1. From the Start Menu, run CTTUNE
2. This will allow you to first Turn on Clear Type

   
   

3. If you have two monitors, you can select which or both monitors to tune
4. You will then be presented with a series of screens on the respective monitor.
5. Select which font looks the clearest for you.
6. When you are done, the completed monitor will show a check next to the calibrated monitors.

Microsoft as a company not only concentrates on its Software services for profit but makes software which are useful for people socially. Microsofts Vine is one such new product developed by Microsoft for people to be in-Touch with each other during a crisis or any wide-scale emergency. 

The Microsoft Vine Beta connects you to the people and places you care about most, when it matters. Stay in touch with family and friends, be informed when someone needs help. Get involved to create great communities. Use alerts, reports and your personal dashboard to stay in touch, informed and involved.

This product is curently in testing phrase and thus is under a Private BETA. 

It will gather local news (you tell it where you live or are at the moment). News items are gathered from 20,000 local and national news sources, plus public safety announcements from the United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The tool shows you news items on a local map. You can choose to filter out certain types of news (sports, entertainment, etc.).

If you want to try out this Service or just want to check out a Demo head to http://www.vine.net/ for a quick peek.

A few Screenshots :

Windows 7 Release Candidate 1 (Windows 7 RC1) now is available for public download. The best thing is that its available for free and will last for a year ! So technically you’ll get FREE Windows for an year.

This version is only the Release Candidate and will expire June 1, 2010. The Release Candidate is merely the near finished product and is basically the final stage in testing. It’s supposed to have all the features of the final version. There’s no fixed date when the final version will be released but rumors say it’ll be either late 2009 or early 2010.

The biggest improvement with Windows 7 is the performance. It will no longer take 5-10 minutes to boot up your machine. Windows 7 now has a much faster startup time, beating out both Vista and XP. We will also see a new feature called Windows XP mode which lets you run native XP programs on your machine.

Get your copy of Windows 7 for free now. Download from :

http://download.chip.asia/in/Windows-7-Release-Candidate-1_4964324.html

The latest Build of Windows Seven - RC1 is reportedly to be Officially out next week. This Build will be available for download to all members of Microsoft’s Developer Network (MSDN) and Technet Subscribers on April 30.

Public release is said to be at a later date on May 5.

Recently there have been news of this Build being leaked onto Torrent Sites. Many have already upgraded to this latest Build. There have been some major changes since BETA.

The Official Changes are posted at the MSDN Sites. Have a Look :

Some Changes Since Beta

A Few More Changes from Beta to RC

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TQ32R-WFBDM-GFHD2-QGVMH-3P9GC
GG4MQ-MGK72-HVXFW-KHCRF-KW6KY
4HJRK-X6Q28-HWRFY-WDYHJ-K8HDH
QXV7B-K78W2-QGPR6-9FWH9-KGMM7

Windows 7 Beta 64-bit Product Key

7XRCQ-RPY28-YY9P8-R6HD8-84GH3
JYDV8-H8VXG-74RPT-6BJPB-X42V4
482XP-6J9WR-4JXT3-VBPP6-FQF4M
JYDV8-H8VXG-74RPT-6BJPB-X42V4
D9RHV-JG8XC-C77H2-3YF6D-RYRJ9

Image Courtesy : Gizmodo

Microsoft’s PhotoSynth enables users to create navigable, three-dimensional visual “tours” by stitching together digital photos to recreate scenes that can be shared online.

It’ll cost a pretty penny for that plane ticket to Italy, lodging and other expenditures required to step into a gondola on the Grand Canal in Venice, look around, and have the gondolier take you closer to points of interest along the canal. But with Microsoft’s new PhotoSynth software and Web site, you can now take a free digital tour that consists not of video, but of an array of photos stitched together to recreate the scene in three dimensions.

“PhotoSynth allows users to combine an array of photos of a single location into a navigable, three-dimensional image called a “synth” and upload it to Photosynth.net to share with the world. The technology, which originated in a Microsoft Research project, is an altogether new way of putting photographs together.
The photo hasn’t fundamentally changed since it went digital,” says Alex Daley, group product manager for Live Labs, which incubated the PhotoSynth technology before its release. He describes PhotoSynth as a “creative medium similar to photo or video, but just a little bit different.”PhotoSynth requires photographers to think a little bit differently about how they take pictures of a scene. It won’t combine photos unless they are “synthy,” that is, unless they overlap one another so that they can be meshed together.

