Microsoft unveils Windows 8 Part.II

But precisely on x86, what about the substantial repository of Windows, the very one on which Microsoft built its empire? The answer is given 3 minutes in the video presentation: they have changed nothing. There are the "good old" windows and interface of Windows 7 when it launches a program of the old world.

What promised to be a radical change is a trivial cosmetic addition. In short, Windows 8 is just a wrapper graphic-touch Windows 7. It must be said that Microsoft has tried to square the circle with this process:

- Provide a usable interface on touch pads
- Maintain compatibility with its software library
- Providing an outlet to Windows 7 Phone on the Smartphone market

The first and second point are contradictory, and the third it only makes it harder still. Indeed, by delivering the touch interface with all future PC, Microsoft intends to educate its customers using Windows 7 Phone: being on familiar ground on their PC, they may be more inclined to choose a Smartphone that So they will already be using, and who can share part of the repository of their PCs (the famous touch applications in HTML5 + JavaScript. Incidentally, the next version of Windows Phone, Mango, you can create applications in HTML, and SilverLight). The approach clearly shows how much Microsoft has realized the strategic importance of mobile devices.

For transform its flagship product, the one on which it draws the vast majority of its income, single Trojan for the Smartphone battle is far from trivial. In short, Microsoft has to agree with Steve Jobs noisily about the "post-PC": here tomorrow Nearly Everything will be played.

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Microsoft unveils Windows 8 Part.I

After months of "teasing" unsustainable, Microsoft has finally lifted the veil on Windows 8. The Redmond Company promised a revolution at the interface. And the least we can say is that Microsoft's proposal is not timid: some concepts incorporating Phone Windows 7, Windows 8 offers everything for the first touch, with a presentation by "tiles" in place and place as icons on Windows Phone 7. We also note the presence of a "store" on the home screen, but we had plenty to expect.

A virtual keyboard on the screen, which can veer from each side of the monitor for more comfort on the large slabs, a system of sharing the screen between two applications that come together, all of which Microsoft no bold We were not used so far.


The trend was started with Windows 7 Phone, which inherits many in Windows 8: sweeping away the demons of the past, Microsoft is managed to stand out and offer an interface not only consistent but also original and full of discoveries.

The applications in this mode are based on HTML5, JavaScript, and can therefore run on any hardware platform. However note that Microsoft has changed its tune over Windows 7 Phone, which focuses on the development with Silver Light. Anyway, this choice is important given that Microsoft has promised a version of Windows 8 dedicated to ARM processors. This family of processors with different machine language than x86 processors, there necessarily arise a problem of compatibility for existing software compiled. In such situations, we usually use emulation (this was the choice made by Apple to the passage of 68,040 to PowerPC and the PowerPC to x86), but Microsoft has a problem: the significant difference in capacity between the processor ARM and a tablet core Intel desktop PCs. Emulation has never been possible, when the new processor is more powerful than the old. And indeed, Microsoft said it would not propose emulation for x86 applications on Windows for ARM, thus limiting Repository shelves ARM applications made solely in HTML5 and JavaScript, which they can be shared between two processors without difficulty.

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A first application rejected on Windows 7 Phone

Brandon Watson had reason to commend the good performance of Windows 7 Phone and not worry about the Windows Marketplace: The Mobile Application Store Microsoft has just returned in the big leagues in rejecting his first application, Imagewind.

This application displays a stream of images from Twitter in real time, which has displeased Microsoft Imagewind proposed no filter images and a bit more daring than the average would have fallen under the eyes of young users.

The reason for rejection is not the only thing that makes it look like this matter to any eviction from the App Store. The application is actually present on the Windows Marketplace for a month, Microsoft is having "woken up" at the third update. The application developer has proposed to add a message explaining that the content was not filtered, but this was apparently not enough for the Redmond company.



The developer is then moved away: Microsoft denies its application even though unlike iOS, WP7 has no age rating in the Windows Marketplace, a solution to his problem. Imagewind is no longer available through a simple XAP file that can be used with a smartphone Windows 7 Phone hacked.

