Kurt Shintaku's Blog

My plans for CES 2013 in Las Vegas are complete!  Every year this is a HUGE production for me because I don’t like to waste time looking for things to do at the last minute while in Vegas so I plan almost everything out from shows to restaurants to spas to gambling to… well, basically anything.  I consider this to be a work vacation in many respects because I learn so much for work during this trip… but let’s not kid ourselves: 

THIS IS NERDVANA.

SHOWS
This year, I thought I’d highlight some of the shows & restaurants I considered for the week of CES 2013.  I’m not actually listing what I eventually put on my agenda but I think this will help folks understand what’s available during their stay.  I should point out that I’ve seen virtually all the 1st & 2nd tier shows in Vegas so if it’s in this list, it’s because it’s brand new (Rock of Ages, for example), it’s been redone with new content (Blue Man Group), or I simply haven’t been there before. (Brad Garrett’s)

(Note: All shows are purchasable off of Vegas.com between Jan 6th & 10th.  You will pay a convenience fee of $10 per ticket if you go through them HOWEVER I have always gone through Vegas.com because their service is impeccable.  If something gets screwed up or you need a refund or you need to switch dates/times… no problem.  Otherwise, you’re on your own and at the cost of these tickets, you really don’t want to throw tickets away if you can’t make the show.  Also, if you use them, be sure to at least use the coupon ‘retailme15’ for $15 off.)

• Rock of Ages/Venetian – Jan 6, 8PM; 8, 8PM; 9, 8PM; 10, 8PM
  http://www.venetian.com/Las-Vegas-Entertainment/Resident-Shows/Rock-of-Ages/
  This is the only show that can not be purchased on Vegas.com hence the URL reference above.  The show is brand new to Vegas and one of the few I’ve never seen.  I believe it replaces “Phantom” which ran for years.
• Jersey Boys/Paris – Jan 6 (7:00), 8 (6:30,9:30) 9(7:00), 10 (7:00)
  I’ve seen this show numerous times however the recent move to Paris from the Palazzo has changed the show dramatically.  It’s clear they still have to work out some issues however I find on a personal level that the new show is much more heartfelt due to some additions to the storyline that they’ve made.
• Blue Man Group/Planet Hollywood – 6 (7:00), 7 (7:00), 8 (7:00), 10 (7:00,9:30)
  Why?  Because their show is new.  Since moving from the Venetian, I understand their show’s been redone so I’m hoping to see something completely different having seen the old show (back when it was at Mandalay Bay) several times already.
• Eddie Griffin/Rio– Jan 7, 8, 9 (7:00)
  I have no idea why.  I just like Eddie Griffin.  His bit on the bank robbery in Los Angeles had me in stitches:  “We need mo’ POLICE in Los Angeles!”
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrdPIE6frdg
• Absinthe/Caesars Palace – Jan 6 (7:30), 9 (7:30,9:30), 10 (7:30, 9:30)
  If you’re a little twisted & you don’t mind vulgarity or adult-oriented entertainment, this is the best show on the strip.  Period.  Cirque du Soleil can suck it.  Worth every penny.  And sit in the VIP seats.  Seriously… it’s worth it for the extra entertainment.
• Brad Garrett Comedy Club/MGM Grand – Jan 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 (8:00)
  Reputed to be the best comedy club on the strip, I’ve never been here so I’m looking forward to it.
• Penn & Teller/Rio – Jan 6, 7, 8, 9 (9:00)
  The longest running magic show on the strip, Penn & Teller are artists that change their show constantly so it’s never the same year after year.  Worth seeing again and again.

RESTAURANTS
This is a fun topic.  Having been a 20+ year veteran of Vegas cuisine, I’ve already weighed in on most Vegas restaurants that have remained in my rolodex.  Here’s a set of restaurants that I either WANT to go back to or on occasion, really haven’t visited yet.

