Finally a million prayers are listened. Today at Google I/O, the company has announced one of the most anticipated and requested products: a Samsung Galaxy S4 with the stock version of Google’s Android OS.

The Galaxy S4 has the top-of-the-line hardware of the traditional model, but with a sleek and minimalistic software that echoes the experience of Google’s Nexus 4.

But the device also has some drawbacks. It’s pricey — $649, to be exact — and is only available through the Google Play store.  The device also may buy Google a little time to get the much-rumored and highly anticipated Motorola phone ready.

As the BYOD promise of an increase in productivity and improvement to the bottom line becomes more apparent, its adoption in enterprises is inevitable. But BYOD has not been all wine and roses and its biggest impact has been on enterprise security and bandwidth. Let’s look at some of the BYOD problems and how you can use NetFlow to counter them.

Vanishing Network Perimeter:

BYOD causes the network perimeter to disappear. By allowing remote access to enterprise resources, users connect to the enterprise network fromtheir personal devices when away from the office. Problems start when a device falls into the wrong hands and they download sensitive information even before the device is reported lost.

Walk-In with the Malware:

What happens after the user leaves the network? Sometime, somewhere users will connect over an unsecured public Wi-Fi where they are more susceptible to viruses and malware. Edward Felten’s classic comment,“Given a choice between dancing pigs and security, users will pick dancing pigs every time”, is sadly true. If a user picks up a virus or malware and walks into the office next day, it is likely that your firewalls and IDS will not stop those that are physically carried in. Once plugged into the network, the virus or malware spread at the access and distribution layers while your firewalls, ACLs and IDS/IPS are all expecting malicious traffic to come in through the WAN link.

Application Explosion:

The growth in mobile devices has caused an application explosion. At the last count, the top 3 mobile eco-systems combined had more than one million applications¹. BYODhas removed the norm of having only business applications on a device. Users install anything they find interesting and the result of it is that your network sees an influx of new, unverified and sometimes unapproved applications, some of which are malware in disguise or some simply bandwidth hogs like mobile versions of file sharing and peer-to-peer apps.

Personal @ Work:

The consumerization of IT has played a part in removing the thick line between personal and work. With BYOD, there is a tendency to use the devices for personal purposes. Do some bandwidth analysis and what you will find are a countless number of tweets, social media apps, personal emails, VoIP calls and YouTube videos.. Add streaming HD videos to the list and your WAN bandwidth can explode.

CYA with NetFlow

NetFlow has over the years become the de facto standard for bandwidth monitoring and traffic analytics and now it is increasingly being used for security. Most access or distribution layer devices support flow export. NetFlow answers the Who, What, When and Where of traffic  by reporting on source and destination IP Addresses, applications, protocols, port numbers, ToS, and more.

NetFlow identifies VPN tunneling protocols like GRE or ESP as well as many remote connection applications. It can be used to watch for high volume remote downloads to make sure no one is downloading more than they should. You can also have your NetFlow reporting tool alert you if the traffic volume crosses a pre-defined threshold or identify any unknown endpoints connecting to your data center.

You can also look at the top conversations or top sources report from your NetFlow tool. Do you see an end point sendingpacketsover one port to multiple destinations? That can be an infected system doing a port scan. Is there excessive SMTP traffic?It could be a bot using your network to send out spam!

Bandwidth monitoring and NetFlow go hand-in-hand. With NetFlow, you can find how much load BYOD has added to your network bandwidth, what applications are behind it or who the top talkers are. Based on the actionable information NetFlow gives, you can tweak your QoS policies to either drop theexcess non-business traffic or set priority for business applications. With NetFlow monitoring software, you can get your applications and sources reports and also make sure the QoS changes you made are really working.

If you have started BYOD adoption, don’t forget to add NetFlow export and reporting to the list of ‘To Do’. Check out Configuring NetFlow on Cisco Routers to see just how easy it is to enable NetFlow reporting.

Author: Don Thomas Jacob, Technical Marketing Specialist and Head Geek

Don Thomas Jacob is a Technical Marketing Specialist and Head Geek at SolarWinds, an IT management software provider based in Austin, Texas. He worked as a tech support engineer; product blogger, product evangelist, and tech marketing lead for close to eight years until he joined SolarWinds in 2013. Don’s experience and interests lie in network performance monitoring solutions, flow-based monitoring technologies like NetFlow, sFlow and IPFIX, and Cisco’s offering for traffic analytics such as Flexible NetFlow, Cisco ASA NSEL, Cisco NBAR, Cisco QoS reporting, Cisco IPSLA, and Cisco Medianet and MediaTrace.

Reference:

1. Adding up available apps for Apple, Android and Microsoft from http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-57542502-94/google-ties-apple-with-700000-android-apps/

AUSTIN, Texas – January 29, 2013 – Scalable Software, Inc., today announced that more than 2,500 businesses and organizations in over 80 countries around the world are currently using the recently released Smart Packager Professional and Community Edition.

The Scalable Smart Packager is a breakthrough solution that allows IT administrators to create application packages in minutes using a point-and-click, live event driven discovery process, rather than days or weeks as with traditional approaches.

The new approach is expected to result in dramatic time and cost savings for enterprise-wide implementations of Microsoft Windows 7, 8, App-V and new ISO 19770-2 tagging initiatives.

“Scalable MSI Packager helps us to get the job done, and quickly,” said a Michelin Group Employee. “We’re constantly juggling multiple packaging projects on very limited resources and we don’t have time to waste doing things manually.”

“We were impressed by the power, flexibility and ease-of-use provided by the new Scalable Smart Packager,” said Vijay Raj, Microsoft MVP in Application Setup / Deployment and Owner of Technology Simplified (www.msigeek.com). msigeek.com is a leading IT blog on Application Deployment Guides, Compatibility, Installer Tips, Cloud, Device Reviews, How-To articles, E-book downloads and IT News. “We’ve used many packaging and distribution tools over the years, but the Scalable Smart Packager is unlike anything we’ve ever seen.”

“We felt the market was ready for an alternative to traditional packaging,” said Mark Cresswell, President and CEO at Scalable Software, “and it seems we were right. The uptake of our Smart Packager has exceeded our wildest expectations.”

Game-changing Scalable Smart Packager delivers a range of industry-leading features that make it significantly easier for IT administrators to roll-out Windows 7, 8 and App-V applications, including:

• Create MSI Packages in a Few Clicks: Innovative smart monitoring technology saves enterprises from the complexity of manual MSI building by recording everything that happens in an installation, giving a thorough picture of how an installation will behave on the end user’s PC and automatically generating an MSI package.  Short Video Here
• ISO 19770-2 Compliant Software Tagging: Allows enterprises to automatically add ISO 19770-2 compliant tags to repackaged applications and preserve the original publisher information that will enable applications to be identified after installation. Short Video Here 
• Workflow Manager: Provides a best practices management approach to centrally control the software packaging process-from discovery and modification to testing and final package creation. Short Video Here
• Creation and Management of Microsoft App-V Packages: Scalable Smart Packager includes support for Microsoft’s App-V technology which enables organizations to virtualize their application in minutes. Zero-changes are required to an application.  - Short Video Here
• Simple Package Editing Capabilities: Intuitive visual editor for managing files, folders, registry, shortcuts and environment installation entries. Truly simple approach – eliminates programming skills required by other package editors. – Short Video Here

Resources: Join the Scalable Software Webinar entitled “The New Scalable Smart Packager – Creating Application Packages in a Few Clicks” on Thursday, January 31 at 12:30 p.m. Eastern Time. Those interested in attending can register here. 

