Hi,

I'm just testing out Windows Live Writer. A completely new tool by Microsoft, still in Beta but it works already great with dasBlog. You can also extend it with extra plugins ⁽¹⁾. It still lacks some extra's but I already like the nice integration with dasBlog. Even the Categories are available.

Update: There are already some nice plugins available on CodePlex: Window Live Writer Plugins, Flickr4Writer and Tag4Writer.
Update 2: It seems another VISUG member also has created a plugin for Live Writer: SyntaxColor4Writer.

Grz, Kris.

(1): windows live writer plugins: flickr and tagging and Write a Windows Live Writer plugin using C#.

Just installed the Beta version of Windows Media Player 11. The new and upcoming version. I like it a lot until now, especially the new button style of Vista. I could only wish that Microsoft decided to have the same kind of buttons in the default, so no Glass or Aero, mode of Windows Vista as well.

Grz, Kris.

I got contacted recently by Scott Hanselman, to ask if they could reproduce my recent article on creating custom macros for dasBlog. I agreed and so here it is: http://dasblog.info/2006/08/10/Creating+Custom+Macros+For+DasBlog+.aspx.

Grz, Kris.

Because developing with the .NET framework gives you the freedom to use multiple languages it can be a bit of a hassle to choose between them. VB.NET and C# are probably the most wide spread languages and a question that gets asked regularly on the ASP.NET forums is which one to choose. My answer: learn one of them and when you're familiar with one learn the other. My former company used VB.NET as their default language. In my free time I learned C# though so I became familiar with both. The hardest part isn't actually learning another "dialect" language but learning which classes and namespaces there are available to you is.

Well in aid of those who like to know both languages I found a couple of comparison cheat sheets:

• VB.NET and C# Comparison
• C# and VB.NET Comparison Cheat sheet

And of course some conversion tools:

• C# to VB.NET convertor
• VB.NET to C# convertor

Grz, Kris.

Sometimes you can still get amazed by new programs although we're used of seeing a lot of wow applications already. Microsoft research lab recently introduced a new product of theirs: Photosynth. In this case seeing is believing so here goes:

• On Channel 9: PhotoSynth: What. How. Why.
• On 10: A global 3D world on your PC....from Microsofts LiveLabs with Photosynth!

Grz, Kris.

I got these via Tom Mertens' blog:

• Introducing Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF), CardSpaces (previously InfoCard) and Windows Communication Foundation (WCF)
• Introducing Windows Workflow Foundation (WF)

Grz, Kris.

Learning new technologies is always some part fun, some excitement but also can cause some frustration when something doesn't work like you would expect it. For the first part there are a huge amount of books available but Microsoft is also being busy creating videos for their ASP.NET technology and since recently also for the upcoming Atlas technology. You can find the videos here.

Of course, when things get frustrating and need help you can always visit the ASP.NET forums.

Grz, Kris.

Just found this on Tom Archer's blog. At the moment it can be quite confusing to keep up with all the CTP's, releases and which month's version should I use? Well, this blog entry tries to make it clearer: Determining Which Build of Windows Vista and .NET 3.0 Development Tools is Right for You.

Grz, Kris.

Just to good to let it go: Boten Anna. Check out the subtitles of the song...

Grz, Kris.