microsoft

A few months ago, Microsoft's attempt to multiply its presence on the web was planned through an acquisition of competitor Yahoo. That never panned out, but in its wake now arises what could be an ever more effective plot: partnership with Digg. For ... those who are unaware of Digg, it's a news aggregator where actual users vote on the most "diggable" articles on the web. Any Internet writer, including yours truly, knows a story's clicks can explode if just a few hundred Digg users recommend it to their peers. Thus, for both web publishers and readers, Digg is an enormously influential resource ... (view more)

After coming across the information from the "Does Windows Vista Send Information to the Government?" story , I decided to do a little research on Microsoft, the Department of Defense (DoD) and the National Security Agency (NSA). What I found was ... very interesting, and it raises some serious questions. It's not clear what software was being used by my source as I wrote that previous post. He may be using some sort of file sharing or peer 2 peer (p2p) program. He posted pictures of a log from the peerguardian 2 program, software that isn't listed as compatible with Windows Vista. Just because ... (view more)

According to Microsoft, the company has now leaped from 40 million sales of Windows Vista (reported a few months ago), to an even more impressive 60 million. For the record, that's a tally of 20 million units sold since mid-May, alone. Word of the ... jump came last Thursday, during Microsoft's annual meeting with financial analysts. The message was delivered by proud papa Kevin Turner, the company's COO. Turner's boasting is intended to steer the media away from reports that Vista is selling poorly, perhaps as a result of some stinging criticism. (Source: rcpmag.com ) It's also an important ... (view more)

At a time when Microsoft didn't need any more bad Windows Vista news, reports are beginning to surface about problems with the product activation system. For some users of the not-ready-for-prime-time operating system, updating some hardware drivers ... can cause the Software Protection Platform code in Windows Vista to require reactivation. No changes are made to the hardware itself, just the drivers. Software Protection Platform code in Windows Vista is part of the Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA). It's a program required by Microsoft as part of their fight against software piracy. It gets ... (view more)

A year after Microsoft's Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) was first introduced, it seems to finally be paying off. That's the case abroad, in the world's most populated nation. Chinese Microsoft customers there have steered authorities to a ... multi-billion dollar counterfeit ring and the arrest of 25 people. (Source: dailytech.com ) The Windows Genuine Advantage came under fire last year when it was revealed Microsoft's anti-piracy platform "phoned home" after being installed on a user's computer. Although the company had somewhat legitimate intentions in monitoring the growing number of ... (view more)

Microsoft has announced that it will be offering a subscription-based version of Office 2007 in South Africa. The announcement signifies an extension in Microsoft's current operations. The company has already been offering a pay-as-you-go option for ... Office 2003 in South Africa, as well as Mexico and Romania. (Source: betanews.com ) A three month subscription of Office 2007 will cost 199 rand, which equates to about $28.54 US. First time users are also given an additional three months free of charge. The subscriptions work in a way similar to Office trials; when the subscription expires, users ... (view more)

Microsoft became the most widely-used search engine last month, rising from their third spot in May and surpassing both Google and Yahoo (the long-standing most and second-most used search engines respectively). What was Microsoft's recipe for ... success? Playing a deceptive game of chicken! Microsoft's shares climbed to 13.2% in June, an increase of 3% compared to May's figures. Microsoft's recent success came at the expense of rival search engine providers Google and Yahoo. The shares of both companies fell 1% that same month. (Source: usatoday.com ) To induce the influx of users, Microsoft ... (view more)

On September 17, the European Court of First Instance will present its verdict in Microsoft Corporation's antitrus appeal. The appeal, which has taken more than three years to render an outcome, relates to Microsoft's mistreatment of its ... competitors. "By bundling Windows Media Player, its audio and video playing software, into Windows, Microsoft competed unfairly against rivals such as Real Networks Inc. and Apple Inc., the Commission ruled. And by failing to share technical information about how to interoperate with Windows PCs, Microsoft managed to steal a march in the market for low-end ... (view more)

It seems Microsoft will have to take some time from preventing software piracy to reclaim the sanctity of its digital rights management (DRM) technology. Microsoft's DRM, the protective measure used to prevent hackers, or anyone for that matter, ... from using Windows Media files for purposes not condoned by the Redmond-based company, has apparently been circumvented. That's the word from hacker site Doom9.org, which recently boasted the forum post of one "Divine Tao", presenting download links to an updated version of FairUse4WM. The program effectively rips Microsoft's DRM from said Windows ... (view more)

Paul Thurrott, a well known Windows expert and advocate, posted an article titled "Microsoft Ignoring Customer Needs with Continued Silence on Future Windows" in which he refers to Microsofts behavior as paradoxical, almost diabolical. When you read ... a short, sweet and to-the-point article from a well-known Microsoft Windows expert regarding company behavior, it's a relief knowing that you're not losing your mind. I'm not constantly bashing Vista because I enjoy it. I just don't like seeing newbie computer users taken advantage of, or seeing large monopolies playing games. According to ... (view more)