There aren't any. I'm under NDA. So if I told you anything they told us here, I'd be in a pile of trouble.

Except, of course, for any information which is already publicly available: that I can bring to your attention. So I'll share some things with you, including links to where you can find the same information yourself.

The subject of the training is Visual Studio Team System (VSTS), a grand, sweeping effort to unify the tools that a team uses to develop software. VSTS lets project managers, software architects, software developers, testers, and others all work on their individual tasks with their individual tools; and then it ties together the work products of those tasks into a common repository, with common reporting and workflows and rules. It also allows the team to define work items, assign them to individuals, and track their progress. VSTS is only available in beta right now, but is scheduled for release next month. You can learn more about VSTS here.

VSTS builds upon Visual Studio 2005 (VS 2005), the latest version of Microsoft's popular developer tool suite; but it extends Visual Studio's capacities to support other team members besides developers. And in addition, it integrates with popular MS Office tools for project management, and it provides hooks for third parties to integrate into the VSTS environment.

The basic structure of VSTS is shown in this image, taken from this tutorial:



The left column shows the elements of VSTS for Software Architects:

• Application Designer. This tool allows an architect to define the components that will be deployed as part of a project, as well as the connections between them. It also allows the architect to generate the source code shells for these components.


• Logical Datacenter Designer. This tool allows an architect to define the logical servers and server zones where the parts of a project will be deployed, as well as the connections between them.


• Deployment Designer. This tool allows an architect to assign components (from the Application Designer) to servers and server zones (from the Logical Datacenter Designer) and to validate that no component connections violate the datacenter design constraints.

The center column shows the elements of VSTS for Software Developers (in addition to the basic code development capabilities of VS 2005):

• Dynamic Code Analyzer. This tool allows a developer to test the run-time behavior of a component, including whether it overruns its memory and how it manages resources such as handles and critical sections.


• Static Code Analyzer. This tool allows a developer to assess how well the source code for a component complies with coding standards and practices.


• Code Profiler. This tool allows a developer to determine how much time the program spends in particular areas, and is useful for identifying inefficient code and bottlenecks.

The right column shows the elements of VSTS for Testers:

• Load/Web Tester. This tool allows a tester to assess how well the system performs under various system loads, such as a particular number of concurrent users.


• Manual Testing. This tool allows a tester to design and implement manual tests, while still having the results incorporated into the work item tracking and reporting systems (described below).


• Test Case Management. This tool allows a tester to define and manage test cases: sets of data to be used in various tests, as well as the expected and actual result sets.

Across the right two columns are the elements that are common to Developers and Testers:

• Unit Testing. This tool allows low-level, pass-fail testing of the internal structure of the code.


• Code Coverage. This tool allows a tester or developer to identify parts of the code which haven't been exercised or tested yet (and where bugs may therefore be hiding).

And across all three columns are the elements that are common to all roles:

• Class Modeling. This tool allows a user to define code classes and the relations between them. This is not UML, but I'll forgive them.


• Visio and UML Modeling. This tool allows UML modeling as a communications tool (but I can suggest a better one).


• Team Explorer. This tool allows a user to explore the work items in the project.


• Visual Studio Professional. This is the VS 2005 shell that hosts the other tools.

All of these tools are built on top of the services in the Visual Studio Team Foundation:

• Build Manager. This service supports automated project builds.


• Change Management. This service supports archives of old versions of source files and other artifacts. It replaces the much-loathed Visual SourceSafe.


• Work Item Tracking. This service supports creation of work items (i.e., tasks to be performed in your development process), as well as assigning work items to workers and tracking work item progress.


• Reporting. This service supports flexible queries and reports based on work items.


• Project Site. This service creates and maintains a Microsoft SharePoint Web site that lets Web users view the reports and other status of the work items in the project.


• Integration Services. This service allows third party components to integrate into the VSTS environment.


• Project Management. This service allows integration with MS Project and Excel.

Whew! That's a lot of power in there; and I haven't even begun to discuss the real power in VSTS: process templates! Look for those in my next installment.

There aren't any. I'm under NDA. So if I told you anything they told us here, I'd be in a pile of trouble.

Except, of course, for any information which is already publicly available: that I can bring to your attention. So I'll share some things with you, including links to where you can find the same information yourself.

The subject of the training is Visual Studio Team System (VSTS), a grand, sweeping effort to unify the tools that a team uses to develop software. VSTS lets project managers, software architects, software developers, testers, and others all work on their individual tasks with their individual tools; and then it ties together the work products of those tasks into a common repository, with common reporting and workflows and rules. It also allows the team to define work items, assign them to individuals, and track their progress. VSTS is only available in beta right now, but is scheduled for release next month. You can learn more about VSTS here.

VSTS builds upon Visual Studio 2005 (VS 2005), the latest version of Microsoft's popular developer tool suite; but it extends Visual Studio's capacities to support other team members besides developers. And in addition, it integrates with popular MS Office tools for project management, and it provides hooks for third parties to integrate into the VSTS environment.

The basic structure of VSTS is shown in this image, taken from this tutorial:



The left column shows the elements of VSTS for Software Architects:

• Application Designer. This tool allows an architect to define the components that will be deployed as part of a project, as well as the connections between them. It also allows the architect to generate the source code shells for these components.


• Logical Datacenter Designer. This tool allows an architect to define the logical servers and server zones where the parts of a project will be deployed, as well as the connections between them.


• Deployment Designer. This tool allows an architect to assign components (from the Application Designer) to servers and server zones (from the Logical Datacenter Designer) and to validate that no component connections violate the datacenter design constraints.

The center column shows the elements of VSTS for Software Developers (in addition to the basic code development capabilities of VS 2005):

• Dynamic Code Analyzer. This tool allows a developer to test the run-time behavior of a component, including whether it overruns its memory and how it manages resources such as handles and critical sections.


• Static Code Analyzer. This tool allows a developer to assess how well the source code for a component complies with coding standards and practices.


• Code Profiler. This tool allows a developer to determine how much time the program spends in particular areas, and is useful for identifying inefficient code and bottlenecks.

The right column shows the elements of VSTS for Testers:

• Load/Web Tester. This tool allows a tester to assess how well the system performs under various system loads, such as a particular number of concurrent users.


• Manual Testing. This tool allows a tester to design and implement manual tests, while still having the results incorporated into the work item tracking and reporting systems (described below).