Apple and security issues

The reputation is not everything. And, as usual, Mac OS X did not fail to fail at the last edition of Pwn2Own at CanSecWest. This time, it is the French Security VuPen who managed to find and exploit a flaw in WebKit HTML rendering engine of Safari - in particular.

It must be said that VuPen has made a specialty of so-called "intrusion friendly" or, in other words, the penetration test. Among the clients VuPen Security include including Microsoft, Shell, Sagem or IGN. Their job is the testing of security policies applied to information systems. Teams efficient enough that during the 2009 conference on Security Workshop VuPen has sold out and has attracted the interest of representatives from the retail, telecommunications, or the Army.

For IOS, it's even Safari which served as a gateway. And it's a regular who has taken on the task: Charlie Miller. Security analyst at Independent Security Evaluators, Charlie Miller has been awarded four times during Pwn2Own. Twitter, he describes himself as "Mr. Apple 0-day", ie one that runs from previously unknown flaws in the software firm at the apple. A specialty of Miller, the Fuzzing. An approach to vulnerability research developed mainly by Ari Takanen, CTO of Codenomicon Finnish. Jared DeMott, Charlie Miller, he co-authored a book dedicated to the subject, "Fuzzing, for software security testing and quality assurance", published in 2008 by Artech House. At the end of the book, a case study is also devoted to the search for vulnerabilities in QuickTime Player.

The basic concept of Fuzzing is relatively simple: it is looking application interfaces accessible from the outside and saturate the corrupted data - in the sense that they are not consistent with what the application is supposed to address - and then see what happens ... In a way, we can see a parallel here with the compromise of websites SQL injection: in both cases, the software is not adequately protected against attempts injection data does not correspond to that it must wait for a legitimate user ...

Last year, Charlie Miller stressed in particular that OS X "has a broad surface attack involving open source components, third party components closed [with Flash], and Apple closed components [Preview, etc.].." Each of these software elements can be an attack vector. Recently, as part of an interview with German magazine Heise, he explains his stubbornness to attack Apple's software: "I use various Apple products and it is in my interest that they are as safe as possible [. ..] If you listen that Apple (or Mac fan boys) you believe that Macs are impossible to hack, which is not the case. "

Especially for him, it is important to know the faults to measure the level of software security, it does not boil down to this: "you must take into account those who threaten you, the resources available to them. "So, for him too, right now," a Mac with Snow Leopard is the safest choice [to surf the Internet] mainly because of its market share. "But the Mac's OS is it more secure? No, he answers without reservation: "In my experience, it was easier to find and exploit vulnerabilities in Mac OS X systems in modern Windows (Vista and 7)." Indeed for him, Web browser is the safest Chrome, Google. And recommend the passage of any extension disable unnecessary.

Restructuring

In late 1996, while the situation has not changed, Apple announced the acquisition of NeXT and the re-integration of former CEO Steve Jobs. This merger was to integrate the core NeXTStep development of future MacOS (Rhapsody project, scheduled for 1998). In early 1997, Amelio was forced to resign after failing to regain control. Jobs then found himself assigned duties to wider society, and did not need to pray for decisions to restructure the firm at the apple.

In August 1997, at the Boston MacWorld, Jobs turned his speech in a tone of novelty and change, including the announcement of new advertising campaigns, new Macs, the progress of Rhapsody, and especially to an agreement spent with Microsoft. This agreement allows both companies to exchange patent for 5 years, Apple offered $ 150 million in shares to Microsoft, and Microsoft paid an undisclosed sum to Apple's intellectual property problems emerged during the development of Windows.

On the clones, which eventually flew more customers to Apple without increasing sales of Macs, Jobs took the decision to recover the licenses that were granted, thereby halting the production of manufacturers.

In November 1997, Jobs announced that the sale of Macs would also now live: online or by telephone, and the output of Power Mac and PowerBook G3.