First of all, I can say that I am officially back (from a long break in writing blog entries). Many things have been going on in my life (such as working at Wal-mart temporarily while still looking for a full-time software developer role, both contract work and full-time work both work for me, and contemplating going into the priesthood), and I really haven't had the time to put in to writing a good blog post.
I have not forgotten about updates to my Windows Phone programs. My main project right now is working on an update for Mobile Media Manager for Windows Phone 8.1 (and that update is overdue, I know). In the currently released version, I was plagued with the restrictions that Microsoft had put in place for third party access to the Zune media queue. Thankfully, now with Windows Phone 8.1, Microsoft has finally opened up all
of the functionality I need to make a fully-featured media player app. One of the major goals of this major update is full integration with Microsoft's storage solutions. Besides being able to play songs from local storage, I am also working on including integration with Xbox Music so you will be able to play your music downloaded with Xbox Music and being able to use music stored on Skydrive (excuse me, Onedrive) as well.
For those of you that are using my prayer app, Prayer Aid, I am also working on an update for it. Besides little fixes like a part of the text of the Angelus, I am adding in some new prayers too. You will also be able to go ad-free and..have access to audio of the rosary that is in sync with where you are on the rosary counter I provide. If that goes well, I might add in audio support for the Divine Mercy Chaplet as well.
For my boy scout app, BSA Eagle Tracker, an update is being worked on for you. This update will update the merit badge list to be recent and include many user interface tweaks. If I don't get to it in this next update I will release, I will include in the update following it the requirements for the various merit badges, both eagle-required and optional.
To give you all a sneak peek at some new stuff I have in the works, I have a social media app for Windows 8(.1) that I am currently working on as well. The goal of the app is to be able to pull all of your information from various social networking sites and be able to see it all in one place, organized by time. If it goes well, I will also turn it into a universal app so windows phone will also have a version of it. Development of the command line app for Windows Phone that I am working on has been put on hold temporarily until I push out updates for existing programs.
As I said before, a lot has been going on in my life since my last post. I felt that it is right for me to give everyone an update of what has been happening so people don't think I have dropped of the face of the earth. I will try to post blog entries on a regular basis now, so stay tuned.
Showing posts with label Windows Phone. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Windows Phone. Show all posts
Thursday, August 7, 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.
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, 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.
Friday, June 28, 2013
Update Available for Nokia 820
Update: Upon checking the Nokia support site, I can say that the update brings us all updates up to the 1314 update (so now, the 820 is on par with the 920 again).
Finally! I just got notice that there is an update available for Nokia 820 for those of us on the AT&T network. I haven't had a chance to check it out and download it since I'm at work (just got the notification), but I just wanted to give everyone the heads-up.
My thought is it's the long awaited 1308 update, although with the BUILD conference going on right now and Visual Studio getting Update 3, I am not surprised that the update is being released around this time. When I get home tonight, I will download it and update you on what it has.
Please note that you must be connected to Wi-Fi in order to download the update (but you can discover it with your cellular connection).
If anyone wants to fill me in on more details about the update before I get home, that would be good (please use the comment box below to do so). If you want to share your experience with the update, feel free to do so as well.
While you're waiting on the download, 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
Finally! I just got notice that there is an update available for Nokia 820 for those of us on the AT&T network. I haven't had a chance to check it out and download it since I'm at work (just got the notification), but I just wanted to give everyone the heads-up.
My thought is it's the long awaited 1308 update, although with the BUILD conference going on right now and Visual Studio getting Update 3, I am not surprised that the update is being released around this time. When I get home tonight, I will download it and update you on what it has.
Please note that you must be connected to Wi-Fi in order to download the update (but you can discover it with your cellular connection).
If anyone wants to fill me in on more details about the update before I get home, that would be good (please use the comment box below to do so). If you want to share your experience with the update, feel free to do so as well.
While you're waiting on the download, 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
Tuesday, June 11, 2013
First Update Since Out of School
In case you are wondering where I have been, no, I am not dead (and this blog is not dead either). Things have changed since I last posted here, so I will give my readers an update on what has been going on and keeping me from writing.
