Fiji Media Center Beta Inches Closer

We have been waiting for Microsoft to open the beta for Fiji, the suspected codename for the next version of Media Center for well over a year now.  I first posted about it in March of last year, with invites first opening just a month after that, and now it appears we may finally have taken a step forward.

Users (who shall remain nameless, because I edited them out) at The Green Button are reporting that they have received e-mails from Microsoft Connect.  If true, this would be the first step to finally getting something in our hands to play with (under NDA of course).

This release will bring DIRECTV support among other unannounced features.  I had expected it to include HD DVD support, but I wouldn’t count on that any more.  Other features have been kept under tight wraps, though I’ve got a few in mind that I’m rather sure will be there.

Update: Engadget HD points to a user who leaked their invite for the DIRECTV beta (bad move, considering Engadget published their first name!).

 

Source: msmvps.com

Windows Vista SP1 Survival Guide

After a little more than a year in the wild, it's high time for Windows Vista to receive the service pack it deserves. While Service Pack 1 won't change the way Windows Vista looks or feels, for the most part, it will improve many things about the way it runs, based on both Microsoft 's internal testing and the feedback of tens of thousands of users.
SP1 has been both heavily anticipated and badly needed. While the gold release of Vista was for the most part solid enough to use as a production system, there were still many frustrating rough edges.
In the light of these problems, one of the most commonly repeated canards about using Vista was, "I'll just wait until SP1 comes out." Well, SP1 is now almost out. A release candidate, which is the version we tested, was made available towards the end of last year. More recently, Microsoft officially released SP1 to manufacturing in February to TechNet and MSDN customers. The actual, wide public release to users at large is expected sometime in March. 

Full story: InformationWeek

Announcing the Windows Search 4.0 Preview

To search for files on my PCs, I use Windows Search - Windows Vista's desktop search feature. I use Windows Search specifically to find photos that I've tagged in Windows Live Photo Gallery or important emails and Word documents. I also rely on saving specific searches that I can go back to later on. Searching and being able to find important files quickly on my PC is very important to me.  And Windows Search allows me to "find my stuff" whenever I need to. Today we get to see a little "preview" of the next step for Windows Search. The Windows Search Team is making available Windows Search 4.0 Preview - a preview of the next version of desktop search for Windows.

Windows Search 4.0 introduces several improvements I'd like to call out making search even better in Windows Vista:

• With Windows Search 4.0, the Windows Search Team has fixed most of the reported bugs causing a majority of distractions users have seen since Windows Vista RTM - many of those bugs were reported by you.
• Great improvements have been made with regards to performance.Even now as Preview, Windows Search 4.0 has query response time about 33%faster than search queries in Windows Vista RTM.
• The Windows Search Team has extended Remote Index Discovery for PC-to-PC search to work onevery supported version of Windows. This makes finding information on other PCs running Windows Search 4.0 quick and less resource-consuming. Now Windows Search can find information shared on a remote PC by accessing an index on that PC - and you will open files only when relevant to your search. This will also work if the user's profile is redirected.
• The Windows Search Team has implemented Rollback Recovery where your search index will roll back to the last known good state (this is good in handling disc write errors). If an error occurs, your index isn't rebuilt from scratch; only the newly changed files are added to the index, making recovery from system errors not as disruptive to the machine or the user

Being able to find files isn't just important to consumers - it is also important to IT Professionals managing enterprise environments. The Windows Search Team has made some improvements in Windows Search 4.0 that IT Professionals should take note of:

• We have improved performance when indexing Exchange in online mode, sending fewer packets and making less RPC calls. In this process we apply significantly less load on the Exchange server too.
• Support for Group Policy settings is extended and improved; per-user policy is supported now.
• We now support EFS - Windows Search 4.0 will index encrypted files, and user can search for them in the sane UI and through the same user experience as seen with regular, unencrypted files.

IT Professionals can expect a smooth deployment for Windows Search 4.0 and easier support.

With Windows Search 4.0, the Windows Search Team has taken the next step in improving the PC search experience in Windows. To download and check out the Windows Search 4.0 Preview yourself, click here. I encourage folks to try out the Windows Search 4.0 Preview and let us know what you think!

source- Windows Vista Blog

Microsoft Digital Home Makeover Contest

You’re living the digital lifestyle. The only problem is that you’ve got thousands of digital photos, mp3s, TV shows, spread across a bunch of devices that don’t seem to connect. Wouldn’t it be nice if all of your digital media was shared across all of your devices…seamlessly.

Our makeover team will use Windows® Media Center and Extenders for Windows® Media Center to turn one lucky person’s home into a connected entertainment center. Just make a video telling us about your digital lifestyle and why you need to “Get Connected.” We’ll pick the best video and award the winner a complete digital home makeover.

The Microsoft® Digital Home Makeover will include a new Media Center PC, Extenders for Windows Media Center, and the other accessories you need to enjoy your digital lifestyle.

Send us your two-minute video and we’ll get your gadgets speaking the same language so your digital lifestyle connects.

Prizes

One (1) Grand Prize Winner will receive a "Digital Home Makeover". Grand Prize consists of a custom home entertainment system evaluation from an expert plus up to $10,000 USD in custom solutions based on the expert's evaluation. Total Approximate Retail Value=$10,000 USD. This prize may or may not include the various items depicted in any promotional materials for this Contest. This prize does not include remodeling or redecorating the winner's home to accommodate any new equipment awarded. Any applicable taxes on the prize or expenses not listed herein are the sole responsibility of the winner. Sponsor reserves the right to substitute a prize of equal or greater value if entire prize or a portion of the advertised prize is unavailable for any reason. Prize is not redeemable for cash. No barter, transfer, or assignment of any prize permitted, except by Sponsor at its sole discretion. Expert will be designated and provided by Sponsor at their sole discretion. Some restrictions may apply and all terms and conditions of the prize offered will be furnished at the time of prize award.

For more info visit: http://www.windowsmediacenter.com/contest

Citigroup: Microsoft likely to raise bid for Yahoo

Microsoft will most likely increase its initial $44.6 billion bid for Yahoo, according to a Citigroup Investment Research analyst.

"We believe that a Yahoo sale to Microsoft -- at a price higher than the initial $31 [per share] bid -- is the most likely outcome," said analyst Mark Mahaney in a research note Monday.

Yahoo's board of directors rejected Microsoft's initial offer saying it undervalued the company.

Mahaney added that the limited combined market share of the two companies would also allow the deal to get the thumbs up from governmental regulators.

Citigroup also raised its price target on Yahoo's stock to $34 from $31, saying that the new target price reflected its belief that Microsoft would increase its bid for the company.

"We think the strategic value of Yahoo to Microsoft is very significant," Mahaney said.

Mahaney said Microsoft is unlikely to walk away from the deal because it has yet to make significant inroads in the area of online advertising, especially against market leader Google, despite efforts to do so for the past three to four years. The only way Microsoft could compete with Google would be to acquire Yahoo, the analyst said.

Mahaney said Yahoo is aggressively pursuing other alternatives to Microsoft's unsolicited takeover bid, although he doesn't see any competing bidders for the company.

Source: www.infoworld.com

Windows Mobile 6.1 to be released on 1 April

Pocket-lint has learnt from sources close to the matter that Microsoft will announce the much-rumoured refresh to its mobile phone operating system, Windows Mobile, on 1 April 2008.
An improvement over Windows Mobile 6 released in February 2007 the new version, unsurprisingly named 6.1, will be a stop-gap measure to keep both consumers and industry happy until the launch of Windows Mobile 7.
Leaked screenshots of 6.1 have already done the rounds in the blogosphere, and show the system has been simplified with the screens displaying less mess than the Vista-inspired version 6.

Source: www.pocket-lint.co.uk

Microsoft admits it knew about, didn't patch, bugs

Microsoft Corp.'s security team today acknowledged that it knew of bugs in its Jet Database Engine as far back as 2005 but did not patch the problems because it thought it had blocked the obvious attack vectors.

A researcher at Symantec Corp. said Microsoft should have fixed the flaws years ago.

In a post to the Microsoft Security Research Center (MSRC) blog late Monday afternoon, Mike Reavey, the MSRC's operations manager, admitted that outside researchers had notified Microsoft in 2005 and 2007 of separate bugs in Jet, a Windows component that provides data access to applications such as Microsoft Access and Visual Basic.

Source- Computerworld

Microsoft May Bring Office Suite to the iPhone

Among the most requested software for the iPhone is a suite of applications to allow users to work with Microsoft Office files. One company that's considering developing this is at once the most surprising and the most obvious: Microsoft itself.

A team of Microsoft developers is currently testing the iPhone Software Development Kit (SDK) with an eye toward making a version of Office, according to Fortune. The company is a long way away from making any commitments, though.

The iPhone currently allows users to view Word documents that come in as email attachments, but a version of Microsoft Office would allow these documents to be edited, too.

Source- Brighthand

Halo 3 Heroic Map Pack Now A Free Download

Microsoft on Tuesday eliminated the charge for a series of downloadable maps for its smash hit Halo 3 video game. The add-on maps let online players add new battle zones to the Xbox 360 title.

The three maps in the Halo 3 Heroic Map Pack are now available for free through the Xbox Live marketplace. The maps previously cost 800 "Microsoft points", or about $10.00.

One map, called "Standoff," features a symmetrical valley with entrenched bases and boulders for cover. Another, titled "Rat's Nest", provides players with "labyrinthine passages" to work through, according to Microsoft. Finally, "Foundry" includes numerous, editable objects -- such as walls, bridges, and tunnels -- that players can place wherever they like to create a custom battlefield.

Microsoft also said it would release a new series of maps on April 15 in a suite called the Legendary Map Pack. The pack will cost 800 Microsoft points.

A first person shooter, Halo 3 features a biologically enhanced super-soldier named Master Chief who -- armed with plasma rays and other futuristic weapons -- has to blast his way through various levels to accomplish missions. He's countered by an alliance of hostile aliens called The Covenant.

Since it Halo 3, Halo 3 has set numerous video game industry sales records. It posted $170 million in first day receipts, and took in $300 million in its first week. To date, more than 5 million copies of Halo 3 have been sold.

Master Chief was ensconced in popular culture when Madame Tussauds' wax museum in Las Vegas in September unveiled a "life size" statue of the character standing 7-feet, 2-inches tall.

Source- InformationWeek

Microsoft Quietly Launches Interoperability Forum

When Microsoft laid out its broad commitment to more openness last month, one of the concrete steps it said it would take was the opening of the Interoperability Forum to allow customers around the world to have an open dialogue on how Microsoft products could work better with those of other vendors. That forum is now online, albeit empty and unannounced.

One of the four interoperability principles Microsoft announced last month was a pledge to more openly engage customers, partners, and third-party vendors in conversation about the company's direction. The company announced that it would be holding a series of events, hosting online content, and directly engaging people online to create a deeper conversation about how Microsoft should be integrating and interoperating with third-party products.

The Interoperability Forum is one of those new ventures, though its presence isn't the most out in the open. Hosted on Microsoft's MSDN Forums, the Interoperability Forum has thus far seen only posts from Microsoft, with no community involvement whatsoever. In order to get to the forum, which appears to have launched March 19, those interested have to know where to look on Microsoft's own interoperability Web site, and then have to click through several screens to get to the actual forum.

Microsoft's forum has three areas: interoperability conversations, technical interoperability scenarios, and achieving interoperability through standards. The first aims to facilitate general conversation, the next to discuss and resolve technical issues related to interoperability, and the third to talk about how Microsoft should adhere to industry standards.

There are other places where Microsoft has begun a dialogue about interoperability, such as Port 25, a Microsoft blog that focuses on Microsoft's involvement in and engagement with the open source community. The company has also set up more formal ventures with top customers and partners to determine where interoperability is most important, including a group of top CIOs and CTOs called the Interoperability Customer Executive Council and a similar group of software vendors called the Interop Vendor Alliance.

Source- InformationWeek

Hyper-V Management tool for Vista released

Update for Windows Vista (KB949758)

Install this update to enable remote management of a Windows Server 2008 computer running the Hyper-V RC0 role.

Update for Windows Vista x64 Edition (KB949758)

Install this update to enable remote management of a Windows Server 2008 computer running the Hyper-V RC0 role.

Microsoft Security Assessment Tool 3.5

The Microsoft Security Assessment Tool 3.5 is the revised version of the original Microsoft Security Risk Self-Assessment Tool (MSRSAT), released in 2004 and the Microsoft Security Assessment Tool 2.0 released in 2006. Security issues have evolved since 2004 so additional questions and answers were needed to ensure you had a comprehensive toolset to become more aware of the evolving security threat landscape that could impact your organization.
The tool employs a holistic approach to measuring your security posture by covering topics across people, process, and technology. Findings are coupled with prescriptive guidance and recommended mitigation efforts, including links to more information for additional industry guidance. These resources may assist you in keeping you aware of specific tools and methods that can help change the security posture of your IT environment.
There are three assessments that define the Microsoft Security Assessment Tool:

• Business Risk Profile Assessment
• Defense in Depth Assessment (UPDATED)
• Mid-Market Security Core Infrastructure Operations Assessment (NEW)

The questions identified in the survey portion of the tool and the associated answers are derived from commonly accepted best practices around security, both general and specific. The questions and the recommendations that the tool offers are based on standards such as ISO 17799 and NIST-800.x, as well as recommendations and prescriptive guidance from Microsoft’s Trustworthy Computing Group and additional security resources valued in the industry.

Download Here

Microsoft Remote Server Administration Tools for Windows Vista SP1

Microsoft Remote Server Administration Tools (RSAT) enables IT administrators to remotely manage roles and features in Windows Server 2008 from a computer running Windows Vista with SP1. It includes support for remote management of computers running either a Server Core installation or the full installation option of Windows Server 2008. It provides similar functionality to Windows Server 2003 Administration Tools Pack.

• Microsoft Remote Server Administration Tools for Windows Vista SP1 32-bit Edition (KB941314)
• Microsoft Remote Server Administration Tools for Windows Vista SP1 64-bit Edition (KB941314)

Microsoft Partners with Top Social Networks to Put Users at the Center of their Data

Today Microsoft is announcing some significant developments to the Windows Live platform that demonstrate Microsoft’s commitment to data portability and giving users a choice of how to use and control their information.

Today I’m pleased to announce that Microsoft has partnered with some of the world’s top social networks on contact data portability. Starting today, we will be working with Facebook, Bebo, Hi5, Tagged and LinkedIn to exchange functionally-similar Contacts APIs, allowing us to create a safe, secure two-way street for users to move their relationships between our respective services. Along with these collaborations, Microsoft is introducing a new website at www.invite2messenger.net that people can visit to invite their friends from our partner social networks to join their Windows Live Messenger contact list.

