Allan's Best Week Ever

Meet my boss’s boss’s boss’s boss (the Imagine Cup!)

Got about 14 minutes? Meet the head honcho of my organization at Microsoft - Walid - as he sits down to chat about why the Imagine Cup matters to students and Microsoft. This was a short/smart interview that reminded me that some of the technology companies we rely on everyday were started by students in dorm rooms (Microsoft included).

Don’t know about the Imagine Cup? Check out the website - the finals are this week in Cairo! And if you are a student, let your dreams spark!

Breaking the Glass Ceiling (Sisters are doing it for themselves Part 2)

A few months ago, my team ran the Microsoft Enterprise Developer Conference in New York City. If you spelunk our website, you’ll find some great sessions that you can view on demand. Here are 3 that I’m picking at random from my favorite sessions…

• Windows Azure Case Study: How we ported ScrumWall and built Wikipedia Explorer – You’ll want to watch this one if you are trying to appreciate what Windows Azure can do for your company.
• A Lap Around Visual Studio 2010 (by none other than Brian Harry)
• The Daily Scrum – plain fun!

One of the sessions that I attended in person was Breaking the Glass Ceiling:A True Story of the career of female technologist and financier in the development world. Sally Baldauf from Microsoft entertained us with personal stories, research she had done and a David Letterman-esque Top 10 list. She presented the barriers to advancement for women, the toll the current economy is taking on leadership opportunities and strategies for beating the odds and crashing the glass ceiling.

If you are a woman (in IT) or are mentoring women to become leaders, you’ll want to review this session for thought provoking statistics, links to useful resources, and practical tips. Sally had a very engaging style and her stories spoke of hard work, creative thinking, work/life balancing acts, asking for it and luck!

Watch the session on demand and grab the slides. Without giving too much away, here are Sally’s Top 10 tips for Breaking the Glass Ceiling (check out her session for details):

1. Believe in yourself!!!
2. Create balance in your life
3. Create you own style / develop your brand
4. Have mentors / be a mentor
5. Network, network, network (join industry groups)
6. Take stretch opportunities
7. Ask for it
8. Get training
9. Find your passion
10. Embrace diversity

Watch it and get insipired!

Got a great story? Let me know. Catch Part 1 of this article.

Gentle Robots? A peek into Microsoft Health Now and the Vision

I’m a Microsoft HealthVault Fan on Facebook and I just found out that the session recordings from the Microsoft Connected Health Conference earlier this month are available. Check out the website for abstracts and presentation/video links. I’ve shown my bias :) by highlighting the items I’m currently reviewing  - I’ll get to all eventually.

• HealthVault 101: Business Overview
• HealthVault 101: Technical Overview
• Improving Populations Health & Wellness with HealthVault Enabled Solutions and Devices (Business Track)
• Showcasing Microsoft Solutions in Federal & State Wide Initiatives (Business Track)
• How to Build a World Class HealthVault Application (Technical Track)
• Connecting Devices to HealthVault (Technical Track)
• Learn How Continua Devices Can Work with HealthVault (Technical Track)
• Saving Lives, Saving Money Through Connected Medication Management (Business Track)
• Creating Stronger Data Connections among Hospitals, Referring Clinics, & Patients (Business Track)
• Connecting HealthVault & Clinical Systems, a Best Practice (Technical Track)
• Connecting Rich Client Applications to HealthVault (Technical Track)
• Leveraging Connectivity Solutions for Physicians & Patients (Business Track)
• Introduction to Microsoft Amalga UIS 2009 (Business Track)
• Extending HealthVault With Other Microsoft Technologies (Technical Track)
• Using CCR & CCD with HealthVault (Technical Track)
• Using Digital Signatures & APIs in HealthVault (Technical Track)
• Connecting Patients and Hospitals Remote Monitoring (Business Track)
• Connecting Communities: Stimulus Package & Beyond (Business Track)
• Transforming Privacy & Security into Opportunities (Technical Track)
• Building a Usable HealthVault Application (Technical Track)
• Microsoft Amalga UIS 2009: Technical Overview (Technical Track)
• Harnessing Wellness & Enhancing Care in a World of Information Technology (Business Track)
• HealthVault Goes International (Business Track)
• A Look Into the Future With HealthVault (Technical Track)
• Computing Futures: Directions and Reflections

I watched the Computing Futures: Directions and Reflections by Dr. (x2) Eric Horvitz.

Really great stuff here that is applicable to several industries. Dr. Horvitz described several ongoing Microsoft Research projects and their applicability to the mission of Microsoft Health: to improve health, around the world, through software innovation. Science Fiction stuff here!

If you are looking for Gentle Robots, around 40 minutes into the video :) My must haves?

• 41 minutes: Interruption Workbench, you’ve got to see the video to appreciate and then (like me), you’ll want.
• 45 minutes: Life Browser, Memory, Recall and more (I need this in my advancing years).

If you like this sort of thing, you are going to love this post from Dr. Crounse on the HealthBlog: Promising New Projects at Microsoft Research May Lead to Better Healthcare. More details about the themes discussed in the session by Dr. Eric Horvitz delivered in Dr. Crounse’s very engaging style.

Sisters are doing it for themselves (Part 1)

Advancing careers from the classroom to the boardroom

eek! I love my job and yet again, I was able to step out of ordinary and connect with folks who volunteer their time and resources to helping their community. Tonight I had the privilege of chatting with the Hartford chapter of the BDPA. It is truly amazing to me that there are so many unseen and unheard leaders heroes giving of themselves to inspire, educate and mentor kids.

