Microsoft

Next week, I will be at the SharePoint Conference 2011 in Anaheim. This Microsoft event is dedicated to SharePoint and related technologies.

If you attend this event, meet me at the Alcero booth, which will be an exhibitor all week. It will be my pleasure to discuss with you!

When you want to make changes to the web.config file of your SharePoint 2010 application, you can use two methods:

• Create a webconfig.<your_name>.xml file that you add to the \CONFIG directory (Source on MSDN)
• Do it programmatically and use the SPWebConfigModification and SPWebApplication.WebConfigApplication objects (Source on MSDN).

However, when you use the second method and remove the changes from the file using Remove(), the changes are not removed. Even if you use .Update() and .ApplyWebConfigModifications(). This may only result in your modification appearing multiple times in the web.config file, but if you insert more sensitive modifications to uniqueness, such as for an HttpModule, it creates an error that prevents the site from functioning (Error 500).

At the end of last year, I had published that Microsoft Research was working on a prototype electronic platform running on NETMF named Gadgeteer. Well, it now seems that it has moved out of the research phase to “commercialize” this platform: Microsoft .NET Gadgeteer.

GHI Electronics has released the first Gadgeteer kit named GHI FEZ Spider Starter Kit. This kit allows you to code your own electronic module using your favorite language (and I am talking about C# ;) ) without knowing the basics of electronics. In fact, it is a hardware abstraction to allow budding hobbyists to start without learning how to solder or connect various electronic components.

Here is the next generation of Windows, Windows 8, ideal for tablets and if you have a Windows Phone, you will easily find your way around:

Building “Windows 8” - Video #1

When is the release?

To learn more: http://bit.ly/iCTxY6

Microsoft has just published the User Experience Design Guidelines for Windows Phone for Mango (Windows Phone OS 7.1). For anyone developing for WP7, it is a must to create pleasant applications for your users, as some miss the mark!

Here is an example from the guide:

Happy developing!

The service pack 1 for Windows 7 is now available. If you have automatic updates enabled, you will receive it soon if you haven’t already, otherwise go to this site.

I have had it since Friday and no problems to report!

You can consult the SP1 documentation via the Microsoft website.

It is currently the Microsoft MVP Summit 2011, you can follow the MVPs on Twitter via MVPTweets.com.

For the fourth consecutive year, I have received the Microsoft Most Valuable Professional Award in the Visual C# category.

I congratulate all the MVPs who have also been renewed for 2011 and the new MVPs!

I just came across the Microsoft Gadgeteer website while doing some research for La Machine.

Gadgeteer allows you to quickly create prototypes without necessarily knowing electronics, just plug in, write a few lines (in NETMF of course) and you’re done. You can see a full demonstration on the Channel 9 website (Included below).

<object data="data:application/x-silverlight-2," type="application/x-silverlight-2" width="512" height="288"> <param name="source" value="http://channel9.msdn.com/scripts/VideoPlayer.xap?v=3.2"> <param name="initParams" value="deferredLoad=true,duration=0,m=http://ecn.channel9.msdn.com/o9/ch9/6d32/4015d252-f215-4945-9d48-9e0901306d32/dotNetGadgeteer_ch9.wmv,autostart=false,autohide=true,showembed=true, thumbnail=http://ecn.channel9.msdn.com/o9/ch9/6d32/4015d252-f215-4945-9d48-9e0901306d32/dotNetGadgeteer_512_ch9.jpg, postid=0"> <param name="background" value="#00FFFFFF"> <a href="http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=124807" style="text-decoration: none;"> <img src="http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=108181" alt="Get Microsoft Silverlight" style="border-style: none"> </a> </object>

For now, this product is still within Microsoft Research, but we could hope to see it commercialized by spring or summer 2011.

The ExoPC Slate tablet, running Windows 7, from Rimouski is now available in the Microsoft Store or in some American Microsoft stores (I don’t think there are any in Canada), this will give a serious boost to the Quebec company! More details on the ExoPC website.