The collaborations with Facebook, Bebo, Hi5, LinkedIn and Tagged will make it easier, safer, and more secure for people to have access to their contacts and relationships from more places on the web. These networks will be adopting the Windows Live Contacts API instead of “screen-scraping.”  Starting today, you can visit www.facebook.com and www.bebo.com to find your friends using the Windows Live Contacts API.  Hi5, Tagged and LinkedIn will be live in the coming months.

With these collaborations and the new website at www.invite2messenger.net that lets people invite their social network friends to join their Windows Live Messenger contact list, we’ve essentially now created a two-way street for people to share their information.

In completing this two-way street, both Windows Live and our partners have paid special attention to relationship context and privacy management in order to create the best possible user experience.  We understand that just because people have a friend relationship with a contact on one social network, that doesn’t necessarily mean that they want that same relationship on another network. To preserve the context of the relationship, we are requiring that relationships be re-established in each experience with permission from the friend or contact, rather than automatically storing the data.

We encourage you to visit www.invite2messenger.net to see these ideas in action, and to invite your Facebook, Bebo, Hi5, LinkedIn and Tagged friends to join you on the world’s largest instant messaging network, Windows Live Messenger.

Source- Windows Live Dev blog

Visual Studio 2008 Product Comparison Guide

This guide provides a comprehensive product comparison of the Visual Studio 2008 IDE products. It does not provide data about Visual Studio Team System 2008 Team Foundation Server, Visual Studio Team System 2008 Team Explorer, or Visual Studio Team System 2008 Test Load Agent. This guide is provided for illustrative purposes only.

System Requirements

• Supported Operating Systems: Windows 2000; Windows Server 2003; Windows Vista; Windows XP

To view the Word document, you'll need a copy of Microsoft Office Word 2007, or Microsoft Word 97 or later with the free Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint 2007 File Formats.
To view the PDF file, you'll need a PDF reader, such as the free Adobe Acrobat Reader.
To view the XPS file, you'll need Windows Vista, or the Microsoft XML Paper Specification Essentials Pack.

Download here

Microsoft Money Plus Home & Business Trial (US Only)

Microsoft® Money Plus Home & Business makes managing home and business finances fast, easy, and automatic. Download a free trial today so you can spend less time worrying about your money and more time enjoying it.
Note, this is a US only download.

System Requirements

• Supported Operating Systems: Windows Vista; Windows XP Service Pack 2

• 130 MB of available hard-disk space, plus an additional 200 MB while installing product updates
• CD-ROM drive
• Internet access (requires an Internet service provider “ISP”; local and/or long-distance telephone toll charges may apply)
• Most online features require you to sign in to Money with your Windows Live ID (e-mail and password)
• Audio output capability (optional)
• SVGA graphics card or compatible video graphics adapter; SVGA color monitor with a minimum of 256 colors, capable of displaying 800 × 600 resolution; 16-bit color recommended
For PCs with Windows Vista:
• Pentium 1-gigahertz (GHz) 32-bit (x86) processor or 1-GHz 64-bit (x64) processor or faster (or compatible)
• 1 GB of RAM
• Support for DirectX® 9 graphics and 32 MB of graphics memory
• Compatible version of Flash in order to play Help videos
For PCs with Windows XP:
• Pentium II 300-MHz or faster processor (or compatible)
• 128 MB of RAM

Downloads-

Microsoft Money Plus Home & Business Trial (US Only)

Microsoft Money Essentials Trial (US Only)

Windows Live Dev gets a makeover

Having remained with the old "Flair" design since May 2007, Windows Live Dev finally gets a new look (http://dev.live.com). But don't be surprised to not find the Wave 2.0 look when you enter, because the designers at Microsoft preferred to make it look more like this. On the positive side, the new website allows developers to find what they need much more easier than before. I still wonder why they didn't use Silverlight though...

Here's a screenshot of the new website:

 

Source- LiveSide

Word users threatened by new attack

Microsoft has issued a warning that cyber criminals could advantage of an unpatched flaw in Windows to install malicious software on a victim's PC. The reported attack, now under investigation by Microsoft, involves a malicious Word document, but there may be other ways of exploiting the flaw, the company said.
"Do not open or save Word files that you receive from untrusted sources or that you receive unexpectedly from trusted sources," according to a Microsoft security advisory. The flaw lies in the Jet Database Engine that is used by a number of products including Microsoft Access. Microsoft is investigating whether other programs may also be exploited in this type of attack. Although this kind of unpatched, "zero day" attack is always cause for concern, Microsoft downplayed the risk.
 

source: TechWorld

Windows XP SP3 Due Next Month, Report Says

TechARP.com, a Malaysian Web site that nailed Vista SP1's release-to-manufacturing (RTM) date last month as well as its release to Windows Update last week, said that Microsoft will wrap up work on XP's third and final service pack next month. The site pegged RTM for Windows XP SP3 as "second half of April 2008" for seven languages, with a follow-on RTM of the remaining supported languages "approximately 21 days" later. By TechARP's account, Microsoft will first finish work on the Chinese, English, French, German, Japanese, Korean and Spanish versions of the service pack.
Microsoft declined comment, other than to repeat an earlier statement about the service pack's timing. "We are targeting 1H [first half] 2008 for the release of XP SP3 RTM, though our timing will always be based on customer feedback as a first priority," a spokeswoman said in an e-mail. The last time Microsoft made a public move with Windows XP SP3 was a little over a month ago, when it posted a second release candidate to Windows Update.
 

source: PC World

Entrepreneurs and Experts Reveal Big Ideas at Microsoft’s Small Business Summit 2008

Microsoft Corp. today kicked off its third annual Microsoft Small Business Summit, broadcasting live from Microsoft Studios to an expected crowd of 200,000 online participants nationwide. Over the next four days, more than 50 entrepreneurs and industry experts will define ways in which small-business owners can work smarter by revealing the latest trends and best practices for those who wear the many hats of the self-employed. Cindy Bates, general manager for U.S. Small Business at Microsoft, opened the event by acknowledging how Microsoft is working with customers to continually deliver innovation to the small-business community.

“Since the inception of the Small Business Summit, in 2006, we have delivered more than 20 products and services specifically designed to empower small-business owners,” Bates said. “Recognizing that companies with 50 or fewer employees may have limited IT resources, we look to deliver customer-driven innovation and solutions that enable self-employed people at any stage of growth to focus on running their small business. Today marks another milestone of our efforts to work with small-business owners to bring the right solutions to market with the upcoming availability of voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) on the Microsoft Response Point phone system.”

The availability this summer of a free feature update, Service Pack 1 (SP1), to Microsoft Response Point phone systems will enable U.S. small businesses to take advantage of VoIP. With Response Point SP1, small-business owners will have the flexibility to easily transition from traditional analog service to digital voice service, and within a few mouse clicks, can help improve their communications and cut business costs. According to small-business research firm Access Markets International (AMI) Partners Inc., a small business with 10 to19 employees can save an average of $8,000 in the first year by purchasing an IP-based phone system such as Response Point.

 

More info can be found here

Microsoft Continues to Innovate Rapidly With Service Pack Release for Small-Business Phone System

U.S. small businesses can soon take advantage of voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) phone service on Microsoft Response Point phone systems to improve their business communications. Today at the third annual Microsoft Small Business Summit, Microsoft Corp. announced it will release a feature update, Service Pack 1 (SP1), to its Microsoft Response Point phone system software this summer, available free via a simple download.

“Small businesses rely heavily on the phone to communicate with customers and want a solution that allows them to reliably reach as many customers as possible at a low cost,” said Xuedong Huang, general manager for Response Point at Microsoft. “Response Point SP1 will make it easy to transition from traditional analog service to the promise of digital voice services.”

Response Point SP1 will enable small businesses to easily supplement their existing phone service with VoIP services. As customers become more comfortable with the reliability and quality of service offered by VoIP, they can seamlessly move from analog to VoIP without needing telephony expertise.

Recognizing that small businesses have ebbs and flows in employee hiring, SP1 will take advantage of the flexibility of VoIP to allow small businesses to scale much more rapidly and cost-effectively than with traditional public switched telephone network (PSTN) lines. If IP service is in place, using a simple VoIP account setup wizard in the Response Point Administrator, a small business can connect with Internet telephony service providers (ITSPs) to add new VoIP phone numbers in a matter of minutes. The process to install traditional analog lines can take days or even weeks. According to small-business research firm Access Markets International (AMI) Partners Inc., a small business with 10 to 19 employees can save an average of $8,000 in the first year by purchasing an IP-based phone system such as Response Point.

 

More info can be found here

Update Rollup 2 for Microsoft Dynamics CRM 3.0 Service Provider Edition (KB 944373)

Microsoft has released Update Rollup 2 for Microsoft Dynamics CRM Server 3.0 Service Provider Edition and Microsoft Dynamics CRM 3.0 client for Outlook Service Provider Edition.
For more information about this release, see Microsoft Knowledge Base article 944373:
Update Rollup 2 is available for Microsoft Dynamics CRM 3.0 Service Provider Edition
To maintain parity between the client and server components of Microsoft Dynamics CRM 3.0 Service Provider Edition, this update rollup includes packages for Microsoft Dynamics CRM 3.0 Server Service Provider Edition and Microsoft Dynamics CRM 3.0 client for Outlook Service Provider Edition.

 

You can download it here

Need Vista SP1 help? Call Redmond toll-free

Microsoft is providing free phone support for Windows Vista Service Pack (SP) 1 users — whether they get their SP1 from Microsoft or via a PC maker or other retailer — through March 2009.

There’s got to be a catch, right?

Surprisingly, the caveats are relatively minor. The help is specifically for SP1 installation and compatibility issues. And the offer stands through March 18, 2009.

According to M3 Sweatt, the Chief of Staff for Windows Core Operating System Division (COSD), the offer of free SP1 help is not unprecedented. Microsoft has provided free support for previous Windows service pack installations.

Sweatt blogged on March 24 about the procedure those needing help should follow:

“If you call in for support, listen carefully to the options on the line as you wait and navigate for support. When you speak with an operator, be sure to tell the customer support agent that you would like support related to the installation of Service Pack one (or ‘SP1′) of Windows Vista. I’ve also seen the wait time drop from 30 minutes for individual chat support to less than 10 just in the last few minutes.”

The toll-free call-in number in the U.S. for Vista SP1 help is (866)-234-6020.

Microsoft made Vista SP1 available to a broader set of customers last week, by making the collection of Vista fixes and features available on Windows Update, the Microsoft Download Center and via retailers like Amazon.com. Microsoft is set to push Vista SP1 to users via its Automatic Update mechanism in mid-April.

 

Source: blogs.zdnet.com

C2: Microsoft's take on FriendFeed?

Microsoft isn’t usually the first (or second or third) company that folks associate with social networking. But maybe the Redmondians, or at least the researchers on the Microsoft Research C2 team, aren’t as unsociable as some assume.
Microsoft showed off earlier this month at its TechFest research fair a handful of new social-computing projects. One of these, codenamed “C2,” shares some similarities with the FriendFeed social-network-data aggregation service — and seemingly is on the fast track to become part of Microsoft’s Windows Live client for mobile devices.
C2 was named for “Circle 2,” a company that a couple of Softies were planning to start after they quit Microsoft. Instead of leaving, the researchers ended up defecting from the Windows desktop search team — the old “Casino” group — to Microsoft Research’s social computing team.
Microsoft researcher Steve Ickman described C2 — which Microsoft Research launched in November 2007 — as a “social-aggregation toolkit.” It is designed to work across desktop, mobile and Web clients. C2 aggregates data — friends, call history and more — from Windows Live Spaces, FaceBook, MySpace, Flickr, users’ email and other sources.
Ickman said he’d found a way to scrape and synthesize this data using identity-matching algoritms in a way that didn’t run afoul of the terms of service of these various sites. The C2 data is currently weighted heavily toward a user’s Live Contacts, but also picks up profile information from non-Microsoft sites, Ickman explained.
Microsoft is set to begin trials within the company of C2 in April, Ickman said. On a banner in the C2 booth at the TechFest product fair, I noticed that the researchers were advertising that C2 would “ship with product teams,” specifically “Catalyst” and WMT (Windows Media Toolkit, I’m guessing). When I asked Ickman what C2 was, he said he couldn’t comment. But after asking around, I found out “Catalyst” is the codename for “Windows Live for Mobile,” the set of Windows Live services that run on Windows Mobile smartphones.
(Microsoft Research technologies tend to find their way into commercial products this way: The research teams show off their developments at TechFest fairs and other meetings to Microsoft’s product groups. If and when the product teams bite, the research projects begin winding their way along the commercialization track.)
Microsoft’s social-computing group showed off a couple of other social-networking research projects at TechFest, too, including a plug-in for Outlook, codenamed “Salsa,” that would combine public and private feed information with e-mail to put more of a human face on contact data; and an internal Wiki, known as “Micropedia,” that currently catalogs all the people and projects at Microsoft. (Wouldn’t that be a Microsoft watcher’s goldmine!)
There aren’t any external links on Microsoft’s C2 that I could find to shed more light on how and when this research technology could find its way into the broader marketplace. But stay tuned.
Meanwhile, do you think Microsoft consumer customers would be interested in social-networking wares from the company? What about Microsoft’s business users?
Source: Mary Jo Foley

Windows Embedded CE 6.0 Monthly Update (February 2008)

This is a set of updates for Windows Embedded CE released during the period of February 1 - February 29, 2008. These Microsoft Windows Embedded CE updates are fixes for Windows Embedded CE operating system problems you run into during the development and maintenance of your custom platform. To qualify for consideration for an update, a problem needs to cause an excessive amount of work and not have a reasonable workaround.
For complete details regarding the updates in this release, please download the Windows Embedded CE 6.0_Update_080229_2008M02 file below.

System Requirements

• Supported Operating Systems: Windows CE

• Windows Embedded CE 6.0 R2 is required to be installed prior to installing this rollup.
  There will be no additional updates available for Windows Embedded CE 6.0. Customers must install Windows Embedded CE 6.0 R2 to be able to install future updates.
  The following must be installed in order to create a supported Windows Embedded CE 6.0 development environment:
  1. Visual Studio 2005
  2. Visual Studio 2005 SP1
  3. Visual Studio 2005 SP1 Update for Vista (if applicable)
  4. Windows Embedded CE 6.0 Platform Builder
  5. Windows Embedded CE 6.0 SP1 (required if PB 6.0 Tools have been installed)
  6. Windows Embedded CE 6.0 R2
  7. Windows Embedded CE 6.0 Cumulative Product Update Rollup 12/31/2007
  NOTE: Do NOT install older update packages after Windows Embedded CE 6.0 R2 Update Rollup 2007 has been installed.
  Update packages released prior to R2 Product Rollup 2007 will not be available for download starting 03/15/2008.
• 75 MB of disk space required to download, install, and operate per processor

Download here

Windows Server 2008 Multilingual User Interface Language Packs

Multilingual User Interface Language Packs (Windows Server® Language Packs) enable a multilingual user interface in a Windows Server® 2008 environment. Adding one or more language packs to a Windows Server® 2008 image enables one or more languages in the installed Windows Server® operating system, allowing corporations to deploy the same Windows Server® 2008 image worldwide while still providing localized user interfaces.

