Microsoft Office

From Microsoft Home Office, these 101 freebies will make your home office work smoothly.

Click the blue link above for the full list and descriptions.

Whether you’re partial to online services or to downloadable software, we have the Web’s best free stuff and it’ll keep you productive, secure and entertained.

Free. It’s the magic word for an ever-expanding wealth of downloadable software and online services. Free doesn’t necessarily mean good, however, and hunting for freebies can mean sifting through a lot of junk.

That’s where we come in. We surfed, clicked and installed to find sparkling free gems capable of planning your time, keeping you in touch and tuning and securing your PC, not to mention glitzing up your desktop, helping you stay productive and entertaining you with music, videos, photos and games. We paid special attention to programs and services you may not have heard of before.
We also singled out two free offerings — one download and one online service — as the best of the bunch.

What they cover:

In This Article:
File Sharing and Storage
Security
Video and Photo
System Utilities and Backup
Maps and Directions
Communications
Time Management
Music
Desktop Customization
News Readers
Games
Best Download and Web App

I’m always on the lookout for the newest, latest scanners in adware, malware, virus and spamware, and there appears to be quite a few in this annual batch. Microsoft has two entries. Their Microsoft Office Live Workspace and Microsoft Office Live Small Business, both of which I have, my business site Lione Services.

Canvas for OneNote allows you to navigate and edit notebooks in a new way by providing a high-level canvas-view of all your content. he prototype lets you zoom and pan around; view and organize content in new ways; add new pages right where you want them; and even locate pages in a timeline view.

Discover the many ways that Canvas for OneNote can help you identify and find the content, pages, and sections you’re looking for.

See how adding, moving, and editing notebook pages and sections from a canvas view can help you get all your content right where you want it.

Watch how easy it can be to browse your notebook, organize content to fit the way you work, and find what you’re looking for using the Activity View and various visual cues.

<a href="http://video.msn.com/?playlist=videoByUuids:uuids:4df5f112-f04a-490c-9d06-667126389298&#038;showPlaylist=true" target="_new" title="Demo Video">Video: Demo Video</a>

Requirements: Windows Vista and OneNote 2007.
Limitations:
Last updated: 02/25/2009

From the Office Labs blog:

Within Office Labs, we’ve been exploring alternate interactions with software that take advantage of the natural human capacity for spatial recognition in order to help users organize their digital belongings in much the same way that they organize their physical belongings. For example, pptPlex explored how presenting information could benefit from a canvas-based experience. Today we’re pleased to release Canvas for OneNote which explores how you can browse, organize, edit and create OneNote content using a canvas.

How does a canvas make things better? Think about your desk, with piles of papers on the corner and things in certain spaces. You have a lot of liberty to sort and arrange as you want. You know where certain things are, and you can go quickly and easily to those spaces to find them. Our gut feeling is that this canvas-like approach to organizing digital content is really promising, and with this prototype you can help us explore the truth of that feeling through your actual use, interactions, and work flow.

Canvas for OneNote was designed to allow OneNote users to navigate their notebooks more efficiently by using a high-level view of all of the documents, pictures, and anything else they’ve stored in their notebooks. Users will be able to see all their notebook pages and sections at a glance, and zoom into any content for which they want to see more detail or perform edits. It also enables users to organize sections and pages using spatial placement, easily browse and find content based on size and color, and add new sections or pages by simply double-clicking the canvas or using the toolbar. It also provides an Activity View to easily locate pages modified by date.

REGISTER to enjoy the full virtual launch experience, enabling you to download content via a convenient virtual backpack and sign up for more information.

SIGN IN if you have already registered, to view the site and continue collecting content for download via your virtual backpack.

ENTER without registering to go straight to the site but without ability to download content to a virtual backpack.

