Lots, even MOST PHP applications are Open Souce but what if you want to distribute your application but don't want to distribute your PHP Source Code ?

Check out Nu-Coder from NuSphere.

Nu-Coder converts the source code of PHP Script into compiled PHP bytecodes for both accelerated runtime performance and maximum security.

http://www.nusphere.com/products/nucoder.htm

Mike Taulty recently uploaded and amazing collection of Silverlight 2.0 screencasts on how Silverlight works, controls, File IO, networking, UI design,  data-binding, interacting with HTML pages, and more. If you want to learn about Silverlight, this set of screencasts should definitely help!

Here is the full list of screencasts:

1. Silverlight - Hello World
2. Silverlight - Anatomy of an Application
3. Silverlight - The VS Environment
4. Silverlight - Content Controls
5. Silverlight - Built-In Controls
6. Silverlight - Width, Height, Margins, Padding, Alignment
7. Silverlight - Using a GridSplitter
8. Silverlight - Grid Layout
9. Silverlight - StackPanel Layout
10. Silverlight - Canvas Layout
11. Silverlight - Databinding UI to .NET Classes
12. Silverlight - Simple Styles
13. Silverlight - Custom Types in XAML
14. Silverlight - Binding with Conversion
15. Silverlight - List Based Data Binding
16. Silverlight - Simple User Control
17. Silverlight - Templating a Button
18. Silverlight - Resources from XAP/DLL/Site Of Origin
19. Silverlight - Animations & Storyboards
20. Silverlight - Uploads with WebClient
21. Silverlight - Downloads with WebClient
22. Silverlight - Calling HTTPS Web Services
23. Silverlight - Calling Web Services
24. Silverlight - Making Cross Domain Requests
25. Silverlight - Using HttpWebRequest
26. Silverlight - File Dialogs and User Files
27. Silverlight - Using Sockets
28. Silverlight - Using Isolated Storage
29. Silverlight - .NET Code Modifying HTML
30. Silverlight - Using Isolated Storage Quotas
31. Silverlight - Calling JavaScript from .NET
32. Silverlight - Evaluating JavaScript from .NET Code
33. Silverlight - Handling HTML Events in .NET Code
34. Silverlight - Handling .NET Events in JavaScript
35. Silverlight - Calling .NET from JavaScript
36. Silverlight - Displaying a Custom Splash Screen
37. Silverlight - Passing Parameters from your Web Page
38. Silverlight - Loading Media at Runtime
39. Silverlight - Dynamically Loading Assemblies/Code
40. Silverlight - Reading/Writing XML
41. Silverlight - Multiple Threads with BackgroundWorker
42. Silverlight - Insert/Update/Delete with the DataGrid
43. Silverlight - Getting Started with the DataGrid
44. Silverlight - Embedding Custom Fonts

View article...

Deitel books are great learning tools and often used as course text or soup to nuts learning guides.

Also the physical quality of the book (printing, paper choice, color, etc) make it a collectors item if your a book lover)

I had the pleasure of being a technical reviewer on this one (though the way these guys write there isn't much review to do :)

This book includes coverage of the new features in ASP.NET 3.5, Web Services, Silverlight, Winforms, LINQ, WPF and More.

Get more info here: http://www.deitel.com/books/vb2008htp/

Not really "new" news but I stumbled across this while trying to figure out why Twitter seems to be down every day these days.

http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/05/01/twitter-said-to-be-abandoning-ruby-on-rails/

“We’re hearing this from multiple sources: After nearly two years of high profile scaling problems, Twitter is planning to abandon Ruby on Rails as their web framework and start from scratch with PHP or Java (another solution is to stick with the Ruby language and move away from the Rails framework).”

Its hard to know in a scenario like this if it's the architecture, the framework, runtime issues, etc.

Anyone know the specifics behind Twitters performance issues ?

Version 1.0 of the SQL Server 2005 Driver for PHP is available for download on the MSDN download site.

The possibilities are endless !!!

Next week I have a week full of meetings on things like.

• The Next Version of Web Forms
• Dynamic Data v.now and v.next
• ASP.NET 4.0

But the BIG part of the week will be spent on strategic planning for www.ASP.net web sites in the coming year.

We want to answer questions like ....

• What's the NEXT great multi-media experience for developers ?
• What social networking features are missing and wanted on www.asp.net ?
• What improvements do we need to blogs, forums, RSS, etc.?
• What's missing that developers really want?
• What's broken and needs to be fixed?

So, while I'm thinking about it THIS week, why not send me an email (use th elink on this page) and let me know what YOU think of the subject !

The GPL dudes have invented a new Operating System.

WINDOWS :) - http://www.reactos.org/

I especially get a kick out of how it's a complete rip-off of Windows, but their web site has a bunch of dialog protecting their Trademark !

I know that a small but ridiculously loud minority in the Open Source community have nothing better to do with their energies than to hate all that is Microsoft, but really, what's the point.

If a guy runs Ubuntu on his laptop and Centos on his server, I get it! Working at Microsoft doesn't make me stupid. I have a box I se every day that runs Linux and I have a MacBook Pro that I use every day too. (Though if I had to pick only one OS it would still be Windows)

I get why Linux is fun. How does that thing work? Crack the code! I want a good custom phone screening system, no problem, I'll write a custom filter for Asterisk.

But if you want / need to run Windows Applications or Windows simply makes the most business sense for you, why would you want to use a "not as good" clone ?

If you wanna use Linux use a real Linux - if your gonna use Windows - use a REAL Windows !

We're very happy to announce that the first preview for the new Ajax features in ASP.NET just went live.

For more information check out the Roadmap.

