Monkey Bites is reporting that Windows 7, the successor to Windows Vista, may arrive ahead of schedule - after new rumours have surfaced that the internal calendar for the new operating system puts the release date at June 3, 2009.

This will contradict what Microsoft previously said that Windows 7 would not arrive until early 2010.

As well, rumours are also saying that the Professional Developers Conference in October will see the first public beta of Windows 7, during an announcement by Chief Software Architect Ray Ozzie’s keynote speech.

Windows 7 will reuse the Windows Vista Kernal, using the same driver framework - meaning that users should have no problems switching from Vista to Windows 7.

After Stewart posting the first Microsoft ad featuring Bill Gates and Jerry Seinfeld - there happens to be another one, launched today. This new one features them connecting with “real people”, to show that Microsoft has connected with over a billion people.

Video is below:

Here is something I found on the Microsoft Site… I hope you enjoy.

Click here to view it

After ‘fearing’ that it would get lost among the other product announcements yesterday, Microsoft has now said that it will introduce the new SideWinder X8 mouse. The new mouse will feature the same ‘BlueTrack’ technology in the new mice that it released yesterday, but it will be in a more gamer-friendly package.

As well, it includes a play and charge system that allows you to play while your batteries recharge, switchable DPI settings, interchangeable feet to suit your “glide preferences”, seven programmable buttons, and a macro record button - but that’s just a few of the features of the mouse.

However, you will need to wait even longer to get one. This mouse is coming out in February next year (2009) for US$100.

In an obvious copy-cat move by Microsoft, its Hardware unit is set to unveil a new product lineup on September 9 in Seattle after teasing the rest of the world with an animation with the tagline "Say Goodbye to Laser" today. And while we don’t know what it is, it might be some new mouse technology - replacing the laser mouses, which use internal lasers to determine the position of the mice.

Anyone wants to guess what is this ‘new’ mouse technology is?

Source: Seattle PI (via Engadget)

The International Standardisation Organisation (ISO) has rejected appeals by four countries to reject Microsoft’s Office Open XML formats as an international standard, and since no further appeals can be made against the decision - the OOXML format can start to be re-worked to operate with Open XML, a file format used with OpenOffice.org.

Brazil, India, South Africa and Venezuela launched appeals to the decision, but failed to get the support of two thirds of the members of the ISO, who represent their technical boards.

OOXML is the latest file formats that Office 2007 use, along with Office for Mac 2008. It can be read on Office 2003/2004 for Mac - with a patch to the application.

Source: The Register

Along with Windows Live "Wave 3", a new interface will be developed for Windows Live Messenger Version 9, Messenger Stuff is reporting, via an unidentified but trustworthy source, that the new version will use the Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF).

To make it easier for those who are not up to date with WPF, it was a brand new feature introduced to .NET developers in the latest version of the code (version 3). WPF allows developers to create a better user interface than what we would usually see - and an example of a program using WPF would be Yahoo! Messenger for Vista.

In short, Windows Live Messenger will now have transparency effects - but as well, Messenger Stuff is also saying that the design has not changed much but with the WPF effects integrated with the program.

It turns out that at least two people who instant message each other are distanced by 6.6 degrees of separation, or linked by a string of seven people or less.

Thanks to Microsoft’s new survey focused on the popular concept that inspired games like Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon, it contains all of the instant messaging network traffic from MSN/Windows Live in June 2006, or roughly half of the world’s IM traffic at that time.

So, for example, I could be speaking to a person who is friends with James, but has links with Stewart and has met Kenny. That is an awkward scenario, but it could happen. Tell us your own six/seven degrees of separation, it would be kind of fun to see if this is actually true.

Court papers have told the world one fact that we already know: Facebook is not worth $15 billion. This ‘revelation’ comes when ConnectU is suing Facebook and its CEO Mark Zuckerberg for stealing their idea and code.

That value, $15 billion, was the value when Microsoft bought a 1.6 percent stake on Facebook for $240m, but its common stock is worth $3.75 billion. ConnectU argued that the deal was bogus since they lied about its value when Microsoft went and bought a stake in the social network.

In other words, ConnectU apparently nabbed Facebook’s internal valuation - meaning there is a mole in the company. But the NY Times is saying that Microsoft bought preferred stock and not common stock - meaning that they have more rights as shareholders.

So now, we don’t know the value - but we do know two things: It is below what Microsoft evaluated it and it is too high what ConnectU claims.

And you thought it would be dead because Yahoo has a partnership with Google. Well, you were wrong as The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Microsoft has been looking for partners that would help make a new bid for Yahoo’s search business.

The paper is also reporting that Microsoft has met with Carl Icahn, the board member that’s leading the way to replace the current board, and urged him to continue the proxy fight in an attempt to motivate the board at Yahoo.

Who thinks that this is now completely stupid and wants this ended now? I know I do…