DonS.CF : .NET Framework

My Code Camp 7 Presentations and Samples Now Available for Download

Dons — Sun, 01 Apr 2007 15:45:38 GMT

Thanks to everyone who attended my two sessions at this weekend's Code Camp7: Deer In The Headlights event. I really enjoyed the interaction, questions and comments during both sessions!

As promised, my two presentations are now available for download. The ZIP files contain both the Powerpoint slides and any sample code shown during the session.

As an "added bonus", I have put up the C# project I wrote to test out Ink and Speech with Vista and the Tablet PC. It is the little spelling application I wrote for my son to do his homework, and domenstrates speech synthesis and the Tablet PC ink APIs. Even if you don't have a Tablet PC, you can fill in the fields using your keyboard. The download also includes a setup installer for the compiled version of the application, allowing you to just install it and play around with it if you'd like.

Vista Spelling Practice Application (3.75 MB)

Enjoy!

Speech in 3 Lines of Code with the .NET Framework 3.0 and Windows Vista

Dons — Tue, 17 Oct 2006 13:25:02 GMT

To do this, you will need:

1) Windows Vista (prefereably, RC2 or higher). This ships with the .NET Framework 3.0 included.

Perform the following steps in Visual Studio 2005 (C# shown):

Create a new Windows Application project.
Under the project, add a new reference. Select System.Speech from the .NET tab.
Create a Windows Form, and add a button to it. Name the button btnSpeak.
[Code Line 1] Add a reference to the System.Speech.Systhesis namespace using the using keyword.

using System.Speech.Synthesis;

[Code Line 2] Create an instance variable for a SpeechSynthesizer object.

private SpeechSynthesizer mySpokenWords = new SpeechSynthesizer();

Create an event handler for the btnSpeak's Click event.
[Code Line 3] Add the following code to the Click event handler:

mySpokenWords.Speak("Hello World!");

Compile and run the code. Click on the button and listen to the result.

That's all there really is to it!

Total Code:

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.ComponentModel;
using System.Data;
using System.Drawing;
using System.Text;
using System.Windows.Forms;
using System.Speech.Synthesis;

namespace SpeakHelloWorld
{
    public partial class Form1 : Form
    {
        private SpeechSynthesizer mySpokenWords = new SpeechSynthesizer();

        public Form1()
        {
            InitializeComponent();
        }

        private void btnSpeak_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
        {
            mySpokenWords.Speak("Hello World!");
        }
    }
}

The .NET Framework 3.0 - Taking Things "One Piece At A Time"

Dons — Sat, 14 Oct 2006 17:42:23 GMT

I recently spoke at the Software Association of New Hampshire's annual InfoXchange event on the .NET Framework 3.0. I had approximately 30 minutes to address the topic "What Is the .NET Framework 3.0, and Why Should I Care?". It reminded me of those essay questions that went something like this -

Describe the American Revolution and it's impact on geopolitics in 200 words or less. :-)

I found myself facing a really serious challenge here. As I started to think about how much is really in the .NET Framework 3.0, I realized that for many developers, this could be intimidating (especially from an initial impression respective). I wanted to make certain that (given the short timeframe of the presentation and the need to generalize, I could scare off more people than I would help. I found the answer to how I finally approached the situation, thanks to my two small sons (particularly my oldest, six year-old Nicolas).

Nicolas likes to try out puzzles every once in a while. When I say "puzzles", I mean just that - the classic tabletop x number of pieces board puzzles. As he gets older, he has worked with increasingly complex puzzles. Now, he has (on occasion) opened a puzzle box and poured out the pieces and stared in disbelief at the sheer number of pieces. Usually, his response is "Dad, forget it. This is just gonna be way too hard." I usually respond with "OK - let's at a time." We first find the corner and edge pieces. Then, we group pieces by commonality (perhaps color or imagery). Finally, we focus on one area of the puzzle at a time. Usually, my son ends up saying something like "Wow, Dad! That really wasn't so hard."

