What is Windows Home Server?

CloudBerry Backup for Windows Home Server Giveaway Day 2

Windows Home Server

Andrew Edney

-

Jul 24, 2010

Following on from the announcement on Thursday from CloudBerry Labs about the release of CloudBerry Backup for WHS version 1.6, we have another of our UWHS Giveaways – today is Question 2.

The announcement about version 1.6 can be found here: https://moviesgamesandtech.com/2010/07/22/cloudberry-backup-for-windows-home-server-1-6/

What is CloudBerry Backup for Windows Home Server you might ask:

CloudBerry Online Backup for Windows Home Server provides a powerful Backup and Restore program designed to leverage Amazon S3 storage to make your disaster recovery plan simple, reliable, and affordable.

Ok, so on to the giveaway.

Our friends at CloudBerry Labs have given us 5 copies of CloudBerry Backup for Windows Home Server to giveaway to our readers.

The way this giveaway is going to work is that for the next five days, starting today, we are going to post a question. You need to answer each question and after the 5th and final question has been posted send all the answers to us and we will select 5 correct sets of entries. Don’t worry if you already have CloudBerry Backup for WHS, you can always give it to someone else.

The giveaway is open to anyone, anywhere in the world.

So, here we go…..

QUESTION 2:

What is the benefit of using Reduced Redundancy Support (RSS) when you backup data to Amazon S3?

CloudBerry have a great blog with lots of information (hint, hint): http://blog.cloudberrylab.com/

Remember, keep the answer to yourself and wait until you have all 5 before submitting. All the details of how to enter will be posted with the final question.

Don’t forget you will need an answer to question 1: CloudBerry Backup for Windows Home Server Giveaway Day 1

You can learn more about CloudBerry Backup for WHS by clicking here: http://www.cloudberrylab.com/default.aspx?page=backup-whs

There is also a 15 day trial you can download and install by clicking here.

Order Your Free iPhone 4 Bumper or Case Now

Tech

Andrew Edney

-

Jul 23, 2010

5

Following on from Apple’s press conference last week, details have now been released on how to order your bumper or a case – and yes, there is an App for that!

If you haven’t seen the press conference, or you have been asleep for the past week, you can watch it here: http://www.apple.com/uk/apple-events/july-2010/ although it’s not really worth bothering with.

Apparently all phones have this problem, its not really an Apple problem and the iPhone 4 only drops 1% more calls than the iPhone 3GS. Um, sorry? The brand new iPhone actually performs worse than the previous model? Don’t get me started on that, but when the iPhone 4 works, it works well.

Anyway……

What Apple said was that it would give all iPhone 4 customers a free bumper or case starting today. Having a bumper or case on the iPhone 4 will reduce the signal problem.

So today being that day, Apple have released an iPhone 4 app to order the bumper or case. Yes, that is right, there is an app for that!

So, if you have an iPhone 4, go get the iPhone 4 Case Program app and install it.

Run it from your iPhone 4 and then click Get Started.

Scroll through the very short list of one bumper and a few cases.

Select one to learn more about it – you can even look at a photo gallery.

You then place the order through the app and get the usual 3-5 weeks shipping information which is becoming the norm for Apple these days.

So, for those suffering with the problem you don’t yet have a case, its another 3 – 5 week delay, and to be honest the cases don’t look that great.

I already purchase one from Amazon last week as I really didn’t want to wait.

I also hear that Apple are also automatically refunding customers who purchased the bumper from the Apple Store.

So do you have an iPhone 4? Have you had problems? Let us know! And Dave, if you are reading this, you don’t have to tell us, we already know!

CloudBerry Backup for Windows Home Server Giveaway Day 1

Windows Home Server

Andrew Edney

-

Jul 23, 2010

3

Following on from the announcement yesterday from CloudBerry Labs about the release of CloudBerry Backup for WHS version 1.6, we have another of our UWHS Giveaways.

The announcement about version 1.6 can be found here: https://moviesgamesandtech.com/2010/07/22/cloudberry-backup-for-windows-home-server-1-6/

What is CloudBerry Backup for Windows Home Server you might ask:

CloudBerry Online Backup for Windows Home Server provides a powerful Backup and Restore program designed to leverage Amazon S3 storage to make your disaster recovery plan simple, reliable, and affordable.

Ok, so on to the giveaway.

Our friends at CloudBerry Labs have given us 5 copies of CloudBerry Backup for Windows Home Server to giveaway to our readers.

