Download Windows 8 Release Preview and start building your own apps!!!

Windows 8 Release Preview has been made available last week, representing another important quality milestone on the road to Windows 8 General Availability (GA).
This post provides you with some must-know information around what and where to download the bits, the tools and information on how you can count on our support in taking your app to launch.

Belgian Apps???
If you have been following our Belgian activities around Windows 8, ever since our developer event in March Windows 8 Developer Day and Night of Windows 8 (app-a-thon), you know folks are working hard on apps.

We are very happy to announce that two of our Belgian partners we’ve been working with since the early stages now made it into the Windows Store for Release Preview: Le Soir by Rossel and Slash Monsters by Fishing Cactus/Tokkun Studio. Le Soir one of the first European newspaper in Windows Store!

Your app in Windows Store? Loads of stuff coming to you
As we get closer and closer to the next milestone for Windows 8, locally here in Belgium and Luxembourg we are preparing a bunch of ways to support you along the way into publishing that app in Windows Store by launch – you do want to take that first mover advantage.

How we’re helping you
Below you can find a collection of activities and resources coming your way. Or come our way by means of an App Clinic.

	Training events for developers and designers Windows Camps and UX Workshops, check out our Metro map.
	Seaside coding at the Belgian Coast: Summer App-a-thons on Windows 8 Metro Style Apps. When: 12 July (and 8 August in Antwerp)
	App Clinics: join Evangelists, external developer or Metro UX consultants to discuss any questions on your mind regarding your app. By joining an App Clinic you are also on the right track to get access to App Excellence Labs.
	App Excellence Labs When you’ve been in touch with us through an App Clinic and your application is polished enough go to review, you are invited to participate in an App Excellence Lab. This is a 2-hour review of you application with a Microsoft engineer and if you pass the requirements checklist you get a Windows Store Token! Because the Store is still closed for public registration for now, this is the only way to get registered and reserve your app name for future fame. Have an app ready? Register your interest via the App Clinic form (mention App Excellence Labs) .

Windows 8 Release Preview: downloads

1. For Windows 8 downloads and ISO files you can go to http://preview.windows.com
2. For developer downloads you’ll find the developer SDK with Visual Studio 2012 Express for Windows 8 RC and Expression Blend for Visual Studio, remote debugging tools, Live SDK and more: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-US/windows/apps/br229516.aspx
3. New samples for Release Preview: Download sample app pack (300 MB)
4. Updated documentation: http://dev.windows.com
   If you have read through the documentation previously you’ll see that a lot of the content has been updated, this includes both the developer documentation as well as UX Guidelines.

We are looking forward to helping you take advantage of this huge new opportunity to reach millions of users worldwide.
It’s going to be a hot Summer!

Developers Unite: New Windows Phone is ready for you

Earlier this week we’ve published a major release of Windows Phone. It’s an important update that offers hundreds of new features to the phone, marketplace and for developers that target the platform. Here is the official blog post on the WindowsPhone team Blog. We target to update 98% of phone customers worldwide within the next four weeks.

What’s hot for Belgian developers?
First, we’ve simplified payout and taxes administration by eliminating the need to provide an ITIN on your W-8 to take advantage of a reduced withholding rate. A blog post will follow with the new simplified procedure and we will organize a webcast for your Q&A in November.. Stay tune #wp7be or #wp7dev or follow David Hernie who’s our Phone Champ.

Then, Microsoft Advertising solution for Windows Phone is now available in Belgium. It means MORE Windows Phone developers can make MORE money from in-app advertising and get paid locally. Want to know how to do it – Follow our WP7 technical training: Oct 25-26 in French at the MIC Mons or Nov 9- 10 in English at the MIC Brussels – Check here for all WP7 technical training organized in Belgium

Things to do as a WP developer

• Upgrade your phone id not pushed to it automatically yet
• Download the latest version of the developer tools : http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?displaylang=en&id=27570 and code Sample: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff431744(v=VS.92).aspx
• Participate to our local online/offline event to be ready : http://msdn.microsoft.com/
• Develop & publish or republish your great apps, we will help you to promote it through the marketplace and our brand new website ‘The Belgium Windows Phone Page‘ (NL) or (FR).

Last point, save the date(s)

Oct 25- 26 (FR version) Nov 9-10 (EN version)- We organize 2 deep development technical trainings- No marketing blala – 2 days to learn how to develop, publish and promote your Windows Phone 7 Apps. We will lend you phones to test your development, help you to promote your app, understand concept of the Live tiles – Cloud integration or how to use the Advertising SDK and get more revenue. It’s free – all details are here : WP7 technical training organized in Belgium

Already save the date for Nov 3th  – We “The UX tour” landing in Belgium: all you want to know about Design, HTML5, Web & Phone with international speakers and latest technology trends .. Stay tune, we arrive with all info.