Chirag's Space: Blog

Windows Live Contacts Gadget

Mon, 21 Aug 2006 01:52:07 GMT

The Windows Live Contacts gadget is a client-side browser JavaScript object that enables visitors to use their Windows Live contacts with your Web site. Instead of typing a shipping address into a shopping cart form, for example, the user could simply select one of their Windows Live contacts from the contact gadget. The user saves time and effort in completing the order, and you gain the benefits of an address book for your Web site without having to implement, maintain, and provision data storage and management UI on your servers. The user maintains control of their personal contacts data, while you focus on providing services with data the user gives you. (Read the privacy notice for the Windows Live Contacts gadget.)

See the Windows Live Contacts gadget working in our live samples:

Start a Party
Map Your Contacts

A key aspect of this gadget is maintaining secure data isolation between multiple domains. The gadget obtains the user’s contacts data from Windows Live servers via a secure HTTPS connection and releases to your Web page only the data for the contacts that the user selects and approves for sharing with your Web page. In this way, users stay in control of their data, which offers them a level of confidence in dealing with third-party Web sites.

Your Web site needs to make a clear statement to the user about how you will be using the data they share with you. The Windows Live Contacts gadget requires that you supply a URL to a privacy statement and that you display that URL to the end user when they are prompted to approve transfer of the selected contact data to your site. If you use the shared data only for the current activity and then discard it, you should say so in your privacy statement. If you store the shared data on your servers for any purpose, you should say so in your privacy statement and provide means for the user to review or delete such stored data.

ADO.NET vNext August CTP available for download

Sat, 19 Aug 2006 21:00:23 GMT

Microsoft has released the ADO.NET vNext August CTP.

The ADO.NET Entity Framework, which includes:
- The Entity Data Model (EDM), which allows developers to model data at a higher level of abstraction
- A powerful client-views/mapping engine to map to and from store schemas
- Full query support over EDM schemas using Entity SQL and LINQ
- An object services layer that allows you to choose to present query results as rows and columns or as objects. When using .NET objects, the system will transparently do identity resolution, change tracking and update processing for you.
- An open provider model that allows other stores to plug into the ADO.NET Entity Framework
Language-Integrated Query (LINQ) integration in ADO.NET for this CTP includes:
- LINQ to Entities: formulate queries using LINQ against your EDM schemas
- LINQ to DataSet: the DataSet finally gets full query capabilities! You can formulate LINQ queries that go against one or more DataTable objects. The LINQ to DataSet implementation will even optimize certain query patterns for better execution performance.
Tools
- We're working hard to include a rich set of tools that integrate naturally with the runtime components to provide a great end-to-end experience. Some early tools are included in this CTP, and more will come soon!

In the CTP package you'll find:

The actual ADO.NET CTP assemblies that will be installed in your system
A few new project templates to create new ADO.NET Entity Framework-based applications and entity model libraries
Various examples that illustrate how to use the ADO.NET Entity Framework and the LINQ integration in many different scenarios
A couple of documents that describe the Entity Framework & LINQ integration.

Launchy: The Keystroke Launcher for Windows

Fri, 18 Aug 2006 22:03:17 GMT

Launchy is a free windows utility designed to help you forget about your start menu, the icons on your desktop, and even your file manager.

Launchy indexes the programs in your start menu and can launch your documents, project files, folders, and bookmarks with just a few keystrokes!

Download now

Multi-Touch Interaction

Thu, 17 Aug 2006 01:23:55 GMT

Jeff Han is a research scientist for New York University's Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences. Here, he demonstrates—for the first time publicly—his intuitive, "interface-free," touch-driven computer screen, which can be manipulated intuitively with the fingertips, and responds to varying levels of pressure.

Windows Live Writer

Tue, 15 Aug 2006 22:06:01 GMT

I'm really impressed with this tool. Writer is a desktop application that makes it easier to compose compelling blog posts using Windows Live Spaces or your current blog service.

Few things that I really loved about this tool. Firstly WYSIWYG authoring you can now author your post and know exactly what it will look like before you publish it.

Secondly Photo publishing writer makes inserting, customizing and uploading photos to blog. Once you've inserted the picture writer provides an editing tool to modify picture size, text wrapping, borders and apply effects.

Thirdly Map publishing writer inserts Windows Live Local map into your post and Lastly Drafts you can close your window anytime it autosaves, you can keep unlimited number of items in the draft.

Writer SDK is available it allows developers to extend writer's capabilities.

Download now

My new blog address

Sat, 24 Sep 2005 19:01:50 GMT

Hi, my new blog address is http://www.chiragbatra.com/blog

Microsoft TechED India, Kolkata

Sun, 28 Aug 2005 20:19:20 GMT

Hi,

Microsoft TechED was gr8. . & all session were really presented very well. I was really surprised & amazed with .NET's new features and upgrades and more than .NET was SQL Server 2005. . What gr8 upgrade. I had real good time being there and the best part was the BETA 2 DVD. . as I’m not a MSDN member. . I too can get hands on Beta 2 now. . Anyways the TechED PPTs are available @ http://www.microsoft.com/india/connections/teched2005/Presentations.aspx

Regards,

Chirag Batra,

Manager, DotNETIndia,

UG: http://groups.msn.com/dotnetindia

MSN's Virtual Earth

Sat, 06 Aug 2005 03:36:11 GMT

Hi,

MSN has launched Virtual Earth. Virtual Earth is similar to Google's Earth Program. Check it out.

