Register now for the next MSDN Live Meeting (organized by Microsoft Belgium and Luxembourg), hosted by myself, on April 12, 2011: Lunchbox - Developing a Windows Phone 7 Application at Microsoft leveraging Windows Azure.
Timing
April 12, 2011 - 14:00 – 15:30 (Belgian time: GMT +01:00)
Abstract
The Lunchbox Windows Phone 7 application was developed by a group of enthusiast people within Microsoft, which I was proud to be part of, with the aim to showcase the capabilities of the Microsoft application platform. We have found that in developing an application that requires some server-based components, a level of complexity gets added to your design. In this session, we will focus on the complexities that come with developing an application with client and server components. Specifically, we’ll talk about using the Windows Azure Platform to host the server components, implementing asynchronous server logic and how to perform authentication and authorization to protect your data.
* If you attend this webcast you will get a FREE Windows Phone 7 Dev Hub T-shirt! *
>> Register now for this free webcast.
The Windows Azure Toolkit for Windows Phone 7 is designed to make it easier for you to build mobile applications that leverage cloud services running in Windows Azure. The toolkit includes Visual Studio project templates for Windows Phone 7 and Windows Azure, class libraries optimized for use on the phone, sample applications, and documentation.
Windows Azure
Windows Azure is a cloud-computing platform that lets you run applications and store data in the cloud. Instead of having to worry about building out the underlying infrastructure and managing the operating system, you can simply build your application and deploy it to Windows Azure. Windows Azure provides developers with on-demand compute, storage, networking, and content delivery capabilities.
For more information about Windows Azure, visit the Windows Azure website. For developer focused training material, download the Windows Azure Platform Training Kit or view the online Windows Azure Platform Training Course.
Getting started: If you’re looking to try out the Windows Azure Platform free for 30-days—without using a credit card—try the Windows Azure Pass with promo code “CloudCover”. For more details, see Try Out Windows Azure with a Free Pass.
Content
You can start building your application on it in 3 simple and easy to do steps:
1. Download the Tools:
Get Visual Studio Express and the Windows Azure Tools for Visual Studio to start building and debugging applications for the Windows Azure Platform http://tinyurl.com/learnaboutazure. If you have already Visual Studio installed you can download the tools directly from http://tinyurl.com/toolsforazure. Also download the Windows Azure Toolkit for Windows Phone 7.
2. Setup an Account:
Set up an account and obtain a free subscription for accessing the online portals for Windows Azure, SQL Azure and Windows Azure AppFabric. You can learn more about the accounts http://tinyurl.com/getazureaccount or you can sign up directly and get the trial http://tinyurl.com/getazurefreetrial.
3. Create your First application and Deploy it on the Windows Azure Platform:
First learn how to create a simple ASP.NET application in Visual Studio for Windows Azure on your local machine http://tinyurl.com/localazureapplication. Once successfully created, learn how to deploy this application on the Windows Azure Platform http://tinyurl.com/deployazureapplication.
When all steps are executed successfully you should have running your first mobile application on the Windows Azure Platform!
Stay up to date with the latest news from MSDN and TechNet in Belgium and Luxembourg via our new desktop gadget. It’s free, easy to install and very practical: you won’t miss anything of the latest tech news, blogs, videos and events as they are all fed right into your desktop!
Small & Large
Once you’ve installed the gadget, you’ll see that there are 2 formats available: the small format rotates the latest news, the large format consists of 4 tabs (News, Events, Blogs and Videos). Every post has a small abstract allowing you to quickly scan it and click to the full story if you want to know more. Search via Bing and links to the MSDN & TechNet Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn pages are integrated as well.
Functionalities
- Language You can easily change the language of the content that will be fed into the gadget: Dutch or French (both options will include English posts as well). - MSDN or TechNet or both? You can choose which feeds you would like to have on or off. Are you only interested in news from MSDN or would you also like to receive info from TechNet? Just tick the right boxes to create your very own combination of feeds. - Background The default Windows 7 background can be changed to an MSDN or a TechNet background, as you wish.
Local info
It’s important to note that most of the info that’s fed into this gadget is coming from the local MSDN & TechNet team in Belgium and Luxembourg. This is the perfect tool to stay informed about local events that Microsoft is organizing for developers and IT professionals, insights from the Belgian MSDN & TechNet team and locally produced video recordings with technical community leaders.
>> Download it now!
Check out the live agenda and find out why you should attend TechDays 2011. Review the sessions and speakers and build your own personalized agenda. Today we already have more than 1200 registrations. Don’t lose time and register now before the event sells out!
If you haven't decided yet, we give you more than just a few reasons why you should not miss this event.
