Channel 9 Microsoft http://mschnlnine.vo.llnwd.net/d1/Dev/App_Themes/C9/images/feedimage.png Channel 9 http://channel9.msdn.com/Niners/sarahintampa/Posts Channel 9 keeps you up to date with the latest news and behind the scenes info from Microsoft that developers love to keep up with. From LINQ to SilverLight – Watch videos and hear about all the cool technologies coming and the people behind them. http://channel9.msdn.com/Niners/sarahintampa/Posts en Wed, 19 Jun 2013 17:21:04 GMT Wed, 19 Jun 2013 17:21:04 GMT Rev9 1666 67 25 Check Out this Windows 7 Media Center Guide I came across the How-To Geek’s tutorial for Windows 7 Media Center users and I had to share it with you. In this extensive, “complete guide” to the application, you’ll find a collection of tips, tricks and tutorials for using WMC in Windows 7. The guide features everything from getting started with your TV Tuner setup to using add-ins like Boxee and so much more. The article is really long, but definitely worth checking out, even if you’re already a Media Center user. You may be surprised to find something you didn’t know!

For example, did you know you can set up event reminders, use parental controls, connect Windows Media Center to Windows Home Server, read RSS feeds in Media Center, or tweet from Media Center?  Those are just a few of the features covered in this detailed guide. You can read the rest of it here.

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/Check-Out-this-Windows-7-Media-Center-Guide I came across the How-To Geek’s tutorial for Windows 7 Media Center users and I had to share it with you. In this extensive, “complete guide” to the application, you’ll find a collection of tips, tricks and tutorials for using WMC in Windows 7. The guide features everything from getting started with your TV Tuner setup to using add-ins like Boxee and so much more. The article is really long, but definitely worth checking out, even if you’re already a Media Center user. You may be surprised to find something you didn’t know! For example, did you know you can set up event reminders, use parental controls, connect Windows Media Center to Windows Home Server, read RSS feeds in Media Center, or tweet from Media Center?  Those are just a few of the features covered in this detailed guide. You can read the rest of it here. http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/Check-Out-this-Windows-7-Media-Center-Guide Wed, 06 Oct 2010 01:12:00 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/Check-Out-this-Windows-7-Media-Center-Guide Sarah Perez Sarah Perez 0 http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/Check-Out-this-Windows-7-Media-Center-Guide/RSS Windows Media Center Backup Outlook Contacts with New, Free Plugin SyncFriend is an Outlook plugin that lets you back up your contact list online for safe-keeping. After registering for an account with the service, you can back up your contacts lists to the SyncFriend server while also keeping that list updated on your mobile phone, too.

The SyncFriend plugin creates a menu that appears at the top of your Outlook inbox, where you can access your account information as well as start and stop your syncs. If you prefer, you can choose to just sync a specific contact folder to the service, instead of the whole thing.

Other features of this service include mobile clients, address book de-duping and calendar sync between Outlook and your phone. You can register for a free account here.

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/Backup-Outlook-Contacts-with-New-Free-Plugin SyncFriend is an Outlook plugin that lets you back up your contact list online for safe-keeping. After registering for an account with the service, you can back up your contacts lists to the SyncFriend server while also keeping that list updated on your mobile phone, too. The SyncFriend plugin creates a menu that appears at the top of your Outlook inbox, where you can access your account information as well as start and stop your syncs. If you prefer, you can choose to just sync a specific contact folder to the service, instead of the whole thing. Other features of this service include mobile clients, address book de-duping and calendar sync between Outlook and your phone. You can register for a free account here. http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/Backup-Outlook-Contacts-with-New-Free-Plugin Wed, 06 Oct 2010 01:11:00 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/Backup-Outlook-Contacts-with-New-Free-Plugin Sarah Perez Sarah Perez 1 http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/Backup-Outlook-Contacts-with-New-Free-Plugin/RSS Outlook plugin Plugins Plug-in Windows Phone 7 Prototype Flicks Photos to TV A prototype Windows Phone 7 was on display at the recent IFA trade show in Berlin. The phone, an LG Optimus 7, was being demonstrated by LG at its booth, streaming DLNA content to a Wi-Fi enabled TV set. LG had worked with Microsoft to create a custom media-sharing capability for its GW910 handset which involves sharing media content using a “finger flick” gesture.

This preinstalled feature lets users send files from the phone’s media gallery to compatible devices on the same Wi-Fi network with just a flick of their fingers. It doesn’t require any additional applications in order to work, either. Supported file types include 720p HD videos, high-res photos and music files, all of which can be flicked to a TV set or home theater system.

LG says the feature will be embedded in its upcoming LG Optimus 7 smartphones, arriving later this year.

(via/photo credit: Engadget)

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/Windows-Phone-7-Prototype-Flicks-Photos-to-TV A prototype Windows Phone 7 was on display at the recent IFA trade show in Berlin. The phone, an LG Optimus 7, was being demonstrated by LG at its booth, streaming DLNA content to a Wi-Fi enabled TV set. LG had worked with Microsoft to create a custom media-sharing capability for its GW910 handset which involves sharing media content using a “finger flick” gesture. This preinstalled feature lets users send files from the phone’s media gallery to compatible devices on the same Wi-Fi network with just a flick of their fingers. It doesn’t require any additional applications in order to work, either. Supported file types include 720p HD videos, high-res photos and music files, all of which can be flicked to a TV set or home theater system. LG says the feature will be embedded in its upcoming LG Optimus 7 smartphones, arriving later this year. (via/photo credit: Engadget) http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/Windows-Phone-7-Prototype-Flicks-Photos-to-TV Fri, 01 Oct 2010 02:07:00 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/Windows-Phone-7-Prototype-Flicks-Photos-to-TV Sarah Perez Sarah Perez 0 http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/Windows-Phone-7-Prototype-Flicks-Photos-to-TV/RSS 7conifier: App to Customize Your Windows 7 Icon Sets One of the great things about using Windows is the flexibility when it comes to customization options. Although Windows 7 has built-in support for themes, some users want to go a bit further, customizing everything from the Start Menu to the desktop icons. With Windows, doing so is easy, thanks to integrated options within the OS itself and a number of third-party programs.

