Mike Swanson's Blog
Use the Dell XPS LEDs to Monitor Your Build Status
Nearly two years ago, while I was still working for Microsoft Consulting Services in the field, I...
Author: Michael Swanson Date: 07/23/2006
Virtual PC, FolderShare, and Sysinternals
I'm risking it again...three completely different topics in a single post! For those with a weak...
Author: Michael Swanson Date: 07/19/2006
New Widescreen Wallpaper and Posters
This past November, I stopped posting individual blog entries whenever I added new images to my...
Author: Michael Swanson Date: 07/15/2006
XAML: Behind the Scenes
No, we're not announcing anything called JMAX today. Although if we were, I wonder what it would...
Author: Michael Swanson Date: 07/14/2006
Convert LightWave 3D Files to XAML
Hooray! Here's another 3D format that can now be converted to XAML for use with WPF. Richard Godfrey...
Author: Michael Swanson Date: 07/03/2006
CSS-Like Visual Styling for Windows Forms
Infragistics has released some new technology that allows developers to easily apply visual styles...
Author: Michael Swanson Date: 07/03/2006
Steve's Atlas-Powered Blog and More
Steve Marx recently joined my team to focus on "Atlas" evangelism. He came from the Windows Code...
Author: Michael Swanson Date: 06/14/2006
Windows Vista Beta 2 Public Availability
If you've been itching to try Windows Vista, you can now download Beta 2 of the 32- and 64-bit...
Author: Michael Swanson Date: 06/08/2006
Tom Skerritt and www.SeeWindowsVista.com
Remember the photo of the mystery actor from my post a month or so back? Well, if you haven't...
Author: Michael Swanson Date: 06/02/2006
Adobe Fireworks to WPF/XAML Exporter from Infragistics
Grant Hinkson, a member of the Visual Design Team at Infragistics, has written a freely-available...
Author: Michael Swanson Date: 06/02/2006
Windows Vista Beta 2, Office 2007 Beta 2, and a Whole Lot More!
As of today (to coincide with WinHEC), the all-you-can-eat buffet of bits is open for business. Make...
Author: Michael Swanson Date: 05/23/2006
Windows Media Player 11, CodePlex, and Ms. Pac-Man/Galaga Arcade Machine, Oh My
No, these three items don't have anything to do with each other. And I hate to admit that I'm using...
Author: Michael Swanson Date: 05/18/2006
Expression Web Designer CTP1 Released
You've heard me blog about Expression Graphic Designer and Expression Interactive Designer in the...
Author: Michael Swanson Date: 05/17/2006
PDC05 Session Hosting Extended Through June 30, 2006
We've extended hosting for the PDC05 post-show sessions through June 30, 2006. Hosting was...
Author: Michael Swanson Date: 05/12/2006
All 52 MIX06 Sessions Online
As promised, we've published all 52 MIX06 sessions online for your education and enjoyment. We'll be...
Author: Michael Swanson Date: 05/04/2006
The Power of a Great Actor
Over the past couple of weeks, I've been working on a project with many of my fellow Microsoft...
Author: Michael Swanson Date: 04/26/2006
Looking for Cool Windows Vista Demos
We're working with a number of our early adopter partners and customers to put together short video...
Author: Michael Swanson Date: 04/06/2006
MIX06 Session Recordings
The MIX06 conference in Las Vegas is over, and it was an outstanding event. Feedback has been almost...
Author: Michael Swanson Date: 03/24/2006
Miter Limits in Illustrator and WPF
Continuing my series of posts on "gee, that's obscure," I thought I'd document the difference...
Author: Michael Swanson Date: 03/24/2006
New IE7 Build and Developer Toolbar Update
The IE team released the Internet Explorer 7 Beta 2 Preview build to coincide with the MIX06...
Author: Michael Swanson Date: 03/23/2006
Managed Code on Xbox 360
Yes, you read that correctly. In case you missed the announcement at the Game Developers Conference...
Author: Michael Swanson Date: 03/23/2006
Improved Gradient Conversion from Illustrator to WPF (and DrawingBrush)
I put my Flash experimentation on hold this past weekend and decided to add a little bit of...
