tech.nocr.at » microsoft

Official Kinect SDK Coming Soon

Frank — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 06:02:03 +0000

Balmer let the world know during CES that Microsoft would be releasing an SDK for their popular Xbox 360 add-on the Kinect. Sources say that Microsoft may be preparing the release of the SDK sooner than they anticipated, in just a few months. “Sources familiar with the plans” told WinRumors that an official SDK and drivers are being prepped for a beta release “in the coming months,” potentially arriving with an upcoming XNA update dubbed the “Community Technical Preview.”

Ever since the release of the Kinect, hackers have been having a field day with it. Unofficial USB drivers for the Windows environment have already been developed and there are countless hacks out there from X-Ray vision to controlling World of Warcraft.

Now that Microsoft has acknowledged the popularity of the product and will be officially releasing the SDK maybe we might see another revolution in PC gaming, one that could rival the early 90′s.

Official Kinect SDK Coming Soon originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2011/01/19. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

Windows Phone 7 NES Emulator Barred

Frank — Sun, 02 Jan 2011 05:12:48 +0000

Looks like Microsoft is “pulling an Apple”; barring an emulator of the classic 8-bit video gaming system NES. Matt Bettcher has put some hard working into getting this emulator to work (video of it running after the break) and Microsoft has just shut him down.

Matt is looking to drum up community support in hopes of changing Microsoft’s mind, and in the meantime he will be releasing his project into the open source world. Come one Microsoft, every device with a screen and an input device should have an NES emulator.

Windows Phone 7 NES Emulator Barred originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2011/01/02. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

Exchange To Google Apps

Frank — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 05:04:09 +0000

Microsoft slaves rejoice, you can now migrate your entire company’s database of contact, emails and calendars from Microsoft Exchange to Google Apps. The tool, which is a small download from Google, works with both Exchange 2003 and 2007.

You do need to be a Google Apps Premier or Education Edition customer, but other than that it’s free and easy to use.

Microsoft’s set of web apps are just around the corner, I wonder if Google rushed this out the door in order to start putting a dent in the Microsoft corporate armour.

Exchange To Google Apps originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2010/03/19. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

Windows Phone 7 In Action

Frank — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 06:08:35 +0000

Earlier this week at the World Mobile Conference Microsoft announced the Windows Phone 7. Microsoft, the once high and mighty in the smartphone market looks like it’s getting serious about taking back their smartphone crown.

I have never been a Microsoft fan but I must admit I was a heavy user of the Windows Mobile environment a few years back and I quite enjoyed it. Development and improvements in their mobile os quickly fell to the way side and they were quickly overshadowed by the like of RIM and Apple.

The OS looks clean and simple, following the Zune’s UI but it is already suffering from some bad play like the fact that there will be no backwards compatibility with older WinMo software, no multi-tasking and no Flash (could this finally be the death of flash?), and a super late roll out date (Q4 of 2010).

Check out the video after the break of the new shiny OS.

[link to Windows Phone 7]

Windows Phone 7 In Action originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2010/02/20. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

In Case You Missed It: Week 42 Round Up

Frank — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 05:49:12 +0000

In case you missed anything this past week, we have everything from cooling with mineral oil to video editing on your iPhone. Enjoy.

Gadgets

Asus Keyboard PC

Gaming

Cool Your Xbox With Mineral Oil
PS3 Smashing Into A TV At 80 KMH
Open Source DS Bluetooth Adapter
Black Wii For The Brits
Rock Band For iPhone Now Available

Hacking and Security

Remote Control That’s Impossible To Lose
DIY: Build A Solar Power Station
PS3 Laptop
Hard Drive Lock Pick

Mac

Dead: ZFS For The Mac
Rebel EFI: A Thorn In Apples Side
ReelDirector: Video Editing For Your iPhone

Tech News

Project Eagle Claw: Taking Out The Scammers
Skype And Chrome Go Portable
Microsoft’s App Lab
Windows 7: Will You Upgrade?
B&N Nook Officially Released
Super Fast Robot Hands

In Case You Missed It: Week 42 Round Up originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2009/10/25. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

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Microsoft’s App Lab

Frank — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 05:01:04 +0000

I’ll give Microsoft credit, when they want to be funny they are funny. The Windows Mobile Dev team released this video giving everyone a sneak peak from their super secret application development lab of the upcoming apps that will be released on the new Windows Marketplace.

I love the under-tone of poking fun at Apple’s ridiculous app approval process. They talk about some of the apps that have been rejected like the “You Are Here GPS App” and my personal favorite the virtual handsake app called the “Germaphobe”. I’d pay $0.99 for it.

