Kurt Shintaku's Blog

Most impressive!

Looks like 3 Survival Guides exist on Microsoft.com right now.  These are monster compilations of everything you’d probably want to know about a given product.  They are on Wikis so the content can be modified and updated regularly.  The PowerShell one is probably the most organized and well done – probably because Tony Soper from Microsoft has been the primary contributor and organizer of the guide.

Check them out!

• Hyper-V: Survival Guide
  http://social.technet.microsoft.com/wiki/contents/articles/125.aspx
• Windows Server 2008 R2: Survival Guide
  http://social.technet.microsoft.com/wiki/contents/articles/357.aspx
• Windows PowerShell: Survival Guide
  http://social.technet.microsoft.com/wiki/contents/articles/windows-powershell-survival-guide.aspx

Skype’s alignment with Microsoft’s business initiatives couldn’t be better. 

UNIFIED COMMUNICATIONS IS THE FUTURE… OF PERSONAL COMPUTING
Unified communications for businesses & consumers over packet-based networks is a major usage scenario of personal computing & if you don’t believe that, you should probably look at the transition & transformation being made by the telcos to packet-based services.

Unified communications includes presence, instant messaging, voicemail, audio communications, video communications, data sharing, voice/video/data conferencing, PBX/POTS integration, etc. and this level of complexity requires the power and the interface of the computer.

WHAT DOES SKYPE PROVIDE
If you assume that Unified Communications is one of the next generation’s ‘inevitable technologies’, you have to examine how an acquisition of an IP-based telco like Skype could make a tremendous amount of sense for a technology company like Microsoft in the UC space – not to mention providing Microsoft with a massive strategic advantage as a GENERAL business/consumer technology provider.

At the basest level, Skype provides the following:

• Largest VOIP customer-base in the world
• Complete advertising platform
• Worldwide POTS connectivity & presence
• Cross-platform integration
• Patents & technologies in audio/video communications
• …

Now apply these benefits to Microsoft’s existing initiatives and you can see how the acquisition’s alignment with Microsoft’s ‘big bets’ is excellent.

1. SKYPE & LYNC 2010:
   Small & medium businesses now have an opportunity to bridge their Skype implementations with manageable Lync 2010 solutions. Use your Skype solutions and when you wanna grow up… here’s Lync.
2. SKYPE & WINDOWS LIVE MESSENGER
   #1 consumer VOIP solution in the world? Meet the #1 instant messaging solution in the world. Now hook up and play nice. Make the directories “be one”. Provide Windows Live authentication for Skype.  Booya.
3. SKYPE & WINDOWS PHONE 7
   Skype – now shipping on every Windows Phone 7 device, including those from Nokia & their worldwide distribution network. The best client engineered for the best mobile phone platform. Guaranteed to be there. Forever.
4. SKYPE & WINDOWS 7/8-BASED SLATES
   Every Windows slate will be a phone via Bluetooth headset. With the infrastructure to back it. Guaranteed. And with Windows 8, it’ll fit natively right into the OS’s touchable interface – perfect for a softphone.
5. SKYPE IN EVERY MICROSOFT STORE
   Skype peripherals, Skype subscriptions/credits, Skype installations on Windows PCs. All on parade at our stores. Need to learng Skype?  Go to the store.  Need to set up Skype?  Go to the store.  Need some peripherals optimized for Skype?  Go to the store.  Get the picture?
6. SKYPE & MICROSOFT ADVERTISING
   Skype’s recent release of advertising in their VOIP client opens a new target for Microsoft Advertising: 150M Skype users. The ability for ad sales folks to tout such a rich based of advertising targets inherently strengthens ad sales & thus other ad-driven properties… like Bing.
7. SKYPE & XBOX 360/KINECT
   And did you forget that Xbox 360’s Kinect provides video & audio calls over the Internet? Now make that a reality by connecting with any Skype user as well.
8. SKYPE & OFFICE 365
   This is the killer. Remember that that Skype is big in small/medium biz. Office 365 provide Lync Unified Communications (voice, video, data, conferencing, etc.) & Exchange messaging in the cloud. Now you’ve got Skype which provides adhoc voice & video telecom along with 150M active users.