Information from Microsoft on the event:

Building on the customer, partner, and industry momentum of Office Communications Server 2007, the new Office Communications Server 2007 R2 update continues to deliver on the Microsoft promise to streamline communications for users, give IT organizations the flexibility and control they need to better manage their communications infrastructure, and provide an extensible platform for communications-enabled business processes. Streamlined communications Users face the challenge of managing their communications across many devices and applications, which can have a negative impact on productivity. Office Communications Server 2007 R2 streamlines the way that users manage communications; it enables users to find and communicate with the right person, right now, with the applications they use most. Some highlights include:

 Microsoft Office Communicator 2007 R2 Attendant Console and call delegation controls
 Persistent group chat functionality and increased performance for multi-party desktop sharing
 Enhanced Microsoft Office Communicator Mobile experience

Operational flexibility and control IT administrators are called upon to control costs, improve security, integrate with existing infrastructures, and manage compliance requirements. Office Communications Server 2007 R2 helps IT administrators meet these challenges by giving them the ability to provide flexible communications solutions and by delivering tools to help manage more secure and compliant communications. Some highlights include:

 On-premise dial-in audio conferencing
 Single number reach functionality for mobile phone users
 Enhanced reporting that includes video and application sharing

Q&A: Jason Zander discusses how Visual Studio 2010 will help developers be more productive; provides update on Visual Studio 2008 customer benefits.

From Microsft Q&A:

PressPass: Let’s take a step back for a second. You introduced Visual Studio 2008 in February 2008. What has been the customer reaction to it since then?

Zander: Very positive. Today there are more than 14,000 customers for Visual Studio Team System 2008 deploying more than 500,000 clients.

One of the new user interface screens for Visual Studio 2010.
Click for high-res image

Customers’ favorite features include Language-Integrated Query (LINQ) technology, which significantly reduces the amount of code developers have to write and speeds up the development process.

We’ve also heard anecdotally from customers like AppPoint Software Solutions, Xerox Corp., Xcalia S.A., TestFactory and Veracity Solutions Inc. that they have seen benefits in all phases of the software development life cycle, from early testing and development to final deployment and customization.

Since the release of Visual Studio 2008, we’ve continued to add some new functionality to help customers get more out of their existing investments, such as the Client Profile introduced with SP1, which streamlines development and deployment of client-based applications. We’ve also improved the performance and scalability of Team Foundation Server considerably, responding to growing needs for greater scalability.

We are currently offering several promotions for Visual Studio 2008 at http://www.microsoft.com/visualstudio.

What’s different with this new UI?

Zander: There’s a lot more to the new UI than just a pretty face. We’ve completely redesigned the UI for Visual Studio 2010 with one goal: making developers’ jobs easier.

The new UI for Visual Studio 2010 aims to help developers work smarter with streamlined features and increased control of the Integrated Development Environment (IDE), but without creating a new learning curve for existing Visual Studio users. As developers, we spend a lot of time in our IDE. So it’s all about how to make your experience with the IDE most successful. Visual Studio 2010 now features a reorganized layout with file menus and commands on a “shelf” at the top of the IDE.

OneNote MSDN blog has these tips:

Tips:

For left-handed users, the page tabs and scroll bar can be displayed along the left side instead of the right, click Tools -> Options -> Display -> place a checkmark in ‘Page tabs appear on the left’ and ‘Vertical scroll bar appears on the left’. This makes it easier to navigate your pages when using a pen.
When a new page is created, the page tab’s name appears as “Untitled Page”. However, after you add a title to your page, the page tab adopts it as its new name. Even if you don’t explicitly give it a title, the page tab name will adopt the first few words of any text or ink that it sees on the page.
You can change a series of existing main pages into grouped pages by first selecting the range of pages, (this is done by holding down the Ctrl key while clicking on each additional page) -> then right-click the selection -> choose Group Pages. This causes the first page in the selected range to become the main page and all subsequent pages in the selected range to become subpages.
You can also change all subpages within a group to be main pages by right-clicking the page group -> and selecting Ungroup Pages.
You can adjust the properties of a page by right-clicking the page tab -> and pressing Page Setup. This is where you can specify the paper size, margins, rule lines, and more. You can even set your page surface to be a certain color.
Pages come with a page title at the top. This is a special container that floats above the page surface and is reserved for text and ink only. All other content will be stored on the page surface. Immediately beneath the page title you will see the creation date and time. You can easily change the date and time by clicking on them. Once you do so a small control will appear to the side, click on it to select the desired date or time.

