Windows 8 Picture Password

One of the coolest things that we’ve seen come from Windows 8 is the new picture password log on feature. For those of you who don’t know, this is a new method of logging in. All the user has to do is draw a pattern and tap in a certain location and sequence to unlock their PC. It’s quite a cool feature if you ask me, however it’s been slated be some security experts.

Kenneth Weiss runs a three-factor authentication business called Universal Secure Registry and is the inventor of RSA’s SecurID token. Here’s what he had to say about it

I think it’s cute, I don’t think it’s serious security

Well that doesn’t say too much for it now then does it. Kenneth actually described it more like a Fisher-Price toy than a serious choice for secure computer access.

The concept is good, but from a security perspective there is some flaws. For example, if anyone sees you input the pattern it’s quite easy for them to remember. Unlike a traditional password where the pin/password that you enter is displayed as “*”, you’ll be able to see exactly what the user’s entering. Also it’s a bit of a pain trying to right down what your pattern is in case you forget it. It would have to be quite long winded to make sure that you get the pattern right.

However, because it’s so quick and simple to set one up and enter the password, I think we may find that more people will start using this. There’s plenty of people who don’t use a password what so ever so if they used this picture password it would be better than nothing wouldn’t it?

Also all you have to do is make sure that the wrong people don’t see you entering in your pattern and you should be ok. But I’d be interested to hear what you guys think of the picture password.

Windows 8 Beta

A public beta of Windows 8 will launch in late February of next year, 

Citing "sources close to Microsoft," TNW pointed to February for the beta's debut but said the release date for the final version of Windows 8 remains a mystery, though it's expected to ship next year.

Mary Jo Foley of CNET sister site ZDNet said she's heard that the beta would appear after next month's Consumer Electronics Show, which runs from January 10 to 13, but Foley said she isn't aware of any specific dates.

If the February timeframe holds true for the beta, the RTM (release-to-manufacturing) version of Windows 8 could hit the market as early as June. The final shipping version would then see the light of day in the third quarter, just in time to land on PCs and mobile devices for the 2012 holiday season.

This past June, Dan'l Lewin, Microsoft corporate vice president for Strategic and Emerging Business Development, hinted at a fall 2012 release date for the new OS, though that was predicated on the beta already being out by now.

Microsoft Windows 8 is Leaked !?

Every now and then, a big software release is leaked during development to the broad audience mainly because the software manufacturer wants to check customers’ reactions to the path they are taking. When news came that Windows 8 leaked, many people frowned for two reasons. First, it has never before happened to Windows, on purpose or not. Second, so short after a very good release, which Windows 7 undoubtedly is, to bring out a new operating system is as close to suicide as you can get. Microsoft made the mistake already twice, fiddling with a good operating system for no real reason, and releasing a new version prematurely. The Windows Me, right after Windows 98 and before Windows 2000 was such a dud. Vista was somewhat less of a dud than Me, but a poor operating system that never really worked properly.

Windows 8, a true leak or not?

Torrent and P2P sites boasted a little while ago that an early version of Windows 8 is available for download. There were not all drivers available for Windows 7 for download, but already the new operating system is being developed beyond the basic functionality phase? It sounded incredible and it was. The leaked Windows 8 was nothing but a dressed up Windows 7, whereby some people figured it might have been the “Milestone 1” version of the program. Be it as may, it looked and worked like the Windows 7.

Did Microsoft not announce Windows 8 officially?

There was an announcement at the Las Vegas show commonly known as the Consumer Electronics Show, where Microsoft announced that they are indeed developing Windows 8, whereby the idea is to include support in this particular operating system for mobile ARM and system-on-a-chip processors. A tentative release date has been rumored to be somewhere in the late 2012, but estimates are that it will most definitely be later than that.

What else is there to be expected from Windows 8?

There are plenty of new technologies coming up, but mainly in hardware form; nothing that a driver download and software installation could not fix easily. Microsoft learned early that there is no profit in free upgrades. Microsoft has never learned from their prior mistakes, after Windows Me a disaster like Vista should have been avoidable. Windows 2000, which was a good operating system and lead into development of the most popular Windows to date, the XP; and the current Windows 8 that was developed out of Vista seem to give Microsoft right that improvement is possible.
Nevertheless, people are going away from stationary computers and turning towards laptops and handheld devices. Perhaps this is what the idea behind Windows 8 is; making an operating system that can run totally cross-platform. Since that Microsoft is a company primarily concerned with the bottom line, such an innovative and smart idea is highly unlikely. Why would a software giant produce something durable, something that will last and be compatible with every gadget there is, where one volume license would cover all machines and provide even greater control over the hardware market than Microsoft currently has over the PC sector? On the other hand, that just might be it.