I'd like to let you know about my latest white paper in The Essential Series for Realtime Publishers, available here: http://nexus.realtimepublishers.com/esbpv.php. Please download the paper and support the series. Thanks. Synopsis: Virtualization has disrupted the IT department and put network administrators in a position to service the technology without full reach into all of the networking components. The virtualization software, which is layered with networks in every virtual machine, puts an uncontrolled piece of network equipment into each host. In The Essentials Series: Best Practices for Virtual Network Management, Eric Beehler offers a strong understanding of virtualization so that IT departments may create a consensus for managing the virtual network. Article 1: Correctly Managing Virtual Switches Understanding the core features of virtual switches is essential to planning and managing them properly. In many ways, they are unique devices and need to be handled differently than traditional switches. Learn those key differences to determine your best path to proper management of the vSwitch. Article 2: Addressing the Complexities of Virtual Network Devices Network operations needs to address virtualization to understand where it is disrupting existing processes. The technology has the potential to bring greater efficiencies to the network if managed properly, but without an eye towards change the technology can actually cause problems in provisioning, management, and troubleshooting. Learn the approach to these areas of concern to enable virtualization as a true advancement in your data center. Article 3: Integrating Daily Network Management into Virtualization How does the network engineer approach the daily needs of a virtual host? The typical provisioning and escalation of issues will typically center around specific features and configurations in a vSwitch. See what knowledge you need to interact with system administrators to successfully provision and troubleshoot virtual servers. Eric Beehler (http://consortioservices.com/blog)
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Welcome to CSTechcast.com, the podcast for IT pros. This week we have an enlightening discussion about data mining, why it's important, and some common pitfalls with industry pro John Elder. Find more info at datamininglab.com. In the news, Microsoft and Yahoo finally come to an understanding, Microsoft announces the location of its first retail stores, hard drive vendors up the ante to a terabyte in notebooks and servers, Google open sources parts of Wave, and a survey shows 40% of midmarket companies have no online presence. Apple flubs one by denying the Google Voice app making "The Worst Tech Move of the Week", we take "A Closer Look" at Windows 7 and if it will help enterprises warm up to an upgrade, and some pointers on a successful Hyper-V P2V conversion in "The Weekly Tech Tip". This week's episode is sponsored by: Consortio Services, a quality partner that can help you manage your small and medium business technology. Links to stories and sites discussed in the show: Microsoft Bing to Power Yahoo Search in 10-Year Deal Aimed at Google (eWeek) Microsoft to Open First Retail Stores in Arizona, California (eWeek) Toshiba 640GB, 1TB Hard Drives Offer Encryption, Data Backup (eWeek) Samsung Launches 1TB HDD for Servers, Desktop PCs (eWeek) Google Open Sources Heart and Soul of Google Wave Code (eWeek) Two Out of Five SMBs Don't Exist Online, Survey Finds (eWeek) Apple blocks Google Voice app for iPhone (CNet)
Full interaction with CS Techcast on Friendfeed.com/cstechcast, Twitter.com/cstechcast, and the CS Techcast fan page on Facebook. As always, hit us up at our feedback form on the CSTechcast.com main page. See you next week! Link to the episode: http://www.cstechcast.com/home.aspx?Episode=85 - Eric Beehler (consortioservices.com/blog)
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CSTechcast.com has the podcast for IT pros. This week we talk with about the future of the Windows Server platform on VMWare and how to get a virtualized infrastructure right with Darren Duke, founder of Simplified Technology Solutions. Find more on Darren and his company at http://simplified-tech.com/ and the blog http://blog.darrenduke.net/. In the news; Bing sees some success overtaking the number 2 search spot, IBM challenges Microsoft over a website claiming love of Windows from Websphere, HP goes after those loyal to their mainframes, Verizon brings its own computing as a service offering, and Windows 7 gets a release date. Hulu's thought that they can play for pay gets "The Worst Tech Move of the Week", we take "A Closer Look" at why small and medium business should consider monitoring and automation, and slow IE8 tabs may not be the fault of the browser; find out how to investigate with "The Weekly Tech Tip". Links to stories and sites