Fortune.com - Technology - What Does Steve Jobs Want? "Machiavellian minds see the recent Pixar-Disney brouhaha—when Steve Jobs abruptly abandoned talks to extend the animation boutique's partnership with the venerable Hollywood studio—as much more than a soap opera. In light of Jobs' stunning success with Apple Computer's iTunes music-download service and iPod player, they view Pixar and Apple as Trojan horses that Jobs can ride into the executive suite of some bigger, more storied company.
...
s not that Jobs isn't one of the most ambitious entrepreneurs the world has ever seen. He is. But he is most effective when he is in his own sandbox. And despite his reputation for being impulsive, Steve can be as patient as they come. It would have been easy simply to have shut down Pixar during those first difficult 12 years. Or never to have returned to Apple after he quit in a huff in 1985. Apple and Pixar are the brands he cares about, not Disney or Sony. So it's far more likely that Jobs will continue to operate the way he always has, with a stubborn independence and unique creativity that give him a special kind of clout he would lose if he were a captain of the establishment. Like George Lucas, the independent filmmaker from whom he purchased Pixar, Steve wants to write his own script."
(Requires login...)
Monday, February 23, 2004
Sunday, February 22, 2004
NYT: The Search Engine That Isn't a Verb, Yet
NYT: The Search Engine That Isn't a Verb, Yet "But now Mr. Semel must win over a tougher audience: Silicon Valley. In many ways, Yahoo's main rival is Google, started five years ago by two brainy Stanford graduate students who believed, against conventional wisdom, that sophisticated computer science could produce better Web searches.
They were right. Google has become not only a verb but also a profitable company with a reported $1 billion in sales. It is expected to be the hottest initial public offering this year. And now Google is preparing to offer a free e-mail service, people close to the company said, in a bid for Yahoo's most important source of loyal customers.
Mr. Semel, meanwhile, inherited a Web search business that was largely a Potemkin village. Yahoo was founded in 1994 as a directory of cool Web sites, but most users considered it a search engine. The company, however, saw itself more as a place that packaged experiences for consumers and sold ads. So it had other companies do the hard technical work of indexing billions of Web pages, which is what search is all about. That led Yahoo, before Mr. Semel arrived, to hire Google, unwittingly giving its future rival crucial early exposure.
Mr. Semel soon realized that the company had helped create a monster. So he has spent $2 billion trying to assemble his own Google, buying Inktomi, the Web search software company, and Overture Services, the pioneering seller of search advertising.
Last week, Yahoo finally replaced Google's search results with its home-brewed search engine, which uses a robot, called Slurp, to read Web pages. Experts say Yahoo's new search engine is credible and roughly comparable to Google's. And more important, Yahoo appears committed to the sort of engineering work that is needed to improve the quality of Web searches.
They were right. Google has become not only a verb but also a profitable company with a reported $1 billion in sales. It is expected to be the hottest initial public offering this year. And now Google is preparing to offer a free e-mail service, people close to the company said, in a bid for Yahoo's most important source of loyal customers.
Mr. Semel, meanwhile, inherited a Web search business that was largely a Potemkin village. Yahoo was founded in 1994 as a directory of cool Web sites, but most users considered it a search engine. The company, however, saw itself more as a place that packaged experiences for consumers and sold ads. So it had other companies do the hard technical work of indexing billions of Web pages, which is what search is all about. That led Yahoo, before Mr. Semel arrived, to hire Google, unwittingly giving its future rival crucial early exposure.
Mr. Semel soon realized that the company had helped create a monster. So he has spent $2 billion trying to assemble his own Google, buying Inktomi, the Web search software company, and Overture Services, the pioneering seller of search advertising.
Last week, Yahoo finally replaced Google's search results with its home-brewed search engine, which uses a robot, called Slurp, to read Web pages. Experts say Yahoo's new search engine is credible and roughly comparable to Google's. And more important, Yahoo appears committed to the sort of engineering work that is needed to improve the quality of Web searches.
Sneak Peek at Microsoft's Virtual Server
Sneak Peek at Microsoft's Virtual Server "Once relegated to the networked storage sector, virtualization software has become increasingly popular as more and more enterprises seek to simplify the infrastructure in their data centers by pooling or sharing resources from multiple machines and accessing them from a single GUI (define) or console.
Storage systems vendor EMC (Quote, Chart) entered the server virtualization fray by acquiring VMware, universally acknowledged as the largest virtualization provider for Intel-based computing systems. VERITAS software later bought. application virtualization player Ejasent.
In a recent interview, VMware Vice President of Marketing Mike Mullany said he did not anticipate Microsoft and VMware butting heads much because he said Microsoft appears uses virtualization at the application level while VMware concentrates on hardware-based virtualization.
"Microsoft is not interested in server virtualization as a core IT strategy," Mullany told internetnews.com. "Microsoft is using virtualization to address the problem of migrating from NT4 and Windows 2000 to Windows Server 2003 and Virtual Server will help them do that."
Via http://www.watchingmicrosoftlikeahawk.com/
Storage systems vendor EMC (Quote, Chart) entered the server virtualization fray by acquiring VMware, universally acknowledged as the largest virtualization provider for Intel-based computing systems. VERITAS software later bought. application virtualization player Ejasent.
In a recent interview, VMware Vice President of Marketing Mike Mullany said he did not anticipate Microsoft and VMware butting heads much because he said Microsoft appears uses virtualization at the application level while VMware concentrates on hardware-based virtualization.
"Microsoft is not interested in server virtualization as a core IT strategy," Mullany told internetnews.com. "Microsoft is using virtualization to address the problem of migrating from NT4 and Windows 2000 to Windows Server 2003 and Virtual Server will help them do that."
Via http://www.watchingmicrosoftlikeahawk.com/
Jon's Radio: Heads, decks, and leads: revisited [on info overload etc.]
Jon's Radio: Heads, decks, and leads: revisited [on info overload etc.] "In his essay Birth of the NewsMaster, Robin Good writes:
'I have seen and heard of people subscribing to hundreds if not to thousands of feeds inside their RSS aggregators.
Is that manageable? Do these people get better and more information than everyone else?
It is not. They don't.'
Information architecture is one of my abiding passions. Designing an information display that can be efficiently scanned is something I've thought a whole lot about. So I'm particularly keen to understand why some people report being overwhelmed by too much RSS input, while others say they're able to process lots of it effectively.
Yesterday, for example, Steve Gillmor told me that he's feeling overwhelmed by thousands of unread items in NetNewsWire. Yet I never feel that way. I suspect that's because I'm reading in batches of 100 (in the Radio UserLand feedreader). I scan each batch quickly. Although opinions differ as to whether or not a feed should be truncated, my stance (which I'm reversing today) has been that truncation is a useful way to achieve the effect you get when scanning the left column of the Wall Street Journal's front page. Of the 100 items, I'll typically only want to read several. I open them into new Mozilla tabs, then go back and read them. Everybody's different, but for me -- and given how newspapers work, I suspect for many others too -- it's useful to separate the acts of scanning and reading. When I'm done with the batch, I click once to delete all 100 items."
I share Steve's pain -- I'm finding it difficult to keep up with all of the RSS feeds I find interesting/useful. On the other hand, given a choice between my current info-foraging tools/modus operandi and my earlier approaches, e.g., circa 1988, when I used to spend a couple hours each week hitting the shelves at Lotus' Information Resources Group library, and several more hours each week skimming weekly hard-copy press, I'm much better informed today.
Blogs and RSS have made a major difference for me during the last couple years. I now spend far less time reading email newsletters and routinely visiting Web sites, and much more time in FeedDemon, skimming headlines etc. I also still spend what most people would probably consider an inordinate amount of time reading hard-copy periodicals; I subscribe to a couple dozen IT and general business press pubs.
'I have seen and heard of people subscribing to hundreds if not to thousands of feeds inside their RSS aggregators.
Is that manageable? Do these people get better and more information than everyone else?
It is not. They don't.'
Information architecture is one of my abiding passions. Designing an information display that can be efficiently scanned is something I've thought a whole lot about. So I'm particularly keen to understand why some people report being overwhelmed by too much RSS input, while others say they're able to process lots of it effectively.
Yesterday, for example, Steve Gillmor told me that he's feeling overwhelmed by thousands of unread items in NetNewsWire. Yet I never feel that way. I suspect that's because I'm reading in batches of 100 (in the Radio UserLand feedreader). I scan each batch quickly. Although opinions differ as to whether or not a feed should be truncated, my stance (which I'm reversing today) has been that truncation is a useful way to achieve the effect you get when scanning the left column of the Wall Street Journal's front page. Of the 100 items, I'll typically only want to read several. I open them into new Mozilla tabs, then go back and read them. Everybody's different, but for me -- and given how newspapers work, I suspect for many others too -- it's useful to separate the acts of scanning and reading. When I'm done with the batch, I click once to delete all 100 items."
I share Steve's pain -- I'm finding it difficult to keep up with all of the RSS feeds I find interesting/useful. On the other hand, given a choice between my current info-foraging tools/modus operandi and my earlier approaches, e.g., circa 1988, when I used to spend a couple hours each week hitting the shelves at Lotus' Information Resources Group library, and several more hours each week skimming weekly hard-copy press, I'm much better informed today.
Blogs and RSS have made a major difference for me during the last couple years. I now spend far less time reading email newsletters and routinely visiting Web sites, and much more time in FeedDemon, skimming headlines etc. I also still spend what most people would probably consider an inordinate amount of time reading hard-copy periodicals; I subscribe to a couple dozen IT and general business press pubs.
Saturday, February 21, 2004
Microsoft Architecture Update newsletter: Just what are 'Smart Clients' and why are they so smart?
Microsoft Architecture Update newsletter: Just what are 'Smart Clients' and why are they so smart? The term Smart Client was coined to highlight the differences between the typical 'Rich Client' applications of yesteryear and the next generation of client applications. To understand these differences, and to understand how they are likely to change the face of client-side computing, it is useful to take a trip down memory lane... "
...
If a client application displays these characteristics, then it can be said to be smart:
Utilizes Local Resources
A smart client application always has code artifacts on the client that enable local resources to be utilized. What do we mean by local resources? We mean everything from hardware to software resources. A smart client may take advantage of the local CPU or GPU, local memory or disk, or any local devices connected to the client, such as a telephone, bar-code/RFID reader, and so on. But it may also take advantage of local software, such as Microsoft Office applications, or any installed line-of-business (LOB) applications that interact with it.
Connected
Smart client applications are never standalone and always form part of a larger distributed solution. This could mean that the application interacts with a number of Web services that provide access to data or an LOB application. Very often, the application has access to specific services that help maintain the application and provide deployment and update services.
Offline Capable
Because they are running on the local machine, one of the key benefits that smart client applications offer is that they can be made to work even when the user is not connected. For applications running in occasional or intermittent connectivity situations, such as those used by traveling workers or even those running on laptops, tablets, PDA's, and so on, where connectivity cannot be guaranteed at all times, being able to work while disconnected is essential. Even when the client is connected, the smart client application can improve performance and usability by caching data and managing the connection in an intelligent way.
Intelligent Install and Update
Smart client applications manage their deployment and update in a much more intelligent way than traditional rich client applications. The .NET framework enables application artifacts to be deployed using a variety of techniques, including simple file copy or download over HTTP. Applications can be updated while running and can be deployed on demand by clicking on a URL. The Microsoft(r) .NET Framework provides a powerful security mechanism that guarantees the integrity of the application and its related assemblies. Assemblies can be given limited permissions in order to restrict their functionality in semi-trusted scenarios.
Client Device Flexibility
The .NET Framework together with the .NET Compact Framework provides a common platform upon which smart client applications can be built. Often, there will be multiple versions of the smart client application, each targeting a specific device type and taking advantage of the devices unique features and providing functionality appropriate to its usage."
Also see the Venn diagram in the full article.
...
If a client application displays these characteristics, then it can be said to be smart:
Utilizes Local Resources
A smart client application always has code artifacts on the client that enable local resources to be utilized. What do we mean by local resources? We mean everything from hardware to software resources. A smart client may take advantage of the local CPU or GPU, local memory or disk, or any local devices connected to the client, such as a telephone, bar-code/RFID reader, and so on. But it may also take advantage of local software, such as Microsoft Office applications, or any installed line-of-business (LOB) applications that interact with it.
Connected
Smart client applications are never standalone and always form part of a larger distributed solution. This could mean that the application interacts with a number of Web services that provide access to data or an LOB application. Very often, the application has access to specific services that help maintain the application and provide deployment and update services.
Offline Capable
Because they are running on the local machine, one of the key benefits that smart client applications offer is that they can be made to work even when the user is not connected. For applications running in occasional or intermittent connectivity situations, such as those used by traveling workers or even those running on laptops, tablets, PDA's, and so on, where connectivity cannot be guaranteed at all times, being able to work while disconnected is essential. Even when the client is connected, the smart client application can improve performance and usability by caching data and managing the connection in an intelligent way.
Intelligent Install and Update
Smart client applications manage their deployment and update in a much more intelligent way than traditional rich client applications. The .NET framework enables application artifacts to be deployed using a variety of techniques, including simple file copy or download over HTTP. Applications can be updated while running and can be deployed on demand by clicking on a URL. The Microsoft(r) .NET Framework provides a powerful security mechanism that guarantees the integrity of the application and its related assemblies. Assemblies can be given limited permissions in order to restrict their functionality in semi-trusted scenarios.
Client Device Flexibility
The .NET Framework together with the .NET Compact Framework provides a common platform upon which smart client applications can be built. Often, there will be multiple versions of the smart client application, each targeting a specific device type and taking advantage of the devices unique features and providing functionality appropriate to its usage."
Also see the Venn diagram in the full article.
BEA's Bosworth: The World Needs Simpler Java
BEA's Bosworth: The World Needs Simpler Java "eWEEK: Simplicity in tools is an issue on everybody's mind today, particularly with BEA and your Workshop product. How much of an impact do you think you've had on making Java development easier?
BOSWORTH: Well, I think we've had a huge impact on making it easier, which is to say… I'm going to make a very aggressive assertion. I would argue that there were really only about 500,000 people who could effectively use J2EE [Java 2 Enterprise Edition] before Workshop. There were obviously more people who could program in Java and there were obviously more people who could use JSPs [JavaServer Pages]. What I'm saying is the people who could actually make use of J2EE to develop true enterprise computing, it was the systems programmer crowd. That's who we were selling to. And I believe we truly have made it possible for the corporate developer, the applications developer to play in that and that means there's more like 5 million people. And what's more is because of the two-way views we've let them work collaboratively with the business user. Now the effect of that is measured in different ways. We just released the product not too long ago and I don't know yet what the impact will be in terms of what everyone does. I think it's interesting that other products are now starting to try and repeat what we've already shipped.
...
eWEEK: How can BEA, which seems to be mostly known as an application server vendor, lead this kind of revolution?
