Kurt Shintaku's Blog: Beta

BETA: "Warhol" is coming!

Mon, 18 Sep 2006 19:44:25 GMT

UPDATE 11:59PM:
Just got told that, YES, in fact both Flash formats & Windows Media formats are stored on the backend for the most optimal viewing experience for the visiting user depending on their computing platform and depending upon their web browser's capabilities. Yay!

UPDATE 11:05PM:
Well, uh, I had no idea anyone ever even read my blog outside of my customers. My bad. Some folks linked to this entry and I guess Soapbox is the hot new thing for a lot of folks in the media and they're getting RSS notifications on ANYTHING that even remotely mentions Soapbox.

Couple major corrections - I've been told recently by [GULP] the General Manager of MSN Video that both Mac users and Firefox users will in fact get a Flash-based interface which will allow them to view the content stored by people using the site, while Windows users will get Windows Media-based interface.

...which says something really cool about the technology used in Soapbox. The content is transcoded into both Flash & Windows Media formats and stored simultaneously on Microsoft's backend. This might mean lot or storage is required but it also means less bandwidth is consumed for Windows users. (I'll explain why that's relevant in a second)

Why is that cool? Why should I care as a Windows user?

It's cool because that means that Soapbox is the only site I know of that provides the most optimal content viewing experience for Windows users for all its content. Instead of "generic-izing" the content format to a lowest common denominator format for everyone to view in, it provides an experience that is clearest and most bandwidth friendly for Windows users, which let's be honest, are the majority of the users out there.

What do you mean "most optimal"? Give me some examples, please.

Well, okay here's a few. Windows Media streams are "thinner" meaning that buffering (that initial "please wait while your video is loading") is minimized. Also thinner streams means less bandwidth congestion on Microsoft's side, and while you might not care about Microsoft's concerns, you might care that you get a good, snappy response time from the Soapbox site, and that's predicated on there being lots of bandwidth available. Thinner streams equals a snappier, more responsive web site.

And in any case, even though Warhol is effectively doubling the amount of space required on the backend, disk is cheap. Bandwidth is expensive... and the Warhol/Soapbox folks have chosen to save bandwidth over disc. Smart move.

And then there's the little thing called Windows Media 9 codec. Windows Media 9 was such a good format for encoding media that it's in both Blu-Ray & HD-DVD specifications for high definition video. To be certain, a lot of very smart people acknowledged Windows Media 9's excellence through its inclusion in the HD-DVD & Blu-Ray specs. More importantly to you however is the fact that Windows Media 9 just plain LOOKS GREAT relative to other formats out there.

There's a lot more to it but the easiest way to describe the benefits of Windows Media are to simply look at all the media format related features inside of Windows Media Player.

-------------

ORIGINAL POST:
"Warhol", is going to be released as MSN Soapbox. It's been in the press for a while and if you don't know what Warhol or Soapbox is, just do a Live Search on it.

I've been working with Warhol for the past couple of months and I really like it. It's a glitzier version of Putfile that uses Windows Media, which has been my mainstay for hosting content for a long time. The community is pretty active and the interface is superb.

In case you're wondering, Warhol has only been accessible by Microsoft employees from Microsoft's internal network, hence the reason there hasn't been any screenshots or anything published on the web. Suffice it to say, they're going to announce it tomorrow so everyone will get the chance to take a look at it. It's really bandwidth efficient, you can "copy" the cotent locally to your own machine if you have the right tools (instead of using some proprietary wrapper around it like you do with Google), it's optimized to your network speed, and doesn't require any plug ins or anything.

Needless to say that I'll be moving over to Soapbox/Warhol and hope all you Windows users will join me.

BETA: Forefront Security for Exchange Server 2007

Wed, 09 Aug 2006 18:15:53 GMT

To protect Exchange Server 2007 against the latest malware and spam, Forefront Security for Exchange Server provides on-premise, server-level antivirus and anti-spam protection.

Forefront Security for Exchange protects organizations against the latest threats by managing multiple antivirus scan engines at multiple layers throughout the e-mail infrastructure. This approach allows Forefront for Exchange to minimize the average window of exposure for emerging e-mail threats by providing continual signature updates from multiple antivirus labs around the world. Forefront also protects by scanning at multiple layers in the Exchange 2007 infrastructure, including the Edge, Hub Transport, and Mailbox server roles, while using scanning intelligence to avoid needless repeat scanning.

Download Forefront Security for Exchange Server Beta:

http://www.microsoft.com/forefront/serversecurity/exchange/download-beta.mspx

BETA: Windows Defender Beta 2 Build 1.1.1347.0

Mon, 17 Jul 2006 09:15:50 GMT

Interesting. It looks like a new version of Windows Defender came out sometime in April apparently... and I never knew about it. Windows Defender was labeled as "Beta 2" since it was the successor to our Microsoft Antispyware Beta 1 product. You might remember that product as being the former "Giant AntiSpyware" product that was known by it's trademark "bullseye" logo. (Having a bullseye for logo when you're a security product isn't the brightest thing in the world but I digress)

Anyway, the first "Windows Defender Beta 2" was version 1.1.1051.0. The new one appears to be Windows Defender 1.1.1347.0. It installs over your existing installation but it requires that you shutdown both Internet Explorer as well as Outlook.

Download the current beta release here:

http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=56644

BETA: Windows XP x64 Professional & Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 2 BETA 1

Fri, 30 Jun 2006 02:33:12 GMT

Windows Serviceability is pleased to announce the release of the Beta 1 release of Service Pack 2 for Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP x64 Professional customers. Congratulations on joining our beta program, we look forward to partnering with you to make Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP x64 Professional even better. Service Pack 2 is a conventional service pack consisting of all security updates, all individual hotfixes released to customers and fixes to reduce top customer support issues as well as increase reliability, robustness, and security.

