Galin Iliev [Galcho]

Here are some interesting webcasts for MS SQL Server 2008 as a platform for application development. These casts could help you to ramp up with the latest stuff around new version of the popular DB server from Microsoft.

• Building Spatial Applications with SQL Server 2008
  SQL Server 2008 delivers new Spatial data types that enable you to consume, use, and extend location-based data through spatial-enabled applications. Attend this webcast to learn how to use spatial functionality in next version of SQL Server to build and optimize Spatial queries.
  Audience: Mid-Level
  Focus: Spatial Data
• Entity Framework for Database Administrators
  The Entity Framework is a new data technology from Microsoft that may particularly interest database administrators (DBAs). Watch this webcast to see how this technology can radically change the development of applications from a DBA perspective, and also change access patterns on servers.
• XML Tools in Visual Studio 2008
  Did you know that the Microsoft Visual Studio development system has great tools to help developers work with XML? Join the XML tools team in this session to learn about the XML tools available today in Microsoft Visual Studio 2005 and the many changes that we are making for Microsoft Visual Studio 2008, in addition to some of our longer term projects.
• New T-SQL Programmability Features in SQL Server 2008
  View this webcast on new T-SQL programmability features in Microsoft SQL Server 2008, an extension from last year's presentation on top Microsoft SQL Server 2005 T-SQL features. We cover exciting new features such as: New data types (i.e. date/time, filestream, HierarchyID, large UDT, sparse columns), dependency management for database objects, and much more.
• Programming SQL Server 2008
  Microsoft SQL Server 2008, code name "Katmai," introduces a significant amount of new or improved functionality, including new data types, in addition to performance and security enhancements. In this webcast, we discuss how you can easily take advantage of the new functionality available in SQL Server 2008 within your application development.
• Microsoft SQL Server 2008: Beyond Relational
  As the data your applications work with changes from “words and numbers” to “sights and sounds”, we are evolving our data platform to go beyond relational data, beyond OLAP, to truly support all of the digital data types of the future. We will strive to deliver the best platform for integrated storage, and advanced applications such as spatial data, while also making it dramatically easier for you to build data-driven applications, without needing to invest significant resources in bridging the gap between data and programming language data structures. Come learn about the new enhancements in SQL Server 2008 that will help you manage all types of data.
  Audience: Mid-level
• Data Programmability and SQL Server 2008
  A comprehensive data programmability platform enables developers to build data-centric solutions that target desktops, mobile devices, online Web servers, and enterprise servers using a variety of products, programming frameworks, Web services, and data connectivity technologies that work together to access and manage data. Join this webcast as we discuss the new data programmability features that are supported by Microsoft SQL Server 2008.
  Audience: Technical

Full list can be found here.

Sample databases can be found on CodePlex

Note: Do not forget - you have to install patches to Visual Studio 2005 and even Visual Studio 2008.