BOSWORTH: Well, you're asking two questions in one. I'm only equipped to answer one. One is a marketing question and the right people to ask that question of are Byron Sebastian and Tod Nielsen. Tod, as you probably know, has extensive marketing experience. And Byron is in my opinion one of the finest people in software today, and is thinking very hard about this problem. That's not my expertise, which is why I shouldn't be allowed to be the CEO of a company. I've been one but only because I had to.
The other question you're asking is technically how could we do it, which is a different question. Technically, I do think my approach is a little bit unique. I brought about 100 people into BEA who had done this.
eWEEK: From CrossGain?
BOSWORTH: Well, from all over. I bought a company called Westside after BEA bought me [CrossGain]. And Westside had many of the people that helped me build VB and Access. And many of the people that came in with CrossGain had worked for Borland at some point and had worked with me for years. I was asked at one point how can we build an IDE for the rest of us in 18 months when no one can build an IDE in 18 months. I said look the people who are doing this, this is their fifth generation. They built Quick C then they built Visual C. Then they built another and then they did it again. Then they went to CrossGain and built work and they've been doing this over and over and learning as they go. So I think what's unique about us is we have two separate pieces of DNA in the organization.
We have the enterprise DNA that came out of the Tuxedo roots and the WebLogic roots that are massively scalable don't-fall-down roots, which honestly are not Microsoft's roots. And then at the same time we now have the DNA of how do you make it mass market and how do you make it easy. And honestly I'm pretty proud of what we did in the first place. I started building 8.1 in December of 2001. And 18 months later we shipped a product that really pretty profoundly started to change what you had to know to build a truly scalable, truly asynchronous platform that took advantage of the things you can do in J2EE. Are we done? No. We're not close to done."
BOSWORTH: Well, I think we've had a huge impact on making it easier, which is to say… I'm going to make a very aggressive assertion. I would argue that there were really only about 500,000 people who could effectively use J2EE [Java 2 Enterprise Edition] before Workshop. There were obviously more people who could program in Java and there were obviously more people who could use JSPs [JavaServer Pages]. What I'm saying is the people who could actually make use of J2EE to develop true enterprise computing, it was the systems programmer crowd. That's who we were selling to. And I believe we truly have made it possible for the corporate developer, the applications developer to play in that and that means there's more like 5 million people. And what's more is because of the two-way views we've let them work collaboratively with the business user. Now the effect of that is measured in different ways. We just released the product not too long ago and I don't know yet what the impact will be in terms of what everyone does. I think it's interesting that other products are now starting to try and repeat what we've already shipped.
...
eWEEK: How can BEA, which seems to be mostly known as an application server vendor, lead this kind of revolution?
BOSWORTH: Well, you're asking two questions in one. I'm only equipped to answer one. One is a marketing question and the right people to ask that question of are Byron Sebastian and Tod Nielsen. Tod, as you probably know, has extensive marketing experience. And Byron is in my opinion one of the finest people in software today, and is thinking very hard about this problem. That's not my expertise, which is why I shouldn't be allowed to be the CEO of a company. I've been one but only because I had to.
The other question you're asking is technically how could we do it, which is a different question. Technically, I do think my approach is a little bit unique. I brought about 100 people into BEA who had done this.
eWEEK: From CrossGain?
BOSWORTH: Well, from all over. I bought a company called Westside after BEA bought me [CrossGain]. And Westside had many of the people that helped me build VB and Access. And many of the people that came in with CrossGain had worked for Borland at some point and had worked with me for years. I was asked at one point how can we build an IDE for the rest of us in 18 months when no one can build an IDE in 18 months. I said look the people who are doing this, this is their fifth generation. They built Quick C then they built Visual C. Then they built another and then they did it again. Then they went to CrossGain and built work and they've been doing this over and over and learning as they go. So I think what's unique about us is we have two separate pieces of DNA in the organization.
We have the enterprise DNA that came out of the Tuxedo roots and the WebLogic roots that are massively scalable don't-fall-down roots, which honestly are not Microsoft's roots. And then at the same time we now have the DNA of how do you make it mass market and how do you make it easy. And honestly I'm pretty proud of what we did in the first place. I started building 8.1 in December of 2001. And 18 months later we shipped a product that really pretty profoundly started to change what you had to know to build a truly scalable, truly asynchronous platform that took advantage of the things you can do in J2EE. Are we done? No. We're not close to done."
Jeremy Allaire's Radio: Shaking up the Web Conferencing Market
Jeremy Allaire's Radio: Shaking up the Web Conferencing Market "Convoq ASAP breaks a lot of ground in the convergence of presence management, rich media instant messaging and multi-participant web conferencing, and do this with an economics for the mass-market. For less than $100 per year, users of ASAP can conduct an ulimited number of meetings with up to 25 participants. Comparative pricing from Microsoft LiveMeeting (Placeware) and WebEx is in the tens of thousands of dollars.
This approach to the market reflects Convoq's philosophy that real-time, rich media multi-participant online collaboration is ready to be an everyday productivity application, not a stovepipe system that is limited in its use to those "premium" sales calls or online demos. The focus on making real-time collaboration more common is reflected in Convoq's thoughtful embrace of productivity-enhacing presence and convocation management features, helping either large or distributed organizations gather the right people at the right time in online settings."
This approach to the market reflects Convoq's philosophy that real-time, rich media multi-participant online collaboration is ready to be an everyday productivity application, not a stovepipe system that is limited in its use to those "premium" sales calls or online demos. The focus on making real-time collaboration more common is reflected in Convoq's thoughtful embrace of productivity-enhacing presence and convocation management features, helping either large or distributed organizations gather the right people at the right time in online settings."
Friday, February 20, 2004
Gary Devendorf has a new role at Microsoft
Gary Devendorf has a new role at Microsoft: "As of today, I'm the Technical Evangelist on the Windows team covering 'Collaboration'. So now SharePoint and any Microsoft product remotely related to Collaboration is my area. Notes/Domino also fits into this space. I can't think of a better time to have this responsibility. This area is going to explode in the coming year."
Congrats, Gary
Congrats, Gary
Enterprise Collaboration Platforms Debut at DEMO
Enterprise Collaboration Platforms Debut at DEMO: "New enterprise collaboration technology was on display this week at the DEMO 2004 show in Scottsdale, Ariz., as IMlogic Inc., Convoq Inc., ViewCentral Inc. and ExpertCity Inc. rolled out new offerings for connecting people inside and outside of organizations."
Fascinating to see so much collaboration-related activity. Check out Convoq's pricing model -- major disruptive potential.
Fascinating to see so much collaboration-related activity. Check out Convoq's pricing model -- major disruptive potential.
NewsGator Takes RSS Online
NewsGator Takes RSS Online: "With NewsGator online services, NewsGator Technologies has taken its popular RSS aggregator online, giving users a convenient combination of tools with which to check Web logs and news sites.
Launched last month, NewsGator Online Services is a subscription-based service that enables users to access RSS feeds on multiple machines. The service is priced at $5.95 per user per month."
Launched last month, NewsGator Online Services is a subscription-based service that enables users to access RSS feeds on multiple machines. The service is priced at $5.95 per user per month."
CRN : Breaking News : BEA Tops $1 Billion
CRN : Breaking News : BEA Tops $1 Billion : "BEA Systems had its first billion-dollar year in fiscal 2003, company executives said Thursday.
BEA, San Jose, Calif., posted $1.01 billion in revenue for the year ended Jan. 31, 2004, an 8 percent increase from $934 million the previous year. Income was up 41 percent to $118.7 million over the same period. "
BEA, San Jose, Calif., posted $1.01 billion in revenue for the year ended Jan. 31, 2004, an 8 percent increase from $934 million the previous year. Income was up 41 percent to $118.7 million over the same period. "
NYT: Navigating Digital Home Networks
NYT: Navigating Digital Home Networks: "The solution included eliminating physical media like CD's, cassette tapes, videotapes and DVD's. Everything, including the writer's photos and home video, was digitized and stored on a hard drive in the apartment and linked to flat-screen televisions, a home theater system, his PC and his color printer.
But what the makeover failed to make clear - as consumer electronics executives and technologists often fail to do in such demonstrations - is how people will be able to retrieve precisely what they want, when they want, from such deep digital wells.
It will require more than a fancy remote control."
But what the makeover failed to make clear - as consumer electronics executives and technologists often fail to do in such demonstrations - is how people will be able to retrieve precisely what they want, when they want, from such deep digital wells.
It will require more than a fancy remote control."
Report: Linux draws more attacks than Windows - News & Technology - CNETAsia
Report: Linux draws more attacks than Windows - News & Technology - CNETAsia: "Linux advocates often pride the operating system to be more secure than Windows but this claim could have attracted the unwanted attention of the hacking community.
An analysis of hacker attacks on online servers in January by U.K.-based security consultancy mi2g found that Linux servers were most frequently hit, accounting for 13,654 successful attacks, or 80 percent of the survey total. Windows came in a distant second with 2,005 attacks.
A detailed analysis of government servers also found Linux to be more susceptible, accounting for 57 percent of all security breaches.
...
According to the study, the most secure OS turned out to BSD (Berkley Software Distribution) and Mac OS X."
Via http://www.watchingmicrosoftlikeahawk.com/
An analysis of hacker attacks on online servers in January by U.K.-based security consultancy mi2g found that Linux servers were most frequently hit, accounting for 13,654 successful attacks, or 80 percent of the survey total. Windows came in a distant second with 2,005 attacks.
A detailed analysis of government servers also found Linux to be more susceptible, accounting for 57 percent of all security breaches.
...
According to the study, the most secure OS turned out to BSD (Berkley Software Distribution) and Mac OS X."
Via http://www.watchingmicrosoftlikeahawk.com/
Thursday, February 19, 2004
Dan Bricklin: Back to Software Garden
Dan Bricklin: Back to Software Garden: "I have resigned from Interland as an employee and CTO. I will be available to them to provide advice on product and service offerings, and possibly participate on their behalf in various external relationships.
I am going back full-time to Software Garden, the tiny company that I founded in 1985. I plan to do consulting (for Interland and other companies) to bring in revenue, as well as product development and sales (for Software Garden). I have no specific product that I am set upon creating. I just want to spend a lot of time programming and then we'll see what happens. I love programming and hands-on product development and this change gives me the opportunity to do a lot more of it. With respect to consulting, it gives me an opportunity to learn about new business areas and perhaps new technologies, and the money will take some of the 'ship now' pressure off of Software Garden."
I am going back full-time to Software Garden, the tiny company that I founded in 1985. I plan to do consulting (for Interland and other companies) to bring in revenue, as well as product development and sales (for Software Garden). I have no specific product that I am set upon creating. I just want to spend a lot of time programming and then we'll see what happens. I love programming and hands-on product development and this change gives me the opportunity to do a lot more of it. With respect to consulting, it gives me an opportunity to learn about new business areas and perhaps new technologies, and the money will take some of the 'ship now' pressure off of Software Garden."
Office Developer Center: Sorting Out Microsoft's Collaboration Technologies (Microsoft Office 2003 Technical Articles)
Office Developer Center: Sorting Out Microsoft's Collaboration Technologies (Microsoft Office 2003 Technical Articles): "Whether or not you have been developing for the Microsoft Office System for a long time or just getting started, you may be a little overwhelmed by the number of new, re-crafted, or updated Microsoft products available for building collaborative solutions. This article lists the different programs that you can use as the main components of a collaborative solution."
Microsoft Monitor: Logitech's MSN Messenger Magic
Microsoft Monitor: Logitech's MSN Messenger Magic "When Microsoft released Windows XP, the company planned to deliver robust interactive services--white board, videoconferencing and gaming--through Windows Messenger. But, there was a wrinkle: Corporate and home router firewalls often prevented some services from working. For many users, videoconferencing in particular was a bust. That problem persisted until last summer, when Microsoft released a preview of MSN Messenger 6.
Microsoft wasn’t the power behind the solution, but Logitech. According to the peripheral maker, it provided the software code for punching video through the firewall and the infrastructure for making the connection. That’s why, regardless of the Webcam attached to the computer, MSN Messenger runs a Logitech flash screen while making the video connection. The company claims that the Logitech flash screen, or pre-roll, has run 500 million times since last summer. That’s hefty marketing material."
Microsoft wasn’t the power behind the solution, but Logitech. According to the peripheral maker, it provided the software code for punching video through the firewall and the infrastructure for making the connection. That’s why, regardless of the Webcam attached to the computer, MSN Messenger runs a Logitech flash screen while making the video connection. The company claims that the Logitech flash screen, or pre-roll, has run 500 million times since last summer. That’s hefty marketing material."
The Seattle Times: Business & Technology: The Newsletter: Countdown to in-flight broadband
The Seattle Times: Business & Technology: The Newsletter: Countdown to in-flight broadband "Connexion by Boeing will begin in-flight broadband Internet service within the next 45 days on a Lufthansa flight to Japan, marking what is expected to be an intense battle for the market to provide passengers with in-flight e-mail.
Scott Carson, president, told the monthly dean's breakfast at the University of Washington Business School that Connexion has 18 "campaigns" under way with potential airline customers around the world. The company has six firm customers, including Singapore Airlines and Japan Airlines, both considered trendsetters in international markets. Carson said the business also is moving into maritime and business-jet services.
The Lufthansa flight will be the first commercial use of the service, which incorporates satellite technology to provide a broadband in-flight service. Passengers will pay a flat fee for the service per flight, reportedly between $16 and $23.
Carson said Connexion's service is different from existing services because it is a broadband connection, meaning it can handle big files, and because it can be linked to other information applications on an aircraft. For example, flight-data recorders could be downloaded in flight, providing airlines with advance warning of repairs needed on arrival.
Several low-cost airlines are looking at Connexion, Carson said, because if "they can trim turn times from 28 minutes to 26 minutes, it is worth it."
Scott Carson, president, told the monthly dean's breakfast at the University of Washington Business School that Connexion has 18 "campaigns" under way with potential airline customers around the world. The company has six firm customers, including Singapore Airlines and Japan Airlines, both considered trendsetters in international markets. Carson said the business also is moving into maritime and business-jet services.
The Lufthansa flight will be the first commercial use of the service, which incorporates satellite technology to provide a broadband in-flight service. Passengers will pay a flat fee for the service per flight, reportedly between $16 and $23.
Carson said Connexion's service is different from existing services because it is a broadband connection, meaning it can handle big files, and because it can be linked to other information applications on an aircraft. For example, flight-data recorders could be downloaded in flight, providing airlines with advance warning of repairs needed on arrival.
Several low-cost airlines are looking at Connexion, Carson said, because if "they can trim turn times from 28 minutes to 26 minutes, it is worth it."
State of the Art: Videophones Revisited, by Way of the Modem
State of the Art: Videophones Revisited, by Way of the Modem: "In short, having a high-speed Internet connection neatly solves the technological problems that have prevented videophones from becoming commonplace. It does not, however, solve the cultural problems.
