Lead Developer Shares WHS Customization

Chris Gray, lead developer for Windows Home Server at Microsoft talks about centralizing television and music onto Windows Home Server using Media Center. Integrating lights and power outlets and harnessing the power of the Web are also discussed. As Chris says:

I would also like to link to a real-time weather application so that if it was going to rain, for example, then the lawn sprinklers wouldn’t turn on.

You can find the article Customize Windows Home Server here on MSDN magazine.

Add-In: MSS Fan Control

NOTE: This add-in is designed to work exclusively with the HP MediaSmart Server EX47x models, and will not work with any other WHS systems.

MSS Fan Control

MSS Fan Control allows the user to easily control the speed of the upper and lower exhaust fans of the MediaSmart Server. It also allows the user to configure the speed and temperature thresholds that determine how the fan speed should increase as the CPU temperature rises.

More information is available from the MediaSmartServer forums. Thanks to The Home Server Show for the information.

The Home Server Show #8

The Home Server Show Podcast

Due to the amount of add-ins that have been released in the last 7 days, there is a special 7 minute episode of The Home Server Show. Dubbed the 4th of July edition, show #8 looks at the latest releases for our Home Servers.

Listen here.

New MVP's Join Windows Home Server Division

A big welcome to the new Most Valuable Professional’s (MVP’s) who join Microsoft’s network of exceptional technical community leaders, whose area of expertise is Windows Home Server.

  • Alan Ball and from the United States
  • Henk Panneman from the Netherlands
  • Colin W Hodgson from the UK
  • Yoshihiro Okabe from Japan

These 4 join the existing 7, bringing the total of Windows Home Server MVP’s to 13 11 (woops! Slipped on the keyboard. Thanks Andrew). Great Stuff!!!

Add-In: TV Manager

Add-in developer Brent Friedman has a new add-in for Media Center users. TV Manager copies your recordings off to your WHS for storage and management. It comes in two parts. The first part is installed on the server for management of the Recordings. And the other part is the Vista Media Center plug-in that copies new recordings over to the WHS deleting the original. It also allows you to watch the recordings like you normally would via “recorded tv” on Media Center.

TV Manager

Features:

  • Moves  the recordings to your WHS for storage, management, and later viewing.
  • Allows you to watch the recordings in Media Center as if they were on that PC’s library.
  • You can delete recordings via Media Center or the Console.
  • You can even watch the recordings in other media programs (that support dvr-ms)  via ‘C:\Users\Public\Windows Home Server\’
  • It is and always will be Freeware.

More information is available from Brent’s Blog.

PC Magazine Mega NAS Review

PC Magazine has a massive review on Home Network-Attached Storage (NAS). Many units are given the once over, including the HP MediaSmart Server EX470. From How to Choose? to So What’s Windows Home Server? All the details are available here.

Add-In: VPOP3 2.6.0d

VPOP3 for Windows Home Server; the email server add-in has been updated to version 2.6.0d

More information and the evaluation/registered version are available, as are three new tutorial videos:

The Home Server Show #7

The Home Server Show Podcast

The Home Server Show #7 is available for your listening pleasure. As well as the latest news, in this episode AutoExit 2008 R2 developer Nick Asseloos chats about this great add-in.

Available from here.

Add-In: AutoExit 2008 R2

AutoExit 2008 R2 is now available as a public beta. The add-in can be used to shut down and reboot machines in your home network all from within the console.
Wake On Lan is also supported, which enables you to easily boot up your machines remotely and you can also put the machine into hibernation, sleep, log off the user or lock the machine. And also in this new version the server can also be shut down from the toolbar.

AutoExit 2008 R2

More information is available from here.

WHS Add-in Webcast by HP and Microsoft Roundup

If you missed the Windows Home Server Add-in Webcast by HP and Microsoft then it is available for replay from here.

It was good to see what the highest rated add-ins were under the following categories: 

Website Creation and Customization:

  • Whiist
  • WHS Customiser
  • Add Website

 

Media and Streaming:

  • TiVo Publisher
  • Media Connect Controller
  • WebGuide for Windows Home Server

 

Power Management:

  • GridJunction
  • AutoExit 2008
  • LightsOut

 

Home Server Management:

  • WHS Disk Management
  • Advanced Admin Console
  • Remote Notification

 

The main features which are included in Power Pack 1 were discussed:

  • 64-bit OS support
  • Overall performance improvements
  • Remote access enhancements
  • Backup to external Hard Drive
  • Hard drive removal improvements
  • International localization (Japanese & Chinese)
  • Bug Fixes

And the HP MediaSmart Server Software Update was also discussed. As we already know, to be included in this update is:

  • Enhanced media streaming experience (Packet Video) – Provides Photo thumbnails and album art across multiple DMAs (xBox360, PS3 etc).
  • Server-side Anti-virus – Scans and protects data stored on the server.
  • Vista 64-bit Support

But the big news from HP is that the update will be available at the same time as Microsoft’s full public release of Power Pack 1.

The webcast ended with a special offer from New Egg, which enables you to save $75 on the purchase of a HP MediaSmart Server, which is good for either the EX470 (500GB) or the EX475 (1TB). During the checkout process enter the following code HP75MS, but hurry as the offer ends 8th July 2008.