Microsoft Selfie app for Android is now available

Microsoft Selfie is the company’s photo-editing app, which is now finally available on Android OS. The app debuted on the iOS Store in December 2015 and has garnered quite a few rave reviews. Microsoft has now brought all the features of Selfie to the Google Play Store.

Microsoft Selfie app for Android

Quite apparent from its name, Microsoft Selfie is an app that lets you modify and edit your Selfies, apart from other photos in your gallery. Selfie also lets you take a photo with the front-facing camera on your phone and beautify it in one click. Microsoft says that the app “intelligently considers age, gender, skin tone, lighting, and many other variables – all with one click. Users can transform average photos into enhanced, natural photos in seconds.”

The app offers you these two options to edit your images – Click on the app or Select a particular image from your gallery. On first glance, the filter appears similar to what Instagram offers, but the additional simplicity of Microsoft Selfie gives it a convenience brownie point. There are currently just around 12 filters in all, but you’ll have to manage all the editing with what you’ve got.

Selfie also has a web address, wherein you can edit your images via your computer. This web address takes you to a minimalistic webpage that lets you choose photos from your PC and helps apply relevant filters within seconds. But the website offers very few options to customize. You can’t crop or rotate the image, and can’t even change the filter which the website applies to your image.

If you are interested in trying out Microsoft’s experiment with the Selfie, you can download the Android app from the Google Play Store.

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Microsoft Finally Decides, No Free Windows 10 For Beta Testers

In a masterpiece of confusion and deception worthy of a Russian dictator making holiday plans, Microsoft spent the weekend thoroughly confusing users of the Windows 10 beta over whether they'd get a free copy of the final version. But in the latest (and hopefully final) post on the matter, Microsoft has settled matters: no freebies.

In case you haven't been following along: Microsoft first announced on Friday that any registered users of its Insiders beta version of 10 would get a free upgrade to the full-fat version when it comes out in July. Confusingly, the company later updated its blog post on the matter, making it seem like only people upgrading from Windows 7 or 8 would get a free upgrade.

But that's not all! Microsoft exec Gabriel Aul spent his weekend tweeting furiously, stating in no uncertain terms that anyone "running a prerelease build connected with registered MSA [Microsoft Account]" would remain activated on the final build of Windows 10.

Aul updated the Microsoft blog post today to clarify things once and for all, and it's bad news for freeloaders: you're not getting an activated version of Windows 10 RTM (the final build) for free, unless you originally installed the Windows 10 Preview on a device running an activated copy of Windows 7 or 8.1.

The confusion was caused by something else, it seems: the Windows 10 Insider program, the mechanism by which new beta versions of Windows 10 are issued, is going to continue after the release of Windows 10 RTM - and if you're still registered as a Windows Insider, you won't need to buy a copy of 10. Instead, you'll continue to receive new, pre-release builds of 10 from Microsoft - builds that will remain activated until the release of the next beta version.

It all boils down to a simple choice: you can remain an Insider, running the latest (and buggiest) beta version of 10, but never having to pay for it; or, you can pony up for a new license key like everyone else.

Source:[Microsoft]

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10 questions, 10 answers for Windows(Microsoft) 10

Windows 10's launch is less than six weeks away, but questions -- lots of questions -- still remain about the new operating system, from when it will be taken to the bosom of enterprise to whether some of Microsoft's moves leading up to it were premeditated.

Computerworld spoke to one of Gartner's resident Microsoft experts, Steve Kleynhans, posing 10 questions about Windows 10, to get some answers. Kleynhans' responses were lightly edited for length.

Will Windows 10 beat Windows 7's first-year adoption rate, which stood at 22% of all Windows PCs at the end of 12 months? "It is quite likely that Windows 10 will beat Windows 7's adoption in the first year due to three factors," said Kleynhans. "First, the free upgrade will probably be taken by a relatively healthy portion of the population. Second, more users have automatic updates enabled today than six years ago. And third, compatibility between Windows 7 and Windows 10 is significantly better than between Windows XP and Windows 7. There will be a lot fewer blockers to get in the way.

"Enterprise adoption isn't likely to be significantly better in the first year. However, enterprises will move more quickly to Windows 10 than Windows 7 and there will be a few motivated to move a bit earlier if only because of the one-year free upgrade deadline. There are fewer barriers to moving with Windows 10, including in-place upgrades and no new Internet Explorer [IE] version to wrestle with, so while enterprises will take a bit longer than consumers to get started, both should be a lot higher with Windows 10."