First, the finals exams of my senior year of college are done and I have officially graduated from Wheeling Jesuit University with a Bachelors of Science in Computer Science with a minor in Mathematics. The workload with school and programming was keeping me from regular updates with the blog. I have also secured employment with P.T.C. (Parametric Technology Corporation).
Second is the program updates. I have been working on updates for the paid version of Mobile Media Manager. Once I get this update for the paid version is out, I will be working an update which will be more Windows Phone 8-specific (using Windows Phone 8 features). I will still be putting out updates for the Windows Phone 7 port of Mobile Media Manager.
BSA Eagle Tracker is long due for an update. I promise that an update is coming, please be patient for a little while longer.
My build of Seven-Eighter will also have an update soon as well (yes, I have been reading everyone's tech support enquires, so I am aware of problems users have had).
I am also working on 2 new apps, one being for Windows Phone and another for Windows 8. The one for Windows Phone is a prayer app. Its purpose is to help you with finding time for prayer and help in diversifying your prayer life. It is geared towards Catholics (more specifically, Roman Catholics), but there is room for expansion for both Eastern Catholics and Protestants. More features and prayers will be coming with future updates. If there is enough interest from Eastern Catholics, I can work on incorporating some Eastern Catholic stuff in there as well.
The Windows 8 app is a social media app. It is meant to be a quick "dashboard" to see into all of your social media all in 1 list, organized time-wise by the most recent status first. For example, if I use Facebook and Twitter and the most recent status is from Facebook, the Facebook status will show up first in the list. If the most recent status is from Twitter, the Twitter tweet will show up first in the list. Your standard reaction commands (like and comment for Facebook and reply and retweet for Twitter) will be available. If you need to make any account changes, however, you will need to go to the respective social media site and modify your settings there. Also, you will be able to "link" a person between social media accounts (like linking a person's Facebook username with his or her Twitter username) and see all entries for that person under the linked name (the "linking" is done just within the program, so there is no actual linking of social media services outside of the program). Depending on progress, the linking feature might be put in an update rather than the initial release, but it is definitely coming.
This is all for now, but I figured that I should give my readers some kind of update to show that my blog is not dead. I should be posting more frequently from now on.
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.
While we are waiting for updates to my windows phone apps, 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
First, the finals exams of my senior year of college are done and I have officially graduated from Wheeling Jesuit University with a Bachelors of Science in Computer Science with a minor in Mathematics. The workload with school and programming was keeping me from regular updates with the blog. I have also secured employment with P.T.C. (Parametric Technology Corporation).
Second is the program updates. I have been working on updates for the paid version of Mobile Media Manager. Once I get this update for the paid version is out, I will be working an update which will be more Windows Phone 8-specific (using Windows Phone 8 features). I will still be putting out updates for the Windows Phone 7 port of Mobile Media Manager.
BSA Eagle Tracker is long due for an update. I promise that an update is coming, please be patient for a little while longer.
My build of Seven-Eighter will also have an update soon as well (yes, I have been reading everyone's tech support enquires, so I am aware of problems users have had).
I am also working on 2 new apps, one being for Windows Phone and another for Windows 8. The one for Windows Phone is a prayer app. Its purpose is to help you with finding time for prayer and help in diversifying your prayer life. It is geared towards Catholics (more specifically, Roman Catholics), but there is room for expansion for both Eastern Catholics and Protestants. More features and prayers will be coming with future updates. If there is enough interest from Eastern Catholics, I can work on incorporating some Eastern Catholic stuff in there as well.
The Windows 8 app is a social media app. It is meant to be a quick "dashboard" to see into all of your social media all in 1 list, organized time-wise by the most recent status first. For example, if I use Facebook and Twitter and the most recent status is from Facebook, the Facebook status will show up first in the list. If the most recent status is from Twitter, the Twitter tweet will show up first in the list. Your standard reaction commands (like and comment for Facebook and reply and retweet for Twitter) will be available. If you need to make any account changes, however, you will need to go to the respective social media site and modify your settings there. Also, you will be able to "link" a person between social media accounts (like linking a person's Facebook username with his or her Twitter username) and see all entries for that person under the linked name (the "linking" is done just within the program, so there is no actual linking of social media services outside of the program). Depending on progress, the linking feature might be put in an update rather than the initial release, but it is definitely coming.
