Happy New Year! I am excited to be speaking at the first meeting in 2012 for the Tampa Bay Windows Phone 7 User Group

As usual at Tampa WP7UG there is a jump start session for beginners before the meeting:
5:30PM An Intimate intro to WP7 Development with a local MVP Kevin Wolf in room 1, or a work session in the main room.

Come on by early to hangout with other developers or attend the intro sessions.

Here is the description of my presentation starting at 6:30PM:

Live Tiles, Toasts and Push Notifications

Nikita Polyakov
Microsoft MVP
Windows Phone Dev

Register at: http://wp7jan2012.eventbrite.com

Learn how to build Live Tiles and use Toast Notifications.
Also understand how Microsoft Push Notifications Service works.
Birthday Party.

Biography:

Nikita Polyakov (www.NikitaPolyakov.com ) is a Microsoft Windows Phone Developer MVP and has been a long time community voice for most things mobile from Microsoft in the local developer community in Florida and online. Nikita helped and co-chaired many local user groups and community initiatives. A success story of Microsoft Student Partner program, Nikita won many awards including Student Partner of the Year for his work at University of South Florida where he passionately shared his knowledge with fellow students.
Calling Tampa,FL his home – Nikita is currently working for AgileThought as a Senior Consultant helping many local and national customers realize their full potential with quality custom software consulting and development. Starting out working for numerous technology companies in Tampa Bay Area and running his own small MSP and ISV Company enjoyed working with small businesses and start-ups, Nikita became extremely passionate about power of software.

Nikita's Links:

http://www.NikitaPolyakov.com

http://www.twitter.com/NikitaP

http://www.linkedin.com/in/nikitapolyakov

https://mvp.support.microsoft.com/profile/Nikita.Polyakov

http://www.AgileThought.com

This is very exciting for anyone close to Tampa Bay, FL

Tampa Bay WinDev Meeting #1: Intro to Metro UI

Our first meeting as Tampa Bay WinDev (formerly known as Tampa Bay Silverlight) will show off the new Metro UI (Windows vNext) as well as will have local (again) development speaker (and celebrity) John Papa. John will take us through the beginnings of Metro Development.

Additionally this is our kickoff meeting for the new group so we will also have some additional information on what this group is all about.

We will also have food and drinks at the meeting (although we are still looking for a sponsor).

Please RSVP to this always FREE event here: http://tbwindev11.eventbrite.com

Wednesday, November 30, 2011 from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM (ET)

Been waiting to get some Apps in the Marketplace? Had that developer account sitting with no apps?
Here is some motivation - are you ready to Mango?

Your Apportunity to Win!

1 app = 1 entry to win
a Samsung Series 7 Slate!

• For every Windows Phone Mango App you submit you'll be entered for a chance to win 1 of 5 Samsung Series 7 Slates.

5 apps = 1 entry to win
Free advertising for 1 app of your choice!

• For every 5 apps you submit you’ll also be entered for a chance to win free advertising on the Windows Phone App Network for 1 app of your choice.

It's easy to enter!

• Publish your new Windows Phone Mango apps between October 15, 2011 and December 31, 2011 to the Windows Phone Marketplace.
• Submit your entry to enter the Go Mango! Apportunity Sweepstakes. Enter code: NPOLY

Remember, the more you apps you publish, the more chances you have to win.

There are a limited number of prizes so don’t delay! Go Mango and Good Luck!

[New US developers ONLY with no previous apps in Marketplace before Oct 15th 2011 - complete rules click here]

Join me and Oleg Sych from AgileThought at Tallahassee Code Camp this weekend!

Register for this FREE event online: TallyCodeCamp.org

• Design Language of Windows Phone & Windows "8" by Nikita Polyakov
Prototyping w/ SketchFlow by Nikita Polyakov
• Introduction to ASP.NET Dynamic Data by Oleg Sych
• Introduction to Code Generation with T4 and Visual Studio by Oleg Sych
• Agile Estimation and Project Planning by Oleg Sych

Many other exciting sessions are being presented this year including Windows Phone 7.5, SQL, Azure, Silverlight.

