Kurt Shintaku's Blog

Windows Azure developers have always had options when it comes to which languages (such as .NET, PHP, Ruby or Java) and development tools (such as Visual Studio or Eclipse) to use to build applications on the Windows Azure platform. Today, there’s yet another choice with the availability of the Community Technology Preview (CTP) of the Windows Azure Starter Kit for Java, which was announced last Wednesday on the Interoperability @ Microsoft blog.

The goal of this CTP is to get feedback from Java developers, and to nail down the correct experience for Java developers, particularly to make sure that configuring, packaging and deploying to Windows Azure integrates well with common practices.

Designed to work as a simple command line build tool or in the Eclipse integrated development environment (IDE), the starter kit is an open source project released under the Apache 2.0 license and is available for download here.

To learn more about the CTP, please read the full blog post about this announcement on the Interoperability @ Microsoft blog here.

From the CodePlex site:

This Starter Kit was designed to work as a simple command line build tool or in the Eclipse integrated development environment (IDE) to help Java developers deploy their applications to the Windows Azure cloud. It uses Apache Ant as part of the build process, and includes an Ant extension that’s capable of understanding Window Azure configuration options. The Windows Azure Starter Kit for Java is an open source project released under the Apache 2.0 license.

The Windows Azure Starter Kit for Java is a Zip file that contains a template project and the Ant extension. If you look inside this archive you will find the typical files that constitute a Java project, as well as several files we built that will help you test, package and deploy your application to Windows Azure.

See the tutorials at java.interopbridges.com/cloud

• DOWNLOAD:  Windows Azure Starter Kit for Java (CTP)
  http://wastarterkit4java.codeplex.com/

Yes, this is real.

We created a comic book to help people learn about Windows Azure and I kinda got a nice refresher course on the basics in 28 pages.

They go over Windows Azure, SQL Azure, and what the Windows Azure AppFabric is – something that is often misunderstood.

Download the book and take a look see!

• DOWNLOAD:  Windows Azure Comic Book (29 page .PDF)
  http://borntolearn.mslearn.net/comics/b/weblog/
  archive/2011/02/28/download-a-copy-of-windows-azure-comic-book.aspx

Pass any Virtualization exam between March 1, 2011 and June 30, 2011 and you will receive a complimentary TechNet Subscription*. First 1,000 people only! Registration is required.

*NOTE: Qualified candidates will receive their TechNet Subscriptions on or before July 15, 2011.

Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS) Certifications

• Exam 70-659
  MCTS: Windows Server 2008 R2, Server Virtualization
• Exam 70-669
  MCTS: Windows Server 2008 R2, Desktop Virtualization
• Exam 70-652
  MCTS: Windows Server Virtualization, Configuring

Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS) Certifications

• Exam 70-669 TS: Windows Server
  2008 R2, Desktop Virtualization
• Exam 70-693 PRO: Windows Server
  2008 R2, Virtualization Administrator

plus either

• Exam 70-659 TS: Windows Server
  2008 R2, Server Virtualization
       or
• Exam 70-652 TS: Windows Server
  Virtualization, Configuring

Better get hopping… it’s only good for the first 1000 people!

• OFFER:  Pass a Virtualization Exam and Get a Complimentary TechNet Subscription!
  http://borntolearn.mslearn.net/btl/b/weblog/archive/2011/03/01/pass-a-virtualization-exam-and-get-a-complimentary-technet-subscription.aspx

This spreadsheet lists the policy settings for computer and user configurations included in the administrative template files (admx/adml) delivered with Windows Internet Explorer 9.

The policy settings included in this spreadsheet cover Internet Explorer 5, Internet Explorer 6, Internet Explorer 7, Internet Explorer 8 and Internet Explorer 9. These files are used to expose policy settings when you edit Group Policy objects (GPOs) using Group Policy Object Editor (also known as GPEdit).

