jorghis - Slashdot User

Submission + - Bill Gates on The Future of Computing

Submitted by pigscanfly.ca on Sunday March 04, 2007 @05:51PM

pigscanfly.ca writes: Back in 1989 (in the Windows 2.0 days), Bill Gates came to talk to the students of the University of Waterloo on the early days of Microsoft and the future of computing. It's an interesting blast to the past. He even touches on his 640K statement. He also covers lots of other topics, including OS/2, software piracy, the history of the software industry, and his role at Microsoft.The talk is available in a number of audio formats from the University of Waterloo Computer Science Club website.

Submission + - Microsoft Builds Digital Ice House

Submitted by

Anna Hom

on Sunday February 18, 2007 @02:41PM

Anna Hom writes: "Microsoft is starting to promote Windows Vista in new ways. This time, they've built a digital house made completely of ice, aside from the computers, to promote its software — video walkthrough included."

Submission + - MSN Soapbox now in public beta

Submitted by Pasito on Thursday February 15, 2007 @02:51AM

Pasito writes: Microsoft has opened up its YouTube killer to the public. Soapbox boasts the following features:

Soapbox allows the users to browse and watch videos at the same time.
Amazing video quality.
Go full screen without restarting the video.
RSS feeds for everything: RSS feed for a tag, a search, a users videos, etc.

What will be interesting to see if they can garner the content since for online video sites, content is king. We'll have to wait and see how they tackle the two big issues of these kinds of sites: revenue generation and copyright material.

Submission + - Microsoft :ODF Inferior to OOXML, Bad for Industry

Submitted by

Eastender

on Thursday February 15, 2007 @02:03AM

Eastender writes: "Under its ongoing efforts to ensure OOXML emerges as the de-facto standard, Microsoft is accusing IBM of hampering its efforts to publish its standards and to get it ISO ratification, which would give Microsoft a leg up in its efforts to provide its standards respectability.

From the article:

In an open letter released Wednesday, Microsoft executives contend that IBM is trying to influence the standards process to limit choice. It also said that IBM is encouraging governments to mandate a document format that IBM favours.

Microsoft contends that IBM is trying "to force ODF on users through public procurement mandates," which would have a negative effect on customers and the marketplace...

"We see a level of hypocrisy in IBM's activities... They have long called on us to standardise formats, make the IP (intellectual property) freely available to the broader community, and we've done it. Now that that is done, they are putting a lot of resources to block standardisation" of OOXML, Robertson said. "IBM is fundamentally on the wrong side of the industry."

Elaborating the point, Microsoft states that IBM and other parties are banding together to foist the ODF standard on the industry and that this has negative implications on the customers and the industry as a whole.

The leading software company in the world justifies the submission of the letter by stating 'that Microsoft chose to publish the letter to "shine a light" on IBM's activities'.

This questions the entire rationale of ODF and all the efforts that have been made on it by stating we have genuinely made a better standard but we are not being allowed to publish it.

http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/software/soa/Microsof t_calls_IBM_hypocritical_on_document_standards/0,1 30061733,339273643,00.htm?feed=alert"

VoIP and Home Security Systems Don't Get Along 187

Posted by samzenpus on Wednesday February 14, 2007 @08:56PM from the your-door-wants-you-to-stop-calling dept.

coondoggie writes "Here is a story about consumer VoIP services that can cause your home security alarm system to malfunction or not work at all. There have been problems with customer phone systems in Canada who were using Primus but Vonage customers in the U.S have complained too. A number of sites have popped up offering suggestions to help deal with the problem."

Submission + - 14 HP Company Secrets from a former employee

Submitted by rob101 on Wednesday February 14, 2007 @08:50PM

rob101 writes: A former Hewlett-Packard worker could barely wait for their non-disclosure-agreement to end so they could spill 14 company secrets to The Consumerist. Full article at the Consumerist. This article details secrets about HP printers, how to get past the voice prompt system, HP cartridges and warranty information.

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