[Migrated to Karthikk.net] Karthik.K's Online Home!!

My new website

2009-06-09T00:24:00.001-07:00

Hi dear visitors,

I am very happy to inform you all that I have currently moved to my very new website built with Wordpress. Please follow the link below to view my website.

http://www.karthikk.net/

Thank You!!

Microsoft Vine - Screenshots

2009-06-03T23:31:00.000-07:00

Ghost Remains – After the black hole eruption!

2009-05-29T12:01:00.000-07:00

This composite image shows a small region of the Chandra Deep Field North. The diffuse blue object near the center of the image is believed to be a cosmic 'ghost' generated by a huge eruption from a supermassive black hole in a distant galaxy. This X-ray ghost, a.k.a. HDF 130, remains after powerful radio waves from particles traveling away from the black hole at almost the speed of light, have died off.

HDF 130 is more than 10 billion light years away and existed at a time 3 billion years after the Big Bang, when galaxies and black holes were forming at a high rate. Near the center of the X-ray ghost is a radio point source indicating the presence of a growing supermassive black hole.

Image Credit: X-ray (NASA/CXC/IoA/A.Fabian et al.); Optical (SDSS), Radio (STFC/JBO/MERLIN)

Microsoft Bing!

2009-05-28T12:26:00.001-07:00

Microsoft is rolling out its new redesigned search site, BING. And the tag line goes this way:

Bing and Decide!!

As it says, there are a lot of feature rich content, that helps you to find information about Travel, Books, travel booking, and so on!!! :)

"We want to do better," Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer said Thursday at The Wall Street Journal's D: All Things Digital conference in Carlsbad, Calif.

And now, the Bing is sure to challenge the search engine market. And I was amazed to find this quote from a trusted source:

When asked why Microsoft chose "Bing," he said, "The name is short, it's easy to say, it works globally."

I am currently researching on how the BING works and how its getting developed. I will post back a detailed review on BING very soon!! Till then kindly checkout the test site of BING.

TEST DRIVE BING NOW!!

Buy a Mac and get a iPod touch free!!

2009-05-28T02:15:00.000-07:00

Just released!!

If you’re a college student or a faculty or staff member at any grade level and you buy a new Mac through September 8, you can get a free iPod touch.* No wonder they call these the best years of your life.

Green Lantern – First Flight

2009-05-27T23:15:00.001-07:00

Just another video of Green Lantern.

Microsoft adds touch- screen web browser to Zune

2009-05-27T11:11:00.001-07:00

The next generation Zune HD, is ready to rock. The Zune will be carrying a HD video output, that will let you play files through docks on HD TVs. And now, Zune’s screen will be made up of Organic Light Emitting Diodes, which provides long lasting battery life for the device.

The Zune HD will also be having a web browser, touch screen and also, a HD Radio Receiver. Microsoft also, plans to announce the link between the music services and the Xbox gaming console at the Electronic Entertainment Expo next week.

Rock on Zune!! Rock on Microsoft!!

Google Chrome’s Commercial TV Ad

2009-05-21T07:00:00.000-07:00

Google Chrome Commercial Ad

Windows 7 – The OS I love !!

2009-05-20T02:51:00.001-07:00

Well,

Now that the techies voices are silent. And those voices that were screaming about the bugs in Vista are now gone. And those who migrated to Open Source Operating Systems are now bouncing back. All these happened after the Official release of the all new “Windows 7 Beta”. The beta was released at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2009, held from Jan. 8^th to Jan. 11^th at the Las Vegas. The Windows 7 Beta was shown at the spot light to the public on 9^th Jan. 2009. It was a big day for Microsoft, after its major release, Windows Vista. Now that to review Windows 7 Beta, I am moving on with the following equation: “Power of XP + UI of Vista = Windows 7”. The build that has come out for the public is the Build 7000, which is much closer build to the release candidate. The Windows 7 Beta build is reasonably stable and also has a really very user friendly User Access Control (UAC) than Windows Vista. I have been running Windows 7 Beta since 9^th January with no major issues, when compared to the Windows Vista RTM build. Now moving our talk towards the features, Windows 7 has got some very cool feature that we should look at.

Installation :

The Windows 7 installation took about 20 mins. For a laptop with 3GB of RAM, 2.0GHz of Processor. Windows 7 has a new interactive Setup routine, as like the installation of Vista. Between fewer screens and some performance tweaks, Windows 7 installs more quickly than does Windows Vista and that’s particularly noticeable when you install the build in performance-challenged virtual machines.

Using Windows 7 Beta:

I felt that Windows 7 Beta has a very nice and comfortable user interface better than Windows Vista. The taskbar is much improved and easy to use. Just compare the taskbar of Windows 95 and now turn your head towards Windows 7 taskbar. And now, despite the typical Microsoft’s Start menu, Microsoft has extended the taskbar over the years. The new taskbar is now improved and has got a very nice grouping system, which groups many windows into one single icon. Turning the spotlight towards the tray icons, its now customizable!! And yes, you can drag them, rearrange them, pull them out and do whatever you need on the taskbar!! It’s your OS BTW!! :P

I have been using Windows 7 from day one (Both legal and illegal releases) and have I hardly found problems in the OS. And the highlights of the OS are :

Fast Boot up time
Easy and fresh UI
New Aero features
New Windows XP mode
Live ID Integration, etc.,

I know you folks would have experimented it already. But I was just curious to share my experience about Windows 7 to you all!! Bug reports are welcome even here in the comments section!! :).

HAPPY WINDOWS 7 EXPERIENCE.

Windows 7 – Build 6956 (New Build)

2008-12-19T06:29:00.001-08:00

While the busy little elves up in Santa's workshop in Redmond are working hard on making the Windows 7 Beta a reality--I hear they're up beyond build 7000 at this point--I've been working with a number of earlier builds. These builds fall after the M3 ("milestone 3") build the company released at PDC 2008 but before Beta 1, which is expected next month. I had previously published a number of shots from these builds, but in looking over the most recently leaked build, build 6956, it occurred to me that my previous shots didn't accurately reflect the most recent UI elements in some cases. This set of shots seeks to address that.

What you'll see here are the new Windows Explorer icon, the new Action Center user experience, some new sample pictures, some preinstalled Windows Themes complete with slideshows, the new Compatibility View updates option in IE 8, and a few other goodies. Enjoy.

