Microsoft Windows Vista Influencer Community

Improved MSDN Search

2006-05-08T18:58:00Z

Responding to customer feedback pinpointing search as the #1 improvement needed, MSDN Online Search is now completely revamped, with:

Improved relevance by using the MSN Search engine
One-click access to results from Community Content: MSDN Forums, Codezone Premiere Sites, and MSDN Blogs
RSS support allowing subscription to search results
OpenSearch support for integration with IE7 search toolbar

Improvements are expected soon for TechNet search as well as Visual Studio search.

The goal is for users to no longer need to rely on Google to find entries located within MSDN. If we're on or off the mark, let us know!

RSS Directory Technology Preview

2006-05-08T18:55:00Z

The Microsoft Communities team recently shipped a preview release of our new Microsoft-wide RSS directory designed to help users find and gain access to useful RSS feeds. This release includes:

Dynamically updated and categorized listing of a selection of feeds, mainly on Microsoft domains
MSN Search-based, multi-language keyword search for RSS feeds on Microsoft.com, gotdotnet.com, blogs.msdn.com, and blogs.technet.com
Integration with IE7 via default Favorite pointing to RSS directory

Check it out !

Reflections on Robert Scoble & Shel Israel's Session on the Blogging Phenomenon

2006-03-29T01:23:00Z

Yesterday on the MS campus I took an hour out of my schedule to attend a discussion with Robert Scoble and Shel Israel about their new book, Naked Conversations. Below are some of the notes I managed to scribble down as they covered a range of topics centering around why they felt business blogging was a topic compelling enough to write a book about it (as opposed to posting).

There are 5 pillars of conversational software (read: blogging):

easy technology: no HTML or dev skills necessary to participate

discoverability: Technorati, etc shorten time to discovery

linking and referrals create community

permalinking to specific content allows for asynchronous reference

syndication: pushing content to subscribers makes it simple, stoopid

Robert stated that "anti-marketing" marketing is the current confluence of events driving the prevalence of new business bloggers. Key points are that

typical marketing content must be clean and sanitized, PR/Legal sign-off, etc before release
nevertheless, with blogging, lack of editing lends credence to blogged conversations
giving negative side as well does same
immediate feedback mechanism also allows for dialogue, which lends credibility and promotes "stickiness"
there is power in speaking to an audience of 30, due to

targeted nature of audience
conversational nature of interaction

Both Robert and Shel went on to state that "the creation of new [traditional] marketing techniques grows at about same rate as its decline in efficacy." Blogging overcomes this by creating an immediate, granular and opt-in (self-)segmentation of market. In other words, blogging is simply another form of disintermediation, in this case of information, allowing the consumer/customer and the business to "get the crap out of the way" and get down to the *discussion* of why a company's products do or don't work for their customers.

How does one determine whether a blogger, or reader for that matter, is legit? There exists a 2-way trust mechanism within any community, in that known third parties vouch for newcomers; thus, both sides of the conversation achieve validity in the eyes of the other. Further, norms of communication are informally employed such that the community provides its aggregate opinion on the author (reader, product, etc), serving as a de facto public opinion survey. A message's validity is thereby controlled by the reading public through feedback to ensure that the author's side of the conversation "stays honest."

IMHO, the guys closed with what for me is the real reason for business blogging's being: "engaging the customer in the product feedback cycle is the key to the longevity of blogging." Flip that on its head and you arrive at the conclusion that engaging the customer in a conversation on product development via blogging will become key in any company's longevity. I asked them about this later as they signed my personal copy of their book, and they agreed that introducing the customer into the product development cycle, from concept and design thru to testing and acceptance, is what will create a sustainable competitive advantage for those companies with 1) the vision to see how blogging can entirely change interaction with their customers, and 2) the ability to skillfully implement a blogging program that is not subsequently derailed by attempts to turn it into an overt PR channel or other mechanism for "controlling" interactions with customers.

And there you have it -- why I blog in the first place.

ANNOUNCEMENT: Moving On To The Windows Vista Team

2006-03-20T23:13:00Z

As of this week, I'm changing roles to become part of the Windows Vista Community Team, responsible for influencer-engagement properties such as The Hive, among others.

Hence, this blog will now be dedicated to engaging influential parties whose online properties and real-world efforts revolve around the upcoming Vista launch. I'm changing my blog's title to "Microsoft Windows Vista Influencer Community" and anticipate that while the content I cover in it will indeed be new and different, its general format will change little, if at all.

My best to those of you I've worked with in the Windows Mobile and Embedded Devices space ... I'm sure our paths will cross again in future.

-- Nick

USB WebCam Shared Source Community Project for Windows CE

2006-03-09T00:11:00Z

Mike Hall's weblog makes mention of the new Windows CE 5.0 USB WebCam Shared Source Project; according to Mike, "the USB WebCam driver is provided in source and binary form, with documentation that explains the driver architecture and how applications can get still images and video from the driver."

Check it out on Mike's blog...

Windows Embedded Student ChallengE (WESC) Participant Resources

2006-03-08T23:02:00Z

There is a new Windows Embedded Student ChallengE Blog available to support students during the 2006 WESC competition. Answers will be posted to frequently asked questions and regular team updates will be provided on this site.

Check it out at http://windowschallenge.learningce.com/default.aspx.

Check It Owwww-t! Create a "Muglet" for MEDC

2006-03-08T03:44:00Z

Pretty cool tool for you to create a character in advance of the event and compete with others ... http://www.muglets.com/go/microsoft/.

Announcing MEDC 2006 Registration

2006-02-15T15:42:00Z

Microsoft Windows Mobile and Embedded Developer Convention (MEDC) 2006: Fueling knowledge. Accelerating development.

