Windows 7 Games Explorer - Your Games Companion

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If you’re skipping Windows Vista and directly jumping into Windows 7 from Windows XP, you’ll be surprised with lots of features offered in Windows 7 that you can’t found in Windows XP (of course). Some of these feature are the refinement of what was introduced in Windows Vista but make it way into Windows 7 with a lot more features.

Game Explorer is one such feature, first introduced in Windows Vista. Imagine Game Explorer just as the common windows/file explorer that you use daily to manage your file. It assist you to manage all games installed in your computer without miss. Whether it is the default games that comes with operating system, or advance games such as Grand Theft or Fifa, Games Explorer will taking care of that games properly.

One feature in Game Explorer that you’ll appreciate the most is, it’s ability to find and notify you if it found new updates on any of your games. To make your life even easier, you can download and install the update from inside the Game Explorer itself. Do note that this option can be turned on or off depend on your preference.

game explorer option Windows 7 Games Explorer   Your Games Companion

Other feature that you will found useful if you have kids is, the Parental Control setting. By default all games has been set with parental control set by Windows 7. If you prefer other filter, there are a lot of predefined set of parental control that already available which you can choose from.

game explorer parental control Windows 7 Games Explorer   Your Games Companion

Having all these wonderful features are meaningless if it can’t be viewed easily. If you notice, the Game Explorer windows is separated into 2 section. The left hand side is the list of games itself, and the right section is where the information will be displayed when any games is selected. Info about games that will be displayed here is the parental control, update notification and the statistic of the game.

games explorer games info Windows 7 Games Explorer   Your Games Companion

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Geosense Gives Windows 7 Location-Aware Functionality

Beginning 2009, we have seen a lot of applications offering geo location features, among other Twitter and Flickr. If you use iPhone or Android smartphone, some of app will asking if you would like to let them know your location the first time you use it.

Now, you must be wondering if your Windows 7 machine can be turned to location aware devices as well. But unlike smart phone, majority notebooks and PC are not equipped with built in GPS chips. Well good news is, we don’t need any additional hardware for that purpose.  Folks from istartedsomething and withinwindows has developed Geosense, application that allow Windows 7 machine to be able to detect it’s current location.

Without having to go through the installation and testing process, which is well covered in this post, you may find the Geosense is not working immediately after you install it. For instance, I live in Selangor, but somehow Geosense detect my location somewhere in Johor Bharu.


geosense weather Geosense Gives Windows 7 Location Aware Functionality

geosense googlemaps Geosense Gives Windows 7 Location Aware Functionality

But leave it a while, Geosense will shows your accurate.

geosense googlemaps accurate Geosense Gives Windows 7 Location Aware Functionality

Unlock Windows 7’s Hidden Themes

Beside hunting for wonderful Windows 7 themes on Internet, interestingly there are also hidden themes does exist in Windows 7. The hidden themes are originally meant to visible for certain countries only based on their folder name, but by using this workaround, you can have and activate the themes for your own usage as well.

hidden themes folder Unlock Windows 7s Hidden Themes

Here are the themes called Australia, Canada, South Africa, United Kingdom and United Kingdom. In less then 5 minutes, you have 5 additional themes to delight your day.

hidden themes Unlock Windows 7s Hidden Themes

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February’s New Windows 7 Themes

win7 theme winter Februarys New Windows 7 Themes

It is time to give your Windows 7 computer another fresh looks.  By default, most Windows 7 only provides 8-10 themes like what I had in my computer. That is just to fewl.

There are tonnes of gorgeous Windows 7 themes out there, but if you prefer to spend your time on something else, you can get the news themes directly from official Windows 7 theme gallery by Microsoft.

As of now, there are 58 themes available to choose from, including 6 new themes such as ‘Samsung Winter Sports’, Valentine and Year of Tiger. New themes usually released in accordance of any events such as Olympic or festive season such as Chinesse New Year.

Windows Phone 7 Series - Rebirth Of Microsoft’s Mobile Platform

If there is one thing that Microsoft should have done years ago, it’s none other than Windows Phone  7 series. That’s what I feel and also some respond that I read about the newest mobile operating system that Microsoft just unveiled yesterday. The Windows Phone 7 Series is on the class on it’s own, stated by Endgadget in one of it’s post.

As excited as you’re, I have followed the Engadget’s live blog (coincidentally I work at night GMT+8 time, so no problem stay late) to witness the new beginning, of what I can say is the true contender for the next generation mobile operating system.

It’s totally awesome I have to admit. The UI concept is moving away from the common UI mobile OS in the market, which pretty much doing what iPhone has invented, slide left an right or up and down, and with big move-able icons on each page, some with customize background.

Windows Phone 7 Series UI is giving new perspective of what Mobile OS should be,  although the main interface remain ’slide up an down’ concept. Called Metro, the shortcut to program is like tiles, as they were actually  called ‘live tiles’ with 1 or 2 ’tiles’ at each row.

Well, you know, photo is always the best way to describe the beauty, so here is the Windows Phone 7 series Start Screen. It’s almost similar as Zune, but as most non-US folks never had chance to use Zune,  consider this is new, at least to us in other part of the world.

02 15 10winphone2 Windows Phone 7 Series   Rebirth Of Microsofts Mobile Platform

Hub is what they called each section in this phone have. Among the hubs are

  • Music & Video Hub for music, videos, podcast and live streaming.
  • People Hub which keep the relevant contact detail along side integration with their social networking feeds.
  • Pictures Hub
  • Marketplace Hub - Like app store
  • Games Hub - For Xbox LIVE integration
  • Office Hub - Office, OneNote and SharePoint Workspace and Outlook Mobile

Some features that each Windows Phone 7 Series going to or might have. This is by far that I have read on.

  • Every Windows Phone 7 Series will have 3 button - Home, Back and Search
  • No UI customization is allowed, which means all Windows Phone 7 series will have same looks regardless the manufacturer.
  • Xbox LIVE Integration
  • Zune Integration
  • Office Integration
  • Windows Mobile 6.X applications will not compatible with Windows Phone 7 series
  • Capacitive and multi touch is a mandatory on each phone.
  • Microsoft will not manufacture and sell it’s own Windows Phone 7 Series.

Again, it’s best to let official videos from Microsoft to tell the features and demo the new mobile OS.

Windows Phone 7 Series Feature Videos

Windows Phone 7 Series Demos

Windows Phone 7 Series Promo Videos

Microsoft is not alone in bringing Windows Phone 7 Series to the world. AT&T has been chosen as be US’s premier partners. Other carries include Deutsche Telekom AG, Orange, SFR, Sprint, Telecom Italia, Telefónica, Telstra, T-Mobile USA, Verizon Wireless and Vodafone. Manufacturers likes Dell, Garmin-Asus, HTC Corp., HP, LG, Samsung, Sony Ericsson, Toshiba and Qualcomm Inc are among that Microsoft has team up to manufacture the phone.

The first phones will be available by holiday 2010, which means by December 2010. So until then, stay still with your current phone. Hopefully the final product will deliver the same or higher excitement than what was demoed today. Microsoft can’t afford to fail again this time.

Other Links

WindowsPhone7series.com - Windoes Phone 7 Series Official Website

Engadget’ live blog on Windows Phone 7 Series release event

Channel 9’s Windows Phone 7 Series Hands-on Demo

Windows Phone 7 Series Press Release