Tag: Announcements

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New on the Download Center: Microsoft Office Outlook Connector 12.1 Beta

Now available on the Microsoft Download Centre… the free Office Outlook Connector, to access and manage your Hotmail and Office Live Mail accounts with Outlook 2003 and Outlook 2007…

“…including e-mail messages, contacts and calendars for free!

“Outlook Connector enables you to use your Live Hotmail accounts within Outlook:

  • Read and send your Office Live Mail/Windows Live Hotmail e-mail messages.
  • Manage your contacts in Windows Live Hotmail.
  • Use advanced options for blocking junk e-mail messages.
  • Manage multiple e-mail accounts in one place.
  • Manage, and synchronize multiple calendars, including shared calendars to Windows Live Calendar from Outlook.

“Note to Premium Subscribers: The Outlook Connector will automatically upgrade your MSN Calendar to the new Windows Live Calendar beta. Once upgraded to Windows Live Calendar, you will be able to synchronize multiple calendars, including shared calendars to Outlook! You will no longer be able to access MSN Calendar.”

Download details: Microsoft Office Outlook Connector 12.1 Beta

Tags: Microsoft, Office, Outlook.

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Microsoft Financial Analyst Meeting: webcast available live

As noted on our website, Microsoft hosts a Financial Analyst Meeting tomorrow (July 24).  You can listen in to the action and get the play-by-play as a live webcast will be available starting at 8:30AM Pacific Time. As noted on Bloomberg news today…

“Ballmer, along with Chief Financial Officer Chris Liddell and the presidents of Microsoft’s three businesses, will address analysts and investors tomorrow at company headquarters in Redmond…”

Hopefully analysts will get a little more clarity about the business given the confusion raised in this ComputerWorld article. 

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Kevin Johnson to leave Microsoft

“I read the news today… oh, boy.”

You can read more in the Journal article by Robert Guth…

“The head of Microsoft Corp.’s online business who led the company’s bid to buy Yahoo Inc. is leaving the software giant to run Juniper Networks, Inc., according to people familiar with the situation. The departure of Kevin Johnson, president of Microsoft’s Platforms and Services Division, will be combined with a re-organization of Mr. Johnson’s business unit, which houses both the online services business and Windows software for personal computers.

“Under the plan, Mr. Johnson’s group — Microsoft’s largest by headcount — will be split into two parts, one overseeing the Windows operating system and related Windows Live online serve and a second, which will oversee Microsoft’s online services, which include the company’s Internet search, online advertising and MSN services, said people familiar with the situation.”

And more news available in today’s news…

Tags: Microsoft, Kevin Johnson.

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Of interest: Windows Vista Compatibility Center launched

Not long ago I posted information on Bill Veghte’s letter with “An Update on the Windows Roadmap” with facts on Windows Vista, in which he noted that…

“Today Windows Vista supports about 77,000 components and devices, which is more than twice as many as we supported at launch… [and] 98 of the top 100 applications for Windows sold at retail in US in the last year… [and] Application Compatibility Updates for more than 125 popular PC games to enable them to work on Windows Vista. These updates are installed automatically using Windows Update.”

Wondering if your favorite stuff works with Windows Vista? Here’s where you can find out if it already does or if you just need a new driver. You’ll get the latest details on thousands of products and benefit from users’ feedback.

imageThe new Windows Vista Compatibility Center launched this week may answer your questions.

When it comes to moving to Windows Vista, we know that one of the most often asked questions stem around device and software compatibility.  Over the last year, we’ve seen significant improvements in Vista compatible device drivers and ISVs have helped to improve overall software application compatibility (aka “app compat”).  This new site (which is updated regularly) should help you get guidance on the compatibility status for thousands of devices and software applications.  We provide links to new drivers and software updates and upgrades.

We also provide links for your your feedback, if you want to suggest a product for consideration on the site, to report a compatibility issue that you’ve encountered, or comments you have on the site itself.  More on how this works later.

Tags: Windows, Windows 7, Microsoft, Windows Vista, Bill Veghte.

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Microsoft partners with Netflix on Xbox Live (msnbc.com)

It’s a long time coming, but good to see that after a few hints here and there, we finally have word from Kristin Kalning, Games editor on MSNBC in this article that beginning this fall in the States, the catalogue of streaming video titles available from Netflix will be available directly from your Xbox 360…

“The announcement, which came about midway through Microsoft’s press briefing at E3, an annual video and computer games trade show, confirmed a long-rumored partnership between the two companies… Netflix gains access to 12 million Xbox Live members. And Microsoft gets a shot at millions of Netflix subscribers who might be swayed to buy an Xbox 360.

“Netflix helps Xbox because there are 8 million of Netflix subscribers, and three-quarters of them are the right age demographic to buy a console,” says Michael Pachter, an analyst with Wedbush Morgan. “This gives them one more reason.”

The Netflix PlayerBut, I will say, that for a room where you don’t need a game system that includes a DVD player and Internet access, Roku’s inexpensive Netflix player (as noted here) is still a good option to consider.  It’s small, inexpensive ($99) and easy to to set up and use, with all the right connections (RCA, S-video, component video, HDMI, and optical audio).  But with the recent price drop to $299 for the 20GB console (and announcement of a new model with increased storage to 60 GB), I think that it’s a small premium over the Roku and other Media Center Extenders, for a new device that does so much.   

Additional links:

Tags: Microsoft, Netflix, Xbox Live.