Though wonderful in many ways, e-mail just isn't right for back-and-forth communication. Instant messaging is much better, which is why BlackBerry users should be happy to hear that they can now use Windows Live Messenger on their handsets. The free download is available at the BlackBerry Web site.

via techblog.dallasnews.com

Linux loadable kernel modules are on of the most important innovations in the Linux kernel. They provide a kernel that is both scalable and dynamic. Discover loadable kernels, the ideas behind them, and learn how these independent objects dynamically become part of the Linux kernel.

via osnews.com

Microsoft has said that they are soon going to distribute a major update to the internal search mechanism on Windows OS through Windows Update. This update would be Windows Search 4.0 and it would be released sometime this month. The company said that this new version gives more control to enterprise IT administrators over users’ access to and use of search.

via stuff.techwhack.com

For the fiscal 2008 fourth quarter, Microsoft revenue topped $15.84 billion, or an 18 percent year-over-year increase. Operating income was $5.68 billion, or 46 cents per share. Respectively, year-over-year growth was 42 percent and 48 percent. For its fiscal year, Microsoft revenue increased 18 percent year over year to $60.42 billion. Operating income grew 21 percent to $22.49 billion; earnings per share grew 32 percent to $1.87.

via keznews.com

Many companies use Windows Live Messenger for corporate IM because it's free and comes with pretty much any Windows computer they purchase. Windows Mobile users have had mobile IM love for awhile, but BlackBerry users have been left out, at least as far as official messengers go. They had already been promised an official client, and today Microsoft published it. Also included is live Hotmail support, for those who still use it.

via gizmodo.com

Not content to just offer a new version of Windows Live for a competing platform, Microsoft today released an updated official version of the IM app for Windows Mobile that features live contacts syncing, support for Live Spaces, and push email from HotMail, MSN, or Live accounts. It's a free mobile download, though you'll have to make sure you nuke the old version first lest you mess up your device.

via gizmodo.com

Microsoft (NSDQ:MSFT) has finished work on Windows Home Server Power Pack 1 and on Monday released the update to its Download Center, a move it hopes will help inspire the channel's confidence in the software. Power Pack 1 fixes a data corruption bug in the software that first arose last December. Now that the issue has been addressed, solution providers are expecting a surge in demand for Home Server, which is designed for multiple-PC households that need to store.

via crn.com

Dell is throwing in the Xbox 360 Elite with the purchase of the top-of-the-line XPS entertainment notebook. The package costs $2,999 and includes the 17-inch XPS M1730 powered by a 2.5-GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T9300 processor. The machine ships with Microsoft's Windows Vista Premium and includes 4 GB of memory, two 200-GB hard drives, and Nvidia's SLI Dual GeForce 8700MGT graphics card with 512 MB of memory. The notebook also comes with support for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth wireless technology.

via informationweek.com

According to this story, Nintendo's Wii is now outselling the XBox 360 in the U.S. This news is not that earth-shattering: The Wii is a newer system and is billed as providing entertainment for the whole family, while the XBox was introduced a year before the Wii (and so to some will seem outdated) and is geared toward serious gamers. What surprised me more is the survey quoted within the news story.

via network.nationalpost.com

Microsoft rarely gives out sales numbers, but Vista is another story. Due to bad press, the company apparently wants to remind everyone that Vista is still selling well. The software giant recently announced that it would be putting resources into launching a marketing campaign that will fight back against Apple's ads and incorrect Vista assumptions and will instead tell the "real Vista story."

via newmobilecomputing.com

Apple Inc. installed a control panel applet for its MobileMe online sync and storage service on Windows XP and Windows Vista systems when they were updated to iTunes 7.7 -- the second time this year that it's bundled new software with an update for an existing program. The anti-malware organization that rebuked Apple for similar tactics in April said it has not had a chance to investigate, but on a general level the group objects to software that's installed without prior user approval or knowledge.

via computerworld.com

SanDisk said Monday that Windows Vista is not optimized for solid state drives, delaying the delivery of optimized drives until next year. Solid state drives (SSDs) are used instead of hard disk drives in select high-end notebook PCs today such as the Apple MacBook Air and Toshiba Portege R500.

via news.cnet.com

Late last week Microsoft quietly released an update to its Live Mesh product to support mobile access. From your phone's Web browser you can access the service via m.mesh.com. If you're on a Windows Mobile device, or any other phone that supports file system access you can upload files over the Web to your Live Mesh storage--something that's helpful for things like photos taken from your phone's digital camera.

via news.cnet.com

Microsoft has released an update to Windows Home Server that fixes a data-corruption problem some users were having with the software. The update, Power Pack 1 Final Release, also adds support for PCs running x64 versions of Windows Vista, and improves remote access and power-consumption features of the product, according to Microsoft.

via computerworld.com.au

A Circuit City page which lists the new Xbox 360 60GB model states the following. "Upscaling DVD Player: With an HDMI cable (sold separately), watch your favorite DVDs in near high-definition using the upscaling capabilities of Xbox 360." They have slapped an August 8th release on the new box.

via keznews.com