Nick's Blog

All things technical about the Microsoft platform

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  • Nick's Blog

    Join the Windows 8 App Race: Win Visual Studio headphones and Asus tablets

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    Join the App Race and win!


    We want to give you a push in the back to develop great applications – join the Windows 8 App Race and win:

    Windows 8 App Race

    How to win

    Your app(s) need to be published between April 1 and June 15, 2013. Complete the contest form(s) on http://aka.ms/race.

    There is no limit to the number of entries you can submit but each entry must be substantially unique and different. The date and time of the first and fifth application as part of the entry submitted in a particular timeframe will determine the winners of the tablets. Note: this contest is only open for residents from Belgium and Luxembourg. Please read the full terms & conditions of this contest before entering. Questions? Contact us msdnbewm@microsoft.com.

    We’re looking forward to see your apps shine in the Store … and who knows soon on your brand new Asus tablet!

  • Nick's Blog

    Windows Azure Infrastructure as a Service General Availability

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    image

    Today we announced the general availability of our Windows Azure Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) support! With this release Azure Virtual Machines and Virtual Network move out of Preview and are now ready to use for your production apps.

    With Azure Virtual Machines you can deploy and run durable VMs in the cloud, provisioned from prebuilt templates or alternatively upload your own custom-built VMs.  All this in a matter of seconds!  Azure Virtual Network allows you to securely bridge between your on-premises infrastructure and your infrastructure in the cloud. This gives you the flexibility to run your workloads where you want, but manage them all in the same way.

    Whether you want to securely extend your on-premises network to Windows Azure or you want to create a virtual private network with persistent private IPs..

    Let’s look in more detail into what we have announced today:

    • For memory intensive scenarios, we are now introducing two high-memory compute instances: 4 core x 28GB RAM and 8 core x 56GB RAM. With these VM sizes you can run even larger workloads on Windows Azure, for example SharePoint Server or SQL Server workloads.
    • We have added several new VM image templates to the Image Gallery, such as SQL Server 2012, BizTalk Server 2013 and SharePoint Server 2013 images. These images also come with hourly billing, so you don’t have to pay for an upfront license.
    • We have updated the SLA for Virtual Machines and Virtual Network.  For VMs that have 2 or more instances deployed in the same availability set, we have a 99.95% SLA for external connectivity.  For Virtual Network, we guarantee a 99.9% Virtual Network Gateway availability.
    • As of this announcement, Virtual Machines and Virtual Network are now supported by Microsoft Support staff, so you can confidently run your production apps on Azure.

     

    On top of all these great features, we’re also announcing significant pricing reductions to our Windows Azure PaaS and IaaS VM pricing. You can expect to see from 20% (Virtual Machines) to 33% (Cloud Services) price reductions! These new prices are effective as of June 1.  And as of today, we’re also adding 50 hours of free memory-intensive-instance hours to our member offers and 90-day trials.

    For a more detailed description of the announcement, you can check out Scott Guthrie’s blogpost.

     

    If you don’t already have a Windows Azure account, you can sign-up for a free trial and start using all of the above features today.  Did you know that you already have a lot of free Azure resources as part of your MSDN, MPN or BizSpark membership?

    If you want to learn more about our Windows Azure IaaS capabilities, don’t forget to listen in on our dedicated IaaS webcast on April 30. If you want to experience this great technology hands-on, join us for our Azure IT Camp on May 6.

  • Nick's Blog

    Relive TechDays Belgium 2013 online: videos and slides available!

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    TechDays


    2 weeks ago we closed the Microsoft TechDays 2013 in Antwerp. Close to 2900 IT Professionals, Developers and Students enjoyed 90 sessions with top content led by a broad selection of international and local top speakers. A special THANK YOU goes to our partners, our MVP’s and MEET (Microsoft Extended Experts Team) members and of course, all our enthusiastic attendees!

    What’s next?

    The session videos and slides are now available on www.techdays.be! (Re)live the sessions and take the next steps to truly master the technologies.

    Warm up with a selection from our Technical Evanglists Arlindo Alves and Katrien De Graeve:

    Arlindo’s Top Selection Katrien’s Top Selection
    Hackers (Not) Halted with Paula Januszkiewicz

    Become a Windows 8 and Windows Phone App Developer at TechDays with Ben Riga

    Moving from Device Centric to a User Centric Management with Corey Hynes

    Bigger, Faster, Stronger: Optimizing ASP.NET 4 and 4.5 Applications with Mads Kristensen

    Windows 8 Client: Part 1 "The OS internals for IT-Pro's" and Part 2 "The Application internals for IT-Pro's" with Tom Decaluwé

    Behind the scenes of (as many) C# language features with Bart De Smet

    Enjoy!


    The TechDays Team

    Questions? Connect with us on Twitter, Facebook or simply via e-mail.

  • Nick's Blog

    [MOOC] Start building apps on Windows 8

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    Windows 8 is a Windows re-imagined designed for both touch and keyboard. It is a mobile cloud-powered system which makes it easy to keep people connected and across multiple devices while leveraging the power of all the new capabilities of today’s hardware, such as GPS, 3G, NFC,…

    It’s made easier, but now that you have more powers, you also have greater responsibilities! It means you’ll discover new APIs, new design principles, …

    But one of the most important thing you have to know about Windows 8, is that you can reuse your skills ! It doesn’t matter if you are a Web developer or already familiar with Microsoft technologies. You can bring amazing apps in JavaScript/HTML as well as in XAML and C#/VB.NET or C/C++.

