Kurt Shintaku's Blog

Want to see the same images that scientists at NASA use for their research or perform your own research with those images? Or do you want to see the Earth from the same perspective that astronauts see as they descend to Earth? How about taking a 5 minute break and viewing a panorama of a different city?

Install the Worldwide Telescope Beta and start your explorations.

Worldwide Telescope is software & an Internet service provided by Microsoft Research to view telecopic imagery of the sky.  What makes Worldwide Telescope unique is that not only does it provide the best images of the sky that are available, but:

• ZOOMABLE
  Like a ‘map’ you’re able to get as close to the stars as visibly possible in the existing high resolution imagery, providing few limits to a user’s curiosity.
• SEAMLESS
  Movement from one area to another is seamless & smooth, minimizing any sort of disruption in the experience of searching the sky
• TIMELESS
  Users can ‘bookmark’ where they are so they don’t have to find their spot again once they leave the application.  It’s simple to continue where you last left off simply by returning to your last visited place in the sky.
• PERSONAL
  People can create tours using their own voice recordings and move from point to point in the universe to tell virtual stories about the sky.
• PROGRAMMABLE
  Don’t like our client software?  3rd parties can write to the Web Service Microsoft Research has created for telescope imagery for their own applications.

PREREQUISITES & DOWNLOAD:
http://www.worldwidetelescope.org/experienceIt/ExperienceIt.aspx?exp=true

Need to make your own help videos?  We just released a beta of the Microsoft Office Labs Community Clips Video Recorder for doing screen video captures of demonstrations that you do.

When installed, it puts an icon in both Office applications as well as in the Windows System Tray.  Clicking on it provides a number of recording options such as "Start recording a specific window".

The resulting video capture records screen, audio, and keystrokes into a Windows Media file running at 1.55Mbps with a frame rate of 15fps.  You can preview and share the video by uploading it to a central site (MSN Soapbox) or you can email it to someone – see the snapshot below.

BEHIND THE SCENES
For the technically minded, what this tool does is install the Windows Media Encoder 9.0 then automate its execution through what appears to be background shell commands.  It does a very good job of simplifying the process of selecting the window to be recorded then enabling numerous publishing methodologies for the subsequent Help file.

A NOTE ABOUT COMPRESSION:
The video recorder does not optimize file size or streaming bandwidth consumption by default.  A 35 second clip takes 6.31MB because it is recording in Windows Media 9 Screen Codec & Windows Media Audio 9.2 Lossless.

Lossless?  Yes, you read that right:  Lossless.  The audio is uncompressed and 100% of the quality received by your workstation microphone.  Of the 1.55Mbps of bandwidth, 1.31Mbps is dedicated to the audio.  The video only takes 233kbps relatively. 

PUBLISHING THE CLIP ON THE INTERNET
The idea is that people will create their own video training recordings then post them to the Microsoft Office Community Clips web site – powered by Soapbox.  The encoded video will be reencoded to minimize bandwidth consumption. 

A demonstration of this is located at:

• DEMO OF COMMUNITY CLIPS PUBLISHING:
  http://communityclips.officelabs.com/Video.aspx?videoId=8deb4955-34b4-479a-a67e-f79a1b7cc40b.

DOWNLOAD VIDEO RECORDER:  http://communityclips.officelabs.com/Download.aspx

<found at http://www.sharepoint-tips.com/>
SharePoint Tips Utility Pack is a 3rd party package of utilities for the administratordeveloperdeployer of SharePoint 2007 and WSSv3.

Originally each tool was written to quickly solve a specific problem in a Sharepoint deployment project, it can now be viewed as a code sample for Sharepoint coding on various tasks.

It includes :

1. A tool to recursively delete sites
2. A tool to create a list in multiple sites at once
3. A tool to modify field settings – some internal settings that you cannot modify in the regular interface, and the option to modify lists with the same name in multiple sites at once
4. A tool to push a web part to multiple sites (a specific page in each site) at once
5. (in beta) a tool to manage list event hanlders (register and remove event handlers from lists)

It is my hope that the community will not only learn from these code samples and use them to ease their life, but also that developers will add new tools to this package, making all our lives easier.

