InternetMicrosoft Loads Up .NET, Visual Studio

Redmond calls the updates "service packs" but they included a wide array of new features -- not just fixes.

Microsoft this week introduced service packs to two vital developer products just months after their initial release, but the bevy of new features in the releases may make them seem more like broad enhancements than the usual collection of patches. The company introduced .NET Framework 3.5 Service Pack 1 (SP1), which it has been beta testing since February, and Service Pack 1 for Visual Studio 2008. Both products are relatively new; the .NET Framework 3.5 shipped last November and Visual Studio 2008 came out in February. Much of what's included out in the updates is new features and functionality, rather than the bug fixes and improvements traditionally associated with Microsoft software service packs. For example, .NET SP1 adds a new concept called the .NET Framework Client Profile, which enables an application to be delivered with just what is needed to install and run the app, rather than the whole framework. This can reduce the size of installation files by 86.5 percent, according a Microsoft spokesperson. RELATED ARTICLES Visual Studio 2008 Now 'Generally Available' Microsoft Serves Up SQL 2008 Updates To .NET Could Boost Client Performance Microsoft Server Bundles Almost Ready For more stories on this topic: Other major features in .NET Framework 3.5 SP1 include a 20 to 45 percent improvement in Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF) applications and changes to the Windows Communication Foundation... [ Read more on www.internetnews.com ]

InternetUK online ad spend overtakes mainstream TV (Reuters)

Reuters - Spending on online ads overtook advertising on mainstream TV in Britain last year, growing 40 percent to 2.8 billion pounds ($5.3 billion) and accounting for 19 percent of all advertising, UK regulator Ofcom said.

InternetDell's Sweeping Laptop Revamp Targets Business

Four new notebook lines, including ultramobile and rugged models, change everything from the internals to the design.