2791869
submission
ericatcw writes:
With many users now used to having multiple monitors at home or work, you had to figure someone would try to offer a 'desktop replacement' laptop that offered the same. Lenovo is the first. Its new W700ds laptop will offer a 10.6 inch LCD screen in addition to the 17-inch primary one, reports Computerworld. The W700ds also sports a quad-core Intel Core 2 CPU, up to almost 1 TB of storage, and an Nvidia Quadro mobile chip with up to 128 cores. A Lenovo exec called this souped-up version of the normally buttoned-down-for-business ThinkPads the "nitro-burning drag racer of ThinkPads." There is even a Wacom digitizer pad and pen for graphic artists, who are expected to be the target market, along with photographers and other creative types who are willing to trade shoulder-aching bulk (11 pounds) and price (minimum of $3,600) for productivity enhancements.
838735
submission
ericatcw writes:
Avant-garde director Michel Gondry may be directing the Windows ad starring Jerry Seinfeld that is due to appear in early September, reported Computerworld. Gondry is best known for directing 'Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind,' which featured his trademark inventive visual style, and this year's lower-key 'Be Kind, Rewind.' He has also done many critically-acclaimed commercials for (see YouTube links) Levi's, Nike and others. According to numerous Brooklyn blog reports, Gondry and his production company Partizan Entertainment filmed at locations throughout the borough in mid-July. Advertising Age reported that reps from Crispin Porter & Bogusky, which The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday is overseeing the $300 million Windows advertising campaign starring Seinfeld, were spotted at the shoot. For tech companies, Gondry has filmed commercials for Motorola's RAZR2 cellphone and HP. For HP, the 45-year-old Frenchman actually starred in the ad and talked about using an HP desktop PC to edit film footage, record music and produce his Web site.
835281
submission
ericatcw writes:
Most anti-piracy solutions shut down an app if the user fails to enter a legit license code. Think Windows Genuine Advantage. But V.i. Labs thinks it has a better way, reports Computerworld. Its new CodeArmor Intelligence product, when integrated into an app, lies dormant and undetectable to the tools used by pirates who crack 'warez,' claims the startup. Then, after the software is used a set number of times, it activates, and starts to stealthily send information back to the vendor on who is using the software and why. Rather than siccing the BSA or SIIA on them, the vendor can use that information as leverage when approaching the offending firm, to help turn them into an paying user and, eventually, a loyal customer. Because it is aiming at makers of CAD, EDA, PLM and other heavy-duty, expensive niche apps, V.i. isn't worried that a shift to cloud computing will erode their market.
663208
submission
ericatcw writes:
Microsoft's plan announced last month to fill its mammoth upcoming Chicago data center with as many as 220 40-foot shipping containers, each pre-configured with 2,000 servers each, has generated wild curiosity or baffled enthusiasm from the IT crowd. To get a different sample, Computerworld interviewed the president of a data center construction firm, a power engineer-turned-CIO, an operations executive for a data center operator and a 'green' data center consultant, who who outlined six reasons they were skeptical about Microsoft's vision: from the electrical 'harmonics' containers would encourage that would "crap up power" throughout the data center, to their incredulity over the inefficiency of Microsoft's plan not to fix dead servers inside a container, which would waste valuable electricity and real estate.
661654
submission
ericatcw writes:
The New York Times' Bits blog reported today that Microsoft Office Ultimate is available online for $60, or 91% off its regular price, for students, until May 16. Computerworld notes three things: 1) isn't it a little odd that a company with such a purported strong anti-piracy stance as well as a byzantine set of licensing rules would call the Web site with the offer "The Ultimate Steal"? 2) any graduate of a U.S. college or university can effectively get the discount, too, since all that is required is a .edu e-mail address (given by most schools to alumni) and proof "upon request" that you are enrolled, though that need only be as little as 0.5 credits; 3) the beta for OpenOffice 3.0, with improved Mac OS X graphics, was released to the public earlier this week.
638834
submission
ericatcw writes:
Computerworld reports that a day after the resignation of the One Laptop Per Child project's president was publicly revealed, the OLPC's founder and chairman said that the group's XO laptop may evolve to use only Windows XP as its operating system, with open-source educational applications such as the homegrown Sugar software running on top.
OLPC founder Nicholas Negroponte also told The Associated Press that an insistence upon using only free, open-source software had hampered the XO's usability and scared away potential adopters.
For instance, the Sugar graphical user interface aimed at children "grew amorphously" and "didn't have a software architect who did it in a crisp way," he said. Also, the laptops don't support the latest versions of Flash animation, which is widely used on children's and educational Web sites.
