Podcast dialogs

Microsoft today announced it has acquired Teleo Inc., a provider of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) software and services that enable people to place phone calls from PCs to traditional phones while delivering this technology in unique ways through a variety of software and Web applications. Combining the technology and expertise of Teleo with Microsoft’s existing VoIP investments in MSN is expected to help advance efforts to connect people to the information and people that matter to them ultimately enhancing the integration of rich voice capabilities throughout MSN communication and information services, including MSN Messenger.

What is Teleo?

Founded in 2003, Teleo’s initial beta offering, also called Teleo, allowed customers to use their PC to make VoIP calls to cell phones, regular phone or PCs. Through its integration with Microsoft Outlook and Internet Explorer, the Teleo service also facilitated “click to call” dialling of any telephone number that appears on screen – such as within a Web site, search results or e-mail.

What has happened to the Teleo beta?

Teleo has discontinued its beta offer. If you were a Teleo beta customer and have questions relating to your account please click here

The technology is now generally available to begin having podcast dialogs. Telco, Skype, Google Talk, Yahoo, GizmoProject and StanaPhone all offer free VoIP via your computer, so I can now create an audio podcast and anyone can respond by leaving a voice message. The power of blogging is to enable a conversation via comments and trackbacks and now we can do this as we engage in audio dialogs.

Shelter from the Storm

We have witnessed an unfathomable catastrophe with over a million Americans now Homeless.

New Orleans is underwater, Mississippi has been torn asunder. Rescue efforts continue, the flood waters will receded and the clean-up will follow. People need shelter, insurance and federal assistance will help many, but a major effort to tap the generosity of the American people will be necessary.

In most of the devastated areas there is no electrical power, no telephones and the Cell towers are down. Fresh clean water and food are the basic necessities that the Charities and Federal authorities will deliver, but all of us need to help our people rebuild. It is my hope that the Technology Companies will take the lead, we’re well connected by networks and blogs, let’s put them to good use.

Habitat for Humanity is a good option: Help Hurricane Victims Rebuild Their Lives

The American Red Cross knows how to help people in need.    KatrinaSafe.com

Building a Better Community  The Baton Rouge Area Foundation has established two funds designated to benefit those impacted by Hurricane Katrina.

CodeGallery

CodeGallery is a site where you and other developers, IT professionals, and Microsoft employees can share, find, download, evaluate and discuss evolving .NET applications, uncompiled code, ideas, and technical documents.
Browse Directory >>
Learn more >>

CodeGallery is here

Each CodeGallery project is a “micro-community” on GotDotNet that is focused on collaborative feedback and code, documentation and idea sharing.

Thanks to the efforts of the new GotDotNet Team, they have improved the bandwith and response time of the site and are now expanding it as a resourse for developers utilizing Microsoft technologies.

Betsy Aoki, James Newkirk, Sandy Khaund, Doug Seven
Meet them live and in person in the community area at the PDC! 

Show off at PDC

"Why demo your cool application to a few friends, when you can Show Off to thousands of your peers at the PDC?"

 

At this year’s PDC, we’ll be hosting our first-ever Show Off event. What the heck is Show Off, you ask? Well, Show Off is an evening event held at the PDC where you can show off your application, tip, tool, technique, animation, or anything cool that can help or inspire other developers. We’re asking you to submit a short video demonstrating what you want to show off. You can read this blog post for more information.

Even if you don’t have anything to submit, we’d love all PDC attendees to come to the Show Off event to cheer on their fellow developers in recognition of their great work. This event is by developers for developers, or to use the correct marketing lingo: Developer Powered!

We want to keep it simple, so here are the guidelines:

• You and/or your team put together a single WMV file that shows off something cool about your application, tool, technique (or whatever).
• This is a Microsoft developer conference, so make sure that it uses at least some of our technology.
• Videos are limited to 5 minutes and should not include credits. We’ll add credits to the beginning of each video.
• If you want to use a screen capture application like Camtasia Studio, HyperCam, or Windows Media Encoder, go for it! We’ll be showing these on a big screen, so please be sure to record at high quality.
• Be creative. Show something cool that would excite your peers.
• No crude language, nudity, or commercials.
• To submit your video, host the WMV file in a private, but internet-reachable location (FTP/HTTP/etc.). Then, when you fill out the submission e-mail, let us know where it is, and we'll collect it for consideration. Do not post its location publicly.
• We reserve the right to pick which videos we show at the PDC for completely arbitrary and geeky reasons.
• After the Show Off event at the PDC, you give us permission to post your video on Channel 9 for the whole world to see.
• All submissions must be made no later than Thursday, September 8th, at 5:00pm Pacific time.

