General Flash support for tablets is finally here

Starting tomorrow, Microsoft is updating Internet Explorer 10 in Windows 8 and Windows RT to enable Flash content to run by default. On Windows 8, all Flash content continues to be enabled for IE on the desktop.

As has been seen through testing over the past several months, the vast majority of sites with Flash content are now compatible with the Windows experience for touch, performance, and battery life. With this update, the curated Compatibility View (CV) list blocks Flash content in the small number of sites that are still incompatible with the Windows experience for touch or that depend on other plug-ins.

Microsoft believe having more sites “just work” in IE10 improves the experience for consumers, businesses, and developers. As a practical matter, the primary device you walk around with should give you access to all the Web content on the sites you rely on.  Otherwise, the device is just a companion to a PC. Because some popular Web sites require Adobe Flash and do not offer HTML5 alternatives, Adobe and Microsoft continue to work together closely to deliver a Flash Player optimized for the Windows experience.

	Windows 8	Windows RT
Immersive IE	Enabled unless on CV list	Enabled unless on CV list
Desktop IE	Enabled for all sites	Enabled unless on CV list

This updates the immersive IE experience on Windows 8, and both the immersive and desktop IE experiences on Windows RT. The update will be made available to customers with Windows Update. The curated CV list applies to IE on the desktop for Windows RT since the most common reason to block Flash is that the site relies on other plug-ins that are not available on Windows RT.

More compatible Web experiences

Microsoft’s approach to Flash in Windows is practical for Windows customers and developers. For Windows 8, Microsoft worked with Adobe to include a version of Flash that is optimized for touch, performance, security, reliability, and battery life. Adobe made substantial changes to the Flash player to align with the Windows 8 experience goals. Microsoft shipped this optimized Flash component as part of Windows 8, and we service it through Windows Update. IE10 with Flash on Windows 8 enables people to see more of the Web working with high quality, especially compared with the experience in other touch-first or tablet browsers and devices.

When Microsoft released Windows 8 and Windows RT we used the IE Compatibility View (CV) list to enable sites to run Flash content compatible with the Windows 8 experience, including touch responsiveness, performance, and battery life. In Windows 8, IE on the desktop runs all Flash content, like it does on Windows 7.

Looking at our engineering experience with Flash and Windows 8 and RT, as developers improve their Flash content, the vast majority of sites with Flash content that we have tested are now compatible with the Windows experience goals. Of the thousands of domains tested for Flash compatibility to date, we have found fewer than 4% are still incompatible, in the most part because the core site experience requires other ActiveX controls in addition to Flash. With Windows 8 in the hands of customers and developers, we listened to feedback around the experience of Web sites with Flash.

Developing compatible Flash content

For developers building sites with Flash content, this document posted on MSDN goes into more technical detail about the criteria used to place sites on the Flash CV block list, as well as steps that developers can take to test their content in immersive IE and submit their sites to be removed from the block list. The documentation also includes a best practices guide to help developers, designers, and content publishers create experiences with Flash that play well in IE for touch, responsiveness, and battery life. These best practices complement existing recommendations and tools like modern.IE for authoring touch-friendly HTML5 sites. Also, starting tomorrow, modern.IE enables testing whether or not your site is on the curated Flash CV block list.

For the development community, platform continuity and technology choice are important. Flash in IE10 on Windows 8 and Windows RT provides a bridge for existing sites to transition to HTML5 technologies where it makes sense and at a pace that is right for the experiences they want to deliver to their customers. With today’s update to Windows 8 and Windows RT, consumers can experience more of the Web by default.

 

original post:

http://blogs.msdn.com/b/ie/archive/2013/03/11/flash-in-windows-8.aspxv

Are you a Designer? – Windows 8 UX Design Camp in Finland 2.-3.4-2013

Windows 8 is a new digital canvas where you can showcase your creativity and flair with apps that reach hundreds of millions of people. The platform provides unique features like Live Tiles, Contracts and Cloud services, so you can engage your audience more deeply in new and creative ways. There’s never been a more exciting time to be a designer and we’re pleased to invite you to a Windows 8 UX Design Camp to learn how to design great apps.

