What's Rockin' in Singapore

A Customer who asked if a quiz-type application can be enabled by Silverlight. 

The answer is yes (obviously ) and I had to put my rusty coding skills to work over a good part of a Saturday afternoon.

The result is a Silverlight 1.0 proof-of-concept application, which meant adopting an "AJAX-styled" coding model with JavaScript. In fact, just for the heck of it, I wanted to go the full client-only approach which meant no ASP.NET AJAX server-side controls, etc.

The code demos a couple of simple features:

• Quiz questions are easily configurable with a XML data file. The Silverlight application accesses the quiz as JSON data with a simple web service. This was simply achieved by first converting the XML data to JSON format at the server-side with XmltoJSON C# code (made available at http://www.phdcc.com/xml2json.htm). To allow the web service to be accessible (invoke-able) by the client JavaScript, I also marking the web service with the System.Web.Script.Services.ScriptService attribute. 
• An auto timeout (set to 10 seconds) is set for each quiz, this is done with a XAML animation storyboard to mimic a timer. Jesse Liberty details this useful technique in his blog here.
• At the client end, I dabbled a little with the JavaScript Prototype library to demonstrate interaction between the Silverlight application and the host browser's DOM.

The application can definitely do with polishing (e.g., with some creative design work, one can imagine fireworks animation when the user gets a correct answer,) but this should serve as a nice simple base for extensions, tearing apart, etc. 

Links:

• The source code is available for download at my SkyDrive here.
• The application can also be viewed online here. 

Hellgate: London is, of course, the new action role-playing game for the PC platform.  Playworks Online, who distributes the game, will partner SingTel to launch the MMORG system.

Early this year, we worked with the Playworks team to deliver a micro-site that shows video previews of the various character classes, hosted and delivered with Windows Live Silverlight Streaming Service. Check out the Silverlight-enabled site at http://www.playhgl.com.sg/silverlight.

It was a quick and fun project, working with the cool design folks from Playworks - and we got the site up and running slightly over the span of a week.

The presentation and demo I showed for the 30th January technology briefing session on Rich Internet Applications was based on this project, and a modified version of the source will be made available soon.

Hilarious video: http://on10.net/blogs/tina/Life-At-Microsoft/

Neat - 4 out of the 5 top handset makers are now shipping models with Windows Mobile.

http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/feb2008/tc20080210_711478.htm?chan=top+news_top+news+index_businessweek+exclusives

On 30th January, we did the first of a planned series of web-related technology talk events -- this time focusing on Web User Experience (UX). I'd like to thank everyone who attended and stayed back late (we overran by 45 minutes!)  I think we had a lively time.

We covered the following in the 3 hour presentation session:

1. An overview of the spectrum of Microsoft's user experience technologies. This spans from the ubiquitous web-based (such as ASP.NET AJAX) to rich user interfaces leveraging platform capabilities (such as Windows Presentation Foundation, Windows Mobile), and finally to the new class of Rich Internet Applications (enabled by Silverlight.) We also showed (or, in a specific instance, attempted to show ) real-life applications deployed by customers / partners using these technologies.
2. Jocelyn (our ISV Developer Evangelist) then did a code-talk / demo session on ASP.NET AJAX. Be sure to check out the ASP.NET AJAX Control Toolkit -- you saw how easy it was to add interactivity to ASP.NET web applications!
3. We had Yong Hwee from patroids creative works who shared first-hand experience on developing their first project on Silverlight.
4. I then did a code demo on how we actually developed a real-world Silverlight 1.0 application using Visual Studio and JavaScript. Of course, you can also build video-rich application in 7 steps, and no code with Expression Media Encoder.

My presentation decks for the session can be found on my SkyDrive. You can find Jocelyn's presentation deck (Overview of ASP.NET AJAX) here.

I have also uploaded my two slide decks, which can be accessed from the links below:

• Microsoft & Web 2.0 - UX Technologies.pdf
• Building a Rich Internet Application with Silverlight 1.0.pdf

(I will be sharing the Silverlight demo code as I clean it up for public consumption, so do check back this blog again in a week or so...)

Prelude:

Do keep a look out for the next event entitled "Building Web 2.0 Mash-ups" -- where we will talk and demo building Facebook applications with Visual Studio, creating mash-ups with Windows Live Services, and introduce cool technologies like PopFly, etc.  

This scheduled for the evening of 12 March 2008 -- keep it free!

This February, some of the world’s brightest young minds will gather in the technology center of the world – the Silicon Valley –for the opportunity of a lifetime: to take their winning Imagine Cup ideas to the next level – market reality.

Now in its third year, the Imagine Cup Innovation Accelerator propels Imagine Cup software design champions into the next stage of developing their innovative ideas into a business. The Imagine Cup Innovation Accelerator, a joint project from Microsoft and BT, is a unique prize and opportunity for the top six Imagine Cup finalists from the software design competition to harness their exceptional talents and take their ideas a step further toward commercial reality. Over an intensive two-week period, students further develop and refine their designs and learn to create viable business plans with close guidance from some of the best minds at Microsoft and BT.