Requirements:
The application may only be run on the SharePoint server itself, with an account that has sufficient permissions on the SQL server (the application is not directly changing SQL server, but running SharePoint code requires permissions on the databases)

• DOWNLOAD:  http://sharepoint.microsoft.com/pedia/pages/ContentDetails.aspx?ContentID=353
• CODEPLEX LINK: http://www.codeplex.com/spstipsUtilityPack

The System Center Capacity Planner 2007 Model for Operations Manager 2007 provides best-practice guidance and hardware-specific knowledge to help information technology professionals make solid architecture decisions when planning a new deployment or changes to an existing deployment of System Center Operations Manager 2007 (v3 and SP1).

Feature Bullet Summary:

• Simple installation and setup
• Provides knowledge of System Center Operations Manager 2007
• Recommended topology for Operations Manager 2007 deployments in a Graphical User Interface
• Export topology to Visio and corresponding server configuration to Excel
• Model server performance and end-user response time for Operations Manager 2007 deployments
• Hardware library includes popular configurations for Operations Manager 2007 deployments
• Create custom hardware for Operations Manager 2007 deployments

The model will be available shortly as a free, downloadable plug-in to SCCP from the SCCP 2007 download catalog: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sccp/bb969059.aspx.

I drool for this phone.  It’s what I wish my current phone was.  And I was recently reminded why by an article posted on Pocket PC Thoughts:

• GSM/HSDPA data networking = 1.8Mbps Internet access
• Wireless Modem = Full Bluetooth or tethering connectivity to your laptop to act as a wireless modem
• 2.1MP camera = Full resolution 4×6 color photos
• Bluetooth 2.0 = Support for Bluetooth STEREO headsets
• WiFi = High speed Internet access at Starbucks or home
• FM radio = Watch & listen to the TV’s at the gym
• AGPS = Not just GPS, but Assisted GPS… for locating the position of the phone user even when indoors out of line-of-sight (for 911 emergencies, for example)
• 128MB RAM = 99% of phones have just 64MB RAM
• Full vertical thumb keyboard = None of that sideways rotation, slideout keyboard garbage
• Mouse pointer & touch pad = An actual touch pad with an actual controllable mouse pointer
• 3 days of battery = Awesome.  I’ll be watching my Slingbox 24×7.
• MicroSD expansion = 4GB of swappable extra storage
• Windows Mobile 6.0 = A massive library of software far, far larger than any iPhone or Blackberry
• Thin & light = Thinner & lighter than an iPhone.  And it feels solid in your hand.  Nuff said.

There’s only one downside:

• NOT AVAILABLE THE U.S.
  It was only picked up in Europe.  An authoritative source (outside of Microsoft) told me that none of the carriers in America wanted to pick it up despite its technical superiority while Europe was ready and willing to pick it up.  And it doesn’t support the 850mhz frequency that AT&T requires because its only been adopted in Europe where 900/1800/1900mhz is enough.  <shakes head>

I should make the disclaimer that I actually had a lot of hands-on time with this phone at CES2008and I almost stole the demo phone from the Samsung rep.  I vow to sell my i760 and change networks from Verizon to AT&T if this is made available on AT&T. 

Did you hear that you AT&T clowns?  After 13 years of stubborn, unflinching loyalty to GTE/Airtouch/Verizon, I will switch to your bastardized LA Cellular/AT&T Wireless/Cingular network because I love this phone THAT MUCH.

Oh yeah… the phone is called the Samsung i780.

• http://i780.wordpress.com/
• http://www.pda-247.com/forum/showthread.php?t=22434

As posted at XBitLabs:

Microsoft Gears Up to Release Xbox 360 with New Chips.
IBM, TSMC Land Orders to Manufacture 65nm Chips for Microsoft Xbox 360
by Anton Shilov
[ 05/07/2008 | 01:23 PM ]

Microsoft Corp. reportedly plans to release a new version its Xbox 360 video game system code-named Jasper in August and has already assigned IBM and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. to make chips for the new game console. However, there are other important rumours: TSMC got orders to produce the chip for code-named Valhalla Xbox 360 design, which is rumoured to combine microprocessor and graphics chip in a single piece of silicon.

