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Just received a mail from both John and Michael that they were accepted into the MapPoint .NET Basic Services Beta. More details below:

You have been selected as a qualified candidate for beta testing the MapPoint .NET Web Service. This e-mail outlines how to access the MapPoint .NET Beta through the Microsoft BetaPlace Web site.

The MapPoint .NET BetaPlace site is divided into four main sections:

Welcome – general program information

Getting Started – how to get started using the service

Announcements – updates and server status

Known Issues – matters we are aware of

SDK Download – instructions for downloading the MapPoint .NET Basic Services SDK

A testing focus was not included in the initial mailing, but we will no doubt be able to keep you all informed as the beta progresses.

View: Betaplace.com (Registration Required)

Mary's computers are moonlighting for other people. But they're not giving anything away for free. As her PC works, pennies trickle into her virtual bank account. The payments come from the biotech company, the movie system and the backup service. Instead of buying expensive "server farms," these companies are renting time and space, not just on Mary's two computers but on millions of others as well. It's a win-win situation. The companies save money on hardware, which enables, for instance, the movie-viewing service to offer obscure movies. Mary earns a little cash, her files are backed up, and she gets to watch an indie film. All this could happen with an Internet-scale operating system (ISOS) to provide the necessary "glue" to link the processing and storage capabilities of millions of independent computers. Read more @ Scientific American


Image courtesy of Scientific American