Windows Phone 7 Series

In-Depth Developer Training, Samples, Marketplace Assistance, Promotion, Device Face-Time & Loaner Device Access for Windows Phone 7

colinizer Blend, Expression, Microsoft, Mobile Application, Silverlight, Silverlight 3, Silverlight 4, Windows Azure, Windows Mobile, Windows Phone 7, Windows Phone 7 Series, WP7, WP7Dev

Windows Phone 7 devices are coming to market this Oct/Nov in several markets.

Time is running out to get in on the launch and test device access is vital for some applications.

Get these benefits from the Windows Phone 7 Boot Camp that I’m running, sponsored by Microsoft at their Canadian offices:

  • 2 solid workshop days to rapidly build your WP7 Developer knowledge and beyond – covering major topics in depth, samples, exercises and expertise in Microsoft technologies
  • 50!! Demos/Examples
  • Priority invite to Microsoft Canada’s deployment clinics to test your application(s) on a real device – unless you have a relationship with Microsoft, this may be your only opportunity before retail device availability!!!
  • FREE go-to-marketplace support from Microsoft to get your application into the marketplace and potential promotion – you’ll be connected with a Microsoft evangelist to help you with getting your application(s) into the marketplace with potential for application promotional
  • Information, 40+ samples & exercises to walk away with

Due to a shortage with devices, Microsoft Canada has withdrawn the loaner program (substituting the deployment clinics) and a device cannot be present in all bootcamp cities.

There are many free resources on the web, but none offer these benefits along with interactive learning.

Want More?  How about, all this for less?  Use the promo code WP7BOOTCAMP to get $100 off.

Register today.

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Get Ahead With In-Depth Developer Training & Early Device Access for Windows Phone 7

colinizer Announcements, Azure, Microsoft, Mobile Application, OData, Silverlight, Windows Phone 7, Windows Phone 7 Series

The current Windows Phone 7 rumour-mill currently has:

  • Sept 2010Oct 2010 Confirmed by Microsoft – Mobile Marketplace opens for Windows Phone 7 application submissions
  • Sep 16th 2010 Confirmed by Microsoft – Tools RTM
  • Oct 2010 – Windows Phone 7 devices retail in Europe
  • Nov 2010 – Windows Phone 7 devices retail in North America

Are you ready to ride this huge opportunity?

To be at the front of the line you’ll need these key things:

  • WP7 Developer Knowledge and beyond

    The developer tools for basic WP7 application are free and easy to start with.  That’s a great story for your fart application, but not for building fully cloud-integrated applications where you have to build cloud services and/or understand the cloud space, especially if you want to use notification services.  You’ll need in-depth knowledge for this and expertise extending all the way to developing for 3-screen & the cloud in some cases.  Plus, do you really have weeks to spend researching all this stuff?

  • Access to Windows Phone 7 devices to test your application(s)

    The developer tools for WP7 include an emulator which provides a great experience, far more useful that its predecessor for Windows Mobile 6.x, and even more graphically powerful that Virtual PC since it integrates with the host’s graphical hardware acceleration and multi-touch (if available).

    However, the tools will not allow you to get a good sense of performance, test under real network conditions, or get real data from built-in devices like the accelerometer, GPS, compass, and multi-touch (this last one would require a multi-touch capable developer machine).  If you are building a game (with XNA) for WP7, you definitely want to get your hands on some real hardware.

    Do you have access to a device before retail availability?

  • Assistance with getting your application into the marketplace and potential promotion

You can get help with these things by attending the Windows Phone 7 Boot Camp that I’m running Smile

Boot Camp participants get:

2 solid in-depth workshop days covering major topics in depth, samples, exercises and expertise in Microsoft technologies at Microsoft offices – see agenda below

50+ Demos/examples

40+ Samples

Priority invite to Microsoft Canada’s deployment clinics, for invaluable application testing on a real device.  Unless you have a relationship with Microsoft, this may be your only opportunity before retail device availability!!!

FREE go-to-marketplace support from Microsoft – you’ll be connected with a Microsoft evangelist to help you with getting your application(s) into the marketplace with potential for promotional assistance

Due to a shortage with devices, Microsoft Canada has withdrawn the loaner program (substituting the deployment clinics) and a device cannot be present in all bootcamp cities.

Want More?  How about, all this for less?  Use the promo code WP7BOOTCAMP to get $100 off.

 

A whole new market is approaching…  Register today.

If the package, location, timing or content does not suit you and/or you want a tailored training experience, go ahead and contact me.

Current Agenda

Day 1 Day 2

Getting Started

Tools

Hardware

Emulator

Architecture

Application Types

Services

 

Visual Basics

XAML

Controls

Layout

Drawing, Brushes, Styles, Resources, Media

 

Applications

Stack

Model

Projects

Navigation

Threading

 

Builds & Deployment

Debug

XAP Files

Deployment

Localisation

Porting, Compatibility & Re-use

 

Application Layouts

Orientation

Transforms

Hubs, Panorama & Pivot

 

Data Binding

Essentials, Hierarchies, Lists

Converters

LINQ

 

Data Services

Service Proxy

WebClient

HttpWebRequest

OData

Design

Guide

Theming

Blend

MVVM

Control Templates

 

Platform Integration

Launchers

Choosers

Application Bar

Settings

 

Device I/O

SIP

Touch

Accelerometer

Location Services

Network

Maps

 

Storage

Isolated Storage

Perst

Cloud

Syncing

 

Application Lifecycle

In-depth

 

Notification Services

In-depth

 

Performance

 

Web Integration

Browser Control

Integration

 

XNA

Basics

 

Marketplace

Registration

Requirements

Process

quick Review of Mix10 Day 1 Keynote

colinizer mix10, Mobile Application, Silverlight 4, Windows Phone 7 Series, WP7, XNA

Due to flight delays I didn’t make it for the Day 1 keynote, so I couldn’t live blog it.  I will post more on the keynote contents later.  Overall, there were NO surprises (and sadly no phone hardware).  A Silverlight 4 RC was released along with development tools for Windows Phone 7 Series.  Installing the Windows Phone 7 tools (was straightforward, though the lack of a standalone installer is a little inconvenient).