One of the biggest benefits of Skype in my mind is it’s cross-platform availability.  This virtually guarantees ubiquity with no great investment on Microsoft’s part, making it an easy leader in the UC space.  Unlike other unified communications players in both the consumer & enterprise space, Microsoft effectively has the #1 position for both:

• Consumer unified communications
  (Skype, #1 consumer UC client + Windows Live Messenger, #1 IM client)
• Mobile unified communications
  (only mobile device UC client available on all major mobile operating systems
• Enterprise unified communications
  (Lync 2010 – rated #1 UC platform by Gartner)

Multitasking damages your mental capacity to concentrate.

I’ve written about a similar phenomenon before called ‘infomania’, (see QUESTION: Is your short-term memory disappearing like mine? and STUDY: Email can diminish an individual’s IQ) related to getting constant notifications like IM toasts, incoming emails, phone calls, etc. but I just recently uncovered another article about this issue.  It’s something I saved from back in 2009 from Stanford University research.

Here’s a clip from the article:

Stanford Report, August 24, 2009

Media multitaskers pay mental price, Stanford study shows

Think you can talk on the phone, send an instant message and read your e-mail all at once? Stanford researchers say even trying may impair your cognitive control.

BY ADAM GORLICK

Attention, multitaskers (if you can pay attention, that is): Your brain may be in trouble.

People who are regularly bombarded with several streams of electronic information do not pay attention, control their memory or switch from one job to another as well as those who prefer to complete one task at a time, a group of Stanford researchers has found.

High-tech jugglers are everywhere – keeping up several e-mail and instant message conversations at once, text messaging while watching television and jumping from one website to another while plowing through homework assignments.

But after putting about 100 students through a series of three tests, the researchers realized those heavy media multitaskers are paying a big mental price.

"They’re suckers for irrelevancy," said communication Professor Clifford Nass, one of the researchers whose findings are published in the Aug. 24 edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. "Everything distracts them."

…

• NEWS: Media multitaskers pay mental price, Stanford study shows
  http://news.stanford.edu/news/2009/august24/multitask-research-study-082409.html

[this was originally supposed to post to my other blog but I accidentally posted it here & decided to leave it]

I just found a few pictures I took a couple years ago in 2009.  It’s a shot of my big screen TV when a show called CSI:NY was on I believe. 

If you look really carefully at the shot, you can see the two actors talking in basically a detective’s office.  If you’ve seen CSI, you know what the show’s about.

The thing that caught my eye – like any other good geek – was the book on the table.  I looked the table and said, “Whhhaaaa?”  and immediately whipped out the camera phone.  (At the time, a Samsung i760 Windows Phone)

This is what I saw:

The quick explanation for those of you not familiar with some of Microsoft’s more ancient products:  This is Visual Interdev.  The product was produced in 1997 and was phased out around 2000.  The book I suppose was a prop that they just through onto the table… in 2009.

Nice to see Que’s books on Interdev are still in good rotation!

Here’s the answer to a question that seems to be lurking on the Internet unanswered that I figured out on my own:

Q: What is “RESERVED SPACE AND OTHER CONTENT” on my Zune?  Why is it taking up 8.4GB of space (or whatever amount) on my device?  YES, I already tried changing that “Reserved Space slide bar” under Settings and it did nothing.

A: It’s lots of stuff.

• Orphaned podcast content.  Do you use podcasts?  If you do, there’s a good chance that there’s old content in there from podcasts that you’ve since de-subscribed from.  Or content that you’ve downloaded manually outside of subscription.  This content is NOT considered part of your PODCAST storage but instead considered part of Reserved Space.  Yes, I know this makes no sense.  Just go with it.
  To delete it, connect your Zune to your Windows desktop, go to the Zune software on your desktop.  Now click DEVICE – PODCASTS.  Click on each podcast and look at the stuff there… are there old podcasts from a year ago in there?  If it’s not recent stuff, congratulations:  You just found some (or most) of the junk that’s clogging up your Reserved Space.  I cleared 3.5GB by eliminating orphaned podcasts.
• Storage for Apps.  Have you installed Zune apps?  Those free games and tools that they offer off the marketplace?  It turns out they eat up a bit of storage each & how much depends on the app.  And this is NOT considered part of your APPS storage but instead considered part of Reserved Space.  I got rid of 500MB this way.
• Content NOT managed by Zune PC client.  If some of the the music, videos, or pictures on your Zune are not managed (i.e. synchronized) with your PC through the Zune PC client software, it will not be categorized as music, videos, or pictures in the “storage bar”.  It will instead be categorized as Reserved Space.
  …this of course means that the Reserved Space isn’t actually being wasted.  It actually contains music/videos/pictures that you copied over to you Zune.  This content just isn’t classified as MANAGED music/videos/pictures. 

