The Patterns&Design team released some new eBooks.  This time it are 6 pocket guides.

1. Agile Architecture Method Pocket Guide
2. Web Application Architecture Pocket Guide
3. Mobile Application Architecture Pocket Guide
4. RIA Architecture Pocket Guide
5. Rich Client Application Architecture Pocket Guide
6. Service Architecture Pocket Guide

So happy reading for the end of this year.

when using word on a dual screen, and it's maximized there could be a problem when you try to restore the window.  After restoring it, the screen fully disappears.

The solution for this is very easy : after restoring the window, choose the option move.  use your keyboard arrow keys to move it around.  Even when you don't see the blue bar as it seems off the screen, at a certain moment you should be able to bring it back on your screen.

When you have the Plextor MediaX media HD (model PX-MX1000L) and you want to connect it to your PC as external HD with the USB cable included in the box, it could be that your PC doesn't recognize the Media HD. 

There's only one solution, change the USB cable.  The cable included in the box is from low quality.  Taking a good USB cable will solve your problem and your Media HD is recognized by windows.

it's a shame of Plextor to include such a bad quality USB cable.  The cable even doesn't work with other HD's.

A few months ago several MVP's joined together in a new community project on Codeplex.  This project is called TSWA Community Translation Project.

The purpose of this project is to give the community some additional languages for TSWA above the 9 that already ships with the product.

You can read the full story here : http://blogs.infosupport.com/marcelv/archive/2008/11/17/First-release-of-Team-System-Web-Access-Translations-now-available_2100_.aspx

Already more than a week old, but due Holiday now I'm able to post it.

The new version of the TFS Power Tools is released.  After a short delay to some issues mentioned by the TFS MVP's the october release is released in November .

You can download this version here : http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=FBD14EEA-781F-45A1-8C46-9F6BA2F68BF0&displaylang=en

You want to know more about this release read the preview on Brian Harry's blog : http://blogs.msdn.com/bharry/archive/2008/10/01/preview-of-the-next-tfs-power-tools-release.aspx.

Brian Harry also posted about some common issues/questions about this release.  You can read it here : http://blogs.msdn.com/bharry/archive/2008/11/10/common-oct-08-tfs-power-tools-questions.aspx

Microsoft has released 2 new P&P guidelines.

The first one is about Distributed Agile Development.

This guideline contains a white paper and an Agile Development Showcase.

Agile Development Showcase: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/dd128747.aspx

PDF: http://download.microsoft.com/download/4/4/a/44a2cebd-63fb-4379-898d-9cf24822c6cc/distributed_agile_development_at_microsoft_patterns_and_practices.pdf

The second one is about Acceptance Test Engineering.

This guideline is still in beta1.

Codeplex site: http://codeplex.com/TestingGuidance

Project Announcement: http://www.codeplex.com/Project/Download/FileDownload.aspx?ProjectName=TestingGuidance&DownloadId=40458

Community: http://www.codeplex.com/TestingGuidance/Thread/List.aspx

PDC news is flying around our ears with some great news, VPC's, ....

Now the ramework poster for .Net 4.0 is released. Txs to Brad Abrams we can download it.  And even more fun you can view it also in Deepzoom (not working when having Silverlight 2.0 :-().

Find the PDF version here: http://brad_abrams.members.winisp.net/Projects/PDC2008/PDC2008-NETFX4.pdf

Find the deepzoom version here: http://brad_abrams.members.winisp.net/Projects/PDC2008/DotNet4Poster/DotNetFramework4PosterDeepZoom.htm

You want to know more about Team System 2010.  Well Charles Sterling has made a post with a nice big collection of video's.  You can find this big collection here: http://blogs.msdn.com/charles_sterling/archive/2008/10/13/visual-studio-2010-videos.aspx

Yes it's possible.  The announcement is made at PDC.

The next version of Office will also include a browser based version of Word, Excel, Onenote and Powerpoint.  They aren't the full blown version but kind of express or lightweight versions.  The user can create, edit and collaborate office documents through the browser.  It will work on all browsers except Google Chrome.

You can read more here: http://www.microsoft.com/Presspass/Features/2008/oct08/10-28PDCOffice.mspx

It's a pitty that I wasn't able to go to PDC.  A lot of interresting news is comming from there up to me .

.Net has a new logo. This is the one.

This looks so great for me it so refreshing.  Being tired after 8 years of the old logo, I'm so happy with it.