discussed in the show: Microsoft's Bing Overtakes Yahoo for Now, Report Says (eWeek) IBM Declines Challenge, Asks Microsoft to Kill Anti-IBM Website (eWeek) websphereloveswindows.com (Microsoft.com) HP Makes Pitch to IBM Mainframe Users (eWeek) Verizon Business Unveils 'Computing As A Service' (InformationWeek) Windows 7 To Ship Oct. 22, Microsoft Confirms (InformationWeek) Soon, you'll have to pay for Hulu (DailyFinance) Give us feedback from the main site at http://cstechcast.com. You can also find us at Twitter.com/cstechcast, Friendfeed.com/cstechcast, and on Facebook. Spread the word, you are all we have. Thanks for supporting the show and keep coming back for more. Link to the episode: http://www.cstechcast.com/home.aspx?Episode=78 - Eric Beehler (consortioservices.com/blog)
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The podcast for IT professionals, and CIOs, is new every week at CSTechcast.com. This week we cover information technology in health care with Ron Lindsay of Emtec about what the future holds as health care enters an era of change. Find more information at http://emtecinc.com. In the news, all those still running Office 2000 have hit the end of the line for support, HP announces anther drop in revenue as well as more job cuts, Microsoft begins support of SQL Server clusters on virtual machines, Intel delays the release of it’s newest Itanium process until next year, and Microsoft is set to debut their updated "Kumo" search engine this week. Apple's refusal to admit it has a security problem gets "The Worst Tech Move of the Week", we take "A Closer Look" at how business laptops are different, and we tell you how to access virtual hard drive files directly from Windows 7 without starting the virtual machine in "The Weekly Tech Tip". Links to stories and sites discussed in the show: Office 2000 and Office Update Site to Retire (TechNet) HP To Cut More Than 6,000 Jobs (InformationWeek) Microsoft Changes Stance on Virtualized SQL Server Failover Clusters (eWeek) Intel Again Delays 'Tukwila' Itanium Release (eWeek) Microsoft to Unveil 'Kumo,' a New Search Engine (eWeek) Apple Leaves Major Java Security Hole Open for Mac Users (eWeek) As usual, we are needy and want your attention, so give us feedback from the main site at http://cstechcast.com. You can also find us at Twitter.com/cstechcast, Friendfeed.com/cstechcast, and on Facebook. Please subscribe, get your friends to subscribe, and talk us up to your friends at dinner parties. Good karma will come your way. Thanks for listening. Link to the episode: http://www.cstechcast.com/home.aspx?Episode=76 - Eric Beehler (consortioservices.com/blog)
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CStechcast.com brings you another podcast for IT pros. This week we talk about innovations in the server space and what to consider for the modern data center and cash strapped businesses with HP Vice-President of Industry Standard Servers, Paul Gottsegan. Find more info at hp.com. In the news, Conficker is ticking down to April 1st, HP releases an analysis tool for Adobe Flash code to look for security holes, Sun releases it's latest Virtual Desktop Infrastructure Software 3, and Red Hat beats Wall Street expectation giving good news to the tech economy and open source. Complexity on network equipment updates to protect against security holes gets "The Worst Tech Move of the Week", we take "A Closer Look" at the need for standards in the cloud, and we show you some tricks to get Linux setup in Hyper-V in "The Weekly Tech Tip". Links to stories and sites discussed during the show: Conficker Worm Worries Exaggerated (InformationWeek) Questions and Answers: Conficker and April 1st (F-Secure) Malware probes find a China angle (CNet) Sun Brings Storage Management To Desktop Virtualization (InformationWeek) Red Hat Profit Beats Forecasts, Shares Rise (InformationWeek) Linux on Hyper-V (TechNet) As always, thanks for subscribing to our podcast. Keep us going by spreading the word about CS Techcast and writing a review at your favorite podcast service, like in iTunes or at Podcastalley.com. As always, find us all week on the social networks at the Facebook fan page, at twitter.com/cstechcast, and at friendfeed.com/cstechcast. Please also send us feedback; link at CSTechcast.com. Link to the episode: http://www.cstechcast.com/home.aspx?Episode=68 - Eric Beehler (consortioservices.com/blog)
