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2010-04-28T07:58:00.001+02:00

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Download Visual Studio 2010 Express for Windows Phone CTP

2010-03-16T15:07:00.004+01:00

Update: Another interesting place to get you started: http://developer.windowsphone.com/windows-phone-7-series/

Here it is, download the CTP of Microsoft Visual Studio 2010 Express for Windows Phone.

Additionally, here are the release notes.

Or use this handy link to download the Offline Install ISO image file.

And to finish your day in style, have a look here for more information: http://www.microsoft.com/express/Phone.

Free ebook: Programming Windows Phone 7 Series

2010-03-16T07:34:00.004+01:00

Microsoft Press just made this draft version of the Programming Windows Phone 7 Series ebook from Charles Petzold available as a preview download.

Windows Phone Developer Experience with Silverlight

2010-03-05T07:52:00.007+01:00

Update: The official name is now: Microsoft Visual Studio 2010 Express for Windows Phone

Building up towards MIX10, more news on the fresh approach towards Windows Phone 7 development trickles in.

Along the list of technologies to build the next generation of Windows Phone apps, you'll find these giants: .NET, Silverlight, XNA platform, Microsoft's developer tools, Web 2.0 standards.

In his post Different Means Better with the new Windows Phone Developer Experience, Charlie Kindel explains the why of the new platform for Windows Phones developers.

Microsoft Visual Phone Developer Express 2010

2010-02-17T12:03:00.010+01:00

Update: the new name revealed at MIX MIX10 by Scott Guthrie is Microsoft Visual Studio 2010 Express for Windows Phone

After the huge Windows Phones 7 Series announcement, a little voice in my head whispers that Microsoft expects huge amounts of developers to create new apps, with the help of the yet to be released Microsoft Visual Phone Developer Express 2010.

Keep watching this page and perhaps here for a free download.

Fantastic Easter Egg in Windows 7 and Vista

2010-01-06T11:19:00.001+01:00

There's a great easter egg hidden in Windows 7 (32-bit and 64-bit), and Vista (32-bit):

Make a new folder, then rename it to:

GodMode.{ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C}

The icon of the folder will change to a Control Panel Icon, and you�ll get a stunning list of all available system settings and control panel applets.

Now you are in charge!

Via: Ina Fried

Download free eBook to master PowerShell

2009-08-24T10:03:00.001+02:00

I�m sure you�ve heard good things about the mighty Windows PowerShell console in Windows already, but did you start discovering it yet? Many of us will be overwhelmed by the functionality and possibilities� so to remedy this, here�s the free Mastering PowerShell eBook, courtesy of Dr. Tobias Weltner, a PowerShell MVP. You�ll find lots of other interesting info on the PowerShell.com website.

For more information on scripting with Windows PowerShell, visit the Script Center on Microsoft TechNet here: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/scriptcenter/dd742419.aspx

Here�s the direct download link:
http://powershell.com/Mastering-PowerShell.pdf

Windows 7 Sticky Notes Keyboard Shortcuts

2009-05-06T09:39:00.001+02:00

Windows 7 has a new app called Sticky Notes that replaces the similar sidebar gadget. Finally an integrated way of putting lots of colored postit-notes on your desktop.

The bad news first: when you use Aero Peek to have a quick glance at your desktop, the sticky notes disappear (as will any other app of course). The sidebar or desktop gadget would�ve shown here� A workaround could be to pin the Sticky Notes app to your taskbar and use the Win+(Number) key combination to show and hide your notes.

The good news: even though it seems that you can only type plain text in your notes, in reality there are a lot of familiar keyboard shortcuts to bring your notes alive:

Control+L = left align
Control+E = center
Control+R = right align
Control+T = strikethrough
Control+U = underline
Control+I = italic
Control+B = bold

Ctrl+Shift+> = bigger font
Ctrl+Shift+< = smaller font

Ctrl+Shift+L = bulleted list

Control+N = new note
Control+D = DELETE (without confirmation!)

Control+A = select all
Control+X = cut
Control+C = copy
Control+V = paste

Control+Z = undo
Control+Y = redo

Microsoft ASP.NET MVC hits Gold + free eBook!