Karthik.K

Microsoft Student Partner

Source: WinSuperSuite

Windows 7 – A Feature Focus

2008-12-19T06:28:00.001-08:00

Hey people,

Now here, I am with some of the best features that would add richness to your lives… Here are some:

While you could always shell out $60 for a Windows book that teaches you everything from how to use a mouse to the vagaries and history of TCP/IP networking, I think there's a better way. You're already a Windows user, so we can make certain assumptions about your needs and wants. And when it comes to the next version of Windows, what you want to know--what you need to know--is what's changed, what's different. And that's why I'm starting this Feature Focus series: To focus on the new features in Windows 7, Microsoft's next client operating system.

It won't happen overnight. Indeed, with Windows 7 not even feature complete as I write this, features that are there now in the public M3 ("milestone 3") pre-beta could change and new features can and will be added. So this series will evolve as Windows 7 evolves, and it will grow over time until, I hope, it's good enough that you don't need one of those pointlessly detailed introductory books. (But if you do want to take it to the next level, fear not: I've already begun prepping Windows 7 Secrets, the follow-up to my Windows Vista Secrets books.)

Here are the new features I've identified in Windows 7 so far. If you find a missing feature, or would prefer for me to cover certain features first, please do let me know. I will begin writing up full articles about each feature soon.

Aero Peek

This replacement for Show Desktop in Windows 7 lets you "peek" behind all of the open windows on your desktop and easily view and Windows Gadgets or files on your desktop. You can also peek into the contents of specific open windows. Read more...

Aero Snaps

By dragging open windows in certain ways, you can "snap" them to the edges of the screen, maximize, or minimize. This obviates the need to click tiny onscreen elements, making these features more accessible to users. Read more...

Feature Focus coming soon

Accessibility improvements. Microsoft has revamped the accessibility features in Windows 7 with improved speech recognition and a new Magnifier utility with full-screen and lens-mode views.

Action Center. While previous versions of Windows included a feature called Windows Security Center that monitored the various security features of the system, Windows 7 takes this functionality to the next level with Action Center. In addition to monitoring security, Action Center also monitors the OS's maintenance features and consolidates alerts from numerous Windows features into a single interface.

Backup and Restore. Windows Vista's stellar backup and restore features have been streamlined and simplified in Windows 7. Like its predecessor, Windows 7 supports both data backup and image-based system backup, but now the UIs are more segregated.

Bitlocker To Go. The full-drive encryption feature that first debuted in Windows Vista has been updated in Windows 7 to support removable USB storage devices like flash memory drives and portable hard drives.

Blu-Ray support. Windows 7 natively supports Blu-Ray optical discs and enables you to write to Blu-Ray recordable media.

Calculator. The Windows Calculator utility inexplicably receives a major upgrade in Windows 7 with calculation history, unit conversion, calculation templates, data calculations, and other new features.

Credential Manager. The new and improved Windows 7 Credential Manager lets you save credentials, like user names and passwords, so that you can more easily logon on to Web sites, networked computers, and other resources automatically. Credentials are saved in the Windows Vault and can be backed up and restored to encrypted Managed Information Card (MIC) files. (Credential Manager uses Windows CardSpace technology.)

Device Stage. This Longhorn-style user experience will be made available for multi-function devices such as smart phones, multifunction printers, portable media players, and the like. Through this UI, you'll be able to access the features that are unique to each device. Each Device Stage page can be extensively customized by the device maker.

Devices and Printers. This activity center provides a central location for interacting with any hardware devices--digital cameras, mice, displays, keyboards, and the like--that may be attached to your PC.

DirectAccess. This feature is aimed at business users who need to securely access corporate network resources while away from the office. Essentially a simple replacement for VPN connections, DirectAccess requires Windows Server 2008 R2 on the server-side.

DirectX 11. Windows 7 includes the latest version of the DirectX multimedia libraries.

Display improvements. Windows 7 includes numerous improvements related to computer displays, including integrated display color calibration, improved high DPI support, ClearType, and improved support for external displays. A new Windows Key + P keyboard shortcut helps you easily switch between connected displays.

Getting Started. This replacement for Windows Vista's Welcome Center no longer appears the first time you boot into the Windows desktop, but it still provides a central location for discovering new features, personalizing the system, transferring data from your previous Windows PC, and discovering and launching other common tasks.

HomeGroup. Microsoft has consolidated the most common network-based sharing tasks into a single simple interface called HomeGroup. Computers in a HomeGroup can easily share documents, digital media files, and printers over a home network.

Internet Explorer. Windows 7 ships with the latest version of Microsoft's Web browser, Internet Explorer 8.

Libraries. In Windows 7, Microsoft has realized a long-term goal to replace the static special shell folders from previous Windows versions and replace them with virtualized shell locations that aggregate content from a variety of physical locations. Libraries are implemented as virtual folders and the views they present are the results of search queries. Libraries are also the basis for HomeGroup file and digital media content sharing.

Location-Aware Printing. Windows 7 utilizes different default printers for each of the network locations you've configured on the system so you won't mistakenly print a child's school project to the work printer. When you're at work, you'll print to the work printer, and when you're at home, you'll print to the home printer.

MinWin. The componentized core of Windows 7, which includes both the traditional operating system kernel as well as the minimum necessary surrounding support technologies to create a bootable (and, for Microsoft, testable) system. Note that, in Windows 7, MinWin isn't a feature per se but is rather the foundation upon which the rest of the OS is built.

Paint. The Paint utility that's been in Windows from the very first version receives its first significant upgrade in decades, and now sports the new Scenic Ribbon toolbar.

Parental Controls. The parental control functionality that debuted in Windows Vista is updated in Windows 7 to support multiple games rating systems and parental control providers.

Power Config. Windows 7 includes a new Power Config utility that provides reports identifying problems, settings, applications, and other things that may be reducing the power efficiency of your PC.

Problem Steps Recorder. Windows 7 includes a new utility called the Problem Steps Recorder that captures screen shots of the steps a user is taking so that help desk personnel can provide a fix without physically having to visit the desktop.

ReadyBoost. ReadyBoost first appeared in Windows Vista, providing users with a way to cheaply and easily improve the performance of their PCs by utilizing a USB memory key as a memory cache. In Windows 7, ReadyBoost is improved in numerous way: It supports multiple memory devices, can work with USB memory keys, Secure Digital (SD) memory cards, and other internal flash devices, and supports over 4 GB of storage.

