Microsoft Windows for Home Programs

Microsoft is rolling out two beta programs that are aimed for home users.

The first one is for Windows Home Server.


The program requires having

• two or more PCs,
• a broadband connection and router,
• and a spare PC or server that can be dedicated to Windows Home Server software.

In order to participate you will have to answer initial survey and based on your results Microsoft will contact you (or not) with the next steps.


The second one is for Windows Media Center.


The application process consists of a series of questions that are required for participation in the beta program. Once they receive your application, it will be reviewed for consideration.

Only the chosen will be contacted via e-mail by May 31, 2007.

Imity, the social radar in beta

Imity Pocket radar is aimed for bluetooth enabled phones.

"If Imity is active on your phone, you don't have to do a thing. From your pocket, it will sense other Imity users and mobile phones with discoverable Bluetooth."

So, when it is active on your phone, it searches for bluethooth enabled devices near you like PDAs, phones and laptops. When it finds, it logs those devices, so you can know when was the last time you met them, mailed them, called them, visited their blog or just was near them.

There is also a web application to expand the data about yourself, and the ability to receive from your Imity friends data about what is going on their location, helping you decide whether to go there on not.

If you want to be Imity Pocket radar beta tester go to imity.com/pocket-radar, enter your email and get an invite.

[via WIRED Blog]

uTorrent new beta

uTorrent released a new beta version of their Bittorrent client, as part of Bittorent Inc. . The new version 1.7 beta was already updated to solve some immediate problems and is ready for mass testing. Lots and lots of updates and fixes waiting for you at this link.

Yahoo's alpha beta

Yahoo just rolled out a new search engine called alpha that is currently in beta. This story probably would not be mentioned here unless the name of the new service: alpha beta - that is surpisingly similar to this blog's name: alpha beta 3.

Sign up for GameTap's Beta Test

"AOL is seeking beta testers for TimeWarner's GameTap network, which provides on-demand access to games of old such as Asteroids and Zork. The service frequently adds new features such as customizable controller mappings, and needs a team of testers to provide feedback." [via BetaNews]





To apply, visit GameTap's beta site and use the password: CoralSea. Fill out GameTap's beta application with as much detail as possible. Not everyone who applies will be accepted, and your answers will be used to determine your qualifications for beta testing.

Goggle Desktop on Mac

Today Google released Google Desktop for Mac users. The long waited release is in beta and is available for download for you, Mac owner.

More Mac stuff from Macs inside Google Blog.

Box.net needs beta testers

Box.net provides secure online file storage and sharing functionality, serving files to millions of people around the world. Box.net's unique platform allows personal and commercial content to be accessible, sharable, and storable in any format from anywhere.

"We’re about to launch an all new Box widget that has many additional Professional and media-friendly features. We’d really like some help beta testing the feature - it shouldn’t take much time, and could be a lot of fun." [via Box.net Blog]

Here’s the ideal beta tester for them:

1. Has their own website or blog
2. Uses Box to distribute files to 10+ people regularly (can be family, friends, colleagues) or, uses Box to collaborate with a group of people
3. Willing to be quoted in Box literature

If you’d like to help test their product, just send an email to aaron@box.net

Deepfish for a try

Microsoft just released a limited public preview of Deepfish.

"Deepfish is a new type of mobile information browsing experience, aimed at preserving the rich layout and full form of documents on mobile devices while providing novel ways of effectively navigating that content on small screens. Deepfish's unique interface enables you to zoom in and out of page, quickly getting to the areas you are interested in without screen length after screen length of scrolling. And because the layout is preserved, navigation menus, lists of search results or news headlines, and other elements that might have been bent so thoroughly to fit the usual single column layout that they were no longer legible can now be browsed simply and easily. A consequence of Deepfish's multi-resolution approach to browsing pages is that it loads a thumbnail of pages initially and then only what is needed for more detail when requested or in the background as you browse the initial the view, resulting in substantially quicker load times for most pages." [via Microsoft Live Labs]

To really understand what they are talking about check the demo.

The preview is available for download now for Windows Mobile 5.0+ devices. There are a limited number of slots available, and they will be distributed on a first come, first serve basis.

System requirements:

• Device: Windows Mobile Smart Phone or Pocket PC.
• Operating System: Windows Mobile 5.0+
• Internet connection: Required.
• For Desktop setup: NET Framework 2.0, ActiveSync 4.0+ or Windows Mobile Device Center(WMDC) for Vista.
• Minimum Device Memory: 64MB Program Memory. Deepfish supports external storage when available.

Register and give it a try. They are waiting for your feedback.