Microsoft’s App Lab originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2009/10/23. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

Windows 7: Will You Upgrade?

Frank — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 04:02:59 +0000

With Windows 7 officially released, will you be getting up early to purchase your copy?

It has been a long time coming (I really don’t count Vista as a usable operating system), a stable a somewhat decent OS from Microsoft. Let’s be honest, the form and function of the new OS from the boys at Redmond is no big secret. Reviews and betas of Windows 7 have been around since January of this year, hell, I’ve been running it on my HP laptop for the past few months, but the question is will the general public bite? Will they head out in mass to grab their copies and upgrade their systems?

Let’s take a quick look at your options. If you purchase a new machine instead of upgrading your current computer you’ll get away with a free copy, that’s your best bet. If you decide to not go down that route you’ll be dishing out on the high end, $319 for the Ultimate edition and not that much more less for any of the other usable versions of Windows 7. I think they have completely missed the boat again. With Apple selling a single complete version of Snow Leopard for $29 how can anyone justify paying over $300 for an operating system?

It’s not a big secret that I’m not a big fan of Microsoft, but I will give them credit. Windows 7 has a lot of the look and feel of Vista with the stability of a 2000 or XP. They tried to bring their UI into the 21st century with Vista and it failed miserably. It ran sluggish and had it’s issues, but this time I think they have a winner. Welcome back to the game Microsoft, you can now join the usability ranks of OS X, Gnome and KDE.

What will you do? You gonna run out and pick up your copy of Windows 7 today? Let us know in the comments.

Windows 7: Will You Upgrade? originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2009/10/22. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

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10,000 Hotmail Passwords Leaked

Frank — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 04:07:36 +0000

According to reports online with confirmation from Microsoft, Over 10,000 Windows Live Hotmail passwords were posted to pastebin earlier today. The accounts are genuine and look like they are mostly Eurpean users who use the @hotmail.com, @msn.com and @live.com domains. More specifically the leaked accounts include usernames that begin with ar to bl.

If your a Windows Live user now might be a good time to go and change your password. Actually, it is good practice to regularly change your passwords. What are you still doing here? Go change your password now, but before you do, click on an add and help a brother out, lol.

10,000 Hotmail Passwords Leaked originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2009/10/06. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

Ubuntu 9.10 Beta

Frank — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 06:31:40 +0000

The world’s most popular Linux Distro just got a bit older. Ubuntu 9.10 code named Karmic Koala is quickly reaching it’s maturity date of October 29th when a full stable release will go out.

If you have never used Linux Ubuntu is one of the easiest distro’s to use. It’s quick and easy to install plus it’s probably the most Windows like experience you will get if your coming from a machine running a Microsoft OS. If you are a Linux n00b then you might want to wait till it comes out of beta before you dive in.

Link to Ubuntu 9.10 beta

Ubuntu 9.10 Beta originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2009/10/04. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

More Dead Space, More Of Everything

Ryan Yewell — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 02:31:16 +0000

If you own an Xbox 360, PS3, or decent PC, and can appreciate top notch audio/visual production values in your video games (along with some solid gameplay and storyline), then you owe it to yourself to check out “Dead Space”, Electronic Arts’ new survival horror game.

Dead Space is getting scores in the mid to high 80′s on Metacritic, which doesn’t really tell the whole story, as EA has created one of the most stunning visual and audio experiences you’ll have in a video game this year.

BTW, for those that aren’t familiar with metacritic.com, it’s a site that mashes published scores of games, movies, music, etc. from mostly
well-known and respected sources into one overall “meta” score. When I worked at Electronic Arts, the metacritic score of a game was used as a measuring stick internally within the studio, so you can be rest assured that metacritic is highly regarded within the industry as an objective way of scoring a game, if you believe that’s possible.

Anyway, more to the point of this posting, in an interview with Variety, Dead Space executive producer Glenn Schofield mentioned how
EA is working on a Dead Space sequel (not all that surprising), and that the intellectual property (IP) that is “Dead Space” is getting shopped around for more comics, movies, and probably anything else EA can put its stamp on. This mandate isn’t only reserved for Dead
Space, of course, as Army of Two is another IP that is getting shopped around for other mediums and is likely getting a game sequel as well.

http://weblogs.variety.com/the_cut_scene/2008/10/army-of-two-seq.html

Why I find this interesting is that, as we move forward day by day, year by year, the gaming industry just keeps getting bigger, and our
entertainment is starting to truly spread into all kinds of mediums, from movies, to comics, to just about anything.

