Windows SideShow Team Blog : General

Windows SideShow Device SDK for .NET Micro Framework 3.0 Released!

auxall — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 23:16:00 GMT

This is a firmware release which is flexible enough to be used on many devices – devices integrated into the computer, remote controls, and wireless “fridge magnet” displays. It’s a turnkey solution that provides all the top-level code you need to create a full-featured SideShow device based on the .NET Micro Framework.

Download the Windows SideShow Device SDK for .NET Micro Framework 3.0

Download the Device Simulator 3.0 for Windows SideShow

Let’s skip to the good stuff and look at some screenshots:

On remote controls, you can control music playback from your computer. On embedded displays, you can control your music at the same time you do other things (for example, play a computer game).

See a variety of information relevant to you at a glance, in a format optimized for small screens.

The UI scales to different form factors, and can be fully “skinned”.

Integrated displays help you work more smoothly. Keep a record of what you have copied to the clipboard to spend less time window managing.

This release contains 17 samples showing how to customize your device and is localized into 16 different languages. Also included are the newest, redistributable version of the Universal Driver for Windows SideShow and the latest Device Simulator for Windows SideShow – also available independently here as a standalone Simulator: Download the Device Simulator 3.0 for Windows SideShow.

It’s great to have this out – enjoy and let us know what you think, or head to the SideShow Development forums to discuss it with the SideShow development community.

Thank you,

-Darryl

Our MSDN forum has moved!

auxall — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 15:47:00 GMT

Those who regularly frequent our MSDN forum might have noticed a big change in recent days: we've been migrated over to the new "Forums 3.0" platform! This new platform contains a number of exciting improvements which should make your overall experience much better--and yes, it still lets you post questions and answers to get help on anything and everything related to Windows SideShow. If you haven't noticed the change, we encourage you to head on over and poke around for a bit; we think you'll like the difference. So, fire up your browsers and update your bookmarks, here's the new URL:

http://social.msdn.microsoft.com/forums/en-US/windowssideshow/threads/

See you there!

- Dan

Come visit us at WinHEC 2008 in Los Angeles, CA

auxall — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 00:26:00 GMT

After our busy burst of software releases earlier this year, don't take the recent relative quiet as a sign that things are slowing down. In fact, we've been extremely busy getting a few surprises ready to unveil at WinHEC, which is coming up in just a few short weeks! If you're already planning to attend WinHEC 2008 in Los Angeles, make sure to add the Windows SideShow session to your calendar:

Windows SideShow: Building Better Devices and PCs - CON-T569

Learn how we're making it easier than ever to incorporate Windows SideShow technology into devices and PCs. In addition to learning about some of the new product solutions we've put together, you'll see exciting demonstrations from partners who have taken advantage of SideShow to increase the value of their devices. This session also covers new platform enhancements for the Windows 7 operating system, and we'll look at some of the many ways in which SideShow can improve devices in the digital home.

Thursday, November 06, 2008 4:30 PM

Without giving away all of our secrets, I will say that we've been working on something that will make those folks involved in recent discussions on our MSDN forum about supporting Windows SideShow on microcontrollers very happy...but you'll have to show up to find out exactly what it is :)

If you haven't made your arrangements to go to WinHEC yet, what are you waiting for? As if this session wasn't incentive enough, attendees will also be one of the first people to see what's new in Windows 7--and get to take home the pre-beta build!

We hope to see you in Los Angeles! (And if not in LA, then hopefully Beijing, Taipei, or Tokyo for the regional WinHEC events instead!)

- Dan

Let the (trademark) bugs bite: updated SideShow usage guidelines

auxall — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 19:22:00 GMT

There comes a time in every trademark's life where it either returns back to the public domain, or takes the leap into registered status. To that end, I now introduce you to the new and improved Windows® SideShow®! Yes, SideShow is now an officially registered trademark, and to commemorate the occasion we've gone and revised the Windows SideShow Use Guidelines document with the new "bugs". In addition to changing the "TM" to "®", we've also relaxed the usage requirements around gadgets; for example, it is now acceptable to use "Windows SideShow gadget" instead of "gadget for Windows SideShow" (but note that devices must still be addressed as "Windows SideShow-compatible"). If you are using or referencing Windows SideShow in your products or materials, it is extremely important you adhere to these posted guidelines. We know this can be a bit confusing, so if you have any questions on appropriate usages, just let us know.