    This MOOC (in french) is an introduction to that new environment ! It’s meant for people who want to get started quickly.

    Objectives:

    With those videos, you’ll learn :

        • The new Windows 8 ;
        • WinRT, the framework for Modern apps ;
        • 8 design principles for Windows 8 ;
        • What’s new for Web developers ;
        • What’s new for .NET developers ;
        • A few new controls…

    Course :

    1. Introduction :
    2. Windows 8 design principles :
    3. Development’s basics :

    Resources :

    Now that you’re ready to start developing your own Windows Store app, you probably want to dive into code… Here are some must-have resources :

    Microsoft Belux :

    The reference for every Windows developer in Belgium. Have a look at the agenda to know about all the Windows 8 events planned by Microsoft and the community.
    http://www.microsoft.com/belux/msdn/apps/windows/default.aspx

    Windows 8 Dev Camp In a Box :

    A Hands-On KIT containing all the labs you need to learn how to build Windows Store apps. It is available in JS/HTML and in C#/XAML.
    http://aka.ms/windows8campinabox

  • Nick's Blog

    Belgian Windows 8 Superhackathon on 27 March 2013 – join us!

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    Join us in Brussels, Genk, Kortrijk or Mons on March 27th for the 4-locations Belgian Windows 8 first Superhackathon. Code, build, eat, drink & win.
    Experts will be on site to help you with the last phase of building your first Windows 8 or Windows Phone 8 application. superhackathon_logo_final

    We come to your cities (4!), we bring the experts (many!), feed you with breakfast, pizza, coffee (lots!) and Red Bull, honor you with prizes and rewards (countless!). End goal: Get to Windows Store, have fun doing it, go home with prizes (to be announced soon, we promise you: you’ll really like them!). Hint hint: for the best quality app we’ll have a conference ticket…

    Go ahead and reserve your spot. Join us for the Day event or the Night event or both. See the agenda setup at the bottom of this post.

     

    Superhackathon theme
    Yes, winter is cosy with the snow and all – but after months of darkness we all need light. So the theme for the superhackathon is around spring, well-being, health and happiness. To be interpreted very broadly Smile
    Feel the ideas coming?

    First time app? Build your first one – see how to get started here.

    Design reference templates
    You can use a template fully created for the Windows 8 style & experience. Just by binding the relevant data, you should have a good looking app that runs in the paradigm of Windows 8. And the good news: the templates are available as Visual Studio 2012 project in both C#/XAML and HTML/JavaScript options. So pick your template and platform and build your app in a breeze.

    The template addresses App Views (Landscape, Fill, Snap and Portrait), Live Tiles, Search & Share Contract, Settings, Navigation across pages, Bottom & Top App Bar (If applicable). So get started today and finish off the app together with us!

     

    Agenda

    Day

    8:30: Welcome and registration

    9:00 – 9:30: Introduction and getting started

    9:30 – 12:30: Coding (alone or with your group)Guidance, hands-on labs and expert advice on site

    12:30 – 13:30: Lunch

    13:30 – 16:00: Coding (alone or with your group)Guidance, hands-on labs and expert advice on site

    16:00 – 17:00: Demo time and best app showdown for Day attendees
    Publish your first finished app: prize

    17:00: Break and end of the Day part


    Night

    17:30: Welcome and registration (or continue working for those going for the full day)

    18:00 – 18:30: Introduction and getting started

    18:30 – 19:30: Coding (alone or with your group)Guidance, hands-on labs and expert advice on site

    19:30 – 20:30: Dinner

    20:30 – 23:00: Coding (alone or with your group)Guidance, hands-on labs and expert advice on site

    23:00 – 24:00: Demo time and best app showdown
    Publish your first finished app: prize

    24:00: End

  • Nick's Blog

    GOT AN APP IDEA? GET FUNDING and SUPPORT NOW !

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    clip_image001

    Do you have a first-to-market idea with a fresh approach on design elegance, and superior quality and performance? Are you a developers and/or entrepreneur with the ambition to launch the next big thing in mobile?

    The Aalto University (Finland), Nokia and Microsoft have started a joint venture to accelerate mobile application development. With a working budget of 18 million euros they foster mobile application development on Windows Phone and any other Nokia platform. All Belgian – Luxembourg entrepreneurs, start-ups and companies can apply for the AppCampus Award.

     

    clip_image002

     

    Successful AppCampus-applicants will receive awards varying from 20.000, 50.000, to 70.000 euros, depending on the complexity of the app. In addition, from within the AppCampus initiative, you will get access to world-class training, coaching and marketing support. Windows Phone Store and Nokia Store offer global monetization opportunities to program participants via distribution to consumers around the world.

    AppCampus is 100% free of charge. It does not obtain intellectual property rights, nor is it interested in any commission from the investment.

    Conditions?