We’ve seen music move into games with Rock Band and Guitar Hero, we’re seeing game IP’s move into comics and movies, though the movies have been mostly disappointing so far (but anyone interested in a Gears Of War movie, no doubt it will arrive someday).

We’re on the cusp of what will soon be, if not already, a melting pot of all mediums, and Electronic Arts is poised to be a major player
(they are already the biggest software entertainment company in the world, if you don’t include those that also manufacture the hardware… Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo.

As the current generation of consoles create experiences and stories that rival that of TV/movies, we’ll see who becomes king of the hill
when it comes to consumer’s choices and consumer dollars (my bet is on the gaming industry).

More Dead Space, More Of Everything originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2008/10/28. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

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Xbox G4

Frank — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 03:27:02 +0000

I have seen my fair share of PC case mods, but an Apple case mod, especially one that encompasses a Microsoft created case, awesome. Inside this Xbox 360 Elite lives a functional G4 powered by an old Powerbook G4 867MHz processor. Modder Phil Herlihy had some spare 360 cases laying around and thought he would put them to good use and turn one of them into a Mac.

Unfortunately there was no way to get the Xbox’s DVD tray to work since all Powerbooks came with a slot loading drive so he had to cut a slot in the front of the unit to get it to work.

I’m an avid broken Xbox 360 collector, trying to develop strategies for hacking and repairing once-thought dead consoles. I’ve got plenty of empty 360 cases around with nothing to do but gather dust. When it hit me, The PowerBook logic boards are tiny. Perfect for one of those cases. Even better with PSU integration.

[Link to Xbox G4]

Xbox G4 originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2008/10/17. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

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Slimmed Down Xbox

Frank — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 04:11:46 +0000

Once Microsoft decided to roll out the 360, they had no plans to offer a lite or slim version. One modder has decided to defy the laws of console gaming and build his own slim version of the original Xbox. The slimmed down Xbox is reduced by almost 2 inches in length, width, and height. With a total reduction in volume of around 60%, you know this unit has undergone a serious diet. The weight of the unit is just as impressive, 4 pounds down from a hefty 8.5 pounds.

The mods were possible with some new components – a slimline DVD, 2.5 inch drive, Wi-Fi adapter, and a pair of Iceburg4 Pro Chip Cooling fans keep it all nice and cool.

He should produce a slim kit that people could buy, with original Xbox units selling now-a-days for peanuts they make great media center PC’s since that can run XBMC or ever a MythTV frontend.

[Link to Xbox Slim]

Slimmed Down Xbox originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2008/10/11. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

Latest Microsoft Ad Without Jerry And Bill

Frank — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 03:14:18 +0000

There it is, the latest Microsoft ad without Jerry (Bill Gates is in this ad). Simple and sweet. I just hope they didn’t dump the entire $300 million into this ad. I could have put it together for them in Final Cut.

Latest Microsoft Ad Without Jerry And Bill originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2008/09/18. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

Jerry And Bill Get The Axe

Frank — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 04:25:36 +0000

Farewell Jerry and Bill, we barely knew thee. Just when I was actually getting analytical and trying to break down the hidden messages in the ads, Microsoft goes and pulls the plug on the whole $300 million campaign. Microsoft has decided to go with a slightly different advertising campaign. In place of Jerry and Bill they will be taking a direct shot at the Apple “I’m a Mac” ads with a Microsoft engineer who resembles John Hodgman.

The Hodgman look-a-like will greet you and say “Hello, I’m a PC, and I’ve been made into a stereotype”. What will come next is a collection of everyday PC users from fashion designers to celebrities who will talk about how much they like using computers that run Microsoft operating systems and software (I bet none of them have ever used Vista).

I’m no fan of Microsoft, but one thing the Jerry and Bill ads were doing was creating a buzz again about Microsoft. It got me talking, and I hate Windows. Now I know why I don’t like Microsoft, just as they get a good thing going, they go and screw it all up.

Jerry And Bill Get The Axe originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2008/09/18. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

Bill Gates And Jerry Seinfeld – Episode 2

Frank — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 02:55:32 +0000

The second Gates-Seinfeld Microsoft ad made it’s way into homes today, and to be honest was a million times better that their first spot about absolutely nothing that kicked off the $300 million dollar campaign.

We learned that Gates and Seinfeld are on a quest to reconnect with real people. The latest installment has the two of them hanging around with a “normal” family. Gates asks Seinfeld to remind him why they are doing this (I think that’s the question everyone in the world is asking). “We need to connect with real people”, Seinfeld says.

