Hitting the ground running with a new mobile development platform usually takes substantial effort and a lengthy time investment. After making note of the high demands and steep learning curves placed on mobile developers, Microsoft has made some noble (and highly effective) efforts to ensure that jumping into Windows Phone 8 is fast, easy, and fun. Their latest addition—free Windows Phone Camps—is a quintessential example of this developer-centric philosophy. As you might expect, attending one of these events can get you up to speed in a single day.
Microsoft’s next Windows Phone Camp is this Friday, December 07 at 9:00 AM Pacific Time (GMT—8). It’s open for anyone to attend online or in person, and unlike a lot of similarly intense and intensive training, it’s free of charge. This Friday’s event will be hosted physically at Microsoft HQ, and virtually on SitePoint.com. Here’s a look at Friday’s event information and schedule:
Date and Time: Friday, December 07 at 9:00 AM Pacific Time (GMT—8)
Location: Microsoft 1065 La Avenida, Building 1, Mountain View California 94043, USA
Schedule:
- 9:00 AM – Welcome / Windows Phone 8 Overview for Developers
- 9:30 AM – Break
- 9:45 AM – Sharing Code Between Windows Phone and Windows 8, NFC, Lock Screen, Live Tiles
- 11:45 AM – Lunch
- 12:45 PM – Voice Commands, In App Purchases, Nokia Maps, App to App Communication
- 2:00 PM – End
If you haven’t had a look at Microsoft’s other Windows Phone 8 developer resources, they’re impressive as well. Their Windows Phone Dev Center provides a ton of tools for the aspiring Windows Phone developer. If you’ve got more than a day’s time and want to make the most of the opportunity, consider the following preparations:
- Download the Windows Phone SDK – Without it, you won’t be able to replicate the techniques demonstrated in the Phone Camp.
- Register at the Windows Phone Dev Center – This will join you to the Windows Phone developer community, and it will allow you to publish your finalized Windows Phone apps.
- Complete the Windows Phone SDK Training Course – Developers can complete beginner tutorials and advanced courses at their own pace. These courses are a perfect place to start, and an ideal followup to a Windows Phone 8 Phone Camp.
- Explore Microsoft’s 30-day guided exploration of Windows 8 Development – Microsoft’s training is tailored for many purposes, including Windows game development, and utilizing your web skills to build Windows 8 software.
- Read BuildMobile’s earlier post: 5 Reasons To Start Building Windows 8 Apps Right Now – This overview highlights the many developer accommodation that Microsoft has made to attract talented mobile developers like yourself.
We hope to see you on Friday!
Peter NorthPeter is Chief Digital Officer of CuriosityStream, a multi-platform nonfiction streaming service by the founder of Discovery Communications (Discovery Channel, Science Channel, Animal Planet, etc.). Peter is also Co-Founder of True North, a management consulting firm and digital marketing agency with clientele that includes WebMD and Salesforce.