• Test Case Management. This tool allows a tester to define and manage test cases: sets of data to be used in various tests, as well as the expected and actual result sets.

Across the right two columns are the elements that are common to Developers and Testers:

• Unit Testing. This tool allows low-level, pass-fail testing of the internal structure of the code.


• Code Coverage. This tool allows a tester or developer to identify parts of the code which haven't been exercised or tested yet (and where bugs may therefore be hiding).

And across all three columns are the elements that are common to all roles:

• Class Modeling. This tool allows a user to define code classes and the relations between them. This is not UML, but I'll forgive them.


• Visio and UML Modeling. This tool allows UML modeling as a communications tool (but I can suggest a better one).


• Team Explorer. This tool allows a user to explore the work items in the project.


• Visual Studio Professional. This is the VS 2005 shell that hosts the other tools.

All of these tools are built on top of the services in the Visual Studio Team Foundation:

• Build Manager. This service supports automated project builds.


• Change Management. This service supports archives of old versions of source files and other artifacts. It replaces the much-loathed Visual SourceSafe.


• Work Item Tracking. This service supports creation of work items (i.e., tasks to be performed in your development process), as well as assigning work items to workers and tracking work item progress.


• Reporting. This service supports flexible queries and reports based on work items.


• Project Site. This service creates and maintains a Microsoft SharePoint Web site that lets Web users view the reports and other status of the work items in the project.


• Integration Services. This service allows third party components to integrate into the VSTS environment.


• Project Management. This service allows integration with MS Project and Excel.

Whew! That's a lot of power in there; and I haven't even begun to discuss the real power in VSTS: process templates! Look for those in my next installment.

There aren't any. I'm under NDA. So if I told you anything they told us here, I'd be in a pile of trouble.

Except, of course, for any information which is already publicly available: that I can bring to your attention. So I'll share some things with you, including links to where you can find the same information yourself.

The subject of the training is Visual Studio Team System (VSTS), a grand, sweeping effort to unify the tools that a team uses to develop software. VSTS lets project managers, software architects, software developers, testers, and others all work on their individual tasks with their individual tools; and then it ties together the work products of those tasks into a common repository, with common reporting and workflows and rules. It also allows the team to define work items, assign them to individuals, and track their progress. VSTS is only available in beta right now, but is scheduled for release next month. You can learn more about VSTS here.

VSTS builds upon Visual Studio 2005 (VS 2005), the latest version of Microsoft's popular developer tool suite; but it extends Visual Studio's capacities to support other team members besides developers. And in addition, it integrates with popular MS Office tools for project management, and it provides hooks for third parties to integrate into the VSTS environment.

The basic structure of VSTS is shown in this image, taken from this tutorial:



The left column shows the elements of VSTS for Software Architects:

• Application Designer. This tool allows an architect to define the components that will be deployed as part of a project, as well as the connections between them. It also allows the architect to generate the source code shells for these components.


• Logical Datacenter Designer. This tool allows an architect to define the logical servers and server zones where the parts of a project will be deployed, as well as the connections between them.


• Deployment Designer. This tool allows an architect to assign components (from the Application Designer) to servers and server zones (from the Logical Datacenter Designer) and to validate that no component connections violate the datacenter design constraints.

The center column shows the elements of VSTS for Software Developers (in addition to the basic code development capabilities of VS 2005):

• Dynamic Code Analyzer. This tool allows a developer to test the run-time behavior of a component, including whether it overruns its memory and how it manages resources such as handles and critical sections.


• Static Code Analyzer. This tool allows a developer to assess how well the source code for a component complies with coding standards and practices.


• Code Profiler. This tool allows a developer to determine how much time the program spends in particular areas, and is useful for identifying inefficient code and bottlenecks.

The right column shows the elements of VSTS for Testers:

• Load/Web Tester. This tool allows a tester to assess how well the system performs under various system loads, such as a particular number of concurrent users.


• Manual Testing. This tool allows a tester to design and implement manual tests, while still having the results incorporated into the work item tracking and reporting systems (described below).


• Test Case Management. This tool allows a tester to define and manage test cases: sets of data to be used in various tests, as well as the expected and actual result sets.

Across the right two columns are the elements that are common to Developers and Testers:

• Unit Testing. This tool allows low-level, pass-fail testing of the internal structure of the code.


• Code Coverage. This tool allows a tester or developer to identify parts of the code which haven't been exercised or tested yet (and where bugs may therefore be hiding).

And across all three columns are the elements that are common to all roles:

• Class Modeling. This tool allows a user to define code classes and the relations between them. This is not UML, but I'll forgive them.


• Visio and UML Modeling. This tool allows UML modeling as a communications tool (but I can suggest a better one).


• Team Explorer. This tool allows a user to explore the work items in the project.


• Visual Studio Professional. This is the VS 2005 shell that hosts the other tools.

All of these tools are built on top of the services in the Visual Studio Team Foundation:

• Build Manager. This service supports automated project builds.


• Change Management. This service supports archives of old versions of source files and other artifacts. It replaces the much-loathed Visual SourceSafe.


• Work Item Tracking. This service supports creation of work items (i.e., tasks to be performed in your development process), as well as assigning work items to workers and tracking work item progress.


• Reporting. This service supports flexible queries and reports based on work items.


• Project Site. This service creates and maintains a Microsoft SharePoint Web site that lets Web users view the reports and other status of the work items in the project.


• Integration Services. This service allows third party components to integrate into the VSTS environment.


• Project Management. This service allows integration with MS Project and Excel.

Whew! That's a lot of power in there; and I haven't even begun to discuss the real power in VSTS: process templates! Look for those in my next installment.

There aren't any. I'm under NDA. So if I told you anything they told us here, I'd be in a pile of trouble.

Except, of course, for any information which is already publicly available: that I can bring to your attention. So I'll share some things with you, including links to where you can find the same information yourself.

The subject of the training is Visual Studio Team System (VSTS), a grand, sweeping effort to unify the tools that a team uses to develop software. VSTS lets project managers, software architects, software developers, testers, and others all work on their individual tasks with their individual tools; and then it ties together the work products of those tasks into a common repository, with common reporting and workflows and rules. It also allows the team to define work items, assign them to individuals, and track their progress. VSTS is only available in beta right now, but is scheduled for release next month. You can learn more about VSTS here.

