Introducing Windows Server 2012 by Microsoft Press is avaialable as a free eBook download in the popular PDF, ePub and Mobi formats.

The Introducing Windows Server 2012 guide is based on the Beta version of Microsoft’s new Windows Server 2012 platform. However, unlike the “preview” versions of Windows 8, it is feature complete and so makes this a valuable free guide to the latest server operating system by Microsoft.

Get a head start evaluating Window Server 2012—with technical insights from a Microsoft MVP who’s worked extensively with the beta release.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 The business need for Windows Server 2012

The rationale behind cloud computing Making the transition
Technical requirements for successful cloud computing
Four ways Windows Server 2012 delivers value for cloud computing Foundation for building your private cloud

Chapter 2 Foundation for building your private cloud

A complete virtualization platform
Increase scalability and performance Business continuity for virtualized workloads

Chapter 3 Highly available, easy-to-manage multi-server platform

Continuous availability
Cost efficiency
Management efficiency

Chapter 4 Deploy web applications on premises and in the cloud

Scalable and elastic web platform
Support for open standards

Chapter 5 Enabling the modern workstyle

Access virtually anywhere, from any device
Full Windows experience
Enhanced security and compliance

This free guide to Windows Server 2012 is around 256 pages long… if you want a phyical copy that will set you back around $14.99 at Amazon.com

You can download the free guide to Windows Server 2012 – click here

Kind Regards

Marc Liron – Ex-Microsoft MVP (2004-2010)
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In this hands on video you will be shown what’s new and different with Microsoft’s Windows 8 Release Preview.

This is a version of Windows 8 that you can download to test for yourself, and will likely be the closest-to-final public release of Windows 8 before it goes gold later this year – just in time for the new PC sales for the Holidays!

Windows 8 will have built-in support of USB 3.0 for better power management and longer battery life. Microsoft announced that Windows 8 has short boot times, because it saves the kernel’s memory to the hard disk on shutdown (similar to the existing hibernate option) and reloads it on start up.

Windows 8 offers a new VHD format, called .vhdx, which supports up to 16 terabytes of storage. It reportedly has built-in resiliency as well as protection from corruption that can happen during power failures. It also helps prevent performance degradation on some large-sector physical disks.

A new feature called Family Safety will allow parents to protect their children on the internet, as well as monitor and control their PC and internet activities and usage.

Let me know your thoughts in the comment box below!

Kind Regards

Marc Liron – Ex-Microsoft MVP (2004-2010)
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The name of Microsoft’s coming operating system, updated today to Windows 8 Release Preview, implies just another version of an OS once much loved and now much maligned. But Windows 8 means much more to Microsoft: It’s a bold attempt to build an Apple-proof operating system with modern visual elements via the risky Metro design language. It’s a salvo in the war for tablet relevance. It insists that touch screens matter, and it sets the stage for upcoming versions of Windows Mobile.

For Microsoft to succeed with Windows on all platforms, Windows 8 has to work. The changes in today’s Release Preview take a step in the right direction, tightening up the operating system and introducing new apps to showcase just what Windows 8 can do. But Microsoft isn’t quite there yet….

It’s easy to try now—whether you’re installing it for the first time, or moving from Windows 8 Consumer Preview. Download Here: http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/p/?LinkId=254225

Kind Regards

Marc Liron – Ex-Microsoft MVP (2004-2010)
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Dell has put its hopes of a sales increase on brand new touch-screen products, that will be included in the launch of Windows 8. The hope is that the tablets will encourage customers to buy and play partypoker and check Facebook on Dell products rather than Apple.

Sales of Dell’s notebook computers have been down in the last three months leading up to May. Ten percent less than was earned during the same period last year. With the fall in sales, the company have predicted only a small increase in revenue over the current period.

Despite the climate now, Dell’s founder Michael Dell has told analysts to keep a look out. He expects that the release of new Microsoft system software later this year will help to gain interest back in the company again.

News site Seeking Alpha has quoted him as saying:

“Unlike other Windows transitions, this is a transition where you generally are going to need a new PC, whether it’s a tablet or ultrabook with touch or a notebook with touch or a PC with touch or some derivative hybrid on all the above type of products.”

He adds that customers should be on stand by because, “We’re preparing a full complement of products, and we’ll be ready with those.” However he is being realistic about the amount of time it will take for the new system to impact business sales. Corporations are still using Windows 7 “so we don’t think there’ll be a massive adoption of Windows 8 by corporations early on”.

The company certainly needs their Windows 8 products to be successful.They attempted to crack the mobile tablet market with Inspiron and Streak, but ultimately these markets are dominated by Apple with the iPad and Amazon’s Kindle.

