Kurt Shintaku's Blog

Got this in my inbox today.  No sense rewriting it.  See for yourself.

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Dear FolderShare user,

We’re contacting you to let you know what’s next for FolderShare, and to make you aware of some important changes.
In December, we plan to announce a product called Windows Live Sync. You can think of it as FolderShare 2.0. It’s going to look familiar and offer the same great features, plus:

• More folders and files—sync up to 20 folders with 20,000 files each.
• Integration with Windows Live ID—no more extra sign-in stuff to remember.
• Integration with the Recycle Bin—no more separate Trash folder to fiddle with.
• Unicode support—sync files in other languages.

A huge part of Sync’s success story depends on FolderShare users like you. When Sync releases, FolderShare goes into retirement. That means your FolderShare software will stop working and will ask you to upgrade to Sync. Once you do, Sync will automatically rebuild your personal folders. We expect a lot of new users when Sync is released, so if you can’t sign in right away, please give it a little time.

Here’s the part you need to pay attention to:  Sync will not be able to rebuild your shared libraries. If you have a lot of shared libraries, you should hop over to the FolderShare website while it’s still available and copy all that information. You’ll need it to rebuild your shared libraries in Sync.

Thanks for being a FolderShare user! We’re excited about delivering an even better file-synchronization experience to customers like you. We hope you’ll come along as we move forward with Windows Live Sync.

Sincerely,
The Windows Live Sync (formerly FolderShare) team

Get up to 30% cashback with Live Search this holiday season

Get a richer shopping experience–literally. Microsoft Live Search cashback gives you money back on thousands of products from online merchants you know and trust. All you need to do is buy products qualifying for Microsoft Live Search cashback! Here’s three simple steps to start saving:

• Use Live Search to research your purchases
  Simply search for products at live.com where you’ll get rich answers that allow you to find the very best product. Find user and expert reviews all in one place along with pricing comparisons that help you make the most informed purchase.
• Look for the cashback gleam
  You’ll see this icon also show up directly in your Live Search results. It highlights products that qualify for Live Search cashback. Click the icon and compare the best deals and offers available.
• Start shopping and saving!
  There are thousands of stores to choose from including familiar names like eBay, HP, Footlocker, Gap, Target, Barnes and Noble and many more. So, in addition to getting actual money back in your pocket, you’ll be getting the best deals from stores you already know.

Once you’ve finalized your purchase, you’ll receive an e-mail notifying you of your cashback rewards, with directions on how to claim them.

So make the most of Live Search over the holiday season to search, shop and SAVE. And stayed tuned as we release even more great Live Search features  over the coming weeks.

Want your own datacenter-hosted services for:

• Sharepoint Server 2007
• Exchange Server 2007
• Office Communications Server 2007
• LiveMeeting 2008

I mean, why install your own?  Why not let someone else be responsible for the installation, maintenance, malware protection, power consumption, cooling requirements, bandwidth, administration, data backups, etc.?

Welcome to the glorious world of Microsoft Online Services.

I just got my own Online Services account with the ability to create 20 additional accounts for my “organization”.   This will provide my friends, my family, and well… anyone out there with not just my own rinkydink, piddly, little home server implementation, but 100% ENTERPRISE-CLASS CLOUD SERVICES that work with Outlook, Communicator, & Internet Explorer. 

…the same datacenter infrastructure that Coca Cola & Energizer uses for their corporate users.

I have to admit I’m really stoked.  I don’t have to host a server in my home office and I don’t have to do anything other than let Microsoft take care of all the server upkeep.  In fact, I completely understand why so many companies are rushing to look at cloud services like Microsoft Online Services.  It’s basically “outsourcing for your datacenter” but with all the convenience of traditional Microsoft on-premise installations of Windows Server System products.

• INTEGRATED
  Work with the same rich clients business users already know and use like Outlook & Communicator. All in one integrated experience, from virtually any device in almost any location.  Synchronized identities between corporate Active Directories & Online Services makes identity management much simpler.
• SECURITY
  Cybertrust-certified and SAS70 approved.  Integrated with Forefront Security & Exchange Hosted Services.
• AVAILABILITY
  Operate on distributed geo-redundant network of tier-one data centers offering 99.9% scheduled uptime guarantee, backed by service-level agreements.
• MANAGEABLE
  Provide the tools your company needs with without requiring upgrades, patching, or new scaling installations.  Centrally administrable from a single point.

TRIAL:
Interested in your own FREE 30 day trial account?  Visit:
https://mocp.microsoftonline.com

INFORMATION:
For more information on the Business Productivity Online Services Suite (Standard) visit:
http://www.microsoftonline.com

I probably should have done this sooner,  but if you’re reading this and you’re a customer of mine that’s interested in learning Visio, you’re in luck.

I have the opportunity to send you a full copy of Visio Professional 2003 if you’d like to give it a whirl.  This is a complete, not-for-resale packaged copy of the product – precisely as you see it in the photo to the left.  No strings attached.  Just give it an install and see how you like it. 

If you’re a IT Professional, an Infrastructure Architect, a Network Designer, a Database Administrator, a Active Directory administrator, a Application Developer… you’ll undoubtedly find that visualizing networks, database tables, application architectures, datacenter layouts can only best be accomplished using the world’s #1 visualization tool.

Wait… you don’t know how to use Visio 2003?  No problem.  I also have copies of Visio 2003 Step-by-Step.  This Microsoft Press book comes with user friendly documentation on how to use the product from the ground up and it includes sample files, all the content in eBook form, and numerous other resources that you may find interesting.

(Microsoft Office System Quick Reference eBook, Insider’s Guide to Microsoft Office OneNote 2003 eBook, Microsoft Computer Dictionary, Fifth Edition, eBook—10,000+ entries!, Introducing the Tablet PC eBook, Complete STEP BY STEP eBook, Skill-building practice files)

If you’re interested and you’re a customer of mine, you know how to contact me.  And please – email me from your work address/domain.

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)

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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)