• [0:51] GenerationApp, http://design.windows.com
• [1:56] Windows 8 UX Fundamentals Training Workshop 2012
• [2:21] Windows 8: What .NET Devs Need to Know (Tim Heuer), Everything Web Developers Must Know to Build Windows 8 Apps (Jaime Rodriguez)
• [3:37] Channel 9 Highlight: Scott Hunter Introduces New ASP.NET Features (Cory Fowler, Brady Gaster, Scott Hunter)
• [4:06] ASP.NET Web API Released and a Preview of What’s Next (Henrik F Nielsen)
• [5:16] Introduction to the Multilingual App Toolkit (Hosam Kamel)
• [6:43] Unit Testing WinJS: First Steps (Christopher Bennage)
• [7:19] RegEx Pixie (Jon von Gillern) [Found Via: Alvin Ashcraft's Morning Dew - Dew Drop – August 22, 2012 (#1,386)]

Picks of the Week!

• Brian's Pick of the Week:[8:05] Maniks art slideshow video
• Dan's Pick of the Week:[9:29] Kinash uses the Kinect to turn walls into touchable surfaces

Ok well, we can’t quite show you the future, but we can give you 30 minutes with Mary Jo Foley. Mary Jo has been covering the tech industry for over 25 years focusing specifically on Microsoft and Microsoft technologies for most of that time. She has had a front row seat, watching, observing and chronicling new advances and innovations as they’ve unfolded, putting her in a unique position to be able to understand how certain trends will likely impact the industry.

Mary Jo joins Jonathan Rozenblit and Ruth Morton for a special edition of the AlignIT Manager Tech Talk. In this episode, Mary Jo talk about what’s new at Microsoft and in tech.

Featured Guest: Mary Jo Foley

Mary Jo Foley has been a tech journalist for more than 25 years. She has worked for a variety of tech publications and Web sites, including PCWeek/eWeek, CRN and ZDNet. She is the editor of the "All About Microsoft" blog on ZDNet, and the author of the book "Microsoft 2.0: How Microsoft Plans to Stay Relevant in the Post-Gates Era" (John Wiley & Sons). She also is the co-host of the Windows Weekly show on the TWiT network and a frequent commentator and speaker on all things Microsoft-related on TV, radio, podcasts and at industry events.

Podcast

This episode is also available as a podcast.

Listen Now >> Download as MP3 >> Subscribe with Zune >> Subscribe with RSS Feed >> Subscribe with iTunes >>

About AlignIT Manager Tech Talk

The AlignIT Manager Talk is a monthly live streamed video series hosted by Ruth Morton (LinkedIn) and Jonathan Rozenblit (LinkedIn). Each Tech Talk episode airs on the 2nd Thursday of the month from 12:00pm to 12:30pm EST. The show focuses on a range of topics for both infrastructure and development managers and is interactive, taking questions via a live chat and providing answers on air

About AlignIT

The AlignIT program is dedicated to keeping IT leaders informed about what really matters in business and technology. We do that through in-person events, web casts, our blog and of course, this podcast series. You can find more information about the Align IT program at www.alignit.ca. If you have comments, suggestions, and ideas for future topics please let us know by connecting with us via email, Twitter, or LinkedIn.

Visit the AlignIT site >>
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• Piehead Productions
• Download Silverlight 4
• Silverlight 4 - A guide to the new features
• Silverlight 4 - "How Do I?" videos
• Silverlight Blogs
• Web PI Download
• Learn to create Silverlight applications using Expression Studio with .toolbox
• Check out the Expression community site

Access to the kit is on an invite-only basis at the moment, and interested developers have to go to Skype’s website and fill out an online form detailing their user and organization info. 

SkypeKit will allow the integration of voice and video calling and/or IM features into third-party desktop applications or compatible Internet-connected hardware devices. It also offers Skype’s super wideband audio, based on the SILK codec. Developers who use SkypeKit will be able to describe their apps as “plugged into Skype” in their marketing materials, notes a company blog post about the announcement.

To request an invite to the program, you can head over here to the sign up page now.

WebMatrix helps developers learn standards-based Web development, explains the text on its new website, using technologies like HTML, CSS and JavaScript. And it even connects you to open source apps like DotNetNuke, Umbraco, WordPress, Joomla!, and more, all available from the built-in gallery. (You’ll probably remember seeing these apps in the Windows Web App Gallery, which was also launched over the past year).

The interface WebMatrix displays when you launch it the first time is a simple wizard-based welcome screen that lets you pick whether you want to create a site from the Web Gallery, a template (several are included) or a “site from folder.”  This may be too simple for advanced developers, but that’s the point. WebMatrix is intended for “web agencies, small development teams within SMBs, hobbyists, and students,” writes Microsoft’s Laurence Moroney on The Officical Microsoft Web Platform Team Blog. Moroney also details how to get started with the tool and do other nifty things, like displaying a Twitter feed, for example.

To download WebMatrix now, you can do so from here. (But note the “beta” label, OK?)

To get started, all you need is the code (open sourced under the BSD license), an API key, and the API Docs (you’ll need an MSDN login to access them).

