I just wanted to tell everyone that I took the liberty of creating a Windows Sidebar gadget for Call Of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. This is a game that I am excited about and I cannot wait for the release date. I will have more information on Call Of Duty 4: Modern Warfare in another blog posting here at The Windows Blog in the next 24 hours.

Whether you are a PC gamer or a counsel gamer (Xbox 360) this gadget is for you. If you liked the other Call Of Duty Games, you are going to like this one as well. Anyway, without further delay… Here is the Windows Vista Sidebar Gadget for you all to download.

Although before I post the link, I thought I better show you all what it looks like first!! So here are a couple of Screenshots….

Installing The Sidebar Gadget:

1. Download the ..zip file to your Windows Desktop and then Extract and go to step 2.

2. Double Click on "COD4MW_Countdown.gadget" and click "Install" from the dialogue box that appears on your desktop.

3. The Gadget will then be automatically opened on the sidebar.

Download: The Windows Blog Call Of Duty 4: Modern Warfare Windows Sidebar Gadget

I hope that you enjoy this gadget, also please let me know what you think of it!!

Microsoft recently announced it’s plan to deliver Office Live Workspace, a free online tool for viewing, sharing and storing Office documents online. (Its existing Office Live efforts will be re-branded as Office Live Small Business.) Starting today, Microsoft is opening up the beta testing portion of this new web-based Office application. This is a new addition to the Microsoft Office Live suite of online services and it can only get better.

The feature set looks good for the new Microsoft Office Live Workspace web application. While the beta for this hasn’t officially started you will not get to use the web-based application just yet, however, you can pre-register for the beta of Microsoft Office Live Workspace. The beta for this web-based application is expected to start in the next couple of weeks, and I think it will be a great new way to store your files so that you have access to them when you are away from the office or out of town on a business trip or what have you.

The preliminary feature set for Office Workspace looks really good, in fact it looks great. The only thing missing is the ability to edit your files online (I am sure that it will be added later on in the development process). The features of Office Workspace are as follows:

Anywhere Access

• Store 1000+ Microsoft Office documents in one place
• Access them from almost any computer with a Web browser
• No more flash drives or sending yourself documents via e-mail

Share With Others

• Invite people to your workspace
• You control who can view, comment, and edit your documents
• Stop manually merging versions from multiple people

Works With Microsoft Office

• Open and save files directly from Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
• Synchronize contact, task, and event lists with Outlook
• No need to learn a new program

This is a fine example of Microsoft moving closer and closer to what is known as "Cloud Computing" when your files are stored online rather than on your home or office PC. I am looking forward to testing this application out. I encourage you to Register for the beta of this new web-application.

Microsoft has officially released the final version of it’s much anticipated Windows DreamScene, the technology that allows you to use  full-motion-video as a desktop wallpaper. This software is only available to those who have Windows Vista Ultimate Edition, Also, this software is not available to those who are currently testing Windows Vista Service Pack 1.

It should be noted that Windows DreamScene is only available to Windows Vista Ultimate (This requires that you are using the RTM or Retail Version of Windows Vista Ultimate) That said, Windows DreamScene will be available for users who are currently testing Windows Vista Service Pack 1 at a later time with a new release of Service Pack 1.

With regards to the changes to the Ultimate Extras Welcome screen (which will ship as part of Windows Vista SP1) Barry Goffe Director for Windows Vista Ultimate said in a blog posting at the Windows Ultimate web site:

"On a different topic, as the broad beta for Windows Vista SP1 nears, people have noticed that the screen which welcomes customers to Windows Ultimate Extras has changed. Our intent in making this change was simply to broaden the definition in anticipation of a broader range of Ultimate Extras being available in the future—that do  not necessarily map to the original, narrow definition.

While I can understand how community sites and bloggers may have read the new definition and assumed that Microsoft is not shipping any more Extras, in reality the opposite is true."

Finally, I would like to say that the performance of Windows DreamScene has matured a lot since we first got the preview release of Windows DreamScene in February. So it looks like the extra time made sense since the improvements of Windows DreamScene are a lot better than in the previous preview release.

Also, I recommend that you stop by dream.wincustomize.com and pick up Stardock’s DreamScapes which is an add-on to Windows Dreamscene.

Today, Microsoft has released  Windows Server 2008 RC0 to testers and to the public via Microsoft TechNet . As planned Microsoft has made this a public release and as such the test version is available to anyone who wishes to test the new build. As we stated in our previous article regarding the release and what new features are included in this release candidate, Windows Server 2008 will include the new virtualization technology code-named Viridian.

As we stated in our previous article Windows Server 2008 Release Candidate Due This Week, this major release sets the timer for Windows Server 2008’s release to manufacturers in the first quarter of 2008. In addition to the first quarter RTM the company is still set to launch Windows Server 2008 on February 27, 2008.

I encourage you all to take a look at Windows Server 2008 and to test it out and give us your thoughts on this first release candidate. If you would like to download Windows Server 2008 RC0 you can download it from Microsoft TechNet.

We will have a full review of the build coming in the next 24-hours along with our exclusive screen shot gallery.

Download: Windows Server 2008 RC0

While Microsoft has been working hard to get Windows Server 2008 ready for final release with four months left before the  product is released to manufacturing (RTM) the company is set to release it’s first release candidate.

This first release candidate will be made available to the public for testing purposes early this week (assumably Monday or Tuesday), Windows Server 2008 RC1 is expected to have a number "Finishing Touches" included in this release.

The release candidate will include a test version of software code-named Viridian and formally called Windows Server virtualization. This "hypervisor" allows multiple operating systems to run simultaneously, a useful technology in improving server efficiency and eventually leading toward more flexible data center operations.

As of late Microsoft hasn’t had a smooth time of getting software on the market, In May, Microsoft stripped out several significant Viridian components from the first version of the technology, and in August, it delayed Windows Server 2008’s release to manufacturers from the fourth quarter of 2007 to the first quarter of 2008. In addition to the first quarter RTM the company is still set to launch Windows Server 2008 on February 27, 2008.

However Windows Server 2008 is not the only product that will launch that day either coincidently the software maker will also launch Visual Studio 2008 and SQL Server 2008 alongside of Windows Server 2008.  Following the final release of Windows Server 2008 Microsoft is planning to release Virdian within 180 days of the final version of Windows Server 2008.

Digg This Article