Recently, while I was searching on the internet, I came across a poster which breaks down the windows phone api into categories so you can easily find the part of the api that you want. I see this as helpful for people who are (relatively) new to Windows Phone programming. For those of you who are already experienced with Windows Phone programming, this is a quick guide to find what you need (and so you can go searching on MSDN for the documentation that you need).
The download is a pdf file. You can download it here at: http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=272110
In other news, I have a few updates for you regarding my Windows Phone apps. I finally finished a long awaited update for my media player, Mobile Media Manager. The update is already live for the paid version, but the update for the free version is still in certification.. I expect it to be out in a day or two.
My prayer app, Prayer Aid, is now out. Please check it out and leave me a review + rating in the store so I can improve it. It is meant to help you grow your prayer life with God. It should also give you some new ideas for prayer as well. It also can help you find a church while on vacation. Since God never takes a vacation from you, why should you take a vacation from him?
My eagle scout app is currently being worked on. I hope to have the update for it out soon.
If you want to go ahead and get my existing apps now (while I'm working on the updates), please use the following
links:
Mobile Media Manager
(paid version) download: http://bit.ly/y3rf6VMobile Media Manager
(free version) download: http://bit.ly/xGCsWE
Prayer Aid: http://bit.ly/Mg7Mnk
Showing posts with label phone. Show all posts
Showing posts with label phone. Show all posts
Thursday, February 6, 2014
Tuesday, January 21, 2014
Book Review: A Review of Windows Phone 8 Application Development Essentials
First, I realize that this should have gone up sooner. Anyway, I got a copy of Windows Phone 8 Application Development Essentials by Tomasz Szostak. I have been looking for good guides to help student developers (or others that are new to Windows Phone programming). If you are also getting into developing for Windows 8(.1), many concepts in this book are also applicable to development for Windows 8(.1).
The book is broken up into 5 chapters. The first chapter deals with the basics of XAML (the markup language used to design user interfaces in Windows Phone. If you have done programming for Silverlight in the past, most of this will be familiar to you, but I still recommend that you skim through it for the Windows Phone-specific parts. The chapter describes the various controls available to you for your app's user interface and also gives a look into the basics of data binding which is important for the later chapters, as MVVM thrives on data binding. The only comment I have with the chapter is in the part for PhoneApplicationFrame. As a general rule, there are only a handful of times when setting the Content property of PhoneApplicationFrame is a more appropriate option then using the Navigate() function. If anyone disagrees with me on this, I would like to hear your argument for the contrary.
The second chapter deals with best practices when trying to design your app. The first part of the chapter is focused on just trying to think through your app idea, what you want to do with the app and how you want to accomplish it. As someone who has tutored underclassmen computer science majors at the college level, I always try to stress that you never get your program requirements and just start coding away; you have to think first and then start coding once you have your "plan of action" for your program in place. It also looks at the various "methods of navigation" that your app can use. On the pivot section, that could be simplified a little more. The Pivot control is made up of PivotItem controls and the user swipes in either the left or right direction to switch between PivotItem controls. Each PivotItem has a header used to identify it and its content can only contain 1 child. Visual Studio has a template for a PhoneApplicationPage with a Pivot control in it all ready to go. In the best practices section for Pivot and Panorama controls it makes a good point in avoiding content that scrolls if possible (if not, you should be fine with vertical scrolling , but not horizontal scrolling at all). Fonts and tiles are also touched upon.
The third chapter dives into MVVM. When you create a new Windows Phone application (with data?) project in Visual Studio, Visual Studio will try to organize files for MVVM. How you organize everything is up to you. In the model section, I noticed it uses the CallerMemberName attribute for the RaisePropertyChanged() function. Their example is different then how I have implanted my models with INotifyPropertyChanged interface. I have usually implemented it as
with the book omitting the parameter on the call to RaisePropertyChanged(). To show the difference, see the following:
The chapter also covers other things applicable to MVVM such as ObservableCollection<T> for collections in binding view models, data templates for the Listbox control and other controls which use ItemsControl, and Value Converters for those types which just don't work by themselves in XAML such as DateTime. Not only that, but MVVM Light is also covered in detail. Unit testing for Windows Phone is covered so you can create unit tests for components in your Windows Phone app.
The fourth chapter deals with integration with the Windows Phone system. Writing to isolated storage (both file and settings), launchers and choosers, the two kinds of background agents, toast notifications, and live tiles are covered in detail. Something to note is that while you can use IsolatedStorageFile in a Windows Phone 8 app like you can in Windows Phone 7 (actually, that's the only way you can write files to storage in Windows Phone 7), Microsoft has enabled part (probably most) of the filesystem api found in WinRT in Windows Phone 8 as well. The newer filesystem api is what should be used from now on in a Windows Phone 8 app. For live tiles, ShellTile.ActiveTiles.FirstOrDefault() will always return the primary tile, whether it's pinned to the start screen or not. To search for a given (secondary) tile, you can use ShellTile.ActiveTiles.First() or ShellTile.ActiveTiles.FirstOrDafault() with a lambda expression such as ShellTile.ActiveTiles.FirstOrDefault(x => x.NavigationUri.ToString().Contains("texttosearchfor"));.
The fifth and final chapter is devoted to integration with social networking. The two social networking services covered in this chapter are Facebook and Twitter. The Facebook section is good except for one thing left out. In the dyamic-type data received from the GetTaskAsync() function of the FacebookClient class, it is possible to cast that (or parts of it) to either a List<T> or a Dictionary<T1, T2>, and yes, it can be debugged it in Visual Studio too. In the Twitter section, they use a library called "TweetSharp" in the book, but I have used a library for Twitter access called "LinqToTwitter". Each one has its pros and its cons. No matter which library you use to connect to social networking services, you can always find more information via the documentation of the library you are using.
In closing comments, I am surprised that they didn't cover styles for controls in the basics section. However, there are enough resources on the internet that cover that anyway. Overall, it gives a good start for someone who is just starting Windows Phone development. The book is available at http://www.packtpub.com/windows-phone-8-application-development-essentials/book.
The book is broken up into 5 chapters. The first chapter deals with the basics of XAML (the markup language used to design user interfaces in Windows Phone. If you have done programming for Silverlight in the past, most of this will be familiar to you, but I still recommend that you skim through it for the Windows Phone-specific parts. The chapter describes the various controls available to you for your app's user interface and also gives a look into the basics of data binding which is important for the later chapters, as MVVM thrives on data binding. The only comment I have with the chapter is in the part for PhoneApplicationFrame. As a general rule, there are only a handful of times when setting the Content property of PhoneApplicationFrame is a more appropriate option then using the Navigate() function. If anyone disagrees with me on this, I would like to hear your argument for the contrary.
The second chapter deals with best practices when trying to design your app. The first part of the chapter is focused on just trying to think through your app idea, what you want to do with the app and how you want to accomplish it. As someone who has tutored underclassmen computer science majors at the college level, I always try to stress that you never get your program requirements and just start coding away; you have to think first and then start coding once you have your "plan of action" for your program in place. It also looks at the various "methods of navigation" that your app can use. On the pivot section, that could be simplified a little more. The Pivot control is made up of PivotItem controls and the user swipes in either the left or right direction to switch between PivotItem controls. Each PivotItem has a header used to identify it and its content can only contain 1 child. Visual Studio has a template for a PhoneApplicationPage with a Pivot control in it all ready to go. In the best practices section for Pivot and Panorama controls it makes a good point in avoiding content that scrolls if possible (if not, you should be fine with vertical scrolling , but not horizontal scrolling at all). Fonts and tiles are also touched upon.
The third chapter dives into MVVM. When you create a new Windows Phone application (with data?) project in Visual Studio, Visual Studio will try to organize files for MVVM. How you organize everything is up to you. In the model section, I noticed it uses the CallerMemberName attribute for the RaisePropertyChanged() function. Their example is different then how I have implanted my models with INotifyPropertyChanged interface. I have usually implemented it as
public string sampleProperty { get { return sample; } set { sample = value; RaisePropertyChanged("sampleProperty"); } } private void RaisePropertyChanged(string propertyName) { if(PropertyChanged != null) { PropertyChanged(this, new PropertyChangedEventArgs(propertyName); } }
with the book omitting the parameter on the call to RaisePropertyChanged(). To show the difference, see the following:
public string sampleProperty { get { return sample; } set { sample = value; RaisePropertyChanged(); } } private void RaisePropertyChanged([CallerMemberName] string propertyName = "") { if(PropertyChanged != null) { PropertyChanged(this, new PropertyChangedEventArgs(propertyName); } }
The chapter also covers other things applicable to MVVM such as ObservableCollection<T> for collections in binding view models, data templates for the Listbox control and other controls which use ItemsControl, and Value Converters for those types which just don't work by themselves in XAML such as DateTime. Not only that, but MVVM Light is also covered in detail. Unit testing for Windows Phone is covered so you can create unit tests for components in your Windows Phone app.
The fourth chapter deals with integration with the Windows Phone system. Writing to isolated storage (both file and settings), launchers and choosers, the two kinds of background agents, toast notifications, and live tiles are covered in detail. Something to note is that while you can use IsolatedStorageFile in a Windows Phone 8 app like you can in Windows Phone 7 (actually, that's the only way you can write files to storage in Windows Phone 7), Microsoft has enabled part (probably most) of the filesystem api found in WinRT in Windows Phone 8 as well. The newer filesystem api is what should be used from now on in a Windows Phone 8 app. For live tiles, ShellTile.ActiveTiles.FirstOrDefault() will always return the primary tile, whether it's pinned to the start screen or not. To search for a given (secondary) tile, you can use ShellTile.ActiveTiles.First() or ShellTile.ActiveTiles.FirstOrDafault() with a lambda expression such as ShellTile.ActiveTiles.FirstOrDefault(x => x.NavigationUri.ToString().Contains("texttosearchfor"));.
The fifth and final chapter is devoted to integration with social networking. The two social networking services covered in this chapter are Facebook and Twitter. The Facebook section is good except for one thing left out. In the dyamic-type data received from the GetTaskAsync() function of the FacebookClient class, it is possible to cast that (or parts of it) to either a List<T> or a Dictionary<T1, T2>, and yes, it can be debugged it in Visual Studio too. In the Twitter section, they use a library called "TweetSharp" in the book, but I have used a library for Twitter access called "LinqToTwitter". Each one has its pros and its cons. No matter which library you use to connect to social networking services, you can always find more information via the documentation of the library you are using.
In closing comments, I am surprised that they didn't cover styles for controls in the basics section. However, there are enough resources on the internet that cover that anyway. Overall, it gives a good start for someone who is just starting Windows Phone development. The book is available at http://www.packtpub.com/windows-phone-8-application-development-essentials/book.
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
Google's Double Standard for Youtube
If you own a Windows Phone device, you are probably well aware of the drama between Google and Microsoft regarding a native Youtube app for Windows Phone.
To recap, first, everything started when Microsoft (due to Google's lack of love and support for Windows Phone) came out with its own native Youtube app which was much better than what was available via the web interface for Youtube. It had the ability to play video from Youtube in portrait mode or landscape mode (you could watch the video and view the list of comments or the list of related videos while you were in portrait mode). It also integrated with your Youtube account (so you could still access your playlists and the like) and had some extra goodies such as no ads and being able to download video to play while offline as well.
Google got word of this and claimed that some of the extra features such as the no ads and the video downloading were against its terms of service. It claimed that circumventing the ads were robbing content creators of revenue. It then asked Microsoft to make some changes to the app such as removing the video download feature and add support for Youtube's ads. Microsoft released an updated version of the Youtube app which was more in-line with Google's terms of service, but that wasn't good enough for Google.
Some time after the updated Youtube app was released, Google revoked the api key that the Youtube app was using. This broke the native app and made it useless since it could not download data from Youtube. Google then put up an a new list of requirements that Microsoft's app had to meet such as being totally in HTML5. Google makes no such requirement for the Youtube app for it's own Android operating system or for Apple's iOS operating system.
There was backlash against Google on the internet for these decisions (mostly for revoking the api key) and there still is. Microsoft was willing to make further changes to its Youtube app to meet Google's list of requirements, but one sticking point still keeps Microsoft from meeting Google's demands. Microsoft claims that it cannot (properly) implement Youtube's ads because Google has not made the api for accessing the ads available. Even now, Google still has not given Microsoft access to the Youtube ad api.
Now today, I found an article on Ars Technica saying that with the latest release of the Youtube app for Google, it is implementing features that Microsoft tried to implement and was told were against Google's terms of service. With these moves, Google has created a double standard. Anything goes for it's own Android app, but it refuses to make a proper Youtube app for Windows Phone (or let Microsoft attempt to make one itself). Google cannot continue to disregard Windows Phone users for much longer. If someone wants to make the argument of "just use the website", I will reply back that not all videos are available for playback on the mobile site. I think Google fears the potential of Windows Phone for the future, and that is why it has created a double standard.
As of now, there is a Youtube "app" in the windows phone store right now, but it is mostly a link to the mobile Youtube site. What do you think of this? Please let me know in the comment box below.
Why not try some delicious Mystic Monk Coffee while watching your favorite Youtube videos? Mystic Monk Coffee (use this link or click on the picture below to access the store and purchase) is what you really need when it comes to coffee. Trust me, it's good coffee (in most instances, much better than Starbucks coffee) and you won't regret buying some (just keep it away from your computer keyboard or laptop/tablet). If you like tea more than coffee, they also offer tea. If you have a Keurig machine, the monks also have k-cups for purchase as well (known as "monk shots") Using the link (or picture below) to buy the coffee (or tea) helps the monks out and helps me with my endeavors as well. The coffee (or tea) also makes for great gifts for friends and family as well.
Rig
To recap, first, everything started when Microsoft (due to Google's lack of love and support for Windows Phone) came out with its own native Youtube app which was much better than what was available via the web interface for Youtube. It had the ability to play video from Youtube in portrait mode or landscape mode (you could watch the video and view the list of comments or the list of related videos while you were in portrait mode). It also integrated with your Youtube account (so you could still access your playlists and the like) and had some extra goodies such as no ads and being able to download video to play while offline as well.
Google got word of this and claimed that some of the extra features such as the no ads and the video downloading were against its terms of service. It claimed that circumventing the ads were robbing content creators of revenue. It then asked Microsoft to make some changes to the app such as removing the video download feature and add support for Youtube's ads. Microsoft released an updated version of the Youtube app which was more in-line with Google's terms of service, but that wasn't good enough for Google.
