Check out Windows® API Code Pack for Microsoft® .NET Framework (v0.85)!!

Cope and pasted summary:-

The Windows® API Code Pack for Microsoft® .NET Framework provides a source code library that can be used to access new Windows 7 features (and some related Windows Vista features) from managed code. These features are not available to developers today in the .NET Framework.
The features included in this version (v0.85) of the library are:

• Support for Windows Shell namespace objects, including the new Windows 7 libraries, Known Folders and non file system containers.
• Windows Vista and Windows 7 Task Dialogs.
• Windows 7 Explorer Browser Control supporting both WPF and Windows Forms.
• Support for Shell property system.
• Helpers for Windows 7 Taskbar Jumplists, Icon Overlay and Progress bar.
• Support for Windows Vista and Windows 7 common file dialogs, including custom file dialog controls.
• Support for Direct3D 11.0 and DXGI 1.0/1.1 APIs.
• Sensor Platform APIs
• Extended Linguistic Services APIs

Hey if you have been considering going to ReMIX 09 in Sydney then register quick as the “Early Bird” offer runs till May 21st and look forward to a day that covers a range of relevant and exciting technologies and tools to give you the edge!!

You can register at https://www.microsoft.com.au/events/register/home.aspx?levent=725411&linvitation

Oh and be sure to check out the Shane and Fin ReMIX Pillow Talk at http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=99751155545# – nice concept Mr Kordsey!!

The agenda is as follows:-

• Keynote
  Kick off REMIX09 with a bang. Be inspired by our Keynote presenter, a visionary thought leader who’ll discuss the latest trends on the Web, and the experiences technology will deliver in the future. Following the Keynote, a number of household-name Australian companies will showcase recent examples of Web innovation.
  
• Session 1 - Creative Track: Create the User Experience you want in SharePoint
  Bruce Furlong, Unique World
  
• Session 1 - Technical Track: Silverlight 3 Super Session
  Jordan Knight, Readify
  
• Session 2 - Creative Track: What's new Expression 3 - Sketchflow
  Matt Morphett, Amberdew Interaction Design
  
• Session 2 - Technical Track: Azure
  David Burela, Readify
  
• Session 3 - Creative Track: The Next Level of Creativity with Expression Blend 3
  Jose Fajardo, Cynergy Systems and Dave Glover, Microsoft Australia
  
• Session 3 - Technical Track: IE8 for Developers, Developers, Developers
  Michael Kordahi, Microsoft Australia
  
• Session 4 - Creative Track: Introducing the Microsoft Virtual Earth Silverlight Map Control CTP
  Chris Pendleton, Microsoft Corporation
  
• Session 4 - Technical Track: Building great standards based websites for the big wide world with ASP.NET 4.0
  Damian Edwards, Readify / Microsoft MVP in ASP.NET and Tatham Oddie, Readify / Microsoft MVP in ASP.NET
  
• Session 5 - Creative Track: The New Windows Live Messenger Web Toolkit for Social Websites
  John O'Brien, Soul Solutions and Bronwen Zande, Soul Solutions
  
• Session 5 - Technical Track: Real World S+S Architecture
  Michael Baker, Incite
  
• Session 6 - Creative Track: Design in the Round. Creating Compelling User Experiences for Surface
  Shane Morris, Microsoft Australia, Brady O'Halloran, Amnesia Razorfish and Iain McDonald, Amnesia Razorfish
  
• Session 6 - Technical Track: Sibling Rivalry or Love: Microsoft and Open source
  Nick Hodge, Microsoft Australia
  
• Locknote
  
• Networking Event - REMIX09 Networking Event will be held "at the pub" : Oscars in Pyrmont

See ya there, Dave

Hey see there is an update to the Facebook application for Windows Mobile, check out http://blogs.msdn.com/windowsmobile/archive/2009/05/12/windows-mobile-facebook-application-update.aspx

It’s actually a pretty cool wee app!!

Cheers Dave

Hey if you went to the Victoria.NET User group on Tuesday then you would have caught my Windows 7 session, you can find resources I mentioned at here, hope those that installed Win 7 on the night are enjoying and those that grabbed the DVDs have had a chance to fire it up!!

You can find resources from Tarn Barford’s awesome session on Iron Python at http://blog.sharpthinking.com.au/post/2009/05/11/IronPython-Presentation.aspx – funny we both did our sessions on Netbooks!!

And Mahesh’s session covering the Application Architecture Guide 2.0, tbh, I had lost track that version 2 was over on codeplex!!  If you’ve not see this guide then I highly recommend you download it from http://www.codeplex.com/AppArchGuide/Release/ProjectReleases.aspx?ReleaseId=20586

There is great coverage of where technologies fit, from web, to services, data access, security, desktop and mobile along with recommended best practices and patterns, honestly take a break from your busy day to day busy existence and check it out, it’ll be time well spent!!

Cheers Dave

Then check out the PowerPoint presso at http://cid-d03fa499b14904f9.skydrive.live.com/self.aspx/Presentations/numbers.pps!!

Assume it’s true…!!

Nice bit of trivia for the day:)

Cheers Dave

We’ve just opened the “Call for Content” for TechEd 2009 Australia and New Zealand, if you are interested in getting involved then check out Andrew’s blog at http://blogs.msdn.com/acoat/archive/2009/05/06/tech-ed-australia-and-new-zealand-call-for-content.aspx

Cheers Dave

As per Mahesh’s notice out we’re pulling together some resources and fun items for the Windows 7 Install Fest as part of the Victoria.NET User Group meeting on Tuesday May 12. 

