Kurt Shintaku's Blog

As posted on the Office Updates blog:

SP1 releases for both Office client suites and SharePoint server products will be made available. All language versions of SP1 will release simultaneously. Initially, Service Pack 1 will be offered as a manual download from the Download Center and from Microsoft Update, and no sooner than 90 days after release, will be made available as an Automatic Update.

SP1 will include many interesting changes. Across the client suites and server products, SP1 offers a sprinkling of improvements to make a strong 2010 release wave even stronger. During TechEd and beyond, teams on http://blogs.office.com will update their blogs with more specific details of 2010 Service Pack 1 contents.

There are far too many changes in SP1 to list here, but the list below is a sample of SP1 highlights to get things started. This is a list of things that you can do now that you couldn’t before, or things that are just better than they were with the original release:

• Outlook fixes an issue where “Snooze Time” would not reset between appointments.
• The default behavior for PowerPoint "Use Presenter View" option changed to display the slide show on the secondary monitor.
• Integrated community content in the Access Application Part Gallery.
• Better alignment between Project Server and SharePoint Server browser support.
• Improved backup / restore functionality for SharePoint Server
• The Word Web Application extends printing support to “Edit Mode.”
• Project Professional now synchronizes scheduled tasks with SharePoint task lists.
• Internet Explorer 9 “Native” support for Office Web Applications and SharePoint
• Office Web Applications Support for Chrome
• Inserting Charts into Excel Workbooks using Excel Web Application
• Support for searching PPSX files in Search Server
• Visio Fixes scaling issues and arrowhead rendering errors with SVG export
• Proofing Tools improve spelling suggestions in Canadian English, French, Swedish and European Portuguese.
• Outlook Web Application Attachment Preview (with Exchange Online only)
• Office client suites using “Add Remove Programs” Control Panel, building on our work from Office 2007 SP2

Read more at the Office Updates Blog:
http://blogs.technet.com/b/office_sustained_engineering/archive/2011/05/11/announcing-service-pack-1-for-office-2010-and-sharepoint-2010.aspx

As taken from the Exchange team blog:

The Exchange Team is pleased to announce that in the second half of calendar year 2011 we will be releasing Exchange Server 2010 Service Pack 2 (SP2) to our customers. With SP2, the following new features and capabilities will be included:

• Outlook Web App (OWA) Mini: A browse-only version of OWA designed for low bandwidth and resolution devices. Based on the existing Exchange 2010 SP1 OWA infrastructure, this feature provides a simple text based interface to navigate the user’s mailbox and access to the global address list from a plurality of mobile devices.
• Cross-Site Silent Redirection for Outlook Web App: With Service Pack 2, you will have the ability to enable silent redirection when CAS must redirect an OWA request to CAS infrastructure located in another Active Directory site. Silent redirection can also provide a single sign-on experience when Forms-Based Authentication is used.
• Hybrid Configuration Wizard: Organizations can choose to deploy a hybrid scenario where some mailboxes are on-premises and some are in Exchange Online with Microsoft Office 365. Hybrid deployments may be needed for migrations taking place over weeks, months or indefinite timeframes. This wizard helps simplify the configuration of Exchange sharing features, like: calendar and free/busy sharing, secure mailflow, mailbox moves, as well as online archive.
• Address Book Policies: Allows organizations to segment their address books into smaller scoped subsets of users providing a more refined user experience than the previous manual configuration approach. We also blogged about this new feature recently in GAL Segmentation, Exchange Server 2010 and Address Book Policies.
• Customer Requested Fixes: All fixes contained within update rollups released prior to Service Pack 2 will also be contained within SP2. Details of our regular Exchange 2010 release rhythm can be found in Exchange 2010 Servicing.

Read more at the Exchange Blog:
http://blogs.technet.com/b/exchange/archive/2011/05/17/announcing-exchange-2010-service-pack-2.aspx

As taken from the download page:

Forefront Endpoint Protection 2012 continues to deliver on the promise of Forefront Endpoint Protection 2010, simplifying and improving endpoint protection while also greatly reducing infrastructure costs.

