Oxite open source CMS from Microsoft

Interesting release from Microsoft's Channel 9 Team, Oxite is an open source, standards compliant blogging and CMS engine that leverages Microsoft technologies. I wonder if this is just an experiment, or some kind of view into a potential future for WSS?

CMSWire Article abotu Oxite

Oxite in action at Mix

I'm an Android

While resisting the ever growing temptation to get an IPhone, I finally went and got a G1 Phone (Otherwise known as Google Android). Mainly I got it because I'm already on T-Mobile and didn't need to extend my contract to use it (bought off of eBay). Here are my initial impressions

Pro's

• Hardware based keyboard is nicer than software keyboard
• Open source means folks can code apps that can add all sorts of features (including interfacing with the telephone itself)
• Android Market (their version of the App Store) is free right now and has a lot of nice apps on it
• UI feels very nice, much like an IPhone, better thought out than Windows Mobile (which really could use a UI refresh after all these years)
• Plugging it into my PC and adding and removing files (like MP3's) is a piece of cake
• Was able to create a hello world app and add it to my phone without jumping through any app store hoops
• Applications can run in the background and bubble up events to the phone as they occur

Con's

• Not as slick as the IPhone
• Not multi-touch
• Camera is very slow and not very good quality (despite being 3mp)
• Android Market is difficult to sort on various criteria
• Hardware based keyboard is a blessing and a curse, in order to type anything I have to go to landscape mode and flip open the keyboard. Would be nice if someone could create a software keyboard to use from time to time.
• Slightly bulkier than the IPhone
• Headphone jack is USB not stereo mini
• Video player seems to be lacking in formats that it can play

New Article: SharePoint Quick Branding

I'm happy to report that an article I wrote for the SDTimes web edition was published recently. The topic of the article is a quick branding technique that uses the "Alternate CSS" capabilities of MOSS. This one isn't for you pro SharePoint designers out there... this is for the folks that want to add some nice branding to their MOSS site as quickly and simply as possible. By using the Alternate CSS and a wide image that includes your company logo, you can accomplish a lot of design with little effort.



SDTimes: Share Pointers: Quick Branding