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You are here: Home / Archives for Microsoft

We Day California and Seattle Washington

February 14, 2014 by Momstart Leave a Comment

We Day first came to the U.S. last spring when it arrived in Seattle, with the support of Microsoft and Amway. We Day is now global with events in the United States, Canada and the UK, bringing together 180,000 youth this year alone to get involved in active global citizenship.

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Students attending We Day explore how they can make a difference by turning their passions and talents into social action. Every young person in attendance to a We Day celebration makes a commitment to contribute their time to one local and one global social action project.

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This stadium-sized celebration rewards kids for their participation in the yearlong We Act program, which provides students and educators with free educational resources to help kids use their passion and talents to get involved in their local and global communities. Since 2007, youth involved in the We Act program have raised $37 million for over 1,000 local and global causes and logged more than 9.6 million volunteer hours.

The We Day California has a long list of amazing performances and speakers

  • Selena Gomez (@SelenaGomez) – Actress and multi-platinum recording artist
  • Seth Rogen (@SethRogen) – Canadian-born actor, writer, director, and producer
  • Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) – NBA legend, two-time hall of famer, philanthropist and co-chair of We Day California
  • Orlando Bloom – Actor and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador
  • Martin Luther King III – Human Rights advocate and eldest son of the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
  • Lauren Miller (@IAmLaurenMiller) – American actress and screenwriter
  • Martin Sheen – Emmy® and Golden Globe® Award-winning actor and activist
  • Jesse Giddings (@JesseGiddings) – E! News correspondent and Free The Children ambassador
  • The Tenors (@TenorsMusic) – Award-winning, multi-platinum vocal super group joined by up-and-coming hip hop sensation, Young Stitch (@YoungStitchSS)
  • Craig and Marc Kielburger (@CraigKielburger) – Co-founders of Free The Children
  • Spencer West (@spencer2thewest) – Me to We inspirational speaker, Free The Children ambassador, author and double amputee who climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro
  • Molly Burke (@mollymetowe) – Visually impaired Me to We inspirational speaker, Free The Children ambassador and author, who speaks about bullying and the power of hope
  • Hannah Alper – 11-year-old Me to We inspirational speaker, Free The Children ambassador, blogger and youth activist

Microsoft announced a three-year commitment to Free The Children as part of its YouthSpark initiative, which aims to close the opportunity divide for 300 million youth by 2015. You can learn more about the commitment and why Microsoft is supporting We Day in this blog post by Lori Forte Harnick

We Day Seattle on March 21 or We Day California on March 26.

Filed Under: charity Tagged With: charity, Microsoft, we day

A Store Inside A Store? Microsoft in BestBuy With Great Deals! #win8holiday #windowschampions

December 6, 2013 by Momstart 1 Comment

I’m a Microsoft Windows Champion and receive products, sponsorships and information to share with my readers.

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It’s the holiday season and of course you’re going to find really great deal on PC’s. A computer, or tablet or phone is a great gift to give someone this holiday season. In fact, statistically, 70 percent of consumers are going to get themselves a tech gift for Christmas in our family should count like three times because my husband got an Xbox One, a Surface Pro 2, and our kids are saving their money to buy themselves a new tablet. They want one they can call their own. And I’m impressed because they are willing to share.

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With the probability of a tech purchase Microsoft wanted to make it super easy for you to find one of their items in a very easy way. Microsoft stores are only in cosmopolitan areas. So the partnership with BestBuy allows them to come into so many more locations.

I had the opportunity to work with Microsoft this past week and hold a local event. At this event we had Windows experts come in and share with us how easy it is to use Windows. Did you know that you can do a split screen and do two different things at one time. Just the other night I was streaming Dracula over Xfinity on one side of my screen and then on the other side was I was blogging. I seem to only be able to be really productive blogging if I’m able to listen and watch TV while doing it.

