Microsoft has announced the formal name and beta availability of System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2008, a member of the System Center suite of server management products. The announcements came April 29 at the Microsoft Management Summit in Las Vegas, which showcased the beta of the System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2008 (VMM), managing both Hyper-V and VMware virtual infrastructure. Additional functionality new to this version of VMM includes Performance and Resource Optimization (Pro), which dynamically tunes virtual infrastructure, simplified virtual host cluster support, and other improvements and enhancements.
Microsoft connect link is available at the source
Source- Microsoft Systemcenter
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Microsoft released an updated version of Exchange Load Generator (v.08.02.0045).
Brief Description
Exchange Load Generator is a simulation tool to measure the impact of MAPI, OWA, IMAP, POP and SMTP clients on Exchange servers.
Overview
Use Microsoft Exchange Load Generator (LoadGen) as a simulation tool to measure the impact of MAPI, OWA, IMAP, POP and SMTP clients on Exchange servers. LoadGen allows you to test how a server running Exchange responds to e-mail loads. To simulate the delivery of these messaging requests, you run LoadGen tests on client computers. These tests send multiple messaging requests to the Exchange server, thereby causing a mail load. LoadGen is a useful tool for administrators who are sizing servers and validating a deployment plan. Specifically, LoadGen helps you determine if each of your servers can handle the load to which they are intended to carry. Another use for LoadGen is to help validate the overall solution.
Important! LoadGen should be used only in laboratories that have no connection to the production environment. This tool should not be used in any way in a production environment or an environment that is mission critical or contains important information of any kind anywhere in the network.
Note: The XML configuration file schema in this release has changed from previous versions. You will need to create a new XML configuration file with the Load Generator UI. The existing topology will be marked as un-editable if there are users created by previous versions of Microsoft Exchange Load Generator. Add your remote client machines again, and then save the updated configuration XML.
Note: If you use the recipient management features of this release to create users or other recipient objects and you have one or more Exchange Server 2007 servers in your test topology, you must run the Load Generator application with user credentials that have permission to manage Exchange recipients. The directory access account specified in the application configuration will not be used for this purpose.
Note: This version includes scripted module functionality which enables load generation for OWA, IMAP, POP, SMTP.
Source-MSMVP Blog
Starting today, finding your way around town will be easier than ever: Street View is now integrated into Google Maps driving directions. In the regions across the country where Google Maps Street View imagery is available, users will see camera icons next to each step of their directions, which will open a Street View image of the location, along with an arrow showing the action to be taken. Users can click through their entire route through Street View, and when the journey is complete a green marker will indicate arrival at their destination.
By viewing Street View images alongside directions, drivers have visual context for intersections and action points along their route, enabling them to be aware of landmarks and other factors such as tolls, speed limits, size of the road, and the availability of parking at their destination.
Street View, originally launched in May of 2007 in 5 cities, now provides interactive 360-degree street-level imagery in 44 regions across the country. Integrating Street View with driving directions provides those living in or traveling to these regions with another powerful, useful tool to help them easily navigate their surroundings. Street View was also recently made available through the Google Maps API, allowing developers to utilize Street View functionality to enhance their services.
Source-
Google Press Release
The release of Windows XP Service Pack 3 due to a compatibility issue we found with Microsoft Dynamics Retail Management as Chris Keroack noted on the TechNet Forums…
"In the last few days, we have uncovered a compatibility issue between Microsoft Dynamics Retail Management System (RMS) and both Windows XP SP3 and Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1). In order to make sure customers have the best possible experience, we have decided to delay releasing Windows XP Service Pack 3 (SP3) to the web.
"To help protect customers, we plan to put filtering in place shortly to prevent Windows Update from offering both service packs to systems running Microsoft Dynamics RMS. Once filtering is in place, we expect to release Windows XP SP3 to the web.
"We are also testing a fix, and will make it available once that process is complete. Once they have installed the fix, Microsoft Dynamics RMS customers should be able to run both service packs.
"Until then, we advise Microsoft Dynamics RMS customers to not install either service pack. Microsoft Dynamics RMS customers running Windows XP SP3 or Windows Vista SP1 should contact Microsoft Customer Support Services for additional information."
MSDN and TechNet subscribers have access to SP3 to allow for sysadmins and IT Professionals to evaluate the release before deployment.
