Programming Zen

Getting Things Done Resource List

2007-06-07T14:25:00.001-07:00

(via: http://zenhabits.net/2007/05/massive-gtd-resource-list/)

The Books

Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity, by David Allen
Ready for Anything: 52 Productivity Principles for Work and Life, by David Allen
Lifehacker: 88 Tech Tricks to Turbocharge Your Day, by Gina Trapani

Overviews

Other resource lists

The Blogs

Online tools

Offline software

Analogue Tools

Tools for Mobiles & PDAs

Mailing Lists & Forums

Charts, Diagrams, Checklists, etc.

Collection
Daily Review
Weekly Review
GTD Process Flow chart
Trigger List
GTD Wallpapers (here and here)
GTD flowchart
GTD Workflow Assessment/Tips Checklist
LifeDev GTD Cheatsheet: Workflow and Collection

Best Zen Habits GTD Posts

Zen To Done (ZTD)

Other Great GTD Articles

Microsoft Blog Directory

2007-06-07T08:24:00.001-07:00

Microsoft Blog Directory(by Todd Bishop)

There are so many blogs by, about and related to Microsoft at this point that it would be almost impossible to make a complete list. But I've gathered quite a few below. Putting this together, I found several blogs that were new to me, so hopefully everyone else will find it useful, as well. Still, this is just a start. Please comment below or e-mail with suggested additions, even if it's your own blog. I'll add to the list over time, and create a standing link to it. -- Todd Bishop

NEWS, COMMENTARY
AND OTHER COMPANIES

Company Directories
Adobe: Blogs | RSS
Sun: Blogs | RSS
Oracle: Blogs
Red Hat: Employees | Execs
Apple: Hot News | RSS

Additional blogs by Microsoft product teams and employees

Microsoft Research
Live Labs Team: Blog | RSS
Deepfish: Blog | RSS
Social Computing: Blog | RSS
Kevin Schofield: Blog | RSS

Mac Business Unit
Mac Mojo: Blog | RSS
Rick Schaut: Blog | RSS
Nadyne Mielke: Blog | RSS

Zune
Madison and Pine: Blog | RSS
Zune Insider: Blog | RSS
Zunester: Blog | RSS

Microsoft Canada
IT Professionals: Blog | RSS
IT Managers: Blog | RSS
User Experience: Blog | RSS
Developers: Blog | RSS

MICROSOFT PRODUCT GROUPS,
TEAMS, AND EMPLOYEES

Open Source, Standards, Etc.
Port 25: Blog | RSS
Jason Matusow: Blog | RSS
Rob Mensching, WiX project: Blog | RSS

Update: For many more Office bloggers, see see Erika Ehrli's comprehensive list, as she notes in the comments below.

Executive Blogs (Dormant)
Ray Ozzie: Blog | RSS
Eric Rudder: Blog | RSS
Steven Sinofsky: Blog | RSS

Last updated: 4/3/2007

Notes: For more, see Microsoft Community Blogs, MSDN Blogs, TechNet Blogs, TechNet Events Bloggers, and MSDN Events Bloggers, in addition to those in the sidebar, at right. I'm also planning to create an OPML file of all the RSS feeds above, for importing them as a group into a newsreader.

Update, Tuesday morning: Fixed the spelling of Marc Orchant's name. Several people have sent in great suggestions, which I've added. I'll create a standing note here to credit people who contribute, once I'm back in the office next week.

Update, Tuesday evening: I've added more than a dozen blogs to the list since this morning, based on suggestions sent via e-mail, including some blogs I might not have discovered otherwise. Thanks to everyone who has contributed, and please keep 'em coming.

Update, Wednesday night: It's now possible to quickly search all of these blogs, to find information on a specific topic or keyword. Peter Ortner has created two Google Co-Op Custom Search Engines based on this directory. The first searches the blogs authored by Microsoft employees and product groups. Click here to access it. The second searches the outside blogs that offer news and commentary on Microsoft. Click here to access it. Thanks to Peter for putting those together.

Visual Studio Orcas Beta 1 Virtual PC

2007-04-19T22:24:00.001-07:00

Microsoft Pre-release Software Visual Studio Code Name "Orcas" Beta 1 (Team Foundation Server - Virtual PC version)

Username: Administrator

Password: P2ssw0rd

Chinese New Year 2007

2007-03-03T16:50:00.001-08:00

Animal	Branch	Dates
鼠 Rat	子 Zi	February 19, 1996	February 7, 2008
牛 Ox	丑 Chou	February 7, 1997	January 26, 2009
虎 Tiger	寅 Yin	January 28, 1998	February 14, 2010
兔 Rabbit	卯 Mao	February 16, 1999	February 3, 2011
龍 Dragon	辰 Chen	February 5, 2000	January 23, 2012
蛇 Snake	巳 Si	January 24, 2001	February 10, 2013
馬 Horse	午 Wu	February 12, 2002	January 31, 2014
羊 Sheep	未 Wei	February 1, 2003	February 19, 2015
猴 Monkey	申 Shen	January 22, 2004	February 8, 2016
雞 Rooster	酉 You	February 9, 2005	January 28, 2017
狗 Dog	戌 Xu	January 29, 2006	February 16, 2018
豬 Pig	亥 Hai	February 18, 2007	February 5, 2019

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_New_Year

Show Us the Code: Open Letter to Steven Ballmer

2007-02-24T23:21:00.001-08:00

It's come to many in the Linux community’s attention you have claimed again and again, that Linux violates Microsoft's intellectual property. Not only that, but it's been reported Microsoft has convinced businesses to pay for a Linux patent that you can't provide.

Therefore, this website will serve as a response to this accusation, and within it, a request. The request is simple, since you, Microsoft, claim to be so sure of yourself: Show Us the Code.

If Linux developers are made aware of the code, then the code can be omitted and Linux can re-write necessary aspects of the kernel or operating system. This is a fairly simple request and common courtesy. Why wave around lawsuit threats, threats that will cost Microsoft in a court room as well as the defendants? It lacks logic, especially when you consider that there are developers around the world who would be more than happy to work with Microsoft to resolve this issue. Don't you owe it to your shareholders to work with others to ensure their intellectual property isn't being violated?
Also, we were under the impression you wanted to work with the open source community. That's what Port 25 is all about isn't it? That's what the Novell deal is about, correct? Here's your chance. If you're right you'll make thousands upon thousands of open-source advocates hush up and make your competitors scramble for ways to not violate your IP.

Linux community members do not want your code. We don't want lawsuits. We don't want non-free code. And much to your dismay, we don't want Microsoft's code specifically.

So this is what we're requesting. We are requesting the support of the Linux community. We are calling out to Richard Stallman, Linus Torvalds, Larry Page, Sergey Brin, Dr. Eric Schmidt, Mark Shuttleworth, Kevin Carmony, and Matthew Szulik, as well as any and all developers for any Linux distribution or any company that feels threatened by your non-existent lawsuits:

Publicly pledge your support for Microsoft showing the public the code within Linux that violates their intellectual property by May 1st, 2007.

How many corporations, how many organizations, how many community members will it take to call your bluff, Steven?

We are not the first (1, 2) to request this of you, but we are willing to take it to the next level. If you or Microsoft cannot comply with a response by the date outlined, everyone who endorses this will consider your threats and claims to be empty and libelous. Anyone paying attention to the marketplace should as well.
Happy code hunting. Google Patent Search may help you out.

