Wednesday, October 29, 2008

WINDOWS 7.........



The next version of Microsoft Windows, the software that defines the computing experience for most people, will nag users much less than its much-maligned predecessor, Vista. PC users will be able to test the new edition early next year.
The world's largest software maker also is making Word, Excel and other key elements of Office -- its flagship "productivity" programs -- able to run in a Web browser. The move is meant to help confront rivals such as Google Inc. that offer free word processing and spreadsheet programs online, threatening one of Microsoft Corp.'s most precious profit centers.
The Windows and Office news came Tuesday at a Microsoft conference for software developers.
The forthcoming Windows 7 will let users choose to see fewer alerts and warnings from their computers. Rampant notifications alerting people to security risks irked many Vista users.
"We had all the best intentions of helping to secure the PC platform even more, particularly for novice PC users who needed to be protected," said Steven Sinofsky, a senior vice president in Microsoft's Windows group. But Sinofsky acknowledged that Microsoft needed to work more closely with outside companies to avoid a similar mess this time.
Don't Miss
Microsoft's Ozzie pitches Windows Azure
Michael Silver, an analyst for Gartner Inc., said a smoother debut for Windows 7 is critical for Microsoft.
"The real hurdle is to get Vista's reputation behind them," he said.
Windows 7 keeps some of the significant design changes that debuted in Vista, but tosses out others.
In an interview, Julie Larson-Green, a Windows vice president, offered one small example: In Vista, Microsoft took the "add printer" feature out of the Start menu, but is restoring it in Windows 7 after users complained.
Larson-Green said some changes in Vista made sense to developers but weren't fully tested on actual PC users -- a misstep she seems committed not to repeat.
With Windows 7, Microsoft is also making subtle but useful changes to the task bar along the bottom of the screen. The designers have removed redundant buttons that launch applications. When users roll over a program's icon in the task bar, it will be easier to see how many documents are open, and switch between them.
Microsoft also showed off "jumplists," a quick way of organizing recently used files or popular program features. And it introduced a concept called "libraries," which automatically collects similar files scattered across PCs on a home network and displays them together in a single folder. That could be handy for organizing a family's digital photos stored in disparate places.
Addressing another complaint about Vista, Microsoft said Windows 7 will be faster and need less memory to run. Vista generally needs costlier hardware configurations than the older Windows XP.
Sinofsky held up a "netbook" -- a low-cost, low-power laptop that would have a hard time running Vista -- and said it's working with Windows 7.
Microsoft's early 2009 target for people to begin toying with Windows 7 is striking because the Redmond, Wash.-based company promised deadlines it couldn't keep when it was developing Vista. Microsoft is trying hard to avoid a similar debacle this time. Sinofsky said there is no date yet for the next milestone, a "release to manufacturing" version of Windows 7, but reiterated that the system is set to go on sale in early 2010.
Silver, the analyst, noted that Windows Vista rejigged complex aspects of the software's plumbing, while Windows 7 is largely a cosmetic overhaul. That might spare this launch from many of the compatibility programs that dogged Vista.
Silver was impressed by how Windows 7 handles home networking with fewer headaches than Vista or XP. A big improvement on that front could help keep customers who consider ditching Windows, swayed by Apple Inc.'s claims that such tasks are easier on a Mac.
Building on a broader strategy to meld the best elements of Web and desktop software, Microsoft also showed off lightweight versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote software that work in Web browsers and look as they normally do, but don't have to be installed on a PC.
The new programs were running "in the cloud" on the new Windows Azure system Microsoft unveiled Monday, a move aimed at helping it catch up with Google and other nimbler Web companies. Azure lets Microsoft run software and store data in its own massive data centers around the world, instead of requiring people to install programs on their own PCs.
The Office Web programs represent what Microsoft believes is a more polished take on what Google has tried. Microsoft's online Office programs let people work on a document at the same time, and make it easier to publish charts and PowerPoint presentations to blogs with few clicks.
The Web software, to be offered without charge for regular PC users, will launch with the next version of Office. No date has been set.
Silver, the analyst, said he had always expected Microsoft to build on its rudimentary Web Office tools, and noted that the company still has time to tinker, because relatively few people use Google's online documents offering today.
The peek at the new programs didn't address his biggest concern, though: whether Microsoft can promote Web versions without undercutting its very lucrative desktop software business.

Thursday, October 16, 2008

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Another Cold!!!!































Well I have another cold!!! I am hardly ever sick but lately.....wow everyone has it! This one is not as bad but dame!!! Hope you are all well! Keep washing your hands!

Monday, October 13, 2008

Funny!





Monday!!!












MONDAY!!!!! Need I say more? Yuck!!!!

Sunday, October 12, 2008

New Reading!



While the Ellison girls were out paying calls and drinking tea like proper Victorian ladies, a maid in their household was strangled to death. The quiet and young Inspector Pitt investigates the scene and finds no one above suspicion. As his intense questioning causes many a composed facade to crumble, Pitt finds himself couriously drawn to pretty Charlotte Ellison. Yet, a romance between a society girl and so unsuitable a suitor was impossible in the midst of a murder....