Learn more about Scalable Smart Packager 

Download 7-day, fully supported Scalable Smart Packager Professional evaluation 

About Scalable Software: Scalable Software is an established software developer providing cost-effective IT Asset Lifecycle Management solutions for business users. Scalable sells and supports our solutions through a network of long-standing partner relationships worldwide. Since 1999, over 10,000 organizations worldwide have used Scalable solutions to manage, optimize and reduce costs, reporting a substantial return on investment (ROI) and reduction in the total cost of ownership (TCO).  Scalable solutions help IT professionals rapidly understand their software estate, analyze the financial risks and opportunities associated with various licensing models and implement appropriate remediation plans. For more information, visit the Scalable website at www.scalable.com.

Android gaming has emerged as the favorite pastime for many, more so in the last few years as Android has gained popularity and acceptance all around the world. Gone are the days when we had no choice but to play graphically unappealing games on media gaming stations. Now with the advent of thousands of games especially designed for the Android platform, there is no dearth of choices, be it a game of any genre, right from action to adventure to sports.

What this variety has done is that now gaming is not only limited to youngsters, people of every age group can find some interesting games that suit their tastes. Those who are fond of card games and are used to visiting sites such as Partypoker can also find many games that will interest them. Since most of the Android games have already been covered elsewhere, we have decided to bring you 5 of the most engaging Android games that aren’t that popular but have the potential to provide some serious fun! Here they go:

1. Air Navy Fighters Lite

If you are fond of games based on fighting, especially those involving aerial combat, then you are sutre to enjoy this wonderful gaming app called Air Navy Fighters Lite, a game where you are in charge of a navy aircraft and are entrusted with the task of destroying the enemy bases. Thanks to the stunning graphics and highly advanced simulation, you actually start feeling as if you are flying a real aircraft! Using the multi-touch controls, you can not only employ different strategies such as using a variety of weapons, engaging the radar but also protect your jet from the enemy’s SAM missiles! If you start playing this game, you will have a thrilling time destroying warships and choppers and completing your missions!

2. Elite Force

Since most of us are fans of the action genre, it makes sense to cover another top-notch game from the same genre, although this one is based on ground combat between terrorists and counter-terrorists. Although the concept is pretty much like CounterStrike, the popular PC game, the best part about it is that it is a first person shooter 3D game, which means the graphics are quite superb. The idea behind it is that you play a counter terrorist who is the last surviving member of his team, so it’s up to you to salvage the pride of your unit and tackle all the terrorists who come in your way. To ensure that you do not get bored even after playing it for days, there are four modes to choose from – Elite Force, Delta Force, War Battle and Counter Siege, each one with a different mix of characters, weapons and even style of play!

3. Archery World Cup 2

One of my favorite all time sporting games, and one that is especially fun to play on your smartphone in your leisure time when you do not much else to do. Till now there were not many games related to sports shooting for the Android platform, but ever since the launch of Archery World Cup 2, the scene has drastically changed, which is probably the reason for its sudden spike in popularity in the last couple of months. The best part about this game is that there are two modes to choose from – one is the classic practise mode wherein you can fine tune your archery skills, and the other is the World Cup mode, where you are pitted against dozens of real time players from around the world, which is where you can really test your skills. Not only that, there are three medals up for grabs – Gold, Silver and Bronze, so you literally end up playing this game again and again to boost up your medals tally!

4. Crazy Grandpa

This one is also a pretty enthralling game, with splendid graphics like most of the games discussed above. You play the role of a old grandpa who has taken to the skates, so it is up to you to ensure he has a thrilling time out on the roads and at the same time preventing him from any accidents or mishaps by avaoiding many road traps, bumpers, work stalls and much more. Although it can be a bit tough to learn in the beginning, with sufficient amount of game time, you will come to terms with the style of play and that’s where the real fun starts! There are dozens of scenes and wacky equipments that are available to be unlocked when you clear the various challenges, which only end up making the game all the more fun and entertaining!

5. 100 Doors 2013

Since we have discussed both action and sports games, it is imperative that we bring to you one very different game, that is both interesting and also helps to build your thinking skills. Known as 100 Doors 2013, the second version in the series, the game comes with over 85 doors, with the main objective being solving the various intricately designed mini puzzles that have to be solved to unlock that door. The USP of this game is its unique style of play and impressive graphics, both og which make it a winner in terms of user engagability. Since you will invariably have to use your thinking skills in order to solve each puzzle, you are bound to enjoy the game for hours on the go, without even realiziing for how long you have been playing it! If you are a fan of puzzle games and enjoy challenges, then you should surely give it a try.

This is a Guest Post.

There’s so much to do on the internet, right from watching videos on Youtube to downloading the latest movies and softwares to playing your favorite games online. So how do you stop yourself from exceeding the bandwidth limit that is available in your particular plan? Most of us face the exact problem month after month, and even trying our best to limit our desires, we still generally end up paying extra charges.

If you too are facing the same problem, then here are some useful tips for you that can stop you form exceeding your bandwidth limit if implemented properly:

1. Play Games Offline

Though online gaming is no doubt fun and playing multiplayer games can be really engaging, the worrying fact is that these online games can end up eating a large chunk of your bandwidth. If you are an avid online gamer, it’s almost certain that most of your bandwidth is being consumed because of it.

The best way to avoid doing this is to either play games offline by installing them on your PC/laptop or to limit the time you spend playing games online. If you can’t do this, then you need to upgrade your plan to an unlimited one since a limited plan won’t be able to cater to your needs. Another alternative is to play games on your smartphone instead as Android has thousands of free games that are both absorbing and exciting. Thanks to the impressive web browser it is also easy for gamers to enjoy things like online casino sites right from their phone without having to download additional software. Many of these sites have websites built specifically for mobile users and so gamers can play their favourite card games at ease – head over to JackpotCity.co.uk slots to see what the author mean.

2. Avoid Watching HD Videos

While normal resolution videos used to be a hit on Youtube and other video sharing sites, the trend has been changing in the last few years. With the advent of high definition videos, most users seems to want to watch videos only in HD, which is the main reason why they end up exhausting their available bandwidth very quickly since HD videos consume a lot more bandwidth than nromal videos.

Another thing that you can do to save bandwidth is to avoid watching videos in fullscreen and watch them as it as on Youtube instead as each video that you watch in fullscreen generally consumes the same bandwidth as almost 3-4 small screen videos.

3. Keep Track of Your Usage

Most internet users never bother to know how much bandwidth they’ve consumed in a particular month. However if you want to save bandwidth, it is important that you start tracking your usage as soon as possible. Most internet service provides have portals that allow users to check how much bandwidth they’ve used, so that users can manage their available bandwidth accordingly for the rest of the month.

Alternatively you can also download certain bandwidth monitors that can help your monitor your usage and prevent you from wasting bandwidth unnecessarily.

