Get Inside at Least 10 Tablets This Summer....

Intel to Get Inside at Least 10 Tablets This Summer....

 Intel is jumping into the tablet market with both feet this summer, with a new chipset based on its Atom processor architecture. The question is, will it be able to contribute enough pizzazz to the array of tablets flooding the market to help any of them stand out in a world dominated by the iPad?

Intel (Nasdaq: INTC) is moving big-time into the tablet business while postponing its smartphone entry until 2012. At least 10 new tablet computers running on Intel chips will be introduced at the computer trade show Computex late this month in Taiwan, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal.

Intel will produce a new chipset, Oak Trail, based on its Atom platform, for the tablet devices.
Intel also announced plans to offer 14nm Atom processors by 2014.
Meanwhile, Intel held an investors meeting on Tuesday in which executives announced the delay of smartphone chips until 2012. The company has been working on smartphone chips since 2009, but so far an Intel-powered smartphone has not emerged. Intel's Atom-based Medfield processor is due to be in smartphones in the beginning of next year.

Ride the Tablet Wave or Get Left Behind

Entry into the tablet fray may be Intel's way of keeping up as technology roars ahead. The tablet market is growing quickly.

"This seems like a familiar story to me," Allen Nogee, principal analyst for wireless technology at In-Stat, told the E-Commerce Times. "Intel pushes into mobile. Intel pushes into tablets. There is no surprise to Intel or anyone that mobility and smaller form-factors are important, but the trick has always been finding a model that works. Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) has come along and done just that with the iPad. That has motivated Intel to aggressively target this space. Not doing so would be viewed as an admission of failure."
Many tablet producers take a different approach from Apple's, which focuses on the iconic iPad. Apple is in a unique position, so it could be the right choice for its competition to have a different approach.
"The strategy that Intel seems to be taking is 'let's throw lots of different tablets into the market and hope some stick,'" said Nogee. "Not a very different approach from many other tablet makers.

With Apple's iPod, prices went down after a couple of years, due to its popularity and the experience that Apple gained by going through different models. Apple tries to keep an upper hand on competitors that try to emulate its successes by consistently adding innovation to every new model of its products.
"I do think, however, that the glut of tablets that's forming with increased competition [will] quickly bring down the price, but Apple will be ready, because their increasing volumes will also allow them to bring down their price -- the difference being Apple will continue to make a profit on their tablets," said Nogee.

Learning Experience

The upcoming launch of 10 or so tablets shows that Intel is serious about producing for the tablet market, and Nogee is convinced Intel will do what it is saying it will do.
"I think they even realize that flooding the market with more tablets, no matter the operating system, will not help gain share," said Nogee. "On the plus side, more work in the tablet area can only help them learn about the tablet market, which can only help them in the long term."
Intel was a major architect in the construction of the PC empire, and it hopes to replicate is success in the new world of portable tablet computing.
"There isn't a question that Intel got to where it is today from the Windows PC revolution," said Nogee. "When almost every aspect of a PC has dramatically dropped in price, the two areas that have stayed high were the processor and the Windows software. Today, those two items make up one of the largest parts of a PC."
Intel is more accustomed to making chips for PCs since it has not gotten into smartphones yet. The company could have to play some catch-up to ARM (Nasdaq: ARMHY).

"But the challenge for Intel today is that its mobile processors have trouble matching ARM's in terms of battery efficiency," said Nogee. "This has made ARM hard to catch, and has also lead to ARM having a big advantage in terms of mobile developers [being] familiar with its development tools."

If You Can't Be First, Be Better

Yet Intel can make its mark if its technology brings something new -- or better -- to users.
"If Intel can deliver something for the ecosystem or even for hardware manufacturing, they can make a difference," said Martin. "They have to differentiate and bring something to the table."
Intel doesn't need to necessarily deliver new features. A simple improvement on existing features could catapult the company into the smartphone market.

"The fundamental issue is will they be similar to HVC or Motorola?" said Martin. "They don't need to create their own device or create their own ecosystem. All they need to do is optimize what is already out there. There are ways to bring more to the table than they are bringing today, but there are lot of people at the table."

Can Intel Beat Apple

10 to 1: Can Intel Beat Apple?

To win, one or more of these tablets will need to do what Apple is unwilling to do. This could include a higher level of personalization; a high-affinity product tie-in with a top celebrity like Lady Gaga or Oprah Winfrey 

The Intel-Apple war has been on a break ever since Intel (Nasdaq: INTC) won and Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) moved its PCs to x86. However, Apple has clearly been itching for a rematch with the iPad, and it has been chewing up PC market share at an impressive rate while Intel's been caught napping.

Well, Intel has promised 10, count them, 10 new iPad butt-kicking tablets at Computex, and it is roaring in with wallets open and guns a-blazing. Can Intel take the momentum from Apple -- a firm that now appears more unbeatable than Intel ever did? I'll get into what Intel needs to do to take the battle back to Apple.
I'll close with my product of the week: the best ThinkPad ever made and the only product that regularly kicks some Apple butt.

Setting the Bar

Intel has 10 shots to hit a target, but we seldom spend much time really talking about what that target is. The iPad has a number of advantages; one of the biggest is that it currently defines the tablet market. It also has a number of disadvantages; one of the biggest is that it really is underpowered for a PC-like device.
Intel can certainly address the disadvantage, but taking control of a market from an entrenched vendor is a bitch -- as most folks, ranging from AMD (NYSE: AMD) to VIA and Transmeta, have learned when taking Intel on.

So the iPad sets a tablet standard -- but much like Apple took the MP3 market away from Creative Labs, S3 and Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT), someone could take the market away from Apple, so let's look at the bar in hardware and software.

Hardware Bar

Folks don't care what is inside their tablets, but they do care about things like weight, price and battery life. However, Intel doesn't have to beat Apple on all of these vectors -- it just has to be close enough, and knock the ball out of the park on something folks want to do, but can't do, on their iPads.
The iPad weighs in at a heavy (for something you would hold in your hand to use for a long time) 1.35 pounds fully configured. Folks generally won't notice anything under 20 percent, suggesting Intel's tablet could weigh as much as 1.62 pounds and still be seen as competitive, but it would need to be less than 1.08 pounds to be seen as superior.

The iPad has a reliable 10 hours of battery life. Anything over eight hours is just gravy, and Intel likely won't be seen as significantly beating Apple unless it has 16 hours (two days) of battery life, but it could be seen as equivalent if it has a reliable eight hours.

