MICROSOFT web DEV resources …

All those guys who feel that the clicks and the interfaces of the MS are good and has something to do with the development in the web should go to the link — this link provides the base of various technologies in the redmond specially developed fro the audio and visual effects in the web. Well for the fact there are various developer site . My series of blogs shall now cover various developer forums and links tht could come handy to the nerds of low grade to the avant grade.Though the MS fellows are good at everything the interface of the MSDN is very dissmal and not of the kind that could have been from MS .The microsoft site has been done very neatly and attractively . The MSDN should not be that heavy but atleast it could have been better , MS carries the burden of carrying the image of the masterand so it can’t afford to be relaxed for anything of it . Love it or hate it the MS has altogehter different place in the computing histroy of the planet , MS was the only one to bet for the Software when biggies like IBM thought of the hardware . Imagine your own computer without the MS ? Even if you say lot of crap about it but at the end you have the same things running ur machine. Can u think of any other company so severly scanned and scrutinized for each and every detail, if u can then think MS is facing competition.Google is very revered for its search prowess and lately in Asia for it beta version of orkut .But then most of it technologies remain unscrutnized and so u can afford to think that google doesn’t  carry that pressures to perform.MS in itself feeds millions by it own turnover nearly 350 bn $ plus lots of magazines and other people related to it .Also this includes MS bashers (most tech journos and motivated linux users ) and millions of MS hacker who make millions on a single leak discovered. Imagine the irony ! u have a thousand of coder for coding the MS and a millions for hacking into it still it manages to make without a major hassle .That too when MS coders are paid employees and hacker unpaids dedicated enthusiats .MS in this way must be fooding another 60 bn $.Its very lonely at top and nobody appreciates it .

GOT emotional , insist on original MS software atleast the cheaper ones for starters … if not all.

http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms867212.aspx

The following data has been extracted from the MSDN site

Windows Media Encoder SDK

The Microsoft® Windows Media™ Encoder application compresses live or stored audio and video content into Windows Media files or streams. It enables users to create multimedia productions from devices attached to their computers, translate audio/visual files into Windows Media Format, and either save the Windows Media-based content to a local file or broadcast it to the Internet.

Web developers can create an HTML user interface and access the SDK through script commands. Script developers can use the Windows Media Encoder SDK and the Windows Scripting Host to automate the batch conversion process. The SDK can also be used with either the default user interface or a custom user interface through Microsoft Visual C++® or Microsoft Visual Basic®.

For more information, see the Windows Media Encoder SDK Web site.

Producer SDK

Microsoft Producer for PowerPoint® 2002, an add-on for PowerPoint 2002 in Microsoft Office XP, makes it easy for everyday business users and media professionals to create engaging rich-media presentations by synchronizing audio, video, slides, and images. These rich-media presentations can be viewed on demand in a browser across the Internet or an intranet.  

The Microsoft Producer SDK, part of the Microsoft Producer download, provides an object model that you can use to create publishing e-services for Microsoft Producer. To publish a presentation, users normally must move through a series of wizard pages and individually specify publishing parameters, such as file paths or profile settings. Using the Producer object model, you can specify the Uniform Resource Locator (URL) of an HTML document that functions as a custom user interface in the Publish Wizard, create registry keys that add your e-service to the Microsoft Producer Publish Wizard user interface, and specify profile information associated with your e-service.

For more information on the Producer SDK, please download Microsoft Producer from http://www.microsoft.com/office/powerpoint/producer.

Windows Media Rights Manager SDK

Using the Windows Media Rights Manager SDK, developers can create applications that encrypt (package) digital media files and issue licenses for those digital media files. A packaged Windows Media file contains a version of the file that has been encrypted with a key so that only the person who has obtained a license for that file can play it. The license is separate from the packaged Windows Media file, which means that the content and license for that content can be acquired at different times. Encrypted files can be either streamed or downloaded to the consumer’s computer. For more information, see the Windows Media Rights Manager SDK.

Windows Media Player SDK

The Windows Media Player SDK enables developers to create player applications with a custom look and feel using the Windows Media Player control in an HTML page. You can programmatically control and display playlists from a Web page, automatically stop or seek to specified markers in the stream, set bandwidth preferences for network reception, and add custom skins to the control’s user interface.

Microsoft JScript® and Microsoft Visual Basic® Scripting Edition are supported. For more information, see the Windows Media Player SDK.

Video Control (DirectShow SDK)

The Video Control is a Microsoft ActiveX® control that enables developers to create HTML-based analog and digital TV applications and DVD applications that run on Microsoft Windows® XP Home Edition and Windows XP Professional. Other related objects enable the creation of custom electronic program guides from script applications.

Whats life without a touch… MS surface computer !

THE FOLLOWING DATA HAS BEEN ADOPTED FROM THE MS SURFACE SITE FACT SHEET :LINK @: http://www.microsoft.com/surface/  

Microsoft Surface Fact SheetJanuary 2008

Name of Product:         Microsoft Surface      Category:                     Surface computing   

ProductOverview:                     Surface is the first commercially available surface computer from Microsoft Corp. It turns an ordinary tabletop into a vibrant, interactive surface. The product provides effortless interaction with digital content through natural gestures, touch and physical objects. In essence, it’s a surface that comes to life for exploring, learning, sharing, creating, buying and much more. Soon to be available in restaurants, hotels, retail establishments and public entertainment venues, this experience will transform the way people shop, dine, entertain and live.