Could this be a complete story to be played out over many episodes? Maybe, but I’m not sure how these ads will try to combat the Apple switch ads or even get people excited about Windows again?. One thing is for sure, at least in my opinion, the two of them do bring some great comedic value to the whole story. I’m enjoying the interaction between the two of them, quite funny.

Bill Gates And Jerry Seinfeld – Episode 2 originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2008/09/11. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

360 Chatpad On A PSP

Frank — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 01:57:22 +0000

Just because the Xbox 360 Chatpad box says that you need an Xbox 360 to make it work doesn’t mean that it won’t work on a PSP, with a bit of skill that is. All it takes is some patience and the willingness to try something different.

“Hey all talk a look at my Microsoft Xbox360 Chatpad connected to my PSP Phat and Slim. Thanks to Jean over at ps2dev.org and this project that he developed we can all have nice keyboards connected to our PSP’s. My PSP’s are running CFW 4.01 M33-2, a special version of piKey and a custom flash on the Chatpad. Text input is a breeze and it works with the Sony OSK (on screen keyboard) and the Danzeff OSK under AFKIM. It does not work with PSPWrite and other ZX-81 applications because they are not compiled to do so but Jean is working on a compatible drive to make them work natively.”

[Link to getting your Chatpad working on your PSP]

360 Chatpad On A PSP originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2008/09/07. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

First Microsoft Seinfeld Ad

Frank — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 15:15:28 +0000

$300 million dollars and two guys who are retired and this is what you get? If Microsoft is really serious about taking on Apple’s switch ads then they are going to have to do better than this. I’ve watched this ad 10 times now looking for a message and all that I have been able to take from it is that computer might become warm and chewy. With ads like this it’s no wonder that Apple is still kicking their behinds in the marketing department.

First Microsoft Seinfeld Ad originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2008/09/05. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

3G, GPS, MobileMe, Oh My

Frank — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 00:30:22 +0000

After all of the rumours (what else is new) the 3G iPhone is finally here.

Hits the shelves on July 11th (in Canada too!)
$199 for 8GB, $299 for 16GB
Black, with a white 16GB model
GPS

In a clear action of trying to play catch up to Google, Apple also announced a suite of software that will be revolutionary. (If they decided to roll it out in 2002). MobileMe is a much needed update to the .Mac system. MobileMe will let users log into a website using a billion dollar url; me.com, to access their email, address book, and calendar for a mere $99 a year, you know, much better than Google’s $0 a year charge.

On the plus side it will now be compatible with Windows, errr, oh yeah, Google’s bee there and done that too. Sounds like it should me meh.com and not me.com

For all of you hardcore, here’s the official Apple press release …

SAN FRANCISCOâ€”June 9, 2008â€”AppleÂ® today introduced the new iPhoneâ„¢ 3G, combining all the revolutionary features of iPhone with 3G networking that is twice as fast* as the first generation iPhone, built-in GPS for expanded location based mobile services, and iPhone 2.0 software which includes support for Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync and runs the hundreds of third party applications already built with the recently released iPhone SDK. In the US the new iPhone 3G is priced at a stunning $199 for the 8GB model, and just $299 for the 16GB model.** iPhone 3G will be available in more than 70 countries later this year, beginning with customer availability in 22 countriesâ€”Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK and the USâ€”on July 11.

â€œJust one year after launching the iPhone, weâ€™re launching the new iPhone 3G that is twice as fast at half the price,â€ said Steve Jobs, Appleâ€™s CEO. â€œ iPhone 3G supports Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync right out of the box, runs the incredible third party apps created with the iPhone SDK, and will be available in more than 70 countries around the world this year.â€

iPhone 3G gives users ever faster access to the Internet and email over their cellular network with quad-band GSM and tri-band HSDPA for voice and data connectivity around the world. iPhone 3G supports Wi-Fi, 3G and EDGE networks and automatically switches between them to ensure the fastest possible download speeds. The new iPhone 3G also makes it easier to multi-task with simultaneous voice and data communications, so with iPhone 3G you can browse the web, get map directions, or check your email while you are on a call.
iPhone 3G includes the new iPhone 2.0 software with both the iPhone SDK and key enterprise features such as support for Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync to provide over-the-air push email, contact and calendar syncing as well as remote wipe and Cisco IPsec VPN for encrypted access to corporate networks. The iPhone SDK allows developers to create amazing applications that leverage the iPhoneâ€™s groundbreaking Multi-Touchâ„¢ user interface, animation technology, accelerometer and GPS technology on the worldâ€™s most advanced mobile platform.

