Need a break? If you like classic platform puzzles, or just want to play a quick hand of cards, we have a couple of great new games coming soon to Games for Windows! Here’s the best part…both of these games will be absolutely FREE!!

The two games that are expected to be released for Windows 7 are Microsoft Tinker and Hold ’Em. Tinker, essentially is a puzzle game in which the goal is to help a robot reach his home by solving all the misleading puzzles. Tinker offers 60 different puzzles for you to solve and master. You can find more about Microsoft Tinker, including a video demo from our review posted here.

Even robots get lost, sometimes! Help this one get home by solving puzzles that untangle a surreal and misleading world…but be careful! Tinker only has a limited amount of energy, so you’ll have to use it wisely or he’ll be lost forever! A classic mental challenge for the entire family, Tinker features an original score, compelling visuals, and 60 levels of classic puzzling fun!

Hold ’Em, on the other hand is a poker game. In this challenging game, you have to play a game of cards, with your computer being your opponent. Hold ’Em brings customization options such as changing the look and feel of the card deck and the playing table.

Pit yourself against the computer for a high-stakes experience that won’t empty your pocket! Play with up to five computer opponents, and customize the look of the card deck and playing table. Have fun and bet what you want — the computer can’t make you pay up!

I would love to see Windows DreamScene make a comeback on Windows 7! Its been a while since I last showed off my animated video wallpaper to my friends. What about you? Are you excited about Ultimate Extras making a comeback on all versions of Windows 7 in the form of free apps? If yes, then which Ultimate Extras app are you most looking forward to? (hat tip @tom_warren via twitter)

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Seven Transformation Pack 2.0 is a customization pack for Windows XP and Windows Vista users which gives you look and feel of Windows 7 on Vista and XP without giving you the pain of customizing everything manually yourself!

7TP v2 will transform your entire user interface, including a 7-themed Boot Screen, Welcome Screen, and Visual Style, as well as new icons, wallpapers, and more.

It is one of the best transformation packs for Windows, bundled with reliability and ease of use.

Overview of the Features:

• Newly Added stuff in 2.0:
  • Vista compatibilities: Desktop enhancements and applications
  • Aero Peek support (Live thumbnail, progress taskbar)
  • Pinning application
  • Options section for configuration
  • Windows 7 RTM pretty graphics
  • All programs group menu item
  • Taskbar button
  • Taskbar flashing button
• Fixed:
  • Memory leaks in Vista Rainbar launcher
  • Applications uninstallaion script
  • My Pictures folder icon showing My Videos instead
  • Resolution reader false positive report in Rainbar launcher
  • Restoring superbar tweaks in uninstallation
  • uxtheme.dll patching routines in setup files integration mode
  • Windows 7 default pictures installation
• Updated:
  • ViGlance to version 1.0 build 1182
  • Windows 7 icons
  • Windows 7 visual style and WindowBlinds skin

Summary of the Features:

• Boot screen
• Logon Screen
• New msstyles files
• New desktop and file icons
• New toolbar icons
• Progress Dialogs
• Sounds scheme
• System Tray icons
• New Wallpapers
• Some Windows 7’s popular features

Here a cool video showcasing all the stuff which Seven Transformation Pack offers:

Download Seven Transformation Pack 2.0

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Don’t you think its kind of pointless now to air these new ads which feature Vista when Windows 7 is going to RTM next week? I think its about time for Microsoft to start promoting Windows 7 with full force to create some hype before the public release in September! This strategy may also help them in increasing pre-order sales for Windows 7. What do you think?

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The key feature of Windows Vista SP2 are:

• Windows Vista SP2 includes ability to record data to Blu-Ray Disc media.
• Windows Search 4.0 for faster and more relevant search experience.
• Includes Windows Vista Feature Pack for Wireless which adds:
• Bluetooth 2.1 which supports the most recent specification for Bluetooth Technology.
• Windows Connect Now (WCN) to simplify Wi-Fi Configuration
• Windows Vista SP2 enables the exFAT file system to support UTC timestamps, which allows correct file synchronization across time zones.

Refer to this TechNet article for the complete list of changes in Windows Vista SP2.

