Windows 8 users running Skype will now have the option to exert greater control over who can contact them, thanks to a new software update. Version 1.6 of Skype, tipped by the company in a blog post on Friday, brings the ability to block contacts. The update also includes a number of performance enhancements for the audio and video chatting software.

Users can now swipe at the top or bottom of their screens to bring up a command bar relating to a particular contact's name. They can then select "block" in order to cease receiving contacts from that user. Users also have the option to label a contact request as spam or to remove a contact entirely.

In addition to contact blocking, version 1.6 fixes an issue that saw outgoing video sometimes not displayed after switching the camera. Another issue, in which Skype would display the wrong call error message when a call failed, has also been fixed.

The Linux Foundation Secure Boot System solves a fundamental problem for many Linux distributions, by providing a way for a Linux-based OS to run on new hardware controlled by UEFI firmware, also known as “secure boot” technology.

Linux Foundation technical advisory board member James Bottomley led the development of the bootloader.

As a potential replacement to the long-used BIOS firmware, UEFI is an industry initiative to secure computers against malware by designing the computer’s firmware to require a trusted key before booting the operating system, or any hardware inside the computer, such as a graphics card. UEFI would provide a foundation for a chain of trust that would connect all the way up to the software layer, which could thwart attempts to install illicit, and harmful, software on computers.

Microsoft is requiring UEFI on all machines running Windows 8. While OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) have the option of providing a way to turn off UEFI so other operating systems can run on the machine, many in the Linux community fear that OEMs will not provide a UEFI off-switch, thereby not allowing other OSes without a key to run on these machines. A generic Linux distribution will not run on a Windows 8 computer without keys.

The latest releases of many major Linux distributions now include a bootloader or a shim of some sort to work with UEFI, including Ubuntu 12.10 and Fedora 18. This UEFI requirement, however, has been seen as a roadblock for those who like to create their own distributions of Linux. The Linux Foundation bootloader provides a hash code, certified by Microsoft, and support infrastructure to boot a generic Linux kernel.

This is not the first approach someone in the Linux camp has devised for working with UEFI. Security developer Matthew Garrett released his own shim last year. A shim is different from a bootloader in that in that it does not require a signed key from a third party, though this approach is more unwieldy to manage. Garrett and Bottomley are discussing merging Garrett’s shim with the Linux Foundation’s bootloader.

UEFI has proved to be a challenge to implement even for Microsoft Windows. Garrett also reported that certain Samsung laptops running Windows 8 could permanently stop working due to a bug in how the Samsung firmware stores system crash data in the UEFI storage space.

Google’s original idea was to cutoff Exchange ActiveSync support at the end of January. The plan, however, is changed and the date is now extended through July 31st. According to a statement sent to TheVerge, the search giant will “start rolling out this change as planned across all platforms but will continue to support Google Sync for Windows Phone until July 31, 2013.”

The move comes in response to Microsoft’s requests to extend the Exchange ActiveSync support for six months, allowing Windows Phone users to continue using Google Sync. In the meantime, the Redmond giant will prepare an update for Windows Phone to support CardDav and CalDAV protocols.

There is a workaround solution for Windows 8 and Windows RT users though calendar support is still not there yet — and will most likely be released shortly. In any case, we’re glad to see the big boys agreeing on something, helping users keep their existing settings.

Microsoft dished its second quarter earnings today without too many surprises.

Windows 8 sales were the biggest news the company had to share, though the figures weren't anything we haven't heard before - Microsoft said it sold more than 60 million licenses of the new operating system since it launched in October.

Other than that, Microsoft's numbers stayed pretty steady compared to the same quarter last year. Its total revenue rose to $21 billion in the last three months of 2012, compared to $20 billion at the end of 2011.

The tech giant's operating income slipped a few hundred million in the last year to about $7.8 billion from just below $8 billion in 2011.

Windows 8's winnings

Windows 8 seemed be the best bread winner for Microsoft. Windows Division posted a revenue of $5.88 billion, which is up 24 percent from last year.

