http://keznews.com/news.php?title=News News en-us http://media.keznews.com/pics/logo_windows_portal.jpg http://keznews.com/ http://keznews.com/32047=WL_Msgr_YouTube_com_blocking___quot_Oops__all_better_now_quot_ In the past few days a number of reports came in that Windows Live Messenger <a href="http://www.istartedsomething.com/20080510/windows-live-messenger-blocks-wwwyoutubecom/" target="_blank">was blocking the ability to send legitimate urls through Messenger</a>, including most noticeably <a href="http://www.youtube.com/">www.youtube.com</a>.&nbsp; While there was some sinister speculation as to the nature of this blocking, the <a href="http://messengersays.spaces.live.com/Blog/cns!5B410F7FD930829E!35340.entry" target="_blank">Inside Windows Live Messenger blog reports</a> that the problem was caused by a third party partner who handles the blocking of malicious sites.<br /><br /> <br> <br><img src="images/news/icons/view.gif"></img> View Full Article: <a href="http://www.liveside.net/blogs/main/archive/2008/05/11/wl-msgr-youtube-com-blocking-oops-all-better-now.aspx" target="_blank">LiveSide</a> Sun, 11 May 2008 22:16:03 http://keznews.com/32046=Once_shunned_by_academics__Wikipedia_now_a_teaching_tool Wikipedia, the upstart Internet encyclopedia that most universities forbid students to use, has suddenly become a teaching tool for professors.<br /><br /> <br> <br>Recently, university teachers have swapped student term papers for assignments to write entries for the free online encyclopedia.<br /><br /> <br> <br>Wikipedia is an "open-source" web site, which means that entries can be started or edited by anyone in the world with an Internet connection.<br /><br /> <br> <br><img src="images/news/icons/view.gif"></img> View Full Article: <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080511/tc_afp/canadascienceinternet" target="_blank">Yahoo News - AFP</a> Sun, 11 May 2008 22:16:03 http://keznews.com/32045=Firefox_3_RC1_Code_Complete Schrep: Thanks to all the hard work of the Mozilla community as of <a href="http://groups.google.com/group/mozilla.dev.planning/browse_frm/thread/fed83f445955eeb6#">9:15 AM PDT today</a> we are code complete for Firefox 3 Release Candidate 1 (RC1). New nightly builds are available - if you are a nightly tester/Minefield user you can help test these builds by selecting &#8220;Check for Updates&#8221; from your help menu.<br /><br /> <br> <br>Assuming no new issues are found today the build team will start <a href="http://wiki.mozilla.org/Firefox_3.0rc1:BuildNotes">official prep work</a> for Release Candidate 1 (RC1) tomorrow. QA will start their extensive <a href="http://wiki.mozilla.org/QA/Firefox3/TestResults/RC1">RC1 test pass</a> on Monday. If all goes well we should have the Release Candidate publicly available in late May.<br /><br /> <br> <br><img src="images/news/icons/view.gif"></img> View Full Article: <a href="http://developer.mozilla.org/devnews/index.php/2008/05/10/firefox-3-code-complete/" target="_blank">Mozilla Developer Center</a> (via <a href="http://enthusiast.hardocp.com/news.html?news=MzIzMTEsLCxoZW50aHVzaWFzdCwsLDE=" target="_blank">HardOCP</a>) Sun, 11 May 2008 18:16:04 http://keznews.com/32044=Google_Speaks_in_Tongues Teaching a computer to understand languages isn't rocket science -- it's not nearly that easy, said Peter Norvig, director of research at Google.<br /><br /> <br> <br>It takes a limited number of calculations to send a spacecraft to the moon, Mars or other planets. And while the calculations aren't so simple, they are fairly easily managed by a computer, he said.<br /><br /> <br> <br>But learning what words mean, how they fit together and how they translate into other languages is much more challenging, he said.<br /><br /> <br> <br><img src="images/news/icons/view.gif"></img> View Full Article: <a href="http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/62949.html?welcome=1210525891" target="_blank">TechNewsWorld</a> Sun, 11 May 2008 18:16:03 http://keznews.com/32043=Review_of_Asus_Eee_PC_4G So, I&rsquo;ve been toying with the idea of buying a new laptop for a while now. I used to own a Macbook but simply found I wasn&rsquo;t using it enough to justify the &pound;750 that I spent on it in the first place. I&rsquo;d sit downstairs and use it for web browsing once in a while, and that was about it. So, I sold it and bought myself an iPhone as soon as they came out. Whilst it&rsquo;s been nothing but fantastic, and the web browsing experience in it is brilliant, it&rsquo;s just not the same when you&rsquo;re sat in front of the TV and want to do a bit of Neowin-ing, or chat with your friends on MSN from the comfort of the couch.