I have talked about the Microsoft Store in the past a few times here (launch) and here (for the NSPCC 15% donation), well anyway Chris has told me of an update, the first major update since the launch and I wanted to share it below.

‘…a wider range of Microsoft products including Xbox 360 (consoles, games and accessories), Games for Windows and Microsoft Hardware through Microsoft Store…’

‘In addition, customers now have the ability to choose either to download their purchase or have a boxed product shipped to them for the vast majority of our software titles – Windows Vista, Office 2007, Expression 2 and Visual Studio Standard 2008.’

Microsoft Store United Kingdom

Rob

So today's posting under something a little off topic is the Wooden USB fashstick!!

http://www.flashsticks.co.uk/home.html

should go nicely with your wooden PC case :S

  http://woodgears.ca/computer_case/index.html

We don’t cover dry rot or woodworm on our Tips for solving problems with USB devices article though :)

thanks to Lorna for the link.

Rob

Back in July I highlighted 12 Windows Help and how-to articles that had been given a 100% positive rating.  Well I thought it was about time I did the exercise again, and below are the 18 articles that have been given only positive ratings since that date:

1. Remote administration for IT Pros
2. Create a professional photo album today
3. What's new in Windows Vista Enterprise
4. Home and small office networking: recommended links
5. What's the difference between BitLocker Drive Encryption and Encrypting File System?
6. Security checklist
7. Windows Starter registration: frequently asked questions
8. Learn more about BitLocker Drive Encryption
9. Make a Windows SideShow-compatible device more secure
10. Tour the world from your chair with Live Search and 3D Maps
11. Using 3D Maps to share your GPS information
12. Track items in a Journal note using flags
13. Traffic (definition)
14. Honoring someone special: Create a website to remember a friend or family member
15. Voice meter (definition)
16. Subscribe (definition)
17. Plan a vacation using Windows Live Spaces
18. Moiré pattern (definition)

the same caveats as last time:

1. This was for English content so not just UK.
2. All the articles had very little traffic and ratings when compared to some others.
3. Data taken from 1st Jan 2008.

Rob

Ages ago I mentioned the Microsoft Store in the UK, well now there is a special promotion on that if you buy Microsoft Windows Vista or Office 2007, then 15% of the purchase price (minus VAT) will be donated to the NSPCC.  For more details see http://www.microsoft.com/uk/nspcc/ . Offer ends 31st December 2008

“By choosing Microsoft Store to make your purchases of Microsoft Office and Windows Vista this Christmas, you will contribute towards achieving the NSPCC's vision to ending child cruelty. When you visit Microsoft Store from this site Microsoft will donate 15% from the purchase price at no extra cost to you to the NSPCC Child's Voice Appeal”

Thanks to Mark for the tip Unified Communications @ Microsoft : Microsoft Store and NSPCC – Your way to spend Microsoft’s money

Rob

Really cool Windows site from France,

They are the PCs, Netbooks and Cell phones Microsoft France recommends consumers to buy for Christmas, for the best experience with Windows Vista.

tres bon!

Rob

lifted from a thread from an internal email discussion, a few things about Windows Live Search that maybe you didn’t know about:

1. You can do simple or complicated maths such as sqrt(3^2+5^2)
2. You can ask factual questions which it’ll answer from Encarta, National Geographic, census information, etc.  For example “how tall is mount Everest”, “who is the prime minister of France” or “what is the population of China”.
3. Currency and other unit conversions like “1 gbp in usd” or “26 miles in km”.
4. Word definitions: “define life”.

neat, and don’t forget the cricket scores from Live search in India

Rob

Matt Hester has just posted up a blog about performance and stability improvements in Windows Search 4.0 – 84% improvement of desktop search in Vista sound good to you?

You can learn more about Windows Search at http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/winfamily/desktopsearch/default.mspx

and if you just want to go straight to the download center use the following links:

Windows Vista

Windows XP

Rob

I twittered yesterday about Tron 2 the sequel…

Well it looks like Tron Guy is a PC too

VIDEO REMOVED DUE To Actns/Swif.T virus!!!

http://blogs.msdn.com/robmar/archive/2008/12/02/are-you-seeing-a-virus-message-on-this-blog-actns-swif-t.aspx

Just been sent this nifty little add on for Windows Live writer (which if you don’t know is the best Blog writing tool!).

InsertableContentSource: Autoreplace, You Say? Yes, I Say!

as the posting says – you have been warned

‘*****DISCLAIMER*****
This feature is unsupported by the Live Writer team and by me. All I am providing is a UI for this feature. The Live Writer team may very well get rid of this feature all together in a future release, making this plugin redundant. If they do, this is called a “chin up” situation!
*****END DISCLAIMER***** ‘

Thanks Scott!

I use WLW for all my blogs (I have 3) and you can get it at http://get.live.co.uk/writer/overview

If you want some advice on how to get started with WLW try this demo - Demo: Start your own blog with Windows Live Writer

Rob

Nick over at MSN tech and gadgets has a great feature about the perfect mobile phone.  Which is a collaboration between T3 and design company The Alloy.

The phone incorporates technology that is all available today so it could be made, and if it end up looking like this it could be the phone to have…

The perfect mobile phone – I really love the idea of the mini phone that slides out the back, especially in conjunction with the wireless ear phones that are included in the design, although I cannot see what OS it will use…

You can see more about the 01 phone at T3.com and you can even join a campaign to get the 01 into production at http://www.the01phone.com/

Rob