Microsoft Corp. today announced that the Bluetooth SIG Inc. has qualified the Bluetooth implementation in Windows CE .NET, the next version of the Windows CE operating system, as compliant with the Bluetooth specification. Testing against dozens of the premier Bluetooth products from major manufacturers worldwide, together with successful completion of the Bluetooth Qualification Process (BQP), gives customers of the Microsoft Windows CE .NET platform greater assurance of hardware interoperability. In addition, both Windows CE .NET Rapid Development Partner Siemens AG and Socket Communications Inc. are utilizing this integrated Bluetooth support in their solutions.
A company led by a former Microsoft foe might be doing more to push the crucial technology in Windows XP than any of Microsoft's other partners. Groove Networks, with Lotus Notes creator Ray Ozzie at the helm, says that it will soon release a new version of its Groove software that will piggyback on XP's Windows Messenger, giving people the opportunity to collaborate in groups over a secure Internet connection. Groove had previously created a version of its software that included instant messaging features, but by building on the extensible base of Windows Messenger, the company feels that it can add value in those areas where its software is unique.
Both Intel Corporation and Advanced Micro Design (AMD) announced steep price cuts for their microprocessor products this week, aimed at rejuvenating PC sales for the crucial holiday season. Processor price cuts are nothing new--both companies regularly reviewing and change pricing--they've been coming more quickly in recent months as the economy has weakened and PC sales forecasts have plummeted. Intel's price cuts are the most dramatic, hitting at the heart of the company's fastest desktop processors, the Pentium 4 line. The high-end 2 GHz Pentium 4 was reduced 29 percent to $562, while other Pentium 4 chips running at 1.9 and 1.8 GHz were reduced by 27 and 12 percent, respectively. Intel's upscale Xeon processors also saw a price reduction, with the 2 GHz part dropping 26 percent to $455. The company also cut prices on four of its Pentium III chips, which are being phased out soon.
This site contains extensive materials designed to help you evaulate Microsoft .NET vs. J2EE application server technologies. Each area below contains downloadable whitepapers, benchmark comparisons, and sample source code. In short .NET rules!
President Bush signed sweeping anti-terrorism legislation Friday that gives police unprecedented ability to search and eavesdrop by requiring all Americans to install Windows XP. The latest Microsoft operating system, which was released Thursday, XP has come under heavy fire from privacy advocates who say it coerces users into signing up for its Passport and .NET services, which collect extensive personal information and will allow Microsoft to track, profile, and monitor Internet usage without users' knowledge. To access that data, the anti-terror act mandates that the F.B.I. become an official Microsoft partner.
Wondering about ease of deployment? How do you help your users who've adopted it? What's the scoop on product activation? TechNet has answers to all of these and other questions, HowTo information, and links to books, training, and downloads.
What makes Windows XP more reliable?
Do I have to re-activate it if I upgrade my hardware?
Can I help users remotely without talking to them?
How to Activate Windows XP Using an Unattend.txt File?
Imagine bringing home a peak performance car that you can fill with lots of great Microsoft software and accessories with a $5,000 shopping spree for your new system-- the ultimate in home connectivity: 4 hp pavilion 7960 desktop computers with the Intel® Pentium® 4 processor at 1.3GHz, 40GB hard drive and 128MB RAM. Plus, you'll get the Windows XP operating system and 1 year FREE Broadband access! One grand prize winner will be able to outfit the whole family with computers so everyone can get connected - Mom, Dad, Kids and even the Grandparents! Each computer will be fully equipped with MMXT media-enhancement technology for digital video, audio and 3D gaming. Enter now!
It's a World Record! Microsoft and MSN smashed Live Aid's world record for the fastest produced and broadcast music video today - to celebrate the official launch Windows XP. See below how you can win a fantastic Sony Camcorder, a copy of Windows XP and £200 in HMV vouchers to attempt your own music video! The record features the new single 'There's a Silence' by indie band 'the Electric Soft Parade', widely touted as the 'new Coldplay.' The single will be released on 29 October 2001. (There's also a cameo of Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer...) The footage was rushed to HMV's flagship Oxford Circus store, where it was produced and edited in record breaking time using Windows XP Movie Maker, a key component of Windows XP. (Thanks ActiveWin for link)
Users of the instant messaging software built into Microsoft's newest operating system will be able to collaborate seamlessly over the Internet with each other through a partnership with a company whose founder created Lotus Notes. In its new version, the Groove software can piggyback on Windows XP's Windows Messenger to allow people to work together, Microsoft and Groove Networks were announcing Monday. Groove currently includes its own instant messaging and chat features, but the Windows XP connection aims to greatly extend its potential user base in bypassing complicated setup routines. And because instant messaging programs don't all talk to each other, the deal gives users of Windows Messenger far easier access to Groove than those of competing services such as AOL's dominant AIM product.
With its most compelling OS release since Windows 95 in the can, Microsoft is heading down a familiar path, laying plans for the future of Windows XP, including the upcoming Service Pack (SP1) release. According to the company, XP SP1 testing will precede a beta for Longhorn, the next client release of Windows, which Microsoft chairman Bill Gates said was due in 2003. Concurrently, many of the enterprise-oriented XP beta testers have been moved over to the Windows .NET Server beta; this product will hit Beta 3 soon and ship by mid-2002.