<br /><br />As I&rsquo;m sure you&rsquo;re all aware, Asus released their fantastic Eee PC range quite some time ago now, and to be frank I&rsquo;ve been fascinated ever since they were released. On getting to the airport for our recent venture to Amsterdam for the 2008 European Neowindex event, I was absolutely delighted to find that Dixons were selling the 4G version of the dinky little laptop for the same price as the 2G (&pound;199), so my curiosity finally got the better of me and I caved.<br /> <br /><br /><a href='http://www.neowin.net/news/main/08/05/09/review-of-asus-eee-pc-4g'>Read full story...</a> Sun, 11 May 2008 14:16:06 http://keznews.com/32042=Windows_Live_Messenger_and_Youtube As originally reported on the <a href="http://www.neowin.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=636081" target="_blank">Neowin forums</a>, Windows Live Messenger blocks sending YouTube links to other Windows IM users.<br /><br />Speculation has grown throughout the web as to why this is. Monopolistic practices on Microsoft&#39;s part, or something else?<br /><br />Today I discussed the issue with Rafael Rivera (maker of the Vista uxtheme patches on <a href="http://www.withinwindows.com" target="_blank">WithinWindows.com</a>) who pointed out that a lot of sites are blocked, not just YouTube. For instance, <a href="http://www.deviantart.com" target="_blank">deviantART</a>, which doesn&#39;t compete with Microsoft in any way, is also blocked.<br /><br />Our conclusion is that it&#39;s probably an unintentional, but stupid, mistake by Microsoft. But what do you think? <br /><br /><a href='http://www.neowin.net/news/main/08/05/11/windows-live-messenger-and-youtube'>Read full story...</a> Sun, 11 May 2008 06:16:05 http://keznews.com/32041=Security_flaw_turns_Gmail_into_open-relay_server A recently-discovered flaw in Gmail is capable of turning Google's e-mail service into a highly effective spam machine. <a href="http://ece.uprm.edu/andre/insert/gmail.html" target="_blank">According</a> to the Information Security Research Team (INSERT), Gmail is susceptible to a man-in-the-middle attack that allows a spammer to send thousands of bulk e-mails through Google's SMTP service without fear of detection. This attack bypasses both Google's identity fraud protection mechanisms and the current 500-address limit on bulk e-mail.<br /><br /> <br> <br><img src="images/news/icons/view.gif"></img> View Full Article: <a href="http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080510-security-flaw-turns-gmail-into-open-relay-server.html" target="_blank">Ars Technica</a> Sat, 10 May 2008 22:16:05 http://keznews.com/32040=Zune_reaches_2m_sales__flat_versus_iPod As part of its recent <a href="http://www.electronista.com/articles/08/05/06/zune.tv.shows/" rel='nofollow'>Zune update</a>, Microsoft has revealed that it has sold two million of the music players since their launch in November 2006, revealing relatively flat growth for the device lineup. Although the company originally promised and slightly exceeded a target for its first million sales between the original launch date and June 2007, the company has largely remained silent on its data for its players in nearly a year.<br /><br /> <br> <br>The sales still give Microsoft a slight gain in overall US marketshare from three to four percent, according to figures published by the <a href="http://www.npd.com/corpServlet?nextpage=corp_welcome.html" rel='nofollow'>NPD Group</a>.<br /><br /> <br> <br><img src="images/news/icons/view.gif"></img> View Full Article: <a href="http://www.electronista.com/articles/08/05/09/ms.sells.2m.zunes" target="_blank">Electronista</a> Sat, 10 May 2008 22:16:04 http://keznews.com/32039=Microsoft_to_Limit_Capabilities_of_Cheap_Laptops Microsoft is launching a program to promote the use of its Windows OS in ultra low-cost PCs, one effect of which will be to limit the hardware capabilities of this type of device, IDG News Service has learned.<br /><br /> <br> <br>Microsoft plans to offer PC makers steep discounts on Windows XP Home Edition to encourage them to use that OS instead of Linux on ultra low-cost PCs (ULPCs). To be eligible, however, the PC vendors that make ULPCs must limit screen sizes to 10.2 inches and hard drives to 80G bytes, and they cannot offer touch-screen PCs.<br /><br /> <br> <br>The program is outlined in confidential documents that Microsoft sent to PC makers last month, and which were obtained by IDG News Service. The goal apparently is to limit the hardware capabilities of ULPCs so that they don't eat into the market for mainstream PCs running Windows Vista, something both Microsoft and the PC vendors would want to avoid.