Tag Archives: Microsoft

Microsoft Silverlight 3 Launch

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The web  is busy marking the launch of Microsoft’s Silverlight 3 which was supposed to be the “flash killer”. It is supposed to be a “cross” what have you to deliver offline “Rich Internet Applications”. Along with Silverline 3 are on the offer “Expression Studio 3″ and “Expression Blend 3″ , featuring “Sketch Flow”. Silverlight 3 includes incentives for enterprises, web developers and content developers who can extend the capabilities of Silverlight3 to Desktops also.

That leaves the mortal surfers like you and me for whom Silverlight 3 provides “Smooth Video Streaming” experience. Depending on the band width one uses it optimizes the video capabilities. The features also include better audio, video, 3 D Graphics and data binding.

The announcement and release time are unfortunately going against Microsoft because the impact that HTML 5 will have on making technologies like Flash, Silverlight 3 and Java FX obsolete has been discussed at length on the web.

Already with the release of the recent browsers netizens are getting a feel of the speed of functioning and development of open ended applications based on the HTML 5 standard. Developers of Browsers other than Microsoft have already come together and are resolved not to let proprietary technologies call the shots on the web.

The problem for Microsoft is that it is the only odd one out. It has made heavy investments in Silverlight and has also released its Internet Explorer 8 and people are going to question the irrelevancy and the wisdom of duplication If the present day browsers can handle these things with consummate ease.

The event has come at a time when the web is agog with the news of Chrome OS and Microsoft’s befitting reply that is to come on Monday. If few had  noticed the arrival of  Silverlight at this juncture it is not their fault. But if few notice Silverlight 3 after its official release, Microsoft would be caught flat footed a second time. It is only slightly more than a month since the arrival of bing and people already know how bing is faring

Microsoft vs Google:MS Office in the Cloud?

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Just when the dust raised by Google with its announcement of Google Chrome OS, was about to settle, actually it was not allowed to settle, things were taken to Microsoft’s court yard with lightning speed and people expected a befitting reply and Microsoft obliged, only that much, postponing the real stuff for Monday. But surmises were quick to be made, past projects dug up and at the amphitheatre where nerds and geeks jostle, the weapon that Microsoft was going to unleash on Monday to counter the Google blow is getting tantalizingly revealing.

But before we get a peek at the hidden dagger, tell me if I am wrong. Did Google say the Chrome OS is also for Desk tops and PCs? Not that my brain could pick up or the sparks weren’t strong enough for this old fused brain.

I do not want to spoil the party. But sage counsels have put 2 and 2 together and have been quick to reveal that Microsoft is going to announce its cloud ready MS Office. But are mere earthlings ready for the Office in the cloud?

If Microsoft hoists its Office in the cloud does Google have to come out with an OS for desktops? People will access the Office equivalent through the Net Books. Is that the scenario we are heading towards? Can Microsoft and Google manage the memory requirements and have the capacities for such an exodus?

We first have to wait for the sparring to begin so that we can chatter and silently clicketty clatter.

One thing is for sure. At the cost of repetition, these are exciting times for us who savor the nuances of technology.

YouSendIt:Free Attachments in MS Outlook

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YouSendIt in Microsoft Outlook is a popular website for sending and receiving large files of attachments with your e-mails up to 100MB for free. It is freely available on their website with an easy to use Add-on which you can restart after installation and you will notice the YouSendIt button with a drop down menu for signing in, configuring settings and getting support. YouSendIt allows you to attach larger files to your email attachments.

ysI have been using YouSendIt apps since several years from now and have always been happy and fully satisfied with this Microsoft Outlook app. This small plug in makes it more efficient to send large attachments with my mails without having to navigate to the website.  The upload time seems equal to using the site. The larger files above 100MB have different subscription plans that are for a pro, business or corporate account.

Signing Up

You can start using YouSendit plug-in by logging into your account or signing up for a new one in Microsoft Outlook app. As an individual user you are downgraded to YouSendIt Lite which should be adequate enough for personal mails.

Also check immediately the configuration, where you can designate YouSendIt for files over a certain size. Basically all you need to do is to  configure proxy settings, compose a message and include large attachment as you normally would.  You will have a confirmation message pop up and just click Yes and your file is sent immediately.

Just Do It

  • Send files directly from Outlook
  • Eliminate email bounce-backs
  • Prevent exchange server slow downs
  • Resumable upload- handles network interruptions
  • Seamless integration- Configure the plug-in to launch when attachments are larger than a pre-selected size

Note

While the file is being uploaded to the YouSendIt servers you will notice that there is a progress bar and abort option where the plug-in button is situated. Next, click on the YouSendIt toolbar button configuration and select your uploading preference to decide when to use YouSendIt service for uploading the attachments. Now, attach a file with Microsoft Outlook and send it out.  Outlook may automatically send your email using the YouSendIt service based on your configuration in the previous step or you may elect to confirm using the YouSendIt service.

Also you will notice a YouSendIt Outbox with a plug-in that includes support so you can contact for any problems. You should make sure to turn on logging to send diagnostic files for easier troubleshooting.

How to Share Calendar Online in Microsoft Outlook 2007?

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The Microsoft Outlook 2007 Online sharing apps allows you to share Calendars to Microsoft Office Online and makes it easier for you to invite other users to view them openly. There are three simple steps to make use of this service which is also a good way to share your events with family and friends.mol-2007-cal

  • Register for office Online (if you are not registered)
  • Publish a calendar
  • Invite others to view it

Note: You are only required to registered the first time you want to use  this service.

