Microsoft's archive
Akamai to Make iPhone Video Streaming Smooth
Akamai today said it would provide adaptive bit-rate streaming to deliver video content from web sites to the Apple iPhone 3G and devices running the iPhone OS 3.0 operating system. Basically, using adaptive bit-rate streaming means folks can watch streaming video on their iPhones or iPod Touches with fewer stops and starts. Adaptive streaming adjusts […]
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Unisys Offers Enterprises a Security Blanket in the Cloud
Unisys, the IT services company, today became the latest with a set of products aimed at helping customers create their own internal clouds. And in a month it will offer a true Infrastructure-as-a-Service product that will deliver computing and storage on demand and on a per-instance basis. Like many of the traditional IT vendors, Unisys […]
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Bing and Kayak: Can You Tell Them Apart?
As a longtime Kayak user, I was shocked when I first saw Microsoft’s new Bing travel site. The pages of search results for airline flights on Bing are so eerily similar to Kayak’s, I thought Microsoft had partnered with the startup. Of course, there is no partnership — and Kayak is not pleased by the […]
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Looking Back at Structure 09: Some Fun Moments & Photos
Last week, we hosted our second annual day-long infrastructure conference, Structure 09, in San Francisco. The sold-out event brought together some of the industry’s leading minds to discuss the issues surrounding web infrastructure. If Structure 08 was about the what and why of cloud computing, Structure 09 not only looked at the progress made over […]
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Microsoft Enters the Smart Hohm
As Earth2Tech pointed out earlier this week, everyone and their mother is building home energy management tools these days, including Google. Today, Microsoft unveiled its new home energy management software: Hohm (not to be confused with Sprint’s WiMAX network, Xohm). Announced this morning by Microsoft Chief Strategy and Research Officer Craig Mundie […]
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Sony CEO Stringer: It’s the Network, Stupid
Sony Walkman
Sony CEO Howard Stringer reaffirmed the consumer electronics giant’s decision to focus on networked gadgets while discussing its restructuring at a shareholders’ meeting held today, according to Reuters. Stringer said the company would lay off 16,000 workers and close eight of its 57 manufacturing sites as part of an attempt to reduce spending by […]
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Netbook News: Rumble in the OS Jungle Comes Down to Price
I’m starting to believe that the fight for the netbook operating system simply won’t go the full 10 rounds. In case you haven’t yet managed to score a ringside seat, let me offer you a blow-by-blow recap.
Round One – ASUS offers a custom Xandros Linux distro with the original Eee PC 701 in October 2007.
[…]
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Google: The Data Center Is the Computer
As folks increasingly store and access information online, the data centers powering cloud services need to be managed more like a single computing entity rather than a bunch of servers, according to a Google white paper (Google calls it a mini-book) released today.
The paper lays out the concept of warehouse-scale computers (which we have previously […]
With a Big Push, IBM Gives Cloud Computing Its Blessing
When it comes to upstart technologies, IBM is a kingmaker, says The New York Times. Thanks to its dominant position in selling IT services to mega-corporations, the company can turn nascent efforts such as personal computers (in the 1980s) and Linux (in 2000) into major technology trends, the Times says. And now, it is endorsing […]
With Acrobat.com, Adobe Fights Google, Others in Collaboration
Adobe Systems is taking Acrobat.com out of beta on Monday and introducing two paid subscription offerings targeted toward businesses, which will put pressure on competing file storage and sharing products made by Google, Microsoft and Cisco. The San Jose, Calif.-based company believes tapping into the sphere of online collaboration tools is a $2 billion […]
When the Cell Phone Is the Office Phone, Taxing It Is Wrong
The IRS wants to enforce rules that require employees to pay taxes on personal calls made on their company-supplied cell phones, according to a story in today’s Wall Street Journal. The issues stems from a 1989 law that says employees are supposed to count personal calls on company phones as income and pay taxes […]
Ray Ozzie: Cloud Platforms Are Less Profitable
Cloud services, such as Microsoft’s Azure platform, will be less profitable for the company than its software sales, said Ray Ozzie, Redmond’s chief software architect. He said the same thing back in a March 2008 interview with Om as well. Ozzie made his latest comments at an event in Silicon Valley on Thursday, adding that […]
Google and Salesforce.com Join Clouds
Google and Salesforce.com said today at the Google I/O Developer Conference that their platforms as a service will talk with one another. Using the libraries provided by Force.com for Google App Engine, developers can now access the data stored in the Salesforce.com cloud from inside Google’s App Engine. This is a powerful vote of confidence […]
Facebook’s $200M Cash Cushion May Be a Lifeline
Facebook today confirmed that it has received a $200 million investment from Digital Sky Technologies, valuing the Palo Alto, Calif.-based company at $10 billion, significantly less than it was in 2007 after an investment made by Microsoft valued it at $15 billion. In a conference call discussing today’s news, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg blamed […]
Can an $80M Ad Campaign Help Microsoft Search?