This is all for now, but I figured that I should give my readers some kind of update to show that my blog is not dead. I should be posting more frequently from now on.
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.
While we are waiting for updates to my windows phone apps, 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
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
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
The Current State of Windows Phone 7.8 Updates
Well, if you Windows Phone users haven't gotten the news yet, Microsoft has released the Windows Phone 7.8 update for all Windows Phone 7.x phones. As of now, all unlocked phones can get the update. If you have a carrier-locked phone, you are basically at the mercy of the cell carrier for updates.
I am not sure about the state of updates for phones on the Verizon and Sprint networks (maybe someone on those networks can fill me in on the current situation). I have AT&T as my cell carrier. AT&T has a colorful past as far as Windows Phone updates go. For all updates through Mango, things went smoothly. Once build 7720 came out, AT&T only released updates for phones that came with Windows Phone 7.5, leaving all phones that came with Windows Phone 7.0 out in the cold. However, I have good news. AT&T IS going to release the Windows Phone 7.8 update to ALL AT&T phones running Windows Phone. The current status of the update is: "Testing". Once AT&T is done with "testing", it will be released to everyone (via the usual Zune method). According to people in AT&T's support department, the update should be out before February is over. For now, all we can do is to be patient.
T-Mobile is a different story. T-Mobile has said outright that it will not release the Windows Phone 7.8 update to its phones running any version of Windows Phone. Personally, I think this is a slap in the face to ALL T-Mobile customers with WP7.x phones. Customers bought WP7.x phones with the expectations of support and updates. Now, I do realize that there comes a time when support for a device stops, but this is too soon for that.
If you have been scouring the internet looking for update help for carrier-locked phones, you might have heard about a utility called Seven-Eighter that downloads the updates and forces them onto the phone. I say use it at your own risk. I have seen threads in various forums all over the internet with people asking for help because they used Seven-Eighter to update their phone and now something doesn't work. If you are not technically minded (or like stability), I recommended that you wait until the carrier releases the updates. I will also add that this has the possibility of voiding your phone's warranty as well, so please be cautious.
My main phone is an LG Quantum. For quantum users (on AT&T), some people on the internet have proposed using the registry editor in the MFG app to change the MobileOperator string from "ATT-US" to "BEL-CA" (stands for Bell Mobile, a Canadian carrier). I say that this is not a good idea. When you do that, you don't have an AT&T LG Quantum..you have a Bell Mobile LG Quantum instead. This can cause complications for any normal usage (and maybe updates as well). Your warranty can be voided this way as well.
Right now, the only safe way to update is to wait for the carrier to release the updates. If you are very impatient, you can try alternate methods to force the update(s), but be forewarned that things might not work as they should. I invite you to share your thoughts and/or update experiences via the comment box below.
While you're waiting for the new 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, the update for both the paid version and the free version of Mobile Media Manger is out. The update for BSA Eagle Tracker is now in the works. 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
I am not sure about the state of updates for phones on the Verizon and Sprint networks (maybe someone on those networks can fill me in on the current situation). I have AT&T as my cell carrier. AT&T has a colorful past as far as Windows Phone updates go. For all updates through Mango, things went smoothly. Once build 7720 came out, AT&T only released updates for phones that came with Windows Phone 7.5, leaving all phones that came with Windows Phone 7.0 out in the cold. However, I have good news. AT&T IS going to release the Windows Phone 7.8 update to ALL AT&T phones running Windows Phone. The current status of the update is: "Testing". Once AT&T is done with "testing", it will be released to everyone (via the usual Zune method). According to people in AT&T's support department, the update should be out before February is over. For now, all we can do is to be patient.
