Faculty Connection is an online set of real-world resources and shared peer knowledge, the goal of the Faculty Connection site is to put relevant and applicable tools and information at the fingertips of technology educators.
The UK Academic Team is responsible for offering IT students and faculty members free access to software, for enhancing knowledge and skills by providing curriculum materials and other learning opportunities, for helping students achieve their dreams by organizing an international competition, and finally for assisting last year students through career resources and job opportunities at our customers and partners.
With this blog we want to inform you on our latest initiatives.
Enjoy reading and stay tuned!
An integrated environment for developing Python in Visual Studio 2010
- Support for CPython & IronPython (and Pypy and Jython)
- World-class intellisense, Browsing, Find All refs, Refactor, …
- Integrated REPL, including support for MSR’s Sho and the IPython REPL
- Advanced local & remote Debugging, including Attach scenarios
- Profiling with A/B comparison
- Support for HPC clusters, MPI programming model & cluster Debugging
- Interactive parallel computing via IPython
- And it’s Free & Open Source!
Python Tools for Visual Studio 2010 - Core editing experience with Python Tools for Visual Studio
Python Tools for Visual Studio 2010 - Profiling with Python Tools for Visual Studio
Download - http://pytools.codeplex.com
To install, please see: Installing Python Tools Visual Studio
I was at the University of York yesterday and had a quick conversation re: the opportunity of the Microsoft Kinect SDK and Bing maps. The conversation was specifically in relation to Bing Street Side View Maps and Open Street Maps and the interaction with a NUI using the Kinect device.
This conversation was interested as yesterday I posted a blog about the new WPF for Surface 2.0 so I wanted to share some further detail in light of yesterdays conversation into the PrimeSensor in WPF.
To help explain this I want to share the following video from InfoStrat.
Using the same techniques that allow us to use WPF on Surface, we can now use depth camera hand tracking to control multi-touch applications. Here is a very rough proof-of-concept where Joshua Blake, Microsoft Surface MVP author Multitouch in .NET book and (WPF 4 & Surface SDK)controlling the InfoStrat.VE WPF 4 multi-touch control using a depth camera.
Josh simply controls Bing Maps with the Kinect 3D-sensing technology
In this multi-touch application Josh display an outlines of the tracked hands to provide better feedback about what is going on he also used OpenNI and NITE from PrimeSense.
The tracked hands can participate in all of the multi-touch manipulations and gestures that you’ve already written for your touch application. You can even interact using hand tracking and touch at the same time in the same window. The code that enables this is part of the InfoStrat MotionFx open sourced project which is available from http://motionfx.codeplex.com/
What is shown above in the video that it is feasible to use the WPF Touch stack and Surface SDK as the unified platform for both multi-touch and motion tracking modalities.
Understanding the Immune Response to HIV HIV infection may not be the death sentence it once was, but it remains an undeniably serious condition that requires aggressive, life-long treatment and entails the ever-present threat of severe immunological impairment. Consequently, medical researchers continue to investigate the mechanisms by which HIV infection evades detection by the body’s normal immune responses. In the August 3, 2011, issue of Nature, investigators from the Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT, and Harvard; Imperial College London; the National Cancer Institute; and Microsoft Research have shed light on the interactions of HIV and the immune system’s natural killer (NK) cells. The paper is the first to show that NK cells play a direct role in fighting HIV. This knowledge opens a new path of research into ways to beat the virus.
Graduate Women's Scholarship Program The Microsoft Research Graduate Women’s Scholarship is a one-year scholarship program for outstanding women graduate students and is designed to help increase the number of women pursuing a PhD. This program supports women in the second year of their graduate studies. Women who are interested in this scholarship must apply during their first year of graduate studies. Scholarships are granted by Microsoft Research at the discretion of Microsoft. Microsoft began accepting applications on Tuesday, August 16, 2011. To be considered, all applications must be submitted by Thursday, October 6, 2011, 11:59 P.M. Pacific Time.