Using the VisiFone makes you acutely aware of being on camera, especially if you tap the View button to place your own image in a small picture-in-picture rectangle on the screen. There are buttons that can 'mute' the audio or video, freeze the outgoing picture while you perform small acts of personal grooming, and so on.
Nonetheless, a videophone deprives you of visual privacy. You're pretty much obligated to give the other guy your full attention, and even nod understandingly, while he talks; you can't doodle or shoot exasperated 'What a windbag!' expressions at your spouse. You're locked in front of the phone, too, worried about centering yourself in the frame. (The screen tilts up and down, but not side to side.) You can't clip your nails or walk around, cleaning the apartment as you chat. "
Using the VisiFone makes you acutely aware of being on camera, especially if you tap the View button to place your own image in a small picture-in-picture rectangle on the screen. There are buttons that can 'mute' the audio or video, freeze the outgoing picture while you perform small acts of personal grooming, and so on.
Nonetheless, a videophone deprives you of visual privacy. You're pretty much obligated to give the other guy your full attention, and even nod understandingly, while he talks; you can't doodle or shoot exasperated 'What a windbag!' expressions at your spouse. You're locked in front of the phone, too, worried about centering yourself in the frame. (The screen tilts up and down, but not side to side.) You can't clip your nails or walk around, cleaning the apartment as you chat. "
Yahoo! News - Show Report: Is there a Microsoft Office Killer in the Bunch?
Yahoo! News - Show Report: Is there a Microsoft Office Killer in the Bunch?: "While Microsoft Office remains the de facto standard in productivity applications, that didn't deter several companies from debuting new productivity applications at the Demo 2004 Scottsdale, Arizona. conference this week. Many of the applications we saw were in various stages of development and offered new approaches to desktop application productivity. There were a couple, though, that took on the Redmond giant directly."
Via http://www.watchingmicrosoftlikeahawk.com/
Via http://www.watchingmicrosoftlikeahawk.com/
Wednesday, February 18, 2004
Unplugged: Charles Simonyi creates software intentionally - TechUpdate - ZDNet
Unplugged: Charles Simonyi creates software intentionally - TechUpdate - ZDNet "Simonyi: UML can be used to describe many things about a system, but it is a partial solution with many limitations. First, it is not the conventional notation of the domain experts--not for administrators, accountants, human factors experts, and so on. Second, the implementation details are still described in static code. What happens when one or the other or both changes? With intentional software, there will be no limitation on the nature of the domain notation, and the implementation will be expressed in terms of a generator, which can be simply re-run if the design or implementation, or both, change.
...
ZDNet: In 1997 you said in an interview in Forbes that Java would be totally forgotten. It would significant only to vendors with tiny market share. That hasn't turned out to be the case.
Simonyi: I was talking in the very long term. Thirty years from now nobody will remember Java and everyone will remember Microsoft."
...
ZDNet: In 1997 you said in an interview in Forbes that Java would be totally forgotten. It would significant only to vendors with tiny market share. That hasn't turned out to be the case.
Simonyi: I was talking in the very long term. Thirty years from now nobody will remember Java and everyone will remember Microsoft."
Forbes.com: Paul Allen's Mobile Computing Fantasy
Forbes.com: Paul Allen's Mobile Computing Fantasy: "'I've had a vision for a device like this for a long time,' Allen says. The FlipStart-- which we first noted before it had a name almost a year ago is the very definition of mobile. It's a full-fledged PC running Microsoft's Windows XP. It has a 30-gigabyte hard drive from Toshiba--the same one inside Apple Computer's (nasdaq: AAPL - news - people ) iPod, Allen says--as well as a small but wide screen with a resolution of 1,024 pixels by 600 pixels.
But it folds up and goes in a briefcase or even a big pocket a bit like a Reasearch In Motion (nasdaq: RIMM - news - people ) Blackberry on steroids. The keyboard is wider and there's a red joystick mouse, similar to those you'll find on an IBM (nyse: IBM - news - people ) Thinkpad. Inside is a processor from Transmeta (nasdaq: TMTA - news - people ). The full package weighs in at less than one pound. Users can attach a port replicator to the back of the FlipStart, which allows it to act like a regular desktop PC, connecting to a common keyboard, mouse and monitor. "
Via Tomlak
But it folds up and goes in a briefcase or even a big pocket a bit like a Reasearch In Motion (nasdaq: RIMM - news - people ) Blackberry on steroids. The keyboard is wider and there's a red joystick mouse, similar to those you'll find on an IBM (nyse: IBM - news - people ) Thinkpad. Inside is a processor from Transmeta (nasdaq: TMTA - news - people ). The full package weighs in at less than one pound. Users can attach a port replicator to the back of the FlipStart, which allows it to act like a regular desktop PC, connecting to a common keyboard, mouse and monitor. "
Via Tomlak
Intel Concedes 64-Bit Chips Are Wave of the Future
Intel Concedes 64-Bit Chips Are Wave of the Future: "The Intel Corporation, which has long dominated the computer microprocessor market it created in 1971, did an abrupt about-face on Tuesday, announcing that it would follow the lead of its much smaller rival, Advanced Micro Devices, by building 64-bit capability into its most popular chips.
The strategy reversal is a setback for Intel, the world's largest chip maker, which had been trying to convince computer users that more powerful 64-bit processing aimed at heavy-duty corporate and scientific computing should be handled exclusively by its ambitious, but incompatible, Itanium processors. "
p.s. sorry about the sparse posts during the last week; I was on vacation
The strategy reversal is a setback for Intel, the world's largest chip maker, which had been trying to convince computer users that more powerful 64-bit processing aimed at heavy-duty corporate and scientific computing should be handled exclusively by its ambitious, but incompatible, Itanium processors. "
p.s. sorry about the sparse posts during the last week; I was on vacation
Tuesday, February 17, 2004
Reuters EU rejects Microsoft settlement proposal
Reuters EU rejects Microsoft settlement proposal: "The European Commission has rejected Microsoft's (MSFT.O: Quote, Profile, Research) offer to settle its anti-trust case by putting competitors' software on CD-ROMs sold with computers, a source familiar with the situation said on Tuesday. "
Monday, February 16, 2004
PBS | I, Cringely: Crazy After All These Years
PBS | I, Cringely: Crazy After All These Years "Microsoft is building another empire. All that messing around with WebTVs and xBoxes and investing in cable TV companies hasn’t been for naught. It has taught them the road rules for their next monopoly.
There is, in fact, only one thing that stands in the way of Microsoft achieving this objective, and that’s little Burst.com. Inside those 37 Burst patents based on work dating back to 1984 are legal control over not only efficient video and audio streaming, but control of just about every media hub strategy whether it comes from Microsoft, Sony, or Apple. These companies, on some level, hope that Microsoft beats Burst. But they have to also realize that Microsoft’s victory would eventually make Microsoft their absolute master. It’s enough to drive Microsoft competitors crazy.
That may be the plan.
There is, in fact, only one thing that stands in the way of Microsoft achieving this objective, and that’s little Burst.com. Inside those 37 Burst patents based on work dating back to 1984 are legal control over not only efficient video and audio streaming, but control of just about every media hub strategy whether it comes from Microsoft, Sony, or Apple. These companies, on some level, hope that Microsoft beats Burst. But they have to also realize that Microsoft’s victory would eventually make Microsoft their absolute master. It’s enough to drive Microsoft competitors crazy.
That may be the plan.
Saturday, February 14, 2004
Release of Windows Coding Is a New Worry for Microsoft
Release of Windows Coding Is a New Worry for Microsoft: "The illicit distribution on Thursday of portions of the secret programmer's instructions for two versions of the Windows operating system poses vexing legal and security challenges for Microsoft.
Computer security experts said Friday that having even relatively small parts of the blueprints for Microsoft's Windows 2000 and Windows NT operating system as easily available reference material for potential vandals and troublemakers could complicate the company's already difficult task in securing its software."
Computer security experts said Friday that having even relatively small parts of the blueprints for Microsoft's Windows 2000 and Windows NT operating system as easily available reference material for potential vandals and troublemakers could complicate the company's already difficult task in securing its software."
Thursday, February 12, 2004
State of the Art: For iPod, 6 Flavors of Flattery
State of the Art: For iPod, 6 Flavors of Flattery "Apple could have been some character from Greek mythology: blessed with ingenious, culture-changing innovation yet cursed with seeing its ideas co-opted by rivals who wind up making all the money. In the iPod's case, though, none of the companies who lust for some of Apple's pie can deliver the elegance and convenience of Apple's music trinity: iPod, the iTunes software and the iTunes music store.
But if an iPod isn't for you, you could do worse than buying the Dell for its simplicity and economy, the iRiver for its super-geeky feature list or the Rio Karma for its excellent design and compact dimensions. In this election, at least, there can be more than one victor."
But if an iPod isn't for you, you could do worse than buying the Dell for its simplicity and economy, the iRiver for its super-geeky feature list or the Rio Karma for its excellent design and compact dimensions. In this election, at least, there can be more than one victor."
Microsoft Locks Up XML Patent
Microsoft Locks Up XML Patent: "The speculation as to whether Microsoft (Quote, Chart) intends to patent XML (define) technology is over.
Microsoft has been granted United States patent 6,687,897 for 'XML script automation.'
The patent, awarded by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on February 3, appears to deal with basic XML functionality. Specifically, it describes a method for unpacking multiple scripts contained within a single XML file"
Microsoft has been granted United States patent 6,687,897 for 'XML script automation.'
The patent, awarded by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on February 3, appears to deal with basic XML functionality. Specifically, it describes a method for unpacking multiple scripts contained within a single XML file"
Tuesday, February 10, 2004
WSJ.com - Sun Microsystems Co-Founder Returns
WSJ.com - Sun Microsystems Co-Founder Returns: "Sun Microsystems Inc. agreed to buy a start-up company run by departed co-founder Andy Bechtolsheim -- a deal that returns one of the one of the most celebrated computer designers to a strategic position at the company.
Sun said it would buy Kealia Inc., a closely held company formed by Mr. Bechtolsheim before resigning from a senior position at Cisco Systems Inc. in December. Terms weren't disclosed, though Sun characterized the deal as a stock-for-stock transaction.
Mr. Bechtolsheim, 48 years old, designed Sun's original computer workstations more than 20 years ago, while he and Chief Executive Officer Scott McNealy were at Stanford University. He was a longtime force in hardware design at the company before leaving Sun in 1995 to form Granite Systems Inc., a maker of networking equipment that Cisco purchased the next year for $220 million. At the time he left Cisco, he was vice president in charge of a unit that was making devices using a technology called gigabit switching.
Kealia's plans were closely guarded, though people familiar with the matter said it was working on computer servers to help distribute movies and other digital content. Significantly, Mr. Bechtolsheim disclosed Tuesday that the 58-employee company's computers were based on an Advanced Micro Devices Inc. chip called Opteron that has become a major part of Sun's strategy since last fall."
Sun said it would buy Kealia Inc., a closely held company formed by Mr. Bechtolsheim before resigning from a senior position at Cisco Systems Inc. in December. Terms weren't disclosed, though Sun characterized the deal as a stock-for-stock transaction.
Mr. Bechtolsheim, 48 years old, designed Sun's original computer workstations more than 20 years ago, while he and Chief Executive Officer Scott McNealy were at Stanford University. He was a longtime force in hardware design at the company before leaving Sun in 1995 to form Granite Systems Inc., a maker of networking equipment that Cisco purchased the next year for $220 million. At the time he left Cisco, he was vice president in charge of a unit that was making devices using a technology called gigabit switching.
Kealia's plans were closely guarded, though people familiar with the matter said it was working on computer servers to help distribute movies and other digital content. Significantly, Mr. Bechtolsheim disclosed Tuesday that the 58-employee company's computers were based on an Advanced Micro Devices Inc. chip called Opteron that has become a major part of Sun's strategy since last fall."
Yahoo! News - Women Over 40 Biggest Online Gamers -Study
Yahoo! News - Women Over 40 Biggest Online Gamers -Study: "Think teenagers are spending all night long playing online games on the computer? Wrong -- it's their mothers burning the midnight oil.
AOL, a unit of Time Warner Inc. (NYSE:TWX - news), released a study on Tuesday showing that U.S. women over the age of 40 spend nearly 50 percent more time each week playing online games than men and are more likely to play online games daily than men or teens."
AOL, a unit of Time Warner Inc. (NYSE:TWX - news), released a study on Tuesday showing that U.S. women over the age of 40 spend nearly 50 percent more time each week playing online games than men and are more likely to play online games daily than men or teens."
02/10/04 - SUN TO ACQUIRE KEALIA, INC. -- SUN CO-FOUNDER AND INDUSTRY TECHNOLOGY VISIONARY RETURNS AS CHIEF ARCHITECT
02/10/04 - SUN TO ACQUIRE KEALIA, INC. -- SUN CO-FOUNDER AND INDUSTRY TECHNOLOGY VISIONARY RETURNS AS CHIEF ARCHITECT: "'It is great to have Andy (Bechtolsheim) back home at Sun,' said Scott McNealy, chairman, chief executive officer and president, Sun Microsystems Inc. 'We started the company together while we were at Stanford University over 20 years ago and both of us could not be more excited about working together again. The return of employee number one is 'back to the future' for Sun Microsystems and marks the start of a new wave of innovation at the company. Stay tuned. Andy has been more than prolific for Sun in the past, when he practically invented building computing 'Ferraris' out of off-the-shelf parts.' "
Developer Guide to Migration and Interoperability in "Longhorn": Chapter 5: Recommendations for Windows Forms and "Longhorn"
Developer Guide to Migration and Interoperability in "Longhorn": Chapter 5: Recommendations for Windows Forms and "Longhorn" (The Developer's Guide to Interoperability and Migration in "Longhorn"): "Choosing Between 'Avalon' and Windows Forms
In situations where an application can be built exclusively to run on 'Longhorn,' we encourage developers to rely on the 'Avalon' classes so that they can take full advantage of the platform's capabilities. Developers who must maintain a single code base for a Windows client application that can run either on earlier versions of Windows or on 'Longhorn' should build their UI using Windows Forms. They should structure their applications in such a way that the 'Avalon' UI-based features are available if the application is running on 'Longhorn.'
Developers can accomplish this by referencing these features in a DLL that is either loaded or not loaded, depending on the underlying operating system version. This way, users running earlier operating systems such as Windows XP can access the entire application through Windows Forms, while 'Longhorn' users can take advantage of the added features in 'Avalon.'"
In situations where an application can be built exclusively to run on 'Longhorn,' we encourage developers to rely on the 'Avalon' classes so that they can take full advantage of the platform's capabilities. Developers who must maintain a single code base for a Windows client application that can run either on earlier versions of Windows or on 'Longhorn' should build their UI using Windows Forms. They should structure their applications in such a way that the 'Avalon' UI-based features are available if the application is running on 'Longhorn.'
