PDC2008

PDC09 Says Hello World

2009-08-04T13:28:00Z

Come and get it! Scheduled for November 17-19, 2009, in Los Angeles, Microsoft's coolest developer event, the Professional Developers Conference, is officially open for busines. Register today and save five hundred large! http://microsoftpdc.com

Take note that on the new PDC web site, we have a fresh blog and thus we'll officially be retiring this one. So move on over and sign up for our two RSS feeds. On the What's Happening feed you get the latest and greatest PDC breaking news, and on the Sessions feed you get nuttin' but content 24/7. It's good to be the king, of developer content that is.

Meet ya in LA in November? Mais oui.

http://microsoftpdc.com

PDC Proceedings: New Resources for Session Consumption

2008-12-02T22:18:00Z

PDC2008 team member and author of Windows 7 Blog for Developers, announced the release of PDC Proceedings for the sessions held at PDC. If you weren't able to get to all the sessions you wanted to see this is a resource you will not want to miss! Videos of the PDC sessions are available and the PDC Proceedings helps you digest which videos you want to dive into! Download a session summary by going to the session online and in the resource area select Proceeding (Detailed Session Description). See example here.

Supplement your PDC2008 Experience

2008-11-20T03:55:00Z

Supplement your PDC online or in-person experience by joining local and Microsoft Corporation subject matter experts for a 1-day MSDN Developer Conference held in one of 11 U.S. cities. Choose 4 sessions from 3 tracks or get your questions answered in the community courtyard. Take the time to connect locally and explore the recent announcements on Windows 7, the Azure Services Platform and more.

Watch keynote build and tear down in 6 minutes

2008-11-19T02:38:00Z

Take a break from watching the online sessions and see the keynote room get built and torn down in this timelapse video.

PDC Sessions, Codes, Titles, PPTs: Oh My!

2008-11-04T20:05:00Z

Mike Swanson, PDC2008 Content Owner, has rolled up all the top questions into one new blog posting letting you know where to get all the details on PDC Sessions, Codes, Titles, PPTs and more. Check it out here.

New RSS Feed for PDC Announcements

2008-10-25T09:36:00Z

For all the latest news on PDC, please follow the PDC News RSS Feed here.

Put the PDC in your pocket!

2008-10-22T21:13:00Z

Go to: http://m.microsoftpdc.com/ for the PDC mobile experience.

Rick Rashid: A Researcher’s Researcher

2008-10-19T02:14:00Z

Countdown to PDC2008: 17 years in the same job? Yep, Senior Vice President of Microsoft Research, Rick Rashid has been doing the same thing since the first day he joined the firm, and he’s still loving it. Listen to Rick talk about all of the cool innovation coming out of MSR, and he foreshadows his PDC keynote warning audience members to be thoughtful about where they sit during his speech. Hmmm. Whatever in the world could that possibly mean? Who cares! Mike’s got apple pie in this, his final PDC Hard Hat Challenge. Bonne chance!

Sessions Times Posted

2008-10-16T22:15:00Z

Plan your PDC experience using the timeline view introduced on Thursday, October 16. This updated view of sessions allows you to navigate sessions based on day, time and location. Additionally:

If you already have identified and selected sessions for your “My Sessions” group, look for those sessions to be highlighted in green. Select "My Sessions" to view, print or add to your Outlook calendar.
If you have not created a “My Sessions” group, add/remove sessions in real-time by selecting the check box next to the session listing itself.
Looking for a specific session? Select a technology tag, level or speaker to view those sessions highlighted in blue.
Selecting sessions in the list view has not changed – you are still able to read session abstracts, read speaker bios and obtain resource materials and get access to session recordings (after a session has been presented).
Blank time blocks are placeholders and will be updated when sessions are added, repeated or to indicate an overflow location.

We hope this helps you as you plan out your week in Los Angeles at PDC2008!