When will enterprises begin adopting Windows 10 in force? "Companies never do anything quickly, so aside from some aggressive early adopters, most organizations will use 2016 as a time to study the new OS and potentially run some pilots," Kleynhans said. "Real roll-outs might start in late 2016, but are more likely to really kick off in 2017."

What's Windows 10's biggest draw for enterprises? "Two things: security and lighter-weight management," said Kleynhans. "There are a number of security enhancements, from biometric log-ins to hardware-enabled protection for parts of the OS, that will be compelling to enterprises.

"Similarly, the ability to use a store for provisioning users, enabling a self-service model, and potentially opening options for BYOD will be attractive.

"In the short term most companies are looking at Windows 10 as providing them access to 2-in-1 devices that users find intriguing, without having to figure out Windows 8 or deal with some of its enterprise shortcomings. But regardless of any goodness in the product, the biggest driver will ultimately be Windows 7's end-of-life."

What in Windows 10 -- or about it -- will be the biggest inhibitor to adoption by enterprise? "Probably inertia," said Kleynhans. "For the most part, hardware and software compatibility isn't a big blocker, although official ISV [independent software vendor] support may be, especially in regulated industries. But doing a large-scale Windows migration is a major project. While it is nice to say that this is the last one enterprises will have to do, they still have to do this one.

"Like any major project, it will take budgeting of time and resources. It will be disruptive. There are also things to learn and integrate into existing processes, such as the new servicing model, selecting a branch, and changes in how they manage things in order to keep current and supported."

[Computerworld couldn't resist a follow-up question about Kleynhans' reference to "the last one enterprises will have to do," asking him if that would, in fact, be the case. "I think Microsoft believes that," Kleynhans answered. "That's the plan of record. But things change. In 10 years, who know what will happen?"]

Will enterprises accept Windows 10's new patching and update schemes, or will they reflexively lock down devices with LTSB (long-term servicing branch) and just treat Windows 10 as they now do Window 7? "Some enterprises will undoubtedly try to fall back to the LTSB because it will seem safe and familiar," agreed Kleynhans. "But I suspect that they will quickly discover that the limitations make it unsuitable for a large portion of their users.

"Once they address the new update cadence for some users, it will be straightforward to extend it to a larger group, lessening the appeal of the LTSB. We will probably see some companies start with the majority of their users on LTSB, but quickly shift towards only those who really need it. By 2019 it is likely that LTSB will be a small percentage of users, less than 10%."

Will Windows 10 measurably help Microsoft in mobile?

"Well, it couldn't hurt," countered Kleynhans. "But it really is a big question whether it will draw developers to the platform with the kind of apps that are being developed for iOS and Android.

"The only thing that truly solves the problem is market share. If a developer perceives the entire Windows 10 ecosystem as a target, the market share number will look pretty good. However, it is likely that most phone developers will continue to focus solely on the Windows smartphone number, and that will dampen their interest."

What about Microsoft's Universal app strategy? Will that have an impact? "Microsoft certainly hopes it will," said Kleynhans. "But any impact will be a relatively slow build. It will be one more option in a broad collection of options for developers, even if they only focus on the PC: Should I develop a Web app, should I write a traditional Windows app, keep building .NET?

"I think developers targeting PCs will settle on a combination of Web and Universal apps, but that is likely to be 2018 or later, when a critical mass of Windows 10 devices is in businesses.

"Universal Windows apps are most immediately compelling to businesses looking at building something that needs to be accessed on a tablet and a PC, or potentially a 2-in-1. So it will help Windows 10 gain a stronger foothold in vertical business applications with a mobility component.

"In the short term, there may also be some success with games. People like casual games as a simple distraction, even on PCs, so that will be a reasonably good target."

Will there be a repeat of the scramble to get off Windows XP as Windows 7 nears retirement in January 2020? "There is a lot more awareness of the end-of-life of Windows 7 than there was of Windows XP's," Kleynhans said. "It is still fresh in the minds of a lot of companies, and so you are seeing it pop up on long-range road maps.

"Generally, companies will plan to be more proactive and will have great intentions about avoiding the mad dash to the finish line in 2019, but the realities of business, and human nature, will cause plans to slip. I expect it will be less of a scramble, but it will still be a scramble."