4. Limit Automatic Updates

Though I wouldn’t recommend turning automatic updates off completely, you should certainly keep the option checked to manual so that whenever you are low on bandwidth, you can choose to skip the updates to save your bandwidth for the remaining month.

The same goes for automatic updates of your antivirus software. Although it’s necessary that you keep your software’s virus database updated to prevent any unknown virus from entering your system and causing any damage, there are times when you don’t have enough bandwidth left to be able to update it. Manual updates can come in handy at such times since you can just choose to update the database at a later date.

While the tips above are definitely going to be helpful for reducing your bandwidth usage, you can also try a few things such as avoiding watching live streaming of your favorite programmes since they consume a lot of bandwidth, causing it to get exhausted much sooner than you would normally expect.

This was a guest post from a fellow blogger

Nokia today announced a broad range of new, innovative apps for Nokia Lumia smartphones, delivering on its commitment to bring consumers app experiences which are unique, differentiated and unavailable on other platforms.

“It’s great to see more and more partners creating their best, most innovative apps for Nokia Lumia consumers,” said Marco Argenti, SVP, Nokia Developer Experience. “The ecosystem has achieved exponential growth over the past 18 months, and Nokia has been working closely with developers to create unique and innovative apps, while helping them connect with consumers all over the world. With new opportunities to innovate around features such as PureView camera technology, NFC and the integration of Nokia Maps, we look forward to developers creating their next generation app experiences, and partnering with Nokia to achieve success locally and globally.”

Across key consumer verticals, new app experiences coming to Nokia Lumia smartphonesinclude:

Sport

The World of Red Bull app, exclusive to Nokia Lumia for 9 months                                              The new World of Red Bull app for Nokia Lumia is a new and unique mobile experience which offers consumers full immersion inthe World of Red Bull. The app delivers all the latest news from more than 400 Red Bull Athletes around the world, and lets users to pin their favourite athletes to the home screen for live news updates.

In addition to news and information from more than 800 Red Bull events each year, the app delivers access to the Red Bull Culture section, with a huge selection of content spanning music, dance, cinema, art and pop culture, as well as access to Red Bull TV and many other Red Bull apps.

Coming to the Nokia Lumia 920 and Nokia Lumia 820, the enhanced app experience will include the option of small, medium and large Live Tiles, plus Nokia Maps integration and Voice Commands.

Imaging

Vimeo app, with free 3 month trial of Vimeo Plus membership, exclusive to Nokia Lumia The enhanced Vimeo app experience coming to the Nokia Lumia 920 and Nokia Lumia 820  will enable imaging fans to capture HD video using Nokia’s best-in-class camera optics and PureView technology. Offering the highest quality video playback experience, the app will allow users to share videos using NFC tap-to-share technology.  The enhanced Vimeo app introduces HD video support, features an easy to use design interface with dynamic live tiles, and enables consumers to purchase Vimeo Plus subscriptions through the app.

Gaming

Angry Birds Roost, exclusive to Nokia Lumia for 3 monthsLaunching on the Nokia Lumia 920 and Nokia Lumia 820, the new and exclusive Angry Birds Roost experience for Nokia Lumia will enable fans to dive into the wonderful world of Angry Birds, with access to hundreds of walk-through videos, news, ringtones and more, brought together in one unique and original hub experience.

A first for Rovio and the Windows Phone platform, the Angry Birds Roost will offer fans an exclusive ‘Bird Cam’ feature. Users can take a picture on their Nokia Lumia, add their favorite Angry Birds characters to the picture, and then share it on Facebook, Twitter, MMS or via email.

Additionally, Angry Birds Roost will have tons of wallpapersand wide Live Tiles on the Lumia start screen.

“Angry Birds Roost is a fantastic place for fans,” said Peter Vesterbacka, Mighty Eagle and CMO of Rovio. “Bursting with amazing content, it’s a great way for Lumia users to get the full Angry Birds experience all in one app.”

Business & Finance

Bloomberg Hub, exclusive to Nokia Lumia for 3 months                                                                                              The new Bloomberg app for Nokia Lumia Windows Phone, launching in the coming days, offers consumers a powerful one-stop hub for all their business and finance news, market data and portfolio tracking tools. Consumers can personalize the experience with the information which matters most to them, and access it instantly with custom panoramas and Live Tiles on the start screen.

Bloomberg – the global business and financial news and information leader –will also showcase the breadth of their media properties. The Bloomberg hub will include on-demand access to Bloomberg Television and Bloomberg Radio, featuring critically acclaimed shows and interviews with the most pre-eminent minds in business and finance.

In addition to today’s launch, Bloomberg will be enhancing the Bloomberg Hub experience forthe Nokia Lumia 920 and Nokia Lumia 820 with added features that will utilize new Live Tile customizations.

“Our partnership with Nokia has resulted in a unique mobile experience that provides business executives with the essential news, market information and tools they need to make better informed decisions,” said OkeOkaro, Global Head and GM, Mobile and Connected Devices, Bloomberg L.P.

Lifestyle

StyleSaint, exclusive to Nokia Lumia to end of 2012                                                                                     StyleSaint is the brand new and exclusive app experience for forward thinking fashion fans, launching mid-September on Nokia Lumia smartphones. Beautifully designed, the app enables users to capture their favorite inspirational fashion images, and transform them into personalized mobile fashion magazines to be shared with the world.

With Facebook integration, users can sign in and start discovering their own sense of style, receive daily go-to guides on how to style the latest trends, fashion feeds, and style tips and tricks.  Users can also follow each other to bring personalized fashion favorites direct to the start screen on Live Tiles, and let StyleSaint style their experience everyday with amazing fashion imagery.

Groupon, with Augmented Reality exclusive to Nokia Lumia for 6 months.The Groupon app for Windows Phone features deals on the best stuff to do, see, eat, and buy at discounts of between 50 and 90%. Using the principles of collective buying, Grouponaims to negotiate unprecedented discounts with the best merchants in local communities.

Enhanced features launching with the Nokia Lumia 920 and Nokia Lumia 820 will include Wallet integration enabling quick access to purchased Groupons, wallpapers and multiple-size Live Tiles for notifications to the start screen. The Groupon Scheduler tool will allow users to schedule appointments associated with service deals; additionally, seamless app to app integration will allow users direct access to Groupon’s mobile app via embedded deals within Nokia Maps.     

“Working together, Groupon and Nokia continue to innovate the mobile shopping experience, making it even easier and more fun to browse, buy and redeem Groupon deals from the best businesses in your neighborhood,” said Andreas Lieber, Director of Mobile Partnerships of Groupon.

Productivity

YouSendIt, with NFC feature exclusive to Nokia Lumia for 3 months                                                    YouSendIt’s mobile app delivers powerful file sharing capabilities for Nokia Lumia users, including NFCfile transfer.

The new YouSendIt app, which will be available for the Nokia Lumia 920 and Nokia Lumia 820, allows users to access, sync and share content stored in the cloud. Users can even sign documents using their Nokia Lumia touchscreen, and securely send them from anywhere. YouSendIt simplifies syncing and sharing of large files such as video and photo.

In addition, the new YouSendIt NFC feature, which will be exclusive to Nokia Lumia devices for three months, enables convenient device-to-device file sharing with a tap of the phone.

