Home of Microsoft Updates and News

You might have beheld which Internet Explorer is sporting a brand new look upon Twitter. Today is International Blue Beanie Day in await of web standards.

We have consistently listened from developers about a hurdles they face in essay formula which only functions opposite browsers, or same markup. Our prophesy for permitting developers to write a same mark-up has been a peerless concentration for Internet Explorer 9. We have additionally worked with alternative browser vendors as well as standards bodies similar to a W3C as well as ECMA International to expostulate for genuine exam suites which safeguard which as HTML 5 as well as alternative standards come to delight they have been implemented consistently opposite browser vendors. 

Wear your blue beanie currently in await of web standards as well as same markup!

Earlier this month, Kate Newton wrote about a Innovation Day we hold here in London for advertisers as well as agencies from all over EMEA.

In this 4 notation video, regulating interviews as well as footage from a day, we showcase Kinect for Xbox 360 as well as what it equates to for promotion as well as multi-screen marketing.

Hear from a group upon how Kinect as well as Natural User Interface will shift a approach we marketplace to consumers, how we can get involved, as well as see a customers’ reactions to saying a height since a consummate examination upon a day.

Watch out for an additional movie about Windows Phone 7 after in a week.

Check out a EMEA promotion site for some-more upon Kinect as well as a total horde of box studies as well as white writings upon promotion digitally opposite mixed devices.

Cheers

Mel

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Plurals, spelled with an “s” – that’s what I’d similar to to speak about. Specifically, how plurals have been an constituent partial of your poke campaigns, and how they have been treated with colour with colour otherwise in Microsoft adCenter than they were in Yahoo!’s Panama poke platform.

One is the Loneliest Number

If we not long ago migrated your Yahoo! accounts in to adCenter as well as have left all “as-is,” we competence be blank out upon the little easy traffic. Why? There is the pass disproportion during fool around during the back of the scenes in between how adCenter views keywords as well as how Panama used to perspective keywords; whilst Yahoo! used to pretence which behest upon the keyword “car” automatically meant which an advertiser additionally longed for to bid upon the keyword “cars,” adCenter does not.

If you’re brand new to adCenter, have certain to go by your campaigns as well as demeanour for keywords which can be pluralized. Each keyword is treated with colour with colour as the apart entity, as well as adCenter will not automatically offer your ads for unaccompanied keywords if the searcher’s question is created in the plural form.

For example, if we have been behest upon “car” though not “cars,” the following competence occur:

Searcher sorts in “best mpg car” = Your ad shows up upon Bing & Yahoo!

Searcher sorts in “best mpg cars” = No ad will display.

It’s the Quick Fix

If we can’t recollect the final time we took the great tough demeanour during your Yahoo! campaigns as well as have not long ago changed them in to adCenter, we rarely suggest receiving the notation or dual to have certain you’ve got all of your keywords pluralized prior to the Holiday trade has appearance out. You can possibly trade your keyword list regulating the Microsoft adCenter Desktop, or run the discerning research of your top behaving keywords regulating an adCenter Keyword Performance Report as well as adding pluralized versions of your many successful keywords.

Irregular Plurals

Don’t dont think about about strange plurals, either. These have been the difference which won’t be incited in to their plural form only by adding an “s” to the end. A couple of examples of strange plurals embody difference such as:

· Box – Boxes

· Elf – Elves

· Penny – Pennies

· Scarf – Scarves

· Mouse – Mice

· Woman – Women

· Child – Children

If English isn’t your initial denunciation as well as we find this to be as well formidable to try upon your own (I utterly understand; we grew up in the home vocalization Dutch) we suggest acid upon Bing regulating the question “irregular plurals” to assistance we find sites which can have pluralizing simpler for you.

Register to Attend the Free Webinar with the Author – Dec. sixteen – Intro. to Advertising upon Bing/Yahoo! Search

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If there’s the single thing we can contend about Microsoft, it’s which each preference that’s finished here is finished so with the satisfactory volume of investigate as well as interpretation to behind it up.  That’s because we proposed the feedback thread in the forums, that’s because we map your asks to brand brand new facilities in recover announcements as well as that’s because I’m the large air blower of removing the word out about opportunities for we to share what we consider about adCenter with the movers as well as shakers who can have things happen. 

