Forefront Endpoint Protection 2010 RTMed

Forefront Endpoint Protection 2010 (FEP) has released to manufacturing!  Customers can access the RTM release on the Microsoft Volume Licensing Service Center (VLSC) starting Jan. 1, 2011 -- or try the evaluation version immediately. 

This is our first ? and very significant ? step in making the convergence of desktop security and management a reality.  Customers using System Center Configuration Manager 2007 can now quickly and efficiently deploy, configure, manage, update, and report on FEP protections, helping to lower infrastructure costs and improve overall security.  And since both products are included in the Enterprise CAL (ECAL), customers who purchase ECAL automatically get access to all the licenses they need to implement the solution.  To make deployment easier, FEP will even identify and replace the existing antimalware agents you may have previously installed.

Customers have already begun seeing the advantages of bringing together powerful antimalware protection with their existing infrastructure for deploying, patching, and updating client systems.  A large university medical center that participated in our Technology Adoption Program (TAP) said the following about their experience using FEP in their 50,000 desktop environment: 

?We?re primarily a paperless organization.  We need 100% uptime so that medical records, prescriptions, and all other documentation is available to our healthcare professionals. The single console for Forefront Endpoint Protection 2010 [and System Center Configuration Manager 2007] gives me a view of our whole system and ensures that we can handle threats before they become an issue.?

There are a ton of new features to explore in this new release including award-winning antimalware protection (FEP uses same engine as Microsoft Security Essentials), vulnerability shielding, Windows firewall management, and, of course, integration with System Center Configuration Manager 2007.  You can find more product details on our Web site or TechCenter.    And for more information about convergence, please visit our new Windows Optimized Desktop page.

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Hotmail introduces interactive email using Active Views

Starting today, Hotmail and select partners are introducing a new type of interactive and dynamic email that runs on the Hotmail Active Views platform.

Beginning in the late 90s, email services evolved from supporting just plain text and attachments to supporting rich, HTML-based email. This was a big development, and it ushered in an era of structured email templates and embedded photos and links. Today, nearly all messages sent by businesses and websites use HTML.

There are many benefits of this richer format, but also some limitations. One challenge is that the content is static, so when you open the email, the content may already be out of date. Additionally, most of these messages require you to click out of them to the sender?s website in order to complete a key action or take the next step. In some cases, this works just fine, but it can become a hassle, especially if you?re trying to get through your inbox quickly. You might want to check out that online deal, update your account, respond to a friend request, or browse products, but simply don?t because of the extra time it requires. With the average person receiving more than 200 email messages per week (outside of work), the extra time adds up, and our research shows that about 70% of people who use email regularly think that getting through their inbox takes too long.

Like the transition that took us from text to HTML, it?s time for email to evolve again to address today?s challenges, becoming more dynamic so the content is up to date when you open it, and more interactive so you can save time by taking actions from right inside the email itself.

These enhancements haven?t happened before today due to security concerns by email services. There has simply been no way to run JavaScript code within email messages in such a way that it?s isolated and not allowed to do malicious things on your computer. Hotmail is solving this problem with its new Active Views platform, technology that allows senders to run code securely in their email messages. It protects you AND gives you access to information on the sender?s website through forms and inline actions built directly into the email itself. This keeps the content up to date and provides a more engaging and time-saving experience.

Starting this week, Orbitz and Monster.com will be the first partners to pilot this new type of email message for some of their communications. Just booked travel and need a hotel? The new Active View email from Orbitz lets you get started without delay. Want to find a new job? Monster.com?s new email helps you quickly take the first step.

Hotmail Active Views video

In the coming weeks, we will introduce additional pilot partners so that you will be able to take actions more quickly and easily, like managing your Netflix accounts or accepting invitations to connect on LinkedIn, from right inside your inbox. We are also working with top email service providers like Responsys, who are taking advantage of the Active Views platform for their clients, like Orbitz.

"By partnering with Hotmail to offer Active Views for our clients, we're helping to pioneer new email technologies and innovations to give people a more convenient and flexible way to interact with email content and services they prefer."

Aaron Smith, Vice President, Campaign Services, Responsys

With these great partners and many more to come, we will continue to innovate and look for opportunities to help you save time by doing more from Hotmail.

As part of a pilot program beginning today, our partners will be sending these messages on a limited basis, and eventually, they?ll be able to use the Active Views platform to include anyone who has chosen to receive email from them. If you receive an interactive email, let us know what you think.

Dick Craddock
Group Program Manager, Windows Live Hotmail

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Popcap Wins Ping Pong Deathmatch

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Microsoft to use strong-ARM techniques to attack mobile markets

Windows to become compatible with mobile chip architecture

Microsoft will use CES 2011 to launch a version of Windows that can play nicely with ARM architecture mobile chips for the first time.

ARM-based chips are produced by the likes of Qualcomm, Texas Instruments, Nvidia, Sharp and Samsung, and can be found in many mobile devices including phones and tablets. The Hummingbird chip in the Nexus S is ARM-based for example, as is the Apple A4 in the iPad, and also the ubiquitous Snapdragon that seems to pop up in pretty much every Android smartphone announced at the moment.

The new Windows version would be designed to work with the limited battery of mobile devices and allow the tech giant to compete with the likes of Apple and Google, who both have operating systems that work with ARM architecture with iOS and Android.

Traditionally Microsoft has used Intel X86 architecture for its Windows Platform, but it's thought that cross-chip compatibility could lead to the Redmond-based company gaining 10 to 20 per cent of the tablet market next year, where 50 million devices could be sold.

