Another big question from readers as a follow-up to last week's XP end-of-life post: How do I set up my Vista PC for dual booting with Windows XP?
For starters, it's true that some new computers will not be able to run Windows XP. The issue is one of drivers and mainly affects laptops: Some vendors have jumped so wholly to Vista that they're no longer making XP hardware drivers for their equipment. There's no real way around this, so check to make sure you can get all the drivers you need for your computer before you embark on the road to try setting up two operating systems on your machine. (You'll need them anyway.)
Also, be aware that configuring your machine to run Vista and XP side by side isn't the easiest thing in the world. It is certainly not overwhelmingly difficult, but if you aren't completely comfortable installing Windows on a bare machine, you should avoid this process. Find a friend to help you if you need it.
OK, so you're determined to dual boot. Here's how to do it.
1. Repartition - You need to make two partitions on your hard drive. One for Vista, one for XP. The Vista install DVD includes an app called DiskPart that lets you do this, or try GParted, which is a little friendlier but requires a little more effort on your part. Split your hard drive into two chunks, and make sure each is big enough for each OS (at least 20GB). Format the partition as NTFS. You can also use a second hard drive if you're on a desktop.
2. Check Your BIOS - If you're using a SATA hard drive (the standard for a couple of years now), you'll need to tweak your BIOS so XP, which came out well before SATA did, can see it. Just go into your computer's setup app and hunt around for the options for your hard drive, often under "AHCI." You want "compatibility," "AHCI off," or "IDE emulation" mode... something along those lines. Don't worry, this won't impact Vista at all.
3. Boot from an XP Disc - Now you can just follow the usual installation procedure. Just make sure you're installing on the correct drive: Vista will be on the C drive. Your new partition will be E, F, or another drive letter.
4. Repair the MBR - Installing XP after Vista prevents Vista from loading properly because it overwrites a critical file. Repair the Master Boot Record by booting from a Vista DVD and selecting "Repair your computer," then "Startup Repair."
5. Install a Boot Manager - After all this, you'll boot into Vista. You now need a boot manager to deal with the two OSes. Install EasyBCD (download at that link), run it, and click "Add/Remove Entries." Change the drive to whatever you used in step 3, and change its type to "Windows NT/2k/XP/2k3." Click Add Entry then Save. Any other boot manager will work, but EasyBCD is free.
When you reboot you'll now get to choose which OS to go into.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
How to dual boot your Vista PC with Windows XP
India's Polaris, Australian varsity sign deal on skill creation
The MoU includes joint development of a short course on software testing for industry participants and the development of an elective unit on software testing for UWS undergraduate students.
Arun Jain, chairman and chief executive officer of Polaris Software Lab Ltd, said: "Polaris has a significant presence in Australia. The signing of an MoU only reaffirms our long-standing relationship and commitment to the country."
Earlier, in October last year, Polaris had launched its new software testing laboratory in Sydney. It is in the process of establishing the testing lab, which will create 160 jobs and inject A$5 million ($4.68 million) worth of investment into the state of New South Wales (NSW).
"At Polaris it is a strategic decision to nurture and develop local talent. Today, sourcing of industry ready talent has become very critical for businesses. We strongly believe (this) partnership is the step towards addressing this need," Jain said.
The MoU also includes the selection of a group of students for practical experience and training in software testing on a project in India, and the design and implementation of an Australian Industry survey to ascertain attitudes and approaches towards software testing and the difficulties arising from it.
Anil Verma, director and head of Polaris Software Pty Ltd in Australia, told IANS: "Through our partnership with UWS, we are contributing to capacity building at the grassroots level. It will help in creating and enhancing skills by exposing Australian students to world's best practice in software testing."
Polaris came to Australia in 2000. It currently works with a range of clients, including top Australian banks as well as global giants like Toshiba, Canon and CitiGroup.
The company's core business is the provision of integrated technology solutions for the global banking, financial and insurance sectors. Its expertise lies in corporate banking, retail banking, wealth management, credit cards, investment banking, insurance, enterprise solutions, pace testing and process consulting.
Minister for Western Sydney Barbara Perry said the partnership will provide significant skills training for UWS students and serve as a model for other organisations facing challenges posed by skill shortages.
"It will help create jobs and will drive industry and international investment in the region," Perry added.
UWS is a comparatively young institution striving to ensure research is applied and relevant to what it teaches and also to the industries, businesses and the community.
Beryl Hesketh, dean of the College of Health and Science at UWS, said the university is excited about the opportunities that the new joint venture will provide.
"The partnership will contribute to international research, skills and workforce building for Western Sydney, and work experience and exchange programmes for UWS graduates," Hesketh said.
Polaris is one of a number of major Indian IT companies, including HCL, Infosys, Satyam, Tata Consulting Services (TCS) and Wipro, with operations in Australia.
Apple Acquires P A Semi; what for?
Ever since, there have been stories doing the rounds as to what an Apple might have to do with a P A Semi. There seem several possibilities: one, putting chips inside of the iPhone; two, toying with the idea of a gaming console or a mobile Internet device; three, looking at the server market; else, working on some new type of handheld computer.
Forbes quoted an Apple spokesman named Steve Dowling as saying that the company doesn't comment on its plans for acquired companies (well we think the company doesn't comment on plans for much else anything). Meanwhile, P A Semi, founded in 2003 by lead designer of the DEC Alpha series of processors, Don Dobberpuhl, is based out of Santa Clara in California and employs about 150 people. Interestingly, P A Semi's chips are based on IBM's power architecture that Apple chucked out of the window in 2005. Apple Macs now run Intel chips.
Three New Motherboards from Intel
Tom Rampone, vice president (Sales and Marketing Group) and general manager (Channel Platforms Group) of Intel, said, "From ultimate gaming bliss, to crisp high definition, to the most-affordable Internet-centric desktop, Intel continues to push the boundaries of world-class desktop offerings. As the demand for desktops across the board moves from strength to strength, we are also quickly moving towards more feature differentiation and innovation down our product roadmap."
The Desktop Board DX48BT2 targeted at extreme gamers, Intel claims, unleashes the fastest native 1600 MHz front-side bus and memory support providing powerful performance and extreme overclockability. It supports Intel Core 2 Extreme processors featuring quad or dual-core processing and a faster 1600/1333/1066/800 MHz FSB and is built with the Intel X48 Express Chipset with ICH9R that is validated for chipset-level overclocking. There are two DIMM sockets designed to support up to 4GB of DDR3 1600 MHz memory or four DIMM sockets designed to support up to 8GB of DDR3 1333/1066/800 MHz memory. The board has 2 IEEE 1394a ports and 12 USB 2.0 ports, dual full-speed PCIe 2.0 slots + x4/x16 PCIe slot and 2 PCI expansion slots, and 6 SATA 3.0 Gb/s ports. The DX48BT2 board incorporates Intel Matrix Storage Technology, and Dolby Home Theater.
