The NY Times has a brief interview with Satya Nadella about his new role as CEO of Microsoft. From the sounds of it, they really may heave picked the right man for this job. He sounds like he has the passion to run the company. Excellent read.

One of the things that I’m fascinated about generally is the rise and fall of everything, from civilizations to families to companies. We all know the mortality of companies is less than human beings. There are very few examples of even 100-year old companies. For us to be a 100-year old company where people find deep meaning at work, that’s the quest.

This tech writer from C|Net finally gives up Windows XP, after worrying about the transition. C|Net has disappointed me in the past, but a person that writes about technology that hasn’t left XP yet? Unless there was some major reason for not upgrading (old hardware not compatible), then I don’t understand the wait for someone that is in the technology field. Most tech writers I know either upgrade to the latest and greatest (at least in a VM or a second PC) or stay a version behind. But, staying with XP through 3 (.1) releases (Vista, 7, 8, 8.1)? That seems a bit much. 

For those home users still on XP, it might be time to upgrade. For those in the tech industry that haven’t upgraded yet for no reason other than “you’re nervous” – get to it!

I’ll admit it. The thought of having to adjust to a new interface made my palms a little sweaty. Yes, yes, I can hear it now: "Wow, Amanda, you’re such a wimp. It’s just an OS upgrade." There’s some truth to that. I was totally wimping out on upgrading, but we’re all creatures of habit and it’s hard to say farewell to something that’s been a part of my daily work life for more than a decade.

The new OneDrive isn’t the only renamed service to launch this week. Office Online is the new name for Office Web Apps. It brings a few visual changes as well, including a new link bar to each individual app.

Today we are making two changes. First, we’re renaming Office Web Apps to Office Online so you know where to find our free online experience. We heard from customers that the inclusion of Apps in our name was confusing. Are they something I install? Do I go to an app store to get them? No, to use them all you need is a web browser. Ah! You say. So it’s like Office, online. Yes, exactly. Office Online.

OneDrive is now online. No longer are you using SkyDrive. If you haven’t signed up for it yet, give it a go for 7 GB to start, plus you can increase it by backing up your photos and referring friends.

Today we are thrilled to announce the global availability of OneDrive. For our existing SkyDrive customers, you are all set; your files are ready in the new OneDrive experience. All you have to do is head over to www.OneDrive.com and log in. For those of you hearing about the service for the first time, OneDrive gives you one place for all of your files, including photos, videos, and documents, and it’s available across the devices you use every day.

The new Microsoft CEO, Satya Nadella, has sent out an email to all Microsoft employees as a bit of an introduction and moral booster. I think I will like this guy!

Today is a very humbling day for me. It reminds me of my very first day at Microsoft, 22 years ago. Like you, I had a choice about where to come to work. I came here because I believed Microsoft was the best company in the world. I saw then how clearly we empower people to do magical things with our creations and ultimately make the world a better place. I knew there was no better company to join if I wanted to make a difference. This is the very same inspiration that continues to drive me today.

It is an incredible honor for me to lead and serve this great company of ours. Steve and Bill have taken it from an idea to one of the greatest and most universally admired companies in the world. I’ve been fortunate to work closely with both Bill and Steve in my different roles at Microsoft, and as I step in as CEO, I’ve asked Bill to devote additional time to the company, focused on technology and products. I’m also looking forward to working with John Thompson as our new Chairman of the Board.

After rumors and guesses, Microsoft has finally named it’s replacement for Steve Ballmer. Satya Nadella, a 22 year veteran of Microsoft will be taking the reigns. No pressure at all, Sir.  

“Microsoft is one of those rare companies to have truly revolutionized the world through technology, and I couldn’t be more honored to have been chosen to lead the company,” Nadella said. “The opportunity ahead for Microsoft is vast, but to seize it, we must focus clearly, move faster and continue to transform. A big part of my job is to accelerate our ability to bring innovative products to our customers more quickly.”

As I have been acquiring several Microsoft certifications, I’ve been wanting to add a new section to the site. I will be documenting and offering tips regarding Microsoft certifications, through my personal experience and that of others. If you have any suggestions on what you’d like to see, please let me know.

As I haven’t wanted to become YATF (Yet Another Tech Forum) requiring registration, I’ve decided to not add a forum to help with this. Instead, for certification (as well as other topics and certifications), I’d direct you to the new Geek Barn forums. I am a moderator in the Microsoft specific section there, and am sure it will grow and help you with any questions or experiences you may have with the various topics. Be sure to sign up!

Microsoft has been leading US sales charts for quite a while (32 months). Now, in December, it once again gains that top spot. This time, for the new Xbox One. Congrats to Microsoft!

In both October and November, Sony had managed to usurp Microsoft: the PlayStation 3 topped the charts in October, as Microsoft customers began cutting back on purchases. In November, Sony’s PlayStation 4 rode the launch wave to become the most popular console in America in terms of sales. But that also left just nine days (as the Xbox One was launched on Nov. 22) for Microsoft to catch up; the company sold 909,132 Ones during that time.

Surprisingly, Microsoft actually sold fewer Ones during December than those nine days in November:  908,000 units, according to NPD data that Microsoft released. But that was good enough to boost Microsoft to the top of the U.S. console market once again.

As the deadline for Windows XP is getting closer, more and more people are upgrading to a newer version of Windows. For some, though, it’s more difficult. Many banks have ATM’s that run a version of Windows XP. Many use the full version of XP, and the hardware isn’t good enough to run Windows 7. So, the ATM may end up being scrapped and replaced. Others run a version of XP called Windows XP Embedded, which is a smaller version of Windows designed for these types of applications. In that case, support is good for another 2 years, ending in 2016.

Even as a Windows guy, I do always look for the best tool for the job. I have not looked into ATM’s much, but I wonder why a form of *nix or BSD isn’t considered for the OS for ATM’s. It’s smaller, easier to update, stable, secure and can run on lesser hardware than Windows. It can also be customized to be a lean, fast OS for that specific use. Any *nix or Windows experts that know something about ATM’s know why Windows is preferred in this case?

The many offshoots of the country’s jumbled ATM network, ranging from convenience stores that operate a single antiquated cash machine to national banks that oversee tens of thousands of terminals, are feeling the deadline in different ways, says Suzanne Cluckey, the editor of ATM Marketplace, a news site that serves the industry. More advanced ATM fleets can do the update over their networks. Older ATMs must be upgraded one by one or even replaced entirely if they don’t have enough computing power to run the newer, more demanding software. “My bank operates an ATM that looks like it must be 20 years old, and there’s no way that it can support Windows 7,” says Cluckey. “A lot of ATMs will have to either have their components upgraded or be discarded altogether and sold into the aftermarket—or just junked.”

Microsoft has extended the support for more than a year for Microsoft Security Essentials on the Windows XP operating system. Previously, they were shutting down the support when support for XP ends on April 8th, 2014. Now, the antimalware updates will end July 14, 2015.

This does not affect the end-of-support date of Windows XP, or the supportability of Windows XP for other Microsoft products, which deliver and apply those signatures.

For enterprise customers, this applies to System Center Endpoint Protection, Forefront Client Security, Forefront Endpoint Protection and Windows Intune running on Windows XP. For consumers, this applies to Microsoft Security Essentials.