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VisualStudio posts

Filed under: Developer, Apple, iPhone, Beta

Dev Chair : iPhone SDK experience


The iPhone SDK has been out for couple of weeks now and I've been using it to develop an application for my work as a technology demonstrator. My experience thus far has been largely positive. I wasn't surprised by how well-made the SDK is, even at this beta stage. The amount of work involved in releasing any SDK, let alone one that is so tightly scrutinized, cannot be underestimated.

Consider that I am learning three new things simultaneously: programming in Objective-C, learning how to use Xcode, and what is available in the iPhone SDK, I am going to describe the whole experience instead of just confined to the SDK.

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Filed under: Design, Developer, Windows, Microsoft

Microsoft builds Second Life game to promote Visual Studio


Second Life is becoming all the rage for first world tech companies. Microsoft has recently opened Visual Studio ISland within the world of Second Life to promote their Visual Studio product, and to offer some much needed rest and gaming for Visual Studio developers.

The Island is stunning, but what is far more interesting is the game designed to engage visitors to Visual Studio Island. Hovering far above the main building you'll find a giant blimp, and the end object of the game. Players gain access to whatever wonders may lie inside this huge floating orb by solving ten puzzles spread throughout the Second Life world.

Check out the Gallery below to see what you're missing on the visually humbling island of Visual Studio. In world, search "Visual Studio" to teleport in and begin playing the game yourself.

Filed under: Design, Developer, Windows

Microsoft preparing to deploy Atlas AJAX toolkit

microsoft ajax atlasMicrosoft is busy developing its new AJAX toolset using the codename Atlas. There is a lot of excitement and interest in this new tool that Microsoft is expecting to release at the end of 2006, but is currently only available as a prerelease. The final release will depend on user feedback from a beta release version. Microsoft has said that along with Atlas, we will see the release of certified Atlas products that will work in conjunction with Visual Studio 2005, and ASP.Net. Atlas will be launched into two main categories. A JavaScript library called AJAX Library, and Server side components which will be called ASP.Net 2.0 AJAX Extensions.

[via zdnet]

Filed under: Developer, OS Updates, Windows, Microsoft

Vista won't get Visual Studio Express

VS ExpressTo avoid possible anti-trust allegations again, Microsoft will not bundle VS Express or any of the other express products with Vista when it ships. There are rumors that OEMs may want to include it later, but nothing is for sure right now. Microsoft will leave the bundling to HP, Dell, and others to add in great free products like VS Express, and other express products (I imagine this means SQL Server Express, Visual Web Developer Express). Anyone that really wants any of the Express editions can just download them, but Microsoft's objective is to get more developers interested in their products than just people coming to their sites. These products are great stuff, so I can see why.


[Via eWeek]

Filed under: Business, Developer, Windows, Productivity, Microsoft

Visual Studio 2005: Vista flavors wannabe

Visual Studio 2005A while back I wrote a post (surprising I know, I never do that) on The Unofficial Microsoft Weblog about how many flavors Windows Vista had coming out...whenever. I believe I have found another winner. Visual Studio 2005 has almost as many flavors as Vista, which isn't too alarming because they both come from Microsoft. Not that this is particularly a bad thing, it is just funny to think about. I often suffer from consumer confusion, for example Visual Studio 2005, Express edition, Everywhere edition, Online Hosted edition, Professional edition, or even the Virtual Images edition. What's a geek to do anyway? How am I supposed to remember which tools are in which set in which product? What if I need more than one of the product, like the "consumer-and-dumbed-down" version as well as the "I'm-an-educator-so-I-have-special-software-needs-and-want-low-prices" version, not to mention the "I-want-to-easily-build-mobile-apps" version? Microsoft continues this trend of compartmentalized software products, while most people in the world are leaning toward multiplicity and integration. Is Microsoft behind the times in segregating all these products and taking away the clear definition of what they can do? Shouldn't software adapt itself to the multi-dimensional and integrated way we all work now?

Filed under: Developer, Windows, Microsoft, Freeware

Steel: Free Ruby add-on for VS 2005

SteelI can't imagine that many Ruby programmers have a copy of Microsoft Visual Studio 2005 hanging around, so I'm thinking the target demographic for Steel is developers who are used to VS but want to get into Ruby programming without interrupting their workflow. Steel is a free language add-on for VS 2005 that aim "to leverage all the features of Visual Studio." Currently Steel does syntax coloring and running scripts with a keystroke. More complex features aren't yet included but development seems to be progressing rapidly so hopefully it won't be long before features like code completion and IntelliSense are implemented. Check the Steel blog for lots of screenshots and development updates, or head straight to the download page.

Featured Time Waster

Graveyard Shift - zombie-busting Time Waster

With Halloween fast approaching, it's a great time to get in some practice defending your territory against zombies. In Graveyard Shift, you take aim at zombies and other creepy-crawlies, blasting them into splatters of cartoony green guts. It's a casual first-person shooter, and it's very easy to get the hang of - use the mouse to aim, click to fire. Graveyard Shift has at least 15 levels, and it might even have some secret stages I haven't unlocked yet. They key to getting good at Graveyard Shift is learning to use ...

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