The Future of Web Apps (FOWA) is a three-day conference that brings together web visionaries to discuss the technologies, platforms and business models that will launch the next generation of web, mobile and social applications. 

The following Windows Azure experts will speak at FOWA:

• You’re in the Cloud, Now What? – Getting the Most Out of Your Cloud Platform – with Steve Marx (@smarx), Windows Azure technical product manager
• Building HTML5 Games (includes demo hosted in Windows Azure) – with Giorgio Sardo (@gisardo), Microsoft technical evangelist
• Why Use Windows Azure for Device Apps? – with Wade Wegner (@wadewegner), Microsoft technical evangelist

We’ll also have a booth where conference attendees can meet with Windows Azure technical experts and see demos of Tankster and other fun games on iPhone/iPad, Android and Windows Phone devices connected to the cloud.

 Watch @Windows Azure for updates from the event.

If you are developing user interfaces and applications leveraging Silverlight for Windows Embedded on Windows Embedded Compact 7 , then you will certainly be interested by this article . Thanks Sandu!…(read more)

If you are developing user interfaces and applications leveraging Silverlight for Windows Embedded on Windows Embedded Compact 7 , then you will certainly be interested by this article . Thanks Sandu!…(read more)

Earlier this week I was informed that Microsoft BizTalK Server 2010 has passed compatibility testing with Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009 SP1. See http://blogs.technet.com/b/dynamicsaxse/archive/2011/09/22/microsoft-dynamics-ax-2009-sp1-is-compatible-with-biztalk-server-2010.aspx for more details.

I would recommend that if you are using BizTalk Server integration to at least have Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009 SP1 Hotfix Rollup 7 Kernel installed as aminimum on all your AX systems. This Kernel build contains the following AX BizTalk adapter fixes and enahnacements:

2389818: “Requested Service not found” error message when you use the BizTalk connector adapter in Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009 Service Pack 1

The BizTalk adapter cannot handle response messages from Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009 SP1 on a successful delete service action or a successful update service action

 and other kernel updates from previous rollups.

Microsoft Developer Support does not write or maintain customer production code. If you want Microsoft to do the changes and implement production code, then MCS would be the more appropriate Microsoft organization. Also, you could engage a Microsoft Partner, or any other third party developer entity to assist.

Microsoft Developer Support can assist with going over their code and help with assessing where its having an issue, provide advice, debug, etc. However, they are not allowed to modify or otherwise directly implement any changes in customers production code. Because of this, a developer on the customer side has always been needed – or at a minimal to have someone who can write and debug their own code. In the end, customers need to have a developer who can change the code and do some debugging and troubleshooting on their end – if they can provide such a person, then we can move forward.  

Microsoft Developer Support can provide assistance with break-fix issues, advisory, explanation of code samples and providing proof of concept samples. All samples are provided as-is “AS IS” with no warranties, and confers no rights. “Use of included script samples are subject to the terms specified at http://www.microsoft.com/info/cpyright.htm“.  If you require customized code samples to suit your environment, you should engage a Microsoft Partner or Microsoft Consulting Services.

Related  links:

234322 OFF: Getting Support for Microsoft Office Solutions
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;234322

Microsoft Professional Advisory Services
http://support.microsoft.com/gp/advisoryservice

You should also consider buying a Microsoft or third party application if you cannot locate a developer resource. We cannot recommend third party software.  However, Microsoft and some third party packages might be more robust, be more mature and stable for less the cost of what it would take to hire a developer to create the same thing from scratch.

… 

Yes, I know I repeated myself and broke a few writing rules here; however, I did so by intent.

For the last 10 years, Microsoft have held the prestigious Imagine Cup, a competition open to students around the world to use technology, creativity and knowledge to help solve global issues and make a difference in the world.

Recently Software4Students interviewed 2011 winners ‘’Team Hermes’’, made up of four students from Sligo IT; Aíne Conaghan, Calum Cawley, Matthew Padden and James McNamara. The team’s lead software developer, James McNamara, provides some valuable information for those who wish to become the next MS Imagine Cup winner. of 4 students from Sligo, Ireland focussing on their initial thoughts of the competition, involvement and experience overall.

 Software4Students (S4S): Hi James! First of all congratulations to you and your team on winning Microsoft´s Imagine Cup 2011! It´s been almost two months since you won, how has your journey been so far? 

James: It’s been amazing, and very busy! The Imagine Cup gave us the opportunity to take a nugget of an idea, develop it and present it to a global audience. The solution’ s development was a very intense process and a great learning experience for four students to go through, and especially getting the feedback and insight you can receive through the Imagine Cup. Winning the competition has enabled us to learn even more, like learning how to work with the media (they are all, of course, very nice people!), how to pitch a product in a business environment and make great contacts.

S4S:Could you give us a brief overview on what your project consisted of?

