Top 10: Microsoft mania, AT&T goes 3G, IT awards

It felt like all Microsoft, all the time this week. CEO Steve Ballmer was attacked by an egg-throwing Hungarian, the company said it will support ODF and PDF in Office next year, and it started the week by pitching another deal to Yahoo that involves buying assets and not the entire works. (Note to Microsoft: Take a weekend off already!)

[ Video: Catch up on the top stories of the week with the World Tech Update ]

1. Update: Microsoft to support ODF, PDF in Office next year and All eyes on how Microsoft pulls off ODF support: Microsoft is adding support for ODF (Open Document Format) and Adobe Systems’ PDF (Portable Document Format) to Office next year in a service pack. Users will be able to save documents as ODF, PDF and XPS, as well as set ODF as the default file format. It’s about time.

2. Yahoo postpones board meeting, director resigns: The Yahoo board’s annual meeting was pushed back a few weeks until the end of July when all of the director seats will be up for re-election. Director Edward Kozel resigned from the board, which investor Carl Icahn hopes to replace with a slate of 10 candidates he’s assembled. The meeting was to have been July 3; it’s expected Yahoo will use the extra time to work through particulars of being acquired by Microsoft.

3. Microsoft puts new Yahoo deal on the table and Analysts: Microsoft likely eyeing Yahoo search assets: Microsoft proposed buying an unspecified part of Yahoo. Early bets were that the unspecified part involves search advertising. By week’s end, with word that Yahoo had postponed its annual meeting, talk turned back to the likelihood of a full acquisition.

[ For the complete saga of Microsoft’s bid to take over Yahoo, check out InfoWorld’s special report ]

4. Facebook provides redesign details: It seemed like it would take an act of Congress to get any details, but Facebook finally let loose with particulars of its member-profile pages redesign. Profiles will consist of tabbed subpages for the subscriber’s “activity feed,” photos, personal information and applications. The aim is a return to a streamlined look.

5. ‘Patentgate’ one year later: Microsoft against the open-source world: One year ago, Microsoft claimed Linux and other open-source software violated 235 of its patents and started demanding royalty payments. The company has declined to say exactly what patents are being violated, but it is trying to use the alleged violations as leverage against open-source competitors. At the same time, Microsoft has opened up many of its APIs, meaning it is both embracing and chastizing open source, leaving many in the open-source community tired of the company’s good cop/bad cop routine.

6. Rising energy costs may usher in workplace changes: Rising gas prices are affecting company policies regarding telecommuting as well as leaving a mark on the IT job market overall. Workers are less likely to be willing to drive longer distances for work, because of rising costs. Some can shift to mass transport, while others are opting to work closer to home, limiting the talent pool geographically.

7. Microsoft’s Ballmer attacked by egg-tosser: Steve Ballmer ducked behind a lectern when a student at Corvinus University of Budapest took to shouting and hurling eggs at the Microsoft CEO. The student wore a shirt that said “Microsoft = Corruption” in large block letters on the back. He rose from his seat seconds after Ballmer began a speech, shouted and then threw three eggs. Ballmer took cover as the first one whizzed by. He later joked that he was worried about keeping his suit clean because egg doesn’t come off easily.

8. AT&T to complete 3G network by next month: AT&T is set to be the first U.S. carrier to fully deploy HSPA technology over its network when it completes its 3G overhaul next month. Of course, customers will need 3G-enabled devices to take advantage of the upgrade, and considering AT&T’s relationship with Apple as the exclusive network for the iPhone, many feel as though the 3G update presages the arrival of a 3G iPhone.

9. Codie awards go to Red Hat, Adobe, Salesforce.com: Yes, even the Software & Information Industry Association has an awards program. While big names like Red Hat, Adobe, and Salesforce took home some of the prizes, many lesser-known companies were also winners, showcasing the depth of the industry and illustrating that great coding and products can come from any company, no matter what size.

10. IBM Rational IDE tops survey: A recent survey by Evans Data found that users of IBM’s Rational IDE were the most satisfied with their development platform. While Rational topped the survey in overall satisfaction, Visual Studio, Delphi, Adobe Creative Suite, Sun Studio, and JDeveloper earned top honors in some of the individual categories.