The Wall Street Journal has run a pretty interesting feature on the development of IE8. In it, it is revealed that with IE8, Microsoft wanted to make the browser more secure, automatically opting users out of many internet tracking programs. This feature made it into the final IE8 under the name of InPrivate, but it’s not turned on by default and must be turned on every time you start the browser. Reason being because executives at Microsoft caught wind of the IE team’s changes and demanded they stop because that would make advertisers unhappy and could damage Microsoft’s relations with them. Not exactly “surprising” per say, but it is sad that companies feel the need to dilute security in favor of making more money.

Source: Wall Street Journal

Sorry for implying that the Kin is a newsworthy item, because it’s not. However, this is pretty noteworthy: Verizon is discontinuing the Kin only a few weeks after Microsoft announced they’re discontinuing the platform. For those keeping track at home, the Kin’s lifespan was a mere 6 weeks, making it one of the biggest failures I’ve seen in the mobile phone scene, right up there with the good ol’ N-Gage and it’s fabulous sidetalkin feature. Turns out namedropping ?uestlove wasn’t enough to save it from the lack of video playback, apps, gps navigation, and everything else you’d expect from a smartphone. At least it helped The Roots perform a show in Canada. On a side note, you can leave you condolences for the fallen Kin at this website: http://kinrip.com/

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/19/confirmed-verizon-discontinues-kin/

We’ve all had to type a paper or report using Microsoft’s word processing program at one time or another. Well, Yardena Arar over at pcworld.com offers nine tips and tricks for spicing these documents up. No longer will you have to turn in the same boring report to your teacher, gone are the statistical analysis documents that drone on and on.

The newest version of Microsoft’s Office software hits the shelves today. You can get the basic version for $150, the $280 version adds Outlook  or the $500 package that has Publisher and Access, a database program. If any of these are too expensive, you can download the four core programs for free from the internet, just be prepared for some features to be missing.

Before I start, I just want to say that I love the technological age we have going right now. All the great devices and services for connecting to people and information is wonderful. That being said, I do have think that people need to remember that it’s ok to be away from the internet for a while. The reason I mention is because of an abandoned idea from Microsoft’s UK branch. They called it the iLoo. It’s a public restroom with internet capabilities. Why was this considered a bad idea? Let’s look at it from a sanitation standpoint. Public restrooms get notoriously abused. People do more than just the business for which these are designed. Second, there is a chance for microscopic bacteria to get onto the installed computer. Microsoft claimed to have a vacuum suction technology to prevent this, but is thing something you really want to take a chance on? I don’t know about you, but if my computer is going to get bacteria on it, its going to be from me only.

The big issue for me is that we need to remember there is a reality that we need to interact with just as much as the virtual one. As a global culture, we spend more time on the internet than doing almost anything else. Like I said earlier, I love all the information I have access to, but I don’t need it every waking minute of the day. When I’m in the restroom, I should really be able to survive without the internet for the time it takes me to do my business.

Microsoft unveiled its new cell phones Monday, the Kin 1 and the Kin 2. Microsoft is hoping these will catch on with the social networking and texting crowd and recover some of the market from the iPhone and Android. Usually, though, unless there is a major shift in either functionality or price, buyers like to stay with what they know works. And from the sounds of it, some people are not real impressed with the modified Windows software that is one these phones.  That could be a dela breaker. Every smartphone can pretty much access Facebook, and most have a web browser of some kind, so unless Microsoft is able to revolutionize the market in some way similar to the iPhone, this may not be the most successful move by them.

Microsoft is making another attempt to capture more of the smart phone market with a new software release.  While they won’t be selling the actual hardware, they will be offering software for phones that resemble Windows 7.  Read the whole article here.

Well, if imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, Nintendo’s Wii should feel real good right about now.  The Microsoft is planning to release something called “Project Natal” which looks eerily similar to the Wii’s motion sensor bar.  How effective it is won’t be known until its release later this year.  Don’t believe me? Take a look.

See the rest of the most anticipated gadgets for the year here.

So now that Windows 7 has infiltrated the world I’m surprisingly hearing little about it either good or bad.  I suppose that’s a good thing because if it was horrible (like Vista) it would be plastered over every blog on the planet. I’m still not sold on it and I’ll hold off for a while but it seems like this might not be the big bust for Microsoft that I thought it would be. Although, when the Google OS comes out, it could be a different ballgame for everyone.

It’s time, the long awaited Microsoft 7 is launching and millions of frustrated users around the world will be throwing their hands up wondering when Microsoft will actually put out a product worth buying. With Mac taking a larger market share and Google on the verge of releasing their own OS I wonder if this is the nail in MS’s coffin?