Developers can accomplish this by referencing these features in a DLL that is either loaded or not loaded, depending on the underlying operating system version. This way, users running earlier operating systems such as Windows XP can access the entire application through Windows Forms, while 'Longhorn' users can take advantage of the added features in 'Avalon.'"
Program Management (at Microsoft)
Program Management (at Microsoft): "Long ago, before there were any program managers (PMs), there were just developers, testers, and marketing people. The developers would build software they thought was interesting, and the marketing people would dive-bomb them every little while with the latest hot issue from a customer or magazine reviewer that had to get added or fixed. The developers found this frustrating, because it seemed like they were getting randomized a lot. The marketers found this annoying since the devs seemed pretty unresponsive and did not seem understand the customer or business issues.
The first PM at Microsoft was an Excel developer who decided to 'take one for the team' and act as a buffer between the marketers and developers. He defined his role as a person who would go and figure out what these marketing people were really talking about and understand the customer needs or business problems so he could interpret those into actions the dev team had to take using his technical knowledge of what was possible and what was hard. I believe this was 1987, but I could be off by a year. "
The first PM at Microsoft was an Excel developer who decided to 'take one for the team' and act as a buffer between the marketers and developers. He defined his role as a person who would go and figure out what these marketing people were really talking about and understand the customer needs or business problems so he could interpret those into actions the dev team had to take using his technical knowledge of what was possible and what was hard. I believe this was 1987, but I could be off by a year. "
Macromedia Plans Update to Web Conferencing App
Macromedia Plans Update to Web Conferencing App: "Macromedia touts Breeze's basis in its Flash technology, which alleviates the need to download software for the 98 percent of Web browsers with Flash Player installed, the company said.
Macromedia Breeze 4.0 will add application sharing, live polls that can be tracked, whiteboard capabilities and file transfer support. It also expands Breeze's content library so it not only stores presentations but also indexes recorded meetings and makes the content searchable, Lee said.
For greater integration, the new Breeze release exposes its Web services APIs to allow companies to link Breeze into portals and enterprise applications.
Macromedia Breeze 4.0 will be offered as a hosted service or as a licensed application. Pricing for the hosted version will start at $84 per concurrent seat per month. A perpetual license will start at $22,500 for 25 concurrent seats, increasing for additional users and options. "
Macromedia Breeze 4.0 will add application sharing, live polls that can be tracked, whiteboard capabilities and file transfer support. It also expands Breeze's content library so it not only stores presentations but also indexes recorded meetings and makes the content searchable, Lee said.
For greater integration, the new Breeze release exposes its Web services APIs to allow companies to link Breeze into portals and enterprise applications.
Macromedia Breeze 4.0 will be offered as a hosted service or as a licensed application. Pricing for the hosted version will start at $84 per concurrent seat per month. A perpetual license will start at $22,500 for 25 concurrent seats, increasing for additional users and options. "
Monday, February 09, 2004
benjaminm's blog - Scott Guthrie's ASP.NET Whidbey Presentation
benjaminm's blog - Scott Guthrie's ASP.NET Whidbey Presentation: "When's ASP.NET Whidbey going to be available?
The aim is to ship a Beta in June and for RTM in Q1 2005. There will be a 'go live license' that will let people put Beta 2 into production, later this year. The Beta in June will be a public beta and it will be possible to download ASP.NET and Visual Studio Whidbey. The build that Scott demonstrated with was from last Monday when he said they achieved 'Code Complete. So they are now in that long stabilisation phase."
Okay, so maybe not by year-end 2004...
The aim is to ship a Beta in June and for RTM in Q1 2005. There will be a 'go live license' that will let people put Beta 2 into production, later this year. The Beta in June will be a public beta and it will be possible to download ASP.NET and Visual Studio Whidbey. The build that Scott demonstrated with was from last Monday when he said they achieved 'Code Complete. So they are now in that long stabilisation phase."
Okay, so maybe not by year-end 2004...
Techworld.com - Longhorn will kill middleware
Techworld.com - Longhorn will kill middleware: "The server version of Microsoft Windows (code-named Longhorn) will include business process orchestration features to allow users to link together Web services, among other tasks, without the need for additional middleware.
The technology will be lifted from BizTalk Server, according to Valerie Olague, Microsoft's director of Windows Server System marketing. BizTalk Server is designed to help companies integrate disparate business applications and connect to business partners.
...
Microsoft in the past adopted capabilities from BizTalk Server in the Windows server product - message queuing, for example - but this does not mean that BizTalk capabilities will be absorbed in the server operating system, Olague said.
"The OS is the place where these common kind of services need to reside. The focus for BizTalk is in more specialized areas. Orchestration is very general," she said."
The article doesn't support its provocative title, but the author certainly got Microsoft's intent right.
The technology will be lifted from BizTalk Server, according to Valerie Olague, Microsoft's director of Windows Server System marketing. BizTalk Server is designed to help companies integrate disparate business applications and connect to business partners.
...
Microsoft in the past adopted capabilities from BizTalk Server in the Windows server product - message queuing, for example - but this does not mean that BizTalk capabilities will be absorbed in the server operating system, Olague said.
"The OS is the place where these common kind of services need to reside. The focus for BizTalk is in more specialized areas. Orchestration is very general," she said."
The article doesn't support its provocative title, but the author certainly got Microsoft's intent right.
Microsoft offers cut-rate Windows | CNET News.com
Microsoft offers cut-rate Windows | CNET News.com: "Microsoft has provided a modified version of Windows XP with reduced features for use in the Thai government's low-cost PC program, and may make this software available to other governments, the company said.
The 'entry-level' version of Windows was created to allow Microsoft to participate in the Thailand ICT Ministry's program without adjusting its policy of charging the same price for Windows and Office no matter where in the world they are sold, Microsoft said Monday. The software was provided at a cost of 1,500 baht, or about $40, compared with the usual price of several hundred dollars. "
Stimulus/response...
The 'entry-level' version of Windows was created to allow Microsoft to participate in the Thailand ICT Ministry's program without adjusting its policy of charging the same price for Windows and Office no matter where in the world they are sold, Microsoft said Monday. The software was provided at a cost of 1,500 baht, or about $40, compared with the usual price of several hundred dollars. "
Stimulus/response...
Economist.com | Oracle ups its Peoplesoft bid
Economist.com | Oracle ups its Peoplesoft bid "The customers and, most importantly, software-maintenance contracts that come with PeopleSoft's applications business (together with that of JD Edwards, a mid-market specialist which PeopleSoft bought last year) should help to salvage Oracle's costly applications investment. “From a management-team perspective, PeopleSoft takes care of a lot of sins,” says Ray Lane, a former Oracle president."
Nokia to acquire Psion plc's shares in Symbian
Nokia to acquire Psion plc's shares in Symbian "Nokia today announced that it has started the process of enabling the transfer of Psion's shares in Symbian to Nokia. Symbian, owned by a core group of mobile industry players with its independent governance structure, will continue to pursue its fair and non-discriminatory licensing business of the standards-based Symbian operating system (OS).
Continued innovation in services, applications and handsets is required for the growth in the mobile industry. This requires that all parties have the ability to differentiate and add value to their products and services while maintaining end-to-end interoperability. As a founder and shareholder, Nokia is determined to make further investment to support Symbian's long-term success in the increasingly competitive wireless OS market. The decision to acquire Psion's shares in Symbian is based on Nokia's confidence in the Symbian OS as a core platform technology for advanced mobile devices.
The value of the transaction will derive from two parts. A fixed portion of £93.5 million (137.1 MEUR), and a variable payment of £0.84 (1.23 EUR) from Nokia to Psion for each Symbian OS device sold during 2004 and 2005. Upon completion of the transaction, Nokia estimates that its share in Symbian will increase from the current 32.2% up to approximately 63.3%."
That must be comforting to all of Nokia's competitors that are also building Symbian devices; I suspect a few are revisiting Windows Mobile.
Continued innovation in services, applications and handsets is required for the growth in the mobile industry. This requires that all parties have the ability to differentiate and add value to their products and services while maintaining end-to-end interoperability. As a founder and shareholder, Nokia is determined to make further investment to support Symbian's long-term success in the increasingly competitive wireless OS market. The decision to acquire Psion's shares in Symbian is based on Nokia's confidence in the Symbian OS as a core platform technology for advanced mobile devices.
The value of the transaction will derive from two parts. A fixed portion of £93.5 million (137.1 MEUR), and a variable payment of £0.84 (1.23 EUR) from Nokia to Psion for each Symbian OS device sold during 2004 and 2005. Upon completion of the transaction, Nokia estimates that its share in Symbian will increase from the current 32.2% up to approximately 63.3%."
That must be comforting to all of Nokia's competitors that are also building Symbian devices; I suspect a few are revisiting Windows Mobile.
NewsForge | Sun 'explains' open source at EclipseCon
NewsForge | Sun 'explains' open source at EclipseCon "Simon Phipps, formerly an IBM employee and for the last two years Chief Technology Evangelist for Sun Microsystems, gave his EclipseCon keynote address Thursday. As you might expect, he took exception to a couple of remarks from Wednesday morning's keynoter, Michael Tiemann of Red Hat. Phipps's talk was on "The Business of Open Source." It was interesting, almost a through-the-looking-glass experience, to hear a suit from Sun stand on a stage and try to explain open source to an audience of mostly proprietary developers. It should be noted that the ballroom where the keynote was given was not far from Disney's Fantasyland."
Socialtext -- Enterprise Social Software
Socialtext -- Enterprise Social Software "As Socialtext deployments grow within organizations, here are some reflections on enterprise social software deployment patterns, based on observation of usage patterns of weblogs and wikis at scale on the public internet.
There are three main tiers of social networks in an organization, as Ross Mayfield describes. These map to different usage patterns of social software.
Project teams are creative networks, groups that work closely together. These teams use shared workspaces to communicate and collaborate intensively, and maintain a continuous, shared understanding of project status. Schedule and presence capabilities will make it easier for these groups to co-ordinate.
Communities of practice are social networks. Knowledge workers want to be able to scan, discover, and meet other in their disciplines across the organization. On the public internet, there are communities of bloggers in technology, law, teaching, and other fields using this model today. There are established wiki communities in technical areas, like Apache and non-technical areas, like, for instance, Kayaking, RSS subscriptions provide an excellent method for members of communities of practice to discover and follow relevant projects and conversations. Blog search engines, including Technorati and Blogstreet, that are used to discover network relationships among blog communities.
The enterprise as a whole is a political network. Weblogs can be used by executives to communicate in an individual voice across the organization. On the public internet, the relevant model is popular bloggers such as Joi Ito in Japan and Doc Searls in the US. The link structure enables the discovery and tracking of popular ideas, with blog search engines such as Daypop and Blogdex."
There are three main tiers of social networks in an organization, as Ross Mayfield describes. These map to different usage patterns of social software.
Project teams are creative networks, groups that work closely together. These teams use shared workspaces to communicate and collaborate intensively, and maintain a continuous, shared understanding of project status. Schedule and presence capabilities will make it easier for these groups to co-ordinate.
Communities of practice are social networks. Knowledge workers want to be able to scan, discover, and meet other in their disciplines across the organization. On the public internet, there are communities of bloggers in technology, law, teaching, and other fields using this model today. There are established wiki communities in technical areas, like Apache and non-technical areas, like, for instance, Kayaking, RSS subscriptions provide an excellent method for members of communities of practice to discover and follow relevant projects and conversations. Blog search engines, including Technorati and Blogstreet, that are used to discover network relationships among blog communities.
The enterprise as a whole is a political network. Weblogs can be used by executives to communicate in an individual voice across the organization. On the public internet, the relevant model is popular bloggers such as Joi Ito in Japan and Doc Searls in the US. The link structure enables the discovery and tracking of popular ideas, with blog search engines such as Daypop and Blogdex."
USB-powered vacuum
USB-powered vacuum: "Occasionally there's a USB-powered gadget that makes perfect sense, like this mini-vacuum cleaner for keeping your computer clean and tidy. Though we're almost disappointed whenever someone finds a practical use for USB power -- it's like the entire concept simply demands frivolity."
The Seattle Times: Business & Technology: Microsoft not ready to battle with Google
The Seattle Times: Business & Technology: Microsoft not ready to battle with Google "Google will undoubtedly exceed Netscape's wealth and make a lot of Googloids multimillionaires. But Google's brain trust has shown consistent creativity in expanding basic searching into a variety of profit-making arenas.
There is one area, however, where Google could face Netscape's fate. If Microsoft chooses to integrate a Windows search with a Web search in a seamless, one-click fashion, the issue of antitrust "tying" once again may rear its pachydermal head.
By all indications, a primary goal of the next version of Windows — code-named Longhorn — is to help users organize and find stuff on their computer. No long-suffering PC user will quarrel with that (by contrast, Macintosh users have Apple Computer's superior "Sherlock" search tool)."
There is one area, however, where Google could face Netscape's fate. If Microsoft chooses to integrate a Windows search with a Web search in a seamless, one-click fashion, the issue of antitrust "tying" once again may rear its pachydermal head.
By all indications, a primary goal of the next version of Windows — code-named Longhorn — is to help users organize and find stuff on their computer. No long-suffering PC user will quarrel with that (by contrast, Macintosh users have Apple Computer's superior "Sherlock" search tool)."
A Gamble on a $399 Digital Camera
A Gamble on a $399 Digital Camera: "Some analysts have suggested that Foveon technology may be bypassed as the consumer marketing effort pushes simplistic measures of picture quality like how many million pixels the camera sensor has. 'We are faced with a very active market with formidable competitors,' said Federico Faggin, a well-known Silicon Valley engineer who was the co-inventor of the microprocessor and who joined Foveon as chief executive last August. 'We are hoping that our technology will rise above the noise.'"
...
More than 41 million digital cameras were sold in 2003 worldwide, according to the InfoTrends Research Group, a market research company based in Norwell, Mass. That number is expected to grow to 53 million this year, creating a $17.9 billion market, the company said.
Moreover, the marketplace could be transformed when a new generation of camera phones that can take video, as well as still images, arrives perhaps next year. If that power-hungry function proves popular, Foveon's sensor chips with their low power use would have a significant advantage.
"If the idea of a camcorder in a cellphone catches on, there's an immense market," said George Gilder, the technology analyst who has written a book about the work of Carver Mead, a pioneering physicist who founded Foveon in 1997. Foveon executives say they are in conversations with cellular telephone makers, but no deals have been completed. Analysts disagree over how much the current digital photography and camcorder markets will be affected by cellphones."
...
More than 41 million digital cameras were sold in 2003 worldwide, according to the InfoTrends Research Group, a market research company based in Norwell, Mass. That number is expected to grow to 53 million this year, creating a $17.9 billion market, the company said.
Moreover, the marketplace could be transformed when a new generation of camera phones that can take video, as well as still images, arrives perhaps next year. If that power-hungry function proves popular, Foveon's sensor chips with their low power use would have a significant advantage.