The Desktop Board DG35EC Classic Series board, targeted at mainstream multimedia users, Intel claims, is built with sharpest performing integrated graphics supported on Intel architecture. The board is based on GMA X3500 integrated graphics, and supports a range of processors including Intel Core 2 Quad and Intel Core 2 Duo processors. The integrated graphics and connectors meet a variety of digital needs, including 1080p video playback for movie clips, media streams, and the latest generation HD video cameras, without the need for an add-in video card. The board is eligible for Microsoft Windows Vista Premium logo, and according to Intel, is the first to have integrated Microsoft DirectX 10 capability and support for OpenGL 2.0. Another first, Intel claims, is the availability of the Intel HD Video logo chassis sticker on boxed retail versions of the board.
Meanwhile, the Desktop Board D945GCLF, belonging to a new category of computers called 'Nettops', is an affordable and unique motherboard that integrates a single unit of compute with a microprocessor, chipset, motherboard, and heat sink. The board is claimed to be ideal for traditional channels to build and package into a full PC system for under $300. It uses Intel's new Atom processor, and will ship towards the second half of the year.
Google Docs" Gets Offline Feature
In case you're wondering how this works: Google explains that "Google Docs" uses Google Gears, an open-source browser extension that enables Web applications to run offline.
Even when users are not connected to the Internet, they can continue using (viewing and editing) word processing documents, as also viewing spreadsheets and presentations. Any changes made to the documents offline will be saved to the user's computer hard disk. When the user connects his computer to the Internet again, "Google Docs" will sync the changes that were made with "Google Docs" servers, which will then be made available to collaborators as well.
Other than offline features, "Google Docs" has introduced two more additions this weekend: speaker notes for presentations, and inserting YouTube videos into slides.
Google deems that the 'notes' feature will be particularly beneficial for experienced presenters who do not like any clutter while they present. This feature will allow presenters print speaker notes like talking points in advance, or pop them up in separate windows when presenting. Along with notes, users can now spruce up their presentations by adding YouTube videos to them. To add videos in slides, users need to paste the YouTube URL on the slide. And if the video is not on YouTube, there's a facility to upload a clip online through "Google Docs".
LG unveils 'LG Secret' of its Black Label Series
The Secret is made from carbon fiber and a tempered glass display and Neon Touch navigation buttons. Having the thickness of about 11.8mm the company claims it to be the slimmest 5MP camera phone in the market.
Speaking on the occasion, Skott Ahn, President & CEO of LG Electronics Mobile Communications said "The huge success of the previous models of the Black Label Series confirmed our approach to provide the ultimate mobile experience for today's discerning consumers, who seek to embody personal style with their handsets. These are the enriched features that will diversify the way users interact with their handsets, but most of all, the LG Secret was designed to be a style that lasts."
The phone comes with a Google package incorporating features like Gmail, Google Maps and YouTube integration.
The LG Secret has been launched in Europe but will soon hit the markets in Asia, South America, and the rest of the world. The price of the handset is still not disclosed.
Attitude Most Important in Mobile Internet Usage
With changing technology, the nature of downloading has also witnessed a change. The research shows that there is a shift from downloading ring tones and wallpapers to downloading entertainment and intelligent content such as games, music, videos, and social networking.
Flexibility and mobility have compelled users to opt for mobile Internet vis- -vis PC browsing. A research into the human psyche further classifies users as embracers and pragmatists. Embracers are the technology-savvy people who use mobile Internet not only to stay connected but also to expand their horizons with information and entertainment despite battery limitation. By contrast, pragmatists consist of those segments of users who browse the Internet just to keep themselves updated.
Milind Pathak, co-chief executive officer and country manager of Buongiorno India, said, "In India, the number of people accessing the Internet using a mobile device is increasing rapidly, and this is set to rise exponentially in the next five years as technology progress makes mobile Internet connections faster and cheaper." Pathak is hopeful that we'll soon reach European standards of cell surfing, where one in three users connects to the mobile Internet today.
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Performance showdown: Flash drives versus hard disk drives
Solid-state disks (SSD) are probably some of the most talked-about new gadgets of late. They easily distinguish themselves from the mechanical hard drives of the Jurassic period because they have no moving parts. Like USB drives, they use nonvolatile flash memory to store data, but SSDs are wrapped in an enclosure the size of a 2.5-in. mechanical laptop drive and have a SATA interface for an easy connection to the internals of your portable.
Having no moving parts is, naturally, important. There's no platter rotation or read/write head motion so SSDs -- in theory -- should use less power than equivalent mechanical hard drives. They should also (again, in theory) be faster than a mechanical hard drive at just about anything. Working off an electrical grid, there's no time wasted positioning the read/write head and then waiting for it to settle down and start doing its thing. SSDs just do it. (That's a bit of an oversimplification, but it's fair.)
So have you ever wondered if it's really worth it to plunk down the extra $1,300 for an SSD-equipped MacBook Air? Or have you been tempted to swap the current mechanical hard drive out of your portable and slide one of these high tech bad boys inside? I did.
I sweet-talked Advanced Media Inc. and Crucial Technology into loaning me their 32GB SSDs and convinced Seagate Technology LLC to hand over a sample of its 3.5-in. desktop and 2.5-in. laptop mechanical hard drives. When I got back to the lab and checked my pockets, the official list looked like this:
- 32GB Crucial Internal 2.5-in. SATA Solid State Drive
- 32GB Ridata 2.5-in. SATA SSD
- 250GB Seagate Barracuda 7200.9 3.5-in. SATA hard drive
- 200GB Seagate Momentus 7200.2 2.5-in. SATA hard drive.
Surprising performance results
I used HD Tach to test the drives' performance -- and got some interesting results. It was the mechanical Momentus drive that scored the highest burst speed at 214.3MB/sec. The Crucial SSD came in second at 137.3MB/sec., but the desktop Barracuda and its 135MB/sec. clung to its heels. Advanced Media's Ridata drive trailed the pack at a leisurely 71.2MB/sec. While the two mechanical drives and the Ridata SSD posted average reads in the 54MB-to-55MB/sec. range, Crucial forged ahead at 120.7MB/sec.
Moving data
Finally, because these SSDs have a comparatively small capacity, it's most likely that you will be transferring data from your laptop after a day's work. So I took 4,666 files and folders (a total of 8.05GB) and copied them to the drives and then copied them from those drives. I used the same secondary drive as source and destination in all cases.
