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Microsoft

Users Being Migrated To New Version of Hotmail 215

Posted by Zonk
from the windows-live-inspires-confidence dept.
An anonymous reader writes "Microsoft has started work on migrating Hotmail users to a new version after testing the new system on select customers for almost two years. Microsoft stated in the article that more than 20 million users provided feedback to the new-look Hotmail. 'For now, Microsoft will give Hotmail users the option to continue using the old version if they don't want to switch to the upgraded version. However, at some point, everyone will be unilaterally migrated over to Windows Live Hotmail ... New users will be automatically signed up for Windows Live Hotmail but, like any user of the new service, they will get to choose from two user interfaces: a "classic" layout that closely resembles the old Hotmail; or the new interface, which was designed to look like Microsoft's Outlook e-mail and calendaring desktop application.'"
Networking

Pornography being "scrubbed" using DNS

Submitted by
ScrubIT
ScrubIT writes "Hi Guys, Just wanted to drop you a quick note and let you know of a new service we are providing for free that we are pretty excited to launch. ScrubIT.com has made publicly available a FREE recursive DNS service that blocks pornography and malicious websites. It is an excellent service for families and employers who don't want to worry about what they will be confronted with on the internet. Additionally, in private BETA is the ability to customize your personal DNS and selectively block and allow sites that you choose. Now, I realize the porn industry is going to be none to happy about this one, but it's about time someone stood up and did something. Let us know what you think."
Microsoft

Bill Gates' Talks About 640k in 1989

Submitted by
ilovebillyg
ilovebillyg writes "Apparently Bill Gates gave a talk back in 1989 to the University of Waterloo, and it has only recently been digitized. Among other things, Bill talks about how in 1981, he thought that 640k would be ok for at least 10 years. Is this the source of the oft quoted Gates quote on 640k? He also covers lots of other topics, including OS/2, software piracy, the history of the software industry, and his role at Microsoft."
Microsoft

The Microsoft OOXML Contradictions Revealed

Submitted by
Andy Updegrove
Andy Updegrove writes "Someone was kind enough to send me the package of materials distributed by ISO/IEC JTC 1 earlier today to its members.The package contains each of the responses filed during the ISO Fast Track Contradictions period for Ecma 376, the specification based upon Microsoft's OOXML formats, as well as the responses prepared by Ecma to those responses. Earlier, Microsoft had downplayed reports by myself and others that the great majority of the responses were negative, suggesting that most or many were either neutral, or in fact "laudatory." In fact, the actual responses demonstrate that 14 of 20 responses — more than 2/3s — were clearly negative, two indicated divisions of opinion among the members of the national bodies submitting them, three were inconclusive or neutral, and one offered no objections.What happens next? The transmittal note from JTC1 indicates that after internal consultation, next steps will be communicated to the National Bodies "in the very near future." But given the degree of opposition and concern expressed by a significant percentage of those national bodies entitled to vote up or down on adoption, it's fair to say that Microsoft has its work cut out for it, if it wants to see OOXML achieve the same degree of international standards status as ODF. http://www.consortiuminfo.org/standardsblog/articl e.php?story=2007022819130536"
Microsoft

Recovered Bill Gates talk from 1989!

Submitted by
Holden Karau
Holden Karau writes "Hate him or love him, Bill Gates is a influential individual in the software industry. Recent archival work at the University of Waterloo has recovered a talk given by him in 1989 in which he discusses his role as a developer in the early days of Microsoft, and his views on the future of Microsoft. He also alludes to the fact that he thought that in 1981, 640k would be good enough for everyone! Especially interesting are his views on how to "solve" software piracy in the late 80s."
Data Storage

Google paper on disk reliability

Submitted by oski4410
oski4410 writes "The Google engineers just published a paper on Failure Trends in a Large Disk Drive Population. Based on a study of 100,000 disk drives over 5 years they find some interesting stuff. To quote from the abstract:

"Our analysis identifies several parameters from the drive's self monitoring facility (SMART) that correlate highly with failures. Despite this high correlation, we conclude that models based on SMART parameters alone are unlikely to be useful for predicting individual drive failures. Surprisingly, we found that temperature and activity levels were much less correlated with drive failures than previously reported.""
Patents

Microsoft Wants Patent on Indentation

Submitted by
theodp
theodp writes "Throw some text in a worksheet, make the columns small, and color the cells to denote a hierarchy. Like this. That, my friend, may constitute patent infringement for the next twenty years if the USPTO grants Microsoft the patent it's seeking for Minimizing Indenting (actual patent image). Just one more example of how Microsoft's lawyers are making the world a better place through more joyful and inclusive design."

Robot, n.: University administrator.