I don't like to generalize or stereotype anything, but when I read news like this, in which parliamentarians of the Brazilian Congress are complaining about how voting is carried out in the brazilian edition of Big Brother (!), I ask myself: don't we have enough problems to solve already? Such as providing basic education to our children and creating technology centers to foster opportunities?

 

What a shame! Let me get back to work, at least I have some to do here.

 

-- AFurtado

 

 

Are you skeptical about the use of technology in the future? Check what this article from 1995 says about the internet:

 

 

Hilarious...

 

[]s

-- AFurtado

 

[This post is part of a series. To see the previous, click here. To understand the context, click here]

 

Now that's an interesting error to see in your Pocket PC:

 

 

If SkypeForPocketPC.exe is not valid Pocket PC application, what should I be looking for in order to run Skype in my Pocket PC? SkypeForXbox360.exe?

 

Ironically, the SkypeForPocketPC.cab installer version (the one that is announced for "advanced users", despite not requiring anything else than a single click) installs OK, in a second.

 

Conclusion: sometimes, regarding User Experience, hard is easy and easy is hard.

 

[]s

-- AFurtado

 

 

Wow! These are indeed great news: case you don't know yet, the 2009 edition of Microsoft's Imagine Cup will take place in... Egypt!

The so called "cradle of the civilization" is surely one of the most exciting places to get competitors from all around the world together on innovative ideas towards the future! In 2009, the competition will have an open theme. So get your ideas on all possible domains to use technology and do a favor to yourself: go to Egypt and have fun!

 

And please send me a post card, since as a Microsoft employee I can't compete anymore :)

 

[]s

-- AFurtado

 

 

When Microsoft goes overseas for recruiting, I always asked myself why it was so common for SDE/SDET positions (Software Development Engineer and Software Development Engineer in Test) to be offered, while I've never seen the same for "IT Pro" positions (those dealing more closely with administration/configuration of networks, databases, etc.).

 

I believe I got the answer these days: Microsoft is not doing any international hiring for those positions, since currently they can be filled in the US. However, each local subsite office (as in Brazil, China, etc.) may be offering such positions internally, so that's for sure a right place to look for them.

 

As a matter of fact, this makes sense since otherwise Microsoft would have to request even more of the already-hard-to-get international work visas. And if the positions can be filled in the US, the approach avoids lots of friction in the ongoing debate about international hiring. But that's another story.

 

[]s

-- AFurtado

 

 

 

This blog has now a Portuguese (pt-BR) version: FurtaSpaceBR! My friend Diogo Burgos and other Microsoft Student Partners from Brazil are translating the posts from here to there. If Portuguese is your preferred language and you don't care reading the posts a few days (hours?) late, you may prefer FurtaSpaceBR.

 

Thanks Diogo and others!

 

[]s

-- AFurtado

 

 

"Java, the oldest new programming language around, is falling out of favor with developers. [...] And there are even reports that Microsoft’s .Net, of all things, is pushing Java out of the enterprise. Makes you wonder whether Sun was smart to change its stock-ticker code to JAVA last summer."

 

 

[]s

-- AFurtado

 

 

No way back...? :)

 

 

   

 

[]s

-- AFurtado

 

 

When learning a new tool, none of us would really dive into all of its shortcuts at a first time. But as times goes and you get a little more comfortable with the tool, it is wise to review the documented shortcut list to enhance your productivity.

 

Talking specifically about Visual Studio, today I had the chance to go through this website. It presents many cool shortcuts, allowing you, for example, to make a column selection in a text editor (ALT+SHIFT and then use mouse or arrow keys):

 

 

The site doesn't present, however, my favorite shortcut: CTRL-. (control key, then dot). It expands smart tags without requiring the use of the mouse:

 

 ->

 

More information about this shortcut and how to assign your own are here. (pictures shameless taken from here).

 

Finally, I'd like to register below some other interesting shortcuts I've learned today, for future reference:

 

Shift-F12
Finds a reference to the selected item or the item under the cursor

 

Swaps the characters on either side of the cursor. (For example, AC|BD becomes AB|CD.) Available only in text editors

 

Ctrl-Shift-T
The same as above, but for words.

