Several new Web App Toolkits were released recently:

• “Freemium” - A popular way to attract first time users is to offer a free version of a service that has limited functionality and once you’ve got them hooked provide an easy way to upgrade and pay for more features. This Web Application Toolkit offers a more elegant and cost-effective way to solve this problem.
• Calendars - This Web Application Toolkit provides a standards-based service that can be reused in your own Web application to expose calendaring and events information for different users, using different data formats (iCalendar, XML, JSON) using REST.
• Bing Maps - A set of reusable custom controls built in Silverlight, which integrated with the Bing Maps Silverlight Control, make a perfect fit for some of the most common location-aware scenarios.
• Bing Search - This Web Application Toolkit shows how to take advantage of the Bing API to add search capabilities to your Web site by leveraging the various search results that the Bing API provides, including Web content, images, news and videos, among others.

There quite a few more around IE8, Mobile apps, Template Driven Email, and more.

 Check them out today!

Spaghetti Code hosts Donn Felker as he discusses his experiences developing applications for the Android platform.

The slide deck and demo walkthroughs from the recent RIA Roadshow events in Omaha and Minneapolis are now available for download.

As you probably know, the Microsoft Professional Developer Conferencehas come and gone.  For three days, the latest Microsoft laid out the future of with great information regarding things like .NET, Visual Studio, Silverlight, and more.  Feel bad because you couldn’t attend?  Is your self-esteem a bit lower because you don’t feel “in the know”?  Well, there are a couple ways you can find out about what was talked about at PDC.

First, you can watch the PDC keynotes and sessions online via the PDC website.  Just check out http://microsoftpdc.com for a complete listing of keynotes, sessions, and more that will be made available following the conference.  This is a great way to get all of the detailed information that is being covered at the conference.

But what if you can’t take the time during the day to watch a session or a keynote?  Or maybe you aren’t sure of what you should check out and wish there was a way to just get the more important highlights?  Lucky for you, .NET user groups across the country will be hosting ugPDC events. upPDC events provide a great way to spend an evening networking with fellow developers while seeing the highlights of the PDC conference. 

Local ugPDC events are delivered in partnership with Microsoft and more details concerning the agenda, registration, and cool prizes will be coming as we get closer to each event.  Here are the .NET User Groups that have currently scheduled a ugPDC event:

Cedar Valley .NET User Group                    March 2010

Cedar Rapids .NET User Group                   March 2010

Des Moines .NET User Group                     January 2010

Dubuque .NET User Group                          January 2010

Jefferson City .NET User Group                 January 2010

Kansas City .NET User Group                      January 2010

Lincoln .NET User Group                               January 2010

Mankato .NET User Group                           February 2010

Minneapolis .NET User Group                    February 2010

Omaha .NET User Group                              January 2010

Dallas .NET User Group                                 February 2010

Dallas ASP.NET User Group                         February 2010

Fort Worth .NET User Group                       January 2010

Knoxville .NET User Group                           December 2009

Findlay .NET User Group                               December 2009

Check out this great new contest and your chance to win a 12-Day Galapagos Islands Adventure or a Smart Car

If you will not be able to make it to one of the local Read World Azure events (like this one in Minneapolis), there will be an online delivery of the event on Tuesday, September 29th.  The details of the event are the same as the in-person events:

TechNet & MSDN Events Present:

Real World Azure

We invite you to explore Windows Azure™ – Microsoft’s platform for building and deploying cloud based applications – from a real world point of view!

During this event, we’ll review critical lessons Microsoft IT has learned migrating internal line-of-business applications to Windows Azure™.

What is Windows Azure™? When should I use it? How does it apply to my job?  Whether you’re an IT Professional, Developer or Architect, we’ll address your top of mind questions about cloud computing.

TechNet Events Presents – for the IT Professional from 8:30am to noon

In this session, we will discuss:

• Azure architecture from the IT professional’s point of view
• Why an IT operations team would want to pursue Azure as an extension to the data center
• Configuration, deployment and scaling Azure-based applications
• The Azure roles (web, web service and worker)
• Azure storage options
• Azure security and identity options
• How Azure-based applications can be integrated with on-premises applications
• How operations teams can manage and monitor Azure-based applications

TechNet LIVE Webcast | REGISTER >>

MSDN Events Presents – for the Developer & Architect from 1:00pm to 5:00pm

In this session, we will discuss:

• Cloud computing architectures in general and the Azure architecture in particular
• Several aspects of Azure from the developer’s and architect’s perspective
• Azure roles (web, web service and worker)
• Azure storage options
• Azure security and identity options
• How Azure-based applications can be integrated with on-premise applications
• Configuration, deployment and scaling Azure-based applications
• How development teams can optimize their applications for better management and monitoring

MSDN LIVE Webcast | REGISTER >>

As part of a larger effort, Microsoft will be hosting a Community Jam event prior the the Heartland Developer Conference in Omaha, NE. If you are in the area on October 14th, even if you are not attending the HDC, and have an interest in building your local technical community (no matter where that community may be), stop in and join us for an Open Spaces-style event to network with and learn from other folks that are also involved with building and supporting things like user groups, grass roots conferences, code camps, and more!

Get all the details and register here.  Space is limited so don’t wait.  The North Central Microsoft team will also be bringing other Community Building events to cites around the area, so keep you eyes peeled for an event near you in the future if you can’t make it to the inaugural Community Jam in Omaha.

In this month’s Cloud Computing User Group meeting, David Chappell will discuss the Windows Azure Platform which includes Windows Azure, SQL Azure and .NET Services. He will also compare Windows Azure with Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google App Engine and SalesForce.com.

When: Wednesday, August 26^th,

• 8:30am -- Registration/Refreshments
• 9-10:30am--David Chappell Presentation

Where: Microsoft, 8300 Norman Center Drive, Suite 950, Bloomington, MN 55437
Registration link: http://www.tccloud.com/events/august-meeting

I am bummed I will miss this event for a team meeting in Chicago. Grrr………………..

The Saint Louis Day of .NET is right around the corner.  This fantastic event is happening on August 28th and 29th and features 40 speakers covering the gamut of .NET topics including, but not limited to… C#, SharePoint, VB.NET, Azure, WPF/WCF, .NET 4.0, and much more.

Make sure you register, pass along to friends, get a SLDON  tattoo, whatever!