Microsoft Rolls Up Cloud Services Into Office 365, Takes Aim At Google Apps (via TechCrunch)

Might be interesting – we will have to wait and see!  More and more applications are moving to the cloud with 24×7 access – anywhere – anytime.

Today at an event in San Francisco, Microsoft’s Office division is unveiling a new product: a suite of the company’s productivity services called Office 365. Before now, Microsoft’s business-facing cloud services have been broken up in a few places: SharePoint, Lync Online, Exchange, and Office web apps. Office 365 looks to unify these. Microsoft SVP Chris Capossela says “This is everything we know about productivity brought to the cloud”. The me … Read More

via TechCrunch

Windows LIVE Essentials 2011 – Out of BETA – RELEASED

I have mentioned on several occasional that this package from Microsoft is a very clean and well put together piece of software (Multiple software titles).  This may not be for the true Techie, but for the common PC user this package is a fantastic add-on to Windows Vista and Windows 7.  I know what I will be doing tonight to my two systems at home!

Do more with Windows on your PC with free programs from Microsoft for photos, movies, instant messaging, email, social networking, and more. Get it all in one simple download.

Messenger – Stay in touch with the people you care about most from your PC, phone, or the web. Share photos and videos as you chat, and see the latest updates from your friends.

Photo Gallery – Get great tools for organizing, touching up, and sharing your photos and videos. Create stunning panoramas, movies, and slide shows, and publish them online.

Movie Maker – Turn your photos and videos into polished movies that are easy to share. Add special effects, transitions, sound, and captions to help tell your story in style.

Mail – Efficiently manage multiple email accounts, calendars, and your contacts—even when you’re offline. Plus, use a great tool for sharing lots of photos in email without filling up anyone’s inbox.

Also included in Windows Live Essentials – Writer, Family Safety, Windows Live Mesh, Messenger Companion, Bing Bar Outlook Connector Pack, Microsoft Silverlight.

Details list from Supersite Blog

From the Microsoft Blog – Inside Windows Live – Hit the link to learn all about this great package!

We are pleased to announce that Windows Live Essentials 2011 for Windows 7 and Windows Vista is now available for download! (Releasing in 48 languages over the next few hours, so if your language is not yet available, it will be very soon.) Windows Live Essentials 2011 was designed and built to connect your PC to the services you use every day. We’re also announcing today that Dell will be the first global PC manufacturer to ship PCs with Windows Live Essentials 2011 and Windows 7 pre-installed, just in time for your holiday purchases. Many other PC manufacturers are also planning to make Windows Live Essentials 2011 available and we’ll continue to keep you updated as they start releasing.

Download it today!

Get started and download Windows Live Essentials 2011 today. It is being released in 48 languages over the next few hours, so if you don’t see it in your language yet, you should see it very soon. If you’re running Windows Vista or Windows 7 on your PC, make sure you have the latest Windows updates installed before you install Windows Live Essentials (see the system requirements here). If your computer is still running Windows XP, you can, of course, continue to use the current Windows Live Essentials software, and then switch to Windows Live Essentials 2011 when you buy a new PC or upgrade to Windows 7.

Together with Windows 7 and the new Internet Explorer 9 beta, Windows Live Essentials completes your Windows experience and connects your PC to the services you use every day. Try it out and let us know what you think!

Some other news

Dell to Offer Windows Live Essentials 2011 on New Systems Later This Year

Remote Access Options

Your Superintendent is home working on a report due the next day and something goes wrong with the system, he calls you – What are you going to do. 

Well I came across an article that gave a bunch of options for remote access that are Free but simple to use.

5 Ways To Remotely Connect a Computer Over The Internet

If you try any of these, let me know what you think?

Windows 7 Momentum Update and Internet Explorer Guidance

This is a blowing your own horn posting, but the post does include some good links and information.  If your thinking of moving to WIN 7 anytime soon, this would be a page you would want to keep handy.

I have been using WIN7 since it was released and have had no issues, runs fast with no issues with anything not working, though I also had VISTA from almost the beginning as well with little to no problems. 

Great piece of information is that I run WIN7 on a Dual Core 1.8 with 2G and it’s great.    One reason you might want to look at CDI off lease products as we have both Dual Core and Core 2 Duo off-lease products available.

Windows 7 Momentum Update and Internet Explorer Guidance

IE9 – MS Internet Explorer 9 – BETA DOWNLOAD……

Check it out – lots of great press already being posted….. 

IE9Beta Download

Malware is alive – Educate – Educate is the key!

Microsoft has taken drastic steps to stop the Waledac botnet this week.  The really scary part is 60,000 PCs in the month of August where still infected after almost a full year since it was at its height.  These systems tried 15 million times to connect to the Waladac botnet in that month.

People are still not protecting their PCs, at this time any security program as long as it is being updated will find and remove this from the systems it has infected.

EDUCATION EDUCATION EDUCTION – Microsoft Security Essentials – FREE and easy to use, let everyone know about this service if nothing else.

FULL ARTICLE – Microsoft Permanently Shuts Down Vast Botnet

Related Articles

• Microsoft delivers killing blow to Waledec botnet (thetechherald.com)
• R.I.P. Waledac: Undoing the damage of a botnet (blogs.technet.com)

Knowledge & Information for PARENTS

I have been thinking…  I have posted before that I believe – we as TECH people have a responsiblity to keep not only kids save, but parents as well when they are on the internet.  We may take the information we know for granted, but many parents just don’t know and really don’t have the time to figure things out.  We need to HELP!

Most districts have parent section for getting information about the school and kids on the WEB, how about putting up important information that can keep them and their children save when at home.  This information would have to be front and center  – opening page of the Parent WEB – it will have to be updated, but keeping a history area of information as well.  You might want to have a TIP of the month put into the NEWSLETTER as well.  Some of you might already be doing this and that is great.

Getting this started at your district would be very simple, I have posted over the last few weeks about 5-6 items that you could include right away.  I will continue to include items of interest on security and internet safety that you can use as well.

Let me know what you think and if your already doing this, I would be interested in hearing about what you have done in this area.  Honestly – I will be looking into starting this in both my girls schools.