• DOWNLOAD:  Group Policy Settings Reference Windows Internet Explorer 9
  http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/en/details.aspx?FamilyID=21e84c24-b967-4d6d-850a-5eb554d18447

Here is a list we’ve posted of known Tracking Protection Lists that you can download and engage into Internet Explorer 9.0 with it’s new “Tracking Protection”.

Currently there are 4 providers and 5 lists.  (PrivacyChoice delivers 2 different lists, one for less restrictive restrictions, the other more.)

• INFO: Summary of Internet Explorer 9.0 Tracking Protection Lists
  http://ie.microsoft.com/testdrive/Browser/TrackingProtectionLists/Default.html

I’ve seen an interesting comments about TRUSTe however so caveat user:

• ED BOTT:  Privacy Protection & IE9:  Who can you trust?
  http://www.zdnet.com/blog/bott/privacy-protection-and-ie9-who-can-you-trust/3014
• DOWNLOAD SQUAD:  Internet Explorer 9 Tracking Protection Lists not all created equal
  http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/02/15/internet-explorer-9-tracking-protection-lists-not-all-created-equal/

A competitor to CCleaner, BleachBit is a tool that cleans out workstation storage while eliminating cookies and other tracking objects in the system.  Architecturally, BleachBit is unique in the sense that it actually has very specific ‘plug ins’ for clearing out the temp directories for specific applications or cleansing systems of particular targeted threats or concerns. 

One of the unique capabilities of BleachBit is its ability to clear Evercookie, a NASTY tracking cookie implementation that is exceptionally persistent.  It’s not so much an individual cookie as much as it is MANY “markers” (including cookies) that are stored in various locations on a machine.  The markers tell a remote web site if the Evercookie has been placed, and it will “repair” or “rebuild” Evercookies even if you’ve deleted them, by looking for Evercookie backups in various locations.

According to Windows Club, Evercookie stores “markers” in the following locations:

• Standard HTTP Cookies
• Local Shared Objects (Flash Cookies)
• Silverlight Isolated Storage
• Storing cookies in RGB values of auto-generated, force-cached PNGs using HTML5 Canvas tag to read pixels (cookies) back out
• Storing cookies in Web History
• Storing cookies in HTTP ETags
• Storing cookies in Web cache
• window.name caching
• Internet Explorer userData storage
• HTML5 Session Storage
• HTML5 Local Storage
• HTML5 Global Storage
• HTML5 Database Storage via SQLite

From the BleachBit web site:

BleachBit 0.8.1 deletes DOM Storage (HTML 5 cookies) in five major browsers; deletes evercookie tracking; cleans Silverlight cookies, .ini configuration files, and VLC.

BleachBit quickly frees disk space and tirelessly guards your privacy. Free cache, delete cookies, clear Internet history, shred temporary files, delete logs, and discard junk you didn’t know was there. Designed for Linux and Windows systems, it wipes clean 90 applications including Firefox, Internet Explorer, Adobe Flash, Google Chrome, Opera, Safari,and more.

Beyond simply deleting files, BleachBit includes advanced features such as shredding files to prevent recovery, wiping free disk space to hide traces of files deleted by other applications, and vacuuming Firefox to make it faster. Better than free, BleachBit is open source.

DOWNLOAD: BleachBit – Privacy Protection & Disk Cleaner Tool (v.81BETA)
http://bleachbit.sourceforge.net/

Here’s another free tool for Windows 7’s taskbar that will show how much memory, CPU, or hard drive storage is being used.  This one uses taskbar real estate in comparison to “RAM CPU Taskbar” but if you prefer

It’s similar to a Windows Desktop Gadget except that it’s integrated into the system taskbar.  Frequency of update is configurable using the meter configuration panel and there’s quick links to Task Manager and Resource Manager.

• TOOL:  Taskbar Meters for Windows 7 (3rd party)
  http://taskbarmeters.codeplex.com/

Today, we announced that Microsoft’s Hosted BlackBerry Enterprise Services for Exchange Online will be free moving forward. 

In other words, if you want to use Microsoft’s Exchange Server 2010 implementation in our datacenters for your company’s email services, and you have BlackBerries, you can anticipate being able to hook them up to your “Exchange Online” subscription at no additional charge from Microsoft.

