-
Categories
- Browsers
- Business Software
- Communications
- Desktop Enhancements
- Developer Tools
- Digital Photo Software
- Downloads
- Drivers
- Educational Software
- Games
- Graphic Design Software
- Home Software
- Internet Software
- iTunes and iPod Software
- Linux
- MP3 Audio Software
- Networking Software
- Productivity Software
- Screensavers and Wallpaper
- Security Software
- Software News
- Utilities and Operating Systems
- Video Software
-
Archives
-
Links
-
Meta
Apple Announces Safari 4 – The World’s Fastest and Most Innovative Browser
New Nitro Engine Runs JavaScript More Than Four Times Faster
Apple(R) announced the public beta of Safari(R) 4, the world’s fastest and most innovative web browser for Mac(R) and Windows PCs. The Nitro engine in Safari 4 runs JavaScript 4.2 times faster than Safari 3.* Innovative new features that make browsing more intuitive and enjoyable include Top Sites, for a stunning visual preview of frequently visited pages; Full History Search, to search through titles, web addresses and the complete text of recently viewed pages; Cover Flow(R), to easily flip through web history or bookmarks; and Tabs on Top, to make tabbed browsing easier and more intuitive.
“Apple created Safari to bring innovation, speed and open standards back into web browsers, and today it takes another big step forward,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. “Safari 4 is the fastest and most efficient browser for Mac and Windows, with great integration of HTML 5 and CSS 3 web standards that enables the next generation of interactive web applications.”
Safari 4 is built on the world’s most advanced browser technologies including the new Nitro JavaScript engine that executes JavaScript up to 30 times faster than IE 7 and more than three times faster than Firefox 3. Safari quickly loads HTML web pages three times faster than IE 7 and almost three times faster than Firefox 3.*
Apple is leading the industry in defining and implementing innovative web standards such as HTML 5 and CSS 3 for an entirely new class of web applications that feature rich media, graphics and fonts. Safari 4 includes HTML 5 support for offline technologies so web-based applications can store information locally without an Internet connection, and is the first browser to support advanced CSS Effects that enable highly polished web graphics using reflections, gradients and precision masks. Safari 4 is the first browser to pass the Web Standards Project’s Acid3 test, which examines how well a browser adheres to CSS, JavaScript, XML and SVG web standards that are specifically designed for dynamic web applications.
Safari for Mac, Windows, iPhone(TM) and iPod(R) touch are all built on Apple’s WebKit, the world’s fastest and most advanced browser engine. Apple developed WebKit as an open source project to create the world’s best browser engine and to advance the adoption of modern web standards. Most recently, WebKit led the introduction of HTML 5 and CSS 3 web standards and is known for its fast, modern code-base. The industry’s newest browsers are based on WebKit including Google Chrome, the Google Android browser, the Nokia Series 60 browser and Palm webOS.
Innovative new features in Safari 4 include:
- Top Sites, a display of frequently visited pages in a stunning wall of previews so users can jump to their favorite sites with a single click;
- Full History Search, where users search through titles, web addresses and the complete text of recently viewed pages to easily return to sites they’ve seen before;
- Cover Flow, to make searching web history or bookmarks as fun and easy as paging through album art in iTunes(R);
- Tabs on Top, for better tabbed browsing with easy drag-and-drop tab management tools and an intuitive button for opening new ones;
- Smart Address Field, that automatically completes web addresses by displaying an easy-to-read list of suggestions from Top Sites, bookmarks and browsing history;
- Smart Search Field, where users fine-tune searches with recommendations from Google Suggest or a list of recent searches;
- Full Page Zoom, for a closer look at any website without degrading the quality of the site’s layout and text;
- built-in web developer tools to debug, tweak and optimize a website for peak performance and compatibility; and
- a new Windows-native look in Safari for Windows, that uses standard Windows font rendering and native title bar, borders and toolbars so Safari fits the look and feel of other Windows XP and Windows Vista applications.
Pricing & Availability
Safari 4 is a public beta for both Mac OS(R) X and Windows and is available immediately as a free download at http://www.apple.com/safari.
