Believe it or not, this year is the 20-year anniversary of Visual Studio, and Visual Studio 2017 will be available for download on Tuesday, March 7, 2017. Sign up here for the two-day celebration event on Match 7th and 8th:

Join us at 8:00 AM PST on March 7 for a two-day online event celebrating the launch of our latest version as well as 20 years of Visual Studio. Watch the live stream featuring Julia Liuson, Brian Harry, Miguel de Icaza, and Scott Hanselman as they share the newest innovations in Visual Studio, .NET, Xamarin, Azure, and more. After the keynote, Microsoft engineers will lead interactive technical demo sessions to help you get the most out of Visual Studio 2017 and the rest of our tools and platform.

On March 8, we’ll help you get productive even faster by hosting a full day of live interactive trainings. Don’t forget to click Save the Date above and sign up for email reminders!

Julia Liuson, Corporate Vice President for Visual Studio, provides more details: Join Us: Visual Studio 2017 Launch Event and 20th Anniversary

Get it here.

Program Manager Carmen Forsmann explains:

Project Rome is a platform for creating experiences that transcend a single device and driving up user engagement – empowering a developer to create human-centric scenarios that move with the user and blur the lines between their devices regardless of form factor or platform.

Today, we are excited to announce the release of the Android version of the Project Rome SDK.  This Android SDK works both with Java and with Xamarin.

Discovering devices is a snap with the Remote Systems API:

private RemoteSystemWatcher _remoteSystemWatcher;
private void DiscoverDevices()
{
    _remoteSystemWatcher = RemoteSystem.CreateWatcher();
    _remoteSystemWatcher.RemoteSystemAdded += (sender, args) =>
    {
        Console.WriteLine("Discovered Device: " + args.P0.DisplayName);
    };
    _remoteSystemWatcher.Start();
}

The Project Rome SDK for Android bridges the experience gap that exists as users move between their Windows and Android devices:

1. Discover the user’s other Windows devices by using the Remote Systems API. For example, the Remote Systems API enables music apps to discover the user’s devices on the same network and through the cloud.
2. Once a device is discovered, the Remote Launch API starts apps on another Windows device.
3. When an app is launched on another device, you can use remote app services to control your app running on Windows from your Android device (coming soon in a future release of the Android SDK).

More details here: Announcing Project Rome Android SDK

Ever wondered if Microsoft has a blockchain solution? Wonder no more, and find out how it works by taking this new class at Microsoft Virtual Academy. You’ll learn:

• Distributed ledgers, the core blockchain concept;
• Smart contracts and how they’re used by blockchain;
• Details about application design for decentralized blockchain applications;
• How to implement DevOps for blockchain applications;
• Tool and framework options for building blockchain applications;
• How ledgers are built and managed.

Cale Teeter and Derek Martin take you on a tour of this hot new technology. Watch these videos and get started building your first decentralized application on the Azure platform.

Get it here: Visual Studio “15” Preview 5.

VS “15” is cooking along at a good pace, and the latest preview dropped last week. It promises performance improvements especially around installation and load times. From the Visual Studio Blog:

• Shorter solution load time with lightweight project load: Working on solutions that contain upward of 100 projects doesn’t mean you need to work with all the files or projects at a given time. VS “15” provides editing and debugging functionality without waiting for Visual Studio to load every project. You can try out this capability with managed projects in Preview 5 by turning on “Lightweight Solution Load” from Tools -> Options -> Projects and Solutions.
• Faster startup with on-demand loading of extensions: The idea is simple: load extensions when they’re needed, rather than when VS starts. In Preview 5 we started this effort by moving our Python and Xamarin extensions to load on demand and are working on moving all extensions we ship with Visual Studio and extensions shipped by third party extension vendors to this model. Curious about which extensions impact startup, solution load, and typing performance? You can see this information in Help -> Manage Visual Studio Performance. Do you develop an extension? We will be publishing guidance to help extension developers move to on-demand loading.
• Moving subsystems from the main VS process to separate processes: We moved some memory-intensive tasks such as Git Source Control, and our JavaScript and TypeScript language services to separate processes. This makes it less likely for you to experience delays caused by code running in the main Visual Studio process, or Visual Studio becoming sluggish and even crashing as the main process approaches the 4GB memory limit of 32-bit processes. We will continue to move components out-of-process in coming releases.
• Faster project load, coding, and debugging for C++: We have made loading C++ projects faster. Check out this video showing the improvement. You can enable this by setting “Enable Faster Project Load” to True from Tools -> Options -> Text Editor -> C/C++ -> Experimental. We have also made improvements to our linker and PDB loading libraries to make incremental builds and launching the debugger much faster while significantly reducing memory consumption while debugging.
• Improved speed when using Git, Debugging, and editing XAML Code: We have improved the speed of source control operations by switching from libgit2 to git.exe. We have also improved debugging performance by optimizing initialization costs and other costs related to IntelliTrace and the Diagnostic Tools window, and removed several delays that occur when editing XAML files.