Will Microsoft be able to continue to charge for the OS or will it revert to a support model for revenue? "Microsoft will continue to charge for Windows," Kleynhans asserted. "The real question is whether users perceive that they are paying for Windows.

"The vast majority of users will get Windows as part of the device and the cost will be buried in the device, like the cost of the screen or battery. Unless you are building your own PCs, it won't be visible. Users will get all the updates on that device for free so they won't perceive that they ever pay for Windows.

"Enterprises, on the other hand, will be gradually coaxed towards a Software Assurance model with flexibility, deeper support, and additional management and security capabilities being the carrots offered over traditional volume licensing. This will look much more like a subscription model."

In hindsight, several of Microsoft's moves in 2014 now seem to be preliminary steps toward Windows 10, including the requirement that businesses migrate to Windows 8.1 Update within four months, and the deprecation of most IE editions other than IE11. Were these part of a master plan, or was Microsoft simply trying things?" "It's probably best to think of this as more an evolutionary process than a detailed master plan," said Kleynhans. "Obviously, there was always a plan to get people off older versions of IE. The specific timing, though, was in place before the details of Windows 10 were locked down.

"I look at the updates for Windows 8.1 as being tweaking and testing towards a goal of faster updates, rather than long-term steps in a grand scheme. Remember there was a regime change in Windows, and Microsoft for that matter, right in the middle of all of this, and what we are seeing now is the output of the new leaders, tempered with some marketplace realities."

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7 Tips For Breaking Up With Windows Server 2003

Thanks For Everything, Windows Server 2003

Well, Windows Server 2003, it's been a long run. We sure had some times, didn't we?

I remember back when it was all new. You came around and I thought you were the hottest thing I'd ever seen. You were so cool. You were up on all the new things -- you supported IPv6 before I even knew what it was! You supported wireless networking -- on a server! In lots of ways, you made things easy on me. I could use Remote Desktop to administer you, and getting updates was no problem thanks to BITS.

You were flexible, too. If I decided I didn't like my domain structure, you were cool with it. I could just change my domain name and you didn't care. You expanded my world with the way you opened yourself up to trusting other forests. The way you let me work with Active Directory through the command line took me to new places. Dsadd and Ntdsutil. Oh, and the GUI tools! I could drag a user into a group in Active Directory Users and Computers and they would then be a member of that group. I could drag that group into a different OU and it would actually move! I probably never said "thank you" for all of this, by the way... so, thanks!

Times were simpler then, weren't they Windows Server 2003? Back then we got viruses the old fashioned way -- through email attachments. Remember Sasser? SoBig? Netsky? Blaster? They hit hard and they hit fast. Boy, they sure kept us running back then. BlackBerries were "crackberries" and only artists used an Apple anything. They didn't even have those "I'm a Mac" commercials yet. Those days we were all PCs.

And it wasn't just the technology around us that was simpler, Windows Server 2003. You were simpler, too. Remember when we were young, and Windows was still a GUI Operating System? There was no Server Core, no Nano, no PowerShell. If I wanted to script you it was with VBScript, or sometimes just taking a Dsadd command and running that sucker through a mail merge from Word 2003 to create a bulk user import script. Good times.

We've seen it all together, you and me, Windows Server 2003. I don't know if it's just that I've changed so much, or whether it's that you haven't changed at all. Maybe it's a little of both.

Thanks for everything, Windows Server 2003, but it's time to say goodbye.

Saying Goodbye To Windows Server 2003

I don't know if this is going to come as a shock to you or not, but the truth is, I've been using other Operating Systems. It's been going on for a long time, and I'm not going to stop using them. I like the way they connect to the cloud. I like the way they deduplicate data.

I know you can be virtualized, but I need an OS that can be more than a virtual machine, I need one that's a hypervisor. It's not just about what you can and can't do. It's about support. I need security patches, and you just won't give me that anymore. And I need regulatory compliance, Windows Server 2003. You just can't stay. It's over between us.

Look, I know it isn't going to be easy. I've looked around, and everyone seems to be in the same situation. We all would have let you go a long time ago if it weren't for one of these three reasons:

·         Custom applications running on you that the developer doesn't have time to update.

·         Software that won't install on a newer OS.

·         Software that's getting ready to go out of support and we don't want to upgrade twice.

But I've got a plan. I know that being done with you may not be easy, but it's something I just have to do once and for all. And when I finally have you out of my data center, you're not coming back, sorry.

