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Yippie - Microsoft to open source Windows Calculator!

The Matrix

The Matrix is crazier than we all suspected...

A digital billboard in Odessa malfunctioned, in the fog. Convincing unknown numbers of motorists not only were they living in the Matrix, but it was being run on Windows 98. pic.twitter.com/a5O0Yoj0Lu

— Pádraig Belton (@PadraigBelton) February 8, 2019

OneDrive: Files Restores

Ignoring the awkward name, I'm always happy to see new features being released for the OneDrive service. OneDrive has stored revisions for a while, but Files Restores includes some neat enhancements - like the histogram so you can see the volume of changes.

I love the cloud and features like the Files Restores, but I still buy a USB hard drive every few years to do my own back up. That reminds me... I need to take my year-end snap shot and get the drive to the safe deposit box at my bank.

Alexa and Cortana

The new Laverne and Shirley...

"Available later this year, this collaboration will allow you to access Alexa via Cortana on Windows 10 PCs, followed by Android and iOS in the future. Conversely, you’ll be able to access Cortana on Alexa-enabled devices like the Amazon Echo, Echo Dot and Echo Show."

Which leads to interesting questions...

What happens if Amazon does a deal with Apple but Microsoft doesn't? "Cortana, ask Alexa to tell Siri to call mum"?

— Tim Bradshaw (@tim) August 30, 2017

I assume this will work with my new $29 Eufy Genie Echo Dot clone.

Refurb Microsoft Surface 3 - $254

Tempted... Refurb Microsoft Surface 3 - $254.99.

Will Miracles Never Cease?

Microsoft is replacing the "J" with a smiley.

Posting

I'd be posting except I'm spending all my time dealing with this Microsoft bug. I'm a) an e-mail hoarder and b) an old school "uses folders to organize everything" curmudgeon*, so this is a huge pain. Sometimes dragging works. Sometimes hitting "Escape" works. Sometimes I right-click and "Move." Other times, I cut and paste.

Fixed in December. Bah, thanks for nothing Microsoft.

* If the Outlook client search was better, I might get away from my folders. It's no gmail when it comes to search for sure.

Windows 10 Anniversary Update

Yuck. The Start Menu is a step backwards. I kept all my files handy via the recently used and pinned (by app) lists. They've made that much uglier.

I had horrible performance post install for quite a while - the disk was thrashing. I suspect some indexing or updates were still happening. It finally went back to normal.

It's jacked up the colors I'd set on the personalization scheme - in particular on the lock screen.

Outlook is doing weird things after the update as well. It won't let me click and drag messages to folders. (A work-around for this is to press the Escape key and then you can move the message.) It keeps resetting the view as well.

At this point, I see no reason to actually apply the updates to my other machines. Hopefully some of this will get sorted out in the coming days before they force the update on me.

Fake Windows Update

Fake Windows Update is fantastic. Pick an OS and hit F11 to go full screen. It hides the mouse cursor and you can even press Enter for a BSOD.

Remember - only use your powers for good.

Via @bobgoyetche

Gun Emojis

Apple trades a pistol emoji for a water gun. Microsoft trades a toy gun emoji for a more realistic pistol.

So what you see will vary by platform. That doesn't sound like a good idea.

LinkedIn and Microsoft

Here is the first result of the acquisition...

New #Windows BSOD leaked pic.twitter.com/eWzX9Bap1G

— Neil Studd (@neilstudd) June 13, 2016

Schedule Windows 10 Updates

I've generally enjoyed using Windows 10, but its refusal to apply updates when I want is a pain. I'm excited that they may be about to fix that.

"Tablet" Problems

During the AFC Championship game, the Patriots had problems with their Microsoft Surface tablets. One of the commentators said they were going to use them with them with cables. So maybe it was wireless problems?  In any case, this is funny:

"They're having some trouble with their Microsoft Surface tablets." "You decide NOW to not call them iPads?" -- Microsoft execs, probably

— Andy Staples (@Andy_Staples) January 24, 2016

OneDrive for Business

So Microsoft is releasing the new and improved OneDrive for Business Next Generation Sync Client (OneDrive.exe), but you have to transition from the old client (groove.exe):

"There currently is no automated, in-place takeover or migration of content from the existing OneDrive for Business sync client to the new OneDrive for Business sync client. So we recommend the following steps for users to complete this transition:

• Stop OneDrive site sync on the existing OneDrive for Business sync client
• Rename the local folder previously created by the existing OneDrive for Business sync client
• Set up the new OneDrive for Business sync client to sync to a new local folder"

And, as OneDrive for Business is for the enterprise, you don't so much install the new client as deploy it:

"There are three steps in this process that an IT administrator needs to understand:

1. Add the configuration registry keys to each computer.
2. Deploy OneDrive.exe by running the installer (OneDriveSetup.exe) with the /silent command line parameter.
3. Run OneDrive.exe with desired command line parameters to launch the process."

It is a quiet week at work. Maybe I should give it a whirl.

Amazon Cloud Drive

Unlimited storage for 1 year for $10 using Amazon's Cloud Drive. I've not used the Amazon cloud. Does anyone have any experience with it? OneDrive/Office365 and Dropbox are $70 and $80 respectively for 1 year and 1 TB. (With Office 365, you do get to use Office during that same time frame, so not exactly apples to apples.)

Hate Prison

And OneDrive is Deer Vino. Explains a lot.

RT @HanSoloMio: @SwiftOnSecurity Hate Prison is an anagram for SharePoint… just sayin’ <<ha! #notcoincidence ;)

— Amy Renee (@amyengineer) December 15, 2015

Surface > iPad?

Maybe, sorta, a little bit.

Random Windows 10 Hint

If you want an application to show up in the Start Menu's Most Used list... don't pin it to the Start Menu as a tile. I like the Most Used for things like Excel, so you can then access pinned documents from it.

Windows 10

I upgraded to Windows 10. It went very smoothly. My very limited testing showed no problems - OneDrive and Dropbox were syncing, the browsers worked, and I could print. I'm waiting for the go ahead to upgrade at work - I spend only a few minutes here and there on my desktop at home - the real test will be my laptop that gets used hours a day.

Microsoft Water

Google: Earth Apple: Air Amazon: Fire Microsoft: Really needs to make something called water…
— Dr. Sheldon Cooper (@SheldonSaid) March 6, 2015