2009-03-20T08:14:00.001+01:00

After what seemed like an never ending rally of preview, beta, CTP and RC versions, Microsoft has finally released the RTW (Ready To Web) version of ASP.NET MVC.

In plain English, that means the official version 1.0 of the MVC framework for ASP.NET is now a fact. You�ll find a truckload of sample code, videos and tutorials at the ASP.NET MVC Center. You�ll also find a gallery there, featuring some nice design templates (skins) to get you started on your MVC project.

While we�re waiting on the Gu (Scott Guthrie) to release his long awaited blog post on this release, here�s a must read post of him: Free ASP.NET MVC eBook Tutorial. Additionally, here are some videos to get your started:

You can find more videos here:
� More �How Do I� Videos
� More MVC Videos

Did you know?

2009-02-10T11:08:00.001+01:00

Here's a great presentation about the evolution of technology and life in general.

Easily timing your website speed

2009-01-30T11:49:00.001+01:00

There are many ways to time the speed of your website, using php, asp, asp.net or simple javascript. They all have the disadvantage that you need to include your scripts on every page you want to time, and once your site is published live on the webserver, you don�t want every visitor to see these timing results.

Here�s a simple and elegant solution, and it�s free! The Numion Stopwatch website has a simple textbox to enter the url you want to time.

Note: once your site or page is loaded and timed, you can push the result button to test again. A separate button would be much clearer.

Link: http://www.numion.com/Stopwatch/

Big List of Windows 7 Secrets

2009-01-13T17:34:00.003+01:00

Keyboard junkies and power users rejoice! Here's a great list of Windows 7 secrets, some of which also work in Vista SP2, published by Tim Sneath.

The keyboard combinations Win+Up, Win+Down, Win+Shift+Up, Win+Shift+Down, Win+Left, Win+Right to maximize/minimize/move windows are real life savers. So is Win+T to access the taskbar, Win+Space to enable Aero Peek, and Control+click on a taskbar icon to switch between multiple windows of the same program.

Read all these powerful tips here: Bumper List of Windows 7 Secrets

Broken apps in Windows 7

2009-01-12T10:47:00.008+01:00

Although almost anything that works on Windows Vista also works on Windows 7, there are certainly exceptions. Here's a list of apps not working in Windows 7 beta:

FinePrint 6: this excellent print preview driver saves huge amounts of paper and ink. Unfortunately, kernel-mode printer drivers are not allowed anymore, and the famous KMPrintersAreBlocked registry hack does not work.
~~In a reply from the tech department, FinePrint Software says a fix is underway, perhaps as soon as this week!~~ Update: as FinePrint tech support promised, the latest FinePrint 6.05 installs perfectly on Windows 7.
ISO mounting tools: although Windows 7 now has native support for ISO disc images, it is only possible to burn them to disk. You can't mount them as a virtual drive. None of the software I tried worked on Windows 7: MagicDisc installs but doesn't work, same story for VirtualCloneDrive, and Windows 7 is so kind to let us know upon installation that it doesn't support Daemon Tools currently. Alternatives anyone?
Defrag software: Raxco PerfectDisk 2008 doesn't want to install on this version of Windows. I could try modifying the installer, but disk software is not the kind of app you want to mess with. Since Raxco has announced PerfectDisk 10 to be available on January 27, 2009, I'm sure Windows 7 support won't be far off.
Update: Raxco confirmed in the comments below that PerfectDisk 10 supports Windows 7.

Do you know other programs or drivers that don't work on Windows 7? Do you know a workaround? Let us know!

Reported by Daniel:

~~Hamachi vpn client (www.hamachi.cc)~~ (works when installed as Administrator)

The Nvidia control panel on a Dell D830 won't let me set an external ViewSonic display to 1680x1050, and it would be much happier at that resolution.

Microsoft releases .NET Framework 3.5 Service Pack 1

2009-01-07T08:41:00.001+01:00

Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 Service Pack 1 is a cumulative update with service updates to the .NET 2.0 and 3.0 subcomponents, and contains many new features for the .NET Framework 2.0, 3.0, 3.5.