 

Ctrl-K, Ctrl-\
Removes horizontal whitespace in the selection or deletes whitespace adjacent to the cursor if there is no selection

 

Ctrl-K, Ctrl-F
Applies the indenting and space formatting for the language as specified on the Formatting pane of the language in the Text Editor section of the Options dialog to the selected text.

 

Ctrl-Shift-L
Deletes all selected lines or the current line if no selection has been made

 

Ctrl-Enter
Inserts a blank line above the cursor

 

Ctrl-Shift-Enter
Inserts a blank line below the cursor

 

Shift-Alt-T
Moves the line containing the cursor below the next line

 

Ctrl-M, Ctrl-M
Toggles the currently selected hidden text section or the section containing the cursor if there is no selection between the hidden and display states

 

Ctrl-M, Ctrl-L
Toggles all previously marked hidden text sections between hidden and display states

 

Ctrl-R, Ctrl-W
Shows or hides spaces and tab marks

 

Ctrl-+
Goes back to the previous location in the navigation history. 

 

Ctrl-Shift-+
Moves forward in the navigation history. This is effectively an undo for the View.NavigateBackward operation

 

Ctrl-=
Selects from the current location in the editor back to the previous location in the navigation history

 

Shift-Alt-A
Displays the Add Existing Item dialog

 

Ctrl-F4
Closes the current MDI child window

 

Ctrl-F2
Moves the cursor to the navigation bar at the top of a code view

 

Ctrl-Pagedown
Moves to the next tab in the document or window (e.g., you can use this to switch the HTML editor from its design view to its HTML view

 

Ctrl-PageUp
Moves to the previous tab in the document or window

 

Ctrl+Shift+Up/Down/Left/Right
Changes the width and height of controls in the designer view

 

[]s
-- AFurtado

 

-- CALL FOR PAPERS - Deadline for submissions (new date): 31 March 2008 --

 

IADIS INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE GAMING 2008: DESIGN FOR ENGAGING EXPERIENCE AND SOCIAL INTERACTION
Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 25 to 27 July 2008
(http://www.gaming-conf.org/)

 

part of the IADIS Multi Conference on Computer Science and Information Systems
(MCCSIS 2008)
Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 22 to 27 July 2008
(http://www.mccsis.org)

 

* Keynote Speaker
Constance Steinkuehler, University of Wisconsin - Madison, USA

 

* Conference background and goals
As gaming becomes more pervasive in our job, learning and personal life, research is challenged by designers, educators, and policy makers to point out new directions in engaging our cognitive, social, expressive and experiential capabilities. Which new types of  interaction methods, scenario metaphors and methods for in-depth co-creation may empower game design? Which kind of learning processes can be supported by games? How is game design and gaming shaping our social world?  This conference brings together innovative research and best practices in creative design: is research meeting its challenges?  Since theory and practice need to feed on each other we plan to support opportunities for inventing collaborative projects.

* Format of the Conference
The conference will comprise of invited talks and oral presentations. The proceedings of the conference will be published in the form of a book and CD-ROM with ISBN, and will be available also in the IADIS Digital Library (accessible on-line). The best paper authors will be invited to publish extended versions of their papers in special or regular issues of the following journals:
- ACM Computers in Entertainment (ISSN (printed): 1544-3574)
- Simulation & Gaming: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Theory, Practice and Research (ISSN: 1046-8781)
- International Journal of Computer Games Technology (ISSN: 1687-7047 // e-ISSN: 1687-7055)
- Eludamos Journal for Computer Game Culture (Open Access Systems)

 

* Types of submissions
Full and Short Papers, Reflection Papers, Posters/Demonstrations, Tutorials, Panels and Doctoral Consortium. All submissions are subject to a blind refereeing process.