Note: If you work for or own a company, or partake in maintaining, selling, or providing Linux services or services and products via Linux, then you are encouraged to contact me privately. I will be building a page that will display each person's professional request for Steven to provide the code.

Contact

Via: http://www.showusthecode.com/

Proverbs

2007-02-10T05:32:00.001-08:00

"A clever person solves a problem. A wise person avoids it." ~ Albert Einstein

"Condemnation without investigation is the height of ignorance." ~ Albert Einstein

Application Templates Available for Download(Site Admin Templates)

2007-02-06T06:17:00.001-08:00

Site Admin Templates

Board of Directors

Business Performance Reporting

Case Management for Government Agencies

Classroom Management

Clinical Trial Initiation and Management

Competitive Analysis Site

Discussion Database

Disputed Invoice Management

Employee Activities Site

Employee Self-Service Benefits

Employee Training Scheduling and Materials

Equity Research

Integrated Marketing Campaign Tracking

Manufacturing Process Management

New Store Opening

Product and Marketing Requirements Planning

Server Admin Templates (coming soon).

via: http://www.microsoft.com/technet/windowsserver/sharepoint/wssapps/templates/default.mspx

SharePoint Workflow: SharePoint Designer vs. Visual Studio

2007-02-05T19:16:00.001-08:00

Category	SharePoint Designer	Visual Studio
Supported WF Hosts	WSS/MOSS	WSS/MOSS/Others
Development Model	Wizard based	Graphical Designer
Types of Workflows Supported	Sequential	Sequential and State
Workflow Type	Markup only; markup file, rules and supporting files are uncompiled	Markup with code behind compiled into an assembly
Code Behind	No	Yes
Activities	Built-in and use custom	Built-in, use and develop custom
Forms Technology	Autogenerated, customizable ASP.NET Forms	Design forms in any technology including ASP.NET or InfoPath
Association	Associated automatically with a single list at design time. No other associations possible.	Can be associated with multiple content types, lists, and document libraries
Initiation	Initiation forms are supported	Initiation forms are supported
Modification	Cannot modify workflow using modification forms	Can modify workflows
Tasks	Supports custom task forms	Supports custom task forms
Deployment	Automatically deployed to associated list, live changes	Must build package and deploy workflow using SharePoint feature technology
Debugging	No Debugging	Visual Studio Debugging

via: MSDN

God as Computer Programmer

2007-02-05T18:50:00.001-08:00

Some Important Theological Questions are Answered if we think of God as a
Computer Programmer.

Q: Does God control everything that happens in my life?
A: He could, if he used the debugger, but it's tedious to step through
all those variables.

Q: Why does God allow evil to happen?
A: God thought he eliminated evil in one of the earlier revs.

Q: Does God know everything?
A: He likes to think so, but he is often amazed to find out what goes
on in the overnite job.

Q: What causes God to intervene in earthly affairs?
A: If an critical error occurs, the system pages him automatically and
he logs on from home to try to bring it up. Otherwise things can
wait until tomorrow.

Q: Did God really create the world in seven days?
A: He did it in six days and nights while living on cola and candy
bars. On the seventh day he went home and found out his girlfriend
had left him.

Q: How come the Age of Miracles Ended?
A: That was the development phase of the project, now we are in the
maintenance phase.

Q: Will there be another Universe after the Big Bang?
A: A lot of people are drawing things on the white board, but
personally, God doubts that it will ever be implemented.

Q: Who is Satan?
A: Satan is an MIS director who takes credit for more powers than he
actually possesses, so people who aren't programmers are scared of
him. God thinks of him as irritating but irrelevant.

Q: What is the role of sinners?
A: Sinners are the people who find new an imaginative ways to mess up
the system when God has made it idiot-proof.

Q: Where will I go after I die?
A: Onto a DAT tape.

Q: Will I be reincarnated?
A: Not unless there is a special need to recreate you. And searching
those .tar files is a major hassle, so if there is a request for you,
God will just say that the tape has been lost.

Q: Am I unique and special in the universe?
A: There are over 10,000 major university and corporate sites running
exact duplicates of you in the present release version.

Q: What is the purpose of the universe?
A: God created it because he values elegance and simplicity, but then
the users and managers demanded he tack all this senseless stuff onto
it and now everything is more complicated and expensive than ever.

Q: If I pray to God, will he listen?
A: You can waste his time telling him what to do, or you can just get
off his back and let him program.

Q: What is the one true religion?
A: All systems have their advantages and disadvantages, so just pick
the one that best suits your needs and don't let anyone put you down.

Q: Is God angry that we crucified him?
A: Let's just say he's not going to any more meetings if he can help
it, because that last one with the twelve managers and the food
turned out to be murder.

Q: How can I protect myself from evil?
A: Change your password every month and don't make it a name, a common
word, or a date like your birthday.

Q: Some people claim they hear the voice of God. Is this true?
A: They are much more likely to receive email.

Q: Some people say God is Love.
A: That is not a question. Please restate your query in the form of a
question.
Abort, Retry, Fail?

Via: http://www.columbia.edu/~sss31/rainbow/god.qa.html

Crazy Images about Microsoft

2007-02-03T21:56:00.001-08:00

1.Click this link:

http://images.google.com/images?svnum=10&hl=zh-CN&q=microsoft

2.Copy below code to address url inputbox:

javascript:R=0; x1=.1; y1=.05; x2=.25; y2=.24; x3=1.6; y3=.24; x4=300; y4=200; x5=300; y5=200; DI=document.images; DIL=DI.length; function A(){for(i=0; i-DIL; i++){DIS=DI[ i ].style; DIS.position='absolute'; DIS.left=Math.sin(R*x1+i*x2+x3)*x4+x5; DIS.top=Math.cos(R*y1+i*y2+y3)*y4+y5}R++}setInterval('A()',5); void(0);

3.Crazy Images, enjoy it.

ASP.NET AJAX 1.0 Source Code Released

2007-02-03T04:53:00.001-08:00

Download it from : http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=ef2c1acc-051a-4fe6-ad72-f3bed8623b43&DisplayLang=en

under Microsoft Reference License (Ms-RL)(http://www.microsoft.com/resources/sharedsource/licensingbasics/referencelicense.mspx)

File Name: ASPAJAXSourceCode.msi

Version: 1.0

Date Published: 1/30/2007

Language: English

Download Size: 809 KB

via: http://weblogs.asp.net/scottgu/archive/2007/01/30/asp-net-ajax-1-0-source-code-released.aspx

Download Visual Studio Orcas 2007Jan CTP

2007-02-01T23:32:00.001-08:00

Microsoft Visual Studio Code Name "Orcas" is the next generation development tool for Windows Vista, the 2007 Office System, and the Web.