Service Pack 2 is the first Service Pack for Windows XP x64 Professional SKU. Service Pack 2 also updates customers running Windows Server 2003 RTM, SP1 and/or R2 releases. You can find more information on Windows Server Service Pack 2 on the Connect site. As more information comes available we'll be sure to update you.

To get to it:

1) Sign in to http://connect.microsoft.com

2) Click "Available Connections"

3) Click on "Apply" for the appropriate beta.

BETA: Rights Management Services (RMS) 1.0 Service Pack 2 (SP2) BETA

Fri, 30 Jun 2006 02:15:33 GMT

Windows Rights Management Services (RMS) 1.0 Service Pack 2 (SP2) for Microsoft Windows Server 2003, a security service for Windows Server 2003, is information protection that works with RMS-enabled applications to help safeguard digital information from unauthorized use – both online and offline, inside and outside of the firewall. For more information about RMS, please go to www.microsoft.com/rms.

Since this server component is provided as a premium service for Windows Server 2003, a Windows RMS Client Access License (CAL) is required for each user publishing and/or consuming Rights Management Services (RMS)-protected content. However, up to two users may simultaneously access or use RMS solely for administration of the software without a CAL. For more details on licensing requirements, please review the End User License Agreement when downloading this premium service.

Although RMS is designed for and tested with database servers running SQL Server 2000/2005 and MSDE, and Microsoft does not support the usage of RMS together with a database provider other than either SQL Server 2000/2005 or MSDE, RMS can be run on other database servers that use the ADO.NET interfaces that are provided by the Microsoft .NET Framework. Therefore, other database vendors may have developed compatible database providers for RMS. You may use any database provider together with RMS on the condition that the corresponding database server complies with the following criteria:

The database server must be Transact-SQL compliant because RMS initialization scripts and RMS stored procedures use Transact-SQL.
The database server must support any Microsoft SQL Server-specific extensions.
The database provider must be able to:
Respond to method calls of the System.Data.SqlClient namespace of the .NET Framework.
Provide the corresponding functionality of the System.Data.SqlClient namespace.
Use Windows Integrated Authentication instead of SQL authentication.

If you use RMS in any other configuration, contact the relevant database vendor or solution provider whose database provider you are using in your customized deployment.

DOWNLOAD: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=79e9acf5-0e7b-4470-aaf7-7bbb72cdbbbc&DisplayLang=en

BETA: Digital Locker from Windows Marketplace Labs

Fri, 30 Jun 2006 01:44:02 GMT

Assume that bandwidth will grow toward 10Mb d/l per home connection over the next 3 years.

Assume that people's Internet connections will be as reliable as their phone's dial tone.

Assume that workstation hard drives are not the appropriate place to store the "source" media for software package purchases.

Assume that every Windows user wants a consistent, reliable method of retrieving backups of the software they've purchased, anytime, anywhere.

Assume that people want to have the most a current version of the software that they purchased.

Today, individual companies selling software online in this way are doing so with their own servers, their own Internet connections, and their own transaction systems. They are tracking individual users on their own databases and they are using their own resources to do so.

PROBLEM:

This is an inconsistent purchasing & downloading experience for end users. Think of your Mom & Dad.

This inconsistent experience means that each application can not rely on a consistent Internet location for things like application self healing over the Internet.

This purchasing & downloading experience requires every manufacturer to provide identification systems and downloading bandwidth on their own.

Digital Locker provides that consistent location for software purchases and storage online.

The digital locker was designed to give customers a single page for controlling their personal information and purchase history, allowing them to instantly see what software licenses they own. Microsoft is offering programs from the libraries of Digital River, eSellerate, Handango and Kagi, but will not support independent ISVs. Credit card charges will be handled by Microsoft's delivery partners.

http://www.windowsmarketplacelabs.com/

BETA: Internet Explorer 7.0 Beta 3 releases

Fri, 30 Jun 2006 01:11:25 GMT

[Taken from http://blogs.msdn.com/ie/archive/2006/06/29/649910.aspx]

Internet Explorer 7 Beta 3 for Windows XP (and more) Now Available
This morning we released IE7 Beta 3 for Windows XP. This version includes improvements in reliability, compatibility, security, and a few end user features. Give it a try at http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/default.mspx.

Based on your feedback, we’ve made some changes to IE7. Beta 3 returns the email button to the toolbar customize dialog (one of the most requested features), and enables reordering of tabs by dragging them to the left or right. In this version you can also scroll horizontally while zooming. To improve the RSS experience, IE7 now allows you to update all your RSS feeds on-demand as well as mark them all “READ”.

Beta 3 also contains all the security fixes addressed in the June IE security bulletin, so we encourage all Beta 2 users to upgrade to Beta 3.

Please remember to uninstall any previous IE7 builds before installing this one. IE7 Beta 3 runs on Windows XP SP2, Windows XP x64, and Windows Server 2003 SP1. This beta does not install on Windows Vista Beta 2; a new version of IE7+ in Windows Vista will be available with the next public Windows Vista release soon. IE7 still replaces IE6; if you’re a developer and need to have both IE6 and IE7 on a single machine, I recommend Microsoft Virtual PC (here’s a link to their 45-day free trial version) or Chris Wilson’s post on the subject.

As with Beta 2, we’ll release German, Finnish, Arabic, and Japanese versions in the next few weeks.

I’m looking forward to reading the feedback - positive and negative - as it comes in. I also want to encourage developers, web developers, designers, and IT Pros to use Readiness Toolkit to help you deliver the best possible experience to your sites’ IE7 visitors.

Today’s release is the final beta for IE7. Our next steps are the Release Candidates followed by general availability in the second half of the year.