Scenic Ribbon. Microsoft has evolved the Ribbon toolbar from Office 2007 and made it part of the operating system in Windows 7. This new version of the Ribbon, called the scenic Ribbon, is used by two Windows 7 applications, Paint and WordPad, and can be used by third party applications going forward as well.

Sensor support. Windows 7 includes support for hardware-based sensors, including GPS-based location sensors.

Start Menu (Enhanced). The Windows 7 Start Menu is an enhanced version of the Start Menu that debuted in Windows Vista.

Startup Repair. While this useful tool did debut with Windows Vista, it wasn't installed on PCs by default. In Windows 7, it is installed into the OS partition automatically and appears automatically when the system can't boot properly, fixing any problems and returning the system to its normal booting state.

Sticky Notes. The Sticky Notes utility loses the bizarre Windows XP-style interface from previous Windows versions and supports ink and text input.

Styles. In Windows 7, Microsoft combines various system preferences--including the desktop background, the Aero glass window color, the system sounds, and the screen saver--into styles you can customize, save, and share with others.

System Restore. The Windows 7 version of System Restore works as before, providing a way to non-destructively return a PC to a previous point in time, but is more reliable, predictable, and effective than its predecessors.

Tablet PC. After making Tablet PC functionality available more broadly in Windows Vista, Microsoft is improving this technology in Windows 7 with better handwriting recognition that has improved accuracy, speed, and support for math expressions, personalized custom dictionaries, and 13 new languages.

User Account Control. While much reviled by certain users, the User Account Control (UAC) feature that debuted in Windows Vista played a huge role in making that system the most secure Windows version yet. In Windows 7, UAC is extensively updated to be less annoying, and the overall system has been fine-tuned to minimize the number of UAC prompts that interrupt users.

View Available Networks. Windows 7 includes a new Jump List-based utility for finding and connecting to Wi-Fi, mobile broadband, dial-up, and VPN connections. Unlike the similar UI in Windows Vista, this utility, called View Available Networks, does not require you to navigate through a series of dialogs and windows.

Virtual Hard Disk support. Windows 7 allows you to mount a Virtual Hard Disk (VHD) as a drive in Explorer so that you can navigate its contents like a physical hard disk. It also supports the ability to boot from VHD images.

VPN Reconnect. Windows 7 users who still need to make traditional VPN connections will benefit from a new VPN Reconnect feature that automatically reestablishes a VPN connection when you temporarily lose Internet connectivity.

Windows Anytime Upgrade. This utility debuted in Windows Vista but was found to be too confusing for most users, so the electronic upgrade capability was removed. In Windows 7, Windows Anytime Upgrade returns to electronic upgrading and Microsoft promises you'll be able to upgrade from one version of Windows 7 to another in about 10 minutes now.

Windows Defender. The malware and spyware protection utility from Windows Vista continues in Windows 7 with a few changes: It's been integrated into the new Action Center and its centralized notification system. But Defender also drops the useful Software Explorer feature, so users will have to look elsewhere for a way to prevent unwanted applications from running a startup.

Windows Easy Transfer. The Windows Easy Transfer utility that debuted in Windows Vista has been substantially updated with a new user interface and new capabilities. As before, Easy Transfer helps you transfer files, folders, and program and system settings from your previous Windows install to your new one. This time around, however, the process is simpler and more streamlined.

Windows Explorer. Microsoft has significantly updated Windows Explorer yet again in Windows 7, this time with a new toolbar, a resizable search box, and a new navigational pane.

Windows Gadgets. The Windows Sidebar disappears in Windows 7, but the Gadgets continue on and are integrated with the desktop.

Windows Live. Windows 7 integrates with a growing collection of Windows Live services, including Windows Live Photos, Windows Live Profile, Windows Live People, Windows Live Spaces, Windows Live Home, Windows Live SkyDrive, Windows Live Groups, Windows Live Calendar, Windows Live Events, Windows Live Hotmail, and more.

Windows Live Essentials. Available as an optional download, Windows Live Essentials is an application suite that includes a number of new versions of classic Windows applications, including Windows Live Mail (email and calendar), Windows Live Photo Gallery (photos), Windows Live Messenger (instant messaging), Windows Live Movie Maker (video editing), Windows Live Family Safety (enhanced parental controls), and more.

Windows Media Center. Microsoft's ten-foot UI for digital media content is improved with a slightly enhanced user interface, multi-touch support, HomeGroup integration, and various global broadcast TV standards.

Windows Media Player. Microsoft's media player received a major makeover in Windows 7 with several new features, including enhanced DVD playback, a new lightweight playback mode, dramatically improved format compatibility (including AAC and H.264), Windows Taskbar Jump List customization, PC-to-PC and media streaming, and a new Play To feature.

Windows PowerShell. Windows 7 ships with the Windows PowerShell 2.0 scripting environment and the Windows PowerShell Integrated Scripting Environment (ISE).

Windows Search. Windows 7 comes with the latest version of Windows Search, and unlike the version that first shipped with Windows Vista, you can now obtain instant search results from network-based file shares as well as local hard drives. Microsoft has also improved the performance of local searches, sorting, and grouping.

Windows Taskbar (Enhanced). The Windows Taskbar has been dramatically enhanced in Windows 7 to minimize clutter. New Taskbar features like Jump Lists, fly-over and full-screen icon previews, and more.

Windows Touch. Windows 7 builds on the Tablet PC and touch capabilities from previous Windows versions and adds pervasive support for multi-touch. All of the major UI components, including the Start Menu, Windows Taskbar, and Explorer, are touch-friendly in Windows 7.

Windows Troubleshooting. This new Windows 7 feature diagnoses and resolves common operating system and hardware issues. It works automatically, or you can visit the Troubleshooting control panel to find problems to troubleshoot. Windows Troubleshooting integrates with Action Center so you'll be notified when relevant new troubleshooters from Microsoft and third parties are made available.

Windows Update. Microsoft's utility for downloading and installing system updates has been enhanced in Windows 7 to take advantage of changes in the security model and to better expose optional and featured updates.

Wireless Device Network. Finally, Windows gains a way to use your wireless-equipped laptop as a wireless access point for other PCs when you're connected to a wired network.

WordPad. The simple word processor continues into Windows 7 with the new Scenic Ribbon UI and several editing improvements.

