As Microsoft released the Windows 8 Consumer Preview today, it also published a product guide for business users of the operating system. In the guide, it was revealed that the ARM-based version of Windows 8 will lack some of the management features available to the version running on PCs—a limitation that may make the mobile version of the operating system a little less attractive to large enterprises out of the gate.

Touting the long battery life of ARM-based devices, the guide tempers expectations: “Although the ARM-based version of Windows does not include the same manageability features that are in 32-bit and 64-bit versions, businesses can use these power-saving devices in unmanaged environments.” That means ARM devices won’t be able to be added to Active Directory domains and have their user access managed by system administrators, or be remotely managed through Microsoft’s System Center environment.

The 32- and 64-bit versions of Windows 8 for x86 systems will integrate into existing management systems, according to Microsoft, allowing administrators to continue to use the same tools for system configuration, security management, and other tasks. And as an alternative for organizations requiring more secure access from mobile users, Microsoft outlined a “Windows to Go” version of the operating system that can use a USB drive to boot a PC from an approved corporate Windows 8 image, allowing the user to connect to the enterprise network remotely from an untrusted system without giving the locally installed operating system access to the network.

While that may be a good solution for employees who work from home or remote shared offices, the lack of management for ARM devices may make it harder for Microsoft to make a dent in Apple’s iPad share in the enterprise. A number of mobile device management tools, including Odyssey Software’s Athena, already integrate iOS, Blackberry, and Android support (as well as the current Windows Mobile) into Microsoft’s System Center Configuration Manager, and allow the locking down of those devices’ applications and features for more managed environments.

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No domain membership or enterprise management for Windows 8 on ARM

Broadcom might have unveiled a bevy of 802.11ac chipsets back at CES, however when it came to availability the chipmaker played more than coy as to when they’d sashay their way out of developmental labs and into the hands of actual consumers. Fast-forward to MWC and the chipmaker’s isn’t nearly as shy, proclaiming its future WiFi solutions were “beyond the sampling phase” and now in preproduction. Also of note, was the estimate that finished products (read: the ones you can buy) containing this tech would go on sale by mid-2012. With competitor, Qualcomm, also previewing its 802.11ac concoction, could this year possibly shape up to golden era of speedy wireless transfers? Bring it on, we say.

Broadcom: 802.11ac chipsets already in preproduction, preparing router invasion in summer originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Feb 2012 05:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Broadcom: 802.11ac chipsets already in preproduction, preparing router invasion in summer

What has Mary Lou Jepsen been up to since 3M’s cash injection? It’s hard to say, but her sunlight-readable PixelQi panels are still popping up on the odd device — like this Windows 7 slate from little-known Evigroup. The 10-inch PadPro is aimed at graphics types who are willing to bid adieu to €599 ($800) in return for a pressure-sensitive display, a 1.6GHz Atom processor (no mention of Cedar Trail), 1GB RAM and 160GB hard-drive. They also need to really hate Android.

PixelQi has heavy night, wakes up married to French ‘PadPro’ tablet originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Feb 2012 07:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PixelQi has heavy night, wakes up married to French ‘PadPro’ tablet

Firefox: We talk a lot about privacy at Lifehacker, specifically about how your activities are tracked on the web and what you can do to stop it. If you’re still on the fence or not convinced that the issue is as widespread as it is, Collusion is a Firefox extension that will show you in real time which sites are tracking you, where you picked up their tracking cookies, and what they can see. More »

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Collusion for Firefox Shows You Who’s Tracking You on the Web In Real Time [Firefox Extensions]

The early days of Windows were inauspicious ones. Sitting on top of DOS, it was hardly a revolution in personal computing — instead it felt like a disjointed platform perched uncomfortably atop a command prompt, ready to come crashing down at any moment. That’s what it was, and often that’s what it did. The early days of Windows required constant jumps from GUI to shell as users ran a wide assortment of apps, only some of which played nice inside a window.

It was over a decade later, after Windows 95, that the operating system would truly ditch its DOS underpinnings and feel like a totally integrated system. Why are we reminiscing? Because we’re reaching that same point again. With the Windows 8 Consumer Preview, Microsoft is showing off the most complete version of the company’s most modern operating system, yet in many ways it feels like 1985 all over again — like there are two separate systems here struggling to co-exist. How well do they get along? Join us after the break to find out.

Continue reading Microsoft Windows 8 Consumer Preview detailed impressions

Microsoft Windows 8 Consumer Preview detailed impressions originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Feb 2012 09:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Microsoft Windows 8 Consumer Preview detailed impressions

The Windows 8 consumer preview is loaded up with great features. Here are our five favorites. More »

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The Five Best New Features in Windows 8 Consumer Preview [Video]

The winner of the prestigious 2012 Pritzker Price for Architecture was just announced, and Chinese architect Wang Shu is the lucky recipient. The announcement was made in Los Angeles by Thomas J. Pritzker, the chairman of the Hyatt Foundation (which sponsors the prize), and jury member Zaha Hadid said: “Wang Shu’s work stands out for its combination of sculptural power and contextual sensitivity. His transformative use of ancient materials and motifs is highly original and stimulating.” Shu graduated from the Nanjing Institute of Technology, and a year after receiving his degree in 1985, he completed his first project: a 3600-sq-m Youth Center for in Haining (near Hangzhou). In 1997 he and his wife, Lu Wenyu, founded their own firm, Amateur Architecture Studio, in Hangzhou. The Pritzker Prize was founded in 1979 by Jay A. Pritzker and his wife, Cindy, to honour a living architect whose talent, vision and commitment strengthens the art of architecture. To learn more about Shu’s work be sure to visit FRAME.

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Chinese Architect Wang Shu Wins The Prestigious 2012 Pritzker Prize For Achievement In Architecture

Tuesday afternoon, the international police organization Interpol announced the arrest of 25 alleged members of Anonymous by officials in Argentina, Chile, Colombia, and Spain. Shortly after the announcement, Interpol’s website was hit by a distributed denial-of-service attack. At the time this story was posted, the website remained unavailable.

Interpol announced that the arrests were made as part of “Operation Unmask”, an international effort launched in mid-February to grab the perpetrators of attacks on websites in Columbia and Chile, including the Colombian Defense Ministry and presidential websites, a Chilean electricity company, and Chile’s national library. Officials also seized 250 pieces of equipment, including computers and mobile phones, during a search of 40 locations in 15 cities.

The Guardian reports Interpol’s acting executive director of police services Bernd Rossbach said, “This operation shows that crime in the virtual world does have real consequences for those involved, and that the Internet cannot be seen as a safe haven for criminal activity.”

According to a report by the Associated Press, prosecutor Marcos Mercado, a specialist in computer crime, will be handling the case. The prosecutor said the suspects are charged with altering websites, and if convicted could serve between 541 days to five years in prison.

Mid-afternoon on Tuesday, the twitter account @AnonOps tweeted “TANGO DOWN II 404 Interpol, #Anonymous is not a criminal organization” apparently signaling that the police organization’s site had been taken down. As of 10 PM CT, the site remains targeted by Anonymous members in Spain and Latin America, according to the group’s Internet Relay Chat server.

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25 alleged Anonymous members arrested internationally; hacker group retaliates

Apple iPad event confirmed for March 7th in San Francisco originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 28 Feb 2012 12:08:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple iPad event confirmed for March 7th in San Francisco