Download URL:

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=1FF0B35D-0C4A-40B4-915A-5331E11C39E6&displaylang=en

Note:

This CTP is available as a Virtual PC image or as a self-extracting install. If you wish to use the Virtual PC image you will need Virtual PC or Virtual Server to run this image. If you wish to use the self extracting install, we advise that you do not install this on a production machine. Depending on your hardware the download files make take between 30-60 minutes to decompress.
For the Orcas January CTP release, please ensure that you have followed the instruction described below.
- Download both the Orcas Base Image (if you haven't done this for the previous CTPs) and all eight files of the differencing image to your local machine
- Launch the differencing image on your Virtual PC or Virtual Server and logon using the credential below:
  - Username: Administrator
  - Password: P2ssword

This CTP targets early adopters of the Microsoft technology, platform, and tools offerings. It enables developers to experience the upcoming toolset and underlying platform improvements. We designed this release to enable developers try out new technology and product changes, but not to build production systems. This limitation is fully covered in the EULA that accompanies this CTP.

8 detail URLs(Size = 700M * 7 + 50M):

http://download.microsoft.com/download/1/b/1/1b1f10ed-5800-4412-9480-028c8d773a5e/VSJan2007CTP.part01.exe
http://download.microsoft.com/download/1/b/1/1b1f10ed-5800-4412-9480-028c8d773a5e/VSJan2007CTP.part02.rar
http://download.microsoft.com/download/1/b/1/1b1f10ed-5800-4412-9480-028c8d773a5e/VSJan2007CTP.part03.rar
http://download.microsoft.com/download/1/b/1/1b1f10ed-5800-4412-9480-028c8d773a5e/VSJan2007CTP.part04.rar
http://download.microsoft.com/download/1/b/1/1b1f10ed-5800-4412-9480-028c8d773a5e/VSJan2007CTP.part05.rar
http://download.microsoft.com/download/1/b/1/1b1f10ed-5800-4412-9480-028c8d773a5e/VSJan2007CTP.part06.rar
http://download.microsoft.com/download/1/b/1/1b1f10ed-5800-4412-9480-028c8d773a5e/VSJan2007CTP.part07.rar
http://download.microsoft.com/download/1/b/1/1b1f10ed-5800-4412-9480-028c8d773a5e/VSJan2007CTP.part08.rar

The highlights of this CTP include:

Extended, more powerful data APIs with the ADO.NET Entity Framework and LINQ to ADO.NET
- With the ADO.NET Entity Framework developers will be able to model the view of the data that is appropriate for each one of the applications they are building, independently of the structure of the data in the underlying database. The use of the Entity Data Model (EDM) enables developers to design models that follow the concepts built into the application, instead of having to map them to constructs available in relational stores. Once the model is in place, the powerful ADO.NET Entity Framework API is used to access and manipulate the data as .NET classes or as rows and columns, whatever is appropriate for each application.
- ADO.NET is fully integrated with LINQ and offers many options for using LINQ in various scenarios: LINQ to SQL provides direct access to database tables from the programming environment, LINQ to Entities enables developers to use LINQ over EDM models, and LINQ to DataSet allows the full expressivity of LINQ to be used over DataSets.

C# 3.0 Language Support: This CTP implements all of the C#3.0 language features from the May LINQ CTP including:
- Query Expressions
- Object and Collection Initializers
- Extension Methods
- Local Variable Type Inference and Anonymous Types
- Lambdas bound to Delegates and Expression trees

LINQ to Objects API
- The LINQ to Objects API supports queries over any .NET collection, such as arrays and Generic Lists. This API is defined in the System.Linq namespaces inside System.Core.dll. Click here for more details about LINQ.

ClickOnce improvements
- This CTP delivers ClickOnce improvements for the deployment of Windows Presentation Foundation applications, alternative browser support and ISV rebranding.

Managed classes for Elliptic Curve Diffie Hellman and Elliptic Curve Digital Signature Algorithm cryptographic functionality
- With the addition of these classes, cryptographic developers now have managed classes for Elliptic Curve Diffie Hellman secret agreement and Elliptic Curve Digital Signature Algorithm signing. These classes are built on the new CNG cryptographic libraries in Windows Vista, but still follow the familiar patterns of the cryptographic classes in .NET Framework 2.0.

Runtime and design-time support for Office 2007 (including Outlook 2007)
- Customers can build managed code add-ins with a consistent development experience, regardless of which version of Office they target, which Office application(s) they target, and which programming language they choose. Managed code add-ins enable developers to use strongly-typed class members, with the help of modern development tools, including intellisense and auto-complete. Additionally add-ins can potentially run in multiple versions of Office, enabled by abstracting version-specific code and supported by a version-resilient infrastructure.

Support for advanced lifetime management of add-ins and their AppDomains
- We’ve added the helper classes that manage the lifetime of add-ins, the objects passed between the host and add-ins, and even of the AppDomains the add-ins live in. By using the ContractBase and LifetimeToken handle, pipeline developer can let the hosts and add-ins act as if everything, including the AppDomain the add-in was activated in, was controlled by the garbage collector even though .Net Remoting would normally make that impossible.

Client service support for Login/Logout, Role management and Profiles
- ASP.NET 2.0 shipped with new application services for authentication, authorization and personalization. Most of these services are not tied to ASP.NET and can work in non-web applications. This CTP enables the use of these services in smart client applications for Logon/Logoff, Role management and profiles.

A trace listener that logs event to ETW, event tracing for Windows in Vista
- Event tracing for windows is greatly improved in Vista and the most performant loggings facility available in Windows. The System.Diagnostics.EventProviderTraceListener allows managed tracing to provide events to the Vista’s ETW infrastructure. This is a highly performant, thread-safe listener.

Jscript Intellisense support
- Jscript code formatting and Intellisense support provide developers with a richer editing experience. These improvements enable the IDE to provide statement completion, color syntax highlighting and in-place documentation to Jscript and associated script models such as ASP.NET AJAX.

A new numeric type that provides support for very large numbers (Beyond the range of In64)
- All existing numeric types in the Framework have a limited range. This is the first type that supports arbitrary range and will extend to accommodate any large number as needed. This type lives in the new System.Numeric namespace where all new numeric and arithmetic features are going to reside. It supports all the basic arithmetic operations including things like Pow, DivRem and GreatestCommonDivisor. It implements the following interfaces: IFormattable, IComparable, IComparable<BigInteger> and IEquatable<BigInteger>. It is serliazable and immutable. It has implicit casts from all basic integral types and explicit casts to/from all numeric type. To learn more about this type – please visit the BCL team blog.

LINQ over XML (XLinq)
- Enable further LINQ over XML feature support (in addition to the functionality available in the Oct 2006 CTP) such as the ability to apply XLST to transform into and out of XLinq trees, support for System.XML reader/writer interfaces for improved XML sharing with DOM applications and System.XML schema validation for XLinq nodes.

SQL Server Compact Edition (SSCE)
- SQL Server Compact Edition (SSCE) provides a local relational data store for occasionally connected client applications from desktops to devices. SSCE is light weight, embeddable and is easy to deploy with your client applications without requiring complex administration work from users. Timestamp (row version id) data type, improved table designer, Query processor enhancements and support for local transaction scope are some of the new features you find in this version of SSCE.

