Firefox is one of the most heartening of success stories of open source, up there with MySQL and Apache. It has managed to break Internet Explorer’s synonymy of Internet with Internet Explorer. So when Mozilla shares details of any new version, it is bound to be something exciting.

Of late, Firefox has fallen behind in speed with Google Chrome 6, Safari 4 and Opera 10.6 taking the lead. Being far ahead of IE8 is no consolation, and with IE9 posting slightly better scores in JavaScripts tests than Firefox 3.6, Mozilla has reason to worry. The good thing is that Mozilla is already working its way to the top.

Firefox 4

While one may argue that increasing the speed of the browser beyond a point doesn’t help, it is clearly what the future lies. Mozilla knows this and is already working on a new JavaScript Engine, JagerMonkey which takes the best features of Firefox’s TraceMonkey and WebKit’s Nitro Engine to create an uberfast JavaScript Engine.

Firefox 4 will also place an emphasis on reducing the chrome of the browser (The UI Elements) slimming down the browser to a more Google Chrome like look. Firefox 4 will have a completely new visual look, one which makes ample use of Windows Vista and 7′s Aero effects.

Firefox 4 will also have some amazing new features such as Application Tabs (which will work like Chrome pinned tabs), a new addon manager, integrated developer tools and better HTML5 support.

Those waiting for Firefox 3.7, there are both good news and bad. While Firefox 3.7 will be dropped in favor of Firefox 4 (Currently in Beta 1 stage), out-of-process plugins, one of the most awaited features of Firefox 3.7 will come with 3.6.8 due shortly. Out of Process plugins stabilize the browser, ensuring that it doesn’t crash even if a plugin crashes.

In partnership with MySpace and facebook, Microsoft has announced to get “more social” by including social networking information in their flagship business software – Microsoft Outlook 2010. Business Networking site LinkedIn is also offering a beta tool that will integrate the activity of a user into Micosoft Outlook 2010.

In November last year, Microsoft has announced the Outlook Social Connector for Outlook, a new Office 2010 feature that integrates the social networking feeds into Microsoft’s Outlook 2010 inbox.

Microsoft Outlook 2010 Social Connector

Microsoft has recently released the social connector update that included the first third party feature from LinkedIn. This update will allow users to view status updates, photos and so on of their peers and collegues. Microsoft says that the same will be possible for Facebook and MySpace users. You’ll be able to directly update your status from Outlook 2010 and will also be able to perform other activities associated with social networking.

Although the Social Connector feature has been developed for Microsoft Outlook 2010, it will also work with Microsoft Outlook 2003 and Microsoft Outlook 2007. Expect this integration to be part of the package when Micosoft releases the Microsoft Office 2010 suite.

McAfee Internet Security 2009

With security being such a big concern these days, there have been many new developers coming up with antivirus software and then evolving into complete security suites. Some of the older well-know security suites have been overshadowed by them. The installation is simple and you are first prompted to uninstall and disable any previous security suites or components that you have installed.

The interface is traditional as compared to Norton’s recent security suites. To keep the abundant features from confusing users, the suite lets you toggle between a basic and Advanced menu. Each of the features in the suite have very detailed customization windows that allow you to tweak each component.

McAcfee Internet Security 2009 comes with pretty much everything required to safeguard your system from everything from virus and worms to hacker attacks. Parental control is also part of the suite. keywords and wildcards can be used to block sites. The McAfee Data Backup feature is that lets you archive data from your drive to either a optical disc, a different location on your drive, or one on the network. Spams in mails are also taken care of, as well as files sent through instant messengers.

There are additional features like the password vault, which allows you to securely store your passwords. there are other interesting bits like the shredder feature that permanently deletes files or even an entire partition or drive. The system cleanup feature allows you to delete all unnecessary items such as temporary files from installers, cache from browsers, undeleted registry keys and so on. with all its features, it is a little bloated and slow at times.
McAfee Internet Security 2009 is at per with the security software we’ve seen. though not as poised or as simplistic. The price of $39.99 is fine as you can use this to protect up to three PCs. as a security solution, it’s not miles ahead of other suites.

The Norton Internet Security Suite comprises all the features of Norton Antivirus with more features to protect users from threats on the internet like phishing websites, Key Loggers, etc.

