From PC World

Microsoft and the entertainment industry’s holy grail of controlling copyright through the motherboard has moved a step closer with Intel now embedding digital rights management within in its latest dual-core processor Pentium D and accompanying 945 chipset.

Officially launched worldwide on the May 26, the new offerings come DRM-enabled and will, at least in theory, allow copyright holders to prevent unauthorized copying and distribution of copyrighted materials from the motherboard rather than through the operating system as is currently the case.

I hope that AMD sees a big opportunity here and tells the RIAA and MPAA where to shove it. I ditched Intel chips three computer upgrades ago and this just cements that decision going forward. I don’t need Microsoft or Intel telling me how to use my computer. The rules are never devised in favor of the consumer.

As I was waiting for my toast this morning I noticed a small carton of nasel spray. On the box, in big black and yellow letters it states, “FOR THE NOSE” and shows a picture of a very pointy nose. The instructions tell me to “use two sprays into each nostril”.

For those who are still confused on its proper usage the following warning is printed down the side: “should not be sprayed into the eyes”.

OUCH!

Over at Creating Passionate Users Kathy Sierra comments on Mrs. Fields Cookie and their policy which forces employees to toss all left over cookies at closing. This made me think how I’ve been treated as an employee at various companies.

I’ve never felt more trusted than when I worked at Microsoft. From day one, I felt like I was able to make decisions and employ resources in order to get my job done. When I needed a new laptop, I got one. When I wanted to play around on Linux I was able to order a machine on which to install it. I felt empowered to learn about Microsoft products as well as competing products. And I wasn’t some hotshot manager either. I was a brand new product manager on the low end of the company org chart.

Another company I worked for had little trust for anyone. This company was a start-up in the Seattle area, and we had a person counting the free sodas to ensure nobody was taking a stash home at night. Not sure how anyone would be able to tell, but the company thought it was a big enough problem to assign a controller to monitor our pop intake.

How a company handles my expense reports has been a pretty reliable gauge in how well it trusts its employees. How many layers of management does your expense report pass through before it’s approved? How long does it take before you see your money? At Microsoft my manager would approve my reports quickly, and I had my money back within three days max. It was a very simple process in which I felt trusted. Companies that exhibit trust like this make me never want to give them a reason not to trust me. I’m very careful with my expenses in this type of setup. But companies that have hassled me over expenses have made me want to spend the very maximum when they question everything.

Do you spend as much time on the upkeep of your computer as you do working or playing on it? It seems with each new version of Windows, I spend more time making sure my machine is backed up, patched, scanned and probed for a myriad of junk that Windows can’t handle with without my input. Shouldn’t each new version of Windows make it EASIER to me to handle many of these basic upkeep chores? I’m still shocked that XP Pro doesn’t include a backup or mirrored directory module although they did recently add a Spyware program. This should be built into Longhorn and run without much user input.

Imagine each new car you purchase every few years required more maintenance than the one before it? More add-ons to keep it from crashing. Pretty soon I’d park my car and start taking public transportation. I have a “Tools” folder on my Start Menu that’s contains more programs than my “Programs” menu! Microsoft needs to figure this out. It’s already out of hand. The poor newbie computer users must wonder what they get themselves into once they find out their new system will require near daily coddling in order to run effectively.

I want a universal update tool that scans my system and tells me what needs to be updated. I’m tired of manually searching around websites trying to figure out if I have the latest version with all the security patches. How come Windows update and Office update can’t work together? Why can’t Microsoft scan my system and tell me if any of their own products are out of date and need patching?

It’s going to be a long 18 months to Longhorn. I think a Mac is in my future.

A number of people have asked me about blogs over the past few weeks. I must not do a very good job explaining what a blog is because the person asking me usually walks off shaking his or her head. From now on I’m going to suggest a few of the blog I read and tell them to check them out on their own. Maybe the best way to learn about blogs is to just dive in and start reading a few. So here is a list of my Top 10 favorite blogs in no certain order:

Rocketboom – technically, this is a videoblog but it’s just wacky fun. Amanda is hilarious as she quickly moves from topic to topic such as “Why Volvo’s are Cool”.

Creating Passionate Users – I wish I could write like Kathy Sierra. A marketing specific blog but interesting to anyone. I’ve learned more about marketing reading her blog than I did in college or any textbook.

Scobleizer – You can’t pickup a magazine lately without reading about Microsoft’s most famous blogger, Robert Scoble. I’ve picked up so many interesting blogs by reading this blog. Some of the best action is in the comments section. Does this guy have the best job in the world or what?

Blog Maverick – You want strong opinion and passion then read this blog by Mark Cuban, billionaire owner of the Dallas Mavericks and HDNet. Mark discusses topics that feel five to ten years out. I disagree with many of his ideas and opinions but he definitely makes me think.

Gapingvoid – You might have come across this guys cartoons which he creates on the back of business cards. Some strong language but very funny.

Chris Pirillo – This guy is team captain of the nerds. One reason I find Chris so interesting is that I never know what he’s going to talk about next. I wish he had moved to Seattle sooner while I lived there so I would have had a chance to meet him. He has a great sense of humor.

PVRBlog – The blog for Tivo lovers. Matt Haughey puts the technology behind Tivo into a language that all can understand. I like the simplicity of his blog as well.

Scripting News – The first blog I ever read. Dave Winer is one of the most influential voices on the internet. This is another good place to discover other blogs of interest. Updated numerous times a day.

Heather’s Marketing & Finance Blog – Boring name but a very interesting blog. Heather gives the most in-depth “Apprentice” updates you’ll find. I used to think she came across as a “know it all” but I’ve come to think that maybe she does. No nonsense attitude and unique writing style make for an interesting read.

Dooce – This blog has been around a while but I just came across it. Want to know how the verb “dooced” came to mean losing one’s job due to blogging? Go to this blog and under Categories select Dooced. Another person I envy because her writing skills are fantastic.

I know I’ve left a lot of blogs off the list that are incredibly interesting. I read about 75 blogs regularly and probably another 100 or so occasionally. What are some of your favorite?

Have you noticed how companies are segmenting products you never thought possible? Take Crest Toothpaste for example. Gone are the days of merely choosing between a regular “paste” or “gel”. Crest now has 13 different categories of toothpaste! And within each category you’ll find another half dozen or more varieties tailored to your family’s toothpaste needs. Say, for instance, you’ve spent the last 15 minutes at your neighborhood Target narrowing down your choices to the “whitening” category. Now the fun starts. Crest has the following “whitening” varieties of toothpaste:

• Vivid White
• Whitening Plus Scope
• Dual Action Whitening
• Tarter Protection Whitening
• Whitening Expressions
• Rejuvenating Effects
• Extra Whitening
• Multi-Care Whitening

What is going on here? Maybe Crest has done such extensive market research that they can segment the toothpaste customer into dozens of absurd categories. The choices are downright overwhelming. I usually just chose whatever toothpaste is on sale and call it a day. I don’t think we are far from the day where Crest will have toothpaste genetically engineered for just my family, and they will ship it to me directly. They will call it “Crest: Never Whiter Nordquist”.

I stopped by Albertsons on the way into work this morning to pickup some nasal drops. I figured I’d be in and out. I was wrong. I found the Afrin Nasal Spray, but then got bogged down selecting which variety was right for me. Do I need Original formula, Severe Congestion, Extra Moisturizing or Sinus? I felt compelled to see a doctor before making this purchase. What would happen if I chose the wrong one? I decided on the Original formula because last time I went with Sinus and it felt like I was shooting hot sauce up my nose.