Chris Craft's Blog

Mobile Camp Atlanta 2009 – July 18th, 2009

Chris Craft — Fri, 08 May 2009 05:00:00 GMT

What is this?

The Mobile Camp Atlanta 2009 is an (un)conference event with people interested in the Windows Mobile, Google Android, Palm Pre and Blackberry.

On July 18th, this ad hoc event will be created organically by the participants in a BarCamp-style format. It will likely cover topics such as mobile app development, demos, game creation, strategies, technologies, techniques, mobile solutions, successes & failures and just about everything orbiting around the mobile universe.

Facebook for your Windows Mobile 6 phone

Chris Craft — Fri, 08 May 2009 04:00:00 GMT

Facebook for your Windows Mobile 6 phone

Download Cab File

Easy to type mobile URL:

http://tinyurl.com/wmfbcab

New from Windows Mobile: a Facebook application for your phone! Download the new Facebook application for Windows Mobile and:

Send messages to any of the people in your Friends list.
Take pictures and videos on your phone, then upload them right to Facebook.
Send messages or call people in your Friends list.
Manage your profile and post anytime, anywhere.

Keep up with the latest news and posts with Facebook on your phone. Now your status updates can be up-to-the moment accounts of what you’re doing. Photos and videos are about as close to live-action as you can get. Show your friends what you’re up to, while you’re out and about.
Connecting and sharing on Facebook just got a lot livelier!

Cool “Managed Services for Windows Mobile” project on CodePlex

Chris Craft — Thu, 07 May 2009 20:00:00 GMT

Peter Nowak has published a complete library on CodePlex for creating Managed Services for Windows Mobile.

Project Description

This lightweight library contains functionality for creating Windows like Services in managed code, as creating Windows Services in Windows Mobile/Windows CE isn't supported. The library is compatible with the .NET Compact Framework 2.0 and higher.

Details
The .NET Compact Framework doesn't offer any functionality for creating Windows Services in full managed code, as like on the .NET Framework. Therefore this library enables creating Service in managed code to be like Windows Services as near as possible.
This library bases on Pavel Bánský's blog post, on how to create Services in Windows Mobile in managed code.

Features

Easy to use library in managed code. No P/Invoke required.

Charlotte “Developing for Dollars” Code Camp: Windows Mobile Marketplace & Creating Advanced Mobile User Experiences

Chris Craft — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 21:00:00 GMT

Here are the slide decks from my recent presentations. There were a few requests for theses so I wanted to make them available publically.

Learn how to program and sell Windows Mobile applications online. The first part of presentation will be an overview of Windows Mobile programming, focused on making developers aware of the capabilities of modern Windows Mobile devices and the latest version of the .NET Compact Framework to created advanced mobile user experiences. The second part of the presentation will be focused on different approaches to publish and distribute our creations online to the world.

Windows Mobile Marketplace

Creating Advanced Mobile User Experiences

Microsoft Small Basic: bringing “fun” back to programming.

Chris Craft — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 20:00:00 GMT

Many of us love programming innately. It’s almost in our DNA. Some of my first programming experiences were on a used Commodore 64 that we picked up at a local garage sale. It didn’t come with any software, so if I wanted it to do anything it was up to me to make that happen. It was a lot of work, but it really was a lot of fun for me too. Later I move to QuickBasic, then to Visual Basic, and on and on from there.

I was the only developer who got his start with the Commodore 64. I guess you could consider the Commodore 64 to have used a “Rapid Application Development” programming language, but really it was a “Fun Application Development” language, and I think that went a long way to winning me over.

Most modern programming languages today are about rapid application development, this might help to keep current developers productive, but what will bring in tomorrow’s developers? What is today’s “Fun Application Development” language?

I think Microsoft’s Small Basic is a great answer to that question.

Small Basic

Small Basic Blog

Small Basic is a simple and easy programming language with a friendly environment that provides a cool and fun way of learning programming. From making turtles animations to running a slide show on the desktop, Small Basic makes programming natural and effortless.

Small Basic derives its inspiration from the original BASIC programming language, and is based on the Microsoft .NET platform. It is really small with just 15 keywords and uses minimal concepts to keep the barrier to entry as low as possible.

The Small Basic development environment is simple, yet provides powerful modern environment features like Intellisense™ and instant context sensitive help.

Small Basic allows third-party libraries to be plugged in with ease, making it possible for the community to extend the experience in fun and interesting ways.

SQL Refactor: Refactor and format your SQL code

Chris Craft — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 20:00:00 GMT

What do you do when you have over 863 seriously advanced stored procedures you need to update as soon as possible?

I don’t know about you but here is what I would do. I would download Redgate’s SQL Refactor.

Working with legacy SQL code means untangling someone else's coding format and quickly interpreting the purpose of the script. SQL Refactor provides a range of one-click features that instantly make legacy code as easy to work with as your own, including Layout SQL, Summarize Script, Encapsulate as a New Stored Procedure, and many more.

