I tweeted earlier about http://codeslingerschallenge.com. What is doubly cool is that the day before the Code Slinger Challenge kicks off, Microsoft is holding a Windows Phone Boot Camp.  What does that mean? Well, you can sign up for the free boot camp (http://aka.ms/wpbloom), get your skills sharp and frosty, then head to the Challenge on Saturday and kick some major ass. Don’t miss out on either opportunity!

A free, full day event chock-full of everything you need to know to develop a Windows Phone application. Whether you're a seasoned veteran or just getting started with .NET development this full-day event is for you. Interested in profit? We'll also lead discussions on how to monetize your applications and generate profits with your apps.
Don't miss the new Windows Phone 7.5 (codename "Mango") features as well - with detailed sessions in the afternoon around Fast Application Switching, Multitasking, Live Tiles, Push Notifications, and more.
The day will be capped with an open lab hands-on session and prizes for apps completed. This is the perfect opportunity to begin work on your dream application, or finish that app you've already started, with Windows Phone experts there to guide you every step of the way. Bring your own laptop to join in the fun and show off your killer app!

Don't miss a chance to win your very own Windows Phone (ARV $500) – plus many other cool prizes. No purchase necessary, but you must be present to win.

Get the details here – http://aka.ms/wpbloom

Check out

https://bmspublic.blob.core.windows.net/codesamples/Azure%20University%20Brochure%20-%20MTC%20September%202011.pdf

and enroll in Azure U!  Time is running out!

I was able to put the new Windows Phone 7.1 “Mango” tools through their paces and finally got an app I had wanted to write for a while into the marketplace.  Taxi Meter is an app that let’s you “play taxi” and charge based on things like time, distance, etc.  It wasn’t a complicated app to write, but I had been putting it off for a while because it made heavy use of the GPS and working with the GPS in the “old” tools was a pain.

The new Mango tools, with the Location emulator, made it a snap!  Impressive and very easy to use.  I haven’t had a chance to play with the Accelerometer emulator yet, but it appears to be just as easy based on the demos I have seen.  WP7 has the best dev tools on the planet!

Spaghetti Code hosts Jeff Brand and Adam Grocholski recap the Microsoft MIX 11 Conference. Jeff provides his take while being at the conference, and Adam provides the "headlines and keynote video" perspective. Get caught up with the the latest headlines in the .NET Church of What’s Happening Now.

• Direct Download - click here
• Subscribe - click here
• iTunes - click here

Want to check out Windows Azure and see how it can make your life easier, save your company money, and show people your mad cloud skillz???   Check out the Windows Azure Pass. You can register a Live ID for a Pass and receive 30 days of free cloud computing.  NO credit card required. Do this before your boss comes over and expects you to have answers about ‘this cloud thing.’

Just go to http://www.WindowsAzurePass.com, and enter the promo code DPCE01. Your Pass will be activated within a few days, and you can start deploying code all day long.

Once you get a pass, you can attend a two-day boot camp to learn more about Windows Azure, try some hands-on labs on your own time, or join us online during office hours to get all of your questions answered.

What exactly do you get for free?

The Windows Azure platform 30-day pass includes the following resources :

Windows Azure

• 3 Small Compute Instances
• 3 GB of Storage
• 250,000 Storage Transactions

SQL Azure

• Two 1 GB Web Edition Database

AppFabric

• 100,000 Access Control Transactions
• 2 Bus Service Connections

Data Transfers

• 3 GB In
• 3 GB Out

How will your IT organization consider using “the cloud”?  Is there even an option for you; and if so, what does it look like?

Next month we start our new series of events focusing on how IT is being transformed into a dynamic, service-based resource for your business.  To do this you need to not just think about things like Virtualization, but to consider taking advantage of cloud-like solutions; whether in your own datacenter or hosted elsewhere.   And I know you’ll agree: Choosing the right solution for the right scenario becomes very important.

“I agree, Jeff.  So when and where are these events?”

I’m glad you asked! 

Here is the schedule.  The events run from 8:00am to 12:30pm, though we may let you out early for good behavior.  Click on any of these to get a summary of the three parts of our morning.

(Dates in bold are being delivered by yours-truly.)