Quick overview of what�s new:

ASP.NET Dynamic Data is now included, providing rich scaffolding framework for rapid data driven development without writing code. See What's new in ASP.NET and Web Development for more info.
Addition to ASP.NET AJAX for managing browser history (back button support).
Core improvements to the CLR (Common Language Runtime)
Performance improvements to WPF (Windows Presentation Foundation)
Additional functionality in WPF: better support for line of business apps, native splash screen support, DirectX pixel shader support, and a new WebBrowser control.
ClickOnce application publishers can opt out of signing and hashing.
Entity Framework (an evolution of the well known ADO.NET) is included and has new features like support for SQL Server 2008. See Getting Started with the Entity Framework for more info.
LINQ to SQL and SqlClient (.NET Framework Data Profider for SQL) now support the date and file stream capabilities in SQL Server 2008.
ADO.NET Data Services Framework is included, and enables data to be exposed as flexible REST (Representational State Transfer) data services.
Windows Communication Foundation (WCF) has improvements to the DataContract Serializer.

Downloads & links:

After installation, immediately install the update KB959209 to address a set of known application compatibility issues!

Opera 10 Web Browser now available in alpha

2008-12-08T08:27:00.000+01:00

Opera Software lets us have a sneak peek at Opera 10! You can now download an alpha version of Opera 10 at http://www.opera.com/browser/next/. Here�s a quick rundown on what�s new:

Presto 2.2 Engine
Performance boost
100/100 and pixel-perfect on the Acid3 test
Auto-update
Inline spelling checker
Opera Mail improvements, including rich text composition and delete after X days

Here�s some more detail on the improvements and new features:

Opera 10 contains Opera's new rendering engine, Opera Presto 2.2, which will be integrated with all future Opera 10 products. This rendering engine gives us up to 30 percent faster browsing experience (compared to Opera Presto 2.1 from Opera 9.5).

For web developers: support for standards has improved also, resulting in a 100/100 score on the famous Acid3 test. There are also improved tools for web developers: you can use Web Fonts, including SVG font files, making great typography possible for designing web sites. Now it is also easier to make page elements transparent, by using a transparency channel added to RGB and HSL (so: RGBA and HSLA). Finally, Opera Dragonfly has improved website debugging, editing the DOM and inspecting the HTTP Headers.

There are some more improvements for the users too: spellchecker while you�re typing, auto update to the latest versions as they become available, and Opera Mail now supports HTML formatted e-mails.

�My favorite development in this release is the support for new Web technologies, which allows people to explore new ways of using the Internet," says Johan Borg, Vice President of Consumer Engineering, Opera Software. "Our 100/100 Acid3 Test score is only a first indication of the impact these new Web technologies will have. We look forward to your feedback on Opera 10.�

Find out more and download Opera 10 free: http://www.opera.com/browser/next/.

Download Windows Vista Service Pack 2 Beta

2008-12-06T10:04:00.006+01:00

Microsoft has released standalone versions of Windows Vista Service Pack 2 Beta and Windows Server 2008 Service Pack 2 Beta in this knowledge base article: KB948465.

Download SP2 Beta

SP2 Beta Standalone updates for computers with one or more of the following five languages: English, French, German, Japanese, and Spanish. If your computer has any other language installed this option will not work.

Windows Update installation of SP2 for Windows Server 2008 x86/x64/ia64 and Windows Vista x86/x64

Five Language SP2 Standalone:

ISO for Windows Server 2008 x86/x64/ia64 and Windows Vista x86/x64

x86 for Windows Server 2008 and Windows Vista x86

x64 for Windows Server 2008 and Windows Vista x64

IA64 for Windows Server 2008 ia64

TechNet Plus Subscribers

Download integrated images, containing the full OS product and SP2 in a single image for clean install or upgrade scenarios

		MSDN: Server08
		MSDN: Vista
		TechNet: Server08
		TechNet: Vista
		Install the SP2 Standalone package using the links in Non-Subscribers section

Some more information on these releases:

Windows Server 2008 SP2 Beta and Windows Vista Service Pack 2 Beta is prerelease code offered to the public through our Customer Preview Program. Please see the Windows Server SP2/Windows Vista SP2 Customer Preview Program page on TechNet/MSDN for additional details, documentation, and forums.