"There are several examples like that, that we have to address without worrying about the fundamentalism in some of the open-source community," he said. "One can be an open-source advocate without being an open-source fundamentalist."
632136
submission
ericatcw writes:
In the latest death knell for Outlook Express, Microsoft Corp. is turning off access to its Web-based Hotmail service from the desktop e-mail software at the end of June.
Microsoft is nudging users towards its free Windows Live Mail client, which succeeds both Outlook Express and Windows Mail. But users can use any POP3 mail client, such as Thunderbird. Users of Microsoft's Outlook and Entourage (for the Mac) are unaffected.
First introduced in 1997 in a bundle with Internet Explorer 4.0, Outlook Express was at one time probably the most popular e-mail software in the world. Malware problems early in this decade hurt its reputation. And it hasn't been updated since version 6.0 was released in August 2004.
592820
submission
ericatcw writes:
With Apple foisting Safari upon Windows users, millions are trying the browser for the first time. While some say the browser is faster and more accurate at rendering Web pages than Firefox or Internet Explorer, others are reporting problems. Several Microsoft sites, including Hotmail and Office Live Workspace, aren't working with Safari, reports Computerworld. Safari is also being accused on online forums of memory leak problems, lingering screen-rendering issues, and, most commonly, not working properly with the Adobe Flash player plug-in.
561036
submission
ericatcw writes:
Critics have charged that last week's ISO Ballot Resolution Meeting (BRM) to decide the fate of changes to Office Open XML standards proposal was too perfunctory and deviated from accepted ISO practices, possibly in an attempt to smooth the passage of the Microsoft format.
This week, the ISO 'convener' of the BRM disputed those charges, reported Computerworld, saying that voting to dispose of 900 changes to the spec at once and allowing 'O' Observer countries to vote were the correct moves. ISO released a statement backing him up. Also, Patrick Durusau, editor of the competing OpenDocument Format specification and a supporter of Open XML's passage, also said that claims that the process was flawed were overstated.
559718
submission
ericatcw writes:
At its Mix08 Web development conference, Microsoft said that its Silverlight rich Internet application platform is downloaded and installed an average of 1.5 million times every day. But has it truly gained traction? An analysis of job listings at nine popular career sites by Computerworld found that ads mentioned Adobe's Flash an average of 41 times more than they mentioned Silverlight. The number of programming books found at Amazon.com was also heavily skewed in favor of the Adobe technology.
547804
submission
ericatcw writes:
Microsoft is cutting prices for retail copies of Vista, reports Computerworld. Cuts will be up to almost 50% for some editions in developing countries. In wealthier markets such as the U.S. or Europe, discounts will be mostly for retail upgrade versions of Windows Vista Home Premium and Ultimate. But Western customers looking for big discounts may be disappointed — cuts may be as small as 3%, and for some versions, non-existent, said Redmond. Still, NPD Group analyst Chris Swenson applauds the move, saying Vista hasn't met expectations. He says that more consumers are choosing to buy whole new Vista PCs — which nets Microsoft less money per license — rather than upgrading existing PCs because of Vista's hefty system requirements, as well as lower price points for new PCs compared to when XP was released.
526230
submission
ericatcw writes:
Reacting to a comment by a clever reader here on Slashdot, I pinged Starbucks' PR to see if there was any fine print was on Starbucks' 2-hours-free-Wi-Fi deal. Turns out Starbucks two hours Wi-Fi deal isn't that free — to maintain your AT&T Wi-Fi account, users will need to use their Starbucks Card once a month by either buying something with the card or adding money to it. To prevent users from gaming the system by creating multiple free accounts, AT&T will track users' PCs — probably via MAC address — to limit any computer to a single 2-hour session a day. So, anyone up for spoofing Mac addresses or bringing in two shiny new Everex CloudBooks?
524594
submission
ericatcw writes:
Evidence is mounting that rates for banner ads and text links, aka CPMs, are due for a fall: a slowing economy, a glut of page views and a recent study showing that most click-throughs on banners are by a small, economically undesirable group of Web users. Enter 'featuretisements,' a new Web marketing technique that claims to blend AdSense-type targeting with the one-click sale of an auction or store listing, according to Webmail provider, BlueTie Inc., while minimizing disruption to Web users. The company now claims Orbitz, Amazon.com, FTD.com and RIM as among its clients, and is syndicating the money-making feature to other Web app providers. BlueTie also claims featuretisements dodge the privacy issues of some other Web ad models.