It builds on System Center Configuration Manager, allowing customers to implement endpoint protection as part of a unified infrastructure for securing and managing physical, virtual, and mobile client environments.

This shared infrastructure lowers ownership costs while providing improved visibility and control over endpoint management and security.

New features in the beta release include:

• Support for System Center Configuration Manager 2012
• Role-based administration
• More efficient delivery of security updates

BETA:  Forefront Endpoint Protection 2012
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/en/details.aspx?FamilyID=b64c2029-0f56-4606-ba0c-ea92e03541f5

Much has been made of Intel’s new Sandy Bridge architecture but a question that I got asked recently, “What is it?  In 60 seconds or less?”

Put simply:  “Sandy Bridge” is a new Intel processing microarchitecture.  It’s very special in that it provides the following new capabilities or improvements:

• IMPROVED die shrink to 32nm
  (Reduced trace size from 42nm in previous generation; die shrinkage reduces heat generation & power consumption)
• IMPROVED bandwidth between compute cores (CPU)
  (Previous multicore architectures were somewhat loosely coupled with marginal bandwidth between cores resulting in lesser performance)
• IMPROVED graphics processing integration (GPU)
  (Previous integrated GPUs were not in all processors and again, marginal bandwidth between graphics & compute cores diminished performance.  Additionally, the graphics processor now shares cache with the compute cores making data sharing faster.)
• NEW “Advanced Vector Extensions instruction set (AVX)” for CPU
  (Increases efficiency of compute core usage by allowing operating system to issue specific condition sensitive instructions.  Only available on Windows 7 Service Pack 1.)
• NEW “Turbo Boost 2” Overclocking
  (Previous chips overclocking effects would get marginalized when all cores were in use; Turbo Boost 2 now overclocks for performance consistently except when processor is detected to be overheating.)
• NEW “SATA 6Gb/s” Storage Support
  (Support for SATA 6GB/sec is now built into the microarchecture chipset enabling high performance throughput to SATA 6GB/sec capable storage devices – in particular, SSD drives)

There’s some other things but these are the big items.  More can be read about Sandy Bridge below:

• More information:
  http://www.intel.com/technology/architecture-silicon/2ndgen/index.htm

Wanna try your hand at developing for Windows Phone 7?  Come to XAPFest LA 2011!  Sat, June 4th, 9AM–10PM

about XAPFest
XAPFest is a Windows Phone 7 Hackathon for developers of every background and skill level. iOS and Android developers, .NET veterans, and curious programmers who want to try their hand at programming for Windows Phone 7 are all invited! It is a great opportunity to get to learn new technologies, meet members of the SoCal tech community, code, and have fun!

XAPFest consists of 1 full day of hacking – breakfast, lunch, dinner, plus snacks and drinks will be provided. This is a BYOL (Bring Your Own Laptop) Event. Please remember to install the free WP7 tools and SDK before the event begins, and if you don’t have a copy of Windows Vista or Windows 7 (required to install the WP7 tools), you can request a Windows 7 license. Loaner Windows Phone 7 units will be available to teams and individuals for the purposes of testing apps.

the prizes

• Best App – $2000 (sponsored by Infragistics) & Windows Phone 7 device
• Best Original App – $500 AMEX gift card & Windows Phone 7 device
• Best Port – $500 AMEX gift card & Windows Phone 7 device
• User’s Choice – XBOX 360 with Kinect & Windows Phone 7 device

rules for apps to be eligible

• Applications must NOT already be in the Windows Phone 7 marketplace
• Applications CAN be worked on before the event but must not be in the marketplace prior to the event
• Teams CAN submit multiple applications and all CAN be submitted for the $2000 Grand Prize
• Teams are limited to 3 or less members

For schedule, registration, and other details, visit David Chou’s blog at:

• BLOG:  Event – XAPFest LA 2011 Saturday, June 4th, 2011 | 9AM – 10PM
  http://blogs.msdn.com/b/dachou/archive/2011/05/11/event-xapfest-la-2011-saturday-june-4th-2011-9am-10pm.aspx

