InsideMicrosoft

Microsoft Releases Free Express Edition Of Search Server 2008

Microsoft has decided to put out a completely free version of Search Server 2008, an Express edition that anyone can download and add to a Windows Server 2003 or 2008 server to get advanced search features for their enterprise search. Microsoft is targeting Google’s search appliance, hoping to get businesses to sign up for the free edition, and hopefully upgrade to the full version of Search Server 2008.

Unlike all of Google’s Search Appliances, Search Server Express has no arbitrary (or rather, price-controlling) document limits, so in some ways even the free version can be more useful than Google’s expensive hardware. There are also connectors being released for EMC Corp.’s Documentum and IBM Corp.’s FileNet, plus support for OpenSearch.

If you have a Server 2003 or better system (32-bit or 64-bit) available, you can download it right here.

November 7th, 2007 Posted by Nathan Weinberg | Server, Windows | no comments

ESPN Programming Added To Xbox Live

Microsoft and ESPN announced an agreement to bring ESPN content to the Xbox Live Video Marketplace. The deal will bring both sports events and original programming to the video download store, starting with select NCAA college basketball and football games. The NCAA games will cost $3, or 240 Microsoft Points, in standard definition, and $4.50/360MSP in high defintion.

Original ESPN shows, like Madden Nation, the X Games, World Series of Poker, The Contender and others will cost the standard Xbox Live rate of $2/160MSP for standard def and $3/240MSP for high def. After the break, the full press release.

November 7th, 2007 Posted by Nathan Weinberg | Xbox Live, Xbox 360, Xbox | no comments

Zune Tattoo Guy Goes All Out, Changes Name to “Microsoft Zune”

Oh, god. This is going too far.

First, number one Zune fan Steven Smith got a Zune tattoo on his arm. Then, he went and got a second Zune tattoo on the other arm, and a few months later picked up a third tattoo opposite the first one on his back. Rather than continue to make his body a canvas for promoting the Zune, he’s actually found a way to take this further.

He’s changing his name.

First name: Microsoft

Last name: Zune.

Jeez.

Wow.

You know what I don’t get? Even if you’re going through the whole process, changing all your legal documents, do you really need to go through life with the first name of “Microsoft”? Shouldn’t he change his first name to “Zune” and leave the last name alone? This way, he could be “Zune Smith”, which is actually a really cool name. If he’s smart, he’ll change his mind and go that route, I hope.

Read the giant thread at ZuneScene.

As a bonus, take a look at this latest Zune ad, courtesy TechCrunch:

UPDATE: Microsoft has significantly increased the Zune’s advertising budget for the next six months, earmarking $17 million to be spent pushing the player (which is double what it spent all of last year). It is also dropping the word “social” as the focus of its branding, instead focusing on individuality as a differentiating factor.

The new message with Zune is that the iPod is superficial, its too popular, that iPod’s are just an army of clones buying the same overpriced and underfeatured product year after year. The message is that Zune is unique, new, and a better deal, and its a good one, provided they communicate it better.

My thinking? Redo “1984″ with a bunch of drones using their iPods, and Zune coming to shake things up, and you’ve got a winner.

November 7th, 2007 Posted by Nathan Weinberg | Zune, Windows Media | 2 comments

Windows Live 2.0 Final Releases, plus Live.com Email Addresses Available Right Now

Windows Live Wave 2.0 enjoyed its final release today, with a huge amount of websites and software getting new or final non-beta releases. The new Windows Live Installer is out, with new or final versions of Messenger, Mail, Writer, and Photo Gallery, and for the the first time, the installer supports 64-bit systems (but not for Family Safety). You can directly download the installer here.

Windows Live Calendar, available within Live Hotmail, should also be available today to all users. Just sign into your Live ID account, then go to calendar.live.com, and you should be set. Adding events is easy, just double-click on a date, and you can set the basic details (or click to edit advanced options). You can create multiple calendars, with multiple options for sharing or setting co-owners of calendars. I’m enjoying playing around with it the last half hour, and it even sort of/almost works in Opera.

The news you need to know right now: Live.com email addresses are available right now. Not just Live.com, but Live.at, live.be, windowslive.com, live.co.uk and many more. Here is the whole list, courtesy LiveSide:

Country Domain
ARGENTINA LIVE.COM.AR
AUSTRALIA LIVE.COM.AU
AUSTRIA LIVE.AT
BELGIUM LIVE.BE
CANADA LIVE.CA
CHILE LIVE.CL
CHINA LIVE.CN
DENMARK LIVE.DK
FINLAND WINDOWSLIVE.COM
FRANCE LIVE.FR
GERMANY LIVE.DE
HONG KONG LIVE.HK
INDONESIA WINDOWSLIVE.COM
IRELAND LIVE.IE
ITALY LIVE.IT
JAPAN LIVE.JP
KOREA LIVE.CO.KR
MALAYSIA LIVE.COM.MY
MEXICO LIVE.COM.MX
NETHERLANDS LIVE.NL
NORWAY LIVE.NO
PAKISTAN LVE.COM.PK
PERU LIVE.COM.PE
PORTUGAL LIVE.COM.PT
RUSSIA LIVE.RU
SINGAPORE LIVE.COM.SG
SOUTH AFRICA LIVE.CO.ZA
SWEDEN LIVE.SE
SWITZERLAND WINDOWSLIVE.COM
THAILAND WINDOWSLIVE.COM
TURKEY WINDOWSLIVE.COM
UK LIVE.CO.UK
USA LIVE.COM
VIETNAM WINDOWSLIVE.COM

Head to get.live.com/getlive/overview for all the domains or this link for Live.com email addresses. Now that Live.com email addresses can be linked, you can get the Hotmail.com and Live.com versions of your email, or a better Live.com version, and switch between Hotmail inboxes with a simple click.

November 7th, 2007 Posted by Nathan Weinberg | Mail, Writer, Live, Hotmail, Messenger, Windows | no comments