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  • If you initiated the program installation and you trust the source of the software, you should click Allow. But what if you didn't initiate a program installation? That's the situation for which UAC was created. It gives you a last-chance option to prevent something bad from installing on your PC.

    The good news is that a long list of previously annoying — and in some cases unnecessary — UAC prompts have been removed from RC1. One way Microsoft is going about that is by localizing UAC protection to the areas that are most dangerous. For example, opening the Windows Firewall Control Panel no longer requires you to click OK to a UAC prompt. But attempting to turn off the firewall or change its settings does result in a UAC prompt. The same is true of Windows Defender. You won't be prompted until you go into options and attempt to turn off the antimalware program, for example. There's no longer a UAC prompt to open the Scanners and Cameras Control Panel, until you attempt to add a device. And there's no UAC prompt if you opt for Media Player's "express" setup option. Standard account users can install high-priority updates in RC1.

    One of the most mystifying UAC behaviors in Vista Beta 2 caused a prompt to appear when you tried to delete some desktop program shortcuts. If the program was installed for "all accounts" in Beta 2, then Vista blocked the deletion of the icon in Beta 2 with a UAC prompt. If the program was only installed for the currently active user account, then deletion of the same program shortcut occurred normally. Since there's no way for Windows users to know which way the program was installed, even experienced beta testers were confounded. In RC1 (and in Build 5472 before it), as long as the running account has administrator privileges, icons installed "on the public desktop" (that is, for all accounts) will be deleted without issue when you drop them into the Recycle Bin. Standard users will still be asked to elevate their permissions, but it's not like that doesn't happen a lot for Standard accounts.

    Finally, Microsoft added a change that prevents UAC from stealing focus from an active program or process that you're working in that has nothing to do with what initiated the UAC prompt. So the potentially threatening activity is blocked, and you can tend to it as soon as you complete what you're doing. Enterprises can also specify a list of approved ActiveX controls that UAC will allow Standard user accounts to install in conjunction with Internet Explorer without UAC blocking them.

    Microsoft earns a B+ from us for what it has achieved in smartly streamlining UAC while preserving security. It was clear that the software giant could do better, and that's why earlier Computerworld articles were critical, even when the product was still an immature Beta 2. The danger with UAC overprompting is that users will become numb and just click OK on every permissions box and warning, without giving it much thought. That effectively has the opposite of Microsoft's intended effect -- not to mention the fact that the user experience is eroded, too.

    The File-Permissions Frontier

    Despite improvements to UAC in several areas, there is one aspect that still needs deep consideration by Microsoft.

    Comment


    • تعداد كاربران اينترنت تا چهار سال آينده به دوبرابر افزايش مي‌يا
      ب


      امروزه استفاده از اينترنت به يكي از فعاليت‌هاي روزمره‌ي مشاغل و خانه‌ها در سراسر جهان تبديل شده است؛ شمار قابل توجهي از جمعيت جهان آ‌نلاين هستند و شمار كاربران ارتباط پهناي باند نيز رو به افزايش است.

      به گزارش سرويس فن‌آوري اطلاعات خبرگزاري دانشجويان ايران (ايسنا)، روي هم رفته مدت زمان استفاده از اينترنت طولاني‌تر شده و كاربران فعاليت‌هاي شخصي و تجاري بيشتري را از طريق شبكه‌ي جهاني اينترنت انجام مي‌دهند.

      در ابتداي قرن بيست‌ويكم، اقتصاد ديجيتال به رشد قابل توجهي دست پيدا كرد كه جنبش اصلي آن در اوايل سال 1999 پي‌ريزي شده بود؛ در 10 سال گذشته نيز رشد ميزان ضريب نفوذ اينترنت در ميان بزرگسالان آمريكايي كاهش داشته است، اما در عوض ميزان رشد در بقيه‌ي نقاط جهان افزايش پيدا كرد كه دليل آن نيز ارايه‌ي سرويس‌هاي ارزان‌تر و آسان‌تر براي آنلاين شدن بود.

      پيش از پيدايش اينترنت،‌ كنترل رسانه و اطلاع‌رساني در اختيار شركت‌هاي بزرگ بود؛ اما اكنون حتي افرادي كه آنلاين مي‌شوند، مي‌توانند به تنهايي منبع اطلاعات، اخبار و سرگرمي‌ها باشند و اين امر نشان دهنده‌ي فرصتي مناسب براي شكوفايي اقتصاد ديجيتال است.


      شمار كاربران جهاني اينترنت در سال 2005 از مرز يك ميليارد نفر عبور كرد

      بر اساس اعلام شركت تحقيقاتي Pew Internet & American Life در آوريل 2006 حدود 73 درصد از بزرگسالان آمريكايي كاربران اينترنت بوده‌اند؛ اما اين ميزان از آوريل 2002 تاكنون تنها 10 درصد رشد داشته است كه در مقايسه با رشد دوره‌ي پنج ساله‌ي 1995 تا 2000 در سطح بسيار پايين‌تري قرار دارد و ميزان استفاده از اينترنت در ميان بزرگسالان آمريكايي در سال 95 حدود 15 درصد و در سال 2000 بيش از 60 درصد بوده است.

      بر اساس گزارش ساليانه‌ي صنعت رايانه، شمار كاربران جهاني اينترنت در سال 2005 از مرز يك ميليارد نفر عبور كرد و

      پيش‌بيني شده است كه اين رقم تا سال 2011 به دو ميليارد نفر برسد؛ اما به رغم رشد پايين تعداد كاربران اينترنت در ‌آمريكا، اين رشد در ديگر نقاط جهان مناسب بوده است؛ تعداد جهاني كاربران 420 ميليون نفر بوده است و اين ميزان پس از پنج سال به بيش از دو برابر رسيده و البته انتظار مي‌رود اين ميزان در اولين دهه‌ي قرن بيست و يكم، هر پنج سال يكبار به دو برابر افزايش يابد.


