As anticipated, Microsoft Corp. CEO Steve Ballmer last week announced the first public beta version of Windows 7 at the International CES trade show.

The beta was scheduled to become available for download on Friday afternoon, although Microsoft at least temporarily postponed the release in order to add more "infrastructure support" to its Web site. That was driven by heavy traffic that overloaded the site hours before the beta code was even due to be posted. Microsoft said the beta will be capped after the first 2.5 million downloads. But users who aren't able to obtain an activation key can still download the code and run it on a 30-day trial basis.


The beta, which Microsoft called "feature complete," requires a PC with a 1-GHz processor, 1GB of RAM, 16GB of available hard-disk space and support for DX9 graphics with 128MB of memory. The company noted that the recommended configuration may change for the final release.

In an interview at CES, Bill Veghte, Microsoft's senior vice president in charge of Windows, said the new operating system should be less of a resource hog than its predecessor, Vista.

"I don't want to make commitments on where we'll be at the [release to manufacturing date]," he said. "But at beta right now, we look very comparable to the hardware requirements that Windows Vista had when it came out, and the hardware has moved on. I am very optimistic."

Ballmer didn't disclose a final launch date for the operating system. Microsoft to date has said that it would deliver Windows 7 by about this time next year.

Some analysts, however, expect Microsoft to ship Windows 7 in time for this year's back-to-school and holiday shopping seasons. Vista shipped in early 2007, missing those crucial sales periods in 2006.

The place to be is at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) where a wide array of new technological devices are on hand spearheaded by a line of new eco-friendly monitors designed with LED technology. Samsung leads the cast of companies showcasing their new line of monitors and it is worthy to note that many of them have adhered towards energy consumption and alternative methods of enhancing graphical resolutions.

One would think that the old CRT monitors are no longer in existence with the wide array of monitors on hand. But if power consumption is to be highlighted, it is apparent that it is time for a change and converting towards these new LCD monitors is a step towards that direction.

Samsung claims its new ToC monitors consume half the normal wattage of other monitors by using two-lamp low power consumption, while the manufacturing process eliminates harmful paints and sprays to make it easier to recycle monitors.

Expect these new breed of monitors to be high in demand once they hit the shops. Other than getting in with the times, it is apparent that all of us are setting our sights for an upgrade; not only for the CPU peripherals but monitors as well.

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Software could overshadow gadgets at the upcoming Consumer Electronics Show, with Microsoft expected to shed light on its upcoming Windows 7 OS.

The financial meltdown may also be lingering topic as tech vendors gather to flaunt products at the show in Las Vegas, hoping to show enough glitter and sparkle to bring them better fortunes in the new year. Attendees will pour over the latest technologies, including OLED (organic light-emitting diode) TVs, netbooks, smartphones, media players, and other entertainment devices.

Audiences may miss the show's perennial star, Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates, who gave his final CES speech earlier this year. Instead, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer will kick off the event with a keynote address on Jan. 7. He's expected to give a peek at Microsoft's Windows 7 OS, which many hope will be zippier and less resource hungry than Windows Vista.

Microsoft expects to make "significant" Windows 7 announcements, including a possible release of Windows 7 beta software. A "sneak peek" at future Microsoft Office software may also be offered.

A look at Microsoft's future software could add pep to what otherwise might turn out to be a subdued show. Attendance at CES 2009 is expected to drop as consumers and technology vendors cut spending amid the economic crisis. Hotels, which in previous years were often packed months before the show, have been offering discounted rates to fill rooms.

The Consumer Electronics Association insists that pre-registration has been strong and says it's too early to call it a quiet show. Organizers expect 130,000 attendees, said CEA spokeswoman Tara Dunion.

However, that would still be a significant drop from 144,000 attendees at CES 2007.

The prospect of a reduced audience hasn't fazed companies like Intel, Microsoft, Hewlett-Packard, IBM and Dell from showing products in or around the show. Overall, 2,700 companies will be present at various locations, including the Las Vegas Convention Center and surrounding resorts and hotels.

A standout at CES could be netbooks, small laptops used for basic applications such as Web surfing and e-mail. Intel defined the category with its Atom processor, which was then solidified by the success of Asus' Eee PC. The show could see an evolution of netbooks, with features like touch screens attracting interest. Asus will likely show a touch-screen netbook, and Intel is showing off its Convertible Classmate, a netbook with a touch screen that swivels.

Via's elusive Nano processor may also make an appearance. Rumor has it that Samsung will show its NC20 laptop based on a Nano processor.

Some of Intel's competitors, meanwhile, may try to redefine how people think of netbooks by pushing more advanced capabilities. Advanced Micro Devices and Nvidia may talk more about boosting graphics on netbooks. Freescale and Qualcomm could demonstrate netbooks with more communication-savvy chips.

Mundane laptops will also get a makeover. Expect plenty of buzz around a new Sony Vaio laptop, which the company says is "revolutionary" and will change the way users think about the products. It remains unclear if the tiny laptop is a netbook or a full-featured ultraportable. For power users, Lenovo is expected to show the ThinkPad W700DS laptop with two screens -- a first in laptops -- for people who want to perform multiple tasks at the same time.