    AppCampus is a global initiative. Anyone from anywhere in the world can apply as long as you have a corporate identity. (For students we have the Imagine Cup and Imagine Cup grants program)

    The only requirement is that successful applications are expected to be available exclusively on Windows Marketplace, or Nokia Store for a limited time. More information here.

    No time to lose – apply now on www.appcampus.fi

  • Nick's Blog

    Microsoft TechDays 2013 (Belgium): First sessions & speakers announced!

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    TechDays 2013  TechDays 2013

    Join top international and local speakers who can't wait to share their excitement with you about Windows 8, Visual Studio 2012, Windows Azure, Windows Phone 8, HTML5 ... and much more!

    We're very happy to announce the following top speakers for developer sessions:

    Bart De Smet
    Bart De Smet

    Clemens Vasters
    Clemens Vasters

    Jeff Prosise
    Jeff Prosise

    Other confirmed speakers for developer sessions: Andrew Peters, Brad Sullivan, Dan Holme, Jim Wang, Kevin DeRudder, Lieven Iliano, Maarten Balliauw, Pieter Gheysens and Yves Goeleven. 

    The preliminary agenda is available online.

    Sessions

    TechDays 2013 is a 3 day event, taking place at Kinepolis Antwerp. On the first day (March 5) we'll be hosting a pre-conference with 4 different tracks (2 for developers and 2 for IT professionals). The main conference will be on March 6 and 7.

    Don’t miss the opportunity to join thousands of technology professionals to network with peers and experts, while diving deep into Microsoft technologies at one of biggest IT events in Belgium & Luxembourg. Register now to get a 15% discount on your ticket (valid until January 1, 2013).

    Early Bird

  • Nick's Blog

    Windows App Day November 23rd – Cook up the next great app

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    banner_windowsdeveloperday

     

    The app market is here to stay. Are you ready to talk Apps? Are you ready to design Apps? Are you ready to develop Apps?

    Don’t miss the first Windows App Day, packed with national and international speakers to talk about App Development, User Experience and Design.

    The speakers?  All actively working on apps, design & the web and ready to share learnings and best practices.

    Join us and get inspired!

    • All About Apps: Windows 8, Windows Azure, Windows Phone and Web Apps
    • After the 100% app keynote we split into two tracks: one focused on UX, designers and web experts; a second one for developers.
    • Feel free to switch tracks during the day to compose the schedule of your taste. Find detailed info on the sessions and our speakers on our Windows App Day page!

    Don’t miss this first Windows App Day on November 23rd!

    Join Windows 8 Developer Day

    Sign up

  • Nick's Blog

    WOWZAPP: Worldwide Hackathon for Windows in Brussels (November 10)

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    WOWZAPP

    Eat. Drink. Code. Join us at HUB on November 10th.

    Belgium is part of the app revolution! By registering, you’ll be joining thousands of developers worldwide as we build apps for the next generation of Windows. Microsoft app experts, MEET-members, developers and trainers will be available on-site to assist your learning and coding. Learn about building Windows Store apps today – download the info, tools and resources you need now.

    No Sleeping. Live to Code.

    SATURDAY NOVEMBER 10th 2012

    08:08 – 00:00
    HUBrussel

    Warmoesberg 26
    1000 Brussels
    Belgium

    image

    SIGN UP

    WIN an ASUS Vivo Tab!

    ASUS Vivo Tab

    At WOWZAPP, we will launch a Windows 8 apps contest, where you can WIN a brand new ASUS Vivo Tab! The contest rules will be explained during the hackathon.

    Be smart. Be fast. Love coding. Win a tablet!

    What to expect

    Expect

    What to bring

    Are you a developer?

    Are you a (UX) Designer?

    Photoshop or your familiar wireframing tool / Check out the Windows 8 UX Guidelines
    + You might want to download Windows Store Apps Design Assets

    See you on November 10th!

  • Nick's Blog

    Cloudify your Windows 8 and iOS apps with Windows Azure Mobile Services

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    Windows Azure Mobile ServicesWith the introduction of apps and application stores, the process of building, selling and distributing software has been truly democratized.  But what if your application becomes a top hit and is being downloaded and used by millions of users?  How do you make sure that your backend services scales dynamically with this unpredictable demand?

    Windows Azure Mobile Services makes it incredibly easy to connect a scalable cloud backend to your client and mobile applications.  It allows you to easily store structured data in the cloud that can span both devices and users, integrate it with user authentication, as well as send out updates to clients via push notifications.

     

    A couple of weeks ago we announced Windows Azure Mobile Services with support for Windows 8 apps. This week we delivered initial support for connecting iOS based devices (including iPhones and iPads) to Windows Azure Mobile Services.  We’ll also be adding support to enable these same scenarios for Windows Phone, and Android devices soon.

     

    In addition, we have also released the following great improvements to Windows Azure Mobile Services:

    • Facebook, Twitter and Google authentication support
    • Sending emails from your Mobile Service, in partnership with SendGrid
    • Sending SMS messages from your Mobile Service, in partnership with Twilio
    • Support for connecting to Azure Storage and Azure Service Bus

     

    Read this getting started tutorial to walkthrough how you can build (in less than 5 minutes) a simple iOS “Todo List” app that stores data in Windows Azure.  Then follow the below tutorials to explore how to use the iOS client libraries to store data and authenticate users.

