Windows Experience Blog

TechEd Europe 2009 Kicks Off Next Week with Keynote and Post-Keynote Q&A

2009-11-06T02:48:50Z

Join Stephen Elop, President of Microsoft’s Business Division, and Robert Wahbe, Corporate Vice President of the Server and Tools Marketing Group at Microsoft, for the TechEd Europe 2009 keynote on Monday November 9th starting at 6:30am Pacific. During the keynote, Stephen and Robert will discuss the state of IT and the new generation of business solutions from Microsoft that will help customers reach their full business potential. Following the keynote at 8:00am Pacific there will be a post-keynote Q&A with Chris Capossela, Senior Vice President of the Information Worker Product Management Group, Bob Kelly, Corporate Vice President of Infrastructure Server Marketing, and Tami Reller, Corporate Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Windows and Windows Live.

You’ll be able to watch the keynote and participate in the post-keynote Q&A via the Microsoft TechEd Global Press Room. Additionally, you can follow the excitement on Twitter by using the hashtag #TEE09.

Personalize Windows 7 with the Personalization Gallery on Windows.com

2009-11-04T05:37:27Z

One of my favorite things about Windows 7 is how you can customize it and make it your own. Our personalization features give Windows 7 the ability to be as individual and to reflect who you are! Adding to this is a new Personalization Gallery on Windows.com, launched on Oct 22nd. With Windows 7, we’ve made it easy for people to customize their PC with different themes. Each theme has a custom background (or a series of backgrounds that shuffle), different Aero Glass colors, and sounds. Not only will you find Windows 7 themes on the Personalization Gallery, you’ll also find desktop backgrounds and desktop gadgets to download as well.

For the first time ever, Microsoft is working with other companies to enable them to offer their customers a branded experience on the desktop through Windows 7. The effort is part of a pilot program running until October 2010 by Microsoft Advertising. As of today, you will find themes from 7 global advertisers with well-known brands such as Coca Cola, Ducati, Ferrari, Infiniti, Pepsi, Porsche and Twentieth Century Fox on the Personalization Gallery for download. So if you are a fan of one of these brands, check them out! For more on this effort from Microsoft Advertising, see this blog post.

We’re also offering new Microsoft branded themes too – including the Xbox game Gears of War, Zune, and Bing!

So what if you want to make your own theme? No problem – it’s very easy. Click here for a step-by-step outline (and video) on how to customize and create your own themes. Once you’ve created your own theme, you can share it with you friends and family on Windows Live SkyDrive.

For you geeks out there wanting to know more about how we went about designing the ability to use themes in Windows 7, see this blog post on the Engineering Windows 7 Blog.

Microsoft Just Made the Web’s Best Video

2009-10-29T23:44:40Z

Remember this hilarious video called “A Brief History of the Web” I blogged about in March? The video has won the Best Online Video (standalone) at the OMMA Awards. Very cool! You can see the full list of winners here. If you haven’t seen the “History of the Web” video already, you should ;-)

Windows 7 Product Guide Now Available

2009-10-26T19:36:24Z

As many of you have noticed, there is a lot of information out there about Windows 7 now that it is available for everyone. You can find information on everything from the Action Center to Windows XP Mode on various blogs and web pages all over the Internet. You might want a concise guide of what Windows 7 has to offer and how it can help you and your business. With this in mind we created the Windows 7 Product Guide. This easy to read guide gives you a clear overview of the features in Windows 7 without a lot of technical jargon that you might find in other content. The guide was designed to educate and inform readers about benefits you get from adopting Windows 7.

The Windows 7 Product Guide is has three major sections:

Introduction - Describes how Microsoft designed Windows 7, what editions of Windows 7 are available and what is new.
Windows 7 for You - Goes over features in Windows 7 that, simplify everyday tasks, works the way you want, and makes new things possible.
Windows 7 for IT Professionals - Explains how Windows 7 can make people productive anywhere, manage risk though enhanced security and control, and reduce costs by streamlining PC management. This section also has an overview of the Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack to help you learn about how this set of applications can help you get to a more managed and optimized desktop.

