First look: Project Spartan, Microsoft's next-generation Web browser

Microsoft’s new browser combines a minimalist look and feel with a rendering engine designed to keep pace with a rapidly evolving Web

Microsoft's faster release schedule for its Windows 10 Technical Preview kicked into high gear yesterday with the release of another build a mere 12 days after 10041. This time, with build 10049, Microsoft has added one of Windows 10's major new features: its next-generation Web browser.

With the new browser (code-name Project Spartan), Microsoft finally breaks from the need to support even the oldest of Web pages and Web technologies. Instead of incorporating Internet Explorer's Trident HTML and CSS rendering engine, Project Spartan is built around a new engine that is based on Trident's HTML5 features (and has been available in previous Windows 10 builds as Internet Explorer's Edge rendering option). Unlike Trident, the new browser engine is designed to be updated, which allows Microsoft to keep its new browser current in a way that was impossible with IE.

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Maximum possible score is 555. Windows 10 browser HTML5test.com compatibility score
There's a lot in Microsoft's new browser and, at least in this build, a lot that's been left out. You won't find support for device-to-device synchronization of tabs and browsing history or for the promised new extension model. Other features still to come include a download view, browsing history, a roaming reading list (synced across Windows 10 devices), and offline reading. You won't get access to all of Internet Explorer's plug-ins, either. Project Spartan will provide a level of plug-in support similar to Windows 8's Metro IE browser.
Microsoft Project Spartan Reading View

Microsoft is promising an offline reading experience that works across all your Windows 10 devices. While parts of it are still missing, a refreshed Reading View gives you a clear look at Web pages, which is ideal for reading on tablets and phones.

Project Spartan's user interface is reminiscent of other modern browsers while still remaining familiar to Internet Explorer users. There's direct access to Cortana from inside the browser (as demonstrated at Microsoft's January Windows 10 event in Redmond). Cortana can be activated from the browser's search bar. Building a search-based agent into a browser makes a lot of sense, especially when it's able to use the context of your searches and browser history to make inferences about what information you need -- initially giving you weather and stock information.

Microsoft Project Spartan Cortana
Microsoft has integrated Cortana with Project Spartan's search tools. While it's not yet ready to proactively notify you, it's able to quickly deliver relevant, up-to-date information about the weather and financials.

Another new feature integrates the browser more closely with Microsoft's OneNote note-taking tool. You'll be able to annotate pages using ink (a feature that's focused on Microsoft's own Surface tablets) or by typing into a Web page, sharing the results as a Web note. You won't need Project Spartan to see shared Web notes. They can be saved into OneNote as an annotated screenshot of a Web page or emailed to contacts, with the added option of sharing to social networks.

Microsoft Project Spartan annotations
Project Spartan's new annotation tools let you quickly add notes to a Web page, using a pen or a keyboard. You can then share your annotated Web page through social media or email -- or save it to OneNote as part of a research notebook.

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Project Spartan improves on Internet Explorer's Reading View for viewing page content without distracting graphics or advertising, with a page layout that's easier to read. Reading View is also integrated with Project Spartan's Reading List (formerly a separate Windows 8 app). As offline reading won't arrive until a future build, you'll have to read saved pages while connected to the Internet. The final version will allow you to share your Reading List across devices, including Windows Phones and small tablets running a mobile version of Project Spartan.

Microsoft is putting Project Spartan front and center in Windows 10, with the new browser pinned to both the Start menu and the Windows task bar. You'll still be able to find IE, and if you've already pinned it, then it won't be removed. Microsoft recently announced that IE and Project Spartan would have separate rendering engines, and the change has now made its way to Windows with the Edge engine removed from IE in Windows 10 Build 10049. The old IE will remain part of Windows 10 (if only visible from All Apps) for businesses to use with legacy apps.

Web developers will find this build of Windows 10 to be useful for tuning sites and applications in preparation for Windows 10. You won't find any surprising new HTML or CSS features in this release. Project Spartan is based on the same version of the Edge engine used by IE in build 10041 with some minor additions, among them support for responsive images.

Microsoft Project Spartan tools
Developers will find the latest version of Microsoft's Web page debugging tools built into Project Spartan, which is handy for getting sites and applications ready for the launch of Windows 10 and the final version of Microsoft's new browser and rendering engine.

But as in IE of the previous build, there's support for much of ECMAScript 6, as well as Web Audio, CSS Gradient Midpoints, CSS Conditional Rules, and Touch Events. Now that Microsoft has divorced its new rendering engine from IE's Trident, Project Spartan will be where you'll find new Web technologies in the future, making it important to add the Windows 10 Technical Preview to Web test suites.

