Windows Vista Team Blog : TechEd IT Forum Europe, Day 1: Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack

We can expect quite a few announcements this week from the TechEd IT Forum in Barcelona Spain. Looks like MDOP (Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack) has been updated + a re-branding of Softgrid to "Microsoft Application Virtualization 4.5".

Windows Vista Team Blog : TechEd IT Forum Europe, Day 1: Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack

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Chocolate pudding is easy to make - Slashfood

The fall is a great time for comfort food... Pudding is up there with stew as comfort food :-) Here's a good recipe for Chocolate pudding *yummy*

Chocolate pudding is easy to make - Slashfood

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We're only Human after all: a review of Ubuntu 7.10 Gutsy Gibbon: Page 1

Good overview of the new Gutsy Gibbon Ubuntu distro... I'm happily running this on my primary home PC... I've just about forgotten about Microsoft at this point...

We're only Human after all: a review of Ubuntu 7.10 Gutsy Gibbon

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The Associated Press: Latest Additive at Gas Pumps: Google

Google maps from your gas station? Makes sense to me -- go to the gas station to ask for directions -- why not just ask the pump :-) It's a manly excuse to get directions... "I'm not lost honey -- I'm just getting gas and looking for a place to eat".

The Associated Press: Latest Additive at Gas Pumps: Google

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BetaNews | Canada's Sympatico Admits to Net Filtering

Grrr -- ISPs can suck sometimes (they often do). It seems that dear Bell Symatico has been limiting bandwidth to P2P protocols... You might get 800++KB/s when pulling something off of download.com but if you're pulling the latest Linux distribution from bittorrent, then you might only get 30KB/s.

Another example of big brother!

BetaNews | Canada's Sympatico Admits to Net Filtering

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HP unveils Windows Home Server systems

HP uncovers their Home Server! I was on the MSFT beta for this product. It is VERY good! Easy to use and setup. I have an RTM copy and will be installing it over my current RC build that I have in production. If you don't have the stomach to setup one of these types of servers using OpenSource Software, then I would certainly recommend you pick up either an HP device or one from another OEM that has signed on with Microsoft.

HP unveils Windows Home Server systems

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Microsoft Watch - Desktop & Mobile - Android: What Are You to Google?

I don't know that I agree with Joe Wilcox on this one... It's some Google bashing for being too similar to Microsoft -- saying that Google is arrogant. I think that Google is trying to do something VERY difficult -- they are trying to sustain neck-breaking growth. How are they doing this? Well, the PC market is a few 100 million a year... the cell phone industry is a few billion a year (unit counts not dollars). Uhm, what's wrong with that?

Microsoft Watch - Desktop & Mobile - Android: What Are You to Google?

Disclosure: I own Google (GOOG) stock.
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Bink.nu | Microsoft IT numbers!

We all know that Microsoft is a big company with deep pockets... check out their IT statistics... WOW!

Bink.nu | Microsoft IT numbers!

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Ubuntu to get visual refresh with Hardy Heron

Discussions on the new look and feel for the next release of Ubuntu... I hope they keep improving on the excellent work they've done so far!

Ubuntu to get visual refresh with Hardy Heron

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BetaNews | Seagate Settles Suit Over 'Gigabyte' Definition

What's in a GB? You might be able to score some cash or maybe some backup services if you've purchased a Seagate drive in the last few years... Seagate is settling a suit over how big is a GB (decimal view or geeky view as a power of 2)

BetaNews | Seagate Settles Suit Over 'Gigabyte' Definition

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[OC]ModShop - Enable Hidden Boot Screen in Windows Vista

Enable the Vista "Aurora" boot screen instead of the stupid Windows 2000 styled Vista bootup screen.

[OC]ModShop - Enable Hidden Boot Screen in Windows Vista

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Canadian Study: Piracy Boosts CD Sales | TorrentFreak

The gist of it is that if you pull down music from the internet, you will be encouraged to buy "cool" music that other people have never heard of.

