Don’t miss this opportunity to get hands on with Windows Phone and the new features coming in Windows Phone “Mango”. Get help developing apps from the Windows Phone experts! This is a “hands-on” Hackathon where you will learn how to build, scale and publish your Windows Phone apps from the Windows Phone and Windows Azure experts. If you are a beginner or even an expert Windows Phone... [read more]

Don’t miss this opportunity to get hands on with Windows Phone and the new features coming in Windows Phone “Mango”. Get help developing apps from the Windows Phone experts! This is a “hands-on” Hackathon where you will learn how to build, scale and publish your Windows Phone apps from the Windows Phone and Windows Azure experts. If you are a beginner or even an expert Windows Phone developer, you should not miss this event. We will have short sessions on how to get started creating apps for the Windows Phone. And sessions on how to make serious $$$ building Windows Phone apps. Bring your laptop and we will provide all of the necessary tools needed to build your apps. This evening event will bring together experts and developers with the purpose of developing WP7 apps. Bring your ideas! Present them to your peers and WIN! Top app ideas will be voted on with an opportunity to WIN FREE Marketplace registration and more! We will also show participants who manage to create a Windows Phone app how they can be entered to win a new Windows Phone! If you are a student, this is an event you can’t afford to miss! We will show you multiple ways to get FREE Unlocked Samsung Focus Windows Phones, FREE Xbox 360 games, FREE Visual Studio 2010 Professional, FREE Windows Phone Marketplace accounts and FREE Gift Cards.   Space is limited, so RSVP soon! Food, beverages and refreshments will be provided.   Sessions Getting Started Developing for Windows PhoneWindows Phone is Microsoft’s next-generation smartphone platform. Windows Phone applications are created by using familiar tools like Visual Studio 2010, Silverlight, and XNA, thereby allowing developers to create rich smartphone applications using their existing skills. In this session, we will take a high-level look at the platform and tools that enable developers to create Windows Phone applications.   Making $$$ with Windows PhoneThe release of Windows Phone has created a rare opportunity for app developers to get in on the ground floor of a new and fast-growth mobile app marketplace. In this session, we will explore the ins and outs of the Marketplace and how to get started building and monetizing apps for the Windows Phone.   The Next Big Windows Phone App - App Pitch ContestBring your mobile app ideas and WIN big! During the hackathon, you will get to mockup, prototype and create The Next Big Windows Phone App with the help of the Windows Phone and Windows Azure experts. At the end of the night, you will get to pitch your app to the attendees and the attendees will vote on the best apps. The apps with the most votes will win big and leave with great prizes. You might end the night beginning your journey to Windows Phone fame and fortune.   Speakers and On-Site Experts Dave BostDave is a Developer Evangelist with Microsoft and co-host of the Thirsty Developer Podcast. Dave has been a Software Developer and Solution Architect for over 15-years. Prior to joining Microsoft, Dave cut his technical teeth working with many Fortune-500 companies as a technical mentor and consultant. Dave started his technical passion back in the days of the Commodore-64 when he wrote his first assembly-language program that produced a hot-air balloon to sail across his Commodore 1701 Video Monitor. From there, he was hooked. This led to a Computer Science degree at Northern Illinois University, where he soon started his professional career in the Unix/C world and a short time later, starting his Microsoft developer career. For the past decade, Dave has spent most of his time building web-based applications for the Microsoft platform. As a technologist, Dave doesn't spend all his time in the Microsoft world as he likes to spend his time dabbling with the latest technologies, tools and movements coming out of the software industry. Outside of his professional life, Dave enjoys discovering new music with his Zune Pass, defending the universe against 13-year olds on Xbox Live, and playing golf (whenever his wife lets him). You can read Dave's blog or listen to the Thirsty Developer Podcast.   Eric D. BoydEric D. Boyd is a Director for Centare (www.centare.com) and is responsible for their Chicago business and Cloud Computing Practice. Eric began his technology career by starting a web development firm in the 90’s and has served in multiple roles since including developer, consultant, business owner and technology executive. Today, he primarily helps Fortune 500 companies with software development practices and cloud computing in the Chicago-Milwaukee area. You can find him blogging at http://www.ericdboyd.com and on Twitter at http://twitter.com/EricDBoyd.   Matt HidingerMatt Hidinger is a software developer and enthusiast out of Chicago. He is currently working as a consultant at Triton-Tek focusing on ASP.NET MVC, Silverlight, and Windows Phone. In his free time he has built and published two apps to the Windows Phone marketplace: CTA Watch and Transit Directions. Matt can be found on twitter @MattHidinger, blogging at http://matthidinger.com, working on various open source projects, and actively participating in the local community.