Attend MEDC 2006, 8-11 May in Las Vegas and learn the latest on building and bringing to market the next wave of devices, applications, content and services for the Windows Mobile and Windows Embedded platforms. MEDC is the only place to get one-on-one and hands-on with Windows Mobile and Windows Embedded through 150 hands-on labs, 130+ technical sessions and numerous opportunities to interact with industry and Microsoft experts.

For more information and to register for MEDC, go to: http://www.medc2006.com/default.aspx?CID=BCGF2

New MSDN Windows Mobile Webcast Series: Creating a Windows Mobile LOB Application

2006-01-25T02:26:00Z

MSDN Mobility Marvels Webcast Series: Creating a Windows Mobile Line-of-Business (LOB) Application

Join this live weekly Webcast series to learn how to build a complete Windows Mobile business solution from start to finish. Topics covered include:

Visual Studio 2005
.NET Compact Framework 2.0
SQL Server 2005 Mobile Edition
Windows Mobile 5.0 managed APIs

Schedule: Wednesdays, 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM (Pacific Standard Time), January – March 2006.

(Yet Another) Call for Customer-Driven Innovation

2005-12-19T19:27:00Z

From today's IT-Wireless daily mail, "How to Prepare for Mobile Malware; BlackBerry Alternative", making note of the article Push Comes to Shove in Wireless Sector:

"There's an interesting report from research firm WTRS on how mobile device users are getting more frustrated, angrier and disenchanted with mobile technology thanks to clunky user interfaces and stalled functionality features ... The report says users want plug and play features, easy to use applications and better service stability. Just like in any industry, the winning product and tool makers will be those who listen to customer feedback and bring about technologies that meet the needs and solve the problems facing wireless users today."

That's exactly what we're trying to accomplish in the Mobile and Embedded Devices Division here at Microsoft: devise creative and unobtrusive ways to give our customers a voice so they can more easily and seamlessly share with us their ideas, and then respond to those concerns in as close to real-time as possible. We've got some exciting technologies on the short-term horizon that will enable us to do exactly that, so stay tuned to this space next year.

...

On an unrelated note, the same article states that the most important verticals in the embedded devices market will converge with important verticals in the wireless business:

"Overall, the predominant wireless sensor markets that will develop over the next year include home automation, commercial control, and industrial automation applications."

This fits nicely with the technology-management and marketing strategies prevalent here in Mobile and Embedded.

Windows Mobile Developers: Tell Us What You Think (and You May Win a $100 Amazon Voucher)

2005-12-06T22:33:00Z

We are giving away 5 Amazon.com gift cards worth $100 each. Complete the Windows Mobile Technical Resources Survey, and you will be entered in a random drawing for one of the cards. Please take a few minutes to let us know what you think so we can improve the Windows Mobile SDK Documentation, the Windows Mobile Technical Articles, and the Windows Mobile Community Resources (e.g., Webcasts, Microsoft blogs, eHowTo videos) you find on the MSDN Windows Mobile Developer Center.

Announcing the Windows Embedded Student ChallengE 2006

2005-12-01T20:49:00Z

The Windows Embedded Student ChallengE 2006 (www.windowschallenge.com) is an international undergraduate student competition organized by the Microsoft Windows Mobile and Embedded Devices group. The competition is aimed primarily at computer engineering students although one does see interest from CS, MIS etc. The contest is run in association with IEEE’s Computer Society (CSIDC).

Based on the theme “Preserving, protecting and enhancing the environment,” the goal of this year's competition is to give students the opportunity to participate in an engineering design competition that helps build skills both with hardware as well as applications. Teams must configure, build, debug and deploy a Windows CE image on the provided hardware, on top of which they will build their application(s).

Registration for the contest ends 22 January 2006 and the contest culminates with the world finals in Redmond in June .

Key Dates

Registration ends - 22 January 2006
Interim report submissions due – 14 February 2006
Final reports due – 16 April 2006
Windows Embedded Student ChallengE finalists announced - 14 May 2006
Windows Embedded Student ChallengE finals - 23-24 June 2006 in Redmond, WA

Please visit the WESC website (www.windowschallenge.com) for more info.

Release of Localized Versions of .NET Compact Framework v2.0

2005-11-28T23:11:00Z

Our .NETCF Team has recently posted the localized .NET Compact Framework v2 downloads -- you can access them via the links below.

Windows Mobile Technical Resources Survey

2005-11-22T08:02:00Z

Please take a few minutes to let us know what you think so we can improve the Windows Mobile SDK Documentation, the Windows Mobile Technical Articles, and the Windows Mobile Community Resources (e.g., Webcasts, Microsoft blogs, eHow-To videos) you find on the MSDN Windows Mobile Developer Center.

Take a minute to respond to our survey and you could win a $100 Amazon.com gift certificate.

Newly Discovered CE Testing Tools Resource

2005-11-21T21:18:00Z

We've recently come across a rather extensive listing of home-grown Windows CE tools, most of them apparently targeted at Windows Mobile devices but also of use on customized CE devices as well. The very bare-bones site (who needs graphics when you're only browsing utilities?) bills itself as offering "a collection of tools to do many things to a windows CE device via ActiveSync/RAPI." Some tools are noted as being based on the sample code included in the PocketPC SDK, and most are available in both source and binary form.

One thing to take into account is the site's warning that "experimental tools may not work, or may even cause damage." Use them at your own risk -- which is good advice whenever you're utilizing a utility created by someone other than yourself.

You'll find this community resource at: http://www.xs4all.nl/~itsme/projects/xda/tools.html.