The iPad is considered a premium product, making pricing higher very difficult. The iPad starts at US$499 but can easily exceed $900 if fully configured. The next big price break point is $200, and given that $499 is a break point, Intel's top tablet will need to start at $499 or less, or it won't be competitive.
In market, with hardware, only the brand new refresh of the Samsung Galaxy tablet is truly competitive across all areas with the iPad -- but the bar isn't just hardware, and the Galaxy tablet uses an ARM (Nasdaq: ARMHY) processor.

Software Bar

One of the iPad's greatest strengths is an elegant, easy-to-use interface that provides intuitive access to the product's core functions and applications. There is currently no product in the market that comes close to this in a tablet; however, the Windows Phone 7 product is arguably superior on phones, suggesting that something better could be done here.
Unfortunately, none of the Google (Nasdaq: GOOG) products come close -- and you can't get the Windows Phone 7 interface on a tablet, so there will need to be some heavy lifting done here.
Android Ice Cream does look vastly improved, though, suggesting this gap could be closed -- and Intel has its own operating system, MeeGo.

However, it isn't just the user interface -- it is the apps, and Apple has more than any other vendor. What's more is the Apple application developer environment is relatively profitable, while the comparatively few application developers for other platforms have found profit elusive.In fact, on the Android platform only free applications seem to be moving in significant volume, and therefore, only those with good advertising revenue sources are making money.

On the other hand, users only seem to want five applications on their tablets, suggesting you could get close enough with the right five apps: Kindle reader, Netflix (Nasdaq: NFLX) player (which isn't yet available on Android Tablets), Skype, a productivity application like Microsoft Office, and one addictive and popular "Angry Birds"-like game would likely be close enough initially -- but eventually this will need to get much richer.

Wrapping Up:

To win, one or more of these tablets will need to do what Apple is unwilling to do. This could include a higher level of personalization; a high-affinity product tie-in with a top celebrity like Lady Gaga or Oprah Winfrey (Winfrey loves the iPad but Apple would never create the Oprah Pad); better content access (first run movies/real-time TV); or a browser that lets you view the future.

That last would be kind of handy given the world was supposed to have ended last weekend which, if it did, would have made this column a total waste of my time.In a few days, we'll know whether Intel has the right stuff or is shooting blanks. They get 10 shots. Apple only needed one.

Windows' Race to ARMs

Intel and Microsoft Nip and Growl Over Windows' Race to ARMs

An Intel executive has stated that when Windows 8 arrives, the versions of the Microsoft OS running on ARM-based chips won't be able to run legacy applications. Microsoft called that statement inaccurate, though it did not clarify further. Is Intel feeling the heat now that Microsoft -- and possibly Apple's MacBook line -- are leaning toward its arch rival in the mobile world?

Two of the biggest names in the high-tech industry -- Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) and Intel (Nasdaq: INTC) -- have begun duking it out over the issue of tablet computers.

Intel kicked off the row Wednesday when Renee James, head of its software business, mentioned that Microsoft will make multiple versions of Windows 8, four of which will work on processors from ARM (Nasdaq: ARMHY). Those four, according to James, won't run legacy applications.

That statement, made at Intel's Santa Clara headquarters, sparked speculation that perhaps enterprises and consumers using Windows 8 tablets based on ARM processors would be unable to use their existing Windows apps.The problem escalated when another Intel executive, Senior Vice President Tom Kilroy, commented that, in essence, Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) helps shape the chip giant's future.

The Possible Root of the Problem

ARM is -- how best to say this? -- putting the squeeze on Intel.
Microsoft stated at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in January that its upcoming Windows 8 operating system will support ARM-based system on a chip (SoC) architectures from Nvidia (Nasdaq: NVDA), Qualcomm (Nasdaq: QCOM) and Texas Instruments (NYSE: TXN), as well as SOC designs from Intel and AMD (NYSE: AMD).

At the show, Microsoft demonstrated Windows 8 running on new SoC platforms from various manufacturers.
It also demoed Microsoft Office running natively on ARM processors. Further, Microsoft pledged to support the widest variety of hardware platforms and form factors.
Meanwhile, Intel's Atom processors are facing stiff competition in the mobile devices market from -- you guessed it -- ARM, although the chip giant is focusing strongly on the mobile sector.

Also, there are persistent rumors that Apple may be thinking of moving off Intel processors to ARM.
"Intel is betting that the future businesses, particularly large enterprises, would prefer to buy x86-based tablets that run the legacy apps they use today," Tom Mainelli, a research manager at IDC, told TechNewsWorld.
"Plus, today's IT staff understand how to roll out and manage x86-based machines," Mainelli said. "They just don't have much experience supporting ARM-based devices."

Intel, then, may be seeking to shore up its position as it comes under attack from ARM.
"One of the key strengths of the x86 architecture is backward compatibility with older software versions, and Intel will leverage that to full effect to guard against ARM-based chip vendors," Sravan Kundojjala, a senior analyst at Strategy Analytics, told TechNewsWorld.

Reworking Legacy Apps

It is possible to salvage legacy-based apps so they can be accessed by ARM-based devices through rewriting the apps.Existing apps will need to be rewritten or at least recompiled to run on ARM, IDC's Mainelli stated. Alternatively, the ARM devices will have to run some sort of x86 emulation, but that "typically doesn't make for a great user experience."However, it's not clear whether a massive rewrite will indeed be necessary because "Microsoft hasn't finalized things yet," Al Hilwa, a program director at IDC, told TechNewsWorld.
However, whenever something significantly new is introduced, the issue of managing existing apps comes up, Hilwa pointed out.

"Providing emulation layers, migration tools and other approaches that can reduce the pain and allow apps to harness new capabilities is typically part of the roadmap offering," he explained.
Microsoft has a massive PC developer ecosystem it can harness if it needs to rework existing legacy apps, Hilwa remarked.

Starting With a Clean Slate?

Another option is to develop new apps from scratch for the ARM platform instead.
"Microsoft will need a humongous effort to prepare its legacy software ecosystem to switch to an ARM-based version of Windows," Strategy Analytics' Kundojjala said.
"I think it will take a clean-slate approach instead and try to build a new software ecosystem from scratch," Kundojjala speculated. "This may take time, but it'll be a sensible decision for Microsoft."

The Sound of Silence

James' statement about Windows for ARM tablets was met with criticism Thursday. Microsoft spokesperson Mark Martin characterized it as "factually inaccurate and unfortunately misleading."
"From the first demonstrations of Windows on SoC, we have been clear about our goals and have emphasized that we are at the technology demonstration stage," Martin told TechNewsWorld. "As such, we have no further details or information at this time."Intel's response to the criticism was minimal.