Rounding off mobility will be smartphones with new operating systems, touchscreens and 3G connectivity. Many mobile phone companies are expected to adopt Google's Android platform, including Samsung, which may show an Android phone at CES.

Struggling smartphone maker Palm is holding a big event to announce its new Linux-based OS code-named Nova, along with new devices. The company hopes to use CES as a springboard to regain prominence in the smart phone market, where it has been eclipsed by Research In Motion and Apple.

Like past CES shows, televisions will grab the imagination of visitors as vendors fight to remain the centerpiece for home entertainment. CES 2008 saw the emergence of OLED screens with prototypes from Sony and Samsung, and CES 2009 could see further progress. In May, Sony CEO Howard Stringer said a 27-inch OLED TV would be coming, which could launch at the show.

Samsung showed a 40-inch OLED high-definition TV prototype in October, and larger screens may be on tap.

Given TV's ease of use, some may prefer these devices for Internet access in the future. With that in mind, some companies are working to merge the Internet and TV. Silicon Image will show its Allio high-definition LCD TV with a built-in PC so users can simultaneously use the TV and Internet through a split screen.

Intel will show prototype products for running mini-applications to complement TV viewing with information from the Internet. For example, widgets will allow TV watchers to talk to friends in real time or buy products advertised on TV from online stores.

The Internet also continues to shape how entertainment is delivered. Streaming media will battle Blu-ray DVD as the way to deliver entertainment and movies to end users. Having conquered HD DVD, Blu-ray still has a hurdle to pass with most players priced above US$150, so expect prices to drop at CES.

Some kinks also need to be worked out to better stream media between entertainment devices, and expect to see some improvements at the show. Tzero will demonstrate devices for wireless HDMI (high-definition multimedia interface) multimedia streaming between devices using ultrawideband (UWB) wireless technology. Tzero's technology enables uninterrupted wireless delivery of high-definition video and surround sound at a rate of 480Mbps over 20 meters, the company claims.

Users may also see progress in data transfers between PCs and devices like digital cameras with improvements in the USB 3.0 specification.

Overall, many other gadgets will be on display to enjoy over the show's four days. CES may end up being more relaxing and intimate with the floors less crowded.

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Steve Ballmer and Robbie Bach will be delivering the “pre-show” 2009 International CES keynote address tonight in Las Vegas. The keynote starts at 6:30pm PST.

For those not at CES this year, you can watch the live webcast of the keynote address: 100k | 300k | 750k.

Over on Microsoft PressPass they have set up Virtual Pressroom for CES. Here, they will be posting video and photos of product demos and key speakers from tonight’s keynote. They will also be posting related feature articles, product news, press materials and live updates from the CES show floor.

And my good friend Sarah Perez will be live blogging tonight’s keynote on Channel 10 as well. Click here for her live blog.

Where am I? > Home > News > Enterprise Security Technology
Leaked versions of Windows 7 appeared on the internet last weekSecurity experts warn against pirated Windows 7
Early versions on P2P networks could contain malware

Written by Phil Muncaster

vnunet.com, 06 Jan 2009
Security experts have urged users to be wary of pirated early versions of Microsoft's forthcoming Windows 7 operating system because they may contain malware.

An early build of Windows 7, labelled 'Windows 7 Ultimate Build 7000', was leaked onto the internet last week, and made widely available for download via several peer-to-peer networks.

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Rob Rachwald, director of product marketing at security vendor Fortify, highlighted an increase in software infected with malware being posted on the internet, and warned that users should only download software from a trusted source.

"The whole idea is to exploit something popular, whether it's getting users to download porn or popular software. It's just a clever way to spread malware, " he said.

Rik Ferguson, solutions architect at content security vendor Trend Micro, echoed these sentiments.

"We would definitely discourage people from downloading and installing any software where they cannot be sure of the reliability of the content, or the trustworthiness of the source," he said.


Pirated software distributed over peer-to-peer communities ranks pretty low on the credibility scale
Rik Ferguson Trend Micro

"Pirated software distributed over peer-to-peer communities ranks pretty low on the credibility scale."

It is widely expected that Microsoft will make some significant Windows 7 announcements at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this week.

The CES 2009 conference is less than a week away and the world is looking forward to Steve Ballmer’s keynote which is expected to reveal new information about Microsoft’s upcoming operating system Windows 7. Many news sites assume that Steve Ballmer will announce the public release of the Windows 7 Beta in his keynote. While that is not totally clear yet it is generally assumed that the Windows 7 Beta will be released in the beginning of January.

Long posted information about the live streams of the keynote on his Windows 7 blog. It will begin on Wednesday January 7 at 6.30pm PST and three live streams can be accessed to view the keynote from anywhere on the globe:

100K CEO 2009 Live Stream
300K CEO 2009 Live Stream
750K CEO 2009 Live Stream