The way this giveaway is going to work is that for the next five days, starting today, we are going to post a question. You need to answer each question and after the 5th and final question has been posted send all the answers to us and we will select 5 correct sets of entries. Don’t worry if you already have CloudBerry Backup for WHS, you can always give it to someone else.

The giveaway is open to anyone, anywhere in the world.

So, here we go…..

QUESTION 1:

Name three other CloudBerry Lab products other than CloudBerry Backup for WHS.

Remember, keep the answer to yourself and wait until you have all 5 before submitting. All the details of how to enter will be posted with the final question.

You can learn more about CloudBerry Backup for WHS by clicking here: http://www.cloudberrylab.com/default.aspx?page=backup-whs

There is also a 15 day trial you can download and install by clicking here.

CloudBerry Backup for Windows Home Server 1.6

Windows Home Server

Andrew Edney

-

Jul 22, 2010

6

CloudBerry Lab have just released version 1.6 of their Windows Home Server add-in.

Here is what they say about version 1.6:

What’s new in CloudBerry Backup for Windows Home Server 1.6

CloudBerry S3 Backup is a powerful Windows Home Server add-on that automate backup and restore processes to Amazon S3 cloud storage.

With the release 1.6 of CloudBerry Backup we are introducing an ability to back up network shares, an option to keep locally deleted files for a certain time, server edition of CloudBerry Backup and Reduced Redundancy Storage Enhancements.

An ability to back up network locations is a feature that has been coming up during conversation with our customers over and over. The most common use case is a need to backup Network Attached Storage (NAS) or an external hard drive. With the release 1.6 we are introducing this option to CloudBerry Backup.

Awhile back we introduced an option to delete files automatically from the backup storage when they are deleted locally. However, this option is dangerous in that you can still delete a file accidently on the local computer you won’t be able to recover from it as the file is deleted automatically from the backup storage too.

In the release 1.6 we are introducing a Smart Delete option that will keep files deleted locally on backup storage for 30 days by default and only after that will it delete the files on backup storage.

With the release 1.6 we are introducing CloudBerry Backup Server Edition. This new version of CloudBerry Backup ($59.99) is designed to run on the server version of Windows operating system such as Windows 2003 and Windows 2008. All existing Cloud Berry Backup customers running the product on servers are eligible for free upgrade.

And finally, in the release 1.6 we have modified that way how you can configure RRS storage option with CloudBerry Backup. In the previous release you had to specify RRS option for the whole account level. This turns out to be inflexible and in the newer release we moved RRS configuration to the Backup Wizard and you can now configure RRS option on the backup plan level.

You can learn more by clicking here: http://www.cloudberrylab.com/default.aspx?page=backup-whs

The Home Server Show 99

Andrew Edney

-

Jul 22, 2010

0

Dave and the guys over at the Home Server Show have released show 99.

Here is what Dave has to say about this weeks show:

In today’s episode we talk about the latest Windows Home Server news and our feature today is all about the new beta of Microsoft Security Essentials. Should you run it on your server? Can you? Find out by listening to 99. Next up, the show 100 mega-episode. You will not want to miss it!

Host WordPress on your Windows Home Server

NedMug

Microsoft Security Essentials on Windows Home Server via forums

MSE Screenshot tour from HowtoGeek.com

Download MSE beta

Test virus signatures

As usual you can listen to the show here: http://homeservershow.com/the-home-server-show-99.html

Almost at 100 shows – how time has flown by!

Plextor Launch PX-B120U USB Blu-ray Drive

Tech

Andrew Edney

-

Jul 22, 2010

0

Do you want to watch Blu-ray movies on your laptop but don’t have an internal Blu-ray drive? Well Plextor have the answer for you in the guise of their new PX-B12OU USB drive.

Here is the full press release:

July 20th, 2010 – Plextor have today announced the launch of the PX-B120U – a nifty USB-powered external BD-ROM perfect for those wishing to enjoy high-definition and 3D media on the move.

Plextor is renowned for its high-performance media solutions, and the PX-B120U is no exception; with 4x Blu-ray playback, bundled software for added performance and a thoughtful and portable design.

Following a sneak preview at Computex earlier this year the PX-B120U is now available to buy across Europe for approximately £92 inc VAT.