• Hugo’s Cellar/Four Queens (Downtown Vegas)
  This is arguably the best steak restaurant in Vegas with only a 2-3 other steakhouses being in it’s league IMHO.  Better than CUT, Circus Circus, Prime, StripSteak, Charlie Palmer’s, Craftsteak, N9NE steakhouse, etc.  They know they’re out of the way so they work doubly hard & it shows.  It’s a $25 cab fare there but fortunately, it’s much cheaper to dine there so it balances out.
• Del Frisco’s Double Eagle/Independent (Off strip)
  Despite being a chain, this is one of those places where the management gets that they have to be better because they don’t have the name brand that Wolfgang Puck or Mario Batali have.  But their menu is to die for & their steaks are either the 2nd or 3rd best in Vegas IMHO.
• Carnevino/Palazzo (Strip)
  Honestly, I’ve never been to Batali’s restaurant because of mixed reviews from trusted friends but I’m at the end of my list of 4 1/2 & 5-star restaurants to try & Carnevino is generally a 4-star most lists so, I figured why not consider giving it a whirl.
• Andre’s/Monte Carlo (Strip)
  The best French food and possibly the best restaurant in Vegas.  Every dish at Andre’s is crazy-lick-the-plate-good & Andre himself often comes out to serve his favorite dishes.  Hands down better than Alize, his other restaurant at the top of the Palms.
• Mastro’s Ocean/Crystals-City Center (Strip) 
  Never been here being that I haven’t visited a lot of what’s at City Center (since I don’t like the place at all) however if it’s anything like Mastro’s of Beverly Hills, it should be great… and a real wallet killer.  I’ve read that the ambiance and the service are off the charts but occasionally the dishes are a miss.
• Vic & Anthony’s Steakhouse/Golden Nugget (Downtown Vegas)
  This is the only steakhouse I’ve never been to that has rated on all the review sites as high as Hugo’s Cellar so this should be interesting.  If they have any where NEAR the quality & craft of Hugo’s I’ll be happy.
• Border Grill/Mandalay Bay (Strip)
  I will be here – guaranteed.  Border Grill is a staple of mine as I love Mary Sue & Susan’s Mexican cuisine… especially, their tortilla soup:  Best anywhere.  And as a bonus, there’s a $10 purchasable coupon from Restaurant.com available to discount your meal.
  BONUS: http://www.restaurant.com/microsite/13440
• First Food & Bar/Venetian (Strip)
  High roller bar food galore… period.  Lobster Mac & Cheese.  HUGE hot wings w/ 3 sauces.  Kobe Beef Sliders.  Crab Dip.  You get the picture.  If you like tapas like snacks & baskets, this is it. The problem is that it’s the STRANGEST location.  You literally have to hunt this joint down… and it’s at the end of a long lonely corridor.  I don’t understand how it was that they agreed to this location.  The service here is also weak sauce & the prices are NOT friendly for this sort of cuisine, thus I wouldn’t go back if not for the fact that the dishes are really tasty & satisfying.  I frankly wish they would deliver to my room.  Fortunately, there’s also a Restaurant.com coupon available to discount your meal.
  BONUS: http://www.restaurant.com/microsite/61851
• ENVY the Steakhouse/Renaissance (Off strip)
  If you want QUIET and a really frickin’ good steak with just the right amount of char & seasoning on it, this is your place.  I was really surprised when I went here the first time how good the food was.  They clearly cater to a business clientele being in the Renaissance. (walking distance from the convention center, no casino, no frills)  There’s also a coupon available via Restaurant.com to make your visit a little cheaper.
  BONUS: http://www.restaurant.com/microsite/14825
• Fleur/Mandalay Bay (Strip)
  So Hubert Keller took his old but DELICIOUS Fleur d’ Lys French restaurant and turned it into a more profitable tapas bar.  Here’s the thing:  The prices are at the same sky high level but the value’s not there.  Lots of small plates that add up to $100+ really quickly.  Add a drink & you’re going into dangerous territory.  That being said, I stop by annually because the flavors are easily the best at Mandalay Bay, next to Border Grill which is much more affordable.  Do NOT go there without a coupon from Restaurant.com.
  BONUS: http://www.restaurant.com/microsite/54273
• Gordon Ramsay Steak/Paris (Strip)
  Brand new.  I reserved a table two months in advance and could only get a weak sauce early evening reservation, if that tells you anything.  This is purportedly the newest, hottest steakhouse on the strip & it’s packed with who’s who as well as great meals.  Apparently Gordon Ramsay lives up to his billing per every site I’ve read so I’m looking forward to this one. 
• KJ Dim Sum & Seafood/Rio (Strip) – tel:7027777777
  There’s no way to make a reservation without phoning it in believe it or not since they don’t use OpenTable or any online reservation services near as I can tell but I get the feeling a reservation isn’t necessary most of the time.  This, I am told by many Chinese, is the best Chinese on the strip if you consider the Rio “the Strip”… otherwise you have to go to Spring Mountain Rd to Chinatown.  Prior to this, I would have given the nod to “Woo” at the Palazzo, but the incompetent layout of Palazzo killed that joint and so they closed up shop sadly.
  