Windows Vista SP2 TechNet
Windows Server 2008 SP2 TechNet

Windows Server 2008 SP2 Beta and Windows Vista Service Pack 2 Beta apply to people, organizations, and technical enthusiasts who are comfortable evaluating prerelease software. This prerelease software is provided for testing only. Installation of Service Pack 2 Beta will result in Microsoft collecting information about the installation process, even if the installation is not completed. We do not recommend installing this software on primary or mission-critical systems. We recommend that you have a backup of your data before you install any prerelease software.

SP2 is an update to Windows Server 2008 and Windows Vista that addresses feedback from our customers and partners. By providing these fixes integrated into a single service pack, Microsoft provides a single high-quality update that minimizes deployment and testing complexity for customers.
In addition to all previously released updates, SP2 will contain changes focused on addressing reliability and performance issues, supporting new kinds of hardware, and adding support for several emerging standards. SP2 will also continue to make it easier for IT administrators to deploy and manage large installations of Windows Server 2008.

Service Pack 1 is a prerequisite for installing Service Pack 2. Please make sure that your system is running Service Pack 1 before you install Service Pack 2.
Windows Server 2008 SP2 Beta and Windows Vista Service Pack 2 Beta - Five Language Standalone version can be installed on systems with any of the following language versions: English, French, German, Japanese, or Spanish.

Support for Windows Server 2008 SP2 Beta and Windows Vista SP2 Beta can be received by visiting the Windows Server 2008 Service Pack 2 and Windows Vista Service Pack 2 TechNet forum.

TCP Ports required for ActiveSync & WMDC

2008-11-18T07:49:00.001+01:00

To get a working ActiveSync (or Windows Mobile Device Center on Vista) connection, you need to open some ports in your firewall. Some firewalls like Eset SmartSecurity have auto-discovery mode or interactive mode, but that doesn�t always work out okay.

The easiest and most reliable way is to open these TCP ports manually in your firewall:

990 (RAPI)
999 (Status)
5721 (DTPT)
5678 (Legacy Replication)
5679 (Handshake & Legacy Replication)
26675 (Airsync)

Source: TreoProTricks

ATI Catalyst Install Manager has stopped working

2008-11-04T09:25:00.001+01:00

This problem has bugged me for a while: when installing AMD/ATI Catalyst drivers (version 7.8, 7.9, 7.10 and who knows the new 7.11), everything goes fine until you click the Install or Uninstall button:

You are then greeted with the message Catalyst Install Manager has stopped working. Apparently this has something to do with the VS2005 C++ redistributables, but that shouldn�t be our problem.

The fix is quite easy:

open a CMD-box with administrative privileges
go to your ATI drivers, probably in a location similar to this one:
C:\ATI\SUPPORT\8-10_vista32_dd_ccc_wdm_emu_69564\
then go to the BIN (or BIN64 for Vista64) folder underneath
type this command:
atisetup.exe -Install -Output screen

If all goes well the drivers will then install successfully. Do not forget to reboot your machine after installation!
Good luck!

IE Tester - Test your sites against IE8, IE7, IE6, and IE5.5

2008-10-14T10:26:00.000+02:00

IETester is a free tool to test your websites against all major versions of Internet Explorer. It has the rendering and javascript engines of IE8 beta 2, IE7, IE6 and IE5.5 on Vista and XP.

Download: IETester v0.2.3 (24Mb)

Microsoft Office 2007 Filter Pack

2008-10-13T09:46:00.001+02:00

This download will install and register IFilters with the Windows Indexing Service. These IFilters are used by Microsoft Search products to index the contents of specific document formats. This Filter Pack includes IFilters for the following formats: .docx, .docm, .pptx, .pptm, .xlsx, .xlsm, .xlsb, .zip, .one, .vdx, .vsd, .vss, .vst, .vdx, .vsx, and .vtx.

