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Microsoft is offering Free unlimited installation and compatibility support for Windows Vista, but only for Service Pack 1 (SP1). This support for Vista SP1 is valid until March 18, 2009. Chat and e-mail support is available only in the United States and Canada. Phone Support is available internationally.

Normally, only Windows Vista users who bought the retail product would be eligible for free support but, for SP1 installation, even users with an original-equipment-manufacturer copy of Vista on their computer can get Microsoft’s help, according to the official Vista blog.

“We are offering free-of-charge support to anyone who is having issues installing Windows Vista SP1,” Microsoft blogger Brandon Le Blanc said.

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Xobni, the word “inbox” spelled backwards, has created a new way to look at your email.
Xobni is the Outlook plug-in that saves you time finding email conversations, contacts and attachments.

After a quick install, you’ll see the new Xobni toolbar appear in Outlook - and suddenly information will become much easier to find. When a new email arrives, the sender’s full communication history appears in the Xobni sidebar, including past conversations, attachments and contact details. Xobni also includes a blazing fast email search tool.

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Microsoft Corp offered to buy Yahoo Inc for $44.6 billion, in a bold bid to transform two ailing Internet businesses into a worthy competitor for market leader Google Inc.

In what would be the biggest Internet deal since the ill- fated Time Warner-AOL merger, Microsoft sent a letter to Yahoo’s board on Thursday night to offer $31 per share in cash and stock.
Microsoft aims to break Google’s dominance in the market for online search by proposing to buy out Yahoo.

But the success of a merger would depend on letting some of Yahoo’s brands survive and even acknowledging that a few of its products are superior to Microsoft’s, ad executives and experts said on Friday. (more…)

Get a second chance to pass your Microsoft Certification exam—free offer!

Microsoft Second Shot Offer provides you with one free retake of any IT professional, developer, or Microsoft Dynamics certification exam for each paid exam you do not pass on the first try. This offer started on September 15, 2007 and suppose to end on January 30, 2008.

Due to popular demand, the Second Shot offer has been extended through June 30, 2008! For a limited time, you can take advantage of this free offer—a second shot at any IT professional, developer, or Microsoft Dynamics certification exam. Just register for this offer before your first exam, and you will get two chances to pass.

To take advantage of this offer, you must register and pay for the exam by using a Second Shot exam voucher.

• Sign up now.

• Read frequently asked questions about this offer.

Microsoft is giving away copies of Windows Vista Ultimate (32-bit or 64-bit DVD), Microsoft Office Ultimate 2007, Microsoft Money Plus Premium, Microsoft Student with Encarta Premium 2008 etc. All you have to do is fill out a few surveys and allow Microsoft to monitor all your activities. According to Microsoft:

If you agree to join the program, a small amount of data will be collected using the Windows Feedback Program software. That data will be sent to Microsoft so we can monitor how your computer is working and better understand how you are using Windows and Office. This data is collected every time you use Windows and Office. We use this data to help make future versions of the software better and more useful for you and other users.

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