Thanks,
Dean Hachamovitch
General Manager

REMINDER: Microsoft Client Protection Beta is still up!

Wed, 21 Jun 2006 11:03:13 GMT

I've sent this out before, but I suppose it can't hurt to send it out again:

If you are interested in registering for the beta version of Microsoft Client Protection, please visit the Forefront Client Security site at http://www.microsoft.com/forefront/clientsecurity/default.mspx.

"Microsoft Client Protection" provides:

- Antivirus

- Antispyware

- Malicious Software Removal (a special tool that extracts 'hard-to-remove' virii & spyware from a machine)

- Bi-directional firewall

...with unified management of all 4 components through a central administrative mechanism.

BETA: Windows Vista Application Compatibility Toolkit 5.0 Beta now available

Mon, 19 Jun 2006 21:43:26 GMT

The Application Compatibility Toolkit (ACT) is an incredibly cool set of tools that enable people to examine their applications to see if they will run correctly under a given Windows operating system, and if not, it will tell you what's "wrong". More importantly however, it will also show you how to get the application functional under Windows by using specific parameters and controls.

ACT 5.0 is designed specifically for testing if applications will run correctly under Windows Vista.

Customers can register to download this kit by doing the following:

1) Log in to Microsoft Connect using a MS Passport account

2) Choose “Available Programs”

3) Click “Apply “ next to the “Microsoft Application Compatibility Toolkit 5.0 Beta” program listing

BETA: Windows Media Encoder Studio Edition

Sat, 17 Jun 2006 06:55:04 GMT

Windows Media Encoder Studio Edition Beta is an exciting new addition to the Windows Media tools family. It is a powerful tool for video professionals, optimized for the creation of high-quality offline encoding using Microsoft’s implementation of the VC-1 video standard (WMV9). Windows Media Encoder Studio Edition Beta provides the key features necessary to create next-generation video content and capitalize on the growing importance of scenarios around optical media and video-on-demand. With the final standardization of VC-1, “Studio Edition”, will prove to be an invaluable tool for the offline encoding community.

DOWNLOAD: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/forpros/encoder/default.mspx

FAQ: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/forpros/encoderse/faq.aspx

Encoding HD On Demand With Windows Media Encoder Studio Edition

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/howto/articles/usingsehd.aspx

BETA: Beta Release of Microsoft Network Monitor 3.0

Thu, 15 Jun 2006 00:20:44 GMT

We are proud to announce the Beta Release of Microsoft Network Monitor 3.0.

We've published this closed Beta primarily to provide Vista B2 customers with a way to capture network traffic for support purposes. We have a lot of work still to do on Network Monitor 3.0, but we are excited to help support Vista B2, let customers preview Netmon 3.0, and get some feedback on this exciting new tool.

How do I get NetMon3 as a Microsoft Enterprise customer?

This beta is "by invitation only". I am able to provide a beta ID to any of my customers however they are targetting primarily to support situations for Beta 1. We plan a second, wider beta release on July 31.

1. Contact me for a Beta ID, if you are one of my customers. I will only going through the application process for my direct Enterprise customers and you know who you are and you know how to find me.

2. Once I've sent you a Beta ID, log in to http://connect.microsoft.com using your Passport ID, select “Invitations”, and type in the ID. The download is immediately available.

We've put a lot of hard work into Network Monitor 3.0. We hope that you find that it advances our mission, which is to "Make it faster and easier for customers and partners to diagnose and service the Windows Platform".

BETA: Virtual Server "Virtual Machine Manager"

Fri, 09 Jun 2006 18:48:40 GMT

We made available the "Carmine" Beta a.k.a. "Microsoft System Center Virtual Machine Manager".

Virtual Machine Manager provides centralized management of Windows Virtual Machine infrastructure. Virtual Machine Manager enables increased physical server utilization, centralized management of virtual infrastructure and rapid provisioning of new virtual machines by the administrator and end users.

Overview: http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserversystem/systemcenter/scvmm/evaluation/overview/default.mspx

Web site and Beta Signup:

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserversystem/systemcenter/scvmm/default.mspx

BETA: Windows Vista Customer Preview Program

Thu, 08 Jun 2006 22:21:13 GMT

Microsoft has formally unveiled our publicly available Windows Vista Customer Preview Program (CPP), which will provide the broadest access yet to pre-release test versions of Windows Vista. Customers can now download Beta 2 bits for free or order a DVD for a cost-of-goods sold price.

WARNING: The DVD offer will sell out for certain so please order it ASAP if you would like it.

Below is the link to where you can get the most current information on Windows Vista:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsvista/getready

Key things to note on the Windows Vista Customer Preview Program (CPP):

- The Windows Vista Customer Preview Program allows developers and IT professionals who do not have access to pre-release versions of Windows Vista through other channels to obtain the code and begin their testing. Also as part of the CPP, technology enthusiasts can obtain Beta 2 and begin testing the various consumer scenarios Windows Vista enables.

- Non-technical consumers should wait until Windows Vista becomes commercially available to begin using the operating system. Participants in the CPP program should keep in mind this is beta code and should only be used on test machines - not on main PCs in a home or PCs in a production environment in the workplace.
- This broad availability of Windows Vista pre-release code represents a significant milestone in the development of Windows Vista and the feedback we receive from testers will help us to further refine certain areas of the product as we move closer to the final release.

For those who aren't aware of the dates, we are on track for business availability of Windows Vista in November 2006 with general consumer and new consumer PC availability in January 2007.

BETA: Microsoft Locale Builder (part 2, correction 1)

Tue, 30 May 2006 21:25:23 GMT

So, why is this Locale Builder so interesting? Outside of building dialect interfaces, try these:

1) Maybe you'd like to create your own personal Windows Vista locale for13375p34k, it'd be possible to create the US-1337 locale. In fact, we've already done it. Download it here. (Remember - this is for Windows Vista ONLY.)