If you are looking for a good reference guide about Windows 7, I recommend that you download a copy of the Windows 7 Product Guide here (XPS and PDF versions available).

Brandon’s Guide to Awesome New Windows 7 PCs

2009-10-22T19:20:06Z

Many of you may be on the market for a new Windows 7 PC. Our partners are delivering new PCs we think you will love and just in time for the holidays! Below are hot and slick looking Windows 7 PCs in categories we think will be big for holiday 2009.

Please note that many of the PCs with features mentioned below are just one of many configurations these PCs come with. Many of these PCs can be configured and customized to your liking.

All-in-one PCs:

Sony VAIO L Series: Features a Quad Core processor, 24” widescreen touch display, discrete graphics, lots of memory and storage.
Dell Studio One 19: Features a Quad Core processor, lots of storage, a Blu-ray combo drive and an 18.5" multitouch HD widescreen display.
HP TouchSmart 300z Series: Features discrete graphics, an optional built-in TV tuner and a 20" multitouch widescreen display.

Ultra-thin PCs:

Acer Aspire 4810T: Offers a 14" screen, good battery life, and weighs only 2.4 lbs.
Dell Adamo 13: Features a slick looking aluminum chassis, 13.4" edge-to-edge HD display, ultra-slim .65" profile, Bluetooth and optional Mobile Broadband.
Toshiba Satellite T135: Features a 13.3" HD widescreen display, full size keyboard, 1.5" profile and weighs 4.7 lbs.

Touch PCs:

Lenovo ThinkPad T400smt: A lightweight Laptop PC with a 14.1" multitouch display, integrated webcam, and dual-channel digital microphone.
Toshiba Satellite M500: Features a lightweight, 14.1" touch screen and specializes in mobility. Note that not all M500 models feature Windows Touch however.

Netbook PCs:

HP Mini 110 by Studio Tord Boontje: Features both style and mobility with its 10.1" HD widescreen – and just 2.35 lbs.
Toshiba mini NB205: Weighs 3 lbs., has 3G Mobile Broadband and good battery life.
Lenovo IdeaPad S10-2: Features a multitouch pad, and a 10.1" LED backlit screen.

But wait! There’s more! Here are some other great PCs that really show off some of things customers do on their PCs everyday (yes, some people game every day):

Great Gaming PCs:

Falcon NW Fragbox: A portable desktop PC with a Quad Core processor, discrete graphics, lots memory and storage.
Alienware M17x: Features Dual GPUs, a Quad Core processor and 12GB of DDR3 memory (that’s a lot of memory!).
Asus G51Vx: A 15" gaming laptop PC featuring NVIDIA graphics with dedicated 1GB of memory, and a backlit gaming keyboard.

More Multimedia PCs:

Dell Studio XPS 16: Features premium ATI graphics, optional Intel Core i7 processor configuration, and your choice of either a 15.6" LED or 16" RGBLED seamless display.
HP Pavilion dv8t: Features an 18.4" HD widescreen, Blu-ray drive, TV tuner, and premium sound system with subwoofer and Dolby audio.
Toshiba Satellite A505: Features discrete graphics (certain configurations), a dual-core CPU, and premium surround sound speakers, and a HD 16" screen.
Lenovo IdeaPad Y650: A very stylish, thin, and light notebook at only 1 inch thick and weighing only 5.6 lbs.

All Around Great Everyday PCs:

Dell Studio XPS 13: Features a 13.3" edge-to-edge display, backlit keyboard and NVIDIA graphics.
Toshiba Satellite U500: Versatility, power and style and touch capable. A 13.3” mobile do-it-all machine.

