As I previously posted here -- with link to the lecture -- about Randy Pausch's piece in the usually less than cutting edge weekly Parade, The Lessons I'm Leaving Behind, adapted from his book The Last Lecture, written with Wall Street Journal reporter Jeffrey Zaslow.
This from today's article, included in our local Times...
Randy Pausch said obstacles serve a purpose: They "give us a chance to show how badly we want something." Confronted with incurable cancer, he devised a last lecture that became an Internet sensation, a best-selling book and a celebration of a life spent achieving his dreams.
Ten months after giving the lecture, Dr. Pausch died Friday at his home in Chesapeake, Va., said Jeffrey Zaslow, The Wall Street Journal writer who co-wrote Pausch's book "The Last Lecture." Dr. Pausch was 47.
He was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in September 2006. A year later, he gave the popular 76-minute speech, "Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams."
Click here to e-mail this article.
Here are the seven things that mattered most to Pausch:
- Always Have Fun
- Dream Big -- Give yourself permission to dream. Fuel your kids’ dreams too. Once in a while, that might even mean letting them stay up past their bedtimes.
- Ask for What You Want -- More often than you’d suspect, the answer you’ll get is, “Sure.”
- Dare To Take a Risk -- Experience is what you get when you don’t get what you wanted. And it can be the most valuable thing you have to offer.
- Look for the Best In Everybody
- Make Time for What Matters -- Time is all you have. And you may find one day that you have less than you think.
- Let Kids Be Themselves
Pausch said "We don't beat the reaper by living longer, we beat the reaper by living well and living fully."
So re-read the list above and have fun this weekend and as long as you can get away with it.
Of interest: Randy Pausch's Home Page - The computer science professor's site at CMU. Includes profile, CV, and publications, as well as personal information, including an account of his experience with pancreatic cancer.
Tags: misc, articles, Randy Pausch.
I was asked this week...
Do you know of a [good] software voice program that turns text to speech and helps to predict the text you're writing?
And is there a good program for converting what you say into text on the screen?
General information on assistive technology: We have a site to help you learn more about different assistive technologies at http://www.microsoft.com/enable/at/types.aspx. We also offer and an online tool to help select the the appropriate application. As noted on the site...
Identifying the best assistive technology solution often requires an in-depth needs assessment to understand how a difficult or impairment impacts computer use.
There are many types of assistive technology products and hundreds of products available. To be sure you have identified the right product to meet your needs, we recommend you locate an accessibility center in your area or use a needs assessment tool.
Microsoft Accessibility Resource Centers are available to help you identify the right assistive technology before you purchase a product, and to help you set up your computer and train you on how to use the new product. Many of these centers have lending services, so you can try a product before committing to purchasing it. These centers provide expert consultation on assistive technology and accessibility built into Microsoft Windows. Each center is equipped with video demonstrations and accessibility tutorials that show you how to make computing easier, more convenient, and more comfortable.
Included on the site are a couple of case studies on applications of assistive technologies in action: see http://www.microsoft.com/enable/casestudy/rtc.aspx and http://www.microsoft.com/enable/casestudy/georgia.aspx
For predictive typing, see Adaptxt: it’s a $20 predictive typing app for Windows word processing and emailing. http://www.adaptxt.com/?node_id=3.5.1.2&id=1
For text-to-speech, consider an application like Natural Voice Text To Speech Reader (http://www.windowsmarketplace.com/details.aspx?view=info&itemid=2847770) which is about $30 (free trial version available).
Or try the free SayIt! Text-To-Speech Sidebar Gadget for Windows Vista (http://widgetfront.com/vista-sidebar-gadgets/sayit-text-to-speech-sidebar-gadget/) and the Sayvoice Text-to-Speech Reader (http://www.download.com/Sayvoice-Text-to-Speech-Reader/3000-7239_4-10723357.html).
A mix of both features and more: There is also the more comprehensive Read&Write application from TextHelp (more information is available on the company's website here) that includes many features including text to speech conversion and word prediction. More expensive (>$300), this is used by many schools.
For basic voice recognition, the consensus is that the standard edition of Dragon NaturallySpeaking 9 works well for most applications (see nuance's site for details) and sells on the street for $60-90. It works with many popular Windows apps.
For computers with Windows Vista, there's already some basic voice recognition built in to Windows Speech Recognition. Our son uses it for speech recognition to create text documents on his laptop. For more on this, see How to Use Windows Vista Speech Recognition.