Some time after the updated Youtube app was released, Google revoked the api key that the Youtube app was using. This broke the native app and made it useless since it could not download data from Youtube. Google then put up an a new list of requirements that Microsoft's app had to meet such as being totally in HTML5. Google makes no such requirement for the Youtube app for it's own Android operating system or for Apple's iOS operating system.
There was backlash against Google on the internet for these decisions (mostly for revoking the api key) and there still is. Microsoft was willing to make further changes to its Youtube app to meet Google's list of requirements, but one sticking point still keeps Microsoft from meeting Google's demands. Microsoft claims that it cannot (properly) implement Youtube's ads because Google has not made the api for accessing the ads available. Even now, Google still has not given Microsoft access to the Youtube ad api.
Now today, I found an article on Ars Technica saying that with the latest release of the Youtube app for Google, it is implementing features that Microsoft tried to implement and was told were against Google's terms of service. With these moves, Google has created a double standard. Anything goes for it's own Android app, but it refuses to make a proper Youtube app for Windows Phone (or let Microsoft attempt to make one itself). Google cannot continue to disregard Windows Phone users for much longer. If someone wants to make the argument of "just use the website", I will reply back that not all videos are available for playback on the mobile site. I think Google fears the potential of Windows Phone for the future, and that is why it has created a double standard.
As of now, there is a Youtube "app" in the windows phone store right now, but it is mostly a link to the mobile Youtube site. What do you think of this? Please let me know in the comment box below.
Why not try some delicious Mystic Monk Coffee while watching your favorite Youtube videos? Mystic Monk Coffee (use this link or click on the picture below to access the store and purchase) is what you really need when it comes to coffee. Trust me, it's good coffee (in most instances, much better than Starbucks coffee) and you won't regret buying some (just keep it away from your computer keyboard or laptop/tablet). If you like tea more than coffee, they also offer tea. If you have a Keurig machine, the monks also have k-cups for purchase as well (known as "monk shots") Using the link (or picture below) to buy the coffee (or tea) helps the monks out and helps me with my endeavors as well. The coffee (or tea) also makes for great gifts for friends and family as well.
Rig
Thursday, October 10, 2013
GDDR2 Amber Update for Nokia Phones on AT&T Network is Finally Out
Well folks, after 15:00 e.s.t., AT&T has finally put out the GDDR2 Amber update from Nokia for the Lumia 820 and 920. All of those weeks of constantly bickering at AT&T paid off.
You can get the Update by going into the Settings and choosing "Check for Update". Nokia's update check page reflects this.
Since my Lumia 820 only has 8gb of onboard storage space, I will think I will be one of the more adventurous ones and download the new rom image (with the updates in it) and flash it for a clean install. Now if only Microsoft allowed for apps to be able to backup their program data to skydrive. It's a shame that I am going to loose all of my progress on my games if I flash the new rom image instead of getting it through "check for update" (but I guess that is the price I have to pay).
You can get the Update by going into the Settings and choosing "Check for Update". Nokia's update check page reflects this.
Since my Lumia 820 only has 8gb of onboard storage space, I will think I will be one of the more adventurous ones and download the new rom image (with the updates in it) and flash it for a clean install. Now if only Microsoft allowed for apps to be able to backup their program data to skydrive. It's a shame that I am going to loose all of my progress on my games if I flash the new rom image instead of getting it through "check for update" (but I guess that is the price I have to pay).
Wednesday, October 9, 2013
A Better Way for AT&T to handle Windows Phone Updates
Update (10-21-2013): Thanks to Microsoft, one of the issues that I brought up has been remedied. If you are a Windows Phone developer, either through the app store or through Microsoft's online App Studio, you can download a utility from Microsoft (it's actually in the Windows Phone store) which will change the update settings in the registry (of the phone) so that the update source for os update packages is now Microsoft instead of your carrier. If you use the utility to change the update source, you can undo the change so that the update source is the carrier again, but you cannot revert to an earlier os update unless you reflash the rom for your phone (rom flashing should be done by advanced users only due to risk of bricking your phone). An important thing to note that the Microsoft utility only covers operating system updates. Any device firmware updates (this is separate from os updates) will still come through the carrier either way. An example of a device firmware update would be Nokia's amber update for its lumia phones running Windows Phone 8.
It's been 1 month and (about) 4 weeks since Microsoft put out the GDDR2 update for Windows Phone 8. Around that time, the update was pushed out to all phones running Windows Phone 8 (depending on the carrier's time) except for Nokia phones. Nokia took some extra time and added some device-specific stuff to the GDDR2 update for its phones and packaged it up as the "Amber" update. Back in September, Nokia deemed the amber update stable and delivered it out to the carriers for them to push the update to devices.
Here in the US, reception of the update by the cell carriers has varied. T-Mobile and Verizon tested and pushed out the update in a timely manner. I am not including Sprint in this since it doesn't have any phones running Windows Phone 8 (the HTC 8XT and the Samsung ATIVS Neo are listed for preorder on Sprint's web site). However, AT&T has taken quite awhile to test and push out this amber update for its Nokia phones running Windows Phone 8. As of the publishing of this blog post, AT&T has still not pushed out the update for Nokia phones. Furthermore, AT&T has been very secretive in the status of its testing of the update. Unfortunately, this is not the first time AT&T has dragged its feet and messed up the Windows Phone update progress. The time taken to test the update, along with the secrecy on progress, is making many customers with Nokia phones running Windows Phone 8 frustrated. A thread on AT&T's community message board titled "Where's The GDR2/Amber Update... Any Schedule?" certainly shows evidence of this.
As a software developer, I know that time is money. I know it's important to thoroughly test software before pushing it out to customers and that it takes some time to test. However, it's also important to be as transparent as possible to your customers regarding progress on testing. If something went wrong during testing and this means that the new software is not stable enough to push out to customers, that is understandable. If this happens, you need to be as clear as possible with your customers so that they are not kept waiting and the tempers of those customers don't flare up to where you lose a customer. I know that I am not the best at being transparent with update progress myself, but I try my best to do it.
So far, any indication of progress on the update testing has come from customers phoning AT&T customer care and asking (in some cases, almost to the point of harassing) the customer care representative they speak to where AT&T is with the update. 99% of the time, customer care either replies with something along the lines of "I don't know" or "AT&T is currently testing the update and will release the update when it is ready". However, there are a few cases where customer care reps have actually given some kind of indication of progress. The last one I know of is that AT&T found a problem with the update back in September and asked Nokia to fix it, pushing back the release date to some time in October of this year.
If AT&T wishes to keep faith in its customers, I have some suggestions for it. The first is if the obligation to push out an update for a device falls on the carrier's shoulders, that there be some kind of "progress page", accessible to AT&T customers (if not the general public), which details the roadmap for testing the update and the estimated release date and where we are on the roadmap. This page would also be updated with messages about (critical) problems which impact the release date update and would include a new estimated release date.
The second suggestion I have is for AT&T to start a kind-of "beta program", where customers can opt-in to get the update (from AT&T, once it gets the update from the OEM, not direct from the OEM) earlier than the offical (stable) release. Those customers that opt-in must accept a (legal) disclaimer that says that as part of this program, you will get the update earlier than everyone else, but there might still be bugs. This would enlist some extra help with testing that would allow AT&T to push out the updates in a more timely manner. This would also benefit those customers who are software developers since we would then be able have the latest update to test our own software programs with. On Windows Phone 8, the emulator suffices for most of the testing, but some things you just have to test with a real device.
Lastly, I would like to end with a call to charity in our speech. From that forum thread I referenced earlier, I see many references to others not using charity in the messages they post in the thread. Lack of charity can cause things to get out of hand. I realize that patience is wearing thin for many customers regarding the update, but when we post on the forum or call customer care, we should always speak charitable even if we are frustrated.
If you agree with me or have something else to say about AT&T's handling of the updates, please post in the comment box below. If you have a suggestion of your own that I should add to this list, please post it in the comment box below as well. Once I get enough support from you readers, I will pass this page (and comments) on to AT&T (support?) so that someone high up in the company can take notice.
While you're waiting for AT&T to finally release the amber update for Nokia phones, I would suggest that you try some delicious Mystic Monk Coffee. Mystic Monk Coffee (use this link or click on the picture below to access the store and purchase) is what you really need when it comes to coffee. Trust me, it's good coffee (in most instances, much better than Starbucks coffee) and you won't regret buying some (just keep it away from your computer keyboard or laptop/tablet). If you like tea more than coffee, they also offer tea. If you have a Keurig machine, the monks also have k-cups for purchase as well (known as "monk shots") Using the link (or picture below) to buy the coffee (or tea) helps the monks out and helps me with my endeavors as well. The coffee (or tea) also makes for great gifts for friends and family as well.
Right now, I don't have any updates for you in the way of app updates for my windows phone apps. Yes, I am working on app updates. The reason for me taking a long time between updates is that I want to do some extra testing so I can be sure that I can squash as many bugs as I can before starting a new major version of my media player app and my boy scout app and things have have been somewhat hectic for me around home. I am just about finished with a prayer app designed for (primarily) Catholics (but other Christians can use it too). If you want to go ahead and get my existing apps now (while I'm working on the updates), please use the following links:
BSA Eagle Tracker download: http://bit.ly/Mm1Upo
Mobile Media Manager (paid version) download: http://bit.ly/y3rf6V
Mobile Media Manager (free version) download: http://bit.ly/xGCsWE
It's been 1 month and (about) 4 weeks since Microsoft put out the GDDR2 update for Windows Phone 8. Around that time, the update was pushed out to all phones running Windows Phone 8 (depending on the carrier's time) except for Nokia phones. Nokia took some extra time and added some device-specific stuff to the GDDR2 update for its phones and packaged it up as the "Amber" update. Back in September, Nokia deemed the amber update stable and delivered it out to the carriers for them to push the update to devices.
Here in the US, reception of the update by the cell carriers has varied. T-Mobile and Verizon tested and pushed out the update in a timely manner. I am not including Sprint in this since it doesn't have any phones running Windows Phone 8 (the HTC 8XT and the Samsung ATIVS Neo are listed for preorder on Sprint's web site). However, AT&T has taken quite awhile to test and push out this amber update for its Nokia phones running Windows Phone 8. As of the publishing of this blog post, AT&T has still not pushed out the update for Nokia phones. Furthermore, AT&T has been very secretive in the status of its testing of the update. Unfortunately, this is not the first time AT&T has dragged its feet and messed up the Windows Phone update progress. The time taken to test the update, along with the secrecy on progress, is making many customers with Nokia phones running Windows Phone 8 frustrated. A thread on AT&T's community message board titled "Where's The GDR2/Amber Update... Any Schedule?" certainly shows evidence of this.
As a software developer, I know that time is money. I know it's important to thoroughly test software before pushing it out to customers and that it takes some time to test. However, it's also important to be as transparent as possible to your customers regarding progress on testing. If something went wrong during testing and this means that the new software is not stable enough to push out to customers, that is understandable. If this happens, you need to be as clear as possible with your customers so that they are not kept waiting and the tempers of those customers don't flare up to where you lose a customer. I know that I am not the best at being transparent with update progress myself, but I try my best to do it.
So far, any indication of progress on the update testing has come from customers phoning AT&T customer care and asking (in some cases, almost to the point of harassing) the customer care representative they speak to where AT&T is with the update. 99% of the time, customer care either replies with something along the lines of "I don't know" or "AT&T is currently testing the update and will release the update when it is ready". However, there are a few cases where customer care reps have actually given some kind of indication of progress. The last one I know of is that AT&T found a problem with the update back in September and asked Nokia to fix it, pushing back the release date to some time in October of this year.
If AT&T wishes to keep faith in its customers, I have some suggestions for it. The first is if the obligation to push out an update for a device falls on the carrier's shoulders, that there be some kind of "progress page", accessible to AT&T customers (if not the general public), which details the roadmap for testing the update and the estimated release date and where we are on the roadmap. This page would also be updated with messages about (critical) problems which impact the release date update and would include a new estimated release date.
The second suggestion I have is for AT&T to start a kind-of "beta program", where customers can opt-in to get the update (from AT&T, once it gets the update from the OEM, not direct from the OEM) earlier than the offical (stable) release. Those customers that opt-in must accept a (legal) disclaimer that says that as part of this program, you will get the update earlier than everyone else, but there might still be bugs. This would enlist some extra help with testing that would allow AT&T to push out the updates in a more timely manner. This would also benefit those customers who are software developers since we would then be able have the latest update to test our own software programs with. On Windows Phone 8, the emulator suffices for most of the testing, but some things you just have to test with a real device.
Lastly, I would like to end with a call to charity in our speech. From that forum thread I referenced earlier, I see many references to others not using charity in the messages they post in the thread. Lack of charity can cause things to get out of hand. I realize that patience is wearing thin for many customers regarding the update, but when we post on the forum or call customer care, we should always speak charitable even if we are frustrated.
If you agree with me or have something else to say about AT&T's handling of the updates, please post in the comment box below. If you have a suggestion of your own that I should add to this list, please post it in the comment box below as well. Once I get enough support from you readers, I will pass this page (and comments) on to AT&T (support?) so that someone high up in the company can take notice.
While you're waiting for AT&T to finally release the amber update for Nokia phones, I would suggest that you try some delicious Mystic Monk Coffee. Mystic Monk Coffee (use this link or click on the picture below to access the store and purchase) is what you really need when it comes to coffee. Trust me, it's good coffee (in most instances, much better than Starbucks coffee) and you won't regret buying some (just keep it away from your computer keyboard or laptop/tablet). If you like tea more than coffee, they also offer tea. If you have a Keurig machine, the monks also have k-cups for purchase as well (known as "monk shots") Using the link (or picture below) to buy the coffee (or tea) helps the monks out and helps me with my endeavors as well. The coffee (or tea) also makes for great gifts for friends and family as well.
Right now, I don't have any updates for you in the way of app updates for my windows phone apps. Yes, I am working on app updates. The reason for me taking a long time between updates is that I want to do some extra testing so I can be sure that I can squash as many bugs as I can before starting a new major version of my media player app and my boy scout app and things have have been somewhat hectic for me around home. I am just about finished with a prayer app designed for (primarily) Catholics (but other Christians can use it too). If you want to go ahead and get my existing apps now (while I'm working on the updates), please use the following links:
BSA Eagle Tracker download: http://bit.ly/Mm1Upo
Mobile Media Manager (paid version) download: http://bit.ly/y3rf6V
Mobile Media Manager (free version) download: http://bit.ly/xGCsWE
Wednesday, September 25, 2013
The Practicality of the Phablet
In some parts of the internet, there is a push for bigger screens for
our phones, which, increasingly, are smartphones instead of dumbphones. One idea that has attempts to meet this push is the phablet. In case you don't know what a "phablet" is, it is a tablet computer with phone hardware in it (so you can make phone calls with it).
