I am pleased to announce the date for Desert Code Camp 2010.2, aka Nov2010 code camp.  It will take place Saturday, November, 13th, 2010.

There are a few changes for this camp.

New Web Site

The web site have been changed to accommodate history in the Desert Code Camps. This means that each Code Camp will have it’s own url, so you can see what sessions have taken place in the past.

This Desert Code Camp’s, 2010.2, url is http://nov2010.desertcodecamp.com and is ready to accept sessions.

May 2010 Desert Code Camp, 2010.1 Desert Code Camp, is http://may2010.desertcodecamp.com. I am in the process of adding in the Desert Code Camps from 2009. You can go to http://desertcodecamp.com to get the list of Code Camps that the site has.

New Location

Chandler – Gilbert Community College, will be hosting the event on their Pecos Campus.

• This facility is right off of the Loop 202 (SanTan Freeway) and Gilbert Road at the intersection of Gilbert Rd and Pecos Rd, in Chandler, AZ.
• The facility provides plenty of free parking
• There is free wifi with no requirements or software installed on your pc.
• There is a student center for socializing and networking.
• Modern facilities. In fact, Desert Code Camp will most likely take place in their brand new Ironwood Hall (IRN).
• Larger room sizes.  We will be able to hold several 120+ sessions.

Speaker Dinner

I am going to try and have a speaker dinner also at this Desert Code Camp.  The speaker dinner will take place on Friday night, pending a sponsor. More information will be provided when we get closer. If you want to sponsor the speaker dinner for about 40 people, send me an email at jguadagno @ sevdnug.org.

After Party

We are working with the City of Chandler, and local businesses downtown to have several after parties going on in Downtown Chandler after the Code Camp.  Downtown Chandler is approximately 3 miles away from Chandler – Gilbert Community College.

If you want to help, shoot me an email at jguadagno at sevdnug.org.

So my family and I have been going camping a lot for the past two years and this got me thinking… Why not have a Code Camp with actual camping?  We can still learn, have fun and enjoy beautiful Arizona at the same time.

If your interested, help me with the planning.  Complete the survey at: http://bit.ly/bUnZvl

No not Chandler Bing from Friends, although maybe Monica :) … it’s living in Chandler, Arizona.

In the past, I have tried to keep this blog mostly technical but something happened this morning that made me realize I love living in Chandler, Arizona. I forgot to close my garage door last night and during the City of Chandler Police Departments nightly patrol, the officer closed the door for me and left me a nice little note/reminder. Way to go!

A bit of history… My wife and I spend quite some time researching different cities and parts of the country when deciding where would be the best location (in our opinion) to raise our family. After all the research and talking to some friends and almost family out here we decided to move to Chandler, Arizona. So about 5 years ago in June of 2005 we moved from Long Island, NY and left all our family and friends to move to Chandler, Arizona.

So why do I love living in Chandler, Arizona. There are many reasons. The City of Chandler is proactively looking to grow the City in ways that most cities do not attempt.  The City of Chandler is hosting Laid Off Camp Phoenix on April 3rd, 2010.  They attempted to host Desert Code Camp on May 15th, 2010 (just not enough time to plan) and they are hosting Arizona Give Camp on May 21st-May 23rd, 2010.

The City of Chandler does so much for its citizens, Day of Fun and Fitness, Family Easter celebrations, Chandler Jazz festival,  and more. The City of Chandler has won countless awards also.

It’s time for the 7th iteration of Desert Code Camp (my second one as director).  Desert Code Camp will be held on May 15th at DeVry again.

DeVry University
2149 W Dunlap Ave (Map)
Phoenix, Arizona 85021

The Desert Code Camp website has a new design and logo thanks to Gabriel Utasi and a few new features.

Sign-up to give a talk today.

Follow Desert Code Camp on Twitter @DesertCodeCamp

Join us for our 2nd social mixer of the year at Brunswick Zone in Gilbert for two hours of bowling and socializing taking place on Monday 2/22 at 6:00 PM.

We got a few lanes, a few shoes, some appetizers and some drinks sponsored by Comsys*.