We’ll have to wait and see what impact Windows 8 has.

Kind Regards

Marc Liron – Ex-Microsoft MVP (2004-2010)
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Missing your License Key for a Windows Application?

We have all had situations where we are missing a license key for a software application we have installed on our PC.

When you try to find the product packaging or email that contains the missing key, you can never find them!

So it would make sense to scan your PC to see if you can locate them?

The only problem is where do you look and how do you extract the information?

Software creators often store the license keys in the Windows Registry, and some such as Adobe even use a special file called an SQLite database.

Scanning the Registry?

You can manually search through the registry if you wish!

But a faster method is to use a special utility like the one from Martin Klinzmann called License Crawler:

http://www.klinzmann.name/licensecrawler.htm

(The utility also has support for searching SQLite too.)

After downloading (use the FREEWareFiles link on the download page) and extracting from the ZIP file, you can then run the program from the folder – no need to actually install it.

License Crawler can discover application product keys and other serial numbers or licenses very quickly and supports all versions of Windows operating system from Windows 95 to Windows 7.

You can also export the information as a .txt file by going to the File menu in the top left hand corner.

This is a handy utility for quickly scanning your computer for software licenses.

As it does not need to be installed on your computer, it can easily be stored on a USB memory key.

Enjoy!

Kind Regards

Marc Liron – Microsoft MVP (2004-2010)

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The Cryptographic Service in Windows 7 provides four management services:

Catalog Database Service, which confirms the signatures of Windows files and allows new programs to be installed;

Protected Root Service, which adds and removes Trusted Root Certification Authority certificates from the computer;

Automatic Root Certificate Update Service, which retrieves root certificates from Windows Update and enable scenarios such as SSL;

Key Service, which helps enroll the computer for certificates. If this service is stopped, these management services will not function properly. If this service is disabled, any services that explicitly depend on it will fail to start.

In this informative video I show you how to troubleshoot issues that arise from the Cryptographic Service in Windows 7…

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLGKfozKZ7w[/youtube]

Kind Regards

Marc Liron – Ex-Microsoft MVP (2004-2010)
Google+ / Twitter / Facebook / YouTube

100 x Windows 7 Training videos that will end your confusion and have you using your PC like an expert in no time at all! Click here:
Windows 7 Training Videos

Why do hard Drives Fail?

Since hard drives are mechanical devices, they will all eventually fail. While some may not fail prematurely, many hard drives simply fail because of worn out parts.

Heat, Vibration, Static Electricity, Dust, Power Surges, Friction of Internal Parts, Dropping the PC/Laptop are all culprits behind hard drive failures.

How can you tell when a Hard Drive is Failing?

Here are a few reasons for a failing hard drive:

# You may start to notice intermittent read/write failures
# The hard drive LED light never goes off
# Unexplained crashes of your operating system
# Running CHKDSK shows bad sectors
# The hard drive takes a long time to come up
# Accessing, opening, or saving files are taking an awfully long time

At this point you will want to:

# Make sure you have a BACKUP of your data!
# Perform a test on your hard drive to check for possible failure

I talk about performing backups elsewhere in this website, so let’s look at checking your hard drive for errors….

Checking your Hard Drive

The first point to make here is that NOT ALL odd occurrences mean your hard drive is failing. It could be a virus, file corruption, damaged boot area, hardware conflict or even a power lead coming loose!

The second point is, unless you know what you are doing NEVER remove the hard drive from the computer…

What we are going to do is simply run a small utility to run a “diagnostic” on the physical drive so see if there are any issues you need to be warned about.

You can do this one of 2 ways:

#1 – Use the manufacturers hard drive diagnostic utility

I find these very useful if the hard drive is causing problems loading the operating system and/or keeps crashing after a few minutes of use, as they do not require Windows to be running. (They usually run in DOS and boot from a Floppy or CD Drive.)

You will need to know the manufacturer of your hard drive and download the files needed from their website.

E.g.

Samsung Hard Drive Diagnostic Utility

http://drive.seagate.com/content/samsung-en-us

#2 – Use a 3rd Party Diagnostic Utility

If you are only at the stage of suspecting that you have a possible issue with your hard drive, and windows is stable enough. Then I suggest using a 3rd party utility to inspect your hard drive. This is also the best option for the non-technical user.

There are a few applications on the market. My favourite is HD Tune

There are 2 versions available

HD Tune (The basic version free for personal use.)
HD Tune Pro (The fully featured version with a 15 day trial.)

They are available from:

http://www.hdtune.com/download.html

I suggest you download the Pro version as it has more diagnostics and you get a full 15 days to trial the utility.

