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I still think the default Start Screen is ugly as sin. I really wish Microsoft would focus on creating an attractive OoBE. Too many mis matched colors.

That is my main gripe with Windows 8 at the moment; however, I haven't been able to find a Start Screen configuration I'm happy with yet :( I enjoy the light grey theme in the Consumer Preview, but the tiles for the built-in apps come in around six different colours, and no matter what combination of those I try, in terms of placing them on the Start Screen, it just doesn't look right/good. Microsoft must make some improvements, I think, before I'm happy with how the Start Screen looks. Allowing us to select different tile colours might be a start, even if that means the tile is a different colour to the app.

Somebody talking about Start Screen colors being too different and stuff.

Its because they are using colors of different intensities.If MS restrict the intensities of every color it would look super!..

intensity I mean saturation.

I still think the default Start Screen is ugly as sin. I really wish Microsoft would focus on creating an attractive OoBE. Too many mis matched colors.

Completely agreed. It truly is fugly so far; it's not just a matter of getting used to a new look. And for the average user who will never customize their start screen, it's going to remain the default fugliness for the life of the user's system. It will just grow wider and wider.

@ all people complaining...

how many hours do you spend customizing your OS ?

seems all you "artists" want is just flashy ****

aero was really just a waste of resources. do you really need some transparency to see what windows is under your current window.

im sure there will be some way for you "artists" to turn aero back on with some 3rd party app. just like there is some 3rd party app to bring back the start button.

i really just laugh at all you people that spend hours customizing your OS. do you all freak out when you get on your friends machine too ?

Why do you care how people want to use their own PC?

If people spent ?1000~ on a PC and ?100~ on Windows who are you to chastise them, if they want flashy glass and no plain metro crap then that's what they want, being condescending doesn't make you right.

Why do you care how people want to use their own PC?

If people spent ?1000~ on a PC and ?100~ on Windows who are you to chastise them, if they want flashy glass and no plain metro crap then that's what they want, being condescending doesn't make you right.

While I agree that there's no need to attack people who like to customise Windows he does have a point. Microsoft's main goal shouldn't be to satisfy modders as they represent a tiny number of people. Instead, they should be working to build a stable OS that is easy for the majority to use. If that means sacrificing a legacy UI then so be it.

Everyone, Since RTM is mostly UI changes, than its safe to say that we can extract the resources from RP to make a aero based theme for RTM

From the looks of it they're going to use the new MSStyles (has new properties) so it might not be that easy. We'll have to wait and see, but either way someone will get to it.

I'm loving the straight corners are coming back. Rounded was just awful. Especially on XP where they weren't aliased.

You mean where they were aliased. If they weren't aliased, they'd be anti-aliased ... smoothed. Aliased means they were hard edges with no softer alpha info in the pixels. :)

also if I remember correctly those files were bitmaps.

In vista the graphic files are majority .pngs (alpha channel ones).

There was this pink thing in XP bitmaps which I think meant 100% transparency so in a way they could be anti-aliased.

What we need is smoother graphics for small and old icons. And guys open the Store app in CP and look closely at the back button. It is not anti-aliased. So .......... (clumsy MS).

Also a small thing which I don't think will be fixed. (when you load an app, The loading circles aren't sharp enough). They seem to be designed at a lower resolution than in what they display.

Everyone, Since RTM is mostly UI changes, than its safe to say that we can extract the resources from RP to make a aero based theme for RTM

Where did you read that Aero was off from Windows 8 RTM? So far we only know that the default theme will be "metro like", nothing more, nothing less.

Where did you read that Aero was off from Windows 8 RTM? So far we only know that the default theme will be "metro like", nothing more, nothing less.

I believe he's mostly referring to the aero glass

8400 is the public build coming this June, right? If so, I guess it's the last time we'll ever see Aero Glass...

The current (or very similar) Windows 8 Aero theme could very well still be included. It just won't be the default.

From the looks of it they're going to use the new MSStyles (has new properties) so it might not be that easy. We'll have to wait and see, but either way someone will get to it.

In time that will get cracked just like it was for XP, I honestly think it's better NOT to have glass take up most of the window chrome, this way you can get people to make more themes like during XPs first 4-5 years. Anyone remember apps like StylesXP iirc? Basically a glorified theme manager. I must have tried 20+ different themes when I used XP back then before I found a nice dark gray one I liked and stayed with. When Vista and then 7 showed up and glass took over all that theming, afaik, seems to have died with it. I don't think anyone is willing to switch to Aero basic and then run a theme seeing how you lose features in the process (like the thumbnail previews on the taskbar etc).

