Spy Journal 3.0 Filtering the web for you

And once again clearing my browser of all the interesting tabs I opened this week. Not many – I have been working too hard on deadlines!

Microsoft Technologies

IE8 has been released and being rolled out. I have been using the beta and RC1 for months. Time to get the real thing now. Download IE8 now.

The Windows Experience Blog has some page load time tests for IE8 versus Firefox and Chrome.

Embed your live calendar on your website or blog. Sarah Perez posts a how to.

Sarah also posts on the instructions to setup POP3 for hotmail – now available worldwide.

Some interesting comments over at Daily Dose of Excel about the future of VBA.

Doug posts up a cool excel window minimise /maximise animation piece of VBA.

Gadgets

Doug shows off a portable wireless hotspot in a backpack.

Internet

The Technium posts a treatise on the concept of building a fan base of 1,000 true fans in order to generate a living. There is a follow up with some reality checks on depending on True Fans.

Live side gives us Face book comes to Windows Live Frameit Power Toy.

This weeks GGB, Johanna Baker-Dowdell is an excellent writer and has been highly praised for the work she does through her business – Strawberry Communications. On top of that she manages her job/responsibility of being a mum bringing up two kids.. an inspiration to many I’m sure!  Please read her survey/profile below and check out her websites.

Name: Johanna Baker-Dowdell 
Screen Name’s: JohBD or JohannaBD
Personal Blog’s: http://strawberrycommunications.com.au/blog/ and http://members.essentialbaby.com.au/index.php?showforum=246
Social Networks:
~Twitter: http://twitter.com/JohannaBD
~Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=865370354&ref=profile
~LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/johannabakerdowdell
Current Employment: Director of my writing and public relations business Strawberry Communications and mum to two boys (almost three and six weeks)
Location/country: Wamberal, NSW, Australia

What is your reason/motivation for blogging?

Hey there GGB readers, here’s this weeks GGB – Talia Carbis - from Queensland, Australia!

Name: Talia Carbis
Screen Name’s: Sunshinetalia, taliacarbis
Personal Blog’s: http://taliacarbis.com and http://elearningaustralia.net.au/blog
Social Networks:
~Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/sunshinetalia/
~Twitter: http://twitter.com/Sunshinetalia
~Delicious: http://www.delicious.com/Sunshinetalia
~Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=688565590
~Tumblr: http://taliacarbis.tumblr.com
~StumbleUpon: http://sunshinetalia.stumbleupon.com
~last.fm: http://www.last.fm/user/SunshineTalia
~Deviant Art: http://sunshinetalia.deviantart.com/ 

Current Employment: eLearning Developer for eLearning Australia
Location/country: Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia

What is your reason/motivation for blogging?

I blog to keep track of things I've learnt, to connect with friends, to make new friends, and to share solutions to problems I've had- both online and in 'real life'.

Got lots of things to share today.

Starting off with Windows 7:

• Engineering Windows 7 have listed a bunch of changes made to Windows 7 since the Beta was released.
• They have also written a very interesting article about how they built the Windows 7 Boot Animation.
• The Windows Team Blog has a list of the new Windows Media Centres features in Windows 7.

Crossing to Windows Home Server we have these posts:

• Susan the SBS Diva blogs about Backing up the desktops in a small network.
• Windows Home Server Team link to an article about synching two Windows Home Servers using SyncToy. I use Synch Toy a lot to keep numerous folder pairs synchronised. Combined with Livemesh this makes keeping the data between my server and my clients servers synched a cinch!

Now over to Microsoft Office: