Brain-Dump for February
Here are some random links to sites, tools and other things going on in my life right now:
- Windows Workflow Foundation beta 2 released!
- I'm still finishing some prototyping with the WWF v1.2 and Office 12 beta1 I received after PDC05, but I'm very excited to see this updated release. Time to retry my Activities and see what has changed.
- Visual Studio Team Foundation Server MSSCCI Provider
- Yay! Now we can actually try to evaluate TFS without orphaning all "legacy" apps.
- Visual Studio 2005 Code Snippets
- Cool stuff! Snippets for Refactoring as well as dozens of other pragmatic problem-specific snippets to help in every day coding.
- Enterprise Architecture Online Group
- Sometimes I think I know what EA is about, then I read something like their NAAF proposal and I start to wonder....but its always nice to find new views that make you rethink things.
- SQL Server 2005 Reporting Services Feature Matrix
- Since my last post on "Sql Server Reporting Services Scaleability and Licensing" I discovered that the SRS 2k5 product offerings, and associated licensing have become richer and more diverse than what I saw during the beta. Its likely I missed the Express and Workgroup editions since I only use the Enterprise Edition. I wonder if I will have to eat some of my words on licensing from that last post....
- Microsoft Careers site
- Submitting my resume via the MS Careers site was far less painless than I expected, and the job-research tools they offer are more like what you expect from CareerBuilder or Monster.
- Thomas Pink iPod Tie (via David Findley via Engadget)
- oooh! Now my damn tie has a purpose beyond The Firm's dresscode.
- New Lanyard Headphones for iPod Nano
- I'm seriously considering buying the newly updated model of the Layard Headphones now that they offer an in-ear earbud instead of the traditional (lossy) earphones shipped with most iPods.
- Microsoft Wireless Notebook Laser Mouse 6000
- I bought one of these gems today at Fry's. A few weeks ago, I was instantly impressed by the features of this mouse when Jon Robbins used one during his presentations during his Wintellect class "Advanced .NET Debugging with VisualStudio.NET 2005" that was held at Microsoft - Las Colinas, TX. Specifically the built-in magnifier button and associated driver/software were awesome during the presentation.
- Columbus Crew signs my cousin.
- Rusty has always been an outstanding athlete, but in his past couple seasons in the MLS, he had some unlucky injuries so unfortunately when his new coach at the expansion team Real Salt Lake decided to clean-house he was left hanging. Now that Rusty is healthy again, I really don't think RSL yet realizes what they lost when they gave him up, but it will be fun to see the results when they play each other again this spring.