Professional Windows Vista Gadgets Programming (Wrox)

This afternoon, I received my author's copy of the Professional Windows Vista Gadgets Programming (Wrox). It sure looks and feels good! Even though this is not the first book I have written, I still feel excited every time I receive my own book.


And in case you missed the news....it seems like Windows Mobile will soon be supporting Windows SideShow....a topic covered in depth in this book. Check out the news from Engadget.

iPod Vending Machine in San Francisco

I was recently in San Francisco where I spotted this iPod vending machine at the basement of Macy's shopping centre. I think this is a brilliant idea to get people to spend money without thinking too much...you know, your kids will see this and pester you to buy one for them. And before you regain your sanity, you will be busy swiping your credit card and reaching to pick up the iPod that has magically appeared in the little window...

Build Your Own Windows Mobile RSS Reader

Phones using the Windows Mobile 6 Standard do not have touch screens, which poses certain challenges when developing applications to run on them. Learn how to develop with these challenges in mind as you build a useful RSS Reader application for these devices.

Create Your Own Mailing List Server with .NET 2.0

Learn how to build your own mailing list server, making use of the new classes located in the System.Net.Mail namespace in .NET 2.0, as well as some techniques to retrieve emails from Outlook.

Coming to a city near you - Windows Mobile 6 Programming Course

I am currently in the planning stage to run the Windows Mobile 6 Programming class in the United States in 2008. This will be a 3-day class that covers all the fundamentals of developing Windows Mobile 6 applications - Classic, Professional, and Standard. You will be up and developing your own Windows Mobile applications after the end of the 3-day.

Drop me a note to let me know where you are located and your desired dates. If you would like in-house corporate training, do also drop me a note. For detailed course content, drop me an email at weimenglee@learn2develop.net and I will send it to you.

Picture SMS Using the .NET Compact Framework 2.0

Got a client that's asking to send messages via SMS? If so, you know there's no easy way to do it without third-party software. Learn how to build your own image-sending SMS application using only the .NET Compact Framework.

Microsoft & SITF Wireless Chapter presents “I Want Windows Mobile for FSI Solutions”

Developing Windows Mobile applications and need a platform to help market your applications to your target audience? Need to train your developers to get up to speed but don't have the budget for the training? Need access to devices for testing but faced with limited budget?

Microsoft and SITF Wireless Chapter has announced the “I Want Windows Mobile for FSI Solutions” programme to help local ISVs to get jumpstarted in this market. Check out the slides for more information on how to qualify.

If you qualify, you get:

1. Free 3 days training on Windows Mobile development

2. A free Motorola MC35 Windows Mobile Professional device

3. A loaner Moto Q Windows Mobile 6 Standard device for testing

Developer Learning Solutions has been appointed the training partner for this programme. Check out the course info here.

Learn Geo-tracking and Geo-Tagging

In my new book - Professional Windows Vista Gadgets Programming (Wrox), I have included a sample project that shows you how you can geo-tag your photos using Microsoft Virtual Earth.

In addition, you will also learn how to implement geo-tracking using a GPS receiver and a Windows Mobile device. If you have always wanted to know the cool things you can do with a GPS receiver, check out the images in this post!

New book - Professional Windows Vista Gadgets Programming

I am extremely excited to announce that my new book - Professional Windows Vista Gadgets Programming (Wrox) is on track to be released in Dec 07. I have worked hard to make this book a useful resource for developers building Windows Sidebar and SideShow gadgets.

Check out the following for the synopsis and head to Amazon.com to reserve your copy today!

As an easy-to-use application that provides information at a glance, a gadget basically takes the concept of portal dashboards and moves them to the more accessible Windows desktop where users can quickly and easily obtain weather information, RSS news feeds, and much more. In Windows Vista, there are two types of gadgets – Sidebar and SideShow gadgets. Sidebar gadgets are mini applications hosted in the Sidebar pane located on the Windows desktop, while SideShow gadgets are applications that send information to SideShow-enabled devices such as an external LCD display, or even a remote control.

With this hands-on guide, you’ll discover the simplicity of developing Vista Sidebar and SideShow gadgets that can run on the Windows desktop as well as send information to SideShow-enabled devices.

This book contains two parts – the first covers Sidebar gadgets while the second part covers SideShow gadgets. In each part, Microsoft MVP author Wei-Meng Lee begins by walking you through the development of a simple gadget, introducing you to the key concepts in the process. Each chapter breaks down the specific APIs that are relevant to enhancing a gadget, and helpful code samples throughout every chapter detail the step-by-step progression of how a gadget is built. By the end of the book, you will be confidently programming Vista gadgets.

