One Man Shouting

Photo by James Willamor
Trying to change the world, one thought at a time
Career Economics Imported Random

Posts tagged 'consumer'

  • Thu
    08
    Feb 07

    Windows Home Server, Part 4 - Technology

    I recently had the opportunity to discuss Windows Home Server with Charlie Kindel, Microsoft's General Manager for the Windows Home Server product. We had an email dialogue, followed by a phone conversation. I’ve pulled together four posts based on our dialogue. I hope to fill in a few areas where the publically available information is a little thin. This is the last post of a 4 part series. (Links to Part 1, Part 2, Part 3)

    Technology

    RH: It is interesting that you opted for a Rich Client vs. Web Interface for the admin panel.  How was this decision made?  Was the connector built using the .Net Framework?  What version?  What language (C#, C++, VB.Net?)  Are there any particular technologies that really shined?

    CEK: When building a configuration/admin user experience (Ux) for a network node, one has to consider the following:

    - How important is “reach”; that is, how important is it that you have broad multi-platform support?  Windows Home Server is designed to improve the experience in households with multiple PCs. And, especially in v1, our solution is very focused on PCs that are running a modern version of Windows. Therefore the requirement for “reach” does not bubble high up on our list of priorities.

    - How important is a “great UI”?  Certainly one can easily build “good” UIs in DHTML, but building “great” UIs is hard. It is even harder to build great UIs in Ajax.  We felt it was super important to create a great UI.

    - Designing protocols is hard. Assuming one was to build an admin UI with a rich UI framework (e.g. WinForms/Win32) and run it on the client, what would the protocol back to the server look like? For the Ux to be great it has to be bi-directional and performant. The RDP protocol already exists and is very robust.

    - Is 3rd party extensibility important? If so, how do you build your extensibility model?

    These, factors, and many others led us to implement the Windows Home Server Console as a rich Win32 application (using .NET and WinForms) that runs on the server, but is remoted to the client using the RDP protocol. This allows us to provide a very rich Ux without inventing new Ux remoting protocols, while being able to provide a great 3rd party extensibility story.

    RH: Is there any email story other than file-level backup?

    CEK: Nope.

     

    Further Discussion:

    Charlie and I talked a bit about how Windows Home Server can be extended by developers. They are planning on releasing an API that will let developers plug into “Peter’s” experience (Check out the Channel9 Video for a description of the Peter persona). Basically they want to let people build into the user-friendly interface to solve different problems like home automation, media, etc.

    No Comments Rick Hallihan
  • Thu
    08
    Feb 07

    Windows Home Server, Part 4 - Technology

    I recently had the opportunity to discuss Windows Home Server with Charlie Kindel, Microsoft's General Manager for the Windows Home Server product. We had an email dialogue, followed by a phone conversation. I’ve pulled together four posts based on our dialogue. I hope to fill in a few areas where the publically available information is a little thin. This is the last post of a 4 part series. (Links to Part 1, Part 2, Part 3)

    Technology

    RH: It is interesting that you opted for a Rich Client vs. Web Interface for the admin panel.  How was this decision made?  Was the connector built using the .Net Framework?  What version?  What language (C#, C++, VB.Net?)  Are there any particular technologies that really shined?

    CEK: When building a configuration/admin user experience (Ux) for a network node, one has to consider the following:

    - How important is “reach”; that is, how important is it that you have broad multi-platform support?  Windows Home Server is designed to improve the experience in households with multiple PCs. And, especially in v1, our solution is very focused on PCs that are running a modern version of Windows. Therefore the requirement for “reach” does not bubble high up on our list of priorities.

    - How important is a “great UI”?  Certainly one can easily build “good” UIs in DHTML, but building “great” UIs is hard. It is even harder to build great UIs in Ajax.  We felt it was super important to create a great UI.

    - Designing protocols is hard. Assuming one was to build an admin UI with a rich UI framework (e.g. WinForms/Win32) and run it on the client, what would the protocol back to the server look like? For the Ux to be great it has to be bi-directional and performant. The RDP protocol already exists and is very robust.

    - Is 3rd party extensibility important? If so, how do you build your extensibility model?

    These, factors, and many others led us to implement the Windows Home Server Console as a rich Win32 application (using .NET and WinForms) that runs on the server, but is remoted to the client using the RDP protocol. This allows us to provide a very rich Ux without inventing new Ux remoting protocols, while being able to provide a great 3rd party extensibility story.

    RH: Is there any email story other than file-level backup?

    CEK: Nope.

     

    Further Discussion:

    Charlie and I talked a bit about how Windows Home Server can be extended by developers. They are planning on releasing an API that will let developers plug into “Peter’s” experience (Check out the Channel9 Video for a description of the Peter persona). Basically they want to let people build into the user-friendly interface to solve different problems like home automation, media, etc.