Travel

MICHELIN, with new NFC features, exclusive to Nokia Lumia for 6 months
The enhanced MICHELIN app, which launches with the Nokia Lumia 920 and Nokia Lumia 820, brings consumers easier-than-ever access to the MICHELIN Guide – the who’s who of the best restaurants. Using NFC technology, food fans will be able to share restaurant information by tapping devices, and also receive specific information about places to eat by tapping their Lumia on a MICHELIN 2013 NFC-enabled restaurant window sticker. Augmented Reality technology will enable the user to view restaurants near them on the screen.

In addition, the app delivers search, details, calling and reservations, plus Nokia Maps integration to help users find great places to eat. Geo-aware, the app delivers real time content to Live Tiles and MICHELIN images which change according to the time of day.

Messaging

WhatsApp Messenger is a cross-platform mobile messaging app which allows you to exchange messages without having to pay for SMS. Because WhatsApp Messenger uses the same Internet data plan that you use for email and web browsing, there is no cost to message and stay in touch with your family, friends, and colleagues.

Current features for Nokia Lumia and Windows Phone smartphones include search, group creation plus photos, messaging encryption, location and contact sharing, etc. Upcoming features launching with the Nokia Lumia 920 and Nokia Lumia 820 will include a new user experience that takes advantage of a more panoramic look and feel, additional languages, emoticons, and more.

“With billions of messages delivered each day, WhatsApp’s core mission is to enable people from all around the world to continually stay connected to those that matter most: their family, friends, and colleagues,” said Brian Acton, Co-Founder of WhatsApp. “Through our partnership with Nokia, we are excited to launch a differentiated user experience tailored for the Nokia Lumia 920 and Nokia Lumia 820.”

Nokia today announced the Nokia Lumia 920 and the Nokia Lumia 820, the first devices in Nokia’s Windows Phone 8 range.

The Nokia Lumia 920 is the flagship Windows Phone 8 smartphone, including the latest advances in Nokia PureView imaging innovation. Using advanced floating lens technology, the camera in the Nokia Lumia 920 is able to take in five times more light than competing smartphones without using flash, making it possible to captureclear, bright pictures and video indoors and at night. It also compensates for hand movement while the photo is being taken.

“Nokia PureView continues to deliver cutting-edge technology to make it possible for a smartphone camera to take the kind of images usually only seen on a standalone SLR camera,” said Jo Harlow, executive vice president of Nokia Smart Devices. “With the Nokia Lumia 920 we have made it possible to shoot pictures and video at home, outdoors, in a restaurant or even at night, and come out with professional-looking results.”

“We view imaging as a core area for differentiation in the smartphone space,” said Crawford Del Prete, Executive VP WW Products and Chief Research Officer, IDC.“Low light photography has been a weak point for smartphones. Nokia has addressed this with PureView to create real customer value. By applying its rich expertise in imaging Nokia has created a best of breed experience for everyday use.”

The Nokia Lumia 920 also comes with Nokia City Lens, the latest addition to the Nokia location suite. By pointing the camera at a city street, City Lens overlays information about restaurants, shops, hotels and more on the surfaces of buildings, for the most intuitive way to explore surroundings. Nokia City Lens is the start of a new augmented reality experience that also enhances Nokia Maps, making it possible to move between maps view and augmented reality view to help people check their direction and surroundings. Along with enhancements to Nokia Drive and Nokia Transport, the Nokia location suite of services represents the most comprehensive, integrated mapping experience of any smartphone.

The Nokia Lumia 920also comes with Nokia’s largest ever battery (2000mAh) and, for the first time, built-in wireless charging for an easy, convenient way to get more out of every day.

The Nokia Lumia 820

The Nokia Lumia 820 is a stylish, mid-range smartphone that delivers high-end performance in a compact package.

While the Nokia Lumia 820 has the same unibody look and feel as the high end Lumia smartphones, it comes with an exchangeable shelldesign. Exchangeable shells not only make it possible to select from a range of colors, but also to add wireless charging. Beneath the shell is room to insert a micro SD memory card.

Powered by Windows Phone 8

Windows Phone 8provides a more personal smartphone experience, with a start screen that can be more easily rearranged to reflect individual priorities and new animated Live Tiles for real-time updates on the things that matter most. The ability to sync content between Windows Phone 8 smartphones, Windows 8-based PCs and tablets or Xbox means files, music, pictures and video can be accessed in whichever way is most convenient. With Internet Explorer 10 for faster, safer browsing and Microsoft Office apps built into the platform, Windows Phone 8 is also the easiest way for getting things done.

Wireless charging partners

Nokia also announced a range of wireless charging accessories and partnerships. The FatboyRecharge Pillow provides a fun way to recharge, while JBL introduced the JBL PowerUP, a wireless charging docking station with high quality audio in retro styling.

Deals with Virgin Atlantic to put wireless charging stations in the London Heathrow Clubhouse lounge andCoffee Bean & Tea Leafto put charging plates on tables in some of their cafés, were the first of many deals Nokia intends to sign to take wireless charging outside the home and office.

Availability

The Nokia Lumia 920comes in yellow, red, grey, white and black. The Nokia Lumia 820 comes in red, yellow, grey, cyan, purple, white and black.

Both phones will be available inpentabandLTE andHSPA+ variantsand are expected to start shipping in select markets later in the year. Nokia will announce pricing and specific roll-out dates country by country when sales are due to begin.

Product specifications

Today at an event in Hollywood, Microsoft unveiled Surface: PCs built to be the ultimate stage for Windows. Company executives showed two Windows tablets and accessories that feature significant advances in industrial design and attention to detail. Surface is designed to seamlessly transition between consumption and creation, without compromise. It delivers the power of amazing software with Windows and the feel of premium hardware in one exciting experience.

Advances in Industrial Design

• Conceived, designed and engineered entirely by Microsoft employees, and building on the company’s 30-year history manufacturing hardware, Surface represents a unique vision for the seamless expression of entertainment and creativity. Extensive investment in industrial design and real user experience includes the following highlights:
• Software takes center stage: Surface sports a full-sized USB port and a 16:9 aspect ratio – the industry standard for HD. It has edges angled at 22 degrees, a natural position for the PC at rest or in active use, letting the hardware fade into the background and the software stand out.
• VaporMg: The casing of Surface is created using a unique approach called VaporMg (pronounced Vapor-Mag), a combination of material selection and process to mold metal and deposit particles that creates a finish akin to a luxury watch. Starting with magnesium, parts can be molded as thin as .65 mm, thinner than the typical credit card, to create a product that is thin, light and rigid/strong.
• Integrated Kickstand: The unique VaporMg approach also enables a built-in kickstand that lets you transition Surface from active use to passive consumption – watching a movie or even using the HD front- or rear-facing video cameras. The kickstand is there when needed, and disappears when not in use, with no extra weight or thickness.
• Touch Cover: The 3 mm Touch Cover represents a step forward in human-computer interface. Using a unique pressure-sensitive technology, Touch Cover senses keystrokes as gestures, enabling you to touch type significantly faster than with an on-screen keyboard. It will be available in a selection of vibrant colors. Touch Cover clicks into Surface via a built-in magnetic connector, forming a natural spine like you find on a book, and works as a protective cover. You can also click in a 5 mm-thin Type Cover that adds moving keys for a more traditional typing feel.

