Windows Mobile for Australia : Events

Can You Stomach the Smack!Down?

wmOz — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 01:21:14 GMT

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 phone as a Wireless Modem, with BA warning you to avoid downloading “donkey stuff?” I still have people telling me the “only” thing they really remember about TechEd07 was me eating a Blackberry for Breakfast in our “Pirates” Smack!Down.

And although there are prizes to win in the Smack!Down, not everyone wins one. No, to win the really big prizes takes commitment, an iron will, not to mention an iron stomach. Welcome to the Smack!Down…

Technorati Tags: Rog42,Smackdown,Windows Mobile,Microsoft,TechEd

TechEd kicks-off: How to win Smackdown entry tags

wmOz — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 17:36:38 GMT

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 walked away with an entry tag each.

How can you get one?

1. Enter the Forza Motorsport challenge – quickest time each day wins.You can enter at the Windows phone or the Jabra stand.

2. Attend one of the Mobility sessions and answer the questions correctly.

3. Be spotted with a Codemasons’ Guild sticker on your person – random allocations each day.

4. Present evidence that you’ve completed a Windows Mobile HOL at the Windows phone stand – a limited number of tags are up for grab each day.

So drop by the Windows phone stand, play the Forza Motorsport challenge, attend a mobile session or HOL –> all to get a coveted Smackdown entry pass.

DonK

Technorati Tags: TechEd Australia,Smackdown!

Windows Phone @ TechEd : HOLs & Interactive Theatres

wmOz — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 16:19:57 GMT

Here is part 2 of answering the question

"I want to get across as much of Mobility & Windows Mobile as I can this year, what are the sessions I should attend, and how do they fit together?"

Along with the break-out sessions at TechEd, there are also Hands-on-Labs(HOLs) being run, plus on the Showcase floor there will be some smaller/shorter sessions in the Interactive Theatres.

Here’s a listing of the sessions in the Interactive Theatre, so you know which Mobility ones to look out for.

Day	Time	Session ID	Title	How it fits	Speaker(s)
Tue	18:30	THB001	Introducing Windows Mobile 6.5 - what's new for Windows phone	This will give you the 101 about Windows Mobile 6.5 and you’ll see it in action too!	Don Kerr (Microsoft) – yep DonK in action
Wed	15:00	THG004	Introducing Windows Mobile 6.5 - what's new for Windows phone	Re-run of Tuesdays session about Windows Mobile 6.5 and you’ll see it in action too!	Don Kerr (Microsoft)
Thur	15:00	THR004	SCMDM top Gotcha's and "Simplot a customer's tale"	Some System Centre Mobile Device Manager experts will take you through a few common schoolboy errors and how to avoid them. Then a customer example of getting MDM up and running. This is for the Management guys & girls.	Warwick Brown, Chris Hatzis (Simplot), Andrew McMurray(Microsoft), Wayne Phillips (Airloom)

Here are the Windows Mobile specific Hands-on-Labs

HOL ID	Title	Abstract/Overview
WMB01-HOL	WMB01-HOL Building Real-World-Ready Applications for Windows Mobile with the Microsoft Device Emulator 3.0 and the Device Emulator Manager Automation API	Mobile applications must run within a far more dynamic environment than that faced by desktop applications. Assuring that your application remains stable and reliable within this dynamic environment requires that you include environmental changes in your application test plan. In this lab, you learn how to use the Device Emulator 3.0 and Device Emulator Manager Automation API to develop automated test scenarios that verify your application's reliability under a wide variety of environmental conditions including power changes, abrupt loss of connectivity, phone calls, SMS messages, and much more. Upon completion, you will be armed with the knowledge necessary to create mobile applications that remain stable in the most dynamic of mobile environments.
WMB03-HOL	Hands-on with Widgets for Windows Mobile	The last few years have shown the world the power of having a full-fledged Web browser on a mobile device. From content providers building dedicated mobile sites to cheaper mobile data tariffs, mobile devices have ushered in a new era of content and experiences available on the go. A new programming paradigm called mobile widgets has emerged in response to these recent trends. Widgets enable Web developers to develop application-like experiences that run outside of the existing Web browser, but are powered by the same technologies [HTML, JavaScript, and CSS]. Gone are the days of building WAP sites. By leveraging the capabilities of a fully-fledged browser on Windows Mobile, Web developers can now build rich experiences for mobile devices without resorting to native/managed code. In this lab, learn about how to design, build, and deploy Widgets for Windows Mobile. Learn how to use the widgets APIs and apply best practices to build usable, performant, and delightful widgets.
WMB04-HOL	Integrating the New Mobility Features of Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 with Windows Mobile	SharePoint Server 2007 improves worker productivity and effectiveness through simplified collaboration and document sharing. Historically, these features were only available to users with a desktop or notebook computer. As the workforce becomes increasingly mobile, maintaining an effective workforce requires that users be able to collaborate from their mobile devices as well. In this lab, learn how to set up a SharePoint site, make it available to mobile devices, and access that site from a Windows Mobile device. Upon completion, you will know to set up and use the Mobile Features of SharePoint Server 2007 to provide mobile users with the benefits of SharePoint long available to the rest of the workforce.
WMB06-HOL	Microsoft System Center Mobile Device Manager 2008 SP1 Deployment	Learn how to configure Active Directory for Mobile Device Manager and install the three key Mobile Device Manager server roles. This lab takes you through installing the Enrolment Server and validating the Enrolment Web Service functionality; installing the Device Management Server and validating Mobile Device Manager 2008 Device Management Installation; installing Gateway Certificates, Gateway Server setup, Gateway Certificates validation, validating Mobile Device Manager 2008 Gateway Server functionality; and opening required ports in the Gateway Server for Managed Devices