Saturday, October 11, 2008

New WOW Character!


This is my new world of War Craft character!

Friday, October 10, 2008

New England Pot Roast......


















Prep: 30 min; Cook: 3 hr 30 min

This pot roast has a secret ingredient-horseradish! No, the roast doesn’t taste hot or spicy or like horseradish. During the cooking, the horseradish just blends right in and mellows, leaving behind an utterly delicious flavor you can’t quite put your finger on.


4 pounds beef arm, blade or cross rib pot roast*
1 to 2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 (8-ounce) jar prepared horseradish
1 cup water
8 small potatoes, cut in half
8 medium carrots, cut into fourths
8 small onions
Pot-Roast gravy (see recipe)


1. Cook beef in 4-quart Dutch oven over medium heat until brown on all sides; reduce heat to low.

2. Sprinkle beef with salt and pepper. Spread horseradish over all sides of beef. Add water to Dutch oven. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer 2 hours 30 minutes.

3. Add potatoes, carrots and onions to Dutch oven. Cover and simmer about 1 hour or until beef and vegetables are tender.

4. Remove beef and vegetables to warm platter; keep warm. Make Pot Roast Gravy. Serve gravy with beef and vegetables.

Pot Roast Gravy
1/2 cup cold water
1/4 cup all-purpose flour

Skim excess fat from broth in Dutch oven. Add enough water to broth to measure 2 cups. Shake 1/2 cup cold water and the flour in tightly covered container; gradually stir into broth. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute.

*3-pound beef bottom round, rolled rump, tip or chuck eye roast can be substituted; decrease salt to 3/4 teaspoon.

Place roast on carving board or platter. With meat fork in meat to hold meat in place, cut between muscles and around bones. Remove one section of meat at a time. Turn section so meat grain runs parallel to carving board. Cut meat across grain into 1/4-inch slices.

NUTRITION FACTS: 1 Serving:; Calories 385 (Calories from Fat 100); Fat 11g (Saturated 4g); Cholesterol 85mg; Sodium 690mg; Carbohydrate 40g (Dietary Fiber 6g); Protein 37g % DAILY VALUE:; Vitamin A 94%; Vitamin C 22%; Calcium 6%; Iron 26% DIET EXCHANGES:; 2 Starch; 4 Very Lean Meat; 2 Vegetable; 1 Fat

Slow Cooker Directions: Cook beef in 12-inch skillet over medium heat until brown on all sides. Place potatoes, carrots and onions in 4- to 6-quart slow cooker. Place beef on vegetables. Mix horseradish, salt and pepper; spread evenly over beef. Pour water into slow cooker. Cover and cook on low heat setting 8 to 10 hours or until beef and vegetables are tender.

Barbecue Pot Roast: Decrease pepper to 1/2 teaspoon. Omit horseradish and water. Prepare Smoky Barbecue Sauce. After browning beef in step 1, pour Smoky Barbecue Sauce over beef. Omit Pot Roast Gravy. Skim fat from sauce after removing beef and vegetables in step 4. Spoon sauce over beef and vegetables or serve sauce with beef and vegetables.

CREAM GRAVY POT ROAST: For roast-substitute 1 can (10 1/2 ounces) condensed beef broth for the 1 cup water. For gravy-add enough half-and-half or milk, instead of water, to the broth (from the roast) to measure 2 cups. Substitute 1/2 cup half-and-half or milk for the water.

Garlic-Herb Pot Roast: Decrease pepper to 1/2 teaspoon. Omit horseradish. After browning beef in step 1, sprinkle with 1 tablespoon chopped fresh or 1 teaspoon dried marjoram leaves, 1 tablespoon chopped fresh or 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves, 2 teaspoons chopped fresh or 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves and 4 cloves garlic, crushed. Substitute 1 can (10 1/2 ounces) condensed beef broth for the 1 cup water.

Thursday, October 9, 2008

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Apple Pie.....Fall in New England....


Well, it is fall in New England, the air is crisp and clear the leaves are turning and the days are getting shorter! This is such a wonderful time of year! Everyone needs to get out and enjoy the joys of fall in New England! Eat apple pie, take a walk through the leaves, drink fresh apple cider, put mums in your garden, go apple picking, take a hay ride, or just sit outside with a warm sweater and a good book and enjoy the last days of the year before the onset of winter. All in all just enjoy the wonderful fall and all the riches it brings.

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

Kindle......


I hope to be trying out the new Amazon Kindle this week at work. I am not sure if i could give up my books for it but it dose look nice. The new 2.0 version was just leaked out this week and it has a better design. I was also looking at the Sony book reader, I guess the biggest change is the the fact that the Kindle has a built in wireless network so you can download books any ware wile the Sony has to be connected to your computer.

Thursday, October 2, 2008

Feeling Better!



HI all,
Well I am feeling better, this cold knocked the crap out of me. It looks like it is hitting a lot of people very hard! I just wanted to remind everyone that all new episodes of "Man Vs Wild" are showing on the Discovery channel.