December 2008 - Posts

Official response for Zune 30 Freezing Issue (Zune 30gb stuck at reboot screen)
31 December 08 09:10 PM | rodtrent | with no comments

 

Official response for Zune 30 Freezing Issue (Zune 30gb stuck at reboot screen)

Early this morning we were alerted by our customers that there was a widespread issue affecting our 2006 model Zune 30GB devices (a large number of which are still actively being used).  The technical team jumped on the problem immediately and isolated the issue: a bug in the internal clock driver related to the way the device handles a leap year.  The issue should be resolved over the next 24 hours as the time change moves to January 1, 2009.   We expect the internal clock on the Zune 30GB devices will automatically reset tomorrow (noon, GMT). By tomorrow you should allow the battery to fully run out of power before the unit can restart successfully then simply ensure that your device is recharged, then turn it back on.  If you’re a Zune Pass subscriber, you may need to sync your device with your PC to refresh the rights to the subscription content you have downloaded to your device. 

Customers can continue to stay informed via the support page on zune.net (zune.net/support).

We know this has been a big inconvenience to our customers and we are sorry for that, and want to thank them for their patience. 

Q:  Why is this issue isolated to the Zune 30 device?

It is a bug in a driver for a part that is only used in the Zune 30 device.

Q:  What fixes or patches are you putting in place to resolve this situation? 

This situation should remedy itself over the next 24 hours as the time flips to January 1st.

Q:  What’s the timeline on a fix?

The issue Zune 30GB customers are experiencing today will self resolve as time changes to January 1.

Q:  Why did this occur at precisely 12:01 a.m. on December 31, 2008? 

There is a bug in the internal clock driver causing the 30GB device to improperly handle the last day of a leap year.

Q:  What is Zune doing to fix this issue? 

The issue should resolve itself.

Q:  Are you sure that this won’t happen to all 80, 120 or other flash devices? 

This issue is related to a part that is only used in Zune 30 devices.

Q:  How many 30GB Zune devices are affected?

All 30GB devices are potentially affected.

Q: Will you update the firmware before the next leap year (2012)?

Yes.

---

Matt Akers
Zune Product Team

Zune.net

Filed under: Hardware, Zune

Fudzilla - Microsoft getting ready to lay off 17% of staff
31 December 08 03:19 PM | rodtrent | with no comments

 

Worldwide cutbacks

The rumor that Microsoft was set to lay off people on January 15th, 2009 is no longer a rumor but a fact. Staff at Microsoft have been informed that the company is readying major layoffs to its worldwide operations and it's not a small cut, either.
Currently Microsoft employs about 90,000 people across the world and from what we're hearing, some 15,000 of those are expected to be giving marching orders come January 15th. That's almost 17 percent of Microsoft's total work force, not exactly a small number.
So far, we haven't managed to confirm what departments or regions will be hit the worst, but we're hearing that MSN might be carrying the brunt of the layoffs. We're also hearing rumors about the possibility of somewhat larger staff cuts at Microsoft EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa).
It's unlikely that Microsoft will be laying off a lot of people in departments and regions that are doing well, and considering the recent upturn in console sales, we have a feeling that at least most of the people working in the Xbox 360 departments will be pretty safe.
The layoffs will take place a week before Microsoft's Q2 earnings report, which takes place on the 22nd of January 2009, and it doesn't seem like the date set for the layoffs is coincidental. We'll bring you more on this subject as it unfolds.

Fudzilla - Microsoft getting ready to lay off 17% of staff

Filed under: Microsoft

The Best Tools To Watch TV On Your Computer | MakeUseOf.com
31 December 08 03:07 PM | rodtrent | with no comments

The Best Tools To Watch TV On Your Computer | MakeUseOf.com

http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/the-best-tools-to-watch-tv-on-your-computer/

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Dell Unveils Massive Reorganization http://tinyurl.com/8y2lww
31 December 08 03:04 PM | rodtrent | with no comments

Dell Unveils Massive Reorganization http://tinyurl.com/8y2lww

        informationweek Dell Unveils Massive Reorganization http://tinyurl.com/8y2lww
Wed, Dec 31 14:32:57 from twitterfeed  

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Users report 30GB Zunes seizing up | Microsoft - CNET News
31 December 08 09:59 AM | rodtrent | with no comments

 

Looks like the Midwest isn't the only thing that's freezing up this holiday season: many people are reporting their 30GB Zunes are spontaneously going on the fritz as well.

