The Costall Blog

Code along with Taulty

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 21:20:58 GMT

Resources... No, I'm not talking about embedding resources in your Silverlight Application. I'm talking about the excellent screencasts Mike Taulty has put up for Silverlight 2.0. Short, Snappy, fast paced and just the right length for you to code along. So it's not Paint along with Nancy, but code along with Taulty. (I bet nobody every heard of Paint Along with Nancy).

The cover everything from Layout, Grids and Splitters, HTML/Javascript interaction, binding. - just about everything - and there's 44 of them

Enjoy - I did...

http://channel9.msdn.com/posts/Dan/Mike-Taulty-44-Silverlight-20-Screencasts/

Great Stuff Mike

Been down the pit!

Sat, 02 Aug 2008 16:25:45 GMT

Here's one reason this blog has been quiet...

NxtGenUG Silverlight Manic Miner

http://www.nxtgenug.net/manicminer

NxtGenUG Co-Founder Richard Costall & Member Pete McGann are pleased to announce their “Silverlight” Manic Miner game Beta is now live on the NxtGenUG site. Manic Miner was originally written by Matthew Smith, under games company Bug-Byte in 1983. The game was a landmark title in the history of gaming.

The original classic features 20 caverns to negotiate, and Pete and Rich had lovingly created 9 of these so far, with more to follow shortly.

Silverlight Manic Miner shares a custom built ‘time based’ engine with an XNA version of the game. A library of c# files is shared between the two systems. The Silverlight edition is also integrated into the NxtGenuG site, through Application services, and registered visitors can have their high scores recorded and shown in a leader board which refreshes every 30 seconds.

Pete McGann, who’s been building games for many years, was particularly impressed with the Silverlight Edition – “When you look at the Silverlight version, you have to be impressed – The compiled code gives it such a performance boost. When I normally write games they languish on my hard drive. We’ve now built a game the world can play”

Pete and Rich will be telling their story at NxtGenUG Coventry on August 11^th 2008

Silverlight, XNA and Gaming
Matthew Smith did it in 6 weeks in the early 80's, now over 20 years later Pete McGann and Richard Costall have built Manic Miner in .NET, with an engine which works for Silverlight and also XNA. In this session Pete and Rich, talk about the .NET engine, implementations and issues on the two platforms - before Pete steps up to take the ultimate gaming challenge...
http://www.nxtgenug.net/ViewEvent.aspx?EventID=136

Silverlight Showcase on YouTube!

Mon, 12 May 2008 17:59:58 GMT

So, Silverlight Showcase is on YouTube promoting DDDIreland...

GTA IV - "Freeze Niko"

Sat, 03 May 2008 21:02:38 GMT

All is not well in Liberty City. Having spent around 3-4 hours playing the GTA IV, I managed to inadvertantly overwrite my saved game - This issue was caused by the fact the save game uses the 360 Date/time - I had this with BioShock and when you startup outside XBOX live my Date says 2005. Anyway that on its own is not a major issue, but the fact the game freezes about 1 minute after starting the game is. The 360 Freezes and I have to restart the console. It makes you lose confidence in a title - Should I now return to my apartment and make a new save after every mission (assuming it doesn't lock up)

Apparently I'm not the only one getting it and it also affects PS3 owners too.

I think I'm gonna head back to Pacific City (of Crackdown), The Language is better, the graphics are clearer and it don't lock up!

DDDIreland May 3rd

Sat, 19 Apr 2008 21:33:15 GMT

DDDIreland - May 3rd -and what a fantastic advertisment - this wasn't done by a developer :-).

Check it out at www.DDDIreland.com

Silverlight - Getting Started

Mon, 07 Apr 2008 21:23:52 GMT

Following on from my popular session (Thanks Martha) at IMTC in Ireland, i thought i'd start to write up my demos. Part 1 - Getting Started is now on the NxtGenUG Site.

Enjoy

Fest08

Fri, 28 Mar 2008 14:29:24 GMT

NxtGenUG don't do conferences, they just have a good time and FEST08 which takes place at TVP Reading, promises to be in the normal vein of NxtGenUG events. Great sessions, Pizza and Swag. The theme this year is "Data Today, Data Tomorrow" and there are new sessions from Oliver Sturm on F#, Mike Taulty on the Entity Framework, Dave Sussman on ASP.NET Dynamic Data Controls and Ridgian's BI expert Dave Morrow on SQL Server Analysis Services. There will be the keynote from Rich and Dave and a brand new gameshow called "Who's Session Is It Anyway?

As before its free to all NxtGenUG members and £49.99 to non-members. FEST07 was a memorable event last year, FEST08 will be equally memorable. You'll learn some great stuff about Data related technologies, meet some great people, have some fun and leave with a bag load of Swag! Don't miss it!"

Silverlight Sessions

Thu, 13 Mar 2008 10:02:50 GMT

I'm just in the throws of putting together a Silverlight 'Showcase' session, which i'll be presenting at the following events - If you want to get an idea of what Silverlight can do.

IMTC - Ireland http://imtc.firstport.ie/agenda.aspx - 2nd-4th April Dublin
NxtGenUG Birmingham http://www.nxtgenug.net/ViewEvent.aspx?EventID=108 - April 22nd (Free)
VBUG one day event - http://www.vbug.net/Events/April-2008/VBUG-Mini-Conference--Birmingham.aspx - April 24th

I'm gonna be covering getting started and where it's all heading, and the types of applications you can build in Silverlight - all done in a 'fun' way :-)

Swaggily Question Time

Tue, 11 Mar 2008 08:44:50 GMT

Wednesday March 19th 2008 is of course the UK 2008 Launch Event. As part of the event, those NxtGenUG Boyz http://www.nxtgenug.net are running one of their gameshows, which will take place about 6.00pm during the evening drinks and nibbles. "Swaggily" Fortunes is a take on the well known TV Quiz show in which teams of contestants are asked, for example, "We asked 100 Developers ... To Name a .NET Language". Those teams that guess correctly what the answers were get to win some fantastic "swag" -- after a few rounds of mayhem!

You can help be part of this 'great' occasion by going to http://www.nxtgenug.net/2008launch/swagfortunes.aspx and answering 8 short questions. Your answers will go towards making up the choices which the teams have to guess. The NxtGenUG lads have run this several times in the past always to great reviews, and it makes for a fun, relaxed way to wind down from the days sessions.

If you'd like us to come and present our gameshow at your event drop us an email here http://www.nxtgenug.net/contact.aspx

Mix08 - Strip Report Part 5

Thu, 06 Mar 2008 18:13:29 GMT

Vegas Strip Report Part 5

Day 1 of Mix and after a quick breakfast I got in the queue for the keynote. At 9am the doors opened and I managed to get in the middle on the front row, next to Ian Smith.

I’m not going to give a minute by minute account as you can watch it yourself http://sessions.visitmix.com/ or read blogs like Tim Sneaths

I found the keynote really entertaining and informal – there was strange music each time a guest came on – It was like you were expecting them to come in riding on a donkey.

Some things that stood out for me – The deep zoom HardRock application which you can play with http://memorabilia.hardrock.com/ , 1.5 million Silverlight installs each day and a first look at Internet Explorer 8 (with offline mode, activities and web slices).

Scott Guthrie did a great job, congrats on the promotion, and I thought the ‘Cirque du Soleil’ presentation with Scott as a wanabee performer was really good.

I then attended the Silverlight sessions to research my upcoming Silverlight session, and also to confirm what information is in the public domain and what is not, and in the evening I went to TAO nightclub for the attendee party. Where I managed to get an Interview with a Podcasting Legend.

Mix08 - Strip Report Part 4

Wed, 05 Mar 2008 08:11:32 GMT

Mix Vegas Strip Report Part 4

Had a bit of a lie in this morning, well it was 5:45 actually. Did a bit of coding and chilled till about 9:30. Popped into the Venetian food court for egg, sausage and bacon and then headed off to have a look around the Paris Casino, taking in a few others along the way. My back had been hurting a bit from the 12+ miles i’d walked in the previous 2 days, so I slowed the pace down and realised this was more the Vegas pace. I stopped in at the Flamingo and had a go on the slots; actually I spent about 90 minutes on one machine and came out about $60 worse off – which is not bad compared to one hand of blackjack costing $25. Putting a $50 into a slot machine is quite daunting the first time, but when you do win or decide to cut your losses. The machine prints you a ticket of your balance – which you then take to the redemption machine (like a cash point) feed it in, and collect your winnings, err, remains. It’s all part of the Vegas Experience.

When a slot machine says it’s 1c (cent), it means you can play for 1c at a time but all the winnings are scaled down too. I settled at around 30c per go, but there was a lady next to me playing for $3 a go – she must have got through $200 in about 10 minutes. I then moved on to the Paris Casino which has an Eiffel Tower outside it and the mandatory ‘sky painted on the ceiling’ and headed off to find a patisserie, where I had a very nice raspberry cake and a coffee, before returning back out the casino and sat in the sun for 30 minutes, before meandering back.