Developer Opening Keynote We are happy to announce Scott Hanselman will be joining TechDays 2011 for the developer Opening Keynote this year. The Main Conference During the main conference on April 26th and 27th, six Developer and IT-Pro tracks bring you a mix of new technology and in-depth content on current technology with over 60 technical sessions planned. With the full agenda now published, you can filter sessions and build your personalized agenda for the event. Deep Dives (post-conference) On the third day of TechDays, on April 28th, we host a Deep Dive day with four different tracks for developers and IT-Professionals. As a developer you can choose between two tracks that go in-depth and focus on Best Practices : Visual Studio Application Lifecycle Management and Cloud (Windows Azure). As an IT Professional you have the following two options : Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (by Corey Hynes) or Direct Access (by John Craddock). Next to learning there is also the networking aspect of this conference. We give you the opportunity to connect with Product Managers from Redmond, meet your peers, talk to our user groups and much more. Don't wait to register before it's too late! PS. You can also follow the TechDays on Twitter and/or Facebook.
Internet Explorer 9 RTW is now available for download. The latest version of IE is strong on speed and standards support, providing experiences that are just as vivid, interactive, and high-fidelity as native applications - without the need for plug-ins. IE9 includes support for HTML5 with features like Canvas, video and audio, semantic tagging,…; CSS3, SVG, ECMAScript5, a brand new JavaScript engine dubbed Chakra. With features like SmartScreen and Tracking Protection, security stays a top priority as well.
Actions and resources:
With hardware acceleration and HTML5 standards support sites shine through. Take a look at these demos that take full advantage of the browser:
On February 21, 2011 we invited the top 20 winners of the ‘Crack the code’ contest (http://www.itinyourdna.be) to an exclusive Awards Ceremony at the Microsoft Belgium office in Zaventem. The evening get-to-gether was kicked off by Luc Van de Velde (Director of the Developer and Platform Group), sharing his views on the evolution of the IT industry and his own personal IT story. The winners were then called on stage to receive their prize, followed by a guided tour of the office, explaining the way we work. We closed the evening with drinks and networking with Belgian MVP’s and active members of User Groups.
More pictures can be found here.
We also recorded a number of videos in which some of the winners explain why they have IT in their DNA:
“My first computer: an IBM (very expensive machine) with 2MB RAM, hard disk of 8MB, 368 processor ... unimaginable!” Peter Van den Daele – winner of a TechDays 2011 ticket
“In every family there is 1 guy where people come to when they have problems with their pc and in my family that's me!” Kenneth Troch – winner of an Acer Netbook
“My first pc: I brought it back to the store every week, because I broke something, edited the boot files, ... But I've learned a lot of it!“ Dave Jacobs – winner of a TechDays 2011 ticket
Do you have IT in your DNA too? We’re offering another chance to win a 3-day ticket for TechDays 2011 (26 – 27 – 28 April 2011)! A lot of people have IT in their DNA: share your IT story with us (where did your passion begin, do you remember your first computer, do you have any family members that are working in the IT industry too, … ?)
How to participate? Send your IT story (max. 1.000 words) to msdnbewm@microsoft.com before March 29, 2011. Feel free to add pictures and videos that reinforce your story (as an attachment or via a link).
The two most original stories (to be judged by an independent jury of IT influencers) will be awarded with a 3-day ticket for TechDays 2011. The winners will be announced on April 5, 2011.
We’re looking forward to listening to your story!
>> TELL YOUR STORY
The February 2011 update of the Windows Azure Platform Training Kit includes several updates and bug fixes for the hands-on labs. Most of the updates were focused on supporting the new Windows Azure AppFabric February CTP and the new portal experience for AppFabric Caching, Access Control, and the Service Bus. The specific content that was updated in this release includes:
· Hands-on Lab - Building Windows Azure Apps with the Caching service
· Hands-on Lab – Using the Access Control Service to Federate with Multiple Business Identity Providers
· Hands-on Lab – Introduction to the AppFabric Access Control Service V2
· Hands-on Lab - Introduction to the Windows Azure AppFabric Service Bus Futures
· Hands-on Lab - Advanced Web and Worker Roles – fixed PHP installer script
· Demo Script – Rafiki PDC Keynote Demo
The setup scripts for all hands-on labs and demo scripts have also been updated so that the content can easily be used on a machine running Windows 7 SP1.
You can download the February update of the Windows Azure Platform Training kit from here: http://bit.ly/WAPTKFeb11. We’re also continuing to publish the hands-on labs directly to MSDN to make it easier for developers to review and use the content without having to download an entire training kit package. You can browse to all of the HOLs here: http://bit.ly/WAPTCFeb11. Feel free to blog or tweet these URLs.
Get Visual Studio Express and the Windows Azure Tools for Visual Studio to start building and debugging applications for the Windows Azure Platform http://tinyurl.com/learnaboutazure. If you have already Visual Studio installed you can download the tools directly from http://tinyurl.com/toolsforazure.
When all steps are executed successfully you should have running your first application on the Windows Azure Platform!