Quote from Office 365 blog:

We have exciting news for Microsoft Online Services customers. We are in the process of updating pricing for Hosted BlackBerry Service for Exchange Online to make this service available free of charge. Starting today, BlackBerry mobile e-mail for new Exchange Online customers is now free through our Business Productivity Online Suite (BPOS). For existing customers, we expect to be able to provide more information later this month on how you can take advantage of this change.

In addition, Hosted BlackBerry service will be available for free with Office 365 after it launches later this year.

BLOG:  BPOS & BlackBerry
http://blogs.technet.com/b/msonline/archive/2011/03/17/bpos-and-blackberry.aspx

BLOG: Office 365 and BlackBerry
http://community.office365.com/enus/office365/b/microsoft_office_365_blog/
archive/2011/03/16/office-365-and-blackberry.aspx

This is interesting – it takes your Window 7 taskbar and turns the entire bar into a dynamic visual monitor for RAM utilization & CPU utilization.

It essentially creates a color band on the taskbar in the background that updates regularly to tell you how much of your system resources are in use.  The colors themselves have meaning:  Green denotes Normal, followed by Orange for Warning, and then Red which stands for Critical or high RAM usage.

• DOWNLOAD: RAM CPU Taskbar for Windows 7 (3rd party)
  http://anonymous-thing.deviantart.com/art/RAM-Taskbar-for-Windows-7-200169785

Oops.  Forgot about this.  There’s also the Deployment Guide that released for Internet Explorer 9.0.  They went over it a bit on the Springboard Series Blog – the blog for Windows Desktop IT Professionals.

The Windows® Internet Explorer® 9 Deployment Guide documents the options and processes involved in deploying Internet Explorer 9 to users’ computers. This web browser can be deployed to computers that are running 32-bit or 64-bit versions of Windows Vista® with Service Pack 2 (SP2), Windows® 7, or Windows Server® 2008 with SP2. It can also be deployed to computers running Windows Server 2008 R2 64-bit in a network environment.

• Explore: Learn about Internet Explorer 9.
  Exploring Internet Explorer 9
• Features in Internet Explorer 9 provides information about features for users, developers, and IT professionals.
• Tools for Internet Explorer 9 describes tools that are available to support maintaining Internet Explorer 9.
• Plan: Make plans for your deployment.
  Preparing for Deployment
• Plan your deployment details how to plan your deployment processes and strategies.
• Migration and Application Compatibility describes issues around migrating from a previous version of Internet Explorer to Internet Explorer 9. Changes from Internet Explorer 6 to Internet Explorer 9 are also included.
• Security describes security features available in the browser.
• Customization and Administration describes how to plan for using IEAK 9 to create a custom browser package.
• Deploy: Deploying Internet Explorer 9.
  Deploying Internet Explorer 9
• Installing Internet Explorer 9
• Using Software Distribution Tools to Install Internet Explorer 9 explores methods for using electronic software distribution tools or operating system distribution tools to deploy Internet Explorer 9.
• Manage: Maintain Internet Explorer 9 in your environment.
  Maintaining and Supporting Internet Explorer 9
• Managing Browser Settings provides an overview of configuration features that make it possible to change many default browser settings globally—without having to change each user’s computer.
• Group Policy describes how to manage Internet Explorer 9, and administer system policies and restrictions in your Active Directory environment.
• Keeping Internet Explorer Updated reviews system management, automatic update, and other tools to deploy updated versions of Internet Explorer 9 to your users’ computers.
• Troubleshooting helps you troubleshoot your Internet Explorer 9 installation and browser features in your corporate environment.

LINK:  Internet Explorer 9.0 Deployment Guide
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/gg699432.aspx

BLOG:  Springboard Series Blog – Internet Explorer Deployment Guide
http://windowsteamblog.com/windows/b/springboard/archive/2011/03/15/download-pilot-and-deploy-internet-explorer-9-today.aspx