These university students will get comprehensive training in what it takes to develop an idea from a concept into a business. After receiving in-depth guidance using Microsoft and BT platform and network assets, the teams will work to improve the software applications they created for the Imagine Cup World Finals in Korea. In addition, experts coach the students on running a startup business, developing a solid business plan, gaining venture capital, and bringing their concepts to market.

The students maintain intellectual property rights over their projects and can create businesses from their concepts in their home country or gain venture capital funding elsewhere – the future of their dream is in their hands. The Innovation Accelerator program is designed to inspire new generations of students to apply their skills and creativity to make a difference, both globally and locally, through technology.

The six teams participating in the 2008 Imagine Cup Innovation Accelerator program are:

• Thailand - Team 3KC Returns/Project LiveBook!
  Team Members: Prachaya Phaisanwiphatpong, Vasan Chienmaneetaweesin, Jatupon Sukkasem, Pathompol Saeng-Uraiporn
• Korea - Team En#605/Project Finger Code
  Team Members: Lim Chan-kyu, Min Kyoung-hoon, Lim Byoung-su, Jeong Ji-hyeon
• Jamaica - Team ICAD/Project CADI
  Team Members: Imran Allie, Conroy Smith, Ayson Baxter, Damion Mitchell
• Ireland - Team inGest/Project Signal-Sign Language Learning Environment
  Team Members: Daniel Kelly, Cathal Coffey, Eric McClean, Mark Clerkin
• Mexico - Team Wisdom Spice/Project Wisdom Spice
  Team Members: Ramiro Berrelleza Perez, Dimitri Limberopulos Fernandez, Sergio Marcin Gorrino, Francisco Sandoval Zazueta
• Poland - Team InPUT/Project Onespace
  Team Members: Szymon Wybranski, Michal Zygmunt, Michal Taranus, Marek Wronowski

"Almost every aspect of what drives the business is changing in some way, shape or form."
- Ray Ozzie, CTO, Microsoft

Over the last 30 years, the dramatic advances in technology have revolutionized the way information is created, stored, shared, and used. As we take advantage of the new opportunities on our various devices and across the Internet, our experiences often become fractured and complex.
Microsoft is dedicated to helping individuals and businesses leverage the flourishing opportunities. Our "Software plus Services" strategy aims at weaving together the best of software and Internet services to provide a new generation of rich, seamless experiences that are personalized, integrated, and available anywhere. The result? Greater freedom of choice and better interactivity!
It's an exciting world. And you're invited!
As we move into the exciting world of "Software plus Services", we invite you to the next edition of Partner Tech Day. This briefing and technology update on Microsoft's Web Platform, has been tailored to help you take control of the next generation web and discover new opportunities for your business. Do join us and make the most of it!

  AGENDA

   Registration: 8:30a.m. - 9:00a.m.

9:00a.m.
to
9:30a.m.

Enterprise Development in Singapore
As the agency for enterprise development, SPRING Singapore aims to enhance the competitiveness of enterprises to develop a strong base of dynamic and innovative Singapore enterprises. This session will explain SPRING's initiatives to nurture a pro-business environment, facilitate and enhance the innovation and enterprise capabilities of small and medium enterprises.

9:30a.m.
to
10:30a.m.

Keynote: Microsoft's Web Platform Strategy
This Keynote will outline Microsoft's Web Platform and give you a perspective of the different Microsoft Technologies that will enable the next generation applications on the web.

10:30a.m.
to
12:00p.m.

Building Rich Internet Applications (RIA) using Silverlight
In this session, we will discuss how using Microsoft® Silverlight^TM -a cross-browser, cross-platform plug-in - can help you deliver the next generation of media experiences and rich interactive applications for the Web.

1:00p.m.
to
2:15p.m.

Introduction to ASP.NET 3.5
ASP.NET 3.5 and Visual Studio 2008 bring great new functionality around Web development and design that makes building standards based, next generation Web sites easier than ever. From the inclusion of ASP.NET AJAX into the runtime, to new controls, the new LINQ data capabilities, to improved support for CSS, JavaScript and others, Web development has taken a significant step forward.

2:15p.m.
to
3:30p.m.

Introduction to the Microsoft Sync Framework
This session will introduce the Microsoft Sync Framework - a comprehensive synchronization platform enabling collaboration and offline access for applications, services and devices with support for any data type, any data store, any transfer protocol, and network topology. This session will help you understand how the Microsoft Sync Framework enables synchronization to build a synchronization topology.

3:45p.m.
to
5:00p.m.

Exploring the power of Internet Information Services 7.0
More than just a Web server, Internet Information Services 7.0 (IIS7) provides a security-enhanced, easy-to-manage platform for developing and reliably hosting Web applications and services. Moreover, IIS7 is a major enhancement to the Windows Web platform and plays a central role in unifying Microsoft's Web platform technologies - ASP.NET, Windows Communication Foundation Web services, and Windows SharePoint Services.

Venue    : Microsoft Auditorium,
              One Marina Boulevard,
              NTUC Centre, Level 21,
              Microsoft Singapore
Date      : February 22, 2008
Time      : 0900hrs to 1700hrs

RSVP
Write to gloria@techmexeventsasia.com (with your Name, Company Name and Contact Numbers) or call Gloria at 6550-8963

This is definitely news - Microsoft Proposes Acquisition of Yahoo! for $31 per Share.