Sorry for the lack of recent updates on this blog.

As the Australian Academic year came to an end last November 2009, all 3 of your UWA MSPs have actually graduated!

Today is actually my first day in the office at Microsoft in Redmond, Washington as a Software Design Engineer (SDE)  working on Visual Studio Team System.

I wanted to say thanks, it’s been a great 2 years.

My How to get a Winter Internship has by far been the most popular post accounting for about 5% of all traffic to this blog ever.

New UWA MSPs should continue along with the other WA MSPs with this blog in the coming 2010 year and beyond.

Thanks again,

Luke
Former-UWA MSP, now Microsoft SDE

It starts by simply sending in your Resume. Applications close by Feb 15th.

For more information please checkout this Word doc Intl MS Posting OZ

Luke

We are now accepting applications for Microsoft Student Partners for 2010.

More info on the program can be found at http://www.student-partners.com/ along with the application form (Click Apply on the front page).

The program is an awesome learning experience where you get to network with heaps of other great students and industry leaders to share your love of technology.

We are really looking to expand the number of MSPs out there so if you have a love of technology, and love to share it, go to the website and apply now!

If you’re not convinced, check out what the Chicago Tribunal has to say.

In other news, the Playstation is often touted as a great parallel-processing research tool, but researchers are now saying the same of the Xbox 360.

Lisa from Microsoft will be presenting at 2 events at UWA on the 27th August.

The first event is for ENGINERING AND COMPUTER SCIENCE students and the second is for BUSINESS students.

Meet the Company!

Fulltime and Intern

Software Development

27^th August

5pm

CSSE 1.24

People here love their work because they get to think big and dream big. Right now we’re looking for the next generation of Microsoft innovators. If you have talent and a passion for technology, this could be your big moment. 

Come find out more about our fulltime and internship opportunities technical opportunities in the United States!

Bring your résumé for a chance to win

Tons of great Microsoft

Prizes will be raffled and

FREE FOOD will be provided!

Questions? Contact uwa@student-partners.com.au

Meet the Company!

Fulltime and Intern

Marketing, Sales and Services

IN AUSTRALIA!!!

27^th August

4:00pm

CSSE 1.24

People here love their work because they get to think big and dream big. Right now we’re looking for the next generation of Microsoft innovators. If you have talent and a passion for technology, this could be your big moment. 

Come find out more about our fulltime and internship business opportunities in Australia.

Bring your résumé for a chance to win

Tons of great Microsoft

Prizes will be raffled and

FREE FOOD will be provided!

Questions?  Contact uwa@student-partners.com.au

Background

First, a quick bit of background to let you know where I’m coming from. I’m a self-taught C# and .NET programmer – so this is the first book I’ve read on the subject. I wasn’t expecting to learn much about C# itself in the book, more the technologies that were added in .NET 3.5 (LINQ, extension functions, etc). Luckily, I was pleasantly surprised.

Look and Feel

Overall, the book reads like a technical manual. Marshall writes in a very dry fashion, and it’s not the type of book you would read from end-to-end for the sake of reading a book. The use of code samples and real life examples help solidify lessons are fantastic to understand the technical jargon used. All of the paragraphs are kept short and concise are often intermingled with MSDN style documentation and examples.

Typically, the learning curve in each chapter is quite sharp, starting with basic knowledge about the subject and rapidly accelerating to the newer and complex features that .NET 3.5 introduces. The chapters are very content heavy, but this load is lightened by attempting to replicate the examples are trying out new knowledge in Visual Studio while reading. Mixing reading with coding is probably the best way to maximise the learning from this book.

Target Audience

Marshall requests a basic knowledge of programming and Object Orientated concepts. I would also add that a basic knowledge of C#, .NET and Visual Studio are highly recommended. This book is by no means a ‘C# for Dummies’ style guide. The book is more angled towards .NET 2.0 programmers looking to upgrade, Java (or other OO) programmers looking to switch languages or a Computer Science student who wishes to learn .NET.

Content

To say the least, this book is fantastic. Marshall demonstrates her mastery of .NET in the deep level of knowledge presented in this book. There were a great number of things that I learnt for the first time while reading this book, even basic concepts of C# (did you know that C# has a ?? operator?). The topics presented spread from basic Visual Studio usage to LINQ, delegates and the operations of the .NET Garbage Collector.

I’ve learnt a massive amount from this book, and am much more confident in using some of the new features in .NET 3.5 such as Lambda functions and LINQ. The book also contained quite a lot that I would have never learnt from my self-learning such as the internal workings of the Garbage Collector and using some advanced debugging and profiling tools.

Conclusion

Reading this book was beyond valuable for me. I have improved my coding techniques and now understand other coding examples much easier. I would highly recommend this book to anyone with some experience with Object Orientated languages and techniques who wishes to start coding in C# .NET 3.5.