With which in mind, the partner of cave not prolonged ago asked which we get the word out about this brand brand new investigate they’re conducting in Seattle… here have been the details: 

Microsoft User Research is seeking for Seattle area professionals who make make make use of of of Microsoft adCenter—or alternative online promotion collection similar to Google AdWords or Yahoo!—either as the first or delegate partial of their job. This is the good event to give one-on-one feedback with the researchers as well as have the approach stroke upon subsequent era of Microsoft products as well as services.

This investigate will be using Monday, Dec thirteen by Wednesday, Dec 22. Study sessions will be 90-minutes prolonged as well as hold in the Microsoft offices in Bellevue, WA. We worth your feedback as well as will be charity we the preference of Microsoft hardware, program or games in high regard for your time.

If you’re interested, greatfully reply with the following report in an email patrician “Seattle” to [email protected]:

1. Name & Phone Number

2. Job Title & Company

3. How do we make make make use of of of online promotion tools– as the primary or secondary partial of your job?

4. Do we make make make use of of of any of the online promotion collection some-more than the single hour per week? Which ones?

a. Microsoft adCenter

b. Google AdWords

c. Yahoo! Small Business Search Engine Marketing Tool

d. Other (please specify)

Please revisit Microsoft User Research for some-more information, as well as don’t dont think about to check us out upon Facebook.

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We’ve been regulating Windows Media Center as a home’s categorical DVR for multiform years now. We have simple hoop service, as well as over a past couple of months, my hoop association has proposed to switch a small of a channels from analog smoothness over to their digital service.

This sort of shift has spin some-more as well as some-more usual for hoop companies over a past year or so, as a discerning poke upon TheGreenButton.com (TGB), a village for Windows Media Center enthusiasts will show. What’s more, there have been a couple of opposite sorts of changes starting upon with hoop providers, as well as people have been branch to TGB to assistance keep their Windows Media Center PCs in step with a changes.

Here have been a small of a most usual scenarios we’re seeing, as well as a small of a options we have for gripping your Windows Media Center Personal Computer in step with any changes your provider competence be making.

You have analog tuners as well as your hoop association is transitioning to digital service….

Perhaps a most usual shift we’re saying in a US is which most hoop companies have been becoming opposite from analog smoothness to digital, which allows them to broach some-more channels as well as services some-more efficiently. In most cases, if we have Windows Media Center configured with a set-top box (STB) supposing by a hoop company, you’re already in great figure for this change.

Configuring with a set-top box…

Most customary set-top boxes additionally await low-res constraint out by their S-video or combination connectors around a NTSC (analog) TV tuner. Even if your hoop association has incited off a analog support, a stream digital set-top boxes have been equates to of decoding a digital vigilance as well as converting it in to an analog output. This fortitude allows we to keep your analog tuners as well as still be equates to to entrance analog channels. It does need we configure Media Center to carry out a set-top box, which equates to a IR receiver for your Windows Media Center remote carry out needs to have an trustworthy IR conductor (commonly called an ‘IR blaster’), a hoop with conductor upon a finish which we insert to your set-top box to concede Windows Media Center to carry out channel changing.

A down side to this set-up is which it provides a standard clarification experience, even when you’re tuning in to tall clarification programming. However, if we have an HD Cable box, a single workaround we have been saying enthusiasts try out involves adding in a product similar to a Hauppauge HD PVR box or a Monsoon HD Platinum from Hava, which allows we to do aloft fortitude captures (up to HD 1080i) analog partial of constraint from your set-top box. (As an aside, this is additionally a great workaround if we have been a heavenly body subscriber, given it enables HD constraint from your partial of video even yet there have been no heavenly body tuners right away accessible for Windows Media Center.) One community partial of upon The Green Button has created up a decent how-to upon configuring a product similar to this with Windows Media Center.