VSTS builds upon Visual Studio 2005 (VS 2005), the latest version of Microsoft's popular developer tool suite; but it extends Visual Studio's capacities to support other team members besides developers. And in addition, it integrates with popular MS Office tools for project management, and it provides hooks for third parties to integrate into the VSTS environment.

The basic structure of VSTS is shown in this image, taken from this tutorial:



The left column shows the elements of VSTS for Software Architects:

• Application Designer. This tool allows an architect to define the components that will be deployed as part of a project, as well as the connections between them. It also allows the architect to generate the source code shells for these components.


• Logical Datacenter Designer. This tool allows an architect to define the logical servers and server zones where the parts of a project will be deployed, as well as the connections between them.


• Deployment Designer. This tool allows an architect to assign components (from the Application Designer) to servers and server zones (from the Logical Datacenter Designer) and to validate that no component connections violate the datacenter design constraints.

The center column shows the elements of VSTS for Software Developers (in addition to the basic code development capabilities of VS 2005):

• Dynamic Code Analyzer. This tool allows a developer to test the run-time behavior of a component, including whether it overruns its memory and how it manages resources such as handles and critical sections.


• Static Code Analyzer. This tool allows a developer to assess how well the source code for a component complies with coding standards and practices.


• Code Profiler. This tool allows a developer to determine how much time the program spends in particular areas, and is useful for identifying inefficient code and bottlenecks.

The right column shows the elements of VSTS for Testers:

• Load/Web Tester. This tool allows a tester to assess how well the system performs under various system loads, such as a particular number of concurrent users.


• Manual Testing. This tool allows a tester to design and implement manual tests, while still having the results incorporated into the work item tracking and reporting systems (described below).


• Test Case Management. This tool allows a tester to define and manage test cases: sets of data to be used in various tests, as well as the expected and actual result sets.

Across the right two columns are the elements that are common to Developers and Testers:

• Unit Testing. This tool allows low-level, pass-fail testing of the internal structure of the code.


• Code Coverage. This tool allows a tester or developer to identify parts of the code which haven't been exercised or tested yet (and where bugs may therefore be hiding).

And across all three columns are the elements that are common to all roles:

• Class Modeling. This tool allows a user to define code classes and the relations between them. This is not UML, but I'll forgive them.


• Visio and UML Modeling. This tool allows UML modeling as a communications tool (but I can suggest a better one).


• Team Explorer. This tool allows a user to explore the work items in the project.


• Visual Studio Professional. This is the VS 2005 shell that hosts the other tools.

All of these tools are built on top of the services in the Visual Studio Team Foundation:

• Build Manager. This service supports automated project builds.


• Change Management. This service supports archives of old versions of source files and other artifacts. It replaces the much-loathed Visual SourceSafe.


• Work Item Tracking. This service supports creation of work items (i.e., tasks to be performed in your development process), as well as assigning work items to workers and tracking work item progress.


• Reporting. This service supports flexible queries and reports based on work items.


• Project Site. This service creates and maintains a Microsoft SharePoint Web site that lets Web users view the reports and other status of the work items in the project.


• Integration Services. This service allows third party components to integrate into the VSTS environment.


• Project Management. This service allows integration with MS Project and Excel.

Whew! That's a lot of power in there; and I haven't even begun to discuss the real power in VSTS: process templates! Look for those in my next installment.

Ever have a night when you really need to get up early, and yet things keep you up late, and finally it seems like the safest course is just to stay up? Or does that only happen to me? Either way, this is one of those nights. In five-and-a-half hours, my plane leaves Atlanta. I've been away from Sandy and the dogs and our home for four weeks. I am going to be on that plane. And I already learned this week that this hotel's wake-up calls are still pretty unreliable. And while the M200 has pretty good speakers and usually serves as my alarm clock, it's having some problems right now. (Never buy Toshiba. Toshibas are junk.) And this 3500 has had the speakers repaired, but they pretty much suck, and I can barely hear them. (Never buy Toshiba. Toshibas are junk.)

So at this point, the safe way to be sure I'm on that plane is to stay awake until I board, and then sleep on the plane. So to find things to keep me going, I decided to do something I haven't done in a while. It's time for another installment of Seen around the tech blogs.

--------------------------------------------------------

Richard Hale Shaw makes an interesting argument against the C# using statement (not the using directive; and thank you, C# team, for that bit of confusing language). I disagree with him; but it will take time and sleep before I can fully explain why. The short preview: he says you can't force people to use your class correctly; I say I can, and I'll show you how, soon.

--------------------------------------------------------

Joe Kunk passes along some suggestions on porting MFC code to .NET, including some discussion of tools to automate parts of the port. Since I have a presentation on this topic, I'm going to check out those tools.

--------------------------------------------------------

From the Earth to the Moon links to this discussion of where the Apollo capsules are today. Until it shut down, the Michigan Space and Science Center in Jackson was home to the Apollo 9 capsule. (Commander McDivitt was a Jackson-area native.) I used to go there for inspiration whenever I had a spare afternoon. When I think of what those engineers accomplished at a time where the sum total of all the computers at NASA amounted to less memory than I have in my hand, I realize that no job of mine is that tough. It was a sad day when I learned that MSSC had closed. Now I have to go all the way to San Diego to see Apollo 9. Of course, my flight home tomorrow ends in Dayton (I started this trip with INETA meetings in Cincinatti and Dayton), and Apollo 15 is at the Air Force museum there; and later this year I'll be in Huntsville for another INETA presentation, where Apollo 16 is. So I'll get my fixes then. (Bonus: outside of Dayton and on the road toward home is the Neil Armstrong Museum!)

--------------------------------------------------------

James Avery is looking to switch blog engines, and wishes he had a decent, easy to use and extend .NET solution. I could be wrong, James, but I think it will be really easy to build your own with ASP.NET 2.0.

--------------------------------------------------------

Tablet PC Buzz points out this post by Josh Einstein about fixes that will make Tablet PC components work properly under .NET Framework 2.0. I'm getting a new version of Tablet UML ready, so this was important news to me!

--------------------------------------------------------

Space Law Probe has a round-up of reactions to China's manned space launch.

--------------------------------------------------------

I don't have James Hudnall under Tech Blogs, because I think of him as a comics guy. His Espers is one of my favorite series. But he's also a computer geek. This week, he posted about the latest story on e-paper, and we drooled over the possible comic book applications.