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You can even do three screens if you really want to. There are so many apps now on Windows 8.1 and Windows Phone, and I love how Bing searches. Now when you do a search on your machine it will search all your files and all the internet. Then it displays the information for you in such an organized way. You can click on exactly what you were looking for. I think it’s perfect way for students to do research on topics because it shows you info and where the info came from. Also, the machines are made for multi touch which is perfect for gaming.

Windows 8.1 really is the best so far with all the integration built into it. It’s really meant for touch screens which is why it’s so great that touch screen PC’s are coming down in prices a great deal. I have some really great deals at Best Buy Listed Here.

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The things that you can do on Windows Machines is amazing. My computer which I’ll be writing a review on is amazing. It’s only 3.6 lbs. and it keeps up with me. I haven’t had a computer that could keep up with me in a long time. They usually lock up on me. If you need to learn how to us Windows then stop into a Best Buy, or Microsoft store. They can run though many ways you can use these machines.

Filed Under: personal, Tech Tagged With: Best Buy, great deals, Microsoft, tech, Windows

Share Save and Do More With SkyDrive #WindowsChampions

July 25, 2013 by Momstart Leave a Comment

I’m a Microsoft Windows Champion and they share information with me and it’s my job to pass it on to you. My husband and I use SkyDrive a lot, I’ve been using it for years actually. I have tons of my blog photos shared there, giving me more hard drive space locally on my computer. I can create slide shows or embed files like pdf documents directly into my blog posts. I love it, it makes my job (mommy blogger) that much easier. Plus, with Windows 8, I love how SkyDrive is integrated as a place I can directly save to when I’m creating documents. Then I can also use SkyDrive on any device. There are apps for Android and iOS where I can share my files and have access to them no matter where I am or whose device I’m using. Here’s more information for you guys about how to FULLY use SkyDrive to your benefit……..

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Do more with SkyDrive!

SkyDrive is Microsoft’s personal cloud storage service, providing over 250 million customers with access to their files, photos and documents across all of their devices and platforms, including Windows, Windows Phone and Xbox, as well as Mac, iOS and Android devices. SkyDrive is directly integrated with Microsoft Office and lets users edit and collaborate on Office documents from any computer with the free Office Web Apps. To put it simply, with SkyDrive you can store more than 7k photos or 14k Office documents in the cloud for free! Harrison Hoffman from the SkyDrive team joined the Windows Champions a few weeks ago to show off how the tool works. Below are a few of his personal tips:

1. Share photos and files on SkyDrive.com

o Upload your files to your SkyDrive. (Files can be up to 2 GB in size, depending on how you upload them.)

o Select the item you want to share.

o Choose Sharing, and then decide how you want to share.

§ By email. When you share files this way, recipients will be able to see them when they go to SkyDrive.com and choose Shared. And you’ll be able to remove permissions for individual people later if you need to.

§ On Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and more—you can share SkyDrive files with any contact or network you’ve connected to your SkyDrive account.

§ With a link (handy if you want to copy and paste into an instant message or webpage).

§ After you share a file or folder, you can change its permissions if you need to. Just select it, and then choose Sharing. You can remove permissions to stop sharing the item, or, depending on how you shared the item, you can change whether people are allowed to edit the item.

2. Fetch Files from your PC

o Fetch files from your Windows PC remotely (from a separate Windows PC), even if they’re not saved to your SkyDrive account, as long as it’s connected to the Internet. To turn on fetch, right-click the SkyDrive desktop icon (clip_image001) in the notification area at the far right of the taskbar. (You might need to click Show hidden icons first to see the icon.) Then click  Settings, and then check the Let me use SkyDrive to fetch any of my files on this PC option.

3. Embed files directly into your website or blog

o If you have a website or blog, it’s quick and easy to embed photos, videos, Office documents, and other files from SkyDrive. You can even customize how embedded Excel workbooks appear to other people.

§ Select the file you want to embed.

§ Click Embed, and then click Generate.

§ Copy and paste the code into the code of your website or blog.

