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The Official word on Windows Vista SP1

“There will be a Windows Vista service pack and our current expectation is that a beta will be made available sometime this year.

Service packs are part of the traditional software lifecycle — they’re something we do for all Microsoft products as part of our commitment to continuous improvement, and providing early test builds is a standard practice that helps us incorporate customer feedback and improve the overall quality of the product.

Service packs are just one example of the work we do to constantly improve the Windows experience.
We also deliver improvements to Windows via Windows Update, which is an excellent channel for providing our customers with the most significant updates as they happen.
And, since Windows Vista launched, we have continued working with partners to improve overall device coverage and application compatibility.
There are now more than 2.1 million supported devices and more than 2,000 logoed applications for Windows Vista.
We think customers will have a great experience using Windows Vista today.”

There has been so much ink about Windows Vista™ SP1 that this official position statement on SP1 is welcome.

Thanks, Nick.

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Bottom-feeding jackals in Oregon flee

With the passing of a bill limiting the maximum amount these hyenas payday lenders can charge to 36%, there has been the stampede of exits from the state by the same.

Good.

Good to see the elected looking out for the impoverished for a change.

Why, just why, would you need to charge a victim more than 36%?

Why?

The watering down of usury laws across the country over the past decades allowed these predators to feed on the most vulnerable. And they did so with gusto!

Now, their entire industry has been chased from a state.

Hopefully, this is just a start…

Cross-engine Advertising era begins

In an industry first, Microsoft Office Live* is allowing customers the ability to conduct keyword advertising on Ask.com as well as they are currently able across Microsoft's Live services.

How cool is that?

One thing most small businesses do not have is a full time droid dedicated to optimizing ad campaigns, especially as it relates to search engine marketing.

Using adManager, a business can link to Ask Sponsored Listings** to purchase, manage, and optimize ad campaigns.

I think this is a harbinger of future interop scenarios between Office Live customers and the search community as a whole, with the customer winning out.

Props to the Live team and to Ask.com for taking the plunge.

*Office Live: Microsoft Office Live is a complete, affordable set of easy-to-use Internet-based software and services that helps small businesses attract new customers, keep in touch with existing customers and easily manage their business from virtually any location.

By combining the power of software plus services, Microsoft Office Live helps small businesses establish a professional Web presence, stay in touch with their customers, and easily access company information from one complete online location. More information is available at http://www.officelive.com.

**Ask Sponsored Listings: Ask Sponsored Listings (ASL), introduced in the Fall of 2005, is an automated open-auction system allowing marketers to purchase, manage and optimize campaigns on the ASL publisher network, including Ask.com.

Network Monitor v3.1

One of the many free tools available to IT managers from Microsoft is Network Monitor.

Last week, Microsoft released Network Monitor v3.1.

This new version, for the first time, allows for wireless sniffing! How cool is that? It also includes Right-Click Add to Filter, a much easier way of creating filters, and is Microsoft Update enabled. A list of all the new or improved features in NetMon v3.1 is below:

Read on at my blog on The Microsoft Subnet on NetworkWorld.com

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Silverlight & XPS

I just hate transitional periods with a passion!

When I use a pristine system to connect online, I am doubly upset when I try to connect to Microsoft sites, and either the document I want is in PDF format only, or a specific Microsoft site requires Flash.

When I have both IE7 for reading XPS documents, and Silverlight installed on the system!

How upsetting is that?

Come on, guys!

I am calling on The Collective to hasten the transition, or at least, create automatic background converters for these products.

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Xbox 360 Warranty extension

Or, How to nip a Potential problem in the bud!

While the focus is on the immense amount of moolah it will take to resolve this problem, can we all stand up and thank Microsoft for taking care of this potentially disastrous problem?

Can we?

Contrast this with the ostrich-like performance given by: Dell, Sony, Toshiba, and the like with the problems of the exploding batteries!

In fact, the only other time I can remember another company move with such dispatch was the resolution of the unfortunate crash of Air France 5490, where the airframe and engine manufacturers, the airline, and the charter company operating the tour moved speedily to compensate the families of the victims.

Mad props to the Executive at 1, Microsoft Way, Redmond.

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Microsoft purchases 2 data centers

Microsoft purchased two adjacent data centers in Santa Clara, California, from Savvis for $200 million USD.

