.NET Information center: Free

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Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Multi-platform PaaS Provider DotCloud Comes Out of Beta

There's been a surge in platform-as-a-service providers in the past year, but many of them remain in private beta. Today one more is open to the public: DotCloud.

DotCloud supports PHP, Ruby, Python, Perl, Java, Node.JS, MySQL, Redis, RabbitMQ, Solr, MongoDB and PostgreSQL. Like many other PaaSes, it runs on Amazon Web Services.

Last month DotCloud bought DuoStack, a similar multi-platform PaaS.

As part of the move to general availability, DotCloud also announced the following new features to improve resilience during AWS outages. According to it announcement:

High Availability: Applications built on DotCloud can automatically span multiple availability zones and datacenters, seamlessly distributing traffic between locations and providing automatic failover.

Dynamic scaling: As traffic to a stack or database increases, DotCloud makes it incredibly easy to allocate additional resources to ensure it can effectively handle the load.

15 Amazing Free HTML5 Templates

HTML5 is now supported by all major browsers in some form. HTML5 brings us easy ways to add videos, audio, graphics, etc. HTML5 website templates are easy to use and can be modified according to your requirements, giving your website a professional look. In this post, I collected 15 Amazing Free HTML5 Templates for download. Enjoy!

1.Free HTML5 Website Template - Art of Business

Say hello to a new free HTML5 website template from TemplateMonster - this time it's designed for a premium business website. As every other free website template we deliver this one also has all of the PSD source files included into the download package for you to be able to fine tune the result.

.NET StockTrader 5 Sample Application

Overview

This application is an end-to-end sample application for Windows Azure and Microsoft cloud technologies. It is a service-oriented application based on the .NET Framework 4.0, including ASP.NET and Windows Communication Foundation (WCF). It illustrates many of the .NET enterprise development technologies that can be used for building highly scalable, "cloud-connected" applications. The application demonstrates a single code base that works on traditional servers, Hyper-V private clouds, and in the Windows Azure public cloud, including hybrid cloud scenarios.

The download includes the automated setup for the .NET StockTrader 5.0 and the Configuration Service 5.0, with associated technical documents that explain how to run and reconfigure the .NET StockTrader service-oriented application. Additional documentation in the download provides the steps necessary to implement the Configuration Service 5.0 in your own applications and services for central configuration management; distributed caching; load-balancing and failover across clustered service nodes. The sample includes:

· .NET StockTrader 5.0 composite Web application and middle tier services.

· Optional Windows Azure Projects for deploying to the cloud.

· New modes for Advanced Web Service (WS-*) message-level security and interoperability with a variety of non-Microsoft platforms via the SOA architecture.

· Configuration Service 5.0 with technical guides and samples.

· Capacity planning tool for running multi-agent benchmarks against the .NET StockTrader services.

· WSTest 1.5 Web services benchmark.

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Mozilla Firefox 5

Mozilla Firefox 5 officially released

Thursday, June 16, 2011

11 Beautifully Designed Free Icon Sets

Introduction

Websites need icons, at least that's what I think. If you use it wisely, icons can be used to replace long and boring text. In this post, I have collected 11 icon sets that I'm pretty sure you will need them. Enjoy!

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Console2 - A Better Windows Command Prompt

I blogged about Console2 as a better prompt for CMD.exe in 2005. Here we are 6 years later and I hopped over there to see Console2 was still being developed. They were on build 122 then, and they are, magically and to their extreme credit, still around and on build 147. Epic.

Open Source projects may be done, but they are never dead.

I downloaded Console2 at http://sourceforge.net/projects/console/files/ and put it c:\dev\utils which is in my PATH.

Here's how I set it up for my default awesomeness.

Right-click in the main console and click Edit | Settings.

Under Console, set your default Startup Directory

Under Appearance|More, hide the menu, status bar and toolbar.

Under Appearance, set the font to Consolas 15. Not 14, not 16. Black background, Kermit green foreground color.

Set Window Transparency to a nice conservative 40 for both Active and Inactive. Not too in your face, but enough glassiness to say "I'm a subtle badass."

Under Behavior set "Copy on Select"

Under Hotkeys, change the New Tab 1 hotkey to Ctrl-T because that's what it should be. You'll have to click on the hotkey, then in the textbox, then type the hot-key you want AND press Assign for it to stick.

Under Hotkeys, change Copy Selection to Ctrl-C and Paste to Ctrl-V then rejoice and wonder why Windows doesn't work like this today. At this point, you may want to device if you want "Copy on Select" to happen automatically under Behavior. That'll save you the Control-C if you like.