Canadian Study: Piracy Boosts CD Sales | TorrentFreak

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Make Your Linux Desktop Look Like A Mac - Mac4Lin Project Documentation | HowtoForge - Linux Howtos and Tutorials

Cool step by step walk-through on how to turn your Linux box into a Mac -- at least appearance-wise :-)

Make Your Linux Desktop Look Like A Mac - Mac4Lin Project Documentation | HowtoForge - Linux Howtos and Tutorials

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More gnashing of teeth after Microsoft update brings PCs to a standstill | The Register

I think this is the 3rd time that Microsoft does something like that (that we know of) -- this time, it's pretty bad. It seems they've forced down Windows Desktop Search on several machines - this tool then launches into mass-indexing-mode which obviously has an impact on the user's experience with their systems... OUCH!

More gnashing of teeth after Microsoft update brings PCs to a standstill | The Register

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Companies Add Concierges to Retain Staff: Financial News - Yahoo! Finance

Back in the good 'ole days before the tech bubble burst, there was a lot of good times and interesting perks. This is very reminiscent of those days but I think large companies might be doing things a bit more responsibly this time...

Companies Add Concierges to Retain Staff: Financial News - Yahoo! Finance

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Architect Fantasy » Blog Archive » Ubuntu 7.10 (Gutsy) Pragmatic Visual Presentation Critique

A very well written article about some of the shortcomings in Ubuntu 7.10... for most, this are not very noticeable but for the long-term user these make sense.

Architect Fantasy » Blog Archive » Ubuntu 7.10 (Gutsy) Pragmatic Visual Presentation Critique

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Meet Your Future Employee

This is a fascinating article about Generation Y (born 80's to late 90's). You MUST read this if you're in IT... Really good insight into the "new way of thinking".

Meet Your Future Employee

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Wolfram 2,3 Turing Machine Research Prize: News Release

For those of you interested in Computer AI -- you might be interested in this article about the Turing machine :-)

Wolfram 2,3 Turing Machine Research Prize: News Release

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Humans not evolved for IT security - Security - www.itnews.com.au

Short article on how our brains are not setup to assess security risk... fascinating but true.

Humans not evolved for IT security - Security - www.itnews.com.au

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Rico Clusters: An Alternative to Mind Mapping - lifehack.org

I've been a long time fan of mind mapping -- "Rico Clusters" are a variation on the subject. Pretty neat stuff that will help you dump ideas on paper (real or electronic) and then process / filter the output in order to find emerging trends / ideas.

Rico Clusters: An Alternative to Mind Mapping - lifehack.org

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Official Google Blog: Free IMAP for Gmail

This was quite a talked about story today -- You'll now be able to use Thunderbird (or other email client) to access your GMail account via IMAP -- cool stuff!

Official Google Blog: Free IMAP for Gmail

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Neowin.net - Dell No Longer Supports Vista x64...and Other Rants

Poor guy's journey through Dell support... I've had a very similar and painful experience with a monitor I purchased through them last xmas. NEVER AGAIN.

Neowin.net - Dell No Longer Supports Vista x64...and Other Rants

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IPhone's Security Rivals Windows 95 (No, That's Not Good)

All apps run as root on the iPhone -- oops :-) Hacker heaven anyone? Are we back in 1990 again? Watch out!

IPhone's Security Rivals Windows 95 (No, That's Not Good)

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How to Taste Wine - wikiHow

Good step by step guide to wine tasting :-) A favorite pass time of mine...

How to Taste Wine - wikiHow

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» Mozilla banks Google bucks; Builds a portfolio | Between the Lines | ZDNet.com

Mozilla (Firefox / Thuderbird etc) made 66.8M USD off of Google adds and other initiatives... wow :-) I barely get a click on this blog :-(

» Mozilla banks Google bucks; Builds a portfolio | Between the Lines | ZDNet.com:

"Mozilla gets 85 percent of its revenue from Google."