Author: Michael Swanson Date: 03/16/2006
Two New Expression March CTPs
On Friday, we released March 2006 CTPs of both Expression Interactive Designer (formerly code named...
Author: Michael Swanson Date: 03/12/2006
Converting Flash Shapes to WPF
You may recall my post last month titled File Formats for Conversion to XAML. In that post, I asked...
Author: Michael Swanson Date: 02/27/2006
WPF Tools and Controls Resource Page
I've created a Windows Presentation Foundation Tools and Controls page that has a permanent link in...
Author: Michael Swanson Date: 02/26/2006
Illustrator to XAML Plug-In Updated for February 2006 CTP
Other than a very slight syntax change to accomodate the revised XAML namespaces for the WinFX...
Author: Michael Swanson Date: 02/24/2006
WPF XAML Namespace Update Tool for February CTP
If you'd like an easy way to update your XAML files to work with the recently-released February CTP...
Author: Michael Swanson Date: 02/23/2006
WinFX and Vista February CTPs Released
Unlike the January CTP of WinFX that didn't include any updates to WPF, the Feburary CTP that we...
Author: Michael Swanson Date: 02/22/2006
Win a Trip to Vegas and a Custom Xbox 360
Want to win a free trip to our upcoming MIX 06 conference in Las Vegas and a very cool custom Xbox...
Author: Michael Swanson Date: 02/19/2006
"Crossbow," WPF Training, and the Command Pattern
In his MSDN TV 15-minute video, Mike Henderlight talks about "Crossbow," the code name for the...
Author: Michael Swanson Date: 02/19/2006
Comparing Transmission Speeds
Have you ever wondered how various transmission speeds relate to each other? Or have you ever...
Author: Michael Swanson Date: 02/14/2006
Have Fun Programming Microcontrollers
I've spent over 26 years writing software. In that time, I've authored many programs that interact...
Author: Michael Swanson Date: 02/01/2006
I’m Hiring
So, are you interested in becoming a Technical Evangelist at Microsoft? Or do you have a friend or...
Author: Michael Swanson Date: 01/31/2006
IE7 Beta 2 Preview for Windows XP
If you're a developer, power-user, or someone who wants to experiment with early software, you can...
Author: Michael Swanson Date: 01/31/2006
File Formats for Conversion to XAML
As WPF application development continues to pick up steam, it's becoming more and more important to...
Author: Michael Swanson Date: 01/30/2006
WPF Components and Updated Lab Content
Phil Wright of Component Factory shares his insights about WPF and components in the article, The...
Author: Michael Swanson Date: 01/25/2006
Expression Interactive Designer January 2006 CTP Released
Okay. This is a big one. This morning, we released the Expression Interactive Designer January 2006...
Author: Michael Swanson Date: 01/25/2006
WinFX January CTP Released
We released the WinFX January CTP this morning along with some associated Go-Live licenses. As...
Author: Michael Swanson Date: 01/18/2006
Forrester and SD Times on WPF and XAML
Forrester Research, Inc. recently released a five page report titled: Why Windows Presentation...
Author: Michael Swanson Date: 01/11/2006
Illustrator to XAML Plug-In Updated for December 2005 CTP
I've updated my freely available Adobe Illustrator to WPF/XAML Export Plug-In to be compatible with...
Author: Michael Swanson Date: 01/05/2006
Random Act of Kindness Cards
Many years ago, when I was still living with my dad, I remember him mentioning a book that he was...
Author: Michael Swanson Date: 12/21/2005
WinFX December CTP Released
The December CTP of WinFX has been released this morning along with some other related downloads. In...
Author: Michael Swanson Date: 12/19/2005
Maya to XAML Export Plug-In
Thomas Goddard has written and released a freely-available plug-in for Maya that exports model and...
Author: Michael Swanson Date: 11/20/2005
WinFX November CTP Released
The WinFX November CTP was released this morning. Most notably, this is the first version of WinFX...
Author: Michael Swanson Date: 11/18/2005