Read the views of online Certification Experts, which provide the real questions and correct answer and explanation for the students / professionals who are seeking or enhancing their level of expertise. more at certkingdom.com
September 29, 2010
Why Your Microsoft Vista Is Running Slow
Users using Windows Vista finds their operating system running slowly usually. There are certain reasons why this is happening.
The windows vista operating system is immensely popular amongst users. With developing technology more and more facilities are available with a windows vista system. One can listen to music, chat, upload pictures and endless other things. In return more resources are needed for carrying out these tasks and these resources used in huge amounts are slowing down the speed of the machines performance.
All PC users have only one main area of concern and that is the speed at which they can run their operating system or the speed of accessing any particular data from their computer. Windows Vista if not properly scanned through the registry cleaner and used are always showing a decrease in performance speed. Any user when opens a number of softwares or programs at one time faces that the performance of the hard disk is affected. In turn the speed of the machine slows down. Hence A Windows Vista Registry Cleaner can be the possible solution to solve all these problems.
The following are the list of reasons why your windows Vista PC is running slow and how can a windows vista registry cleaner solve your problem.
We all know that spyware is very risky and it usually hampers your privacy in a certain way. While the user surfs internet the spyware keeps collecting a lot of confidential details of your machine and passes those useful informations to someone who installs it in the owners personal computer. This makes the windows vista run slower than before. If a genuine windows vista registry cleaner is used it will ensure that the windows vista is free from all hidden dangerous programs like this.
The windows Vista registry Cleaning equipment is usually attached with more than 15 various kinds of cleaning tools. These cleaning tools helps vista search and fix issues related to registry problems thus increasing the speed of your personal computers operating system. There a wide variety of keys such as search & repair stuck or damaged key, invalid key, obsolete key and other keys. Registry cleaner compatible or specially designed for Windows vista can help to repair the registry files, which is unable to reload.
An extensive search for a windows vista registry cleaner can give the user a number of available registry cleaners. Many websites provide registry cleaners free of cost. But would you like your computer to completely crash and burn just because you wanted to save a few bucks instead of choosing the best.
Why Your Microsoft Vista Is Running Slow
Users using Windows Vista finds their operating system running slowly usually. There are certain reasons why this is happening.
The windows vista operating system is immensely popular amongst users. With developing technology more and more facilities are available with a windows vista system. One can listen to music, chat, upload pictures and endless other things. In return more resources are needed for carrying out these tasks and these resources used in huge amounts are slowing down the speed of the machines performance.
All PC users have only one main area of concern and that is the speed at which they can run their operating system or the speed of accessing any particular data from their computer. Windows Vista if not properly scanned through the registry cleaner and used are always showing a decrease in performance speed. Any user when opens a number of softwares or programs at one time faces that the performance of the hard disk is affected. In turn the speed of the machine slows down. Hence A Windows Vista Registry Cleaner can be the possible solution to solve all these problems.
The following are the list of reasons why your windows Vista PC is running slow and how can a windows vista registry cleaner solve your problem.
We all know that spyware is very risky and it usually hampers your privacy in a certain way. While the user surfs internet the spyware keeps collecting a lot of confidential details of your machine and passes those useful informations to someone who installs it in the owners personal computer. This makes the windows vista run slower than before. If a genuine windows vista registry cleaner is used it will ensure that the windows vista is free from all hidden dangerous programs like this.
The windows Vista registry Cleaning equipment is usually attached with more than 15 various kinds of cleaning tools. These cleaning tools helps vista search and fix issues related to registry problems thus increasing the speed of your personal computers operating system. There a wide variety of keys such as search & repair stuck or damaged key, invalid key, obsolete key and other keys. Registry cleaner compatible or specially designed for Windows vista can help to repair the registry files, which is unable to reload.
An extensive search for a windows vista registry cleaner can give the user a number of available registry cleaners. Many websites provide registry cleaners free of cost. But would you like your computer to completely crash and burn just because you wanted to save a few bucks instead of choosing the best.
The windows vista operating system is immensely popular amongst users. With developing technology more and more facilities are available with a windows vista system. One can listen to music, chat, upload pictures and endless other things. In return more resources are needed for carrying out these tasks and these resources used in huge amounts are slowing down the speed of the machines performance.
All PC users have only one main area of concern and that is the speed at which they can run their operating system or the speed of accessing any particular data from their computer. Windows Vista if not properly scanned through the registry cleaner and used are always showing a decrease in performance speed. Any user when opens a number of softwares or programs at one time faces that the performance of the hard disk is affected. In turn the speed of the machine slows down. Hence A Windows Vista Registry Cleaner can be the possible solution to solve all these problems.
The following are the list of reasons why your windows Vista PC is running slow and how can a windows vista registry cleaner solve your problem.
We all know that spyware is very risky and it usually hampers your privacy in a certain way. While the user surfs internet the spyware keeps collecting a lot of confidential details of your machine and passes those useful informations to someone who installs it in the owners personal computer. This makes the windows vista run slower than before. If a genuine windows vista registry cleaner is used it will ensure that the windows vista is free from all hidden dangerous programs like this.
The windows Vista registry Cleaning equipment is usually attached with more than 15 various kinds of cleaning tools. These cleaning tools helps vista search and fix issues related to registry problems thus increasing the speed of your personal computers operating system. There a wide variety of keys such as search & repair stuck or damaged key, invalid key, obsolete key and other keys. Registry cleaner compatible or specially designed for Windows vista can help to repair the registry files, which is unable to reload.
An extensive search for a windows vista registry cleaner can give the user a number of available registry cleaners. Many websites provide registry cleaners free of cost. But would you like your computer to completely crash and burn just because you wanted to save a few bucks instead of choosing the best.
September 20, 2010
History of the Microsoft Support Lifecycle policy
History of the Microsoft Support Lifecycle policy
I wanted to start off the blog with a posting about the history of the Microsoft Support Lifecycle policy. We often get questions about the history of the policy, how it came about and how long it’s actually been in place.
Prior to 2002, Microsoft did not have a centralized team or set of policies to govern the length of support provided for each product or the level of service provided throughout a product’s supported life. Instead, each of the product groups (PGs) was independently responsible for defining the length and terms of support for their individual products. The PGs managed their own support groups, published information regarding their support policies and communicated directly with the customers regarding the supportability of their products.
While this allowed the PGs significant flexibility to support their products according to their business needs, the situation was not ideal for Microsoft customers. Customers often complained that it was difficult to understand how long products were supported and that there was little consistency in the support levels, communication approaches and support availability between PGs. The approach to these policies often differed between the PGs and sometimes even differed between products within the same PG. In addition, these inconsistencies made it difficult for customers to plan their information technology IT upgrade cycles and future product purchases.
By the beginning of 2001 the majority of the PGs had committed to providing support for both the current version and the previous version of their product. Unfortunately, the length of support and services provided still differed between most products. In addition, there were inconsistent requirements for the application of product service packs. Some PGs always required a products current service pack to be applied, while other PGs had a more liberal policy regarding service pack support.
As a result of continued customer feedback, Microsoft Services chartered a team with the responsibility of creating a unified set of support policies that could be applied all Microsoft products. The goal was to create a comprehensive support policy that customers could easily understand, reference and plan for. As a result, in October 2002 Microsoft unveiled the first version of the Microsoft Support Lifecycle. This original version of the policy provided 5 years of Mainstream Support for Consumer products and 5 years of Mainstream Support and 2 years of Extended Support for Business & Developer products.
In 2004, Microsoft announced a major revision to the Microsoft Support Lifecycle. Among the changes announced were expanded lengths of support for Microsoft’s Business & Developer products, clarifications on some of the existing policies, and additional support options for customers who needed support for products that were no longer publicly supported. While there have been some clarifications and minor changes over the years, this is still the same policy that we use today.
Next time, I’d like to get into more details about some of the specific policies and perhaps clear-up some common confusion and misconceptions. In the meantime, please feel free to ask any questions or leave ideas for future postings.
I wanted to start off the blog with a posting about the history of the Microsoft Support Lifecycle policy. We often get questions about the history of the policy, how it came about and how long it’s actually been in place.
Prior to 2002, Microsoft did not have a centralized team or set of policies to govern the length of support provided for each product or the level of service provided throughout a product’s supported life. Instead, each of the product groups (PGs) was independently responsible for defining the length and terms of support for their individual products. The PGs managed their own support groups, published information regarding their support policies and communicated directly with the customers regarding the supportability of their products.
While this allowed the PGs significant flexibility to support their products according to their business needs, the situation was not ideal for Microsoft customers. Customers often complained that it was difficult to understand how long products were supported and that there was little consistency in the support levels, communication approaches and support availability between PGs. The approach to these policies often differed between the PGs and sometimes even differed between products within the same PG. In addition, these inconsistencies made it difficult for customers to plan their information technology IT upgrade cycles and future product purchases.