Seems they had been using the facilities and decided to just plop for them rather than just rent.

The current CEO of Savvis, Phil Koen, says that the transaction is "great for the firm and customers".

Jeff Von Deylen, the CFO, chimes in that, "Over the next twelve months we expect to reinvest the proceeds in initiatives including selected data center expansions and potential network enhancements".

All very niiice.

I hope they keep to it!

Hopefully, we're not going to get a replay of the SCORES/AMEX/Savvis $241,000 lapdance saga!

I really don't need to burst open a fishwrap and read about Phillip or Jeffrey running the corporate card up on some NYC skanks!

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Stupid virus email

A fake email, purporting to be sent by Microsoft is making the rounds asking The Gullibles to click on a link, download, and install a patch.

Unfortunately, some users are just that easy.

Text follows. (I have removed the link, and highlighted the spelling errors these yum-yums made in the spoof.)

----- Original Message -----
From: "Microsoft" <update@microsoft.com>
Sent: Friday, June 29, 2007 12:06 AM
Subject: Read Me Now !!!

Hello! Hackers discovered new bugs on Windows XP versions. Now, your computer is very vulnerable to this attacks,
 
that`s why Microsoft Corporation relased a new patch to protect your sistem!
 
If you do not install this patch, the hackers can attack your computer, break into your sistem and steal passwords
 
or secret informations. In USA over 11,000,000 computers were attacked! Those computers didn`t have installed
 
protection patch!
 
Please download the patch and install it on your computer now!
 
DOWNLOAD PATCH: => 
http://www.xxxxx.net/patch.exe
 
* * DO NOT IGNORE THIS MESSAGE * *
 
Thank you!

English must NOT be their primary language, judging from the grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors.

Funny enough, I cannot seem to find an email address for Microsoft Security that I can sent the entire text, and link in the message to.

Books I am going to read

My brother Greg was in Lagos and sent me some books from my past to read:

  • Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe, 1958
  • The Passport of Mallam Ilia, by Cyprian Ekwensi, 1960
  • The African Child, by Camara Laye, 1954, translated from French – L’Enfant Noir
  • Weep Not, Child, by Ngugi Wa Thiong’O, 1964
  • One Week, One Trouble, by Anezi Okoro, 1972
  • The Incorruptible Judge, by D. Olu Olagoke, 1962
  • Efuru, by Flora Nwapa, 1966
  • The Gods are not to blame, by Ola Rotimi, 1968
  • The Beautiful Ones Are Not Yet Born, by Ayi Kwei Armah, 1968
  • Mission to Kala, by Mongo Beti, 1958, translated from French – Mission Terminée
  • A Geography of the World*, by Goh Cheng Leong
  • Certificate Physical & Human Geography*, by Goh Cheng Leong
  • Echoes of Hard Times and Other Plays, by Felicia Onyewadume, 1996. (This one is new to me)

Mad props, Greg.

Thanks.

* Textbooks

Vista, Vista, Vista

Windows Vista™ vs The Borg

"Star Trek Lost Episodes" transcript:

"Mr. LaForge, have you had any success with your attempts at finding a weakness in the Borg and Mr. Data, have you been able to access their command pathways?"

"Yes, Captain. In fact, we found the answer by searching through our archives on late Twentieth-century computing technology."

"What the hell is 'Windows'?"

"Allow me to explain. We will send this program, for some reason called 'Vista', through the Borg command pathways. Once inside their root command unit, it will begin consuming system resources at an unstoppable rate."

"But the Borg have the ability to adapt. Won't they alter their processing systems to increase their storage capacity?"

"Yes, Captain. But when 'Vista' detects this, it creates a new version of itself known as a 'Patch'. The use of resources increases exponentially with each iteration. The Borg will not be able to adapt quickly enough. Eventually all of their processing ability will be taken over and none will be available for their normal operational functions."

"Excellent work. This is even better than that 'unsolvable geometric shape' idea."

.. . .6 Hours and 15 Minutes Later . . .

"Captain, We have successfully installed the 'Vista' in the command unit and as expected it immediately consumed 85% of all resources. We however have not received any confirmation of the expected 'Patch'."

