Okay, so something a little different for the holidays. It's Xmas eve, I've exhausted all the usual places for presents. I've bought the gadgets, clothes and home decor. I'm still a few gifts short and I'm down to... making things. I haven't found a new...

From News.com - "Microsoft has quietly folded its Internet Protocol television, Media Center, and HD DVD efforts into a single organization, known as the Connected TV business group. The unit, which is part of Robbie Bach 's Entertainment and Devices...

Amy Dullard, a program manager at Microsoft, provides one of the best resources I've found for HDi development. Her Blog has great examples of what can be done in HDi, complete with sample code. One thing often overlooked in the format war is the next...

Now in its third year, MIX is an intimate opportunity for cutting-edge technical, creative and business strategists to engage Microsoft in a conversation about the future of the web. Come explore the latest wave of opportunities and help redefine the...

From MSNBC.com - "Paramount is to become the first Hollywood studio to make one of its new releases available free on the internet before it has been released on DVD in a move set to shake up established distribution models for film content. The...

Check out the latest mini-site on ETOnline.com It's their latest release using Silverlight. Golden Globes and Academy Awards to follow... http://www.etonline.com/yir2007/   Subscribe in a reader

This is an older announcement but worth repeating.  There is a project underway to enable Silverlight on Linux. This has come up in several conversations I've had with customers, especially those that are mandated by charter to reach the widest possible...

https://www112.livemeeting.com/cc/microsoft/view?id=8P8CHM   Subscribe in a reader

From PaidContent - "CNBC.com is handing over most of the display and contextual ad serving duties previously handled by DoubleClick to Microsoft. " This is the same type of deal we've done with Facebook and Digg. Microsoft is looking to increase...

The Washington Post has launched a new multimedia application that helps you determine which candidate best aligns with your views on the major issues.  Take the quiz, it may surprise you! Nothing special about the technology. Just wanted to give...

The National Basketball Association is upgrading its broadband efforts with Silverlight , Microsoft ’s cross-browser, cross-platform software plug-in that is designed to bring new video and graphics capabilities to the Web. http://www.broadcastingcable...

See how you can create rich, visually stunning, and interactive experiences with Microsoft Silverlight. Join us for this webcast series, which consists of five-part miniseries for each designers and developers. Learn the basics of Silverlight along with...

Rob Cameron, a teammate of mine, delivers a monthly webcast on technologies related to the Media and Entertainment and Telco industries. This month he'll be giving an overview of some of the new features of IIS 7. If you are interested in viewing the...

M.Net is the Korean equivalent of MTV. Our Com Sector brethren did a great job of putting this together. Take a look at - http://tvdeep.mnet.com/     Subscribe in a reader

An article yesterday in the NY Times reports that Comcast is expected to lose subscribers to competitors in 2008, namely AT&T and Verizon. Comcast posted a 54% drop in quarterly profits as basic subscribers drop their service. Competition might be...

I have many customers who are using open-source solutions in their data center. Most of those solutions are extend and customize with their own code. Keep in mind in most cases under the GPL you have to make those customizations available to the public...

Fast Company wrote an article this week on how competitive it’s become for Apple . It's an interesting look at their business, strengths and weaknesses, and what they'll need to do to maintain momentum over the next few years. As pointed out in...

Michael Scherotter and Ben Waggoner have teamed up to deliver a Q&A web cast around Windows Media Encoding and Optimization. More info can be found here - Webcast Recording Posted- Encoding Q&A with Ben Waggoner   Subscribe in a reader

Yesterday, Microsoft's Communications Sector launched customer ready web sites that feature on-demand web casts with Microsoft leaders and industry experts, as well as links to relevant brochures, datasheets, whitepapers, case studies and other resources...

The third issue of Microsoft Connections in Communications magazine is now available. Microsoft Connections in Communications is a global publication designed to inform, educate and capture the minds of readers. The magazine is targeted to business and...

Last week Scott Guthrie (ScottGu) provided a first look at the new .Net Web Technology Roadmap. It gives a great overview of the improvements and enhancements in ASP.net, Silverlight and IIS 7.0 however, it didn't mention the new features around media...

...because they don't play videos anymore in the US. Variety International recently wrote about a new video award system that MTV Int'. is launching. It is similar to the Platinum and Gold system for albums and is meant to reflect the impact an artist...