With only a week or so of development time separating this Windows 10 release from build 10041, Project Spartan is not merely the big news but the only news in this release. Apart from the new browser, there are only a handful of bug fixes in build 10049. Still, it's another step on the road to Windows 10's promised summer release.

Remember: This is still an early beta release of Project Spartan. On the HTML5Test, Project Spartan beats Internet Explorer 11 (375 to 336) but still lags the latest versions of Chrome (518), Opera (497), Firefox (449), and Safari (396). Much remains to be revealed before Windows 10 launches, including -- one hopes -- improved compatibility with HTML5.

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Fancy a wire-free laptop? Intel just showed one

Intel's prototype can be wirelessly charged and connected to peripherals

Intel has shown what it calls the "world's first no-wires" laptop, which has wireless charging and can connect to peripherals without cables.

The prototype laptop frees users from carrying a bulky power adapter, since the laptop recharges after being placed on a wireless charging table or surface.

"This is going to be the world's first PC where you'd never need to connect a wire to it," said Intel's Kirk Skaugen, senior vice president and general manager for Intel's Client Computing group. He showed the laptop during a speech this week at the Intel Developer Forum in Shenzhen, China.

Intel first talked about the concept of a wire-free laptop in June last year. The laptop is only shipping to software developers looking to write applications that take advantage of the wire-free features.

A number of laptop makers are supporting Intel's vision of wire-free computers. For example, Lenovo wants to bring such features to its business laptops, Skaugen said.

The laptop shown was a hybrid in which the screen could be pulled out of the keyboard dock. Intel is looking to link laptops wirelessly to peripherals like monitors and external storage through the emerging WiGig technology. At data transfer speeds of 7G bps (bits per second), WiGig is much faster than Wi-Fi.

The wire-free prototype is also the first laptop based on Intel's upcoming sixth-generation processor code-named Skylake, Skaugen said. PCs based on Skylake will start shipping in the second quarter this year, though it isn't clear when laptops will start getting wireless charging and other features.

Intel's wire-free PC isn't practical today as wireless peripherals aren't available and wireless charging surfaces for laptops haven't been installed in restaurants, cafes and other spaces. Intel is talking to airlines, airports, restaurants and other institutions to provide wireless charging stations. It could be years before wireless monitors and external storage devices are widely available.

Another goal of the wire-free PC is to make computing convenient. For example, it will eliminate the need to remember passwords, Skaugen said. That points to the wire-free laptop supporting biometric authentication. Microsoft's Windows 10 will support biometric login through a feature called Windows Hello.

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70-467 Designing Business Intelligence Solutions with Microsoft SQL Server 2012

QUESTION 1
You are using SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) to configure the backup for ABC
Solutions. You need to meet the technical requirements.
Which two backup options should you configure? (Choose two).

A. Enable encryption of the backup file.
B. Enable compression of the backup file.
C. Disable encryption of the backup file.
D. Disable compression of the backup file.

Answer: B,C

Explanation:

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QUESTION 2
You need to convert the Production, Sales, Customers and Human Resources databases to
tabular BI Semantic Models (BISMs).
Which two of the following actions should you perform? (Choose two)

A. You should select the tabular mode option when upgrading the databases using the Database
Synchronization Wizard.
B. You should select the tabular mode destination option when copying the databases using SQL
Server Integration Services (SSIS).
C. You should select the tabular mode option during the installation of SQL Server Analysis
Services.
D. You should redevelop the projects and deploy them using SQL Server Data Tools (SSDT).

Answer: A,D

Explanation:

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QUESTION 3
ABC users report that they are not receiving report subscriptions from SQLReporting01.
You confirm that the report subscriptions are not being delivered.
Which of the following actions should you perform to resolve the issue?

A. You should run the SQL Server 2012 Setup executable on SQLReporting01 to generate a
configuration file.
B. You should reset the password of the SQL Server Service account.
C. You should manually fail over the SSAS cluster.
D. You should restore the ReportServer database on SQLReporting01.

Answer: C

Explanation:

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QUESTION 4
ABC users report that they are not receiving report subscriptions from SQLReporting01.
You confirm that the report subscriptions are not being delivered.
Which of the following actions should you perform to resolve the issue?