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100 Reasons You'll Be Speechless

OMG -- I laughed out loud in public when I read the title of this page. It is Microsoft marketing so I knew it wasn't a Vista-bashing-fest but that was my first reaction.... entertaining read

From Microsoft -- Vista: 100 Reasons You'll Be Speechless

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SUPERGUIDE: The Open Source Challenge. How to replace Windows completely with Ubuntu. | APC Magazine

An update to a previous article on cutting the Windows tether...

SUPERGUIDE: The Open Source Challenge. How to replace Windows completely with Ubuntu. | APC Magazine

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WARNING: device driver updates causing Vista to deactivate | APC Magazine

Really bad end user experience delivered by the Vista Activation "feature"... Change your video card, call Microsoft to allow you to keep using your legal copy of Vista :-(

WARNING: device driver updates causing Vista to deactivate | APC Magazine

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Vista versus The Gutsy Gibbon - Ubuntu 7.10 >> Mixed Signals >> Rupert Goodwins's Blog at ZDNet UK Community

Great article written by a true geek -- gives a fair assessment of his experience with many different OSes. I totally concur with what he's published... Linux goes out of its way to get out of your way -- Vista goes out of its way to impose its own will...

Vista versus The Gutsy Gibbon - Ubuntu 7.10 >> Mixed Signals >> Rupert Goodwins's Blog at ZDNet UK Community

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Microsoft finally in "full compliance" with 2004 EU antitrust ruling

Looks like MSFT might have to license some of its IP to competitors... Should be quite interesting to see how this plays out!

Microsoft finally in "full compliance" with 2004 EU antitrust ruling

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Apple - Mac OS X Leopard - Guided Tour

This video is well worth watching. It's a bit long but really showcases some of the features in the upcoming Leopard release of OS X. Looks a lot like compiz-fusion and AWN on Ubuntu :-)

Apple - Mac OS X Leopard - Guided Tour

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PC World - Vista Is Still Plagued by Incompatibilities

After 9 months -- still lots of mainstream applications are not compatible with Redmond's latest OS.

PC World - Vista Is Still Plagued by Incompatibilities

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New Microsoft software takes aims at RIM customers | Tech&Sci | Technology | Reuters.com

Microsoft readies their System Center Mobile Manager product to manage Microsoft Smartphones. Is this a gap in RIM's model?

New Microsoft software takes aims at RIM customers | Tech&Sci | Technology | Reuters.com

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BetaNews | Experimental 'Functional' Language Emerges from Microsoft Research

Interesting programing language out of Microsoft Research -- a so called F# using mathematical function-like coding to achieve multi-threaded / network-aware apps...

BetaNews | Experimental 'Functional' Language Emerges from Microsoft Research

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Would-be identity thief finds himself stumped without printer drivers

Uhm -- don't steal an ID creating system and printer then call for support when you can't get it to work... Stupid criminal -- chalk it up to another example of natural selection.

Would-be identity thief finds himself stumped without printer driver

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Canadians to pay tax on downloaded tunes

Hey Harper -- Get out of our pockets! The music business might be in trouble -- adding extra taxes ontop of the existing costs hardly seems like a wise move when you consider that bands are giving their material out in hopes of higher concert and merchandising revenue. I don't buy music anymore... don't get me wrong - I don't pirate it either. I follow a good set of podcasts that help me feed my mind with information... Sorry guys - you lost me on paying for music when Napster came on the scene and now you've alienated me from coming back.

Canadians to pay tax on downloaded tunes

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Brewery offers lifetime supply of beer in return for stolen laptop

This was too funny not to post... Makes me want to go out and steal a laptop...