"Data see if there is anything we can do to increase the use of this 'Vista' by the Borg"

"Captain I have already done so and placed a direct link for the Borg to a program called 'InkBall' found within 'Vista' and sensors are reporting Borg CPU use is reaching a maximum."

Data: "Our scanners have picked up an increase in Borg storage and CPU capacity to compensate, but we still have no indication of an 'Patch' to compensate for their increase."

"Data, scan the history banks again and determine if there is something we have missed."

"Sir, I believe there is a reason for the failure in the 'Patch' Apparently the Borg have circumvented that part of the plan by not going through an 'Activation'.

"Captain we have no choice. Requesting permission to begin emergency escape sequence 3F . . ."

"Wait, Captain I just detected their 'Vista' is not running at full capacity!"

"Data, what do your scanners show?"

"Apparently 'Vista' has a kill switch to send itself into a reduced mode and is no longer allowing the Borg to access to 'Inkball' or other 'Vista' features."

"Is there anything we can do, Data, about this 'Activation'?"

"No, Captain. According to the documentation all copies of 'Vista' must be activated so unless the Borg complete the process I do not think there is."

"Wait Captain there is a change, as expected the Borg have adapted and it appears they have used a Twentieth-century 'hack' to bypass Activation and 'Reduced Functionality' and are once again running 'Vista' and 'Inkball'. This has increased CPU and storage demands, but each time they successfully increase resources 'Vista' appears to make use of it with useless services and advanced graphical displays.

"How much time will that buy us?"

"Current Borg solution rates allow me to predict an interest time span of 6 more hours."

"Captain, another vessel has entered our sector."

"Identify."

"It appears to have markings very similar to the 'Microsoft' logo."

"THIS IS ADMIRAL BILL GATES OF THE MICROSOFT FLAGSHIP 'MONOPOLY'. WE HAVE POSITIVE CONFIRMATION OF UNREGISTERED SOFTWARE IN THIS SECTOR. SURRENDER ALL ASSETS AND WE CAN AVOID ANY TROUBLE. YOU HAVE 10 SECONDS."

"The alien ship has just opened its forward hatches and released thousands of humanoid shaped objects."

"Magnify forward viewer on the alien craft."

"Good God, Captain! Those are humans floating straight toward the Borg ship with no life support suits! How can they survive the tortures of deep space?!"

"I don't believe that those are humans, sir. If you will look closer I believe you will see that they are carrying something recognized by Twenty-first Century man as doe-skin leather briefcases, and they are wearing Armani suits."

"Lawyers!!"

"It can't be. All the Lawyers were rounded up and sent hurtling into the sun in 2017 during the Great Awakening."

"True, but apparently some must have survived."

"They have surrounded the Borg ship and are covering it with all types of papers."

"I believe that is known in ancient vernacular as a 'law suit'. It often proves fatal."

"They're tearing the Borg to pieces!"

"Turn off the monitors. I can't stand to watch, not even the Borg deserve that. "

From The Microsoft Certified Small Business Specialist blog.

A 6-month Windows Vista Vulnerability Report

On April 30, Jeff Jones, a director in the security group at Microsoft released his Windows Vista™ 90-day Vulnerability Report, which thankfully, reduced the number of uninformed statements about the inherent lack of security in Microsoft products in general, and Windows Vista™ in particular.

Well, Jeff just cannot leave well enough alone!

In a post today, he has delivered another juicy report, a 6-Month Vulnerability Report on Windows Vista™.

Results: actually better, showing the Microsoft Windows Vista™ not only had fewer high severity vulns, but also that Microsoft fixed those vulns more rapidly than OS competitors.

Nice.

His full report, in PDF, is here.

Get aboard the Windows Vista™ train and move up to a more secure level of computing.

Apprise us of your successes here or email me at John.Obeto@AbsoluteVista.com

Visit Microsoft Subnet for more opinions and news. http://www.networkworld.com/subnets/microsoft/

How to disqualify American workers

...in order to hire lower-paid, subliminally-indentured foreign workers.

This video crystallizes what I have long suspected: the some employers were subverting the H-1B process to the detriment of American workers.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCbFEgFajGU]

This is a shame!

IANAL, however it seems to me that the criminality of these conspiracies are very evident.