XPS Viewer. While Windows Vista users are forced to use Internet Explorer to view XML Paper Specification (XPS) documents--essentially Microsoft's PDF knock-off--Windows 7 gains a dedicated XPS Viewer application.

Karthik.K

Microsoft Student Partner

Source: WinSuperSuite

Windows 7 – Aero Snaps

2008-12-19T06:26:00.001-08:00

Awesome Awesome awesome… OMG guys.. Just expect for a mind crash… I am fully in love with windows 7. And I am just expecting for its final release. And here is another feature that is making me go mad… Its the Aero Peek…….

As with Aero Peek, Aero Snaps is one of the new Aero Desktop Enhancements in Windows 7. This feature is also aimed at window management, but this time with an eye towards deemphasizing the use of standard window controls, which are getting smaller and harder to use as we move to extremely high resolution displays. What Aero Snaps does, essentially, is provide a way to maximize, minimize, and stack windows side-by-side. And it works using natural and easy-to-remember mouse movements that don't require precise mouse clicks.

Backgrounder

With Windows's emphasis on multitasking and multiple open windows, it's often useful and necessary to control the size or position of the currently focused window. Historically, Windows has provided a number of common UI controls for these needs. For example, most windows include standard Minimize, Maximize/Restore, and Close window buttons in the upper right corner. They can often be resized by dragging any edge of the window. And there are non-discoverable methods for resizing windows as well. For example, you can double-click anywhere in a window's title bar area to maximize it.

In Windows 7, Microsoft is augmenting these legacy window management methods with a new set of functionality called Aero Snaps. It's worth noting, however, that all of the older methods mentioned above will still work fine in Windows 7. So if you're used to doing things a particular way, you aren't losing any functionality.

Aero Snaps

Aero Snaps provides a number of new ways to position and resize windows. And none of them actually require new onscreen controls, so they work fine with both the mouse and with Windows 7's new touch controls. These methods include:

Maximize

Keyboard shortcut: WINKEY + UP ARROW

To maximize the currently focused and floating window, click and hold the title bar area and drag the window up toward the top of the screen. When the cursor hits the top edge of the screen, the window will maximize.

Maximize vertically

Keyboard shortcut: WINKEY + SHIFT + UP ARROW

If you just wish for the current window to expand vertically, both up and down (but not horizontally, or left and right), you can grab the top or bottom edge of the currently focused and floating window, and drag it towards the closest (top or bottom) edge of the screen. When the cursor hits the edge of the screen, the window will maximize vertically.

Snap to the left side of screen

Keyboard shortcut: WINKEY + LEFT ARROW

Multi-monitor support: As you repeatedly tap the keyboard shortcut, the windows moves left across the displays, snapping to screen edges as it goes

To snap the currently focused and floating window to the left side of the screen, drag it to the left. When the cursor hits the left side of the screen, the window will snap to that edge and occupy the leftmost 50 percent of the screen.

Snap to the right side of screen

Keyboard shortcut: WINKEY + RIGHT ARROW

Multi-monitor support: As you repeatedly tap the keyboard shortcut, the windows moves right across the displays, snapping to screen edges as it goes

To snap the currently focused and floating window to the right side of the screen, drag it to the right. When the cursor hits the right side of the screen, the window will snap to that edge and occupy the rightmost 50 percent of the screen.

The previous two methods are often used together. So you may snap one window to the left side of the screen, one to the right, and then drag and drop files between them or perform other similar tasks.

Secret: Windows Vista and previous Windows versions support snapping windows to the edges of the screen, but it's a lot more ponderous to use. To do so, CTRL-click the taskbar buttons for the windows you'd like to snap, right-click the Taskbar, and then choose Show windows side-by-side. This method no longer works with the new Windows 7 taskbar.

Restore

Keyboard shortcut: WINKEY + DOWN ARROW

To restore a maximized or snapped window, simply drag it down from the top or other edge of the screen by clicking and holding in the title bar area. If you maximized or snapped the window using Aero Snaps, it will return to its previous size and position.

Final thoughts

Aero Snaps is a neat addition to Windows 7 because it augments rather than replaces earlier methods for resizing and positioning windows. This works well for both mouse users and those who will access Windows 7 via its new touch controls. Again, nothing major, but Aero Snaps is one of very many small but useful new Windows 7 features that makes Microsoft's next operating system simpler than its predecessors.

Karthik.K

Microsoft Student Partner

Source: WinSuperSuite

Windows 7 – Aero Peek

2008-12-19T06:25:00.001-08:00

Guys,

Im intolerably loving Windows 7. And just look at the rich features of Windows 7. This is Microsoft’s one of the most innovative and awesome features that they have included in Windows 7. Its just Windows 7 Manthra going on in my mind for the past few months. ;P

Billed as one of several new Aero Desktop Enhancements in Windows 7, Aero Peek is new to this operating system and is one of many technologies that Microsoft has implemented over the years to combat problems caused by excessive multitasking: If the users opens too many windows on the desktop, it's easy to lose track of those windows and the desktop, the latter of which can contain valuable shortcuts and other icons and, in Windows 7, any number of desktop gadgets.

Aero Peek offers two basic functions. First, it can be used to "peek" behind all of the open windows on your system so you can get a look at the desktop. Second, it can be used to find specific windows that are open but possibly obscured or hidden by other windows. We'll examine both uses here.

Preview Desktop

Previous to Windows 7, various Windows versions included a feature called Show Desktop that was typically exposed by an icon in the Quick Launch toolbar in the taskbar. This Show Desktop functionality worked like a toggle: If you clicked it once, all of the open windows on your system would be minimized and you could access the desktop. Click it again, and all of the windows that were previously opened would be returned to that state.

In Windows 7, Show Desktop has been effectively replaced by Preview Desktop, though you can optionally cause this feature to work like the old Show Desktop if you're so inclined. Instead of a taskbar icon, Preview Desktop is enabled by mousing over a new glass rectangular area that's found in the very lower rightmost of the screen; it's to the right of the system clock in the taskbar.

When you do mouse over this little panel, all of the open windows are hidden and replaced by window outlines as shown here:

This allows you to "peek" at the desktop to see what's there. It's of minimal usefulness for shortcuts and other icons, because once you move the mouse off of this panel, the windows return to view, masking the desktop. But it's very useful if you take advantage of the new desktop-based gadgets in Windows 7. (In Windows Vista, gadgets were typically found in a dedicated Sidebar area, and were usually not hidden by open windows.)

