Kurt Shintaku's Blog

Last month, we published KB3123303 with details of the new "End of Life" upgrade notification for Internet Explorer, which will be shipped as an update next week on January 12th.

The update will apply to Windows 7 SP1 and Windows Server 2008 R2 for users who have not upgraded to Internet Explorer 11 (i.e. IE8, IE9, and IE10 users). The update includes a new “end of support” notification feature when the browser is launched. This will automatically open a new tab with the appropriate Internet Explorer download page for their OS.

Customer environments in which the migration to Internet Explorer 11 is incomplete may disabled the notification feature by deploying a registry key. See KB3123303 for details and this blog article for step-by-step instructions.

Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 are not affected by this update. IE9 is the latest version of Internet Explorer supported by these operating systems. Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 are also unaffected (support for Windows 8 ends on January 12th and Windows 8.1 comes with IE11).

The notification tab will not appear on every launch of the browser. After the tab is closed it will be 72 hours before it is shown again and only when launching IE (i.e. not during a browsing session).

For more information about the end of support for old versions of Internet Explorer see the Windows for Business summary and the Microsoft Support Lifecycle for Internet Explorer page. For technical information about how to upgrade to Internet Explorer 11 and Microsoft Edge see the Browser TechCenter pages on TechNet.

WAIT.  Before you ignore the Kangaroo as just “another cheap PC”, read the stats on this thing:

• Fast Atom x5 CPU w/ integrated graphics – includes Windows 10 Home
• 2GB/32GB storage
• 3 USB ports including full size USB 3.0
• HDMI port (Full size)
• WiFi a/b/g/n/ac
• Bluetooth 4.0
• TPM 2.0 chip for strong physical hardware encryption security
• MicroSD slot for storage expansion (supports 256GB cards or more)
• Fingerprint reader (Windows Hello compatible)
• 4 hr Lithium Ion battery to enable usage without AC power
• $99

Besides Windows apps, it runs BlueStacks for Android apps & Kangaroo has worldwide distribution & support through it’s manufacturer, InFocus.

You can see how this would be useful for anyone who has access to an HDMI connected display.  Imagine students carrying this to school or to a library… or families with only a cheap TV using this to connect to public WiFi.  I bought one & I’ve found so many scenarios in which this thing is useful.

• InFocus Kangaroo Signature Edition Mobile Desktop – $99
  http://www.microsoftstore.com/store/msusa/en_US/pdp/InFocus-Kangaroo-Signature-Edition-Mobile-Desktop/productID.328073600

Brad Anderson – Microsoft’s Corporate VP for Enterprise Client & Mobile Management & one of the Engineering leaders for Microsoft’s Enterprise Mobility Suite – gives an overview of our solution, EMS. 

This is a 42 minute session that explains how identity & security pervades Microsoft’s strategy around Enterprise  & why this is the foundation for any cloud strategy – especially hybrid architectures.

This is one of the best videos you’ll ever see on the topic.  If you’re responsible for client and/or mobile technology – this is must-see.

I’m a little late on posting this as it’s been sitting in my Blog drafts folder but here it is:

Azure Automation is generally availabile in the new Azure portal as of December 2. Azure Automation is used to create, monitor, deploy, and manage resources in your Azure environment, in other clouds, or within your datacenter.

Some new features in the Azure Automation service include:

• Hybrid runbooks workers
• Webhooks
• Graphical runbooks
• PowerShell script runbooks
• Runbook Gallery with search
• Improved runbook authoring and testing experience

For more information about Azure Automation, visit the Automation page. For comprehensive pricing information, visit the Automation Pricing Details page.

• BLOG: General Availability of Azure Automation
  https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/general-availability-azure-automation-2/
• TRAINING: Automating the Cloud with Azure Automation
  https://mva.microsoft.com/en-US/training-courses/automating-the-cloud-with-azure-automation-8323?l=C6mIpCay_4804984382
• SITE: Azure Automation
  https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/services/automation/
• ANNOUNCEMENT: Automation–Microsoft Azure Automation–The Evolution of Cloud Automation
  http://blogs.technet.com/b/privatecloud/archive/2014/04/25/automation-microsoft-azure-automation-the-evolution-of-cloud-automation.aspx
• EBOOK (FREE): Microsoft Azure Essentials- Azure Automation
  http://aka.ms/
  azureautomation_pdf

If you are having issues with Outlook crashing on your Surface (in my case, it was on a Surface Book, but I’m told this also applies to Surface Pro 4 and possibly other PCs), try disabling hardware graphics acceleration” within Outlook.

DISABLE OUTLOOK HARDWARE GRAPHICS ACCELERATION
Outlook has an Advanced setting in Options (in 2010, 2013 & 2016, I believe) that by default, takes advantage of your workstation’s GPU hardware.  Recently, I think there have been issues with the Intel Core series 6th generation Skylake CPUs where the integrated graphics acceleration/GPU has been a little buggy.  I don’t know if it’s the firmware or the device drivers.

If you look in FILE – OPTIONS, then click “Advanced” and scroll down the dialog box for a bit, you’ll see an entry there called “Display” with a checkbox value of, “Disable hardware graphics acceleration”.

