SoCal Code Camp Talks on Gamification, and Easy Windows Azure Migration

This weekend I'll be at SoCal Code Camp in San Diego. I'm giving two presentations on Sunday 6/24. Hope to see you there!

Make Your Boring Business Software Compelling with Gamification (6/24/12, 10:15a, Rm 107)

Gamification is the practice of adding fun, competitive, and social elements to software applications. It makes the experience more compelling which leads to increased user loyalty and higher productivity.

In this session, we'll look at several different kinds of gamification including badges, points, achievements, rewards, contests, leaderboards, auctions, entertaining UI, and "games" that actually solve real-world problems.

We'll see examples of gamification in action in HTML5 web/mobile applications running on the Microsoft web/cloud platform.


Ridiculously Fast & Easy Migration to the Cloud with Windows Azure (6/24/12, 3:00p, Rm 126)

Some applications are easier than others to migrate to the cloud. In this session, Windows Azure MVP David Pallmann will show you the low-hanging fruit: recipies for application and data migration that are ridiculously fast and easy with a high ROI. We'll perform a number of actual migrations live in the session. If you're looking for no-brainer use of the cloud that doesn't involve a lot of rocket science, this session is for you.

My HTML5 and Windows Azure Sessions at SoCal Code Camp Los Angeles 10/15-10/16/11

SoCal Code Camp Los Angeles is coming up October 15-16 2011 at the University of Southern California. I'll be there, both giving and attending sessions. The two sessions I'm giving are Getting Started with HTML5 and Windows Azure Design Patterns, both on Saturday afternoon (detail below).

Several of my Neudesic colleagues are also giving talks. Robert Altland is covering Mobile web development with HTML 5 and jQuery Mobile. Muhammad Nabell is covering WPF Styling Architecture. Oleksiy Tereshchenko is covering Introduction to functional programming using F#. By the way, we're always looking for top notch developers at Neudesic. If you're going to be at SoCal Code Camp and are interested in working with us, please speak to me or one of my colleagues who are presenting.

Code Camp is a great event, and if you're a developer in the LA area you should seriously consider attending. What makes it great? First off, there's a lot of great information shared about many technology subjects that are hot today. Second, it's absolutely free. Third, it's open for anyone to be a presenter so it's a climate of peers informing peers as well as experts expounding on what they know.

Getting Started with HTML5
Saturday October 15, 12:15pm, SLH-200
Hearing a lot about HTML5 but not sure what it means for web development? Wondering how to get started with it? In this session, David Pallmann will explain the transformation of the front end that's going on with HTML5 and the blurring between web, tablet, and phone applications. You'll see compelling examples, gain insight into where the web is going, and get pointers on how to get started with HTML5 development yourself.

Windows Azure Design Patterns
Saturday October 15, 2:45pm, ZHS-159
David Pallmann, Windows Azure MVP and author of The Windows Azure Handbook, will review Windows Azure architecture and share design patterns for applications, hosting, storage, relational data, communication, network, and security design patterns. He'll also give away a copy or two of his Windows Azure Handbook and point you to online resources and samples.

Azure Sessions at So Cal Code Camp

This Saturday 1/29 I'll be presenting 2 Azure sessions at So Cal Code Camp at Cal State Fullerton in Orange County, CA.

Windows Azure in Action: Demo and Guided Tour
2:45pm, room UH 246
See the entire Windows Azure platform demonstrated! In this session, Windows Azure MVP and author David Pallmann will demonstrate each functional area of the platform live, including: Windows Azure Compute, Windows Azure Storage, Windows Azure CDN, Windows Azure DataMarket, SQL Azure Database, SQL Azure Reporting, SQL Azure Sync Service, AppFabric Cache, AppFabric Service Bus, and AppFabric Access Control Service. This is the way to get a real appreciation for what this large and ever-growing platform can do by seeing it in action.

Windows Azure in the Real World: Best Practices and Migration Tips
4:00 pm, room UH 246
Cloud computing with Windows Azure is exciting but it is vital to approach it correctly. In this session, Windows Azure MVP and author David Pallmann will share best practices and lessons learned from real-world use of Windows Azure. There will be a detailed discussion of application migration with examples. If you want to succeed in your adoption of Windows Azure, this is a chance to learn what works--and what doesn't--from the experiences of others.

Azure is well-represented at this code camp: there are plenty of Azure sessions being offered as well by others. I hope to see many of you there!