For those wondering – and want proof – here’s a photo of the Verizon Wireless HTC Windows Phone 8X on the Nokia Wireless Charging Stand.  Yes, it works.

As you can see on the phone, the GREEN light is lit as the phone is completely charged – and there are no wires leading from the phone itself.

The charging stand is based on Qi wireless charging technology which is incorporated into Nokia Lumia 920 Windows Phones… AND the Verizon Wireless model of the HTC Windows Phone 8X exclusively.

The base has a programmable NFC tag on it as well that works with the HTC Windows Phone 8X… but you need to use the “NFC Launch It!” app to do so.

Here’s the stand I bought from the Microsoft Store in Century City.  At last check, they still had them in stock:

• Wireless Charging Stand for Nokia Lumia
  http://www.microsoftstore.com/store/msstore/pd/Wireless-Charging-Stand-for-Nokia-Lumia/productID.259027900/vip.true

Is Windows 8 really that simple? Find out the answer in a surprisingly simple stunt that took place in December 7th, in a Fnac store in Lisbon. The moment speaks for itself.

(Don’t miss the end.)

Looking into getting Microsoft Office 365 Trial (Plan P1)?  We’re giving everyone the chance to use it for a FULL THREE MONTHS for up to 10 users.

You’ve got until the end of February 2013 to sign up for this deal.

If you’re a small business, there’s no better time to try Office 365 than now. Starting today, Microsoft is offering a 90-day free trial offer for organizations with up to 10 users. Companies can sign up for this new free offer through the end of February.

Small businesses that purchase and activate a copy of Microsoft Office Home & Business 2010 or Microsoft Office Professional 2010 will receive a 90-day free trial of Office 365 Small Business Premium for up to five users. Office 365 Small Business Premium combines the power of Office 365 small business services with Office software for your users’ PCs or Macs. Check out Office.com/offer for more details.

If you need assistance with your migration to the cloud, be sure checkout the Microsoft Partner Network to find experienced and proven partners.

More details…
http://blogs.technet.com/b/whymicrosoft/archive/2012/12/17/great-time-for-small-businesses-to-try-office-365.aspx

My friend Richard Hicks pointed me to this downloadable PowerShell script that automatically generates single-click tiles for various Power features of Windows 8.

Since the removal of the start-button in Windows 8, many users decide to shutdown their computers by pressing the powerbutton, instead of sutting it down correctly with a few extra clicks. This script will create tiles on your start menu for the most common tasks.

• Shutdown
• Restart
• Log off
• Hibernate
• Switch user

• DOWNLOAD: Script to create a Shutdown/Restart/Log off/Hibernate/Switch user tile in W8
  http://gallery.technet.microsoft.com/scriptcenter/Script-to-create-a-2e87f22f

Microsoft will no longer be developing products under the Expression brand.  Microsoft has the following products under the Expression Suite:

• Expression Web, HTML editor and web design program
• Expression Design, vector graphics editor
• Expression Encoder Pro, Video editing tool for authoring VC-1 and H.264/MPEG-4 AVC contents
• Expression Blend, graphical user interface builder for XAML or HTML applications
• SuperPreview, complementary web design program for testing compatibility and performance
• SketchFlow, complementary user interface tool that facilitate workflow design