Ask for an Adapter…

In my case, with my have use of becoming opposite over to digital transmission, we can additionally ask which a hoop association yield me with a digital ride adapter (DTA). This is radically a tiny set-top box which will modify a digital vigilance to analog prior to it reaches a analog tuner in my Windows Media Center PC. This set-up requires IR blustering as well as has a same stipulations as a set tip box configuration, yet it can be a great low price choice if we wish to magnify a hold up of those analog tuner cards we already have.

Many users over upon The Green Button have indicated which their hoop association has supposing a DTA giveaway of charge. Long time Windows Entertainment as well as Connected Home MVP Barb Bowman has created a great how-to upon environment up a DTA with Comcast cable which will give we a great general outlook of environment up this solution.

Skip a Set-top Box…

There have been great reasons to jump over a set-top box set-up, however. This is generally loyal if we have some-more than a single tuner, since in this case, a STB pattern requires some-more than a single hoop box, as well as most people cite to equivocate a responsibility of leasing a single some-more set-top boxes. Thanks to Windows 7, a great headlines is which we have some-more options right away than ever before.

Upgrade your TV tuners: QAM as well as CableCARD™ explained

In my case, we can additionally ascent a tuners in my Personal Computer to house a change. Since we have simple cable, we can begin with a comparatively cheap QAM tuner, which will embrace all unencrypted digital calm sent by my hoop provider.

The pass word here is unencrypted…what any hoop association chooses to encrypt or not seems to shift by provider. In a case, all of my internal network associate channels can be tuned by a QAM tuner, yet a rest of my simple package is encrypted. Others have had some-more fitness with a QAM tuner, essentially anticipating some-more channels than they had originally.

It’s value noting, too, which most of today’s hybrid or twin TV tuners await both QAM along with a analog NTSC. In my case, we simply re-ran TV set-up in Windows Media Center as well as comparison a QAM (Digital Cable) tuner which Windows Media Center found instead of a analog NTSC tuner.

In addition, there have been solutions similar to a SiliconDust HDHomeRun tuners which yield a networked tuner setup. This enables a tuner to be in a opposite room than a PC, which is beneficial if we do not have a hoop feed in a same room as your PC, yet it does need a network to be equates to to bond a Personal Computer to a tuner.

Take it to a subsequent level: CableCARD™ Tuners

The choice most enthusiasts have been embracing involves upgrading to a CableCARD tuner similar to a not long ago expelled Ceton InfiniTV 4, which allows we to embrace all of your digital calm – both encrypted as well as unencrypted, in full tall clarification (when applicable). In this case, your hoop association provides we with a CableCARD™ which slides right in to a tuner itself to hoop decrypting a vigilance for we – no set-top box required. This is a renouned choice if we allow to a lot of reward channels as well as embrace a lot of tall clarification calm as partial of your hoop package.

Ceton’s tuner lets we watch or jot down up to 4 tall clarification programs during once, as well as as of this essay is a usually CableCARD tuner upon a market. As most enthusiasts upon TGB will attest, there is right away a wait for to get one. However, a small other companies have additionally voiced their intentions to move CableCARD-based tuners to a market. There’s additionally a busy second palm traffic in a now-discontinued first-generation CableCARD tuners from ATI upon eBay as well as in TGB’s for sale forum. If we go down this route, we need to have certain which a initial era CableCARD tuner will work with your provider – as most FiOS business know, when a provider rolls out a record called Simulcrypt, initial era CableCARD tuners will no longer function.

Run a Digital Cable Advisor!

Before we go down a CableCARD route, be wakeful which we need to be regulating a chronicle of Windows 7 which includes Windows Media Center, as well as which we need to run a Digital Cable Advisor Tool first. This apparatus is found inside of Windows Media Center (Extras Gallery | Digital Cable Advisor), as well as it will exam a specifications upon your complement to safeguard they encounter a smallest mandate for regulating a CableCARD-based tuner.

If your complement passes, it is afterwards enabled to await a CableCARD tuner. If it doesn’t pass, a apparatus creates recommendations as to which components competence need to be upgraded in sequence to await a experience.

Above: Now my Windows 7 Personal Computer is ready for a CableCARD™ tuner similar to Ceton’s InfiniTV4.

