Enterprise, Microsoft, Software

CorasWorks Debuts AppEngine, “App Store” for SharePoint

1 Comment 22 September 2009

CorasWorks, author of many development tools for Microsoft’s SharePoint platform, recently debuted what they refer to as AppEngine. AppEngine, in their own words, “is an innovative runtime environment for SharePoint that allows users to download and run plug-and-play business apps from CorasWorks and its application publisher partners, or custom built applications from third-party service providers.” Think of Apple’s iPhone/iPod Touch “app store…” but for SharePoint.

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Hardware, Microsoft

In Case You Missed It: Microsoft Debuts 720p HD LifeCam

No Comments 23 August 2009

Microsoft updated their line of LifeCam-series webcams last week with the introduction of the 720p Hi-Def LifeCam Cinema. Available for pre-order tomorrow (8/24) on Amazon.com with a suggested retail price of $74.95, the Cinema is the latest in the long line of the high-quality LifeCam-branded webcams – a quality to which I can attest. In addition, Microsoft also announced the introduction of the LifeChat LX-1000, a “headset with high-quality audio and a noise-canceling microphone.”

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Outlook 2010: Regrettably Underwhelming

Feature, Microsoft, Software

Outlook 2010: Regrettably Underwhelming

6 Comments 16 July 2009

I can be a Microsoft fanboy from time to time, I’ll admit that. I’ll also admit that I’ve been looking forward to Outlook 2010 since Outlook 2007 first arrived… mainly because when OL2K7 was released to manufacturers in late 2006, it was STILL missing alot of productivity features; some of which Gmail debuted with almost 3 years prior. I’m talking about conversation view, the ability to quickly move a message to a specific folder, effective keyboard shortcuts, etc.

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Microsoft Announces Zune Service Expansion; New HD, Multi-Touch Player

Microsoft

Microsoft Announces Zune Service Expansion; New HD, Multi-Touch Player

No Comments 26 May 2009

05-26ZuneHD_lg The creators of the ever-popular </sarcasm> Zune music service & devices (that’s Microsoft for those of you who haven’t been paying attention) just announced an expansion of the existing Zune marketplace by extending “its video service to XBOX Live internationally this fall.”

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Microsoft DirectAccess Allows You to Bypass VPN; Access Network Resources Remotely

Enterprise, Microsoft

Microsoft DirectAccess Allows You to Bypass VPN; Access Network Resources Remotely

No Comments 11 May 2009

According to an official press release from the big boys in Redmond, WA, using Windows 7 along with Windows Server 2008 R2 will grant you usage of Microsoft DirectAccess: “a new feature … that gives users the experience of being seamlessly connected to their corporate network any time they have Internet access … without connecting to a virtual private network.”

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Microsoft

Microsoft Gets Desperate; Issues Press Release Taking Partial Credit for Google Sync

No Comments 10 February 2009

Google, earlier on Monday, announced Google Sync: a platform designed to keep your mobile devices constantly in sync with your Google Account-based calendar, contacts and email.

So, what exactly is Microsoft taking credit for? The element that enables Windows Mobile-based devices to be a part of Google Sync: ActiveSync. In the official press release, entitled "Google Takes Patent License to Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync," Microsoft explains, in an almost embarassing thunder-stealing moment, that it’s only because of them that owners of WinMo-based phones will be able to use this new technology release from the Goog.

The full text of the release is pretty short so I’ll go ahead and post it below:

"Earlier today Google announced Google Sync, which is made possible by a patent license they obtained from Microsoft covering Google’s implementation of the Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync protocol on Google servers.

Of note, Microsoft recently announced an expansion of its Exchange ActiveSync Licensing Program, and licensees currently include partners and competitors Apple, Nokia, Palm, Samsung, and Sony Ericsson, among others.

Horacio Gutierrez, Deputy General Counsel and VP, Intellectual Property & Licensing, Microsoft:

‘Google’s licensing of these Microsoft patents relating to the Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync protocol is a clear acknowledgment of the innovation taking place at Microsoft.  This agreement is also a great example of Microsoft’ s openness to generally license our patents under fair and reasonable terms so long as licensees respect Microsoft intellectual property. This open approach has been part of Microsoft’s IP licensing policy since 2003 and has resulted in over 500 licensing agreements of the last five years.’"

Yes, thank you Microsoft. I am forever in your debt, oh wise one.

All-in-all, I suppose I can see the need for a statement like this (when it comes to a board of directors as stuffy as Microsoft’s) but you very rarely see an official press release from current industry leaders like… well, Google.

Feature, Microsoft

Dual-Booting Windows 7 Alongside Windows Vista or Windows XP

1 Comment 09 January 2009

If you’ve managed to get your grubby little hands on the recently-launched Windows 7 beta, there’s a good chance you’re pretty anxious to give it a test run. In my opinion, one of the best ways to test is through either Virtual PC or VMWare. If, however, you want to want to test it on genuine hardware but aren’t quite ready to reformat your hard drive, you can always try dual-booting. It’s really pretty easy.

First, you’ll want to create a new partition (research it… know the risks) onto which we would install the new operating system. Then, boot off of the disc as usual and install it onto your new partition (again, know the risks.)

There are a few ways to accomplish that first task… creating a new partition. My preferred method (mainly because it’s easier, not because it’s safer… yeah, I’m one of those people) is using a free utility by the name of EASEUS Partition Manager. Below is a quick video tutorial (no audio so feel free to play immediately) guiding you through the extremely quick process of using EASEUS to create your new partition.

