Kurt Shintaku's Blog

The war is on!  With both phones now available:

• Verizon/Samsung Omnia i900
• Verizon/HTC Touch Pro

… the only question remaining is… hmm… which one?

http://omnia.samsungmobile.com/

So far I’ve heard rave reviews of the 5 megapixel camera on the Omnia both internally and externally.  On the downside, there will only be a 8GB option available through Verizon.  The Omnia while it technically can come in a 16GB option from the manufacturer (Samsung), isn’t being made available in this larger size  from Verizon.  There is a MicroSD slot in which you can install an 8GB Micro SD card for a total of 16GB of storage however so that’s cool.

http://www.htc.com/www/product/touchpro/overview.html

On the other hand, the Touch Pro’s got that slideout keyboard.  And  a 3.2 megapixel camera.  And a TV out capability that allows you to cable your device to a TV to immediately watch movies and cached content on a larger screen.  Sweet.

Purchased can be orchestrated through Verizon customer care at 800-922-0204.

Comparing the Verizon Omnia vs the Verizon HTC Touch Pro

• http://news.vzw.com/news/2008/11/pr2008-11-25a.html
• http://www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/store/controller?item=phoneFirst&action=viewPhoneDetail&selectedPhoneId=4331
• http://www.boygeniusreport.com/2008/11/21/samsung-omnia-begins-landing-at-verizon-stores-bgr-readers-begin-drooling-over-live-pics/
• http://www.engadgetmobile.com/2008/11/21/samsung-omnia-makes-official-verizon-appearance/

Review:

• CRUNCHGEAR REVIEW:
  ”For a Windows Mobile device with a decent skin Samsung calls the TouchWiz, the Omnia is the clear choice for Verizon Wireless customers”
  http://www.crunchgear.com/2008/11/25/review-samsung-omnia-for-verizon-wireless/
• VIDEO TOUR: 
  http://www.phonescoop.com/articles/article.php?a=239

Have you been looking for free online Sharepoint Server 2008 training for your end users or co-workers?

Microsoft partner MindSharp offers a lot of deep dives for Sharepoint, but what people may or may not know is that they also offer FREE training online. This is perfect for new SharePoint administrators or end-users.

Here’s a list of courses available in the near future:

All times Central (GMT -0600) unless noted otherwise

For more information:
https://www.mindsharp.com/Default.aspx?top=TRAINING&left=FREE%20LIVE%20MEETINGS

Looking or SCCM 2007 support for the Offline Virtual Machine Servicing Tool to patch your “standby” Virtual Machines in Hyper-V?

We are pleased to announce the availability of the Offline Virtual Machine Servicing Tool 2.0, now with support for Hyper-V technology. Go here to get this new Solution Accelerator: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc501231.aspx

The Offline Virtual Machine Servicing Tool 2.0 helps organizations maintain virtual machines that are stored offline in a Microsoft® System Center Virtual Machine Manager library. While stored, virtual machines do not receive operating system updates. The tool provides a way to keep offline virtual machines up-to-date so that bringing a virtual machine online does not introduce vulnerabilities into the organization’s IT infrastructure.

The Offline Virtual Machine Servicing Tool combines the Windows Workflow programming model with the Windows PowerShell™ interface to bring groups of virtual machines online just long enough for them to receive updates from either System Center Configuration Manager 2007 or Windows Server Update Services. As soon as the virtual machines are up-to-date, the tool returns them to the offline state in the Virtual Machine Manager library.

This Solution Accelerator includes the following file components:

• Brief Overview. Available online only on Microsoft TechNet. Summary for business and technical managers that briefly explains how this Solution Accelerator can fit into an organization’s IT infrastructure management strategy.
• OfflineVMServicing_x64 and OfflineVMServicing_x86. Setup files for the tool, for 64 bit and 32 bit versions of Windows Server® 2003.
• Offline Virtual Machine Servicing Tool Getting Started Guide. Provides information about how the tool works, explains prerequisites for the tool, and describes how to install and configure the tool.
• Offline_VM_Servicing_Tool_2.0_Release_Notes.rtf. Notes provide information about this release, describe known issues in the tool, and include feedback instructions.
• Offline_Virtual_Machine_Servicing_Tool_Help. Help file for the tool. Provides instructions for using the tool.

Changes in this Version
Version 2.0 of the Offline Virtual Machine Servicing Tool provides full backward compatibility with version 1.0. When this tool is installed it checks the installed version of Virtual Machine Manager and determines what components are needed. Certain functionality will only be available if Virtual Machine Manager 2008 is installed.

In addition to products supported by version 1.0, this version provides support for Hyper-V technology, Virtual Machine Manager 2008, System Center Configuration Manager 2007 SP1, System Center Configuration Manager 2007 R2, Windows Server Update Services 3.0 SP1, Windows Server® 2008 for installing the tool and Windows Server virtualized client operating system.

