With the launch of VS.NET 2003, there’s a bunch of new architecture information from Microsoft. A whole new Pattern Repository site is up, featuring patterns for web presentation, deployment, distributed systems and performance and reliability. All of the patterns have communities – check out the Community Resources for Architecture and Design on GotDotNet, including areas on Enterprise Architecture, Application Architecture, Systems Architecture and Patterns and Templates. Tools like a TDL Policy Editor and new Enterprise Templates are also available.

I’ve updated my SharePoint RSS Feed Generator to version 0.2. Primary new feature: RSS feeds for individual lists. As I mentioned in my last post, I’m on vacation next week, so v0.3 will be a while. Current top features being considered for v0.3 are an OPML feed and modifying the WSS UI to include links to RSS feeds (both web feeds and list feeds).

I’ve also been working on a tool to help me explore the Windows SharePoint database. Any interest in that?

100′s of unread blog entries, 100′s of new emails, no new posts on DevHawk.net. It’s almost like I’ve been offline at a team meeting in Vegas for three days. Actually, it’s exactly like that. Next week will be more of the same, as I’m on vacation (taking my son Patrick to meet his Great-Grandmother). So today is my big chance to get caught up on everything.

As was reported on Sells Bros., Windows XP Media Center Edition (MCE) is available to MSDN Universal subscribers for download. I had an older PC lying around, so I thought I’d give it a whirl. So far, pretty cool. But, of course, it doesn’t matter if you can’t write code for it. 😄 Luckily, I found the Media Center Extensibility Guide as well as information about programming the remote control. According to the remote control article, any XP Pro machine should support the remote control. So even if you don’t have MCE, you can still buy the remote control and use it (I got mine from NewEgg.com). Only bummer – remote control messages are mapped to a variety of windows messages – WM_INPUT, WM_APPCOMMAND, WM_KEYDOWN, etc. No convenient CLR Windows Forms mapping, even though MCE ships with the .NET Framework.

Update – the remote control does, in fact, work with XP Pro. Tried it out w/ WMP to mute, change volume, move to next track, etc.

I’ve been playing in the Microsoft Flag Football league for the past few weeks. Today was the first time I knew anyone on the field other than my teammates. Tony Goodhew is a PM in the VS.NET group. He’s worked with VC++ (Here’s an interview with new MSFT employee Robert Scoble), J#, plus he does stuff with standardization of CLR. Tony’s Australian, which means he plays more rugby than football, a fact that was clearly obvious as I blew past him and the rest of his team’s offensive line to sack the QB in the end zone for the safety that turned out to be the margin of victory. I’d love to see Tony start a blog. He’s been kicking around the .NET team so long he’s got a bunch of good stories to tell. I brought him to a .NET student user group meeting at U of Washington and he was awesome. I’m hoping that if I talk enough trash about him here, he’ll start a blog just to respond in kind.

In other news, I need new business cards. Given that Scoble credits his weblog with getting him hired, I’ve decided to put my weblog on the business cards. Anybody else do this?