Did you take the time to sign the petition to save XP yet? If you haven't, don't bother anymore. Windows XP is dead. Well, not yet, but Microsoft wants to kill it as scheduled, on the 30th of June. Fortunately, it seems that this widely used operating system is going to prove us there's life after death...at least in the IT world! How's that possible? Well, let's see how can you get Windows XP after the 30th of June, shall we?

<-234x60 Half Banner - left->First of all, you will be able to buy Windows XP installed on certain mainstream PCs at least until the end of January, 2009. Even more, some ULPCS, like the Eee PC, for example, will sell with XP until June 2010!

When it comes to tech support, it seems that "some forms of support" will continue to be provided by Microsoft until 2014!

The funny part is that, after June 30, 2008, obtaining support for XP will be easier than trying to buy it. How's that? Well, for starters, Microsoft offers Windows XP "mainstream support" until the 14th of April, 2009. After that, and until to the distant 2014, the 8th of April, to be more specific, security patches will continue to arrive from time to time, but public bug fixes won't be available for Windows XP anymore.

In the end, we may live to see Windows XP having a longer life than Vista, if things continue to go the way they're headed now. Anyway, best thing to do is buy a licensed copy of Windows XP as soon as possible, and keep it safe. These may become very precious items, after a while...

Do you feel well? No health problems? NONE? Great, I am glad for you! Unfortunately, a lot of IT professionals seem to have health problems these days, and a recent report from Microsoft shows that RSI is more than just something you hear about and read on the Web, because this, apart from being a real pain for those affected by it, it's also a reason for their employers to lose money. A lot of money! How much, that's what we're about to see right away...


<-120x240 Vertical Banner - left->First of all, here's the definition of this term for those of you that are still strangers to RSI, right out of the book: "A repetitive strain injury (RSI), also called cumulative trauma disorder (CTD), occupational overuse syndrome, or work related upper limb disorder (WRULD), is any of a loose group of conditions resulting from overuse of a tool, eg. computer, guitar or knife, or other activity that requires repeated movements. It is a syndrome that affects muscles, tendons and nerves in the hands, arms and upper back. The medically accepted condition in which it occurs is when muscles in these areas are kept tense for very long periods of time, due to poor posture and/or repetitive motions."

A new Microsoft research revealed that work-related RSI cases got up with over 30 percent in the last year, and the lost working hours had a cost of more than $600 million for companies, not to speak about the pain and discomfort felt by the overworked staff.

"Overworked staff?" Yes, that's the sad truth - according to the same study, the main reason behind this nasty situation is the tendency to work on the move more than two years ago, especially because laptops and other mobile devices that connect to the Internet are smaller and much easier to carry around.

At last, it should be noted that from 1,000 office workers, HR managers, and office managers that answered Microsoft's poll, no less than 68 percent suffered from back ache, shoulder and wrist/hand pain, but not limited to these only.

Need I say more? Go get a break, because that's what I'm going to do, right now! Good bye and be careful with your health!

With a net worth of over $14 billion, Carl Icahn is the 46th richest man in the world, owning stock of the video game publisher Take-Two Interactive, Motorola, as well as many other large companies, but what's interesting for today's topic is the fact that, on the 13th of May, 2008, he bought 50 million Yahoo shares, and now he's doing something he has done before - pressuring a company to consider takeover bids... or taking out those who oppose this!


<-234x60 Half Banner - left->Yes, yes, this is yet another round of the Yahoo-Microsoft match, but the Redmond giant is not in the field now. According to a Wall Street Journal report, Carl Icahn will try to take out Yahoo's cofounder Jerry Yang from its CEO position, and then push things further.

Accusing Yang of being unwilling to consider Microsoft's offer and costing the company money in his efforts to deter the deal, Ucahn said that unless the board is ousted and Yang removed from its position, Microsoft will not make any deal with Yahoo.

According to the Journal, Icahn will make a public statement regarding its concerns with Yang and the Yahoo board tomorrow, and I don't want to think where is this going to end up.

After all, it seems we can't sleep well yet, and I am sure Yang won't have a good night's sleep either. The whole Yahoo-Microsoft deal takes a new and interesting turn, and I wouldn't bet anything precious on the outcome of this story. What do you think? Is it possible for Yang and the current board to hang on in there and keep the company afloat, or...