Kurt Shintaku's Blog

For Surface Pro:

AppyMouse: Free on-screen “touchpad” for controlling the mouse pointer & provide precision while working in the Desktop.

I’ve been using this little app.  It’s a surprisingly good app that’s such a no-brainer… you have to wonder why someone hadn’t thought of it before.

Go get it! 

• DOWNLOAD: Appy Mouse – Tool for Windows 8 Touch Screens
  http://appymousing.com/

Slow & steady…

FRAMINGHAM, Mass. August 7, 2013 – Despite beating Wall Street expectations in terms of shipment volumes, Apple’s share in the worldwide smartphone operating system market posted a year-over-year decline during the second quarter of 2013 (2Q13). Meanwhile, Android and Windows Phone both managed slight increases during the same period. According to the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker, vendors shipped a total of 236.4 million smartphones in 2Q13, up 51.3% from the 156.2 million units shipped in 2Q12. Second quarter shipments grew 9.3% when compared to the 216.3 million units shipped in 1Q13.

"The iOS decline in the second quarter aligns with the cyclicality of iPhone," says Ramon Llamas, Research Manager with IDC’s Mobile Phone team. "Without a new product launch since the debut of the iPhone 5 nearly a year ago, Apple’s market share was vulnerable to product launches from the competition. But with a new iPhone and revamped iOS coming out later this year, Apple is well-positioned to re-capture market share."

"Last quarter we witnessed Windows Phone shipments surpassing BlackBerry and the trend has continued into the second quarter," said Ryan Reith, Program Manager with IDC’s Mobility Tracker Programs. "Nokia has clearly been the driving force behind the Windows Phone platform and we expect that to continue. However, as more and more vendors enter the smartphone market using the Android platform, we expect Windows Phone to become a more attractive differentiator in this very competitive market segment."

…

Read more at:

• IDC PRESS RELEASE:
  Apple Cedes Market Share in Smartphone Operating System Market as Android Surges and Windows Phone Gains, According to IDC
  http://www.idc.com/getdoc.jsp?containerId=prUS24257413 

Wanna start building profitable Windows Phone apps?  The new Windows Phone App Studio is now available in beta!

Ready. Set. Go. Done!

We know you – the savvy developer filled with great ideas but not enough time. If only you had a way to quickly build and test your latest innovations. With the Windows Phone App Studio, you do!

The Windows Phone App Sudio lets you swiftly build apps for immediate publishing, testing, and sharing with clients, co-workers, and focus groups. Need to make changes or try variations? With the App Studio it’s a snap!

And when you’re ready to add advanced programming features, the Windows Phone App Studio generates your source code – a feature no other app-builder tool provides. Get with the program!

NOTE: Windows Phone App Studio requires an Invitation Code.  In order to get an invite, email “studio aht microsoft daht com”.

• BETA: Windows Phone App Studio available!
  http://apps.windowsstore.com/default.htm

UPDATE 8/8/13 9:36AM:
Here’s a couple photosynths of the event.

• Best Buy Windows Store (Outside – The Tent)
  http://photosynth.net/view.aspx?cid=857a6fa0-2410-465e-9cce-970be41aab2a&m=false&i=0:0:1&c=0.806346:-0.670488:0.166245&z=933.295242946005&d=-1.40825591249366:-0.53269120647421:-0.584449959671909&p=0:0&t=False
• Best Buy Windows Store (Inside)
  http://photosynth.net/view.aspx?cid=41dee137-9818-4bcd-bfab-ec8e125f70f2&m=false&i=0:1:0&c=-0.244033:-0.276042:0.184812&z=532.466408353145&d=1.26512620986002:-2.28695598738909:-2.9274079697934&p=0:0&t=False

———————
ORIGINAL POST:
For those of you watching the rollout of the "Windows Stores" at Best Buy, here’s the big launch today in West LA.

Introducing the Windows Store – Only at Best Buy

Join us Wednesday, August 7 for the Windows Store Launch at the West LA Best Buy Store from 10AM to 5PM. Enjoy Windows 8 product demos, food and beverages, live DJ, giveaways and offers.

3PM-5PM
The first 200 customers to demo a Windows 8 device in the Windows Store will receive a wristband for a chance to meet Clint Mathis and Mauricio Cienfuegos, two tickets to an upcoming LA Galaxy game, and a free signed soccer ball.

5PM – 7PM
Personal appearance with Clint Mathis, former U.S. Men’s National Team and LA Galaxy player and Mauricio Cienfuegos, former El Salvador Men’s National Team player and Galaxy player.

