Monthly Archives: November 2006

DevConnections in Las Vegas Next week! Last minute reminders

Connections

DevConnections is this coming up this week! Here are some last minute things to know about.

The registration is unbelievable this year. There are nearly 5000 people registered for the combined shows. More stats: 190 speakers and held in a convention center that is literally one million square feet!

  1. If it’s not too late, don’t forget to vote before you leave! Check with your town clerk ASAP.
  2. There’s a Women in I.T. Lunch on Thursday for attendees and speakers. Space is limited, so sign up for it when you register.
  3. Bring your suit! You may find some time to enjoy the beach and big pools at the Mandalay before, between or after sessions. The weather is looking great – low 80’s and sunny during the days.
  4. Bring comfortable shoes since you’ll be doing a lot of walking. Not that I’ve ever seen a programmer in high heels. 🙂
  5. Evening activities
    1. Monday Keynotes 6:30 – 8:30pm
    2. Tuesday 5-7pm reception in Expo Hall
    3. Tuesday 7:15 – 9:15 Microsoft Unplugged for attendees of ASP.NET/SQL/Mobile Connections (w/pizza & beer)
  6. If you’ve never been to Las Vegas, get a pass for the local 2 decker bus that drives all the way up the strip and back. The strip itself is 4 miles and ends at the Stratosphere, but the bus goes past that and through the old downtown, too.  It’s $5 for a whole day (just pay for the pass as you get on the bus) and seeing the strip at night is a must. I only did this for the first time last year. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Las_Vegas_Strip
  7. I’ve never done it but have constantly heard that the last minute tickets to the Vegas shows are the way to go as they are heavily discounted. I think the deal is just walk up to the ticket window shortly before the show. Something to consider. 

Very proud of one of my clients: MapsAlive

Community Cheerleading

One of my clients rolled out the Beta version of their big project this week – a public website with brilliant plumbing that allows end users to build their own interactive floorplans and maps. Drop your map or plan onto the site, upload pictures that represent views of different locations on the map/plan (a bedroom, a vista on a trail map), link them up, type in some descriptions and voila – you have a beautiful end product that any user can easily navigate. There are no refreshes to bring the various pictures up and I’m not talking AJAX style partial post backs. The photos just transparently change on the page.

It was a major undertaking and is all done in asp.net 2.0. I did not do the site, but mentored them through a good chunk of the process. It was wonderful to work with folks who were not only software smart, but their level of attention to the user experience was hugely impressive to me.

It’s called MapsAlive.

Go check it out and it’s a beta – so feedback is appreciated!

Here’s a screenshot of the home page.