Marvel has released 40 Years Of The Amazing Spider-Man on CD. I haven't picked it up yet, because I'm afraid someone may get it for me as a gift, and I wouldn't want to spoil that. I really would love to read that collection on a Tablet PC (particularly my new Gateway CX200X Tablet PC, to be ordered next week); but a programmable e-paper comic would be equally cool.

(And I hope that Marvel and DC and others release a lot more of their back stock this way.)

--------------------------------------------------------

Mike Swanson shows off the 5 best videos from the PDC. I wish I could've been there, but I was earning the money that will pay for my new Gateway CX200X Tablet PC.

--------------------------------------------------------

Matt Propst announces the Formal Cancellation of Grand Valley Programming Competition. That's too bad, but I hope they can pull it off next year. Josh Holmes and I were asked to be judges. One of my oldest programming memories is high school programming competitions at Grand Valley, so this would've been like going full circle.

--------------------------------------------------------

And speaking of Josh Holmes, he has a couple of posts on his latest work with Compact Framework and Win CE. Josh is my goto guy on this Windows handheld stuff, and he should be yours, too.

--------------------------------------------------------

Sam Gentile posts about a Channel 9 interview with him and Ward Cunningham. Since neither gentleman is shy — especially with their opinions! — it's pretty no-holds-barred.

--------------------------------------------------------

And speaking of Robert Scoble (the guy behind Channel 9), he's on a crusade to get Microsoft to focus on blog searching.

--------------------------------------------------------

Julie Lerman has a 512MB memory chip for a Toshiba Portege M200. Julie, Julie, Julie... Some day you'll learn: never buy Toshiba. Toshibas are junk.

Look at this Gateway CX200X Tablet PC, Julie. Look at the 14" wide-screen. Isn't it... tempting? Look at that optional 4-year, on-site, parts and labor and accidental damage warranty look... comforting?

--------------------------------------------------------

Lora at What Is New posts that the Windows Mobile PC Team (i.e., the Tablet team plus) now has a group blog.

--------------------------------------------------------

And speaking of the Windows Mobile PC Team... This is a little belated note (since I just learned of their blog from Lora): they write of the work their people did in helping to support Hurricane Katrina relief. I've already noted the contributions by Best Buy, WalMart, Home Depot, Edward Jones, McDonald's, and others; so it's only fair that I point out that my favorite software company has pledged over $9 million in cash, materials, and support to the relief effort. Thank you, Microsoft.

--------------------------------------------------------

Howard Lovy has retired NanoBot. That's too bad, but his new job probably keeps him plenty busy.

--------------------------------------------------------

Thom Robbins forwards an announcement of the general availability of the "Project Server Visual Studio Team System Connector" application. "The solution provides guidance for integrating Project Server and Visual Studio Team System. It demonstrates how Project Server and Visual Studio Team System can be integrated together to provide extended value for project and resource managers and guides developers through the process of building and customizing components that link the project management and software development tools. This is a foundation for partners to build applications that can integrate the two server products and provide specialized functionality."

As someone who's more and more excited about process and practices, I'm pleased by this news.

--------------------------------------------------------

James Kendrick — a.k.a. jkOnTheRun — links to this Detroit Free Press story about Bill Gates's visit to Ann Arbor. (Oh, sure, Bill... Come to town when I'm three or four states away! OK, I wouldn't have been invited anyway, since his presentation was for students. But still...) I think the story hints at one reason why I suspect for Microsoft's strong support for the Tablet PC: Bill loves his Tablet, and has wanted one for a long time. You don't believe me? He described his vision of the platform in drooling detail way back in The Road Ahead (or maybe it was Business @ the Speed of Thought — I'm on the road, remember, so I don't have my books with me). There are few people who are more fanatical about Tablet PCs than I am, but Bill's clearly one of them. And so I have a sneaking suspicion that, just as Microsoft will always sell a version of Basic so long as Bill's involved, so too will they make sure that somebody's making new Tablet PCs for Bill to play with.

(NOTE: The above is tongue-in-cheek, and I know nothing about Microsoft's internal platform decisions nor the reasons for those decisions. But I do know that it's true that Bill loves his Tablet PCs.)

--------------------------------------------------------

And speaking of jkOnTheRun... He links to more proof that Toshibas are junk. And he has a plea:

Let’s help Tracy get her Tablet back. Anyone with a Toshiba horror story about repair or customer service difficulties please chime in here with a comment. Let’s see if a string of unsatisfied customers can get Toshiba’s attention about Tracy’s plight. It’s worth a shot as she has nothing to lose since she is already without her precious.

I'm about to throw some links your way, James, as you asked. But at this point, you may already know my conclusion: never buy Toshiba. Toshibas are junk.

--------------------------------------------------------

There! That worked out just about perfectly. I planned to start prepping and packing at 0600, and it's 0553. That gives me just enough time to do a cursory proofread, and then post.

When next you hear from me, I hope to be H*O*M*E! Sandy, I'm on my way!

Ever have a night when you really need to get up early, and yet things keep you up late, and finally it seems like the safest course is just to stay up? Or does that only happen to me? Either way, this is one of those nights. In five-and-a-half hours, my plane leaves Atlanta. I've been away from Sandy and the dogs and our home for four weeks. I am going to be on that plane. And I already learned this week that this hotel's wake-up calls are still pretty unreliable. And while the M200 has pretty good speakers and usually serves as my alarm clock, it's having some problems right now. (Never buy Toshiba. Toshibas are junk.) And this 3500 has had the speakers repaired, but they pretty much suck, and I can barely hear them. (Never buy Toshiba. Toshibas are junk.)

So at this point, the safe way to be sure I'm on that plane is to stay awake until I board, and then sleep on the plane. So to find things to keep me going, I decided to do something I haven't done in a while. It's time for another installment of Seen around the tech blogs.

--------------------------------------------------------

Richard Hale Shaw makes an interesting argument against the C# using statement (not the using directive; and thank you, C# team, for that bit of confusing language). I disagree with him; but it will take time and sleep before I can fully explain why. The short preview: he says you can't force people to use your class correctly; I say I can, and I'll show you how, soon.