Windows Vista Service Pack 2 [Screenshots]

Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 SP2 will be publicly available in Q2 2009.

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Windows Server 2008 SP2 RC and Windows Vista Service Pack 2 RC apply to people, organizations, and technical enthusiasts who are comfortable evaluating prerelease software. This prerelease software is provided for testing only. Installation of Service Pack 2 RC will result in Microsoft collecting information about the installation process, even if the installation is not completed. We do not recommend installing this software on primary or mission-critical systems. We recommend that you have a backup of your data before you install any prerelease software.

SP2 is an update to Windows Server 2008 and Windows Vista that addresses feedback from our customers and partners. By providing these fixes integrated into a single service pack, Microsoft provides a single high-quality update that minimizes deployment and testing complexity for customers.
In addition to all previously released updates, SP2 will contain changes focused on addressing reliability and performance issues, supporting new kinds of hardware, and adding support for several emerging standards. SP2 will also continue to make it easier for IT administrators to deploy and manage large installations of Windows Server 2008.

Service Pack 1 is a prerequisite for installing Service Pack 2. Please make sure that your system is running Service Pack 1 before you install Service Pack 2.

Download Windows Vista SP2 RC and Windows Server 2008 SP2 RC (Standalone)

Download Windows Vista SP2 RC and Windows Server 2008 SP2 RC (DVD ISO)

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SP2 for Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 include updates that have been delivered since the release of SP1, as well as support for new types of hardware and emerging standards. As we’ve described since we first talked about SP2, we’ve taken your feedback into account when developing SP2. Specifically, we expect SP2 to continue the security benefits of both products and simplify deployment for our customers.

I have updated my PC running Windows Vista Ultimate with SP1 to the just released Release Candidate version of Windows Vista SP2. The update process from SP1 to SP2 was smooth and it took about 15 minutes to complete the installation.

Overall performance of Windows Vista with Service Pack 2 seems faster than Windows Vista with Service Pack 1. Check out the full changes document to see what’s new in Service Pack 2 of Windows Vista.

Microsoft is expected to release the final bits of Windows Vista with Service Pack 2 in the second quarter of 2009.

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Even though the official Apple page lists this release only for XP and Vista users on Windows, I have installed Safari 4 on my machine running Windows 7 without any issues of any sorts. Here’s how it looks under Windows 7:

Top Sites – Wonder which sites have changed since your last visit? Sites with a star in the upper-right corner have new content. A single click opens the page and updates its thumbnail. Whenever you want to return to your ever-evolving Top Sites page, just click the new Top Sites button in the bookmarks bar.

Safari meets Cover Flow: New to Safari, Cover Flow offers a highly visual way of reviewing your site history and bookmarked sites, presenting full-page previews of the websites that look exactly as they did when you last visited them.

 
Tabs: Tabs offer a great way to have multiple pages open at the same time in a single browser window. And to switch back and forth with a click. Now Safari takes tabbed browsing to new heights — to the very top of the browser window — instantly providing more room for you to enjoy the sites you’re reading.

The thing which I have liked about this release of Safari is that on a PC with Windows Vista, Windows XP or even Windows 7, you’ll feel right at home because Safari features a native look just like any other Windows applications.

The bottom line is that Safari 4 might win the award for the most beautiful browser out there and surely it is worth taking a look at it but it is still not on par when it comes to compatibility and stability of the browser which it tries to imitate i.e. Chrome.

Download Safari 4 Beta for Windows and OS X

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Among many changes, Microsoft has changed the way how Windows handles Gadgets on the desktop. In Windows Vista, Sidebar provided a containing environment which hosted mini-apps built using XML, DHTML and JavaScript. Now starting with Windows 7, Windows Sidebar is no longer required to run gadgets as these mini DHTML based apps can now be placed directly on the desktop without having to have Windows Sidebar running.

I have been fond of using gadgets ever since their inception in Windows Vista. With the right gadgets, you can get things done quickly and easily. Unfortunately the development of quality Gadgets has been real slow. Microsoft is to be blamed for this. The story would have been much different had Microsoft added support for Gadgets development in Visual Studio with a drag-and-drop interface. Now since there isn’t any free quality tool out there for Gadgets development, it is very difficult to find quality gadgets from third parties. Adding insult to injury, Windows 7 Beta includes only one new gadget which is for Media Center. All other gadgets included in Windows 7 are from Windows Vista’s era.