One such program is called 7conifier which customizes your Windows 7 icons sets. I recently came across this app thanks to gHacks and I think it’s really fun. Although you can already customize your icons by right-clicking on them and choosing the “Change Icon” option from the Properties –> Shortcut menu, the 7confier program makes it easier to change the entire default icon set at once.

The program comes with three icon sets out of the box, one dark, one light and the default set, which you’ll need if you ever want to change your icons back to their normal state. However, you’re not limited to only these three sets – 7conifier also includes an icon editing program which lets you create your own sets of icons. Plus, you can download icons from the web to use in the program just by placing them in the “packages” folder. The app supports changing the taskbar and Start Menu icons, too.

7conifier is a free app for use on either Windows 7 32-bit or 64-bit systems. You can download it from here.

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/7conifier-App-to-Customize-Your-Windows-7-Icon-Sets One of the great things about using Windows is the flexibility when it comes to customization options. Although Windows 7 has built-in support for themes, some users want to go a bit further, customizing everything from the Start Menu to the desktop icons. With Windows, doing so is easy, thanks to integrated options within the OS itself and a number of third-party programs. One such program is called 7conifier which customizes your Windows 7 icons sets. I recently came across this app thanks to gHacks and I think it’s really fun. Although you can already customize your icons by right-clicking on them and choosing the “Change Icon” option from the Properties –> Shortcut menu, the 7confier program makes it easier to change the entire default icon set at once. The program comes with three icon sets out of the box, one dark, one light and the default set, which you’ll need if you ever want to change your icons back to their normal state. However, you’re not limited to only these three sets – 7conifier also includes an icon editing program which lets you create your own sets of icons. Plus, you can download icons from the web to use in the program just by placing them in the “packages” folder. The app supports changing the taskbar and Start Menu icons, too. 7conifier is a free app for use on either Windows 7 32-bit or 64-bit systems. You can download it from here. http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/7conifier-App-to-Customize-Your-Windows-7-Icon-Sets Fri, 01 Oct 2010 02:06:00 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/7conifier-App-to-Customize-Your-Windows-7-Icon-Sets Sarah Perez Sarah Perez 0 http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/7conifier-App-to-Customize-Your-Windows-7-Icon-Sets/RSS Customization customizations customize customizing icons JetPack: A New Silverlight Theme for Web-Based Apps Tim Heuer and his team recently released a new Silverlight-based theme that could work for any line-of-business or, really, any other Web-based applications in need of a simply laid out and elegant theme. The new theme, called JetPack, is now available in a bundle with the three others previously released - Accent Color, Windows 7, and Cosmopolitan – all of which are packaged as a free download here.

The themes can be used for the navigation template provided by the Silverlight 4 Tools installer, notes the download page, or can be used within Visual Studio 2010 and/or Expression Blend 4. You can check out a preview of the various styles in JetPack here.

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/JetPack-A-New-Silverlight-Theme-for-Web-Based-Apps Tim Heuer and his team recently released a new Silverlight-based theme that could work for any line-of-business or, really, any other Web-based applications in need of a simply laid out and elegant theme. The new theme, called JetPack, is now available in a bundle with the three others previously released - Accent Color, Windows 7, and Cosmopolitan – all of which are packaged as a free download here. The themes can be used for the navigation template provided by the Silverlight 4 Tools installer, notes the download page, or can be used within Visual Studio 2010 and/or Expression Blend 4. You can check out a preview of the various styles in JetPack here. http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/JetPack-A-New-Silverlight-Theme-for-Web-Based-Apps Tue, 28 Sep 2010 04:17:00 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/JetPack-A-New-Silverlight-Theme-for-Web-Based-Apps Sarah Perez Sarah Perez 0 http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/JetPack-A-New-Silverlight-Theme-for-Web-Based-Apps/RSS Silverlight theme Themes Visual Studio Sony Reveals 3D Vaio Laptop Sony revealed its first 3D Vaio laptop at the recent IFA trade show. Although the laptop was only a prototype, a Sony rep told TechRadar that he expects the new laptop will arrive next year. So what makes it 3D? The laptop has a 16” screen that uses 3D technology similar to that found in Sony Bravia TVs, which inserts black frames in between color images to separate them. The notebook also uses the same “Active Shutter” glasses as those that are used with Bravia TVs. As for why you would need a 3D laptop, a couple of things immediately come to mind: PC gaming and watching 3D movies. The Sony laptop has a switch that turns the 3D on, since you obviously don’t need to see 3D all the time. Will consumers want 3D computers, though? Only time will tell, I guess. But I’m sure this year’s CES will see a lot more of them.

Image credit: We Got Served

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/Sony-Reveals-3D-Vaio-Laptop Sony revealed its first 3D Vaio laptop at the recent IFA trade show. Although the laptop was only a prototype, a Sony rep told TechRadar that he expects the new laptop will arrive next year. So what makes it 3D? The laptop has a 16” screen that uses 3D technology similar to that found in Sony Bravia TVs, which inserts black frames in between color images to separate them. The notebook also uses the same “Active Shutter” glasses as those that are used with Bravia TVs. As for why you would need a 3D laptop, a couple of things immediately come to mind: PC gaming and watching 3D movies. The Sony laptop has a switch that turns the 3D on, since you obviously don’t need to see 3D all the time. Will consumers want 3D computers, though? Only time will tell, I guess. But I’m sure this year’s CES will see a lot more of them. Image credit: We Got Served http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/Sony-Reveals-3D-Vaio-Laptop Tue, 28 Sep 2010 04:16:00 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/Sony-Reveals-3D-Vaio-Laptop Sarah Perez Sarah Perez 1 http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/Sony-Reveals-3D-Vaio-Laptop/RSS 3D Sony laptops laptop CCEnhancer Makes CCleaner Even Better CCleaner is one of the most popular programs for cleaning up the extra files and leftover data on your PC. Although I haven’t had much use for it on my more modern PCs (Windows 7 apparently does its own maintenance regularly) I know I’ve used it in the past to restore friends’ older and somewhat abused PCs to a fresh and clean state, sometimes even dramatically boosting performance in the process.

But I did not know of this: CCEnhancer can add to CCleaner’s capabilities by providing support for hundreds of extra programs beyond those supported by default.

According to FreewareGenius, the add-on app supports 270 extra programs including things like Quicktime and Flash, for example,  it works even as a portable app, offers 1-click operation and is simple to use. Nice - who knew? You can try CCenhancer for yourself, just download it from here. It’s free, but donations are accepted.

