Spy Journal 3.0 Filtering the web for you

I have upgraded my main workhorse machine.

Components are:

• Intel S2011 Core i7 3930K 3.20GHz 6x Core CPU (No Heatsink included)
• Corsair Cooling Hydro H80 High Performance Liquid CPU Cooler
• ASUS S2011 Rampage IV Extreme Motherboard with BF3
• DDR3 32GB (4x8G) G.Skill 1600Mhz Ram
• Internal All-in-1 Memory Card Reader Black
• 2 x 300GB Western Digital VelociRaptor 10000rpm SATA HDD
• 2 x 2TB Western Digital FYPS 7200rpm 64M SATA HDD 24x7
• 3 x NVIDIA GTX560 Ti 1GB Asus PCIe Video Card
• 6 x 21.5" Samsung BX2240 LED LCD Monitor – these can be portrait or landscape
• Corsair ATX Graphite 600TM Black Case
• Thermaltake 1500 Watt Toughpower ATX Modular Power Supply
• Logitech G19 Gaming Keyboard
• Logitech M950 Performance Mouse
• Powerware 5110/1500VA Line Interactive UPS
• Windows 7 Ultimate 64bit

Some of my design and specification choices.

Some links and resources about how to improve your use of Windows 7 and understand more about cloud options with Windows tools and server technology.

• Getting the most from Windows 7 - Microsoft Technet article with lots of links
• Optimising Windows 7 Across the Enterprise - a good read for system administrators and architects
• Windows Tweaking and Optimization: Myths and Reality - this is great stuff - main tip - uninstall crap you don't use!
• The Cloud on your terms - a 30 part series
• Screencast - building a private cloud - 3 part series
• Windows, iPad and Android - Managing and Using Your Office Assets in a Tablet World - a 6 part series

Power point techniques and templates from Doug Klippert:

You are not limited to a flat PowerPoint slide. You can add a 3-D look to your shows. Rolling 3D images and PowerPoint Drawing for 3D objects

Download some free PowerPoint templates

Best practices for Outlook 2007 from the Outlook Team Blog.

• how to set up Outlook (layout, rules, folders, etc.),
• how to best process e-mail messages to “tame your Inbox”
• the importance of doing a daily review of your calendar and tasks
• how best to get work done in Outlook
• doing effective searches
• the do’s and don’ts of writing great messages
• how to best manage your calendar and set up meetings

Microsoft Pages

Special Offers on Training and Certifications from Microsoft - Microsoft helps you become a key contributor within your organization by providing some of the best training available. Take advantage of these great offers that can help you turn your job into a career.

Running Windows 7 in Mixed Environments – technet discussion on interoperability issues

Migrating from Windows XP to Windows 7 - Guidance for IT pros

Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor - To see if your PC is ready for Windows 7, download the free Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor. It scans your PC for potential issues with your hardware, devices, and installed programs, and recommends what to do before you upgrade.

Syncing Recorded TV to your Media Device – great tutorial with screenshots.

Getting started with Office 2010 – use this page as a starting point for transitioning help in each of the Office 2010 products.

Office 2010 Tool: Office Environment Assessment Tool This is a comprehensive environment scanning tool for use in deploying Microsoft Office 2010.

Office 2010 Tool: Compatibility Inspector The Compatibility Inspector compares existing (legacy) code against the Microsoft Office 2010 object model to identify possible code issues.

Get more from Windows 7 – top things to do after you upgrade

I don’t know why I seem to write massive link posts lately – maybe because i have been very busy with my three major priorities, family, work and photography. However this is a priority as well, so I need to allocate some time to write soon. In the mean time I am going to clear my browser of the tabs that are open there.

Here goes – and have a great weekend. Oh – and this photo was my favourite of the week. I took it in low light, no flash using the 70-200 2.8 IS L Lens.

Exposure 1/128, Aperture f2.8, focal length 170mm, ISO 2000

Photography Links

• A Beginner’s Guide to Flickr by Elizabeth Halford – I love flickr also – an awesome tool
• Helping Your Client Prepare for Their Shoot – Dress to Match the Sofa? by Elizabeth Halford
• 5 Tips for Photographing Children – some great tips here
• 3 Affordable E-books to Improve Your Photography by Darren Rowse – thinking of getting these
• How to Capture Motion Blur in Photography by Darren Rowse - learning this technique is going to be fun
• Jasmine Star – an awesome wedding photography blog
• I love this photo gypsy meets gangster
• Jakob Aungiers – this is an amazing portfolio