Stuffleufagus

Let’s see - Microsoft applied for their patent on March 20, 2008.  Mine, for virtually the same thing, was filed November 25, 2004.

Microsoft Patent Application.

My Patent Application.

I think I win.

The problem lies with device drivers. The device drivers which ship with each operating system release is only what is available at the time, so it cannot support new hardware which has been released after that time. This means when you plug in the device, the system is not going to find a suitable driver or it’s going to end up becoming a generic device. I’m sure you too will be quite pissed when you just installed a $300 gaming keyboard and mouse, and it defaults as a generic USB keyboard and mouse.

Up to and until now, operating systems and hardware vendors have tackled this problem by the use of internet updating mechanisms which seek out new drivers when you plug in a device. This of course relies on vendors actually actively updating the drivers in this drivers pool which so far they’ve failed, but more importantly, it requires an active internet connection. The paradox of installing a new network adapter which requires a network connection to download a new driver is a good example where this fails.

Microsoft has just patented an idea that solves both of these problems with one stone. Patent application 20080071935, Self-Installing Computer Peripherals for those of you playing at home.

Microsoft patent makes Plug-and-Play smarter - istartedsomething

written by rob tags: device drivers, Microsoft, Patents

It is nearly 3 am.  I’ve spent the last several hours thinking about an idea.  I needed some Marketing thoughts - so I sought Marketing people on Twitter.  I needed someone to check my math, so I asked on Twitter.  I needed validation of the business, and I asked Twitter.  Not publicly - but privately.  Launching on Twitter is one thing.  Telling everyone WHAT you are launching exactly is another thing (stupid).

But I had all of these amazing people on Twitter that I could reach out to - even in the wee hours of the morning.

And tomorrow I will reach out to more.

And a company will be born.

On Twitter.

Cool.

written by rob

On two occasions tonight the question came up, “What is a friend”?  Both happened around discussions pertaining to social networking. 

Personally, I dislike the phrase “friend request”.  I have *very* few friends.  I know a hell of a lot of people though.  565 in my Instant Messaging client.  That is a lot of people.  VERY few friends.

People I meet on social networking sites are contacts.  Just because they join my network does not make me friends with anyone.  I just made a new contact - and I appreciate it.  But it is still a contact.

Friends are different.  Friends are people that you can call and ask for money and they ask you “how much” before they ask you “why?”

Friends are people that you absolutely trust with really important stuff - like your kids.

Friends are not bits and bytes flowing in through a cable modem.

And if you consider everyone who “follows” you to be a friend, then I think you are doing a disservice to your real friends.  The ones that would raise your kids for you. 

And you would trust them to do it.

written by rob