--------------------------------------------------------

Joe Kunk passes along some suggestions on porting MFC code to .NET, including some discussion of tools to automate parts of the port. Since I have a presentation on this topic, I'm going to check out those tools.

--------------------------------------------------------

From the Earth to the Moon links to this discussion of where the Apollo capsules are today. Until it shut down, the Michigan Space and Science Center in Jackson was home to the Apollo 9 capsule. (Commander McDivitt was a Jackson-area native.) I used to go there for inspiration whenever I had a spare afternoon. When I think of what those engineers accomplished at a time where the sum total of all the computers at NASA amounted to less memory than I have in my hand, I realize that no job of mine is that tough. It was a sad day when I learned that MSSC had closed. Now I have to go all the way to San Diego to see Apollo 9. Of course, my flight home tomorrow ends in Dayton (I started this trip with INETA meetings in Cincinatti and Dayton), and Apollo 15 is at the Air Force museum there; and later this year I'll be in Huntsville for another INETA presentation, where Apollo 16 is. So I'll get my fixes then. (Bonus: outside of Dayton and on the road toward home is the Neil Armstrong Museum!)

--------------------------------------------------------

James Avery is looking to switch blog engines, and wishes he had a decent, easy to use and extend .NET solution. I could be wrong, James, but I think it will be really easy to build your own with ASP.NET 2.0.

--------------------------------------------------------

Tablet PC Buzz points out this post by Josh Einstein about fixes that will make Tablet PC components work properly under .NET Framework 2.0. I'm getting a new version of Tablet UML ready, so this was important news to me!

--------------------------------------------------------

Space Law Probe has a round-up of reactions to China's manned space launch.

--------------------------------------------------------

I don't have James Hudnall under Tech Blogs, because I think of him as a comics guy. His Espers is one of my favorite series. But he's also a computer geek. This week, he posted about the latest story on e-paper, and we drooled over the possible comic book applications.

Marvel has released 40 Years Of The Amazing Spider-Man on CD. I haven't picked it up yet, because I'm afraid someone may get it for me as a gift, and I wouldn't want to spoil that. I really would love to read that collection on a Tablet PC (particularly my new Gateway CX200X Tablet PC, to be ordered next week); but a programmable e-paper comic would be equally cool.

(And I hope that Marvel and DC and others release a lot more of their back stock this way.)

--------------------------------------------------------

Mike Swanson shows off the 5 best videos from the PDC. I wish I could've been there, but I was earning the money that will pay for my new Gateway CX200X Tablet PC.

--------------------------------------------------------

Matt Propst announces the Formal Cancellation of Grand Valley Programming Competition. That's too bad, but I hope they can pull it off next year. Josh Holmes and I were asked to be judges. One of my oldest programming memories is high school programming competitions at Grand Valley, so this would've been like going full circle.

--------------------------------------------------------

And speaking of Josh Holmes, he has a couple of posts on his latest work with Compact Framework and Win CE. Josh is my goto guy on this Windows handheld stuff, and he should be yours, too.

--------------------------------------------------------

Sam Gentile posts about a Channel 9 interview with him and Ward Cunningham. Since neither gentleman is shy — especially with their opinions! — it's pretty no-holds-barred.

--------------------------------------------------------

And speaking of Robert Scoble (the guy behind Channel 9), he's on a crusade to get Microsoft to focus on blog searching.

--------------------------------------------------------

Julie Lerman has a 512MB memory chip for a Toshiba Portege M200. Julie, Julie, Julie... Some day you'll learn: never buy Toshiba. Toshibas are junk.

Look at this Gateway CX200X Tablet PC, Julie. Look at the 14" wide-screen. Isn't it... tempting? Look at that optional 4-year, on-site, parts and labor and accidental damage warranty look... comforting?

--------------------------------------------------------

Lora at What Is New posts that the Windows Mobile PC Team (i.e., the Tablet team plus) now has a group blog.

--------------------------------------------------------

And speaking of the Windows Mobile PC Team... This is a little belated note (since I just learned of their blog from Lora): they write of the work their people did in helping to support Hurricane Katrina relief. I've already noted the contributions by Best Buy, WalMart, Home Depot, Edward Jones, McDonald's, and others; so it's only fair that I point out that my favorite software company has pledged over $9 million in cash, materials, and support to the relief effort. Thank you, Microsoft.

--------------------------------------------------------

Howard Lovy has retired NanoBot. That's too bad, but his new job probably keeps him plenty busy.

--------------------------------------------------------

Thom Robbins forwards an announcement of the general availability of the "Project Server Visual Studio Team System Connector" application. "The solution provides guidance for integrating Project Server and Visual Studio Team System. It demonstrates how Project Server and Visual Studio Team System can be integrated together to provide extended value for project and resource managers and guides developers through the process of building and customizing components that link the project management and software development tools. This is a foundation for partners to build applications that can integrate the two server products and provide specialized functionality."

As someone who's more and more excited about process and practices, I'm pleased by this news.

--------------------------------------------------------

James Kendrick — a.k.a. jkOnTheRun — links to this Detroit Free Press story about Bill Gates's visit to Ann Arbor. (Oh, sure, Bill... Come to town when I'm three or four states away! OK, I wouldn't have been invited anyway, since his presentation was for students. But still...) I think the story hints at one reason why I suspect for Microsoft's strong support for the Tablet PC: Bill loves his Tablet, and has wanted one for a long time. You don't believe me? He described his vision of the platform in drooling detail way back in The Road Ahead (or maybe it was Business @ the Speed of Thought — I'm on the road, remember, so I don't have my books with me). There are few people who are more fanatical about Tablet PCs than I am, but Bill's clearly one of them. And so I have a sneaking suspicion that, just as Microsoft will always sell a version of Basic so long as Bill's involved, so too will they make sure that somebody's making new Tablet PCs for Bill to play with.

(NOTE: The above is tongue-in-cheek, and I know nothing about Microsoft's internal platform decisions nor the reasons for those decisions. But I do know that it's true that Bill loves his Tablet PCs.)

--------------------------------------------------------

And speaking of jkOnTheRun... He links to more proof that Toshibas are junk. And he has a plea:

Let’s help Tracy get her Tablet back. Anyone with a Toshiba horror story about repair or customer service difficulties please chime in here with a comment. Let’s see if a string of unsatisfied customers can get Toshiba’s attention about Tracy’s plight. It’s worth a shot as she has nothing to lose since she is already without her precious.