2) Or maybe you'd like to see a Klingon locale for the Windows Vista UI. How about a Fizzle Shizzle locale? These were some of the goofier ideas they had.

EDIT 5/30/2006: Believe it or not, an SDE (Software Design Engineer) for Microsoft Locale Builder found this blog entry on the net - how, I have no idea - and corrected me on a point of fact. Locale Builder does not enable the conversion of one word to another as in an early post of this entry. The example I gave that was incorrect, was the potential conversion of the word "favorites" to "favourites". which as the SDE points out: (refraining from using names in case he doesn't want the exposure)

I just wanted to drop you a quick mail to clarify that we don’t provide functionality in Locale Builder to change the spelling of terms used in Windows Vista (e.g. such as “Favorites” -> “Favourites”)… that’s a terminology issue as opposed to a locale setting which is what our tool provides customization for.

BETA: Microsoft Locale Builder Beta 2 (part 2)

Fri, 26 May 2006 19:33:00 GMT

So, why is this Locale Builder so interesting? Outside of building dialect interfaces, try these:

2) Or maybe you'd like to see a Klingon locale for the Windows Vista UI. How about a Fizzle Shizzle locale? These were some of the goofier ideas they had.

I just wanted to drop you a quick mail to clarify that we don’t provide functionality in Locale Builder to change the spelling of terms used in Windows Vista (e.g. such as “Favorites” -> “Favourites”)… that’s a terminology issue as opposed to a locale setting which is what our tool provides customization for.

BETA: Microsoft Locale Builder Beta 2

Fri, 26 May 2006 19:08:34 GMT

Yesterday, we released Beta 2 of Microsoft Locale Builder to the web, a tool which enables Windows Vista users to create new, or modify existing Windows Vista locales with customized locale formats!

As Microsoft expands into more and more markets, scaling and tailoring products to meet global needs becomes a serious challenge. Microsoft Windows Vista currently supports more than 200 locales (100+ languages), and yet this covers only a fraction of speakers worldwide. As a company, we are moving towards a more extensible model for international support that will empower users to create and share customized solutions in the international space.

The Microsoft Locale Builder provides a way to extend and modify the set of locales that Microsoft ships with your own regional and cultural data. The Microsoft Locale Builder was created to support customers in regions without built-in Windows locales as well as customers seeking to modify locales that they are already using. Customers will be able to add support on their own timeline without having to wait for new releases of Windows.

Microsoft Locale Builder will also allow corporations, governments, universities, and special-interest groups to generate and easily share custom locales on Microsoft Windows Vista.

DOWNLOAD: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=12ADFFC8-A4DA-424B-8D62-17C1E0FFC116&displaylang=en

RELEASE: Windows Live Local Add-in for Outlook

Wed, 24 May 2006 23:12:29 GMT

Today, we announced the online availability of Windows Live Local for Microsoft Outlook, a free downloadable software add-in for Outlook that will incorporate information from Windows Live Local, including maps, driving directions and travel times into the Outlook calendar appointments.

Windows Live Local for Outlook enables you to add maps and directions to your Outlook meeting requests, calculate the travel distance between your start location and your appointment location, adjust your meeting departure time based on the estimated travel time, store custom locations, as well as print the map and step-by-step driving directions to take with you on the road.

INFO: http://www.microsoft.com/mappoint/outlook/download.mspx

DOWNLOAD: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=7a0bce98-eab4-40a3-b7ec-43c09d6ae8cb&DisplayLang=en

README: http://download.microsoft.com/download/E/0/A/E0A5B34D-7A92-4E01-BDCB-16BC34EBECB1/Readme.txt

BETA: Office 2007 Beta 2 releases

Wed, 24 May 2006 14:53:06 GMT

The public Office 2007 Beta 2 is now available for customers to download at:

http://www.microsoft.com/office/preview/beta/download/en/default.mspx

Products for download include:

Microsoft® Office Professional Plus 2007

Microsoft® Office Visio® Professional 2007

Microsoft® Office Outlook® 2007 with Business Contact Manager

Microsoft® Office Project Server 2007

Microsoft® Office Project Professional 2007

Microsoft® Office Groove® 2007

Microsoft® Office Groove® Server 2007

Microsoft® Office OneNote® 2007

Microsoft® Office SharePoint® Designer 2007

Microsoft® Office SharePoint® Server 2007 - Enterprise

Microsoft® Office SharePoint® Server 2007 - Enterprise(x64)

Microsoft® Office Forms Server 2007

Microsoft® Office Forms Server 2007 (x64)

BETA: Windows Media Player 11 Beta Official Release

Thu, 18 May 2006 09:15:37 GMT

Windows Media Player 11 has been redesigned to make it easier for you to enjoy your digital media experience.

With Windows Media Player 11 you’ll minimize the time you spend managing your music, pictures, and videos and maximize the time you spend enjoying them. Read on for information about how to get started with the new design.

You can switch to a tab to see a view that targets the task you want to complete. The arrow that appears below each tab provides you with quick access to options and settings for that task. For example, the arrow below the Burn tab gives you the ability to burn the currently playing playlist to a CD in just a few clicks.

