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Archive for the ‘Innovations’ Category

Microsoft contributes to the Linux kernel

Posted on July 27th, 2009 in Innovations, Networking | 1 Comment »

 

Microsoft announces it is submitting 20,000 lines of source code

Some would say this has been a long time in coming, but others are probably
looking around to see if they can spot Babe the pig taking off:
Microsoft has announced it is submitting 20,000 lines of source code to
the Linux kernel under the GPL2 license.

Even Microsoft seems to be aware how strange this situation is,
describing the move as "a break from the ordinary". The code essentially provides device
drivers for Linux that help it detect when it is running on Microsoft's
proprietary Hyper-V virtualisation system so that performance is
improved.

Sam Ramji, the senior director of Platform Strategy in
Microsoft's Server and Tools division, said the code was there to
"enhance interoperability" between Windows and Linux, "to provide the
choices our customers are asking for."

Tom Hanrahan, the
direction of Microsoft's Open Source Technology Center (it has one of
them?) was more specific: "The Linux device drivers we are releasing
are designed so Linux can run in enlightened mode, giving it the same
optimized synthetic devices as a Windows virtual machine running on top
of Hyper-V. Without this driver code, Linux can run on top of Windows,
but without the same high performance levels."

Posting to the Linux Kernel mailing list, long-term kernel hacker Greg said "It's taken a long road to get here... there is still a lot of work to
do in getting this into "proper" mergable state, and moving it out of
the staging directory".

A few years ago, Microsoft was describing
the GPL as cancerous, so this seems like a major U-turn for the
software behemoth. Sure, the ultimate goal is there to make Linux play
ball better with Windows, but it's hardly like Microsoft was obliged to
make Linux run faster on Windows.

Is this, along with Microsoft's promise not to sue over Mono,
the first of many steps towards Microsoft joining the Free Software
community, or do you think it could end up being part of a Microsoft's
old embrace-extend-extinguish tactics?

Voice Controlled Mouse

Posted on July 12th, 2009 in Innovations | 1 Comment »

 

Now we can move the cursor on the computer screen with users voice instead of a mouse. This vocal joystick software developed at the University of Washington is making hands-free mouse movement a reality.This software interprets vocal commands to move the cursor which will help the people who cannot use their arms to browse the web,play games and edit photos.

 

Click this link for more: http://www.sciencedaily.com/videos/2008/0205-hands_free_computer_mouse.htm

Contribution to the world of Virtualization

Posted on July 9th, 2009 in Innovations | No Comments »

 

   There is a wide range of products in the market for implementing virtualization .The contribution of Microsoft to the world of Virtualization is VirtualPC.It shows a high-end competition with VMWARE. Using virtualization to run multiple operating systems on a single physical computer was once mainly the domain of ubergeeks and IT administrators, but these days there’s much more widespread interest in the technology, whether as a means to test a planned software deployment, kick the tires on a new OS, or just to continue using an application designed for a now obsolete operating system. 

   Virtualization’s increase in popularity is in part due to Microsoft’s decision several years ago to offer its Virtual PC 2004 software for free. Some users soon found that there was a catch, however, because VPC 2004 didn’t work particularly well with Windows Vista, whether as the guest (virtualized) operating system or as the host OS running natively on the system.

With the new Virtual PC 2007, Vista-related issues are no more (at least technical ones - more on that in a moment). While VPC 2007 doesn’t address all of VPC 2004’s limitations - nor for that matter does it offer the same level of features as virtualization products like Parallels Workstation or VMware Workstation - it does handle the basics well. And like its predecessor, VPC 2007 is available free of charge, which for many will be reason enough to try it.

 

Universal mobile chargers

Posted on July 3rd, 2009 in Innovations | 3 Comments »

 

It looks like Europe will not have to resort to “severe measures” after all in order to get cell phone manufacturers selling products in the region to agree on a single cell phone charger standard. Nokia, Sony Ericsson, and many other cellular companies have agreed to standardize on one charging device format beginning next year.

This is good news for just about everyone: Europeans will be able to charge their phone with any charger and won’t have to purchase a new one when they replace their handset. Manufacturers will save money on producing the accessories, and less waste will ultimately be generated by the many chargers that are simply thrown away when a phone outlives its usefulness.

The charger standard selected is microUSB, which is widely in use already with phones and other portable gadgets.

Naturally, such a decision doesn’t come without some exceptions. In this case, it’s a big one: The new standard only applies to “data-enabled phones,” which includes handsets that can access email or the Internet. Though that accounts for about half of the 185 million or so phones purchased yearly in Europe, it still leaves a huge number of phones to be charged by whatever system the manufacturer wants.

Nonetheless, the hope now is that the program will find its way to Asia and the U.S. next, as nearly all the major providers — including Motorola, Apple, LG, RIM, and Samsung — have signed on. (The only big name I don’t yet see on the list is Palm, but that could be an oversight in the story linked above, or the company could sign on later.)

With Apple alone, though, the ramifications could be huge: The venerable iPod connector that is also used for the iPhone has spawned thousands of accessories designed with that connector in mind. Changing a charger is easy. Changing multiple product lines of gear would be a massive undertaking… though it does offer manufacturers the chance to go back to the precious sales well again.

Anyway, exciting times for the industry, and congrats to Europe for getting this ambitious undertaking done without the process breaking down into threats, lawsuits, and tears.