A. You should run the SQL Server 2012 Upgrade Wizard to upgrade the active node of the
SSAS cluster.
B. You should start the SQL Server Agent on the active node of the SSAS cluster.
C. You should restore the ReportServerTempDB database on SQLReporting01.
D. You should start the SQL Server Agent on SQLReporting01.

Answer: D

Explanation:

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QUESTION 5
You need to make the SSAS databases available on SSAS2012 to enable testing from client
applications. Your solution must minimize server downtime and maximize database
availability.
What should you do?

A. You should detach the databases from the SSAS cluster by using SQL Server Management
Studio (SSMS) then attach the databases on SSAS2012.
B. You should copy the database files from the SSAS cluster to SSAS2012.
C. You should export the databases from the SSAS cluster by using SQL Server Management
Studio (SSMS) then import the databases on SSAS2012.
D. You should restore a copy of the databases from the most recent backup.

Answer: D

Explanation:

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Microsoft prepares Windows 10 for panoply of sensors

With the Microsoft's HoloLens headset, users can view virtual 3D images within the everyday real world.
Credit: Microsoft

A unified sensor interface will allow Windows 10 devices to support a slew of new environmental, biometric, proximity and motion sensors

Windows 10 devices in the future could be measuring temperature, environmental pressure and carbon dioxide levels, as Microsoft provides an interface to support a wide range of sensors.

Microsoft is building a unified sensor interface and universal driver for Windows 10 that will support a slew of environmental, biometric, proximity, health and motion sensors, the company said last week at the WinHEC trade show in Shenzhen. Microsoft is also providing the building blocks for Windows 10 to support sensors that haven't yet been released.

With support for more sensors, Microsoft hopes to bring "new functionality" to PCs, smartphones, tablets, gadgets and electronics running Windows 10, according to a slide from a presentation.

Microsoft is putting Windows 10 -- which is due for release later this year -- in PCs, tablets, smartphones, smart devices, wearables, gadgets and Internet of things devices. The company has also shown the future-looking HoloLens holographic headset working with Windows 10; together, the OS and the headset could act as a launchpad for new sensor applications.

Device makers could add barometer, pollution, ultraviolet, temperature, altitude and other sensors to Windows 10 devices. Also through the drivers, motion detection sensors will be able to track activities such as the number of steps users take in a day, and exchange data easily with other Windows 10 devices. The motion detection sensors will also take into account where devices are -- on pockets, in hand or in bag -- to ensure accurate measurements.

Microsoft is also using sensors to improve the way users interact with Windows 10 devices.
For example, a major attraction of Windows 10 is its ability to automatically switch between tablet and PC modes, which is made possible by sensors in hinges that detect the position of a laptop. Through a feature called Windows Hello, Microsoft is also using sensors to bring biometric authentication to Windows 10 PCs and tablets.

Windows 10 is friendlier to sensors than predecessor operating systems, Microsoft and Hewlett-Packard officials said at a press gathering last month.

But sensors need to be identified and supported by the OS, much like other hardware components. The universal driver is designed to let device makers could plug a variety of sensors into Windows 10 devices and not worry about driver development. Microsoft will also provide a separate development kit for those who want to develop independent sensor drivers to expand the functionality of hardware.

Sensors are ubiquitous across devices, and a unified driver interface could aid Microsoft's effort to put Windows 10 in more gadgets, appliances and other data-collecting instruments, said Jim McGregor, principal analyst at Tirias Research.

Supporting more sensors in Windows 10 is also a key part of Microsoft's plans to expand into the Internet of Things market, which revolves around data-collecting instruments feeding telemetry to Microsoft's Azure cloud service, McGregor said.

Device makers could put sensors in mobile devices, but some sensors such as temperature and pollution monitors are more likely to go in street lamps or traffic lights. As part of Microsoft's "mobile-first, cloud-first" strategy, data from such sources could be fed to Azure for further analysis, McGregor said.

"You have to be able to support the broadest array of applications, and the sensor data is critical," McGregor said.

Microsoft is trying to unite disparate mobile, PC and embedded Windows operating systems under the Windows 10 umbrella. The company is encouraging the development of Windows-based devices via boards like Raspberry Pi 2 and Qualcomm's DragonBoard 410c, which will be able to run a custom version of Windows 10 called Athens. Makers -- do-it-yourselfers -- have developed sensor-packed robots, drone, health monitors, gadgets and wearables with those boards.

In a separate presentation at WinHEC, Microsoft said it would also bring Windows 10 to its own Sharks Cove and Intel's MinnowBoard Max board, which are used to prototype electronics, appliances and devices with sensors. The devices have low-power ports such as GPIO, SPI, I2C, and UART to which a variety of motion, imaging and other sensors can be attached.

