Beyond Binary

DeviantArt gets 1.5 billion page views a month, making it one of the most popular Web sites that many people have never even heard of.

Despite the name, only a fraction of the art on the site is what might be labeled deviant. In reality, the site boasts millions of user-uploaded works of art, everything from photography to 3D digital conceptual art to old-fashioned canvas-and-paint portraits.

Think of it as a YouTube for artists trying to show their own work. Pieces can be viewed, commented on, even added to a user's own gallery of favorites. The range of … Read more

Microsoft's billions appear to have Yahoo's board divided, according to a report Friday in the New York Post.

On Monday, Yahoo sent out a press release stating that the board had "unanimously" rejected the bid.

But some of the company's independent directors apparently don't detect a solid alternative to selling to Redmond and see CEO Jerry Yang as taking an "emotional" anything-but-Microsoft approach.

In one camp are Yahoo Chairman Ray Bostock and billionaire investor Ron Burkle, according to the newspaper, while Yang appears to have support from Softbank's Eric Hippeau and … Read more

Microsoft made its leadership changes official on Thursday, promoting more than a dozen executives and confirming the departure or pending departure of three top executives.

As expected, Windows VP Mike Sievert, online services senior VP Steven Berkowitz, and Windows Mobile head Pieter Knook are all leaving the company. Knook is heading to a new post at Vodafone, Sievert plans to start his own company, and Berkowitz will stay at Microsoft through August, as his duties transition to other executives.

Microsoft promoted several executives to fill the departures. Bill Veghte moves from VP to senior vice president and adds responsibility for … Read more

Update 1:50 p.m. PST: Added Microsoft's overall lobbying expense figures for the first half of 2007.

Here's a shocker: Microsoft lobbies Congress.

OK, so it's not. But it's interesting to keep tabs on how much the software maker is spending and who it's hired to do its bidding.

The Associated Press reported that Microsoft paid $160,000 last year to the firm Patton Boggs to lobby on "antitrust issues surrounding mergers and acquisitions in the technology sector." The bulk of that--$120,000--was spent in the second half of the year, … Read more

Well, we now know what other interests Pieter Knook will be pursuing. Knook, whose departure was expected to be announced this afternoon as part of a broader executive shuffle, is joining Vodafone to head up a new Internet services unit.

The unit will work on delivering consumer Web services on mobile devices and driving new revenue for the British carrier. Knook, a 17-year Microsoft veteran, will start on March 10.

Server and Tools executive Andy Lees is being tapped to run Microsoft's mobile unit, according to sources. Microsoft also recently hired Staples executive Todd Peters to head Windows Mobile marketing. … Read more

Updated 10:30 p.m. with comments from Mike Sievert.

I'll say it again. Microsoft has a lot to learn when it comes to celebrating Valentine's Day.

A long-anticipated Microsoft executive shuffle will be formally announced on Thursday, according to sources familiar with the company's plans.

The move will see three top executives--including two prominent outside hires--leaving the company. Exiting Microsoft are: Senior Vice President Steven Berkowitz, the former Ask.com CEO who had been heading Microsoft's online services unit, and Mike Sievert, the former AT&T Wireless executive brought in to run Windows marketing. … Read more

With the CompUSA liquidation in full swing, some of the deals at closing stores have started to get quite interesting.

The hardware was not necessarily much of a bargain. During a recent stroll through the downtown San Francisco store, I found desktops and notebooks discounted 20 percent, and in many cases there was only a well-used demo model for sale. There were also printers (some new in boxes and some demo machines), but I suspect one can get a PC or printer for a better price just by shopping the weekend circulars.

The real bargains were in the software area. … Read more

Microsoft has renamed its enterprise health care business to something with a whole lot fewer Scrabble points.

The software maker said the Azyxxi product line, which Microsoft acquired in July 2006, will now be known as Amalga.

"One of the health care enterprise's biggest issues is that providers and executives can't access patient information when, where and how they need it," Microsoft health unit general manager Steve Shihadeh said in a statement. "Microsoft's Amalga products offer proven solutions that bring together information from across the health care enterprise into one, easily accessible view. In … Read more

Microsoft didn't say how much it was paying for Danger when it announced the deal on Monday. However, according to Om Malik, the price tag for the company was $500 million.

That's more than $1 million per employee for the company, which has 294 workers. However, the price tag makes some sense when you consider the company has taken in $225 million from investors and had been pondering an IPO.