Spinbackup.com, a Cloud based backup service specific for Google users, which has been built on PostgreSql and Amazon Web Services (AWS), completed beta testing and is now available for the general public. In addition, Spinbackup has received certification from TrustE for Privacy and compliance with the US-EU Safe Harbor Privacy Principles.

Spinbackup requires that users be Google users and has implemented Google ID (OAuth2.0).
As a result, Spinbackup does not require entry of a user's Google password.

Main features:
1. Automated, daily backups and one click restore for Gmail, Google Drive & Docs, Picasa and Calendar. Additional, local files can be uploaded independently or as an archive.
2. Unlike most other services, the data in Spinbackup does not store in one archive. Every element (letter, Google Drive document etc.) is available to view, edit and recover independently.
3. Supports GMail labels, which allows emails to be grouped on a user's criteria. If restoration to Google becomes necessary, labels will be intact.
4. Data is stored in the cloud of AWS, providing an additional layer of security and redundancy.
5. Data is available 24/7, regardless of Google's service status. In the event of Google data-loss, Spinbackup supports One-Click restore.
6. The Basic plan is free and allows up to 5Gb of free space. Two additional, fee-based plans are available for Business users.
7. Flexible, Pay-As-You-Go payment model. Account Upgrade, Downgrade or Cancellation available at anytime. Increase cloud storage on demand, in seconds.
8. Available for iPhone, iPad and Android devices. Download at Google Play, the Apple App Store or via links at Spinbackup. Manage your backups anytime and everywhere.
9. Additional: Admin dashboard, search, local uploads and download, file sharing, manual backups, advanced stats, daily email reports, online support, ads free.

An API for developers is in progress. If interested, stop by and Contact Us.

We are pleased to announce the availability of the PostgreSQL Global Development Group apt repository of PostgreSQL packages for Debian and Ubuntu.

The repository itself is located at http://apt.postgresql.org/pub/repos/apt/, with instructions in the PostgreSQL wiki at https://wiki.postgresql.org/wiki/Apt. The FAQ list is at https://wiki.postgresql.org/wiki/Apt/FAQ.

The repository already includes the latest PostgreSQL versions released today.

People using the old "pgapt.debian.net" location of this repository should update their sources.list entries.

Project

We aim at building PostgreSQL server packages as well as extensions and modules packages on several Debian/Ubuntu releases for all PostgreSQL versions supported.

Currently, we support

• Debian 6.0 (squeeze), 7.0 (wheezy), and unstable (sid)
• Ubuntu 12.4 (precise), support for lucid is being worked on
• PostgreSQL 8.3, 8.4, 9.0, 9.1, 9.2
• Several server extensions such as Slony-I, various PL languages, and datatypes
• Applications like pgadmin3, pgbouncer, and pgpool-II

Packages for older PostgreSQL versions and older Debian distributions will continue to stay in the repository; updates for those will be provided on an ad-hoc basis.

Quickstart

To use the repository, do the following:

Import the repository key from http://apt.postgresql.org/pub/repos/apt/ACCC4CF8.asc:

wget -O - http://apt.postgresql.org/pub/repos/apt/ACCC4CF8.asc | sudo apt-key add -

Edit /etc/apt/sources.list.d/pgdg.list. The distributions are called codename-pgdg. In the example, replace squeeze with the actual distribution you are using:

deb http://apt.postgresql.org/pub/repos/apt/ squeeze-pgdg main

Configure apt's package pinning to prefer the PGDG packages over the Debian ones in /etc/apt/preferences.d/pgdg.pref:

Package: *
Pin: release o=apt.postgresql.org
Pin-Priority: 500

Note: this will replace all your Debian/Ubuntu packages with available packages from the PGDG repository. If you do not want this, skip this step.

Update the package lists, and install the pgdg-keyring package to automatically get repository key updates:

apt-get update
apt-get install pgdg-keyring

More information: https://wiki.postgresql.org/wiki/Apt

Repository Key

The repository key used has id ACCC4CF8 and fingerprint B97B 0AFC AA1A 47F0 44F2 44A0 7FCC 7D46 ACCC 4CF8. The key is signed by Christoph Berg's keys that are well connected in Debian's web of trust.

