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Mitchell Ashley
Google's Loss in China is Microsoft's Gain
Written on Fri, 01/15/10 - 12:48pm
Big topic this week… Google retaliates against China's government attacks on Google's intellectual property and human rights activists email accounts. Ballmer say's we'll stay and obey Chinese laws. There's an old saying; "don't get in front of someone trying to commit suicide" and I would say that's...
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In The Face Of Overwhelming Functionality
Written on Mon, 01/11/10 - 2:34am
SharePoint team site, .NET application, iPhone app, or web application; no matter the type, I've learned (mostly the hard way) that creating software isn't necessarily about creating the most functionality or relying on added flexibility. I've been working on two commercial applications and both of these...
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Productivity Hazards of Windows Updates
Written on Mon, 11/30/09 - 10:22am
Patch Tuesday. Windows updates. Microsoft Office updates. It's a necessary evil, making sure your Windows computers are up to date with the latest vulnerability patches. Patch "whatever day" for Microsoft, Oracle, Apple and others are now simply part of our normal IT process. Next to anti-malware and...
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Will Browser Extensions Make Their Way Into Chrome OS
Written on Wed, 11/25/09 - 9:58am
Firefox has shown us the value of being able to customize your web browser through extentions. Extensions are coming in the Chrome 4 browser beta. Developers creating extensions per Google's developer documentation can now upload their Chrome extensions in preparation for the release of the Chrome 4...
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Chrome OS Gets Grade of C-
Written on Tue, 11/24/09 - 10:29am
You either see Chrome OS's all browser OS approach as revolutionizing the PC industry or then next "technology solution looking for a problem" doomed to fail. Google's approach with Chrome OS is certainly radically different from the Windows, Mac OS and Linux approach we've used since the birth of the...
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Google Chrome OS - Web Optimized Browser On Steriods
Written on Mon, 11/23/09 - 12:55pm
Google's laying it all out on the table with Chrome OS. My editor posted an excellent article about Chrome OS and we're already expecting a Chrome OS update from Google. Despite the distraction of a bank robbery and shooting in our city last week, I managed to dig my paws into Chrome OS to try...
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3 Most Important Announcements about Microsoft's Azure Cloud
Written on Wed, 11/18/09 - 9:36am
Microsoft's Ray Ozzie significantly blew past the basic Exchange, SharePoint and SQL database hosting services with the Azure announcements at PDC 2009 yesterday.
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Microsoft: You Won't Sell More Windows Licenses By Not Making Microsoft Security Essentials Free To Everyone
Written on Fri, 10/02/09 - 10:03am
I have a lot of good things to say about my experiences using Microsoft Security Essentials. You know Microsoft's doing something right when Symantec and McAfee start slinging FUD, whining about MSE being warmed over OneCare (and, I liked OneCare btw). But Microsoft most definitely stumbled in one very...
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Microsoft Security Essentials - Never Pay For Anti-Virus Software Again
Written on Tue, 09/29/09 - 9:28am
When Microsoft announced the death of OneCare, I had a pretty good suspicion that wasn't the last we'd heard from Microsoft about anti-virus software. Microsoft doesn't just suddenly for no reason drop out of markets. Rather they stay at it until three or four versions down the road when they finally...
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Google Eating The Chrome Off Of IE8, Firefox Drinks Ribbon Menu Kool-Aid
Written on Mon, 09/28/09 - 8:57am
It was mid last week when I installed the Google plugin for IE8 that replaces the web rendering and JavaScript engine with Google Chrome's WebKit and V8 engine respectively. Since I blogged about this last week, Microsoft's fired back balking because the plugin negates the private browsing feature in...
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Microsoft Fix It. Where Is "Harry Tuttle" When We Need Him?
Written on Tue, 09/22/09 - 10:00am
The current Server Message Block (SMB) vulnerability we're experiencing caused me to go out and run Microsoft's Fix It application. It reported that the fix doesn't apply to the Windows 7 RTM I'm running. I hope that's because this version isn't vulnerable and not because Fix It doesn't work with Windows...
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Podcast: Virtual Machine Manager + Hyper-V Live Migration = Enterprise Ready
Written on Mon, 08/31/09 - 3:11am
Hard to believe it's only been a few years since Microsoft launched Hyper-V. Even more amazing is the progress it has made in that short period of time. With the Windows Server 2008 R2 update we're seeing not just an improved Hyper-V, but Hyper-V with Live Migration. Live Migration is the one feature...
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Virtualization Day: Virtual Machine Manager R2 RTM and Windows 7 XP Mode
Written on Mon, 08/24/09 - 2:13pm
It must be Virtualization Day at my office as right in the middle of test out XP Mode on Windows 7 with some VoIP software, Microsoft announces System Center Virtual Machine Manager R2 is RTM (released to manufacturing). We have a number of projects in the office centered around virtualization, including...
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5 Reasons Macs Can't Claim They're Better than Windows 7
Written on Wed, 08/19/09 - 11:18am
I regularly use both Windows and Mac PCs, so any comments that I've never used a Mac are bunk. I've been using Windows 7 since before its public beta release at the first of this year. I use my Mac for video editing, iPhone development, etc. I love all of my computers equally -- my Windows...
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Podcast: Essential Steps For Securing Hyper-V
Written on Mon, 08/17/09 - 1:31pm
During this week's Converging on Microsoft podcast interview with Mike Schutz, Director of Product Management for the Microsoft Windows Server Division, we discuss the relevant steps necessary to secure servers running Hyper-V.
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The Hidden Cost of Out-of-Cycle Security Patches
Written on Thu, 07/30/09 - 3:15am
This week we all had to deal with the emergency Microsoft security patches due to a critical exposure in the Active Template Library (templates used for COM+ development) that could result in local code execution by a hacker.
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The Moment of Truth Nears For Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2
Written on Thu, 07/23/09 - 2:02am
Get ready. With both Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 in RTM, we're only weeks away of knowing if Vista is really behind us. Microsoft's going to put the full court press on getting as much Windows 7 sold and installed out there as possible. That includes changes in the partner program with specific...
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What Danger Lay Waiting In Shortened URLs?
Written on Tue, 07/07/09 - 9:55am
When I first saw a shortened URL I was naturally suspicious. Working seven years for a security startup will do that to you. Though it hasn't become a major security threat, yet, I think that suspicion is warranted. Cnet news has a good article about this.
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Firefox Stays In The Game With Firefox 3.5
Written on Wed, 07/01/09 - 2:37pm
Firefox released their 3.5 version update for download today and so far it seems to be a pretty good release, including some new additions and some catch up features. Probably the biggest change, though not classified as a new feature, is Firefox 3.5's use of the TraceMonkey JavaScript engine. Whether...
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Can Free Microsoft Security Essentials AV Software Fight Off Entrenched Interests?
Written on Mon, 06/29/09 - 11:22am
I wish I could say I made it into the first round of the beta but Microsoft cut off downloads of Microsoft Security Essentials beta software after 700,000 in the first 24 hours. So, while I haven't had a chance to look at the beta software, it's interesting to see the reaction from the market. One of...
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About Converging on Microsoft
Mitchell Ashley has a diverse background in software development, network engineering, information security, mobility, collaborative technologies, and IT management and operations. An early adopter of social media in business, he began blogging about security and information technologies in 2006 at theconvergingnetwork.com. Mitchell is VP of Information Technology at CableLabs in Louisville, CO, and previously held positions as CIO, CTO and VP Engineering at prior companies.
 

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