"The number four was arbitrary," Intel spokesperson Suzy Ramirez told TechNewsWorld. "It was simply used to help demonstrate a point. Beyond that, we are not commenting further on the statements from yesterday at this time."Neither response tackles the question of whether or not ARM-based Windows 8 tablets will indeed be unable to run legacy Windows applications.

Microsoft "didn't say what part of the statement was erroneous, just that the Intel executive got it wrong," IDC's Mainelli pointed out.Whether the two will continue to dance around each other and throw jabs is uncertain. However, it's unlikely that this will cause a permanent rift between them as they have been collaborating for years.

Microsoft (MSFT) unveiled Mango,

Microsoft (MSFT) on Tuesday unveiled Mango, an upcoming version of its Windows Phone 7 mobile OS.Mango will deliver more than 500 new features, focusing around communications, apps and the Internet, Microsoft said. 

It will be available to existing WinPho7 customers for free, and it will begin shipping on new smartphones in the fall. Microsoft will release details and timing of device updates later, company spokesperson Jackie Lawrence told TechNewsWorld.Although anticipation for Mango has been building for weeks among Windows Phone watchers, Dmitriy Molchanov, for one, was underwhelmed.

"There's nothing groundbreaking in the announcement, and the 500 features they've listed are sure to contain small tweaks we've come to expect from other platforms," Molchanov, an analyst at the Yankee Group, told TechNewsWorld.

"That number of new features would make for a whole new operating system," chuckled Maribel Lopez, principal analyst and founder of Lopez Research. "I think the tone of the announcement was, 'If there's something you want, Windows phones will have it.

Microsoft on Mango

Mango's "more than 500 new features and enhancements" will be "actual features for different audiences such as end users, developers and IT administrators," Microsoft's Lawrence said. Bug fixes won't be counted.
Redmond hasn't settled on a final name for the product, according to Lawrence.Mango will use a version of Internet Explorer 9, raising questions about security on WinPho7 devices. Could a browser hack impact WinPho7 device users?

"We developed Windows Phone from the ground up with security in mind," Lawrence said. To protect against malware threats introduced through the browser, "IE Mobile ensures that malicious code cannot be launched from websites," she added.
Microsoft is taking other security measures as well.

Go Mango, Go!

Among its various new features, Mango has smarter Live Tiles that can carry notifications and offer Twitter and LinkedIn support.Windows Live Messenger and Facebook Chat are integrated into Mango out of the box. Mango will also add visual voicemail support.

Mango organizes information around people. For example, conversation threads will run across applications so users can switch between text, Facebook Chat and Windows Live Messenger within the same conversation.Users can view multiple email accounts in one linked inbox.Mango includes built-in face detection software that lets users tag photos and post them to the Web more easily.

The Mango release also connects apps to search results and integrates them with Windows Phone Hubs, including music, video and pictures. This will bring up apps as needed.
Bing Search for Mango will offer hyperlocal search results; recommend nearby shopping, restaurants and activities; and provide indoor maps.

Mongo Mango Muscle

In addition, Microsoft announced partnerships with new OEMs for WinPho7 smartphones: Acer, Fujitsu and ZTE.Further, Microsoft is going global. It will expand the Windows Phone Marketplace abroad. The OS will support additional languages, including Chinese, Brazilian Portuguese, Japanese, Korean and several European languages.

Redmond will post a beta release of the free Windows Phone Developer tools for public download on its website within 24 hours of the Mango announcement.

Where Mango Mauls the Competition

WinPho7 is ahead of the curve in manufacturer support, especially with the signing on of new OEMs announced Tuesday, the Yankee Group's Molchanov told TechNewsWorld.
Further, integrating Windows 365 and Live SkyDrive into WinPho7 and letting business users search email servers for archived conversations on the go "will help WinPho7 outshine iOS and Android," Molchanov opined.However, WinPho7 "still falls short of what RIM offers," Molchanov said.

Mango's Shortfalls

Microsoft is still having trouble attracting developers, Molchanov stated. The 17,000 apps it offers fall far short of Android's 250,000 and Apple's (Nasdaq: AAPL) 500,000, he pointed out.Perhaps the publishing of appdev tools for Mango within 24 hours of Tuesday's announcement will help things along.

Also, Microsoft's Hubs are "compelling, but Microsoft is playing catch-up here," Molchanov said.
Lack of support for the in-home experience and for streaming media are other weak points.
While Google (Nasdaq: GOOG) and Apple "have stepped up their efforts to have mobile devices interact with devices in the home," Microsoft hasn't, Molchanov said.
Further, Microsoft "is nowhere to be found" in streaming media, whereas Google has already launched Music Beta, and Apple has reportedly struck deals with most of the major music industry labels, Molchanov stated.

Microsoft on Windows 8, Tablets:.....

 Now You See It, Now You Don’t..........

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer talks about the future of Windows at CES 2010. Photo: Jonathan Snyder/Wired.comMicrosoft’s CEO Steve Ballmer got ahead of himself on Monday when he publicly blurted out a general roadmap for the next version of Windows.

Ballmer told an audience at a developer forum in Tokyo that Microsoft will have news to share about Windows 8 on tablets, slates and PCs over the next year.

“As we look forward to the next generation of Windows systems, which will come out next year, there’s a whole lot more coming,” Ballmer was quoted in a transcript provided by Microsoft. “As we progress through the year, you ought to expect to hear a lot about Windows 8. Windows 8 slates, tablets, PCs, a variety of different form factors.”

However, later Monday afternoon a Microsoft spokesperson retracted Ballmer’s statement.
“It appears there was a misstatement,” a Microsoft spokesperson said in a statement the company issued. “We are eagerly awaiting the next generation of Windows 7 hardware that will be available in the coming fiscal year. To date, we have yet to formally announce any timing or naming for the next version of Windows.”
Besides Ballmer’s hiccup, little is known about Microsoft’s next operating system. In June 2010, an Italian Windows blog published what it purported to be slides showing Microsoft’s plans for Windows 8. The slides hinted that Microsoft hopes to replicate Apple’s App Store model and instant-on capability for devices in order for Windows 8 to succeed.  Microsoft did not confirm the authenticity of the slides, though observers agreed that they look credible.

A looming question about Microsoft as a whole is just what it plans to do in the tablet market in the wake of the iPad. Apple, Google, and dozens of other small companies have produced tablet products, but Microsoft has not yet announced a credible tablet strategy. Microsoft’s retraction of Ballmer’s statement about Windows 8 on tablets suggests that the company isn’t quite firm about its plans.

WOW!.500 new features for Windows Phone 7.reveal it.....

Microsoft CEO promises Windows 8 in 2012, 500 new features for Windows Phone 7

Windows 8 for desktop computers and tablets will ship in 2012, and an upcoming Windows Phone 7 update will include 500 new features, Microsoft Chief Executive Steve Ballmer said Monday at a developers conference in Japan.
Ballmer made the announcement in a speech, shortly after expressing his condolences to Japan about the earthquake and tsunami that struck the nation in March.
"It's been 18 months since my last trip in Japan, which in my whole 30 years of working for Microsoft is the longest period of time between visits in Japan," Ballmer said in his speech. "Microsoft is very committed to Japan. We're celebrating 25 years this year, 25 years of Microsoft business in Japan. And to all of the developers in the room, I say: Thank you very much for the support and for the partnership."
Ballmer said that Japan is home to Microsoft's second-largest subsidiary and that Microsoft is looking to Japan to help the company be competitive in areas where it "is committed to investing and innovating and leading."
One of the areas Microsoft wants to lead is "natural user interface" -- using speech, gestures and touch to control computers. Microsoft has had success with its Kinect motion-sensing camera for its Xbox 360 video game console, but it has yet to release a major consumer tablet offering, which would rely on a touch-screen-oriented version of Windows.

Ballmer expressed frustration about having released Windows Phone 7 to the market last fall.
"Another big sort of effort for us in terms of transforming the future of communication is the Windows Phone," he said. "We came to market with Windows Phone about a year later than I wish we had, shame on us.
"But we're moving forward very actively. We launched Windows Phones last November. We've done a set of upgrades. We have a release that will come to market later this year in Japan. Not only is it a new release that is now much more global, but we've added over 500 new features to Windows Phone."
Not long after that, Ballmer turned his attention to what Microsoft is doing on Windows 8.
"Windows 7 PCs will sell over 350 million units this year," Ballmer said. "We've done a lot in Windows 7 to improve customer satisfaction. We have a brand-new user interface. We've added touch and ink and speech.

And yet, as we look forward to the next generation of Windows systems, which will come out next year, there's a whole lot more coming. As we progress through the year, you ought to expect to hear a lot about Windows 8. Windows 8 slates, tablets, PCs, a variety of different form factors."

CEO Ballmer's claim that Windows 8 is due in 2012...

Microsoft retracts CEO Ballmer's claim that Windows 8 is due in 2012

Microsoft issued a retraction of Chief Executive Steve Ballmer's claims this week that Windows 8 would arrive in 2012 on tablets and PCs.
The Redmond, Wash., company said Ballmer misspoke and even backed off the next release of its Windows operating system being called Windows 8.
In aWednesday email from a company spokeswoman, Microsoft said:

It appears there was a misstatement. We are eagerly awaiting the next generation of Windows 7 hardware that will be available in the coming fiscal year. To date, we have yet to formally announce any timing or naming for the next version of Windows.

On Monday, at a Microsoft developers conference in Tokyo, Ballmer said Windows 8 (as he called it) would arrive next year on many different devices.

We've done a lot in Windows 7 to improve customer satisfaction. We have a brand-new user interface. We've added touch and ink and speech. And yet, as we look forward to the next generation of Windows systems, which will come out next year, there's a whole lot more coming. As we progress through the year, you ought to expect to hear a lot about Windows 8. Windows 8 slates, tablets, PCs, a variety of different form factors.

It now seems Ballmer either didn't know what he was talking about, or he spoke too soon.

have more mango juice..........

Yesterday Microsoft made official a number of rumors that have been buzzing over the past few months. First, the “Mango” update to Windows Phone 7 will be Windows Phone 7.1, and not 7.5 as Microsoft previously announced. Additionally, Microsoft introduced a number of new and old hardware partners to the platform, including manufacturers like Acer, Fujitsu, and ZTE. Nokia even posted to their blog to announce that their first Windows Phone will run Mango.
Microsoft also took some time to outline a number of the new features coming in Mango, in addition to the ones we already knew about. For example, the update will include grouped contacts that are arranged into Live Tiles so you can quickly get to them, and the ability to switch between communication methods within the same thread. This means that you can create a “personal” group, and see everyone you frequently contact in one view. If you’re sending someone SMS messages while they ride the train to work, you can switch from SMS to e-mail or Facebook Chat as soon as they arrive and sit down at their computer.

Microsoft has also rolled in new text-to-speech support to allow Windows Phone 7 owners to send text and chat messages without touching their phones. The update will also bring the mobile version of Internet Explorer 9 to Windows Phones, and integrate Bing for everything, including contacts and file searches.
In addition to the software news, Microsoft trotted out a number of hardware partners working on Windows Phones. Acer even had some Windows Phone 7 devices to show off at the Developer Conference going on now in Japan. Additionally, Microsoft released the developer tools for Windows Phone 7.1 to members of the Windows Phone Developer Program, so app makers can get to work making sure they’re ready for Mango when it lands later this year.

Microsoft Shows New 'Mango' Features

In classic Microsoft manner, the software giant held a gala to demo new features coming in the first major WP7 update, and promised to hold more events in the future.

             Microsoft showed off some of the 500 new features it says are coming in the first major update to Windows Phone 7 (WP7), codenamed "Mango," next fall during a gala preview event in New York Tuesday.
Among the 500 new features promised in Mango at the event, many key additions will be focused around providing tighter integration between the operating system and the phone apps -- "blurring the lines" between the phone and the apps, as Andy Lees, president of Microsoft's (NASDAQ: MSFT) Mobile Communications Business put it during his New York presentation.
            "The smartphone experience can be complicated by a sea of disconnected apps and accounts as people attempt to keep pace with all the ways they communicate — from calls, texts, email and instant messages (IM) to status updates, Tweets, check-ins, photo posting and tagging," the company said in a statement. "To help people stay on top of that growing complexity, the 'Mango' release organizes information around the person or group people want to interact with, not the app they have to use."