The Microsoft wifi at the event is great considering the sea of laptops here.

I’ll be live tweeting (@colinizer) for Day 2.

Today’s keynote is likely going to be about IE9 and design – not as exciting as yesterday.

I’m Going to Mix10

colinizer Microsoft, mix10, Silverlight, Windows Phone 7 Series, WP7, XNA

A last minute decision…

I won’t be live blogging but may be live tweeting – @colinizer.  I’ll blog later in the evening.

I’ve been getting in the conference spirit recently (DevTeach, code camps, etc.), and I can work around the conference hours so… why not…  mixmas only comes once a year :-).

If anyone wants to meet up – DM me on twitter or email me if you know how ;-).

On-ramp Ahead to the Windows Phone 7 Series Game and Application Development

colinizer mix10, mix2010, Silverlight, Windows Phone 7 Series, WP7, XNA

So you want to get in the game, or even make the games?

Here’s a summary of what’s been announced and the impending activities which will come to a head (for the first phase at least) with major revelation sessions at Microsoft’s Mix10 conference starting March 15th 2010.

Microsoft came out of the gate about Windows Phone 7 Series (or WP7 for short) at MWC, for the first time publically showing off the new UI.

Since then Microsoft’s Joe gave a more intimate demo on Microsoft’s Channel9.

Charlie Kindel (a man leading the charge at Microsoft) has indicated that .NET, Silverlight & XNA are key technologies to WP7 development.  I’ve long been aware of the Silverlight angle on mobile device and had some preview access to mobile possibilities, so I can see that this is a great direction.  I hope Microsoft brings out the right caliber (and readiness) of tools that developers need – developer tools (and I don’t mean Blend) have been sorely lacking for Silverlight; it will be April 12th before the first of developer design tools for Silverlight are made available with Visual Studio 2010.

There’s been a video of the Platformer game running on Windows Phone 7, with the notion that someone can create a game with largely shared code which can run on Windows 7, WP7, Xbox & Zune.

At the Game Developer Conference this coming week, Microsoft may well be talking about XNA developer for WP7.

Microsoft has just announced the abstracts for the WP7-related sessions at Mix10 (starting the following week) and  Microsoft Canada’s Joey deVilla has a great summary of them.

It has been indicated that access to the keynote and sessions for Mix10 to not require attendance at Mix.

I’m aiming to live blog the MIX keynotes and follow up on what’s announced about WP7 from the sessions.

Be sure to follow the tweets and blog posts of these guys at Microsoft:

Andre Vrignaud: www.ozymandias.com / @ozymandias

Christian Schormann: electricbeach.org / @cschormann

Shawn Hargreaves: blogs.msdn.com/shawnhar / @shawnhargreaves

Todd Brix: windowsteamblog.com/blogs/windowsphone  / @toddbrix

Anand Iyer: www.artificialignorance.net/blog / @ai

Michael Klucher: klucher.com / @mklucher

In Canada keep an eye out here and on the Canadian Developer Connection blog.

Strike I for Microsoft-Developer Relations on Windows Phone 7 Series

colinizer Microsoft, mix2010, Windows Phone 7 Series

I want a Windows Phone 7 Series OS Mobile Phone 7 Phone Windows phone thingy…

I’ll also be lined up to develop application for it too.

However, from the Mix10 blog for the Mix10 event where the development story is scheduled to be officially unveiled (with my highlighting):

Join us at MIX10 and be among the first to learn how to build applications and games for Windows Phone 7 Series. We’ll introduce you to the development platform, show you how to work with the Windows Phone 7 Series development tools, and give you a tour of the Windows Phone Marketplace. All MIX10 attendees will receive access to the Windows Phone 7 Series development tools and have access to a dedicated track on the Windows Phone 7 Series platform that runs throughout the event.
MIX10 attendees will get exclusive free developer support for the Windows Phone 7 Series development tools. Don’t miss this unique opportunity to be among the first to learn about Windows Phone 7 Series.

The first highlight shows a lose-lose statement.

Either:

Microsoft risks shunning the hordes of non-Mix-attendees (who didn’t go for many potentially important reasons), by delaying their access to the tools.

or

Microsoft risks shunning the Mix-attendees because everyone else will undoubtedly get the tools very quickly (if not immediately) if Microsoft is serious about gaining developer support in a short time.

 

So it really seems like an attempt to get Mix attendance up.  Given that the discount deadline has been extended many times, it seems that getting people to these events is increasingly difficult.

Microsoft has streamed the PDC and Mix keynotes for the last 3 or 4 events now and made session videos available in about 48 hours.  Unless this is about to change, the real benefit of going to these events is business networking.  I’d like Microsoft to publish the keynote and session access numbers.

I’ll be watching and blogging the keynote(s) live.  I’d love to go, but my priorities don’t lead me there this year. 

Update: I’m going!  I’m gonna squeeze it in – so may live tweet and blog later.

The second highlighted statement (about support) is fair enough, but again, if Microsoft is serious about getting developer output in less than 6 months, it will need to offer up something – I’d suggest additional mobile-specific support incidents for MSDN subscribers.

As I mentioned in January, I’m also expecting to see a free ‘Microsoft Visual Phone Developer 2010 Express Edition’, if Microsoft really wants to give this the ground swell it needs for a proper launch.