Well I am back from TechEd and just turned on the computer again and though someone might want to see what I did there. The first thing you can do is go to the web site that I supported at www.mymsevents.com net check out the www.techedbloggers.net for other peoples take on the show. Then see these photos (taken with the Hitachi's G1000 Pocket PC Phone Edition that I used at the event)

This is the CommNet area that we did the software support of.

The CommNet help desk that we manned.

This event went well except we did not get to deploy the Pocket PC applications as we had hoped to but they will be back at the next event we do, I think that will be PDC.

I of the guys I work with pointed out that on www.gotdotnet.com there was a newly released set of PowerToys for Visual Studio .NET 2003 this is a cool set of tools that any one will want. Take a look!

Well for the last few days I have been using Avant Browser add-on to IE that makes IE a fully MID application. It as been invaluable this week with me supporting a local web site and a production site. I could manage my different browser windows much easier then just IE it is way to cool to try to describe just go check it out. www.avantbrowser.com

For a number of reasons we are not going to bring any Pocket PC applications on line. This bums me out to no end me and the group that worked on this busted A@@ to get the app done and deployed but it's just to late. We should have the apps up and running at PDC and I am sure we will be back next year with some cool apps.

I hate to point out how much of a geek I am but last night sitting in the hotel bar with no network connection I discovered that to do any PPC emulator debugging or communication that you need a network connection. So I needed the Microsoft Loopback adapter in order to be able to work off line. See the MSDN article Using the Emulator in Smart Device Projects for more information.

We created a set of PPC apps to use here at TechEd but we delayed rolling them out until we had some issues with the SQL Server dealt with. So tonight and tomorrow I will be helping anyone who wants to run the PPC apps that were demo'd at the first keynote. Lets hope all goes well, the only issue I think we will have is the load on our local SQL box it's just not a powerful box. Come back to see or come to the CommNet help desk and ask for Woody and we will get you setup.

Hi all I am working this week at TechEd in Dallas helping to setup and run CommNet the MyMsEvents.com website. That is the web site that lets attendees setup a calendar and lets the managers of the event do session management we also do the on site server setup and maintenance and kiosk software installation. This is an incredible thing we basically setup a large corporate intranet and rip it down in a two week period.

I have had some good lessens learned:

For SQL Server replication... Make sure the two SQL Serves are at the same sp level

Test for curricular references in triggers

Get more sleep!

I got back from a trip to a new customer in Cincinnati wow I now understand that high speed connectivity has a long way to go! I was staying at a hotel that had no network access (other then phone modem). It was like being in the outback or something and to top it off my computer got blinky on the road and Office 2003 beta stopped running on my system so I could not get much done at night. So now I am working all weekend (and this is Memorial Day weekend) wow is my wife pissed!

It was a good trip as far as the new project goes, it looks like there will be some fun to it but the time line is tight. It's a .NET Compact Framework project that will be using SQL CE replication and some FTPed flat files. Lots of data so load time is critical and there is a current application that we are to us as a UI template and some the the screens are going to be a challenge to redesign.

I have been rereading a few books the best one that I suggest for .NET Compact Framework is Microsoft .NET Compact Framework it is one of the best MS Press books of all time that has the label "Core Reference".

Now it's time for me to get back to rebuildding my system...

I took some time off to recuperate from a minor surgery and now I am back (well I came back Wednesday and been playing catch-up).

Today I realized my most favorite program SpamKiller was not getting updates anymore so I gladly paid $39 for the new version and what do I get... McAfee puked all over my computer! There security center or some name like that was also installed and all to does is tell you that you need to get all there other software. Ok so they want to advertise I figured out how to stop it from running again, I had to remove keys from the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run key in the registry, but this is not something that everyone would know how to do. So then I was ok with the state of but then I restart my system later the same day and I get a popup window telling me of a new e-mail virus and that I need another of there software products! If it happens again I am going to return this darn thing and go back to the old version.

A former student asked what webcasts I had done in the past is here is a quick like, I am not sure it is compleat:
MSDN Webcast: Developing Pocket PC Applications
MSDN Webcast: Best Practices for .NET Development there should be a new one for this topic soon.
I can't find any more I know I have done more I can't remember any more at this time.

If you are having problems with the Emulator in Smart Device Projects you need this MSDN article Using the Emulator in Smart Device Projects
!

Ok I finished my last latest .NET class I am going to do another class soon check out my ucsd.pewitt.org site for information.

I had shown a avi file that a lot of people liked if you want it here it is! I am sorry if it offends anyone just know it may offend!

Next I had said I had found out that there was a DB2 ADO.NET managed provider. I have no information about it but if you need or want it go for it. Please let me know if you use it.

I also had a request for the wallpaper that I had used in the class so this is it Navy Morning I hope you enjoy it and remember the government may send the people of the military to do things that you don't agree with but they deserve and have earned our support!

To all in my Spring 2003 class thanks! If you have any .NET related questions please let me know, as I have time I will get back to you.