Kurt Shintaku's Blog

We made a huge announcement today around the availability of Italian & Chinese just-in-time spoken language translation.

At Skype, we want to make it easier for you to connect with people around the world, no matter where you are and what language you speak. In December, we announced the first phase of the Skype Translator preview program and today we’re excited to announce Skype Translator’s next milestone, the addition of two spoken languages: Italian and Chinese (Mandarin), to the current offering of Spanish and English.

As you can imagine, Mandarin is a very challenging language to learn, even for Skype Translator. With approximately 10,000 characters and multiple tones, this is one of the most difficult languages for a native English speaker to master, along with Arabic, Japanese, and Korean.

For more on this announcement visit the Skype Blog:

• BLOG: 你好! Ciao! Skype Translator Now Speaks Italian and Mandarin
  http://blogs.skype.com/2015/04/08/%e4%bd%a0%e5%a5%bd-ciao-skype-translator-now-speaks-italian-and-mandarin/

Do you have a Microsoft Band?  Do you need a couple spare USB sync/charge cables?  (One for the night stand, one for the car, one for your computer bag, etc.)

Here’s a cheap way to get a few more of those USB charge & sync cables for just $10 each.  These are identical to the OEM charge & sync cable including the magnet that holds the cable into place on the Band.

This purchase also provides, as a bonus, a “screen protector” for your Band which layers right over the screen to protect it from scratches.

(I purchased 6 extras and they all work flawlessly)

• USB Power Charge & Sync Cable for Microsoft Band + Screen Protector Film
  http://www.ebay.com/itm/Hot-USB-Power-Charger-Cable-for-Microsoft-Band-Smart-Wristband-Bracelet-Film-/301581588134

If you’re looking for something that will make the Surface Pro 3 "lapable" I’ve found the “Roosevelt Case” but Incipio to be a perfect solution.

It’s a $39 case that attaches to the SP3 & protects it from drops, while also providing a firm surface for both the kickstand & the keyboard to rest on. The result is a SP3 that sits on your lap while sitting in a chair, or on your legs while sitting upright in bed.

Most of the folks I’ve shown it to agree that it provides the lapability that they want… however a common complaint is that you have to remove the device & keyboard from the case to dock the unit. (It’s a little difficult to explain but basically the Surface can be easily detached by simply pulling it off the keyboard, however the keyboard gets firmly locked into the case) 

My solution to that was to simply use a wireless Bluetooth keyboard when the tablet is docked… or purchase a second Type Cover 3 from eBay and leave it at the base of the dock to be used only when the Surface has been removed from the Incipio case and placed in the dock. Spare Type Cover 3 keyboards are selling for as little as $65.

• Roosevelt Folio
  Slim Folio with Snap-On Type Cover Compatibility for Microsoft Surface Pro 3
  http://www.incipio.com/cases/tablet-cases/microsoft-surface-cases-sleeves/microsoft-surface-pro-3-cases-sleeves-covers/roosevelt-slim-folio-microsoft-surface-pro-3.html

I was recently asked by a client to explain how Office 365’s applications (Word, Excel, etc.) are installed & used by a Apple Macintosh owner.

• What’s the difference between Office 365 and just plain old Office for Mac?
  I’ve documented the differences below, however the biggest difference is that with Office 365, you always get the latest versions of the MacOffice applications at no extra cost – which is especially important for Mac users since Microsoft is going to release a new version later this year. (Office 2016 for Mac)  With Office 365 you get to install the Office suite of applications on up to 5 PCs or Macs (or any combination of the two) for only $99/year.  This is a subscription that must be renewed every year to continue using Office, as opposed to Office for Mac 2011 which is a one-time fee, however you are not eligible for functionality updates – only security patches – and you will need to re-purchase the software when we release Office 2016 for Mac.
• Are the bits for Office 365 stored on the local Mac?
  Yes, “Office 365 for the Mac” is completely installed on the local Mac for offline use (i.e. on an airplane) just as it is for “Office for Mac 2011”, however when a network connection is available, Office 365 for Mac has the added benefit of checking for security patches, feature updates & new version releases to upgrade to.  Office for Mac 2011 will not.
• What about a Mac that is about 3 years old—will that be a problem for either offering?
  Office 365’s applications will run fine.  The software is essentially Office for Mac 2011 with an installation manager built in.

For more, read the following site:

• Compare Microsoft Office products
  http://products.office.com/en-us/buy/compare-microsoft-office-products
• Office 2016 for Mac Preview Announced!
  http://blogs.office.com/2015/03/05/office-2016-mac-preview/

Microsoft Band & Microsoft Health now have an official UserVoice page for accepting feedback.