    1 Comment Rick Hallihan
  • Wed
    07
    Feb 07

    Windows Home Server, Part 3 - Business / Marketing

    I recently had the opportunity to discuss Windows Home Server with Charlie Kindel, Microsoft's General Manager for the Windows Home Server product. We had an email dialogue, followed by a phone conversation. I’ve pulled together four posts based on our dialogue. I hope to fill in a few areas where the publically available information is a little thin. This is part 3 of a 4 part series. (Links to Part 1, Part 2)

    Business / Marketing

    RH: Why did you decide to keep it under wraps?  Other than some comments by Bob Muglia and Paul Thurrott, this was extremely stealthy compared to most other Microsoft projects.  How did you pull it off?

    CEK: From the very beginning we knew the concept was a “big idea”. We felt it was important that our initial disclosure had “pop” and the only way to achieve that was through keeping it a secret as long as possible and then having a significant announcement event. 

    The fact that literally thousands of Microsoft employees have known about “Q” for more than 2 years, and the fact that have an internal Beta program with hundreds of participants is a testament to the integrity and spirit of Microsoft employees. We were very open with them about our plans, and simply (frequently) requested that they honor what we were trying to accomplish and keep the secret. They did.  I’ve been at Microsoft over 16 years and I pretty much love this company. I’m proud of many things we’ve accomplished as a company, but one of the things I am now most proud of is the way our employees dealt with the “secret of Q”. I especially love the fact that this is in stark contrast to how other companies work to keep secrets.

    RH: How did Home Server get started?  Was it a top-down strategic push, or was there a lower level champion for the idea?

    CEK: Egads. This is a long story that I am working on writing up for a blog post on my blog.  The short story is:  It started from the bottom up back in 1999 when I was running the Consumer Windows home networking team.  Windows Home Server is my fourth attempt to get it done at Microsoft (Quattro means 4 in Italian). Those 8 years of effort created both a groundswell of grass roots interest as well as an understanding of the strategic and visionary importance from the top.

    RH: We've heard about HP.  I know you probably can't name specific OEMs, but can you give an estimate as to the number of OEMs that will be on board when this launches? Are we going to see something from the likes of Dell or Gateway?

    CEK: We are not prepared to say anything more than we said in our announcement at CES at this time.

    RH: Have you thought about developing a certification program for certifying installers to set this up for people who are still intimidated?

    CEK: Yes.

    Further Discussion:

    I tried to get some more details out of Charlie regarding future plans and features. Charlie indicated that while they have a lot of ideas that they would like to address beyond version one of Windows Home Server, they are really trying to wait to see how the market reacts to the product, and get feedback from real customers before they make decisions. Beyond that they are very focused on getting V1 out the door.

    I also asked if they might be looking at a different SKU for the SOHO market that would make use of the technology they have developed for Home Server. Charlie explained that the Home Office market is one of the areas they are trying to serve with WHS. Basically if a business is being run out of the home, it can take advantage of all of the features of WHS.

     

    Mary Jo covered some of these same topics today here and here.

    No Comments Rick Hallihan
  • Wed
    07
    Feb 07

    Windows Home Server, Part 3 - Business / Marketing

    I recently had the opportunity to discuss Windows Home Server with Charlie Kindel, Microsoft's General Manager for the Windows Home Server product. We had an email dialogue, followed by a phone conversation. I’ve pulled together four posts based on our dialogue. I hope to fill in a few areas where the publically available information is a little thin. This is part 3 of a 4 part series. (Links to Part 1, Part 2)

    Business / Marketing

    RH: Why did you decide to keep it under wraps?  Other than some comments by Bob Muglia and Paul Thurrott, this was extremely stealthy compared to most other Microsoft projects.  How did you pull it off?

    CEK: From the very beginning we knew the concept was a “big idea”. We felt it was important that our initial disclosure had “pop” and the only way to achieve that was through keeping it a secret as long as possible and then having a significant announcement event. 

    The fact that literally thousands of Microsoft employees have known about “Q” for more than 2 years, and the fact that have an internal Beta program with hundreds of participants is a testament to the integrity and spirit of Microsoft employees. We were very open with them about our plans, and simply (frequently) requested that they honor what we were trying to accomplish and keep the secret. They did.  I’ve been at Microsoft over 16 years and I pretty much love this company. I’m proud of many things we’ve accomplished as a company, but one of the things I am now most proud of is the way our employees dealt with the “secret of Q”. I especially love the fact that this is in stark contrast to how other companies work to keep secrets.

    RH: How did Home Server get started?  Was it a top-down strategic push, or was there a lower level champion for the idea?

    CEK: Egads. This is a long story that I am working on writing up for a blog post on my blog.  The short story is:  It started from the bottom up back in 1999 when I was running the Consumer Windows home networking team.  Windows Home Server is my fourth attempt to get it done at Microsoft (Quattro means 4 in Italian). Those 8 years of effort created both a groundswell of grass roots interest as well as an understanding of the strategic and visionary importance from the top.

