Fresh out of GDC, the XNA team announced XNA Game Studio 4.0, which they say will be released within the coming month.

There are some interesting additions to the API this time around, and some changes that existing creators will need to take note of:

• Windows Phone 7 Hardware Support
• Visual Studio 2010 Integration
• Microphone Input
• Dynamic (Unbuffered) Audio Output
• New built-in Effects
  • SkinnedEffect
  • EnvironmentMapEffect
  • DualTextureEffect
  • AlphaTestEffect

They have also worked to improve portability, and pave the way for platforms to branch away from cross-platform support. (ie Take advantage of platform specific functionality)

They did this by adding two profiles: Reach and HiDef. The first gives you a guarantee your code will run on the different platforms. However developing for HiDef lets you take advantage of functionality present on the system, that might not be on other platforms.

Alongside those huge features, they have made many graphics improvements, and split Microsoft.Xna.Framework.dll into multiple assemblies so you can include only the things you need.

For those of you more interested in the games than the development, take a look at this: http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/09/microsoft-shows-off-xna-games-running-on-windows-phone-full-3d/

Sounds like we’re getting an emulator that is 3D capable eventually, so you can test your games.

Watch this blog, and creators.xna.com in the coming weeks for the official release, and more news on exactly what we are getting. More news about Windows Phone 7 development should also come out tomorrow, after the GDC sessions by the XNA team run.

Hey kids!

Wakey wakey! It’s ime to shine, and yank open those curtains to your penthouse…. wait! did I say penthouse?!

That’s right kids, a new competition hosted by Microsoft is giving you and 5 mates a chance to win a penthouse of your choice (whichever city) FREE for 7 MONTHS! (Rent up to $1500 per week) And in the spirit of all geeks, loaded with Dell notebooks, Xbox game packs, and HTC Windows Phones!

All you have do is:

1. Be a university student
2. Get Facebook, if you miraculously don’t have it  O.O
3. Become a fan of The Student House: http://www.facebook.com/?ref=logo#!/TheStudentHouse?v=app_4949752878&ref=mf
4. Go to the “Win A Share House” tab and sign up
5. Run around your uni and show people how much you luuuuuvvvv Windows 7!

It’s that simple!

And one more thing, just make sure that if you DO win that penthouse, don’t forget to leave a space there for me!  XD

Albert moovin out! =]

Every year, Microsoft offers internships to Australian students in the Software Design Engineer (SDE) and Software Design Engineer in Test (SDET).

Microsoft has just announced that applications are open for a Summer (ours) 2010-2011 position. If you have an interest in gaining experience (and good money!) working on real world products for Microsoft, all whilst experiencing another country, then this is for you.

The application process works as follows:

• Apply for the position
  • Send your resume to lisabar[at]microsoft.com by the 15th of February (More details in the attached document)
• Phone Interview
  • If your resume is successful, Microsoft will contact you to organise a time for a phone interview
• Face to Face Interview
  • If the phone interview is successful, you will be asked to come in to Microsoft AU for a face to face interview with recruiters.
• Begin Work!
  • If you get the job, you will be flown by MS to the USA in December, when you start your internship.

Remember the cut off date for resumes is the 15th of February, so if you want to apply, don’t delay.

Some important notes about your resume:

• Clearly state when you expect to graduate, and your Degree/Major/University
• Specify your technical skills – Obviously this is a technical job, let them know what you know
• Provide examples – outline some projects where you have used those skills, they can be from University or previous Jobs/Internships
• Describe your role in those projects, and what you personally achieved
• Provide active contact details – E-Mail + Address + Current Phone Number

For more information, download and read through the fact sheet below. It outlines the two different roles available, and provides further details on what to expect.

Good Luck!

Just a quick reminder, if you are still running the Release Candidate (RC) of Windows 7, you will need to move to the final (RTM) version before June 1st 2010, otherwise your copy of Windows will be considered non-genuine and you will not be eligible for updates.

On February 15th, anyone still running the RC will be notified about upcoming bi-hourly shutdowns, that will begin on March 1st.

So to continue to enjoy an uninterrupted and up to date experience in Windows 7, be sure to move to a release version before March 1st.

For students, remember that you can get Windows 7 for $50 by going to www.itsnotcheating.com.au and following the links.

