The announced launch of the Consumer Preview or the public beta of Windows 8 is part of the lined-up activities before the actual release of Windows 8, which is expected this fall. The first activity was held last year (September) which was the release of the developer preview. After the release of the Public Beta, Microsoft is expected to release a “Release Candidate” and then the actual release of the operating system.

On the day of the launch, Microsoft will allow the beta version to be downloaded by consumers and installed on computers. Millions are expected to get a piece of the Consumer Preview considering the developer preview was widely downloaded by millions of consumers.

Many wonder why Microsoft has chosen the event to take place along the Mobile World Congress. Some thinks that the move may be to highlight the changes expected with the new Windows 8. It may be noted that consumers are going mobile these days, especially with the use of tablets, Android and iOS phones. While Windows 8 will still be a desktop and a laptop OS, the new OS will feature a lot of integration functions with mobile devices.

Windows fans, who are excited for the beta download, must prepare for the online traffic on February 29 to get Windows 8.

At present, Apple has already been investigating the issues together with some test groups that they have organized to help them know the cause of the problem and eventually resolve the issue. Now Apple has decided to pull-out the standard update from its servers altogether and just provide the users the ability to download the combined installation. This combo installer can be downloaded via the combo download link and just a few megabytes larger than the standard installer, but the difference is that users do not really have to deal with those annoying bugs.

Updates are usually meant to improve your software because it is expected to deliver some tweaks and performance improvements, but this is not really what happened to Mac Lion 10.7.3 update. However, it is a good thing that Apple really took time to resolve the issue and pulled-out the said update and decided to replace it with a combo installer instead. Unfortunately, Snow Leopard users out there will continue to experience those security update issues until the time that the company finds a solution for this.

Users who will attempt to download the original released will now be redirected to a separate page that contains the download link and apparently, it will also use a different build number of 11D50b rather than the original 11D50. So if you haven’t rolled back to the 10.7.2 version, why not try to download it via this combo installer or simply wait for another update because for sure Apple is already working on it right now.

Aside from simply making images looks better and more enhanced, this software also saves time as well. In addition to this, you will also notice that the Photoshop CS6 has a darker interface that will enable its users to have a more immersive experience. Apparently, this darker interface was made with the idea of unifying it with other Adobe software such as Lightroom. According to Hughes, the company focused more on the image itself and not on the interface, but there is always an option for users out there to change its interface to the way it looked before if they really wanted to.

In addition to this, the video also introduced a new feature called rich cursor support, which will give users out there instant information about a brush diameter, hardness and opacity. This makes this new software version even more interesting, don’t you think so? And to think that most Photoshop users out there can be conservative, it will not really be surprising if some of these users will not appreciate the changes at all. Adobe seems to expect this that is why it made it flexible and allow it to change from the darker interface to the lighter one.

See more details in the video below:

The Photoshop CS6 is expected to make its debut along with the sixth version of Adobe’s Creative Suite in the first half of 2012. What can you say about this new Photoshop CS6 and its darker interface? What do you prefer the darker interface or the lighter one?

The app is free to download at the iTunes and compatible with the iPod Touch, iPad and iPhone with at least iOS 4.0 software version installed. Several types of digital interfaces can be chosen to suit the users’ tastes. You may select the Slide Controller interface and control the vehicle by dragging your finger on top of the screen panel. The Motion Controller allows you to maneuver the vehicle by tilting and turning the iDevice while the Draw & Drive interface allows young racers to draw a route for the vehicle to follow.

Of course, you cannot enjoy high octane action without getting the vehicle unit! Each iNitro Speeders unit comes with an adaptor that fits snugly on your iOS device perfectly. The latter is needed in order to control the RC unit. Mattel had designed each vehicle to mimic its real counterpart only with plastic exterior. Choose from different models and colors including mini Mustang, Camaro, Mini Cooper, ACR-X etc.

And parents don’t need to worry giving this as an early Christmas gift for their children. Each iNitro Speeders unit costs $33. Check it out.

Microsoft said, via a blogpost, that next Office is the “most ambitious undertaking” and the direction is to make Office 15 mobile. Thus, Microsoft is expected to integrate Office 15 with its cloud services and other mobile apps.

Office 15 is said to feature new versions of its core programs of Word, Excel and PowerPoint. It will also showcase web-based tools via its Office 325. There will also be new versions of Exchange, SharePoint, the conference tool Lync, project-management program Project and Visio, a diagram editor.

There is no information on the official release date of Office 15, except that a public beta version will be available this summer. It is also expected that Microsoft will release Windows 8 first before Office 15.