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Announcing another podcast for IT pros, straight from CSTechcast.com. This week we talk about what approach you should take to application testing and the tools to help you get there with HP Senior Director of Products Mark Sarbiewski. Find complete information at hp.com. In the news, IE8 will get a sort of on-off switch in Windows 7, new critical updates for Microsoft Patch Tuesday, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer is forced to defend Windows Mobile at the CIO Summit, virtualization and cloud service continue to gain acceptance in business, and the general economy continues to dive but IT consulting jobs are trending up. Tech companies sitting on cash instead of investing for the future get "The Worst Tech Move of the Week", we take "A Closer Look" at alternative tech training, and understand network teaming in Hyper-V with "The Weekly Tech Tip". Links to stories and sites discussed during the show: Windows 7 Will Have IE 8 On-Off Switch (InformationWeek) Microsoft Patch Day Won't Fix Excel Vulnerability (InformationWeek) Microsoft CEO Gets Earful About iPhones In IT (InformationWeek) Survey: Virtualization Takes Off, Cloud Computing on the Rise (eWeek) Employment Situation Summary (Bureau of Labor Statistics) Technology firms sitting on mountains of cash (MarketWatch) Catch us on the Facebook fan page, at twitter.com/cstechcast, and at friendfeed.com/cstechcast being social. We also have a feedback form off the main page if you have anything you'd like to say. Plus, catch us when we're recording live at our UStream page CS Techcast – Behind The Scenes. Thanks for listening and make sure you're subscribed so you can catch us every week. Link to the episode: http://www.cstechcast.com/home.aspx?Episode=65 - Eric Beehler (consortioservices.com/blog)
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CSTechcast.com brings you the podcast for IT Pros; a "Top 10" according to CIO Insight. This week we talk hacking and vulnerabilities with Joel Scambray, CISSP, co-founder and CEO of Consciere, and co-author of Hacking Exposed . Find more info from Joel at http://webhackingexposed.com. This week, Microsoft stays steady on custom support pricing, HP earnings result in job cuts, Sun likes its encryption open source, IBM wants in on the broadband stimulus money, and Microsoft gets cozy with Red Hat with an interoperability pact. Facebook's ToS meltdown gets "The Worst Tech Move of the Week", we take "A Closer Look" at some utility cloud options, and DHCP migration to Server 2008 is "The Weekly Tech Tip. Links to stories and sites discussed during the show: Microsoft Holds the Line on Custom Support Pricing (Redmond Channel Partner Online) HP earnings dip nearly 10%, will cut salaries (CNet) Sun Releases First Protocol for Encryption Key Interoperability (eWeek) IBM Eyes Stimulus Funds for Broadband Project (eWeek) Red Hat, Microsoft Sign Virtualization Interoperability Pact (eWeek) Catch us on the Facebook fan page, at twitter.com/cstechcast, and at friendfeed.com/cstechcast being social. We also have a feedback form off the main page if you have anything you'd like to say. Plus, catch us when we're recording live at our UStream page CS Techcast – Behind The Scenes. Thanks for listening and make sure you're subscribed so you can catch us every week. Link to the episode: http://www.cstechcast.com/home.aspx?Episode=64 - Eric Beehler (consortioservices.com/blog)
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The podcast for IT pros at CSTechcast.com. This week we discuss the benefits of moving your desktops off the desk and into the data center with Mike Fodor, VP at Pano Logic. Find more information on their desktop virtualization solutions at panologic.com. In the news, Toshiba and NEC are merging chip operations, high-speed broadband goes to Washington, government employment program E-Verify gets postponed, and a fired employee is indicted for planting a logic bomb in Fannie Mae computers. School officials pouty about criticism from students on the Internet gets "The Worst Tech Move of the Week", we take "A Closer Look" at the top 5 areas to consider when introducing new technology, and we try to help out when Windows 2008 DNS can't resolve some top level domains in "The Weekly Tech Tip". Links to stories and sites discussed during the show: Top Japanese Chip Makers Studying Merger (InformationWeek) Congress Wants Neutrality On Publicly Funded Broadband (InformationWeek) Feds Delay E-Verify Deadline to May 21 (eWeek) Fannie Mae Contractor Indicted For Logic Bomb (InformationWeek) Court: No right to shout "douchebag" in a crowded blog (ArsTechnica) Cannot resolve names in certain top level domains like .co.uk. (TechNet Blogs) You can subscribe to the podcast through various means at cstechcast.com. You can also catch us on the Facebook fan page, at twitter.com/cstechcast, and friendfeed.com/cstechcast where we are easy to contact. We also have a feedback form off the main page if you have anything you'd like to say. Plus, catch us when we're recording live at our UStream page CS Techcast – Behind The Scenes. Thanks for listening. Link to the episode: http://www.cstechcast.com/home.aspx?Episode=61 - Eric Beehler (consortioservices.com/blog)