I realized the other day that the .NET Framework 3.0 is a lot like my son's puzzles. At first glance, the .NET Framework 3.0 can translate to "A whole lotta new stuff to learn." Unfortunately, that typically leads to the common fears of all developers (including myself). If the time is taken, however, to look at each of the "components" of the old WinFX (the "new part" of the .NET FW 3.0) individually, the learning curve might surprise you. It certainly did surprise me.

I ended up taking the time in my presentation to break down each of the new technologies in the .NET Framework 3.0, highlighting what functionality is provided and why it might matter to the developer and/or business owner. There are any number of compelling reasons why the .NET FW 3.0 could be of benefit - but I will leave that to another blog post ;-) In the meantime, I strongly encourage you to take some time to look at the .NET FW 3.0 from a "mid-level" perspective. Not too high-level or too low-level, which can be very intimidating. Instead, take things "one piece at a time".

The Lowdown on SQL Server Everywhere Edition

Dons — Mon, 10 Apr 2006 19:48:00 GMT

On April 6th, 2006, Microsoft (via a SQL Server 2005 Update from Paul Flesner) announced a "new" product in the Microsoft SQL Server family - SQL Server Everywhere Edition (or "SQL Everywhere" for short, or "SQL/e" for shorter). At the time, I chose not to post about it until more official word came out. I did this for two reasons -

My unofficial word would be just that - unofficial. Better to hear more information direct from the source;
I would have to type a lot less if I simply pointed people in the right direction ;-)

Microsoft's own Steve Lasker has put together a good FAQ regarding SQL/e on his MSDN blog. In short, SQL/e is essentially SQL Mobile without the desktop limitations. As you may or may not be aware, SQL Mobile was authorized for use in developing Tablet PC applications as well as Windows Mobile applications. That was the extent of "desktop" deployment, however. This new structure allows for SQL Mobil... er, SQL/e to be used as an embedded database in any Microsoft OS environment.

Personally, I applaud this decision. I know that when the decision to allow Tablet PC deployments but not others first came out, a lot of folks in the .NET CF and Embedded MVP communities thought an broader expansion would be a good thing. Obviously, Microsoft listened (to MVPs and others) and responded. This change opens a number of possibilities for occasionally-connected application developers.

BTW - Steve Lasker has also posted about leveraging SQL/e in Visual Studio 2005 development. Really great article with useful information.

Coming This May - Code Camp 5 - Code Frenzy!

Dons — Wed, 08 Mar 2006 20:16:00 GMT

Ah, yes - I can hear the music from "Jaws" playing already.

"Da-DUM... Da-DUM... Da-DUM-Da-Da-DADADUMMMMM..." ;-)

From Thom Robbins web site -

Announcing Code Camp 5: Code Frenzy!

Register

Saturday, May 6,7 2006

May 6 – 8:30 AM – 9PM

May 7 – 8:30 AM – 4PM

Microsoft Waltham Office

201 Jones Road, 6th Floor
Waltham, Massachusetts 02451
United States

Call for Speakers

Are you a developer interested in improving your .NET skills? Then this is the event to attend. Code Camp 5: Code Frenzy! promises to be both bigger and better than anything we have done before. This free two day seminar is designed as a series of intensive code related demos and technical sessions to guide the developer to the next skill level. The continuing goal of the Code Camps is to provide an intensive developer to developer learning experience that is fun and technically stimulating. The focus is on delivering programming information and sample code that can be used immediately. All training, slides, manuals and demo code is provided free!

This two day camp is hosted in our Waltham facility. The leading technical camp counselors from both Microsoft and the New England Developer Community will share their technical expertise and experiences. Each track starts with a “get the code” basics before advancing to more advanced topics.

Register early as it will fill quickly!

FYI - I plan on being there, .NET Compact Framework code in hand... :-)

Code Camp 4: Developers Gone Wild!

