Lee created this cool sample called "Microbe"- The city where "WPF/E" and Flash live in harmony.  (Yes, that's "WPF/E" and Flash co-existing side by side). Learn more here.  It's a brave new world.

The guys at Channel 9 have been playing around with the "WPF/E" platform again in the Channel 9 Playground  Last week they created a player skinned to look like the WMP control, which I wasn't too keen on for the chance of confusion.  Instead, they went in the opposite direction with this very cool example built over the weekend that shows a dynamically reskinnable 9Player based on "WPF/E".  Yes, it's gratuitous in a good way, and really shows off how "WPF/E" can interact with ASP.net AJAX and the browser (z-ordering above the web page text which is still select-able). You can view it here.  More to come...

Straight developer talk from Joe Stegman, and some demos on Windows and Mac in the  selected by the Channel 9 team to celebrate their 1000th video.  Congrats Joe (my partner in crime in San Jose last week).

(Ed. Note: The new sites are being propped and updated as we speak, but getting this out ASAP.)

Today I’m excited to finally be able to talk about a new project I’ve been working on—“WPF/E”.   As some of you know, I spent the last year working on End to End User Experiences, specifically with Windows Vista digital media efforts and devices.  This was an amazingly fun and rewarding job, but when all the product work was done (some yet to be announced <g>), it was time to turn my attention to the next challenge.  It was about that time that I was made aware of another opportunity that was too interesting to resist.   

(My) Introduction to “WPF/E” (codename) 

About a year ago, I heard of an intriguing new project codenamed, “WPF/E” or “Windows Presentation Foundation/Everywhere”.  Announced at the PDC 2005, “WPF/E” is a key part of the next-generation Web platform from Microsoft.   I was intrigued and continued to track progress.  Designed to be delivered as a lightweight, cross-platform browser plug-in, the “WPF/E” client is optimized for presenting rich media such as vector-based graphics, animation, and video content efficiently over the Web.  Microsoft releasing a cross-platform technology?! Readers here know I own a few Macs (one PPC, two Intel-based) and I had to pinch myself.  More importantly I had to be a part of this effort, and I’m excited to say that not only am I a part of the team delivering the technology, we’re making it available to you starting today as a Community Technology Preview (CTP) for evaluation and feedback.  Together with Microsoft Expression Studio also just announced, it’s a goodie bag of toys for designers, developers, and content providers to collaborate on delivering next-generation web experiences and we’re just getting started. (By the way, the codename is a temporary thing, with a much more simplifed one TBA).

Rich web media, simplified with “WPF/E”

Of course, being “Addicted to Digital Media”, there are certain features which led me to join the team.  The “WPF/E“ December CTP also includes support for playback of Windows Media Audio and Video, enabling delivery of rich audio and video integrated with graphical overlays, dynamic resizing, and marker support for interactivity. Customers have been asking for a simple way to embed Windows Media (and VC-1) files and streams organically on web pages for cross-platform playback.  With “WPF/E” they’ll be able to do it (starting with eval’ing progressive download support in the CTP and content protection is on the roadmap).  With “WPF/E” we’re finding new ways to tap into the broad ecosystem of content, tools, and solutions for Windows Media and make it easier.  And for standards-fans, common profiles of the SMPTE standard VC-1 codec are also supported in this release (that’s the same one that ships in all HD-DVD and Blu-Ray players in case you’re keeping count).  Naturally for the Web, standard-definition quality will reign in the near term, but the platform is capable of HD delivery ;),

Introducing Expression Studio

Today, Microsoft also made a number of announcements focused on delivering tools and platforms for delivering rich user experiences (UX) in Windows and on the Web.  The first was an announcement around Expression Studio, a suite of four tools focused on bridging the designer/developer gap that exists today in most development houses.  Using the Expression suite, whatever a designer can visualize and be implemented by developers using .Net Framework 3.0 and Windows Presentation Foundation.  As a program manager, I’ve witnessed first-hand the tension that exists between the designer who creates phenomenal concepts that the developer just can’t code behind.  These tools will also be optimized to support “WPF/E”. I’ve seen upcoming applications built using these tools over the past few months (you’ll get to see some of them soon) and it really takes desktop app development (and soon, web development) to a new level.

