Category Technology

Wow! New Version of TweetDeck! Lots of new Features! Lots to get used to, and some things to get annoyed by!

Firstly.. there is a new Icon! And to tell you the truth, I keep losing it in my application list! doh!  But once I get past that (Yes I keep trying to get past it) I am fine!

Many people are really intrigued by the “Facebook” integration, though that has been there since v0.22b, so I’m not really going to talk about it too much here! – Just to say you’ll end up seeing this:   which will show your friends status on Facebook below it! – You are limited to a single Facebook account (FYI :)) Oh, and part of that is the functionality to post to Twitter, Facebook or both!   Again, not a big deal to me – especially as I use the Facebook plugin app to auto-pull my tweets and update my status (To the semi-annoyance of my Facebook friends, but I use Twitter more formally anyway, so people need to get over that :))

On to Options! (re: Settings)

Look at some of these new settings!.. The big ones is really.. “Show preview information for short URLs” which looks something like this:

So, that is pretty cool, and yes I have that enabled so I can see what kind of content it will be! When you do click on the URL it will still launch via the ‘short’ URL meaning if it’s an Adjix, Bit.ly or other type of ‘tracking’ link, it’ll still get the tracking on it

Oh, and last but not least.. If you’ve ever heard me complain about the Resource Usage of TweetDeck, and how it will tend to eat up >1gb of ram on my system.  Well, it seems the memory leak is fixed (for the moment.. I’ll leave it on over night and see how much I rack up) but it’s been going pretty good to stay in the ~200mb range!

So, good luck out there on your upgrades – Upgrade now! I’ll continue to monitor my resources and more, and if I find out anything new that I’d really like to complain about.. I will :)

Yea I know this isn’t new, but if you’re not aware of it, here you go!

Get a second chance to pass your Microsoft Certification exam — free offer!

In the real world, you might need more than one chance at certification. With Second Shot, if you do not pass any IT professional, developer, or project manager certification exam on your first try, you can retake the exam without an additional cost.

Register for Second Shot and take advantage of our Career Assist Package—which means you can get any Microsoft E-Learning collection for just US$35.

•Sign up for the Second Shot offer today

Career Assist Package: Register for Second Shot and get any Microsoft E-Learning collection for just US$35

Until June 30, 2009, as a part of Second Shot, we are offering a Career Assist Package. Along with enjoying the benefits of Second Shot, you can access a collection of Microsoft E-Learning courses, which provide 8 to 20 hours of online instructional content to help you master a product and prepare for a certification. This offer applies to IT professional or developer e-learning collection titles only. Does not include Microsoft Office or Windows end-user (non-IT) focused collections.

Career Assist is available only in select countries.

•See a list of eligible countries/regions

Normally priced up to US$350, these e-learning collections are just US$35 when you register for Second Shot. Limit one per customer.

Note For this promotional offer, once you have activated the discounted e-learning collection it will only be available for 90 days.

In today’s challenging economic times, how do you stand out from the crowd, stay up to date with relevant technologies, and get the top jobs? Becoming a Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP) is a great start.

•Learn more about the Career Assist Package

•Register for the Second Shot offer

So, take advantage of this if you’re trying to stay relevant, certified and beyond! :)

Welcome to Thrive from Microsoft!

If you recall past posts about Microsoft and Social Responsibility, this is just another measure of ensuring that our technical future is secure, or if you’re looking for a career change that the resources are available to ensure you have a future in technology.