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A full year of shows at CSTechcast.com, and here's another for the IT pro. This week the topic is VM sprawl and how to control it with guest David Lynch, VP of Marketing at Embotics. In the news, the terrorist attacks in Mumbai, India bring up the question of stability for IT companies in the region, spammers get their mojo back despite the shutdown of spam hoster McColo, a seemingly ignored Microsoft patch is seeing exploits in the wild, new Lenovo laptops can foil thieves with a text message, and IBM announces consulting services in for cloud computing. The Blu-ray consortium's seeming ignorance of it's real competition gets "The Worst Tech Move of the Week", we take "A Closer Look" at the upcoming service pack 2 for Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008, and find out how to extend your play time beyond 60 days with the evaluation copy of Windows Server 2008 in "The Weekly Tech Tip". Our sponsor this week: Admin Script Editor by iTripoli. Links to stories and sites discussed during the show: Mumbai terrorist attacks don't deter technology companies (InfoWorld) Spam spikes again weeks after McColo shutdown (InfoWorld) Microsoft warns of new Windows attacks (InfoWorld) Lenovo service disables laptops with text message (ComputerWorld) IBM to offer cloud computing services for enterprises (ComputerWorld) Why You Probably Won't Find Amazing Sony Deals for Christmas (Gizmodo) Wow, has it really been a year? We started out thinking this would be fun, but we have also tried to make it professional with content that makes you want to keep coming back. If you like it, help us out and tweet, blog, or post about our show so you can share the podcast with those who can benefit. Keep coming back to CSTechcast.com for more great content for you, the IT professional. Link to the episode: http://www.cstechcast.com/home.aspx?Episode=52 - Eric Beehler (consortioservices.com/blog)
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Download the podcast for IT pros at CSTechcast.com. This week Barry Phillips, Vice President and Group Manager at Citrix, talks about the continued convergence of voice and data and what that means for IT. In the news Citrix gets serious on the iPhone with Xen, Office makes a push onto the web with support for Mac and Linux, AMD tries to mount a comeback with it's quad-core Shanghai processors, Sun and others get layoff fever, and spammer centric ISP's get taken down. AVG's crippling false positive gets "The Worst Tech Move of the Week", we talk about the next four years of technology and government in "A Closer Look", and we provide some Group Policy troubleshooting pointers in "The Weekly Tech Tip". Our sponsor this week: Admin Script Editor by iTripoli. Links to stories and sites discussed during the show: Citrix developing XenApps and XenDesktop for the iPhone (InfoWorld) Microsoft: Mac, Linux systems can access Office Web (InfoWorld) Dell, IBM, Microway Unveil AMD Shanghai Servers (InformationWeek) Sun To Cut 18% Of Jobs, Reorganize Software Business (InformationWeek) ICANN Shutting Down EstDomains Nov. 24 (InformationWeek) Update: Flawed AVG antivirus update cripples Windows XP PCs (ComputerWorld) We'd like to thank our sponsor iTripoli for helping us bring you CS Techcast. Drop us a line or send us feedback all at the web site CSTechcast.com. Also find us during the week at twitter.com/cstechcast and friendfeed.com/cstechcast. Thanks for listening. Link to the episode: http://www.cstechcast.com/home.aspx?Episode=50 - Eric Beehler (consortioservices.com/blog)
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 CSTechcast.com brings you another episode of the podcast for IT professionals. Today, we talk about the future of IPv6 for business with Fred Wettling, author of Global IPv6 Strategies from Cisco Press. In the news, solid state drives are looking to replace spinning disks for enterprise applications, AMD is introducing new processors, a court ruling on model trains impacts free software, Windows 7 starts to get real, and iPhone gets Gartner's nod for use in business. VMWare's servers have fallen and they can't get up in "The Worst tech Move of the Week", greening servers gets "A Closer Look", and a quick FTP server setup is "The Weekly Tech Tip". Links to stories and sites discussed during the show: IT managers opting for solid-state drives over hard disks (ComputerWorld) AMD targets business with new desktop chips (ComputerWorld) Legal milestone for open source (BBC) Engineering Windows 7 (MSDN Blogs) Windows 7 Details In October, Microsoft Says (InformationWeek) iPhone 3G Available Online For Business Customers (InformationWeek) VMware bug causes worldwide disruption (ZDNet)
This is the last week to get your feedback in for a chance to win a $25 Amazon.com gift certificate. Tell us what you think. Links to all the ways to give your opinion on the home page. Thanks for listening and, as always, get the latest podcasts at CSTechcast.com.
