Codemasons' Guild Developers Blog

HTC Touch Pro2 – local Oz review

2009-12-07T22:01:11Z

If you’re looking for a local (Oz) review of the HTC Touch Pro 2 then head over to Technology at Play – a local forum run by a Windows Mobile MVP, based in Brisbane. To read the review head to: http://www.technologyatplay.com/forums/showthread.php?p=22587#post22587 – written by the moderator it provides a really good, detailed breakdown from a person who has been using the Touch Pro 2, including the new 6.5 updated ROM for a number of weeks. DonK...(read more)

HTC Diamond 2 – 6.5 update available for Optus/Open Channel phones

2009-12-06T22:30:49Z

On October 7 when Windows phone was launched, the HTC Touch Diamond2 was made available with Windows Mobile 6.5 from Telstra. Before we launched 6.5, Optus and a lot of open channel/retail partners were selling the HTC Diamond2 powered by Windows Mobile 6.1. If you own one of these then good news – the official Windows Mobile 6.5 update is available. Click on this link http://www.htc.com/au/SupportViewNews.aspx?dl_id=768&news_id=365 and follow the instructions that HTC provide. DonK...(read more)

HTC TouchPro2 – 6.5 update for open channel available

2009-12-06T22:27:40Z

If you’ve purchased an HTC TouchPro2 via the open channel market in Australia then you can get the official update to Windows Mobile 6.5 for this phone. Click on this link http://www.htc.com/au/SupportViewNews.aspx?dl_id=790&news_id=393 and follow the instructions that HTC provide. Q:How do I know if my phone is open channel? A: If your phone does not have any Telstra logo/branding on it (check the back cover) then it’s open channel. DonK...(read more)

Marketplace comes to Windows Mobile 6 and 6.1

2009-11-18T06:51:20Z

Last week I posted about updates including purchasing of apps from the PC had gone live. At the time I noted that changes were coming to enable Windows Mobile 6 and 6.1 devices to purchase apps from Marketplace. On Tuesday morning Oz time the product team posted that the 6 and 6.1 clients were now available for download. The full blog from the Windows phone team is at http://windowsteamblog.com/blogs/windowsphone/archive/2009/11/16/windows-marketplace-for-windows-mobile-6-0-and-6-1.aspx For developers...(read more)

Windows Marketplace for Mobile – Updates go live

2009-11-12T07:01:33Z

There have been a set of upgrades go live on Windows Marketplace for Mobile through today – full details are on the updates is available on the windows team blog . Summary of the updates; 1. Developer Portal improvements & stronger anti-piracy protection 2. Browse & Buy applications from the PC To come later this month is extension of the service to Windows Mobile 6 and 6.1 customers. There are a growing number of great applications appearing on Marketplace, and with the coming extension...(read more)

Twitter via Widgets

2009-10-11T13:43:14Z

I’ve just posted on how you can integrate Twitter into your Windows Mobile Widget. In actual fact the strategy I use will work just as well for any Windows Mobile application. For more information check out the full post on Integrating Twitter into your Windows Mobile Widget . Nick Randolph Owner/Founder Built to Roam http://community.softteq.com/blogs/nick...(read more)

Windows Marketplace update

2009-10-01T21:20:54Z

Todd Brix from the Product team in Redmond has posted an update on the countdown to launch for Marketplace on Oct 6 (US time) – check it out here http://windowsteamblog.com/blogs/windowsphone/archive/2009/09/30/windows-marketplace-update-countdown-to-launch.aspx Worth calling out is target to delivery 6 & 6.1 support is November, and that phase will also bring PC based catalogue & shopping experience. I’d strongly encourage any of you with apps ready to read his section on speeding the app...(read more)

Master CodeMason – the winner is chosen

2009-09-30T08:03:47Z

At the Mobility Smackdown session at TechEd Australia we held the final of the Master Codemason competition. All three finalists had won tickets to TechEd, and were present at Smackdown to demo their applications. The three finalists with photo’s from their on-stage demos Luis Ortega with The Follow me Clock Robert Crago with Musicradio Darko Radiceski with AAMHatcheye Once all three had demo’d their app, we opened voting to the audience. Thanks to the Win7 Netbooks, we were able to use Survey Monkey...(read more)