On my old Dell XPS-12, it took 37 minutes to install over wifi, with the UWP and .NET frameworks selected. I’ve loaded some big, old projects, and so far, it compiles and builds them just fine. Also, the new Git sync seems to be noticeably faster. Take it for a test drive and enjoy the new features, like the experimental Predictive IntelliSense feature in C++, IntelliSense completion for x:Bind in XAML, and the new JavaScript IntelliSense language service powered by TypeScript.

Lots more details here: Announcing Visual Studio “15” Preview 5.

Enrollment just opened for a new course on CSS that we’re doing with the W3C on edX, taught by Kasey Champion. Here’s the quick description:

Learn how to take your Web pages from bland to bold with the power of CSS styling. Join the Microsoft team and experts from the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) for a step-by-step look at CSS, so you can create Web sites with a professional look and feel. Explore basic selection of CSS properties, fundamental CSS selectors, page layout through relative positioning, and best practices in Web design. Bring your basic HTML experience, and add to your Web dev skill set.

Registration is open now: CSS Introduction. The course is five weeks long, and the first module is available on 7 November 2016.

With CSS turning 20 years old soon, it’s a great time to get some web design skillz, if you’re a n00b like me.

At long last. Now you can convert your Windows desktop applications (Win32, WPF, etc.) to install as proper Windows Store apps and participate as first-class citizens in the Store ecosystem. Once converted, you can update your applications to use UWP features, like speech recognition, Live Tiles, and Hello. Also, you can leverage your existing desktop installer technologies, too: InstallShield, WiX, and Advanced Installer have added support for Desktop Bridge.

Kevin Gallo, CVP of Windows Developer, posts:

A few months ago, during Build 2016, we announced the Desktop Bridge, enabling developers to bring their existing desktop apps and games over to the Universal Windows Platform (UWP) by converting their app or game with the Desktop App Converter and then enhancing and extending it with UWP functionality.

Today we’re pleased to announce that new apps including Evernote, Arduino IDE, doubleTwist, PhotoScape, MAGIX Movie Edit Pro, Virtual Robotics Kit, Relab, SQL Pro, Voya Media, Predicted Desire, and korAccount will become available in the Windows Store within the next few days for Windows 10 customers running the Anniversary Update.

Install from the Store: Desktop App Converter. See the Desktop App Converter documentation for details on upgrading your applications.

Now the Windows Store is available to all Windows devs – and don’t forget that these apps run on Xbox too!

By Alissa Wolken
8 September 2016

(Woodland Park Zoo) – Coders and technology experts from the Seattle area—along with their counterparts in five other major cities—will join the battle against international wildlife trafficking in the first ever Zoohackathon, 6-9 October 2016.

Registration is now open for interested coders, designers and project managers.

Organized by the U.S. Department of State and the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), the Zoohackathon is a computer coding and technology intensive event that will bring together technical gurus and subject matter experts to create applications, systems, and tools to help reduce demand for trafficked wildlife products. The Zoohackathon will build upon the U.S. Department of State’s successful Fishackathons, which have introduced new technological solutions for combating illegal, unregulated, and unreported fishing.

The inaugural Zoohackathon will include six AZA-accredited zoos in the U.S., U.K. and the Pacific with plans for expansion during future events. It is a part of the U.S. National Strategy for Combating Wildlife Trafficking. Representatives from the City of Seattle and University of Washington as well as Seattle area companies Vulcan and Microsoft will participate in the Zoohackathon hosted at Woodland Park Zoo.

The growing demand for illegal animal products in international markets is playing a major role in driving species such as elephants, rhinos, tigers, turtles, and pangolins to the brink of extinction.

“Traffickers rob the world of its natural resources,” said Catherine Novelli, U.S. under secretary of state. ”They deplete populations of some of the most remarkable wildlife on earth for the money tusks, horns, or other body parts fetch on the black market. It’s our responsibility to change how this story ends.”

Woodland Park Zoo was chosen as a host site for the inaugural Zoohackathon because it is a worldwide leader in using technology to create innovative visitor experiences and is located within one of the most prominent tech cities in the world. The Zoohackathon will give up to 60 Seattle hackers the opportunity to direct their tech expertise in support of an important cause and further the city’s reputation for technology innovation through new solutions that combat the demand side of illegal wildlife markets.

“Woodland Park Zoo is honored to be a part of the inaugural Zoohackathon and grateful to the U.S. Department of State and AZA for giving us this opportunity to help put an end to wildlife trafficking for good,” said Fred Koontz, PhD, Woodland Park Zoo’s vice president of field conservation. “With each passing day, some of our planet’s most rare and iconic animal species are being pushed closer to the brink of extinction.