T-Mobile is a different story. T-Mobile has said outright that it will not release the Windows Phone 7.8 update to its phones running any version of Windows Phone. Personally, I think this is a slap in the face to ALL T-Mobile customers with WP7.x phones. Customers bought WP7.x phones with the expectations of support and updates. Now, I do realize that there comes a time when support for a device stops, but this is too soon for that.
If you have been scouring the internet looking for update help for carrier-locked phones, you might have heard about a utility called Seven-Eighter that downloads the updates and forces them onto the phone. I say use it at your own risk. I have seen threads in various forums all over the internet with people asking for help because they used Seven-Eighter to update their phone and now something doesn't work. If you are not technically minded (or like stability), I recommended that you wait until the carrier releases the updates. I will also add that this has the possibility of voiding your phone's warranty as well, so please be cautious.
My main phone is an LG Quantum. For quantum users (on AT&T), some people on the internet have proposed using the registry editor in the MFG app to change the MobileOperator string from "ATT-US" to "BEL-CA" (stands for Bell Mobile, a Canadian carrier). I say that this is not a good idea. When you do that, you don't have an AT&T LG Quantum..you have a Bell Mobile LG Quantum instead. This can cause complications for any normal usage (and maybe updates as well). Your warranty can be voided this way as well.
Right now, the only safe way to update is to wait for the carrier to release the updates. If you are very impatient, you can try alternate methods to force the update(s), but be forewarned that things might not work as they should. I invite you to share your thoughts and/or update experiences via the comment box below.
While you're waiting for the new 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, the update for both the paid version and the free version of Mobile Media Manger is out. The update for BSA Eagle Tracker is now in the works. 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, November 30, 2012
Some Thoughts on the Current State of Xbox Live
It's been more than 1 month since Windows 8 was released to the general public. With Windows 8, we now have 3 ways to play our Xbox (Live) games: on our console (Xbox 360), on our phone (Windows Phone), and now our Computer (Windows 8) as well. However, the current state of games is somewhat lacking on the Windows 8 end.
When Windows 8 came out, I was expecting some of the biggest console Xbox (360) hits like Halo to make their way to Windows 8. As of now, I have not seen this happen. An upside is that some popular games on the Windows Phone side of Xbox were ported to Windows 8.
One aspect of having these 3 platforms available for us for gaming is that has been overlooked in many instances is the aspect of integration between systems. One idea for integration is in a given game, there are some goodies within that game that can be used on that game's port for a different platform. One game that does do this is Kinectimals on Windows Phone. Once you have your pet on one system (like Windows Phone), you can transfer it to another system and continue raising the exact same pet (like Xbox 360). Another idea for integration is to use one system to control another. An example here is using something on windows phone to control the game in some way on an Xbox 360. The last aspect I will add for now is the aspect of multiplayer cross-platform gaming. Basically a person on one platform's port of a game can play someone else at the exact same game on a different platform. An example of this would be someone playing Halo on Xbox 360 is playing against another person in the exact same scenario, but on Halo on Windows 8.
Finally, for a while now, I have felt that the Xbox 360 is slowly dying. From what I have seen as far as upcoming releases go, I see no new games being released. What is being released are sequels being released for existing game series. This will only work for a short time. Offering the Kinect as a way to enhance games was a step in the right direction, but I feel like more can be done. Independent and small company games are the only thing that can save the Xbox 360 platform for the future.
So what do you think of this? Do you agree that Microsoft can do more with Xbox Live? Please share your thoughts with everyone in the comment box below.
If you've ever been to a long night gaming session, you know how hard it is to stay awake after awhile, especially if it's been a long day. To help you out, try drinking some 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). 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.
For my existing Windows Phone apps, things are getting really rough since finals are coming up soon, so I will be releasing updates after I am done with finals (if I am lucky, I might just get them out before that time). This applies to Mobile Media Manager (both free and paid versions) and BSA Eagle Tracker. I am sorry it's taking so long (I want it to be a quality update).
When Windows 8 came out, I was expecting some of the biggest console Xbox (360) hits like Halo to make their way to Windows 8. As of now, I have not seen this happen. An upside is that some popular games on the Windows Phone side of Xbox were ported to Windows 8.