The home tab of firefox is criticized to be unchanged despite the number of updates the browser had undergone. Firefox 12 will finally make that home tab. The home page is said to have two phases. The first phase adds “launchers” for favorites apps, downloads and browser settings. The second phase is a complete overhaul of the page, to include functionalities for instant messaging, last visited websites and for apps.

Firefox 12 will also feature a new tab page. The new tab is said to be a 3×3 tiles of favorite websites. Users are also given the option to arrange tiles by pinning or by drag and drop actions. Other known features of Firefox 12 browser are: a new style editor, consumes less CPU power, and a new presentation and arrangement for web images.

Presently, users can experience Firefox 12 by downloading Firefox Nightly. However, there is no new tab functionality in the Nightly version. Instructions for tweaks are given on the internet for those who wants to try the functionality now. Those who prefer to wait, have until April 24 to finally experience the latest Firefox.

(via)

The suit stems from the group’s claim that Symantec is using scare tactics to entice users to buy the company’s products that includes pcAnywhere. pcAnywhere consists of computer programs that allow users with the software to connect to other computers running the same either as a host or remote through the internet or LAN.

It runs on Windows, Linux, Mac OS X and Pocket PC. With the security breach, Symantec has informed users to stop using the software for now or just use it for “business critical purpose” only pending the creation of a new code and resolution of the problem. According to the company, pcAnywhere is said to be “at increased risk” and customers should ensure the installation of pcAnywhere 12.5, relevant patches are applied and security practices are followed.

The company has released a patch designed to eliminate vulnerabilities affecting users of pcAnywhere 12.5 while an update of the patch to support both pcAnywhere 12.0 and 12.1 is currently on the works. More details to see on Symantec’s page.

iOS hacker stalwart Ryan Petrich (@rpetrich) recently acted as a mediator to both the iPhone and iPad, bringing with him his latest exploit. Coined as “Belfry”, this free application via BigBoos Repository, allows users to install stock iPhone applications to either iPad or iPad 2. Such applications include the iPhone’s Clock, Calculator, Compass, Stocks, Weather and Voice Memo programs and sensing that both devices are somewhat clashing in the middle due to its present and absent applications, Belfry just gave them something to suppress those feelings and made them in good terms as of late. Here’s how to transfer those iPhone apps to your iPad:

• Open Cydia
• Tap the Manage Tab, then Sources
• Tap the Edit button, then Add button
• Jot in rpetri.ch/repo
• Tap Add Source

One thumbs up about @rpetrich’s Belfry is that both the Clock and Stocks app of the iPhone works well with the iPad’s native resolution, whilst the rest of the aforementioned applications should be zoomed up with the corresponding “compatibility mode” option.

With all things going smoothly, a bump in the road comes in the clearing: Belfry is only applicable to jailbroken iPads. Saying as such, this bump can be remedied by, of course, jailbreaking your iPad using @pod2g’s and the Chronic Dev Team’s Absinthe jailbreak tool. One word of advice, though: sources indicate that Belfry might take a long time to install and try to keep that itchy finger away from the keyboard if you are stuck with the “Preparing Belfry” dialogue.

(source)

Epson makes them possible now with its latest iProjection app. iProjection is a downloadable app, which enables iOS devices, such as iPhone, iPod Touch and the iPad to connect wirelessly to an Epson projector. This means that any person can indulge in the convenience of creating presentations anywhere using the Apple devices, without the hassle of bringing the connectors of the devices.

iProjection not only complements the need for mobility of professionals on the go, but the app gives the efficiency required by these people necessary for their profession. The app does not only cater to files saved in iOS devices, but it can also upload files through the cloud, Dropbox or from an email account.

Epson said that the app was created in response to the popularity of Apple devices in the business and education sectors. The app can be used by Apple gadgets running iOS 4.2 or later. iProjection is also compatible with Microsoft programs, Apple Keynote, PDF, JPEG and PNG files. The Epson iProjection app is now available for download in the App StoreSM free of charge.

Not so fast, and read first the User Agreement provided by Apple with the iBooks. The agreement is said to contain a provision which provides that any iBook creation intended for sale must be sold only through Apple. The problem with this provision is that authors will not be able to sell their products to other people unless the same is coursed through the Apple Store. Of course, Apple can have the usual 30% anytime a sale took place. However, it is implied that iBooks creation can be distributed for free since there are no provisions on this matter.

Some authors are acting quite negatively on this news since, while most of them are Apple users, they do not like the idea of Apple owning their works. On the other side of this argument, it seems Apple may just be acting like any normal business company. One, the iBooks Author app is absolutely free. Two, no one is forcing anyone to use the Apple app iBooks. Third, what is covered by the Apple User Agreement is the iBook creation and not the intellectual property of the creator on the material. Hence, authors can just create a new format of the same material and Apple will not mind selling the same to others.