The code-named Jasper design of the Xbox 360 game console will use ATI Xenos graphics and memory controller hub (GMCH) made using 65nm process at TSMC as well as IBM Xenon central processing unit (CPU) produced at IBM’s 65nm nodes. The new system design is projected to consume less electricity, use less complex cooling systems and also produce less noise.

By contrast, current Xbox 360 design named Falcon utilizes GMCH and eDRAM cores manufactured using 90nm process technology at TSMC as well as CPU built at IBM using 65nm fabrication process. The first-generation Xbox 360 used 90nm chips.

…

Read more at:
http://www.xbitlabs.com/news/multimedia/display/
20080507132302_Microsoft_Gears_Up_to_Release_Xbox_360_with_New_Chips.html

The beta software for the Offline Virtual Machine Servicing Tool is available here:
https://connect.microsoft.com/programdetails.aspx?ProgramDetailsID=2192

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The Solution Accelerators Communication and Collaboration group is pleased to announce the availability of the Offline Virtual Machine Servicing Tool for download on Connect.

The increasing use of virtual machines creates new challenges for IT.

Virtual machines that are left offline for extended periods of time do not automatically receive operating system, anti-virus, or application updates that would keep them compliant with current IT policy. An out-of-date virtual machine poses a risk to the IT environment. If deployed and started, the out-of-date virtual machine may be vulnerable to attack or may be capable of attacking other network resources.
The Offline Virtual Machine Servicing Tool provides a way to automate the process of updating virtual machines with the latest OS patches.

Solution Accelerator Components
The Offline Virtual Machine Servicing Tool is built on Windows Workflow Foundation and PowerShell. It works with Microsoft System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2007 to manage a library of offline VMs and with either Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager 2007 or Microsoft Windows Server Update Services.

The Offline Virtual Machine Servicing Tool consists of the following software components:

• A configuration user interface
• A .NET based workflow execution infrastructure

This Solution Accelerator is supplied with the following guidance:

• Getting Started Guide
• Help file
• Release Notes
• Executive Overview on TechNet

Overview of the Tool
The Offline Virtual Machine Servicing Tool manages the workflow of updating large numbers of offline virtual machines according to their individual needs. To do this, the tool works with Microsoft® System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2007 (VMM) and with software update management systems (at present, either Microsoft Windows Server® Update Services 3.0 (WSUS) or Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager 2007). See the following figure for how information flows between the tool and other system components.

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.

Help us make this a better Solution Accelerator by trying it out and providing us feedback!

Regards
The Solution Accelerator Team

The beta software for Service Level Dashboard for Operations Manager can be found here:
https://connect.microsoft.com/programdetails.aspx?ProgramDetailsID=2198

———————–

The Solution Accelerator Communication and Collaboration group is pleased to announce the availability of the Service Level Dashboard for Operations Manager for download on Connect.

IT departments need ever more sophisticated tools to monitor the performance of applications that make the organization run. These tools need to go beyond traditional server-based monitoring where server health equals service health.

The Service Level Dashboard for System Center Operations Manager 2007 is a new Solution Accelerator that addresses IT Service Managers’ need to measure and report SLA compliance for line-of-business (LOB) applications. This new accelerator measures LOB performance from end to end by collating performance metrics from both the server side and select client locations. The accelerator provides an easy to read dashboard with performance status for the service through which the service manager can perform a data drill down.

Solution Accelerator Components
This accelerator ships the following software components:

• An Operations Manager 2007 Management Pack (SLD DAT, SLD report)
• A sample unsealed Management Pack targeted at monitoring a Web site

The accelerator provides the following guidance and examples of how to set up a SLA reporting solution, configure the distributed application template and create synthetic transactions for a line of business application in an OpsMgr Pack:

• Executive Overview on TechNet
• User’s guide included in Beta
• Design guide – available at TRM

The Service Level Dashboard for Operations Manager works with Microsoft System Center Operations Manager 2007 and SQL Server Reporting Services.