Work from Anywhere (Mobility):

HP Pavilion dm3: Features a 13.3” ultra wide screen display and NVIDIA graphics, under 4 lbs. and 1 inch thin with great battery life.
Lenovo ThinkPad X200T: Features a lightweight form factor, Intel Core 2 Duo processor, and is a Tablet PC (great for taking notes during meetings!).

Safeguard Your Work:

Lenovo ThinkPad X301: Features GPS, Bluetooth and Unified wireless capabilities.
HP ProBook 5310: Features a 13.3” HD LED display with integrated mobile broadband and a thin and lightweight design.

We are also making it easier for customers to choose which Windows PC is right for them with an updated version of Windows PC Scout (previously known as Windows Laptop Scout).

Windows PC Scout has been completely updated with new PCs and new ways of helping customers better identify the PC they want based on their needs. Essentially Windows PC Scout “Simplifies your search” for the right PC. There are a couple of ways Windows PC Scout will help you find the PC you want:

Laptop 101: Educates you on Laptop PCs.
Usage: Discover how certain Laptop PCs are used for specific needs.
Recommend: Match your needs with quality-checked Laptop PCs by Microsoft. Windows PC Scout provides clear recommendations on Windows PCs at a variety of price points.
Buy: Once you’ve found a PC, Windows PC Scout makes it easy to click through to purchase the right PC for them through major retailers, the online Microsoft Store or PC manufacturer websites.

If you’re looking for a new Windows 7 PC – give Windows PC Scout a spin!

As you can see, there is such an amazing variety of Windows 7 PCs for you to choose!

Windows 7 Activities at Gartner Symposium

2009-10-19T21:49:48Z

Gartner Symposium/ITxpo 2009, the industry's largest and most important annual gathering of CIOs and their senior IT leaders is taking place this week in Orlando, Florida.

During this year’s event, which will focus on how business technology can help customers return to growth by balancing cost optimization and risk mitigation, Microsoft will be helping customers to understand how they can realize the benefits of Windows 7 through the following activities and sessions:

Windows 7 Early Adopter Customer Panel: Tuesday, October 20th, 2009 12:30PM - 1:30PM ET (Moderated by Michael A. Silver - Gartner)

A panel of Windows 7 early adopters will discuss Windows 7 planning, deployment tips and rollout plans. During the panel, attendees will share their experience on planning for a successful deployment and the immediate results they received deploying Windows 7. Featured Gartner Research VP & Distinguished Analyst Michael Silver will facilitate the panel discussion. Please visit Gartner.com for a replay of this webcast on October 22nd.

Windows 7 Unplugged-- Tips From Microsoft's CIO Office: Tuesday, October 20th, 2009 2:00Pm - 2:20PM ET (Rick Merrifield - Microsoft)

In this interactive session, the Chief Architect in Microsoft’s IT department will share insider tips on how to plan, pilot and rollout Windows 7. Learn how your organization can benefit from applying the Windows Optimized Desktop to increase end user productivity, enhance security and reduce costs by automating IT management.

Windows Optimized Desktop-- Windows 7 and Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack: Wednesday, October 21st 3:30PM -4:30pm ET (Gavriella Schuster - Microsoft)

The Windows Optimized Desktop is designed to help with today’s imminent IT challenges while ensuring your future success. Come learn how Microsoft Windows 7 and the Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack 2009 R2 together provide better user productivity, stronger data protection, security and PC management and automation improvements that can help you save costs and improve IT efficiency.

Mastermind Keynote with Stephen Elop, President, Microsoft Business Division Thursday, October 22nd 11:00am - 11:45am (Moderated by Neil MacDonald and Brian Gammage - Gartner)

Gartner analysts Neil MacDonald and Brian Gammage will moderate an interview with Stephen on a variety of topics top of mind for Symposium attendees. As president of the Microsoft Business Division, Stephen oversees the Information Worker, Microsoft Business Solutions and Unified Communications Groups here at Microsoft and is a member of the company's senior leadership team that sets overall strategy and direction for the company.