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New FREE Tier for BitNami Cloud Hosting

At BitNami, we are committed to making it easy for anyone to run their favorite open source applications natively, virtually and in the cloud. We are excited to announce that we are making it even easier to run BitNami apps in the cloud by offering a free plan for our BitNami Cloud Hosting service! The new free tier of service for BitNami Cloud Hosting allows you to deploy and manage your favorite open source applications on one Amazon micro instance…

Monday, June 13, 2011

VHD Test Drive - Lync Server 2010 VHD

This download comes as a pre-configured set of VHD's. This download enables you to fully evaluate Microsoft Lync Server 2010.

LYNC2010VHD_DC.part01.rar

LYNC2010VHD_DC.part02.rar

LYNC2010VHD_DC.part03.rar

LYNC2010VHD_DC.part04.rar

LYNC2010VHD_DC.part05.rar

LYNC2010VHD_DC.Setup.exe

LYNC2010VHD_EXUM.part01.rar

LYNC2010VHD_EXUM.part02.rar

LYNC2010VHD_EXUM.part03.rar

LYNC2010VHD_EXUM.part04.rar

LYNC2010VHD_EXUM.part05.rar

LYNC2010VHD_EXUM.part06.rar

LYNC2010VHD_EXUM.Setup.exe

LYNC2010VHD_LYNCQMS.part01.rar

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Tuesday, June 07, 2011

Visual Studio Mag Highlights 17 Free Visual Studio Tools

“What developer doesn't love a new toy? Especially if it's free and actually solves a problem that you face every day. Tools, however, are a very personal thing -- just because something works for someone else doesn't mean it will fit your style of development. You need a variety to pick from to find one worth keeping.

This is why I sifted through dozens of tools and utilities to come up with a list of free tools that can help .NET developers do their jobs better. I looked at both standalone tools -- which can be of value no matter what version of Visual Studio you use -- and Visual Studio add-ins, which integrate directly into the IDE UI.

I have a lot of respect for the people who created these .NET tools and Visual Studio add-ins (and the many others that didn't fit in this article). Many of these tools have been created by individual developers who have not only built the products, but have been actively supporting them for years and through several versions of the Microsoft .NET Framework. They're heroes. You should try out what they've created for you.

Standalone Tools

With two exceptions the tools in this section run independently of Visual Studio. Some of them (Regulator, for instance) have been around since the .NET Framework 1.0 and Visual Studio .NET, yet some developers don't seem to know about them. Others, like LINQPad, have appeared more recently to support new .NET technologies.

Posted via email from Jasper-Net

Monday, June 06, 2011

21 Free PSD Files for Design Projects

Plivo – Open Source Framework For Voice-Enabling Apps

Plivo is an open source communication framework for creating voice-based apps which can make or receive calls from phones (fixed, mobile or SIP), Skype and Gtalk.

With a REST-based API (has XML responses) and ready-to-use helper libraries (for Java, PHP, Python and Ruby), developing apps like IVRs or voicemails is pretty simple.

Awesome embeddable, deployable web browser that's free for independents... Awesomium!

Sometimes all you want to do in your app or game is display some HTML content. But you also don't want to take a dependency on Internet Explorer or other installed web browser. Being a hobby, independent, or just for fun at home, developer you don't have many resources and just wish there was a browser you could easily embedded and deploy in your app. That it would be awesome if you could easily used it in a .Net app, be it VB.net, WinForms or WPF.

I give you Awesomium!

I caught this via Chris Cavanagh's post, Awesomium – Free Indie License! where the awesome, indie and free seemed like it would make a good post.

Awesomium is the first, full-featured, windowless web-browser framework.

It is crazy fast, supports the latest stuff, and is super simple to use in your own applications .

Great for use in 3D games, .NET apps, HTML GUIs, and way more.

For In-Game Browsing:

Add a custom web-browser to your game to grant users access to forums, guides, and additional online game content without ever leaving your application.

screenshot_eveonline_browser2_thumb%5B1%5D.jpg

A Better Way to Meet Online

I work in a remote office, so I like the idea of chatting with colleagues face to face over the Internet. But until now, I haven't come across an online videoconferencing service that meets all of my needs. I like Skype for Business, but it works only if everyone has the software installed on his or her computer. Other Web conferencing services, like Cisco WebEx, don't require downloads, but they can be complicated, involving various passcodes and dial-in numbers. So when I heard about iMeet, a promising new Web conferencing service that all the tech blogs seem to be raving about, I decided to give it a try.

