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All right, I may have written this slot machine code, however, I am not claiming it is mine, it was on a very old thumbdrive I found (it had 500 megabytes capacity so it was very old, also had some pictures of my last dog as a puppy, Gidget). In the past, most VC++ or C++ projects used console output...

Let’s face it, C++ is getting a little boring as is. But to deviate from the C++ spec is evil. What to do? Well if the language compiles like C++ specified language is that enough? Here is the explanation from the Dev Center site: Visual C++ in Visual Studio 11 for Windows 8 Consumer Preview...

In my previous blog, I showed you how to use a pre-built class to generate animations that move like a Gif, mainly because I have not shown you how to move the image. But reviewing the code, it seemed somewhat complicated, which means I didn’t quite get it, maybe you did. So when that happens I...

What is it about the XNA free information with respect to Sprite animation? Why is it so hard to find a useful post on how to generate an animation? I have no idea, but then again, most of my posts are useless, but maybe this one won’t be. Also, will you be able to use this with Windows 8? Not...

Charles Petzold free eBook is great , except that it doesn’t cover the use of Sliverlight-XNA tools that are in the current version of Windows Phone. One of the most reliable source on how to use the Silverlight XNA hybrid is the MSDN Article at: How to: Combine Silverlight and the XNA...

What in the heck do you do to fix the “enableGPUAcceleration=true on your Silverlight plugin page.” Then you go to the ASPX or the HTML page and you see that both have the line: <param name="enableGPUAcceleration" value="true" /> So WTF. Now you might be frustrated, you...

Silverlight is dead, but Scott Guthrie on Dec. 2, 2010, not too long ago, stated the following and about the future of Silverlight: ”… [W}e do live in a very connected world now, and there are a lot of devices out there, and users demand and expect the richest possible experiences...

Number 1 with a bullet! Read Bruno Terkaly excellent article about how the Microsoft Azure Cloud works with mobile platforms and not just the Windows Phone 7. Bruno is no Microsoft Fanboy and you should definitely read his blog, I do. But it doesn’t help with my style, Bruno’s blog is...

This is a follow on to the post at: Office 2010: C# and Office! Secret stuff. Strictly burn before reading Deploying Your Solutions: Deploying Office Solutions: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb386179.aspx Preparing Computers to Run or Host Office Solutions: http://msdn...

  Doing some research on how to build an app that uses Skydrive, think leaderboard for games, and the search for useful items turned up a bunch of flotsam (which is different than jetsam by the way).  So here are some of the links I think might be useful, I have looked at most of them and Live...

Some questions have come up around the use of Kinect and Autistic children, as usual any good questions are fuel for my blog! Bear in mind I don’t have children, and only deal with Computer Science students and professors as well as fellow team members and managers at Microsoft.  But the question...

If you looked at the code for the sdkExcecutionModelCS uses a View Model. The code sample does a nice job of using the View Model. By that I mean that usually the View Model samples are complex and hard to understand without lots of writing. To keep the post shorter, in this blog I am only covering...

In the 1960s hippies spent a lot of time trying to determine who there really were. Like the substance abuse in those years, as a teenager I always felt that was just stupid, I knew who I was and when I got my driver’s license I would be able to prove it! Then in the 70s,everyone thought that the...

To make the Platformer app look like a Christmas app, you will need to modify the sprites used, as well as background images. To see all of this post you will need to scroll down as there is more to the post than what I can include in a single screen. And ok, this is kind of late for Christmas, but...

Wow, if you got no money and you are looking for something to do that might make you money, then consider using Expression Blend to build phone apps. Quick easy and requires no case on your part if you are a student or have a .edu email account! I am recently impressed by the ability of Expression...

It’s so simple that you might now quite get it, there is a first screen, like a splash screen, then the main play screen appears. You could add code to include a help screen, etc. Or not. In this case a splash screen appears for 3 seconds, total time, then another screen appears that has a molecule...

With some software considerations, you can easily move the background image around to fit the orientation of the phone. To get to the attached zip file, you will need to scroll down to the bottom of the page. Code Snippet using System; using Microsoft.Xna.Framework; using Microsoft...

Here is a simple example that shows how to determine the Screen Orientation on Windows Phone 7 The example project is zipped at the bottom of the code. You may need to scroll down to see it. Leave a comment if you do download it! Orientation using System; using System.Collections...

This is the code that is used at the pre-Hackathon training session on Thursday. The code is explained using the “Flower” type of comments (don’t use this in production, it is used by me to illustrate many points in the code). If you do not open the attached (scroll down to the...

What does the code look like when it is prepared for use by the microprocessor?  To do this you would examine the code using the Ildasm.exe (MSIL Disassembler), which is installed when you install Professional or Ultimate versions of Visual Studio or the Windows SDK.  Installation requirements...

Like any professional, you may hit some speed bumps when you are new at something, then later in your career you will hit even more speed bumps and then wish you did something else for a career.  Wasn’t that depressing.  But software after awhile becomes second nature, then you die.  No...

Oh crude, what is that headline, what has happened to my titles?  Have I gone crazy?  No, no more than normal.  Ok, maybe. The accelerometer is turned on in the phone by using the the following reference and using statement in your code.  Gyros may be available in the future, Set...

Just Talking First off, a quick note to Dr. Shin Liu students, please check Dr. Liu’s class online blackboard for my direct contact information. Next: Don’t lose your keyless entry fob for a Prius, holey moley, $102 programming charge and $214 bucks for the FOB with the extra key. And...

With the new Nokia phone, free tools and lots of time on your hands (you do have lots of time on your hands?) you might want to build some fun games for your friends, family and even people who you don’t know, but might want to pay a dollar for the joy of sharing Christmas with your.  If you live...

My favorite new guy on the team, Jerry Nixon , (click on his name to see his blog), my favorite because he is the only new guy. But considering my own seniority at Microsoft, most everyone is a new person. And I sent him an email yesterday, similar to the following: ******************************...