Here’s some news if you use Sharepoint in your business: Developers building solutions based on Microsoft’s SharePoint collaboration and business process platform will gain expanded support in the planned Visual Studio 2010 development environment, which will feature templates and an extensibility API, a Microsoft official said in a blog on Thursday.

Currently, developers can use Visual Studio 2005 or 2008 to develop for Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 and Windows SharePoint Services 3.0, said S. “Soma” Somaseger, senior vice president of the Microsoft developer division, in his blog. Developers also can use Visual Studio for Windows SharePoint Services or third-party tools, he said.

A Visual Studio extensibility API will let developers build SharePoint project items, automate and extend existing SharePoint project items, enhance deployment and retraction functionality, and extend the display and actions of SharePoint nodes in Server Explorer, Somasegar said.

While Visual Studio 2008 is limited to development of supported workflow projects only for lists and document libraries, Visual Studio 2010 will enable development of list and site level workflows along with aspx association and initiation forms.

“And, as you would expect, the new Visual Studio 2010 designers can be used to create Web Parts, application pages, and user controls for a SharePoint site,” Somasegar said. Developers also will be able to navigate and browse a SharePoint site directly in Visual Studio, Somasegar said.

Visual Studio 2010 could arrive late this year, based on two-year release cycles for Visual Studio.

Office SharePoint Server features capabilities for collaboration, portals, enterprise search, content management, business process and forms, and business intelligence. Windows SharePoint Services enables collaboration and development of Web-based business applications.

Second time around for this bit of news, but very apropos in today’s business climate.

Microsoft Corp. announced a new initiative, Elevate America, which will provide up to 2 million people over the next three years with the technology training needed to succeed in the 21st-century economy.

Microsoft has worked for years with other businesses and community-based partners to broaden access to job opportunities through information technology education and training. Elevate America expands these efforts and provides immediate support in response to the current economic crisis in partnership with others in the public and private sector.

Elevate America has two main offerings, one available immediately and one that will be provided in partnership with state governments including those of Florida, New York and Washington.

Elevate America helps individuals understand what types of technical skills they need for the jobs and entrepreneurial opportunities of today and tomorrow, and resources to help acquire these skills. The Web site provides access to several Microsoft online training programs, including how to use the Internet, send e-mail and create a résumé, as well as more advanced programs on using specific Microsoft applications.

In order to provide a broader range of training programs and certification exams, Microsoft will also partner with state and local governments, which in turn will make these resources available to their citizens. Pamela Passman, corporate vice president of Microsoft Global Corporate Affairs, today announced that Florida, New York and Washington will be the first states to provide Elevate America to their residents. Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire says that programs such as Elevate America are critical to providing support to Washington families and helping the economy recover.

Elevate America is an extension of Microsoft’s long-standing commitment to provide skills training and certification through schools, government programs and community-based organizations. The Unlimited Potential Community Technology Skills Program is an example of how Microsoft is already working to bridge the technology skills gap and equip more people with skills relevant to today’s work force. More than half of today’s jobs require some technology skills, and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that will reach 77 percent in the next decade.

“Millions of Americans don’t have the technology skills needed in today’s economy. Through Elevate America, we want to help workers get the skills they need to succeed,” Passman said. “We are also providing a full range of work force development resources for state and local governments so they can offer specialized training for their workers.”

Short-Term Needs and Long-Term Investments

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, more people than ever are pursuing Microsoft technical certifications. As part of the Elevate America effort, Microsoft is providing 1 million Microsoft Learning vouchers for free access to Microsoft eLearning courses and select certification exams.* This comprehensive offering also includes the following:

• Expanded access to basic technology literacy and skills training

• Basic-level information technology training resources through Microsoft Unlimited Potential and Digital Literacy curricula

• Intermediate technology skills training courses, online and instructor-led, plus selected certification exams

• Vouchers for eLearning course collections offered by Microsoft

• Vouchers for certification exams leading to Microsoft business certification

• Grants of cash and software to community partners to build in-classroom training capacity

• Discounted membership rates for institutions participating in the Microsoft IT Academy program

• Access to a new Web portal that will help guide individuals to training and resources that position them for success in the economy today, and tomorrow

With today’s economy and layoffs, we all need all the help we can get when searching for jobs.