Key Features:

* 4x Blu-ray playback

* USB powered for portability

* Top-loading mechanism for easy access

* Cyberlink Power DVD for added performance

* Trendy ripple design

* Compatible with forthcoming PlexMedia media player

* 2 year on-site warranty

USB Powered for entertainment on the go:

The PX-B120U external BD-ROM is USB powered, meaning it can be connected via USB to any computer to operate without a bulky separate power supply. Users can now say goodbye to boring journeys and enjoy a portable way to enjoy their favourite high definition and 3D movies and games* anywhere, anytime.

Funky and thoughtful design makes life stylishly easier:

Gone are the days where optical drives had to be plain and boring; the PX-B120U features a unique and super trendy ripple design in a glossy finish that any user will be proud to show off out and about.

The PX-B120U also integrates a top-loading mechanism, making it super accessible for swapping discs with maximum protection against damage.

Cyberlink Power DVD for top performance playback:

The PX-B120U comes bundled with the high-quality Cyberlink Power DVD software which has the ability to upscale standard definition videos to HD-like and 3D-like quality – enabling users to enjoy a truly cinematic experience without the need for expensive gadgets.

PlexMedia compatible for a set-top option:

Plextor are soon to be releasing the PlexMedia device, which users can connect to the PX-B120U to create a set-top Blu-ray player. With such compatibility and versatility the possibilities are endless for enjoying media content at home and away.

Exceptional warranty terms offer complete peace of mind:

Unlike many others of its kind, the PX-B120U offers an added level of reassurance with the Plextor ‘Fast Warranty Service’ – a 2 year on-site warranty across the EU, Norway and Switzerland (1 year elsewhere) – so users can feel secure in the knowledge that their must-have gadget is covered for longer.

The PX-B120U is available now for approximately £92 inc VAT. So that is certainly cheaper that choosing the blu-ray option on a lot of laptops, and you can use it on other laptops, netbooks and desktops as well!

More information is available here: http://www.plextor-digital.com/index.php/en/External-Blu-ray/px-b120u.html

Running an e-Mail server on Windows Home Server

Andrew Edney

-

Jul 22, 2010

0

Friend and fellow MVP Pete Stagman has posted a great article on how you can run an e-mail server on your Windows Home Server.

Here is how Pete starts off his article:

I hear the question all the time. “Why doesn’t Windows Home Server have an e-Mail Server included?”

The answer is simple: Because it ain’t easy to do.

Well, let me clarify that. It’s EASY to install and run e-Mail Server software on Windows Home Server. It’s not so easy to get it to work with your ISP, connection, firewall and clients.

Problem 1:

Most ISPs use Dynamic IP addresses for customer internet access. This means your address could keep changing. That makes running a mail server tricky, imagine if your street address kept changing and your friends were constantly trying to find you. You can use the FREE DynDNS service to update your address any time it may change.

If you have a business account with the static IP option, this won’t be a problem for you.

Problem 2:

You need a domain name to send mail to (That’s the part after the @ in an e-Mail address. @mydomain.com). There’s a way around this by registering your own domain or using a DynDNS domain name. We’ll go into that later.

Problem 3:

Most ISPs block port 25 & port 80 (e-Mail Server to Server port, Web Server port). You can get around this by using port relaying, or DynDNS MailHop Relay service (Pay Service).

Problem 4:

Your ISP may or may not allow you to send mail from your personal domain name through their server. Yep, another job for the DynDNS Outgoing Mail Relay. (Pay Service)

Problem 5:

Your router/modem/firewall. You need to get into your device and figure out how to allow mail to get in and out of your internet connection and get to your Windows Home Server.

Problem 6:

Software. How do I get e-Mail Server software onto my Windows Home Server? You might think that the software would be the first problem to solve, but it’s really the easy part. You need to solve all the others first.

You can read the full article here: http://www.nedmug.com/Blogs/tabid/226/PostID/35/Installing-an-e-Mail-Server-on-Windows-Home-Server.aspx

And it is worth a read – good work Pete, and thanks for the tweet and the link!

Review of the Toshiba StorE Art USB Hard Drive

Reviews
Tech

Andrew Edney

-

Jul 22, 2010

0

Toshiba have a series of USB 2.0 hard drives known as the StorE Art range – here we review the 500GB model.

Here is how Toshiba describe the StorE Art drive:

The StorE Art is a sleek looking 2.5” external HDD which will keep all your files safe with NTI BackupNow EZ Software, 256 bit encryption for added security and shock protection. It also features Drive Space Alert, which will let you know when the drive is getting full.