An Amazing Windows Experience

Two models of Surface will be available: one running an ARM processor featuring Windows RT, and one with a third-generation Intel Core processor featuring Windows 8 Pro. From the fast and fluid interface, to the ease of connecting you to the people, information and apps that users care about most, Surface will be a premium way to experience all that Windows has to offer. Surface for Windows RT will release with the general availability of Windows 8, and the Windows 8 Pro model will be available about 90 days later. Both will be sold in the Microsoft Store locations in the U.S. and available through select online Microsoft Stores.

Contributing to an Expanded Ecosystem

One of the strengths of Windows is its extensive ecosystem of software and hardware partners, delivering selection and choice that makes a customer’s Windows experience uniquely their own. This continues with Surface. Microsoft is delivering a unique contribution to an already strong and growing ecosystem of functional and stylish devices delivered by original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to bring the experience of Windows to consumers and businesses around the globe.

Additional Product Information

Surface for Windows RT

• OS: Windows RT
• Light(1): 676 g
• Thin(2): 9.3 mm
• Clear: 10.6” ClearType HD Display
• Energized: 31.5 W-h
• Connected: microSD, USB 2.0, Micro HD Video, 2×2 MIMO antennae
• Productive: Office ‘15’ Apps, Touch Cover, Type Cover
• Practical: VaporMg Case & Stand
• Configurable: 32 GB, 64 GB

Surface for Windows 8 Pro

• OS: Windows 8 Pro
• Light(1): 903 g
• Thin(2): 13.5 mm
• Clear: 10.6” ClearType Full HD Display
• Energized: 42 W-h
• Connected: microSDXC, USB 3.0, Mini DisplayPort Video, 2×2 MIMO antennae
• Productive: Touch Cover, Type Cover, Pen with Palm Block
• Practical: VaporMg Case & Stand
• Configurable: 64 GB, 128 GB

For more information about Surface, visit http://www.surface.com.

At the Nokia Strategy Summit, the team from Nokia provided the foundation for the location-aware world. Nokia has been dedicated to the art and science of location for more than two decades, with maps that are used more than 100 million times a day using a wide variety of devices, services, and apps; more than 2.4 million changes are made to the maps every day.

Some of the solutions discussed at the Summit are here:

City Lens: This is a new way to easily find information and services on the go. It is a fun and easy way to discover what is around you. Simply launch the app on your phone and City Lens will display the points of interests in the Camera viewfinder.

It connects you to what you’re looking for – and more – exactly when and where you want it. Select your interests in many different categories – City Lens will filter the points of interests and present your choices. Go a step further and get details, read reviews of restaurants and hotels. With one tap you can make a reservation, or navigate to the location via turn by turn walking map. In India, City Lens is available for all mapped cities.

Nokia Transport: This makes available detailed local public transport information for 460 cities in 46 countries. In India it is available for 11 cities. With just a few taps you can instantly see the routes and connections you need, how long each leg of your trip will take, and even when the next train, bus, or tram will arrive.

The application allows consumers to easily find public transport stations /stops, addresses, and points of interest, as well as choose from multiple routes and connections.

You can also view earlier and later departure times to make smarter travel choices and save favourite routes from different locations as a tile on your phone home screen for instant access from anywhere.

Nokia Traffic: It is a real-time traffic service on Nokia smart-phones for its users in Delhi and Mumbai. Recently released in India, the application is available to any smart-phone that has Symbian and Microsoft’s Windows operating systems free of cost. All you need to pay is data services charges from you telecom service providers. Supported at the backend by NAVTEQ Traffic Pro (owned by Nokia Location & Commerce), this live service offers superior coverage with detailed info about traffic speeds on motorways, as well as on main and secondary roads. Helping you get more accurate routes and better estimated travel timings even while saving on fuel and time.

Nokia Maps and Drive: Nokia Maps is a free mapping solution and service by Nokia for its mobile phones and smartphone devices. In India, Nokia maps are available for over 2195 cities including over 2 crore points of interest across the country. Currently maps are available for 100 countries in over 50 languages, including Hindi. The Maps also have a search feature covering millions points of interest globally – allowing easy search for locations and the best directions to get there. You can also search by genre. For example foodies who love to sample the local fare in each city know that with Nokia Maps they will easily find the their restaurant and cuisine of choice Nokia Drive further enhances user experience with free turn-by-turn voice guided navigation, designed for an effortless driving experience and provides a fully-fledged PND-like experience. It helps users save costs with pre-loadable country map data and navigation voices. The on-device Map Loader also helps manage maps and navigation voices through Wi-Fi or 3G connections. Drive can also be used offline.

Nokia Drive is available on Nokia Store as well as for Nokia Lumia users which gives an augmented experience comfortable for people to use while they are driving. The solution benefits from both 2D and 3D map views. So if you’re looking for extra definition to your route and some clear landmarks, you can quickly change your perspective in settings. It also supports day and night mode as well as allows you to change the navigation voice if you want to or download a brand new one.

If you wanna see more Pictures from the Nokia Strategy Summit India 2012, Click here

Set to unveil the next generation of smartphone imaging for the Indian audiences, the much anticipated Nokia 808 PureView will start shipping in India in the middle of June 2012. The Nokia 808 PureView is the first smartphone to feature exclusive Nokia PureView Imaging Technologies that will enable a range of high-end imaging experiences into Nokia products over the coming years.

For the complete set of Specifications – Read here

The Nokia 808 PureView combines a large, high-resolution 41-Megapixel sensor, Carl Zeiss Optics and Nokia Developed Pixel over-sampling technology. This means incredibly sharp, detailed images, superior low light performance and the capability to save images in compact file sizes for sharing in email, MMS and on social networks.

The Nokia 808 PureView also includes Nokia Rich recording for CD-like quality audio recording, full HD 1080p  vide recording and playback, and exclusive Dolby Headphone technology to transform any stereo content into a personal surround sound experience over any stereo headphones.

 If you wanna see more Pictures from the Nokia Strategy Summit India 2012, Click here

News from the Nokia Strategy Summit which happened in Chennai a couple of days back. Lumia 900 and 610 will be available in India in the third quarter of 2012. The price has not been disclosed yet. As the other Lumia series, this phone will also run on the Windows Phone Platform.

The Nokia Lumia 900 features a 4.3 inch ClearBlack AMOLED display for a superior touch and viewing experience. It also features Nokia’s highest capacity battery making it the perfect Lumia phone for enjoying media and entertainment on the move. The primary camera on the Nokia Lumia 900 has exclusive Carl Zeiss optics, a large aperture for improved performance in low light conditions and wide angle focal length for capturing full 16:9 images. It is also the first Lumia phone to feature a front-facing camera, with large aperture and wide-angle lens for sharp, bright images and video calling out of the box. The Nokia Lumia 900 will be available in white, cyan and black.