By the beginning of 2001 the majority of the PGs had committed to providing support for both the current version and the previous version of their product. Unfortunately, the length of support and services provided still differed between most products. In addition, there were inconsistent requirements for the application of product service packs. Some PGs always required a products current service pack to be applied, while other PGs had a more liberal policy regarding service pack support.
As a result of continued customer feedback, Microsoft Services chartered a team with the responsibility of creating a unified set of support policies that could be applied all Microsoft products. The goal was to create a comprehensive support policy that customers could easily understand, reference and plan for. As a result, in October 2002 Microsoft unveiled the first version of the Microsoft Support Lifecycle. This original version of the policy provided 5 years of Mainstream Support for Consumer products and 5 years of Mainstream Support and 2 years of Extended Support for Business & Developer products.
In 2004, Microsoft announced a major revision to the Microsoft Support Lifecycle. Among the changes announced were expanded lengths of support for Microsoft’s Business & Developer products, clarifications on some of the existing policies, and additional support options for customers who needed support for products that were no longer publicly supported. While there have been some clarifications and minor changes over the years, this is still the same policy that we use today.
Next time, I’d like to get into more details about some of the specific policies and perhaps clear-up some common confusion and misconceptions. In the meantime, please feel free to ask any questions or leave ideas for future postings.
September 18, 2010
What is CLOUD computing?
What is CLOUD computing?
What exactly is CLOUD computing? or CLOUD hosting?
Maybe you overheard someone mention CLOUD computing or CLOUD hosting and now you are curious?
Maybe somebody you know uses a CLOUD and now you want to know more about CLOUD Computing or CLOUD hosting? Whatever the reason may be you want to know more about this hot topic and we are going to discuss the facts and the myths about CLOUD computing – CLOUD hosting.
So what exactly is CLOUD computing? and how does it work?
Are there any benefits to CLOUD computing? or is it just a bunch of hype?
These are all good questions so lets get started.
The name ‘CLOUD” is just a nickname or slang for the internet.
CLOUD computing is another word for Virtual Server or Virtual Hosting or Virtual Private Server or Server Consolidation. As you can see this one technology has many different nick names.
Ok so what is a virtual server or virtual web hosting anyways?
First lets make sure you know what a server or web server / web hosting is.
A server is a special computer used to control a network, access control, store data – files, host email, host websites and many other services or roles. A web server or web hosting is a special computer usually stored in a data center which stores your website and must remain connected to the internet 24-7 in order for your website to be visible 24-7.
Most small businesses rent or lease web hosting and pay a monthly fee to host their website.
Years ago before CLOUD computing aka server virtualization came along one physical server would host 1 single website. So if you had 3 websites you would need to have 3 physical servers. Renting 3 web servers is not cheap especially for the small business owner.
Now if you have or had lets pretend and say 3 servers in your office for your business network.
And assuming each of your servers is doing something different such as server #1 is your office file server or primary domain controller and server #2 hosts your companies database and server #3 hosts something else for you.
So now you have a vague understanding of what a server does.
Remember this is a simple explanation of CLOUD computing and is not a technical how to guide.
Detailed information on how to design, configure, manage, etc virtual servers is a long and complex topic in itself.
Server virtualization allows you to combine several servers into one physical server.
So instead of having the 3 physical servers in your office you can have everything combined on 1 physical server using server virtualization technology. Imagine 1 physical server that has several operating systems running at the same time just as if they were different physical servers. You can reboot one virtual server without rebooting all the virtual servers running on the same physical server. This can also describes as server consolidation.
What are the benefits of CLOUD computing, CLOUD hosting, Virtual servers, server consolidation?
You get the idea there are many names for this.
Some of the many benefits are.
Cost savings
One physical server costs less then several physical servers.
It costs less to share a physical server with others……vs paying to rent an entire web server just for yourself.
Physical foot print – physical space
One physical server uses less physical space then several physical servers.
Efficiency:
One server uses less electricity then several servers.
One server does not generate as much heat as several servers.
What are the cons? are there any? One that comes to mind is hardware failure.
If the server physically shuts off whether it be a blown power supply of physical hard drive failure you can count on all the virtual servers shutting down because remember the virtual servers are running on the one physical server.
Before you choose whether or not CLOUD computing is right for you, your website or your office – environment consult with a professional network administrator – computer and network expert that has extensive real world experience with virtual servers AKA CLOUDS. A CLOUD or virtual server may or may not be beneficial to you. There are many technical and financial factors that go into deciding whether or not a virtual server will be beneficial to your business or organization.
We know of one local company located in Orlando Florida that has been specializing in CLOUD computing – virtual hosting since 2004.
Infinitum Technologies, Inc which offers turn key virtual web servers and custom designed CLOUD hosting systems, dedicated servers, server clusters and all kinds of custom server systems and configurations to suite a wide variety of needs from hosting websites, email, databases , remote backup solutions and much more. Infintium Technologies is really a pioneer in virtual hosting technology and custom virtualized server systems. There are a gazillion hosting companies out there that re-sell or market CLOUD hosting as the new hot technology to have when in fact this technology isn’t new and the only thing new about this technology is the name CLOUD computing.
We have provided professional support to Infintium Technologies when they expanded and setup another network in Orlando Florida. We were there day and night with owners Sean Faircloth and Richard Blundell and know first hand these guys specialize in CLOUD computing, know what they are doing and are serious about CLOUD computing.
What exactly is CLOUD computing? or CLOUD hosting?
Maybe you overheard someone mention CLOUD computing or CLOUD hosting and now you are curious?
Maybe somebody you know uses a CLOUD and now you want to know more about CLOUD Computing or CLOUD hosting? Whatever the reason may be you want to know more about this hot topic and we are going to discuss the facts and the myths about CLOUD computing – CLOUD hosting.
So what exactly is CLOUD computing? and how does it work?
Are there any benefits to CLOUD computing? or is it just a bunch of hype?
These are all good questions so lets get started.
The name ‘CLOUD” is just a nickname or slang for the internet.
CLOUD computing is another word for Virtual Server or Virtual Hosting or Virtual Private Server or Server Consolidation. As you can see this one technology has many different nick names.
Ok so what is a virtual server or virtual web hosting anyways?
First lets make sure you know what a server or web server / web hosting is.
A server is a special computer used to control a network, access control, store data – files, host email, host websites and many other services or roles. A web server or web hosting is a special computer usually stored in a data center which stores your website and must remain connected to the internet 24-7 in order for your website to be visible 24-7.
Most small businesses rent or lease web hosting and pay a monthly fee to host their website.
Years ago before CLOUD computing aka server virtualization came along one physical server would host 1 single website. So if you had 3 websites you would need to have 3 physical servers. Renting 3 web servers is not cheap especially for the small business owner.
Now if you have or had lets pretend and say 3 servers in your office for your business network.
And assuming each of your servers is doing something different such as server #1 is your office file server or primary domain controller and server #2 hosts your companies database and server #3 hosts something else for you.
So now you have a vague understanding of what a server does.
Remember this is a simple explanation of CLOUD computing and is not a technical how to guide.
Detailed information on how to design, configure, manage, etc virtual servers is a long and complex topic in itself.
Server virtualization allows you to combine several servers into one physical server.
So instead of having the 3 physical servers in your office you can have everything combined on 1 physical server using server virtualization technology. Imagine 1 physical server that has several operating systems running at the same time just as if they were different physical servers. You can reboot one virtual server without rebooting all the virtual servers running on the same physical server. This can also describes as server consolidation.
What are the benefits of CLOUD computing, CLOUD hosting, Virtual servers, server consolidation?
You get the idea there are many names for this.
Some of the many benefits are.
Cost savings
One physical server costs less then several physical servers.
It costs less to share a physical server with others……vs paying to rent an entire web server just for yourself.
Physical foot print – physical space
One physical server uses less physical space then several physical servers.
Efficiency:
One server uses less electricity then several servers.
One server does not generate as much heat as several servers.
What are the cons? are there any? One that comes to mind is hardware failure.
If the server physically shuts off whether it be a blown power supply of physical hard drive failure you can count on all the virtual servers shutting down because remember the virtual servers are running on the one physical server.
Before you choose whether or not CLOUD computing is right for you, your website or your office – environment consult with a professional network administrator – computer and network expert that has extensive real world experience with virtual servers AKA CLOUDS. A CLOUD or virtual server may or may not be beneficial to you. There are many technical and financial factors that go into deciding whether or not a virtual server will be beneficial to your business or organization.
We know of one local company located in Orlando Florida that has been specializing in CLOUD computing – virtual hosting since 2004.
