Windows Experience Blog

Students - Buy a PC, get an Xbox 360! #GetAnXbox

Brandon LeBlanc — Fri, 18 May 2012 13:01:06 GMT

The school year is wrapping up for many but for those who are graduating high school - thoughts are already on the upcoming school year this fall and starting college. Starting college can be a big adjustment and we’d like to help with that. Starting May 20^th in the U.S., students who buy a qualifying Windows PC worth $699 or more at participating retailers can get a 4GB Xbox 360 console for free, just like last year! Starting May 18^th in Canada, students who buy a Windows PC worth $599 or more can also get a 4GB Xbox 360 console for free!

Participating retailers in the US include Best Buy, Dell.com, Fry’s Electronics, HPDirect.com, Microsoft Stores, and NewEgg.com. In Canada, they include Best Buy, Dell.ca, Future Shop, Staples and The Source.

Please note that participating retailers and terms and conditions may change over the course of the promotion.

In college, students will spend quite a bit of time in front of their PC working on reports in Microsoft Word or creating PowerPoint presentations for group projects. They are going to want a stylish, thin and light PC that boasts great performance, yet is also durable for staying connected and on the go – PCs like the HP ENVY 15, Samsung Series 5 ULTRA and the Dell XPS 13. I sometimes feel like a college student myself running to all my meetings and constantly taking notes in Microsoft OneNote. So I recently picked myself up a Dell XPS 13. So far, the XPS 13 has proven to be a quick and nimble PC and is barely noticeable in my messenger bag as I trot through the halls of buildings here at Microsoft.

With all the hard work students put in for their classes in college, they need some downtime, right? That’s where the Xbox 360 comes in! To blow off some steam, you can just hop on Xbox LIVE and play some Halo with friends and family far away or just down the hall. Could be a great way to blow off steam and relax after a long day full of studying and classes. And this fall, Halo 4 hits – which you can now pre-order today! And the Xbox isn’t just for gaming – students will be able to enjoy a variety of entertainment options, including streaming movies and TV shows, sports, music and more!

To take advantage of this offer or more information, check with participating retailers mentioned above. Students or their parents must provide valid student identification as defined by the participating retailer.

Look What is New With Lenovo: Introducing the Latest Laptops in the ThinkPad Line

Leigha Anderson — Tue, 15 May 2012 18:11:52 GMT

Today, Lenovo is announcing updates to their line of laptops that are built to handle all the work that you can throw at them. The ThinkPad X1 Carbon is a leader in the business category of Ultrabooks and the ThinkPad Classic L, X, T, and W Series laptops have all had refreshes that build upon the performance, great battery life, and productivity that Lenovo’s laptops are known for.

The ThinkPad X1 Carbon weighs less than three pounds and beats Ultrabook specifications. Lenovo understands that it can be a hassle to wait for your laptop battery to charge, so they armed this Ultrabook with Lenovo RapidCharge which charges up to 80% battery in just 30 minutes. With built in 3G you have the ability to access the web from practically anywhere without being tethered to your Wi-Fi network. This laptop is a great choice for business pros who are out and about or travel frequently because it won’t break your back when being toted around in your bag and you have 24/7 access to the internet, email, and corporate networks.

The ThinkPad Classic L, X, T, and W have all been privy to some solid upgrades that are representative of the quality and care that are trademark Lenovo. Purchase one of these laptops and you will reap the benefits of your choice of the latest 3rd Generation Intel Core Processor and Lenovo Enhanced Experience 3.0 with RapidBoot technology on selected models. This innovative work from Lenovo will boot your laptop up to 40 percent faster than a typical Windows 7 computer. If web conferencing is a large component of your 9-5, then make sure you check out the advanced video and calling features.

Pictured below: Lenovo ThinkPad X230

If you are looking to take one of these laptops to the next level make sure you investigate adding a Solid State Drive (SSD). All of these ThinkPad models have the option to include a 250GB self-encrypting SSD. This is a great storage solution if you want extra protection for sensitive files and increased performance and reliability than the alternative Hard Disk Drive.

