Microsoft unveiled a number of tools at Mix 2010 for developer to build application for Windows Phone 7 series devices. Most of the tools are versions of standard Microsoft developer tools that have been modified for mobile environments. Microsoft extended most of its windows development tools for Windows Phone 7 series development , this will provide a consistent development environment for developers.

Windows Phone Developer Tools CTP

The same powerful and easy to use Visual Studio integrated developer environment (IDE) handles from design to testing of Windows Phone 7 Series phone applications. The Windows Phone Developer Tools CTP includes the following

• Visual Studio 2010 Express for Windows Phone CTP
• Windows Phone Emulator CXTP
• Silverlight for Windows Phone CTP
• XNA 4.0 Game Studio CTP

Microsoft Expression Blend Software Development Kit (SDK) Preview for Windows Phone

Expression Blend 4 for Windows Phone provides exactly the same streamlined development workflow for Windows Phone that was previously only available for Silverlight and .NET applications, including features such as behaviors, sample data, and the visual state manager. As part of this release, two new project templates are included: one for standard Window Phone applications and one for applications that follow an MVVM pattern. To ensure consistency across development tools, Expression Blend leverages the Windows Phone Emulator installed as part of Windows Phone Developer Tools.
Please note: The following downloads are required to enable Expression Blend Add-in Preview for Windows Phone:

• Expression Blend 4 Beta (Expression Blend 4 Beta can be installed side by side with Expression Blend 3)
• Windows Phone Developer Tools
• Microsoft Expression Blend Add-in Preview for Windows Phone
• Microsoft Expression Blend Software Development Kit Preview for Windows Phone.

Windows Phone 7 Training Kit for Developers

This Windows Phone 7 Training Kit will give you a jumpstart into the new Windows Phone world by providing you with a step-by-step explanation of the tools to use and some key concepts for programming Windows Phones.

In March 2008, Microsoft and Nokia announced their commitment to make Silverlight available for certain Nokia phones running the Symbian operating system. On 16 March 2010 Microsoft released a beta version of Silverlight for Nokia Symbian devices. Silverlight is supported on all Nokia Symbian^1-based devices such as Nokia 5800 XpressMusic, Nokia N97 and Nokia N97 Mini.

Silverlight for Symbian will be based on Silverlight 2. This provides the same core functionality and XAML, Common Language Run Time, API and C# coding as the browser based runtime.

Silverlight includes a runtime that is optimized to display content on memory-constrained devices. Silverlight support for Nokia Symbian^1 devices includes:

• The ability to view Silverlight applications in the mobile browser.
• Tools to build Silverlight applications that target devices.

Click here to download Silverlight SISX for your Nokia Symbian^1 device. Silverlight-based applications for devices cab be created using Expression Blend 2 (free trial version), Visual Web Developer 2008 Express with SP1, or Visual Studio 2008 SP1 with Silverlight Tools for Visual Studio 2008 SP1. Application deployment on IIS is supported in this release.

Microsoft has released a new updated version of Facebook SDK. The latest release (v3.0) includes new architectural improvements and provides an asynchronous interface for using the toolkit from Silverlight and from WPF.Facebook SDK comes with samples and tools for developing Facebook applications in ASP.NET, Silverlight, WPF, and Windows Forms. It also features the source code for the API, components, controls, and samples.

Image Source : Silverlight Team Blog

The toolkit is comprised of the following core assemblies:

• Facebook.dll: This is the main assembly that will be used by all applications. This has all the logic to handle communication with the Facebook application. This assembly also has specific support of XAML applications (Silverlight and WPF) to enhance the Facebook platform to make databinding and data caching easier.
• Facebook.Silverlight.dll: This is the Silverlight version of the main assembly that will be used by all Silverlight applications. This has all the logic to handle communication with the Facebook application. This assembly also has specific support of XAML applications to enhance the Facebook platform to make databinding and data caching easier. The REST API in this assembly is Asynchronous only.
• Facebook.Web.dll: This assembly should be used by Canvas applications. The main functionality supported in this assembly is to encapsulate the handshake between the Facebook application and a canvas application (both FBML and IFrame)
• Facebook.Web.Mvc.dll: Provide a support building canvas applications using ASP.NET MVC. Separated from Facebook.Web.dll to avoid all developers from needing to install the MVC bits.
• Facebook.Winforms.dll: This assembly provides support for writing Facebook applications using Winform technology. This provides a Component that wraps the API to make it easier to use from Winforms. This also contains some user controls to help display Facebook data easily.

