REDMOND, Wash. — Nov. 3, 2009 — Microsoft today unveiled a preview of its new design for the popular MSN home page. With a fresh new look, the new MSN is designed to be the best home page on the Web.
With more than 600 million customers worldwide every month, nearly 100 million in the U.S. alone, MSN helps connect people to the information that matters most to them from familiar and trusted sources. In response to feedback from customers asking for easier access to the latest information from their friends, favorite sources and hot Web topics, the new home page provides quick access to powerful Bing search, favorite social networks, more relevant local information, and the latest news and entertainment information — all in one location.
“More than half of people online start their sessions on sites like MSN and they told us they want simplicity — yet still want the latest information and their favorite services delivered together,” said Lisa Gurry, senior director, MSN. “With our large audience and sophisticated technology, we were able to gather a tremendous amount of customer feedback to ensure we delivered the online experience customers are really craving.”
The new home page has 50 percent fewer links, and is focused on providing access to the information and services people care about most. It is designed for simpler navigation across the top five information areas for customers: entertainment, news, sports, lifestyle and finance. Premium content is supplied through partnerships with MSNBC, FOX Sports, Hearst, Rodale, Meredith, Mayo Clinic and more, as well as bloggers and social media sites.
The new MSN home page also offers a deeper search experience through powerful integration with Bing, helping people make faster and more informed decisions and easily find the information they want from anywhere on the Web. Bing is deeply integrated as the core search service throughout the home page, via key areas such as shopping, travel and local, and as a way of highlighting hot topics, trends or people.
Convenient access to social networks, such as Facebook and Twitter, is also available from the new home page, eliminating the need for people to jump from one site to another to update their status or see what their friends are up to.
The new MSN home page also incorporates comprehensive local information, offering more real-time community news than any other home page. Included is a new offering, MSN Local Edition, which provides the latest information on local weather, news, sports, entertainment and dining, and traffic and events, grouped by ZIP code.
The new home page offers inline high-quality streaming video, employing Silverlight technology, from more than 300 sources including Hulu, National Geographic and FOX Entertainment Group.
“The time was right for us to make a big bet, and our approach needed to be bold,” said Gurry. “Today is an important transformation for MSN, and it’s only the beginning.”
The preview of the new MSN home page can be visit at http://preview.msn.com
Far far away, behind the word mountains, far from the countries Vokalia and Consonantia, there live the blind texts. Separated they live in Bookmarksgrove right at the coast of the Semantics, a large language ocean. A small river named Duden flows by their place and supplies it with the necessary regelialia. It is a paradisematic country, in which roasted parts of sentences fly into your mouth.
Even the all-powerful Pointing has no control about the blind texts it is an almost unorthographic life One day however a small line of blind text by the name of Lorem Ipsum decided to leave for the far World of Grammar. The Big Oxmox advised her not to do so, because there were thousands of bad Commas, wild Question Marks and devious Semikoli, but the Little Blind Text didn’t listen. She packed her seven versalia, put her initial into the belt and made herself on the way.
When she reached the first hills of the Italic Mountains, she had a last view back on the skyline of her hometown Bookmarksgrove, the headline of Alphabet Village and the subline of her own road, the Line Lane. Pityful a rethoric question ran over her cheek, then she continued her way. On her way she met a copy.
The copy warned the Little Blind Text, that where it came from it would have been rewritten a thousand times and everything that was left from its origin would be the word “and” and the Little Blind Text should turn around and return to its own, safe country. But nothing the copy said could convince her and so it didn’t take long until a few insidious Copy Writers ambushed her, made her drunk with Longe and Parole and dragged her into their agency, where they abused her for their projects again and again. And if she hasn’t been rewritten, then they are still using her.
Far far away, behind the word mountains, far from the countries Vokalia and Consonantia, there live the blind texts. Separated they live in Bookmarksgrove right at the coast of the Semantics, a large language ocean. A small river named Duden flows by their place and supplies it with the necessary regelialia. It is a paradisematic country, in which roasted parts of sentences fly into your mouth. Even the all-powerful Pointing has no control about the blind texts it is an almost unorthographic life One day however a small line of blind text by the name of Lorem Ipsum decided to leave for the far World of Grammar.