Link to the episode: http://www.cstechcast.com/home.aspx?Episode=38 - Eric Beehler (consortioservices.com/blog)
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Let's do it again, another IT pro podcast posted at CSTechcast.com. This week we talk phishing threats and how to keep your users safe with Rohyt Belani, CEO of Intrepidus Group. See their new technology online at phishme.com. The news brings twelve new Microsoft updates for patch Tuesday, but Microsoft also tries harder with three new security programs, security concerns around the march towards virtualization, cloud entries from AT&T, others bring forth virtualization for small business, and economic woes hit IT jobs hard. Apple's iPhone kill switch gets "The Worst Tech Move of the Week", we take "A Closer Look" at the forthcoming Microsoft Essential Business Server 2008, and a strange hibernation feature in Windows Server 2008 brings us "The Weekly Tech Tip". Links to stories discussed during the show: Microsoft Patch Tuesday for August 2008: 12 bulletins (ArsTechnica) Microsoft further commits to security, unveils 3 programs (Arstechnica) Black Hat conference spotlights virtualization, DNS issues (InfoWorld) AT&T Jumps Into Cloud Computing With Synaptic Hosting (InformationWeek) Warily, Small Businesses Look To Cloud Computing (InformationWeek) No Answers From Apple On iPhone 'Kill Switch' (InformationWeek) We still want to give you a $25 Amazon.com gift certificate. All you have to do is submit some feedback. Drop by our home page, CSTechcast.com, for multiple ways to drop us a line. Keep your podcatcher pointed at CSTechcast.com for the best independent podcast for IT professionals. Thanks to everyone for listening. Link to the episode: http://www.cstechcast.com/home.aspx?Episode=37 - Eric Beehler (consortioservices.com/blog)
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No need to wait in line for our newest podcast; all the week's tech news and insight for IT Pros is here at CSTechcast.com. We explore the latest in delivering applications to remote and global networks with Zach Seils, author of Deploying Cisco Wide Area Application Services . This week, Microsoft lobs another offer at Yahoo, DNS gets patched across all vendors, NVidia slowly reveals more about their overheating laptop chips, cloud apps have downtime woes, SQL Server will be out in August, and a new Microsoft push for software plus services. Overreacting tech bloggers make "The Worst tech Move of the Week", we take "A Closer Look" at the new Microsoft Certified Master program, and "The Weekly Tech Tip" covers WSUS troubleshooting. Links to stories discussed during the show: Yahoo Rejects Joint Microsoft/Icahn Deal But Open To $33 Per Share All-Microsoft Sale (Search Engine Land) Patch domain name servers now (ComputerWorld) Report: NVIDIA issues cover all G84 and G86 GPUs (ZDNet) Rackspace Downtime: A Reminder That All Are Vulnerable (TechCrunchIT) Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Due in August (eWeek) Oracle, Salesforce.com Jump on iPhone Bandwagon (eWeek) Microsoft still pushing Vista compatibility story (CNet) iPhone 3G disaster (Scobleizer's Recent Qik Videos) Microsoft Certified Master Program (Microsoft) More on the Certified Master programs from me, Per, the program owner... (Technet Blogs) Troubleshooting WSUS downloads (Technet Blogs) Thanks for listening and give Dana a warm welcome. She will be helping us out with the news and shaking up the format a bit. We hope you like her as much as we do. Don't forget our give away. Enter at CSTechcast.com for your chance to win and take our money in the form of an Amazon.com gift certificate. Link to the episode: http://www.cstechcast.com/home.aspx?Episode=33 - Eric Beehler (consortioservices.com/blog)
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 Six months of weekly podcasts all for the IT professional and we continue our march forward at CStechcast.com. This week we explore VMware ESX virtualization with Edward L. Haletky, author of VMware ESX Server in the Enterprise . Find information from the author at http://astroarch.com/wiki/index.php/Virtualization. In the news; Microsoft announces support for ODF and PDF in an upcoming Office service pack, Citrix debuts its Branch Repeater for remote office support over the WAN, Google gives us the Safe Browsing Diagnostic Tool to check web sites for malware, jobs openings involving virtualization skills are up 40 percent, and some companies look to allow employees to use their own laptops on the corporate network. Microsoft gets rid of their academic search tools for the "Worst Tech Move of the Week", we take "A Closer Look" at how to