For now, PhotoSynth is a consumer product, but Microsoft sees potential for commercial uses as well. “If you think about the commerce scenarios, you have this ability to provide a generalized overview of that that you might not have been able to before,” Daley says. Take, for example, the possibility of a real estate site with navigable virtual tours of houses. Synths can be made to allow users to navigate around corners and objects as well as view an image in a 360-degree round.

PhotoSynth will be free, and Microsoft hasn’t decided on a way to monetize it, or even if it ever will be monetized via advertising or licensing of the technology for commercial use. “It’s more about engaging our online customers,” Daley says.

Microsoft is moving the PhotoSynth team from Live Labs to MSN, and more specifically Virtual Earth. Users can tag photos with longitude and latitude today, but Microsoft aims to allow people to soon navigate to synths via Virtual Earth. Microsoft isn’t yet further detailing other future integration with MSN and Virtual Earth, though the company says there are more plans ahead.

PhotoSynth can’t yet create an image from a collection of pre-existing photos taken by many people, but such capability could be on the way. At the SIGGRAPH graphics conference last week, the company presented a paper titled “Finding Paths Through The World’s Photos” that could create such images. “This version of PhotoSynth is only the tip of the iceberg,” Daley says.

Other limitations: water and shiny surfaces don’t yet synth well, and for now, PhotoSynth only runs in Windows. A Mac version is in the works, but with no set release date. PhotoSynth requires users to download an 8 Mbyte plug-in that creates the synths and to have or sign up for a Windows Live ID. It runs in Microsoft Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox, but only on Windows today. Users are given a large amount of online storage — 20 Gbytes or more than 60 synths of 150 photos apiece.

For now, all synths that get uploaded are open for public viewing, though people can choose to copyright their synths, make them available for use under the Created Commons license or place them in public domain. Users can rate and comment on each other’s synths. Synths can also be embedded into a third party Web site. Going forward, users might be able to restrict synths to a smaller group of people.

Microsoft recently introduced their first ever Gaming specific Keyboard and Mouse Combo called the Sidewinder X6 Keyboard and Sidewinder X5 Mouse. From the pics you can see that it has a Detachable keypad which when not in gaming mode transforms into a full-programmable macro pad !

The X5 Mouse features 9 Buttons out of which 5 are User Programmable powered by a 2000 DPI laser tracking sensor.

The X6 Keyboard will cost  US$ 79.95
The X5 Mouse will cost US$ $59.95

The Gaming Keyboard Mouse Combo will be available next month !

Check out the Official Press Release from Microsoft :

SideWinder line expands with first-ever keyboard and new SideWinder X5 Mouse.

LEIPZIG, Germany  Aug. 20, 2008  Today at the Games Convention in Leipzig, Germany, Microsoft Hardware debuted the SideWinder X6 Keyboard - the most versatile gaming keyboard on the market with the first-ever switchable key pad that can be attached to the left or right side of the keyboard for ultimate flexibility. To round out the SideWinder line, the Hardware team is also announcing the SideWinder X5 Mouse, a fast, powerful gaming mouse designed to give mainstream gamers a competitive edge.

The switchable key pad makes the SideWinder X6 Keyboard ideal for gaming as well as productivity, as the key pad functions as a standard num pad in normal keyboard mode, but becomes a programmable macro pad in game mode. Complementing the unique versatility of the keyboard are features specifically designed for gaming, including the capacity to store up to 90 macros per game and backlighting that helps users get immersed in the game.

“We know that consumers don’t want to pull out and set up a second keyboard for a gaming session, so we created a device that was perfect for both gaming and regular computer use,” said Kevin Flick, user researcher for Microsoft Hardware. “With the switchable key pad, gamers will have a fantastic, customizable experience whether they’re playing their favorite game or creating Microsoft Office PowerPoint presentations.”