     

    image If you don’t already have a Windows Azure account, you can sign-up for a free trial and start using Mobile Services today. Visit the Windows Azure Mobile Developer Center to learn more about how to build apps with Mobile Services.

     

     

    For more information about building applications on Windows and an overview of our local activities, visit the Apps on Windows landing page.

  • Nick's Blog

    Turn up the heat this summer with your Windows 8 app

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    UPDATE: location of the August 8 Summer App-a-thon has changed to Zaventem.

    Windows 8

    It's summertime! Time for all of us to throw ourselves into something new, fun and rewarding. With Windows 8 around the corner, now is the time to start building apps!
    Will your app be the next big thing? Grasp that first-mover advantage and make sure your app is in the Windows Store by the time Windows 8 hits the market.
    We're here to help you get your app ready with a bunch of support tools ranging from online training to App-a-thons, App Clinics and App Excellence Labs.

    Follow the 4 steps to getting your app published and start building!

    Build your app now! 
    Four simple steps to your app in
    Windows Store:

    Four simple steps


    Summer App-a-thons

    We have 2 App-a-thons planned this summer: join us in Blankenberge (12 July) or Zaventem (8 August) and start building your Windows 8 Metro Style App!
    You can win fantastic prizes too: Xbox 360 + Kinect, Connections Gift Vouchers, ...

    Blankenberge

    Zaventem

    Want to stay in the know about all things Windows 8 app development?
    Sign up now for the (Belgian & Luxembourg) MSDN newsletter!

    Your MSDN team.

  • Nick's Blog

    This is why these 3 young Belgians need your Imagine Cup Vote!!!

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    imagine-cup-2012The Microsoft Imagine Cup brings together students from all over the world and asks them to use their creativity and passion for technology to help solve the world’s toughest problems. Back in May you could read that 2 of our Belgian teams made it to the finals in Sydney.

    One of the teams, “Make a Sign”, have created this amazing project that uses Kinect in combination with Azure to recognize sign language used by deaf people and learn people how to use it. Earlier this week the 3 students from HEPL in Liege met with minister-president Rudy Demotte of the Walloon region.
    Press: On RTL TV news. In La Derniere Heure. In Le VIF.

    So before you read/watch any further do this:  go to the People’s Choice Award site and vote – and then ask your friends, family and network to vote too.  Just imagine for a moment you couldn’t hear or speak – this project would change your life!

    Congratulations to:


    Julien Rousselle


    Antoine Trippaers


    Nicolas Bertrand

    Watch the full project video:

    Imagine Cup 2012 - Make A Sign (Project Presentation)
  • Nick's Blog

    Join us for the seaside Windows 8 Summer App-a-thon on July 12

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    Windows 8 Summer App-a-thon (Belgian Coast)

    The word is out: on July 12 we’ll be organizing the first of our Summer App-a-thons.  And it’s going to be a special, seaside app-a-thon, at the Belgian coast in Blankenberge.  What could be more inspiring for building great Metro-style apps than the sound of waves crashing into the beach, ice cream and a beautiful sunset!

    We’re building upon the success of the coding night at the Windows 8 Developer Day and have a hackathon to build cool Metro-style apps.  So team up with your best UX or developer friend and form a killer app team, come alone or sign up with an entire group, whatever you want!

     

    This seaside Summer App-a-thon promises to be an experience like N.O. O.T.H.E.R!   Hands on. Code. Build. Shine. Totally Windows 8. 

    There will be 2 coding sessions: 1 for Day Birds from 10AM - 4PM and one for Night Owls from 6PM - 12AM. You have 3 registration options:

    1. Only the Day Birds coding session
    2. Only the Night Owls coding session
    3. Both the Day Birds and the Night Owls session  

     

    So if you’re a developer or UX designer, sign up right now to join us for an unforgettable experience!

      Sign up


      Technical pre-requisites

      - Familiarity writing either desktop apps, mobile applications or developing websites. Familiarity with either Javascript, C# or C++.
      - Bring your own laptop: any device capable of running Windows 8 and Visual Studio Express
      - Required software: 

      Windows 8 Release Preview
      Visual Studio 2012 RC
      Windows 8 SDK samples

    1. Nick's Blog

      New Windows Azure Features and Services for spring

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      Yesterday, Microsoft announced previews of new Windows Azure services that help developers build applications that connect data to users across public and private clouds, take advantage of VHDs and deploy scalable websites quickly and cheaply. 

      Today, Scott Guthrie will host “Meet Windows Azure” to introduce these new services.  And on Monday, as part of TechEd North America and broadcast live online, Scott, along with Mark Russinovich, Quentin Clark, and Bill Staples will host “Learn Windows Azure” to provide deeper demonstration of the latest Windows Azure features and services to build, deploy, and manage applications in the cloud.

