IE 7 standalone scrpit launcher

@ECHO OFFTITLE IE7 Launcher 1.4ECHO IE7 STANDALONE LAUNCHER 1.4ECHO Updated for IE7 Beta 2 PreviewECHO.ECHO Do not close this window or it will not clean up after itself properly.ECHO You can pass a URL into this batch file, like this:ECHO ie7.bat www.microsoft.comECHO.ECHO More info here: http://weblogs.asp.net/jgalloway/archive/2005/12/28/434132.aspxECHO.ECHO When you close IE7, this will remove the registry key and shut itself down.ECHO.ECHO Setting up IE7 for standalone mode...PUSHD %~dp0ECHO Removing IE7 registry key and set the version vector to "7.0000".> %TEMP%.\IE7Fix.reg ECHO REGEDIT4>>%TEMP%.\IE7Fix.reg ECHO.>>%TEMP%.\IE7Fix.reg ECHO [-HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{C90250F3-4D7D-4991-9B69-A5C5BC1C2AE6}]>>%TEMP%.\IE7Fix.reg ECHO [-HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{000214E5-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}]>>%TEMP%.\IE7Fix.reg ECHO [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Version Vector]>>%TEMP%.\IE7Fix.reg ECHO "IE"="7.0000">>%TEMP%.\IE7Fix.reg ECHO.:: Merge the REG file to delete the IE7 standalone entryREGEDIT /S %TEMP%.\IE7Fix.regREN SHLWAPI.DLL SHLWAPI.DLL.BAKTYPE NUL > IEXPLORE.exe.localECHO Running IE7...iexplore.exe "%1":: Merge the REG file to delete the IE7 standalone entryREGEDIT /S %TEMP%.\IE7Fix.reg:: Delete the temporary REG fileDEL %TEMP%.\IE7Fix.regECHO Removing IE7 standalone files...REN SHLWAPI.DLL.BAK SHLWAPI.DLLDEL IEXPLORE.exe.local:: Set the old version vector "6.0000".> %TEMP%.\IE7Fix.reg ECHO REGEDIT4>>%TEMP%.\IE7Fix.reg ECHO.>>%TEMP%.\IE7Fix.reg ECHO [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Version Vector]>>%TEMP%.\IE7Fix.reg ECHO "IE"="6.0000">>%TEMP%.\IE7Fix.reg ECHO.REGEDIT /S %TEMP%.\IE7Fix.regDEL %TEMP%.\IE7Fix.regPOPDECHO Complete, closing...

Microsoft Launches Beta Version Of Windows Live Academic Search

Designed to offer a wide range of informational domains as well as enhanced safety and security features across their PC, Microsoft's Windows Live service has just expanded with the beta version of the Academic Search function, available in seven countries. The new search service is designed to help students, researchers and university faculty conduct research across a spectrum of academic journals. The program is a cooperative effort between Windows Live Search, industry association CrossRef and more than 10 leading publishers.The initial beta release will target the subjects of computer science, electrical engineering and physics, and the company is working with multiple organizations to bring new subjects online in the near future.Windows Live Academic Search will offer peer-reviewed content from leading scholarly societies such as the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), and leading publishers Elsevier and John Wiley & Sons Inc. Windows Live Academic Search can be found at http://academic.live.com/ and will provide English-language results in select global markets.Other organizations working with Microsoft on the Windows Live Academic Search tool include the IEEE, the ACM, Taylor & Francis Group, the American Institute of Physics, the American Physical Society, the Institute of Physics, Ex Libris Group, TDNet, Blackwell Publishing, Elsevier, Nature Publishing Group, the British Library, OCLC Online Computer Library Center and John Wiley & Sons Inc.The beta service will be available today with English versions in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Spain, Japan, and Australia. Additional markets and content will be added throughout the beta period.

Dell XPS M1710: Saving the PC's reputation as a gaming platform?

Ever since the first game consoles appeared, the PC, which previously dominated the gaming market by far, has slowly begun entering in a cone of shadow that visibly increased as PlayStation 2, Xbox, Nintendo DS and other such more or less mobile devices appeared.The next-generation consoles, such as Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3 emphasise even more the impression that PCs won't be mentioned as gaming platforms outside the history of technology classes. But since it's never too wise to rush up with the conclusions, Dell and it's new XPS M1710 notebook are quite set about proving that PCs are not completely obsolete yet.The system configuration that Dell XPS M1710 proposes is based on an Intel Core Duo procesor up to T2600, an NVIDIA GeForce Go 7900 GTX video card of 512MB, all assorted with a maximum capacity of 4GB of DDR2-667 memory and an 120GB SATA HDD. Shortly put – the best gaming notebook to date. And, if to all those you add an 17-inch TrueLife UXGA to and the option to add an extra TV Tuner, the $2600 (the price of the Metallic Black version – with only 1GB of memory and a 60GB HDD) won't seem so much. Obviously, for $3400, the Red Edition Dell XPS M1710 will have to wait until a hardcore gamer decides to spend all those money on, but the price is very likely to go down the following few months.