System Requirements

• Supported Operating Systems: Windows Server 2008

• x86 systems require 32-bit (x86) language packs
• x64 systems require amd64 (x64) language packs
• Itanium-based systems require Itanium (ia64) language packs

It can be downloaded here

Windows XP Service Pack 3 Overview

Windows® XP Service Pack 3 (SP3) includes all previously released updates for the operating system. This update also includes a small number of new functionalities, which do not significantly change customers’ experience with the operating system. This white paper summarizes what is new in Windows XP SP3.

Windows XP Service Pack 3 Overview can be downloaded here

Windows Vista Product Guide Revision Document

A Windows Vista Product Guide Revisions document is made available for consumers who own a print copy of the Windows Vista Product Guide's first release. It outlines the improvements made to Windows Vista by Service Pack 1 as well as explaining minor content changes between the two product guide releases.

U can download it here

IIS7 - Administration Pack - technical preview released

Here are the links to download the new IIS7 admin pack - technical preview version:

Administration Pack for IIS 7.0 (x86)

Administration Pack for IIS 7.0 (x64)

This comes with a lot of features which would make life simpler for the web administrators.

 

Source- <rakkimk runat="server" />

Microsoft experiments with managed e-mail

Employee Managed Mailbox' would give companies more control over e-mail in order to better meet regulatory requirements and e-discovery laws

Microsoft is experimenting with a potential product that would give companies more control over the electronic messages their staff exchange in order to better meet regulatory requirements and e-discovery laws.

The product, which has been informally dubbed Employee Managed Mailbox (EMM), is being used internally at Microsoft and may eventually turn into a commercial offering, according to Joel Freedman, chief financial officer at Microsoft Canada.

"Instead of e-mail that would be utilizing the hard drive, you'd have e-mail that gets managed by a server," he said, adding that a server-based product could help companies do a better job of adhering to compliance-related policies. "You could have a one-month, one-year, or three-year limit on retention [of an e-mail message], for example."

Freedman suggested EMM could become a direct way for Microsoft to assist corporations who are struggling to keep up with accounting, privacy, and other rules that increasingly govern the way they handle information.

Source- infoworld

Microsoft-Onkyo sign deal

Microsoft Corp. said it's reached a deal with Onkyo Corp. that allows the Tokyo company to use the computer giant's technology in home entertainment devices.

The Redmond company (NASDAQ: MSFT) didn't say how much Onkyo is paying as part of the deal.

The patent cross-licensing agreement will allow Onkyo to use Microsoft's technology in consumer audiovisual, electronics, personal computing, and home theater custom installation markets.

Source- Business Journal

Windows Installer 4.5 Beta 2 Now Available!

I am pleased to announce that Windows Installer 4.5 Beta 2 is now available from the Microsoft Connect site. If you have not signed up for the beta yet, please do - we are listed as "Windows Installer 4.5" under the "Available Connections" section of the site. If you have already joined the beta, please head back to the Connect site and download the updated bits, tools and documentation.

This is our last planned beta release before we ship, so your feedback at this stage is especially important!

Thanks.

- Tyler

PS: Due to some unfortunate timing, the Microsoft Connect team will be rolling out a new version of the Connect site on Saturday, March 22nd and the site will not be available from 10:00 AM and 2:00 PM (PDT). If you have issues accessing the beta program afterward, please leave a comment on this thread so we can follow-up on any issues. 

 

source- Windows Installer Team Blog

Business Desktop Deployment 2007 update released

The Solution Accelerator for Business Desktop Deployment (BDD) is best-practice guidance for desktop deployment. BDD is targeted at companies that want to reduce deployment time, effort, and cost by increasing the level of automation. It allows administrators to deploy desktops with Zero Touch and Lite Touch interaction at the target PCs. This solution also helps organizations move to a managed environment with standardized desktop images.
BDD 2007 is offered in two versions to support Solution Accelerator component installation on x64 or x86 hosts. Select the version that corresponds with your host hardware type. Both versions of BDD 2007 support deployment of x86 and x64 client operating systems.
This release includes updates to support Windows Vista SP1 in addition to previously supported platforms.
To view this solution online at TechNet, click here.
Also available for download are two white papers, "Quick Start for BDD 2007" and "Windows Vista Deployment Tools Overview." The quick-start guide helps you quickly learn to use BDD to perform a basic Windows Vista installation. The tools overview describes the deployment tools for Windows Vista.

Download it at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=112440

Add-on Management Improvements in Internet Explorer 8

One of our goals with Internet Explorer 8 was to improve the experience of managing add-ons by bringing more types of add-ons into the management experience, and to make that experience more usable. Originally introduced in Windows XP Service Pack 2, we’ve updated the management UI in a big way for IE8.

Here’s a screen shot of the new UI:

A familiar interface…

When you look at the Manage Add-ons UI, you’ll probably feel comfortable with it quickly – it looks a lot like a Windows File Explorer window or the Control Panel in Windows Vista. You choose a category of object types from the left to view that list on the right. Select any item in the list and the details pane at the bottom will display information about the selected add-on.

Most changes you make in Manage Add-ons take effect immediately, although some (like disabling a toolbar or explorer bar) might still require you to restart Internet Explorer.

… with lots of improvements over IE7

You can resize the window to fit your screen resolution and personal preference, and can choose custom columns, grouping, and sorting order. These preferences will be remembered the next time you open Manage Add-ons.

Additionally:

• You can select multiple Add-ons from the list (CTRL+click or drag to multi-select)
• The list supports right-click context menu actions
• Details about add-ons can be copied to the Windows clipboard and into email, a document editor, or a spreadsheet so you can share the list with tech support (or friends or family) more easily

No updates are required to existing controls to show up in this list

Developers do not need to make changes to existing controls to continue to be managed in IE8. However, with the richer set of information and controls put in the hands of the user in IE8, control authors might wish to provide more detailed information with their controls. While the same set of information (such as publisher or version) is available in IE8 as was available in IE7, now it’s easier for users to view it. Add-ons without sufficient information (like an empty publisher name or version number) are often removed or disabled by users.

Add-on developers should read this article and this blog post about ActiveX best practices for more information on how to properly develop IE add-ons.

It’s easier to get information about installed add-ons and find new add-ons with IE8

More detailed information about installed add-ons is available at a glance with IE8. We’ve also added links to make it easy to accomplish common tasks:

• Find more add-ons with a single click. Just click “Find more add-ons…”
• Don’t know what an add-on does? Click “Search for this add-on via default search provider” and we’ll help you find information about it online via your current default search provider
• Want to know more about add-ons in general? Click “Learn more about add-ons”
• Clicking “More information” displays more detailed technical information about installed add-ons, including file names, versions, and other properties. You can even view or clear the list of websites that ActiveX controls are allowed to run on for per-site installed ActiveX controls
• Right-click any add-on to get easy access to common actions (like enable or disable)

New types to manage

In Internet Explorer 8, the list of add-ons you can manage has been expanded to include Explorer Bars, Search Providers, and Activities.

Explorer Bars

Explorer Bars are an extensibility type like toolbars that are supported by previous versions of Internet Explorer and IE8, but not listed in Manage Add-ons prior to IE8. With IE8 they are available so you have more control over what’s running in your browser.

Search Providers

In IE7 we added support for OpenSearch Search Providers, but they had their own, separate management window. We’ve kept the functionality of the management experience for Search Providers in IE8, but moved it here. IE8 helps you to quickly see what Search Providers are installed, which is your default, and where it is sending information when you submit a search. Additionally, you can change the order that Search Providers are listed (IE7 always sorted them alphabetically).

Internet Explorer 8 continues to support the OpenSearch standard for Search Providers. You can read more about OpenSearch here.

Activities

Activities, which are new to IE8, are also managed from the Manage Add-ons window. Just like Search Providers, you can view, manage, and remove installed Activities, find new Activities, and learn more about Activities directly from this window.

Managing Add-ons in No Add-ons Mode

IE7 and IE8 support “No Add-ons Mode,” a troubleshooting mode. When you run IE this way, no 3^rd party code runs, which allows you to do things like disable troublesome controls or repair Windows via Windows Update (which is why that control is allowed to run in this mode). You can start No Add-ons Mode in a few ways:

• Type iexplore –extoff in the Run box on the Start menu
• Click “Internet Explorer (No Add-ons)” under All Programs -> Accessories -> System Tools
• Right-clicking the IE icon on the Start Menu (if IE is your default browser) and selecting “Browse Without Add-Ons”

In IE7 you couldn’t run Manage Add-ons while in No Add-ons Mode, but in IE8, you can. In fact, if you click the information bar that appears when you’re running in No Add-ons Mode, it offers a quick and convenient access point to Manage Add-ons:

Remember, No Add-ons Mode is designed for troubleshooting IE. It’s probably not the way you want to experience websites all the time, as a lot of important functionality is often provided via add-ons.

To exit No Add-ons Mode, simply close that browser window.

Source- IE Blog

Wave 2008 Launch - Virtual Launch Site Live!

Watch the launch of Windows Server 2008, SQL Server 2008 and Visual Studio 2008 from your living room

In addition to the launch event on 19^th March in Birmingham, for the first time ever in the UK, we are also pleased to announce the “Virtual Launch Experience”. This gives you the opportunity to watch the Steve Ballmer keynote, view over 15 breakout sessions, visit Microsoft product and community stands, as well as sponsors stands. Along the way you can collect collateral for your virtual backpack, take advantage of the show promotions or have a leisurely browse. Remember when you are on the Virtual Launch Experience to enter the competition as there will be 1000 winners who will each receive a promotional product pack

For anyone who couldn't make the 2008 Wave Launch up in Birmingham on the 19th March, this is a great opportunity to access all the information, sessions etc, in a really cool way.  In the VLE, you'll find:

• Keynote address by Steve Ballmer
• An interactive 3D Silverlight event guide
• Microsoft product and sponsor booths, rich with videos, presentations, brochures, and special offers
• Community exhibitors that allow you to connect with the companies and groups
• Breakout sessions for deep diving into the 2008 Launch Wave technologies
• A virtual backpack to store and download exhibitor content
• A unified event interface to effortlessly navigate your virtual experience

Best of all, it's a rich Internet application, designed and built with Visual Studio 2008 and Expression Studio, hosted on Windows Server 2008 accessing SQL Server 2008, and presented in Microsoft Silverlight.  Cool!

To get to the Virtual Launch Experience go to www.microsoft.com/virtualevents/uk

Source- Technet Blog

Microsoft Acquires Komoku

Microsoft Acquires Komoku

Microsoft strengthens anti-malware protection with leading-edge rootkit detection provider.

Today Microsoft Corp. announced it has acquired Maryland-based Komoku Inc., a provider of advanced rootkit security detection solutions. Microsoft expects to add Komoku’s functionality into upcoming versions of the Forefront line of enterprise security products and Windows Live OneCare, Microsoft’s all-in-one PC care solution.

“Komoku has been a leader in the area of rootkit detection, doing work for ultra security-conscious customers such as the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of Defense (DOD),” said Ryan Hamlin, general manager, Access and Security Division, Server and Tools Business at Microsoft. “Komoku’s cutting-edge expertise and technology will benefit our customers by adding to the robust protection of our anti-malware solutions and help maintain our leading position in anti-malware research and development.”

Founded in 2004, Komoku offers advanced rootkit detection. Rootkits are malicious software programs that are designed to take control of a computer’s operating system at the administrator, or root, level, where they can often hide from detection by standard anti-malware software. Komoku’s customers have included a number of high-security government agencies, including the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, the U.S. Navy, the DHS and the DOD.

“I’m excited about the Komoku team joining Microsoft and building on our successes in detecting sophisticated rootkits for customers,” said William A. Arbaugh, president and CTO of Komoku as well as an associate professor of computer science at the University of Maryland at College Park and a renowned expert on rootkits. “Microsoft’s commitment to building the next generation of malware detection is very strong, and we at Komoku look forward to continuing the tremendous progress Microsoft has already made in the anti-malware space and building the anti-malware products that can handle today’s sophisticated threats.”

Source- http://blogs.technet.com/forefront/default.aspx

Microsoft Deployment Toolkit (MDT) 2008

Microsoft Deployment Toolkit (MDT) 2008 unifies the tools and processes required for desktop and server deployment into a common deployment console and collection of guidance. The fourth generation deployment accelerator adds integration with recently released Microsoft deployment technologies to create a single path for image creation and automated installation. MDT’s tools and end-to-end guidance reduce deployment time, standardize desktop and server images, limit service disruptions, reduce post-deployment help desk costs, and improve security and ongoing configuration management.
Microsoft Deployment Toolkit technologies eliminate interaction time required to install desktop and server operating systems. Interaction at the targeted computer may take a few moments using the Lite Touch Installation (LTI) method or it can be completely automated using Zero Touch Installation (ZTI). Zero Touch Installation utilizes Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager 2007 or Systems Management Server 2003 with the Operating System Deployment Feature Pack. Lite Touch Installation can be used when software distribution tools are not in place.
Microsoft Deployment Tookit 2008 also uses Configuration Manager 2007’s stand-alone media-initiated operating system deployment feature. This release offers project management guidance for all deployment roles and separates technical documentation for the products and technologies to facilitate automation tasks.
Microsoft Deployment Toolkit 2008 enables deployment of the following Microsoft products:

• Windows Vista Business, Enterprise, and Ultimate (32 and 64 bit) RTM and SP1
• Office Professional, Professional Plus, Enterprise, and Ultimate 2007
• Windows Server 2008
• Windows Server 2003 R2 (32 and 64 bit)
• Windows XP Professional with Service Pack 2 (32 and 64 bit) or Windows XP Tablet PC Edition

Microsoft Deployment Toolkit 2008

Microsoft, HP to set up Taiwan R&D centre

Microsoft and Hewlett-Packard, the world's top software and PC firms, on Thursday announced plans for a new product development centre in Taiwan, the world's computer-manufacturing hub.

Companies such as HP and Dell are the world's top sellers of PCs, but most of the actual hardware -- about 80 percent of all laptops -- is made by Taiwan firms including Quanta Computer and Compal Electronics.

"Microsoft and HP solution centres will help advance the technology of our Taiwanese business partners and corporate clients," John Knutsen, Director of Global Microsoft Technology Center, said at a news conference.

Microsoft said the centre would be focused on developing advanced software, hardware and improving technical support to its Taiwan partners such as Quanta, the world's largest contract laptop maker.

The two companies said they expect the new centre will be able to generate a return of T$2.5 billion ($83 million) worth of sales in five years.