Supposedly this news is to hit the wire tomorrow, according to AllThingsD’s Kara Swisher:

• NEWS:  Microsoft Will Announce Acquisition of Skype Tomorrow Morning
  http://kara.allthingsd.com/20110509/microsoft-will-announce-acquistion-of-skype-tomorrow-morning/

Now I’ve got no information on this (seriously – I don’t) but if this happens – and I hope it does – my bet is that  SteveB and Microsoft’s Unified Communications strategists looked at the availability of Skype on the market and observed:

• FINANCIALS
  Skype was holding their own revenue wise ($860M) bringing in profits that weren’t huge but required a partner to get them where they needed to go faster before they lost their edge to some other up-and-comer.  So they needed someone.
• BRAND
  Skype is the #1 consumer VOIP product in the world.  They’ve got a huge following and a huge ecosystem of users worldwide… as in not just English speaking folk.

So ultimately, even at ~$8.5B if that’s really what’s being paid, Skype could do well on their own over time.  But they could do better with us, and we could do better overall with them.

One might look at Skype’s huge following in the VOIP space and combine this strength in various ways:

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.  Nice.
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.
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.

I had these lying around and I figured I might as well post them.  These are all the articles I’ve read about the upcoming Los Angeles-based Microsoft Store.

• Microsoft Public Relations:
  Microsoft to Open Fourth California Store at Westfield Century City
  http://www.microsoft.com/Presspass/presskits/retailstores/
• Facebook:
  “Call the paparazzi, Los Angeles. There’s a new star in town. We’re opening a new store at Westfield Century City this summer!”
  https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10150180642822480&set=a.160861237479.117183.150915932479&type=1&comments
• Mary Jo Foley, ZDnet:
  Microsoft readies more retail stores: Houston and Los Angeles up next
  http://www.zdnet.com/blog/microsoft/microsoft-readies-more-retail-stores-houston-and-los-angeles-up-next/9301
• Tom Warren, WinRumors:
  New Microsoft Store opening in Los Angeles during Summer
  http://www.winrumors.com/new-microsoft-store-opening-in-los-angeles-during-summer/
• Andrea Chang, Los Angeles Times, Business Section:
  Retail roundup: Amazon launches flash sale site, Microsoft store coming to Century City
  http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/money_co/2011/05/retail-roundup-amazon-flash-sale-microsoft-store-century-city.html
• WMPowerUser.com
  EXCLUSIVE: First pictures of Microsoft Store Los Angeles
  http://wmpoweruser.com/exclusive-first-pictures-of-microsoft-store-los-angeles/comment-page-1/
• LinkedIn Job Posting:
  Business Development Specialist Job
  http://www.linkedin.com/jobs/jobs-Business-Dvlpment-Specialist-1454619

What’s the one problem (besides crappy audio) that anyone that attempts to make a phone call on a laptop gets when they use the built-in speakers and microphone?

TAPTAPTAPTAPTAPTAPTAP.  Yup.  The keyboard.  If you’re on a call with someone and you start, I dunno, doing email or start tapping away, unless you proactively hit that mute button, your keyboard will betray you.

Now apparently, SoliCall’s driver & software resolves this long standing issue.  Here’s the SoliCall FAQ: http://www.solicall.com/faq.htm. 

Note that I haven’t actually used this software yet but it looks so very cool that I couldn’t help but blog it.  I’m curious as to how well this technology works and will report back once I’ve done a basic test.

TRANSLATION:  This isn’t a recommendation.  More like a, “Hey – this is interesting.  Let’s see if it works.”

• Personal PBXMate
  Need to improve audio quality in your personal VoIP/SIP phone? Perhaps you need a recording solution for your calls? SoliCall’s Personal PBXMate is the right product for you. It will improve the quality of your calls and record them. SoliCall’s Personal PBXMate can work with any SIP phone (hardware or softphone) and it runs on your personal desktop.
  Some of the benefits:
  • Reduce noise and echo from both ends of the call.
  • Keep the volume of the calls at a comfortable level.
  • Record the calls.
  • Monitor call quality.
  • Simple installation on your desktop/laptop.

