Technology Enthuz Group

Imagine Cup 2014 India Finals People Choice Award to PRO-N-APPS

2014-05-04T10:56:00.000+05:30

Imagine Cup is an annual competition sponsored and hosted by Microsoft Corp. which brings together young technologists worldwide to help resolve some of the world's toughest challenges. The Imagine Cup comprises many major technology competitions, such as Windows 8 Windows Phone app Challenge, Office app challenge etc. and three other main challenges Innovation, World Citizenship & Games (although the challenges get updated annually). All Imagine Cup competitors create projects that address the Imagine Cup theme. This year 2014 theme is "All dreams are now welcome.". The Imagine Cup Worldwide finals have been held all over the globe. The Imagine Cup 2014 Worldwide Finals will be held in Seattle, US at Microsoft Redmond Campus.

After this introduction, I’m proud to say that I was one of the Innovation Category finalists in this year finals from India. Me, and three of my friends (Nitin Patil, Pruthviraj Mohite and Santosh Patil) team PRO-N-APPS presented the “Diet Alarm”, which is our solution to help every user of this app in maintaining their health with the help of proper diet and exercise reminders given by the Doctor, Dietitian & Gym Trainers, so that they will remain safe from all the small or any major diseases, as most of the people get suffered from diseases because of Improper Diet and lack of exercise only as they are careless about their health in their busy schedule of work, Also they will get direct connected with the any Doctor and Dietitian & Gym Trainer to get proper help about their diet and exercise anytime anywhere also from this app Doctor and Dietitian & Gym Trainer also can do their business. Our goal was to use our expertise in Information Technology to replenish and organize medical development in areas which would benefit from it the most.

Though our solution wasn’t able to select in Worldwide Semifinals, but we are proud to have the winners of People Choice Award Facebook from whole India Teams, As most of our idea get more valuable comments and most of the people like our app and they proven that by their views on Facebook.

I’m really proud to become one of the winner of People Choice Award as it shows the support from people which we received for our app which is for Health Domain and which allow us to test our skills against with the brilliant minds in other universities across the country. Certainly it was really a good challenge to have, which also associates a great learning curve. If you are an IT student, I would like to ask you to face this challenge, where you will learn a lot and certainly you will also help the world by creating some innovative thing and make dreams come true or change the world by solving the problems faced by them.

Finally I would like to thank Somnath Banik (A Nokia Developer Champion), whose articles helped me to learn many complex area in an easy way, and win this contest, As I am beginner to app development but the articles of Somnath Banik on Nokia Forums helped me a lot to develop our app and carry it to Imagine Cup National Finals.

I would conclude this with wishing all the best for other teams those went for Next rounds of Worldwide finals and please make us proud by bringing the glory to India.

Privacy Policy for Windows 8 Apps

2012-11-17T20:59:00.002+05:30

None of your data will be used, collected or processed. Doesn't Store or ask the user to Enter any of his Credentials. This application only streams videos and nothing more. No IP address, not tinkering, no sneaking information around. Your data, connection, device type and so on will never be collected. Ever! This app simply uses internet to call a Service to manipulate the data. That’s it. So rest assured, all is well with My Apps on Windows 8.

If you have any questions send us an email to develope1stindia@gmail.com

Facebook - http://facebook.com/develope1stindia

The App Doesn't Violate the Privacy of the User.

Thank you for your interest in our app.

Trademark @ Aditya Rajendra Patil & Mukund Bhanudas Mestry

Windows reimagined. #Windows8

2012-10-26T10:53:00.001+05:30

The world has been waiting for Windows 8. And we are excited to deliver Windows 8 to the world.

Today events are happening all across the globe to celebrate tomorrow’s general availability of Windows 8.

Windows 8 represents a re-imagining of Windows. It provides a personalized experience with a beautiful new user interface that puts you at the center. You get a great experience for entertainment AND creating content all on the same device, either with touch or with a mouse and keyboard. No compromise.

Windows 8 comes to life through a range of exciting new apps available through the grand opening of the Windows Store and new hardware from our OEM partners.

Onstage at a special event with press in New York earlier this morning, we showed off Windows 8 including some of our favorite new apps and hardware.

The Windows Store makes it super easy to discover, buy and install new apps in Windows 8. Friday , when Windows 8 becomes available – customers will find lots of interesting new third party apps in the Windows Store to install such as Evernote, LivingSocial, Cocktail Flow, Hulu, Wikipedia and Urbanspoon to name a few. Many apps from the Windows Store are free to try before you make a purchase and Windows 8 allows you to try and then remove any app without leaving a trace.

When we reimagined Windows, we also reimagined the PC experience from the ground up - and we are excited to have over 1,000 Windows 8 certified devices that will be in market beginning tomorrow. There is a Windows device for everyone. Our OEM partners are introducing a variety of new form factors. And at our press event today we showed off examples of from many of those form factors: beautiful tablets running Windows RT with instant on and extra-long battery life like the Asus Vivo Tab RT and our own Microsoft Surface, compact, touch-enabled x86 tablets like the Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet 2 to convertible PCs that switch effortlessly between PC and tablet like the Dell XPS 12, to thin & light Ultrabooks like the ASUS UX31 Touch, the Sony VAIO Duo 11 or Acer Aspire S7-191 to large, powerful all-in-one PCs with high-definition screens like the Dell XPS One 27”, the HP Envy 23 TouchSmart or Samsung Series 7. And you’ll catch many of these devices and PCs in our new ads.

If you missed our live webcast of our press event from New York this morning, you’ll be able to watch it on-demand here at the Microsoft News Center.

We will continue to celebrate the impending availability of Windows 8 today here in New York with a variety of activities leading up to midnight. Starting at 9:30pm (EST), several our OEM partners will be giving New Yorkers and visitors alike a chance to get hands on with their new Windows 8 hardware in Times Square. And the first Microsoft Holiday Store will also open at Times Square at midnight (EST). And don’t miss Times Square where Windows 8 will be featured on over 39 digital boards in the largest takeover of Times Square to date! We’ll be tweeting from Times Square all evening and posting photos so be sure to follow @Windows for all the latest!

Also here in New York at Pier 57 is an immersive and interactive 160-foot “mini” Manhattan – called Microtropolis – where the neighborhoods are represented through Windows 8 touch-enabled PCs and devices. New Yorkers can stop by and walk right into the experience through the avenues and streets. Hundreds of devices are scattered along the rooftops within the neighborhoods. We partnered with local artists, chefs, designers and other notable New Yorkers to curate their respective neighborhood experiences within the Windows 8 for all the devices within Microtropolis. This unique experience illustrates how Windows 8 can be personalized with all the things that are important to you.

Our launch activity is truly global. We’ll be sharing photos and video from New York and many of the Windows 8 launch events from around the world (including Microsoft’s campus in Redmond) through our Windows Facebook page and our Windows YouTube channel.

In 140 countries, people will be able to upgrade to Windows 8 Pro for $39.99 (U.S.) online at Windows.com in 37 supported languages and 23 supported currencies starting 12:01 am October 26^thmarket-by-market. You can also stop by your local retailer to pick up a Windows 8 upgrade, including special pricing on a Windows 8 Pro upgrade.

If you purchased a Windows 7 PC between June 2^nd, 2012, and January 31^st, 2013, you can register for the Windows Upgrade Offer where you can upgrade to Windows 8 Pro for just $14.99 (U.S.). Those of you who have already registered for the Windows Upgrade Offer, you will be able to redeem your upgrade. Our OEM partners are also bringing new Windows 8 PCs and devices to market and are available for purchase in stores and online starting tomorrow. If you pre-ordered a Windows 8 PC or device, those pre-orders will start shipping if they haven’t already!