iPhone 3G includes the new App Store, providing iPhone users with native applications in a variety of categories including games, business, news, sports, health, reference and travel. The App Store on iPhone works over cellular networks and Wi-Fi, which means it is accessible from just about anywhere, so you can purchase and download applications wirelessly and start using them instantly. Some applications are even free and the App Store notifies you when application updates are available. The App Store will be available in 62 countries at launch.
Additional features available with the iPhone 2.0 software include the ability to do real-time mapping and track your progress with GPS technology, mass move and delete multiple email messages, search for contacts, access a new scientific calculator, turn on parental control restrictions for specified content, save images directly from a web page or email them to your iPhone and easily transfer them back to your photo library on your MacÂ® or PC. iPhone 3G delivers an amazing 10 hours of talk time on 2G networks and 5 hours using 3G, with up to 5 to 6 hours of web browsing, up to 7 hours for video playback and up to 24 hours for audio playback.

iPhone 3G takes advantage of MobileMeâ„¢, a new Internet service that pushes email, contacts, and calendars from an online â€œcloudâ€ to native applications on iPhone, iPodÂ® touch, Macs and PCs. With MobileMe email, messages are pushed instantly to iPhone, removing the need to manually check email and wait for downloads, and push keeps contacts and calendars continuously up-to-date so changes made on one device are automatically updated on other devices. With iPhone, you can even snap a photo and post it directly to a MobileMe Gallery to share with friends and family.
iPhone 3G will be available in the US on July 11 for a suggested retail price of $199 (US) for the 8GB model and $299 (US) for the 16GB model in both Apple and AT&Tâ€™s retail stores and requires a new two year contract with AT&T for qualifying customers. iPhone 2.0 software will be available on July 11 as a free software update via iTunesÂ® 7.7 or later for all iPhone customers. For further information about iPhone 3G pricing and availability in the US and internationally, visit www.apple.com/iphone.

*Based on 3G and EDGE testing. Actual speeds vary by site conditions.
**Based on iPhone 3G (8GB) and first generation iPhone (8GB) purchases. Requires new two year AT&T rate plan, sold separately.
Apple ignited the personal computer revolution in the 1970s with the Apple II and reinvented the personal computer in the 1980s with the Macintosh. Today, Apple continues to lead the industry in innovation with its award-winning computers, OS X operating system and iLife and professional applications. Apple is also spearheading the digital media revolution with its iPod portable music and video players and iTunes online store, and has entered the mobile phone market with its revolutionary iPhone.

3G, GPS, MobileMe, Oh My originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2008/06/09. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

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Xbox 360 Red Ring Of Death Repair Kit

Frank — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 16:40:54 +0000

Team Xecuter, whose beloved X2 Pro modchip for the original Xbox resides in all of my Xboxâ€™s at home, has developed a kit that fixes Xbox 360â€™s that have been affected by the red ring of death.

The kit, which only costs $12.95, comes with all the necessary Torx drivers to open your console and parts needed to repair your unit.

If the kit works as they claim, it would be a much quicker fix than sending your Xbox to Microsoft for repair. Team Xecuter is reporting that the repair kit will be available to the general market soon, although soon isnâ€™t soon enough for some of us.

Xbox 360 Red Ring Of Death Repair Kit originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2008/02/15. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

Leaked Screen Shots Of Windows 7

Frank — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 19:15:20 +0000

Could these be the first screen shots of the upcoming Windows 7? These screen shots appeared on a Chinese forum. No one has yet been able to confirm if these are real, but you never know, Microsoft is very secretive about the upcoming replacement to Vista. They do look a lot like Vista, but this could just be an early build.

What do you think?

(Click on the images to see full size)

Leaked Screen Shots Of Windows 7 originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2008/01/24. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

New Exciting Features For The Blackberry

Frank — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 16:20:17 +0000

RIM (you know that tiny company in Canada) announced some highly anticipated features today for their flagship product, the Blackberry. Many of these new features make it easier to work and collaborate with your coworkers.

Iâ€™m a heavy blackberry user so Iâ€™m excited to see all of these new features. Now if RIM would only make the screen bigger, give me a touch screen, synch with iTunes, and make the unit skinnier iâ€™d be happy. Either that or Apple should just get a Microsoft Exchange connector for the iPhone.

Hereâ€™s a quick wrap up of what to expect.