I see a few problems with the phablet idea. The first is portability. I thought cell phones were supposed to be portable (and able to fit in your pants pocket). Since the phablet has a screen that's bigger than the average man's pants pocket, that means that you are always going to have to carry around some kind of carrying case. Ladies already have this covered in the form of the purse, but the average guy would not want to be caught dead carrying around a "man purse" (different from a laptop bag). Whenever you get a phone call, you usually reach into your pants pocket (or rummage around in your purse) for your phone and then answer the call. With the phablet, you will have to take extra time to open your phablet carrying case and then press the answer button. If you have other stuff you're carrying besides the phablet case, you'll have to set everything else down as well (which, depending on the situation, can be a nuisance).
The second problem is perception of the awkwardness of holding the phablet. The size of the phablet will require you to use two hands to hold it. Many times, I (and others too) multitask while using our cell phones. If we are using both of our hands to hold the phone, we can't multitask anymore. Finding the earpiece is going to be a bit awkward as well if we are in a rush. The only solution I can see for the earpiece issue is going to be a bluetooth headset. That's fine if you want it (or already have a headset), but that's extra money you have to spend besides the cost of the phone.
The third problem is battery life. Tablet computers have more powerful processors than phones do and the faster the processor, the more juice it's going to use. Another aspect of this problem is "instant-on". The device has to always be ready for a phone call to come in and so must have a fast resume from standby time. If the firmware and drivers aren't tuned for this kind of thing, you may end up having some missed calls (that you didn't want to miss).
Let's not forget the important thing: the function a phone should do best is to make phone calls. If it can't do that very well, than what's the point of using the device as a phone? I think we have gotten too wrapped up in the extra things that a phone can do. A smartphone that can't make phone calls is just a computer.
I realize that I might not have covered everything so if there's something I missed or you have a good argument for a phablet, let me know in the comment box below. I would like to know what you think about this.
While you're reading this, why not try some delicious Mystic Monk Coffee? Mystic Monk Coffee (use this link or click on the picture below to access the store and purchase) is what you really need when it comes to coffee. Trust me, it's good coffee (in most instances, much better than Starbucks coffee) and you won't regret buying some (just keep it away from your computer keyboard or laptop/tablet). If you like tea more than coffee, they also offer tea. If you have a Keurig machine, the monks also have k-cups for purchase as well (known as "monk shots"). Using the link (or picture below) to buy the coffee (or tea) helps the monks out and helps me with my endeavors as well. The coffee (or tea) also makes for great gifts for friends and family as well.
While we are waiting for updates to my windows phone apps (trust me, I'm working on them), if you want to go ahead and get my apps now, please use the following links:
BSA Eagle Tracker download: http://bit.ly/Mm1Upo
Mobile Media Manager (paid version) download: http://bit.ly/y3rf6V
Mobile Media Manager (free version) download: http://bit.ly/xGCsWE
I see a few problems with the phablet idea. The first is portability. I thought cell phones were supposed to be portable (and able to fit in your pants pocket). Since the phablet has a screen that's bigger than the average man's pants pocket, that means that you are always going to have to carry around some kind of carrying case. Ladies already have this covered in the form of the purse, but the average guy would not want to be caught dead carrying around a "man purse" (different from a laptop bag). Whenever you get a phone call, you usually reach into your pants pocket (or rummage around in your purse) for your phone and then answer the call. With the phablet, you will have to take extra time to open your phablet carrying case and then press the answer button. If you have other stuff you're carrying besides the phablet case, you'll have to set everything else down as well (which, depending on the situation, can be a nuisance).
The second problem is perception of the awkwardness of holding the phablet. The size of the phablet will require you to use two hands to hold it. Many times, I (and others too) multitask while using our cell phones. If we are using both of our hands to hold the phone, we can't multitask anymore. Finding the earpiece is going to be a bit awkward as well if we are in a rush. The only solution I can see for the earpiece issue is going to be a bluetooth headset. That's fine if you want it (or already have a headset), but that's extra money you have to spend besides the cost of the phone.
The third problem is battery life. Tablet computers have more powerful processors than phones do and the faster the processor, the more juice it's going to use. Another aspect of this problem is "instant-on". The device has to always be ready for a phone call to come in and so must have a fast resume from standby time. If the firmware and drivers aren't tuned for this kind of thing, you may end up having some missed calls (that you didn't want to miss).
Let's not forget the important thing: the function a phone should do best is to make phone calls. If it can't do that very well, than what's the point of using the device as a phone? I think we have gotten too wrapped up in the extra things that a phone can do. A smartphone that can't make phone calls is just a computer.
I realize that I might not have covered everything so if there's something I missed or you have a good argument for a phablet, let me know in the comment box below. I would like to know what you think about this.
While you're reading this, why not try some delicious Mystic Monk Coffee? Mystic Monk Coffee (use this link or click on the picture below to access the store and purchase) is what you really need when it comes to coffee. Trust me, it's good coffee (in most instances, much better than Starbucks coffee) and you won't regret buying some (just keep it away from your computer keyboard or laptop/tablet). If you like tea more than coffee, they also offer tea. If you have a Keurig machine, the monks also have k-cups for purchase as well (known as "monk shots"). Using the link (or picture below) to buy the coffee (or tea) helps the monks out and helps me with my endeavors as well. The coffee (or tea) also makes for great gifts for friends and family as well.
While we are waiting for updates to my windows phone apps (trust me, I'm working on them), if you want to go ahead and get my apps now, please use the following links:
BSA Eagle Tracker download: http://bit.ly/Mm1Upo
Mobile Media Manager (paid version) download: http://bit.ly/y3rf6V
Mobile Media Manager (free version) download: http://bit.ly/xGCsWE
Wednesday, July 17, 2013
Media Player Feature Wish List
If you are wondering where I have been for the past few weeks, training for my (new) job at PTC has gotten intense and I was busy at home as well. However, I have been testing an update for the paid version of Mobile Media Manager and advanced my prayer app development to near the point of release.
As I am gathering ideas for the next release cycle for my media player app for Windows Phone, Mobile Media Manager, I would like to know what other users want in a media player. Is there something that the default system media player, Xbox Music (or Zune if you're on Windows Phone 7), doesn't do or could do better? Right now, I will say that an equalizer is not possible at this time. I'm looking at SkyDrive integration and streaming support, and there is a small possibility for YouTube support (audio only, low on the priorities list).
There's no guarantee that every idea suggested in the comments will make it in, but I will do what I can. Please put your suggestions into the comment box below.
Thursday, March 21, 2013
New Tool to Recover from Seven-Eighter Language Errors
Update: If you have been getting a message about the image update error or the program is not responding after hitting the continue button, I put some steps to further diagnose your problems in one of the comments below.
Update 2: A new build of the Language Restore tool is (finally) available for download (download link hasn't changed). If you are still having problems see my comment in the comment box below for steps for further help.
If you used Seven-Eighter to update your windows phone device and messed up when choosing the language packs, there is hope for you. I have made a program which will allow you to restore language packs that you forgot to choose when you ran Seven-Eighter (either my version or the original version) to update your windows phone device.
All you need to do is download the program and run it with your phone connected while Zune is not running. If Zune pops up when you connect your phone to your computer, simply exit out of Zune.
download link: http://bit.ly/102usaK
If you are wondering where the download is once you click the download link, look for the "skip ads" button in the top right-hand corner of your screen and click it (to get the file download prompt).
If you have any problems with using the program, please let me know as soon as possible so I can correct them. If you have any trouble with the links and downloading, please let me know as well. The program is free for your use, but if you want to throw something my way to support me, my paypal e-mail is "toa649@myway.com".
While you're waiting for your problems with phone updates to be over, why not try some delicious Mystic Monk Coffee? Mystic Monk Coffee (use this link or click on the picture below to access the store and purchase) is what you really need when it comes to coffee. Trust me, it's good coffee (in most instances, much better than Starbucks coffee) and you won't regret buying some (just keep it away from your computer keyboard or laptop/tablet). If you like tea more than coffee, they also offer tea. Using the link (or picture below) to buy the coffee (or tea) helps the monks out and helps me with college expenses as well. The coffee (or tea) also makes for great gifts for friends and family as well.
For my existing Windows Phone apps, I am working on updates to both the free and paid versions of Mobile Media Manager. The update for BSA Eagle Tracker is also in the works. I admit that school is sucking much of my free time out of me, but I will continue to work on the updates in my spare time. If you want to get my apps now (while waiting), please use the following links:
BSA Eagle Tracker download: http://bit.ly/Mm1Upo
Mobile Media Manager (paid version) download: http://bit.ly/y3rf6V
Mobile Media Manager (free version) download: http://bit.ly/xGCsWE
Update 2: A new build of the Language Restore tool is (finally) available for download (download link hasn't changed). If you are still having problems see my comment in the comment box below for steps for further help.
If you used Seven-Eighter to update your windows phone device and messed up when choosing the language packs, there is hope for you. I have made a program which will allow you to restore language packs that you forgot to choose when you ran Seven-Eighter (either my version or the original version) to update your windows phone device.
All you need to do is download the program and run it with your phone connected while Zune is not running. If Zune pops up when you connect your phone to your computer, simply exit out of Zune.
download link: http://bit.ly/102usaK
If you are wondering where the download is once you click the download link, look for the "skip ads" button in the top right-hand corner of your screen and click it (to get the file download prompt).
If you have any problems with using the program, please let me know as soon as possible so I can correct them. If you have any trouble with the links and downloading, please let me know as well. The program is free for your use, but if you want to throw something my way to support me, my paypal e-mail is "toa649@myway.com".
While you're waiting for your problems with phone updates to be over, why not try some delicious Mystic Monk Coffee? Mystic Monk Coffee (use this link or click on the picture below to access the store and purchase) is what you really need when it comes to coffee. Trust me, it's good coffee (in most instances, much better than Starbucks coffee) and you won't regret buying some (just keep it away from your computer keyboard or laptop/tablet). If you like tea more than coffee, they also offer tea. Using the link (or picture below) to buy the coffee (or tea) helps the monks out and helps me with college expenses as well. The coffee (or tea) also makes for great gifts for friends and family as well.
For my existing Windows Phone apps, I am working on updates to both the free and paid versions of Mobile Media Manager. The update for BSA Eagle Tracker is also in the works. I admit that school is sucking much of my free time out of me, but I will continue to work on the updates in my spare time. If you want to get my apps now (while waiting), please use the following links:
BSA Eagle Tracker download: http://bit.ly/Mm1Upo
Mobile Media Manager (paid version) download: http://bit.ly/y3rf6V
Mobile Media Manager (free version) download: http://bit.ly/xGCsWE
Friday, March 15, 2013
New Build of Seven-Eighter with support for Easy Future Updates
Update(3-21-2013 11:04 EDT): If you messed up and didn't choose the right language packs, I have a program out that can help you recover. http://bit.ly/16Lv2iq
Update(3-19-2013 22:49 EDT): I have released a new version which fixed the problem in the last release which caused the update to fail (it was a logic error on my end). As of now, you should not have that problem. I also added some more user-friendly features designed to provide more useful information to you, the user. The link to download the new version is below.
Update(3-17-2013 11:16 EDT): I finally fixed the link that was giving the WebException and preventing the program from downloading the update list. There is no new download needed (just run the program again).
Update(3-17-2013 14:50 EDT): I have an updated build of my version of Seven-Eighter that fixes some bugs.
If you have a windows Phone 7.x device, you have most likely heard of the Windows Phone 7.8 update that Microsoft released. Unfortunately for all of us, the rollout of this update has not been pretty for the customers. Microsoft released the update on January 31, 2013. The intent was that the update would be available for all existing Windows Phone 7.x devices. However, there has been some disconnect in getting this update. T-Mobile has said that none of the devices running Windows Phone 7.x on its network will get the update. Sprint has given no official word on updates for devices running Windows Phone 7.x on its network (if this is incorrect, please tell me so I can correct this). Verizon has seen some of the devices running Windows Phone 7.x on its network get the upgrade (again, if this is incorrect, please tell me so I can correct this). AT&T has said that all devices stated in this support document are getting the update, but so far, only Nokia Lumina 900 devices on its network have gotten the update notification. Word has it that AT&T will be sending out the update notification for all other mentioned devices near the end of this month (March).
For those who would rather not wait for the notification or whose device is confirmed to not get the update notification, there are unofficial methods that exist which will allow you to still get the update. The first one is changing the value of the MobileOperator string in the registry.
If that doesn't allow you to get the update, you should try my special modified version of Seven-Eigher. Thanks to Jaxbot providing the source code, I changed some things around so that you don't have to download a new version of Seven-Eighter if Microsoft ever puts out (yet) another update for Windows Phone 7.x (it downloads the list of updates from the internet, so all I need to do is to change the update configuration list if a new update comes out) and its a little more descriptive so you have less of a chance of messing up the update process. You need .NET Framework version 4.0 or greater to run it. As far as downgrades go, (for now) you can only use Zune to downgrade 1 os update, meaning if you had 2 os updates installed in the process, you can only go back 1 level. And yes, it does support the latest update (8862).
To download my modified version of Seven-Eighter, here's the link: http://bit.ly/13a6aBW
If you have any problems and/or comments, just use the comment box below and I take care of it as soon as I can. If you have any input on how I can improve it as well, I am willing to take any (and all) suggestions. I am also curious as to how my version is compared to the original. The program is free for your use, but if you want to throw something my way to support me, my paypal e-mail is "toa649@myway.com".
While you're waiting for the new phone updates to come your way, why not drink some delicious Mystic Monk Coffee? Mystic Monk Coffee (use this link or click on the picture below to access the store and purchase) is what you really need when it comes to coffee. Trust me, it's good coffee (in most instances, much better than Starbucks coffee) and you won't regret buying some (just keep it away from your computer keyboard or laptop/tablet). If you like tea more than coffee, they also offer tea. Using the link (or picture below) to buy the coffee (or tea) helps the monks out and helps me with college expenses as well. The coffee (or tea) also makes for great gifts for friends and family as well.