Also starting tomorrow, we are excited to have various retailers across the world announcing new Windows 8 offers for their customers. Below you will find a list of offers from retailers here in the U.S.:

Staples:

Tablet Trade-in and Trade Up Offer - Consumers can trade in a working old tablet, buy a new Windows 8 tablet and receive up to a $250 Visa Giftcard. Available In-Store and Online 10/26/12 – 12/24/12. Customers must register their tablet here within 14 days of purchasing their new Windows 8 tablet at Staples. Customers will receive a prepaid label in the mail to ship back the old tablet.
Buy a new Windows 8 device and get Free PC Start-Up, Free Training and Free Support.
Buy a new Windows 8 device regularly $699 or more, and receive Free PC Start-Up, Free Training and Free Support and Free Data Transfer.
For more information the Windows 8 offers, click here.

Best Buy:

PC Home Makeover - includes Samsung Series 5 laptop, Samsung Series 5 Touch Screen All-In-One, Samsung Series 5 Touch Screen Ultrabook, 1 year Geek Squad Support, 1 year Kaspersky Antivirus and PC Data Transfer for $1,999. Available Online and in-store beginning 10/26, while supplies last.
Buy 2 Samsung Touch LTs and 1 Samsung AIO, save $600 ($2,599 down to $1,999).
For more information on the Windows 8 offers, click here.

Intel:

Trade In/Trade Up– Bring in a working laptop (any PC as long as it can power on) and get at least $100 towards a new Intel-Inspired Ultrabook.

The global list of retail offers can be found here.

We are very excited to bring Windows 8 to market and into your hands. For more on Windows 8, visit the brand new Windows.com!

Microsoft to introduce MSN for Windows 8

2012-10-02T17:26:00.001+05:30

Today’s era is of hand-held touch devices, smartphones, tablets and Windows 8 along with Internet Explorer 10 changing the way we use devices and Internet. Microsoft is ready for the biggest product launch on October 26 which is Windows 8. On this day MSN for Windows 8 is also going to be released with a new delightful and refreshing look. MSN is one of the most visited sites having more than 480 million visitors per month.

MSN products includes:

News
Fox Sports
Entertainment
Money
Autos
Living
Healthy Living
Now

To harness the new and advanced technical experiences in Windows 8 and Internet Explorer 10, MSN products are reimagined from scratch in order to give an increasingly touch and tablet-friendly world.

MSN for Windows 8

Top features so thought deeply while re-imagining MSN are:

Reimagined exclusively for Windows 8 and Internet Explorer 10
Comprehensive and consistent
Built for touch. Sleek, simple and seamless.
Built to work with the best of Windows 8 including Snap and Flip Ahead.

MSN for Windows 8 tagline is Breaking headlines. Breakneck speed.

MSN for Windows 8 is a perfect destination for reading about news, sports or money bought to you from variety of trusted sources, Associated Press and Reuters. A short succinct will be provided of 300-500 words with quick snap-shots of information from where you can navigate to detailed page with ease. But to feel the new intuitive and consistent wait for October 26. Stay tuned for updates about new features of MSN products.

Register for Windows 8 AppFest at Bengaluru (September 2012)

2012-09-05T07:34:00.000+05:30

Microsoft India presents Windows 8 AppFest, the world’s largest coding marathon for building great apps for Windows 8. It is going to happen on 21st and 22nd September 2012 at Bengaluru, Karnataka.

If you have the passion to learn and build a quality app for Windows 8 with the help of Microsoft Engineers and trainers, don’t forget to register for it to attend.

What is Windows 8 AppFest?

Windows 8 AppFest is the the world’s largest coding marathon for building great apps for Windows 8. Bring your vision, laptop to AppFest for a chance to transform your dream into a Windows Store download. Starting on September 21st and continuing for 18 hours, thousands of talented programmers and designers will gather in Bengaluru to bring their dreams to life.

Onsite staff will be available to assist AppFest participants with preparing their apps for eventual submission to the Windows Store. You will have the opportunity to have Microsoft staff run your app through a series of quality checks in addition to discussing techniques to make your app even better. It will offer you a rare opportunity to realize your vision, discuss your designs, and gain valuable insights into the art and science of Windows 8 app creation. Participation is free and you can be assured of a comfortable environment to code.

How can I Participate?

This event is Free of Cost. If you want to be part of that community to build a quality app for Windows 8 Store, Register for the event and submit your application idea first. This will be verified by Microsoft professional and based on that, they will invite you for this event.

The registration process already started. If you want to take part in that from 21st September 2012 – 22nd September 2012, register for it today and submit your app idea now.

Registration	21-Sept-2012	09:00 AM
Opening Remarks	21-Sept-2012	01:15 PM
Coding Begins	21-Sept-2012	02:00 PM
Coding Ends	22-Sept-2012	08:00 AM

There are 20 categories currently available in the Windows Store and you can choose any one of them for your Win8 application. The 20 categories under which nomination can be submitted are as follows:

Books & reference - Apps related to books, reading, and reference materials.
Business - Apps related to running and succeeding in business.
Education - Apps related to education, teaching, or learning.
Entertainment - Apps for fun and general entertainment.
Finance - Apps for managing personal finances.
Food & Dining - Apps related to food, cooking, or dining.
Games - Apps and games for fun.
Government - Apps created by or for use by government agencies.
Health & Fitness - Apps for maintaining good health and fitness.
Lifestyle - Apps related to leisure activities, hobbies, and other interests.
Music & Video - Apps for the creating, listening, or viewing of music and videos.
News & Weather - Apps for news and weather, including current events and celebrity gossip.
Photo - Apps related to photography, image processing, and sharing.
Productivity - Apps related to personal productivity, such as scheduling, organization, and communication.
Security - Apps related to the security of a PC, such as antivirus, anti-malware, and firewalls.
Shopping - Apps related to online shopping.
Social - Apps related to social media and social networking.
Sports - Apps related to sports.
Tools - Apps that help users complete a specific task, such as calculators.
Travel - Apps related to travel, such as currency converters, trip planners, and travel guides.

Here is the venue details:

Karnataka Trade Promotion Organisation,
121, EPIP Industrial Area, 5, Whitefield,
Bengaluru - 560066, Karnataka

How to Capture a Screenshot as File in Windows 8?

2012-09-05T07:26:00.000+05:30

Today in this small post we will learn how to capture a screenshot of your installed applications in Windows 8 RTM. Whether it is desktop app or a Windows 8 app, you will be able to take screenshot by just pressing a key combination without installing any other software.

Not only that, the captured screenshot will be saved to your hard drive as an image file, so that you can directly access them. Continue to read more about it.

This is a new feature introduced in Windows 8, which can capture and save the screen as image in your hard drive without using any 3rd party software. You just have to press a key combination in your keyboard and that job will be done.

Prior to Windows 8, we had two different screenshot mechanism:

Capture the entire screen by pressing “Print Screen” in your keyboard
Capture the active Window by pressing “Alt + Print Screen” in your keyboard

With addition to that, Windows 8 has another key combination that captures and save the entire screen in your Pictures library. To do this, navigate to Windows 8 Start Screen and/or open a Windows 8 application or desktop application. Now press Alt + “Print Screen” in your keyboard.

You will find all the captured screenshots under the “Screenshots” folder in your “Picture Library”. To check out them, go to “File Explorer”, navigate to “Libraries –> Pictures”. There you will find the folder name “Screenshots”. Open it to get all the captured images in that folder.

All the images will be stored in chronological order. The point that I noticed here is, you can’t reset it to any number. Also, if you move/remove the last saved picture, it still continue the file naming and doesn’t continue with the removed file name.

Windows 8 Introduces New Sets of Keyboard Shortcuts

2012-09-05T07:24:00.000+05:30

Windows 8 RTM is currently available for MSDN Subscribers and also a 90 days trial available for the general users. Microsoft already planned to release it for general consumers availability on 26th October 2012.

Windows 8 has some new sets of keyboard shortcuts which I am going to share here in this blog post. I hope, you will like it. So, continue reading.