Before you can begin using speech recognition, you have to train the application: this can take 20-30 minutes to set up. Once you complete the work, the recognition application learns your speech patterns and intonation over time, and overall recognition accuracy increases. See this link for best practices for enabling voice recognition.
Hope this helps.
Update 072608: Thanks to Blake (http://bhandler.spaces.live.com) for his feedback and suggestion of Deskbot...
"I've also used a free program called Deskbot which was recommended by a former Microsoft text 2 speech guy (now in another MS department)
http://blogs.msdn.com/texttospeech/archive/2005/12/29/508078.aspx"
Now available on the Microsoft Download Centre... the free Office Outlook Connector, to access and manage your Hotmail and Office Live Mail accounts with Outlook 2003 and Outlook 2007...
"...including e-mail messages, contacts and calendars for free!
"Outlook Connector enables you to use your Live Hotmail accounts within Outlook:
- Read and send your Office Live Mail/Windows Live Hotmail e-mail messages.
- Manage your contacts in Windows Live Hotmail.
- Use advanced options for blocking junk e-mail messages.
- Manage multiple e-mail accounts in one place.
- Manage, and synchronize multiple calendars, including shared calendars to Windows Live Calendar from Outlook.
"Note to Premium Subscribers: The Outlook Connector will automatically upgrade your MSN Calendar to the new Windows Live Calendar beta. Once upgraded to Windows Live Calendar, you will be able to synchronize multiple calendars, including shared calendars to Outlook! You will no longer be able to access MSN Calendar."
Download details: Microsoft Office Outlook Connector 12.1 Beta
Tags: Microsoft, Office, Outlook.
Following on Ina Fried's blog post 'Microsoft looks to "Mojave" to revive Vista's image' this week with a highlight of Mojave research, Emil Protalinski of Arstechnica has this post on how 'XP users... start to love Vista'
"The company hasn't figured out how it will use this to market Vista (the company has video footage of users exclaiming "wow!" and so on), but the Mojave project will likely help in Microsoft's plan to tell the "real Vista story." This is some real ammo here: these are XP lovers saying they love Vista, not just more Microsoft employees giving statements to sell the software giant's latest operating system."
Although expected, some of the resulting comments are of interest. One that sticks with me from one ars reader:
"How about telling them that Mojave is the installed OS on a cheap-ass computer from Best Buy loaded up with trial-ware? Within hours the users will complain that Mojave is worse than Vista."
And this more positive note...
"That said, Vista is, for me, the best client OS I have ever sat down to. I know this is a personal choice. Some will say that about Mac, some will say that about Linux, some will say it about XP or even Win98 (yeah, those guys are still out there!). This is, IMO, a PR issue. ...
"It's hip to hate Vista. [writer's emphasis] The hipness will wear off. It pretty much always does."
Once again, as my kids will be happy to attest, I'm not hip: I actually like Vista SP1.
As Benjamin J. Romano of the Seattle Times posted yesterday in his play-by-play coverage of the FAM (the financial analyst meeting at Microsoft), there's been some success of Windows Vista with significant improvements over the last year...
"On security, for example, Windows Vista is 62 percent more secure than Windows XP SP2, he said.
"Microsoft has sold 180 million Vista licenses since it launched in January 2007. Sales have been "very balanced" between consumer and business customers.
As Mary Jo notes in her post 'Microsoft to get more ‘Apple-like’ in PC, phone space' covering the FAM...
During the final Q&A session at FAM, when asked by a Wall Street analyst about what he meant by his "changing the way we work with hardware makers” comment, Ballmer said Microsoft is working with its OEMs to "show them additional choices they can make" to make PCs and devices work better. For example, by configuring a laptop one way, boot times can be made faster, Ballmer said... and improve users’ end-to-end experience with Windows and Windows Mobile systems."
I hope so. As I explained in my post 'A USB smart drive is more than just a memory fob...' whilst configuring my PCs at home, I wiped clean my wife's old Dell notebook and saw a several system improvements...
I have found (as have many others) that uninstalling various pre-installed software can improve performance. In more drastic situations, reinstalling the OS with a clean boot makes for an improved customer experience (assuming that the OEM makes it easy for you to find all the needed drivers, add-on software and utilities).
My unscientific findings: with a clean install on an old laptop, it takes only 20 seconds to recover from Hibernate, and less than five seconds to recover from Sleep. A DVD inserted in the drive is playing in less than 20 seconds.
And again, this post by Megan McArdle at The Atlantic, who uses a Mac "because The Atlantic uses Macs."
