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Of interest for bloggers: adCenter Analytics

Of interest…

This release of Microsoft adCenter AnalyticsBeta delivers exciting new reporting functionality, so you can get a better picture of your Web site users’ engagement—from click to conversion.
To add your name to our adCenter AnalyticsBeta invitation list, fill out the registration form below. We will use the information to plan a smooth ramp-up in the number of Web analytics users on the system at one time. You will receive your adCenter AnalyticsBeta invitation as capacity allows.
Note: If you already have an adCenter account, you may use the email address associated with that account.

Get Started Now—with Microsoft adCenter Analytics – Microsoft Advertising

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Safari: an update on managing Apple Software Update items

In an update to my post No Safari option for me on Apple Software Update, thanks (as always) to Microsoft MVP Blake Handler for this update.

Dan Cunningham documented how to disable this update….

Offered as an FYI, YMMV, as modifying the registry (if you don’t know what you’re doing) may not be wise.

“This is also going to be a problem in corporate environments, where end users have a bit of freedom. I know of numerous companies that don’t “allow” Quicktime or iTunes, but don’t have the ability to prohibit the installation (bet you’re wishing you didn’t give your user’s local Administrator privileges now huh?).

“So I decided to do a little research into ASU and see if it can be locked down in any way. Well there doesn’t seem to be any ability to lock down through Group Policy, but I did find that a specific REG_MULTI_SZ value in the registry can effectively disable the Safari update. I don’t know if this applies solely to Safari 3.1, or any future versions, but it’s worth implementing anyway. Save this text to a .REG file:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Apple Inc.\Apple Software Update]
“Update_Ignore_List”=hex(7):30,00,36,00,31,00,2d,00,34,00,35,00,31,00,36,00,00,\
00,00,00

This sets Update_Ignore_List as a REG_MULTI_SZ to “061-4516″. This is the update code for Safari. For companies that need Quicktime to be updated, but don’t want iTunes to be installed, you can also add “061-4270″ to the list:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Apple Inc.\Apple Software Update]
“Update_Ignore_List”=hex(7):30,00,36,00,31,00,2d,00,34,00,35,00,31,00,36,00,00,\
00,30,00,36,00,31,00,2d,00,34,00,32,00,37,00,30,00,00,00,00,00

Anyway, hope this helps someone!

Tags: Microsoft, Apple, Macintosh, Safari, customer satisfaction.

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Friday Humour: not-so-obvious M3 links on the Internet

My friend, J., sent me a funny mail today that I had to share… and with it, a return to Friday Links:

“I don’t know if you have looked lately, but “M3” has a whole bunch of different links around the Internet like:

Of course, I have a favorite: the M3 Mobile Social Network. It says that “M3 is a mobile social network that creates communities and enriches the lives of interesting people.”

“Sounds a lot like you. I have to stop now as this is getting silly. :)”

Of course.  And I had to sign up for M3 Mobile.

In addition to the more than 33 million references I found, ZD Net turned up one of the not-so-obvious: Attack of the Staples M3 Shredder…

“… M3 makes easy work of junk mail envelopes, even ones with fake credit cards in them — as well as paper with staples and all those AOL CD’s you always wanted to do bodily harm to. No more opening up envelopes, just feed them through… M3 utterly destroys it and its contents like a rabid school of piranha fish.”

Have to get me one of those. If you’ve read some of my past entries, like How much does spam weigh- (And what to do about it), you’ll note that I have a soft place in my heart for junk mail (not). 

I’ve never heard been likened to a “rabid school of piranha fish.” 😉

Have a good weekend.

Tags: Friday Link, humour, humor, websites.

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No Safari option for me on Apple Software Update

It’s a busy season, and it’s taken a toll on my ability to post this week.  But a canceled meeting and I pop up my head for lunch as well as a look at the RSS feed for news…

So, it’s interesting to note the news today: looks like the mood changed at Apple related to Safari (pushed to customers without Safari initially installed) on Apple’s Software Update.  I found that in a ping from Apple Software Update today (in support of my QuickTime installation), I’m no longer offered Safari.  See Live Search News for more today…

After complaints, Apple tweaks Software Update for Safari

Following a storm of criticism, Apple has changed its Software Update software to mark a distinction between new programs, such as its Safari on Windows browser, and updates to existing ones.

Now, Apple’s Software Update has two separate boxes, one labeled “New Software” and the other labeled “Updates.” Before Safari 3.1 was under the “Updates” box and there was no “New Software” heading.

An Apple representative told Computerworld that the change was done to distinguish new software from updates but declined to say whether it was in response to criticisms or whether Apple may leave the “New Software” box unchecked, as Mozilla’s Dotzler suggested.

MacNN also noted the change, saying that this move of releasing a new version of Apple Software Update utility for Windows to v2.1 “addresses an earlier policy of Apple, under which Safari 3.1 would be pushed to Windows users whether they wanted it or not, as if they had already downloaded the application previously. Some have accused Apple of trying to artificially improve the distribution of the Safari web browser in the Windows sphere.”

Of course, I’m still offered to install “QuickTime+iTunes” even though I don’t have iTunes installed. 😉

Tags: Microsoft, Apple, Macintosh, Safari, customer satisfaction.

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Your questions: “How do I get updates to DST and time zone updates and alerts?”

Related to the regular updates made to our pages on time, Steven asked this week…



“Is there something that customer can plug into, like subscribing to monthly security alerts, for DST [and, I’ll add, time zone] updates?”


No, not directly. You can enable tracking for specific pages on the web (such as the the DST and time zone web pages) via RSS feed using free, third party services like page2rss, feedity, feedyes and other services.


I find that for updates to the pages linked off of http://www.microsoft.com/time — such as the Hot Topics and impacted Microsoft product list — services such as Feedity work well.


This approach also works for tracking the changes made to Knowledge Base (KB) articles, such as the December 2007 cumulative time zone update for Microsoft Windows operating systems (KB 942763).  As we update the article — particularly when the KB is superseded by a new update — you’ll get pinged.


As Sean noted (and reminded… thanks!) you may also want to leverage the RSS feed for the Technet/MS DST Blog at http://blogs.technet.com/dst2007.

You can also apply this to external, public resource sites such as those on the TimeandDate.com site…


… the tzdatabase page, the list of time zones wiki and the overall time zone Wiki page.

Tags: Microsoft, Daylight Saving Time, Daylight Savings Time, RSS, DST. 3,530,000 (down a million items); 6,950,000; 649,000+