Loads and loads of things happened this week at PDC. I'll try to blog a bit more about what I personally saw and I liked, but one thing has been brought to my attention that I'd like to share with the 8 or 9 of you that follow me.

We made Visual Studio 2010 and the .NET Framework v4.0 available at PDC 2008 this past week. In addition to making it available to attendees, a VPC is also available; download it here (as of this writing, the download is currently unavailable and will be restored soon).

The quick note part of this very short blog entry is that when you use the VPC you will encounter some software activation messages. You should largely be able to ignore the messages and still be able to use the VPC. If you'd like to read more about the activation messages, Brian Keller wrote a post on dealing with the activation messages, which is how I became aware of them.

Updated November 3, 2008 — Use RSVP code MDCEXTB when registering for the conference.

Here I sit on a Sunday evening, delaying packing for PDC2008 (if you're there, see you in LA!) and scouring through my email backlog, when I noticed that we've finally gone live with the MSDN Developer Conference. The site is up, the agenda is listed, and registration is live (register with RSVP code MDCEXTB)!

The Sovereign Republic of Texas
First up, in Central Region's own backyard, is Houston, TX on Tuesday, December 9th at the Westin Galleria Houston. If you couldn't make it to PDC, be sure to attend the MDC near _your_ backyard. Featured topics include:

• Experience Microsoft's Cloud Computing Platform — Create applications that seamlessly bridge the gaps between PC, Web, and phone
• Be among the first to see Windows 7 — See the latest advances in Multi-Touch Application Development
• Take your .NET skills to the next level — See sessions on WPF 4.0, Silverlight 2, ASP.NET 4.0, Parallel Programming, Live Mesh and more

The Rest of the Central Region Schedule
Following Houston in early 2009 we're hosting events in the following cities:

• Chicago, IL — January 13, 2009, Hyatt Regency Chicago
• Minneapolis, MN — January 13, 2009, Hilton Minneapolis
• Detroit, MI — January 22, 2009, Marriott Renaissance 
• Dallas, TX — January 26, 2009, Westin Galleria Dallas

Join Us!
So, head over to the MSDN Developer Conference site, take a look around, and if you'd like to hear more about Cloud Computing, Windows 7, the future of Visual Studio, and much more, register and join us.

It's time once again to announce our upcoming list of events for MSDN Events, MSDN Unleashed and ArcReady events. You can find registration information on my events page — and as an added bonus, I've listed the schedule below as well.

MSDN Unleashed
Join us at our MSDN Unleashed events for the latest tips, tools and technical information you need to build powerful applications and engaging user experiences. We'll show you how SQL Server 2008 delivers new development capabilities, including support for Spatial Data types, a fresh storage mechanism and more. You'll also learn how to leverage the Silverlight platform to build next generation applications for consumers and business. Don't miss these free, live sessions near you.

What's New in SQL Server 2008 for Developers
SQL Server 2008 adds numerous new capabilities for developers — from support for Spatial Data types to a storage mechanism for SQL BLOB data using the NTFS file system, and much, much more. The new release also delivers several improvements to development-related areas, from T-SQL to SQLCLR to XML. This presentation will provide a technical dive into the latest and greatest features you'll find in SQL Server 2008, while offering insight into how effectively apply them to your upcoming development projects.
 
Build next generation applications with Silverlight 2.0
Silverlight provides a powerful platform for building the next generation of rich interactive applications on the Internet. In this session, we'll take a look at the programming model and tools that developers and designers can leverage to build these true next generation experiences for consumers and businesses, and demonstrate how to build a rich interactive application (RIA) using Silverlight and Microsoft.NET. We'll explore how to use Microsoft Visual Studio to create applications, and how to create UI using XAML markup and code, controls, and File I/O. We'll also discuss networking, how to retrieve data from a Web service, and various other aspects of building Silverlight applications.

ArcReady — Professional Patterns on the Job
You're smart. You deliver. What more could your company want from you? Why don’t they come to you for the big technical decisions? Why won’t they listen to your proposals? It seems like everyone has an agenda and they’re doing everything they can to kill your great ideas.

Join us this quarter as we focus on the soft skills that architects need to master. Learning these skills will boost your emotional intelligence and help you become a more professional, well rounded contributor. You’ll gain insight into the architect’s role as leader, influencer, and business professional and learn how to leverage your position to become a positive force within your organization.

Mastering the Soft Skills
In this session, we’ll discuss key interpersonal skills and how they can affect your projects and career. We cover how to positively connect with humans, how to participate in and influence the business processes you support, and how to transcend your technical role and maximize your connections with all members of your organization.

Organizational Dynamics
This session examines the dynamic nature of large organizations — their structures, decision making processes, and political landscapes. We’ll discuss the goals of key business and technical decision makers and their influence on architects and software projects. We’ll conclude with some strategies for maximizing the soft skills from Session 1 to ensure successful outcomes for your projects and career.

Upcoming Event Schedule
Here's the quick summary of events happening in a city near you. Registration links are listed on my event site. (And for an explanation of the Heartland, Midwest and other terms, check out my glossary.)

I had the good fortune to be able to attend the inaugural Iowa Code Camp earlier this year and I am excited to  report the good folks from the Iowa .NET and Cedar Rapids INETA user groups have banded together once again to bring the developers of Iowa an amazing, community-driven conference-style experience.

This year the event moves from Cedar Rapids (where I used to live in the mid-1990s when I consulted at MCI) to Des Moines (where I lived, fresh out of college, when I worked for the Principle Financial Group). And if the success from the first event is any indication, this event will surely be a treat, featuring 20 sessions with some of the area's best presenters. Topic span enterprise themes like SharePoint and continuous integration to fun topics like XNA and high performance computing.

Although I won't be able to make it (too many trips this October), I assure you the event this past spring was amazing. I have no doubt this event will be just as amazing. And since they don't charge, you should definitely go and check it out.

Event Details

• Saturday, November 8, 2008, 8:00am to 5:00pm
• No cost for attendees
• DMACC West, West Des Moines, IA