The look of the Norton Internet Security sports a very modern simplistic look. There are three quick access menus for Computer, Internet and Identity which are displayed when you open the program. There are also usage meters displayed on the main screen; One for CPU usage and the other for the usage of Norton Internet Security application.

Norton Internet Security integrates into your browser as a toolbar. Firefox and Internet Explorer have toolbars, but opera isn’t supported. The toolbar gives quick access notifications for anti-phishing and also keeps security information like logins and passwords as profiles. Norton Internet Security allows users to securely store usernames and passwords as well as create identity cards which help users in quick filling of online forms.

The earlier versions of Norton Antivirus and Norton Internet Security used to use up a lot of resources which causing the PC to slow down when idle as well as during a system scan. But the Norton Internet Security 2009 has stepped up and is quite efficient when it come to resources. It used maximum of 20MB of RAM when we first installed it and while running a system scan it used about 10MB of RAM. This is definitely an improvement, as in the past the major problem with Norton was of users complaining of the amount of resources used when the antivirus was running.

Considering the All-In-One package that the Norton Internet Security offers – Antivirus, Antispyware, Phishing Filters for Internet Safety and even good performance, its a bit on the expensive side at $49 for Oner Year Single User and hence we would not recommend it as there are others out there that are cheaper. Even so, if you are a Norton user and trust no other antivirus software then this is a great bundle for you.

Requirements:
Microsoft Windows XP/Vista
300 MHz or Faster Processor
256 MB of RAM
200 MB of Available Hard Disk Space
Standard Web Browser (Firefox or Internet Explorer)

Microsoft Corp. re-released one of its Aug. 11 security updates yesterday, explaining that it had posted an incomplete version to its own download center last week.

The admission was the third time in the past two months that Microsoft has had to re-issue a security-related update.

Users who manually downloaded MS08-051 since Aug. 12 to patch Office 2003 should obtain the second version as soon as possible, Microsoft said. People who obtained the update via Windows Update or through their company’s Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) server, or who updated other versions of Office, do not need to reinstall MS08-051.

That update patched three vulnerabilities in PowerPoint, the presentation maker included with Microsoft Office, including one that Microsoft labeled “critical,” its highest ranking. MS08-051 was one of 11 security bulletins released last week that patched 26 bugs, the most Microsoft has tackled in a single month for the last year and a half.

According to the revised bulletin published Thursday, the PowerPoint 2003 patches originally posted to Microsoft’s Download Center were the wrong versions. “While these versions did protect against the vulnerabilities discussed in the bulletin, they lacked other important security and reliability updates,” Microsoft said in the revamped MS08-051.

The company said it had posted the correct versions to Windows Update and Office Update from the start. “This only affected the packages on the Microsoft Download Center; Microsoft Update and Office Update contained and were distributing the correct versions of the binaries and did not need to be updated.”

Anyone who updated PowerPoint in Office 2003 Service Pack 2 (SP2) or Office 2003 SP3 by grabbing the update from elsewhere ; in other words, directly from Microsoft’s download site — must reinstall the second edition of the patches, either by downloading the revised bits from Download Center or through Windows Update/Office Update.

Microsoft gave a third option to users unable to immediately replace the flawed patches. “If you choose to not reinstall the update, you must manually set the registry key in order to block PowerPoint file types as a workaround,” Microsoft advised.

Second tries of security updates have become commonplace of late for the Redmond, Wash., software maker. In June, Microsoft, citing unspecified “human issues,” was forced to re-release a fix for a flaw in Windows’ implementation of Bluetooth, the short-range wireless protocol. And just last week, it re-issued a July patch for a bug that had prevented some network administrators from using the WSUS patch-management tool to deploy security updates.

Microsoft was unavailable for comment.

