Windows 7 Pricing unveiled.

Estimated U.S. retail pricing for Windows 7 is described below.
Upgrade Windows 7:
Home Premium: $119.99
Windows 7 Professional: $199.99
Windows 7 Ultimate: $219.99
Full-packaged Windows 7:
Windows 7 Home Premium: $199.99
Windows 7 Professional: $299.99
Windows 7 Ultimate: $319.99

Microsoft Morro

Morro - Free Anti-virus software from Microsoft

Microsoft is internally testing its free anti-virus software, codenamed Morro, adding that a beta version would be made available via its website. This release signal a distinct change in Microsoft's approach to the security market. Windows Live OneCare, failed to attract a major audience, MS announced plans to discontinue OneCare on June 30th 2009.
As a basic freeware security solution, Morrow will pose a threat to the livelihood of paid solutions.
Symantec shares fell 0.5 percent on Nasdaq and McAfee fell 1.3 percent on New York stock exchange, while Microsoft was up 2.1 percent.
Microsoft has said it will provide protection from several types of malicious software including viruses, spyware, rootkits and trozans.

HTML 5.0

During the last 10years, while there have been no significant changes to HTML 4.01 specification, we njoyed a season of relative prosperity. Let's see what are the new things HTML 5.0 brings.

HTML 4.1
HTML 4.01 already celebrated is 10 th birthday in sept of 2008 and this is the language became a delivery mechanism for our applications and web pages. Browsers have become effectively standardized and the pace of web development has seen numerous changes.

HTML 5.0 seeks to address those issues by making the web much more friendly to applictaions and rich media capabilities such as sound, video and even rudimentary animation.

Cool new features.
With HTML 5.0 new elements such as

,

,

,

, and

. There are also some new great improvments in the form of attributes such as ping attribute on anchor tags, and an async attribute for scripts. For 2D animations and rich JavaScript interactions, element support.

HTML 5.0 is also seeking to replace the way cookies work, by creating a DOM Storage mechanism that will effectively act as client-side SQL database to provide increased storage capacities and options for locally stored data. HTML 5 will add support for drag and drop functionality, 'waypoints' that can be inserted into browser history, and even support for in-browser editing capabilities.

There's no reason that you can't begin learning more about HTML 5 and preparing to use it today.

More details @ HTML5
Use it Today @ HTML5

Google Squared

Google Squared, a new product from Google labs, demonstrated three weeks ago, a search engine that creates structured data from warehouse of information and lets users compare various things by their various/custom attributes. It's really a great idea, in reality.
Cons are very hard to imagine using Squared regularly, but a great idea we'll see where it goes.

Very impressive that when you request a square for a concept Google is unfamiliar with, you're prompted to offer upto five examples and builds the data set for you.

Have a look on Google Squared @ Google Squared

Microsoft StickySorter

Forgotten to do something...? And, do you have a habit of writing sticky notes...This tool is for you..
Microsoft StickySorter is a Grassroots project, developed by two MS employees, that can be used to manage daily challenges...The result of their effort met their complex needs, supports virtual collaboration...

Specialities are Import and Export in csv format, Create and label groups, display structured information and creating custom views...

Check this video @ StickySorter
Download @ StickySorter

Microsoft's Products in 2010

Microsoft started its branding with new best-selling products like Exchange Server 2010 beta.

Most of forthcoming 2010 editions includes MS Office, Exchange and SharePoint 2010 are positioned as Unified Communications (UC) solutions., Office Web applications, Project and Visio.

These projects can be expected in the first half of 2010., although Exchange Server 2010 will arriage in second half of 2009.

Office 2010 will be in both 32-bit & 64-bit. Exchange server will only be in 64-bit product.

Another Office tidbit associated with 2010 branding is MOSS, will be losing its "O".

Microsoft seeks help for new OS: Windows 8

Surprised...?
Yes. It's true. It's next version of Windows 7.
MS looking to fill jobs associated with Windows 8, its next OS next to the current Windows 7 beta.
Two jobs postings have been spotted, published by CodeNameWindows blog last week and by others on web.
"For the upcoming Version of Windows, new critical features are being wored on including cluster support for one way replication" the job post reads.