Google: http://maps.google.com

MSN: http://virtualearth.msn.com/

Regards,

Chirag Batra,

Manager, DotNETIndia,

UG: groups.msn.com/dotnetindia

Getting started with AJAX

Wed, 03 Aug 2005 19:14:24 GMT

Hi,

Get started with AJAX approach. This article explains lot more about AJAX approach with examples. check it out

URL:http://developer.mozilla.org/en/docs/AJAX:Getting_Started

Regards,

Chirag Batra,

Manager, DotNETIndia,

UG: http://groups.msn.com/dotnetindia

Whats NEW in IE 7

Tue, 02 Aug 2005 21:42:23 GMT

Hi,

This article explains new features in Microsoft IE 7.

URL: http://msdn.microsoft.com/workshop/essentials/whatsnew/whatsnew_70_sdk.asp?frame=true
Home: http://msdn.microsoft.com/ie

Regards,

Chirag Batra,

Manager, DotNETIndia,

UG: http://groups.msn.com/dotnetindia

email: chirag_batra@hotmail.com

AJAX approch . . life without refresh

Sun, 31 Jul 2005 16:35:16 GMT

Hi,

This articles explains about AJAX new approch in web application. How one can create web application without any page refresh.

Who is using it ?

Google is making a huge investment in developing the Ajax approach. All of the major products Google has introduced over the last year — Orkut, Gmail, the latest beta version of Google Groups, Google Suggest, and Google Maps — are Ajax applications. (For more on the technical nuts and bolts of these Ajax implementations, check out these excellent analyses of Gmail, Google Suggest, and Google Maps.) Others are following suit: many of the features that people love in Flickr depend on Ajax, and Amazon’s A9.com search engine applies similar techniques.

Article URL:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/asp.net/default.aspx?pull=/library/en-us/dnaspp/html/lifewithoutrefresh.asp

http://www.adaptivepath.com/publications/essays/archives/000385.php

Regards,
Chirag Batra.
Manager, DotNETIndia,
http://groups.msn.com/dotnetindia
email: chirag_batra@hotmail.com

Windows Vista

Thu, 28 Jul 2005 23:54:17 GMT

Hi,

Codename Longhorn is now Window Vista Microsoft has announced its name recently and Vista Beta 1 also available for download for MSDN Subscribers.

Official Website: http://www.microsoft.com/windowsvista
MSDN Developer Center: http://msdn.microsoft.com/windowsvista

Vista Videos: www.only4gurus.com

Chirag Batra,

Manager, DotNETIndia,
UG: http://groups.msn.com/dotnetindia,

Email: chirag_batra@hotmail.com.

DotNETIndia - Technical Interview Questions

Fri, 22 Jul 2005 17:28:44 GMT

Hi Friends,

DotNETIndia has started a new section on Technical Interview Questions. Check it out.

Regards,

Chirag Batra,

Manager, DotNETIndia,

http://groups.msn.com/dotnetindia

email: chirag_batra@hotmail.com

DotNETIndia - a .NET UG

Sun, 29 May 2005 23:34:02 GMT

Hi Friends,

DotNetIndia is a brand new MSN User Group on Microsoft .NET and other related technologies. Join us and share your knowledge with us.

Regards,
Chirag Batra.
Manager, DotNETIndia,
http://groups.msn.com/dotnetindia
email: chirag_batra@hotmail.com

About Me - CHIRAG BATRA

Wed, 04 May 2005 17:51:04 GMT

Hi,

I'm Chirag Batra, a Microsoft Certified Professional (.NET) & founder of CUBEXDESIGN. I am a independent consultant dealing in Web, Software & Multimedia development my specializing is in Microsoft Technologies. I founded CUBEXDESIGN to provide Web development, designing, hosting & multimedia solutions and I've been providing solutions since 2003.

My specialization is in .NET technologies I love programming in .NET I mainly work in Web Application, Windows Appliaction with Visual Basic.NET & C#. I'm pursuing for MCSD in .NET and MCDBA.

I have very good control over multimedia my specialization in multimedia software are Macromedia Flash & Action Script, Adobe Photoshop, Corel Draw, Adobe Illustrator, Director & lingo and many other softwares.

- Chirag Batra.
Microsoft Certified Professional.
User Groups: groups.msn.com/dotnetindia & groups.msn.com/kolkatanet
Blog: onedotnet.blogspot.com, chiragbatra.blogspot.com
Website: http://www.cubexdesign.com, http://www.jobspiders.com,