Welcome to MSDN Blogs Sign in | Join | Help

April 2006 - Posts

Attention 2.0

(I had to call this post something and given this pic, I couldn't resist...) (er, that's Attention two Dot oh, folks...) The Seattle Mind Camp 2.0 Sunday session on RSS and OPML led by Dave Winer was a fascinating hour, spent discussing, well, RSS and Read More...
Posted Sunday, April 30, 2006 10:29 PM by alexbarn | 9 Comments
Filed under: , , , , ,

Del.icio.us Inside

At Seattle Mind Camp yesterday, Michael Blay Michael Blay , Geoff Froh and I ran a session on the topic of behind-the-firewall tagging. We kicked off by posing questions and letting a free flowing discussion kick off. It was great, lots of interest in Read More...
Posted Sunday, April 30, 2006 8:29 AM by alexbarn | 14 Comments
Filed under: ,

Off to Seatle Mind Camp 2.0

I'm heading out the door to Seatle Mind Camp 2.0 . Will post from there. Here's a thank you to all the sponsors: Diamond Sponsor Premium Sponsors Sponsors - Tags: MindCamp2.0 Read More...
Posted Saturday, April 29, 2006 8:15 AM by alexbarn | 0 Comments

Corpus and the Anatomy of Words, Tags and Clusters.

(Warning, this is a highly unstructured, a random-thoughts-externalized-type-post) First a quick definition : "A corpus is a collection of texts of written (or spoken) language presented in electronic form. It provides the evidence of how language is Read More...
Posted Friday, April 28, 2006 11:34 PM by alexbarn | 4 Comments
Filed under: , ,

Lara on the Xbox (Bling stylee)

The Graniad reports on Lara's appearance on the Xbox ( Bling stylee): "the Xbox marketing team in Germany has really thrown down the gauntlet with an Xbox 360 that shows Lara Croft, created by sticking on 43,000 small crystals (or possibly 36,000 -- the Read More...
Posted Thursday, April 27, 2006 7:19 PM by alexbarn | 1 Comments
Filed under:

I think, therefore I am logged in.

I think, therefore I am logged in. Wired : "Researchers at Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada, are exploring the possibility of a biometric security device that will use a person's thoughts to authenticate her or his identity. ...Their idea of utilizing Read More...
Posted Thursday, April 27, 2006 9:06 AM by alexbarn | 0 Comments
Filed under:

BBC 2.0 - 'Outrageous!'

The BBC's Creative Future (aka BBC 2.0) initiative has been well received from what I've read. You see, it's the inevible direction to go, for a while, anyway. Well received except by a nervous few, like James MacManus, an executive director of Murdoch's Read More...
Posted Thursday, April 27, 2006 8:15 AM by alexbarn | 3 Comments
Filed under: , ,

Microsoft, The Innovator's Dilemma and Wallop

Don Dodge, director of business development in Microsoft's Emerging Business Team, has shared some interesting thoughts around the Wallop news : "Wallop is an interesting case study for corporate research, innovation, and the business realities of bringing Read More...
Posted Wednesday, April 26, 2006 10:40 AM by alexbarn | 1 Comments
Filed under:

IE7 Beta 2 - come and get it!!

IE Team blog : "This evening we released IE7 Beta 2 at http://www.microsoft.com/ie . This release is not the preview or the update to the preview, but the real Beta 2 of IE7 for Windows XP SP2, Windows Server 2003 SP1, and Windows XP 64-bit Edition. Simply: Read More...
Posted Monday, April 24, 2006 9:12 PM by alexbarn | 12 Comments
Filed under: , ,

Scenario-Based Planning (or, How to Avoid Making Peanut Butter)

In my new role , I'm learning loads about the way the product teams plan, design and build products at Microsoft. For the Data Programmability team (which now also includes the XML Team ) our products and technologies have two 'ship vehicles', SQL Server Read More...
Posted Monday, April 24, 2006 8:50 PM by alexbarn | 2 Comments
Filed under:

Experiments with Amazon S3 Storage

Some very cool experimentation going on with Amazon S3 Storage . Just check out filicio.us . Jeff must be delighted with all this play. Read More...
Posted Monday, April 24, 2006 6:33 PM by alexbarn | 1 Comments
Filed under:

Video: InfoCard Explained

Charles Torre has posted up a very good Channel 9 video explaining InfoCard: "Ever wonder what InfoCard is all about? Well, Nigel Watling, an InfoCard Technical Evangelist, and Andy Harjanto, an InfoCard Program Manager, sure can explain it all to you. Read More...
Posted Monday, April 24, 2006 8:25 AM by alexbarn | 0 Comments
Filed under:

One Big Conspiracy

According to Charlie Brooker , it's all one big attention conspiracy: "Install this driver. Now update it. Now update it again. Register to login to our website. Then validate your membership. Forgot your password? Click here. Now there. Fill out this Read More...
Posted Sunday, April 23, 2006 9:39 PM by alexbarn | 1 Comments
Filed under: ,

SO yesterday

Linking is so yesterday . Read More...
Posted Sunday, April 23, 2006 9:24 PM by alexbarn | 0 Comments

Tagging behind-the-firewall. Questions.