Lenovo will start to roll out these laptops for purchase in June. Lenovo was gracious enough to send me the gorgeous light and small ThinkPad X230 to take for a test drive, so stay tuned because I will be sharing my impressions in a future blog post. This will be my first hands on experience with a Lenovo (many of my coworkers have them), so I am anxious to be able to join club of Lenovo enthusiasts.

Tech Tuesday Live Twitter Chat – Lenovo - #winchat

Brandon LeBlanc — Tue, 15 May 2012 16:18:27 GMT

Kristina is out this week on (well-deserved) vacation so I’m stepping in to post about today’s Tech Tuesday Live Twitter Chat! Kristina has been really enjoying her Tangerine-colored Lenovo IdeaPad U300s – which she blogged about here. She says it is one of the best PCs she has ever used because it feels specifically made just for her hands and is very durable. Matter a fact - she mentioned she spilled a cup of water on her U300s on a plane to Brussels on Friday. And the U300s is working fine. Kristina’s IdeaPad U300s brings me to today’s Tech Tuesday Live Twitter Chat guest: Lenovo.

Lenovo will be talking about a variety of their great product offerings today during the chat. Whether it’s their tough ThinkPad X1 or their new U310 IdeaPad, they offer a range of great PCs that suit the needs of a variety of discerning customers. If you really want thin and light PCs, then you are in luck.

During today’s chat, we’ll be giving away the Lenovo IdeaPad U310 weighing in at under 2 lbs., super slim and with up to 8 hours of battery life – it’s a great PC for someone looking for style and functionality.

To participate in the Tech Tuesday Live Twitter Chat:

Join us from 12-1 PT (3-4 ET) on Twitter
Follow the hashtag #winchat
Follow @windows, @kristinalibby, @brandonleblanc, @daniellaycock, and @windowsblog to make sure you get the whole picture.
Answer Q1-Q5 to be eligible for the grand prize. Full legal terms and conditions here.

Note we will only be talking about the outlined topic each week and we will not be answering questions outside those topics. Questions for this week may include: How much does the Lenovo U310 weigh? Where can I purchase this PC model? How much memory does it have?

Happy Mother’s Day!

Kristina Libby — Fri, 11 May 2012 12:53:35 GMT

Every week, I meet a lot of inspiring women in my job – both people who I work with and people who I meet along the way because of what I do. Just this past week we hosted a variety of workshops around the country and some very cool inspiring journalists and bloggers touched me with their stories. They shared what they do from running a family to managing a business but what struck me was the impact these women make in their communities at large.

One such woman, Leticia Barr of Tech Savvy Mama went to Haiti last year to assist other women in giving them the tools to voice their stories. This November she’ll return to teach and mentor on the blogging tools which allow their voices to travel even further (#bloggers4haiti). Meanwhile in Minneapolis, I connected with moms like Mimi Baker of Woven By Words who is raising four children, working full time and still finds time for a daily blog that connects her with the community. She does it all while looking stunning, I might add.

Mother’s Day Workshop in DC

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Over the last few weeks to celebrate mom’s and the women who inspire us -- we’ve shared a few fun tips around how to create free gifts from mom for Mother’s Day. You can create a fast digital card in Paint like the one below. Check out our Facebook page for a step by step how to. Then you can even go one step further and create a digital photo album for Mom, like this one, by taking your Paint image and adding other great images for your mom in a SkyDrive folder. You may also want to create a fun video of favorite clips and images using Windows Live Movie Maker.

Who inspires you? For me it’s these women and of course my mom. So, why not stop for a moment and say: Thanks to the Moms and the women that we know who inspire us.

The possibilities are endless- so go ahead, get creative and mostly don’t forget to #saythankstomom.

Happy Mother’s Day!