 

* Topics related to Gaming: Design for Engaging Experience and Social Interaction are of interest. These include, but are not limited to the following areas and topics:

 

New Technologies, Aesthetics, Game Design & Evaluation
- Innovative platforms, interfaces and applications
- Intelligence & Adaptivity (in and for game design)
- Cognition and representation
- Multi-modal communication and perceptual user interfaces
- Narratives, Perception and performance metaphors
- Cinematography
- Realism, Immersiveness, Experience design
- Character design
- User/player centered design,  (social and audiovisual) usability and playability
- Alternate and mixed realities
- Design Methodologies
- Research methodologies in creative practice
- Assessment of exploratory technologies

 

Serious Games & Simulations
- Learning from games
- Learning with games and simulations
- Games in curriculum development
- Game applications in education, science, government, health, corporate organizations
- Therapeutic games
- Games in decision making and innovation
- Assessment of exploratory learning approaches

Games in context
- New game genres (location based games, urban games, mobile games)
- Game interpretation for design
- Game Culture, Game criticism
- Enjoyment in gaming
- Compulsive gaming, aggression in gaming
- Psychological, social, and cultural differences in perception and participation
- Mechanisms of exclusion
- Communities, networks, social interaction and social capital

* Important Dates
- Submission deadline (new date): 31 March 2008
- Notification to Authors: 18 April 2008
- Final Camera-Ready Submission and Early Registration: Until 9 May 2008
- Late Registration: After 9 May 2008
- Conference: Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 25 to 27 July 2008

 

* Conference Location
The conference will be held in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

 

* Secretariat
IADIS Secretariat - IADIS INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE GAMING 2008 : DESIGN FOR ENGAGING EXPERIENCE AND SOCIAL INTERACTION
Rua Sao Sebastiao da Pedreira, 100, 3
1050-209 Lisbon, Portugal
E-mail: secretariat@gaming-conf.org
Web site: http://www.gaming-conf.org/

 

Gaming 2008 Conference Program Chair:
Eleonore ten Thij, Game, Media and Agent Technology, Utrecht University, the Netherlands

 

General MCCSIS Conference Co-Chairs:
Piet Kommers, University of Twente, The Netherlands
Pedro Isaías, Universidade Aberta (Portuguese Open University), Portugal
Nian-Shing Chen, National Sun Yat-sen University, Taiwan

Committee Members: for committee list please refer to http://www.gaming-conf.org/committees.asp

 

[]s
-- AFurtado

 

 

"Enduring (some of) the challenges" - February, 2008
[This post is part of a series. Read the first one here. Read the last one here.]  

 

Relocating beacuse of a new job is not easy, especially when it's your first move and you're used to live in a place for dozens of years. Some things you'll discover you can go through pretty well, others might be more challenging (BTW, cooking is cool, ironing sucks).

 

However, don't let such challenges hamper your professional goals. In the worst case, it will be an excellent opportunity for improving your "self-knowing", even if you suffer a little in the beginning to get more mature and have more experiences later. Weather, for instance, is one of the most expressive contributors to your new relocation experiences, as I tell below.

 

So one day it had to happen: snow in Redmond for the first time since I've arrived here! New job, new life, new experiences... First time driving in the snow and a new English word learnt: skid!

 

This reinforces my theory that life is an imitation of videogames: you play experiences in your console(s) first, then try it for real later (of course there are welcome exceptions). And someday, far ahead, they two will become the same thing (as a funnier version of The Matrix).

 

Back from the future, thanks Redmond streets for warning me every challenge I might face:

 

 

However, we must see the positive side of everything... some experiences you simply don't have everywhere!

 

 <=>

 

Wondering what (game?) comes next...

 

[]s
-- AFurtado

 

 

I've been meaning to blog this for ages. I believe the bug is already fixed but the fun remains.

 

So some weeks ago I was testing map services in the web: which would be the directions from Miami to Recife, my hometown in Brazil? Let's check the results:

 

Live Search provides the required directions for my (stupid) search: (who would drive that much?)

 

Google Maps kindly asks me to swim almost 6000 miles (~9600km!) across the Atlantic Ocean, as you can see below:

 

 

Two funny(ier?) things:

 

When in doubt, I believe Yahoo Maps provide a better (but less fun) solution: "not able to get the requested directions".

 

[]s

-- AFurtado