August 2006 - Posts

Windows Workflow Foundation

Windows Workflow Foundation Overview

Windows Workflow Foundation is the programming model, engine and tools for quickly building workflow enabled applications on Windows. It consists of a Microsoft .NET Framework version 3.0 formerly WinFX namespace, an in-process workflow engine, and designers for Visual Studio 2005. Windows Workflow Foundation is available in beta for both client and server versions of Windows.

Test out Windows Workflow Foundation – Beta 2 using Virtual Labs
Try out Windows Workflow Foundation Beta 2 in this MSDN Virtual Lab.

Dino Esposito has a two part article on Windows Workflow Foundation - Cutting Edge - in MSDN magazine. Part 1, and Part 2.

Windows Workflow Foundation - blog post from ScottGu with lot's of links on, you guessed it - Windows Workflow Foundation.

posted Thursday, August 31, 2006 3:20 PM by paul with 0 Comments

XNA Game Studio

Microsoft XNA Game Studio Express Beta

Create great video games, more easily for Windows-based PC systems and XBox 360 using this first beta of Microsoft XNA Game Studio Express.

XNA Developer Center      Start download.

XNA Game Studio Express enables individuals and small teams to more easily create video games using new, optimized cross-platform gaming libraries for Windows and Xbox 360. This beta release targets the development of games for Windows. The final version of XNA Game Studio Express will be available this holiday season and will enable development of games which target Windows and upon purchase of a XNA Creators Club subscription, the Xbox 360 as well.

After you have evaluated this release, please share your feedback with us at the XNA Developer Forums     

XNA Game Studio Express Beta Readme        Microsoft Visual C# Express 2005           Start download.

David "LetsKillDave" Weller's blog

posted Wednesday, August 30, 2006 1:16 PM by paul with 0 Comments

Intro to Expression

Webcast: Introduction to Microsoft Expression

This webcast describes the powerful features and capabilities of Microsoft Expression Graphic Designer, Microsoft Expression Interactive Designer, and Microsoft Expression Web Designer, and includes a demonstration of each tool.

Register now to view this session, scheduled for Tuesday, August 29th, 2006, from 1:00pm to 2:00pm Pacific Time

Microsoft Expression Site - Downloads, Demos, Newsgroups, Events and Training. 

posted Tuesday, August 29, 2006 11:16 AM by paul with 0 Comments

Windows Vista 1/30/07

Vista fans, circle January 30 on your calendar - Ed Bott - Forget that leaked Canadian price list. Two weeks ago, Amazon loaded preliminary prices for Windows Vista on their website, along with a ship date of January 30, 2007. Glad that's out of the way.

Here's the price list, as charged by Amazon (full/ upgrade):

  • Windows Vista Home Basic, - $199/ $99.95
  • Windows Vista Home Premium, - $239/ $159
  • Windows Vista Business, - $299/ $199
  • Windows Vista Ultimate,  - $399/ $259

posted Tuesday, August 29, 2006 6:49 AM by paul with 0 Comments

Digg Feeds Forbes

At Forbes.com, Lots of Glitter but Maybe Not So Many Visitors  - I read this story in the NYT this morning, it’s not news when a magazine or newspaper exaggerates their circulation because they all do it all the time. Now that newspapers and magazines are distributed digitally on our internet we can apply more accrete analytics.

Alexa Web Traffic Rankings are closer to the truth then the con artists ComSorce hired by Forbes to trick their advertisers. Forbes has been telling advertisers that they are attracting Business decision makers, but in reality it’s the Mom what’s for diner demographic that’s doing the clicking.

So how does Forbes find itself on Digg and Slashdot? They have a digital monkey linking and clicking all day long.

posted Monday, August 28, 2006 6:39 PM by paul with 0 Comments

Centrino Duo Mobile

Cool-Looking—and Running—Laptops Get Performance Boost from Intel Core 2 Duo Processors

More than 200 Intel Centrino Duo mobile technology-based designs from PC manufacturers, resellers and integrators around the world will incorporate the new Intel Core 2 Duo processor codenamed Merom sometime this year - their not shipping yet

In just one year we’ve taken extraordinary leaps in mobile and desktop computing with the launch of the Intel Core 2 Duo processor. For laptops the new processor has doubled the performance, giving consumers and businesses an immersive mobile experience while keeping power consumption and battery life unchanged. The dual-core processing power of the Core 2 Duo processor helps people handle the toughest of multi-tasking scenarios no matter where they are. -  David (Dadi) Perlmutter, senior vice president of Intel’s Mobility Group.

