3D Technology Bought By Microsoft

By DustinPosted on

Microsoft has acquired a new 3D sensing chip designer, Canesta. Kinect could be the new beginning of 3D interaction with your video games. Call me old school, but with MOST games, I prefer a standard controller. I’m sure they could design games that work better (exercise games, especially) with the 3D interaction, but FPS’s and platformers will never be better on it for me.

Canesta’s principal products are 3D image sensor chips which form the heart of Camera Modules which may be integrated into electronic end-use products from cars to personal computers. Designed to the specific requirements of a given application or set of applications, Camera Modules made with Canesta’s 3D image sensor chips are small and cost effective in high volume

Office For Mac 2011: Now With Activation!

By DustinPosted on

My biggest gripe against Microsoft products is their WGA (Windows Genuine Advantage) and their activation scheme. While I do agree that it helps with anti-piracy, it is a buggy, in your face, non-transparent way of doing things. I’ve never been a fan. The people that have the problems with it are the ones that legally paid for the software, and are using it legally. I’d say 99% of people don’t want to call Microsoft to activate the software if it fails, to be treated like a pirate by a customer “support” agent across the world. If it worked correctly, 100% of the time, I’d have less of a problem. But, there are times when a legitimate Windows Update causes my Windows to suddenly become a pirated copy. Or a hardware upgrade requires a reactivation… by phone.

Now, Apple Mac users will suffer the same fate. Microsoft Office for Mac 2011 requires activation. Have fun, guys! I look forward to the support emails and posts in forums! As many of you know, I support Microsoft products, I like Microsoft as a company. But, they don’t do everything right, just like any other company (unless you are an Apple user… Even Steve Jobs poop is perfect). This is just one of the problems I have with their products. And it’s a minor issue, but it’s still an issue. Windows is still an awesome product, as is MS Office. I still highly recommend them!

Office for Mac 2011 comes with a 25-character alphanumeric activation key that must be entered within 15 days of running any of the suite’s applications for the first time. During that grace period, the software works as if it had been activated.

At the end of the grace period, Office for Mac 2011 refuses to launch. “[It] becomes unusable,” a Microsoft spokesman said in an e-mail reply to Computerworld’s questions Wednesday.

Microsoft Consumer Brand is Dying…

By DustinPosted on

CNN reports that the Microsoft consumer brand is dying. With Windows running at 90%+ market share, the XBox 360 performing excellent, Windows Phone 7 just released, Windows 7 selling record amounts, and on and on… Reading comments from around the web from anyone with an open mind, not biased (Apple fans are laughing), they are saying “What?! CNN is uninformed.”. I just have to say that their opinion is slightly off from reality. They may not innovate (Yea, Kinect is old school…), they may not have very much market share in the consumer market (Windows with 90%+), and their server products suck (a lot of enterprises don’t seem to think so), overdue on tablets (the medical industry uses them very successfully, iPad wouldn’t be viable in that situation)… CNN, you need to send back the check Steve Jobs sent you. The whole bashing Microsoft is so cool trend is over. Long over.

It’s not like Microsoft didn’t foresee the changes ahead. With a staff of almost 90,000, the company has many of the tech world’s smartest minds on its payroll, and has incubated projects in a wide range of fields that later took off. Experiments like Courier (tablets), HailStorm/Passport (digital identity), and Windows Media Center (content in the cloud) show the company was ahead of the game in many areas — but then it either failed to bring those products to market, or didn’t execute.

UPDATE: Microsoft’s answer to the article: #notdeadyet.

Frank Shaw, the Redmond company’s vice president of corporate communications, is fighting back on Twitter by pointing out the areas where the company sees strength or new momentum in its consumer businesses. He’s using the hash tag, #notdeadyet, in hopes of making his ad-hoc social media campaign go viral.

Windows 7 / Server 2008R2 Service Pack 1 RC Available

By DustinPosted on

Microsoft has released the release candidate for Service Pack 1 for both Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008R2 to the public. It has recently been spotted on the file sharing networks after being leaked by testers. Best option is to download it directly from Microsoft. Grab it if you are adventurous.

Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 RC will help you:

  • Keep your PCs supported and up-to-date
  • Get ongoing updates to the Windows 7 platform
  • Easily deploy cumulative updates at a single time
  • Meet your users’ demands for greater business mobility
  • Provide a comprehensive set of virtualization innovations


  • Provide an easier Service Pack deployment model for better IT efficiency

    • Steve Jobs Upset At Bungie Sale

    By DustinPosted on

    When Microsoft bought Halo developer Bungie, Steve Jobs was reportedly furious because Microsoft stole their top gaming developer for Mac. This was pre-Halo days. I’m doubtful Microsoft even knew how successful the series would be, and Steve Jobs probably gets a little angry even today when he sees the sales numbers for Halo. I’m wondering, however, if Halo would have even been a success if it were a Mac only exclusive. It could have been a huge turning point for Apple sales, turning the Mac into a gaming machine instead of an Internet and document processing machine (well, I guess it has a bit more: iMovie, etc.). I guess the world may never know. Unless you watch Fringe (and you should, it’s a great show!), then there may be a way, right?

    Bungie, which was established in 1991, had throughout the Nineties built games for Apple’s Mac, from the Marathon trilogy to Oni. The studio, then based out in Chicago, was also building a relatively obscure FPS called Halo for Mac and PC.

    Windows Tune up How-To

    By DustinPosted on

    OSNews has a great article on how to approach a Windows tune up, what’s involved, and how to go about it. Very detailed, accurate and well written. I work on PC’s daily, as well as working on my own PC, and a a good tune up can solve a lot of issues and make your computing experience better. I definitely recommend giving your PC a good cleaning monthly, inside and out!

    Google “Windows tuning” and you’ll find tons of good performance tips.Butthere’s a problem. Many web sites present random tips withoutprioritizing them. The focushereis on high-payback techniques that do not require deep expertise. I’llstick to what’s easy andwhatworks.

    There are four goals in performance tuning. You want to:

    1. Reduce the processor load
    2. Reduce memory usage
    3. Reclaim disk space and optimize disk access
    4. Ensure optimal use of the network connection

    How important each of these is depends on the system you’re tuning.

    Enable or Disable Microsoft Customer Experience Improvement Program

    By DustinPosted on

    Microsoft includes a component in Windows 7 called the Customer Experience Improvement Program that sends back usage data along with error information you may encounter. Microsoft has dedicated a page to answer any questions and details what the program is all about. Some people, however, would rather keep any and all information on their PC without sending anything back to Microsoft. Personally, I take part in these programs to help with future versions and updates to the software. For those that want to disable it, here is how.

    1. Open the Start menu, and type Customer Experience Improvement Program. Click on the first entry (it may appear before you finish typing).

    2. Select “No, I don’t want to participate in the program.”. Then click “Save Changes“.

    Thats it. To enable or re-enable the feature do the same thing, but select the first option.

    Windows 8 About 2 Years Away

    By DustinPosted on

    WinRumors, NeoWin’s Tom Warren’s new website, has brought some new information on the release of Windows 8 which pins it “about 2 years away“. I really don’t care if it takes 6 months or 6 years, as long as it is a nice, polished end product with very little bugs. There are a lot of rumors going around with Windows 8, many of which are from supposed “leaks” in Microsoft. Whether or not they are true, it is still fun to read about. WinFS, the new file system that was to be included in Windows Vista ended up being dead in the water, but it was a great rumor and would have been a nice addition!

    Microsoft has been extremely tight lipped about Windows 8 availability but a posting on Microsoft’s dutch news site hints at a two year wait for the next version of Windows.

    “Furthermore, Microsoft is on course for the next version of Windows. But it will take about two years before “Windows 8 ‘on the market,” said a posting celebrating the first birthday of Windows 7. This confirms that the software giant isn’t planning to rush the next version of Windows out of the door. Microsoft CEO, Steve Ballmer, recently admitted that the next version of Windows will be the software giants riskiest product yet.

    Let Me Bing That For You

    By DustinPosted on

    Some clever designer created “Let Me Google That For You” in an attempt to help others help themselves, or just to be cynical. Now, it comes to Bing. Let Me Bing That For You is the newest edition of the sending a search query to someone else, especially if there results are on the first page. It always makes sense to look for an answer yourself using simple means than to go and ask in a forum that may or may not update frequently.