Windows Now

It's been a crazy couple days, so this one's a little late. So here's the "catching up" edition...

• The New York Times thinks the "Wow" was missing from the Vista launch. I think the NYT has a pretty big pair of stainless steel cahones to be able to make that statement without a shred of evidence to back it up. Then again, that's never stopped them before. [via Gizmodo]
• Speaking of "Wow", this is the biggest Windows Vista ad ever. All I have to say is "Holy crap!"
• Symantec says Microsoft's security offerings are a "Conflict of Interest". If only securing your computer was the same as auditing your books. Some companies outsource their physical security measures, some companies handle building security in-house. Why is the same situation for software a bad thing?
• Speaking of security, "Long" and "Zheng" tell us about new Vista vulnerabilities involving keyboards and Visual Studio. Dang those APIs!
• OneCare fails the VB100. Hopefully that's an issue that will be fixed soon.
• How Microsoft Kept Windows Home Server a Secret. If only that worked for the Ultimate Extras program. Clearly it all depends on the testers keeping their end of the bargain. Too many testers have big mouths. But clearly, the Fourth Time Was The Charm.
• Josh from Windows Connected shows us how to create a bootable WinPE USB Key. I just bought a 4GB USB key for ReadyBoost... I might have to buy another one to for this.
• CNET thinks the Vista two-way firewall is "marketing spin". If you're finding the Vista firewall difficult to manage, check out FirePanel Vista. I'll be trying it out over the next few days, and I'll have a review soon.
• Will Vista Run Your Games: The Final Word. ExtremeTech does a very thorough "Does It Run" analysis on most of today's popular games.