  If you want to “reduce” the Reserved Space allocation and instead recategorize your content in the music/videos/pictures categories, what you need to do is sync your Zune’s content to your PC:

• Connect your device and go to a category – for example:  Music.
• Select all the content that isn’t already being synchronized (or just select everything if you want it all synched and categorized as Music)
• Right mouse click the content and select the right mouse menu item, “COPY TO MY COLLECTION”.
• Watch the "Reserved Space” storage allocation in the storage bar diminish… and your “Music” allocation grow, as it shifts from one category to another.

I know there’s more.  I’ve heard that content that that you copy over as a guest while connected to someone else’s PC is considered “Reserved Space”.  I’ve also heard that remnants of failed copies can consume this space but I’ve not confirmed this.

A good explanation about what Reserved Space is, is available on the Answers site.
http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/zune/forum/zune_install-player/reserved-space-and-content-from-other-computers/0e542859-b42e-4682-b980-495f863bfb2a

As I get more information re: “Reserved Space”, I’ll post it.

Wanna know how Windows 7 is licensed?  Here’s a 17 page guide that goes over OEM licensing vs Volume License Upgrades, Virtualized Desktops, Professional vs Enterprise, Step-ups, etc.:

The Windows® 7 operating system (OS) will help business users around the world become more productive and will help IT departments enhance security and control and streamline PC management.

Microsoft® Volume Licensing solutions provide the most flexible, cost effective way to give your organization access to the latest Windows desktop technologies. Whether your business wants to upgrade to Windows 7, have access to advanced technologies like Windows 7 Enterprise and the Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack, or deploy emerging virtualization scenarios, there is a Volume Licensing program that is right for your organization.

This document provides an overview of the products available through Volume Licensing, information about the products that are eligible for upgrades, and the key choices you have for utilizing Windows in your organization.

This document is for descriptive informational purposes only and is not meant to replace or override other licensing documentation such as the Windows 7 End User License Agreement, Product Use Rights, Product List, or Licensing Briefs that will be available at http://www.microsoft.com/licensing/ with the launch of Windows 7.

• DOWNLOAD: Windows 7 & Optimized Desktop Volume Licensing Guide
  http://download.microsoft.com/download/F/6/6/F665AA37-DB32-4386-9719-0F27723B3CBB/Windows%207%20and%20Optimized%20Desktop%20Volume%20Licensing%20Guide2.xps

This is an incredible summary web site off of Technet.  It’s literally EVERYTHING you need to know about PowerShell – including v3.0 CTP!

• RELEASE: "Windows PowerShell Survival Guide"
  http://bit.ly/vLymZw

Here’s the table of contents:

• Introduction and Getting Started
  • Purpose of this Document
  • Scope of this Document
• Learning PowerShell Fundamentals
  • Guides
  • Quick Reference Materials
  • Videos Covering PowerShell Fundamentals
  • Learning More About PowerShell
    • General Topics
    • Writing PowerShell Cmdlets
    • PowerShell Remoting
    • PowerShell and WMI
  • Essential PowerShell Resources
    • Getting Products
    • Learning Resources
    • Getting Advice and Guidance
• Guidance Topics
  • Security
  • Management
  • Operations
  • Sources for PowerShell Scripts
  • PowerShell Modules and Module Guidance
  • Powershell GUIs
  • Third party Cmdlets
  • Windows PowerShell Cmdlet Reference Material
  • Additional PowerShell Resources
• Guidance Types
  • PowerShell How-To Topics
  • PowerShell Videos
• Community Resources
• Windows PowerShell BlogsForums
• Newsgroups
• User Groups
  • Social Networking
    • Twitter
    • Facebook
• Books
• Windows PowerShell Training
• Microsoft TAG for this topic
• See Also
• Feedback and Work to be Done On This Guide

Here’s a list of stuff that I’m packing for my trip to CES 2012 in Las Vegas.  Hope it helps someone who’s going:  (I will link this stuff to the items I have on Amazon as soon as I get the chance – since I bought most of it there anyway.)