Overview of the Tool
The Service Level Dashboard for Operations Manager 2007 is designed to work with an existing Operations Manager infrastructure (it is assumed that Operations Manager is already configured to monitor the business-critical applications). Service Level Dashboard for Operations Manager 2007 uses the following components to gather and process additional data:

• The SLA agreement is identified and defined by the IT Manager for a given business-critical application or service.
• Web application monitors and synthetic transactions. The IT administrator configures and deploys watcher nodes to perform the actions of a synthetic transaction, such as connecting to the Web site or querying the database. A Web application monitor runs on the watcher node and uses these synthetic transactions to perform actions to check availability and to measure performance of a Web page, Web site, or Web application. The IT administrator configures the thresholds for identifying an error or warning state during a
  synthetic transaction.
• An Operations Manager Distributed Application (DA) model is used by the IT administrator uses to define the application or service. Using the DA model, the IT administrator groups Web application monitors and other monitors into applications and regions for the dashboard.
• One can use the dashboard interface to analyze the SLA compliance data as soon as the Service Level Dashboard for Operations Manager 2007 components are configured and operating.
  The Service Level Dashboard for Operations Manager 2007 evaluates each application over the defined reporting period, determines whether the application was in or out of compliance during that period (and for how long). The dashboard then lists the application as compliant or non-compliant, based on defined service level targets.

Help us make this a better Solution Accelerator by trying it out and providing feedback!

Regards
The Solution Accelerator Team

As part of the Hyper-V test and development process, Microsoft has an extensive test and validation process that includes Microsoft IT, Technology Adoption Program (TAP) and Rapid Deployment Program (RDP) customers. These are all PRODUCTION environments where customers deployed Hyper-V, starting with the beta six months ago, and have since moved to the Hyper-V Release Candidate.

Across these programs customers have deployed thousands of Hyper-V virtual machines running:

Windows Server 2003/2008 roles including:

• File, Print, AD, RODC, IIS/Web, Terminal Services, Application Servers, RMS, DHCP, DNS, WSS and more.
• The only Windows Server role that will not work within a Hyper-V virtual machine is the Fax Server role because the Fax Server role requires access to a physical modem(s) and Hyper-V does not provide access to physical COM ports. (Hyper-V virtual machines supports up to 2 virtualized COM ports that can be used to communicate with a physical server, local or remote, via a serial named pipe.)

Microsoft Server Products including:

• SQL 2005/Katmai, Exchange, HPC, ISA, Sharepoint, Project Server, VSTS, etc.
• System Center: Configuration Manager, Operations Manager, Reporting Manager, Data Protection Manager, Virtual Machine Manager
• The only Microsoft Server product that will not work with Hyper-V is the Office Communications Server because it requires access to a physical PCI card which isn’t available within a virtual machine.

HPCPAL Jumpstart Event
June 24, 2008
Mountain View, CA

You are invited to participate in Microsoft HPCPAL Jumpstart technical training series for IT Pro’s and Developers. This is a one-day immersion style event that can help you get the technical information you require to start deploying and developing HPC solutions leveraging Windows HPC Server 2008.  You will experience how Windows HPC Server 2008 platform is simple to deploy, operate, and integrate with existing infrastructure and tools.

1-Day Jumpstart:

Sponsors:                 Discuss clustered computing solution scenarios with Microsoft HPC technology specialists.
Roadmap:                Review the HPC platform technology roadmap for Windows HPC.
Learn About:           Microsoft Compute Cluster Pack V2 features and capabilities.
Experience:             The significant advancements coming in the area of cluster management, scalability and     performance
Explore:                    HPC Development tools and techniques
Solutions:                 Identify integrated solution scenarios leveraging Windows platform technologies.
Leave With:             Tools to equip your team to develop and deploy.

For more information and registration, please visit www.hpcpal.com

To Learn More about High Performance Computing, visit:  http://www.microsoft.com/hpc