Here are the new keyboard shortcuts which has been added to the Windows 8:

Keyboard Shortcut	Description
Windows key	Switches between Windows 8 Start Screen and Desktop
Win + D	Brings back the Windows 8 desktop
Win + C	Brings up the Charms menu at the right side
Win + I	Brings up the Windows 8 Settings panel where you can change volume, wireless networks, shut down or adjust the brightness
Win + X	Brings up the Tools memu
Win + Z	Brings the AppBar of the currently running Windows 8 application
Win + H	Brings the Windows 8 Share panel
Win + Q	Brings the Windows 8 Application search panel at the right side
Win + W	Brings up the Windows 8 Settings search screen
Win + F	Brings up the Windows 8 File search screen
Win + K	Brings up the Devices panel from where you can connect to a projector or some other device
Win + P	Brings up the second screen to connect a projector directly
Win + , (comma)	Aero Peek at the desktop
Win + Tab	Brings the Windows 8 application switcher menu to switch between applications
Win + . (period)	Attaches the current Windows 8 application to one side of the screen
Win + Shift + . (period)	Attaches the current Windows 8 application to other side of the screen
Win + Print Screen	Captures screenshot as a File in the Pictures Library
Win + Page Up / Down	Moves the current app to the other monitor

Bookmark this post for future reference. Also, if you find more keyboard shortcuts newly added to Windows 8, drop a line below and I will add them in this list.

Microsoft Unveils a Fresh New Logo and Identity

2012-08-24T06:32:00.000+05:30

Microsoft Unveils a Fresh New Logo and Identity

In advance of one of the most significant waves of product launches in Microsoft’s history, today we are unveiling a new logo for the company.

It’s been 25 years since we’ve updated the Microsoft logo and now is the perfect time for a change. This is an incredibly exciting year for Microsoft as we prepare to release new versions of nearly all of our products. From Windows 8 to Windows Phone 8 to Xbox services to the next version of Office, you will see a common look and feel across these products providing a familiar and seamless experience on PCs, phones, tablets and TVs. This wave of new releases is not only a reimagining of our most popular products, but also represents a new era for Microsoft, so our logo should evolve to visually accentuate this new beginning.

The Microsoft brand is about much more than logos or product names. We are lucky to play a role in the lives of more than a billion people every day. The ways people experience our products are our most important “brand impressions”. That’s why the new Microsoft logo takes its inspiration from our product design principles while drawing upon the heritage of our brand values, fonts and colors.

The logo has two components: the logotype and the symbol. For the logotype, we are using the Segoe font which is the same font we use in our products as well as our marketing communications. The symbol is important in a world of digital motion (as demonstrated in the video above.) The symbol’s squares of color are intended to express the company’s diverse portfolio of products.

Starting today, you’ll see the new Microsoft logo being used prominently. It will be used on Microsoft.com – the 10th most visited website in the world. It is in three of our Microsoft retail stores today (Boston, Seattle’s University Village and Bellevue, Wash.) and will shine brightly in all our stores over the next few months. It will sign off all of our television ads globally. And it will support our products across various forms of marketing. Fully implementing a change like this takes time, so there may be other instances where you will see the old logo being used for some time.

We’re excited about the new logo, but more importantly about this new era in which we’re re-imagining how our products can help people and businesses throughout the world realize their full potential.

Outlook on mobile – How to guide

2012-08-21T06:59:00.004+05:30

Hotmail or Outlook -
Hotmail is the biggest email service in the world, born in 1995, enjoys helping you clean your inbox, interactive messages, and being the efficient way to do email. So are you an addict to Hotmail or don’t wanna miss any mails and be connected anytime, anywhere then just see how to get hotmail on your mobile step by step. And now you can get in your mobile. It is available on all major smartphones.

Experience of Hotmail is now changed and Outlook.com is the future. Steps to use Outlook are same as of the Hotmail. Check it out.

Outlook for Windows Phone: As you get Outlook on your Windows Phone, all your email, contacts, photos and feeds will be synced to your phone. Your Windows Live Id which is asked when you first setup your Windows Phone is your Hotmail address and even if you have more than one Windows Live-ID you can sync that too. Simply follow the steps to add more Hotmail accounts on your phone:

Click Start and flick left for App list.
Now tap Settings, and then tap email+accounts.
To add account, tap Add an account.
Now tap on Windows Live to add Outlook account.
Tap on Email address box and type one.
Tap on Password and type corresponding one.
Tap Sign in. And you’re done.

Outlook on your iPhone, iPad, & iPod:

Its very easy to setup Outlook on Apple products and you can then get your mails, contacts, calendar, folders, photos synced to your product. To setup Hotmail on iPhone with iOS 5 follow the steps:

Tap Settings, then tap Mail, Contacts, Calendar.
Now tap Add Account in the Accounts Page.
And then Tap Windows Live Hotmail.

Simply enter your Windows Live ID and corresponding pasword and enter a name in Description field for identification purpose.

Choose the fields you need to be synced. Make them ON and tap on Save.

You can watch this video to see a simply step by step procedure to the same:

Note: In case you don’t have iOS 5 then connect your device to your PC and follow the instructions in iTunes.

If your device is not running iOS 5 then also you can get Outlook on your device, follow the steps:

Tap Settings, then tap Mail, Contacts, Calendar.
Now tap Add Account in the Accounts Page.
And then Tap Microsoft Exchange.
Fill details like your Name, your Hotmail address, and your Hotmail password and leave Domain blank.
Enter description and then tap Next.
If your previous step succeeds, you’ll see your mails, contacts, calendar with options to turn them on or off. Choose fields you want to sync and then tap Save.
And you’re done.

Outlook on your Android:

To get hotmail for your Android simply download Hotmail app by Microsoft+SEVEN from Android Market.

With the help of this app now you get email instantly, browse your folders and subfolders, access more than one Hotmail account, send, recieve and view attachements on your phone and much more.

or Scan the following QR Code to access the Outlook:

Outlook on your Nokia device:

To get Outlook on your Nokia device is very easy, follow the steps if you own a Nokia C6-00, Nokia C6-01, Nokia C7-00, Nokia E7-00, or Nokia N8-00:

From your home screen select E-mail setup and now choose Start e-mail setup.
Allow application to use network to send and receive data? screen will come. Choose yes.
Now select your email service provider from the list so appears and if its not there then select Other.
Give your credentials like full Outlook address and password. Your email settings will be automatically loaded.
And it’s done. Now you can access your mail by Selecting your account. No need to re-enter your email address or password.

If you own Nokia S40 then follow these steps:

From your home screen select Mail.
Choose Get the latest service.
Now select your internet connection.
Select I agree after reading the service terms and privacy policy.
Now select your email service provider from the list so appears and if its not there then select Other.
Give your credentials like full Hotmail address and password. Your email settings will be automatically loaded.

Outlook on your BlackBerry phone:

Follow the given steps and enjoy services of Outlook on your BlackBerry:

Select Setup wizard to go to email setup screen or tap Email setup or Email settings from home screen of your phone.
Select Create or add an email address. Microsoft Software License Terms will be prompted to you.
Select Hotmail from the Email setup screen.( or if you’re lucky you’ll directly go to your credential entering screen. )
Give your credentials like full Hotmail address and password, and then tap Next.
An account setup confirmation message will come if steps so performed are successful.
Click Close or OK to exit email setup.

For other phones access your Outlook from your Internet browser by going to http://www.outlook.com/.

Outlook.com – Modern & Smart way of mailing

2012-08-21T06:53:00.001+05:30

Microsoft is turning everything into Metro and giving its user the best User Experience. With the same goal, Mail service of Microsoft has been reimagined and a preview of the new Outlook.com has been delivered to the world.

Outlook.com – modern email designed for the next billion mailboxes, is that mail service which is fresh, smart, powerful, modern, connected and in control. With lots of enhancements and improvements Outlook is ready to use as a preview and available at http://www.outlook.com.