Safari 4 for Mac OS X requires Mac OS X Leopard(R) version 10.5.6 and Security Update 2009-001 or Mac OS X Tiger(R) version 10.4.11, a minimum 256MB of memory, and is designed to run on any Intel-based Mac or a Mac with a PowerPC G5, G4 or G3 processor and built-in FireWire(R). Safari 4 for Windows requires Windows XP SP2 or Windows Vista, a minimum 256MB of memory and a system with at least a 500 MHz Intel Pentium processor. Full system requirements and more information on Safari 4 can be found at http://www.apple.com/safari.
* Performance will vary based on system configuration, network connection and other factors. All testing conducted on an iMac(R) 2.8 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo system running Windows Vista, with 2GB of RAM. JavaScript benchmark based on the SunSpider JavaScript Performance test. HTML benchmark based on VeriTest’s iBench Version 5.0 using default settings.
Microsoft Equips Individuals With New Training Resources Needed for Jobs
Elevate America initiative provides technology skills tools at no cost and low cost.
Microsoft Corp. announced a new initiative, Elevate America, which will provide up to 2 million people over the next three years with the technology training needed to succeed in the 21st-century economy.
Microsoft has worked for years with other businesses and community-based partners to broaden access to job opportunities through information technology education and training. Elevate America expands these efforts and provides immediate support in response to the current economic crisis in partnership with others in the public and private sector.
Elevate America has two main offerings, one available immediately and one that will be provided in partnership with state governments including those of Florida, New York and Washington.
A new online resource, located at http://www.microsoft.com/ElevateAmerica, is available today. This new Web site helps individuals understand what types of technical skills they need for the jobs and entrepreneurial opportunities of today and tomorrow, and resources to help acquire these skills. The Web site provides access to several Microsoft online training programs, including how to use the Internet, send e-mail and create a resume, as well as more advanced programs on using specific Microsoft applications.
In order to provide a broader range of training programs and certification exams, Microsoft will also partner with state and local governments, which in turn will make these resources available to their citizens. Pamela Passman, corporate vice president of Microsoft Global Corporate Affairs, today announced that Florida, New York and Washington will be the first states to provide Elevate America to their residents. Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire says that programs such as Elevate America are critical to providing support to Washington families and helping the economy recover.
“At the federal, state and local level, leaders are working together to help start the engine of economic growth. The private sector provides much of the spark needed to jump-start that engine,” Gregoire said. “Elevate America is a great example of Microsoft’s leadership on education and work force development — issues that bring us a step closer to recovery by helping us provide critically important help to our citizens. Washington state is pleased to be one of the first states to partner with Microsoft to provide Elevate America to our residents.”
Florida Gov. Charlie Crist said that the success of the Elevate Miami program in his state is proof that public-private partnerships can work and benefit citizens. “We have worked with Microsoft for years in Miami to bring technology training to underserved populations,” he said. “Now, with Elevate America, we have the opportunity to bring these important skills to even more people, at a time when they are needed more than ever.”
Elevate America is an extension of Microsoft’s long-standing commitment to provide skills training and certification through schools, government programs and community-based organizations. The Unlimited Potential Community Technology Skills Program is an example of how Microsoft is already working to bridge the technology skills gap and equip more people with skills relevant to today’s work force. More than half of today’s jobs require some technology skills, and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that will reach 77 percent in the next decade.
“Millions of Americans don’t have the technology skills needed in today’s economy. Through Elevate America, we want to help workers get the skills they need to succeed,” Passman said. “We are also providing a full range of work force development resources for state and local governments so they can offer specialized training for their workers.”
Short-Term Needs and Long-Term Investments
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, more people than ever are pursuing Microsoft technical certifications. As part of the Elevate America effort, Microsoft is providing 1 million Microsoft Learning vouchers for free access to Microsoft eLearning courses and select certification exams.* This comprehensive offering also includes the following:
- Expanded access to basic technology literacy and skills training
- Basic-level information technology training resources through Microsoft Unlimited Potential and Digital Literacy curricula
- Intermediate technology skills training courses, online and instructor-led, plus selected certification exams
- Vouchers for eLearning course collections offered by Microsoft
- Vouchers for certification exams leading to Microsoft business certification
- Grants of cash and software to community partners to build in-classroom training capacity
- Discounted membership rates for institutions participating in the Microsoft IT Academy program
- Access to a new Web portal that will help guide individuals to training and resources that position them for success in the economy today, and tomorrow
More information on Elevate America is available at http://www.microsoft.com/ElevateAmerica.
AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition
Download AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition – trusted by 80 million users
Basic antivirus and antispyware protection for Windows available to download for free. Limited features, no support, for private and non-commercial use only.
- The most downloaded software on CNET’s Download.com
- Quality proven by 80 million users
- Easy to download, install and use
- Protection against viruses and spyware
- Compatible with Windows Vista and Windows XP
AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition is only available for single computer use for home and non commercial use.
Why you need extra protection Searching the web? Surfing? Chatting? Downloading?
If the answer is yes then we strongly recommend that you upgrade to AVG Internet security. If you are interested in more details about your security, please go through the list below and check which protection you do and do not have.
Anti-Virus & Anti-Spyware
The foundation of your protection. Without antivirus and antispyware protection, your computer and data are at extreme risk.
AVG Free contains basic antivirus protection (base level only).
Anti-Rootkit
Rootkits are hidden threats that deliver malicious content. They are usually not found on PCs using standard antivirus programs.
AVG Free does not contain Anti-Rootkit protection so rootkits may be hidden in your system.
Anti-Spam
SPAM e-mails are a constant annoyance and could potentially contain malicious links or attempts to steal your identity.
AVG Free does not contain Anti-Spam which can monitor and block SPAM and fraudulent e-mails.
Firewall
Hackers and other intruders can view or steal your data, download malware to your machine or track your habits and passwords.
AVG Free does not contain a firewall which can protect you against these threats.
Safe Downloads & Instant Messaging
The essential protection for Internet use. File downloads, chatting with your friends and family – today these are everyday things. Protecting yourself in these areas is now another important part of your security and privacy protection.
AVG Free does not contain the new Safe Downloads & Instant Messaging protection (Web Shield technology) so it does not screen your downloads and communication for viruses and spyware.
Safe Search & Surf
The essential protection for Internet use. New web threats (called exploits or drive-by downloads) can infect your computer just by visiting a web page! Our new technology ensures the safety of search results, web pages, favorites & bookmarks before you open them.
AVG Free only includes the Safe Search protection which provides you with advice on search results. It does not protect against infected pages. Only AVG paid versions contain the Safe Surf technology.
For full active protection, please download AVG Internet Security
CeBIT 2009: ESET Antivirus Celebrates Next-Generation Antivirus Solutions
Kickoff for ESET Smart Security 4 and ESET NOD32 Antivirus 4, with presentations, demonstrations and reception
Security specialist ESET and its exclusive German distributor DATSEC are kicking off the new ESET product generation 4 at CeBIT in Hanover. The new security solutions ESET Smart Security 4 and ESET NOD32 Antivirus 4 will be presented to dealers, partners, members of the press and the general public at booth D36, in hall 11, from 3-8 March, 2009. ESET will be celebrating the new, proactive anti-malware software with hourly presentations, shows by performance artists and an exciting booth party.
NEW: ESET Smart Security 4 and ESET NOD32 Antivirus 4
Both security solutions build on an even more perfected version of ThreatSense Technology, which provides effective and proactive protection against malware, high-speed performance and a minimal system footprint. The individual software modules have been optimized and new system tools have been added, such as SysInspector and SysRescue. These applications examine the computer for security weak spots while backing up the vital system on any type of memory device; they even check the installed operating system updates and notify the user if components are missing. This allows malware entry points to be identified quickly and remedied, which protects the computer from infections.
Reliable Security – Made Fun and Exciting
Visitors to the ESET booth will gain a deeper appreciation of modern antivirus software. Beginning every hour, Berlin entertainer Christian de la Motte will present new products and the innovative ThreatSense Technology that powers them.
On Wednesday, 4 March, ESET will be celebrating with an exciting booth party along with sales partners, clients and visitors. “Philipp & Olympic Mennewitz” will enliven the party with rock-comedy in an unprecedented performance.