What you will learn from this book
* Components of a Sidebar gadget
* Detailed description and code samples on using the Sidebar APIs
* Using .NET Interop to enhance Sidebar gadgets
* Interfacing Sidebar gadgets with SideShow-enabled devices
* Localizing Sidebar gadgets
* Debugging Sidebar gadgets
* Detailed walk through of a Sidebar gadget project
* SideShow architecture
* Using the SideShow managed class for .NET development
* Understanding the Simple Content Format (SCF) content format for sending SideShow data
* Interacting with SideShow-enabled device
* Detailed walk through of a SideShow gadget project

Who this book is for
This book is for developers who want to build Windows Vista gadgets that target both the desktop as well as SideShow-enabled devices.

Code-Free User-Interface Design with Expression Blend

Microsoft Expression Blend is a new full-featured design tool for creating highly-interactive and sophisticated Windows application user interfaces using Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF). With Expression Blend, a designer can design and create the UI of an application without worrying about the logic of the application. Once the UI is completed, it can be passed to the developer who will in turn code the business logic of the application. Find out how easy user-interface design is with Microsoft's new, full-featured design tool.

Getting Started with Crystal Report for Visual Studio 2005

Learn how Crystal Reports and Visual Studio 2005 combine to help streamline one of the most common development tasks: creating reports in business applications.

Get the Wrox's Silverlight 1.0 book free!

If you now register for the upcoming Silverlight course in 13-14 Dec, you will get the Wrox's Silverlight 1.0 book for free!

Register today! Application forms available here.


Confused about the various jargons on Silverlight? Check out this article.

Build Your Own RSS Reader

Are you a news junkie? How about building your own RSS Reader without spending a dime? I will be showing how to build your RSS reader in the upcoming Windows Mobile 6 Standard course.

New revised topics for Windows Mobile 6 Standard Course!

Thanks for the feedbacks and interests on the Windows Mobile 6 Standard (Smartphone) course! You have been heard! The course now will incorporate several new topics that will be of interest to Smartphone developers. Here are just some of the cool things you will be learning:

· OpenNetCF Smart Device Framework 2.1
· Voice Recording
· Video Streaming
· QRCode scanning

· Setting the Input modes of TextBox controls

As places are limited, please register early to avoid disappointment. Download registration form here.

Video Streaming in Windows Mobile

I have just finished the prototype of a video streaming server and client applications that allow video images captured by a webcam to be transmitted real-time to a Windows Mobile device.

All you need is a computer with a webcam connected and a Windows Mobile 5.0/6 device with network connectivity. If you want to learn how to build this application, come join us in the upcoming Windows Mobile 6 Standard course on 5th Dec 2007.

Tip: Emulating GPRS connection on Windows Mobile emulator

In my previous post I talked about how to get Internet connectivity using ActiveSync. However, there is one more option you can take besides using ActiveSync. That is, you can get connected via a GPRS connection. This is done via the Cellular Emulator available in the Windows Mobile 6 SDK.

1. In the Windows Mobile emulator, go to Start -> Settings -> Connections.

2. Tap on the Add a new modem connection link under My Work Network.

3. Give a name for this connection and select "Cellular Line (GPRS)" as the modem.

4. Tap Next two times (leave the fields empty) and click Finish.

5. In the Advanced tab, tap the Select Networks button.

6. Make sure My Work Network is selected in the first drop down list and tap OK.

* Make sure you configure your emulator to work correctly with the Cellular Emulator. See my earlier post on this topic.

Tip: Getting connected to the Internet using the Windows Mobile Emulator

Sometimes when you test your Windows Mobile application on the Windows Mobile emulator, you need Internet connectivity. However, by default the emulator does not have network connectivity. Hence, you need to do some work in order for you to get connected to the outside world.

The key to getting this work is using ActiveSync. In Visual Studio 2005, go to Tools Device Emulator Manager and right-click on "Windows Mobile 6 Professional Emulator" (assuming you are using this emulator) and select Connect. Whent the emulator is launched, in the Device Emulator Manager, right-click on the same emulator and select Cradle.

To confirm the Internet connectivity, use Pocket Internet Explorer and see if you can connected to the outside world. If not, you will see a connection error message. Tap on the Settings link and in the Settings window, tap the Advanced tab and tap the Select Networks button. Select My Work Network (see picture above). You should now be able to get connected!

* In ActiveSync, go to File -> Connection Settings... and check DMA under the "Allow connections to one of the following".

Are you looking for legal forms online? With a quick search you will probably find lots of small business forms or state tax forms available on the web. Obtaining public documents has never been easier.

