Developing for Windows 10 Workshop by MSPs

Windows 10 is coming on July 29th and it’s time as a developer to get ready for the next generation of Windows! Look no further, the Microsoft Student Partners from Singapore Polytechnic will be holding a workshop on Developing for Windows 10. Details Date: 20th June 2015 (Sat) Time: 10:00am - 5:30 pm (Lunch Provided) Venue: Microsoft Auditorium, Level 21, One Marina Boulevard, Singapore 018989 (Closest MRT is Raffles Place) Open to Public, Intermediate “Level 200” Audience, Limited Slots Available! ...

Interview with Map Master - Nor Khadzik Khoirur Rahman

Interview with Map Master – Nor Khadzik Khoirur Rahman Welcome to another addition/edition of our Interview with a Map Master. Today’s interview is with Nor Khadzik Khoirur Rahman Visit him on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/khadzik.nor?fref=ts ——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————— HERE: Who are you, where are you, and what do you do? Nor: I’m Nor Khadzik Khoirur Rahman and I just graduated from the Faculty of Economics, Gadjah Mada University. I live in Jogjakarta, Indonesia, a famous city which is located near the Prambanan Temple and ruled by the Sultan. HERE: How did you become a HERE Map Master? Nor: I like to update any new changes into HERE map and I spend most of my time contributing to the HERE Map Creator. Apart from my quantity contribution, I also emphasized a lot on quality. I feel happy motivating the community members to join the community. HERE: Do you have any suggestion or tip for other members of the community who hope or aspire to eventually become a HERE Map Master? Nor: We need to be constantly aware of any new changes within our city/area and help add/update into HERE Map Creator once we confirmed our findings. One tip would be to focus on areas which has many point of interests/point addresses – industrial zones and residential areas would be a good place to start with. HERE: How were you introduced to the HERE Map and what was your first contribution? Nor: I am part of the Nokians Jogja Community where we actively share the HERE Expert Community Program. Through this community, that is how I came to know about HERE Map Creator and the community program. HERE: Do you participate in other mapping/community activities outside of the HERE Expert Community Program? If yes, please elaborate? Nor: Yes. I participate in Nokians Jogja – a local community for Microsoft Phone (formerly Nokia phone). In this community, we discussed regularly the features/tips and trick about Microsoft Phones and HERE Maps is one of the most popular topics among our discussion. HERE: Who has impressed you in the HERE Expert Community Program, and why? Nor: All the Map Masters! They have provided a lot of inspiration to me as they came from different background and have their own unique way in collecting information in reality. HERE: What is your best experience so far being a Map Master and in the HERE Expert Community Program? Nor: In January 2015, I was invited to the ‘Community Goes to HERE Event’ where we got to visit the HERE Jakarta Office. It was an exciting and eye-opener for me as I got to meet a lot of people and shared my community experiences with them. HERE: What are some of the areas of improvement which you would like to see in the HERE Expert Community Program? Nor: Let’s hold more Flash Mob Campaigns on a regular basis! HERE: Final words/Your Motto as a Map Master Nor: Let’s kick start the Local Map Master Chapter activity lead by Map Masters! ————————————————————————————————————————————————————– Thank you Nor for your amazing contributions and you are a true inspiration to the HERE Expert Community! Brought to you by the HERE Expert Community Program

Windows 10 Game Development Workshop with Win2D

Learn how to develop games for Windows 10 with Visual Studio 2015 and Win2D! Windows 10 brings about a myriad of new APIs for developers to explore. With Win2D being present on the Universal Windows Platform, find out how you can, using Windows 10 and Visual Studio 2015, build games for Windows 10, Windows Mobile 10, Xbox, Windows Holographic, Surface Hub and IoT! When: Saturday, 13 June 2015, 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM Where: Microsoft Singapore, #22-01, One Marina Boulevard Who: Young Developers, “Level 100-200” Developers Presenter: Riza Marhaban, Technical Evangelist In preparation for this event, you’ll want to be running Windows 10, either installed normally, through a VM or otherwise. You can download Windows 10 over at the Windows Insider website. You’ll also want to have Visual Studio 2015 installed, either the Community or Professional versions would work - download VS over at the Visual Studio website. Win2D is an easy-to-use Windows Runtime API for immediate mode 2D graphics rendering with GPU acceleration. It is available to C# and C++ developers writing Windows apps for Windows 8.1, Windows Phone 8.1 and Windows 10. It utilizes the power of Direct2D, and integrates seamlessly with XAML and CoreWindow. ...