    RH: We've heard about HP.  I know you probably can't name specific OEMs, but can you give an estimate as to the number of OEMs that will be on board when this launches? Are we going to see something from the likes of Dell or Gateway?

    CEK: We are not prepared to say anything more than we said in our announcement at CES at this time.

    RH: Have you thought about developing a certification program for certifying installers to set this up for people who are still intimidated?

    CEK: Yes.

     

    Further Discussion:

    I tried to get some more details out of Charlie regarding future plans and features. Charlie indicated that while they have a lot of ideas that they would like to address beyond version one of Windows Home Server, they are really trying to wait to see how the market reacts to the product, and get feedback from real customers before they make decisions. Beyond that they are very focused on getting V1 out the door.

    I also asked if they might be looking at a different SKU for the SOHO market that would make use of the technology they have developed for Home Server. Charlie explained that the Home Office market is one of the areas they are trying to serve with WHS. Basically if a business is being run out of the home, it can take advantage of all of the features of WHS.

     

    Mary Jo covered some of these same topics today here and here.

    No Comments Rick Hallihan
  • Tue
    06
    Feb 07

    Windows Home Server, Part 2 - User Management

    I recently had the opportunity to discuss Windows Home Server with Charlie Kindel, Microsoft's General Manager for the Windows Home Server product. We had an email dialogue, followed by a phone conversation. I’ve pulled together four posts based on our dialogue. I hope to fill in a few areas where the publically available information is a little thin. This is part 2 of a 4 part series. (Link to Part 1)

    User Management

    RH: I'm kinda disappointed that there isn't a centralized user store in this edition.  You mentioned somewhere (C9 I think) that this was considered early on, but abandoned because of complexity. Is this something that might come along in a future release, or perhaps released out-of-band so that the Sam's of the world (Check out the Channel9 Video for a description of the Sam persona) can have a mini AD at home?

    CEK: Shipping is a feature too. :)  There are tons of technical issues which make delivering an Active Directory based solution in the home hard. But the biggest issue is the fact that the Windows client SKUs for the home are limited in this regard.  Remember, that we have a philolsophy that says “If we can’t do it right, we shouldn’t do it in a particular release”.  It is absolutely on our roadmap to climb this mountain in the future.

    RH: Is there any support for centralized parental controls, specifically web use monitoring, content filtering, and usage restrictions?

    CEK: We believe this is an important scenario and will enable it in the future. Again, there is ample opportunity for 3rd parties to add value here.

    No Comments Rick Hallihan
    Tagged as: , ,
  • Mon
    05
    Feb 07

    Windows Home Server, Part 1 - Security of Data, User Privacy

    I recently had the opportunity to discuss Windows Home Server with Charlie Kindel, Microsoft's General Manager for the Windows Home Server product. We had an email dialogue, followed by a phone conversation. I’ve pulled together four posts based on our dialogue. I hope to fill in a few areas where the publically available information is a little thin. 

    Security of Data, User Privacy.

    RH: Can I password protect files on the Server? Basically, I'm wondering if there are any provisions for maintaining the privacy of data on the Server.  Not all families want to share everything that they have on their PCs with the whole family.

    CEK: Yes, each shared folder can have per-user permissions set. By default, Windows Home Server provides shared folders for Photos, Music, Videos, Software, and Public. For each user account you create, Windows Home Server also creates a shared folder for that user. By default only that user has permissions to his/her shared folder.

    RH: Can I exclude data from being backed up by the connector (tricky considering the whole-pc backup)?  

    CEK: Yes. This is one of the very innovative capabilities we provide, and really enables the scenario to work well.  By default we automatically exclude the hibernation file, pagefile, temp directories, and offline file caches.

    RH: What protections are there for theft of data? Can I encrypt sections of the server disks so that if the Home Server is stolen, the data would be protected?

    CEK: This is a capability that is on our roadmap for the future.

    RH: Are there provisions for Off-site storage of backups?

    CEK: We are not discussing the details of this at this point in time, and Beta 2 will not include this capability, but addressing this is very high on our list of priorities.  Regardless of what we do in ourselves in the first release of the product, there is a great opportunity for 3rd parties to provide value added services in this area.

    No Comments Rick Hallihan
    Tagged as: , ,
  • Sat
    06
    Jan 07

    Windows Server Home Will Finally See The Light

    High profile bloggers including Mary Jo Foley, Ryan Block and Daniel Fleshbourne are confirming that the project known as Quattro is finally going to see the light of day at the upcoming CES.  I'm going to go out on a limb and predict that it's going to be a cornerstone of Gates' keynote speech.