If the subversion of the is true, and this video no doubt proves it, then, at the very least, there should be criminal proceedings brought against not just the developers and purveyors of schemes aimed at performing this injustice, but also hold their clients, the very companies that scream out continually for H-1B visas liable for prosecution as well, with jail sentences for the convicted.

For goodness sakes, there are lots of eminently qualified American citizens who have been denied jobs just so a company can pad it's earnings reports!

The 'nads on these people is unreal!

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Off-Point: Is this justice?

After 43 years, James Ford Seale was convicted of kidnapping and conspiracy in the deaths of two black teenagers.

After 43 years?

Is this justice?

Actually, YES.

I cannot imagine what this 71-year old bigot must feel about spending the rest of his days locked up.

All his hopes and dreams shattered.

Always looking over his shoulder for a shankin'. (Hopefully, not, since I would like him to serve out his life sentence.)

Hopefully, the souls of Charles Eddie Moore and Henry Hezekiah Dee would now rest in peace.

Apple innovates.....with Windows Vista RC1.

At the recent Apple WWDC, Apple CEO, Steve Jobs revealed the next version of OS X: Leopard.

It was pretty amazing for a while….until a massive feeling of déjà vu hit me!

I had seen it all before!

It was Windows Vista™, and not just that, it was a very poor cousin to Windows Vista™!

It is Windows Vista RC1, (build 5600).

OS X Leopard!

This is it?

No wonder he had those scathing words for Microsoft when Vista was released!

He knew he had nothing; that the cupboard was bare.

Look at the ‘new’ functionality announced for Leopard:

    • 3D desktop. Been there, done that. This is the best copy he could cough up after a 2-year lead-in time to copy Windows Vista™? A blatant rip-off of Windows Vista DreamScene
    • Cover Flow. Flip-3D by any other name.
    • 64-bit Functionality. So yesterday! Even Windows XP had a 64-bit version.
    • Quick Look. Apple’s implementation of the dynamic Windows Vista Live Icons and Live Preview technologies
    • Boot Camp. I believe a boot menu has been included in every version of Windows since Windows 95. Then again, I could be wrong: it may have been since Windows 98.
    • Spaces. You can drag and drop between up to four tiled windows on your desktop. Really! Let me stop before I …….
    • Dashboard. Steve, Steve, stealing so many ideas from the Windows Sidebar! Have you no shame?
    • iChat. We do not have iChat, and I certainly do not miss any of the stated capabilities.
    • Finder. Slices, dices, but the best feature is reserved for those who have a .mac address. Windows Search

Using the Finder in conjunction with the .mac address allows searching of other Apples on your network.

Hello?

Are you kiddin’ me?

I need to go outside my home network, into the Internet cloud, in order to come back to search the computer sitting right next to me?

That is a ‘Good Thing’?

Methinks the iPod halo and the iPhone thing might have forced the loops at 1, Infinite Loop to take their eyes off the ball since this whole announcement smacks of the desperation of a company that has lost it’s mojo.

I’m not the only one who sees this as Apple performing the sincerest form of flattery:

Mary Jo Foley: Leopard looks like…Vista™

Paul Thurrott: Cupertino, Start Your Copiers!

Actually, Paul had an on-the-mark prescient post back in August of 2006 at the last Apple WWDC. I excerpted some of his works in my serial infra dig post here about the shamelessness of the Mac fanboi cadre.

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Microsoft Office & the SMB space

My bold position in proselytizing Microsoft products seems to be going against the norm.

In his blog post here about the 2007 Microsoft Office system versus OpenOffice, the writer starts out by disagreeing with my post series on the Office-less office.

Let me make my position very clear: in the SMB space specifically, the benefits of open source software are still very unclear.

Looking at actual dollar figures are a canard.

Without an IT tech on hand, how would issues be resolved?

Read on at my blog on NetworkWorld.com

ODF loses traction

Or The Triumph of Business over IT Zealots

In my post here, I alluded to the fact that the ODF was a cruel joke (to businesses) foisted on us by those companies who couldn’t compete in the marketplace.

The ODF is built on the foundation of StarOffice* and ratified by OASIS, the ODF, for Microsoft haters, seemed like a godsend. And they pushed it as such, the most chatter being by a former IT functionary in the government of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts who tried to schneider the entire government into passing a law to make ODF the standard.

Read on at my blog on NetworkWorld.com

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