This preview release introduces more than 50 new features, including support for running Silverlight applications out of the browser, dramatic video performance and quality improvements, and features that radically improve developer productivity. Combined with the continued innovation in Visual Studio and Expression Blend, Silverlight 3 empowers .NET developers to create cutting-edge Rich Internet Applications and media experiences.

Have you ever considered taking a developer certification exam? Here's your chance to practice, in a very fun way. Choose an avatar, select the developer track, and pit yourself against a worldwide community in a quest for Tech IQ supremacy, a top spot on the leaderboard, and ultimate bragging rights!

Rob Cherney writes about the IE8 Meta Tag to insure your web pages are compatible with the new browser: "...the IE 8 meta tag needs to be placed above any linked files. Enjoy the chance to not fix your site for now, that doesn't happen very often."

Although most Windows® Presentation Format (WPF) and Microsoft® Silverlight™ applications are designed to cover widely differing scenarios, there are cases where it is desirable to use both technologies to create complimentary programs. In such cases it is, of course, advantageous to coordinate the construction of both applications in order to achieve both efficient development and long term maintainability.

Microsoft® is taking interoperability seriously when it comes to Silverlight. Now, thanks to Microsoft and Soyatec, Eclipse developers will be able to create Microsoft Silverlight applications right in their favorite IDE.

If you're a Python or Ruby fan, you may feel you're missing out on all the latest developments in Rich Internet Applications. With support for Python and Ruby in Microsoft® Silverlight™ 2, dynamic language developers now have easy access to the latest RIA technologies.

Historically, tracking how users interact with a RIA was almost never done. Adding the necessary analytic code to your RIA was usually an afterthought at best. But with Microsoft® Silverlight™, designers and developers have an easier time of building tracking information in any time during development.

Join the new Front Runner for Innovate On User Experience program to build your Silverlight skills, receive UX consulting expertise, and access marketing benefits to quickly get your solution to market.

Some developers have decried the lack of controls for Microsoft® Silverlight™. Now with the Silverlight Toolkit, developers have a plethora of controls to choose from for their applications.

Efficient programming in Silverlight requires you to use the right tools. To get you up to speed on the latest Silverlight development tools, Cal Schrotenboer walks us through everything that comes with Silverlight Tools for Visual Studio.

Changing the designer-developer paradigm will only happen if there's something in it for both parties without the need to give up their favorite tools. We explore the state of designer-developer collaboration and what both sides need to do to advance the development process.

There were many sessions that focused on using Silverlight to enrich your multimedia site building experience at PDC 2008. In fact, recorded sessions can be viewed in Silverlight. If you didn't make it to the PDC this year, you can still get caught up!

Laurence Moroney of Microsoft discusses what you need to do to your Silverlight apps to keep them running properly through the auto-update process and transition to RTW.
RC0 and Beta 2 Side by Side
Where to get the bits of Silverlight 2

Wondering what's new and different with Silverlight 2 and how it compares with Silverlight 2 Beta 2? Click here for a quick summary of changes.

Some of the most important new features in Microsoft's recently released Expression Web 2 involve enhanced support for PHP. Don't think this is just a half hearted effort to appeal to the Open Source web development crowd. Expression Web 2 supports PHP developers with a carefully constructed, feature full treatment which you should seriously consider for your PHP applications.

Video has long been the bane of developers for lack of hosting and bandwidth. But with Microsoft® Silverlight Streaming, almost anyone can get their videos online quickly, easily and for free.