L.A. Insights: Cinephile's Delight

2008-10-15T00:15:00Z

Angelenos have a well-deserved reputation as laid-back -- but when it comes to movies, they can be as passionate and serious as the most diehard cinephile. There are convenient places to check out the latest high-profile releases – like downtown’s no-frills Laemmle’s Grande 4-Plex, or the pricey ArcLight in Hollywood. But part of the fun of living in such close proximity to the movie capital of the world comes from the many special screenings and in-person appearances by filmmakers. The week of the PDC is no exception...

To find out more about the nuts-and-bolts of movie-making, you could check out a behind-the-scenes workshop by Richard King, sound editor for the year’s biggest film: The Dark Knight. On Monday night, he’ll be talking at Hollywood’s Egyptian Theater with music editor Alex Gibson about how the two approached the project, complete with pre-dub and post-dub excerpts from the film. If you’ve ever wanted to ask writer/director Alexander Payne (Sideways, About Schmidt) a question, he’ll be doing a Q&A after a screening of his 1999 film Election at the U.S.C. film school on Thursday.

The week of the PDC is also a great week for documentaries. None other than the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences screens Oscar-winning documentaries each Monday, and on the 27th, will be showing two of the winners from 1993: Defending Our Lives, about abused women driven to kill their tormentors, and I Am A Promise, about an inspiring Philadelphia principal in a low-income school. Doc producers will be in attendance to discuss. On Tuesday, the Egyptian will be screening Lioness, a new doc about five female soldiers who saw combat in Iraq, even though technically women are not supposed to be under fire. And along with a panel of distinguished academics, U.S.C. professor Joe Saltzman will screen and discuss Black on Black, the Emmy-winning documentary he produced in 1968 about the devastating riots in South L.A. during that unquiet decade.

Lastly, the annual film festival of the American Film Institute will begin on October 30, which may give you an incentive to stay in town an extra day or two. Opening night will kick off with the world premiere of The Soloist, starring Robert Downey, Jr. and Jamie Foxx, based on the true story of an L.A. Times columnist who befriends a homeless, mentally-ill man on skid row who turns out to be a trained classical musician. But make sure to buy tickets in advance!

Monday, October 27, Behind-the-scenes look at the sound of The Dark Knight (free), Egyptian Theater, Hollywood, 7:30 – red line to Hollywood and Highland.

Defending Our Lives and I Am a Promise ($5), Linwood Dunn Theater, Hollywood, doors open at 6:30 – red line to Hollywood and Vine, walk 4 blocks south to 1313 Vine St.

Tuesday, October 28, Lioness (free), Egyptian Theater – red line to Hollywood and Highland;

Black on Black (free, although RSVP requested at annenberg.usc.edu/rsvp), Annenberg Auditorium, 5 P.M. -- Take southbound commuter Express Bus 422 from stop in front of convention center at Pico and Figueroa -- bus terminates at Jefferson and Hoover, at USC campus. Marked as “ASC” in grid square D4 on this map.

Thursday, October 30, world premiere of The Soloist ($25; $125) – red line to Hollywood and Vine; $25 screening held at Arclight Theater; $125 at Cinerama Dome next door, 7 P.M.

Q. & A. with Alexander Payne and screening of Election (free; although email visionandvoices@usc.edu to get instructions on how early to arrive to deal with first-come, first-served policy), room 108 of George Lucas Instructional Building, 7 P.M. – Take southbound commuter Express Bus 422 from stop in front of convention center at Pico and Figueroa -- bus terminates at Jefferson and Hoover, at USC campus. Screening will take place in room 108 of George Lucas Instructional Building, marked as “LUC” in square 3D on this map.

The Devil’s Field Guide to the PDC2008

2008-10-14T22:09:00Z

The long awaited “The Devil’s Field Guide to the PDC” is the ultimate insider’s guide to having the best PDC experience ever. It answers questions that attendees of any type of large Microsoft conference event ponder, for example:
• Where do all the Microsofties hang out after the event?
• How do I get the backchannel instead of what the mainstream media wants me to hear?
• How do I avoid standing in lines?
• How do I maintain my stamina?
• How do I talk to a Microsoftie who can actually help me?
Of course, there is a lot more to know so get inside the field guide to find out!