DonK

Technorati Tags: Windows Mobile,TechEd

Windows phone @ TechEd Australia : The session overview

wmOz — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 15:52:30 GMT

TechEd is nearly on us again and again Mobility (Windows phone, SCMDM, Security, Development) has a strong list of sessions at TechEd 2009 Australia, we wanted to address the question of

"I want to get across as much of Mobility & Windows Mobile as I can this year, what are the sessions I should attend, and how do they fit together?"

Once you have registered for TechEd 2009, you will be able to plan your schedule via the Session Builder tool. If you select "Mobility" from the "Track" options you will be presented the list of sessions - but to help you out in advance, here are some with comment on how they all fit. This is your "Windows Mobile guide to TechEd 2009".

Day	Time	Session ID	Title	How it fits	Speaker(s)
Wed	17:00	DEV260	Distributing & Monetising Windows Mobile Applications through the Windows Marketplace for Mobile	Kick start your grasp of the opportunity that Marketplace brings as a developer to reach millions of Windows phone users, and make some money too. Developer session 1.	James McCutcheon (Mobile MVP) Loke Uei Tan (Technical Product Manager – WM Product team Microsoft Corp)
Thur	08:15	DEV310	Make some Magic! Shake, Flip & Flick your application for Windows Mobile 6.5	Get a depth understanding of the new gestures API & more in Windows Mobile 6.5 and spark your applications. Developer session 2.	James McCutcheon (Mobile MVP) Loke Uei Tan (Technical Product Manager – WM Product team Microsoft Corp)
Fri	08:15	DEV370	Channelling your inner sexiness & other developer tricks for Windows Mobile	Liven up your application for Windows phone, find out the ways & means to have a great looking application running on Windows phone. Developer session 3.	James McCutcheon (Mobile MVP)
Thur	11:30	MGT305	System Center Mobile Device Manager Architecture & Policies for Windows Mobile	Come and hear from a customer who has deployed SCMDM, and an SCMDM expert on how to architect and deploy SCMDM in the real world. Management session 1	Warwick Brown & Chris Hatzis (Simplot), Wayne Phillips (Airloom)
Thur	17:00	MOB201	Telstra’s Microsoft Mobility Solution	Been looking for a fixed rate Exchange email or managed device plan for your organisation? Learn how the Window Mobile specific data plans from Telstra are designed and the technical requirements to implement them. If you’re involved in either Exchange Direct Push or System Center Mobile Device Manager, this is the session for you.	Rick Anderson (Microsoft), Garron Leslie (Telstra)
Thur	09:45	SEC306	Windows Mobile for Government – Common Criteria certification	Is Windows Mobile really secure? Windows Mobile 6.1, System Center Mobile Device Manager (RTM and SP1) have received EAL4 certification under Common Criteria. The licensed evaluation facility will explain the evaluation scope and the functions included in the evaluations, and show you how these two products combine to provide a secure mobile solution. A must attend session for any mobile security people.	Aleks Lubiejewski (Stratsec)
Wed	09:45	UNC201	Introduction to Exchange 2010	The session to find out what is coming with Exchange 2010, and the enhancements on Windows Mobile with Outlook Mobile. The #1 session for the Mobile Mail crew.	Johann Kruse (Microsoft), Roger Lawrence (Rog42 Enterprises)
Fri	13:45	UNC212	Mobility Smackdown!	The session of sessions for Mobile @ TechEd - a "must attend" for all parts of the Mobile crowd, with plenty of excitement to end the Mobility stream. In 2008 over 600 people crammed into this session, and the room next door shut down with all the noise we made – watch out for the special entry tags!	The Smackdown Crew

This is the order as it stands today (5th September), but stay tuned for another post on the Hands-on-labs and Interactive Theatre sessions for Mobility.

