Keeping up with the Microsoft confabs
If your travel budget hasn’t evaporated into thin air - or if you want to follow along vicariously - here is a list of some of the conferences and events in 2009 where Microsoft will likely show and/or release new products.
It’s worth noting that so far, at least, there’s no Windows Hardware Engineering Conference slated for 2009. (Originally, one was scheduled for May in New Orleans, but it has disappeared.) Even Microsoft isn’t immune from slashing travel/conference budgets….
View Full Article: Mary Jo Foley’s Blog
Microsoft Readies Cost-Cuts; Though Massive Layoff Unlikely
Microsoft will embark on a significant cost-cutting initiative in 2009, which might begin as early as this month, to offset a global slowdown in sales. However, sources tell Jim Goldman of CNBC, the cuts will largely be handled through attrition and the non-renewal of contract employees, rather than through a rumored, sweeping layoff…
View Full Article: NBC Bay Area
How To Remove Bloatware From Your Notebook
If you were given the gift of a new laptop this Christmas, you know theres really no better way to start the New Year. Whether it was upgrading an older notebook, or even your first computer chances are youre expecting a huge bump in performance. If major notebook manufactures are known for anything these days, its filling up your shiny new machine with tons of additional software. This bloatware increases startup and shutdown times, increases background disk activity which promotes system lag, and greatly reduces battery life if the system can never reach an idle state. In this guide well go over steps you can take to remove most of the unneeded applications that came preinstalled on your new notebook and hopefully speed it up without going as far as doing a clean install of Windows.
View Full Article: NotebookReview.com
Make Add-ons for Google Chrome Using Bookmarklets
Even though Google took their web browser Google Chrome out of beta last month, we can’t help but feel like Chrome is still only half way to being a compete product at this point. Without RSS support, the ability to use add-ons, and gasp! no Mac version, Chrome still has a way to go before people give up Firefox for good and make a full switch…
View Full Article: ReadWriteWeb
Reality check on Microsoft layoffs
Todd Bishop: Speculation about possible layoffs at Microsoft has been swirling for weeks now in the Seattle tech community and online. We’ve been digging for information on this for a while, talking to people inside Microsoft and others familiar with the company. But so far, at least, we haven’t been able to get any reliable information or direct confirmation…
View Full Article: Todd Bishop’s Microsoft Blog
Microsoft Urges Organizations to Patch Server Vulnerability as New Attacks Surface
Microsoft is again urging users to apply a patch for a vulnerability in the Windows Server service. The company reported earlier that a new variant of the Conficker worm has surfaced to target the flaw…
View Full Article: eWeek
MS pay-per-use PC patent already rejected
Microsoft’s patent application for a usage-based PC model has already been rebuffed by the US Patent Office, according to a letter disclosed today. Given to Microsoft a few days before the requested patent became public, the notice rejects Microsoft’s submission for being at once too broad and too familiar. The tendency to use vague terms and the existence of already patented, relevant technology are cited as the core reasons behind the rejection.
View Full Article: Electronista
CES Countdown #5: Are the world’s digital plans killing mobile DTV?
Here’s a very familiar theme for us every year: Despite not only manufacturers’ own best efforts but also certain governments’ own regulatory bodies to drive and even enforce industry standards, there’s no one way to do digital mobile TV.
CES Countdown #6: Can the PC adapt to the commodity business model?
With the consumer economy changing radically and rapidly, Microsoft and others are experimenting once again with applying the pay-as-you-go model to computing, since it seems to work well enough for other industries.
CES Countdown #7: Will someone please do something about battery life?
Vendors at CES 2009 will be displaying some interesting new workarounds to the persistent issue of short battery life, ranging from an “ECO On Mode” in MSI’s Wind U115 netbook to a solar battery charging gadget from Energizer.