    The speculation about what exactly Quattro is ranges from a beefed up Vista MCE build, to a consumerized Storage Server build.  Whatever Quattro ends up being, I'm hoping that it addresses at least some of the concerns from my original Windows Server Home Edition post.

    From the scarce information that has leaked out, it looks like this product is going to focus more on the storage and media side of the problem, and less on the users and management side.  Either way, making it easier for consumers to realize the benefits of Microsoft's server technology is a good thing.  If people get used to the idea of a centralized box in their home, it will be easy to incorporate more functionality in the future.

    No Comments Rick Hallihan
    Tagged as: , ,
  • Wed
    06
    Sep 06

    The Real Problem With The Network Neutrality Debate

    I've been reading lots of well written arguments in the Network Neutrality debate, but unfortunately most of them are missing the point.  Not to say that they aren't factually correct (although some are a little shady), but they aren't positioned properly to win the arguement.
     
    For the record, I'm pro-neutrality.  I believe that the greater good of our economy and society is served by a neutral net.  Some more thoughts in that vein can be read here.
     
    But for the sake of the debate, most of the pro-neutrality folks are attacking this from the wrong angle.  Most people, even politicians, don't understand the economic and technological forces that keep the internet running, yet we keep offering more complex explanations supporting neutrality.  "Lets see, you didn't understand my last complicated explanation, so let me offer an even more complicated explanation."  It's just not going to work that way.
     
    Everyone likes to poke fun at Senator Stevens' "Series of Tubes" analogy, but there's a real lesson to be learned from the popularity of that gaff.  Simple analogies have traction.
     
    If the pro-neutrality folks want to win this debate, they have to come up with simple analogies that will allow non-technical folks to grasp the reality of what neutrality means to the economy and society as a whole.  The telcos are doing a very good job of framing this argument in a way to make it seem that certain companies are exploiting neutrality at the expense of everyone.  They are doing this by putting up a smokescreen of complex explanations, and then offering simple but disingenuous analogies that support their position.  When faced with either struggling to understand the complex reality, or accepting the simple analogy, most non-geeks will accept the simple analogy.
     
    The pro-neutrality camp needs to focus on developing simple, believable, and truthful analogies.
     
    Want to get involved?  (I am not affiliated with this site, just found it while googling.)

    No Comments Rick Hallihan
    Tagged as: ,
  • Thu
    10
    Aug 06

    Verizon Online DSL Tech Support, A+

    I recently had occasion to call Verizon DSL tech support, and actually had such a good experience that I decided to share some brief details.  One evening this past week we came back from dinner to find our internet connection in a dysfunctional state.  I did the usual song and dance of rebooting the DSL modem/router combo, unplugging it for a minute and trying again.  Nothing was working.  I pulled up the DSL modem's Http status page and found that it was reporting timing out on the PPPoE connection.  I knew this was going to require intervention from Verizon.

    I braced myself for the inevitable.  I was expecting broken english, and a scripted support tech that would not deviate from their troubleshooting script no matter how little sense it made.  What I found was immensely better.  After a couple of automated responses, I was connected to a real human who even had a strong command of the english language.  I described the problem, and told her that I was already looking at the DSL modem's http status page, and told her what the page said.  She asked if I'd done the reset dance yet, and then had me try a couple more things from the router page.  I was in awe.  No jumping through hoops (or pretending to jump through hoops I knew weren't relevant).  She knew exactly what I was talking about, and quickly came to the conclusion that it was probably an issue on Verizon's side.  After 3 or 4 minutes, she asked me to hold while she connected me to someone from the network group.

    The second individual verified a couple more things, mostly dealing with the PPPoE login.  He had me try a "test" account, and then set it back to my account.  My connection was still dead, but he was confident that it was a Verizon network issue and told me he would dispatch it to the appropriate team to handle.

    Now my DSL was still dead.  It wasn't fixed for another 16 hours.  The fact that the tech support personnel I dealt with were proficient, respected my knowledge and the troubleshooting that I had already done, and quickly and efficiently isolated the problem and started the process to get it fixed, all made this a positive experience for me. A+.

    No Comments Rick Hallihan
    Tagged as:
  • Wed
    12
    Apr 06

    Big TV Media Still Doesn't Understand The RSS Revolution

    It looks like some media networks are testing the water, but they aren't embracing free media in a way that consumers will really love it.  About a year ago, I blogged about how I would like to see networks embrace RSS, and podcast-style media distribution.  The most important part of my post was that the networks would need to change the advertising paradigm, including the standard metrics from folks like Neilson.

    It seems that folks like Disney / ABC are starting down the path by putting some shows online but they're missing the point.  They are still grasping for their old model of forced commercials, and in the process they are crippling the possible expansion of viewership that would come with free use of their content.  People want to put shows on their video iPod, on their laptop, or simply save them to watch at a different time on their home PC/Entertainment system. 

