I want to announce that my philanthropic efforts will continue after my lifetime,” said Mr Allen, the 37th richest man in the world according to Forbes magazine.

“I’ve planned for many years now that the majority of my estate will be left to philanthropy to continue the work of the foundation and fund non-profit scientific research.”

According to this Mr. Paul Allen would give out most of his estimated fortune of $13.5bn.

BBC | Shantanu ( TCN writeup)

Its being speculated that XBOX 360 Slim might be priced very competitively at $199 onwards. This console will feature a 250 Gigabyte of Hard disk space and an internal WiFi Card. HDMI output will also be a option.

Kinect, formerly known as Natal, ables the players to control the games they play without any physical controller, but using a camera and software. Microsoft has setup a launch date of Nov. 4 for North America Region. For rest of the world and about pricing information you have to wait will August.

Source|Original Story| Softpedia | TCN Writeup| Shantanu

So what is so special in this version of Office?

Microsoft in itself is a certificate that the product you are buying is worth the price. Office 2010 when compared to anything else in its league has got a lot of Pros. So what is that special? , Office 2010 has got the most pleasant NUI or Natural user Interface, This interface is so streamlined that it sooths the eye and gives the user what is needed. The Most talked about Ribbon Interface which has been inherited from Office 2007 has been greatly worked upon and has been made easier to work on. Office 2010 gives its user the control and editablity of how things should work; the whole interface is adjustable according to the user need.

In today’s computing needs, every application makes you think if your PC can handle it, with Office 2010 you will have to think less, as it need a very polite configuration to run on. A minimum of 500 MHz processor and a recommended 512mb ram with just 3 GB of disk space is needed to this amazing suite.

Your Office is where you are. Office Web apps is another thing greatly talked about. It gives you complete control on where and how you want to use your file. The user should have a Windows Live ID and you will get all your files where you need them through SkyDrive.

Office Mobile is yet another fantastic experience. Word mobile, Excel Mobile, PowerPoint Mobile, Onenote Mobile, Sharepoint workspace Mobile and Outlook Mobile all into one. Office Mobile will however be available with a lot of device as a pre-installed application.

All this and you still think whether you should get Office 2010 or not. Oh wait.. Did i tell you now you can use this full-fledged Office 2010 suite for 60 day? Yes, you can. Microsoft is offering a 60 days trail (with all features) to everyone. So go ahead and download Office 2010 today.

Word 2010 comes with enhanced photo-editing capabilities, while PowerPoint now offers video and broadcast features, and Excel contains Sparklines, a new feature that enhances the way users visualize data. And there is more, for example OpenType typography in Word 2010 and in Publisher 2010, the new Paste with Live Preview feature, the improved Navigation Pane in Word, the enhanced Conversation View in Outlook 2010, etc.

Just watch this video to have a fair idea of what this new resource is, which has been made available by Microsoft, this free resource gives a workability to developers to build on top of Microsoft surface, so that to connect their application to bluetooth enabled devices. This can be downloaded from the MSDN code gallery ( http://code.msdn.microsoft.com/surfacebluetooth )

This type of feature packs allows the developers to have larger boundaries and also gives out great enhancements to the platform. 

This feature pack can be downloaded from the members area under MSDN subscription.

Download this theme pack :

Games for Windows LIVE Setup, version 3.3 is designed to play nice with PCs running Windows 7; Windows Vista; Windows XP SP2 or SP3. Existing users of Games for Windows – LIVE will notice that the update is being automatically delivered to them. If they haven’t installed the upgrade already, it will be offered to them next time they run Games for Windows LIVE.

Source | Softpedia

“With the release of Windows Embedded Standard 7, Microsoft has furthered its commitment to the integration of Windows 7 technologies in the specialized consumer and enterprise device markets by providing OEMs with the latest innovative technologies to differentiate through rich, immersive user experiences and streamlined connectivity,” said Kevin Dallas, general manager of the Windows Embedded Business Unit at Microsoft. “The addition of the Windows Media Center feature in Windows Embedded Standard 7 is driving the set-top box, connected media device and TV markets by providing OEMs with opportunities to develop uniquely branded experiences and service providers with capabilities to explore additional revenue streams with unique content through a centralized media hub in the home.”

Announced in September 2009 during the community technology preview, Windows Embedded Standard 7 helps OEMs build enterprise devices with seamless connectivity, allowing companies to extend their existing investments in management and network infrastructure. The platform also features the latest Windows technology innovations to drive rich, immersive user experiences, including multigesture touch interfaces and context-aware applications with Windows Touch, and the ability to develop “green” solutions with smart power management APIs.

In addition to support for enterprise devices, STBs, CMDs and TVs built on Windows Embedded Standard 7 and leveraging the Windows Media Center feature will enable consumers to merge multimedia content from disparate sources, including Internet and broadcast TV, social media portals, and personal libraries of photos, music and videos, into a centralized home entertainment hub. Information can easily be shared across Windows-based PCs and individual devices.

Source

Industry analyst firm Strategy Analytics estimates the potential market opportunity for connected STBs, digital video recorders, digital media adapters and flat-panel TVs to experience annual growth of more than 50 percent through 2014, expanding from 40 million units to more than 360 million. OEMs can take advantage of this opportunity by coupling Windows Media Center and additional features within Windows Embedded Standard 7, such as Windows Defender and Parental Controls for heightened security, to create differentiated consumer entertainment devices with integrated user experiences. This includes leveraging the customizable, extensible platform in Windows Media Center for content, services and applications, as well as powerful backend support for metadata, TV listings and content providers.

For service providers, including cable, telecommunications and satellite operators, STBs and other consumer entertainment devices with Windows Media Center provide opportunities for over-the-top content, incremental services and applications to be delivered directly to consumers, offering opportunities to build new revenue streams. Service providers also can leverage the flexible x86 architecture of Windows Embedded Standard 7, Windows Presentation Foundation, Internet Explorer 8, Windows Media Player 12 and the latest desktop innovations from Microsoft to develop customized user experiences, while ensuring integrated content from the Internet, broadcast TV and personal media through HomeGroup.

Windows Embedded partners and customers already have plans to begin shipping products and solutions for a variety of specialized devices built on the Windows Embedded Standard 7 platform. Examples include AOpen Inc., C-nario, DT Research Inc., Micro Industries Inc. and YCD Multimedia for digital signage; HP and Wyse Technology for thin clients; and Heber Ltd. for industrial control systems.

Steve Guggenheimer, corporate vice president of the Original Equipment Manufacturer Division at Microsoft, shared more insight around recent OEM and partner activities with Windows Embedded Standard 7, the upcoming availability of Microsoft and Intel Corporation’s digital signage platform during Screen Media Expo Europe 2010 in London, and Microsoft’s commitment to Windows 7-based technologies for specialized devices, in his blog at http://blogs.technet.com/microsoft_blog/archive/2010/04/26/putting-windows-7-technologies-to-work-in-specialized-devices.aspx.

The flexible TrueTouch solution from Cypress enables a fast development of leading-edge solutions without purchasing turnkey modules. Customers can use touch sensors and LCDs from preferred partners, while also having the possibility to develop innovative designs, including flat to curved surfaces. Moreover, the TrueTouch devices would include Cypress’ capacitive sensing technology that delivers great operation even in noisy RF and LCD environments

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