Windows 7 Hand On Labs— Monday, October 19th- Thursday, October 22nd Various times (Various presenters)

30 minute, proctor led, interactive sessions where attendees can experience the following features of Windows 7: Windows 7 UI features, Internet Explorer 8 & Web Slices, Problem Steps Recorder, Med-V (using Internet Explorer to launch a Med-V web site), and using BitLocker which will include a 1GB key drive to activate BitLocker as a giveaway, with pre-loaded content including the current product guide and the Microsoft Optimized Desktop datasheet.

Win Tickets to Family Guy Presents: Seth & Alex’s Almost Live Comedy Show!

2009-10-14T20:44:49Z

UPDATE 10/26: After reviewing an early version of Family Guy Presents: Seth & Alex’s Almost Live Comedy Show, it became clear that the content was not a good fit for the Windows brand. So we are no longer sponsoring the show. However, we continue to have a good partnership with FOX including both Seth MacFarlane and Alex Borstein, and are working with them in other areas. We are still working together with FOX in other areas including reaching out to college students on campuses across the U.S.

Yesterday, we announced a marketing collaboration with FOX that will showcase Windows 7 launching October 22^nd.

Windows 7 will be the exclusive sponsor of an upcoming TV show from Seth MacFarlane called Family Guy Presents: Seth & Alex’s Almost Live Comedy Show (working title) which will air Sunday November 8th at 8:30 p.m. (EST and PST). Seth is the creator of “Family Guy,” “American Dad” and “The Cleveland Show.” It with star both Seth and his “Family Guy” co-star Alex Borestein (she does the voice of “Lois” among many other characters in case you were wondering). The show will air “commercial-free” instead featuring unique Windows 7-branded programming that blends seamlessly into the show. Seth and Alex teamed up with us here at Microsoft, Universal McCann and Crispin, Porter + Bogusky to come up with Windows 7 branded integrations within the show.

To celebrate this awesome collaboration with FOX, the Windows Outreach Team will be doing a giveaway as part of their ongoing #WinWin7 Contest on Twitter for exclusive tickets to see the taping of Family Guy Presents: Seth & Alex’s Almost Live Comedy Show in Los Angeles this Friday starting at 3:30pm.

Watch the tweets from @MSWindows this afternoon to find out how to win. For #winwin7 contest rules, click here.

As a huge Family Guy fan, I’m stoked to see this collaboration air on TV on November 8^th. And to those who win tickets to watch the taping, I will be jealous.

Side tidbit – to fellow Star Trek fans out there: Did you know Seth McFarlane did a small stint on Star Trek: Enterprise?

On top of sponsoring Family Guy Presents: Seth & Alex’s Almost Live Comedy Show, we are also working together with FOX to reach out to more than 4.3 million college students on campuses across the United States. The 12 week tour will give students a chance to try Windows 7 as well as enjoy customized entertainment created by FOX Licensing and Merchandising such as customized “Family Guy” content. That’s rad ;-)

A Look at Some Cool Windows 7 PCs

2009-10-13T20:12:13Z

As of today, we’re 9 days away from the worldwide launch of Windows 7. It’s no secret that when Windows 7 becomes available on October 22nd, our hardware partners are launching a host of cool new PCs to match it. I’ve had the privilege to see some of the slick new machines and I can tell you that there are some seriously fast computers with wickedly cool designs on the way.

“But Brandon!” you might be saying. “I don’t want to wait 10 whole days to start shopping for a great PC! Which machines can I check out NOW?”

Well, fear not. There are quite a few powerful, reasonably priced Windows 7 PCs that you can start test-driving now, and a few that you can even pre-order. I’ve highlighted some of my favorites below.

First up is the HP dm3. This 13” bad boy is available with a whopping half-terabyte hard drive, discrete graphics, a built in web cam, and up to a mind-boggling 10 hours of battery life. Sounds expensive, right? The truth is just the opposite; you can get your own starting at $549, which makes it a great option if you’re a student on a budget, or a consumer looking to get a lot of bang for your buck.

