Callisto is a new library of controls and helpers (including SQLite support) for Windows 8 XAML applications (aka Metro style apps) developed by Tim Heuer (@timheuer) and Morten Nielsen (@dotmorten).

Click here to access the project and download the new bits!

Enjoy

Click here to read the details and access the download link on CodePlex.

New to Windows 8 development? Mark your calendars: the new book “Programming Windows, Sixth edition” by Charles Petzold is coming soon!

Happy XAMLing everyone

• Expiration date - June 30, 2013;
• Go-live license;
• updated Silverlight 5 SDK.

Check out the original post by the Expression Blend Team and download the new bits from here.

Happy Silverlighting!

The WPSDK 7.1.1 Update provides a WPSDK patch that enables developers to develop and test for the recently announced Windows Phone 7.5 256 MB devices, as well to run the WPSDK 7.1 on the Windows 8 Consumer Preview release via the following:

• Updated 512 MB OS Emulator Image: An updated build Windows Phone OS 7.1 (Build 8773)
• New 256 MB OS Emulator Image: A new Windows Phone OS 7.1 emulator image (Build 8773) that emulates running on 256 MB devices
• Emulator Choice: Ability to debug or run your WP apps in either the 256 MB or 512 MB emulator
• Windows 8 Support: An updated emulator is included, which can run on Windows 8
• IntelliSense support for adding the new 512 MB requirement to the Windows Phone App Manifest file

News since the CTP release last month:

• ‘Go Live’ license: The update now has a ‘Go Live’ license; developers running WPSDK 7.1.1 are now empowered to publish their Windows Phone apps to the Windows Phone Marketplace
• Full Localization: WPSDK now supports all 10 IDE languages; and the OS image now has Malay and Indonesian
• Windows 8 Support: The updated emulator will now run on Windows 8; note that the OS is still not officially supported by developer support until the final OS release

Useful links:

Windows Phone SDK 7.1.1 Update CTP Download Center page

• Full URI
• FWLink
• WPDev.ms

Documentation

• What’s New
• Developing for 256 MB Devices

For additional information on this release, please refer the post on the WP Developer Blog.

From the official release notes:

“Calcium for Windows Phone is a consolidation of the infrastructure code that has been written for the book Windows Phone 7.5 Unleashed, and is already used by a number of published apps. 

Some of Calcium for Windows Phone features include: 

• A user option’s system that allows you to add a settable option to an options page, with a single line of code.
• A bindable application bar with toggle buttons and menu items, hyperlink button/menu items, which allows you to host multiple application bars in a Pivot.
• Built-in support for localization. Bindable resources allows the user to change the interface language at run-time.
• An IoC container and DI infrastructure, and templates to allow you to hide or show a Purchase link in your app depending on the • Trial state of your app and so forth.
• Templates for Views with ViewModels.
• Attribute based state persistence system.
• Message service that allows you to display messages and ask the user questions from your ViewModel.
• Launchers and Choosers abstraction layer.
• Input Validation system, with styles customized for displaying validation errors.

And much more! 

Unlike Calcium for WPF and Silverlight, Calcium for Windows Phone does not depend on Prism and has a smaller footprint, more suitable for the mobile platform.”

Other useful resources:

• “Windows Phone Experts” Group on LinkedIn;
• The new book “Windows Phone 7.5 Unleashed” by Daniel.

Fortify your apps with Calcium for Windows Phone!

Don’t forget to join the new “Windows Metro Experts” Group on Linkedin and start creating awesome applications for this great platform!

The new version 4.1 released on February 2012 is available for download here.

Read the official announcement by Blaine Wastell: Prism for Silverlight 5 Ships.

The XAML Project contains “Free vector design resources for XAML-based technologies such as Silverlight, Metro, WP7, and WPF. Search and download pure XAML graphics for your web, desktop, and/or mobile applications.“

It’s a very useful resource, I’ve already inserted it in my favorites!

Happy XAMLing everyone

Check out the official site for a complete list of download links and updated documentation including feature list, Breaking changes and Release History.

Don’t forget to read the official announcement, this is a special and fantastic release with tons of new features:

Improved media support

• Low Latency Audio Playback
• Variable Speed Playback
• H/W Decode of H.264 media
• DRM Key Rotation/LiveTV Playback
• Application-Restricted Media

Improved Text support

• Text Tracking & Leading
• Linked Text Containers
• OpenType and Pixel Snapped Text
• Postscript vector printing
• Performance improvements for Block Layout Engine

Building next-generation business applications

• PivotViewer
• ClickCount
• Listbox/ComboBox type-ahead text searching
• Ancestor RelativeSource Binding
• Implicit DataTemplates
• DataContextChanged event
• Added PropertyChanged to the UpdateSourceTrigger enum
• Save File and Open File Dialog
• Databinding Debugging
• Custom Markup Extensions
• Binding on Style Setters

Silverlight 5 performance improvements

• Parser Performance Improvements
• Network Latency Improvements
• H/W accelerated rendering in IE9 windowless mode
• Multicore JIT
• 64-bit browser support

Graphics improvements

• Improved Graphics stack
• 3D

Silverlight 5 extends features of the “Trusted Application” model

• Multiple window support
• Full-Trust in-browser
• In-browser HTML support
• Unrestricted File System Access
• P/Invoke support

Tools improvements

• Visual Studio Team Test support

As usual go, grab the new bits and Happy Silverlighting!

It’s always a great honor to be recognized and having the possibility to be part of this group of awesome people sharing knowledge and… passion.

My heartful thanks to all the people who supported me: my family, the great Silverlight team, my MVP lead Alessandro Teglia and all the community. You, all, rock!

I’m looking forward to a new year of amazing technologies: Silverlight, WPF, Windows Phone, WinRT, XAML, Windows 8 – WOW!

As usual, happy Silverlighting all!