Don — Fri, 15 Jul 2005 16:32:00 GMT

In case you haven’t heard, Thom Robbins has announced the next Code Camp event in the Boston area, slated for the weekend of September 24th – 25. To quote Thom directly:

September 24/25, 2005

Register Today

September 24 – 8:30 AM – 9PM

September 25 – 8:30 AM – 4PM

Microsoft Waltham
201 Jones Rd.

Waltham, Ma.

Call for Speakers

Are you a developer interested in improving your .NET skills? Then this is the event to attend. Code Camp 4: Developers Gone Wild promises to be both bigger and better than anything we have done before. This free two day seminar is designed as a series of intensive code related demos and technical sessions to guide the developer to the next skill level. The continuing goal of the Code Camps is to provide an intensive developer to developer learning experience that is fun and technically stimulating. The focus is on delivering programming information and sample code that can be used immediately. All training, slides, manuals and demo code is provided free!

This two day camp is hosted in our Waltham facility. The leading technical camp counselors from both Microsoft and the New England Developer Community will share their technical expertise and experiences. This code camp is divided into three tracks – Smart Client, Web Development and Data Technologies. Each track starts with a “get the code” basics before advancing to more advanced topics.

I would especially like to encourage… no… urge… no… beg ;-) anyone who hasn’t yet presented at a Code Camp and is interested in sharing their knowledge with the rest of the community to take a look at the “Call For Speakers” information. The continued success of Code Camps comes from and relies upon community participation. Remember – Code Camps are all about being “by the community – for the community”.

.NET Speech Server Day: Video Clips Update

Don — Mon, 28 Feb 2005 17:19:00 GMT

In a previous post regarding the recent .NET Speech Server Day in Waltham, I noted that Thom Robbins had posted video clips over at his blog. I also considered myself lucky that none of those clips were of me.

Well, Thom has added more clips - and they now *do* include parts of my presentation. If you want to check them out, head over to Thom's blog. Just remember - the camera adds 10 pounds. Streaming video adds another 20... ;-)

Windows Mobile and .NET Speech Server - A Natural Match

Don — Mon, 28 Feb 2005 14:14:00 GMT

It's been less than a week since my presentation at .NET Speech Server Day here in the Boston area, but the impressions from that day are still very much in the forefront of my mind. One of the things that continues to come to mind is what a great marriage .NET Speech Server can be in a number of Windows Mobile deployments.

Over the last few years, I have had the opportunity to work with PDA deployments that have been - well, "input-hostile". In these situations, the devices were deployed for focused enterprise applications. The users of the devices were often unfamiliar with PDAs and (more importantly) stylus input. In some cases, these devices were actually the first computing platform for the users, with paper and pencil previously used for data capture. The industries I can think of included manufacturing shop floor control, inventory control and field support. In these cases, introducing the end user to a completely new and not entirely intuitive input methodology often created a number of issues. In certain cases, the application was rejected by some users as simply not being usable. Enter .NET Speech Server.

By using a speech-enabled multi-modal application using Pocket Internet Explorer, it is very possible to overcome the idiosyncrasies associated with stylus input. Speech enablement essentially -

Provides a natural method of user interaction and data acquisition;
Provides a truly "hands-free" option from a data input perspective (well, one hand will often need to be used to hold the device ;-))

There are, of course, still some limitations to this solution. It is a web-based solution, which limits it to "always-on" network connectivity and therefore does not support occasionally-connected scenarios. Even when connected, the amount of "data across the wire" in speech-enabled applications may restrict deployment in "bandwidth-challenged" environments.

The potential of extending existing enterprise applications using speech enablement is extremely exciting to me. I encourage all developers who work in environments where speech enablement might provide a distinct user input advantage to check out the technology more closely. You may be surprised, as I was when first introduced the Speech Application SDK, at how easy it is to leverage your .NET and Visual Studio experience to create these types of applications.