Don’t get bogged down in all the tests and results. There is an excellent manual that is in the folder where the utility gets installed (Program Files > HD Tune Pro > hdtunepro.pdf).

I suggest running the following:

Error Scan: scans the surface for physical errors, should be ALL green!

File Benchmark: measures the file performance on your hard drive.

In general the “write” values are going to be higher than the “read” times. If you see any widley varying results then this may be an indicator of potential problems.

Extra Tests: includes several quick tests to show the most important performance parameters (read/write).

The results I would pay attention to are: Sequential read outer / Sequential read middle / Sequential read inner

The “inner” time should be the higher figure. Again if the results vary widley then there may be a potential problem.

You do need to use your judgement when interpreting the results. However if there is any sign of odd results make sure your data is fully backed up and consult a professional PC repair person.

Kind Regards

Marc Liron – Ex-Microsoft MVP (2004-2010)
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Microsoft released a Blog post today called: IE9 Top Browser on Windows 7 and Other Highlights from 2011

To get the numbers out-of-the-way, Microsoft predicts that Internet Explorer 9 will land, by year-end, at the 25.6% mark on Windows 7 globally. That puts it well within striking distance to overtake Internet Explorer 8 as the top browser on Windows 7.

As usual, Internet Explorer 9′s numbers are stronger in the United States than abroad. The browser controls over 30% of Windows 7 market share in the US, essentially tied with Internet Explorer 8, and is set to overtake it in days.

Kind Regards

Marc Liron – Ex-Microsoft MVP (2004-2010)
Google+ / Twitter / Facebook / YouTube

In this video WinRumors give a side by side experience using the iPad2 and a tablet running an “early” build of Windows 8.

I’ll let you decide wich one you like the best!

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntSdfGzF60M[/youtube]

Kind Regards

Marc Liron – Ex-Microsoft MVP (2004-2010)
Google+ / Twitter / Facebook / YouTube

Steven Sinofsky. President, Windows and Windows Live Division gives a short presentation @ the Microsoft developer-focused BUILD conference 2011.

The presentation was on Windows 8

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Hq95vtoS28[/youtube]

Kind Regards

Marc Liron – Ex-Microsoft MVP (2004-2010)
Google+ / Twitter / Facebook / YouTube

The following are a selection of Windows Vista keyboard shortcuts…

Ease of Access Keyboard Shortcuts:

Right SHIFT for eight seconds – Turn Filter Keys on and off
Left ALT+left SHIFT+PRINT SCREEN (or PRTSCRN) – Turn High Contrast on or off
Left ALT+left SHIFT+NUM LOCK – Turn Mouse Keys on or off
SHIFT five times – Turn Sticky Keys on or off
NUM LOCK for five seconds – Turn Toggle Keys on or off
Windows logo key +U – Open the Ease of Access Center

General Keyboard Shortcuts:

F1 – Display Help
CTRL+C – Copy the selected item
CTRL+X – Cut the selected item
CTRL+V – Paste the selected item
CTRL+Z – Undo an action
CTRL+Y – Redo an action
DELETE – Delete the selected item and move it to the Recycle Bin
SHIFT+DELETE – Delete the selected item without moving it to the Recycle Bin first
F2 – Rename the selected item
CTRL+RIGHT ARROW – Move the cursor to the beginning of the next word
CTRL+LEFT ARROW – Move the cursor to the beginning of the previous word
CTRL+DOWN ARROW – Move the cursor to the beginning of the next paragraph
CTRL+UP ARROW – Move the cursor to the beginning of the previous paragraph
CTRL+SHIFT with an arrow key – Select a block of text
SHIFT with any arrow key – Select more than one item in a window or on the desktop, or select text within a document
CTRL with any arrow key+SPACEBAR – Select multiple individual items in a window or on the desktop
CTRL+A – Select all items in a document or window
F3 – Search for a file or folder
ALT+ENTER – Display properties for the selected item
ALT+F4 – Close the active item, or exit the active program
ALT+SPACEBAR – Open the shortcut menu for the active window
CTRL+F4 – Close the active document (in programs that allow you to have multiple documents open simultaneously)
ALT+TAB – Switch between open items
CTRL+ALT+TAB – Use the arrow keys to switch between open items
CTRL+Mouse scroll wheel – Change the size of icons on the desktop
Windows logo key +TAB – Cycle through programs on the taskbar by using Windows Flip 3-D
CTRL+Windows logo key +TAB – Use the arrow keys to cycle through programs on the taskbar by using Windows Flip 3-D
ALT+ESC – Cycle through items in the order in which they were opened
F6 – Cycle through screen elements in a window or on the desktop
F4 – Display the Address bar list in Windows Explorer
SHIFT+F10 – Display the shortcut menu for the selected item
CTRL+ESC – Open the Start menu
ALT+underlined letter – Display the corresponding menu
ALT+underlined letter – Perform the menu command (or other underlined command)
F10 – Activate the menu bar in the active program
RIGHT ARROW – Open the next menu to the right, or open a submenu
LEFT ARROW – Open the next menu to the left, or close a submenu
F5 – Refresh the active window
ALT+UP ARROW – View the folder one level up in Windows Explorer
ESC – Cancel the current task
CTRL+SHIFT+ESC – Open Task Manager
SHIFT when you insert a CD – Prevent the CD from automatically playing