One aspect of having these 3 platforms available for us for gaming is that has been overlooked in many instances is the aspect of integration between systems. One idea for integration is in a given game, there are some goodies within that game that can be used on that game's port for a different platform. One game that does do this is Kinectimals on Windows Phone. Once you have your pet on one system (like Windows Phone), you can transfer it to another system and continue raising the exact same pet (like Xbox 360). Another idea for integration is to use one system to control another. An example here is using something on windows phone to control the game in some way on an Xbox 360. The last aspect I will add for now is the aspect of multiplayer cross-platform gaming. Basically a person on one platform's port of a game can play someone else at the exact same game on a different platform. An example of this would be someone playing Halo on Xbox 360 is playing against another person in the exact same scenario, but on Halo on Windows 8.
Finally, for a while now, I have felt that the Xbox 360 is slowly dying. From what I have seen as far as upcoming releases go, I see no new games being released. What is being released are sequels being released for existing game series. This will only work for a short time. Offering the Kinect as a way to enhance games was a step in the right direction, but I feel like more can be done. Independent and small company games are the only thing that can save the Xbox 360 platform for the future.
So what do you think of this? Do you agree that Microsoft can do more with Xbox Live? Please share your thoughts with everyone in the comment box below.
If you've ever been to a long night gaming session, you know how hard it is to stay awake after awhile, especially if it's been a long day. To help you out, try drinking some 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). 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.
For my existing Windows Phone apps, things are getting really rough since finals are coming up soon, so I will be releasing updates after I am done with finals (if I am lucky, I might just get them out before that time). This applies to Mobile Media Manager (both free and paid versions) and BSA Eagle Tracker. I am sorry it's taking so long (I want it to be a quality update).
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Windows Phone Mango: How it Compares to NoDo
The much awaited Mango update for Windows Phone is out. With this new update, many new features have been added. However, is Mango really better than its predecessor? Since most of us have all had a chance to play with mango for a bit, let's see which is better.
The first part is probably the most important, the Phone. If this part is horrible, than what is the point of getting the "phone" anyway? Microsoft has added a search feature that lets you search your call history. The sad thing about this is that you can only search by contact name and not by phone number. Nothing else really needs to be added to this, except for fixing the search to include search for phone #.
The second part I will cover is the web browser, Internet Explorer. Microsoft has moved the url bar from the top to the bottom of the layout. At the same time, a consequence of this is that the features that were buttons at the bottom of the screen have been hidden under menu. In order to get to your tabs, you have to open up the menu and then choose the "tabs" menu item from the menu, but the good news is that you don't have to be in just portrait mode anymore to find the tabs option. The same treatment given to tabs has also been given to the "favorites" and "add to favorites" as well. On the plus side, Internet Explorer mobile now has hardware-accelerated browsing. Another thing where I think Microsoft went wrong was the elimination of the forward button for mango, so you can only go back in web navigation, not forward.
The third part is Contacts. A big feature added with Mango is the ability to create groups of your contacts so you can organize your contacts better. Search has also been added so you can search your contacts for someone.
The fourth part is e-mail. Not much has changed here. For the buttons at the bottom, the folders button has been taken away. Searching e-mail has also been more apparent for those with phones lacking a physical keyboard.
As far as the calendar goes, it really hasn't changed.
The marketplace has also changed. When you bring up an program in the marketplace, instead of having all of the information about the program, like the overall rating, program description, reviews, and screenshots, all on one page, everything is now in "tabs", meaning organization is better. Marketplace search has moved from pressing the search button, to a button in the menu bar. In mango, if you are in marketplace, and you press the search button, you will get the normal bing search screen.