I'm about to throw some links your way, James, as you asked. But at this point, you may already know my conclusion: never buy Toshiba. Toshibas are junk.

--------------------------------------------------------

There! That worked out just about perfectly. I planned to start prepping and packing at 0600, and it's 0553. That gives me just enough time to do a cursory proofread, and then post.

When next you hear from me, I hope to be H*O*M*E! Sandy, I'm on my way!

Ever have a night when you really need to get up early, and yet things keep you up late, and finally it seems like the safest course is just to stay up? Or does that only happen to me? Either way, this is one of those nights. In five-and-a-half hours, my plane leaves Atlanta. I've been away from Sandy and the dogs and our home for four weeks. I am going to be on that plane. And I already learned this week that this hotel's wake-up calls are still pretty unreliable. And while the M200 has pretty good speakers and usually serves as my alarm clock, it's having some problems right now. (Never buy Toshiba. Toshibas are junk.) And this 3500 has had the speakers repaired, but they pretty much suck, and I can barely hear them. (Never buy Toshiba. Toshibas are junk.)

So at this point, the safe way to be sure I'm on that plane is to stay awake until I board, and then sleep on the plane. So to find things to keep me going, I decided to do something I haven't done in a while. It's time for another installment of Seen around the tech blogs.

--------------------------------------------------------

Richard Hale Shaw makes an interesting argument against the C# using statement (not the using directive; and thank you, C# team, for that bit of confusing language). I disagree with him; but it will take time and sleep before I can fully explain why. The short preview: he says you can't force people to use your class correctly; I say I can, and I'll show you how, soon.

--------------------------------------------------------

Joe Kunk passes along some suggestions on porting MFC code to .NET, including some discussion of tools to automate parts of the port. Since I have a presentation on this topic, I'm going to check out those tools.

--------------------------------------------------------

From the Earth to the Moon links to this discussion of where the Apollo capsules are today. Until it shut down, the Michigan Space and Science Center in Jackson was home to the Apollo 9 capsule. (Commander McDivitt was a Jackson-area native.) I used to go there for inspiration whenever I had a spare afternoon. When I think of what those engineers accomplished at a time where the sum total of all the computers at NASA amounted to less memory than I have in my hand, I realize that no job of mine is that tough. It was a sad day when I learned that MSSC had closed. Now I have to go all the way to San Diego to see Apollo 9. Of course, my flight home tomorrow ends in Dayton (I started this trip with INETA meetings in Cincinatti and Dayton), and Apollo 15 is at the Air Force museum there; and later this year I'll be in Huntsville for another INETA presentation, where Apollo 16 is. So I'll get my fixes then. (Bonus: outside of Dayton and on the road toward home is the Neil Armstrong Museum!)

--------------------------------------------------------

James Avery is looking to switch blog engines, and wishes he had a decent, easy to use and extend .NET solution. I could be wrong, James, but I think it will be really easy to build your own with ASP.NET 2.0.

--------------------------------------------------------

Tablet PC Buzz points out this post by Josh Einstein about fixes that will make Tablet PC components work properly under .NET Framework 2.0. I'm getting a new version of Tablet UML ready, so this was important news to me!

--------------------------------------------------------

Space Law Probe has a round-up of reactions to China's manned space launch.

--------------------------------------------------------

I don't have James Hudnall under Tech Blogs, because I think of him as a comics guy. His Espers is one of my favorite series. But he's also a computer geek. This week, he posted about the latest story on e-paper, and we drooled over the possible comic book applications.

Marvel has released 40 Years Of The Amazing Spider-Man on CD. I haven't picked it up yet, because I'm afraid someone may get it for me as a gift, and I wouldn't want to spoil that. I really would love to read that collection on a Tablet PC (particularly my new Gateway CX200X Tablet PC, to be ordered next week); but a programmable e-paper comic would be equally cool.

(And I hope that Marvel and DC and others release a lot more of their back stock this way.)

--------------------------------------------------------

Mike Swanson shows off the 5 best videos from the PDC. I wish I could've been there, but I was earning the money that will pay for my new Gateway CX200X Tablet PC.

--------------------------------------------------------

Matt Propst announces the Formal Cancellation of Grand Valley Programming Competition. That's too bad, but I hope they can pull it off next year. Josh Holmes and I were asked to be judges. One of my oldest programming memories is high school programming competitions at Grand Valley, so this would've been like going full circle.

--------------------------------------------------------

And speaking of Josh Holmes, he has a couple of posts on his latest work with Compact Framework and Win CE. Josh is my goto guy on this Windows handheld stuff, and he should be yours, too.

--------------------------------------------------------

Sam Gentile posts about a Channel 9 interview with him and Ward Cunningham. Since neither gentleman is shy — especially with their opinions! — it's pretty no-holds-barred.

--------------------------------------------------------

And speaking of Robert Scoble (the guy behind Channel 9), he's on a crusade to get Microsoft to focus on blog searching.

--------------------------------------------------------

Julie Lerman has a 512MB memory chip for a Toshiba Portege M200. Julie, Julie, Julie... Some day you'll learn: never buy Toshiba. Toshibas are junk.

Look at this Gateway CX200X Tablet PC, Julie. Look at the 14" wide-screen. Isn't it... tempting? Look at that optional 4-year, on-site, parts and labor and accidental damage warranty look... comforting?

--------------------------------------------------------

Lora at What Is New posts that the Windows Mobile PC Team (i.e., the Tablet team plus) now has a group blog.

--------------------------------------------------------

And speaking of the Windows Mobile PC Team... This is a little belated note (since I just learned of their blog from Lora): they write of the work their people did in helping to support Hurricane Katrina relief. I've already noted the contributions by Best Buy, WalMart, Home Depot, Edward Jones, McDonald's, and others; so it's only fair that I point out that my favorite software company has pledged over $9 million in cash, materials, and support to the relief effort. Thank you, Microsoft.

--------------------------------------------------------

Howard Lovy has retired NanoBot. That's too bad, but his new job probably keeps him plenty busy.

--------------------------------------------------------

Thom Robbins forwards an announcement of the general availability of the "Project Server Visual Studio Team System Connector" application. "The solution provides guidance for integrating Project Server and Visual Studio Team System. It demonstrates how Project Server and Visual Studio Team System can be integrated together to provide extended value for project and resource managers and guides developers through the process of building and customizing components that link the project management and software development tools. This is a foundation for partners to build applications that can integrate the two server products and provide specialized functionality."