There are now 16 Microsoft technology centres in the world, including in Dubai, France, Germany, Britain, Bangalore and the United States, said Knutsen.

Software giant Microsoft said earlier this month that it had not seen any major impact on its businesses from an economic slowdown, particularly in the United States, and that it has been helped by emerging markets such as China, India, Brazil and Russia.

Hewlett-Packard posted forecast-beating quarterly earnings last month and has said its strategies in emerging markets will help it weather a tough economic climate this year.

Source- Reuters

Microsoft, IBM brainstorm enhancements to IDEs

San Francisco - What will IDEs look like in four years? According to technologists at IBM and Microsoft, IDEs will have to accommodate trends such as more screen "real estate" and more pixels on the desktop.

At an EclipseCon 2008 session in Santa Clara, Calif., Wednesday, Tim Wagner of the Microsoft Visual Studio platform team and IBM's Kevin McGuire, an Eclipse UI developer, brainstormed on what might be expected from IDEs in 2012. Their jointly conducted session followed an earlier presentation by Microsoft's Sam Ramji, director of platform technology strategy, which showed a new interest in Eclipse by the commercial software giant.

IDE's, McGuire and Wagner stressed, should be more connected and make developers smarter. An IDE also should be more malleable. Interaction could be different than the current mouse-and-keyboard paradigm.

"The IDE should be our favorite app," Wagner said.

Meanwhile, the standard desktop will have multiple CPUs and developers will have more pixels in front of them because of the use of multiple monitors, he said.??

Wagner noted gamers have driven down the price and driven up the power of graphics processing chips, but IDEs have not kept pace. "Why does our IDE still look like something that came out in the '80's," he said.

There are also sociological trends that IDEs need to embrace, including distributed and dynamic teams, open source and its transparency, increased scale, and developer diversity, according to Microsoft's and Eclipse's technologists.

Other ideas presented included customizing of IDEs and better use of scripting.

Souce- Infoworld

Supply Chain Integrator Switches to Microsoft Dynamics AX From Oracle for Major Cost Savings

Microsoft Corp. today announced that PACCESS, a global supply chain integrator based in Portland, Ore., has selected Microsoft Dynamics AX 4.0 as its enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution, replacing an Oracle 11.0.3 system that had become very expensive to maintain and too limited in its ability to meet the company’s needs. Microsoft Dynamics AX is a comprehensive business-management solution providing midsize and larger companies with end-to-end, industry-specific functionality, enabling them to do business across locations and countries.

PACCESS chose Microsoft Dynamics AX because it allows many disparate systems to be unified under one core application at a lower total cost of ownership. These factors were crucial to PACCESS, a global service company whose paper, packaging, and sourcing divisions integrate procurement, logistics, distribution, and fulfillment services to meet their customer’s specific supply chain needs.

Previously PACCESS faced expensive upgrades to its Oracle system, which it had modified repeatedly to meet its business process requirements. Scaling the system was very costly. “We tried to add five users, but we would have had to pay Oracle $365,000 because of a license-model change,” said Nina Palludan, vice president of IT for PACCESS. “The five-year total cost of ownership for Microsoft Dynamics AX 4.0 was more than $1 million less than Oracle’s, even though we already owned the Oracle software. Actually rebuying the Oracle e-business suite would have cost less than upgrading our current licenses.”

 

Source- MS press release

ANNOUNCING...Retail Financial Services Silverlight Demo!!

The Silverlight 2 Retail Financial Services Demonstrator provides essential resources to help customers and ISV's to create their own demo or proof of concept based on the Silverlight 2 platform. Included in the kit are:

• Functional Silverlight 2 Website (Woodgrove Financial)
• Installation, customization and demo script that provides step by step instructions for installing the demo, customizing the data shown in the demo as well has how to step through the site with talking points.
• Source Code – that is right, you also get to see and use the source code to see what is going on under the covers and use as a foundation for your own POC!

Why use Silverlight 2 and the Demonstrator?

• Immersive, cross-platform/cross-browser user experience
• Insightful visualizations, improved end user experience that can be personalized and branded
• Great performance, reuse of .NET code on the web (cross platform!!)
• Great examples of using visualizations to help sell and service financial products including cause and effect, multiple scenarios, unified communications, etc…

Jaime Rodriguez wrote a great blog about it here..he describes other places where you can see the demo via video, download the bits and/or the script.

If you're interested in downloading the entire application, along with installation and walk through script, then go to http://www.financialdevelopers.com.  There, you'll find everything you need! 

We're very much looking forward to any feedback you may have on this, and we're anxiously awaiting that first email from a customer saying they've used it to build a proof of concept!!

Source- Joe Cleaver's Blog

Dell PRODUCT (RED), XPS One Now Available in U.K., France and Germany

Late last dell introduced our Dell PRODUCT (RED) options to customers  in the U.K., France and Germany.  Customers in those countries now join in the fight against AIDS in Africa along with customers in the United States, Latin America and Japan.

Those (PRODUCT) RED PCs come with Windows Vista Ultimate (PRODUCT) RED, including (RED)-inspired desktop wallpapers, a new DreamScene, a screensaver, and Sidebar Gadgets.

Remember, Dell and Windows will contribute $50 when you purchase either the Dell XPS M1530 or M1330 (PRODUCT) RED laptops to the Global Fund, to help eliminate AIDS in Africa. Dell and Windows will contribute $80 when you purchase a Dell XPS One (PRODUCT) RED PC to the Global Fund as well. $80 can buy 6 months of antiretroviral treatment for a single person living with AIDS in Africa. And $50 can buy 416 single dose treatments that help transmission of HIV from mother to baby. You can make a difference with your Dell and Windows (PRODUCT) RED PC purchase.

Source- Direct2Dell  WindowsVistaBlog

Nominate your solution for a Microsoft global award!

Each year, via its Worldwide Partner Conference Awards program, Microsoft recognizes partners who have delivered exemplary solutions built on Microsoft technologies. Awards are presented to winning partners at the Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference, this year in Houston, Texas, USA July 7-10, 2008.

This is a unique opportunity for you to showcase your solutions. Award winners and finalists benefit from increased press coverage, and market recognition that may drive new business opportunities.

Award categories are aligned with Microsoft Competencies and specializations. Make sure your Competency enrollment is active, then nominate your solution before April 3, 2008. The entry tool and detailed information about the Awards program can be found here.

Microsoft Takes First Steps Toward Eclipse Support

Microsoft has added another nickel to its open source credibility bank this morning with the announcement of its first collaboration with the Eclipse Foundation. The world's largest proprietary software maker and the non-profit host of the open source Eclipse project will work together to allow the Eclipse Standard Widget Toolkit (SWT) to use Microsoft's Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF), according to Sam Ramji, director of Microsoft's Open Source Software Lab.
Ramji made the announcement during his keynote presentation at EclipseCon 2008, underway this week in Santa Clara, Calif. He said SWT on WPF will make it easier for Java developers to write applications with the look and feel of native Windows apps.
"We found that there was little interest in being able to use Java to write native Windows applications that really use the power of the rendering capabilities of Windows Vista," Ramji told attendees. He added that the goal of the collaboration is to provide "a first-class authoring experience for Java developers." 

News source: ENT Magazine

Microsoft To Release XP SP3 Next Week

Now that Windows Vista service pack 1 has been released, all eyes have shifted to Microsoft's plans for Windows XP service pack 3, the final package of updates for the trusty OS. And, according to at least one source, Microsoft will roll out XP SP3 next Monday. As of Wednesday afternoon Pacific time, the BitTorrent search engine Mininova listed a 568.73 MB Windows XP Professional SP3 5503 file available for download. The file, which had 112 seeds and 417 leeches, had been downloaded 2083 times since it was posted Tuesday, according to the listing.
According to the file description notes, Microsoft will release the final version of XP SP3 on March 24, but the 5503 test build passes all Windows Genuine Advantage checks and is able to download Windows updates that previous XP SP3 builds weren't able to, which suggests that it could, in fact, be the final RTM build. When Microsoft released Vista SP1 in February, the final RTM code was identical to the Vista SP1 Release Candidate (RC) 1 Refresh 2 test build that was released to a group of 15,000 testers two weeks earlier.
A Microsoft spokesperson, perhaps weary from the months-long barrage of Vista SP1 related inquiries, said the final version of XP SP3 is still on target to be released the first half of calendar year 2008, and the XP SP3 5503 build was a minor interim build released to address one specific issue for a subset of private beta testers. 

News source: CRN

The Fight Continues - Halo 3 Legendary Map Pack Arrives in April

The Fight Continues - Halo 3 Legendary Map Pack Arrives in April
The award-winning “Halo 3” multiplayer experience continues to evolve with three new maps available only on Xbox LIVE Marketplace

More than 7.3 million copies of “Halo 3” have flown off store shelves, upwards of 500 million hours of frag-tacular online gameplay have been logged on Xbox LIVE and the Heroic Map Pack has been downloaded by 1 million plus gamers and counting. But it’s not over yet…

Microsoft and Bungie today announced that April 15 will mark the release of the next wave of “Halo 3” downloadable content. Available exclusively on Xbox LIVE Marketplace for 800 Microsoft Points, the Legendary Map Pack will introduce three new maps to the title’s award-winning multiplayer experience, Ghost Town, Avalanche, and one map yet to be revealed. And with the addition of some exciting Forge options, fans can explore new ways to create and share their custom “Halo 3” content.

Ghost Town is a battle-scarred maze of narrow passages and dangerous ruins outside the once-prosperous city of Voi. Collapsed ceilings and shell-battered buildings provide both valuable cover and deadly traps, as catwalks and stairways take the fight from claustrophobic ground combat to dizzying rooftop battles. Ghost Town is a mid-sized map ideal for Team Slayer games and smaller, objective types.

Ghost Town:

The second map, Avalanche, is a tribute to Sidewinder, a “Halo: Combat Evolved” fan-favorite. This massive, vehicle-oriented objective map adds a twist to its classic predecessor with all new interiors, dramatically reshaped exteriors and brand new vehicle variants. Take a ride and admire the visual variety from the cockpit of the retuned Hornet.

Avalanche:

The third map to be included in the Legendary Pack has yet to be announced, but stay tuned to Bungie.net for full details on another returning classic… fans of smaller Slayer maps, it’s time to get excited.

Be sure to check out www.xbox.com  and  www.bungie.net for all the latest information and screenshots of the new maps.

source- Gamerscoreblog

Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 Management Pack

The Exchange 2003 Management Pack monitors the performance and availability of Exchange 2003 Server systems. It can also issue alerts for possible configuration problems Availability and performance monitoring is done using synthetic transactions. In addition, the Management Pack collects Event Log alerts and provides associated knowledge articles with additional user details, possible causes, and suggested resolutions. The Management Pack discovers and monitors the individual server components and functional areas on an Exchange 2003 Server.
Feature Bullet Summary: This management pack monitors Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 and includes monitors and rules to track performance, availability, and reliability of Exchange core components and functionality. • MAPI, OWA, OMA, EAS synthetic logon transactions • Mail flow synthetic transaction • Mail Queue monitoring using Self-Tuning Thresholds • Comprehensive performance metric collection • 1000+ Event rules with associated knowledge • Database status • Database size • Mailbox statistics • Public folder statistics • Message tracking log statistics • Exchange and related OS Service monitoring • Configuration monitoring • Topology discovery of Exchange deployment • Integration in Exchange Best Practice Analyzer and ExDiag tools • Reports in the area of Configuration and Configuration changes, Availability, Performance
Management Pack Release History:
3/23/2007 - Initial Release Version 6.0.5000.0
6/25/2007 - Updated Release Version 6.0.5000.11, version details

Microsoft.Exchange.Server.Library.mp 6.0.5000.0
Microsoft.Exchange.Server.2003.Discovery.mp 6.0.5000.11
Microsoft.Exchange.Server.2003.Monitoring.mp 6.05000.11

1/15/2008 - Updated Guide - same version
2/25/2008 - Updated MP Guide and Management Pack. Please refer to the MP Guide for details.

Microsoft.Exchange.Server.Library.mp 6.0.6278.0
Microsoft.Exchange.Server.2003.Discovery.mp 6.0.6278.0
Microsoft.Exchange.Server.2003.Monitoring.mp 6.0.6278.0

3/17/2008 Updated MP Guide and Management Pack. Please refer to the MP Guide for details.

Microsoft.Exchange.Server.Library.mp 6.0.6278.2
Microsoft.Exchange.Server.2003.Discovery.mp 6.0.6278.2
Microsoft.Exchange.Server.2003.Monitoring.mp 6.0.6278.2

Download here

Microsoft Reaches Virtualization Milestone With Release Candidate of Hyper-V

Reaching the next major milestone in virtualization development, Microsoft Corp. today made broadly available a feature-complete release candidate of Microsoft Hyper-V, the hypervisor-based virtualization software available with various versions of Windows Server 2008. A beta of Hyper-V was included with Windows Server 2008 when it launched last month, and this release candidate provides updated, near-final code.

Hyper-V provides customers with efficient and cost-effective virtualization infrastructure software. It enables customers to reduce operating costs by increasing hardware utilization, optimizing infrastructure and improving server availability. Customers and partners can download the release candidate at http://www.microsoft.com/Hyper-V by 10 a.m. PDT today.

Hyper-V is a thinner, more optimized virtualization technology than we’ve seen from other vendors, and we look forward to improving server utilization and better managing our datacenter, especially in a clustered environment,” said Jason Nord, server engineer at Land O’Lakes Inc. “While evaluating Hyper-V, we’ve found it offers better support for running simultaneous operating systems, which helps us consolidate our applications that run on a variety of older software and servers.”

Source- MS Press Release

Windows Vista SP1 Guides for IT Professionals

These guides will assist IT Professionals in evaluating and deploying Windows Vista SP1 and are downloadable versions of the SP1 guides found in the Windows Vista Technical Library. (http://technet2.microsoft.com/WindowsVista/en/library/90a564b9-34af-4a6b-937f-324e1862244b1033.mspx)

You can download it here

Announcing the Microsoft BizTalk Server Operations Guide

The BizTalk Product Team is pleased to announce the availability of the Microsoft BizTalk Server Operations Guide.

http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc296643.aspx

The 660 page guide is available on MSDN, and as a separate PDF, DOCX or CHM download.

The guide is based on real-world experience from BizTalk Rangers, PFE and other customer engagements. This guide is intended to provide guidance around maintaining and operating BizTalk Solutions in demanding production environments. This has been a long standing request from our customers and partners.

The target audience is Microsoft field, partner organizations, and customers who plan, deploy, and maintain BizTalk Server installations. The guide was created from collections of checklists, best practices, and presentations to guide future BizTalk Server operations IT professionals.