Outlook gives you freedom to connect to your people so that you stay updated with your contacts from Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Skype. With a clean and clutter-free inbox Outlook.com provides with the best, simple, streamlined mailbox experience. Have a look of the UI of Outlook here:

Watch Outlook in action:

How to get started:

It’s very easy to get an @Outlook.com email address and experience what the millions of others experiencing: Existing Hotmail customer have to click on “Upgrade” from the options menu of Hotmail in order to get upgraded to Outlook.com preview. While you upgrade your existing Hotmail account to Outlook.com, your email address, contacts, password, old email, and rules will remain unchanged and you can send/receive email from your @hotmail.com or @msn.com or @live.com address in the same way it was. Even if you want to add an @Outlook.com email address to your account, it’s so simple.
Users of other mail service like Gmail, Yahoo or any other can also have a preview of Outlook by visiting http://outlook.com/. Either sign in with your Microsoft account if any or signup for a new account with an @Outllook.com email address and then set up your Gmail or your other email service to forward your mail to Outlook.com address.
If you are not using any email service then what you are waiting for, go to Outlook.com and try the best email service right now.

In case while using Outlook preview you face any problem or something is not working as it has to be, please give Feedback to the Outlook team from the Feedback option from the Options menu in the Outlook.com.

How to bypass product key while installing Windows 8

2012-08-21T06:49:00.000+05:30

Microsoft has released Windows 8 to MSDN/TechNet subscribers and few other channels starting from August 15th. Few weeks ago; I got lucky to lay hands on it and I noticed that Windows 8 doesn’t allow keyless installation, like Windows 7, by default.

But after doing some R&D I have found a way to bypass the product key wizard while performing the installation. And in this article, you’ll learn how to suppress product key prompt while installing Windows 8.

Note: The following method is effective, legal, and does not requires a lot of technical expertise.

Prerequisites:

Windows 8 ISO
WinRAR / WinZip or other ISO extracting tool
Windows ADK (Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit)

How To:

First of all, Download and extract the ISO file of Windows 8 RTM version you own.
Open Notepad to create a file with following code structure and save as ei.cfg in Sources folder.

[EditionID]
{Edition ID}
[Channel]
{Channel Type}
[VL]
{Volume License}

Core

Pro

Enterprise

OEM

Retail

[EditionID]
Core
[Channel]
Retail
[VL]
0

Now create the bootable ISO and burn your product key prompt suppressed Windows 8 installation disc.

Microsoft starts Windows 8 upgrade offer in 140 Countries

2012-08-21T06:44:00.004+05:30

Microsoft, a month back announced an upgrade offer for the users who are willing to buy a new laptop or PC with Windows 8 but waiting for the release of final version of Windows 8. Under this Windows 8 upgrade if you buy a Windows 7 PC (Windows 7 Home Basic, Home Premium, Professional or Ultimate edition) between 2 June 2012 and 31 January 2013, you can easily upgrade to Windows 8 Pro at a special promotional price of $14.99.

So from today Microsoft started the Windows 8 upgrade offer and made available in 140 countries. Windows 8 Upgrade Assistant makes your upgrading simple by walking you through the upgrade process step-by-step process.

Microsoft said on Windowsupgradeoffer Website that :

After you have been confirmed as registered for the Windows Upgrade Offer and after the general release of Windows 8 on October 26, 2012, you will receive an email with a unique promotion code, instructions for ordering, and a link to the ordering website. You will need to follow the instructions provided to you to obtain your copy of Windows 8 Pro at a promotional price.

So if you are ready to use this offer head towards Windowsupgradeoffer Website and checkout all the details that you require during the up-gradation. Prior to that the users who wants to utilize this offer they have to register at the Windows Upgrade Offer web site by February 28, 2013.

How to create bootable Windows 8 ISO DVD using Oscdimg.exe

2012-08-21T06:43:00.002+05:30

Sometimes you want to install Windows from a bootable DVD but all you’ve got are just flat Windows installation files in hand. The same thing has happened with me also, in my case I downloaded Windows 8 RTM build which was leaked earlier this month. There was no direct bootable ISO image, all I got are flat installation files in the downloaded package. So, it was required to create a bootable ISO of Windows 8 from the set of files, prior to begin installation.

In order to do that, I have used the Assessment and Deployment Kit for Windows 8 (formally known as WAIK). And in this blog post, you will walk through the step by step instructions to create a bootable ISO of Windows 8.

Prerequisites:

oscdimg.exe- A command line CD-ROM and DVD-ROM pre-mastering utility to create bootable ISOs of Microsoft Windows. And you will get it once you’ll install ADK for Windows 8. You can download it from here, for instance: http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=30652
Windows 8 Setup files

How To:

First of all, you’ll need all the Windows 8 installation files at one place. For example, I copied all of them within a folder (C:\WIN8AIO).
Run Deployment and Imaging Tools Environment (Command Prompt) as Administrator and then type the following:

oscdimg.exe –l<Disc_Label> -m -u2 –b<path_of_bootable_img_file> <path_of_installation_source> <path_with_filename_is_to_be_created>

-l is used to set volume label of DVD
-m is used to create bigger image file than 700MB
-u2 is used to create UDF file system for DVD
-b is used to locate boot image of DVD

For example:
oscdimg.exe -lWIN8AIO -m -u2 -bC:\WIN8AIO\boot\etfsboot.com C:\WIN8AIO C:\WIN8AIO.ISO

Creating bootable ISO DVD using Oscdimg.exe

It will scan the source tree, begin creating the image, and when it will be done, you’ll have a bootable ISO file for Windows 8 ready.
Now just burn your new ISO image on a DVD media using any third party software like NERO, ROXIO, ImageBurn, etc.

Windows 8 RTM Now Available for MSDN and TechNet Subscribers

2012-08-16T06:03:00.002+05:30

As we previously blogged, today MSDN & TechNet Subscribers will be able to download Windows 8 RTM.

The bits are available now!

The RTM build string is 6.2.9200.16384 (win8_rtm.120725-1247). For more information on Windows 8 Availability, please see this blog post.

From today onwards, people with MSDN or TechNet subscription can go to Subscriber Downloads section to download the various original Windows 8 RTM DVD ISO images.

TechNet: http://technet.microsoft.com/subscriptions/downloads/default.aspx
MSDN: https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/subscriptions/downloads/default.aspx

The genuine activation product keys to activate Windows 8 RTM can also be generated, although the free Release Preview of Windows 8 is still available and usable for general public.

But if it is not enough! and you want to try out RTM bits. There is a “Evaluation” version that provides a 90-day trial of Windows 8 Enterprise edition.

Things to Know Before You Start

The evaluation edition will expire and cannot be upgraded.

To upgrade, the evaluation must be uninstalled and a non-evaluation version of Windows must be re-installed from your original installation media.

Consider running the evaluation edition in a virtual environment or installing on a separate hard drive or partition. The will allow you to upgrade your original Windows installation to Windows 8.

During registration (required) you must login with a Microsoft account and provide your name, e-mail address and country.

You are required to activate the product online within 10 days after installing.

Once the evaluation is installed, you cannot upgrade. To revert to a previous version of Windows, you must do a clean install from your original installation media.

Activation and Usage Guidelines

Back up your files and settings before installing this evaluation and again prior to the 90-day expiration.

Upon installation, you will have 10 days to activate this evaluation online. Windows will prompt you to activate. A product key is not required for this software.

You must complete activation before August 15, 2013, to use this evaluation.

Once you activate, you have up to 90 days to use the software. You can track the amount of time you have left by referring to the “watermark” in the lower right corner of the Windows desktop.

If you fail to activate this evaluation within the 10-day grace period, or if your evaluation period expires, the desktop background will turn black, you will see a persistent desktop notification indicating that the system is not genuine, and the PC will shut down every hour losing unsaved work.

Following the evaluation period, you will need to replace the operating system on your test computer and reinstall all your programs and data. It is not possible to upgrade the evaluation to a licensed working version of Windows 8. A clean installation is required.

Windows 8 Enterprise [32bit]

Windows 8 Enterprise [64bit]

Windows 8 to hit store shelves on October 26th 2012

2012-08-16T05:58:00.002+05:30

Start your timer! Steven Sinofsky at Microsoft’s annual sales meeting has announced the much-anticipated release date of Windows 8 that it will hit store shelves on October 26th 2012. That means that consumers will be able to purchase OS as well as Surface RT tablet starting October 26.

Steven Sinofsky announces Windows 8 GA

Earlier this month at WPC Tami Reller told attendees Windows 8 would be RTM’d by first week of August and Software Assurance Customers can expect to have access as early as August.