For my existing Windows Phone apps, I am working on updates to both the free and paid versions of Mobile Media Manager. The update for BSA Eagle Tracker is also in the works. I admit that school is sucking much of my free time out of me, but I will continue to work on the updates in my spare time. If you want to get my apps now (while waiting), please use the following links:
BSA Eagle Tracker download: http://bit.ly/Mm1Upo
Mobile Media Manager (paid version) download: http://bit.ly/y3rf6V
Mobile Media Manager (free version) download: http://bit.ly/xGCsWE
Update(3-19-2013 22:49 EDT): I have released a new version which fixed the problem in the last release which caused the update to fail (it was a logic error on my end). As of now, you should not have that problem. I also added some more user-friendly features designed to provide more useful information to you, the user. The link to download the new version is below.
Update(3-17-2013 11:16 EDT): I finally fixed the link that was giving the WebException and preventing the program from downloading the update list. There is no new download needed (just run the program again).
Update(3-17-2013 14:50 EDT): I have an updated build of my version of Seven-Eighter that fixes some bugs.
If you have a windows Phone 7.x device, you have most likely heard of the Windows Phone 7.8 update that Microsoft released. Unfortunately for all of us, the rollout of this update has not been pretty for the customers. Microsoft released the update on January 31, 2013. The intent was that the update would be available for all existing Windows Phone 7.x devices. However, there has been some disconnect in getting this update. T-Mobile has said that none of the devices running Windows Phone 7.x on its network will get the update. Sprint has given no official word on updates for devices running Windows Phone 7.x on its network (if this is incorrect, please tell me so I can correct this). Verizon has seen some of the devices running Windows Phone 7.x on its network get the upgrade (again, if this is incorrect, please tell me so I can correct this). AT&T has said that all devices stated in this support document are getting the update, but so far, only Nokia Lumina 900 devices on its network have gotten the update notification. Word has it that AT&T will be sending out the update notification for all other mentioned devices near the end of this month (March).
For those who would rather not wait for the notification or whose device is confirmed to not get the update notification, there are unofficial methods that exist which will allow you to still get the update. The first one is changing the value of the MobileOperator string in the registry.
If that doesn't allow you to get the update, you should try my special modified version of Seven-Eigher. Thanks to Jaxbot providing the source code, I changed some things around so that you don't have to download a new version of Seven-Eighter if Microsoft ever puts out (yet) another update for Windows Phone 7.x (it downloads the list of updates from the internet, so all I need to do is to change the update configuration list if a new update comes out) and its a little more descriptive so you have less of a chance of messing up the update process. You need .NET Framework version 4.0 or greater to run it. As far as downgrades go, (for now) you can only use Zune to downgrade 1 os update, meaning if you had 2 os updates installed in the process, you can only go back 1 level. And yes, it does support the latest update (8862).
To download my modified version of Seven-Eighter, here's the link: http://bit.ly/13a6aBW
If you have any problems and/or comments, just use the comment box below and I take care of it as soon as I can. If you have any input on how I can improve it as well, I am willing to take any (and all) suggestions. I am also curious as to how my version is compared to the original. The program is free for your use, but if you want to throw something my way to support me, my paypal e-mail is "toa649@myway.com".
While you're waiting for the new phone updates to come your way, why not drink some delicious Mystic Monk Coffee? Mystic Monk Coffee (use this link or click on the picture below to access the store and purchase) is what you really need when it comes to coffee. Trust me, it's good coffee (in most instances, much better than Starbucks coffee) and you won't regret buying some (just keep it away from your computer keyboard or laptop/tablet). If you like tea more than coffee, they also offer tea. Using the link (or picture below) to buy the coffee (or tea) helps the monks out and helps me with college expenses as well. The coffee (or tea) also makes for great gifts for friends and family as well.
For my existing Windows Phone apps, I am working on updates to both the free and paid versions of Mobile Media Manager. The update for BSA Eagle Tracker is also in the works. I admit that school is sucking much of my free time out of me, but I will continue to work on the updates in my spare time. If you want to get my apps now (while waiting), please use the following links:
BSA Eagle Tracker download: http://bit.ly/Mm1Upo
Mobile Media Manager (paid version) download: http://bit.ly/y3rf6V
Mobile Media Manager (free version) download: http://bit.ly/xGCsWE
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
When what you Really need is Just a Phone
Unless you have been living under a rock for the past few weeks, you know that Apple recently released the new iPhone 5 with iOS 6. As usual, the media and Apple iSheep went crazy over the new release (as if the same group didn't make such a big hoot the last time that Apple released a new version of its iPhone or iPad).
When you think about it, Apple, with its iPhone, was what brought the appeal of a smartphone to the consumer. Previously, the world of smartphones was mostly made up of professionals and computer scientists. Apple took the smartphone and turned it into a fashion statement.
Unfortunately, in the process, Apple also created a situation where people are more inclined to buy a phone which might have more than what they need. In the mass appeal of the smartphone, I feel that we have forgotten about the most important part of a phone..the phone. I would wager that, especially with older people than with young people, what most people need is just a phone who's only function is being able to make phone calls (+ voicemail).
If your contract is up and you are eligible for an upgrade, there is nothing wrong with getting a new smartphone as long as it meets your needs. However, what I have seen is people who, when shopping for a new phone, are pressured by salesmen which may or may not give a customer the full range of choices or who may or may not have a preemptive bias towards a certain phone or maker of phones and end up getting a smartphone that is more than what they can handle (in order to make a sale). Here, I blame salesmen for either pushing a customer towards a phone without making known to the customer the given carrier's full offerings or overlooking/ignoring the customer's needs, or not being (fully) knowledgabe of the overall phone environment. Through work with Microsoft, I work with Windows Phone a lot. Over the summer when I was looking at possibly switching carriers, I would ask about the carrier's windows phone offerings and ask whether it was a good idea to go with windows phone (and why). I have gotten mixed results, with some being fully knowledgable about windows phone and phone hardware/network information in genal and others, not knowing. A good salesman for a cell phone carrier should have knowledge of phone hardware and cell network information (such as cell phone radio bands like GSM and CDMA). Of course, some blame for a bad choice of phone can fall back on the person buying. You should ALWAYS do your homework and research possible offerings which meet your needs before you buy.
Every time Apple releases a new iPhone, there always seems to be the mindset which says that your old iPhone, which is perfectly usuable (after all, it CAN make phone calls), is instantly obsolete and you should immediately go out and buy/preorder the new iPhone. While Apple has been beefing up its hardware offerings in the new iPhone, can people really tell the difference in speed between the new iPhone and the old one? I don't think most people notice a difference and only care that the phone works without problems. Rather than buying new hardware with the new version of the operating system, you might be better off, for the time being, with a software upgrade of your current iPhone instead.
The main point of this article is when looking at getting a new phone, take some time to think of all of your needs first, do a little research on the internet on the carrier's offerings, and then you won't be totally clueless about what you want when you go to the cell carrier's store. If you end up getting a smartphone, but don't know how something in your smartphone works and need help, someone will be more than happy to help/teach you, but don't complain that the smartphone is something you can't handle. There is also the data plan requirement which comes with owning a smartphone as well, but this is a topic for another blog post.
So do you agree with my thoughts on this or do you have your own thoughts and comments? Please share those thoughts and comments in the comment box below. Also, if anyone still wants the updated rom I made for the dell axim X50(low), please request it in the comment box, and it shall be made available for download.
You and I both know how hard it is for some people to wake up in the morning without coffee. If you are going to drink coffee, why not drink it like a mystic monk? Some tasty Mystic Monk Coffee (use this link or click on the picture below to access the store and purchase) is what you really need when it comes to coffee. Trust me, it's good coffee (in most instances, much better than Starbucks coffee) and you won't regret buying some (just keep it away from your computer keyboard or laptop/tablet). For the summer (or what's left of it), they are also offering Iced Coffee as well. If you like tea more than coffee, they also offer tea. Using the link (or picture below) to buy the coffee (or tea) helps the monks out and helps me with college expenses as well. The coffee (or tea) also makes for great gifts for friends and family as well.
Feel free to try out my apps for Windows Phone: Mobile Media Manager, a media player app I made which has some features which (I feel) are missing from the system Zune player, and BSA Eagle Tracker, an app that boy scouts can use to track their progress to Eagle Scout (when the scout handbook isn't always handy). The update for the paid version of Mobile Media Manager is out, but my last submission update for the free version failed, with Microsoft taking somewhere between 1-2 weeks to get back to me and tell me that my submitted update failed. BSA Eagle Tracker will also be getting a bug fix for an obscure bug I noticed recently.
BSA Eagle Tracker download: http://bit.ly/Mm1Upo
Mobile Media Manager (paid version) download: http://bit.ly/y3rf6V
Mobile Media Manager (free version) download: http://bit.ly/xGCsWE
When you think about it, Apple, with its iPhone, was what brought the appeal of a smartphone to the consumer. Previously, the world of smartphones was mostly made up of professionals and computer scientists. Apple took the smartphone and turned it into a fashion statement.
Unfortunately, in the process, Apple also created a situation where people are more inclined to buy a phone which might have more than what they need. In the mass appeal of the smartphone, I feel that we have forgotten about the most important part of a phone..the phone. I would wager that, especially with older people than with young people, what most people need is just a phone who's only function is being able to make phone calls (+ voicemail).
If your contract is up and you are eligible for an upgrade, there is nothing wrong with getting a new smartphone as long as it meets your needs. However, what I have seen is people who, when shopping for a new phone, are pressured by salesmen which may or may not give a customer the full range of choices or who may or may not have a preemptive bias towards a certain phone or maker of phones and end up getting a smartphone that is more than what they can handle (in order to make a sale). Here, I blame salesmen for either pushing a customer towards a phone without making known to the customer the given carrier's full offerings or overlooking/ignoring the customer's needs, or not being (fully) knowledgabe of the overall phone environment. Through work with Microsoft, I work with Windows Phone a lot. Over the summer when I was looking at possibly switching carriers, I would ask about the carrier's windows phone offerings and ask whether it was a good idea to go with windows phone (and why). I have gotten mixed results, with some being fully knowledgable about windows phone and phone hardware/network information in genal and others, not knowing. A good salesman for a cell phone carrier should have knowledge of phone hardware and cell network information (such as cell phone radio bands like GSM and CDMA). Of course, some blame for a bad choice of phone can fall back on the person buying. You should ALWAYS do your homework and research possible offerings which meet your needs before you buy.
Every time Apple releases a new iPhone, there always seems to be the mindset which says that your old iPhone, which is perfectly usuable (after all, it CAN make phone calls), is instantly obsolete and you should immediately go out and buy/preorder the new iPhone. While Apple has been beefing up its hardware offerings in the new iPhone, can people really tell the difference in speed between the new iPhone and the old one? I don't think most people notice a difference and only care that the phone works without problems. Rather than buying new hardware with the new version of the operating system, you might be better off, for the time being, with a software upgrade of your current iPhone instead.
The main point of this article is when looking at getting a new phone, take some time to think of all of your needs first, do a little research on the internet on the carrier's offerings, and then you won't be totally clueless about what you want when you go to the cell carrier's store. If you end up getting a smartphone, but don't know how something in your smartphone works and need help, someone will be more than happy to help/teach you, but don't complain that the smartphone is something you can't handle. There is also the data plan requirement which comes with owning a smartphone as well, but this is a topic for another blog post.
So do you agree with my thoughts on this or do you have your own thoughts and comments? Please share those thoughts and comments in the comment box below. Also, if anyone still wants the updated rom I made for the dell axim X50(low), please request it in the comment box, and it shall be made available for download.
You and I both know how hard it is for some people to wake up in the morning without coffee. If you are going to drink coffee, why not drink it like a mystic monk? Some tasty Mystic Monk Coffee (use this link or click on the picture below to access the store and purchase) is what you really need when it comes to coffee. Trust me, it's good coffee (in most instances, much better than Starbucks coffee) and you won't regret buying some (just keep it away from your computer keyboard or laptop/tablet). For the summer (or what's left of it), they are also offering Iced Coffee as well. If you like tea more than coffee, they also offer tea. Using the link (or picture below) to buy the coffee (or tea) helps the monks out and helps me with college expenses as well. The coffee (or tea) also makes for great gifts for friends and family as well.
Feel free to try out my apps for Windows Phone: Mobile Media Manager, a media player app I made which has some features which (I feel) are missing from the system Zune player, and BSA Eagle Tracker, an app that boy scouts can use to track their progress to Eagle Scout (when the scout handbook isn't always handy). The update for the paid version of Mobile Media Manager is out, but my last submission update for the free version failed, with Microsoft taking somewhere between 1-2 weeks to get back to me and tell me that my submitted update failed. BSA Eagle Tracker will also be getting a bug fix for an obscure bug I noticed recently.
BSA Eagle Tracker download: http://bit.ly/Mm1Upo
Mobile Media Manager (paid version) download: http://bit.ly/y3rf6V
Mobile Media Manager (free version) download: http://bit.ly/xGCsWE
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Going Retro Again with a Dell Axim X50
For those of you that may remember Aximsite in its glory days (or it's "successor", Mobilitysite), you might remember me as Steven855 (same username for XDA-Developers as well). I am the one who posted the simplified Axim X50 unbricking thread in the X50/X51 section. After Dell decided not to give the X51 series an upgrade to Windows Mobile 6, things went downhill until we figured out how to make custom roms for the axim. I have been working at making custom roms for the axim ever since we first discovered how to, but I never got a working (booting) rom (until now).
So, from the end of this past summer to a week ago, I decided to take up the task of making custom roms for the Axim X50 again and start nice and slow. I am happy to announce that after 4 (almost 5) years, I finally have a working rom for the X50(low). Unfortunately, it's a Windows Mobile 5 rom, but I am now working on a Windows Mobile 6 rom for the X50(low).
The axim got lost whenever the convergence of pocket pc and phone became big. With this, the thought was that people no longer had a need to carry around a pocket pc AND a phone when they could carry around a pocket pc phone (or other smartphone) which could fulfill both roles.
Even though the axim doesn't have phone hardware, it still functions as a handy machine. Which phones that exist today can offer an amount of storage which is bigger than what the axim can provide? The axim, theoretically, can offer you up to 64gb of CF card storage (at least, 64gb is the biggest CF card capacity I remember seeing) along with up to 4gb of SD card storage. If you have a windows mobile 6 rom, your x50 or x51 might be able to handle SDHC cards (which have more storage than normal SD cards) as well. This gives you plenty of room for your music, movies, pictures, and other files. It is true that the version MS Office is kind-of outdated, but it still works (as a plus, you CAN use a Bluetooth keyboard with it, unlike Windows Phone). There is also no limit to emulators (and roms for them) as well. There are NES, SNES, Gameboy (Color), Gameboy Advance, and Sega Genesis emulators out there that the Dell Axim can run. Besides emulators, there are a bunch of great games made for Windows Mobile which you can play on the axim (such as Orions: Legends, which, on a side note, needs to be ported to windows phone since it is a great game and can you imagine the multiplayer possibilities of it with Xbox Live and the whole Arvale saga of games).