The first 200 customers to demo a Windows 8 device in the West L.A. Best Buy store starting at 3pm on August 7th will get a wristband for the opportunity to meet Clint Mathis and Mauricio Cienfuegos, two tickets to an upcoming LA Galaxy game and
an autographed soccer ball. Wristbands are limited in quantity and available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Limit one (1) wristband/autograph per person, while supplies last. No personalization. Not responsible for lost, mutilated or stolen wristbands. Talent appearance subject to availability and change. Sponsors do not guarantee the talent appearance or the opportunity to receive an autograph

LOCATION:
11301 W Pico Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90064
Phone: 310-268-9190

• EVENT: Windows Store Launch at Best Buy West LA, August 7th, 3:00PM-7:00PM
  http://stores.bestbuy.com/109/event/windows-store-launch-at-best-buy-west-la/

Brand new training available for System Center 2012 R2 including videos & PowerPoint download:

View this Jump Start to learn what’s new with System Center 2012 R2. Discover the new capabilities in infrastructure provisioning and monitoring, automation and self-service, IT service management, and application monitoring.

Microsoft Senior Technical Evangelist Symon Perriman and several other presenters show how the next version of System Center delivers an end-to-end cloud management stack through advanced integration with Windows Server 2012 R2 and Windows Azure.

• TRAINING: What’s New in System Center 2012 R2 Jump Start (Microsoft Virtual Academy)
  http://www.microsoftvirtualacademy.com/training-courses/what-s-new-in-system-center-2012-r2-jump-start

Free from Microsoft Press – a 248 page, eBook in ePub & PDF format.

This book is aimed at test engineers, managers, developers, and folks interested in understanding the changing world of test. Over the last several years, software testing has changed a great deal. In the past, test plans were on paper, filed away and out of sight. Today they are—or can be with Visual Studio—living documents, as manual and automated tests are integrating into the test workflow supported by the test infrastructure.

Today you no longer have to set up physical boxes; instead you can set up and automate virtual environments composed of virtual machines to meet your testing environment needs. With Visual Studio and Team Foundation Server, the pain of dealing with a heterogeneous test infrastructure is reduced, the cost and effectiveness of testing a product is improved, and regression testing becomes cost effective instead of a nightmare.

Knowing how to test is important, but understanding how this new infrastructure is changing the business of testing and software delivery is critical. Today’s businesses require nimble teams that can support continuous delivery and deal with updates and bugs in an agile fashion. It’s what your customers have come to expect.

In this guide, we follow a team as they move from a conventional approach to testing towards one more suited to the needs of present-day development. We see how they address the costs and the pain of their old methods by adopting the testing infrastructure of Visual Studio 2012.

• RELEASE: “Testing for Continuous Delivery with Visual Studio 2012”
  http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=35380

Attention Android-based Phone users:  Office is now available at no charge if you have an Office 365 subscription.  That is all.

• BLOG: Office 365 subscribers get Office Mobile for Android phones
  http://blogs.office.com/b/office-news/archive/2013/07/31/office-365-subscribers-get-office-mobile-for-android-phones.aspx

My favorite messaging app isn’t Skype or Lync.  It’s GroupMe.  And it’s free.

Whhaaa?  Yup.  It’s a group messaging app that serves a very specific but very useful purpose. 

Messages are instantly sent across either the Internet to the recipient’s GroupMe app on their mobile device or via SMS text msg if they don’t have it installed. 

Recipients can either use the smartphone app to reply or transmit photos & if they received the message via SMS text message, they can reply (or send a photo) and automatically reply to the rest of the group.  Note to Verizon Wireless Windows Phone users:  Group replies are not available via SMS text messaging without using a tool like the GroupMe app.

1. NO COST MESSAGING: Saves on text messaging charges since the default transmission medium is the Internet.
2. FAST, FAST, FAST: Much faster transmission than text messaging, especially between carrier networks where texts are buffered and may experience significant delays.
3. RELIABLE: More reliable, less latent than WhatsApp.
4. PRIVATE:  Secured messaging. Text messages on the other hand, are readable by anyone… as witnessed by “Texts from Last Night”
5. INTERNATIONAL: Works internationally over the Internet, avoiding cross-network texting complications.
6. GROUPS: Enables group messaging – Verizon doesn’t allow txt msging with groups.
7. HISTORY:  Provides past message history for new members joining a group.
8. FALLBACK TO SMS: Falls back to SMS text messaging if the transmission with the app fails
9. CROSS PLATFORM:  Runs on iOS, Android, Windows Phone, Blackberry
   (Windows Phone app: http://www.windowsphone.com/s?appid=4116f88c-ad1b-464a-b12d-c5f52b2e16e2)
10. DESKTOP:  Desktop browser users can communicate on the GroupMe network via a web browser. (https://web.groupme.com/groups)

And it’s a Microsoft technology… so sign up & get the app here!