Encyclopaedia of Windows Live Writer

2007-01-30T18:25:00.001-08:00

Windows Live Writer Beta: download it

Windows Live Writer SDK: download it

Forum: Writer Forums

Plugins: Windows Live Writer Plugins

Technorati Tags (by Keyvan Nayyeri)
Winamp Currently Playing (by Jayson Knight)
Windows Media Player Currently Playing (by Laurent Kempé)
Code Syntax Highlighter (by Alexey Raga)
Paste Clipboard as Html (by Bryant Likes)
Rhapsody Currently Playing Plugin (by Justin Braun)
Multiple Tags Plugin (by Peder Borg Poulsen)
Flickr Plugin (by Patrick Altman)
Webcam Snapshot (by Henning Krapoth)
Smart Link Inserter (by Dmitry Maksimov)
Amazon.com Book Information Plugin (by Justin Braun)

Windows Live Teams

The "Wow" starts now

2007-01-30T05:25:00.001-08:00

On Jan. 30 the most significant product launch in Microsoft Corp.’s history culminates in the release to consumers of the Windows Vista™ operating system and Microsoft^® Office 2007. Starting tomorrow, these two flagship products will be available in more than 70 countries, in 19 languages (with 99 languages anticipated by the end of the year), and at more than 39,000 retail stores and online. The launch marks the achievement of an unprecedented collaboration between Microsoft and its customers and partners, and ushers in an era in which personal computing is easier, safer and more enjoyable than ever before.

“Windows Vista and Microsoft Office 2007 will transform the way people work and play,” said Bill Gates, chairman of Microsoft. “Personal computers have become a key part of the daily lives of almost a billion people worldwide. Millions of consumers had a hand in helping us design, test and create the most exciting versions of Windows and Office we’ve ever released. Windows Vista and Microsoft Office 2007 squarely address the needs and aspirations of people around the globe.”

Via: Microsoft PressPass

Windows Live Messenger 8.1 is now available

2007-01-30T05:22:00.001-08:00

Download Windows Live Messenger 8.1

Updates from 8.0 include:

Yahoo interoperability - now you can chat to your Yahoo Messenger friends from Windows Live Messenger
Your display name, status and personalization roam with you to any computer
Improved sign-in performance
Redesigned contact cards
A bonus of 2 free VOIP calls
And it runs on Windows Vista!

Via : LiveSide

Windows Vista Wallpapers

2007-01-28T01:15:00.001-08:00

Constructed by Brajeshwar(Flickr), a popular Adobe Geek and Macromedia Flash guru.

The Life Path Number

2007-01-27T21:40:00.001-08:00

The Life Path is the sum of the birth date. This number represents who you are at birth and the native traits that you will carry with you through life. The most important number that will be discussed here is your Life Path number. The Life Path describes the nature of this journey through life.

The Life Path number is established from the date of birth. First, convert the month to a single number . Then convert the day of birth to a single digit . Next, add the total digits of year and reduce this sum to a single digit . The individual digits representing the month, day, and year, be they single digits, are then added together, as necessary to reduce the sum once again to a single digit 1 through 9.

Example: If a person was born on October 23, 1972 (10-23-1972*), add the month 10 (which is reduced to 1) to the day 23 (which is reduced to 5) plus the the year 1972 (which reduces to 19, then to 10 and finally to 1**). Thus, the total of the month, day, and year is 1+5+1. This date is a 7 Life Path. The "master numbers, " 11, 22, and 33, have been incorporated within the corresponding single digit number readings. See addition comments about master numbers.

*Be sure to add the full year, not just the last two digits, i.e. 1969, not 69.
**For some reason, this step is often overlooked when the total is 10. 1+0=1

Read about your Life Path number:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

1 (10/1, 19/1)

The Life Path 1 suggests that you entered this plane with skills allowing you to become a leader type rather easily. Your nature is charged with individualistic desires, a demand for independence, and the need for personal attainment. Many of our military generals, corporate leaders, and political leaders are men and women having the Life Path 1. When you display positive 1 traits your mind is capable of significant creative inspiration, and it possesses the enthusiasm and drive to accomplish a great deal. You are very good at getting the ball rolling; initiating new projects is your forte. You are at your best when confronted with obstacles and challenges, as you combat these with strength and daring. This is both the physical and inner varieties of strength. With this strength comes utter determination and the capability to lead. As a natural leader you have a flair for taking charge of any situation. You have a tendency to do this, even if, at times, it is not appropriate for you to do so.

Highly original, you may have talents as an inventor or innovator of some sort. In any work that you choose, your independent attitude can show through. You have very strong personal needs and desires, and you feel it is always necessary to follow your own convictions. You tire of routine and highly detailed tasks rather quickly.

You are ambitious and assertive in promoting yourself. Although you may hide the fact for social reasons, you can be self-centered and demand to have your way in many circumstances. That said, for the most part, you are considered very good company, friendly, good-natured, and a wonderful conversationalist. People like you and are drawn to you. It is a good thing they are, because you are very sensitive to disapproval and you don't handle it very well.

There are several ways that the negative side of the 1 can show up. The 1 always has the potential for greatness as a leader, but they may fail as a follower. Unfortunately, sometimes you have to follow for a while before you are allowed to lead and this can be a difficult time. When the 1 Life Path person is not fully developed and expressing the negative side of this number, the demeanor may appear very dependent rather than independent, particularly in the early years. If you are expressing this negative trait of the number 1, you are likely to be very dissatisfied with your circumstances, and long for self-sufficiency. This might be defined as the weak or dependent side of the negative 1 Life Path. On the strong side of this negative curve, the 1 energy can become too self-serving, selfish and egotistical. Avoid being too bossy and demanding.

2 (11/2, 20/2)

The Life Path 2 suggests that you entered this plane with a spiritual quality in your makeup allowing you to be one of the peacemakers in society. Your strengths come from an ability to listen and absorb. You are a fixer, a mediator, and a very diplomatic type of person using persuasive skills rather than forcefulness to make your way in the world. When you embrace and exhibit the strenghth of your spiritual side, you are intuitive, avant-garde, idealistic, and visionary. These extremes make you interesting with much to offer society. You have the potential to be a deep-thinker, and no doubt interested in understanding many of life's mysteries and more intriguing facets.

If you are living with the positive attributes of the number 2 Life Path, you are apt to have the most delicate ability to be balanced and fair. You clearly see the full spectrum of viewpoints in any argument or situation, and because of this, people may seek you out to be a mediator. In this role you are able to settle disputes with the most unbiased flair. There is sincere concern for others; you think the best of people, and want the best for them. You are honest and open in thought, word and deed. You excel in any form of group activity where your expertise in handling and blending people can be used effectively. Manners and tact mark your way with others, and you are not one to dominate a group or situation. You are the master of compromise and of maintaining harmony in your environment. As the ultimate team member, you never demand praise or recognition.

In many ways, you are a creature of habit and routine, and you like your path and pattern well worn and familiar. Your ability to analyze and render accurate judgments is a wonderful natural trait you bring to the business world. You strive for complete accuracy and even perfection in your work. Perhaps you are not a leader, but you are a visionary and a very talented idea person.

On the negative side of the 2, nervous energy is a trait often observed in the 2. Because of this, you may be seen as an extremist who is sometimes the zealot in expressing likes and dislikes. Nervous tension can bring the normally easygoing 2 into a state of emotional outrage, which to those around you, may seem so out of character. Indeed, the 2 can sometimes become oversensitive. In some instances, the strength of the 2 can also become its weakness. You may find it hard to decide what to do at times. Twos often struggle against indecisiveness. Making decisions and getting your life in gear, so to speak, may be a challenge. There is a tendency for the many 2s to harbor feelings of uneasiness, and dissatisfaction with accomplishments and personal progress in life. The biggest obstacle and difficulty you may face is that of passivity and a state of apathy and lethargy. The negative 2 can be very pessimistic. When this sets in to any degree, you are able to accomplishes very little. If living on the negative side of the 2, you may lack common sense, and you are quite often unable to distinguish between fantasy and reality.