Vegas is good for couples, for a family holiday go to Disney-World, as there’s nothing really for kids here. As a couple it could be a relaxing different holiday – catch a show, visit some bars, play the tables and then have a lie in and do it all again at another Casino the next day. Then there are all the trips as well. Make sure you bring quite a bit of disposable money.

So i’ve now transformed from a Tourist to become a Delegate, not sure about the registration swag bag, but I’m all registered and raring to go. They have two Microsoft Surface tables here, and the demos look really cool – I’ll see if I can get a podcast interview with the guys.

I then headed over to Treasure Island for the treasure hunt and met up with Ian Smith and Scott Promasi from Oregon – we spent two hours running around the strip following clues and causing a distraction – The results are not in yet, but I think we did really well.

Tomorrow is Mix!

Mix 08 - Strip Report Part 3

Tue, 04 Mar 2008 05:24:57 GMT

Mix Vegas Strip Report Day 3

Johnny Rocket is alive and well and living in the Venetian food court, another example of how huge these hotel resorts are. This morning I set off down the south end of the strip – another 4.2 (direct) 6 mile trip (taking into account the hotel detours). I tracked and found Johnny Rockets, but it didn’t open till 10am, So I attempted to navigate my way out of the Venetian Shopping mall, although it was a bit like those cartoons where you keep seeing the person come back to the same place. In the end I came out of the complex 1/3 of a mile further down the road in the wrong direction.

Next stop was to find FAO Schwartz Toy Store in the Bellagio Shopping mall – easier said than done. I knew it had a huge (3 story high) wooden horse outside – how hard could that be. It would be nice if the maps had a ‘YOU ARE HERE’ sticker on them, rather than having to navigate by shop names. It was around 90 minutes later that I emerged from the shopping complex, having found FAO, which didn’t help my cause – the hard bit was finding the exit. Very few of the resorts give you clear directions or a map, it’s as if they want you to become part of their eco system forever.

Next stop was the Mirage, who’s amazing Erupting Volcano – was being repaired... then to New York, New York, through to Excalibur, where I helped an elderly couple, who wanted fresh air, to get to the exit. I wouldn’t be surprised if they took a bus tour in 1979 and are still trying to find their way out today. I arrived at the Luxor, an Egyptian themed resort, which again was huge. The Luxor actually has some attraction in it. I went on the ‘Simulator Ride’ – Escape from the Obelisk, which was, well ok, but didn’t compare to rides like Back to the Future. My next stop was to a 3D ‘Undersea’ IMAX film – which was pretty good, but I’d have preferred the dinosaur one they showed in the trailer.

So, over miles from my hotel, 2pm and I’d only had an orange juice and a Danish – Mission ‘Rocket’ was put into action. I walked past the Bellagio at around 2:40 just as they announced the fountain show would be at 3pm. This for me was a turning point as this show was fantastic – water jets to music, and architecture aside, was one of the first things I thought ‘WOW’.

In fact they were so good I stayed for 30 minutes to watch the next show, before heading back to the room, via the now legendary, Johnny Rockets.

A short email/surfing session later and it was time for the Sirens of Treasure Island – The second great show I’d seen today. A Pirate ship full of scantily clad ladies, who caught one of the pirates and tied him up – the stuff dreams are made of – I’d better be careful I might start beginning to like the place Looking forward to tomorrow – it’s Mix Registration Day and the Mix treasure hunt – I’ll search that pirate ship.

Mix 08 - Strip Report Part 2

Mon, 03 Mar 2008 06:09:23 GMT

Mix08 Vegas – Strip Report Part 2.

Soldier Down! Andres and I had wondered what happened to John Allwright the previous night as he didn’t appear for a trip out in the evening. It turns out the half yard of ‘long island ice tea’ had taken him out. Corporal Andres was sent to rescue him but got no response from his room. 48oz was too much, but he recovered in time to head over to the Wynn Resort for a brunch of All-U-Can-Eat buffet. Which brings me back to my ‘money-draining theme’.

The sign said: Champagne or Bloody Mary Buffet - $29.95 – So the question here is how much is a champagne or Bloody Mary buffet? $29.95 – Wrong! If you wanted the Champagne or Bloody Mary ‘with’ the buffet it’s $36.95. That’s like saying Fish & chips is £3.99 but if you want the fish it’s £6.99. Having said that, the buffet at the Wynn was very good, covering most tastes in food and a large selection of cakes.

Fully loaded with food, and the staff at the Wynn having to re-stock all the dishes we headed in different directions. I plumped to head up towards the Stratosphere, a walking round trip of 5 miles. This is where I had a gamble. Not on the machines, but at every block where you take your life in your own hands at the junctions. Some of the crossings have nothing; others have signals which give you 10 seconds to get across the road. Linford Christie would struggle to get across 14 lanes of traffic in that time, let alone people pushing pushchairs. Each block seemed to lose a layer of Vegas polish and at the Stratosphere, the area was quite rough. On the way I around a few hotels – Circus Circus, was worth a mention. It’s in need or refurbishment, (In Vegas Terms – this means it gets flattened), but it actually has a mini theme park enclosed in a dome – Something for the kids in a city that is not very kid friendly.

So with that I headed back to my room to relax for a bit, get my Silverlight Advent Calendar running under the lastest build of Silverlight and then head out for a burger at Johnny Rockets and watch the Sirens of TI show at the Treasure Island Resort.

One hour later and it looks like Johnny Rockets is no longer there, despite it being on the map – it didn’t appear on the large map in the Grand Canal shopping complex. It also turns out that the Sirens of TI® who with their mesmerizing and powerful song lure the pirates to their cove, then stir up a tempest strong enough to sink a ship – couldn’t perform because it’s too windy. That’s right they “stir up a tempest strong enough to sink a ship” and couldn’t perform as it’s too windy.

So all in all a strange day – Tomorrow is off up the other end of the strip and hopefully I’ll get to see if those sirens will perform for me tomorrow

Mix 08 - Strip Report Part 1

Sun, 02 Mar 2008 17:51:28 GMT

Mix08 Vegas – Strip Report Part 1.

So I’m here in Vegas for the Microsoft Mix08 Conference, which starts on Wednesday. The web is on the edge of its next iteration and I wanted to be here to get the vibe. I’ve been working with Silverlight 2.0 for a while now (under NDA) and it’s going to be a good conference – when things get announced.

After almost 11 hours on the plane, I have arrived in Las Vegas. Yes, the flight is long. I watched 3 movies, The Bourne (something or other – 3^rd one), A Ben Stiller film, where he gets married and regrets it and StarDust – an all-star cast film, which seemed to be an excuse to have an all-star cast film. I also managed to spend 2 hours of development on the laptop, before the battery started to fade away. I didn’t have a power lead long enough to stretch from premium-economy all the way back to economy. I met John Allwright (who works for Microsoft), at the airport and we shared a cab to the hotel. Incidentally Vegas airport terminal is about the same size as Coventry terminal, which is interesting because the airfield is, the same size as Coventry itself.

So we arrived at the Venetian, boy is this place over the top. If you listen carefully, beyond the slots and gaming tables you can hear the money draining away from you credit card. “Would you like to pay $45 per night extra – to have a view of the pool?” – “err No!”. A less subtle example is The ATM machines in the Casino’s. They charge $7.99 for a $20 withdrawal.

John and Andres (who we also met at the airport), couldn’t check In as their rooms were not ready, so they came to drop their stuff off in my room.

When we finally found my room (a problem I have every time I leave it). I pushed the keycard in the door and said “I love it how American’s call these room’s suites, when all they are, are a bed...” With that the door opened and a huge room appeared before me. The room is two-level, with two double beds and a plasma TV on the top level and a seating/office area, with plasma TV and Fax machine, on the lower level. The room has seats for 15 people (why, is that, when the maximum room occupancy is 4?), or 16 including the toilet, but no internet connection [UPDATE: There is wired internet access (fast too) for $9.95 per 24 hours], , so I’ll be off to find the free wireless in the lobby later.

The bathroom is huge, the bath is as deep as the Suez Canal, and the taps can fill the bath in about a minute, or the bathroom in 75 seconds.

We then hit the strip for a couple of hours, had a few beers, and a ‘half yard – Margarita’ – which makes finding the room a LOT harder. We visited the Bellagio, and Cesears Palace (all of which look the same inside), and gave our critique review on many of the specialist boutiques “Gems and Ruby’s of Africa” – don’t think that will be replacing the local cost-cutter in Nuneaton.

I find it interesting how all the escalators into the Casinos are working, but all the ones going out of the Casino are ‘being maintained’.

The gaming tables have minimum and maximum limits, typically $35 to $5000. So I won’t be visiting them then, not because I’m a high roller, but because $35 is a lot for the spin of the wheel or turn of two cards, and besides that’s the same cost as two lap-dances (so I’m told). It says the typical payout on the slots is 92% - well I put $6 in machine and didn’t get a dime – I asked the woman, walking past, where my $5.52 was – but she didn’t seem to understand!

