The newly released Windows 8 has won many people’s heart for its interface. I just got my PC upgraded to Windows 8 today and I’m loving every single bit of the UI. It just looks so fresh and easy to the eyes. With this new UI, Microsoft is putting emphasis on content of applications, relying more on typography and less on graphics (“content before chrome”). Microsoft has also recently revamped its websites. Look at the new and slick Microsoft.com and Outlook.com. How could one not fall in love with websites with such UI? Having fallen in love with new Windows UI (previously called Metro/Modern UI), I’ve decided to take inspiration from that for my personal website that I’m currently working on. I embarked on my journey to find resources on creating such website. There are currently so many CSS frameworks available to ease up your web design process. You could get your static web prototype up in a matter of hours. So after doing some research, I’ve found three frameworks inspired by the new Windows UI that are worth considering. Metro Bootstrap (view site) Metro Bootstrap, as its name suggests, relies on Twitter Bootstrap and because of that it is easy to use. Most elements are brought back to basic (no gradients, rounded corners) as compared to the original bootstrap. The support for tiles are pretty minimum as for now. BootMetro (view site) BootMetro is another framework that relies on Twitter Bootstrap and provides a lot of Windows 8 components, such as Tiles, Application-Bar, Login, Charms, and styles for Form Elements. It offers you almost every thing you need to make your website / web app like a Windows 8 app. The default scrolling behaviour is horizontal. However, you have the option not to use it. Metro UI CSS (view site) The Metro UI CSS isn’t related to Twitter Bootstrap but it still offers similar features. Of course there are Tiles and a number of fancied up Form Controls. The sample site looks pretty nice. It’s got template for Selected Tiles, Image Slider Tiles, and Badges. Beside the three that I’ve mentioned above, you could also take a look at DropTiles if you want server side integration. Based on my finding, Metro Bootstrap is quite easy to integrate and it would be a good base if you intend to work on a simple website without dynamic Tiles and Windows 8 controls. BootMetro seems pretty powerful, but isn’t as classy. Metro UI CSS doesn’t rely on Bootstrap, so its cross browser support requires much more testing as compared to the other two. I will give Metro Bootstrap a try. If you’re using any of the frameworks mentioned or probably any other ones, you could share your experience with us. With these weapons bestowed upon you, go and spice up your site or app with Windows 8 flavours!+

Windows 8 has made its debut in Singapore as well as making its presence felt in countries worldwide. It is now available in stores nationwide, including Challenger, Courts, Harvey Norman, and Newstead. Launching together with Windows 8 are the new Windows 8 devices that will soon be filling the shelves of stores. There are over 50 new devices sporting the new Windows 8 from various manufacturers to launch in Singapore (with the exception of the Microsoft Surface RT), many of them with extraordinary features such as touch-enabled ultrabooks and convertible tablets. [caption id=“attachment_12261” align=“alignnone” width=“610” caption=“http://windows.sg/"][/caption] Microsoft has launched 3 different versions of Windows 8 in Singapore comprising of Windows 8, Windows 8 Pro, and Windows 8 RT. Windows 8 RT will only be available on newer devices and existing devices will not be able to upgrade to it. You can find a comparison chart between the 3 Windows 8 editions here: Users with older versions of Windows, including XP, Vista, and 7, will be able to upgrade to Windows 8 with an upgrade going for S$49.99, available at http://windows.microsoft.com/. If you had purchased a Windows 7 PC between the 2nd of June, 2012 and the 31st of January, 2013, you will be able to download Windows 8 Pro at a discounted price of S$17.99 due to the Windows Upgrade Offer which is available at http://www.windowsupgradeoffer.com/. Windows 8 itself will retail at S$89.00. Apps are a major part of the new Windows 8 ecosystem. Beautifully constructed apps make up the Windows 8 ecosystem, with an amazing 4,433 apps available in the Singaporean Store at the time of writing. Some top apps available for Singaporeans right now are Channel NewsAsia, The Straits Times, SG Deal, MerlionWords, Photo Monkey, STOMP, Razor TV, SG Cab, NomWhere, My SingTel, StarHub, Wego.com, and iProperty. Over 900 people attended the Launch Party at the Esplanade, an overwhelming response to the invitation. There was a brilliant showcase of new devices on the Esplanade’s Roof Terrace, and many devices caught my attention with their aesthetic beauty and unbelievable specifications. [caption id=“attachment_12265” align=“alignnone” width=“610” caption=“Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga”][/caption] [caption id=“attachment_12263” align=“alignnone” width=“610” caption=“ASUS VivoTab RT TF600”][/caption] [caption id=“attachment_12262” align=“alignnone” width=“610” caption=“Acer Iconia W700”][/caption] Developers will be able to leverage on the easy and beautiful design principles that come with Windows 8 to get their apps ready to compete in the market. It is heartening to see Windows 8 launching with so many local apps already available, reflecting the hard work of our Singaporean developers that have been working so hard over the past few months, especially during the HackWeekends that were organized. I look forward to more apps coming up to populate the Windows Store, especially since Windows 8 is now readily available for everyone! See here for more information on developing for Windows 8 and why it’s “Not to be Missed”. If you have an idea for an app and would like to start developing, please join us at WOWZAPP, an upcoming worldwide Hackathon for Windows!