  Download Personal PBXMate
  Operating System: Windows XP, Vista and Windows 7.  Note: This product is a shareware and requires an activation license after fourteen (14) days of trial period. The cost of the activation license is $42.
  http://www.solicall.com/personalpbxmate-mydownload.html

• SoliCall Pro
  This product is the professional successor of the free Softphone add-on product. It is compatible with all modern flavors of Windows (including Windows 7). It works with any commercial softphone including Skype, Google Talk, Yahoo Messenger, MSN Messenger, Microsoft Communicator etc. Now your free calls will also be free from noise and echo. You can make calls using the integrated microphone and speaker on your laptop without the need to use headsets.
  Some of the benefits:
  • Reduce noise and echo from both ends of the call.
  • Personal tuning for individual speakers.
  • Record the calls.
  • Supports all commercial softphones using different audio formats.
  • Simple installation on your desktop/laptop.

  Download SoliCall Pro
  Operating System: Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7. Note: This product is a shareware and requires an activation license after fourteen (14) days of trial period. The cost of the activation license is $42.
  http://www.solicall.com/addonpro-mydownload.html

It’s coming! 

The construction of the Microsoft Store at the Westfield Century City Shopping Mall is underway and now everyone down the street in Beverly Hills knows about it.  (http://westfield.com/centurycity/)

As you can see Century City Shopping Mall is an open air mall and a showcase of Westfield Shopping Centers.  Sitting across from the “Bloomingdales Men’s Department” – right near the sit-down tables of “Pinkberry” – the Microsoft Store’s footprint is large enough to stretch nearly completely across the north entrance/exit of Bloomies.  (It’s taken the spot of the old “Origins” nature store.)

So attention Los Angeles:  Soon, there’ll be a NEW full service location to buy a Windows PC at in Los Angeles from knowledgeable, friendly staff.  If you’ve lived around here, there’s really not too many choices for where you can go to get a Windows PC from a store with selection, knowledgeable staff, a service department, software, etc.  For desktop & laptop sales, the only major location around here for the average consumer is “Best Buy”.  (Fry’s Electronics, for you ubertechs, is a good 20+ min drive on Los Angeles’ freeways)  The only alternative with a broad selection is sadly… the Internet. 

So where exactly is it in the mall?

Parking is free at Century City Shopping Mall for 3 hours.  There’s a monster food court that caters to “the region” with such culinary delights as Korean Barbecue, multiple sushi restaurants, and even a “Lawry’s The Prime Rib”.

(Be forewarned:  This is one of the “malls to the stars” due to it’s proximity to Beverly Hills and BelAir.  You may actually see the craziness they call the ‘paparazzi’.  I’ve seen the TMZ camera crew there on more than one location.  Even Harvey Levin himself once.)

I guess while I’m posting, I’d might as post what tech podcasts I listen to religiously.  I have a Zune Pass but admittedly I listen to music maybe a couple times weekly.  On the other hand, I listen to podcasts on the other hand EVERY MORNING, NOON, and NIGHT.  In the shows, on the road, and in the evening while walking the dog – it’s the best way to keep up.

Here’s what I listen to:

• Tech News Today
  http://leo.am/podcasts/tnt
  Yes, I listen to this daily.  I like Tom Merritt and I admire him in the same way I have come to admire Leo Laporte.  Not for their understanding of technology which often times is shallow, but more for their incredible skills as broadcasters and notable achievements in such broadcasting roles.  Being a host is not an easy job AT ALL and I am always in admiration of their ability to transition, smooth over, and otherwise push forward.
• G4.com Web Shows
  http://g4tv.com/10play/podcasts/56/
  G4TVdotcomWebShows.xml
  This feed has some great commentary about games & the gaming industry – Sessler’s Soapbox & Feedback in particular.  I have mixed thoughts about this podcast feed however G4 forces you to download EVERY PODCAST THEY PRODUCE.  They don’t appear to separate each podcast into it’s own RSS feed probably because G4 reallllllly wants to have all their content viewed so they insist you download their “comic book” podcast and the “MMO” podcast – regardless if you ever actually want any of that.  Adam Sessler’s commentary however is enough to compel me to hit the ‘subscribe’ button however.
• Maximum PC No BS Podcast
  http://feeds.feedburner.com/maximumpc/1337
  If you like Windows & PC hardware, this podcast is for you.  A favorite of mine, listening to the Maximum PC podcast is like hanging out with your friends.  Some people ramble, others go off on tangents, some talk about stuff they did the other day, others talk about the state of technology.  They cover stuff that was reviewed in the magazine but more importantly they let Senior Editor Gordon Mah Ung rant – and rant he does – about basically anything and everything.  Listening to Gordon rant is like having the little voice in the back of your head have a turn at the microphone.
• KOXM Radio – The Official Xbox Magazine Podcast
  http://oxmpodcast.podbean.com/feed/
  Ryan McCaffrey, Official Xbox Magazine editor runs this podcast and talks about Xbox gaming from the magazine’s perspective… well, sometimes.  See, I keep going back and forth on this podcast because the host sometimes talks minimally about Xbox instead going off on some story about his iPhone or something completely unrelated to the podcast topic, otherwise wasting my time with things I’m not even remotely interested in.  Hey Ryan?  Reign it in or get a co-host to help you reign it in, like Paul Thurrott does with Leo Laporte.
• Windows Weekly with Paul Thurrott
  http://www.leoville.tv/podcasts/ww.xml
  And then there’s the big daddy of podcasting.  Paul Thurrott’s Windows Weekly podcast along with Leo Laporte, TWIT network founder & CEO runs the most successful tech podcast for Microsoft technology in the world.  Reviewing all things Windows and a lot of things “Microsoft”, Paul uses his decades of experience to weigh in on the importance of some things and the hype of others.  Windows Phone 7 users will want to definitely subscribe as Paul’s a big fan of WP7.
• Windows Phone Radio
  http://wpradio.podcast.windowsphone7.com/rss
  Produced by Brian Seitz & Matt Akers, the Windows Phone Radio podcast is an official Microsoft podcast that lasts usually no more than a half hour and goes over nothing by Windows Phone related matters… which is interesting if you don’t care what the perspective is.  Some days, they cater to the user audience.  Others they cater to the developer audience.  And yet others, it’s hard to tell who they’re talking to as they tend take odd tangents a lot.  Nonetheless, if you have a Windows Phone 7 device you have to at least give this podcast a try to see if it’s relevant to you.
• WPCentral Podcast
  http://feeds2.feedburner.com/WmexpertsPodcast
  The creation of Daniel Rubino, aka Malatesta, the WPCentral podcast was always informative and a very interesting 3rd party look at Windows Phone.  Malatesta tends to break news stories quicker than the other phone sites because he focuses exclusively on the Windows Phone platform.  Alas, they don’t broadcast regularly any more.  In fact it’s hard to tell WHEN they’re going to broadcast.  The last podcast?  MARCH 2011.  Sigh.  Here’s to hoping…
• IGN Game Scoop
  http://feeds.ign.com/ignfeeds/podcasts/gamescoop/
  Masters of the general gaming world and the new owners of 1UP, IGN is the top shelf reviewers of gaming in a world full of game reviewers.  If you’re not into Nintendo or Sony gaming and otherwise prefer Xbox 360 and PC gaming, sometimes this podcast can drag because it’s got so much content across so many different platforms.  But that’s what God made the fast-forward button for I suppose.  It’s definitely worth listening to.
• Xbox Live’s Major Nelson Radio
  http://feeds.feedburner.com/mnitunes
  The venerable Larry Hyrb, Xbox Live’s Major Nelson has one of the longest running gaming podcasts on the market.  What makes this podcast so interesting is his supporting cast, Xbox Live Operations Manager “E”, Xbox Developer Laura “Lollipop” Massey, and Xbox policy enforcement chief, Stephen Toulouse.  Hearing their banter and perspectives is always informative… even if Larry can’t seem to keep the podcast Xbox focused, often going off on cooking, BluRay, iPhone/iPad, TiVo, Nintendo portable gaming, etc.