Windows Phone Developer Tools for VS 2010 RTM

The Windows Phone Developer Tools CTP has been refreshed to work with the released version of Visual Studio 2010. You can read about additional updates to the tool suite on the linked page. Remember to uninstall the previous version of the developer tools first before installing the new version. (RTM is Redmond-speak for the version of a product released to manufacturing.)

Left Sidebar Updated

I’ve updated the left hand sidebar to include links to books that I’m reading, my Xbox gamertag, direct links to my twitter and blog RSS feeds, a link to my Microsoft MVP profile, and links to my open source software projects. I’m now an Amazon affiliate, so if you like my book reviews and are going to purchase the reviewed book, please consider buying through the link on my blog so I can get a free cup of tea once in a while :-).

“You Can Test Anything” Accepted for Agile Roots 2010

Agile Roots 2010 will be held June 14th and 15th in Salt Lake City, Utah. Zhon Johansen and I will be presenting a 60 minute session titled “You Can Test Anything”. We will give you a whirlwind tour of techniques that show you how to introduce tests into legacy code, i.e. code without existing tests. See you there! Last year’s Agile Roots conference was a great bargain for the price. This year’s conference has been expanded to two days and includes a mix of speakers and hands-on tutorials.

Teletype Love

Paul Cembura services and sells teletypes from his El Sobrante, CA location. Check out the photos of his stock. For the best atmosphere while you’re checking out the pictures of teletype parts and stock, listen to an ASR-33 teletype printing a document. Wikipedia has a nice article on the ASR-33 teletype. Chances are that when you see or hear a teletype in a television show or film, its an ASR-33. Teletypes have an interesting sort of steam punk feel to them as they are largely electromechanical devices, as opposed to CRT terminals which are largely electrical devices.

The Net@40: Visionary Robert W. Taylor in Conversation with NPR’s Guy Raz

As part of the Net@40 year-long celebration at the Computer History Museum, Bob Taylor and NPR’s Guy Raz will share a stage to discuss the origins of the personal computer revolution and computer networking. The discussion will be held at the Computer History Museum at 1401 N. Shoreline Blvd., Mountain View, CA on Thursday, May 13, 2010 at 7 PM. More details here.

EAE Demo Day and Machinimafest ’10: April 30th, 2010

The following events will take place on April 30th, 2010 at the University of Utah:

Time	Location	Event
1:00 PM – 3:00 PM	WEB 130 (map)	EAE Demo Day
3:15 PM – 5:00 PM	Dumke Auditorium, Utah Museum of Fine Arts, Marcia and John Price Museum Building (map)	Machinimafest ‘10

DIY Kegerator

Popular Mechanics publishes an article on how to make your own kegerator:

There’s nothing quite like a freshly poured beer from a draft system, but for most of us draft beer has been a pleasure that you only get at bars and restaurants. That’s a shame, because kegged beer is a cheaper, fresher, better preserved product. To top it off, some craft breweries also offer beers in kegs that they don’t sell in bottles or cans.

Tony Blankley: GOP One Election Away From Being Discarded

Tony Blankley was a guest on PJTV’s Front Page program for April 16th, 2010. Tony is a long-time Republican party regular and a frequest guest on political talk shows like The McLaughlin Group.

What was striking to me is that he said that the Republicans have blown it so bad in the last few years, that if they are given another chance in the next election, then it may very well be their last chance. Tony Blankley says that even he will be willing to try a third party if Republicans have a significant win and manage to blow it. Again. The last time Republicans had any significant majorities, they blew it big time. As a result they had their asses handed to them in the subsequent election of 2006. They blew it again and had their asses handed to them even more forcefully in 2008 with the election of Obama. In 2010, the voters are likely to give them another chance as big chunks of the electorate express buyer’s remorse. If they are given this chance and blow it this time, it may very well be the third strike that calls them out.