To trigger a true Show Desktop effect, you can click this panel instead of just mousing over it. Doing so causes all open windows to minimize, as they did for the Show Desktop icon for previous Windows versions.

Full-Screen Window Preview

In addition to previewing the desktop, you can also preview any of the open windows on your desktop while temporarily hiding all other open windows. To do so, you need to mouse over the taskbar button for an open application or other window. At this point, a new graphical thumbnail appears, previewing the window in a small glass frame as shown below. (If the application in question has multiple open windows, you will see one thumbnail for each open window.)

To enable the Full-Screen Window Preview function of Aero Peek, mouse over one of these graphical thumbnails. As you do, all of the other open windows on the screen are hidden and replaced with window outlines. This puts the visual emphasis on the selected window, as shown here:

To make the window you're currently previewing the selected window, just click its graphical thumbnail. Or, you can close the window by clicking the small red "X" button on the thumbnail.

Secret: What about opening a new window? With some applications, like Web browsers and word processors, you often need to open a new window. In Windows 7, you can do this in several different ways, though none are obvious. You can right-click the application's taskbar button and select [Name of the application] from the Jump List that appears. You can middle-click the application's taskbar button (if your mouse has such a button). You can use the application's built-in New Window functionality. You can find the application's shortcut in the Start Menu. (There are other methods, but these are the most obvious.)

Final thoughts

Aero Peek is just one of many small new features in Windows 7 that make this OS a delight to use and its implementation is hard to criticize. My only minor concern is that Aero Peek makes it possible to close open windows but not open new windows for already-running applications. But most users are probably familiar with the myriad of ways in which they can accomplish this, so it's unlikely to burden many people. Overall, Aero Peek is a big win for Windows 7: Sometimes the best gifts really do come in small packages. This is a great example.

Karthik.K

Microsoft Student Partner

Source: WinSuperSuite

Hotmail Now with loads of features!! Wait for Live Wave 3

2008-11-29T09:07:00.001-08:00

We’ve seen Hotmail’s interface being upgraded to Wave 3, and we’ve seen the complaints about it. But little do we know, apart from a few hints from this blog post, that what we’ve seen is only half of what’s being worked on, and some of these new features actually addresses what some of us have complained about Hotmail all these times. So here it is, say hello to the upcoming new features of Hotmail:

POP Access

This had been a popular request. Microsoft have finally opened up Hotmail to POP access instead of clinging to their proprietary DeltaSync protocol. Users will not be forced to use Outlook (with Outlook Connector) or Windows Live Mail to access their Hotmail emails from their desktop clients anymore. Instead, any e-mail application that supports POP will be able to access emails in Hotmail accounts.

POP Aggregation

Previously only available to Premium subscribers, Hotmail will be allowing all users to import any other POP-enabled email accounts they have right from within Hotmail. This means users can finally import their Yahoo! Mail Plus, Gmail or AOL emails into Hotmail, all in one place. Hotmail will also provide options to allow users to filter emails from each of these accounts into a separate folder, or all into the same inbox.

Instant Access

Remember the Hotmail blog mentioned about “some cool ideas about how to use the space where the favorites list [in classic version of Hotmail] used to be”? Well you no longer have to guess, as “Instant Access” is a new tool that takes up this space and “integrates Live Search into Hotmail, allowing users to find and embed search results such as Web images, restaurants reviews, maps, directions, or movie times into their email, without having to leave the Compose Email page.”

Web Messenger Integration

Some time ago, we briefly told you about Windows Live Web Messenger being developed and under dogfood testing. Well, as we know some lucky readers are already using it, it is no longer a surprise that Web Messenger will be coming for all of us. Now you can IM straight from within Hotmail!

What’s New Feed integration

After you have sent an email to a known contact in your contact list in Hotmail, the confirmation page will display the “What’s New” feed of that particular contact. It would be particularly useful to stay up-to-date with your contacts whenever you’re using a Windows Live service, as it seems like the “What’s New” feed is being implemented everywhere.

Ads Position Moved

Many people have been complaining how the ads in Hotmail really destroys the look of the Wave 3 themes and reduces your already-very-limited screen estate. No, they haven’t got rid of them, but there are some good news coming. In case you haven’t noticed from the above screenshots, Hotmail has finally decided to move the the top banner ad to the right column, and of course, it is now vertically positioned. Perfect for widescreen readers! We just hope that the ad will automatically resize according to your screen resolution, or it’ll just be as ugly as before. Words has it that the new Spaces will be having a totally ad-free look as well!

Of course, there’s also the ever-increasing storage that can apparently “store planets”. And last but not least, the Hotmail team is also working hard on fixing many of the bugs that people may have had experienced, as they seemed to just realise a lot of users are still using 800x600 monitors.

Wave 3 Launch Timeline

So, you might ask, when will this be available to all users? Take a look at this timeline:

To put us in context, we are currently somewhere between Phase 2 and Phase 3 (I’d say right after Phase 2). It is said that Web Messenger, What’s New feed, and Instant Access will be available in Phase 3, when the entire suite of Windows Live products (both online and offline) are released and out of beta (with the exception of Hotmail, Calendar and Movie Maker apparently). POP Access will be released in Phase 4, and POP Aggregation and “ever increasing storage” will be available in Phase 5. Sounds like a long road to go, but nevertheless this is good news for many users out there.

Source: Liveside

Karthik.K

MSP

Windows Live Skydrive – Online Hard Drive.!!

2008-11-16T14:34:00.001-08:00

Microsoft is increasing the capacity offered by its storage service in the Cloud fivefold. This means that users of Windows Live SkyDrive will be able to enjoy no less than 25GB of free online storage. The move comes as a natural evolution of the Windows Live suite of services and applications towards the full implementation of Wave 3. Microsoft indicates that it is currently hammering away at the finishing touches for Windows Live SkyDrive Wave 3, and offers users a taste of what it is in store for them.

