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Nearly 30% OS Share for Win XP

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Nearly 30% OS Share for Win XP

Microsoft might be ending support for Windows XP in just about a month, but the venerable OS is not going anywhere any time soon-- according to Net Market Share 29.5% of PCs continue running on XP.

Windows XP supports ends on 8 April 2014, meaning users will no longer get system updates or patches. Microsoft is understandably eager to get such users to move to newer Windows versions (preferably 8/8.1), and even offers a free tool for hopefully smooth migration.

However Windows 8 support remains low-- while 47.3% of PCs run on Windows 7, just 6.4% run Windows 8, with an additional 4.3% for Windows 8.1. Vista is also still around, with 3.1% share.

The rest of the pie is divided between Mac OS X (3.5%), Linux (1.5%) and "other" (4.4%).

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Intel Drops McAfee Name

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Intel Drops McAfee Name

In news pleasing to at least one person Intel CEO Brian Krzanich uses his CES 2014 keynote to announce the company is dropping the McAfee name in favour of "Intel Security."

The re-branding starts immediately, and the transition should take around a year. Intel will continue using the familiar red shield logo and the security company will remain a wholly owned Intel subsidiary, if under the Intel Security name.

Intel will also offer "elements" of McAfee mobile security solutions for free. "The complexity of keeping digital identities safe grows as mobile applications and devices become a more important part of our daily lives," Krzanich says. "Intel's intent is to intensify our efforts dedicated to making the digital world more secure, and staying ahead of threats to private information on mobile and wearable devices."

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PC Viruses can Spread via Microphones

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PC Viruses can Spread via Microphones

OK, we’re not talking stage microphones here but the dinky mics that are built into computers. Yet the concept is somewhat frightening: did you know computer viruses can transmit high frequency communications…and spread. This is the WWZ scenario of AV/IT convergence…

Researchers proved the "badBIOS" virus, found in October, is “transmitting itself by audio broadcasts at inaudible frequencies.”

This malware can get onto a computer via an infected USB stick, then dig into the machine’s BIOS and take over the computer’s microphone and speakers and communicate with other computers by high-frequency sounds that humans can’t hear.

It was so unbelievable as an idea that many other experts rejected the notion. Everyone always underestimates the hurdles that criminals can jump in the name of crime. Continue reading...

Major Advance in Monitor Calibration Software

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Major Advance in Monitor Calibration Software

SpectraCal releases what they claim is “the most powerful calibration software ever made available for personal computer monitors:” CalMAN RGB.

“We’ve been able to calibrate computer monitors precisely before,” Derek Smith, SpectraCal’s founder and Chief Technical Officer, explains “And there have been one-button monitor calibration solutions for a long time. What’s new is being able to do both. There’s never been a fast, automated solution that provides the level of accuracy CalMAN RGB delivers.”

For most users, calibrating a computer monitor with CalMAN RGB will be as simple as centering a meter on their screen and pushing a button.

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Valve Cements Living Room Ambitions

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Valve Cements Living Room Ambitions

Game developer turned online game merchant Valve appears ready to take on home theatre PC (HTPC) space, if with software not hardware-- the company announces steamOS, a Linux-based operating designed around the Steam gaming service.

"As we've been working on bringing Steam to the living room, we've come to the conclusion that the environment best suited to delivering value to customers is an operating system built around Steam itself," the company says. "SteamOS combines the rock-solid architecture of Linux with a gaming experience built for the big screen. It will be available soon as a free stand-alone operating system for living room machines."

As well as running games in a Linux environment the OS will provide game sharing and profile options, and should even stream games installed on Windows and Mac PCs through the magic of home networking.

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OEMs Get Windows 8.1

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OEMs Get Windows 8.1

Microsoft marks the next step towards the release of Windows 8.1 (formerly known as Blue) and passes the update (both Windows 8.1 and Windows RT 8.1 versions) to its hardware partners.

The update rolls out from 18 October 2013 as well devices carrying the latest version of the OS such as tablets, lightweight notebooks, 2-in-1 devices and regular PCs.

“In many ways, this marks a new day at Microsoft, reflecting a number of rapid release firsts," a company statement says. "Thanks, in part, to customer feedback and an unparalleled level of collaboration across product teams, Windows 8.1 is a significant update. We have delivered in a very short time an update to the OS that will bring an even greater unified experience for our customers."

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Windows 8.1 "Blue": No Start Button No More

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Windows 8.1

If one is to believe Paul Thurrott's Supersite for Windows the Windows 8.1 (aka "Blue") update features a change set to please at least some Windows diehards-- the Start button makes a return in the bottom left corner of the desktop.

Reportedly this take on the Start button does not work as well as the one from Windows 7. As seen in leaked 8.1 update screenshots, it looks identical to the Start Charm, has similar animations and users can customise it to their preferences.

The website reports a further change to Window 8.1-- the update allows users to boot directly to desktop, skipping the Windows 8 Start Screen. One can also set a desktop wallpaper as the Start background, even if one needs to first enable such a feature.

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McAfee Takes on Cross-Device Security

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McAfee Takes on Cross-Device Security

Intel and McAfee unites PC and mobile device security in LiveSafe, a cross-platform security suite combining cloud-based storage with biometric authentication and other security technologies.

The service protects PCs, Macs, smartphones and tablets against malware and spam, secures devices against loss or theft (with remote device tracking, locking, wiping and data recovery from a single online console), and handles passwords through the SafeKey manager.

It also offers data storage with Personal Continue reading...

Microsoft Details "Blue" Update

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Microsoft Details

Microsoft provides further details on "Blue," the Windows 8 (or 8.1, if one wants to be specific) update promising a number of changes to the tablet-centric OS-- including, perhaps, a return of the Start button.

Such hints come from the Wired Business Conference, where Windows chief Julie Larson-Green admits Microsoft is "thinking about" replacing the tiny Start-style UI element lurking in the lower left of the Windows 8 desktop with a traditional button.

"There has been meaningful discussion," Larson-Green says. "The button might be helpful to have on the screen for some people... We're principled in the direction we're heading, but we're not going to be stubborn."

At least some people have been clamoring for a Windows 8 Start button-- by January 2013 1.5 million customers downloaded Pokki, a free Windows 8 start menu replacement app, while Windows Classic Shell downloads spiked following the Windows 8 launch.

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