This is a great way to make sure everyone is on the same page when you live in Microsoft  Outlook 2007 daily. Also, it is an easy way to share your Outlook 2007 calendar’s with other users including your personal contacts as well and the best solution is to publish your calendar to Microsoft Office Outlook 2007 Online service.

How to share Calendar Online?

First, open up the calendar in Outlook and Right-click the calendar you want to share and then Publish to Internet and Publish to Office Online. Next, you are shown the Microsoft Office Online Registration overview for an account if you don’t already have one. You can sign up for a free account which is made available when you sign in using your Microsoft Live ID which is an online service that makes it possible for you to use a single e-mail address and password to sign in to any participating website or service. Finally,  accept the terms and conditions of using Microsoft Office Outlook 2007 Online by choosing a user name and finish up the registration.

Now you will get the Publish Calendar to Microsoft Office Outlook 2007 Online window where you install permissions and other settings according to your preferences. Once your calendar is published you can send out invites to let people know that the calendar is up. It opens up a new email message with the information for the shared calendar and you can add contacts.

How to subscribe to Shared Calendar?

Once the contact(s) you want to share the Microsoft Outlook 2007 Calendar receives the invite, just click on the Subscribe or Preview button under the Share tab and then, click on Yes to verify you want to subscribe to the calendar and its updates. Thereafter, click on the advanced button above for advanced configuration options. When the recipient wants to preview the Microsoft Outlook 2007 Calendar they are sent to the online calendar instantaneously. You can unsubscribe anytime by following the instructions in your e-mail.

The Windows 7 Beta Version: Classic Review

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Everyday computing has become faster, simpler and easier with the Windows 7 Beta version that has been released through the Microsoft website. The Windows 7 Beta release has an expiry date on August 1st 2009, after which it will stop working.windows-7-beta

Screenshot Overview

The first thing that is highlighted in the Windows 7 Beta version is the new taskbar, which uses large icons instead of taskbar buttons and integrates ‘Quick Launch’ functionality at the same time. The popup preview thumbnails have been enhanced to show multiple windows side by side: even if you have only two windows open, they will be combined into a single taskbar button which is very useful for Word documents.

The Windows 7 Beta version will automatically flip to that window so you can see in a larger view which window it is. The new taskbar buttons also has a new right-click menu, which gives you access to special folders or recent documents. There’s a new application programming interface that allows the Windows 7 applications to add items to this list.

The next best thing in the Windows 7 Beta version is that there is no longer a “Sidebar” for the Gadgets. The Start Menu is roughly the same as before and there is an arrow next to Getting Started. When you see an arrow on a pinned item, you can hover over it to see a list of tasks on the right-hand side, with a rather fun “slide out” effect.

Another really slick new feature in the Windows 7 Beta version is that  it lets you to maximize or tile windows by dragging them to one of the sides of the screen and the window will take up exactly half of the screen. This also works if you drag a window corner to one of the edges of the screen and make the window fill the whole space from top to bottom.

The Windows 7 Beta version lets you change the visuals and sounds on your computer. Chick a theme in Control Panel Home to change the desktop background, window color, sounds and screen saver all at once. The User Account Control helps prevent harmful programs from making changes to your PC.

Windows 7 Bug

There is a known bug in Windows 7 Beta version that will potentially damage some mp3 files if you load them into Windows Media Player. You must make sure to turn on automatic updates once you have Windows 7 installed.

7 HotKeys in Windows: Keyboard Shortcuts

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The 7 HotKeys in Windows are certain shortcuts that make it easier for an average user to do away with the mouse to access several programs in their PC or Laptop. The taskbar button grouping feature is not a new concept in Windows 7. If you want to surf between multiple windows of the same type, Windows 7 makes it better. Many shortcuts of a keyboard exist purely to confuse, but the following seven are the most useful ones.keyboard-sortcut

Windows+Left or Windows+Right

In this Windows 7 HotKey you can press either of the two combinations once (or twice) and that will bring your current active window to the side of the screen corresponding with the direction of the arrow key you pressed. It allows exactly half of the screen to remain blank, where you may place another window through use of the same process. It works equally as well use dual monitors and allows the same process to occur for another two windows.

Windows+Shift+Left or Windows+Shift+Right

This key board shortcut is entirely dependent on the user having multiple monitors, but is incredibly useful to those who do. It simply allows the user to move a window from its current position on one monitor to the corresponding position on the other. It is a very useful HotKey in Windows 7 where the window is on the right-hand monitor and now the window is over on the left monitor.

Windows+Space

This Windows 7 HotKey allows the user to preview their desktop beneath the currently displayed windows. It is absolutely useful for checking the gadgets, etc, if you are use them on your system.

Windows+Plus symbol or Windows+Minus symbol

This Windows 7 HotKey zooms in on anything on your PC screen which is similar to the feature on Mac computers. This offers solution to the lack of full screen functionality on the integrated video player in the new Firefox beta.

Alt+Up or Alt+Left or Alt+Right

This Windows 7 HotKey is also known as ‘directory navigation’ hotkeys.

Windows+T

This Windows 7 HotKey puts the focus on the taskbar and its continual use will pop up each preview.

Windows+M

This Windows 7 HotKey minimizes everything in one stroke. It is an extremely convenient shortcut, but not really worthy of a screen shot.