Dialog Box Keyboard Shortcuts:

CTRL+TAB – Move forward through tabs
CTRL+SHIFT+TAB – Move back through tabs
TAB – Move forward through options
SHIFT+TAB – Move back through options
ALT+underlined letter – Perform the command (or select the option) that goes with that letter
ENTER – Replaces clicking the mouse for many selected commands
SPACEBAR – Select or clear the check box if the active option is a check box
Arrow keys – Select a button if the active option is a group of option buttons
F1 – Display Help
F4 – Display the items in the active list

Microsoft Windows Logo Keyboard Shortcuts:

Windows logo key – Open or close the Start menu
Windows logo key +PAUSE – Display the System Properties dialog box
Windows logo key +D – Display the desktop
Windows logo key +M – Minimize all windows
Windows logo key +SHIFT+M – Restore minimized windows to the desktop
Windows logo key +E – Open Computer
Windows logo key +F – Search for a file or folder
CTRL+Windows logo key +F – Search for computers (if you are on a network)
Windows logo key +L – Lock your computer or switch users
Windows logo key +R – Open the Run dialog box
Windows logo key +T – Cycle through programs on the taskbar
Windows logo key +TAB – Cycle through programs on the taskbar by using Windows Flip 3-D
CTRL+Windows logo key +TAB – Use the arrow keys to cycle through programs on the taskbar by using Windows Flip 3-D
Windows logo key +SPACEBAR – Bring all gadgets to the front and select Windows Sidebar
Windows logo key +G – Cycle through Sidebar gadgets
Windows logo key +U – Open Ease of Access Center
Windows logo key +X – Open Windows Mobility Center
Windows logo key with any number key – Open the Quick Launch shortcut that is in the position that corresponds to the number. For example, Windows logo key +1 to launch the first shortcut in the Quick Launch menu.

Windows Explorer Keyboard Shortcuts:

CTRL+N – Open a new window
END – Display the bottom of the active window
HOME – Display the top of the active window
F11 – Maximize or minimize the active window
NUM LOCK+ASTERISK (*) on numeric keypad – Display all subfolders under the selected folder
NUM LOCK+PLUS SIGN (+) on numeric keypad – Display the contents of the selected folder
NUM LOCK+MINUS SIGN (-) on numeric keypad – Collapse the selected folder
LEFT ARROW – Collapse the current selection (if it is expanded), or select the parent folder
ALT+LEFT ARROW – View the previous folder
RIGHT ARROW – Display the current selection (if it is collapsed), or select the first subfolder
ALT+RIGHT ARROW – View the next folder
CTRL+Mouse scroll wheel – Change the size and appearance of file and folder icons
ALT+D – Select the Address bar

Windows Sidebar Keyboard Shortcuts:

Windows logo key +SPACEBAR – Bring all gadgets to the front and select Sidebar
Windows logo key +G – Cycle through Sidebar gadgets
TAB – Cycle through Sidebar controls

Windows Photo Gallery Keyboard Shortcuts:

CTRL+F – Open the Fix pane
CTRL+P – Print the selected picture
ENTER – View the selected picture at a larger size
CTRL+I – Open or close the Details pane
CTRL+PERIOD (.) – Rotate the picture clockwise
CTRL+COMMA (,) – Rotate the picture counter-clockwise
F2 – Rename the selected item
CTRL+E – Search for an item
ALT+LEFT ARROW – Go back
ALT+RIGHT ARROW – Go forward
PLUS SIGN (+) – Zoom in or resize the picture thumbnail
MINUS SIGN (-) – Zoom out or resize the picture thumbnail
CTRL+Mouse scroll wheel – Change the size of the picture thumbnail
CTRL+B – Best fit
LEFT ARROW – Select the previous item
DOWN ARROW – Select the next item or row
UP ARROW – Previous item (Easel) or previous row (Thumbnail)
PAGE UP – Previous screen
PAGE DOWN – Next screen
HOME – Select the first item
END – Select the last item
DELETE – Move the selected item to the Recycle Bin
SHIFT+DELETE – Permanently delete the selected item
LEFT ARROW – Collapse node
RIGHT ARROW – Expand node