.NET Speech Server Day

Don — Fri, 25 Feb 2005 22:56:00 GMT

I just thought I would take a moment to thank everyone who attended by presentation during the .NET Speech Server Day in Waltham this past Wednesday. I would especially like to thank you all for -

Not falling asleep (I know that the last presenter is the toughest to stay focused on)
Not hurling any objects at me :-)

Special thanks go to Thom Robbins for giving the opportunity to speak to and meet so many of you folks.

Thom has posted up information on the Speech Server Day, as well as some video clips, on his blog. As of this writing, I am thankful that none of me have yet to appear. Be thankful for the little things, I always say...

Upcoming Speaking Engagements

Don — Mon, 17 Jan 2005 15:43:00 GMT

Just a quick summary of some upcoming events that I will be participating in -

Club Pocket PC - Boston Meeting (January 19th)
The next Club Pocket PC - Boston meeting will be held this Wednesday, January 19th starting at 6:30 PM at the Microsoft offices in Waltham, MA. I will be doing a presentation on maximizing Windows Mobile productivity, and will have an array of hardware and software to demonstrate (there is probably going to be some items you have either never heard of or seen in person). We will also have a first-hand CES wrap-up from Steve Hughes (and some associated announcements), and a Windows Mobile "Swap Meet" (a chance to sell or trade some of your "leftover" hardware and accessories). Check out the BostonPocketPC.com web site for more information.

INETA Cabana Night at Web Services Edge East (February 16th)
The next developer Cabana Night will be held as part of Web Services Edge East at the Hynes Convention Center in Boston on Wednesday, February 16th starting at 6:00 PM. Steve Hughes and I will be manning the "Mobile Development" cabana that night, and are looking for to some lively discussions around this topic. Stay tuned here for more information.

.NET Speech Server Day (February 26th)
"Got Speech? Developing Applications using Speech Server and .NET" is a day dedicated to designing, developing and deploying .NET applications leveraging the power of .NET. I will be presenting a "Top Ten Tips & Tricks" session at the end of the day. For more information and registration, check out the Microsoft Events web site.

Code Camp 3: The Madness! (March 12th and 13th)
I will be doing at least one presentation and one "chalk talk" during the next Code Camp session here in Waltham, MA on March 12th and 13th. Check out the latest list of sessions here, and sign up for this free and valuable event at the Microsoft Events web site.

Code Camp III: The Madness!

Don — Thu, 09 Dec 2004 20:28:00 GMT

Thom Robbins has officially announced the next major Code Camp event in his blog. This coming March, it's Code Camp III - The Madness!:

March 12/13, 2005

March 12 – 8:30 AM – 9PM

March 13 – 8:30 AM – 4PM

Microsoft Waltham
201 Jones Rd.

Waltham, Ma.

Are you a developer interested in improving your .NET skills? Then this is the event to attend. Code Camp III: The Madness promises to be both bigger and better than anything we have done before. This free two day seminar is designed as a series of intensive code related demos and technical sessions to guide the developer to the next skill level. The continuing goal of the Code Camps is to provide an intensive developer to developer learning experience that is fun and technically stimulating. The focus is on delivering programming information and sample code that can be used immediately. All training, slides, manuals and demo code is provided free!

This two day camp is hosted in our Waltham facility. The leading technical camp counselors from both Microsoft and the New England Developer Community will share their technical expertise and experiences. This code camp is divided into three tracks – Smart Client, Web Development and Data Technologies. Each track starts with a “get the code” basics before advancing to more advanced topics.

You can register for this event at the MS Events web site.

In a related note, Thom has also put out a Call for Speakers for the next Code Camp. If you think you might be interested in presenting on a topic, be sure to check out the information and respond soon!

And finally - Yes, I will be able to make it to this Code Camp, and I've already committed to presenting this time around to Thom... ;-)

Mini Code Camp Coming to Boston in January!