Music and video has definitely received a change. The buttons that control playback are now larger. Repeat and shuffle buttons have been made more obvious by appearing to the side of the album art instead of having to tap the album art and then pressing the repeat and/or shuffle buttons. Now, you can create playlists from what's in your now playing list. However, there is a catch. You cannot move items in a playlist around to a different position. This can be a bother when you add a whole album or all of an artist's songs to a playlist, but you want to change the order that those songs are in. If you have the youtube plugin installed, the youtube site interface has changed for the better. However, youtube videos are no longer shown in the media player history. Fortunately, I intend to correct many of these ills when I release the media player program that I am working on right now, Mobile Media Manager (it's not in the marketplace yet, but there will be an announcement when it has been put on the marketplace).
For Microsoft Office, one of the biggest changes is the ability to (finally) edit documents, spreadsheets, and powerpoint presentations saved on your skydrive account. So if you want to work on a word document on your phone that is stored on your laptop's hard drive, all you have to do is upload your word document to your skydrive account. I might add that in order to edit a document from your skydrive, it must be in it's xml document format. In other words, either .docx, .xlsx, or .pptx, the default formats for Microsoft Office documents since Office 2007. If it's in Office 2003 or earlier format, like .doc, .xls, or .ppt, you can still open and view the file, but you have to save it as its xml document format before you can edit it on the phone.
In pictures, access to your photos taken with the phone's camera is right on the start screen when you access pictures, instead of going to your picture albums, and then selecting "camera roll".
In Xbox Live, there is now an option for you to get gold level access if you currently have silver level access (which is free). I do not know for sure, but I have a hunch that Microsoft will eventually build features into Xbox Live on windows phone that only gold level members can access.
In messaging, Microsoft has built Windows Live Messenger support into mango, so you can now chat with your windows live messenger buddies right from your windows phone.
In Maps, you now have landscape mode in addition to portrait mode. The maps program has a new feature that allows you to find nearby businesses (like restaurants) and nearby attractions. I can certainly see this as being handy while on the road or on vacation somewhere.
And last in my article is the settings. Things here are mostly the same. In the settings screen for the switch for your cellular data connection, if you're in airplane mode and you try to turn your cellular data connection on, you will be asked if you want to want to turn airplane mode off or not. The biggest new feature in settings is the Battery Saver. If this is enabled, it disables some services such as push e-mail and programs being able to run in the background. You have the option to enable battery saver to run now, or to run when the battery is low (and yes, you can disable battery saver mode if the phone currently has battery saver enabled). Another big feature is the ability for programs to run in the background (if the program supports it). For wi-fi, you can now see a list of all the routers your phone has connected to.
To close it off, Windows Phone finally gets multitasking. The way this works is if you are in a program, press the start menu button to go back to the start menu, and open up a second program from there, you can go back to the first program by holding the back button and then swiping left or right with your finger until you get back to the program you want.
So overall, I do think that mango is worth the update and is better than nodo. Microsoft did do a good job with it as far as updates and new additions go. However, it's still missing a few things like bluetooth keyboard support and bluetooth a2dp audio streaming support for videos as well as audio (a2dp audio streaming for video was available on windows media mobile in Windows Phone 6.5, so it is possible). As a programmer, I also wish that Microsoft would open up the SongCollection, Playlist, MediaQueue classes (and any other similar classes) so that those of us who are programmers (like myself) can make custom playlists in our programs.
If you have any questions or comments, I would love to hear them. You can either use the comment box or send them to me via e-mail at catholictechgeek@gmail.com, and I will answer any e-mail I get at the end of my next article. You can also follow me on Twitter (username is @rctechgeek).
The first part is probably the most important, the Phone. If this part is horrible, than what is the point of getting the "phone" anyway? Microsoft has added a search feature that lets you search your call history. The sad thing about this is that you can only search by contact name and not by phone number. Nothing else really needs to be added to this, except for fixing the search to include search for phone #.
The second part I will cover is the web browser, Internet Explorer. Microsoft has moved the url bar from the top to the bottom of the layout. At the same time, a consequence of this is that the features that were buttons at the bottom of the screen have been hidden under menu. In order to get to your tabs, you have to open up the menu and then choose the "tabs" menu item from the menu, but the good news is that you don't have to be in just portrait mode anymore to find the tabs option. The same treatment given to tabs has also been given to the "favorites" and "add to favorites" as well. On the plus side, Internet Explorer mobile now has hardware-accelerated browsing. Another thing where I think Microsoft went wrong was the elimination of the forward button for mango, so you can only go back in web navigation, not forward.