Tomorrow is time to explore...

Should i put my money on Red or Black?

ASP.NET Upload Users

Fri, 08 Feb 2008 13:52:26 GMT

I was recently tasked with uploading a load of users into an ASP.NET site. Initially SQL Server was earmarked for the job, but then I realised that the passwords are all one way hashed in code. So either I could key all these in using the registration page, or I could write something.

Crude but it worked, most of the stuff is fairly obvious. One point to note was I needed to render the status returned from the CreateUser Method to show progress in the text box - you can get the value of an enumeration with the following:

[Enum].GetName(GetType(MembershipCreateStatus), _y))

Here is the code...

Dim _file As String = Server.MapPath("filename.csv")
Dim _sw As New StreamReader(_file)
Dim _line As String = _sw.ReadLine()
While Not String.IsNullOrEmpty(_line)
Dim _bits As String()

_bits = _line.Split(",")
If (_bits.Length = 5) Then
Dim _x As MembershipUser
Dim _y As MembershipCreateStatus
_x = Membership.CreateUser(_bits(1), _bits(2), _bits(1), "<sec question>", "<sec answer>", True, _y)
If _y = MembershipCreateStatus.Success Then

Dim _p As ProfileCommon = ProfileCommon.Create(_bits(1), True)
With _p
    .Firstname = _bits(3)
     .Surname = _bits(4)
     .EmailAddress = _bits(1)
     .Address.PostCode = ""
     .Telephone = ""
     .Save()
End With

End If

TextBox1.Text = TextBox1.Text & String.Format("{0} - {1}" +
System.Environment.NewLine, _bits(1), [Enum].GetName(GetType(MembershipCreateStatus), _y))
End If
_line = _sw.ReadLine()
End While

Where have you been?

Fri, 08 Feb 2008 13:40:19 GMT

Ok, So I'm sorry, not blogged for a while... with Life, the user group and everything, things have been busy.

My Zune and I joined the Gym - What a great way to get fit and watch / listen to TechED/Mix sessions, while on a bike or rowing machine - (well listening on the rower). On Wednesday I rode 7km whilst listening to a session from Mix07 on Search Engine Optimumization (SEO) - Tonight I'm going deep with AJAX (DEV08). I will update you with how the Zune copes with Sweat dripping on it...

From a Technology point of view, my main focus for 2008 is Silverlight - I see this technology being the say as HTML when it first appeared, a web revolution. Silverlight is still in it's infancy, but i've had an opportunity to be involved with early adoption of this technology and have seen the future - Silverlight, does though, raise some very thought provoking questions.

Could Silverlight and Flash be powerful enough to move the web up another iteration? (and when will this happen : 1yr - 2yrs, more?)

Given a clean sheet of paper - what will Web User Interfaces of the future look like?

Where is this all heading for the next, next Web?

PDC 2008 Announced

Fri, 07 Dec 2007 10:27:06 GMT

Its been a long time coming, PDC 2007 was 'postponed', but now PDC 2008 has been announced for October 27th-30th in Sunny Los Angeles, California - Read (very little) about it here...

PDC 2005 was awesome. I learnt so much there, It's a great chance to get a heads up on the next-next release of products from Microsoft...

Dave and Rich Micro-Presentation Video Online

Wed, 05 Dec 2007 10:39:28 GMT

The Mix07:UK sessions are online - That's not new news, but they've just added Dave and Rich's legendary Micro-Presentation. Live the Legend!

Described, by some, as the 'Ultimate' Micro-Presentation, Dave and Rich had just 6 minutes and 40 seconds to deliver a session on user groups at Mix07:UK. The slides auto-advanced after 20 seconds. Surely nothing could go wrong in 6 minutes and 40 seconds.

Download and view the presentation here, to see Dave and Rich in action, and you'll be rewarded with some other sessions afterwards...

Coventry NxtGenUG

Fri, 16 Nov 2007 21:21:41 GMT

Hot on the heels of the Incredible Alan Elston's Presentation Skills Session, which is top of the NxtGenUG charts at the moment, we get ready for Christmas, with our Home-Brewed Silverlight 1.1 Session. Chris Hay (Cambridge Coord) and myself will be giving hints and tips on working with the Alpha Preview of Silverlight 1.1 - Expect some tinsel, Pinata's, Pizza and the odd.. or 20+ demos. Another great night coming to NxtGenUG Coventry.

NxtGenUG Coventry - 10th December 2007 (Cambridge on the 11th December too)
I'm Dreaming of a Silverlight Christmas

"I'm dreaming of a Silverlight Christmas. Just like the ones I used to know. Where the buttons glisten and attendees listen to hear, great demos in the show.I'm dreaming of a Silveright Christmas With every web Page I write. May your devs be merry and bright And may all your pages not be white. I'm dreaming of a Silverlight Demo With Chris and Rich on Stage. May your SWAG be expensive and bright And may all your Pizza be large.

Chris Hay and Richard Costall will present a variety of Silverlight nuggets, aimed at highlighting the pitfalls with Silverlight 1.1. This will be a demo heavy session, so fasten your seatbelts. "

Event details here

BioShocked

Fri, 16 Nov 2007 21:17:51 GMT

So I've now finished BioShock and I mst admit, it was excellent. One of the best 360 games out there. A first person shooter, some scaryness and a deep and well thought out plot - gripping stuff. BioShock slips into my top three XBOX 360 Games, alongside Halo 3 and Crackdown. I've not played the Orange Box yet though so, that could knock one out - but which one!

Rapture is liberated

Speaker Idol

Fri, 16 Nov 2007 21:14:55 GMT

So TechEd is over, and what a year - 6 Podcasts, 5 Speaker Idols (4 rounds + final), 4 NxtGenUG Gameshows, One XSLT session, two FishBowl interviews and a lot of fun! Oh and I even managed to get to some sessions this year. Speaker Idol was fantastic though, Here's some details below on Jeff Wharton from Australia, who scooped the "speaker Idol" trophy!

Dave and Rich are thrilled to announce that Jeff Wharton has scooped the title of being TechEd Developers 2007 Speaker Idol.the top title comes with a 'speaking' ticket to TechEd 2008, where Jeff will get a presentation slot, plus a trophy and a metre of MSPress books. Jeff presented a 5 minute session on Raid Technology, and why developers need to care.

Dave and Rich dressed up, with Jeff Wharton, Winner of TechEd 2007 Speaker Idol

Second place went to Karl Davies-Barrett, who presented on WPF within window forms applications. Karl wins a Ticket to TechEd 2008 and a half metre of books. Maciej Pilecki took third place and Bill Ayres came fourth.

The finalists, Judges, Us and Karen Young. Thanks to Mick Lohan GamTUG

The final had been really exciting, with all competitors giving excellent presentations, and the judging panel of Kate Gregory, Guy Smith-Ferrier, Bart De Smert (Winner of Speaker Idol 2006) and Rafal Lukawiecki (top TechEd speaker) having to choose the eventual winner.

The Audience hear one joke too many from Dave and Rich (that was one joke)

Details of the event can be found here, on the TechEd site blog

My EX - XBOX 360

Thu, 11 Oct 2007 13:02:04 GMT

So, on Monday night, I was faced with the 3 red lights of doom on my XBOX 360. I had the machine for almost 2 years, and it had served me well. It had also given me the pleasure of completing Halo 3 on Heroic, and not told me of it's illness, until Master Chief had finished the fight.

We'd spent many a happy hour together, fighting the flood, scoring goals, photographing splicers, feeding Pinata's and winning numerous battles.

The laugh and joy is now filled with an empty space, beneath the TV, and just moments ago, I watched the UPS van drive off into the distance laiden with my parcel. Thomas and Oliver have reverted to Nintendo DS's, like nothing has changed, but I cant bring myself to it.

20 Working Days they say...

Richy and Andy Blues

Fri, 28 Sep 2007 15:33:18 GMT

I've done quite a few presentations in my time, but last night was an experience like no other.

Every 3 months the employees of 1st Software go out, enjoy unlimited beverages and a stopover and build on the incredibly spirit that lives within the organisation. Putting on nights out like this are not cheap, but very much appreciated by the staff and the ROI, whilst being transparent, certainly pays back with buckets of interest, (plus hangovers too).

Last nights theme was '1st factor' with employees taking to the stage to perform. This was not a karaoke night, with all the entrants rehearsing and getting dressed up!

Andy Brown and I opened the night with "Blues Brothers - Everybody needs Somebody". We came out to the intro, in the suits and shades, and the place went wild - I've never experienced this intensity before. We performed our song and set the place on fire. The roar from the crowd at the end was incredible, it was like performing at Wembley! The quality of all the acts was exceptional, and whilst we didn't win, we certainly got the show off to the right start.

What a night.

Andy and Richy can be hired to perform at your local event :-)

Where can it be? ...