Infinitum Technologies, Inc which offers turn key virtual web servers and custom designed CLOUD hosting systems, dedicated servers, server clusters and all kinds of custom server systems and configurations to suite a wide variety of needs from hosting websites, email, databases , remote backup solutions and much more. Infintium Technologies is really a pioneer in virtual hosting technology and custom virtualized server systems. There are a gazillion hosting companies out there that re-sell or market CLOUD hosting as the new hot technology to have when in fact this technology isn’t new and the only thing new about this technology is the name CLOUD computing.
We have provided professional support to Infintium Technologies when they expanded and setup another network in Orlando Florida. We were there day and night with owners Sean Faircloth and Richard Blundell and know first hand these guys specialize in CLOUD computing, know what they are doing and are serious about CLOUD computing.
What is CLOUD computing?
What is CLOUD computing?
What exactly is CLOUD computing? or CLOUD hosting?
Maybe you overheard someone mention CLOUD computing or CLOUD hosting and now you are curious?
Maybe somebody you know uses a CLOUD and now you want to know more about CLOUD Computing or CLOUD hosting? Whatever the reason may be you want to know more about this hot topic and we are going to discuss the facts and the myths about CLOUD computing – CLOUD hosting.
So what exactly is CLOUD computing? and how does it work?
Are there any benefits to CLOUD computing? or is it just a bunch of hype?
These are all good questions so lets get started.
The name ‘CLOUD” is just a nickname or slang for the internet.
CLOUD computing is another word for Virtual Server or Virtual Hosting or Virtual Private Server or Server Consolidation. As you can see this one technology has many different nick names.
Ok so what is a virtual server or virtual web hosting anyways?
First lets make sure you know what a server or web server / web hosting is.
A server is a special computer used to control a network, access control, store data – files, host email, host websites and many other services or roles. A web server or web hosting is a special computer usually stored in a data center which stores your website and must remain connected to the internet 24-7 in order for your website to be visible 24-7.
Most small businesses rent or lease web hosting and pay a monthly fee to host their website.
Years ago before CLOUD computing aka server virtualization came along one physical server would host 1 single website. So if you had 3 websites you would need to have 3 physical servers. Renting 3 web servers is not cheap especially for the small business owner.
Now if you have or had lets pretend and say 3 servers in your office for your business network.
And assuming each of your servers is doing something different such as server #1 is your office file server or primary domain controller and server #2 hosts your companies database and server #3 hosts something else for you.
So now you have a vague understanding of what a server does.
Remember this is a simple explanation of CLOUD computing and is not a technical how to guide.
Detailed information on how to design, configure, manage, etc virtual servers is a long and complex topic in itself.
Server virtualization allows you to combine several servers into one physical server.
So instead of having the 3 physical servers in your office you can have everything combined on 1 physical server using server virtualization technology. Imagine 1 physical server that has several operating systems running at the same time just as if they were different physical servers. You can reboot one virtual server without rebooting all the virtual servers running on the same physical server. This can also describes as server consolidation.
What are the benefits of CLOUD computing, CLOUD hosting, Virtual servers, server consolidation?
You get the idea there are many names for this.
Some of the many benefits are.
Cost savings
One physical server costs less then several physical servers.
It costs less to share a physical server with others……vs paying to rent an entire web server just for yourself.
Physical foot print – physical space
One physical server uses less physical space then several physical servers.
Efficiency:
One server uses less electricity then several servers.
One server does not generate as much heat as several servers.
What are the cons? are there any? One that comes to mind is hardware failure.
If the server physically shuts off whether it be a blown power supply of physical hard drive failure you can count on all the virtual servers shutting down because remember the virtual servers are running on the one physical server.
Before you choose whether or not CLOUD computing is right for you, your website or your office – environment consult with a professional network administrator – computer and network expert that has extensive real world experience with virtual servers AKA CLOUDS. A CLOUD or virtual server may or may not be beneficial to you. There are many technical and financial factors that go into deciding whether or not a virtual server will be beneficial to your business or organization.
We know of one local company located in Orlando Florida that has been specializing in CLOUD computing – virtual hosting since 2004.
Infinitum Technologies, Inc which offers turn key virtual web servers and custom designed CLOUD hosting systems, dedicated servers, server clusters and all kinds of custom server systems and configurations to suite a wide variety of needs from hosting websites, email, databases , remote backup solutions and much more. Infintium Technologies is really a pioneer in virtual hosting technology and custom virtualized server systems. There are a gazillion hosting companies out there that re-sell or market CLOUD hosting as the new hot technology to have when in fact this technology isn’t new and the only thing new about this technology is the name CLOUD computing.
We have provided professional support to Infintium Technologies when they expanded and setup another network in Orlando Florida. We were there day and night with owners Sean Faircloth and Richard Blundell and know first hand these guys specialize in CLOUD computing, know what they are doing and are serious about CLOUD computing.
What exactly is CLOUD computing? or CLOUD hosting?
Maybe you overheard someone mention CLOUD computing or CLOUD hosting and now you are curious?
Maybe somebody you know uses a CLOUD and now you want to know more about CLOUD Computing or CLOUD hosting? Whatever the reason may be you want to know more about this hot topic and we are going to discuss the facts and the myths about CLOUD computing – CLOUD hosting.
So what exactly is CLOUD computing? and how does it work?
Are there any benefits to CLOUD computing? or is it just a bunch of hype?
These are all good questions so lets get started.
The name ‘CLOUD” is just a nickname or slang for the internet.
CLOUD computing is another word for Virtual Server or Virtual Hosting or Virtual Private Server or Server Consolidation. As you can see this one technology has many different nick names.
Ok so what is a virtual server or virtual web hosting anyways?
First lets make sure you know what a server or web server / web hosting is.
A server is a special computer used to control a network, access control, store data – files, host email, host websites and many other services or roles. A web server or web hosting is a special computer usually stored in a data center which stores your website and must remain connected to the internet 24-7 in order for your website to be visible 24-7.
Most small businesses rent or lease web hosting and pay a monthly fee to host their website.
Years ago before CLOUD computing aka server virtualization came along one physical server would host 1 single website. So if you had 3 websites you would need to have 3 physical servers. Renting 3 web servers is not cheap especially for the small business owner.
Now if you have or had lets pretend and say 3 servers in your office for your business network.
And assuming each of your servers is doing something different such as server #1 is your office file server or primary domain controller and server #2 hosts your companies database and server #3 hosts something else for you.
So now you have a vague understanding of what a server does.
Remember this is a simple explanation of CLOUD computing and is not a technical how to guide.
Detailed information on how to design, configure, manage, etc virtual servers is a long and complex topic in itself.
Server virtualization allows you to combine several servers into one physical server.
So instead of having the 3 physical servers in your office you can have everything combined on 1 physical server using server virtualization technology. Imagine 1 physical server that has several operating systems running at the same time just as if they were different physical servers. You can reboot one virtual server without rebooting all the virtual servers running on the same physical server. This can also describes as server consolidation.
What are the benefits of CLOUD computing, CLOUD hosting, Virtual servers, server consolidation?
You get the idea there are many names for this.
Some of the many benefits are.
Cost savings
One physical server costs less then several physical servers.
It costs less to share a physical server with others……vs paying to rent an entire web server just for yourself.
Physical foot print – physical space
One physical server uses less physical space then several physical servers.
Efficiency:
One server uses less electricity then several servers.
One server does not generate as much heat as several servers.
What are the cons? are there any? One that comes to mind is hardware failure.
If the server physically shuts off whether it be a blown power supply of physical hard drive failure you can count on all the virtual servers shutting down because remember the virtual servers are running on the one physical server.
Before you choose whether or not CLOUD computing is right for you, your website or your office – environment consult with a professional network administrator – computer and network expert that has extensive real world experience with virtual servers AKA CLOUDS. A CLOUD or virtual server may or may not be beneficial to you. There are many technical and financial factors that go into deciding whether or not a virtual server will be beneficial to your business or organization.
We know of one local company located in Orlando Florida that has been specializing in CLOUD computing – virtual hosting since 2004.
Infinitum Technologies, Inc which offers turn key virtual web servers and custom designed CLOUD hosting systems, dedicated servers, server clusters and all kinds of custom server systems and configurations to suite a wide variety of needs from hosting websites, email, databases , remote backup solutions and much more. Infintium Technologies is really a pioneer in virtual hosting technology and custom virtualized server systems. There are a gazillion hosting companies out there that re-sell or market CLOUD hosting as the new hot technology to have when in fact this technology isn’t new and the only thing new about this technology is the name CLOUD computing.
We have provided professional support to Infintium Technologies when they expanded and setup another network in Orlando Florida. We were there day and night with owners Sean Faircloth and Richard Blundell and know first hand these guys specialize in CLOUD computing, know what they are doing and are serious about CLOUD computing.