Windows 8 will be RTM’d by first week of August

2012-08-16T05:56:00.002+05:30

Finally We have official words on General Availability of Windows 8. At WPC 2012, Microsoft’s Tami Reller has announced that the Windows 8 will be RTM’d by first week of August; and will hit the market in 109 languages across 231 markets worldwide in October.

Microsoft’s Tami Reller at WPC 2012

She also confirmed that enterprises with Software Assurance, will have full access to Windows 8 RTM bits as early as August. This means that MSDN & TechNet subscribers and Connect users may also have early access to Windows 8 RTM.

Microsoft Office 2013 Cool new Features

2012-08-16T05:46:00.002+05:30

Office 2013 aka(Also Known As) Office 15 Unveiled!

Microsoft Office 2013 (Customer Preview) has been released for general public availability. If you didn’t yet download it, check out the blog post for download links: “Download Office 2013 Customer Preview”

I have just downloaded and was stunned with the absolute beauty of metro integration and new features.In this post,I will share with you the cool features available in Office 2013 suite.

What’s new in Office 2013?

DESIGNED FOR TOUCH FIRST!

Microsoft Office 2013 has touch functionalities which easily responds to touch as it does with keyboard and mouse. Zoom-in or zoom-out your documents using your fingers in a touch devices. The new Windows 8 Metro compatibility with new metro UI makes it more visually stunning application for Windows 8 and Windows RT devices including Surface Tablet.

ROAM YOUR DOCUMENTS ACROSS CLOUD!

You can now easily store your documents in the cloud (SkyDrive, SharePoint etc.) and retrieve or save your documents from anywhere in the world having internet connectivity. You can keep your outlook contacts and social networks well connected and get the updates of your contacts easily from a single application.

Collaboration with team made it easy to discuss and share your views using Word, Excel, PowerPoint. Leverage the complete power of individual Office 15 product and efficiently work in your business.

ADDED new COMMENTING SYSTEM! Damn love it…

Here are few new features that you can find in Microsoft Word 2013:

New reading mode will allow your text to reflow automatically in columns to make them easier to read
New zooming feature will allow you to zoom-in and zoom-out tables, charts, images and other objects by just a tap or mouse click to see the details of that object
Word 2013 automatically bookmarks the position where you last read that section and makes your life easier by resuming the document from that position
You can now fine tune your documents layout by drag and drop an object to it’s proper position. The text will reflow instantly as you start dragging
You can align your charts, photos, diagrams etc. with the help of alignment grids
The new comment functionality allows you to place comments in the document just near to the text that you want to discuss
The commenting system allows you to track the whole conversation
You can now share your documents easily to your team by saving directly to SkyDrive or SharePoint site
Enhanced permission to your documents will help you to control the security of the document
Using browser your readers will be able to view the document online even they don’t have Word processor installed in their PC
You can now open a PDF in word 2013 and that will look just like you opened a word document

Here are few new features that you can find in Microsoft Excel 2013:

You can now analyze your complete excel sheet and make it easy to visualize the records
Excel will now recommend the charts that visualize your data patterns properly
You can quickly preview your chart and graph options to change the visualization to a different pattern that best suits your records
Discover various ways to represent your data visually using the Excel 2013
Formatting charts and tables now a single click away
Fine tune your charts easily and quickly by using the chart formatting control to represent in new and more interactive way
Discover the insights and easily extract what you need from the imported records
Summarize data automatically with previous values using the Pivot table
Reformat and rearrange your data easily using the flash fill mechanism
Excel learns and recognizes your pattern and auto fills the remaining cells without using any additional formulas and macros
Sharing of sheets is now very easy. You can share your sheet by saving the document in SkyDrive or SharePoint
Proper and enhanced permission secures your worksheet from unauthorized activity
Invite people to view the excel sheet right from the application itself
Share selected portion of your sheet on the social networking media without using any 3rd party plug-ins
Share and collaborate between your team members during meetings

Here are few new features that you can find in Microsoft PowerPoint 2013:

It has a wide screen theme and shapes to create visually stunning presentations
Improved collaboration has been added in PowerPoint 2013
Like Word 2013, you can comment inside the slide itself and also you can reply to the existing comment
Comment history is traceable so everyone can easily see the whole conversation
Save your presentation on SkyDrive or SharePoint and collaborate with others easily
You and your team can do collaboration work on the same file from desktop and web application
The new start screen has the feature to select the recent documents and other stuffs easily
Various themes and color schemes are present in PowerPoint 2013 for you to choose from
Fine tune your presentations by aligning the content properly with the help of grid
You can now create complex shapes by using the union, combine, fragment, intersect and subtract tools
It now has zooming functionality by which you can now zoom-in and zoom-out your slides for better visibility during the presentation
Easily switch slides in or out across a extended monitor correctly

Here are few new features that you can find in Microsoft Outlook 2013:

Exchange ActiveSync support has been added to Outlook 2013 which will help you to receive push based emails from the server
Control your email flow and meeting schedules easily from a single screen
Grab quick glance of the contact whom you are going to send a mail or meeting request Seamlessly integrate multiple contacts into a single screen
Get auto updates from the people whom you are already connected in the social networking sites
Quickly find your contact and their activities on social networking sites
Share your calendar to others easily to help them to view your available time for appointment schedule
Check out the weather forecast easily from outlook itself and plan your forthcoming trips conveniently
Filter your mails with a click of a button and arrange them for easier navigation

Here are few new features that you can find in Microsoft One Note 2013:

The new One Note 2013 has been reimagined for Windows 8 metro UI look & feel
All new look gives you easy access to all the necessary things that you need everyday
You can now save, search and sync your notes easily in your other devices
You can sync your notes in SkyDrive, Windows Phone and use it whenever you need from wherever you are
You can embed your files and insert them inside the note document with a single click
Automatic updates of chart created from an Excel sheet
Easily draw and edit lines using your fingers, stylus or mouse device
Ability to convert your handwritings to text
The improved and powerful table tools now allow you to make headers of the table quickly
With a single click convert your notes to Excel spreadsheet

Visual Studio 2012 is releasing on 15th August 2012

2012-08-02T07:18:00.000+05:30

Yes, you read the title right. Just after the announcement of Windows 8 RTM, Microsoft announced the release date of Visual Studio 2012. The final product will be available to MSDN subscribers and general public on 15th August 2012.

Visual Studio 2012 virtual launch event will be organize by S. Somasegar and Jason Zander on 12th September 2012. Don’t miss the opportunity to watch it live.

Today just after the Announcement of Windows 8 RTM, Jason Zander (Corporate Vice President for the Visual Studio team) and S. Somasegar (Corporate Vice President of the Developer Division) announced that the Visual Studio 2012 (aka. Visual Studio 11) and .NET 4.5 build is now ready.

The final bits will be available to MSDN Subscribers and other places on 15th August 2012. As the final build is now complete, the team is now preparing it for the final distribution.

Both of them also announced the official launch event of Visual Studio 2012 on 12th September 2012 which is going to happen live on visualstudiolaunch.com. Don’t miss the opportunity to attend the virtual live event on that date and know how this will help you to turn your ideas into software. Click here to mark this in your calendar now.

Windows 8 Released to Manufacturing (RTM)

2012-08-02T07:10:00.003+05:30

Microsoft announced that, today they released the new Windows 8 operating system to the Windows 8 OEM and manufacturing partners. Side-by-side they also announced the general availability of Windows Store today for the MSDN Subscribers.

This is the first step towards the general availability of Windows 8 to the consumer and everyone is now looking for the date (26th October 2012) when it will be available for general public.

Today in a blog post “Releasing Windows 8”, Steven Sinofsky announced that, today (1st August 2012) they released the new operating system to the Windows 8 OEM and manufacturing partners. According to the blog announcement:

Today marks an important milestone in the Windows 8 project. The Windows 8 team is proud to share with you that a short while ago we started releasing Windows 8 to PC OEM and manufacturing partners. This means our next milestone will be the availability of exciting new models of PCs loaded with Windows 8 and online availability of Windows 8 on October 26, 2012.

