The retail version of Microsoft’s Newest Suite is now available in Australia and as a student at an Australian University or TAFE you can grab the Professional Academic version of the Office 2010 for AUD 99.00 via Microsoft’s Its Not Cheating Program.

Following the great response to the Office 2010 beta with more than nine million beta users world-wide, Microsoft has continued to refine the dramatic overhaul that it began with the 2007 editions of the Office Suite to help users:

• Create great looking documents and presentations. With new video and photo editing features in PowerPoint 2010. Add extensive text effects and table formatting options in Word 2010. Reveal important trends in data with Sparklines in Excel 2010. OneNote 2010 makes everything you need simple to find, organise and share.
• Connect and work together more simply. Advanced e-mail management and calendaring capabilities in Outlook 2010. Work with others more efficiently using new co-authoring in Word 2010, PowerPoint 2010 and OneNote 2010.
• Get things done from anywhere. With Office 2010 and the Office Web Apps – the online companions to Word, PowerPoint, Excel and OneNote, you have the freedom to view, edit, and share Office 2010 documents in the cloud with Windows Live SkyDrive.

One of my favorite improvements to Office 2010 is what Microsoft calls the Backstage view. You might remember Albert giving a demo on this if you attended our Cool Stuff & Cool Internships – Microsoft & AIESEC 2010 event. Offered as a replacement for the File menu, Backstage gives you a launching point to share documents, print out your work, set permissions, and other program specific options to get your project ready for distribution. You’ll find all of the usual document management features, like open and save, here as well, but you’ll also get a nice layout of templates for new documents, several different ways to share your work, and print settings and page layouts all in one place.

For a full overview on all of the new features and review by PCWorld, head here.

In addition to Office 2010, Microsoft Windows 7 Professional Upgrade is back again with the same low price of AUD 49.95 on Its Not Cheating Program. All eligible university and TAFE students, staff & faculty, with a valid email address are entitled to make a purchase from the offer website

More info and FAQs on the program and the offers can be found here.

For those of use that prefer our technical information printed on paper, Microsoft Press has a book that should hopefully get you started with the new APIs, creating rich Windows 7 enhanced applications in no time.

Introducing Windows 7 for Developers is that book. A collaborative effort between Yochay Kiriaty, Laurence Moroney, Sasha Goldshtein and Alon Fliess, this book looks at most of the cool new features in Windows 7, and how to use them in your own applications.

What it Covers

The book covers the major new features in Windows 7 like the Superbar and Multi-touch, as well as the how to implement the Ribbon that is included for all developers in the new OS. However the book does not cover the new DirectX APIs like Direct2D and DirectWrite, claiming that the APIs are simply too large to cover. Small overviews are provided of each technology so you have somewhere to start from.

The book covers developing for Windows 7 as both a native (C++) developer and a C#/.NET developer, however I noticed quite a large focus on the C++ side of things. The big strength of the book is in explaining the process for working with these new technologies, rather than the syntax. If you find the .NET explanation insufficient, there should be numerous resources online that provide the syntax and class definitions for working with the .NET Windows 7 libraries.

A very short overview is provided at the end for developer oriented features such as troubleshooting or profiling. I would have liked to have seen more detail on these topics, and some of the other “hidden” features of Windows 7 that make maintaining and developing applications easier.

Style

The book approaches each topic with an overview of the new feature, before diving into implementing some example applications that make use of the features. This hybrid theory/hands-on approach works quite well, however the authors expect the reader to know how to work with the other technologies used like WPF.

I found the examples to be simple, but effective. They get straight to the point and tell you what you need to know to get the specific task done. In the topic on multi-touch, they provide examples on what each type of touch should be used for, and throughout the book they provide small overviews of the API relating to that particular topic.

There are plenty of diagrams, tables and screenshots that demonstrate what is going on, and many of those will even provide a little hint on where you can go past the samples and play around with more advanced features.

Conclusion

For those who have a solid background in developing for Windows in general, either using MFC or WPF/WinFoms for .NET, you will find this book to be a good starting point for enhancing your applications with the new features in Windows 7. Topics are explained in detail before they work on implementation, and through this you can gain an understanding of how the features should be used in your application. This is especially important with multi-touch, where there are standard gestures that you should not alter – although you certainly can go your own route, and the book will explain how to do that as well.