Brewery offers lifetime supply of beer in return for stolen laptop

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Linux: What's New in the Other 'Buntus

Ubuntu gets all the attention but there are other " 'Buntus" out there... Lightweight, KDE-based and Education-centric

Linux: What's New in the Other 'Buntus

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BetaNews | RIAA Finally Takes Aim at Newsgroups

OH OH -- RIAA targeting USENET. Where to hide next? :-)

BetaNews | RIAA Finally Takes Aim at Newsgroups

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Hasselblad H3DII-39MS - PhotographyBLOG

Like Photography? Got an extra 44K hanging around? Maybe you should look at this 39MP camera :-)

Hasselblad H3DII-39MS - PhotographyBLOG

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Ubuntu Home Page | Ubuntu

WOOHOOO Ubuntu 7.10 Gutsy Gibbon is RTM!!! I'm downloading it now :-)

Ubuntu Home Page | Ubuntu

My HDD is purring just waiting for it!

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FolderShare.com - sync files, sync folders, transfer files, share files, web download, access files anywhere

FolderShare.com - sync files, sync folders, transfer files, share files, web download, access files anywhere:

"Keep important files at your fingertips - anywhere. All file changes are automatically synchronized between linked computers, so you are always accessing the latest documents, photos, and files."

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Excel 2007 Web Data Add-In (beta)

I'm a geek for all things Excel. I've not installed this add-in yet but it sounds a lot like the intrinsic external data importer... I suspect there is more natural goodness in this add-in.

Excel 2007 Web Data Add-In (beta)

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» What’s really broken with Windows Update - Trust | Hardware 2.0 | ZDNet.com

The string of stealth updates to WindowsUpdate have really got people peeved. This is a good OpEd type of article that talks about the main issue -- an emerging (some would argue steady growth in) lack of trust in Microsoft and its intentions.

What’s really broken with Windows Update - Trust | Hardware 2.0 | ZDNet.com

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Download Windows Vista Service Pack 1 Beta

I wouldn't recommend you do this on your production system but if you want to join the beta team -- totally unofficially -- then you can fake out "WindowsUpdate" to allow you to pull down the bits. Then you can hack it to take the nag watermark off your desktop :-)

Download Windows Vista Service Pack 1 Beta

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PC World - Mozilla Working on New Mobile Browser

This may work in nicely with the speculation on Google's gPhone (GOOG to 750$ anyone? ;))

PC World - Mozilla Working on New Mobile Browser

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Photojojo » 12 Fantastic Fall Photo Tips — Our Extra-Crunchy Guide to Leaf Peeping

Interesting tips for Fall photography -- heat up your DSLRs and get snappin'. Fall is the most beautiful season (IMHO).

Photojojo » 12 Fantastic Fall Photo Tips — Our Extra-Crunchy Guide to Leaf Peeping

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Screenshot Tour: A Look at Ubuntu 7.10 "Gutsy Gibbon" RC1

Looks sweet -- take a peek :-)

Screenshot Tour: A Look at Ubuntu 7.10 "Gutsy Gibbon" RC1

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FileForum | TortoiseCVS

A new Release Candiate for Tortoise -- the ultimate subversion (free code management tool) client for Windows.

FileForum | TortoiseCVS

Great for all of you dev folks out there :-)

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New Scientist Invention Blog: Microsoft mind reading

You've undoubtedly seen the Bill Gates Borg image on Slashdot at some point :-) This looks like the next logical step...

New Scientist Invention Blog: Microsoft mind reading

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Windows Home Server in depth: the Ars Technica review: Page 1

This is a VERY comprehensive review of the Windows Home Server product by the team at Ars Technica. I was a Beta tester for this technology and I was quite impressed by the overall polish and functionality offered in this product. There are plenty of free alternatives in the Linux space -- I know... But for the average person, this would be a great addition to any home.

Windows Home Server in depth: the Ars Technica review: Page 1

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LXer: The LXer Interview: John Hull of Dell

Good interview talking about Dell's venture into offering Ubuntu on their hardware. All indications are they they are meeting targets and looking to expand to other countries.

LXer: The LXer Interview: John Hull of Dell

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Codec Guide: K-Lite Codec Pack and other useful stuff

Codec Guide: K-Lite Codec Pack and other useful stuff

Downloading a large media file and not being able to play it is a large thorn in one's side... I always install the K-Lite Codec Pack on all my Windows-based systems... Install it and be done with un-playable media forever (well, at least until the next version comes out :-)).