              Microsoft showed off some of the 500 new features it says are coming in the first major update to Windows Phone 7 (WP7), codenamed "Mango," next fall during a gala preview event in New York Tuesday.
Among the 500 new features promised in Mango at the event, many key additions will be focused around providing tighter integration between the operating system and the phone apps -- "blurring the lines" between the phone and the apps, as Andy Lees, president of Microsoft's (NASDAQ: MSFT) Mobile Communications Business put it during his New York presentation.
"The smartphone experience can be complicated by a sea of disconnected apps and accounts as people attempt to keep pace with all the ways they communicate — from calls, texts, email and instant messages (IM) to status updates, Tweets, check-ins, photo posting and tagging," the company said in a statement. "To help people stay on top of that growing complexity, the 'Mango' release organizes information around the person or group people want to interact with, not the app they have to use."
Perhaps, not surprisingly, many of the largest new features coming in Mango have already been revealed by

Among new business features will be "pinnable" email folders that can be pinned to WP7's start screen. Mango will also add a "conversation" view so that businesses users can glance through the entire thread of an email.Other new features revealed Tuesday are harder to describe and appear to be mostly focused on consumers' use of WP7.
For instance, Microsoft is implementing threading capabilities that will enable users to move from texting to Facebook chat to a Live Messenger session within the same conversation, the company's statement said.

Additionally, with the aim of providing deeper integration with social networking sites, Microsoft will integrate Twitter and LinkedIn feeds into contact cards.Meanwhile, the update will feature "built-in Facebook check-ins" as well as face detection capabilities to let users more easily tag and post photos online.Mango will also let users link to multiple email accounts in the same inbox, and will provide test-to-speech and speech-to-text capabilities for hands free texting.
Other new features will include so-called "hyperlocal" searches, called "local scout," so that users can see what restaurants, stores, theaters, and other venues are nearby, as well as "Quick Cards" that will provide at-a-glance summaries of things the user is interested in.


         Microsoft said Mango will ship on new WP7 devices in the fall, and the company will also provide the update as a free upgrade to WP7 users around the same time.Finally, Lees told his audience to stay tuned because the company plans more events in coming months to show off more new features coming in Mango.

Microsoft Unveils “Mango”

          The operating system will be provided for free to the existing Windows Phone 7 users and is scheduled to ship on new phones beginning this autumn season.

                Microsoft Wednesday showcased the next major release of its superior version of operating system for smartphones -- code named Mango.



































 "Mango will deliver more than 500 new features to push the boundaries of the smartphone experience around communications, apps and the internet," the company said in a statement.The operating system will be provided for free to the existing Windows Phone 7 users and is scheduled to ship on new phones beginning this autumn season."Seven months ago we started our mission to make smartphones smarter and easier for people to do more," said Andy Lees, president, mobile communications business, Microsoft.

"With Mango, windows phone takes a major step forward in redefining how people communicate and use apps and the internet, giving you better results with less effort," he added.Owing to the multiple applications and accounts used by customers from calls, texts, email and instant messages to status updates, smartphone experience becomes complicated.In order to keep customers away from that growing complexity, Mango organizes information around the person -- or group -- people want to interact with, not the application they have to use.


On Mango, customers will be able to enjoy following features:
-- Threads: Switch between text, Facebook chat and Windows Live Messenger within the same conversation.
-- Groups: Group contacts into personalized live tiles to see the latest status updates right from the start screen and quickly send a text, email to the whole group.
-- Deeper social network integration: Twitter and LinkedIn feeds are now integrated into contact cards, and Mango includes built-in Facebook check-ins and new face detection software that makes it easier to quickly tag photos and post to the web.
-- Hands-free messaging: Built-in voice-to-text and text-to-voice support enables hands-free texting or chatting. 

Microsoft recently announced partnership with Nokia and said that Mango will further expand and strengthen the windows phone ecosystem through new partnerships with Acer, Fujitsu and ZTE Corp., which today announced plans to deliver new Windows Phone devices in markets around the world.
The company also announced that it will support additional languages, including Brazilian Portuguese, simplified and traditional Chinese, Czech, Finnish, Greek, Hungarian, Japanese and Swedish, and will expand the list of countries where consumers have access to applications through Windows Phone Marketplace.Group contacts into personalized live tiles to see the latest status updates right from the start screen and quickly send a text, email to the whole group.

Deeper social network integration: Twitter and LinkedIn feeds are now integrated into contact cards, and Mango includes built-in Facebook check-ins and new face detection software that makes it easier to quickly tag photos and post to the web.Hands-free messaging: Built-in voice-to-text and text-to-voice support enables hands-free texting or chatting.

Microsoft recently announced partnership with Nokia and said that Mango will further expand and strengthen the windows phone ecosystem through new partnerships with Acer, Fujitsu and ZTE Corp., which today announced plans to deliver new Windows Phone devices in markets around the world.
The company also announced that it will support additional languages, including Brazilian Portuguese, simplified and traditional Chinese, Czech, Finnish, Greek, Hungarian, Japanese and Swedish, and will expand the list of countries where consumers have access to applications through Windows Phone Marketplace.

Microsoft revamps phone software

Microsoft launched an update of its Windows phone software, hoping a host of new features will help it close the gap on smartphone leaders Google and Apple.
The updated software, code-named Mango, will appear on new Windows phones beginning this year, and be available for existing Windows phone users before that, although Microsoft has not set a timetable for making the update available.
The update - announced eight months after the launch of Windows Phone 7 - involves 500 new features, including Internet Explorer 9 as the mobile browser, integrated Twitter and LinkedIn feeds, automated Facebook check-ins, and access to more than 17,000 downloadable applications.
The update improves Microsoft's distinctive "live tiles", which allow users to see real-time information on the phone screen without actually opening an application, and allows more than one application to run at the same time.
Microsoft said Acer Inc, Fujitsu Ltd and ZTE Corp were planning to bring new Windows phone devices to market, joining established handset makers Samsung Electronics, HTC Corp and LG Electronics.
The new Windows phone handsets will be exclusively powered by Qualcomm Inc's second-generation Snapdragon mobile processors, the chip-maker said.
Microsoft is banking on the new version of its phone software to get its recent alliance with Nokia off to a strong start.
The first phones made by Nokia using Windows software are expected late this year or early in 2012.
The two have some work to do to catch up with Google's Android, which now runs 36 percent of smartphones sold globally, followed by Apple with 17 percent, according to research firm Gartner.
Last quarter, Microsoft held only 4 percent of the smartphone operating system market, but was looking to convert the 27 percent market share held by Nokia's Symbian, which will be replaced by the Windows system in most of Nokia's new phones.

What is Silverlight?

 Have a meet with lights.it can be used insted of any Adobe players to get installed.