For up-to-date information on Windows SideShow and other Microsoft trademarks, head over to the Trademark Guidelines website here: http://www.microsoft.com/about/legal/trademarks/usage/default.mspx.

- Dan

Last chance to enter your gadget to win a trip to CA and a Dell XPS420!

auxall — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 19:18:00 GMT

Just a friendly reminder that the Gadget Development Contest for Windows SideShow entry period ends this coming Friday, July 18, at 11:59pm PDT, so be sure to get your entries finished and submitted before then! We want to see what you can do!

- Dan

It's here: SideShow support on Windows CE 5.0!

auxall — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 18:24:00 GMT

Yesterday, the Windows Embedded team released support for Windows SideShow on Windows CE 5.0! Combined with our Universal Driver, this new platform can work over USB, Bluetooth or TCP/IP connections, and easily enable SideShow functionality on a wide variety of CE-based devices. If you've got an existing CE 5 based device with one of the supported transports, adding SideShow support in most cases won't require any additional hardware.

It's also a standard part of Windows Embedded NavReady 2009, a SKU designed specifically for navigation devices. With SideShow, now your PND could be as useful outside the car as it is inside--imagine using it as a remote control for your music library at home, or even a PowerPoint remote (with full slide previews and speaker notes) once you've gotten to your destination? The possibilities are endless, and now they're easy to implement as well!

All you need to get started is Platform Builder 5.0--so what are you waiting for?

- Dan

Write a Gadget, Win Cool Stuff!

auxall — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 23:17:00 GMT

Now that we've released the Windows SideShow Managed API SDK and Windows SideShow for Windows Mobile Developer Preview, we figured we'd give you some incentive to stick the two together: a gadget contest! Yes, you heard us right: free stuff for building the best gadget for Windows SideShow. We've teamed up with NVIDIA to provide some great prizes, including a trip to San Jose, CA in August for NVISION 2008 for all finalists (including transportation to CA, hotel accomodations, and a per diem), and a grand prize Dell XPS 420 SideShow-enabled desktop.

For more details on the contest, including the complete rules and entry form, head on over to www.nzone.com/gadgetcontest.

If you're new to SideShow gadget programming, there's a good book on the subject to help you get started: Professional Windows Vista Gadgets Programming by Wei-Meng Lee (ISBN: 978-0-470-17661-0). Or if you're more of the do-it-yourself type, just download our SDK, create a new gadget using our template, and forge your own path. There are even a few articles by Jeffrey Richter and Dr. Neil Roodyn to help you get your bearings. When you need some guidance, just head on over to our MSDN forum and we'll help you out.

Let your creative juices flow and show us what you can do! Remember, the contest ends July 18, 2008, so don't delay.

- Dan

Announcing the Universal Driver for Windows SideShow 1.5!

auxall — Tue, 20 May 2008 18:24:00 GMT

Last week, we quietly released to Windows Update a new version of the Universal Driver for Windows SideShow! This new release includes support for additional transports, bringing the complete list to:

USB
Bluetooth
TCP/IP
TCP/IP with SSL

In addition to powering devices built using the Windows SideShow Device SDK for .NET Micro Framework v1.4 (and later), and perhaps the most exciting part of this release, is the protocol documentation which explains how you (yes, you) can implement your very own Windows SideShow-compatible device without having to write any PC code at all. That's right, no more writing a PC driver when you build a SideShow-compatible device; we've done that work for you. And did I mention it's free? Yes, that's right: there's no royalty, license, or any other legal documents you need to sign in order to get access to, and use, the documentation and driver for your device.

This driver even has a few more tricks up its sleeve, including the ability to support custom icons for devices. When your device shows up in Windows, it actually looks like your device (instead of the generic Windows SideShow-compatible device icon, and assuming you provide your own). Hey, it's all the little things that count :)

We're extremely excited that the universal driver and documentation are now available, and hope that this helps make it easier for you to add SideShow support to your devices. As always, if you need any assistance getting things going, head on over to our Windows SideShow Development forum on MSDN and post away!

