Thoughtsofanidlemind's Blog

  • Exchange Unwashed blog digest October 2013

    October began with the Exchange Connections conference in Las Vegas and ended with some thoughts on whether to go to TechEd or MEC next year. In between, I contemplated some of the questions raised by attendees at Exchange Connections as well as some thoughts that came up in my own…

  • Initial experiences with the Nokia Lumia 1020

    As many of the gentle readers of this blog might know, I took the plunge into Windows Phone about two years ago when I changed over from my iPhone to use a Nokia Lumia 800. During that time not all of my experiences with the Lumia have been positive but…

  • Exchange 2013 Training

    I always find training people about the technical details of Exchange to be an interesting but time-consuming (and draining) activity. Right now I’m in the middle of a set of Exchange 2013 training events where fellow MVP Brian Desmond (more famous for Active Directory but also highly capable around Exchange)…

  • Exchange Unwashed Blog Digest September 2013

    September was quite an active month because some bad things happened (like the Microsoft Learning decision to cancel some accreditation programs) and preparations were in full swing for the Exchange Connections conference in Las Vegas (from where I write this post). On the other hand, some interesting technical points came…

  • Hello from 38,000 feet

    Welcome to a blog post facilitated by Aer Lingus Wi-Fi at 38,000 feet en route from Dublin to Boston, a service provided by T-Mobile. Apparently the connections didn’t work at all two weeks ago so it’s good to have progress. It’s also nice that Aer Lingus has joined the modern…

  • Microsoft Exchange Server 2013 Inside Out: Mailbox and High Availability – printed copies now available

    I am very happy to announce that printed copies of Microsoft Exchange Server 2013 Inside Out: Mailbox and High Availability are now available. A Kindle version is also available. I know this because Microsoft Press has just told me that they have shipped a box of books (assuming the right…

  • Windows 8.1 – an easy upgrade – except for VMware

    I’ve just upgraded my HP Envy 17 from Windows 8 Pro to Windows 8.1 Pro RTM and the early signs were that it was the easiest and fastest Windows upgrade that I can remember. Everything went extremely smoothly and nothing caused a problem – even the “Classic Shell” add-on that I…

  • Would a boycott influence Microsoft Learning?

    Microsoft Learning’s (MSL) recent decision to cancel the Microsoft Certified Master (MCM) and Microsoft Certified Architect (MCA) programs has spawned a fair amount of commentary and debate. Regretfully, in some cases the discussion barely scratches the surface, probably due to the unfamiliarity of the writer with the details of these high-level technical certifications.…

  • Exchange Unwashed Digest: August 2013

    August proved to be quite an entertaining month in terms of the topics that were available to be covered in Exchange Unwashed. Here’s my take on the posts: The sad, curious, and brain-dead demise of TechNet subscriptions (August 1): While they are replacing CEOs and buying mobile phone companies with…

  • Why are people surprised when Google uses their data?

    I’m not sure that the degree of shock being expressed within the press about Google “reading” email is altogether justified. A good example is the London Guardian’s headline of “Don’t expect privacy when sending to Gmail”, arising from a defense filed against a claim that Google violates U.S. wire-tap laws.…