Microsoft signs licensing agreement with BMW for use of exFAT file system

Microsoft has announced that BMW will be another company to jump on board the exFAT band-wagon to provide customers the cutting edge features in its vehicles. BMW can be added to a list of several other big name companies who will now pay Microsoft to use this file system technology for their products.

"Microsoft Corp. and BMW have signed a patent licensing agreement that gives BMW broad access to the latest Extended File Allocation Table (exFAT). BMW will utilize exFAT technology to enhance the digital entertainment offerings in its line of automobiles," Microsoft stated in an official blog post.

For those that didn't know, exFAT is a modern file system that handles large files and enables seamless data portability. exFAT is pretty cool because it improves upon the FAT file system by expanding the capability of flash drives handling larger files as well as increasing the speed in which those files are accessed. Microsoft already has agreements with Panasonic, Canon, Sony, as well as Research in Motion for the exFAT file system.

Google Glass announces 2 upcoming developer events

Last summer, Google offered a $1,500 pre-order for its Google Glass at the I/O conference. Now, a little less than six months later, the company has invited those who signed up to attend one of two developer events it has planned at the end of the month. The two events are being held in New York City and San Francisco.

The email invite that went out reads: “Join us for an early look at Glass and two full days of hacking on the upcoming Google Mirror API in San Francisco or New York. These hackathons are just for developers in the Explorer program and we’re calling them the Glass Foundry. It’s the first opportunity for a group of developers to get together and develop for Glass.”


According to the invite, the first day will kick off with an introduction to Google Glass, with attendees receiving a unit to use during the Foundry. After the introduction, developers will then be given a look at the Mirror API, followed by development. Google engineers will be available on-site to lend a hand.

The second day will be wrapped up with special guest judges and a round of demonstrations. Those who wish to attend must register for the Foundry of their choice by January 18 at 4PM PST. Don’t delay, space is limited. Those who get a slot will then receive their confirmation letter with instructions on how to proceed from there. The San Francisco Foundry is being held on January 28 and 29, while the New York City Foundry is being held on February 1 and 2.

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Kingston to release the World's First 1TB USB 3.0 Flash Drive

Kingston introduced what they claim is the world's first 1TB USB 3.0 flash drive. The DataTraveler HyperX Predator 3.0.

it has read/write speeds of up to 240MB/s and 160MB/s, boasting SuperSpeed USB 3.0 certification.

The drive is available in 512GB capacity right now, while the 1TB version is expected to hit the market in Q1 2013.

The price for the 512GB is $1,750, meaning the 1TB variant will likely be too expensive for almost everyone.

Kingston has also launched slower and smaller USB drives, with capacities of 32GB and 64GB and read/write speeds of 150MB/s and 70MB/s respectively.

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Downgrading from Windows 8 to Windows 7

Before you downgrading to Windows 7
Ensure the computer actually supports Windows 7. Check the manufacturer’s website for Windows 7 drivers for your computer.
Create a recovery drive that contains a copy of your new PC’s recovery partition. This will allow you to restore the original Windows 8 system if you wipe the recovery partition.

Downgrading to Windows 7
To downgrade Windows, you’ll need a Windows 7 Professional installation disc and a valid license key for it. Neither Microsoft nor your computer manufacturer will provide this disc or key for you – you’re on your own when finding it, although Microsoft insists you should find a legitimate copy instead of downloading one from an illicit website. Downgrade rights are intended for businesses, who will likely have a disc and key on hand.

Once you’ve found the disc, insert it into your new computer and restart into the Windows 7 installer. Install Windows 7 Professional as you normally would, providing the legitimate Windows 7 Pro key during the installation process. Note that you can use this same key to downgrade multiple Windows 8 computers – you’ll just need this key to get past the mandatory key check during the installation process.



After Windows 7 finishes installing, the online activation will fail because your product key is already in use. If you don’t see an “activation failed” message, you can press Start, type Activate, and click Activate Windows. You’ll need to activate by phone. Call up the phone number displayed in the activation window and explain that you’re exercising your Windows 8 Pro downgrade rights. Have your Windows 8 Pro key ready; you’ll need it to prove your PC has downgrade rights.


After explaining this, you’ll be given a long, single-use activation code. Enter that activation code into the window and your Windows 7 Professional installation will be activated.

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Ubuntu Mobile OS Announced

Ubuntu's developer Canonical has announced their entry into the smartphone business with first public glimpses and features of upcoming Ubuntu for Phones. The Linux-based operating system will offer users an seamless experience on Desktop, PC and Mobile with some exciting features and an "android compatible kernel" so existing Google Android users can simply install and use Ubuntu on their phones. While Ubuntu for Phones will be available in 2013 for users to install on existing hardware, handsets powered by the OS will hit shelves in 2014.

Canonical released an extensive video preview and this looks really promising.

Take a look below;

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