markwilson.it

Last night, I read on Owen’s blog that Google has launched its mapping service in the UK (it’s been available in the US for some time), although in true Google style, Google Maps (UK) is still labelled as a beta service. Also launched with UK content are Google Local (UK) and Google SMS (UK).
Taking Google [...]

As I was writing my post on Microsoft Host Integration Server (HIS), I came across many unfamiliar terms and IBM technologies. In many cases, some quick googling came up with the answers to my questions but I also stumbled across the IBM archives, which provide a decade-by-decade and year-by-year view of the computing giant’s [...]

I began my IT career in the mainframe world. I got my first taste as a 16 year-old schoolboy on a work experience placement (changing tapes on ICL 1900 mainframes at the local hospital) and then as part of my Computer Studies degree I joined ICL, a name now consigned to the history books, where [...]

Michael Surkan, Microsoft’s Program Manager for Networking and Devices, has asked me to post a link to his survey to gain customer input on some networking features Microsoft is considering in the next version of Windows (codenamed Longhorn):
“The Microsoft network product team is investigating ways of resolving peer-to-peer connectivity problems in Longhorn, and we would [...]

I last saw the Microsoft Identity Integration Server (MIIS) product in my days at ICL, when it existed as a product called Zoomit Via. Since then, Microsoft has bought the rights to the metadirectory services technology and rewritten the product in various forms with MIIS 2003 being the latest incarnation, implemented as a Microsoft [...]

A couple of months back, I blogged about a driver to provide direct access to virtual floppy disks. Today, I’ve come across a number of sources (most notably Thomas Lee and Steven Bink), that pointed me in the direction of a similar tool for directly mounting ISO CD images in Windows XP – the [...]

The UK IT industry is a small world and I frequently attend events where I bump into people that I haven’t seen for a while. A couple of months back I turned up at a course and found myself next to a former colleague from 10 years back. This week I’m attending an SMS [...]

Last year I blogged about how Windows XP SP2 improves the tablet PC experience for users. I did manage to get hold of a tablet PC, but unfortunately it came in several USB-connected parts (not like the modern tablets which are effectively dual-purpose notebook/tablet PCs) and so I haven’t really used it. The company that [...]