Hot from HP: New PC Offerings for Business

Leigha Anderson — Thu, 10 May 2012 14:50:23 GMT

HP has announced their new lineup of Ultrabooks, notebooks, desktops, displays and thin clients that are all built for business. These PCs are designed to handle the specific needs and challenges facing businesses today, and in the future. I have a sweet spot in my heart for small business owners (my mom has owned her small business since 1995), so I know it’s important to have great PCs and these two new models by HP are perfect for the busy small business professional.

HP wants to help small businesses become more efficient, tech savvy and successful. One important step in this mission is the debut of their new HP ProBook s-series. This laptop line offers the durability and connectivity needed for work day in and day out.

The ProBook s-series is available in four sizes: 13.3-, 14- or 15.6-inch diagonal HD display or a 17.3-inch diagonal HD+ display. A no compromise PC, it is equipped with a media card reader, HDMI, and USB 3.0 ports in all models. HP DuraFinish keeps the aluminum casing smudge-resistant and wear-resistant for an always new appearance. The ProBook s-series also has great HD video conferencing capabilities for those businesses that want to reach people in Sacramento or Shanghai.

The HP EliteBook 2170p is the ultimate travel companion for small business professionals. With its 11.6-inch diagonal HD display it can easily fit into bags or backpacks, plus is has a backlit keyboard for typing away in dimly lit planes or hotel rooms. Staying connected is easy even without WiFi thanks to the optional integrated HP Mobile Broadband featuring 3G and 4G LTE, which allows for easy access to the internet, email, and networks.

If you are looking for ways to add a little life to your small business or to put a smile on your employee’s face then look no further than these stunners from HP. They offer business grade features, coupled with striking designs that make them ideal laptops at work or at home. These PCs are perfect for the small business professional who wants great performance and even better style.

Move to the Head of the Class with Hot New PCs from HP: The ENVY Ultrabook and ENVY SpectreXT

Leigha Anderson — Wed, 09 May 2012 22:32:20 GMT

Thinking about what to buy the graduate this June? Today, HP has announced a flock of new PCs and devices just in time for graduation. I love them all, but picked the ENVY Ultrabook and ENVY Spectre^XT because they have some great features for students working on summer internship or getting ready to head to school in the fall. Having just graduated from college last June, I know durability and portability are very important, but so is rocking a PC that looks great.

The new ENVY Ultrabook is a stunner in black and built to handle the four (or sometimes five) grinding years of college without breaking a sweat. The 15.6” version is a mere 19.8 mm thin and weighs around four pounds; I can almost guarantee that it will be easier to throw in your backpack than your Biology textbook.

Speaking from experience, I can attest to how difficult finding a good study spot in the library can be (especially during finals week), let alone finding an outlet to charge your laptop. The ENVY Ultrabook offers up to nine hours of battery life, meaning that you can be on campus from 8 to 5 without having to go hunting for power. Having great study music is a must have and the ENVY packs Beats Audio.

Are you anxious to get your hands on to this striking PC? The good news is that you will not have to wait long. The ENVY Ultrabook is available today starting at just $749 for the 14 inch and $799 for the 15.6 inch.

Having to wait for your PC to start up at the beginning of class can be a hassle; especially you’re your professor launches into their lecture the moment class starts. The ENVY Spectre^XT promises super-fast startup and shutdown times, so you will the first one out the door after class, and ready to go right when the next class starts.

The ENVY Spectre^XTshed the Gorilla Glass (a prominent feature on its predecessor, the ENVY 14 Spectre) and opted for a sleek brushed-metal body. This beauty is 14.5 mm thin and a feathery 3.07 pounds, making it ideal for students who are on the go all the time (AKA all students). Are you wondering if it has Beats Audio like the ENVY Ultrabook? Not to worry, HP has you covered because the Spectre^XT comes with Beats Audio as well.

Starting at $999 the Spectre^XT will hit store shelves sometime in June—stay tuned for the actual date it will launch.

