Microsoft has made no secret that it likes the idea of subscription based software. A subscription service has often been rumored to be a potential distribution method for all sorts of Microsoft software from productivity applications to operating systems.

The first product to come to market from Microsoft as a subscription service was announced today and is called Microsoft Equipt. The Equipt service will cost users $69.99 per year and includes a combination of Microsoft Windows Live OneCare and Microsoft Office Home and Student.

This workstation is more then a little disconcerting when you first see it. We are so used to minimalist design, it’s nice to see something fully loaded. As you can see it’s like they crammed an entire living space inside. It’s designed by designer Peter J. Sucy and it has tons of functionality. So much so that it requires an arch to enter.

Your first destination, the seat, which is fully adjustable. From there you’ll work away with fully adjustable monitors, a keyboard and a mouse. Plenty of storage here too, all easily accessible. Better still, look at all the room it has for your toys and gadgets. The kid in me wants to live in one like a fort. But alas, it remains a concept. Keep your fingers crossed.

Microsoft has put on an announcement through one of its many channels that Office 2007 owners can expect Microsoft Office 2007 Service Pack 1 to show up in their Windows Automatic Updates sometime on or after June 16. The Office 2007 SP1 has been available since December of last year but Microsoft has been careful about forcing it into the general population of Office users.

As they had done with Office 2003, they are giving a 30 day warning/notice that the automatic update is coming. They also said that not everyone will see it at the same time since they will rolling it out a little at a time to be sure that their servers can handle the download requests.

If you have many untrustworthy people around you where you work, you may want to lock your PC whenever you step away from it. This prevents someone from sabotaging your work, viewing sensitive documents or playing a nasty prank on you. Still, you might forget, so the TF2000 Proximity Sensor can automatically lock your system for you, whenever you walk away.

It looks like a small square webcam on top of your screen. Using ultrasound technology, it detects your presence and acts accordingly. The software allows you to specify things like what keystrokes are triggered when you walk away, how long before they’re sent and how far away you have to be before it locks you and anyone else out.