Even the more positive individuals with the 2 Life Path will prefer a more amiable and less competitive environment, often shunning the business world. You can best serve society in endeavors utilizing your skills of counseling and guidance. Much of your idealism is people oriented and quite humanitarian in nature. You expect a great deal of yourself.

3 (3, 12/3, 21,/3, 30/3)
The Life Path 3 indicates that you entered this plane with a strong sense of creativity and with wonderful communication skills. Achievement for you most likely comes through engaging your ingenious expression. A truly gifted 3 possesses the most exceptional innovative skills, normally in the verbal realm, writing, speaking, acting, or similar endeavors. Here we are apt to find the entertainers of the world, bright, effervescent, sparkling people with very optimistic attitudes. The bright side of this path stresses harmony, beauty and pleasures; of sharing your inventive talents with the world. Capturing your capability in creative self-expression is the highest level of attainment for this life path.

Life is generally lived to the fullest, often without much worry about tomorrow. You are not very good at handling money because of a general lack of concern about it. You spend it when you have it and don't when you don't.

The 3 loves connecting with people. The characteristics of the 3 are warmth and friendliness, a good conversationalist, social and open. A good talker both from the standpoint of being a delight to listen to, but even more importantly, one who has the ability to listen to others. Accordingly, the life path 3 produces individuals who are always a welcome addition to any social situation and know how to make others feel at home. The approach to life tends to be exceedingly positive. Your disposition is almost surely sunny and openhearted. A happy and often inspired person, you are constantly seeking and needing the stimuli of similar people.

There is a remote side to your 3 Life Path, as well. This comes as a surprise to the native and to those who think they are well acquainted. The 3 is actually a very sensitive soul. When hurt, you can easily retreat to a shell of morose silence for extended periods. Nonetheless, the 3 eventually copes with all of the many setbacks that occur in life and readily bounces back for more. It is usually easy for you to deal with problems because you can freely admit the existence of problems without letting them get you down for too long. Because of your own sensitivity to hurt, you have a caring disposition and seem to be very conscious of other people's feelings and emotions.

In romance, the 3 is a very ardent and loyal lover. Affairs that don't go well can leave scares that seem to linger. Emotional experiences of all sorts tend to deeply touch the 3 and the drama may take some time to play out. Regrettably, the giving disposition of the 3 often attracts demanding partners. As with most of life's issues for the 3 Life Path, balance in relationships is illusive.

Your big test with a 3 Life Path is controlling your highs and lows. You won't survive very well in any routine environment or when you are placed under dominating management. Slow thinking and overly contemplative people tend to frustrate you, and you don't function too well with this type whether you are working for, with, or under them. Your exuberant nature can take you far, especially if you are ever able to focus your energies and talents.

For the few living on the negative side of this Life Path, a 3 may be so delighted with the joy of living that the life becomes frivolous and superficial. You may scatter your abilities and express little sense of purpose. The 3 can be an enigma, for no apparent reason you may become moody and tend to retreat. Escapist tendencies are not uncommon with the 3 life path, and you find it very hard to settle into one place or one position. Guard against being critical of others, impatient, intolerant, or overly optimistic.

4 (4, 13/4, 22/4, 31/4, 40/4)

The Life Path 4 suggests that you entered this plane with a natural genius for planning, fixing, building, and somehow, with practical application and cerebral excellence, making things work. You are one of the most trustworthy, practical, and down-to-earth of individuals; the cornerstone members of society. Indeed, as a Life Path 4, you are a builder of society. The cream of the crop in this Life Path can be a master builder in society. if you are among these highly talented people, you have an idealistic nature which is grounded in practical terms, allowing you to conceive grandiose, far-reaching schemes and carry them through to the end. If you desire and are willing to work for it, you can achieve enormous success, prestige, and fame. Obviously, everyone with a 4 Life Path does not become famous.

All with this Life Path have the ability to take orders and to carry them out with dedication and perseverance and many 4s live and work happily in this context. But so often, the 4 Life Path is the entrepreneur and manager in the community. In either role, you always demand as much from yourself as you do from others, and sometimes a lot more.

You have the kind of will power that is often mistaken for sheer stubbornness. You don't think of yourself as dogged, but your honest beliefs and that ever direct speech makes you come across as completely unremitting. Once a decision is made, it will be followed through to the conclusion, right, wrong, or indifferent. You are very set in your ways and determined to handle things the way you are so certain that they should be handled. Your tenacity of purpose and ability to get the job done borders on obsession. You are a wonderful manager with a great sense of how to get the job done.

You are an excellent organizer and planner because of your innate ability to view things in a very common sense and practical way. This stems from a strong desire to be a perfectionist in your labor. Planning is necessary to avoid errors. It's very likely that a 4 Life Path person invented the to-do list, because it is the rare Life Path 4 who doesn't have one by her side at all times. Your life is programed in an orderly fashion permitting you to catalog and manage the flow of ideas and activities that fill your day. Indeed, you seem to function best when you are under the gun and facing a tough set of problems.

Loyal and devoted, you make the best of your marriage, and you are always the good provider. Friends may be few in number, but you are very close to them and once friendships are made, they often last a lifetime.

The number 4 is solidly associated with the element of earth from which it gains its strength and utter sense of reality. You are one of the most dependable people you know. If patience and determination can ever win, you are sure to achieve great success in life. Often, you are called on to take care of others; to finish what they have started. It may not seem fair and probably isn't, but it may be the key to your accomplishment and reputation.

The negative side of the 4 can prove dogmatic to an excess, narrow-minded, and repressive. A lot of skin-deep people turn you off, and you lack the tact to keep your feelings from being totally clear to all around. Additionally, the negative 4 has a bad tendency to get caught up in the daily routine of affairs, missing the big picture and major opportunities that come along once in a while.

5 (5, 14/5, 23/5, 32/5)

The Life Path 5 suggests that you entered this plane with a highly progressive mindset, with the attitude and skills to make the world a better place. The key word for your Life Path is freedom. In the pursuit of freedom, you are naturally versatile, adventurous, and advanced in your thinking. You are one of those people who is always striving to find answers to the many questions that life poses. The byword for the positive Life Path 5 is constant change and improvement. You want to be totally unrestrained, as this is the number most often associated with the productive use of freedom.

You may be one of the most compassionate of people as the 5 is surely the most freedom-loving and compassionate Life Path. Your love of freedom extends to humanity at large, and concern for your fellow man, his freedom and his welfare, may be foremost in your mind. A great Life Path 5 American President, Abraham Lincoln, issued the Emancipation Proclamation, and ended slavery in America. As the ultimate progressive thinker type, your potential in government, the law, and other positions of authority is unlimited.

You are a good communicator, and you know how to motivate people around you. This may be your strongest and most valuable trait. Because of this skill, and your amazing wit, you are a truly natural born salesman. This ability to sell and motivate extends to any sort of physical product all the way through to whatever ideas or concepts you may embrace.

