@Home with Windows Azure

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Update: Just a few days remain for you to enter the competition! Although the early bird prize category is closed, you can still win 1 of 3 tickets to Microsoft TechEd New Zealand 2012, or 1 of 5 Nokia Lumia 710 Windows Phones! Your odds are still really good, so what are you waiting for?!

  

Use Windows Azure To Help Others

We are proud to announce the @Home with Windows Azure competition here in New Zealand! Join us in this effort to give back to a very deserving cause, and get a solid understanding of the Windows Azure platform in the process.

You can enter the competition by deploying a pre-developed solution to Windows Azure, that directly contributes to Stanford University’s Folding@home effort. This is a distributed computing project that carries out simulations of protein folding . By simply running a piece of software, you can help scientists learn more about diseases like Alzheimer’s, ALS, Huntington’s, Parkinson’s disease and many cancers - through banding together to make one of the largest supercomputers in the world.

This distributed computing project was created by Stanford University researchers to help scientists unravel the mysteries of protein folding in hopes of helping cure diseases. Started by the US East Region DPE team, The @Home with Windows Azure project allows you to contribute to it by using the Windows Azure benefits of your MSDN subscription or by using a free 3-month trial subscription to harness the power of Microsoft’s cloud computing platform.

Prizes & Dates

Your first prize will be feeling good about contributing to a great cause!

In addition to the protein folding calculations that you enable, Microsoft will donate $10 to Stanford University's effort for each deployment of the @home with Windows Azure application (up to a maximum of $5,000).

As if you need another reason, deploying your own folding project will also give you the chance to win one of the following great prizes:
 

 

 

Eligible entries from New Zealand participants who:

  • enter before 11:59pm on 31 May 2012, and
  • leave their solution deployed until at least 11:59am on 22 June 2012...

 

… will go in the random draw to win:

  • 1 of 3 Microsoft TechEd New Zealand 2012 Tickets, or
  • 1 of 5 Nokia Lumia 710 Windows Phones

 

"Early" entries submitted before 11:59pm on the 17 May 2012 will be eligible for these same prizes, but will also go in the earlybird draw to win a Nokia Lumia 800 Windows Phone!
Early bird has now closed!

 

So what are you waiting for!? Let's see how you can enter...

How To Enter

There are two parts to joining the cause and entering the competition:

1: Deploy the app Follow the instructions on the @Home with Windows Azure page to get setup. You can also enter if you are running Windows XP, Linux, or Mac! The four easy steps on the page should take you less than 30 minutes. They will help you get access to a free 3-month Windows Azure trial (or just use your MSDN subscription allocation); get setup and download the Azure application; configure it with your settings; and finally deploy and run it! Make sure that you 'pin' your solution somewhere in New Zealand!

2: Submit it to us Once you are up and running, email us two pieces of information: the Windows Live ID of the account you used, and the URL of your folding project running on Azure.

Important Notes

  • Any 3 Month Trial or new MSDN Subscription activation comes with a $0 spending limit so you don’t need to worry about getting charged. The credit card step is for identification purposes and in case you switch to a full Azure subscription later or remove the spending limit. 
  • If using an existing subscription you are responsible for ensuring this project doesn’t go over your allocation.
  • If you have an MSDN subscription and haven’t activated your Azure allocation, I would recommend going with that instead of the trial. This way, you can leave your contribution running for as long as your MSDN subscription is active and, if you have a great idea for an Azure solution, you will have your access all setup and ready to go!

 

To see what a deployed application looks like, check out my contribution.

Here’s a screenshot of it working away:

image

 

 

So good luck, and thank you in advance for making a difference!

 

Thiago AlmeidaTechnology Evangelist Microsoft New Zealand Blog | Twitter | Email

 

Folding@Home with Windows Azure Competition - Terms and Conditions:

Eligibility

1. By entering this competition you agree to be bound by these terms and conditions.

2. To be eligible for the competition, you must be a New Zealand Resident using a New Zealand Windows Live ID.

How to enter

3. To enter you must:

          (a) email msdnnz@microsoft.com before 11:59pm on 31 May 2012, with a link to your deployed folding solution, and the Windows Live ID associated with the Windows Azure subscription used; and

          (b) have selected a location within New Zealand, when you 'pinned' your folding solution to the world map during the step-by-step instructions; and

          (c) leave your solution deployed until at least 11:59am on 22 June 2012, when the final prizes will be drawn.

4. Use of the Windows Azure website, including creating your account, signing up for new offers, and changing your contact and billing information is subject to the Windows Azure Terms of Use.

5. Prizes and award criteria:

          (a) Early Bird: Each and every 'early' valid entry (deployed and submitted by 11:59pm on 17 May 2012) will go in the random draw to win a Nokia Lumia 800 Windows Phone.