Without going into any further delays, here is my pick for the top 5 must-have Gadgets for Windows 7. Of coarse I use Gadgets other than the ones I have listed below but they are too obvious and common so I haven’t included them in my list:

Twadget (The Twitter Gadget)

I’ve become a regular user of Twitter over the last couple of months, both on the desktop and on the iPhone. Today I’ve discovered Twadget which looks like another great option for Windows (Vista & 7 only) users. I simply love this gadget. Twadget lets you do basic twitter tasks like sending and viewing all the tweets from your friends right from your desktop. If you’re one of those who use Twitter regularly, Twadget is for you! You can download it from here or download the complete Gadgets Pack here.

Remote Desktop Gadget

Remote Desktop Gadget enables Windows users to remotely connect to other computers in their network right from the privilege of their desktop. It uses Remote Desktop Connection client on Windows to achieve remote desktop computing. It is simple and acts as a great extension to Microsoft Remote Desktop Connection client. Click here to download it.

Blue Calendar Gadget for Windows 7

“rapha2” over at DeviantArt has modified the original Microsoft calendar gadget to make it blue in color. This new blue calendar gadget matches the cool bluish-wavy look of Windows 7. This gadget can be downloaded from here or you can download the complete Gadgets Pack here.

Windows Live ‘What’s New’ Gadget

With Windows Live ‘What’s New’ gadget, you can get all the latest updates from Windows Live and other web activities of your network.

The Windows Live What’s New Sidebar Gadget (Beta) is a Vista gadget that displays your Windows Live “What’s New” feed on your desktop. You can receive real-time updates on what your friends are doing across multiple social networks right from your desktop. Be the first to know when your friends upload photos, add new friends to their networks, change their status messages and post comments. It’s quick and easy to add the Windows Live What’s New Sidebar Gadget (Beta).

Surely Windows Live team could have done a better job on the looks. This gadget isn’t pretty but it does the job well, displaying all the feed items including thumbnail images from Windows Live Home. Download it from Windows Live Gallery or download the complete Gadgets Pack here.

Simple Search BarAs the name implies, this search gadget is truly the most simple & clean search gadget out there which lets you search the web using Google, Yahoo and Live Search. Download it from Windows Live Gallery or download the complete Gadgets Pack here.

Download Top 5 Must-have Sidebar Gadgets Pack for Windows 7

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Unfortunately Internet Explorer 8 RC1 wont work on recently released Windows 7 Beta. I have got some screenshots for you of IE 8 RC1 installed on Windows Vista Ultimate (x86):

Screenshots of Internet Explorer 8 RC1

Features new to Internet Explorer 8 RC1

Smart Address Bar In addition to matching URLs in the user’s site history, the Smart Address Bar in Internet Explorer 8 has been reorganized to more efficiently match what a user types in the Address Bar with titles in the history as well as content in their favorites without duplicates, making it easier to locate sites the user wants to visit.

CSS 2.1 Upon final release, Internet Explorer 8 will have full support for the CSS 2.1 specification. With support for CSS 2.1, Web developers and designers can write their pages once and have them more easily render properly across different browsers. Microsoft expects very few changes between RC1 and the final release but will include necessary adjustments as identified by the developing community.

Emerging standards Internet Explorer 8 incorporates advancements for what will become the standards of tomorrow, such as W3C’s HTML 5 Draft DOM Storage standard, the Web Applications Working Group’s Selectors API and ECMAScript 3.1 endorsed syntax.

Developer tools The tools formerly available via the Internet Explorer Developer Toolbar are built directly into Internet Explorer 8 with expanded functionality. These tools enable developers to quickly debug HTML, CSS and JScript in a visual environment. Developers can quickly identify and resolve issues because of the deep insight the tool provides into the DOM, and now RC1 adds a helpful menu option for choosing which application to use when viewing a Web page’s source.