"If the idea of a camcorder in a cellphone catches on, there's an immense market," said George Gilder, the technology analyst who has written a book about the work of Carver Mead, a pioneering physicist who founded Foveon in 1997. Foveon executives say they are in conversations with cellular telephone makers, but no deals have been completed. Analysts disagree over how much the current digital photography and camcorder markets will be affected by cellphones."
MS server products will reach industry security standards by 2005: Gartner - ITNews - smh.com.au
MS server products will reach industry security standards by 2005: Gartner - ITNews - smh.com.au: "Tech research company Gartner is predicting that by 2005, Microsoft's server software products will be at, or above, the industry security average.
The prediction came in one of four commentaries issued by Gartner as a special report in which the research firm analysed Microsoft's licensing practices, security efforts, and plans for Longhorn (the next version of Windows) and Yukon (the next version of SQL Server).
Researcher John Pescatore said the prediction, which was rated as a 0.7 probability, was based on Microsoft's internal actions and product track record during the second half of 2003. "
Via Watching Microsoft Like a Hawk
The prediction came in one of four commentaries issued by Gartner as a special report in which the research firm analysed Microsoft's licensing practices, security efforts, and plans for Longhorn (the next version of Windows) and Yukon (the next version of SQL Server).
Researcher John Pescatore said the prediction, which was rated as a 0.7 probability, was based on Microsoft's internal actions and product track record during the second half of 2003. "
Via Watching Microsoft Like a Hawk
E-Commerce Report: Social Networks: Will Users Pay to Get Friends?
E-Commerce Report: Social Networks: Will Users Pay to Get Friends?: "The idea behind 'social networking' Web sites like Friendster, Tribe.net and LinkedIn is almost the opposite of the old Groucho Marx joke: they attract people who want to join a club eager to have them.
But as the popularity of such sites has taken off, the big question for investors in new technologies is whether social networking sites can ever make a lot of money by connecting friends of friends in mini-networks of trust, whether for dating, business or maintaining acquaintances. For many, the buzz over social networking sounds a lot like vintage Internet hyperbole from the late 1990's."
But as the popularity of such sites has taken off, the big question for investors in new technologies is whether social networking sites can ever make a lot of money by connecting friends of friends in mini-networks of trust, whether for dating, business or maintaining acquaintances. For many, the buzz over social networking sounds a lot like vintage Internet hyperbole from the late 1990's."
WSJ.com - TiVo Tunes In To Its Users' Viewing Habits
WSJ.com - TiVo Tunes In To Its Users' Viewing Habits "TiVo insists that it respects the privacy of its users by keeping data about them anonymous unless users expressly permit otherwise. The company says as it receives a stream of information from viewers' DVRs, it filters out identifying information to keep the data anonymous. "We're very serious about this stuff," says Matt Zinn, TiVo's general counsel and chief privacy officer. "We know the capabilities that this technology can afford."
Still, some privacy experts say TiVo users are forced to take the company's word that it's not violating its own policies. "What they're saying is, 'You have to trust us,' " says Richard Smith, a privacy and security consultant, who has examined TiVo's technology. " 'We're going to snoop on you, but we will disconnect all that information we have about you from your actual identity.' "
Still, some privacy experts say TiVo users are forced to take the company's word that it's not violating its own policies. "What they're saying is, 'You have to trust us,' " says Richard Smith, a privacy and security consultant, who has examined TiVo's technology. " 'We're going to snoop on you, but we will disconnect all that information we have about you from your actual identity.' "
WSJ: Macromedia Plans to Branch Into Web-Based Conferencing
WSJ: Macromedia Plans to Branch Into Web-Based Conferencing
Macromedia Inc., maker of the Web-animation format Flash, is diversifying into the conferencing market.
The San Francisco company is announcing a system called Breeze that exploits the Web to let computer users in different locations view and discuss documents, images and video. Besides live conferences, which allow users to avoid traveling to meetings, Macromedia offers the ability to record presentations that can be viewed later, and are indexed to let users search through and skip parts of presentations they don't want to see.
"It's business TiVo," said Tom Hale, Macromedia's senior vice president of business strategy, referring to the popular video-recording technology. "You can have presentations without meetings."
Macromedia Inc., maker of the Web-animation format Flash, is diversifying into the conferencing market.
The San Francisco company is announcing a system called Breeze that exploits the Web to let computer users in different locations view and discuss documents, images and video. Besides live conferences, which allow users to avoid traveling to meetings, Macromedia offers the ability to record presentations that can be viewed later, and are indexed to let users search through and skip parts of presentations they don't want to see.
"It's business TiVo," said Tom Hale, Macromedia's senior vice president of business strategy, referring to the popular video-recording technology. "You can have presentations without meetings."
Saturday, February 07, 2004
NYT: The Virus Underground
NYT: The Virus Underground "Philet0ast3r, Second Part to Hell, Vorgon and guys like them around the world spend their Saturday nights writing fiendishly contagious computer viruses and worms. Are they artists, pranksters or techno-saboteurs?"
CRN : Breaking News : Corel Sells XMetal, Exits Web Services Tool Market : 3:40 PM EST Fri., Feb. 06, 2004
CRN : Breaking News : Corel Sells XMetal, Exits Web Services Tool Market : 3:40 PM EST Fri., Feb. 06, 2004 "Corel Corp. on Thursday exited the web services tool market with the announcement that it has sold its XMetal division to consulting company Blast Radius.
...
Terms of the deal, which is expected to be completed in several days, were not released. Both companies are privately held.
XMetal, which Corel acquired in 2001 with the purchase of SoftQuad Software, is an authoring tool that uses extensible markup language to define data elements on a Web page and create business-to-business documents. XML is a key technology in web services, an umbrella term for a set of emerging specifications for building applications that can communicate over the Internet using standardized interfaces.
The need for standalone XML tools has narrowed over the last several years, as makers of full-featured integrated development environments, such as IBM, Borland, Sybase, Sun Microsystems and Microsoft, have added authoring capabilities."
A subtle sign of the times...
...
Terms of the deal, which is expected to be completed in several days, were not released. Both companies are privately held.
XMetal, which Corel acquired in 2001 with the purchase of SoftQuad Software, is an authoring tool that uses extensible markup language to define data elements on a Web page and create business-to-business documents. XML is a key technology in web services, an umbrella term for a set of emerging specifications for building applications that can communicate over the Internet using standardized interfaces.
The need for standalone XML tools has narrowed over the last several years, as makers of full-featured integrated development environments, such as IBM, Borland, Sybase, Sun Microsystems and Microsoft, have added authoring capabilities."
A subtle sign of the times...
Friday, February 06, 2004
Microsoft’s Longhorn platform promises to remove middleware
Microsoft’s Longhorn platform promises to remove middleware: "Gates said, 'Of all the middleware [used today] the only one that will exist is the high-end transactional database. Everything else will be built into the operating system.'"
The Register: Adobe brings grid to the mass market
The Register: Adobe brings grid to the mass market: "Adobe has allied with GridIron Software to deliver the first mass market grid product. This is a version of Adobe After Effects that can be bought through retail channels and is designed to enable smaller businesses to use grid techniques, where processes are run over a pool of low cost networked servers.
The new version of After Effects, which produces motion graphics and other effects for film and the web, will incorporate the GridIron XLR8 product. This will distribute the work among several computers on a network to speed up preview and rendering work."
The new version of After Effects, which produces motion graphics and other effects for film and the web, will incorporate the GridIron XLR8 product. This will distribute the work among several computers on a network to speed up preview and rendering work."
E-Mail at The Washington Post Disrupted by a Missed Payment
E-Mail at The Washington Post Disrupted by a Missed Payment: "Sometimes it doesn't take a hacker to bring down a computer network.
The Washington Post said yesterday that it had inadvertently allowed the registration for one of its Internet domain names - washpost.com - to expire. That lapse had the immediate effect of shutting down the e-mail system that reporters and other Post employees use to exchange messages with the world, something they were unable to do for much of the day."
The Washington Post said yesterday that it had inadvertently allowed the registration for one of its Internet domain names - washpost.com - to expire. That lapse had the immediate effect of shutting down the e-mail system that reporters and other Post employees use to exchange messages with the world, something they were unable to do for much of the day."
Former Microsoft Visio Execs Regroup
Former Microsoft Visio Execs Regroup "Four former Microsoft executives have banded together to form a new company that is developing social-networking software and Web services that will build on top of .Net and Microsoft's forthcoming Longhorn Windows operating system.
The new venture, The Graw Group, officially launched in October 2003. The principals behind Graw include Jeremy Jaech and Ted Johnson, the co-founders of Visio.
...
Jaech served as Visio's president, CEO and chairman of the board prior to Microsoft's Visio acquisition. After the acquisition, Jaech remained at Microsoft for six months, during which time he served as the VP of the Business Tools unit. Prior to founding Visio, Jaech co-founded Aldus, and worked on the original PageMaker development team."
The new venture, The Graw Group, officially launched in October 2003. The principals behind Graw include Jeremy Jaech and Ted Johnson, the co-founders of Visio.
...
Jaech served as Visio's president, CEO and chairman of the board prior to Microsoft's Visio acquisition. After the acquisition, Jaech remained at Microsoft for six months, during which time he served as the VP of the Business Tools unit. Prior to founding Visio, Jaech co-founded Aldus, and worked on the original PageMaker development team."
WSJ.com - Macintosh Users Can Now 'Video Chat' With PC Users On AOL
WSJ.com - Macintosh Users Can Now 'Video Chat' With PC Users On AOL: "Apple Computer Inc. (AAPL) released a new version of its iChat software Thursday so Macintosh users can now do video chats with America Online subscribers who have Windows-based PCs.
The move is the latest example of Apple expanding beyond its enclosed world of Macintosh owners. Last month, Apple signed a deal allowing Hewlett-Packard Co. (HPQ) to bundle its iTunes digital jukebox software with HP's Windows-based PCs.
Apple users already can do instant messaging with AOL users, but using only text. The new iChat AV 2.1 version adds video conferencing support for AOL's latest version of its instant-messaging program, AIM 5.5, also launched Thursday.
That means iChat users are no longer confined to face-to-face talks with only users of Macintosh's OS X Panther - a chief complaint - and can reach any of AOL's 60 million instant-messaging account holders who are equipped with Internet video cameras.
The lack of widespread 'interoperability' between different instant-messaging systems remains, however, since AOL still has not opened up its AIM network to rival systems by Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) and Yahoo Inc. (YHOO)."
The move is the latest example of Apple expanding beyond its enclosed world of Macintosh owners. Last month, Apple signed a deal allowing Hewlett-Packard Co. (HPQ) to bundle its iTunes digital jukebox software with HP's Windows-based PCs.
Apple users already can do instant messaging with AOL users, but using only text. The new iChat AV 2.1 version adds video conferencing support for AOL's latest version of its instant-messaging program, AIM 5.5, also launched Thursday.
That means iChat users are no longer confined to face-to-face talks with only users of Macintosh's OS X Panther - a chief complaint - and can reach any of AOL's 60 million instant-messaging account holders who are equipped with Internet video cameras.
The lack of widespread 'interoperability' between different instant-messaging systems remains, however, since AOL still has not opened up its AIM network to rival systems by Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) and Yahoo Inc. (YHOO)."
Thursday, February 05, 2004
Open-source ERP gaining users - Computerworld
Open-source ERP gaining users - Computerworld: "Jorg Janke didn't set out to write open-source ERP software. But like many small start-up application vendors, he found the traditional path to success blocked by sales and marketing costs.
'I thought open-source was a model where I can make money and not have salespeople,' he says. 'My customers do presales and demos on their own by simply downloading the software and trying it.'
Janke says he has no idea how many companies are using the software, called Compiere. But for the part of his business that keeps him afloat -- paid support contracts -- the response rate so far has been worse than that for spam. Of more than 600,000 downloads of Compiere, 50 customers have signed support contracts. And those contracts start at $1,500 for 10 people per year -- a pittance compared with the license fees charged by commercial ERP vendors, which charge anywhere from 10% to 25% of those fees per year for maintenance and support. Compiere works with Linux, Unix, Solaris and Windows 2000 server operating systems, and with Linux and Windows desktop systems as well. "
'I thought open-source was a model where I can make money and not have salespeople,' he says. 'My customers do presales and demos on their own by simply downloading the software and trying it.'
Janke says he has no idea how many companies are using the software, called Compiere. But for the part of his business that keeps him afloat -- paid support contracts -- the response rate so far has been worse than that for spam. Of more than 600,000 downloads of Compiere, 50 customers have signed support contracts. And those contracts start at $1,500 for 10 people per year -- a pittance compared with the license fees charged by commercial ERP vendors, which charge anywhere from 10% to 25% of those fees per year for maintenance and support. Compiere works with Linux, Unix, Solaris and Windows 2000 server operating systems, and with Linux and Windows desktop systems as well. "
Users Cheer Microsoft’s New Reporting Services
Users Cheer Microsoft’s New Reporting Services "Although Microsoft’s competitors have tried to downplay the capabilities of the first-generation Reporting Services offering, users say they’re impressed with the product's features and functionality. For example, says report developer Witter, the report publishing, distribution, and lifecycle management tools that are part-and-parcel of the Reporting Services experience have been an especially pleasant surprise. “I have been very impressed with [Reporting Services] and its capabilities for such a new product. At first glance I thought it was just a report writer, but after working in it for a while I started to realize it was much more powerful than I would have ever expected,” he concludes."
I agree -- it's much more than simple reporting, and it also works with non-Microsoft data sources. Interesting to see Microsoft run multi-page ads for a product (e.g., in the latest issue of Application Development Trends) that's free if you already own SQL Server 2000.
I agree -- it's much more than simple reporting, and it also works with non-Microsoft data sources. Interesting to see Microsoft run multi-page ads for a product (e.g., in the latest issue of Application Development Trends) that's free if you already own SQL Server 2000.
CRN : New FrontPage Is Ready To Rumble
CRN : New FrontPage Is Ready To Rumble: "For years, Microsoft FrontPage was considered the ideal Web development tool for novice Web users. Using almost no coding, developers could create static Web pages and some simple e-commerce sites that normally would require extensive knowledge of HTML and ASP.
That was yesterday. Microsoft FrontPage 2003 is not geared for novices; instead, it places emphasis on coding and resource connectivity through Web technologies and includes a host of new design and publishing capabilities."
Perhaps, but FrontPage 2003 is also in an increasingly ambiguous position in the broader Microsoft product line, with Visual Studio.NET "Whidbey" and its much-improved Web site development capabilities (including SharePoint-style portal-oriented pages etc.) expected late this year. I didn't catch one reference to FrontPage during the PDC 2003 keynotes (and if you seach the PDC 2003 session list, you'll find a total of 2 references).
That was yesterday. Microsoft FrontPage 2003 is not geared for novices; instead, it places emphasis on coding and resource connectivity through Web technologies and includes a host of new design and publishing capabilities."
