Samples and Starter Kits

Amazon-Enabled Movie Collection

The Amazon-Enabled Movie Collection Starter Kit is a Windows application that uses Amazon.com's Web services to dynamically search for movie titles to add to your personal collection.

Note: This Starter Kit requires SQL Server Express

Start Now

• Download the kit
• Watch the webcast
• Get support

View Larger	Elegant design Simple and elegant design makes adding, searching, and rating movies in your collection a snap. Fully customizable user interface enables easy skinning.
View Larger	Connect to Amazon Dynamically search movie titles using Amazon.com Web services. Built-in database enables offline storage of movie information straight from Amazon, including box art images, title, director, length, release year, and more.
View Larger	Learn Step-by-step documentation walks you through how the application works and how you can easily modify it. Learn how to add, update, and display data from SQL Server 2005 Express Edition. Learn how to call Web services directly from your application.

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Black Jack Card Game

The Card Game Starter Kit is a fully functional blackjack card game. It contains a reusable framework for building your own custom card games!

Start Now

• Download the kit
• Watch the webcast
• Get support

View Larger	Play Start with $3,000 and play against a Vegas-rules dealer in one of the most popular and easy-to-learn card games around.
View Larger	Customize Add your custom photo, sounds, or custom card deck design. Customize the dealer AI or see if you can create an "unbeatable" player. Build your own card game using the reusable card game framework.
View Larger	Learn Step-by-step documentation walks you through how the application works and how you can easily modify it. Learn about object-oriented programming in a fun and practical way.

RSS Screen Saver (ships inside Visual Basic Express)

The RSS Screen Saver Starter Kit is a fully customizable Windows screensaver that pulls dynamic Web content with any RSS 2.0 feed.

Start Now

• Included with Edition download
• Watch the webcast
• Get support

View Larger	Cutting edge graphics The RSS screensaver shows how to do custom drawing of text with fade in/fade out properties including transparency.
View Larger	Fully customizable Consume any RSS 2.0 RSS feed, such as those from MSN Search, New York Times, CNN, and more. Customize background images to your My Pictures directory or customize the application to pull in random images from the Web.
View Larger	Easy to share Share your finished screensaver with friends and family using ClickOnce.

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Skype Wrapper for .NET

The Skype Wrapper for .NET Starter Kit includes a managed code wrapper and three samples for the Skype API that enables developers to connect and consume Skype services inside .NET applications.

Start Now

• Download the kit

View Larger	Send and receive phone calls Easily send and receive calls from Skype users. Use the included CallSample sample to learn how to automate calls from your Skype contacts list. Create a custom application to track call information using the built-in timestamp, subject, duration, and callerID properties.
View Larger	Send and receive chat messages Easily send and receive chat messages from Skype users. Use the included ChatSample sample to learn how to send and receive chat messages from your Skype contacts list. Use the built-in ConsoleServerSample sample application to learn how to create an automated server that can be automated based on Skype messages.
View Larger	Fully extensible The Skype Wrapper for .NET includes the full source code to enable developers to easily take and create customized applications.

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Microsoft .NET Interface for Lego Mindstorms

The Microsoft .NET Interface for Lego Mindstorms makes it easy to programmatically control Lego Mindstorms robots.

Start Now

• Download the kit
• Read the introductory whitepaper
• Read the tips and tricks whitepaper

Videos

• Introduction to Lego Mindstorms
• Getting Started with Lego Programming
• Sample Lego Applications

View Larger	Control Lego motors Using the .NET Interface for Lego Mindstorms, you can easily control how single or multiple motors work and dynamically turn them on, off, or have them move forwards or backwards.
View Larger	Control Lego sensors Program multiple sensor types including angle, light, temperature, touch, and even custom sensors. Easily add event-driven programs that react to different sensor input. Use the built-in ConsoleServerSample sample application to learn how to create an automated server that can be automated based on Skype messages.
View Larger	Built-in samples help you get started quickly The RemoteControlSample illustrates how to work with and control motors. The RoverBotSample illustrates handling sensor events to maneuver bots around obstacles. The MusicSample illustrates working with the RCX's speaker via the PlayTone method.

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Teacher Starter Kit

The Teacher Starter Kit is a rich client application for keeping track of students, course rosters, and assessments or grades.

Note: This Starter Kit requires SQL Server Express

Start Now

• Download the kit
• Read the documentation
• Get support

View Larger	Create courses Define course information like course number, topic, and schedule. Assign students to courses. Create assessments for courses to track scores for tests or other assignments.
View Larger	Create and track assessments Track grades by individual student or assessment.
View Larger	Use reports to see course and student progress See a student's overall assessment scores across courses. Track scores for all assessments associated with a specific course. Learn how to call Web services directly from your application.

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