• Laptop
• Jabra VOIP speakerphone for Lync 2010
• Extra memory cards
• Cellphone battery charger
• Targus Multi-tip portable tech charger
• 1TB portable USB 3.0 Hard Drive (photos/videos)
• Mini-power strip
• Expandable power cable
• Expandable RJ-45 Ethernet cable
• Personal humidifier
• Lysol disinfecting wipes – Travel pack
• Charcoal tablets
• 5 hour Energy Drink
• Extra cell batteries
• Lightweight backpack
• Inflatable seat cushion
• Umbrella
• Noise cancelling headphones
• Media Player
• Visine
• Basic Blackjack Strategy Card
• Hand sanitizer
• Map of Las Vegas
• Map of hotel casino
• List of phone numbers (Hotel, Lawyer, Relative, LV Metro, Restaurants)
• Portable WiFi Router
• Portable 10/100 Ethernet Hub
• Personal 3G/4G WiFi Hotspot
• Clothes pin to pin drapes
• Imodium
• Tums
• Las Vegas Advisor
• Restaurant.com coupon printouts
• CD/MP3s of Vegas Tunes
• Disposable camera
• Breath mints
• Sunblock
• Lip balm
• Bottled water
• Aspirin
• Vitamin C, Echinacea, or whatever you take to prevent getting sick
• Portable snack – emergency
• Sunglasses
• Band-Aids (for feet)
• Extra credit card

And to get you in the mood:

• Install one of these Las Vegas backgrounds on your PC.
  http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=Las+Vegas+Wallpaper&FORM=IQFRDR#x0y0

• Pick up a Vegas compilation on CD.  Like this on:
  http://www.amazon.com/Best-Vegas-Frank-Sinatra/dp/B004H0B08U/

The new Tag app now supports Tag barcodes, QR Codes and NFC. With so many readers and formats, everyday users have been frustrated by the fragmentation in the industry. We’ve heard your concerns and have launched one app that can scan the most common 2D barcodes and NFC touchpoints. The new Microsoft Tag app for Android and iPhone lets users scan Tag barcodes and QR Codes – both those generated by Tag and third-party codes. But wait, there’s more! Android users who have NFC-enabled smartphones can use the updated app to also scan NFC touchpoints. Users of the new app will have all this as well as features such as:

• A visual history of the most recent Tags and the ability to flag and organize favorites in a variety of ways
• Ability to share Tag experiences with friends on Facebook or Twitter as well as via email
• View other Tag campaigns through our Featured Tags section
• Save and edit contact information

Windows Phone 7.5 also supports Tag barcode and QR Code scanning through the Bing Visual Search button.

So there is no reason to have more than one reader taking up space on your mobile device… and that’s space you can use for more important apps like Angry Birds or Fruit Ninja.

DOWNLOAD: Microsoft Tag Reader – now with QR code & NFC support!
(Available for all smartphone platforms including Windows Phone 7 and 7.5, Windows Mobile, iPhone, Android, BlackBerry, Symbian, and J2ME phones)
http://tag.microsoft.com/download.aspx

I’ve historically used FeedDemon, an old RSS reader from the stone ages for Windows that does a good job but is generally a little resource heavy.

Today, I discovered this really cool RSS Reader for Windows desktops:  “Mishra Reader” – a Free Metro-styled WPF RSS reader for Windows.

It has several benefits and a couple drawbacks:

• The “Metro” interface is smooth as glass.  The Windows Presentation Foundation experience is really awesome and well done.  It feels cooooool to use.  I hope they make the jumpt to HTML5/Javascript in Windows 8!
• The application is really easy on the eyes in terms of reading.  It’s not hard to consume the text.
• There are SysTray notifications that show up in the taskbar when you get new feeds in.
• It REQUIRES Google Reader accounts and can’t just consume OPML files.  I don’t understand why people write software that mandates that you use a web service when OPML works just fine.  Silly.
• Free!

Give it a try.  I think this may be my newly adopted news reader!

• DOWNLOAD: Mishra Reader – Free Metro-styled WPF RSS Reader for Windows
  http://mishrareader.codeplex.com/

(Incidentally, it’s co-developed by David Catuhe, a Microsoft employee that blogs at http://blogs.msdn.com/eternalcoding)