According to Reuters, Microsoft Corporation is going to cut Windows Vista’s retail price down. In United States, Windows Vista Ultimate’s price will be reduced to $319 (from $399), while the upgrade from Windows XP to Vista will cost just $219 (from $259). These reductions will vary depend on the country.

[ Source ]

Asus has just made the OS source code of its Eee PC laptop available to public. The OS is based on Linux Kernel. Currently, the company is working on a new SDK to aid in the development of third-party apps for this extremely cheap notebook PC.

[ More ] [ Via ]

In less than a month after Microsoft released Vista OS, the big company already has an idea for the next-generation of Vista. Planned to be released in 2009, the new OS is called Microsoft Vienna. According to Ben Fathi, Corporate Vice President of Development with Microsoft Windows Core Operating System Division, “a two and a half year period was good enough for a full refresh as compared to the traditional five year stint”.

Well, that’s all the buzz for now. Hopefully there’ll be more info about Vienna later.

[ Via ]

Microsoft yesterday announced the availability of the next generation of Windows Mobile OS, the Windows Mobile 6 operating system. It sports a new messaging tools, tigher security, Windows Vista synchronization, and improved productivity features. Mobile devices powered by the new OS will start shipping in the second quarter of this year. Some of them will be posted here after this. Meanwhile, check below for the official press release from Microsoft.

BARCELONA, Spain — Feb. 12, 2007 — Microsoft Corp. today unveiled Windows Mobile® 6, the newest version of its mobile software platform. By improving usability and adding support for Microsoft® Office features previously available only on PCs, Microsoft Windows Mobile 6 delivers to the small screen a familiar and rich experience that meets the needs of work and life while on the go, all with a single device.

“A work force that is both mobile and connected is becoming essential for business success,� said Steve Ballmer, CEO of Microsoft. “That’s why we’re integrating innovative mobile technologies into all our key products, with Windows Mobile as the centerpiece.�

Windows Mobile 6 delivers the ability to view e-mails in their original rich HTML format with live links to Web and SharePoint® sites, which means text and images are displayed as they would be on a PC, and are available from a corporate e-mail server such as Exchange Server 2007, from Web-based accounts such as Windows Live™ Hotmail or from a myriad of other popular service providers. Windows Mobile 6 also includes Windows Live for Windows Mobile, which provides customers with a rich set of Windows Live services. For example, now through Windows Live Messenger, people can chat with more than one person at one time, express themselves through animated figures, quickly send a file or image, or record and send voice notes.

The newest version of the platform offers the most genuine Microsoft Office system experience in the mobile versions of Office Outlook®, Office Word, Office Excel® and Office PowerPoint® by bringing capabilities once available only on the PC versions of these products to the small screen. This allows users to neatly view, navigate and edit Word documents and Excel spreadsheets in their original formatting, without affecting tables, images or text, and to view PowerPoint presentations on their device.

All Windows Mobile 6 powered devices include Direct Push Technology for up-to-date e-mail delivery and automatic synchronization of Outlook calendars, tasks and contacts through Microsoft Exchange Server. Windows Mobile 6 also offers a set of important device security and management features that include the capability to remotely wipe all data from a device should it be lost or stolen, helping ensure that confidential information remains that way.

Broad Industry Support to Result in Broader Choice of Devices

By the second quarter of this year, the world will see the first Windows Mobile 6 powered devices available on the market. In Europe, Orange plans to deliver the SPV E650 smartphone from HTC, and in Japan, SoftBank Mobile Corp. will offer new devices from Toshiba and HTC. And in the United States, the popular T-Mobile Dash will be updated with Windows Mobile 6 and be available in the coming months. Current T-Mobile Dash owners will also be able to upgrade existing devices with Windows Mobile 5.0 to Windows Mobile 6.

Scores of additional mobile operators and device makers from around the globe, including Cingular Wireless, now the new AT&T, Chunghwa Telecom, Dopod International Corp., HP, LG Electronics, Motorola Inc., Palm Inc., Samsung, Sprint, Telefónica, Toshiba, Verizon Wireless and Vodafone, plan to ship Windows Mobile 6-based devices this year. Many of these partners are expanding large existing portfolios of Windows Mobile powered smartphones.