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Read

Tags: Microsoft Qualcomm Texas Instruments ARM Windows Phones Tablets CES2011

Microsoft to use strong-ARM techniques to attack mobile markets originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 22 Dec 2010 16:18:00 +0000

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App-vent Calendar - day 23: Waitrose Christmas

A sprinkling of festive food, with Delia and Heston

‘Twas two nights before Christmas, when all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.

Well, that’s not actually true, because with Christmas round the corner, we’re all fighting against the snow to get those last minute presents, panic buying from the local supermarket and scratching our heads about how we’re going to serve up a feast on Christmas Day.

We might be a little late to the party on this one, as it is actually an advent calendar in its own right, but nevertheless, today we dive into the culinary delights of Waitrose.

Waitrose Christmas

Format

Android, iPhone

Price

free

Where

iTunes?or Android Market

A free download for either Android or iPhone, there is quite a lot of on offer here from Waitrose. This is really all about food, planning and partying, of course with Waitrose ready and willing to sell you all the ingredients you’ll need. If you’ve been watching TV over this festive period, you can’t help but have noticed Waitrose’s advertising with Heston Blumenthal and Delia Smith. Yes, the one with the QR code the flashes up for a fraction of a second.

The chefs find their way into the app, offering up recipe suggestions. Easy to navigate and clearly laid out, you can dive into Delia’s vanilla cream terrine recipe and find all the ingredients you need, a detailed recipe and nutritional info (it’s Christmas, don’t even go there).

Aside from the token celebrity endorsement, you’ll find a range of different recipes broken down into categories and covering starters, mains, sides, all the way up to cocktails.

Aside from recipes, the app offers several tools and planners, including a turkey cooking timer and veg calculator where you just have to select the weight (for the turkey) or the number of mouths you have to feed to get the weight of veg you need. There is also a “Big Day Planner” which will see you up before the sun, peeling carrots and pre-heating the oven.?

Moving on there is a wine guide, suggesting that you might want a 2008 Meursault or 2007 Saint-?millon Grand Cru with your main course (and several suggestions for each other course). We thought the suggestion of a 12-Year-Old Glenlivet whisky “To Finish” was particularly apt.?

It might be a little late to compose this year’s shopping list, but there are still plenty of ideas if you’re desperately seeking that perfect dish for Christmas or New Year.

Tags: Mobile phone apps Appvent Calendar App of the day Waitrose Christmas Waitrose iPhone apps Android apps

             

App-vent Calendar - day 23: Waitrose Christmas originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 23 Dec 2010 18:00:00 +0000

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RIM To Playbook Doubters: L8R H8R, Battery Life Is Just Fine

Remember when some dude said that the Playbook got 2 hours of battery life on a good day? Wrong, says RIM. They released an official message to all the haters.

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The Danger of Betting On The Influential

The old marketing saw says you waste 50% of your marketing, you just do not know which half. Such a loss of efficiency makes my skin crawl, but in this case I have to agree. Anyone who thinks there is a single tool or technique other than being out there every hour of every day with your message is going to be sorely disappointed. For the new entrepreneur, it can be very alluring to see the famous blogerati, and hope that you can get the mention that will vault you to victory. But is trying to win that write up worth all the effort?

 

In the past few weeks, there have been a few cases that illustrate the spectrum of benefits (or lack thereof) of going after the famous. To call out some specifics:

• Quora - I cannot think of a single site recently that has gotten so many high profile people to jump onboard so quickly. They have managed to pull together the greatest set of contributors in the world, giving not the opportunity to them to bring people to the platform, but a chance for them to genuinely contribute to the conversation. 
• Cinchcast - Full disclosure, Cinchcast offers some competitive products to Hark. Robert Scoble, Marshall Kirkpatrick and quite a few other very significant technology writers use Cinchcast all the time - yet it has not resulted in any significant traffic or attention.
• DoDont.com - Talk about a big bet, a founder of the site paraded in front of TechCrunch HQ for a couple of days trying to get a mention.  A founder should be doing just about anything else but this, the likelihood of a payoff here is near zero. And even though they got a huge mention, I would be that that traffic is nearly all gone now. It is possible to consider this a win, but I doubt it will actually matter at all to their eventual success.

I can tell you from personal experience the famous can be a nice win - we have had plenty of spikes over the years (the Dane Cook tweets were particularly interesting), but the huge spike almost never sticks around.  So is it worth it? By and large, the answer is no. Ask yourself the following questions:

• Do you have an MVP (and then some)?
• Can you iterate extremely quickly if you get great feedback? 
• Do you genuinely believe the only reason people haven't flocked to your product is because they haven't heard about it?

Unless you know in your heart of hearts the answer is yes, going after influentials is not going to be your solution. Even if you are a perfect fit, the benefit that these influentials will provide is only short lived; you have to immediately leverage each mention or use of your products to a broader population or it will be like it never happened. Remember, these influentials are going to be onto the new hotness in the blink of an eye; you will only have a moment to take advantage of it.

 

The fact is, for the vast majority of businesses, there is no easy way to become broadly known. We all want consumer startups that get us the cover of Time magazine, but that is nearly always a total waste of time. In fact, the most valuable thing you can do is not try to get known by everyone, but get known by a super small set of folks - the people who influence the people who will pay you.  Because as much as we want to solve the hard problem of getting known by having a single famous person be your champion, they simply cannot guarantee your success.

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