As per my rant from yesterday, I just wanted to share these pictures with you guys. They show a new Asus notebook with the Sideshow panel, which allows you to access certain features from your operating system even though it is closed. Pretty nifty.
Windows Vista and the future of Hardware
I just read this article over at Extreme Tech, dealing with the impact Windows Vista has on hardware vendors. Hopefully hardware companies will take a page out of the Apple playbook and increase their design effort. Now, you can say A LOT of bad things about Apple, but they know how to design really nice looking computers. Personally, I would rather not switch to a Mac, but admittedly, the design parameter makes it mighty tempting sometimes.
That being said, I find it mildly amusing how Apple is so focused on Windows Vista, considering the competitive environment. Apparently, they cannot get enough of this new OS, since they keep referring to it. Engadget has some pictures from the WWDC in San Fransisco. I wonder if this negative approach to branding will have a negative effect? Probably not among the die-hard fanboys, that make Scientology look like a a bunch of sexually confused sunday school rejects, but among the average computer user like yours truly. When it comes down to it these are just computers we are talking about; not some grand meaning of life. Granted, I will be the first in line to talk about “my personal relationship” with my PC, but that relationship is based on trust, respect, and understanding, NOT hate speeches 
Do you know what I mean?
Do you know what I mean?Anyway, as I said earlier I hope PC manufacturers will learn from Apple and create some mighty nice desktops
Macs never crash?
This is a funny must-see video. Have fun 
Windows Live Messenger Beta
Yes sir. I just got on to the beta testing program of the new IM client from Microsoft – Windows Live Messenger. It has some pretty nice features that we didn’t havein the previous versions, but since it is a beta not everything works as it should. The interface looks pretty nice and gives us an idea about the Vista interface (I guess). If you want to sign up for the beta program try here. If/when I get invites to send out I will post it here and anybody who wants one can have it. Of course, it will be based on the first come, first served principle.
By the way, I can highly recommend the Windows Live website. It’s really cool and works great as a start page.
Hotmail invitation
Yesterday I didn’t get my invitation tp participate in the beta testing of the new Hotmail interface. The reason being that I am a Plus customer and therefore have access to additional features. Unfortunately there is a bug in the system, so until that is fixed I am not in the beta program.
On a totally different note, I went shopping with the family today, and my wife and daugter went to look for make up. Being the manly man that I am, I found it impossible to stand in the make up section whilr maintaing just a tiny bit of masculine dignity. I promptly moved out of the section and into what turned out to be the jewellry section, which did little to boost my sense of manhood. As the sweat started to break out on my forehead I started looking around to find a section in the grocery store which compliments my masculinity. Catfood and dairy was nearby, but that wasn’t a option. I am very allergic to cats, and diet yoghurt and I just don’t get a long. Luckily, next to the dairy section I see a whole self unit, displaying TACOS 
What is more manly than Tacos i ask you? So there I am standing next to the tacos feeling manly, despite holding my wife’s shopping bag. So what is the point you might ask – damn, I don’t know. I guess I was trying to share a “deep” existential ……errr……experience.
What is more manly than Tacos i ask you? So there I am standing next to the tacos feeling manly, despite holding my wife’s shopping bag. So what is the point you might ask – damn, I don’t know. I guess I was trying to share a “deep” existential ……errr……experience. Anyway, as you can tell, gentle reader, I have too much free time on my hands, and I need to get back to work.
Internet Explorer rant
I believe this is a pretty good indicator of how things are these days in the browser department of Microsoft. Personally I think the browser is lacking a lot of features that can otherwise be found in Netscape for instance. However, Netscape still has a lot of bugs, and since I use Hotmail, MSN Messenger and Spaces, I find the MSN toolbar very useful. I would prefer an updated version of IE, which is coming soon, or the MSN toolbar for Netscape or Firefox. It really is too bad that Microsoft doesn’t care about their browser, since a lot people still use it and because it used to be the best browser around. Anyway, once IE 7 is out, hopefully we wiææ be a lot better off. Of course, if somebody decides to make Netscape into a browser again, life would just be peachy.