None of these results, in my opinion, show any clear and present advantage to these SSDs -- at least not on a price/performance ratio. I'd have to be in a severely time-critical situation to justify spending an extra $550 just to shave seven seconds off the cold boot time (or 1.7 ounces in weight). Even so, I'd lose that boot advantage when it came to transferring files from the drive.
Bill O'Brien is a freelance writer who has written a half-dozen books and more than 2,000 articles on computers and technology, including Apple computers, PCs, Linux and commentary on IT hardware decisions.
HD Tach Throughtput Tests
| Burst Speed | Average Read | Random Access | CPU Utilization | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crucial SSD | 137.3MB/sec | 120.7MB/sec | 0.4ms | 4% |
| Ridata SSD | 71.2MB/sec | 55.1MB/sec | 1.6ms | 1% |
| Momentus HDD | 214.3MB/sec | 54.0MB/sec | 14.1ms | 2% |
| Barracuda HDD | 135.0MB/sec | 55.0MB/sec | 13.4ms | 4% |
Boot Up Times (in seconds)
| Cold Boot | Restart | |
|---|---|---|
| Crucial SSD | 39.9 | 78.4 |
| Ridata | 31.2 | 58.4 |
| Momentus HDD | 39.1 | 55.6 |
| Barracuda HDD | 39.9 | 59.9 |
Transferring 8.06GB (in seconds)
| Copy To | Copy From | |
|---|---|---|
| Crucial SSD | 243.9 | 130.7 |
| Ridata SSD | 264.5 | 156.8 |
| Momentus HDD | 184.5 | 144.7 |
| Barracuda HDD | 184.9 | 166.0 |
Weight
| Ounces | |
|---|---|
| Crucial SSD | 3.1 |
| Ridata SSD | 2.3 |
| Momentus HDD | 4.0 |
| Barracuda HDD | 20.7 |
Microsoft: Massive site attacks not our fault
Microsoft Corp. late Friday denied that vulnerabilities in its Web and SQL Server software had been exploited to hack hundreds of thousands of Internet pages.
"Our investigation has shown that there are no new or unknown vulnerabilities being exploited. This wave is not a result of a vulnerability in Internet Information Services or Microsoft SQL Server," said Bill Sisk, a communications manager at Microsoft's Security Response Center, in a note posted to the group's blog.
Sisk said the post was in response to reports that over half a million pages, including some belonging to the United Nations, have been compromised by SQL injection attacks. Once hacked, those sites were modified to download malware to visitors' PCs.
Early on Friday, Panda Security said it had notified Microsoft of what it called a "security issue" in the company's Web server, Internet Information Services (IIS). However, Panda stopped short of dubbing the problem a "vulnerability."
Sisk said that the site hacks were essentially run-of-the-mill SQL injection attacks. "[They] are not issues related to IIS 6.0, ASP, ASP.Net or Microsoft SQL technologies," he claimed.
Microsoft's IIS team also chimed in to deny that the attacks were exploiting any bugs, known or not, in its software. "For end users, the investigation also shows no indication of an unpatched vulnerability in IIS, SQL Server, Internet Explorer or any other Microsoft client software, so we recommend customers apply the latest updates to be protected from these attacks," said Bill Staples, an IIS product manager, in an update posted to the software's support forum on Friday night.
And although there has been speculation that the attacks were related to a vulnerability mentioned in an April 17 advisory, Sisk said that wasn't true either. "We have also determined that these attacks are in no way related to Microsoft Security Advisory 951306," he said.
Sisk and Staples urged Web site developers to follow Microsoft's guidelines to protect their domains from SQL injection attacks
Is Vista to blame for Windows revenue drop?
Microsoft Corp. said yesterday that Windows revenues during the first three months of 2008 were down nearly 24% from the same period last year.
One analyst argued that the decline is more evidence that the company is having trouble convincing users of Windows Vista's value. "More than a year has passed since the rollout of Vista to both the business and consumer markets, and experiencing revenue declines so early in the product life cycle is not a positive sign," said Allan Krans, an analyst at Technology Business Research Inc.
Krans also compared the 23.7% drop in revenues of Microsoft's client group -- the division responsible for Windows -- with a decrease of less than half of 1% for the last quarter of 2002, the period a year after the debut of Windows XP.
Microsoft tempered the 2008 revenue drop by noting that after it accounted for the free Vista upgrades it gave to PC buyers in late 2006 and early 2007, the decline was only 2%.
In an earnings conference call Thursday afternoon with financial analysts, Chris Liddell, Microsoft's chief financial officer, blamed the decrease year-to-year on Vista's strong sales in the first quarter of 2007, and higher-than-expected rates of Windows piracy in the first three months of 2008.
The comparison with last year Liddell called "tough" because of the solid numbers Vista's launch added to revenues in 2007. "[And] we believe there was an increase in shipments of unlicensed PCs, particularly in Asia," he said.
Krans also pointed out that along with soft revenue figures, Microsoft continues to face perception problems regarding Vista. He ticked off several, ranging from calls by users to extend the availability of Windows XP -- which is slated to start its retirement June 30 -- to analysts' pegging Vista as "bloated" to the ongoing "Vista Capable" class-action lawsuit.
Microsoft denied that there is any connection between the lower revenues and Windows Vista. "There's really no Vista-related issues at all," argued Liddell.
"In terms of the impacts, firstly [with] the overall PC market, [there are] unlicensed PCs, which is not a Vista issue. Emerging markets growing faster than mature markets, that's not really a Vista issue," he said. "[And] a bit of a channel shift to larger OEMs, again [that's] not a Vista issue.
"The only Vista impact really is the launch last year and the very strong comparables that we have, but that's not really a comment about this quarter, it's more a comment on the year-ago quarter and the comparable," Liddell added.
Michael Silver of Gartner Inc. isn't sure any comparisons with XP are fair. "Because XP made the holiday season in 2001, everything is really just a bit off," said Silver in an e-mail.
Windows XP was launched near the end of October 2001; meanwhile, Microsoft rolled out Vista to volume licensing customers in late November 2006, but didn't push it into wide distribution until the end of January 2007. For the quarter that ended Dec. 31, 2002 -- a year after XP's launch -- Microsoft posted a decline in Client division revenues of four-tenths of 1%, about one-fourth the decrease of the adjusted revenues in the one-year-after-Vista quarter just reported.
Rather than put the blame on Vista, Silver said the weak Windows revenues could instead be linked to lackluster PC sales in developed countries, where higher-priced versions dominate.