On October 5th, Dell opened up a great new program called the Windows 7 Easy Upgrade which will allow you to order once of their select machines today and have it pre-installed with Windows 7 and shipped to you right around the time when Windows 7 launches on October 22nd. One of my favorites and the laptop I am currently using today is the Dell Studio 15. I love this computer because it’s the total package – its great looking and completely customizable. Dell does a GREAT job at letting you personalize the color and design of your machine via their Design Studio. I customized mine with a weird funky goat.

I affectionately refer to this laptop as “The Goat”. I decorated The Goat with a few stickers (as you can see). The Studio 15 has some serious media street cred with a 15.6” HD screen that does 900p resolution, 256MB ATI discrete graphics, webcam and built in DVD burner. It also has a heck of a reasonable price tag, starting at $899. This is a really solid choice if you’re looking for an eye-catching “do-it-all” laptop. I’ll be talking more about this laptop and my experience with it in another blog post coming shortly.

One of my favorite thin-and-light notebooks is the Toshiba Satellite T135. Maybe it should have been codenamed “Pocket Hercules” instead; 3GB of RAM, a new Intel ULV processor, 250GB drive, HDMI and a 720p HD screen, all wrapped up in a package that’s only about an inch thick. It’s a very cool ultra-portable notebook, perfect for working (or playing) on the go.

Is 11” just too big for you? Then check out the HP Mini 110. This 10”, 2.68lb netbook PC is one of the most unique I’ve seen – for this project, HP partnered with designer Tord Boontje to create HP Imprint 3D, a new engraving process that allows HP to build amazing textured casebacks. At $399, it’s an affordable way to get the ultimate in style and portability.

If you need something to put on your desk, instead of carry in your bag, I suggest you take a look at one of the great new all-in-ones. They’re compact and clean, and work great in the kitchen or in an area where you don’t have a lot of space.

The newest kid on the all-in-one block is Sony’s VAIO L. Part HDTV, part PC, the L has a Blu-Ray player, a TV tuner, and a beautiful 24” multi-touch display that’s ready to take advantage of Windows 7 multitouch. The VAIO L is set to hit stores in November, and pricing starts around $1300.

Dell also makes a nice all-in-one in the Dell Studio 19. I love this thing because it’s a powerhouse in a super slim design, and you can get it in white, blue, grey, pink or red. It’s got an Intel Core 2 Quad processor, 3GB of memory, a 500GB drive and all of the trimmings. Like the VAIO L, its ready to take full advantage of Windows 7’s multi-touch technology via its super-bright touchscreen display, and you can get it in “alpine white” for $999. Adding a custom color job and a Blu-Ray drive will bump the price up to about $1100, which is still a great deal.

And HP just announced today revamp of HPs a revamp of their venerable multi-touch enabled TouchSmart PCs. They’re introducing two new models – the TouchSmart 300 (20” HD screen) and 600 (23” HD screen). Not only are these great looking machines with a long, successful history, but they also include HP customized touch versions of popular applications and services, like Twitter, Rhapsody, Hulu, Pandora, Netflix, and more. Pricing starts at a consumer-friendly $899 for the 300 and $1,049 for the 600.

This is just a small sliver of the PC goodness that’s coming soon with Windows 7. Stay tuned for more info on the latest and greatest Windows 7 PCs!

Microsoft Employees Begin Hosting Windows 7 Launch Parties

2009-10-09T22:59:27Z

Thousands of Microsoft employees have begun hosting Windows 7 Launch Parties this week. I had the pleasure of attending one last night. Microsoft employees have been given the opportunity to do “preview” Launch Parties before October 22nd to show off Windows 7 to their friends and family (public Windows 7 Launch Parties officially kick off on October 22nd).