I found out this nice and better windows live messenger on this site http://webim.live.sg/ It’s faster and easier to user than the previous web messenger.
- Web based messenger
Web based windows live messenger allow you sign in windows live and chat with just a browser. Go to http://webim.live.sg/ to sign in.
Tomorrow is day for the new windows operating system to launch. While most of us still using Windows XP, (Because people just keep bashing Windows vista like no tomorrow, PC manufacture downgrade to XP by default and many many more).Is it time for you to upgrade from a 7 years old operating system to the latest windows operating system Windows 7? Here are some information for you.
Microsoft learned from their mistake
Although Windows vista have some new features and a more eye candy interface than Windows Xp, the debut of windows vista received many bad respond from the public because of slow performance, resource hungry, compatibility problem and more. Microsoft respond this with Service pack 1, although service pack address some compatibility and performance issues. most people still hold for upgrade to newer operating system.
Windows 7, already reviewed by many before it’s launch date, receive respond most are positive praising it’s fast boot/shutdown time, faster file operation and more. Intel have posted the study titled “The Value of PC Refresh with Microsoft Windows 7“, The result is 97 percent of Intel tester recommend Windows 7. In Windows 7 Malaysia site most are positive respond. This show most people are happy with the OS.
Should I upgrade to Windows 7? Can I still stick with Windows XP?
Windows 7 offer many innovative new features and technology over Win XP, People holding on upgrade to Win Vista because of overwhelming negative respond because of it’s slow performance. Windows 7 have faster boot time and shut down time. Less resource hungry, less memory foot print, and better performance in file operation. Improved UAC (User Account Control) that doesn’t ridiculously prompt u so many times. In Intel’s report Win7 show improvement in performance over WinXP. Computer that able to run Win vista are also able to run Win7. You should have no regret for getting an upgrade to Win7
Not interested in upgrading to newer OS? Windows XP is very reliable and much faster than windows vista. Most people still working with the 7 years old windows xp. But Microsoft had already stop selling Windows XP pro and home in retail now the only way to get win xp is buying a netbook with WIn Xp home edition. If your computer break down in future you can no longer able to purchase new copy of Win XP and manufacture not giving driver for Win XP then you will then forced to use Win 7 that time.
Can I try Windows 7?
Yes, you can download windows 7 trial from technet website. The trial of windows 7 have 90 days of trial period.
How about compatibility issue?
Check with this website see whether your application and hardware able to run with Win7
Can I perform in-place upgrade from WinXP to Win7?
No, you can only perform in-place upgrade from Win Vista to Win7, for WinXP you have to backup all your files and perform a clean installation of Win7. Please refer to the following chart.
Windows upgrade chart
After 3 months of using Windows 7 so far it doesn’t giving me any problem, most noticeable improvement over vista are faster boot/shutdown time, revamped aero glass experience and beautiful wall paper .
AVG Free anti virus, the free version of anti virus software installed on most PC, offer decent protection and easy to use interface since version 8.5. What I like about AVG is the interface is straightforward and clean, updates are fast too. I have experience working with several anti virus software and some of them have problem which is very difficult to update, Some got ridiculously designed interface (AWWWHHHHHH!!!!! THIS MAKE ME PULL MY HAIR ALOT!!!). However my experience with AVG (since version 8.5) most of the time are decent and easy.
AVG 9, the new version of the free anti virus, is said to have faster performance. It also feature scan optimizer which skip verified legitimate application which save time while scanning.
AVG 9 Interface
Virus detected
Downloading installer
AVG 9 FREE can be download at http://www.avg.com/my-ms/download-file-stb-afg
Recently I have received some email that “from maybank” I can tell it’s a fake for sure because I never have any account on maybank. Phishing, a technique to cheat and capture unsuspecting user password, it can be facebook, email, game and even bank account. check out this phishing email I have received
Phishing email trying to direct to fake site
How do phishing work?
