It seems that Google is well aware of the issues some users have been having with the speed of its web-based mail service, and is working to make the service a little more nimble.

Some of us will never let the 'Beta' tag go

TechCrunch is carrying word that the question of Gmail’s general sluggishness for heavy users of the service was raised at Google’s Behind the Scenes of Gmail panel at the SXSW festival in Texas. When the question was asked, Gmail’s own Jonathan Perlow turned it back on the crowd, asking people to raise their hands if they felt that Gmail was too slow, a question that saw a significant number of hands raised. He then went on to explain that the issue only really effects “power users.”

Continue Reading

It’s emerged that Microsoft has patented a system by which peer-to-peer (P2P) sharing, or downloading via bittorrent, would see the integration of digital rights management (DRM).

Word comes via TomsHardware of the patent filed by Microsoft, which would help the company roll out software through digital distribution without putting too much weight on its own servers. It’s an interesting distribution model, and one that usually allows users to have their content on release day without fear of stock shortages. Of course, the general issue with heavy-duty digital distribution is the stress on servers, which generally results in slowed downloads on busy days; this is neatly turned to an advantage using P2P networking.

Continue Reading