The 2011 Data News Awards for Excellence are an important annual ICT contest and event. Microsoft is nominated for these awards, we hope we can count on your vote in two categories:
Software company of the year:
· Also in 2010, we offer you the broadest set of software solutions for both the consumer and businesses, small & large. · We bridge both on-premise solutions and public Cloud Power. Microsoft leads in customer cloud solutions with Windows Live Hotmail and Office Web Apps; and is number one in commercial cloud with the Windows Azure Platform, Office 365, Dynamics CRM Online, and Windows Intune. · We introduced in 2010 the most innovative browser Internet Explorer 9, with HTML 5, full Windows 7 integration with pinned sites, and the highest security level on the market. · In 2010, we “software-ized” telephony, video & conferencing with Microsoft Lync for businesses and Windows Live Messenger for consumers.
Most innovative company of the Year:
· In 2010, we made you the controller, with Kinect for Xbox 360, and that’s only the beginning of the potential for that innovative peace of hardware. · We connected you all over again, and connected your Outlook 2010 and Messenger to your LinkedIn and Facebook accounts. · Since 2010, we offer you the cloud, on your terms, with cloud versions of all our business solutions, blending on-premise and in the cloud. · In 2010, we innovated the phone with a completely new mobile interface in Windows Phone 7, integrating Xbox, Office and all your social networks. · A continuous innovation of our flagship product: Office. Each and every component got a major overhaul in 2010. Ever tried Office XP lately? :)
On top of all that, Microsoft Belgium & Luxemburg is a local company, employing 300+ employees and thousands of partners implementing our solutions. For every $ Microsoft earns, the local economy makes 7. That’s the result of innovation.
HTML5 Web Camp Belgium on April 6th is now open for registration. Enjoy a full afternoon of sessions delivered by the Belgian web agencies and partners including Netlog, LBi and These Days.
What: HTML5 Web Camp Belgium – a full afternoon of sessions presented by the Belgian web companies followed by a reception Where: Living Tomorrow Indringingsweg 1 Vilvoorde When: April 6th 2011 13:30 to 18:00 – Sessions by Netlog, Ferranti, These Days and LBi 18:30 to 22:00 – Reception (optional registration) Type: free event
>> Register for HTML5 Web Camp Belgium
Looking for more information about HTML5, CSS3, JavaScript, Geolocation, Canvas, jQuery, WebSockets? This is your opportunity to learn from the Belgian agencies on how they are using the new functionalities today on customer projects.
13:00
Registration
13:30
Welcome and introduction to the event (Katrien De Graeve)
14:10
Location-aware shouting Speaker: Frank Desmettre, Netlog
HTML5 offers several solutions for augmenting the experience of users on the web. One of these solutions is providing an accurate location of a user. Most of today's smartphones already support the technique of requesting your location through GPS but now an HTLM5 compatible browser can also pinpoint your location based on the IP of your device and nearby wireless access points.
At Netlog we've been using the Geolocation API to add location information to user messages (shouts) both on the web version and the mobile site. This location is used to place them on a map that can be easily navigated using HTML5. This way we enable users to find out what's going on around them or on a location of their choice.
15:20
How Object-Oriented JavaScript can help your HTML5 site Speakers: Pieter Helsen and Bram Verdyck, These Days
We all know that we now have a new Canvas element and some other very cool HTML5 tags, but how do you get to implementing these correctly? The www.frameratefest.nl site for example, is a mere 200 lines of HTML. How is this possible? Say Hello to OO JavaScript.
By using the Frameratefest site These Days will explain how this concept has helped develop the site. We'll dive into code!
16:30
WebSockts on Fire Speaker: Jef Claes, Ferranti
While the WebSockets API specification is not stable yet, various browser vendors have already implemented a prototype in their latest browser versions. Microsoft released their WebSockets prototype in December 2010. While there is no native implementation of WebSockets in IE9 just yet, for now they are providing a solution which works cross-browser, relying on a Silverlight client. Server-side a Windows Communication Foundation server is made available, which implements the latest version of the WebSockets protocol.
In this session, Jef covers the WebSockets fundamentals, demonstrate a proof of concept that could be used in various fire department web applications and deep-dive into the code of this proof of concept.
17:25
Creating cross-browser designs with CSS3 and jQuery in a SCRUM methodology Speaker: Tim Vermaelen, LBi
As today's web applications are growing in complexity, making them cross-browser is still key to success. Since history of web design we've seen all kinds of techniques that tackle browser issues. Still, they are very time consuming and expensive. This presentation will give you a quick look on what's possible these days with CSS3 and jQuery and how you can save time creating cross-browser web applications. Throw away half of your HTML code, half of your background images and start using more flexible techniques. This session is going to be based on a case of a big Belgian company, to be shown during the session.
18:30
Cocktail Reception (optional)
What if you’re not able to make it? The good news is all sessions are recorded and will be available for on-demand viewing shortly after the event.
Blog bling: you’re welcome to invite peers and colleagues to attend. Here’s two banners you can use:
Using this link: http://bit.ly/html5webcampbe