    I understand that commercials matter to the networks, because that's been their paycheck for a long time.  Unfortunately commercials are becoming less and less effective.  Tivo/DVRs are only a part of the problem.  Most of the time when I'm watching TV, I have a laptop next to me.  During commercials, I check email, read blogs, do work, etc.  I'm not paying attention anyway!  Mark Cuban has an interesting idea for how to make commercials more interesting.  The only way that the effectiveness of commercials is going to go up is if the networks make them interesting. If it's compelling, timely, in-context with the show I'm watching, or funny, then I might pay attention.  Otherwise, you might as well let me skip it because I'm not paying attention anyway.

    No Comments Rick Hallihan
    Tagged as: ,
  • Tue
    28
    Feb 06

    Windows Vista Consumer Confusion Edition

    Microsoft has finally released the official product lineup for Windows Vista.  They are going from a two SKU model in XP (with later additions of Tablet, Media Center & Starter Editions), to a whopping 6 + N SKU's for Vista.  This is bad for several reasons.

    Brand Expectations:  One of the core strengths of the Microsoft OS is that people know what to expect.  By selling all of these different versions, you are confusing your brand image.  Many of the more advanced features are available only on the higher SKU's.  If someone asks how to do something related to one of these higher-end tasks (like file encryption), we must first deduce what edition they are running (Here's where the consumer says "I don't know, it's Windows!  I got Vista, you told me to get Vista!"). People (non-geeks) already feel that they have to learn too much to utilize computers, now you're asking them to learn more in order to buy computers.

    People Will Buy on Price:  Many businesses and consumers will buy whatever is cheapest.  This is bad for many reasons.  First, it's less revenue for Microsoft.  Second, after these people buy the cheaper SKU, they will often be less satisfied as customers.  I've always hated the XP Home SKU, since so many small businesses have purchased it (usually on cheap prebuilt machines) only to find out that it didn't give them all of the functionality they needed.

    How could Microsoft have done this better?

    Option 1:  Two SKU's, Vista Home & Vista Business.  This gives folks a clear message about who each version is intended for.  Beyond that, if you must have exclusive features, sell cheap feature packs.  Instead of having a separate CD or download required for these feature packs, put them all on the original disc, and let the consumer purchase activations quickly and easily over the phone or internet.  Heck, you could even offer freebies (like "Try the media center feature pack for four weeks free starting July 4th, no credit card required!").  This makes it a social experiment where everyone can try out the cool features, and decide if it's worth a subscription or one-time fee.

    Option 2:  Come up with a different brand for the Home and Business lines.  The home SKU's could be Vista, the business ones could be some other two-syllable word that embodies productivity, efficiency, collaboration, or whatever other feel-good buzzwords you need to cling to.

    I guess it's too late, the ship has already sailed on this one...

    1 Comment Rick Hallihan
  • Wed
    08
    Feb 06

    The Nuclear Option for Network Neutrality: Eminent Domain

    I’m reading stories all over the blogosphere and technology news about how the big network players are trying to leverage their control of the internet and do away with network neutrality.  Daniel Berninger asserts that this development will destroy the internet as we know it.  Many others are chiming in.

    While I’m sure many are sensationalizing this, I’d like to put forward an option.

    Throughout the history of this country, the government has had no qualms about using its power of eminent domain to build infrastructure that will serve the common good.  That’s why we are able to have highways, decent roads, schools, public buildings, and many other institutions fairly well spread out through the country.

    The argument goes like this:  The internet is infrastructure that serves the public good.  It enables commerce, communication, government operations, pretty much anything that requires communication can leverage the internet to make services more accessible and interoperable.  If the actions of the owners of the network are beginning to threaten the public good, then the government has a responsibility to step in.  This is even more relevant because the government has subsidized many major improvements to the buildout of the internet.

    Now I’m not sure that I’d want the government taking over the internet.  I could see it falling in the lap of the FCC, and I just can’t imagine that would serve the common good (No offense intended to the fine folks at the FCC).  But the recent Supreme Court decision on eminent domain makes that a mute point.  We just need a couple of private development corporations to propose to some local or state governments that they could better serve the public good than the current owners of those assets.  The government, even at the local or state level could step in and condemn and transfer the assets to a new, more responsible steward.

    Now, like other nuclear options, this one might server better as a threat than through actual implementation.  If a few heavyweight locals (NYC, LA, etc.) let the networks know this option was on the table, I’d be willing to bet that it would never have to be implemented.  The downside to this option being on the table is that it might discourage investment in new infrastructure, but I think that it would be better than letting the network degrade into a disjointed, fractured, and much less useful internet.

    Update 6/19/2006: Mike at TechDirt links to a Weekly Standard article by Andy Kessler exploring this same idea.  Interesting additions to the discussion at both sites.