TechNet Events Presents: Transforming IT - Virtualization to the Cloud

Tuesday, March 15, 2011	Grand Rapids, MI
Thursday, March 17, 2011	Detroit, MI
Tuesday, March 22, 2011	Cleveland, OH
Wednesday, March 23, 2011	Bloomington, MN
Wednesday, March 23, 2011	Milwaukee, WI
Thursday, March 24, 2011	Columbus, OH
Monday, March 28, 2011	St. Louis, MO
Tuesday, March 29, 2011	Madison, WI
Tuesday, March 29, 2011	Overland Park, KS
Wednesday, March 30, 2011	Omaha, NE
Friday, April 01, 2011	Nashville, TN
Tuesday, April 05, 2011	Baton Rouge, LA
Wednesday, April 06, 2011	Cincinnati, OH
Thursday, April 07, 2011	Dallas, TX
Tuesday, April 12, 2011	Houston, TX
Wednesday, April 13, 2011	Louisville, KY
Thursday, April 14, 2011	Indianapolis, IN
Thursday, April 14, 2011	Austin, TX
Thursday, April 21, 2011	Chicago, IL
Friday, April 22, 2011	Des Moines, IA
Tuesday, April 26, 2011	Tulsa, OK
Tuesday, May 10, 2011	Downers Grove, IL
Thursday, May 12, 2011	Cedar Rapids, IA

For other events around the country, check out and continue to watch the TechNet Events site.

See you there!

Spaghetti Code hosts Jeff Brand and Adam Grocholski discussing events in the world of .NET development and beyond. After a long holiday break, the Adam and Jeff cover a wide range of news in the world of .NET development. Topics include a range of technologies from Web Matrix family of products to Surface 2.0.  Get caught up with the the latest headlines in the .NET Church of What’s Happening Now.

• Direct Download - click here
• Subscribe - click here
• iTunes - click here

Here are links to the slides and demo code to the Multiscreen Development with Microsoft technologies webcast I did today. Look for some Channl9 videos starting soon that will go through the different parts in more detail.

Presentation – Demo Code

+

+

=

What do WPF, Silverlight 4, and Internet Explorer 9 have in common? No, that's not a riddle. Really, it's not a riddle. They are all FTW. What I mean by that is they all offer developers unique ways to exploit the power of Windows 7, such as integrating with the taskbar, leveraging jump lists, or offering the ability to exploit multi-touch or hardware sensors.

FTW?
And why am I even talking about this? Well closely following on the heels of our Windows Azure Boot Camp announcement, we are gearing up another boot camp series: For the Win: Window 7 Development Boot Camp. This new series of events will include evangelist-led presentations by none other than the purely awesome Jennifer Marsman as well as hands-on labs to help you really dig into developing client-centric applications using WPF and XAML, Silverlight, and Internet Explorer 9 (yes, client-centric integrations from your web site with just a touch of HTML5).

What's Covered?
Jennifer will cover application compatibility and transitioning your application to Windows 7, leveraging the Windows taskbar and jump lists, exploiting the taskbar and jump lists from your web site using IE9, taking advantage of new sensor, location and multi-touch functionality, and creating Silverlight 4 out of browser applications. Each boot camp will last a full day, starting off right at 8am local time, include lunch, several sessions and a couple of hands-on labs to help you really get a feel for how to take advantage of Windows 7 capabilities in your applications.

So, yes, this is a BYOL (bring your own laptop) event. Windows 7 is required, as is several other pieces of software: Visual Studio 2008 or 2010, Windows API Code Pack, Windows 7 Training Kit for Developers, IE9, and Silverlight 4.

What Cities?

• Waukesha, WI on 1/17/2011 at 8:00 AM
• Downers Grove, IL on 1/18/2011 at 8:00 AM
• Indianapolis, IN on 1/19/2011 at 8:00 AM
• Independence, OH on 1/24/2011 at 8:00 AM
• Columbus, OH on 1/25/2011 at 8:00 AM
• Mason, OK on 1/27/2011 at 8:00 AM
• Franklin, TN on 2/3/2011 at 8:00 AM
• Southfield, MI on 2/7/2011 at 8:00 AM
• Bloomington, MN on 2/14/2011 at 8:00 AM
• St. Louis, MO on 2/15/2011 at 8:00 AM
• Overland Park, KS on 2/16/2011 at 8:00 AM
• Des Moines, IA on 2/17/2011 at 8:00 AM
• Houston, TX on 2/21/2011 at 8:00 AM
• Irving, TX on 2/22/2011 at 8:00 AM
• Austin, TX on 2/24/2011 at 8:00 AM