Don — Mon, 15 Nov 2004 23:28:00 GMT

OK, I've been a bit busy lately. As a result, I have been a bit remiss in not posting more frequently to the blog. I may have been gone, but I hopefully have not been forgotten. Anyone out there? ;-)

One of the items that slipped through the e-mail cracks was from our buddy Thom Robbins. Thom e-mailed to let me know that there will be a very special one-day Mini Code Camp coming up here in Boston in January. This looks very, very good -

Mini Code Camp

Special Edition – VB.NET

Registration Open

Date: Sunday January 23
Time: 8:30AM -5:00PM

Location: Microsoft New England District Office

201 Jones Road, 6th floor
Waltham Weston Corporate Center Waltham, Massachusetts 02451

Join us for a Special Edition of Code Camp presented exclusively by our own Carl Franklin. This one day Mini Code Camp is focused entirely on VB.NET. The morning starts with a review of the fundamentals and the rest of the day expands on that to build a fully functional application that you can take with you! Come and learn best practices, coding techniques, database access, object oriented techniques and more for the VB.NET developer.

As always, the Code Camp Series represents the best technical content of the local developer community. Code Camp’s are always free and guaranteed to be the most fun that you can have anywhere!

About Last Night's Boston Developer Cabana Event

Don — Thu, 07 Oct 2004 20:32:00 GMT

While I am a bit busy playing "catch-up" at the moment, I did want to let everyone that could not attend know that last night's (October 6th) Developer Cabana Event at the Microsoft offices in Waltham, MA was a wonderful event! Congratulations to both Chris Pels of the Boston .NET User Group and Thom Robbins of Microsoft for making this event a very successful reality.

The group of technology experts still has me a little "star-struck" after one day. It was both a pleasure and an honor to see and meet so many knowledgeable people.

The Mobility Room was not the most frequented of the evening, but the discussions and questions were all great. Thanks to everyone who made it out and stopped by the room. Thanks also (as always) go to Steve Hughes for serving as an Expert with me in the Mobility Room.

The Boston Developer Cabana Event will most definitely be repeated in the future. I look forward to participating once again. If you are in another part of the country, I strongly urge you to consider organizing an event of this type. The participants at our event all spoke highly of the event and felt it was well worth their time.

REMINDER: Boston Cabana Night - Wednesday, Oct. 6th

Don — Thu, 30 Sep 2004 15:37:00 GMT

Time for a friendly reminder for all the .NET developers throughout New England...

Cabana Night is scheduled for this coming Wednesday, October 6th, at the Microsoft offices in Waltham, MA.

Cabana Night is an opportunity to get any and all questions answered by a who's who of New England .NET experts in an informal discussion atmosphere. There will be six (6) discussion rooms each with a separate topic area and multiple experts. Co-host Thom Robbins our local MSFT developer evangelist will also contribute some food, drink, and great raffle prizes.

Got a question you want answered at Cabana Night? Please email it to the experts at cabana@bostondotnet.org ahead of time.

The list of experts confirmed so far includes:

Chris Bowen www.monster.com	Architecture
Carl Franklin, MSFT Regional Director www.franklins.net	Smart Client
Steve Hughes www.bostonpocketpc.com	Mobility
Robert Hurlbut www.hurlbut-consulting.com	Security
Patrick Hynds, MSFT Regional Director www.criticalsites.com/phynds	Security
Andy Kelly, MSFT MVP www.solidqualitylearning.com	Database
Duane Laflotte www.criticalsites.com/dlaflotte	Security
Jesse Liberty www.libertyassociates.com	ASP.NET
Chris Pels, MSFT MVP www.idevtech.com/blog	Architecture
Thom Robbins (MSFT) weblogs.asp.net/trobbins	All
Raheel Retiwalla (MSFT)	Database
Richard Hale Shaw, MSFT MVP www.richardhaleshawgroup.com	ASP.NET
Don Sorcinelli www.bostonpocketpc.com	Mobile
Joe Stagner (MSFT) blogs.msdn.com/JoeStagner/	All
Pat Tormey www.4square.net	Smart Client
John Watson www.etc-consultants.com	Architecture

For more information and registration, visit the Microsoft Events web site today.