 James: Our solution monitors and evaluates driving behaviour and provides real time feedback to both the driver and a third party. It consists of three main parts. Firstly, we have an in-car device, which plugs into the car. This monitors the driver’s behaviour and evaluates their performance. If the driver behaves poorly, the device alarms, much like a seat belt alarm. This monitored data is sent to and stored on the Azure cloud. Secondly, this data displayed on a Silverlight website using Bing Maps, which sections of a completed journey colour coded depending on the drivers behaviour. Thirdly, if any dangerous driving behaviour is recorded updates are sent to our “vehicle owner” mobile app. So in essence, through making drivers aware of their dangerous driving habits they can use the tools we provide to make themselves a safer driver, and safer drivers mean safer roads.

S4S: Wow, sounds amazing! So where did your idea come from?

James: Road deaths are a huge problem in Ireland, especially in the North West, and we wanted to build a system that would reduce road traffic accidents. The initial idea was for the development of a pot-hole monitoring system. We believed that if authorities were aware of, and fixed the bad roads, it would improve safety. We realized that the real problem with road safety was not roads but drivers, and from there the idea evolved. We designed a system that is globally adaptable and scalable, as this is a global problem.

S4S:It certainly is. So you had the problem and the solution, what approach did you take on developing the project?

James: We wanted a massively scalable architecture as this was global solution. So we decided on implementing a cloud solution. We also wanted an easily deliverable solution, so decided on using a phone app and a web app. The most efficient way of implementing this type of solution we found was with Azure, as the homogeneous nature of the Microsoft products meant we could develop the system very quickly. So we built our SQL Azure database, built our WCF services to transport and parse data and fronted ended it with Silverlight. Silverlight was great as we could copy and paste a lot of code from the Windows Phone apps to the web app and vice versa, especially the mapping code as they both supports Bing Maps. Our in car device runs the .Net Micro framework so that could simply consume the WCF services. Apart from some tricky work with the communication from the device to the cloud, it all work perfectly.

S4S:Well it certainly worked for you and your team. So tell us – what are Team Hermes’ plans for the future?

James: The plans are big! We plan to set up a company shortly to commercialize the product. We have received a lot of positive feedback from the business community and the public in general, there seems to be a real desire out there to see this product on the shelves. The feeling is that this product really could save lives on the roads, and if we could deliver on this it would be amazing! We have received massive support from our college IT Sligo, and especially the Innovation Centre based there and also Microsoft Ireland.

 
S4S: We wish you the best of luck with it too! For those students out there who dream of winning the Imagine Cup, what advice would you give them?

James: The best advice I can give is to find a topic you have real passion for, and give it all you’ve got. Don’t get too vague, focus on a problem and build the solution around being able to deliver tangible results. Also, remember that for a project to deliver real change it needs to sustain itself through generating revenue, so don’t forget the business side. We found having an interdisciplinary team was a huge boost, especially having a business/marketing student; the idea is no good unless you can sell it!

S4S:What are your 3 favourite software applications from Microsoft and why?

 
James: Visual Studio 2010. I am a programmer, VS is my life! I’ve use a good few development environments but the sheer power of VS is impressive. And, dare is say it…it’s pretty! The second one is Zune. I started using it when I moved to Windows Phone. It’s very nice to use and nice too look at, which is important for a media player! Thirdly, although it is not strictly a piece of software, the Windows Phone OS. I have been using Windows Phone for a while and I love it. Very smart and stylish, functional and since all Imagine Cup finalists are getting a free one off Microsoft, it’s at the right price!

S4S: How important do you think school life is for enhancing pupils’ digital skillsets?

James: It’s huge. The need for exposure to as much digital technology as possible is school is ever increasing. Technology is becoming ubiquitous in the work place, from the move away from a paper based environment to technology like slate PCs and touch devices to the huge increase in smart phones and the constant emergence of new technology, students emerging from the academic world into the workplace need to have a firm grasp on technology, regardless of their industry.

S4S: As you know, we are dedicated to offering software with huge discounts for students to help bridge the digital divide. What else do you think is important to encourage students to use and develop their skills in technology?

 James: Affordable software is a huge benefit to students. Being one myself I know the challenges of being able to acquire software, so what Software4Students are doing is great. Students need to be made aware that there are massive benefits in developing their skills in technology. Currently in Ireland we are experiencing a surge in jobs in the software development industry and also have a huge lack of graduates in the industry. This just shows there are real tangible benefits in looking to development of technological skills, not just as a means to an end but a goal in itself.

If you think any of your students would be interested in entering the Microsoft Imagine cup 2012, registrations can be made here

Now that the Visual Studio LightSwitch community is really growing I thought I’d start posting some of the cool articles, videos, samples and extensions I find each month. First off, here are the LightSwitch team “hangouts” where you can get training, ask questions, and interact with the LightSwitch team. The biggest one of course is:

LightSwitch Developer Center

This is your one-stop-shop to training content, samples, extensions, documentation, podcasts, a portal to the forums, community, and much more. All of the team content is aggregated onto this site, and we also aggregate all the community submitted extensions and samples. It’s the first place you should go if you’re just learning LightSwitch. Also here are some other biggies:

LightSwitch MSDN Forums
LightSwitch Team Blog
LightSwitch on Facebook
LightSwitch on Twitter (@VSLightSwitch, #VisualStudio #LightSwitch)

Check out the rest of the community sites and list of awesome content for this month on my blog.

Enjoy,
-Beth Massi, Visual Studio Community