Main Features

6.4 cm / 2.5″ mobile HDD with up to 640GB

Smooth and comfortable to the touch: Sleek and glossy finish

USB powered

USB 2.0 HiSpeed

Weight around 155g

NTI BackupNow EZ Software

SPECIFICATIONS

We are reviewing the 500 GB USB 2.0 drive.

WHATS IN THE BOX?

Apart from the drive itself, there is a Quick install guide and a very short USB cable. The full user manual and other software is on the drive itself.

USING THE DRIVE

Just connect the drive and it is ready to use in a few seconds once Windows has identified it and installed any drivers it might need.

The drive also contains the manual and some backup software.

The Media Center Show Number 264

Microsoft

Andrew Edney

-

Jul 22, 2010

0

Ian over at the Digital Lifestyle has just released the Media Center Show podcast, number 264 for your listening pleasure.

Here is what Ian has to say about this weeks show:

Joining me this week is Andres Echevarria a Windows Media Center Enthusiast to talk about his Media Center system, the apps he used and his Media Center blog. Andres has documented his experiences on his Media Center blog and he explains some of the decisions he made when designing his system

Links from this weeks show:

Big Screen EPG v1.0b ‘Interim Beta’ Released

Boxee show off the Boxee Box

Zune Pass comes to UK at last

Josh Pollard Reviews Ceton’s InfiniTV 4

Beta for Next Version of Microsoft Security Essentials Now Available

Wiimote as a remote for YouTube Leanback

http://mynetworkproject.wordpress.com

As usual you can listen to the show here: http://thedigitallifestyle.com/cs/TDL/b/podcast/archive/2010/07/22/the-media-center-show-264-andres-echevarria.aspx

SBSv7 and SBS Aurora User Consoles

Andrew Edney

-

Jul 22, 2010

2

Fellow MVP Wayne Small has posted a comparison of the SBSv7 and SBS Aurora User Consoles on his site.

To take a look at the differences, click here: http://www.sbsfaq.com/?p=2115

Wayne does a lot in the Small Business Server community and his site is a fantastic resource for anyone interested in Small Business Server, and he is a good guy Smile

BYOB Episode 4 Out Now

Andrew Edney

-

Jul 21, 2010

0

The guys over at the Build Your Own Box podcast (our very own Tim Daleo included) have released episode number 4.

Here is what is in this weeks show:

Today’s BYOB episode will focus on Graphics cards and GPU’s. We will discuss requirements, the different types, and help with determining what you really need when buying a graphics card. We also have listener feedback, forums post, and you can follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/byobpodcast.

Here is the link to the interlacing test patterns:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1157287

How much Video RAM do you need?

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/graphics-ram-4870,2428-10.html

nVidia

http://www.nvidia.com/object/geforce_family.html

Selection Tools

http://www.nvidia.com/content/HelpMeChoose/fx2/HelpMeChoose.asp?lang=en-us

ATI

http://www.amd.com/US/PRODUCTS/DESKTOP/GRAPHICS/Pages/desktop-graphics.aspx

ATI Product Comparison

http://products.amd.com/en-us/GraphicCardResult.aspx

As usual you can listen to the show here: http://homeservershow.com/byob-episode-4.html

Great show guys, I look forward to episode 5.

Microsoft Security Essentials Beta

Andrew Edney

-

Jul 21, 2010

3

Microsoft have released a beta for the new version of its Security Essentials suite – and it works on Windows Home Server too.

Here is what is new with this beta:

New features in the beta of Microsoft Security Essentials include:

Windows Firewall integration – During setup, Microsoft Security Essentials will now ask if you would like to turn the Windows Firewall on or off.

Enhanced protection for web-based threats – Microsoft Security Essentials now integrates with Internet Explorer to provide protection against web-based threats.

New protection engine – The updated anti-malware engine offers enhanced detection and cleanup capabilities with better performance.

Network inspection system – Protection against network-based exploits is now built in to Microsoft Security Essentials.

To download the beta of Microsoft Security Essentials, click here to visit the Microsoft Connect page to register for the beta. Once completed – you will find the instructions for downloading and installing the beta. We value your feedback – beta participants are encouraged to provide feedback about their experiences with Microsoft Security Essentials through Microsoft Connect. Please note that this is a limited beta available in English (U.S.), Israel, and Brazilian Portuguese (the beta will also be available in China in Simplified Chinese later this year) and is available to genuine Windows users on a first come, first serve basis until the allotted spots for the beta have been reached.