Perhaps, but FrontPage 2003 is also in an increasingly ambiguous position in the broader Microsoft product line, with Visual Studio.NET "Whidbey" and its much-improved Web site development capabilities (including SharePoint-style portal-oriented pages etc.) expected late this year. I didn't catch one reference to FrontPage during the PDC 2003 keynotes (and if you seach the PDC 2003 session list, you'll find a total of 2 references).
Wednesday, February 04, 2004
WSJ.com - Oracle Raises Its Offer For PeopleSoft by 33%
WSJ.com - Oracle Raises Its Offer For PeopleSoft by 33%: "Business software maker Oracle Corp. raised its hostile takeover bid for rival PeopleSoft Inc. by 33% to $26 a share, or $9.4 billion, setting the stage for more high-stakes drama in the high-tech soap opera.
The all-cash offer tops Oracle's previous bid of $19.50 per share. The new offer is a 19% premium from PeopleSoft's closing price Tuesday of $21.89 on the Nasdaq Stock Market.
Oracle, Redwood Shores, Calif., is betting the new bid will win over PeopleSoft's major stockholders and pressure PeopleSoft's board to drop its staunch resistance to the offer, transforming what has been a hostile battle into friendly negotiation."
Okay, I think they mean it...
I've spent a lot of time focused on Oracle during the last couple months, from an industry analyst perspective, and I'm now much less skeptical about Oracle's intentions and the probability of the deal closing. Indeed, unless Oracle hits regulatory show-stoppers (which I consider unlikely, given SAP's overall market lead, the rate at which Microsoft is expanding in the mid-tier ERP etc. markets, and IBM's aspirations for industry-specific solutions), I think Oracle is going to succeed both with the acquisition and in exploiting the synergies between PeopleSoft and Oracle apps.
In fewer words: I'm impressed...
The all-cash offer tops Oracle's previous bid of $19.50 per share. The new offer is a 19% premium from PeopleSoft's closing price Tuesday of $21.89 on the Nasdaq Stock Market.
Oracle, Redwood Shores, Calif., is betting the new bid will win over PeopleSoft's major stockholders and pressure PeopleSoft's board to drop its staunch resistance to the offer, transforming what has been a hostile battle into friendly negotiation."
Okay, I think they mean it...
I've spent a lot of time focused on Oracle during the last couple months, from an industry analyst perspective, and I'm now much less skeptical about Oracle's intentions and the probability of the deal closing. Indeed, unless Oracle hits regulatory show-stoppers (which I consider unlikely, given SAP's overall market lead, the rate at which Microsoft is expanding in the mid-tier ERP etc. markets, and IBM's aspirations for industry-specific solutions), I think Oracle is going to succeed both with the acquisition and in exploiting the synergies between PeopleSoft and Oracle apps.
In fewer words: I'm impressed...
Oracle guns for Microsoft in database market - Computerworld
Oracle guns for Microsoft in database market - Computerworld "Taking aim at Microsoft Corp.'s perceived dominance at the lower end of the database market, Oracle Corp. has slashed the prices on the base version of its next-generation 10g database.
The company announced that the cost of the 10g Standard Edition One has been cut by $1,000 to $4,995 per processor, and it is also doubling the CPU maximum to two per machine. The Standard Edition One, which caters to small-business and branch or departmental needs, will also sell under a named-user license for $149 per user, down from $195 per user, with a five-user minimum. Oracle will also throw in its Real Application Cluster (RAC) clustering technology for Standard Edition purchasers."
I suspect this has as much to do with MySQL as it does Microsoft.
The company announced that the cost of the 10g Standard Edition One has been cut by $1,000 to $4,995 per processor, and it is also doubling the CPU maximum to two per machine. The Standard Edition One, which caters to small-business and branch or departmental needs, will also sell under a named-user license for $149 per user, down from $195 per user, with a five-user minimum. Oracle will also throw in its Real Application Cluster (RAC) clustering technology for Standard Edition purchasers."
I suspect this has as much to do with MySQL as it does Microsoft.
Tuesday, February 03, 2004
Cardiff - Verity Announces Agreement to Acquire Cardiff Software
Cardiff - Verity Announces Agreement to Acquire Cardiff Software "Verity Inc. (NASDAQ: VRTY), a leading provider of enterprise software that enables organizations to maximize the return on their intellectual capital investments, and Cardiff Software Inc. of Vista, CA, a leading privately-held supplier of technology that enables the capture and automation of dynamic business information, today announced a definitive agreement for Verity to acquire Cardiff in a transaction with an aggregate purchase price of approximately $50 million in cash, adjusted for Cardiff’s net cash balance as of December 31, 2003."
OneNote genesis
OneNote genesis "OneNote started as an email exchange between myself and Steven Sinofsky, the Senior VP for Office, Nov 27, 2000. We were talking about how there wasn't much in the way of software to deal with information that was not yet a document. This coincided with the end of the OfficeXp development project. I had recently become the Group Program Manager for Word halfway through the project. The OfficeXp development cycle had bothered me as I felt we had not really moved the needle enough in terms of solving user problems in Word, at least partly because we were confining our thinking to simply how to make a word processor better. Steven described some thoughts he had about “ephemeral information”, and the idea of outlining. Outlining sort of turns me off, because it is one of those things most people can’t bring themselves to do, but the ones who do it rave about it. It’s a classic “niche”. But I liked Steven's idea that we could build a new app if necessary, rather than be stuck grafting things onto our existing tools."
Via Scoble
Via Scoble
Email To RSS In Three Easy Steps - Robin Good' Sharewood Tidings
Email To RSS In Three Easy Steps - Robin Good' Sharewood Tidings: "MailbyRSS is a FREE service for authoring RSS channels by email. It is ideal for organizations that wish to augment their opt-in e-mail campaigns with RSS channels, providing them a way to ensure that the information they publish reaches subscribers without being blocked by spam lists or filters. MailbyRSS accepts both text and rich content email, requires no new computer hardware or software, and is invoked by simply emailing content to a secure MailbyRSS account."
Yahoo! News - TiVo Bares Facts on Instant Replay
Yahoo! News - TiVo Bares Facts on Instant Replay: "When Justin Timberlake (news) tore at Janet Jackson (news)'s leather outfit during Sunday's Super Bowl half-time show, TiVo (news - web sites) users took notice.
Then they took notice again and again, using the digital video recorder to replay the event and to pause at the crucial moment in order to discern just what it was that Jackson had revealed to millions of Americans.
TiVo said that particular halftime stunt was the most replayed moment not only of the Super Bowl but of all TV moments that the young company has ever measured."
The new killer app for TiVo...
Then they took notice again and again, using the digital video recorder to replay the event and to pause at the crucial moment in order to discern just what it was that Jackson had revealed to millions of Americans.
TiVo said that particular halftime stunt was the most replayed moment not only of the Super Bowl but of all TV moments that the young company has ever measured."
The new killer app for TiVo...
Is the future hub of the broadband home the PC?
Is the future hub of the broadband home the PC? "There’s a war going on for the future of the home, with consumer electronics manufacturers on one side and the PC industry on the other. Both sides want their gear to be the eventual “hub” of the digital home. CE vendors, like Sony, see the television and the set top box as the hub, while the PC industry is countering with Media Center Edition PCs, wireless media adapters, and Intel’s forthcoming Prescott chip which improves the Pentium 4’s ability to handle high quality audio/video media."
imho a general-purpose device, as long as it doesn't entail a major form-follows-function penalty, will always win in the long run.
imho a general-purpose device, as long as it doesn't entail a major form-follows-function penalty, will always win in the long run.
The Seattle Times: Business & Technology: MyDoom worm not strong enough to slam Microsoft, virus experts say
The Seattle Times: Business & Technology: MyDoom worm not strong enough to slam Microsoft, virus experts say "Microsoft likely won't have that problem. Jimmy Kuo, a researcher with the anti-virus team at McAfee Security, based in Santa Clara, Calif., said MyDoom.B has its own flaw — a bug within a bug, so to speak — that will make the attack ineffective. About 93 percent of computers that try to attack Microsoft's site will fail, he said.
And MyDoom.B isn't really circulating on the Internet, he said. By yesterday morning, he said, McAfee had collected a sample count of millions of MyDoom.A instances, but the MyDoom.B count was in the teens.
MyDoom.B has another twist: It is programmed to block a computer's access to some 65 Web sites, including many of the top anti-virus vendors. Some of the 65 belong to Microsoft, such as its site for developers and the Windows Update site the company uses to provide security information to customers.
Microsoft has responded by creating another Web site, at https://information.microsoft.com, that isn't on the worm's hit list. Customers can go there to learn how to get rid of the worm and visit some of the company's blocked sites, said Stephen Toulouse, a security program manager at Microsoft."
And MyDoom.B isn't really circulating on the Internet, he said. By yesterday morning, he said, McAfee had collected a sample count of millions of MyDoom.A instances, but the MyDoom.B count was in the teens.
MyDoom.B has another twist: It is programmed to block a computer's access to some 65 Web sites, including many of the top anti-virus vendors. Some of the 65 belong to Microsoft, such as its site for developers and the Windows Update site the company uses to provide security information to customers.
Microsoft has responded by creating another Web site, at https://information.microsoft.com, that isn't on the worm's hit list. Customers can go there to learn how to get rid of the worm and visit some of the company's blocked sites, said Stephen Toulouse, a security program manager at Microsoft."
WSJ.com - Microsoft Sets Up Alternate Web Site Due To Virus Threat
WSJ.com - Microsoft Sets Up Alternate Web Site Due To Virus Threat: "Microsoft (MSFT) said Monday it has set up a secondary Web site for users affected by an Internet virus that will seek to block them from the software giant's regular Web sites.
The virus, called 'Mydoom.B,' was programmed to launch an attack on Microsoft's site on Tuesday, two days after a variant shut down the site of The SCO Group (SCOX), a small Utah software company. The virus sends hundreds of thousands of requests for the site per minute, crippling it.
Stephen Toulouse, security program manager at Microsoft, said users who can't access Microsoft's main Web site can go to https://information.microsoft.com.
The alternative Web site will offer security tips as well as regular information about Microsoft products."
The virus, called 'Mydoom.B,' was programmed to launch an attack on Microsoft's site on Tuesday, two days after a variant shut down the site of The SCO Group (SCOX), a small Utah software company. The virus sends hundreds of thousands of requests for the site per minute, crippling it.
Stephen Toulouse, security program manager at Microsoft, said users who can't access Microsoft's main Web site can go to https://information.microsoft.com.
The alternative Web site will offer security tips as well as regular information about Microsoft products."
Monday, February 02, 2004
Borland Brain Drain Continues
Borland Brain Drain Continues: "According to sources and documents Borland filed with the federal government, the Scotts Valley, Calif., company will say goodbye to Blake Stone, the company's chief technology officer as of Feb. 6. Stone is said to be headed to Microsoft Corp. to pursue 'an offer he could not refuse,' a source said.
Meanwhile, Chuck Jazdzewski, formerly chief scientist and architect of Borland's Delphi technology, left the company last month and is also said to be headed to Microsoft. Sources said Jazdzewski will be joining Microsoft's Avalon team. Avalon is the presentation layer of the company's upcoming Longhorn operating system, which is expected in 2005 or 2006."
Meanwhile, Chuck Jazdzewski, formerly chief scientist and architect of Borland's Delphi technology, left the company last month and is also said to be headed to Microsoft. Sources said Jazdzewski will be joining Microsoft's Avalon team. Avalon is the presentation layer of the company's upcoming Longhorn operating system, which is expected in 2005 or 2006."
NewsForge | MySQL's MaxDB: A work in progress
NewsForge | MySQL's MaxDB: A work in progress: "Most people working in the database world know about the open source database MySQL, but fewer are familiar with MaxDB, MySQL's enterprise-class brother. The current MaxDB release is basically a rebranded release of SAP DB with a number of incremental improvements.
The lineage of MaxDB goes back several years, involves a few companies, and uses a few names. It grew out of Adabas, a database that has been around since the 1980s. A version of Adabas was obtained by the German software company SAP AB in the mid-1990's and eventually rebranded as SAP DB. Displaying amazing foresight for the time, SAP AB decided to release the source code of SAP DB under the GNU GPL in the year 2000. Unfortunately, this event was not promoted by SAP AB, so SAP DB languished as perhaps the most significant yet obscure Open Source project in the community.
In May 2003, the folks at MySQL AB entered into an agreement with SAP AB to drive the development of the software and release it under both commercial and Open Source licenses. The result is MaxDB, which was finally released as developer-only code six months later. "
The lineage of MaxDB goes back several years, involves a few companies, and uses a few names. It grew out of Adabas, a database that has been around since the 1980s. A version of Adabas was obtained by the German software company SAP AB in the mid-1990's and eventually rebranded as SAP DB. Displaying amazing foresight for the time, SAP AB decided to release the source code of SAP DB under the GNU GPL in the year 2000. Unfortunately, this event was not promoted by SAP AB, so SAP DB languished as perhaps the most significant yet obscure Open Source project in the community.
In May 2003, the folks at MySQL AB entered into an agreement with SAP AB to drive the development of the software and release it under both commercial and Open Source licenses. The result is MaxDB, which was finally released as developer-only code six months later. "
FTPOnline.com: Sun Sets on JavaWorld
FTPOnline.com: Sun Sets on JavaWorld: "IDG's decision to stop publishing new content on JavaWorld, although the site's archives will remain live, would be just another blip on the trade publishing market, if it didn't reflect the ill health of the overall Java ecosystem.
Attendance at Sun Microsystems' own JavaOne conference plummeted last year. By some outside estimates, attendance was down 75% from the show's peak.
101communications closed its Java Report magazine a couple years ago. Sys-Con, our competitor with Java Developer's Journal, stopped doing its separate Java conference, moving instead to a broad, general developer conference with its upcoming Edge 2004. (I have to be careful here, since relations with Sys-Con are so acrimonious. This is not a criticism of Sys-Con.)
IBM developerWorks journal has apparently stopped publication.
Late last year, I discussed the Java market with the CEOs of two prominent tools vendors. Both are discontinuing advertising in this market and shifting their marketing dollars elsewhere. As one put it, 'Java on the presentation layer is dead.'
What hasn't been reported is that behind the scenes, FTP had reached a tentative deal with IDG to take over JavaWorld, integrate it with FTPOnline, invest in and revitalize it with new content.
According to IDG, this deal got squashed by Sun Microsystems when it demanded more concessions from IDG. We never heard details of what Sun reportedly wanted. "
Attendance at Sun Microsystems' own JavaOne conference plummeted last year. By some outside estimates, attendance was down 75% from the show's peak.
101communications closed its Java Report magazine a couple years ago. Sys-Con, our competitor with Java Developer's Journal, stopped doing its separate Java conference, moving instead to a broad, general developer conference with its upcoming Edge 2004. (I have to be careful here, since relations with Sys-Con are so acrimonious. This is not a criticism of Sys-Con.)
IBM developerWorks journal has apparently stopped publication.
