In another very long post on the Building Windows 8 Blog  (which now seems to have disappeared) Microsoft talk about the enhanced multi-monitor. I have been using multi-monitors for years and would not like to go back to a single screen. In Windows 8 Microsoft are improving the edges detection with dual monitors,  Windows 8 is heavily reliant on edge gestures and I have found in the Consumer Preview edition it can by tricky working with edge gestures and dual monitors so its good to see the improvements coming.

Details from Microsoft:

 

In the Release Preview, we’re introducing an improved model for shared edges that makes it easier to target UI along a shared edge.

Since corners are even more important for Windows 8, we’ve created real corners along the shared edges to mimic the Fitts’ Law advantages of a single monitor. The red corners in the diagram below demonstrate how these corners can help guide your mouse.

We’ve designed the corners to provide help when you need it and to get out of the way when you don’t. The protruding corner target is 6 pixels in height, which means that it is only noticeable when you’re trying to target the corner of the screen. Also, we’ve designed the corner to only work for the monitor your cursor is on. For example, leaving monitor 2 for monitor 1 in the diagram below, the bottom corner in monitor 1 will not interfere as you move your mouse across the shared edge.

Shared corner does not block cross monitor navigation

The shared corner isn’t just an improvement for the new Windows 8 UI, but it also makes it easier to target controls on the desktop like Close and Show desktop. As a result, targeting shared corners is fast and fluid. First-hand experience is a must with this design, as you will notice this improvement right away when using the new Release Preview.

More to come

We have lots of ideas for how we could do even more with Metro style apps on multiple monitors. Our goal for Windows 8 is to deliver a great Metro style app experience alongside desktop apps, improving multitasking efficiency and making it easy to access the controls you need along the edges of every screen. We wanted to make sure your desktop experience was even more efficient, with new functionality such as the spanning taskbar, and we wanted you to also have access to Metro style apps while you’re also using the desktop. As we see new apps developed, and as we see how developers might want to take advantage of multi-monitor configurations in new ways with immersive and full screen apps, we will of course enhance this experience (and APIs) even further.

Since getting my Raspberry Pi one of things I wanted to get working on it was the Fuse Spectrum emulator, I am not sure why exactly but there is something about the spirit of the Pi that takes me back the era of the 8 bit computer.

Having only had limited experience of Linux in the past it was a challenge to get it working, but I always find that you learn the most by trial and error. The best resource for the getting things working with the Pi is the forums on RaspberryPi.org, I found all the information I needed in various places on the site.

Coming from a Windows world I am used to downloading a setup file and quickly installing it but that is not the case with the Pi, you need to download the emulator source files and libraries and the compile them to get it working. I am using Debian “squeeze” Linux on the Pi, the instructions for Arch Linux are slightly different and are also available on the forum.

The first thing I did was download the Fuse source and libspectrum and then extract them to the root folder, I did this by using the Midori browser to download the files and then right clicking on the files and using the extract option. Once I had the source file the next step is to compile them. I tried this but it kept falling over as it was running out of memory, in the thread on the forums there was a nice tip on how to get round this:

A further useful tip; if you find yourself running into memory-related errors at all when building programs for Arch, first of all try doing it again without starting LXDE up. If that fails, type:

cd /boot

cp start.elf start.elf.backup

This will create a backup copy of the start.elf file Arch uses by default (which controls how the memory is split)

Then type:

cp arm224_start.elf start.elf

This will replace the default with an .elf that allocates more memory (224Mb) to Linux on startup than the GPU, so reboot.

Try to compile your program again. If it still fails you’re out of luck for now sadly.

After you are done, simply put the default .elf back by typing:

cp start.elf.backup start.elf

And reboot. Works for some problem compiles anyway.

So to get the complete working I used the following instructions taken from the forum (make sure you run all the following from the command line and don’t have the GUI running)

5) cd libspectrum-1.0.0

6) ./configure

7) make

8 ) sudo make install

9) cd ../fuse-1.0.0.1a

10) ./configure

11) make

12) sudo make install

13) for some reason it doesn’t search the right location for libspectrum so “export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=/usr/local/lib”.  I’m sure there should be an option on the configure to fix this

Now your ready to give a game a try, you can downloaded them from wordofspectrum.org. Download the file and drop it into the fuse library.

To start the emulator with a Atic Atac I ran: fuse –no-sound -t aticatac.tzx -g 2x, to start without a game and use the command: fuse –no-sound and then press F1 once it has loaded to bring up the menu.