Throughout college your PC becomes your best friend and lifeline to family and friends. It was my social link to stay connected to my family and friends across the country via Skype and Facebook (good thing the ENVY and Spectre^XT have built in webcams), but it is also the tool that you must have to aid in earning your degree. A PC is more than a back to school essential—it is a tool to unlock your future! For more information on these PCs check out HP ENVY Laptops and make sure you buy a PC that best fits your needs and your life.

Sweet Basil Shares Her Thoughts on Photo Sending in Hotmail

Kristina Libby — Wed, 09 May 2012 21:28:02 GMT

Carrian is the foodie behind Sweet Basil, the food blog. Sweet Basil is all about getting everyone back into the kitchen where good food is approachable and where friends and family can build healthy and happy relationships. Carrian has been writing Sweet Basil for about three years and is a wife, and mother to two girls. Carrian enjoys spending her time seeing new places, trying new restaurants, and just relaxing with the family.

Tell me, why do you hate emailing photos? I have multiple reasons – the time it takes me to search through my photos to select the correct ones, attach them one-by-one only to be told that my email is too big after only three pictures, and then have to wait an hour while the email is sent. And then I have to repeat the process.

As a mother of two children, a food blogger, wife, and human being, I just do not have the time to sit at the computer and wait to send an email with pictures of what's happening in our neck of the woods to 15 friends and family members that live far away. Or, for example, if you’re planning an event such as a wedding or baby shower and you’re trying so share your ideas and “look” of the event with other people. Tasks like these take too long.

I love, love, love the photo sharing capabilities on Microsoft SkyDrive. They are wonderful. I love how easy it is for me to just drag and drop my photos into SkyDrive directly from my pictures folder. You don’t have to use an attachment box that comes up where you have to remember the crazy photo sequence number, unless that is not an issue for you. You see, I'm a bit lazy when it comes to labeling each picture. If they are photos of family and friends, I don't label the photos. However, I always label food just in case I forget what the dish was.

Instead, you just open SkyDrive, open your pictures folder, select all of the photos you want to use, and drag them into your photo folder in SkyDrive. Doesn’t that sound easy? Then, all I have to do is quickly (if I choose and sometimes I choose not to out of pure laziness) label my new photo folder and then share it with all of my friends and family members. It’s as easy as sending them a link in an email.

So, here's my last example. The pictures are not great. They were taken on my phone, but now that I've done this once you better believe I have plans to surprise my husband with a new version every Christmas. Anyway, this year I took photos of my girls saying, "We Love You" but in a pretty darn cute way. I stuck them on a tiny chunk of wood and my hubs has it hanging at his desk at work. I was able to quickly show the rest of the family what I was doing using SkyDrive. I'm excited for next year and to take real photos instead of the phone in a last minute moment of inspiration.

I know I never would have shared these cute little images with the family if I hadn't been able to do it in literally less than a minute thanks to the help of SkyDrive…lovely, quite lovely.

Tech Tuesday Live Twitter Chat – Samsung #winchat

Kristina Libby — Tue, 08 May 2012 16:32:28 GMT

I love the new line of light and thin PCs that are on the market lately. As someone who always seems to be on the go, it is great to find beautiful, durable PCs that can slip into my purse without adding any weight and that last all day long. Samsung has a great collection of ultra-portable PCs that are perfect for the busy traveler like me, or the person who just wants an awesome PC.

Samsungtweets is joining us during this week’s Tech Tuesday #winchat to discuss just that and to giveaway a Samsung Series 5 Ultrabook™. This PC is a no compromise experience with a built in disc drive in the 14” model, the fast performance of a solid state drive with the massive storage of a hard disk drive and its ultra-sleek in one technologically advanced package. Not only that but this PC has plenty of connective ports, a full size memory card reader and boots in just 20 seconds while waking from sleep in 2 seconds. Finally, it has Wireless Display (WiDi) technology that lets this PC sync with a big screen tv via an adapter. Honestly, what more could you ask for?

To participate in the Tech Tuesday Live Twitter Chat:

Join us from 12-1 PT (3-4 ET) on Twitter
Follow the hashtag #winchat
Follow @windows, @kristinalibby, @brandonleblanc, @daniellaycock, and @windowsblog to make sure you get the whole picture.
Answer Q1-Q5 to be eligible for the grand prize. Full legal terms and conditions here.

