As I've written previously , I'm a fan of the new crop of Windows Media music players, in particular the Sandisk Sansa m240 , with a gigabyte of storage, USB 2.0, an FM radio and long battery life from a rechargeable AAA battery. ( Bonus feature: when...

If you're in North America, you may see speeds for high speed data approaching 8Mbps as Comcast recently announced . And with the average cost for HSD coming in around $40-50 per month these days, wouldn't it be great to find faster access? If you...

This evening a friend was asking a few questions on using Microsoft Windows Movie Maker . I use this app as a great, quick editing tool for home videos as well as shorts for work, when I don't need the power of Adobe Premiere Pro... Create home...

Interesting opinion column from eWeek this weekend on "What Retailers Don't Tell Consumers" "Some of the largest Web retailers use the same product-comparison database. But a comparison of those sites with each other—and with the full database—shows...

I was asked the pther day about the number of different Microsoft sites that are available for providing product feedback, bug reports and suggestions. Laurentiu Cristofor notes in his blog a few of the most popular sites, including: MSDN Product...

Friday link: this past article IM'ed to me tonite on the Clio Awards winners, recognizing the top ads, such as this one: "...a classic commercial was inducted into the Clio Hall of Fame. Which timeless spot received this honor? The Budweiser " Whassup...

A quick note: usually when you get an alert in the Toolbar, you worry. This morning, an icon in the toolbar with an exclamation point boldly staring at me was a warning. Imagine my surprise when Windows Defender popped up and noted that there were...

This week is a busy one... we have our annual conference on customer and partner satisfaction, as well as the much more press-followed WinHEC . Just ahead of both, we announced FlexGo , "an innovative technology that makes it easier for people with modest...

My first post on this blog included a reference to the story of how long it would take a number monkeys to type Shakespeare... "For what it’s worth, I hope that you get something out of these musings. (And I vow to eliminate the terms ‘cross-group...

As noted this week , the specs for "Vista Capable" and "Vista Premium Ready" computers are now up on the Windows Vista Get Ready web site, detailing the minimum requirements for machines to run Windows Vista. Vista Capable PC: A new PC that carries...

As noted on Tuesday , the beta for Windows Media Player 11 is now available. My initial reaction: WMP11 is clean and Urge is a robust subscription service (I'm trying it via the 14-day free trial): the $149 per year "to go" subscription is attractive...

I've posted in the past about ensuring your hardware is ready for Vista . Today, EWeek reports that... "The effort, which comes ahead of the annual WinHec (Windows Hardware Engineering Conference) that in 2006 kicks off in Seattle on May 22,...

Today there is a new email from Bill Gates posted on the executive email page on Microsoft.com, "Delivering a Comprehensive Approach to Enterprise Information Management." In it, he discusses how technology has transformed the way businesses work over...

If you run into a problem or have a technical issue with MSN Music, you can contact MSN Music tech support for assistance. To see all of the available support options, sign in to your MSN Music account before accessing the support site. For general...

CNET reports today that Windows Media Player 11 is now available via a few different pipelines: "Although the official launch of the media player beta isn't expected until Wednesday, consumers could find the software inside iRiver's Clix digital...

CNN has their E3 Show wrap-up online, with "a look at some of the highlights (and lowlights) of the show, and a few other interesting and humorous tidbits worth sharing." Some of the recognized products: Most ingenious game: Electronic Arts'...

In February, I wrote that pay-for-download music sites (like MSN Music) and music subscription services would contribute to a significant increases in the amount of music stored on computers: it rose by more than 20% year over year, and free streaming...

I posted this weekend on protecting your personal identifying information (PII) . I received an email from an associate at work noting the following. On the (Microsoft Security at Home) site, there's a video on the basics for being safe on the Internet...

Last month I posted a query for those considering buying a new PC : : are you waiting to buy a new PC with Vista preinstalled, or will you buy a new Windows XP machine this year that's Vista ready? Well, if you're like me and for family machines waiting...

The Seattle Times has an interesting feature today from the Washington Post on the various statutes covering rules on how personal identifying information (aka PII) is secured, all with varying degrees of protection and different privacy policies. ...

A quick note before we go out flying our new Hydrogen-powered rockets with the boys. I've seen references today from Liveside , blognewschannel and on MSDN on the as-yet-to-be-announced Microsoft LifeCam... Provantage has them listed on their...

Of interest today: PC World's coverage of the 2006 E3 trade show in LA . It's a tough job, we know. But someone's gotta do it. We trekked to Los Angeles this week for the Electronic Entertainment Expo, the annual showcase for the latest and greatest...

This week we needed to create a document for our children's teacher. Given the lack of free time -- or the desire to spend what time I have at home with my family and not in front of the computer composing a layout for a school project -- I took the content...

From the Microsoft at home web site today (May 9)... As part of Microsoft's routine, monthly security update cycle we released the following new security updates on May 9, 2006: MS06-018 - addresses a vulnerability in Microsoft Windows ...

Of interest... Not going to E3? Now you can visit the show somewhat vitually courtesy of Xbox.com. Xbox.com brings you coverage from the floor of the Electronics Entertainment Expo (E3). Here's a few of the articles available now on the Xbox...