Maybe someday, if I happen to come across one of your Installation CDs with a hologram on it -- you know, the kinds we don't get anymore because we download our ISOs now -- I might cry a little, thinking about the good old days. Because what we had was real, Windows Server 2003. I really did love you, I want you to know that. I just can't keep loving you.

Having Trouble Breaking Up With Windows Server 2003?

If you're having a little trouble breaking up with Windows Server 2003, you're not alone. It's true that Windows Server 2003 was a great operating system when it came out. It's also true that people aren't keeping 2003 around because they think there's nothing better out there.

It's the applications running on Server 2003 that we can't get rid of, and 2003 stays around as a result of that. So we've got to get those applications off the servers, because the servers just can't stick around anymore.

Here are some tips to help your Windows Server 2003 breakup go as smoothly as possible.

1. Let Developers Know

Developers are just like systems people in the way that their priorities change on a dime and there's never enough time to get something done until they HAVE to get something done. An application that has been in an "as soon as I can find the time" status for years can sometimes get the attention it needs when the operating system running it won't get any more updates.

2. Take Inventory

You need to know what is out there. You have to know every Server 2003 in your organization, and exactly what it's running. Applications, server roles, and what people are using it for. Until you've got your inventory, you can't make your plans.

3. Assess Risk

For each application running on Server 2003, you need to know which are mission critical. What would happen to the business process if that application wasn't there? If you just took the application out of the picture, what would replace that business process?

4. Categorize Applications

Now that you understand your critical applications you can categorize all of your applications. Put them into groups. Identify applications that can be updated to run on Windows Server 2012 R2. Find out which, if any, can be virtualized. Find out which can go to the cloud. Some of your apps may actually be ok to retire. Finally, for those applications that need to be rewritten, find out how much work will be involved with getting the applications onto 2012 R2.

5. Plan And Schedule The Migrations

Work through your lists. Move the applications that can live on Server 2012 R2. Then analyze your lists for the applications that are either the most critical or the easiest to migrate. Hopefully there's some good Karma coming your way and the two are the same.

6. Virtualize Internal Apps

If you've got internal apps, try converting them to virtual applications.

7. Try PaaS For Web Apps

You can try platform as a service (PaaS) for web apps that are public or customer facing, especially if there is not a large security concern for the application. By using PaaS, you may be able to really speed up your migration.

With the end-of-life for Windows Server approaching on July 14, 2015 there's not a lot of time left. Here's wishing you a smooth and easy transition from Windows Server 2003. With any luck, we can have them all gone just in time to start rolling out Windows Server 2016.

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Windows Server 2003 End Of Support: 5 Things You Must Know

 After July 14, Microsoft will no longer support Windows Server 2003. If you are still running Windows Server 2003 in your datacenter, you are just in time to plan and execute a migration strategy. 

Here is an excerpt from an IDC Whitepaper on key recommendations to customers currently using Windows Server 2003 and contemplating immediate migration: 

1. As with the termination of Windows XP extended support, which took place in April 2014, Microsoft faces a scenario where a meaningful portion of its product installed base remains on a product that has been replaced multiple times. 

In this case, Windows Server 2003 has been replaced by Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server 2012, and Windows Server 2012 R2. The time has come for customers to take this conclusion of a lengthy life cycle seriously and make near-term plans to begin a migration plan.

2. Unlike Windows XP, where there were application migration challenges that created barriers for some customers to move forward to a newer product, Windows Server 2012 R2 offers relatively good application compatibility with Windows Server 2003. 

Although Windows Server 2012 R2 is delivered as a 64-bit operating system, most 32-bit applications that have no 16-bit code segments should install and run on Windows Server 2012 R2 through Windows on Windows 64 (WoW64) technology. 

The main exception to this compatibility story is for applications that operate in kernel mode rather than user mode. Security applications and some system utilities such as backup and management agents are among the applications that are likely to need an upgrade as part of a migration to Windows Server 2012 R2.

3. Windows Server 2012 R2 offers a lengthy list of improvements compared with Windows Server 2003, including integrated virtualization, better security, extensive scalability, new operational roles, script execution capabilities, and far more. 

While it is a substantial learning curve to move directly from Windows Server 2003 to Windows Server 2012 R2, customers are well advised to not make an interim upgrade to Windows Server 2008 as that product is facing end of mainstream support in January 2015.

4. Customers that go beyond the termination of extended support place themselves at potential security risks and potentially in a regulatory noncompliance situation. Even if regulatory compliance is not a concern, the security improvements that Windows Server 2012 R2 offers are worth adopting if just to help defend against industrial espionage.