In my travels for Microsoft work, I have found that a pocket pc (like the Axim or my Asus Mypal A626) works well to ease the stresses of air travel. The axim has no cellular radio, and all you have to do in flight is turn off the bluetooth and wi-fi radios.
There will come a time when the axim cannot keep up with the Windows Phone updates and its usefulness will become inferior to what is presently offered. Until then, I continue to use my Axim and my Asus Mypal A626 in my work.
So, does anyone else besides me remember aximsite? Do you have an axim and still use it? If so, what do you still use it for? I am curious to see how many people still use their axim even though official technical support for it has ceased. If you have any comments or thoughts or memories on this, please share them in the comment box below. Also, if anyone wants the rom I made for the axim, please request it in the comment box, and it shall be available for download.
You and I both know how hard it is for some people to wake up in the morning without coffee. If you are going to drink coffee, why not drink it like a mystic monk? Some tasty Mystic Monk Coffee (use this link or click on the picture below to access the store and purchase) is what you really need when it comes to coffee. Trust me, it's good coffee (in most instances, much better than Starbucks coffee) and you won't regret buying some (just keep it away from your computer keyboard or laptop/tablet). For the summer (or what's left of it), they are also offering Iced Coffee as well. If you like tea more than coffee, they also offer tea. Using the link (or picture below) to buy the coffee (or tea) helps the monks out and helps me with college expenses as well. The coffee (or tea) also makes for great gifts for friends and family as well.
Feel free to try out my apps for Windows Phone: Mobile Media Manager, a media player app I made which has some features which (I feel) are missing from the system Zune player, and BSA Eagle Tracker, an app that boy scouts can use to track their progress to Eagle Scout (when the scout handbook isn't always handy). The update for the paid version of Mobile Media Manager is out, but my last submission update for the free version failed, with Microsoft taking somewhere between 1-2 weeks to get back to me and tell me that my submitted update failed. BSA Eagle Tracker will also be getting a bug fix for an obscure bug I noticed recently.
BSA Eagle Tracker download: http://bit.ly/Mm1Upo
Mobile Media Manager (paid version) download: http://bit.ly/y3rf6V
Mobile Media Manager (free version) download: http://bit.ly/xGCsWE
So, from the end of this past summer to a week ago, I decided to take up the task of making custom roms for the Axim X50 again and start nice and slow. I am happy to announce that after 4 (almost 5) years, I finally have a working rom for the X50(low). Unfortunately, it's a Windows Mobile 5 rom, but I am now working on a Windows Mobile 6 rom for the X50(low).
The axim got lost whenever the convergence of pocket pc and phone became big. With this, the thought was that people no longer had a need to carry around a pocket pc AND a phone when they could carry around a pocket pc phone (or other smartphone) which could fulfill both roles.
Even though the axim doesn't have phone hardware, it still functions as a handy machine. Which phones that exist today can offer an amount of storage which is bigger than what the axim can provide? The axim, theoretically, can offer you up to 64gb of CF card storage (at least, 64gb is the biggest CF card capacity I remember seeing) along with up to 4gb of SD card storage. If you have a windows mobile 6 rom, your x50 or x51 might be able to handle SDHC cards (which have more storage than normal SD cards) as well. This gives you plenty of room for your music, movies, pictures, and other files. It is true that the version MS Office is kind-of outdated, but it still works (as a plus, you CAN use a Bluetooth keyboard with it, unlike Windows Phone). There is also no limit to emulators (and roms for them) as well. There are NES, SNES, Gameboy (Color), Gameboy Advance, and Sega Genesis emulators out there that the Dell Axim can run. Besides emulators, there are a bunch of great games made for Windows Mobile which you can play on the axim (such as Orions: Legends, which, on a side note, needs to be ported to windows phone since it is a great game and can you imagine the multiplayer possibilities of it with Xbox Live and the whole Arvale saga of games).
In my travels for Microsoft work, I have found that a pocket pc (like the Axim or my Asus Mypal A626) works well to ease the stresses of air travel. The axim has no cellular radio, and all you have to do in flight is turn off the bluetooth and wi-fi radios.
There will come a time when the axim cannot keep up with the Windows Phone updates and its usefulness will become inferior to what is presently offered. Until then, I continue to use my Axim and my Asus Mypal A626 in my work.
So, does anyone else besides me remember aximsite? Do you have an axim and still use it? If so, what do you still use it for? I am curious to see how many people still use their axim even though official technical support for it has ceased. If you have any comments or thoughts or memories on this, please share them in the comment box below. Also, if anyone wants the rom I made for the axim, please request it in the comment box, and it shall be available for download.
You and I both know how hard it is for some people to wake up in the morning without coffee. If you are going to drink coffee, why not drink it like a mystic monk? Some tasty Mystic Monk Coffee (use this link or click on the picture below to access the store and purchase) is what you really need when it comes to coffee. Trust me, it's good coffee (in most instances, much better than Starbucks coffee) and you won't regret buying some (just keep it away from your computer keyboard or laptop/tablet). For the summer (or what's left of it), they are also offering Iced Coffee as well. If you like tea more than coffee, they also offer tea. Using the link (or picture below) to buy the coffee (or tea) helps the monks out and helps me with college expenses as well. The coffee (or tea) also makes for great gifts for friends and family as well.
Feel free to try out my apps for Windows Phone: Mobile Media Manager, a media player app I made which has some features which (I feel) are missing from the system Zune player, and BSA Eagle Tracker, an app that boy scouts can use to track their progress to Eagle Scout (when the scout handbook isn't always handy). The update for the paid version of Mobile Media Manager is out, but my last submission update for the free version failed, with Microsoft taking somewhere between 1-2 weeks to get back to me and tell me that my submitted update failed. BSA Eagle Tracker will also be getting a bug fix for an obscure bug I noticed recently.
BSA Eagle Tracker download: http://bit.ly/Mm1Upo
Mobile Media Manager (paid version) download: http://bit.ly/y3rf6V
Mobile Media Manager (free version) download: http://bit.ly/xGCsWE
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
Imagine Cup 2013: Start Thinking Now
Well, it is still summer, but we are now in August, which is when students and teachers start thinking about heading back to school. While we are on the subject of school, if you are looking for something to do with your computer science class this year, look no further than the Imagine Cup.
The Imagine Cup is a software competition for students that Microsoft holds every year. Each year has a theme based on the UN Millennium goals. Depending on the sector of the competition you are a part of, you have to design a piece of software that reflects the theme.
There are a few sections of the Imagine Cup, but the most popular are Software Design and Game Design. In Software Design, students have to come up with a solution to a problem (based on the UN Millennium Goals) using hardware and Microsoft software. The team who comes up with the best solution to the team's problem wins. In game design, students design a game (based on the UN Millennium Goals) for either Windows Phone or Xbox which reflects the year's theme.
Participation in the competition can be done by both high school students and college students.
The competition (at least, for the competitions mentioned above) consists of 4 rounds. In round 1, the team submits a plan, which includes a storyboard and a description. A team can also submit an alpha or beta build, but it is optional for this round. All entries which survive round 1 move on to round 2. In round 2, teams need to submit a working prototype, an updated project plan, and a video describing the whole thing. If you survive round 2, things get better.
Round 3 is the US finals (or if you don't live in the United States, your country's finals). Here, you and your team get flown out to Redmond for a visit to Microsoft's headquarters where, incidentally, the US Finals are held. As a bonus, anyone who makes it this far in the competition gets a free opportunity to interview for a Microsoft internship or, if you are a senior in college, a full-time job at Microsoft. This also the round when your project gets voted on by millions of people on Facebook to determine the People's Choice. The first place winners of the Software Design competition move on to round 4, the last round of the competition. The first place winners of the Game Design competition are recognized, but do not get to move on to round 4 because every country participating in the Imagine Cup has a Software Design competition, but not every country has a Game Design competition.
Round 4 is the World Finals. Here, the winners of the Software Design competitions from all over gather to see which one is the best in the world. Word has it that the world finals are going to be held in Russia in 2013.
So, I hope I've gotten your interest. While the theme for the 2013 competition has not been revealed yet, you can preregister. For more information on the Imagine Cup competion, please see http://bit.ly/fcPDqa. For everything you need for the competition, students can get any software you need via Dreamspark.
If you have any thoughts or comments of your own about the Imagine Cup or if you are thinking of entering the 2013 competion, feel free to share your thoughts and comments via the comment box below or e-mail me at catholictechgeek@gmail.com.You can also find me on twitter (twitter username is @rctechgeek). Feel free to subscribe to my rss feed too. I am now on Tumblr now as well (link to Tumblr is http://www.tumblr.com/blog/catholictechgeek), so please follow me on Tumblr too.
If you're feeling thirsty while using the computer or can't quite stay awake while using one, drink (or give someone you care about) some tasty Mystic Monk Coffee (use this link or click on the picture below to access the store and purchase). Trust me, it's good coffee (in most instances, much better than Starbucks coffee) and you won't regret buying some (just keep it away from your computer keyboard or laptop/tablet). For the summer, they are also offering Iced Coffee as well. If you like tea more than coffee, they also offer tea. Using the link (or picture below) to buy the coffee (or tea) helps the monks out and helps me with college expenses as well.
Feel free to try out my apps for Windows Phone: Mobile Media Manager, a media player app I made which has some features which (I feel) are missing from the system Zune player, and BSA Eagle Tracker, an app that boy scouts can use to track their progress to Eagle Scout (when the scout handbook isn't always handy). The update for the paid version of Mobile Media Manager is out, but my last submission update for the free version in Microsoft Apphub certification failed, so release of the update to the free version will be a few days (< 7). BSA Eagle Tracker is also getting a bug fix for an obscure bug I noticed recently.
BSA Eagle Tracker download: http://bit.ly/Mm1Upo
Mobile Media Manager (paid version) download: http://bit.ly/y3rf6V
Mobile Media Manager (free version) download: http://bit.ly/xGCsWE
The Imagine Cup is a software competition for students that Microsoft holds every year. Each year has a theme based on the UN Millennium goals. Depending on the sector of the competition you are a part of, you have to design a piece of software that reflects the theme.
There are a few sections of the Imagine Cup, but the most popular are Software Design and Game Design. In Software Design, students have to come up with a solution to a problem (based on the UN Millennium Goals) using hardware and Microsoft software. The team who comes up with the best solution to the team's problem wins. In game design, students design a game (based on the UN Millennium Goals) for either Windows Phone or Xbox which reflects the year's theme.
Participation in the competition can be done by both high school students and college students.
The competition (at least, for the competitions mentioned above) consists of 4 rounds. In round 1, the team submits a plan, which includes a storyboard and a description. A team can also submit an alpha or beta build, but it is optional for this round. All entries which survive round 1 move on to round 2. In round 2, teams need to submit a working prototype, an updated project plan, and a video describing the whole thing. If you survive round 2, things get better.
Round 3 is the US finals (or if you don't live in the United States, your country's finals). Here, you and your team get flown out to Redmond for a visit to Microsoft's headquarters where, incidentally, the US Finals are held. As a bonus, anyone who makes it this far in the competition gets a free opportunity to interview for a Microsoft internship or, if you are a senior in college, a full-time job at Microsoft. This also the round when your project gets voted on by millions of people on Facebook to determine the People's Choice. The first place winners of the Software Design competition move on to round 4, the last round of the competition. The first place winners of the Game Design competition are recognized, but do not get to move on to round 4 because every country participating in the Imagine Cup has a Software Design competition, but not every country has a Game Design competition.
Round 4 is the World Finals. Here, the winners of the Software Design competitions from all over gather to see which one is the best in the world. Word has it that the world finals are going to be held in Russia in 2013.
So, I hope I've gotten your interest. While the theme for the 2013 competition has not been revealed yet, you can preregister. For more information on the Imagine Cup competion, please see http://bit.ly/fcPDqa. For everything you need for the competition, students can get any software you need via Dreamspark.
If you have any thoughts or comments of your own about the Imagine Cup or if you are thinking of entering the 2013 competion, feel free to share your thoughts and comments via the comment box below or e-mail me at catholictechgeek@gmail.com.You can also find me on twitter (twitter username is @rctechgeek). Feel free to subscribe to my rss feed too. I am now on Tumblr now as well (link to Tumblr is http://www.tumblr.com/blog/catholictechgeek), so please follow me on Tumblr too.
If you're feeling thirsty while using the computer or can't quite stay awake while using one, drink (or give someone you care about) some tasty Mystic Monk Coffee (use this link or click on the picture below to access the store and purchase). Trust me, it's good coffee (in most instances, much better than Starbucks coffee) and you won't regret buying some (just keep it away from your computer keyboard or laptop/tablet). For the summer, they are also offering Iced Coffee as well. If you like tea more than coffee, they also offer tea. Using the link (or picture below) to buy the coffee (or tea) helps the monks out and helps me with college expenses as well.
Feel free to try out my apps for Windows Phone: Mobile Media Manager, a media player app I made which has some features which (I feel) are missing from the system Zune player, and BSA Eagle Tracker, an app that boy scouts can use to track their progress to Eagle Scout (when the scout handbook isn't always handy). The update for the paid version of Mobile Media Manager is out, but my last submission update for the free version in Microsoft Apphub certification failed, so release of the update to the free version will be a few days (< 7). BSA Eagle Tracker is also getting a bug fix for an obscure bug I noticed recently.
BSA Eagle Tracker download: http://bit.ly/Mm1Upo
Mobile Media Manager (paid version) download: http://bit.ly/y3rf6V
Mobile Media Manager (free version) download: http://bit.ly/xGCsWE
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
The Gift of Giving in the Windows Phone Marketplace
On the developer side of the Windows Phone marketplace, there are enough headaches to deal with, but this is not the purpose of this article. On the user side, the marketplace is relatively stable. Downloading can be done via wi-fi or over 3G/4G cellular internet. What could be improved here is payment options for apps.
Currently, the only options for payment in the Windows Phone marketplace are payment via credit/debit card or payment via cell carrier tab (if your carrier supports this, as I am not sure that all carriers do). However, if you don't have a credit card you can pay with, you are out of luck and can only download the free apps out there.