Beyond this shift over to digital vigilance transmission, there have been a couple of alternative changes which a small companies have been creation over a past year. A sampling:

My hoop association is rolling out Switched Digital Video (SDV) upon a small channels

Another shift we’re saying a small hoop providers have is a have use of of Switched Digital Video, or SDV, a record which delivers digital video with some-more potency as well as maximizes a accessible bandwidth.

If we have been regulating Windows Media Center with a CableCARD tuner as well as your hoop association is rolling out SDV upon a small channels, afterwards a provider should give we a Tuning Adapter (TA) – a box which connects to a USB pier of a Personal Computer as well as a awaken line to send requests behind to a provider’s conduct finish to “turn on” channels when they have been selected. The series of SDV Tuning Adapters we need will vary. If we have been regulating a initial era ATI hoop label tuners, we need a single TA for any tuner. If we have a Ceton InfiniTV quad CableCARD tuner, we will need during slightest a single TA, as well as presumably two, depending upon a sort of CableCARD your hoop provider uses. If we have been not sure, hit your hoop provider, or impute to assistance upon TheGreenButton forums to assimilate mandate in your area.

Ideally, if we sequence a CableCARD for your Windows Media Center PC, your provider’s have use of repute should know either or not we will need a tuning adapter, as well as can have certain we get a single if needed. Reports upon TGB suggest, however, which we competence need to be bumped up to a aloft spin tech await repute to get a right answer upon this.

I have FiOS as well as have listened there is a shift coming…

A last unfolding we’re saying is between subscribers who get their radio calm around essential element ocular services similar to Verizon’s FiOS TV. Some of these providers have been implementing a record called Simulcrypt, which allows them to suggest their have use of with a wider operation of set-top boxes. This shift will usually start we if you’re regulating a single of a now-discontinued initial era of CableCARD tuners from ATI. If that’s a case, unfortunately you’re usually choice is to ascent to a brand new CableCARD™ tuner. This is since a ATI firmware doesn’t await Simulcrypt, as well as with a product right away discontinued, there’s small goal of an update.

I know something is changing, yet I’m still not certain what it is…

One of a problems pushing folks to The Green Button is which a letters they embrace from their hoop companies don’t have it transparent how a Windows Media Center set-up competence be impacted by a shift that’s being communicated. If this is a box for you, afterwards spin to a village upon TGB – you’ll expected find folks who can discuss it we what a shift is as well as how you’ll be impacted. You competence even listen to from alternative WMC users in your area or with a same provider who can share their practice with you.

We’re really vehement to be working with WordPress.com to let business bond a illusory blogging capabilities of WordPress.com with a heading communications as well as pity services of Windows Live.

As partial of this partnership, we’re helping customers to quit their existent Windows Live Spaces blogs over to WordPress.com, as well as we’re regulating a power of Messenger Connect to assistance business share their blog posts with their Messenger friends.                

We suspicion it was value receiving a impulse to prominence that, as of today, only over half a million Spaces blogs have right away migrated to WordPress.com. On tip of that, scarcely half a million one some-more Windows Live business have motionless to emanate wholly brand brand brand brand new blogs upon WordPress.com.  And for any of those scarcely 1 million brand brand brand brand new people right away blogging upon WordPress.com, there are, of course, most some-more brand brand brand brand new blog visitors additionally right away starting to WordPress.com. 

People have been stability to quit their Spaces blogs over to WordPress.com, as well as to those of you who haven’t gotten around to it yet, you wish to remind you which you’ll need to do so prior to Mar 2011.

Thanks again to WordPress.com for being a good partner, as well as to a customers, you goal you’re enjoying a brand brand brand brand new WordPress.com blogging experience, as well as Messenger Connect pity capabilities.        

Dharmesh Mehta
Director, Windows Live Product Management

As we applaud Thanksgiving, we longed for to take a notation to contend something which advertisers substantially don’t listen to mostly enough: appreciate you. This is quite critical during this still-tough economy, when pulling behind is a easy thing for a marketer to do. Yet upon Xbox LIVE, brands have been seeking forward, disposition forward, as good as signing up again as good as again to bond (or in a little cases, Kinect,) with a growing, tellurian audience.