For more information, check out the Windows Experience blog or follow SkyDrive on Twitter!

Filed Under: personal, Tech Tagged With: Microsoft, Skydrive, tech, Windows, Windows 8

The Asus Vivo Tab RT Featuring Windows 8 #Giveaway #WindowsChampions

November 10, 2012 by Momstart 655 Comments

What a fantastic tablet!!! As a Windows Ambassador I was sent The Asus Vivo Tab RT and I’ve fallen in love with it. So much so that when I lost it at the airport I cried for an hour. I was embarrassed and ashamed and knew I was going to miss it. You’ll never believe that it was found by security and returned to lost and found. AND because the Windows 8 software is connected to my Windows Live ID my e-mail address was on the touch screen. They had a way to contact me and tell me they found an item. I had to tell them the brand and what it was and return to the airport to claim it, but Thanks to WINDOWS and their smart idea to put the e-mail address at the top of the tablet. I have my tablet back. Plus the lady at the lost and found at the airport said she loved playing with it. She said it’s better than a droid or an iPad. HA! I have to agree with her!!! It’s awesome!

Why do I love it?

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I love it because it super light,l of course that’s one of the features:

Key Features

  • 10.1" HD (1366×768) Super IPS+, OGS Touch Panel, Outdoor Readable Mode
  • Powered by NVIDIA Tegra 3 Quad-core processor for best web experience with up to two times faster browsing, and console-quality gaming
  • Ultra-slim and light (0.33" thin and 1.16lbs light) with metallic finish design
  • 2MP front camera and 8MP auto-focus rear camera with flash, back-illuminated CMOS sensor, and large aperture design to clearly capture every moment
  • Optional Docking station with Full QWERTY keyboard adds additional 7 hours of battery life, to instantly turn the VivoTab RT into PC mode with up to 16 hours of battery life.2

I also love it because it’s super fast, password protected and I can even do a picture password. I selected a family picture and setting up three touch screen gestures it became a password that’s really hard to figure out. image

I love it because it has really awesome apps and games. My husband and I are addicted to WORDAMENT. We have WORDAMENT wars sitting on the couch next to each other trying to see who can get the highest score. He goes after big words while I go after as many small words as I can find. I love seeing how fast my fingers can move as I’m trying to discover words. It’s a really great word game that wakes up my brain until I realize how long I’ve been playing and that I actually have work I need to get done. image

It’s awesome for travel. We loaded it up with TV that we recorded so the kids would have shows to watch on the airplane and there are plenty of travel apps that you can download to use each one different and very helpful.

  • – Living Social – gives you fun things to do and photos of a lot of different places to go and see. The pictures are amazing.
  • – Kayak –
  • – INRIX – This is an amazing travel app. Not only do you get a map but you get traffic in the area, so while you’re on the road you can take the route least traveled.
  • – Kindle – We all love reading books.
  • – Iheartradio – music on the go
  • – Babbel – this program is available in many different versions, each version helps you learn a different language. I recently downloaded the Spanish Version
  • – Skype – To chat with others over video or sound while you’re out of town. You never have to be out of touch with someone again as long as you have decent WiFi.

I also love the food and drink apps.

  • Cocktail Flow – figure out how to make and mix drinks. You can enter what you have in your home bar and it gives you a list of drinks, or you can just look at drink ideas
  • Epicurious
  • All Recipes
  • Urban Spoon

And I use a lot of different social/work apps

  • StumbleUpon
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Messaging
  • OneNote

At home we love using the Xbox SmartGlass app. It controls the Xbox 360 and we watch Amazon Prime movies and television. I LOVE technologyimage

Not only are there apps but you still have Windows running so you can still go into the desktop, but I hardly ever do. I LOVE IT. Oh and it has a front and back camera. The ASUS VivoTab RT is designed with both work and play in mind. Get more done, enjoy new experiences and connect with others in exciting new ways.

It’s awesome!

You can own one too!