I couldn’t get sound working and if I tried to run it without the –no-sound option Fuse would not start so still have some work to do on that. The emulator works really well and was very smooth, if nothing else I have learnt about get source code compiled. I think this is what the Raspberry Pi is all about, tinkering with Linux and learning along the way and it helps that I get to play Atic Atac at the end of the day.

How about running Windows 7 on a £29 Raspberry Pi? Well you can’t (yet) but Citrix have have got XenDesktop running on the Pi so you can use Windows 7 on the board. It’s a great example of the technology and has some interesting implications for low cost buisness computing in the future.

Checkout the video:

via Raspberry Pi

A couple of years ago I reviewed a new service for the PC connected to the TV called Kylo Browser. The idea of it is a browser designed for the 10 foot interface so from the sofa you can browse web sites with a browser designed for a the big screen.  It seemed like a good idea and at the time I wished that Microsoft could build these features into IE9 but it never happened, Hillcrest actually sell the technology to others for use in commercial products but maybe another signal that the PC connected to TV is going away is that Hillscrest are open sourcing the application.  So the application is not going away and in fact they say open sourcing it will open more opportunities but like Boxee dropping it’s PC product it’s a sign that less people are looking to connect their PC to their TV and the rise of connected TVs.

“Releasing Kylo to the open source community is a natural progression for the TV browser,” said Steve Scheirey, vice president of TV software and services at Hillcrest Labs. “Kylo has always been a distinct initiative apart from our core Freespace business. By releasing Kylo’s source code, we expect to see new innovations and product enhancements from a much broader development community.”

I am still interested to see what can be done with the Raspberry Pi connected to a TV but that is something only for enthusiasts.

Press Release:

ROCKVILLE, Md., May 15, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — Hillcrest Labs today announced that it has released the source code for the award-winning Kylo® Web browser to the open source community for the first time. Kylo is a free, Mozilla-based TV browser uniquely designed to view online content on TVs connected to the Internet.  When used with a Freespace® pointer, likeHillcrest’s award-winning Scoop™, Kylo makes it easy to surf the Web, watch online video and play casual point-and-click Internet games, whether in the living room, family room, bedroom or dorm room. It is compatible with the Mac OS® and Windows®.

Hillcrest will provide the Kylo source code under the Mozilla Public License (MPL) 2.0 to enable developers to create new and different versions that extend its features and enables new uses. As such, developers can copy, modify and redistribute the Kylo platform and source code without a separate commercial license, and without paying royalties or fees. Hillcrestwill remain active in the future development and support of the Kylo browser for TV. The open source version of Kylo is available for free via download at GitHub and www.kylo.tv.

“Releasing Kylo to the open source community is a natural progression for the TV browser,” said Steve Scheirey, vice president of TV software and services at Hillcrest Labs. “Kylo has always been a distinct initiative apart from our core Freespace business. By releasing Kylo’s source code, we expect to see new innovations and product enhancements from a much broader development community.” 

The Kylo Web browser was specifically developed for browsing and viewing the Web on a TV screen using a Freespace or other pointing device. Primary applications include dedicated home theatre PCs (HTPCs), laptops and ultrabooks with HDMI connectivity, and digital media players using Windows or Mac operating systems. Kylo is not meant to replace traditional browsers such as Internet Explorer®, Safari® or Firefox® for “2-foot use” on standard computer display screens. Unlike other applications or websites, Kylo does not offer a “walled garden” of aggregated video content. Instead, it is a fully featured Web browser that lets users browse the open Internet. Compared to conventional browsers, the Kylo browser provides more onscreen viewing space with less visual clutter; larger fonts and buttons for easy navigation from across the room; an easy-to-use onscreen keyboard; and zoom-and-pan capability for enhanced viewing.

The Kylo Web browser for TV works with any mouse, but is ideal for use with a Freespace-enabled in-air pointing and motion control device. Hillcrest licenses its Freespace motion software and IP under separate commercial terms. Companies that have licensed Hillcrest’s Freespace technology for use in their products include: LG Electronics, Logitech, Roku, SMK Electronics, Sony Computer Entertainment Inc., Universal Electronics (UEI), Eastman Kodak and others. Announced earlier this year, the new WarpiaTV browser is powered by Kylo, and features a Freespace-enabled wireless motion controller. A custom OEM version of Kylo is also featured in ASUS’ Xtion media center for PCs. Hillcrest’s remote control OEM partners, including UEI and SMK Electronics, are licensed to produce Freespace remote controls, which are ideal for use with Kylo.