"You asked us to make it easier to organize and download your files, so we're answering you with four key new features to address your needs: download photos directed to your to Windows Live Photo Gallery; download as a .zip file. Download an entire folder in one compressed file (initially available only in the United States, Denmark, and Ireland); move files between folders and copy files to multiple folders," a member of the Windows Live SkyDrive team revealed.
Microsoft has labored to tailor Windows Live SkyDrive as a service for digital photo storage and sharing. In this context, the Redmond company has introduced more than 20 new features and improvements, tweaking SkyDrive in order to better accommodate digital images. Among the photo optimizations, the software giant has increased the display size of the thumbnails, made it possible for users to order photo prints from the service, offered people tags and what it referred to as a gorgeous online slide show.
"We’ve dramatically renovated the sharing experience to make it easier to share the stuff you care about. Share your files and photos without requiring friends and family to use Windows Live ID. Organize your contacts by category for easy repeat sharing, or share with your entire network or extended network. Share links to your favorite websites using Windows Live Toolbar. The links are stored on your SkyDrive. See what your friends have shared lately, all in one place," the SkyDrive team representative added.
In addition, through this service Microsoft permits users to synchronize their Internet Explorer favorites between computers, and introduces an array of new languages including: Basque, Catalan, Guajarati, Hindi, Indonesian, Kannada, Malay, Malayalam, Marathi, Serbian-Cyrillic, Tamil, Telugu, and Vietnamese. Last, but definitely not least, the graphical user interface of SkyDrive will be overhauled to match the visual style of Windows Live Wave 3. The company has not disclosed when it will roll out Windows Live SkyDrive Wave 3.

Microsoft Has Windows Azure Cloud OS, Google Has Nothing

2008-11-08T10:27:00.001-08:00

When it comes down to cloud platforms, Google is no contest for Microsoft. During the User Conference for Microsoft Services in Japan, Microsoft Chief Executive Officer Steve Ballmer pointed out that despite the fact that “Google [is the] number one search company from the cloud,” it “has yet to introduce a platform”. Ballmer explained that the reason for this is the fact that Google has not embraced building platforms for IT as a business model. By contrast, Microsoft is hard at work developing Windows Azure, the company's Cloud operating system.

Azure fits perfectly into the Redmond giant's overall Software-plus-Services strategy, which Ballmer describes as “phone, PC, server and cloud, operating together, same programming model, same deployment model across these areas”. He underlined that as with former Microsoft operating systems, the company aims to deliver the platform which would support its business strategy moving forward. Under Ray Ozzie, Microsoft’s Chief Software Architect, the company is embracing the S+S model, as opposed to Google's Software-as-a-Service.
“When Microsoft was first getting into the PC business, the first model of computing, what was the first thing we did? We wrote an operating system for the PC. It was called Windows,” Ballmer stated. “When we wanted to enter the world of client-server computing, what did we do? We wrote a compatible operating system called Windows Server. When we wanted to enter the world of mobility, we wrote an operating system called Windows Mobile. And now as we enter the world of cloud computing, we're essentially creating an operating system that runs in the Internet cloud that we call Windows Azure.”
Microsoft’s CEO stressed that despite being one of the leaders in terms of Cloud computing, Google has yet to enter the Cloud platform game. Ballmer indicated that Microsoft had little competition in this arena, but that he expects rivals to crowd along the way.
“Now, why Azure? French word for 'blue' blue sky, clouds, sunny days. Windows Azure. And what we're doing with Windows Azure is exactly what we did with Windows Server. The Windows Azure programming model which runs in the Internet, not in corporate data centers, not on PCs, but in the Internet will have running on top of it .NET, Windows applications, SQL Server, SharePoint, Exchange Services, and many others,” Ballmer stated.
Even as it moves in the cloud, Microsoft’s focus remains on delivering a platform for developers and end users. The same concept of the Windows operating system running on PCs, servers and mobile phones is now extended to the Internet. However, one aspect that places Microsoft ahead of the game is the company's strong focus on business users, with Azure, Ballmer explained.
“We're adding to the Windows Server platform something we call Live Services. And Live Services bring Web 2.0-type capabilities to the Windows Azure platform. So Windows Azure is another element and then the job we have as a company is to tie together Windows Mobile, Windows, Windows Server, and Windows Azure. So you can build and deploy and distribute applications,” he added.

LOVE YOU MICROSOFT...

Karthik.K

Source: Softpedia

OOAD Practical Examination Questions. All The Best!!

2008-10-23T00:46:00.001-07:00

Design and develop the student marks analyzing system by doing the following tasks
1. Draw and document the following UML diagrams

i. Use case Diagram

ii. Activity diagram

iii. Class Diagram

iv. Component diagram

Code Generation in C++
Implementation

Design and develop the student marks analyzing system by doing the following tasks
1. Draw and document the following UML diagrams

i. Use case Diagram

ii. Any one sequence diagram

iii. Class Diagram

iv. Component diagram

Code Generation in C++
Implementation

Design and develop the student marks analyzing system by doing the following tasks
1. Draw and document the following UML diagrams

i. Use case Diagram

ii. Any one collaboration diagram

iii. Class Diagram

iv. Component diagram

Code Generation in C++
Implementation

Design and develop the student marks analyzing system by doing the following tasks
1. Draw and document the following UML diagrams

i. Use case Diagram

ii. Class Diagram

iii. Component diagram

iv. Deployment diagram

Code Generation in C++
Implementation

Design and develop the ATM system by doing the following tasks
1. Draw and document the following UML diagrams

i. Use case Diagram

ii. Class Diagram

iii. Component diagram

iv. Deployment diagram

Code Generation in C++
Implementation

Design and develop the ATM system by doing the following tasks
1. Draw and document the following UML diagrams

i. Use case Diagram

ii. Activity diagram

iii. Class Diagram

iv. Component diagram

Code Generation in C++
Implementation

Design and develop the ATM system by doing the following tasks
1. Draw and document the following UML diagrams

i. Use case Diagram

ii. Any one sequence diagram

iii. Class Diagram

iv. Component diagram

Code Generation in C++
Implementation

Design and develop the ATM system by doing the following tasks
1. Draw and document the following UML diagrams

i. Use case Diagram

ii. Any one collaboration diagram

iii. Class Diagram

iv. Component diagram

Code Generation in C++
Implementation

Design and develop the Payroll system by doing the following tasks
1. Draw and document the following UML diagrams

i. Use case Diagram

ii. Any one collaboration diagram

iii. Class Diagram

iv. Component diagram

Code Generation in C++
Implementation

Design and develop the Payroll system by doing the following tasks
1. Draw and document the following UML diagrams