See you there!

Upcoming Event Reminders

Don — Mon, 13 Sep 2004 16:43:00 GMT

Just a couple of reminders for everyone out there regarding upcoming .NET Compact Framework-related events -

The next Club Pocket PC - Boston group meeting is this Wednesday, October 15th. Thom Robbins will be doing a presentation on Windows Mobile and Web services, and I will be presenting / demonstrating a fantastic utility for Windows Mobile developers and support personnel in SOTI Pocket Controller. You can find out all of the details at BostonPocketPC.com.
Registration is still open for the Cabana Night at the Microsoft -Waltham offices on October 5th. This looks to be a lot of fun, with an incredible number of experts in each of the individual rooms. Remember - this is a "no-seminar zone" (fortunately, Chris Pels has not trademarked this phrase - yet). The discussions are more free-form, and you are encouraged to come loaded with questions and discussion points. You can find out more about the event and register at the Microsoft Events web site.

"You are an Architect"

Don — Thu, 02 Sep 2004 16:50:00 GMT

Back in the mid-1990's, I presented at a conference down in Ft. Lauderdale, FL on behalf of the ICCA (Independent Computer Consultants Association). Thanks to age, I cannot even remember what the conference was about in general, but I do remember my presentation. It was on the future roles of software developers.

I recall raising quite a few eyebrows (if not outright scaring some folks) by telling my audience that the role of the software developer as we knew it at that time was dead. That's right - dead. The reasoning was quite simple - with all of the advances in programming languages, supporting libraries for those languages and sophisticated IDEs, the time spent in “heads-down” code writing was becoming less and less. As a result, that time could be well spent by the software developer using additional skills. Many of the skills I pointed out (user requirements interviewing and gathering, application design, etc) are now commonly associated with either a Business Systems Analyst or an Architect. Of course, many of the “code slingers” in my presentation dismissed me at the time, saying that the day would never come. In a couple of specific cases, it did come for these folks, and I later I heard first-hand tales of regret about not expanding their skill set.

I had completely forgotten about all of this until the other day, when I finally got around to reading the August issue of Visual Studio Magazine (Side Note: I love the common practice of magazines to label the date of an issue three months later than when it hits the streets - “November“ issue hits in August. This way, when I finally get around to reading the issue that got to my doorstep three months ago, I can rationalize it as being the “current issue“ :-)). The “Guest Opinion” section of the issue was written by Mike Sax, who I have followed for years (beginning with the release of the Sax Controls way-back-when), and was entitled “Position Yourself Wisely”. The op-ed piece (link) talked about ways of protecting your career in these times of offshoring and downsizing. What caught my attention was the following paragraph -

It's common knowledge in marketing that if you don't position your product, others will do it for you. The same is true for your job. Do you see yourself as a programmer, a manager, a designer, or an architect? Maybe all of the above? There is only one answer to this question that will lead to long-lasting success in your career: You are an architect. Programmers can be offshored, managers can be downsized, and designers can be considered too artistic. Architects are indispensable and worth every penny.

Ironically, much like in the 90's, the software development industry (especially here in the US) is facing a situation where existing skill sets, job roles and jobs are all in flux and in jeopardy. I encourage everyone to read Mike Sax's piece, as he provides a simple yet powerful rationale for developers to expand their skill sets to include those of the architect.

Having watched a number of developers brush off the idea of change a decade ago using the “it can't happen to me” rationalization, I fear that this will happen to many yet again. As someone who has spent the better part of the last 10 years performing the role of an architect as well as a developer, I know that detailed understanding of one skill set has made me stronger in the other. Understanding the complexities of software development has made me a better Architect, and vice-versa. I really hope that those who have not begun the path towards understanding the role of the Architect heed my (and Mike Sax's) words, and avoid being on the proverbial “outside looking in”. You are an Architect - you should do everything in your power to reinforce that statement.