Intel-Powered Macs To Boot Linux As Well With 'Triple Boot'

Now here's one piece of interesting news related to the operating systems which can now be installed on Macs: it seems that Apple customers who own an Intel-based Mac computer could now also install Linux, aside from Mac's initially OS X and the recently allowed Windows XP. Do you remember how the whole Boot Camp project originated? If not, let me briefly brush up on the history behind this new remarkable achievement. On the OnMac.net website, a competition was opened to anyone who wanted to make Windows XP run on a Mac. The winner who'd accomplish this would then receive a prize consisting in money raised by donations. And there were indeed two people who managed to accomplish that, known as Narf and Blanka.Since then, Apple decided that the idea was not that bad and, taking into consideration all the implications – both good and bad - that such a move may have, decided to actually release an official tool to allow users to install a copy of Windows XP aside from their Mac OS X. Unlike the method used in the above-mentioned contest, this dual-boot utility would also offer support for drivers, thus making things a lot easier and smoother.In any case, that tool was dubbed Boot Camp and is now available for free download, in beta version, bringing both delight and a few yet unfixed bugs.Well, now the interesting part begins. The same web site hosting the project which initially led to the development of Boot Camp has now published instructions to run another OS on Intel-powered Macs: Linux.

Microsoft Readies 'Carmine' Virtual Server Manager

Microsoft is preparing a Virtual Server Manager code-named Carmine that will enable users to add, move and manage virtual machines on its virtualization platform.
The product, currently called Microsoft Virtual Server Manager, will allow broad support for administration via "Monad," Microsoft's next-generation scripting platform for Windows Longhorn Server and Exchange 12, according to Microsoft's Web site.
Other sources in the partner community familiar with Carmine said it will contain some of the basic features of VMware's management capabilities in VirtualCenter, but it won’t be as sophisticated.
"Today, the problem with Microsoft Virtual Server is the missing management tool for it overall. Carmine is the code name for that management tool," said one source familiar with Microsoft's plans. "Microsoft has to play catch-up to VMware's management console."
Microsoft Virtual Server Manager will allow users and partners to add, remove, drag and drop, and patch a "If you were patching the host operating system, you can virtually move all the machines to a different server, patch the host and then bring the machines back," the source added. "Some of this can be done today with host clustering and iSCSI, but it is still not where it needs to be."
Microsoft declined to comment.
Some partners said the Virtual Server Manager is a good move by Microsoft.
“With Carmine, Microsoft has the opportunity to develop software that could enable a dynamic and centrally managed virtual environment, which could compete formidably with VMware," said Tom Richer, CEO of DevLogics, a Microsoft Gold Partner in Tarrytown, N.Y.
Microsoft faces stiff competition in the virtualization market from VMware and XenSource, as well as from Linux rivals Novell and Red Hat. The two Linux OS leaders, for example, are integrating the Xen open-source virtualization engine in their upcoming platforms, Novell's SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 10 and Red Hat Enterprise Server 5.
At the LinuxWorld Expo, Microsoft made a bold move in the booming virtualization software market by announcing it would give away its Virtual Server 2005 R2 Enterprise Edition and offer full support for Linux guest operating systems running on that platform.
Offering a product like Virtual Server Manager would allow Microsoft to make money in the booming virtualization software market as it continues work on its own paravirtualizing hypervisor code-named Viridian, which is similar to Xen in many respects, said another source familiar with Viridian.
"Viridian will be a tightly integrated hypervisor within Vista Server [R2] and is expected sometime in 2008," the source said. "Architecturally, it has similarities to Xen in that it is a paravirtualizing hypervisor that will allow Microsoft to reuse all of their current driver architecture and virtualization stack capabilities. It is a completely new product and not an evolution of Microsoft Virtual Server."
Alex Zaltsman, managing director at Exigent, a Morristown, N.J.-based Microsoft partner, said it's a step in the right direction, especially for solution providers serving small and midsize businesses, which are more cost-conscious than enterprises.
"Virtual server management is an absolute necessity," Zaltsman said. "Depending on the cost, it may or may not fit into the SMB market. VMware's virtual server management is very functional but also very expensive."

Sony Slashes PS2 Prices

PlayStation fans can take heart! Sony has announced that effective immediately its PlayStation 2 video game console will retail for $129, down from $149. As regards the much-awaited PlayStation 3 slated for a November release, Sony has remained incommunicado as to the pricing. Industry analysts are of the opinion that the price cut is mainly to help fuel demand for PSP, ahead of the expected release of Sony's PS3. Apparently Sony intends to back-up this initiative with a comprehensive marketing plan. -->PlayStation 2 was first introduced in 2000, and has since shipped more than 101 million units. Inspite of the release of Microsoft Corp's Xbox 360 last year, PS2 continues to rule over the interactive game console market. According to Sony, approximately one billion games have been sold so far for the PS2. Kaz Hirai, president and chief executive officer, Sony, said, "While we continue to innovate and design ground-breaking new products, we remain dedicated to our long-term vision for the PlayStation 2 platform." For the gaming industry which is reeling under a steady decline in revenues, the PS2 price drop would prove to be a useful measure. Though - how the likes of Microsoft react to this move remains to be seen...

HD-DVD versus Blu-ray

There's a new standards war in town: HD-DVD versus Blu-ray. Both promise true high-resolution video and more features than the current generation of DVDs, but because the formats are incompatible, hardware manufacturers, movie studios, and now you the consumer have to choose sides.
HD-DVD is first to market, with movies and players out now. Blu-ray movies land May 23, and players will arrive this summer. The DVD switch will also affect PCs: several manufacturers will start shipping systems with Blu-ray drives, which will work via third-party software, over the summer, and Microsoft promises native support for HD-DVD drives in Vista machines, launching in January. Furthermore, Sony's PlayStation 3 will include a Blu-ray drive; that console hits stores in November.