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Best new Android & Windows smartphones at MWC 2015

Samsung, HTC, Sony and others debut brand new smartphones at Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona.

Best at MWC 2015
Samsung, HTC, Sony, Microsoft and others are using the annual Mobile World Congress (MWC) event in Barcelona to debut their latest smartphones and other gear. Here’s a look at the new Android and Windows devices.

Samsung Galaxy S6
The latest Galaxy Android phone swaps out its plastic frame for one made of metal and glass. The 5.1-inch screen size hasn’t changed since the S5, but resolution has been improved to 1440x2560. Other features: 5mp camera on front, 16mp camera on back; Samsung octo-core processor; 32/64/128GB storage options; 3GB RAM; integrated wireless charging. Missing: water resistance, microSD card slot and user-replaceable battery. Available globally April 10. Pricing hasn’t been disclosed.

Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge
This premium edition of the S6 has most of the same specs as the regular S6, but sports a screen that curves around its left and right sides.

HTC One M9
The company’s flagship Android 5.0 phone is based on a Snapdragon 810 processor running at 2GHz, includes 3GB of RAM and boasts a 5-inch screen. It features a 20mp front camera and 4pm rear one. HTC has partnered with Dolby to provide great sound. Best Buy lists a 32GB version for use on AT&T’s LTE network in the US for $650.

Silent Circle Blackphone 2
The Swiss company’s privacy-focused device will be targeted at enterprise customers in July, probably for about $630. The phone will have an 8-core processor, 32GB of memory and a 5-inch screen. What separates it from other phones is a hardened Android-based operating system dubbed PrivatOS as well as Silent Meeting, a secure conference-calling system, and a company-vetted app store. A new Blackphone+ tablet is on the way as well

Sony Xperia M4 Aqua
This waterproof device is a midrange Android offering that will cost about $335 when it launches in Q2. It has a 5-inch, 720x1280 pixel screen, a Snapdragon 615 octa-core processor and integrated support for LTE. The phone has a 13mp camera on the back and a 5mp camera on the front. Sony boasts of a two-day long battery life, but didn’t get into anymore specifics.

Acer Liquid M220
Acer says its new phone will come with Windows Phone 8.1, but will be upgradeable to Windows 10 when the operating system is released later this year. This $89 phone has a 4-inch screen, dual-core processor, 4GB of storage, 512MB of RAM, two SIM slots, and 5mp rear camera and 2mp front camera. It comes chock full of Microsoft apps like Cortana and OneDrive. It does not support LTE.

ZTE Grand S3
The unique thing about this phone is its biometric authentication system, which enables users to log in via eye scanning using EyeVerify technology. Down the road, the feature could work with apps. The smartphone runs Android 4.4, has a 5.5-inch screen, a Snapdragon 801 quad-core processor, 3GB of RAM and 16GB of storage that can be expanded to 64GB via a microSD card. The back camera is 16mp and the front one is 8mp. The phone is initially available in China for about $480.

Microsoft Lumia 640 and 640 XL
These midrange Windows phones have 5- and 5.7-inch screens, respectively, and are upgradeable to Windows 10 when it is released later this year. Other specs: 1GB of memory, a quad-core Snapdragon processor running at 1.2GHz, an 8mp camera on the 640 and 13mp camera on the 640 XL. LTE support available on dual-SIM models. The 640 rolls out in April, the XL – a small phablet -- in March. Pricing is expected to be in the $300 range for both.

LG Magna
LG revealed this new phone ahead of MWC, but gave people a first chance to play with it at the show. This Android smartphone has a 5-inch, 720x1280 pixel screen and 1.2GHz or 1.3GHz quad-core processor. It has an 8mp front camera and 5mp back one, plus 1GB of RAM and 8GB of integrated storage. Extended battery life and support for LTE are also touted by LG, which is expected to price the phone no higher than $250.

Lenovo A7000
This Android 5.0 smartphone has a 5.5-inch display, plus Dolby Atmos technology for audio. Powered by a MediaTek True8Core processor and supporting LTE, the phone has a dual SIM card slot for allowing use of separate phone numbers. The A7000 goes on sale in the US in March for $169.

Lenovo VIBE Shot
This is a camera-first Android phone that includes a 16mp rear camera with a six-piece modular lens and superfast shutter speed, as well as an 8mp selfie camera. Powered by a Snapdragon processor, the phone has 32GB of storage expandable to 128GB. It will sell for $350 when it becomes available in June.

