The January update is now available for download . The kit includes a comprehensive set of technical content to help you learn how to use Windows Azure, SQL Azure and the Windows Azure AppFabric. Other features include several new demo scripts and an improved mechanism to install Visual Studio code snippets To get more information please visit Windows Azure Technical Evangelist Wade Wegner’s blog .   If you are new to the Windows Azure Platform please register for a 30-day Free Trial Account...

Increase your productivity and knowledge of Windows 7 with the help of the latest series of Windows 7 “How Do I?” videos.  These short 10- to 15-minute videos focus on specific tasks and show you how to accomplish them step-by-step. Check back often or subscribe to the RSS feed to be notified when new videos are added every week.  Get started with one of the latest videos below: How Do I:  Create a Custom Thumbnail for a Windows 7 Application? New! How Do I:  Create and Overlay...

Quickly evaluate or learn how to build great applications for Windows Phone through a series of guided, hands-on labs for which can be completed in 90 minutes or less. The best part is, the MSDN Virtual Labs don’t require any installation and are available to you immediately for FREE. Start by selecting the lab you’re interested in from the list below. MSDN Virtual Lab: Building your First Windows Phone 7 Application New! MSDN Virtual Lab: Hello Windows Phone New! MSDN Virtual Lab: Launchers and...

I recently received the Windows Phone Marketplace Developer Newsletter and found a cool list of top 10 WP7 App development tips. These tips are posted on the Windows Phone 7 Developer Blog . The first 7 have been listed below and please visit the Windows Phone 7 Developer Blog for the remaining tips. How to Make Your Start Tiles and Splash Screens Great Make sure your buttons are visible even when the keyboard is displayed Managing themes on WP7. Or how to build your application to respect system...

This is a software-development kit (SDK) for the creation of Windows Phone 7 (WP7) applications that leverage research services not yet available to the general public. The primary goal of this SDK is to support the efforts of Project Hawaii , a student-focused initiative for exploration of how cloud-based services can be used to enhance the WP7 experience. The first two services were made available today and the developer preview of the Windows Phone 7 + Cloud Services SDK can be downloaded here...

SQL Server 2005 SP4 is available on Microsoft Update and on Windows Software Update Services (WSUS).  Customers may find the SQL Server 2005 SP4 upgrade packages for Standard, Workgroup, Developer and Enterprise Editions is available as an optional update on the Microsoft Update website and visible after performing a custom scan.  The packages will be offered for each language and platform we support.  All of these updates will also be available through Windows Software Update Services...

Join us Thursday January 27 where Microsoft is hosting the SharePoint 2010 FireStarter event in Redmond, WA. The entire event will be Streamed Live online. Be sure to Register to attend in-person or watch the action unfold Live online.

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Thanks to the Born to Learn blog for posting the  “Building Cloud Applications using the Windows Azure Platform” .  These HD videos are a 12 session in-depth illustration on how to leverage the Cloud using the Windows Azure Platform. All of these HD-quality videos are both available on Zune and iTunes for free (also subscribe to the Zune RSS Feed ). You can watch each of these sessions here as well. If you’re new to the Windows Azure platform you can get a no cost 30 day trail by visiting...

Unplug from your day job. Be inspired at MIX.

If you register by February 11 will save $500 off their conference pass and one free hotel night at the Mandalay Bay.  No RVSP code is required – discounts will be automatically applied during registration.

Register Now for MIX.

Join the conversation at MIX – see the latest tools and technologies and draw inspiration from a professional community of your peers and experts.

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.NET Framework 4 will be supported as a Server Core installation option on Windows Server 2008 R2 Service Pack 1. Availability has bee publicly been stated to release in Q1.

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Four new Drupal Modules now run on Windows Azure. The modules join Drupal 7 that now runs on Windows stack.

The new modules include Bing Maps, Windows Live ID, OData, and Silverlight Pivot Viewer that can be used with Drupal running on Windows Azure.

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Video Link - http://channel9.msdn.com/posts/Demonstration-of-Assistance-PSA-for-Microsoft-Dynamics-CRM-2011-with-Assistance-Software In this video we see a demonstration of Assistance PSA for Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 You know the story if you work in Professional Services. Once the next big deal is won the resulting project is taken into the company ERP system to start tracking time and billing against the project. What would it look like if your CRM system could continue to track the project...