Key portions of this guide are new; while other portions consists of documentation taken from BizTalk Server 2006 R2 Help, white papers, Knowledge Base articles, and other sources. It has been carefully reviewed and vetted by experts from the community of BizTalk Server IT professionals and members of the product development team, whom we gratefully acknowledge. We believe that the information presented here will help BizTalk Server users solve, and above all, avoid many of the common problems.

Source- MSDN

Release Notes for Windows Vista Service Pack 1

These release notes provide important information you should know before deploying and using Windows Vista SP1. You should familiarize yourself with all of the known issues in this document prior to installing the software.
For an overview of significant changes and improvements in SP1, see http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=107921.
For a list of the hotfixes and security updates included in SP1, see http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=107922.

you can download the here

Microsoft Student Partners - Now Recruiting for Academic Year '08

The Microsoft Student Partner is a way for students to affiliate themselves with Microsoft getting the opportunity to represent the company at their university and pick up some cool prizes along the way. Plus it looks great on your CV.

From the MSP site:

"Microsoft Student Partners carry out tasks such as organising guest Microsoft lectures, delivering technical sessions to their peers, conducting student events and giveaways on campus, and a whole lot more to help us deliver more value to universities and build better relationships with lecturers and students alike."

If you're interested in getting involved then click here to find out more and apply.

Source- Ed Dunhill's Blog

Windows Vista Service Pack 1 available for download

Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1) is an update to Windows Vista that addresses feedback from our customers. In addition to previously released updates, SP1 will contain changes focused on addressing specific reliability, performance, and compatibility issues; supporting new types of hardware; and adding support for several emerging standards. SP1 also will continue to make it easier for IT administrators to deploy and manage Windows Vista. Windows Vista Service Pack 1 Five Language Standalone version can be installed on systems with any of the following language versions: English (US), French, German, Japanese, or Spanish (Traditional).
Read the overview of Windows Vista SP1, including what's new, technical details, guidelines and notable changes.
Read the Deployment Guide for Windows Vista SP1. This guide includes technical information, procedures, and recommendations for installing Windows Vista SP1 in a business or corporate environment.
DO NOT CLICK DOWNLOAD IF YOU ARE UPDATING JUST ONE COMPUTER: A smaller, more appropriate download is available on Windows Update.
To download the Standalone version of Windows Vista Service Pack 1 please follow the directions below in the Instructions section.
Before installing SP1, please visit the Windows Vista TechCenter and read the page "Things to Know Before you Download Windows Vista SP1"

Windows Vista Service Pack 1 Five Language Standalone for x64-based Systems

Windows Vista Service Pack 1 Five Language Standalone for x86-based Systems

EA Signs Multiyear Agreement With Massive to Offer Dynamic In-Game Advertising on Titles for Xbox 360 and Windows-Based PC Platforms

Electronic Arts Inc. and Massive Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Microsoft Corp. and a leading network for video game advertising, today announced an expansion and two-year extension of their agreement to offer dynamic in-game advertising for EA video games. The new global agreement provides unprecedented opportunities for advertisers to engage with EA’s highly coveted audience — especially males ages 18 to 34 — through its roster of blockbuster games on the Xbox 360™ platform and exclusive rights to a majority of EA’s premium PC products.

With over three years of experience in dynamically serving advertisements in video games, Massive is the definitive in-game advertising solution for advertisers around the world, including Ford Motor Co. in the U.S., Rogers in Canada, and Puma in Europe. Massive’s long-standing relationship with EA, publisher of many of the world’s most popular games, provides advertisers with extensive reach through EA’s portfolio of premium content video games. This agreement represents a critical point of differentiation for Massive as the in-game advertising medium continues its momentum as a more attractive and effective medium compared with traditional forms of established advertising.

With the latest agreement, EA will further expand the opportunities available to advertisers by extending the participation of current titles in the Massive network as well as incorporating additional, highly anticipated games over the course of the deal. The wide range of EA content that will be available in the Massive network includes the next two iterations of popular EA SPORTS™ franchises including Madden NFL football, NBA LIVE basketball, NASCAR ® racing and NHL® hockey.

Massive will continue to be the exclusive in-game ad network for PC and Xbox 360 platforms of the world’s largest racing franchise, EA’s Need For Speed™, including current live titles Need for Speed Carbon and Need for Speed ProStreet. Massive is also working with marketers to incorporate dynamic advertising into another popular EA racing title, Burnout™ Paradise.

Source- Microsoft Press Release

New Expression Community launched

It has all the usual gubbins you would expect from a community site with news, blogs, forums, training, links and more for anyone interested in the Expression product set and looking for information or inspiration

http://expression.microsoft.com

Source- Mark Johnston's Blog

Xbox LIVE Official Halo 3 Tournament

Halo players from Hong Kong, Korea, Singapore, Australia, and New Zealand can show off their skills as Microsoft today announced the 'Official Halo 3 Tournament.'

The Tournament is open for registration from March 10. All you need to do to sign up is head to your Xbox LIVE Dashboard, click on The Official Halo 3 Tournament adverts, and download the exclusive GamerPic. You can read terms and conditions here.

Once you’re registered open play runs from April 1 until April 14. You’ll need to perform on the three game modes that make up The Official Halo 3 Tournament Sponsored By Samsung TV Playlist – Slayer, King of the Hill and Oddball.

At the end of open play the top ranked player from Australia will be crowned Halo 3 National Champion and rewarded with a piece of exclusive framed Halo artwork and 5000 MS points. They will also qualify for the Asia Pacific Final, where all national champions from the Asia Pacific will clash in a one-off Xbox LIVE match to decide who is truly Legendary.

And the spoils for the Asia Pacific Halo 3 Champion? The ultimate winner will also receive a 40” Samsung TV from their brand new Series 6 range, which has been designed to combine beautiful design with astonishing picture quality, as well as an Xbox 360 Elite console and LIVE accessories pack.

So what are you waiting for? Get on Xbox LIVE, get registered, and prepare to discover whether you have what it takes to be Legendary in The Official Halo 3 Tournament

Great contest so every get started and enjoy the contest

http://www.xbox.com/en-au/pm/halo3tournament/

Get Green and Stay Green with Windows Live OneCare

To help celebrate St. Patrick's Today - the Windows Live OneCare Team is kicking off a brand new campaign: Get Green Stay Green.

The Get Green Stay Green campaign is designed to make sure Windows Live OneCare users are staying "green" - meaning their PC Health Status. Here is Amy Barzdukas, Senior Direct here at Microsoft, to talk about Windows Live OneCare and keeping your PC safe. Amy leads the Windows Live OneCare Team.

Video: Microsoft Windows Live OneCare

I use Windows Live OneCare on my 3 personal home PCs - which are connected together in an OneCare Circle (you can have up to 3 PCs in an OneCare Circle). This lets me manage the PC Health for all my personal PCs. If any of my PCs in my OneCare Circle have their PC Health Status change to yellow or red, I can quickly see which PC it is and why. I can then do what is needed to bring that PC back to green. Keeping all my PCs green is very important to me. If any of my PCs slip into yellow or red - I fix it immediately.

I have a few tips to share from personal experience in keeping my PCs green in my OneCare Circle that you can use to help keep your own PCs green:

• Make sure you have your PCs backed up. Windows Live OneCare can backup your PCs automatically to a centralized point on your home network. In my case, I have all my home PCs backed up to my Windows Home Server which Windows Live OneCare detects.
• Have your firewall turned on. Windows Live OneCare can maintain and monitor your firewall - protecting your PC from attacks. Even though I'm behind a pretty secure router - I have the firewall turned on for all PCs in my OneCare Circle to add an extra level of protection.
• Make sure Protection Plus (malware definitions) are up to date. This ensures your PC is protected from the latest internet garbage.
• Do a PC Tune-up! Windows Live OneCare can do regular Tune-ups that can ensure your PC is running at its best.
• Make sure your PC has the latest updates from Windows Update. Important updates are key to ensuring your PC stays green.

Again, keeping my home PCs green is very important to me and the above tips help me to do so.

Do you have any tips for Windows Live OneCare and keeping your PC green? I'd love to hear them. Leave a comment below. I would be particularly interested in hearing about how you use Windows Live OneCare to ensure your PCs are backed up.

Users can also visit http://www.getgreenstaygreen.com/ and find out what it takes to keep their PC "green".

Source- Windows Vista Blog

It's official: Vista SP1 to be available tomorrow (Tuesday, March 18)

Thanks to a confirmation on Computerworld, Gregg Keizer writes that the release of Windows Vista SP1 will be out tomorrow...

"In an e-mail meant to clarify when Amazon.com could begin shipping retail copies of Vista SP1, a company spokeswoman noted that Vista users could get the update on March 18.

"When looking at Amazon's site, you will see separate listings -- one for pre-orders of Windows Vista with SP1 integrated, and the current version of Windows Vista, which does not include SP1, and can be purchased now and easily updated with SP1 online beginning March 18," the e-mailed statement read...

"If Microsoft holds to plan, Vista users will see SP1 in Windows Update tomorrow as an optional download, but only if their PCs do not harbor one of the balky drivers. Alternately, users will be able to download a much larger stand-alone installer from Microsoft's download site, also beginning Tuesday.:

Microsoft plan to release OneCare update on April to fix "at risk" on Ad-Aware

Microsoft MVP and a Lavasoft Consultant, Janie Whitty (aka CalamityJane) informed us at Calendar of Updates forum the following:

Just to let you know, that Lavasoft did contact Microsoft about this when the January update came out and MS responded that they will be removing the "at risk" program incompatibility with Ad-Aware in their April update. I posted a notice about it here:
Microsoft Live OneCare Conflict
to be corrected in April update
http://www.lavasoftsupport.com/index.php?showtopic=16899

More info at the above link or at Calendar of Updates. The above is about OneCare flagging some applications as "incompatible" with OneCare which shows RED status or the system with OneCare is at risk due to incompability on some products which includes Ad-Aware by Lavasoft, AVG Antispyware by AVG Technologies and I believe McAfee SiteAdvisor.

Source- MSMVP's blog

System Center Configuration Manager 2007 SDK Released

This software development kit (SDK) contains documentation and samples for developing Configuration Manager 2007 applications that integrate with the Configuration Manager console, the SMS Provider (server-side applications), and the client-side applications. The SDK enables developers to build plug-ins for the Configuration Manager console, to build automation scripts for batch processing to the SMS Provider, and to manipulate client settings.

Download Here

Microsoft Brings Software-Powered Videoconferencing to Desktops Everywhere

Today at VoiceCon Orlando 2008, Microsoft Corp. announced broad availability of its conferencing solutions and continued customer and partner adoption of its unified communications platform. Partners are embracing the platform to provide interoperable conferencing solutions, and today Polycom Inc. announced that it will make its videoconferencing systems work with Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 and Microsoft Office Communicator 2007. Microsoft also outlined continued customer adoption of its unified communications solutions and demonstrated some new technologies, such as low-cost high-definition videoconferencing.

Enhanced Videoconferencing Only a Click Away

As of today, Office Communications Server 2007 and Office Communicator 2007 now work with conferencing systems from Polycom and TANDBERG — which constitute more than 60 percent¹ of worldwide existing business conferencing systems. This openness means customers can get more value from existing conferencing systems while still benefiting from Microsoft unified communications software for instant messaging, presence and voice over Internet protocol (VoIP).

Customers are also embracing Microsoft’s innovative, low-cost videoconferencing solution, Microsoft RoundTable. In the last six months, more than 350 companies have deployed the 360-degree videoconferencing phone, and 55 resellers have taken it into 17 countries.

Source- Microsoft Press release

March 2008 issue of MSDN Magazine now online

The March 2008 issue of MSDN Magazine is now available online.

In the March issue, we delve into some under-the-hood development topics that maybe aren't as flashy to your end users, but are likely to help you write faster, more dependable apps that your users will love.

ASP.NET MVC: Building Web Apps without Web Forms -- Chris Tavares explains how the ASP.NET MVC Framework's Model View Controller pattern helps you build flexible, easily tested Web applications.

Loosen Up: Tame Your Software Dependencies for More Flexible Apps -- James Kovacs explains the dark side of tightly coupled architectures, why they're hard to test and how they limit adaptation. He then proposes a number of solutions.

CI Server: Redefine Your Build Process with Continuous Integration -- Jay Flowers demonstrates how to set up and use a Continuous Integration server using both discrete tools and the more comprehensive CI Factory solution.

Performance: Find Application Bottlenecks with Visual Studio Profiler -- Hari Pulapaka and Boris Vidolov introduce you to the Visual Studio Profiler by walking through a sample performance investigation, pinpointing code inefficiencies in some sample applications.

Office Development: OBA Solution Patterns In The Real World -- Steve Fox introduces the seven core Office Business Application (OBA) solution patterns and applies one to a real-world problem.

In the columns we take a look at Standard query operators in LINQ and LINQ to XML with Office 2007 files. Dr. James McCaffrey covers Web UI automation with Windows PowerShell and Michael Howard discusses protecting your code through the features of Visual C++.

There's much more in the issue, and I'll be blogging about these and other articles throughout the month.

As usual, the issue is available online in 11 languages: English, French, Spanish, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, Korean, and Japanese.

Source- MSDN magazine blog

New Microsoft adCenter Blog

The new Microsoft adcenter blog and community has been established.Here is what the blog post reads-

Welcome to the new adCenter Blog on our new adCenter Community site. Mel and I, plus bloggers from across adCenter, will be posting advertiser related info in this space, from feature reviews and how-to's to adCenter news and info on tools such as the adCenter Add-in for Excel 2007 and adCenter Labs.

Please take a moment to update your RSS subscription to our new location, and also come visit us in our discussion forum to ask and answer questions, and share your adCenter experiences and feedback.

We've moved our blog and forums here to this new location in order to consolidate our community offerings into one place to make it easier to find the info you need - here's more context from our launch email:

The Future of adCenter Community is Here! www.adCenterCommunity.com

The adCenter Community Team is ready to unveil the next evolution of advertiser enablement with the launch of www.adCenterCommunity.com!!

In order to contribute to our credo of delivering world class service, we have been working diligently to deliver an online experience that enables our advertisers through a variety of interactive communication channels. Some of these features include:

· Product/Service specific blogs

· Categorized User Forums

· Multimedia Distribution including video interviews, audio podcasts and training videos

· User profiles

So whether you’re an adCenter Advertiser, using adCenter Analytics or developing through the adCenter API, www.adCenterCommunity.com will be the one place to visit for all adCenter updates, news, tips, tricks and best practices.

We’ve tried to build a community portal that encourages interaction so that not only can you get information, updates and assistance from Microsoft employees, but also from each other, as some of the most knowledgeable users of our products and services are our customers! Be sure to check out our user forums as they grow into a robust resource on everything adCenter and more.

We’re excited about delivering a truly unique experience for our advertisers, and hope you find value in the resource as well. As always, feel free to share your feedback and suggestions as we are always looking to improve.

Enjoy!

