Top Items:

Standardizing the Microsoft Office Open XML formats — Today we are making a really important announcement about our XML formats. We are going to bring the Microsoft Office Open XML formats to a standards body with the intention of eventually making the formats an ISO standard.
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Microsoft standardizes Office formats - Jean Paoli interview — I just interviewed Jean Paoli, co-inventor of XML (he usually works a few doors down from my office in building 18, so we talk often). He has been bragging to me for days now about what we just announced 22 minutes ago …
Discussion:
Don Dodge on The Next …

Microsoft to standardize Office formats … Microsoft intends to submit file formats for its new Office 12 applications to the European standards body ECMA International. The company hopes this will allay concern about its level of control over document formats.

EFF Files Class Action Lawsuit Against Sony BMG — Company Should Repair Damage to Customers Caused by CD Software — The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), along with two leading national class action law firms, today filed a lawsuit against Sony BMG, demanding that the company repair …
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Google's Shopping Service to List User's Local Stores — Google executives said last night that the company planned to move quickly to capitalize on its new Google Base database service, adding a feature that lets merchants provide local shopping information.

Companies I'd like to Profile (but don't exist) — There are companies I review every day that I don't write about. Reasons vary - it's been done already and the product isn't even as good as what's been done, its a mostly or totally one-way application, or it isn't consumer focused …

Microsoft SSE Thoughts — Everyone knows Ray Ozzie is my hero right? I spent the first several years of my professional career as a Lotus Notes developer, and even worked for Lotus itself for a brief stint in 1996, so you can imagine what an Ozzie disciple I am. I even was able to pay fealty to him in person back in 2004.
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Microsoft Aims to Mesh Disparate Calendars, Contacts
Discussion:
Web 2.0 Explorer, InsideMicrosoft, Darwinian Web, ProgrammableWeb.com and Microsoft Watch

AOL Joins Start-Up Company to Offer Web Video Distribution — America Online reached an unusual arrangement yesterday with a start-up company that will allow almost any producer of video content to distribute programming on its service, splitting revenue from advertising or fees.

Xbox 360 Arrival Spawns Midnight Madness Frenzy — More than 4,500 retailers will open at 12:01 a.m. to sell the next-generation video game console. — REDMOND, Wash. — Nov. 21, 2005 — In less than 24 hours, gamers and adrenaline junkies alike will converge on thousands of retail outlets …
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The Second Coming of Content and RSS Feeds — Feedburner CEO Dick Costolo has just posted what I think is a milestone post for RSS and Web 2.0: How feeds will change the way content is distributed, valued, and consumed. In it he expounds on the future direction of his company Feedburner …

Cleaning Up Sony's Rootkit Mess — Late last month, Windows expert Mark Russinovich revealed Sony installing a rootkit to hide its "XCP" DRM (digital rights management) software as installed on users' PCs. The DRM software isn't something a typical user would want; the "rights" …

Microsoft Security Advisory (911302) — Vulnerability in the way Internet Explorer Handles onLoad Events Could Allow Remote Code Execution — Microsoft is investigating new public reports of vulnerability in Microsoft Internet Explorer on Microsoft Windows 98, on Windows 98 Second Edition …

How Riya Recognition Works — Viswadep wrote here about what might happen if the technology behind Riya was used for evil. Let me address how the Riya recognition system works and how its limitations make it very unlikely that we could use this for security or "evil" applications.

Out and About with OneNote Mobile — As part of our ongoing mission to capture all the information you need to keep, it makes a heck of a lot of sense to let you capture information while you're on the go away from your desk - even without your laptop. As you may know, the current version …

Self 2.0: Internet Users Put a Best Face Forward — Web Chatters Upgrade Their Identities for Virtual Life — Jeff Maynard has created an online alter ego, Klepto. — Klepto is slightly trimmer but otherwise looks and dresses like Maynard. He races cars and attends black-tie weddings.

World Digital Library Planned — Library of Congress Envisions Collection To Bridge Cultures — The Library of Congress is launching a campaign today to create the World Digital Library, an online collection of rare books, manuscripts, maps, posters, stamps and other materials from its holdings …
Discussion:
TeleRead