After watching this video, follow these next steps:

Step #1 – Download Microsoft Private Cloud Evaluation Software
Step #2 – Download Windows Server 2012
Step #3 – Download Your FREE Copy of Hyper-V Server 2012

If you're interested in learning more about the products or solutions discussed in this episode, click on any of the below links for free, in-depth information:

Resources:

• Microsoft Virtual Academy
• Microsoft Server and Cloud Platform website

Websites & Blogs:

• Keith Mayer’s Blog

Videos:

• New Features in System Center 2012 Configuration Manager Service Pack 1
• Site Hierarchy and Role Enhancements with System Center 2012 Configuration Manager Service Pack 1
• Supporting Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012 with System Center 2012 Configuration Manager Service Pack 1

Virtual Labs:

• TechNet Virtual Labs: System Center 2012

Follow @technetradio
Become a Fan @ facebook.com/MicrosoftTechNetRadio
Subscribe to our podcast via iTunes, Zune, Stitcher, or RSS

Become an "Early Expert" at IT Pros ROCK!

Starting with version 1.2.0 you can now setup your application to leverage the Access Control Service to authenticate and authorize your users from within your iOS application.  You can choose from multiple identity providers—including Live ID, Yahoo, Google, Facebook, and ADFS—from which your users can authenticate.  Additionally, using the new Cloud Ready for Packages & the Configuration Tool, setting up and deploying your iOS application with ACS is easy and straightforward.

For more information, take a look at the following resources:

• Vittorio's blog: Using the Windows Azure Access Control Service in iOS Applications
• *new* WAT for iOS v1.2 Configuration Tool
• *updated* WAT for iOS v1.2 Library
• *updated* WAT for iOS v1.2 Samples
• Getting Started with the Windows Azure Toolkit for iOS
• Deploying the Cloud Ready Packages for Devices

The answer comes in the form of the all-new Windows Phone 7 Connector for Mac, which Microsoft have just released in beta. The connector supports Apple OSX 10.5 and above, and provides a familiar environment for users to sync content between the Mac and the handset.

The Connector for Mac doesn’t have all of the bells and whistles of the Zune software for Windows, but will allow you to sync all of your non-protected music and video, plus your photos and podcasts to the phone for enjoyment out on the road.

To see the new Connector in action, watch this video from Gear Live. Now there’s no excuse not to check out those Windows Phone 7 handsets, Mac guys.

KIN Media Sync for Mac lets owners sync music, including playlists built in iTunes, photos like those stored in iPhoto, and videos, too between Mac and KIN.  This is not a Mac version of the Zune software, though, it’s specially designed to move music from iTunes to the KIN phone. It won’t work with copy-protected music, but iTunes has a lot of unprotected content as do other music shops like Amazon (and Zune itself, of course).

Mac users have to be running OS X 10.5.6 or higher in order to use this software and will need iPhone, QuickTime and iTunes in order to sync their media. 

Given Microsoft’s plans to include SharePoint in the Live@edu program as of next year, the Business Edition’s SharePoint support is sure to come in handy. Colleges participating in Live@edu will let students create, host, and edit their documents “in the cloud” using Office Web Applications or they can be saved and worked on offline using Office desktop software. When files are ready to be shared with classmates or teachers, they can then be added to the appropriate Sharepoint sites.

Students who are non-Mac users aren’t out of luck for getting a bargain, too - they can find discounts from Microsoft and other retailers on the Microsoft Students page.

Specifically, Miller is referring to a security hole that has to do with ASLR (address space layout randomization) which "randomly assigns data to memory to make it tougher for attackers to determine the location of critical operating system functions, and thus make it harder for them to craft reliable exploits." Apple has yet to patch this hole in their new OS.

While you may think that one unpatched hole does not make an OS less secure than others, Miller feels differently. In a follow up email with the researcher, he explained that this hole is so important that until it’s fixed, he will consider Mac OS X less secure than Windows.