MSN and Careerbuilder offer these five steps to building an e-mail friendly resume. Good luck out there!

Here are five easy steps to format your existing résumé into an e-friendly work of art.

1. Remove all formatting from your original résumé.
Unfortunately, the same formatting that makes your résumé nice to look at makes it almost impossible for a computer to understand.

To remove the formatting, open your word-processed résumé and choose the “Save As” option under the “File” tab on your toolbar. Save the document type as Plain Text or Text Only. In the following dialog box, choose the option to insert line breaks.

2. Use Notepad, WordPad or SimpleText to reformat.
Close your original résumé document and reopen the text version using editing software like Notepad, WordPad or SimpleText. Your text version should be free of most graphic elements, like fancy fonts, lines and bullets. Text should be flush with the left side of the document.

3. Stick to a simple font and style.
Use clear, sans-serif fonts, like Courier, Arial or Helvetica. This way, the computer won’t mistake your fancy lettering for a jumbled word.

Use a 12-point font; anything smaller won’t scan well. Also, stay away from italics or underlining. Rather than using boldface type, try using capital letters to separate sections like education and experience.

Instead of using bullets, use such standard keyboard characters as an asterisk or a dash. Instead of using the “Tab” key, use the space key to indent. Make sure all headings – like your name, address, phone and e-mail – appear on separate lines, with a blank line before and after.

(more…)

From the Microsoft Office Blog Archive: After you open and run an infected program or attachment on your computer, you might not realize that you’ve introduced a virus until you notice something isn’t quite right.

Here are a few primary indicators that your computer might be infected:

• Your computer runs more slowly than normal

• Your computer stops responding or locks up often

• Your computer crashes and restarts every few minutes

• Your computer restarts on its own and then fails to run normally

• Applications on your computer don’t work correctly

• Disks or disk drives are inaccessible

• You can’t print correctly

• You see unusual error messages

• You see distorted menus and dialog boxes

These are common signs of infection—but they might also indicate hardware or software problems that have nothing to do with a virus. Unless you run the Microsoft Malicious Software Removal Tool and install industry-standard, up-to-date antivirus software on your computer, there is no way to be certain if your computer is infected with a virus or not. If you don’t have current antivirus software installed, try Microsoft’s tools or go to Download.com. There are some amazing and free virus removal software tools out there.

On my tablet, I have AVG Free virus scanner, A-Squared Free, Zone Alarm, Advanced System Care Free and CCleaner. There are about as many virus, ad-and spy-ware scanners as there are computers in the world. Do your research to see which one fits your needs.

Set up an automatic scanning, or set aside time each day to run your programs to scan. I set mine at night or during slow times (funny, I know).

Join Microsoft’s Virtual Earth Developer’s Contest

February 16 - April 16

Showcase your skills and teach us something new with Virtual Earth! Submit a written article or video demonstrating an innovative Virtual Earth solution or
application, and see your material featured on our site! Win one of numerous prizes for the most unique or highly rated submission. All contributors will valid submissions will receive a free t-shirt.

The top winners will receive a Virtual Earth clock. The community will also vote an an overall winner who will receive a Virtual Earth glass globe.

For submissions, simply go to the Contribute Article page and follow the instructions. Make sure you include a title for your article and indicate that it is for Virtual Earth.

Good Luck!

More info, courtesy of Softpedia:

is looking to attract 3D designers to Live Search Maps and Virtual Earth. Following the acquisition of Caligari, Microsoft made available for free trueSpace 7.6, a comprehensive toolset connecting the solutions directly with its mapping, imagery and search platform. In a move intended to boost the three dimensional content available via Live Search Maps and Virtual Earth, Microsoft has introduced the Virtual Earth Gallery Contest. Designed as an area of the Caligari (trueSpace) 3D Authoring and Collaboration website, Virtual Earth Gallery is set up to centralize 3D work in exchange for the possibility of winning a prize.

Microsoft has managed no to offer any detail on the incentives it is offering to 3D designers that go ahead and submit their work to Virtual Earth via trueSpace. According to Pendleton, users will have to be registered trueSpace7.6 owners in order to participate in the content. At the same time, the 3D models created will first have to be integrated with Virtual Earth before they are taken into consideration by the judges.