The new Nokia Lumia 610 is Nokia’s fourth and most affordable Lumia smartphone, designed as the perfect introduction to Windows Phone for a younger audience. The Nokia Lumia 610 makes it easy to keep in touch with friends, providing instant access to social networks and bringing all mobile, email, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn contacts into one place. It also makes it easier to browse the Web with Internet Explorer and to access games through Xbox Live. Available with Nokia Maps, Nokia Drive, Nokia Transport and Nokia Music, people can also choose from thousands of apps in the Windows Phone Marketplace to further personalize the experience. With a distinctive profile and finely beveled metallic edges, the Nokia Lumia 610 is built to convey both quality and aspiration. It comes in white, cyan, magenta and black.

If you wanna see more Pictures from the Nokia Strategy Summit India 2012, Click here

The new Asha devices take full advantage of the Nokia Browser 2.0, a major recent update which uses Nokia’s cloud technology to reduce data consumption by up to 90%, meaning that consumers can enjoy faster and cheaper internet access. Web sites load up to three times faster in comparison to devices without cloud-accelerated browsing, making it simple for users to find and select from more than 10,000 web apps available for download. They deliver a richer and more interactive consumer experience whilst using less data than a stand-alone internet connected app.

Consumers can easily stay connected with friends and family at the touch of a button as well as share files and links across their social networks. Furthermore, the Nokia Browser’s Download Manager feature helps consumers to manage external content easily, saving music, video or pictures on a memory card, while surfing the internet.

The Asha smartphone family is also getting positive support from developers and consumers. Nokia Store has just broken the 5 billion downloads landmark. From January to April, 42% of all content downloaded from Nokia Store was delivered to Asha and other Nokia devices based on the Java ecosystem. Just one year ago, that number was 10%. Also, there are 410 Nokia developers with apps which have achieved more than 1 million downloads. Indiagames and Pico Brothers just passed 100 million.

As well as providing a great, social online experience, the Nokia Asha 305 and Asha 311 have been created with entertainment in mind. All users will receive an exclusive gift of 40 EA games to download for free* and keep forever. These games range across action, arcade and sports, and include titles such as Tetris, Bejeweled, Need for Speed: The Run and FIFA 2012. The Nokia Asha 311 also comes with 15 levels of Angry Birds pre-loaded onto the phone, perfect for making the most of the touchscreen and 1GHz processor.

If you wanna see more Pictures from the Nokia Strategy Summit India 2012, Click here

Taking another step towards connecting the next billion consumers, Nokia today unveiled the Asha Touch family of mobile devices in India, introducing the full touch experience at new price points. The two new phone models – the Nokia Asha 305 and Nokia Asha 311 – further expand the successful Asha smartphone familyproviding young, social consumers with a choice of phones to match their own lifestyle. With a focus on being closer to the market, the devices will be manufactured from Nokia’s Sriperumbudur, Chennai manufacturing unit.

If you wanna see more Pictures from the Nokia Strategy Summit India 2012, Click here

“The Nokia Asha 305 and Nokia Asha 311 will provide the Indian consumer with full touch capabilities at new price points and also deliver attractive and intuitive experience for connecting to the internet, to their friends, and to a world of entertainment, web apps and content. We believe the Nokia’s Chennai manufacturing unit has been instrumental in helping us deliver on our commitment to connect the next billion of consumers by helping us meet the increasing demand for the Asha series of devices,” said D Shivakumar, Senior Vice President, IMEA, Nokia.

D.Shivakumar, Senior VP-IMEA, Nokia explains on how the Indian Consumer would adopt to the Asha series phone

These latest phones have been designed to provide an incredibly rich, smartphone experiences to consumers who want to be set free from excessive data consumption costs and short battery life. The Nokia Asha 305 and Asha 311 offer a new, fully re-designed touch user interface, combining the proven ease-of-use from Nokia’s heritage with digital design innovations specifically fit for the purpose.

Sari Harju, Head Mobile Phones, Nokia doing a curtain raiser of Nokia Asha 305 and Nokia Asha 311 in Chennai.

The beautifully crafted Nokia Asha 311 is a fast and fluid 3.5G capacitive touchscreen device, powered by a 1GHz processor to provide a great internet experience. The bright and edgy Nokia Asha 305 is a fun and affordable phone, featuring the exclusive Easy Swap dual SIM.

The Nokia Asha 311 is a colourful, compact touch screen device that comes with all the features you’d expect for a fun and easy mobile experience. It boasts a bright and colourful, scratch resistant capacitive glass screen with polarization filters ensuring users get the best experience from the unique and visually entertaining user interface. The Nokia Asha 311 also features a 3.2MP camera and pre-installed Nokia Maps, in addition to the 15 level pre-bundled version of Angry Birds.

The pre-loaded social client makes accessing Facebook, Twitter and many other global social networks simple while Nokia Browser makes using mobile internet fast and affordable. It also includes the most popular messaging services.

The Nokia Asha 305 is a fun and entertaining Easy Swap dual SIM phone, helping users make the most of their phone while retaining control of their costs. The phone features a bright and colorful 3” WQVGA resistive touch screen along with Bluetooth and Dual Band connectivity. Forty EA games are available for download with every phone as well as a 2MP camera, Nokia Maps and the revolutionary Nokia Browser which helps significantly lower data costs.

If you wanna see more Pictures from the Nokia Strategy Summit India 2012, Click here

At the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), Microsoft Corp. and NIKE Inc. ushered in a new era of home fitness, unveiling “Nike+ Kinect Training” only on Kinect for Xbox 360. Featuring Nike trainers who work with some of the company’s top athletes, “Nike+ Kinect Training” is a custom training program rooted in elite Nike fitness and specifically designed to help athletes of all levels reach their potential in the comfort of their own homes.

Whatever your fitness goal, “Nike+ Kinect Training” will give you the tools to get you there. Through the magic of Kinect, the personal trainers within the experience can see how your body moves, assess your physical strengths and athleticism, identify areas for improvement, and create a personalized workout plan to help you achieve your personal best. With real-time feedback to make sure positions and movements are correct, the “Nike+ Kinect Training” custom program evolves as you do, helping you get fitter, faster and stronger.

“By combining Nike’s understanding and knowledge of great athletes with the powerful technology of Kinect, we have created a personal training program unlike anything currently available,” said Yusuf Mehdi, corporate vice president of Marketing and Strategy of the Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft. “Kinect becomes the eyes for ‘Nike+ Kinect Training’ instructors, bringing a new level of engagement and personalization to the program that blurs the lines between a personal training session and a game.”

Nike is the leader in sports innovation and has developed new ways to inspire athletes at every level with digital services such as Nike+ and the Nike+ FuelBand. With “Nike+ Kinect Training,” Nike training can be personalized for anyone — from a professional athlete to an everyday athlete or even for someone who is just getting started.

“Nike+ Kinect Training’ gives everyone access to the same training that we give our professional athletes. It merges our understanding of the greatest athletes in the world with the amazing sensor technology of Kinect for Xbox 360,” said Stefan Olander, vice president of Digital Sport at Nike. “Nike+ Kinect Training’ will make working out at home fun and inspiring, and with its seamless connection to two huge global communities in Xbox LIVE and Nike+, you’ll always find more motivation in someone to train with or challenge.”

Take your training experience further by competing in challenges, sending encouragement to friends, and staying connected with a mobile app that keeps you motivated and on track for your next workout.¹ “Nike+ Kinect Training” will be available exclusively on Kinect for Xbox 360 during the holiday 2012 season.

