Category: Uncategorized

Categories
Uncategorized

News: Microsoft wraps up Office 2007

The Inside Office Online blog and CNET News report that Office is done today.



“Both Windows Vista and Office are slated for release to big businesses on Nov. 30. Microsoft has issued near-final test releases of Vista, but has not yet completed the final, or “gold,” code for the new operating system.


“As for Office 2007, the upcoming release sports some major changes from Office 2003, including new file formats and a radically revised user interface. In addition to those and other changes that have been known for months, Microsoft noted that it has also added a feature to Outlook to make it easier to send text messages to cell phones.”


The news is that Vista Enterprise is on track, too. Barring the ill effects of bad weather in the area all should be good.


More info on line at http://www.microsoft.com/business/launch2007/default.mspx.


And if you haven’t seen it, visit the new Office Online.

Categories
Uncategorized

Friday Humour: kids & computers

This says it all… my kids have been using computers, DVR and the Web long before they were able to read.



By the talented Dick Locher.


Tags: , .

Categories
Uncategorized

What I’ve read and caught up on (110306)

Fall is here in the PacNW. The nice thing is that the busses are running on time, and Windows Vista looks very solid. Here are a few articles from the reading file and ones I re-read during the commute this past week. These are all available for download, which makes it easy to view later on mobile devices and PCs.



Cingular: Giving Away the (Music) Store – The cell-phone carrier’s new mobile music strategy allows users to download songs to handsets at no charge—but players are a different story. by Steve Rosenbush November 3, 2006

Linux Linkup for Microsoft, Novell (BusinessWeek) – “In a surprising development, Microsoft (MSFT) on Nov. 2 entered into a broad partnership with longtime rival Novell (NOVL) and agreed to provide some support to Linux, the open-source operating system that competes with its own Windows operating system.


Jeff Bezos’ Risky Bet – Amazon’s CEO wants to run your business with the technology behind his Web site. But Wall street wants him to mind the store. Nov 13, 2006


YouTube Finds Signing Rights Deals Complex, Frustrating – WSJ.com – Videos of the hit rap song “Smack That” have been viewed more than half a million times on the popular Web site YouTube. That doesn’t include the countless amateur videos of young people lip-syncing to its infectious beat…


Motorola “Follow Me TV” DVR Set-top Solution Poised for Widespread Deployment through Cable Providers in 2007 – On the heels of the shipment of its 50 millionth digital cable set-top box, Motorola went into demo mode in New York November 2 for its Follow Me TV.


Analysis: Web 2.0 Technologies (Network Computing) – Is one of the most hyped technologies in our industry too untamed for the enterprise? Web 2.0 technologies offer great promise, but they’re still immature and guaranteed to dramatically change your infrastructure in terms of monitoring, management, security


Analysis: Metro Wi-Fi – Wireless (Network Computing) – “City governments are offering metro wireless services with speeds and latency that can’t be beat. We examine how metro Wi-Fi can fit into your mobile data access strategy.” Oct 5, 2006 – By Frank Bulk


Mobile Video: The Next Killer App (Network Computing) – Mobile video technologies will be driven by consumer entertainment, but the technical advances required to make this happen will also pay dividends for enterprise users. Oct 5, 2006 – By Dave Molta


Gartner: Enterprises Should Update To IE 7 (TechWeb, Gartner) – Enterprises that have been thinking of dropping Microsoft’s Internet Explorer browser should reconsider now that IE 7 is out, Gartner analysts said. By Gregg Keizer, TechWeb Technology News, October 26, 2006


AT&T unveils video home-monitoring service (ZDNet) – AT&T, said on Thursday it would start to offer a monitoring service that would let U.S. customers use cell phones or computers to receive alerts or view a real-time video feed from their home. Published on ZDNet News: October 26, 2006


Microsoft Relaxes Vista License Terms – Responding to a wave of criticism following news that the licensing terms in Windows Vista allowed the operating system to be moved to another computer only once, Microsoft has changed its position and relaxed the restriction for retail copies of Vista.


