Today, Microsoft announced Windows Azure, a “cloud” platform. You won’t run it on your computer, but rather use the internet to access software running on Azure.

Microsoft intends to compete directly with Google, Amazon, and other cloud services. In addition to Exchange, Microsoft plans to offer all its enterprise software as a service. It sounds, in part, like Microsoft intends to take its Live model and expand all its software with Live versions.

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Microsoft video number 2. I don’t know WTF either, but I laughed all the way through.

(For those not following current events, here is video number 1 in the new Microsoft ad campaign designed to compete with the popular “Get a Mac” Apple ads.)

Edit: Okay, I think this guy at Engadget may be on to something. Jerry eating an apple in the hallway? Maybe they are doing a subtle take on the Mac vs. PC ads, after all, with Jerry as the Apple guy. Except less “vs.”

From Lifehacker, nine things that will not actually speed up Windows. Among them, disabling Microsoft processes, clearing out your registry, and memory “optimizer” programs.

What will work: running SpyBot every now and then to clear out resource-hogging spyware, and using Firefox instead of Internet Explorer so you get less spyware in the first place.

Debunking Common Windows Performance Tweaking Myths | Lifehacker

At least, that seems to be the implication of its new “digital manners policy” patent, which would force your gadgets to receive “orders” from a digital Miss Manners overlord. For example, a movie theater could automatically switch all phone in the audience to vibrate when the movie starts.

Maybe that would be nice, but when I bought my phone, I did not do it on the assumption that it would be controlled by someone else. I bought it so that I could use it myself. Same goes for my laptop, which I do not really want anyone controlling, thank you very much.

First DRM, now DMP. Microsoft is no longer making software for its customers, but for people who want to control its customers. I will stick with software and hardware I can use how I want to, thank you very much.

One more reason I am happy I am no longer a Microsoft customer.

Microsoft patents “digital manners policy” | BoingBoing Gadgets

According to InformationWeek, the British Educational Communications and Technology Agency is advocating for removing Microsoft Office from the classroom in favor of open-standards compliant office suites like OpenOffice.org.

It is good to see this kind of pressure on Microsoft. If they would either open up their OOXML standard or else support the Open Document Format like nearly every other office suite, it would benefit everyone. Microsoft is already starting to lose money as agencies like BECTA start opting for free software like OOo instead of the costly Microsoft bundle, so it seems like opening up its platform would be in its best interests.

If only the legal system would follow BECTA’s lead.

If you have been steadfastly holding on to Windows XP (and really, who could blame you?), you have probably been looking forward to the promised Service Pack 3, which will bring some of Vista’s polish to the venerable XP, as well as tidy up the old OS generally.

Download it via Windows Update today.

Windows XP SP3 now available | Engadget

Edit: Links to the update here, since it won’t hit Windows Update for a day or two, at least.

I scored a refurbished Gateway computer from Woot last week, which I intend to use as a server. I was kind of excited, because although I intended to wipe the drive and install Ubuntu (Windows Vista is nowhere near stable enough to be a good server), it came with Windows Vista Home Premium. Since I have only used Vista at Best Buy and CostCo, I was pretty excited to give it a thorough try.

I clicked my agreement to numerous things I paid no attention to and Vista took a deep breath, and 15 minutes after hitting the power switch, I was up and running. Only a few more EULAs to agree to, and off we go–where?

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The fine of 899 million euros is for Microsoft’s failure to comply with a 2004 ruling and the “unreasonable” prices Microsoft charged developers for the information they needed to make software compatible with Microsoft products. Now the question: will Microsoft just pay up and go on with business as usual, or will it open up?

Today Microsoft announced a “new interoperability.” Microsoft promised, among other things, to open up cooperation with open source software, including distributing its APIs for its software and allowing open-source project to use them without fear of lawsuits. It already released its Office binary formats.

The European Union, however, is investigating Microsoft for antitrust violations and called bullshit on Microsoft’s announcement, noting that “today’s announcement follows at least four similar statements by Microsoft in the past on the importance of interoperability.”

If Microsoft is truly willing to cooperate with the open-source community, that is good news. But it would be shocking news, indeed. On the desktop, Microsoft is king. When it comes to the backbone of the internet, Microsoft is a very, very distant second to Linux. Microsoft almost certainly has something else in mind.

Under a new Dutch law, the Dutch government must start using open source software by April 2008. In addition to the greater security and resistance obsolescence, open source software could save the Dutch government as much at $8.8 million per year on city housing registers alone.

Meanwhile, Microsoft chimes in about its race “to achieve ‘open source’ certification for its Open Office XML standard” (read: buying off everyone it can, and still failing). The company also says “We think it’s not in the best interest of the wider software market to single out one model for endorsement like this,” he said. One model? Open source is many models, one standard. Microsoft is just as quick to suggest its own, proprietary standard–one model–to replace the freer open source software.

Cheers to the Netherlands for leading the way into the future!

[via CL&P Blog]