      Among the highlights of the announcements made yesterday:

      • Windows Azure Virtual Machines enable the moving of workloads on virtual hard disks (VHDs) between on-premises environments and the cloud.  Windows Azure supports both Windows and Linux VHD images, which can be customized or chosen from a pre-populated gallery.  With the commonly supported VHD format, developers and IT Pros can move existing workloads like a SQL Server database or an existing line-of-business application into Windows Azure to create greater scale, lower cost or deploy to new users.  It has never been easier to move your applications to the cloud and boost them with virtually unlimited power, flexibility and reliability.
      • Windows Azure Virtual Network enables the creation, extension and management of virtual private networks into Windows Azure.  Organizations can now more effectively and securely extend their corporate networks into the cloud.  Did you ever wish you had an extra couple of servers for running a calculation job or to deal with a peak in user demand?  Now you can seamlessly add and remove computing resources to your network, as your need them.
      • Windows Azure Web Sites makes building .NET, Node.js, Java and PHP web experiences easier and cheaper than ever while supporting deployment techniques like Git and FTP and framework applications like WordPress, Joomla!, DotNetNuke, Umbraco and Drupal that web developers already know and trust. Why should it be hard to setup a website that can scale with user demand, that is always up and running, regardless of the technology you’re using?
      • Python support, new Tools  The new Windows Azure SDK (June 2012) includes updated support for Java, PHP and .NET and adds Python support, while providing 100% command line support for developers using a Windows PC or a Mac.  No matter what your development flavor is, you can build applications that take advantage of Windows Azure and all its building blocks – experience the openness and interoperability of Windows Azure.

      To discover, learn and get started building applications on the Windows Azure platform, I encourage you to:

        image Follow the live stream of “Meet Windows Azure” and discover the new Windows Azure services.
        image Tune into Learn Windows Azure on Monday June 11 for a deeper demonstration of what’s new. 
        image

        Set up a trial account for getting free access to Windows Azure.

                  
        image Of course you want to play with these new features! How can you host your own virtual machine in Azure? What is needed to create a PHP web site using MySQL on Azure?
        As of Monday June 11, the Azure Training Kit will be updated and guide you step-by-step through a series of hands-on labs.

        Download the tools now and get started!        
      1. Nick's Blog

        Windows 8 RP: download and build your apps for Windows Store

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        Windows 8 Release Preview has been made available last week, representing another important quality milestone in the road to Windows 8 General Availability (GA).

        In this post we provide you with the must-know information around what and where to download the bits, the tools and information on how you can count on our support in taking your app to launch.

        Windows 8 Release Preview: downloads

        1. For Windows 8 downloads and ISO files you can go to http://preview.windows.com
        2. For developer downloads you’ll find the developer SDK with Visual Studio 2012 Express for Windows 8 RC and Expression Blend for Visual Studio, remote debugging tools, Live SDK and more: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-US/windows/apps/br229516.aspx
        3. New samples for Release Preview: Download sample app pack (300 MB)
        4. Updated documentation: http://dev.windows.com
          If you have read through the documentation previously you’ll see that a lot of the content has been updated, this includes both the developer documentation as well as UX Guidelines.

         

        Changes with Windows 8 Release Preview: the most important resources

        Belgian Apps?

        If you have been following our local activities around Windows 8, ever since our developer event in March Windows 8 Developer Day and Night of Windows 8 (app-a-thon), you know folks are working hard on developing apps.

        We are very happy to announce that two of our Belgian partners we’ve been working with since the early stages now made it into the Windows Store for Release Preview: Le Soir by Rossel and Slash Monsters by Fishing Cactus/Tokkun Studio. Le Soir is the first European newspaper in Windows Store!

        fishing3lesoir1

         

        Your app in Windows Store? Loads of stuff coming to you

        As we get closer and closer to the next milestone for Windows 8, locally here in Belgium and Luxembourg we are preparing a bunch of ways to support you along the way into publishing that app in Windows Store by launch – you do want to take that first mover advantage.

        How we’re helping you

        Below you can find a collection of activities and resources coming your way. Or come our way by means of an App Clinic.

        image Training events for developers and designers
        Windows Camps and UX Workshops, check out our Metro map.       
        image Seaside coding at the Belgian Coast: Summer App-a-thons on Windows 8 Metro Style Apps.
        When: July 12 (and August 8 in Antwerp)        
        app clinic

        App Clinics: join Evangelists, external developers or Metro UX consultants to discuss any questions on your mind regarding your app.

        By joining an App Clinic you are also on the right track to get access to App Excellence Labs.

        Lab App Excellence Labs
        When you’ve been in touch with us through an App Clinic and your application is polished enough to go to review, you are invited to participate in an App Excellence Lab. This is a 2-hour review of your application with a Microsoft engineer and if you pass the requirements checklist you get a Windows Store Token! 
        Because the Store is still closed for public registration for now, this is the only way to get registered and reserve your app name for future fame.
        Have an app ready? Register your interest via the App Clinic form (mention App Excellence Labs) .

        We are looking forward to helping you take advantage of this huge new opportunity to reach millions of users worldwide.
        It’s going to be a hot Summer!

      2. Nick's Blog

        Starting today you need Windows Phone 7.5 to use Marketplace

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        Today’s the day. This afternoon we started requiring Windows Phone 7.5 on phones to download, buy, update, or review apps in Marketplace. These changes will make Windows Phone OS 7.5 the minimum OS required to install new or update existing apps from Marketplace via the phone or Web.

