the last Macworld. On the other hand at CES, Palm's keynote, delivered by former Apple man Jon Rubinstein, had me glued to my Mac's screen hanging on his every word as if he had me in some sort of trance and this was first time I'd seen a true "smart phone". Jon Rubinstein has definitely got what it takes to turn Palm around, and by the looks of it he's also got "the" product to do it with. I was quite blown away with how the Palm Pre OS works and what it could do for me - make my life simple. The whole concept behind the way it brings all your information together, working in synergy, looks like it has been well thought out, and to be honest, it's about time mobile phone makers started thinking out side the box and started creating and delivering what we actually need to communicate and access our information. By the looks of it, Palm have grasped this concept better that the rest and produced an easy to use interface that's fun and does what you need it to do, and that is communicate and sync with everything. I'm looking forward to some real world hands on to see if it lives up to the job - I hope it does.

The big thing that Palm have missed, and it's one in which they could have really capitalized on and gain big time over Apple's reigning iPhone was if they'd added a micro SDHC slot for further expansion with not only an 8GB model, but also a 16GB and 32GB versions to. If they'd done this, they would have nailed it for me. I don't want either or, I want both!

It amazes me that most phone manufacturers haven't yet grasped the fact that the smartphone is no longer the soul domain of the suit carrying Blackberry corporate for instant email on the go, but has now become the hub to our everyday lives. The definition of the "smart phone" has changed from it's initial concept and manufactures need to grasp this new concept quickly and that they are going to need a whole new way of thinking when design these devices. Today's smart phone needs to expand as the digital media and information expands in our lives - it needs total communication synergy between different apps and places where our information is stored, from the cloud to our computers - it needs to be a hell of a lot smarter! After all, our music albums, films, pictures and documents doesn't stay static - they increase daily, so why give us a static amount of space - our social and business networks don't live in one place, so why only give us one place to which we can sync to.

Apple started this new definition of what a "smart phone" could be, but more by accident and the efforts of the Jailbreak community which showed them the way forward rather than by their design; after all they had a media player with a phone in it, the Jailbreak community showed them it was way more than that; a hand held hub for work, media and play - Apple lucked in big time. It may have been a totally different sorry if Apple stuck to your guns with no installable apps and only a web based program. Credit where credit is due, Apple is new to the mobile phone industry and yet they have lead the way and shown the rest of the phone manufactures the "light" and what people really want in their phones, how to deliver a product and have pushed the rest to stop giving us yesterdays old tech, but rather todays tech today. The way Apple launch a product is the way I want it done - they launch it and I can almost buy it straight away. I don't want a launch and then can't get it for months or sometimes up to a year later; what is the point of teasing us, after a launch we soon loose interest very quickly if we can't get our hands on it, and then go buy someone else's product. This is why other brands are loosing ground to Apple, even when it come to phones.

Apple's iPhone has other advantages over other manufactures as well; accessories, iTunes, the app store and the way it connects to TV's for playing DVD quality films that have been downloaded from iTunes with such ease, even my mother can do it, and does - it's cool, very clever and very Apple - it just works with no effort! We have yet to see how Palm will handles such tasks, or whether they have not thought about it, sticking with catering for the corporate crowd, something Apple can never be accused of.

Even after having an iPhone since they first came out, I still find it totally addictive unlike any other phone I've owned. It's works, plays and entertainments me all in one package - it's even made my PSP redundant! My iPhone evolves almost daily, from new apps, games and content to new upgraded versions of the OS from Apple - it's cool, almost a living thing, and my constant companion. The only problem's are storage space, and total communication synergy (Apple give me 32Gb's and a micro SDHC slot and apps that have total communication synergy in your next iPhone, version 3 - come on play the game fair and I'll still love you!) Will the Palm Pre be as good and find a permanent place in my gadget bag or even, heaven forbid, replace one of my constant companion - well we'll have to wait and see, or will I loose interest as I can't get my hands on one right now this side of the pond sim free.

At the end of the day I'm hoping Palm succeeds, and starts developing lots of new devices based on this new "communication synergy" way of thinking but also adds "storage synergy" (iPhone size all touch screen, 32GB with micro SDHC slot and TV out cable accessories please Palm), and pushes Apple and Microsoft to open up there OS and get apps working in synergy, like the new Palm. In the real world, this is what needs to happen and the sooner Apple and Microsoft learn this rather than forcing us to use just there proprietary software and systems the more they will benefit and prosper and the happier we'll all will be, and I'm not just talking mobile phones here either.

I think "communication synergy" will be the big buzz expression for this year (you heard it here first), and as for Palm, well watch this space - I got a feeling with ex Apple's Jon Rubinstein on board and their new WebOS "communication synergy" based Palm Pre they just may well have the hottest new gadget for 2009, that's presuming the consumer can get their hands on it when and how they want to.

Related posts: Palm and Jon Rubinstein > Palm's keynote >

UPDATE: I just spotted this new article on engadget and it's an interesting read:
"In case you missed the keynote, Palm took some special moments to let everyone know that they're not trying to compete with Apple -- which is of course exactly what they're doing with the Pre and webOS. Sure, there's plenty of room in the market for multiple operating systems and manufacturers, as both companies have pointed out, but we can't help but think that Palm took a long hard look at where Apple was at with its ultra-successful mobile OS and what they could improve upon, and we would like to assume that Apple is looking very carefully at webOS right now (and hopefully the Pre's physical keyboard, but we're dreamers) and comparing it with its current iPhone OS. So, if you'll indulge us, let's look at a few of the iPhone's existing shortcomings that Apple might try and shore up -- or perhaps already has fixes in the works for -- now that there's some very serious competition on the scene. Plus, with Steve on the sidelines, we can imagine there's some extra pressure on the company to prove that innovation at Apple is not just about one man............." Quoted from engadget

To Read the full article click the link below:
Apple's likely strategy: What would Steve do? >

I just saw this post on Gizmode; Sony have done a questionnaire asking the public if they're interested in features like "Bluetooth, integrated storage, GPS, TV tuning, better file connectivity with the PS3, a touchscreen, improved battery life and speedier load times". I just burst into laughter!

Oh Sony where do I begin; some NEW GAMES maybe for a start, then to grab our attention again, you need to start getting creative, don't just give us a revamp - come on, do an Apple or Palm, think out side the box and knock our socks off - you know you want to! I'll even give you a little help, A PSP Phone with: Quad band with 7.2 Mbps download data speeds, HD touch screen, downloadable games, movies and music, built in hard drive (min of 16GB, 32Gb would be better), memory card expansion slot, GPS, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, TV and radio tuner, Email, contacts, notes (usual smartphone stuff) and full sync with Google, Google maps, Google Earth, a good web fast browser, oh and one of your fantastic 5 Megapixel cybershot phone cameras with flash. This should get your R&D team started.

Come on Sony, start playing the game with us and we all may just love you again!


UPDATE:
Now now, play nicely Sony and try share your toys with your brothers.
Oh well I guess I'll have to kick that dream of a PSP Phone into touch then as Sony do not want to play the game with us or anyone else.

Crazy as it may seem, it appears Sony have refused to share the brand name of PlayStation with Sony Ericsson, who had been working on the PSP mobile phone idea and had presented it to the board late 2008. Mobile Today quotes sources saying "the refusal to sanction the brand on the handsets in December has prompted a fallout between Sony and the mobile phone joint venture."

Oh dear, the kids are in the playground again. Makes you wonder whether Sony are looking for an "out" from their joint venture with Ericsson doesn't it.

Full article via Mobile Today here >

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