As always I am looking forward to meeting attendees, other speakers and organizers.

USA:

http://mango.microsoft.com/windowsphone/en-us/features/update-schedule-usa.aspx 

World:

http://mango.microsoft.com/windowsphone/en-us/features/update-schedule-world.aspx

I am happy to help announce the release and roll-out of Windows Phone 7.5

Starting today, updates to will be rolled-out in a phased approach by carriers across the world.   
    
WHERE IS MY UPDATE?     
   
See here: http://mango.microsoft.com/windowsphone/en-us/features/update-schedules.aspx 

Highlights:

• Yes, every original Windows Phone 7 will be getting an update. [Once the carrier has completed their testing.]
• Wi-Fi tethering up to 5 devices [*If supported by your carrier.]
• You will now be able to change your keyboard input to any supported language, the language of the OS still remains the original OS Language that the phone shipped with.
• Visual Voice Mail [*If supported by your carrier.]
• T-Mobile will launch world’s first 4G Windows Phone this year – HTC Radar 4G on the T-Mobile network.

Full list of new features is listed here: http://mango.microsoft.com/windowsphone/en-us/howto/wp7/start/whats-new-in-windows-phone.aspx 

How will the new apps work?

Existing Windows Phone 7 applications will continue to run un-interrupted on the new OS. But they will not automatically gain the new features, unless updated by the developer.

Microsoft has opened submission and certification of the Windows Phone 7.5 application taking advantage of the new APIs and features so you can be sure that many of your applications are already ready.

New Phones will be annouced by carriers

New Online Windows Phone experience

My Phone updated over at www.WindowsPhone.com 

Find, Lock, Ring, Erase My Phone

Web accessible Marketplace and Over-the-air Installation

A new web-based Marketplace for apps and games is now available thought your web-browser. You will not be able to find and install applications on your computer and install on your phone without actually touching your phone or tethering - over-the-air.

Easy Re-Installation of Application and History

I am glad that the new features will very soon be on every headset out there!

Excited to come speak at JaxCodeCamp this coming weekend, there are many amazing session and speakers!

Jacksonville .NET Code Camp - http://jaxcodecamp.com

What: All day geek fest focusing on code and not marketing fluff.
When: Saturday, August 27, 2011 All day (registration opens at 7:00am)
Where: Univeristy of North Florida - 1 UNF Drive, Jacksonville FL 32246
Cost: Free!

Sessions will range from informal "chalk talks", hands on labs, to presentations. All are welcome to attend and speak. We will have a mix of speakers ranging from MVPs, Regional Directors, Authors, and most importantly, local developers like you! Thanks to the generosity of our contributors we will be able to provide breakfast, snacks, lunch, and LOTS and LOTS of SWAG.

I hope you come our and meet some of our team and myself.

Here are the sessions you will see from some “Agile-Thought-Thinkers”:

8:15 AM Design language of Windows Phone & Windows 8

by Nikita Polyakov + Show Description

10:15 AM Introduction to ASP.NET Dynamic Data

by Oleg Sych + Show Description

12:15 PM Interactive Prototyping with SketchFlow

by Nikita Polyakov + Show Description

1:15 PM Continuous Integration with TFS

by Esteban Garcia + Show Description

It’s here – the brand new - Windows Phone SDK 7.1 Beta2.

This time it has ability for your to Flash your Developer Unlocked phone to Mango Beta!

How awesome is that? Mega-Ultra-Mango-Awesome!!

