Category Archives: Software

Category containing all information relating to software.

WordPress 2.8 live and ready to go

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The WordPress team have recently finished the latest addition to the WordPress family.

WordPress 2.8 includes a huge range of new and useful features. Here are just a few that can be really handy:

  • You can choose how many columns you’d like on the dashboard, which is very handy if you have a larger monitor.
  • You now have either 1 or 2 columns on the New Post/Edit Posts page.
  • There is now a theme browser and theme auto installer.
  • The Widgets page has been revamped, with handy new additions such as Inactive Widgets for future use.
  • There is now syntax highlighting on code pages, such as the Edit Plugins pages.

That’s just some of the new features, but it is definitely worth the update.

If you already have WordPress 2.7 or higher installed, you should have been notified on the Dashboard and you will be able to auto upgrade. If you are using a version below 2.7 or you want to upgrade manually, you can download the update from http://wordpress.org/download/.

Enjoy!

iPhone/iPod Touch 3.0 software arriving June 17th

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Yes, it’s official. The new firmware, OS 3.0, will be available for the iPhone and iPod Touch from June 17th.

As predicted, iPod Touch users will have to pay for the privilege ($9.95 to be precise, UK price unknown at time of writing). iPhone users will get it free.

Hot picks for OS 3.0 are:

  • You can download and rent movies direct from the iPhone/iPod
  • Upgraded Safari browser for better browsing and faster Javascript. There is also better Quicktime support of HTTP streams.

I don’t think the OS 3.0 will be anything massive, but it will definately be worth the update. I shall be purchasing the update when it is launched.

Wikipedia actually has quite a good entry on what’s to come in OS 3.0, with lots of detail if that’s the kind of thing you’re interested in. Here is the link – just scroll to the 3.0 section in turquoise.

Reminder to try the Windows 7 Release Candidate – downloads end soon

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This is just a quick message to remind anybody who hasn’t yet tried the Windows 7 Release Candidate (and wants to), to go and download it now. You can get a copy here.

I’m reminding you because it has come to my attention that Microsoft may well potentially end download availability of the Windows 7 Release Candidate on June 30th, 2009.

From a Microsoft email I have received: “It will be available at least through June 30, 2009, with no limits on the number of downloads or product keys available.”

Yes, it does say “at least”, but that does mean that downloads could end on that day if Microsoft feel it is appropriate too.

Don’t worry if you have already downloaded a copy, as running the Windows 7 Release Candidate will not expire until June 1st, 2010. However, you will start receiving bi-hourly shutdowns from March 1st. But by then, Microsoft should have released the final version of Windows 7.

So yes, if you haven’t got a copy of the Windows 7 Release Candidate, get one now.

EDIT: False alarm, download will end on August 15th. After that you won’t be able to download the RC, but you will still be able to install it and obtain product keys.

Rumour: Windows 7 Free Upgrade Program starting 26th June?

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There’s a little rumour going around the internet at the moment.

If you remember, when the launch of Windows Vista was approaching, Microsoft did a ‘Free Upgrade’ program, meaning that users who bought a PC with Windows XP Media Center 2005 from a certain date (I think that was the case – maybe it was all versions of XP… I can’t remember) would get a free express upgrade to Windows Vista when it was launched.

Well, it would appear that Microsoft are taking this approach again, but for Windows 7. So, if the rumour is true, if you buy a Windows Vista PC (Home Premium, Business or Ultimate I think) anywhere from June 26th and October 22nd (Windows 7 launch date), you’ll get a free upgrade to Windows 7.

So if you are thinking of buying a new PC or laptop, hold off a couple of weeks and wait for the campaign to start.

Here’s another little rumour going round too: As well as Windows Vista preinstalled machines having a free upgrade to Windows 7, it would appear that Microsoft is planning to start the Upgrade Program on boxed versions of Windows Vista too. So if you buy a separate copy of Windows Vista Home Premium, Business or Ultimate, the chances are you’ll get a free upgrade to Windows 7 too.

Bare in mind this is all rumours – Microsoft still hasn’t confirmed what is happening with the Upgrade Program this time round as yet, so we’ll have to wait and see if the rumours are true.

Google release first developement test of Chrome for Mac and Linux

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Google has today released the development build of Google Chrome available for Mac and Linux.

Google has posted a blog post about this here.

It’s not even a beta build so I wouldn’t recommend testing it unless you are absolutely desperate. Google has said the features are very limited – there isn’t a print feature yet. It really is very limited. You’ll be nagged with warnings that the program is not for general use as well, so consider whether you really want to use it.

If you are dieing to have a play with it, use the link above and download it from the Chromium blog. Have a go and see what you think, but if I were you I’d wait for a beta build rather than a development build.