Microsoft

Let's face it: Microsoft has been facing an incredible amount of bad press as a result of Spyware lawsuits (Windows Genuine Advantage) and criticisms of its security programs (OneCare Live). However, the impending release of Internet Explorer 7 ... (IE7) might just reverse public opinion of the software giant. Internet Explorer 7 has been in extensive beta testing since July of 2005. Over the course of that year, IE7 has progressed beyond a basic browser framework, showcasing a buggy interface and sluggish performance. Recent beta tests have shown IE7 to be a nearly complete build and with a host ... (view more)

With criticism of its recent security software (OneCare Live) and anti-piracy program (Windows Genuine Advantage) taking its toll, Microsoft is showing fatigue. Recently, industry insiders are reporting that the Redmond-based company will not only ... be laying off 214 employees from U.S. sales, but it may also miss shipping Office 2007 on time. Although this is hardly the first time Microsoft has cut staff, it is remarkable for a company that has routinely increased its manpower by thousands each year. Reports from inside the company suggest that of the 214 jobs cut, most are corporate account ... (view more)

With major executives leaving at a time when the company is desperately trying to market an amalgam of new programs and hardware, Microsoft is now trying to repair its public image by announcing a forum-based website where it will share code with ... outside developers. The new measures are in an effort to greater connect programmers and Microsoft, with each side sharing technical information and software know-how. Not All About Love and Roses The website itself, called CodePlex, has been in beta testing for some time. Its ultimate intention is not as interested in the kindness of sharing as it ... (view more)

Just a few weeks after the major release of its new security system (OneCare Live) and hours after the launch of Windows Live Messenger, Microsoft has lost two of its most recognizable executives: corporate vice president Martin Taylor and original ... Xbox team member Ted Hase. Hase was a co-creator of Microsoft Media Center, and a major reason for its connectivity with the Xbox 360. After sixteen years with Microsoft, Hase may have been tempted by greener pastures. Although there is no clear reason given for his resignation, he admitted, "It's only recently become known that I was leaving ... (view more)

The Windows Live initiative is a fascinating adventure which I've written about previously and includes many different products: mostly online tools. See: Windows Lives beyond Your Computer in 'Web 2.0' Windows Live: Is it Worth It? Windows Live: Is ... it Worth It?, Part 2 In coming months, we will be seeing familiar things taking on this new name and offer additional features. Spaces at MSN (an entity in the blogging industry) is due to morph into "Live Spaces", and the beloved MSN Messenger will be transforming to "Live Messenger." In this article, I want to overview ... (view more)

At the annual Windows Hardware Engineering Conference, Microsoft unveiled their latest technology in saving and uploading digital photography. Available for Windows XP and the upcoming Windows Vista, Windows Media Photo ("WMPhoto") suggests a ... revolutionized means of compressing digital photos. (Source: news.com ) Presently, digital photos are converted into the JPEG picture file format when stored on the computer: a standard form of file compression. Converting a digital photograph in JPEG format keeps the picture file size small, while maintaining almost the same quality as the original, ... (view more)

On May 23, 2006, Bill Gates was giving his speech on the future of Microsoft, when protesters wearing bright yellow Hazmat suits swarmed the entrance of a convention center. Their message to the software developer was, "your product is defective and ... hazardous to users." (Source: www.fsf.org ) The surprise protest marked the launch of DefectiveByDesign.org, a direct-action campaign that will target Big Media and corporations that market Digital Rights Management (DRM). DefectiveByDesign.org is a broad-based, anti-DRM campaign that is targeting Big Media, unhelpful manufacturers, and ... (view more)

If you are confused about articles foretelling The End of Support for Windows 98 and Millenium Edition, join the experts. It is especially confusing, and I delight in envisioning the meetings between the lawyers, accountants and programmers who've ... tried to sort it out and clarify it. To make matters worse, the official page explaining The End has been rewritten a number of times. In short, you can find several dates for different things which can be interpreted in many different ways: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/lifecycle/default.mspx http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?pr=LifeAn16 ... (view more)

After all the warnings and horror stories I've heard about problems with the beta versions of Internet Explorer 7 ("IE7"), it took a little courage for me to try it out. So far, I haven't seen any ill effects from installing IE7 beta, but was it ... worth the download? Short answer: No! Long answer below. ;-) Internet Explorer 7 Beta: Installation I downloaded the 12mb IE7 beta installer from Microsoft and fired it up. Not surprisingly, the first thing the installer wanted to do was to scan my PC to make sure I was running a legitimate copy of MS Windows. Since this wasn't an issue for ... (view more)

My recent article about Windows Live OneCare drew a response from Infopackets Reader James R. In an excerpt of his email, James writes: " Jim does not mention that Windows Live One Care also includes a two way firewall. This is a major feature in ... any security suite and it's presence should not have been omitted. Jim goes on to say that his computer purrs just by using a cleanup script, Ashampoo's Magic Defrag , Acronis True Image and a few other programs. He goes on to state that everything Live One Care does can be done 'totally free'. Implying that Magic Defrag and True Image are free is ... (view more)