Excerpt from New York Times Article:
The Online Search Party: A Way to Share the Load http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/23/business/23novelties.html
OPPORTUNITIES for social networking abound on the Internet, but not when it comes to one standard job: using a browser and search engine to comb the Web for information. That task is still typically done solo, because browser displays and search procedures have traditionally been designed for a single user. Now tools are being developed by Microsoft and other companies that let people at different computers search as a team, dividing responsibilities and pooling results and recommendations in a shared Web space on the browser display as they plan a family vacation, for instance, or research a medical problem.
OPPORTUNITIES for social networking abound on the Internet, but not when it comes to one standard job: using a browser and search engine to comb the Web for information. That task is still typically done solo, because browser displays and search procedures have traditionally been designed for a single user.
Now tools are being developed by Microsoft and other companies that let people at different computers search as a team, dividing responsibilities and pooling results and recommendations in a shared Web space on the browser display as they plan a family vacation, for instance, or research a medical problem.
MY COMMENT: Give it a try from Microsoft SearchTogether (Beta)
To download the Times Reader, click here.
We had a busy day on Thursday.
It’s time for the first round of Parent/Teacher Conferences and we had 3 of them on the same day at different locations!
As we met with each of Billy’s teachers, they asked us about Billy’s Crocodile Wrestling.
What?
Seems like our young fellow has been spinning a few yarns!
He was interviewed for an article in the local school newspaper and he let rip with a couple of doozies!
The ultimate Rugby player, the future star member of the Wallabies (the Australian Rugby Union): Billy Arrigo has joined The Bear Creek School. Arrigo came to Kirkland last year and attended Kirkland Jr. High. He plays with the Axe Men in Marymoor, demonstrating what it means to be a master rugby player by showing amazing skills and impressing his coach, quickly becoming a very trusted member of the team. In his previous school, Knox, back in Sydney, Billy’s team was undefeated for the two years he was in the team. Rugby is an odd sport, unpopular in the U.S., something only few countries in the world favor. However, something even more strange and unique to Australia is crocodile wrestling. Arrigo did just that. Back in his home town Sydney, he placed first in the Sydney 18 and under Crocodile Wrestling Tournament. Picking up rowing this past summer, he wanted to keep in shape during the rugby off season. Arrigo rows 6 km (3.73 miles) daily. After school, he can be found in the pickup area wearing his Chinook rowing shirt saying, “I better get rowing now!”
The ultimate Rugby player, the future star member of the Wallabies (the Australian Rugby Union): Billy Arrigo has joined The Bear Creek School.
Arrigo came to Kirkland last year and attended Kirkland Jr. High. He plays with the Axe Men in Marymoor, demonstrating what it means to be a master rugby player by showing amazing skills and impressing his coach, quickly becoming a very trusted member of the team. In his previous school, Knox, back in Sydney, Billy’s team was undefeated for the two years he was in the team.
Rugby is an odd sport, unpopular in the U.S., something only few countries in the world favor. However, something even more strange and unique to Australia is crocodile wrestling. Arrigo did just that. Back in his home town Sydney, he placed first in the Sydney 18 and under Crocodile Wrestling Tournament.
Picking up rowing this past summer, he wanted to keep in shape during the rugby off season. Arrigo rows 6 km (3.73 miles) daily. After school, he can be found in the pickup area wearing his Chinook rowing shirt saying, “I better get rowing now!”
LOL! Nice one Bill. You’ve been found out!
I’m celebrating another birthday today.
It happens every year, around this time.
I’ve been overwhelmed by all the best wishes from my friends via email, twitter, facebook – however folks can get in touch, they have. Makes me feel all warm inside. Thank you to all who left me a note – I will get back to each and everyone of you!
So, some trivia about my age: 3x3x5, XLV, half way to a right angle, the atomic number of rhodium, not to mention a triangular number, a hexagonal and 16-gonal number, a Kaprekar number, a Harshad number and a Størmer number.
I also happen to share a birthday with Ted Stevens, Brenda Vaccaro, Linda Evans, Graham Parker, Kevin Nealon, Oscar Nunez, Elizabeth Perkins, Kim Wilde, Owen Wilson, and Merrick Watts just to name a few.
What else happened on this day? : Wikipedia – NYTimes - BBC
Anyways, time for "Brimful of Asha" by Cornershop
At the PDC, I met up with Vincent Rithner, who is the man behind Sobees. I wrote a post about bTwitter, which was another neat WPF app from the team. Now the full platform is done!
So what is Sobees?
It’s a social desktop aggregator. sobees organizes and integrates Web applications and services onto the desktop and offers an easy user experience to you and your social network. With sobees, you can easily share photos, news and videos with your friends, you keep track of your friends, follow the Elections or any other topic which interests you, search web and more
It’s a social desktop aggregator. sobees organizes and integrates Web applications and services onto the desktop and offers an easy user experience to you and your social network.