        If you are wondering why, I invite you to read this article - http://windowsteamblog.com/windows_phone/b/windowsphone/archive/2012/04/24/two-marketplace-changes-and-how-they-affect-you.aspx

        If you do get the error, all you need to do is install the free Windows Phone 7.5 update. You’ll find all the information you need to do that, including an update checklist and easy step-by-step instructions, on Update Central. (Not sure if you have Windows Phone 7.5 installed? Here’s how to check.)

        By the way, even if you don’t use Marketplace, there are still lots of great reasons to update. We made hundreds of improvements, big and small, in Windows Phone 7.5

        Source : Windowsteamblog

      3. Nick's Blog

        Windows Store expanding to new markets including Belgium

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        Last week the Microsoft Windows Store blog announced an expansion of the Windows Store coming soon. By the next milestone of Windows 8, the preview release of Windows Store will include new markets and new languages.

        Currently Windows Store includes five markets in Consumer Preview: France, Germany, India, Japan and the United States and China, as well as a “Rest of World” setting that all other regions get to see. By the next milestone Microsoft is adding 33 new developer submission locales, expanding the possible reach even more.

        And there is good news for Belgian developers: in addition to being able to publish to the new markets, developers will also be able to target a Belgian market specifically.

        >> To learn more, please read the official announcement post: Windows Store expanding to new markets.

        For developers and companies in Belgium and Luxembourg we have several options to help you getting your apps ready. We have training events (online webcasts as well as hands-on sessions), App Clinics to discuss apps face to face and validation of the app through Excellence labs which is your ticket to a Windows Store token later in the process.

        Don’t hesitate to join us at either step of the way:

        1. Metro Map with all free events listed per date, make sure to register in time: http://www.microsoft.com/belux/msdn/metromap/metromap.html
        2. App Clinics book a slot with an evangelist or consultant (your ticket to the App Excellence Lab) – note Belgium & Luxembourg only: http://www.microsoft.com/belux/msdn/metromap/appclinic.aspx
        3. Discover how your application can be monetized in the Windows Store:
      4. Nick's Blog

        Working on an app? Register Windows 8 App Clinics

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        image[4]Combining the broad reach of Windows, best-in-class developer tools, a reimagined user experience, support for new chipsets, and a built-in Store with industry-leading business terms - Windows 8 is the largest developer opportunity, ever.

        But now what? In Belgium we have announced a series of developer camps, webcasts and MIC calls for projects. These activities will allow you to dive technically into the platform to support you in building apps. However, you probably need more.

        What about testing on more than one device? What about discussing the best UX and experience to integrate with Metro? And most importantly, what about getting that access to the Windows Store and publish an app?
        The answers are the App Clinics. Meet with the Microsoft Evangelists and consultants to discuss ideas, the app, architecture, the platform, UX and technical questions. It’s an open discussion and allows you to be ready for the next step: passing an App Excellence Lab with a Microsoft engineer, the last step before getting access to the Windows Store as a developer.

        image[24]

        Are you actively working on a Windows 8 Metro app? Have an idea but are not sure what the next step is? Join us at an App Clinic and we’ll help you move to the next stage.

        image[9]

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      5. Nick's Blog

        Register for a free SQL Server 2012 training

        • 0 Comments

        We’re very proud to announce that SQL Server 2012 is now generally available for purchase and download.  SQL Server 2012 delivers a powerful new set of capabilities for mission-critical workloads, business intelligence and hybrid IT across traditional datacenters and public and private clouds.

        To help you fully understand how SQL Server 2012 can impact your business – adding more business value to your solutions or by helping you reach new customer segments – we are organizing a free classroom training in cooperation with Oak3, one of our learning partners.  In this training session you’ll get a technical overview of the new capabilities of SQL Server 2012.

        Because we know your time and that of your developers is precious, we have made this a compact, half-a-day training session.  And if you miss the first session on April 17, we’ll have 2 more re-runs on May 3 and May 31

        Don’t miss this opportunity and register now by clicking on the session of your choice!

        Register for SQL2012 April 17
        Register for SQL2012 May 3 Register for SQL2012 May 31
      6. Nick's Blog

        Web Camps Special Edition on May 3rd

        • 0 Comments

         

        WebCamps-01

        Come to camp

        … on May 3rd in Brussels on a very special edition of Web Camp to learn the latest on web development on the Microsoft Platform!

        Web Camps are free, fun, no-fluff events for developers, by developers.

        This European edition is really unique with speakers flying in directly from the Microsoft main offices: Brady Gaster (of Channel9 Web Camps TV fame) and Matthew Osborn currently working on NuGet. Expect a lot of code and great fun!

        Place to be is the exquisite Event Lounge in Brussels. Learn how to develop beautiful, interactive and scalable web sites using Microsoft’s web tools and platform including IE, ASP.NET, MVC, WebMatrix, Windows Azure and Visual Studio. Learn from experts and get the resources for publishing to the web.

        Quick preview of your camp content:

        • The Microsoft Web Stack
        • WebMatrix 2.0 – The Comprehensive Web IDE You Thought You’d Never Need
        • Creating Rich HTML 5 Experiences
        • Integrating Your Site with IE
        • Building Sites Using ASP.NET 4.5
        • Deploying Web Apps to the Cloud

        Check out the full program  & sign up to spark your expertise

        Limited places, so please be fast!

        web_tent

        We hope to see you on our campground !