<br /><br /> <br> <br><img src="images/news/icons/view.gif"></img> View Full Article: <a href="http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/145719/microsoft_to_limit_capabilities_of_cheap_laptops.html" target="_blank">PC World</a> Sat, 10 May 2008 18:16:05 http://keznews.com/32038=Microsoft_IM_Blocking_YouTube_Links A number of readers are sending word that the blogosphere and Twittersphere are alight with reports of Microsoft's new <a href="http://www.betadaily.com/2008/05/10/microsoft-starts-blocking-youtube-links-from-being-shared-on-msn-and-windows-live-messenger/">block on messages containing YouTube URLs</a>. Both MSN Messenger and Windows Live Messenger reportedly implement the block. One blogger <a href="http://www.istartedsomething.com/20080510/windows-live-messenger-blocks-wwwyoutubecom/">sniffed the network</a> to discover that such messages receive a NAK from Microsoft's servers. Microsoft has been <a href="http://www.allocinit.net/blog/2007/08/07/the-actual-list-of-phrases-blocked-by-msn/">blocking messages by keyword</a>, as an anti-phishing measure, for some time, but *.youtube.com would not seem to provoke much worry about phishing.<br /><br /> <br> <br><img src="images/news/icons/view.gif"></img> View Full Article: <a href="http://yro.slashdot.org/yro/08/05/10/166204.shtml" target="_blank">Slashdot</a> Sat, 10 May 2008 18:16:04 http://keznews.com/32037=Microsoft__Sony_Play_Console_Sales_Number_Game_for_Europe The Xbox 360 has an undeniable strength in North America, but Microsofts hold on hardcore gamers isnt quite as strong in other parts of the world. The Xbox 360 might as well not exist in Japan, but the console is doing okay in Europe.<br /><br /> <br> <br>Sony Computer Entertainment European chief David Reeves proudly announced to the media at the PlayStation Day conference that sales of PS3 have surpassed the Xbox 360 in Europe.<br /><br /> <br> <br>�I am delighted to be able announce today that we have sold more PlayStation 3s throughout Europe than Xbox 360 - even though they launched sixteen months before PS3,� <a href="http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=137142" target="_blank">Reeves said</a>, adding that there are now more than 5 million PS3, 12 million PSP and 48 million PS2 in the territory.<br /><br /> <br> <br><img src="images/news/icons/view.gif"></img> View Full Article: <a href="http://www.dailytech.com/Microsoft+Sony+Play+Console+Sales+Number+Game+for+Europe/article11713.htm" target="_blank">DailyTech</a> Sat, 10 May 2008 18:16:03 http://keznews.com/32036=The_Case_For_Shared_Add-ins Andrew Whitechapel: People have been building native shared add-ins for Office (and related apps) since their introduction in Office 2000. People have been building <i>managed</i> shared add-ins since the introduction of .NET in 2002. VSTO support for managed add-ins was introduced in 2005. It is clear that the strategic technology choice is managed code, and for Office add-ins it is VSTO. For a discussion of the main reasons why traditional managed add-ins (aka shared add-ins) are problematic � and how VSTO add-ins address these problems � see <a href="http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa537182(office.11).aspx#office_vstooutlookadd-inarchitecture_problemswithtraditionalmodels" target="_blank">this MSDN article</a> on the architecture of the original VSTO 2005 Outlook add-in support.<br /><br /> <br> <br>So, are shared add-ins dead? Not really: you still need shared add-ins in the following cases...<br /><br /> <br> <br><img src="images/news/icons/view.gif"></img> View Full Article: <a href="http://blogs.msdn.com/andreww/archive/2008/05/09/the-case-for-shared-add-ins.aspx" target="_blank">MSDN Blogs</a> Sat, 10 May 2008 10:16:04 http://keznews.com/32035=XP_and_Vista__A_Look_at_the_Numbers Popular opinion is that Microsofts Windows Vista operating system is a dud, a view fueled in part by a low adoption rate among businesses. But a look back at history shows why it may be premature to write Vista off.<br /><br /> <br> <br>By the end of 2007, businesses computers running Vista accounted for just 3% of the nearly 1 billion computers in use worldwide, according to the research company Gartner. Sounds dismal, but thats the same percentage that ran the business version of Microsofts previous OS, XP, in 2002, the first year after its release. (Out of 582 million total computers.) By the end of 2003, business computers running XP accounted for 10% of the total. Gartner projects that by the end of this year, business computers running Vista will make up 13% of all computers.