Windows eXPired Just Won't Die! Microsoft Losing Faith in Vista, Breathes Life in XP - Windows Vista is no match for Windows XP

Windows eXPired just won't die, not even for Windows Vista. Additionally, Microsoft seems to be losing faith in its latest Windows title. This would explain why the Redmond company is still breathing life into XP, although the strategy is clearly detrimental to Vista. Following Vista's release, Microsoft was in a rush to declare XP expired. Still, the company failed to put its back into it. Microsoft relied on Vista's Wow to make XP obsolete instead of marketing it accordingly. But leaving XP to wear out naturally, in the growing shadow of Vista's evolution backfired. While there is a consistent amount of efforts poured into converting users from XP to Vista, there are little results to indicate success. Not only are both home and corporate users failing to upgrade/migrate to Vista from XP, but the rate of downgrades increases in consistency with each passing day. And on top of that, XP is still preferred over Vista, prompting

Microsoft to extend the availability of its 2001 Windows operating system."While we’ve been pleased with the positive response we’ve seen and heard from customers using Windows Vista, there are some customers who need a little more time to make the switch to Windows Vista. As it turns out, our official policy as of 2002 is that versions of Windows are available through our retail and direct OEM partners for four years after they ship. Obviously this policy didn’t work with Windows XP given Windows Vista’s delivery date. As a practical matter, most of our previous operating system releases were available for about two years after the new version shipped, so maybe we were a little ambitious to think that we would need to make Windows XP available for only a year after the release of Windows Vista," revealed Mike Nash, corporate vice president, Windows Product Management.The end of Windows XP availability via direct OEM and retail licenses was planned for January 31, 2008. Microsoft revealed that after taking in feedback from customer and original equipment manufacturers, it has extended XP's life with an additional five months. The company made sure to emphasize that Vista is doing great, although end users and PC builders are still interested in a five year old operating system (XP was launched at the end of 2001), vs. Windows Vista, released in January 2007. XP will be available from large PC manufacturers worldwide until mid 2008, while XP Starter edition will come preloaded on machines put together by System builders until June 30, 2010. The prolonging of XP's direct OEM and retail license availability is of course connected with the launch of the first Service Pack for Windows Vista, scheduled in Q1 2008. "So we’re responding to feedback we have gotten from our OEM partners that some customers will benefit by extending availability of Windows XP to June 30, 2008 instead of the planned date of Jan. 30, 2008. Also, since some of the systems that ship in emerging markets don’t meet the requirements for Windows Vista, we will be extending availability of Windows XP Starter Edition to June 30, 2010. This will allow our OEM partners who sell PCs in emerging markets more opportunity to offer genuine Windows licenses. Windows XP Starter Edition is tailored to local markets, in local languages, and is compatible with a wide range of Windows-based applications and devices", Nash added.

Ubuntu 7.10 Tribe 5 Released

Tribe 5 (Beta 5) of Ubuntu 7.10 Gutsy Gibbon has been released.
Nice, looks like I was wrong and the new xorg.conf edit will be in 7.10 after all:

In addition to that Ubuntu has this rockin’ automatic printing-configuration system that makes configuring/installing printers plug-and-play:

And brings with it a hot new Firefox plugin finder/installer/thingie

25 intresting thing that you learn about computers only in movies

1. Word processors never display a cursor.2. You never have to use the spacebar when typing long sentences.3. All monitors display 2 inch high letters.4. High-tech computers, such as those used by NASA, the CIA, or some such governmental institution, have easy-to-understand graphical interfaces.5. Those that don't will have incredibly powerful text-based command shells that can correctly understand and execute commands typed in plain English.6. Corollary: You can gain access to any information you want by simply typing "ACCESS ALL OF THE SECRET FILES" on any keyboard.7. Likewise, you can infect a computer with a destructive virus by simply typing "UPLOAD VIRUS." Viruses cause temperatures in computers, just like they do in humans. After a while, smoke billows out of disk drives and monitors.8. All computers are connected. You can access the information on the villain's desktop computer, even if it's turned off.9. Powerful computers beep whenever you press a key or whenever the screen changes. Some computers also slow down the output on the screen so that it doesn't go faster than you can read. The *really* advanced ones also emulate the sound of a dot-matrix printer as the characters come across the screen.10. All computer panels have thousands of volts and flash pots just underneath the surface. Malfunctions are indicated by a bright flash, a puff of smoke, a shower of sparks, and an explosion that forces you backward. See #7, above)11. People typing away on a computer will turn it off without saving the data.12. A hacker can get into the most sensitive computer in the world before intermission and guess the secret password in two tries.13. Any PERMISSION DENIED has an OVERRIDE function.14. Complex calculations and loading of huge amounts of data will be accomplished in under three seconds. In the movies, modems transmit data at two gigabytes per second.15. When the power plant/missile site/whatever overheats, all the control panels will explode, as will the entire building.16. If you display a file on the screen and someone deletes the file, it also disappears from the screen. There are no ways to copy a backup file -- and there are no undelete utilities.17. If a disk has got encrypted files, you are automatically asked for a password when you try to access it.18. No matter what kind of computer disk it is, it'll be readable by any system you put it into. All application software is usable by all computer platforms.19. The more high-tech the equipment, the more buttons it has. However, everyone must have been highly trained, because the buttons aren't labelled.20. Most computers, no matter how small, have reality-defying three-dimensional, real-time, photo-realistic animated graphics capability.21. Laptops, for some strange reason, always seem to have amazing real-time video phone capabilities and the performance of a CRAY-MP.22. Whenever a character looks at a VDU, the image is so bright that it projects itself onto his/her face.23. Computers never crash during key, high-intensity activities. Humans operating computers never make mistakes under stress.24. Programs are fiendishly perfect and never have bugs that slow down users.25. Any photograph can have minute details pulled out of it. You can zoom into any picture as far as you want to. Example: "What's that fuzzy thing in the corner? I don't know, let's check. It's the murder weapon! Let's look under the bed for the killers shoes. no, just some comics books (Marvel 1954, very rare). Let's check the closet shelves...!"