Registering for an iMeet account was a breeze. I went to iMeet.com, clicked Get My Room, entered some basic information, and chose a URL for my room. Next, I browsed through a selection of backgrounds—I chose a minimalist "birds on a wire" theme. (You can also customize a room with your company logo.) I created a profile with a short bio and links to my Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn accounts. Instead of uploading a head shot, I used iMeet's avatar tool to create a cyberversion of myself in a suit and tie. So far, I was having fun.

Setting up meetings was easy as well. I clicked the Add Guest button on the right-hand side of my meeting room, typed in a few e-mail addresses, and entered the time and date for the meeting. (You can also invite people by text, instant message, or phone.) To join a meeting, guests clicked on the link to my room in an e-mail invitation, then hit Call My Phone, and typed in their numbers to have iMeet call them on their landlines. Then, we turned on our webcams. No meeting codes or software downloads required.

Istream

Project Description

Istream is a new web browser for windows computers. We have designed the browser so you have everything right at your fingertips. Download it today and discover a new browsing experience, we have a range of features avaialble just now and its only the first release. istream.im

Istream is now available!

You can download the first version of our browser now. Full details are available at www.istream.im

Sunday, June 05, 2011

New Free T4 Editor for Visual Studio with Intellisense

Devart today unveiled the release of new powerful Visual Studio add-in for editing T4 templates with syntax highlighting, intellisense, code outlining, and all features of first-class text editor add-in for Visual Studio. It provides very high performance and makes creating T4 templates easier and faster.

With this new add-in, Devart offers a fast and easy way to create and edit T4 templates with multilevel template including, convenient template navigation, and rich code editing features.

Intellisense

Devart T4 editor provides comprehensive intellisense including all Visual Studio C# and Visual Basic intellisense features - tooltips, parameter info, code completion, and additionally supports a completion list for template directives. T4 editor intellisense lists all available C# classes and members, even those that are in included template files and in referenced assemblies.

10 Most Useful and Beautiful Free Icon Set for Web Designers

Web Icons has its own unique importance in Web Design. Its valuable presence makes a Design out of the box. We showcase today some free icons for you, only you have to do is, click on any image, read carefully its license note and save it for your own.

Are you looking to contribute to our design community?

Suggest a link to a relevant article, or submit your own! You will help push the design community to much higher levels.

Monday, May 30, 2011

Real-time 3D design tool, MachStudio Pro, now free (as in free, not even reg-ware)

Last week it was $4000, now it is free ;)

What is MachStudio Pro?

MachStudio Pro is stand-alone, visualization and rendering software that lets 3D artists create and manipulate lights, materials, and HDR cameras in a real-time, non-linear workflow environment to achieve film quality results..."

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Texas Hold 'Em (Silverlight 4)

Project Description

The objective of this project is to create a very exact approximation of a game of Texas Hold' Em as it's played in American casinos.

Particular emphasis is given to the use of LINQ to determine the winning poker hands and to properly assess kickers when ties occur. Poker hands use the IComparable interface.

In its native state, you are pitted against four other players. Your default is an AI player, but the code has a feature to allow you to play as a human and raise a dialog when it's your turn to bet.

In this initial release, a basic (and highly rudimentary) betting module is included in order to make the product complete from end-to-end. Full betting remains an area for further development.

There is a modest battery of unit tests included in order to gain confidence that the poker hand comparison logic is bug free.

This application is not intended to ultimately become a commercial offering, but rather it's for Silverlight developers to have some FUN experimenting with different AI personalities and betting strategies.

Trillian 5 Is Now Free, Includes All Features Of Pro Version

Cerulen Studios, the dev team behind famous multi-protocol IM app, Trillian; which implemented the technique of message syncing across all the configured devices, has released Trillian 5 which is absolutely free but with unobtrusive advertisements. For those who haven’t tried Trillian before, it’s one of the best cross-platform IM available out there for mobile as well as OS platforms – Windows and Mac. The previously featured standard version didn’t have those awesome features which were available in Pro, but now Cerulen Studios has decided to diminish the gap between both versions by offering all the features of Pro, for free.

Make a Natural Selection for Your Desktop with the Galapagos Theme for Windows 7

The Galapagos Islands are well known for being geologically young and the large number of endemic species that can be found there. Now you can do some exploring of your own and bring the wildlife of the Galapagos Islands to your desktop with the Galapagos Theme for Windows 7.