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/CCEnhancer-Makes-CCleaner-Even-Better CCleaner is one of the most popular programs for cleaning up the extra files and leftover data on your PC. Although I haven’t had much use for it on my more modern PCs (Windows 7 apparently does its own maintenance regularly) I know I’ve used it in the past to restore friends’ older and somewhat abused PCs to a fresh and clean state, sometimes even dramatically boosting performance in the process. But I did not know of this: CCEnhancer can add to CCleaner’s capabilities by providing support for hundreds of extra programs beyond those supported by default. According to FreewareGenius, the add-on app supports 270 extra programs including things like Quicktime and Flash, for example,  it works even as a portable app, offers 1-click operation and is simple to use. Nice - who knew? You can try CCenhancer for yourself, just download it from here. It’s free, but donations are accepted. http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/CCEnhancer-Makes-CCleaner-Even-Better Tue, 28 Sep 2010 04:16:00 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/CCEnhancer-Makes-CCleaner-Even-Better Sarah Perez Sarah Perez 0 http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/CCEnhancer-Makes-CCleaner-Even-Better/RSS Utilities utility Apps applications App Application Desktop Application Microsoft Research Reveals Facebook for Scientists: ScholarLynk ScholarLynk is a new tool for scientists and other researchers which Microsoft Research is unveiling this week at ECDL, the European Conference on Research and Advanced Technology for Digital Libraries. The project has roots in Lewis Shepherd’s 2008 project called “Research Desktop” which combined semantic analysis with a Web 2.0-style interface. The new ScholarLynk social software prototype expands upon that earlier idea, offering its users the ability to create reading lists related to their interests which could entail emails, scholarly papers, web pages and local files. The lists can be private, shared or collaborative in nature and they support metadata, annotations and associations.

The program also has a Twitter and Facebook-like social element involving the ability to follow other users, write on their walls, engage in conversations, and provide feedback or rate each others’ research.

The prototype will become available for download in December.

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/Microsoft-Research-Reveals-Facebook-for-Scientists-ScholarLynk ScholarLynk is a new tool for scientists and other researchers which Microsoft Research is unveiling this week at ECDL, the European Conference on Research and Advanced Technology for Digital Libraries. The project has roots in Lewis Shepherd’s 2008 project called “Research Desktop” which combined semantic analysis with a Web 2.0-style interface. The new ScholarLynk social software prototype expands upon that earlier idea, offering its users the ability to create reading lists related to their interests which could entail emails, scholarly papers, web pages and local files. The lists can be private, shared or collaborative in nature and they support metadata, annotations and associations. The program also has a Twitter and Facebook-like social element involving the ability to follow other users, write on their walls, engage in conversations, and provide feedback or rate each others’ research. The prototype will become available for download in December. http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/Microsoft-Research-Reveals-Facebook-for-Scientists-ScholarLynk Mon, 13 Sep 2010 16:51:00 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/Microsoft-Research-Reveals-Facebook-for-Scientists-ScholarLynk Sarah Perez Sarah Perez 0 http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/Microsoft-Research-Reveals-Facebook-for-Scientists-ScholarLynk/RSS Facebook Microsoft Research MS Research MSR Research Science Social Networks scientists Social Networking research project Social Media Microsoft Reserach Outlook Hotmail Connector Updated The Microsoft Outlook Hotmail Connector, which allows Outlook users to access their Hotmail within the desktop software, has been updated again to a new version. Depending on what operating system you have, you should select the appropriate download from the ones listed below:

According to LiveSide’s tests, you’ll need to first uninstall the old Connector before installing the new one, but there are no major changes between versions, in terms of features. Likely this new update just address some minor bugs, so it’s not a critical update this time around.

The download page reminds Outlook Connector users of the many benefits of this software, including the ability to:

  • 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.
And if  you use the Outlook Hotmail Connector with Outlook 2010 you gain these additional benefits, too:
  • Your Safe Sender List/Blocked sender list/Safe Recipient lists are synchronized between Outlook and Hotmail.
  • Send/receive works like your other Outlook accounts.
  • Your Hotmail account status appears in the Outlook status bar.
  • Rules work with the Hotmail account in Outlook even if it’s not your primary account.
]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/Outlook-Hotmail-Connector-Updated The Microsoft Outlook Hotmail Connector, which allows Outlook users to access their Hotmail within the desktop software, has been updated again to a new version. Depending on what operating system you have, you should select the appropriate download from the ones listed below: Outlook Hotmail Connector 32-bit Outlook Hotmail Connector 64-bit According to LiveSide’s tests, you’ll need to first uninstall the old Connector before installing the new one, but there are no major changes between versions, in terms of features. Likely this new update just address some minor bugs, so it’s not a critical update this time around. The download page reminds Outlook Connector users of the many benefits of this software, including the ability to: 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. And if  you use the Outlook Hotmail Connector with Outlook 2010 you gain these additional benefits, too: Your Safe Sender List/Blocked sender list/Safe Recipient lists are synchronized between Outlook and Hotmail. Send/receive works like your other Outlook accounts. Your Hotmail account status appears in the Outlook status bar. Rules work with the Hotmail account in Outlook even if it’s not your primary account. http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/Outlook-Hotmail-Connector-Updated Mon, 13 Sep 2010 16:51:00 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/Outlook-Hotmail-Connector-Updated Sarah Perez Sarah Perez 0 http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/Outlook-Hotmail-Connector-Updated/RSS Hotmail Outlook Outlook Connector NFL Experiments with Silverlight On September 9th, the NFL experimented with Silverlight technology by broadcasting the Vikings/Saints game live via NBC’s Football Extra. The online telecast featured extra camera angles, in addition to Silverlight's smooth streaming, HD quality video technology. Silverlight, which turns your computer screen into a TV/DVR combo with player controls like pause and rewind, has gained in popularity for displaying live video broadcasts on the web and has been used in the past for sporting events, most notably, the Olympics.

The Silverlight streaming won’t be available for all NFL games, though, only NBC’s Sunday-night game, going forward. And it won’t be available at all during playoffs. But it definitely shows what the technology is capable of, and football fans away from their TVs are likely grateful for the effort.