I appear to be the only person in the known universe who did not have a problem with Vista. My Sony Vista laptop was fast, woke up out of sleep mode just fine, and if I had any complaint it was with the crap Sony loaded on it, not the OS itself. Vista itself was lovely, though I turned off the damn security alerts.
Blast from the past, here's more info on improving PC performance by removing pre-installed items:
Tags: performance, tips, Windows Vista, notebook, hardware, Dell, HP, customer experience.
Of interest...
This release of Microsoft adCenter AnalyticsBeta delivers exciting new reporting functionality, so you can get a better picture of your Web site users’ engagement—from click to conversion.
To add your name to our adCenter AnalyticsBeta invitation list, fill out the registration form below. We will use the information to plan a smooth ramp-up in the number of Web analytics users on the system at one time. You will receive your adCenter AnalyticsBeta invitation as capacity allows.
Note: If you already have an adCenter account, you may use the email address associated with that account.
Get Started Now—with Microsoft adCenter Analytics - Microsoft Advertising
A quick post as I head off to a meeting. Leave it to Ina to be one of the first journalists to talk about Windows Vista with a view from the everyman, in her post Microsoft looks to 'Mojave' to revive Vista's image.
"Spurred by an e-mail from someone deep in the marketing ranks, Microsoft last week traveled to San Francisco, rounding up Windows XP users who had negative impressions of Vista. The subjects were put on video, asked about their Vista impressions, and then shown a "new" operating system, code-named Mojave. More than 90 percent gave positive feedback on what they saw. Then they were told that "Mojave" was actually Windows Vista.
"Oh wow," said one user, eliciting exactly the exclamation that Microsoft had hoped to garner when it first released the operating system more than 18 months ago. Instead, the operating system got mixed reviews and criticisms for its lack of compatibility and other headaches."
Ina also includes a link to Ballmer's memo on Johnson's departure, noting that "Steven Sinofsky, Jon DeVaan, and Bill Veghte will report directly to [Steve] to lead Windows/Windows Live."
It's amazing how quickly these memos get to the press. (not really) Steve said...
"By focusing on these five areas, we can continue to grow revenue, increase profit, and expand our market share. These priorities are also critical as we work to address key issues surrounding our business in the coming year:
"Windows: The success of Windows is our number one job. With SP1 and the work we've done with PC manufacturers and our software ecosystem, we've addressed device and application compatibility issues in Windows Vista. Now it's time to tell our story. In the weeks ahead, we'll launch a campaign to address any lingering doubts our customers may have about Windows Vista. And later this year, you'll see a more comprehensive effort to redefine the meaning and value of Windows for our customers.
"We also have to drive developers to create rich applications for Windows. With Internet Explorer and Silverlight, we have great tools for creating applications that run everywhere. But we also need to make sure developers have the .NET skills to write unique Windows applications using Windows Presentation Foundation. To keep today's Windows applications alive, vibrant, and exciting, we need both--applications that run everywhere and rich client applications."
As noted on our website, Microsoft hosts a Financial Analyst Meeting tomorrow (July 24). You can listen in to the action and get the play-by-play as a live webcast will be available starting at 8:30AM Pacific Time. As noted on Bloomberg news today...
"Ballmer, along with Chief Financial Officer Chris Liddell and the presidents of Microsoft's three businesses, will address analysts and investors tomorrow at company headquarters in Redmond..."
Hopefully analysts will get a little more clarity about the business given the confusion raised in this ComputerWorld article.
"I read the news today... oh, boy."
You can read more in the Journal article by Robert Guth...
"The head of Microsoft Corp.'s online business who led the company's bid to buy Yahoo Inc. is leaving the software giant to run Juniper Networks, Inc., according to people familiar with the situation. The departure of Kevin Johnson, president of Microsoft's Platforms and Services Division, will be combined with a re-organization of Mr. Johnson's business unit, which houses both the online services business and Windows software for personal computers.
"Under the plan, Mr. Johnson's group -- Microsoft's largest by headcount -- will be split into two parts, one overseeing the Windows operating system and related Windows Live online serve and a second, which will oversee Microsoft's online services, which include the company's Internet search, online advertising and MSN services, said people familiar with the situation."
And more news available in today's news...
Tags: Microsoft, Kevin Johnson.
Echoing the Computerworld post of 11 cool new apps for the iPhone, and my stab at similar Windows Mobile apps, the venerable Seattle Times has an article by Jeff Carlson discussing iPhone applications in his practical Mac column. (As noted on the site, Carlson and Glenn Fleishman are responsible for the 'Practical Mac' column.)