Messenger for Mac 7 includes cool new features for both the corporate service (works with Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007) and personal service (works with the Windows Live service). But the biggest milestone here is that Messenger for Mac 7 delivers audio and video for the first time in the corporate service.
One of the exciting features in this release is Bonjour support in Messenger for Mac, available in both personal and corporate services. Using the Mac OS X Bonjour technology, Messenger for Mac 7.0 includes the ability to detect other Messenger for Mac users that are near by on the same local network. Are you at work on the weekend and want to check if anyone else is around? Turn on Bonjour to see who is there…
If you work in an organization deploying Office Communications Server 2007, I think you will enjoy the new features in the corporate service. Messenger for Mac 7 makes it a whole lot easier to track down co-workers you need to contact. Using the new search feature, you can easily search for people in your organization and start communicating with them.
You will also notice more detailed presence information that is compatible with the presence model of Office Communications Server 2007. Messenger for Mac 7 displays additional presence states to better reflect your contacts (or your own) availability. For example, Messenger for Mac will automatically set your status to ‘In a call’ when you are in an Audio or Video call. Messenger for Mac 7.0 also allows you to add a personal note in case you want to provide a little more information about your status (for example: “I’m available through Messenger only!”.
Check out Messenger for Mac 7 at the Mactopia site.
Source- MAC Mojo
Microsoft is ratcheting up the battle against rivals Sony and Nintendo in the hotly contested Asian market, cutting the price of its Xbox 360 between 5 percent and nearly 20 percent in four areas throughout the region.
The price of the 20GB model was cut 17 percent in Taiwan, 10.7 percent in Hong Kong, and 5 percent in South Korea. The steepest reduction was made in Singapore, where that version of the gaming console dropped 19.5 percent and the company cut the price of two other models: The 120GB Elite was reduced 12.5 percent and the Arcade, which has no hard drive, was cut by 13 percent.
At the same time, Sony went in the opposite direction in Singapore and raised prices for its 40GB PlayStation 3 to $394. Nintendo, for its part, said late last week that it had no plans to cut prices on either the Wii console or its DS handheld in any regions.
"This price drop is part of Microsoft’s ongoing strategy to bring Xbox’s high-definition gaming and entertainment experience to an even wider user base," Microsoft said in a statement. The move follows price reductions up to 28 percent in some European markets last monday
Source: crave.cnet.com
MSDN Library provides access to essential programming information, including technical reference documentations, white papers, software development kits and code samples necessary to develop web services and applications. This is an updated version of the MSDN Library for Visual Studio 2005. Major updates in this library version include Visual Studio 2005 Service Pack 1 documentation and Windows Vista™ Developer documentation.
Updated content sets in this April 2007 Edition include:
- Visual Studio 2005 Service Pack 1 documentation
- Visual Studio 2005 general documentation updates
- Windows Vista Developer documentation
- Windows® Driver Kit (WDK) documentation
- SQL Server™ 2005 Books Online product documentation
- SQL Server 2005 Compact Edition Books Online
Download Here
Microsoft Corp. and Beijing Komoxo Mobile Software Inc. today announced a patent licensing agreement on text-input technologies for mobile devices. The licensed patents allow Komoxo to integrate Microsoft’s statistical language modeling methods into its next-generation text-input engine for reduced keypad and touch-screen devices, and deliver new mobile innovations to consumers around the world.
Through the agreement, Microsoft’s patented technology would be used in Komoxo’s innovative text-input solution to improve appropriate word recommendations and selections during texting and to enhance spell-checking features for mobile devices. For example, many mobile devices combine text and numeric input keys onto one keypad. The technology being licensed by Komoxo will enable devices using the technology to recognize and recommend words faster and with more accuracy based on individual user experience. This new-generation text-input solution will significantly improve the text-input consumer experience, especially for one- hand text input in mobile scenarios on growing popular “reduced” keypad and touch-screen mobile devices.
This patent licensing agreement is the first of its kind between Microsoft and a China-based company and a testament to both the quality of Microsoft’s patent portfolio and its commitment to working with China-based companies. The agreement will accelerate research and development, foster greater technology collaboration, and enhance Komoxo’s value proposition to its customers based in China and around the world.
Source- Microsoft Press Release
Ankur Mittal | April 30, 2008