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/NFL-Experiments-with-Silverlight On September 9th, the NFL experimented with Silverlight technology by broadcasting the Vikings/Saints game live via NBC’s Football Extra. The online telecast featured extra camera angles, in addition to Silverlight's smooth streaming, HD quality video technology. Silverlight, which turns your computer screen into a TV/DVR combo with player controls like pause and rewind, has gained in popularity for displaying live video broadcasts on the web and has been used in the past for sporting events, most notably, the Olympics. The Silverlight streaming won’t be available for all NFL games, though, only NBC’s Sunday-night game, going forward. And it won’t be available at all during playoffs. But it definitely shows what the technology is capable of, and football fans away from their TVs are likely grateful for the effort. http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/NFL-Experiments-with-Silverlight Fri, 10 Sep 2010 16:39:00 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/NFL-Experiments-with-Silverlight Sarah Perez Sarah Perez 0 http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/NFL-Experiments-with-Silverlight/RSS Silverlight Silverlight Streaming Silverlight-Based Seesmic Launches Plugin Platform Silverlight-based social networking application Seesmic has just launched its highly anticipated plugin platform which transforms the formerly Twitter-only app to a platform for the larger social Web, and real-time news.

The platform lets you add in plugins of your choosing to the desktop application, which including everything from tracking breaking news from top sources like Techmeme or RSS feeds, accessing social networks like Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Foursquare and others, shopping at Zappos, listening to music via Last.fm, and so much more.

There are over 40 plugins available now and more to come. For now, all the plugins are free, but in the future, developers will be able to charge.

The plugins work in Seesmic’s Desktop 2 client software, a downloadable application designed for desktop operating systems, including both Windows and Mac. You can try it now from here.

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/Silverlight-Based-Seesmic-Launches-Plugin-Platform Silverlight-based social networking application Seesmic has just launched its highly anticipated plugin platform which transforms the formerly Twitter-only app to a platform for the larger social Web, and real-time news. The platform lets you add in plugins of your choosing to the desktop application, which including everything from tracking breaking news from top sources like Techmeme or RSS feeds, accessing social networks like Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Foursquare and others, shopping at Zappos, listening to music via Last.fm, and so much more. There are over 40 plugins available now and more to come. For now, all the plugins are free, but in the future, developers will be able to charge. The plugins work in Seesmic’s Desktop 2 client software, a downloadable application designed for desktop operating systems, including both Windows and Mac. You can try it now from here. http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/Silverlight-Based-Seesmic-Launches-Plugin-Platform Fri, 10 Sep 2010 16:39:00 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/Silverlight-Based-Seesmic-Launches-Plugin-Platform Sarah Perez Sarah Perez 0 http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/Silverlight-Based-Seesmic-Launches-Plugin-Platform/RSS Silverlight Social Networks Twitter Social Networking Social Media Get a Free Cyber-Security Book from Microsoft Parents and teens now have access to a free downloadable e-book from Microsoft called “Own Your Space,” which aims to instruct teens and other new internet users how to stay safe while online. Specifically, the book addresses common security threats like phishing scams as well as modern-day social issues like cyber-bullying and cyber-stalking.

LifeHacker recently reviewed the book and found it worth recommending, saying “it's difficult to write books for teenagers that don't fall into the ‘trying too hard to be cool’ trap, but Microsoft has done an admirable job.” Glowing praise indeed!

You can grab a free copy for yourself from here.

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/Get-a-Free-Cyber-Security-Book-from-Microsoft Parents and teens now have access to a free downloadable e-book from Microsoft called “Own Your Space,” which aims to instruct teens and other new internet users how to stay safe while online. Specifically, the book addresses common security threats like phishing scams as well as modern-day social issues like cyber-bullying and cyber-stalking. LifeHacker recently reviewed the book and found it worth recommending, saying “it's difficult to write books for teenagers that don't fall into the ‘trying too hard to be cool’ trap, but Microsoft has done an admirable job.” Glowing praise indeed! You can grab a free copy for yourself from here. http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/Get-a-Free-Cyber-Security-Book-from-Microsoft Fri, 10 Sep 2010 16:39:00 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/Get-a-Free-Cyber-Security-Book-from-Microsoft Sarah Perez Sarah Perez 0 http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/Get-a-Free-Cyber-Security-Book-from-Microsoft/RSS free Security free stuff Halo Madness Starts in NYC The launch of the next installment in the popular Halo series is almost upon us. At 12:10 AM on Tuesday, September 14th, millions of fans will at last be able to purchase Halo:Reach, the prequel to the trilogy of Halo games already released. But for those fans who live in New York City, there’s an event that can’t be missed: the Best Buy Theater in Times Square will be hosting a marquee event where fans will get to play the game just before it goes on sale, meet the creators of “Halo,” win Halo-themed prizes and experience a “surprise” musical performance.

West coast fans won’t be missing out though – at the Music Project | Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame in Seattle, Bungie developers will greet fans on Sept. 13th during the countdown to launch. There will also be prizes and fans will get to play the game early there, too.

Even if you’re not located in one of these cities, a number of retailers will be holding their own celebrations, including Best Buy, GameStop, Wal-Mart, Toys”R”Us and many others, so check out your own local shops for details.

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/Halo-Madness-Starts-in-NYC The launch of the next installment in the popular Halo series is almost upon us. At 12:10 AM on Tuesday, September 14th, millions of fans will at last be able to purchase Halo:Reach, the prequel to the trilogy of Halo games already released. But for those fans who live in New York City, there’s an event that can’t be missed: the Best Buy Theater in Times Square will be hosting a marquee event where fans will get to play the game just before it goes on sale, meet the creators of “Halo,” win Halo-themed prizes and experience a “surprise” musical performance. West coast fans won’t be missing out though – at the Music Project | Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame in Seattle, Bungie developers will greet fans on Sept. 13th during the countdown to launch. There will also be prizes and fans will get to play the game early there, too. Even if you’re not located in one of these cities, a number of retailers will be holding their own celebrations, including Best Buy, GameStop, Wal-Mart, Toys”R”Us and many others, so check out your own local shops for details. http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/Halo-Madness-Starts-in-NYC Wed, 08 Sep 2010 15:21:00 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/Halo-Madness-Starts-in-NYC Sarah Perez Sarah Perez 0 http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/Halo-Madness-Starts-in-NYC/RSS Gaming Halo A Second Bing Maps Wordpress Plugin Although Chris Pendleton previously reported on a Bing Maps plugin for WordPress back in July, Johannes Kebeck of the Bing team recently came across an alternative: the Silverlight Bing Maps plugin. Developed by Regart.net, this plugin lets you install an interactive maps on your WordPress site while allowing customizations like width, height, display mode, zoom level, menu display, language, and many others.

