You may have come across a taste of this if you’ve used the Microsoft knowledge base. Some KB articles include a Fix-It link which automatically applies the corrective action needed.
Well Microsoft have now taken this much further and have released a Beta of Fix It Center, a troubleshooting and automatic repair tool for Windows (XP SP3 or later).
The tool includes many diagnostics for common problems such as:
Hardware devices not working
Internet explorer crashes
Power management problems
Performance problems
and many more…
The tool also gives you an online management interface where several PCs can report back their current status – a feature which could be useful to small businesses?
The tool is quick to down load, simple to install (without requiring a reboot) and is very easy to use.
This could save a lot of helpdesk calls and visits to computer repair shops!
Here’s a couple of interesting videos showing the current and future roll out plans for Microsoft’s datacenters.  This shows just how serious they’re getting about cloud computing!
The first one shows how they plan on rolling out these data centers around the world to support Azure, Live, Hosted Exchange etc.
The next video shows the installation of a new server container at an actual data center in Chicago:
All very cool! Looks like there’s going to be real competition building up in the cloud..
Gizmodo have just posted an update to the rumours around “Project Pink”.   If you’ve not heard of it before, Project Pink was a rumour which started last year about a new phone platform developed by Microsoft which would be focused on Social Networking.  Â
The project stemmed from the Microsoft takeover of Danger (makers of the Sidekick). Key members of Danger were said to be working on a secret project to release two new phone models – the Turtle and Pure.Â
Rumoured Turtle Phone
The latest post from Gizmodo states that they’ve received confidential promotional material regarding the release of Turtle on the Verizon network in the US.  The material has reportedly come from a partner working with Microsoft, so they’re unable to show most of it to avoid giving away their source.
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Here’s the facts so far regarding Project Pink:
The Handset is not running a variant of Windows Phone 7
Recent FCC Filings show evidence the handset exits and will be manufactured by Sharp
Recent Twitter posts are coming from a device called “Danger” from within Microsoft
Verizon appear to be the launch partner
The phone supports a form of App (similar to IPhone, Google Apps etc)
Although the phone is said not to be running a variant of Windows Phone 7 – I suspect the interface will be similar.  At MWC, Microsoft really emphasised the amount of work which had gone in to the interface over the last two years, so I’d be surprised if they ignored the results on a similar device?  Also the screenshots on the render (although fuzzy and small), do remind me of the interface I saw in Barcelona at MWC.
Looks like we’ll be hearing more about this device soon!