It has its own features in programming in Windows Phone along with the XNA frameworks for XBox....

 

                                          What is Silverlight?

Silverlight is a new cross-browser, cross-platform implementation of the .NET Framework for building and delivering the next generation of media experiences and Rich Interactive Applications(RIA) for the web. It runs in all popular browsers, including Microsoft Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari, Opera. The plugin required to run Silverlight is very small in size hence gets installed very quickly.
It is combination of different technolgoies into a single development platform that allows you to select tools and the programming language you want to use. Silverlight integrates seamlessly with your existing Javascript and ASP.NET AJAX code to complement functionality which you have already created.
Silverlight aims to compete with Adobe Flash and the presentation components of Ajax. It also competes with Sun Microsystems' JavaFX, which was launched a few days after Silverlight.
Currently there are 2 major versions of Silverlight:
Silverlight 1.0 and Silverlight 2.0( previously referred to as version 1.1).

Silverlight 1.0 :

Silverlight 1.0 consists of the core presentation framework, which is responsible for UI, interactivity and user input, basic UI controls, graphics and animation, media playback, DRM support, and DOM integration.

Main features of Silverlight 1.0 :

1. Built-in codec support for playing VC-1 and WMV video, and MP3 and WMA audio within a browser.
2. Silverlight supports the ability to progressively download and play media content from any web-server.
3. Silverlight also optionally supports built-in media streaming.
4. Silverlight enables you to create rich UI and animations, and blend vector graphics with HTML to create compelling content experiences.
5. Silverlight makes it easy to build rich video player interactive experiences.

Main features of Silverlight v.2.0.1.2 :

1. A built-in CLR engine that delivers a super high performance execution environment for the browser. Silverlight uses the same core CLR engine that we ship with the full .NET Framework.
2. Silverlight includes a rich framework library of built-in classes that you can use to develop browser-based applications.
3. Silverlight includes support for a WPF UI programming model. The Silverlight 1.1 Alpha enables you to program your UI with managed code/event handlers, and supports the ability to define and use encapsulated UI controls.
4. Silverlight provides a managed HTML DOM API that enables you to program the HTML of a browser using any .NET language.
5. Silverlight doesn't require ASP.NET to be used on the backend web-server (meaning you could use Silverlight with with PHP on Linux if you wanted to).
6. Silverlight 2 includes Deep Zoom, a technology derived from Microsoft Live Labs Seadragon. It allows users to zoom into, or out of, an image (or a collage of images), with smooth transitions, using the mouse wheel. The images can scale from 2 or 3 megapixels in resolution into the gigapixel range, but the user need not wait for it to be downloaded entirely; rather, Silverlight downloads only the parts in view, optimized for the zoom level being viewed.
7. Silverlight 2 also allows limited filesystem access to Silverlight applications. It can use the operating system's native file dialog box to browse to any file (to which the user has access).

How Silverlight would change the Web:

1. Highest Quality Video Experience : prepare to see some of the best quality videos you have seen in your life, all embedded in highly graphical websites. The same research and technology that was used for VC-1, the codec that powers BluRay and HD DVD, is used by Microsoft today with its streaming media technologies.
2. Cross-Platform, Cross-Browser : Finally build web applications that work on any browser, and on any operating system. At release, Silverlight will work with Mac as well as Windows!  The Mono project has also already promised support for Linux!.
3. Developers and Graphic Designers can play together! : Developers familiar with Visual Studio, Microsoft.net will be able to develop amazing Silverlight applications very quickly, and they will work on Mac's and Windows. Developers will finally be able to strictly focus on the back end of the application core, while leaving the visuals to the Graphic Design team using the power of XAML.
4. Cheaper : Silverlight is now the most inexpensive way to stream video files over the internet at the best quality possible. Licensing is dead simple, all you need is IIS in Windows Server, and you’re done.
5. Support for 3rd Party Languages : Using the power of the new Dynamic Language Runtime, developers will now be able to use Ruby, Python, and EcmaScript! This means a Ruby developer can develop Silverlight applications, and leverage the .net Framework!
6. Cross-Platform, Cross-Browser Remote Debugging : If you are in the need to debug an application running on a Mac, no problem! You can now set breakpoints, step into/over code, have immediate windows, and all that other good stuff that Visual Studio provides.
7. The best development environment on the planet : Visual Studio is an award winning development platform! As it continues to constantly evolve, so will Silverlight!
8. Silverlight offers copy protection : Have you noticed how easy it is to download YouTube videos to your computer, and save them for later viewing ? Silverlight will finally have the features enabling content providers complete control over their rich media content! Streaming television, new indie broadcast stations, all will now be possible!
9. Extreme Speed :There is a dramatic improvement in speed for AJAX-enabled websites that begin to use Silverlight, leveraging the Microsoft .net framework.

Getting Started With SilverLight :

In order to create Silverlight applications with following :

Runtime :

Microsoft Silverlight 2.0 : The runtime required to view Silverlight applications created with .NET Microsoft.

Developer Tools :

Microsoft Visual Studio 8.0 : The next generation development tool.
Microsoft Silverlight Tools for Visual Studio 2008 : The add-on to create Silverlight applications with Visual Studio 2008. This install will also install the Silverlight Developer Runtime and the Silverlight SDK. This add-on works with all versions of Visual Studio 2008 Service Pack 1, including Visual Web Developer.

Designer Tools :

by using Expression Blend 2.5

Eclipse Tools for Silverlight :
An Open Source, feature-rich and professional RIA application development environment for Microsoft Silverlight in Eclipse.