5. The deployment paradigm has changed, and today's servers are usually virtualized first. Many customers deploy virtualization-friendly SKUs like Windows Server 2012 R2 Datacenter, which greatly simplifies licensing and deployment concerns in a virtualized environment. This approach leads to long-term capex savings as virtual machine (VM) densities grow.

source:Techgig

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Windows Server 2003 End Of Life: The Final Countdown Begins

Though there are just 30 days left of Microsoft's support for Windows Server 2003, there are still many enterprises out there who have not yet thought of a migration plan. While you are thinking you still have time to evaluate a migration, you are in fact putting at risk your enterprise’s critical assets. 

Here is an excerpt from Ascentius consulting whitepaper on ‘Coming End of Support of Windows Server 2003,’ which talks about why you should be gearing up to migrate from  Windows Server 2003 at the earliest.  

Post July 14th, 2015, the expiration date for support of Windows Server 2003, malware content players will stop supporting Windows Server 2003 since operation in case of looming hazards post end of support for Windows Server 2003.

Once the server operating system goes out of support, no content and malware security vendor will have the wherewithal to contain threats. In the post expiry regime, the tap to contain new vulnerabilities will be closed. Since third party content and malware security vendor do not have access to Windows Server code, there is no mechanism to plug the open vulnerabilities.

Different estimates exist but it is reasonable to assume that cyber attackers will crack new vulnerabilities within 3 – 6 months. Given that they will these vulnerabilities will have no cure, neither from Microsoft nor from any of the content or malware security solution players, enterprises will inadvertently stand a chance to gain an exposure to these risks.

The industries which would be most impacted due to not upgrading from Windows Server 2003 would be Banking, Financial Services & Insurance (BFSI) sector on the one hand and the State Owned Enterprises (SOE) on the other hand. 

The single most important reason why SOE & BFSI Enterprises have been lingering over the shift to higher supported versions of Windows Server is the condition ISV’s have imposed to simultaneously upgrade application ecosystem. 

With close to 50 critical applications in banks, for example, upgrading both Server OS as well as the entire Applications portfolio simultaneously is a gargantuan task. As our report argues, enterprises can opt to migrate applications selectively to higher version of Windows Server without actually having to upgrade the entire application portfolio. Which is to say in other words that not all applications need upgradation before migration. 

As to which applications necessitate upgradation immediately and which can be upgraded over a course of 5-10 years, can easily tested. And this actionable insight does offer a huge respite as the deadline for end of support of Windows Server 2003 inches near.

With just 30 days left of Windows Server 2003 support, it has become a critical business need for enterprises – which have not already migrated – to upgrade from Windows Server 2003.  

The prevailing notion in most enterprises, if not all, is that changing Windows Server with all its hardware and application dependencies supporting every-day business is analogous to changing component of a fighter aircraft engine as it is on its way to a combat mission. 

But this is not true. Following certain best practices for migration and upgradation from Windows Server 2003 can make this seemingly tedious process a simple one.

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Windows 10 will be available from July 29, will be offered for free

Microsoft on Monday said that Windows 10 would be available to consumers on July 29. In an unprecedented move, Microsoft would offer that operating system that succeeds Windows 8.1 for free. Though for now it is not clear if Windows 10 would be a free update only for users who already have a genuine version of Windows or it would be made available for free to all, including those who use its pirated copies.

"On July 29, you can get Windows 10 for PCs and tablets by taking advantage of the free upgrade offer, or on a new Windows 10 PC from your favourite retailer. If you purchase a new Windows 8.1 device between now and then, the Windows 10 upgrade will be available to you and many retail stores will upgrade your new device for you," Microsoft's Terry Myerson wrote in a blog post on the official site.

For the last few months Microsoft is testing Windows 10 and fixing bugs with the help of millions of volunteers who are using beta and preview versions of the OS.

"Through the feedback and testing of over four million Windows Insiders, we’ve made great progress on Windows 10 and we’re nearly ready to deliver this free upgrade to all of our Windows customers," added Myerson.

Microsoft said that while Windows 10 would be available in July, consumers can reserve their operating system now.

"You can reserve your free Windows 10 upgrade now through a simple reservation process. Look for (an) icon in your system tray at the bottom of your screen, simply click on the icon, and then complete the reservation process," wrote Myerson

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