2012 in review

January 5, 2013 Vakul Kumar MoreLeave a comment

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2012 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

4,329 films were submitted to the 2012 Cannes Film Festival. This blog had 27,000 views in 2012. If each view were a film, this blog would power 6 Film Festivals

Click here to see the complete report.

Good-bye to 2012

December 30, 2012December 30, 2012 Vakul Kumar MoreLeave a comment

Normally last week of every year is always a quiet and exciting for me but this year I planned not to take holiday but decided to use this time to reflect on my professional and personal accomplishments. Introspection is very important for everyone and I think this week of the year is the best one. There are lot of plans for the coming year.

2012 has been a great, fun, disappointing, stressful and frustrating educational year with lot of learning experiences and opportunities to contribute to the society. I have been given a huge responsibility at my work place which provided me an opportunity to learn and accept new challenges. I have achieved 2 Microsoft Certifications and worked on my MBA. On the voluntary front, I’m moderator of a technical website and also webmaster for a local community and implemented online payment for few events.

I make “New Year’s Resolutions” every year and this time I decided to work on a to-do list of work items that I want to focus on this year.

Invest more time on Client Side Technologies (HTML5) and SharePoint.
Blog at least once a week. (One on .NET Technologies and one on SharePoint)
Contribute more to the Society through Give Camp and local user groups.
Renew my interest in new Microsoft Technologies.
Improve my social media presence (through twitter).
Complete my MBA.
Work on my personal health.

It’s been a busy year catching up with all new challenges and learning. In 2013, I plan to focus on contributing more to the community and it’s going to be a great year professionally.

Wishing you all Happy New Year and Happy Coding Smile

HTML5: Free training, exam voucher and more!

December 4, 2012January 2, 2013 Vakul Kumar More7 Comments

Update: EXAM VOUCHER IS EXPIRED NOW. Tutorials are still available.

HTML5 is gaining its popularity in recent days. HTML5 is a collection of features, technologies and APIs to make web Fast, Secure, Responsive, Interactive and Stunningly beautiful. HTML5 includes HTML markup language, CSS3 and a series of JavaScript APIs.

HTML5 + JavaScript + CSS3 is very important for SharePoint 2013 app development, windows 8 development etc. In general, like html, HTML5 technology is independent of platform and will be a very good skill in any developer’s arsenal.

Here are 4 ways to prepare for the demand:

Free Exam – Get a free voucher to take exam 70-480: Programming in HTML5 w/ JavaScript + CSS3. Find the voucher code. http://aka.ms/HTML5OfferMVA
Free Training – Want to learn HTML5 or brush up before taking the exam? Sign up to access the free online HTML5 course. http://aka.ms/HTML5OfferMVA
Free eBook – Courtesy of Microsoft Press, “Programming Windows 8 Apps with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript” http://aka.ms/win8apps-ebook
Free Events – Microsoft Learning Partners are holding #TechShowcase events around the world. Find and attend one near you: http://aka.ms/TechShowcase

For a limited time (till March 2013 or till it lasts), Microsoft is offering a free voucher for Exam 70-480:
Programming in HTML5 with JavaScript and CSS3.

Go to www.register.prometric.com and follow the steps to schedule Exam 70-480: Programming in HTML5 with JavaScript and CSS3 at a testing center near you. Use the voucher code HTMLJMP to get the free exam. Pass, and you’ll be well on your way to joining the community of elite MCSD developers.

Happy Coding and All the Best for Exams.