September 10, 2010
Business groups question net neutrality rules
Business groups question net neutrality rules
Three trade groups representing U.S. businesses have called on the U.S. Federal Communications Commission to back away from plans to create formal network neutrality rules, saying new regulations could hurt innovation and development of broadband to rural areas.
Representatives of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) and the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) questioned the need for the FCC to pass new rules prohibiting broadband providers from selectively blocking Web traffic. New regulations could slow down investment that broadband providers make in their networks, said Jason Goldman, counsel for telecommunications and e-commerce at the Chamber.
Databasement Builds Portfolio of Service Offerings on NetApp Service-Oriented Infrastructure: Download now
"The broadband market is flourishing," Goldman said during a press conference. "Broadband service providers are investing tens of billions of dollars every year to upgrade their networks. Broadband-enabled devices and applications are being released daily."
Broadband is creating new jobs, he added. Instead of net neutrality rules, members of the FCC and Congress should focus on ways to encourage broadband deployment and investment and encourage broadband adoption, Goldman said.
Goldman suggested that Congress, which returns from a mid-year recess next week, should examine whether net neutrality rules are needed, instead of the FCC moving forward on a proposal agency Chairman Julius Genachowski made last year. Dozens of lawmakers have also called on the FCC to back off in favor of congressional action.
The FCC should defer action while compromise talks between companies in the broadband and Internet industries, going on since mid-year, continue, he added.
NAM is also concerned with broadband deployment, said Marc-Anthony Signorino, director of technology policy at the trade group. "Right now, there are thousands of manufacturers in rural or underserved areas who are waiting for broadband services," he said. "The faster we get it to them, the faster we can create jobs."
Net neutrality rules could force rural manufacturers to wait even longer for broadband service, he said.
Small manufacturers "love" broadband service, he said. "Broadband grows small businesses into big businesses," Signorino added.
Congress should "lay down the law" with the FCC by setting limits on net neutrality rules, and it can also encourage the agency to focus on programs that promote broadband deployment, he said.
The proposed FCC net neutrality rules could open the door to further regulations, he said. "The concern from manufacturers is that under a highly regulated Internet ... government regulators could determine what products could be offered or what prices could be charged, as opposed to the free market," he said.
Genachowski and most other supporters of formal net neutrality rules have not expressed interest in letting the FCC set broadband prices or approve Internet-based products. Some net neutrality critics, however, have raised concerns that net neutrality rules could lead to a prohibition on tiered pricing options, and earlier this month, Genachowski asked for a new round of comments about whether net neutrality rules should apply to managed services and mobile broadband.
Three trade groups representing U.S. businesses have called on the U.S. Federal Communications Commission to back away from plans to create formal network neutrality rules, saying new regulations could hurt innovation and development of broadband to rural areas.
Representatives of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) and the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) questioned the need for the FCC to pass new rules prohibiting broadband providers from selectively blocking Web traffic. New regulations could slow down investment that broadband providers make in their networks, said Jason Goldman, counsel for telecommunications and e-commerce at the Chamber.
Databasement Builds Portfolio of Service Offerings on NetApp Service-Oriented Infrastructure: Download now
"The broadband market is flourishing," Goldman said during a press conference. "Broadband service providers are investing tens of billions of dollars every year to upgrade their networks. Broadband-enabled devices and applications are being released daily."
Broadband is creating new jobs, he added. Instead of net neutrality rules, members of the FCC and Congress should focus on ways to encourage broadband deployment and investment and encourage broadband adoption, Goldman said.
Goldman suggested that Congress, which returns from a mid-year recess next week, should examine whether net neutrality rules are needed, instead of the FCC moving forward on a proposal agency Chairman Julius Genachowski made last year. Dozens of lawmakers have also called on the FCC to back off in favor of congressional action.
The FCC should defer action while compromise talks between companies in the broadband and Internet industries, going on since mid-year, continue, he added.
NAM is also concerned with broadband deployment, said Marc-Anthony Signorino, director of technology policy at the trade group. "Right now, there are thousands of manufacturers in rural or underserved areas who are waiting for broadband services," he said. "The faster we get it to them, the faster we can create jobs."
Net neutrality rules could force rural manufacturers to wait even longer for broadband service, he said.
Small manufacturers "love" broadband service, he said. "Broadband grows small businesses into big businesses," Signorino added.
Congress should "lay down the law" with the FCC by setting limits on net neutrality rules, and it can also encourage the agency to focus on programs that promote broadband deployment, he said.
The proposed FCC net neutrality rules could open the door to further regulations, he said. "The concern from manufacturers is that under a highly regulated Internet ... government regulators could determine what products could be offered or what prices could be charged, as opposed to the free market," he said.
Genachowski and most other supporters of formal net neutrality rules have not expressed interest in letting the FCC set broadband prices or approve Internet-based products. Some net neutrality critics, however, have raised concerns that net neutrality rules could lead to a prohibition on tiered pricing options, and earlier this month, Genachowski asked for a new round of comments about whether net neutrality rules should apply to managed services and mobile broadband.
Business groups question net neutrality rules
Business groups question net neutrality rules
Three trade groups representing U.S. businesses have called on the U.S. Federal Communications Commission to back away from plans to create formal network neutrality rules, saying new regulations could hurt innovation and development of broadband to rural areas.
Representatives of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) and the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) questioned the need for the FCC to pass new rules prohibiting broadband providers from selectively blocking Web traffic. New regulations could slow down investment that broadband providers make in their networks, said Jason Goldman, counsel for telecommunications and e-commerce at the Chamber.
Databasement Builds Portfolio of Service Offerings on NetApp Service-Oriented Infrastructure: Download now
"The broadband market is flourishing," Goldman said during a press conference. "Broadband service providers are investing tens of billions of dollars every year to upgrade their networks. Broadband-enabled devices and applications are being released daily."
Broadband is creating new jobs, he added. Instead of net neutrality rules, members of the FCC and Congress should focus on ways to encourage broadband deployment and investment and encourage broadband adoption, Goldman said.
Goldman suggested that Congress, which returns from a mid-year recess next week, should examine whether net neutrality rules are needed, instead of the FCC moving forward on a proposal agency Chairman Julius Genachowski made last year. Dozens of lawmakers have also called on the FCC to back off in favor of congressional action.
The FCC should defer action while compromise talks between companies in the broadband and Internet industries, going on since mid-year, continue, he added.
NAM is also concerned with broadband deployment, said Marc-Anthony Signorino, director of technology policy at the trade group. "Right now, there are thousands of manufacturers in rural or underserved areas who are waiting for broadband services," he said. "The faster we get it to them, the faster we can create jobs."
Net neutrality rules could force rural manufacturers to wait even longer for broadband service, he said.
Small manufacturers "love" broadband service, he said. "Broadband grows small businesses into big businesses," Signorino added.
Congress should "lay down the law" with the FCC by setting limits on net neutrality rules, and it can also encourage the agency to focus on programs that promote broadband deployment, he said.
The proposed FCC net neutrality rules could open the door to further regulations, he said. "The concern from manufacturers is that under a highly regulated Internet ... government regulators could determine what products could be offered or what prices could be charged, as opposed to the free market," he said.
Genachowski and most other supporters of formal net neutrality rules have not expressed interest in letting the FCC set broadband prices or approve Internet-based products. Some net neutrality critics, however, have raised concerns that net neutrality rules could lead to a prohibition on tiered pricing options, and earlier this month, Genachowski asked for a new round of comments about whether net neutrality rules should apply to managed services and mobile broadband.
Three trade groups representing U.S. businesses have called on the U.S. Federal Communications Commission to back away from plans to create formal network neutrality rules, saying new regulations could hurt innovation and development of broadband to rural areas.
Representatives of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) and the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) questioned the need for the FCC to pass new rules prohibiting broadband providers from selectively blocking Web traffic. New regulations could slow down investment that broadband providers make in their networks, said Jason Goldman, counsel for telecommunications and e-commerce at the Chamber.
Databasement Builds Portfolio of Service Offerings on NetApp Service-Oriented Infrastructure: Download now
"The broadband market is flourishing," Goldman said during a press conference. "Broadband service providers are investing tens of billions of dollars every year to upgrade their networks. Broadband-enabled devices and applications are being released daily."
Broadband is creating new jobs, he added. Instead of net neutrality rules, members of the FCC and Congress should focus on ways to encourage broadband deployment and investment and encourage broadband adoption, Goldman said.
Goldman suggested that Congress, which returns from a mid-year recess next week, should examine whether net neutrality rules are needed, instead of the FCC moving forward on a proposal agency Chairman Julius Genachowski made last year. Dozens of lawmakers have also called on the FCC to back off in favor of congressional action.