As someone who's more and more excited about process and practices, I'm pleased by this news.

--------------------------------------------------------

James Kendrick — a.k.a. jkOnTheRun — links to this Detroit Free Press story about Bill Gates's visit to Ann Arbor. (Oh, sure, Bill... Come to town when I'm three or four states away! OK, I wouldn't have been invited anyway, since his presentation was for students. But still...) I think the story hints at one reason why I suspect for Microsoft's strong support for the Tablet PC: Bill loves his Tablet, and has wanted one for a long time. You don't believe me? He described his vision of the platform in drooling detail way back in The Road Ahead (or maybe it was Business @ the Speed of Thought — I'm on the road, remember, so I don't have my books with me). There are few people who are more fanatical about Tablet PCs than I am, but Bill's clearly one of them. And so I have a sneaking suspicion that, just as Microsoft will always sell a version of Basic so long as Bill's involved, so too will they make sure that somebody's making new Tablet PCs for Bill to play with.

(NOTE: The above is tongue-in-cheek, and I know nothing about Microsoft's internal platform decisions nor the reasons for those decisions. But I do know that it's true that Bill loves his Tablet PCs.)

--------------------------------------------------------

And speaking of jkOnTheRun... He links to more proof that Toshibas are junk. And he has a plea:

Let’s help Tracy get her Tablet back. Anyone with a Toshiba horror story about repair or customer service difficulties please chime in here with a comment. Let’s see if a string of unsatisfied customers can get Toshiba’s attention about Tracy’s plight. It’s worth a shot as she has nothing to lose since she is already without her precious.

I'm about to throw some links your way, James, as you asked. But at this point, you may already know my conclusion: never buy Toshiba. Toshibas are junk.

--------------------------------------------------------

There! That worked out just about perfectly. I planned to start prepping and packing at 0600, and it's 0553. That gives me just enough time to do a cursory proofread, and then post.

When next you hear from me, I hope to be H*O*M*E! Sandy, I'm on my way!

Ever have a night when you really need to get up early, and yet things keep you up late, and finally it seems like the safest course is just to stay up? Or does that only happen to me? Either way, this is one of those nights. In five-and-a-half hours, my plane leaves Atlanta. I've been away from Sandy and the dogs and our home for four weeks. I am going to be on that plane. And I already learned this week that this hotel's wake-up calls are still pretty unreliable. And while the M200 has pretty good speakers and usually serves as my alarm clock, it's having some problems right now. (Never buy Toshiba. Toshibas are junk.) And this 3500 has had the speakers repaired, but they pretty much suck, and I can barely hear them. (Never buy Toshiba. Toshibas are junk.)

So at this point, the safe way to be sure I'm on that plane is to stay awake until I board, and then sleep on the plane. So to find things to keep me going, I decided to do something I haven't done in a while. It's time for another installment of Seen around the tech blogs.

--------------------------------------------------------

Richard Hale Shaw makes an interesting argument against the C# using statement (not the using directive; and thank you, C# team, for that bit of confusing language). I disagree with him; but it will take time and sleep before I can fully explain why. The short preview: he says you can't force people to use your class correctly; I say I can, and I'll show you how, soon.

--------------------------------------------------------

Joe Kunk passes along some suggestions on porting MFC code to .NET, including some discussion of tools to automate parts of the port. Since I have a presentation on this topic, I'm going to check out those tools.

--------------------------------------------------------

From the Earth to the Moon links to this discussion of where the Apollo capsules are today. Until it shut down, the Michigan Space and Science Center in Jackson was home to the Apollo 9 capsule. (Commander McDivitt was a Jackson-area native.) I used to go there for inspiration whenever I had a spare afternoon. When I think of what those engineers accomplished at a time where the sum total of all the computers at NASA amounted to less memory than I have in my hand, I realize that no job of mine is that tough. It was a sad day when I learned that MSSC had closed. Now I have to go all the way to San Diego to see Apollo 9. Of course, my flight home tomorrow ends in Dayton (I started this trip with INETA meetings in Cincinatti and Dayton), and Apollo 15 is at the Air Force museum there; and later this year I'll be in Huntsville for another INETA presentation, where Apollo 16 is. So I'll get my fixes then. (Bonus: outside of Dayton and on the road toward home is the Neil Armstrong Museum!)

--------------------------------------------------------

James Avery is looking to switch blog engines, and wishes he had a decent, easy to use and extend .NET solution. I could be wrong, James, but I think it will be really easy to build your own with ASP.NET 2.0.

--------------------------------------------------------

Tablet PC Buzz points out this post by Josh Einstein about fixes that will make Tablet PC components work properly under .NET Framework 2.0. I'm getting a new version of Tablet UML ready, so this was important news to me!

--------------------------------------------------------

Space Law Probe has a round-up of reactions to China's manned space launch.

--------------------------------------------------------

I don't have James Hudnall under Tech Blogs, because I think of him as a comics guy. His Espers is one of my favorite series. But he's also a computer geek. This week, he posted about the latest story on e-paper, and we drooled over the possible comic book applications.

Marvel has released 40 Years Of The Amazing Spider-Man on CD. I haven't picked it up yet, because I'm afraid someone may get it for me as a gift, and I wouldn't want to spoil that. I really would love to read that collection on a Tablet PC (particularly my new Gateway CX200X Tablet PC, to be ordered next week); but a programmable e-paper comic would be equally cool.

(And I hope that Marvel and DC and others release a lot more of their back stock this way.)

--------------------------------------------------------

Mike Swanson shows off the 5 best videos from the PDC. I wish I could've been there, but I was earning the money that will pay for my new Gateway CX200X Tablet PC.

--------------------------------------------------------

Matt Propst announces the Formal Cancellation of Grand Valley Programming Competition. That's too bad, but I hope they can pull it off next year. Josh Holmes and I were asked to be judges. One of my oldest programming memories is high school programming competitions at Grand Valley, so this would've been like going full circle.

--------------------------------------------------------

And speaking of Josh Holmes, he has a couple of posts on his latest work with Compact Framework and Win CE. Josh is my goto guy on this Windows handheld stuff, and he should be yours, too.