Microsoft is going to spend $80 million on an advertising campaign to support its new search effort, rumored to be called Bing, as the company once again takes on deeply entrenched rivals Google and Yahoo. AdAge magazine reports that the campaign could eventually hit $100 million. There was some talk that Microsoft would rename […]
Will Google Win When Microsoft Kills Office 2000?
Microsoft will stop issuing security updates and patches for Microsoft Office 2000 as of June. It’s Microsoft’s policy to support its business software products for up to 10 years after their release, according to ComputerWorld, and then users have to pony up for the latest upgrade if they want to keep their machines secure. For […]
Microsoft and HP Team Up to Take on Cisco
Microsoft and Hewlett-Packard said today they’ve teamed up to push Microsoft’s unified communication software and HP gear to enterprise users. The two companies are jointly spending $180 million over the next four years on what they call their Frontline Partnership to develop and market ways to use Microsoft’s communications software in HP’s machines. The partnership can […]
How the Cloud Will Disrupt the IT Status Quo
The transition to delivering software, services and compute infrastructure via the web will change the dynamics of the IT industry, shifting power away from the services players such as IBM and HP and toward companies running monolithic data center operations such as Salesforce.com, Amazon or Microsoft, according to three Forrester analysts I spoke with […]
Dell Builds a VIA-Powered Server to Cut Power Costs
Next week Dell plans to announce a server based on the Nano chip from VIA Technologies, the Taiwanese x86 vendor known for its low-power chips for netbooks and other portable computers, according to the New York Times. Putting VIA chips in servers reduces both the cost and power consumption of servers — something important for […]
Tellme Co-Founders to Leave Microsoft
Kara Swisher reported earlier today that Tellme founder Mike McCue is leaving Microsoft at the end of June 2009. His Tellme co-founder, Angus Davis, is leaving the company as well. He sent out an email to his friends and family, shortly after announcing the news to the Tellme team. I’ve covered the speech-recognition company from […]
Microsoft UC Developer Sandbox Featuring OCS 2007 R2 & Exchange Server 2010 Launches
Want your own little UC sandbox where you can learn how to develop speech and UC applications using Unified Communications Managed API (UCMA) without the hassle of setting up your own OCS 2007 R2 & Exchange Server 2010 beta environment?
Well, today Marshall Harrison over at GotUC.net announced a Microsoft UC sandbox for developers to play in, enabling them to develop UC applications quickly and easily.
Well, whatcha waitin’ for? Head on over and kick some sand in your very own UC sandbox! 
Tags: beta, developer, exchange server 2010, Marshall Harrison, microsoft, OCS 2007 R2, sandbox, UC, unified communications, voip
Related tags: exchange server, sandbox
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Oracle Buys Virtual Iron to Beef Up its Virtualization Software
Oracle today said it would buy Virtual Iron, a startup that has built a suite of virtualization software based on the Xen hypervisor. Terms of the deal were undisclosed, but Virtual Iron has raised more than $65 million in venture capital. The company’s products compete against VMWare, Microsoft’s Hyper-V and Citrix XenServer. But it’s odd […]
3G Sidekick LX to Debut With Twitter, Facebook Support
Apple’s iPhone and RIM’s BlackBerry might have all the developer attention, but there are still a lot of people who love their Sidekicks. T-Mobile is going to introduce their new Sidekick LX on May 13. I like what this device has to offer: It integrates Facebook, MySpace and Twitter. This is a smart move, for […]
3G Sidekick LX to Debut With Twitter, Facebook Support
Apple’s iPhone and RIM’s BlackBerry might have all the developer attention, but there are still a lot of people who love their Sidekicks. T-Mobile is going to introduce their new Sidekick LX on May 13. I like what this device has to offer: It integrates Facebook, MySpace and Twitter. This is a smart move, for […]
Microsoft BizSpark Adds 12,000 Startups
Microsoft said Friday that more than 12,000 startups have joined its BizSpark initiative, a six-month-old effort aimed at fostering new software companies by providing applications and support. The disclosure comes on the heels of a speech earlier this week from Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer at Stanford University, in which he talked up startup opportunities […]
Did Microsoft Buy SeeqPod?
