Open-Source and Linux OS aficionados of the greater Portland metro area, rejoice! It appears that Linus Torvalds, the creator of Linux, is moving to Portland after his kids finish school in California next week.

He'll be overseeing the Open Source Development Labs in Beaverton.

OSDL - home to Linus Torvalds, the creator of Linux - is dedicated to accelerating the growth and adoption of Linux in the enterprise.

Very cool.

Microsoft has published online chapters from the SharePoint Products and Technologies Resource Kit, which was just released in book form. Good chapters here it appears, and the printed book of course comes with a companion CD-ROM, which includes a fully searchable eBook along with tools, scripts, and other useful items for SharePoint developers and implementers.

One example of useful tools (I was told the other day by a Microsoft employee who works on SharePoint in the field) is a tool to deal with ghost files. Avner Kashtan just posted about that exact problem. Hopefully the resource kit will provide him and everyone else dealing with WSS and Portal Server beyond an out-of-the-box implementation with the documentation and tools that SharePoint technologies have been sorely in need of since they hit the market a few years ago.

Also, Bill Simser, a SharePoint MVP in Alberta, Canada, is looking for ideas to create some SharePoint apps that he will release to the community. Nice to get ideas from the people who might use the code.

I recently posted about the Windows Media Player 10 technical beta release. Since I have seen a rather large number of search engine referrals from people looking for ways to uninstall the software (it may not be very friendly in that area, but what can you expect from a tech beta...) I thought I would post a quick update. As far as my experience with uninstalling, I was able to do a system restore and successfully revert back to WMP9 (some have said this did not work for them - but that was not my experience). As far as I can tell, system restore is the only real way to roll back from Win Media 10 (Click Start-All Programs-Accessories-System Tools-System Restore. Note that you need to restore to a point *before* the one where that shows you installed Media Player 10.)

Note: Judging by the number of search referrers from Google and Yahoo that point to this entry with “uninstall windows media player 10” in the referrer address, here is a starting point that hopefully will help - but the linked pages are not my advice, and I make no warranty of any kind: Support Newsgroups at Microsoft for Windows Media Player 10 Beta Thread: Uninstalling 10 to 9 Thread: Can't use/uninstall WMP10 Who would have thought my web log entry would be first on Google for that phrase? Crazy... And a quick (not quite as helpful) note to people who installed and are having problems: This is beta software, blatantly labeled as such, so a bug-free experience should be the exception, not the rule. In other words, no surprise whatsoever that it's glitchy. That said, please use the newsgroup link above and post your issues with helpful and descriptive language. Remember the newsgroups are for getting help and reporting problems, so don't flame, but be complete in the info you provide. For a list of the information you should provide, look here. Help make the next version better - earn your whining privilege. ;-)

Lots of opinions out there about the interface changes and - surprise surprise - lots of people whining about why the beta release isn't perfect. My opinion is that the interface changes are a step in the right direction. It's just easier to use.

Hmmmmm, a very cool new “keyboard” is out (well, or maybe not out since it shows to be out-of-stock, but it’s at least available to buy).  The Virtual Keyboard, to be exact. From the product description:

The Virtual Laser Keyboard leverages the power of laser and infrared technology and projects a full-size keyboard onto any flat surface. Compatible with Palm handhelds with Palm Universal Connector, iPAQ Pocket PCs h19/22/38/39/41/43/5000 series, Sony Clie handhelds and desktop and laptop PCs. As you type on the laser projection; it analyzes what you're typing by the coordinates of that location.

Unlike many small snap-on keyboards for PDAs, the Virtual Laser Keyboard provides a full-size QWERTY keyboard. It is also smaller and more convenient to use than the folding-type keyboards made by some manufacturers and similar to them in functionality.

There are no mechanical moving parts whatsoever in the Virtual Laser Keyboard. It provides a projected image that is the perfect portable input device for PDAs. It's similar in responsiveness to regular keyboards, but extremely futuristic looking.

(via ComputerZen)

TechNet's security team has just announced the first version of an RSS feed for its security bulletins.

Finally! There's lots of RSS feeds out there, many of them useful, but this one just got added to my high-priority list. The format is perfect - a headline with the MS-code, description, and update number folowed by a complete description of the update. Anyone responsible - even remotely - for security patching needs this to subscribe.

The Blogosphere just got a whole new solar system. Sun Microsystems has turned on employee-written blogs for the outside world to read.

What's the slant, the position, the purpose, the goal? None, apparently:

“This space is accessible to any Sun employee to write about anything.”

Woah. Cool.

“Here's a yet-to-be-posted Channel9 video, where Susan Cameron, of the Tablet PC team, gives a tour of the Tablet PC.” (via Scobelizer)

What is not mentioned directly in Scoble's blog entry, but is of great interest to many I am sure, is that the functionality being shown in this video is all-new in the yet-to-be released version of Windows XP Tablet PC Edition - presently code-named Lonestar and a part of Windows XP SP2. Essentially, when you apply SP2 to the Tablet PC OS (when it's available later this summer), you'll get all the new tablet functionality as well as the regular service pack stuff.

And referring to the greatly reduced need to use the physical keyboard with the new TIP (Tablet Input Panel) as mentioned in the video, I can vouch for the fact that there's a huge difference there. I hardly ever have to switch over to the keyboard with the new TIP capabilities and improved accuracy. Sweet stuff.

Charles Maxson has lifted my spirits, hit the nail on the head so to speak. Says Charles, “I spell like siht.” Amen brother, join the crowd - although my problem is not actually spelling per se, it's typing.

