Kurt Shintaku's Blog

I was reading a bunch of email internally, and I stumbled upon this little video about "What Microsoft TV, IPTV edition" was. 

http://www.microsoft.com/tv/IPTVImpact.html

It’s a video advertisement targeted at broadband providers worldwide.  They show some really neat features that I’d forgotten about:

• Showing 3 live video windows over an existing video (multipicture in picture)
• Immediate channel changing (unlike satellite and some digital cable providers)
• Digital video recording with a very friendly TV guide interface for multiple TV shows
• On-demand shows & movies with chargeback methodologies ($1.99/episode of Shark)
• Displaying of inbound caller ID, SMS messages, instant messages, email, etc. on the TV screen
• Mini Guide – a small TV guide to allow you to look at what else is on, without interrupting the existing show
• HDTV support, Pay-per-view, and Subscription based content
• Remote programming of your IPTV console over the Internet
• View photos, music, or video from any Windows machine on a home network
• Connect to Zune or other Windows Media capable portable media devices
• On-screen notification about changes in schedule programming (such as American Idol being cancelled)

More info:
http://www.microsoft.com/tv/IPTVEdition.mspx

Sigh.  Well, Windows Vista seems to have it’s first OS-related security patch.  It’s called "Vulnerabilities in CSRSS Could Allow Remote Code Execution (930178)" and according to the vulnerability description:

• A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the Windows Client/Server Run-time Subsystem (CSRSS) process because of the way that it handles error messages. An attacker could exploit the vulnerability by constructing a specially crafted application that could potentially allow remote code execution.  Additionally, if a user viewed a specially crafted Web site, an attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could take complete control of an affected system.
• A privilege elevation vulnerability exists in the way that the Windows 32 Client/Server Run-time Subsystem (CSRSS) handles its connections during the startup and stopping of processes.
• A denial of service vulnerability exists in the Client/Server Run-time Subsystem (CSRSS) service because of the way it handles error messages. An attacker could exploit the vulnerability by running a specially crafted application causing the system to restart.

So if you’re using Windows Vista, patch away, but just be thankful you’re not using Windows XP any more.  It looks like they’re going to have to apply this patch along with 4 others that Windows Vista doesn’t need.

DESCRIPTION:
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/Bulletin/MS07-021.mspx

DOWNLOAD: 
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=3487b1f0-a383-41a4-a660-2768962b3bcd&displaylang=en

Halo 3, one of the most anticipated videogames for the Xbox 360, will be released to the public in test, or beta, from 16 May.

The online multiplayer element of the game will be made available to the public with feedback going to developers Bungie.

More than 14.7m copies of Halo titles have been sold and more than 800m hours of online Halo games have been played.

The beta will last for three weeks and ends on 7 June.

Three multiplayer maps will be available – Snowbound, High Ground and Valhalla.

Halo 3 is expected to be released in the last quarter of 2007 and is a key weapon for Microsoft in its rivalry with Sony and Nintendo.

The game has become an important franchise for Microsoft and has evolved into an industry which encompasses action figures, graphics novels, books and clothes.

On the website of Halo creators Bungie, content manager Frank O’Connor said the beta would contain "quirks, a couple of roughedges".

He added: "A lot of secret features are hidden in this beta. We’re keeping a lot of our powder dry for Fall."

If you are a user of LiveMeeting 2005, you’ll want to install the new Office Live Meeting 2005 Add-in update.  This updated version provides Office 2007 and Windows Vista users the ability to schedule Office Live Meeting 2005 sessions through Outlook, in addition to the following features:

Live Meeting Add-in for Outlook
With the Live Meeting Add-in for Outlook, you can:

• Schedule a Live Meeting from Outlook
• Identify individual meeting participants as attendees or presenters
• Send separate invitations for attendees and for presenters
• Specify default meeting options and override those defaults for specific meetings

Live Meeting Add-in for Office Collaboration
With the Office Collaboration Add-in, you can;

• Start a Meet Now meeting directly from Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Visio, or Project. The document appears in an application sharing session.

