Comcast wants to bring social networking to a set-top box near you...

I am a networking junkie. I've learned over the past couple of years that what you know isn't always as important as who you know.  While social networking can be fun, in many ways I see it as just a quicker way of showering the people you know and love with those forwarded jokes you've been deleting from your inbox...at least, that's been my experience. Social networking...not so much.  Professional networking..?  Oh yeah, I'm all over that.

 

One of the best online networking tools I know of is Plaxo. It integrates with Outlook and Outlook Express on the Windows side, and with Mac Mail, iCal and Entourage on the Mac side, I've used it in a number of organizations to bring down all 1200+ contacts I have in just about 3 different places - Work, and the two OS' on my MBP.

Plaxo is very excited about it (naturally), and see's the move as a win-win for everyone involved, including customers of both companies. While financial terms were not disclosed TechCrunch puts the deal in the $150-$170M range.  Plaxo joins movie site Fandango in the Comcast stable.

Plaxo is supposed to remain an independent operation, and will report into Comcast's Interactive Media division.  Plaxo gets to keep all 50 of its employees. The game plan is to weave Plaxo into Comcast.net, Fancast and Fandango as well as television. Plaxo provides the universal address book for Comcast’s SmartZone communications center and hosts webmail.

I have no idea how Comcast really sees these two services coming together, but it will be interesting to see if it works, or if its just a passing fancy.  I don't want to do much with my set other than zone out while I'm watching TV.

What about you? How do you see this whole thing coming together? Why don't you join in the discussion and tell us what you think?

Right now, AT&T has refurbished AT&T Tilts for $149.99, when you sign up for a 2 year contract, or are eligible for a device upgrade. That's about 63% off the full retail price of $399.99. I picked one up last week and got the holiday weekend to play with it.  The device is pretty cool; and offers a great deal, tilt novelty aside (though as Clinton put it, its pretty cool when you're trying to get rid of glare outside...).

If you're interested, you'd better hurry over to AT&T and pick one up while supplies last. They are likely going to go pretty quickly; and I understand that there is going to be an official WM 6.1 upgrade available for it from AT&T.

Speculation, speculation... I wonder who's going to take the Vista plunge...or not.

 

Over the last few weeks, there's been a lot of chatter over operating systems.  Who's ready for this SP, or that, on this OS or the other... Who's going to install them or wait it out for a while...that type of thing. I've heard a people grimacing over XP EOL and Vista, as well.  What is even more interesting is that some of my IT management team has been saying that they may blow by Vista entirely in favor of Windows 7.

Some people have been wondering if Vista isn't the Windows ME of the new Millennium.  What this means is that many users just don't see the value in deploying an operating system on their business or home networks that has so many issues and problems. I wonder the same thing. Sometimes, the latest greatest isn't that great...

While most home users will likely just grin and bear the pain, most corporate and enterprise users won't.  I know many IT teams that are just waiting out the Vista SP1 issues as well as the release of the next operating system, currently coined Windows 7.  Windows Vista isn't completely out of the question just yet; but you still have to wonder if and how it gets implemented in many of the enterprises.

Most IT Managers I know don't like all of this speculation. As a Software QA Director, I'm not crazy about it either. I don't like situations I can't plan for...and this has "lack of planning," written all over it. I also saw an article (and unfortunately, I'm blanking on where I saw it...It was either BetaNews or Computer World)where Bill is hinting that the Windows 7 beta may actually start a lot sooner than everyone thinks...like in the immediate future.

That being the case, I don't know many IT Managers eager to jump on the Vista band wagon.  Though it's not totally out of the picture yet, its EOL may be a lot sooner than everyone thinks (though MS is still sticking with their original release date of early 2010)

However, Vista's got a long row to hoe.  It was nearly 7 years between XP's and Vista's release.  Too many people are used to XP; and Vista is just so radically different and the public's expectations set so high that it's going to have a hard time getting adopted. Microsoft's tried to release patches and updates; and though SP1 has gone a long way to right some of Vista's wrongs, not everyone has the update yet. It has yet to appear for my MacBook Pro, via Windows Update's Auto Update feature.  I suspect that has EVERYTHING to do with Apple's Boot Camp drivers, though I don't have 100% confirmation on that...it could be something else holding up the download (though I doubt it).