PDC2008: We don't need no stinkin' badges!

2008-10-12T15:44:00Z

Countdown to PDC2008: We don't need no stinkin' badges! Yes you do-- if they’re PDC Badges! Collecting PDC Badges is the way for anyone attending PDC to capture their experience at the PDC conference. Just for showing up at registration you’ll receive the “I was there at Microsoft PDC2008 Badge”. If you go to a PreCon, you’ll get the “Captured Brain Power Early” Badge. Not every Badge is that easy to get though. Only a few will obtain the exclusive “Keynote Front Rower” Badge or the “Coded4Fun” Badge.

The best part is that everyone is joining in! You will find Badges available from the Conference, Product Groups, Sponsors and Attendees. Find more details on collecting or creating your own Badges from Adam Kinney, the Badge Evangelist.

L.A. Insights: Music Highlights during PDC

2008-10-11T00:00:00Z

The Los Angeles music scene may not be as cohesive as when jazz clubs lined Central Avenue in the 1940s or when Axl and friends emerged as the kings of the Sunset Strip in the 1980s – but there are always a huge number of live events going on, from classical to hip-hop to country to rock to bebop. We’ve picked out some downtown-centric music highlights for the week of the PDC.

For a gold-plated experience, you could head up Bunker Hill to the Frank Gehry-designed Disney Concert Hall. Living jazz legend Dave Brubeck will be appearing with his quartet on Sunday; and on Wednesday, bossa-nova icon Milton Nascimento will be singing with the Jobim Trio, which lists the son and grandson of the immortal Antonio Carlos Jobim among its members. You could also head to Disney’s smaller Redcat Theater, which tends to program avant-garde artists – on Wednesday, experimental musician Meredith Monk will unveil an “immersive theatrical environment” that will use a choir, vocal ensembles, a string quartet, percussionists, and visual elements to represent various religious states. For one of the best bargains in the pricey world of high culture, stop in at the prestigious conservatory known as the Colburn School--on Sunday night, two of the faculty pianists will be giving a joint recital, which is free as long as you request tickets in advance.

If all of this sounds too highfalutin, consider the rugged DIY punk club known as The Smell. They don’t serve alcohol, but admission is usually just $5-10 dollars, and they’ll be having a full slate of acts on Sunday, Monday, and Wednesday. You also might head over to Redwood Bar and Grill, which books local indie rock acts most nights. If you’d prefer hearing inexpensive live jazz, head over to 7 Grand, which has free local performers after 10 PM on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays. You could also try Little Tokyo’s 2nd Street Jazz Bar, where you can hear young, local players for the cost of a 2-drink minimum at the bar, or a small cover at tables – Wednesday is DJ night, where everything from rare groove to electronica might be heard.

For higher-profile concerts, you’ll have to get on the subway. (Staples Center and the newcomer Nokia Theater, the two biggest downtown venues, aren’t having concerts early in the week). At the turquoise, art-deco theater known as the Wiltern in Koreatown, indie rockers Against Me! will headline on Tuesday.

Over in Hollywood, the Hotel Cafe has become an important venue for upcoming folk and singer/songwiter types to get noticed, and has inexpensive shows 7 nights a week. The Knitting Factory Hollywood will be featuring a variety of acts, including the metal festival Appease the Beast 2 on Sunday and a Latin hip-hop showcase on Wednesday. The Catalina Jazz Club is one of the two most prestigious jazz clubs in the city. They’ll be featuring a variety of second-tier players throughout the week, except for Sunday, when the outstanding chanteuse Tierney Sutton will be appearing. And since no price is better than free, keep your eyes on the Amoeba Records calendar of in-store performances – it’s standing room only, but a great way to catch up with an unknown up-and-comer or an established star.