"Since Microsoft will sell more premium SKUs in developed countries and fewer premium SKUs and even Starter Edition -- which all get less revenue -- in emerging countries, stronger PC sales in emerging countries don't make up for flagging PC sales in developed markets," he said.
According to Microsoft, it's sold 140 million Vista licenses so far.
Vista 'inevitable' for enterprises, says Forrester analyst
Although a "significant" number of corporations are hesitating to move to Windows Vista, businesses should bite the bullet because Microsoft Corp. is retiring Windows XP, and there's no guarantee it will deliver a next-generation operating system on time or with compelling features, a research analyst said.
"Vista is an inevitability, for a number of reasons," said Ben Gray, an analyst at Forrester Research Inc. He then ticked off several, including Windows XP's announced retirement and unsubstantiated talk about Vista's successor, Windows 7.
"They are sort of in a 'caught between a rock and a hard place' situation," said Gray. Administrators may not want to move to Vista, but neither of the alternatives -- the older XP and the not-even-officially-scheduled Windows 7 -- is attractive, he said.
It will become more difficult to stick with Windows XP when top-tier computer makers pull it off their operating system lists on June 30, the date Microsoft has mandated that manufacturers stop offering it on new PCs. The company will also yank XP from retail sales then.
And companies considering skipping Vista altogether by migrating from XP straight to Windows 7, may be punished, Gray added.
"To be blunt, customers know very little about Windows 7," he said, noting that with the exception of a few facts -- the Vista successor will come in both consumer and business editions and versions for both 32- and 64-bit machines -- "everything else is pure rumor and speculation."
Microsoft's poor track record on making release dates and crafting operating systems without discarding major features should make corporate decision-makers take pause, Gray said. "Ironically, one of Microsoft's biggest weaknesses, the unpredictable release schedule of its desktop operating systems, will likely spur adoption of Windows Vista as a result of this lack of faith in Microsoft delivering Windows 7 on time," he said.
"You can't count on Windows 7 being perfect," Gray said.
The aging of XP and the uncertainty of Windows 7 mean businesses really have no choice: They have to move to Vista, whether they like it or not, he noted.
"We get this question daily from clients: Should they continue to deploy XP, which they know and love, or skip Vista entirely for Windows 7?" Gray said. "We're not here to sell Windows XP or Windows Vista or Windows 7, but Vista looks like an inevitability."
In a report he authored, Gray damned Vista with some faint praise, saying that for large businesses, there was "no viable alternative." Companies may talk about non-Windows operating systems -- Apple Inc.'s Mac OS X and the open-source Linux in particular -- but "they're not looking to swap out thousands of users," Gray said.
"Companies are trying to figure out where these alternatives make the best fit, maybe pilot [Mac OS X or Linux] in small batches, but on the whole, it's almost a check-mark kind of thing."
The lack of a viable alternative to Vista may be a fact, but it doesn't mean that every business likes the idea of upgrading to an operating system that has been dinged by both users and the press. "Vista's problems are driving a lot of companies to rethink everything," said Gray.
The hesitation to bet the bank on Vista was illustrated by a different Forrester report last month. Then, the research firm touted polls that surveyed 50,000 corporate users throughout 2007. The results, said Forrester, showed that Windows XP usage had not budged during the first year of Vista's availability. Instead, the rise in Vista use -- by the end of 2007, 6.3% of users were running it -- was matched by a decline in Windows 2000 usage.
"Companies have clearly pulled back on their very aggressive migration plans, in some cases by a couple of quarters, in others by a couple of years," Gray said. "And there's a lot of resentment that Microsoft dominates the [desktop] operating system, which is why people are looking at Mac and Linux."
But businesses should put all that should aside and start their migrations to Vista soon, Gray argued. "There's no question that adoption of Vista has been tempered to date," he said, "but now that [Vista] SP1 is out, that's going to help adoption. It's the official blessing of Vista".Microsoft releases the long-anticipated Windows XP SP3
As per the unofficial timeline, Windows XP Service Pack 3 (SP3) has finally hit the Release to Web (RTW) milestone. Currently, the final build is only available on the download.windowsupdate domain in the following languages: Chinese (Hong Kong), Czech, English, French, German (Deutsch), Japanese, Polish, Russian, Simplified (Chinese), Spanish, and Traditional Chinese. Throughout the day, the 300MB+ x86 standalone installer will become available in more languages on the Microsoft Download Center.
XP SP3 (build 5512) is also available on Windows Update as a 70MB download. There will be no x64 version of SP3 released; Windows XP x64 will be updated at the same time Windows Server 2003 is updated, since it is derived from the codebase of the latter. Although Microsoft has still to confirm the date, SP3 should be rolled out via Automatic Updates on June 10, 2008.The service pack contains all previously-released Windows XP updates, including security updates, out-of-band releases, and hotfixes released since Windows XP SP2 hit Microsoft's servers back in August 2004. There are reportedly 1,073 fixes in SP3, as well as various performance improvements. Every service pack Microsoft releases is cumulative, meaning it is possible to install just SP3 on a clean install of XP (or slipstream it right into the original media). Windows Internet Explorer 7 is not included as part of SP3 and still must be downloaded and installed separately (unless it is already installed).
With SP3, Microsoft has back-ported four Vista features to XP, including Network Access Protection (NAP) in order "to help organizations that use Windows XP to take advantage of new features in the Windows Server 2008 operating system." The four features that are no longer Vista-specific are as follows:
- NAP is a policy enforcement platform meant for enterprise use that blocks systems attempting to access a network until they meet whatever security criteria the corporation has in place.
- "Black Hole" Router Detection helps detect and protect end users from a router that drops packets without returning the specified Internet Control Message Protocol response.
- Microsoft Kernel Cryptographic Module incorporates cryptographic algorithms in a single module other kernel mode drivers are capable of hooking into and accessing.
- The new Product Activation module allows users to install XP without entering a product key at installation.
Just over a month after the release of Vista SP1, XP SP3 hit RTM on April 21, 2008, as the rumors predicted. Up until then, Microsoft continued to stubbornly say that SP3 would go final in the "first half of 2008." The last beta build Microsoft released to the public was XP SP3 RC2 Refresh, available in English, German, and Japanese.
MSDN and TechNet subscribers received the final English 544.86MB ISO image a few days ago. As with Vista SP1, however, subscribers had to fight to get the final build before it hit RTW. MSDN and TechNet subscribers were supposed to get SP3 on May 2, 2008, or three days after it was available publicly.
With the release of SP3, XP will be found on consumers' PCs for years and years to come. On the other hand, with Windows 7 a couple of years out, and with the recent broad release of Vista SP1, Windows XP's life as market leader is slowly coming to an end.