Late last year, I discussed the Java market with the CEOs of two prominent tools vendors. Both are discontinuing advertising in this market and shifting their marketing dollars elsewhere. As one put it, 'Java on the presentation layer is dead.'
What hasn't been reported is that behind the scenes, FTP had reached a tentative deal with IDG to take over JavaWorld, integrate it with FTPOnline, invest in and revitalize it with new content.
According to IDG, this deal got squashed by Sun Microsystems when it demanded more concessions from IDG. We never heard details of what Sun reportedly wanted. "
Mercury News: Microsoft leaks details on Xbox Next
Mercury News: Microsoft leaks details on Xbox Next "For gamers, the new Xbox will be impressive, giving them the ability to play fast-action, realistic 3-D games on a high-definition TV set. Microsoft's emissaries have told industry developers and publishers that the next Xbox will be ready to launch in fall 2005 with the following specifications:
• Three IBM-designed 64-bit microprocessors. The combined power of these chips means the Xbox Next will have more computing power than most personal computers. The chips are used in Apple Computer's high-end G5 PowerMac machines now.
• A graphics chip designed by ATI Technologies with speeds much faster than its upcoming R400 chip for the personal computer. This chip will help the next Xbox to display games with the resolution of high-definition TV.
• Compatibility with the original Xbox, which is based on Intel and Nvidia chips, isn't guaranteed. Microsoft is concerned it would cost too much money in hardware or in licensing fees to enable the Xbox Next to play old Xbox games. This is risky in part because Sony's strategy has been to maintain compatibility with its old consoles."
• Three IBM-designed 64-bit microprocessors. The combined power of these chips means the Xbox Next will have more computing power than most personal computers. The chips are used in Apple Computer's high-end G5 PowerMac machines now.
• A graphics chip designed by ATI Technologies with speeds much faster than its upcoming R400 chip for the personal computer. This chip will help the next Xbox to display games with the resolution of high-definition TV.
• Compatibility with the original Xbox, which is based on Intel and Nvidia chips, isn't guaranteed. Microsoft is concerned it would cost too much money in hardware or in licensing fees to enable the Xbox Next to play old Xbox games. This is risky in part because Sony's strategy has been to maintain compatibility with its old consoles."
News Analysis: Hollywood Mogul Plays by Technology
News Analysis: Hollywood Mogul Plays by Technology "Mr. Jobs points out that Hollywood has been much more sophisticated than the recording industry about expanding its distribution strategy. It is already possible, for example, to watch movies in a wide range of different ways, including rental videos, pay-per-view and even free television.
Some industry executives have wondered whether Mr. Jobs's breaking off the Disney negotiations was partly a prelude to efforts to take the top job at a Hollywood company - maybe even Mr. Eisner's job.
But others note that Mr. Jobs has always done best when he has stayed close to the technology. And they predict that this new media mogul will have no need to go Hollywood."
Some industry executives have wondered whether Mr. Jobs's breaking off the Disney negotiations was partly a prelude to efforts to take the top job at a Hollywood company - maybe even Mr. Eisner's job.
But others note that Mr. Jobs has always done best when he has stayed close to the technology. And they predict that this new media mogul will have no need to go Hollywood."
InfoWorld: Windows Server to get orchestration features: January 30, 2004: By : Platforms
InfoWorld: Windows Server to get orchestration features: January 30, 2004: By : Platforms "The next version of Microsoft Corp.'s Windows Server operating system will include business process orchestration features to allow users to link together Web services, among other tasks, without the need for additional middleware.
The technology will be lifted from BizTalk Server, according to Valerie Olague, director of Windows Server System marketing at Microsoft. BizTalk Server is Microsoft's product designed to help companies integrate disparate business applications and connect to business partners.
...
"he OS is the place where these common kind of services need to reside. The focus for BizTalk is in more specialized areas. Orchestration is very general," she said."
The technology will be lifted from BizTalk Server, according to Valerie Olague, director of Windows Server System marketing at Microsoft. BizTalk Server is Microsoft's product designed to help companies integrate disparate business applications and connect to business partners.
...
"he OS is the place where these common kind of services need to reside. The focus for BizTalk is in more specialized areas. Orchestration is very general," she said."
The Coming Search Wars
The Coming Search Wars "Microsoft has already begun a recruitment campaign aimed at demoralizing Google employees, several Google executives said. Microsoft recruiters have been calling Google employees at home, urging them to join Microsoft and suggesting that their stock options will lose value once Microsoft enters the search market in a serious way.
"Our approach has been to seek out the best and brightest talent," said Lisa Gurry, a lead product manager at MSN. "Beyond that, I can't add anything."
Google executives also say they believe that Microsoft is systematically pursuing Web sites downgraded by Google, which punishes companies for trying to manipulate their rankings. The company is striking partnerships with unhappy Google customers."
"Our approach has been to seek out the best and brightest talent," said Lisa Gurry, a lead product manager at MSN. "Beyond that, I can't add anything."
Google executives also say they believe that Microsoft is systematically pursuing Web sites downgraded by Google, which punishes companies for trying to manipulate their rankings. The company is striking partnerships with unhappy Google customers."
Boston.com / Business / Time is not on this watch's side
Boston.com / Business / Time is not on this watch's side: "But why would you obtain such a device in the first place? SPOT lacks a reason to exist in any form, at any price. Most of us can pass an hour or two without reading the latest stock quotes. The few who must have a constant flow of information also need the ability to act on that information, an ability that SPOT doesn't provide. So these news junkies don't need it either.
Above all, nobody needs a watch this ugly. Nobody."
Above all, nobody needs a watch this ugly. Nobody."
Friday, January 30, 2004
Fortune.com - Intro - Catch Us If You Can [Skype]
Fortune.com - Intro - Catch Us If You Can "The folks who brought you Kazaa have a new hit called Skype—and a plan to set phone calls free. If the telcos want to fight back, they'll have to find them first."
Extensive Skype article in Fortune -- cover story, no less.
Extensive Skype article in Fortune -- cover story, no less.
The Seattle Times: Business & Technology: Earnings: RealNetworks' loss widens despite fourth-quarter surge
The Seattle Times: Business & Technology: Earnings: RealNetworks' loss widens despite fourth-quarter surge: "RealNetworks reported yesterday that although its fourth-quarter revenue increased by 17 percent, its loss widened because of legal fees from its antitrust lawsuit against Microsoft."
Microsoft Offers $250,000 Reward for Information Leading to Conviction of MyDoom.B Perpetrators
Microsoft Offers $250,000 Reward for Information Leading to Conviction of MyDoom.B Perpetrators "Microsoft Corp. today announced that it will pay a $250,000 (U.S.) reward for information resulting in the arrest and conviction of those responsible for unleashing the MyDoom.B worm. MyDoom.B, detected yesterday, is a variant of the earlier released MyDoom.A worm, also known as the Novarg worm, which has spread quickly infecting computers around the world. The release of this B variant triggered the first alert from the newly formed Department of Homeland Security’s cyber alert system yesterday."
WSJ.com - The End: Pixar Breaks Up With Distribution Partner Disney
WSJ.com - The End: Pixar Breaks Up With Distribution Partner Disney "In an unhappy ending to what has sometimes been called the most successful partnership in Hollywood, Pixar Animation Studios delivered a stunning blow to Walt Disney Co. by ending talks to extend their lucrative and long-running distribution deal for Pixar's computer-animated films.
The move is a high-profile setback for Disney Chairman and Chief Executive Michael Eisner, whose company often has relied heavily on Pixar smashes like "Finding Nemo" to generate the profit Disney's own animated films couldn't produce in recent years.
The tense relationship between Mr. Eisner and Pixar Chief Executive Steve Jobs often has been seen as an obstacle to any continuation of the Pixar-Disney relationship. Pixar will be a Disney competitor, rather than a partner, beginning in 2006."
Negotiation, Steve Jobs style: first, you fire your CEO. Then have your new CEO call me to negotiate new terms.
The move is a high-profile setback for Disney Chairman and Chief Executive Michael Eisner, whose company often has relied heavily on Pixar smashes like "Finding Nemo" to generate the profit Disney's own animated films couldn't produce in recent years.
The tense relationship between Mr. Eisner and Pixar Chief Executive Steve Jobs often has been seen as an obstacle to any continuation of the Pixar-Disney relationship. Pixar will be a Disney competitor, rather than a partner, beginning in 2006."
Negotiation, Steve Jobs style: first, you fire your CEO. Then have your new CEO call me to negotiate new terms.
Thursday, January 29, 2004
State of the Art: Phones, Too, Get TV Time
State of the Art: Phones, Too, Get TV Time: "Sprint's MobiTV service, for example, lets you tune in to any of 13 TV channels, right there on your cellphone. (The service requires one of Sprint's newish 'Java-enabled' phones: the Sanyo 8100, VM4500, or RL2500; the Samsung VGA1000; and so on.)
You download the MobiTV software from the Sprint Web site directly to the phone. Once you find and open the program - eight button presses - it takes about 20 seconds to tune in to MSNBC, which is always the first channel that comes up. The other options include some big-name channels (ABC News, Discovery, CNET) and some not-so-big (College Sports Television, California Music Channel, CMC Beat Lounge and ToonWorld TV Classics)."
You download the MobiTV software from the Sprint Web site directly to the phone. Once you find and open the program - eight button presses - it takes about 20 seconds to tune in to MSNBC, which is always the first channel that comes up. The other options include some big-name channels (ABC News, Discovery, CNET) and some not-so-big (College Sports Television, California Music Channel, CMC Beat Lounge and ToonWorld TV Classics)."
WSJ.com - Personal Technology: Mirra Backs Up Files For Access Anywhere, But Has Rough Edges
WSJ.com - Personal Technology: Mirra Backs Up Files For Access Anywhere, But Has Rough Edges: "The age-old problem of backing up your computer files is even more urgent today. With PC prices plunging, the most valuable portion of your computer is the personal data, which would be impossible or difficult to re-create if the PC were lost, stolen or irrevocably damaged.
Now, a small Silicon Valley company, Mirra Inc., has come up with a hardware product that aims to finally solve the backup problem. It's called the Mirra Personal Server, and despite that techie name, it's really a sort of small auxiliary computer that attaches to a home network and constantly backs up all of your key files."
$399 for 80 gig -- price/performance reaches a point where dedicated home backup servers are practical... I'll wait for a multi-function home server "appliance", however.
Now, a small Silicon Valley company, Mirra Inc., has come up with a hardware product that aims to finally solve the backup problem. It's called the Mirra Personal Server, and despite that techie name, it's really a sort of small auxiliary computer that attaches to a home network and constantly backs up all of your key files."
$399 for 80 gig -- price/performance reaches a point where dedicated home backup servers are practical... I'll wait for a multi-function home server "appliance", however.
Wednesday, January 28, 2004
Oracle changes tune on integration | CNET News.com
Oracle changes tune on integration | CNET News.com: "The Redwood City, Calif.-based company has released a new product called the Customer Data Hub, which is designed to help companies instantaneously gather information from Oracle systems and other business systems in one centralized place, Phillips said. The hub uses communication standards known as Web services to talk to incompatible applications and create a 'system of record' for customer data, such as orders, contracts and service history, he added. "
Microsoft shines more light on Longhorn - News - ZDNet
Microsoft shines more light on Longhorn - News - ZDNet: "Speaking at the Developing Software for the Future Microsoft Platform conference in Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre here Monday, Microsoft software architect Don Box said the company will not invest much more in Component Object Model (COM) and Distributed Compound Object Model (DCOM)--Microsoft's mechanisms for sharing objects between programs.
Instead, Box said, programs will use managed services based on the Extensible Markup Language to communicate with each other. Box is leading the work on the 'plumbing' part of Longhorn, called 'Indigo,' which is effectively the successor to Microsoft .Net and as such will dictate how programs are written in future Windows platforms.
Moving developers away from the object-oriented world is a key element of Microsoft's battle for mindshare with the likes of IBM, Sun Microsystems, BEA Systems, Oracle and other rivals that sell products based on the Java 2 Enterprise Edition (J2EE) standard."
Invalid extrapolation -- Microsoft is not moving away from OO models; it's simply shifting to service-oriented architecture for inter-application communication, and thus moving away from DCOM and .NET Remoting -- which the vast majority of developers weren't using anyway. All of Microsoft's competitors are also moving to SOA for inter-application communication.
Instead, Box said, programs will use managed services based on the Extensible Markup Language to communicate with each other. Box is leading the work on the 'plumbing' part of Longhorn, called 'Indigo,' which is effectively the successor to Microsoft .Net and as such will dictate how programs are written in future Windows platforms.
Moving developers away from the object-oriented world is a key element of Microsoft's battle for mindshare with the likes of IBM, Sun Microsystems, BEA Systems, Oracle and other rivals that sell products based on the Java 2 Enterprise Edition (J2EE) standard."
Invalid extrapolation -- Microsoft is not moving away from OO models; it's simply shifting to service-oriented architecture for inter-application communication, and thus moving away from DCOM and .NET Remoting -- which the vast majority of developers weren't using anyway. All of Microsoft's competitors are also moving to SOA for inter-application communication.
New MyDoom Email Virus Spreads Quickly
New MyDoom Email Virus Spreads Quickly: "The sheer amount of traffic generated by the virus has already brought down many networks, and some security experts now believe that attackers originally launched the virus as a Denial of Service (DoS) attack on SCO Group, the UNIX copyright holder that's now suing various Linux companies for copyright infringement. However, this attack is having the most dramatic effect on end users, many of whom are still surprisingly uninformed when it comes to the dangers of opening attachments. When users open MyDoom-tainted email attachments, their systems become infected--with two side effects. First, their systems send infected email to all the users in their address books. Second, the virus places a backdoor on their systems that attackers can later exploit."
Microsoft SQL Server 2000 Reporting Services Is Available Today
Microsoft SQL Server 2000 Reporting Services Is Available Today "Microsoft Corp. today announced the availability of SQL Server (TM) 2000 Reporting Services. Reporting Services provides companies with a powerful new reporting tool that can increase business insight by providing real-time information from any data source to any device. As a result, employees at every level will have better access to information that will increase their ability to make more-informed decisions and provide more business value to their company. With the addition of Reporting Services, SQL Server, a part of the Microsoft® Windows Server System (TM) , provides the single most comprehensive data management and business intelligence (BI) platform on the market, with integrated analytics that include online analytical processing; data mining; data warehousing; extract, transform and load tools; and reporting functionality. This integrated, end-to-end approach helps companies make better decisions faster while lowering their total cost of ownership.
...
A valid SQL Server 2000 license is required for each server on which Reporting Services is deployed. It is available in nine languages including traditional and simplified Chinese, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean and Spanish."
I.e., no extra cost if you already have SQL Server 2000.
...
A valid SQL Server 2000 license is required for each server on which Reporting Services is deployed. It is available in nine languages including traditional and simplified Chinese, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean and Spanish."
I.e., no extra cost if you already have SQL Server 2000.
