It’s rather a nice surprise to see a nice variety of Microsoft related news today given that the perfect storm of it being Friday and an unexpected Apple event happened today.

Microsoft:

• NHS scraps huge Microsoft licensing deal – ComputerworldUK
  The NHS has axed a huge licensing deal with Microsoft, originally estimated as being worth £500 million.
• Announcing the Facebook C# SDK – Facebook
  We’re excited to announce the Facebook C# SDK alpha release. This is our first official C# SDK, built to meet the needs of the significant community of Facebook developers using C#.
• Make it yours: Customizing the Word ribbon - The Microsoft Office Blog
  In Word 2010, you can arrange the ribbon the way you want. You can create new tabs and put the commands you use most often on them. You can move the tabs where you want.
• Reflecting on the cloud – Steve Clayton
  I just listened to Bob Muglia’s keynote from our WorldWide Partner Conference and it’s one of the best keynotes I have seen in while from Microsoft.
• Microsoft shares (officially) its future BPOS plans – Mary Jo Foley
  At this week’s Worldwide Partner Conference, Microsoft officials shared with attendees their “official” roadmap for updating the company’s hosted Business Productivity Online (BPOS) suite.
• How IE9 Platform Preview Feedback Changed the JavaScript Standard - IEBlog
  When we first introduced our plans for Internet Explorer Platform Previews we said that “developers and people interested in standards and web development can try out new platform functionality and provide early feedback.”

Windows & Bing:

• How To Uninstall Windows 7 Service Pack 1 Beta – gHacks
  If you have installed the beta of the Windows 7 Service Pack 1 you probably might want to uninstall it again, because frankly, it does not offer anything spectacular.
• Make Bing your default engine, get $3 to donate to charity – The Microsoft Blog
  Microsoft is making a push to get people switching to Bing as their default search engine.

Windows Phone 7:

• A case for WP7 in business and sample apps – WMPoweruser
  During the break out session for WP7 : The Partner Business Opportunity at the just concluded WPC 2010, Microsoft’s Paul Bryan talked about the opportunities available for businesses in WP7.
• LG Panther Windows Phone 7 Walkthrough – Phone 7
  A video has been uploaded showing a guided walkthrough of WP7 on the LG Panther. It’s not in English, but you can see how smoothly the interface works and what type of user experience WP7 devices have.
• More details on apps and the WP7 Marketplace – WMPoweruser
  At WPC 2010, Todd Brix, Microsoft’s senior director in charge of the  WP7 marketplace gave an in-depth look at the aforementioned marketplace during the [WP03] Windows Phone 7: what ISV Partners Need to get Ready session.

Xbox:

• Video: Xbox 360 data transfer and YOU – Joystiq
  With the release of the newly redesigned Xbox 360, we’re sure more than a few Xbox gamers have been considering an upgrade.
• Microsoft Kinect to travel around America’s malls and state fairs through October – CrunchGear
  Microsoft’s claim that Kinect is “hardcore gamer”-friendly is getting harder and harder to believe.