Kinect for Windows SDK Beta Refresh Available Interest in the Kinect for Windows Software Development Kit (SDK) beta, released on June 16, 2011, has been strong, and we’re delighted to learn that so many developers and innovators who are experimenting with natural user interface (NUI) applications have taken advantage of the SDK to explore the potential of the Kinect sensor. In support of our commitment to encourage researchers and enthusiasts in their exploration of the exciting possibilities of the Kinect sensor, we have now released a refreshed version of the SDK. The community has provided us with a lot of good feedback, and this release addresses some of the top items you’ve told us about.
Microsoft Research PhD Fellowship Program for 2012 The Microsoft Research PhD Fellowship Program for 2012 started accepting applications on Tuesday, August 16, 2011. This program recognizes the best and the brightest Ph.D. students in the United States and Canada. Applicants must be enrolled in a full-time PhD program in an accredited university in the United States or Canada, with a research focus in computer science, mathematics, or electrical engineering. All applications must be submitted through the office of the department chair. To be considered, all applications must be submitted by Thursday, October 6, 2011, 11:59 P.M. Pacific Time.
Cloud Infrastructure Soars in Europe It was barely a year ago that European scientific and industry leaders came together to develop, test, and deploy a high-quality, interoperable cloud platform for industry and research. The result was VENUS-C (Virtual multidisciplinary EnviroNments USing Cloud infrastructures). Jointly sponsored by the European Commission and a consortium of 14 partners, among them Microsoft Research, VENUS-C was conceived to meet the needs of seven different research and commercial areas: bioinformatics, systems biology, drug discovery, civil engineering, civil protection, civil emergencies, and marine biodiversity. VENUS-C has since developed into a functional, operational platform, and is now being used for 15 new pilot projects, which received seed funds after an open call that elicited 60 proposals from throughout Europe.
Faculty Summit 2011 As you may already know, Microsoft Research Connections hosted our twelfth Faculty Summit in July, providing a forum for lively debate of the development, application, and funding of technologies in the environmental, medical, and educational spheres over a long period of time. Presentations and streaming video of keynotes, talks, panels, workshops, and demonstrations are now available on-demand—find links to them on the agenda page.
Upcoming Events
September 8–9 Microsoft Biology Foundation Workshop 2011, Phoenix, AZ
September 27 Microsoft Research 20-Year Anniversary, Redmond, WA, United States
October 20—21 Microsoft Biology Foundation Workshop 2011, San Diego, CA
October 23—25 eScience Workshop: Transforming Scholarly Communication, Cambridge, MA
November 9–12 Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing, Portland, OR, United States
December 4–8 2011 eScience in Action Workshop, Stockholm, Sweden
I am pleased to announce to all those interested in Surface 2.0 developments that the Bing team have released the Beta of a WPF version of their Bing maps control. You can now Download the map control and write some mapping enabled Surface applications.
The Bing Map APIs will be consistent with the Silverlight version of the control. If you already know how to use the Silverlight map control, you are set. It will support the following map styles: Road, Aerial and Hybrid.
The map uses WPF4’s manipulation events for scaling, translation and rotation – providing a consistent familiar experience for Microsoft Surface users. The WPF control supports full rotation and inertia with options to turn both off. Plus, infinite scroll maps, touch to lat/lon to pixel conversions and the ability to plug into the Bing Maps REST API for geocoding and routing or the Bing API for search.
For more detailed information on the Bing WPF map control see the Bing Team Blog or read the documentation contained within the download.
I look forward to hearing what mapping applications or research you undertake with this.
Overview of Cloud Computing and the Windows Azure Platform: an Academic Perspective This presentation talks about the benefits of Cloud Computing and provides an in-depth look at Windows Azure.
Windows Azure Platform Virtual Labs Click the link above to visit the MSDN site for Azure Platform Virtual Labs or click on any specific lab below. Virtual labs are simple, with no complex setup or installation required.
Windows Phone 7 and The Cloud Exploring Windows Azure Storage Debugging Applications in Windows Azure Advanced Web and Worker Roles Windows Azure Native Code Building Windows Azure Services with PHP Getting Started with Windows Azure Storage Building Windows Azure Services Using Windows Azure Tables
Introducing the Windows Azure Platform (Whitepaper) Using computers in the cloud can make lots of sense. Rather than buying and maintaining your own machines, why not exploit the acres of internet-accessible servers on offer today? Learn about the Windows Azure Platform in this white paper.