Then, you can follow along with this tutorial written by PHP guru Cal Evans where you can access sample code, too while learning more about Bing’s API. Stay tuned for follow up posts, as well, where he will talk about what possibilities this API access permits. 

This is pretty interesting stuff because it’s entirely unique – no other search engine gives you access to information like this via an API. Now go build something amazing with it!

The new Messenger Connect API lets developers do 3 main things:

1. Create instant user profiles and friend lists. In other words, portable friend lists you can choose to share with websites by signing in.
2. Enable real-time IM on websites plus feed-based sharing options
3. Easily integrate into multiple development environments (an API service exposes a RESTful interface, wrapped in a range of libraries including JavaScript, .NET and others)

For end users

But for consumers, what the Messenger Connect will allow for is the ability to pull together “all of a user’s social networks into one ‘passport’ that they can use around the web,” writes Martin Bryant on The Next Web blog. Yep, that means you can tote around your Facebook identity and others too, all in one package.

“Like the new version of Windows Live Messenger, it supports Facebook, Myspace and LinkedIn but will additionally be supported by over 100 third party partners at launch,” Bryant explains.

While Microsoft claims that the aim is not to compete directly with Facebook’s Open Graph, “we’re not trying to be a social network, we’re trying to be the best companion to social networks…,” Microsoft’s John Richards told TNW, there are some similarities between the two services and how they both let you port your social graph around the web.

However, privacy is being positioned as the biggest difference. The official blog post reads: “…we believe that the privacy of a customers’ data is a critical element of a secure web and the customer should be in control…Websites cannot access any of a user’s non-public information from Windows Live without prior consent…”

Security and privacy, in fact, are listed as “foundational elements” of the new service, which should be a big plus for consumers who want the convenience of a social companion service without the fear of over-sharing.

The new API is part of the next version of Messenger, coming soon and available for preview here: http://www.messengerpreview.com/

Inside the toolkit, you’ll find the following:

• Facebook Developers Toolkit Link
• Ninject 2.0 for Dependency Injection Link
• Asp.Net MVC 2 Link
• Windows Azure Software Development Kit (February 2010) Link
• AutoMapper Link
• Azure Toolkit - Simplified library for accessing Message Queues, Table Storage and Sql Server
• Automated build scripts for one-click deployment from TFS 2010 to Azure

For more information on how to get started, check out the toolkit’s page here on Codeplex.

(via ISV Developer Community blog)

• New platform
  • Windows Phone 7 Series
• New features
  • Integrates with Visual Studio 2010
  • Dynamic audio output
  • Microphone input
  • BasicEffect has four new siblings
    • SkinnedEffect
    • EnvironmentMapEffect
    • DualTextureEffect
    • AlphaTestEffect
• Improved portability and usability
  • Collapsed graphics caps into just two profile levels: Reach and HiDef
  • Many graphics API improvements
  • This involves some breaking API changes
  • Split Microsoft.Xna.Framework.dll into several assemblies, to make it more obvious which pieces are available on each platform

Michael Klucher also added a few answers to some people’s “burning questions,” noting “yes, we have hardware accelerated 3D API’s on Windows Phone 7 Series. Yes, we have Visual Studio 2010 integration with our toolset. We’ve even added buffered audio support to the Audio API’s that many of you have asked for.”

You can find out more about XNA news on the XNA Creators Club Online.

The answers will be revealed next month at the MIX10 conference. All those attending the event, a web conference intended for designers and developers, will receive free development tools and exclusive free support for Windows Phone 7 Series. There’s also a dedicated track on the Windows Phone 7 Series platform that runs throughout the event for mobile developers to follow. And if you register before February 21st, you can get $200 off.

So how excited are the developers? Well, as the first comment on MIX’s site about the offer reads, “Can't wait! Windows Phone 7 is made of win.” We couldn’t agree more.

Image credit: Engadget

Also, Dmitry and Peter discuss Snoop, FastCGI 1.5, Windows Mobile wish lists, Windows Azure X-Drive,  PHP MEF, Gaming Addictions, and other bad habits. Is this a Developer talk show or what?!

As you may imagine, this new program provides web developers and designers with copies of Microsoft web design and development software. The list includes Visual Studio 2008 Professional Edition, Expression Studio 3, Expression Web 3 as well as processor licenses for Windows Web Server 2008 or R2 (when available), SQL Server 2008 and DotNetPanel, a third-party web site control panel.

To qualify, web development and design companies with up to 10 employees and owners can participate for three years with no up-front cost on their part. At the end of the term, only a $100 fee is due, but there are no other costs or obligations. So in other words, you’re getting a ton of software for only $100.

That on its own would be great, but the program also provides professional support and training during the three year period. Of course the end goal here is to sell potential customers on the Microsoft platform, but as TechCrunch recently noted: “Who cares” because “frankly, their developer tools have long been the best available.”

Those interested in learning more or enrolling can do so here: http://www.microsoft.com/web/websitespark.

Additional videos in this series:

• Windows 7 Sensor and Location Platform Overview 
• Windows 7 Location Overview
• Windows 7 Sensor and Location - Deep Dive into Location

In the Windows 7 Developer Training Kit, you can find three labs about Windows 7 Sensor and Location Platform.