Live Meeting Add-in for Communicator 1.0

• If the recipient also has the Live Meeting Add-in Pack installed, you can start a Live Meeting from within your Communicator 1.0 instant messaging session.

In addition the add-in provides the following;

• Windows Vista 32-bit compatibility
• Office 2007 compatibility
• Meeting names over 32 characters are supported

DOWNLOAD HERE:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=D1984810-117A-45FF-BFEC-2756C6111097&displaylang=en

130 Breakout sessions.  5,000+ Mobile Device focused engineers, developers and architects. 
Ohhhhhh – I want to attend this SO badly, it hurts.  Unfortunately, I don’t think it’s in the cards.

Microsoft Mobile & Embedded DevCon
Venetian Hotel & Casino
Las Vegas, NV
May 1-3rd

May 1-3rd at the Venetian Hotel & Casino (my home turf) in Las Vegas.  Mobile devices.  Embedded operating systems.  Phone technology.  .NET Development & Tools. And a double deck blackjack table with damned good rules for a strip casino. (The Venetian has 2D, S17, DA2, DAS, Sp3, SpA1, nS, FD, HS/SC, 2T, 60–10%, $200/5,000, for a house edge of only –0.167%)

Session list: HERE

Featuring Breakout Sessions, Self-paced Hands-on labs, Instructor-led Hands-on labs, Device testing & Upgrade labs, check out these great tracks!

Managing and Deploying Devices
IT Professionals who manage support and security IT operations for Mobile devices and their associated infrastructure won’t want to miss out on this MEDC track. Sessions will cover topics for application deployment, configuration, device and software catalogs, security features and customization. Technologies that will be showcased are Windows Mobile, Windows Embedded, Windows Embedded for Point of Service, Exchange Server, Windows Server and Clients, Office, Systems Management Server, Tablet PCs, and Mobile Technologies.

Enterprise Application Architecture
For the corporate developer and IT strategists. Gain industry best practice for managing mobile line of business applications and solutions for your organization and enterprise. Learn how to take your line of business offering from 0 to 60 in 3 days with the Enterprise Application Architecture track.

Application Development
Focused on developing mobile applications in Microsoft Visual Studio® for Windows Mobile® using both managed and native code. Sessions will be geared to help you build better Windows Mobile applications, running on more devices, with greater stability and longer battery life. Other topics will include memory and code management, and tips and tricks to help you go to market faster.

Developing Windows Embedded Devices
This track is tailored for Windows Embedded developers to deliver the most comprehensive training on the latest versions of Microsoft Windows Embedded CE, Windows XP Embedded, and Windows Embedded for Point of Service. Breakout sessions will cover technical detail; reliability, source access, security features, and time to market for existing users of the Windows Embedded platform. This is also your opportunity to learn from, and interact with the Windows Embedded Product Team, MVPs, your peers, and other technical experts from the Embedded community

Yesterday, we announced that in some fashion we’ll be dropping DRM in Zune.

http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&taxonomyName=mobile_devices&articleId=9015898&taxonomyId=75 

This stings me from a PR perspective because Apple, knowing that they weren’t the only ones discussing DRM-free music rather strategically announced their intention to sell DRM free content on iTunes, effectively trumping us and other’s in negotiations with EMI and other music companies.

This is one of the reasons the world thinks Microsoft is a copycat in so many areas:  We’re too slow to announce certain things.  Fortunately, the fact is that for every perceived "huge" PR win that Apple gets on announcements like this, as long as we’re close to matching them step for step, we’ve always beaten them in the long run because competition in the technology market is a marathon not a sprint.

Following digital music pioneer Apple Inc.’s lead, Microsoft Corp. said it will soon sell digital music online without digital rights management (DRM) protection.

