Blog List

Some exciting news just in! The first Girl Geek Dinner Sydney is to be held on 21st February.  Sign up for the event on facebook or check out the website.

The first event is at Lindt Chocolate Cafe, Cockle Bay and starts at 6pm.  This dinner is an open mike night..so think up some topics and come along and share.

So if you're a geek girl, or a geek boy who can convince a girl to attend with him, then come along and meet some other women in IT.

Technorati Tags: Geek Girl Dinner, Sydney

Yesterday we presented at both the newly formed SQL UG and the .Net Usergroup in Hobart.  Both had small crowds (in comparison to the 100 attendees we had in Melbourne) but both had people with lots of good questions.

It was an early start for us..up at 3:30am to catch our plane via sydney so we were a bit tired by the end of the day.

Big thanks for Jason Cook (SQL Server UG) and Rowan Miller (.Net UG) for inviting us to speak at their groups.

Rowan in particular is keen to grow the size of the group/meetings so if anyone has any tips and/or advice on the marketing/advertising and general participation angle of running a usergroup leave a comment here and we'll pass them onto him.

So you heard about Live Services and not sure what they are or want to hear a bit more about about the different services?

There's a series of webcasts available that i first saw here.

Session 1 – Windows Live Platform Technical Overview (200 Level) . Get a broad look at the Windows Live development platform and discover the various ways you can integrate Windows Live APIs and controls into your applications and deliver rich web content in exciting and innovative ways. Session 2 - Windows Live Platform Technical Drilldown, Part 1 (300 Level). Session 3 - Windows Live Platform Technical Drilldown, Part 2 (300 Level). Session 4 - Windows Live Platform Technical Drilldown, Part 3 (300 Level). Session 5 - Windows Live Platform Technical Drilldown, Part 4 (300 Level). Technorati Tags: Live  Services

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Today I started a list of the Geek Girl Groups (mainly dinner groups) that I know about out there.  I've added the list to the Geek Girl blog home page HERE.  So if you have a group and it's not on my list let me know and I'll add it.

Technorati Tags: GeekGirlBlogs, Geek Girl Groups

Well we've booked our flights and hotel for this year's MVP summit in Seattle.  We're heading up to Montreal first where John is doing a 1/2 day workshop on using Virtual Earth to provide Geographical access to Cultural Herritage at the Museums and the Web Conference. So i've got a few days to kill in the hotel by myself while John's at the conference...so if anyone is around let me know or if you have any suggestions for things to do in early April that'd be much appreciated aswell.

Then we head down to Seattle for the MVP summit. We'e staying at the Sheraton. Really looking forward to this one...from everything I hear, it's an awesome event.  We've got a few days spare after the summit to check out Seattle and surronds so again, if anyone's around and would like to say hi or has some must see's or suggestions for mid April activities would love to hear them.

Technorati Tags: MVP Summit, Museums and Web

We've had a late addition to our user group tour...Gold Coast .Net.  We'll be visiting these guys on the 21st February, venue TBA.  Will add some links and details as they come to hand.

Updated schedule can be found HERE

Technorati Tags: Gold Coast .Net

Next Tuesday, 29th we're off to Hobart to present 2 sessions on SQL Spatial with Virtual Earth.  We're lucky to be the 2nd presentation at the newly formed Hobart SQL Server Usergroup during the day followed by the Hobart .Net at night.

Details for the session:

In this visually interactive talk we explore the new spatial data types, functions and indexes directly related to the real world using the interactive browser based Virtual Earth control. We focus on the new Geography data type providing an overview of the new functionality as directly applied to mapping. This includes the storage of points, polylines and polygons as well as real world tasks like effective rendering to the map, geofencing and proximity searches. We explore the power of union and buffering. Finally we examine the new index specifically built for fast spatial lookup.

The talk will inform, teach and demonstrate. You will understand what this new functionality is all about, what data types and functions are needed, how they operate and how to add an effective spatial index to your project.

Registration/Information on the sessions:

• Hobart SQL Server UG - Register HERE
• Hobart .Net UG - Details HERE

Technorati Tags: SQL Spatial, Virtual Earth, Hobart

In part 2 of this series, Derek Chan shows how to integrate the Mappoint Web Service platform on a Virtual Earth map.

http://www.viawindowslive.com/Articles/VirtualEarth/InvokingserversidecodeusingAJAXPart2.aspx

If you recall part 1 introduced the concepts of using a httphandler to communicate between server side code and Virtual Earth.

http://www.viawindowslive.com/Articles/VirtualEarth/InvokingserversidecodeusingAJAX.aspx

As usual the full source code is available for download. Great work Derek!

The guys at EverydayInnovations sent me some samples of their products, the PicoPad and the Booksling, just before Xmas. Now that I've been able to use them for a few weeks it's time to see what i thought.

PicoPad

What is it? - Postit notes with a tiny ballpoint pen inside a credit card sized cover.

What did I think of it? - While I have a pda phone and use it a lot. I found this really useful when you're on your phone with someone and need to write down a phone number, address etc.  Or you're with someone who needs do do the same.

What i liked about it - It's the size of a credit card so fits in your wallet so you've always got a pen and paper.

What I'd change - I don't know about anyone else, but I always find pens fail on my when i need them.  If the pen was changed to ge a pencil/solid graphite strip this would solve the pen not working when i need it most problem.

Booksling

What is it?- Elastic bookstrap, with a bookmark ribbone and space for 2 pens.

What did i think about it? - I'm always losing my pens, and hate trying to find what page I'm up to in my scribble pad, so being able to attach pens etc. was really useful.  It's most useful for a5 sized notebooks.

What I'd change - I tend to use a4 notebooks.  The elastic is too strong/tight for this size and bends the book too much.  So either need a lighter elastic or another size.

Went and checked out Cloverfield last night. While it didn't blow me away as it seems to have done with everyone else..it was a bit different which is always good. While I don't want to spoil the movie for you..I'd say it's like Godzilla meets Blair Witch. They've done well to give you the background story and current happenings in a handycam video.

Our night did't start well though...we got there a bit early to grab some food before the movie.  We shouda known something was up when we went to KFC and tried to order a Zinger burger. The guy on the front counter was off buying a drink and everyone out the back was ignoring us..finally..they were outta most things.  So we got a Fillet Burger only to discover the lettuce was black and the buns hard as rocks.

We tried to take it back...there was a "huddle" out the back, to be told "the manager says it's fresh".  When asking to speak to said manager, quickly asked if we wanted a refund...so i ask..was there even a manager on duty?  And yes, it's almost our own fault for eating so badly...

Then I wanted a Froke..only to discover I could have 1/2 a froke 1/2 a coke..oh well.

After 2 in a row was waiting to get back to the car and discover our tyres slashed or something..but lucky it stoped at 2.