Enhanced Instant Search Box The enhanced Instant Search Box in Internet Explorer 8 is more helpful, making it easier for users to find content of interest and increasing the odds that search results will be relevant. As users type a search term, they can see real-time search suggestions, including images, from their chosen search provider. In addition, the enhanced Instant Search Box presents results from the user’s own Favorites and browsing history. In RC1, it now includes a quick pick menu at the bottom of the Search Suggestions, enabling users to toggle back and forth between their favorite search providers’ Search Suggestions with a simple mouse click.

InPrivate InPrivate helps to protect users’ data and privacy from being retained locally on the PC they are using and by third parties that might be in a position to track their online activities. New in RC1 is the ability to use either of the features (InPrivate Blocking or InPrivate Filtering) independently.

InPrivate Browsing When activated, InPrivate Browsing helps ensure that history, temporary Internet files and cookies are not recorded on a user’s PC after browsing. In RC1, toolbars and extensions are now automatically disabled when in InPrivate Browsing. In addition, users are able to automatically delete browsing history when closing the browser.

InPrivate Filtering InPrivate Filtering, which was called InPrivate Blocking in Beta 2, helps protect privacy by enabling the user to block content coming from third parties that are in a position to track and aggregate their online behavior. Users are provided with notice, choice and control of which third parties to allow and which ones to block. New in RC1 is the ability to manually adjust the threshold between 3 and 30 in InPrivate Filtering settings.

Compatibility View list Users of Internet Explorer 8 can choose to receive a list of major sites that are best viewed in Compatibility View. When navigating to a site on the list, Internet Explorer 8 will automatically display the site in Compatibility View without requiring the user to press the Compatibility View button.

ClickJacking prevention New in Internet Explorer 8 is a feature that allows Web site content owners to put a tag in a page header that will help detect and prevent ClickJacking, a malicious exploit that tricks Web users into clicking on seemingly harmless Web pages, which can result in the compromise of confidential information, such as user names and passwords. Internet Explorer 8 will detect sites that insert the tag and give users a new error screen indicating that the content host has chosen not to allow their content to be framed, while giving users the option to open the content in a new window.

SmartScreen Filter Built upon the Microsoft Phishing Filter, the SmartScreen Filter helps protect against a broader set of phishing threats and helps protect from sites that attempt to download malicious software. The SmartScreen Filter is now easier to use with enhanced user interface and warning messages to reduce users’ click-through to confirmed sites.

Cross-Domain Requests (XDR) Cross-domain communication is an integral part of AJAX development and mashup applications. Internet Explorer 8 includes support for XDomainRequest objects, which can be used to more securely request public resources from another domain’s server. XDR now checks Access-Control-Allow-Origin for specific URLs as well as wildcards. Cross-domain data is available only when the server signals its explicit intent to share data across domains, helping protect legacy servers from attack.

We did a comprehensive review of Internet Explorer 8 Beta 2 when it was released back in August 2008. Not surprisingly, there is no major change since Beta 2. I did some testing of RC1 bits installed on 32 bit version of Windows Vista Ultimate and my own impressions are that IE 8 RC1 is indeed generally faster than Beta 2.

Want to grab the new browser? You can grab it directly from Microsoft and give it a spin.

Oh and I forgot to tell you that Redmond Pie has got its own Web Slice for IE 8. Click here to subscribe to our Web Slice!

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The contest closes on Wednesday, December 31st, 2008 at 11:59 PM PST (Pacific Standard Time). I will randomly pick up a winner through a draw and announce it on 1st January 2009. Winner will be notified by email.

Rules:

• Giveaway: 1 Windows Vista Ultimate Edition Retail License 32- and 64-bit (Worth: Retails for $219.00 USD). NOT OEM, Upgrade or Academic. (Product Key only. If the winner demands the installation media then we will ship the media to the winner however he or she would have to pay the shipping fee.)
• Anyone of any age can enter the contest
• To Enter, submit a comment below with a legitimate email address for contact. Multiple comments will only count as one entry.
• Last date of entry is Wednesday, December 31st, 2008 at 11:59 PM PST (Pacific Standard Time). .
• Winner will be drawn and will be notified by email on 1st January 2009.

And yes, don’t forget to subscribe in our feeds to get notified about similar offers in future.

Update: Congratulations to Matt for winning a copy of Windows Vista Ultimate. He has been notified about this by email.

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