"The [iPhone] applications run the spectrum from simple tip calculators to games of all stripes. Here are a few broad categories that I think are important, with selected application examples. All of the ones mentioned here are free unless otherwise noted."
Although not completely original, Carlson notes FileMagnet ($4.99) which allows iPhone users to utilize their phone as a storage device, accessible over Wi-Fi. From the looks of it, I'd like to see something this slick for Windows Mobile phones.
He also called out BattleAtSea ($4.99), then nice iPhone rendition of the classic Battleship game, playable over the network. Of course, there are various versions of Battleship like this one ($14.99) and a version from astraware ($19.99) available for multiple portable form factors. I've also seen free versions of Battleship available (and this one on download.com) but I haven't seen a recent version posted.
And the article in The Times notes PhoneSaber which "the 7-year-old Star Wars fan in me says you need to check it out."
Also of interest: Laptop Magazine's affectionately named article 'Windows Mobile Smart Phones That Don't Suck and Some that Do'
Tags: Microsoft, Windows Mobile, iPhone, mobile phones, smartphones.
Michael DeAgonia in Computerworld writes about 11 cool new apps for the iPhone, saying that "it's the third-party software that makes it rock."
Last night, I thought that there are many counterparts offered for Windows Mobile phones that are comparable to these applications, and also worth a look: some are free and some that run a few dollars.
As a side note, I'll wager that Apple's ISV community, availability of inexpensive or free iPhone apps (under $5-10 vs. a common $20 for an application) and the ease-of-use on the App Store will certainly have an impact on smartphone applications.
And now on to the quick comparison I compiled last night - please excuse any post midnite spelling or formatting errors.
Instant Messaging: The first app on Computerworld's list is AOL Instant Messenger (free) which allows IM via AOL's instant messaging service, and is noted as "already one of the most downloaded applications on the App Store."
OK, here's one that matches up directly: AIM is also available for Windows Mobile, currently beta 2 and is also free. In addition to AIM, there are a number of other commercial options for instant messaging as noted on the Windows Mobile Catalog.
- Agile Messenger 3 from Agilemobile.com provides Push-to-Talk and Instant Multimedia Messaging via MSN, ICQ, AIM, and Yahoo! (A free trial is available, $44.95 for a "Permanent Agile Messenger License, one time fee" or $11.95 for three months.)
- imov Messenger Enterprise ($19.95) supports supports AIM, ICQ, MSN Messenger, Yahoo!, Google Talk and Jabber messaging systems right on your device, so you have no trouble staying in touch with the people that matter to you - even when you're on the run. imov even offers offline capabilities so you are other contacts can send/receive offline messages as soon as you sign back on!
- Also see IM+ All-in-One Mobile Messenger from SHAPE Services ($29.95) for chat via AIM, MSN, Yahoo!, ICQ, Jabber, Google Talk and MySpace IM from your Pocket PC in real-time.
Remote Control: DeAgonia says that Apple's Remote software (free) is a "slick little app from Apple" for remotely controlling an iTunes library from the iPhone via Wi-Fi. For your Windows Mobile device, there are these applications of note from the Pocket PC magazine's 2007 awards, with several remote media controllers... but certainly the developers in Windows Mobile could come up with a great comeback to Apple's Remote app?
- NoviiRemote from NoviiMedia ($19.99) that is a comprehensive remote control app that controle various pieces of your home entertainment system, from TVs to set top boxes and CE equipment like CD and DVD players. A more deluxe version allows you to customize your own button layouts and macro programming ($34.95).
- PDAwin offers a voice operated universal remote control app ($14.95) for Pocket PC through Windows Mobile 2005 application that controls for your TV and other remote-enabled A/V equipment. "You can add 30 more devices using the Learn mode. It can recognize up to 25 voice commands for controlling a device. The application is skinnable and it also supports macros.
- Quite slick is developer Jérôme LABAN offers a latest beta of his Bluetooth Remote Control for Windows Mobile Remote control software (free) to remotely control your PC's mouse and keyboard to control Windows Media Player, Vista's Media Center and other applications via Bluetooth.
- A similar commercial app to the above offering from Jérôme is Salling Clicker ($23.95) from Salling Software. It is an app that provides a Bluetooth and Wi-Fi remote control for your Windows PC or Macintosh. You can download a free trial version to try it out.
Social networking: The article call out the Loopt service (free) as "one of the best implementations of social networking on the go." An alternative (as Loopt integrates with these services) would be to access Facebook via their mobile site (which is how I access Facebook from my AT&T Tilt).
