The Register® — Biting the hand that feeds IT

High Zune: MS loads up for the CES shootout

But it won't exactly be what you were expecting...

See what The Register's experts have to say on application security

Radio Reg What better venue than Las Vegas, America's playground, for the annual multi-billion dollar gadgets and entertainment jamboree that is the Consumer Electronics Show?

Among this year's players Microsoft, entering the arena surrounded by a cloud of rumor over the potential for an iPhone-killing, Zune-based, Redmond mobile phone running Windows.

Yeah, that’s the way to fight Apple: marry Microsoft’s confused mobile Windows strategy with the embarrassment that is the Zune.

Join All about Microsoft blogger Mary-Jo Foley and The Register's software editor Gavin Clarke on MicroBite, as we find out what you can really expect from Microsoft. Hint: it won’t be small, fit in your hand, and you won’t be able to make any phone calls with it.

Also getting stripped down to its undies this episode: Microsoft’s open-source strategy. How can Microsoft reconcile its need to love open-source with its hostility to Linux?

You’ll be surprised. Microsoft’s HealthVault online patients record store might use Windows, but it's the first business service using Azure Services Platform and it's actually reaching out to open-source developers.

Senior director of platform strategy Robert Duffner explains how Microsoft hopes to engage with open-source developers using online services such Azure.

And with 2009 here, what can you expect from Internet Explorer 8? Finished product or more beta? Ordinary internet users can certainly expect more problems, as Microsoft tries to straddle IE's non-standards-compatible past with a standards-compatible future at the flip of a button.

Listen either using our player below, or download in Ogg Vorbis or MP3 format.

MicroBite 4

Questions to microbite@theregister.co.uk ®

See what The Register's experts have to say on application security

Don’t Miss

GoogleGoogle code cloud punts on-demand embarrassment

Fail and You Mountain View's Sarah Palin moment

open source 75Microsoft weighs next-phase in open-source support

Spring, PHP, and Apache sized up

iTunes logoiTunes minus the player: hack your Apple beats

Mac Secrets Dodge the shareware sledgehammer

OracleOracle plans cloud strategy

Exclusive Larry smells money in madness