microsoft

The best defense is a good offense

Who knew squirrels could be so smart? Apparently, California squirrels are fed up with rattlesnakes and so do what each of us would do under similar circumstances:

Heat up our tails and shake them vigorously at the snakes.

But apparently it isn't just a reflex, because they only do it with rattlesnakes.

Confronted by gopher snakes, which can't sense heat, the squirrels wave their tails vigorously, but don't bother to heat them up.

It makes me wonder why we don't do the same to Microsoft and other would-be predators on open source.… Read more

Siggraph 2007 wrap-up

Here are a final few tidbits from my last day at Siggraph:

Microsoft Research gave a great presentation on HD View, a company project based on capturing, assembling, and displaying multi-gigapixel image. These images are stitched together from hundreds of pictures captured through… Read more

The power of Apple's culture

I spent much of yesterday down at Apple, and while it's no secret that I'm an Apple fan, even I was surprised by how enlightening the experience was. Apple is not Apple because of its technology. Apple is Apple because of the fervor with which its employees believe in the corporate mission.

That fervor was evident in abundance as I ate in the cafeteria, as I walked the halls, and even in the lobby.… Read more

Microsoft's August Patch Tuesday to include nine patches

In a preview of what's to be expected Tuesday, Microsoft said the August Patch Tuesday will include nine patches, six of which it will rate as "critical." The remaining three are considered "important."

The patches will cover the Windows OS, the Microsoft Office suite, Internet Explorer, Windows Media Player and Windows Virtual PC. Of the six critical patches, one is shared between Windows and Microsoft Office.

It is expected that one or both recent hot fixes to Windows Vista released last week will also be included on Tuesday.

Cloud Storage: Windows Live SkyDrive gets named and updated

Microsoft announced today that they would be renaming their online storage solution, Windows Live Folders, to Windows Live SkyDrive. I wrote about Windows Live Folders back at the end of June when the product was first released into a limited beta if you want a little perspective on this release.

In addition to the announcement today that the final name is Windows Live Folders, Microsoft also pushed out some upgrades to the service. Those include an updated user interface, drag and drop file upload, a "recently viewed users" section, the ability to embed files in web pages or … Read more

Ford releases Sync pricing info

CNET readers were so impressed with Sync, the in-car media application developed by Microsoft for Ford, that they voted it the winner of the People's Voice award for Best of CES 2007. Today Ford released details on how much the people are going to have to fork over to choose Sync on select 2008 Ford, Mercury, and Lincoln models: a pretty reasonable $395.

Those who do option up will get one of the most sophisticated media and communications systems available. As we found in our hands-on test, the Sync application, which runs on a Microsoft Auto platform, enables drivers … Read more

Can SpiralFrog thrive without portable support?

SpiralFrog is a proposed online service that would let users download songs for free in exchange for viewing some sort of advertising. It got some press coverage last August when it announced an agreement to license the music catalog of Universal Music Group, the largest of the four major labels. Over the next few months, however, a missed launch date and executive shake-up led many to write it off as dead.

But the company survived, and now its founder, Joe Mohen, is heralding the beginning of a closed beta test in the United States, with wide release expected by the … Read more

Zoho launches Viewer, a Web-based attachment tool

Gone are the days of needing software to open up e-mail attachments. Between Gmail and a handful of online office tools, the reliance on Microsoft Office isn't nearly as much of a stranglehold as it was in the 90s. This morning Zoho is expanding its format-free nature with a new tool called Viewer that will open up 15 different types of common file formats from Microsoft, Open Office, Open Document, and others such as PDFs, CSVs, and HTML files. There's also a form to submit file types you want supported in future updates.

Once uploaded, files show up … Read more

Xbox 360 Premium now includes HDMI

The Xbox 360 is getting to be a better deal all the time. Hot off the news of a price drop, Microsoft has confirmed that the Xbox 360 Premium--which now retails for $350--now includes an HDMI output. The confirmation comes after Shacknews posted photos of a newly purchased Xbox 360 with the telltale port, essentially proving that the rumored upgrade was already available in stores.

So what's the big deal? HDMI provides a single-cable, all-digital connection to compatible HDTVs and AV receivers, delivering far fewer wires, higher quality, and better 1080p compatibility than the combination of component video and … Read more

Future Implications: Why Microsoft will fear Google and Linux

Google and Microsoft are at it again. But this time Google is attacking Microsoft for threatening Linux users for patent violations.

In an announcement made earlier this week, Google signed on with the Open Invention Network (OIN), which is supported by Red Hat and a few other Linux heavyweights. The Open Invention Network is an organization designed by and for Linux developers, distributors, sellers, resellers, and end-users to protect them from the onslaught of costly lawsuits or other attempts made on them by bigger and better-funded enterprises. But until Google joined the fray on the side of the OIN, some … Read more