Starting with Buses – Map Master Pasawee Boonjareonsukpisan makes commuting easier and less confusing

Thailand Map Master Pasawee Boonjareonsukpisan travels regularly on the bus. Her daily journey trips are often intertwined with commuting to school, shopping trips or other services which have become an important factor in the daily urban system. In Thailand, the bus stops and bus routes are part of the Mass Transit system which provides fast and convenience services for commuters to get around. However in Thailand, the buses don’t automatically stop at every bus stop. They stop only if someone waves them down or someone is getting off. And as the bus map location service is still unavailable in Thailand, Pasawee decided to help contribute these data for sharing purpose with the community. She feels that this will not only benefit the community, but also motivates them to want to create a HERE transit app to ease their daily commuting needs. ...

Interview with Map Master - Cipto Tri Utomo

Hello HERE Maps Readers/Fans, Welcome to another week of ‘Interview with a Map Master’ series. This week’s interview is with Cipto Tri Utomo. (Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/C.TRI.U?hc_location=ufi) Let’s get started with the interview! ———————————————————————————————————————————————– HERE: Who are you, where are you, and what do you do? Tri: My name is Cipto Tri Utomo and I live in East Lombok, Lombok Island, Indonesia. I am working for the local government as an expert staff of East Lombok region. HERE: How did you become a HERE Map Master? Tri: I’ve been part of the HERE Expert Community since February 2014. When I started contributing in Map Creator, the map coverage in Lombok was very limited and I realized that the Map Creator tool is actually an excellent tool to help promote the potential tourist spots in Lombok. I love sharing my best practices and experience with others so that they can help promote their city/area too. All of these experiences enriched my knowledge of HERE Maps and I can look back and see the great impact and positive experiences I have shared and gained that got me here today as a Map Master. HERE: Do you have any suggestion or tip for wannabe-Map Masters or aspire to eventually become a HERE Map Master? Tri: To become a Map Master, our contributions in terms of quantity and quality have to go hand in hand. Besides that, you must be willing to share best practices and respond actively to any questions/feedback from the community are some of the desired attributes. HERE: How were you introduced to the HERE Map and what was your first contribution? Tri: I am a Microsoft phone user (formerly Nokia), so I am familiar with HERE Maps. I also read the Nokianesia blog (Nokia Phone User Community in Indonesia) which regularly shares the HERE Expert Community Program. My first contribution was in the HERE Map Creator for road geometry and point of interests around Lombok Island. HERE: Do you participate in other mapping/community activities outside of the HERE Expert Community Program? If yes, please elaborate? Tri: No. Apart from joining the HERE Expert Community Program, I love painting and sketching. HERE: Who has impressed you in the HERE Expert Community Program, and why? Tri: Map Master Wayan Agus Ferianto from Lampung is someone who has impressed me in this community because we shared our experiences in the community with each other regularly. HERE: What is your best experience so far being a Map Master and in the HERE Expert Community Program? Tri: One of the most memorable experience was attending the Map Master gathering in Jakarta, where all Map Master from Indonesia gathered together and had productive discussions om how to improve the HERE Expert Community Program. HERE: What are some of the areas of improvement which you would like to see in the HERE Expert Community Program? Tri: Local activities initiated and driven by Map Masters. In this way, we can invite more people to join and participate in these local activities. HERE: Final words/your motto as a Map Master? Tri: As a Map Master, we need to be constantly aware of any changes that are taking place in our neighborhood and help to add/update the change into Map Creator so that the information is always the freshest and updated one. —————————————————————————————————————————————————— Wow! Thank you, Tri for the great tips and for all your contributions in the community. Everyone, please join me in thanking Tri! Brought to you by the HERE Expert Community Program

Interview with Map Master - Lim Che Chien

Interview with Map Master – Lim Che Chien. Today we are going to interview Lim Che Chien. Che Chien was the mastermind behind the Sarawak Map Creator Competition (SMCC’14) that took place in September last year. Visit him on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/lim7000?fref=ts Now let’s get to the interview! ———————————————————————————————————————————————————– HERE: Who are you, where are you, and what do you do? Che Chien: My name is Lim Che Chien and I’m working as a lecturer in Politeknik Kuching Sarawak at Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia**.** HERE: How did you become a HERE Map Master? Che Chien: Previously, I joined the Here Expert Community Program and was the second highest map contributor in Malaysia. HERE: Do you have any suggestion or tip for wannabe-Map Masters or aspire to eventually become a HERE Map Master? Che Chien: More contributions need to be done on maps especially for some areas with unclear images. HERE: How were you introduced to the HERE Map and what was your first contribution? Che Chien: HERE conducted a mapping training and thereafter, I participated in the competition organized by the Here Expert Community Program**.** HERE: Who has impressed you in the HERE Expert Community Program, and why? Che Chien: The team/staff from HERE Kuching impressed me with their professional skills and knowledge especially during the training sessions. Their cooperation during the Sarawak Map Creator competitions 2014 (SMCC'14) was also a contributing factor to the success of the competition. HERE: What is your best experience so far being a Map Master and in the HERE Expert Community Program? Che Chien: Through the knowledge and skills I’ve gained from being a Map Master, I organized the Sarawak Map Creator competitions 2014 (SMCC'14). This competition received excellent responses and participation from 25 secondary schools and 9 high schools. HERE: What are some of the areas of improvement which you would like to see in the HERE Expert Community Program? Che Chien: There is a need to improve the unclear image at Sarikei, Sarawak and some rural areas in Sarawak. HERE: Final words/Your motto as a Map Master Che Chien: Mapping for all! ————————————————————————————————————————————————————– Please join me in thanking Che Chien for all his contributions! Brought to you by the HERE Expert Community Program