Laptops based on Intel Centrino Duo mobile technology with the Intel Core 2 Duo processor also include the current Intel 945 Express chipset family and the Intel PRO/Wireless 3945ABG network connection.

Before the Core 2 Duo Launched Intel said we would see Merom laptops by the end of Q4, but then Sean Maloney did a demo on a Merom laptop and hinted that we would see them by September, let's hope so... Here's the Dell XPS M1710 , but no one has one yet.

posted Monday, August 28, 2006 2:20 PM by paul with 0 Comments

Unified Communications Video

Anoop Gupta, the Vice President of the Unified Communications Group at Microsoft gave the Keynote at VoiceCon last week in San Francisco and he was joined by Steve Slattery of Nortel Networks in this talk about the benefits of Unified Communications.

You can view the Keynote video via the VoIP Loop blog, there is a nice demo by Paul Duffy of Microsoft detailing many of the features of the UC solution.

posted Sunday, August 27, 2006 6:04 PM by paul with 0 Comments

Stock Spam

Studying Stock spam is becoming an obsession for some, but this is just another method of Stock manipulation. I have been getting an increasing amount of Stock spam in my inbox lately, yea their getting through the spam filters. Most of them use a woman’s name as the sender and a few appear to have landed in my inbox by mistake when Joe tells Sam about his insider tip.

I don’t buy Stock because I know their values are not based on reality.

Spammers manipulate stock markets  —  When I saw this story in the BBC I broke-out laughing,  don't you think the BBC participles in Stock Manipulation?  Do you imagine that the British upper class maintains their states and wealth by mere speculation?

Reuters and Bloomberg publish fact and fiction about Stocks everyday and they have preferred subscription customers who receive timely information before everyone else does, information is power and timing is everything.

New Media has learned from the old hacks so it won’t be long before the SEC busts a blogger for Stock manipulation, because it’s going on now.

Back in March there was buzz generated on blogs about Google buying Sun, Sun’s Stock rose 20% in a few weeks, so how long before the SEC notices?

posted Saturday, August 26, 2006 11:52 AM by paul with 0 Comments

Windows Live WiFi

Getting online in a WiFi world

Windows Live is all about unifying our on-line experience and we all need to be connected most of the time to participate in this on-line experience. The Windows Live WiFi Center is all about helping people get connected in a secure way – it’s essentially a first step at creating an integrated software solution that helps people find and securely connect to wireless networks around the world.  The Windows Live WiFi Center is a  beta..... beta = more features are coming soon…

· Hotspot locator: Provides you with the ability to search for free and fee-based wireless networks in countries around the world. The locator shows you the address, description, available amenities, service providers and shows you a map of the location.

· Network Management: Helps you see what networks are available and makes it easy to get technical information about them, including their security configuration, signal strength, etc. In addition, you can tag networks as favorites for future connections, track connection history, and manage network preferences.

· Security: Built-in security, using VPN technology allows you to secure a wireless Internet connection on any network. The security feature alone is a good reason to use the free Windows Live WiFi Center.

I've been checking-out the Windows Live WiFi Hotspot Locator and it's been helpful already, but as its in beta send them your feedback when you find a place to connect.

posted Saturday, August 26, 2006 7:01 AM by paul with 0 Comments

Windows Vista Support of HD

Clarifying Windows Vista Support of Protected HD Content in 32-bit System

The community is buzzing with reactions to APC Magazine’s article regarding playback of protected High Definition content in 32-bit versions of Windows Vista.  However, the information shared was incorrect and the reactions pervading the community are thus (understandably) ill-informed.

The real deal is that no version of Windows Vista will make a determination as to whether any given piece of content should play back or not.  The individual ISV providing the playback solutions will choose whether the playback environment, including environments that use 32-bit processors, meet the performance requirements for playback of protected High Definition content.

It's up to each ISV to determine which environments are suitable for their playback solutions.  So nothing has changed with respect to Microsoft’s policies or development plans for protected HD playback -- which we addressed at WinHEC this past May -- and nothing has been cut from Windows Vista in this regard.

It was amazing to see the panic that spread across the world yesterday by guys who have neither Windows Vista nor HD TV complaining about not being able to get something they can’t get now.

posted Friday, August 25, 2006 4:07 PM by paul with 0 Comments

Asynchronous Tasks

Workshop 4249: Performing Asynchronous Tasks by Using Multithreading with Microsoft® Visual Studio® 2005

A self-paced offline Course that's free and should take you about two hours, there is so much to learn so get started!.

posted Friday, August 25, 2006 2:57 PM by paul with 0 Comments

IE 7 RC1

The day has arrived    Internet Explorer 7 Release Candidate 1 - DOWNLOAD NOW

 Internet Explorer 7 Quick Reference Sheet

IE 7 blog

posted Thursday, August 24, 2006 2:48 PM by paul with 0 Comments

Wireless Security

A Guide to Wireless Security

There are three types of bad guys you need to guard your wireless network against: thrill seekers and war drivers, bandwidth thieves, and knowledgeable attackers. Learn how in this article from TechNet Magazine.