For example, a tag using several of the options would look like this:

[sl-bingmaps background="transparent" width="100%" height="300" NavigationVisibility="1" CopyrightVisibility="1" LogoVisibility="1" ScaleVisibility="1" ZoomLevel="5" Mode="Aerial" StartLocation="48.8756271_2.3493838" Pushpin="48.8756271_2.3493838" Culture="fr_FR"]

or:

[sl-bingmaps background="transparent" width="100%" height="400" NavigationVisibility="1" CopyrightVisibility="1" LogoVisibility="1" ScaleVisibility="1" ZoomLevel="17" Mode="Aerial" StartLocation="51.50809105417733_-0.07589511573314667" Culture="en-GB"]</p>

In order to use this plugin, you’ll need to first create a Bing Maps Key here. For further instructions, check out Kebeck’s post.

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/A-Second-Bing-Maps-Wordpress-Plugin Although Chris Pendleton previously reported on a Bing Maps plugin for WordPress back in July, Johannes Kebeck of the Bing team recently came across an alternative: the Silverlight Bing Maps plugin. Developed by Regart.net, this plugin lets you install an interactive maps on your WordPress site while allowing customizations like width, height, display mode, zoom level, menu display, language, and many others. For example, a tag using several of the options would look like this: [sl-bingmaps background=&quot;transparent&quot; width=&quot;100%&quot; height=&quot;300&quot; NavigationVisibility=&quot;1&quot; CopyrightVisibility=&quot;1&quot; LogoVisibility=&quot;1&quot; ScaleVisibility=&quot;1&quot; ZoomLevel=&quot;5&quot; Mode=&quot;Aerial&quot; StartLocation=&quot;48.8756271_2.3493838&quot; Pushpin=&quot;48.8756271_2.3493838&quot; Culture=&quot;fr_FR&quot;] or: [sl-bingmaps background=&quot;transparent&quot; width=&quot;100%&quot; height=&quot;400&quot; NavigationVisibility=&quot;1&quot; CopyrightVisibility=&quot;1&quot; LogoVisibility=&quot;1&quot; ScaleVisibility=&quot;1&quot; ZoomLevel=&quot;17&quot; Mode=&quot;Aerial&quot; StartLocation=&quot;51.50809105417733_-0.07589511573314667&quot; Culture=&quot;en-GB&quot;]&lt;/p&gt; In order to use this plugin, you’ll need to first create a Bing Maps Key here. For further instructions, check out Kebeck’s post. http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/A-Second-Bing-Maps-Wordpress-Plugin Wed, 08 Sep 2010 15:21:00 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/A-Second-Bing-Maps-Wordpress-Plugin Sarah Perez Sarah Perez 0 http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/A-Second-Bing-Maps-Wordpress-Plugin/RSS Bing Bing Maps Blogging Blogs Wordpress plugin blog Plugins Plug-in Hotmail Now Gets Push Support via Exchange ActiveSync Microsoft Hotmail, calendar and contacts can now be automatically pushed to your phone using Exchange ActiveSync technology (EAS). That means that whatever you do on your phone, from reading an email, creating a new calendar appointment, updating a contact, etc. with be automatically and instantly synced with the web service at www.hotmail.com. It also means that emails get sent to your phone as soon as they arrive. And if you access your Hotmail in Outlook with the Outlook Connector or in the free program Windows Live Mail, whatever you do within the software program also immediately shows up on the web, too.

To set up support for ActiveSync on your phone, you’ll need the following info:

  • Server / URL: m.hotmail.com
  • Username: Enter full email address, for example: someone@example.com
  • Domain : Leave this blank
  • SSL: Enable this
  • Certificate: Accept the SSL certificate when prompted
  • Mail, Contacts, Calendar, Tasks: All can be enabled (see the Solution Center article for exceptions on some phones)

Currently EAS is officially supported on Windows Mobile 6.x phones, Windows Phone 7, the iPhone (iPad, iPod Touch, too), Nokia E-Series, S-Series and N-Series. Other devices may work, but support will be limited. Android support is currently not available but testing is underway. For details on your particular device, go here.

(via Windows Live team blog)

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/Hotmail-Now-Gets-Push-Support-via-Exchange-ActiveSync Microsoft Hotmail, calendar and contacts can now be automatically pushed to your phone using Exchange ActiveSync technology (EAS). That means that whatever you do on your phone, from reading an email, creating a new calendar appointment, updating a contact, etc. with be automatically and instantly synced with the web service at www.hotmail.com. It also means that emails get sent to your phone as soon as they arrive. And if you access your Hotmail in Outlook with the Outlook Connector or in the free program Windows Live Mail, whatever you do within the software program also immediately shows up on the web, too. To set up support for ActiveSync on your phone, you’ll need the following info: Server / URL: m.hotmail.com Username: Enter full email address, for example: someone@example.com Domain : Leave this blank SSL: Enable this Certificate: Accept the SSL certificate when prompted Mail, Contacts, Calendar, Tasks: All can be enabled (see the Solution Center article for exceptions on some phones) Currently EAS is officially supported on Windows Mobile 6.x phones, Windows Phone 7, the iPhone (iPad, iPod Touch, too), Nokia E-Series, S-Series and N-Series. Other devices may work, but support will be limited. Android support is currently not available but testing is underway. For details on your particular device, go here. (via Windows Live team blog) http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/Hotmail-Now-Gets-Push-Support-via-Exchange-ActiveSync Wed, 01 Sep 2010 15:08:00 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/Hotmail-Now-Gets-Push-Support-via-Exchange-ActiveSync Sarah Perez Sarah Perez 0 http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/Hotmail-Now-Gets-Push-Support-via-Exchange-ActiveSync/RSS Channel 9 App for Windows Phone 7 An independent Windows Phone developer, Sigurd Snørteland, has created an application for accessing news from Channel 9 on your Windows Phone 7 device. The app, “myChannel9,” will display news and videos from the site and will offers features like the ability to favorite a show, browse by tags or search by keyword. You’ll also be able to use the app to watch videos right on your device, whether in portrait or landscape mode. Screenshots and demo videos of the app are available now on Snørteland’s personal blog. He has also created an app called Wall Street, which, as the name implies, will focus on delivering stock-related information.