Register here >>

What is a Windows 8 UX Design Camp?

Windows 8 UX Design Camps are free, fun, no-fluff workshops for designers, by designers.  In this camp you’ll learn from experts on Windows Store app UX design and apply what you’ve learned by designing your first Windows Store app. During the course of the workshop, we’ll have experts on Windows Store app design on hand to review your design and answer your questions.

Time and place

2.-3.4.2013, Keilaranta 7, Espoo, Finland

What’s the agenda?

In this design camp, we’ll cover:

• Windows Store App Design Principles
• Designing a Great Windows Store App
• Navigation
• Layout
• Commanding
• Snap and Scale Beautifully
• Win as One
• Tiles and Notifications
• Touch
• Animation
• The Windows Store

What can I expect?

Windows 8 UX Design camps are workshops where your time will be split between discussing key principles of Windows Store app design and applying what you’ve learned in design exercises. All design exercises are done sketching with paper and pencil to provide you a way to quickly apply what you’ve learned and get feedback from camp mentors.

How Do I Register?

To secure your seat in this event, please register here. We can accommodate up to two people from the same organization.

Notes

This event is free of charge. Attendees are responsible for booking and paying for their own travel and accommodation.

More info

You can find more info about the Microsoft Design Camps at designcamps.azurewebsites.net

Questions

Email your questions to msdnfi@microsoft.com 

Instructors

Teppo Kotirinta
Principal Designer, co-founder @ Nordkapp

Teppo has been building internet, multimedia and mobile services since 1997, first more on the technical side, then in design. He’s worked in an e-commerce startup and with various digi-media and marketing agencies. He’s designed and developed frontend and backend solutions for rich & interactive social sites before there was social media, various things from mobile power plant maintenance system to DJ software, and anything from Video-on-Demand to healthcare and banking.

 

 

Sami Niemelä
Creative Director, co-founder @ Nordkapp

Sami is a designer blatantly excited about the new; things, experiences and interactions digital technology connects and enables all around us. He has worked on digital products and services since 1997, and while at it assisted an ethnographic study in India, facilitated participatory design in a daycare, won a Finnish Grammy, had his name on 10-ish design patents and designed for pretty much any format, size and OS there are, both digital and physical.

 

 

Sauli Lehtovaara
Interaction Designer @ Nordkapp

Sauli has been part of Nordkapp since the day one in the company’s history. During these years he’s been privileged to work with various kinds of challenging and successful projects for companies scaling from domestic start-ups to large multinational corporates. Nowadays you most likely find him in concept workshops or finishing interaction designs for services but he also has a strong engineering background in the past with web and software development.

 

 

Register here >>

The Windows Phone SDK 8.0 is now available

Windows Phone 8 is here, and with it comes new and exciting devices, along with more markets and languages, making it easier than ever to build great apps for a larger audience. See what’s new in the SDK.

Start here to take advantage of new opportunities to create apps targeting both Windows Phone 8 and Windows 8.

http://dev.windowsphone.com

Enjoy

Free Developer and Design mentoring available for your Windows 8 app (9th–10th of November)

This is something that YOU DON’T WANT TO MISS!!

WOWZAPP is a worldwide Windows 8
coding and learning event organized by Microsoft. There will be 6 anchor points  and many satellite locations simultaneously around the world.

Finland

will host the anchor event for Western Europe! All of the events will start at 17:00 their local time and continue with a overnight coding and learning night aka the hackathon.

Check it out now at www.microsoft.fi/wowzapp

 

 

Why 24 hour night coding you may ask…

As Finland is an anchor location there will be many professional developer and designer onsite helping you during the hackathon. If you have a challenge in your project we’re there to solve it with you.