    No Comments Rick Hallihan
    Tagged as: , ,
  • Sat
    07
    Jan 06

    Will the Office 12 Ribbon Bar be Microsoft's "New Coke"?

    Market research said it was going to be a big hit.  Focus groups showed that it was preferred over the old product.  Customers would be happier, and the new product would provide a competitive edge in the marketplace.

    That's what they thought about the new Coke formula back in 1985. The same (somewhat contrived) lines could apply to Office 12's new UI.

    The Coca-cola company miscalculated how much the identity of the brand was tied to the old formula's specific taste.  Many Coke buyers just continued on their merry way, but a very vocal subset was upset, and they let the world know.  Soon, Coca-cola brought back the original formula Coke, and all settled out in the marketplace, with Coca-cola picking up a bit of market share along the way from all the publicity.

    I wonder if the "newness" of the ribbon UI is going to be too big of a hurdle for the Office brand to overcome.  People have been using the same toolbar and buttons UI for more than a decade, and old habits die hard.  The ribbon may be better & more efficient, but will the public accept it with open arms? 

    Microsoft needs to spend some energy convincing the consumer that this it still the Office they know and love.  Commercials showing typical users being more productive.  Maybe a Maytag Repairman-like "Lonely Office Guru" commercial will be in order.  Play against the fact that the UI may not be familiar, and then explain why the product is still the same, but better.

    They need to convince everyone that this new product really is Office, that it fits into our collective brand image, it's just better.  If Microsoft can't pull this off, they can't simply bring an "Office Classic" to market.  "Office Classic" means that people just won't upgrade.

    No Comments Rick Hallihan
    Tagged as: , ,
  • Tue
    18
    Oct 05

    Transient (Throwaway) Email Addresses

    I wonder if it's time for email providers like gMail and Hotmail to take a lesson from the banking industry.  Some banks now offer consumers the option to generate temporary credit card numbers to use for online shopping.  These temporary numbers generally have a spending limit associated with them, and a shorter expiration period than a typical credit card number. 

    How would this work for email?  The main difficulty would be in the creation and input of the temporary addresses into online forms. The nature of the temporary addresses would likely make them hard to remember.  This is where Microsoft could play on a bit of Hotmail/MSN Toolbar synergy.  Basically, you create a plugin to the form-fill wizard that will detect when the user has entered their primary email address into an online form, and then you could gently suggest that they use a temporary address instead.  You can include options for how long the address should be valid for (3 months, 1 year, indefinite), and possibly let the user select a default automatic replace option.

    On the Mail UI side, you could provide a way for consumers to find out what site gave out their address to spammers.  I'm thinking that the user would just hover their mouse over the "to" address and it would display some basic info such as "This email was sent to a transient email address.  This address was generated on 03/03/2005 for the site http://blobservations.net".  You could also let users expire indefinite addresses, or other addresses that have been overrun with spam.

    The benefits?  This lowers the value of all of those "verified email address" lists that are bartered on the gray market.  Even more importantly, it provides a chain of culpability when your email address is shared without your permission.

    The difficulties?  User experience.  Getting this right so that everyday email users understand it will be tough, but doable.  The infrastructure to generate addresses and route/deny email is going to be complex (but if it lowers the overall spam load, you should free up some of the required resources).   Security?  Essential.  Branding?  What do you call this functionality so that consumers "get it"?  Cross Platform?  Please, leave the API open so that everyone can play.

    Other random ideas:  Let users create vanity (self-selected) temporary addresses.  Maybe provide 3 free with any mail account, and let users purchase extra vanity "slots".  This way consumers would have a way of throwing away overrun email addresses without losing all of their mail.  Whenever a user throws away an old address, let them create a new one for free. 

    Many computer savvy users have been generating and abandoning temporary addresses for years.  Make this easy, and give the power to everyday email users, and the value of spam goes down. This isn't the end-all-spam solution, but it makes it harder to abuse the email system, and hands some control back to the consumer.

    2 Comments Rick Hallihan
    Tagged as: ,
  • Wed
    05
    Oct 05

    Yawn.... Google and Sun are Cooperating.

    The big announcement from today was nothing but fluff, in my humble opinion.  Basically, Google and sun are going to play nice, and the end result is that user's downloads of various Google and Sun products are going to be bloated by bundling.

    This doesn't mean that Microsoft has nothing to worry about.  In the long view, if these companies really do learn to play nice together, it could spell trouble for the folks in Redmond.  Google appears to be sporadically rolling out free WiFi.  Sun's CEO Scott McNealy has previously stated that he believed that computers in the future will be free.  When you bring Sun's and Google's various strengths and capabilities together, it could be a pretty daunting scene for MSFT (the company and the stock).  Google is buying up bandwidth and grid computing capabilities, and rolling out a WiFi last-mile.  Sun has some interesting technology with their Sunray thin clients.  Imagine that instead of paying a service fee (or software licenses), and buying hardware, you just sign-up and receive a smartcard in the mail.  You can use the smartcard anywhere there's a compatible Google/Sunray client.  You plug it in and instantly, you have all of your email, all of your documents, and all of your authorized programs.  The Google/Sun alliance may even throw in a free Wifi laptop to make it easier for customers to hook in.