Welcome to the Microsoft Health UserVoice site! Let us know what you would like to see in future versions of our products.

This site is for suggestions and ideas for the Microsoft Health service, platform and applications, as well as the Microsoft Band. For support, please visit the Microsoft Band Support site.

The Microsoft Health Privacy Statement is also available for your information.

We look forward to hearing from you!
The Microsoft Health and Microsoft Band Team

• SITE: Microsoft Band UserVoice feedback page
  http://microsofthealth.uservoice.com/forums/283636-microsoft-health-and-microsoft-band

Get down to your local Microsoft Store and pick up the new PayPal HERE Card Reader for Windows 8.1 for just $15.

It plugs into the audio jack of your Windows-based PC, such as a Surface Pro 3 and allows you to transact payments via credit card quickly and easily using the PayPal HERE app.

But once you register your PayPal account for payments via PayPal HERE (2.7% per transaction, no monthly fee), you’ll automatically get $15 in credit to go to future transaction fees.  In other words, you get back the cost of the Card Reader, making it essentially free.

PayPal HERE accepts credit cards, debit cards, and PayPal, plus tracks cash/check payments and sends invoices

NEAR IMMEDIATE PAYMENT
This is one feature I love.  Unlike other services,  when you transact a payment using PayPal HERE, the money shows up in your account to use within MINUTES.  This is because unlike other systems, PayPal manages their own money – but they’re not a bank so they aren’t held to the same constraints that banks are.

For more detail on PayPal HERE, visit their web site:

• SITE: PayPal HERE
  https://www.paypal.com/webapps/mpp/credit-card-reader

For those of you that are Node.js developers will be thrilled to hear that all the power of Visual Studio’s IDE & debugging is now available to you through a new set of add-ins for Visual Studio 2012 & 2013!

Node.js Tools 1.0 for Visual Studio (NTVS) is now available for download! NTVS is a free, open source extension for Visual Studio 2012 and Visual Studio 2013 that turns Visual Studio into a Node.js IDE. NTVS 1.0 supports the free Visual Studio Community and Visual Studio Express for Web editions, as well as Visual Studio Professional and higher.

Node.js is a platform for building fast, scalable applications using JavaScript. It’s making its way just about everywhere – from servers, to Internet of Things devices, to desktop applications, to who knows what next? And now, with Node.js support in Visual Studio, it’s easier than ever before to develop Node.js applications.

…

For more, visit the following link:

• Node.js Tools 1.0 for Visual Studio
  http://blogs.msdn.com/b/visualstudio/archive/2015/03/25/node-js-tools-1-0-for-visual-studio.aspx
  http://nodejstools.codeplex.com

Big price & offerings changes for Visual Studio.
(I’m on vacation.  I’m not gonna elaborate.  Follow the link for more.)

We’re continuing to improve upon the power and productivity of Visual Studio, making it easier to use, no matter what platform you’re on, no matter what app you’re building. We also want to make it easier for you to choose which edition of Visual Studio is the right one for you. Last November, we made Visual Studio Community 2013 available, our free, full featured and extensible IDE for non-enterprise application development. Today, we’re announcing the editions of Visual Studio 2015 that will be available when we release the final product this summer.

I’m excited to share that we’re bringing the value we deliver in Visual Studio Premium and Visual Studio Ultimate into one single offering called Visual Studio Enterprise with MSDN. It includes all the high value features you’re already familiar with in Visual Studio Ultimate, along with new innovation that’s coming with the 2015 release. So, in addition to Visual Studio Community and Visual Studio Professional with MSDN, our new Visual Studio Enterprise with MSDN rounds out the three primary Visual Studio 2015 offerings.

We’ll continue to offer Visual Studio Professional, Team Foundation Server, Team Foundation Server Express, Visual Studio Express and MSDN Platforms as a part of the complete Visual Studio 2015 and MSDN portfolio.

Read the announcement for more:

• VISUAL STUDIO BLOG: Announcing the Visual Studio 2015 Product Line
  http://blogs.msdn.com/b/visualstudio/archive/2015/03/31/announcing-the-visual-studio-2015-product-line.aspx

We just announced “Surface 3”, the latest in the Surface line of devices!