 Description:                 Surface is a 30-inch display in a table-like form factor that’s easy for individuals or small groups to interact with in a way that feels familiar, just like in the real world. Surface can simultaneously recognize dozens and dozens of movements such as touch, gestures and actual unique objects that have identification tags similar to bar codes.  Surface will ship to partners with a portfolio of basic applications, including photos, music, virtual concierge and attract mode, that can be customized to provide their customers with unique experiences.

Surface Computing:                  Surface computing breaks down traditional barriers between people and technology, changing the way people interact with all kinds of everyday content, from photos to maps to menus. The intuitive user interface works without a traditional mouse or keyboard, allowing people to interact with content and information by using their hands and natural movements. Users are able to access information either on their own or collaboratively with their friends and families, unlike any experience available today. Surface computing features four key attributes:·         Direct interaction. Users can actually “grab” digital information with their hands and interact with content through touch and gesture, without the use of a mouse or keyboard.·   

Multi-touch contact. Surface computing recognizes many points of contact simultaneously, not just from one finger as with a typical touch screen, but up to dozens and dozens of items at once. · 

Multi-user experience. The horizontal form factor makes it easy for several people to gather around surface computers together, providing a collaborative, face-to-face computing experience.·        

 Object recognition. Users can place physical objects on the surface to trigger different types of digital responses, including the transfer of digital content

Features: 

Multi-touch display. The Surface display is capable of multi-touch interaction, recognizing dozens and dozens of touches simultaneously, including fingers, hands, gestures and objects placed on the surface. Horizontal orientation. The 30-inch display in a table-sized form factor allows users to share, explore and create experiences together, enabling a truly collaborative computing experience.  Dimensions. Surface is 22 inches high, 21 inches deep and 42 inches wide.  Materials. The Surface tabletop is acrylic, and its interior frame is powder-coated steel.  Requirements:             Standard American 110–120V power 

System:                        The Surface custom software platform runs on Windows Vista and has wired Ethernet 10/100 and wireless 802.11 b/g and Bluetooth 2.0 connectivity.  

Availability:                  With deployments beginning in spring of 2008, consumers will be able to interact with Surface at select hotels, restaurants, retail establishments and public entertainment venues.

 

                                    Well the computer seems to be just great with the kind of interfacing they are going to provide with the other devices . For those who are saying that I am well blah -blahing about it should get a peak of it at the site .The visuals are overwhelming and great . The main draw back its not meant for mass consumption though . You could find it in the airport , hotels lobby in few years but the one that can suit your drawing room centre piece is still  a decade far ! By the time we will be having floating place surface systems or foldable sheet surface comp for the poorer lot I guess . For the time being I am just dreaming where i could lay my hand on this sexy piece .

Vaio’s FZ –Real droolmaal

 

All u guys there this is real arousing stuff from sony . Sony has a habit to love up to its reputation and keeping the good jobs it has finally again delivered the cool stuff .The latest from the assembly line .

Sony has introduced a new special edition of Vaio FZ notebooks sporting four new Eco-Cool designs. Inspired by nature, Sony VAIO FZ Graphic Splash Eco Edition notebooks are available in Caribbean Water, Clay Earth, Spotted Life and Bloom designs.

The new laptops will come in four vibrant colours pink flower, dark clay, a sploosh of water and leopard spots.

The tech Specs are too good a 15.4 inch screen ,weight -6 lb, core 2 duo and the biggest of all latest santa rosa chipset.

Hey look Who’s gonna OPEN !

link @ http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/presskits/interoperability/default.mspx?tapm=A47S11G06

 From the Virtual Pressroom: Microsoft Makes Strategic Changes in Technology and Business Practices to Expand Interoperability

February 21, 2008
Microsoft  announced a set of broad-reaching changes to its technology and business practices to increase the openness of its products and drive greater interoperability, opportunity and choice. These changes are codified into four new interoperability principles and corresponding actions: 1) ensuring open connections; 2) promoting data portability; 3) enhancing support for industry standards; and 4) fostering more open engagement with customers and the industry, including open source communities.

Well Microsoft has to acknowledged the growing clout of the open source and is doing its bit for it .Open source is good but with so many to choose from it has become problem of plenty may be the elite one’s or little knowledgible one’s may use open software , but hate it or love it the majority still uses the MS software (please don’t ask me if they do the original ones !) coz MS has set a lasting impression on the computer community world wide . Open source must come up it something very concrete else it may be lost in the maze of open source itself .

(kindly note :All logos have been taken from site in good faith and will be immediately removed on any objections , the author disclaims any matter arising of it )

Android … the battle just got nasty !Google vs the Rest

 Android!The Android platform is a software stack for mobile devices including an operating system, middleware and key applications. Developers can create applications for the platform using the Android SDK. Applications are written using the Java programming language and run on Dalvik, a custom virtual machine designed for embedded use which runs on top of a Linux kernel.

If you want to know how to develop applications for Android, you’re in the right place. This site provides a variety of documentation that will help you learn about Android and develop mobile applications for the platform.

An early look at the the Android SDK is also available. It includes sample projects with source code, development tools, an emulator, and of course all the libraries you’ll need to build an Android application.

link @ http://code.google.com/android/

There also a coding challenge for the mobile developers with the booty around 10 million $ ! Still waiting go to the site get the SDK and submit the software…

Go A Live challenge by MS

There a great contest that will give u all geeks a high ! MS has announced a GO -A -love challenge wherein colleges have a chance to win upto 2.5 lakhs in cash , Xboxes  , windows mobile and lots of great stuff. Moreover the benefits of the contest are huge compared to the prizes .The webmasters get a chance to integrate their college in through the bulk emal service , blogs , photo briefcases … and so on . For more details puch <return > @ www.goalivechallenge.com