- Also of note: Matthew Miller pointed out on his Mobile Gadgeteer blog that "there is a new application for Windows Mobile 6 devices called FriendMobilizer and just recently downloaded it on a couple of devices to try out." FriendMobilizer is a Windows Mobile Facebook app that provides access to mail, profiles, updates and more. It it supports photos, that would be a slam dunk.
Internet Radio and Music: AOL Radio (free) offers free streamed Internet radio to your phone. Unless (until?) Pandora provides Windows Mobile compatibility, or perhaps something from the Zune team, here are a few options...
- Radio365-Mobile 1.0 for Windows Mobile 5/6 offers free, commercial-sponsored Internet radio via mobile data or or Wi-Fi , with a free 5-day trial of their commercial-free plan from live365. (Check with your mobile carrier else you may see significant mobile data plan charges.) The service provides artist and track info complete with album artwork. Nice feature: it pauses and restarts automatically during phone calls. And it's easy to install: just go to www.live365.com/mobile, or download and install as normal.
- Pocket Radio is an online streaming radio player. available from Resco ($19.95). They offer a 31 day free trial.
- e-mobile radio is another online streaming radio player from the folks who developed the Pocket XM Satellite Radio player.
- Related is Shazam (free for a limited time on the iPhone), which helps automatically identify a song using the iPhone's microphone. Available as a commercial service in the UK now for other mobile phone users, Shazam lets you... well... 'shazam' music by calling a specific number from your mobile phone for the equivalent of a $1 a 'shazam'. I haven't used the service, but Computerworld reports that "After analyzing the tune, it kicks back results in seconds."
- The Midomi site, similar to Shazam and noted in the ComputerWorld article, lets you search for a song by singing or humming the parts that you recall via your computer's microphone, or via text search to find artists and songs.
Tip Calculators: Tips for the iPhone ($1.99) is simple enough for determining tips for restaurant bills (is it really that hard?) and figuring out who owes what when you dine with friends. FWIW, basic math is not that tough. A simple tip: add the 15% tip is the service warrants it, round up to the nearest dollar and divide by the number of diners.
- But if you must, see Tipster for Pocket PC (version 2) from Ilium Software is free and displays the bill, tip amount, bill + tip total divided by the number of people all on your screen at once. And TipCalculator by stoutbytes.com is a $3.95 quick tip calculator and has a 14 day free Trial.
Games: There are plenty of interesting games on the Windows Mobile Catalog site - including the new Gaxian Tri Ball ($7.95) and my wife's favourite, Bejeweled 2 ($19.99), but I haven't seen anything like Enigmo ($9.99), which utilizes iPhone multitouch as well as rich graphics, or Super Monkey Ball ($9.99): Computerworld's DeAgonia says is "easily the most addictive iPhone application yet."
My kids are interested in the likes of Machines at War, as well as the new Guitar Hero 3 Mobile... but the version for the Nintendo DS with fret bar is a must for our youngest.
So... What would you pick as a comparable to Enigmo or Super Monkey Ball?
If anything, low costs are interesting to see on the Apple App Store, and Texas Hold 'em is an example at $4.99 with high-res graphics, and play enabled over a local Wi-Fi network.
- For Windows Mobile, Mace Soft games offers "Ultimate Video Poker Experience!" with six different poker games. Alas, no Texas Hold'em, but the package is $5.95. For that, see Concrete's Aces Texas Hold'em - No Limit for Texas Hold'em ($19.99 - a multiplayer version is also offered). Concrete also offers UNO, Solitaire, Bowling, Lawn Darts, Blackjack, and more.
- Real Dice offers the Definitive Poker Game (which was a PocketPC Magazine winner last year and Handango's Game of the Year) with Texas Hold'em with real-time play with live players as well with in-game chat. A premium at $19.95 over the iPhone version. Real Dice also offers Sudoku, Chess, Backgammon, Mahjong, Dominoes and other popular Vegas-style games such as Blackjack, Roulette, Slots and Video Poker.
Of interest: Comic Touch ($4.99) for the iPhone is a very cute application. Nothing like this for Windows Mobile AFAIK, but Plasq does offers Comic Life for both Mac and Windows platforms, allowing you create your own comics and picture albums (with your photo collection) and add captions, lettering effects text (like "BOOM!" or ZAP) and speech and thought balloons. Anything out there for Windows Mobile that allows you to add balloons or text to photos?
On Apple's App Store: I noted previously that I'd certainly like to see a more integrated positive experience for Windows Mobile users similar to the one-stop-shopping (so to speak) that users now get with the Apple's App Store. As DeAgonia notes in his article...