News from PC Magazine: Microsoft to Support Open-Source Linux with Novell – Microsoft announced in a press conference on Thursday that the company has struck a deal with Novell Inc. to allow open-source Linux software to work compatibly with Windows. By Natali T. Del Conte, 11.02.06


Is Mac Growth In Business World Next For High-Flying Apple? (InformationWeek) – Its popular iPod aside, Apple sold more Macs in the past quarter than ever before. The conditions are right for Mac to grow beyond its niche in business, and some say it’s already happening. By Thomas Claburn InformationWeek, Oct 19, 2006


Microsoft Expression Web Gives Dreamweaver A Run For Its Money (IW) – Die-hard Dreamweaver fans aren’t likely to switch to Microsoft’s Expression Web, but some serious coders who aren’t wedded to the longtime market leader are finding a lot to like in the FrontPage replacement. Nov 3, 2006 – By Brian Livingston


FCC Endorses Broadband over Powerline (TechWeb) – The Federal Communications Commission on Friday gave a big boost to Broadband over Powerline (BPL), classifying the technology as an “information service.” By W. David Gardner, TechWeb Technology News, November 03, 2006


Smartphone Buyer’s Guide – Technology News by TechWeb – TW’s in-depth investigation into the top smartphone vendors’ strategies, plus a comparison of the hottest new models. By Elena Malykhina of InformationWeek, Oct 30, 2006 12:02


Autonomic Computing Special Report (Network Computing) – Vision Vs. Reality: Five years ago, IBM’s Paul Horn articulated a new way of thinking about Information Technology. In this second article of our business innovation series, we examine how far the technology of autonomic computing has come.


Adobe’s big bet on flash (Fortune) – Adobe’s strategy has kept the wind in its sails for over 15 years. By Oliver Ryan, September 22 2006


Fortune on Breakway brands – 10 Breakaway brands: These companies – from eBay to Geico – cut down on hype and connected with customers, says Fortune’s Ellen McGirt. By Ellen McGirt, Fortune senior writer, September 8 2006


How I Work series: Macromanaging with an eye for detail – Macromanaging at Martha Stewart Living: An interview with Susan Lyne, 56, President and CEO of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia. By Julie Schlosser, Fortune Magazine, September 13 2006 


Tags: , , .

Categories
Uncategorized

Article, videos: Linux Linkup for Microsoft, Novell

Businessweek offers their coverageon the Microsoft-Novell announcement., which the WSJ said “makes it easier for customers to use both the Linux and Windows operating systems.“



“In a surprising development, Microsoft (MSFT) on Nov. 2 entered into a broad partnership with longtime rival Novell (NOVL) and agreed to provide some support to Linux, the open-source operating system that competes with its own Windows operating system. Linux, which is developed by a community of software developers who share their code, has long been viewed as one of the most serious threats to the lucrative Windows franchise.


“Under the agreement, Microsoft will offer sales support for SUSE Linux, a version of the operating system sold by Novell. The two companies have also agreed to develop technologies to make it easier for users to run both SUSE Linux and Microsoft’s Windows on their computers. “They said it couldn’t be done,” Steve Ballmer, Microsoft’s chief executive, said in a prepared statement. “This is a new model and a true evolution of our relationship that we think customers will immediately find compelling.”  


More info: the Video Press conference on the WSJ web site


Has Novell gotten the memo? See an example of Novell’s humour, which they term as a “public service announcement.”

Categories
Uncategorized

Changes announced today in Windows Vista transfer limits

CNET News reports today the changes in Windows Vista transfer limits. This was reported in the news last month (see this story link on InternetNews), when it was reported that in “customers will only be able to reinstall Vista on a new machine once. After that, they will have to buy a new copy of Vista.”


Not so. 



“Reversing a licensing change announced two weeks ago, Microsoft said on Thursday that it will not limit the number of times that retail customers can transfer their Windows Vista license to a different computer. On Oct. 16, Microsoft issued the new user license for Vista, including terms that would have limited the ability of those who buy a boxed copy of the operating system to transfer that license. Under the proposed terms, users could have made such a switch only one time.


“However, the new restriction prompted an outcry among hardware enthusiasts and others. Microsoft is returning the licensing terms to basically what they were in Windows XP–users can transfer their license to a new PC an unlimited number of times, provided they uninstall and stop using it on the prior machine.


“The software maker said it paid attention to the response both directly to the company and on blogs and decided to reverse course.


“…Microsoft product manager Mike Burk (said) “At the same time, after listening to the feedback that came in, (we) felt that we needed to make this change.”


Tags: , , , , .