Dawn of smart mail - The New Hotmail, Coming to A screen Near You

A couple of days back I got an invite from Microsoft to come see what they were doing with Hotmail. Though some of you might get the new feature immediately, the fully upgraded mail will be up in a few weeks. But the fact is that the changes have made Hotmail smarter

The first thing that seemed appealing was Active Views. You can now save time by managing your social networking accounts -- from MySpace, LinkedIn and Facebook -- watching videos embedded in your email without going to another website, viewing Flickr photo albums or even tracking and updating a package status in case you are using UPS or Fedex.



What is also nice is that now you can send up to 10 GB -- yes, I said 10 GB -- in a single email, given the receiver is also on Hotmail; other service providers are unlikely to accept such huge files. Actually the files are uploaded to SkyDrive, a free online storage service from Microsoft, so the recipient will get thumbnails of the photos with options to launch a slideshow or download all the images as a single zipped file.

Now, Hotmail also allows users to edit PowerPoint, Excel and Word documents in the Inbox, even if you don't have Microsoft Office installed on your PC.

A problem for me is that I get a lot of unsolicited emails despite strict spam filtering. I use something called a Smart Filter on my Mac laptop to keep them out of my inbox, but now a similar feature called Sweep is integrated in Hotmail. Pressing Sweep will move/hide or delete emails from selected senders, thus helping you to manage your mailbox. For instance, if you have returned from a holiday, you can use Sweep to show just mail that is most important. You can also program Hotmail to do these sweeps automatically, thus saving time and helping you keep a clean inbox.



The new Windows Live Messenger built into Hotmail has a tabbed conversation window which allows you to easily chat with your friends and has smart features such as video conferencing and even supports High Definition video chat. The new Messenger also pulls in updates from all your social networking websites and video sites and integrates them for you in a single view.





What I loved most was that the new Hotmail and the Live Messenger now integrate pretty well on Windows Phones, iPhones and BlackBerrys. So everything from talking to your friends on the PC or your phone to emailing a document saved in your SkyDrive becomes easy.

Plus, you can also integrate Gmail, Yahoo some other mail ids to Hotmail, though you will need to buy premium services for some of them, and this means even your company mail.
This is truly the dawn of smart mail.

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The Above review appeared in the Indian Express, on Sunday May 23, 2010

Open Magazine Volume 02 Issue 05

This week in my Open Magazine article

* the HTC Legend
* Senheiser HD201 Headphones
* Rovio Wi-Fi Cam
* and the Microsoft Arc Keyboard

To view my article click here for the PDF or visit The Open Magazine website for a High Resolution copy

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The Above Article Appeared in Open Magazine, Volume 02, Issue 05, Dated 7th May 2010

Staying invincible - Big Geek Brings You a Double Whammy on the Internet Explorer

Everybody knows that Internet Explorer is unsafe. But, trust me, though there are many good options, some corporations and governments still stick to Internet Explorer as their preferred browser and many applications do not work properly on any other. Also keeping in mind that IE is fully integrated into the Windows operating system and you just can't uninstall it. So, how do you make sure you are secured and have the latest updates to avoid a cyber attack?

Stop piracy
It is important to stick to genuine software. All of us want to run the prohibitively costly Adobe Photoshop to edit our pictures. But it is better to opt for freeware applications that let you do similar functions. The same is the case with operating systems. If you feel you do not want to spend on Windows, go ahead and give Linux a try. Or else, check out cheaper Starter Editions that offer limited functions but are good for home use. Anyway, make sure your OS is genuine and not pirated.

Antivirus
A good antivirus does not mean that you got it from your friend who bought a CD, it just means you paid for the antivirus or got one free from a great company like avg.com. With companies losing revenue to pirated software vendors, more and more companies are dropping prices. So it makes more sense to buy a paid version. Check with your friends and read some reviews if you can’t decide which antivirus is better. As we spend more time online and with the threats becoming more potent, it is advisable to get an antivirus with an inbuilt firewall to protect your computer from getting hijacked. While products like Bit Defender and Kaspersky are cheaper, high-end products like McAfee and Norton Antivirus will cost more. The choice is yours; just make sure you are buying a legal version.

Updates
Having a legal version of a software itself removes a lot of bugs, but it is also important to update your system regularly. Though most OS come with a built-in auto update utility, I have seen users disable this to save their bandwidth. If you want to disable the automatic update, it is suggested that you manually check for updates every fortnight. Update your OS every 15 days and your antivirus, antispyware and firewall everyday

Storage & file transfer
With the floppy drive era over, thumb drives, memory cards and Bluetooth file transfers have become the latest way to get a virus. In case you use memory cards or pen drives it is always suggested that you scan them immediately on connect. It might seem like a waste of time, but the first five minutes is when the virus enters the system. Try not to share thumb drives and memory cards. If your friend wants a file, email it to him.