The keyword here is "slowly." Microsoft has extended the life of XP Home until at least June 2010 for budget laptops, and even Apple is supporting XP SP3. Furthermore, although Microsoft has plans to stop selling XP to most manufacturers and system builders on June 30, 2008, OEMs are fighting back.
Manufacturers have found a loophole to bypass the deadline: when purchasing a computer with Windows Vista Ultimate or Business editions, Microsoft has given consumers the option to downgrade to XP Professional. Companies such as Dell and Lenovo are using Microsoft's "Downgrade Rights" to offer XP Professional for as long as possible. Microsoft is unlikely to be worried since consumers still have to purchase Vista and always have the option to upgrade to the company's flagship OS whenever they choose to.
Although Vista SP1 was a very critical release for the software giant, XP SP3 is still extremely important. The company is quite aware that many businesses have made the decision to stay with XP and has more than once extended support for the now six-year-old operating system. The company will of course continue to release updates, but it is not clear whether there will be an SP4.
Would you rather have Microsoft focus on Vista SP2 and Windows 7, or would you say XP SP4 is a must-have? With Vista SP1 and XP SP3 both out the door, will you sticking with your current primary operating systemBlockbuster expands game offerings
Retail game sales are experiencing explosive growth, and Blockbuster is intent on getting a piece of the gaming pie one way or the other. After making a billion-dollar bid for electronics retailer Circuit City earlier this month, today the video-rental chain announced that it would be stepping up its game offerings in the company's corporate-owned US locations.
Customers will now be able to purchase software, hardware, and accessories for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii, and Nintendo DS at roughly 4,100 domestic Blockbuster locations. The company also said that it would be expanding the variety of games available for rental, and upping the number of rental copies as well.
Blockbuster's announcement made no mention of PlayStation Portable or PC offerings, and company representatives had not returned GameSpot's request for confirmation on those platforms as of press time.
As with other retailers, Blockbuster will also be offering exclusive promotions to get gamers in the door. For example, the company announced a $499 PS3 bundle that will include a 40GB system, an HDMI cable, Spider-Man 3 on Blu-ray, Activision's Transformers game, a Blu-ray DVD remote, and one free Blu-ray or PS3 game rental per week for 12 weeks.
This is not the first time that Blockbuster has sought a foothold in the gaming retail space. Some of its locations have operated for years with Game Rush store-within-a-store sections selling new and used games. Blockbuster also owned Rhino Games, a 72-store chain in the Southeastern US, but it sold that operation to GameStop in January of 2007.
Blockbuster representative confirmed for GameSpot that the company's new push into gaming does not include Sony's handheld. All Blockbuster stores will rent PSP games, but only existing Game Rush locations will carry new retail PSP games. As for PC games, Blockbuster will not carry them in any of its locations.
Dell to Install Windows XP After June 30
Dell will continue to install Windows XP on new PCs after Microsoft 's June 30 retirement date by taking advantage of a little-known clause in the downgrade rights that come with Vista Ultimate and Vista Business.
"Dell has the ability to exercise 'Windows Vista downgrade rights' on your behalf in the factory if ... you'd prefer to have Windows XP Professional preinstalled on your PCs," Dell said on its Web site.
According to Dell, it will factory install XP after June 18 when customers choose a "Vista Ultimate Bonus" or "Vista Business Bonus" option as they configure PCs. Dell will then install Windows XP on the machine, and include backup media for that OS as well as the installation disc for Windows Vista.
Although corporations that acquire Windows through volume license agreements, or who have signed up for Software Assurance, can downgrade any Windows software at any time, Microsoft has limited others' downgrade rights: only owners of a Vista Ultimate or Vista Business license may downgrade to XP, and then only to XP Professional, Professional x64 or XP Tablet PC.
Microsoft originally put the responsibility on users' shoulders for obtaining the installation media to replace Vista with XP, but last year it began allowing OEMs to include XP discs with new PCs or offer them as an after-sale option.
But although Dell's newest move is unusual, it is not an end-run around Microsoft's rules. In a document that spells out OEM options for Vista downgrades ( download PDF ), a FAQ section reads:
-- Q. Who can install the downgrade software or reinstall the original software?
-- A. An OEM (when authorized by end user), or the end user.
A Microsoft spokeswoman confirmed late Friday that Dell was within its rights to factory-install XP on machines sold with a Vista Ultimate or Vista Business license.
It's standard practice for original equipment manufacturers, retailers and system builders to continue offering the previous version of Windows for a certain period of time after a new version is released," she said in an e-mail. "Dell is exercising their right to offer Windows XP as an option. Microsoft will no longer offer the media for this process after January of 2009, but an OEM can provide [XP] as long as they have stock on hand."
Dell did not specify which systems it would sell with XP preinstalled after June 18, or how long it would tender the downgrade offer. Microsoft's statement that OEMs can install XP "as long as they have stock on hand" could be interpreted to mean that it will allow Dell and others to continue the practice after the Jan. 31, 2009 retirement date for system builders.
Microsoft has set several deadlines for Windows XP. June 30 is the last possible sales date for large computer makers -- obviously excluding the downgrade route -- and at retail; on Jan. 31, 2009, Microsoft will bar system builders, which are usually smaller shops and individuals, from adding Windows XP to machines they assemble.
Earlier this month Microsoft extended XP's availability until June 2010 for what it has dubbed "ultra-low cost PCs," light and inexpensive sub-notebooks such as the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) XO and the Asustek Eee PC.
The Round Rock, Tex.-based computer maker is not the only OEM that has said it will provide customers with the older operating system after Microsoft's deadline. Lenovo, the Chinese company known for the ThinkPad line of laptops, will sell XP media for downgrading through Jan. 31, 2009, according to its Web site.
"Lenovo customers that have Windows Vista Business or Windows Vista Ultimate 'qualified systems' may purchase a Windows XP Recovery CD until January 31, 2009," the notice read.
Although Microsoft today again said that it will stop providing Windows XP to OEM partners and at retail after June 30, CEO Steve Ballmer seemed to leave the door ajar.
Monday, April 28, 2008
Yahoo’s New Social Strategy
Yahoo officials presented yesterday during a “Web 2.0” conference their plans for the site’s major makeover. The new direction searches for new advertising opportunities, as the site is going to host applications from other online services turning Yahoo into one of the biggest social hubs on the web.
Ari Balogh, Yahoo's chief technology officer, was quoted by the Associated Press telling the crowd: "We are going to rewire the entire experience at Yahoo to make it social in every dimension."