BE SURE TO BACKUP YOUR DATA BEFORE ATTEMPTING THIS PROCESS. I’ve personally used this tool twice with no problems but I’m also using both Mozy and Syncplicity to backup every last bit of my data.

If you can’t see the above video, just follow these directions:

  • install EASEUS
  • select an existing partition from which you’d like to take available space; resize said partition
  • select the new unallocated space and click “create” to create a new partition
  • name it and then click “apply” to finish (restart is necessary)

That’s it! Less than five steps. Again, you’ll want to make sure your data is backed up before attempting this procedure.

Once we’ve got your new partition, slap the Windows 7 installation disc you’ve created into your CD/DVD tray and restart. Once the installation loads, just tell Windows 7 to install into your newly created partition. A half-hour or more later, Windows 7 will be installed alongside your existing Windows installation.

Upon booting up your PC from here on out, you’ll be greeted with a new boot option from which you can select your new or existing Windows installation.

It’s pretty easy, actually. If you have any questions, feel free to drop a line in the comments and if I’m unable to answer your question, some of the other readers of this site might be able to. Best of luck!

Ballmer Announces Availability of Windows 7 Beta Program; Download Friday

Feature, Microsoft

Ballmer Announces Availability of Windows 7 Beta Program; Download Friday

No Comments 08 January 2009

Microsoft, just a short while ago, dropped a press release announcing the availability of the Windows 7 beta program. In the release, Ballmer states that the beta program will open up to the public on Friday and users can download a test version of Microsoft’s next OS at that time. MSDN and TechNet subscribers can allegedly download immediately.

And so it begins…

[Update] I just verified the availability of en_windows_7_beta_dvd_x86_x15-29073.iso on TechNet Plus and I’m downloading now. Looks as though Microsoft’s servers aren’t being hammered just quite yet. (Although, I have to admit, they did a remarkable job keeping everything up-and-running for the Vista beta program.)

Unnecessary HTML/CSS Validator for Outlook Unfortunately Necessary

Feature, Microsoft, Software, Web

Unnecessary HTML/CSS Validator for Outlook Unfortunately Necessary

No Comments 05 December 2008

This one flew past my radar but, back in April, Microsoft updated an existing tool for testing your HTML/CSS-based email design to determine whether or not it’s compatible with the immensely-popular Office Outlook email client.

“The Microsoft Office Outlook 2007 HTML and CSS Validator tool helps you to validate HTML and CSS grammar using some of the most popular Web developing tools such as Microsoft Office SharePoint Designer 2007, Microsoft Expression Web, Microsoft Visual Studio 2005, Macromedia Dreamweaver MX 2004 and Macromedia Dreamweaver 8.”

There are two separate downloads: one validator for Microsoft design tools and one for Adobe Dreamweaver.

So, why is this necessary at all?

Well, David Greiner from CampaignMonitor.com (an exquisite, online-based email blast campaign software suite) explains in great detail why you’re forced to use an application like this in an aptly-named post on the company’s official blog: “Microsoft Takes Email Design Back 5 Years.”

Basically, effective with Outlook 2007, Microsoft decided to ditch the Internet Explorer HTML rendering engine and begin using the MSWord engine instead. Given how crippling the Word rendering engine is, I think this may have been one of Microsoft’s worst decisions in the last decade. Part of the reasoning may have been, as Greiner points out, due to “Microsoft having to separate the browser from the OS for anti-trust reasons.” Regardless, it’s caused an unfortunate amount of grief for designers around the globe and I can only hope that Microsoft finds a way around the problem with the release of the next version of Office.

(Just as a side note, Campaign Monitor is also responsible for the Email Standards Project, a noble effort to raise awareness to the necessity of Web standards for rich emails -  on which I posted last month.)

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Outlook 2007 HTML and CSS Validator in Action Within Expression Web:

2008-12-05_OutlookValidator

The Email Standards Project: Ensuring That Your Message Looks the Same on Every Computer

Apple, Design, Google, Microsoft, Open Source, Software, Web

The Email Standards Project: Ensuring That Your Message Looks the Same on Every Computer

No Comments 12 November 2008

2008-11-12_EmailStandardsProject-LogoIf you’re one of those people that reads their email in multiple locations (say, on the Web with Gmail then on your desktop with Outlook) then I’m sure you’ve noticed that some, nay, alot of messages get butchered in one client but look perfectly fine in another.

This is typically a result of two separate problems. First, the developers of the email message that you received perhaps didn’t use Web standards when composing it. Alternatively, the email authors may have done everything right and composed the message using the most modern standards possible but the developers of your email client don’t know what they’re doing. It’s 50/50 for me… I’ve experienced both the former and the latter equally, I do believe.
Regardless of where the problem originated, there is a solution: agreeing to a set of standards and sticking to them.

That’s where the "Email Standards Project" comes in.

The goal of the Email Standards Project is to work with both the design community (to help them "understand why standards are so important for email") and email client developers (to "ensure that emails render consistently.")

More information is available at email-standards.org including info on how you can help with the project. You can even find up-to-date ratings of current email clients like Google’s Gmail (FAIL), Windows Live Mail (WIN) and, of course, everybody’s favorite email client: Microsoft Office Outlook 2007 (you guessed it: FAIL – most likely because it uses Microsoft Word as a rendering engine).

The tests are based on the ever-infamous acid test and go into detail as to what displays properly in the client and what doesn’t.

It’s a noble cause in my personal opinion and I sincerely hope that both Google and Microsoft invest a little more time and money into ensuring that some of their most popular products follow a set of reasonable standards… something that even Mozilla’s Thunderbird can offer.

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