NewsGator Outlook edition 2.5

NewsGator Outlook edition 2.5 is here!

Cingular considering iTunes phone

Cingular considering iTunes phone

Google Earth

Google Earth beta.

Update: Like the Google Web Accelerator, new Google Earth subscriptions (at least to the free and, suprisingly, the Plus version) have been taken offline. Hopefully everyone downloaded, installed and started (it needs this to acquire a login) the program in the two days that it was made available.

Windows Desktop Search updated

MSN Search Toolbar with Windows Desktop Search - updated to version 2.05.0000.1082.

Scott Hanselman's 2005 Ultimate Developer and Power Users Tool List

See Scott Hanselman's 2005 Ultimate Developer and Power Users Tool List.

Anders Hejlsberg on .NET and C-Omega

Microsoft's Hejlsberg touts .Net, C-Omega technologies

Dell Says He'd Sell Apple's Mac OS

Dell Says He'd Sell Apple's Mac OS

Microsoft Keyboard shortcuts

See Keyboard Assistance (via Ed Bott).

Microsoft .NET 2.0 Benchmarks

TheServerSide.Net have some Microsoft .NET 2.0 Benchmarks.

Some highlights:

.NET 2.0 Beta 2 has roughly twice the XML DOM transaction throughput compared to .NET 1.x and Sun Java JVM 1.5.

.NET 2.0 Beta 2 (on IIS 6.0) web performance blows away the current leaders: IBM HTTP Server (with IBM WebSphere 6.0) and SunOne HTTP Server (with JWSDP 1.5).

MSN Search Toolbar now has tab support

The latest version includes tab support. Seems to work okay, but I'll still use Maxthon. Download the update here: MSN Search Toolbar with Windows Desktop Search.

Here is some more information direct from Microsoft: Work with tabbed browsing

Apple & Intel FAQ

This is, by far, the best summary of the situation regarding the Mac OS X to Intel transition: Apple & Intel: What you need to know.

SQL Server, VS 2005 Launch Date Set

SQL Server, VS 2005 Launch Date Set. They only just got it within 2005: November 7 2005.

Sprint: EV-DO Launch Schedule

Sprint: EV-DO Launch Schedule

Crazy official Microsoft wallpaper

Look at this! You may be surprised to learn that this is an official Microsoft wallpaper...!

Download the Microsoft desktop background. (Actually there is something good here. The Royale theme that comes with Media Center 2005 and Tablet PC 2005.)

Apple's G5 versus x86

On paper the G5 should have good performance. In practice, in the hands of Mac OS X, it never seemed to acheive its full potential. AnandTech think they've found the culprit: Mac OS X. Here are some quotes:

"The G5 might not be the fastest integer CPU on earth - its database performance is completely crippled by an asthmatic operating system that needs up to 5 times more time to handle and create threads"

"The server performance of the Apple platform is, however, catastrophic."

Ouch!

Interestingly, Linus Torvalds, in his book Just for Fun, says pretty much the same thing (he describes the Mach kernel at the heart of Mac OS X as "a piece of crap"). His critisims are exactly reproduced in the above AnandTech article - I had assumed he was spinning a "my OS is better than your OS" line.

Of course, Apple are not really about performance. They make stylish, user-friendly computers for people who don't like to be part of the herd. Furthermore, the above analysis only really applies to data intensive applications, so will not be relevant to standard desktop applications such as Microsoft Word.

Orange SPV C550

MoDaCo have some more information about the Orange SPV C550 (aka HTC Hurricane). First a disappointment: it is likely to have Windows Mobile 2003 Second Edition, and not Windows Mobile 2005. However, one interesting rumour is it'll includes 802.11b Wi-Fi. Could this be why Skype are developing their software for smartphones? It would be pretty cool to be able to dial out across VoIP when in range of a Wi-Fi network. Although this is unlikely to please operators since it will directly affect their ARPU.

The lack of Windows Mobile 2005 is a showstopper for me. However, the fact that it has a 262,000 colour display when Windows Mobile 2003 SE only supports 65k would indicate this was originally designed for Windows Mobile 2005. So, I'm going to wait since I think a ROM update will appear in the near future.

Apple to switch to Intel chips starting in 2006

Reuters report Apple to switch to Intel chips starting in 2006

"Apple plans to move lower-end computers like the Mac Mini to Intel chips in mid-2006 and higher-end models such as the Power Mac in the middle of 2007".

I'm not sure if this is true or not, but it would be a monumental task. Having said that, emulation technology has come a long way in recent years with Intel among others building virtuality directly into their chips.

Who are they calling "old"?

(via This Modern World).