Features in WMP 11 for XP (June 06):

New UI
Support for better synchronization for portable devices
Album “stacks” of album art
Indexed libraries with search-as-you-type features
User controlled downgrade of quality for DRM content to allow for smaller files
DRM content will contain metadata that shows what the user is allowed to do with the file
Includes Microsoft and MTV’s Urge music store

Features in WMP 11 for Vista (Early 07):

Everything that is in the WMP 11 for XP
Playing content (including DRM) on your PC from another PC or device
Viewing content from the Vista Media library on other PCs or digital devices, such as Tivo
Playback of High Value video content
Shell integration with Windows Media Player
Content Indexer change notification to sync My Music and WMP library
DVD Fullscreen playback enhancements
DRM Transcode
High quality video streaming over home networks
Media foundation for playback

Requires Windows XP

Note: If you use Windows Media Player to access a favorite online store, some are not available for this beta release. The following stores are available in the Windows Media Player 11 beta release: Audible, FYE, Live365, Movielink, MSN Music, Napster, Passalong, Puretracks, URGE, Wal-Mart, and XM Radio.

DOWNLOAD: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/player/11/default.aspx

TAP: Exchange "12" Unified Messaging & Mobility program

Wed, 26 Apr 2006 21:46:17 GMT

Want to help us gear up for Exchange "12" Unified Messaging and Mobility release?

Here is a great opportunity for few "right" customers. If you might be interested, please respond to "michael DOT liu AT microsoft DOT com" and I will set up a call with you to go through details. The Exchange team is currently recruiting our best global brand name customers with an interest in Unified Messaging or Mobility to participate in Fall advertising (Note: Only 4 Customers will be selected).

The Exchange team would provide:

- Resources to deploy Unified Messaging to 100 Exchange "12" mailboxes or 20 mobile phones to deploy on 100 Exchange "12" mailboxes
- A dedicated MCS or Partner resource to help you deploy Exchange "12"
- Two 64-bit servers to run Exchange "12"
- For UM, a dedicated Unified Messaging consultant to integrate Exchange "12" into your PBX system
- Access to the Exchange Unified Messaging or client access program managers

Your obligation would be to:

- Participate in global advertising campaign
- Provide project manager
- Deploy 100 mailboxes on Exchange "12" beta 2
- Work with Microsoft, Partner and Unified Messaging consultants to assist with technical implementation to be started June 15 through September
- PR/Marketing resource to coordinate advertising activity such as ad copy approval, photo shoots, case study and video interviews and approval

This is a great chance for the "right" customer (meaning, a customer we are looking for) to develop a deep relationship with the Exchange product team and showcase you and your company's technology leadership. Let us know if you are interested. Send an email to "michael DOT liu AT microsoft DOT com" with the following information:

- Company name
- Contact email address
- How many employees
- Number of Exchange mailboxes
- Primary messaging system

Please note that this is a nomination process and not a guarantee of participation. Customers will be chosen based on a number of advertising criteria including benefits of E12 to the organization, name recognition, final target publications and geographies, etc. We appreciate you being one of Exchange's very best customers!

http://blogs.technet.com/exchange/archive/2006/04/21/425919.aspx

BETA: Internet Explorer 7.0 Beta 2 Release delayed to April 25th

Sat, 22 Apr 2006 00:25:20 GMT

FYI: The release of the official Internet Explorer 7.0 Beta 2 was postponed 7 days to April 25th.

The bits will be posted to the web on that day.

BETA: Microsoft Expression Graphic Designer March 2006 CTP

Sun, 02 Apr 2006 08:30:24 GMT

Wanna take a look at the latest Expression Graphic Designer CTP?

Microsoft Expression Graphic Designer (formerly code named "Acrylic") is a professional illustration, painting, and graphic design product. Visit the Expression Graphic Designer Features page for an overview of the main features. For more detailed information please view the videos that are also available on the Expression Graphic Designer site. http://www.microsoft.com/products/expression/en/default.mspx

DOWNLOAD: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=565CAFC7-343F-4927-ABD1-8BBF6E7E01DE&displaylang=en

FAQ: http://www.microsoft.com/products/expression/en/graphic_designer/gd_faq.mspx

ONLINE DISCUSSION:

http://www.microsoft.com/communities/newsgroups/en-us/default.aspx?dg=microsoft.public.expression.discussion&amp;cat=en_US_717f231e-6256-4e36-975c-3a3ced16532b&amp;lang=en&amp;cr=US

BETA: Search Macros for Windows Live Search

Sat, 11 Mar 2006 01:18:13 GMT

I wanted to mention a new feature we introduced with the Windows Live Search release the other day, called Search Macros. Search Macros allow you to build and share search modifiers that can help someone else when they want to do a specialized or targeted search. The modifiers can be any set of keywords or advanced search operators. In some sense, they let you build your own targeted search engine. The consumers of a macro can ‘install’ it on their Live Search scope bars, alongside the default scopes like Web, Images and News, and use it as often as they want.

You can try an early version of the feature today at http://www.live.com. Currently, you can chose and install from an existing set of macros, but very soon, we will add the ability to create your own. The list of macros we have today is at: http://microsoftgadgets.com/Macros.

Here is one example where macros can come handy. Let’s say you are a Computer Science researcher and want to find some publications related to Bayesian networks. A vanilla search will give you a lot of results you don’t care about in this context. For a better experience, you may want to use the livesearch.csresearch macro: http://www.live.com/#q=macro%3Alivesearch.csresearch%20bayesian%20networks&offset=1

On the other hand, if you want to find out what a Bayesian network is, you may want to use the livesearch.reference macro: http://www.live.com/#q=bayesian%20networks%20macro%3Alivesearch.reference&offset=1.

Note that in each case, you didn’t have to know what modifiers give best results. Someone else who is an expert searcher shared their knowledge with you in a simple way.

If you like a macro, just install it on the scope bar for future use!

BETA: Microsoft Launches Beta Program for Microsoft Office Live Services

Thu, 02 Mar 2006 01:51:44 GMT

Microsoft Corp. today announced the beta availability of Microsoft Office Live (http://www.OfficeLive.com), offering small-business customers a cost-free opportunity to experience the company’s new Internet-based software services firsthand. A milestone for the online services previewed last fall, Microsoft Office Live combines the power of software and services to deliver rich and seamless experiences to small companies that want a presence online. Microsoft plans to offer Office Live offerings that will range from free domain name, Web site and company e-mail accounts that are advertising-supported to more comprehensible services available on a subscription-fee basis.

