Best of the blogs: Probing into an alpha version of Microsoft’s Popfly, Martin Heller finds that, “basically, you can create mashups online by dropping blocks on your design surface, setting their properties, and connecting them.” Heller writes in this Strategic Developer post, that, “you can also embed your mashups in other Web pages you may have by copying and pasting the code for an iframe. There’s also some basic social networking functionality.” Off the record: This week, our author confesses a surrendering to temptation — while working under a pilfering boss. “I knew it was going to somehow come back to bite him, especially when we underwent the inevitable IT audit of all our client PCs, servers, and network infrastructure,” he writes in No Peeking. But first the reason our author got fired, then more about the boss. Working after hours one night, he came across the final copy of that previously referenced audit. “I couldn’t resist. I opened the attachment and viewed it.” Then a pair of printing goofs, leaving a trail that was uncovered the following morning. “My boss did get demoted when the state learned he’d been taking equipment that eventually stocked the PC repair shop he’s started.” The news beat: Microsoft launches Windows Live Mail beta 2.0, and says it will eventually replace the Windows Mail built-into Vista. Software AG details its plans for webMethods products in terms of integrating wares and eliminating overlap. Dell announces that it will sell virtualization services via partnerships with Microsoft, Novell, Red Hat and VMware. And a hacker posts an attack for Google Desktop that can sneak into victims’ PCs. Video: In The Week Ahead with Gina Smith, she looks at what’s in store for June’s first. Microsoft’s Tech Ed conference, for one. Also, a pow-wow about telepresence, the upcoming partnership between Google and Salesforce.com and, of course, Robert X. Cringely comments from afar, wondering why Bill Gates does not have a better leash on Steve Jobs. Watch it here. Software Development