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The above article appared in the Indian Express on Sunday 24th of January 2010. The Above video was a part of the news builiten on CNN IBN

WINDOWS 7 making the difference

Microsoft has rectified Vista’s mistakes, but XP still seems to be faster
I adore Linux, I love the Mac, but I live with Windows. And I have to make it clear that we just can’t compare the three, not just because Windows 7 is essentially an overhaul, Microsoft’s attempt to correct the mistakes it made with Windows Vista. How the latest edition will fare over time is for us to see, but for now the expensive, shiny new Windows 7, looks very interesting. So what is it that makes the 7 different?

SPEED
The first thing you notice when you install Windows 7 on the same machine as a Vista is that it is fast. Though I thought it was not as fast as Windows XP, the start up and shut down is still much faster than the other editions of Windows.

SECURITY
Every new Windows release brings with it the threat of virus and bug attacks. But things are looking up with the 7. Though you would still need to separately install an antivirus, 7 won’t bother you with stupid non-critical alerts. It just queues up the alerts at the side of the task bar, so that you can check it out at leisure.

NETWORKING
The biggest challenge for home users earlier was to setup secure networking amongst machines, to share files, digital media and information. Though Microsoft had a wizard to set this up, Windows 7 makes life easier. It even lets Xbox users stream video and songs to the TV using the network at home; just make sure the network is well done, or else you will get shaky images.


MULTIPLE WINDOWS
Most of us like to keep scores of applications open and just blame one thing or the other when the machine fails under the load. But we still need our social networks, our email, our office applications and a few other things open all the time. On 7, by pressing the show desktop button at the right hand bottom corner of the task bar you see outlines of all open windows. Even better, if you hover over the icon of one of the applications on the task bar, it pops up real-time thumbnails of the windows and applications that are open at the time, thus helping you choose the right application and the right window to go to.

AERO SNAP
Screens 17" and above mean more windows, even parallel ones. Aero Snap lets you drag the window to a corner and show how it would look like parallel to the window you want. If you like it, leave the window there and you are done. Convenient if you want to copy things from the Net or another window.

AERO SHAKE
I just cant understand why no one else thought of this before. While using 7, if you think everything behind the application you are working on is clutter, just hold the title bar of the current window and give it a shake, all other windows will be minimised. However, shaking the window with a trackpad on a laptop would be tough.


SEARCH
The Start, or the Windows, button now has a built-in search engine. So the bar where you would type a program name and get the list of programs on the PC will now also find the list of documents and images. However, I would personally like to stick to the Google Desktop search.

COMPATIBILITY
Most of the hardware devices just worked out of the box and I don’t think there are going to be a lot of driver issues. Though I have heard of complaints already going to call centres, Microsoft will settles these issues soon. If it worked with Vista, it will work with Windows 7.

LIVE ESSENTIALS
Microsoft has moved Windows Mail and Windows Movie Maker out of the standard install. If you want Windows Mail, Movie Maker and the Live Photo Gallery, you need to download something called the Windows Live Essentials Pack. It is another thing that if it was essential, they should have put it in the CD in the first place.
Microsoft has worked very hard on 7, especially with a rather long Beta test. They also took user inputs seriously to make the Windows 7 look all shiny and nice.

But, will I move from Mac to Windows 7? No. Will I move from Windows Vista to Windows 7? Yes. Will I move my Windows XP Machine? No. I still feel the old Windows XP is much more reliable if you don’t need eye candy.
So is it the best Windows ever? Well, let’s leave that to time.

HOW TO UPGRADE?
WINDOWS 7 is available in six editions with the entry level Windows 7 Home Basic priced at Rs 5,899. There are also Home Premium, Professional, Enterprise and Ultimate available. However, the cheapest option will be the Windows 7 Starter which has not yet been priced. Surprisingly, you can’t buy Windows 7 online. The company has also not clarified how much existing Vista users, for instance, will have to pay for an upgrade. For those of you wondering, if you should do an upgrade or just do a clean install, I would suggest the latter. Backup all your data and install it fresh, that way the machines work faster.

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The above review appeared in the Indian Express, Issue Dated 1st November, 2009

Two New Microsoft Announcements - The Wow Factor

Last evening I was in an argument about how motion gaming is changing the outlook of games and it's developers. With the iPhone and it's wonderful set of games, and now most of the cell phone manufacturers coming out with their own concept of motion gaming, Wii taking the world over, how could Microsoft be left behind.