Enter to Win:

ASUS VivoTab RT

To Enter:

Tell me what you look forward to in Windows 8

Extra Entries:

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I’m a Windows Ambassador and receive products to review and some to keep.

Filed Under: giveaway, personal, Tech Tagged With: Asus, Asus Vivo Tab, giveaway, Microsoft, RT, tablet, tech review, Windows, Windows 8

I Made The Switch to Windows 8 #WindowsChampions

October 25, 2012 by Momstart 20 Comments

I’ve been using Windows 8 for a few solid weeks, not sure exactly how many but I think it’s been over a month. I feel very comfortable and the transition was quite easy for me. We made a backup of all my files, upgraded to the full Windows 8 and I’ve been working successfully every since.

What Do I like?

My computer runs faster and feels more organized. I love the look and feel of all the programs. I love seeing my programs on the start screen and moving over to the side to see even more apps and programs. I can see updates on my friends right there on my start screen.

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I love the app feel. I can download apps, games and still have all of my regular programs. I have the latest version of Office and I’ve been uploading everything directly to my skydrive so I have access to my files no matter where I am. it was actually helpful last night. I was at church and asked for some files and I didn’t have my computer on me and I didn’t have a car to run home and get the files so I just logged into my skydrive and downloaded the documents onto the computer at church and viola I was done. SkyDrive: Access your files anywhere at any time

I’m still able to edit video. I just purchased a pricy video software and was worried that it wouldn’t work on Windows 8, well not true and an unfounded worry. It works great, I’ve been creating really awesome videos with the help of my husband. He’s been using the software on his machine too and of course he’s running Windows 8 too.

I don’t have a lot of apps yet but I’m going to be looking into more. Currently I have the Kindle App, the Cocktail flow app, the game Wordament and another game called Speedwords. My husband and I are pretty excited with out the Xbox app is integrated and there are some games you can play on your PC now to earn more points on your Xbox live gamer tag. Built-in apps like People, Mail, Photos, and Messaging power you through all your essential tasks and work together for a single, streamlined experience. The Microsoft app store continues to grow and improve. More about apps

I love using a mouse with Windows 8. I used to laugh at people who had laptops and a mouse. Not anymore, the swipe of a mouse now moves the screen to the left or right. If you move it to the right then I get my video or picture app. Then if I move it to the left I get the Search, share start, devices and settings. Also at anytime that you want to go to a particular app, just hit the start button on your keyboard and then type the name of the device you want. Just type it, if you have a dialog box or not and then your app options will come up as you are typing, click it and then it will open on your desktop. Your desktop should feel just like Windows 7, at least it does to me. Keyboard shortcuts like alt tab still work.

In Windows, even the little things are all about you. Like the screen that appears when your PC is locked—it can be any picture you choose. And you’ll see quick notifications on your lock screen before you sign in to your PC or open a single app.

With picture password, you can sign in by tracing a pattern on a picture of your choice instead of typing a password. Zigzag over your dog’s face? Three taps on your child’s nose? The choice is yours. Get a Microsoft Account: Prior to buying your new Windows 8 device, you will need to make sure that you have a Microsoft Log-In (this is the same username and password for those you with email addresses that end in Hotmail.com, Outlook.com, Live.com, A windows live ID will work). If you don’t currently have a Microsoft Log-in please set one up you’ll need it when you buy your Windows 8 device.

 

 

What I don’t like?

It really makes me wish I had a touch device. But I want a touch device with a keyboard that will also allow me to edit video and use Windows Live Writer. My husband was looking into buying me a Microsoft Surface and I told him what I wanted it for and he said then I need to wait until January, because the current versions of the Surface do not have Windows Live Essentials. I LIVE on Windows Live Essentials. I often use Movie Maker and Live Writer is used all day every day. It’s my work surface.

So I’m on the lookout for the perfect touch device.