Fri, 28 Sep 2007 14:40:29 GMT

We really are running out of time on the missing TechEd ticket. I spoke to the person involved in the ticket hunt (previous clue) and they reakoned that it 'disappeared' (yeah right) while they were eating, and that "I'd know where"...

Hmmm.. I'm gonna have to think back on this one...

Deadline is coming...

Southampton NxtGenUG

Thu, 20 Sep 2007 22:53:02 GMT

NXTGENUG OPEN A NEW REGION IN SOUTHAMPTON!

Then there were 5! Two months, two new regions, first Cambridge now Southampton. Yes, The Next Generation User Group (NxtGenUG) is expanding (again) and this time they're heading South. The latest and warmest region of NxtGenUG is Southampton. The region is being organised and run by John McLoughlin and Rick Allen two local guys who have sourced a venue, projector, screen, pizza, swag and speakers all on their ownsome - all that a User Group needs or could ask for!

As ever when a new NxtGenUG region opens they insist on having a 'Launch' extravaganza, and this one is no different! The event will be held on 18th October 2007 at St Andrew's Hall, Southampton. The main speaker for the evening is top UK Community speaker Guy Smith-Ferrier speaking on Astoria and there will be a SQL Nugget from Dave 'Readyboost' McMahon. Pizza and Swag will be present also in abundance. All the details of the meeting are at http://www.nxtgenug.net/ViewEvent.aspx?EventID=85, and you can register for the event as always through the NxtGenUG website. Don't miss out on this event which kicks off at 6.30pm and finishes at 9.00pm, as there is only ONE launch meeting after all.

NxtGenUG are a User Group focused on current and future technologies and provide monthly meetings in Birmingham, Cambridge, Coventry, Oxford and Southampton. They love technology, chatting, pizza, swag, Halo 3 (well Richie Costall does) and having a laugh. If you're in one of their areas, get along to one of their meetings and get involved in the UK Community, its well worth it socially and professionally! Visit their website at http://www.nxtgenug.net

999,999 Dreams to Go

Sun, 09 Sep 2007 21:03:02 GMT

There's not been a lot of blogging activity recently, as I've been on my vacation to DisneyWorld in Florida, and boy did we have a great time.

I have to admit that I'm an old hand at this, my 9th visit to Orlando, but each time we discover something new, or different in the World. We decided to treat ourselves this year and checked into the Disney's Yacht and Beach Club hotel. Upon check-in we were informed our room had a 'Lake-View' and was on the Concierge-level. (we needed to use our room key in the lift to get to this exclusive level).

We also got named as the 'family of the day', and after 9 hours on a plane, customs, and a 30 minute bus ride, rather than feel hot and sweaty we felt like royalty.

The room had the most fantastic view, nothing beats sitting in your dressing gown, watching the Epcot fireworks, sipping a beer, from the balcony outside your room. The Staff were excellent, I can't fault this visit, the concierge were really helpful and the senior management went out of their way to speak to us and help us.

Each day we came back to our room we met an assortment of 'towel' animals, and on the last day we left our own creations for the housekeeping ladies - bet they had a laugh with those.

The Disney parks were fairly busy, but we used our tried and tested tactics to make the most of the day, and also got chance to use the Yacht and Beach Club's Stunning pools - almost 3 acres of Sandy, watery fun - Yes the pool had a sand bottom.

Some Florida Vacation tips...

1. Get to the park as early as possible, grab a quick breakfast and be there before opening time. If you are a resort guest, use the magical hours to get an additional hour in the park. The first hour is so important.

2. Hit the back of the park first and then work forwards - many people arrive, stare at the map and then do the first attraction they come to.

3. Use FastPass to access the most popular rides with little or no wait.

4. Eat Early. Take lunch 12:00 - 12:30. Get a chance to get out the sun and have a sit down meal. Places like the Rose and Crown do great English Food - change from Burger or Hot Dog.

5. Leave the park mid afternoon for a break in the hotel pool, and then pop back for fireworks, or do the fireworks after a relaxed day at a water park.

6. Drink loads and make the most of the air conditioned buildings.

7. keep the kids interested, KidKot at Epcot is a great way to get them interested in the countires around the World Showcase at Epcot.

8. Arrive early for the shows, such as Fantasmic, in Disney MGM Studios, (90 minutes minimum), otherwise you may not get a seat.

9. Wear comfy shoes, you can easily walk 5 miles in a day.

10. Pick a hotel on Disney if possible, especially if you are with kids. Forget the hire car, get return transfers and use the Disney buses/boats and monorails to get you around. Universal is around a $40 taxi ride away, or Mears provide a shuttle for $16 per person round trip.

11. Buy a big SD Card for your camera, you're gonna take a lot of pictures. This last trip I took over 1,000.

12. Study the maps of the parks before you go, and when you get to the park - Grab 5 or 6 along with the times of events that day - most shops also have these maps/times. Chances are one will get lost, one will get wet and one will get ripped.

2007 is the year of the 1,000,000 dreams at Disney World and Disneyland in California. The prizes themselves range from anything like a pair of mouse ears, or a Disney trading pin, right up to a night in the Cinderella Castle or membership to the Disney Vacation Club. Thank you so much for the upgrade. I don't know if anybody is keeping count, but I think Disney now only have 999,999 dreams to go, which incidentally was both Thomas's and my score on Buzz Lightyears Space Ranger Spin - we both maxed out!

Bye Mickey - See ya real soon!

NxtGenUG Cambridge

Sat, 08 Sep 2007 09:54:25 GMT

NxtGenUG are absolutely delighted to announce the opening of a brand new NxtGenUG region - this time in Cambridge. So now Developers from the flatlands of East Anglia can gather together to learn, chat, eat Pizza and get 'swagged' in the 'NxtGenUG Way' along with their counterparts in Birmingham, Coventry and Oxford. The region will be run by Chris Hay and Allister Frost who live and work in the area. Chris and Allister have put in a great deal of effort to get the region off of the ground including securing a fantastic venue, courtesy of non-other than Microsoft Research Cambridge!

The 'Launch' meeting will be held at Microsoft Research on Tuesday 18th September 2007 and will feature Mike Ormond from Microsoft DPE speaking on Silverlight Microsoft's new Rich Web Application Development Platform. We'll also have a speaker from Microsoft Research covering a fanscinating new subject such as F#, watch out for details! Finally Rich, Dave and John will be there to do something or other, probably involving 'swag' (tut). Anybody is welcome to attend the meeting whether they are a NxtGenUG member or not. Just go to the NxtGenUG site at http://www.nxtgenug.net, register for FREE and book your place! The evening starts at 6:30pm and ends at 9pm.

As with other NxtGenUG regions details of events at Cambridge will be available at http://www.nxtgenug.net/EventList.aspx, and we know that Chris and Allister have a bunch of great sessions planned for Cambridge over the coming months.

Also check out the NxtGenUG site for Articles, 'Radio Style' Podcasts , Interviews, News Items, Competitions, details of membership and much more at NxtGenUG

The Server committed a protocol Violation - The Sequel

Tue, 14 Aug 2007 13:41:04 GMT

This error seems to be haunting me, i'd already got round it once, and up it pops again.

This time the error, which occurred accessing any website on my local machine, through IIS, was being hampered by Skype - which decided to take-over ports 80 and 443 - nice one!

Big thanks to Martin Kulov's blog entry, who saved me from a very embarressing demo.

Win a Ticket to TechEd!!!

Wed, 01 Aug 2007 21:29:23 GMT

Win a ticket to TechEd Developers with NxtGenUG and Microsoft.

NxtGenUG is offering one lucky winner a ticket to Microsoft’s premier European developer conference : TechEd Developers in Barcelona : November 5^th – 9^th 2007. To be in with a chance to win the ticket register on the NxtGenUG site and enter the TechEd ticket treasure hunt. [Terms and conditions apply]. Visit the NxtGenUG TechEd home page for more details...

http://www.nxtgenug.net/TechEd07/default.aspx

Make sure you read the instructions - The world is a big place!

VBUG Elections

Tue, 17 Jul 2007 14:13:27 GMT

Just been catching up on the blogosphere and found out that the VBUG elections are underway. Most people who know me, know I was the regional coordinator for the midlands - for five and a half years, before setting up NxtGenUG.

Graham Parker, and Caroline, built an incredible community, and it's a huge challenge and opportunity to take VBUG onto the next level.

Andy Westgarth and Tim Leung have both blogged it, and entered the race, looking at Chairman, and vice Chariman respectively. I know both Andy and Tim very well, either would be more than capable in these roles, although I'd like to remain impartial and wish George Gallagher and Phil Pursglove luck with their bids too...

So VBUG members, make your vote count, read the manifesto's and vote !

How loud?

Fri, 13 Jul 2007 03:04:56 GMT

How loud do you have to whistle, for a dog in the car in front, or behind, to hear you?. - I know you have all sat in traffic and whistled to get the dogs attention in the car in front (and wondered this?)