    Are Sun and Google going to provide this service out of the goodness of their hearts?  Of course not.  In a future post, I'll look at the business case for such a project.  Stay tuned!

     

    No Comments Rick Hallihan
  • Wed
    06
    Apr 05

    Dell Axim X50v First Impressions

    A recent birthday made me the proud owner of a Dell Axim X50v (Thanks Mom, Steve, & Matt!). Although my free-time has been limited, I figured I’d post my first impressions.

    The screen is beautiful! 480 x 640 may not seem like much, but when you cram it onto a 3.7 inch screen, the pixels almost disappear. My last PocketPC was an Axim X5 and the difference in the screens is night and day.

    Wi-fi is pretty great too. This is the biggest difference I see between the X50v and my last handheld. The fact that I can be connected at the kitchen table, out in the yard, wherever, makes a PocketPC so much more usable. With my old X5 I had lots of Avantgo channels setup, but the real-time browsing is just so much cooler. The range rivals that of our Laptop with a Netgear 802.11b card.

    Next steps will include:

  • Buy a high quality screen protector. Suggestions are welcome!
  • Try out Skype.
  • Save up for a 512MB SD card.
  • Save up for a CompactFlash GPS receiver to be paired with Pocket Streets 2005.
  • Set up Ipodder, Doppler Radio, or some other software to download podcasts.
  • Figure out a good way to use the handheld for reading my RSS feeds.

No Comments Rick Hallihan
Tagged as: , , ,
  • Fri
    25
    Feb 05

    Contactless Visa SmartCards on the Horizon

    CNET is reporting that Visa, Mastercard, and American Express are all experimenting with using contactless smartcards to make shopping easier for consumers.

    Here's an idea for Visa: How about working together with Microsoft and some hardware OEMs to make your new smartcards work as secure logins for Windows PCs & Servers? With the reader in-place, you could also allow users to use the contactless cards for e-shopping (note: make sure that commerce sites can't spoof a login screen to get your payment info, maybe require two swipes separated by 5 seconds to authorize an internet transaction).

    If that's not enough, talk to Ford, GM, Toyota, etc, and get them to let me use my Visa card to unlock and start my car.

    Maybe even talk to the folks at Weiserlock and get them to build a Powerbolt model with a reader built in.

    Lastly, don't make it a "card", make it a fob. Or offer to build it into my phone, or let me wear it as a ring or bracelet.

    The way I see it, this is a win-win-win. Consumers get easier identity management for shopping, computing, and even operating thier cars. Visa gets more consumers using thier product instead of cash or other means. Microsoft gets to partner with some big names in the financial and auto industry, and gets to build something better than passwords into Windows, which leads to better security. Everyone gets cheaper smartcard technology when their is a higher production volume.
    No Comments Rick Hallihan
    Tagged as: ,
  • Tue
    01
    Feb 05

    Windows Server, Home Edition, Continued

    I was pleased to see that my post about a proposed Windows Server, Home Edition, generated a fair amount of discussion accross the blogosphere.

    Charlie Kindel provided support in this post.

    Meandering-Blog had this post.

    Chris Gonyea weighed in with this post.

    Bill Lazar even likened my post to a Product Requirements Document.

    And I received a mention and a link on Scoble's main blog, in this post.

    Most of the public discussion seemed to support the idea, with some detractors pointing out the unrealistic price point (I agree somewhat, but I still think that <$500 is the best target price.)

    Other's focused on my inclusion of MCE technology as a failing. My point #6, "Media Server – Take everything that Media Center does, and include it." was probably a bit too broad. If you want digital video recording and time shifting, and a cool on-screen interface, then you should probably have a dedicated MCE PC. The home server should simply play nice with MCE, and serve as a media hub. Trying to include "everything" from MCE is unrealistic, and would drive the price up unecessarily.

    I was a little disappointed that some of the other details went unmentioned: The idea that this would be derived from the Small Business Server code-base, the Remote-Backup subscription service, and the "Home Edition" licensing scheme. Each of these is a can of worms waiting to be spilled!

    Thanks to everyone that weighed in on the dialogue!
    No Comments Rick Hallihan
    Tagged as: , , ,
  • Mon
    17
    Jan 05

    Windows Server, Home Edition

    Some of the most common computer headaches I have heard lately deal with the problem of using multiple PC’s in the home. Many folks now have more than one desktop PC, or a desktop and a laptop in their home. Unless you prescribe to the “one PC per person” idea, the problem is compounded by the location of individual’s data and settings.