<br /><br /> <br> <br><img src="images/news/icons/view.gif"></img> View Full Article: <a href="http://blogs.wsj.com/biztech/2008/05/09/xp-and-vista-a-look-at-the-numbers/?mod=WSJBlog#" target="_blank">The Wall Street Journal</a> Sat, 10 May 2008 06:16:04 http://keznews.com/32034=Yahoo_beta_tests_new_search_results_concepts_in_India When a query is entered on Yahoo's Glue Pages, search results -- whether text, image, or video -- all turn up on an organized single page. It's an idea that's turning heads, and it's showing up first on Yahoo's Indian domain. Sat, 10 May 2008 02:16:09 http://keznews.com/32033=Google_s_Picasa_sends_its_last__Hello__on_May_15 Obsolescence comes in many forms, one being the natural kind, the other planned. Then there's the suddenly, unexpectedly enforced kind, which is rarer but which reared its ugly head today with one of Google's more innovative, but old, ideas. Sat, 10 May 2008 02:16:09 http://keznews.com/32032=Fixed_alternative_for__white_space__networking_gains_a_unique_ally While Google and Microsoft are pressing the FCC to give further consideration to &#34;white space&#34; networking devices that transmit in unused portions of the TV spectrum, a microphone company -- no less -- is trying to tip the balance. Sat, 10 May 2008 02:16:08 http://keznews.com/32031=Google__Microsoft_remains_a_strong_competitor__even_without_Yahoo Google CEO Eric Schmidt said yesterday that he still sees Microsoft as a potent competitor, even though its concerted and often acrimonious campaign to buy Yahoo now looks like it will pass into history.<br /><br /> <br> <br>"Microsoft has been a significant competitor with Google for a very long time," Schmidt declared, in a talk with reporters just before Google's annual meeting in the Silicon Valley.<br /><br /> <br> <br><img src="images/news/icons/view.gif"></img> View Full Article: <a href="http://www.betanews.com/article/Google_Microsoft_remains_a_strong_competitor_even_without_Yahoo/1210369649" target="_blank">BetaNews</a> Sat, 10 May 2008 02:16:04 http://keznews.com/32030=Microsoft_Says_No_Client_Backup_In_SBS_2008 Microsoft on Friday announced it won't be including client PC backup functionality when it releases Small Business Server 2008 to manufacturing in the second half of the year, but will consider adding the feature to future versions.<br /><br /> <br> <br>Chris Almida, a program manager with the Windows Small Business Server team, made the announcement at SBS Migration's IT Pro 2008 Conference in New Orleans, where many of Microsoft's Small Business Specialist partners are gathered this weekend. <br /><br /> <br> <br><img src="images/news/icons/view.gif"></img> View Full Article: <a href="http://crn.com/software/207601736?cid=ChannelWebBreakingNews" target="_blank">ChannelWeb</a> Sat, 10 May 2008 02:16:03 http://keznews.com/32029=Microsoft_Warns_Of_IE7_Lock-In_With_XP_SP3 Microsoft�s Internet Explorer development team has warned users updating to Windows XP Service Pack 3 that they won't be able to downgrade from IE7 to the older IE6 without uninstalling the service pack. <br /> <br />"If you choose to install XP SP3, Internet Explorer 7 will remain on your system after the install is complete," said Jane Maliouta, an IE program manager, in the blog entry. "Your preferences will be retained. However, you will no longer be able to uninstall IE7. If you go to Control Panel, Add/Remove Programs, the Remove option will be grayed out." <br /> <br /><img src="img/post_links/source.gif" alt="" align="absmiddle">News Source: <a href="http://www.hardocp.com/news.html?news=MzIyOTAsLCxoZW50aHVzaWFzdCwsLDE=" target="_blank">HardOCP</a> Fri, 09 May 2008 22:16:15 http://keznews.com/32028=Free_AT_T_Wi-Fi_hotspots_for_iPhone_still_unofficial AT&T &#34;officially&#34; posted information about free Wi-Fi hotspot access for its iPhone customers on Thursday, and summarily removed it. Fri, 09 May 2008 22:16:14 http://keznews.com/32027=House_bill_would_enforce_ESRB_game_rating_system A bipartisan bill was introduced in the US House of Representatives Wednesday aimed at forcing stores to card minors attempting to purchase video games rated &#34;Adults Only&#34; or &#34;Mature.