Keyboard Shortcuts For Working With Movie Maker Videos:

J – Move back one frame
K – Pause the playback
L – Move forward one frame
I – Set the start trim point
O – Set the end trim point
M – Split a clip
HOME – Stop and rewind all the way back to the start trim point
ALT+RIGHT ARROW – Advance to the next frame
ALT+LEFT ARROW – Go back to the previous frame
CTRL+K – Stop and rewind playback
CTRL+P – Play from the current location
HOME – Move the start trim point
END – Move to the end trim point
PAGE UP – Seek to nearest split point before the current location
PAGE DOWN – Seek to nearest split point after the current location

Windows Help Viewer Keyboard Shortcuts:

ALT+C – Display the Table of Contents
ALT+N – Display the Connection Settings menu
F10 – Display the Options menu
ALT+LEFT ARROW – Move back to the previously viewed topic
ALT+RIGHT ARROW – Move forward to the next (previously viewed) topic
ALT+A – Display the customer support page
ALT+HOME – Display the Help and Support home page
HOME – Move the to beginning of a topic
END – Move to the end of a topic
CTRL+F – Search the current topic
CTRL+P – Print a topic
F3 – Move to the Search box.

Kind Regards

Marc Liron – Ex-Microsoft MVP (2004-2010)
Google+ / Twitter / Facebook / YouTube

Windows Internet Explorer 9 (IE9) is now the current version of the Internet Explorer web browser from Microsoft, as it was released to the public last night.

Features include:

# Improved JavaScript performance

# Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG).

# Hardware-accelerated graphics rendering using Direct2D

# Hardware-accelerated text rendering using DirectWrite

# Hardware-accelerated video rendering using Media Foundation

# High fidelity printing powered by the XML Paper Specification (XPS) print pipeline.

# Also supports the HTML5 video and audio tags and the Web Open Font Format.

The system requirements for Internet Explorer 9 are Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Vista Service Pack 2 or Windows Server 2008 SP2 with the Platform Update. Windows XP and earlier are not supported.

Internet Explorer 9 is the last version of Internet Explorer to be supported on Windows Vista; Internet Explorer 10 will only be supported on Windows 7 and later. Both 32-bit and 64-bit builds are available.

For more information and to download – click here

Kind Regards

Marc Liron – Ex-Microsoft MVP (2004-2010)
Google+ / Twitter / Facebook / YouTube

Google Apps is a service from Google providing independently customizable versions of several Google products under a custom domain name. It features several Web applications with similar functionality to traditional office suites, including: Gmail, Google Groups, Google Calendar, Talk, Docs and Sites.

The Standard Edition is free and offers the same amount of storage as regular Gmail accounts. The Premier Edition, which offers additional e-mail storage, is available for an annual fee. The Education Edition, which is free, combines features from the Standard and Premier editions.

Here in these Google Apps Training videos you can gain the undertsanding you need to make use of these services in your business etc.

http://www.marclironpublishing.com/google-apps-training.html

Kind Regards

Marc Liron – Ex-Microsoft MVP (2004-2010)
Google+ / Twitter / Facebook / YouTube

Internet Explorer 8 was released on March 19, 2009 and is supported in Windows XP SP2 and SP3, Windows Server 2003 SP2, Windows Vista, Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 on both 32-bit as well as 64-bit versions of these operating systems.
Here are three ways Internet Explorer 8 can help you have a safe Web browsing experience:

#1 – SmartScreen Filter – Avoid phishing scams and malware. In Internet Explorer 8, the SmartScreen Filter helps to protect you from unsafe Web sites as you browse. It alerts you if a site you are trying to open has been reported as unsafe, and allows you to report unsafe sites yourself.

SmartScreen Filter helps to protect you in three ways:

- It operates in the background as you browse the web, analyzing webpages and determining if they have any characteristics that might be suspicious. If it finds suspicious webpages, SmartScreen will display a message giving you an opportunity to provide feedback and advising you to proceed with caution.

- SmartScreen Filter checks the sites you visit against an up-to-the-hour, dynamic list of reported phishing sites and malicious software sites. If it finds a match, SmartScreen Filter will show you a red warning notifying you that the site has been blocked for your safety

- SmartScreen Filter also checks files downloaded from the web against the same dynamic list of reported malicious software sites. If it finds a match, SmartScreen Filter will show a red warning notifying you that the download has been blocked for your safety

#2 – Identify Fake Web Addresses – Internet Explorer 8 helps you avoid deceptive Web sites that are designed to trick you with misleading addresses. The domain name in the address bar is highlighted in black and the remainder of the address is in gray to make it easy to identify a Web site’s true identity.

