Visual Studio Team Foundation Service Preview - First Impressions

So have been given an invite on the TFS Microsoft 2012 preview, feedback so far . It plugs nicely into Vis-studio 2010 with a patch done to it. Process template we’re using is EMC’s scrum template for team system the preview choices only offer

Microsoft Visual Studio Scrum 2.0 – Preview 3

MSF for Agile Software Development 6.0 - Preview 3

MSF for CMMI Process Improvement 6.0 - Preview 3

 

The web based portal is so much better than the 2010 version for user friendliness; my 2010 visual studio didn’t have any reports but the portal that’s a different thing!!!

OMG - PBI and Task Setup as so nicely done and the Task Board kills Urban Turtle easily . Love this project planning and setup just flows nicely and is so easy to set things up. Sprint planning will be a lot easier.

Roman armour for kids

My son was asked to dress up for a roman and Celt day at school. They were fairly explicit that nothing should be bought, although on the day there were some very new looking armour, swords and shields. Their loss as I spent time with my son building roman armour more specifically a Lorica Segmentata (segmented armour).

I found a picture of a Romans soldier on Wikipedia and thought how we could make something look like metal. My son loved making and wearing the armour. Here's my first sketch I always use A3 pads to do my thinking.

So what can you use to mirror armour plate, tin foil just doesn’t work, plastic too hard cardboard doesn’t bend. Answer DRINKS CARTONS inside they a really nice silver colour and after washing them are fairly tough. Cut them open along the seams and you get a cross that then can be used as metal plates. For my 7 year old I used :-

Materials

1.    8-10 juice drink cartons

2.    8-10 tall juice drink cartons

3.    1 coat hanger

4.    Duct tape

5.    Packet brass picture hooks and loops

6.    Brass pins

Tools

1.    Big sharp scissors (Kids should be supervised at all times)

2.    Wire cutters

3.    Staple gun

Step 1

Prepare Cartons - Cut your cartons into crosses by removing the top rectangle which has the spout and the carefully down the sides. You usually find tall and thin cartons and fat cartons. Tall and thin are great for the side plates, a decent staple gun will join them, together but make sure you duct tape over them.




Step 2  

I started building the back by layering the
drinks cartons on top of each other so they
overlapped.

Step 3

Continue armour around the waist

Step 4

For the shoulders use the fat ones, you will need an old wire coat hanger which you then bend to create a frame to duct tape the fat pieces on. Connect the wire to the back of the armour and use the duct tape to cover sharp edges.

Step 5

Finish front of armour, complete thin plates around waste hiding the join buy folding and joining the cartons to avoid the seam. Join shoulder wires to the front of the armour I user a brass fastener through a loop I bent in the wire and duct tape over for safety.

Step 6

For the fastener at the front you could use leather shoe laces, I used some picture frame hooks I got in a pack from the local DIY store.

Step 7

For swords and shields I would guess every 7 year old has one and cardboard and a brass biscuit tin lid makes a good shield.

Fundamental Bushcraft - "Orthopedic Bracken"

If you have an innate love of the outdoors and learning skills that are on the border of extinction then I recommend a Fundamental Bushcraft course from Ray Mears. I've just come back from one and it cannot be classified as a holiday from work more a test of your mental and physical ability to survive. Many thanks to my team mates Ed, Jamie and Lawrence it was a pleasure and an honour see you on the journey man course.

Ed's shelter

Jamie's Dragon - pagan dance ritual

Doing a course like this reminds us that even the simplist things we take for granted would take a lot more effort if we didn't have gas and electricity. One final note I can testify that a bed of bracken has exceptional orthopedic qualities.