Introducing Windows Azure (Whitepaper) Cloud computing is here. Running applications on machines in an Internet-accessible data center can bring plenty of advantages. Yet wherever they run, applications are built on some kind of platform. For on-premises applications, this platform usually includes an operating system, some way to store data, and perhaps more. Applications running in the cloud need a similar foundation. The goal of Microsoft’s Windows Azure is to provide this. Part of the larger Windows Azure platform, Windows Azure is a platform for running Windows applications and storing data in the cloud.
Additional Windows Azure Whitepapers Follow the link above to see a list of additional whitepapers about Windows Azure.
Microsoft Web Platform Installer Download the Microsoft Web Platform Installer plus other tools and videos on topics such as SQL Azure Database, PHP on Windows Azure, Web seminars and the Cloud Developer Center on MSDN.
Windows Azure Platform Training Kit The Windows Azure Platform Training Kit includes a comprehensive set of technical content including hands-on labs, presentations, and demos that are designed to help you learn how to use the Windows Azure platform including: Windows Azure, SQL Azure and the Windows Azure AppFabric.
Windows Azure SDK and Windows Azure Tools for Microsoft Visual Studio (March 2011) Windows Azure Tools for Microsoft Visual Studio, which includes the Windows Azure SDK, extends Visual Studio 2010 to enable the creation, configuration, building, debugging, running, packaging and deployment of scalable web applications and services on Windows Azure.
And you can even develop your course curricula as a learning journey for development on Windows Azure.
Week 1. Controlling Access in the Windows Azure Platform
Week 2. Handling Blobs in Windows Azure
Week3. Going NoSQL with Windows Azure Tables
Week 4. Disconnecting with Windows Azure Queues
Week 5. Developing Hosted Services for Windows Azure
Week 6. Digging into Windows Azure Diagnostics
Week 7. Managing Hosted Services with the Service Management API
Week 8. Using SQL Azure
Week 9. Looking at the Windows Azure AppFabric
Microsoft Showcase Videos on Windows Azure This site contains 300+ videos on Windows Azure.
Windows Azure Case Studies Learn how others are using the Windows Azure platform to cut costs and increase their agility. Follow the link above to see a list of case studies about Windows Azure.
Azure Research Engagement from Microsoft Research The Azure Research Engagement project aims to change the paradigm for scholarly and scientific research by extending the power of the computer into the cloud. We build the components of cloud technology and work with researchers in the field on projects that push the frontier of client and cloud computing.
Azurescope: Benchmarking and Guidance for Windows Azure The purpose of this site is to present the results of regularly running benchmarks on the Windows Azure platform. These benchmarks are intended to assist you in architecting and deploying your research applications and services on Windows Azure. Included in the benchmark suite are tests of data throughput rates, response times, and capacity. Each benchmark is run against a variety of test cases designed to reflect common use scenarios for Windows Azure development.
Recently I have been asked the same question by a number academics..
how to try to make teaching programming interesting?
As we all know one of the key things of learning is it has to be interesting, so simply getting students to use notepad to code isn't interesting and students will become quickly disengaged or simply turn off.
So why not try to make things more interesting and teach them how to program a browser-based game, Key goals are the outcome is cross-platform compatible and also build upon some the skills your students may already have, in terms of web design and may also be really stimulating and of use to them in extra curricula activities so with these factors I am sure they would be really interested in learning more.
Using HTML5 & JavaScript with a bit of CSS you can create some awesome browser based games like a dice game, bouncing balls, slingshot, Quiz’s, Memory challenges, Mazes, Card games and some phenomenal HTML5 games at http://www.canvasdemos.com/
HTML5 simply follows on from the basics of HTML, CSS and JavaScript but also for people with experience with these programming languages it offers so much more and for those with little or no experience with programming languages its something which is easily picked up and understood.
In terms of curricula you can teach canvas element, audio and video implementation, event handling, form input validation and the usage of information storing. These are all new functions in HTML5.
And you can even develop your course curricula as a learning journey.
Week 1. Starting with the basics of HTML and CSS. follow by JavaScript introductions
Week 2. Programming these functions followed by drawing the animation using the canvas element.