“In a highly sophisticated mobile market such as Japan, people are turning to powerful and intuitive mobile devices to stay competitive in the business world,� said Ted Matsumoto, executive vice president of technology and chief strategy officer at SoftBank. “We continue to work with Microsoft to equip SoftBank Mobile customers with the most cutting-edge tools in mobile technology and are excited that they will be able to experience the enhanced features and functionality of Windows Mobile 6 on two new smart devices from Toshiba and HTC.�

Information Management Made Easier

Users of the Microsoft Office system on the PC — of which there are nearly 400 million worldwide — will feel right at home with the new mobile versions of Outlook, Word, Excel and PowerPoint available for Windows Mobile 6 powered devices. Windows Mobile 6 addresses extensive user feedback and makes information management easier and more convenient through the following improvements:
• Better-looking e-mail. Users view e-mail the way it was intended with its original pictures, tables and formatting, whether from a corporate e-mail server such as Exchange Server 2007, Web-based accounts such as Windows Live Hotmail or Yahoo! Mail, or a wide range of other service providers.
• Ease of viewing and editing of Office system documents. The new Office Mobile suite, built for all Windows Mobile powered devices, gives users a truly familiar and powerful experience with rich viewing and editing capabilities, without having to worry about the deletion of critical formatting and images.
• E-mail management and setup with fewer clicks. Nine new one-click options have been added, including Reply All, setting a flag, moving a message to a subfolder, and, of course, Delete. Users can set an automatic out-of-office reply while on the road when using a Windows Mobile 6 powered device and Exchange Server 2007.
• Synchronization with Windows Vista. Windows Vista™ and the Windows Mobile Device Center take the guesswork out of managing a device and swapping music, pictures, movies and Outlook information between PC and the device.
• Smart calendar bar. This innovative new feature gives users the ability to understand at a glance the day or week ahead and quickly determine open time on their schedules. With Exchange Server 2007, they can see who is attending a meeting and forward or reply to meeting requests.
• Web search, e-mail, instant messaging (IM) and blogging all together. Windows Live for Windows Mobile will provide customers with a rich set of services including Windows Live Hotmail, Windows Live Messenger, Live Search and Windows Live Spaces, uniquely designed to work with Windows Mobile software. Users can also find all their contacts in one unified list and see presence information on their Windows Live Messenger contacts.
• Contacts with context. Call history is now placed where it belongs, in each individual contact card, so people spend less time searching and more time communicating.

“T-Mobile is excited to make it even easier for our customers to stay connected to the people that matter most with the increased functionality delivered by Microsoft Windows Mobile 6,� said Cole Brodman, senior vice president and chief development officer at T-Mobile USA. “The T-Mobile Dash is already one of our best-selling smartphones, so we’re thrilled to improve on an already great communications experience for our customers.�

The Best Platform for Business

Windows Mobile efficiently works with existing Microsoft business technology investments and offers users a familiar software experience, making it the smartest mobile solution for businesses to deploy:
• Security options. The platform offers a variety of security options, giving IT departments ways to help secure a device, including new Exchange Server policies and certificate options, storage card encryption, and continued support for remote and local device wipe.
• Protected content. Organizations using Information Rights Management (IRM) technology to help control the viewing, storing and printing of confidential information on PCs can now extend those capabilities to Windows Mobile 6 powered devices, a feature not available on any other mobile phone platform.
• Line-of-business applications. Powerful, new mobile versions of the Microsoft .NET Compact Framework and Microsoft SQL Server™ are built into Windows Mobile 6, making it even easier to create and access sales tools, inventory tracking and many other applications from a Windows Mobile 6 powered smartphone.
• Internet sharing. A new built-in application makes using a Windows Mobile 6 powered smartphone as a laptop’s high-speed modem “one-click easy� with either a Bluetooth wireless or cable connection.
• Communication alternatives. Windows Mobile 6 makes it easier for operators and device-makers to integrate a voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) solution into devices they are building. British Telecom in Europe, as well as HP, will be among the first to provide smartphones with new VoIP offerings for their business customers.

“As the first operator to ever release a Windows Mobile Smartphone, Orange has always had a strong relationship with Microsoft, and the launch of Windows Mobile 6 is a natural continuation of our story together,� said Sanjiv Ahuja, CEO of Orange. “Now more than ever our customers can enjoy a straightforward mobile working experience with fast access to e-mail and business applications. The increased security removes barriers to mobile working, allowing more people to experience the benefits of having their office with them on the move.�

Windows Mobile 6 comes fresh on the heels of a successful year that saw Microsoft’s worldwide converged mobile device shipments grow 135.3 percent (year over year) in 2006, according to leading IT market research and advisory firm IDC. The industry is fast taking notice of Microsoft in the wireless arena and realizing the business benefits of Windows Mobile devices, resulting in IDC’s expectation that Windows Mobile will experience the largest growth of any mobile operating system worldwide, at 75.6 percent, through the year 2010.*

[ Source ]

As scheduled, Microsoft launches Windows Vista operating system and Office 2007 productivity suite to public worldwide today. Several major computer manufacturers, such as HP and Toshiba, have also started to retail their Vista-based products. Some also lets their old customers to upgrade their previous XP-powered laptops to Vista, either for free or for a discounted price.