      كشورهاي آمريكا و چين، داراي بيشترين شمار كاربران جهاني هستند

      بيشترين رشد كاربران اينترنت به كشورهاي در حال توسعه مربوط مي‌شود؛ بازارهاي آمريكا، اروپا، ژاپن و استراليا در حال نزديك شدن به درجه‌ي اشباع هستند و رشد آهسته‌تري براي اين بازار‌ها پيش‌بيني شده است؛ مقايسه‌ي رده‌بندي كشورهاي جهان به لحاظ تعداد ساعاتي كه كاربران اينترنت آن‌ها در ماه آنلاين مي‌شوند با رده‌بندي بزرگ‌ترين جوامع اينترنتي جهان، تفاوت قابل توجهي را نشان مي‌دهد.

      كشورهاي آمريكا و چين، داراي بيشترين شمار كاربران جهاني هستند، همچنين ضريب نفوذ اينترنت در ميان ژاپني‌ها بسيار قابل توجه است اما حقيقت اين است كه تعداد افرادي كه آنلاين مي‌شوند، نمي‌توانند معيار مناسبي براي آنلاين بودن يك جامعه باشند و در اين بين بايد به زمان استفاده‌ي هر كاربر از اينترنت توجه داشت.

      كاربران اينترنتي رژيم صهيونيستي، فنلاند و كره‌ي جنوبي به ترتيب با متوسط زمان 5/57 و 3/49 و 2/47 ساعت در ماه براي استفاده هر كاربر از اينترنت،‌ به لحاظ مدت زمان آنلاين بودن در جهان پيش تاز هستند و اين درحالي است كه در فهرست 15 كشور برتر از اين لحاظ، نام كشورهاي ژاپن، آمريكا و انگلستان به چشم مي‌خورد.


      35 درصد از كاربران جهاني اينترنت در آسيا قرار دارند

      تحقيقات شركت ''مورگان'' نشان مي‌دهد كه ميزان ضريب نفوذ اينترنت 15 كشور توسعه يافته شامل آمريكا، كشورهاي اروپايي، استراليا و شرق آسيا، بين 40 تا 70 درصد است؛ در حالي كه پنج كشور از 15 كشور پرجمعيت اينترنتي جهان در سال 2004، داراي ضريب نفوذ زير 20 درصد اعلام شده است؛ چين هفت درصد، هند چهار درصد، روسيه 16 درصد، برزيل 10 درصد و مكزيك 1 2 درصد است و‌ اين پنج كشور انتظار دارند در مقايسه با كشورهاي پيشرفته، رشد ميزان ضريب نفوذ اينترنت بيشتري داشته باشند.

      كشورهاي گروه هشت (G، جايي كه 15 درصد از جمعيت جهان را در خود جاي داده‌اند، داراي بيش از 50 درصد از كل كاربران جهاني اينترنت هستند؛ در مقابل شمار كاربران 50 كشور آفريقايي روي هم رفته كمتر از شمار افراد آنلاين فرانسه است.

      تعداد 35 كشور آفريقايي تنها 25 ميليون كاربر دارند،‌ همچنين حدود 30 كشور در جهان وجود دارد كه واژه‌ي اينترنت در آن‌ها واژه‌اي غريب و نامانوس است؛ چرا كه ضريب نفوذ اينترنت در اين كشورها كمتر از يك درصد گزارش شده است و در حال حاضر آسيا با در اختيار داشتن بيش از نيمي ‌از جمعيت جهان، داراي 35 درصد از كاربران جهاني است.

      Comment


      • Apple Expands Its Video Offerings

        Apple's new iTunes Movies and upcoming media-streaming device further expand the company's entertainment offerings that target the living room. The pricing and limited selection of the nascent movie service suggest a burdensome compromise between Apple and the movie industry, but Apple's seamless integration of content, software, and hardware may enable the company to succeed in the increasingly crowded video field.

        Mac and PC users can purchase new movies for $12.99 each and older titles for $9.99 each from the Apple iTunes Store ("Music" is gone from the official name), which is built into iTunes 7. The pricing is comparable to that of Amazon's recently launched Unbox service. (Read PC World's review of the Amazon service.)

        "It's a start, like the [Apple iTunes] TV shows were a start," says Van Baker, an analyst with Gartner Industry Advisory Services. "From the pricing scheme, there was some compromise between what Apple wanted and what Disney wanted."

        Limited Choices for Now
        Content is currently limited to about 75 Disney-owned titles from Walt Disney Pictures, Pixar, Touchstone Pictures, and Miramax Films. The movies will play back at a resolution of 640 by 480 pixels--a step up from the 320-by-240-pixel maximum of previous iTunes videos, but still below DVD quality.

        The decision to offer videos at this level of quality was driven by the studios, not by Apple, according to Baker. "The studio are nervous about distribution of their content electronically," he says.

        Movies will be available at iTunes on the same day that DVDs go on sale in other retail outlets such as Wal-Mart and Amazon.com. However, companies like Starz Entertainment, which have long-standing subscription agreements, will still be able to offer some movies for viewing before customers can buy them from Apple.

        Slow Downloads in Hands-On Tests
        Digital World's West Coast correspondent Cathy Lu tried out the new service for PC World by downloading National Treasure, a 131-minute movie starring Nicholas Cage. The $9.99 video had a file size of 1.49GB and took a whopping 2 hours, 45 minutes to download. We're hoping that the sheer number of downloads taxing the iTunes movie service on its first day is responsible for the slow speed, and that this won't be a typical experience in the future. Lu used a dual 2-GHz Power Mac G5 with 512MB of RAM and a broadband connection.

        At Tuesday's special event, Apple CEO Steve Jobs said that download time using a fast 5-megabit-per-second broadband connection would likely be 30 minutes; you should be able to start watching the movie within a minute of starting the download.

        After installing the latest version of QuickTime (version 7.1.3), Lu was able to view the movie while it downloaded without a hitch. Once she'd finished the download, Lu transferred the movie via USB 2.0 to her fifth-generation 30GB iPod using iTunes 7's new iPod interface page; that transfer took more than 4 minutes. Video playback generally looked great and was smooth, Lu said, but dark scenes were hard to make out. Another gripe: Images were tiny because of the movie's wide-screen aspect ratio, which left black bands at the top and the bottom and reduced the dimensions of the already itty-bitty iPod screen even more. Upon further investigation we noticed that it's possible to turn wide screen off under the iPod's video settings, allowing downloaded movies to fill the entire screen--and every millimeter counts on a small iPod screen. (Apple announced today that it has refreshed its iPod lines.)