(via PocketNow)

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/Channel-9-App-for-Windows-Phone-7 An independent Windows Phone developer, Sigurd Snørteland, has created an application for accessing news from Channel 9 on your Windows Phone 7 device. The app, “myChannel9,” will display news and videos from the site and will offers features like the ability to favorite a show, browse by tags or search by keyword. You’ll also be able to use the app to watch videos right on your device, whether in portrait or landscape mode. Screenshots and demo videos of the app are available now on Snørteland’s personal blog. He has also created an app called Wall Street, which, as the name implies, will focus on delivering stock-related information. (via PocketNow) http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/Channel-9-App-for-Windows-Phone-7 Wed, 01 Sep 2010 15:07:00 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/Channel-9-App-for-Windows-Phone-7 Sarah Perez Sarah Perez 0 http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/Channel-9-App-for-Windows-Phone-7/RSS Channel 9 Mobile Windows Phone Mobile Application Family Pack is Back! Microsoft is reintroducing the Windows 7 Family Pack, a discounted pack of multiple Windows 7 operating system licenses for use in homes that have more than one computer. Starting October 3rd in the U.S., you’ll be able to get 3 upgrade licenses of Windows 7 Home Premium for $149.99. On October 22nd, a discount will also be available to shoppers in Canada, the U.K., Germany, France, Australia and others, a date which also happens to be Windows 7’s one-year anniversary.

If you’ve been waiting around to upgrade your home’s computers, this is a good time to buy. To see if your PC can run Windows 7, check out the Upgrade Advisor here.

(via the Windows Team)

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/Family-Pack-is-Back Microsoft is reintroducing the Windows 7 Family Pack, a discounted pack of multiple Windows 7 operating system licenses for use in homes that have more than one computer. Starting October 3rd in the U.S., you’ll be able to get 3 upgrade licenses of Windows 7 Home Premium for $149.99. On October 22nd, a discount will also be available to shoppers in Canada, the U.K., Germany, France, Australia and others, a date which also happens to be Windows 7’s one-year anniversary. If you’ve been waiting around to upgrade your home’s computers, this is a good time to buy. To see if your PC can run Windows 7, check out the Upgrade Advisor here. (via the Windows Team) http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/Family-Pack-is-Back Wed, 01 Sep 2010 15:07:00 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/Family-Pack-is-Back Sarah Perez Sarah Perez 0 http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/Family-Pack-is-Back/RSS Windows 7 New from FUSE: Team Crossword Beta The team from FUSE Labs (the folks behind Outlook Social Connector, Spindex, Kodu, Emporia, Bing Twitter Maps and Docs) have just launched a new project called Team Crossword. This application isn’t a major release like Docs.com, the Facebook-enabled Microsoft Office service, but is rather just a simple but fun social game. At TeamCrossword.com, you and your friends can solve crossword puzzles together online. The site also tracks the fastest time a team took to solve a puzzle, so you can see how you and your friends compare.

There’s a new puzzle available every day via the website. You can get started here by signing in with Facebook and inviting your Facebook friends to join.

(Thanks Steve Clayton for pointing this out!)

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/New-from-FUSE-Team-Crossword-Beta The team from FUSE Labs (the folks behind Outlook Social Connector, Spindex, Kodu, Emporia, Bing Twitter Maps and Docs) have just launched a new project called Team Crossword. This application isn’t a major release like Docs.com, the Facebook-enabled Microsoft Office service, but is rather just a simple but fun social game. At TeamCrossword.com, you and your friends can solve crossword puzzles together online. The site also tracks the fastest time a team took to solve a puzzle, so you can see how you and your friends compare. There’s a new puzzle available every day via the website. You can get started here by signing in with Facebook and inviting your Facebook friends to join. (Thanks Steve Clayton for pointing this out!) http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/New-from-FUSE-Team-Crossword-Beta Tue, 31 Aug 2010 08:40:00 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/New-from-FUSE-Team-Crossword-Beta Sarah Perez Sarah Perez 0 http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/New-from-FUSE-Team-Crossword-Beta/RSS Facebook Puzzle facebook app Sick of Landscapes? Tons of New Artistic Themes Added to Windows 7 Gallery While I’ve personally been enjoying the new Bing themes (especially the RSS-enabled one!), not everyone is interested in setting a tranquil landscape, cityscape or nature-inspired photo as their desktop background. If you would rather have something a bit more artistic to look at, you’ll be pleased to find that the Windows 7 Personalization Gallery has recently been updated with a big selection of new themes, all with a more artistic focus.

Here’s what’s new:

  • 26 Creative – This theme features “cheerful florals” and “patchwork characters” from artist Chang, Fan-Hsuan.
  • Imagination – A gently surreal theme from artist Yeh, Hsin-Hung.
  • Bake House – A theme made up of cartoonish breads and pastry characters by Wang, Hsueh-Shih.
  • Girls Rock – An anime-esque theme featuring girl rockers.
  • An Hsin Pu Tzu – A dreamy, romantic theme featuring cartoon characters relaxing in nature.
  • Gears of War 3 – not necessarily an “artistic” theme, but worth a mention – this one features portraits of Marcus Fenix, Dominic Santiago and Anya Stroud from Gears of War 3, due to arrive on Xbox in April 2011.
]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/Sick-of-Landscapes-Tons-of-New-Artistic-Themes-Added-to-Windows-7-Gallery While I’ve personally been enjoying the new Bing themes (especially the RSS-enabled one!), not everyone is interested in setting a tranquil landscape, cityscape or nature-inspired photo as their desktop background. If you would rather have something a bit more artistic to look at, you’ll be pleased to find that the Windows 7 Personalization Gallery has recently been updated with a big selection of new themes, all with a more artistic focus. Here’s what’s new: 26 Creative – This theme features “cheerful florals” and “patchwork characters” from artist Chang, Fan-Hsuan. Imagination – A gently surreal theme from artist Yeh, Hsin-Hung. Bake House – A theme made up of cartoonish breads and pastry characters by Wang, Hsueh-Shih. Girls Rock – An anime-esque theme featuring girl rockers. An Hsin Pu Tzu – A dreamy, romantic theme featuring cartoon characters relaxing in nature. Gears of War 3 – not necessarily an “artistic” theme, but worth a mention – this one features portraits of Marcus Fenix, Dominic Santiago and Anya Stroud from Gears of War 3, due to arrive on Xbox in April 2011. http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/Sick-of-Landscapes-Tons-of-New-Artistic-Themes-Added-to-Windows-7-Gallery Tue, 31 Aug 2010 08:40:00 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/Sick-of-Landscapes-Tons-of-New-Artistic-Themes-Added-to-Windows-7-Gallery Sarah Perez Sarah Perez 0 http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/Sick-of-Landscapes-Tons-of-New-Artistic-Themes-Added-to-Windows-7-Gallery/RSS Personalization Windows 7 personalized personalize JumpControl Adds Shutdown Options to Windows 7 Taskbar This is a nifty little app to have: JumpControl, available here on DeviantArt. It’s a simple program that lets you add shutdown, restart, sleep, log off, lock and switch user options right to your Windows 7 Taskbar.