So who is going to hold out for Windows 7 (or what ever MS decides to call it...)? Why don't you join us in the discussion area and let us know what you think?

Speculation abounds this week as a little known item hits the iPhone Online Store across the US and the UK.  No, I'm not breaking news about the availability of the version 2.0 device (though I wish I could...). I'm merely pointing out that the current generation 8GB and 16GB iPhones are no longer available for purchase via Apple's Online Store.

 

I've seen a couple of articles, on a couple of different sites, on this today.  What this means, no one REALLY knows, but speculation abounds, as I said, that the 3G iPhone (or the iPhone Black, as some are calling it, due to its reportedly all black body) will be announced ahead of WWDC.  This is interesting news for me, personally. I came millimeters away from buying an iPhone this past weekend...and I mean REALLY close. The biggest thing that kept me from it, was the (soon to be resolved) lack of native Exchange support.  I'm also not too keen on spending THAT much money on a device that doesn't have a built in keyboard of any kind...I don't care HOW wonderful the on-screen typing experience is.

However, as I was out running errands today, I stopped by one of the bigger Apple Stores in the metro Chicago-land area, and spoke to some of the staff. While no one was willing to speculate beyond the standard company line: All iPhone stock is sold out, we don't know when we are going to get stock in again, etc., etc.; the one associate I did speak with did tell me that not only is the iPhone unavailable on line, but they, and just about every other Apple Store in the area is also out of stock.

Something's a-brewin'.  Exactly what that is, no one really knows for certain, though rumors are continuing to fly.  I am hopeful that something comes to light soon. I can't imagine Apple being without any iPhone stock to sell between now and June 9th; (the opening day of WWDC) but I've seen stranger things happen. Stay tuned for further developments!

XP SP3 WAS released, but got pulled; and then got released again.

I've been following this on and off, and it seems to me to be one of the MOST comical configuration and release management related issues I've bumped into in a long time. I should know, too. As a Software QA Director, I've been responsible not only for Test, but CM and RM as well.  I wouldn't be surprised to see situations like the XP SP3 and Vista SP1 release issues we have (BTW, Vista SP1 is also on hold...AGAIN!) in small companies, but to see them in a retail giant like Microsoft is really bothersome...especially when the entire world runs their businesses on Microsoft software.

I noticed on BetaNews that they were headlining that XP SP3 was available for download via their FileForum. A little while later, I got some e-mail indicating that the SP had been pulled from Windows Update due to compatibility issues with Microsoft Dynamics Retail Management System (RMS).  Microsoft has also halted Automatic Downloads of Vista SP1 for the same reasons. However, it's still available via Windows Update and the Download Center.

The official word from MS is that this is for our own good, and that as soon as the issues are resolved, we can have the software back. The fix(es) are currently in Test, and should be available "soon."

Again, this on again-off again treatment is making me dizzier than the relationship that Cher used to have with Greg Allman (now if that doesn't date me, I don't know what will...). This is a huge problem from my perspective; and one that Microsoft should be doing a much better job at managing. Again, I would expect to see this type of behavior in a much less mature, much smaller company and not from one as large and mature as Microsoft.  Again, the entire world runs their businesses on some sort of MS platform. Not only is this inappropriate behavior from Microsoft, its making me ask all kinds of embarrassing questions:

Where did their testing process break down?
Was/Is it appropriate to expect MS to test these kinds of scenarios and interactions before releasing them, or were they too obscure to be considered a priority (and I'm speaking of both the Vista SP1 reboot loop and the XP SP3 issue described here)?
Did they miss this stuff on an ERD (entity relationship diagram) or again, too obscure?

Regardless, the only thing that I can really and legitimately ask from MS as this point is to let me know when it's safe to dig myself out of this hole that I'm going to crawl into.  My productivity is too important to have issues like this cause problems for me. Smaller companies can't afford to have their productivity negatively impacted like this, and I'd encourage them to take the issue directly to their MS account reps and raise the issue of compensation, should they get hit with any of problems arising from the on again-off again availability of these important operating system updates.

UPDATE: While writing this column (and waiting for it to be posted), MS posted XP SP3 again for download.  You should be able to get the update now. 

But I would love to hear what you have to say. If you download the update and install it, I'd love to hear how it went for you. Why don't you join in the discussion and let us know what's on your mind?