Brandon LeBlanc, in his blog post also announced the RTM release of Windows 8 to the manufacturing and also disclosed the general availability date and price for an end user upgrading to Windows 8. According to him:

People will be able get Windows 8 starting on October 26^th either by upgrading for $39.99 or on a new PC or device. And if you buy an eligible Windows 7 PC today, you will be able to purchase an upgrade to Windows 8 Pro for $14.99 (U.S.) through the Windows Upgrade Offer.

This is the final release of the Windows 8 to the manufacturer with the build version: #9200 and this build will be properly tested and the hardware partners will continue improving their support to the new and existing devices.

Steven also announced that, there will be thousands of new features and among them, many were already demonstrated in the Windows 8 Team blog with videos.

Some important dates of Windows 8 Release

According to Brandon LeBlanc’s blog post, here are some important dates for Windows 8 general availability:

Date	Description
01-Aug-2012	Product released to Windows 8 OEM and Manufacturing partners
15-Aug-2012	Developers will be able to download the final version of Windows 8 via your MSDN subscriptions.
	IT professionals testing Windows 8 in organizations will be able to access the final version of Windows 8 through your TechNet subscriptions
16-Aug-2012	Customers with existing Microsoft Software Assurance for Windows will be able to download Windows 8 Enterprise edition through the Volume License Service Center (VLSC), allowing you to test, pilot and begin adopting Windows 8 Enterprise within your organization
	Microsoft Partner Network members will have access to Windows 8
20-Aug-2012	Microsoft Action Pack Providers (MAPS) receive access to Windows 8
01-Sep-2012	Volume License customers without Software Assurance will be able to purchase Windows 8 through Microsoft Volume License Resellers
26-Oct-2012	General availability of the final product

Microsoft also announced the availability of Windows 8 Store today for paid apps and company accounts. The MSDN subscribers with Visual Studio Professional, Premium, Test Professional, and Ultimate license will have one year FREE developer account for Windows Store upon free registration.

54 new markets and 24 new application certification languages have been now added. It makes 38 app submission languages in total as of now. For more details about apps, updated certification policy check out this post: “RTM Windows Store is now open for paid apps, company accounts”.

Microsoft reimagines Hotmail as Outlook.com

2012-08-02T07:02:00.001+05:30

As the part of Re imagined reigns of Microsoft products, the company has reinvented its popular web-mail service Hotmail as Outlook.com.

Microsoft shared the news in a recent status on Facebook page and it reads:
Today we introduced Outlook.com, a new personal email service that reimagines the way that people use email – from a cleaner look, to fewer and less obtrusive ads, to new connections to social media sites like Facebook and Twitter.

Outlook.com is the next generation of Email service with no compromise by Microsoft. It connects your Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn at place. Outlook.com’s modern interface is much faster and cleaner than its predecessor and lets you access to your inbox and tools that can automatically categorize, move, or delete messages you don’t want and you’ll also find that Office Web Apps, SkyDrive, and, soon, Skype come built right in.

Outlook.com Inbox

The new Outlook.com codenamed “NewMail” is now available for everyone (You may have heard about NewMail or seen some leaked screenshots a while back) and you can sign up for new account or upgrade your existing Hotmail account by simply singing in Outlook.com

Additionally visit https://g.live.com/9wc9en-in/w_letter6 to rename your old Hotmail account and get new @outlook.com Id.

NOTE: After renaming your account, you won’t be able to sign in with your old one and all email sent to your old address will still go to your account. Though you can stop receiving mail sent to your old address, by just deleting that address in account services.

Office 2013 Consumer Preview System Requirements

2012-07-17T16:17:00.002+05:30

With the announcement of Microsoft Office 2013 Consumer Preview, Microsoft has also revealed the minimum system requirements for the upcoming office software suite today.

In general context, there is no special requirements to install new Office system and computers that currently can run Office 2010, can run Office 2013. Although you should check first (just to be safe) the minimum system requirements in prior to install Office 2013 product lineup.

Here’s a breakdown below:

Computer and processor: 1 Ghz or greater x86/x64 Processor with SSE2 instruction set

Memory: 1 GB RAM (32 Bit) /2 GB RAM (64 Bit)

Hard disk: 3.5 GB free disk space

Operating System: Windows 7 or newer, either 32-bit or 64-bit; Windows Server 2008 R2 or newer with .Net 3.5 or greater. To use with Windows 8 you must be running the Release Preview version or higher. Get the Release Preview.

Graphics: Graphics hardware acceleration requires DirectX10 graphics card and 1024 x 576 resolution

Download & Install Office 2013 Customer Preview Offline

Hello Readers!

For your convenience, we have grabbed direct download links of Office 2013 Customer Preview from official website.

This is the Microsoft Office 2013 Professional Plus edition so you get to experience Publisher and Infopath 2013 as well in addition to the regular Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote and Outlook applications.

English (32bit)
http://care.dlservice.microsoft.com/download/4/7/1/4712B4E1-4DD9-4468-B8A4-507D7F988B1F/professionalplus_en-us_x86.exe?lcid=1033

English (64bit)
http://care.dlservice.microsoft.com/download/4/7/1/4712B4E1-4DD9-4468-B8A4-507D7F988B1F/professionalplus_en-us_x64.exe?lcid=1033

Español (32bit)
http://care.dlservice.microsoft.com/download/3/7/E/37EA38A9-176F-47ED-BAB7-BABD945BC20B/professionalplus_es-es_x86.exe?lcid=1034

Español (64bit)
http://care.dlservice.microsoft.com/download/3/7/E/37EA38A9-176F-47ED-BAB7-BABD945BC20B/professionalplus_es-es_x64.exe?lcid=1034

Japanese (32bit)
http://care.dlservice.microsoft.com/download/E/E/2/EE2D46F2-DE13-451E-9EDF-165EB4D14C90/professionalplus_ja-jp_x86.exe?lcid=1041

Japanese (64bit)
http://care.dlservice.microsoft.com/download/E/E/2/EE2D46F2-DE13-451E-9EDF-165EB4D14C90/professionalplus_ja-jp_x64.exe?lcid=1041

2012-07-17T07:22:00.001+05:30

Microsoft Office 2013: Everything you need to know (FAQ) | Microsoft Office - CNET Download.com

Microsoft Office 2013: Everything you need to know (FAQ)

The latest version of Office is more tablet-friendly and is optimized for Windows 8. Read all about it.

Today, Microsoft unveiled its plans for Microsoft Office 2013. CNET's already had a chance to do an in-depth hands-on with the new Office. Have more questions? Check out our answers below.

What's it called?

Good question. The semi-official name is The New Microsoft Office (like the new iPad), but for now we're calling it Office 2013 as well to make it clearer. However, keep in mind that there's also Office 365, a subscription service that offers the latest version of Microsoft Office. It's an alternative way of getting Office via subscription versus an up-front payment.

How many different versions are there?

Office 2013 will come in a variety of versions for home and business users, but the full set of prices and packages hasn't been unveiled yet. Meanwhile, Office 365's subscription-based cloud service comes in tiers: Home Premium (20GB of SkyDrive storage and 60 minutes of Skype world minutes a month included), Small Business Premium (shared calendars, business-class mail, HD conferencing), and ProPlus (enterprise). Buying Office 2013 will get you maintenance updates only, but staying subscribed to Office 365 will give you big updates down the pike as well. Sound confusing? Well, it is.

There's also the Microsoft RT version of Office for ARM-based tablets, included for free on RT devices including the Surface. According to today's event, Office Home and Student 2013 RT will include Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote.

How many devices will it support?

Your purchase of Office 2013 will be able to install on up to five PCs. You can deactivate versions to install on other devices after that. You'll need a free Windows Live Microsoft account to use cloud-based document sharing via SkyDrive.

When will it be available?

That hasn't been announced yet, but it would make sense to launch the new version of Office in time for the launch of Windows 8.

How much does it cost?

That also hasn't been announced.

How much has changed?