Plans for much of the technology includes rolling it into our primary development suite, Visual Studio.  Here is the announcement from the Expression web page:

Microsoft Expression Changes

The proliferation of rich interactive web applications across the cloud and mobile devices continues to create new opportunities for creative design and development. As these technologies evolve, Microsoft is committed to providing best-in-class tools for building modern applications. In support of these industry trends Microsoft is consolidating our lead design offering — Expression and Visual Studio — to offer all of our customers a unified solution that brings together the best of Web and modern development patterns.

• Blend will be fully integrated with Visual Studio 2012. Blend for Visual Studio 2012 provides a rich design-centric environment for building Windows Store apps and Windows Phone apps. In addition to that, WPF, Silverlight and SketchFlow support is available today as a preview and will be released in Visual Studio 2012 Update 2.
• Expression Studio 4 Ultimate and Expression Studio 4 Web Professional are no longer available for sale. For customers who previously purchased these products, all components within Ultimate and Web Professional will be supported through their support lifecycle.
• Expression Design 4 and Expression Web 4 are now available for download at no charge. Technical support will not be available for these free versions.
• Expression Encoder 4 Pro will be available for purchase through 2013. Expression Encoder 4 remains available for download at no charge.

NEWS: Microsoft Expression Changes
http://www.microsoft.com/expression/

DOWNLOAD:  Microsoft Expression … “now available for free” products

• Expression Design
• Expression Web
• Expression Encoder 4 with SP1

UPDATE 12/20/2:36PM
Oops.  That was quick.  If you missed it… sorry.

———————

ORIGINAL POST:
Want a 32GB USB 3.0 SuperTalent Flash drive for $19?  It’s not the same as the Windows-to-Go certified SuperTalent Express RC8 but it would appear that the device’s read I/O performance is awesome.

I don’t know if this will work for Windows-to-Go but it is USB 3.0 and even if it doesn’t work well, it’d still be awesome for using as a boot device for installing machines with different operating systems.  (See my post on multibooting a USB flash drive to install from the .ISO file of your choice)

• DEAL: 32GB USB 3.0 SuperTalent Flash drive for $19
  (As of 12/20/12 11:22AM PST, this deal is still available)
  http://www.icemonkey.com/super-talent-32gb-usb-3-0-express-st1-flash-drive

Great article listing many of the individuals that tweet regularly from Microsoft or about Microsoft.  They did leave out a few key folks however:

1. @ie – Internet Explorer team
2. @stevecla – Next @ Microsoft
3. @benthepcguy – Ben Rudolph, the PC guy
4. @markrussinovich – Mark Russinovich
5. @Carnage4Life – Dare Obasanjo

ENGADGET:  Who Should I Follow on Twitter – Microsoft Edition
http://www.engadget.com/2012/12/17/who-should-i-follow-on-twitter-microsoft-edition/

So you bought an HTC Windows Phone 8X ‘eh?  Congratulations!  Now it’s time to SUIT UP.  Get your credit card cuz we’re goin’ SHOPPING for your new phone.  And we’re gonna get everything that you need.

PowerGen Dual Port USB 2.1A 10W AC Travel Wall Charger ($9.90)
This is a 2.1A 5V USB AC Adapter which will charge your phone at its maximum rate.  I specifically selected this adapter however because it contains over-current protection circuitry.  You have to be careful about which chargers you purchase because they can decrease the life of your Lithium Ion battery if they burst with a charge, which can potentially generate something akin to the ‘memory effect’ of old where your battery no longer holds a 100% charge.  It will also automatically shut off after your battery’s charged to avoid unnecessary wear.  Safe ramp 2A chargers are more expensive so don’t skimp on your charging equipment.
http://www.amazon.com/PowerGen-Travel-Charger-Devices-included/dp/tech-data/B0073FCPSK