Hillcrest has received numerous awards and recognitions including the prestigious CES Innovations Honoree Award multiple times, EE Times’ ACE Award, PC World’s 100 Best Products and Greatest Tech Designs, Popular Mechanics’ Editors Choice, ECN’s Reader’s Choice Tech, and many others. Additional information about Hillcrest’s broad portfolio of natural motion control products is available at: www.hillcrestlabs.com. Follow Hillcrest on Facebook at www.facebook.com/HillcrestLabs or Twitter at @HillcrestLabs.

Source: PR Newswire (http://s.tt/1bPbf)

The My Movies team have issued an update asking users to upgrade to the latest versions. This is due to security changes with the online service and you need to be on the latest version by June 1st 2012.

So that means My Movies for Windows Media Center and My Movies Collection Management need to be 4.02 or later. My Movies for WMC for Vista needs to be 3.25 or later.

My Movies for Windows Home Server 2011 needs to be 2.10

Here are the details from My Movies.dk

May 15, 2012 – Required Update Announcement

Due to security changes in communication with our online service, our users is requested to update their user clients before June 1′st 2012. The software will continue to operate after this date, but will after this date no longer be able to load meta-data from our online service.

Users running My Movies for Windows Media Center or My Movies Collection Management 4.00 or 4.01 for Windows 7 is required to upgrade to version 4.02 or later.
Users running My Movies for Windows Media Center or My Movies Collection Management 3 for Windows Vista is required to upgrade to version 3.25 or later.

Users running My Movies for Windows Home Server 2011 is required to upgrade to version 2.10 or later.

Users running My Movies for Windows Home Server V1 is only required to upgrade if client PC’s are upgraded to a version that requires a later version on their Home Server.

Users running My Movies 2 for Windows Media Center 2005 will for now not be required an update. However, we strongly recommend getting these systems upgraded to Windows 7.

Users running systems installed by a licensed professional My Movies installer will also not be required to update unless they are also signed into a user account, which is optional on these installations.

If you are in any way have problems with upgrading, or is unsure how to do this, please contact support@mymovies.dk where we are able to help you.

Notice! The latest versions of the My Movies product suite have it’s internal “mymovies.xml” files encrypted. If you as a professional partner, or supplier of non-competitive software solutions rely on these files, you may contact us oninstallers@mymovies.dk, where we will be able to suggest optional alternatives.

The files were originally encrypted due to the fact that other software products were creating these files considered internal by My Movies, causing problems for My Movies installations. One of the softwares that until recently was using the “mymovies.xml” files is MediaBrowser, which have since changed their used format to “movie.xml”. The encryption of the “mymovies.xml” files is known to have caused problems for users of both My Movies and MediaBrowser, and we will as of My Movies 4.03 (from Pre Release 4) be offering an option to store “movie.xml” files for use with MediaBrowser. This option will, as MediaBrowser is a partly paid-for competitive software require 500 contribution or purchased points, which equals $20 if purchased.

As parent I do like to keep my eye on what my kids get up to online, most of the time this involves having a quick look at what they are doing but it would be nice to get a report from the system. In the latest post on the Building Windows 8 blog Microsoft have talked about the new family safety features in Windows 8. The first thing they talk about is the simple checkbox to mark a child’s account as being monitored and then you can reports of the kids activity.  There are also additional features like blocking of certain types of web sites. It’s great that Microsoft are building these features into the OS and making it simple for parents to operate.

Details from the Windows 8 Blog:

A safer Internet is just a click away

With Windows 8, you can monitor what your kids are doing, no matter where they use their PC. All you have to do is create a Windows user account for each child, check the box to turn on Family Safety, and then review weekly reports that describe your children’s PC use. No additional downloads, installation wizards, or configuration steps are required. Just check the box!

The “monitor first” approach

In the past, many of the industry software solutions for family safety (including Microsoft’s) focused on web filtering and other software-based restrictions. This resulted in a more complex setup experience and a constant stream of parental approval requests that could be difficult to manage. The end result was that many parents abandoned family safety products and returned to in-person supervision only—a tactic that has become less effective as computers have gotten more mobile.