You’ll have the mentors reserved the whole time to help and if you have any problem that we can’t resolve with you there’s many other professionals simultaneously elsewhere in the world that we can connect with to be able to answer your questions.

NOW It’s time to register

for the greatest event ever! WOWZAPP will be a chance for you to meet a bunch of fellow developers from around the world, experience the newest devices and take your app to the next phase !

Register now at www.microsoft.fi/wowzapp

The event is free of charge

we’ll provide you with the training, mentors, food & beverages and a lot of fun activity through the code-night!
You don’t need any previous experience with Windows 8 app development, we’ll teach you! All you need is your amazing self and your laptop with Windows 8!

“but I already started a project”

no worries, then we can help you to tweak your app to be beutiful , fast and fluent and ready to be published to the Windows Store with potential 700 000 000 users.

Learn from the best

During the event we’ll have a ton of mentors to assist you with your app development. There will be local trainers and experts from our partners, such as Avanade, Symbio, User Intelligence and many more! There will also be international trainers like Arturo Toledo and Microsoft experts and product group representatives, to answer your toughest questions!

To get the most out of the experience you should sign up for either one of the workshops (App or Game) and the 24h code-night! There is also a extremely interesting Windows & Windows Phone seminar on Thursday, that you can attend!

Showcase your skills

It’s not just about developing apps, it’s about the community and the whole experience! During the event you’ll get to learn from fellow developers and designers. This is a great chance to showcase your apps to Microsoft staff and possibly get some extra visibility and promotion for your application.  We’ll also have some extra activity available for all of you through the night, so you will definitely be entertained!

We’ll also have the great Channel9 team join us for the event, so you’re definitely in for a treat!

 

“so what do I need to participate?” you may ask…

You need yourself and perhaps some colleagues to form a team, your laptops with Windows 8 on it and Windows 8 developer tools. If you don’t have the software we’ll provide them. Check out how to get ready for this awesome opportunity.

“what do I get from this?” you may ask…

well…the experience, the mentors, the connections, your great Windows 8 app, extra visibility to you app.

…and not to mention that you might walk away with brand new Windows 8 tablet and much much more..

For the great app ideas that you build the first version for Windows 8 and plan to build it for phone you might even get 20 000 € granted by AppCampus

Enjoy!

Usefull links for Windows 8

Below you find lots of new and recently updated articles in the Dev Center that address some of the burning topics we’re hearing from the field and partners.

Help with app certification

· Windows 8 app certification requirements. This guiding document is updated to include more details and examples of what’s required to pass certification.

· Avoiding common certification failures Driven by the app certification team, this new topic lists common reasons why apps fail certification.

· Resolving certification failures This new article contains an entry for each certification requirement, and lists the current recommendations for resolving common failures. When a developer learns that their app has failed certification, point them here.

· Index of UX guidelines: The index of UX guidelines is the checklist used to evaluate apps in the App Fast Track.

Developer registration

· Opening a developer account This topic explains the steps to open a Windows Store developer account. Once an account is open, developers can log into their Store Dashboard and start publishing apps.

· About strong authentication This topic explains how Microsoft Accounts are kept secure by requiring security proofs that use multiple forms of identification.

Publishing apps

· New getting started checklists tells different types of developers what they need to get started.

· Submitting your app describes the technical steps for how to submit an app.

In-app purchases

New articles on in-app purchases have been published to help address confusion.

· In-app purchase experience for a customer

· How to support in-app purchases

· Verifying purchases using receipts

Marketing materials

· Marketing your app In addition to articles on how to create a great app listing in the Windows Store,  you can get Windows Store logos, usage specifications, and other marketing assets (October 12, 2012).

Enjoy

TechDays 2013 call for presentations

Do you want to present for other Windows 8 or Windows Phone developers?

Send a short description of your subject and something about yourself to msdnfi@microsoft.com before the end of October

It’s your time to shine now!

