In case you missed it, Microsoft just released some great new downloads, specifically new versions of VS 2008, Silverlight, and Expression Blend.

As someone who started writing what are now called AJAX apps since 2000, I *really* appreciate how Silverlight and Blend make RIAs much easier to develop.

Links to all the bits-

• Visual Studio 2008 Beta 2
• Visual Studio Extensions for Silverlight
• Silverlight 1.0 SDK / Silverlight 1.1 SDK
• ASP.NET Futures CTP
• Silverlight 1.0 RC1 / Windows (direct link)
• Silverlight 1.0 RC1 / Mac (direct link)
• Silverlight 1.1 Alpha Refresh / Windows (direct link)
• Silverlight 1.1 Alpha Refresh / Mac (direct link)
• Expression Blend August Preview
• Expression Media Encoder Template Updater

No, not the DaVinci Code, but his Codices.  Leonardo DaVinci's two notebooks, the Codex Arundel and the Codex Leicester, are being brought together digitally. This is the first time that the two parts have been together since DaVinci's death in 1519.

The British Library owned the former, Bill Gates owned the latter, and they've brought them together in an WPF Browser AP.

You can experience “Turning the Pages” 2.0 here www.bl.uk , following the link with take you to http://ttpdownload.bl.uk/browserapp.xbap

Looking for another one stop shop for your WCF, WF, WPF, and CardSpace (formerly InfoCard) needs?

http://netfx3.com/ was launched with the rebranding of winfx to netfx3, and now you can find info, demos, and forums on CardSpace and all your favorite foundation technologies there.  This site consolidates what was windowsworkflow.net and windowscommunication.net.

Definately worth checking out, particularly as there were a number of new samples and demos uploaded that weren't on the old sites.

.NET Framework 3.0 - June CTP has been released and can be found here.

You can now get Windows Vista Beta 2 and a new drop of WinFx (Beta 2/RC0).

This version of WinFX has a new Go Live license attached (the first since January). There's enough new since January that you'll want to make the jump to the May bits.

If you want to use Infocard, this is also the drop for you. This is the first broadly available build that has Infocard bits that work with IE7.

Find both Vista and WinFX  here.

http://msdn.microsoft.com/windowsvista/downloads/products/getthebeta/default.aspx#developWinFXApps

If you're like me and wanted to go but missed it - good news.  The sessions have just been posted online for free view/download.

Sessions here: http://sessions.mix06.com/

NGW034 - From "Username and Password" to InfoCard

DIS003 - Today's Identity Crisis, and the Identity Metasystem

For those unfamiliar with MIX, here's the pitch -

“If you do business on the Web today, it's likely that more than 90% of your customers reach you via Microsoft® Internet Explorer and/or Microsoft Windows®. Come to MIX and learn how the next versions of these products, due later this year, are going to dramatically improve your customers' experience. Explore a wide range of new Web technologies that Microsoft is delivering to help you unlock new revenue opportunities and lower development costs. Learn about the future of Internet Explorer and join us in a discussion about how we can build the ideal Web surfing platform to meet your needs and those of your customers.

“

I know I focus on WCF, WF, and Infocard, but for demos I also use Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF).

I'm guessing some of you may do this as well (WPF rocks!), and maybe had some challenges migrating older XAML files to the FebCTP build.

If this is you, you're going to like this. I just ran across a utility that Rob Relyea built to help with the migration to FebCTP.

You can be find it here:

http://www.longhornblogs.com/rrelyea/archive/2006/02/14/XamlMigrator.aspx

I know there are a number of readers from both Germany and Japan, so wanted to make sure to publish links to the Feb CTP for those languages as well:

German

Page: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=A2151993-991D-4F58-A707-5883FF4C1DC2&displaylang=de

Install Guide: http://download.microsoft.com/download/1/8/8/188168e6-4881-4c9d-94a7-34742390f9a0/WFBeta2_Install_Instructions.htm

ReadMe: http://download.microsoft.com/download/5/1/b/51b24af7-8d77-47c0-8947-5768f728237e/VS2005Extensions_for_WF_Beta2_Readme.htm

Download: http://download.microsoft.com/download/3/0/9/30929765-ad9c-4494-b9a4-072b5d553b7c/Visual Studio 2005 Extensions for Windows Workflow Foundation Beta 2(DE).exe 

Japanese

Page: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=A2151993-991D-4F58-A707-5883FF4C1DC2&displaylang=ja

Install Guide: http://download.microsoft.com/download/6/6/f/66ff81ee-e089-4db5-9da8-ae1d67badf86/WFBeta2_Install_Instructions.htm

ReadMe: http://download.microsoft.com/download/8/4/9/84975e78-5f80-4552-ac18-6463a7a3af38/VS2005Extensions_for_WF_Beta2_Readme.htm

Download:  http://download.microsoft.com/download/e/3/d/e3d477c5-8ca6-47fc-8fe6-d98a10ba651e/Visual Studio 2005 Extensions for Windows Workflow Foundation Beta 2(JA).exe

The WinFX Runtime Components February CTP has been published.

