Today, Microsoft announced the availability of a beta version of the Kinect for Windows Software Development Kit (SDK) from Microsoft Research. The SDK is designed to enable a growing community of academic researchers and enthusiasts to use Kinect technology to build compelling applications that include depth sensing, human motion tracking, and voice recognition on PCs. The SDK can be downloaded at no cost for the development of non-commercial applications.

The Imagine Cup Worldwide finals are currently taking place in New York City, USA and the Students to Business program is right in the middle of all the action. We’ve set up a blog specifically to share what’s going on inside the competition as well as the finalists’inspirations, motivations and future.

The job market can be a tough ride—but it doesn’t have to be. Boost your resume by getting Microsoft Certified.
And right now, you can get a FREE Microsoft Certification Exam voucher code for select exams to help you get started.
Like new jobs, these vouchers are in limited supply so don’t wait! Visit http://golink.us/p

The pressure and excitement is mounting as Microsoft’s online reality show Career Factorquickly approaches its grand finale during this year’s TechEd Covention, May 16^th –19^th! Check out what the participants have accomplished so far and stay tuned to see what’s going to happen in the coming weeks!

All of the sessions from the February 17 conference are now available for viewing and download by registered attendees. Just click this link, sign in and scroll down the left menu to "Recordings".

 Skills are the link to the successful economies of Europe 2020. The way in which we forecast skills demands, provide access to relevant learning tools and engage Europeans more readily in ongoing workforce development will rapidly impact the job profiles and employment opportunities seen on the European market. Click here to read more

I was one of the 26 young ladies from all over Europe invited by Avanade to get involved in the first Women in IT Career Workshop to experience, learn, and share the insights of a successful path in IT. The event took place at the Accenture office in Kronberg, Germany, led by Avanade and joined by Microsoft and Accenture. Female executives representing the three companies defined a successful and inspirational event that had it all: from unique stories and life lessons to brainstorming sessions, designing Windows Phone 7 Apps, teambuilding and nonetheless, it had style.I was one of the 26 young ladies from all over Europe invited by Avanade to get involved in the first Women in IT Career Workshop to experience, learn, and share the insights of a successful path in IT. The event took place at the Accenture office in Kronberg, Germany, led by Avanade and joined by Microsoft and Accenture. Female executives representing the three companies defined a successful and inspirational event that had it all: from unique stories and life lessons to brainstorming sessions, designing Windows Phone 7 Apps, teambuilding and nonetheless, it had style. Read more

  Special offer for Microsoft Students Business Program Members- A $50.00 value!

Skills and knowledge can give you the competitive edge whether you are just starting your career in IT or looking at your   next career step.
Join us on February 17th at The Microsoft Certified Career Conference. We will be online for 24 hours, join anytime you like, from anywhere where you have access to the internet Or review the recordings for 90 days after the conference. Use this code STU19B57 when you register at  www.msregistration.com/msl .

Tech Talent 4 Good is an initiative run by Microsoft - Unlimited Potential and AIESEC, the international student organization.  Through a competitive selection process we are offering 10 internships of a 2 month duration working for one of 10 leading non-profit, charitable organizations around Europe during July-August 2011.Click here to learn more

WebMatrix is here! Download it today! 

With WebMatrix, building a website is super-fast and easy without having to worry about configuring your own Web server, managing databases, or learning a lot of concepts.

 Starts at 5pm Seattle Time (PST) Find your time here: http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/meeting.html 

Last month we announced Charles Petzold's free Windows Phone 7 ebook. Now the Microsoft Press team has added Visual Basic sample code for Chapter's 1-18 in the 'Programming Windows Phone 7' book. Are you building a Windows Phone 7 app using Visual Basic? learn more

Happy Holidays from the Microsoft Tech Student Team! We’ve got some great gifts for you - Free development and design software
through DreamSpark: http://bit.ly/dKxZ4p.
Great prizes and an opportunity to change the world in the Imagine Cup: http://bit.ly/fU8bRX.
Help finding your dream career with Students to Business: www.microsoft.com/s2b

Episode 1: Earth Day Special

In this episode, students talk about the environmental challenges facing the world. Learn about the actions we can take in our daily lives to help eliminate those challenges. Join the movement, spread the word!

Are you an intern or recent graduate? Looking to brush up on your technical or soft-skills? Then this spring webcast series is just for you! Microsoft Students to Business is pleased to host our third Webcast series consisting of six, 60 minute webcasts beginning tomorrow and running through May5th. Check them out here: http://tiny.cc/sws22