Brandon Dimmel

With the anticipated launch of Vista's home version nearing, Microsoft is making a valiant effort to bring as many people into the fold as humanly possible. They're doing so via a limited time offer that will give consumers who purchase the ... operating system's "Ultimate Edition" the ability to install it on an extra PC. Such a notion was previously thought unlikely from Microsoft, who plan on demanding an additional $50 for each PC license afterwards. (Source: pro-networks.org ) Microsoft is launching the opportunity at what it calls "super-engaged customers", the type who may be involved in ... (view more)

In the world of search engines, nothing beats Google. The competition, led by Yahoo, makes up a single digit fraction of the market attempting to challenge the Goliath. However, with that success comes a substantial amount of attention from hackers ... and the like. The most recent issue facing Google were reports that users were seeing their cookies exploited, giving the web's most malicious access to a pile of personal information. It's pretty simple. If a user is signed into their Google account, the pages they visit give the web host access to their cookies. This means the web host -- or the ... (view more)

It wasn't so long ago that Microsoft shipped its latest browser, Internet Explorer 7. Ditto for the latest iteration of Mozilla's cult hit Firefox, with version 2 upgrading many of the features that made it second only to IE. However, even as these ... two web surfing tools begin to make their way onto more and more home and business computers, Microsoft and Mozilla are hard at work on their next browser generation. It's not surprising considering the one core reason why continual updates are necessary: security. Codenamed "Gran Paradiso", Mozilla appears ready to launch Firefox 3 sometime this ... (view more)

It wasn't so long ago that we reported on a Vista crack , which gave hackers access to the new operating system (OS) without ever paying a dime. Now, it appears that crack has been improved, and it means more headaches for Microsoft as the home ... release of Vista nears in only a month's time. The original crack surrounded setting up a Key Management Server, and then exposing a weakness in Microsoft supported Voice Activation 2.0. By doing this, hackers could gain free access to Vista for 180 days before the activation ran out. That's six months, and although not an eternity, it's certainly ... (view more)

Microsoft created quite a stir earlier this year when they launched the Windows Genuine Advantage , a program designed to root out the piracy of the company's software. It wasn't so much a "launching" as a sneaky installation, however, as Microsoft ... offered the snitch-like WGA without really telling users exactly what it was they were downloading. The fallout of such questionable business practice landed MS in hot water for some time, and it's only now emerging from that stigma with the highly anticipated launch of Vista. But, can Microsoft stay a step ahead of the pirates in this next ... (view more)

Windows Vista certainly isn't cheap. By most accounts, those users who already own Windows XP will have to pay at least $200 to upgrade their systems to the new OS. That's one less big gift under the tree this Christmas, and reason enough to grumble ... as you approach the cashier with Vista in your hands. Sadly enough, that might not be your only expense. Now it appears as though Microsoft's new operating system will require a substantially powerful graphics card, which might mean yet another necessary update for users interested in the software. If you want to run Windows Vista at its peak ... (view more)

We knew they'd come. Problems for Vista were sure to stand in the way of a flawless launch, which seems just about impossible considering the massive task accorded Microsoft employees in implementing such a major new piece of software. The first ... notable issue is the OS' failure to run the most recent version of SQL Server, a major problem for business who were given the opportunity to use Vista after its launch at the end of November. Microsoft is scrambling to take care of the matter, although a solution probably couldn't come soon enough for business users. In the works is an upgrade to the ... (view more)

It's been a while since we reported a big hire or promotion by one of our favorite major software or hardware companies. Back in the earlier months of 2006, it seemed like good 'ol Microsoft was moving people from one position to the next -- as if ... playing a game of boardroom magical chairs. As the Christmas season has set into gear, however, most companies have remained mum: until now. Dell has recently announced that former Wells Fargo employee, Sona Chawla, has been appointed head of online sales and support. Chawla will be working directly under Dell's senior vice president, John Hamlin. ... (view more)

Recently, we reported on speculation that the much-anticipated Vista would be the last operating system based on Windows. The rumor -- which is still much supported -- was based on a prediction by tech forecasters Gartner, who believe that Microsoft ... will instead opt for incremental updates to their OS in the future. That may not be so true, however, as an equally aggressive amount of press is now lashing out against last week's predictions. Gartner's belief in the non-future of Windows stems from the immense cost and risk associated with a release like Vista. Microsoft has been working on the ... (view more)

Excited about the pending release of Vista for Home users? Well, prepare yourself for this one: there's much speculation that Microsoft's new operating system could be the last based on Windows, with future operating systems branching out into ... incremental updates instead of massive, periodic releases. Why would Microsoft decapitate an ongoing software project that reaps millions upon millions of dollars? Heck, it's something (almost) everyone needs; one might even consider Windows the oxygen of the computer world. The answer? For one, it costs Microsoft almost as much to create an operating ... (view more)