--------------------------------------------------------

Sam Gentile posts about a Channel 9 interview with him and Ward Cunningham. Since neither gentleman is shy — especially with their opinions! — it's pretty no-holds-barred.

--------------------------------------------------------

And speaking of Robert Scoble (the guy behind Channel 9), he's on a crusade to get Microsoft to focus on blog searching.

--------------------------------------------------------

Julie Lerman has a 512MB memory chip for a Toshiba Portege M200. Julie, Julie, Julie... Some day you'll learn: never buy Toshiba. Toshibas are junk.

Look at this Gateway CX200X Tablet PC, Julie. Look at the 14" wide-screen. Isn't it... tempting? Look at that optional 4-year, on-site, parts and labor and accidental damage warranty look... comforting?

--------------------------------------------------------

Lora at What Is New posts that the Windows Mobile PC Team (i.e., the Tablet team plus) now has a group blog.

--------------------------------------------------------

And speaking of the Windows Mobile PC Team... This is a little belated note (since I just learned of their blog from Lora): they write of the work their people did in helping to support Hurricane Katrina relief. I've already noted the contributions by Best Buy, WalMart, Home Depot, Edward Jones, McDonald's, and others; so it's only fair that I point out that my favorite software company has pledged over $9 million in cash, materials, and support to the relief effort. Thank you, Microsoft.

--------------------------------------------------------

Howard Lovy has retired NanoBot. That's too bad, but his new job probably keeps him plenty busy.

--------------------------------------------------------

Thom Robbins forwards an announcement of the general availability of the "Project Server Visual Studio Team System Connector" application. "The solution provides guidance for integrating Project Server and Visual Studio Team System. It demonstrates how Project Server and Visual Studio Team System can be integrated together to provide extended value for project and resource managers and guides developers through the process of building and customizing components that link the project management and software development tools. This is a foundation for partners to build applications that can integrate the two server products and provide specialized functionality."

As someone who's more and more excited about process and practices, I'm pleased by this news.

--------------------------------------------------------

James Kendrick — a.k.a. jkOnTheRun — links to this Detroit Free Press story about Bill Gates's visit to Ann Arbor. (Oh, sure, Bill... Come to town when I'm three or four states away! OK, I wouldn't have been invited anyway, since his presentation was for students. But still...) I think the story hints at one reason why I suspect for Microsoft's strong support for the Tablet PC: Bill loves his Tablet, and has wanted one for a long time. You don't believe me? He described his vision of the platform in drooling detail way back in The Road Ahead (or maybe it was Business @ the Speed of Thought — I'm on the road, remember, so I don't have my books with me). There are few people who are more fanatical about Tablet PCs than I am, but Bill's clearly one of them. And so I have a sneaking suspicion that, just as Microsoft will always sell a version of Basic so long as Bill's involved, so too will they make sure that somebody's making new Tablet PCs for Bill to play with.

(NOTE: The above is tongue-in-cheek, and I know nothing about Microsoft's internal platform decisions nor the reasons for those decisions. But I do know that it's true that Bill loves his Tablet PCs.)

--------------------------------------------------------

And speaking of jkOnTheRun... He links to more proof that Toshibas are junk. And he has a plea:

Let’s help Tracy get her Tablet back. Anyone with a Toshiba horror story about repair or customer service difficulties please chime in here with a comment. Let’s see if a string of unsatisfied customers can get Toshiba’s attention about Tracy’s plight. It’s worth a shot as she has nothing to lose since she is already without her precious.

I'm about to throw some links your way, James, as you asked. But at this point, you may already know my conclusion: never buy Toshiba. Toshibas are junk.

--------------------------------------------------------

There! That worked out just about perfectly. I planned to start prepping and packing at 0600, and it's 0553. That gives me just enough time to do a cursory proofread, and then post.

When next you hear from me, I hope to be H*O*M*E! Sandy, I'm on my way!

Moved to the top because it's marketing, ya know? It doesn't make sense to let your marketing messages scroll off the cliff...

OK, I've been announcing this for a little while now, but now it's official: registration is now open for our Tablet PC Programming BootCamp - Nov 1-4, 2005, in Boston. From the registration page:

• This course personally taught by Martin L. Shoemaker, author of Tablet UML (the UML program you don’t have to learn!)


• When: Nov 1-4 (Tuesday-Friday), 2005, 9am-7pm


• Where: Microsoft's Boston offices in Waltham, MA


• Where to stay: Hotels and Travel Info.


• Course Description and Outline for this Class Details...


• This is a HANDS-ON class: you’ll need to bring a Tablet PC configured as detailed below.


• It’s a BootCamp: 9-10hrs a day, and you’ll have Homework to do


• You’ll receive 200+ pages of labs, 100+ pages of slides, and all code samples built in-class — and a copy of Tablet UML!


• Personal attention from Martin L. Shoemaker


• The best darn Tablet PC training around!


• Seating is limited to 15 students: register today!

I hope to see you there!

UPDATE: Like all Richard Hale Shaw Group classes, this one is also available at your site. You can train a busy development team all at once, and save money in the process! Contact Richard for details.

Moved to the top because it's marketing, ya know? It doesn't make sense to let your marketing messages scroll off the cliff...

OK, I've been announcing this for a little while now, but now it's official: registration is now open for our Tablet PC Programming BootCamp - Nov 1-4, 2005, in Boston. From the registration page:

• This course personally taught by Martin L. Shoemaker, author of Tablet UML (the UML program you don’t have to learn!)


• When: Nov 1-4 (Tuesday-Friday), 2005, 9am-7pm


• Where: Microsoft's Boston offices in Waltham, MA


• Where to stay: Hotels and Travel Info.


• Course Description and Outline for this Class Details...


• This is a HANDS-ON class: you’ll need to bring a Tablet PC configured as detailed below.


• It’s a BootCamp: 9-10hrs a day, and you’ll have Homework to do


• You’ll receive 200+ pages of labs, 100+ pages of slides, and all code samples built in-class — and a copy of Tablet UML!


• Personal attention from Martin L. Shoemaker


• The best darn Tablet PC training around!


• Seating is limited to 15 students: register today!

I hope to see you there!

UPDATE: Like all Richard Hale Shaw Group classes, this one is also available at your site. You can train a busy development team all at once, and save money in the process! Contact Richard for details.