Microsoft Windows 8 Banned By Chinese Government

In a move that caught Microsoft offguard, the Chinese government has issued a notice that  agencies are to forego purchasing Windows 8 and installing the software on any new government devices. The notice that was officially sent out is titled “Agreement to supply information about the class of energy-saving products complement the mandatory tender notice“.

If that reads a little awkward to you, ask Google Translate, as the original page is in Chinese. In any case, the announcement highlights energy-saving products, but Windows 8 is specifically mentioned as item #5: “all computer products are not allowed to install Windows 8 operating system.”

Chinese news outlet Xinhua looks back to the termination of support for Windows XP as a reason for the ban on Windows 8.

In a news report, it says that the move was made to ensure computer security. Apparently, the Chinese government is not confident that Microsoft will continue support for Windows 8 in the future, hence the ban.
It is important to note that the ban is only in effect for government-owned devices. Private consumers are free to purchase whatever OS they want to.
On another note, the ban on Windows 8 seems to be only a part of the government’s strategy. In the same report, Xinhua states that China is going to focus on developing its own operating system, based on Linux. Knowing just how China does not lack for talent in this niche, it is not surprising that they will want to work on their own operating system.
On Microsoft’s part, the company says they were surprised by the announcement, but they also emphasized that they are doing what they can – and will continue to do so – to meet the requirements of the Chinese government in terms of procurement. They also mentioned their ongoing relationship with the government by providing Windows 7 and that they will work with the government to evaluate Windows 8.
Reference By: FileHippo.com

InternetExplorer Users Out There Be Careful

Internet Explorer Zero-Day Flaw Discovered in 2013 Remains Unpatched By Microsoft

This is the second time in a one-month period that a vulnerability in Microsoft’s Internet Explorer has been exposed.The first one was announced in April, with Microsoft being quick to admit the problem. The company even shared emergency measures that users can take while waiting for the patch to be released officially. That’s over and done with, but yesterday, Zero Day Initiative released details of another Internet Explorer flaw.
According to the announcement of Zero Day Initiative, they first heard of the vulnerability back in October of 2013. It was discovered by Belgian researcher Peter Van Eeckhoutte. The Initiative then immediately alerted Microsoft about the issue.

By practice, the Initiative does not release such information to the public for about six months after informing the concerned party. This is to give the latter time to release a patch to address the issue.

Since it’s been a while since the Internet Explorer vulnerability has been pointed out to Microsoft, the Initiative gave the company notice on May 8 that they would announce the details to the public. It’s now been weeks since, and still nothing from Microsoft, so now we know. (Maybe Microsoft was too busy with the Surface Pro 3.)

Specifically, the vulnerability affects Internet Explorer 8, and “allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code on vulnerable installations of Microsoft Internet Explorer. User interaction is required to exploit this vulnerability in that the target must visit a malicious page or open a malicious file.”

It is rather surprising that Microsoft has not done anything since they were informed of the flaw, especially considering that Internet Explorer 8 still has 20.85% share of the browser market. This is according to Net Market Share’s April report.

If you’re using IE 8, just be extra careful about the sites you visit, as the vulnerability requires the user to visit a page designed to take advantage of the flaw. Every link you receive – via email, chat message, or whatever – make sure you trust the source. Else, you just might become a victim of this flaw.

Reference by: File Hippo

Windows 9 Rumored To Be In Alpha Stage

Windows 9 Rumored To Be In Alpha Stage

Windows 9 will likely arrive in Q2 or Q3 2015.

Just days ago, document leaker FaiKee revealed that the preview version of Windows 9 would arrive either on February 3, 2015 or March 2, 2015. That seemed to coincide with the release schedule of Windows 8, which saw the current OS in a Consumer Preview build back in February 2012.

MyCE now adds to that report, using the same leaked document, but fewer edits. According to the info, Windows 9 is actually in an alpha state, and a Preview build will be released in Q2 or Q3 2015, not in February or March. The cloud-based Windows 365 is also supposedly in alpha and based on the Windows Core.

Office 2015 is listed as Alpha-TP-CP1 on the document, meaning Technical Preview and Consumer Preview 1, which indicates that the next Office could soon appear as a public preview. Also possibly appearing soon is Office 2013 Gemini, the Modern UI touch-based apps for the Office suite. These are listed as RTM and may launch in Summer 2014.

Also on the leaked document are "update items". These include changes to the modern UI interface, Windows Defender, Windows Activation, OneDrive and Cortana, the Digital Assistant making her debut on Windows Phone 8.1. Cortana will likely be embedded in Windows 9 as well, as Microsoft is currently looking for a software development engineerto help develop the next generation of Microsoft's Digital Assistant.

The leak also reveals that Windows 8.1 Update 2 is in the preview stage, meaning that customers could see the update in mid-2014. Previous reports have pegged the window between August and October: it's anyone's guess at this point (save for Microsoft). This update may bring back the Start Menu, which will combine the old-school listing with flashy new live tiles.

Finally, the leak shows that Windows Phone 8.1 has gone RTM (Release to Manufacturing). The document also shows that Windows Phone 9 will make an appearance in Q2 to Q3 2015. However, as always, take all this as rumor and speculation.