The plan is to allow its hundreds of millions of users to enjoy the old services such as Web mail, instant messaging and calendar but also include new features which contribute to the social experience, features made popular by social networks such as MySpace and Facebook.
"It is rewiring Yahoo from the inside out, across all of our properties, to fundamentally open up those Web services and provide a consistent development model, a consistent deployment and consumer experience as well," concluded Ari Balogh.
Yahoo also attempted to break into the Internet social scene by launching in 2005 a network called “Yahoo 360.” Unfortunately the application was recently closed due to a rather small impact in the media.
The new strategy is expected to be completed by the end of the year and an official launch date will be presented in the weeks to come. The move is believed to also raise the bar for the other major players such as Google, Microsoft, MySpace and Facebook.
Google Unveils Cutting-Edge Image Ranking Technology
Currently, images are ranked by analyzing the text near the image and the image's file name. “We wanted to incorporate all of the stuff that is happening in computer vision and put it in a Web framework,” said Shumeet Baluja, a senior staff researcher at Google. He was joined in presenting the new technology by fellow Google expert Yushi Jing.
The new search method, VisualRank, cannot be used in the same manner in which traditional searches are performed. Analyzing a tremendous amount of images in depth requires, quite logically, incredible computing power. To overcome this problem Google has decided for now to perform analysis of the 2,000 most popular product queries on Google’s product search.
The New York Times has interviewed an image analysis expert, Munjal Shah, the chief executive of Riya. Riya is a start-up company which has launched Like.com, a website that manages to aid web users to shop online by searching for images of products similar to one the user likes. Shah has told NYT that he is skeptical of Google's technology, arguing that large-scale use of such techniques has been problematic.
The paper presented by the two Google experts is called “PageRank for Product Image Search.”
Loopholes keep Windows XP alive
Dell, HP and Lenovo are exploiting loopholes in Microsoft's licensing terms to extend the operating system beyond a 30 June end of life date.
XP is being phased out in favour of Windows Vista which has, so far, got a lukewarm welcome from many firms.
The news comes as Microsoft boss Steve Ballmer hints that XP could live longer if enough customers demand it.
Long life
Dell is using a clause in the conditions for Windows Vista which lets it provide XP under the terms of a "downgrade license" for the Business and Ultimate versions of the new operating system.
This means that Dell can install Windows XP Professional for free on some machines in its Latitude, OptiPlex, and Precision machines. In the main these deals are meant for business customers.
For consumers and small firms Dell will, for a fee, install XP Pro on Vostro and XPS gaming machines.
HP is also using the "downgrade" option to keep selling XP with some models until 30 July 2009.
In all these cases a PC is logged as a Vista sale and, in effect, is being sold with an unused option to upgrade to the newer operating system.
With some machines Lenovo is installing Vista but including a XP recovery disk so owners can roll back to the older software.
The news comes only days after Microsoft reported its third quarter results down 11% largely due to a fall in sales in its Windows software division.
Despite this Microsoft said its sales of Vista licenses stood at 140m - a figure that was in line with its predictions.
At the same time Microsoft boss Steve Ballmer said that XP could get a longer life if enough customers demanded it.
During a Q&A session at a press conference in Belgium Mr Ballmer said: "If customer feedback varies, we can always wake up smarter, but right now, we have a plan for end-of-life for new XP shipments."
Microsoft has extended the life of Windows XP Home until 2010 on low-powered PCs, such as the Asus Eee, that might struggle to cope with Vista's power demands.
Friday, April 25, 2008
Long live Windows XP!
Conversely, it seems that Microsoft has realized the potential of the up-and-coming breed of ULCPCs, like the Eee PC, and has therefore decided to not withdraw the much-loved-by-some OS completely from the market. After all, it cannot allow people to have only the option of Linux on such PCs; customers loyal to the Windows brand are sure to follow.
And Microsoft cannot offer its high-configuration-hogging Vista OS for this segment because of obvious reasons, hence it has decided to stay and battle it out with Linux, which has been gaining a steady grip over the OS (Operating System) market slowly and steadily.
YouTube to provide more viewership info
Monday, April 7, 2008
Microsoft issues takeover ultimatum to Yahoo
Microsoft plans to take its takeover offer directly to Yahoo Inc shareholders if the internet firm's management continues to refuse to negotiate, Microsoft Corp chief executive Steve Ballmer said Saturday.
In a letter to Yahoo's board and management, the chief of the software giant said that the $44.6-billion offer for Yahoo could be reduced, theBloomberg financial news agency reported.
Ballmer set a three-week deadline for Yahoo to come to the table and negotiate Microsoft's purchase of the company.
If Microsoft has to go to shareholders with a proxy fight, it will offer its own slate of candidates to replace Yahoo's current board of directors.
Microsoft threatens Yahoo! with proxy battle
Microsoft Corp. has threatened Yahoo! Inc with a hostile takeover of the company if they do not agree to the offered deal within three weeks.
Microsoft chief executive Steven A. Ballmer, in a letter Saturday to Yahoo! board, said that "by choosing not to enter into substantive negotiations with us, you have failed to give due consideration to a transaction that has tremendous benefits for Yahoo!'s shareholders and employees."
According to the letter, in case Yahoo!'s board fails to begin talks within three weeks, Microsoft would be compelled to take its offer directly to shareholders and try to replace Yahoo!'s directors through proxy fight.
After the deadline, Microsoft's offer may even be lower than the one they made Jan 31, currently valued at about $40 billion,"If we are forced to take an offer directly to your shareholders, that action will have an undesirable impact on the value of your company from our perspective which will be reflected in the terms of our proposal," the letter said, adding that worsening economic conditions have reduced Yahoo's market value.
Yahoo!'s board is reviewing the letter, a person close to the company said, The Wall Street Journal reported Saturday. They had rejected the earlier offer saying the company was worth substantially more than what Microsoft offered.
The Redmond, Washington, based software giant's new gambit to acquire the Sunnyvale, California based internet services company came after senior executives from both companies failed to make any progress in meetings recently.
To stave off takeover by Microsoft, Yahoo! has held fruitless talks with several other parties, including Google and Time Warner's AOL unit.
Microsoft wants Yahoo! in its fold to be able to compete with Google in internet search and other services.
Egyptian forces on alert as cyber-activists incite to strike
Egyptian opposition activists have launched a civil disobedience campaign they termed "Stay Home" using information technologies, such as the internet networking site FaceBook, blogs, mobile phones and emails.
Egyptians have been urged to take part in a general strike and protests Sunday to demand wage increases and a curb to food price rises.
Over 200 activists from the Kifaya opposition movement and other groups, including the leader of the opposition Labour party, Madgi Hussein, have been arrested on their way to stage demonstrations in Cairo and other cities, security and opposition sources said.
