Kinect for Windows SDK Update Released

If you’ve been waiting for the updated Kinect for Windows release, I have good news for you. Today, the updated Kinect for Windows SDK and Kinect for Windows toolkit were released, and are available for public download!

Since I started developing with the Kinect for Windows SDK, I have been following this technology closely, and have been looking forward to updated versions of the platform. Recently, I interviewed Rob Relyea and showed some new features for the October 2012 release, including extended depth data and color camera settings. Now you can use these new features in your apps, and explore other new capabilities, including the infrared camera stream.

For more information about this release, check out the Kinect for Windows Blog, and the Kinect for Windows developer downloads page.

Microsoft Press eBook Programming Windows 8 Apps - First Preview

Click Here to Download

Firefox Metro Preview Build For Windows 8 Now Available To Download

Mozilla has released a preview copy of their Firefox Metro browser for Microsoft’s new desktop operating system. The future of Firefox has been announced via the official Mozilla blog, with the release of the browser that is intended for users and the Mozilla community to put through its paces to see if it lives up to expectations. The preview release of Firefox has been built from the ground up to offer a classic browsing mode as well as having a Metro-based look and feel to it.

Mozilla has been working for the majority of this year on the product specifically made for Windows 8 in the hope of producing a seamless web browsing experience that works flawlessly on both the classic and Metro modes. The first preview build, that is available as a nightly build from the company’s experimental Elm repository, and represents a total overhaul of one of the world’s most popular web browser, but also comes packed with a notable set of features and improvements that should definitely appeal to Windows 8 users.

Firefox Metro offers a new Metro-styled Start experience that presents Bookmarks and recent browsing history in a gorgeous but simplistic manner. The browser also has integrated support for a whole host of touch and swipe gestures that will form an integral part of the user experience in Windows 8. As you would expect, probably the most notable difference is the visual appearance of Firefox with it looking extremely modern. Mozilla has noted in their official blog post that the aesthetics of the software have been given the "Asutralis Interface" name.

This preview release represents the first public step in the ongoing development of the product, with Mozilla promising to add additional powerful features in the coming months as well as firming up Windows integration and improving the user-experience with the browser to make it more responsive.
Firefox Metro also has support for Firefox Sync and the ability to quickly switch between different browsing modes with minimal fuss. This preview build is by no means a finished product, with Mozilla stipulating that it contains bugs and omitted features. Check it out for yourself and remember to file those important bug reports to help the development process.

You can download Firefox for Windows 8 from Here.

Windows Phone 8 launch: 29 October Event Announced

Microsoft has started to invite the press to the launch of Windows Phone 8. The event will be held in San Francisco on 29 October, and will hopefully reveal the final secrets of the latest mobile OS.
What won't be a secret is the devices that will be on show, as we've already seen hardware from HTC, Nokia and Samsung in recent announcements, although Microsoft has so far prevented us from playing with the software beyond the home screen.

The reason, says Microsoft, is because it hasn't yet announced the full run of features for the next generation of Windows Phone, so hopefully there will be some surprises in store. We're not holding our breath.

What we will be looking out for is which device Steve Ballmer and his Microsoft cohorts choose to demonstrate the new software: HTC told us that the Windows Phone 8X by HTC would be the lead device come launch day.

We already knew that Windows Phone 8 would be landing at the end of October, and HTC has suggested it will be hitting stores with devices a few days later.

How to Search Store Apps in Windows 8

Introduction
Microsoft has launched Windows 8. It comes with many new feature such as charms bar, Start screen, Windows 8 Store etc. Of all of them, the Windows Store is the new feature in Windows 8 that is a collection of Metro Apps and Metro Games. By using Windows 8 Store you can directly download and install Metro Apps and Metro Games for Windows 8. You don't need to open a browser application. If you want to open the Windows 8 Store then you can open it by the Metro Start Screen.
In this article we are going to explain how to search for applications in the Windows 8 Store. When you open the Windows 8 Store and you want to search for a specific application or game then there is not a search option by which you can search, unlike websites opend through a browser. If you want to search for apps then we have to use the Search box of the Metro UI.

Step 1
Open the Store from the Metro Start Screen.

Step 2
After opening the Windows 8 Store, move the cursor on the Right-bottom corner and select "Search".

Step 3
In the Search box type the application or game name that you want to search for.

Step 4
After typing the application name click on "Store". The Search Application Results will be shown.

Step 5
In this step click on the application that you want to Download and Install.

Step 6
In this step click on "Install" to install the application. Wait some minutes for the application to download and install.

Step 7
After installation, a "Application was Installed" message will be displayed on the top corner. Now you can open the application from the Metro Start Screen.

Microsoft Opens the Windows Store to Developers

Microsoft has opened its Windows Store for submissions from developers in readiness for the Windows 8 launch on October 26. The store will be available in 120 countries and will feature apps from individuals and companies.

Microsoft has taken some time to reach this point. The AppStore model has been incredibly successful for Apple, Google, Amazon and Microsoft’s own Xbox LIVE system. But this is the first time a store has been available on Windows. Until now, users have been left to hunt for applications on the web or in traditional software stores.

While Microsoft is late to the AppStore party, they appear to have learned from mistakes made by other companies. Refreshingly, the Windows Store has clearer guidelines and fewer restrictions than certain alternatives I could mention…

Money, Money, Money …

Let’s get down to business. You can sign-up for the Windows Store now.

Businesses with an MSDN license or free BizSpark membership won’t have to pay a penny. Neither will students registered on the DreamSpark program.

Imagine Cup 2013 - Russia

What is Microsoft Imagine Cup?

Microsoft’s Imagine Cup is the world’s most prestigious student technology competition, bringing together student innovators from all over the world. If you have a great idea for a new app, bring it to life through Imagine Cup. With Microsoft resources and support, you can make a great app and win travel and cash prizes!

This year, Imagine Cup opens the door wide with three big competitions:

Games
Innovation
World Citizenship 

The biggest prizes in the history of Imagine Cup.
You’re ready to go big? So are we. For each competition:

1^st Prize: $50,000

2^nd Prize: $10,000

3^rd Prize: $5,000

And we’ll fly every finalist team to St. Petersburg, Russia, in July of 2013 for the thrilling showdown at Worldwide Finals.

Our challenges put your hands on cutting-edge tech:

Windows 8 Apps
Windows Azure
Windows Phone 

Can you Imagine?

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