The FCC should defer action while compromise talks between companies in the broadband and Internet industries, going on since mid-year, continue, he added.
NAM is also concerned with broadband deployment, said Marc-Anthony Signorino, director of technology policy at the trade group. "Right now, there are thousands of manufacturers in rural or underserved areas who are waiting for broadband services," he said. "The faster we get it to them, the faster we can create jobs."
Net neutrality rules could force rural manufacturers to wait even longer for broadband service, he said.
Small manufacturers "love" broadband service, he said. "Broadband grows small businesses into big businesses," Signorino added.
Congress should "lay down the law" with the FCC by setting limits on net neutrality rules, and it can also encourage the agency to focus on programs that promote broadband deployment, he said.
The proposed FCC net neutrality rules could open the door to further regulations, he said. "The concern from manufacturers is that under a highly regulated Internet ... government regulators could determine what products could be offered or what prices could be charged, as opposed to the free market," he said.
Genachowski and most other supporters of formal net neutrality rules have not expressed interest in letting the FCC set broadband prices or approve Internet-based products. Some net neutrality critics, however, have raised concerns that net neutrality rules could lead to a prohibition on tiered pricing options, and earlier this month, Genachowski asked for a new round of comments about whether net neutrality rules should apply to managed services and mobile broadband.
September 8, 2010
Microsoft pulls a "Facebook" by exposing Windows Live users' names
Microsoft pulls a "Facebook" by exposing Windows Live users' names
Users remain outraged that changes in the privacy settings for Windows Live made in June have exposed their names and other data, with no fix in sight. Microsoft also managed to anger users of its free online services by merging friend lists from previously separate online services and by deleting data that didn't comply with revised versions of the tools.
I have to point out, it's not the fact that a relatively small number of users are vocally complaining across more than a half-dozen help forum strings that caused me to write about this. It's the fact that Microsoft pulled a "Facebook" and exposed users names and other info that was previously not visible to anyone. To be honest, I can't explain the situation any better than "Menthix" who wrote this complaint on the Windows Live Solution help forum today about it:
When I visit http://profile.live.com/details/edit/name and try to save my name without entering a last name it will say: "Please enter your last name - don't worry, you choose who gets to see it".
http://rnd.menthix.net/mpl_screens/messenger-2010-beta-please-enter-your...
This is not true (anymore)! It used to be the case in the past when there was also a checkbox whether you wanted to display your last name to the public or not. But since the "simplified" privacy settings this isn't possible anymore. As soon as someone fills in their last name it will be visible to the entire world.
On the same page there is also a http://cid-b0b41d1b6d60f22e.profile.live.com/Privacy/Advanced "Change who can see your name" link which leads to http://profile.live.com/Privacy/Advanced. I have tried everything, but the only thing which gives some kind of control over my name is "Who can find me and see my profile" which can only be set to "Friends", "My friends and their friends" or "Everyone (public)". But this really doesn't give me the control over who can see my last name, it just hides or shows my entire profile completely. And even if I set my profile to only be visible to my friends, I still have no choice at all over which of my friends (or Messenger contacts) can see my last name (if I want any of them to see it in the first place).
* Claiming users have control over who gets to see their last name is misleading and incorrect.
* Why are you forcing users to enter their last name in the first place, why not just make this field optional and make everybody happy?
What's the solution? There really isn't one, if you want to continue to IM friends and co-workers with Microsoft's instant messenger. Microsoft has combined the "friends" list in your profile page with your list of users in your Messenger friends, much the way Facebook includes a chat tool. Facebook, however, after its privacy firestorm, changed its settings so that you can limit your IM visibility to specific people.
According to Microsoft:
"With the latest release of Windows Live, there is no longer a distinction between Messenger buddies and profile friends. If you remove them as Friends, it will also remove them from being a Messenger buddy and you will no longer be able to send instant messengers to them. You can still choose to hide all your friends from appearing on your profile, but there is not a way to do this on a per-friend basis."
But wait, there's more to upset users. The public beta of "Wave 4" of Windows Live Essentials was made available this week, prompting reader George Heindel, of
Custom Computers and Technology, to check them out and tip me off to this story. (Thanks, George! If other readers have tips, please e-mail me, jbort@nww.com).
Windows Live Essentials (WLE) is a collection of some really decent online tools that offer an alternative to some of the more popular versions by Google and other online services. Difference is, with WLE, there's a client version (requiring Vista or later) so you run local instances. Reviewers generally like the tools and applauded the added features in Wave 4. These include a photo gallery for editing/sharing photos, movie maker, Family Safety settings tool, as well as the Writer blogging platform, Messenger instant messenger, and Hotmail e-mail. (There are a variety of other freebie programs under the Windows Live umbrella -- an Outlook connector, etc.)
WLE is not to be confused with Windows Live. In addition to the WLE tools, Windows Live includes a bunch of other online-only services, such as SkyDrive, free cloud storage, synch tools for synching files between different devices and so on. One of the tools in Windows Live is Windows Live Space, a free Web page where you can post your blog (written with or without the WLE blog tool, Writer), your photos, your movies, etc. Live Space was created during the days MySpace was the rage. At the time, you could make it public or limit it to be visible only to friends.
When Microsoft pushed out its next version of Windows Live in June, it affected Live Space users. In addition to the bit about the profile telling the world your last name, Live Users discovered that some of the stuff on their Web pages (gadgets) were altered. This includes any HTML comments in the guest book because the guest book no longer supports HTML.
A user named "Live User 100" in June noted a list of infuriating changes, especially, "If you allow any level of access to your profile, then your profile will now be searchable in Windows Live." He later wrote,
"The fact is WL had the best security as far as user control. The problem was never the granularity of WL Wave3 security, it was how it was implemented. Yes it was complicated for many so the correct solution in Wave4 would have been to provide a simpler security method such as your sliders AND to allow advanced security that worked like Wave3 for those technically proficient. Instead you "fixed" the problem by dumbing down all security and breaking many of your customer's security design. The problem is you are so far behind your competitors that your security now works like Facebooks USED to work. They have been enabling more security like WL had in Wave3 and you have disable those same capabilities now in Wave4... so once again you are behind the pack."
To its credit, the Windows Live Solution Center team has tried to show that the new privacy settings are actually more granular than the old ones, but because the the issues I've described, users aren't buying it.
Heindel, a security consultant, added his two cents to the conversation. He wrote on the forum.
"Having been with Windows Live services since the beta days and seen all the shortcomings of the WLTeam in design, tie in to services, and security which has been mentioned above numerous times I have questions as well. ...
Is it not time to quit fiddling with the system every so many months so as to confuse users? Why has Microsoft not learned from the failings of their partner (with an investment) Facebook concerning security?"
I might as well throw this bit of information in too: Wave 4 introduced some bugs in Hotmail. For some users, simply being logged into Messenger while trying to access their Hotmail accounts causes Hotmail to slow to a crawl. And those using something called "High Contrast display mode in Windows" may not be able to send mail at all (as if the average Hotmail user would know what that is). Microsoft is working on fixes.
Users remain outraged that changes in the privacy settings for Windows Live made in June have exposed their names and other data, with no fix in sight. Microsoft also managed to anger users of its free online services by merging friend lists from previously separate online services and by deleting data that didn't comply with revised versions of the tools.
I have to point out, it's not the fact that a relatively small number of users are vocally complaining across more than a half-dozen help forum strings that caused me to write about this. It's the fact that Microsoft pulled a "Facebook" and exposed users names and other info that was previously not visible to anyone. To be honest, I can't explain the situation any better than "Menthix" who wrote this complaint on the Windows Live Solution help forum today about it:
When I visit http://profile.live.com/details/edit/name and try to save my name without entering a last name it will say: "Please enter your last name - don't worry, you choose who gets to see it".
http://rnd.menthix.net/mpl_screens/messenger-2010-beta-please-enter-your...
This is not true (anymore)! It used to be the case in the past when there was also a checkbox whether you wanted to display your last name to the public or not. But since the "simplified" privacy settings this isn't possible anymore. As soon as someone fills in their last name it will be visible to the entire world.
On the same page there is also a http://cid-b0b41d1b6d60f22e.profile.live.com/Privacy/Advanced "Change who can see your name" link which leads to http://profile.live.com/Privacy/Advanced. I have tried everything, but the only thing which gives some kind of control over my name is "Who can find me and see my profile" which can only be set to "Friends", "My friends and their friends" or "Everyone (public)". But this really doesn't give me the control over who can see my last name, it just hides or shows my entire profile completely. And even if I set my profile to only be visible to my friends, I still have no choice at all over which of my friends (or Messenger contacts) can see my last name (if I want any of them to see it in the first place).
* Claiming users have control over who gets to see their last name is misleading and incorrect.