i. Use case Diagram

ii. Any one sequence diagram

iii. Class Diagram

iv. Component diagram

Code Generation in C++
Implementation

Design and develop the Payroll system by doing the following tasks
1. Draw and document the following UML diagrams

i. Use case Diagram

ii. Activity Diagram

iii. Class Diagram

iv. Component Diagram

Code Generation in C++
Implementation

Design and develop the Payroll system by doing the following tasks
1. Draw and document the following UML diagrams

i. Use case Diagram

ii. Class Diagram

iii. Component Diagram

iv. Deployment Diagram

Code Generation in C++
Implementation

Design and develop the Online Ticket reservation system by doing the following tasks:
1. Draw and document the following UML diagrams

i. Use case Diagram

ii. Class Diagram

iii. Activity Diagram

iv. Component Diagram

Code Generation in C++
Implementation

Design and develop the quiz system by doing the following tasks:
1. Draw and document the following UML diagrams

i. Use case Diagram

ii. Class Diagram

iii. Activity Diagram

iv. Component Diagram

Code Generation in C++
Implementation

Design and develop the Course Registration System by doing the following tasks:
1. Draw and document the following UML diagrams

i. Use case Diagram

ii. Class Diagram

iii. Activity Diagram

iv. Component Diagram

Code Generation in C++
Implementation

Design and develop the Library Management system by doing the following tasks:
1. Draw and document the following UML diagrams

i. Use case Diagram

ii. Class Diagram

iii. Activity Diagram

iv. Component Diagram

Code Generation in C++
Implementation

Karthik.K

My new blog.!!

2008-10-22T11:23:00.001-07:00

Hey people,

Iam blogging after a long time. I have got a good new for my regular blog readers. I am moving my blog soon. My new blog is shaping up in a fast pace. Follow up my blog to find out where my new blog is. Or if you are too enthusiastic, do a Live search !!!

Karthik.K

Vista Service Pack 2 before Windows 7

2008-10-17T05:15:00.001-07:00

Sources from Microsoft and others say that the service pack for vista will be released, before launching Windows 7. It is also said that there will be some major improvements in the security and other bug fixes in SP2.

It is also heard that the beta version of the service pack has already been given to some select hardware partners of Microsoft. And as well, Windows Server 2008 was built under the Vista codebase. And therefore, we will also be getting the WS08 SP2 as soon as we get the Vista SP2.

And well, Windows 7 pre-beta is being released at PDC08, as of my last post before. And I think the stable version will be available only at the later end of 2009. Lets hope for its coming soon. And moreover, what I expect from the Vista SP2 is that, whether it will reflect some of the features that Windows 7 has. Though there will be no change in the kernel obviously.

I am eagerly waiting for the Vista SP2 to come. And if suppose any of the Microsoft employee sees this, please recommend adding some Windows 7 features into Vista SP2. ;-)

Karthik.K

WinHEC 2008 is on the way….

2008-10-17T00:18:00.001-07:00

Hi all, This was the event that I was waiting for, for a very long time. And yupeeee…. it has come.. Microsoft is releasing its official release of the rocking windows 7 operating system. And what else do a Microsoft aspirant like me needs than this.!!!.. I am waiting for the day to come soon…

Get the Windows 7 Pre-Beta Build at WinHEC 2008

WinHEC 2008 is right around the corner and we want to make sure you know that this is the Windows 7 conference not to miss.
WinHEC 2008 is all about deep technical content on Windows 7. With more than 140 technical sessions, panels, and chalk-talks, WinHEC will provide ample opportunity to connect in person and in depth with Windows engineers. WinHEC is designed to provide deep explorations of future engineering and business directions for PC and device hardware.
Who will be there? We are making sure we have the right speakers to have meaningful conversations. The people who build and develop for Windows are working hard to make sure the talks are on target. They designed the code. They built the code. They tested the code. Having our core engineering team at the conference gives us an opportunity to have valuable discussions with you. WinHEC is the only chance for you to engage with the team at this level - there is not another WinHEC planned before Windows 7 is released.
What are we going to talk about? In short, you'll see deep technical sessions on Windows 7 so you can make sure your customers have great experiences that help grow your business.
Session descriptions are now up on the WinHEC Web site so you can start planning your conference schedule today. Here are a few of the things that we are excited about:
New Technologies: Hardware keeps getting faster, smaller and more efficient. Windows 7 helps you take advantage of the new capabilities. If you're working on solid-state drives, Multi-touch screens, wireless USB, or other emerging technologies, you'll want to know how Windows 7 can support these efforts.
Fundamentals: The Windows 7 fundamentals team will provide tips and techniques for building reliable, high-performance machines and devices. For example, the team will share practical tips to optimize your system for a longer battery life based on real solutions that we've seen work in the field. We'll also demonstrate the new features in Windows 7 around power management and how to take advantage of them.
Enterprise computing: Join us to talk about trends in the enterprise computing space and how Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 can make your products more competitive. We've just posted the session description for a talk on virtualization and some new technology advances that will reduce WAN link usage and increase download speeds to branch offices. As companies become more geographically dispersed, optimizing these scenarios is critical to successfully competing in the enterprise.
Of course, that is just a small sample of the 140+ talks at WinHEC this year. And some sessions will never show up on the site because we'll be unveiling new capabilities that we can talk about only at WinHEC.
Speaker videos give you a sneak preview of what Windows engineers and program managers will be talking about at WinHEC.
Windows 7 pre-beta. After attending these sessions, we think you will want to see Windows 7 yourself. So, we decided to give attendees a pre-beta build of Windows 7 to use and help you plan how you're going to build on this new platform. This build is only being given out at WinHEC and PDC.
Register today!

Karthik.K

Techvista in Chennai. The best event ever.

2008-10-12T07:36:00.000-07:00

I was very hungry to attend some event from Microsoft. As I was crawling thru my inbox, I found the mail saying Techvista in Chennai !!!! Wow, my tooth sparkled at that moment. And not even wasting a second, I registered for the event. As a Micosoft Enthusiasist, my application was accepted and yupeeee.... I went there in time. Sharply at 7:30 a.m. And it was really very grand than i expected. I entered in, and thats it, I forgot my world... The event started and there was the man of admiration, Mr. Anandhan, Head of MSR India.. From than time till the end of the event, my eye balls refused to move from the stage. And there were many interesting sessions going on about cameras, Obfuscations, etc etc... And the highlight was the demo of the all new photosynth... It is a really awesome technology for many photographers and graphic designers to get thier hands on it... And I think this was the most useful event that I have ever attended. Microsoft Rocks.. And to be a bit greedy, I am waiting for some launch event of Windows 7 in chennai !!!! Lets see how much it will work out....