More info and books at http://www.mspress.com.au/ 

- Daniel Paoliello
Curtin MSP

In other Microsoft gaming news, have you seen Project Natal yet?

Just a reminder that the IEEE Networking Forum is coming up on Thursday 30th July 2009.

In this economy, you want to give yourself the maximum exposure to recruiting companies as possible. The IEEE Networking Forum gives you a chance to talk to future employers and also get valuable information.

Students from all four major universities in Perth will be attending.

Head to http://www.ieeenetworkingforum.org for more info.

Something useful to all students…  $10,000.

Microsoft is running a treasure hunt, where you download IE8, look out for clues on Twitter to find $10,000 on the Net.

As posted often on WA MSP, Microsoft Internships are an awesome way to get a headstart in your career, while learning a bunch and having heaps of fun.

A Real World Experience like No Other.  As an intern at Microsoft, you’ll have real responsibility, real work, and real opportunities to jumpstart your career. (You’ll get paid, too!) It’s an experience you’ll never find in a classroom. You’ll be given manageable assignments that you can complete while you’re here, and your efforts will likely take shape in Microsoft products—or be used by Microsoft teams—long after you return to school. And imagine millions of customers, not to mention your classmates, seeing your work! Some interns even parlay their experience into a job offer.

An Opportunity to Shine. Our interns make a real difference. Not by filing paperwork or running errands, but by developing real products. Here, you’ll run your own projects and put your skills to work. This is why our internship program is one of the most successful in the industry. You’ll learn more in 12 weeks than you would in a whole school year. It’s the kind of work that gets noticed by millions of people all over the world. Kind of redefines the whole concept of internships, don’t you think?

More information and full details can be downloaded at AU Internship 2009

If interested, please send your resume by July 22 to: ausrec@microsoft.com

For a heads up on the Internship process you may also like to read my earlier post at http://www.wamsp.com.au/2008/09/how-to-get-a-microsoft-winter-internship-for-australian-students/

Check out the Press Release and stay tuned for information on a Windows 7 countdown timer…

Enter Bing – the new search engine from Microsoft which has now replaced live.com as the default for searching. Sporting not only a new interface and a catchy name (which Microsoft are hoping will become a verb) Bing will help you search the web smarter – allowing you to drill down to the information that you need as quickly as possible. Even though it’s only been around for a number of days it’s already garnered interesting support from the press – and surprisingly positive support from the likes of Steve Wozniak (Apple co-founder).

Can the good roll continue? We can only hope so!

We have posted often about Microsoft’s It’s Not Piracy offer for students, allowing us to get a completely full, legit copy of Office 2007 Ultimate for $75.00.

Making it an even better deal, when you purchase Office for $75 you go into the draw to win $5,000!

The competition ends June 30th, 2009 so get your copy of Office now to go into the draw!

Luke
Aussie MSP Lead
The University of Western Australia

4-5 pm Thursday May 14th

Weatherburn Lecture Theatre, UWA

Reservations are not required, we have plenty of seats for everybody. Be sure to come along, the event only goes for an hour, but could see you on your way to Seattle at the end of 2009, or in Egypt for the Imagine Cup Finals; the possibilities really are endless. We will also have prizes and drinks, for you lovers of free stuff.

See you there!

Question: Do you know what IDE stands for?
Question: Do you know what languages Visual Studio can use?
Question: Do you like free pizza?

If you answered yes to the last question, then this event is for you!

The Curtin MSP’s will be demoing off Visual Studio – showcasing its ability as an IDE and why it has become industry standard.

So, even if you think you already know everything there is to know about Visual Studio and IDE’s, come along anyway – there will be heaps of giveaways and FREE PIZZA.

For more information, either click the poster (left) or visit http://curtinvs.eventbrite.com/

- Daniel
Curtin MSP

The Power of Students to Change the World

Posted by Anthony Salcito
General Manager, U.S. Education

This week I traveled to Cambridge, Mass. for the U.S. finals of the Imagine Cup, a student competition sponsored by Microsoft that encourages students to apply  technology in creative ways to tackle real-world problems. This year’s competition specifically challenged students to use technology to achieve the U.N.’s Millennium Development Goals, which include fighting hunger and poverty, eradicating AIDS, improving education and advancing environmental sustainability.

The winners were announced today, and Team MultiPoint Web took the top software prize. Jimmy, Mark and Luke Dickinson, three brothers from Oregon currently attending Georgia State University, Portland Community College and Tigard High School, respectively, developed an innovative application that helps advance the goal of universal primary education. The brothers built upon existing education programs to create a set of low- to no-cost, Web-based learning applications that allow multiple students to simultaneously use a single computer. Such an innovation can help cash-strapped schools get the most out of their computer hardware and software investments.