Registration will be limited!

Register at: http://sevdnug0210.eventbrite.com

* The sponsor will cover a certain amount of the cost.  You might be required to purchase some of your own food and drink.

MSDN Events: Take Your Applications Sky High with Cloud Computing and the Windows Azure Platform

February 23rd

Join your local MSDN Events team as we take a deep dive into cloud computing and the Windows Azure Platform. We’ll start with a developer-focused overview of this new platform and the cloud computing services that can be used either together or independently to build highly scalable applications. As the day unfolds, we’ll explore data storage, SQL Azure, and the basics of deployment with Windows Azure. Register today for these free.

Register at: http://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=1032438178&Culture=en-US

MSDN Events Presents: From Zero to XAML in 4 Hours

March 23rd

Learning XAML for use in Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF) or Silverlight can be a little daunting. This seminar will introduce the basic concepts of XAML and show you how to get started quickly and easily. You wil be given an overview of XAML tools such as VS.NET 2010 and Expression Blend. If you are new to Silverlight and WPF you need to attend this seminar to see how to move to these powerful new platforms. The focus on this seminar is using XAML to build business applications.

Register at: http://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=1032439056&Culture=en-US

These are free events.  I would register while there is still room!

The Southeast Valley .NET User Group is looking for some speakers for 2010. The meetings are held monthly typically on the fourth Thursday of the month, although we can move the meeting to make it easier for speakers.  The meetings are held in Chandler, AZ about 20 miles south of downtown Phoenix, AZ. 

This year we had Tim Rayburn and Alan Stevens speak at the user group.  Add your name to the list, contact me at jguadagno @ sevdnug.org

Here are some of the topics that the community is looking for…

I hope to hear from you!

My first Code Camp is done and I wanted to jot down some of the lessons I learned.

Bring EXTRA equipment! You will never now what people will want or need. Here’s a list of items that are good to have.

• Adapters
  • DVI to VGA (those MACs)
  • HDMI to VGA
  • Multiple video to VGA
• Mice
• CAT5 cables
• USB Cables
• USB Flash drive

Speakers

• Speakers will cancel.  It is an unfortunate fact.
• Don’t allow one speaker to speak at more than 3 sessions.  This reduces your risk in case of cancelation and prevents speaker fatigue.

Schedule.  Printed schedules are good to have and good to hang.  Also add speaker names to the presentations.

Name Tags. People like and want them.

Venue

• WIFI is key.  A reliable and unobtrusive WiFi connection is best.
• You need to be able handle last minute room changes

Food

• Make sure you provide the person(s) that are ordering the food explicit instructions on the food.
• Try to have more than just pizza.
• You should have vegetarian and vegan options.

And remember you are not going to be able to make EVERYONE happy.

Got a kid interested in Technology?  Bring them to  the Gankplank Jr track at Code Camp Jr. taking place at Desert Code Camp.

Schedule for the day

Computers will be provided, feel free to bring a laptop if you have.

Lunch will be provided by Gangplank Jr.

If you have any Ardunio sets or Lego Mindstorm NXT sets feel free to bring them.

Register to attend: codecampjr2009.eventbrite.com

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me.

Joseph Guadagno

jguadagno@sevdnug.org

Recommended for kids from 4-18 years of age.

It is recommended that the kids are at reading age.

* Schedule is subject to change.

Phoenix Geek Tag was a minor success so I decided to put together another Geek outing in October. Most likely October 20th starting around 6pm. I have narrowed it down to two places.

Option 1: Bowling in Gilbert at Brunswick Lanes

What’s included…

• Bowling with bowling shoes for two hours.
• Drinks (alcoholic and non) are not included.
• Food is not included.
Approximate cost: $15 / person plus food.

Option 2: GameWorks in Tempe

What’s included…

• One or two hour game card (depending on package)
• Private room for socializing and networking
• Choice of 7 different meal options
• Unlimited fountain drinks
• Each person can pay separately for their own extra food / drink.
Approximate cost: $15 - $25 a person

Leave your comments as to which you prefer. I would like to book the place on Monday.