Download details: Microsoft Filter Pack

Microsoft Web Platform Installer

2008-10-08T09:12:00.001+02:00

Microsoft has released a new tool aimed at web developers: Microsoft Web Platform Installer. Although it�s still a beta, it�s already a one-stop shop to install all necessary tools, service packs and extensions, including IIS, ASP.NET, SQL Server 2008, Visual Web Developer 2008, all of the current IIS Extensions and more!

Once installed, this tool automatically discovers new additions and updates to the platform, keeping you up to date.

Additionally, Microsoft has launched a new website for web professionals (designers and developers): microsoft.com/web

Go to: Microsoft Web Platform Installer site, or download wpilauncher.exe immediately.

CSS Reset Styles

2008-09-25T09:00:00.001+02:00

There are many CSS reset styles available on the net, every designer probably has a customized version to defeat browser inconsistencies that bother them.

This site contains a giant collection of CSS reset styles, ranging from super-simple to very thorough, including big names as Tantek�s CSS Reset, Shaun Inman�s Global Reset, Yahoo CSS Reset, and of course Eric Meyer�s CSS Reset.

Link: http://perishablepress.com/press/2007/10/23/a-killer-collection-of-global-css-reset-styles/

Fun with Wordle

2008-08-27T15:31:00.001+02:00

Microsoft SyncToy 2.0 Released - Free download

2008-08-19T16:35:00.001+02:00

Microsoft has released version 2 of SyncToy, an easy to use, customizable application to copy, move, rename, and delete files between your different folders and computers:

Based on the Microsoft Sync Framework (included in the installation), it offers these new features:

Dynamic Drive Letter Assignment: Drive letter reassignment will now be detected and updated in the folder pair definition.
True Folder Sync: Folder creates, renames and deletes are now synchronized for all SyncToy actions.
Exclusion Filtering Based on Name: File exclusion based on name with exact or fuzzy matching.
Filtering Based on File Attributes: The ability to exclude files based on one or more file attributes (Read-Only, System, Hidden).
Unattended Folder Pair Execution: Addressed issues related to running scheduled folder pairs while logged off.
Folder Pairs With Shared Endpoints: Ability for folder pairs associated with the same or different instances of SyncToy to share end-points.
Command line enhancements: Added the ability to manage folder pairs via the command line interface.
Re-Architect Sync Engine: The SyncToy engine has been rearchitected to provide scalability and the ability to add significant enhancements in future releases.
Sync engine is also more robust insomuch that many single, file level errors are skipped without affecting the entire sync operation.
Sync Encrypted Files: Sync of Encrypted files works when local folder and files are encrypted, which addresses the common scenario involving sync between local, encrypted laptop PC folder and remote, unencrypted desktop PC folder.
64-Bit Support: SyncToy now has a native 64-bit build (x64 only) for 64-bit versions of Windows.
Folder pair rename
Sub-folder Exclusion Enhancements: Descendents created under excluded sub-folders are automatically excluded. Usability improvements for the sub-folder exclusion dialog.
Folder Pair Metadata Moved: Folder pair metadata removed from MyDocuments to resolve any issues with server-based folder pair re-direction setup.
Setup Improvements: Integrated setup with single self-extracting archive file and no extra downloads if you already have .NET Framework 2.0 installed. Enabled silent install for the SyncToy Installer file (see readme.txt file for more information). Removed combine and subscribe actions.
Removed combine and subscribe actions.

Free download: Microsoft SyncToy 2.0 (32-bit) or as 64-bit version.

Changing aspect ratio of Windows Vista Media Center

2008-08-15T15:14:00.003+02:00

Here's a quick tip on changing the aspect ratio of Windows Media Center on Windows Vista:

Media Center in windowed mode takes the same aspect as your primary display, so if you have a widescreen lcd panel you'll get a wide media center window too.

To change the aspect from wide (16:9 or 16:10) to small (4:3), hold down the Ctrl (control) button while dragging the side edge of the media center window. You can do the same to change the aspect the other way around of course.

Enjoy!