You see, I typ elike siht.

See?

My method of key-pressing is what you might call the Modified Greg HUghes Hunt and Peck Method (with the misplaced capitalization left as an intentional part of the name, simply to remind us that it's an imperfect method).

I have worked in journalism, as a police officer, and as a computer geek of various sorts. All of these jobs required me to type - a lot. I just never learned how to type “The Right Way.”

But hey - as far as I'm concerned, so what. That's what spell check is for. I use grammar well, can write my way out of a box whenever needed, and am often leaned upon to help clean up writing that needs to be disseminated to large numbers of people.

But still, I type with four fingers, hit the space bar with one thumb, use only one of the available shift keys with a fifth finger (and that's all that finger does), and I lean heavilly on spell check to help correct my typing rather than my spelling.

And Charles - I'm with ya bro' - add spell check to IM, and I might even start to look smart. Taht woudl be ccol. ;-)

My boss, Chris, posted a web-log entry that had me laughing out loud, so I thought I'd share. Check his site for “Thank you for calling the United States Army,” the official (not) voice mail message of the US Army.

• If your crisis is small, and close to the sea, press 1 for the United States Marine Corps.
• If your concern is distant, with a temperate climate and good hotels, and can be solved by one or two low risk, high altitude bombing runs, please press 2 for the United States Air Force.  Please note this service is not available after 1630 hours, or on weekends.

Read the whole thing here.

Don't know why for sure, but I've been on this random kick recently about The Ultimate Answer and all that. Of course, we all know the answer, and how it was discovered:

 ultimate_answer_t deep_thought(void)
{
        sleep(years2secs(7500000));
return 42;
}

The real question is, what was the question?

And that's the hard part.

“I think the problem, to be quite honest with you, is that you've never actually known what the question is.”

If it takes seven and a half million years of Deep Thought to answer the question, but we don't know the question, then what do we do next?

It's all quite mind-boggling. Certainly does not invoke a feeling of infinite majesty and calm.

Who am I? What is my purpose in life? Does it really, cosmically speaking, matter if I don't get up and go to work?

Is that the question??? What is the question?

"Exactly! So once you do know what the question actually is, you'll know what the answer means."

ARGH!

In reality, I have been doing a bit of deep thought of my own, trying to decide what I am meant to do, what it is I am supposed to be doing with my life (assuming I am supposed to be doing anything). Through a series of trials, successes, tribulations and challenges - some random and some not - I've ended up in a place in life that I never would have predicted. I'm not complaining, mind you, just wondering what's in store, what's next, why, stuff like that. Seems like something's missing, and while I have guesses about what that “something” might be, it's hard to put my finger on it for certain.

Maybe I need to play a long game of Scrabble.

Makes you wonder about which industry should be considering an IPO...

According to Hitwise, during the week of May 29th, 18.8% of U.S. Web visits were to 'adult' sites and 5.5% were to top search engines. Says CNN-Money: “Porn 3X more popular than searches.”

This could mean a lot of different things, but one thing's for sure: There's apparently a lot of people out there that I don't really understand. That, and excepting the fact that I have a soul and I value it greatly, it's obvious I am in the wrong business. :-P

I've been installing and testing builds of Windows XP SP2 for a while now, and while I should and will not go into any real detail about that here, let's just say I had a need to use a command-line switch on the installer for the latest version yesterday, but it didn't quite do what I needed/expected.

I mentioned that fact to my friend Travis, who came up with some ideas for command line switches that he says should be applied to all products.

Checking in on the industry between calls, found this news item from yesterday, related to Microsoft's security “tour” program they running right now:

Discussing how some have tried to position security efforts as potentially beneficial to the bottom line, Microsoft chief security officer Scott Charney admitted he was cynical. "Security is a cost center. If there were no attacks, no one would bother," he told a few hundred IT professionals at the event.

So true. Sure, beefing up security is important, required, beneficial and prudent in this day and age. But the fact of the manner is if there was no pain, we would not be spending big bucks in this area.

It's also worth noting that - in reality - a relatively small amount of preventative planning in this area today can save huge numbers of reactive dollars tomorrow and after. Security budgets are important. They may look expensive to some, but when you consider the potential costs on not preventing problems, the downside could be very costly, indeed.

< Cue cheesy commercial music >

This dad did it on eBay.
(PDF available for when the original exprires).

I had to laugh at this one when I saw it, but at the same time I was rooting this guy on and mentally wishing him the best from afar. I know this dad is dealing with something serious.

“SO CHILDREN LISTEN UP DO NOT DISRESPECT YOUR PARENTS YOUR FRIENDS OR YOURSELF BECAUSE US PARENTS ARE SMARTER THAN YOU AND WE WILL FIND OUT ABOUT ANY AND ALL THINGS YOU TRY TO HIDE.”

Heheh... He's certainly being creative and making what sounds like a serious point. At least one father out there who's willing to punish his 13-year-old son for misbehavior that matters (a lot) in the kid's present and future life. Hopefully this is just the beginning of the additional parental attention for that kid.

Father's Day season doesn't always need to be happy - it does needs to be real.

Thanks to Dave for the link.

Have you heard about Windows Automotive? It's for real.

Chris Sells says: “Microsoft Car .NET -- If the reality is anything like the concept videos, I want it!”

Yeah, cool stuff. A lot of what Microsoft's put into their Office of the Future concept system up in Redmond (which anyone who ever gets the invitation should check out). But I could not help but think that if the guy was not spending so much time with his computer in the first place, he might have remembered to pick up his daughter on his own...