Source: DATSEC Data Security e.K.
Cox Boosts Protection of Free Online Security Suite
Upgrade makes Internet security faster, safer and more family-friendly
Cox Communications announced its customers are getting an automatic upgrade to the latest version of McAfee’s security software suite — providing them stronger protection, faster response times and improved parental controls. Customers who download the free Cox Security Suite powered by McAfee will automatically be provided with the latest enhancements to the software in mid-February.
“Cox is committed to providing a safe and secure online experience by giving all our high-speed Internet customers free access to the Cox Security Suite powered by McAfee,” stated Janet Barnard, senior vice president and general manager for Cox Communications Northern Virginia. “These latest enhancements give customers some of the best in class protection at no extra cost. If they were to buy this software in a computer store, it would cost them nearly $70 per year.”
The 2009 version of the Cox Security Suite includes McAfee’s Active Protection, which provides instant threat updates to protect customers against viruses and other malware. Also included is a Quick Scan feature, which allows customers to check for threats in the areas of their computer that are most frequently attacked. And the software update provides even stronger parental controls, including age-appropriate searching. This feature helps ensure that safety features of popular search engines are enabled to help keep children from seeing inappropriate content online.
“Cox has a long history of being an industry leader in providing parental controls through our Take Charge! program,” said Barnard. “The Cox Security Suite powered by McAfee makes it easy for parents to set up safe-searching options for their family’s computers, so they can take advantage of all the benefits of the Internet.”
Customers who have already downloaded the Cox Security Suite powered by McAfee will receive these updates automatically in mid-February. Those who haven’t yet downloaded the free software can visit security.cox.net to do so. For more information on parental controls and Cox’s Take Charge! program, visit www.cox.com/takecharge.
Source: Cox Communications
Red Bend’s New Release of Device Management Client Software Enables Faster Time to Market
Red Bend Software, the market leader in Mobile Software Management (MSM), announced availability of release 4 of its vDirect Mobile(TM) device management client software. Red Bend’s vDirect Mobile is the industry’s leading independent device management (DM) client that is interoperable with any DM server, supporting standards from the Open Mobile Alliance (OMA). (News issued from GSMA’s Mobile World Congress 2009 where Red Bend is exhibiting in business hospitality suite 4.3HS50 and providing vDirect Mobile demonstrations.)
vDirect Mobile 4 makes it easier and more cost effective for manufacturers to quickly integrate standards-based device management functionality into mobile devices, enabling faster time to market. It offers full compliance with OMA standards and an innovative framework that streamlines the creation of DM client applications. As a result, manufacturers need less time and fewer resources to implement device management using vDirect Mobile.
Integration is easier and faster because vDirect Mobile:
- Includes a built-in porting layer to the Windows and Linux operating systems with customizable support for any mobile platform including Android and BREW,
- Incorporates two OMA management objects — Software Component Management Object (SCOMO) and Firmware Update Management Object (FUMO) directly into the client software, providing the flexibility to perform individual software updates or full firmware improvements, and
- Provides business logic rules that can be easily adapted to meet specific operator requirements, further reducing time to market for new mobile devices.
Used to manage tens of millions of mobile devices, vDirect Mobile is globally adopted by device manufacturers and operators in the mobile, WiMAX and machine-to-machine (M2M) markets. It is used to provision new subscribers, configure applications and network settings, manage software and retrieve device information over the air. vDirect Mobile has been licensed by more than 20 leading device manufacturers, including Kyocera, Sierra Wireless, Telit Wireless Solutions and ZTE for mobile handsets, PC cards, WiMAX modems and M2M modules. According to market research firm Ovum, by the end of 2009, 69% of all new mobile phones will support OMA DM.
“The streamlined software integration process available through the use of Red Bend’s vDirect Mobile for device management enables us to more easily meet operator requirements for OMA DM support within our tight product launch schedules,” said Evan Jones, Vice President, Engineering for Sierra Wireless, which employs vDirect Mobile in its USB modems, including the 598U modem currently available from Sprint. “Equally important, our customers’ user experience is improved by the over-the-air device configuration that Red Bend’s vDirect Mobile enables.”
