Engineering Windows 7

User Account Control (UAC) – quick update

There’s been a ton of interest in how we have improved user account control (UAC) and so we thought we’d offer a quick update for folks. We know most of you have discovered this and picked a setting that works for you, and we're happy with the feedback we've seen. This just goes into the details on the choice of defaults. --Steven

In an earlier blog post we discussed the why of UAC and its implications for Windows, the ecosystem, and our customers. We also talked about what we needed to do moving forward to address the data and feedback we’ve received. This blog post will provide additional detail on our response and what you can expect to see in the upcoming beta build in early 2009.

As mentioned in our previous post, and your comments supported this, the goals for UAC are good and important ones. User Account Control was created with the intention of putting you in control of your system, reducing cost of ownership over time, and improving the software ecosystem. It is important not to abandon these goals. Instead, we want to address feedback we’ve received and build on the telemetry we have using those to improve the overall experience without losing sight of the goals with which we agree.

For those of you using 6801 you have started to see the benefits of prompt reduction and our new and improved dialog designs. You also have seen our efforts to give the user greater control of their system – the new UAC Control Panel. The administrator now has more control over the level of notification received from UAC. Look for the UAC Control Panel to appear in Start Search, Action Center, Getting Started, and even directly from the UAC prompt itself. Of course, the familiar ways to access it from Vista are still present.

Figure 1: UAC Control Panel

The UAC Control Panel enables you to choose between four different settings:

1. Always notify on every system change. This is Vista behavior – a UAC prompt will result when any system-level change is made (Windows settings, software installation, etc.)
2. Notify me only when programs try to make changes to my computer. This setting does not prompt when you change Windows settings, such as control panel and administration tasks.
3. Notify me only when programs try to make changes to my computer, without using the Secure Desktop. This is the same as #2, but the UAC prompt appears on the normal desktop instead of the Secure Desktop. While this is useful for certain video drivers which make the desktop switch slowly, note that the Secure Desktop is a barrier to software that might try to spoof your response.
4. Never notify. This turns off UAC altogether.

We know from the feedback we’ve received that our customers are looking for a better balance of control versus the amount of notifications they see. As we mentioned in our last post we have a large number of admin (aka developer) customers looking for this balance, our data shows us that most machines (75%) run with a single account with full admin privileges.

Figure 2. Percentage of machines (server excluded) with one or more user accounts from January 2008 to June 2008.

For the in-box default, we are focusing on these customers, and we have chosen number 2, “Notify me only when programs try to make changes to my computer”. This setting does not prompt when you change Windows settings (control panels, etc.), but instead enables you to focus on administrative changes being requested by non-Windows applications (like installing new software). For people who want greater control in changing Windows settings frequently, without the additional notifications, this setting results in fewer overall prompts and enables customers to zero in on the key remaining notifications that they do see.

This default setting provides the right degree of change notification that a broad range of customers’ desire. At the same time we’ve made it easy and readily discoverable for the administrator to adjust the setting to provide more or fewer notifications via the new control panel (and policy). As with all of our default choices we will continue to closely monitor the feedback and data that come in through beta before finalizing for ship.

--UAC, Kernel, and Security program managers

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Scuola Polytecnica di Design Milan announces new Masters in Transportation Design

Click for larger images

Murcielago concept sketches by Lamborghini Centro Stile

Lamborghini Gallardo

Sketch by Bruno Prata (France)

Alfa Romeo Superleggera by Bruno Prata (France)

Jul 30, 2004 - Milan's Scuola Politecnica di Design has announced the new edition of the Masters course in Transportation Design, which will be held in partnership with Lamborghini. The Masters Course, starting in October 2004, will be coordinated by Marco Bonetto with the support of Walter De' Silva, Design Director Audi-Seat-Lamborghini and Luc Donckerwolke, Chief Designer Lamborghini.

As part of the 2004-2005 edition of the Masters course, students from all over the world will take part in the development of a new concept car for the prestigious Italian car maker, which is now part of the Audi Volkswagen Group.

The admission process has started, and students who wish to enrol in the Masters course are requested to send a detailed curriculum and portfolio of works. For further infomation and admission request: info@scuoladesign.com

Established in Italy in 1954, the Scuola Politecnica di Design (SPD) was the first Italian School of Design. It was founded by Nino Di Salvatore, an artist belonging to the Movimento Arte Concreta. SPD trained thousands of designers from more than 40 different countries. For 50 years SPD has been designed around the human being: its aim is not simply to promote good design, but to focus on human centered design, neurophysiological and ergonomic factors - the relations between objects and spaces.

The 2003-2004 Masters in Transportation Design marked a new step in the association between the school and the Alfa Romeo Style Centre. The project that was presented in June 2004 involved students from France, Italy, Spain, Serbia, India, Mexico and South America, from Brazil to Venezuela.

The brief took as its starting point a reflection by Mario Favilla (from the Alfa Style Centre) on the 147, which is currently the only vehicle represented by the Milan-based brand in the crowded C sector. With the arrival of the new SUV, the Kamal, what future can be imagined for the 147? The road identified by Marco Bonetto, head of the Masters course, and the SPD students outlined a new car model more compact than the previous model and able to give an original interpretation of Alfa Romeo's characteristics and personality.

The students individually designed both exteriors and interiors, starting with an analysis of Alfa Romeo's history and moving on to the first sketches, modelling in Alias, and then the construction of physical models at 1:5 or 1:10 scale. The outcome of this work identified very different evolutions for the 147, from developing its sportiness by adopting models that are a take on racing cars with a central motor, to more city-based solutions.