Video Link - http://channel9.msdn.com/posts/Talking-about-Assistance-PSA-for-Microsoft-Dynamics-CRM-2011-with-Assistance-Software To see a demonstation of this product click here In this video Martijn van der Hoeden from Assistance Software talks to us about their new product, Assistance PSA for Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 You know the story if you work in Professional Services. Once the next big deal is won the resulting project is taken into the company ERP system to start tracking...

WebCamp: MVC & jQuery Saturday, February 26, 2011 REGISTER NOW Microsoft – Silicon Valley Building: SVC – 1 1065 La Avenida St. Mountain View California 94043 Web Camps are completely free of charge.  Microsoft's Web Camps are events that allow you to learn and build websites using ASP.NET MVC, jQuery, OData, Visual Studio 2010 and more.  This event is a unique opportunity, partnering classroom learning and hands-on-labs, and leveraging experts to help you build new and exciting websites...

Teams around the world have begun testing applications to certify them on Windows Server 2008 R2. Earning the certification will get you the Works With Windows Server 2008 R2 logo that you place on your marketing materials and Website.

Earning the logo also qualifies you for a significant step in earning the Silver ISV Competency in the Microsoft Partner Network. Earning the Silver Competency earns you tons of benefits, including a software grant you can use in your business.

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Microsoft has released Attack Surface Analyzer. It is a Software Development Lifecycle verification tool for developers and IT professionals to identify whether newly developed or installed applications inadvertently change the attack surface of a Microsoft operating system.

Attack Surface Analyzer is the same tool used by Microsoft's internal product teams to catalogue changes made to the operating system by the installation of new software.

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Microsoft has released a set of new developer tools to help in your Web development. Scott Guthrie, Vice President in Microsoft Developer Division, announced the set of products on his blog at Announcing release of ASP.NET MVC 3, IIS Express, SQL CE 4, Web Farm Framework, Orchard, WebMatrix. The tools build on .NET 4 and VS 2010 and add value to ASP.NET (both Web Forms and MVC) and Microsoft Web Server stack.

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Last weekend, my team used WebMatrix to write a Website that included user registration, admin pages, user sign up/profile pages, and some dynamic content.

Find out how we limited the access of certain data to site administrators.

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  This update includes a rich new set of content designed for developers who want to learn how to build their first Microsoft Business Intelligence solution with SQL Server 2008 R2.   Microsoft BI solutions leverage your existing technology investments in .NET, SQL Server and Office to develop rich integrated reporting and analytics experiences that empower users to gain access to accurate, up-to-date information for better, more relevant decision making. This content is a complete...

MSDEV presents a series of videos on security of your application on Windows Azure. Graham Calladine, Security Architect with Microsoft Services, describes the issues, the shared responsibility, and what you need to do to secure your application.

The Windows Azure Platform Security Essentials Series includes six free on-demand videos.

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If you’re a PHP developer and new to Windows Azure, here are some updated tutorials and links to several tools.  New Tutorials posted on http://azurephp.interoperabilitybridges.com/ , Offloading work to PHP Worker Roles on Windows Azure By craigkitterman Quicksteps to get started with PHP on Windows Azure by jassand Windows Azure tools for PHP updated to align with Windows Azure SDK1.3 Windows Azure tools for PHP get an update and refreshed content by jccim The 3 following tools have been updated...

Microsoft is supporting the W3C’s efforts around HTML 5. W3C is introducing a new logo program for HTML5. A logo with a consistent visual design is an important indication of the growing maturity of many components of HTML5.

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Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online, the cloud version of the new Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011, launches today. It delivers new levels of productivity to sales, service and marketing organizations. ISVs provide customization to CRM that can be applied both online and on premises.

You can sign for a free trial of Dynamics CRM Online. No credit card. No software to install.

 

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Here are 12 great HD Windows Azure platform videos posted out on Channel 9. These are recordings from the “Building Cloud Applications using the Windows Azure Platform” virtual training event. If you missed here are session recordings below: Session 01: Windows Azure Overview Session 02: Introduction to Compute Session 03: Windows Azure Lifecycle, Part 1 Session 04: Windows Azure Lifecycle, Part 2 Session 05: Windows Azure Storage, Part 1 Session 06: Windows Azure Storage, Part 2 Session 07: Introduction...

Colleagues on my team have put together some great blog posts to help you in your work on Windows Azure.

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