system

Microsoft has revealed that Windows 7 will include better mobile broadband connection, more and clearer fonts, and improved handwriting recognition. But most analysts are more interested in several updates which will contain absolutely nothing new. ... Starting on Tuesday, Microsoft is releasing up to five updates to the current beta edition of the system. The updates do not contain any new features or fix any problems: that won't come until the next test edition. These updates simply replace files with near-identical copies and are designed to ensure that the Windows Update delivery system is ... (view more)

An ophthalmologist at the University of Tennessee has unveiled a new imaging technique used to diagnose diabetes over the Internet. A specialized camera is used on a potentially diabetic patient to analyze the inner surface of their eye. The photo ... is then uploaded to a database of thousands of other images (a mix of healthy and diseased pictures) for comparison. Algorithms then assign a disease level to the uploaded image by taking into account similar factors such as damaged blood vessels and discoloration. (Source: whytewolf.us ) While the creator of the system, Andrew Chaum, still ... (view more)

Hoping to turn their sagging fortunes around, Ford is set to debut a highly-anticipated technology allowing cars to parallel park themselves without driver assistance. Better yet, the entire self-parking experience is promised to be ... scratch-and-dent-free. The technology relies on ultrasonic sensors on the front and rear of the automobile, combined with electric power steering to angle and guide the vehicle into tight parking spaces. (Source: siliconvalley.com ) While the process sounds complicated, all a driver has to do is push one button and the system takes over from there. A visual or ... (view more)

After the success of the first mobile phone using Google's Android operating system, the tech world is turning its attention to the follow up. So far, there's even a claim that it could involve a touch-screen handset previously pulled from release ... in the United States. Android is an open source system, meaning phone manufacturers are free to use and modify it as they wish. It's a rival to Microsoft's Windows Mobile and Apple's own system used on the iPhone. The first Android phone, T-Mobile's G1, has sold more than half a million so far and is even stocked in Wal-Mart. The first question is ... (view more)

Windows System Control Center Windows System Control Center is a free, portable program that allows you to view, execute and organize utilities from various system utility suites. WSCC is only an interface, and you'll need to download and install ... the utilities separately. Alternatively, WSCC can use the http protocol to download and run the programs. http://www.kls-soft.com Viorb Vista Start Orb ViOrb automatically replaces your start button with one that looks the same as Vista's start orb. Thus, you can get the Vista feel and look for Windows XP; just download ViOrb, extract the ViOrb ... (view more)

Google has come up with yet another new feature for its Gmail system. This one allows users to store a range of 'standard' responses and even have them sent automatically to emails based on their content. The 'Canned Responses' feature lets you set ... up a range of replies for particular situations that you experience commonly. It's the same kind of idea as an 'out of office' message but lets you tailor the response to different types of correspondence. For example, as a tech writer, I receive emails from computer-related organisations with story ideas. When I'm pressed for time, I'll usually ... (view more)

Announcing Acronis True Image Home 2010 It's finally here!!! Acronis True Image Home 2010 takes backup and disaster recovery to an entirely new level of security and reliability. While file-based backups are great for choosing only a few specific ... files and folders to protect, Image-based backups have the ability to take snapshot of your ENTIRE computer -- including ALL your programs AND the Operating System. Acronis makes it as easy as 1-2-3! Imagine never having to waste time fumbling for old installation CDs, having to reinstall a program OR Windows ever again! In the event of a hard drive ... (view more)

An official report says two IRS computer systems have serious security weaknesses. It also warns information about taxpayers is at risk of falling into the wrong hands. The report, by the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, a federal ... agency which monitors IRS performance, details problems with a new billion dollar system which will eventually manage the data for all taxpayers. The Customer Account Data Engine (CADE) already handles 28 million tax returns, around a fifth of the total. The report also covers the Account Management Services (AMS) system, which provides quicker ... (view more)

While none of us look forward to growing another year older, there are some birthdays that are better than others. Among the most prolific is our "sweet sixteen" where for many of us, the dream of being able to operate a vehicle on our own terms ... becomes a reality. The first few years are all the same: the constant begging to use the family car on any given weekend is matched with stressed warnings by our parents to reduce our driving speed, turn down the radio and buckle up for safety. While we always practice "safe driving" when our parents are riding with us, the rules all change when we ... (view more)

Although Microsoft is trying to keep Windows 7 under wraps, around three-dozen screenshots have leaked on to the Internet. It appears the operating system has had some usability tweaks but doesn't have any fundamental changes. The shots appeared on ... the ThinkNext blog and almost certainly come from one of the people testing the software. Windows 7 is currently in its third (and likely) final 'in-progress' edition. The first beta edition (a complete version of the system ready for testing) is expected out before the end of the year. The biggest functional changes appear to be to the User ... (view more)