Note we will only be talking about the outlined topic each week and we will not be answering questions outside those topics. Questions for this week may include: How much does the Samsung Series 5 Ultrabook weigh? Where can I purchase this PC model? How much memory does it have?

Scrappin’ Michele – Getting Fit with the Help of SkyDrive!

Kristina Libby — Mon, 07 May 2012 17:13:45 GMT

For the last 16 years, Michele has been helping women find support online for their hobbies and healthy lifestyles. Michele is a mom of 4, CEO of Mom Geek Media and creator of ScrapsofMyGeekLife.com, a blog offering daily commentary, advice, reviews and shared experiences of how her real life and the digital domain connect. She can be found on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Pinterest. Michelle is also the inspiration behind my recent attempt at training for a half marathon and losing a bit of weight. Her connection with technology and her tip that tracking leads to success led me to create a SkyDrive folder with an Microsoft Excel spreadsheet used to monitor my distances, weight and times for running. I now access the spreadsheet everywhere from my PC to my Windows Phone and think it’s the best weight loss trick I’ve ever been taught. Thanks Michelle!

Finding the Right Motivation to Run

As a gadget addict, I have found that any time I can find a “tech” way to do something, it makes the task a lot more fun. Reading books is fun. But when I can create a spreadsheet to track all the books I've read and come up with the total number of pages I read every year, now THAT is exciting.

A few years ago, I decided that my family needed to start living a healthier lifestyle. As the Mom of the family, everyone takes the lead from me, so I needed to start with me. For months, I struggled with making the changes, even the small ones. Motivating myself to move more and eat better wasn't easy. That is until I found a “tech” solution.

Running, Tech Style

A friend showed me how he used a combination of Nike+ and a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet to track all of his runs. He could look back at the past five years and see all of his runs with their ups and downs. Best of all, he could see how far he had come. I was hooked. I needed to run.

I went out and bought all the Nike+ gear I needed and created my Excel spreadsheet on my Sony VAIO PC that I received as part of the Windows Champions program. With that power group, I created a very simple spreadsheet that tracks my distance and time and stored it on SkyDrive so that I can track it anywhere whether I’m running and glancing down on my phone or entering in my times on my PCs.

From that information, I can create any charts or calculations I need for determining the fastest distance run, my time over time training, etc. while on my Windows 7 PC. When I start to feel like I'm going nowhere with my running, I look at my half marathon training numbers.

Yes, I said half marathon. I went from hating running to completing a half marathon and it all started because I found a way to make running fun for me....”tech” style! When I look at those numbers on my Windows 7 PC or on my phone, I get really excited about running and really proud of what I have accomplished.

This month, I am beginning my training for my second half marathon. My goal is to finish with a better time, so I am comparing my training each week. In the end, I plan to make some pretty charts comparing both races and I will create a scrapbook page and include the charts.

I encourage you to get moving using this combination too! Here are my 7 simple steps to success keeping fit with SkyDrive:

Sign into Skydrive.com with your username and password
Create an Excel spreadsheet
Add columns for date, weight, time, distance run or whatever data point matter to you
Add a row in the bottom to auto-sum the relevant data
Enter in your times, weight, or distance every day
Keep track of your results while on the go with the SkyDrive app for Windows Phone or by going to SkyDrive.com in the mobile internet browser.

Get excited about your success!

Spending time in the UK with my Sony VAIO SA

Leigha Anderson — Fri, 04 May 2012 22:42:24 GMT

I wrote this blog post a few weeks ago while on a trip to the UK. Enjoy!

Greetings from a Eurostar train traveling from London to Paris at 300 KPH. I have been in London for the past few days visiting the Microsoft UK offices and on this trip I have been spending a lot of quality time with my Sony VAIO SA laptop.