I use Wi-Fi everyday at conferences, meeting and as I travel around. My advice to everyone who uses Hot Spots is at the very least have a User Account set to Limited Account on your laptop and use it rather then your Admin Account at all the Hot Spots you frequent.

I take it one step further by regularly reinstalling my laptop OS and keeping all my precious files on my Home Network far from the prying eyes of curious and adventurous hackers.

To learn more check-out the Tech-Ed 2006 Webcasts: Power to the Pros, lot's of great information there.

posted Thursday, August 24, 2006 11:25 AM by paul with 0 Comments

Grouper Millions

Sony Pictures Entertainment Acquires Grouper

Sony in Deal to Acquire a Video Site

Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) has acquired Grouper, the fast growing user-generated video site on the Web.

Grouper.com, the second largest independent video community, enables its members to watch, share and create video on the Web. Under the terms of the $65 million deal, the Sausalito-based company will retain its current management, working closely with a team at Sony Pictures.

I was an early adapter of Grooper as with many of these Web 2.0 sites, but will I be getting a check in the mail? - Username - Paul

Consumers are spending more and more time on sites like Grouper, and as one of the world’s largest creators of entertainment, we want to be where the audiences are. This acquisition demonstrates the breadth of involvement of Sony Corporation in the field of digital online entertainment. Many people in the Grouper community use Sony cameras to create videos and Sony VAIO computers and mobile devices to store and view them. It makes sense to complete the circle by having Grouper be a part of Sony Pictures Entertainment, which itself creates so much content for people around the world. - Michael Lynton, SPE Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.

posted Wednesday, August 23, 2006 7:46 AM by paul with 0 Comments

Windows Desktop Search

Windows Desktop Search 3.0 Beta 2 for Windows XP

Windows Desktop Search 3.0 WDS enables fast search on your computer using indexing technology. It helps you to find your documents, email, music, photos and other items. The search engine in Windows Desktop Search 3.0 is a Windows service that is also used by applications such as Microsoft Office Outlook 2007 and Office OneNote 2007 to index application content and deliver instant results when searching within an application.

DOWNLOAD NOW -  it works just as fast on your laptop as on any Desktop, give it a try, you'll never know what you might find.

posted Tuesday, August 22, 2006 3:30 PM by paul with 0 Comments

Cisco Video

Cisco Systems announced it's to acquire Arroyo Video Solutions, Inc., a leading provider of next-generation solutions for on-demand television and related consumer services.

The Arroyo solution is designed to deliver exceptional scalability, service availability and operational simplicity – offering a highly extensible platform for video-on-demand today and emerging time-shifted services in the future. The integration of the Arroyo platform into the Cisco IP-NGN (Next Generation Network) architectural framework will help enable carriers to accelerate the creation and distribution of network delivered entertainment, interactive media and advertising services across the growing portfolio of televisions, personal computers, mobile handsets and emerging media capable devices in our increasingly connected lives.

The entertainment industry is going through a major shift while consumer desire for personalized on-demand service is on the rise. The industry is quickly evolving from pure video-on demand to anything-on-demand with any content delivered to any end device. Cisco’s next generation network strategy offers service providers the ability to make this vision a reality,  routing and service provider technology group. With the addition of Arroyo’s innovative software, which offers flexibility in content delivery, service providers will be in a position to serve content how, when and where consumers want it. -  Michelangelo A. Volpi, Cisco VP and GM.

The Cisco Network will now include IP TV, industry content and maybe dancing bears…

posted Tuesday, August 22, 2006 2:36 PM by paul with 0 Comments

Windows Live Contacts

Windows Live Contacts Gadget  (Beta)

The Windows Live Contacts gadget is a client-side browser JavaScript object that enables visitors to use their Windows Live contacts with your Web site.  Instead of typing a shipping address into a shopping cart form, for example, the user could simply select one of their Windows Live contacts from the contact gadget.  The user saves time and effort in completing the order, and you gain the benefits of an address book for your Web site without having to implement, maintain, and provision data storage and management UI on your servers.  The user maintains control of their personal contacts data, while you focus on providing services with data the user gives you.

See the Windows Live Contacts gadget working in our live samples:

Windows Live Gallery has now replaced Microsoft Gadgets, you can read about the move on their blog, but they were part of MSDN and