        Apple's new iTV
        The most interesting part of Apple's Tuesday announcement involved its media-streaming device code-named iTV, which will allow consumers to stream movies, videos, photos, podcasts, and other iTunes content directly to their big-screen TV. The movie download service alone is not significantly different--or cheaper--than those offered by rivals, but everyone has been looking for a convenient way to transfer video content from the PC where it was downloaded to a living-room screen for viewing. Apple's ease of use may give it an edge here.

        Apple says that the iTV will connect to set-top boxes, and that it will be able to connect to a TV via HDMI or component video ports. The iTV will also offer digital audio via an optical cable, and it will come with a remote control and USB ports. It will handle ethernet and Wi-Fi, too, though Apple did not disclose whether it will work with 802.11g or the upcoming 802.11n standard. Priced at $299, the iTV will be available in the first quarter of next year.

        The company's preview marked a departure from Apple's usual consumer product strategy, which is to wait until a product is ready for sale before making any announcement.

        Comment


        • Mozilla Fixes Critical Firefox Flaws

          Mozilla developers have released an updated version of their Firefox browser that fixes a number of security issues, four of them rated critical.

          The update was released late Thursday, and Firefox users should receive the 1.5.0.7 patches via the browser's automatic update system over the next few days, according to Mozilla.

          Research firm Secunia rates the flaws as "highly critical," saying that they can be exploited to "conduct man-in-the-middle, spoofing, and cross-site scripting attacks, and potentially compromise a user's system," according to an alert. Secunia's alert can be found online.

          Web surfers who want to download the Firefox update directly can find it on Mozilla's Web site.

          In addition to the four critical patches, the software also fixes three less-critical issues and offers some stability enhancements according to the Mozilla Web site. Details on the security vulnerabilities can be found online.

          Browser hackers have traditionally focused on Microsoft's Internet Explorer, but as Firefox's market share has grown it has become a more attractive target. Firefox is now used by about 13 percent of Web surfers, according to research firm OneStat.com.

          Busy Week
          It has been a busy week for IT administrators looking to stay on top of security. Important security patches were also released by Microsoft and Apple Computer.

          On Tuesday, Microsoft released its monthly set of security patches, fixing a critical bug in its Publisher product. The company also re-released two of its August patches to fix bugs in the updates. More information on Microsoft's patches can be found on Microsoft's Web site.

          That was followed Wednesday by Apple's fix for its QuickTime multimedia software. This update, rated as highly critical by Secunia, fixes six bugs in the product. More details on the QuickTime update can be found on Apple's Web site.

          Comment


          • Carriers Unite for Future Mobile Networks

            Some of the world's biggest cellular operators have gotten together to promote their vision of what next-generation mobile technology should look like.

            Sprint Nextel, Vodafone Group, China Mobile Communications, Orange, NTT DoCoMo, Royal KPN, and T-Mobile International announced this week they have formed the Next Generation Mobile Networks (NGMN) initiative. NGMN, a nonprofit group based in London, won't push a particular type of network but rather a set of guidelines that future technologies should follow, said Steve Falk, vice president of global standards at Sprint.

            "We think that we can speak with a more organized and concerted voice that we have in the past," Falk said. Vendors and standards organizations had stronger voices in the development of 2G and 3G systems. Carriers will represent the interests of their customers, the end users, he said.

            The group, which is already consulting with equipment vendors but will only include carriers as members, may be pitting itself against Qualcomm, which developed much of the current 3G technology and has been criticized in some quarters for its royalty and licensing practices.

            The NGMN is looking toward the technologies to follow 3G systems such as HSDPA (High-Speed Downlink Packet Access) and EvDO (Evolution-Data Optimized).

            Carriers are still deploying and upgrading those networks, which are based on GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) and CDMA (Code-Division Multiple Access) respectively, but even faster technologies are coming down the road. Sprint, for one, has called WiMax its 4G technology and plans to roll it out across the U.S. within the next few years. In choosing WiMax, the carrier used some of the guidelines NGMN was formulating, Falk said.

            Making Recommendations
            Among NGMN's recommended features are the following:

            high data throughput with low latency
            low operation and maintenance costs
            support for authentication, security and differentiated quality of service
            Carriers also will favor technologies covered by FRAND (fair, reasonable and nondiscriminatory) intellectual property rules, Falk said.

            "One of the principles of NGMN is an open and transparent IPR (intellectual property rights) regime," he said.

            The NGMN would like to see a single technology track and believes greater harmony will lower costs and speed up product development for vendors, too.

            "In some cases, 2G and 3G vendors have had to do very costly and time-consuming development on three to five different kinds of technology," Falk said. Being able to focus on one or two tracks, in turn, will help bring products and services to mobile subscribers faster and more economically, he said.

            Comment


            • Toshiba Readies New HD DVD Players

              Toshiba will soon put its second generation of HD DVD players on sale in the U.S.

              The Tokyo company kicked off the high-definition movie battle in the U.S. earlier this year when it put its first generation of HD DVD players on sale.

              They were soon followed by a machine from Samsung Electronics for the rival Blu-ray Disc format.

              Both formats use optical discs the same size as a CD or DVD, but use blue lasers to cram much more data onto the discs. However, Blu-ray and HD DVD are incompatible, and the different companies behind each format are vying for the favor of consumers. To date many consumers seem cool in their reaction to the rival formats and are sitting on the sidelines until a winner is crowned.

              New and Improved
              The more expensive of Toshiba's two new players, the HD-XA2, packs several new features that should mean a better picture if you have the right TV and content. The player generates output at up to 1080p, which is the highest of several levels of high-definition picture, and has the latest version of the HDMI (high-definition multimedia interface) standard.

              HDMI version 1.3 increases the color depth from 24 bits to 36 bits for deeper colors in images, but you'll need a compatible TV to realize the benefit.