Long plagued by legal challenges from major record labels, bankrupt MP3 search engine SeeqPod has been on the brink of extinction for months. But CEO Kasian Franks recently told Wired.com that SeeqPod was in final acquisition talks with a major media company, and that its savior would be able to confer legitimacy on the company […]
Microsoft Introduces Facebook for Windows Mobile — Finally
Microsoft on Thursday introduced a Facebook application for Windows 6 phones, the last smartphone software maker to offer a tool for the Palo Alto, Calif.-based social networking site. It first announced plans for the app in March; in the interim RIM and Palm have both released their own, while Apple unveiled one for the iPhone […]
Steve Ballmer Sees the Light Through the Clouds
After laying off thousands yesterday, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer visited Stanford today in high spirits, telling students that his company is hiring and that he can’t think of a better time to start a business. “These are tough economic times, but these are times that are rich in opportunity,” was his message. “I don’t think […]
Microsoft Bans VoIP From Its Mobile Marketplace
Microsoft has banned VoIP applications from its upcoming Windows Mobile Marketplace, according to PCWorld. The blocking move is part of a 12-point restriction on applications sold in the Redmond giant’s online marketplace, the opening timed to coincide with the introduction of Windows Mobile 6.5. But is the software giant fighting a rear-guard action against […]
Microsoft Blocks VoIP on Windows Marketplace for Mobile
Microsoft has banned several applications for it’s new Windows Marketplace for Mobile app store, including VoIP. Guess Apple isn’t the only VoIP crippler in town. Perhaps this is an opportunity for Google Android to surpass BOTH Apple and Microsoft within the mobile phone space. After all, Google’s philosophy is do no evil.
As I wrote yesterday:
… when carriers like AT&T pull crap like forcing Apple to only allow VoIP over WiFi and not over a 3G data connection, it’s no wonder why mobile VoIP growth will be stunted by anti-competitive tactics. Then you have countries like Canada which outright block Skype on the iPhone. Fortunately, avid mobile phone users aren’t taking this lying down. For instance, you can jailbreak your iPhone and run VoIP over 3G no problem.Why do we have to put up with this crippleware? I get that AT&T is a business and needs to make money. If they’re worried that flat-rate data plans that run VoIP over it will drastically hurt their voice revenue, then change your business model! Keep the flat-rate data plan, but install packet-inspection technology that detects voice packets and charge a few cents for VoIP calls. If the flat-rate data plan’s business model is outdated, which it seems to be, then change it.
Microsoft is playing catch-up to Apple and they could have potentially garnered more new mobile customers by allowing VoIP applications. When will the mobile phone software vendors get it that they should develop products that customers want to buy? Forget about ticking off the carriers. With SIM cards and prepaid cards that are industry-standard, Microsoft could bypass the carriers by allowing customers the “choice” of using VoIP over a pre-paid voice/data card and buying the phone online from Amazon or elsewhere. Screw the Verizon and AT&T retail stores that won’t carry phones that support VoIP over 3G! Sure, most people don’t use prepaid cards, however, technically savvy folks that want VoIP over a 3G data connection would kill to have a good smartphone that has this capability. Microsoft could build an avid/loyal core customer base, which would eventually force the carriers to respond.
It’s time for one of the mobile software operating system creators - Apple, Google, or Microsoft to throw down the gauntlet and not kowtow to the carriers. Stop kneeling before Zod. C’mon Microsoft, you used to be Superman, invincible to all comers. Now you’re playing it safe and being beat by the likes of Apple and Google. Where are you Superman?
Check out the full list of prohibited application types for Windows Marketplace for Mobile below. Listed at #4 is the blocking of VoIP apps. So no Skype on the Windows Zune phone for you! Even worse, you can’t change the default browser, search client, or media player on the device. Nor can you customize the default dialer, a popular thing to do on current Windows Mobile devices. Way to go! That’ll entice developers to develop software apps for your mobile operating system. 
List of 12 banned apps:
1. Applications that are or distribute alternate marketplaces for content types (applications, games, themes etc.) that are sold or otherwise distributed through Windows® Marketplace for Mobile.
2. Applications that link to, incent users to download, or otherwise promote alternate marketplaces for content types that are sold or otherwise distributed through Windows Marketplace for Mobile.
3. Applications that promote or link users to a website, or contain functionality within the application itself, which encourages or requires the user to purchase or pay to upgrade the application outside of Windows® Marketplace for Mobile.
4. Applications that enable VoIP (Voice over IP) services over a mobile operator network.
5. Applications that sell, link to, or otherwise promote mobile voice plans.
6. Applications that display advertising that does not meet the Microsoft Advertising Creative
Acceptance Policy Guide http://advertising.microsoft.com/creative-specs.
7. Applications that replace, remove or modify the default dialer, SMS, or MMS interface.
8. Applications that change the default browser, search client, or media player on the device.
9. Applications with an OTA (over the air) download >10 MB.
10. Applications that run code outside Microsoft runtimes (native, managed, and widgets)
11. Applications that publish a user’s location information to any other person without first having received the user’s express permission (opt-in) to do so, and that do not provide the user a means of opting out of having their location information published.