The Launch Party I attended last night was hosted by Dana Manciagli, a General Manager on Microsoft’s US OEM Team. Her Launch Party took place at The Parlor in Bellevue and she had her friend and fellow Microsoft employee (Cedric Dahl) demonstrate 7 key Windows 7 features such as many of the Windows Taskbar enhancements, Aero Shake and Aero Snap.

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The audience seemed to really like what they saw. One conversation I overheard was about how much better Windows 7’s window management is for applications. Another related to using Aero Snap to compare Excel spreadsheets.

After the demonstration, there was a trivia contest with questions relating to the Windows 7 demos. Guests who answered the questions right received some cool prizes.

Everyone who attended Dana’s Windows 7 Launch Party was asked to donate to the kids of Junior Achievement for Washington State. Dana creatively combined her Launch Party with Microsoft’s annual Giving Campaign. Matter a fact, Ina Fried from CNET posted about another effort to raise money for Microsoft’s Giving Campaign earlier today.

At the Launch Party, I got to finally meet Laura Foy from Channel 9. She has posted an awesome video from the event including several interviews. Watch the video here.

Overall, it was a fantastic event! I look forward to hearing more about people’s Windows 7 Launch Parties come October 22nd.

7 Great Things About Windows Media Center in Windows 7

2009-10-07T07:01:29Z

Today, Windows 7 controls my home entertainment experience in my living room. It does so through Windows Media Center. I am using the same setup I blogged about here in 2007 with Windows 7 and it’s an amazing experience. Because of how well it works for me, I wanted to highlight 7 great things you can do with Windows Media Center in Windows 7. Windows 7 can easily be the center of your home entertainment experience just like it is with mine.

#1: Watch Live TV on your Windows 7 PC.

If your Windows 7 PC has a TV tuner, you can use Windows Media Center to watch, pause, and rewind live TV directly on your PC! If you’re Windows 7 PC doesn’t have a TV tuner, you can always add one – they are quite inexpensive.

Windows Media Center in Windows 7 supports High Definition TV (HDTV) capabilities as well. Earlier last month, we announced support for Switched Digital Video (SDV). We also announced that customers will now be able to add a digital cable tuner with CableCARD support to their PC. Previously, digital cable tuners with CableCARD support were only available on new PCs from OEMs that supported the configuration. Digital cable tuners with CableCARD support differ from standard TV tuner cards as they support digital cable through “CableCARDs” rented from your cable provider for digital cable channels. Assuming you have the right subscription, this enables you to access the full line-up of channels offered by your cable provider, including the premium channels.

There are also TV tuner cards that support “over-the-air” HDTV (ATSC) with an antenna as well as Clear QAM.

#2: Turn your Windows 7 PC into a DVR (Digital Video Recorder)!

Windows Media Center lets you schedule recordings of TV shows and movies. You can even schedule to record all instances (new episodes) of your favorite TV show! Windows Media Center also makes it very easy to view all your recorded content.

I talked about HDTV and the use of digital cable tuners with CableCARD support above. Microsoft and CableLabs are working together to allow people with digital cable tuners with CableCARD support more portability with their recorded digital cable TV. Recordings that are marked as “copy freely” (CF) will now be able to play on other PCs and portable devices.

#3: Easily find the TV shows and movies that you want to watch.

Windows Media Center has great search capabilities built-in so you can easily find all your favorite TV shows and movies. This makes it easier to schedule recordings.

#4: Access all your personal media in one place - no matter where it is.

Windows Media Center brings in all your digital media– photos, movies, music, and recorded TV shows – into one place. Windows Media Center also takes advantage of HomeGroup in Windows 7 and allows you to access digital media content from other PCs!

With recorded digital cable TV content marked as CF – you can share this content throughout your home network of Windows 7 PCs using HomeGroup (see #2 above). You can even access it when you are away from home with Remote Media Streaming in Windows 7.

#5: Track your favorite sports, players, and leagues.