Designing a Windows Server 2008 R2 Active Directory : Renaming an AD DS Domain

here a view how to configure the ADS..... AD DS in Windows Server 2008 R2 gives domain designers the flexibility to rename their domain namespace and/or splice domains in a forest to different locations within a forest. This capability gives AD DS great new functionality because design changes can be made because of corporate mergers or organizational changes. Domain rename supports renaming either the AD DS namespace (for example, companyabc.com) or the NetBIOS (legacy NT) domain name or both. The procedure is a rather brute-force process, however, and should not be considered to be a routine operation. The domain rename functionality in Windows Server 2008 R2 is mainly a psychological factor because the prerequisites for deploying domain rename make it unlikely to be widely performed, at least in the initial stages of Windows Server 2008 R2 adoption. Domain rename offers long-term answers to the previous barriers to AD DS adoption, which revolved around the fact that organizations did not want to be locked in to any decisions that could not be changed. Because a Windows 2000 AD DS namespace decision was irreversible, this effectively put many decision makers on edge, as they did not want to “paint themselves into a corner,” so to speak. Domain rename removes this stipulation and makes AD DS adoption much more palatable to decision makers within an organization. Domain Rename Limitations Domain rename has several limitations. It is important to understand the following restrictions before considering a domain rename operation: Cannot reduce the number of domains in a forest— The domain rename tool cannot be used to drop additional domains from a forest. For example, if a forest is composed of four domains, there must be four domains remaining after the procedure is complete. This type of domain consolidation role can be performed only through the use of other tools, such as the Active Directory Migration Tool. The current root domain cannot be demoted— Although the domain rename tool can splice and transplant domains from one portion of an AD DS namespace to another, it cannot fundamentally change the root domain in a tree. A root domain can be renamed, however. Cannot transfer current domain names in one cycle— A production domain cannot be named the same as another production domain that exists in a forest. You need to run the domain rename procedure twice to achieve this type of desired functionality. Outlining Domain Rename Prerequisites In addition to the limitations of the domain rename tool, specific prerequisites for domain rename must be met before a domain can be renamed. These prerequisites are as follows: The entire forest must be at least Windows Server 2003 functional level— All domain controllers in the domain must be first upgraded or replaced with Windows Server 2003, 2003 R2, 2008, or 2008 R2 and the forest functional level raised to at least Windows Server 2003 functional level. New DNS zones must be created— The DNS server(s) for a domain must have a zone added for the new domain namespace to which the domain will be renamed. The exception is if the domain rename procedure will be renaming only the NetBIOS domain name. Domain rename must run from a console server— A member Windows Server 2008 R2 computer (not a domain controller) must serve as the console server for the domain rename procedure. All domain rename operations are run from this one box. Shortcut trust relationships might need to be created— Any domains that will be “spliced” into a new location in the AD DS forest will need to have a shortcut trust established between itself and the parent domain where it will be transplanted. Renaming a Domain The domain rename procedure, from the back end, is not extremely complex. Most of the barriers to domain renaming, aside from the limitations and prerequisites listed in the preceding section, come in the form of the disruption to the forest that is caused by the reboots applied to all the computers in the forest. After the prerequisites have been satisfied, the domain rename process can proceed. The entire domain rename process is accomplished through six basic steps. As previously mentioned, however, this routine is rather harsh on the network because it causes downtime to a network infrastructure and should not be considered to be a common operation. Step 1: List Current Forest Description The tool used for domain rename is known as Rendom. Rendom has several flags that are used in import and export operations. The first procedure run from the console server is rendom /list, which locates the domain controllers for a domain and parses all domain-naming information into an XML document named Domainlist.xml. This XML document can easily be modified by any text editor such as Notepad and, as will become evident, is central to the domain rename procedure. Step 2: Modify Forest Description with New Domain Name(s) The XML file generated by the /list flag must be modified with the new domain-naming information. For example, if CompanyABC is changing its name to CompanyXYZ, all references to companyabc in the XML list are changed to companyxyz. This includes the NetBIOS and DNS names. Step 3: Upload Rename Script to DCs After the XML document is updated with the new domain information, it can be uploaded to all domain controllers in a forest through the use of the rendom /upload command. This procedure copies the instructions and new domain information up to all domain controllers within a forest. Step 4: Prepare DCs for Domain Rename Domain rename is a thorough process because it is absolutely necessary that all domain controllers in a forest receive the update information. It is, therefore, necessary to run rendom /prepare to initiate a preparation process that checks to see if every single domain controller listed in AD DS responds and signifies that it is ready for the migration. If every single domain controller does not respond, the prepare function fails and must be restarted. This precaution exists to keep domain controllers that are powered down, or not accessible across the network, from coming up at a later time and attempting to service clients on the old domain name. Step 5: Execute Domain Rename Procedure After all domain controllers respond positively to the prepare operation, you can initiate the actual domain rename by running the rendom /execute command from the console server. Before the execute command is run, there are actually no changes made to the production environment. However, as the command is run, all domain controllers execute the changes and automatically reboot. You then must establish a method of rebooting all member servers, workstations, and other client machines and then reboot them all a second time to ensure that all services receive the domain-naming change. Step 6: Post-Rename Tasks The final step in the Rendom task is to run the rendom /clean operation, which will remove temporary files created on the domain controller and return the domain to a normal operating state. In addition to the cleanup tasks, you need to effectively rename each domain controller, to change its primary DNS suffix. Each domain controller needs to go through this operation, which you run via the netdom command-line utility. The following steps outline the renaming of a domain controller: 1. Open a Command Prompt window (choose Start, Run, and then type cmd.exe). 2. Type netdom computername OldServerName /add:NewServerName. 3. Type netdom computername OldServerName /makeprimary:NewServerName. 4. Restart the server. 5. Type netdom computername NewServerName /remove:OldServerName.

10 ways that iOS goes Well !!!!!!

10. The iTunes Media Store

 While iOS still doesn't allow you to sync wirelessly, you can, at least, use your Wi-Fi (and in some cases cellular data) connection to purchase and download music, video, and books over the air. While Android's not without Amazon's media offerings, Apple gives you access to an enormous library of entertainment that you can purchase in a few taps. Everything you buy is sent to it corresponding app and transferred over to your computer the next time you sync. The process is seamless. When it comes to buying media for your device, there's really no better implementation.

9. AirPlay

There are plenty of alternatives to Apple's AirPlay, but none that work quite so elegantly and intuitively. Out of the box, AirPlay doesn't really seem all that useful if you don't own other Apple devices but there are actually several ways to make your non-Apple devices AirPlay compatible. Two-tap video streaming that actually works really well is pretty great, and you won't find such a nice solution on Android.

8. Find My iPhone

 It's not like you can't roll your own device-tracking setup on Android, but now that Find My iPhone (or iPad or iPod touch) is free it's no longer the best paid option—it's just the best. It's simple to use, it's easy to track your phone, and it has even helped people catch criminals when the loss was a result of theft (like this or this, for example). It's been proven effective and costs you nothing. There's not much more you need.

7. A Better Support System

What happens if your Android phone breaks? There are a few answers to that question, but often times it means dealing with your specific carrier. They didn't make your phone and they have many different kinds of devices to support. Neither of those things are in your favor. What about your iPhone or other iDevice? You take it to an Apple Store or call Apple tech support. Often times you can make a Genius Bar appointment and get your issue resolved right away (assuming that problem isn't the total obliteration of the hardware). If you've ever tried to get tech support at a Verizon store, for example, you know how frustrating that can be. Apple's support team—while not perfect—is one of the best there is.