Source

Introduction
Army of two is an in style video game developed by the giant ElectronicArts Corporation, Montreal. It was released in the market with the compatible version of Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 on 4th March, 2008 in North America. Army of Two is also popularly known as Ao2 or AoT. It is a third person shooting video game that revolves around two private military organizations who hire top level mercenaries to complete the job more efficiently and faster than the government military organizations. The time span of the story is from 1993 to 2009.
Army of Two is a collective third person shooting video game with a plan on cooperative and matched strategies. The theme of the game is somewhat similar to ‘Gears of War’. The players will start with the game’s integrated ‘Partner Artificial Intelligence’ or with the other players to fight through political commotion, war and a conspiracy so cleverly and accurately placed that it can destroy the entire world. The characters of Army of Two are popular as they work just like human beings.
The story
The story of the game starts in Somalia during 1993 once Tyson Rios and Elliot Salem were working in the 75th Ranger Regiment of US Military. They were put to a short training lesson, the course headed by their comrade Pedro. After that, they were consigned to work with Philip Clyde, who is a private military contractor. The name of his company is Security and Strategy Corporation (SSC). SSC orders the team to assassinate Abdullah Mohammed Alim. When this mission is complete, the SSC CEO Ernest Stockwell orders Philip Clyde to invite commander of the 75th Ranger Regiment Lieutenant Colonel Richard Dalton to join the private security company for a desk job, which he agrees. Afterwards, he requests Ernest Stockwell to include Salem and Rios to be included in the company as contractors. During the next year, three of them enter the private sector. The spicy conversation between these comrades is added taste of this game. You Testfreaks are to figure it out.
After that, the story revolves around almost throughout the world including Afghanistan, Iraq, USS Constellation, China and Miami.
The controls and Gameplay
The gameplay is fairly smooth. The weapon customization is the best part of AoT. The choice is intensive. The arms that are available for customization are shotguns, pistols, submachine guns, light machine guns, rocket launchers, grenade launchers, sniper rifles and assault rifles. Some equipments like under-slung grenade launchers, extra-large magazines, grip handles and new barrels can be substituted to give the armor a new look and function. The players can upgrade their armor as the game progresses by purchasing from the market. But one has to be careful while purchasing as the team who finishes the game with more amounts of cash wins the game. The face masks can also be tailored with the main characters of the play.
Earlier, a firing range for the newly obtained arms was available. But due to the lack of standards, it was removed from the later versions.
Graphics
ElectronicArts used the popular graphics formula – the UE3. The character mode is top class, even during the cut scenes (which cause problem mainly in the other games). EA did not pay attention to the textures as like other games. Sometimes, it looks like a PS1 game. The appearance of water during the 5th mission is pathetic.
Overall rating
Army of Two is good but not at par with the best programs available in the market as per my opinion. Consider to borrow it from some of your friends or from the parlor. Test is yourself and then consider for the purchasing. The FreakScore is 8.00.

Cyberlink’s new PowerDVD 7.3 ultra is a software disc player with all the controls and features that you may fiend in any hardware player, and much more. The interface is very clean and easy to understand. The controls are at the bottom of the window and balloon help is alwayes there, so you will never be left confused. You can even control the speed of playback, and it dosen’t cause the “Chip’n'Dale” effect on voice even at high playback speeds. There are many hotkeys available during playback, as you can exercise total control with a flick of a button.
PowerDVD is not resource hungry-on our modest computer, it starts up in a second and plays HD clips with complete ease. It supports native hardware acceleration provided by most modern graphics chipsets and takes advantage of it to take the load off the CPU while rendering HD video. playback is stutterless and audio was crisp and clear thanks to the smart de-interlacing support. CLEV-2 is a proprietary video enhancement technology from Cyberlink that detects vidio content and dynamically adjusts brightness/contrast/ saturation ratios for a better viewing experience.
Cyberlink Pano Vision is a non-linear video stretching technology that is used to stretch the video to your desktop resolution with minimal distorion. All speaker configurations are supported, and there are a host of different audio modes, such as Dolby Headphone that creates a virtual surround sound experience while using headphones, Dolby Virtual Speaker that creates virtual surround sound through two speakers, etc. Some of the newer sound technologies supported are Dolby Pro Logic Iix, Neo:6, and SRS TruSurroundXT. DivX, DVD (MPEG-2), DVD+VR, DVD-VR, DVD-Audio, VCD (MPEG-1), SVCD, MiniDVD formats and DVD files on hard drive are all supported. For HD aficionados, PowerDVD also supports blu-ray as well as HD DVD with support for the H.264 format. There is also a See-It-All OPtion THat will adjust the playback speed of your movie so that you can watch an entire movie before your laptop battery runs out . This software is a worthy buy.