I am still working with Microsoft to get Windows 7 Professional available free for technical students through the MSDN:AA subscription the university has, and I will update here when more news is available regarding that.

Robbie Bach, President of Microsoft’s Entertainment and Devices division, will be giving a talk at the University of Sydney on Tuesday, February 9th, 2010.

For those who do not know, the E&D division handles products like the XBOX 360, Zune, Windows phone, all of the Microsoft hardware like Keyboards + Mice, and the Surface.

I personally hope we will get to see Natal in action (Natural User Interface), however even if that is not possible, this should be an interesting night.

The event is open to all, but you must RSVP.

To do so, email kumarman[at]microsoft.com

Synapse Gaming recently announced that the Sunburn Framework, a subset of the full Sunburn Engine XNA middleware is now free for Students, Hobbyists, pretty much everyone.

For those who did not attend the XNA Game Camp last year, Sunburn is a lighting engine that allows you to worry about your game play, instead of how your graphics look. It offers a powerful array of lighting features, and whilst the Framework itself is restricted to the Windows platform, when you are ready to start testing your game on the XBOX 360, you can use the license that comes with your Premium Creators Club account to try the XBOX version.

This is a great chance to evaluate the framework and see if it is what you are looking for.

Happy New Year everyone, lets hope that 2010 is a great year for the tech industry.

CES has reminded us that some great things are coming out this year from many companies, but of course the focus here is on Microsoft.

This year we can expect to see Natal hit shelves, one of the most interesting input devices to appear in a while, and by the end of the year you will be able to try it as well.

We will also see a great way to play classic arcade games, on both the XBOX 360 and Windows PC, called GameRoom, with 1000 games to be added over 3 years. (30 games on launch)

Not only that, but many cool games are coming, including Halo Reach, which is sure to be a huge launch. (Lets see if it can beat XBOX sales for Modern Warfare 2)

Gaming aside, there should be more details on IE9, Windows Live Wave 4, Windows 7 SP1, and Office 2010. Although I do not know what deals will be available for students yet, I think that there will be some cool stuff (going off last year) and you can expect some cool events this year as well, so keep an eye on this blog.

I will be attending the MSP boot camp some time in January/February, and hope to get some great information and opportunities that I can pass on to everyone.

For those interested in XNA after the Game Camp last year, I have been posting resources and information on my own blog about XNA, you can check it out at http://mquandt.com/blog hopefully you find some of the stuff on there interesting, and I will be keeping it updated with more information, samples and resources as I make/find them.

So enjoy the rest of the summer break, and have a great 2010!

Just a reminder to everyone who registered for the XNA Game Camp in Wollongong this Friday.

Registration is open from 10:30 to 11am, but trains take ~2hrs to get there, so be sure you know what train you need.

Let me know if you are going to the camp!

-Michael

After a rumour appeared saying Office 2010 would be released in June 2010, Ars Technica contacted MS to confirm it, and it is true!

Microsoft expects Office 2010 and related products to be generally available in June 2010.

In the meanwhile, remember that you can get free access to the beta, which you can use for free and unrestricted until October 2010.

http://officebeta.microsoft.com/en-us/

[via Ars Technica]

Just in time to try out over the holidays, the Microsoft Office 2010 public beta is here!

http://officebeta.microsoft.com/en-us/

Head to that website to download either the 32bit or 64bit version of the next version of Office, and experience the nice changes they have made for yourself.

Personally I have found Outlook to be much more responsive compared to 2007, and the conversation view allows you to easily keep track of what previously happened in an email. Both Excel and Word open up much faster than before, and I have found are much faster in general.

OneNote has also seen some major improvements, with much better Math input support, amongst other things. The integration with the upcoming Office Web Apps should also really improve the suite, with reportedly a way to collaborate on a OneNote notebook in realtime. Great for lectures!

All of the office programs take advantage of new Windows 7 features such as Jumplists. (and more)

If you are considering whether you may want to upgrade from 2007 to 2010 when this is released, there is no better chance to have an unrestricted look at the applications, and maybe even contribute to ensuring the final product you pay for, is bug free.

The download is around 700MB, and you can get your key from the same site,

For those interested, the Visio 2010 beta is available here: http://www.microsoft.com/office/2010/en/visio/download.aspx

and the Project 2010 beta here: http://www.microsoft.com/project/2010/en/us/default.aspx