12. Applications that publish a user’s data from their mobile device to any other person without first having received the user’s express permission (opt-in) to do so, and that do not provide the user a means of opting out of having their data published. A “user’s data” includes, without limit, contacts, photos, SMS or other text communication, browsing history, location information, and other data either stored on the mobile device or stored in the “cloud” but accessible from the
mobile device
They put at the bottom of this list, “Microsoft reserves the right to update these policies as needed to protect the Windows® Marketplace for Mobile service or the users of the service.” Yeah, sure. “protect the users of the service” alright.
Tags: android, apple, google, iphone, microsoft, mobile phone, voip, Windows Marketplace for Mobile, zune
Related tags: marketplace mobile, windows marketplace, location information, windows® marketplace, mobile phone, mobile
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The Fight for the Netbook Operating System
Smartphones are becoming more like PCs in many ways, especially if you think of netbooks or mobile Internet devices as cheap computers. The underlying hardware is becoming more similar, connectivity is crucial, and the tasks people use them for are converging. But a key difference between a computer and a phone remains: the operating system.
Software […]
SpringSource Buys Hyperic for Enterprise Push
SpringSource, an open-source development platform provider, said today it’s purchased Hyperic, a move that will allow it to offer its corporate customers the ability to build, run and manage their applications together. The companies share the same investors — Accel Partners and Benchmark Capital — but Javier Soltero, CEO of Hyperic, says the deal, the […]
Google Aims to Woo the Enterprise With Its Cloud
Google’s participation in the cloud relies less on offering raw computing power and more on offering applications such as email and a platform for coders to use. Depending on your point of view, Google has chosen to offer one of the simpler cloud experiences or is exercising draconian levels of control. But one way or another, […]
Think You Can Work for a Tech Company? Take this Quiz
Glassdoor, a Sausalito, Calif.-based company that tracks employee satisfaction, is opening up a new section of its site devoted to job interview questions and details about the job interview experience. According to the rankings, Amazon has a more difficult process than Google.
Glassdoor sent over a few examples of the questions asked by top […]
Our Full Analysis of the $7.4B Oracle-Sun Deal
Oracle’s decision to buy Sun Microsystems for $7.4 billion is not only going to shake up the database business — it’s likely to energize the Java community, too. And of course, the deal puts the insurgent MySQL database in the hands of incumbent Oracle. Whatever the long-term implications, in the short term expect massive layoffs as Oracle tries to squeeze profits out of Sun. 
IPL Cricket’s Online Video Offering Is An Epic Fail
Yesterday, I wrote about Indian Premier League’s Twenty20 Cricket tournament for NewTeeVee. The big news was that the Indian professional cricket league championship (now in its second year) would be using Microsoft’s Silverlight multimedia technology. Given the wild popularity of this ultra short-form of the sport, it was a good comeback for Microsoft, which was […]
Microsoft Mobile vs. Android: Hostilities to Start Afresh May 11th
Mary Jo Foley, a veteran technology reporter, says that Microsoft will release Windows Mobile version 6.5 on May 11 at the Redmond giant’s TechEd 2009 conference in Los Angeles. Though not a complete overhaul (that comes with Windows Mobile 7.0), it is a vital upgrade that Microsoft needs to make in order to stay competitive […]
Schooner Launches Specialized Servers for Speedy Data Delivery
Schooner Information Technology, a 2-year-old year old startup in Menlo Park, Calif., today came out of stealth mode with an appliance designed to speed up the transfer of information. As online data becomes more prevalent and the patience to wait for that data wanes, the company is offering a machine that’s purpose-built to speed up […]
Schooner Launches Specialized Servers for Speedy Data Delivery
Schooner Information Technology, a 2-year-old year old startup in Menlo Park, Calif., today came out of stealth mode with an appliance designed to speed up the transfer of information. As online data becomes more prevalent and the patience to wait for that data wanes, the company is offering a machine that’s purpose-built to speed up […]
GVDialer for Google Voice
GVdialer is an intriguing mobile application for Google Voice, supporting iPhone, BlackBerry, Android, Microsoft, and Symbian. GVdialer enables you to use Google Voice with your mobile phone while enabling some cool features. For instance, you can present your Google number as your Caller ID on outgoing mobile calls, thus keeping your mobile number private. This also gives you a one number identity to share with people.
Using the app installed you can dial directly from your phone’s contacts, speed dial, call log or keypad, and GVdialer will automatically connect the call using Google Voice.
Even cooler you have Google Voice feature access including instant access to Google Voice’s voice mail, Inbox, and GOOG-411.
As seen in the iPhone application, GVdialer lets you configure when GV would be used, i.e. on all calls, international calls, domestic calls, or ask on every call.
It costs $9.99, but definitely worth checking out
Tags: google, google voice, gvdialer, iphone, microsoft, mobile phone
Related tags: google voice, google, voice, gvdialer, mobile, calls
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