Kurt Shintaku's Blog

The first Update for Visual Studio 2012 and Team Foundation Server is now out. This includes new features in four main areas:

• Windows Development
• SharePoint Development
• Agile Teams
• Continuous Quality

Soma’s put a great summary together so take a look at that for the details and it’s available now for download.

• DOWNLOAD: Visual Studio 2012 Update 1
  http://www.microsoft.com/visualstudio/eng/downloads#d-visual-studio-2012-update

The Born to Learn folks have done it again, this time with a certification infographic that provides a roadmap for folks looking to move ahead on Windows Server.

Windows Server 2012: Your Path to Success

Our debut infographic steps through your journey to Windows Server 2012 certification. Get started with free resources to help you learn the basics about Windows Server 2012. Then, select the certification path for your experience. As you move along the path, choose the type of training that fits your learning style and schedule and prepare for your first—or next—exam to reach your certification and career goal. 

Windows Server Certification and Career Paths

• DOWNLOAD: Infographic on Windows Server Certification and Career Paths
  http://borntolearn.mslearn.net/cfs-file.ashx/__key/communityserver-components-userfiles/00-00-02-91-93-Attached%20Files/2476.msl_5F00_certificationpaths_5F00_final_5F00_5.png

This poster introduces Windows Azure for developers and IT pros. It summarizes benefits such as global coverage and extensive language support and provides a description of current services by category: app services, data services, compute, networking, and store. The poster also depicts common uses including Cloud Services, Virtual Machines, Web Sites, Mobile Services, and Media Services.

The poster is intended to be printed and measures 26" x 39”.

• DOWNLOAD: Windows Azure Poster for IT Pros & Devs
  http://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/download/details.aspx?id=35473&utm_source=Website&utm_medium=MSDNUKBlog

(taken from the MSDN UK blog)

UPDATE 12/15/12:
I’ve updated the list for my own benefit to allow more fine-grained analysis of battery life across device choices. (v1.10)  And for the record, the ‘Stylus’ column means “Active Digitizer”.  I don’t consider capacitive touch stylii to be useful in that users requiring pens also need the precision & pressure sensitivity that only an Active Digitizer can provide.
——————-
ORIGINAL POST 12/10/12:
This is a list of all the Windows 8/RT Tablet devices that I am aware of as of December 10, 2012.  (Updated with manufacturer quoted battery longevity, power supply wattage, and expansion battery availability)

I created this because I wanted an easy way to quickly filter on certain technical requirements and see what models were available.  To be clear, this is obviously unofficial & just of my own creation (I’ve documented where I got most of the data for each row in the “Manufacturer’s Link” column) but it’s been useful for me and I thought I’d share.

Among other features, I’ve included next to each model:

• 3G/4G Wireless WAN option
• Trusted Platform Module (TPM) chip inclusion
• Stylus/Active Digitizer availability
• Windows 8 Pro or Windows RT
• Smartcard availability
• SD Card expansion
• IvyBridge/Clovertrail/Qualcomm/Nvidia
• Memory/Storage
• Battery life
• Camera resolution & I/O Ports
• Networking, Bluetooth, & NFC
• Weight, Dimensions
• Price
• …etc.

Like I said, you can filter the list based on your technical priorities at the top.  You’ll notice there’s a couple cells that are highlighted in yellow.  This is because I was unable to find any information about that capability for that particular device.

BTW: One of the columns is labeled “MS Store”.  This is any indicator if the device is available to see & use at the Microsoft Store as of Nov 30th, 2012.

Enjoy.

• DOWNLOAD: Spreadsheet of Windows 8/RT Tablet Devices & Capabilities
  https://skydrive.live.com/redir?resid=DA410C7F7E038D!9136

——————————-
Please note: I’m providing this just as a curiosity for others.  I make no commitment to maintaining this document, nor do I guarantee its accuracy.  It’s just something I created for my own use and thought others might find it interesting as well.

As most know by now, there is a constantly refreshing whitelist of web sites that Internet Explorer 10 on Windows RT will display Adobe Flash on.  (This is known as the Compatibility View list)

This is a section of the MSDN article that discusses the Compatibility View list which enables Flash to be enabled within the IE 10 browser on Windows RT, including the process of submitting a website for consideration.

