Windows Vista SP2 release date slips

Microsoft has delayed Windows Vista Service Pack 2 (SP2) by at least a month, and will now ship it to manufacturing sometime in May or June, according to a website that has accurately predicted Windows release dates in the past.

TechARP.com, a Malaysian website that correctly predicted the release dates for Windows Vista SP1 and XP SP3 in 2008, said that Microsoft will deliver a release candidate - the final test version - of Vista SP2 in March, a month later than the site had predicted earlier. Also, Microsoft will send the service pack to OEMs and out for retail copy duplication at some point in the second quarter of 2009, not in April as originally thought.

Windows Vista SP2 will be released for download from the web at an undetermined date after Microsoft ships the service pack to OEMs. In the past, Microsoft has had both short and long lag times between the two dates.

Windows XP SP3, for example, was rel4eased to manufacturing on April 21 2008 , and offered for download on May 6, about two weeks later. With Vista SP1, however, it waited about six weeks after sending the update to manufacturing before it let the general public download the service pack.

Inserted into the Vista SP2 schedule, said TechARP, is something Microsoft's calling a "release candidate escrow build". According to the site, an escrow build is a version on which development has stopped, but is handed to developers and testers, who are asked to test the code one final time to make sure there are no major bugs.

Elsewhere, TechARP also said that computer makers will not be required to use Vista SP2 on new hardware, as is usually the case when the Microsoft releases a major update, such as a service pack. "OEMs will not be compelled to ship their systems with the new builds, which would have required extensive work [such as] tests, implementation and logistics," said TechARP. "They are also not required to send their customers the Service Pack 2 upgrades."

TechARP speculated that Microsoft will make Vista SP2 optional for OEMs because Windows 7, Vista's successor, may be hard on its heels. "Many OEMs are probably hesitant about spending more money and [putting more] effort into qualifying the new builds with their products, especially in light of the current economic situation," said the site. "So the onus will be on the consumer to update their Windows Vista via Windows Update."

Microsoft issued the first public beta of Windows 7 on January 10, but as of yet, has not set a timetable for the new operating system's release, other than to say it will hit the street by early next year.

Microsoft did not immediately respond to questions about Vista SP2's timetable.

Virgin Mobile Reveals New Free SMS Scheme

Virgin Mobile today introduced a messaging scheme in which Virgin Mobile customers will now be able to send a total of 200 SMSs free; 100 National as well as 100 Local SMSs free daily after just paying for the first 3 SMSs on each leg (National and Local respectively) to any network.

According to a press release, the new free SMS offer is available to all Virgin Mobile subscribers across the country without any extra monthly commitment/upfront payment or pack. The first 3 Local SMSs sent are charged at 50p each which is the base tariff, post which 100 SMSs are free daily. The first 3 National SMSs are charged at Rs. 1.50 each, post which 100 National SMSs are free daily.

In essence the consumer gets a total of 200 SMSs free daily. All new subscribers and existing subscribers who are already on the New 50 Paise STD Local tariff will get this SMS benefit by default from today onwards, while the customers who are on the Old 50 Paise Local tariff can avail this benefit by recharging their account by a Rs. 12/- recharge coupon. For any queries, Virgin Mobile can be reached at 600 166 66 from any number (prefixed with the city STD code) or at 125999 from a Virgin Mobile number.

Toshiba Announces 16in Multimedia Laptop

Toshiba has announced the Toshiba Satellite A350 - a laptop with a 16in, 1366x768 pixel, 16:9 widescreen. Running Windows Vista Home Premium, the Toshiba Satellite A350 will sport either an Intel Core 2 Duo or an AMD Turion CPU coupled with 4GB DDR2 RAM. Unusually, the Intel flavour will be the cheaper option: the A350 will range from £529(Rs. 35,800) to £749(Rs.50,500) inc VAT. Purchasers will be able to select up to 320GB storage in a hard disk drive. Connectivity includes both an HDMI port, three USB ports and 802.11n Wi-Fi. The 16:9 aspect ratio on Toshiba's largest ever laptop screen points to the multimedia capabilities of this system.The Toshiba Satellite A350 also boasts Harmon Kardon speakers and Dolby Sound Room technology. Gamers can choose either an Intel GMA4500MHD or an ATI Radeon HD3650 graphics chipset. There's also a standard-def DVD writer and a 1.3Mp webcam.

New Version of QuickTime Blocks Hackers

Apple has released a new version of its QuickTime media player adding critical security fixes as well as some new tweaks to improve the software's ease-of-use and compatibility with different file formats.

QuickTime 7.6 for Mac OS X and Windows, patches seven bugs, all of which could let hackers install unauthorised software on a victim's computer.

In recent years, hackers looking for ways to run their software on Windows PCs in particular have increasingly exploited flaws in add-on programs such as QuickTime. That's why security experts generally advise users to install this type of update as soon as possible.

The newly patched flaws do not appear to have been publicly known before QuickTime 7.6's release, according to Apple's security note on the update. Any attacks that exploited these flaws would involve tricking the victim into first visiting a malicious website or viewing a specially encoded media file, Apple said.

The 7.6 update also includes some performance-enhancements for H.2640-encoded and Motion JPEG media files, as well as some audio tweaks for AAC (Advanced Audio Coding) and MPEG video files. The update also "improves compatibility with iChat and Photo Booth," Apple said in a note on the update.