As you know, Windows 7 introduced a new taskbar which lets you “pin” programs to it which could then be right-clicked to display “jump lists.” These jump lists include things like frequent tasks associated with that program and/or a list of recent files, among other things.

To use the JumpControl app, you just download the zip file, extract the files it contains to a folder on your PC, then right-click on the executable and choose “pin to taskbar.” You don’t actually have to run the executable, though, unless you want to configure which options will be displayed in the jump list.

After the app has been pinned to the taskbar, you can access these common shutdown/log off options right from the app’s jumplist – that’s handy!

The program is available as freeware and works as advertised.

(via NirmalTV.com)

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/JumpControl-Adds-Shutdown-Options-to-Windows-7-Taskbar This is a nifty little app to have: JumpControl, available here on DeviantArt. It’s a simple program that lets you add shutdown, restart, sleep, log off, lock and switch user options right to your Windows 7 Taskbar. As you know, Windows 7 introduced a new taskbar which lets you “pin” programs to it which could then be right-clicked to display “jump lists.” These jump lists include things like frequent tasks associated with that program and/or a list of recent files, among other things. To use the JumpControl app, you just download the zip file, extract the files it contains to a folder on your PC, then right-click on the executable and choose “pin to taskbar.” You don’t actually have to run the executable, though, unless you want to configure which options will be displayed in the jump list. After the app has been pinned to the taskbar, you can access these common shutdown/log off options right from the app’s jumplist – that’s handy! The program is available as freeware and works as advertised. (via NirmalTV.com) http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/JumpControl-Adds-Shutdown-Options-to-Windows-7-Taskbar Tue, 31 Aug 2010 08:40:00 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/JumpControl-Adds-Shutdown-Options-to-Windows-7-Taskbar Sarah Perez Sarah Perez 0 http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/JumpControl-Adds-Shutdown-Options-to-Windows-7-Taskbar/RSS No Surprise Here: King of Bing Maps is Taxi Fare Calculator When the Bing Team announced that they were holding a contest for developers to create new Bing Map applications, called the “King of Bing Maps,” the blogosphere soon erupted with news of one of the entries: the Taxi Fare calculator.

The Taxi Fare Calculator app was developed by Ricky Brundritt, and, as you may imagine, it lets you enter in a starting address and end address and then see what the cab fare may be, as well as the shortest route. Fare estimates are based on rates for cabs in the area, and include pick-up rates and by-the-miles costs, as applicable.

Obviously, this map app is extremely handy, which is why everyone was raving about it.

Now the Bing Team has revealed that the app is the official winner of the contest, news which was announced via a video on MSDN's Channel 9. Brundritt, as the grand-prize winner, won $1000.

The other winners included in GeoSales Tax and Ricky’s Data Viewer

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/No-Surprise-Here-King-of-Bing-Maps-is-Taxi-Fare-Calculator When the Bing Team announced that they were holding a contest for developers to create new Bing Map applications, called the “King of Bing Maps,” the blogosphere soon erupted with news of one of the entries: the Taxi Fare calculator. The Taxi Fare Calculator app was developed by Ricky Brundritt, and, as you may imagine, it lets you enter in a starting address and end address and then see what the cab fare may be, as well as the shortest route. Fare estimates are based on rates for cabs in the area, and include pick-up rates and by-the-miles costs, as applicable. Obviously, this map app is extremely handy, which is why everyone was raving about it. Now the Bing Team has revealed that the app is the official winner of the contest, news which was announced via a video on MSDN's Channel 9. Brundritt, as the grand-prize winner, won $1000. The other winners included in GeoSales Tax and Ricky’s Data Viewer http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/No-Surprise-Here-King-of-Bing-Maps-is-Taxi-Fare-Calculator Fri, 27 Aug 2010 13:34:00 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/No-Surprise-Here-King-of-Bing-Maps-is-Taxi-Fare-Calculator Sarah Perez Sarah Perez 0 http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/No-Surprise-Here-King-of-Bing-Maps-is-Taxi-Fare-Calculator/RSS Bing Maps Windows Live Sync Arrives for Mac Windows Live Sync, the service which keeps your documents, photos and files synced in between all your PC, has now been released for Mac users. The download, available here at the Microsoft Download Center, serves as a replacement for Windows Live Mesh, the beta service which was merged into Live Sync, a part of the updated Windows Live Essentials suite of applications.

According to the download page, Live Sync for Mac (beta) will let you choose the folders you sync across your computers, and those will then be able to sync between both your Mac computers and your PCs.

Live Sync for Mac requires Mac OS X v10.5 Leopard or  Mac OS X v10.6 Snow Leopard and works on Intel-based Mac computer only.

