While there certainly are some high-profile launch activities this week celebrating the kick-off of Visual Studio 2008, Windows Server 2008, and SQL server 2008, we realize that not all developers can attend a major launch event. From now through June 2008 we've scheduled a series of local launch events. Just go to the Heroes Happen {Here} Web site to find an event near you. The payoff is huge. In addition to hands-on labs and Q&A sessions with the experts, you'll get to walk away with a promotional kit containing all three of these products. You can also take part in the launch experience online with the Heroes Happen {Here} Virtual Launch Experience. But you have to be there in person to get the free stuff.

Here's another great virtual experience: Watch a Bill Gates backstage interview courtesy of Channel 9. During the Office Developers Conference, the Channel 9 team got Bill to share his thoughts on the history of Office as a developer platform. He also shares hints on the future of Access, how he personally uses Office 2007, if he still writes code, and his view on whether Office has hit the productivity plateau.

Speaking of Office apps, MSDN Magazine this month takes a look at Developing Office Business Apps with Visual Studio 2008. See how to use Visual Studio 2008, specifically Visual Studio Tools for Office 3.0, to develop Microsoft Outlook customizations. And while you are checking out all the great magazine content, pay particular attention to the F# primer, Use Functional Programming Techniques in the .NET Framework, for an introduction to some of the concepts behind the new F# language, which combines elements of functional and object-oriented .NET languages. The article will also help you get started writing some simple programs.

Service Pack Update
.NET Framework 3.0 Service Pack 1 has now shipped. The .NET Framework 3.0 SP1 addresses issues that were found through a combination of customers and partner feedback, as well as internal testing. Likewise, the .NET Framework 2.0 SP1 has also shipped.

And finally, it's hard to imagine anyone needing any more incentive to check out MIX08, but if you haven't seen the IE Blog, you might not know about Dean Hachamovitch's Keynote, in which he is promising to show Internet Explorer 8. Here's the bad news: MIX08 is sold out, but all the sessions will be recorded and posted at visitmix.com.

Thanks for reading.
Editor, MSDN Flash

Together, Students and Software Can Change The World
Microsoft DreamSpark gives students around the world software for free to help them become tomorrow's entrepreneurs, innovators, and leaders. Whether you are interested in technology or design, Microsoft is offering something for every technically inclined student. For verified students, DreamSpark offers Visual Studio 2005/2008 Professional Edition, Expression Studio (includes Web, Blend, Media, and Design), SQL Server 2005 Express, SQL Server 2005 Developer Edition, Virtual PC, Windows Standard Server, XNA SDK, and a 12-month trial subscription to the XNA Creators Club. Access your software on Microsoft DreamSpark.

Free Software, Free Game Publishing, Free Game Sharing
Two amazing announcements from the XNA Team this week: You can now create games for your Zune and share them using Xbox LIVE Community Games. Microsoft DreamSpark enables students to publish and to share games for free using their 12-month trial subscription to the XNA Creator's Club.

Gaming on a Zune? Share your games with the world? Way.

Xbox LIVE Community Games provides gamers an opportunity to share, peer review, download and play games created by the community, for the community. Starting with the beta launch of the service later this spring, members with an XNA Creators Club subscription will be able to submit their own game creations for self-publishing through to Xbox LIVE Marketplace via the XNA Creator's Club Web site. A community of subscriber peers will be given a chance to download, play, and review the game and its content for appropriateness and conformance to the service's TOS. Should it pass, the game will then get added to the global games catalog on Xbox LIVE Marketplace and made available to gamers worldwide connected to Xbox LIVE. All it takes is XNA Game Studio 2.0 toolset for free and XNA Creator's Club available through Microsoft DreamSpark.

Students 2 Business
Keep in touch with Students 2 Business for more job postings.

Gaming: XNA Guitar Hero
Dan Waters created a tutorial about how to create a XNA video game from scratch. Not only did he make the source code available, he discusses creating 3D models, texturing, creating audio, and more. Dan has 12 chapters, all with videos, and provides the source code, including audio, textures, and models. Be warned, it is a 250mb download.

See the 30-minute video about writing the game.

MySpace Adds WCF and Silverlight Support
MySpace has added Silverlight support for developers that enables you to embed Silverlight. Now, using the OpenSocial API, you can add Silverlight to MySpace.

Want to Get Your Math Homework Done Faster?
Introducing Microsoft Math. Diane Curtis walks through the Microsoft Math application and how it can help you solve math problems with ease. Forget to pay attention in math class today? Learn different ways to solve equations and get your homework done more efficiently with Microsoft Math.

Greg Dolley Ported Quake 3 to Managed C++