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Heads up: IE8 to be pushed out to enterprise users
Microsoft is set to make Internet Explorer 8 (IE8) available as an update rollup for Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) from August 25.
The move means that IT departments using WSUS to control deployment of updates across their network need to be ready ahead of this date.
Microsoft announced the move in a recent posting on its IEBlog site, explaining that organisations which have configured WSUS to auto-approve update rollup packages will have IE8 automatically installed onto all compatible systems unless they take action to forestall this.
IE8 is generally regarded as a great improvement over earlier releases of the browser, offering better security and greater compliance with published web standards. It also comes with a slew of new group policy settings to allow administrators to control settings and behaviour via Active Directory.
However, it is possible that IE8 may prove incompatible with some web-based enterprise applications, or that IT departments may not yet be ready to roll out the new browser.
Microsoft's IEBlog site has instructions for companies that use WSUS, but who wish to have control over when IE8 gets deployed on their network.
IE8 is compatible with Windows XP systems with Service Pack 2, XP Professional x64 Edition, 32bit and 64bit versions of Windows Vista, and Windows Server 2003 and Windows Server 2008.
Google Squared gives all the wrong answers
Generally people search to find the right answers or to deepen their knowledge on a subject. Not on Google Squared.
People using the new search tool should be prepared to be misinformed. Google should be prepared for a few complaints.
Google Squared was launched on Thursday with the product's manager, Alex Komoroske, admitting the technology "is by no means perfect", which some testing the tool would say is an understatement. So far the technology looks like it will cause users more trouble than its worth.
Google Squared is designed to allow users to research a subject without visiting many different web sites. Search results are delivered in a table, which users can then compare side by side.
However, so far the tool has pronounced both Prince William and Prince Charles dead.
A search for 'UK national papers' lists the Guardian as a tabloid while the Times maintains its status as a broadsheet. The Express is apparently a mix of student books, audio tapes and CDs. The Metro is a movie.
A search for 'Social Network' lists the MySpace owner as Facebook Will Win for Now while Facebook is owned by mario. Luckily Google knows that it owns YouTube and the tool correctly lists Flickr as Yahoo's.
A search for Good Camera Phones prices the Motorola Razr V3 at a bargain price of $3.45.
Hands on with Google's Multiple Inboxes
Recently, Google updates to Gmail Labs have been coming so thick and fast that one could even believe Google is considering bringing the product out of beta.
Since the beginning of January users have been given additional capabilities such as offline access, easier labelling techniques and video via Gmail chat to name just a few. Now Google has announced perhaps the most exciting one: Multiple Inboxes.
The feature makes it possible for users to have more than one 'inbox' in their default Gmail view. The look of Gmail changes so that you have your traditional inbox on the left and then a right pane with the emails you want (or need) to see separately.
To add it, click on the enable box from the Labs tab under Settings. Once enabled, it will automatically bring up your draft emails in the right pane but you can configure the feature from Settings so that you can see starred emails or particular folders (which of course Google calls Labels).
You can also configure the feature to the number of messages you want displayed and the positioning of the panels.
Although a lot of reports have called the name Multiple Inboxes 'misleading' because it implies users will be able to see email from a number of different providers, I can't see where they are coming from - they can!
For example, an external email account can be filtered to a Gmail Label (from Settings, then Accounts and by checking the option of Skipping Inbox) and then this Label can then appear in a separate pane in your inbox.
I am going to use the new panes to show my personal Gmail messages, my Hotmail inbox and my starred messages in Gmail, which I use when I have an email I have to reply to.
The only necessity with the new feature is that users need to be organised. If they do not have Labels set up and do not use the starred option, then the feature will just clutter their view (unless they really want to see their draft messages).
Another difficulty is setting up the external email account filtering. I admit to having problems when Google asked for Hotmail's POP server address and Port number. Google said to contact Hotmail if experiencing problems connecting. The best place to start is WindowsLiveHelp.com but it is quite a long-winded way of doing things.
King TUT helps sysadmins
Ever wondered why your sysadmin has locked down a specific feature of your desktop PC - like say stopping CD/DVD autorun or stopping you from blocking Microsoft Security Center alerts? They don't do something without good reason, but it's normally to stop the helpdesk being pounded with calls.
How do you acquire the knowledge it takes to be a system adminstrator? Normally, through judicious application of four-letter words - all of them being 'time'. However, there are utilities out there which can short-cut some of the knowledge required. I've been 'kicking the tyres' recently on just such a utility - called 'The Ultimate Troubleshooter' from AnswersThatWork.com. Normally, anything with 'Ultimate' in the title tends to fall woefully short of such an epithet. However, The Ultimate Troubleshooter or TUT as it's known usually, has features particularly useful to system admins working on system images to improve performance, security and managibility.
TUT costs around £15 for a single license and gives detailed information on the current tasks the system is running along with their associated services and processes. TUT also documents what programs fire up when you boot the system. For each service TUT gives its findings, views and importantly its recommendations on what to do with the service. Take for example, Microsoft's Error Reporting Service, ERSvc, TUT concludes its view on this service as "For 98% of users this is as useless a service as there can be." It then shows how to stop the service.
I should have a more detailed report on TUT, ready later this month.