You abhor routine and boring work, and you are not very good at staying with everyday tasks that must be finished on time. On the average, the number 5 personality is rather happy-go-lucky; living for today, and not worrying too much about tomorrow. It is also important for you to find a job that provides thought-provoking tasks rather than routine and redundant responsibilities. You do best dealing with people, but the important thing is that you have the flexibility to express yourself at all times. You have an innate ability to think through complex matters and analyze them quickly, but then be off to something new.

A love of adventure may dominate your life. This may take the form of mental or physical manifestation, but in either case, you thrill to the chance for exploration and blazing new trails. Surely you belong to a group considered the most worldly and traveled. Clearly you are not one to pass up a good venture. You have quite a lot of the risk-taker in your makeup. If you aren't putting your money at stake, you are surely open to a wide variety of risks in your everyday life. Taking the conservative approach is just not in your nature.

In romance, you hate to be tied down and restricted. This doesn't necessarily mean that you are unfaithful or promiscuous, but it does mean that a good partner for you needs to understand your nature. A relationship based on jealousy and having tight reigns is not going to work at all for you. A partner who understands your need to be free and trusted will find you trustworthy, even if you aren't constantly available and totally dutiful. It is important for you to mix with people of a like mind, and to try to avoid those that are too serious and demanding.

If you are living on the negative side of the Life Path 5, you are apt to be multitalented, but suffering from some lack of direction, and there is confusion surrounding your ambition. Restless, discontent, and impulsive, you may bounce from one job to the next without accomplishing much at all. A negative Life Path 5 can become very irresponsible in tasks and decisions concerning the home and business life. The total pursuit of sensation and adventure can result in your becoming self-indulgent and totally unaware of the feelings of those around you.

6 (6, 15/6, 24/6, 33/6)

The Life Path 6 suggests that you entered this plane with tools to become the ultimate nurturer, and a beacon for truth, justice, righteousness, and domesticity. Your paternal, or maternal, as the case may be, instincts with a 6 Life Path exceed all others by a considerable margin. Whether in the home or in the work place, you are the predominant caretaker and family head. While the 6 may assume significant responsibilities in the community, the life revolves around the immediate home and family, for this is the most domestic of numbers. Conservative principles and convictions are deeply ingrained and define your character.

You are idealistic and must feel useful to be happy. The main contribution you make is that of advice, service, and ever present support. You are a humanitarian of the first order. It is your role to serve others, and you start in the home environment. You are very human and realistic about life, and you feel that the most important thing in your life is the home, the family and the friends.

This is the Life Path related to leadership by example and assumption of responsibility, thus, it is your obligation to pick up the burden and always be ready to help. If you are like the majority with Life Path 6, you are one who will willingly carry far more than your fair share of any load, and you are always there when needed. In doing so, you take ownership and often become an authority over the situation.

In romance, the 6 is loyal and devoted. A a caretaker type, you are apt to attract partners who are somewhat weaker and more needy than yourself; someone you can care for and protect. The main ingredient that must prevail in the relationship is complete harmony. You don't function well in stressful relationships that become challenges for you to control. It is the same with friends, you are loyal and trustworthy. But there is a tendency for you to become dominating and controlling.

It's likely you feel compelled to function with strength and compassion. You are a sympathetic and kind person, generous with personal and material resources. Wisdom, balance, and understanding are the cornerstones of your life, and these define your approach to life in general. Your extraordinary wisdom and the ability to understand the problems of others is apt to commence from an early age. This allows you to easily span the generation gap and assume an important role in life early on.

The number 6 Life Path actually produces few negative examples, but there are some pitfalls peculiar to the path. You may have a tendency to become overwhelmed by responsibilities and a slave to others, especially members of you own family or close friends. It's easy for you to fall into a pattern of being too critical of others; you also have a tendency to become to hard on yourself. The misuse of this Life Path produce tendencies for you to engage in exaggeration, over-expansiveness, and self-righteousness. Modesty and humility may not flow easily. Imposing one's views in an interfering or meddling way must be an issue of concern.

The natural burdens of this number are heavy, and on rare occasions, responsibility is abdicated by persons with this Life Path 6. This rejection of responsibility will make you feel very guilty and uneasy, and it will have very damaging effects upon your relationships with others.

7 (7, 16/7, 25/7, 34/7)

The Life Path 7 suggests that you entered this plane with a gift for investigation, analysis, and keen observation. You are a thinker of the first order. You evaluate situations very quickly, and with amazing accuracy. As a result, you are thorough and complete in your work, the perfectionist who expects everyone else to meet a high standard of performance, too.

A Life Path 7 person is a peaceful and affectionate soul. But you guard your connection to people carefully. It's easy for you to detect deception and recognize insincere people, and you avoid them. You aren't one to have a wide circle of friends, but once you accept someone as a friend, it's for life. It's as if you must get to know someone a lot better before you allow the wall surrounding you to be penetrated. Chances are you are a very charming and refined individual with great poise and a quick wit. Nonetheless, there is an exclusiveness about you. You probably aren't a very social person. Your reserve is often taken to be aloofness, but actually, it's not that at all. It is merely a cover up for your basic feeling of insecurity. There's no rush, It takes time for you to warm up to new friends. Clubs and organizations hold little interest for you; you are not a joiner.

You actually like being alone and away from the hustle and bustle of modern life. In many ways, you would have fit in better in much earlier times when the pace of life was less hectic. You need a good deal of quiet time to be with your own inner thoughts and dreams. You dislike crowds, noise, distractions, and confusion.

The overwhelming strength of the number 7 is reflected in the depth of thinking that is shown; you will garner knowledge from practically every source that you find. Intellectual, scientific, and studious, you don't accept a premise until you have dissected the subject and arrived at your own independent conclusion.

This is a very spiritual number and it often denotes a sort of spiritual wisdom that becomes apparent at a fairly early age. A built in inner guide providing a strong sense of intuition may set you up as being a law unto yourself. Whatever spiritual position you take, whether traditional or bizarre, you will cling to it with fervor. Once you have decided an issue, it is almost impossible to get you to revisit the question. Adaptability is not your style, and change for you is a rarity.

You rely heavily on your experiences and your intuition, rather than accepting advice from someone. Your hunches usually prove to be very accurate, and knowing this, you follow the directions they seem to guide.

In the most negative use of the 7 energies, you can become very pessimistic, lackadaisical, quarrelsome, and secretive. A Life Path 7 individual who is not living life fully and gaining through experiences, is a hard person to live with because of a serious lack of consideration for others. There is such a negative attitude. Indeed, operating on the negative side of the 7 can produce a very selfish and spoiled individual and living with one can be a challenge. This may be why some 7s actually prefer living alone. If you have any of the negative traits they are very difficult to get rid of because you tend to feel that the world really does owe you a living or that in some way you are not being fairly treated.

Fortunately, the negative 7 is not the typical 7, at least not without some mitigating positive traits. This number is one that seems to have some major shifts from highs to lows. Stability in feelings may be elusive for you.

8 (8, 17/8, 26/8, 35/8)

The Life Path 8 suggests that you entered this plane armed to lead, direct, organize and govern. You are very ambitious and goal-oriented. You will want to use your ambitions, your organizational ability, and your efficient approach to carve a satisfying niche for yourself. If you are a positive 8 you are endowed with tremendous potential for conceiving far-reaching schemes and ideas, and also possessing the tenacity and independence to follow them through to completion. In short, you were born to be an executive.