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World Food Day USA

World Food Day USA

"World Food Day, October 16th, is a worldwide event designed to increase awareness, understanding and informed, year-around action to alleviate hunger."

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Encrypted Ubuntu 7.10 - Step-by-step installation tutorial with screenshots! - Softpedia

Good play by play to have a fully encrypted disk when installing Ubuntu 7.10.

Encrypted Ubuntu 7.10 - Step-by-step installation tutorial with screenshots! - Softpedia

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Figuring the size of your emergency fund | Wise Bread

We all know we should have a reserve of funds in case bad things happen with our jobs, our house, our health etc... but how much is enough? This article provides some guidance:

Figuring the size of your emergency fund | Wise Bread

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Unusual Business Ideas That Work: Profiting From Visas And Passports

LOL - Bill Gates was prevented from getting a visa to visit Nigeria :-) At least temporarily...

Unusual Business Ideas That Work: Profiting From Visas And Passports:

"When Bill Gates applied for a visa for a recent trip to Nigeria, his paperwork hit a snag. The Nigerian government required proof that the billionaire chairman of Microsoft would not stay in the country and become a drain on Nigeria's social services."

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OpenOffice 3.0 Wants to Compete with Outlook - CyberNet News

Pretty good highlights on the expected new features of OpenOffice 3.0. I'm anxious to see this update (still a ways away {Sept 2008}.

OpenOffice 3.0 Wants to Compete with Outlook - CyberNet News

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iTWire - Getting grubby: Demystifying the Linux start-up processes

Good article on the Linux boot process... good background to understand how your PC boots (not just Linux really).

iTWire - Getting grubby: Demystifying the Linux start-up processes

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UK to look for ever-elusive link between WiFi and health problems

Now this could be a scary thought... There have been rumors of cell phone links to cancer for a long time now. This might be yet another...

UK to look for ever-elusive link between WiFi and health problems

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Consumer protection org warns: resist Vista, "back to the future" with XP

Consumer protection org warns: resist Vista, "back to the future" with XP:

"In yet another blow to the reputation of Windows Vista, the Dutch Consumers' Association (Consumentenbond) has recommended that customers who purchase new PCs insist on obtaining Windows XP over Vista."

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Trademark dispute could further delay Apple iPhone in Canada

Trademark dispute could further delay Apple iPhone in Canada

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Dell: Microsoft warnings haven't hurt Linux uptake - ZDNet UK

Dell: Microsoft warnings haven't hurt Linux uptake - ZDNet UK:

"Claims made by Microsoft that Linux violates its software patent have not affected sales of Linux-based hardware, according to Michael Dell."

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openSUSE 10.3 in review: A solid Linux desktop | tuxmachines.org

As previously stated, I used to use OpenSuSE at home -- I've seen migrated over to Ubuntu (7.04 for now). I still like to keep a pulse on SuSE -- here's a review of their latest version (10.3). It seems that they are continuously improving :-)

openSUSE 10.3 in review: A solid Linux desktop | tuxmachines.org

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Microsoft SharePoint Products and Technologies Team Blog : SharePoint End User Training Kit now available!

Sharepoint looks good but it's a bit unnatural to manage (IMHO). Microsoft has finally made a Sharepoint Learning Kit that can be used to learn to wield the beast.

Microsoft SharePoint Products and Technologies Team Blog : SharePoint End User Training Kit now available!

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Windows Users Fume Over Another Automatic Update Glitch - Software - IT Channel News by CRN and VARBusiness

Windows Users Fume Over Another Automatic Update Glitch - Software - IT Channel News by CRN and VARBusiness:

"For the second time in two weeks, Microsoft is feeling the heat from users who claim the Windows Update service has been downloading and installing updates without their knowledge."

Git 'yer doll-laden paws off of my PC Micro$oft!