Windows Vista OS is currently retailed in four flavours – Vista Home Basic ($199, upgrade $99, 32 bit), Vista Home Premium ($239, upgrade $159, 32 bit), Vista Business ($299, upgrade $199, 32 bit) and Windows Vista Ultimate ($399, upgrade $259, 32/64 bit). OEM version is also available with lower price than the retail package.

As for Microsoft Office 2007, there’s five different editions available, with price ranged between $149 and $679.

[ Microsoft Windows Vista ] [ Microsoft Office 2007 ]

Samsung Electronics reveals the second generation of its Blu-Ray player during Consumers Electronic Show 2007 event on 8-11 January at Las Vegas. This is the successor of BD-P1000 player released back in June 2006. Powered by Hollywood Quality Video (HQV) processor, the player offers true 1080i to 1080p HD de-interlacing, even from non-Blu-ray formats. There’s also a HDMI connection that enhanced the quality of the sound (via 7.1-channel Dolby Digital plus) and color. And thanks to the Anynet+ (HDMI-CEC) technology, the unit can be controlled by Samsung’s universal BD player, TV, and A/V remote control.

BD-P1200 Blu-Ray Player supports the 192KHz LPCM, Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, MPEG 2, DTS and MP3 formats. Apart from Blu-Ray, it is also compatible with traditional media, such as DVD and CD. Furthermore, there’s a “Easy Top Menu” function which lets users change the font and color of subtitles, menu titles, background color, and menu graphics according to their preference.

Priced at $799, Samsung will start shipping BD-P1200 Blu-Ray player some time this month.

[ Via ]

Just received this news in my inbox. Sony is now offering a free upgrade to Windows Vista operating system for every purchase of any eligible VAIO series laptops during 10/26/06 to 03/15/07. Pre-loaded Windows XP Media Center Edition and Professional edition will be upgraded to the equivalent versions of Windows Vista, either Home Premium or Business edition. Consumers can also upgrade from Windows XP Home Edition to either Vista Home Basic or Home Premium edition for a 50% discount off the normal price.

Some of the eligible VAIO laptops models include VAIO VGN-AR100, VGN-FS8000, VGN-SZ300, VGN-TX700, and VGC-LS1 notebooks. Check here for the whole list.

[ More ]

S60 3rd Edition Feature Pack 1 is currently being demonstrated at the Symbian Smartphone Show in London. As an enrichment to the popular Symbian S60 mobile platform, the package offers an enhanced user experiences with web browsing, location capabilities and device management functions. Several functions, such as audio messaging, video ringtone, animated screensaver, and multiple alarms, have been added as well. The S60 3rd Edition feature Pack 1 is backward compatible with S60 3rd Edition and it is available immediately for S60 device manufacturers.

More about the new features, the most handy addition is those new browser-related functions. Include an auto complete typing, password manager, and a floating toolbar that gives quick and easy access to the most-used features. Advanced device management features enable businesses to manage add-on applications remotely, and the full featured location middleware in S60 makes it possible to efficiently create location solutions.

[ Via ]

Microsoft has just released the second beta version of its upcoming Windows Vista operating system. The Windows Vista Beta 2 is now available for IT professionals and developers with MSDN and TechNet subscriptions. Microsoft will also launch the Windows Vista Customer Preview Program (CPP) for non-subscribers in the coming weeks. You can download this beta product from the link below if you want to. Personally, I won’t touch any beta product from Microsoft. The other reason is, I don’t want to waste my bandwidth for downloading any 3GB files.

Windows Vista introduces a breakthrough user experience and is designed to help you feel confident in your ability to view, find, and organize information and to control your computing experience.

The visual sophistication of Windows Vista helps streamline your computing experience by refining common window elements so you can better focus on the content on the screen rather than on how to access it. The desktop experience is more informative, intuitive, and helpful. And new tools bring better clarity to the information on your computer, so you can see what your files contain without opening them, find applications and files instantly, navigate efficiently among open windows, and use wizards and dialog boxes more confidently.

Note: After downloading, you will need to obtain a Product Key from this Windows Website.

[ Download Microsoft Windows Vista Beta 2 (3200MB) ]
[ Download Microsoft Windows Vista Product Guide (60MB, DOC) ]

In less than 24 hours after WindowsVista Beta 1 released to tester and MSDN subscribers, this OS has leaked to internet sites and newsgroups along with crack for Windows Product Activasion. The Vista download weighs in at close to 2.5GB, incase you want to download it Oh, and at the same time, Internet Explorer 7 Beta 1, also leaked. So if you want to check out the ‘microsoft-new-technology’, tabbed window feature, go find the leaked version.

I haven’t download this WindowsVista yet, and I won’t until the final version released, but I must admit that the user interface is totally awesome ExtremeTech has provided a slide show with 40 screenshot from WindowsVista. Some of them available below.

That’s it for now )