DigitMemo.com

Windows Live Messenger 9.0 will feature SPIM, a new security feature that reports users who send unsolicited messages

Microsoft’s next version of its instant messenger application will have a new security feature to report users who send unsolicited messages, known as SPIM (spam over IM). That’s one of several new features in Windows Live Messenger 9.0, which was released to some private beta testers on Tuesday.

The problem with SPIM is that it’s annoying and, at worst, dangerous. The tricky part is that the hacker may have obtained someone’s IM account details, so it appears that a genuine contact is sending the messages. After compiling a list of IM contacts, hackers try to trick users into clicking links. Those links can often launch an unwanted installation of spyware or other malware via a browser vulnerability or other security hole.

Other new features might be in version 9.0 include:

• Animated .GIF files can be used in the display photo area.
• Allows users to associate a specific sound with an action performed by one of their contacts.
• URLs (Uniform Resource Locators) can be clicked on in the status area

Click for more on Live Messenger 9.0 will feature SPIM »

A major upgrade to Gmail is getting the thumbs down from users who complain that the new version is extremely slow, often fails to load pages and even crashes their browsers.

Discussion forums have been flooded with complaints since Google Inc. began “upgrading” users about two weeks ago to the new version, popularly referred to in the blogosphere as Gmail 2.0.

Ironically, Gmail 2.0, which features an upgraded contacts manager, is designed to be faster and more stable. Gmail 2.0 is based on what a Google spokesman calls “a major structural code change” upon which new features will be launched in coming months.

Click for more on Users complain new Gmail version slow, crashes browsers »

Not all features will get integrated, but still fun to check them out.

With Windows still managing to find its way to over 95 percent of the desktop computers sold each year, it’s not surprising that one can find plenty of people interested in giving their feedback about what future versions of Windows should be able to do. A few years ago, before Windows Vista had even shipped, Microsoft sent out a wish list form asking people what features they would like to see in the next version of Windows, currently code-named Windows 7. The top wished-for features in this list were recently leaked to the public and have popped up at various sites (e.g., Neowin). While anonymous sources at Microsoft tell us that they bear no relationship to the actual feature set Microsoft is currently writing for Windows 7, the list does provide interesting insight into what the Windows-using public most wants from Windows.

Click for more on Windows 7 "top feature request list" leaked to the public »

Just like the good folks promised, the early look software development kit for Google’s soon-to-be huge phone OS has hit the streets… er, internet. From what we can tell, the OS is as comfortable on larger, VGA devices as it is on more traditional smartphone layouts. Oh yeah… and it plays Quake. Here’s what we know the software will support out of the box:

• Touchscreen
• 3G
• Webkit-based browser
• Optimized Java runtime layer (known as Dalvik Virtual Machine)
• Threaded text messaging
• MPEG-4, h.264, MP3, and AAC file formats
• Accelerated 3D graphics

Click for more on Google’s Android OS early look SDK now available »

System Requirement

OS: XP or Vista
Processor: 2.6ghz Pentium IV or equivalent (3.2ghz recommended for Vista)
RAM: 1024mb (1536mb recommended for Vista)
Video Card: DirectX 9-compliant Shader 3.0 card with 128 MB of DDR Video Memory (256 MB recommended) AGP 8x or PCI-Express x16
Sound Card: 16-bit DirectX 9-compliant sound card
DirectX9 for XP and 10 for Vista, 8 gigs HD space + 600mb for swap file.
Supported chipsets:
Nvidia Geforce 6/7/8 series
ATi X800 or higher

Download(more after the jump)

Mirror 1: (Bittorrent)
http://thepiratebay.org/tor/3838465/Call_of_Duty_4_SP_Demo

Click for more on CALL OF DUTY 4 PC DEMO Available For Download »

Microsoft broaden the private XP SP3 beta on the evening of October 4 to include Vista SP1 and Windows Server 2008 testers.

Microsoft officials said at the end of August that they planned to release Windows XP Service Pack (SP) 3 to Microsoft Developer Network (MSDN) and TechNet testers within a couple weeks.

Click for more on Microsoft releases beta of XP SP3 to selected testers »

It’s not often that one gets a chance to attend a demonstration of a new method of human-computer interaction.

Click for more on A day on the Surface: a hands-on look at Microsoft’s new computing platform »

Adobe announces partnerships with content developers that it hopes will drive demand for Media Player, now scheduled to ship before July 2008.

Adobe announced Monday the acquisition of Virtual Ubiquity, the maker of a Web-based, multiuser word processor called Buzzword. Adobe also spun out the beta of a new service called Share that allows users to share and work on documents together online, as well as publish them to wikis or Web pages.

Click for more on Adobe Releases Media Player beta »

The much anticipated reliability and enhancement SP1 update for Vista reviewed.

As you might have known, the leaked beta of Vista SP1 is floating around now, and I get a chance to test it and would like to share my own experience.

Click for more on Hands-on: first impression on Vista SP1 Beta »

For those who are not in the test group, this is the full-featured installation package which supports all the 36 languages.

This is as the one released yesterday, Version .275(6001.16659.0709163)

Download for 32bit (torrent)

Download for 64bit (torrent)