- Dan

Don't read English? No problem!

auxall — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 04:32:00 GMT

Windows SideShow is a technology used around the world (and, in fact, many of the cool SideShow-enabled devices on the market today are only available outside the US), but most gadgets we've written so far have been provided only in English. Until now. It gives me great pleasure to announce, on behalf of the entire Windows SideShow team, support for sixteen new languages for our Microsoft Office Outlook, Microsoft Office PowerPoint Remote, Feed Viewer, and Stocks gadgets! The supported languages include (in no particular order):

Please note, the language of the gadget you install must match the UI language of Windows Vista you are using; otherwise, the gadget will still appear in English. Enjoy!

- Dan

What is Windows SideShow? Check out WindowsSideShow.com

auxall — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 19:24:00 GMT

If you're new to Windows SideShow and want an overview of the feature, or if you're trying to explain to all your friends what exactly that little LCD on the lid of your laptop does, send them over to WindowsSideShow.com. Yes, it is just a fancy redirect to the section of the Windows Vista site that explains SideShow, but it's a LOT easier to find! (I mean seriously, do you remember this URL? I don't.)

By the way, while you're there, let us know what other kinds of information you'd like to see on the site. We've already been able to make a number of specific improvements based on your feedback (see the Windows SideShow row in the Compare Editions table, for example). Just use the "Contact" link on this blog to let us know your thoughts, or send your feedback to sshowext at microsoft dot com.

- Dan

New gadgets are available!

auxall — Fri, 28 Sep 2007 01:51:00 GMT

Wow, it's been a while since I've posted an update here. But don't fear--we're still here! In fact, we've been very busy working away on a whole host of exciting new things, and I'm pleased to be able to share with you the first fruits of that labor: 4 exciting new gadgets! (OK, technically we've released 2 of them before as Betas--but now, they're new and improved final releases!)

Stocks
Feed Viewer
Office Outlook Gadgets (including E-mail, Calendar, Contacts for Outlook 2003 and E-mail, Contacts for Outlook 2007)
Note: if Outlook is running when you install this gadget, you may need to restart Outlook for it to work.
Office PowerPoint Remote

So go ahead, download them, install them, and enjoy! Give us your feedback, as well. We'll be keeping an eye on our discussion newsgroup microsoft.public.windows.sideshow in case you have any questions or comments.

- Dan

One-stop shop for Windows SideShow development information

auxall — Fri, 18 May 2007 03:35:00 GMT

Thanks to the wonderful folks who manage the Windows Hardware Developer Central website, we've finally got ourselves a home for all things related to developing gadgets and devices for Windows SideShow! This is a great one-stop shop with all the major links you need, organized neatly by topic. The Windows SideShow page on WHDC is always a work in progress, and we'd like to build it into the complete index to all aspects of SideShow development.

Is there a link that you think is missing, or something you're looking for but can't find? Send us an e-mail and we'll do our best to get it added. After all, this is all about making your life easier!

- Dan

Using the Windows(r) SideShow(tm) Trademark

auxall — Mon, 30 Apr 2007 05:19:00 GMT

Did you know that "Windows SideShow" is trademarked by Microsoft? That means there are a lot of rules and requirements around using Windows SideShow in any text, marketing materials, logos, articles, products, etc. To help you with understanding these arcane rules, we've put together a use guidelines document which describes generally what is allowed and what is not. For example, you can't actually say "Windows SideShow device", it has to be "Windows SideShow-enabled device," "device for Windows SideShow," or some other variation on that style.

The use guideline document is posted to the Windows Vista Partner Portal, which is accessible at www.windowsvista.com/partner. Note that you do have to complete a brief registration to access this site. For those who don't wish to register, we've also got a copy available on the Microsoft Intellectual Property webpage for Usage Guidelines: http://www.microsoft.com/about/legal/intellectualproperty/trademarks/usage/default.mspx.