They have this broken up into several core areas

• Advance your career
• Career Development
• Get Started
• Explore Microsoft’s training overview
• Get your training with Microsoft Learning Plans
• Keep track of your learning plan with My Learning Tool
• Get Certified
• You may be a tech whiz…but ‘Are You Certifiable?!?’
• Find out the facts about certification
• Earn your Microsoft Certification!
• Hear what others have to say about Microsoft Learning and certifications
• Why Get Certified?
• Learn more about the value of certification
• Value of Certification: Team Certification and Organization Performance
• What are the industry’s 10 best IT certifications?
• Get a second chance to pass your Microsoft Certification exam—free offer!
• Career Guidance (Networking & Community)
• Learn more about the Microsoft Certification Membership
• Join Microsoft Technical Communities
• Career Change Management
• Industry Related
• Top 10 Jobs in Information Technology
• How to Job Search in 2009
• Unconventional Places to Expand your Network
• Stalled Career? 10 Tips
• Bulletproof Your Job: 4 Ways to Stay Employed
• Job Search Related
• Are You Using the Wrong Resume?
• 10 Interview Questions Decoded
• Body Language and the Interview
• Tools & Resources
• CareerPath Assessment Center
• CareerBuilder Salary Calculator
• cbResume
• Resume Direct
• Enhance your technical skills
• Virtualization
• Get Started
• Technical Competency Introduction Video With Tony Scott
• Windows Server Virtualization: Overview Video
• TechNet Radio: Managing a Virtualized Environment today and in the future
• Videos (5 – 15 min)
• Microsoft Virtualization
• Intro to Windows Server 2008 Virtualization
• Server Core Hyper-V Prerequisites
• Green IT and Virtualization
• Webcasts (30 – 90 min)
• TechNet Webcast: High Availability with Hyper-V (Level 200)
• TechNet Webcast: Presentation Virtualization with Terminal Services RemoteApp (Level 200)
• TechNet Webcast: Assess Your Server IT Infrastructure for Windows Server 2008 Migration and Virtualization (Level 300)
• Tools & Resources
• Virtualization TCO Calculator
• Hyper-Green Calculator
• Cutting Costs and Building Value with Microsoft Virtualization
• Microsoft Assessment and Planning Toolkit
• Windows Server Virtualization and Licensing Calculator
• White Papers
• How Customers Are Cutting Costs and Building Value with Microsoft Virtualization
• Virtualization for Windows – A Technology Overview
• Microsoft.com Operations Virtualizes MSDN and TechNet on Hyper-V
• Case Studies
• Atlanta Journal Constitution: With Virtualization, Newspaper Reduces Costs, Gains Infrastructure Flexibility
• Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center: Medical Center Reduces Costs, Increases Application Availability with Virtualization
• Jackson Energy Authority: Public Utility Boosts Application Availability and Simplifies IT with Virtualization
• Continental Airlines: Leading Airline Moves to Virtual Environment, Sets Stage for Growth While Cutting Costs
• Desktop Optimization
• Get Started
• Technical Competency Introduction Video With Tony Scott
• TechNet Webcast: Agility Now: What Is Infrastructure Optimization, and Why Should You Care?
• National Aquarium in Baltimore: Aquarium Enhances Data Access, Security, and Productivity with New Operating System
• Video (5 – 15 min)
• Continental Airlines Bets on Operating System Upgrade for Reduced IT and Energy Costs
• Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack
• Webcasts (30 – 90 min)
• TechNet Webcast: Agile Desktops: Microsoft Application Virtualization and Intel vPro Technology (Level 200)
• TechNet Webcast: How Microsoft IT Uses the Automated Service Agent System to Deliver a Low-Cost, High-Value Service
• TechNet Webcast: Optimizing Desktop Management with System Center Configuration Manager and Microsoft SoftGrid Application Virtualization
• Tools & Resources
• Microsoft Infrastructure Optimization ROI Tool
• Microsoft Assessment and Planning Toolkit
• White Papers
• Reducing TCO with Windows Vista: Quantified Savings for Mobile PCs
• The Road to Desktop Optimization: Five Best practices for Optimizing the Desktop Infrastructure
• The Enterprise PC Lifecycle: Seeing the big picture for PC fleet management
• Case Studies
• CDW: Technology Professionals Enjoy Productivity, Enhanced Security with System Upgrade
• Cerner Corporation: IT Provider Enhances Security and Meets Customer Needs with New Operating System
• Hoover City Schools: School District Upgrades PCs to Keep Students Current on the Latest Technology
• Align IT with Business
• Cost Savings
• Get Started
• Business and IT Alignment Introduction Video With Tony Scott
• IT Manager Webcast: Introduction to Platform Solution Blueprints (Level 200)
• Videos & Webcasts (30 – 90 min)
• Windows Server Virtualization: Overview Video
• IT Manager Webcast: Platform Solution Blueprints: Virtualization and Infrastructure Management (Level 200)
• IT Manager Webcast: Protecting Legacy Assets Through Automated Conversion Reduces Licensing Costs and Increases Agility (Level 200)
• IT Manager Webcast: Infrastructure Optimization: Shifting Development from a Cost Center to a Strategic Business Asset
• Podcasts (30 – 90 min)
• IT Manager Dialog Series- Virtualization
• IT Manager Podcast: Introduction to Platform Solution Blueprints (Level 200)
• IT Manager Podcast: Platform Solution Blueprints: Virtualization and Infrastructure Management (Level 200)
• Analytics Reports / Whitepapers
• Information Week: Analytics Report – Unlocking Virtualization: Facing IT, Business Realities
• How Customers Are Cutting Costs and Building Value with Microsoft Virtualization
• Virtualization Strategy Provides Tools, Processes, and Compliance Capabilities to Enhance Business Support and Drive Adoption
• Tools & Resources
• Simple to Save: ROI Calculator
• Microsoft Infrastructure Optimization – ROI Tool
• You Already Own It!
• IT Manager: Platform Solution Blueprint by Advaiya
• IT Manager: Platform Solution Blueprint – Virtualization
• Connect with your peers on the TechNet IT Management Community Hub!
• Case Studies
• Stewart: Information Services Firm Enhances Compliance and Optimizes Data Center
• Compliance & Governance
• Get Started
• Business and IT Alignment Introduction Video With Tony Scott
• Microsoft Security Assessment Tool
• Webcasts (30 – 90 min)
• Microsoft Webcast: Better IT Management Through IT Governance (part 1)
• Microsoft Webcast: Better IT Management Through IT Governance (part 2)
• Tools & Resources
• Security Compliance Management Toolkit
• Security Intelligence Report
• Learning Path for Security
• FORUM: Configuration Manager – Desired Configuration Management
• Compliance Management Forum
• Connect with your peers on the TechNet IT Management Community Hub!
• White Papers
• White Paper-Branch Infrastructure
• Where Is My PII?
• IT Compliance Management Guide
• The Security Risk Management Guide
• Microsoft Operations Framework (MOF) 4.0