          (b) Final Prizes: Each and every valid entry (deployed and submitted by 11:59pm on 31 May 2012, and still deployed at 11:59am on 22 June 2012) will go in the random draw to win 1 of 3 tickets to Microsoft TechEd New Zealand 2012, or 1 of 5 Nokia Lumia 710 Windows Phones.

6. Prizes will be awarded in the following order. You can only receive one prize, from the final prizes. Each entrant who receives a final prize is ineligible to receive an additional final prize in a later prize award category.

          (a) Microsoft TechEd New Zealand 2012 Tickets: the winners (up to 3) will be awarded first;

          (b) Nokia Lumia 710 Windows Phones: the winners (up to 5) will be awarded last.

7. The 'Early Bird' prize does not count as a final prize - the winner of the 'Early Bird' prize is still eligible for the final prizes, if their entry is still 'valid' (still deployed at 11:59am on 22 June 2012).

8. Use of Microsoft TechEd New Zealand 2012 Tickets are subject to the Microsoft Tech Ed New Zealand 2012 Terms and Conditions.

General

9. Prizes will be allocated on the 22nd of June 2012, and winners will be notified by the 30th of June 2012, via the email address used to submit the entry to msdnnz@microsoft.com, as specified in clause 3.

10. Microsoft is not responsible for entries not received and incomplete, illegible, 'hacked' or otherwise fraudulent entries are not valid.

11. Prizes will be delivered to a New Zealand address that each winner nominates, at Microsoft's expense.

12. It is a condition of accepting any prize that the prize winner agrees to participate in publicity generated by Microsoft (or Microsoft’s marketing partners), and agrees to the use of their name, photo, and folding solution URL for promotional purposes.

13. Employees of Microsoft (and each of their immediate family members) and independent contractors of Microsoft (and each of their immediate family members) are not eligible to enter.

14. Prizes are not transferable or redeemable for cash. If you are unable or unwilling to accept your prize, Microsoft may award it to an alternate winner.

15. If you accept a prize you will be solely responsible for all applicable taxes related to accepting the prize.

16. If for any reason an advertised prize is unavailable, Microsoft may substitute the advertised prize for another prize which has approximately the same recommended retail price.

17. If there is a dispute as to who submitted the winning entry, the winner will be the authorized account holder of the Windows Live ID associated with the subscription used to deploy the solution. Entries submitted in to the draw must be submitted by the actual owner of the Windows Live ID.

18. Microsoft New Zealand Limited is the promoter of this prize draw and may modify these terms and conditions without notice.

19. Microsoft reserves the right to cancel, suspend or change the competition or any element of the competition for any reason, including any cancellation, suspension or change necessitated by any event outside Microsoft’s control.

20. The judge's decision in relation to the winners or any other aspect of this prize draw is final and no correspondence will be entered into.

21. Microsoft may disqualify, from participating in this prize draw, any person who tampers with the entry process, or submits an entry not in accordance with these terms and conditions.

22. Microsoft is committed to complying with the Government gift and ethics policies. Employees and independent contractors of the Government must adhere to gift and ethics policies applicable to them when entering this prize draw or accepting any prize.

23. Microsoft is not responsible for any problems or technical malfunction of any telephone network or lines, servers or providers, or any combination thereof. Nor is it responsible for any incorrect or inaccurate information caused by any of the equipment or programming associated with or utilised in this prize draw, or by any technical or human error that may occur in the course of the administration of this prize draw.

24. To the extent permitted by law, Microsoft, its retailers, suppliers, associated companies and agencies will not be liable to you for any direct, indirect or consequential loss or damage whatsoever, including personal injury, which is suffered as a result of, or arising from, your participation in the prize draw or winning (or not winning) any prize.

25. Microsoft is not responsible for any credit card charges incurred as a result of, or arising from, the use of your Windows Azure account. We recommend that you use a new 3-month trial subscription, or activate the benefits of an MSDN subscription, for your entry. In both of these cases, a Windows Azure 'spending limit' of $0 will be enabled by default. Removing this spending limit, or using a Windows Azure subscription that does not have a spending limit, will leave your credit card open to incurring charges. Note that, once disabled, a spending limit cannot be re-enabled.

26. At Microsoft, we are committed to protecting your privacy. Microsoft will collect and use your details for the purposes of running this prize draw and to send you promotional material that may be of interest to you, as set out in clause 27 below. You can access or request correction of your details by emailing uptodate@microsoft.com.

27. By entering this competition, you consent to Microsoft New Zealand Limited sending you marketing and promotional material by email or using any of your other contact details Microsoft may have.

28. Microsoft reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to withhold the award of any or all prizes if entries do not meet the criteria set out in these terms and conditions.