Brian Goldfarb's Blog : .NET

New official Silverlight Blog

bgold — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 00:29:20 GMT

earlier this week, as part of MIX09, we launched an official Silverlight team blog. Subscribe now! We’ll push out new technical content, videos, and use it as a venue to respond to critical industry events that require our voice. You can use it as a direct conduit to us and the team with feedback (both good and bad!).

We’ll cover our entire UX platform including Expression Studio with a focus on Expression Blend (and the newly announced SkethFlow functionality which has had rave reviews), Silverlight, Visual Studio, and anything else we think is important.

Spread the news – http://team.silverlight.net/

I kicked us off with this post: http://team.silverlight.net/announcements/introducing-the-new-silverlight-blog/

MIX09 – Register by Feb 27 and save $300

bgold — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 08:49:31 GMT

MIX09 is going to be amazing. I can’t give away the details, but as the keynote owner for Scott Guthrie (as I have been every year, it’s a glorious job to be the man behind the curtain :)) and I can tell you this year is on track to be the best ever.

We will be bringing to market some amazing technology, setting the stage for the future of our Web and RIA technologies, showing off the great work of many of our amazing partners, and so much more. I know times are tough, but if you can swing it or tell a friend do it.

To help with costs, 3rd night’s on us now :)

http://visitmix.com/News/Free-Third-Night-at-The-Venetian

Let me know if you have any questions! or feedback on what you want to see in the day 1 keynote :)

Microsoft Web Platform Installer Release Candidate – Now works with XP and Windows 2003!

bgold — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 05:37:57 GMT

I'm going to blatantly steal Bill Staples words since they were so good :)

"I’m excited to announce the availability of the Release Candidate version of the Microsoft Web Platform Installer (Web PI).

Web PI is a free tool that makes it simple to download and install the latest components of the Microsoft Web Platform, including IIS, ASP.NET, Visual Web Developer Express and SQL Server, along with a lot of cool IIS extensions like URL rewrite and ASP.NET MVC.

Web PI offers a simple experience for downloading and installing the entire stack through a single installer to help you obtain the software you need to build and run a complete Web solution on the Microsoft Web platform, whether you are using Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, Windows Vista, or Windows Server 2008.

Run Web PI to get started and then run it again anytime to check for new extensions to the platform. Every time Web PI is run it checks online to ensure the most current versions and new additions to the Microsoft Web Platform are downloaded. Give Web PI a try today!"

BizSpark is here -- easy access to Software, Support, and Visibility for startups

bgold — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 23:48:39 GMT

Today, we announced BizSpark, a global program designed to help accelerate the success of early stage software Startups. This is an awesome program that is really going to change the way startups evaluate technology usage. Choosing Microsoft, not only gets you best of breed technology solutions, but now marketing, demand generation, support, and more! The net cool thing here is a startup can build a killer software app in the cloud and money off it for 3 years for $100 -- pretty sweet.

By joining BizSpark, Startups get:

Software: fast and easy access to Microsoft’s current full-featured development tools, platform technologies, and unlimited production licenses of server products for immediate use in developing and bringing to market innovative and interoperable solutions with no upfront costs and minimal requirements. Startups will also get access to the community technology preview (CTP) of the Microsoft Azure Services Platform.
Support: professional technical support from Microsoft (MSDN) and community support from BizSpark Network Partners around the world who provide a wide range of support resources for software startups. Network Partners are incubators, investors, advisors, government agencies and hosters who are vested in software-fueled innovation and entrepreneurship.
Visibility: a dedicated online startup directory, BizSparkDB, on the Microsoft Startup Zone website (www.microsoftstartupzone.com) where we will highlight promising companies from around the world, including the “BizSpark Startup of the Day”. Through their relationship with Microsoft and BizSpark Network Partners, startups will achieve global visibility to an audience of potential investors, clients and partners.

Plus, there is no up-front cost and no commitment (leave whenever you want). At the end (after 3 years), you pay $100. Yea that's it.

We've also lined up hosters like goGrid, Rackspace, or Opsource to help get you started.

If you want in, startup can get access to BizSpark either through a Network Partner (e.g. TiE, NVCA, select Venture Capitalists, and over 300+ entrepreneurial-focused organizations with a strong track record to helping young and promising technology companies success or through Microsoft BizSpark Program Leads (called “BizSpark Champs”). Startups can find both at Microsoft.com/bizspark.

Partners like TechStars, KPCB, Angel Capital Association or the European Business Angel Network are on board with us.

Eligibility for the program

BizSpark is available to startups that fit the following criteria, nominated by Network Partners or MSFTEES:

A private company building a software-based product or service
In business for less than 3 years
Less than USD $1M in revenue (2-4 local variants exist)
Participation lasts up to three years

Availability:

BizSpark is immediately available worldwide in most countries
82 countries have a BizSpark Program Lead (“BizSpark Champs”) to provide support

Offering Details:

Please visit www.microsoftstartupzone.com/bizspark for detailed program information.

Spread the word (I'm becoming a champ too so I can help)

MUST SEE: MSNBC Election 2008 Electoral Map

bgold — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 05:09:54 GMT

If you watch MSNBC and have ever seen Chuck Todd of MSNBC and his Surface applications for predicting the US Presidential Elections and wished you could do the same thing? Well now you can, with this awesome new application from MSNBC (built with .NET using WPF). You can download it here and run it to make your own predictions, compare it with the official ones.