With sobees, you can easily share photos, news and videos with your friends, you keep track of your friends, follow the Elections or any other topic which interests you, search web and more
It has just been recently released in beta and has had some good coverage
I’ve just gotten around to installing it, and I will give it a test run this weekend
First impression is that it is a slick WPF app.
Behind the scenes, it is 100% WPF 3.5 sp1, the server DB is SQL2008 and they are using LinqToEnties for both SQLCe and SQL2008 to manage the data, and they using FileStreaming of SQL2008 to manage the update of both platform and modules. I hope we will find out more behind the scenes info from the Sobees Blog,
As soon as the PDC ended, the team has begun work on MIX09.
You know, March isn’t that far away! Time for me to find a job on the crew again! and I need to decide which piece of bling do i put on my blog
The Web Belongs to You. <3 Your Web at MIX09. Explore the future of the Web with fellow developers and designers at MIX09, March 18 - 20, 2009 at The Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas. Now in its fourth year, MIX is a unique technology conference that connects web professionals with industry thought leaders to explore the future of the Web together. It’s true – your Web needs you, and MIX is where you’ll get access to the tools, knowledge, and vision to create the next generation of UX, applications, and web design. What’s New for MIX09? · Learn from and connect with more external speakers than ever before. View latest speaker list. More speakers and sessions to be announced in December. · Register for pre-event workshops designed to provide in-depth focus on practical skills and topics for both developer and designer professionals. · MIX09 sessions will focus on key topics for web professionals ranging from user experience design methodologies and standards-based web development techniques to creating rich internet and client applications. More sessions and speakers to be announced in December. · Compete in the inaugural MIX10K or Restyle challenges and win a trip to MIX09 on us! For the first time in MIX history, the community will help select winners. Contest details to be announced in November. · Learn about the future of Microsoft’s web platform and tools, including Silverlight™, Internet Explorer®, Expression®, ASP.NET and others. Space is even more limited this year at MIX, so register early to secure your spot. You’ll receive $200 off the conference price when you register by January 15. MIX09 Dates and Location WHEN: March 18 - 20, 2009 Pre-Event Workshops: March 17 WHERE: The Venetian Hotel (http://www.venetian.com/), Las Vegas, NV
Explore the future of the Web with fellow developers and designers at MIX09, March 18 - 20, 2009 at The Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas.
Now in its fourth year, MIX is a unique technology conference that connects web professionals with industry thought leaders to explore the future of the Web together. It’s true – your Web needs you, and MIX is where you’ll get access to the tools, knowledge, and vision to create the next generation of UX, applications, and web design.
What’s New for MIX09?
· Learn from and connect with more external speakers than ever before. View latest speaker list. More speakers and sessions to be announced in December.
· Register for pre-event workshops designed to provide in-depth focus on practical skills and topics for both developer and designer professionals.
· MIX09 sessions will focus on key topics for web professionals ranging from user experience design methodologies and standards-based web development techniques to creating rich internet and client applications. More sessions and speakers to be announced in December.
· Compete in the inaugural MIX10K or Restyle challenges and win a trip to MIX09 on us! For the first time in MIX history, the community will help select winners. Contest details to be announced in November.
· Learn about the future of Microsoft’s web platform and tools, including Silverlight™, Internet Explorer®, Expression®, ASP.NET and others.
Space is even more limited this year at MIX, so register early to secure your spot. You’ll receive $200 off the conference price when you register by January 15.
MIX09 Dates and Location
WHEN: March 18 - 20, 2009 Pre-Event Workshops: March 17
WHERE: The Venetian Hotel (http://www.venetian.com/), Las Vegas, NV
REGISTER NOW http://2009.visitmix.com/Registration/
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I made the leap to the "PDC release" of Windows 7 on one of my machines.
Relatively painless install.
I was curious about the User Agent, so I went to UserAgent.org and found out
Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 8.0; Windows NT 6.1; WOW64; Trident/4.0; SLCC2; .NET CLR 2.0.50727; Media Center PC 6.0; .NET CLR 3.5.30729; .NET CLR 3.0.30729; .NET CLR 1.1.4322; InfoPath.2; MS-RTC LM 8)
What a monster!
Another big day of announcements.
Today, BizSpark has been announced. This a global program designed to help accelerate the success of early stage software Startups. BizSpark is the result of seven years spent getting feedbacks from ISVs, startups and competitive ISVs.
This program lasts 3 years. There are no upfront costs. No Commitments. Startups just have to pay 100$ at graduation.
Startups get access to BizSpark either through a Network Partner (e.g. TiE, NVCA, select Venture Capitalists, and over 300+ entrepreneurial-focused organizations with a strong track record to helping young and promising technology companies success or through Microsoft BizSpark Program Leads (called “BizSpark Champs”). Startups can find both at Microsoft.com/bizspark.
Program Details:
Eligibility: BizSpark is available to startups that fit the following criteria.
Availability:
www.microsoftstartupzone.com/bizspark has all the detailed program information
On a personal note, I have play a small part in working on this and I am a very fortunate to be “BizSpark Champ”. Drop me a comment if you would like to get connected.