Seven activists who launched the campaign on FaceBook were also arrested.
"We are very happy with the outcome of the campaign. Many workers, students, and even schoolchildren stayed home," an opposition member of parliament, Hamdin Sabahi, told DPA.
Several opposition campaigners were arrested in the town, Sabahi said.
In central Cairo, files of anti-riot policemen carrying shields and wearing helmets took their position on pavements and around squares in the area, which houses Egypt's parliament, ministries, hotels, embassies and several syndicates.
Cameramen were banned from taking photos and filming in the centre of the city and journalists were harassed.
"Stay away. We are protecting the country," shouted a police officer at photographers and journalists.
Outside buildings housing the unions of lawyers and doctors in the centre of the Egyptian capital, hundreds of armed policemen blocked the exits to avert any demonstrators from taking to the streets.
Scores of people were allowed, however, to stage protests and raise banners of the stay-home campaign on the stairs of union buildings.
Similar scenes were seen around university campuses in Cairo and other Egyptian cities. Student protests were allowed but only within the confines of their campuses.
In the northern Mahala town, the centre of the country's textile industry, hundreds of anti-riot police were stationed, especially outside the main textile factory.
At least 10 activists were detained in Mahalla, the sources said.
The cyber campaign for civil disobedience has caused a stir in Egypt over the last week.
The government reacted nervously by issuing a warning that it would take firm action against anyone who would respond to the call to strike.
"Any attempt to incite unrest or disturb public order will be firmly met with legal action," warned a statement by the ministry of interior.
Government departments have issued circulars warning their employees against participating in the planned strike.
Hundreds of thousands of Egyptians have received a call to the Sunday strike by email, SMS, or word of mouth. The call has sparked fears among ordinary Egyptians, who remembered the bread riots of 1977.
The riots were sparked by rises in food prices and lifting of subsidies on bread, which led to mass arrests and human rights abuses by police.
The strike comes two days before key municipal elections, the first to be held after constitutional amendments in 2007.
The government has launched a crackdown on members of the popular opposition Muslim Brotherhood movement and their candidates ahead of election.
Paradoxically, the Muslim Brotherhood has distanced itself from the civil disobedience campaign.
"We have not taken part in the campaign for the general strike and will not take part," Mohamed Habib, a senior member of the movement told DPA.
"The campaign of civil disobedience has been decided by a handful of political groups. This should have been discussed and decided by all opposition blocs," Habib said.
Tata Teleservices can now have pan-India presence
Technically, the permission came in the form of getting the required spectrum - the radio frequency through which the services can be rolled out.
The company uses the CDMA technology and awaits permission to start GSM services.
"Tata Teleservices has received a start-up spectrum of 2.5 MHz for rolling out its network in the northeast, Jammu and Kashmir and Assam," said a company spokesperson.
The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has started allocating spectrum to operators since Thursday. The first to receive was Shyam-Sistema.
Toonz Animation ties up with Sony
The two DVD projects are Playmobile, a combination of animation and games, and Santaclaus. Playmobile will be released later this year and Santaclaus in 2009, Toonz CEO P. Jayakumar told reporters here Friday.
Earlier this year, Toonz completed Dragonlance, a movie that was released in the US. Toonz is part of the international business conglomerate Comcraft Group based in Geneva.
Toonz Academy, one of south Asia's leading animation training institutions, has centres in Kolkata, Mumbai, Nagpur and Hyderabad and the ECM affiliation "is international recognition for its courses and a boon for all its students", Jayakumar said.
ECM is sponsored by the European Economic Chamber of Trade, Commerce and Industry (EECTCI).
"Henceforth, all students passing out from the centres of Toonz in India would get either a diploma or a degree certificate of ECM University. Toonz is the only affiliated academy of ECM," Aita Singh, president of the Indian branch of EECTCI, told reporters here Friday after handing over the certification to Toonz.
"As of now, the shortage of animators in the country is more than 35,000 and with the animation industry growing at 30 percent every year, close to 98 percent of students who pass out form our centres get placements. And this international affiliation would help those who wish to go for higher studies in animation abroad," Jayakumar said.
Toonz 12-month course costs Rs.125,000. It also runs short-term courses.
The company plans to open centres in Ahmedabad, Indore, Chennai and Bangalore shortly.
Google Earth helps youth to trace lost home - after 13 years
Now at 20, Rakesh Singh has through Google Earth traced his village near Agra and is fighting to get his property back.
Rakesh, who developed an early fascination for computers, has found his village in Kiraoli, about 22 km from the Taj Mahal city, thanks to his interest in the internet.
"Google Earth helped me locate the village that was faintly in my dreams. I knew the name of the village but did not have any idea where in India it was," Rakesh told IANS.
For the past few weeks, Rakesh has been running from one office to the other to get his house and land back from his uncle. He accuses his uncle of torturing him, beating him, and even trying to get rid of him after his father Jagan Singh's death when he was just seven. His mother was kicked out of the house and died under "mysterious circumstances".
Desperate, little Rakesh ran away. Railway stations became his home. Then one day, a university couple from Delhi spotted him on a train, took pity and asked him to accompany them to their home where they looked after him, educated him and gave him a decent life.
"Every now and then the days of my childhood would wake me up. My village would appear in my dreams. I kept thinking hard about my roots but with no success. All I could remember all these years was Kiraoli. I did my diploma in computers and got involved with this fascinating technology.
Then I searched various districts, one by one, on the internet.
"I looked up the maps on Google Earth and finally zeroed on Kiraoli in Agra district. A visit to the village confirmed this was the place of my birth. I found my relatives and my uncle and now I am trying to win back my property," Rakesh said.
Retired professor S.W. Hassan, his foster father, recounting how they got Rakesh, said he and his wife were going to Varanasi from Delhi when they saw a little boy on the train with high fever and crying endlessly. The couple asked him about his whereabouts, which he did not know as he was hardly seven at the time. The boy was brought to Delhi and a First Information Report filed at the police station. In the school records his name is Bilal alias Rakesh.
"I filed an FIR (First Information Report), on June 8, 1996, describing how the boy came with us from a railway station. Rakesh has a copy of it. But no one came to claim the boy, so we brought him up to the best of our ability, got him educated, gave him whatever he wanted. I have a son in America.
Our family considered him as a member and there were no differences," Hassan told IANS.
Hassan's wife is also a teacher.
"We are happy and relieved that he has found his home though sad he will be leaving us," Hassan said. "Please do whatever you can to help him get his lost identity and property. I am a kidney patient on dialysis."