* Why are you forcing users to enter their last name in the first place, why not just make this field optional and make everybody happy?
What's the solution? There really isn't one, if you want to continue to IM friends and co-workers with Microsoft's instant messenger. Microsoft has combined the "friends" list in your profile page with your list of users in your Messenger friends, much the way Facebook includes a chat tool. Facebook, however, after its privacy firestorm, changed its settings so that you can limit your IM visibility to specific people.
According to Microsoft:
"With the latest release of Windows Live, there is no longer a distinction between Messenger buddies and profile friends. If you remove them as Friends, it will also remove them from being a Messenger buddy and you will no longer be able to send instant messengers to them. You can still choose to hide all your friends from appearing on your profile, but there is not a way to do this on a per-friend basis."
But wait, there's more to upset users. The public beta of "Wave 4" of Windows Live Essentials was made available this week, prompting reader George Heindel, of
Custom Computers and Technology, to check them out and tip me off to this story. (Thanks, George! If other readers have tips, please e-mail me, jbort@nww.com).
Windows Live Essentials (WLE) is a collection of some really decent online tools that offer an alternative to some of the more popular versions by Google and other online services. Difference is, with WLE, there's a client version (requiring Vista or later) so you run local instances. Reviewers generally like the tools and applauded the added features in Wave 4. These include a photo gallery for editing/sharing photos, movie maker, Family Safety settings tool, as well as the Writer blogging platform, Messenger instant messenger, and Hotmail e-mail. (There are a variety of other freebie programs under the Windows Live umbrella -- an Outlook connector, etc.)
WLE is not to be confused with Windows Live. In addition to the WLE tools, Windows Live includes a bunch of other online-only services, such as SkyDrive, free cloud storage, synch tools for synching files between different devices and so on. One of the tools in Windows Live is Windows Live Space, a free Web page where you can post your blog (written with or without the WLE blog tool, Writer), your photos, your movies, etc. Live Space was created during the days MySpace was the rage. At the time, you could make it public or limit it to be visible only to friends.
When Microsoft pushed out its next version of Windows Live in June, it affected Live Space users. In addition to the bit about the profile telling the world your last name, Live Users discovered that some of the stuff on their Web pages (gadgets) were altered. This includes any HTML comments in the guest book because the guest book no longer supports HTML.
A user named "Live User 100" in June noted a list of infuriating changes, especially, "If you allow any level of access to your profile, then your profile will now be searchable in Windows Live." He later wrote,
"The fact is WL had the best security as far as user control. The problem was never the granularity of WL Wave3 security, it was how it was implemented. Yes it was complicated for many so the correct solution in Wave4 would have been to provide a simpler security method such as your sliders AND to allow advanced security that worked like Wave3 for those technically proficient. Instead you "fixed" the problem by dumbing down all security and breaking many of your customer's security design. The problem is you are so far behind your competitors that your security now works like Facebooks USED to work. They have been enabling more security like WL had in Wave3 and you have disable those same capabilities now in Wave4... so once again you are behind the pack."
To its credit, the Windows Live Solution Center team has tried to show that the new privacy settings are actually more granular than the old ones, but because the the issues I've described, users aren't buying it.
Heindel, a security consultant, added his two cents to the conversation. He wrote on the forum.
"Having been with Windows Live services since the beta days and seen all the shortcomings of the WLTeam in design, tie in to services, and security which has been mentioned above numerous times I have questions as well. ...
Is it not time to quit fiddling with the system every so many months so as to confuse users? Why has Microsoft not learned from the failings of their partner (with an investment) Facebook concerning security?"
I might as well throw this bit of information in too: Wave 4 introduced some bugs in Hotmail. For some users, simply being logged into Messenger while trying to access their Hotmail accounts causes Hotmail to slow to a crawl. And those using something called "High Contrast display mode in Windows" may not be able to send mail at all (as if the average Hotmail user would know what that is). Microsoft is working on fixes.
Microsoft pulls a "Facebook" by exposing Windows Live users' names
Microsoft pulls a "Facebook" by exposing Windows Live users' names
Users remain outraged that changes in the privacy settings for Windows Live made in June have exposed their names and other data, with no fix in sight. Microsoft also managed to anger users of its free online services by merging friend lists from previously separate online services and by deleting data that didn't comply with revised versions of the tools.
I have to point out, it's not the fact that a relatively small number of users are vocally complaining across more than a half-dozen help forum strings that caused me to write about this. It's the fact that Microsoft pulled a "Facebook" and exposed users names and other info that was previously not visible to anyone. To be honest, I can't explain the situation any better than "Menthix" who wrote this complaint on the Windows Live Solution help forum today about it:
When I visit http://profile.live.com/details/edit/name and try to save my name without entering a last name it will say: "Please enter your last name - don't worry, you choose who gets to see it".
http://rnd.menthix.net/mpl_screens/messenger-2010-beta-please-enter-your...
This is not true (anymore)! It used to be the case in the past when there was also a checkbox whether you wanted to display your last name to the public or not. But since the "simplified" privacy settings this isn't possible anymore. As soon as someone fills in their last name it will be visible to the entire world.
On the same page there is also a http://cid-b0b41d1b6d60f22e.profile.live.com/Privacy/Advanced "Change who can see your name" link which leads to http://profile.live.com/Privacy/Advanced. I have tried everything, but the only thing which gives some kind of control over my name is "Who can find me and see my profile" which can only be set to "Friends", "My friends and their friends" or "Everyone (public)". But this really doesn't give me the control over who can see my last name, it just hides or shows my entire profile completely. And even if I set my profile to only be visible to my friends, I still have no choice at all over which of my friends (or Messenger contacts) can see my last name (if I want any of them to see it in the first place).
* Claiming users have control over who gets to see their last name is misleading and incorrect.
* Why are you forcing users to enter their last name in the first place, why not just make this field optional and make everybody happy?
What's the solution? There really isn't one, if you want to continue to IM friends and co-workers with Microsoft's instant messenger. Microsoft has combined the "friends" list in your profile page with your list of users in your Messenger friends, much the way Facebook includes a chat tool. Facebook, however, after its privacy firestorm, changed its settings so that you can limit your IM visibility to specific people.
According to Microsoft:
"With the latest release of Windows Live, there is no longer a distinction between Messenger buddies and profile friends. If you remove them as Friends, it will also remove them from being a Messenger buddy and you will no longer be able to send instant messengers to them. You can still choose to hide all your friends from appearing on your profile, but there is not a way to do this on a per-friend basis."
But wait, there's more to upset users. The public beta of "Wave 4" of Windows Live Essentials was made available this week, prompting reader George Heindel, of
Custom Computers and Technology, to check them out and tip me off to this story. (Thanks, George! If other readers have tips, please e-mail me, jbort@nww.com).
Windows Live Essentials (WLE) is a collection of some really decent online tools that offer an alternative to some of the more popular versions by Google and other online services. Difference is, with WLE, there's a client version (requiring Vista or later) so you run local instances. Reviewers generally like the tools and applauded the added features in Wave 4. These include a photo gallery for editing/sharing photos, movie maker, Family Safety settings tool, as well as the Writer blogging platform, Messenger instant messenger, and Hotmail e-mail. (There are a variety of other freebie programs under the Windows Live umbrella -- an Outlook connector, etc.)
WLE is not to be confused with Windows Live. In addition to the WLE tools, Windows Live includes a bunch of other online-only services, such as SkyDrive, free cloud storage, synch tools for synching files between different devices and so on. One of the tools in Windows Live is Windows Live Space, a free Web page where you can post your blog (written with or without the WLE blog tool, Writer), your photos, your movies, etc. Live Space was created during the days MySpace was the rage. At the time, you could make it public or limit it to be visible only to friends.
When Microsoft pushed out its next version of Windows Live in June, it affected Live Space users. In addition to the bit about the profile telling the world your last name, Live Users discovered that some of the stuff on their Web pages (gadgets) were altered. This includes any HTML comments in the guest book because the guest book no longer supports HTML.
A user named "Live User 100" in June noted a list of infuriating changes, especially, "If you allow any level of access to your profile, then your profile will now be searchable in Windows Live." He later wrote,
"The fact is WL had the best security as far as user control. The problem was never the granularity of WL Wave3 security, it was how it was implemented. Yes it was complicated for many so the correct solution in Wave4 would have been to provide a simpler security method such as your sliders AND to allow advanced security that worked like Wave3 for those technically proficient. Instead you "fixed" the problem by dumbing down all security and breaking many of your customer's security design. The problem is you are so far behind your competitors that your security now works like Facebooks USED to work. They have been enabling more security like WL had in Wave3 and you have disable those same capabilities now in Wave4... so once again you are behind the pack."