VISIT: http://www.officelive.com

BETA: ISA Server 2006 Enterprise Edition Beta

Thu, 02 Mar 2006 01:43:32 GMT

Internet Security and Acceleration (ISA) Server 2006 is a cornerstone of Microsoft’s security product strategy and further proof of our commitment to providing secure, anytime, anywhere access to corporate applications and data. This latest version of the firewall, VPN, and Web cache solution highlights several key advancements, including a comprehensive tool set for publishing Exchange and SharePoint Servers, extensions to Windows Server 2003 R2 for streamlined security and connectivity in corporate branch offices, and a new array of OEM appliance solutions that will greatly simplify deployment across your organization.

GO TO: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=d45aa23c-296b-4be2-87a1-41400bb85feb&DisplayLang=en

BETA: Systems Management Server v4.0 Beta registration

Thu, 02 Mar 2006 01:09:23 GMT

Download the Systems Management Server (SMS) v4 Beta software today to preview the Microsoft’s next generation systems management solution for change and configuration management.

Downloading the SMS v4 Beta Software

To download the SMS v4 Beta software
1. Go to http://connect.microsoft.com (Note: a Passport account is required)
2. Select the Available Programs from the links on the left side of the page.
3. From the list of Available Programs, choose the Systems Management Server v4 Open Beta.
4. Follow the instructions provided. If you have not used Microsoft Connect before, you will be required to register.
5. Once you’ve completed the registration process, you will be granted access to the program’s web site.

To access the program’s web site:
1. Go to http://connect.microsoft.com (Note: a Passport account is required)
2. Choose My Participation from the links on the left side of the page.
3. From the list of your participation, choose the Systems Management Server v4 Open Beta. This will take you to the program’s home page.
4. From the program’s home page, choose the Downloads link from the left hand side of the page.
5. From the list of available downloads, select the SMS v4 Beta 1 download package and follow the instructions to complete the download.

Note: The installation of an ActiveX control will be necessary to install Download Manager.

BETA: Systems Management Server 2003 R2 goes live

Thu, 02 Mar 2006 01:07:22 GMT

Microsoft Releases Beta Version of Systems Management Server 2003 R2
Microsoft has extended its commitment to its enterprise management customers by releasing a public beta of updates that significantly expands SMS 2003’s tools and capabilities. The new SMS 2003 R2 helps businesses install and manage software updates for third-party and line-of-business (LOB) applications via SMS in the same format used by SMS, rather than the numerous different formats and mechanism used by other vendors. In addition, IT administrators can now rely on SMS 2003 to check for configuration errors and security vulnerabilities on their system’s desktops and servers.

SMS 2003 R2 provides the following key capabilities:

Inventory Tool for Custom Updates

Building a more secure and reliable infrastructure while lowering operating costs relies on the ability to update independent software vendor (ISV) and in-house applications as well as updates provided by Microsoft. With SMS 2003 R2 and the Inventory Tool for Custom Updates (ITCU), organizations can achieve this goal quickly and efficiently.

ITCU consists of two components:

• Integrated Scanner. Designed for evaluating target clients for software update compliance.
• Publishing Tool. Designed to allow the ISV or line-of business (LOB) application developer to create software update catalogs that can be imported into SMS. The native SMS 2003 Software Updates Management (SUM) functionality can then use these catalogs to determine applicability and automatically remediate as necessary.

Scan Tool for Vulnerability Assessment

Software installation errors and misconfigurations compromise security and stability, resulting in escalated support costs. Scan Tool for Vulnerability Assessment (STVA) can help prevent errors, increasing your organizational uptime and helping you build a more secure infrastructure. The tool provides vulnerability assessment reporting for common software misconfigurations using the Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer (MBSA) 2.0 engine.

Download the Beta Software
To download the SMS 2003 R2 beta software (a Passport account is required):

1. Go to the Microsoft Connect site.
2. Select Invitations.
3. Log into Microsoft Passport.
4. Enter the invitation ID - SMSR-X6JX-YP6W.
5. Go to My Participation and select the SMS 2003 R2 – Open Beta program.

For more information, see http://www.microsoft.com/smserver

BETA: Windows Live FolderShare goes to Beta

Wed, 01 Mar 2006 07:15:45 GMT

Windows Live Foldershare went live. Windows Live Foldershare allows you to keep files and folders synchronized between different computers with a centralized service as your replication node. It leverages a client-side tool that installs on your PCs and presents itself in the System Tray.

https://www.foldershare.com/

----------------

Product Overview
FolderShareTM allows you to create a private peer-to-peer network that will help you to synchronize files across multiple devices and access or share files with colleagues and friends. You no longer need to send large files via email, burn them to CDs/DVDs and mail them, or upload them to a website. FolderShare allows you to share and sync important information instantly with anyone you invite, making it the perfect solution for personal or small business use.

How can I use it?

Synchronize all your devices - Retrieve work files at home or access photos at work. With your devices in sync, you no longer have to be frustrated that your information is on another computer.
Share files, photos, and home videos with your peers - Select the content you want to share, invite members, and they will be able to access the shared files directly from their device.
Access your computer or device remotely - FolderShare mobile access allows you to access your computer from any web browser.

Any restrictions? We'll let you decide...

Share files up to 2 GB in size
Unlimited file transfers - no limits on quantity or size of files transferred
Any file type - files are synced and transferred in their original format

How much does it cost?

FolderShare is now free of charge - download the FolderShare Satellite now!