Submitting your site for consideration

Developers can submit their sites that they want to be included on the CV list to Microsoft via email.

To submit your site for consideration to the CV list, email iepo@microsoft.com and include the following details:

1. Your name, company, title, and contact information
2. The domain you want considered (http://contoso.com/) and the specific pages containing Flash content ( http://contoso.com/video, http://contoso.com/media)
3. The approximate unique users per month that visit the domain
4. The capabilities your Flash content requires. For more info see Guidelines for Flash Content in Internet Explorer 10 in this topic.
5. The name and version of the SWF your site is using, including version number for third party .SWF files if appropriate (for example, videoplayer.swf v1.2 from Contoso)
6. A list of any other plugs-ins (not Flash) your domain depends on and the specific pages containing those controls. Be aware that if your site depends on other plug-ins, users will be directed to open your site in Internet Explorer 10 for the desktop.
7. The results of your testing of the pages listed in step two (2) of these steps. For more info see Test Guidance and Test Cases in this topic.

• INFO: Developer guidance for websites with content for Adobe Flash Player in Windows 8 (Internet Explorer)
  http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ie/jj193557(v=vs.85).aspx

The Microsoft Online Backup Service is a cloud based backup solution for Windows Server 2012 which allows files and folders to be backed up and recovered from the cloud in order to provide off-site protection against data loss due to disasters. The service provides IT administrators with the option to back up and protect critical data in an easily recoverable way from any location with no upfront hardware cost or resources other than an Internet connection.

This service is built on the Windows Azure platform and uses Windows Azure blob storage for storing customer data. Windows Server 2012 uses the downloadable Microsoft Online Backup Agent to transfer file and folder data securely and efficiently to the Microsoft Online Backup Service. Once installed, the Microsoft Online Backup Agent exposes its functionality through the familiar Windows Server Backup interface.

• Peace of mind—your server backups in the cloud
  Help protect your important server data with easily accessible backups stored in the cloud.
• Simple to manage
  Manage cloud backups from the familiar backup tools in Windows Server 2012, Windows Server 2012 Essentials, and the System Center 2012 Data Protection Manager component to provide a consistent experience configuring, monitoring, and recovering backups across local disk and cloud storage. After data is backed up to the cloud, authorized users can easily recover backups to any server.
• Efficient and flexible
  With incremental backups, only changes to files are transferred to the cloud. This helps ensure efficient use of storage, reduced bandwidth usage, and offers point-in-time recovery of multiple versions of data. Configurable data retention policies, data compression and data transfer throttling also offer you added flexibility and help boost efficiency.

Customers of Windows Server 2012, Windows Server 2012 Essentials, and System Center 2012 can preview Online Backup as a no-charge, fixed storage quota subscription. (10GB)

• BETA: Windows Azure Online Backup Preview
  http://www.windowsazure.com/en-us/home/features/online-backup/
• BLOG: Microsoft Online Backup Service (Step-by-step)
  http://blogs.technet.com/b/windowsserver/archive/2012/03/28/microsoft-online-backup-service.aspx

This is a collection of articles that you should read if you’ve downloaded the recently published Office Professional Plus 2013 from the Volume Licensing Service Center web site, http://www.microsoft.com/licensing/servicecenter.

• REFERENCE: Deploy volume activation of Office 2013
  Co-hosting with a Windows KMS host
  If you currently have a Windows KMS host running on an operating system that supports an Office KMS host, we recommend that you use the same computer that you use for your Office KMS host. You must still run the steps in the following sections to install and activate an Office 2013 KMS host key. For more information, see Plan volume activation of Office 2013.
  http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee624357.aspx
• DOWNLOAD: Microsoft Office 2013 Volume License Pack
  Volume license editions of Office 2013 client products require activation. This download enables IT administrators to set up a Key Management Service (KMS) or configure a domain for Active Directory-Based activation. Either of these volume activation methods can locally activate all Office 2013 clients connected to an organization’s network.
  http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=35584
• STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS: “How to setup Microsoft Office 2013 KMS Host on Windows Server 2012”
  The KMS activation process for Microsoft Office 2013 is the same as what it was for Microsoft Office 2010. However, the interface to setup the KMS host for Microsoft Office 2013 on a Windows Server 2012 has been updated to use the Volume Activation Tools.
  http://blogs.technet.com/b/odsupport/archive/2012/11/07/how-to-setup-kms-activation-host-for-microsoft-office-2013-on-windows-server-2012.aspx

UPDATE 12/10/12:
”How the heck do I get my Office Professional Plus 2013 KMS Host Volume Activation Key?”
If it hasn’t been posted to your account at the Volume Licensing Service Center, Office Professional Plus 2013 KMS Host Keys can be obtained from the US Product Activation Call Center at (716) 871 2781 or Toll Free (888) 352 7140.