Microsoft have finally released the Update for Windows XP as Service Pack 3. Its the first Release Candidate (RC1) for Windows XP Service Pack 3.

It includes all the updates released till date and has a few new functionality, which do not significantly change customers’ experience with the operating system. This white paper summarizes what is new in Windows XP SP3.

Supported Operating Systems are:
Windows XP; Windows XP Home Edition ; Windows XP Home Edition N; Windows XP Media Center Edition; Windows XP Professional Edition ; Windows XP Professional N; Windows XP Service Pack 1; Windows XP Service Pack 2; Windows XP Starter Edition; Windows XP Tablet PC Edition

You can download it right from Microsoft’s Download Center or from HERE.
Its a direct link from Microsoft’s Download Center. The File Size is 336.10MB. No Validation Required.

ACDSee is an image viewer that’s been well known since the days of IrfanView. ACDSee had quite a few followers for its superior features back then, but IrfanView was generally known more for being freeware. ACDSee 2 Pro has moved from being just an image viewer. This new version boats of great photo handling features for the professional photographer.
The first thing ACDSee 2 Pro does is catalogue all your images when you first run it. The interface is surrounded by sidebars, leaving only a small area to actually view images and thumbnails.
Photos are shorted by time and can be viewed through the calender view. The other useful filtering feature is the Organised sidebar, which allowes you to display photos from only a particular camera.

A quick preview appears when you hover the pointer over an image. You can enter image editing mode by double clicking on any of the photos. ACDSee 2 Pro even loads videos; you can not only view them, but also convert them using the codecs on your machine.
Images and videos can even be burnt onto CD and DVD. Wizerds are available to create Video CDs as well. Other than that, you can even export your photos as HTML albums, PDF, or PowerPoint presentations.
Memory consumption was well under 30MB while browsing images, and only spiked by a few (5 to 10) MB while opening images.
Other than its clumsy interface, ACDSee 2 Pro seems a nice software, untill you get to knowabout the price tag – $129.99. It’s still much cheaper than Adobe Lightroom, which is more than twice its price. It has quite a few features that can be compared to those of Lightroom, but it doesn’t match its simplicity.
People looking for image viewers can stick to free ones like IrfanView, as ACDSee 2 Pro has gone far beyond that. Users can’t afford Lightroom might want to consider ACDSee 2 Pro.

Media Player Classic might look like the old Microsoft Windows Media Player 6, but is in fact one of the most used media players around.
At around a megabyte in size, the player is much more compact than VLC or any of the others.
Lets look at some of the most important and useful features that also make Media Player Classic the player of choice for many.

Make it a default player:
View > Options. Click on Formats and then chose the formats you want the MPC to be the default player.

Fixing Audio Delay:
View > Options Click on Internal Filters > Audio Switchers. Enter a value Audio Shift in milliseconds. Enter a positive value to have a audio delayed or a Negetive Value to have the video delayed.

Boosting Audio:
View > Options Click on Internal Filters > Audio Switchers. Now drag the slider to desired position. This may cause drastic audio if you slide it way too high.

Saving Screenshots:
Pause at your desired frame and then File > Save Image. If you want thumbnails from entire video clip, click on File > Save Thumbnails. Enter a file name and the number of rows and columns you want, click Save. An Image Sheet with the thumbnails and information on the video file will be saved.

Subtitles:
Media Player Classic has supported subtitles for quite a while now. However, there are a few changes to the renderer that need to be done before you can actually view them. Click on View > Options. Choose DirectShow VMR7 or VMR9 (renderless). Click OK and restart Media Player Classic. Now open the movie you want to watch, click on File > Load Subtitle and point to the subtitle file you have. You can customize the way of subtitles are rendered. Go to View > Options > Subtitles > Default Style. Here you can set the subtitles settings such as position, font, color, transparency etc.

Quick Shortcuts:
Play/Pause : Space Bar
Stop : .
Volume Up : Up Arrow
Volume Down : Down Arrow
Full Screen : Alt + Enter
Mute : Ctrl + M
Boss Key : B
Zoom In : Numpad 9 (Page UP)
Zoom Out : Numpad 1 (End)
Increase Width : Numpad 6
Decrease Width : Numpad 4
Increase Height : Numpad 8
Decrease Height : Numpad 2
Center View : Ctrl + Numpad 5