Overview of the Solution
The Offline Virtual Machine Servicing Tool 2.0 is built on Windows Workflow Foundation and the Windows PowerShellTM interface to manage the workflow of updating large numbers of offline virtual machines according to their individual needs. To do this, the tool works with System Center Virtual Machine Manager (VMM) and software update management systems (at present, either WSUS or System Center Configuration Manager).

The tool uses "servicing jobs" to manage the update operations based on lists of existing virtual machines stored in VMM. Using Windows Workflow Foundation technology, a servicing job runs snippets of PowerShell scripts to work with virtual machines. For each virtual machine, the servicing job:

• "Wakes" the virtual machine (deploys it to a host and starts it).
• Triggers the appropriate software update cycle (Configuration Manager or WSUS).
• Shuts down the updated virtual machine and returns it to the library.

The tool works with Windows Task Scheduler to determine when to run the servicing job.

VIDEO DEMO:
For an online video demonstration of this Solution Accelerator:
http://video.msn.com/video.aspx?vid=8b4ff511-feba-4741-9595-09836ddcae7a

DOWNLOAD:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=8408ECF5-7AFE-47EC-A697-EB433027DF73&displaylang=en

DOCUMENTATION:
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc501231.aspx

MORE SOLUTION ACCELERATORS ON TECHNET:
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/solutionaccelerators/default.aspx

Last night around 2:00AM, we released the 2008 Dashboard Update a.k.a. New Xbox Experience to the rest of the United States.  (I should know… I waited to upgrade all the XBox 360’s throughout my home!)

Check out some of the features that make the New Xbox Experience so groundbreaking:

• Dashboard: The New Xbox Experience delivers a stunning, easy-to-navigate interface that displays rich cover art for your games and entertainment content.
• Avatars: Show your style with a customized, animated Avatar with hundreds of choices for hair style, clothes, and accessories. Your Avatar can host a LIVE Party, participate in a game, or just chat with friends.
• Marketplace on Xbox.Com: It’s easy to buy and download games, demos, and trailers to your console from the newly redesigned Xbox LIVE Marketplace through Xbox.com
• Community Games: For the first time in the history of console gaming, the Community Games channel on Xbox LIVE will include hundreds of creatively diverse games developed by the community.
• Friends Channel: In Friends Channel, keep your social scene active, finding friends, issuing challenges, and texting or voice chatting with friends. 
• Parties: Parties take the celebration online, connecting up to eight friends in one hot venue to catch up on chat, share photos real-time, and entertain friends across town or around the world.
• Themes: Themes in the New Xbox Experience can take over more than just the background of the Dashboard. You can see your friends’ avatars in different themed environments on the Friends Channel.
• Guide Button: The New Xbox Experience includes an improved Xbox 360 Guide Button functionality for even faster navigation for your Xbox 360.
• Play from Hard Drive: This Feature allows you to copy most Xbox 360 games to your hard drive, cutting load times considerably (original disc still required to play).

U.S. only

• Netflix: Xbox 360 is the only game console to offer instant streaming of over 10,000 videos from Netflix, with approximately 300 titles in HD. A large online library of more than 15,000 on-demand high-definition TV shows and movies will be available from global partners such as Constantin, Disney, MGM, NBC Universal, and Warner Bros. Entertainment. (For U.S. Customers only. Gold member subscription and Netflix Unlimited subscription required.)

DOWNLOAD:  “New Xbox Experience Reviewer’s Guide”
http://www.xbox.com/NR/rdonlyres/D5499B6E-0C7D-4518-B728-3C107BF3ADF6/0/NewXboxExperienceReviewersGuide.pdf

HOW TO UPGRADE:
http://www.xbox.com/en-US/live/nxe/

DETAILS:
http://www.xbox.com/en-US/support/systemupdates/default.htm

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
http://www.xbox.com/en-US/live/nxe/faq.htm

Available only for the month of November, Microsoft Press is making available this book of the month.

Windows Server® 2008 Networking and Network Access Protection (NAP)
by Joseph Davies and Tony Northrup with the Microsoft Networking Team
ISBN: 9780735624221

Get the official resource for deploying, administering, and troubleshooting Windows Server 2008 networking and Network Access Protection (NAP) technologies. For more information or to buy the print version of this title, visit the Microsoft Learning website .

REGISTER & DOWNLOAD:
http://csna01.libredigital.com/?urws8un4p7
(Click File-Save in Internet Explorer to save the document once it’s loaded into the browser)

————–

Additionally, this other book is also available for the month of November as well.

Windows Embedded CE 6.0 Fundamentals
By Stanislav Pavlov and Pavel Belevsky
ISBN: 9780735626256

This book examines the architecture, built-in programming tools, drivers, and build process, and shows how to take advantage of the Windows Embedded CE 6.0 Software Development Kit (SDK). For more information or to buy the print version of this title, visit the Microsoft Learning website .

