Download Windows 8 Transformation Pack Free

We have seen many transformations to our Windows Operating System, and each one impresses with its own applications. Earlier, we have been introduced to Windows 7 Transformation pack and this time let us check out the all new Windows 8 Transformation pack from DeviantArt.

Top Websites to Download Free Windows 7 Themes & Goodies

Themes for Windows 7 are always in great demand and users of this version of Windows are always looking for premium quality themes for their desktops. The only problem for them is the resources or sites where they spend less time in searching and more on downloading quality themes for Windows 7.

5 things to look for from Microsoft in 2012

It's not that 2011 was a particularly difficult year. The company posted record revenue for the fiscal year that ended June 30. And its 2-year-old PC operating system, Windows 7, hit 500 million copies sold, further embedding it as the most widely used operating system in the world. But 2011 had few big product launches at the company, Office 365 and Internet Explorer 9 notwithstanding.

Next year will be altogether different. Microsoft is prepping the big kahuna of its product arsenal,Windows 8. The company hasn't set a date, though most analysts expect the flagship operating system to debut before the end of the year, and perhaps in time for back-to-school shopping. From that product, much else from Redmond flows.

So here are five things to look for from Microsoft in 2012:

1. Windows 8 tablets

Windows 8 is one of the boldest bets Microsoft will make, radically changing the interface on the operating system to the company's tile-based Metro look, first used by Windows Phone 7 last year. The familiar desktop photo covered with application and file icons will be available to PC users who want it. But Microsoft is pushing the new touch-friendly interface to convince consumers to buy tablet computers that will run it.

It won't be an easy sell. Microsoft will be coming to the tablet market more than two years after Apple iPad launched and quickly became a commercial success. And this holiday season, Amazon debuted its Kindle Fire, which became the first non-Apple tablet to gain a meaningful foothold. Market analyst Forrester recently reported that consumer interest in Windows tablets is waning.

As the core of computing moves beyond the PC, Microsoft needs Windows 8 tablets to succeed. It's all the more pressing as PC growth sputters and the tablet computer market soars.

The market muscle of Microsoft and its partners will help propel Windows tablets at their debut. But unless Microsoft can convince developers to create tablet-specific apps that users can't live without, the devices will have a hard time making a dent in iPad's massive lead.

2. Xbox moves farther into live TV

Even in its earliest days, Microsoft's video game console business was pegged as a Trojan Horse to bring the company's technology from the office to the living room. But the brains behind Xbox knew they had to make a great gaming experience job No. 1. Now, leading the United States in console sales in 2011, Xbox is pushing in earnest beyond gaming.

Microsoft just brought the first hint of live TV to Xbox consoles with an updated look to its Xbox Live service earlier this month. In addition to introducing the Metro-style look to Xbox, it also let customers of Verizon's Fios cable television service choose from 26 different live TV channels--Comedy Central, HBO, and Nickelodeon. A handful of other partners are offering live programming through Xbox as well.

That's clearly just the start for Microsoft. The company is moving toward the goal of getting consumers to fire up their Xbox whenever they flip on their TVs, not just when they want to play a game. Next year will see more live television content come to Xbox Live. It's a foundation that Microsoft will build out as it readies the next version of the Xbox console, something a source on the Xbox team says will happen in 2013.

3. Windows Phone: We're No. 3

It may be a measure of the decade-long struggle to succeed in mobile telephony that, for Microsoft, a victory would be grabbing the third place spot in terms of smartphone market share for its Windows Phone software. While the company has wrestled to arrive at a winning formula, rivals Apple and Google have introduced mobile-phone operating systems that have seized business that Microsoft had hoped to grab.

Microsoft rebooted its phone effort at the end of last year, introducing a passel of new phones from partners running its brand new operating system, Windows Phone 7. The slick-looking software, refreshed in September with an update dubbed Mango, has won plaudits from reviewers for its animation and app integration.