It would be good if Microsoft did something similar to what Apple did with iTunes. With iTunes, Apple sells gift cards in stores that people can use on iTunes to buy music, as well as apps. Microsoft should have their own "gift card" which people can buy in real life and use in the marketplace. There are many valid reasons for this. One is if a person wishes to impose a spending limit for apps on himself or herself. Another reason would be for a person which doesn't have a credit card due to bad credit or no credit (like teens) And yet another would be for a gift for occasions such a birthday or Christmas.
Another option Microsoft should look into is the ability for developers to "reward" testers. Sometimes, a developer may want to "reward" a beta tester with a "free copy" of the released version of an app on the marketplace as thanks for help with testing pre-release versions of apps. Sometimes, a developer, for whatever reason, may want to give a free copy of his or her paid software to a certain person (such as friends or family) for free. Currently, there is no mechanism in place for the developer to do this. This could be accomplished via a one-time promo code which the developer gives the user and the user inputs at time of buying the app.
To help with the first issue, besides a gift card (in amounts of real money) that people can buy, Microsoft could also look into perhaps using their system of Microsoft points to pay for apps. On the Xbox marketplace or Zune marketplace, you need to use points to pay. Wouldn't it be great if a user had some extra points and he or she could buy your app with it? Using Microsoft's own points conversion to convert the user's points into real money for the developer will have to happen, but I don't think this is a big deal. On a side note, Microsoft should unify their method of payment across the windows phone marketplace, the windows 8 marketplace, the Xbox marketplace and the Zune marketplace by either having all marketplace payments as either "all points" or "all (real) money". I hope that when Windows 8 comes out, Microsoft will have looked at all the problems had with Windows Phone and come up with adequate solutions for them.
Do you think these solutions for alternate payment I have proposed have any merit? If so (or if not), or if you have any thoughts or comments of your own about this, feel free to share them via the comment box below.You can also find me on twitter (twitter username is @rctechgeek). Feel free to subscribe to my rss feed too. I am now on Tumblr now as well (link to Tumblr is http://www.tumblr.com/blog/catholictechgeek), so please follow me on Tumblr too.
If you're feeling thirsty or feel like giving to someone, drink (or give someone you care about) some tasty Mystic Monk Coffee (use this link or click on the picture below to access the store and purchase). Trust me, it's good coffee (in most instances, much better than Starbucks coffee) and you won't regret buying some (just keep it away from your computer keyboard or laptop/tablet). For the summer, they are also offering Iced Coffee as well. If you like tea more than coffee, they also offer tea. Using the link (or picture below) to buy the coffee (or tea) helps the monks out and helps me with college expenses as well.
Feel free to try out my apps for Windows Phone: Mobile Media Manager, a media player app I made which has some features which (I feel) are missing from the system Zune player, and BSA Eagle Tracker, an app that boy scouts can use to track their progress to Eagle Scout (when the scout handbook isn't always handy). The update for the paid version is out, with the free version currently in Microsoft Apphub certification (due to be out soon within a few days). BSA Eagle Tracker is also getting a bug fix for an obscure bug I noticed recently.
BSA Eagle Tracker download: http://bit.ly/Mm1Upo
Mobile Media Manager (paid version) download: http://bit.ly/y3rf6V
Mobile Media Manager (free version) download: http://bit.ly/xGCsWE
Currently, the only options for payment in the Windows Phone marketplace are payment via credit/debit card or payment via cell carrier tab (if your carrier supports this, as I am not sure that all carriers do). However, if you don't have a credit card you can pay with, you are out of luck and can only download the free apps out there.
It would be good if Microsoft did something similar to what Apple did with iTunes. With iTunes, Apple sells gift cards in stores that people can use on iTunes to buy music, as well as apps. Microsoft should have their own "gift card" which people can buy in real life and use in the marketplace. There are many valid reasons for this. One is if a person wishes to impose a spending limit for apps on himself or herself. Another reason would be for a person which doesn't have a credit card due to bad credit or no credit (like teens) And yet another would be for a gift for occasions such a birthday or Christmas.
Another option Microsoft should look into is the ability for developers to "reward" testers. Sometimes, a developer may want to "reward" a beta tester with a "free copy" of the released version of an app on the marketplace as thanks for help with testing pre-release versions of apps. Sometimes, a developer, for whatever reason, may want to give a free copy of his or her paid software to a certain person (such as friends or family) for free. Currently, there is no mechanism in place for the developer to do this. This could be accomplished via a one-time promo code which the developer gives the user and the user inputs at time of buying the app.
To help with the first issue, besides a gift card (in amounts of real money) that people can buy, Microsoft could also look into perhaps using their system of Microsoft points to pay for apps. On the Xbox marketplace or Zune marketplace, you need to use points to pay. Wouldn't it be great if a user had some extra points and he or she could buy your app with it? Using Microsoft's own points conversion to convert the user's points into real money for the developer will have to happen, but I don't think this is a big deal. On a side note, Microsoft should unify their method of payment across the windows phone marketplace, the windows 8 marketplace, the Xbox marketplace and the Zune marketplace by either having all marketplace payments as either "all points" or "all (real) money". I hope that when Windows 8 comes out, Microsoft will have looked at all the problems had with Windows Phone and come up with adequate solutions for them.
Do you think these solutions for alternate payment I have proposed have any merit? If so (or if not), or if you have any thoughts or comments of your own about this, feel free to share them via the comment box below.You can also find me on twitter (twitter username is @rctechgeek). Feel free to subscribe to my rss feed too. I am now on Tumblr now as well (link to Tumblr is http://www.tumblr.com/blog/catholictechgeek), so please follow me on Tumblr too.
If you're feeling thirsty or feel like giving to someone, drink (or give someone you care about) some tasty Mystic Monk Coffee (use this link or click on the picture below to access the store and purchase). Trust me, it's good coffee (in most instances, much better than Starbucks coffee) and you won't regret buying some (just keep it away from your computer keyboard or laptop/tablet). For the summer, they are also offering Iced Coffee as well. If you like tea more than coffee, they also offer tea. Using the link (or picture below) to buy the coffee (or tea) helps the monks out and helps me with college expenses as well.
Feel free to try out my apps for Windows Phone: Mobile Media Manager, a media player app I made which has some features which (I feel) are missing from the system Zune player, and BSA Eagle Tracker, an app that boy scouts can use to track their progress to Eagle Scout (when the scout handbook isn't always handy). The update for the paid version is out, with the free version currently in Microsoft Apphub certification (due to be out soon within a few days). BSA Eagle Tracker is also getting a bug fix for an obscure bug I noticed recently.
BSA Eagle Tracker download: http://bit.ly/Mm1Upo
Mobile Media Manager (paid version) download: http://bit.ly/y3rf6V
Mobile Media Manager (free version) download: http://bit.ly/xGCsWE
Thursday, June 28, 2012
Why I still have Windows Phone 6.5 even in the age of Windows Phone 7(.x): Part 4
Recently, I published part 3 on my "Why I still have Windows Phone 6.5 even in the age of Windows Phone 7(.x)" series. This is part 4, continuing from where I left off on part 3. If you haven't had a chance to read part 3 (or parts 1 and 2) yet, you can find it all here.
The fifth issue I brought up the first time was external gps support. With Windows Phone 6.5, in addition to using the gps my device may have built-in, I can use bluetooth to connect to an external (hardware) gps with bluetooth and access functions in the external gps. These days, gps systems seem to be all the rage. Evidence of this can be found with car manufacturers who, increasingly, bundle some kind of gps system in the vehicles they sell. However, these maps eventually become outdated. Phone manufacturers have also been using embedded motherboards which have a gps module onboard. All three major mobile operating system makers, Apple, Google, and Microsoft, have also included gps support in their respective operating systems, along with some sort of map software. I am pretty sure that Microsoft made gps a required hardware feature for phones running the Windows Phone operating system. This is fine for the consumer. However, the map software those software companies include in their operating systems depend on an internet connection. This is usually satisfied by a cellular internet connection. I live in West Virginia, where we still have 2g cellular internet in many places. This makes for a poor user experience when trying to use the map software. An external gps works great in this situation since its operation does not depend on an internet connection. External gps support would be great in the next version of Windows Phone, Apollo, but the current conditions in the computing world prevent this from being a much needed feature. There is more I could say about GPS, but I will save it for another article.
The sixth issue brought up is VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) support. With Windows Phone 6.5 (and even 6.1), you can use your device to make voip calls, and the best thing is that you can use the address book that's built-in to the os (configuration was a bit advanced, but there are utilities out there that make it easy). Until Skype came out for Windows Phone, there wasn't much you could do if you wanted to make calls via VOIP on Windows Phone. I don't expect this to change (much) for the current version of Windows Phone, Mango, but word has it that Microsoft will be adding support for Skype (native support, not just updated Skype app) and other 3rd party VOIP providers.
The seventh issue brought up was lack of playlist support. When I first wrote on this, it was before Mango was released. Mango did bring us playlist support. However, playlist support on the device is not perfect. You can create a playlist, but you can't edit it. You can't shift the song order in the playlist either. In my Windows Phone app, Mobile Media Manager, I attempt to solve these problems (and more). However, my app is crippled by the fact that I can't change song order while execution of the app is suspended (in other words, if you switch from my app to a different app, the current song won't change to the next song and will just stop playback UNLESS you navigate back to my app before the current song is over. This problem is not my own. The problem lies with Microsoft, where currently, you cannot play a Song ("Song" is the name of the class, part of the XNA framework, for those of you who are programmers) in the background (via BackgroundAudioAgent). If ANYONE knows how to fix this or how to get around this, please let me know as soon as possible.
The last issue brought up was the ability to do p2p multi-player gaming either via bluetooth or via wi-fi (and even cross-platform multi-player gaming). Under Windows Phone 6.5, it was possible to do both, and it made gaming on the platform even better (Orions: Legends of Wizards, anyone?). With the current system, it is possible to do multi-player gaming in Windows Phone 7(.5), but you have to have a gold level subscription to Xbox Live in order to do so. I know its the same situation on the Xbox, but I think it would be great to be able to have a local multi-player session of a game as well, especially for people who own a windows phone, but don't own an Xbox.
So far, things are looking better for Windows Phone (7.x) than when it initially came out. However there is much it can improve on. As the next version of Windows Phone, Apollo, is not out yet, there is not much we know other than what Microsoft has told us. We will all just have to wait and see what else Microsoft has in store for Apollo, so stay tuned for more. If I happen to think of more on comparing Windows Phone 7.x to Windows Phone 6.5, I will update this article.
For those of you who are (software) developers and haven't downloaded the Windows Phone SDK yet, download it, and see what you can make. You might be surprised. If you are developing for Windows Phone on Windows 8, be sure to download Visual Studio 2011 as well.
So now, do you agree that Windows Phone 6.5 is still useful, or do you think that Windows Phone 7.x has matured enough that Windows Phone 6.5 isn't needed anymore? Share your thoughts in the comment box below, or e-mail me at catholictechgeek@gmail.com. You can also comment (and follow me) on twitter (twitter username is @rctechgeek). Feel free to subscribe to my rss feed as well. If you like this post, please share it with your family and friends.
In the meantime, while you are thinking about Windows Phone, drink some tasty Mystic Monk Coffee (use this link or click on the picture below to access the store and purchase). Trust me, it's good coffee (in most instances, much better than Starbucks coffee) and you won't regret buying some (just keep it away from your computer keyboard or laptop/tablet). For the summer, they are also offering Iced Coffee as well. If you like tea more than coffee, the monks also offer tea for sale. Using the link (or picture below) to buy the coffee (or tea) helps the monks out and helps me with college expenses as well.
Feel free to try out my apps for Windows Phone: Mobile Media Manager, a media player app I made which has some features which (I feel) are missing from the system Zune player, and BSA Eagle Tracker, an app that boy scouts can use to track their progress to Eagle Scout (when the scout handbook isn't always handy). New versions of the media player with new features/bug fixes is coming within a week (most likely sooner than this, but definitely within 2 weeks) of passing Microsoft Apphub certification. The update for the free, ad-supported version of Mobile Media Manager got denied in Apphub certification, but it will be resubmitted within the next day or two. The update for the paid version will be in certification with it (I've been busy lately, and hadn't had a chance to submit the paid version update to Apphub yet). BSA Eagle Tracker is also getting a bug fix for an obscure bug I noticed recently, so it is also due for an update.
BSA Eagle Tracker download: http://bit.ly/Mm1Upo
Mobile Media Manager (paid, ad-free version) download: http://bit.ly/y3rf6V
Mobile Media Manager (free, ad-supported version) download: http://bit.ly/xGCsWE
Update (6-28-2012): Part 4 is located at http://bit.ly/NRzQdh
The fifth issue I brought up the first time was external gps support. With Windows Phone 6.5, in addition to using the gps my device may have built-in, I can use bluetooth to connect to an external (hardware) gps with bluetooth and access functions in the external gps. These days, gps systems seem to be all the rage. Evidence of this can be found with car manufacturers who, increasingly, bundle some kind of gps system in the vehicles they sell. However, these maps eventually become outdated. Phone manufacturers have also been using embedded motherboards which have a gps module onboard. All three major mobile operating system makers, Apple, Google, and Microsoft, have also included gps support in their respective operating systems, along with some sort of map software. I am pretty sure that Microsoft made gps a required hardware feature for phones running the Windows Phone operating system. This is fine for the consumer. However, the map software those software companies include in their operating systems depend on an internet connection. This is usually satisfied by a cellular internet connection. I live in West Virginia, where we still have 2g cellular internet in many places. This makes for a poor user experience when trying to use the map software. An external gps works great in this situation since its operation does not depend on an internet connection. External gps support would be great in the next version of Windows Phone, Apollo, but the current conditions in the computing world prevent this from being a much needed feature. There is more I could say about GPS, but I will save it for another article.
The sixth issue brought up is VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) support. With Windows Phone 6.5 (and even 6.1), you can use your device to make voip calls, and the best thing is that you can use the address book that's built-in to the os (configuration was a bit advanced, but there are utilities out there that make it easy). Until Skype came out for Windows Phone, there wasn't much you could do if you wanted to make calls via VOIP on Windows Phone. I don't expect this to change (much) for the current version of Windows Phone, Mango, but word has it that Microsoft will be adding support for Skype (native support, not just updated Skype app) and other 3rd party VOIP providers.
