Leaving So Soon?

Microsoft has been trying to become the Google of Web search, first with MSN search and now with Windows Live Search, which, last time I checked (two minutes ago), gave an ego-deflating 3,928 results for "doug barney." But it did have a cool first result .

Meanwhile, Google returns a more gratifying 17,100 pages.

More

Posted by Doug Barney on March 13, 20070 comments


Here's Why FoxPro Lives!

Reader responses to this newsletter are truly incredible, and they're the No. 1 reason I write the darn thing four times a week.

For instance, when one of you had trouble with Exchange and the BlackBerry, dozens of faithful readers wrote in to help. Thanks!

More

Posted by Doug Barney on March 12, 20070 comments


Patch-Free Tuesday

I wish that this could be a new tradition -- Patch-Free Tuesday.

That's right, patchers: Tomorrow you can take the day off as there are no patches on Patch Tuesday!

While that sounds great, the news is not 100 percent good. There is still an unresolved Word zero-day exploit that Microsoft is working on.

More

Posted by Doug Barney on March 12, 20070 comments


A New Way Around UAC

If any one feature has caused Vista controversy, it's User Access Control. It's even the butt of the latest round of Apple ads. Basically, Vista asks for permission before you can do just about anything. Disable it, and all that malware comes diving on in.

BeyondTrust, a new company formed by former DesktopStandard chief John Moyer, has an answer. Privilege Manager 3.0 lets IT fine-tune application privileges. Essentially, users operate with least privileges, but if more rights are needed to run a certain app or do certain things, this can be set up by IT. There's a lot more to it than that, so if you want to know more, wander over here.

More

Posted by Doug Barney on March 12, 20070 comments


Dell Ponders Desktop Linux

Dell, currently getting its hat handed to it by HP, is contemplating Linux as an option for desktop and laptop computers . This is great news for Linux lovers, and could be a market-changing event. But for Linux to make desktop headways, I need to see real ease of use and some serious low-ball pricing!

Posted by Doug Barney on March 08, 20071 comments


Microsoft Research's Annual Brag-Fest

Critics have long charged that Microsoft gets little for the billions it spends on research. I've covered this area and am convinced that Microsoft is right in not looking at it in terms of pure dollars and cents. Microsoft researchers aim instead to push the frontiers.

At this year's TechFest, researchers showed off a way to make custom sticky notes, a way to convert a handwritten sticky note into voice mail, a new approach to WiFi advertising and a video game that introduces kids to the fundamentals of programming.

More

Posted by Doug Barney on March 08, 20070 comments


A Fix for a Fix

SQL Server 2005 got a bunch of new features and fixes two weeks ago with the release of Service Pack 2. Now, there's a fix for the fix. Apparently, there was a problem with integration services and some cleanup tasks.

Get the skinny here .

Posted by Doug Barney on March 08, 20072 comments


It's Now Safe To Write Vista Software

We might knock Microsoft every now again here at Redmond Report, but there is one area where we go pretty easy: developer tools. After more than 30 years in the development tools business (anyone who actually used Altair BASIC is automatically enrolled in the Doug Barney Hall of Fame), Microsoft is getting pretty good at the game.

Ironically, because Microsoft is a commercial enterprise and not open source, it's free to establish a vision and push it to the hilt (incidentally, this is an area our latest magazine, Redmond Developer News, covers intensely).

More

Posted by Doug Barney on March 07, 20070 comments


VMware-Microsoft Scuffle Continues

Last week, we told you that Microsoft is refusing to license low-end versions of Vista to run on the Mac in virtual machines. Microsoft cited security concerns, which seemed like a pretty random argument to some critics (like me).

While I'm no expert in virtualization, the people at VMware are, and they also saw a certain speciousness in Microsoft's contention. And like me, they took their concerns to the Internet.

More

Posted by Doug Barney on March 07, 20070 comments


Microsoft-Google Scuffle Continues (This Time, Redmond Is Right)

Microsoft this week took Google to task for using whatever content it can find -- regardless of copyright. And as a writer, I've got to back Microsoft on this one.

Microsoft argues that Google often offers full access to books, movies, TV shows and other types of media without compensating the creator.

More

Posted by Doug Barney on March 07, 20070 comments


The EU Just Won't Let Go

While Microsoft antitrust issues in the U.S. are mostly an annoyance, in Europe they are an unrelenting migraine . The European Union has been trying to get Microsoft to fully open its communications protocols and make them available to third parties and competitors. Now, the beef seems to be over how much these protocols are worth. The EU wants them to be free, while Microsoft argues that it charges far below what other companies charge for similar technology. More

Posted by Doug Barney on March 06, 20070 comments


How Secure Is Vista, Really?

Before Vista was released, Symantec put out a detailed critique of Vista security. It was a well-written though odd document, as it criticized some items that were being fixed before final release, and even blasted some items that had already been taken care of!

Now that Vista is out, Symantec has a new document, "Security Implications of Microsoft Windows Vista."

More

Posted by Doug Barney on March 06, 20070 comments