Acknowledgements

Work on setting up the archive was kindly supported by credativ, Redpill Linpro, 2ndQuadrant, and the European Union's Seventh Framework Programme. The build server is kindly hosted by DG-i. The archive is hosted on postgresql.org hardware.

The PostgreSQL Global Development Group has released an update to all current versions of the PostgreSQL database system, including versions 9.2.2, 9.1.7, 9.0.11, 8.4.15, and 8.3.22. Users of PostgreSQL Hot Standby replication should update at the next possible opportunity. Other users should update at their next maintenance window.

This release fixes a significant page ordering issue with Hot Standby which could cause index corruption on the standby under some circumstances. In addition, this update patches timing issues with checkpoint and transaction ID wraparound which could cause data corruption in some cases. Today's update also fixes multiple issues with CREATE INDEX CONCURRENTLY and DROP INDEX CONCURRENTLY, which can cause those commands to fail or produce corrupt indexes. Users who use this feature may want to REINDEX or recreate affected indexes (see below).

This update release also contains fixes for many minor issues discovered and patched by the PostgreSQL community in the last month, including several fixes which are specific to version 9.2. These include:

• Prevent psql crash due to incorrectly encoded input data
• Fix pg_regress gmake build issues
• Make sure correct directory is created for extensions
• Fix some issues with buffer locks and VACUUM
• Multiple fixes and improvements for pg_upgrade
• Fix bugs with end-of-recovery when failing over to a standby
• Avoid bogus "out-of-sequence timeline ID" errors in standby-mode
• Don't launch new child processes during shutdown
• Improve the ability of JOINs to use partial indexes
• Fix assorted integer overflow errors
• Eliminate memory leaks in record_out() and record_send()
• Skip searching for subtransaction logs at COMMIT
• Fix WaitLatch() timing issues
• Fix handling of inherited check constraints in ALTER COLUMN TYPE
• Make ALTER EXTENSION SET SCHEMA behave as documented
• Have SEQUENCE SET statements in the "data" section of sectional dumps
• Prevent parser from believing that VIEWs have system columns
• Fix --clean mode for pg_dump
• Prevent hash table corruption on out-of-memory
• Various query planner and executor fixes and improvements
• Multiple documentation updates
• DST updates for seven timezones

PostgreSQL 8.3 will be End-Of-Life (EOL) in February 2013. As such, this update is likely to be the next-to-last update for that version. We urge users of version 8.3 to begin planning a full upgrade to a more current version of PostgreSQL now. For more information, see our Versioning Policy.

As with other minor releases, users are not required to dump and reload their database or use pg_upgrade in order to apply this update release; you may simply shut down PostgreSQL and update its binaries. Users who have skipped multiple update releases may need to perform additional, post-update steps; see the Release Notes for details.

Users who have used CREATE INDEX CONCURRENTLY extensively may want to REINDEX, or drop and re-create, indexes which were created using CREATE INDEX CONCURRENTLY after applying the update in order to be sure of their integrity. Unfortunately, indexes created concurrently are indistinguishable from indexes created non-concurrently, so users will need to rely on DBA knowledge. Once the update is applied, users can create the new index concurrently and then drop the old index concurrently to avoid downtime.

Links:

• Downloads
• Release Notes

RazorSQL 6.0, an SQL editor, database query tool, database browser, and database administration tool, is now available. Using RazorSQL, users can query, edit, browse, and manage all major databases from one tool. RazorSQL supports over 30 databases, examples of which include the following: PostgreSQL, Amazon SimpleDB, Apache Derby, DB2, Firebird, FrontBase, H2, HSQLDB, Informix, Intersystems Cache, JavaDB, MS Access, MySQL, OpenBase, Oracle, Pervasive, SQLite, SQL Azure, SQL Server, Sybase, Sybase SQL Anywhere and Teradata. Connect to other databases via JDBC or ODBC (Windows only). Users can also use the built in relational database engine for their database needs.