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/Windows-Live-Sync-Arrives-for-Mac Windows Live Sync, the service which keeps your documents, photos and files synced in between all your PC, has now been released for Mac users. The download, available here at the Microsoft Download Center, serves as a replacement for Windows Live Mesh, the beta service which was merged into Live Sync, a part of the updated Windows Live Essentials suite of applications. According to the download page, Live Sync for Mac (beta) will let you choose the folders you sync across your computers, and those will then be able to sync between both your Mac computers and your PCs. Live Sync for Mac requires Mac OS X v10.5 Leopard or&nbsp; Mac OS X v10.6 Snow Leopard and works on Intel-based Mac computer only. http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/Windows-Live-Sync-Arrives-for-Mac Fri, 27 Aug 2010 13:34:00 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/Windows-Live-Sync-Arrives-for-Mac Sarah Perez Sarah Perez 4 http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/Windows-Live-Sync-Arrives-for-Mac/RSS Windows Live Photo Gallery Now Does Geotagging Thanks to the recent refresh of the Windows Live Essentials beta, Windows Live Photo Gallery now supports geo-tagged photos via Bing Maps. Geo-tagging (adding location information to a photo) helps you see, on a map, where a particular photo was taken. By supporting geo-tags within Photo Gallery, you can optionally sort your photos by location within the application.

Also, thanks to the new feature that allows you to publish a series photos directly to Photosynth (Create menu –> More Tools –> Create a Photosynth), the geotagged option will allow the synth to be rendered and then placed on Bing Maps. Then all you would have to do to finish your synth is add a title, tags, and a description.

To get the new version of Windows Live Photo Gallery which supports this feature, just head over to the Windows Live Essentials beta homepage here and hit the “download now” button.

(via the Bing team blog)

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/Windows-Live-Photo-Gallery-Now-Does-Geotagging Thanks to the recent refresh of the Windows Live Essentials beta, Windows Live Photo Gallery now supports geo-tagged photos via Bing Maps. Geo-tagging (adding location information to a photo) helps you see, on a map, where a particular photo was taken. By supporting geo-tags within Photo Gallery, you can optionally sort your photos by location within the application. Also, thanks to the new feature that allows you to publish a series photos directly to Photosynth (Create menu –&gt; More Tools –&gt; Create a Photosynth), the geotagged option will allow the synth to be rendered and then placed on Bing Maps. Then all you would have to do to finish your synth is add a title, tags, and a description. To get the new version of Windows Live Photo Gallery which supports this feature, just head over to the Windows Live Essentials beta homepage here and hit the “download now” button. (via the Bing team blog) http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/Windows-Live-Photo-Gallery-Now-Does-Geotagging Fri, 27 Aug 2010 13:34:00 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/Windows-Live-Photo-Gallery-Now-Does-Geotagging Sarah Perez Sarah Perez 0 http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/Windows-Live-Photo-Gallery-Now-Does-Geotagging/RSS Photo Photography PhotoSynth Windows Live Photo Gallery Windows Live Essentials Students: Get Windows 7 for $30 Wow, I just came across a handy link you’ll want to share with any college students (or parents of college students) you know: Windows 7 is only $29.99 for those enrolled in a U.S.-based educational institution. To qualify, the student must be taking at least 0.5 course credits and have either an @EDU.com email address or attend one of the institutions listed here. If so, the deal available here, will let them grab the Windows 7 Professional Upgrade edition for digital download. Backup media can be optionally added to the order, too, if desired.

The deal is currently being featured on www.microsoft.com/student, which is a valuable resource for finding great deals on Microsoft software, with links to Office 2010 for $79.95, all the student deals on the Microsoft Store site, all the free downloads from Dreamspark (professional development tools), and more. This almost makes me want to go back to school myself. Well, almost.

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/Students-Get-Windows-7-for-30 Wow, I just came across a handy link you’ll want to share with any college students (or parents of college students) you know: Windows 7 is only $29.99 for those enrolled in a U.S.-based educational institution. To qualify, the student must be taking at least 0.5 course credits and have either an @EDU.com email address or attend one of the institutions listed here. If so, the deal available here, will let them grab the Windows 7 Professional Upgrade edition for digital download. Backup media can be optionally added to the order, too, if desired. The deal is currently being featured on www.microsoft.com/student, which is a valuable resource for finding great deals on Microsoft software, with links to Office 2010 for $79.95, all the student deals on the Microsoft Store site, all the free downloads from Dreamspark (professional development tools), and more. This almost makes me want to go back to school myself. Well, almost. http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/Students-Get-Windows-7-for-30 Fri, 27 Aug 2010 13:33:00 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/Students-Get-Windows-7-for-30 Sarah Perez Sarah Perez 0 http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/Students-Get-Windows-7-for-30/RSS Office 2010 Students Windows 7 deals Hotmail Now Integrates with Bing Maps and More In another great example of Microsoft tying its different services together, Windows Live Hotmail now integrates with Bing Maps. According to the Bing team, when you create a new email, one of the new options on the Insert Menu in Hotmail is “From Bing.” It sits to the right of the standard “Insert” options like “Attachments” and “Photos.”

From this menu, you can select one of the following: “clip art,” “videos,” “webpages,” and “Maps and Places.” Using any of these options lets you automatically insert content pulled from Bing, but probably the most useful will be the option to insert content from Bing Maps.

When you select this option, a task pane opens on the right-hand side of your screen, allowing you to search for a location or pull up a location you’ve previously saved. You can optionally edit the details of the item or just click “insert” to add it to your email.

That’s definitely a handy feature to have when trying to share directions via email – you don’t even have to go to another web page, you can do it all from your inbox.

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/Hotmail-Now-Integrates-with-Bing-Maps-and-More In another great example of Microsoft tying its different services together, Windows Live Hotmail now integrates with Bing Maps. According to the Bing team, when you create a new email, one of the new options on the Insert Menu in Hotmail is “From Bing.” It sits to the right of the standard “Insert” options like “Attachments” and “Photos.” From this menu, you can select one of the following: “clip art,” “videos,” “webpages,” and “Maps and Places.” Using any of these options lets you automatically insert content pulled from Bing, but probably the most useful will be the option to insert content from Bing Maps. When you select this option, a task pane opens on the right-hand side of your screen, allowing you to search for a location or pull up a location you’ve previously saved. You can optionally edit the details of the item or just click “insert” to add it to your email. That’s definitely a handy feature to have when trying to share directions via email – you don’t even have to go to another web page, you can do it all from your inbox. http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/Hotmail-Now-Integrates-with-Bing-Maps-and-More Fri, 27 Aug 2010 13:33:00 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/Hotmail-Now-Integrates-with-Bing-Maps-and-More Sarah Perez Sarah Perez 0 http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/coolstuff/Hotmail-Now-Integrates-with-Bing-Maps-and-More/RSS Bing Bing Maps Hotmail Windows Live Windows Live Hotmail