Technology, Books and Other Neat Stuff

Sadly yesterday evening's microformat birds of a feather session at MIX06 was moved on by casino security (dressed as a carabineri) just as the discussion was getting interesting...

Pity that there was no where better to hold it than the food court.

Here's a piece of reportage I sent into the DevReg yesterday...

Microsoft’s sold-out MIX06 conference is a brave affair, attempting to bridge an almost impossible divide – the gap between developers and designers.

Under fake Italian skies, and hidden in the cavernous halls of Las Vegas’ Venetian hotel, 1700 attendees are learning about Microsoft’s new web technologies and, if all is going to plan, having a conversation about the future of the web. It's different from the usual sort of Microsoft event - with more than half the speakers coming from outside the company and many, many shiny Powerbooks among the hordes of laptops.

It's not the only piece on MIX06 I'll be delivering - I'm also working on copy for Web Designer.

Oooh - it's the second most popular piece in the section at the moment...

Mix06 is a strange hybrid of a conference, in a strange strange place. It's in a huge three dimensional maze of corridors somewhere behind the fake Italian skies of the Venetian hotel's interior Grand Canal. We walk in as the city wakes up, along strangely manicured streets and past theme hotels that flash bright neon in the morning light.

Despite all that, there's a lot to learn here. I've been to sessions on designing AJAX applications that scale to millions of users, on working with new design tools, and a fascinating panel on the future of Internet Explorer. In between we've had interesting conversations with old and new Microsoft and Web 2.0 contacts, and spent a fascinating evening talking digital identity with Kim Cameron and a whole crowd of folk from all sides of the identity problem (I have to say, I still think of it as implementing zero knowledge cryptography properly).

I also had a good sit down chat with Scott Guthrie and Brian Goldfarb about the delights of Atlas and doing AJAX on ASP.NET 2.0. I think I need to get some ASP.NET web space and have a good play. I'm half wondering about building a site for the ASP.NET tutorials I wrote for Web Developer magazine that will never see the light of day.

Lots more to learn over the next couple of days, and then it's off down to Dallas for another conference. Any pointers to things to see or do while there? Paging sclerotic_rings...

And so, at last, to Las Vegas for Microsoft's Mix06 web development conference.

Yesterday was the longest drive of the trip so far, from Barstow to Baker (and "The Mad Greek"), before heading off into the desert and down into Death Valley. Rain showers followed us, leaving a fine trace of yellow desert flowers.

Death Valley is an amazing place - so many colours in such a desolate place. Pictures to follow when connected to a broadband network rather than GPRS...

Today's random americana: a frame with today's sports page proudly displayed over a gents urinal - something to do while otherwise occupied?