Microsoft Exec Hints at iPhone Rival

An executive in Microsoft’s entertainment and games division today hinted that Microsoft may be developing its own rival to Apple’s iPhone, based on Windows Mobile OS.

Speaking at Citi’s annual Global Technology Conference in New York on Tuesday, Mindy Mount, corporate vice president and CFO for Microsoft’s Entertainment and Devices Division, said it’s not “unreasonable” to think that Microsoft will integrate photo, music and touchscreen features into a Windows Mobile product in the future, though she declined to comment on the specifics of when or what that might look like.

Microsoft’s idea with Windows Mobile has been to move every-day business capabilities, such as accessing e-mail, from the PC to the mobile device. However, most people “tend to have one phone for personal as well as work [use],” Mount said. “Being able to do pictures and music is something that consumers are going to want, so it’s a natural thing for us to want in our product roadmap.”

[ View ]

Microsoft sics lawyers on popular AutoPatcher utility

On the same day that Microsoft set a date for the delivery of new Vista and XP service packs, it shut down a popular utility built and maintained by Windows enthusiasts for easily installing updates offline.

The AutoPatcher utility is described by project manager Antonis Kaladis as an offline Windows Update. It provides an interface to a large collection of updates, common applications and registry tweaks. The collection could be downloaded once, then used to update many computers, saving time and bandwidth. The collection was updated monthly.

Microsoft, however, told Kaladis that it fears his utility potentially could distribute malicious software along with legitimate Microsoft updates. Microsoft says it wants to limit the distribution of updates and other fixes to its own sites, such as Windows Update.

AutoPatcher was launched as a hobby in 2003 by Kaladis, who says on his Web site, “[I] once spoke to a Microsoft employee, and apparently they know about us but don’t care what we do! The AutoPatcher project has been going strong since 2003 and never had a sniff of trouble from Microsoft.”

[ View ]

Microsoft Closes Popular Third-Party Windows Update App

Microsoft forced a popular alternative to Windows Update off the Internet today, sending the maker of AutoPatcher cease-and-desist e-mail. The free utility has been removed from its download site.

Microsoft did not give a reason for the move, which came more than four years after AutoPatcher debuted.

“Today we received an e-mail from Microsoft, requesting the immediate take-down of the download page, which of course means that AutoPatcher is probably history,” said Antonis Kaladis, the 20-year-old Greek college student and author of the program. “As much as we disagree, we can do very little, and although the download page is merely a collection of mirrors, we took the download page down.”

AutoPatcher, which was in version 5.6, let users collect Windows hotfixes and security patches from Microsoft’s update services, then package them so they could be applied to multiple machines, or reused multiple times on a single PC. It was especially popular among people who frequently reformatted drives or those who did informal tech support for friends and family, or in a small business.

[ View ]

College campuses prepare for Microsoft Vista challenges

For some IT staffers at Northeastern University in Boston, Microsoft Vista’s enhanced security features mean trouble in an environment where students and professors crave open access to the network and scowl at any roadblocks in their way.

But the IT shop has no choice but to embrace the latest Windows operating system and prepare for mass deployments, because the campus will be flooded with new Vista machines this fall whether they’re ready or not.

Northeastern IT security manager Glenn Hill finds Vista’s security tools useful, including the enhanced encryption and user access controls. But he says students and faculty will surely have trouble navigating the new controls. The problems could result in an increase in calls to the information services department, he said.

[ View ]

Facebook’s ad plan: With or without Microsoft?

Facebook is one of the highest-profile clients of Microsoft’s fledgling online advertising business. However, a story in this morning’s Wall Street Journal, citing anonymous sources, says the social networking site is also working on a next-generation advertising system of its own, with ads tailored more specifically to the interests of its users.

The move “could upset Microsoft, which is itself trying to build technology to make it easier for advertisers to place targeted ads on Facebook,” the story says, adding that Microsoft declined to comment. At the same time, it notes that the agreement with Microsoft runs through 2011.

