Microsoft Support & Discussions

Microsoft is rounding out its family of Windows Azure toolkits with a near-final test version of the toolkit for Android device developers. Source: All About Microsoft

By Paul Thurrott Today’s post on the Building Windows 8 blog concerns what Steven Sinofsky calls the "Metro style user interface" that Microsoft previously showed off--the new Start Screen--and how that, combined with the classic Windows desktop, provides both "a reimagined Windows" as well as a "no compromises" version of Windows that does it all. Source: Win Super Site

By Paul Thurrott In the wake of Microsoft’s recent discussion about the newly ribbonized Windows Explorer UI in Windows 8, I’ve received a lot of email from readers who aren’t too thrilled with this direction. (And a few, to be fair, who are.) I’d like to make two points about this. Source: Win Super Site

By Paul Thurrott While most Windows Phone users are Windows users, and thus will need to use the Zune PC software to sync digital media content to and from their devices, Microsoft provides Mac users with an alternate solution, since the Zune software is not available for that platform. It’s actually a pretty decent utility, called Windows Phone 7 Connector. And this week it was upgraded to version 2.0, with support for Windows Phone 7.5 "Mango." Source: Win Super Site

By Paul Thurrott For technology enthusiasts, August is usually the most boring month of the year. And aside from the Windows 95 launch 16 years ago, little notable has ever happened in August, tech-wise. August 2011, however, defied all norms. It was easily the most eventful month in tech history. Source: Win Super Site

Microsoft is turning to gamification inside and outside the company to increase employee and user feedback and awareness on a variety of fronts. Source: All About Microsoft

A Microsoft Most Valuable Professional (MVP) shows off how Kinect sensor integration with an ERP application might work Source: All About Microsoft

By Paul Thurrott As with many previous posts to the Building Windows 8 blog, today’s post deals with functionality we already knew was coming in Windows 8, in this case native ISO/VHD integration with the file system. Still, it’s nice to see how this functionality is going to be implemented. Source: Win Super Site

By Paul Thurrott Android devices are like locusts, or cancer, or whatever unstoppable plague you care to mention. It’s an IT disaster waiting to happen. Source: Win Super Site

By Paul Thurrott I recorded Windows Weekly live from the new TWiT Studios last week. Here’s a photo I just discovered on our vacation reel... Source: Win Super Site

By Paul Thurrott Apple today released a Mac-only beta of its upcoming iTunes Match service--an optional and paid part of its broader iCloud effort--to registered iOS developers. (I assume a Windows version is coming soon.) Apple previously announced iTunes Match (and iCloud and iOS 5) at its June Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC), stating that it would be available publicly by the end of the year. Source: Win Super Site

By Paul Thurrott This week, Microsoft opened the Explorer kimono a bit more and showed off the final design of the ribbon UI in Windows 8’s Explorer. It’s decidedly bulky-looking, confirming the fears of those who still haven’t come around to the ribbon. But it also appears to be nicely customizable, which should lessen the blow. Source: Win Super Site

Microsoft’s adCenter online advertising platform has been experiencing service problems during the afternoon of August 29, customers are noting via Twitter. Microsoft is working to address the issue. Source: All About Microsoft

By Paul Thurrott This year, Microsoft took a more professional competitive tact in its virtualization fight against market leader VMWare. That’s right. It released a hilarious video about VMWare on You Tube. Source: Win Super Site

Microsoft is making available to Python developers a free, open-source add-on to its Visual Studio suite. Source: All About Microsoft

By Paul Thurrott Why Microsoft’s mouse falls short, and one way to learn how to develop for Apple iOS. Source: Win Super Site

Microsoft is launching a new Dynamics CRM Online promotional deal, as well as unleashing a new spoof virtualization video the same week that Salesforce’s Dreamforce and VMware’s VMworld shows are kicking off. Source: All About Microsoft