Download and edit Microsoft Office documents: BlackBerry users have been able to download and view Office documents, thanks to the Documents to Go suite, but soon BlackBerry users will be able to edit these attachments as well.
Free-busy calendar lookup: This will give you the heads up before you schedule a meeting to see whoâ€™s free.
HTML and Rich Text Email rendering: Rich text emails will now maintain their formatting on the smartphone, including bold, italic, tables, bullets, or whatever formatting your co-workers throw at you.
Integration with corporate IM and Presence applications: By utilizing Lotus Sametime and Microsoft Live Communications Server, you can use the “click to call” feature to engage with co-workers and IM Session “convert to call” automatically takes an IM conversation and makes it a voice one.

New Exciting Features For The Blackberry originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2008/01/24. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

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Xbox Live Lawsuit Worth Pennies

Frank — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 04:23:19 +0000

Remember the class action lawsuit we talked about a few days ago that claimed over $5 million in damages for all for all Xbox Live downtime? Gaming Steve did some math and figured out that for a $50 a year Gold service membership, one day of outage is worth approximately $0.14. Tally that up to 6 days of outages, that comes out to $0.84, or a total of $2.52 in total for the 3 people who filed the suit in Texas.

Of course you can do all of the math you want until you read the Xbox Live Terms of Use; clause 16 states “We Make No Warranty: We provide the Service ‘as-is,’ ‘with all faults’ and ‘as available”. I guess people should just be happy that they are getting a free game out of the whole deal.

Xbox Live Lawsuit Worth Pennies originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2008/01/09. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

Windows Mobile 7 Details Leaked

Frank — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 16:35:07 +0000

InsideMicosoft just got a massive scoop on Windows Mobile 7 which is due out in 2009. There have been some leaks of Windows Mobile 6.1 floating around the net, this isn’t it, this is the next full release of Windows Mobile that will fix a whole slew of issues that have been plaguing the platform.

Looks like the new V7 will be brining multi-touch touch screen gestures (including flicking, drawing, and swiping. Ala iPhone), motion gestures (shaking, flipping, etc. Again ala iPhone), a Windows Vista-esque design, better navigation and a desktop like IE browser.

Guess Microsoft has caught on to the iPhone craze.

Windows Mobile 7 Details Leaked originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2008/01/07. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

Xbox Live Lawsuit

Frank — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 18:33:57 +0000

It seems that a sincere apology and a free arcade game isn’t enough to satisfy the rage that some Xbox Live lovers have been suffering. Three Texans slapped the evil empire with a class action lawsuit this past Friday, claiming that the outrage and disruption of service is a breech of the Terms of Use contract that all Xbox Live users have. The suit claims that total damages exceed $5 million. Yes I said $5 million.

Looks like Microsoft will have to pony up more than a free arcade game to keep their users happy.

Xbox Live Lawsuit originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2008/01/06. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

XBMC Coming To The Mac

Frank — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 22:20:01 +0000

Everyone’s favorite media center software for the Xbox, Xbox Media Center (or XBMC), is coming for Leopard. XBMC is designed to run on the original Microsoft Xbox console and it’s got one of the best media center interfaces around (I have 2 original Xbox’s at home to do just that, run XBMC).

The guys over at XBMC have been working to get the software ported over to Linux, and if it can work on Linux it should be able to work in Leopard. Elan over on the XBMC forums thought so, so he hacked together a close-to-working version on XBMC on Leopard. No final releases have ben built yet but I can smell me some XBMC on my mac any day now.

XBMC Coming To The Mac originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2008/01/04. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

Best of the week – Sept 3 – 9

Frank — Unknown, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Small Fry 1,000,000 Volt Mini Stun Gun (Frank)
Hackers at Microsoft (Rob)
Windows Error: â€œOperation Completed Successfullyâ€ (Frank)
26.25 Gigaflop Super Computer – $1256 (Frank)
Learn to Hack (Rob)
New Phone-less Ipodâ€™s and more (Frank)
How To: VGA over Cat-5 (Frank)
Eco-Friendly DVR (Frank)
Inflight USB: Power for you gadgets from an audio jack (Frank)

Best of the week – Sept 3 – 9 originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2007/09/09. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

Best of the week – Aug 27 – Sept 2

Frank — Unknown, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

How To: Make a USB Air Conditioner (Frank)
Free File: SpaceMonger (Rob)
How To: 360 Controller with a PSP (Frank)
Network Magic: Easy Mac and PC networking (Frank)
How To: Build a Night Vision System (Frank)
Image retargeting (Rob)
Microsoft puts the smack down on AutoPatcher (Rob)
Hidden Flight Sim in Google Earth (Frank)
Apple and NBC get divorced (Frank)
iPhone goes *poof* during Unlocking (Frank)

Best of the week – Aug 27 – Sept 2 originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2007/09/03. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

Scripting is baaaad

Frank — Unknown, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

So, on Monday I reported on why you shouldn’t allow Flash on your network with the article: Nmap 127.0.0.1: Flash Style . Kind of hinting toward how a malicious site could scan your internal network without triggering your firewall, IPS/IDS, or sometimes even a host based firewall/ips. Today, I have a new threat that is hot off of BugTraq. A researcher at SecNiche.org by the name of Aditya K Sood found a vulnerability in Microsoft Internet Explorer’s PopUp Blocker. An incredible small amount of code can be executed via JavaScript to add a site to the “Allowed” popup list. You can find the write up HERE (PDF).