Also interesting are the financial details in the story, reporting that privately held Facebook is on pace for $30 million in profit this year, and $150 million in revenue, about half of it from the Microsoft advertising deal. That’s a profit margin of 20 percent.

This isn’t an apples-to-apples comparison, but the last time Microsoft’s Online Services Business posted an operating profit, in December 2005, its profit margin was less than 10 percent.

[ View ]

Facebook’s ad plan: With or without Microsoft?

Facebook is one of the highest-profile clients of Microsoft’s fledgling online advertising business. However, a story in this morning’s Wall Street Journal, citing anonymous sources, says the social networking site is also working on a next-generation advertising system of its own, with ads tailored more specifically to the interests of its users.

The move “could upset Microsoft, which is itself trying to build technology to make it easier for advertisers to place targeted ads on Facebook,” the story says, adding that Microsoft declined to comment. At the same time, it notes that the agreement with Microsoft runs through 2011.

Also interesting are the financial details in the story, reporting that privately held Facebook is on pace for $30 million in profit this year, and $150 million in revenue, about half of it from the Microsoft advertising deal. That’s a profit margin of 20 percent.

This isn’t an apples-to-apples comparison, but the last time Microsoft’s Online Services Business posted an operating profit, in December 2005, its profit margin was less than 10 percent.

[ View ]

Xbox 360™ Elite – Full Details

Xbox 360™ Elite : All India Launch : mstpblog Exclusive

• Introducing Xbox 360™ Elite, the premier Xbox 360 console package that includes a massive 120GB hard drive, a HDMI port, and HDMI cable, all wrapped up with a premium black finish. Xbox 360 Elite also includes a black wireless controller and black Xbox LIVE® headset.
• Xbox 360 Elite has enough space for a whole library of Xbox LIVE Arcade games as well as downloadable high-definition TV shows, movies, music, and all the other content available from Xbox LIVE Marketplace.

Elite Console box contains

Xbox 360 Elite console:

• The console is equipped with an HDMI port, HDMI cable, a black wireless controller and black Xbox LIVE® headset.
• It also comes with three powerful core processors, 16:9 cinematic aspect ratio, anti-aliasing for smooth textures, full surround sound, and DVD playback with upscaling capabilities right out of the box.

Xbox 360 120GB hard drive:

• The huge 120GB detachable hard drive allows gamers to save their games and store television shows, movies, music, pictures, trailers, extra game levels, demos and other content available from Xbox LIVE® Marketplace.
• Watch your favorite DVD movies in standard or HD DVD. Download movies, Connect an MP3 player, Connect to a digital camera and view your pictures, Voice chat with friends and family over Xbox LIVE® , Connect to Windows XP or Windows Media Center Based PC.

Xbox 360 Wireless Controller (black):

• The sleek black finish of this high-performance wireless controller matches the style of the Elite Console.
• It has a range of up to 30 feet and a battery life of 30 hours on two AA batteries.

Xbox 360 headset (black):

• Now available in black, the headset lets you strategize while playing together online or trade taunts with your opponents.
• You can also send voice messages to friends on Xbox LIVE® .

Xbox 360 HDMI cable:

• New to Xbox 360, HDMI lets you get HD video (up to 1080p) and multichannel surround sound, all from one cable.

Xbox 360™ Elite – Full Details

Xbox 360™ Elite : All India Launch : mstpblog Exclusive

• Introducing Xbox 360™ Elite, the premier Xbox 360 console package that includes a massive 120GB hard drive, a HDMI port, and HDMI cable, all wrapped up with a premium black finish. Xbox 360 Elite also includes a black wireless controller and black Xbox LIVE® headset.
• Xbox 360 Elite has enough space for a whole library of Xbox LIVE Arcade games as well as downloadable high-definition TV shows, movies, music, and all the other content available from Xbox LIVE Marketplace.