 

Get it Now

The Windows Blog has announced pre-order for a copy of Windows 8 Pro for $69.99 USD and select Windows 8 PCs, in advance of Windows 8. For more information, please check out the blog, which includes participating retailers, supported countries and OEM partners pre-selling Windows 8 devices plus a feature story on the OEM Newsroom on upcoming PCs hitting shelves later this month. Now if you can wait remember that you can visit a Microsoft store and purchase it and ask any question you might have about the new software. · The Windows and Microsoft Facebook pages are also a good source of information and the latest news!

 

I’m a Windows Champion and receive products to review.

Filed Under: personal Tagged With: Microsoft, Windows, Windows 8, Windows Champions

Youth-Led Social Change Event in Seattle with Microsoft, We Day, and Free The Children

October 5, 2012 by Momstart 7 Comments

I was invited to attend a media kick off event for the Youth Led Social Change Event. It took place in between Zoe’s Kindergarten bus time pick up and drop off but because it was so far south I wasn’t able to fit it into my schedule. I’m really excited that Microsoft is working to help empower our youth to take charge and make change. I wish I would have been able to attend the event so that I could give you a first hand account of how excited the youth were.

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If you’re interested in seeing what to expect check out the We Day Toronto video, which captures a great sneak peak of what’s to come at the first U.S. We Day in Seattle in March, including potential appearances by the Dalai Lama, Richard Branson, Justin Bieber, Jennifer Hudson, Magic Johnson, Shaquille O’Neal, Nelly Furtado and more. 

International charity and educational partner Free The Children is pleased to announce the first-ever U.S. We Day, featuring Former President of the Soviet Union Mikhail Gorbachev amongst many other notable speakers and performers. This youth-led empowerment event will take place in Seattle on Wednesday, March 27, 2013, at Key Arena, thanks in part to Co-Title Sponsor, Microsoft, and partnership with Seattle Seahawks, Head Coach Pete Carroll and A Better Seattle. After a six-year history of inspirational and impactful We Day events coupled with a year-long service program engaging hundreds of thousands of youth across Canada, Free The Children will make its U.S. debut to 15,000 students from schools across the Pacific Northwest at We Day Seattle in March with a planned expansion to key cities across the U.S. to follow.

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“Free The Children was founded by my classmates and me in 1995 when I was 12 years old,” said Craig Kielburger, co-founder of Free The Children.  “We’ve grown from a small group of passionate kids who launched fundraisers and petitions to promote child rights to an educational partner providing service learning and civic engagement opportunities to more than 3,500 schools and a network of almost two million young active global citizens. We are thrilled to bring our first U.S. We Day to the Seattle area, connecting students and teachers to world-renowned speakers and performers, such as past speakers Sir Richard Branson and Magic Johnson, and singers Nelly Furtado and Jennifer Hudson.”

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The official announcement was made this morning by Microsoft’s General Counsel and Executive Vice President Brad Smith at Federal Way High School, located south of Seattle, to a crowd of 2,000 area students, as well as education officials and community leaders.  He was joined on stage by Kielburger and Carroll who unveiled Gorbachev as the first speaker confirmed for We Day Seattle. Additional speakers and performers will be announced in the coming months. Other notable guests in attendance included U.S. Freestyle Skier Patrick Deneen, Seattle Seahawks’ cornerback Richard Sherman, and former child soldier Michel Chikwanine.  

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We Day is free for students and teachers to attend thanks in part to the generous lead support of Microsoft and other individuals and foundations.  In return, students must earn their way in through service by taking one local and one global action to better the world through a year-long program called We Act. This year-long service learning program offers Washington schools speaking tours, educational resources, domestic service campaigns, international volunteer opportunities and support to help youth and teachers take action on any issue or cause.

“As part of our recently announced Microsoft YouthSpark initiative, the We Day and We Act programs will be exciting opportunities to empower and inspire young people to work together for positive change,” said Brad Smith, General Counsel and Executive Vice President, Microsoft. “We’re pleased to help thousands of Puget Sound youth spark change, big and small, both here at home and beyond.”