Some of the main features contained in RazorSQL are visual tools for creating, editing, describing, altering, dropping, and viewing database objects such as tables, views, indexes, procedures, functions, and triggers; tools for importing and exporting data in various formats such as MS Excel, delimited files, SQL insert statements, HTML, XML, and text; a database browser for the viewing of database objects and structures; search tools for searching for database objects and database data, tools for building SQL queries and generating SQL and DDL, a SQL formatting tool, SQL history tracking and and SQL favorites tool for storing frequently used SQL statements, and a robust programming editor and query tool with support for SQL, PL/SQL, TransactSQL, SQL PL, PHP, Java, XML, HTML, and many other programming languages that features tools for searching and replacing data, programmable macros, coding sidekicks for various programming languages, a file system browser, function and method browsers, and much more.

New features in version 6.0 include database conversion support for PostgreSQL, MySQL, Oracle, MS Access, MS SQL Server, SQLite, and HSQLDB. Also included are conversion tools to easily copy tables and query results from remote databases to RazorSQL's local database engine for local development.

Versions of RazorSQL are available for Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, and Solaris.

RazorSQL 6.0 is available for immediate download at http://www.razorsql.com. Pricing of RazorSQL starts at $99.95 USD for a single user, and tiered discounts are offered for multiple license purchases.

More Info:http://www.razorsql.com/

Download URL: http://www.razorsql.com/download.html

Change Log: http://www.razorsql.com/updates.html

Screenshot URL:

(Windows / Linux): http://www.razorsql.com/images/windows/main.gif

(Mac OS X): http://www.razorsql.com/images/mac/main.png

REDMOND, Wash. — Dec. 4, 2012 — As part of the company’s unprecedented period of product launches, Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq “MSFT”) today announced that significant updates to three core Microsoft Dynamics business solutions are available in December, delivering new capabilities and value to help customers transform their businesses.

Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 R2 is available to customers now and additional product refreshes will be available later this month, including Microsoft Dynamics GP 2013 (planned for Dec. 19) and Microsoft Dynamics December 2012 CRM Service update for Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online (beginning mid-December).

These product updates underscore Microsoft’s continued commitment to enable companies around the world to transform into Dynamic Businesses. In a rapidly changing world, companies need a new generation of business solutions that are quick to implement, easy to use and seamlessly interoperate with Microsoft platform technologies for maximum synergies.

“Our December product releases deliver significant value to customers through simple-to-use and easy-to-implement business solutions,,” said Kirill Tatarinov, president, Microsoft Business Solutions. “This wave of new Microsoft Dynamics’ capabilities, together with Microsoft’s innovative social, mobile, collaboration, productivity and analytics resources, inspires people to do their best work and transform their businesses.”

The market appears to have taken notice as the Microsoft Business Solutions organization, which develops and delivers Microsoft Dynamics products, continues to grow. The Microsoft Dynamics CRM business has experienced double digits for the past 33 quarters with its revenue growing 30 percent last quarter (year over year). Similarly, in the most recent fiscal year, Microsoft Dynamics AX saw an increase of more than 50 percent in license revenue in North America.*

Speed in Enterprise Implementation Marks Availability of Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 R2

As the pace of doing business increases and more opportunities open up in emerging markets, organizations are asking for solutions that can be deployed quickly, empower their people to make more informed business decisions and help their businesses grow globally. Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 R2 is globally available and allows for multiple languages and legislations to be run from within a single instance. With significant advances across all core industry areas, the flexibility and agility is unprecedented — even for companies looking to use Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 R2 in combination with legacy solutions and get the benefits of a modern, next-generation business solution here and now.

Harmonizing global operations is being done with great speed in enterprises such as Sematic Group, a global manufacturer of elevator components that is currently running operations in Italy, the U.K. and China on a single instance of Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 R2. This provides centralized insights into the operations and a platform to find synergies between the locations. With the country localizations in one solution and centralized deployment, planned rollout to additional locations will be easier with an astounding average of one country per month for the next year.

“Having a common repository for customer, supplier and product data has driven initial efforts at standardizing common business processes across our international organization,” said Luca Caremoli, chief information officer at Sematic. “Now, with a single, common ERP, we are becoming one. Our people across the world are becoming a real part of the one Sematic.”

Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 R2 also introduces breakthrough business intelligence capabilities based on Microsoft SQL Server. Important information to all parts of a business is provided quickly, intuitively and in context of what the individual user is doing. This ease of use and speed is critically important for better decision-making in a business such as Lotus F1 Team, which recently implemented the new version of Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 R2. The team chose Microsoft Dynamics AX to collect live, accurate information, make informed decisions, compete for funding, and — ultimately — build a fast car. This implementation will help improve manufacturing productivity, avoid wasted resources, deliver information quickly to remote employees and interoperate with its HR environment to manage the skill sets it needs for new processes.

“Microsoft Dynamics is key to our business transformation. On the one hand, it will enable us to ensure everyone on the team is focused on doing their job and not wasting time moving information from one system to another,” said Patrick Louis, CEO, Lotus F1 Team. “Second, it will help us more rapidly make changes to the car and how we make the car so we can bring performance-enhancing improvements to the track faster.”

Microsoft Dynamics GP 2013: Quick-to-Implement, Easy-to-Use Business Solution for SMBs

Microsoft Dynamics GP 2013, expected to be available Dec. 19, introduces significant new features and capabilities designed to help small and midsize businesses (SMBs) grow their businesses with powerful business solutions that are quick to implement and simple to use. This release introduces an innovative new Web client, more than 125 feature enhancements, streamlined management and rich interoperability with other Microsoft technologies such as Microsoft Office 365.

Key enhancement areas for the new release include the following:

• Choice in how the product is deployed, as well as how people access and use it. Customers can access Microsoft Dynamics GP through a rich client and an innovative new Web client so they can get to the information they need when they need it and on the device of their choice. Improved “hostability” features include a new hosting management console for cloud deployments to streamline deploying and managing Microsoft Dynamics GP in the cloud.

• Faster, lower-risk deployment with new RapidStart tools that can significantly reduce the time and effort required to configure Microsoft Dynamics GP for each customer’s specific needs.

• Improved productivity through enhanced ease of use throughout the product, as well as deeper interoperability with Microsoft Office, Office 365 and other Microsoft technologies.

One of the early adopters of Microsoft Dynamics GP 2013 is Western Precooling, a provider of cooling services to produce growers and shippers, enabling them to get fresh, healthy fruits and vegetables from the field to their customers. The company has been in business for 70 years and has more than 100 sites throughout the Western United States growing regions.

“With the advancement of the consumerization of IT in the workplace, users want to gain access to data much quicker to make timely, strategic changes in the business and keep an edge on their competitors,” said Brian Paine, director of IT at Western Precooling. “Microsoft Dynamics GP 2013 is helping us improve customer invoicing, thus leading to better service and faster turnaround with our valued customer base while ensuring the highest level of customer service. In addition, the advances in business intelligence, reporting and user experience made in Microsoft Dynamics GP 2013 equip our people to do the best job possible, which helps put Western Precooling on a course to be more competitive and accomplish its business goals.”

Great User Experience in Microsoft Dynamics CRM Update

Delivering on the Microsoft Dynamics commitment to rapidly innovate, the CRM December 2012 service update will be available beginning mid-December with a global rollout that will last into January. The new service update re-imagines the way sales, customer service and marketing professionals work with CRM. Moving away from the traditional data-centric approach, this service update adds new experiences that simply and visually guide users through their business processes. In addition, the new service update brings customers deeper connection to Yammer and Skype, embedded Bing Maps, compatibility with the new Microsoft Office, and cross-browser support** enabling new levels of communications and collaboration for customers.

Customers such as Colliers International see the value of the usability features of the new service update and the simplicity of use, particularly the speed and ease of getting their people up and running on the new system.

“We are excited to take advantage of the Microsoft Dynamics CRM service update because it is so simple to use that all of our people will be able to embrace it,” said Veresh Sita, chief information officer, Colliers. “This new user experience is no longer a barrier but an enabler, allowing us to reap immediate benefits.”

A new Dynamic Business video demonstrates the plans for the revolutionary user design that is part of Microsoft Dynamics’ future vision for a new world of work.