Powerful Versatility
The SideWinder X6 Keyboard’s switchable key pad allows gamers to program up to 90 macros per game with the help of a set of dedicated macro keys as well as a fully programmable key pad. With mode switching, gamers can instantly go from Microsoft Office Excel to their favorite game - and place the macro pad on whichever side they prefer for gaming. The X6 also offers the following features to take advantage of its adaptability:
• Mode switching lets gamers manually toggle the keyboard from standard mode to either of two gaming modes. LEDs show the selected mode.
• Automatic profile switching detects the application that is running and applies the custom profile.
Designed for Gaming
The SideWinder X6 Keyboard is more than a standard keyboard with a few extra bells and whistles - it was built from the ground up with gamers in mind, to give them an edge up on their competition. To complement its versatility, the keyboard has the following additional features to produce the ultimate gaming package:
• New Cruise Control feature continues an action without having to hold down the key or keys assigned to the action. Gamers can use Cruise Control with up to four keys at a time.1
• In-game macro record button lets gamers record any sequence of keystrokes - even standard chat messages. Macros are stored on the PC hard drive and can be easily shared.
• WASD gaming keys, the most commonly used keys for gamers, have front-face lighting for enhanced visibility.
• Quick-Launch key gives one-touch access to Windows Vista Games Explorer, allowing gamers to quickly see the games in their PC’s game library.

Get Immersed
Gamers enjoy a heightened experience when adsorbed in the gaming world. Research shows many gamers like to dim the lights, and the X6’s two-color adjustable backlighting helps set the mood to achieve total immersion. The red backlighting indicates standard keys that are not programmable, while the amber color indicates custom-programmable macro keys in game mode that can be tuned to the gamers’ preference. The X6 also includes full media keys and volume and backlighting control dials to fine-tune the gaming experience.

SideWinder X5 Mouse
Today, Microsoft also announced the SideWinder X5 Mouse, a fast, powerful gaming mouse designed to give mainstream gamers a competitive edge. The nine-button gaming mouse is designed for handling with vertical side buttons, adjustable sensitivity switching up to 2,000 DPI, five customizable buttons, and a Quick-Launch button that instantly launches the Windows Vista Games Explorer.

SideWinder: It’s Only the Beginning
The SideWinder X6 Keyboard is the first keyboard to join the popular SideWinder family of gaming products. Established in 1995 and revived in 2007, the SideWinder line is known for its top-notch PC gaming peripherals, including mice, game pads, joysticks and steering wheels.

Pricing and Availability
The SideWinder X6 Keyboard and SideWinder X5 Mouse will be widely available in September 2008 for an estimated retail price of $79.95 (U.S.) and $59.95 (U.S.), respectively.3 The products are available now for pre-sale on Amazon.com and will ship in September when they are widely released. The SideWinder X6 Keyboard and SideWinder X5 Mouse will be backed by a worldwide three-year limited hardware warranty from Microsoft Corp. More information about these and other Microsoft Hardware products can be found at http://www.microsoft.com/hardware.

Microsoft has improved its Web Reach with the introduction of its Live Services. Microsoft still is trying hard to improve its Live Services and has been working on what is known as Live Wave 3 which is the the next version of Microsoft’s Windows Live software and services and is expected to be launched for Beta Testers in coming weeks !

Live Wave promises improvements in all of Microsofts Live Services including the Live Common Installer and other popular Live Services like Windows Live Messenger, Windows Live Hotmail, Windows Live Mail, Windows Live Photo Gallery are all undergoing a major improvement !

Whats more special about Live Wave 3 is that its built keeping Windows 7 in mind and all of its Services will seamlessly integrated with the next version of Windows ! Microsoft Live Developers expressed this about an year ago, here’s what they said :

“While Windows Live is a service that is available across devices, we know most customers connect to their services on a Windows PC using Internet Explorer. We have a unique opportunity to provide a seamless experience for customers who choose to use our services with Windows and Internet Explorer.

“While we will target a seamless experience on Windows Vista, we will make a bet on the Windows 7 platform and experience, and create the best experience when connected with Windows 7.  We will work with the Windows 7 team and be a first and best developer of solutions on the Windows 7 platform.

“Our experiences will be designed so when they are connected to Windows 7 they seamlessly extend the Windows experience, and we will work to follow the Windows 7 style guidelines for applications.  We will work with the Internet Explorer 8 team to make sure we deliver an experience that seamlessly extends the browser with our toolbar and other offerings.Search and MSN.”

Links :

• microsoft2.net
• zdnet.com