“We and other zoos are working hard to disrupt that trajectory. Through conservation projects supported by Woodland Park Zoo, such as our Tree Kangaroo Conservation Program and Malayan tiger conservation partnership with Panthera and Rimba, we are able to develop community-based strategies that provide benefits and an improved standard of living for local communities, decrease the demand for poached and deforested products, and reduce the number of poachers illegally killing animals. These efforts are part of the global fight to save animals from extinction, and help to put a dent in the supply of illegally trafficked items.”

Koontz added, however, that in order to really close the loop of wildlife trafficking, both sides must be targeted: supply and demand.

Washington state is at the fore of that effort. Last November, Washington state voters overwhelmingly passed Initiative 1401, making it illegal to buy and sell parts and products (within state lines) from 10 endangered species groups. I-1401 established a model for citizens, legislators and leaders across America—and around the world—to end the demand that fuels the extinction of animals in the wild.

“Now, with the help of the Zoohackathon, we can further our efforts to reduce the demand for wildlife trafficking and preserve these iconic species,” Koontz said.

The Zoohackathon at Woodland Park Zoo will kick off Thursday, October 6, with an opportunity to hear from key influencers in the prevention of wildlife trafficking, meet local tech luminaries and attend the zoo’s annual Brew at the Zoo event. Representatives from Vulcan, Microsoft, City of Seattle, University of Washington, and the U.S. Department of State are among confirmed mentors and judges. Hacking takes place Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to midnight and resumes Sunday from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. The winning solution will be chosen by the judging panel at the conclusion of the event and announced Sunday afternoon.

Winners from each site are also eligible to enter the global competition. Prizes will be determined by a panel of wildlife experts and technologists and may include cash prizes, mentoring from industry professionals in conjunction with or apart from winning project development, and/or paid travel to present winning projects at international forums.

Calling local coders to join inaugural Zoohackathon

During my tour of duty helping out the HoloLens team, I was fortunate to visit the amazing holographic capture studio, on a couple of occasions. All sorts of cool things were coming out of that space, but everybody went squee when we brought in George Takei to do a capture session. Now it can be revealed: please enjoy George Takei hamming it up as he’s turned into a hologram.

He comes packaged as an Actiongram, and when you experience him in HoloLens, you can place him anywhere in the room:

Create your own mixed reality videos featuring holographic characters and effects. A steady supply of themed packs will feature content from your favorite brands and genres. Place, resize, and record holograms in the real world for a new take on storytelling. Actiongram Beta is available now, featuring George Takei, Grumpy Cat, Nyan Cat, and more!

Learn more about Actiongram at www.hololens.com/actiongram.

Scale and place any Actiongram in your surroundings, then take a screen capture or record a video. Lots of fun to be had.

Download here: Anniversary Update SDK.

Lots of good stuff here, including improvements to Ink, Cortana APIs, and Hello. The big news is the cross-platform story:

• Desktop Bridge (Project Centennial): The millions of developers using Win32 and .NET to build desktop apps can now get access to the benefits of the Universal Windows Platform and the Windows Store. Using the modern deployment technology of UWP, desktop apps can cleanly install, uninstall, and update, as well as get full access to UWP APIs including Live Tiles, roaming storage, push notifications, and more.
• Improved Tools and Bridges for iOS and Android Developers: Visual Studio now includes Xamarin tools built-in, ready to create apps for Windows and iOS and Android. In addition, our open source Windows Bridge for iOS enables iOS developers to bring Objective-C code into Visual Studio and compile it into a UWP app.

More details from Kevin Gallo: Windows 10 Anniversary Update SDK Now Available! Windows Store Open for Submissions.

I worked on HoloLens for two years and can assure you that it’s amazing. With the Windows 10 Anniversary Edition, businesses can get the Microsoft HoloLens Commercial Suite, which adds a lot of nice new features:

• Kiosk mode: Limit which apps run on the device, to enable demo or showcase experiences.
• Mobile Device Management (MDM) for HoloLens: IT departments can manage multiple HoloLens devices simultaneously using solutions like Microsoft InTune. Manage settings, select apps to install, and set security configurations tailored to your organization’s needs.

• Identity: Azure Active Directory and next-generation credentials with pin unlock.

• Windows Update for Business: Control operating system updates to devices and get support for the long-term servicing branch.
• Data security: BitLocker data encryption and secure boot is enabled on HoloLens, providing the same level of security protection as any other Windows device.
• Work access: Anyone in your organization can remotely connect to the corporate network through a virtual private network on a HoloLens. Also, HoloLens can access Wi-Fi networks that require credentials.
• Windows Store for Business: Your IT department can set up a private enterprise store that contains only your company’s apps for your specific HoloLens usage. Securely distribute your enterprise software to selected groups of enterprise users.

Alex Kipman goes into more detail here: HoloLens Development Edition Updates.

If you have $3000 burning a hole in your pocket, buy the Development Edition here.