For more stuffs from E3, please visit http://press.xbox360.com/E32012.

In the coming weeks, the team at Microsoft will update the Windows Azure Service names that appear in the usage records we download. These are only name changes and our prices for Windows Azure are not impacted.

This table below summarizes the changes:

They also recently updated the Privacy Statement to provide additional information on topics important to many of our customers. The new version includes the same commitments we previously made to maintain the privacy of your personal information, while adding more detailed information. They have also created a new Windows Azure Trust Center that provides additional information about Microsoft’s security, privacy, and compliance practices.

Source: Azure emailers

Barnes & Noble Inc. and Microsoft today announced the formation of a strategic partnership in a new Barnes & Noble subsidiary, which will build upon the history of strong innovation in digital reading technologies from both companies. The partnership will accelerate the transition to e-reading, which is revolutionizing the way people consume, create, share and enjoy digital content.

The new subsidiary, referred to in this release as Newco, will bring together the digital and College businesses of Barnes & Noble. Microsoft will make a $300 million investment in Newco at a post-money valuation of $1.7 billion in exchange for an approximately 17.6% equity stake. Barnes & Noble will own approximately 82.4% of the new subsidiary, which will have an ongoing relationship with the company’s retail stores. Barnes & Noble has not yet decided on the name of Newco.

One of the first benefits for customers will be a NOOK application for Windows 8, which will extend the reach of Barnes & Noble’s digital bookstore by providing one of the world’s largest digital catalogues of e-Books, magazines and newspapers to hundreds of millions of Windows customers in the U.S. and internationally.

The inclusion of Barnes & Noble’s College business is an important component of Newco’s strategic vision. Through the newly formed Newco, Barnes & Noble’s industry leading NOOK Study software will provide students and educators the preeminent technology platform for the distribution and management of digital education materials in the market.

“The formation of Newco and our relationship with Microsoft are important parts of our strategy to capitalize on the rapid growth of the NOOK business, and to solidify our position as a leader in the exploding market for digital content in the consumer and education segments,” said William Lynch, CEO of Barnes & Noble. “Microsoft’s investment in Newco, and our exciting collaboration to bring world-class digital reading technologies and content to the Windows platform and its hundreds of millions of users, will allow us to significantly expand the business.” 

“The shift to digital is putting the world’s libraries and newsstands in the palm of every person’s hand, and is the beginning of a journey that will impact how people read, interact with, and enjoy new forms of content,” said Andy Lees, President at Microsoft. “Our complementary assets will accelerate e-reading innovation across a broad range of Windows devices, enabling people to not just read stories, but to be part of them. We’re at the cusp of a revolution in reading.”

Barnes & Noble and Microsoft have settled their patent litigation, and moving forward, Barnes & Noble and Newco will have a royalty-bearing license under Microsoft’s patents for its NOOK eReader and Tablet products. This paves the way for both companies to collaborate and reach a broader set of customers.

Source: Microsoft Press Notifications

Google’s latest doodle, a giant zipper running down the centre of the search engine’s homepage, marks the birthday of Gideon Sundback, the Swedish-American electrical engineer most commonly associated with the development of the fastening device that revolutionised the clothing industry – Zipper!!

Before Sundback’s intervention, the idea for a fastener based on interlocking teeth had circulated among engineers for more than 20 years but no one had perfected it. His innovation was to place a dimple on the underside of each tooth and a nib on the top that would sit securely within the dimple of the tooth above it. As a result, the join between two rows of teeth was then strong because no single tooth has enough room to move up or down and come apart. He also created the manufacturing machine for the new zipper.

You can have a look at the Picture (drawing of 1914 patent filling) explaining the Patent here

The name zipper was created in 1923 by B.F. Goodrich, who used the device on their new boots. Initially, boots and tobacco pouches were the primary use for zippers; it took another twenty years before they caught on in the fashion industry. About the time of World War II the zipper achieved wide acceptance for the flies of trousers and the plackets of skirts and dresses. (Source – WikiPedia)

More Doodles from Google here

For PCs and tablets powered by x86 processors (both 32 and 64 bit), we will have two editions of Windows  to choose from, Windows 8 and Windows 8 Pro. For many consumers, Windows 8 will be the right choice. It will include all the features above plus an updated Windows Explorer, Task Manager, better multi-monitor support and the ability to switch languages on the fly (more details on this feature can be found in this blog post),which was previously only available in Enterprise/Ultimate editions of Windows. For China and a small set of select emerging markets, Microsoft will offer a local language-only edition of Windows 8.

Windows 8 Pro is designed to help tech enthusiasts and business/technical professionals obtain a broader set of Windows 8 technologies. It includes all the features in Windows 8 plus features for encryption, virtualization, PC management and domain connectivity. Windows Media Center will be available as an economical “media pack” add-on to Windows 8 Pro. If you are an enthusiast or you want to use your PC in a business environment, you will want Windows 8 Pro.

Windows RT is the newest member of the Windows family – also known as Windows on ARM or WOA. 

Do not confuse Windows RT with Windows Run Time.

This single edition will only be available pre-installed on PCs and tablets powered by ARM processors and will help enable new thin and lightweight form factors with impressive battery life. Windows RT will include touch-optimized desktop versions of the new Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote. For new apps, the focus for Windows RT is development on the new Windows runtime, or WinRT and forms the foundation of a new generation of cloud-enabled, touch-enabled, web-connected apps of all kinds.  For more details on WOA, this blog post shares more detail on how Windows 8 was built to run on the ARM architecture.

Source: Windows Blog Notifications

If you are still having plans on using Windows 7 and not sure on what version to use, read this article to understand the difference between Windows 7 Ultimate and Enterprise and other SKUs

Amazon CloudSearch is a fully-managed search service in the cloud that allows customers to easily integrate fast and highly scalable search functionality into their applications. With a few clicks in the AWS Management Console, developers simply create a search domain, upload the data they want to make searchable to Amazon CloudSearch, and the service then automatically provisions the technology resources required and deploys a highly tuned search index.

Amazon CloudSearch seamlessly scales as the amount of searchable data increases or as the query rate changes, and developers can change search parameters, fine tune search relevance, and apply new settings at any time without having to upload the data again.

For an overview of the Amazon CloudSearch, have a look at this below video:

Amazon CloudSearch enables customers to offload the administrative burden of operating and scaling a search platform. Customers don’t have to worry about hardware provisioning, data partitioning, or software patches. Amazon CloudSearch offers low, pay-as-you-go pricing with no up-front expenses or long-term commitments.

For Pricing details, refer to this page: http://aws.amazon.com/cloudsearch/#pricing

To read more Cloud Articles on Technology Simplified weblog, check this page

The popularity of virtualization is increasing rapidly, and organizations of all sizes are utilizing various forms of virtualization to maximize hardware investments, reduce energy costs and increase configuration flexibility. Still, the options and application of virtualization are varied. There are many ways the technology can be implemented, and IT professionals are often unsure of where to begin, if they’re on the right virtualization plan, or what tools to use to complement their virtual environment.