[caption id=“attachment_12254” align=“alignnone” width=“610” caption=“Windows 8 Game Development Opportunities and Training at Games Solution Center. Register Now.”][/caption] The fact of the matter is; Windows is huge. There are 1.2 billion Windows users globally, with 690 million currently on Windows 7 who can upgrade to Windows 8 for a great price on October 26th. This is just the PCs. When you factor in the plethora of other devices from slates and phones to ultra-books and tablets on offer from a variety of manufacturers, Microsoft included, this is where the potential ecosystem gets even more exciting. The idea of taking one device from home and leisure to work and enterprise with seamless continuity and the ability to sync content, system settings and app settings over multiple devices is also a tantalising thought. Developers who are ahead of the pack can get unparalleled exposure for the forthcoming launch of Windows 8 on October 26th”, the arrival of Surface in the region and considering the exciting changes in the OS and the accessible upgrade price point – uptake is expected to be notably high. Come join us on November 8 as Microsoft Singapore’s Developer and Platform Evangelism team takes you through the Windows 8 game development process. ...

[caption id=“attachment_12247” align=“alignnone” width=“610” caption=“Click here to register for #WOWZAPP Singapore.”][/caption] Registration has launched for Microsoft’s WOWZAPP 2012, Worldwide Hackathon for Windows students, developers and entrepreneurs across countries and other types of developers across countries including Singapore, India, Pakistan, Malaysia, Vietnam, Turkey, Finland, Chile and Greece. Developers will work in teams to develop apps that will be published and available for download in the Windows Store. WOWZAPP 2012: Worldwide Hackathon for Windows is an event that allows you to take part in a truly global experience – developers and designers all over the world coming together to build apps for Windows, Windows Phone and Windows Azure. WOWZAPP 2012 is on November 9-11, 2012, timed to celebrate the launch of Windows 8 and immediately after the Build conference to take advantage of all that fresh new information that will be delivered at that time. It’s also on the weekend before Global Entrepreneur Week so that startup developers can kick off that week with a bang. Expert Help, free resources Microsoft app experts, developers and trainers will be available to assist your learning and coding. Download the developer tools and resources now and get ready for action. Download at no charge to students and BizSpark members: Windows 8 Getting Started Guide Visual Studio 2012 Express for Windows 8 ...

App of the week is a weekly showcase of an awesome app developed on Windows 8 or Windows Phone. Got an app you love that you want us to talk about? Leave us a comment and tell us which app and why you love it! Skype has become a service that I can’t live without. And the new Skype experience on Windows 8 is great. [caption id=“attachment_12237” align=“alignnone” width=“610” caption=“The new Skype for Windows 8 will be available come October 26th.”][/caption] Skype for Windows 8 places recent chats and calls front-and-center, as they’re the first things you’ll see when the app goes live. You can also build out a list of favorites, and these then appear on the app’s homescreen with big thumbnails next to your full list of contacts. To begin a call or chat, you simply tap or click on your friend’s profiles. These contacts are also integrated with Windows 8?s native People app, so all of your Skype’s contacts will display in this central address book, even if you had not created contacts for them. You can kick off Skype calls from the app itself, too, as contacts’ info will be updated with their Skype details when the app is installed. Note that this requires you to log into Skype using your Microsoft account. [caption id=“attachment_12239” align=“alignnone” width=“610” caption=“The Skype Home Screen”][/caption] Skype for Windows 8 also now includes an integrated dial pad for calling landlines, and shows the amount of Skype Credit you have remaining as well as your active subscriptions, if any. Recent calls display next to the dial pad, so you can easily phone your regular contacts again. [caption id=“attachment_12238” align=“alignnone” width=“610” caption=“The dial pad is right next to your recently made calls.”][/caption] With Windows 8 Skype is alive with your most important calls and conversations, whether on the start screen, snapped alongside your browser or full screen immersing you in a video call sharing an experience with someone you love. [caption id=“attachment_12241” align=“alignnone” width=“610” caption=“Snapped view makes it easier to chat and share information”][/caption] Skype for Windows 8 is simple, fast and beautiful. View the video below to see a sneak peek of the experience:

Well, we all know how important DHCP server is. It used to be difficult to create failover for DHCP server. In Windows Server 2012, this is super easy. You can pick any server (with DHCP role installed and Authorized) in your datacenter and create a DHCP failover partnership. You can configure this in two model Load Balance or Hot Standby. Do you need a cluster? No For a Single site deployment, it is pretty straight forward. ...

Just how big is the Windows community? There are 1.2 billion Windows users globally, with 690 million currently on Windows 7. Microsoft has announced upgrade pricing for its upcoming Windows 8 operating system. Anyone running a copy of Windows from the last decade (Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Windows 7) can upgrade for USD40 - WOOTTT? SO CHEAP AND AFFORDABLE! With the plethora of new devices coming up with Windows 8 - from Notebooks, Slates, Convertibles, Ultrabooks, Tablets, etc - you can imagine how that number will grow. Want to be the next big app developer? You’ve got a golden opportunity to catch here. We’re just less than a week away (6 more days to go!) from the launch of Windows 8. I’m sure the resources that we’ve provided so far are more than enough for you to get started and submit your first Windows 8 app/game to the store. In my previous post -Lessons from Fruit Ninja Developer Dojo, Halfbrick mentioned that they’re excited about the launch of the new platforms, Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 and the opportunities that the platforms would open up for developers. And here, I’ve gathered more compelling reasons to get you started: ...

Behind every successful entrepreneur, is a couple of failed attempts. Bill Gates will forever be remembered for starting Microsoft, but this was actually not his first business venture. Before Microsoft, Bill Gates and Paul Allen built a company called Traf-O-Data. They wanted to build a “computerized machine for processing paper tapes from traffic counters.” They planned to sell this computerized data to state and local governments, but failed because the product was unacceptably buggy. The experience gained in this venture would later be used to write Altair BASIC for the MITS Altair 8800 computer and start Microsoft. Paul Allen now refers to it as his favourite mistake. ...

Welcome to a blog series about Windows Server 2012. Recently many people asked me about what are the exciting things about Windows Server 2012 apart from Virtualization. Well, there are many of them. One thing probably left in the shadow of the over 375 new features is IIS 8.0. Let’s look at what are the improvements. Why do i care abou these new features? Here is a table how IIS 8.0 in Windows Server 2012 can address some challenges today. Let’s dive into each one of them ...

We had a lot of people at our Windows Server 2012 local launch event on 26 Sep. Many attendees also at our IT Camps on Windows Server 2012 Deep Dive. Many people told me they really like what Windows Server 2012 is offering. One question has came up few times is how can I convert VHD running on Windows Server 2012 to VHDx format for Windows Server 2012? First of all, you can still use VHD format with Windows Server 2012. It is NOT compulsory to convert the format. There are some advantages to convert the format, for example to leverage on the new disk size up to 64TB :) Here are the steps Step 1: Go to the Hyper-V Manager. Under the Actions pane, click on Edit Disk… Step 2: Specify the path of the disk you want to convert and click Next. Step 3: Choose the second option to Convert the virtual disk from one type to another and click Next. Step 4: Choose the VHDX format and click Next Step 5: In this step, you can choose to also convert disk type, Fixed or Dynamically expanding. Step 6: Choose the location for the converted disk and click Next. Step 7: Finally, you can confirm the disk format, disk type and location of the newly converted and click Finish to begin the conversion. Last but not Least This can be easily done through PowerShell and automated. PowerShell Syntax: Convert-VHD [-Path] [-DestinationPath] [-AsJob] [-BlockSizeBytes ] [-ComputerName<String[]> ] [-DeleteSource] [-ParentPath ] [-Passthru][-VHDType ] [-Confirm] [-WhatIf][ ] Example PS C:\> Convert-VHD –Path c:\VMs\winsrv2008.vhd –DestinationPath c:\VMs\winsrv2008.vhdx