The Windows Phone SDK includes the following

• Windows Phone SDK 7.1 (Beta2)
• Windows Phone Emulator (Beta2)
• Windows Phone SDK 7.1 Assemblies (Beta2)
• Silverlight 4 SDK and DRT
• Windows Phone SDK 7.1 Extensions for XNA Game Studio 4.0
• Microsoft Expression Blend SDK Preview for Windows Phone 7.1
• WCF Data Services Client for Window Phone 7.1
• Microsoft Advertising SDK for Windows Phone 7

The direct download link is: http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?displaylang=en&id=26648

Official Details and instructions: http://create.msdn.com/en-US/news/Mango_Beta

Official Blog Post: Windows Phone 7 Developer Blog - Developers Get Goody Basket Full of Mangos

"If you're registered for Windows Phone Marketplace, you'll receive an invitation from Microsoft Connect that will provide access to a firmware update for your retail Windows Phone device"

#ProTip’s:

-Uninstall any Mango 7.1 Windows Phone 7 Beta tools if you already had them installed.

-If you have Visual Studio 2010 RTM installed, you must install Service Pack 1 RTM before you install Windows Phone SDK 7.1 Beta 2. Please refer to the Service Pack 1 release notes for installation issues. Visual Studio 2010 SP1 RTM

-If you installed Visual Basic for Windows Phone Developer Tools 7.0, you must uninstall it before installing Windows Phone SDK 7.1 Beta 2. Uninstall the item Visual Basic for Windows Phone Developer Tools – RTW from the programs list on your computer. Visual Basic is now fully integrated into Windows Phone SDK 7.1 Beta 2; you do not need to install it separately.

Follow the instructions very-very closely. Updating your phone yourself is serious business and should not be done while not paying attention!

Windows Phone 7 Sweepstakes end June 30th, 2011 [US based developers only]

As the Microsoft fiscal year closes so are the number of contest and promotions.

We’re in the final week for this amazing contest:
URL:   http://bit.ly/WP7DevOffer 
Code: GS2N6

Got 1 app in the Marketplace?

Enter for a chance to win a Samsung Focus. Details & rules on the site. Very simple.

This specific contest for Samsung Focus has been extended through July 31st 2011.

Got 2 apps in the Marketplace?

Get a refund on your Marketplace account fee.

Info & Registration on this site: http://phone.microsoftplatformready.com/Offers.aspx 

Got 5 or more apps?

Get free Advertising for your app!

Here’s the deal, :

• Enter in the WP7 Sweepstakes contest http://bit.ly/WP7DevOffer with the code GS2N6
• Any developer that publishes 5 new apps between April 1 and June 30, 2011 gets FREE advertising for 1 of the 5 apps.
• There is a limit of up to 4 offers per developer (no gaming with multiple emails, multiple mailing addresses or variations of name)

After 6/30/2011, the developers that qualified will get their promo codes and instructions on how to redeem the offer.

I had a distinct pleasure of catching up with Russ Fustino of Toolshed fame who is the new amazing community leader for GrapeCity while I was at TechEd11 I was invited by Microsoft to help with Microsoft Expression Blend booth (more on that).

Check out the entire blog post and video:

GrapeCity Russ Cam Episode #8 (Video) / TechEd Atlanta 2011 – Part 2 (blog)
Scott Hanselman, Microsoft Principal Web Community Architect, Mary Jo Foley, author of the “All About Microsoft” Blog on ZD NET , Colin Blakey, influential from Sarasota Florida, Microsoft's Dale Coffing at the Phone 7 booth and Nikita Polyakov, who recently was awarded ‘MVP of the Year’.

Nikita Polyakov, recipient of 2011 MVP of the Year Award.

I got the very first MVP of the Year Award in Windows Phone 7 Developer category. This award is only awarded to two select Microsoft MVPs for each category, each year. I am extremely flattered to have received this recognition. Thank you to the community who drives me to contribute and participate. No community, no MVP, no Nikita. Thank you.

I also had a great pleasure of getting my copy of the .NET Gurus can cook! signed in person.  

Are you a user group leader? Do you need a few copies for your user group?
Email  cookbook@grapecity.com to request copies and give them away as swag or use as a fund raiser for their group.

Not near a user group? Find out how to get your copy by following these steps to getting .NET Gurus can cook!.