Tuesday, January 27, 2004
IBM patents method for paying open source volunteers
IBM patents method for paying open source volunteers: "A PATENT IBM was granted last December is for an 'invention' that allows independent programmers who might work together to produce a unified software product.
In fact, the patent, 6,658,642 goes further and gives examples such as open source software development such as Linux as the basis for its patent."
In fact, the patent, 6,658,642 goes further and gives examples such as open source software development such as Linux as the basis for its patent."
MoveOn.org: Democracy in Action -- CBS ad censorship
MoveOn.org: Democracy in Action -- CBS ad censorship How about some free speech and democracy along with all of the "Survivor"/beer/SUV/Viagra etc. ads during this year's Superbowl?
Gates takes swipe at Apple, Linux security | CNET News.com
Gates takes swipe at Apple, Linux security | CNET News.com: "'To say a system is secure because no one is attacking it is very dangerous,' said Gates, referring to operating systems that have a smaller share of the desktop market, such as Apple's Mac OS and the open-source software Linux.
Noting the large number of major virus epidemics during the past two years, Gates said that in some ways 'hackers are good for maturation' of the platform, because they have forced the company to develop new inspection techniques for the code. "
Noting the large number of major virus epidemics during the past two years, Gates said that in some ways 'hackers are good for maturation' of the platform, because they have forced the company to develop new inspection techniques for the code. "
InfoWorld: Unix for Windows: January 23, 2004: By Tom Yager: Application Development
InfoWorld: Unix for Windows: January 23, 2004: By Tom Yager: Application Development "On Jan. 15, Microsoft shipped release 3.5 of SFU (Services for Unix). SFU is not a stand-alone or hosted Unix OS. It is a convincingly Unix-like interactive environment and development tool set that’s transparently integrated into Windows. SFU is a free download. Go get it. You’ll need to register for a free Passport account if you don’t have one, but don’t let that stop you. The new release boosts the performance of bundled tools and compiled apps enormously. The single-rooted emulated file system eliminates the need to specify DOS drive letters. The free download includes the latest versions of the GNU development tools along with support for clustering, Windows 2003 shadow copy, and Unix threads. I’m not reviewing it — I’ll do that very soon — but I do like it.
Microsoft plays Virtual PC 2004 as a tool for running several versions of Windows simultaneously on one machine. Bah. Microsoft’s customers will use the product for its designed purpose: Running one or more independent Unix sessions as hosted operating systems under Windows. You don’t have to reboot, Unix can crash without taking Windows down, and each session runs real Unix (or Windows, if you choose). The virtualized file system allows you to wipe out changes made during a session, so you can experiment without rendering the OS unbootable. And every Virtual PC-hosted OS automatically inherits (through virtualization) all of the devices and networking you’ve set up for Windows. Once again, it gives me exactly what I need. In heterogeneous shops and homes, SFU and Virtual PC 2004 should be installed on every machine.
These two products represent the most important technology to come out of Microsoft in almost a year. They show an easing of Microsoft’s internal barriers to achieving genuine Unix interoperability, and will form the foundation for those who want the freedom to run Windows and Unix at the same time. These products may have existed for a long time, but now Microsoft is working to keep them current and make them more visible."
Microsoft plays Virtual PC 2004 as a tool for running several versions of Windows simultaneously on one machine. Bah. Microsoft’s customers will use the product for its designed purpose: Running one or more independent Unix sessions as hosted operating systems under Windows. You don’t have to reboot, Unix can crash without taking Windows down, and each session runs real Unix (or Windows, if you choose). The virtualized file system allows you to wipe out changes made during a session, so you can experiment without rendering the OS unbootable. And every Virtual PC-hosted OS automatically inherits (through virtualization) all of the devices and networking you’ve set up for Windows. Once again, it gives me exactly what I need. In heterogeneous shops and homes, SFU and Virtual PC 2004 should be installed on every machine.
These two products represent the most important technology to come out of Microsoft in almost a year. They show an easing of Microsoft’s internal barriers to achieving genuine Unix interoperability, and will form the foundation for those who want the freedom to run Windows and Unix at the same time. These products may have existed for a long time, but now Microsoft is working to keep them current and make them more visible."
Lotusphere 2004: Lotus stakes its future on Workplace - Computerworld
Lotusphere 2004: Lotus stakes its future on Workplace - Computerworld "Executives from IBM's Lotus Software Group used the opening presentations today at the unit’s annual user show in Orlando to sketch out the strategy behind IBM's year-old Lotus Workplace platform and to reassure users that IBM won't abandon its core of Lotus users building on the Notes/Domino architecture.
"Our strategy is to increase our leadership, not walk away from it," Lotus General Manager Ambuj Goyal said during his address.
Regarding competitors’ claims that the company will orphan an installed base that IBM estimates at 100 million end users, Goyal answered, "Let me tell you categorically, nothing could be further from the truth."
Still, the opening session made clear IBM's commitment to Workplace as its future for Lotus development. The company's plan is to steadily increase the interoperability of the Workplace architecture with that of Notes/Domino, so that current Notes users can eventually migrate to Workplace without losing access to existing Domino-developed applications.
...
To illustrate Lotus' proclaimed commitment to exploring new frontiers in collaboration technology, the company brought onstage Star Trek: The Next Generation star Patrick Stewart, who won an ovation far noisier than those accorded to Lotus executives. Stewart showed off a few Shakespearean monologues from his repertoire and spoke about art and creativity, loosely tying those themes back to the presentation's premise about the future of Workplace."
So much for the 2004 Lotus marketing budget...
"Our strategy is to increase our leadership, not walk away from it," Lotus General Manager Ambuj Goyal said during his address.
Regarding competitors’ claims that the company will orphan an installed base that IBM estimates at 100 million end users, Goyal answered, "Let me tell you categorically, nothing could be further from the truth."
Still, the opening session made clear IBM's commitment to Workplace as its future for Lotus development. The company's plan is to steadily increase the interoperability of the Workplace architecture with that of Notes/Domino, so that current Notes users can eventually migrate to Workplace without losing access to existing Domino-developed applications.
...
To illustrate Lotus' proclaimed commitment to exploring new frontiers in collaboration technology, the company brought onstage Star Trek: The Next Generation star Patrick Stewart, who won an ovation far noisier than those accorded to Lotus executives. Stewart showed off a few Shakespearean monologues from his repertoire and spoke about art and creativity, loosely tying those themes back to the presentation's premise about the future of Workplace."
So much for the 2004 Lotus marketing budget...
The Seattle Times: Business & Technology: RealNetworks offer wins it GameHouse
The Seattle Times: Business & Technology: RealNetworks offer wins it GameHouse: "RealNetworks has agreed to acquire Seattle-based GameHouse, one of the biggest developers of downloadable computer games, in a move that expands the digital-media company's growing online game business.
The deal, expected to close next month, is a milestone of sorts for RealNetworks because it turns the company into a developer of content. Up to now, the Seattle company distributed games, songs and video clips created by others. "
The deal, expected to close next month, is a milestone of sorts for RealNetworks because it turns the company into a developer of content. Up to now, the Seattle company distributed games, songs and video clips created by others. "
Audit Results Move Google a Step Closer to Offering
Audit Results Move Google a Step Closer to Offering: "Google has not publicly disclosed its finances, but people involved with the company said Google was closing in on $1 billion in annual revenue.
Yahoo has said that it will stop relying on Google as its main search engine and begin deploying its own search technology. Microsoft has also begun a major effort to compete in the search business. On Monday Microsoft introduced an MSN search bar for use with the Internet Explorer Web browser, closely modeled after a similar software application available from both Google and Yahoo.
At the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Bill Gates, Microsoft's chairman, said that Google currently was 'way better' than Microsoft in search and praised the 'high level of I.Q.' of Google's researchers. He argued that Microsoft would catch up once it focused its full effort on the task.
At the Comdex computer industry trade show last year, Mr. Gates gave a demonstration of Microsoft search technology, which it is expected to introduce some time this year. Analysts remain divided, though, over whether Microsoft will wait to deploy its more advanced search software, blending local and remote searching, until it introduces its Longhorn version of the Windows system. "
Yahoo has said that it will stop relying on Google as its main search engine and begin deploying its own search technology. Microsoft has also begun a major effort to compete in the search business. On Monday Microsoft introduced an MSN search bar for use with the Internet Explorer Web browser, closely modeled after a similar software application available from both Google and Yahoo.
At the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Bill Gates, Microsoft's chairman, said that Google currently was 'way better' than Microsoft in search and praised the 'high level of I.Q.' of Google's researchers. He argued that Microsoft would catch up once it focused its full effort on the task.
At the Comdex computer industry trade show last year, Mr. Gates gave a demonstration of Microsoft search technology, which it is expected to introduce some time this year. Analysts remain divided, though, over whether Microsoft will wait to deploy its more advanced search software, blending local and remote searching, until it introduces its Longhorn version of the Windows system. "
Preview: Inside the Windows XP Service Pack 2 Beta
Preview: Inside the Windows XP Service Pack 2 Beta "Internet Explorer will get its own built-in pop-up blocker. Intranets won't be affected, but when you're surfing the Web, IE will block any pop-up or pop-under window that wasn't triggered by your click ( figure 1 ). In the beta, an audible pop signals each blocking event. You can right-click on the pop-up icon in the status bar to configure pop-up blocking or to review blocked pop-ups ( figure 2 ). IE will also add protection against "drive-by downloads"—downloads that occur without your knowledge or permission. If you want a particular download, you simply click a link that appears below the toolbar."
Useful Windows XP SP2 snapshot. FYI the new (beta) pop-up-blocking (and more) MSN toolbar didn't work on my laptop when I tested it last night.
Useful Windows XP SP2 snapshot. FYI the new (beta) pop-up-blocking (and more) MSN toolbar didn't work on my laptop when I tested it last night.
Fast Company | If He's So Smart...Steve Jobs, Apple, and the Limits of Innovation
Fast Company | If He's So Smart...Steve Jobs, Apple, and the Limits of Innovation: "And the competition is swarming. Dell and Samsung are challenging enough, but this business is about to turn into a battle of the titans. Wal-Mart is launching a cut-price online music store of its own--and now Microsoft and Sony, no less, are joining the fray. So Apple's venture into online music is beginning to look like yet another case of frustration-by-innovation. Once again, Apple has pioneered a market--created a whole new business, even--with a cool, visionary product. And once again, it has drawn copycats with the scale and financial heft to undersell and out-market it. In the end, digital music could turn out to be just one more party that Apple started, but ultimately gets tossed out of."
Monday, January 26, 2004
Oracle Retooling E-Biz Suite
Oracle Retooling E-Biz Suite: "Oracle officials said that the beauty of its Oracle 10g technology is that it will allow users to run the company's applications on a grid without modification. Nevertheless, Oracle as part its long-term development of E-Business Suite is augmenting proprietary applets, called forms, with Java. Once the forms are changed, the applications will potentially be able to run on any Java application server, freeing them from dependence on Oracle Application Server"
This is major (and very positive) milestone, even if only a tiny percentage of Oracle customers actually run the apps on a non-Oracle app server.
This is major (and very positive) milestone, even if only a tiny percentage of Oracle customers actually run the apps on a non-Oracle app server.
Paul Thurrott's SuperSite for Windows: Hillel Cooperman and Tjeerd Hoek Talk Longhorn (Part One)
Paul Thurrott's SuperSite for Windows: Hillel Cooperman and Tjeerd Hoek Talk Longhorn (Part One): "Hillel Cooperman and Tjeerd ('cheered') Hoek are two of the key figures in the Windows User Experience team at Microsoft, and they've worked on some the company's more advanced user interface projects over the past several years, including MSN 'Mars,' Internet Explorer/shell, Windows 'Neptune,' Windows XP, and now Longhorn. While my first (somewhat humorous) run-in with the Windows User Experience folks came during a Windows XP Beta 2 event in Seattle three years ago, the team has been working tireless toward Longhorn since the early days of Windows 95, when it moved Windows to the Explorer shell.
This interview is the first in a series highlighting the personalities behind the technology. "
This interview is the first in a series highlighting the personalities behind the technology. "
Microsoft Notebook: Wiki pioneer planted the seed and watched it grow
Microsoft Notebook: Wiki pioneer planted the seed and watched it grow: "To Microsoft's roster of employees, add the inventor of the wiki.
A wiki? Unless you're heavily into the Internet, chances are you're wondering what the heck that is.
Ward Cunningham brings his knowledge of patterns as problem solvers to Microsoft's Prescriptive Architecture Guidance group.
The wiki concept was created by Ward Cunningham, who joined Microsoft last month after working as a consultant to the company. Cunningham set out in 1995 to create a unique online site for people involved in technical aspects of a type of software development known as object-oriented programming."
Via http://www.watchingmicrosoftlikeahawk.com/
A wiki? Unless you're heavily into the Internet, chances are you're wondering what the heck that is.
Ward Cunningham brings his knowledge of patterns as problem solvers to Microsoft's Prescriptive Architecture Guidance group.
The wiki concept was created by Ward Cunningham, who joined Microsoft last month after working as a consultant to the company. Cunningham set out in 1995 to create a unique online site for people involved in technical aspects of a type of software development known as object-oriented programming."
Via http://www.watchingmicrosoftlikeahawk.com/
WSJ.com - Technology for Tracking Goods Gets Boost From Microsoft, IBM
WSJ.com - Technology for Tracking Goods Gets Boost From Microsoft, IBM "A technology that could replace product bar codes is getting a further push, as Microsoft Corp. is expected Monday to unveil plans for new software even as International Business Machines Corp. and Philips Electronics NV announced a partnership to boost sales of related chips.
According to officials from the three companies, both announcements involve radio-frequency identification, or RFID, a technology companies have begun employing to track goods using wireless tags. Large retailers, including Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and Germany's Metro AG, have told their biggest suppliers to attach such tags to boxes and pallets of goods starting around the end of this year.
Special computer-linked antennas wirelessly scan the information stored on the tags for inventory management, typically at the entrances and exits of warehouses and stores. But a number of technical hurdles and data standards remain to be worked out even as the retailers' deadlines loom.
Microsoft expects to announce Monday plans to develop software to handle RFID data for small and medium-size businesses. The software, planned for release in 2005, will let companies use information generated by the RFID systems in their Microsoft supply- and inventory-management software."
According to officials from the three companies, both announcements involve radio-frequency identification, or RFID, a technology companies have begun employing to track goods using wireless tags. Large retailers, including Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and Germany's Metro AG, have told their biggest suppliers to attach such tags to boxes and pallets of goods starting around the end of this year.
Special computer-linked antennas wirelessly scan the information stored on the tags for inventory management, typically at the entrances and exits of warehouses and stores. But a number of technical hurdles and data standards remain to be worked out even as the retailers' deadlines loom.
Microsoft expects to announce Monday plans to develop software to handle RFID data for small and medium-size businesses. The software, planned for release in 2005, will let companies use information generated by the RFID systems in their Microsoft supply- and inventory-management software."
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