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The list of articles I’ve read thsi week so far…

Google… the OS for Advertising (GigaOM) “If you read through all the announcements and analyses about their recent deals and initiatives, it becomes clear that a common vision unites them all. Simply put, Google is building what is essentially an operating system (”OS”) for advertising…

Still sticking it to the consumer (CNET News) Gigi B. Sohn’s perspective on how “…Congress, in a lame duck session, and the recording industry is still trying to stick it to consumers. The industry continues to push legislation that would outlaw new, innovative devices that consumers use…

Sony’s PS3 Issues Threaten Revival (BusinessWeek) “More problems. This isn’t the debut Sony had in mind for its whiz-bang PlayStation 3 game console. … a scarcity of PS3s created chaos … during the Japan launch. This time it’s incompatibility with certain PS and PS2 games.

Zune is Bustin’ Out All Over (Dealerscope Today) “Perhaps Apple’s dominance in this market has to do with more than just how good the product is. It’s cool to have an iPod. It’s cool to share your iTunes libraries. And iTunes itself has become the standard way to categorize music.

The Jim Allchin EULA clearly states that the co-president’s silly remarks may not be taken out of context (GMSV blog) – When Microsoft co-President Jim Allchin remarked last week that Windows Vista is so secure he allows it to run unprotected by antivirus software on his 7-year-old son’s PC, I thought his comment might someday join some other famously ill-fated predictions…

Finally, a way to get low-res video for our high-def TV (Good Morning Silicon Valley blog) “If press releases were fallen trees, TiVo could almost build a life raft out of them. The struggling PVR pioneer issued five of them this morning, all touting an expanded broadband strategy designed to keep it relevant in the face of stiff competition…

Zune: Microsoft’s big, bold step falls short (MercuryNews) The Microsoft Zune is the newest portable media player on the block, and the reason for its existence — beyond Microsoft’s envy of Apple’s iPod business — is sharing. But a single feature can’t overcome the massive momentum behind the iPod.

Oakland A’s unveil field of tech dreams (MercuryNews) Oakland A’s owner Lew Wolff on Tuesday unveiled his long-awaited plan to build the baseball park of the future in Fremont, promising high-tech gadgetry for fans and an economic boost for Silicon Valley. By Barry Witt, 11.15.06

Big-box battle: Retailers hope to lure holiday shoppers early (AP) On Tuesday, Wal-Mart, the world’s largest retailer, announced its fourth price-slashing move since mid-October and said that it would have its most aggressive discounting ever this holiday season. Its rival, Target, vowed price cuts, too.

New Microsoft products produce more bullish assessment (The Seattle Times) Chairman Bill Gates talked up the Zune media player, which debuted Monday… Gates also sees growth as the company enters entertainment and online services areas. Microsoft executives gave shareholders an upbeat assessment of the company’s growth prospects.

Wireless Internet’s new target: Seattle homes (The Seattle Times) Clearwire, wireless pioneer Craig McCaw’s latest venture, is officially launching a new service in Seattle that provides Internet service to the home wirelessly.

Caught in the Web: More People Say Heavy Internet Use Is Disrupting Their Lives (Washington Post) “… and Medical Experts Are Paying Attention. There’s still no consensus on how much time online constitutes too much or whether addiction is possible. Internet users average about 3 1/2 hours online each day…

AMD Discontinues Low-Cost PC (Washington Post) “(AMD) has quietly discontinued a money-losing line of low-cost PCs aimed at helping customers in developing countries get access to the Internet, according to a regulatory filing. …the Personal Internet Communicator was built …

Zune Swoon: Microsoft’s music player has no future (PC Magazine) By John C. Dvorak: “If anything is doomed to failure, it is the Microsoft Zune. I have no idea who is marketing this device within the company, but from what I can tell, this is going to become a major turkey in the product mix.

Sony PS3 Japan Launch Hits Software Glitches (Reuters) “Sony Corp. sold 88,400 units of its PlayStation 3 game console in the first two days after the launch in Japan. Unfortunately, the console does not run about 200 Playstation and PS2 games properly, leaving fans a bit disappointed, to say the least.”

Samsung SGH-i607 BlackJack review (PC Magazine) If you’re a Cingular user who has been enviously eyeing T-Mobile and Verizon users’ Dashes and Qs, this little Windows Mobile PDA/phone will thrill you. Pros: Smallest HSDPA smart device. Strong reception. Loud earpiece. By Sascha Segan, 11.13.06

Windows Vista Developer Talks About Quality (eWeek) eWeek’s discussion with Michael Wallent, GM in Windows, talking about Windows Vista quality, and comparisons with past Windows releases. By Peter Galli, Nov 10, 2006

Lenovo ThinkPad X60 Tablet Review (PC Magazine) PCMag’s review of the new X60: “The ultimate tablet experience is back with a faster processor, new screen options and built-in EV-DO. Intel Core Duo components. Three screen options. New digitizer pen. Daylong battery life.” By Cisco Cheng, Nov 14, 2006

Putting Nintendo back in the game (The Seattle Times) Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime has achieved superstar status among hard-core gamers. … the 45-year-old Fils-Aime has rebuilt the gaming company’s image and business this side of the Pacific Ocean. By Kim Peterson Nov 12, 2006

Tags: misc, articles, what I read, zune.

Of interest is this item on Lifehacker.com, just in time for the holidays, “Geek to Live: A meaty Thanksgiving download.” In a 17MB download, it promises that they will “save you the trouble of chasing down half a dozen PC fix-it tools in the midst of your post-turkey coma. Instead we’ve put together everything you’ll need to right your famliy’s borked computer into one meaty Thanksgiving download…”

Lifehacker’s Thanksgiving PC Rescue Kit – (zip file, 17MB)

“This zip file contains half a dozen free tools we recommend to scan and clean and protect a malware-laden PC. Either download right now and save to your thumb drive, or bookmark this page for next week’s tech support session. The entire file is less than 17 megabytes, which will leave room on your USB drive for those Neil Diamond tracks Mom asked you to download for her.”

Additional resources:

Windows Live Safety Center – A Web service designed to help ensure the health of your computer with free scanning tools that help you get rid of unwanted software.
Malicious Software Removal Tool – A security tool that checks your computer for specific viruses and other malicious software and helps remove any infection found. This tool alone has run more than 2 billion executions.

Also check out my past posts on computer security, here on protecting your pc and here on screen scraping, trojan horses and stronger passwords.

Tags: Microsoft, security, OneCare.

Tags: misc, articles, what I read, zune.

What do consumers think about the Zune?