The third part is Contacts. A big feature added with Mango is the ability to create groups of your contacts so you can organize your contacts better. Search has also been added so you can search your contacts for someone.
The fourth part is e-mail. Not much has changed here. For the buttons at the bottom, the folders button has been taken away. Searching e-mail has also been more apparent for those with phones lacking a physical keyboard.
As far as the calendar goes, it really hasn't changed.
The marketplace has also changed. When you bring up an program in the marketplace, instead of having all of the information about the program, like the overall rating, program description, reviews, and screenshots, all on one page, everything is now in "tabs", meaning organization is better. Marketplace search has moved from pressing the search button, to a button in the menu bar. In mango, if you are in marketplace, and you press the search button, you will get the normal bing search screen.
Music and video has definitely received a change. The buttons that control playback are now larger. Repeat and shuffle buttons have been made more obvious by appearing to the side of the album art instead of having to tap the album art and then pressing the repeat and/or shuffle buttons. Now, you can create playlists from what's in your now playing list. However, there is a catch. You cannot move items in a playlist around to a different position. This can be a bother when you add a whole album or all of an artist's songs to a playlist, but you want to change the order that those songs are in. If you have the youtube plugin installed, the youtube site interface has changed for the better. However, youtube videos are no longer shown in the media player history. Fortunately, I intend to correct many of these ills when I release the media player program that I am working on right now, Mobile Media Manager (it's not in the marketplace yet, but there will be an announcement when it has been put on the marketplace).
For Microsoft Office, one of the biggest changes is the ability to (finally) edit documents, spreadsheets, and powerpoint presentations saved on your skydrive account. So if you want to work on a word document on your phone that is stored on your laptop's hard drive, all you have to do is upload your word document to your skydrive account. I might add that in order to edit a document from your skydrive, it must be in it's xml document format. In other words, either .docx, .xlsx, or .pptx, the default formats for Microsoft Office documents since Office 2007. If it's in Office 2003 or earlier format, like .doc, .xls, or .ppt, you can still open and view the file, but you have to save it as its xml document format before you can edit it on the phone.
In pictures, access to your photos taken with the phone's camera is right on the start screen when you access pictures, instead of going to your picture albums, and then selecting "camera roll".
In Xbox Live, there is now an option for you to get gold level access if you currently have silver level access (which is free). I do not know for sure, but I have a hunch that Microsoft will eventually build features into Xbox Live on windows phone that only gold level members can access.
In messaging, Microsoft has built Windows Live Messenger support into mango, so you can now chat with your windows live messenger buddies right from your windows phone.
In Maps, you now have landscape mode in addition to portrait mode. The maps program has a new feature that allows you to find nearby businesses (like restaurants) and nearby attractions. I can certainly see this as being handy while on the road or on vacation somewhere.
And last in my article is the settings. Things here are mostly the same. In the settings screen for the switch for your cellular data connection, if you're in airplane mode and you try to turn your cellular data connection on, you will be asked if you want to want to turn airplane mode off or not. The biggest new feature in settings is the Battery Saver. If this is enabled, it disables some services such as push e-mail and programs being able to run in the background. You have the option to enable battery saver to run now, or to run when the battery is low (and yes, you can disable battery saver mode if the phone currently has battery saver enabled). Another big feature is the ability for programs to run in the background (if the program supports it). For wi-fi, you can now see a list of all the routers your phone has connected to.
To close it off, Windows Phone finally gets multitasking. The way this works is if you are in a program, press the start menu button to go back to the start menu, and open up a second program from there, you can go back to the first program by holding the back button and then swiping left or right with your finger until you get back to the program you want.