Stowe Boyd points (via David Weinberger ) to a discussion regarding the potential of tagging within companies . Tagging behind-the-firewall.... Questions - Who would tag their content? How (with what software) would they tag it? What's in it for the taggers? Read More...
Posted Sunday, April 23, 2006 8:45 PM by alexbarn | 7 Comments
Filed under: , ,

Flashmob video - Bang!

Flashmob video. Just check it out . Via Smart Mobs . Read More...
Posted Saturday, April 22, 2006 7:20 PM by alexbarn | 0 Comments
Filed under: ,

Media Center notebook - what would you suggest?

Dear reader, I need your help. I'm looking to buy a laptop / notebook as our super-duper Media Center machine at home (omg, did i really just say 'super-duper' ??) . You see, a cute little puppy killed our laptop with a pint of water. (a very cute puppy. Read More...
Posted Saturday, April 22, 2006 5:13 PM by alexbarn | 9 Comments

Microsoft.com Feeds Directory

The Microsoft.com Communities Team have been busy developing an RSS (and Atom) based Feed Directory . So what is it? Well, let's think of this way. Microsoft.com is one HUGE site. For all intents and purposes the site can be considered as a multitude Read More...
Posted Friday, April 21, 2006 8:29 PM by alexbarn | 3 Comments
Filed under: , , ,

Steve Berkowitz to head MSN and Windows Live efforts

CNET article reports : "Microsoft said Friday it has hired Internet executive Steve Berkowitz to head its MSN and Windows Live efforts as part of the company's continued push to offer more online software and services. Berkowitz, the former Ask Jeeves Read More...
Posted Friday, April 21, 2006 5:21 PM by alexbarn | 0 Comments
Filed under:

Windows Live Mail - 3 million beta testers and counting

I've been using the Windows Live Mail beta (the next version of Hotmail) for about a week. I'm not a lone beta tester, as Ben Poon, the WM Live beta program manager points out : "You have more than 3,000,000 neighbors! In an effort to get as much feedback Read More...
Posted Friday, April 21, 2006 6:54 AM by alexbarn | 4 Comments
Filed under:

Second Life on the Show on 10

Second Life was featured on yesterday's 'The Show On 10'. Via Dennis Hamilton : "the on10.net folk have featured Second Life and established their own little sparsely-visited world. I have met only two people there since I started. I’ve successfully made Read More...
Posted Thursday, April 20, 2006 8:38 PM by alexbarn | 0 Comments

What would you do with 150 Mac minis?

I'm not a Mac owner, but I know plenty of them (I sued to be, many moons ago). If you like / love Macs, you'll like this post by David Weiss who's got loads of pics and info on the Microsoft Mac Lab . What would you do with 150 Mac minis...? Read More...
Posted Thursday, April 20, 2006 6:08 PM by alexbarn | 4 Comments

Microsoft Research guest lectures (videos)

Via Rich Hoeg I came across this online video library (a page of links) of Microsoft Research guest lectures. The list below is my playlist of 2005 and 2006 lectures. I've not watched any of them yet but will work my way through these over the next week Read More...
Posted Wednesday, April 19, 2006 7:50 PM by alexbarn | 1 Comments
Filed under:

Visual Studio Express...free!

Dan Fernandez, lead product manager for the Visual Studio Express product line has confirmed today that Visual Studio Express (in all its incarnations) will remain free. Excellent move: "You’ve helped make Visual Studio Express a runaway hit, and we’re Read More...
Posted Wednesday, April 19, 2006 6:30 PM by alexbarn | 9 Comments
Filed under: ,

The Unifying Theory of Web 2.0

You know that feeling when something has been staring at you in the face and you don't realize it. And then all of a sudden - bam! There it is! I've just had one of those moments. Quick background. Earlier this year at MSN Search Champs .4, I had the Read More...
Posted Tuesday, April 18, 2006 1:15 AM by alexbarn | 15 Comments
Filed under: , ,

75,000 new blogs a day

Technorati's David Sifry reports the blogosphere is continuing its growth rate - doubling every six months. We've now hit 75,000 new blogs a day. Read More...
Posted Monday, April 17, 2006 8:03 AM by alexbarn | 4 Comments