If you’re a sports nut, you can use Windows Media Center to track your favorite teams and leagues. Windows Media Center lets you track scores, players, and leagues natively within Windows Media Center. You can also see quickly jump to sports on “now” and check sports coming on “later” in Windows Media Center too.

#6: Access your recorded TV and digital media where you want: on the PC or on the TV.

Windows 7 supports a variety of high end displays including HDTVs. You can connect your PC to your HDTV and use Windows Media Center to watch and view all your media. Of course this works with a standard PC monitor too. But because Windows 7 makes it easy to share your digital media, you can have 1 PC connected to your HDTV in your home for Windows Media Center and bring in content from all PCs on your home network to that single PC connected to your HDTV. You could also use the Extender for Windows Media Center technology built into your Xbox 360 to access the same Windows Media Center menu you are used to using on your PC.

#7: Watch movies and TV episodes instantly from Netflix in Windows Media Center in Windows 7.

Watch streaming “Instant Play” movies and TV shows from Netflix! Also add movies to your DVD queue if “Instant Play” is not available. Full control of your Netflix account right from Windows Media Center!

I hope these 7 great things about Windows Media Center give you some great ideas on how to bring your home entertainment together using Windows 7!

Code7 Contest Deadline is October 10th

2009-10-05T16:51:31Z

Back in July, Yochay blogged about the Code7 Contest on the Windows 7 for Developers Blog. The Code7 Contest is a worldwide contest recognizing developers building innovative and really cool applications for Windows 7. I wanted to give a quick update on the contest. We are now 5 days away from the close of the Code7 Contest. Developers, hobbyists and students (age 18+), can upload their videos by October 10th to compete for prizes up to $17,777 at www.code7contest.com.

We’ve had over 4,000 registrants submit applications! We offer kits/training materials available to all registrants to help them build a great and creative Windows 7 application. We are racing toward the submission deadline of October 10th so if you’d like to compete, I strongly recommend you upload your video as soon as possible.

To enter, build an original, consumer-oriented client application that runs natively on Windows 7 (either MFC, Win32, WPF or Winforms) and addresses one or more of the following category topics:

Simplify My Life
More Media, More Places
Gaming
Work From Anywhere
Safeguard Your Work
Applications for a Better Tomorrow

If you want some ideas, you can check out current submissions uploaded by other contestants on the Code7 Gallery page here.

Submissions for the Code7 Contest end October 10th so whether you are a novice or expert – don’t wait until the last minute! Upload your video today at www.code7contest.com.

Easier Navigation on The Windows Blog with New Menu

2009-10-05T16:22:34Z

This morning we deployed a brand new menu system to The Windows Blog. This new menu system is designed to make it easier to navigate the family of Windows blogs that live on the site. When clicking new “Blogs” button, a drop down menu for blogs appears which displays a categorized list of blogs. Blogs with long titles are also no longer cut off.

Overall, the menu improves navigating the site quite a bit. And as we grow the site, it no longer made sense to keep a list of blogs on the left hand side as we had been doing before.

This is just the first of several more updates we’re hoping to make to the site before the end of the year!

#WinWin7 Twitter Contest Rolls On

2009-09-22T20:01:04Z

Since the first tweet went out on the #WinWin7 Twitter Contest, the Windows Outreach Team on Microsoft’s official Windows Twitter account @MSWindows has been busy giving away some great (and somewhat goofy) prizes to their followers. The best part, through, is that I hear that things are just heating up.

Here’s a recap of what they’ve given away in the #WinWin7 promotion so far:

7 piping hot pizzas delivered right to followers’ doors
7 pounds of candy to satisfy followers’ penchants for sugar
$7.77 in shiny Andrew Jackson dollars and pennies
7 Microsoft keyboards and mice (PC mice, not live mice, that’d get messy)
@WindowsGamer gave away some signed Warhammer art books
2 gaming keyboards from @WindowsGamer
7 sodas from the stash on Microsoft’s Redmond campus

There’s more to come and the prizes are only getting better (and somewhat goofier).