Rakesh has all the documents and is even prepared to have a DNA test because his uncle is not accepting him for fear of losing the property. But the villagers are solidly with him.
Tall and well built, Rakesh is also a trainer at a gym. He is keen to settle down among his people and do something for those similarly distressed - making the best use of the technology he loves.
Microsoft may withdraw Yahoo offer: report
Quoting a source "familiar with the situation," the report said that Microsoft is growing more frustrated with the Yahoo board's refusal to engage in formal negotiations even amid widespread perception that the Internet company's business has been deteriorating.
The report followed a Wall Street Journal article that stated that executives from the two companies met earlier this week but failed to resolve any of the outstanding issues that have kept the Yahoo board from authorizing the buyout.
The proposed deal was valued at a premium of more than 62 percent above the company's stock price in the period before the deal was offered in early February.
Thursday, April 3, 2008
New smartphones with killer applications could replace PCs
"They want to combine the computing power of the latest phones with social networks and location-tracking technologies to create a new generation of cell phones," says Simon Blitz, who runs a large cell phone wholesale company in the US.
"The new devices could spur a communications revolution as important as the internet. They will make the most current cellphones look as outdated as an old rotary telephone."
Blitz was speaking from the CTIA 2008 in Las Vegas, where the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association holds the country's most important cellphone trade show.
According to figures presented at the show, more than 1 billion cellphones were sold worldwide in 2007 including approximately 115 million classified as smartphones, or capable of running multiple applications over a broadband network.
Many analysts believe that as these phones progress they will increasingly compete with laptops.
"This is not just about multiple devices. It's about knocking aside some other forms of communication," said Nigel Crawford, chief executive of Symbian, which makes smartphone operating systems.
Compelling new mobile applications will play a key part in that battle.
Take a startup called Mappily, for example. This Silicon Valley company is developing a GPS-based application that will check your calendar for appointments, figure out where you are and check traffic conditions. Then it will alert you when it's time to leave.
But Mappily has plenty of competition to be the killer "app" of the next generation of smartphones. Many revolve around social networking - identifying local restaurants and shops recommended by your friends, or automatically showing you where your Facebook and MySpace friends are.
Apple is stoking the competition by promising to sanction useful programmes, while Google is offering $10 million in prizes for the best applications. Venture capitalists are also hungrily eyeing opportunities, with the venerable firm of Kleiner Perkins Caulfield and Byers even setting up a $100 million iFund to invest in the sector.
Some entrepreneurs believe that phones need to go back to their voice roots to truly fulfil their potential. Voice recognition company Nuance is working on a hands-free smartphone that will make it easier to surf the web, choose music and dictate text messages and emails.
Other companies are set to debut phones that include virtual keyboards and screens that can project onto any flat surface. Others are working on advanced web browsers that replicate the experience of browsing the Web on a PC, by compressing data-rich content like photos and videos on special servers before streaming them over the network.
Storage service LiveCargo, meanwhile, allows you to store your videos, photos and work documents online and then call them up on your mobile phone. A programme called Qik allows you to stream live video footage from one phone to another. And a Canadian company called Movidity has developed an application that allows you to view footage from a camera positioned at a remote location.
Apple says that well more than 100,000 copies of its software developer kit have been downloaded since it was launched last month. Many thousands of other developers are working on applications for the Google phone.
Together, these statistics point the way to a new paradigm in computing.
"The iPhone is bigger than the personal computer," said legendary venture capitalist John Doerr when he launched the iFund last month. "If you want to invent the future, the iFund wants to help you build it."
Yoga can prevent falls among elderly women
Researchers at Temple University's Gait Study Centre examined the gait and postural stability of 24 elderly women enrolled in the popular Iyengar Yoga programme.
They found that at the end of the nine-week programme, participants had a faster stride, increased flexibility in the lower extremities, improved single-leg stance, and increased balance and confidence in walking.
The study was conducted by Marian Garfinkle, an Iyengar Yoga instructor, and Jinsup Song of Temple. Its findings were presented Friday at the Gait and Clinical Movement Analysis Society's annual meeting.
Designed by the renowned yoga teacher B.K.S. Iyengar, the programme used in the study was meant for elderly people with little or no yoga experience. What is unique about the programme is that it permits the use of props which allows participants to gradually master the poses while building their confidence levels.
Studies have shown that among people above 65, falls are the leading cause of nonfatal injuries and hospital admissions for trauma, and nearly one-third of older adults suffer from some type of fall each year.
The researchers suggest that improving balance and stability through yoga could help reduce the risk of falling, as these are two areas that are often deficient when a fall occurs.
"We were very impressed at the progress our participants made by the end of the programme," said Song.
"Subjects demonstrated improved muscle strength in lower extremities, which helps with stability. There was also a pronounced difference in how pressure was distributed on the bottom of the foot, which helps to maintain balance."
Before she started the programme, study participant Maryanne Brown wasn't sure she'd even want to stick with it. "I've never been one for exercise," said the West Philadelphia resident. "But I started attending the classes, and I thought, 'Why not?'"
Researchers also found that some participants who had unrelated back and knee pain were pain-free by the end of the study. "I've had that pain for years," said study participant Maryanne Brown. "And during one session, I heard a 'pop' and was sure I wouldn't be able to get up. But I did, and I felt better than I had in years."
"This programme has been amazing," said Brown, who now spends up to six hours a week practising Iyengar Yoga. "They're really onto something with it. It's made a tremendous difference in my quality of life."
Song noted that this preliminary information would pave the way for a larger study on how Iyengar Yoga affects the function of the foot to improve balance and stability and prevent falls.
Google announces first mass lay-offs
The cuts represent about a quarter of DoubleClick's 1,200 US employees and a second round of cuts is expected to focus on DoubleClick's overseas offices, the San Francisco Chronicle reported Thursday.
"Since our acquisition of DoubleClick closed March 11, we have been working to match and align DoubleClick employees in the US with our organisational plan for the business," Google said in a statement. "As with many mergers, this review has resulted in a reduction in headcount at the acquired company."
DoubleClick is based in New York and has a large office in San Francisco. Some of the employees being laid off were being offered jobs as contractors.
Google, the leading Internet search and advertising company, also said it was putting up for sale DoubleClick's search engine marketing unit, a move that would enable Google to avoid a conflict over the editorial independence of its search results.
The unit helps customers improve their placement within Google's search results and helps advertisers place their ads next to those results.
"It is clear to us that we do not want to be in the search engine marketing business," said a blog post by Tom Phillips, the Google director overseeing the DoubleClick integration effort.
"Maintaining objectivity in both search and advertising is paramount to our mission and core to the trust we ask from our users," it added.
