Submission + - Microsoft patents portable applications (networkworld.com) 1
Julie188 writes: On Tuesday, Microsoft was awarded a U.S. patent for "portable applications." The description of this innovative technology? Running an executable file from a flash device. Does this, or does this not, sound an awful lot like running an application from a thumb drive instead of loading it onto your computer? A Microsoft spokesperson offers this clarification: "The patent relates to portable applications that can be executed from a portable memory device (such as a USB flash drive) without impacting the configuration of the computer. The patent is not directed solely to running an application from a flash drive but to running an application from the flash drive without altering the configuration of the computer."