To its credit, the Windows Live Solution Center team has tried to show that the new privacy settings are actually more granular than the old ones, but because the the issues I've described, users aren't buying it.
Heindel, a security consultant, added his two cents to the conversation. He wrote on the forum.
"Having been with Windows Live services since the beta days and seen all the shortcomings of the WLTeam in design, tie in to services, and security which has been mentioned above numerous times I have questions as well. ...
Is it not time to quit fiddling with the system every so many months so as to confuse users? Why has Microsoft not learned from the failings of their partner (with an investment) Facebook concerning security?"
I might as well throw this bit of information in too: Wave 4 introduced some bugs in Hotmail. For some users, simply being logged into Messenger while trying to access their Hotmail accounts causes Hotmail to slow to a crawl. And those using something called "High Contrast display mode in Windows" may not be able to send mail at all (as if the average Hotmail user would know what that is). Microsoft is working on fixes.
Users remain outraged that changes in the privacy settings for Windows Live made in June have exposed their names and other data, with no fix in sight. Microsoft also managed to anger users of its free online services by merging friend lists from previously separate online services and by deleting data that didn't comply with revised versions of the tools.
I have to point out, it's not the fact that a relatively small number of users are vocally complaining across more than a half-dozen help forum strings that caused me to write about this. It's the fact that Microsoft pulled a "Facebook" and exposed users names and other info that was previously not visible to anyone. To be honest, I can't explain the situation any better than "Menthix" who wrote this complaint on the Windows Live Solution help forum today about it:
When I visit http://profile.live.com/details/edit/name and try to save my name without entering a last name it will say: "Please enter your last name - don't worry, you choose who gets to see it".
http://rnd.menthix.net/mpl_screens/messenger-2010-beta-please-enter-your...
This is not true (anymore)! It used to be the case in the past when there was also a checkbox whether you wanted to display your last name to the public or not. But since the "simplified" privacy settings this isn't possible anymore. As soon as someone fills in their last name it will be visible to the entire world.
On the same page there is also a http://cid-b0b41d1b6d60f22e.profile.live.com/Privacy/Advanced "Change who can see your name" link which leads to http://profile.live.com/Privacy/Advanced. I have tried everything, but the only thing which gives some kind of control over my name is "Who can find me and see my profile" which can only be set to "Friends", "My friends and their friends" or "Everyone (public)". But this really doesn't give me the control over who can see my last name, it just hides or shows my entire profile completely. And even if I set my profile to only be visible to my friends, I still have no choice at all over which of my friends (or Messenger contacts) can see my last name (if I want any of them to see it in the first place).
* Claiming users have control over who gets to see their last name is misleading and incorrect.
* Why are you forcing users to enter their last name in the first place, why not just make this field optional and make everybody happy?
What's the solution? There really isn't one, if you want to continue to IM friends and co-workers with Microsoft's instant messenger. Microsoft has combined the "friends" list in your profile page with your list of users in your Messenger friends, much the way Facebook includes a chat tool. Facebook, however, after its privacy firestorm, changed its settings so that you can limit your IM visibility to specific people.
According to Microsoft:
"With the latest release of Windows Live, there is no longer a distinction between Messenger buddies and profile friends. If you remove them as Friends, it will also remove them from being a Messenger buddy and you will no longer be able to send instant messengers to them. You can still choose to hide all your friends from appearing on your profile, but there is not a way to do this on a per-friend basis."
But wait, there's more to upset users. The public beta of "Wave 4" of Windows Live Essentials was made available this week, prompting reader George Heindel, of
Custom Computers and Technology, to check them out and tip me off to this story. (Thanks, George! If other readers have tips, please e-mail me, jbort@nww.com).
Windows Live Essentials (WLE) is a collection of some really decent online tools that offer an alternative to some of the more popular versions by Google and other online services. Difference is, with WLE, there's a client version (requiring Vista or later) so you run local instances. Reviewers generally like the tools and applauded the added features in Wave 4. These include a photo gallery for editing/sharing photos, movie maker, Family Safety settings tool, as well as the Writer blogging platform, Messenger instant messenger, and Hotmail e-mail. (There are a variety of other freebie programs under the Windows Live umbrella -- an Outlook connector, etc.)
WLE is not to be confused with Windows Live. In addition to the WLE tools, Windows Live includes a bunch of other online-only services, such as SkyDrive, free cloud storage, synch tools for synching files between different devices and so on. One of the tools in Windows Live is Windows Live Space, a free Web page where you can post your blog (written with or without the WLE blog tool, Writer), your photos, your movies, etc. Live Space was created during the days MySpace was the rage. At the time, you could make it public or limit it to be visible only to friends.
When Microsoft pushed out its next version of Windows Live in June, it affected Live Space users. In addition to the bit about the profile telling the world your last name, Live Users discovered that some of the stuff on their Web pages (gadgets) were altered. This includes any HTML comments in the guest book because the guest book no longer supports HTML.
A user named "Live User 100" in June noted a list of infuriating changes, especially, "If you allow any level of access to your profile, then your profile will now be searchable in Windows Live." He later wrote,
"The fact is WL had the best security as far as user control. The problem was never the granularity of WL Wave3 security, it was how it was implemented. Yes it was complicated for many so the correct solution in Wave4 would have been to provide a simpler security method such as your sliders AND to allow advanced security that worked like Wave3 for those technically proficient. Instead you "fixed" the problem by dumbing down all security and breaking many of your customer's security design. The problem is you are so far behind your competitors that your security now works like Facebooks USED to work. They have been enabling more security like WL had in Wave3 and you have disable those same capabilities now in Wave4... so once again you are behind the pack."
To its credit, the Windows Live Solution Center team has tried to show that the new privacy settings are actually more granular than the old ones, but because the the issues I've described, users aren't buying it.
Heindel, a security consultant, added his two cents to the conversation. He wrote on the forum.
"Having been with Windows Live services since the beta days and seen all the shortcomings of the WLTeam in design, tie in to services, and security which has been mentioned above numerous times I have questions as well. ...
Is it not time to quit fiddling with the system every so many months so as to confuse users? Why has Microsoft not learned from the failings of their partner (with an investment) Facebook concerning security?"
I might as well throw this bit of information in too: Wave 4 introduced some bugs in Hotmail. For some users, simply being logged into Messenger while trying to access their Hotmail accounts causes Hotmail to slow to a crawl. And those using something called "High Contrast display mode in Windows" may not be able to send mail at all (as if the average Hotmail user would know what that is). Microsoft is working on fixes.
September 4, 2010
Thoughts On Microsoft MCTS Training Insights
Thoughts On Microsoft MCTS Training Insights
As your research has brought you here it’s possible that you’d like to enter the world of computers and the MCTS Training has reared its head, or you’re already a professional and you know that you need the MCITP certification.
Be sure you check that your provider is definitely teaching with the latest level of Microsoft development. Many trainees have come unstuck when they discover they’ve been educated in an outdated version which now needs updating. A computer training organisation’s attention should primarily be on the best thing for their clients, and everyone involved should have a passion for what they do. Career study isn’t just about passing exams – the process should be all about helping you work out the best action plan for your future.
The way a programme is physically sent to you isn’t always given the appropriate level of importance. How many stages do they break the program into? What is the specific order and at what speed is it delivered? Delivery by courier of each element one piece at a time, taking into account your exam passes is the normal way of receiving your courseware. This sounds sensible, but you must understand the following: Maybe the order of study offered by the provider doesn’t suit. You may find it a stretch to finalise every element inside their defined time-scales?
Ideally, you’d get ALL the training materials right at the beginning – meaning you’ll have all of them for the future to come back to - as and when you want. Variations can then be made to the order that you move through the program where a more intuitive path can be found.
Wouldn’t it be great to know for sure that our jobs will always be secure and our work futures are protected, but the growing likelihood for most sectors throughout England at the moment is that there is no security anymore. Wherever we find rising skills shortages coupled with growing demand though, we always find a newly emerging type of security in the marketplace; driven by the constant growth conditions, organisations are struggling to hire enough staff.
The IT skills-gap throughout the UK currently stands at approximately twenty six percent, as noted by a recent e-Skills investigation. It follows then that for each 4 job positions that exist across computing, organisations can only source certified professionals for 3 of the 4. This fundamental reality clearly demonstrates an urgent requirement for more properly trained computing professionals across Great Britain. With the market growing at the speed it is, is there any other sector worth looking at for retraining.
A sneaky way that colleges make extra profits is by adding exam fees upfront to the cost of a course and then including an ‘Exam Guarantee’. It looks like a good deal, until you think it through:
It’s very clear we’re still paying for it – obviously it has been added into the full cost of the package supplied by the training company. It’s absolutely not free (although some people will believe anything the marketing companies think up these days!) Qualifying on the first ‘go’ is what everyone wants to do. Going for exams when it’s appropriate and funding them as you go has a marked effect on pass-rates – you prepare appropriately and think carefully about the costs.