Further Information

More information on the new capabilities of Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 R2 can be found at http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/dynamics/erp-ax-2012-r2.aspx. Details on Microsoft Dynamics GP 2013 are available at http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/news/presskits/dynamics. More definitive information on the new capabilities in the Microsoft Dynamics CRM December 2012 service update is provided in the release preview guide, which can be downloaded at http://crm.dynamics.com/en-us/polaris.

About Microsoft Dynamics

At the heart of every successful business are the people who make things happen. Microsoft Dynamics designs modern business solutions that empower individuals with intuitive tools that allow them to do their best work. Our proactive, easy-to-use business applications adapt to the way people and systems work, enabling businesses to rapidly deploy and be forward-looking in an ever-changing world.

About Microsoft

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.

* License revenue year over year as reported during Microsoft quarterly earnings.

* Cross-browser support including Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome running on Windows-based PCs, and Apple Safari running on Macintosh desktop computers. In addition, there will be a Safari-based user experience on Apple iPad for sales users.

Note to editors: For more information, news and perspectives from Microsoft, please visit the Microsoft News Center at http://www.microsoft.com/news. Web links, telephone numbers and titles were correct at time of publication, but may have changed. For additional assistance, journalists and analysts may contact Microsoft’s Rapid Response Team or other appropriate contacts listed at http://www.microsoft.com/news/contactpr.mspx.

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. — Dec. 4, 2012 — At the Social Innovation Summit today, Microsoft Corp. announced the winners of the second annual Microsoft Imagine Cup Grants program, a three-year, $3 million competitive grant program that provides students with funding and support to help transform their projects into social enterprises or nonprofits that will address a specific social issue. The Imagine Cup Grants program is part of the Microsoft YouthSpark initiative, which aims to create opportunities for 300 million youth during the next three years.

The grand prize grant of $100,000 was awarded to Team Graphmasters from Germany for its solution called nunav that reduces vehicle carbon emissions through an innovative navigation system. The second place grant of $75,000 went to Team StethoCloud from Australia, which developed a solution to diagnose childhood pneumonia. There were also grants of $50,000 to Team Vivid from Egypt, which built a mobile app to access medical records using the cloud; Team Cipher256 from Uganda for its mobile app and listening device to analyze fetal heart rates; and Team QuadSquad from Ukraine, which created a solution that transforms sign language into verbal communication. The teams used technologies including Windows 8, Windows Azure, Windows Phone, Bing Maps and more.

“The Imagine Cup Grants will help students evolve a great idea for addressing a societal issue into a real-world business,” said Dan’l Lewin, corporate vice president, Strategic and Emerging Business Development, Microsoft. “These students have developed incredible approaches that show great potential for positive local impact. We are excited to offer financial and other support to help them transform these ideas into businesses with real-world impact.”

The grant winners were among the finalists at the Imagine Cup 2012 Worldwide Finals, a global competition that invites students to develop a technology, create a business plan and gain a keen understanding of what they need to bring their concepts to market. The Imagine Cup Grants program takes the competition further, helping students turn their ideas into reality by creating a real business or nonprofit. As part of Microsoft YouthSpark, the Imagine Cup Grants program is one way Microsoft is helping young people pursue an education, find employment and foster entrepreneurship.

“The Imagine Cup was the catalyst for our team to create nunav,” said Christian Brüggemann, Team Graphmasters. “Through the Imagine Cup Grants, Microsoft is giving us the opportunity to expand our project and bring it to market. As mobile phone adoption becomes more prevalent around the world, it presents a perfect way for nunav to help fight traffic and carbon emissions.”

In addition to the cash awards, the grant packages include software, cloud computing services, solution provider support, premium Microsoft BizSpark account benefits and access to local resources such as Microsoft Innovation Centers. Microsoft will also connect grant recipients with its network of investors, nongovernmental organization partners and business partners and will work with the grant recipients to tailor individual support as needed depending on the progress each team has made so far with its project.