get started with virtualization, and a quick "Weekly Tech Tip" on how to make a shortcut in Vista with admin privs to help save you some time. Links to stories discussed during the show: All eyes on how Microsoft pulls off ODF support (InfoWorld) Google's Safe Browsing Diagnostic Tool (Search Engine Land) Microsoft, Citrix Unveil 'Swiss Army Knife' Remote System (Information Week) Virtualization Job Openings Jump 40% (eWeek) Microsoft embraces 'Bring Your Own Laptop' model (CNet News.com) Microsoft Shuts Down Book Search (PC World) For those looking for the Google Browsing Diagnostic Tool, just use the following URL and put the URL for your web site at the end: http://www.google.com/safebrowsing/diagnostic?site= As I mentioned above, CS Techcast is celebrating six months of expert interviews, news for IT pros, segments that can help you out and give you more insight, and having fun just by having an outlet to express our personalities. We've brought you technical leaders and industry expertise such as Bill Inmon, John C. Dvorak, Kalen Delaney, and Greg Shields just to name a few. We've also brought you extras such as our special video episode from SQL PASS Camp. We would love for you, a member of our loyal audience, to spread the word about our show so we can continue to bring you everything we have and more. You can help us by writing a review in your favorite podcast directory, filling out our listener survey, blogging about us, and telling your friends to subscribe. Thanks for listening and we will continue to bring you more at CStechcast.com. Link to the episode: http://www.cstechcast.com/home.aspx?Episode=26 - Eric Beehler (consortioservices.com/blog)
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 The latest CS Techcast podcast is here with news, views, and interviews for IT professionals at cstechcast.com. This week we discuss Microsoft Expression Web and the approach of these tools in a Web 2.0 world with Jim Cheshire, author of Using Microsoft Expression Web 2 . Find Jim at www.jimcobooks.com. The news brings new web mashup design and an updated Live Maps from Microsoft's Live platform, Forrester is going against conventional wisdom with Vista in business, Citrix turns up the heat on the competition with smooth delivery of applications via virtualization on their XenDesktop beta, and an increasing zero day worry as a Microsoft vulnerability exploit is in the wild two days after the patch release. Blog aggregating gets aggravating for "The Worst Tech Move of the Week", virtual Josh gives us advice on Windows and how to avoid getting tripped up by service principle names in "The Weekly Tech Tip", and we take "A Closer Look" at the Microsoft MVP Summit. Links to stories discussed during the show: Ozzie's Mesh Mashup (eWeek Microsoft Watch) Hands on: new Microsoft Live Maps improvements impressive (Ars Technica) Don't Skip Vista, Forrester Study Says (PC World) Citrix`s Smooth New XenDesktop (eWeek) MS08-021: A Must-Patch Vulnerability (eWeek) For Sale: 3 Blogs, Barely Used; Seller Highly Motivated (TechNewsWorld) CS Techcast is proud to bring you a quality podcast every week, without fail. If you enjoy it, share it with your friends and point them to cstechcast.com. As always, thanks for listening. Link to the episode: http://www.cstechcast.com/home.aspx?Episode=21 - Eric Beehler (consortioservices.com/blog)
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The title, a play on translated Japanese advertising; the cstechcast.com podcast, real information for IT professionals. Get ready for the newly released Microsoft Windows Server 2008 operating system with our interview of Greg Shields, frequent TechMentor presenter, Redmond Magazine contributing editor, and author of the new book: Windows Server 2008: What’s New/What’s Changed. Check out the details and a free sample chapter at sapienpress.com. The news hails the coming of Windows Vista Service Pack 1 along with lingering problems and updated Microsoft Deployment tools; FireFox 3, Safari for Windows, and IE 8 are bringing back the 90's; it's Browser Wars 2: Attack of the Clones, Hyper-V may break the Microsoft release pattern with an EARLY release, and reality show "The Office" proves itself to be a self fulfilling prophecy. Comcast gets all up in the grill of the FCC for the "Worst Tech Move of the Week", the "Weekly Tech Tip" is presented by our SharePoint Zen master, and we discuss the book The Rational Guide to Building Technical User Communities in our rip off segment of Oprah's book club with "What We're Reading". Thank's to Quest Software for sponsoring the software giveaway, enter at cstechcast.com. Find them at quest.com.