The ABC'S Of Business Management

. You see a gorgeous girl at a party. You go up toher and say: "I am very rich. "Marry me!" - That's Direct Marketing" 2. You're at a party with a bunch of friends and see a gorgeous girl. One of your friends goes up to her and pointing at you says: "He's very rich. "Marry him." -That's Advertising"
3. You see a gorgeous girl at a party. You go up toher and get her telephone number. The next day, youcall and say: "Hi, I'm very rich."Marry me - That's Telemarketing"
4. You're at a party and see gorgeous girl. You get upand straighten your tie, youwalk up to her and pourher a drink, you open the door (of the car)for her,pick up her bag after she drops it, offer her ride andthen say:"By the way, I'm rich. Will you"Marry Me?" - That's Public Relations"
5. You're at a party and see gorgeous girl. She walks up to you and says:"You are very rich! "Can you marry ! me?" - That's Brand Recognition"
6. You see a gorgeous girl at a party. You go up toher and say: "I am very rich. Marry me!" She gives youa nice hard slap on your face. -"That's Customer Feedback"
7. You see a gorgeous girl at a party. You go up toher and say: "I am very rich. Marry me!" And sheintroduces you to her husband. -"That's demand and supply gap"
8. You see a gorgeous girl at aparty. You go up toher and before you say anything, another person comeand tell her: "I'm rich. Will you marry me?" and shegoes with him -"That's competition eating into your market share" 9. You see a gorgeous girl at a party. You go up toher and before you say: "I'm rich, Marry me!" yourwife arrives. -"That's restriction for entering new markets

The 30 hottest things you can say to the naked women

30 Shortcuts to Ultimate Happiness
1. "Good morning."
2. "Is it okay with you if I take this slow?"
3. "I can't stop touching you."
4. "Want to join me in the shower?"
5. "I want to kiss/lick/touch every inch of you."
6. "I love how you taste."
7. "Do you feel this, too?" ("This" being an incredible emotional euphoria.)
8. "Hungry? Stay right here. I'll go make you a burrito."
9. Her name--her full name--followed by a "Wow."
10. "I'll get the light."
11. "I'll cancel my plans if you'll stay here with me for the rest of the weekend."
12. "No one's ever done that before."
13. "Can we do that again?"
14. "I love your [fill in body part here]."
15. Nothing. Total, deliberate silence. You can stare at her, grab her, touch her, but don't make a sound. If she tries to talk, place a finger on her lips.
16. While looking out the window at people not currently in bed with her: "Suckers."
17. While looking at moonlight reflecting on the ceiling: "What do you see?"
18. "I'll go make coffee."
19. "Waking up with you is even better than sleeping with you."
20. "Let's play hooky today."
21. Any use of the word "hot." Especially: "You're so hot."
22. "Squeeze my hand when it feels really amazing."
23. Words that end in "uck." Yes, even "duck," when appropriate.
24. "There's nothing else I'd rather be doing right now."
25. "I'm ready to go again."
26. "Damn, I've missed you."
27. "How about a massage?"
28. Playful laughter.
29. "Don't ever leave me."
30. "You sleep; I'll go check on the baby."

The samurai are coming

Samurai (侍,Samurai?) was a term for the military nobility of pre-industrial Japan. The word "samurai" is derived from the archaic Japanese verb "samorau," changed to "saburau," meaning "to serve"; thus, a "samurai" is a servant, i.e. the servant of a lord.

Samurai in armour, 1860s. Photograph by Felice Beato

deeply hurt

It is believed warriors and foot-soldiers in the sixth century may have formed a proto-samurai. Following a disastrous military engagement with TangChina and Silla, Japan underwent widespread reforms. One of the most important was that of the Taika Reform, issued by Prince Naka no Ōe (Emperor Tenji) in 646 AD. This edict introduced Chinese cultural practices and administrative techniques throughout the Japanese aristocracy and bureaucracy. As part of the Yōrō Code, and the later Taihō Code, of 702 AD, the population was required to report regularly for census, which was used as a precursor for national conscription. With an understanding of how the population was distributed, Emperor Mommu introduced the law whereby 1 in 3–4 adult males were drafted into the national military. These soldiers were required to supply their own weapons, and in return were exempted from duties and taxes. This was one of the first attempts by the Imperial government to form an organized army modelled after the Chinese system. It was called gundan-sei(軍団制) by later historians and is believed to have been short lived Iron helmet and armour with gilt bronze decoration, Kofun era, 5th century. Tokyo National Museum. The Taihō Code classified Imperial bureaucrats into 12 ranks, each divided into two sub-ranks, 1st rank being the highest adviser to the emperor. Those of 6th rank and below were referred to as "samurai" and dealt with day-to-day affairs. Although these "samurai" were civilian public servants, the name is believed to have derived from this term. Military men, however, would not be referred to as "samurai" for many more centuriesIron helmet and armour with gilt bronze decoration, Kofun era, 5th century. Tokyo National Museum

American Beer

This guy goes to a doctor and says he has a problem with sex."Doc, I think my dick is just too damn small," he says.The doctor asks him which drink he prefers.Well, American beer," he replies quite bemused."Aaaahhh. There's your problem, it shrinks things, those silly American beers.. you should try drinking Guinness. That makes things grow."Two months later the chap returns to the doctor with a big smile on his face.He shakes the doctor by the hand and thanks him."I take it you now drink Guinness?" asked the doctor."Oh no, Doc," replies the man, "but I've got the wife on American beer!"