"Easy to navigate through iTunes and on the iPhone/iPod touch, the App Store is skillfully designed to the point of being nearly effortless to use. Apple has even made it easy for people who may have accidentally deleted an application. Just re-download the app! The App Store will check your purchase history, see that you've already bought the item and allow you to transfer the file again at no cost. It's all automatic and behind-the-scenes."
Handango's "Handango InHand" site offers access to apps and content directly from the phone, but I'm hopeful that we'll see a more Windows Mobile friendly version of the new Windows Mobile Total Access site. It would be great to have a more seamless way to search for, access, install and manage applications and files (like ring tones) than we have today. (See my post today answering a customer question for more.)
Have a good weekend.
Tags: Microsoft, Windows Mobile, iPhone, mobile phones, smartphones.
Today this question from Mary...
"I am thinking about getting a new Windows [Mobile] phone and was wondering how to install ring tones? Can I use any files? I'm also looking at the new iPhone but I read that you have to purchase ring tones for the iPhone."
Is it ringtone or ring tones? I have no idea.
There are free and commercial ring tones, and you can also make your own. IMHO, Windows Mobile certainly seems easier to customize ring tones, even if the process is a little more involved than on the iPhone. As noted in Wired magazine's recent article on iPhone ring tone hacks, the process isn't very streamlined on the iPhone with iTunes...
"Users have to pay Apple $1 for a song, plus an extra $1 to convert that song into a ringtone. Of course, hackers immediately set out to find a way to generate iPhone ringtones for free. In a classic game of cat and mouse, Apple has spent the last few days trying to block iPhone owners from installing free ringtones on their devices -- only to watch hackers come up with workarounds just hours after each patch is released."
As noted on the Windows Mobile Total Access site, you can use just about any Windows Media Audio file for a ring tone, or download free ring tones from Total Access. (Click here for installing ring tones via Windows Vista, or here for Windows XP Users.) It's best to select an audio file that is less than 20-30 seconds in length (WMA, or MP3 seems to work fine, too).
To transfer the file to your phone, connect your phone to your computer and on Vista, use the Windows Mobile Phone Center to drag copy the ring tones into the Sounds or My Ring Tones folder on your phone.
If you receive a ring tone via email or download one via the Internet on to your phone, you can choose to save it to your Ring tones folder by clicking on the file and selecting to save the file (with Save As...) to the Ring Tones folder in your main memory.
To select a new ring tone on your phone, press Start, and then click on Settings and then click on the Sounds & Notifications icon (WM6) or on the Sounds icon (WM5):
- On WM5, on the Ring tone drop-down menu, choose the ring tone you’d like to use. To hear a ring tone, simply wait a few seconds after making each selection. When you've found the ring tone you want, press Done.
- For WM6, click on the notifications tab and scroll down the pop up menu next to Event, and select 'Phone: Incoming call' and select the ring tone of your choice from the pop up menu.
Tags: Microsoft, Windows Mobile, ringtones, mobile phones, customer support.
Not long ago I posted information on Bill Veghte's letter with "An Update on the Windows Roadmap" with facts on Windows Vista, in which he noted that...
"Today Windows Vista supports about 77,000 components and devices, which is more than twice as many as we supported at launch... [and] 98 of the top 100 applications for Windows sold at retail in US in the last year... [and] Application Compatibility Updates for more than 125 popular PC games to enable them to work on Windows Vista. These updates are installed automatically using Windows Update."
Wondering if your favorite stuff works with Windows Vista? Here's where you can find out if it already does or if you just need a new driver. You'll get the latest details on thousands of products and benefit from users' feedback.
The new Windows Vista Compatibility Center launched this week may answer your questions.
When it comes to moving to Windows Vista, we know that one of the most often asked questions stem around device and software compatibility. Over the last year, we've seen significant improvements in Vista compatible device drivers and ISVs have helped to improve overall software application compatibility (aka "app compat"). This new site (which is updated regularly) should help you get guidance on the compatibility status for thousands of devices and software applications. We provide links to new drivers and software updates and upgrades.
We also provide links for your your feedback, if you want to suggest a product for consideration on the site, to report a compatibility issue that you've encountered, or comments you have on the site itself. More on how this works later.
Tags: Windows, Windows 7, Microsoft, Windows Vista, Bill Veghte.
It's a long time coming, but good to see that after a few hints here and there, we finally have word from Kristin Kalning, Games editor on MSNBC in this article that beginning this fall in the States, the catalogue of streaming video titles available from Netflix will be available directly from your Xbox 360...
