Archive for June, 2006
Does Microsoft need to rethink its general strategy?
Here’s an interesting article that says it may be the end of an era at Microsoft.
Gone are the days of skyrocketing stock prices at Microsoft. The grand vision of the company’s next-generation OS has proved too ambitious, with Windows Vista missing deadline after deadline. Customer frustration with security flaws and lock-in tactics is growing. [...]
Microsoft backs off (a little) on WGA
Internet Week reports that Microsoft is making WGA somewhat less intrusive.
The Redmond, Wash., company came under fire this month following media reports that WGA communicated with Microsoft each time a PC connected to the Internet. In addition, critics complained that the company mislabeled the software as a “critical update” when it was distributed [...]
More on “Windows Genuine Advantage”
After I wrote the preceding entry, I came across this article in the Gripelog. Among other things Ed Foster notes
Back when Microsoft first rolled out what was then the “voluntary” Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) program, I observed that this was already getting to be an old story with Microsoft. As with product activation, adding yet [...]
Is “Windows Genuine Advantage” becoming ominous?
I previously noted that the latest version of Microsoft’s anti-piracy software (in Microsoft-speak called “Windows Genuine Advantage”) was causing a lot of complaints. Not only was it downloaded surreptitiously as a “critical” update but was causing many people with legitimate systems to have crashes. But the story is getting more ominous as reports surface that [...]
Security problems in Excel
I don’t know how many of you use the Microsoft Excel spreadsheet program, but reports keep coming about security problems. So far this week, there are three. PC World has a report
Excel users have one more reason to worry. A hacker on Tuesday published code that takes advantage of an unpatched flaw in the Microsoft [...]
Cheaper PCs coming soon?
If you need a new PC but can wait a month or two, you might save some money according to a PC World article
Users looking for a new PC might want to wait for a round of price cuts that are expected soon from Intel, the world’s largest maker of microprocessors. Component vendors and analysts [...]
The discourteous Web
I have been struck by the rudeness and inanity of much that passes for commentary on the Web and an article Social Graces: Lost On The Web? talks about the particular subject of rude emails. I suppose the appalling lack of common courtesy on the Internet is partly due to its hurried pace and [...]
Once more the promise of bare facts is a trap
I can’t believe that it still works but here we go again. Another worm that hooks people by promising nude pictures. Only this time it’s nude athletic males instead of nubile maidens. PC World reports
Computer Worm Lures Victims With ‘Naked World Cup’ Disguises itself as pictures from nonexistent ‘Naked World Cup.’
Victims receive messages with [...]
Behavioral Advertising
Advertisers are always looking for ways to target their potential customers and the Web opens up all sorts of possible techniques. Search Engine Watch has an article on “behavioral advertising”. This is advertising targeted at the viewer, based on that viewer’s surfing history. This is not a new idea but seems to be getting increased [...]
Thinking of building a robot?
Microsoft seems to want to get into everything. In case you are planning to build a robot, Microsoft wants it to be powered by them. Mary Jo Foley at Microsoft Watch reports
On June 20, Microsoft released a technology preview build of a development platform that targets robots. The framework and related tools allow developers to [...]
Rebuilding a broken Windows XP operating system
Fred Langa has written another of his detailed Desktop Pipeline articles on maintaining and/or repairing Windows XP. This one is XP’s Nondestructive Rebuild Option. He says that Microsoft makes it hard to find and use this method
But it’s worth exploring because this option lets you completely and nondestructively rebuild, repair, or refresh an [...]