Download Facebook SDK

This is the first time in India when people can watch Indian union budget online. Economic Times of India is going to use Microsoft Silverlight Technology to stream live Indian union reported by Vasudev.

According to Vasudev

The event will be hosted at

http://budgetlive.economictimes.com You can also get minute-by-minute update and live news feeds if you are interested in specific parts of the budget. Powered by Microsoft’s Silverlight, users will get to watch a high quality video stream on the web- like TV, only significantly better.

Nautanki.tv is also streaming India Union Budget 2009 live in association with UTVi and Facebook. The live stream is scheduled for two days – 5th of July (prelude) and 6th July (main event).

You can watch the live stream here also

Adobe has released Action Script 3.0 client library for Facebook platform API and most importantly this library is fully supported by Facebook and Adobe. This will help developers to use the power of Flash in their Facebook applications. Flash defiantly make Facebook applications more interactive and rich as compare to applications that are not using the Flash technology.

Read more…

YouTube is running Microsoft Silverlight in CBS’s dedicated channel for March Madness. In the CBS YouTube Channel located here: http://www.youtube.com/marchmadness there’s an embedded Sliverlight player which appears to be just the same as the one running on the free March Madness on Demand site.

This is really amazing that Microsoft video site that msn video is not using Silverlight technology but Google is able to use Silverlight technology in YouTube

Microsoft has made some significant changes to their Download center website. Microsoft quietly working on Download center website since 2003. After six years later they come up with a completely new download website. New download website does not look like other website including MSDN and TechNet. Microsoft Download Center website also have different colour scheme as compare to Windows or Windows Live Website. Microsoft tweak the home page of download center website by adding categories and banners here and there.

Read more…

Microsoft researchers has unveiled a new prototype product called “Social Desktop”. It can be a way how desktop connect to internet and can make sharing more easy. Social Desktop will bring web oriented sharing to desktop. Social Desktop provide desktop users to share their files over the internet without uploading files over the internet or any social networking website. Microsoft social desktop create a social url for sharing documents on social networking website’s. This url provides access not just to the file, but to a built in social experience which includes a rich preview of each item, comments, related items, tags, etc. Whenever friends comment with this social link via the web browser, the conversation is also available directly in Windows, and vice versa.

Read more…

On 13 October, 2008 Microsoft announced that Silverlight 2.0 will be available for download on Tuesday, 14 October 2008. Silverlight 2 delivers a wide range of new features and tools that enable designers and developers to better collaborate while creating more accessible, more discoverable and more secure user experiences. Microsoft also announced that it will help French open-source project that will help Silverlight developers to write application using open-source Eclipse framework. This project also help Eclipse developers to share their Silverlight applications with developers working with Microsoft Visual Studio for developing Silverlight applications.

Microsoft is also releasing for free a set of programming templates called the Silverlight Control Pack under its Microsoft Permissive License. Microsoft also releasing  the technical specification for Silverlight’s Extensible Application Markup Language (XAML) and users using free edition of Visual Web Developer can also write Silverlight applications.

Microsoft Silverlight 2.0 features

• .NET Framework support with a rich base class library: This is a compatible subset of the full .NET Framework.
• Powerful built-in controls: These include DataGrid, ListBox, Slider, ScrollViewer, Calendar controls and more.
• Advanced skinning and templating support: This makes it easy to customize the look and feel of an application.
• Deep zoom: This enables unparalleled interactivity and navigation of ultrahigh resolution imagery.
• Comprehensive networking support: Out-of-the-box support allows calling REST, WS*/SOAP, POX, RSS and standard HTTP services, enabling users to create applications that easily integrate with existing back-end systems.
• Expanded .NET Framework language support: Unlike other runtimes, Silverlight 2 supports a variety of programming languages, including Visual Basic, C#, JavaScript, IronPython and IronRuby, making it easier for developers already familiar with one of these languages to repurpose their existing skill sets.
• Advanced content protection: This now includes Silverlight DRM, powered by PlayReady, offering robust content protection for connected Silverlight experiences.
• Improved server scalability and expanded advertiser support: This includes new streaming and progressive download capabilities, superior search engine optimization techniques, and next-generation in-stream advertising support.
• Vibrant partner ecosystem: Visual Studio Industry Partners such as ComponentOne LLC, Infragistics Inc. and Telerik Inc. are providing products that further enhance developer capabilities when creating Silverlight applications using Visual Studio.
• Cross-platform and cross-browser support: This includes support for Mac, Windows and Linux in Firefox, Safari and Windows Internet Explorer.