Some new how to marketplace videos launched

2009-09-29T18:56:00Z

For those developers itching to know more about how marketplace works, there has been some new videos launched by windows mobile developers team. Windows Marketplace for Mobile: Application Submission Walkthrough Windows Marketplace for Mobile: Developer Registration Walkthrough James McCutcheon Foundry 38...(read more)

It's official - October 6

2009-09-15T08:21:46Z

The latest and greatest version of Windows Mobile, rebranded now as the Windows Phone is going to be officially launched on 6 October according to the windows phone blogsite. http://windowsteamblog.com/blogs/windowsphone/archive/2009/09/01/windows-phones-are-coming-on-october-6th.aspx I have to say that personally I am really looking forward to this release, despite having used the iPhone for the last three months. I miss the ability to multitask, change my battery, and really cool features like...(read more)

Smack!Down 2009 App Demo #2 - Microsoft Tag

2009-09-15T08:18:24Z

I love MS's new implementation of tag technology, and there is so much you cam already do with the new Microsoft Tag that you, well, just can't with std QR Codes. Firstly it's pretty hard to find tag reader applications for phones to read 1 or 2D barcodes. For the MS tag simply point your phone (WinMo, iPhone, Blackberry, Symbian S60) to http://gettag.mobi download the application. Of course on the iPhone you'll have to get it from the App Store. Done! To create tags, head over to Microsoft Tag website...(read more)

Smack!Down 2009 App Demo #1 - Microsoft MyPhone

2009-09-15T08:12:37Z

At this year's Top Gear inspired Smack!Down we demonstrated a number of applications that make the Windows Mobile Platform a compelling technology enabler. The first of these is the relatively new, and more importantly, free service from Microsoft: MyPhone. MyPhone provides an automatic backup of your entire Windows Phone, including photos, videos, and SMS Text messages. You can set it to sync automatically (I always set mine to sync at about 2am) or perform a manual sync if necessary. There are...(read more)

Can You Stomach the Smack!Down?

2009-09-10T01:19:39Z

As you can tell from the other videos we’ve released over the week, no other breakout session at TechEd comes close to the energy, interactivity and pure fun, than the Smack!Down. Some (speakers) have commented that it’s not a “real” session, because it’s not “serious.” I say that it doesn’t get more real than when you’re having fun. In fact, having fun, is almost a prerequisite to learning. I mean we tend to remember what was fun, and what hurt. I go with the former. Who can forget setting up the...(read more)

TechEd kicks-off: How to win Smackdown entry tags

2009-09-08T17:37:52Z

TechEd Australia 2009 is off an running, it was real busy on the expo-floor tonight, it was great to see the Window phone stand getting lots of people dropping by to see what we have on show, and a good crowd at the Intro to Windows Mobile 6.5 session too. Smackdown is coming again at TechEd 2009 – Friday 1.45 in Central A is the place, and as is the tradition there will be a small number of special entry tags for specially allocated seats at Smackdown. Three skilful listeners at the session tonight...(read more)

Scarcity

2009-09-03T17:25:26Z

Scarcity is a well known, and thanks to Social Scientists, proven, characteristic of influence. The scarcer something is, the more people will desire it. I always find it intriguing that in taste tests people actually find the scarcer choice tastier. They don’t just want the food more, or will pay more for it, but the food actually, subjectively, tastes better. When you derive that scarcity through competition, you just ratchet up the desire. It seems we’re wired for survival, keenly sensitive to...(read more)

Show me the way to go home – AR in the real world

2009-09-03T04:31:00Z

Recently there has been a lot of hype about Augmented Reality as it applies to mobile devices. There are AR apps coming out for just about every flavour of smart phone with a distribution channel. But that begs the question; are they useful or is this just another fad that will be gone as quickly as it appeared? That question can only be answered by the app developers who are feeding consumers’ current insatiable hunger for AR. If something comes out that truly captures the public’s imagination or...(read more)