Windows Phone 8 SDK Preview program is now open

Today we begin accepting requests for access to the Windows Phone SDK 8.0 Developer Preview program. The objective is to let developers of our most-downloaded apps start optimizing them for Windows Phone 8, and we expect the majority of published developers in this situation to qualify for access.

To apply, please visit the Microsoft Connect site and complete a short application. Be sure to have your Developer ID and Application’s Product ID on hand, as well as the name of your local Phone Champ (For Finland that’s Drazen Dodik). We’ll be taking applications until Monday, September 17 at 5pm PDT. If you’re accepted to the program, you’ll hear from us in the following week with instructions on how to download the SDK and get support for questions and issues.

Today you may have also seen the online launch event for Visual Studio 2012. The Windows Phone SDK 8.0 is built on top of Visual Studio 2012, and will give you the ability to build applications and games that target both Windows Phone 8 as well as Windows Phone 7.5. Windows Phone SDK 7.1 can be installed side-by-side with Visual Studio 2012 and runs on Windows 8.

Enjoy!

Windows Store now open to all developers in 120 markets

Today’s 82 additional markets more than doubles our support toward enabling developer opportunity everywhere there’s a developer with desire. And as we’ve said before, we will just keep going. You can check out the complete list of supported markets on the Dev Center.

We’re also announcing a number of additional subscription program offerings that recognize and thank developers for their interest and commitment to Windows. All eligible MSDN subscribers receive a free, one-year Windows Store developer account as part of their MSDN benefits. (Eligible subscriptions include Visual Studio Professional, Test Professional, Premium, Ultimate, and BizSpark.) We have a program for students—DreamSpark—that similarly waives the subscription fee. And we have an offer for businesses in our BizSpark program, as well.

Throughout the Windows Store preview stages, we’ve seen fantastic interest from individual developers, large development houses and component and service providers. And as we’ve opened up new markets for onboarding and expanded our invitations, we’ve seen a great increase in both the number and diversity of apps—all during our preview milestones, before broad availability of the OS and before even the first production Windows 8 PC is in the market. And the Windows 8 PCs are on the way, with many unveiled recently at IFA.

If you’ve already signed up—fantastic. We’re ready for your app. Haven’t signed up yet? Getting started is easy—just go to the Windows Store Dashboard on the Windows Dev Center and sign up. The dev tools are free, the SDK is ready, and we have a ton of great supporting content to help you build your app and submit it for Store certification. Sign up now, reserve your app names—we look forward to seeing your app in the Store in time for the general availability of Windows 8.

Enjoy

The Windows 8 parties starts…NOW! Final Tools are available!

Microsoft just published the blog post Windows 8 RTM is available for developers and new RTM developer content in the Windows Dev Center: http://dev.windows.com. The blog details how to get an evaluation version of Windows 8 RTM if you’re not part of one of our programs, touches on what’s new in the Dev Center, and overviews the migration guide for apps built on RP. 

Windows Dev Center RTM bits are now live!

 

• Developer downloads – This single page gives access to all of the downloads you need to build apps, including Windows 8 RTM, Visual Studio Express 2012, design assets, code samples, and additional SDKs and tools.
• Design resources – All Windows 8 design resources are located at design.windows.com. See case studies, category guidance, and get a new downloadable version of the UX guidelines for Windows 8 apps.
• As you learn the design principles and guidelines, you’ll go through incremental learning – starting with requirements and then eventually to being able to generalize and see the basis for the guidelines. Be sure to watch this training at www.windowsuserexperience.com to help hone your depth of understanding. Once, twice, three times or more – You won’t regret it.
• I encourage you to learn fundamental concepts around the grid and International Typographic Style (also known as Swiss style – see typography guidelines for Windows specific information). Grids are very familiar to those who have focused on web design, so now learn how grid patterns are applied to apps and the broader horizon. These two fundamentals will put you on the right course in decisions and problem solving around focusing the app on content and creating simple and honest design.
• Developer content – The ‘Docs’ section of the Windows Dev Center is updated for RTM including more detailed API docs, new How-to articles, a new section for developing apps with C++ and DirectX, and many more samples.
• Selling content – Find the Windows Store markets, how to price apps, and the latest versions of the Windows Store Agreements including the App Certification Requirements.
• Community content – Access to developer forums, blogs, Dev Camps, and contacts and event listings
• Windows 8 Developer Camps – Windows 8 Developer Camps are free, fun, no-fluff events for developers, by developers. You learn from experts in a low-key, interactive way and then get hands-on time to apply what you’ve learned, and we’ll be continuing them throughout the year, and will soon be adding Windows 8 Designer Camps as well. 