Update all dependant objects when you rename tables, views, and procedures

Expand wildcards and qualifying object names to improve quality and performance

Summarize complex SQL scripts

11 refactorings in total

Smart column rename for views and tables

Smart parameter rename for procedures and functions

Split Table, can also create referential integrity tables

Uppercase Keywords

Summarize Script

Expand Wildcards in SELECT statements

Qualify Object Names

Find Unused Variables and Parameters

Encapsulate As New Stored Procedure

Smart Rename, for objects

Roanoke Code Camp 2009: Creating Advanced User Experiences for Windows Mobile Presentation

Chris Craft — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 20:00:00 GMT

Yesterday, I did a presentation at the Roanoke Code Camp 2009. As promised here is the PowerPoint file, and follow up material.

Creating Advanced User Experiences for Windows Mobile (200)

Description:
Ready to take your mobile applications to the next level? Learn how to create exciting modern user experiences for Windows Mobile. First we'll review good, bad, and ugly of Windows Mobile user interfaces, and then we will explore different ways we can create mobile user interfaces that will thrill our users. This talk is for developers who are new to mobile development as well as programmers with some experience who want to learn new ways to make their apps shine.

PowerPoint: Creating Advanced User Experiences for Windows Mobile.pptx

Screenshots:

We had a good turn out for the presentation, pretty much a full room. And we had a great open conversation about creating modern Windows Mobile user experiences.

Pimp My Phone – Day 23: Redfly Mobile Companion

Chris Craft — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 22:00:00 GMT

Want a netbook? Have a Windows Mobile device? Check out Redfly.


Redfly Mobile Companion	Redfly Mobile Companion
This Redfly Smartphone Terminal lets you use your smartphone like a laptop with its 8" screen and full keyboard. Redfly links to your smartphone via a USB cable or wireless Bluetooth connection and extends the Windows Mobile interface to a more convenient and capable environment.	This Redfly Smartphone Terminal lets you use your smartphone like a laptop with its 7" screen and full keyboard. Redfly links to your smartphone via a USB cable or wireless Bluetooth connection and extends the Windows Mobile interface to a more convenient and capable environment.

Redfly Smartphone Dock	Redfly PC Software
The Redfly Smartphone Dock will be a table-top adapter with VGA, mouse, and keyboard ports for smartphone applications. It will allow users to connect their Windows Mobile device to an external display, keyboard and mouse.	The PC Software will function like a software version of this company's Smartphone Terminal. It will allow users to connect their Windows Mobile device to a laptop or netbook and access the smartphone's software and data with a large screen and regular keyboard.

Pimp My Phone – Day 22: Sync Windows Mobile with Your DVR

Chris Craft — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 22:00:00 GMT

Here’s a great article on how to use Windows Media Center with Windows Mobile to do some really cool stuff.

You end up with being able to sync recorded items off your Windows Media Center and watch them on your Windows Mobile phone!

Pimp My Phone – Day 21: Qik for Windows Mobile

Chris Craft — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 22:00:00 GMT

Qik enables you to share moments of your life with your friends, family and the world - directly from your cell phone!

Keep your world in the know, share a laugh, tell engaging stories. Just point your cell phone and stream video live to your friends on Twitter, Facebook, Blogs, etc. OR use your cell phone like a camcorder and stream hours and hours of video without worrying about storage on your cell phone.

Check to make sure your phone is supported.

Pimp My Phone – Day 20: Pandora for Windows Mobile

Chris Craft — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 22:00:00 GMT

It's a new era for radio. Personalized, mobile, and free.

Pandora Radio is your own FREE personalized radio now available to stream music on your Windows Mobile handset. Just start with the name of one of your favorite artists, songs or classical composers and Pandora will create a "station" that plays their music and more music like it.

Already a Pandora user? Even easier. Just sign in. Pandora on Windows Mobile is fully integrated with Pandora on the web. Enjoy all your existing stations - and create new ones right from your Windows Mobile handset.

Mobile Architecture Pocket Guide

Chris Craft — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 22:00:00 GMT

Rob Tiffany has announced, the Mobile Application Architecture Guide – Patterns & Practices.

The guide's chapters include:

Ch 01 > Mobile Application Architecture
Ch 02 > Architecture and Design Guidelines
Ch 03 > Presentation Layer Guidelines
Ch 04 > Business Layer Guidelines
Ch 05 > Data Access Layer Guidelines
Ch 06 > Service Layer Guidelines
Ch 07 > Communication Guidelines
Ch 08 > Deployment Patterns

Our goal is to empower our Windows Mobile developer community as much as possible, and while this guide may seem like it's targeted exclusively to developers, I ensured that the IT Pro side of the house is accommodated as well. Mobile infrastructure elements of this guide include System Center Mobile Device Manager (Deployment), SQL Server (Sync Services + Merge), IIS (Web Services + Sync + WCF), Exchange (WCF Store and Forward) and Active Directory (Auth).

Pimp My Phone – Day 19: Microsoft Tag

Chris Craft — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 22:00:00 GMT

Microsoft Tag creates unlimited possibilities for making interactive communications an instant, entertaining part of life. They transform physical media (print advertising, billboards,product packages, information signs, in-store merchandising, or even video images)—into live links for accessing information and entertainment online.

With the Microsoft Tag application, just aim your camera phone at a Tag and instantly access mobile content, videos, music, contact information, maps, social networks, promotions, and more. Nothing to type, no browsers to launch!