Links to stories discussed during the show: Vista SP1 Goes Live (ENT Mag) Windows Vista SP1 Wreaks Havoc On Some PCs, Users Complain (Information Week) Microsoft deployment tools ready as Windows Server 2008 arrives (TechTarget) Mozilla says Firefox 3 ready for prime-time (Reuters) Battle of the betas: Firefox 3 beats IE8 (Computer World) Apple launches Safari for Windows (ZD Net) Court Notes That Empty 'The Office'-Style Workplace Concepts Not Subject To Copyright (TechDirt) Comcast Says FCC Has No Authority To Stop Traffic Shaping (TechDirt)
We metioned author Greg Low, author of The Rational Guide to Building Technical User Communities . We also wanted to provide a link to his SQL Server podcast at sqldownunder.com. Thanks Greg for keeping the spirit of real life technology communities alive.

Giveaway!
Don't miss our big giveaway of Quest Software's Change Director for SQL Server. Change Director for SQL Server provides a powerful automated solution for managing change to SQL Server databases. We appreciate your listenership, so take advantage of this attempt at buying your love. This is a great package and your chances of winning are pretty good, so don't forget to enter at cstechcast.com.
Link to the episode: http://www.cstechcast.com/home.aspx?Episode=17
- Eric Beehler (consortioservices.com/blog)
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Hitting our stride with a new episode of CS Techcast. We bring you a discussion on Silverlight technology with Microsoft MVP Shawn Wildermuth. Find him at the adoguy.com blog and the silverlight-tour.com web site. In the news; Microsoft on a virtualization kick, tech earnings show a little light, Vista actually sells, and offshoring not all that in smaller companies. Also, find out the "Worst Tech Move of the Week", get a "Weekly Tech Tip", "Meet You Local User Group", and we share our "Helpdesk Horror" stories.
Show Notes
Links to the stories discussed in our podcast: http://www.news.com/Microsoft-targets-VMware-with-new-strategy/2100-7339_3-6227023.html?tag=cd.top http://www.news.com/Sun-reports-increased-quarterly-profit/2100-1010_3-6227625.html?tag=st.nl http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/microsoft-earnings-earn-praise-shares/story.aspx?guid=%7B4C394111-041A-4830-B91D-E8B3CF325BB5%7D http://www.microsoft-watch.com/content/operating_systems/windows_seven_enough_already.html http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=205917099&cid=RSSfeed_IWK_All http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/01/23/movie-industry-admits-it-overstated-piracy-on-campus/?hp
Featured User Group
The front range has SQL expertise. This week, the Denver SQL User Group, contributors to PASS Camp, meet in the Mile High City. Visit the web site for more information at www.denversql.org.
As always thanks for listening. Post your comments here, Digg it if you like it, and post a review out on iTunes or your favorite podcasting site.
- Eric Beehler (consortioservices.com/blog)
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The latest podcast episode with information for IT pros is posted at www.cstechcast.com, also available at iTunes and Podcastalley. This week we chat with the authors of "Virtual Honeypots", Niels Provos and Thorsten Holz, about using honeypots to help learn more about Internet attackers. In the news, going off the Rails, exploiting the JET engine, and the early release of Hyper-V. Plus, "The Worst Tech Move of the Week", "Meet your Local User Group", and "The Tech Tip of the Week". After you listen to the interview, get the book: Virtual Honeypots: From Botnet Tracking to Intrusion Detection. Also, catch the latest information at their blog; honeyblog.org. The web site www.honeyd.org documents the Honeyd project.