Though Microsoft touted its Windows 8 sales, it seems like it still has some ways to go before it dominates the PC landscape. CFO Peter Klein noted that about 60 percent of enterprise desktops worldwide still are operating on Windows 7.

Klein painted the launch of Windows 8 as a bold rebuilding of the desktop environment that will take a bit of time to gain traction among consumers.

"This is a big, ambitious reimagining of Windows and this quarter was the first step in that process," Klein said during a Q&A with investors.

"So the traction, the ramp, should get better over time? So we should not be judging the cycle over the December quarter?" one caller asked.

"I highlighted the things that drive that, exactly," Klein replied.

But Windows 8 seems to be keeping pace with Windows 7 sales when it just launched. With Windows 8 selling 60 million copies in the first three or so months after release, both operating systems moved about 20 million licenses a month.

Windows 7 was able to keep up that sales rate for the first nine months, and we'll just have to wait and see how the newest version fares.

On the Surface

Though Microsoft shared plenty of figures, some numbers were notably absent: Microsoft Surface sales.

During the call, Microsoft executives were careful to dance around the sales numbers of new touch tablets, giving few clues to how the Surface RT (the Surface Pro won't go on sale until Feb.) is actually fairing.

Though the Xbox 360 remains to be the top selling console, the Entertainment and Devices Division only posted $3.7 billion in revenue, down 11 percent from last year and 2 percent from Q1.

Since Surface sales are lumped in with game sales, it's hard to get a precise gauge of how the tablet is selling. There are plenty of other devices included in those numbers, but something has to be dragging down that revenue.

Price points

Throughout the investor call, the point was repeatedly brought up that the price tag of Surface tablets is a little too high for consumers' tastes, though nothing was said explicitly.

Klein said the launch of Windows 8 provided a good learning experience for the company, especially when it comes to the price of a tablet.

"Obviously we had some limited distribution [of Surface] this quarter in our stores, and as you know, we're excited about expanding that," he said.

"We learned a lot this quarter. We learned a lot about the types of experiences and scenarios, and to some extent, the price points that customers are looking for in their devices."

He said the key was finding the right price points for the right devices, and folks should expect to see a greater variety of devices with more diverse prices.

Though Microsoft was shy to share news of how Surface was doing, it doesn't seem like the big M is giving up on tablets. Klein said the company recently increased production of Surface tablets, and is expanding their availability into third-party retailers.

Next month, Microsoft will be expanding Windows RT into 14 more countries, and at the same time release Surface Windows 8 Pro.

Microsoft Gulf and Union National Bank (UNB) on Monday announced a partnership that will see UNB upgrade parts of its IT infrastructure to Windows 8. UNB said that, when it is completed, the IT model will be the first of its kind in the UAE’s financial sector.

“This partnership will serve as an important vehicle for business growth by giving UNB the opportunity to be the first in implementing and exploring the business benefits of Windows 8, and I am very pleased that UNB is a partner in this landmark agreement with Microsoft,” said Zuhair Sulaiman, Senior Vice-President and CIO, UNB.

The implementation phase of the project began in November 2012, with Microsoft Gulf upgrading UNB’s IT environment. The two firms claimed that, once they are operational, the new solutions will provide flexible work environments, faster delivery and greater reliability.

Microsoft also asserted that the solution is modular, meaning it can be scaled to meet UNB’s future technology requirements.

“To reinforce its commitment, Microsoft has provided the highest level of quality assurance guarantees at all stages of the project to enable an enhanced usage experience with Windows 8,” said Ziad Rizk, Commercial Sector Sales Manager, Microsoft Gulf. “We are also very pleased that, as part of this agreement, UNB will be the first bank in the UAE to roll out the recently launched Windows 8 on all its PCs and commend the bank on its innovative approach.”

With its support for multi-device access and touch-screen functions, UNB believes that Windows 8 will meet its customers’ needs. The bank also said that the OS’s new features will bring a new technology resource to the table.