In a Advertising Business Group during Microsoft’s party division, we have been propitious sufficient to work with good brands, collaborative clients, as good as extraordinary beautiful teams. And whilst all of a advertisers have been good partners, we would similar to to prominence a couple of who have done a year—and which of a Xbox LIVE audience–exceptionally bright.

• Thank we for being innovative: To Chevrolet, which launched a groundbreaking multiscreen debate for a code brand code new Volt electric car, including integration with a code brand code new Kinect diversion Joyride. In particular, we wish to commend Paul Edwards, Executive Director of Marketing Strategy during GM, for carrying a discernment which a world’s many innovative automobile should be marketed upon a world’s many innovative selling platform: Xbox Kinect.
• Thank we for meditative of others: In Cannes, we had a wish of assembly Toms Shoes Founder as good as “Chief Shoe Giver” Blake Mykoskie as good as entirely appreciating a morality of Toms’ worth prop: “every time we sell a span of shoes, we wish to give a span away.” To lift recognition for Toms “One Day Without Shoes” eventuality a association launched a rarely in effect multiscreen debate to expostulate registration for a event, together with upon Xbox LIVE, as good as it was a smashing success.
• Thank we for coming back: For seconds (and thirds..and more): Electronic Arts knows which a Xbox LIVE height is still a many appropriate proceed to strech their core demographic of immature males. This is a single reason they have run campaigns around a whopping fourteen diversion titles, only given July. Another reason they keep entrance behind to a table? Results. The Xbox LIVE debate for Medal of Honor grabbed an considerable 2.3 million video views.
• Thank we for putting us to a test: We hold it’s critical to test, magnitude as good as infer a efficacy of promotion upon Xbox LIVE, though we can’t do it but a beneficial appearance of a promotion partners. In this regard, Old Spice stepped up to a image in a vast proceed with a debate for their code brand code new Fresh Collection. The proceed enclosed crowd-sourcing video diversion growth to expostulate deeper rendezvous with a brand. The debate was totalled by both an Xbox LIVE pre/post investigate investigate as good as by a cranky media dimensions study, which all brands can sense from. Check out a case study as good as if you’re meddlesome in participating in destiny investigate for your Xbox LIVE campaign, dump me a line.

I’m certain we verbalise for my complete organisation when we contend we feel advantageous to have worked with all of you. Your enterprise to pull a spin of creation as good as creativity, in turn, pushes a group to go upon to set up a many in effect selling height in a world. In a end, a idea is simple: move a many appropriate of both worlds to advertisers as good as audiences. That equates to a interactivity, targeting as good as dimensions of a web, with a visible stroke as good as strech of a vast HD screen.

Based upon a results—as good as a actuality which all of a legal legal holiday ad register has been gobbled up—it seems to be working.

P.S. I’d additionally similar to to appreciate all a people who helped have a Kinect launch a success, with 1 million sole in 10 days after launch! Here’s to a controller-free legal legal holiday season. Enjoy!

Thanks,

Mark Kroese

Microsoft’s GM for Advertising in a Entertainment & Devices Division

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Over a years, online retailers have competed for e-commerce supremacy during a legal legal legal legal legal legal holiday seasons by charity legal legal legal legal legal legal holiday promotions such as coupons as well as giveaway shipping to tempt a online consumers. 2010 is a year similar to no other; consumers have been being additional unwavering where they competence save a couple of additional bucks as well as they’re anticipating it in giveaway shipping.

The Consumer

In a recent comScore survey, 84% of consumers indicated which giveaway shipping was rather or really critical when creation a squeeze this legal legal legal legal legal legal holiday season, since 31% of consumers pronounced they confirm what present to squeeze formed upon a accessibility of discounts or coupons. In alternative words, offering a banking can essentially establish where an online squeeze will be made. Another 42% of consumers crop coupons whilst comparing intensity purchases to benefit them strech a selling decision.

· Free shipping is a single of a vital collection retailers have use of to tempt brand brand new commercial operation as well as reason existent customers.

· By charity giveaway shipping, it reduces a pass attrition point, which could outcome in some-more sales.

· If shoppers reply to giveaway shipping, retailers competence not need to suggest large discounts upon their products.