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Microsoft Watch - Business Applications - Microsoft's Big Mac Sales

Wow -- this is pretty amazing... I knew there were some good synergies between MSFT and Apple in the Office productivity space but these numbers are HIGH! I wonder if the numbers will go down now that the iWork is out???

Microsoft Watch - Business Applications - Microsoft's Big Mac Sales

Here's a big number: 20 percent of Microsoft Office's U.S retail sales are the Mac version, according to NPD. Here's another: Mac users account for 10 percent of retail Windows Vista Business and Ultimate sales.

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Mother's ire puts Ballmer on defense over Vista

Funny story about a mother @ the Gartner Inc Symposium ITxpo challenging Ballmer on Vista.

Mother's ire puts Ballmer on defense over Vista

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KeePass Password Safe

This is my favorite cross-platform password database and generator program. Don't ask me for any of my passwords -- I don't know them... I use 64+ character passwords for just about everything and I don't write them under my keyboard (where else would I save my gum?). KeePass is THE king of apps -- lets you use a USB key as a physical key for your passwords, allows you to generate your passwords via keyboard and mouse actions and stores your information using strong AES and Twofish encryption.

KeePass Password Safe

Use it - love it!

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BetaNews | First Linux Patent Infringement Suit Comes from Familiar Plaintiff

*sigh* -- Microsoft is hiding behind a 3rd party to sue Linux distros for what seems to be virtual workspaces... Jeez, I recall seeing this in REALLY early HPUX boxes and early Linux distros way before I ever saw this in a Microsoft product (and it had to be enabled via an XP PowerToy).

BetaNews | First Linux Patent Infringement Suit Comes from Familiar Plaintiff

One word: "LAME" (not not the MP3 encoder ;-)).

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Ubuntu 7.10 Release Candidate | Ubuntu

We're getting closer and closer to the release of Gutsy Gibbon!! Ubuntu 7.10 is scheduled to be released on Oct 13th -- in the mean time, the Release Candidate has been pushed out the door.

Ubuntu 7.10 Release Candidate | Ubuntu

Enjoy!

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Small Business - Days of Dell Deals

uhm -- OK -- Dell sells computers and some accessories. I get it... but WTF is this?? They are now selling Vacuums, fridges and microwaves? Maybe HP (HPX) is kicking their but so they need to venture into the home appliance market???

Small Business - Days of Dell Deals

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PC World - Business Center: Microsoft Adds Event Planning to Live Services

Yawn -- I thought I'd put this here for those of you that use Microsoft's spaces or "Live" features. This is a neat idea but hardly innovative. evite.com and meetup.com have been around for nearly a decade providing the same functionality... *Yawn*.

PC World - Business Center: Microsoft Adds Event Planning to Live Services

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Sticking it to l'homme: Canadian co-op forms own ISP : Page 1

Pretty cool story about some guys in Toronto that have started their own ISP by renting out lines from a wholesaler (indirectly to Bell Canada) and reselling them on the condition that the clients share their WiFi connection. Interesting concept (until WiMax gets turned on).

Sticking it to l'homme: Canadian co-op forms own ISP


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Strong Canadian dollar means Canadians pay dearly for Xbox Live, PSN action

Strong Canadian dollar means Canadians pay dearly for Xbox Live, PSN action

It seems that Canadians are getting a "boot" (get it... a-boot) when it comes to buying online credits for gaming consoles... when will Canadians ever get to enjoy their strong dollar eh? Maybe we need to advocate for the Amero!

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New Study Says Sleep Deprivation Costing American Employees Work Productivity

I think many people in the IT field (and other fields) are trying to balance family life with an increased demand from their work life -- they are failing and / or reducing sleep cycles to increase their odds at balance. This is particularly difficult when you add the globalization trend which requires you to span your time across many time zones... The impact of these trends on productivity is interesting...

New Study Says Sleep Deprivation Costing American Employees Work Productivity

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Firefox extension: DownThemAll!