While the technology is catching up with rivals, Windows Phone's market share hasn't. According to market research firm Gartner, just 1.5 percent of the smartphones worldwide run Microsoft's operating system. And rivals aren't standing still. Apple's new iPhone 4S has outsold every other mobile phone since its debut in October. And despite the market fragmentation of Google's Android, with different handset manufacturers running different versions of the mobile operating system, it continues to pull ahead in the marketplace.

There's little doubt that Windows Phone share will grow, if only because of the marketing push Microsoft and partners, particularly Nokia, will make, coupled with the tiny toehold it currently has. But it's most likely to grab customers from Research In Motion's foundering Blackberry business rather than established Apple and Google customers.

4. Patent litigation aggressor

The ground Microsoft hasn't been able to take away from Android in the marketplace may well be covered by the revenue it's able to generate through the threat of litigation. The software giant has persuaded several handset makers--including HTC, Wistron, and Compal-- to pay it a vig for each Android device they sell to settle allegations that the mobile operating system violates Microsoft's patents.

The Android device makers that don't pay? Microsoft's taking them to court. Two high profile cases will move toward resolution next year-- Microsoft's suit against Barnes & Noble, whose Nook e-reader runs Android, and a separate suit against Motorola. (Google is in the process of acquiring Motorola Mobility.)

The tactic has proven so successful that in 2011, Microsoft started collecting fees from companies that make devices running Google's Chrome operating system as well, including Acer and ViewSonic. Expect Microsoft to continue to press device makers that use its rival's technology. Likewise, count on those manufacturers, particularly the smaller ones, to pay up rather than face Microsoft in the courthouse.

5. Growing search through social

Like the mobile-phone business, Microsoft has bounced from one strategy to the next in a bid to be more relevant in Internet search. It's re-branded its search engine a few times, added key partners, and cycled through senior executives, and still significantly trails market leader Google.

There's one Microsoft partnership that could start to pay off in 2012, and it's not the deal to handle search queries from Yahoo. It's Microsoft's deal with Facebook. In May, Microsoft began including recommendations from Facebook friends into its Bing search engine, creating customized results by elevating the ones that receive a "like" from someone in the searcher's Facebook network. So when someone is looking for a Thai restaurant in Seattle, for example, a spot that earned a like from a Facebook friend will rise in that person's particular search rankings.

Google is on to the same formula too, creating its Google+ social network to infuse its search results with customized answers to Web surfer queries. But in social networking, Facebook remains king. Using Facebook "likes" are just the first step. Microsoft clearly plans to add more social signals to Bing in 2012. And while that won't topple Google, it does offer the opportunity to grab a large slice of the search business by providing more relevant results.

Download Windows Vista Wallpapers + Vista SideBar

Download Windows Vista Wallpapers (XP/ Vista/ 7 )

Here you can download some of most used Windows Vista Wallpapers, especially these can be also used in XP/Windows 7 computers and laptops. They all are high resolution images and will also fit your wide screen laptops & computers. 

Microsoft sends Valentine's Day gifts

People send Roses on Valentine's Day. But This year Microsoft shows their great love towards the users by sending the Micrsoft Windows Operating System Users by sending Nine Valuable and Important Patches on Valentine's Day.

Do you want to know what they contain ? 

Microsoft is giving it's users a bouquet of security fixes.

Most Of the Patches sent where mainly for Windows 7 Users, Microsoft's current Trump card.

The 5 Best Recommended Antiviruses for Windows 7

Many of the Windows Seven users are worried about the security issues and are confused for Best Security Utility for Windows 7. Windows 7 being fast and with the glossy looks is a trending OS in the OS market still now. The Antiviruses for Windows 7 are special since they are not just for protection, are also optimized for better performance and usabilty.

The Antivirus software's are completely compatible with Windows 7 - 32bit and 64bit version. So have a look at these trendy Antivirus here.

Cool Windows 7 Transparent Themes Free Download

Kudos! Today I have come up with 5 cool Windows 7 Themes that are awesomely transparent. You could feel the right edge of transparency with the real feel of Windows 7.

8 Best Windows 8 Business Apps to Increase Productivity

Windows 8 has begun to provide its users with productive apps transforming these Window s devices into productive devices. At the very least, downloading these business apps will help you when it comes to doing business. Have a look at these sweet as sugar Windows 8 Business Apps.