Jason Parker's hands-on First Take and video of the new Office has a full rundown in this regard, but it looks like Office has been streamlined in its visual style in its quest to be more touch- and stylus-friendly for Windows 8 tablets. Newer social features and Skype integration look, at best, to add some new collaborative wrinkles, but at worst might replicate what's already available on PCs via other services and software. OneNote and Lync offer connected note-taking and video-connected communications to the Office suite.

The addition of stylus support in tablet mode ("inking") also opens up opportunities for casual pen-based markups of documents, or more-casual free-hand note-taking.

Is there any free online part like Google Docs?

No, nothing that's flat-out free (although you can sign up to play with the Customer Preview for free), but cloud connectivity is offered free with software purchase, with no monthly fees. In its current form, Microsoft Office already has a large online cloud-based component called Office 365, but unlike the free Google Docs, you need to subscribe to Office 365 to utilize it (from $4 to $20 a month). Thankfully, that extra fee's been done away with: the new Office 2013 allows online and cloud-based use without the need for an additional subscription.

By default, Micrsosoft Office 2013 will save documents in the cloud via SkyDrive. Settings, dictionaries, and templates will also be available in the cloud from any device.

Will there be iOS compatibility?

Office 365 supports some Web browser access, which will work on an iPad or iPhone. Other than that, there's no version of Office announced for iOS. However, OneNote apps will eventually be available not just on iOS but Android and Symbian phones, too.

Is there a Mac version?

No Mac version has been announced yet for Office 2013, but Office 365 is compatible with Office for Mac.

What are the system requirements?

You'll need a Windows 7 or Windows 8 PC, or Windows RT tablet.

How will it work on tablets?

The new version of Office is specifically optimized for tablet use, and even smartphone use. The layout has been simplified and more touch-friendly button-icons added. While the Ribbon still remains in Word, you can opt to remove interface clutter for a cleaner view. Other additions focus on media use and consumption; Read mode optimizes a document for tablet reading with booklike page-flipping, and videos can be viewed within documents. Images can be captured from a tablet's onboard camera and resized right into the doc; finger gestures can enable layout changes. A clever radial thumb-controlled button scheme can quickly adjust fonts, colors, and sizes.

Will it work on phones?

Yes, Windows phones will support Office via SkyDrive, seamlessly updating saved changes. It's unclear how robust Office on phones will be.

What about Skype?

Skype is supported in Microsoft Lync for multiparty video chat, and within Office for collaboration on documents. The biggest impact could be in office meetings: a demonstration on an 80-inch Perceptive Pixel screen created a giant interactive white board and collaborative meetup.

Is Clippy back?

No. But, there's some loose and casual help info that pops up from time to time.

What's new in Office

2012-07-17T06:51:00.000+05:30

Office 365 Home Premium Preview

Experience Office when and where you need it

Welcome to the next generation of Office, a powerful service that keeps you connected whether you’re at home or on the go. Simply sign into Office 365 Home Premium (non-commercial use only) to open your applications, documents, and custom settings on any PC (PC running Windows 7 or 8 and Internet connection required). Combine Office with Windows 8 for the best experience yet, with even more ways to work the way you want.

Best for families who want Office on up to 5 household PCs or tablets

A personalized Office experience on up to 5 PCs or tablets.

Powerful new versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, Publisher, and Access.

Streaming full versions of Office applications with Office on Demand (PC running Windows 7 or 8 and Internet connection required).

If you’re also trying Windows 8 Release Preview, be sure to check out the OneNote Preview in the Windows Store. Keep your notes, pictures, voice memos, and web pages in one easy to access place so you have them when you need them.

Coming soon, with the full release of Office 365 Home Premium:

Talk to anyone using Skype, including 60 minutes of free international calls every month to landlines in over 40 countries and to cell phones in 7 countries. (Skype account required. Excludes special, premium and non-geographic numbers.)
Get an additional 20 GB of SkyDrive online storage for easy access and sharing of your documents.
Office for Mac

Top 10 reasons to try Office 365 Home Premium Preview

1. Office roams with you

Sign into your account and your applications, recent documents and settings are right there, just the way you left them.

2. Getting started is even easier

The new Start experience helps you start documents more quickly with compelling new templates as well as a list of your recently viewed documents.

3. Create beautiful documents

With new wide-screen templates and theme variants in PowerPoint, and the ability to edit PDF content in Word and add online video, it’s easy to bring documents to life.

4. Get better insights from your data

Excel’s new Quick Analysis Lens, Recommended Charts, and Chart Animations make it easy to see the meaning in the numbers.

5. Anywhere access to your documents

With your documents saved in the cloud on SkyDrive, a home budget or to-do list is easy to access and share on the fly.

6. Work together more easily

Simplify group projects and assignments with easy access to shared documents, comments, and recent changes.

7. Office when you need it

When you’re away from your computer, stream a full-featured version of Office on any Internet-connected PC with Office on Demand (PC running Windows 7 or 8 required).

8. Add media to inspire interaction

Simply drag and drop pictures, videos, links, and more media to make school and personal projects more compelling.

9. Store notes and information in one place

Capture and organize a wide variety of information in OneNote—notes, pictures, webpages, voice memos, and other media.

10. Experience Office at its best on Windows devices

Capture your ideas however you work best—using a keyboard, pen, or a touchscreen (Windows 7 or 8 required).

Office 365 Small Business Premium Preview

Power your business with the latest Office tools and services

Welcome to the next generation of Office 365, a powerful service that transforms the way you get things done. Office 365 is the smart choice for managing your business efficiently and professionally—without the need for technical expertise.

Top 10 reasons to try Office 365 Small Business Premium

1. Office is better than ever

With the newest versions of trusted Office applications, you can create compelling documents, gain better insights into your data, and deliver persuasive presentations with confidence.

2. Office roams with you

Sign in to your account and your applications, documents, and settings are right there, just the way you left them (PC running Windows 7 or 8 and Internet connection required).

3. Use smarter professional email

Focus on the most important messages in your inbox and enjoy a full array of email, scheduling, and task-list tools in Outlook. When you’re away from your desk, Outlook Web App gives you touch-enabled access to your email, calendar, and contacts.

4. Build a business website with ease

Easily create a public website using modern templates and customize it to fit your business. Add sharing buttons to reach new customers on Facebook and other social networks.

5. Meet in high definition

Make online meetings with customers and partners more effective, thanks to high definition video conferencing, screen sharing, and real-time note taking.

6. Connect with customers and partners

Invite people outside your business to work with you on documents, share your calendar, and communicate in real-time across a variety of instant messaging services.

7. Work together as a team

In a few clicks, set up a team site that lets you and your co-workers work on documents together, so you can comment and make changes to the same document at the same time.

8. Store personal documents in the cloud

Store your files in a private online storage area to keep the files safe even if your PC fails. The files are kept in sync with a folder on your PC so you can access your documents even when you are offline.

9. Put people at the center

Information about your personal contacts, shared business contacts, and social networks is gathered into one view, so wherever you see a person’s name in Office 365, you can easily interact with them.

10. No IT expertise required

A new web-based portal makes it easier than ever to set up, manage, and safeguard Office 365.

Office 365 ProPlus Preview

It’s your Office, delivered fast to your Windows PCs

Experience productivity on demand with your new, personalized Office 365 ProPlus. Office applications, with all of your settings, are nearly instantly streamed to your PCs. Office 365 ProPlus includes Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Outlook, OneNote, Access, Publisher, and Lync.

Get enterprise-grade security, side-by-side support for previous versions of Office, streamlined update experiences, and IT controls that let you manage Office on your terms and with your tools and processes.

Top 10 reasons to try Office 365 ProPlus Preview

1. Deploy more easily than ever

This version of Office was built from the ground up to be the easiest version ever to deploy. It’s designed so your current add-ins and customizations just work. Powerful new Office telemetry tools inspect file and application compatibility, and optimized provisioning allows IT to quickly deploy broadly without uninstalling existing Office applications.

2. Enjoy the power of the cloud—on your terms

Use existing IT tools and processes for delivering software, no need to change your management infrastructure before installing. Automation and Group Policy management tools give you full control over how Office is installed and configured.