You can find additional information about the Windows 7 Sensor and Location Platform in the:

• www.microsoft.com/whdc/sensors
• Send email with any questions to - sensext@microsoft.com
• Windows 7 Sensor and Location Platform Developer Center on MSDN

Windows 7 Sensor and Location Platform series of posts
PDC session recording - Windows 7: The Sensor and Location Platform: Building Context-Aware Applications

The Windows Sensor and Location platform, new for Windows 7, enables your computer and applications to adapt to their current environment. Previously, we introduced the Windows 7 Location Platform Overview; in this video, we take a deep dive into the Location Platform architecture and APIs. Join Alec Berntson and Yochay Kiriaty as they explains why location gets a special set of APIs and what makes the Location Platform such an amazing platform for developers.

In the Windows 7 Developer Kit you can find Hands On Labs and additional content on Windows 7 Sensor and Location.

You can find additional information about the Windows 7 Sensor and Location Platform in the:

• Windows 7 Sensor and Location Platform Developer Center on MSDN
• Windows 7 Sensor and Location Platform series of posts
• PDC session recording - Windows 7: The Sensor and Location Platform: Building Context-Aware Applications

You are welcome to join the Paul(s), both Paul Kwiatkowski and Paul Gildea, as they dive deep (real deep) in to some of the advanced topics of the Windows Animation Manager.

This is the third video in a series of videos about the Windows Animation Manager. The first two videos are: Windows Scenic Animation Overview, Windows Animation – Advanced Features.

To learn more, check out dev.live.com.

If you weren’t able to attend the conference or watch the live stream at live.visitmix.com, here’s what you missed:

Silverlight 3

Already the download links are live for the Developer Runtime Beta of Silverlight 3, the SDK, documentation, and the Silverlight 3 Tools Beta 1 for Visual Studio 2008 SP1. And we heard the final version of Silverlight 3 should ship by year-end. In the new version of this technology, RIA developers will have more tools to work faster with new graphics, animation, and 3-D features and more than 60 new controls. There’s added support for the H.264 video format, deep linking, better SEO support, and new hardware-based graphics acceleration and animation features. Silverlight 3 will also allow developers to create lightweight web apps that can exist outside the browser, which should definitely lead to some interesting scenarios. (Like a Netflix desktop app, I can only hope).

Today, Silverlight is in use on a number of major websites including AOL, eBay, BSkyB, Netflix, CBS Sports Online, the European Commission, CareerBuilder.com, Samsung Electronics Co., and Yahoo! Japan. Microsoft, of course, has deployed the technology on 200+ products and sites like Microsoft.com, MSN, Live Search, Windows Live, Microsoft Office Online, Virtual Earth and the new Silverlight-based WorldWide Telescope application.

Microsoft’s Web Platform Installer & Gallery

Also available is a new preview release of .NET RIA Services, technology which brings the ASP.Net platform together with the Silverlight platform and the Web Platform Installer 2.0 Beta, a tool that simplifies the installation and maintenance of Microsoft’s web stack as well as other free components. This release lets users download both PHP and the final release of ASP.NET MVC 1.0. It’s available on on this page alongside the final version of the 1.0 release. With the new beta, you can easily install popular open source ASP.NET and PHP web apps and other extras like the latest community version of PHP for Windows.

Along with the Web Platform Installer beta 2, there’s now a Windows Web Application Gallery available where developers can discover, explore and download applications and components that can help them build web apps. This gallery doesn’t just feature Microsoft products either – it includes links to other online resources like Acquia Drupal, DotNetNuke and WordPress. The gallery divvies up the types of apps into categories and includes both a featured app section and a “top 5” section.

Windows Azure Tools and Upgrades

Finally, Guthrie unveiled the new Windows Azure Tools for Microsoft Visual Studio. These extend Visual Studio’s capabilities to allow for the creation, building, debugging, running, and packaging of scalable services on Windows Azure. The Azure Tools download also includes the Windows Azure SDK.

The Windows Azure Platform itself received an upgrade, too. Today Microsoft added new capabilities including support for full trust to increase the level of flexibility for developers through support of native code, non-.NET language support via FastCGI, and geolocation which will allow developers to host data and code across two U.S.-based datacenters. The Azure team has also addressed the top customer bugs and has implemented update notifications for future releases. Customers were reminded, however, that Azure is still a CTP (Community Technology Preview) and should not yet be used on production systems.

Now the Family.Show application has been updated to version 3 to take advantage of some of the innovations from the latest WPF releases including LINQ, data validation, and more.

In addition, the developers went through the requests on the Codeplex site where the code is hosted and have implemented lots of suggestions to make it an even better tool for general purpose genealogy purposes.

WPF developers interested in using the app as a reference tool will also be happy to know that the code has been refactored to make more of the controls easily resusable in other applications.

You can check out the new version of Family.Show on Codeplex or on Vertigo’s website, where they also have a ClickOnce version of the application available. 

For more information about the update – including news about the upcoming Family.Show 4, check out Tim Sneath’s blog post.