Red Sea 

API Usability Lab Video

Part of the usability studies we conduct at Microsoft is to bring people from the community to use our products and observe them. This is a great process to enhance the usability of the products. The usability studies are not limited to UI portions of the technology, in fact we do some API usability studies as well. Watch the Windows Workflow Foundation API Usability Lab Video here. I had the pleasure of being one of the usability study observers of this great v1.0 technology.

Touring the Windows Workflow Foundation Team Offices

Watch a lot of people working on Windows Workflow Foundation in this channel 9 video. I'll appear briefly in minute 45 of this video. Enjoy!

Workflow Monitor Tool Demo: A preview of Beta2 Tracking features

I recorded a channel 9 screencast to show the updated Workflow Monitor sample planned for Windows Workflow Foundation Beta 2 based on enhanced Tracking functionalities. Check it out here.

Burglers, why are you rude?

I woke up on Sunday 10/6 to find the steering wheel column of my car completely busted. Someone tried to steal my vehicle and for some reason they left it when they were almost there. When I called the towing company to tow my car to the shop for repairs, they guy was able to turn the ignition on and drive it -without keys- in less than 3 seconds! I have no idea why the thieves left the car. The police came and they took a fingerprint off the rearview mirror. Dust, brush and cool police stuff, nothing near CSI and Hollywood movies but was exciting to see.

Buglers, you can't chicken when you’re that close, next time take the whole thing. Its just rude to leave it busted for me to deal with. Let's see whose fingerprint is that on the rear view mirror.

Roz Belaban

Roz Belaban (rice with milk) is one of the best dessert dishes ever. Best roz belaban places:

Saber in Ibrahimia, Alexandria. Amazing. They have branches all over Egypt, not matter which one you go to, you always get exactly 2 nuts in your dish! Ziad Okeil and I used to enjoy Saber a lot, no less than 2 dishes each per visit.

El-Sa'an in Ibrahimia, Alexandria. This was right by the Faculty of Engineering, it was cheap (like 50 piasters per cup) and it was great. Enjoying El-Sa'an's dishes with my colleagues and friends Sherif Salah, Hamdi Hamada, and Waleed Labeeb was a great memorable experience in college.

There is no roz belaban in Seattle. I made some a couple of years ago, not close to Saber's, or El-Sa'an's!

Windows Workflow Foundation APIs Usability Study

Over a course of 10 days, October 3rd on, programmers came to Microsoft to test drive the WF APIs and help us determine how usable our APIs are. We also recorded a video with one of the participants, Nancy Perry Lincolin, Steven Clark, James Conard, and Dennis Pilarinos. Check www.WindowsWorkflow.net for the video. Check www.microsoft.com/usability for more information on Microsoft usability research and to see how you can help Microsoft ship great easy to use software.

Business Process Workflow and Integration Conference

During the week of October 3rd we had a Business Process Workflow and Integration Conference here in Microsoft's main campus, Redmond. I staffed the Windows Workflow Foundation cabana and the Hands On Labs. I had the pleasure of meeting a lot of partners, some I already met in PDC05 and Windows Workflow Foundattion TAP Kick Off events. It was great to see so many excited partners and programming community get their hands on Windows Workflow Foundation bits and talk to us about their scenarios and applications where WF will play a big role. Click here for more information about the conference.

Te Salute…Mourad

Mourad Abousaif left Seattle and his friends in the Northwest back to Egypt on 9/20. Te Salute, Don Mourad...

Windows Workflow Foundation Announced at PDC 2005

We announced Windows Workflow Foundation (WWF) at the PDC 05 last week in Los Angeles. WWF was announced in Eric Rudder's key note, we had 6 breakout sessions, WWF was mentioned in other presentations as well. We had 12 hands on labs and a busy track lounge and “Ask the Experts” night. The feedback we got was great and people are excited with the technology. All in all, it was a great launch.