When you travel frequently or are on the go a lot for work - it is critical to have a PC that has enough (or even more) energy than you do. Finding the perfect PC that is optimized for business, yet beautifully designed can prove challenging, but the Sony VIAO SA hits the mark. Pay close attention if you are a small business owner because I think the VAIO SA is an excellent choice, especially if you are looking for a sleek laptop packed with business grade horsepower.

Here are some great Sony VAIO SA moments from my past and present travels:

My 6.5 hour flight from Seattle to Atlanta was a breeze with my VAIO SA and the VAIO Extended Sheet Battery. Prior to working at Microsoft, I was unaware that the Sony VAIO S Series and VAIO Z Series have the option to attach a sheet battery to the bottom of the PC. This awesome feature provided me with a whopping 14 hours of battery life and a new perspective of how productive you can be on an airplane. I was able to crank out all of the work that I needed to get done, and wireless on the plane allowed me to stay online the whole way, preventing the typical slough of emails from flooding my phone upon arrival. Good news: airplanes are now a spot to get a lot of stuff done, bad news: I don’t always get to watch movies (this is a big bummer because watching movies on the VAIO SA with its LED display is great) and read Vogue.

The Microsoft offices I just visited were about 45 minutes by train outside of London. When I am far from my hotel, I feel like I have to be prepared for anything that could come my way and that means I have to pack a fair amount of belongings. If you have a heavy laptop this can only make matters trickier. My Sony VAIO SA only weighs 3.8 pounds so I can easily throw it in my Longchomp bag (I strive to be fashionable and work in the tech industry) along with my camera, scarf, wallet, water bottle, and all the other random things I carry throughout the day.

It is a common perception is that work laptops are not always the most attractive, but my VAIO SA is exactly the opposite. It is thin, light and sleek, while providing the same comprehensive security features that is a requirement for business today. For example, the VAIO SA has a TPM (Trusted Platform Module) chip that keeps your hard drive safe and secure even if your laptop is lost or stolen.

If you are a small business owner and the Sony VAIO SA has peaked your interest, you should check out the new Sony for Business website. They are currently running a fabulous offer to celebrate entrepreneurship where you can save 5% by bundling a VAIO PC with select accessories and an Extended Service Plan. This is a fabulous deal because the VAIO S comes with Windows 7 Professional and accessories you need when you are working in your office or on the road.

My train is now slowing down for the arrival into Paris and even though I have another one and a half hours of battery life left I am going to close down shop and look out the window for the last few minutes. I am super passionate about my VAIO SA, as I believe it is a laptop that shines when it comes to business and style. Remarkable things should be shared, and I feel that my VAIO SA is just that, very remarkable.

Tech Tuesday Live Twitter Chat with Acer #winchat

Kristina Libby — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 19:30:13 GMT

This week we are happy to be joined by Acer for our weekly Tech Tuesday Live Twitter Chat #winchat. The hip PC company will be joining us to talk about a few of their hottest PCs on the market including the Acer Aspire S3 and the Acer Aspire TimelineX. Both PCs have a lot to offer from sleek slim designs to great battery life to USB 3.0 always on ports.

Prior to the chat, you may want to get up to date on the products by checking out their website or their Facebook page. While on their Facebook page, don’t forget to sign up for their current giveaway with prizes - including four Acer Aspire S3s! Oh, and speaking of prizes, this week we are also giving away the Aspire S3 during our chat! The beautiful notebook is a favorite around these halls for both its lightweight design and fast start-up time. Learn more on the chat!

To participate in the Tech Tuesday Live Twitter Chat:

Join us from 12-1 PT (3-4 ET) on Twitter
Follow the hashtag #winchat
Follow @windows, @kristinalibby, @brandonleblanc, @daniellaycock, and @windowsblog to make sure you get the whole picture.
Answer Q1-Q5 to be eligible for the grand prize. Full legal terms and conditions here.

Note we will only be talking about the outlined topic each week and we will not be answering questions outside those topics. Questions for this week may include: How much does the Acer Aspire weigh? What’s the Aspire Timeline X? How much do these Acer PCs cost?