#3 – Cross Site Scripting (XSS) Filter – Cross-site scripting attacks try to exploit vulnerabilities in the websites you use. In this attack, you might receive an email that contains a tampered website address. Once you click on the link, you are directed to a legitimate website that has been compromised to contain malicious content that can capture keystrokes and record your login and password. These attacks have emerged as a leading online threat so Internet Explorer 8 includes a cross-site scripting filter that can detect these types of attacks and disable the harmful scripts.

Kind Regards

Marc Liron – Ex-Microsoft MVP (2004-2010)
Google+ / Twitter / Facebook / YouTube

iCare Recovery Software Ltd. is specialized in data recovery software and solutions.

The company was established in 2003 by three technical veterans to offer local data recovery solutions and computer problem fixes. With years of data recovery experiences, iCare Recovery Software Ltd attracted another two programmers and began to develop iCare Data Recovery Software in 2004.

Until December 25th 2010, they are running a Christmas Giveaway of their flagship home user data recovery software.

iCare Data Recovery www.icare-recovery.com normally sells for $69.95 – but is free for this holiday season!

What does the program do?

iCare Data Recovery Software is a handy toolkit for recovering files after you deleted them, emptied recycle bin, formatted wrong hard disk drives memory cards; some software failure that makes your hard disk suffered data loss like PartitionMagic resize failure, copy data failure, format wrong disk; storage devices that reported not formatted or has been reformatted by mistake; restore files from digital camera…

Giveaway information can ONLY be found on the following page and NOT via the homepage!

http://www.icare-recovery.com/giveaway/data-recovery-hard-disk.html

Enjoy!

Kind Regards

Marc Liron – Ex-Microsoft MVP (2004-2010)
Google+ / Twitter / Facebook / YouTube

Looking to turn your photos into a great looking movie? Slideshow features in Windows Live Movie Maker will make it a breeze!

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PixfaSFL0K8[/youtube]

Kind Regards

Marc Liron – Ex-Microsoft MVP (2004-2010)
Google+ / Twitter / Facebook / YouTube

You hear the term “The Cloud” everywhere today in IT.

But where is it?

…well one great example is Windows Live. In particular SkyDrive the popular Microsoft service that operates in t”he cloud” and allows you the freedom to share your documents worldwide:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-HRrbLA7rss[/youtube]

Kind Regards

Marc Liron – Ex-Microsoft MVP (2004-2010)
Google+ / Twitter / Facebook / YouTube

Technology is supposed to help make life easier, but sometimes it leaves us even more frustrated and disconnected. See how Windows 7 + Windows Live changes everything.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAhJTxC1C8w[/youtube]

Regards

Marc Liron – Microsoft MVP (2004-2010)

Microsoft have just posted a security warning on their Windows Live blog: Security alert: Active links in Messenger 2009 temporarily turned off to prevent a malicious worm. They are alerting users that there is a malicious worm currently trying to spread itself through IM networks, including Windows Live Messenger 2009 (Wave 3).

The worm spreads by inserting a link into an IM conversation with a person whose computer is already infected. When someone clicks the link, it opens in a browser, downloads the worm on the recipient’s computer, and then repeats this process.

This however does NOT concern users of the latest version of the software – Windows Live Messenger 2011

Stay alert!

Regards

Marc Liron – Ex-Microsoft MVP (2004-2010)

Internet conection become a bit flakey?  Try and flush the Windows Vista DNS cache.

Follow these simple instructions…

http://www.instantvista.com/flush-the-vista-dns-cache.html

Kind Regards

Marc Liron – Ex-Microsoft MVP (2004-2010)
Google+ / Twitter / Facebook / YouTube

Microsoft has made the new version of Messenger more social, says Jamie Cannon, group product manager for Windows Live. “We like to think of Messenger as your people app. It’s the one place to stay up to date on all the social networks you belong to.”

In addition to the familiar IM service, Messenger now brings together all the content from a user’s social networks. It incorporates updates and newsfeeds from sites such as Facebook and MySpace, and lets users comment on them right from Messenger. Users can easily share photos across their networks, plus Messenger introduces an immersive experience for viewing friends’ photo galleries from Facebook. Inline video eliminates the need to leave Messenger to watch YouTube videos that friends post.

The Windows Live team also included updates to improve chat. For example, high-definition video chats are now available through Messenger. And users can hold multiple conversations at the same time through the new tab chat feature. Facebook chat, another feature, lets people IM across networks.