Tag-centric UI

Matt McAlister has put together his first screencast showing some of the various tag-centric navigation systems he's found of interest. The examples he uses are good pointers to some of the emerging IA trends we'll see incorporated into more and more Read More...
Posted Sunday, April 16, 2006 10:08 AM by alexbarn | 0 Comments
Filed under: , ,

Snail Mail

Mark has snail mail . Read More...
Posted Saturday, April 15, 2006 7:58 PM by alexbarn | 4 Comments

Object Orientated Machinery

Once in a while I see stuff that reminds me of the creative and ingenious nature of humans. This video shows how predominantly household objects and a few purpose-made objects can be combined to create clever little 'machines' that are fun to watch in Read More...
Posted Saturday, April 15, 2006 9:33 AM by alexbarn | 4 Comments
Filed under:

World Cyber Games

The 2006 World Cyber Games (WCG) will be held in the Autodromo Nazaional, Monza, Italy in October and will offer around US$500,000 in prize money. Online and offline preliminaries are scheduled to start in April and will be held throughout 70 countries Read More...
Posted Friday, April 14, 2006 6:30 PM by alexbarn | 3 Comments
Filed under: , ,

Social Search

Business Week has an article outlining some of the 'social search' developments underway at Microsoft. What is 'social searching'?: "Microsoft plans to unveil a question-and-answer social-search tool in the coming months, says Justin Osmer, senior product Read More...
Posted Friday, April 14, 2006 9:50 AM by alexbarn | 3 Comments

Reality Commercials...

By way of Steve Bowbrick , I came across Mark Cuban's idea : Reality Commercials. "I would make commercials live productions. Thats right, live commercials. Straight out of the 1950s . Its not a technical challenge. Its easy. Its not a creative challenge. Read More...
Posted Thursday, April 13, 2006 10:13 PM by alexbarn | 1 Comments

Joshua. Dad. Cool!

Joshua - congrats !! She's beautiful. btw. i think i found a bug in your comments feature. keep it. i like it ;-) Read More...
Posted Thursday, April 13, 2006 9:59 PM by alexbarn | 1 Comments

GestureBank Recorder

Steve Gillmor provides some details on how the existing Attention Trust recorder (ATX) relates to GestureBank - the codebase is forking. GTX will be the GestureBank Recorder. Sounds like an IE version of the ATX and GTX recorders are on their way too. Read More...
Posted Thursday, April 13, 2006 9:41 PM by alexbarn | 4 Comments
Filed under: , , ,

10 Random Thoughts. #4 The Social Enterprise

10 Random Thoughts. #4. The Social Enterprise Jack: " How can my company take advantage of the social software thing that's going on?" Jill: "Experiment." - More 10 Random Thoughts . Read More...
Posted Thursday, April 13, 2006 9:20 PM by alexbarn | 0 Comments
Filed under: , ,

Windows Live Academic Search (Beta)

Inside Microsoft : "This new offering from Live launches with over 6 million records indexed, featuring articles of use to students, researchers and teachers in the fields of Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, and Physics." ResourceShelf also has Read More...
Posted Wednesday, April 12, 2006 9:23 AM by alexbarn | 8 Comments
Filed under: , ,

Some Crazy OPML hits

There is so much going on in the OPML space. Hard keeping up. Some Crazy OPML hits for you: Lisa Williams - The Blog on My Keychain (update: here's another post along the same lines by Matt Mower) Crazy Cool Grazr uses Bela Labovitch - New OPMLWorkstation Read More...
Posted Tuesday, April 11, 2006 11:54 PM by alexbarn | 0 Comments
Filed under:

Niall Kennedy is joining Microsoft.

Best news I've heard in a while. Niall Kennedy is joining Microsoft . He's going to be helping the Windows Live team build an RSS / Atom based syndication platform for consumption across devices... "I want RSS and Atom syndication technologies to be available Read More...
Posted Tuesday, April 11, 2006 1:40 AM by alexbarn | 6 Comments
Filed under: , ,

'You can buy software, but you can’t buy *community*.'

Timothy O'Brien begins his analysis of the acquisition of JBoss by RedHat with a thought provoking opener: "You can buy software, but you can’t buy “community”." Discuss . Read More...
Posted Monday, April 10, 2006 11:05 PM by alexbarn | 1 Comments

VS Express - what do you want?