Uncheck that box if you’ve been having crashes and that may fix your issues.

UNINSTALL DISPLAYLINK DRIVERS
Also, if you have DisplayLink drivers installed, there is a known bug with these drivers that will cause Outlook 2013/2016 to crash. Remove the DisplayLink drivers by running the DisplayLink cleaner (click here). Note: Make sure you’re not using other docks before removing DisplayLink drivers.

• DOWNLOAD: DisplayLink Installation Cleaner (8.0.453)
  http://www.displaylink.com/downloads/file?d=64

Props to David Gewirtz for digging up this gem for Verizon Wireless subscribers but there’s a tool called Verizon Wireless Message+ that enables you send & receive SMS text messages from your Windows desktop.

It adds an icon to your system tray that allows easy access and pops up toast notifications when you receive inbound text. 

On the downside, it maintains it’s own contact list/database of names-to-phone numbers.  You can import stuff but the only import source is Verizon Wireless’ backup tool for contacts which I never use. Basically, I’ve been manually entering people’s names to map to phone numbers as they come in.

On the upside, it’s extremely fast.  It’s actually much faster than using your phone.  And it’s totally FREE.

If you use Windows, grab it here.

• DOWNLOAD: Verizon Wireless Message+ – Desktop SMS Text Message Utility
  http://www.verizonwireless.com/landingpages/verizon-messages/

Here’s David’s article from ZDnet on the tool which has a bit more about it:

• http://www.zdnet.com/article/if-you-have-verizon-you-have-desktop-sms-you-just-may-not-know-it/#comments-cd26ea80-631a-428b-bfc8-d7a442d6d3d1

A new eBook has been compiled by The famous Don Jones over at Powershell.org called “The DevOps Perspective”.  Quote the authors:

We’ve recently released a new, free eBook entitled DevOps: The Ops Perspective. So much of the DevOps conversation centers around software development – Agile methodologies and so on – that we wanted to step back and take a look at what IT Operations needs to bring to the table. DevOps, after all, isn’t “no Ops,” and so this short book is designed to give Operations some perspective on their role in the new world order.

It’s available in .PDF, ePub, Word, HTML, Word .DOC, text, etc. however there is a documented warning about .PDF:

“PDF Users: Penflip’s PDF export often doesn’t include the entire ebook content. We’ve reported this problem to them; in the meantime, please consider using a different format, such as EPUB, when you’re downloading the book.”

I recommend .DOC.  You can then PDF the thing if you wish.  Or republish to Kindle MOBI for you Kindle users like me.

• DOWNLOAD: Free eBook, “DevOps: The Ops Perspective”
  http://devopscollective.org/2016/01/04/free-ebook-devops-the-ops-perspective/

Keep your existing 15GB base storage on OneDrive before it drops to 5GB on Jan 31, 2016. Go to the link below, click on the button while signed in to OneDrive and your account will not be affected when the amount of free storage changes from 15 GB to 5 GB and the +15 GB camera roll bonus is discontinued.*

REDEMPTION: Keep your 15GB based storage on OneDrive
https://preview.onedrive.com/bonus/

With the introduction of the Surface Pro 4 and Surface Book, a new Surface Dock is now available and the current Surface Pro 3 Docking Station will be discontinued as the new Surface Dock is also compatible with Surface Pro 3.

USING THE SURFACE PRO 4 ON THE SURFACE PRO 3 DOCKING STATION:
If you decide that you don’t want to purchase the new Surface Dock, but instead use your existing Surface Pro 3 Docking Station with your new Surface Pro 4 (which has changed dimensions), we have made available an adapter that attaches to your Surface Pro 3 Docking Station so your Surface Pro 4 can snugly hold your new Surface Pro 4.

CHOICES:

• You can get this adapter at no charge (plus shipping and handling) through Microsoft’s Customer Support or through your commercial reseller.
• However, if you don’t want to wait for this to be shipped to you or you want to avoid the shipping and handling, you can print out your own adapter with a 3D printer.

See downloads page for instructions and schematics. Please note that the quality of the 3D printing will depend on the printer used to make these and your 3D printer must be able to accommodate a build volume of 10.3mm x 100.8mm x 285.4 mm. The Surface Pro 3 Docking Station Adapter schematics is available in two different file formats, .STP and .STL. Please choose the format best suited for your 3D printer. Please note that these instructions are for informational purposes only. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, IN THIS SUMMARY.

• DOWNLOAD: Schematics for 3D printed Surface Pro 3 Docking Station Adapter https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=50006&tduid=%242f33f37b8deb68e4398d0f0f3f778c86%24%24256380%24%242459594%24%24TnL5HPStwNw-oVdCFdpz1Pdz0CxBAZeSEw%24%24%24

This is a neat tool that allows Windows 10 users to adjust the audio volume of each specific application in Windows.  The utility sits in the system tray and will register a setting for each running application. 

It is completely free.

• DOWNLOAD: EarTrumpet for Windows 10
  https://github.com/File-New-Project/EarTrumpet/releases