    So here’s what I propose: Windows Server, Home Edition

    This would be a scaled back and customized version of Windows Small Business Server, running on specialized hardware, and it would simplify home networking to the point where everyone could enjoy the benefits of modern network management.

    Form Factor: It should look like a consumer electronics device, and be at home in an A/V stand.

    Storage: 200+ GB Hard Drive, Optional RAID 1, DVD Burner

    Interfaces: USB, IR, Composite Video & Audio, DVI, Ethernet, Wireless 802.11A/B/G, Bluetooth, Front Panel Touchscreen LCD, Dual Smartcard Readers. Modem.

    This conglomeration of hardware would be sold by OEM’s bundled with Windows Server, Home Edition, similar to how Media Center PC’s and Windows Storage Server are sold today.

    So, what would this strange beast do? How would it make your life better?

    1. Email Collection & Backup – There would be a customized implementation of Exchange running on the server. It would collect mail for all of the users and make it accessible locally. If you have 4 different email accounts, this server will make them all available in one place. Hotmail, POP3, etc. Give me options to leave mail on the server, maybe even have a “keep remote mailbox size under xx MB” setting, especially useful for Hotmail accounts. Include licensing for the latest version Outlook for all clients.

    2. Profile Management – We’ll call this Roaming Profiles for Dummies. Basically, anytime a new machine is joined to the network, you’ll be given the option of selecting which profiles you want synchronized with this machine. Each user in the household will have their own profile, which will include their settings, favorites, and all of their documents. The documents will be implemented with remote storage. Recently used documents will be available on the local hard disk. Other documents will have to be retrieved on-the-fly from the server.

    3. Domain user management & group policy – Ok, you’d have to get the marketing geeks to come up with some home-user friendly names for these functions, but basically it would allow you to set up new profiles, and manage computer use based on group policy. Example: Kid’s can’t login after 8:00PM, No Internet access on Saturday, etc.

    4. Simple Backup – I want to leave a blank DVD in the DVD burner, and always have current backups. If I forget to put a DVD in, or if the DVD is full, I’ll be prompted for a new DVD. If I get a new Home Edition Server, I should be able to restore from the DVDs by loading them in reverse order until the system tells me that it is restored. The backups should include all profile data, documents & settings. For interactive restores, let me do point-in-time restores on individual profiles or on specific files. I shouldn’t have to understand the differences between incremental & full backups. It should be easy. Limit the number of clicks, the number of disks required, and walk the user through every step.

    5. Remote Backup – This would be a premium subscription service. It would basically take the idea of the backup, and send the files to a server hosted by a commercial company. MSN could run a service, but make the API open, and let other providers get in the game too. You could differentiate on features, and available space. Some providers might offer a simple backup-restore function with a 1-week history and 2GB data space. Others might also allow secure remote access to files & email stored in the profiles.

    6. Media Server – Take everything that Media Center does, and include it.

    7. Home Automation – Have an option to include a home automation interface.

    8. ISA Server, Home Edition – Provide firewall functionality and allow parents to develop specific rules on internet content. Also allows easy sharing of broadband or dialup.

    9. Microsoft Update Services – One-click enable of automatic updates for all PC’s that are part of the network. Saves bandwidth and ensures all PC’s are up-to-date.

    10. Software Licensing – Offer “Home Edition” licenses of all of your popular software. Price it at about 150% of a single retail license, and allow all of the computers on the home network to access the software. Include games. Include Desktop Operating Systems. Encourage your partners to do this as well. The license will be tied to the Home Edition Server, and any machine that connects should be able to auto-install and use the software. If you remove a computer from the network for more than 30 days, the right to use the software expires. Place a realistic limit on the home edition licenses, perhaps 5 machines. Provide free extenstions for larger families.

    11. The Kicker - Make it cost less than $500, hardware, software, everything, $500. Cut corners on RAM, CPU, Video. Make it cheap. Talk to the XBOX hardware guys. Plan to make money on the subscription backup service, and the increased sales that stem from the fact that it’s now easier and less painful to have multiple PC’s in the home.

    Could Microsoft pull this off? Would they? Would this make your computing life easier? Comment or trackback with your opinions!

    Updated: The Conversation continues...

    Updated Again (6/16/2005): Looks like this may actually come to pass.  Microsoft Watch's Mary Jo Foley reports on some comments from Bob Muglia.  When asked about the possibility of a server product for the home, he replied: "We are always looking for new opportunities where server technology can be leveraged, and the home definitely represents an exciting new area that we are looking at along with many others. Much of the great storage, replication, and management technology would be great in a home.  We have seen many people install Small Business Servers at home, which really works quite well."   Sweet...

    No Comments Rick Hallihan
    Tagged as: , , ,