Microsoft Workspace opens to broader availability

Microsoft Office Live Workspace, which remains in beta, lets users access and share Office documents online. It first became available in December when Microsoft opened a limited beta version of the service.
With the broad availability of Workspace, Microsoft has also rolled out some updates, which became available late last week. Workspace now features an activity panel that shows users a stream of activity on the page, including noting files that have been added or deleted.
Users are now able to upload multiple files at a time. The update also includes a bit of polish on the sharing experience, said Eric Gilmore, a senior product manager at Microsoft.
For now Workspace is only available in the English languages, but additional languages will be supported in the future, he said. Despite competition from Google's Docs and Spreadsheets online offering, Microsoft has ambitious goals for how many people might use Workspace, as well as the potential for businesses to use the online service.
According to research from Compete, as of October last year, Google Docs and Spreadsheets had an average of just over 1.4 million unique visits per month.
"We think 1.4 million is very small," Gilmore said. Microsoft hopes that most Office users will also use Workspace, meaning it will be used by many millions of people. Workspace is one iteration of Microsoft's software-plus-services strategy, which aims to combine its software products with online services.
Workspace is designed for professionals and consumers who want to access documents remotely or collaborate with multiple people. It is a simpler version of SharePoint, the managed software platform from Microsoft for enterprises, but the two could converge in the future.
For example, if enterprises ask for the capability, Microsoft could enable workers to share SharePoint sites within Workspace, Gilmore said. If that happened, Microsoft could also alleviate enterprise security concerns by bringing together the Active Directory authentication and authorization tool used in SharePoint with its Live ID online services sign-on process. SharePoint uses Active Directory and Workspace uses Live ID.
"The fundamental pieces are in place that, over time, could bridge the gap between Active Directory and Windows Live ID," Gilmore said.

Thanks

IBM launches "Microsoft-free" PC initiative

IBM is teaming up with partners in Austria and Poland to offer Microsoft-free PCs for the eastern European market. IBM says it is offering the Linux-based PCs together with Red Hat software distributor VDEL of Austria and Polish distributor and services firm LX Polska, in response to demand from Russian IT chiefs.
The PCs will include IBM's Lotus Symphony software based on the Open Document Format, a rival format to Microsoft's Office Open XML, which the latter is trying ADVERTISEMENT to get adopted as an ISO internationally approved standard.
IBM, which has sold its PC business to China's Lenovo, says the hardware will be made by partners of VDEL and LX Polska.
Russia, where many large corporations and public-service bodies are building large computer systems for the first time, is emerging as a key battleground between Microsoft and rivals offering open-source alternatives.
Microsoft is active in IT education campaigns in Russia and last month signed a deal with MTS, Russia's largest mobile operator, to offer services and cut-price laptops installed with its Vista operating system for small businesses.
IBM says the Linux PC line, called Open Referent, will cut desktop computing costs by up to half.
It says chief information officers from Russian organisations including the Ministry of Defence, airline Aeroflot and private bank Alfa Bank have been among those who requesting open-source PCs.

Thanks

Enterprise Companies Embrace Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007

Find out how and why companies such as General Mills, Del Monte Foods, and easyJet are using Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 for collaboration, workflow and search.

Link

Intel's Silverthorn becomes the Atom, Menlow the Centrino Atom

Another brain-shattering announcement that you've all been waiting for is here. Intel has officially dubbed the Silverthorn and Diamondville chips "Atom," and the Menlow platform has become the "Centrino Atom." We know, it's hard to believe the day has come, but it's finally happened. Obviously, the 45nm Atom chips, and Centrino Atom technology will be targeted for MIDs, UMPCs, and all manner of small, internet-centric devices. Undoubtedly an unending vista of total awesomeness awaits us now that they've got some fancy new names.
Thanks

12-year-old "Magneto Man" breaks every computer he touches

Confirming our belief that some people are just "bad with computers," a boy named Joe Falciatano III from Pulaski, New York, seems to have simply the worst luck ever -- and some think it could be do to an overly magnetized touch. While using PCs at this elementary school, Joe -- who dubbed himself "Magneto Man" -- found that every system he laid his hands on went totally haywire. Only after a teacher suggested he use a grounded, anti-static wrist strap did the systems experience relief from his Geek Squad-inducing grasp. Apparently, the boy has also disrupted slide show presentations and caused his Xbox to freeze repeatedly. Though tests have been run on Joe, there's still no conclusive evidence about the source of the problem, though at least one electricity expert said the cause could be his over-insulated shoes. Maybe, but we won't be surprised when he forms an army of mutant super-villains and tries to take control of the White House. Check the video after the break for the whole report

Thanks

Vista Gets an Anti-"Activation Hack" Update

Microsoft's made no secret of the fact that a patch for Vista - sans the SP1 update - will disable the OEM BIOS Hack and Grace Time Hack some use to get around activation. Naturally, SP1 will do so as well, but if you try to get around it, you can only avoid it if you disable / hide the update.
The release of Windows Vista Service Pack 1 not only heralded a long-awaited update of the operating system, it also meant the end of two common Windows Vista anti-activation exploits - the Grace Timer exploit and the Paradox OEM BIOS activation crack. But those who think they can escape by not updating to Service Pack 1 would be sadly mistaken.
That's because Microsoft has surreptitiously released an anti-hack detection update via Windows Update. Those who chose to have Windows Vista install updates automatically would have this update installed and running by now. If you chose to manually select updates to be installed, you should find this update listed.It's not like you should even be using this hacks anyway right? Microsoft originally stated the update would only detect, not remove the hacks, but some users are reporting differently

Thanks

Vista prices officially go down, but will consumer interest go up?

What's that? You didn't take the risk and upgrade your PC to some crappy Intel-based machine Microsoft may or may not have known wouldn't run Vista as promised? Well, at least now you can get in on the latest version of Windows a little cheaper than yesterday: Ultimate full looks to be officially headed down to $320 from $400, and the upgrade is down to $220 from $260; Home Premium is now at $130 from $160. Will the dip be enough to entice plenty of new OS upgraders? Perhaps, but we think most of those that haven't already upgraded will probably just wait until their next PC so they can get Vista "free". But if you're looking to buy it boxed though, give it a bit for the new prices to propagate through the retail network -- not even Microsoft's site reflects the new Vista price points.