“We didn’t want to create another social network,” Cannon says. “We really designed Messenger to help you stay in touch with the people that matter to you most, wherever they already are.”

Regards

Marc Liron – Microsoft MVP (2004-2010)

Microsoft today released Windows Live Essentials 2011, a suite of free consumer apps that connects Windows to the cloud to help people connect, create and share online.

As Windows 7’s one-year anniversary approaches, Microsoft is bringing together the power of the PC with the promise of the cloud. On Thursday, September 30, Microsoft released Windows Live Essentials, a set of free applications that helps Windows 7 users connect, create, and share online.

The software suite is available for download and includes:

Windows Live Photo Gallery, Movie Maker, Messenger, Mesh, Mail, Family Safety, and Writer.

Windows Live Essentials reflects a changing landscape in consumer behavior, where more and more people communicate and share online, says Jamie Cannon, group product manager for Windows Live. Today’s release offers Windows users an integrated experience that acts as their “key to the cloud.”

“We’ve brought together the best of Windows with the best of the Web,” Cannon says. “People are spending more time in the cloud, and as a result it’s where people communicate, connect and share. And so, we believe that bringing them together in a seamless way allows consumers to bridge the power of both.”

Windows Live Essentials is that bridge, Cannon says. The free suite helps users share their photos and movies, organize their e-mail, and stay in touch with the people that matter most, regardless of whether those people use social networks, chat or traditional e-mail, he says. It also enables users to access their “stuff” from anywhere over the Internet.

“We’re getting every Windows 7 PC connected to the cloud with Windows Live Essential,” Cannon says. “It takes the Windows that you know and brings the promise of the cloud so you can create, communicate and share all from one place. With Windows and Windows Live, you’re connected to your people and your networks whenever and wherever you want – from your PC, devices and phone.”

Regards

Marc Liron – Microsoft MVP (2004-2010)

Microsoft’s Future Social Experiences Labs (FUSE) has launched another new project

Project Emporia sifts through the ever-evolving web content streams to identify hot stories, categorizes them into topic areas and ranks them, and then presents them to you in a friendly browser based UI. Just by opening the Project Emporia page you get popular stories on topics of your choice without ever having signed up for anything.

This is just the starting point however; as mentioned, there is no login required to browse by topic and read the stories that other users have shared and voted on. That said, by logging in with your Facebook credentials, you can also influence how future stories are chosen for you, one vote at a time. Your votes will improve the relevance of Project Emporia’s story choices not just for you, but for every other user as well.

Project Emporia is currently in Alpha release from FUSE Labs and Microsoft Research.

Discover more here: http://www.projectemporia.com/

Kind Regards

Marc Liron
Microsoft MVP

When Microsoft started planning IE9, they recognized the need for a close relationship with the Web developer community.

So, on the 15th March 2010, Microsoft released the first IE9 Platform Preview for developers to review the changes/new technologies etc coming in the new browser.

At that initial announcement Microsoft stated they were committed to updating the IE9 Preview approximately every eight weeks. So today they are releasing the second Platform Preview of Internet Explorer 9.

Please Note:

The Internet Explorer Platform Preview is NOT a full web browser. It’s intended to give Web developers an early look at the Web platform technology coming in the next release of Internet Explorer. To distinguish it from a full browser, it is called a platform preview.

Here are the links:

Demo:  http://ie.microsoft.com/testdrive/

FAQs:  http://ie.microsoft.com/testdrive/info/FrequentlyAskedQuestions/Default.html

IE9 Blog:  http://blogs.msdn.com/ie/

Simply download and install the Platform Preview of Internet Explorer 9 and when it runs it will take you back to the download page where you can test out the various elements on the page.

Enjoy!

Kind Regards

Marc Liron – Microsoft MVP

For over 10 years newsgroups (NNTP) have been Microsoft’s primary public support forums for its products and technologies.

Currently there are more than 2,000 public newsgroups and 2,200 private newsgroups devoted to its various products and services.

But from June 2010 these will be moved to revamped forums on Microsoft TechNet, MSDN and Microsoft Answers.

Here is a statement from a Microsoft spokesperson:

“On June 1, Microsoft will be progressively  closing newsgroups and helping active newsgroups users migrate their discussions to the refreshed Microsoft forums that include Microsoft Answers, TechNet and MSDN.  This decision was made in an effort to provide the best community and support resources and experience to our customers with social features and functionalities that address their feedback and needs.”

You can read more about this transition on the Microsoft Newsgroup page: Click Here.

I personally think this is a good move as it will allow less technical users to access these communities, rather than rely on newgroup readers. In 2010, a web based (and even social) approach to support is the way to go.

