The Microsoft/AOL settlement comes as no great surprise, as Microsoft needs the muscle of a major multispectrum online content provider to drive the acceptance of a digital rights management scheme that can be pushed through as yet another de facto industry standard. It's doubtful that all other hatchets will be buried as peacefully as the initial spin would have it, but at the end of the day an accepted DRM strategy is all that Microsoft needs out of the deal to declare themselves the smart ones. All part of the greater picture of Microsoft's rapidly evolving content-centric "embrace and extend" strategy to guarantee themselves a place in the home entertainment centers and work spaces of the future. This is the focus of this week's news analysis piece, coming soon to a ShoreLines newsletter near you!