Team MangoBunnies, the first all-women team to reach the U.S. finals in the seven-year history of the U.S. Imagine Cup, was named first-runner-up for their invention of computer-assisted medication regimen adherence (CAMRA) application, which supports HIV and AIDS patients by providing medication reminders to their personal mobile devices. The second-runner-up was Team Special Child from the University of Arkansas Little Rock, for their application which seeks to streamline the adoption process and increase the number of children placed into adoptive families each year.

For me, one of the most compelling aspects of the Imagine Cup is that it sets lofty goals for the students that participate. I have learned that when you raise expectations for students and bet on their ability to meet a challenge, most of the time they will achieve it.

The growth of the program shows that students really respond to the challenges posed by the Imagine Cup. In 2003, we had roughly 1,000 competitors from 11 countries (our first winner now has his own company with 27 employees). This year, the Imagine Cup has attracted over 300,000 students from more than 100 countries.

Now more than ever, encouraging interest in computer science in our young people is critical. Our goal with Imagine Cup is to help inspire the next generation of technology and business leaders to drive innovation and job creation in the United States and around the world. Now, schools and educators need to continue to fuel this innovation by investing in computer science and technology education, and our children. 

For more information about Microsoft’s education efforts please visit my blog.

http://microsoftontheissues.com/cs/blogs/mscorp/archive/2009/05/05/the-power-of-students-to-change-the-world.aspx

As a quick recap, these are the betas\CTP’s that are making news:

• Windows 7 RC
• Server 2008 R2 RC (<- Site is up, and linked to form the Server 2008 home page, but no download likely until tomorrow)
• Exchange 2010 Beta
• Visual Studio 2010\.NET 4 CTP
• Windows Azure
• Live Mesh Beta
• Office 2010 (No beta\CTP available yet…)

So, the question you probably asking is "Why should I care? Why should I spend my time looking at this stuff when it isn’t even finished yet?". The answer to that is simple…

Consider: most of the people reading this blog are students interested in technology and, most likely, Microsoft technology. Most of the betas above are likely to be ready, deployed and industry standard by mid to late 2010. By which time you should have either graduated or be close to it. This means that you’re going to be looking for a job that involves the final versions of there products (on that note, open Microsoft Students to Business in a new tab and register after reading the rest of this blog). At the point where you are in the interview where your potential employer asks "How much do you know about Program X Version Y" how much better will it appear when you can honestly say that you have not only been using "Program X" but you have been running "Program X Version Y Beta" for the last few years and helped submit a number of bugs which were then fixed. Not only does it show that you have a few years experience with the program, but also the fact that you participated in a beta program indicates that you enjoy learning and experimenting and that you aren’t afraid to do some testing and go the extra mile.

Other than that, there is nothing more enjoyable then playing with (and breaking) pre-release software…

- Daniel
Curtin MSP

Either way, take some time to check out http://talkingaboutwindows.com/ – here you’ll find videos portraying all aspects of the Windows 7 development and the Industry’s response to it. Not only this, but below each video is a comment section where, unlike watching the same video on YouTube, you are likely to get a response from Microsoft.

(As a side note, its also a pretty cool demonstration of the power of Silverlight)

- Daniel
Curtin MSP

Got a large inbox? Lots of emails clogging up the system? Grab the February Cumulative Update which includes massive speed improvements for people with large PSTs. You can either grab it today via the link below or wait for Office 2007 SP2  (which should be coming next week, April 28th):

The Update
FAQ About the Update from the Outlook Team

Channel10 is reporting:

An internally used tool at Microsoft called the Microsoft Outlook Thread Compressor has by finally made available to the general public by its creator, Ewan Dalton. The Thread Compressor (or “TC” for short) is an add-in for Outlook 2000/XP/2003/2007 which removes unnecessary emails from your inbox. The tool basically looks at the body of your email and removes those that have redundant data. This is most useful when you’re dealing with a long chain of emails and replies – such as those found in discussion lists. You see, in those cases, the person replying often leaves the body of the email to which they’re replying intact. Since each new email on the thread includes the entire conversation history, there’s no need to have every individual email saved. And by deleting the ones you don’t need, you can save a ton of space in your inbox and archives.

Since the tool was originally built back in 1999, it may look a little…uhhh…retro by modern standards, but don’t let the appearance fool you – this may easily be the most useful Outlook plugin you’ve installed in a long time.

Of course, anyone choosing to use the tool must do so at their own risk because – be warned! – it does delete email. That’s its purpose. For that reason alone, the legal department at Microsoft was hesitant about it being released to the public.

Note that Microsoft does not support the tool nor can they be held responsible for what it does.

That said, you can get the Microsoft Outlook Thread Compressor for free from here: http://threadcompressor.co.uk/default.aspx. You’ll find installation instructions and more information on that site, too.

Luke
Aussie MSP Lead
The University of Western Australia