Spy Journal 3.0 Filtering the web for you

I have taken a lot of photos in 2011 in all sorts of genres. Around 80,000 or so. I have chosen some of my favourites from each month and showcased them here. I hope to improve my skills and widen my repertoire next year.

January 2011

February 2011

March 2011

April 2011

May 2011

June 2011

July 2011

August 2011

September 2011

October 2011

November 2011

December 2011

This vide is a good watch to get some really creative juices flowing - imagination drives innovation and invention.

Some links and resources about how to improve your use of Windows 7 and understand more about cloud options with Windows tools and server technology.

• Getting the most from Windows 7 - Microsoft Technet article with lots of links
• Optimising Windows 7 Across the Enterprise - a good read for system administrators and architects
• Windows Tweaking and Optimization: Myths and Reality - this is great stuff - main tip - uninstall crap you don't use!
• The Cloud on your terms - a 30 part series
• Screencast - building a private cloud - 3 part series
• Windows, iPad and Android - Managing and Using Your Office Assets in a Tablet World - a 6 part series

Windows 7 is definitely the most advanced OS Microsoft has produced to date. Slicker than Vista. less memory hungry and smaller install footprint as well. Way more secure than XP and more efficient user of memory, it also takes great advantage of GPU memory (in video cards).

Windows 8 is coming and it is a huge step up from Windows 7. It will feature touchscreen tablet like screen layouts (similar to the Windows Phone touch screen objects, and will allow metro style apps to be developed and displayed anywhere you like on your screens.

Here are some news items, links and videos etc. for you to preview.

Improvements in Windows Explorer in Windows 8

Previewing Windows 8

Download the Windows 8 Developer Preview

A preview of Windows Live for Windows 8

From Jeff Alexanders Tech Net email.

Lots of good how tos and information on the Windows 7 phone how to page also.

Easier sharing, smarter applications and a better web - Mango is here!
Friday, 21 October 2011

Hi there,

Hello and welcome to another edition of the Australian TechNet Flash. This edition is all about Windows Phone and the recently released Windows Phone 7.5 Update that has just come out. First up what’s this update all about?

The good news is Windows Phone 7.5, codenamed Mango, is now available to Windows Phone 7 users in Australia! If you haven’t already been prompted for the update you will very soon. This latest update improves on the existing OS and adds over 500 new features to better connect you with people, applications and the web.

Some of my favourite features released in the mango update include:

• Groups - Organise your employees or work colleagues into a single group to quickly and easily email, text or chat with a whole group at once. You can also pin this group to your Start Screen and you'll be notified with any missed calls, new messages and even social networking updates from the group members.
• Outlook Mobile - Outlook Mobile on Windows Phone now also supports tasks and conversation view to offer an enhanced email experience on the go.
• People Hub - The addition of Twitter and LinkedIn to the people hub so you can now get your feeds from all your favourite social media sites.
• SharePoint Workspace Mobile - Makes it easier to collaborate with your coworkers when you're away from the office.
• Internet Explorer 9 - Harnessing the power of your phone's hardware for faster, smoother web browsing.
• My Windows Phone – Check out the new revamped My Windows Phone site and manage your phone on the web, find a lost phone or even reinstall all your applications easily!

These are just some of our favourite features, to learn more about the mango release as well as how to get it click here.

Now on to a personal story regarding this update. I got a chance to use the newly revamped My Windows Phone site and in particular the Find my Phone feature. My wife recently left her Windows Phone in a restaurant after a night out with some friends. Of course she was worried her phone was gone. Well the next morning I logged into the My Windows Phone site with her Windows Live ID. I got a screenshot like the one right.

The above is just an example but what it shows is the GPS built into my wife’s phone showed me where it was which turned out to be the place where she left it. At this point I had 3 options. I could Ring the phone, Erase it or Lock it. I decided to lock it and put a security PIN on it with a message to ring our home number.

Well we went back to the restaurant the next day when they opened and there was the phone locked with the message I put in along with a sad smiley face! A great result. If I did decide to erase the phone, reinstalling apps is much easier with Mango using the App Purchase History which is now part of managing your phone on the web.

Have a good one folks and see you next time!

Jeff Alexander
IT Pro Evangelist
Microsoft Australia
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