Microsoft reveals details of its Windows Store

Microsoft's Windows Store is set to launch in February 2012

Details of the Windows Store have been released by Microsoft.

The service will allow users to buy applications online for Windows 8-based PCs, desktops, laptops and tablets when the system launches next year.

Microsoft is offering best-selling developers a bigger share of sales than rivals' stores. Users will also be able to use some apps on a trial basis.

Experts say the move hastens the death of boxed software sold via retailers.

Traditionally most software has been purchased from High Street stores or downloaded directly from developers' websites.

However, Valve's Steam videogames service, Apple's App Store, Google's Android Market and the Blackberry App World have helped create a shift towards one-stop software stores.

Microsoft already runs a Windows Phone Marketplace where it sells third-party software.

In February 2012 it will extend that model to other devices to coincide with the beta release of the next version of its operating software.

Microsoft says the store will be global, enabling developers to sell their apps in 231 markets and in more than 100 languages.

Sales split

Developers can offer their software for free, but otherwise the minimum price is $1.49 (95p), which is higher than the 99 cents minimum found on most other stores.

The firm also distinguishes itself by offering software writers 80% of the revenue from app sales and in-app purchases using its payment process, if their app earns more than $25,000.

Below that threshold it offers the same 70% split offered by Apple and Google.

Microsoft will also allow developers to use their own transaction platforms for in-app sales, helping them keep track of subscribers. The software firm will not take a share of earnings if this is the case.

By comparison Apple insists all in-app purchases should go through its systems and it will not share information on its subscribers unless they give their permission.

This has frustrated many newspaper and magazine publishers and led to the Financial Times' mobile app being dropped from Apple's store.

'Predictable'

Microsoft also boasts of a "transparent approval process"."We want to increase predictability and eliminate any capriciousness in app certification," Ted Dworkin, partner program manager for the store wrote.

Microsoft promises to publish a set of clear, updated policies and is offering software to help developers see how far their app has progressed along its approval process.

Apple has been criticised for not always being clear about its decisions, despite having published guidelines in October last year.

Google, by contrast, allows any submitted app to be published, and then removes software if users complain that it is malicious or it otherwise breaches the firm's terms and conditions. Analysts say this laissez-faire approach has allowed poor quality apps to get through.

Ultrabooks

Microsoft says its platform will also support time-based and feature-based trials allowing customers to try out software before committing to an in-app purchase without the need to reload a separate version of the code.

Analysts say the move is timely bearing in mind the growing popularity of ultrabooks - portable laptops that do not have built in CD/DVD-drives.

"The death knell for boxed software was sounded some time ago but this is another nail in the coffin," said Patrick O'Brien, principal analyst at Verdict Research.

"Software is increasingly being downloaded over the internet instead of via CD-Roms. But in this particular case it will be particularly useful in drawing consumers who want the reassurance of a big name like Microsoft and might have felt uncomfortable handing their credit card details to a small third party developer."

The Personal Computer Is Dead

The PC is dead. Rising numbers of mobile, lightweight, cloud-centric devices don't merely represent a change in form factor. Rather, we're seeing an unprecedented shift of power from end users and software developers on the one hand, to operating system vendors on the other—and even those who keep their PCs are being swept along. This is a little for the better, and much for the worse.

The transformation is one from product to service. The platforms we used to purchase every few years—like operating systems—have become ongoing relationships with vendors, both for end users and software developers. I wrote about this impending shift, driven by a desire for better security and more convenience, in my 2008 book The Future of the Internet—and How to Stop It.

For decades we've enjoyed a simple way for people to create software and share or sell it to others. People bought general-purpose computers—PCs, including those that say Mac. Those computers came with operating systems that took care of the basics. Anyone could write and run software for an operating system, and up popped an endless assortment of spreadsheets, word processors, instant messengers, Web browsers, e-mail, and games. That software ranged from the sublime to the ridiculous to the dangerous—and there was no referee except the user's good taste and sense, with a little help from nearby nerds or antivirus software. (This worked so long as the antivirus software was not itself malware, a phenomenon that turned out to be distressingly common.)

