Adobe’s Photoshop Elements might be seen as merely a low-cost substitute to Photoshop , but there’s a little more to it than that. Photoshop is a professional graphics application (not just an image-editor) with tools and functions most photographers will never need.

But, with a handful of exceptions (mainly Curves and Layer Masks), Elements has most of the same photo-manipulation tools as Photoshop. Besides, it also comes with Adobe’s excellent Organizer image cataloguing program (though not with the Mac version, alas). Without further ado, here’s our guide to 10 essential photo-editing tips for Elements users. Read the rest of this entry

Now that Microsoft has taken the wraps off its new Windows Phone 7 Series smartphone operating system, we explain why it’s geared up for success.

It’s been hugely anticipated, much rumoured and, for many, long overdue - now Microsoft’s complete overhaul of its Windows Mobile smartphone platform has been unveiled with the announcement of Windows Phone 7 Series at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.

There’s been much criticism in the past about the user-friendliness of the Windows Mobile touchscreen platform, particularly when held up against the slick experience offered by Apple’s iPhone and certain Android OS-packing smartphones. With the launch of Windows Phone 7 Series Microsoft is aiming to change all that. Read the rest of this entry

Microsoft has just launched its new and revamped mobile phone operating system called Windows Phone 7 Series.The world’s biggest software company, which aims to earn back market share from the iPhone and BlackBerry, said new phones featuring Windows Phone 7 would be in stores by Christmas.

“In a crowded market filled with phones that look the same and do the same things, I challenged the team to deliver a different kind of mobile experience. Windows Phone 7 Series marks a turning point toward phones that truly reflect the speed of people’s lives and their need to connect to other people and all kinds of seamless experiences.” said Steve Ballmer, chief executive officer at Microsoft. Read the rest of this entry

Windows 7 has been a bigger seller than its predecessor, Windows Vista, new industry figures show
Research firm NPD Group said Microsoft users were switching from Windows XP and Windows Vista to Windows 7 in significant numbers. Sales of Windows 7 in the days following its Oct 22 release were 234 per cent higher than those posted by Vista when it was launched in January 2007.

“Microsoft’s program of early low-cost pre-sales, high visibility marketing, and aggressive deals helped make the Windows 7 software launch successful,” said Stephen Baker, a vice president at NPD. “In a slow environment for packaged software, Windows 7 brought a large number of customers into the software aisles. Read the rest of this entry

Emily Howell could be the next big hit in the classical music world. She has already received critical acclaim for her compositions and secured a record deal, with her debut album due for release next year.

Emily Howell, however, is a computer program.

The brains behind her music belong to David Cope, a music professor at the University of California, Santa Cruz. After almost four decades’ work he has created a machine that can create original compositions of contemporary classical music.

One commentator said that Emily Howell’s “modern masterpieces make her among the most technically unique composers in America”. Read the rest of this entry

The first thing you notice when starting up Windows 7 is the speed: it not only loads much faster from the moment you press the power button, but it wakes instantly from sleep. No longer will you be left drumming your fingers while waiting for “Resuming Windows” to stop scrolling across your screen.

This is, of course, a feature that Apple owners have enjoyed for years, and there is more than a tang of Apple about the new Windows 7 desktop as well. Like the Dock in Apple’s OS X, the bottom bar on the Windows screen now displays open applications and favourite programs together, in a line running across the screen. You can pin new programmes here, re-order them in order of preference, or remove them from the bar without removing them from your system. Other Apple-like features include instant search for files and folders on your PC. Read the rest of this entry

Windows 7 is fast, stable and far more reliable than we’d expect from a new version of OS.
Take the time to explore and you’ll find lots of useful changes that will make a real difference in how you use your PC.

Like any version of Windows there are various tips, tweaks and hacks you can perform to get your PC working the way you want it.
Get more from Windows 7 with these handy nuggets of advice

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Rumors about a Google OS have been around for years and they haven’t died down completely even after the release of Android, its mobile OS. Well, they aren’t rumors anymore; it’s official, Google has built an operating system, dubbed Chrome OS, and it’s actually pretty close to completion, set to hit OEM products as early as next year.

“Google Chrome OS is an open source, lightweight operating system that will initially be targeted at netbooks. Later this year we will open-source its code, and netbooks running Google Chrome OS will be available for consumers in the second half of 2010. Because we’re already talking to partners about the project, and we’ll soon be working with the open source community, we wanted to share our vision now so everyone understands what we are trying to achieve,” Sundar Pichai, VP, Product Management, and Linus Upson, engineering director, wrote. Read the rest of this entry