As you have probably heard by now, Microsoft has made a new version of the .NET Micro Framework 3.0 SDK available on the Connect web site. Among the new features is support for the FREE Express Edition of Visual C# 2008!
To use this new release on Tahoe, you will need new firmware from us. We are working hard to bring this to you ASAP and will post again when it’s ready to go!
Elze Kool has just published his entry for the Dare to Dream Different contest. Apart from looking like a lot of fun, he has created a very nice user interface on the Tahoe-II and shows what you can do with the .NET Micro Framework.
More entries for the Dare To Dream Different contest have been posted online. Check them out!
James Y Wilson – Wearable Camera
Two people have posts showing how to display maps on the Tahoe-II!
Celiker Bacheci has some code that uses Google maps, and Elze Kool uses OpenStreetMap in his DareToDream contest entry.
Michel Verhagen from GuruCE has an excellent post on his blog about how to use WinUSB with the Micro Framework to communicate between your application and a PC.
Microsoft have announced the winners of the Dare To Dream Different contest.
Our congratulations to all the contestants and Microsoft for an excellent contest!
We will post links to the videos as soon as Microsoft makes them available.
Jens Kuhner has refreshed his excellent book to cover v3.0 of the .NET Micro Framework.
The ebook version is available now and can be purchased from the book web site.
Microsoft has announced that v4.0 will be available in public beta very soon. Sign up at the Microsoft Connect site so you can download it when it is released!
We will be supporting 4.0 on all our hardware, and will rolling out beta versions soon after the release.
Microsoft have posted some of the Dare to Dream contest videos on YouTube. It’s a great place to start if you want to see what can be done with a Tahoe-II board!
Check out the videos from the winners…
Professional Category
Grand Prize: James Ng (USA) – A security wrist watch device
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8h3kH61xDps&layer_token=4c7e927f0c47e74d]
Runner Up: Deon Schaffer (USA) – A computerized aromatherapy system
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RapbWYh89SI&layer_token=dc9f529d6d55e19c]
Runner Up: Slava Vassiliev (Russia) – A wireless concentrator of household and personal mobile medical devices
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HsO_WmC6stI&layer_token=d851a69280d3c3bc]
Hobbyist Category
Grand Prize: Tomas Scherrer (Brazil) – A digital musical instrument
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jq_SHM92LLA&layer_token=169ec1576917f6cc]
Runner Up: Ellis Percival (UK) – An intelligent home automation system
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNqNigrFDck&layer_token=ebcaaedcca249dc]
Runner Up: Terry Fogg (Australia) – A hand controller retrofit for telescopes
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZoZjDZXvro&layer_token=7a81d5e8e1d3690a]
There has been a lot of press regarding changes at Microsoft in the last few days. Today, Colin Miller clarified what the changes mean for the Micro Framework:
I need to correct a recent announcement of the demise of the Micro Framework. There are changes taking place on the team but they are all for the good.
First, the product is moving into the Developer Division (Server and Tools). This is a great fit for the technology and we are really looking forward to it. The move means that we will be fully aligned with the rest of the .NET groups and tools in building the uniform programming model from the sensors to servers.
The announcement that we are moving to some form of community direction and development including code access is accurate. We will investigate how to do that in the near term so stay tuned. For now however, the current products are available and continue to be supported as before.
I am really excited about the potential of really accelerating the changes in the industry that we see coming. I hope that you are as excited as I am. Please let me know if you have any questions.
For those concerned about the level of support from Microsoft, I can confirm that we are still receiving support and that Microsoft is working on a number of issues we have reported (including the SD card corruption issue).
On a personal note, I understand some of the team will be looking for work. I have enjoyed working with many members of the Micro Framework team over the last couple of years and wish them all the best for finding work.
Device Solutions is (of course) still committed to the .NET Micro Framework and as excited as Colin about being a part of it!