Show Notes - Links to the stories discussed in our podcast: http://www.cio.com.au/index.php/id;899402599 http://www.news.com/U.K.-survey-IT-managers-blamed-for-staff-malaise/2100-1022_3-6222631.html?tag=cd.top http://www.news.com/Survey-People-skills-valued-over-those-for-IT/2100-1022_3-6222828.html?tag=cd.top http://www.forbes.com/markets/economy/2007/12/13/microsoft-virtualization-closer-markets-equity-cx_cg_1213markets41.html http://entmag.com/news/article.asp?EditorialsID=9340 http://entmag.com/news/rss.asp?editorialsid=9325#10 http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,140493-page,1/article.html http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1759,2231718,00.asp http://techdirt.com/articles/20071212/171816.shtml
This week, our featured technology user group is the Australian SQL Server Users Group. You can find them on the web at www.sqlserver.org.au. Its worth a view, even if you don't live down under, because they have a news, articles, and podcasts available. Get out in the real world and get involved with your local user group.
Thanks for those who listen and who keep coming back. We do this with no sponsorship and just an interest in bringing you our take on technology. Tune in every week and leave your comments at this blog post. Merry Christmas.
-Eric Beehler (consortioservices.com/blog)
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Episode 2 of CS TechCast is posted and ready for your consumption at www.cstechcast.com. Here you will find notes and links on the topics discussed in CS TechCast # 2. This week we talk with Bill Inmon, the Father of Data Warehousing, about his now book "Tapping into Unstructured Data". In the news, new stuff from Microsoft, a new old DNS flaw, Sun goes virtual, compliance audits, and IT spending. Plus, "The Worst Tech Move of the Week", "IT Shout Out", and "The Tech Tip of the Week".
Please visit Bill Inmon's web site at www.inmoncif.com. In addition, pick up the latest book from this definitive authority, Tapping into Unstructured Data: Integrating Unstructured Data and Textual Analytics into Business Intelligence, due out in a couple weeks.
Show Notes
Here are link to stories discussed during our news and other segments:
http://entmag.com/news/rss.asp?editorialsid=9308#10
http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1759,2228177,00.asp?kc=EWRSS03129TX1K0000610
http://www.eweek.com/slideshow/0,1206,a=220909,00.asp
http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1759,2228717,00.asp?kc=EWRSS03119TX1K0000594
http://entmag.com/news/rss.asp?editorialsid=9307#5
http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/140340/global_tech_spending_growth_to_slow_in_2008.html
http://www.baselinemag.com/article2/0,1397,2228885,00.asp
http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1759,2227513,00.asp?kc=EWRSS03119TX1K0000594
http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,140268-pg,1/article.html
It looks like the DNS flaw we discussed has not been addressed in the latest round of patches. For now, all you can do to protect yourself is to disable Auto-discovery in Internet Explorer or other browsers that use this feature, but see the full Microsoft Advisory 945713. The complete list of December patches can be found at the Microsoft Security Bulletin Summary for December 2007.
Our user group spotlight this week is Pacific IT Professionals at https://owa.consortioservices.com/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.pacitpros.org. Get involved with your local technology community and learn from each other!
Leave your comments about our podcast at this blog post. Thanks for listening.
- Eric Beehler (consortioservices.com/blog)
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Episode 1 of CS TechCast is posted and ready for your listening pleasure at cstechcast.com. This week our guest is Anil Desai, who we talk with about virtualization best practices. In the news, detecting wireless intruders, HP buys up more companies, Quicktime exploit, Exchange Server 2007 SP1, and how to keep your IT staff happy. Plus, “The Worst Tech Move of the Week”, “IT Pet Peeve”, and “The Tech Tip of the Week”.
Here are the show notes.
Links to stories discussed during the show:
http://www.news.com/No-slowdown-in-HPs-software-expansion-quest/2100-1014_3-6220699.html?part=rss&edId=3&tag=2547-1_3-0-20&subj=news
http://www.computerworld.com.au/index.php/id;1359088162;fp;16;fpid;1
http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,140137-pg,1/article.html
http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1759,2224485,00.asp?kc=EWRSS03119TX1K0000594
http://entmag.com/news/rss.asp?editorialsid=9284#6
http://www.news.com/U.K.-governments-lost-data-worth-billions-to-criminals/2100-1029_3-6220725.html?part=rss&edId=3&tag=2547-1_3-0-20&subj=news
Thanks again to Anil Desai for being our guest. Find his web site at http://anildesai.net and learn more. Be sure to check out one of the many books he has authored.
Post your comments on our podcast at this blog post. Hope to hear from you and look forward to bringing you a new episode every week.
- Eric Beehler (consortioservices.com/blog)
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