Imagine Cup Grants Award Winners

• Team Graphmasters, Germany. Christian Brüggemann, Sebastian Heise and Iulian Nitescu. Project description: nunav is a navigation system with the potential to reduce vehicle carbon emissions by preventing traffic congestion. The system proactively routes city traffic by calculating the best route for each car and communicating that information to each driver. Team video: http://bit.ly/RWjVN6

• Team StethoCloud, Australia. Hon Weng Chong, Andrew Lin, Mahsa Salehi and Karthik Rajah. Project description: StethoCloud is a cloud-powered, mobile-hybrid stethoscope for early detection of pneumonia. By connecting a custom stethoscope to a mobile phone, the user is able to transmit diagnostic information into a cloud service, reproducing the diagnostic capability of a trained medical doctor. Team video: http://bit.ly/PWCcKy

• Team Vivid, Egypt. Nour El-Dien Hussein, Muhammed Mousa El-Orabi and Fady Fawzy Rafla. Project description: Health Buzz is a cost-effective mobile-based solution that helps healthcare service providers access patients’ electronic medical records through a secure cloud-based storage system. It services patients and physicians through a phone, tablet or desktop computer. Team video: http://bit.ly/T4PJAt

• Team Cipher256, Uganda. Aaron Tushabe, Joshua Okello, Dr. Davis Musinguzi, Josiah Kavuma and Joseph Kaizzi. Project description: WinSenga is a mobile application that aids health workers as they assist expectant mothers. The algorithm analyzes fetal heart sounds to determine the fetal heart rate (beats per minute) and the age and position of the fetus and then records these readings to the cloud. Team video: http://bit.ly/Us89qS

• Team QuadSquad, Ukraine. Maxim Osika, Valeriy Yasakov, Anton Stepanov, Anton Posternikov and Dmytro Samoilenko. Project description: Enable Talk was created to give disabled individuals with limited communication abilities a better way to communicate. It transforms sign language into a form of verbal communication by creating a mobile device that continuously recognizes sign language phonemes. Team video: http://bit.ly/UIDx4E

This year, more than 40 Imagine Cup teams applied for the grants. A judging panel of industry experts with knowledge spanning technology, venture capitalism, software development, startup culture and the nonprofit sector ranked each team based on specific criteria, including project impact and viability and team quality and motivation. The judges included the following:

• Akhtar Badshah, senior director of Citizenship and Public Affairs, Microsoft

• Daniel Brusilovsky, founder and CEO, Teens in Tech Labs

• Tim Draper, founder and managing director, Draper Fisher Jurvetson

• Debra Dunn, faculty, Hasso Plattner Institute of Design at Stanford; board of directors, Skoll Foundation and B Lab

• Edward G. Happ, global chief information officer of International Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, chairman of NetHope

• Tadhg Kelly, game design consultant

• Zeev Klein, general partner, Landmark Ventures

• Dan’l Lewin, corporate vice president, Strategic and Emerging Business Development, Microsoft

• Rob Miles, lecturer, University of Hull Computer Science Department

• Jeff Raikes, CEO, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

• Ann Winblad, managing director, Hummer Winblad Venture Partners

About Microsoft YouthSpark

Microsoft YouthSpark is a global initiative that aims to create opportunities for 300 million youth in more than 100 countries during the next three years. This companywide initiative includes Citizenship and other company programs — both new and enhanced — that empower youth to imagine and realize their full potential by connecting them with greater opportunities for education, employment and entrepreneurship. Find out more at: http://www.microsoft.com/youthspark.

About Microsoft Imagine Cup

This year marks the 11th year of Imagine Cup, which will be celebrated at the worldwide finals in St. Petersburg, Russia, July 8–12, 2013. Students ages 16 and older are eligible to register and compete in Imagine Cup 2013 by visiting the Imagine Cup website at http://www.imaginecup.com. A full list of competitions and challenges are listed at http://imaginecup.com/main/compete. In the past decade, more than 1.65 million students from 190 countries have registered to compete for cash and other prizes.

About Microsoft

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.

Note to editors: For more information, news and perspectives from Microsoft, please visit the Microsoft News Center at http://www.microsoft.com/news. Web links, telephone numbers and titles were correct at time of publication, but may have changed. For additional assistance, journalists and analysts may contact Microsoft’s Rapid Response Team or other appropriate contacts listed at http://www.microsoft.com/news/contactpr.mspx.