MSDN Flash - Volume 17, Number 7 - April 8, 2013
Top Stories
Kevin makes loads of money. Since we last spoke to Kevin, he has made over US$100k on his Windows Store apps. Learn how you can monetize your Windows Store app.
Sam gets massive downloads. Sam's simple game has 800k+ downloads from the Windows Store and Windows Phone Store. Learn how you can do the same.
KinectHealth built their app in 22 days, and with low costs, thanks to Microsoft's plentiful free resources. (Read more about their journey below.)
Keep the cash. Publish an app. Get up to US$2,000.*
Publish your app(s) in the Windows Store and/or Windows Phone Store by June 30 and fill out the form to participate. You can submit up to 10 apps per Store and get US$100 for each qualified app up to US$2000. *Terms and conditions apply.
App Builder Virtual Summit, May 2nd
There's never been a better time to build for Windows. Attend the Virtual Summit and listen to Steve Guggenheimer, Corporate Vice President and Chief Evangelist of Microsoft Developer Platform & Evangelism, talk about the Windows ecosystem opportunity, design and monetization tips, partner development frameworks, and even reviews from iOS and Android developers.
Your Featured Content
App Builder: Comprehensive Resource for Building Windows Store Apps
Get help developing your Windows Store app. Join App Builder and receive expert guidance from local Microsoft Technical Evangelists, access app frameworks to speed your app creation, and take advantage of step-by-step 30-day guidance and content to create your app - whether it's a Windows or Windows Phone app or game.
YoYo Games, GameMaker: Studio for Windows 8 and Windows Phone gives novice and professional developers the tools to make and publish high-quality games faster and easier than ever before. Learn more from Mike Dailly, Head of Development at YoYo Games.
Get all the development and post-development tools you need to make native-looking, high-speed mobile apps that use HTML5 with AppMobi. Find out how to get started.
Know C# or XNA? Xamarin turns you into a native mobile developer virtually overnight. Nat Friedman, CEO of Xamarin, walks through how to create gorgeous native apps for all major platforms.
Say hello to the ground-breaking game maker, Construct 2 from Scirra. Without a lick of programming experience, you, too, can create amazing HTML5 games just like the pros. See how.
Select the monetization option best for your app whether it's through a paid app, in-app purchase, or advertising.
Monetize your Windows Store app using the Microsoft Advertising SDK
Microsoft DevRadio episode: How to Include Advertising in Your Windows 8 Apps
Windows offers the broadest platform reach for game developers. From PCs to laptops to tablets to phones, Windows is there. With the new Windows Store offering global distribution and the recently released Unity 4 support for Windows Store apps, it has never been easier for Unity developers to capitalize on this huge opportunity.
Unity 4 Beta Program for Windows Phone 8 Apps
Join Unity and Microsoft for a free, two-day training event, April 9 - 10, designed to help you port your Unity games to the Windows Store and the Windows Phone Store. Register today to attend in person or mark your calendar to watch the live stream.
Questions on your Windows Store app? Ask your local technical evangelist.
Get expert guidance from your local Microsoft Technical Evangelist (good people like Kevin and Sam) to help you finish up your app, get unstuck or just help make your app stand out in the Windows Store. Schedule one-on-one time during their in-person or online office hours.
DevRadio answers to your top Windows Store questions.
Open a Windows Store Developer Account.
Learn to Build Windows Store apps.
Mobile Fitness Studio App Developed in 22 Days
KinectHealth built its app for Windows 8 citing platform flexibility and ability to incorporate Azure Mobile Services for user authentication. Bob Summers, Chief Geek of KinectHealth: "When developing apps with a cloud backend there was no platform with better integration than Windows 8 and Azure Mobile Services." With an eye on costs and eager to get to market, KinectHealth's dev team attended Microsoft Hands-on Labs, followed 30 days of App Builder email tips, implemented authentication in a few hours using the Live SDK, and utilized their BizSpark membership. This enabled KinectHealth to develop their Windows Store app in a short 22 days. What app did they create?
KinectHealth has made group fitness such as Zumba and yoga available to everyone, anywhere. Their mobile fitness platform delivers live video fitness instruction and a social platform to connect with personal trainers and friends, as well as assesses a user's fitness level by tracking and recording movements. Kick off your fitness routine by joining Kinect Health's beta program.
Ready to start coding? Join App Builder and develop your app in 30 days or less.
Don't Miss Free Windows 8 Hands-on Labs Online Training
Attend an upcoming Windows 8 HOLO and learn from Microsoft Technical Evangelists on app-building topics including Process Lifetime Management, Settings and Preferences, learning how to implement Tiles and Notifications using C# (or JavaScript), and the Windows Store APIs. HOLOs are free three-hour online events that begin with a live presentation, followed by time for attendees to work on virtual lab exercises.
Resources for iOS Developers: Access tools and resources that can help you reimagine your iOS app on Windows 8 and expand your opportunities to make more money.
Video: How to Port iOS Apps to Windows Store Apps
Resources for Android Developers: Find resources that can help take your existing Android app development skills and start applying them to develop great apps for Windows 8.