Choosing an OS used to mean taking a bit of a plunge: since software was anchored to it, a choice of, say, Windows over Mac meant a long-term choice between different available software collections. Even if a software developer offered versions of its wares for each OS, switching from one OS to another typically meant having to buy that software all over again.

That was one reason we ended up with a single dominant OS for over two decades. People had Windows, which made software developers want to write for Windows, which made more people want to buy Windows, which made it even more appealing to software developers, and so on. In the 1990s, both the U.S. and European governments went after Microsoft in a legendary and yet, today, easily forgettable antitrust battle. Their main complaint? That Microsoft had put a thumb on the scale in competition between its own Internet Explorer browser and its primary competitor, Netscape Navigator. Microsoft did this by telling PC makers that they had to ensure that Internet Explorer was ready and waiting on the user's Windows desktop when the user unpacked the computer and set it up, whether the PC makers wanted to or not. Netscape could still be prebundled with Windows, as far as Microsoft was concerned. Years of litigation and oceans of legal documents can thus be boiled down into an essential original sin: an OS maker had unduly favored its own applications.

When the iPhone came out in 2007, its design was far more restrictive. No outside code at all was allowed on the phone; all the software on it was Apple's. What made this unremarkable—and unobjectionable—was that it was a phone, not a computer, and most competing phones were equally locked down. We counted on computers to be open platforms—hard to think of them any other way—and understood phones as appliances, more akin to radios, TVs, and coffee machines.

Echofon: A Twitter App for your Windows Desktop

Are you a Twitter User? If you uses your Twitter everywhere, Why couldn't you use it outside your web browser?

High Quality Windows 7 Themes Free Download

Here are some really cool bunch of themes. Try this collection of theme to get a better interface.

1. Windows 7 Mac [Alt] Theme

Install Windows XP SP3 without Product Key

As in  Windows Vista, Window XP SP3 users can complete operating system installation without providing a Windows XP product key during a full, integrated installation of Windows XP SP3.

Adobe warns of Virus Attacks on Windows

Hackers are exploiting a previously unknown flaw in Reader to attack computers running Windows, Adobe said.

A patch for the critical vulnerability in Reader and Acrobat is expected by next week, the company said in a blog post.

The vulnerability, which is being exploited in "limited, targeted attacks in the wild against Adobe Reader 9.x on Windows," could allow an attacker to take control of the system, Adobe said.

Adobe is finalizing a fix and expects to release an update for Reader and Acrobat 9.x for Windows no later than the week of December 12, according to an Adobe advisory.

"Because Adobe Reader X Protected Mode and Adobe Acrobat X Protected View would prevent an exploit of this kind from executing, we are currently planning to address this issue in Adobe Reader X and Acrobat X for Windows with the next quarterly security update for Adobe Reader and Acrobat, currently scheduled for January 10, 2012," the company said. "We are planning to address this issue in Adobe Reader and Acrobat X and earlier versions for Macintosh as part of the next quarterly update scheduled for January 10, 2012. An update to address this issue in Adobe Reader 9.x for UNIX is planned for January 10, 2012."

The issue does not affect Adobe Reader for Android and Adobe Flash Player.

Adobe's advisory credited Lockheed Martin and members of the Defense Security Information Exchange with reporting the issue. Lockheed spokeswoman Jennifer Whitlow told Reuters that the problem was identified through the company's normal monitoring activities but that the company had not been penetrated in the attempted attack. The defense contractor was targeted in an attack earlier this year believed to be related to a breach at SecurID token maker RSA.

Microsoft recommends using Animation Library for Fast and Fluid Metro Apps

 
Since animations are an integral part of the user experience with the new Windows 8 operating system and the Metro design language, Microsoft is offering app developers a few tips on having fast and fluid animations for their Metro apps. On top of that, Microsoft has made available an Animation Library for developers to use.