“We are excited to partner with and help expand the work of Free The Children in order to educate and empower students and teachers throughout the State of Washington,” said Seahawks Head Coach Carroll, founder of A Better Seattle and known for his passion for helping young people.  “Making an impact doesn’t have to wait — they can make a huge difference right now and play a big part in building safe and healthy communities for years and generations to come.”

Students and teachers can learn more about We Day and We Act and how they can get involved by visiting www.weday.com/seattle. Washington schools have already started to make a difference. Shorewood High School in Shoreline, Wash., raised more than $10,000 in the past year to support Free The Children’s international development communities in Kenya, building a new school from the ground up.

 

I received photos and information being a Windows Champion and living locally here in Seattle.

Filed Under: charity Tagged With: charity, free the children, Microsoft, Seattle, we day

Three Ways to Increase Your Traffic with Microsoft Windows Phone #Blogher12

July 30, 2012 by Momstart 773 Comments

Microsoft is going to be at BlogHer12 and I can’t wait to stop by their booth and say hello to them. Plus my Sponsor to EVO was Microsoft. I loved going to EVO and plan on going there next year as well. Why? Because it was an awesome event with so many different family friendly events. I was only able to attend one of the break out sessions because I had my kids with me but the suites were amazing.

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I did learn a few things through tweets though, like what’s big in increasing traffic to your site. Here are three things you need to be doing:

You should be using StumbleUpon

So many people are using SU that it’s the place you need to be. You never know when something is going to take off like wildfire and give you a huge push in traffic.

You should be using Pinterest

Pinterest is just as big as stumbleupon. It’s good to put your posts on pinterest in the afternoon when many people are looking for dinner and have some free time to just surf the boards.

You should be using Google +

I hate google + it’s just not where everyone is yet, but it is where google is. Since they control your search worth on google you need to use it. They say that it’s going to affect your search rank.

Which ones of these can you do on your Windows Phone?

ALL OF THEM

Pinspiration and Pinspiration Pro

imagePinspiration is the best way to browse and post to Pinterest on your Windows phone. Think of Pinterest as a virtual pinboard — a place to catalog and share the things you love. You don’t need to have a Pinterest account to browse and share the amazing photos being posted here every day. Pinterest users can login to keep up with their stream then pin, like and repin photos to their heart’s content. The application also has Live Tile which rotates through the most popular pictures currently being shared. Pin your favoriite pinners to start to see their latest pins as a Live Tile as well. Free version has ads and refreshing Pinners You Follow list is throttled. Buy the app to remove ads and unlock ability to get up-to-the-minute updates from Pinners You Follow.

 

G+ Launcher

imageThis App launches Google+ from the mobile site; The bonus for this is having an App which u can quickly launch and share whats on ur mind with the public or friends in ur circles. As soon as a google+ Api is available, i will upgrade ther user operatability.

I found a StumbleUpon app for Windows phone but it’s not in the Microsoft Marketplace so be careful downloading any apps that aren’t in the marketplace.

I have an HTC HD7 For one of you guys to win!!!!

 

HTC HD7 Windows phone

imageThis phone is for use on T-Mobile

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Browse online content easily with this Windows Phone that features a 4.3 color WVGA touch screen. The virtual QWERTY keyboard makes typing text messages and e-mail easy, and the built-in 5.0MP camera captures beautiful photos and high-definition video.
Product Features
* Bluetooth compatibility
For wireless communication with a Bluetooth-enabled device.
* Windows Phone OS 7
Allows you to stay connected and productive on the go.
* 4.3 color WVGA touch screen
For clear viewing of your text messages, photos and videos.
* Store phone numbers, photos and videos
With 16GB internal memory.
* Built-in 5.0MP digital camera
With 720p high-definition video capture and autofocus for capturing stunning images. Dual LED flash helps you take photos in low-light situations.
* MP3 player
Lets you store and listen to your favorite music.
* Virtual QWERTY keyboard
Allows for easy texting and typing on the touch screen.
* Hands-free speakerphone
Lets you talk while driving.
* Up to 6 hours talk time and up to 9 days standby
With included lithium-ion battery.