Reference: Tom'sHardware

Top 20 Games Franchise Over The Past Nine Years

What Are The Top 20 Game Franchises Of The Past Nine Years?7

In its recent financial report, Ubisoft published a chart of the top 20 best-selling game franchises of the past nine years, and the results were interesting.

These numbers represent the cumulative console retail sales of all games in a given franchise on the last two generations of systems and PC (Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, Wii U, Xbox One, PS4, and PC).

1. Call of Duty

2. Mario

3. FIFA Soccer

4. Assassin's Creed

5. Grand Theft Auto

6. Wii Fit (includes hardware)

7. The Sims

8. Madden NFL

9. Guitar Hero (includes hardware)

10. Battlefield

11. Halo

12. Need for Speed

13. Just Dance

14. World of Warcraft

15. NBA 2K

16. Lego

17. Sonic the Hedgehog

18. Rock Band (includes hardware)

19. Elder Scrolls

20. Gears of War

[Source: Ubisoft via Destructoid]

Our Take:
This is a really interesting list. Obviously, no surprise at number one. However, despite the perception that Mario is fading, he's still holding strong (by the way, where are the other big Nintendo franchises?). His old rival Sonic is still doing well, too. 

It's also impressive that GTA and Elder Scrolls are where they are given how many titles some of these other franchises. Finally, it's an indication of the risks of the game industry when you see that two of these games, Guitar Hero and Rock Band, are now completely defunct and unlikely to return.

Reference GameInformer

Things People Want In Halo 5 Guardians

These Are The Thing People Want In Halo 5

Today Microsoft and 343 Industries announced a new chapter in the Halo series for Xbox One. Halo 5: Guardians has the Game Informer office buzzing with excitement, discussing what we want to see in this next sci-fi FPS outing. From retooled multiplayer maps to a new protagonist, these are a few elements we want in Halo 5.

New Main Character – No, that doesn’t mean we want Master Chief to disappear. The Covenant Arbiter character helped round out Halo 2’s story by fighting alongside the Chief himself. In Halo 5, Master Chief will be fighting alongside, or perhaps against, a new character wearing what could be Forerunner armor. We’d love a single-player/co-op campaign that allows us to don the new hero’s armor. The shift perspective would also allow us to see Master Chief from an outside perspective and gain a new appreciation of his heroic actions.

More Compact, Action-Packed Multiplayer Maps – Halo 4 revamped much of the series’ legacy multiplayer standbys. Call of Duty-esque leveling and a new focus on precision-based twitch gunplay changes the feel of battle. In addition to these changes, 343 Industries increased the average size of a multiplayer map. The Halo series is known for its tight, distilled multiplayer map layouts. A great Halo map consistently puts players in line-of-sight with others, emphasizes verticality, and includes smaller breakout areas. We’d like a return to form in Halo 5.

New Enemies – New Halo developer 343 Industries shook up the single-player campaign by adding the Promethians to the mix. These glowing armored creatures and their crazy weaponry did much to shake up the standard Covenant-blasting formula. But Halo 5 has the opportunity to take the formula a step further. We’ve loved the parasitic Flood, Covenant enemies, and Forerunners featured so far, and hope to see something brand new.

Better Vehicle Sequences – It’s difficult to forget the first time players rode a Warthog across the lush surface of the Halo after crash landing in the Pillar of Autumn in Combat Evolved. Blasting other enemy vehicles and exploring the sprawling landscape captured Xbox owners’ imaginations. Fighting Covenant forces after boarding a massive, crawling Scarab is an equally exciting moment. We’d love more large-scale vehicular fights spanning open environments and frantic battlefields, all made possible by the Xbox One's powerful new tech. If our co-op buddy can simultaneously man a powerful turret, even better.

Improved Spartan Ops – With Halo 4, 343 Industries aimed to extend the life of its co-op action with free episodic expansions. It’s impolite to look a gift horse in the mouth, but we totally are. Spartan Ops failed to live up to its full potential. The extra episodes recycled campaign levels, attempting to weave in new meaning with disjointed story segments. We’d like to see new areas to play, and these sections should gel more naturally with the story sequences. Additionally, we’d like more unique encounters than waves on increasingly powerful Covenant forces. While 343 is at it, they should split off horde moments and bring back Firefight.

What About U What Do You Guys Want In Halo 5?

Plant Vs Zombies Is Coming To PC

For Those Who Are Waiting For Plant Vs Zombies Gardenwafare I have got some good news for you.

Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare digs into the trenches with an explosive new Co-op and Multiplayer action experience. Blast zombies and plants across a mine-blowing world that delivers the depth of a traditional online shooter blended with the refreshing humor of Plants vs. Zombies.

Powered by the advanced Frostbite 3 engine, Plants vs. Zombies Garden Warfare delivers an explosive new action experience in a massive, three-dimensional world, blooming with color and combat. Featuring 4-player co-op, 24-player competitive modes and more, players will blast zombies, plants and new characters across the PvZ landscape.

Developer: Pop Cap Games

Publisher: First Person Shooter

Release Date: February 25 2014

Release Date(PC):June 24 2014

Java Game Programming For Kids, GrandPa And Parents

This Not A Great Book But It Is Good For Kids. It Can Teach U Java And Game Programming At The Same Time. It Is Free.
If You Want To Download The Book Save This Link.
The Program Used In This Book Is Called Eclipse. It Is A Software For Running Java Programs.You Can Download It For Free At https://www.eclipse.org/downloads/