"The announcement, which came about midway through Microsoft’s press briefing at E3, an annual video and computer games trade show, confirmed a long-rumored partnership between the two companies... Netflix gains access to 12 million Xbox Live members. And Microsoft gets a shot at millions of Netflix subscribers who might be swayed to buy an Xbox 360.
"Netflix helps Xbox because there are 8 million of Netflix subscribers, and three-quarters of them are the right age demographic to buy a console," says Michael Pachter, an analyst with Wedbush Morgan. "This gives them one more reason."
But, I will say, that for a room where you don't need a game system that includes a DVD player and Internet access, Roku's inexpensive Netflix player (as noted here) is still a good option to consider. It's small, inexpensive ($99) and easy to to set up and use, with all the right connections (RCA, S-video, component video, HDMI, and optical audio). But with the recent price drop to $299 for the 20GB console (and announcement of a new model with increased storage to 60 GB), I think that it's a small premium over the Roku and other Media Center Extenders, for a new device that does so much.
Additional links:
Tags: Microsoft, Netflix, Xbox Live.
If you're heading to the US for MGX (Microsoft Global eXchange - the Microsoft Sales & Services annual event), I've posted here a few hints along the lines of my notes from Surviving CES in Las Vegas.
Flight and Hotel: Given the event is invitation only, if you don't already have either of these, good luck. You'll have a better chance of seeing a mid-day temperature under 85 degrees than finding either at this late date.
Overall, stick to the plan: MGX is a well-run, professional event. Remember to use the shuttle busses, go to the planned events and have fun.
Pack light. Keep in mind that it is hot in Atlanta this time of year (high 80s, and lends to the given the nickname, Hotlanta), and the weather will be in the high 60s/ low 70s at night, and humid as all get out (up into the 30s at mid-day, and about 18-20 degrees for my friends outside the States). Check the weather report for Atlanta here. Standard dress includes light khaki pants or shorts and comfortable shirts: think Hawaii.
Bring sunglasses, a hat that doesn't brand you a tourist, and wear great, comfortable shoes. And don't bring the stylish shoes, go for comfort as you will be standing and walking. A lot. My pick: anything from Ecco, Rockport or New Balance. And see also a few travel recommendations from Colin Cowie on packing.
Getting from the airport to anywhere: Remember, if you need to get a taxi cab at the airport, look to the departures area where people are exiting the taxi. (Just a suggestion, not an endorsement.) You'll receive a number of suggested modes of transportation, but always good to pair up (or three or four) with folks going to the same hotel and split the $30 taxi fare into town.
Getting around town: Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (or MARTA) is one of the easiest and inexpensive ways around Atlanta and the surrounding area. Taxis are readily available from most major hotels, and likely there are a number of places to see within a short walking distance from your downtown hotel.
When in Buckhead, ride the Buc: The Buc Shuttle is a free shuttle bus service that connects MARTA's Lenox and Buckhead stations to popular places in Buckhead, including hotels, restaurants, Phipps Plaza and Lenox Square. Important to note when visiting some of the clubs and restaurants noted below.) According to the Buc info site, "the shuttle runs every 8-15 minutes between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. Monday through Friday on a five-mile loop." So, for heading home from a late evening, take a cab to MARTA or back to the hotel.
If you arrive into Vegas with other folks on the same flight, consider renting a limo or get together an impromptu set of people going to roughly the same hotel on the strip: that way you'll pay one limo fee. Last, unless you plan on traveling off the main strip, don't rent a car (take a cab) unless you enjoy paying daily hotel parking rates akin to what you would pay for a flat in SoHo.
Say hello your new best friend: the hotel concierge. I've said it before and I'll say it here, too: the concierge is your connection when you don't have connections in town. When you arrive at the hotel with a concierge on staff, introduce yourself and hand them a business card. That one move may come in hand later more than you know. See 'dinner' and 'getting to the airport' for starters. As Cowie notes, "ask your concierge to make some reservations for you now at top restaurants so you don't find that you can't get in when you arrive there in peak season. Tip the concierge the moment you arrive..." See, you can learn helpful travel hints from a man that you thought only had great party design sense. ;)
Eating out: You'll no doubt have some free time one or two nights, and Atlanta is a wonderful place.
Best breakfasts:
See these suggestions on sneakysunday.com and if you're game, check out my favourites...