This preview contains preview implementations for the following features:

• Client-side template rendering
• Declarative instantiation of behaviors and controls
• DataView control
• Markup extensions
• Bindings

I'll work on videos to cover the new features !

As usual, all feedback is very welcome.

http://www.codeplex.com/aspnet/Release/ProjectReleases.aspx?ReleaseId=15511

Dolores Labs posted recently "Amazon’s S3 Web Service, our #1 cause of failure" [ Click HERE to READ ]

Amazon.com is a great company and a early innovator in the Web Services Community. (God knows I send them ALOT of money.)

So this is not an indictment of Amazon as a technology provider. In fact, it is because a Amazon is a great company with a solid infrastructure that this is significant.

As Geeks, we tend to get all jazzed about the latest buzz - and cloud computing is certainly one of them. But, I think it's important to remember, while services in the cloud can be very cost effective. You can't control the cloud.

When you build it and own it you always have options when you're not getting the service level you need. In the cloud, you're held hostage by 3rd party service levels.... ad as we all know, stuff happens.

When you're using a cloud hosted service, remember to build support for graceful degradation your application. You application need not fail completely because you can't fetch images, ads, etc.

Not only is this good design practice, but it mitigates a DOS security threat. If I wanna bring your web application down and you haven't built resilience into your site, all I need to to is successfully attack any one service your application depends on and your application is down !!

Dies UAC give you a rash ?

It does me !!!

It's not that it isn't a good idea - it is. But I really wish I could train it or over ride it.

Maybe in a future Windows version - in the mean time, I'm trying Tweak UAC which provides a "Quiet Mode" for UAC.

[ Click HERE to get Tweak UAC ]

Note: UAC is a Security feature. Strictly speaking "Quiet Mode"  reduces your system's security.

Microsoft folks are very enthusiastic ! We love to dig in to new technology and show off the cool work that we do and this has been VERY true of ASP.NET MVC.

Unfortunately, sometimes our zeal get's misinterpreted.

I'm getting lots of questions about the future of ASP.NET development as it pertains to MVC and WebForms - and folks are concerned and worried.

Today I got an email from a former Microsoftie asking these common questions so I thought I would answer them here.

1.) Will ASP.NET MVC will be the main web platform for ASP.NET?

NO !

MVC is an option. It will NOT replace WebForms. WebForms will continue to evolve and be the PRIMARY UI developers mechanism for ASP.NET. MVC will be great for a subset of ASP.NET applications and developers.The point is, ASP.NET developers will have a great available CHOICE.

Personally - I will continue to use WebForms and will likely not use MVC much if at all. 

2.) Will WebForms continue to be expanded/supported ?

YES! YES! YES !

In fact, this fall I'll be focusing on publishing videos and such on NEW WebForms Features and usage scenarios.

3.) Which JavaScript framework is recommended to be used with ASP.NET MVC (ASP.NET AJAX, jQuery, etc.)?

Microsoft supports our own AJAX Client Libraries, but I regularly use jQuery and other independent libraries. The Microsoft libraries are integration friendly with any JavaScript library that uses some king of Name-Spacing mechanism to avoid naming collisions.

4.) How well ASP.NET AJAX will be supported with ASP.NET MVC?

Who knows? ASP.NET AJAX is built around the page postback model so the server side stuff is decidedly WebForms but the client stuff is happy anywhere.

Check outthis post by Nikhil where he adds some basic AJAX stuff to an MVC application.

http://www.nikhilk.net/Ajax-MVC.aspx

5.) Will ASP.NET AJAX and Ajax Control Toolkit will be expanded/supported?

YES !

Simply - YES !

LONG LIVE WEB FORMS !

Please checkout the first videos in my new Web Developer's Security Video Series.

http://www.asp.net/learn/security-videos/

I'm hoping to do 100 Videos this year !

PLEASE SEND YOUR REQUESTS !!!

For many years I've had an interest in and a focus on Application Security.

Now, I'll be ramping up and doing a bunch of security related work in my role here at Microsoft.

I hope you will add www.SecureDeveloper.com to your blog reader.

I expect to include coverage of topics of interest to Web Developers, Server Admins, Rich Client Developers and RIA Devs.

As always, please feel free to send your requests and suggestions !!

Spring is ugly in my job. From early March until late June I'm on the road. Conferences, Meetings, etc.

Then when I finally get done my spring traveling.... There is "make up" work to do.

I have to "make it up" to my two little princess and my wife. Work my way through a whole spring filled "Honey Do List".

And then, there is the repair work. Winter is hard on everything. There is lots to do on the house, my office building, the yard, etc. after the winter weather (and my pack of German Shepherds) does its winter damage.

And then of course there is the work I have to do on my body. After nearly four months on the road I'm left feeling old, fat, ad out of shape. At 47 by body brings me new challenges and as someone who spent his whole life in a kickboxing gym, my metabolism refuses to adjust to a sedentary lifestyle.

Well, I'm caught up !

For the rest of the summer and fall I'm going to be primarily focused on developing developer training and guidance in the form of Videos and Webcasts on the following topics.

• Web Security - The first of these videos will be up later this week and the series will continue. The topics will be of interest to ASP.NET developers as well as Slveright developers, IIS users, and Rich Client Developers using REST and SOAP services.
• Data Access - BOTH ADO.NET and LINQ (and not JUST to Microsoft SQL Server).
• Dynamic Data - The cool new technology for ASP.NET Developers.
• Web Forms - With all the hype around ASP.NET MVC, I think it's important to focus on the Web UI technology that MOST of us will continue to be using :)

Comments, Suggestions ?

[ Use the "Email Me" Link HERE them to me. ]