· Retailers see consumers have been responding to giveaway shipping, so they have been charity giveaway shipping with reduce a smallest starting point or no starting point upon sure product categories  

Does Free Shipping Work?

According to a same comScore investigate referred to above(link), in Q3 2010, 41% of all online sell exchange enclosed giveaway shipping, up 6 commission points from dual years prior. During a brand new survey, consumers were asked how critical giveaway shipping was to them when creation a squeeze as well as 55% of respondents indicated which they would be during slightest rather expected to desert their selling transport but which promotion.

Shipping is an expense, of course, either it is giveaway to a patron or not. The subject is who in conclusion pays for it as well as how a price is absorbed.

· In general, a little retailers have been putting a price in to a price of a product, as well as a little have been receiving a reduce margin. Since shoppers review prices, it's formidable to redeem shipping costs by augmenting prices.

· Other retailers have to confirm for themselves either a potentially aloft sales can clear interesting a shipping costs.

Using a latter of a dual methods, retailers will goal for a aloft volume as well as somewhat reduce margins. They'll try to have up a price in aloft volume. For example, in a graph above, during a third quarter, a normal sequence worth for exchange involving giveaway shipping was 41% aloft than exchange but giveaway shipping.

Continuing Trend

There’s no reason to consider a giveaway shipping direction will be starting divided anytime soon, even after a holidays. With giveaway shipping apropos some-more prevalent each year, consumers have turn conditioned to design it when selling online.

· The official comScore 2010 legal legal legal legal legal legal holiday deteriorate forecast says which online sell spending for a Nov – Dec duration will strech $32.4 billion, representing an 11-percent benefit contra year ago. This clever expansion rate represents an alleviation compared to final season's 4-percent increase.

Being wakeful of a significance of this stability direction competence be a pass cause in augmenting your business, so take movement as well as suggest giveaway shipping as well as promotional coupons this year since it could help establish either or not consumers will squeeze their legal legal legal legal legal legal holiday gifts from you.

If we need a little benefit with removing your campaigns optimized for a legal legal legal legal legal legal holiday season, we competence find a Holiday Preparation array helpful.  You competence additionally be meddlesome in receiving value of a giveaway benefit from a QuickLaunch (for brand brand new advertisers) as well as Performance Improvement (for existent advertisers) programs.

A integrate of weeks ago, we attended a Ragan Communications discussion in Redmond focused upon PR as good as amicable media as good as how these worlds collide.

PR as good as amicable haven’t regularly gotten along, though right away it’s transparent which a attention as good as most critical corporations have been embracing a dual disciplines as critical partners. Much of a discussion focused upon commercial operation to consumer or B2C selling with comments tossed around which commercial operation to commercial operation or B2B amicable selling is difficult. we determine with this to a point.

There have been most some-more examples of successful B2C amicable selling campaigns as good as B2C await models (think Dell, Jet Blue, Zappos), though there have been additionally a small clever B2B examples as good (think AMEX as good as PayPal).

Mel Carson, from a Microsoft Advertising Community group was not long ago interviewed during SES Hong Kong where he shares a small about what we do as a group in a B2B space as good as his thoughts upon augmenting ROI by B2B lead generation.

Take a notation to perspective a shave as good as we additionally have a B2B Social Media Marketing white paper available, “Learn as good as Earn” for we to download.

Thanks,

Jenny

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I know most of we have been watchful for a undiluted time to collect up your brand new Windows Phone. AT&T only honeyed a pot a bit for a legal holiday selling deteriorate with a proclamation of a buy a single get a single free understanding for a HTC Surround, LG Quantum as well as Samsung Focus. To take value of this suggest conduct down to your internal AT&T sell store, pointer up for a two-year stipulate as well as we as well as a crony will have a integrate of a coolest phones of a season.

Combine that suggest with a AT&T party pack that includes a giveaway download of a Xbox LIVE nonplus diversion ilomilo, thirty days of Zune Pass use as well as 10 giveaway strain downloads as well as thirty days of AT&T U-verse as well as we have a good approach to pass a prolonged expostulate to grandmas residence for Thanksgiving.