You know how to manage yourself and your environment. Your ability to judge the character and potential of the people around you is an asset used to your advantage. A large part of your success in life comes from how hard you work. This Life Path is the most prone to producing workaholics. But your ability to spot good people and engage them in your endeavors is a special trait not to be overlooked. There is an inspirational quality in your makeup which allows you to become a great leader. You are practical and steady in your pursuit of major objectives, and you have the courage of your convictions when it comes to taking the necessary chances to get ahead.

With the Life Path of the number 8 you are focused on learning the satisfactions to be found in the material world. The Life Path 8 produces many powerful, confident and materially successful people. Most of your concerns involve money and learning of the power that comes with its proper manipulation.

This Life Path is perhaps the one that is the most concerned with and desirous of status as an ultimate measure of success. You want to be recognized for your hard work and achievements. The attainment of honors and acceptance into the club of executive leadership is all important. For this, you may find yourself very well suited to compete in the business world or in the political arena.

In relationships, you are frank, honest, and steadfast. You may be very much in love, but watch that you are not too busy and preoccupied to show it. Being the lavish provider is not always an adequate substitute for showing your devotion and affection in more personal ways. You have a great need for close personal relationships to mitigate and somehow soften your nature. You must find the time for love and keep it as an important project in your life.

The negative 8 can be dictatorial and often suppresses the enthusiasm and efforts of fellow member of the environment. Often, the strength of their own personality excludes close feelings for other people with whom they come in contact. Material gains and rewards often become issues of utmost importance, even to the neglect of family, home and peace of mind. Dedication to success can become an obsession. Emotional feelings are often suppressed by the negative 8, resulting in isolation and loneliness. All Life Path 8 people must avoid discounting the opinions of others.

9 (9, 18/9, 27/9, 36/9)

The Life Path 9 suggests that you entered this plane with an abundance of dramatic feelings coupled with a strong sense of compassion and generosity. The key to the nature of a Life Path number 9 person is found in their humanitarian attitude. Even the very average of those with life path 9 possess extremely compassionate tendencies.

Usually this number produces an individual that is very trustworthy and honorable, and one unlikely to harbor any sort of prejudice. Obviously, this is a rather tall order, but you are, in fact, a person that feels very deeply for individuals less fortunate than yourself, and if you are in a position to help, you certainly will. The 9, being the highest of the single digit numbers, holds an elevated position in terms of responsibilities to mankind.

Material gains are not overly important, although the quality of some life path 9 people is such that they are materially rewarded in very significant ways. In this, however, the 9 Life Path is not apt to get rich since they are very generous, sometimes to a fault, and usually have an easy come, easy go attitude about money. The rare 9 life path has a totally selfless attitude, giving up of material possessions for the common good.

The 9 Life Path indicates you have a commanding presence. You have the ability to make friends very easily, as people are attracted to your magnetic, open personality. The term "hail-fellow" may have been coined to describe a 9 Life Path, as you may indeed be one of those who is generally upbeat and heartily friendly and congenial. You meet people easily and are quickly befriended because of your openness and amiable demeanor. Your genial ways often put you in the lead in whatever field of endeavor you pursue.

Relationships can be difficult for you because it is hard to strike a balance that will work effectively. If your partner is one sharing your giving attitudes, the relationship will be happy and lasting. On the other hand, if you choose a partner whose focus is on material issues, problems will arise quickly.

You tend to be quite sensitive, as you see the world with much feeling. The number 9's very deep understanding of life is sometimes manifested in the artistic and literary fields. If drama and acting is not your forte, it will surely be an area of great interest and potential. Likewise, you may be able to express your deep emotional feelings through painting, writing, music, or other art forms.

The purpose of life for those with a 9 life path is often of a philosophical nature. Judges, spiritual leaders, healers and educators frequently have much 9 energy. The number is less inclined to the competitive business environment and may find this a struggle.

As do all the life path numbers, the 9 has its negative side. Because of the demanding nature of the truly positive 9, many tend to fail in this category. It is not uncommon for persons with the 9 life path to fight the realities and challenges of purpose imposed here because selflessness is not an easy trait. You may have difficulty believing that giving and a lack of personal ambition can be satisfying. It must be realized and accepted that little long-term satisfaction and happiness is to be gained by rejecting the natural humanitarian inclinations of this path.

System.IO.IsolatedStorage represents an isolated storage area containing files and directories

2007-01-26T09:32:00.001-08:00

StorageHelper Class

using System.IO;
using System.IO.IsolatedStorage;

namespace Utility
{
public static class StorageHelper
{

    /// <summary>
    /// Saves the content to the file.
    /// </summary>s
    public static void Save(string fileName, string content)
    {
      using (IsolatedStorageFile isoStore =
            IsolatedStorageFile.GetStore(IsolatedStorageScope.User | IsolatedStorageScope.Assembly, null, null))
      {
        using (StreamWriter writer = new StreamWriter(
                new IsolatedStorageFileStream(fileName, FileMode.Create, isoStore)))
        {
          writer.Write(content);
        }
      }
    }

    /// <summary>
    /// Loads the content of the file.
    /// </summary>
    public static string Load(string fileName)
    {
      using (IsolatedStorageFile isoStore =
            IsolatedStorageFile.GetStore(IsolatedStorageScope.User | IsolatedStorageScope.Assembly, null, null))
      {
        if (isoStore.GetFileNames(fileName).Length > 0)
        {
          using (StreamReader reader = new StreamReader(
                new IsolatedStorageFileStream(fileName, FileMode.OpenOrCreate, isoStore)))
          {
            return reader.ReadToEnd();
          }
        }
      }

      return null;
    }

    /// <summary>
    /// Deletes the file to clear the settings.
    /// </summary>
    public static void Delete(string fileName)
    {
      using (IsolatedStorageFile isoStore =
            IsolatedStorageFile.GetStore(IsolatedStorageScope.User | IsolatedStorageScope.Assembly, null, null))
      {
        if (isoStore.GetFileNames(fileName).Length > 0)
          isoStore.DeleteFile(fileName);
      }
    }

}
}

Usage : StoreAdm [options]
options : [/LIST] [/REMOVE] [/ROAMING | /MACHINE] [/QUIET]
/LIST : Displays the existing isolated storage for the current user.
/REMOVE : Removes all existing isolated storage for the current user.
/ROAMING : Select the roaming store.
/QUIET : Only error messages will be output.
/MACHINE : Select the machine store.

References

http://blog.joycode.com/musicland/archive/2004/03/10/15629.aspx
http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/system.io.isolatedstorage.isolatedstoragefile.aspx

Windows Live Search Web Service and SDK Released

2007-01-26T08:55:00.001-08:00

The Windows Live Search Team announces the release of the Live Search Web Service (previously known as the MSN Search Web Service Beta) at Jan 26, 2007. It includes new features:

Lots more sample code!