Karthik.K

Microsoft Research Provides Sneak Preview Of 'Boku' Programming Environment For Kids

2008-10-03T00:41:00.000-07:00

A Microsoft (NSDQ: MSFT) researcher on Wednesday demonstrated Boku, an educational game designed to help children as young as five years old exercise their brains by doing programming. Boku is a cute little cartoon robot head with big, soulful eyes who hovers over a cartoon grassy field.

"We wanted to use every trick in the book and draw kids in and involve them," said Microsoft Research's Matthew MacLaurin.

Kids can program Boku using a graphical language to move around the island, play games, and eat brightly colored fruit. Boku runs on Microsoft Windows and the XBox, and is currently being tested internally.

MacLaurin showed off Boku at the O'Reilly ETech Emerging Technology Conference in San Diego. They're planning to move on to test the software with children, and then release it publicly, although they have no timetable.

I shot some pictures of MacLaurin's presentation on the giant display at the front of the meeting room at ETech. This photo's blurry, but you can make out Boku clearly enough. You also can see the hands of the guy sitting in front of me. Our photo editor doesn't need to be afraid for his job.

Kids program Boku by stringing together icons with text labels.

"We're using text. We'd love to be able to do without text, because we want to be able to involve five-year-olds, and only half of them can read," McLaurin said.

MacLaurin demonstrated how Boku could be programmed to move closer to a cartoon apple, and then eat it (by hovering over it and making it disappear.) He strung together an icon for an action, "see," with an object, "red," a behavior, "move," with a modifier, "closer."

He then showed how a child could program two Bokus. It looked like this::

MacLaurin said he was motivated to create the software by a desire to get kids away from passive TV-watching, and getting them to exercise their brains, in their very early, formative years.

He said he was inspired by his first computer, the Commodore 64, which he programmed in Basic. He projected a screenshot of the Commodore, with its tiny memory, and monochrome display with a black background, which, he said, signified infinite possibility. He singled out the blinking cursor for particular affection.

"It's like your dog waiting for you at the end of the day, saying, 'C'mon, I've been waiting for you all day! Let's play! Let's write some code!'" MacLaurin said.

MacLaurin said his other inspiration was Logo, the educational development language developed by Seymour Papert at MIT in 1967.

Boku is designed to eliminate the extraneous housekeeping of programming, and deliver to kids the head-rush of solving a problem and seeing a program work. There are no possible syntax errors; the only programs it's possible to create are correct ones. Programs can run quickly after they're created.

When the software is released, Microsoft hopes to build an online community where kids can discuss Boku and share programs, MacLaurin said.

New study on properties of carbon nanotubes, water could have wide-ranging implications

2008-10-03T00:38:00.000-07:00

A fresh discovery about the way water behaves inside carbon nanotubes could have implications in fields ranging from the function of ultra-tiny high-tech devices to scientists' understanding of biological processes, according to researchers from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

The findings, published in the Oct. 3, 2008, issue of the journal Science, relate to a property of so-called "nano-confined" water – specifically, whether hollow carbon nanotubes take in the liquid easily or reluctantly, depending on their temperature.

As well as shedding light on the characteristics of human-made nanomaterials, researchers note that such properties are relevant to the workings of biological structures and phenomena which also function at nano-scales.

The team of scientists, led by Yue Wu, Ph.D., professor of physics in the UNC College of Arts and Sciences, examined carbon nanotubes measuring just 1.4 nanometers in diameter (one nanometer is a billionth of a meter). The seamless cylinders were made from rolled up graphene sheets, the exfoliated layer of graphite.

"Normally, graphene is hydrophobic, or 'water hating' – it repels water in the same way that drops of dew will roll off a lotus leaf," said Wu. "But we found that in the extremely limited space inside these tubes, the structure of water changes, and that it's possible to change the relationship between the graphene and the liquid to hydrophilic or 'water-liking'."

The UNC team did this by making the tubes colder. Using nuclear magnetic resonance – similar to the technology used in advanced medical MRI scanners – they found that at about room temperature (22 degrees centigrade), the interiors of carbon nanotubes take in water only reluctantly.

However, when the tubes were cooled to 8 degrees, water easily went inside. Wu said this shows that it is possible for water in nano-confined regions – either human-made or natural – to take on different structures and properties depending on the size of the confined region and the temperature.

In terms of potential practical applications, Wu suggested further research along these lines could impact the design of high-tech devices (for example, nano-fluidic chips that act as microscopic laboratories), microporous sorbent materials such as activated carbon used in water filters, gas masks, and permeable membranes.

"It may be that by exploiting this hydrophobic-hydrophilic transition, it might be possible to use changes in temperature as a kind of 'on-off' switch, changing the stickiness of water through nano-channels, and controlling fluid flow."

Wu also noted that this research relates to scientists' understanding of the workings of many building blocks of life (such as proteins, whose structures also have nano-confined hydrophobic regions) and how their interaction with water plays a role in how they function. For example, such interactions play an important role in the process known as "protein folding," which determines a protein's eventual shape and characteristics. Misfolded proteins are believed to be a cause of several neurodegenerative and other diseases.

"We don't fully understand the mechanisms behind protein unfolding upon cooling," Wu said. "Could this kind of cooling-induced hydrophobic-hydrophilic transition play a role? We don't know but it's worth investigating."

Source: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

World's Most renowned Position- The Microsoft Student Partner

2008-09-22T08:29:00.000-07:00

Every year, Microsoft have been providing opportunities for everyone in one way or the other to Grow us up. And this time, its for the students. THE MICROSOFT STUDENT PARTNER PROGRAM. This is one of the most renowned post that a student can get in his lifetime. More information can be found here.

http://student-partners.com/Msp/Country/Default.aspx

All The Best !!!

Sincere Apologise

2008-09-22T08:16:00.000-07:00

Hello all,
I sincerely regret for my absence these days. I was held up with a bit of my exams work. I am now back with some posting work and some interesting topics to share with you all. And thank you all for your support.

Ever loving,
Karthik.K