Jeanie, Carolyn, Jason, Chris & Mel – adCenter Community Team

MSN Search SDK Beta

The MSN Search SDK provides documentation that describes the core concepts, requirements, development guidelines, and class library for the MSN Search Web Service. The SDK also contains sample code that demonstrates application development techniques using the MSN Search Web Service.

You can down it here

Microsoft Office 2004 for Mac 11.4.0 Update

The Microsoft Office 2004 for Mac 11.4.1 Update contains several changes that improve security and stability. These changes include fixes for vulnerabilities that let an attacker overwrite the contents of a computer’s memory by using malicious code. For more information about this update, see the Microsoft Knowledge Base article (KB949357).

System Requirements

• Supported Operating Systems: Apple Mac OS X
• Operating System Versions:  Mac OS X 10.2.8 (Jaguar) or a later version of Mac OS

Before you install this update, make sure that the Microsoft Office 2004 for Mac 11.3.9 Update is installed on your computer. To verify that you have installed this update, select the Microsoft Component Plugin file in the Microsoft Office 2004/Office folder on your hard disk, and then on the File menu, click Get Info.

You can download the update here

Google says Microsoft's Yahoo buy might hurt Internet

Google Inc, the world's leading search engine, said on Monday it was concerned about the free flow of information on the Internet if Microsoft Corp were to succeed in acquiring Yahoo Inc.Last month, Microsoft proposed buying Yahoo in a deal originally worth $44.6 billion, but Yahoo's board has rejected the offer, saying it was too low.

"We would be concerned by any kind of acquisition of Yahoo by Microsoft," Chief Executive Eric Schmidt told reporters."We would hope that anything they did would be consistent with the openness of the Internet, but I doubt it would be."

Schmidt pointed to Microsoft's past history and "the things that it has done that have been so difficult for everyone", but he did not elaborate.

Source- Reuters

Windows Mobile to get Flash, PDF support

In addition to its own Silverlight multimedia technology, Microsoft will support Adobe's competing Flash technology on Windows Mobile phones, the companies say.
Microsoft has licenced Adobe Flash Lite, the Flash Player runtime for mobile devices, so that Windows Mobile phone users can view Flash content in the Internet Explorer Mobile browser. Microsoft has also licenced the Adobe Reader LE software, so that Windows Mobile users will be able to view PDF documents.
The announcement means Windows Mobile phones will support both Flash and Silverlight, Microsoft's own fledgling technology that lets developers build multimedia Internet applications that run in browsers.
Microsoft hasn't yet said when it will add the support for Silverlight to Windows Mobile, and nor is it saying when it plans to support the Adobe programs, said Scott Rockfeld, group product manager at Microsoft's Windows Mobile group.

Source- ResellerNews

Microsoft: Xbox 360 shortage causing drop in sales

NPD Group had recently stated that Xbox 360 sales were trailing substantially when compared to rival consoles. Even Sony Playstation 3 managed to beat it in terms of sales.

Microsoft said in an emailed statement: “Our retailers are telling us that Xbox 360 is selling as fast as they can restock, but due to this high demand, Xbox 360 is experiencing temporary shortages. We are working as quickly as we can to replenish inventory.”

Source- echannelnews

Office Live Workspace beta hits Australia

Hot on the release of our Office Live Workspaces online services in the US, the beta of the service is now available in Australia.

It only takes a couple of minutes to signup at http://workspace.office.live.com/.  You can then start creating and sharing documents online. 

 

Then install the Office Live Add-in and you can access and save to your Office Live Workspace directly from your Office Applications.

Source- Technet Blog

Vista SP1 to hit Windows Update Tuesday

Microsoft will release Windows Vista Service Pack 1 next week to a wider audience, according to information posted on Amazon.com and reports from a Web site that correctly called SP1's ship date last month.

Amazon currently lists Vista SP1 retail copies as available next Wednesday, March 19, while TechARP.com, the Malaysian Web site that nailed the update's release to manufacturing (RTM) date several days early, said users would be able to download SP1 starting Tuesday, March 18.

Source- Computerworld

Microsoft Launches Accessibility Portal for Developers

Microsoft unveiled a new Web site yesterday that provides resources for developers to improve and test the accessibility of their applications. The idea is to make it easier for those with visual and hearing impairments to use software.

The new MSDN site, called Microsoft Accessibility Labs, has links to technologies, tools and blogs associated with improving accessibility.

One of the new accessibility tools on the site is AccChecker, which helps check the accuracy of user interfaces (UI) that support Microsoft Active Accessibility, a technology for applications that run on Windows. Developers can scan the application's UI for errors using the tool. They can also use the tool's APIs to create regression tests or create batch file tests using a command-line interface.

A second new tool is UIA Verify, a test automation framework for implementations of Microsoft User Interface Automation (UIA). Microsoft UIA is designed to work on the .NET Framework, starting from version 3.0. Microsoft UIA is designed for Windows Presentation Foundation-supported operating systems, including Windows Vista, Windows XP and Windows Server 2003.

Both tools were released through CodePlex, Microsoft's developer site for open source projects.

"By releasing AccChecker and UIA Verify as open-source tools, Microsoft enables the developer community to improve and extend the tools so that they keep pace with developers' changing needs and requirements," stated Norm Hodne, Microsoft's Windows Accessibility lead, in a press release.

Source- Application Development Trends

Microsoft Live@edu Suite Website Refreshed

Live@edu is the ultimate suite of applications, mobile, desktop and web-based, to help students collaborate on campus, and create a community that lasts a lifetime. The Microsoft Live@edu program provides institutions of higher education and K-12 with a set of free hosted and co-branded collaboration and communication services for students, alumni, and applicants, leading with an offer of Windows Live™ Hotmail®, a hosted e-mail service, and Office Live Workspace, an online space to collaborate on Microsoft Office documents. Although Microsoft hosts the e-mail, the institution maintains control: you continue to create, delete, and store institution e-mail addresses for your constituents, as you do today. The website uses SilverLight.
Download: GetLiveAtEdu
Link: GetLiveAt Edu FAQ

Source- Neowin

Microsoft Announces Acquisition of Rapt

Microsoft Corp. today announced plans to acquire Rapt Inc., the leading provider of advertising yield management solutions for digital media publishers. Rapt’s technology, along with its information and advisory services offerings, will become key components of the Atlas Publisher Suite, part of Microsoft’s Advertiser and Publisher Solutions Group. With the inclusion of Rapt, the Atlas Publisher Suite allows Microsoft to provide its customers with integrated asset and inventory management, forecasting, yield and sales management, and ad delivery and operations.

“Online publishers have a complex array of needs, and they require more attentive and sophisticated partners to help them solve these challenges,” said Brian McAndrews, senior vice president of the Advertiser and Publisher Solutions Group at Microsoft. “With this acquisition, we are uniquely positioned to help publishers succeed on all fronts. Our end-to-end solution will include workflow tools, ad package and delivery, turnkey distribution, content partnerships, and yield management and optimization.”

A key product that will emerge from the marriage of Rapt’s planning capabilities and Atlas’ campaign management capabilities is an integrated publisher sales workflow solution. This solution will improve upon the existing industry offerings for publishers’ sales teams when used with Rapt’s existing pricing analytics, inventory management and business intelligence products on top of Atlas’ ad serving platform.

Source- Microsoft Press Release

Microsoft and Yahoo met to discuss merger

Microsoft Corp and Yahoo Inc met on Monday to discuss Microsoft's takeover offer for the Internet company, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday, citing people familiar with the matter.

The meeting was said to be the first since Microsoft made its unsolicited offer for Yahoo, worth nearly $42 billion, on January 31. Yahoo rejected the offer as inadequate last month.The Journal said the meeting wasn't a negotiation and that no bankers were present.

The session was intended to allow Microsoft to present its vision of a combined company, and Yahoo executives mostly listened, the Journal quoted one of the sources as saying.

Microsoft and Yahoo spokesmen declined to comment.

Source- Reuters

PowerShell Plus is now official!

PowerShell Plus has now officially released V1.0.  Actually I'm late in my congratulations, they actually released it on March 6th. 

If you haven't checked out PowerShell Plus, you definitely should take advantage of their free 30 day trial and see what you are missing.  This is a really impressive piece of creative engineering.

You can learn more about it HERE.

Jeffrey Snover [MSFT]
Windows Management Partner Architect
Visit the Windows PowerShell Team blog at:    http://blogs.msdn.com/PowerShell
Visit the Windows PowerShell ScriptCenter at:  http://www.microsoft.com/technet/scriptcenter/hubs/msh.mspx

Microsoft plans mobile Zune store, third-gen player

Microsoft is planning to launch a mobile Zune portal sometime in 2009, according to the French newspaper Les Echos. The site would extend the reach of the company's iTunes rival, the Zune Marketplace, and allow users to download games and music directly to various platforms, including computers, Windows Mobile devices and for the first time, Zune players themselves. While Zunes have always come equipped with a Wi-Fi module, they have never had Internet access, a prominent feature on Apple's competing iPod touch.

The availability of Windows Mobile access is said to be tied to the release of Windows Mobile 7, a follow-up to the yet-unreleased Windows Mobile 6.1. In the same year, Microsoft is expected to release its third generation of Zune players, still wrapped in secrecy. Compatibility with a Zune Marketplace, however, may suggest web-browsing ability.

 

Source- Generation NT

Microsoft and Intel to Announce Joint Research Undertaking With Universities

Executives from Intel Corporation and Microsoft Corp., in conjunction with researchers from two universities, will host a joint media teleconference on Tuesday, March 18, to announce significant new research ventures. A press release with more details about the news will go live following the teleconference.

What:

Joint teleconference with executives from Microsoft, Intel and researchers from key universities

When:

Tuesday, March 18, 2008

10 a.m.–10:45 a.m. PDT

Who:

Andrew Chien, vice president, Corporate Technology Group and director, Intel Research

Tony Hey, corporate vice president of External Research at Microsoft Research

Teleconference Information:

The live teleconference will begin at 10 a.m. PDT. Participants can access the teleconference with the information below:

•Dial-in number: (800) 599-9829

•International dial-in number: +1 (617) 847-8703

•Passcode: 129 066 47

Source- Microsoft Press Release

Microsoft Announces New Accessibility Tools and Resources for Developers

Microsoft Corp. today launched a new online resource and released two new open-source accessibility testing tools for developers who want to create accessible and assistive technology products that make it easier for everyone —including people with impairments and disabilities — to see, hear and use computers and other devices.

As the demand for accessibility increases, driven by a rapidly aging work force and an increasing number of people who use accessible technology to customize their computers for greater comfort and productivity, so does the need for more developer resources and better testing tools that have the capacity to evolve.

“We are helping to create a developer community that is focused on accessibility, and to improve the ability of developers around the world to share their experiences and build more accessible desktop, server and Web applications,” said Norm Hodne, Windows Accessibility lead at Microsoft. “Microsoft has been a leader in accessibility for over 20 years, making our products more accessible and providing resources that other companies can use to develop their own accessible technology products. Today’s announcement is another example of our long-standing commitment to accessibility.”

 

Source- Microsoft Press Release

Microsoft Confirms Windows 7 for 2010

Microsoft has confirmed that Windows 7 is right on track for release in 2010. Concomitantly with the leaked details associated with Windows 7 Milestone 1 dropped by the Redmond company to select partners in January 2008, a potential timetable for the availability of the successor of Windows Vista was also made public. According to the leaked information on the next iteration of the Windows platform, having just reached M1, the final version of Windows 7 was to be wrapped up the end of 2009.
Officially, the Redmond company has only been saying that Windows 7 development would take an estimated three-year timeframe. However, Microsoft always failed to specify the moment when the three-year timeframe started. The debut of Windows 7 development was indeed connected with the release of Windows Vista, but this aspect only contributed to the confusion because the latest Windows client was launched to businesses in November 2006 and to the general public in January 2007. So in this context, the finalization of Windows 7 could just as easily be aimed for the end of 2009, as well as 2010.
Well, this is no longer the case. Microsoft explained that it would deliver Windows 7 three years after the consumers launch of Vista. "We are currently in the planning stages for Windows 7 and development is scoped to three years from Windows Vista Consumer GA. The specific release date will be determined once the company meets its quality bar for release," a Microsoft spokesperson revealed to Softpedia via email.
Windows Vista Consumer GA means nothing more than the general availability of the operating system. In this regard, Microsoft has merely reconfirmed what it has in fact said since mid 2007, that Windows 7 is planned for 2010. Recently, the Redmond company has delivered a build of Windows 7 for review to the U.S. antitrust regulators. This was made public via the "Joint status report on Microsoft's compliance with the final judgments."
I contacted Microsoft and asked whether the new version of Windows 7 was still M1 or if the company has reached Milestone 2 (M2). The leaked timetable for Windows 7 had M1 set to expire in March, and M2 to be delivered in March/April. Outside of the confirmation quoted above, Microsoft did not comment on Windows 7 M1, M2 or the potential antitrust issues that would be generated by the connecting of Windows 7 with Windows Live Wave 3.
News Source: Softpedia

Gates: Next Decade to Bring Huge Software Advances

The coming decade will bring even more advances in software and computing than the last 10 years, bringing new ways to watch television, to use telephones and to input information into computers, Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates predicted Thursday.

Changes in software and computing over the next 10 years will be "very substantial" and will permeate all facets of life, Gates told a crowd of about 1,100 people during a Northern Virginia Technology Council breakfast in Washington, D.C. Computers and software have changed how people take photographs and purchase music, but other industries will be affected just as much in coming years, he said.

"There are great realms of activity that digital approach has not yet touched on," Gates said.

Among Gates' predictions for the coming decade:

• Television will be married with the Internet, allowing for personalized news and commercials. People will watch more of their home movies on their TV screens, and TV sets and computers will be increasingly connected. Television will be an "utterly different thing," he said.
• Telephone sets will increasingly be able to handle video, e-mail and other digital media. Speech recognition will allow telephone users to ask for information such as nearby restaurants.
• More and more software will be delivered as a service over the Internet, instead of residing on individual computers.
• Computer users will have more options for inputting information beyond the mouse and keyboard. Speech and handwriting recognition software will gain in popularity. Computers will move off the desktop, with speech recognition and motion-sensing cameras allowing users to control screens embedded into desktops or whiteboards.
• More schools will ditch textbooks for tablet PCs that hold dozens of books. New types of textbooks will increasingly contain video and other media.
• Companies and government agencies will embrace three-dimensional computing, giving users new ways of interacting with virtual worlds. Students will increasingly use software to simulate experiments.

Full story here- Yahoo News

New Beta Available: Microsoft Forefront Integration Kit for Network Access Protection

I would like to announce the beta release for the Microsoft® Forefront™ Integration Kit for Network Access Protection. We are making this beta release available so that we can get your feedback. With your help, we can ensure that the Kit meets your needs.