This giveaway has ended. Congratulations to the winner, Marilyn J.

Please see the giveaway rules

Filed Under: giveaway, personal, Tech Tagged With: blogher12, Microsoft, tech, Windows Phone

Windows’s Top Tips and Products for Students This Back to School Season

July 29, 2012 by Momstart 10 Comments

First off you can’t forget that your student can upgrade with Windows Upgrade Offer and get a free Xbox 360 with the PC + Xbox Offer currently offered by Microsoft. Now I wanted to share with you the Back to school tips I received from Microsoft.

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Windows’s Top Tips and Products for Students This Back to School Season

 SkyDrive is your cloud backpack – SkyDrive makes it easy for students to be productive from anywhere. With SkyDrive as their cloud “backpack”, they don’t need to carry around class notebooks, binders full of handouts and heavy textbooks along with their laptops, tablets and smartphones. Students can keep all of the stuff they need in the cloud and access it from any device.  And if they forgot something on their home PC, students can easily fetch the file they need from any browser. For more info, check out SkyDrive.com/Students.

· Study from anywhere – When students install SkyDrive for Windows or Mac, everything in their SkyDrive folder is automatically available from any device.  They can then create subfolders for each of their classes and save all of their handouts, homework assignments, papers and project files on SkyDrive to access them from anywhere.

· Work together with anyone – With SkyDrive, everyone can work together, whether they’re on a PC or a Mac.  And there’s no need to reformat documents when switching between Google Docs and Microsoft Office. Instead, everyone can use Office or the Office Web Apps right in their browser to create or work on the latest version of a great-looking presentation, spreadsheet, or group paper.

MomStart is a Windows Champion and happy to share tech information with you any chance we get.

Filed Under: Tech Tagged With: Back to School, Microsoft, pc+ xbox offer, tech, Windows, windows champion, windows upgrade offer

Travel Knowing Your Data is Safe: Western Digital My Passport Portable Hard Drive

July 28, 2012 by Momstart 8 Comments

You may be on your way to Blogher and in need of extra space on your computer or want to make sure you have all your information with you in one place. Or perhaps you just want to have a backup of your laptop waiting for you at home just in case the unexpected happens to your PC while your traveling this summer. For just 100 Western Digital has you covered with the Western Digital My Passport Portable Hard Drive.

Western Digital (WD) My Passport Portable Hard Drive has automatic, continuous backup software works quietly in the background to help protect your data using minimal PC resources. Whenever you add or change a file, it’s instantly backed up.Offering high capacity in a compact drive, My Passport is the ideal companion for anyone with lots of videos, photos, music, and files that they want to help protect and take on the road. Plus it’s secure. Use WD Security to set password protection and hardware encryption and protect your files from unauthorized use or access.

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Ultra-fast transfer rates

– When connected to a USB 3.0 port, My Passport lets you access and save files in blazing speed. Reduce transfer time by up to 3 times when compared to USB 2.0 transfer rates.*
*Performance may vary based on user’s hardware and system configuration.

USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 compatibility

– With this single drive you get compatibility with your USB 2.0 devices today and the ultra-fast speed of USB 3.0 when you’re ready to step up to the next generation.

Automatic, continuous backup software

– WD’s automatic backup software works quietly in the background to help protect your data using minimal PC resources. Whenever you add or change a file, it’s instantly backed up.

WD Security

– WD Security utility allows you to set password protection and hardware encryption for your drive to protect your files from unauthorized use or access.

WD Drive Utilities

– Register your drive, set drive timer, run diagnostics and more using WD Drive Utilities.

USB-powered

– Powered directly from the USB port on your PC. No separate power supply is needed.