Windows 8 gives you a “monitor first” approach, which provides informative activity reports for each child. As previously discussed on this blog, signing in to Windows 8 with a Microsoft account makes setup much simpler: just create a separate user account for each child and then check the box to turn on Family Safety. As soon as you do, you’ll receive a welcome email followed by weekly email reports summarizing your child’s computer activities. We expect you’ll find activity reports a great tool for teaching your kids about responsible computer use. Of course, you can also easily add restrictions by just clicking a link in the activity report. With the simplicity of activity reports, we believe more parents will adopt Family Safety, resulting in a safer computing environment for children.

Here’s what a Family Safety activity report looks like:

 

Laplink have been around for years, I remember using a serial cable to move files between PCs, and tomorrow they are celebrating their 29th year by giving away PCmover® Windows® 7 Upgrade Assistant™ for free for one day only

Press Release:

PCmover to be Given Away for Free in Commemoration of 29 Years of Quality Software

As part of the ‘Laplink Turns 29 Giveaway’, PCmover Windows 7 Upgrade Assistant will be free for all visitors.

BELLEVUE, Wash. May 14, 2012 – Laplink Software, Inc. today announced that it will celebrate its 29th year of business by giving away PCmover® Windows® 7 Upgrade Assistant™ for free for one day only – tomorrow, May 15th.

Just visit www.laplink.com and claim your free copy of PCmover Windows 7 Upgrade Assistant. No gimmicks and no strings attached, just free quality software.

Throughout the month of May Laplink is also featuring daily deals including specially priced and free software, laptop bags and is even giving away a new Lenovo laptop. The ‘Laplink Turns 29 Giveaway’ centers on May 15th, the day when PCmover Windows 7 Upgrade Assistant is available for free.

Laplink was founded in 1983 shortly after the original PC and became famous by providing a fast and simple way to transfer data between computers using the signature Laplink cable. This efficient method for transferring large quantities of data made Laplink the leader in PC connectivity.

The way people interact with their computers has continued to change since Laplink’s founding and its solutions to everyday PC-related challenges has kept pace. As Laplink’s software portfolio evolved and expanded, old methods of PC migration and data transfer have taken on new forms. But Laplink cables are still used for the fastest possible peer-to-peer migration and data transfer, although now they are typically USB or Ethernet cables rather than serial or parallel cables as in the past.

Laplink’s current releases of PCmover, PCsync and Laplink Gold continue to build on the original “easy transfer and synchronization” concept of Laplink. These products focus on simple, clean methods of synching and transferring data without loss of control or customization.

For 29 years, Laplink has continuously advanced migration and file transfer technology. That’s why Laplink’sPCmover is the number-one best selling PC migration software in the world and the only software that automatically transfers programs, files and user-settings.

“I am honored to be a part of a software company with this history of innovative and high-quality products,” commented Laplink CEO Thomas Koll. “But Laplink didn’t get here just because of our software. We are here because of our loyal customers. To them I’d like to say thank you. There’s more to come!”

Laplink’s 29th Birthday Giveaway runs through the 29th of May. For more information regarding prizes and entry rules visit www.laplink.com.

Tickets are now on sale for our user group meetup in September. It’s going to be a packed event with no PowerPoint and lots of technology.

Come and join us at The Rose Centre (Lowton Civic Hall just off the M6 near Warrington) for our TDL User Group, a tech packed day for enthusiast to meet, network and see a fantastic variety of technology. We have a great selection of retro computing courtesy of The Centre for Computing History, including ZX Spectrums, BBC Micros and other vintage tech. We will have brand-new Raspberry Pi computer with hands on sessions, members demonstrations of various technologies including iPads, Windows 8 and Android. There will be demonstrations of programming ranging from beginners languages for children to expert programming of Windows Phone. There will also be live recording of the TDL Show.

If your interested in tech and would like to meet other like minded enthusiast come and join us for user group September 22nd

Tickets are priced at £3 for adults, under 16s free if accompanied by a paying adult.

If you have something you think you could show off let me know and can add it to our plans. The closest hotel is TravelLodge Lowton, just down the road from the event.

Book your tickets here!

Better late than never, a special show for you this week, while I was away in China Garry and Andrew where at a press event in London. So Garry took over the show and record with Andrew from the press event while I Skyped in from Shanghai.

So join Garry, Andrew and I for a fun show.

Listen Here (download mp3) – Subscribe via iTunes – Subscribe via RSS – Subscribe with Zune

Thanks to DVBLogic  for supporting the podcast

Links for this week:

HP’s Pavilion m6 was quietly launched at the HP conference last week and I think for a general entertainment notebook it’s a great device. Stacy Wolff, Vice President of Design at HP talks about the new HP Pavilion m6 and the design philosophy behind it.