3. Get personal productivity on demand

Stream Office applications to your PC, so you’re up and running nearly instantly. Run this version of Office alongside earlier versions, no extra work involved.

4. Monitor performance centrally

New Office telemetry tools give IT more power to monitor the health and performance of Office across your organization and support you while you migrate from earlier versions of Office. Proactive controls help ensure that Office performs at peak levels to keep users productive.

5. Keep data more secure

Enhanced security and multifactor authentication protects your files, devices, and users, letting your users easily access the information they need while meeting security and compliance requirements. New tools for Excel scan spreadsheets and perform diagnostics for errors, hidden information, and broken links, and they can help prevent fraud by searching workbooks for inconsistencies.

6. Get started more quickly and easily

An improved Start experience helps you begin creating documents and presentations more quickly. Easily access templates and your recently viewed documents and folders

7. Build a social network

Combined, SharePoint, Lync, and Exchange create powerful social networks for your organization. Stay connected to the people you work with and communicate with important contacts via voice and video.

8. Discover and share insights from your data

Excel gives you intuitive and new ways to explore your data, inspiring new insight. With one click, visualize and analyze data in greater depth than ever before. Combine Excel with SQL Server to centrally analyze and quickly generate insights into large data stores.

9.Create and share beautiful documents

Create visually striking documents and presentations with Word and PowerPoint on your own or with others. Stay on top of the latest changes to a shared document and the conversations in the document. Use the new online sharing feature in PowerPoint to share with your audience even if they don’t have PowerPoint.

10. Add the power of the web and media to documents

Integrate rich web or intranet content directly into your documents and bring your files and data to life with real-time views into dynamic content. Stay up to the minute with reporting systems, integrate directly with map services, or see what your customers are saying without having to update your files.

Office 365 Enterprise Preview

The efficiency you want, the controls you need

Create professional content more easily than ever, securely connect with customers and partners, and take advantage of powerful tools for more effective management, control and compliance with enterprise-grade security, data loss prevention, and rights management.

Top 10 reasons to try Office 365 Enterprise Preview

1. Have Office when you need it

When you’re away from your PC, stream a full-featured version of Office on any Internet-connected PC (Windows 7 or later required) with Office on Demand.

2. Work together with Site Mailboxes

Store documents from your PC and project-related email in a Site Mailbox so that your team can access the content no matter where you are. The Site Mailbox syncs with SharePoint, ensuring content is up-to-date.

3. Protect sensitive data

Keep your organization safe with data loss prevention (DLP) capabilities that prevent users from mistakenly sending sensitive information to unauthorized people. The DLP features in Exchange identify, monitor, and protect sensitive data through deep content analysis and provide built-in and extensible DLP policies that are based on regulatory standards such as PII, HIPAA, and PCI.

4. Stay compliant with archiving

The ability to retain and discover data across your organization is essential to ensuring internal and regulatory compliance. Compliance officers can use the new eDiscovery Center to identify, hold, and analyze your organization’s data from Exchange, SharePoint, and Lync. The data always remains in place so you don’t need to manage a separate data store.

5. Keep people connected

You can follow documents, sites, and people to track what others are working on. SharePoint even recommends people or documents to follow. With ratings and reputation tools, you can acknowledge co-workers and inspire them to work better.

6. Gain business insights

Combine large volumes of data from various sources with PowerPivot in Excel and explore data, visualize, and tell a compelling story with PowerView. Make better decisions with teammates by sharing Business Intelligence-enriched reports and dashboards on SharePoint.

7. Work across time zones and geographies

Discuss and meet, coauthor documents, find experts, and chat in real-time with improved capabilities that keep everyone connected no matter where they are. Detailed contact cards and presence are integrated across all Office applications, making it easier than ever to connect.

8. Collaborate more securely

New capabilities and data governance/protection policy features in SharePoint let you work confidently with partners and customers. Use Lync to connect with others, while getting the authentication, encryption, and media controls your enterprise needs.

9. Get more out of your meetings

The new Lync Digital Meetings tools let you interact with people through video, audio, and instant messaging, and to share content while meeting. Join a Lync meeting from an HTML5-based browser using the Lync Web App, and enjoy HD video, voice over IP, instant messaging, and sharing of desktops, applications, and PowerPoint presentations.

10. Manage and control your business more easily

Office 365 continues to improve the ease of management from a web-based portal, provides powerful scripting access via PowerShell, and continues to invest in the infrastructure with data backup, disaster recovery, and globally redundant data centers. In addition, the new service health dashboard provides customizable reports that help you get insights into your service.

2012-07-17T06:33:00.005+05:30

Steve Ballmer announces Office 2013 Consumer Preview

Today, CEO Steve Ballmer announces Office 2013 Consumer Preview at San Francisco. Office 2013, SharePoint 2013, Project 2013 and Visio 2013 have all reached the Beta milestone and are now available for download.

“We are taking bold steps at Microsoft,” Ballmer said at the press conference in San Francisco.

“The new, modern Office will deliver unparalleled productivity and flexibility for both consumers and business customers. It is a cloud service and will fully light-up when paired with Windows 8.”

What’s new in Office 2013

Touch everywhere. Office responds to touch as naturally as it does to keyboard and mouse. Swipe your finger across the screen or pinch and zoom to read your documents and presentations. Author new content and access features with the touch of a finger.

Inking. Use a stylus to create content, take notes and access features. Handwrite email responses and convert them automatically to text. Use your stylus as a laser pointer when presenting. Color your content and erase your mistakes with ease.

New Windows 8 applications. OneNote and Lync represent the first new Windows 8 style applications for Office. These applications are designed to deliver touch-first experiences on a tablet. A new radial menu in OneNote makes it easy to access features with your finger.

Included in Windows RT. Office Home and Student 2013 RT, which contains new versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote applications, will be included on ARM-based Windows 8 devices, including Microsoft Surface.

Microsoft Office 2013 Consumer Preview

Microsoft Office 2013 is due out in final form in the first half of next year. The exact date has not been announced and is yet to confirm by officials.

Courtesy: Microsoft News Center

Imagine Cup 2013 to be held in Russia!

2012-07-16T19:50:00.000+05:30

On the 22nd of June, 2012, as part of the St. Petersburg Economic Forum, was the signing of an agreement on the World Wide Finals competition of Imagine Cup 2013 to be held in St. Petersburg in the summer of 2013!

Over the past 10 years Imagine Cup finals were held in the most exotic and exciting countries around the world, and now for the first time in the history of the competition, the best students around the world will gather in Russia!

Imagine Cup Finals...
2003: Barcelona, Spain
2004: Sao Paulo, Brazil,
2005: Yokohama, Japan,
2006: the Delhi-Agra, India
2007: Seoul, Korea,
2008: Paris, France
2009: Cairo, Egypt,
2010: Warsaw, Poland,
2011: New York, USA
2012: Sydney, Australia
2013: St. Petersburg, Russia

The choice of Russia as a country where the final is due not only to the fact that St. Petersburg in the summer - it's surprisingly wonderful and beautiful city, included in some of the best cities in Europe. It also confirmed a high level of student innovation in Russia. Not for nothing in St. Petersburg are two Microsoft Innovation Center, 7 IT-academies, held many youth technological measures.

"Microsoft believes its strategic objective to support student innovation, and Imagine Cup - an ideal opportunity to implement them and acquiring the necessary skills for further work" - narrative in today's event, Nikolai Pryanishnikov, president of Microsoft in Russia. In 2013, Microsoft partners for the World Wide Finals of Imagine Cup 2013 in Russia will be the Agency for Strategic Initiatives and Fund "Skolkovo", and we hope it will attract even more active student teams to compete.

It is great news for all students! A trip to the World Wide Finals is always the most important prize for the students, spending a week with the most talented and active students from around the world changes the attitude and life of every student and becomes a highlight of their lives for many years.

For now, let's Congrats the students competed in the World Wide Finals in Sydney, Australia & Won Prize... and continue to brainstorm for innovative ways in using technology to help solve the world's toughest problems!