Regards

Marc Liron – Microsoft MVP

Here are 6 new features in Outlook 2010:

1) Outlook Social Connector – provides you with a stream of content from SharePoint, Windows Live and other famous social networking sites. At the bottom of your Outlook emails, you will see the latest social networking posts of your contact.

2) A new “Publish Online” feature lets your Outlook 2010 calendar synchronize with Office Online.

3) The new Quick Steps feature lets you consolidate multiple steps into one. So once you will click the Quick Step, it’s relevant multiple steps (as per your configuration) will occur.

4) A new UI, and its customisable.

5) Office Backstage – Easily allows users to easily save attachments, access account settings, clean their mailbox, and configure other settings.

6) A new schedule feature called “Scheduled View” which provides a better insight into your daily schedule (in Outlook calendar).

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cr-yWrmyEY4[/youtube]

Kind Regards

Marc Liron – Ex-Microsoft MVP (2004-2010)
Google+ / Twitter / Facebook / YouTube

The NWZ-A845 is the thinnest ever Walkman Video MP3 player with a super wide OLED display.

16GB, S-Master Digital Amplifier, Digital Noise Cancelling, EX headphones, 7.1cm / 2.8″ display.

Watch the following video for a quick review by Stuff Magazine…

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AhJajBS74kI[/youtube]

Messenger Connect from Microsoft marks an important step forward for the Windows Live Messenger service as it will allow websites to integrate the function into their pages resulting in better sharing with friends.

Essentially its a new social API that allows new ways for partners and developers to connect with Windows Live Messenger. (It incorporates exisitng APIs Windows Live ID, Contacts API, Messenger Web Toolkit).

Messenger Connect is a major leap for Microsoft. Until now, the company’s social products have been largely closed off to 3rd parties. Now, this new API allows Windows Live Messenger and 3rd party websites and applications that use it, to pull in data from across a user’s online social world.

Developers are going to be able to create compelling social experiences on their websites and apps by providing them with social promotion & distribution via Windows Live Messenger, and when you see the new capabilities of the Windows Messenger due in a few weeks time – that is really going to be a great experience for the end user.

Microsoft really are putting “Social” at the heart of their new Windows Live products coming this summer!

Regards

Marc Liron – Microsoft MVP

The new Windows Live Messenger (part of Wave 4 coming very soon) helps saves you time with tabbed conversations, Bing integration and brings your conversations to life with HD video chat (in 16/9 full screen), photo sharing, video messages, YouTube videos and more…

Windows Live Messenger Wave 4 Beta will be offered to early adopters for testing on June 21st, 2010.

Get a brief demo in this video from Microsoft:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ut3tVStcQs[/youtube]

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[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSWOl2FvY-Q[/youtube]

Kind Regards

Marc Liron – Microsoft MVP

…in a word YES, if you know how.

Go into any Starbucks, or similar, coffee shop on a busy day and you will notice many folks sitting down with their laptops and Netbooks using the free (usualy) WiFi.

It is truly scary to think how many of those laptops I could easily invade whilst sitting there myself, armed only with a Windows laptop and some free software available for download via the Internet.

Or, another scenario is driving through a town/city looking for businesses with wireless networks that are either unsecured or poorly secured.

Perhaps even sitting in a hotel room all day connected to the free WiFi and slipping in and out of other folks laptops.

Wireless networks are everywhere today, even many homes now have them…. and yet I see SO MANY that can easily be hacked into and sensitive data such as passwords to online banking stolen.

I am not trying to be alarmist here, just trying to provide a wake up to the home user/small business user who are basically targets waiting to be found by cyber criminals!

Did you know anyone can learn enough skills to become a half-decent cyber criminal just by spending a day on YouTube.com ?

Don’t believe me? …just look at some of these Video titles:

# Hacking WiFi Passwords with Cowpatty…

# Vista Security Hacks…

# How to Steal WPA-PSK keys…

# Bypass Local Windows Logins with a Kernel Modifying Boot CD…

# Bypass Your Corporate or University Firewalls…

# WiFi Packet Sniffing…

# Intercepting Passwords on a Network…

# Cracking Wireless Passwords…

# How to Hack a Friends Computer…

# How to Steal Data from WiFi Connected Laptops in a Coffee Shop…

# Making Money by Infecting Internet PCs with Malware…

…and yet many security threats can be limited just by knowing a few simple steps.

There are many websites that can help you just Google some security terms and then read through the many pages. Or, you could grab my latest guide aimed at helping Windows PC users to NOT becoming a victim of CyberCrime: PC Security Bootcamp.

Kind Regards

Marc Liron – Microsoft MVP