Software Industry Announcements and News
Visual Studio 2010 in Beta for March 22 Launch
[ Comments Off ] Posted on 10.29.09 under Development
Visual Studio 2010 and .NET Framework 4 Deliver Beta 2 in Final Stretch to March 22 Launch
Microsoft announces Ultimate Offer, provides new value for developers.
REDMOND, Wash. — Oct. 19, 2009 — Microsoft Corp. today announced the immediate availability of Microsoft Visual Studio 2010 Beta 2 and Microsoft .NET Framework 4 Beta 2 to MSDN subscribers; general availability will follow on Oct. 21. The company also outlined a simplified product lineup and pricing options for Visual Studio 2010 as well as new benefits for MSDN subscribers, including the Ultimate Offer, available to all active MSDN Premium subscribers at the official product launch on March 22, 2010.
Customers should begin investigating the significant innovations in each of the technologies today. New testing options in Visual Studio 2010 will help ensure quality code. Enhancements to the integrated development environment mean that whether modeling, coding, testing or debugging, developers can use existing skills to deploy a growing number of application types. Built-in tools for Windows 7 and Microsoft SharePoint 2010, new drag and drop bindings for Silverlight and Windows Presentation Foundation, and interoperability with innovative technologies (such as those for the database, ASP.NET model view controller, unified modeling language, Expression, and multicore) allow developers to bring their visions to life. With the .NET Framework 4, developers can experience immensely smaller deployments with up to an 81 percent reduction in the framework size when using the Client Profile. Other .NET Framework 4 developer benefits include additional support for industry standards, inclusion of the Dynamic Language Runtime for more language choice, new support for high-performance middle-tier applications (including parallel programming, workflow and service-oriented applications) and backward compatibility through side-by-side installation with .NET Framework 3.5.
“Developers face demanding, complex and fast-paced environments today; this next wave of tools and technologies will help simplify the development process from design to deployment and will enable developers to use their existing skills and knowledge to build better software, faster,” said S. Somasegar, senior vice president of the Developer Division at Microsoft. “Now is the time to test drive the new functionality and features in these releases, which address everything from Windows 7 and SharePoint support to collaboration and life-cycle management.”
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Halloween’s Coming: Trick or Tweet from the FTC
[ Comments Off ] Posted on 10.29.09 under Government News, Security & Privacy
Just in time for Halloween: The Federal Trade Commission has 12 Tweets about protecting yourself, your kids, and your computer when online.
If you tweet or update your status on a social networking page, the FTC hopes you’ll post one of these short messages about how to keep online goblins, ghouls, and ghosts away from your computer.
1. Are cyber ghouls and online scammers feasting on your computer? This Halloween, learn how to stop them at OnGuardOnline.gov.
2. Don’t let someone decide to be you for Halloween. Read more about online identity theft at OnGuardOnline.gov.
3. Don’t let computer security worries haunt you at night. OnGuardOnline.gov says download software updates and patches often.
4. Garlic? Stake through the heart? OnGuardOnline.gov says only the latest security software protects you from online vampires.
5. Zombie warning! Update your security software often to protect your computer from zombie bots. Read more at OnGuardOnline.gov.
6. Don’t let old security software spook you. Keep firewall, anti-virus, and anti-spyware software updated, and visit OnGuardOnline.gov.
7. Beware of online tricks this Halloween and enable your computer’s firewall. Find out more at OnGuardOnline.gov.
8. Don’t let a virus ruin your computer’s Halloween spirit. Visit OnGuardOnline.gov for tips to keep your computer virus-free.
9. Don’t be a “phish” for Halloween. Visit OnGuardOnline.gov to learn how to spot computer scams that try to hook your personal info.
10. When you tell kids about Halloween safety, tell them about online safety too. To learn how, read Net Cetera at OnGuardOnline.gov.
11. If you leave your laptop for ‘just a sec,’ it could become someone else’s Halloween treat. Visit OnGuardOnline.gov to learn more.
12. Can you spot an internet scam dressed up as a great deal? Visit OnGuardOnline.gov for tips on how to spot online frauds.
The FTC works for the consumer to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices in the marketplace and to provide information to help consumers spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a complaint, or to get free information on consumer issues, visit www.ftc.gov or call toll-free, 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357); TTY: 1-866-653-4261. The FTC enters Internet, telemarketing, identity theft, and other fraud-related complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure online database available for more than 1700 civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad.
Flex Your Brain Muscles Solving Nonograms with World Riddles: Animals!
[ Comments Off ] Posted on 10.27.09 under Games & Entertainment
Funny Bear Studio announces the release of World Riddles: Animals, the game offering the chance to travel around the world while solving nonogram logic puzzles.
Nonograms, also known as picross or griddlers, are picture logic puzzles in which cells in a grid have to be colored according to numbers given at the side of the grid to reveal a hidden picture. Providing a huge collection of griddlers to solve, World Riddles enables a player to flex mental muscles in a captivating way. Much like a training program created by an experienced coach, the game starts with simpler nonograms to give a player a feel for this kind of puzzles, gradually increasing their difficulty.
The aim of the game is to collect the seven parts of the Medallion. This can be achieved by exploring North and South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia and Antarctica, which involves solving the set of nonograms for each of the seven continents.
Solving nonograms without mistakes, with no hints and within a time limit earns a player badges. If a player manages to collect all the badges, he is rewarded with the golden part of the Medallion; otherwise he receives a silver part. Those who consider silver not satisfactory enough can replay the level to perfection to get the golden part.
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SharewareJunkies.com reviews SeriousBit’s EnhanceMySe7en Pro
[ Comments Off ] Posted on 10.26.09 under ASP Member Companies, System Utilities, Web Sites
EnhanceMySe7en Pro by SeriousBit was given 5 Stars in 2 categories by SharewareJunkies.com reviewer Dan W. EnhanceMySe7en Pro is is a utility that can be used to optimize and customize Windows 7.
To read the complete review go to:
http://www.sharewarejunkies.com/09awy10/enhancemyse7en_pro.htm
SharewareJunkies.com reviews MySoftLab’s My Duplicate Finder
[ Comments Off ] Posted on 10.26.09 under ASP Member Companies, Web Sites
My Duplicate Finder by MySoftLab was given 5 Stars in 2 categories by SharewareJunkies.com reviewer Dan W. My Duplicate Finder looks nice however, after about 4 seconds of it searching the reviwers drive, it crashed
To read the complete review go to:
http://www.sharewarejunkies.com/09awy10/my_duplicate_finder.htm
SharewareRadio.com interviews NorthStar Solutions
[ Comments Off ] Posted on 10.26.09 under ASP Member Companies, Business
SharewareRadio.com interviews NorthStar Solutions
http://sharewareradio.com/
News Reports:
Apple may turn on FM Radio in iPhone and iPod Touch
Lawsuits filed over Sidekick outages
Wi-Fi Alliance announces Wi-Fi direct spec
New iPhone 3GS may be Jailbreak-proof
1Mb Broadband access becomes legal right in Finland
The Kiss My Butt award of the week.
This week it goes to German Chancellor Angela Merkel
This week’s Interview
This week’s guest is Jeff Camino. Jeff is President of NorthStar Solutions.
http://nstarsolutions.com/
This interview was held in Boston at SIC 2009.
http://www.sic.org/