There is both a 32 bit and a 64 bit version you can download.

I already had the current version of Security Essentials installed, so I was offered an upgrade when I ran the installation file.

It looks very similar to the current version and works just as well.

And that is it – if you had it before, you know how it works, and if you have never tried it before, now is a really good time to give it a go.

Fellow Windows Home Server MVP Drashna also tweeted last night that it works perfectly well on both Windows Home Server and Windows Home Server Code Name Vail. Well done Drashna, you beat Diehard to the punch!

We Have Moved

News

Andrew Edney

-

Jul 21, 2010

2

If you are seeing this then we have now moved!

Sorry for the delay in the move – these things never go quite as smoothly as you would like!

We will now resume normal postings Smile

Any problems with the site – let us know!

Twonky Release TwonkyBeam 1.2 Beta 1

Andrew Edney

-

Jul 19, 2010

0

Twonky have just released beta 1 of TwonkyBeam 1.2. Want to try it?

What is TwonkyBeam you might ask?

TwonkyBeam™ is a free add-on for Internet Explorer® or Firefox® that lets you stream music, videos or photos from countless websites to your networked devices. Send photos from Flickr®, Facebook® and many other popular photo sites directly to your networked TV. Search for Internet videos on favorite sites like YouTube™ and stream them to your networked TV, or play songs from leading music sites like Last.fm™ on your networked stereo.

Beaming is as easy as right-clicking on the file you want to enjoy. In full view, TwonkyBeam shows all of the available media on a web page in an unobtrusive window to the side of your browser, so you can also stream from the list or play an entire page’s media.

What’s New in TwonkyBeam 1.2 Beta 1?

New Features
– Playlist sharing – Music, photo and video playlists can now be accessed and played by UPnP and DLNA-certified devices like the Sony PS3.
Note: This feature still needs additional testing. Some devices have problems with playlists containing URLs. Also, your device must be capable of playing the media you are streaming, or you will get an error message.
– Video playlist streaming – Video playlists can be streamed to supported devices like DLNA-certified TVs and TwonkyManager.
– Auto filtering of unplayable videos – There is now a setting that automatically removes most unplayable YouTube videos from the Media List. Added a new setting that filters all unplayable YouTube videos from the media list. This setting is enabled by default.
– Faster switching between videos – The Play button now appears much faster after stopping a YouTube video. This allows you to move from one YouTube video to another much faster than before.
– Improved right-click beaming – All YouTube videos which appear in the Media List can be beamed by right clicking on their link and selecting ‘TwonkyBeam to’.
– Manual icon assignment – Although TwonkyBeam automatically assigns icons to all supported devices on your network, you can now change any icon by simply right clicking on it, and selecting System Properties. Almost forty device icons are now available.
– Next/Previous support – The skip keys now work for any TwonkyBeam playlist or queue. Before, the Next button was grayed out. A queue is created when you play multiple media items in a media list.
– Installer improvements – The TwonkyBeam installer now asks if you want to close Firefox when installing on a Mac.
– New media feed support – We recently added more than ten new links to our Sites page. The new sites include YouTube’s home page, HD Nation, Tekzilla, Revision 3 and four new photo sites.
– New device support – Added support for the following new devices: Xbox 360 (running in Media Center Extender mode), WD TV Live and the Sonos S5 speaker.
– Improved icon assignments – Fixed several problems with device icon assignments including the following:
1. All PCs running TwonkyManager are now are assigned a laptop icon. Earlier, they were assigned a generic TV icon. Of course, you can change this to a desktop PC icon if desired.
2. The Sonos S5 speaker is now properly identified and assigned the correct icon. Before it appeared as a Zone Player 120.
3. Added a gray outline around the icons for all Sonos ZonePlayer. The new icons only appear when non playable media is detected, and provides more contrast against the white background.
New expiration date – To encourage all users to upgrade to the newest version, this version of TwonkyBeam will stop working on 1/31/11. After that date, go to the Settings page and click on ‘Check for Updates’. You will be taken to a page where you can download the newest version of this software.
Download links
IE (Windows) http://www.twonky.com/upfiles/betas/bea … _Setup.exe
Firefox (Windows) http://www.twonky.com/upfiles/betas/bea … _Setup.exe
Firefox (Mac) http://www.twonky.com/upfiles/betas/bea … _Setup.zip
Please send any bug reports or feature requests to tmm-beta@pv.com. Thanks.

So why not give it a go and give Twonky some feedback at the same time?