Phishing is a technique which mimic a web site such as internet banking, web mail login site, game login site and more, making the fake site look just like the site it mimic. Unsuspecting user directed to those site will just key in their login info and password to login. Once they key in their login info, the username and password will then captured, then the malicious site owner will have access to the user account. Phishing also involve sending emails telling the user their action is required such as your account is blocked, login required and more.Although the link (blue text with line) looks like a link to the right site, it’s actually linked to the phishing site. Even the email seems like originated from the right site, but email address can be spoofed (imitate).
Fake link that link to phishing site
How do I avoid phishing?
Most modern browser already have anti phishing function. Some search engine also have phishing filtering feature, these feature prevent you enter into a phishing site by warning you before you enter those sites. Most web mail will have security feature such as anti virus, anti spam which filter out junk mail and phishing mail. To prevent clicking on a fake link, always go to the site by typing the url of the site into the address bar. Install anti virus/security suite on your computer to prevent malware redirect you to phishing site. For safety always change your password at least every 3 months.
I think I got logged to those site before, what should I do?
Change your password immediately, if it’s a online banking account tell the bank you think your account has been compromised.
Microsoft Office, the most popular office suite, will release web version of their office suite next year. Office Web Apps are the online, lightweight versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote. With Office Web Apps people can access, share and work on Office documents with web browser and internet.
Excel on Office Web App
Office web app will offered in three ways. First, Windows live user will have access to office web app on windows live sky drive. Second, Office Web Apps will be available to Office 2010 volume licensing customers, hosted with Microsoft SharePoint Server on-premises. Third, businesses will also have access to Office Web Apps through Microsoft Online Services.
Office web app will be available on first half 2010, to sign up for Office web app beta visit http://www.microsoft.com/Office2010.
Sofa and bed seems like a good place to play or work with a laptop, but since sofa and bed are soft. the ventilation hole on the laptop can be blocked, causing laptop to overheat and even damage to the processor. NEVER use an laptop cooler on a sofa, bed or soft surface UNATTENDED, this can make the fan on the laptop cooler to get stuck, when the fan are receiving power but not able to move, the fan will get hot. This can possibly create fire hazard. Especially u leave your laptop on with the laptop cooler. However, those better laptop cooler which the fan is fully covered should be safe to use.
If you want to use laptop on sofa or bed, make sure the ventilation hole is not being blocked. Use a laptop cooler which is fully covered. Such laptop cooler can dissipate heat from laptop and prevent ventilation hole bring blocked.
As wireless router getting affordable, more people deploy wireless network in their home and office. Although wireless work like magic and enable you to carry anywhere inside the network range, in some scenario it is wiser to connect your computer with wired network cable.
Wireless limitation and disadvantage.
Wireless network (or WLAN, stand for Wireless Local Area Network) aren’t as reliable as wired network, the signal can be interfere by many factor, such as near by devices that use the same frequency (Bluetooth, near by wlan and microwave). Even rain and glossy surface can interfere wlan connection.
Wireless is slower than wired network. Wired network are connected at 100 mbps or 1 gbps speed, but wireless G network are communicating with the speed of 54mbps (At FULL signal strength, as the signal strength lesser the speed get slower until 1mbps) 108mbps for Wireless N. Wireless network bandwidth are shared per router/AP. If you have more than one computer communicate at the same time, the bandwidth will be divide to half for each computer. Therefore it’s not a good idea to connect many computer to one wireless AP/router if you need to transfer files between computers.
A major WLAN drawback are security issue. Anyone within signal range can connect to the network with key, Weak wireless security protocol such as WEP, already have known way to break it. Once hacker had cracked the network key and connect into your network., they can wreck your IT infrastructure or gather confidential data! So make sure you secure your wireless network with at least WPA. Using MAC address filtering add another layer of security to your WLAN.
WLAN also have more things to configuration than wired network. therefore require more technical knowledge to implement WLAN.
To Wireless or not wireless?
If the computer is near the router/switch it’s best to use a network cable to connect to the network, connect via wire is more reliable, faster and secure. However for laptop computer or computer too far away from router, connect via wireless save you from pulling long cables and fussy cables. but post security issue if not properly secured. If there’s too many computer using wireless consider add more wireless access point to add more bandwidth to your wireless network.
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