Group Projects Made Easier with SkyDrive–A Students Perspective

Kristina Libby — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 18:48:58 GMT

Pamela Nguyen is an upcoming graduate of New York University and founder of Surviving College, a blog dedicated to helping students navigate the ins and outs of college. She is constantly on the lookout for nifty tools that will make a busy (and poor) college student's life much easier. A self-proclaimed interior design junkie, Pamela also runs the interior design blog, Redesign Revolution.

I can hear a collective groan throughout campus when a professor utters the phrase "group projects." You might recall the graphics and memes depicting the expectations versus reality when faced with a group project that is worth 50 percent of your grade.

Image 1: Snapshot of one of my marketing classes at NYU.

As a business student at New York University, I have had more than my fair share of group projects. Last semester alone, I had three back-to-back group presentations that followed up with group papers all in the span of two weeks. No fun. What I've learned is that doing collaborative projects where formatting is incredibly important - the combined power of Google Docs and Dropbox just wasn't cutting it. Attempting to create Microsoft PowerPoint presentations, budgeting reports, or 50-page-long papers via these avenues always ends up failing for me.

What are the problems I have with Google Docs?

Formatting is compromised whenever you switch between Google Docs and to the desktop version of Microsoft Word and Microsoft PowerPoint.
Google Docs is essentially a bare bones version of any Microsoft Office app, with little capability to deal with flashy things (sometimes you need flashy things in your PowerPoint presentation!).
You never knew what was edited when you opened up a collaborative document.

Image 2: One of my PowerPoint slides on the desktop application vs. Google Docs conversion.

What are the problems I have with Dropbox?

It is so easy to use up the 2GB limit, though I have a 4GB limit from referring my friends.
The problematic number of conflicting files your group can generate from working on the same document simultaneously.
You can't collaborate on a project live.

Typically the way my group project collaborations have gone in the past has been like this:

Create a barebones PowerPoint presentation on Google Docs.
Fill out the basic information on Google Docs.
Download the file.
Format the file on the desktop version of Microsoft PowerPoint.
Share file on Dropbox.
Get multiple conflicting files when everyone decides to edit and save at once.
Sigh collectively.
Resort to editing and emailing back and forth for the subsequent hours right before the PowerPoint presentation is due.

And when you have to resort to emailing back in forth in groups of 4-8, you can't help but wonder if there's another option out there that can override these issues. Lo and behold: this is where Microsoft SkyDrive comes in.

Why I couldn’t resist signing up for SkyDrive:

With 7GB of free storage space in the SkyDrive, I wouldn't have to be careful about moving around other files to make room for my multiple group projects.
SkyDrive has Microsoft Office fully integrated online through the Office Web Apps (Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote), so I wouldn't have to worry about formatting issues when switching between the cloud and my desktop.
People can work on papers simultaneously, no conflicting files involved.
On the Microsoft PowerPoint Office Web App, there aren’t those annoying formatting errors that you get with Google Docs.
When someone makes an edit, you are notified of that edit the next time you save/update your document.
You don’t have to make a new account when signing up for SkyDrive – just register your Gmail or Yahoo account, no problem!
You don’t have to have the latest version of Microsoft Office, and you won’t have to save your files in other formats for others who have older versions of Microsoft Office - now they can use the Office Web Apps in SkyDrive!

Image 3: My same presentation on Skydrive’s PowerPoint Web App.

Frustrations, be gone! I can only rejoice about the hours saved with my latest PowerPoint presentation, now that I no longer have to format and re-format between Google Docs and Microsoft Office. Now, if only I can get my group project peers to make the switch…

Windows themes: Happy Mother’s Day!

Jennifer Shepherd — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 22:54:23 GMT

Love between mother and child is one of the deepest and most universal bonds there is. In celebration of Mother’s Day, the new Furry Families theme depicts motherly love of many species, including lions, otters, polar bears, horses, foxes, and prairie dogs. Maybe you can grab Mom’s laptop when she’s not looking and install this theme on it.