Week 3. Using the canvas element,
Week 4. Create the game logics (including the collision engine)
Week 5. Using form input validation and adding some AI such as basic artificial gravity.
Week 6 . You can then progress on basics of JavaScript arrays, CSS and the video elements.
Week 7. You can use HTML5`s local storage API.
Week 8. Develop a game uses and which includes the above and have a mini challenge between the students.
So as a learning exercise you can introduce HTML5, JavaScript , CSS, the canvas element, audio and video implementation, event handling, form input validation, header/footer elements and the usage of information storing.
Therefore ensuring students grasp the basics of HTML5 page formatting, CSS and a lot of JavaScript including event handling and the storage engine which will be appropriate and interesting and they can then go on and make AWESOME Web site.
So its that time of the year when IT Departments around UK institutions are rolling out software across the various PC clusters and teaching labs the question I have is, do you have the most appropriate software available?
Many UK Institutions have MSDN Academic Alliance
So if you do have MSDNAA make sure your using the subscription effectively. MSDNAA is great facility for providing software to all your labs and clusters. MSDNAA offers your department, school or faculty with Microsoft professional level software and also an amazing value add for your students as MSDNAA allows them to install operating systems such as Windows 7 and development tools Visual Studio Ultimate onto their personal PC’s.
For all students and specifically Primary and Secondary school we have Microsoft DreamSpark so please make sure you sign up your school for DreamSpark.
DreamSpark offers so much software and for FREE to all students undertaking studies.
The image below only shows some of what is available for full details see http://www.dreamspark.com
We have also updated Microsoft Faculty Connection resources with lots of FREE curriculum resources.
For example XNA for game development Expression Studio for web design courses Kodu Small Basic
Microsoft offers lots of FREE resources so please do take advantage.
A great way of introducing students to programming is by doing task which they will enjoy how about game development? Learning to program games for ages is exciting and also interesting, so if your thinking of changing the way you teach your Under Graduates programming or looking for a nice language to introduce students to the Visual Studio IDE what could be better than an interesting way to learn programming than this combination?
Giuseppe Maggiore has just written to me about his new F# e-book, FRIENDLY F# through Game Development and XNA, where you learn F# through game development with XNA.
I have just finished coauthoring the first version of a digital-only book about F# applied to gaming and simulations, which has been my topic of research and (very extensive) teaching during the last half decade; in fact, the book gathers the various samples I have used for teaching functional programming to my students.
The main subject of the book is the F# language and its various constructs, but every single chapter is focused on game-related problem. Each one of the first 5 chapters describes a problem, shows and discusses its solution and then discusses in depth the F# constructs used.
The 5 problems included in the book are:
In the last two chapters we use XNA to build a 2D and 3D renderer for two of the samples we have seen. The book shows the basics of the SpriteBatch class, the Model class, input management and audio with this powerful framework.
So from a teaching perspective the book covers the most important aspects of XNA in a simple and succinct way.
The samples are all stored at: http://fsharpgamedev.codeplex.com/
So if your thinking of adapting your curricula F# and game development may be ideal.
The Microsoft Dynamics® Academic Alliance is a program for member universities and colleges who wish to enhance the learning experience by integrating Microsoft Dynamics enterprise resource planning (ERP) and customer relationship management (CRM) software in the curriculum.
Education is often more meaningful when it is made practical. Hands-on learning with software enables students to apply business concepts and processes to real-world scenarios using business tools they are likely to encounter during their career. Students at member colleges and universities have a competitive advantage in the job market after college because they are not only well-educated and highly motivated, but already experienced in using business tools. They also may have taken advantage of opportunities to network with peers and meet business people and Microsoft partners through their affiliation with the alliance. As a result, they receive special insight into internship, career, or business opportunities after graduation.
Member institutions receive free software, support, and resources from Microsoft. Peer educators within the alliance share ideas for curricula. Events provide opportunities for deepening knowledge and relationships. Microsoft Dynamics partners may participate as guest speakers in the classroom or as expert advisors in a laboratory or seminar setting.
