Well Microsoft have now taken this much further and have released a Beta of Fix It Center, a troubleshooting and automatic repair tool for Windows (XP SP3 or later).

The tool includes many diagnostics for common problems such as:

Hardware devices not working

Internet explorer crashes

Power management problems

Performance problems

and many more…

The tool also gives you an online management interface where several PCs can report back their current status – a feature which could be useful to small businesses?

The tool is quick to down load, simple to install (without requiring a reboot) and is very easy to use.

This could save a lot of helpdesk calls and visits to computer repair shops!

Fix it Center Portal

The first one shows how they plan on rolling out these data centers around the world to support Azure, Live, Hosted Exchange etc.

The next video shows the installation of a new server container at an actual data center in Chicago:

All very cool! Looks like there’s going to be real competition building up in the cloud..

The project stemmed from the Microsoft takeover of Danger (makers of the Sidekick).  Key members of Danger were said to be working on a secret project to release two new phone models – the Turtle and Pure.Â

Rumoured Turtle Phone

The latest post from Gizmodo states that they’ve received confidential promotional material regarding the release of Turtle on the Verizon network in the US.   The material has reportedly come from a partner working with Microsoft, so they’re unable to show most of it to avoid giving away their source.

Â

Here’s the facts so far regarding Project Pink:

• The Handset is not running a variant of Windows Phone 7
• Recent FCC Filings show evidence the handset exits and will be manufactured by Sharp
• Recent Twitter posts are coming from a device called “Danger” from within Microsoft
• Verizon appear to be the launch partner
• The phone supports a form of App (similar to IPhone, Google Apps etc)

Although the phone is said not to be running a variant of Windows Phone 7 – I suspect the interface will be similar.   At MWC, Microsoft really emphasised the amount of work which had gone in to the interface over the last two years, so I’d be surprised if they ignored the results on a similar device?   Also the screenshots on the render (although fuzzy and small), do remind me of the interface I saw in Barcelona at MWC.

Looks like we’ll be hearing more about this device soon!

More Articles on Project Pink from Gizmodo

To say he’s excited about the technology is an understatement!   Sounds like MS is making great headway with the tracking and voice recognition.

Looks like this is truly going to be “Game Changing” when it comes out later this year.    I have to wonder how what other areas MS are going to implement this, such as Windows, Media Center, Windows Mobile etc?

Here’s the video…

Held 15th - 18th Feb, MWC is an exhibition with over 1300 businesses from the mobile industry!   The scale of the exhibition is huge and has to be seen to be believed!   Last year the show attracted approximately 47,000 visitors!

This year looks to have major announcements from Microsoft regarding their next version of Windows Mobile.    I see this is the last chance Microsoft has to get back into smartphone race, so they need to announce something really spectacular.

I’ll be posting new blog articles here and you can also follow Scotia Systems on twitter for regular updates during the show.

If you have any stands or products in particular you’d like us to visit, let me know in the comments and I’ll try and get some photos online.

Press Release

Looks like this could be quite a good contender for AV protection, so we’ll be giving this a try as soon as it’s released and will let you know what we think.

Product Website : http://www.microsoft.com/security_essentials/market.aspx

Check it out at www.gizmodo.com or watch the video below:

One of the biggest advantages has to be the Microsoft Action Pack (MAP).   This is a collection of software and licenses for partners to use within their own business.  I guess it’s a way to get to know MS products before you install/sell to customers. Â

If you’re dealing with Microsoft products (selling or developing for) it’s well worth a look!