In case you have an older version of Windows, or prefer to just use a single desktop image instead of a theme, we’ve published a few of these images as standalone wallpapers, too:

These aren’t new, but apparently mothers also appreciate roses and chocolate, and people who pick up after themselves (I don’t have a theme about that last one, sorry).

Whether you’re a mom or just love someone who is, I hope you can find something you like on the Windows Personalization Gallery. We add more almost every week, so please check back for new Windows 7 themes and wallpapers.

Crafting with Jamielyn–How to Make Really Cool Laptop Covers At Home

Kristina Libby — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 14:53:35 GMT

Jamielyn is the founder and managing editor of iheartnaptime.net. She is married to he best friend and together they have two beautiful children just under two years apart. Her days are filled with lots of snuggles, crafts, e-mails, avoiding the ever-growing pile of laundry, play dough, sneaking bites of chocolate and wondering, “Is it nap time yet?!” I Heart Nap Time is a creative site sharing DIY home projects on a budget, crafts, sewing tutorials, easy recipes, tips and techniques. Connect with Jamielyn on Facebook or Twitter.

Every few years, I find myself wanting a new laptop. There is always something new and better that comes out on the market. With technology, it’s amazing how fast things are changing.

Well, a new PC isn’t always in the budget, so what do I do? I decided to bring some life back into my PC with a little makeover. I love how it turned it. Today I’m going to show you how to turn your PC from drab to fab!

With kids who love to play games on my laptop, the front of my PC gets finger prints and scratches all over it. So, the first step to bring some life back into my computer was to clean it. I cleaned it with a little rubbing alcohol and Q-Tips. You can drag the Q-Tip between the keys and in between the cracks. Once you are done with that, your computer will be sparkling clean.

Then I decided to add some fun patterned tape to the front of my computer. You can find patterned tape (also known as washi tape) at cutetape.com, Target, Michaels, and other craft stores. It comes in all sorts of colors, patterns, and sizes. It costs about $2 a roll.

All I did was roll the tape across the top of my lap top, pushing it down as I went and then cut it off at the edge. I continued my way down with different colors and patterns to give my computer a fun and unique look. This tape will not leave a sticky residue on your computer, which is great for someone like me who changes her mind quite often.

I also added a little piece of tape on my space bar to brighten up the inside. I thought about adding it to every key, but that might have been a little time consuming. I love how it turned out. For less than 10 bucks, I now have a completely customized laptop that gets me lots of compliments at Star bucks.

Here are some other ideas I thought would be fun to dress a lap top:

Add a zebra computer skin from Etsy.

Customize your computer with a picture of your family. Find these at Dino Direct.

I {heart} My PC decal from Dezign.

Jamielyn is a participant in the Windows blogging program, and receives Microsoft software, hardware, and financial compensation as part of her participation in the program.

Join Us and Say Thanks to Mom

Kristina Libby — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 14:30:00 GMT

Do you live in Washington DC or Minneapolis? Are you a blogger, a mom or a simply interested in how to make a great gift for the Mom or inspiring lady in your life? If so, then join us this coming week for a series of Mother’s Day workshops being held at the Microsoft Store. Windows Champions Michelle McGraw of Scraps of My Geek Life and Melissa Mitchell of Sippy Cup Mom will be in Washington DC and Minneapolis respectively. The events will be a great chance to learn how to make Mother’s Day cards, or family movies while also socializing with area bloggers. Plus, there will be the chance to get a bit of free goodies, and be eligible to win an ASUS ZENBOOK UX21 in Rose Gold – perfect for yourself or the mom in your life!

Minneapolis

Where: Microsoft Store in the Mall of America
When: May 2nd, 10:30am

Washington DC

Where: Microsoft Store in Tyson’s Corner
When: May 3rd, 10:30am

Hope to see you there and if you have questions, please drop me a tweet @kristinalibby and use #saythankstomom to follow the discussion from wherever you are!