Don’t pay up-front, but seek out the best deal for you when you take the exam, and save having to find the money early. You’ll also be able to choose where to sit the exam – so you can find somewhere local. Big margins are made by many companies that get money upfront for exam fees. For various reasons, many students don’t take their exams but the company keeps the money. Believe it or not, there are training companies who actually rely on students not sitting all the exams – as that’s how they make a lot of their profit. Don’t forget, in the majority of cases of ‘exam guarantees’ – they control when and how often you can do your re-takes. You will have to demonstrate an excellent pass-rate before they’ll approve a re-take.
Paying maybe a thousand pounds extra on an ‘Exam Guarantee’ is foolish – when a commitment to studying and the use of authorised exam preparation tools is actually the key to your success.
Accredited exam preparation packages are crucial – and should definitely be offered by your training provider. Confirm that the exams you practice haven’t just got questions on the right subjects, but additionally ask them in the exact format that the real exams will formulate them. It completely unsettles students if they’re met with completely different formats and phraseologies. ‘Mock’ or practice exams can be very useful as a resource to you – so that when you come to take the proper exam, you will be much more relaxed.
As your research has brought you here it’s possible that you’d like to enter the world of computers and the MCTS Training has reared its head, or you’re already a professional and you know that you need the MCITP certification.
Be sure you check that your provider is definitely teaching with the latest level of Microsoft development. Many trainees have come unstuck when they discover they’ve been educated in an outdated version which now needs updating. A computer training organisation’s attention should primarily be on the best thing for their clients, and everyone involved should have a passion for what they do. Career study isn’t just about passing exams – the process should be all about helping you work out the best action plan for your future.
The way a programme is physically sent to you isn’t always given the appropriate level of importance. How many stages do they break the program into? What is the specific order and at what speed is it delivered? Delivery by courier of each element one piece at a time, taking into account your exam passes is the normal way of receiving your courseware. This sounds sensible, but you must understand the following: Maybe the order of study offered by the provider doesn’t suit. You may find it a stretch to finalise every element inside their defined time-scales?
Ideally, you’d get ALL the training materials right at the beginning – meaning you’ll have all of them for the future to come back to - as and when you want. Variations can then be made to the order that you move through the program where a more intuitive path can be found.
Wouldn’t it be great to know for sure that our jobs will always be secure and our work futures are protected, but the growing likelihood for most sectors throughout England at the moment is that there is no security anymore. Wherever we find rising skills shortages coupled with growing demand though, we always find a newly emerging type of security in the marketplace; driven by the constant growth conditions, organisations are struggling to hire enough staff.
The IT skills-gap throughout the UK currently stands at approximately twenty six percent, as noted by a recent e-Skills investigation. It follows then that for each 4 job positions that exist across computing, organisations can only source certified professionals for 3 of the 4. This fundamental reality clearly demonstrates an urgent requirement for more properly trained computing professionals across Great Britain. With the market growing at the speed it is, is there any other sector worth looking at for retraining.
A sneaky way that colleges make extra profits is by adding exam fees upfront to the cost of a course and then including an ‘Exam Guarantee’. It looks like a good deal, until you think it through:
It’s very clear we’re still paying for it – obviously it has been added into the full cost of the package supplied by the training company. It’s absolutely not free (although some people will believe anything the marketing companies think up these days!) Qualifying on the first ‘go’ is what everyone wants to do. Going for exams when it’s appropriate and funding them as you go has a marked effect on pass-rates – you prepare appropriately and think carefully about the costs.
Don’t pay up-front, but seek out the best deal for you when you take the exam, and save having to find the money early. You’ll also be able to choose where to sit the exam – so you can find somewhere local. Big margins are made by many companies that get money upfront for exam fees. For various reasons, many students don’t take their exams but the company keeps the money. Believe it or not, there are training companies who actually rely on students not sitting all the exams – as that’s how they make a lot of their profit. Don’t forget, in the majority of cases of ‘exam guarantees’ – they control when and how often you can do your re-takes. You will have to demonstrate an excellent pass-rate before they’ll approve a re-take.
Paying maybe a thousand pounds extra on an ‘Exam Guarantee’ is foolish – when a commitment to studying and the use of authorised exam preparation tools is actually the key to your success.
Accredited exam preparation packages are crucial – and should definitely be offered by your training provider. Confirm that the exams you practice haven’t just got questions on the right subjects, but additionally ask them in the exact format that the real exams will formulate them. It completely unsettles students if they’re met with completely different formats and phraseologies. ‘Mock’ or practice exams can be very useful as a resource to you – so that when you come to take the proper exam, you will be much more relaxed.
September 1, 2010
Microsoft's private cloud release all about composite applications
Microsoft's private cloud release all about composite applications
Microsoft's Thursday detailed two key pieces of its strategy for helping developers build applications for the Web and private cloud networks, with a heavy focus on using existing components to build composite applications and services.
Microsoft unveiled the Windows Server AppFabric release candidate, saying final availability will occur in June, while also announcing the first public beta for BizTalk Server 2010, which will be released to manufacturing in the third quarter of 2010.
Microsoft counters Gmail with Hotmail overhaul
Microsoft described its application infrastructure technology during a webcast in which the company stressed the benefits of bringing cloud-like capabilities to existing IT resources behind the firewall. But the approach also seems reminiscent of service-oriented architecture, a buzz-phrase that has fallen out of favor in an IT industry now obsessed with cloud computing.
In addition to building composite applications, one of the major goals of service-oriented architecture, Microsoft said AppFabric and BizTalk Server will allow composite apps to span from the enterprise to public cloud services, such as Windows Azure.
"What the composite application represents is a model where you will be able to take your existing IT assets, whether it's LOB (line of business) systems, or traditional packaged applications, and seamlessly stitch them together into a model that builds a set of distributed applications that seamlessly span your enterprise, as well as connect up to the broader Internet," said Abhay Parasnis, general manager of Microsoft's application server group.
Building composite applications will help ensure portability of applications, so developers won't be forced to rewrite applications to make them work in new cloud networks, he said.
For Web applications, AppFabric will perform caching, allowing high-speed access to and availability of application data, and will help developers build and manage services for composite apps, Microsoft says. AppFabric will be free to customers who have paid for Windows Server 2008 licenses.
BizTalk Server 2010, meanwhile, works with Windows Server AppFabric to enable developers "to more rapidly build composite applications that connect to disparate line-of-business systems through BizTalk Adapters and BizTalk Transformations from within .NET development environments," according to Microsoft. "This release also delivers simplified trading partner management tools, an enhanced BizTalk mapper that simplifies complex transactions, and a unified dashboard for backup and restore functions."
Microsoft's Thursday detailed two key pieces of its strategy for helping developers build applications for the Web and private cloud networks, with a heavy focus on using existing components to build composite applications and services.
Microsoft unveiled the Windows Server AppFabric release candidate, saying final availability will occur in June, while also announcing the first public beta for BizTalk Server 2010, which will be released to manufacturing in the third quarter of 2010.
Microsoft counters Gmail with Hotmail overhaul
Microsoft described its application infrastructure technology during a webcast in which the company stressed the benefits of bringing cloud-like capabilities to existing IT resources behind the firewall. But the approach also seems reminiscent of service-oriented architecture, a buzz-phrase that has fallen out of favor in an IT industry now obsessed with cloud computing.
In addition to building composite applications, one of the major goals of service-oriented architecture, Microsoft said AppFabric and BizTalk Server will allow composite apps to span from the enterprise to public cloud services, such as Windows Azure.
"What the composite application represents is a model where you will be able to take your existing IT assets, whether it's LOB (line of business) systems, or traditional packaged applications, and seamlessly stitch them together into a model that builds a set of distributed applications that seamlessly span your enterprise, as well as connect up to the broader Internet," said Abhay Parasnis, general manager of Microsoft's application server group.
Building composite applications will help ensure portability of applications, so developers won't be forced to rewrite applications to make them work in new cloud networks, he said.
For Web applications, AppFabric will perform caching, allowing high-speed access to and availability of application data, and will help developers build and manage services for composite apps, Microsoft says. AppFabric will be free to customers who have paid for Windows Server 2008 licenses.
BizTalk Server 2010, meanwhile, works with Windows Server AppFabric to enable developers "to more rapidly build composite applications that connect to disparate line-of-business systems through BizTalk Adapters and BizTalk Transformations from within .NET development environments," according to Microsoft. "This release also delivers simplified trading partner management tools, an enhanced BizTalk mapper that simplifies complex transactions, and a unified dashboard for backup and restore functions."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