At E3, Microsoft Today announced a more interactive version of the controller, looks like indoor games (on the video game console) are soon going to replace us having to gout. Check out the Video from BBC News



The second video shows, what Science fiction has not yet spoken about, if you want virtual children, this will help you solve it.. WOW

Microsoft Launches: Exchange 2010 (Beta)

Unbelieveable, I am more of a Linux + Mac User, and I have done 2 Postings related to MS launches in one day.. Anyway going forward, just in time when we all managed to setup Exchange 2007, and get our teams ready to support it, Microsoft just announced the launch of MS Exchange 2010. Though still in Beta, this will be available by the year end.

Is Exchange 2010, all Fluff and UI. I think Fluff and UI is productive, and makes end user productive, it actually is a good thing - Rajesh Jha

Following is the Video Interview of Rajesh Jha, Corporate Vice President Exchange and Office Live.



Leaving other things to Trial, what I like about Exchange 2010, is the inbuilt archiving capability, a very important step. Though Microsoft Live has been selling Antispam + Archiving for Exchange users, but that meant that your mail was being routed through Microsoft Data Centers, which could only archive your incoming mail and not outgoing. This is a Big Thumbs Up. There are other features, that allow you to manage Inbox Overload, Reduce IT Costs etc.

Links:
Microsoft Press Release
Microsoft Exchange Home Page
Download Page for MS Exchange 2010 Beta

Microsoft Launches: Windows Server 2008 Foundation

Recently I had a chance to install Microsoft Small Business Server Enterprise for a Customer. This comprises of a 4 Server Installation (Microsoft Management Server + Active Directory, ISA Server Called Security Server, Data Base Server and Exchange Server called EBS Messaging). Though designed towards Small business's, there are a very few small business's that will put up 4 Servers, and spend that kind of money to implement the solution in India. With a high rate of piracy everywhere, and Microsoft and other Software makers coming out with versions, that are lighter in their features, at a cheaper cost, to fight piracy, Microsoft on Friday announced the Availability of it's Windows Server 2008 Foundation Edition.

Commenting on the launch, Bob Muglia (President, Server and Tools Business, Microsoft Worldwide) said, “Microsoft's goal is to provide a Windows Server-based solution for every customer need, size and budget. We are proud to announce the India launch of Windows Server 2008 Foundation, our new low-cost server platform. This platform will empower small businesses with access to the power of server based business software at an affordable price – in the all familiar Windows environment. As businesses grow, customers can upgrade to other members of the Windows Server family - which provide additional functionality such as integrated e-mail, simplified management, virtualization and other advanced features”.

Microsoft has tied up with HP and Dell to provide servers preloaded with MS Windows Server 2008 Foundation Edition, and soon OEM Edition of the software will also be availble for you to buy with your new servers.

Though on Microsoft's website the pricing is still not available, but keeping in mind that the MS Windows 2008 Standard Edition ships for 999US$, this should be much cheaper. For Pricing, look at microsoft.com - windows server pricing

What is missing in the MS Win Server 2008 Foundation Edition is the Hyper-V (The Free Microsoft Virtualisation Platform) and the Server Core. The Following Feature Comparision will explain more for those looking at evaluating this server edition.



In the Next few days, If I can get time, I will setup a Lab and try out the installation, and the features and comment on it.


For More Details, visit microsoft.com

Vista Capable - A New Mess in the New Year for Microsoft

Ever Seen this Badge and Wondered Why o Why ?

In our greed to get the latest, we end up depending on principal vendors to tell us what to buy. I was in a meeting at a customer place, and we were having a similar discussion yesterday, what is the minimum requirement to run your software, and the vendor gave a description, the software actually does not run on the minimum requirement, so it makes you wonder why do all software vendors say this, why do car vendors talk about mileage under certain conditions only, software to work on this minimum spec, while these things never ever happen. What is then the ideal configuration, and you will be told to buy the super computers of the world just to run an office suite or maybe that drawing application that you wanted to use.

A lot of you must have switched to vista, and or thought about switching to vista, and gadget geeks like me must have come out with a standard answer "NO", if you explored why the "NO" came out Vehemently, well the reason was, that most of the machines were not ready for it, and if they were, you needed some sort of an upgrade. No there was nothing (well actually there were, but now they are fixed) wrong with Windows Vista, but the machines over all were not ready.

In a recent news item, Microsoft has landed itself in a soup, in a lot of ways this is good for the consumer. The links to the story

Network Computing | Technologizer