This is a GREAT Firefox extension - I use it just about every day... It adds advanced downloading capabilities to Firefox and increases download speeds.

DownThemAll!

Use it - love it!

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Toshiba Recalls AC Adapters sold with Portable DVD Players Due to Burn Hazard

Toshiba Recalls AC Adapters sold with Portable DVD Players Due to Burn Hazard

Please stop using your AC Adapter and follow instructions immediately if this affects you!

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Mozilla aims Firefox at mobile devices | Underexposed - CNET News.com

Interesting turn of events -- Firefox for Mobile :-) -- I can see some synergies with Google's forthcoming mobile OS.

Mozilla aims Firefox at mobile devices | Underexposed - CNET News.com

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Ubuntu Linux May be Preloaded on PCs - Yahoo! News

Canonical Ltd., the company that supports Ubuntu Linux, is trying to work out a deal with hardware vendors such as Dell Inc. to make Ubuntu available preinstalled on servers.

Ubuntu Linux May be Preloaded on PCs - Yahoo! News

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Tokyo 2007 Preview: Personal mobility from Toyota, i-Real concept - AutoblogGreen

This looks like a really cool new design for a wheelchair type of device. Very interesting design and engineering.

Tokyo 2007 Preview: Personal mobility from Toyota, i-Real concept - AutoblogGreen

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And The Walls Came Tumbling Down: Madonna Dumps Record Industry

Radiohead, NIN and now Madonna -- looks like the record industry will need to do some fancy footwork to maintain some semblance of a business model.

And The Walls Came Tumbling Down: Madonna Dumps Record Industry

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Download Winamp Media Player 5.5 - Download Winamp Media Player for Free

Happy 10th b-day WinAmp... I still remember the old WinAmp 2.x
They've sure come a LONG way!

Download Winamp Media Player 5.5 - Download Winamp Media Player for Free

"Winamp -- it really kicks the lamas ass!"

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Blazingly Fast Internet2 Gets 10x Boost: Financial News - Yahoo! Finance

Wow -- 100Gbps to the desktop :-) Now that is bandwidth!!

Blazingly Fast Internet2 Gets 10x Boost: Financial News - Yahoo! Finance

Disclaimer: Long LVLT

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Tufts research aims to 'read the minds' of computer users

I believe I posted about this a while back but it's so cool I thought I'd post up this article as well... Imagine a laser pointed at your head that studies what mood you're in and allows that PC to react to it. Makes me think of the ancient water torture... :-)

Tufts research aims to 'read the minds' of computer users

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Computerworld - KDE's Windows weapon: KOffice 2.0

Long live competition!

Computerworld - KDE's Windows weapon: KOffice 2.0:

"While the industry is distracted by the ongoing tussle between Microsoft and OpenOffice.org over document formats, the KDE project is quietly preparing the next generation of its own office suite, KOffice, for Linux, Windows, and Mac OS X."

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VisualWget

I haven't tried this one yet but since it's based on wget (something I use quite a bit in the Linux world), I thought I would post this.

Home - VisualWget

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Microsoft Excel : Calculation Issue Update (Fix Available)

I reported a pretty serious bug in Excel a week or so ago. It seems that MSFT has fixed the bug and will try to get it into a future 'patch Tuesday' patch or at least in Office 2007 SP1. In the spirit of Patch Tuesday (yesterday) -- go git yerself patched!

Microsoft Excel : Calculation Issue Update (Fix Available)

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Meet the Google Broadcasting Company: AdSense video units are game-changing

Next gen AdSense... logical progression. Adds on video (sounds like commercials to me :)). I've toyed with AdSense on my site here -- I don't get enough traffic to make a dime off the ads. Maybe if some of you actually clicked on the ads to support me for a change! :-P *kidding*. I don't do this for money -- at least not yet ;-).

Meet the Google Broadcasting Company: AdSense video units are game-changing

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Starting salaries surge for computer science grads

We all had a hunch this was happening -- we've been seeing decreasing enrollment in the Comp Sci field for years now... Looks like the scarcity of laborers may be driving their price up... A step in the right direction for those of us that survived the dot com bust.