Weighing in at 395 pages (including Index), this book is not a hefty tome like many other programming books. The abundance of lists, figures and code samples means that you won’t be reading giant blocks of text all of the time, which makes the reading experience much nicer. This is certainly an introductory book for a very specific topic, and if you are interested in working with these technologies, I would highly recommend using this book as a starting point.

MS Press Australia sells this book through its online store for $69.95 AUD.

Book Details

Title: Introducing Windows 7 for Developers
Author: Yochay Kiriaty, Laurence Moroney, Sasha Goldshtein, Alon Fliess
ISBN: 978-0-7356-2682-9

Buy from Microsoft Press Australia (AU $65.95)

There are some pretty cool things here, not only do you get online versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote for free, but you can also collaborate on the documents. I can see a bunch of friends collaborating on a OneNote notebook during  a lecture, or working on a report using multiple machines, all at the same time – and no need for anyone to collate at the end.

These apps are available for free, and to access them, you just need to visit http://skydrive.live.com and login with your Windows Live ID. (You already have one if you use Hotmail and/or Messenger)

Or alternatively you can visit http://office.live.com and get the same experience. Skydrive binds all of these services together, and still keeps the 25GB of space that you can use to store not only documents, but any other file you want.

From there you can create a new document and share it, or upload an existing document you have already started working on.

There is no need for any special plugin, and it should work in all of the major browsers.

How would you like to work in and experience a different culture?

AIESEC, the worlds largest student organisation is looking for interns to work in some of the world’s exotic locations, like Turkey, Malaysia or China.

Come along and learn how you can learn a new language, experience a different culture, and even change a community. At the same time we will show you how the modern Microsoft is different from the Microsoft you know.

Experience the cool offerings available from a modern Microsoft, and learn how you can contribute to developing countries and see the world!

When is it?

2:30 PM – 3:30 PM
Thursday 20th May 2010

Where is it?

CB02.04.11
University of Technology Sydney

Hope you guys had a happy rabbit huntin season…  Opps! Err… I meant Easter! Muahaha…  >=]

Ever thought of becoming an IT professional, but couldn’t come up with the first step, or figure what steps to take to get you to where you wanna go?

Instead of having to take a trip to Mordor to find your ideal job, Microsoft have designed an IT Student Career Portal for you lucky kids!

In the portal, you can find info on career paths for:

• Web Developers
• Server Administration
• Windows Developers
• Consumer Support Technician
• Database Administration

It gives you a run-down of any job you so desire, skills you will need, experience required, potential future positions, and internships and jobs in countries worldwide!

The portal also gives you links to apply for those jobs!

You can find the Student Career Path Portal at: http://www.microsoft.com/learning/en/us/start/start-career-student.aspx

Have fun with your new toy kids! =D

-Albert rollin out!  (…with RPGs to hunt for those pesky Easter bunnies!)

Hope you’re all enjoying uni this sem.  Heh heh… the irony… enjoying uni =P

Of course, if you are starting to get sick of staring blankly at books and listening to grumpy, monotone lecturers, and want to travel overseas for free and work for a year…

Then kids, look no further! Have we got the deal for you!

Ladies and gents, Microsoft has now extended their US intern and Full-Time job application deadline till the 15th April, 2010!

That means there’s still a little over two weeks to get that CV in, and grab a once in a lifetime opportunity to work overseas with one of the world’s leading IT companies.  And have it nice and shiny on your CV. =D

To apply for US Intern or full time positions with MS:

1. Go to www.microsoft.com/college and submit your resume!
2. Also send your resume to recruiter Lisa Harris (lisabar@microsoft.com)! She will answer any questions you may have about Microsoft internship/full-time opportunities.

(For more tips about CVs and interviews, go to careeradvice.heygenius.com)

But remember, you only have until the 15th of April to do it. So hurry and think fast! (COD4 players will get the joke xD)

Albert headin out! =]

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! =]

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!

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

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!