The symptom is reported widely on discussion boards about Microsoft's music player, including Zune.net, ZuneUser.com, and ZuneScene. With the problem, people's Zunes reboot but freeze when the startup status bar reaches 100 percent.

Some users reported the problem happened at exactly midnight PST, at the very beginning of the last day of the year, leading some wags to call the problem Z2K after the Y2K problem that was widely feared to cripple the computing industry when computer clocks moved from 1999 to 2000.

"It reset itself. I don't know why," said one owner who posted an account of his Zune problem on YouTube after reporting it on the Zune.net forum.

Microsoft didn't immediately respond to requests for comment Wednesday morning.

Users report 30GB Zunes seizing up | Microsoft - CNET News

Filed under: Hardware, Zune

Development in a Blink > Blog Archive > PowerShell - Programmtically post and retrieve PowerShell code on your blog
30 December 08 07:18 PM | rodtrent | with no comments

http://dougfinke.com/blog/?p=524

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The Windows 7 build 7000 leak and Microsoft's reaction
30 December 08 06:17 PM | rodtrent | with no comments

The Windows 7 build 7000 leak and Microsoft's reaction

http://arstechnica.com/journals/microsoft.ars/2008/12/29/the-windows-7-build-7000-leak-and-microsofts-reaction

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Rumor: Steve Jobs' Health Declining Rapidly, Reason for Macworld Cancellation
30 December 08 03:55 PM | rodtrent | with no comments

http://gizmodo.com/5120687/steve-jobs-health-declining-rapidly-reason-for-ma
cworld-cancellation

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Amazing time-lapse video shows 2008 in 40 seconds
30 December 08 03:22 PM | rodtrent | with no comments

 

One year in 40 seconds from Eirik Solheim on Vimeo.

Filed under: Miscellaneous Nothings

The Associated Press: China's 3G rollout sets off sales scramble
30 December 08 03:00 PM | rodtrent | with no comments

 

China's 3G rollout sets off sales scramble

By JOE McDONALD

BEIJING (AP) — China is starting a long-delayed introduction of third-generation mobile phone service, setting off a politically charged scramble by foreign and Chinese equipment makers for up to $41 billion in orders.

Chinese sales could be crucial for suppliers such as Motorola Inc., Alcatel-Lucent SA and Nokia-Siemens Networks as global demand slumps. State media say the largest Chinese carrier, China Mobile, expects to sign up 100 million 3G subscribers — more than most nations' entire mobile markets — in the next three years.

But how much business the international equipment makers can get depends in part on whether regulators try to boost China's high-tech industry by ordering wireless carriers to buy domestic products. Beijing has tried to use such restrictions to nurture other fields, prompting complaints by the United States and other trading partners.

The leading domestic competitors are Huawei Technologies Ltd. and ZTE Ltd., ambitious upstarts with government support that already sell low-cost gear in Africa and Asia and are improving their technology.

Foreigners are likely to get less than half of China's 3G orders, said Duncan Clark, chairman of BDA China Ltd., a Beijing consulting firm.

"It's basically an intensely political process," Clark said.

The United States and European Union say they are closely watching how the telecom suppliers are picked. Washington and the EU are pressing Beijing to abide by World Trade Organization promises to treat foreign and domestic companies equally.

Even though the wireless carriers are state-owned, Chinese companies sometimes resist regulators' orders to do things that hurt profits. It is unclear whether the carriers consider Chinese equipment good enough to support complex 3G services that will form the core of their future business.

The Associated Press: China's 3G rollout sets off sales scramble

Filed under: China

British Navy Releases "Windows For Submarines" (MSFT)
30 December 08 12:04 PM | rodtrent | with no comments

 

The British Royal Navy has developed a modified version of the Windows XP operating system for its warships. The first version, "Windows for Submarines," is being installed on the fleets nuclear submarines. Versions of this operating system is being adapted for surface ships as well.