Elite Console box contains

Xbox 360 Elite console:

• The console is equipped with an HDMI port, HDMI cable, a black wireless controller and black Xbox LIVE® headset.
• It also comes with three powerful core processors, 16:9 cinematic aspect ratio, anti-aliasing for smooth textures, full surround sound, and DVD playback with upscaling capabilities right out of the box.

Xbox 360 120GB hard drive:

• The huge 120GB detachable hard drive allows gamers to save their games and store television shows, movies, music, pictures, trailers, extra game levels, demos and other content available from Xbox LIVE® Marketplace.
• Watch your favorite DVD movies in standard or HD DVD. Download movies, Connect an MP3 player, Connect to a digital camera and view your pictures, Voice chat with friends and family over Xbox LIVE® , Connect to Windows XP or Windows Media Center Based PC.

Xbox 360 Wireless Controller (black):

• The sleek black finish of this high-performance wireless controller matches the style of the Elite Console.
• It has a range of up to 30 feet and a battery life of 30 hours on two AA batteries.

Xbox 360 headset (black):

• Now available in black, the headset lets you strategize while playing together online or trade taunts with your opponents.
• You can also send voice messages to friends on Xbox LIVE® .

Xbox 360 HDMI cable:

• New to Xbox 360, HDMI lets you get HD video (up to 1080p) and multichannel surround sound, all from one cable.

An overview of Windows Search Technologies

This Microsoft white paper, Windows Search Technologies Overview for Business Customers, presents an overview of Windows Search technologies, and the immense value they bring to the enterprise, small businesses, and consumers.

Since I got over the errors I was making when I posted here that made my searched less than optimal, I have gotten to appreciate with Windows Search and the functionality it gives me, as delivered in Windows Vista™, where it permeates all aspects of the operating system.

The fact that I do not need an external/3rd party app to perform search, and by not doing so, reduce the chances of having a data leak over external, or for that matter, internal links, is a great bonus.

The Whitepaper can be downloaded here.

It requires the XPS viewer, a component of Windows Vista, or found here for all other Microsoft operating systems.

[ View ]

Order Xbox 360 Elite via Indiatimes

Less than a year after the launch of Xbox 360, Microsoft has announced the launch of Xbox 360 Elite in the country.

The Xbox 360 Elite sports a premium black finish, and signature metallic detailing. It requires a component HD cable or HDMI cable, both of which are included with the package. While the Xbox 360 includes a 20GB hard drive, the Xbox 360 Elite includes a 120GB hard drive.

Salient features of the console are: high definition multimedia interface (HDMI) port, high definition cable for the console, and a wireless controller.

New to Xbox 360, the HDMI cable allows consumers get HD video (up to 1080p) and multi-channel surround sound — all from one cable.

The wireless controller is now in black, and features the Xbox Guide Button for quick, in-game access. The controller boasts a range of up to 30 feet and a battery life of up to 30 hours on 2 AA batteries.

The headset is also black, and lets gamers strategize while playing games.

Other features of the newbie include: 3 powerful processors capable of producing superior HD entertainment; 16:9 cinematic aspect ratio, anti-aliasing for smooth textures, full surround sound, DVD playback with upscaling capabilities; etc.

Mohit Anand, country manager – entertainment and devices division, Microsoft, said, “There is a huge demand for gaming in the country, and fans are constantly craving for products and features that enhance their experience. The Xbox 360 Elite’s good looks, larger storage space, and premium features will allow our customers in India to enjoy all that the next generation of entertainment has to offer.”

Beginning today, the Xbox 360 Elite is available exclusively through indiatimes.com. Those interested need log on to www.indiatimes.com and place their order.

Meanwhile, there is no word on whether and when the Xbox 360 Elite will be out on the market. The Xbox 360 Elite is priced at Rs 34,990 vis-a-vis the Xbox 360 which is priced at Rs 19,990.