Windows Live Messenger
Another “live”branded product has entered beta testing. Microsoft just released the Windows Live Messenger, which will take over from the current MSN Messenger, to a limited amount of beta testers. Of course I’m not one of them, so I can’t really tell you a lot about the product. However, check out the development teams blog for a lot of interesting info on the new Messenger.
Google & Netscape partnership?
Here we go again. While I was writing my MSN post the other day, I actually started thinking about what would happen if Google wound up winning the bid for AOL. As you know, gentle reader, I have an affinity for Netscape, which unfortunately is owned by AOL. Now, what if Google wound up with Netscape. Not only would they get a recognized browser name, albeit one that needs revitalization, but none the less, they would have a brand to work with. Having a Netscape division would permit Google to seperate its activities so that they won’t loose focus on their core business unit – search. Furthermore, buying Netscape would alllow Google to use the netscape.com portal, which has over 18 million individual hits a month. Again, this would enable Google to seperate their search and their portal businesses. This article expresses much of what I just said – only much more eloquently.
Many people have talked about a Gbrowser, but what if this Gbrowser actually was Netscape? I personally do not like Google, but if they revitalized netscape, I just might change my mind. Additionally, it is worth taking into account that HP has just inked a deal with Netscape to ship its browser with all new PCs from 2006. Great way for Google/Netscape to get onto the desktop. All we need now is Netscape mail client and we are ready to rock and roll.
Lastly, we should not forget that Netscape is also an ISP, which might attract the Google guys, considering their move into wireless broadband.
Get them while they are hot
If you want to get onto the beta program for Windows live Mail you can go here and request an invite. Be quick, because they might run out soon.
Jason Calacanis: “I wish I was still running Netscape”
Jason Calacanis har en meget opmuntrende post omkring det nye Netscape. Noget tyder på at holdet bag det nye site har fået vendtskuden, og at brugerne er ved at komme tilbage. Selvom Netscape ikke er så relevant for mig, nu hvor jeg bor i Danmark igen, så er det ret interessnt at se hvordan social news som fænomen er begyndt at sprede sig til et mere main stream publikum. Det pudsige er at MSN også er begyndt at beta teste en version af den samme service i Holland. Jeg ved ikke så meget om MSN reporter, men det er da værd at bemærke at både MSN, og for den sags skyld også Yahoo, er begyndt social news.
Rygtet siger at Politiken er ved at teste en blog feature, baseret på WordPress, som har til hensigt at skabe samme community feeling omkring avisen. Personligt tror jeg aviser som vi kender dem i dag er døde om 15 år, og at en mulig fremtiden ligger i user driven social news.
Jeg har postet Jason Calacanis’ blogindlæg nedenunder. Det smarte er at jeg abonnerer på hans RSS feed igennem Windows Live Mail desktop, og i denne applikation er der en blog this funtion, som starter Windows Live Writer, der så kopirer indlægget fra RSS feedet……………. jeg er SÅ nørdet indimellem. 
Filed under: Netscape
Netscape is doing really well of late and I have to admit I’m really missing being the GM of the site. It’s got such a great user base that’s posting tons of great comments and stories, and I really think it’s the mainstream version of digg. Most of all I miss the team over there… they have really done a great job of growing the site and executing on MyNetscape and the 9.0 Browser. (Note: The browser is going to be big I think).Of course, building Netscape back is going to take years of hard work… not months, *years*. After three years of sliding down it’s leveled off–which is amazing considering Netscape no longer has a base of browser or email users (50%+ of the base of users when I took over!). If you were to add back in the lost email users the Netscape curve on Alexa would be a massive turnaround. That’s my one regret…. not keeping the email users. Of yeah, I would have also made the transition to social news slower–we moved the users into the concept too fast. Live and learn.Anyway, if Netscape was ever available I would try and buy it…. I’d love to see the vision over the finish line.