If you’d like to submit a video for consideration, click the link at the bottom of this post and send us an e-mail that includes all of the following information (you might want to copy & paste this list to make it easier):

• Names of people who should receive credit
• Name of your organization (if any)
• Contact information (e-mail, URL, etc.)
• Title of the video

WinFS Beta

WinFS Beta 1 is posted! Ok, maybe a little early though.

Beta 1 of WinFS, the next generation relational file system for Windows has been posted up on the MSDN site. 

I thought we would see this release at the PDC, but here it is two weeks early.

There is also a new WinFS Blog available up on MSDN for you to learn more WinFS

Also keep an eye on Channel9, the Scobleizer say's there is a video with the WinFS Team going live soon!  Tags: WinFS

New Orleans

Do you know what it means to miss New Orleans
And miss it each night and day
I know I’m not wrong... this feeling’s gettin’ stronger
The longer, I stay away
Miss them moss covered vines...the tall sugar pines
Where mockin’ birds used to sing
And I’d like to see that lazy mississippi...hurryin’ into spring

The moonlight on the bayou.......a creole tune.... that fills the air
I dream... about magnolias in bloom......and I’m wishin’ I was there

Do you know what it means to miss New Orleans
When that’s where you left your heart
And there’s one thing more...I miss the one I care for
More than I miss New Orleans

Words, music and sentiment by Louis Armstrong and I know what he means having lived there for four incredible years. We all understood the risks and dangers of living 12 feet below sea level so near the sea between the mighty Mississippi and Lake Pontratrain, but we partied-on dancing to da-music yea ya right...and I hope to be back again soon.   KatrinaSafe.com

3D UI

Hitchiker's Guide to Avalon

By Frank

MSDN has just posted “A Hitchhiker's Guide to the Windows Presentation Foundation Beta 1 Release” for those curious about the technology formerly known as Avalon.

Have you had a look at the Windows Vista Developers Center?

The Avalon Team Introduces 3-D Features 

Channel9 refresh

The interactive, informative and fun MSDN site Channel9 had a refresh last night so as soon as you can go have a look. Welcome to our new design.

If you have never been over to Channel9 what are you waiting for? Lots of great preview videos are posted now about the exciting upcoming PDC, so check them out!

Windows CE Tablet

Just over a month ago at the C3 conference in NYC I got a look at a fantastic computing device, a small light Windows CE Tablet PC,  Panel-i® 6. It was manufactured by NEC and demonstrated at their booth, but they explained to me that it would not be available for retail sales as it was being sold as part of software solution: e-demand

The beauty of this device went beyond the look and feel, it had no moving parts, a Flash Drive replaced the Hard Drive and Wi-Fi was the central component of this networked device.

Tadao Kondo, CEO of NEC gave the Keynote at C3 and afterwards I approached his PR staff and asked for and was granted an interview. We had a great chat, talking about baseball and Mainframes, his Keynote had been about how NEC’s Mainframes benefit mankind. A Mainframe today is nothing more then a conglomerated PC and I did ask him if Grid computing would untimely replace the Mainframe, he didn’t think so.

With Yuji Ichimura, NEC’s VP of Marketing sitting in on the conversation I had to ask about the Windows CE Tablet. I told them how much I liked this device and would love to own one. How much would you pay for such a device, Yuji asked, $600. Ha-ha, we get very much more from our business customers when they buy the complete solution. Manager Dashboard

If they would mass produce this device they surely would sell a bunch, but to them it’s all about selling the solution. Then he asked me who I wrote for, I told him about my software development blog, Tadao looked puzzled and repeated the word blog several times till I said don’t you know Robert Scoble? Again I got that puzzled look from both Tadao and Yuji, till the PR person informed them that the Scobleizer had been a NEC employee, but that was a long time ago and that’s all were going to say. So everybody stands up and bows.... in honor of the blogs.

Tablet or not?

At WinHEC I met some people on the Tablet PC Team and I enquired about acquiring Tablet PC’s without the Windows XP Tablet Edition OS installed, because those of us with MSDN subscriptions already have it and with a discounted price more developers could afford a Tablet PC. I was told the cost of the OS was minimal and to forget about it.

So now Fujitsu has come out with a value priced Tablet, how did they keep the price as low as $1,499? It has Windows XP installed and not Windows XP Tablet PC Edition, so is it a Tablet PC or not?

NY SQL UG Meeting

NY Metro SQL Server Users Group Meeting Tonight<