Wladimir Lasbugues (France) took up the theme of the 2+2 seat coup?. His suggestion fits ideally into the roadster market by expressing sporting values alongside traditional ones. The car's lines are fluid, designed according to a dynamic line that runs all along the sides. The extended front is tapered towards the Alfa badge, the historic emblem of its past. The rear is cut like the prow of a boat. It is an aggressiveness that is underlined by the rear window, which is wedged like an eyebrow.

The Superleggera by Bruno Prata (France) goes in search of new style solutions. The general volume of the car doesn't vary - the rear cantilever is reduced by only 40mm. The main effort has been centred on finding continuity of line with a resulting fluidity in order to create harmony between the different parts of the car. This is because the car is an object in movement, all of whose sides we see in the space of a few seconds: the aggressive front that characterizes Alfa Romeo; the hollowed sides that make it sporty, and the rear outlined by the bumper that follows round the side towards the door.

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Audi A5

27 Feb 07

Audi A5

Photos of Audi's third coupe in 12 months have been released prior to next week's Geneva Motor Show, when it will be officially unveiled. Aimed squarely at the Mercedes-Benz CLK and BMW 3 Series Coupe, the Audi A5 is a four-seat coupe based on a new platform - not just a hardtop A4 Cabriolet.

The A5 combines the sweeping lower side-feature from the TT and A6, and softer version of the shoulder theme from the R8. The DLO has a hint of Mercedes-Benz, with a break at the rear rather than the traditional Audi flowing line. A wide range of engines producing between 170 and 265PS will be available from launch, including diesel options. Though a 344PS S5 has also been announced, we will be crossing our fingers for an RS5 with bigger arches and wider stance to complement the bold bodyside character line.

Related stories:
Audi R8 - Paris Motor Show 2006
Audi TT - New York Auto Show 2006
Audi Nuvolari quattro concept - Geneva 2003

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Peugeot 3008

19 Jan 09

Peugeot 3008

Peugeot has launched the new 3008, the company's first crossover. Previewed by the Prologue concept unveiled at the 2008 Paris Motor Show, and nearly identical in its overall aesthetic, the 3008 is positioned at the crossroads between SUVs, MPVs and traditional hatchbacks, and will be the French automaker's first vehicle to offer a hybrid powertrain.

The design of the production 3008 is virtually identical to the concept's, though the new car makes do with smaller wheels, a metal roof rather than an all-glass canopy, and the reptilian skin graft at the rear has been removed. Peugeot claims its non-conformist approach offers an original solution and optimal versatility to customers in search of modernity, practicality and driving pleasure.

Inside, the car appears to be an inviting and driver-oriented environment, with a center stack angled towards the driver. The upmarket interior aims to attract the same kind of buyers drawn to Nissan's highly successful short-wheelbase Qashqai. New technologies such as dynamic roll and grip control are claimed to enable the vehicle to blend a higher driving position with engaging driving characteristics and environmental efficiency.

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Cadillac Presidential Limousine

23 Jan 09

Cadillac Presidential Limousine

President Obama arrived at his inauguration earlier this week in a new Cadillac Presidential Limousine, which includes many of the brand's signature design elements.

As the first all-new Presidential limousine since the 2004 Cadillac DTS built for President George W. Bush, the new car has roughly the same overall footprint as the previous model and similar proportions. The dual-textured grille and vertical head- and taillamps are reminiscent of those seen on Cadillac's STS and DTS sedans, while the technologically advanced cabin features executive seating with upholstery that has been cut and sewn by hand. An embroidered presidential seal is positioned in the center of the rear seat back and on each rear door trim panel.

The purpose-built vehicle has been specially designed for presidential use to specifications provided by the US Secret Service. Developed and tested by specialists, the vehicle features an armored body, 8-inch-thick doors, bulletproof glass, a separate oxygen supply and an airtight interior to protect against a chemical attack. It was subjected to an extreme testing regimen to ensure performance in the field.

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Mitsubishi i MiEV Sport Air

26 Jan 09

Mitsubishi i MiEV Sport Air

Mitsubishi Motors will reveal a new i MiEV Sport Air concept at the 79th Geneva International Motor Show in March. Using the same nomenclature as the Saab 9X 'Air', the new car is an open top variant of the i MiEV Sport design study first unveiled at the 2007 Tokyo Auto Show.

Like its hardtop counterpart, the two-door concept has a bold, wheels-at-each-corner stance and accentuated fenders, while chiseled body lines guide airflow to cool the rear-mounted electric motor. Above the cabin, a 'clear cutaway' roof is said to enable the driver to 'enjoy the exhilaration of fresh-air motoring while also highlighting its eco-friendly qualities', according to the Japanese automaker.

Claimed to emphasize exhilarating driving pleasure by providing a balance between environmental and dynamic performance, the car has a lithium-ion battery pack mounted in the floor for a lower center of gravity. It measures 3450mm long and has a 2550mm-long wheelbase.

Related Article:
New Car: Mitsubishi iMiEV Sport concept

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Opel Ampera preview

w Cars [Page 1 of 85]

27 Jan 09

Opel Ampera preview

Opel has released a teaser sketch of its new five-door extended-range electric car ahead of its public debut at the Geneva Auto Show in March.

Based on the Voltec powertrain and chassis architecture of Chevrolet's Volt, the Ampera promises to surpass that car in terms of style by some margin. The body appears to be nearly identical between the A- and C-pillars, but the deformed horseshoe-shaped headlamp design and two-bar grille come straight from the 2007 Flextreme concept, as do the car's tree-branch alloy wheels. Sadly, the Ampera prototype will feature a conventional rear hatch rather than the Flextreme's novel two-piece gullwing design.

Related Article:
Chevrolet Volt - Paris 2008
Opel Flextreme concept - Frankfurt 2007

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