      7. Nick's Blog

        Register for upcoming Windows 8 Metro Style App events

        • 0 Comments

        Now is the time to register for the upcoming Windows 8 Metro Style Apps events.
        In this post you can find a summary of the main activities, for which you can find an updated view on our Metro Map.

        1. Windows Camps at Microsoft and the Innovation Centers
        2. MIC Call for Projects Windows 8 Metro Style Apps: still a few seats
        3. MSDN Webcasts
        4. Community events

        ---

        1. Windows Camps

        2. MIC Call for Projects Windows 8 Metro Style Apps: still a few seats

        A Microsoft Innovation Center Call for Projects is a streamlined process to call for ideas, give you training and support going from technical to Metro Design guidelines and UX. In addition, by participating in a Call for Projects you have a privileged access to App Clinics (testing on devices, discussion of the app) which leads to a selection of apps to go through App Excellence Labs later in June. The Excellence Labs are currently the only ticket for getting Windows Store tokens.

        While the first info session has already been done end of March, there is still an opportunity to register. Make sure you register for each of the sessions separately in order to secure your full project call attendance.

        MIC Brussels Project Call (all in English)

        1. 16 April, 2012 09:00 — 17 Apr 17:00 – Windows 8 Metro Style apps - Hands-on Session
          Two full days of sessions and hands-on labs to build a Windows 8 Metro Style app in C#/XAML or HTML/JavaScript.
          http://micbru.fikket.com/event/call-for-projet-windows-8-metro-style-apps-hands-on-session
        2. April 24 2012 9:00 to 17:00 – Windows 8 Metro Style apps - Brussels - UX Workshops session 1 - http://micbru.fikket.com/event/mic-project-call-windows-8-metro-style-apps-brussels-ux-coaching-sessions—3
          Attention: date change!
        3. 14 May, 2012 09:00 — 17:00 – Windows 8 Metro Style apps- UX Coaching session 2 - http://micbru.fikket.com/event/mic-project-call-windows-8-metro-style-apps-brussels-ux-coaching-sessions
        4. 21 May, 2012 09:00 — 17:00 - Windows 8 Metro Style apps - Brussels - Developer Q&A session - http://micbru.fikket.com/event/mic-project-call-windows-8-metro-style-apps-brussels-developer-qa-session

        MIC Mons Project Call (in French)

        1. 19 avril 2012 09:00 — 20 avr. 17:00 - Windows 8 Metro Style apps - Appel à projets – Windows 8 Hands-on training : http://events.mic-belgique.be/event/windows-8-metro-style-apps-appel-a-projets--2
        2. 9 mai 2012 09:00 — 10 mai 17:00 - Windows 8 Metro Style apps - Appel à projets – UX Coaching sessions : http://events.mic-belgique.be/event/windows-8-metro-style-apps-appel-a-projets--4
        3. 16 mai 2012 09:00 — 17:00 - Windows 8 Metro Style apps - Appel à projets – Developer Q&A : http://events.mic-belgique.be/event/windows-8-metro-style-apps-appel-a-projets--5

          3. MSDN Webcasts

            4. Community events

            But wait, there’s more! You’ll find some Summer Hackathons and more sessions on our online Metro Map. See you soon at one of our events or App Clinics.

            Don’t miss on the developer opportunity. Combining the broad reach of Windows, best-in-class developer tools, a reimagined user experience, support for new chipsets, and a built-in Store with industry-leading business terms — Windows 8 is the largest developer opportunity, ever.

          1. Nick's Blog

            How does Windows Azure handle security, privacy & compliance?

            • 1 Comments

            Windows Azure LogoIn talking with ISVs, I very often get questions about security and data protection and data privacy when hosting an application in the cloud. For example, ‘What happens to my data once if my subscription ends? Is it physically destroyed from all media and backups?”.  These questions and concerns are all very relevant and valid, and not always easy to answer.  Until now…

            Microsoft has published a document, ‘Standard Response to Request for Information – Privacy & Security’, in which we provide our customers with a detailed overview of how Windows Azure core services fulfills the security, privacy, compliance, and risk management requirements as defined in the Cloud Security Alliance (CSA) Cloud Control Matrix (CCM).

            Download the document from the Microsoft Download Center or from the Cloud Security Alliance’s Security, Trust & Assurance Registry.

            By the way, did you know that on November 29, 2011, Windows Azure obtained ISO 27001 certification for its core services following a successful audit by the British Standards Institute (BSI). You can view details of the ISO certificate here.

            Are you ready to get started with Windows Azure?  Here are a few easy steps:

            1. Setup an Account:

            Set up an account and obtain a free subscription for accessing the online portals for Windows Azure an SQL Azure. You can sign up and get the free trial from http://www.windowsazure.com/en-us/pricing/free-trial/.

            2. Create your First application and Deploy it on the Windows Azure Platform:

            Download the tools and learn how to create an application using .NET, JAVA, Node.js or PHP and deploy it on Windows Azure at http://www.windowsazure.com/en-us/develop/overview/

            3. Attend one of our free Azure events:

            Get hands-on overview of the entire platform during a two-day Azure Camp at the Microsoft Innovation Center (MIC) Brussels. Or get an introduction on how Azure can be beneficial for your ISV business in one of our Azure business sessions (mail us).