You'd have to take into account, windows being open and speed travelling, but assuming the car is stationary, and the windows are open - I was sitting in traffic, and each time i whistled farily loud, the dog in the car behind seemed to respond (ears pricked up), but the dog in front didn't - I suppose the breed of dog is also important.

Admit it, you all do it...

Presenting at Mix07 UK

Mon, 02 Jul 2007 15:34:49 GMT

Mix07 UK is shaping up to be an excellent event. I was lucky enough to see some of the speaker line up, and whilst i'm not going to spoil the surprise yet, I thought i'd let one cat out of the bag

Dave and Rich will be there, presenting... Silverlight... NO.. XSLT... NO... SWAGGILY Fortunes - could be.

So to help us, can I ask you go to the NxtGenUG site: this page and complete the form (If you are logged in and drawn from the entries I will give you some great swag!)

Keep you eyes open on the Mix07UK site over the next week or so.. It's gonna be a wicked event...

Mix07

Silverlight and Powerpoint

Wed, 27 Jun 2007 04:37:01 GMT

I've just started playing with Silvelright 1.1 - Exciting stuff. I love being able to write c# code which runs on the client, not having to worry about Javascript is a great leap forwards. Silverlight 1.1 is missing quite a bit of stuff at the moment, which is forgiveable as it's early days for version 1.1. The lack of Databinding makes it hard to 'bind' data to controls and the flow layout panel has disappeared, so i have to calculate layout positions.

But this left me thinking...

What Silverlight really needs, and probably in Blend is 'Smart Art'. I'm really stuggling to create nice graphics, as i'm graphically challenged. Powerpoint 2007 enables you to create really great looking slides using Smart Art - Reflections, Bevels, Shading - this is what i need for Silverlight.

The other side of the coin is that Powerpoint could really benefit from WPF/Silverlight - The animations and timelines, c# code - could take powerpoint to the next level. WE have nice graphics in powerpoint and some transititions, but thats about it - WPF could help with interactive/animating charts... hmm I wonder...

Gained the Lead..

Fri, 01 Jun 2007 10:19:51 GMT

It took around 45 games, but now i'm getting used to the controls and won my first slayer match in Halo 3. The game is visually stunning, the new weapons and tool add a different slant to the game - notibly the bubble shield. It will be sad when we get to the 10th June and we have to wait until September 26th in Europe to get the game..

You can even save a film of your games, now if only they could be accessed via the internet..

Crackdown and Halo 3 are two compelling reasons to buy a 360 this year.. and we're only just beginning...

The server committed a protocol violation.

Fri, 18 May 2007 11:03:04 GMT

I just spent the best part of the day looking into an integration error. The problem occurred when the webclient class was downloading a zip file from a remote site. It worked in our office but not on site. We got the following error.

The server committed a protocol violation. Section=ResponseHeader

Thanks for that - really useful.

So here is the useful part:

The problem was cause by the fact the zip files were being blocked and a txt message being inserted in it's place, although the extension was NOT being renamed. So we had myfile.zip (2kb) which contained the text about why the .zip type was blocked. The main clue was the file was only 2kb and couldn't be opened in WinZip. So if you get this error, try opening the file in notepad - the answer may be under your nose.

Thanks to my colleague Tim Hill for reminiscing about a company he used to work with, where the same thing happened.

I hope this helps somebody else...

Finish the Fight - 26th September

Wed, 16 May 2007 06:09:38 GMT

Halo 3 release date in europe (25th in the US) :

26th September 2007

need i say more?

Tags: halo3

Pacific City - Update

Thu, 10 May 2007 03:28:08 GMT

The guys over at TeamXBOX have got an article on the new content (2 downloads - 1 free, 1 paid - 800 points ) for CRACKDOWN - they also say its coming this week: New cars, new weapons, challenges, achievements and a cheat mode... It's a massive improvement to an awesome game...

Heres the press release...

Microsoft Game Studios and Realtime Worlds provide explosive new cars, game modes and weapons for critically acclaimed Xbox 360 exclusive “Crackdown.”

REDMOND, Wash. — May 10, 2007 — Thought Pacific City was well on its way to becoming a wholesome, law-abiding community? Think again, Agent.

Microsoft Game Studios and Realtime Worlds today announced that there is still more crime to be purged and new ways to purge it with the release of both free and premium downloadable content for the critically acclaimed Xbox 360™ open-world action title “Crackdown™.” The content will be available for download from Xbox LIVE® Marketplace today.

With more than 900,000 units of “Crackdown” sold-through in only two months, Microsoft Game Studios and Realtime Worlds are extending the game’s unparalleled experience, offering gamers several exciting new features, including vehicles, weapons, game modes and seven highly explosive, new Achievements. In addition, Agents will have free access to improved mission time trials, an option to repopulate gangs and kingpins after they have beaten the game, a vehicle impound garage, and the long-awaited Keys to the City — a comprehensive cheat mode including new “super agent” abilities and the option to create ramps, vehicles and explosives anywhere in Pacific City, at any point in the game.

For 800 Microsoft® Points, Agents can also access the full “Crackdown” armory, which includes three unique vehicles, four new devastating weapons, co-op game types, an Agent “cloaking device” and an added dynamic street-racing mode.

The new and improved street-racing mode brings several white-knuckle races to the streets … and everywhere in between. Agents can win by any means necessary — via speed or sabotage.

Vehicle selection is imperative to an Agent’s success, and the premium vehicle additions will help gamers dominate their foes. The Agency Buggy, fitted with a turret for the new, ultimate fast-firing projectile chain gun, is the vehicle of choice in rough and tumble off-road races. The low-profile battering ram of the Agency Armored Vehicle is strong enough to knock vehicles out of the way and protect Agents from an onslaught of gunfire, and is fitted with an independently aiming rocket turret. The Agency Racecar is the high-speed car of choice on the long stretches of city pavement.

In addition to a flocking rocket launcher (the MSK Lobber) and the all-powerful MZ360 Mini-Gun, the premium content will feature both proximity mines and the HRX Harpoon gun capable of stopping crime in its path by nailing criminals to nearby cars and walls.

In addition, if a player who has yet to purchase the PDLC content enters into a co-op game with a partner who has, that player will be able to preview the new content for the duration of that game.

For gamers interested in dashboard content, one new “Crackdown” theme will be available for 150 Microsoft Points, as well as four exciting new picture packs at varying prices.

And finally, on May 16, owners of the specially marked packages of “Crackdown” will be able to access the long-awaited “Halo® 3” multiplayer beta from the in-game menu.

So whether it’s through the free or premium content, “Crackdown” gamers on Xbox LIVE are bracing themselves to hit the streets of Pacific City once again. Now, get out there, Agent, and kick crime where it hurts.

crackdown

Countdown to the Fest

Wed, 09 May 2007 16:41:54 GMT

Just a reminder that FEST07 (http://www.nxtgenug.net/fest07) the one-day Developer event organised by those NxtGen Boyz : Rich, Dave and John, is just around the corner. It's on May 23rd at Microsoft UK in Reading and the headline speaker is the outstanding Rafal Lukawiecki who has topped the polls at TechEd for the last 7 years. He's speaking twice and will be talking about Vista Security and Future Trends in Software Architecture. The other speakers are look pretty good too, with Oliver Sturm, Mike Taulty and Daniel Moth being joined by Lorna Brown of Microsoft Research which should be a really interesting session. The Boyz are also going to do one of their 'gameshows' as a finale in which I understand large amounts of 'swag' will be handed out.

If you are a member of NxtGenUG its a free event. If you're not a member its a measly £59.99 for a day of information, fun, food and of course 'swag'. It's not a Microsoft funded event, and the guys have to cover some costs of speakers and incidentals. To register just go the NxtGenUG site http://nxtgenug.net/fest07, its all pretty simple. Any probs drop them a line at enquiries@nxtgenug.net

This looks like it's going to be special and different event, best get along ...

Oh there is also a Geek Dinner the night before http://www.zimakki.com/wiki/Fest07GeekDinner.ashx is Zi Makki's Wiki, and you can go to this even if your'e not attending the event itself.

Missed Mix07

Wed, 09 May 2007 16:38:42 GMT

If you missed Mix07 - and in particular the keynote, you have two great choices. The sessions are available online, plus Dave and Rich have a trip report in Podcast#33

Mix07

500/500 - Life back

Sat, 28 Apr 2007 02:37:49 GMT

I now have my life back after last night I discovered the 500th agility orb in Crackdown - I'd been on 499 for around 1 week and have spent a good few hours looking for the elusive orb which turned out to be in Volk.

We had a cracking XNA and Games night in Coventry last monday - read the review here

Now it's heads down fo Fest07 - if you've not registered check it out - it's going to be a great event

Halo 3 - Birthday Present

Wed, 11 Apr 2007 03:57:53 GMT

Its just been announced that the Halo 3 Mutltiplayer beta will be available on May 16th (just after my birthday) and will run through to June the 6th.

gentlemen start your controllers...