              The HD-A2 will be available from October for $500 and the HD-XA2 will go on sale in December for $1000, said Toshiba. That means there's no change in the price of Toshiba's cheapest HD DVD player but there is an increase of $200 in the price of the high-end model from the current $800 price tag for the HD-XA1.

              Comment


              • Hackers Post Code for New IE Attack

                Hackers have discovered a new vulnerability in Internet Explorer, and they've released code that could be used to attack users of Microsoft's popular browser.

                The vulnerability is similar to a bug that Microsoft patched last month in a multimedia component of Internet Explorer, according to Vincent Hwang, a group product manager with Symantec's Security Response team.

                Though a sample exploit of the vulnerability was posted earlier this week by hackers on the xsec.org Web site, Symantec has yet to see the code used in any attacks, according to Hwang.

                To take advantage of the exploit code, attackers would first need to trick users into viewing a maliciously encoded Web page, but they could then run unauthorized code on a victim's computer.

                It is unclear right now which versions of Windows and Internet Explorer are affected by the vulnerability. Researchers at Secunia said they were able to create a "fully working" exploit for the latest version of Windows XP running Internet Explorer 6. Windows 2000 users are also vulnerable, Secunia said.

                Under Investigation
                Microsoft security researchers were unavailable to comment on the issue, but a spokesman for the company's public relations agency said that the matter was under investigation.

                Symantec calls the bug "critical," and Secunia rates the issue as "highly critical," its most severe rating. The Secunia alert can be found online.

                The xsec.org hackers referred to their code as a 0day, meaning an exploit for a previously undisclosed vulnerability. But one well-known hacker said the flaw was not difficult to find using publicly available security tools, such as the AxMan ActiveX fuzzing software.

                "Calling it 0day is a stretch," said HD Moore, the head of the Metasploit project, via e-mail.

                Moore wrote an automated ActiveX testing tool called AxMan that uncovered a handful of IE bugs, including the one exploited by on xsec.org. Although Moore recently launched a project called the Month of Browser Bugs, in which he disclosed a new browser vulnerability every day for the month of July, he said he had refrained from disclosing this particular vulnerability.

                "This is one of the many exploitable bugs that can be discovered using AxMan and one of the few that I didn't include in Month of Browser bugs due to the ease of exploitation," he said. "I still have three or four left in IE that have similar impact."

                This is the second unpatched flaw that Microsoft is looking at patching right now. Earlier this month, attackers began exploiting a vulnerability in the company's Word software.

                Comment


                • Feds Shut Down Illegal Spammers

                  WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has shut down four illegal e-mail spamming operations, including one that offered the opportunity to "date lonely wives," the agency said Thursday.

                  Two of the other operations sending unwanted commercial e-mail hijacked the computers of third parties and used them to spam customers with sexually explicit e-mail, the FTC said Thursday.

                  The FTC charged the four operations with violating the U.S. CAN-SPAM Act. Federal courts in Illinois and Arizona approved the FTC request to shut down the operations.

                  Big Fine
                  Cleverlink Trading and its partners will give up $400,000 in spam-related gains to settle FTC charges that e-mail from them or their affiliates violated federal law. The FTC sued the group, saying their "date-lonely-wives" spam violated nearly every provision of the CAN-SPAM Act.


                  Cleverlink's e-mail contained misleading headers and deceptive subject lines, it did not contain a link to allow consumers to opt out of receiving future spam, did not contain a valid physical postal address and did not contain the disclosure that it was sexually explicit, the FTC said.
                  It also included sexual materials in the initially viewable area of the e-mail, in violation of the FTC's adult labeling rule. The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division halted the operation and froze the defendants' assets. The court approved a settlement with Cleverlink and four other defendants in July.

                  Spam Zombies
                  In a second case, the FTC charged that Zachary Kinion sent spam hawking adult sites, mortgage rates and privacy software and paid other spammers commissions to send spam messages for him. Kinion hid his true originating address by routing his spam through the computers of innocent third parties, the FTC said.

                  The FTC charged him with violations of the CAN-SPAM Act, and the Illinois court ordered him to halt his e-mail operations. A settlement, which the FTC agreed to in June, includes a judgment of $151,000, suspended because of Kinion's inability to pay, the FTC said.

                  Another spam operation used spam zombies--computers used without their owners' knowledge--to conceal the source of sexually explicit spam. Defendants William Dugger, Angelina Johnson and John Vitale also violated the adult labeling rule, the FTC said.

                  The settlement, approved in July by the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona, requires the three defendants to give up $8,000 in spam-related profits, and it requires them to obtain permission from other people's computers before using them to send e-mail.

                  Without Consumers' Knowledge
                  The fourth spam operation used spam to drive traffic to Web sites by third parties, the FTC said. Brian McMullen, doing business as BM Entertainment and B Pimp, routed his promotions for pharmaceuticals and adult content through unwitting consumers' computers, the FTC said.

                  A settlement approved by the Illinois court in July imposes a judgment of $24,193, suspended based on McMullen's inability to pay, the FTC said. In addition, he has pleaded guilty to criminal charges related to spam and unauthorized possession of credit cards. He currently is awaiting sentencing.

                  Comment


                  • Microsoft to Launch iPod Rival Before Christmas

                    The first Microsoft Zune products will hit U.S. retailers in time for the busy Christmas holiday season, with a 30GB digital media player and a Zune Marketplace online service the first to reach consumers, Microsoft said today.

                    Also on Thursday, Nintendo announced that its Wii game console--which will compete with Microsoft's own Xbox 360--will be available in time for the holidays. It will be launched in the U.S. on November 19, and will cost $250.

                    The details of what Microsoft is offering with its Zune product line--which will compete with Apple Computer's iPod device and iTunes software and service--sound similar to what Apple already offers, with a couple of exceptions. In addition to allowing users to play music, videos, and photos on a screen, the Zune player will include wireless technology and a built-in FM radio tuner. So far, iPods lack either radio tuners or built-in wireless technology.

                    Zune's wireless technology will allow users to share songs, playlists, and photos between Zune devices, Microsoft said. A user can listen to any song they receive up to three times over three days, after which they must purchase it from the Zune Marketplace if they wish to continue listening.