The seventh issue brought up was lack of playlist support. When I first wrote on this, it was before Mango was released. Mango did bring us playlist support. However, playlist support on the device is not perfect. You can create a playlist, but you can't edit it. You can't shift the song order in the playlist either. In my Windows Phone app, Mobile Media Manager, I attempt to solve these problems (and more). However, my app is crippled by the fact that I can't change song order while execution of the app is suspended (in other words, if you switch from my app to a different app, the current song won't change to the next song and will just stop playback UNLESS you navigate back to my app before the current song is over. This problem is not my own. The problem lies with Microsoft, where currently, you cannot play a Song ("Song" is the name of the class, part of the XNA framework, for those of you who are programmers) in the background (via BackgroundAudioAgent). If ANYONE knows how to fix this or how to get around this, please let me know as soon as possible.
The last issue brought up was the ability to do p2p multi-player gaming either via bluetooth or via wi-fi (and even cross-platform multi-player gaming). Under Windows Phone 6.5, it was possible to do both, and it made gaming on the platform even better (Orions: Legends of Wizards, anyone?). With the current system, it is possible to do multi-player gaming in Windows Phone 7(.5), but you have to have a gold level subscription to Xbox Live in order to do so. I know its the same situation on the Xbox, but I think it would be great to be able to have a local multi-player session of a game as well, especially for people who own a windows phone, but don't own an Xbox.
So far, things are looking better for Windows Phone (7.x) than when it initially came out. However there is much it can improve on. As the next version of Windows Phone, Apollo, is not out yet, there is not much we know other than what Microsoft has told us. We will all just have to wait and see what else Microsoft has in store for Apollo, so stay tuned for more. If I happen to think of more on comparing Windows Phone 7.x to Windows Phone 6.5, I will update this article.
For those of you who are (software) developers and haven't downloaded the Windows Phone SDK yet, download it, and see what you can make. You might be surprised. If you are developing for Windows Phone on Windows 8, be sure to download Visual Studio 2011 as well.
So now, do you agree that Windows Phone 6.5 is still useful, or do you think that Windows Phone 7.x has matured enough that Windows Phone 6.5 isn't needed anymore? Share your thoughts in the comment box below, or e-mail me at catholictechgeek@gmail.com. You can also comment (and follow me) on twitter (twitter username is @rctechgeek). Feel free to subscribe to my rss feed as well. If you like this post, please share it with your family and friends.
In the meantime, while you are thinking about Windows Phone, drink some tasty Mystic Monk Coffee (use this link or click on the picture below to access the store and purchase). Trust me, it's good coffee (in most instances, much better than Starbucks coffee) and you won't regret buying some (just keep it away from your computer keyboard or laptop/tablet). For the summer, they are also offering Iced Coffee as well. If you like tea more than coffee, the monks also offer tea for sale. Using the link (or picture below) to buy the coffee (or tea) helps the monks out and helps me with college expenses as well.
Feel free to try out my apps for Windows Phone: Mobile Media Manager, a media player app I made which has some features which (I feel) are missing from the system Zune player, and BSA Eagle Tracker, an app that boy scouts can use to track their progress to Eagle Scout (when the scout handbook isn't always handy). New versions of the media player with new features/bug fixes is coming within a week (most likely sooner than this, but definitely within 2 weeks) of passing Microsoft Apphub certification. The update for the free, ad-supported version of Mobile Media Manager got denied in Apphub certification, but it will be resubmitted within the next day or two. The update for the paid version will be in certification with it (I've been busy lately, and hadn't had a chance to submit the paid version update to Apphub yet). BSA Eagle Tracker is also getting a bug fix for an obscure bug I noticed recently, so it is also due for an update.
BSA Eagle Tracker download: http://bit.ly/Mm1Upo
Mobile Media Manager (paid, ad-free version) download: http://bit.ly/y3rf6V
Mobile Media Manager (free, ad-supported version) download: http://bit.ly/xGCsWE
Update (6-28-2012): Part 4 is located at http://bit.ly/NRzQdh
Monday, June 25, 2012
Why I still have Windows Phone 6.5 even in the age of Windows Phone 7(.x): Part 3
It's been around a year since I last wrote on why I use Windows Phone 6.5
even though Windows Phone 7(.5) is out (and support for Windows Phone
6.5 has been cut). Since then, Mango has been released for Windows Phone
and this has fixed some of the issues I previously brought up.
Recently, we got news about the next version of Windows Phone, Apollo.
With all the changes that have happened or are coming, you may be
wondering if I still have and use my Windows Phone 6.5 device? The
answer is yes, I still have it and yes, I still have a use for it. (part
one of my previous article is here and part 2 of my previous article is here).
The first issue brought up was a file manager and support for removable storage. As of now, we know that Microsoft did not put a file manager in either the NoDo or Mango releases of Windows Phone. Windows Phone 6.5 has the ability to do both of these, but further, Windows Phone 6.5 devices also have the ability to act as a SD card reader when connected to a desktop or laptop. The isolated storage scheme that Windows Phone 7.x uses has worked well so far, but there are still some uses for a file manager in Windows Phone 7.x (like copying gamesaves). Some devs over at XDA-Developers have gotten around the Isolated Storage and made a file manager for Windows Phone, but it only works on certain Windows Phone devices and you have to do some setup to make the file manager work (like interop unlock). From current reports on Apollo, it seems that Microsoft is (so far) not going to include a file manager.
The second issue brought up was being able to "transfer" your media library by SD card. Right now, the only device that I know of that has a removable SD card slot is the (original) Samsung Focus. However, the removable storage slot in it is tied-in with the storage already onboard and data on the card is not accessible outside the device. The way things are now, Microsoft wants you to buy the music through Zune (soon to be Xbox Music) or get the Zune pass, so that you can buy and download directly on the phone. However, the problem here is that if you have music that isn't available on Zune or the music is available on Zune, but you also have the music ripped from a cd you bought. On Windows Phone 6.5, I can sync music I either ripped from cd or bought from an online store, but I have the choice of whether to store the music on the device's onboard storage or store it on the removable SD card.
The third issue brought up was lack of available console emulators. As of now, this has only been partially cured. There is a NES emulator and a gameboy (original, not color, without sound support) emulator available in the windows phone marketplace, but we could use some more console emulators. Because of this, I still use PocketGBA for gameboy advance games and other emulators available for Windows Phone 6.5 on my Windows Phone 6.5 device.
The fourth issue brought up was the ability to "sideload" programs. On Windows Phone 7.x, you can only install programs from the Windows Phone marketplace, unless your phone has been developer-unlocked. On Windows Phone 6.5, I can install programs via cab files on a SD card whenever I want, without any restrictions. The ability to install homebrew programs on Windows Phone 7.x has improved, but is still lacking.
The fifth issue brought up is Bluetooth profiles available on Windows Phone 7.x. What is still missing in Windows Phone 7.x is the ability to use a bluetooth hardware keyboard. Word has it that bluetooth support is coming in Windows Phone 8, the next release of Windows Phone, but we have yet to see this for sure. Still missing in Windows Phone 7.x is the ability to "swap" (or send) contacts with another windows phone user via bluetooth. This feature would be great to have in a business situation. With Windows Phone 6.5, I can do all this with bluetooth and more.
The sixth issue brought up is lack of OBEX file transfer support in Windows Phone 7.x. OBEX file transfer is used to transfer a file via bluetooth from one device to another. With a file manager in Windows Phone 7.x non-existant as well, I think this will not come until at least the file manager does.
I brought up some more issues with Windows Phone 7.x vs. Windows Phone 6.5 before, but I will save them for another article, so stay tuned to read more. If you are a developer and haven't downloaded the Windows Phone SDK yet, download it, and see what you can make. You might be surprised. If you are developing for Windows Phone on Windows 8, be sure to download Visual Studio 2011 as well.
So, what do you think about this? Do you agree that Windows Phone 6.5 is still useful, or do you think that Windows Phone 7.x has matured enough that Windows Phone 6.5 isn't needed anymore? Share your thoughts in the comment box below, or e-mail me at catholictechgeek@gmail.com. You can also comment (and follow me) on twitter (twitter username is @rctechgeek). Feel free to subscribe to my rss feed as well. If you like this post, please share it with your family and friends.
In the meantime, while you are thinking about Windows Phone, drink some tasty Mystic Monk Coffee (use this link or click on the picture below to access the store and purchase). Trust me, it's good coffee (in most instances, much better than Starbucks coffee) and you won't regret buying some (just keep it away from your computer keyboard or laptop/tablet). For the summer, they are also offering Iced Coffee as well. If you like tea more than coffee, the monks also offer tea for sale. Using the link (or picture below) to buy the coffee (or tea) helps the monks out and helps me with college expenses as well.
Feel free to try out my apps for Windows Phone: Mobile Media Manager, a media player app I made which has some features which (I feel) are missing from the system Zune player, and BSA Eagle Tracker, an app that boy scouts can use to track their progress to Eagle Scout (when the scout handbook isn't always handy). New versions of the media player with new features/bug fixes is coming within a week (most likely sooner than this, but definitely within 2 weeks) of passing Microsoft Apphub certification. The free, ad-supported version of Mobile Media Manager is now in Apphub certification, while the paid version will be in certification in a few days (but by the end of this week). BSA Eagle Tracker is also getting a bug fix for an obscure bug I noticed recently, so it is also due for an update.
BSA Eagle Tracker download: http://bit.ly/Mm1Upo
Mobile Media Manager (paid, ad-free version) download: http://bit.ly/y3rf6V
Mobile Media Manager (free, ad-supported version) download: http://bit.ly/xGCsWE
The first issue brought up was a file manager and support for removable storage. As of now, we know that Microsoft did not put a file manager in either the NoDo or Mango releases of Windows Phone. Windows Phone 6.5 has the ability to do both of these, but further, Windows Phone 6.5 devices also have the ability to act as a SD card reader when connected to a desktop or laptop. The isolated storage scheme that Windows Phone 7.x uses has worked well so far, but there are still some uses for a file manager in Windows Phone 7.x (like copying gamesaves). Some devs over at XDA-Developers have gotten around the Isolated Storage and made a file manager for Windows Phone, but it only works on certain Windows Phone devices and you have to do some setup to make the file manager work (like interop unlock). From current reports on Apollo, it seems that Microsoft is (so far) not going to include a file manager.
The second issue brought up was being able to "transfer" your media library by SD card. Right now, the only device that I know of that has a removable SD card slot is the (original) Samsung Focus. However, the removable storage slot in it is tied-in with the storage already onboard and data on the card is not accessible outside the device. The way things are now, Microsoft wants you to buy the music through Zune (soon to be Xbox Music) or get the Zune pass, so that you can buy and download directly on the phone. However, the problem here is that if you have music that isn't available on Zune or the music is available on Zune, but you also have the music ripped from a cd you bought. On Windows Phone 6.5, I can sync music I either ripped from cd or bought from an online store, but I have the choice of whether to store the music on the device's onboard storage or store it on the removable SD card.
The third issue brought up was lack of available console emulators. As of now, this has only been partially cured. There is a NES emulator and a gameboy (original, not color, without sound support) emulator available in the windows phone marketplace, but we could use some more console emulators. Because of this, I still use PocketGBA for gameboy advance games and other emulators available for Windows Phone 6.5 on my Windows Phone 6.5 device.
The fourth issue brought up was the ability to "sideload" programs. On Windows Phone 7.x, you can only install programs from the Windows Phone marketplace, unless your phone has been developer-unlocked. On Windows Phone 6.5, I can install programs via cab files on a SD card whenever I want, without any restrictions. The ability to install homebrew programs on Windows Phone 7.x has improved, but is still lacking.
The fifth issue brought up is Bluetooth profiles available on Windows Phone 7.x. What is still missing in Windows Phone 7.x is the ability to use a bluetooth hardware keyboard. Word has it that bluetooth support is coming in Windows Phone 8, the next release of Windows Phone, but we have yet to see this for sure. Still missing in Windows Phone 7.x is the ability to "swap" (or send) contacts with another windows phone user via bluetooth. This feature would be great to have in a business situation. With Windows Phone 6.5, I can do all this with bluetooth and more.
The sixth issue brought up is lack of OBEX file transfer support in Windows Phone 7.x. OBEX file transfer is used to transfer a file via bluetooth from one device to another. With a file manager in Windows Phone 7.x non-existant as well, I think this will not come until at least the file manager does.
I brought up some more issues with Windows Phone 7.x vs. Windows Phone 6.5 before, but I will save them for another article, so stay tuned to read more. If you are a developer and haven't downloaded the Windows Phone SDK yet, download it, and see what you can make. You might be surprised. If you are developing for Windows Phone on Windows 8, be sure to download Visual Studio 2011 as well.
So, what do you think about this? Do you agree that Windows Phone 6.5 is still useful, or do you think that Windows Phone 7.x has matured enough that Windows Phone 6.5 isn't needed anymore? Share your thoughts in the comment box below, or e-mail me at catholictechgeek@gmail.com. You can also comment (and follow me) on twitter (twitter username is @rctechgeek). Feel free to subscribe to my rss feed as well. If you like this post, please share it with your family and friends.
In the meantime, while you are thinking about Windows Phone, drink some tasty Mystic Monk Coffee (use this link or click on the picture below to access the store and purchase). Trust me, it's good coffee (in most instances, much better than Starbucks coffee) and you won't regret buying some (just keep it away from your computer keyboard or laptop/tablet). For the summer, they are also offering Iced Coffee as well. If you like tea more than coffee, the monks also offer tea for sale. Using the link (or picture below) to buy the coffee (or tea) helps the monks out and helps me with college expenses as well.
Feel free to try out my apps for Windows Phone: Mobile Media Manager, a media player app I made which has some features which (I feel) are missing from the system Zune player, and BSA Eagle Tracker, an app that boy scouts can use to track their progress to Eagle Scout (when the scout handbook isn't always handy). New versions of the media player with new features/bug fixes is coming within a week (most likely sooner than this, but definitely within 2 weeks) of passing Microsoft Apphub certification. The free, ad-supported version of Mobile Media Manager is now in Apphub certification, while the paid version will be in certification in a few days (but by the end of this week). BSA Eagle Tracker is also getting a bug fix for an obscure bug I noticed recently, so it is also due for an update.
BSA Eagle Tracker download: http://bit.ly/Mm1Upo
Mobile Media Manager (paid, ad-free version) download: http://bit.ly/y3rf6V
Mobile Media Manager (free, ad-supported version) download: http://bit.ly/xGCsWE
Friday, June 15, 2012
Windows Phone 8: Summary of Speculation
With the recent announcement of iOS 6 for iphone (which adds features that windows phone already had), the new announcement of Windows Phone 8 is just around the corner. However there's some information about it already out in the wild.