Microsoft’s apparent change of heart on selling DRM-free music came in response to Apple’s deal earlier in the week to sell unprotected content from recording company EMI Group PLC. The company previously claimed that DRM was necessary for current and emerging digital media business models.

"The EMI announcement on Monday was not exclusive to Apple," said Katy Asher, a Microsoft spokeswoman on the Zune team, in an e-mail to the IDG News Service today. She said Microsoft has been talking with EMI and other record labels "for some time now" about offering unprotected music on its Zune players in an effort to meet the needs of its customers.

"Consumers have made it clear that unprotected music is something they want," Asher said. "We plan on offering it to them as soon as our label partners are comfortable with it."

Read more here.

If you haven’t docked your Zune in a while, you may have not noticed that there’s a firmware update available (1.3) that fixes some important things in the Zune.

(By the way, it’s kinda strange but I have to admit, much like my Windows Mobile phone, because of the wireless capability, I’ve found that I really haven’t needed to dock/sync my Zune much at all so I would fall in to that catagory of folks that haven’t connected their Zune to their PCs in a while.  I loaded it up with all my important AFI, Breaking Benjamin, Linkin Park, and other CDs and… well… everything else has been content that’s been sent to me from other Zunes.)

There’s a nice article on Zune Insider which by the way is definitely one of the Zune sites that you should be subscribing to via RSS.  Zune Scene is pretty good too.

In any case, here’s what the improvements are between Zune Firmware 1.2 & 1.3.

There’s also an interesting article from Zune Insider from the Release Manager of the Zune Firmware, and in particular, v1.3.  He talks about how Zune version 1 is just the beginning of long strange trip of Zune and how there’s plenty of functional updates – as in new features – coming for Zune during this generation.  The software will get updated and just like Xbox’s software, will gain new capabilities as it evolves.

Most importantly he makes a point of identifying and highlighting the wireless adapter on the Zune as a centerpiece for these software updates.  This is a VERY important notation because there are so many things that the wireless adapter can provide the Zune:

1. Zune-to-PC wireless sync
2. Zune-to-Internet Wifi connectivity to the Zune Marketplace
3. Zune-to-laptop music sharing
4. Zune broadcasting of music to other wirelessly accessible Zune players
5. Zune-to-Xbox360 wireless playback of audio (through Xbox 360’s sound system)
6. Zune-to-Xbox360 wireless playback of video (through Xbox 360’s TV)
7. Zune-to-Xbox360 file sharing
8. Zune connectivity with other devices using wireless access points
9. Zune video projection over wirelessly connected projectors

There’s a TON of possibilities.  It’s just a question of time.

That’s right.  CNET did a Prizefight where the contenders were Samsung Blackjack & RIM Blackberry 8800.  And guess who got the smackdown?
http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-11396_7-6716710-7.html?tag=btn 

Every single round was won.  It’s wasn’t even close. 

WORD.

Microsoft Southern California- Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 Webcast Series
Spring 2007

With the recent release of Microsoft Exchange Server 2007, your Southern California team would like to invite you to a series of webcasts, designed specifically for our enterprise customers.  This upcoming series will provide new and updated information on Exchange Server 2007, including information on solutions and deployment. Time will be allocated at the end of each session for interactive Q&A.

Exploring Compliance in Exchange Server 2007
4/24/07, Thursday, 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. – LiveMeeting
With the increased industry emphasis on e-mail and messaging records usage in litigation, compliance is now a critical area for businesses.  With Exchange Server 2007, Microsoft has added features and utilities which help Exchange administrators manage and retain messaging records.  During this webcast, we will provide an overview of how Exchange Server 2007 addresses compliance and records management.
Presented by:  Michael Ghekiere, Exchange Technical Specialist, Microsoft
Audience:  IT Managers and Professionals responsible for messaging infrastructure; program managers responsible for records management and compliance
Registration URL:  http://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/WebCastEventDetails.aspx?EventID=1032335148&EventCategory=2&culture=en-US&CountryCode=US
Event ID:  1032335148