In the context of administering computer systems, defragmentation is a process that reduces the amount of fragmentation in file systems.

It does this by physically reorganizing the contents of the disk to store the pieces of each file close together and contiguously.

It also attempts to create larger regions of free space using compaction to impede the return of fragmentation.

Fragmentation occurs when the operating system cannot or will not allocate enough contiguous space to store a complete file as a unit, but instead puts parts of it in gaps between other files (usually those gaps exist because they formerly held a file that the operating system has subsequently deleted or because the operating system allocated excess space for the file in the first place).

Larger files and greater numbers of files also contribute to fragmentation and consequent performance loss.

Defragmentation attempts to alleviate these problems.

You can read here more about the Windows XP Defragmentation Tool

Regards

Marc Liron – Microsoft MVP

.

Microsoft Songsmith is a musical accompaniment application for Windows, launched in early 2009.

Songsmith immediately generates a musical accompaniment after a voice is recorded. The user can adjust tempo, genre (such as pop, R&B, hip-hop, rock, jazz, or reggae), and overall mood (e.g. to make it happy, sad, jazzy, etc.)

The software was developed by a team at Microsoft Research, led by researchers Dan Morris and Sumit Basu. The product began as a research project called MySong, conducted at Microsoft Research in collaboration with a University of Washington student, Ian Simon, in the summer of 2007.

You can download a free trial here.

Songsmith is the second commercial project from Microsoft’s Microsoft Research, after AutoCollage.

Here is Microsoft’s excruciatingly yet hilarious video for the software!!!

.

Regards

Marc Liron – Microsoft MVP

Microsoft has announced its thinnest keyboard ever, the Bluetooth Mobile Keyboard 6000, made exclusively for Bluetooth notebook and desktop computers.

(For an image click here – new windows will open.)

Projections show that over 55 percent of notebook PCs will ship with Bluetooth by the end of 2010. With mobile PCs getting more compact, the Microsoft Hardware team created the Bluetooth Mobile Keyboard 6000 to address consumers’ need for comfortable and portable computing accessories.

Microsoft Hardware’s Industrial Design team designed the keyboard so it doesn’t sacrifice style, while creating a compact, clean and refined product, offering ultimate comfort with Microsoft’s Comfort Curve layout. The keyboard also features a portable Bluetooth Number Pad that helps people stay productive wherever they work.

“The design tenets of compact, clean and refined really set the stage for the success of the keyboard,” said Chris Kujawski, industrial designer for Microsoft Hardware. “There is nothing extraneous about the design. We removed everything that didn’t fit with those ideas and ended up with something we’re really proud of — a compact, sophisticated keyboard that pairs perfectly with Bluetooth computers.”

Keyboard Looks As Good As It Feels

Microsoft’s thinnest keyboard ever — just a few millimeters thicker than a AAA battery at the back — the Bluetooth Mobile Keyboard 6000 tapers down toward the front, so the keyboard is light and easy to pick up. And to enable the small footprint to still deliver ultimate comfort, the keyboard uses a Comfort Curve design for a more ergonomic typing experience over the straight keyboard layout of notebook computers. Microsoft’s Comfort Curve design encourages natural wrist posture with a slight 6-degree curve that is easy to use with virtually no learning curve. With more than 10 million Comfort Curve keyboards sold, it’s a consumer favorite, with 94 percent of users who own a Comfort Curve keyboard saying they would recommend it to friends and family.

Pricing and Availability

The Bluetooth Mobile Keyboard 6000 and Bluetooth Number Pad will be available in October 2009 for an estimated retail price of $89.95 (U.S.) and $44.95 (U.S.), respectively. The Bluetooth Mobile Keyboard 6000 and Bluetooth Number Pad are backed by a worldwide three-year limited hardware warranty from Microsoft.

More information about these and other Microsoft Hardware products is available at http://www.microsoft.com/hardware

Regards

Marc Liron – Microsoft MVP

.