Disney Concert Hall, including the Redcat
Dave Brubeck Quartet ($36-99)
Milton Nascimento with Jobim Trio ($36-89)
Meredith Monk and Ann Hamilton ($30)
Heewon Kwon and Jeffrey Lavner recital at Colburn School (free)
(Take the red or purple lines to “Civic Center,” and walk uphill on Temple to Grand; to avoid the climb, take DASH Bus Route B)

The Smell (typically $5-10)
(Take the red or purple lines to “Civic Center”; walk south on Hill St. until you reach 2nd St. make a left and walk east for 2 ½ blocks until you pass an alley just west of Main St. the Smell entrance located in the alley, just north of 2nd).

Redwood Bar and Grill (cover charge: $0-$5)
(Take the red or purple lines to “Civic Center”; walk south on Hill St. until you reach 2nd St. make a left until you hit 316 W. 2nd)

7 Grand (music free)
(Blue, red, or purple line to 7th St./Metro Center; walk three blocks east to 515 7th St.)

The Wiltern (Against Me! $25 general admission)
(Purple line to Wilshire and Western)

2nd Street Jazz ($10 at tables, or 2-drink minimum sitting at bar)
(Red line to Civic Center; or DASH bus “Route A,” but only up until 6:30 P.M).

Knitting Factory (tickets $5-40)
Catalina Jazz Club ($10-40, plus 2-drink minimum; please note that even pedestrians enter through the parking garage behind the club, which looks like an office building from outside)
(Red line to Hollywood and Highland).

Hotel Cafe (tickets typically $10-15)
Amoeba Records (free)
(Red line to Sunset and Vine).

Parallel Computing at Microsoft

2008-10-09T20:30:00Z

The manycore shift provides exciting opportunities for developers to create innovative natural and immersive computing experiences that harness the performance power of multi- and manycore processors.

Multi- and manycore architectures have immediate applications in games, digital media, computer-aided-design, business intelligence, data mining and virtual worlds.

In order to make it simple for developers to make the manycore shift, Microsoft plans to deliver a comprehensive and integrated stack of technologies including a concurrency runtime, programming models, language extensions, libraries and tools that simplify the writing of correct, efficient, maintainable and scalable parallel programs, for both native and managed developers.

In Microsoft Visual Studio 2010, Microsoft is investing in new technologies such as the Concurrency Runtime, .NET Framework libraries such as the Task Parallel Library (TPL), Parallel LINQ (PLINQ) and the Parallel Pattern Library (PPL) for developing native applications with C++ and debugging and profiling tools. Additionally, Microsoft is making ongoing investments in existing technologies such as Windows Communication Foundation (WCF) and Windows Workflow Foundation (WF). Microsoft’s CCR and DSS Toolkit 2008 provides new technologies for building loosely-coupled, highly concurrent, and distributed applications.

At PDC, Microsoft is offering a pre-conference on "Concurrent, Multi-core Programming on Windows and .NET," (see interview with Stephen Toub), a symposium on “Parallel Computing – A Detailed Look at How Multi-Core Architectures will Unleash Computing Power and Enable Innovation” and several sessions on Microsoft's technologies for both native and managed developers. Click on the "Parallelism [9]" tag in the sessions list for information about each session.

Download a Community Technology Preview of Microsoft’s Parallel Extensions to the .NET Framework, learn how Microsoft’s technologies can make parallel computing simpler, and interact with other software professionals on delivering innovative software experiences built on the performance power of manycore architectures. Additional videos on Parallel Extensions can be seen here on Channel 9.

Countdown to PDC2008 Ambush Dan and Brian, Taking Over their C9 Show for 10 Groovy Minutes

2008-10-09T17:37:00Z

Countdown to PDC2008: Brian and Dan may have day jobs, but they are also doing a ton of work on PDC including running the Show Off contest. Show Off is a really cool experience, but it’s kinda hard to explain in writing so Brian and Dan give it to us in plain words and tell us how easy it is to get involved (and maybe win some big prizes). Plus, we hear all the PDC sessions are going to be online within 24 hours for FREE! Is that really true!? The guys confirm for us the dealio on the cool PDC virtual experience, and tell us what to expect.