So overall, I do think that mango is worth the update and is better than nodo. Microsoft did do a good job with it as far as updates and new additions go. However, it's still missing a few things like bluetooth keyboard support and bluetooth a2dp audio streaming support for videos as well as audio (a2dp audio streaming for video was available on windows media mobile in Windows Phone 6.5, so it is possible). As a programmer, I also wish that Microsoft would open up the SongCollection, Playlist, MediaQueue classes (and any other similar classes) so that those of us who are programmers (like myself) can make custom playlists in our programs.
If you have any questions or comments, I would love to hear them. You can either use the comment box or send them to me via e-mail at catholictechgeek@gmail.com, and I will answer any e-mail I get at the end of my next article. You can also follow me on Twitter (username is @rctechgeek).
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Microsoft TechEd Conference Day 3
If there's one thing I've learned with TechEd, it is to always obey your alarm clock when it goes off in the morning. Anyway, some exciting things did happen. After looking at the list of sessions for the day, I figured that most of the day was best spent doing the hands-on labs the Microsoft had. Some of the most hardcore questions related to Windows Phone development were asked at session WPH374-INT, everything from multitasking and how to handle Windows Phone tombstoning properly to how to play swf and flv files. At around 16:45, AT&T held a scavenger hunt for TechEd participants, and I decided to partake in it. It was broken down into missions and every team got a set of missions they had to complete. I was team leader for my team, and a bunch of crazy stuff happened. Some examples included: getting a picture of a team member doing something outrageous and crazy, a drinking race (with beer), making a 20 second how-to video on a topic related to computers, an arm wrestling competition, and doing a little dance. Afterwards, AT&T had food and drinks for us, along with the viewing and voting of most of the pictures and videos that the teams made. It was about 22:00 when I finally made it back to the hotel, and after brushing my teeth and talking to mom and dad for a while, fell asleep without problems.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Microsoft TechEd Conference Day 2: part 1
Last night was a blast. After all the sessions at TechEd were done for the day, I, and many others, attended a Windows Phone 7 hackathon. The goal of this was to give attendees who were new to developing for Windows Phone a "training session" on how to develop programs, starting with the basics, and upload them to the marketplace. Unfortunately, I think I broke Marketplace when I tried to upload my first program for submission. I hope Microsoft can fix this problem as soon as possible so I can submit my programs. At the end, there was a contest for best program (due to time constraints, the program didn't have to be a finished product). I entered my BSA Eagle Tracker program, which (when finished) gives a boy scout working towards Eagle Scout a portable way to track their progress toward achieving Eagle Scout. In the end, I came in third place, losing to a program that shows information from a website about beer (first place) and a program that tracks a pregnant women's path to childbirth (second place). It was after midnight when I finally got back to the hotel.
Because I got back late, I ended up sleeping in late and missing the first round of sessions. Luckily, I was able to make it in time for one of the sessions in the second round I really wanted to attend, "Monty WiFion and the Quest for the Holy Grail of Network Security". In this session, I learned about some of the (wireless) technologies that have come along in recent years, how they can be compromised and hacked, and how to prevent and avoid attacks that may happen with those wireless technologies.
More is coming later, so stay tuned for more. If you were at the hack-a-thon last night, I would like to hear about your experience there (via the comment box) or if you have some other thoughts about TechEd (in general), I would like to hear about that too (in the comment box). While you are at it, consider following me on Twitter as well (Twitter username is "rctechgeek", link is on the side of the page in the "About me" section).
Because I got back late, I ended up sleeping in late and missing the first round of sessions. Luckily, I was able to make it in time for one of the sessions in the second round I really wanted to attend, "Monty WiFion and the Quest for the Holy Grail of Network Security". In this session, I learned about some of the (wireless) technologies that have come along in recent years, how they can be compromised and hacked, and how to prevent and avoid attacks that may happen with those wireless technologies.
More is coming later, so stay tuned for more. If you were at the hack-a-thon last night, I would like to hear about your experience there (via the comment box) or if you have some other thoughts about TechEd (in general), I would like to hear about that too (in the comment box). While you are at it, consider following me on Twitter as well (Twitter username is "rctechgeek", link is on the side of the page in the "About me" section).
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