Kurt Shintaku's Blog

UPDATE 12/7/15:
I believe we took this document down several months ago.  The original content in TechNet was updated back in April 2015 from the original content back in March 2014.  Visit TechNet for the most recent publishing.
http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=41671

——————
ORIGINAL POST:
Full-volume encryption using BitLocker Drive Encryption is vital for protecting data and system integrity on devices running the Windows 8.1, Windows 8, or Windows 7 operating system. It is equally important to protect the BitLocker encryption key.

This guide provides detailed information that will help you understand the circumstances under which the use of pre-boot authentication is recommended and when it can be safely omitted from the configuration of a device that is running on Windows 8.1, Windows 8, or Windows 7 operating systems.

• WHITEPAPER: Protecting BitLocker from Pre-Boot Attacks (675KB, 24pgs)
  http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=41671

The Yammer App for SharePoint lets you add a real-time social layer to your SharePoint site, and now an updated version of the app takes advantage of SharePoint security enhancements to improve sign-in reliability, writes Christophe Fiessinger on the Office Blogs.

“If you’re a SharePoint site owner and you’re using the Yammer App for SharePoint on your SharePoint Online or SharePoint on-premises team site, upgrade to the latest version now,” Fiessinger writes.

To upgrade the app to the latest version, on the SharePoint site with a Yammer App for SharePoint, click the Settings icon at the top of the page, and then click Site contents. The Site contents page shows you all of the apps available for that particular site. If your Yammer app needs an update, a link to update it appears under the name.

When you use Yammer and SharePoint together, you can “encourage team and company-wide conversations, facilitate collaboration around files and projects, and make it easier for people to connect,” Fiessinger writes. “This helps make collaborating a more social, mobile, and engaging experience.”

Read more about the update here:
http://blogs.office.com/2014/02/11/update-to-the-latest-yammer-app-for-sharepoint/

To add the Yammer app for SharePoint, go to:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/sharepoint-foundation-help/set-up-the-yammer-app-for-sharepoint-HA104079146.aspx

The Microsoft Rights Management (RMS) connector lets you quickly enable existing on-premises servers, such as Microsoft Exchange, Microsoft SharePoint, or file servers running Windows Server to use their Information Rights Management (IRM) functionality with the cloud-based Microsoft Rights Management services. With this functionality, IT and users can easily protect documents and pictures both inside your organization and outside, without having to install additional infrastructure or establish trust relationships with other organizations.

The RMS connector is a small-footprint service that you install on-premises on servers that run Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows Server 2012, or Windows Server 2008 R2. After you install and configure the connector, it acts as a communications interface between the on-premises IRM-enabled servers and the cloud service.

Download the RMS connector at:
http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=40839

Learn more about the RMS connector at:
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dn375964.aspx. 

To build and manage solutions in the cloud that comply with industry standards and regulations, IT administrators should understand the security mechanisms within Windows Azure—both those that are automatic and those that require configuration.

In particular, Windows Azure networking provides the infrastructure necessary to securely connect your virtual machines to one another, as well as bridge between the cloud and your on-premises datacenter.

The overall architecture and operation of Windows Azure’s network services have been designed for flexibility, security, and integrity. This white paper seeks to uncover these inner-workings and give insights on how customers can take advantage of the platform’s native features to best protect their information assets.

…

Read more here:

• WHITEPAPER: Windows Azure Network Security (579KB)
  http://download.microsoft.com/download/4/3/9/43902EC9-410E-4875-8800-0788BE146A3D/Windows%20Azure%20Network%20Security%20Whitepaper%20-%20FINAL.docx

The infamous free eBook repository from Microsoft Press has been relocated to Microsoft Virtual Academy.

So if you’re looking for newly published eBooks that don’t cost a dime, check out the site below.  All newly posted free eBooks will also be placed here as well moving forward.

• Free ebooks from Microsoft Press
  From technical overviews to drilldowns on special topics, these free ebooks are available in PDF, EPUB, and/or Mobi for Kindle formats, ready for you to download.
  http://www.microsoftvirtualacademy.com/
  ebooks

[Normally, I don’t blatantly point folks to a summary like this but this was really well done and a nice time saver.]

