Rare comet flyby

On the night of February 23rd, grab your binoculars and look for Comet Lulin which will make a close (well, in astronomical terms) approach to Earth.

Bill Gates on TED

Bill Gates made an appearance at the recent TED2009 conference. TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design and consists of a series of conferences where interesting people from these three fields give short but passionate talks. Gates spoke at the most recent conference held a few weeks ago. With his recent commitment to philanthropic endeavors, his talk focused on eradicating malaria and improving education. About 18 minutes in length, he emphasizes the disparity in malaria danger between affluent countries in temperate areas and poor countries closer to the equator by releasing a jar of mosquitoes into the room while describing the dangers mosquitoes pose to those in malaria-prone areas.

A World without Windows?

For many computer users, Microsoft Windows IS the computer - many people do not know that there are alternatives such as Mac OSX and Linux. The exact numbers are debatable, but I believe there is general agreement that the Microsoft Windows family is installed on approximately 80% of computers. However, Window's dominance of the desktop may be on the decline. In their most recent quarter, desktop-oriented Windows revenue was actually down 8%. Why is this?

I believe it is the rise of mobile devices and web applications. Laptops and other mobile devices such as smart phones have steadily become more powerful and cheaper, leading many to shun desktops. At the same time, web applications have become more powerful and interactive. Call it "Web 2.0", "cloud computing" or whatever the name de jure, but the ability to access applications over the web such as email (Gmail, Yahoo mail, Hotmail, etc), and office applications (Google Docs, Windows Live, Yahoo Zoho)have lessened the need for a big desktop computer. If your applications and data are hosted on the internet, you also don't need a powerful machine. In fact, one of the fastest-growing segments in the PC industry consists of small laptops with limited power. Called "netbooks", they let users carry a smaller, more portable machine. Often running Linux or Windows XP, they cost much less than a traditional laptop and eschew large hard drives for web-based apps.

This double-whammy, combined with lackluster public response to Windows Vista, has changed Microsoft's fortunes in the desktop operating system arena. What does this mean for consumers? More innovation from Microsoft as they try to regain their lead, and more choices as alternatives such as Linux increase in popularity.