Blogs to read

Our engineering and Windows Store teams are blogging regularly. Remember to check these out.

· Windows 8 app developer blog: Get coding and design best practices and tips, and updates on events and offers for developers.

· Windows Store for developers blog: Get all the latest news on doing business in the Windows Store.

The fun starts now…ENJOY

Announcing Windows Phone 8 – A sneak peek of the future of Windows Phone

Joe Belfiore just announced (see the video from Windows Phone summit) the next version of Windows Phone that everyone has been so much waiting.

Here is the selected parts of Joe’s blog post…

The power of Windows

If you’ve seen Windows 8, Microsoft’s groundbreaking new release for PCs and tablets, you’ve probably noticed it bears more than a passing resemblance to the look of Windows Phone. Here’s how the Windows 8 Start screen looks in the latest preview release.

With Windows Phone 8, the similarity is more than skin deep. We’ve based the next release of Windows Phone on the rock-solid technology core of Windows 8. It means Windows Phone and its bigger sibling will share common networking, security, media and web browser technology, and a common file system. That translates into better performance, more features, and new opportunities for app developers and hardware makers to innovate faster.

This new shared core—along with all the extra work we’ve done on top of it—opens up a new world of capabilities, which you don’t have to be a techie to appreciate.

• Multi-core processor support: As reviewers have noted, Windows Phone runs buttery smooth on phones with a single processor. But piggybacking on the Windows core provides support for multiple cores—so we’re ready for whatever hardware makers dream up.
• Bigger, sharper screens: Windows Phone 8 supports two new screen resolutions—1280×768 and 1280×720, opening the door to amazing new handsets with high-definition 720p displays.
• More flexible storage: Windows Phone 8 supports removable MicroSD cards, so you can stuff your phone with extra photos, music, and whatever else is important to you, and then easily move it all onto your PC.
• NFC wireless sharing: If you haven’t heard the term “NFC” yet, I’m betting you soon will. This emerging wireless technology lets phones share things over short distances. In Windows Phone 8, it helps make sharing photos, Office docs, and contact info easier—just tap your phone another NFC-equipped device. How cool is that?
• Internet Explorer 10: The next version of Windows Phone comes with the same web browsing engine that’s headed for Window 8 PCs and tablets. IE10 is faster and more secure, with advanced anti-phishing features like SmartScreen Filter to block dangerous websites and malware.
• Wallet: Windows Phone 8’s new digital Wallet feature does two great things. It can keep debit and credit cards, coupons, boarding passes, and other important info right at your fingertips. And when paired with a secure SIM from your carrier, you can also pay for things with a tap of your phone at compatible checkout counters.
• Better maps and directions: Windows Phone 8 builds in Nokia mapping as part of the platform. Our partnership will provide more detailed maps and turn-by-turn directions in many countries, plus the ability to store maps offline on your phone so you can work with maps without a data connection.
• Cooler apps and games: Basing Windows Phone 8 on the Windows core will unleash a new wave of amazing apps and especially games, for reasons I’ll touch on in a moment.

A new Start

Windows Phone 8 has a ton of great new consumer features that will be revealed in the months ahead.
Here just one: the beautiful, flexible new Start screen.