Start Listening

Tue, 27 Mar 2007 07:26:09 GMT

I will be presenting on Windows Speech at the Developer Group in Reading on the 16th April - Information and agenda here.

The demos will show the famous Speech videos and some new stuff I have come across in my travels.

Good to be back

Tue, 27 Mar 2007 07:24:16 GMT

So I am now back from the MVP Summit - a great week. You can read about part 1 here. including piccies. There is also a couple of videos on the NxtGenUG videos page including a classic Mike Hall interview and a ride on the Seattle Duck.

Dave Got to ask Bill a question about Tablet, which has found its way onto the web via Hugo an Australian Tablet Fanatic!

We recorded 8 podcasts in all, as well as attended the sessions. One of which has a unique Virtual Earth Competition.

Wow - that wasn't so hard was it Rich!

Scott Gu in Red Versus Blue

Tue, 06 Mar 2007 07:40:45 GMT

This is really funny. Scott Guthrie makes his debut in Red-Versus-Blue (a 'cartoon' based on Halo).

And guess what... he gets to talk about ASP.NET AJAX

Watch here... (requires WPF/E)

DreamScene Preview Now available...

Wed, 14 Feb 2007 02:48:48 GMT

Happy Valentines day from Microsoft,

DreamScene Preview (not final version) is available on Ultimate Extras.. try it now :-), but remember its only for Window Vista Ultimate

DreamScene allows you to have a video as a background to your desktop, and boy does it look great!

Big announcement...

Mon, 12 Feb 2007 17:43:41 GMT

Wow - It's time.

Now that we have got over the excellent WebDD, and we know we will have to wait a while for another conference, it's time to announce NxtGenUG Fest07. this is the first NxtGenUG ~~conference~~ Festival, and as in normal NxtGenUG style we want to be a different.

So we are really pleased to announce NxtGenUG Fest07 - Into the future: a one day event which will be held at Microsoft TVP campus in Reading.

Paid up NxtGenUG members can attend for free, and we currently have an early bird for £54.99, for non-members, just follow the instructions on the site.

The agenda is yet to be finalised, but we have some cracking speakers lined up, and I can't keep quiet any more about the main one, but you'll have to drop in on the site to see who it is (and no it's not that McMahon bloke).

http://www.nxtgenug.net/Fest07

Webdd

Vista Speech Nugget

Fri, 09 Feb 2007 09:46:45 GMT

Part one of my Vista Speech Recognition Video is on the NxtGenUG site now.

This is the first half of the video nugget (aka Grok Talk) which I presented at DDD, WebDD and a couple of user group meetings.

Enjoy, Notepad, playing Solitaire and Surfing the Web.

DDD, WebDD, NxtGenUG

The other side of the fence.

Tue, 06 Feb 2007 07:50:19 GMT

On Saturday I got to attend WebDD - a conference aimed at both designers and developers, held at Microsoft's campus in Reading (TVP). Normally at these events, I spend all day preparing for a session, but this time, with the exception of my Vista Speech Recognition Grok Talk at lunchtime I was a free man.

Firstly, massive thanks to Phil and Dave for putting this together. It takes a lot of effort to coordinate an event like this, including the website, speakers, and hosting the day - a big pat on the back for them, or a beer or three well deserved.

I appreciate the amount of work the guys put in as NxtGenUG will soon be announcing their 1st annual conference, but more on that in the next blog...

Speakers are important, and they don't come much bigger than Microsoft's GM for developer tools - Scott Guthrie. Scott presented four sessions on the day, (or five if you count the re-run of the Orca's session at lunchtime), of which I managed to attend one. Scott is a real IronMan of a presenter, and basically was presenting or being interviewed all day!

I attended Scott's talk on Orcas - a great session. One of the big things for me was that Orcas supports Multi-Targeting. The ability for the IDE to target different versions of the .NET Framework. So you can load up your 2.0 ASP.NET project in Orcas, use the benefits of Nested Master Pages, Javascript Intellisence and debugging, and 'proper' css support (via the new expression web engine built in) along with Split screen Designer/source view, which uses a new algorithm to keep is speeding along.

I decided to attend some different sessions, so didn't attend Scott's Building end-to-end websites part one and two. I opted for the Expression Web session, which was good. I'd have liked to see more demos, but Jon had a few techincal difficulties when Dave plugged a USB stick into Jon's MAC.

The other session I attended in the morning was by Patrick Lauke, who clearly knows his stuff. Patrick talked about building great web-sites and explained CSS pitfalls. My main feedback on this session, was too much time was spent at the start on powerpoint. Dive straight into those "who thinks this is good?" demos - they were really interesting. Patrick ran out of time, so we missed a lot of demos - good session though.

At lunch I did my Vista Speech Recognition Grok talk, Dave did DIY certificates, John did developing for Media Centre and some other guy... oh, yeah Daniel Moth did Vista Gadgets. They seemed to go down well with 50-60 people watching and joining in and I got a huge round of applause for writing a "Hello World" application in vista Speech.

I wanted to attend Scott's talk on WPF/E, but it was full, and I ended up being lured into a talk on CardSpace by Barry Dorrans. His session was described as the Overflow room for Scott's talk, once in, the facade fell off, just like the child catchers trailer in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang - and we set off on a talk about CardSpace. Barry is an entertaining speaker and explained CardSpace really well, using 'state of the art' powerpoint animations. It was an entertaining way to end the day, even if when it came to questions, he was asked "When will WPF/E be available" - It was actually the first time, I actually thought I understood what cardspace is!

NxtGenUG, like 4 Chaps from Blighty, were lucky enough to interview Scott Guthrie. The transcript is on the site and Scott will feature on our next podcast.

All the Chicago 1 sessions (Scott Mainly) were recorded and will be available on the WebDD site soon.

So, albeit a long day, It was great and demonstrates the power of the UK community. I am already looking forwards to the next WebDD!

WebDD NxtGenUG

Tagged !

Sat, 03 Feb 2007 16:59:20 GMT

The king of Internationalisation, Guy Smith Ferrier, has tagged me, so here is 5 things you probably didn't know about Richard James Costall.

1. I love Florida, and Disney World in particular. Walt Disney has arguably created more happinness than any other person on the planet. I once even designed my own theme park attraction which I sent to Disney - It never made it, but I hope it gave them some inspiration. I own almost as many books on Disney than I do on IT.

2. I trained in Wado-Ryu Karate for 12 years, making brown belt (2nd Kyu) after four years. I then carried on training, without taking a grading, as I wanted to focus on training and not aiming for the next belt. I have learnt a lot about life from my Karate Instructor.

3. I'm a wanabee cartoonist and created my own character, Lossi the Velociraptor http://www.costall.net/default.aspx?art=67

4. I spent the first 10 years of my developer career in a Digital Equipment authored language called DIBOL (on Vaxes and PDP's) - I once overhead one of the salespeople saying "We get a low turn around of developers, because there is nowhere for them to go" - I decided it was time for a change, spending time in C and Unix, before getting introduced to VB in about 97'

5. I do not like going to the dentist or to hospitals. I gave blood a couple of times (following my youngest son's heart surgery), needle in, no problem, give blood no problem... but when it comes to taking the needle out I go white as a sheet and have to lie down - I can't explain this reaction.

So who should I tag, John Price (sort your blog out), Dave McMahon - if I can get this up before he gets his done. Mike Taulty, Ian Moulster and Alex Homer... there you go guys

Give us a Grok Talk!

Thu, 18 Jan 2007 17:06:43 GMT

One of the great things about events like DDD, WebDD and User groups such as our NxtGenUG is the ability for members and attendees to wet their feet on the presentation circuit.

At NxtGenUG we have nuggets: 10 minutes talks on something cool or interesting, for many it's their first presentation, and for most of them the start of something exciting.

If you are attending WebDD, then why not do a grok talk (same idea as the NxtGenUG nuggets). The Grok talks as DDD4 were received really well...

so get your bits together, and give it a try. Who knows, in a few years you may be speaking at TechED (unbelieveable? - just ask Dave McMahon or myself)

See you there..

Technorati tags: WebDD NxtGenUG DDD

WebDD Registration Open

Thu, 11 Jan 2007 04:37:17 GMT

What are you doing?

Stop reading blogs and get on over to the WebDD site and register (I have even got the direct link for you), or you'll be sorry.

Scott Guthrie's going, so if it's good enough for him, it's good enough for you!

WebDD, WebDD1

Living the dream

Thu, 11 Jan 2007 03:27:12 GMT

I was driving home last night and the car in front of me had a big sign on the rear window

Achieve Your Dreams - Live your dream forever.

I won't promote the web-site. but you could probably guess it...

Two points of observation here

1) He was going home the same time as me

2) He was driving an 'N' reg fiesta - whats all that about? - "My dream is to own an 'N' reg fiesta." Perhaps he didn't bring the Bentley out in the rain.

