The Digital Workshop Blog has Moved

Thanks for visiting the ship’s website!  We haven’t shut down our blog operations, but rather we have moved all of our efforts into one main blog.  This is to ensure that the experience for you, the guest, is one that is slightly easier because of more frequent posts, fresher content, and knowing that everything is in one great place.  The URL for the new website is:

http://haldigitalworkshop.wordpress.com/

At this site you’ll find new content, great feedback from all of our Techsperts, as well as useful links like Handout Downloads, and great information from Windows.

Thank you all for your support and for following along with the Digital Workshop.

Early Summer in Alaska

		Guest Pictures VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

 

Hello from the MS Amsterdam:

We have just finished our first Voyage to Alaska and are currently embarking our second group of guests for the next trip. The weather was fantastic the last two weeks as you can easily see from the above pictures. Great weather stunning scenery and large amounts of fun await. I will look forward to reporting on our future experiences throughout the summer.

 

Vast Improvements to Windows 7 Mobile Phones.

Last week Microsoft introduced its latest Mobile Phone Operating System Mango. Mango links location data, information about a subject and shopping options. The results are presented to the user as related views on the screen, instead of links to Web sites as in conventional search. This makes it much easier to find what you are looking for, rather than being referred to just a web address. There are 500 new features in Mango, take a look at www.Microsoft.com.

 

Until Next time:

Frank Barcelona Techspert for the Holland America Digital Workshop powered by Microsoft Windows.

Heading North for the Summer

Hello from the Amsterdam:

As I write this blog, we are sailing towards Vancouver to end our repositioning cruise from Ft. Lauderdale to Alaska.

The last two weeks have placed us in the warm Caribbean, the Panama Canal, and the Pacific Coast of Latin America. Its has been a great voyage. Here are some pictures for you to let you see where we have been.

 

		Costa Rica ,Cabo San Lucas VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

Microsoft Buys Skype!

It has been announced that Skype has joined the Microsoft family of products. This is exciting news as it will mean even more sharing possibilities for those of you using Windows Live Essentials. Usage of video conferencing has grown over 150% in the last year and is expected to continue to explode over the next decade. Try out the features of Windows Live Messenger today. Its free and allows you to better stay in touch with loved ones’ anywhere.

Frank Barcelona, Techspert for the Holland America Digital Workshop, powered by Microsoft, aboard the MS Amsterdam

Panoramic Picture Competition

The votes have been cast and the ballots are in for the 2011 Panoramic Picture Competition.  There were 83 panoramic submissions and participants were able to submit 1 panoramic from each port of call during this first leg of the Grand World Voyage.

Here are the first place winners and categories.

Australia – Susan Mara, Bonorong (Hobart)

  

New Zealand – Mary Carpenter, Auckland

South Pacific Island – Allan Solomon, Bora Bora (French Polynesia)

Americas & Caribbean – Mary Carpenter, Galapagos

Technorati Tags: Digital workshop,windows live photo gallery,Grand world voyage 2011,Panoramic Picture Compeition

Written By: Jeffrey J. Tiefenthaler|AMDM Techspert

New Zealand ahoy!

After several fabulous island stops in the the south pacific the Amsterdam has arrived in New Zealand for a week of delightful adventure.  Our first port of call was an overnight stay in Auckland followed by Tauranga, Napier, Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin and Oban.

With Windows Live Writer you can add maps like this in either the road or aerial view.

Here are some of the photos I took before we arrived in Auckland!

(Moai Statutes in Easter Island)            (Bora Bora, French Polynesia)

(Pitcairn Island)

(Tahiti)

(Alofi, Niue)

(Tonga)

Jeffrey J. Tiefenthaler

AMDM|Techspert

 

Technorati Tags: digital workshop,new zealand,south pacific islands,french polynesia,bora bora,easter Island,windows live writer

The launch of a new year!

We start 2011 on board the ms Amsterdam with an itinerary the critics are raving about.  Some of the ports of call include Auckland, Sydney, Dubai, Petra, Hong Kong, Alexandria, and more. The Amsterdam will be home to around 1000 guests for 110 days. Several guests on board have been attending the free Digital Workshop programs that are being offered every day of the Grand World Voyage.  The first day of the cruise was at sea and the workshops included Your Away From Home Movie (enhanced slideshow creation) and Windows Live Photo Gallery (photo editing). Not a seat was available five minutes after the doors opened for the first workshop of the cruise.  The programs have always been well received, and as they continue to evolve with the software many of the guests keep coming back to get a second, third and fourth look.  With nearly 500 four star mariners on this voyage the Digital Workshops helps explain why guests have been so loyal to this cruise line.

From the Grand World Voyage 2011 your Techspert,

Jeff Tiefenthaler|Amsterdam Techspert