                    The Zune Marketplace, like iTunes, allows users to purchase media and manage their own media libraries. Users can purchase music tracks individually or buy what is called a "Zune Pass," a subscription service allowing users to download as many songs as they want for a monthly fee.

                    The Zune device will come in three colors--black, brown, and white. In addition to viewing media on the 3-inch screen, users also can customize the screen with personal photos or themes, Microsoft said.

                    In another deviation from Apple's plan, Zune devices will come preloaded with content from record labels. Labels that are teaming with Microsoft to provide music for the players include TS, EMI Music's Astralwerks Records and Virgin Records, Ninja Tune, Playlouderecordings, Quango Music Group, Sub Pop Records, and V2/Artemis Records.

                    Tough Competition
                    After months of speculation, Microsoft confirmed in July that it was developing a music player and service to rival Apple's iPod and iTunes.

                    If other attempts to unseat the iPod are any indication, Microsoft will have a tough road ahead. Recently, Dell stopped selling its DJ Ditty music player on its Web site and ended development of its own line of music players.

                    Still, iPod market share has fallen in the past year, leaving room for rivals in the market. At one point the music player had more than 80 percent market share by analyst estimates, but the latest reports give the iPod a little over 70 percent market share.

                    In addition to the devices and the online service, Microsoft also will offer three Zune accessory packs that will be sold separately and will be available at the same time as the Zune devices.

                    The Zune Car Pack includes a built-in FM tuner with AutoSeek and the Zune Car Charger. The Zune Home A/V Pack includes five products that integrate Zune with a television and music speakers: Zune AV Output Cable, Zune Dock, Zune Sync Cable, Zune AC Adapter, and the Zune Wireless Remote for Zune Dock. And the Zune Travel Pack offers five products for traveling with the Zune device: Zune Premium Earphones, Zune Dual Connect Remote, Zune Gear Bag, Zune Sync Cable, and the Zune AC Adapter.

                    Like Apple, Microsoft also is working with accessory manufacturers to provide more add-on products for Zune devices. Among the companies with whom Microsoft is teaming are Altec Lansing, Belkin, Digital Lifestyle Outfitters, Dual Electronics, Griffin Technology, Harman Kardon and JBL, Integrated Mobile Electronics, Jamo International, Klipsch Audio Technologies, Logitech, Monster Cable Products, Speck, Targus Group International and VAF Research.

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                    • Nintendo Wii Will Be Here for the Holidays

                      Nintendo will launch its Wii game console in the U.S. on November 19 and in Japan on December 2, the company said today.

                      The console will cost $250 in the U.S. and about $213 in Japan. Both prices are considerably cheaper than the $508 price tag of the competing PlayStation 3 that will go on sale on November 11 in Japan and November 17 in the U.S.

                      Wii will go up against two tough opponents: Sony Computer Entertainment's PlayStation 3 and Microsoft's Xbox 360. The former is awaited by many gamers, while the latter has been on the market for a year and has been generally well received by gamers in Europe and the U.S., although less so by those in Japan.

                      In other digital entertainment news, Microsoft today released all the details of the Zune, its iPod competitor, and said it, plus a Zune music service, would be available before the holidays.

                      Family Fun
                      Nintendo, the smallest of the three companies, is well-known for its family-friendly video games, and for pursuing the market with an emphasis on light-hearted fun in an effort to widen the gaming audience. The company has already had some success. While sales of the PlayStation Portable are expected to decline this year, sales of Nintendo's competing Nintendo DS portable are surging, thanks to the surprise hit of a brain-training game.

                      The company's innovations with the Wii include its controller, which looks similar to a remote control. The device features motion sensors and links via wireless to the Wii so that it can be swung like a bat in a baseball game or jabbed like a fist in a boxing game. The idea behind the controller is that anyone--not just experienced gamers--can use it.

                      Games Available at Launch
                      The Japan launch software line-up will consist of 16 games, and there should be 22 on sale by the end of 2006, said Iwata. Several will come from Nintendo, including "Wii Sports," a package including baseball, boxing, tennis and bowling that will retail for about $40. There will also be "Zelda: Twilight Princess," which will cost about $58.

                      Nintendo will also offer so-called classic games for download at prices between $4.25 and $8.50. Titles from the days of the company's Famicon and Super Famicon will be offered and accessed through the console's Wii Channel service. Wii Channel will also offer the latest news and weather information, a sticky notes-like message service that can be used by family members, and access to the Internet through a version of the Opera Web browser.

                      Wii Channel is part of push to widen the audience. The company is hoping to make the Wii something that people use everyday and not just for gaming. The other features could also attract non-gamers in a family who might one day be tempted to buy one of the low-cost classic games and eventually progress to make their first purchase of more sophisticated packaged software.

                      Comment


                      • Yahoo Expands Web Mail Beta

                        Yahoo plans to significantly expand the number of people with access to its next-generation Web mail service, which has been in test, or beta, mode for about one year.

                        Until now, the new Web mail service has been available to a limited number of people in the U.S. and to all users in the U.K., Ireland, France, Germany, Canada, and South Korea.

                        But starting Thursday, Yahoo will roll it out to all users in the U.S., Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, China, Hong Kong, India, Italy, the Philippines, Singapore, Spain, and Taiwan.

                        It will take about two weeks for Yahoo to complete this deployment, Yahoo spokeswoman Karen Mahon said. Yahoo plans to remove the beta tag from the new service "in the coming months," she said.

                        This new version is the largest overhaul of Yahoo's Web mail service since its introduction in 1997. Unlike the current version, it works like a desktop application, eliminating the delays found on many other Web-based applications.

                        New Features
                        Among its features are the ability to drag and drop messages into folders, a pane to preview the content of messages, the ability to have multiple message windows open, and keyboard shortcuts to, for example, delete or create messages. It also has an integrated RSS reader. The service's calendar tool can now present maps to appointments.

                        This new version extends the traditional Web mail concept from a simple mailbox to a broader central information repository that not only handles e-mail messages, but integrates RSS management, calendaring, and instant messaging, and this makes it a significant upgrade, said Allen Weiner, a Gartner analyst.