Tip: Using the Cellular Emulator in the Windows Mobile 6 SDK

One of the very cool tools available in the Windows Mobile 6 SDK is the Cellular Emulator. The Cellular Emulator allows you to use the Windows Mobile Emulator to emulate making and receiving phone calls, as well as sending and receiving of SMS messages. However, getting it to work with your emulator is not so straight-forward. Follow the steps outlined below:

1. Launch Cellular Emulator from Start -> Programs -> Windows Mobile 6 SDK -> Tools -> Cellular Emulator.

2. Observe the COM port number used by the Cellular Emulator. For my example, it is COM3. You may see something similar or different (like COM4).

3. Launch the Windows Mobile 6 Professional Emulator (make sure it is not the Classic emulator) from within Visual Studio 2005. You can do so from Tools -> Device Emulator Manager and right-click on Windows Mobile 6 Professional Emulator and select Connect.

4. In the Windows Mobile 6 Professional Emulator, select File -> Configure... and click the Peripherals tab.

5. Under Serial port 0: enter the COM port number used by the Cellular Emulator. For my example, I enter COM3. Note that you have to manually enter the COM port; it is not listed in the dropdown list.

6. Finally, reset the Windows Mobile 6 Professional Emulator by selecting File -> Reset -> Soft. This step is essential!

You should now be able to get the Cellular Emulator to "talk" to the Windows Mobile 6 Professional Emulator.

Some common problems

1. From experience, you are likely to encounter problems with the Cellular Emulator if you install the Windows Mobile 6 SDK on a notebook. You are likely to see an error that says "COM17 is used, please verify" (or something similar). There is no official way to resolve this, but it seems like some folks managed to solve this by first uninstalling the Windows Mobile 6 SDK, then disable the Bluetooth services, followed by installing the Windows Mobile 6 SDK again.

2. If you find that the Windows Mobile emulator is not receiving SMS messages/phone calls made from the Cellular Emulator, the first place to check is the COM port settings in the Emulator Properties page. I encountered instances of this problem when the emulator started to lose the COM port settings after a while of use.

A call center service can help you with your telephone needs if you run a growing business. A good phone answering service can provide plenty of help; some companies wouldn't work without an external answering service to take calls.

Tip - Windows Mobile 6 Standard / Windows Mobile 5.0 Smartphone

In Windows Mobile 6/Windows Mobile 5.0 Smartphone, the Start menu is always shown in GridView. However, you can also switch it to ListView, but this is not easily performed by the end user. If you are a developer, you can use the Remote Registry Editor (shipped as part of Visual Studio 2005) to modify the following registry key:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Shell\StartMenu

Set the GridView DWORD Value = 1 for GridView and 0 for ListView.

Getting Started with the Google Maps API

In the Oct '07 issue of ASP.NET PRO Magazine, I demonstrated how to build an ASP.NET Web application that allows users to upload photos and geo-tag them using Google Maps. View the PDF of the Oct issue here.

Registration Closed - 20-21 Sep 2007 Windows Mobile 5.0 Programming Course

Due to overwhelming response, the registration for the 20-21 Sep run of the Windows Mobile 5.0 Programming course is now closed. The next run for this course would be in Dec 2007. Details as follows:

5th Dec 2007 (Wed) - Windows Mobile 6 Standard (Smartphone) Programming
6th and 7th Dec 2007 (Thurs, Fri) - Windows Mobile 5.0 Programming using the .NET Compact Framework 2.0

For more details about the two courses, download the brochures and application forms here. As usual, please register early in order to enjoy the early-bird discount!

Creating a Windows Mobile Wireless Remote PowerPoint Clicker

Imagine giving a presentation from your cellphone! Learn how to write a PowerPoint clicker application for your Bluetooth-enabled Windows Mobile device.

Course - Developing Rich Interactive Applications (RIA) using Microsoft Silverlight

Want to learn Silverlight but are confused by all the various tools and technologies available? In this 2-day course, learn how the various tools and technologies like XAML, Visual Studio 2008, Expression Blend 2, Silverlight runtime, etc, work together. Packed with intensive hands-on labs, you will be on your way to developing cool Silverlight applications for your web site upon completing the course. Download the registration form here.

Course Date: 13-14 Dec 2007

Fee: S$598 (Early-Bird). S$798 (Usual).

Get Started with Silverlight Using Visual Studio 2008 and Expression Blend 2

The Microsoft Silverlight browser plug-in enables developers to host Rich Internet Applications (RIAs), which feature animation, vector graphics, and video playback. Find out how to get started with Silverlight, and get a feel for how this new type of development works.