Mary and Matthew, thank you for having me! You’ll here more about this organization from me in the future. In their words or how they are advancing careers from the classroom to the boardroom:

A primary emphasis of the Hartford Chapter has and continues to be improving the technical, interpersonal, and leadership skills of the adult and youth members of the region communities.

They can always use your help!

Resources from today

Microsoft DreamSpark – don’t forget the free training of the program.

Microsoft BizSpark – let’s make Hartford: New England’s Rising Software Star :)

Microsoft’s DigiGirlz Programs – 2 years and running in Connecticut!

P.S. Matthew, you’ll want to show them Project Natal…

…but here’s the one about the 2019 vision I showed you.

Windows 7 RC Developer Training Kit

eek! I submit that one of the best blog posts that I’ve read on Windows 7 for Developers is Mike Taulty’s Windows 7: What’s there for Developers? Cool stuff from Mike. If you are looking to get a handle on some of the cool new features that Windows 7 offers developers, the same team that brought you the world famous training kits, now offer you the Windows 7 RC Developer Training Kit. Go get it!

From the link:

The Windows 7 Training Kit for Developers includes presentations, hands-on labs, and demos. This content is based on Windows 7 RC and provides an early peak to our final training. This training kit is designed to help you learn how to build applications that shine on Windows 7 by utilizing key features such as:

• Taskbar
• Libraries
• Multi Touch
• Sensors and Location
• Ribbon
• Trigger Start Services,
• Instrumentation and ETW
• Application Compatibility

It’s all about the Tools!

eek! Our dear friend Russ has a TV Show and its called – It’s All About the Tools -catch episode 2 and more! Watch Russ and guests showcase great demos and get geeky. As Russ says, make some popcorn and enjoy!

Jumpstart your VS2010 skills

eek! If you’ve downloaded the training kit and are ready to get your hands dirty, Dan Fernandez’s cheat sheet will definitely save you time and aggravation. Pay special attention to the link from Brian Keller on how to download and install VS2010. For Vijay, who asked a question on templates and website, I’d recommend…

• Start here on the Web Development features in ASP.NET 4.0
• Try a 10-4 episode
• Visit the Visual Studio Extensibility Blog for some of their recent announcements (templates, SDK, DSL, SDK docs, etc.)

You down with PHP, yeah you know me

eek! If you didn’t see it yet, the latest PHP Architect Magazine is dedicated to running PHP on Windows. Articles include:

• Installing PHP on Windows
• Configure and Optimize PHP on Windows
• Getting Started with the SQL Server Driver for PHP

Oh and this month’s issue is free (registration required though).

P.S. Extending PHP to Azure is also welcome!

Get trained on Visual Studio 2010 and .NET Framework 4.0 – Today!

eek! If you missed it, the team that brought you the other cool training kits, has a new version for the beta of Visual Studio 2010 and the .NET Framework 4.0.

28 Presentations, 13 demos and 16 hands on labs with topics ranging from Data Access to Parallel Computing.

Get the training kit today and get ahead!

bing is…

eek! B(ing) I(s) the N(ext) G(oogle). The announce here and more bing next week!

Search you later! Happy Friday.

How Architects are made

eek! If you are looking to don that coveted architect tag, then this event may be for you. Join us on Tuesday June 2, 2009 in Cambridge MA for The Architect Factory - Take Your Technical Skills to the Next Level.

Details on registration, directions and agenda are available here - it is a free event and will fill up quickly.

Why?

The Architect Factory event focuses on you, senior technologists interested in becoming software, solutions, enterprise, or design architects. This event helps bridge the knowledge gap between senior technical, design, enterprise, information, and solutions roles and real-world architecture roles, putting you on the path to becoming an architect in your field.

Are you looking to take that next step and expand/extend your skills to next level? What differentiates you from other technology job seekers today? With competition here at home and technical jobs going overseas, how can you make your skills stand out?

This is an opportunity to establish yourself as a visionary that architects the future, being able to design and create integrated systems that solve complex business problems. It can be challenging to find the right information and advice for taking steps toward becoming an architect, so join us for The Architect Factory and you’ll be well on your way!

Social Computing for Business and SharePoint – Its in the Game!

eek! Nice case study on the use of SharePoint and its social computing features.

I particularly like the benefits section…

The company sees EA People as a great way for its 9,000 employees to connect, share ideas, start conversations, learn more about one another, and grow professionally. The ultimate goal is to foster better collaboration, more innovative game ideas, and an ability to create action-packed games on fast-paced schedules. EA People provides new and long-time employees a convenient place to find the information and the expertise in other employees that they need to be more creative and successful.

Replace “game” with insurance or the product your company sells and this could be you :) Got a story to tell? Drop me a line!

MSDN Subscribers enjoying early access

eek! If you are one of them, get Visual Studio 2010 Beta 1 now! The Training Kit will need to be revved, looking forward to that.

This PHP Elephant is Azure – get the SDK

eek! If you missed it last week, there is a new PHP SDK for Windows Azure!

For more background on PHP in Azure, check out the ever useful Steve Marx’s blog (this particular entry explains how to program Azure with PHP that predates this SDK). For those of you new to Azure, the “How Do I” videos are very well done imho.

Looking to get PHP working on IIS 7 locally and then in Windows Azure? There’s a great hands on lab in the Azure Services Training Kit.