                        Competition in the once languid Web mail market heated up in April 2004 when Google launched its Gmail service. Since then, Web mail providers such as Yahoo, Microsoft, and AOL have been busy retooling their services, dramatically increasing storage capacity, sharpening spam and e-mail filters, and giving user interfaces extreme makeovers.

                        Much is at stake in the Web mail wars, because the level of attachment users form with their e-mail accounts is much higher than with other online services. A strong Web mail service serves as a user-magnet for portals with other online services. Web mail services have also proved effective for advertising.

                        Comment


                        • مدير عامل شركت نيونت: آينده اينترنت به سوي IN و ADSL حركت مي‌‏كند كه به اين ترتيب سهم كارت در بازار كشور كاهش پيدا خواهد كرد.


                          علي توسلي ، مدير عامل شركت نيونت، در گفت‌وگو با ايلنا، در خصوص توسعه شبكه IN در كشور،‌‏ با بيان اين كه با تغييرات نرم افزاري در مراكز مخابراتي شبكه هوشمند گسترش پيدا خواهد كرد، اظهارداشت:‌‏ از ديد شركت‌هايISP ، سيستمIN وضعيت پيچيده و پرهزينه فروش كارت را از بين خواهد برد.
                          وي ، با بيان اين كه در پروسه فروش كارت بيش از 45 درصد قيمت كارت به توزيع كنندگان و فروشندگان اختصاص مي‌‏يافت، يادآور شد: در IN مخابرات 35 درصد از فروش شركت‌‏ها را به عنوان كميسيون در اختيار مي‌‏گيرد.

                          توسلي، با تاكيد بر اين كه در سيستم IN براي شركت‌‏ها تضمين فروش وجود دارد، افزود: اگرچه فاكتورهاي مخابرات هر دو ماه يكبار پرداخت مي‌‏شود ، اما در فروش اينترنت سوخت و سوز وجود نخواهد داشت.
                          وي، رقابتي نبودن قيمت‌‏ها در سيستم IN را از ديگر مزاياي اين طرح عنوان كرد و يادآور شد: با IN قيمت شكني غيرمعقولي كه در سيستم اينترنت كشور وجود داشت از بين رفته و قيمت‌‏ها تحت كنترل باقي خواهد ماند.

                          مديرعامل نيونت ، با اشاره به اتصال آسان مشترك در شبكه IN ، گفت: با توجه اتصال و دسترسي نامحدود به شبكه IN، ميزان مصرف را بالا خواهد برد.
                          وي، با تاكيد بر اين كه در IN كاربر با مخابرات طرف است و هيچ ضرري را مانند خريد كارت بدون كيفيت متحمل نمي‌‏شود ، اظهارداشت: كاهش قيمت اينترنت در IN از سوي مخابرات باعث افزايش ضريب نفوذ اينترنت در كشور خواهد شد.

                          توسلي، گفت: اصولا شبكه هوشمند نمي‌‏تواند كل بازار اينترنت را به خود اختصاص دهد، چرا كه بعضي از كاربران تنها به دنبال قيمت ارزان اينترنت هستند.
                          وي، افزود:‌‏ IN تمام بازار را پوشش نخواهد داد، اما براي كاربراني كه به طور مداوم از اينترنت استفاده مي‌‏كنند سيستم مفيدي خواهد بود.

                          عضو انجمن شركت‌‏هاي اينترنتي، يادآور شد: اگرچه چاپ و توليد كارت شغل جانبي در كشور ايجاد كرده است، اما هزينه جابجايي زيادي مانند كاغذ و چاپ را براي جامعه تحميل مي‌‏كند كه استفاده از IN اين هزينه‌‏ها را كاهش مي‌‏دهد.
                          مديرعامل نيونت ، با بيان اين‌‏كه واگذاري مخابرات به بخش خصوصي در جهت رقابتي شدن هزينه و كاهش قيمت تمام شده براي كاربر بسيار موثر خواهد بود ، ‌‏تاكيد كرد: در حال حاضر مراحل فروش اوليه اينترنت به بخش خصوصي سپرده شده است كه اين امر مقدمه‌‏اي در جهت خصوصي سازي است.


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                          • بزرگراه فناوری - هنگامی که پروژه ساخت مرکزی به‌نام Doz یا منطقه برون‌سپاری دبی در تابستان سال 2004 به‌عهده شرکت Dubai Holding گذاشته شد، تصور نمی‌رفت این طرح به این زودی به موفقیت برسد. اما حال این اتفاق افتاده و تقاضا برای تملک فضا در این منطقه از سوی شرکت‌های محلی و بین‌المللی از حد انتظار فراتر رفته است. هم‌اکنون 10 هزار نفر درگیر فعالیت‌های اجرایی مختلف مربوط به این طرح هستند تا آن را تا پایان سال آینده به اتمام برسانند.



                            اسماعیل علی‌نقی مدیر اجرایی این طرح می‌گوید منطقه Doz در چند فاز تاسیس خواهد شد و به محض آنکه 50 درصد از ظرفیت هر فاز تکمیل شد کار اجرایی فاز بعدی آغاز می‌شود.

                            به گفته او Dubai Holding ابتدا تنها برای تکمیل فاز یک متشکل از پنج ساختمان تا سال 2008 برنامه‌ریزی کرده بود اما در عمل کار اتمام فازهای یک و دو را به پایان برده و در حال حاضر مشغول ساخت فاز سوم است.

                            کل این پروژه در منطقه‌ای به مساحت بیش از سه میلیون فوت مربع اجرا می‌شود. فاز یک این پروژه متشکل از پنج ساختمان در منطقه‌ای به وسعت 300 هزار مترمربع و فازهای دو و سه هر یک متشکل از چهار ساختمان هستند و در دو منطقه به وسعت 250 و 200 هزار مترمربع اجرا می‌شوند.

                            علی‌نقی معتقد است هدف از اجرای این طرح تبدیل دبی به قطب طرح‌های برون‌سپاری در منطقه است، امری که کمک زیادی به رشد دبی می‌کند. به ادعای او با اجرای این پروژه شرکت‌ها راحت‌تر خواهند توانست بر کسب‌و‌کارشان متمرکز شوند، بر کارایی خود بیفزایند و از هزینه‌هایشان بکاهند.