&#34; It's not the first time such legislation has been tried. Fri, 09 May 2008 22:16:13 http://keznews.com/32026=_MOBI_registrar_rescues_mobile_Web_technology_firm_Mowser The company responsible for the .mobi mobile phone Internet domain, dotMobi, has bought out a mobile browsing company that was on the verge of death just one month ago. DotMobi will immediately integrate Mowser's directory, search, and listings into the find.mobi service. Fri, 09 May 2008 22:16:13 http://keznews.com/32025=Circuit_City_to_open_its_books_to_Blockbuster__Icahn Retailer Circuit City has secured Goldman Sachs to advise it on its future moves and confirmed it had received information on how a buyout by Blockbuster would be financed. Fri, 09 May 2008 22:16:13 http://keznews.com/32024=Apple_has_Wii-like_Apple_TV_controller_under_development A patent filed in 2006 and published this week indicates that Apple is developing a game controller that would allow for control much like Nintendo's popular console. Fri, 09 May 2008 22:16:13 http://keznews.com/32023=Free_Software_Takes_On_Microsoft_Office The growth of broadband Internet has spawned a number of new free software applications that offer similar functionality to Microsoft Office.<br /><br /> <br> <br>Pierre Avignon is no pirate, but he does not believe in paying for software. His computer is filled with programs like Symphony -- a free suite that he downloaded from an International Business Machines Corpwebsite (<a href="http://symphony.lotus.com" target="_blank">http://symphony.lotus.com</a>).<br /><br /> <br> <br>It performs work for which he used to rely on Microsoft Corp's Word word processor, Excel spreadsheet and PowerPoint presentation builder, all components of the Microsoft Office software suite.<br /><br /> <br> <br><img src="images/news/icons/view.gif"></img> View Full Article: <a href="http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Application-Development/Free-Software-Takes-on-Microsoft-Office/" target="_blank">eWeek</a> Fri, 09 May 2008 22:16:09 http://keznews.com/32022=Did_Microsoft_Overpay_for_Its_Facebook_Stake_ This weeks chatter that Microsoft may have approached Facebook to discuss a possible takeover has created quite a buzz. But maybe Microsoft should be inquiring about getting a partial rebate on its $240 million investment instead.<br /><br /> <br> <br>Microsofts <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/25/technology/25facebook.html" target="_blank">October purchase</a> of a 1.6 percent Facebook stake implicitly valued the social-networking Web site at $15 billion. Even at the time, some people questioned such an eye-popping valuation. But as the months have passed, the number is looking even more bubbly. And not just to us: Several Web sites this week have questioned the value implied by Microsofts Facebook deal. On Friday, PEHubs <a href="http://www.pehub.com/wordpress/?p=2415" target="_blank">Dan Primack suggested</a> it might be �one of the worst venture capital deals of all time.� <br /><br /> <br> <br><img src="images/news/icons/view.gif"></img> View Full Article: <a href="http://dealbook.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/05/09/did-microsoft-overpay-for-facebook/index.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss" target="_blank">The New York Times</a> Fri, 09 May 2008 22:16:05 http://keznews.com/32021=The_history_and_future_of_DivX Davis Freeberg <a href="http://www.zatznotfunny.com/2008-05/divx-looks-outside-the-codec-for-the-future-of-web-video/" target="_blank">over at Zatz Not Funny</a> provides some great analysis on the history and future strategy of DivX. On the company's historical success, Freeberg notes the importance of creating an eco-system around the DivX codec, both in terms of becoming the preferred format for "grey" content on P2P networks, but also the way in which the company reached out to consumer electronics manufacturers DVD players, media streamers, PMPs, and more recently Sony&#8217;s PS3 through its DivX certification program. The result is that DivX has become <em>the</em> consumer facing brand for MPEG4, despite rival offerings from Apple and Microsoft, for example.<br /><br /> <br> <br><img src="images/news/icons/view.gif"></img> View Full Article: <a href="http://www.last100.com/2008/05/09/the-history-and-future-of-divx/" target="_blank">last100</a> Fri, 09 May 2008 22:16:04 http://keznews.com/32020=Canadian_iPod_settlement_resolves_battery_life_claims Canadian owners of first, second and third generation iPods will be eligible for a $45 credit as part of a settlement over battery life claims. Fri, 09 May 2008 18:16:15 http://keznews.com/32019=65_nm_GPU_for_Xbox_360__Jasper__due_in_August The latest update to Microsoft's Xbox 360 not only gives the console a 65 nm CPU, but a similarly-profiled GPU, enabling the whole unit to consume less power, and therefore run cooler and more quietly. Fri, 09 May 2008 18:16:15 http://keznews.com/32018=Dueling_approaches_to_net_neutrality_clash_in_US_House Should the FCC be the final authority deciding just what constitutes &#34;net neutrality,&#34; and how ISPs should be punished if they fail to provide it? Or would you rather the matter be resolved in the federal court system? Fri, 09 May 2008 18:16:14