The major new features in Beta 2 are:

Firefox support:
We now support Firefox. Sweet. If you use Firefox to visit an HD View site, for example our Gigapixel page, you will now be prompted to install a Firefox plugin. The install page is also available directly here for Firefox and the new IE plugin here. I’ve worked with most of our partner’s to have them make the necessary changes to support Firefox.

Auto Tone Adjust:
The basic idea is that HD View now acts a bit like the auto-gain of your camera. So as you zoom into dark regions you should see additional shadow details. It actually is more sophisticated than auto-gain and generally produces better looking images. For example in regions of the big images that are flat due to haze, the auto tone-adjust feature increases the contrast.

Other features:
The Beta 1 XP download was 1.5MB. Beta2 is now much smaller. There is now a single 500KB download for all supported versions of Windows. We’ve also fixed several bugs, like ‘perspective’ images being clipped when zoomed in, international permalinks, tool-tips not showing up and +/-/arrow short-cut keys not working sometimes.

Click on either image to be redirected to the HD View;

News Source: hdview.spaces.live.com

• Novell Client for Windows Vista - Update!
  The Novel client for Vista is finally available.
  (tags: Novell Software Compatibility )
• PC Magazine Editor Throws in the Towel on Vista
  He says after tweaking and optimizing for nine months he's to frustrated over what still doesn't work.
  (tags: Review )

I was watching Bill Gate’s keynote speech from CES yesterday and it got me excited again about new things coming out from Microsoft. I was particularly impressed with the Vista demo and some of the features that will be included with it. URGE was my favorite topic though! I was excited to hear that I would soon be able to sign-up and download music from the URGE music service (a partnership with Microsoft and MTV Networks)! If you haven’t seen the demo anywhere else, it may be worthwhile to watch the 1.5 hr. keynote speech. There’s a demo of the XBox 360 where Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer re-enact a boxing mach between Ali and Frazier! You have to watch to see who wins!

I was looking at the Microsoft site today and stumbled upon a link to the Windows Live Betas. The betas look nice and there’s news that there is a MSN Messenger Live beta coming soon. It will be interesting to see how these Live services will change the way that we do things online. The betas are broken down individually and each one has a link to learn more.

Ultra-Tech has two great articles on the next offerings from MS for Vista. Slated for a 4th Quarter 2006 release, Vista will be available in multiple configurations:
Vists Product Editions Breakdown:  Microsoft Reveals Vista Product Editions

Another great article from that site: Ten reasons to buy Windows Vista 

Microsoft is on track to release a Windows XP version of Windows Media Player 11 before the end of June, the company confirmed last week.

Microsoft says that URGE is deeply integrated with WMP11. Will it still be available before Vista?

Well, even if Vista is delayed, you don't have to wait to see WMP11! Yay! 

Story on ZDnet here.