We’ll have DVDs (hopefully) and some bootable USB Windows 7 install keys available to install a fresh or upgrade your existing Windows Vista install…

If ya keen to give it a whirl then make sure you do a complete system backup first before the event, both to save time and potential tears (but I reckon it’ll be smiles), but yeah just in case…

So we’ll see ya there and I’ll also do a quick intro, a few tips and tricks and cover off some useful resources to help ensure you are building Windows 7 compatible applications!!

Now am pretty darn sure the photo in the out of box Windows 7 backgrounds is the bridge/tunnel on the Melbourne Tullamarine freeway, does anyone know the tunnel’s name??

For now some useful links:-

• Windows 7 Springboard
• Download the Windows 7 Release Candidate (Optimised for Australia)
• Windows 7 Logo Program (See the Windows 7 Logo Toolkit Overview Powerpoint for more details)
• Download the Windows 7 SDK
• Get the Windows 7 Application Quality Cookbook
• Get Online Technical Support
• Windows 7 Application Compatibility Center

Cheers Dave

Finally the Windows 7 Release Candidate is generally available and if you live in Australia then head on over to www.microsoft.com.au/windows7 and download a copy which will be available at least through June…

Ok in my household the Windows Media Center is sacrosanct only to be tampered with by the fearless or in my case the reckless.  So as soon as I got my grubby hands on the Release Candidate I naturally wanted to install it on to the family Media Center.  Now in fairness, I did do a Vista System image backup on the “working” system and I’d recommend you do the same to avoid any family reprisal and simply roll the system back if your experience is not so great!!

So as per my previous posting “Oh Yeah Finally built a Vista Media Centre with PAF” with the system as outlined in that posting, but now with just one 500gig WD GreenPower disk for OS and media, I set to work installing Windows 7 RC 64 bit Ultimate Edition…  I updated to version 9.4 of the graphics driver (as of May 5th, 2009, cose the out of box driver is crap) for the integrated ATI Radeon HD3200-based graphics chipset and downloaded and installed the latest 64 bit driver for the DigitalNow TinyTwin Dual Digital USB Tuner.  I then fired up Media Center and set to work scanning for TV stations and setting preferences as I like them…

Stuff I really liked!!

1. The first is easy, over the air EPG (Electronic Programme Guide) finally just works for Australia, all the stations picked up their respective guides, fan-blimin-tastic, and hey you can even colour code the guide based on genre; news, movies, sports etc, cute!!
2. Built in Divx support rocks!!
3. Media libraries make more sense and you can now specify UNC (eg \\server\media) names (plus credentials) for media you may have setting on a home server or NAS, very handy!!
4. Ability to turn off pesty system notifications from the Media Center menus rather than hacking the registry
5. Love the music media montage made up of all the music album covers, hmmm, looks hot!!
6. It just works and has been doing so for about near a week and not an ill word uttered by anyone:)

Stuff I don't like…

1. Honestly for now, nothing bugs me about it…

Go on, give it a whirl, you’ll love it and well ya know you going to anyways, just wait till they’ve all gone to bed;)

Tomorrow I’ll write up my experiences with Windows 7 Release Candidate and my ASUS Eee PC 1000H, basically it just worked, too easy, all drivers in the box only needed to install the latest ASUS APCI Driver and Super Hybrid Engine utility and was good to go…

Cheers Dave

lol, a this is probably doing the rounds but a mate from England sent my way – enjoy!!  Dave

• This is a picture of an octopus. It has eight testicles. (Kelly age 6)
• Oysters' balls are called pearls. (James age 6)
• If you are surrounded by sea you are an Island . If you don't have sea all round you, you are incontinent. ( Wayne age 7)
• Sharks are ugly and mean, and have big teeth, just like Emily Richardson. She's not my friend no more. (Kylie age 6)
• A dolphin breathes through an arsehole on the top of its head. (Billy age 8)
• My dad goes out in his boat, and comes back with crabs. (Emily Burniston age 5)
• When ships had sails, they used to use the trade winds to cross the ocean. Sometimes, when the wind didn't blow, the sailors would whistle to make the wind come. My brother said they would be better off eating beans. (William age 7)
• I like mermaids. They are beautiful, and I like their shiny tails. How do mermaids get pregnant? (Helen age 6)
• I'm not going to write about the sea. My baby brother is always screaming and being sick, my Dad keeps shouting at my Mum, and my big sister has just got pregnant, so I can't think what to write. (Amy age 6)
• Some fish are dangerous. Jellyfish can sting. Electric eels can give you a shock. They have to live in caves under the sea where I think they have to plug themselves into chargers. (Christopher age 7)
• When you go swimming in the sea, it is very cold, and it makes my willy small. (Kevin age 6)
• Divers have to be safe when they go under the water. Two divers can't go down alone, so they have to go down on each other. ( Becky age 8)
• On holiday my Mum went water skiing. She fell off when she was going very fast. She says she won't do it again because water shot up her fanny (Julie age 7)

“MSDN Attach” Promotion Expires June 30th 2009

  “For a limited time, save up to $900 when you add a MSDN® Premium or MSDN Professional subscription to Visual Studio® 2005 Professional Edition or Visual Studio 2008 Professional Edition license. Plus, with a new MSDN Premium or MSDN Professional Subscription, you’ll get Visual Studio 2010 when it ships!”

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See a full list of MSDN Benefits: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/subscriptions/aa718661.aspx.

If you have any questions then please contact Arabind Coomaraswamy on +61 2 9870 2372

Cheers Dave