MSDN Flash - Volume 18, Number 7: April 7, 2014
Top Stories
Watch Build 2014 Conference Sessions
Watch Microsoft's developer conference recorded sessions online, and immerse yourself in what's next for the Microsoft platform. What’s New for Windows and Windows Phone Developers; Building Windows, Windows Phone, and Xbox One Apps with HTML/JS/CSS & C++; Getting Started with Visual Studio Online; and more.
Windows Store C++ for C# Developers
This content and code sample article is intended for C# developers who want to tap into the power and performance that modern C++, C++/CX, and the Windows Runtime C++ Template Library offer, and those who plan on leveraging the power of the Microsoft Azure cloud.
Your Featured Content
Download Microsoft SQL Server 2014 Express
Microsoft SQL Server 2014 Express is a free, feature-rich edition of SQL Server that is ideal for learning, developing, powering desktop, web & small server applications, and for redistribution by ISVs. Download now and receive resources from the experts.
Announcing Windows 8.1 Update
Windows 8.1 Update delivers a collection of important refinements to the Windows experience and is faster and easier to use, across more devices.
On-Demand Jump Start: Developing ASP.NET MVC 4 Web Applications
If you have a basic understanding of HTML, web servers, and programming in C#, this free course will show you how to develop ASP.NET MVC 4 web applications. It's also designed to help you prepare for exam 70-486, toward the MCSD Web Applications certification.
Developing for Windows 8 in Half the Time - Publishing Your Project Siena App
Christine Matheney is back and in Part 2 of DevRadio Project Siena series she walks you through how easy it is to publish an app that we created in Project Siena.
Visual Studio Online - Managing Software in the Cloud
April 10, 2014, 8:00 A.M. Pacific Time
Discover all that Visual Studio Online has to offer including tools to help you build, measure, and learn more about your applications. Come learn and explore how Visual Studio Online can help you deliver high value to your customers.
Visual Studio Online and Application Insights
April 17, 2014, 8:00 A.M. Pacific Time
Are you responsible for critical applications? Join us and learn how Application Insights enables you to monitor performance, availability, and how your customers are using your applications while reducing the effort to find issues and correct them.
Level Up Your Game: Unity and Windows Porting Lab
Join Unity and Microsoft for a one-day workshop where you'll learn how to build a game with Unity's 2D toolset and port it to Windows Phone or the Windows Store. This free event is designed to accommodate both Unity beginners and advanced users. Register today.
Register for a 3-for-1 Exam Voucher and Earn Your MCSD
Take advantage of a limited-time certification offer to help you gain and validate the skills you need in the competitive developer world. This 3-for-1 exam offer can help you earn your Microsoft Certified Solutions Developer (MCSD) in Windows Store Apps - HTML5, Web Applications, SharePoint Applications, Windows Store Apps - C# or Application Lifecycle Management (ALM).
Do you dream of publishing your own game?
Find guidance on how to bring your ideas to life with this 3-week blog series on how to build and publish a game. Games are both the most downloaded and the #1 category in revenue, so don’t miss out. Download the Windows Phone SDK today.
April 9: DevOps - Visual Studio Release Management Jump Start
Learn how to implement dev ops principles to resolve delivery challenges with ALM Wednesdays. Microsoft experts equip users of Visual Studio ALM with the skills necessary to build an effective release pipeline with the Release Management functionality in Visual Studio and Team Foundation Server.
Windows App Studio Beta
Learn more about building a Windows Phone and Windows app in one session, no code required.
.NET Foundation Established to Foster Open Development
Learn more about the newly established .NET Foundation, and how it will serve as a forum for commercial and community developers to strengthen the future of the .NET ecosystem by promoting openness, community participation, and rapid innovation.
Extending Platform Commonality Through Universal Windows Apps
The Windows developer platform helps developers reach customers across phones, tablets, and PCs. With updated OS features - UI improvements for mouse and keyboard, ability to pin Windows Store apps to the taskbar, and Internet Explorer compatibility enhancements - these innovations enable a new wave of devices that consumers will love, and open new opportunities for developers.
Meet Cortana and Other Great Features in Windows Phone 8.1
It is now easier than ever to build great devices and write great apps for Windows, enabling a new generation of cool experiences for customers that show the power of designing around people, delivering truly personal computing, and helping us all to get more out of the technology in our lives.
Load-Test Your Applications from the Cloud
Check for performance issues on your web site when you expect an increased user load. No need to use resources and set up your own machines; you can use cloud-based load testing to generate the load of many users accessing your web site at the same time.
April 30: Microsoft Corporate BI and SAP BI Integration Jump Start
Use self-service BI to build visual models, collaborate, and go beyond the same old reports. Learn about a new SAP BI add-in for Excel, and hear how Microsoft uses BI to fight cybercrime and botnets. Get practical advice you can apply in your own IT environment.
Five Reasons to Use Visual Studio Online
Get a good overview of Microsoft's cloud-based Developer Services Platform as Brian Keller, Microsoft Principal Technical Evangelist for Visual Studio, gives us his top 5 reasons for using Visual Studio Online.
On Demand: Using Git with Visual Studio 2013 Jump Start
Companies large and small, individuals, the open source community, and others swear by Git for source control. Gain a fundamental understanding of Git, from a high level down to its implementation. This demo-focused session also highlights benefits of using Git with Visual Studio Online and Windows Azure.
Great Offers Now for Devs to Port Their Unity Games
Levels vary from getting a free developer account and a free phone to getting lots of ad impressions and feature placement in Unity and Microsoft galleries. Check the details.
BizSpark Startup of the Day on Windows 8: MindSticks
MindSticks created an educational app that helps users improve brain skills and have fun. Learn how they are using Microsoft TouchDevelop as their main development tool and Windows Azure for the database server holding information about puzzles, players and history of games. BizSpark startups can get three years of free software, support, and more.
Windows Azure Is Now Microsoft Azure
This change reflects Microsoft's strategy and focus on Azure as the public cloud platform for our customers as well as for our own services. We support the broadest set of operating systems, languages, and services of any public cloud - from Windows and .NET to Python, Ruby, Node.js, Java, Hadoop, Linux, and Oracle.
Microsoft Azure Preview Portal
See for yourself how this first-of-its-kind Azure Preview portal brings together all the cross-platform tools, technologies, and services you need to speed up the delivery process and keep applications in good shape - using what you already know and whatever toolset you like most.
Kinect for Windows v2 Publicly Available Summer 2014
Kinect for Windows v2 brings the business and developer community more precision, responsiveness, and intuitive capabilities to develop and deploy gesture- and voice-based applications for their customers and business needs.