REGISTER & DOWNLOAD:
http://csna01.libredigital.com/?urrs4gt63d
(Click File-Save in Internet Explorer to save the document once it’s loaded into the browser)

Microsoft Press is releasing the eBook version for “Introducing Microsoft SQL Server 2008” for free to everyone that registers for the download.  Here’s a quick description:

Introducing Microsoft SQL Server 2008
by Peter DeBetta, Greg Low, and Mark Whitehorn
ISBN: 9780735625587

Learn about major new features in SQL Server 2008 including security, administration, and performance.

Introducing Microsoft SQL Server 2008:
Chapter 1: Security and Administration
Chapter 2: Performance
Chapter 3: Type System
Chapter 4: Programmability
Chapter 5: Storage
Chapter 6: Enhancements for High Availability
Chapter 7: Business Intelligence Enhancements

REGISTER & DOWNLOAD:
http://csna01.libredigital.com/?urss1q2we6
(Click File-SaveAs to save document to desktop)

Yep.  Zune Firmware 3.1 has released for all versions of Zune devices.  30GB, 80GB, 120GB, 4GB flash, 8GB flash, and 16GB flash.

Technically, the Zune Desktop software should automatically detect that a new rev is available, but I’m told that it won’t necessarily detect & deliver the firmware to your device immediately.  I suspect this is the Zune teams way of parsing out the delivery to people slowly so that there isn’t a massive crush on the download servers of people trying to download 131MB of software.

Details at http://zuneinsider.com/archive/2008/11/18/zune-3-1-update-your-zune.aspx.

New features & changes:

• Friendly user interface changes to Zune Social
• Like-minded Listeners matches you with others with similar music tastes
• Stability & performance improvements to both Zune Desktop client and Zune Device Firmware.
• Improved/fixed playcount reporting
• Improved/fixed content synchronization
• Texas Hold ‘em update – Adds a multiplayer mode and some new single player difficulty levels
• New gamesCheckers, Sudoku and Space Battle

DOWNLOAD:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=ecc2d7ee-bf20-416d-bb44-f6b7cccae253&DisplayLang=en

Tech▪Ed 2009 North America
Tech▪Ed Developer and IT Professional Conference:  May 11-15, 2009
Los Angeles Convention Center, Los Angeles, CA

Have you heard the news? Tech·Ed North America 2009 is moving back to a single week covering both audiences. This change in format was based on feedback from you our developer and IT professional communities and our desire to constantly look for the best, most efficient opportunity to serve your distinct needs. We are excited to celebrate our seventeenth year as the best technical education and networking event in the industry.

Registration opens December 10th, 2008. Sign up for the newsletter so you can take advantage of our special holiday rate.

For more information:  http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/events/teched/default.aspx

Come join us at the Microsoft Management Summit 2009 and learn about the latest IT Management Solutions from Microsoft

The Microsoft Management Summit (MMS) is the premier event of the year for IT Professionals, offering deep technical information and training on the latest IT management solutions from Microsoft.

In this tenth-anniversary year, MMS 2009 will be bigger and better than ever. In addition to executive keynotes, Microsoft experts and industry leaders will present more than 100 technical sessions, all packed with demos. MMS 2009 will feature more than 9,000 Hands-on Lab places during the week, most led by experts providing a guided tour of the latest technologies.

MMS 2009 will offer face-to-face access to Microsoft and industry experts through a variety of networking opportunities and in the MMS 2009 Expo, where over 60 sponsors and exhibitors will showcase their latest products and services.

This year’s event will be held at the Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada. Special room rates have been negotiated at the hotel for conference attendees, details of which are available on the Registration Overview page.

For more information:  http://mms-2009.com/

Today, we announced that Windows Live OneCare will no longer be sold and instead, Microsoft will be providing free of charge, a Microsoft Antivirus/Anti-spyware/Anti-malware software & service solution currently codenamed “Morro”.

This will effectively provide antivirus, antispyware, and antimalware protection to ANYONE running a genuine copy of Windows worldwide.

WHY?
The key to why this move was made lies in the last word in that sentence:  “Worldwide’.  THe fact is that most developing countries like China don’t have the ability to subscribe to security services that have a annual payment model.  Because malware is a worldwide problem, Microsoft is making this service free to eliminate this obstacle and ensure everyone gets access to malware protection.

IS “MORRO” JUST “FREE ONECARE”?
No, “Morro” is not OneCare.  It will be tuned for low-bandwidth, less powerful PCs to reach & secure as many people as possible.

WHEN?
Second half of  2009.

More information:

• Microsoft PR Announcement:  “Q&A:  Improving Global Access to Core PC Protection”
  http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/features/2008/Nov08/11-18AmyBarzdukasQandA.mspx
• Microsoft PR Announcement:  “Microsoft Announces Plans for No-Cost Consumer Security Offering”
  http://www.microsoft.com/Presspass/press/2008/nov08/11-18NoCostSecurityPR.mspx
• OneCare Announcement Press Kit:
  http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/presskits/onecare/default.mspx
• Windows Live OneCare Blog:
  http://windowsonecare.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!C29701F38A601141!10418.entry