Isn’t it about time that you start using Firefox with Adblock Plus and NoScript ? Might as well throw in another good add-on called StumbleUpon as well.

::UPDATE:: It has been confirmed that this only works when the html document is opened locally. The reason I didn’t wipe the article all together is the fact that things like this usually are a seed to find an actual working way to get this done.

Scripting is baaaad originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2007/08/16. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

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Zune Price To Drop To $199

Frank — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

Seems that Microsoft thinks that the Zune’s success has been so well received that it’s chopping prices on it’s Zune, either that or they have one hell of a lot of units they need to move. Starting today you can pick up a shinny new Zune (and from what I hear they have a whole hell of a lot of these units in stock) for $199. In order for me to even consider purchasing one they had to drop the price to a nice and sweet $39 bucks, or someone has to figure out how to put Linux on it. Just image running a cool Linux PMP distro on your Zune, you’d be the hippest kid in town.

Zune Price To Drop To $199 originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 1999/11/29. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

Rumours: Zune 2

Frank — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

Gizmodo’s got shots up of the new Zune 2 and Zune Flash players. Not to sure if these shots are real or not, but the above image shows an 80GB version and 4GB and 8GB flash models. If these indeed are real, has Microsoft not learned it’s lesson with the original Zune? The iPod killer Not!

[Via Gizmodo]

Rumours: Zune 2 originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 1999/11/29. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

Windows home server pricing leaked

Frank — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

Amazon.com today listed two HP MediaSmart Windows Home Server systems on their site.

The two models being offered are, the HP EX470 and EX475, both have a 64-bit 1.8GHz AMD Sempron and have 4 slide-out drive bays that use standard SATA drives; the EX745 come preloaded with two 500GB drives already installed. Systems will run about $596 and $745 respectively. Both systems will come preinstalled with the Windows Home Sever operating system.

Network analysts have always believe that the home networking market is too complex for many consumers, the hope here is that these products will take some of the difficulty out of setting up a home network.

If making home networking easy is the goal here then why would they install a Microsoft based product? Why not install something simple that work and is free like FreeNAS?

Windows home server pricing leaked originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 1999/11/29. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

Mirror Mirror on the wall

Frank — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

Mirror Media has been making Mirrors that double as TVs for a while now – these products are dubbed the MirrorTV. And now they’ve taken their MirrorTV and combined it with a built-in computer to create a MirrorMedia computer- a magical mirror with a PC inside for using Microsoft Office, watching videos, surfing the web and the like.

“Mirror, Mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?¨ The MirrorMedia is available in either 20â€, 25â€, 30â€ or 36â€ display sizes and it can be customized with a wide of choice of frames including different decorated wood, gold, silver and colored frames all ranging from very modern to traditional styles.

No word yet on combining these bad boys with a Mac, but using a mac mini, I don’t think its too far off. Sounds like a great hack to me.

Mirror Mirror on the wall originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 1999/11/29. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

Microsoft kills Skype

Frank — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

Well not technically, Microsoft’s Windows Update caused a reboot of a substantial amount of Skype’s authentication servers.

“Normally Skype’s peer-to-peer network has an inbuilt ability to self-heal, however, this event revealed a previously unseen software bug within the network resource allocation algorithm which prevented the self-healing function from working quickly.” — Skype Heartbeat Blog – Mr. Villu Arak

Some of you may of heard over the weekend about the Russian Hackers who claimed ownership of Skype being down. They even went to the extent of posting supposed exploit code, which Slashdot trolls ripped to shreds.

Microsoft kills Skype originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 1999/11/29. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

Microsoft Update Catalog

Frank — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

Tired of downloading all those updates? Do you have a network that isn’t connected to the internet? Microsoft FINALLY is stepping up to the plate after sites like AutoPatcher.com has been doing this for ages.

http://catalog.update.microsoft.com

It is a step in the right direction but still a far cry from the portability, ease of use and extras that are included in AutoPatcher.