                            منطقه Doz تنها 15 دقیقه با فرودگاه دبی و پنج دقیقه با شهر بین‌المللی دبی فاصله دارد و با این حساب منطقه‌ای ایده‌آل برای اجرای پروژه‌های برون‌سپاری شرکت‌های بزرگ و حتی اسکان کارکنان آن‌ها به شمار می‌آید.

                            تاسیسات Doz در قلب یک طرح بزرگ‌تر به‌نام شهر دانشگاهی دبی در حال ایجاد است که از جمله طرح‌های بلندپروازانه در حال اجرا در این شهر به‌حساب می‌آید.

                            قرار است در Doz جدیدترین و پیشرفته‌ترین خدمات ارتباطی و مخابراتی اعم از خطوط ارتباطی پرسرعت برای دسترسی به اینترنت و شبکه‌های محلی، IP Telephony، Automatic Call Distribution(ACD) و خدمات ارتباطی ماهواره‌ای ارایه شود.

                            علی‌نقی معتقد است فعلا هند به‌علت هزینه‌های اندک، فاصله کم با دبی و استعدادهای سرشاری که دارد مهم‌ترین کشور برای اجرای پروژه‌های برون‌سپاری است ولی وی می‌گوید شرکت‌های خارجی برای انتخاب دبی بدین‌منظور دلایل خوبی خواهند داشت.

                            وی معتقد است زیرساخت‌های مناسب ایجاد شده در دبی و مهارت‌بالای نیروهای کار در این شهر از جمله نقاط قوت دبی نسبت به هند است. وی می‌افزاید: هند امروزه ضعف‌های فراوانی در حوزه برون‌سپاری دارد، با این وجود هدف از ایجاد Doz رقابت با هند در این بخش نیست، چون ما مشتریان متفاوتی را در نظر گرفته‌ایم که عبارتند از صاحبان مشاغل مرتبط با فناوری‌های فوق پیشرفته اما در مقابل هند کل بازار را هدف قرار داده است. ما می‌خواهیم تنها صاحبان مشاغلی در Doz حضور یابند که ارزش افزوده مناسبی برای دبی به ارمغان بیاورند.

                            انتظار می‌رود پروژه‌های برون‌سپاری گسترده‌ای در حوزه‌های بانکداری، امور مالی، حسابداری، IT، پژوهش و توسعه و طراحی در Dozبه اجرا گذاشته شود.

                            علی‌نقی امیدوار است شرکت‌های بزرگ آلمانی، انگلیسی و آمریکایی در Doz حضور یابند. او حتی از حضور شرکت‌های هندی در این منطقه استقبال می‌کند و می‌گوید آن‌ها می‌توانند درس‌های زیادی از همتایان غربی خود گرفته و کیفیت کارشان را ارتقا دهند.

                            جالب آنکه از همین حالا قراردادهایی برای همکاری بین یک شرکت هندی و غول‌هایی مانند Visa و Master Card در این منطقه منعقد شده است.

                            به ادعای علی‌نقی Doz هم‌اینک برای بازار آمریکا شناخته شده است و شرکت‌های زیادی درخواست‌ها و نیازهای خود را برای حضور در این منطقه اعلام کرده‌اند، ما هم در تلاش هستیم تا امکانات مناسب را در اختیارشان بگذاریم و آن‌ها را به فروشنده‌ها و سرویس‌دهندگان محلی مناسب مرتبط کنیم.

                            وی می‌افزاید: ما در حال گفت‌و‌گو با چند سرویس‌دهنده مهم هندی هستیم تا تاسیسات مناسبی را در Doz ایجاد کنیم. همچنین با شرکت‌هایی مانند TCS هم در این مورد مذاکره کرده‌ایم.

                            در کنار پروژه‌های برون‌سپاری عادی تعدادی از شرکت‌های محلی حاضر در دبی هم دوست دارند تاسیساتی را برای اجرای نوع خاصی از این پروژه‌ها موسوم به Captive Offshoring در Doz به‌وجود آورند. در قالب طرح‌های مذکور یک شرکت فرآیند اجرای یک طرح خاص را به یکی از شعبات خود یا یکی از شرکت‌های همکار واگذار می‌کند.

                            از جمله مهم‌ترین شرکت‌های اماراتی که به اجرای چنین طرحی تمایل دارد می‌توان از Du نام برد که دومین اپراتور تلفن‌همراه امارات محسوب می‌شود و قرار است یک Call Centre را با صرف میلیون‌ها دلار هزینه در Doz برپا کند.

                            قرار است اجرای این طرح با همکاری 400 شرکت دیگر و به‌صورت Offshoring تا اوایل سال آینده میلادی به اتمام برسد.

                            از جمله شرکت‌های دیگر اماراتی که طرح‌های Offshoring خود را در Dozبه اجرا درخواهند آورد می‌توان به Mashreq bank ، Arab Bank و Jumeriah اشاره کرد.

                            Arab Bank هم قصد دارد کل عملیات پشتیبانی از ادارات خود را در منطقه خلیج‌فارس در قالب پروژه‌های برون‌سپاری و از طریق ایجاد تاسیسات ارایه خدمات مشترک در Doz به انجام برساند.

                            از سوی دیگر مدیر Mashreq bank هم از ایجاد یک مرکز بزرگ در Doz برای برآورده‌کردن نیازهای مشتریان خود خبر می‌دهد.

                            وی قصد دارد یک ساختمان اختصاصی Data Centre برای بانک خود در این منطقه ایجاد کند تا از برخی مشکلات فعلی بانک یاد شده کاسته شود. برخی شرکت‌های دیگر و از جمله Jumeriah هم در اندیشه ایجاد Call Centre و مرکز برون‌سپاری فرآیندهای تجاری در Doz هستند. این شرکت از این طریق خواهد توانست نقل و انتقالات مالی را که در هتل‌‌های این شرکت در سراسر جهان اتفاق می‌افتد، کنترل و بررسی کند. در مجموع هدف Doz آن است که پنج درصد از کل بازار 350 میلیارد دلاری برون‌سپاری جهانی را به‌خود اختصاص دهد. علی‌نقی معتقد است با توجه به آنکه شرکت‌های بزرگ و معتبری برای ایجاد تاسیسات برون‌سپاری در Doz اعلام آمادگی کرده‌اند، دستیابی به این هدف چندان دور از ذهن هم نیست.