Scott Guthrie, corporate vice president of the .NET Developer Division at Microsoft Said,

We launched Silverlight just over a year ago, and already one in four consumers worldwide has access to a computer with Silverlight already installed. Silverlight represents a radical improvement in the way developers and designers build applications on the Web. This release will further accelerate our efforts to make Silverlight, Visual Studio and Microsoft Expression Studio the preeminent solutions for the creation and delivery of media and rich Internet application experiences.

Buffolano, general manager and vice president, Digital Programming and Subscription, CBS Interactive-Sports, Said

CBS College Sports Network streams more than 20,000 hours of live content annually for our 150-plus college and university official athletic partners, so we demand that our video player environment be both consumer friendly and robust. Silverlight was the perfect choice to help develop and power our new, exclusive online collegiate sports experience, as it features the best price and performance of any streaming media solution on the market today. Silverlight also gives us the most flexibility in expanding the product in the future as we develop embeddable players and mobile platforms and explore new advertising integration opportunities.

Miguel de Icaza, vice president, Engineering, Novell, Said

The Silverlight Control Pack under the Microsoft Permissive License really addresses the needs of developers by enabling them to learn how advanced controls are authored directly from the high-quality Microsoft implementation. By using the OSP for the Silverlight vocabulary, they further solidify their commitment to interoperability. I am impressed with the progress Microsoft continues to make, and we are extremely satisfied with the support for Moonlight and the open source community.

Keith Morrow, chief information officer, Blockbuster, Said

We wanted to build a cutting-edge, rich Internet application that enables our customers to search our vast database of content and metadata so they can access movie reviews, watch high-quality movie trailers, and either rent or buy movies from our new MovieLink application. Because Silverlight 2 now includes several new rich controls such as data grids and advanced skinning capabilities, as well as support for the .NET Framework, allowing us to access our existing Web services, we were able to easily maintain the high standards of the Blockbuster brand and bring the application to market in record time.

Source : Microsoft Releases Silverlight 2, Already Reaching One in Four Consumers Worldwide

Today ReadersZone comes with all major software releases by Microsoft in last month.

• Windows Vista Ultimate Extras : Three new Windows Ultimate Extras are now available for installation via Windows Update! This is the 6th wave of Ultimate Extras released by Microsoft exclusively for Windows Vista Ultimate users.
• New Online Food Website: Hearst Magazines Digital Media, a unit of Hearst Magazines, and MSN today announced the launch of Delish (a new online food destination. Delish.com, also available at msn, features thousands of quick and easy food and cocktail recipes from Hearst Magazines and other sources, as well as fan blogs on the most popular food television shows, and the latest on food events and festivals worldwide.
• Word2007 Redaction Tool : This open-source tool is unsupported by Microsoft, however advanced users and IT Professionals may wish to review it. The tool enables the process of removing specific parts of text which you don’t want to appear in the final document.
• Windows Server 2008 HPC Server (HPCS) : Windows HPC Server 2008 can efficiently scale to thousands of processing cores and provides a comprehensive set of deployment, administration, and monitoring tools that are easy to deploy, manage, and integrate with your existing infrastructure.
• SQL Server 2008 Cumulative Update #1 : You can find more information in the KB Article 956717 to take your SQL Server to build 10.00.1763.00.
• System Center Essentials Technology Adoption Program (TAP): The goal of the TAP program enables customers and Microsoft to build a mutually beneficial and long term relationship to build the next version of the System Center Essentials product. If you are interesting in joining the TAP.
• Windows Live Messenger BETA : The next version of the popular Windows Live Messenger is now available, get the BETA version here. What’s new? A new improved and cleaner User Interface, pictures of people right in your contact list, the ability to search for people and the web, new categories feature and much more.
• Virtual Earth 6.2 and Virtual Earth Web Services 1.0 : The next version of Virtual Earth is now available with new features included, enhanced mobile support, better international support and more detail for more countries around the word, the platform infrastructure with new geocoding and parsing improvements, and a richer user experience and more intuitive functionality.
• Silverlight 2.0 RC0 : The release candidate of Silverlight will give developers the change to convert their sites from Beta 2 before the final release is announced.

Source : Microsoft News Summary, 28th September 2008