And if Mac does patch the hole? “ If Mac OS X had ASLR, he says, “I'd say Windows and Mac OS X were roughly the same as far as security goes.”

Essentially, explains Miller, OS security boils down to two things: which OS has the most vulnerabilities, something that’s hard to accurately measure, and which OS makes it the most difficult to exploit those vulnerabilities. This second item is much easier to measure – you simply list the known anti-exploit mitigations and see if the OS has them.  In Mac OS X, ASLR is missing from the list.

So how does the Mac OS X get away with calling themselves the more secure OS when security researchers like Miller say otherwise? It’s because hackers don’t find attacking hacks worth their while. Again, that’s Miller’s opinion. “If [the hacker] can hit 90% of the machines out there, that's all he's gonna do. It's not worth him nearly doubling his work just to get that last 10%.”

Lest you think Miller is the only pundit making these sorts of claims, take a look at recent findings from analyst firm Gartner. According to a recent article, “Yes, Macs are Vulnerable Too,” the lack of publicized Mac attacks doesn’t mean there are an underlying lack of vulnerabilities. There are plenty, the article states, referring to a chart from IBM's ISS X-Force security report which shows Mac OS X vulnerabilities coming in at the top spot when compared to other operating systems like Linux, Sun Solaris, and several versions of Windows. The article also notes how Safari and IE are “neck and neck” when it comes to browser vulnerabilities, too.

According to the Gartner analyst Neil MacDonald, “it’s a matter of when, not if, large numbers of Apple users will be affected with an outbreak.”

So at the end of the day, are Macs more secure than Windows? No, it appears they are not. They’re just not attacked as much.

According to this page on Microsoft’s Live Mesh site, the Mac version is now ready for download. It reads that with the Live Mesh Mac extender, you can

• Add your Mac to your Live Mesh - it will appear with your other devices on www.mesh.com and throughout the Live Mesh UI.
• Synchronize files between your Mac, your other computers, and your Live Desktop.
• Synchronize folder contents between your Mac and other folder members.
• Easily access Live Mesh news, your Live Desktop, and manage your devices from the Live Mesh menu bar item.
• Receive notifications through Live Mesh when updates are available and easily update the Live Mesh extender for Mac.

But, be warned, the Mac version is still under development, so there may be issues with it. Please use it at your own risk.

Now that you’ve been warned, go get it.

• New Elements Gallery user interface offers easy access to the most commonly used tools and templates
• Powerful OfficeArt graphics engine puts stunning visual and graphic effects at your fingertips; SmartArt graphics enable you to transform text and bulleted lists into professional diagrams with one click
• Go to Entourage 2008's Project Center to manage project details, such as e-mail messages, documents, schedules and contacts, in one area
• Use Word 2008's new design tools to create professional-looking cover pages and bibliographies in a snap; Dynamic Guides keep words and graphics straight and true
• PowerPoint 2008's new Object Palette makes it more simple than ever to see and choose all your shapes, art, symbols and pictures; designer themes and custom designs make your presentations look sensational
• Excel 2008 now supports more than 16,000 columns and more than one million rows to compile enormous amounts of data into meaningful reports and thought-provoking graphs
• Also includes Messenger for Mac for communicating instantly with family, friends and colleagues

While many web developers run Vista and Expression tools on their Macs, it is possible to do some of your Silverlight development work in OS X.  Check out Don Burnett's post explaining how to use Adobe Fireworks CS3 on OS X to create designs for Silverlight.  This isn't just a proof-of-concept; I've met designers who haven't yet switched to Vista on their Macs, who do this every day.

In an effort to harbor equality between the platforms, occasionally we here at 10 will bring you interesting things from the boys and girls in Cupertino, CA. Here is a case where someone has a truly excellent idea (competitive software design) and given the power to people who will almost certainly become avid users of the winning applications. We like to think of this as a small-scale Imagine Cup, and we think it’s a format the Windows community should jump right into. My Dream *Vista* App anyone?