For February, Vista will also be releasing a CTP which is sync’d with WinFX Runtime Components.  The build of Vista (5308.17) will be available only to MSDN Subscribers, while WinFX RC, the SDK, and tools will be available to everyone via the MSDN Download Center.

WinFX Runtime Components:

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=F51C4D96-9AEA-474F-86D3-172BFA3B828B&displaylang=en

Windows SDK: 

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=9BE1FC7F-0542-47F1-88DD-61E3EF88C402&displaylang=en

Microsoft Visual Studio Code Name “Orcas” Community Technology Preview - Development Tools for WinFX® (aka Fidalgo):  

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=AD0CE56E-D7B6-44BC-910D-E91F3E370477&displaylang=en

VS Extensions for WorkFlow:  

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=A2151993-991D-4F58-A707-5883FF4C1DC2&displaylang=en

WinFX RC February CTP “Readme”: 

http://msdn.microsoft.com/windowsvista/support/relnotes/winfxfebctp/default.aspx

The WinFX Runtime Components February CTP has been published.

For February, Vista will also be releasing a CTP which is sync’d with WinFX Runtime Components.  The build of Vista (5308.17) will be available only to MSDN Subscribers, while WinFX RC, the SDK, and tools will be available to everyone via the MSDN Download Center.

WinFX Runtime Components:

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=F51C4D96-9AEA-474F-86D3-172BFA3B828B&displaylang=en

Windows SDK: 

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=9BE1FC7F-0542-47F1-88DD-61E3EF88C402&displaylang=en

Microsoft Visual Studio Code Name “Orcas” Community Technology Preview - Development Tools for WinFX® (aka Fidalgo):  

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=AD0CE56E-D7B6-44BC-910D-E91F3E370477&displaylang=en

VS Extensions for WorkFlow:  

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=A2151993-991D-4F58-A707-5883FF4C1DC2&displaylang=en

WinFX RC February CTP “Readme”: 

http://msdn.microsoft.com/windowsvista/support/relnotes/winfxfebctp/default.aspx

The WinFX Runtime Components February CTP has been published.

For February, Vista will also be releasing a CTP which is sync’d with WinFX Runtime Components.  The build of Vista (5308.17) will be available only to MSDN Subscribers, while WinFX RC, the SDK, and tools will be available to everyone via the MSDN Download Center.

WinFX Runtime Components:

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=F51C4D96-9AEA-474F-86D3-172BFA3B828B&displaylang=en

Windows SDK: 

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=9BE1FC7F-0542-47F1-88DD-61E3EF88C402&displaylang=en

Microsoft Visual Studio Code Name “Orcas” Community Technology Preview - Development Tools for WinFX® (aka Fidalgo):  

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=AD0CE56E-D7B6-44BC-910D-E91F3E370477&displaylang=en

VS Extensions for WorkFlow:  

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=A2151993-991D-4F58-A707-5883FF4C1DC2&displaylang=en

WinFX RC February CTP “Readme”: 

http://msdn.microsoft.com/windowsvista/support/relnotes/winfxfebctp/default.aspx

The WinFX Runtime Components February CTP has been published.

For February, Vista will also be releasing a CTP which is sync’d with WinFX Runtime Components.  The build of Vista (5308.17) will be available only to MSDN Subscribers, while WinFX RC, the SDK, and tools will be available to everyone via the MSDN Download Center.

WinFX Runtime Components:

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=F51C4D96-9AEA-474F-86D3-172BFA3B828B&displaylang=en

Windows SDK: 

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=9BE1FC7F-0542-47F1-88DD-61E3EF88C402&displaylang=en

Microsoft Visual Studio Code Name “Orcas” Community Technology Preview - Development Tools for WinFX® (aka Fidalgo):  

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=AD0CE56E-D7B6-44BC-910D-E91F3E370477&displaylang=en

VS Extensions for WorkFlow:  

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=A2151993-991D-4F58-A707-5883FF4C1DC2&displaylang=en

WinFX RC February CTP “Readme”: 

http://msdn.microsoft.com/windowsvista/support/relnotes/winfxfebctp/default.aspx