Developer Cabana Night In Waltham (October 6th) Is Shaping Up Quite Nicely

Don — Tue, 31 Aug 2004 18:43:00 GMT

In his lastest weblog post, Thom Robbins has posted a list of just some of the people who will be present at the upcoming Developer Cabana Night at the Microsoft - Waltham offices on October 6th from 6:00 to 10:00 PM.

The list includes -

Chris Bowen	www.monster.com
Carl Franklin	www.franklins.net
Robert Hurlbut	www.hurlbut-consulting.com
Patrick Hynds	www.criticalsites.com
Duane Laflotte	www.criticalsites.com
Jesse Liberty	www.libertyassociates.com
Chris Pels	www.idevtech.com
Richard Hale Shaw	www.richardhaleshawgroup.com
Don Sorcinelli	www.bostonpocketpc.com
Pat Tormey	www.4square.net

Yes, that's my name you see there. It should be in very small font type, espcially when compared to the people it is listed with ;-)

I will be leading the discussions in the “Mobile Application Development” room that evening. Remember - this is a “NO SEMINAR ZONE”, so there will be no canned Powerpoint presentations.

If you have not yet registered for the Developer Cabana Night, you can do so at the Microsoft Events web site. In addition, if you have a question you would like to pose to the “experts” in advance of the event, you can do so by sending the question to cabana@bostondotnet.org.

I look forward to see you there!

Code Camp II Back In Boston This October

Don — Tue, 31 Aug 2004 16:01:00 GMT

For those who are unaware, Code Camp is a free one-weekend intensive training session sponsored and hosted by the Microsoft - Waltham offices. For one weekend (Saturday and Sunday, so you don't have to be out of the offices), Code Camp provides track-oriented sessions that are really code-intensive and beneficial.

The first Code Camp in Boston earlier this year was a great success. So successful, in fact, that the sequal (Code Camp II) has been scheduled for the weekend of October 16th and 17th! Thom Robbins has posted more information on all of this in his .NET weblog. This page provides links to the current (and ever-growing) list of speakers and sessions, as well as the registration page for the event.

I was looking forward to presenting on Windows Mobile topics under the "Smart Client" track at this Code Camp. Unfortunately, I found out yesterday that the closing date my family's first home purchase (time to grow up, I guess) will be on October 15th. Rather than being the first man to be thrown out of his home before he even officially owns it, I have had to back out of the event. While this is disappointing personally, I know that the event will be a huge success for all of the lucky participants and presenters.

Speaking of presenters - if you are interested in presenting one or more sessions at this upcoming Code Camp, I encourage you to read Thom's post on his "Call For Speakers" and take advantage of the opportunity. I have told Thom that I would gladly offer my support and assistance to any Windows Mobile-oriented presenter; while I cannot be there in body, I can in spirit :-)

Developer Cabana Event in Boston October 6th

Don — Tue, 31 Aug 2004 15:52:00 GMT

OK - I promise - there will be NO Barry Manilow music playing at this event... ;-)

ca·ban·a also ca·ba·ña

- A shelter on a beach or at a swimming pool used as a bathhouse.

- A cabin or hut.

- A place to talk technology

- A place to give and get expert advice

- A community based project

Cabanas were a hit at TechEd 2004 and now they’re coming to Boston! That’s right, community based technical discussions with experts. Bring you questions, your expertise, and even code on a laptop. Every question is fair game. The cabana is the place to have discussions with experts and other developers on .NET topics of your choice. One-on-one, in a small group or whatever. No pre-canned demos or slide shows allowed. The Boston Cabana is a quarterly event not to be missed. Got a question? Got a problem? Got an idea? This is the place. Stayed tuned for the list of peers and experts that are planning on attending!

I can tell you at this point that one of the many "cabana rooms" set up for this event will be focused on mobility, and I will definitely be there.

You can register online for this event at the Microsoft Events web site.