A direct link to the document is here: http://download.microsoft.com/download/6/8/5/6852CEA2-BC7A-4AC7-B7E9-99C13BD778C6/WindowsSideShowUseGuidelines.doc

If you have any trademark related questions, please let us know and we'll be happy to forward you to our lawyers :)

The official Windows SideShow newsgroup: microsoft.public.windows.sideshow

auxall — Fri, 27 Apr 2007 12:43:00 GMT

Momentum is gaining, devices are coming to market, there are actually gadgets on the Windows Live Gallery--wow! So, where do you turn when you have a question or problem? Why, the brand new microsoft.public.windows.sideshow newsgroup, of course! Unlike our MSDN Forum which is for development-related questions, the newsgroup has an end-user focus. It's a place for you to post with questions on devices, gadgets, the Control Panel, bugs and everything else not related to development.

For information on how to get started with a newsgroup, please refer to this page:
http://www.microsoft.com/communities/guide/newsgroups.mspx

Happy Posting!

- Dan

It's that time of the year again...Conference Season!

auxall — Mon, 23 Apr 2007 11:13:00 GMT

Sure, CES was a blast and you got to see some cool toys, but you really didn't get to learn anything about how to build them yourself, did you? Or, maybe you're new to Windows SideShow and just want to see what all the hoopla is about? Well, have no fear, we're coming to a city near you (as long as you're in the US or Asia...apologies to the Europeans, we'll get there eventually). So pack your bags, register for your conference pass, and head on over to learn about what's new with us.

Mobile and Embedded DevCon 2007 (MEDC): Las Vegas, NV, April 30 - May 3

First stop, MEDC 2007 in Las Vegas. We've got a special surprise (or two) to share, so come on by and say hello in the expo hall. In addition, we'll have two sessions, and two hands-on-labs!

APP202: Building Innovative Devices for Windows SideShow

Summary: Windows SideShow is new to Windows Vista and provides users with quick access to data on a wide variety of devices, including laptop lid displays, digital picture frames, remote controls and other connected devices. This session contains demos of a wide variety of Windows SideShow-compatible devices and discusses opportunities for building them using the .NET Micro Framework, Windows Mobile, and Windows CE.

APP319: Writing Gadgets for Windows SideShow

Summary: Windows SideShow(tm) (formerly codenamed "Auxiliary Display") is new to Windows Vista and provides users quick access to data even when their PC is turned off. It targets many classes of devices including laptop lid displays, digital picture frames, remote controls, and other connected devices. A set of APIs are provided that allow applications to easily send data to Windows SideShow devices. This session demonstrates the basics of creating an application that sends data to auxiliary displays using these APIs and the tools available in the Windows Vista Platform SDK.

HOL: Writing Gadgets for Windows SideShow (C++)
HOL: Writing Gadgets for Windows SideShow (C#)

Summary: Learn how to use the new Windows SideShow APIs in Windows Vista to display data from the PC on connected devices. The lab will walk you through the introductory steps of getting started using the APIs and tools, including the provided software simulator. The lab will show you how to install and register your gadget for Windows SideShow to then be able to take data from the PC and send and manage this data on devices. By the end of this lab, you should be able to write a simple stand alone gadget to pull data from any source and send it down to devices compatible with Windows SideShow.

We'll be taking some of these sessions overseas, as well:

MEDC Taiwan: May 29 - May 30

Want to learn how to write gadgets for Windows SideShow? We'll be repeating APP319: Writing Gadgets for Windows SideShow in Taiwan.

MEDC Japan: June 6

If you'd rather learn more about how you can build devices for Windows SideShow, we'll be repeating APP202: Building Innovative Devices for Windows SideShow in Tokyo.

WinHEC 2007: Los Angeles, CA, May 14 - May 17

As always, WinHEC is an opportunity for us to showcase our latest and greatest innovations and concept designs, and we expect this year to be no different. Come join us for Enriching Devices with Windows SideShow (CON-T427) as we guide you through the newest and most exciting crop of devices yet. While you're there, be sure to also swing by our booth in the Microsoft Pavilion in the Expo Hall. If you can't make it to Los Angeles, we'll be repeating the session at all three Asian locations:

WinHEC Taipei, June 13-14
WinHEC Tokyo, June 18-19
WinHEC Beijing, June 21-22

We look forward to seeing you at one or many of the above events! If you'd like to meet with us in a quieter setting during the events, please send me and e-mail and we can work to set something up. Thank you all for your past and continued support--we really love showcasing our (and your) work at these events!

- Dan