Legal IT published the results of the Global Legal IT Professionals Cloud Survey in a 27 page document that goes over topics including:

• Moving key applications to the cloud
• Are people changing their minds about cloud computing?
• Are clients worried about legal IT in the cloud?
• Cloud on the horizon
• BYOD and the public cloud
• Which applications/services are suitable for the public cloud?
• What issues still need to be addressed?
• Reaping the benefits

Here are a few excerpts:

• Clients are rightly concerned about whether their data is held in the cloud or on-premise. Clients should note that the Data Protection Act does not prevent transfer of data outside the EU, nor does the FBI have easy access to data under the USA Patriot Act.” – Frank Jennings, Partner, DMH Stallard LLP
• I have always been a big supporter of purchasing as much of a ‘service model’ as I can from my vendors. This way I can focus mine and my team’s energy on understanding our business and helping address real business and client problems.” – Stuart Walters, IT Director, Taylor Wessing
• …this is also where BYOD (bring your own device) and consumer technology influences legal IT. As connectivity – particularly mobile connectivity – becomes ubiquitous, and lawyers, like everyone else, become culturally accustomed to accessing everything online, cloud computing is likely to become the de facto delivery model for information and applications.
• I am sure this is happening in all firms, it is almost impossible to try and stop. Anyone with a credit card and an internet connection can buy numerous cloud services. Once you block one site or service something else appears. Also some clients insist on using these services. We use all the relevant security products and firewalls to help mitigate the risk, but the best approach is to educate your lawyers and do it in a way that they understand.” – Stuart Walters, IT director, Taylor Wessing

Download a free copy of the report here:

• DOCUMENT: Legal IT Professionals 2012 Global Cloud Survey Report (9.6MB)
  http://litn.eu/gcsr2012

For those of you looking for a jumpstart on understanding Windows Server 2012, this is an opportunity to jump onto some of the courses we deliver to our partner consulting organizations.  Microsoft Virtual Academy posts these courses on our web site and despite their intended purpose, they’re basically available to basically anyone.

Microsoft Virtual Academy: Windows Server 2012 courses

Microsoft Virtual Academy offers nine free Windows Server 2012 courses, from the Technical Overview to detailed modules on key capabilities such as Management and Automation, Identity and Access, and Virtual Desktop Infrastructure.

1. Windows Server 2012 Technical Overview
2. Windows Server 2012: Server Virtualization
3. Windows Server 2012: Management & Automation 
4. Windows Server 2012: Storage
5. Windows Server 2012: Networking
6. Windows Server 2012: Identity and Access
7. Windows Server 2012: Web & Application Platform
8. Windows Server 2012: Virtual Desktop Infrastructure
9. Using Solution Accelerators to Prepare for Windows Server 2012

Click here for the courses:
http://www.microsoftvirtualacademy.com/colleges/windowsserver2012

Announced yesterday on the Azure Blog:

Today we are happy to announce another price reduction for Windows Azure Storage by as much as 28%, effective on December 12^th.  This follows our March 8^th 2012 reduction of 12% furthering our commitment to best overall value in the industry.

Reducing prices is only part of the story; we’ve also added more value to our storage offerings in a number of ways. Our Geo Redundant Storage continues to lead the market in durability with more than 400 miles of separation between replicas.  We recently announced deployment of a flat network for Windows Azure across all of our datacenters to provide very high bandwidth network connectivity for storage clients which significantly enhances scenarios like MapReduce, HPC, and others. We also announced increased scalability targets for Windows Azure Storage and continue to invest in improving bandwidth between compute and storage.

…

Here’s the money graphic:

Read more here:

• Announcing Reduced Pricing for Windows Azure Storage
  http://blogs.msdn.com/b/windowsazure/archive/2012/12/05/announcing-reduced-pricing-for-windows-azure-storage.aspx