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600-210 Implementing Cisco Service Provider Mobility UMTS Networks (SPUMTS)

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QUESTION 1
Which organization developed and maintains the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System?

A. 3GPP2
B. 3GPP
C. ITU
D. ANSI

Answer: B

Explanation:

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QUESTION 2
Which two services does GPRS support? (Choose two.)

A. MMS
B. SMS
C. Video Calling
D. EMM
E. ESM

Answer: A,B

Explanation:

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QUESTION 3
Which part of the OSI model contains the Signalling Connection Control Part protocol?

A. Data link layer
B. Network layer
C. Transport layer
D. Application layer
E. Presentation layer

Answer: B

Explanation:

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QUESTION 4
What two routing keys can be used to filter SS7 messages? (Choose two.)

A. DPC
B. DPC [+SSN]
C. IMEI
D. MSISDN
E. IMEISV

Answer: A,B

Explanation:

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QUESTION 5
In MGT-based routing, which option is the GT address format of the called party?

A. E.212
B. E.164
C. E.412
D. E.214
E. E.216

Answer: D

Explanation:

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An LTE over Wi-Fi spectrum grab is coming

Pundits say spectrum demand will overrun supply by 2018 or 2019. Grabbing someone else’s frequencies would be one solution.

Unlicensed spectrum would be the logical place to expand traffic if, as mobile networks are finding, their licensed spectrum is running out.

Why not shift over to unlicensed spectrum? It's unlicensed, after all, so anyone can use it. Who would object?

Well, the answer to that question may be a bunch of Wi-Fi users, like you and me, if it doesn't work as promised and stomps on existing use, such as Wi-Fi.

Wi-Fi at 5 GHz
The new piggy-backing technology uses the same Wi-Fi band that mobile device users are beginning to take advantage of in the home and workplace. That is 5 GHz—the free-to-use band you'll find in newer routers and mobile devices, like tablets and recent phones.

Five GHz Wi-Fi is underused, fast, and well-suited to media delivery in small spaces, like the home. That's why new mobile devices use it.

And it appears Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) have taken a fancy to it too. But in that case it's likely for paid-for use in phones.

License Assisted Access
The new technology works by combining existing mobile network spectrum with low-power Wi-Fi spectrum to create a bigger pipe. The technology uses micro-cell-like mini antennas.

It's interchangeably called LTE-U, which stands for LTE-Unlicensed, or its new name LAA, or License Assisted Access.

Remarkably, that new name sounds more like an altruistic, social government program. The new moniker even manages to change elements of the name from "unlicensed" to "licensed." There's a reason marketing experts get paid what they do.

Interference
And there's a reason LAA needs to tread lightly. Wi-Fi Alliance, the Wi-Fi trade body, says LAA poses a risk that could negatively impact "billions of Wi-Fi users who rely on 5 GHz," and that "more work needs to be done."

Ericsson has just said its LAA roll out will begin in Q4 2015.

Algorithms
Wi-Fi band rules say users can't cause interference. It's not allowed. The MNOs and equipment makers insist that LAA won't cause interference.

And maybe that indeed will be the case. Radio signals are better aimed these days, and interference minimization does in fact tie in with an industry trend where frequency waste is increasingly minimized through algorithms and other beaming techniques. Ericsson and Qualcomm are innovative leaders in RF technology.

Interference has historically been created by frequencies stepping on each other—a kind of overlapping caused by a lack of targeting. Clean it all up and there's more capacity through less interference.

Deployment
Ericsson says it can obtain speeds of 450 Mbits using both the LTE spectrum that the carrier has paid for at great expense, usually at a government auction, and this unlicensed band it's plucked for free.

Initial users will be Verizon and T-Mobile, among others, says Sarah Thomas in LightReading, a telecom publication.

"Rude" technology
The big question, of course, is the interference issue. If Qualcomm and Ericsson, the two main players, can get LAA to work flawlessly on the increasingly popular public frequencies they're purloining, as they say they can (and have shown in the lab), then kudos to them. They've improved society.

If, on the other hand, LAA "takes over the band it operates in" and causes Wi-Fi devices to "experience degraded service, service interruptions, and/or complete loss of their connections," as an article by Tinaya in the blog WorldTVPC described as a worst-case scenario, then there'll be trouble. Not least from me. I live on a hilltop, and microwave 5 GHz can travel a long way via line-of-sight with no obstructions.

To add insult to injury, we may all be paying for that stomping in our wireless bill too.

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