Our next version of Visual Studio (the next version of the product is known internally as 'Orcas') is getting built out. John Montgomery, a PM in the VS team, is looking for feedback - specifically on how the Express editions of the product could be improved Read More...
Posted Sunday, April 09, 2006 9:45 PM by alexbarn | 2 Comments

Seattle Mind Camp 2.0

Excellent. I've registered to attend Seattle Mind Camp 2.0 taking place April 29 to April 30 (yup, three weeks time!). Chris Pirillo's Lockergnome is sponsoring - I suspect other sponsors will be announced soon. If you can, you should go too, but don't Read More...
Posted Saturday, April 08, 2006 4:25 PM by alexbarn | 7 Comments
Filed under: , ,

Information overload in 1848

Information overload in 1848: "In 1848 the New York businessman W.E. Dodge was already feeling the effects of always-on connectivity:“The merchant goes home after a day of hard work and excitement to a late dinner, trying amid the family circle to forget Read More...
Posted Thursday, April 06, 2006 10:16 PM by alexbarn | 2 Comments
Filed under: , ,

Transparent desktop

First time I've seen this new transparent desktop wallpaper download . The amazing thing is that it works everywhere. Read More...
Posted Thursday, April 06, 2006 10:00 PM by alexbarn | 2 Comments

Ruby.NET

As some other Microsoft bloggers have noted, this ' Ruby.NET ' project looks very interesting... So, is this a rogue project? Is Microsoft freaking over this? I don't think so... From the 'Acklowledgement' section of the project info page : "This project Read More...
Posted Thursday, April 06, 2006 8:03 PM by alexbarn | 3 Comments
Filed under: , ,

Interview with Dr Flakenstein

John Battelle has an interesting interview with Gary Flake (A.K.A "Dr Flakenstein"), Technical Fellow at Microsoft and Founder & director of Microsoft Live Labs (see manifesto here). - Tags: Microsoft , MSN Read More...
Posted Thursday, April 06, 2006 10:43 AM by alexbarn | 1 Comments
Filed under:

Semantic web heads - 'More doing, Less theorizing'. Please.

The Guardian takes a look at where we are with Tim Berners-Lee's semantic web. Conclusion? Not very far given the promise of the idea. So far. In the article there seems to be some kind of aha! expressed by TBL - enough theory already! "Berners-Lee did Read More...
Posted Thursday, April 06, 2006 9:35 AM by alexbarn | 1 Comments
Filed under: , ,

Animated conversation

What is this? Conversations visualized. This clip (.wmv) shows the pattern below in motion. " CYCLONE.SOC brings together two contemporary phenomena: - severe weather, the project uses weather data that charts the emergence and progress of hurricanes. Read More...
Posted Wednesday, April 05, 2006 10:42 PM by alexbarn | 1 Comments
Filed under: ,

Go and OPML yourself

Go and OPML yourself. I did. Why? 'Cause I'm an idiot. A happy OPMLish idiot. - Tags: OPML click to get the big picture Read More...
Posted Tuesday, April 04, 2006 9:58 PM by alexbarn | 3 Comments
Filed under:

'myware' but without the 'my'?

I have to agree with Steve Gillmor on this: "All proprietary clouds of data obtained without the users' permission are tainted, and it's my bet (GestureBank) that given a choice between an open pool and any proprietary one, the open pool will implicitly Read More...
Posted Tuesday, April 04, 2006 6:41 PM by alexbarn | 4 Comments
Filed under: , , , ,

RSS, microformats, Live Clipboards and Screencasts

Some great posting going on re: microformats / RSS / Live Clipboard. First to point out is Ray Ozzie's update (posted April 1st, but no jokes...) on some of the discussions taking place since the Live Clipboards announcement . Links to more resources Read More...
Posted Monday, April 03, 2006 6:59 PM by alexbarn | 3 Comments

Beta or CTP?

Brad Abrams, a Group Program Manager at Microsoft, asks for feedback regarding customers' preference of Beta vs CTPs (Community Technology Previews). "So what do you think? Do “betas” offer you\your customers something specific that CTPs don’t? Are you Read More...
Posted Monday, April 03, 2006 6:26 PM by alexbarn | 1 Comments
Filed under: ,

MSDN TV - Extending RSS with Simple Sharing Extensions (SSE)

A little while ago, Amyloo suggested that Microsoft has gone a bit quite on the RSS + SSE front. Amy - I found something for you: check out this new video with the RSS team talking SSE ... "Paresh Suthar and George Moromisato talk about the creation of Read More...
Posted Saturday, April 01, 2006 6:55 PM by alexbarn | 3 Comments
Filed under: , , ,

Your browser history as Attention data?

Have you thought of your browser history as attention data? I have some thoughts on this. Not all good. Two companies are thinking this way. Tailrank is one. You can go to this Import page and give the site permission to look at your browser history for Read More...
Posted Saturday, April 01, 2006 9:17 AM by alexbarn | 18 Comments
Filed under: , ,
 
Page view tracker