Almost everybody knows Google Labs, where Google releases public beta tests for new product.

But Google is not the only one to have such beta site. Microsoft MSN has their own beta site called MSN Sandbox where you can play with new MSN technologies, look at prototypes, and peek behind the scenes at some of new ideas.

The web giant Yahoo! Also has a public beta section called Yahoo! Research where you can try some of Yahoo’s new gadgets.

The world’s largest ISP, AOL, also lets you sneak previews of new products you can check them out at AOL Beta Central.

Macromedia plans to unveil its Flash 8 software early next month with an emphasis on video capabilities that some think could up-end the Web video market.

Macromedia is expected to announce the latest version of its signature Flash software Aug. 8, or 8/8, and release the software a few weeks later, said a source familiar with the company’s plans. Macromedia, whose shareholders will vote on a proposed acquisition by Adobe Systems on Aug. 24, released the Flash 8 public beta, a test version, earlier this month.

Source: News.com

When you’re troubleshooting Windows XP problems, one of the tools you likely use is the Windows Task Manager. By design, Task Manager provides detailed information about the programs and processes that are running on a system.

When you first launch Task Manager (by pressing [Ctrl][Shift][Esc] and clicking the Task Manager button), it opens to the Applications tab, which shows you a list of all of the currently running applications. However, switching to the Processes tab shows that there are many more processes running than there are applications.

One of the processes that you’ll find in this list is Svchost.exe. In fact, you’ll likely see several Svchost.exe processes listed.

Svchost.exe is a generic host process name for services run from dynamic link libraries (DLLs). If you want to quickly uncover which services are running under each of the Svchost.exe processes, you can use a command-line utility called TaskList, along with one of its special parameters.

Follow these steps:

Open a command prompt (Start->Run Type Cmd.exe).
Type tasklist /svc, and press [Enter].

Related topics:
Take Control Over Your Process
Know Your Processes

Doing its best to erase Carly Fiorina’s mistakes, HP has culled an iPod reselling agreement in place with Apple since January of 2004.

HP delivered a rather confusing message for the move, telling us that the reselling deal “met or exceeded our internal expectations” but then adding that “the iPod doesn’t fit in with our digital entertainment strategy.” Last quarter, Apple shipped 6.2m iPods worth more than $1bn in revenue. HP captured about 5 per cent of total iPod sales on average per quarter. The deal, however, never really took on the shape in the way HP had hoped. It got off to a slow start, as HP received new product some considerable time after Apple released it, and without the ability to customize the gear as much as HP desired.

Source: The Register

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Dogged by scandal, the Los Angeles Police Department is looking beyond human judgment to technology to identify bad cops.

This month, the agency began using a $35 million computer system that tracks complaints and other telling data about officers — then alerts top supervisors to possible signs of misconduct.

The system is central to a federal oversight program ordered by the U.S. Justice Department after a wave of abuse allegations in the 1990s cast doubt on the LAPD’s ability — and willingness — to police itself.

“There definitely needs to be computerized management” of officers, said Andre Birotte, the LAPD’s inspector general. “There have been concerns with all the scandals that have gone on within the department.”

Community leaders hope the tracking system can help restore public confidence shaken by high-profile shootings and scandals involving the LAPD.

Source: CNN

A worm that targets gamers is making the rounds, tapping into popular titles and peer-to-peer file sharing, a security company has warned.

The worm, Hagbard.A, tries to disguise itself on peer-to-peer networks as pirated downloads of the popular games titles “Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas,” “Need for Speed Underground 2″ and 400 other programs, Sophos said in an advisory released on Friday.

The downloaded program will copy itself to the file-sharing folder on the compromised PC and attempt to spread using the Windows Messenger. An instant message sent to others on the service contains a link to the worm and reads: “please download this…its only small brb.”

Source: ZDNet

Google is claiming that it has invented a unique way to distribute online advertising via syndicated news feeds–and it wants a patent for the technology.

If granted, the patent would presumably give Google the exclusive rights for “incorporating targeted ads into information in a syndicated, e.g., RSS, presentation format in an automated manner,” according to its patent application titled, “Embedding advertisements in syndicated content.”

Source: News.com

The US authorities have charged eight people in connection with the illegal trading of copyrighted films, music, games and software over the net.

The Justice Department said they were key members of online piracy networks.

They were charged following an international police operation across 15 countries.

Acting Assistant Attorney General John C Richter said the “charges strike at the top of the copyright piracy supply chain”.

The eight men were charged with copyright infringement in Charlotte, North Carolina, following two FBI investigations known as Operation FastLink and Operation Site Down.

The US-led investigation involved 15 countries - Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Israel, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, the Netherlands, Portugal, the UK and the US.

The Justice Department alleged the defendants were leading members in the illegal online trade of copyrighted material known as the “warez scene”.

Source: BBC

Microsoft has demonstrated a more powerful version of its Hotmail Web-based e-mail program that is in the testing stages.

The software maker on Thursday showed a version of Hotmail that works a lot more like desktop e-mail programs such as Outlook or Outlook Express, offering options such as a preview of incoming e-mails, antiphishing features and the ability to block or unblock specific senders.

Source: News.com

Australian officials effectively banned the computer game “Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas” and ordered it removed from stores Friday because it contains hidden sex scenes that can be viewed with a special Internet download.

The Office of Film and Literature Classification said in a statement it had outlawed sales of the game by stripping it of its official classification after learning of the explicit content.

“Revocation of a classification means the computer game cannot be legally sold, hired, advertised or exhibited in Australia from the date the decision is made,” the statement said.

“Businesses that sell or hire computer games should remove existing stocks of this game from their shelves immediately,” said Des Clark, director of the government-funded classification board.

Source: AP

A judge has temporarily barred a former Microsoft executive hired by Google from performing any duties at the search giant similar to those he performed at Microsoft.

Washington state Superior Court Judge Steven Gonzalez on Thursday granted Microsoft’s request for a temporary restraining order to prevent Kai-Fu Lee from violating his noncompete agreement.

Google announced on July 19 that it had hired Lee to lead a new research and development center in China and serve as president of its Chinese operations. Lee was previously a vice president at Microsoft and played a key role in its operations in China. He also led development of some of its search technologies, Microsoft’s lawsuit claims.