What is the Microsoft Forefront Integration Kit for Network Access Protection?

The Microsoft Forefront Integration Kit for Network Access Protection (NAP) provides software components that allow you to integrate NAP and Forefront Client Security. A network administrator can use these components to establish a system health policy that NAP uses to determine whether client computers that run Forefront Client Security comply with the policy before they are allowed access to network resources. The Kit will also provide instructions on how to install the components and configure the system health policy for Forefront Client Security.

What are the benefits?

· Boosts security.  The Kit strengthens your malware defenses by integrating two key Microsoft security technologies: Forefront Client Security and Network Access Protection.

· Saves time and reduces IT costs.  The Kit’s system health validator (SHV) allows you to quickly establish health policies for Forefront Client Security installations on all network clients. The system health agent (SHA) automatically monitors the health of these installations network-wide, and remediates problems—freeing up scarce IT resources for other tasks.

· Easy to deploy.  You can install and configure the Kit in just a couple of hours. 

Where do I access the beta?

To learn more about the Kit, sign in to the Microsoft Connect Web site. Or, to join the beta program, click here and complete the beta program survey. Note that you may have to register to get access to the Connect site. You will be notified once you are given access to the beta Web site and can download the beta release. Be aware that in order to deploy the SHA and SHV from this kit, you will need to have NAP and Forefront Client Security deployed. I recommend that you read the Release Notes for the latest beta release information.

 

Source- Solution Accelerators - Security & Compliance

Microsoft releasing OOXML SDK

The Office Open XML (OOXML) format may not have gotten ISO's final blessing as an open standard yet, but Microsoft is finalizing plans to release a software development kit for it anyway.
Microsoft plans to put out the final beta of the OOXML SDK next month, and release Version 1.0 in May, according to Doug Mahugh, a technical evangelist at Microsoft. The final SDK beta and related information will be available at openxmldeveloper.org, openxmlcommunity.org, and microsoft.com.
The SDK will enable developers to write applications that can open, read and otherwise work with OOXML documents, or port existing applications that work with documents in older Microsoft formats over to OOXML, Mahugh said. Moreover, the SDK will "put Microsoft on the hook to keep your app in line with the OOXML standard" as it changes, he said. 

Full story: InfoWorld

Microsoft Announces 2008 Ultimate Install Contest

Today at the Electronic House Expo (EHX) in Orlando, Fla., Microsoft Corp. announced the 2008 Windows Media Center Ultimate Install Contest. This exciting design contest, now in its second year, seeks to recognize the residential integration business that best utilizes Windows Media Center in a custom home installation project.

Last year’s winner, Imperium Smart Systems LLC, showcased a home that used Windows Media Center as the main platform and interface that controlled all the family’s entertainment and many of the home’s subsystems. Microsoft has seen the use of Windows Media Center accelerate in the custom integration market this year through increased participation by installers in events and training at Media Center Boot Camp and Electronic House Expo’s Media Center University. This contest encourages installers to show off their talents and present their unique and most creative installations using Windows Media Center technology.

“Once again, custom installers have the chance to show the amazing things that can be done with our Windows Media Center platform,” said Scott Evans, group manager in the Entertainment and Devices eHome Division at Microsoft. “Professionals in the custom home electronics channel have always been distinguished by their creativity, execution and personalized solutions for their customers. This contest gives them a chance to showcase the great work they are doing with Windows Media Center, the latest and greatest tool in their efforts to build the most functional and exciting digital homes yet.”

Contest Eligibility Overview

The goal of Windows Media Center Ultimate Install Contest is to identify the finest implementation of the Windows Media Center platform as designed and installed in a residential electronics system:

•A company may submit up to two unique entries to the contest.

•Entry form and detailed submission process can be found at http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/winfamily/mediacenter/ceinstaller/ultimateinstallcontest.mspx.

•Each entry must contain information regarding the project cost and engineering details of the installation, a minimum of five photos of the project (maximum of 10) and an installation overview with highlights and a list of integrated components used.

•he installation must be completed before the close of the contest entry period.

“We’re looking for custom installers who have succeeded in making Windows Media Center the heartbeat of a digital home,” Evans said. “This has been an exciting year for Windows Media Center. We’ve seen new Extenders for Windows Media Center, new storage devices, new server hardware, and even new entertainment services and content options. We expect that this year’s winning install capitalizes on all these offerings and that the installer will have utilized Media Center’s capabilities to the fullest.”

Deadlines and Prizes

All entries must be submitted by Aug. 1, 2008, at midnight PDT. The winner will be announced at CEDIA EXPO 2008 in Denver on Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2008. The winner, a guest and the homeowner of the winning entry will receive a prize package encompassing the following:

•A trip for one to CEDIA EXPO 2008 in Denver

•A trip for two to Microsoft including airfare and two-night hotel accommodations in Seattle, with a campus tour and a $1,000 cash prize

•A photo shoot of the winning installation

•A technology prize package for the winning homeowner, including an Xbox 360 Elite video game system, games and Zune digital media players with a home AV kit

Official rules and eligibility are available at http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/winfamily/mediacenter/ceinstaller/ultimateinstallcontest.mspx.

Source- Microsoft Press Release

Server Core could top Windows Server 2008 features

Server Core in Windows Server 2008 is being hailed by many as potentially the best feature of Microsoft's latest operating system. If you're unfamiliar still with Server Core and what it can provide, prepare yourself for this version of Windows, which arrives with no GUI, no support for many types of managed code and little more than a command-line prompt for console administration.
Even though the meat of the OS has changed quite a bit, the core of it remains relatively the same. This holds true for administering and maintaining your Server Core instances once they're installed.
Once you've installed Server Core on your machine and completed the initial configurations that bring it online, you'll need a set of command-line tools to install Roles or Role Services. As Server Core doesn't have any GUI support, those tools are all command-line based.
The main command-line tool you'll be using to install Roles and Role Services is not the same one you would use in the full version of the OS. For full versions of Windows Server 2008, Microsoft provides a command-line adjunct called servermanagercmd.exe that can manipulate the configuration and install/uninstall components as desired. That tool is easy to use and aligns with most of the functionality you get in the GUI form of Server Manager.
For Server Core, however, things are a little different. The servermanagercmd.exe tool is an executable that relies on managed code, and Server Core does not support that execution. So Microsoft had to create another version of the same tool that didn't have such needs. Why buy one when you can have two for twice the price?
In Server Core, there are actually two tools you'll use to list and install your Roles and Role Services. The first, oclist.exe, will list the possible Roles for the server as well as identify those which are currently installed.
 

Source: SearchWinit

Linux Foundation: We'd love to work with Microsoft

Jim Zemlin is the executive director of the Linux Foundation. Formerly executive director of the Free Standards Group, Zemlin also has served as vice president of marketing for Covalent Technologies, providing products and services for the Apache Web server. Zemlin has also been a keynote speaker at industry and financial conferences including Gartner's Open Source Conference and Linux World. Zemlin met with InfoWorld Editor at Large Paul Krill this week to talk about Linux topics ranging from overtures to Microsoft to the progress of Linux on the desktop.

InfoWorld: What's the role of the Linux Foundation?

Zemlin: We obviously are the home of [Linux founder] Linus Torvalds. We sort of focus on three main areas in terms of the platform. The first area is to promote Linux as a technology solution, and that's across embedded, mobile, server, desktop computing. We respond to competitive marketing on behalf of the platform, so when competitors are out spreading fear, uncertainty, and doubt about open source or if there is a general lack of understanding of open-source licensing practices or governance practices, our organization plays a role educating [the] industry and end-users on those issues. We protect the platform by allowing people like Linus Torvalds to work as fellows at the foundation so that they can be neutral actors in a mass collaboration project like Linux. We manage the Linux trademark. We have a legal defense fund for the platform. We work with the USPTO (Patent and Trademark Office) on patent quality issues. And we do that work to improve the quality of software patents and protect the platform. And then finally, we work on the standardizing the Linux platform.

InfoWorld: What kind of legal protection does Linux require? And has anything ever come of the Microsoft protest that there's Linux code that they patented or something to that effect?

Zemlin: What they were talking about were patents that Microsoft holds in a range of areas. They didn't actually disclose what those were, but in general felt that they overlapped with other technology. No, nothing ever became of it because everybody holds patents on everything out there lately in software. 

InfoWorld: You have a legal defense fund. Should people have legal concerns about using Linux?

Zemlin: Just like any other major software platform, there'll be patent trolls or opportunists who try to harm the platform. The SCO Group was a good example of that. In fact, the legal defense fund was created to assist in defense of the platform in the SCO lawsuit. And so that's a good example. 

 

Full Story At Source

Source: www.infoworld.com

Microsoft says no Blu-ray for Xbox 360

Microsoft Corp  is not in talks to include Sony Corp's  Blu-ray high-definition DVD technology in its Xbox 360 video game console, an executive said on Wednesday.

The comments by Aaron Greenberg, group product manager for Xbox 360, poured cold water on recent speculation that Microsoft could support Blu-ray after Toshiba Corp , backer of the rival HD DVD format, gave up when key movie studios and retailers abandoned the technology.

"Xbox is not currently in talks with Sony or the Blu-ray Association to integrate Blu-ray into the Xbox experience," Greenberg told Reuters in an interview.

Microsoft, which has stopped making an HD-DVD add-on for the Xbox 360, would continue to invest in its Xbox Live online service that already lets users rent hundreds of movies, including ones in high-definition.

"We're the only console offering digital distribution of entertainment content," Greenberg said.

The software giant also expected that supply problems for the Xbox 360 meant the machine was outsold in the U.S. market by Sony's PlayStation 3 console in February for the second month in a row.

 

Source- Reuters

Microsoft gives US govt sneak peek of Windows 7

Microsoft has said precious little about Windows 7, but it has provided at least one outsider with an early test version of the forthcoming operating system. The software maker confirmed in a court filing last week that it has provided a test version of Windows 7 to the technical committee helping to oversee Microsoft's compliance with the US antitrust settlement. Windows 7 crops up about a third of the way through the 21-page joint status report, initially with Microsoft noting that the technical committee would like to see an unspecified issue addressed in Windows 7.
"In addition, the [technical committee] has begun to review Windows 7 itself," Microsoft and regulators said in the filing. "Microsoft recently supplied the TC with a build of Windows 7, and is discussing TC testing going forward. The TC will conduct middleware-related tests on future builds of Windows 7."
Microsoft has not said when Windows 7 will arrive, nor said much about what features it will contain, though Bill Gates said in a recent interview with ZDNet.com.au sister site CNET News.com that Windows 7 is "a big step forward" in speech recognition and other natural interfaces. 

News source: ZDNet Australia

Microsoft to patch Home Server corruption bug - in June

Microsoft Monday said its engineers were still "heads down working" on the data corruption bug that has plagued Windows Home Server since late last year, but acknowledged that a fix wouldn't be released until June at the earliest.
In a post to a company blog, the Windows Home Server (WHS) team said it had updated a support document to provide more information on the flaw -- even as it continued to downplay the threat. "We are aware of only a very small percentage of users with confirmed instances of this issue, and we believe that most people are unlikely to be affected," the team said.
The WHS developers, who also said that some claims of corrupted files had been traced to other causes, spelled out a rough timeline for a patch. "Our current plan is to release beta test versions of a fix over the next few months, with a final version currently estimated for June 2008, although that date could change as testing progresses," the programmers said.
Before Monday's update, the last time the WHS group had refreshed the support document outlining the flaw was nearly three weeks ago, when it expanded the list of programs that could damage data.
WHS's data corruption problems go back to December 2007, when Microsoft confirmed that editing a document, image or e-mail stored on the server could corrupt the file, effectively destroying the data. Since then, WHS product managers have struggled to pin down the bug, saying in December that it cropped up only when the server was under an "extreme load" as it copied large files. They recanted that explanation just weeks later.
According to Monday's post, however, the team now knows what's going on. "We understand the issue really well at this point -- it is at an extremely low level of the operating system and it requires thorough testing to ensure that the fix addresses the issue."
In the revised support document, Microsoft went into greater detail about the cause of the data corruption flaw. "A bug has been discovered in the way that Windows Home Server manages file transfer and balancing across multiple hard drives," said the document. "In certain cases, depending on application use patterns, timing, and the workload that is placed on the Windows Home Server-based computer, certain files may become corrupted."
The bug is in the redirection mechanism that WHS uses when writing data to more than one disk drive. By Microsoft's analysis, that can cause the Windows file system, as well as its Memory Manager and Cache Manager, to get out of sync, which in turn results in corrupted data being written to files.
The support document also included more specific advice for WHS users. "Do not use applications to directly edit or change files that are stored on the Windows Home Server-based computer," Microsoft recommended. "As a precautionary measure, users should use Windows Explorer or a command-line tool to copy files to and from the Windows Home Server-based computer."
Other tips included setting the Shared Folders on a WHS machine to "read-only"; not using media software such as Windows Media Player to import files to the server; and avoiding redirecting applications to access files stored in Shared Folders.
"Developing a fix for this issue is the highest priority for the team right now," said a company spokesman in an e-mail Monday.

 

Source- Computerworld

Microsoft to Expand Investment in Desktop Virtualization With Acquisition of Kidaro

Microsoft Corp. today announced its intended acquisition of Kidaro, a leading provider of desktop virtualization solutions for enterprises. In combining Kidaro’s virtualization technology with its suite of desktop management tools, known as the Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack for Software Assurance, Microsoft will enable IT professionals to optimize their desktop infrastructure by providing management capabilities for Virtual PCs, streamlining deployments and easing application compatibility issues.

 

“The acquisition of Kidaro is an important component of our virtualization strategy, and it delivers a powerful new tool to help enterprise customers optimize their desktops,” said Shanen Boettcher, general manager of Windows product management at Microsoft. “Virtual PCs can help businesses address a number of challenges around application compatibility, mobility and business continuity. Kidaro’s seamless user interface and management capabilities allow enterprises to more easily use and manage Virtual PCs. Incorporating Kidaro’s innovative solutions into the Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack further enables virtualization across the enterprise, and is another example of how we are helping customers keep up with the changing needs of their business.”

 

Source- Microsoft Press Release

A new reliability update for Vista is available on Windows Update, KB94604

A new reliability update for Vista is available on Windows Update: KB946041
this update includes the following improvements on a Windows Vista-based computer:
* This update improves the reliability of certain portable computers when you resume the computers from sleep by opening the lid.
* This update improves the reliability of updates that are installed in the system, and it addresses error code 0x8007000b.
* This update addresses some crash situations that occur when the computer is running media playback programs that use several popular codecs.
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/946041/en-us

Microsoft Gets Emotional With Business Software Upgrade

The new Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009 enterprise-resource planning suite Microsoft is previewing at its Convergence conference in Orlando, Fla., this week was developed with a new methodology, called Feel IT, that examines' users emotional reactions to software. Microsoft also is announcing the availability of online services such as PayPal and eBay from within its Dynamics applications, and at the conference will talk up efforts to go after Salesforce.com's customer base with a version of CRM Live that it'll host from its own data centers, to be available within the next few months.