Weather and Movie Time queries

Support for keyword/placename queries (ex: coffee seattle)

Increased number of results returned (from 250 to 1,000)

Easier to write paging algorithms

Support for file type filtering

Support for the zh-CN market for Web and News queries

Local query support in additional markets

Enhanced functionality for SearchTags (ex: filtering)

So Windows Live API includes:

Microsoft adCenter API

Windows Live™ Search Web Service API

Messenger Activity SDK

Windows Live™ Messenger Add-In API

Windows Live™ Spaces MetaWeblog API

Virtual Earth Map Control SDK, Version 4.0

Windows Live™ Alerts SDK

Windows Live™ Custom Domains SDK

Windows Live™ Expo (Beta) API

Windows Live™ ID Service

Windows Live™ Toolbar Custom Button SDK

Windows Live™ Writer SDK

via: Windows Live SDK( http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb264574.aspx )

New Suite of Tools and Templates Ease Transition

2007-01-22T19:05:00.001-08:00

Microsoft continues its commitment to help customers transition from Lotus Notes/Domino in a manageable fashion to Microsoft’s unified communications and collaboration platform. This year’s release of tools and templates focuses on providing a simpler user experience and increased automation for IT administrators. These tools and templates include the following:

•Microsoft Transporter Suite for Lotus Notes. This new suite leverages a simple, unified interface, allowing customers to plan, prepare and transition their messaging and directory services as well analyze their Notes application infrastructure, determine the best course of action for applications, and move data from template-based applications to Windows^® SharePoint Services 3.0. These tools ease the migration process, even for applications, and provide a great opportunity for partners to extend the tools for advanced migration needs of customers.

Microsoft Transporter Suite for Lotus Domino configures Directory synchronization and Free/Busy lookups between Lotus Domino 6 or 7 and Exchange Server 2007 and Windows Server 2003 Active Directory. SMTP is used as the mail routing transport between Lotus Domino 6 or 7 and Exchange Server 2007.

The suite also migrates users, mail databases and applications from Lotus Domino 5, 6 or 7 to Exchange Server 2007, SharePoint 2007 and Windows Server 2003 Active Directory.

•Role-Based Templates for SharePoint My Sites. Drawing on SharePoint Server’s rich personalization capabilities and integration with line-of-business data, a set of new Role-Based Templates for SharePoint My Sites provide a quick and cost-effective starting point to create customized portals where different employees can go to find the information and tools they need to do their jobs. They include templates for the following roles: sales account manager, financial analyst, staffing specialist, administrative assistant, customer services representative, IT engineer and marketing manager.

•Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 Application Templates. To provide organizations with a starting point for creating their own custom applications, Microsoft has developed a set of 40 templates for Windows SharePoint Services 3.0. The templates make it easier for IT personnel to roll out customized applications for common business workgroup processes, allowing them to focus on more mission-critical tasks. The templates include scenarios for sales and marketing tasks, HR and finance processes, business and IT operations, project management needs, and vertical applications for education, healthcare, professional services, retail and financial organizations. In addition, organizations can use the Microsoft Transporter Suite to migrate data from template-based Notes applications to these Windows SharePoint Services application templates.

In the next 30 days, customers will be able to download these tools and templates at no charge from http://www.microsoft.com/technet/interopmigration/collaboration/default.mspx. Customers are also encouraged to visit Channel 9 for demonstrations of the transporter suite at http://channel9.msdn.com/go/mscolab/transporter and the templates at http://channel9.msdn.com/go/mscolab/rolebased.

via: http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2007/jan07/01-21LotusDominoTransitionPR.mspx

Microsoft Technical Fellows - Recognized technical leaders in the industry

2007-01-21T08:21:00.001-08:00

The special designation of “Technical Fellow” is an acknowledgement of the key role a technical leader plays in driving intentional innovation in alignment with Microsoft's business strategies, which in turn impacts the high-tech industry overall. A Technical Fellow's technical vision, expertise and world-class leadership is commensurate with that of a corporate vice president focused on business leadership. These individuals are instrumental in developing and driving technical strategies for Microsoft and the technology industry.

•Gary Flake

•Jim Gray

•Peter Spiro

via: http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/exec/techfellow/default.mspx

Download Virtual PC VHDs about Microsoft Products

2007-01-21T08:18:00.001-08:00

Please refresh this links:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/results.aspx?pocId=&amp;freetext=msvhds&amp;DisplayLang=en
Download:Microsoft Dynamics CRM 3.0 VPC 3.2GB
Download:Internet Explorer 6 Application Compatibility VPC Image 495MB
Download:Orcas - September Community Technology Preview (CTP) 3.6GB
Download:Visual Studio 2005 Team System Basics Training 5.2GB
Download:SQL Server 2005 TD VHD 2.4GB
Download:Windows Server 2003 R2 TD VHD 1.4GB
Download:ISA Server 2006 TD VHD 1.5GB
Download:Exchange Server 2007 TD VHD 1.4GB

Product Development 2.0

2007-01-21T08:15:00.001-08:00

The Move to Product Development 2.0

	Product Development 1.0	Product Development 2.0
Primary Customer Interaction Channel:	Telephone, Mail, Face-to-Face, One Way Media (Print, TV, Radio, etc.), e-mail	World Wide Web, e-mail, IM
Source of Innovation:	Organizations	Customers
Innovation Cycle:	Months, Years	Minutes, Hours, Days, Weeks
Content Creators:	Internal Producers	External Producers
Feedback Mechanisms:	Market research, satisfaction surveys, complaints, focus groups	Analytics, online requests, user contributed changes
Customer Engagement Style:	Controlled, well-defined process	Spontaneous and chaotic
Product Development Process:	Upfront design	Less upfront, much more emergent
Product Architecture:	Closed, not designed for easy extension or reuse by others; walled garden	Open, very easy to extend, refine, change and add on to, ecosystem friendly, designed (and legal) for widespread remixing and mashups
Product Development Culture:	Hierarchical, centralized, Not Invented Here, somewhat collaborative, expert-driven	Egalitarian, decentralized, remix instead of reinvent, highly collaborative, Wisdom of Crowds
Product Testing:	Internal, dedicated test groups, hand-picked select customers	Users as testers
Customer Support:	Customer Service	User Community
Product Promotion:	One-Way Marketing and Advertising	Viral propagation, explicit leveraging of network effects, word of mouth, user generated and other two-way advertising
Business Model:	Product Sales, Customer Service and Support Fees, Service Access Charges, Servicing High Demand Products	Advertising, Subscriptions, Product Sales, Servicing All Product Niches (The Long Tail), Unintended Uses
Customer Relationship:	External Buyer (Consumer)	Partner and -- increasingly remunerated -- Supplier (Consumers as Producers )
Product Ownership:	Institution, particularly executive management and shareholders	Entire User Community
Partnering Process:	Formal, explicit, infrequent, mediated	Ad hoc, thousands of partners online, disintermediated
Product Development and Integration Tools:	Heavyweight, formal, complex, expensive, time-consuming, enterprise-oriented	Lightweight, informal, simple, free, fast, consumer-oriented
Competitive Advantage:	Superior products, legal barriers to entry (IP protections), brand name advantage, price, popularity, distribution channel agreements	#1 or #2 market leader, leveraging crowdsourcing effectively, mass customization, control over hard-to-create data, end-user sense of ownership, popularity, cost-effective customer self-service, audience size, best-of-breed architectures of participation

via: http://web2.wsj2.com/product_development_20.htm

Software Wars

2007-01-21T08:06:00.001-08:00

via: http://mshiltonj.com/software_wars/current/