Welcome to another episode of the podcast for IT professionals always available at CSTechcast.com. This week we talk what it takes to be a tech book author, the publishing game, and what it's like to go independent with Julie Yack, editor of the new book CRM as a Rapid Development Platform. Find more info at thecrmbook.com and use discount code "cstechcast" for 10% off the purchase price of the book. The news bring an out of cycle Microsoft patch for Windows, Intel announces next-gen cooling for laptops, Amazon's EC2 goes production for virtualization in the cloud, new service packs announced for Vista and Office, and HP brings the thin-client back, again. Tech companies getting scarred and laying off top talent instead of using them to innovate gets "The Worst Tech Move of the Week", we argue employers using social networking to hire and fire in "Point/Counterpoint", and "The Weekly Tech Tip" shows you how to track down your domain on email blacklists.

Our sponsor this week: Admin Script Editor by iTripoli.

Links to stories and sites discussed during the show:
Microsoft Preps Emergency Windows Patch (PCMag.com)
Intel unveils new cooling tech for ultrathin laptops (CNet)
Amazon's Linux cloud computing out of beta, joined by Windows (CNet)
Office, Vista getting new service packs (CNet)
HP Unveils Thin Client, Blade Workstation (InformationWeek)
The Weekly Tech Tip Link - email blacklist search (MXToolbox.com)

Thanks to everyone for continuing to support CS Techcast by spreading the word about our show. You can also support us by visiting our sponsors. You can call us, email us, comment on this blog, or interact on the social networks twitter.com/cstechcast and friendfeed.com/cstechcast. Keep pointing your browser to CSTechcast.com for all the latest. Thanks.

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We have extra segments on SQL from our author interview on SQL queries to our own, real life experts on MS SQL 2008 features, available at cstechcast.com as a MP3 download or a RSS subscription. Whether you do SQL everyday or just need some insight, this is a good episode. This week we chat with John Viescas, one of the authors of "SQL Queries for Mere Mortals". You can find more information from John Viescas at www.viescas.com. In the news, new chips from Intel, Microsoft SMB leases, SkyDrive being used by spammers, a new-old MBR threat, and the end of the IT department? Plus, "The Worst Tech Move of the Week", "Meet your Local User Group", "A Closer Look", and "The Weekly Tech Tip".

Show Notes

Links to the stories discussed in our podcast:

http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,141300-pg,1/article.html
http://www.darkreading.com/document.asp?doc_id=142884
http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Windows/Microsoft-to-Launch-New-Licensing-Option-for-SMBs/
http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Desktops-and-Notebooks/Intel-Makes-Enterprise-Pitch-at-CES/
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2008/010708-carr-it-dead.html

Featured User Group

The featured group this week, in keeping with our SQL theme, is the Colorado PASS camp. This is a joint effort with the three SQL user's groups on the front range to create an intense, two day workshop every year. Hit the web site and get the details at www.coloradopasscamp.org. 

Please come back again and tell all your friends to download the CS Techcast.

- Eric Beehler (consortioservices.com/blog)

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