It was weird how that gave me the wrong message. If he'd have been driving a new car, people would have thought, "i'll want some of that". Still I am sure somebody in the ~~pyramid~~ organisation will be dirving around in a very flash car...

So close, you can almost taste it...

Fri, 05 Jan 2007 14:01:11 GMT

WebDD is getting close... Registration will open soon...

But if you can't wait any longer why not register for the WebDD BackNetwork.

The WebDD Backnetwork is a social network site for all those interested in the WebDD event. The Backnetwork is not limited to event attendees and can be used to network with other interested parties and to discuss the event.

I am over the moon that Scott Guthrie will be coming over for WebDD - It really shows the power of the UK Community, in what is already looking like an awesome event.

great work Phil!

WebDD, WebDD1 Technorati Profile

Meetings, Meetings, Meetings

Fri, 05 Jan 2007 12:12:57 GMT

Meetings are normally bad for developers, unless they are NxtGenUG ones...We have Coventry, Birmingham and Oxford all booked for January, February and March - so make your new years resolution to get up to speed with all the technology that's coming out and come along to a local user group meeting...

Here's January including the Microsoft DPE team coming to Coventry on the 23rd to talk about Vista and Office... a night to remember!

Its Mobile Device Night (Coventry)

January 15

TechED Speaker and MVP Andy Wigley drops in on NxtGenUG Coventry for an evening of two parts. Covering different aspects of mobile development.

Object Orientation (Oxford)

January 17

Have we got object-orientation all wrong? "Object Thinking" (ISBN 0-7356-1965-4) by David West asserts that we have. Alan Dean explores this assertion, and demonstrates self-describing objects / self-evaluating rules with code examples.

VISTA - From the Inside (Birmingham)

January 22

The Association of Midlands IT Professionals (MITPRO) and NxtGenUG team up to bring you an evening of Vista! Matt McSpirit and James Senior, otherwise known as "The Vista Boyz" from the Vista Partner Technical Specialists will talk about the various features of Vista and how they can relate to the SBS world. Aspects of Office 2007 will also be discussed

Roadtrip - Vista and Office (Coventry)

January 23

Want to hear about Vista, Office 2007 and .NET 3.0? From Monday 22nd to Friday 26th January the Microsoft UK developer team will be touring the country to bring the story to many organisations of all types. In the week they hope to deliver 12-15 sessions of around 90 minutes each – depending on the amount of travelling between each location. On Tuesday 23rd January they will be coming to Coventry where NxtGenUG will be hosting the evening.

Theres Podcasts....

Fri, 05 Jan 2007 03:59:30 GMT

And then there is Podcasts...

Listen to the Dave and Rich review of 2006 here.

It covers our favourite, swag, presentations, interviews and podcasts of 2006 - recorded in a special location ;-)

Smart Client or Smart Kid?

Tue, 19 Dec 2006 08:25:46 GMT

I often get asked about Smart Client applications when talking about Windows versus Web Applications, and marketing are always after using the buzz words to check for conformance.

Smart Clients are defined as having Online/Offline capabilities, Auto updating of themselves, and makes use of the local machine resources.

So here is a really cool example of a Smart Client - The XBox 360

You can play online/offline - either way you get a great experience. The XBox will update itself as Microsoft release updates - This is brilliant as the console software is evolving month by month; new features keep getting added and the user doesn't have to worry about installing a CD and it uses it hardware to the limit :-)

Last night we had a NxtGenUG meeting

We talked about Media Centre, developing applications for it, and also using the 360 as an Extender. We took along a 360, fired up Halo 2 and played online against my son. Once again the attendee casualty list was high. Not only did Thomas beat everybody, he also knew which game I played him - that's too good!

That deserves a place on the Halo 3 - Beta Multiplayer Programme.... anybody listening?

new 360 Compatibility list

Tue, 19 Dec 2006 08:11:26 GMT

Microsoft have released another compatibility list for the XBox 360 - December 2006

the updates includes: Whacked,Conker, Far Cry, Incredibles and Shark Tale...

The list now includes almost 300 xbox titles, so after christmas,print out the list, head over to your local game store and have a mooch around the pre-owned bins for some great XBox game bargains.

Still no sign of Midtown Madness though..

Bungie Xmas Pressie

Fri, 15 Dec 2006 15:39:24 GMT

Bungie have just announced the existence of a 7 minute documentary of Halo 3, which will be available on XBox live Marketplace NEXT WEEK!

"you'll be able to see the entire thing in 720p and surround sound some time next week. It's a very interesting piece. especially if you're interested in Campaign mode."

Happy Christmas from Bunige..

What a cracker..

Out of Controller

Fri, 15 Dec 2006 07:03:05 GMT

Oliver gets very excited when playing on the XBox 360, numerous times the Controller has landed up on the floor (Big controller, small hands). A couple of times I said

"It's a good job we havent got a Nintendo Wii, otherwise it would be through the screen."

The Nintendo Wii features a wrist strap to stop such things happening, although it turns out the strap is not strong enough and 3.2 million of them are being recalled!

"Nintendo has recalled 3.2 million wrist straps for its new Wii console after reports of enthusiastic users inadvertently sending the motion-sensing controller crashing into their TV screens.

Nintendo Co Ltd spokesman Yasuhiro Minagawa said Friday that the first version of the controller strap "turned out to be insufficient in its strength for some customers," so it would be replaced with a thicker one."

Read it here..

You know you have made it...

Wed, 13 Dec 2006 16:49:17 GMT

When you appear on Channel 9

We filmed this at TechED Barcelona, Sarah Blow, Guy Smith Ferrier, Brian Long, Dave Mcmahon and myself, joined Charles outside for a chat on communities...

watch it here

PDC07 Announced - Booyah!

Wed, 13 Dec 2006 09:24:40 GMT

I had an awesome time at PDC 2005 here,here, here, here, here, - Seeing all the new stuff being unveiled, having so much swag that my bag broke and meeting load of great people.

PDC07 has now been announced, back in Los Angeles on the 2nd-5th October 2007 - mark those days..

If the rate of the dollar stays the same it will be a bargain!

Security should not be obstructive.

Tue, 12 Dec 2006 09:54:32 GMT

On my way home last night, my car hit a pothole and this morning I came out to see the my tyre was flat (only at the bottom though :-)).

What has this got to do with security? Well I am glad you asked. I drove over to Britannia tyre repair, handed over the car and sat down.

There must have been 5 or 6 people who came into the reception, only for the mechanic to return after 5 minutes to say "where's your wheel nut locking kit", only for the customer to go, "err, It was in the car... I think..." or "err do I need them?"

I remember when it happened to my last car, in the end they chiselled them off, but the hassle it caused at a time when I needed a quick repair.

I am sure many wheels get stolen every year, but this seemed to be an example of obstructive security, a bit like extremely long and complex passwords for logins - I wonder what Steve Lamb would be saying...

Actually he;d probably say... "Security should not get in the way, if it does its been done wrong"

Yes, it did get repaired, quickly too, thanks Britannia.

Want to play Halo Beta?

Mon, 11 Dec 2006 11:06:20 GMT

Grab you frags and head on over to one of the following websites, to enter a chance to play the beta of Halo3 - YES... this is for the UK...

www.rewiredmind.com
www.360monster.com
www.britxbox.co.uk
www.msxbox-world.com
www.totally360.com
www.xboxliveaddicts.co.uk/forums/index.php

If you are not from the UK - head on over here to find out where to go...

http://www.playfuls.com/news_8570_Halo_3_Beta_European_Sign_up_Pages_Bungie_Update.html

I own a Salamango

Sun, 10 Dec 2006 15:50:33 GMT

No, it's not a James Bond Villian.

I have been playing Viva Pinata, and it makes a great change from first person shooters on the XBox 360. I managed to breed this by accident, I won't spoil it by saying how, but some experimentation went on. These little beauties can be sold for 2,000 gold coins, so they are becoming quite lucrative.

I also had my first Doe-Nut take up residency in the Costall garden, but frogs are barred for eating Newt-Gets. the sours are a bit of a pain, but vegetable production is going well and I have even got some organisation going in the chaos that is my garden.

Well done Rare, cracking game - right I am off to attempt to get the crocodile - I bet that eats a lot of pinatas.

Woo Hoo what a beauty.

Viva Pinata!

Vista the Movie

Wed, 06 Dec 2006 11:35:01 GMT

I have just got back from Birmingham where I sat in on a Microsoft EVO launch Roadshow for Partners.

The session was different as it took place inside an Odeon Cinema, and yes we were all treated to popcorn and ice cream. Steve Clayton didn't walk around with a torch though saying shhhhh.

Vista is extremely impressive - even more so on a large cinema screen. I think it should have been compulsory to show and XBox360 game or the new Halo trailer.

In the first presentation we saw the top 20 features of Vista/Office, including the wonderful Flip 3D, Vista Search and preview pane; although the last 9 was the 9 games. It was a shame there was no Vista Speech Recognition - one of my favourites (if i'd have known I could have done my Vista Speech Recognition Grok talk), or showing tags or UAC, but to be fair there is so many of them...