“As operators worldwide standardize on OMA DM for managing their diverse device ecosystem and with the standards themselves evolving rapidly to meet changing industry requirements, manufacturers need an easy and cost-effective solution for delivering DM clients,” said Lori Sylvia, EVP Marketing of Red Bend Software. “vDirect Mobile brings key benefits to device manufacturers and operators, including fast integration with any platform or operating system, full support of OMA DM standards, interoperability with any OMA DM server, and the ability to be implemented on any type of mobile device.”
vDirect Mobile 4 supports the broadest set of industry standards, including OMA DM 1.2 and 1.1.2 (device management), OMA CP 1.1 (client provisioning), OMA DL 1.0 (downloading), OMA DS (data synchronization) and the newly approved Candidate Release of SCOMO 1.0 for the management of individual software components over the air. Software components can range from mobile applications and middleware to browser plug-ins and UI elements.
vDirect Mobile can be implemented as a stand-alone DM client, or it can be combined with Red Bend’s other MSM products: vCurrent(R) Mobile software for updating firmware over the air (FOTA) or vRapid Mobile(TM) software for managing software components over the air (SCOTA). Together, Red Bend’s award-winning MSM products enable device manufacturers, mobile operators and software developers to increase revenues, reduce support costs and achieve faster time to market by remotely managing their software assets on mobile devices.
To download the vDirect Mobile datasheet, visit http://www.redbend.com/solutions/device-management.asp.
To download the Ovum report, visit http://www.redbend.com/resources/research-reports.asp.
For more information about SCOMO, visit http://www.redbend.com/resources/scomo.asp.
Source: Red Bend Software
Ericsson Launches Connected Home Gateway Software Enabling Multimedia Services to the Home
Ericsson will launch its Connected Home Gateway software at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, giving consumers the freedom to access and interact with their home multimedia devices, services and media, wherever they are. The gateway also enables one single entry point for IPTV and multimedia telephony services into the home.
Installed in the home, Ericsson Connected Home Gateway achieves all of this by providing a secure connection between consumers’ digital home networks and the telecommunications network, and a single point of entry for IPTV and communication services, such as multimedia telephony.
Consumers can then use their mobile devices, such as mobile phone and laptops to communicate directly with their computer, TV or media player. This allows them to access their media libraries while on the move, for example sharing photos and videos with their family and friends.
Jan Wäreby, Senior Vice President and Head of Ericsson’s Multimedia Business, says: “The Connected Home Gateway brings simplicity and gives users true control of their everyday communication and media services. It meets a market need, allowing operators to expand their customer base and generate revenue.”
The Connected Home Gateway is compliant with telecom and consumer electronic standards, such as IMS, Open IPTV Forum and the Digital Living Network Alliance, ensuring interoperability and ease-of-use between a wide range of commercially available devices. The new range of enriched services can therefore be launched quickly, without the expense and inconvenience of developing specialized devices.
By acting as a central multimedia outlet in the home, the Connected Home Gateway serves as a single service-delivery platform and allows remote management for service provisioning and maintenance, helping to minimize operational costs.
Ericsson will demonstrate the Connected Home Gateway, together with commercially available consumer electronic devices, at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, between February 16 and 19.
Source: Ericsson
Microsoft Unveils New Enterprise Search Road Map
Strategy features FAST Search for SharePoint and FAST Search for Internet Business.
Microsoft Corp. disclosed a detailed road map for its enterprise search products, including the introduction of FAST Search for SharePoint and FAST Search for Internet Business.
FAST Search for SharePoint, a new search server that will add the high-end search capabilities of FAST ESP into Microsoft Office SharePoint Portal Server, will be available as a part of the next release of the Microsoft Office system. For customers who are interested in the product, Microsoft also announced ESP for SharePoint, a special offering that allows customers to purchase high-end search capabilities today, with a defined licensing path to FAST Search for SharePoint when it becomes available.