Starting salaries surge for computer science grads

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The Orange Box - 5 Games. One Box.

Now THIS is a deal! Anyone who likes FPS games knows HL2 and Valve. Half Life 2 has to be one of the most beautiful and immersive games ever. The game experience is amazing. If you're like me, you found Episode 1 much too short... Well Valve has released Episode 2 :-). As usual -- you can pick it up from the Steam console OR you can go to the store and pick up "The Orange Box". This has the original HL2, EP1, EP2 as well as two other games -- all for 50$. That is a sweet sweet deal if you've never played the HL franchise!

The Orange Box - 5 Games. One Box.

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Microsoft Security Bulletin Advance Notification for October 2007

4 Critical, 3 Important... Patch early and patch often :-)

Microsoft Security Bulletin Advance Notification for October 2007

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apache friends - xampp for windows

I've dabbled in web development on and off for years... I thought I'd toss out links to a few OSS projects that have helped me setup a rapid development ecosystem at home.

XAMPP and WAMP are very similar in what they do -- read up on them and pick the one you like the most. My experience is with WAMP but I've heard good things about XAMPP as well.

• apache friends - xampp for windows
  
• WAMP
  

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Put an Office in Your Pocket - lifehack.org

Those USB keys are often used to transfer files -- many people (including some at the office) have been using them as a portable office by installing many of their productivity applications, browsers, email etc onto the pen drives.

Put an Office in Your Pocket - lifehack.org

Here's another article on how to set yourself up in case you're interested in test driving it.

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National Post: City outraged over mint fee for one-cent campaign

The Canadian Mint must be bored... they are going after the city of Toronto for the use of an image of a 1 Cent piece.

National Post

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The Atari 2600: The Box That Launched A Million IT Careers - Hardware - IT Channel News by CRN and VARBusiness

A bit of nostalgia :-)

The Atari 2600: The Box That Launched A Million IT Careers - Hardware - IT Channel News by CRN and VARBusiness

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McDonald's Launches Free Wi-Fi in UK Restaurants

Bravo McDonald's -- let overweight people stay sitting for longer by providing them with Wi-Fi :-) *I know, I know -- it's a broad brush*. I suppose I applaud them for inching us forward towards ubiquitous Wi-Fi. Some hotels are still charging upwards of 20$ / day for access to Wi-Fi... silly.

McDonald's Launches Free Wi-Fi in UK Restaurants

-ZB

Mac OS X and Linux Fail to Compare to Vista - In terms of growth - Softpedia

A bit of a shock tactic heading to this article. It basically shows that there are some upgrades from XP to Vista happening and that Linux adoption rates have doubled this year but not enough to make a dent in the juggernaut's market share. Apple is making consistent growth but it's hard to wrestle the MSFT gorilla.

Mac OS X and Linux Fail to Compare to Vista - In terms of growth - Softpedia

-ZB

BBC NEWS | UK | Boy in court on terror charges

I'm not a fan of censorship or "Big Brother" watching over everyone... If you defend against everything, you defend nothing (you're spread too thinly). Some poor kid in the UK is in court for having a copy of the "Anarchists' cookbook". I don't condone violence or the promotion of hate material etc... but censorship is a fine line.

BBC NEWS | UK | Boy in court on terror charges

-ZB

With 'phone' project, Google has mobile ad dollars in its sights - International Herald Tribune

Good article on what has been largely speculated in the industry -- that Google is working on a phone OS. Interestingly enough - it seems that Google is not really trying to compete with the likes of the iPhone but really trying to increase its revenues in the online advertising space by extending ads to the mobile phone business. It is also increasing its rivalry with Microsoft by joining the list of phone OSes like Microsoft's Windows Mobile.

With 'phone' project, Google has mobile ad dollars in its sights - International Herald Tribune

All in all, competition is good for you and I :-)

-ZB