WD quality inside and out

– We know your data is important to you. So we build the drive inside to our demanding requirements for durability, shock tolerance, and long-term reliability. Then we protect the drive with a durable enclosure designed for style and protection.

WD My Passport Essential Box

Ideal for

  • Transferring files in blazing fast speed with USB 3.0
  • Connecting to USB 2.0 devices today and USB 3.0 devices when you’re ready
  • Backing up your files with automatic, continuous backup software
  • Securing your files from unauthorized access with password protection and hardware encryption
  • Adding extra storage for your videos, music, photos, and files
  • Connecting and powering through your USB 3.0 or USB 2.0 interface

 

MomStart is a Microsoft Windows Champion and Western Digital is one of Microsoft’s partners that we have a relationship with being a Windows Champion. Stay tuned for a Western Digital Giveaway.

Filed Under: Tech Tagged With: Microsoft, My Passport Portable Hard Drive, Portable hard drive, tech, Western Digital

Bound for #Blogher12 Enter the $1500 #Giveaway 5 Winners #WindowsStyle

July 25, 2012 by Momstart 9 Comments

Wow, for once in my life I wish my husband didn’t work at Microsoft because I would love to win this giveaway. (Ok, I’m really glad my husband works at Microsoft, I just can’t enter amazing giveaways like this one) ANYWAY!!!

Here is the scoop on the giveaway.

5 BlogHer attendees will be chosen to win a $1,500 style makeover by a celebrity stylist, receive a new PC and more.

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You need to nominate someone or yourself, I think the secret is to nominate yourself and make it look really pathetic, I mean good, because you want to be chosen. Write a blog post or create a vlog about why you deserve a makeover with Microsoft. I tried to get them to give me one since I can’t enter, but I wasn’t convincing enough. So maybe you can be convincing like these bloggers are:

Geek for the Real Girl

I obviously need a makeover;). And I am desperately hoping that Microsoft Windows will give it to me at BlogHer!

I am hoping that a makeover will help me to actually have a style that I can be confident in. I want to be that confident, geeky mom for my girls and my brand. So @KristinaLibby please pick me!

Cookies & Clogs:

As a work at home mom, I’m constantly trying to juggle my daughter’s homeschooling with my health and other responsibilities. Over the past 11 years, I haven’t had the time, energy, or finances to focus on my appearance. That said, I always feel old and frumpy despite being only 33 years old. This is not the kind of self-esteem I want to pass onto my daughter but need help to fix that.

Making Time for You

I can say that I am proud of what I have been able to do, but I need help! I would love the chance to be made over at BlogHer12 in NYC! The past year as been a trying year and it would be amazing to learn how to dress for my body type. I know I have more weight to lose, but this would be a great reward!

Me Savings Mama

All this talk about a make over – and BlogHer. I really should start getting together a list of what to wear! Any suggestions? I may need to do a quick shopping trip before I fly out, Just so I Look Presentable. No Sweat Pants for this Mama! Oh and, Sorry S.A., I will not be sporting my work uniform. I know it fits, but, It is in need of a vacation. This Mama is looking for suggestions. I’m all set with packing PJ’s. Now for everything else. Boy, could this mama use a makeover.

Be sure to include a sentence that says “In writing this post, I’m entering the Microsoft Windows Style Makeover Sweepstakes for a chance to win a head to toe makeover!” (Legal rules and all..!) Then tweet the link to @kristinalibby with the hashtag #windowstyle.

Winners will also get a Windows 7 PC (with a Windows 8 Upgrade offer). Oh, and a few more surprises that Microsoft will share along the way. Stay tuned throughout the next few weeks as they share who their special celebrity stylist is and I hope it’s one of the stylists that I saw on a list earlier this year.It’s going to be awesome. Whey will have a great presence on the floor of the event and the fun activities you can join in on. Full legal rules can be found here.

 

I’m a Microsoft Blog Ambassador.

Filed Under: Tech Tagged With: blogher, blogher12, giveaway, Microsoft, tech

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