If you are an IT administrator looking to improve or setup your virtual infrastructure and want to make sure that you’re on the right path, then join Dell KACE and VMware experts for this live hour long program and demonstration, where you’ll learn how to:

• Create and execute a virtualization strategy
• Implement virtualization in a sequence and pace that’s consistent with organizational needs
• Determine what tools will best complement your virtual infrastructure

Make sure that your virtual infrastructure plan doesn’t go off track with poor setup or tools that don’t function as needed. Dell KACE and VMware work seamlessly together, allowing IT admins to streamline their virtual infrastructures and get up and running quickly.

Join them on Thursday, April 19 at 10 a.m. PT, 12 p.m. CT, to learn more click here.

Source: Dell KACE Notifiers

For more information on Virtualization, read these articles.

If you are using Microsoft Office on Mac, this message is for you! Microsoft has released an update for Microsoft Office for Mac 2011. As always, this update provides the latest fixes to Office for Mac 2011. Additionally, it also contains stability and reliability improvements..!

Before you install the Office for Mac 2011 14.2 update, make sure that the computer is running Mac OS X v10.5.8 or a later version of the Mac OS X operating system.

Download the Microsoft Office for Mac 2011 Service Pack 2 (14.2.0) here

Key Improvements from this Update –  

• Enables users to view and access documents that are located in the root level of a SkyDrive folder.
• Adds a drag-and-drop feature for files in Document Connection in Mac OS X 10.7.
• Fixes an issue in which you receive the following error message when you upload a file to a SharePoint site  - Upload Failed You must sign in to save your changes to the server.
• Fixes an issue in which the Italian grammar checker does not check a complete document.
• Fixes an issue in which the German grammar checker does not check a complete document when the document contains certain German sentences.
• Includes fixes that increase the robustness of the database and that improve the effectiveness of the rebuild utility. Outlook for Mac uses the Office database to store personal information, such as messages and contacts. This update fixes issues that cause database corruptions, instability, and crashes. This update also improves database transactions and the ability to recover from certain errors. If there is a problem within the database, Outlook for Mac starts the Database Utility, which tries to rebuild the database. After you install this update, the Database Utility recovers additional account information, such as shared resources and categories, and recovers from corruption scenarios. This update also adds the ability to cancel a database rebuild in Outlook for Mac.
• Once you install this update, Outlook for Mac updates new messages in IMAP folders regularly. Additionally, Outlook for Mac users who use Gmail accounts can map folders, such as Drafts, Deleted Items, Sent Items, and Junk E-Mail, automatically.
• This update introduces a new sync model for Exchange. The new model enables Outlook for Mac to download an email message in parts. For example, Outlook for Mac first downloads and displays message text and then downloads large images and attachments. Downloading messages in parts reduces the load on the Exchange server and improves performance for the user.
• This update improves support for calendar scheduling resources and for free/busy comparison functionality in the Scheduling Assistant.
• This update enables you to expand distribution lists into individual members when you add a distribution list in the To field or rest the mouse pointer on a distribution list.
• This update introduces functionality that enables you to paste special hyperlinks in PowerPoint.
• This update supports Full Screen View in PowerPoint. Additionally, when you close slide show mode in PowerPoint, edit mode opens.

For the complete list of fixes that are included in the Office for Mac 14.2 update, download this .xls file.

Nokia India has launched an aggressive viral campaign ‘Blown Away by Lumia’ comparing the Lumia with other rivals such as Samsung Galaxy, Blackberry, iPhones, BADA phones etc. to revive in the Indian smartphone market which is currently dominated by phones running on Google Android platform. The Nokia Lumia line of devices run on Windows Phone Operating System.

This YouTube campaign shows short clips of Lumia experts challenging consumers with rival smartphones in terms of internet and social networking quickness and experience. When Lumia wins, the other consumer holds high a banner saying, ‘My phone just got blown away by the Nokia Lumia’ and when the consumer wins, he walks with a Rs.1000 note.

I was a part of this campaign, when it happened in Mantri Mall, Bangalore. I was the Lumia expert and I had over 30 challengers who wanted to take part. It was a fun and a wonderful Experience.

Nokia India has released these 2 videos so far on its official YouTube channel. Hoping for more in days to come!

Check out the other videos here on the Nokia India YouTube Channel.

An exe is an executable file which runs as a separate process and is managed by the OS. It sometimes contains a complete program. Like a Dll, an exe cannot be shared between applications. When windows loads an exe, the exe’s initialization code is responsible for creating what is called as “message pump”, nothing but a program loop which runs as long as the application is running. The message pump request messages from the operating system. Windows keep track of the application as a separate task. It allocates separate memory for both the exe and the application using that exe. The memory area in which each exe runs is called “Process Space”. In an exe, there is an entry point (There is only one single main entry). An exe is visible to the system as a regular Win32 executable. Its entry point refers to the small loader which initializes the .Net run-time and tells it to load and execute the assembly contained in the exe. When the system launches a new exe, a new process is created. The entry thread is called in the context of the main thread of that process. An exe cannot be reused. It is self executable. They can run individually.

A dll is a dynamic link library which can be used in exe files and other dlls. It is referenced or linked to exe at run-time. It is located at runtime using PATH environment variable. This enables many different programs to use this library and perform their tasks making it easier on the programmers so that they do not have to keep reinventing the wheel each time they write software. A .DLL file will contain logic that other programs will use and hence it can be shared between applications. A Dll contains compiled versions of functions that can be linked into a program. The “linking” is taken care of automatically when you compile your program. There are many entry points in a dll. The system loads the dll into the context of an existing thread. Dlls can have multiple versions and be re-used. It doesn’t have a main function and not self executable.

Source: Community discussions

You would also be interested to read -

• Ten Best Practices / Troubleshooting Tips with Process Explorer Tool
• How To Enable System Boot Time Logging using Process Monitor Tool
• ZoomIt – An Awesome tool to use while making Presentations
• How to Remove Security Warning Message using Streams

For more related reading, have a look at these articles.

The capabilities introduced in the upcoming Windows Server “8″ go well beyond virtualization to deliver a dynamic, multi-tenant infrastructure and provide users with flexible access to data and applications while simplifying management and maintaining security, control, and compliance. Check out all the Windows Server 8 resources on this page, including download links for the beta, evaluation resources, what’s new and related resources such as:

• Windows Server “8″ Beta TechCenter
• Windows Server “8″ Beta Technical Library
• Windows Server Blog
• Windows Server “8” Beta General Forum
• Windows Server “8” Beta Setup Forum

A new Microsoft-funded IDC study (.pdf file) shows businesses that move to the cloud are freeing up time and money to invest in innovation and job creation. Among the study’s findings:

• Cloud computing will create nearly 14 million new jobs between 2011 and 2015.
• By 2015, business revenues from IT innovation enabled by the cloud could reach US$1.1 trillion a year.
• Cloud-related jobs will accrue evenly to businesses with 500 or fewer employees and those with more than 500 employees.
• More than one-third of cloud-enabled jobs will occur in the communications and media, banking, and discrete manufacturing industries.

For more information, see also the following related resources:

• Press Release: Cloud Computing to Create Millions of Jobs
• Blog Posts: The Cloud’s Role in Creating US Jobs , The Impact of Cloud Computing in Vertical Industries
• Data model: IDC Data: Worldwide Cloud-Related Jobs

For more related reading, have a look at these articles.