Bill Gates did an AMA (Ask Me Anything) session on Reddit today and these is a transcript of the questions he answered from the public.  Questions like:

• Can you describe your new role at Microsoft?
• How will your time be divided up between the foundation and Microsoft now that the CEO has asked you to step up?
• How does Mr. Nadella’s vision differ from yours and Mr Ballmer’s?
• What is your favorite project you have ever worked on at Microsoft?
• Is the Desktop computer really dead? What does that say for the future of computer programming?
• …

Intrigued? 

Here’s the Geekwire summary:
http://www.geekwire.com/2014/full-reddit-ama-transcript-bill-gates-new-gig-guilty-pleasures-financial-advice/

And here’s the original AMA on Reddit:
http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/1xj56q/hello_reddit_im_bill_gates_cochair_of_the_bill/

These posters provide a visual reference for understanding key private cloud storage and virtualization technologies in Windows Server 2012 R2. They focus on understanding storage architecture, virtual hard disks, cluster shared volumes, scale-out file servers, storage spaces, data de-duplication, Hyper-V, Failover Clustering, and virtual hard disk sharing. Note: There are multiple files available for this download. When you click Download, you will be prompted to select the files you want to download.

• Hyper-V and Failover Clustering Mini Poster.pdf (210 KB)
• Scale-Out and SMB Mini Poster.pdf (249 KB)
• Storage Spaces and Deduplication Mini Poster.pdf (248 KB)
• Understanding Storage Architecture Mini Poster.pdf (247 KB)
• Virtual Hard Disk and Cluster Shared Volumes Mini Poster.pdf (206 KB)

Windows Server 2012 R2 Private Cloud Virtualization & Storage Posters
http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=41665

This update is the latest in a cumulative series of feature additions and bug fixes for Visual Studio 2013. Periodic updates enable us to enhance and expand Visual Studio more frequently to support the latest software development innovations for building and managing modern apps. For information about the latest update, see Visual Studio Updates and the Visual Studio Update KB Article.

Download the update from one of these two links:

• DOWNLOAD: Visual Studio 2013 Update 1 (1.1MB, Downloader)
  http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=41650
• DOWNLOAD: Visual Studio 2013 Update 1 (245MB, .ISO)
  http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=386593

Updates for these other products are also available:

• Release Management for Visual Studio 2013
• Remote Tools for Visual Studio 2013

Enterprise social networking for businesses is one of the fastest growing technology trends in recent years. In fact, there were 208 million subscribers to enterprise social networking tools in 2013 alone, according to market research firm Frost & Sullivan. This reflects a 29.5% increase from the previous year, with 160.8 million users in 2012.

Introducing the Yammer Resource Center, a one-stop shop for your ESN educational needs. This newly redesigned resource center brings together industry reports, videos, infographics, guides, and other resources on social networking for business to help you better understand its potential.

• Yammer Resource Center
  https://about.yammer.com/why-yammer/resources/

Microsoft has been selected to be the cloud encoding and hosting platform provider for NBC Olympics.  As a result, viewers will be able to watch Winter Olympics programming via more than 50 live high-definition streams and on demand.

• Going for gold: Windows Azure Media Services provide live and on-demand streaming of 2014 Olympic Winter Games on NBC
  http://blogs.technet.com/b/microsoft_blog/archive/2014/02/06/going-for-gold-windows-azure-media-services-provide-live-and-on-demand-streaming-of-2014-olympic-winter-games-on-nbc.aspx

For more coverage of Microsoft’s streaming solution for the 2014 Winter Olympics, visit some of the following other web sites:

• CNN MONEY: NBC Winter Olympics to put Windows Azure to the test
  http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/gigaom/articles/2014_02_04_
  nbc_winter_olympics_to_put_windows_azure_to_the_test.html
• USA TODAY: How to watch the Olympics on your phone or tablet
  http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/columnist/baig/2014/02/04/how-to-watch-the-winter-olympics-on-your-phone-or-tablet/5188041/
• FORBES: Adobe And Microsoft Team Up To Stream Sochi From The Cloud
  http://www.forbes.com/sites/benkepes/2014/02/04/adobe-and-microsoft-team-up-to-stream-sochi-from-the-cloud/