“These two new products offer compelling, new choices for our customers,” said Kirk Koenigsbauer, general manager for the Office Business Platform Group at Microsoft. “FAST Search for SharePoint will combine high-end search with the broad portal, collaboration, content management and business intelligence capabilities of SharePoint. And FAST Search for Internet Business will deliver search capabilities tuned to drive more revenue through Web sites.”
“We now have the largest team of engineers and researchers in the world dedicated to enterprise search,” said Bjorn Olstad, Microsoft Distinguished Engineer. “They’re passionate about search and committed to pushing the limits of what’s possible. Today’s road map announcement is significant because it not only discloses what’s next from Microsoft, but it also provides a framework for delivering continuous innovation in the future.”
A New Choice in Business Productivity Search
Businesses of all sizes have historically been forced to choose between powerful, high-end search platforms or more mainstream, out-of the-box infrastructure solutions. FAST Search for SharePoint gives customers a new choice: a search server that integrates the high-end search capabilities of FAST ESP into SharePoint Portal Server. By enhancing SharePoint’s portal, collaboration and content management capabilities with sophisticated search, FAST Search for SharePoint will enable a whole new range of business productivity applications.
A Powerful Platform for Building Search-Driven Web Sites
FAST Search for Internet Business will extend FAST ESP and will provide a flexible platform for building engaging, search-driven Web site experiences. The product will be available in beta in the second half of this year and will feature new capabilities for content integration and interaction management, helping enable more complete and interactive search experiences.
“With companies generating terabytes of data in the course of their daily operations, information has become the lifeblood of business,” said Rita Knox, Gartner Inc. “The ability to find and retrieve information that’s buried in back-office file servers or scattered across unstructured caches of content to identify a business trend, qualify a sales lead, answer an urgent customer query or identify an internal expert is an indispensable business capability.”
Microsoft partners are also looking forward to being able to provide customers with a great range of enterprise search solutions.
“Microsoft’s new road map means businesses will have the ability to deploy a companywide enterprise search platform that is fully integrated with their existing collaboration, productivity and business management solutions,” said Jorn Ellefsen, chief executive officer at Comperio AS. “That’s a compelling package and one that will spur greater adoption of high-end search capabilities with all the opportunities this generates for partners like us.”
Source: Microsoft Corp.
Translator for iPhone: Acapela Speech Empowers iSpeak Advanced Tool Designed by Future Apps, in 9 Languages
Acapela Group, the European Voice solutions expert, announces the first deployment of its Acapela for iPhone text to speech solution, with the release of iSpeak by Future Apps, an innovative developer of solutions for the iPhone platform.
iSpeak is designed to take mobile translators/speech learning tools to a new level of capability and quality. The iSpeak Apps are not merely simple text translators, but use Acapela high quality speech synthesis to vocalise the translated phrase back to you in the target language.
Future Apps has worked with Acapela Group to integrate Acapela for iPhone – a product designed to offer to iPhone community developers a high quality speech engine specifically adapted to meet their needs – in their applications. This provides the iSpeak Apps real time vocalisation of translations with full quality, no compression, and no internet connection needed.
“We put a lot of work into creating the ultimate translation tool for the iPhone that can be used for anything from simple word translations to a convenient and easy way to learn a language,” said John Stefanopoulos, Founder of Future Apps. “When we approached Acapela, we were blown away by the voice quality their speech engine reproduces. It is like nothing you have ever heard before, especially considering that our iSpeak Apps run on a mobile phone.”
“We have launched the Acapela for iPhone solution a few months ago and we had a lot of very positive interest and feedback from the iPhone community. iSpeak will definitely change the way we interface with language learning issues. We are very happy to voice empower such a smart and high end tool which will be the first app to demonstrate the power of Acapela natural voices to voice enable iPhone applications, at an appstore affordable price,” says Lars-Erik Larsson, CEO of Acapela Group.
9 languages are already available: iSpeak translates from English to any of the following languages, and the other way round. Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Dutch, Polish, and Swedish, with more languages coming soon!
The iSpeak line of Apps is available immediately from the Apple App Store for a small one-time fee of $1.99 per language.
The initial release supports Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Dutch, Polish, and Swedish, with more languages coming soon!
Source: Acapela Group
Hello world!
Welcome to WordPress. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start blogging!