Apple Comes out with the real "Lion "| Techbay

Apple finally pushed out a much-anticipated raft of new products. Its new desktop OS, OS X Lion, had been promised for a July release at the Worldwide Developers Conference, and some Mac followers had been getting downright impatient for a new MacBook Air, which also touched down. Meanwhile, Apple's little Mac mini is still going strong, and Cupertino also showed off an enormous display that will set you back about as much as a new Apple computer.

Mozilla Blocks Java Support in Firefox

Mozilla this week began blocking outdated versions of a Java plug-in in Firefox for some Mac users after calling the threat posed by the Flashback malware “evident and imminent.”

The move came two weeks after Mozilla disabled unpatched versions of Oracle’s software on Firefox for Windows.

Windows 8 Metro Tab Page for Google Chrome

Awesome New Tab Page, as the name suggests the extension adds a new tab page to Google Chrome. Today most you may have seen a Metro featured desktop. The new Tile based desktop has changed the interface of Windows completely. The extension is a result of Windows 8 Metro UI - inspired new tab page that is fully customizable with apps, widgets, bookmarks, and so on.

Microsoft rolls out Xbox TV platform that responds to voice, motion commands

. Microsoft Corp. is rolling out a new interface for its Xbox game console users. Microsoft on Sunday night said that they plans to launch their fall update for its Xbox 360 game console, complete with voice search via Xbox Kinect this week
It allows you to navigate through music, movies, TV shows and games with the wave of your hand or the sound of your voice. On December 6, a free Xbox app for Windows Phone will also be released which will let users find, learn more about and control content from popular entertainment services on Xbox LIVE.
Xbox owners with the Kinect motion controller can swipe through screens by waving their hand in the air. It also responds to direct voice commands. Windows phone users can control what to watch or hear by tapping on their portable devices. The interface will be available to Xbox users connected to the Internet via a download on Dec. 6.
This interface was first demonstrated by Steve Ballmer [CEO] in September 2011, is set up similarly to Microsoft Windows 8 operating system. Microsoft also told that "Bing on Xbox" update would arrive on US. consoles from tomorrow, and roll out to US. console owners over the coming weeks. Those without a Kinect peripheral will be able to search using Bing text search.
In the conference a MS employee demonstrated how saying clearly, “Xbox. Bing. ‘Iron Man,’ ” brought up a selection of movies, TV shows, games and soundtracks related to the title. Saying “Xbox. Show. Movies,” brought up places to rent or buy the movie, including Microsoft’s Zune store, Wal-Mart’s Vudu, Netflix. They also mentioned that "This is our vision for the future of TV” Available apps from those partners will roll out gradually over time. Other partners include the British Broadcasting Company, Hulu, Disney’s online ESPN3 service, Ultimate Fighting Championship, YouTube and cable giant Comcast Corp.’s Xfinity on-demand subscription service.

“As with any new technology that comes with the entertainment industry, it takes time,” he said. “What we have here is a start.” This is now the benchmark against which all other living room initiatives should be compared, from cable or satellite set top boxes to Apple's widely rumored TV to the 3.0 version of Google TV that Google will have to start programming as soon as they see this."

Microsoft Silverlight 5 Released

Microsoft released Silverlight 5, which could be the last major release of Microsoft’s application framework  for writing and running rich Internet applications.

Microsoft made available on December 9 for download the gold version of Silverlight 5, the latest version of its browser plug-in and Web, desktop and mobile development platform.

Silverlight Version 5 will be supported by Microsoft until 2021 — which is a much longer period of time than previous Silverlight releases have been supported.

• Download Silverlight 5 plug-in ~ Aprox. 7 MB
 

The version 5 release supports all the Previous platforms which it's previous versions of  Silverlight did: Windows, Mac.

 It also works with Safari, Firefox, Google Chrome and Internet Explorer.

Silverlight 5’s  special  features include Hardware decode of H.264 media; extensionof the trusted application model to the browser; and graphics stack improvements with 3D support using the XNA programming interface on Windows.

Silverlight 5 was originally expected to be released to the Web in November 2011.

Read more at > Techbay.com