Starting today, they are making a push for 77,777 followers by Windows 7 GA (October 22nd). Starting at 42,777 followers, they will give out a copy of Windows 7 to one of their lucky followers. Starting there, they will continue to give away a copy of Windows 7 for every 2,000 followers (so, at 44,777 then 46,777 and on and on). For those good at math, the more people we get to join, the more chances you (as a follower) have of winning a copy of Windows 7. All followers of @MSWindows are eligible, so those who have been loyal followers since the beginning are still in the running. Winners will receive their copy of Windows 7 they won after the Oct. 22 launch date.

When the magical number of 77,777 is reached, the Windows Outreach Team has some great (and super-secret) prizes to hand out. If you’re not following @MSWindows on Twitter already, you should consider doing so as things look like they will get pretty interesting ;-)

For more on the Windows Outreach Team, read this blog post.

Making Windows 7 Location “Aware” with u-blox Products

2009-09-22T06:55:05Z

Last week, embedded GPS chip maker u-blox announced support for Windows 7’s Sensor and Location Platform. Windows 7 has built in “location awareness” using the new Windows Sensor and Location Platform. PCs with u-blox’s AMY-5M chip or their PCI-5S/PCM-5S receiver cards with Windows 7 can now be “location-aware” with u-blox’s new Windows 7 driver available for download here.

There is a u-blox GPS chip inside the Microsoft GPS dongle that ships with Streets and Trips 2009. I went out and grabbed a copy for myself to try out making Windows 7 on my laptop location-aware.

I plugged the dongle in, installed the u-blox Windows 7 driver, and the GPS dongle appeared as a sensor in Windows 7. I of course enabled the u-blox GPS sensor (or location sensor).

Windows 7 utilizes location-awareness in several different ways for the user. The inbox weather gadget is one.

If a person has a location sensor enabled in Windows 7, the “Find location automatically” in the weather gadget settings can be checked. If checked, this will allow the weather gadget to utilize the Sensor and Location Platform to discover your location and display weather from your location. In my case, it accessed my location using the u-blox GPS sensor I have enabled. As you move locations with your laptop, the weather gadget will chain to your current location.

If you have Streets and Trips 2009 and the Microsoft GPS dongle that comes with it, use it to make Windows 7 “location-aware” with the weather gadget.

As more and more laptops PCs come with GPS in them, Windows 7 is designed to take advantage of location natively within the OS. This offers a great experience for people always on the move.

For more information on the Windows Sensor and Location Platform in Windows 7, click here. If you’re a developer, learn how to make your application “location-aware” with Windows 7 with these resources on the Windows Sensor and Location Platform here.

Finalist Emails for Windows 7 Launch Parties Go Out Today

2009-09-22T01:15:22Z

We’ve had an overwhelming turn out of people signing up to host a Launch Party for Windows 7 since going live earlier this month. Starting today, finalist emails are going to those who signed up to host a Launch Party and if you don’t get a finalist email, don’t worry, there are still other ways to participate.

If you signed up to host a Launch Party and receive the host finalist email, please read the email carefully. Receiving the finalist email doesn’t mean you’ve been accepted to host just yet. You will need to be among the first to respond via a link within your email to be confirmed as a host. This extra step is needed due to the amazing response we’ve had from people interested in hosting a Launch Party. Spots to host a Launch Party are limited so we want to make sure folks who signed up are still able to host.

After responding to the finalist email and confirming, you will then receive a confirmation email. You’ll then be able to begin planning your Launch Party and sending out invites!

If you were not accepted to host a Launch Party or live in a country where Launch Parties are unavailable to host, you can still hold a Windows 7 gathering of your own. We are providing Windows 7 tips, content, demos, and training here online for you to host your own gathering or “meet-up”.