Alon's, a great local bakery and breakfast joint, with brunch offered at their Dunwoody location on Saturday and Sundays. 1394 North Highland Avenue, Atlanta, GA 30306
Tel: (404) 872-6000
Java Jive, for the authentic Atlanta Southern breakfast, with homemade biscuits and traditional "big, American breakfasts" with eggs and bacon. It's a very busy place but worth the trouble. 790 Ponce de Leon Avenue, Atlanta, GA 30308, Tel: (404) 876-6161
Lunch and Dinner:
Around town: Check out the MSN MSN City Guide for Atlanta here, as well as their restaurant guide. Also, my favourite web spot for ratings and information is Zagat's, with links to a few of my favourites - you can also book many of these restaurants for free via OpenTable.com:
- Bacchanalia - The food at Bacchanalia is still among the best in Atlanta. You can order a la carte or from a sampler menu (prix fixe), featuring local fare and excellent wine. It's expensive, so don't pad the expense account... eat at the bar and get the same food as in the main restaurant. 1198 Howell Mill Rd NW, Atlanta, GA 30318, (404) 365-0410
- Aria - this is one of my favourite restaurants in Atlanta. (http://www.aria-atl.com/) and on many top restaurant lists, serving a great fare ranging from local fish (I see that Mountain Trout with crab smashed potatoes, haricots vert
and pecan brown butter is on the menu this week), chicken, duck, and meats. - Bone's Restaurant - When in Buckhead, one of the best place for steaks is Bone's, a nice local alternative to Ruth's Chris' or Morton's, with starters of excellent starters, steak and seafood. The restaurant has excellent service and a very good wine list.
In addition, there are a few tried and true spots in Atlanta, including these two high-end chains:
- Capital Grille - Atlanta. Technically, it's in Buckhead, which has plenty of late-night fare and entertainment, and a classic steak house in the vein of The Palm, with plenty of lobster and seafood. A very nice wine list, excellent service and a full menu in the bar if you are there for a simpler evening or can't get a table. Tel: (404) 262-1162
- Oceanaire Seafood Room. Oceanaire is a great choice for fresh seafood from all over the world. 1100 Peachtree Street, Atlanta, GA 30309 - Tel: (404) 475-2277.
A note on booking tables... Consider booking your table through your hotel concierge as noted above: if you haven't called them in advance, ask for their help in booking a table (tip, please) and get their business card with their phone number after you check in... and give them a tip if they offer a direct dial number. A good concierge may be able to score a reservation to a hard-to-book place: I have found that your best bet is a well-connected hotel concierge if a direct call to the restaurant doesn't pan out. Also, look to your credit card company (many offer a concierge service) or try your hand (or mouse) booking a table at OpenTable.com. Many of the restaurants still show availability on OpenTable.com as of today, so book early.
Stuff to see: Always a good reference for the best restaurants, clubs and activities in Atlanta, see 10best.com, and visit MSN Travel Guide to Atlanta
Getting to the airport. Finding a cab on the last day of MGX or any large event in the Peachtree capital is like finding a street in the City without a 'peach' in the title. Arrange a car in advance through your concierge for more than one traveler. Or that concierge you tipped earlier just may have arranged a shuttle for a small group that has an opening.
Have fun.
Tags: Microsoft, Atlanta, MGX, travel tips.
After the release of MS08-037, Microsoft became aware of reports of ZoneAlarm customers experiencing issues after applying the security updates. According to Christopher on the post on the MSRC blog...
"We started investigating these reports as soon as we heard about them and have been working to research this issue. We’re still working on this issue but we do have some information from our investigation so far, which we’ve put into the bulletin.
"Specifically, we’ve identified that customers who are running either ZoneAlarm or Check Point Endpoint Security (previously named Check Point Integrity) who apply MS08-037 may lose network connectivity after applying these updates. Our investigation so far has shown that no other customers are affected by this issue.
"We’re still investigating this issue but we encourage customers who are using ZoneAlarm to review the appropriate ZoneAlarm Web site and Check Point Endpoint customers to review the appropriate Check Point Web site for the latest guidance or software updates and factor this information into your risk assessment, testing, and deployment planning."
See also CheckPoint's ZoneAlarm’s tech note and press release, as KB951748 impacts ZoneAlarm users on Windows XP/2000...
Platforms Affected: ZoneAlarm Free, ZoneAlarm Pro, ZoneAlarm AntiVirus, ZoneAlarm Anti-Spyware, and ZoneAlarm Security Suite
Download and install the latest versions which solve the loss of internet access problem here (English only):
ZoneAlarm Internet Security Suite ZoneAlarm Pro ZoneAlarm Antivirus ZoneAlarm Anti-Spyware ZoneAlarm Basic Firewall
See more news on the issue here.
Tags: Microsoft, security, ZoneAlarm, MS08-037.