Some things to look foward to:
While we are waiting, if you are a developer (or a computer science student/professor), download the Windows Phone SDK and experiment with it if you aren't already doing so. You might be surprised as to what you could make.
In other news, Windows 8 is coming soon as well. The latest preview version out, the Release Preview, is the last version before the gold release (in other words, the next build of Windows 8 will be the official released version). If you have a spare partition, go ahead and try it out. A reminder to always backup anything important on your hard drive before doing something major like this.
If you want a look at a possible Windows 8 device, check out http://www.wpcentral.com/alleged-shots-nokia-prototype-windows-phone-8-device-leak-shows-64gb-storage.
If you have any questions or any information about speculation and rumors related to Windows Phone 8, feel free to voice them in the comment box below or e-mail me at catholictechgeek@gmail.com. You can also ask me on twitter (twitter username is @rctechgeek). Feel free to subscribe to my rss feed as well.
If you need some coffee to help get you going in the morning or to help you stay awake during the day, try some Mystic Monk Coffee (use this link or click on the picture below to access the store and purchase). Trust me, it's good coffee (in many instances, better than Starbucks coffee) and you won't regret buying some. For the summer they are also offering Iced Coffee as well. If you like tea more than coffee, they also offer tea (use the same link above). Using the link to buy the coffee (or tea) helps me with college and helps the monks as well.
Feel free to try out my apps for Windows Phone: Mobile Media Manager, a media player app I made which has some features which (I feel) are missing from the system zune player, and BSA Eagle Tracker, an app that boy scouts can use to track their progress to Eagle Scout (when the scout handbook isn't always handy). New versions of the media player with new features/bug fixes is coming soon. BSA Eagle Tracker is also getting a bug fix for an obscure bug I noticed.
BSA Eagle Tracker download: http://bit.ly/Mm1Upo
Mobile Media Manager (paid version) download: http://bit.ly/y3rf6V
Mobile Media Manager (free version) download: http://bit.ly/xGCsWE
Edit (6-16-2012): An official announcement for Windows 8 should be coming out sometime next week.
Update (6-18-2012) : Microsoft is holding a press conference this morning to discuss a new Microsoft product. From what I gather on the internet, I don't think it will be about Windows Phone 8, but you never know, so stay tuned to find out what it is. Update 2 (6-18-2012): It seems that the press conference was supposed to start at 18:30 E.S.T., but it has been delayed to 19:00 E.S.T. for some strange reason.
Some things to look foward to:
- Internet Explorer 10, with a faster javascript engine which rivals (and in some cases, even beats) Google Chrome
- ability to track your data usage
- integrated Skype and other VOIP (instead of standalone Skype program)
- possible skydrive integration into disk storage
- more resolutions than just 800x480
- (unfortunately) some kind of carrier customization
While we are waiting, if you are a developer (or a computer science student/professor), download the Windows Phone SDK and experiment with it if you aren't already doing so. You might be surprised as to what you could make.
In other news, Windows 8 is coming soon as well. The latest preview version out, the Release Preview, is the last version before the gold release (in other words, the next build of Windows 8 will be the official released version). If you have a spare partition, go ahead and try it out. A reminder to always backup anything important on your hard drive before doing something major like this.
If you want a look at a possible Windows 8 device, check out http://www.wpcentral.com/alleged-shots-nokia-prototype-windows-phone-8-device-leak-shows-64gb-storage.
If you have any questions or any information about speculation and rumors related to Windows Phone 8, feel free to voice them in the comment box below or e-mail me at catholictechgeek@gmail.com. You can also ask me on twitter (twitter username is @rctechgeek). Feel free to subscribe to my rss feed as well.
If you need some coffee to help get you going in the morning or to help you stay awake during the day, try some Mystic Monk Coffee (use this link or click on the picture below to access the store and purchase). Trust me, it's good coffee (in many instances, better than Starbucks coffee) and you won't regret buying some. For the summer they are also offering Iced Coffee as well. If you like tea more than coffee, they also offer tea (use the same link above). Using the link to buy the coffee (or tea) helps me with college and helps the monks as well.
Feel free to try out my apps for Windows Phone: Mobile Media Manager, a media player app I made which has some features which (I feel) are missing from the system zune player, and BSA Eagle Tracker, an app that boy scouts can use to track their progress to Eagle Scout (when the scout handbook isn't always handy). New versions of the media player with new features/bug fixes is coming soon. BSA Eagle Tracker is also getting a bug fix for an obscure bug I noticed.
BSA Eagle Tracker download: http://bit.ly/Mm1Upo
Mobile Media Manager (paid version) download: http://bit.ly/y3rf6V
Mobile Media Manager (free version) download: http://bit.ly/xGCsWE
Edit (6-16-2012): An official announcement for Windows 8 should be coming out sometime next week.
Update (6-18-2012) : Microsoft is holding a press conference this morning to discuss a new Microsoft product. From what I gather on the internet, I don't think it will be about Windows Phone 8, but you never know, so stay tuned to find out what it is. Update 2 (6-18-2012): It seems that the press conference was supposed to start at 18:30 E.S.T., but it has been delayed to 19:00 E.S.T. for some strange reason.
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Signup for 30 Days to Launch Contest: Only 4 Days Left
Update (6/4/2012): Entry for the contest is now closed.
Update (6/1/2012: Only 2 days left now)
If you haven't noticed it at all either because you were busy with something else, working on final exams, or living under a rock, Microsoft is offering the 30 Days to Launch Contest for any developer out there.
The goal of the 30 Days to Launch Contest is to learn how to develop a Windows Phone app (or if you already have some knowledge of Windows Phone, a chance to increase that knowledge) and produce one in 30 days. After that 30 days for submitting your apps are up, you have an additional 15 days to make publication decisions for each of them. Each person gets 1 entry into the contest, so if you submit more than 1 program to the marketplace within that time frame, choose your contest entry wisely. At the end, all entries will be judged by popular vote from now until August 13.
If you need the Windows Phone SDK, you can just click on the picture below to download it.
The prizes are:
Four (4) Grand Prizes. Each winner will receive a Prize Package consisting of a La-Z-Boy© recliner and a Lenovo IdeaPad 300 Ultrabook™. Approximate Retail Value (ARV) $ 3,000 per prize package.
Please note that you must have an apphub account to participate in this contest. If you don't have one, students can get an account free through Dreamspark. If you aren't a student, you can still get an apphub account by following these steps:
Only entries for new apps (not updates to existing apps) are accepted for entries. You must also be 18 years of age or older to enter.
Apps will be judged on the following basis:
For more information, please see the contest rules at http://www.30tolaunch.com/WindowsPhone/Contest/OfficialRules. If you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comment box below or e-mail me at catholictechgeek@gmail.com. You can also ask me on twitter (twitter username is @rctechgeek). Feel free to subscribe to my rss feed as well.
If you need some coffee to help get you going in the morning to give you the inspiration to accomplish your app or to help you stay awake while working on your app, try some Mystic Monk Coffee (use this link to access the store and purchase). Trust me, it's good coffee (in many instances, better than Starbucks coffee) and you won't regret buying some. For the summer they are also offering Iced Coffee as well. If you like tea with your coding more than coffee, they also offer tea (use the same link above).
Feel free to try out my apps for Windows Phone: Mobile Media Manager, a media player app I made which has some features which (I feel) are missing from the system zune player, and BSA Eagle Tracker, an app that boy scouts can use to track their progress to Eagle Scout (when the scout handbook isn't always handy). A new version of BSA Eagle Tracker will be out in the marketplace in a few days once it passes certification.
BSA Eagle Tracker download: http://bit.ly/Mm1Upo
Mobile Media Manager (paid version) download: http://bit.ly/y3rf6V
Mobile Media Manager (free version) download: http://bit.ly/xGCsWE
Update (6/1/2012: Only 2 days left now)
If you haven't noticed it at all either because you were busy with something else, working on final exams, or living under a rock, Microsoft is offering the 30 Days to Launch Contest for any developer out there.
The goal of the 30 Days to Launch Contest is to learn how to develop a Windows Phone app (or if you already have some knowledge of Windows Phone, a chance to increase that knowledge) and produce one in 30 days. After that 30 days for submitting your apps are up, you have an additional 15 days to make publication decisions for each of them. Each person gets 1 entry into the contest, so if you submit more than 1 program to the marketplace within that time frame, choose your contest entry wisely. At the end, all entries will be judged by popular vote from now until August 13.
If you need the Windows Phone SDK, you can just click on the picture below to download it.
The prizes are:
Four (4) Grand Prizes. Each winner will receive a Prize Package consisting of a La-Z-Boy© recliner and a Lenovo IdeaPad 300 Ultrabook™. Approximate Retail Value (ARV) $ 3,000 per prize package.
Please note that you must have an apphub account to participate in this contest. If you don't have one, students can get an account free through Dreamspark. If you aren't a student, you can still get an apphub account by following these steps:
- First, sign up for www.30tolaunch.com using a Windows Live ID
- Second, spread the word via Social Media in one of the following ways:
- Like the Microsoft User Community Facebook page: http://on.fb.me/Aho2an
- OR Tweet about 30 to Launch by telling us about your participation. For your tweet to qualify, you must reference the tag #30tolaunch AND include the following in the body of your tweet: I am participating in 30 to Launch to build a Windows Phone app! Rules: http://aka.ms/f1i1lr. We reserve the right to remove any inappropriate tweets.
- Third, provide a short description of the app you plan to create and submit through the online form by clicking on the I’m Done button for Week 2 for your 30 to Launch Windows Phone app on the My 30 to Launch Idea page.
Only entries for new apps (not updates to existing apps) are accepted for entries. You must also be 18 years of age or older to enter.
WHAT CONSTITUTES AN ELIGIBLE ENTRY?
To be eligible for judging an entry must meet the following content / technical requirements:- Your application must be coded and submitted as a Windows Phone
Application within 30 days of your sign-up date and must be published
to the Windows Phone Marketplace no earlier than 7 days and within 45
days of your sign-up date. Tools for Windows Phone development which
can be downloaded here include:
- Visual Studio 2010 Express for Windows Phone
- Windows Phone Development Tools
- Express Blend for Windows Phone
- Windows Phone Emulator
- You must complete the Voting requirement between July 30, 2012 August 13, 2012 to vote for ONE 30 to Launch app published during the campaign. You cannot vote for your own app.
- your entry must be your own original work; and
- your entry should be published to the marketplace on or after 7 days following your sign up date. Your app should not be something previously submitted to the Windows Phone Marketplace prior to this contest; and
- you must have obtained any and all consents, approvals or licenses required for you to submit your entry; and
- your entry may not include any third party trademarks (logos, names) or copyrighted materials (music, images, video, recognizable people) unless you have obtained permission to use the materials. You may include Microsoft trademarks, logos, and designs, for which Microsoft grants you a limited license to use for the sole purposes of submitting an entry into this Contest.
- is sexually explicit, unnecessarily violent or derogatory of any ethnic, racial, gender, religious, professional or age group; profane or pornographic;
- promotes alcohol, illegal drugs, tobacco, firearms/weapons (or the use of any of the foregoing) or a particular political agenda;
- is obscene or offensive;
- defames, misrepresents or contains disparaging remarks about other people or companies;
- communicates messages or images inconsistent with the positive images and/or good will to which we wish to associate; and/or violates any law;
Apps will be judged on the following basis:
- 25.00% - Does the app utilize the live tile or secondary tile feature? (does not apply to game applications)
- 25.00% - Does the app have market potential given current mobile application trends?
- 25.00% - Is the app innovative and original?
- 25.00%- Does the app use additional Windows Phone 7.5
capabilities such as cloud-enablement through Windows Azure*, Background
Agents, Background Audio, Pictures Hub integration, Music & Video
Hub integration etc.
- *Cloud-enabling the application using Microsoft Windows Azure includes scenarios such as:
- Use “push notifications” to send updates
- Manage gamer identity using their Facebook, Google, LiveID, etc.
- Push video or images using Windows Azure CDN
- Add leader boards, social interaction, shared landscapes, player location and movement
- Send Line-of-business data using OData standards
- *Cloud-enabling the application using Microsoft Windows Azure includes scenarios such as:
For more information, please see the contest rules at http://www.30tolaunch.com/WindowsPhone/Contest/OfficialRules. If you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comment box below or e-mail me at catholictechgeek@gmail.com. You can also ask me on twitter (twitter username is @rctechgeek). Feel free to subscribe to my rss feed as well.
If you need some coffee to help get you going in the morning to give you the inspiration to accomplish your app or to help you stay awake while working on your app, try some Mystic Monk Coffee (use this link to access the store and purchase). Trust me, it's good coffee (in many instances, better than Starbucks coffee) and you won't regret buying some. For the summer they are also offering Iced Coffee as well. If you like tea with your coding more than coffee, they also offer tea (use the same link above).
Feel free to try out my apps for Windows Phone: Mobile Media Manager, a media player app I made which has some features which (I feel) are missing from the system zune player, and BSA Eagle Tracker, an app that boy scouts can use to track their progress to Eagle Scout (when the scout handbook isn't always handy). A new version of BSA Eagle Tracker will be out in the marketplace in a few days once it passes certification.
BSA Eagle Tracker download: http://bit.ly/Mm1Upo
Mobile Media Manager (paid version) download: http://bit.ly/y3rf6V
Mobile Media Manager (free version) download: http://bit.ly/xGCsWE
Monday, April 23, 2012
Current Skydrive Users: Your Amount of Storage has DecreasedF
Thanks to a helpful hint on Twitter, I just found out that Microsoft has decreased the amount of storage that skydrive offers for free from 25gb to 7gb. However, for a limited time, you can increase the amount of storage from 7gb back to 25gb. I am not sure, but I think this applies to existing users only. If this is true for new users as well, please let me know. To do so, just go to https://skydrive.live.com/ManageStorage?lu=1 and login (if you're not logged in already.
This change makes sense because with windows phone and windows 8, skydrive integration is big, giving people more of a reason to use skydrive as opposed to services such as Dropbox. The number of users is also growing and Microsoft could be using this as an opportunity to consolidate resources.
This change makes sense because with windows phone and windows 8, skydrive integration is big, giving people more of a reason to use skydrive as opposed to services such as Dropbox. The number of users is also growing and Microsoft could be using this as an opportunity to consolidate resources.
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