As you can see, we’re making Windows Phone 8 even more personal, with a new palette of theme colors and three sizes of Live Tiles, all of which are under your control. We know Live Tiles are one of the things current owners really love about their Windows Phones, and we wanted to make them even more flexible and unique. This short video shows the new Start screen in action.

New start screen in Windows Phone8

 

Windows Phone…7.8!

The new Start screen is so useful and emblematic of what Windows Phone is about that we want everybody to enjoy it. So we’ll be delivering it to existing phones as a software update sometime after Window Phone 8 is released. Let me repeat: If you currently own a Windows Phone 7.5 handset, Microsoft is planning to release an update with the new Windows Phone 8 Start screen. We’re calling it “Windows Phone 7.8.”

Some of you have been wondering, “Will we also get Windows Phone 8 as an update?” The answer, unfortunately, is no.

Windows Phone 8 is a generation shift in technology, which means that it will not run on existing hardware. BUT we care deeply about our existing customers and want to keep their phones fresh, so we’re providing the new Start screen in this new update.

Developers, developers, developers

Since we’re talking about apps, Developers can expect something cool in Windows Phone 8. Some of the exciting changes on the way include:

• Native code support: Windows Phone 8 has full C and C++ support, making it easier to write apps for multiple platforms more quickly. It also means Windows Phone 8 supports popular gaming middleware such as Havok Vision Engine, Autodesk Scaleform, Audiokinetic Wwise, and Firelight FMOD, as well as native DirectX-based game development.
• In-app payments: In Windows Phone 8 we make it possible for app makers to sell virtual and digital goods within their apps.
• Integrated Internet calling: In Windows Phone 8, developers can create VoIP apps that plug into our existing calling feature so Internet calls can be answered like traditional phone calls, using the same calling interface.
• Multitasking enhancements. Windows Phone 8 now allows location-based apps like exercise trackers or navigation aids to run in the background, so they keep working even when you’re doing other things on your phone.

This is just a taste. Later this summer, we’ll have much more for developers on the Windows Phone 8 Software Development Kit (SDK) and the new Visual Studio 11-based development tools. So stay tuned.

Windows Phone 8 @ work

In Windows Phone 8, we’re also moving into the workplace in a big way, introducing a number of features and capabilities that companies and their IT departments demand. This is just one more benefit of sharing a common core with Windows 8. Some of the new business-friendly features include:

• Device encryption: To help keep everything from documents to passwords safe, Windows Phone 8 includes built-in technology to encrypt the entire device, including the operating system and data files.
• Better security: Windows Phone 8 supports the United Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) secure boot protocol and features improved app “sandboxing,” so the phone is better protected from malware with multiple layers of security.
• Remote management: With Windows Phone 8, IT departments can manage apps and phones remotely, with tools similar to ones they now employ for Windows PCs.
• Company Hub and apps: Companies can create their own Windows Phone 8 Hub for custom employee apps and other critical business info.

New languages, update process

Windows Phone 8 will support a total of 50 languages, or double the current geographic coverage. We’re also expanding Marketplace, our store for apps and games, to support app downloads in over 180 countries—nearly triple its current footprint.

Another area I know many of you care deeply about is Windows Phone software updates and how they’re delivered—something we’ve gotten a lot of feedback on over the last year. Today I’m excited to tell you that we’ve been working closely with our many partners to improve the update process for Windows Phone 8, and help get you our latest software more quickly and easily.

How? First, Windows Phone 8 updates will be delivered wirelessly over-the-air, so you don’t have to bother plugging your phone into your PC to update anymore. Second, we will support devices with updates for at least 18 months from device launch.

Finally, we’re working to create a program that gives registered enthusiasts early access to updates prior to broad availability—a little gift to our biggest fans and supporters. We think these three initiatives will help keep your phone fresher than ever before.

And this is just a sneak peek…