Microsoft Update Catalog originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 1999/11/29. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

Microsoft puts the smack down on AutoPatcher

Frank — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

AutoPatcher.com has been a safe haven for Sysadmins who don’t know how or want to deploy a WSUS “Windows Server Update Services” server (and all the headache that comes along with it). For those who don’t know, AutoPatcher was a portable “Windows Update”+. You could literally take it around on a thumb drive, (or the Switchblade) and get your machines up and patched. So, this way, if you have more than one computer at home, you no ling have to wait for each to download all the updates from Microsoft. Another instance where AutoPatcher came to the rescue? What if you have a network that isn’t connected to the internet, like a lab or private network? Neither Windows Update nor WSUS have a modular version that is as streamlined as AutoPatcher was. Something tells me that the recent release of “The Microsoft Catalog” has something to do with it. Antonis Kaladis posted the take down notice on their site. You can sign the petition that the Neowin community started (petition)

Microsoft strikes again.

Update:
Neowin posted two great articles, one says how you can help fight back.
Microsoft Remains Silent on AutoPatcher
Community fights back for AutoPatcher

Microsoft puts the smack down on AutoPatcher originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 1999/11/29. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

Rumours: Microsoft to take over RIM

Frank — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

Rumours are flying all over Wall St and Bay St at the purchase of global wireless email and data provider Research in Motion, the maker of the almighty Blackberry, by the massive Microsoft. Speculation even spilled over into the currency markets last night bumping the Canadian dollar up by three quarters of a percentage.

Could this be a signal by Microsoft that their effort to crack the wireless push email market has failed with Windows Mobile and now they just choose to buy, not only an established player in the game, but the largest player in the game.
I sure hope that if Microsoft does purchase RIM that they leave the cash cow as it. We all know how Microsoft can screw a good thing up.

Rumours: Microsoft to take over RIM originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 1999/11/29. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

Hackers at Microsoft

Frank — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

Microsoft released their new “Hackers @ Microsoft” blog. Here is an exert from the first and only entry so far:

We employ White Hat hackers who spend their time pentesting and code reviewing applications and software looking for weaknesses and vulnerabilities so that others don’t once we’ve released that code into the wild.

You can find what Microsoft’s Hackers have to say at: http://blogs.msdn.com/hackers/

What kind of PR are they trying to get? Obviously the people who have Hackerphobia are not going to like this, and the true hackers? Ya, You just better hope whatever blogging software you are using is constantly updated, because that blog now has a big red X on it. Good idea Billy boy.

UPDATE: ~~CommunityServer 2.1 SP1 (Build: 61025.2)~~ Lets just say their source holds a lot of information for being a “hackers” blog.

Hackers at Microsoft originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 1999/11/29. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

Xbox Mini

Frank — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

I’ll give Sony some credit, the slim PS2 was a great addition to their line. They dropped quite a bit of bulk and weight from the original PS2. Now some guy over on the Xbox-Scene forums started to work on what will hopefully one day be the finest Xbox casemod of all time. The Xbox Mini case that he fabricated is a thing of beauty, reducing the ugly black behemoth that was the original Xbox into a tiny little package.

It’s unclear if and when he’ll finish this project, but hopefully he will. If only Microsoft had designed something like this and released a low-cost Xbox Mini when the Xbox 360 came out, they might have taken some business away from the Wii.

Xbox Mini originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 1999/11/29. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

Xbox 360 slashes $100 off in Canada

Frank — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

With Microsoft waving their sword around like Lord British in Ultima cutting prices of Xbox 360′s in the US, it’s about time they do the same up here in Canada. According to Microsoft, Canadians can now snag up the Elite for $499.99 CDN, the Premium package for $399.99 CDN, or the Core for $299.99 CDN. Lets not forget the Halo 3 themed package to come next month for a sweet $449.99.

With the PS3′s slumping sales due to a ridiculous price this is probably the smartest thing the kids at Redmond could do.

Xbox 360 slashes $100 off in Canada originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 1999/11/29. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

Office 2008 delayed to 2008, shame

Frank — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

Looks like all of the Mac kids that use (or are forced to use) the Microsoft Office line of products will have to wait till next year for spanking new versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Entourage.

Despite showing previews of the new Intel built Office suite at the 2007 Macworld convention this past January, they have had to pull the back on releasing the software.

I’m hoping that the reason the software is delayed is because of the lack of a really good ribbon bar, or God forbid, an even more annoying paper clip to bounce around and drive you absolutely nuts.

For those of you who just can’t wait there is always the great open office build for the Mac, Neo Office.

Office 2008 delayed to 2008, shame originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 1999/11/29. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.