You mean where they were aliased. If they weren't aliased, they'd be anti-aliased ... smoothed. Aliased means they were hard edges with no softer alpha info in the pixels. :)

XP had the hard edges though, which is what I was trying to say.

The build is real, but the start menu is software developed by Win8China.

http://www.win8china.com/html/902.html

Awww. I was wondering how long it was going to go until someone figured it out. :laugh:

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Auto GOTO & 360° Pivot Freedom Enjoy pinpoint automated tracking with full 360° rotation. Powered by a high-sensitivity Sony IMX662 sensor (1/2.8-inch, 2.9μm pixels), it captures amazing, low-noise astro details, bringing faint nebulas and star clusters to life with stunning clarity. Pro-Level EQ Mode & Long Exposure Unlock advanced deep-space imaging with Equatorial (EQ) Mode. Supporting impressive single-frame exposures up to 90 seconds and featuring built-in light pollution filters, it easily cuts through city glow to reveal intricate celestial structures. Smart Cloud Processing & All-Ages Fun Effortlessly enhance your raw data with integrated cloud processing for professional-grade results. Perfect for beginners, kids, and adults, this telescope makes exploring and sharing the wonders of the universe an exciting, family-friendly adventure. The packaging is a pretty minimal affair with the outer box opening like a flap to reveal the plastic mould of the DWARF mini sitting in it. 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Then place the DWARF mini outside, make sure your smartphone or tablet is connected to it, and then head back inside, because you can manage it from the comfort of your home. Simply enter the Atlas tab in the app and search for what you want to capture, and then tap on the camera icon; the DWARF mini will then attempt to track the object and give you a live view right on your connected device. Results I've had the DWARF mini since April, but even though my garden is south-facing, I had a lot of trouble trying to capture a good image of the moon. In the end, it was possible after I took it with me on a trip to my parents in Southend, UK, at the end of May. Here is a capture of the moon, resulting from 20 stacked images over a 90-second exposure. What you are seeing here is not AI-assisted. A good example of what I mean is the latest flagships with their 200MP cameras claiming to capture things like closeups of the moon, and while they are not as good as the above example on the DWARF mini, the resulting image on smartphones is actually AI-assisted above 30X zoom. Here is an example of a similar shot at the moon at 200X zoom using an HONOR Magic8 Pro. The difference is clear. Next, here we have a shot of the daytime moon. Here is a shot of Arcturus, the red giant star, which is the fourth brightest in the night sky. As previously mentioned, it could be a bit clearer, but clouds passing in front of it muddied the shot a bit. The Sun The DWARF mini also ships with a sun filter, meaning you can take great shots of the sun as well. Tracking Sun Resulting (stacked) shot Live zoom The pictures themselves are limited to Full HD, and some of the examples actually came out in HD (1280x720), but this is because the standard telescopic result is in 720p while "Wide" is in 1080p. Above you can see how in the app the Sun is tracked, the resulting capture, and Live zoom. I have only scratched the surface of what is possible with this telescope; I found several examples online of shots of the Milky Way, among others, such as nebulae and galaxies. All of this requires patience and knowledge, although if you know what you are looking for, simply enter it in the Atlas tab in the DWARFLAB app, tap the camera icon, and the telescope will attempt to track it. Conclusion The good The DWARF mini definitely places itself in a price point that makes astrology accessible to anyone looking to get started in the hobby. Say you want to have a closer look at the moon, simply enter it in the Atlas, and the Live view also lets you zoom in and snap pictures. The bad Some issues I came across while operating the DWARF mini were that it sometimes failed to connect unless I held my smartphone right next to it, and finding and tracking sometimes took several attempts to get it calibrated. I discovered that it helped if I sort of positioned and pointed the telescope in the general area it was supposed to detect, but this obviously wouldn't work with objects you can't see with the naked eye; more testing is required for that. Another bit of advice is to ensure that the lens is clean. While making the examples of live zooming on the sun, I discovered that the telescope lens and sun filter were not completely clean, and only after cleaning with a microfiber cloth was I able to get a decent shot of the sun. Where to buy and a coupon Okay, $399 is not cheap for a side hobby, but nor is a $1,500 smartphone flagship that you'll most likely have for a couple of years. This is a one-time entrance into astrology, and it won't become obsolete in one year like a smartphone. It's a thumbs up from me. The DWARF mini is available to buy right now in the U.S. and U.K. at the links below. DWARF mini for $399 on the official site DWARF mini for $399 on Amazon U.S. Use the NEOWIN5OFF coupon code for an additional 5% off at checkout (expires June 21) As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
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    • The name, you mean? If so, it's actually the objects common name. There's another one called NGC 7293 which is also known as Helix Nebula (because we're looking at a helix structure top down) but other times also known as the Eye of God. You'll understand when you see it
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