• DOWNLOAD: “GroupMe” – Group Messaging Client (FREE!)
  http://groupme.com/a

I’ve been evaluating Surface Pro cases since my Surface Pro has been not just my favorite mobile device but also my primary COMPANION device.

The case I’ve concluded has been the best that I’ve evaluated has been the ‘Manvex Slim’.  It’s certainly not the cheapest but it’s manufactured very well and is a v2.0 of the product so they’ve gotten rid of all the annoying issues of the v1.0.

The folio is perfect for folks that:

• Want to put their Surface Pro on their laps
• Protect the exterior of their Surface Pro
• Need a stylus holder
• Want the display at a different angle other than 22 degrees

So take a look at it.  It’s a little more expensive but trust me:  The $31 is worth it.

• AMAZON: Manvex Slim and Compact Leather Folio Case Cover for the Microsoft Surface PRO ($31)
  http://www.amazon.com/Compact-Leather-Microsoft-Surface-Multiple/dp/B00BYTGLFY/

Look what dropped today.

• Windows 8.1 Enterprise Edition Preview
  http://technet.microsoft.com/windows/hh771457.aspx?ocid=wc-blog-wfyb

Today, I’m excited to announce that Windows 8.1 Enterprise Preview is now available for download for customers to start testing the operating system in their environments. Windows 8.1 Enterprise Preview builds on the Window 8.1 Preview which is currently available, adding premium features designed to address mobility, security, management and virtualization needs of today’s enterprise.

Here are the premium features that will be offered to customers as a part of the Windows 8.1 Enterprise edition:

• Windows To Go Creator: IT organizations can create a fully manageable corporate Windows 8.1 desktop on a bootable external USB drive. The drive can be used to support Bring Your Own Device scenarios or be given to contingent staff to access the corporate environment without compromising security.
• Start Screen Control: IT departments can now control the layout of the Start screen on company-issued devices to ensure key apps are easily accessible. IT departments can also prevent users from customizing their Start screen to ensure consistency across individual workgroups or the entire company.
• DirectAccess: Users can seamlessly access resources inside a corporate network remotely without having to launch a separate VPN. Also, IT administrators can keep remote users’ PCs up-to-date by applying the latest policies and software updates.
• BranchCache: Employees in branch offices no longer need to download content multiple times across their Wide Area Network (WAN) as BranchCache caches files, websites and other content from central servers locally on hosted cache servers or PCs.
• Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI): Users will enjoy a rich desktop experience and the ability to play 3D graphics, use USB peripherals and use touch-enabled devices across any type of network (LAN or WAN) for VDI scenarios, thanks to enhancements in Microsoft RemoteFX and Windows Server 2012.
• AppLocker: IT organizations can create a more secure environment by restricting the files and apps that users or groups can run on a PC, increasing the security of the device and the data it holds.
• Windows Enterprise Side-Loading: Internal Windows apps can be side-loaded on domain-joined PCs and tablets running Windows 8.1 Enterprise.

Read more:

• BLOG: Windows 8.1 Enterprise Preview Now Available
  http://blogs.windows.com/windows/b/business/archive/2013/07/30/windows-8-1-enterprise-preview-now-available.aspx
• BLOG: Start your Windows 8.1 deployment planning
  For customers presently using Windows 8 Enterprise, the path to Windows 8.1 Enterprise is simple. You can leverage a fully-automated process to update existing Windows 8 systems. This process can be initiated using any software distribution or management tool, just by running “setup.exe /auto:upgrade” from the Windows 8.1 installation files. This time required to perform this update process varies based on computer and network performance, with the fastest configurations taking around 15 minutes.
  http://blogs.windows.com/windows/b/springboard/archive/2013/07/30/start-your-windows-8-1-deployment-planning.aspx
• TECHNET: What’s New in Windows 8.1
  http://technet.microsoft.com/en-US/windows/dn140266.aspx?ocid=wc-bl-wfyb
• DOWNLOAD: Windows 8.1 Enterprise Preview
  http://technet.microsoft.com/windows/hh771457.aspx?ocid=wc-blog-wfyb