Also simplified is the encoding and publishing of content via the new product in the Expression suite is the just announced, Expression Media.  Based on the iView Media Pro product acquired by Microsoft last summer, Expression Media is an update to the professional digital asset management tool to visually catalog and organize all your digital media (pics, fonts, sounds, videos etc.) for easy access  and presentation. (And yes, we’ll still support Mac for asset management).   For video publishers, it will also include a new tool for Windows - Microsoft Expression Media Encoder for encoding and publishing of video with “WPF/E” and beyond.   For more on Expression Media and “WPF/E”, stay tuned.  I’ve added a new category called, “Rich Media” so you can keep tabs on the topic. ;)

Also be sure to check out the blogs of my co-workers talking about “WPF/E” as well including our VP, S. “Soma” Somasegar:

• S. Somasegar - http://blogs.msdn.com/somasegar/
• Scott Guthrie - http://weblogs.asp.net/scottgu/
• Joe Stegman - http://blogs.msdn.com/jstegman/default.aspx
• James Clarke - http://www.clarkezone.net/
• Mike Harsh - http://blogs.msdn.com/mharsh/default.aspx

I’ll provide links to other team members shortly as they post more.  We have a ton of interest in blogging from the team among members with designer, developer, and video production backgrounds.

So take a look at the resources, send us your suggestions, and come back here with questions.  And while you’re at it, check out the just-relaunched sites at http://www.microsoft.com/expression and http://www.microsoft.com/design.  J

Humanity is about to experience another exciting look at the world of Halo® 3, one of the most anticipated entertainment launches for 2007. Airing in North America, Monday, December 4 on ESPN's Monday Night Football and Xbox.com in Europe, the new 60-second Halo 3 trailer offers an exclusive look at the iconic Halo universe and provides telling, new hints as to what Bungie Studios has in store for the highly regarded Xbox 360™ exclusive.

I'll be watching.  :)

Ahh yes, the wonderful days of business travel.  It's 9:20pm on Friday in San Jose and we're still waiting for Alaska to put a new starter in our MD-80's left engine.  Nothing like pulling away from the gate and finding the engine won't turn over.  Somehow I don't think a fire starter will solve this one.

Working and wifi'ing back in the terminal (still waiting for a replacement plane or part from SFO, whichever comes first), I saw the #1 link on Digg is Microsoft's own Laura Foy, with her spoof of Justin Timberlake's, "SexyBack" called, "I'm bringing XBOX back".  I miss these kinds of spoofs- nice to see Windows Vista isn't the only team doing it.  Now I'm just waiting for Windows Live to start shooting gerbils through a bulls-eye (my father still laughs about that one, sick but funny).

Back to the flight delays.  One of these days, flight crews will realize that the 20 or 30 people on the plane with smartphones are getting more accurate departure status and timing information from the airlines' own website while sitting IN the plane than what they're being told by the crew that's supposed to be flying the plane. Crowd control is one thing, not knowing your audience (and insulting them in the process) is another. C'est la vie!

A few days late, but I wanted to share why I'm so thankful this year. For those who have read this blog for a while, you probably know that my wife and I have been having difficulty with secondary infertility.  Well, I have some very good news to report: my wife is pregnant!  Without IVF!  The team of infertility Dr's gave her about a 15% chance of success per attempt with IVF as early as two month ago. Then, two days before we were to go in for the appt, my wife found out she was pregnant.  This has been three years in the making.  The last # of weeks have been tense, with multiple blood tests to make sure her levels were going up as expected.  Then last Wednesday, we went in for an ultrasound and saw a very strong heartbeat well positioned.  The Dr's were ecstatic as were we.  The chances of an issue at this point drop to ~5%  We're naturally elated.  A lot to be thankful for this year.  Next year, our family is going to be a bit larger :)

A year ago, I extolled the virtues of Sirius Satellite radio. The Sirius S50 has been happily chugging out tunes in my Toyota Prius with minimal issues, getting updates "over the air", though the recording functionality is little more than a novelty at this point.  What's causing me to consider switching is the "Wife Acceptance Factor" again.  No, it's not Howard Stern that's the problem.  The issue is that my wife got XM free in her new Honda Pilot for 3 months.  This led to her subscribing on her own, a first for any service.   For both of us, it's the quality of the programming for our lifestyle.  But a few nice touches are about to put us over the edge. So here I'm going to break it down into sections:

• Music programming (Winner: XM) - Generally a tie between the two, except when you consider adult contemporary content.  Sirius is heavy on the rap/R&B end of Top 20 on Channel 1.  Good decades and rock (Rolling Stones, Who, Aerosmith). Flight 26 on XM plays contemporary hits suitable for my son to be in the car. I'm a soundtrack fanatic- my wife turns on Cinemagic and I'm hooked. She complains that the broadway station on Sirius has a limited selection and loves it on XM.  Now for the holidays, XM offers 5 radio stations vs. 0 (will be 1) for Sirius. 
• Talk programming (Winner: Sirius) - I grew up in the NY/NJ/Conn tri-state area.  Howard has been a guilty pleasure, but not enough to buy Sirius just for it.  Opie and Anthony can't compete and I like a diversion on the drive in the AM. Sirius has better comedy channels as well and CNBC/CNN/Fox troika of news simulcasts. Martha on Sirius, Oprah on XM if you're into that kind of thing.
• Sports programming (Winner: Tie) - Sirius has NFL and NBA; XM has MLB.  both have Nascar, NHL, and College sports. It all depends on what you're into.
• Kids Programming (Winner: Sirus) - Believe it or not, Sirius has 3 kids stations vs. 1 on XM.  Perhaps they're trying to make up for the bad boy image HS brings to the lineup.
• Music in the Home (Winner: XM) - My wife asked what it would take to get XM in the house.  I powered up the Xbox 360, went to Media Center and voila, XM Radio in Online Spotlight! I've patched it through a Sonos and now have whole-home music Now she has another reason for the Xbox beyond her Bejeweled games (keep that gamerscore going up honey <g>).  Sirius does offer an Internet-based player as well, but the Media Center integration on Xbox 360 for my wife is hands down the easiest.
• Listening in the Car (Winner: Tie) - In my experience, a factory-integrated satellite system just sounds better.  It's better grounded, better integrated.  Sirius has Volkswagen/Audi, Volvo, Kia, Rolls Royce? and Subaru.  XM has
• Music on the go (Winner: XM) - I just purchased a Samsung Blackjack cell phone (more on that later) from Cingular at an amazing deal and I love listening to XM built-in on the phone.  Anywhere in the US I have a data connection I can listen to XM.  I did some tests for delay in my wife's car- the internet-based version on the phone is about 10 seconds behind the satellite delivered version, and offers a wide range of channels. Yes, you can do Sirius on your Windows Mobile phone as well, but having an app built in is a nice touch.

The final tally in my highly unscientific evaluation:

• Sirius: 2
• XM: 3
• Tied: 2

It really comes down to what you're looking for- if you really want Howard Stern, then get Sirius.  If you want better programmed music for adults (my perception) get XM.  In my case, music around the home and on the go is also important.  So it looks like I'm headed to XM once my Sirius subscription has expired.

As engadget and Digg are reporting on their headlines, the clix 4GB flash-based player is now available. Verrry niice.

Update: Reposted by popular demand - I wrote the following how-to used by dozens of Xbox 360 fans to score their consoles online.  This year, I'm updating for the PS3 and Wii, but this could be used for any number of sites with inventory trackers. Thanks to Bensbargains.net for their Xbox tracker service and Sightmax.com for sponsoring hosting for this site.

Here's a fool-proof way to get notified when PS3/Wii/etc  are available for online ordering- no online auctions required.  I've tested it personally- and  received my premium system in time for Christmas.  There may be other tactics, but I hope it works for you. Happy Holidays!

Step One: Bookmark Bensbargains PS3 Finder or Nintendo Wii Tracker
There are lots of sites that purport to track PS3 shipments.  Bensbargains is the best IMO.  They're tracking all the major and a number of minor sites that are carrying the PS3.  The site is legit and updated about every minute. Even better is their history list so you can see who got what in and map out when online inventory databases are updated.

This is great if you want to check every minute.  They also have convenient RSS feeds, but again this requires you to sit there and wait for an update.  There's got to be a better way- something that notifies YOU when status changes?  That's covered in step two.

Step Two: Download URLy Warning
Get notified instantly when a Web page changes, and see exactly what's changed. With URLy Warning, a pop-up window appears when a Web page you're watching changes, and you'll see a visual comparison of what's been added and deleted. The trial allows you to track one site in demo mode.

Once installed, you'll need to launch the app and proceed to step three.

Step Three: Configure URLy Warning
I've tried a number of tactics, but this one works best.  Click on options and set the URL to:

• For Sony PS3:  http://ps3finder.com/  (be sure to visit www.bensbargains.net for cool deals too)
• For Nintendo Wii: http://www.nintendowiipreorders.com/

Configure the rest of the settings you see below or read onfor customizations:

Setting to when at least 3 words are added or deleted will notify you when items go in or out of stock. This can result in a high count, but ensures you don't miss anything.  There are other strategies here such as setting When page contains the phrase "In Stock".

Updated Strategy: Search for changes in history only

Kevin writes, "I added a test range to only ping me on changes to the Tracker History by entering ‘History’ in the first text box and leaving the 2^nd text box blank.  This way, I only get notified when something is in stock and not when a timeout occurs."  Nice addition Kevin- thanks for the tip!  Screenie below.

You can set the app to give you a popup, a chime sound, or even send email to you or a paging device.  I used the popup and chime.  If you use the settings I did above, you'll see when words change.  If the number is in the hundreds, that means multiple deals are popping up or selling out since your last check.

Just hit reset between checks.  Plan on checking multiple times as some bundles are ridiculously priced- I played the waiting game and won.

Step Four: Get up early, check early and often
I've noticed a trend from the east coast- many stores first update their inventory between 5 and 8 am Central time.  I've saw and let go a number of high priced bundles, before getting a reasonable (MSRP) deal at a major retailer last year on my Xbox 360.  Now I'm off to play Gears of War :).

Good luck and happy hunting!