BETA: Virtual Earth "Street Side Views" Preview

Wed, 01 Mar 2006 01:25:44 GMT

Take a look at our new upcoming "Street Side Views" in Virtual Earth:
http://preview.local.live.com/

...now we have Aerial View... Bird's Eye View... and Street Side View!

This will hopefully help make Virtual Earth the ultimate mapping and environmental knowledge tool for people travelling to new geographical locations.

I think the Digg news story on it says it all: "VIRTUAL EARTH JUST BEAT GOOGLE EARTH"
http://www.digg.com/technology/VIRTUAL_EARTH_JUST_BEAT_GOOGLE_EARTH

And check out the Channel 9 video with the Virtual Earth team:
http://channel9.msdn.com/showpost.aspx?postid=166518

BETA: Windows Live Expo... Microsoft's Classified ads

Mon, 20 Feb 2006 20:32:50 GMT

Think "craigslist". Think "newspaper ads". Think about your local city. Now think, "totally free". That's what Windows Live Expo is.

---> http://expo.live.com

Formerly codenamed "Fremont", Windows Live Expo is a new classifieds service that enables people to buy. sell, and trade online with people local to their geography.

New features will soon launch including:

MSN Spaces integration
MSN Messenger gleam triggered when you update your MSN Space
MSN alerts integration to receive alerts via your mobile phone, email, or IM.

Fun anecdotes we’ve heard from users:

A user sold his Coldplay tickets in 1 day with over 100 interested parties.
An employee said he saved at least 5 asynchronous email exchanges by using the built in MSN Messenger to communicate with his buyer.
A user solved a computer software question by asking other community members.

BETA: Microsoft Client Protection

Fri, 10 Feb 2006 14:11:55 GMT

Sign up/register for the Client Protection Beta
https://profile.microsoft.com/RegSysProfileCenter/wizard.aspx?wizid=ef05e13b-708e-4006-82aa-77957454c105&lcid=1033

Client Protection represents the following capabilities:
- Guard against current and emerging malware threats
- Proven protection technology
- Keep defenses up to date
- Improved visibility
- Designed to work with what you have

For more information about Client Protection, visit:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserversystem/solutions/security/clientprotection/default.mspx

BETA: ISA Server 2006 Beta 1

Fri, 10 Feb 2006 14:07:35 GMT

http://www.microsoft.com/isaserver/2006/beta.mspx.

ISA Server 2006 represents the following new technologies:

Secure Application Publishing
Branch Office Gateway
Web Access Protection

More details on what ISA Server 2006 is, is available here:

http://www.microsoft.com/isaserver/2006/default.mspx

BETA: Internet Explorer 7.0 Beta 2 goes LIVE - Download it now!

Wed, 01 Feb 2006 01:20:51 GMT

I repeat: Internet Explorer 7.0 Beta 2 goes LIVE - Download it now!

Here's a few of the exciting new features showcased in the beta that will be features that are in the final version of IE 7.0 including:

· Dynamic new security and privacy protection features

· A significantly enhanced end user experience

· Major platform advances for Web and application developers

IE 7 Beta 2 Preview also includes the Windows RSS platform for Windows XP. By making the powerful RSS platform available for Windows XP, Microsoft is further empowering developers to easily create innovative, RSS-enabled solutions. You’ll see teams throughout Microsoft and many third party ISVs delivering products in the coming months built on this platform.

DOWNLOAD http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/ie7/default.mspx

P.S. For those of you running XP Pro 64-bit or Windows Server 2003, you’ll have a new IE7 to play with at the broad consumer beta in a few months. And, of course, if you are self-hosting Windows Vista betas, you have the latest and greatest versions of IE 7 already.

BETA: Microsoft Video Cube

Thu, 26 Jan 2006 10:58:20 GMT

Interesting. This is a tool that apparently creates Non-Photo Realistic video animation using actual video recordings as input. What's funny is that there are dozens of sites on the Internet plugging this tool from MS Research but no one seems to know what the hell it is that Alex and the rest of the researchers are talking about.

Basically, Non-Photo Realistic video is known as NPR and something of an artifact of the Cubist art movement from years ago. The idea is that a person's video can be translated into something akin to a cell-shaded cartoon similar to cubist art. Take a look at the following photo and the cell-shaded image that's been rendered on it:

http://students.washington.edu/juew/images/VideoC10.jpg

Now imaging that image being animated like a cartoon. THAT'S "Video Cubing". MS Research could essentially take any video of your children for example, and turn it into a cartoon of sorts. This is a little far off but they're showing how this can be done using basic Windows software tools and algorithms.

RESEARCH PAPER:

http://research.microsoft.com/research/pubs/view.aspx?msr_tr_id=MSR-TR-2001-45

DOWNLOAD:

http://research.microsoft.com/research/downloads/download.aspx?FUID=ec37a62b-ce59-4aac-b0af-f465c63b026c

BETA: "Group Shot" from Microsoft Research

Thu, 19 Jan 2006 00:59:29 GMT

Alright. I admit that my friend Blake Handler (http://www.blakehandler.com) posted this faster than I did. In my defense, I've been training in Seattle, WA learning about some pretty fascinating things that I'll blog about as soon as I get the time but in the mean time, check out this new tool that Microsoft Research posted a week ago called "Group Shot".

Basically, Group Shot takes multiple photographs and allows you to select the portions you like from each of them to create a totally new photo with the "best features of all the preceding photos. Here's the help file for the tool here: http://research.microsoft.com/projects/GroupShot/GroupShotHelp.htm

If you want to download the tool, it's free: http://research.microsoft.com/projects/GroupShot/

UPDATE: Windows Live! What are you waiting for?