The core engine is also being reworked to provide dramatic performance improvements.

The reference to "file access in branch offices" sounds a lot like Microsoft's upcoming BranchCache technology.

Windows 7 Enterprise edition and Windows Server 2008 R2 both will contain BranchCache, which is designed to improve application responsiveness across organization's branch offices via a wide area network connection.

Job responsibility of Windows 8 job posting defines, i. Put on customer/design critique hat as we plan our next version file server mgmt experience., ii. participatin in architectural design and development, testing for managing the Next Gen file server.

MS may start releasing Windows 7 RC in may of this year.

Microsoft Gazelle

Microsoft Gazelle
Last week, Microsoft Research released an interesting paper about a web browser, Gazelle, which acts like an OS with the browser kernel specifically securing its resources and sharing across web sites.

The Idea behind Gazelle is to create a browser that is more secure for the current typical dynamic web pages that we find on web. Gazelle is different as no existing browsers, including new architectures, haveing a multi-principal operating system constructed providing the browser-based OS control, exclusively, to mange the protection of all system resources.

Gazelle's security model is centered around protected principals from one another by seperating their respective resources into hardware-isolated protection domains. Any sharing between two different principals must be explicit using cross-principal communication(or IPC) mediated by Browser Kernel.

More details @ Microsoft's Gazelle

Free ASP.NET MVC EBook

Grab it @ ASP.NET MVC

Updated resources of Microsoft sharepoint

SharePoint Developer Center
Find information about planning, coding, building, deploying, and migrating solutions for Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007.
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/office/aa905503.aspx
Microsoft Office Interactive Developer Map
The Microsoft Office Interactive Developer Map is a Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF) application that helps developers visualize the different programs, servers, services, and tools that will help them build solutions. It allows them to drill down to each product and technology and learn about new features, objects, Web services, namespaces, and schemas required to extend Microsoft Office and build custom Office Business Applications (OBAs).
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/office/bb497969.aspx
MSSharePointDeveloper.com
A great site that provides Virtual PC images, screencasts, webcasts, hands on labs, and demos to help existing .NET developers quickly learn about the 10 most common developer topics for SharePoint.
http://mssharepointdeveloper.com
MyRampUp.com
Focused training modules split into lecture, demonstration, and hands on labs material to help you learn SharePoint development.
http://myrampup.com
SharePoint Server TechCenter
The Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 TechCenter provides comprehensive content management and enterprise search, accelerates shared business processes, and facilitates information-sharing.
SharePoint Server TechCenter
Video Demos and Training for Office SharePoint Server 2007 – End User
Contains links to many Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 video demos that are intended for IT professionals.
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc262880.aspx
WSS 3.0 SDK Online
Online: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb264594.aspx
Compiled help format: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=C9D6C8C5-8A62-4961-8C1B-DF08B667B1C4&displaylang=en
SharePoint Server 2007 SDK Online
Online: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb851473.aspx
Compiled help format: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=BA006584-711D-4CE7-9E1F-181AEDF6434A&displaylang=en
SharePoint Server 2007 Visual How-Tos – Developer
This site provides links to many MSDN walkthroughs that contain both written steps as well as a short video demonstrating how to accomplish specific tasks.
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd146863.aspx
WSS 3.0 Visual How-Tos – Developer
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb892193.aspx
SharePoint Guidance – November 2008
This guidance helps architects and developers design, build, test, deploy, and upgrade SharePoint intranet applications. A reference implementation demonstrates solutions to common architectural, development, and application lifecycle management challenges.
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=C3722DBA-6EE7-4E0E-82B5-FDAF3C5EC927&displaylang=en
Office SharePoint Designer 2007 Training
Install a program to your desktop to receive free training on how to use SharePoint Designer 2007.
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=5B10F061-41D4-48CE-85CB-01D46772240D&displaylang=en