Ballmer says Microsoft intends to become industry leader in cloud computing

Microsoft got nothing but grief when it killed its Kin smartphone this month, a decision that looked like a misstep for the software giant as it struggles to stay on the cutting edge.
The move could not have come at a more delicate time, with Microsoft's longtime business of selling software in a box rapidly being replaced by the sale of applications over the Web. The company is facing competition from rivals, such as Google, offering word processing and spreadsheets online free of charge, and it recently lost its place as the most valuable tech stock to Apple.
Microsoft is now working to transform itself into a one-stop shop for Web-based software and, as part of that strategy, is betting big on the growing popularity of cloud computing, which takes software off the desktop PC and moves it to networks of data centers accessed via the Web. more.......

Improving product quality the open source way

If we look at the differences between closed and open source software development processes, we can identify aspects that can be generalized and applied to other industries and domains.
Open source development—that combination of transparency, iterative development with early-and-often releases, and open participation—leads to higher quality products. When we're talking about software, people tend to think of quality in terms of bugs. But this is only part of the story of open development.
Defects can be anywhere within the requirements, design, implementation, or delivery processes, and we need to consider all of these areas to assess the full quality picture.   more....

Flex Open Source Project Launch: The Tilde Developer Console

Flex developers rejoice! Once only reserved for advanced games engines, the tilde-activated developer console has finally arrived to empower Flex coders everywhere.

I am proud to announce the long-delayed release of the Tilde Developer Console open source project into the wild. This Flex library makes powerful development tools from the PushButton Games Engine available to all Flex developers.

I do enterprise Flex RIA development for a living and extracted this powerful tool set for my own use a few months ago after attending Nate Beck's presentation on the aforementioned games engine at 360|Flex 2010 in San Jose, California.   more...

Firefox Losing Foothold on Linux Distros?

When you install the Ubuntu Netbook Edition in October, don't look for Firefox on the desktop — it won't be there. Chromium, Chrome's open source cousin, is going to be taking its place. After years of desktop dominance on Linux, is Firefox losing its foothold or is this an anomaly?

Read more at Linux Magazine

How much more malware is lurking in Linux official repositories?

The revelation that the open-source Unreal IRC server download has been infected with malware for some eight months is pretty worrying. But the added discovery that this Trojan horse made its way into the Gentoo distro is real reason for the Linux community to re-examine how trusted repositories are handled.
It’s true that compared to Windows, Linux is pretty safe bet if you want to remain protected from hackers. After all, the 1% or so usage share that the OS enjoys (combined with the fact that many of its users are pretty switched on) just doesn’t make it a worthwhile target to go after.
But there’s a big difference between the OS being a “pretty safe bet” and it being invulnerable. No OS is invulnerable. If someone wants in on your system, and they have the time and resources, they are likely to find a way.
But this is a major blunder. Allowing infected code to make its way into an official distro demonstrates how complacent some in the Linux community have become.
Which leads to the biggest and most important question of all - how can we, as Linux users, be sure that more malware hasn’t infiltrated official channels? more....

Microsoft Adds Hundreds Of Cloud Sales Reps In Battle Against Google

Microsoft (NSDQ:MSFT) is mounting an all-out cloud sales offensive against rival Google that includes a move to add 300 to 500 direct salespeople to work with partners and customers to sell cloud solutions. "We are incrementing our sales force to go after the cloud," said Vince Menzione, Microsoft general manager, partner strategy for US Public Sector. "We are changing up our message to customers."
"All of our salespeople will be leading with cloud," said Menzione. "The message from (Microsoft CEO) Steve Ballmer is that we are all in with the cloud. Cloud is the way we lead our discussions with our customers."
Menzione detailed the big cloud push and the opportunities for partners in a keynote address on Monday before several hundred public sector solution providers at the Everything Channel XChange Public Sector conference at the Sawgrass Marriott in Jacksonville, Fla.  more.....

Microsoft is the Official Sponsor of E3 Bathrooms

Did you know that Microsoft has a new device called Kinect? Just in case you missed the memo (or one of the main reasons any of us are at E3), Microsoft has elected to remind the enthusiast press in a very odd way: while going to the bathroom.
With such fitting tag lines as "You are the Controller" plastered across bathroom mirrors,  more........