Microsoft also demonstrated installing a clean PC with Vista and Office, although an incorrect format command gave the audience the impression that it really took 60 minutes. Let me clear this up now, yes the guys can install Vista and Office in less that 10 minutes, from a USB drive and without a CD install.

The second half of the session talked about the opportunity for partners, and covered 'Genuine Windows' and the different SKU's available for the Vista and Office products. It's great to know that if you buy a PC now, you will be able to get a Free upgrade to Vista and Office on release (Jan 30th)

Being the fantastic photographer that I am, I took loads of photos, but they all came out blurred...

You ever wonder what's up there?

Tue, 05 Dec 2006 07:29:31 GMT

The teaser for Halo3 aired last night...

Not in game footage, but a video teaser, mainly featuring two children lying in the grass talking about life on other planets. [Could the boy in the story be Master Chief as a child?]

Cut to our hero - Master Chief. Who has almost been blown to bits, his upturned Mongoose, has its wheels still spinning, grabs his helmet off the floor and his scratched battle-rifle and charges into battle against 6 Wraiths (Covenant Tanks) and what looked like Tartarus with (13) Elites? - (difficult to tell).

Not really the odds you like...

See it here...

There also a beta programme you can sign up for to test some Multiplayer action. BUT ONLY IF YOU LIVE IN THE USA!. Sign up here...

Grrrr Grrr and Grrr.... XBox live all around the world, well actually just in the United States... What will I tell Thomas?. Why oh why oh why.... surely we need to beta test Halo3 over the Atlantic...

But could this be a shred of hope from the Bungie site?

"This is phase one. There will be more ways to enter the beta program, so don't panic. We will try to ensure that everyone who wants to participate has the opportunity to do so. The beta will be a world-wide affair, and every region that is elligible to participate, will. Much of the information on Halo3.com applies to the US only - so if you live in a different region, keep an eye on your local Xbox site for details. "

Well - I'm waiting...

Busy at Microsoft today

Tue, 05 Dec 2006 07:18:33 GMT

I come into work today and 'BAM' - not only have Microsoft made a CTP available to the public of WPF/E - Windows Presentation Foundation - Everywhere, but they have also SHIPPED - yes shipped Expression Web. Expression Web is a member of the Expression family of products and is a professional design tool for building compliant web applications.

With WPF/E richer web applications are one step closer, it's a cross browser solution, so no requirement on .NET.

WebDD - Excellent

Sun, 03 Dec 2006 03:44:05 GMT

Phil Winstanley has been busy - yesterday he announced WebDD.

What is WebDD? Info from the site...

On Saturday the 3rd of February 2007 we are holding a free conference in Reading specifically targeting web developers and web designers in the United Kingdom. The mantra behind the conference is that currently there is no focus on standards, best practice and general patterns based approaches to web development and design being pushed particularly strongly in the UK. Additionally it's rare that the people on the ground are looking ahead at what is coming up and where the web will be in the coming years.

We want to change that and give the British web development and design communities a real fighting chance going forward and we feel a regular conference which is free to attend is a good way of getting the messages out to the wider community.

WebDD web Site

Spot on Phil - this should be excellent; a conference just for Web Developers and Designers. :-)

DDD4 - Cabbages

Sun, 03 Dec 2006 03:31:05 GMT

Yesterday was DDD4, and this community event just seems to get better and better.

DDD, or DeveloperDeveloperDeveloper, is run by the community, with speakers and sessions being picked by the community. The fact it also happens on a Saturday makes it accessible to developers without taking holiday from work. Saturday also means you have to 'want' to be there, and the result is over 300 enthusiastic developers and a great day.

The delgates start to arrive

Dave kicked of the track in Memphis with his excellent SQL/XML talk, Guy Smith Ferrier was covering MSBuild in Chicago2 and Ben Lamb had an interesting session on "How to write crap code in c#".

AT lunchtime DDD tried something new in "Grok talks". The purpose of these is to present a 10 minute presentation on, something cool, in a very relaxed atmosphere. I was slightly concerned that, being at luncthime, nobody would turn up - but I couldn't have been more wrong. 60+ people all sitting on the floor, munching on sandwiches, listening to John Price talking about media centre markup language - the atmosphere was electric, or a Benjamin Mitchell would say - it was smoking. Well done John - great presentation!

I was on next and demonstrated, something I think is really cool in Vista - speech recognition, but instead of a live demo I thought i'd try something new.I recorded a video of myself and 'talked' to myself over the video "hey, Rich" - "oh hi Rich, How you doing". The demo fitted in exactly 10 minutes and went down a treat - "no Way", "wow", were the comments, culminating in a big round of applause for my Hello World application created in speech alone - we also had a great laugh along the way - It was one of the most enjoyable presentations i've done.

I had some great feedback after my session, and that's what it's all about - it was buzzing.

I then had to head of to the Everest suite in building four for Dave McMahon and my session on "TechED review and Quiz". We wanted to do something different this time and I think we achieved it. Anybody who remembers Crackerjack (Crackerjack) from the television, will relate to taking people from the audience and loading them up with swag until the drop something. The questions came in the form of interviews with TechED speakers, such as Ingo Rammer, Anders Heljsberg, Jeffrey Snover and Mike Hall.

The curious arrive for our session

For example we asked Mike Hall, who works on the Windows Embedded team in Redmond. "If Windows Embedded was a sandwich, what sort of sandwich would it be?". We also asked Anders "what is your favourite VB.NET keyword?

If the (4) contestants got the question correct, they won good swag, if they got it wrong the won the good swag plus some rubbish swag - including real Cabbages!. If they dropped something they were out. The competition ended with a guess how much excess baggage Dave had when we came back from TechED, which I can now reveal as a massive 17KG (pure swag). Here is the list of good swag which each contestant left with:

Speaker Shirt
Umbrella
USB Drive
Channel9 Guy
Teddy
K2Net Cap
Teched Developer Tshirt
Bag or Signed Shirt
Expression CD Beta 1
We also had tonnes (or 17 KG) of bad swag, loads of pens, inflatable Microphones, Mints, stress balls... etc etc..

Congratulations to Dave Hearn who won the tie break question and walked away with Uber-Swag : An MSDN Universal Subscription!!!!

Well done to the other contestants, inparticular Patrick who, was laiden with swag and was the real star of the show. We did say our session would not have much content, and that was the case - but everybody had a great laugh.

Patrick and Andrew - at the halfway point in the show

comment of the day was from Mike Taulty "Oh no, they have got Cabbages!"

We also did two interviews with the four chaps from Blighty - Two? Yes Two, Guy Smith-Ferrier didn't press record on the first one - Watch out for a new group forming - "The three chaps from Blighty". Mark Johnson also interviewed Dave and I for Channel9 so watch for that one too soon.

Thanks to the organisers, especially Craig Murphy, Ian Cooper, Jonathon for the web site, Zi for Grok talks and the geek dinner, the room monitors and, of course, Microsoft for providing the venue, excellent food; including Mince Pies and Cream/Brandy butter, Sausage and Egg cobs and Sandwiches and crisps at lunchtime.

Sarah Blow and Barry Dorrans doing... err...

DDD just seems to get better and better, how we beat this one, well plans are afoot, but it's going to be tough - Here's looking forward to DDD5! some good news is Phil Winstanley has announced WebDD - a web focused DDD, and if Phil's behind it - it's going to be good so keep your eyes peeled for more details on that one.

DDD4 Getting Close

Wed, 29 Nov 2006 02:43:52 GMT

Last night I was putting my slides together for our TechED review and Quiz session.

Highly technical this session is not, but we have some great interviews to play, some excellent questions to ask our volunteers and i reckon we will also be giving away more swag than any presentation ever... It's gonna be one big SwagFest.

This morning though I have a cough and cold - let's hope it clears up in time for Saturday....

If you are going to DDD4 and want to win some swag reply to this blog - you may just get on stage :-)

SWAG! SWAG! SWAG! SWAG!

Hot Shower

Mon, 27 Nov 2006 04:00:09 GMT

We've just had a fire alam gone off, so it was grab the Vista Laptop (essentials) and leave the building.

John Price came out the building in a hurry and very wet. It turns out he was having a shower when the alarm went off. Good job he had time to get dressed.

Two Fire Engines arrived and after a tour of the building allowed everybody back in. It's only 8:57am - I wonder what sort of day this is going to be...

The cause of the alarm being triggered was a sensor being set off in the shower! - I wonder what (who) caused that!

Bit Windy

Mon, 27 Nov 2006 03:04:10 GMT

It was a bit of a windy morning, driving in to work. The rain was coming down heavy, the wind blowing pretty hard, and then as I came intoWarwick I saw a council worker with a Leaf Blower

What a strange world we live in!

Ask and ye shall get..

Fri, 24 Nov 2006 02:38:03 GMT

Halo 3 screenshots - 'Hi Res Screenshots...'

Take a look at these little beauties....