The happenings at Build Singapore!

Microsoft’s Build Developer Conference is an annual event that introduces the latest cutting-edge products and services offered by Microsoft. This year, Build 2015 takes a twist to go on the road to promote Windows 10 app development to software creators all over the globe. And the Build Tour, which includes one-day stops at 26 cities worldwide, arrived in Singapore on May 28! [caption id=“msp_guides” align=“alignnone” width=“100%”] Our MSP guides getting ready for the day! [/caption] Jointly organized by the Developer Experience and Evangelism (DX) teams from Redmond and Singapore, Build Singapore attracted more than 400 technology enthusiasts, including myself, all ready to spend our day with the best Microsoft Technical Evangelists and lead engineers at Resorts World Convention Centre! The team prepared for the crowd from as early as 7am on this Thursday morning. We were joined by our Microsoft Student Partners (MSPs), and everyone was excited to bring this long-awaited event to our audience! As a starter to thank our attendees for their presence and support, we distributed exclusive Microsoft swags at registration! #goodies [caption id=“registration” align=“alignnone” width=“100%”] All excited to meet the crowd and distribute our Microsoft swags! [/caption] Build Singapore kicked off at 9am, with the Managing Director of Microsoft Singapore, Jessica Tan, delivering the opening address to warmly welcome the crowd and get everyone in anticipation for the day’s program. [caption id=“jessica-opening” align=“alignnone” width=“100%”] Jessica welcomes the crowd to Build Singapore [/caption] [caption id=“audience” align=“alignnone” width=“100%”] More than 400 participants attended Build Singapore [/caption] The first keynote was delivered by Giorgio Sardo, Senior Director of Client and Devices Evangelism at Microsoft. Giorgio introduced the key highlights of Build 2015, and how all these started off with Microsoft’s goal to bring Windows 10 to 1 billion devices - that’s a huge ambition, but I am confident we will get there (more details to Build 2015 available here). [caption id=“giorgio-keynote-1” align=“alignnone” width=“100%”] Giorgio demonstrates a flight simulation app with Windows 10 and Microsoft Band [/caption] [caption id=“giorgio-keynote-2” align=“alignnone” width=“100%”] Giorgio and Nobu show how IoT with Azure helps farmers track and manage their cows [/caption] Saranya Sriram, Technical Evangelist of Windows Azure APAC, also shared about Microsoft’s improved Azure app services. I got to learn more about the key characteristics that make Azure stand out as a preferred cloud computing platform, such as the durability, fault tolerance, scalability and flexibility it offers. Azure is surely the up and coming cloud OS that is constantly unveiling its potential by leaps and bounds. [caption id=“saranya-presentation” align=“alignnone” width=“100%”] Saranya gets the crowd excited with the improved Azure offerings [/caption] Next was Nikola Metulev, Program Manager at Microsoft, who showcased more demos on Windows 10 and the Universal Windows Platform (UWP). One of which was a Peek-a-Boo application that uses facial recognition technology to identify user presence. Imagine the potential this could have in other applications such as biometric authentication (and yes, that means we don’t have to memorize more passwords). [caption id=“nikola -presentation” align=“alignnone” width=“100%”] Nikola demonstrates IoT with Windows 10 [/caption] And then came lunch! It was a good break for everyone to freshen up, and also mingle with other participants in a comfortable setting. Wondering how comfortable was it? Check out the photo below! [caption id=“lunch” align=“alignnone” width=“100%”] Lunch was a hearty feast (drools) [/caption] We then had Lightning Talks, which was a refreshing switch to concise, relevant and interesting talks that each lasted for no more than 10 minutes. Our Microsoft partners from TV Thailand demonstrated their apps on Windows 10, Edge and Azure, and aptly highlighting the business value Microsoft brings to organizations. [caption id=“lightning-talks-1” align=“alignnone” width=“100%”] Our speakers gearing up for Lightning Talks [/caption] [caption id=“lightning-talks-2” align=“alignnone” width=“100%”] Gamurai demonstrates their hair styling simulation web app with Dave as our model. Looking good, Dave! [/caption] Dave Crawford, Microsoft’s Senior User Experience Program Manager, also engaged the audience with app design tips, and hearing this from a seasoned UX guy, it was definitely a rare experience! A little pity that it only lasted for 10 minutes though… Other impressive technologies such as Cortana, Windows Store and Bluetooth Beacons also wowed the crowd. [caption id=“dave-presentation” align=“alignnone” width=“100%”] Dave, the UX guy, sharing his valuable insights on design [/caption] The event proceeds with a Panel Question-and-Answer, where our distinguished speakers, Giorgio, Dave, Nikola and Saranya, were seated on stage to address any questions from the ground. Some clarified technical ones, while others questioned the viability of the strategies undertaken by Microsoft. I personally gathered much insight from the discussions, for example, someone was skeptical about the user reach of Windows mobile apps, but with the UWP, developers are in fact expanding their potential user base as they can easily deploy their apps across multiple platforms, including PCs, Xbox and Raspberry Pi 2. [caption id=“panel-qna” align=“alignnone” width=“100%”] Our panel having some face-to-face time with the audience during Q&A [/caption] I think the best were those who asked when would Windows 10, HoloLens and the like be introduced in Singapore. They totally displayed the kind of eagerness and anticipation that many of us have for these really cool technologies. I can’t wait! And the eventful day concluded with our very own Technical Evangelist from Microsoft Singapore, Terence Lim, who shared with the audience about how they can get involved with our local programmes - ME@MS, weshipcode.com, DreamSpark, Imagine Cup, BizSpark and Microsoft Visual Academy. [caption id=“terence-closing” align=“alignnone” width=“100%”] Terence concludes the event with a bang, what an eventful Thursday! [/caption]