HTC Windows Phone 8X Soft Cover Candy Skin Gel Case Accessory (Clear Checker)
Now before you pooh pooh the design, I chose this among 4 different gel cases that I ACTUALLY TRIED.  Here’s the criteria I used:

• Flat NON-MATTE finish
• Tight gel fit
• Clear casing
• Under $5

After evaluating several, I ended up with this case.  It fits extremely well compared to the others and it doesn’t have a rough matte finish, which I do not want because believe it or not, the matte finish makes the device ‘slick’ and makes it easier to slide around in the car or in your hand.  Additionally, I wanted a clear casing to show off the ‘California Blue’.  As you can see, I compromised a little with the checker pattern which I’m not crazy about but whatever. 
http://www.ebay.com/itm/HTC-Windows-Phone-8X-SOFT-COVER-CANDY-SKIN-GEL-CASE-ACCESSORY-CLEAR-CHECKER-/121031440192

Anker® Astro Christmas Family Gift Holiday Pack 4 External Batteries ($99.99)
Get this while you can.  These are Anker rechargeable external batteries for your Windows Phone 8.  You only need one but at the price they’re putting these at, you might as well get the Christmas pack for you and your family.  Anker batteries are EXTREMELY reliable and store a ton of power to charge your phone when you’re running low on power.  It also charges at 1A 5V so it’ll charge quickly.  You can keep it in your pocket with your phone plugged in and have a full charge in 30min.
http://www.amazon.com/Christmas-Holiday-External-Batteries-10000mAh/dp/B009X8VELO

Energizer Qi-Enabled 3-Position Inductive Charger ($64.98) 
The HTC 8X from Verizon Wireless SPECIFICALLY is unique in that it has built in wireless charging.  All it requires is a charging pad/mat and that’s what this is.  For $65, you basically get a pad that allows you to charge the phone without plugging anything in, along with any other Qi wireless charging technology device. (It has room for 2 devices)  This is a really good deal and well known in Windows Phone wireless charging circles as a great value.
http://www.amazon.com/Energizer-Qi-Enabled-Position-Inductive-Charger/dp/B0041RRORA/

I occasionally plug a 3rd party product because I found it useful and I figure there are others out there that might do so as well. 

Everyone occasionally needs to publish to .PDF.  The question is, what’s the best, most cost effective way of doing so?  I’ve used FoxIt Phantom Express as well as Adobe Acrobat in the past and paid for both products.  I’ve had issues with both frankly, in that FoxIt had publishing inaccuracies and Acrobat was sluggish and very expensive.

On the recommendation of a friend, I switched to Bullzip PDF Printer partially for it’s stability & accuracy but mostly for it’s support on Windows 8 x64.

The Bullzip PDF Printer works as a Microsoft Windows printer and allows you to write PDF documents from virtually any Microsoft Windows application.

This program is FREEWARE with limitations, which means that it is FREE for personal and commercial use up to 10 users. It does not contain any advertising or popups. For commercial applications with more than 10 users there is a commercial version of the product available at www.biopdf.com.

Features

• Print to PDF from almost any Windows program.
• Runs on Microsoft Windows 2000/XP/XP x64/2003/2003 x64/Vista/Vista x64/2008/Windows 7.
• Supports 64-bit operating systems.
• Direct output to the same file each time or prompt for destination.
• Control if the printer should ask if you want to see the resulting PDF document.
• Control output and prompts programmatically.
• Setup can run unattended.
• Graphical user interface.
• Password protect PDF documents.
• 128/40 bit encryption.
• Quality settings (screen, printer, ebook, prepress).
• Set document properties.
• Watermark text, size, rotation, and transparency.
• Superimpose/background documents.
• Appending/prepending documents.
• User interface control.
• Command line interface to all settings.
• COM/ActiveX interface for programmatic control.
• Support for Citrix MetaFrame
• Support for Windows Terminal Server
• Multiple output types supported: BMP, JPEG, PCX, PDF, PNG, and TIFF.

DOWNLOAD:  BullZIP PDF Printer
http://www.bullzip.com/products/pdf/info.php