6. Better Battery Life and Management

 Over the past few years, Apple's started to consider battery life to be one of the most important features of its products. This is especially evident in the iPad, which contains around as much battery as humans contain water, but it's also Apple's battery management tactics that make this possible. Some may be disappointed that the lack of true multitasking is lost in the name of power economy, but true multitasking isn't all that great when you device dies because it ran out of juice. While it didn't start off that way, the latest batch of devices running iOS will get you through the day (and sometimes longer). That's not always something you can count on with Android.

5. iTunes and Tethered Syncing

 iTunes is a behemoth of a media manager but it handles a lot of data as it goes from your computer to your iDevice and back again. It has an enormous amount of responsibility for those who do sync with their computers. You can certainly argue that DoubleTwist brings the features of iTunes to Android, but the fact of the matter is that an application needed to be created to bring iTunes to Android. Android is missing iTunes in the same way iOS is missing Android's wireless capabilities.

4. No Crapware

Sure, you can pick up the Nexus S and get a phone with no added applications and have an Android phone without any crapware added by the manufacturer, but most people aren't getting their Android phones from Google. When you buy your Android phone from a particular carrier, you can often to expect a few apps you won't want and can't get rid of. With iOS you just get iOS. While Apple might be a little overprotective at times, their walled garden is not without its upsides. It's nice buying an iDevice with the knowledge you won't get stuck with a Sprint NASCAR app you don't want.

3. A Bigger and Better Variety of Apps

 While the iTunes App Store is never going to sell classic game console emulators and other questionable apps—and that's a shame—there is, on average, more money to make when developing for iOS. The downside is that most apps cost a bit of money, but it's rarely more than a couple of dollars. The upside is that developers who make money are more likely to be able to afford to spend time developing. The gold mine that is the iTunes App Store has also attracted plenty of big name game developers who've brought some pretty amazing titles to iOS. Sometimes a little money can go a long way, and it does with apps. iOS has some of the most elegant, polished, fun, and even useful apps. They may be a bit more restricted than Android apps, but it's not like you can't jailbreak if you're looking for more.

2. A Well-Designed, Intuitive User Interface

 Whether you like Apple's hardware and software or not, it's hard to argue that they aren't beautifully designed. Apple puts a lot of thought in the design of the interface, from its looks to its ease of use. iOS' user experience is one of the most intuitive. Android can take some time to figure out, and there's a lack of consistency in the way third-party apps operate, but if you give someone an iOS device they'll generally be able to figure out much of the functionality on their own. People are posting videos of their very young children using iPads. Android ends up with sites like this (which isn't representative of the platform and a bit much, but still makes a point). iOS is nice to look at and easy to learn, welcoming pretty much everyone to the party.

1. Consistency

 iOS is nothing if not consistent. When you pick up an iOS device, you know exactly what you're getting. This shouldn't come as a surprise from a company like Apple, who likes to control every aspect of their products. When it comes to receiving major feature updates, you get them on a fairly regular schedule. While there's some update fragmentation with iOS, it's only ever been between phones and tablets. With Android, it's between the many, many different phones as well as fragmentation between phones and tablets. Knowing what you're getting and that you'll be receiving updates for at least the next two generations of devices increases the value of an iDevice long past the date of purchase.

Windows 8 leaks reveal Windows Store logo and additional details

Windows 8 leaks reveal Windows Store logo and additional details

The latest Windows 8 leaks reveal even more details about the Windows Store. This is prior to our discovery that the latest Windows App Marketplace screenshots actually belonged to a third-party Chinese app. Current leaks show that the rumored Windows “App Store” will just be called the Windows Store. Furthermore, its logo was leaked by MSWin:



the Windows 8*  will give :

• Will support the purchase of goods and services directly within applications .
• You can install applications trial and then decide whether to switch to full version .
• Users can rate and review applications. Each comment will be reviewed in turn by other users.
• Users can send reports of problems to application developers.
• It will obviously look for possible applications and filter the results by price or category.
• For each application will be available on:
  • Minimum System Requirements
  • End User License
  • Feature requests (Webcam, GPS …)
  • Category and Description
  • Application functionality
  • Rating the content
  • Screenshot
  • Link to support forum
  • Types of supported architectures (x86, x64, ARM, or neutral)
  • List of enhancements in the latest versions ( change log )

Previous findings indicated that Microsoft is looking to integrate the Windows Store into the cloud, allowing the synchronization of apps and options between multiple systems based on an Online ID.
It is speculated that Microsoft will deliver an early beta build of Windows 8 to developers at the Windows Developers Conference (WDC) in September. The latest leaked build of Windows 8 was 7959, which was leaked last week.

OOBE FOR 8..

  Windows 8 Build 797x screenshots show new out-of-box experience (OOBE)

New screenshots of Windows 8 have surfaced, showing a completely new out-of-box experience (OOBE) that we have not seen before. The new screenshots show that the traditional Aero Wizards used in previous post-Windows installation procedures have been abandoned. Instead, a Windows Media Center-like approach has been used, resulting in a much more beautiful and fuller installation experience. The photos have been leaked from a source of Chris123NT. The new OOBE experience was originally locked away in Windows 8 Build 7955, but could be unlocked by opening an undiscrete file hidden away deep inside the Windows directory.
Below are some of the screenshots leaked:

Windows 8 to have customizable lockscreen...

Windows 8 to have customizable lockscreen...

Only three days after Windows 8 build 7955 officially leaked on a private FTP server, and slipped onto public filesharing websites, hackers have uncovered even more windows 8 secrets.
Although this may not be surprising at first, it does go in the right direction for Microsoft to make Windows 8 completely customizable, right down to the last detail.
Alex Reed, aka Xeraxic, has managed to unlock a feature in Windows 8 build 7955 that allows the user to use their desktop wallpaper as their lockscreen. Combined with the auto-wallpaper in Windows 8, users will hopefully have a unique lockscreen everytime they sit down at their computer.

Reed posted how to enable the feature in Windows 8 7955 by editing the theme file found under

C:\Windows\Resources\Ease of Access Themes\basic.theme

Change the line that says:

SetLogonBackground=0

to

SetLogonBackground=1

Reboot your computer, and you'll have Windows 8 lockscreen wallpaper.
According to a member on the MDL forums, this feature will be available in Windows 8 when it officially releases by a checkbox. For now, Windows 8 build 7955 requires a registry hack.