For those wondering whether or not to use the 32 bit or the 64 bit version of Internet Explorer (if you use Internet Explorer), Computerworld has some good information on it. There is a good reason not to use the 64-bit version, but many times it won’t matter. I use 32 bit, myself, due to the plugin issue. I don’t notice any speed difference, so it may be noticeable, but it’s not a hindrance to any work being done.

They do this for a good reason: backward compatibility. Plug-ins have to be rewritten to work with the x64 version, and a lot of plugins have yet to be rewritten. More 64-bit plugins are being released all the time, of course, so this problem isn’t as severe as it used to be. For instance, you can now download and install 64-bit versions of Adobe Flash Player and Google Toolbar. But if Windows were to default to running the 64-bit browser tomorrow, it would still result in a lot of frustrated tech support calls.

Hmmmm, I call BS. There are rumors that the new Xbox (720, Next, whatever you want to call it) will not allow you to play used games. This would nearly kill the console before it even launches, if it is true. There are a lot of people that won’t buy a game new with prices topping $70 these days. Waiting a year for it to drop to $30 is an option, but buying it used for $15 or less after the year or $35-$40 right off the bat can save some money. If it’s true, I’m sure that modding of consoles will be very popular.

Gaming news site Kotaku is claiming that the so-called Xbox 720 will incorporate some type of anti-used game technology. Citing a "reliable industry source," Kotaku admitted that it’s not clear how such a technology would be set up and if it means the Xbox wouldn’t play used games at all.

This guy has a good opinion on Windows 8 – techies are going to dislike it, those that use computers as a tool are going to love it. It does seem to have a lot more attention to detail.

First lets go back to 2005 and 2006. Microsoft was in the height of it’s “me-too” phase. Bill Gates had clearly checked out mentally from the company. Windows Vista was in beta, and the talk of the town was that the Windows XP’s follow up was going to be a disaster. It was. It was a living embodiment of everything wrong with Microsoft. The operating system had been mismanaged to the tune of a years of delays. It felt designed by committee and sterile. This was a dark time for me. I openly lusted for a MacBook: an elegant machine, with an operating system made by people who cared about the details, about the way people who used their products would perceive it. I was standing on the edge, and I almost became a member of the Mac faithful until Zune made it’s debuted and helped me understand that Microsoft could in fact produce quality products.

While I am still a big fan of Android due to it’s massive mod scene (which can also be it’s weakness), I love my Windows Phone 7. I’m glad I’m not the only one. MaximumPC has 10 reasons why they think the Windows Phone 7 is much better than the Android OS.

It really does. And look, we get it. An Android is a power user’s phone, and we know that if you’re really looking for power-use, you’ve got to be willing to learn some things. But we’re the geeky minority here, and you’ve got to keep in mind that most people are looking for a phone that makes it easiest to do their day-to-day tasks. Keeping that in mind, WP7’s “tile” system is simply easier to organize and find the things you need to throughout the day. It looks cooler too; way cooler, actually.

I’m sure you’ve heard of the people getting fired or denied a job based on something they posted on Facebook, Twitter or *gasp* MySpace. Microsoft knows that, too, and is here to warn you about the dangers of what you post. Make sure you think about what you are posting before you click the “Submit” button.

In observance of Data Privacy Day 2012, Microsoft Corp. is releasing new data about consumer behaviors online and is offering guidance and tips to help people better manage their online profiles and maintain a positive reputation. In an increasingly connected world, everything people do online, from responding to emails and texts to clicking the “like” and “retweet” buttons on favorite Web pages, uploading photos and making purchases online, contributes to their online reputation.

For those against the virtual money system with Microsoft Points, you’re in luck. There are rumors that Microsoft is phasing out it’s point system to purchase virtual goods. You will be able to now use real money on a credit card or debit card. Yes, this may be an inconvenience to some without the various cards, but should make things more uniform in the Microsoft world. Previously, Windows Phone, Windows and Xbox were three separate marketplaces, and only one would accept the Microsoft Points currency.

While the decision to eliminate Microsoft Points may seem to be a surprising move, Microsoft has been gradually introducing cash purchases to Xbox Live, the most popular platform where Points are used. It makes sense for the company to move to a single cash-based payment system, as it brings it in line with its app market competitors and eliminates a consistent criticism of the system — that the Points to dollar conversion ratio is not only confusing, but it forces consumers to purchase more Points than they actually need. The smallest amount of Points that a consumer can purchase at one time is 400, or $5 worth.

According to several studies, Windows Phone 7, with the help of the Nokia partnership, will overtake the mighty Apple iPhone in 2015. With Windows Phone at ~2% market share and iPhone at 18%, it would take a lot. Android, of course, will stay at #1 with it’s flood of devices upon the marketplace. WP7 definitely deserves to gain a lot of market share. I haven’t had anyone use my phone and not enjoy it. It is very intuitive and easy to use.

Microsoft may be taking a new road on naming beta’s, going from “Developer Preview” to “Consumer Preview” with the next beta, scheduled for late February according to many rumors. Call it a beta, consumer preview, or even a disk with Windows 8 on it – I can’t wait for it to be released so I can tear it apart!

My first question was whether it’s just the internal Windows consumer PR team calling the beta “the consumer preview” or if the Microsoft brass plan to do the same. I’m hearing that the Windows organization is highly likely to settle on “consumer preview” as the name for the late-February beta.

For those that have heard about the new Kinect for Windows being released in a couple weeks, Microsoft has some answers for what “Near Mode” is and isn’t. A good write up.

That caveat turned out to be a pretty big caveat.  The Kinect for Windows team spent many months developing a way to overcome this so the sensor would properly detect close up objects in more general lighting conditions.  This resulted not only in the need for new firmware, but changes to the way the devices are tested on the manufacturing line. In addition to allowing the sensor to see objects as close as 40 centimeters, these changes make the sensor less sensitive to more distant objects: when the sensor is in near mode, it has full accuracy and precision for objects 2 meters away, with graceful degradation out to 3 meters. Here is a handy chart one of our engineers made that shows the types of depth values returned by the runtime:

I know I’ve said this multiple times, at least a dozen, but it does seem to be that the Minority Report is the inspiration for a lot of Kinect applications. Perhaps the movie was a glimpse into the future. Here is an interactive video wall that adapts to the user. Very nice usage.

It goes like this: The store window has a TV behind it hooked up to a Kinect. The moment someone walks by the display and into the Kinect’s field of view, the display reacts to grab their attention. Once in front of the screen, they can gesture to call up items they’re interested in, swipe through inventory, or interact with the models, depending on the precise software setup.