If you search on Windows Live Search for the name of a ski resort, you will now get an instant answer giving you the skiing conditions in that area. If you know the name of the resort where you’d like to ski or snowboard and search for it, you get info on whether it’s open, how much new snow in the last 24 and 48 hours, the base depth, surface conditions and number of ski lifts open, as well as links to a full snow report at OnTheSnow.com, the resorts website, and to see the resort on Live Maps.
If you don’t know a specific resort, or want to check who has the best conditions in the area, enter in Live Search the name of the area and the words “snow report” (like “CO snow report” for Colorado), and it will show you the top four area resorts, ranked by the most recent snowfall. All of this information is provided by OnTheSnow.com. Search Engine Land has a more detailed report, comparing the results from other search engines and testing out some queries.
February 17th, 2008
Posted by
Nathan Weinberg |
Live, Windows, Search |
no comments
Anthony Park has released a plugin for Windows Vista Media Center called MyNetFlix. The plugin allows management of your entire Netflix account from MCE with your remote control, including searching for movies, adding them to your queue and managing it, viewing your history and recommendations and other things.
The biggest feature, though, is the ability to browse through Watch Now movies and watch them in Media Center. This lets you watch Netflix movies straight from the Media Center interface, making it probably the easiest and most effective way to watch the streaming movies that come with your Netflix account. If you’ve got Netflix and Vista, you just earned yourself a really great movie streaming solution.
February 17th, 2008
Posted by
Nathan Weinberg |
Vista, Media Center, Windows |
one comment
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the company that runs the New York City mass transit system, released an improved version of their Trip Planner site that includes Microsoft’s Windows Live Maps. The site lets straphangers enter where they are going and when they want to get there, and receive bus, subway and walking directions, and now, they can see where they need to go on an embedded Windows Live Map.
The MTA has created an overlay of the familiar subway map for its Live Map, placing the subway and bus routes on top of Microsoft’s maps. This overlay even works in 3D mode, though the 3D buildings makes it nearly impossible to see the subway stations. For some reason, it only links to the map for the walking directions, but the subway routes are still there for reference.
February 17th, 2008
Posted by
Nathan Weinberg |
Maps, Live, Windows |
no comments
Microsoft has yet again re-organized its corporate structure and re-shuffled many of its executives, continuing to strike the right balance needed for a successful $264 billion company. The re-org is complicated, but Mary Jo Foley has all the details if you don’t mind spinning your head around a few times, Exorcist style.
The bullet points:
- Seven corporate VPs were promoted to Senior Vice Presidents. Chris Capossela was put in charge of the Information Worker Product Management Group; Kurt DelBene, the Office Business Platform Group; Antoine Leblond, the Office Productivity Applications Group; Andy Lees, the Mobile Communications Business; Satya Nadella, the Search, Portals & Advertising Group, S. Somasegar, the Developer Division; and Bill Veghte, the Online Services & Windows Business Group
- Veghte, who used to run Windows, now has Windows client, Windows Live MSN and Search under his purview, the biggest promotion in the bunch.
- aQuantive CEO Brian McAndrews, also a Senior VP, is not mentioned in the re-org. Mary Jo says that’s because many are saying he is going to run Yahoo when Microsoft gets it.
- Roz Ho, who used to run the Mac Business Unit and has been running some secret Mobile and Entertainment Division project, is now corporate VP of Premium Mobile Offerings, and will lead the new Danger, Inc. team.
February 17th, 2008
Posted by
Nathan Weinberg |
Corporate |
one comment
The New York Post is reporting that a mutiny is underway in Yahoo’s boardroom, with concerned Chairman Roy Bostock turning on CEO Jerry Yang’s resistance to Microsoft’s proposed takeover. If Yang successfully weasels out of Microsoft’s grasp, some of the board is worried that shareholders will sue, especially if Yahoo’s moves are motivated more by some emotional need to keep Yahoo independent than the more important financial need to keep Yahoo from going dead broke.
According to one source close to the situation, “The emotional part of Yang would rather do anything but sell to Microsoft, but he doesn’t have the cards to come up with a value-creating, competitive alternative for shareholders.”
“While Yahoo!’s board has a fiduciary duty to maximize shareholder returns, running the risk of derailing a deal is dangerous to Yahoo! shareholders,” said Jefferies analyst Youssef Squali.
For now, Bostock and other board members, such as billionaire Ron Burkle, are leading the fight to force Yahoo’s old guard to do whatever is necessary to ensure the company has a healthy future. Opposing them are Eric Hippeau from Softbank and Robert Kotick, the CEO of Activision.
(via Valleywag)
February 17th, 2008
Posted by
Nathan Weinberg |
Yahoo Acquisition, Corporate, Yahoo |
one comment