Student APPrentice Competition – TechEd ticket winner

2009-09-02T13:07:09Z

The Student APPrentice has run and we’ve got Edmund Tse on his way to TechEd next week. Edmunds entry of the Scheduler app, will get showcased live at Smackdown at TechEd – so if you are at TechEd, come along to the Mobility Smackdown session on Friday afternoon. If you couldn’t get a TechEd ticket, then keep an eye open on the Codemason’s Guild blog, we’ll update you with information live from the event. Congratulations to Edmund, we look forward to seeing him at TechEd next week. DonK...(read more)

Master Codemason Competition – The finalists announced

2009-09-02T12:25:05Z

The three Master Codemason Competition finalists have been decided, and are all booked for their trip to TechEd next week. We were really impressed by the range of entries we received, covering Lifestyle apps, Music & Video, Business, Utility, Travel, Education – there was social networking integration, business use scenarios, and informational/education apps prototypes submitted. The three finalists were; Luis Ortega with The Follow me Clock Robert Crago with Musicradio Darko Radiceski with...(read more)

Widget Chat with Microsoft .NET Services

2009-09-02T03:16:48Z

Over the last week or so I’ve been digging into how you can use the Windows Azure, Microsoft .NET Services from within a Windows Mobile Widget. Now normally accessing services such as these from javascript is somewhat problematic due to cross site scripting issues. However, when working in the context of a Widget (or a desktop Gadget) these rules don’t apply. What I ended up with is a sample widget that can send and receive messages using the .NET Services queues and routers. Checkout...(read more)

All the Toys

2009-09-02T02:22:00Z

There’s a lot that happens at TechEd in Australia, which to non-geek may seem, well, boring. At least that’s what my wife says. In the Microsoft ecosystem, however, it’s the conference that is chock full of the latest technology. You can get down and dirty with servers, and wireless networks, operating systems and databases. Of course you have to be a rather large bank to afford all of this technology. Chances are, if you work for said bank, you’re working with 3 year old tech anyway, as their procurement...(read more)

We Aim to Fail

2009-09-01T02:21:00Z

In a conversation with someone (outside the tech industry) the other day, I asked the question “Why do you think Microsoft holds events like TechEd at a conference centre like at the Gold Coast?” and his response, no lies, was “Because they want a junket.” This from an accountant. Of course this couldn’t be further from the truth. No-one gets to hold a $5m event, and justify it as a “junket.” Microsoft is the most metricised company on the planet. Everything gets measured. Every $1 that’s spent is...(read more)

Are you Ready?

2009-08-31T02:19:00Z

In just over a week, thousands of technical experts will converge on the Gold Coast Convention Centre to attend Microsoft TechEd09. But are you ready for the session of sessions? Technorati Tags: Rog42 , Smackdown , TechEd , Microsoft , Windows Mobile...(read more)

Windows Mobile 6.5 UI Changes

2009-08-26T03:45:15Z

There are a number of new changes to Windows Mobile 6.5 that are currently being talked about across the web. For example the navigation area has had a revamp. Check out my full post on New Builds of Windows Mobile 6.5 for more screen shots and discussion on the latest changes. Nick Randolph Owner/Founder Built to Roam http://community.softteq.com/blogs/nick...(read more)

Widgets in Plain Text

2009-08-19T10:00:51Z

One of the potential issues facing developers wanting to build Widgets for Windows Mobile 6.5 is that the contents of the widget (html, javascript etc) are all in plain text. Whilst these files are all packaged up into a .widget file, they are expanded out on the device, making them readily available to anyone wanting to inspect them. Luckily, web requests made by a Widget are clearly identifiable in the headers and you can use this information to secure your data services. I’ve outlined this...(read more)

How to win a TechEd ticket

2009-08-18T02:38:09Z

With TechEd Australia all sold out there's still a way for you to win a fully paid ticket to TechEd Australia on the Gold Coast (with 3 nights accom & flights)! Enter the Master Codemason Competition Simply submit your Windows Mobile app concept by this Friday - August 21, 2009 and you could win one of three prize packs worth $5,000 each! You can enter as many times as you like, as long as each entry is different. The 3 prize winners will have their app showcased at TechEd, including at...(read more)