Wed, 11 Jan 2006 11:36:21 GMT

Holy mackerel. It's funny that I haven't seen anyone actually TALK about this stuff in any detail yet. I've been REALLY busy and I haven't had the chance to go over every single new Live.com beta but it doesn't look like ANYONE'S DONE IT YET! And this stuff is soooooooo cool!

So it starts with http://www.live.com/. Visit it... it's a home page that you can completely customize with RSS feeds and the like. News. Sports. Weather. RSS summaries of your favorite web site. All right in front of you... and you can import OPML files or export them if you'd like. (For those of you who know what that is)

Ideas.Live.com

The go to http://ideas.live.com/. This is where are the truly sick stuff is at. There are 11 different beta programs here and I'd encourage you to check them out. For example:

Windows Live Domains

Do you own a Domain name? Is it just sitting around doing nothing? Would you like to have your own domain name map to a Hotmail.com email address so you can have <yourfirstname>@<yourdomainname>.com go to a Hotmail account? That's what Windows Live Domains is.
http://ideas.live.com/programpage.aspx?versionId=11b1081d-cfb0-4511-acb5-55db6b49f7de

BETA: Windows Vista February CTP

Wed, 11 Jan 2006 09:03:40 GMT

There's a limited number of people that can get into the Windows Vista CTP Beta through Bink.Nu's web site credentials (as a user group) by going to: http://microsoft.order-4.com/windowsvistabeta/ ... use Technical Beta Nomination code: 85894 Here's some of the details: http://bink.nu/Article5808.bink

BETA: Windows Vista December CTP coming Monday Dec 19th, according to Paul Thurott

Thu, 15 Dec 2005 20:03:11 GMT

To be clear - this isn't coming from me - it's something I "read" on Paul Thurott's web site.

"Sources at Microsoft have told me that the eagerly-awaited December Community Technical Preview (CTP) build of Windows Vista will be delivered to beta testers on Monday. According to my sources, the CTP is build 5270 (5270.x86fre.winmain_idx03.051212-1830)."

http://www.windowsitpro.com/windowspaulthurrott/Article/ArticleID/48774/windowspaulthurrott_48774.html

BETA: So what's this "Windows Live" stuff about anyway?

Thu, 15 Dec 2005 16:09:37 GMT

What is Windows Live?

Your online world gets better when everything works simply and effortlessly together. That's the basic idea behind Windows Live. So the things you care about - your friends, the latest information, your e-mails, powerful search, your PC files, everything – comes together in one place. This is a brand new Internet experience designed to put you in control. And this is just the beginning – you'll see many more new services in the coming months.

What is Windows Live Ideas?

Windows Live Ideas (the page you're looking at right now) is where you can check out the very latest Windows Live products—so new that they're not even finished yet. So give them a try and then tell us exactly what you think. And don't hold back. We need your help to make these products the best they can be.

Check it out: http://ideas.live.com/

BETA: "Bots" for MSN Messenger

Wed, 14 Dec 2005 23:46:41 GMT

Bots for MSN Messenger are computers that answer questions that you send to them via MSN Messenger. For example:

"Ask Encarta" through MSN Messenger

Ever wanted to ask Encarta a question and have it look it up for you?

...add encarta@conversagent.com to your contact list in MSN Messenger.

This is called "Encarta Instant Answers" and it allows you to ask questions of Encarta like “What’s the answer to life, the universe, and everything?” and other off-the-wall questions. It’s often even sarcastic and funny and it will even point you to the appropriate online reference in Encarta by extending the MSN Messenger window. (Remember that this is a beta and it's not totally there yet so it doesn't answer some basic questions yet however it's a work in progress so don't go being too critical of it just yet.)

"SmarterChild" through MSN Messenger

Add smarterchild@hotmail.com.
News, weather, (some) sports, dictionary, thesaurus. Need questions answered? Check out Smarterchild. This is a little harder to use because it's constantly busy.

BETA: Anti-Phishing Addin for MSN Search Toolbar

Wed, 21 Sep 2005 00:18:39 GMT

We just released the beta of the Anti-Phishing Add-in for the MSN Search Toolbar.

WHAT IS PHISHING?

For those of you living in a cave, phishing is the act of sending HTML-based emails out to strangers that look like they're from eBay or Paypal or any other institution in the hopes that the reader will click on a "deceptive" hyperlink in the email. Usually, this link appears to go to a legitimate site when in reality, the web site is a mockup designed to ask for and collect critical information like a a Visa Credit Card number or a Social Security number or even a Bank login and password.

(You can learn more about "phishing" by going to: http://safety.msn.com/phishing)

WHAT DOES THE MSN ADDIN PHISHING FILTER DO?

The addin for MSN Search Toolbar will protect the user to going to potentially illicit or deceptive sites that disguise themselves as legitimate web sites and really send the user to illegitimate locations just to collect their personal information.

The Phishing Filter Add-in offers access to the beta version of a new dynamic online service, updated several times an hour to warn you and help protect your personal information from these fraudulent websites by:

Scanning websites you visit and warning you if they are potentially suspicious.
Dynamically checking the web sites you visit with up to the hour online information via an online service run by Microsoft and blocking you from sharing personal information if a site is a known phishing website.

DOWNLOAD: http://addins.msn.com/phishingfilter/

(You must have the MSN Search Toolbar already installed to use the Phishing Filter.)

A Note on Internet Explorer 7.0 & Anti-phishing: This technology is basically the same technology that users can expect to get from Internet Explorer 7.0, which will be available to Windows Vista users or Windows XP Service Pack 2 users in 2006. There are a few differences:

IE7 does opt-in for activating the phishing filter the first time a user goes to a suspicious site. MSN the opt-in is at installation.
IE7 will navigate you away from a known phishing page and make you have to navigate there notwithstanding. MSN just blocks your ability to enter data on the page.
The way to report a page as phishing is slightly different in each one.