                            به‌عنوان مثال علی‌نقی از حضور یک شرکت بزرگ آمریکایی در این منطقه خبر می‌دهد که قرار است نیازهای دیگر شرکت‌ها در حوزه Call Centre را برآورده کند. بخش اول تاسیسات این شرکت در سه‌ماهه اول سال 2007 به بهره‌برداری خواهد رسید.

                            Infospan برای اولین بار است که در خارج از آمریکا دست به تاسیس Call Centre می‌زند و از این‌رو دبی را انتخاب کرده که بتواند به مشتریان اروپایی خود و نیروی کار فراوانی که در دبی حضور دارند خدمات بدهد.

                            در همین حین Encreate به ارایه خدمات IT و شرکت‌هایی مانند Levant Capital,Tech Flow و Futech بر ایجاد تاسیسات BPO در Doz خواهند پرداخت.

                            به هرحال فعالیت اولیه Doz طی هفته‌های آتی آغاز می‌شود و گذشت زمان میزان موفقیت آن را مشخص خواهد کرد.

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                            • First Windows Vista Release Candidate Available

                              Microsoft took a big stride today toward finalizing Windows Vista by issuing a first release candidate for its next-generation operating system.

                              A release candidate is a near-final version of the OS that is supposed to be changed only to fix bugs and tweak performance. The arrival of Vista RC1 keeps Microsoft on track for shipping the OS in November as planned.

                              Jim Allchin, Windows Platforms and Services copresident, announced the completion of RC1 in a blog posting to some 20,000 business and IT users in Microsoft's Technical Beta and Technology Adoption Program. Code was made available to these testers today, but Allchin promised it would go out to the additional 500,000 IT pros and developers in the Microsoft Software Developers Network and Technet next week.

                              "You'll notice a lot of improvements since Beta 2," Allchin wrote. "We've made some UI adjustments, added more device drivers, and enhanced performance. We're not done yet, however--quality will continue to improve."

                              "The operating system is in great shape with RC1," Allchin added in his message to Microsoft's core beta testers, "but there's still a lot of testing to do. You've come through for us so far, and I'm asking you to once again put the pedal to the metal and send us feedback."

                              In addition to members of the technical community, some 1.5 million general users have received Beta 2 since its release last May by signing up for the Windows Vista Customer Preview Program. At the time, Microsoft said these users would have access to RC1, but there was no immediate word on how the company would be servicing them.

                              (For those who like to keep track of such details, RC1 is build 5600; Beta 2 was build 5384.)

                              Microsoft officials say RC1 will time out on May 31, 2007, meaning that people who install it will have to upgrade to the shipping OS by then. It's not clear whether they'd be able to roll back to Windows XP.

                              What's New Since Beta 2?
                              Christopher Flores, group product manager for Windows Marketing Communications, said one area in which RC1 is most visibly different from Beta 2 is in its handling of User Account Control technology, which seeks to improve system security by requiring approval, even from people logged in with administrative privileges, for software installations or settings changes.

                              Testers had complained that the OS popped up windows requesting approval for changes that were trivial or that clearly came from trusted sources (such as Microsoft itself, in the case of Windows updates). Microsoft eliminated some of these prompts, such as those seeking approval to view firewall settings, open the Scanners and Camera control panel, or perform Media Player's Express setup. Also, UAC requests no longer appear as windows that steal focus from applications, which can be distracting. Instead, they appear on the taskbar as flashing buttons.

                              The OS also now uses less system memory to run, which should speed up overall performance. And it includes support for both of the high-definition video media formats, HD-DVD and Blu-ray Disc. Vista's underlying WinFX graphics system (now called .NET 3.0) is installed by default; previously it had to be user-installed.

                              Media Center viewers now recognize user-applied tags to photos and videos, and can filter content accordingly. System pop-ups are automatically suppressed when using presentation settings. Additionally, Flores says this version of Vista comes with drivers for thousands more devices than were included with Beta 2.

                              Microsoft still plans to release final code to volume license customers (primarily enterprises) in November. Systems with Vista preinstalled and upgrade versions of the OS at retail are slated to follow in January.

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                              • Mozilla Fixes Critical Firefox Flaws

                                Mozilla developers have released an updated version of their Firefox browser that fixes a number of security issues, four of them rated critical.

                                The update was released late Thursday, and Firefox users should receive the 1.5.0.7 patches via the browser's automatic update system over the next few days, according to Mozilla.


                                Research firm Secunia rates the flaws as "highly critical," saying that they can be exploited to "conduct man-in-the-middle, spoofing, and cross-site scripting attacks, and potentially compromise a user's system," according to an alert. Secunia's alert can be found online.


                                Web surfers who want to download the Firefox update directly can find it on Mozilla's Web site.


                                In addition to the four critical patches, the software also fixes three less-critical issues and offers some stability enhancements according to the Mozilla Web site. Details on the security vulnerabilities can be found online.


                                Browser hackers have traditionally focused on Microsoft's Internet Explorer, but as Firefox's market share has grown it has become a more attractive target. Firefox is now used by about 13 percent of Web surfers, according to research firm OneStat.com.

                                Busy Week

                                It has been a busy week for IT administrators looking to stay on top of security. Important security patches were also released by Microsoft and Apple Computer.


                                On Tuesday, Microsoft released its monthly set of security patches, fixing a critical bug in its Publisher product. The company also re-released two of its August patches to fix bugs in the updates. More information on Microsoft's patches can be found on Microsoft's Web site.


                                That was followed Wednesday by Apple's fix for its QuickTime multimedia software. This update, rated as highly critical by Secunia, fixes six bugs in the product. More details on the QuickTime update can be found on Apple's Web site.

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