 

Microsoft also is announcing a tighter relationship with partner EMC to provide IT services and hosting for both on-premise and on-demand CRM software.

 

The Feel IT methodology is another step up the evolution rung beyond usability, said Jakob Nielsen, principal user experience manager at Microsoft Dynamics. "In the beginning, there was a lot of focus on features and making applications useful," Nielsen said. "Over the last 15 to 20 years, the focus has been not only on usefulness, but usability. We're saying that may not be enough. Software should not only be usable, but the entire experience desirable."

 

Source- Information Week

Microsoft, Nortel unveil joint UC products

Microsoft and Nortel have announced the availability of four new joint unified communications products. The joint products include the Converged Office unified communications suite, Multimedia Conferencing and services for branch offices and hosted service providers. Nortel Converged Office integrates the voice functionality of Nortel's Communication Server 1000 IP-PBX or CS 2100 IP-PBX with Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007. UC Integrated Branch combines Office Communications Server 2007 mediation server features into the Nortel Secure Router 4134, while integrating WAN routing, Ethernet switching, security and VoIP capabilities into a single platform.

With the Nortel and Microsoft Carrier Hosted Unified Communications Solution, service providers can offer hosted unified communications services to SMBs and enterprises using Nortel's Communication Server 2000 softswitch with Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 and Exchange Server 2007 Unified Messaging. The service allows providers to equip workers with instant messaging, VoIP, click-to-call, video conferencing and other multimedia services through Microsoft Office Communicator 2007.

Nortel Multimedia Conferencing 5.0 for Office Communications Server 2007 provides a reservationless audio conferencing service that enhances Office Communications Server 2007 conferencing with dial in audio bridge capabilities, enabling external non Communications Server 2007 users to dial into a conference.

 

Source- Telecompaper

Windows Server 2008 is 20% faster than Vista

It seems Microsoft may have a successor (or replacement) for Vista after all and it's already been released. Windows Server 2008 isn't easy to configure as a desktop operating system but when done correctly can be 20% faster than Vista while retaining most of the same features.Windows Workstation 2008 has all the patches and fixes that are present in Vista SP1; runs all the same software but does it faster. InformationWeek calls Windows Workstation 2008 the "speediest and most secure version of Windows to come along in a decade."
Windows Workstation 2008 is not a product sold by Microsoft and must be configured from a copy of Windows Server 2008. It seems this version of Windows lacks the "bloat" that is part of Vista. However, I am not sure what the author is referring to (but is likely talking about unnecessary services).
Of course this version of Windows was designed with developers in mind who covet speed above all else. Workstation 2008 includes IIS and Hyper-V for creating virtual machines.
A Microsoft employee and third party website have created tutorials on how to use Windows Server 2008 as a desktop operating system. This is what I've been referring to as Windows Workstation 2008. Keep in mind that this will have the same driver problems as Vista does, meaning, if a Vista driver doesn't exist for a piece of hardware you still won't be able to use it with Server or Workstation 2008.
News Source: BLORGE.com

Microsoft offers payment option through Open Value Licensing program

Microsoft has announced the staggered payment option for software purchases in India through its Open Value Licensing program.

Designed especially for Small and Medium sized Businesses (SMBs), this licensing program would allow businesses to implement IT solutions for benefiting their businesses while diverting their funds to other critical capital expenditure. This program would also simplify software license management and allow automatic access to upgrades of latest products.
SMBs will be able to spread their payments for software solutions over a three-year period rather than make an upfront payment.
During the three-year period, Open Value Licensing also provides Software Assurance, a feature that allows access to such benefits as training, IT planning, software upgrades and product support.

 

Source- ZDNet India

Get Ready for Internet Explorer 8 Beta 2

In case you live under a rock, Internet Explorer 8 Beta 1 is now available as a public download. Via Internet Explorer 8, designed as the successor of IE7, released all the way back in October 2006 for Windows XP SP2 and Windows Vista, Microsoft is finally offering the first taste of the next iteration of Internet Explorer. But the Redmond company has failed at this point in time to indicate a release date for the final IE8. But what it did manage to do is point to the next step in the browser's evolution: Internet Explorer 8 Beta 2.
In all fairness, IE8 Beta 1 is a release aimed at web developers. While it does bring to the table features such as WebSlices and Activities, end users will not see a browser evolved very far beyond IE7. But with the next development milestones of the browser, IE8 will change radically with a focus on end users. Hints from Dean Hachamovitch indicated that the next Beta build of IE8 is planned for the summer of this year.
IE8 Beta 1 - "There’s a lot more. (...) While anyone can download it, this is a developer beta. We released it at MIX for a good reason: great web experiences start with web developers, and we want to engage developers first. We believe that to build a better browser for the people who use the web, we need to build a better browser for the people who make the web. Non-developers are welcome to try it, but they’ll be more interested in Beta 2," Hachamovitch stated.
Because IE8 beta 1 is focused almost entirely on developers, the key aspects of the release are without a doubt enhanced interoperability and advanced Web standards support. Both of which the Redmond company failed to deliver with IE6 and IE7. And even as early as the first Beta of IE8, Microsoft is already committed to a certain direction of development.
"Our goal is to deliver complete, full CSS 2.1 support in the final IE8 product. IE8 Beta 1 for developers delivers better interoperability with other major browsers, addressing major pain points (e.g. floats and margins) from previous IE releases. We’re not finished – there’s much more to come in Beta 2," Hachamovitch added. "We’ve contributed over 700 test cases to the W3C CSS working group because we think a comprehensive certification test suite for CSS is important for true interoperability and we support the W3C’s effort to deliver such a suite."

Source: Softpedia

Windows 7 Eyed For Antitrust Violations

The court-mandated committee overseeing Microsoft's compliance with a federal antitrust settlement has commenced reviews on the company's next major operating system to ensure it meets the settlement's terms.

The so-called Technical Committee recently received a build of Windows 7 from Microsoft and is checking it for any features that might violate the agreement. Presumably, most heavily under scrutiny is whether the OS causes host computers to favor Microsoft applications over third-party software -- a practice the federal government cited in its original complaint against the company.

Microsoft to date has said little about Windows 7, which had been in development under the code name Blackcomb. It's generally believed that the OS will ship in the 2010 timeframe.

Source-  Information Week

Microsoft Delivers Sophistication of Windows Aero to New Wireless Laser Desktop 7000

Microsoft Corp. brings the beauty of Windows Aero from the PC to the devices that surround it with its latest keyboard and mouse desktop set, the Wireless Laser Desktop 7000, designed to complement the Windows Vista operating system with its striking design.

The new desktop set includes an ultrathin Comfort Curve keyboard and rechargeable mouse, delivering ultimate performance and comfort. The keyboard features a Windows Aero-inspired translucent design, floating Hot Keys and instant access to Windows Flip 3D,¹ making this desktop a perfect companion for today’s Windows Vista-based PC.

The Wireless Laser Desktop 7000 will be widely available in April 2008 for an estimated retail price of $129.95 (U.S.).⁵ The Digital Media Keyboard 3000 will be widely available in June 2008 for an estimated retail price of $29.95 (U.S.).⁵ The Wireless Laser Desktop7000 and Digital Media Keyboard 3000 are now available for special pre-sale on Amazon.com and will ship in April and June respectively, when the products are widely released.

 

Source- Microsoft Press Release

Microsoft Adding Sony Blu-ray Support To Windows

CEO Steve Ballmer said his company is working on Windows device driver support for the Blu-ray high definition movie format. Microsoft is developing software that will add native support for devices that play Sony's Blu-ray high definition movie format to the Windows operating system, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer said.
"We've already been working on, for example, in Windows, device driver support for Blu-ray drives and the like," said Ballmer, speaking at the Microsoft's Mix '08 conference. Ballmer also said that Microsoft is "going to support Blu-ray in ways that are important," according to a transcript of his remarks posted on the company's Web site. The Mix '08 conference was held last week in Las Vegas.
Microsoft until recently used Toshiba's HD DVD format to add HD movie playback to its Xbox 360 gaming console. That practice abruptly ended last month when Toshiba announced its decision to kill HD DVD after virtually all major Hollywood studios threw their weight behind Blu-ray. 

Source: InformationWeek

Microsoft Security Bulletin Summary for March 2008

This bulletin summary lists security bulletins released for March 2008. With the release of the bulletins for March 2008, this bulletin summary replaces the bulletin advance notification originally issued March 6, 2008. For more information about the bulletin advance notification service, see Microsoft Security Bulletin Advance Notification. Microsoft is hosting a webcast to address customer questions on these bulletins on March 12, 2008, at 11:00 AM Pacific Time (US & Canada). Register now for the March Security Bulletin Webcast. After this date, this webcast is available on-demand. 

View: Vulnerabilities in Microsoft Excel Could Allow Remote Code Execution (949029)
View: Vulnerability in Microsoft Outlook Could Allow Remote Code Execution (949031)
View: Vulnerabilities in Microsoft Office Could Allow Remote Code Execution (949030)
View: Vulnerabilities in Microsoft Office Web Components Could Allow Remote Code Execution (933103)
Microsoft Security Bulletin MS08-014
- Affected Software:
- Microsoft Office Excel 2000 Service Pack 3
- Microsoft Office Excel 2002 Service Pack 3
- Microsoft Office Excel 2003 Service Pack 2
- Microsoft Office Excel Viewer 2003
- Microsoft Office Excel 2007
- Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack for Word, Excel, and
PowerPoint 2007 File Formats
- Microsoft Office 2004 for Mac
- Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac
- Impact: Remote Code Execution
- Version Number: 1.0
Microsoft Security Bulletin MS08-015
- Affected Software:
- Microsoft Office Outlook 2000 Service Pack 3
- Microsoft Office Outlook 2002 Service Pack 3
- Microsoft Office Outlook 2003 Service Pack 2
- Microsoft Office Outlook 2003 Service Pack 3
- Microsoft Office Outlook 2007
- Impact: Remote Code Execution
- Version Number: 1.0
Microsoft Security Bulletin MS08-016
- Affected Software:
- Microsoft Office 2000 Service Pack 3
- Microsoft Office XP Service Pack 3
- Microsoft Office 2003 Service Pack 2
- Microsoft Office Excel Viewer 2003
- Microsoft Office Excel Viewer 2003 Service Pack 3
- Microsoft Office 2004 for Mac
- Impact: Remote Code Execution
- Version Number: 1.0
Microsoft Security Bulletin MS08-017
- Affected Software:
- Microsoft Office Web Components 2000 (KB931660)
- Microsoft Office Web Components 2000 (KB932031)
- Microsoft Office Web Components 2000 (KB933367)
- Microsoft Office Web Components 2000 (KB933369)
- Microsoft Office Web Components 2000 (KB939714) - associated
with Microsoft BizTalk Server 2000
- Microsoft Office Web Components 2000 (KB939714) - associated
with Microsoft BizTalk Server 2002
- Microsoft Office Web Components 2000 (KB941305)
- Microsoft Office Web Components 2000 (KB948257)
- Impact: Remote Code Execution
- Version Number: 1.0

THE MICROSOFT SQL SERVER 2008 FEBRUARY CTP BUG BASH CONTEST

This is a skill-based Contest and chance plays no part in the determination of the winners.

The object of this Contest is to identify, reproduce, and file a bug against SQL Server 2008 February CTP.

For purpose of this Contest, the unique bug you create and submit in the Contest will be called an “entry.” All eligible entries received will be judged using the criteria described below to determine winners.

 

This Contest starts at 5:01 PM Pacific Time (PT) February 15, 2008, and ends at 11:59PM PT on March 15 2008 (“Entry Period”). Entries must be received within the Entry Period to be eligible.

 

There are lots of XBOX to be one.

 

More info can be found here- http://connect.microsoft.com/SQLServer/content/content.aspx?ContentID=7734&tapm=A87S17A05

System Center Essentials SP1 Now Available

Looks like Service Pack 1 for System Center Essentials released yesterday so if you happen to run one of these servers you'll want to check that out.  Here are some of the highlights:

 

Service Pack 1 (SP1) is an update to System Center Essentials that provides enhancements based on customer and partner feedback. Some of the improvements include: Up to 70 percent less memory consumption, and faster UI, support for workgroup joined computers, SNMP v1 devices, improved setup, new update approvals rules, enhanced third-party update experience and support for Windows Server 2008.

For more information and to download SP1 see http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sce/cc304525.aspx.

 

Source- http://blogs.technet.com/smsandmom/archive/2008/03/11/system-center-essentials-sp1-now-available.aspx

Windows Server 2008 Multilingual User Interface Language Packs

Multilingual User Interface Language Packs (Windows Server® Language Packs) enable a multilingual user interface in a Windows Server® 2008 environment. Adding one or more language packs to a Windows Server® 2008 image enables one or more languages in the installed Windows Server® operating system, allowing corporations to deploy the same Windows Server® 2008 image worldwide while still providing localized user interfaces.

Each language pack is a .cab file. The language pack .cab files are grouped into .img image download files. Following are the contents of the .img image download files:
32-bit (x86) Language Packs
• Group 1 (English, German, Japanese, French, Spanish)

o File name: 6001.18000.080118-1840_x86fre_Server_LP_1-KRMSLP1_DVD.img

• Group 2 (Chinese Simplified, Chinese Traditional, Korean, Portuguese (Brazil))

o File name: 6001.18000.080118-1840_x86fre_Server_LP_2-KRMSLP2_DVD.img

• Group 3 (Italian, Russian, Portuguese (Portugal), Dutch, Swedish)

o File name: 6001.18000.080118-1840_x86fre_Server_LP_4-KRMSLP4_DVD.img

amd64 (x64) Language Packs
• Group 1 (English, German, Japanese, French, Spanish)

o File name: 6001.18000.080118-1840_amd64fre_Server_LP_1-KRMSLPX1_DVD.img

• Group 2 (Chinese Simplified, Chinese Traditional, Korean, Portuguese (Brazil))

o File name: 6001.18000.080118-1840_amd64fre_Server_LP_2-KRMSLPX2_DVD.img

• Group 3 (Italian, Russian, Portuguese (Portugal), Dutch, Swedish)

o File name: 6001.18000.080118-1840_amd64fre_Server_LP_4-KRMSLPX4_DVD.img

Itanium (ia64) Language Packs
• Group 1 (English, German, Japanese, French)

o File name: 60016001.18000.080118-1840_ia64fre_Server_LP_1-KRMIALPI1_DVD.img

• Group 2 (Chinese Simplified, Korean)

o File name: 6001.18000.080118-1840_ia64fre_Server_LP_2-KRMIALPI2_DVD.img

 

Source: www.microsoft.com