British Navy Releases "Windows For Submarines" (MSFT)

Filed under: Hardware, Miscellaneous Nothings, Windows

Breeze through security with your laptop
30 December 08 12:03 PM | rodtrent | with no comments

 

The patent-pending Checkthrough™ Bag looks and functions like a high-end business case, but is designed and rigorously-tested to be "checkpoint-friendly," so you can run it through airport x-ray screening without removing your computer.*

The bag opens and hinges in the middle to separate and isolate the laptop compartment from the rest of the bag. For initial, immediate visual reference, the laptop can be seen by the inspector through a clear, quick-recognition window that is exposed when the bag is unfolded. With the window facing up, the bag is sent through x-ray screening. The design of the laptop compartment is such that the image presented to the screener is the same as if the laptop were removed and placed in a bin. The Checkthrough bag and all of its contents can be carried securely with or without the hinge zipped shut, so it can be readied in line, prior to screening. Once through, the traveler can simply pick up the bag and go, zipping it back up on the move or at the gate.

*It is the intention and expectation of all involved in the “checkpoint-friendly” bag program that once fully implemented, the process will move smoothly and that suitably designed and constructed bags, properly packed and used, will move through the system efficiently as planned. However, in all instances, screening personnel always have the right to require laptop removal, secondary screening, or any other measures deemed necessary to ensure travel security.

Looking for other checkpoint

Best Laptop Computer Bags - Carrying Cases - Messenger - Skins

Filed under: Hardware, Travel

The Book of Kindle: USA Today Now Available On Kindle
30 December 08 11:44 AM | rodtrent | with no comments

 

USA Today Now Available On Kindle

USA Today is now available on the Amazon Kindle. That brings the total number of Kindle-based newspapers to 28 -- 21 of which are U.S. newspapers.

The Book of Kindle: USA Today Now Available On Kindle

Filed under: Amazon

Future Consulting (Consulting2.0) « Future Business
30 December 08 11:38 AM | rodtrent | with no comments

Future Consulting (Consulting2.0)

by SWAN  

December 30, 2008

Historically, most consultants have done their best to differentiate from other consultants by touting a better process and/or better experience in a particular area. For small consulting companies this may be relevant. In larger companies neither of those factors have much bearing on the probability of success with the new project. Process is usually only partially followed and the team is likely to be significantly different from previous similar projects.

Unfortunately, there are two dynamics at odds here:

1. Consulting companies are under more pressure than ever to maintain exceptionally high utilization rates (% of hours which are billable).
2. Clients are starting to expect a point of view rather than just smart people with a process. With so many choices, a client can now pick the firm that has both the good process AND the well-matched point of view.

These two are at odds because when a consultant is “on the beach” (not billing) there is incentive to place them on a project that doesn’t match well with their skills/knowledge just to get them billing as quickly as possible. Thus, you rarely end up with the right resources on a project. If resources are less experienced, they are less likely to have a qualified point of view.

For decades consulting firms have been seeking knowledge sharing and re-use process and IT solutions that will help empower the less experienced consultant to jumpstart their performance on a project. However, the amount of sharing and re-use is still surprisingly low in large firms. They rely on smart people learning fast.

Rather than maintaining an exceptionally broad opportunistic profile that relies largely on relationship selling; in a Consulting2.0 world consulting firms should follow the Jack Welch strategy of being in the top 2 or getting out. Grow deep practice areas where sharing is rampant and there is enough market penetration to create an unrivaled critical mass of skills in that area. Success will beget word of mouth recognition which will support ongoing sales. Also, the best people will want to work there if they know they will get to interact with other experts.

Without going deep, large consulting firms run the risk of consistently losing out to mid-size firms.  The mid-size firms will be able to compete on size because that particular practice are is the same size.  They are less broad, have a point of view, and provide consultants with relevant experience every time.

What else is going to change in “Future Consulting”?

Future Consulting (Consulting2.0) « Future Business

Filed under: Business Development

Austin Texas PC Power Management Cost Reduction Seminar
29 December 08 05:13 PM | rodtrent | with no comments

http://www.myitforum.com/absolutebm/abmc.aspx?b=138&z=32

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