Developing a File Explorer for the Smartphone Using the .NET Compact Framework

This was an article I wrote for Pocket PC Magazine's (now known as Smartphone and Pocket PC Magazine) January 2005 issue. At that time, the version of Smartphone was 2003 and it did not come with a File Explorer. My article aimed to fill that void by showing readers how to build one themselves. And now that the latest version of Windows Mobile 6 Standard (aka Smartphone) comes with File Explorer, that article seems a bit redundant. Nevertheless, if you want to build a Windows-style Explorer, you can still gain something from my article. Additionally, this article is also useful for those of you wanting to know how to use the Treeview control to display hierarchical data.

Here is the synopsis of that article:

"Unlike the Pocket PC, the Smartphone 2003 platform does not come with a File Explorer for users to view the folders (and files) on the phone. This is perhaps due to the fact that Microsoft does not see the need for users to do this. However, it is often useful for developers to be able to view the directory structure of a Smartphone so that they can decide on which folders to use to store their applications and files. In this article, I will demonstrate how you can build a File Explorer for your Smartphone using the .NET Compact Framework. You will need to have Microsoft Visual Studio .NET 2003 and the Smartphone 2003 SDK to do this. "

NEW Course - Windows Mobile 6 Smartphone Programming

Synopsis
This course will introduce to participants the various techniques to program their Windows Mobile 6 Standard phones (previously known as Microsoft Smartphone). This feature-packed course will show you the challenges in developing non-touch screen user interfaces as well as the various techniques to develop line-of-business applications.

Includes coverage of what is new in the .NET Compact Framework 3.5 using Visual Studio 2008 Beta 2

What you will learn
* Introduction to Windows Mobile 6 Standard Programming
* Programming using the .NET Compact Framework 2.0
* User Interface Design for Smartphone
* Storage and File I/O
* Device Synchronization
* SMS Messaging and Email
* Localization
* Database
* Signing your application
* Project 1 – Building a RSS Reader
* Project 2 – Building a SMS Chat Manager
* What is new in .NET Compact Framework 3.5

Date
* Time: 9am to 5pm
* 5th Dec 2007 (Wed)
* Closing date for registration: 5th Nov 2007.

Course Fees
* S$399
* To qualify for Early Bird Discount, register before 5th Oct and receive a $100 discount (S$299 after discount)

* Inclusive of 1 lunch and 2 tea breaks

Venue
Motorola Enterprise Mobility Business
230 Victoria Street #12-06/10
Bugis Junction Office Tower
Singapore 188024

Important Note
You will be required to bring your own notebook computer for the course. The required software will be sent to you one week before the commencement of the course. Please ensure that the required software is installed before attending the course.

Infrared Programming Using the .NET Compact Framework

If you've ever used a TV remote control, you've experienced the convenience of using infrared communications. See how to use infrared to communicate between a Windows Mobile device and a PC.

Want to build your own phone applications?

Have you ever used SMS messages for voting, say, in a singing competition? Or perhaps you have recently sent SMS messages to donate to a charity show? If you wonder how all these SMS voting systems work, be sure to join us in the upcoming Windows Mobile 5.0 Programming course.

In this two-day workshop, you will build a SMS Manager application that allows you to use SMS message for voting purposes. This application is useful in scenarios where you need to collect feedback from users realtime, and is very useful in places like lecture threatres where you want to encourage students' participations.

In addition, you will also build a Call Manager application. The Call Manager allows you to disable your phone calls when you are driving or in a meeting and automatically sends a message to inform the caller that you are unable to take the call (if it is your boss calling, send him/her a message that you are now very busy with work to take his/her call!).

If you have a Windows Mobile 5.0 phone edition device and want to know what are the things you can do to make it more useful (well, build the applications yourself!), join us this Sep 20th and 21st. For more information, contact me at weimenglee@learn2develop.net.

Register now and get a free 2GB USB flash drive!

Trying to find an international phone? Getting global phones can be difficult, especially when you are traveling around the world. Next time you want a satellite phone rental looking on the Internet could help.

Preorder the new PSP from Amazon.com!

Amazon.com is now taking orders for the new slimmer PSP that is scheduled to be launched in Sep. At the price of US$169.99, it seems like a good deal! I am no particular fan of games, but I am buying one for podcasts and RSS feeds. Click here to pre-order yours today. ;-)

Try out the MC35 at the Windows Mobile 5.0 course

I am delighted to announce that Symbol (Motorola) has kindly agreed to loan a couple of MC35 to me. ;-) That means that if you have already signed up for the 16, 17th Aug run of the Windows Mobile 5.0 programming course, you would have a chance to try out first hand how well your application performs on it. If you have not signed up for the course, there is still time for the 20, 21 Sep run of the course. Download the application forms here.

* Symbol has traditionally been a leader in the enterprise mobility market, but with the launch of the MC35, they are sure looking at the pro-sumers market (e.g. managers and professionals). The MC35 has a slim footprint and comes with a built-in camera that changes into a barcode reader with the flick of a switch.