June 2, 2015 · 5 min ·  May Lim

Azure Community Meetup (June)

Have you ever experiencing website something like this? Linux in Azure you can easily resolve this. We will be sharing on Virtual Private Network and Proxy Server in Azure Virtual Machine using Linux OS. You can also bring your own laptop for a hands-on-workshop to create a VPN and Proxy server in Linux. See you there. :) The Azure Community meetup is conducted every week. Come join us to learn from one another some of the interesting things you can do on Azure!

Take your first step at the Microsoft Code for Change event!

Thousands across Asia have tried their first hour of code. Have you? Take your first step at the Microsoft Code for Change event! Microsoft invites students to join us at the launch of Code for Change on July 1, 2015, 14:00 to 17:00 (registration starts at 13:30). Venue details*: Main venue: NTUC Auditorium 4 satellite sites: • ITE College Central • Nanyang Polytechnic • Ngee Ann Polytechnic • Temasek Polytechnic Please contact sgmktg@microsoft.com should you require additional details. We look forward to see you at the event!

Team Building - The Fun starts with HERE!

The FANTASTILICIOUS HERE Singapore Team Through the years of my working life, I have always been fascinated by the power of events and celebrations to pull people together. Since we spend our days working together and focusing on the business at hand, the work becomes our primary medium for interaction. As such, its character is formal, serious, important, necessary, technical, and administrative. We all accept this as part of the work climate. When there is an organization event or celebration, however, the character changes somewhat. It gives people time to pull back, relax, celebrate what has been accomplished, and look at each other as fellow humans bound together by a common purpose. May 4th. To ensure that all HERE Singapore employees get the opportunity to network and interact with one another, the Southeast Asia Regional Map & Content (RMC) team initiated and organized a series of teambuilding activities across Southeast Asia. First stop – Singapore! Held in the Singapore Management University (SMU) School of Economics and Social science, the teambuilding event aimed to bring together all employees and business units from HERE Singapore for an informal day of getting-to-know-one-another better and sharing of each other’s business updates. Close to 36 HERE employees turned up for a day of sharing sessions from the various business units, group discussion led by the Human Resource team, SEA RMC quarterly award presentation (congratulations to Lian ZhenXiong!) and a mind-boggling real life room escape activity with FreeingSG. The teambuilding ended with a sumptuous dinner at Irodori Japanese restaurant which were relished by the HERE Singapore employees and enhanced an already memorable evening. From a team building perspective, it allows for greater interaction between people separated by functional boundaries. This interaction then gives us the opportunity to see our colleagues from a different perspective, breaking down what may have been hidden barriers to open communication. At the end of the day, I am pretty sure that everyone of us indulged in interesting conversations, picked up random pieces of knowledge and most importantly, had fun! About the Author I work for HERE and this is my personal opinion