Why yes.. I did go through the entire site, reviewed a lot of the material and even INCLUDED ALMOST ALL OF IT HERE! Yea, I know sometimes people will look at the post, but never visit the site – So here are the goods, visit the site if you’d like, but this is exactly what you’ll see (at this point in time :))  Good luck on there – whether you’re job hunting or retaining your job!

Our good friends over at Engineering Windows 7 have released this little gem!

Here’s what you can do to bypass the check for pre-release upgrade IF YOU REALLY REALLY NEED TO:

1. Download the ISO as you did previously and burn the ISO to a DVD.
2. Copy the whole image to a storage location you wish to run the upgrade from (a bootable flash drive or a directory on any partition on the machine running the pre-release build).
3. Browse to the sources directory.
4. Open the file cversion.ini in a text editor like Notepad.
5. Modify the MinClient build number to a value lower than the down-level build. For example, change 7100 to 7000 (pictured below).
6. Save the file in place with the same name.
7. Run setup like you would normally from this modified copy of the image and the version check will be bypassed.

These same steps will be required as we transition from the RC milestone to the RTM milestone.

Wait, what the hell is going on here?!

Are you seriously telling me that by going and modifying a file, I can upgrade from the Beta version, RC and eventually to the RTM release of Windows 7?    Wowza! Now all I need to do is boot from VHD, and I have myself an upgrade path which is viable for real hardened testing :)

You’ve heard it here first! I’m not entirely sure just how founded that fact I’m proposing is, but take this into account:

Number of active MCTs: 15,251
Number of exams taken (ever) by those MCTs: 513,749
Average number of exams per MCT: 34
MCTs with 50+ exams: 2,682 (18%)
MCTs with 100+ exams: 82
Most exams taken by an MCT: 185 (OMFG!)

If you think about almost any other profession, you may find that you have a few people who are ‘interested’, but a majority of them fulfill the bare minimum in order to be successful in their field.   However in the world of Microsoft? We’re not only “interested” we’re downright passionate perhaps to the point of being almost overly obsessive ;)

Seriously! the bare requirements to be an MCT require you to have at least one MCP (So for any other profession, we’ll call that one certification or degree).  However, these masters of industry on average have 34 certifications under their belt, or in the case of one master –185!-

That’s just a major wow.  I’m not so sure we see this same kind of care taken in the Cisco space or any other industry (Imagine if Educators were this passionate, it would really convey to their students!)

I’d like to thank the Born to Learn blog for sharing this information!

So, you have to ask yourself: If I am not certified, why not?  There is no better time than the present, and no more viable reason if not to join the community of amazing MCT’s!

More information on how to become an MCT is located here.  The MCT is a accomplishment like no other!