Member universities demonstrate leadership, relevance, and innovation by incorporating Microsoft Dynamics into their curricula, and they can benefit from the loyalty of graduates who were well-prepared for internship, career, and business opportunities. Participating partners have an edge in recruiting highly qualified graduates and mentoring them to become loyal, productive employees who make critical contributions in serving customers and driving business growth.
Stand apart as leaders and innovators in business and technology education, and attract talented faculty and students as well as business connections. Membership in the Microsoft Dynamics Academic Alliance distinguishes forward-thinking schools and faculty, which are able to put students in a stronger position to find rewarding employment. Augment students’ understanding of the business world with relevant, realistic, hands-on learning experiences that enhance the effectiveness of your technology and business courses. The alliance provides free Microsoft Dynamics software, encourages connections with local Microsoft Dynamics partners, facilitates the exchange of ideas and experience among peers and Microsoft business technologists, and offers online resources with insight into business and technology trends.
• Practical insight into business processes, challenges, and solutions through the use of software used in thousands of midsize businesses around the world. • Holistic business and process modelling, incorporating cross-functional business activities. • Professional growth through exposure to and incorporation of some of the latest ideas and practices from Microsoft and its technology partners.
• Broad exposure to business issues and technology solutions for your students. • Downloadable, effective materials shared by alliance members. • Realistic, context-rich business modelling using data sets provided by Microsoft. • Innovative education leadership with contemporary, progressive technology and business curricula. • Close connections to the real business world.
• Synergies among business, technical, and environmental benefits. • Idea exchange among peers at special alliance events and with the alliance member network. • Vast ecosystem of Microsoft Dynamics partners and technology experts for advice, speaking, and mentoring.
• Certificate of completion for students passing Microsoft Dynamics Academic Alliance courses • Members-only email signature • Web buttons for your institution website to lead to your program information page • Best practices guide • Copy usage guidelines with ready-to-print descriptions of your alliance membership • Datasheets communicating the value of the alliance to your institution • Networking, educational, and advisory opportunities • Curriculum aids from Microsoft and education peers • Newsletter with the latest information about the program and more
For more see www.microsoft.com/education/academic_alliance.mspx
Read success stories www.microsoft.com/education/dynamicsaa_stories.mspx
Linkedin Group www.linkedin.com/groups?mostPopular=&gid=3000704
Email dynaa@microsoft.com
The team working on Windows 8, the next operating system for Windows desktops, laptops and slates, have launched a new blog dedicated to the Building of Windows 8 which is an inside look from the Windows engineering team.
In the first post, Steven Sinofsky, Windows President, states:
“Windows 8 reimagines Windows for a new generation of computing devices, and will be the very best operating system for hundreds of millions of PCs, new and old, used by well over a billion people globally. “Today we want to begin an open dialog with those of you who will be trying out the pre-release version over the coming months. We intend to post regularly throughout the development of Windows 8, and to focus on the engineering of the product. Welcome to “Building Windows 8,” or as we call it, “B8.””
“Windows 8 reimagines Windows for a new generation of computing devices, and will be the very best operating system for hundreds of millions of PCs, new and old, used by well over a billion people globally.
“Today we want to begin an open dialog with those of you who will be trying out the pre-release version over the coming months. We intend to post regularly throughout the development of Windows 8, and to focus on the engineering of the product. Welcome to “Building Windows 8,” or as we call it, “B8.””
The new blog is a must read for anyone interested in the development of an OS
Add ‘Building Windows8′ to your RSS reader now
Check out the full blog at http://blogs.msdn.com/b/b8/archive/2011/08/15/welcome-to-building-windows-8.aspx
Follow in Twitter http://twitter.com/#!/BuildWindows8
And don’t forget to watch the video stream from the Build event Sept 13th – 16th 2011 you will be able to watch keynotes live and the sessions the following day.
Microsoft will be announcing the developer strategy for Windows 8 at the BUILD Windows conference. BUILD is a new event that shows modern hardware and software developers how to take advantage of the future of Windows. Learn how to work with the all new touch-centric user experience to create fast, fluid, and dynamic applications that leverage the power and flexibility of the core of Windows, used by more than a billion people around the world.
BUILD will be the first place to take a dive deep into the future of Windows.