The most notable differences between “Surface 3” & “Surface PRO 3” (and Surface 2 for that matter are):

• Full Windows 8.1!  Not Windows RT
  (Uses Intel Atom X7, Cherrytrail processor)
• 10% Smaller!  10.8” screen vs 12”
  (10.52 x 7.36 x 0.34 in)
• 25% Lighter!  1.37lbs vs 1.76lbs
• 10% Better Battery life!  10hrs vs 9hrs max
• Optional built in 4G LTE

Also as an added bonus, Surface 3 comes with:

• 1 year subscription to Office 365 Personal
• 8.0Mp rear-facing camera vs 5.0Mp
• MicroUSB charging port
  (w/ 13W MicroUSB power supply)
• Optional Surface Pen
  The same pixel-precise active digitizer pen as on Surface Pro 3 for note-taking & sketching
• Optional 128GB storage (vs 64GB)

And like other Surface devices, it comes with:

• 10 point multitouch Display
• Full size USB 3.0 port
• MicroSD Flash slot for storage expansion
• Mini Display Port for connecting to second display
• Bluetooth 4.0 & WiFi (802.11 a/b/g/n/ac)
• Free upgrade to Windows 10
• Mobile application sensors including: Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Magnetometer, Proximity Sensor, Ambient light sensor
• Surface Type Cover Keyboard peripheral for $129 (Available separately)
• 1 yr limited hardware warranty

And if you’re a student or a teacher?  There’s good news!

• Get 10% off your purchase of a Surface 3
• For details, visit: http://www.microsoftstore.com/store/msusa/
  en_US/edu

Price list:

• 64GB / 2GB RAM / Wi-Fi ($499)
• 128GB / 4GB RAM / Wi-Fi  ($599)
• 64GB / 2GB RAM / Wi-Fi + 4G LTE (TBD) 
• 128GB / 4GB RAM / Wi-Fi + 4G LTE (TBD)

References:

• Product site & Pre-orders for Surface 3:
  http://www.microsoft.com/surface/en-us/products/surface-3
• Announcement by Panos Panay, of Surface 3:
  http://blog.surface.com/2015/03/announcing-surface-3/
• Compare Surface 3 with Surface Pro 3:
  http://www.microsoft.com/surface/en-us/products/comparedevices
• Specification list of Surface 3:
  http://www.microsoft.com/surface/en-us/products/surface-3#specifications?showspecs

Did you know that Software Assurance customers are eligible to use their “Panning Services” benefit for the deployment planning of Office 365?

To be clear, Microsoft is not introducing a new or separate Planning Services offering for Office 365.  Instead,  DDPS, L&EDPS, and SDPS each include the Office 365 FastTrack ‘Getting Started’ as an approved engagement.

Deployment Planning Services

Software Assurance customers are eligible for planning assistance from qualified partners or Microsoft Consulting Services. These structured 3 or 10 day engagements help guide you through implementation planning for Office 365. This results in easier transition, amplified user engagement, reduced project risk and faster time to value.

• https://deploy.office.com/assistance
• http://planningservices.partners.extranet.microsoft.com/
  en/O365/Pages/default.aspx

The following are the Office 365 Planning Engagements that are offered through Planning Services:

3-day Office 365 envisioning workshop

This engagement helps customers envision an Office 365 solution. The benefit to the customer is an opportunity to work with an expert to discover how Office 365’s capabilities can help to achieve their business objectives. The outcome is a recommended approach to deployment with clearly defined next steps.

Suggested activities to undertake in this engagement include:

• Planning workshop to understand project objectives,  challenges and success criteria of Office 365 project

• Setup of a ‘Getting Started’ environment to help end users familiarize themselves with the Office 365 environment

• Configuration of deployment training labs

• Technical workshops to address specific customer concerns

At the end of the engagement, customers will be provided an Office 365 preliminary deployment plan with recommendations.

10-day Office 365 planning and assessment engagement

The 10-day engagement includes the outcomes of the 3-day engagement and helps customers envision, plan and get started with Office 365. The benefit to the customer is a deeper understanding of how Office 365 maps to their business priorities, access to technical expertise and recommended guidance. This results in easier transition, amplified user engagement, reduced project risk and faster time to value.
Suggested activities to undertake in this engagement include:

• Detailed planning workshop to understand project objectives, timelines, current environment and technical requirements

• Setup of a ‘Getting Started’ environment to help end users familiarize themselves with the Office 365 environment

• Technical assessment of current environment using planning tools and remediation checks

• Technical workshops to address specific customer concerns

• Configuration of deployment training labs

At the end of the engagement, customers will be provided an Office 365 detailed deployment plan.