          2. Nick's Blog

            Team Foundation Service: now with cloud-based build service

            • 0 Comments

            Visual Studio 11 Beta LogoAs you may or may not know, at the BUILD conference last September, Microsoft announced the availability of a preview of Team Foundation Service.  With Team Foundation Service Microsoft provides you world class ALM as a service, entirely hosted on the Windows Azure platform

            This means that you can benefit from all the great features and functionality of Team Foundation Server, without having to setup a server infrastructure for it.  In only a few minutes you can have an account and be productive with your team, regardless of where you are around the world!  It takes away the time and hassle of arranging for hardware, installing software, providing network infrastructure, etc. The service takes care of all of that for you and lets you focus on your project.

            We are continuously adding new functionality to Team Foundation Service Preview and one notable feature that was missing up to now, and which people were often asking for, was being able to run your team builds in the cloud, rather than on local build servers.  Up to now…

            Earlier this week Brian Harry, Technical Fellow at Microsoft, announced and demonstrated a new cloud-based build service for Team Foundation Service on Azure.  With this new service, we’ve made it possible to skip installing and managing build machines and just use a pool of build machines that we manage in the cloud. And, of course, you can do more than just build – like with on-premises TFS, you can run a default workflow that includes, compilation, testing, etc or you can create a custom workflow that does whatever you like.

            Note that Team Foundation Service is still a pre-release offering. We’re working very hard on it and you should stay tuned to a lot more improvements in the coming months. We are releasing new capabilities to the service about every 3 weeks. In one of our recent updates, we changed our Terms of Service to more clearly express that the service can be used to “go-live” production projects and not just test and experimentation.

            Team Foundation Service is a great, real life example of providing software as a service.  Are you ready to provide your software as a service to your customers, where they can get started in a matter of minutes, without having to go through provisioning, installing and configuring an entire infrastructure? 

            Here’s is how you can get started with the Windows Azure Platform:

            1. Setup an Account:

            Set up an account and obtain a free subscription for accessing the online portals for Windows Azure an SQL Azure. You can sign up and get the free trial from http://www.windowsazure.com/en-us/pricing/free-trial/.
            Note: With the new spending limit functionality available you are assured that no charging is happening once your trial offer has expired.

            2. Create your First application and Deploy it on the Windows Azure Platform:

            Download the tools and learn how to create an application using .NET, JAVA, Node.js or PHP and deploy it on Windows Azure at http://www.windowsazure.com/en-us/develop/overview/

            3. Attend one of our free Azure events:

            Get hands-on overview of the entire platform during a two-day Azure Camp at the Microsoft Innovation Center (MIC) Brussels.  Or get an introduction on how Azure can be beneficial for your ISV business in one of our Azure business sessions ().

            Did you know that for Microsoft Partners with the Silver or Gold ISV competency, you are entitled to software benefits. Included in these benefits is Visual Studio Premium with MSDN, which entitles you to use Team Foundation Server.

          3. Nick's Blog

            MIC Brussels organizes Windows 8 project call

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            Last week was memorable for Microsoft BeLux: first we launched the Microsoft Innovation Center (MIC) Vlaanderen, and at the end of the week we organized our Windows 8 anchor event

            In the slipstream of these events, MIC Brussels is launching a Windows 8 project call with the first info session this Wednesday, March 28.  More details on the ISV blog

             

            In the meantime, you can already get started with Windows 8:

            Explore documentation

            Explore the Documentation
            Our docs are optimized to make you more productive. Discover everything you need to plan, build, and sell great apps.


            Read Developer Guide

            Read the Developer Guide
            Windows 8 Consumer Preview introduces many powerful features for developers. Discover the new features for Desktop, Web, and Metro style app developers.


            DownloadDownload the Preview and tools
            Get the Consumer Preview and tools to build Metro style apps for Windows 8. Our free download includes Microsoft Visual Studio 11 Express Beta for Windows 8 and Blend for Visual Studio 11 Beta to help jumpstart your project.

          4. Nick's Blog

            TechDays 2012: session recordings, slides and content online

            • 0 Comments

            If you missed TechDays 2012 in Belgium (Braine l’Alleud), there is no way to bring you back the whole 10th anniversary experience. That’s the bad news, the good news however is that we go a long way and bring you a recorded video of each of the sessions so you can learn from the best.

            From now on, you can
            browse all the sessions, view them online or download to your favorite media player and download the slides.

            TechDays Pictures

            TechDays Pictures

            TechDays Pictures

            TechDays Pictures

            TechDays Pictures

            We welcomed many top speakers like Scott Guthrie, Brian Keller, Jeff Prosise, … in the developer track and Ward Ralston, Corey Heynes, John Craddock, … in the IT Pro track.

            Discover now

            Happy learning and feel free to share your thoughts about TechDays 2012 via #techdaysbe!

            PS. The Microsoft Extended Experts Team (MEET) made this awesome video, interviewing attendees and sharing their thoughts about TechDays 2012.

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