DonK

Technorati Tags: Windows Mobile,Smackdown!,TechEd

Scarcity

wmOz — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 17:32:40 GMT

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 scarce resources. Thsi is the very principle that auctions use to drive people to spend way more on something than could otherwise be charged (this is also why I’ll never buy a house on auction).

For the craziest contests though, and the only ones held in breakout sessions at TechEd, there’s only one session….

…The Smack!down

Rog42

Technorati Tags: Rog42,Microsoft,Smackdown,TechEd,Windows Mobile

All the Toys

wmOz — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 17:31:24 GMT

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 processes lumber to catch up.

But there’s only one session that actually demonstrates the latest gadgets. Toys which you can afford.

Welcome to the Smack!Down.

Rog42

Technorati Tags: Rog42,Smackdown,Windows Mobile,TechEd,Microsoft,Gadgets,Toys

We Aim to Fail

wmOz — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 17:30:31 GMT

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 accounted for across a number of metrics. And of course that leads to a culture of success. Inasmuch as “you have to be successful.”

Success has to be defined, then it’s tracked. And let me tell you, people’s bonuses are determined by those metrics. Hence the eval sheets for everything at a conference from the lunch, to the exhibition floor, to the speaker sessions (just ask any speaker and they’ll know their scores to 5 decimal points).

So it’s pretty counter-cultural to aim to fail. To put together a session that seeks to amuse, please, and yes, educate our audience. Where the audience’s delight and energy is valued more than the official metrics. Customer experience over Policy.

Welcome to, the Smack!Down...

Rog42

Technorati Tags: Rog42,Smackdown,Microsoft,TechEd,Windows Mobile

Master Codemason Competition – The finalists announced

wmOz — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 12:52:48 GMT

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 AAMHatcheye

Luis, Robert & Darko are all booked in for TechEd, and will present their applications live at Smackdown – so if you are at TechEd, come along to the Mobility Smackdown session on Friday afternoon and help judge the Master Codemason! If you couldn’t get a TechEd ticket, then keep posted on the Codemason’s Guild blog, we’ll update you with information live from the event.

The launch of Windows Mobile 6.5 and the opening to Windows phone users of the Windows Marketplace for Mobile have now been revealed as taking place globally on October 6th (US time). You can read the word from the Windows phone team here.

The opportunity for developers is to get your app’s into Marketplace now, so they are certified, signed and ready for users to access as the new range of Windows phones release.

DonK

How to win a TechEd ticket

wmOz — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 02:38:54 GMT

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 Smackdown – where we will judge the Master Codemason Application.

Get cracking and get those app concepts submitted.

DonK

Debug Days – Rego’s now open

wmOz — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 13:29:31 GMT

Timing is close we know so here are the rego links for next weeks Debug Days – all start @ 4.30pm at the Microsoft office in each location.

Brisbane – Monday 10th : Level 9, 1 Waterfront Place, Brisbane.

Sydney – Tuesday 11th: 1 Epping Road, North Ryde.

Melbourne – Wednesday 12th: Level 5, 4 Freshwater Place, Southbank.

So click on your local link & register – it will be good to meet many of you face to face.

Don’t forget to post your topic requests on the Codemasons’ blog - Codemasons’ Debug Days are coming – next week!

See you next week.

DonK

Technorati Tags: Windows Mobile 6.5,Marketplace,Mobile Developer

Codemasons’ Debug Days are coming – next week!

wmOz — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 07:23:00 GMT

Next week we will be holding a series of events to help developers get their application development moving for Windows Mobile 6.5 and into Marketplace.

These Debug Days will be held from 4.30pm till 9pm on;

Monday August 10th – Microsoft Brisbane, Level 9 Waterfront Place, 1 Eagle St, Brisbane
Tuesday August 11th – Microsoft Sydney, 1 Epping Road, North Ryde
Wednesday August 12th – Microsoft Melbourne, Level 5, 4 Freshwater Place, Southbank

We will provide an update on Marketplace, the signup/registration process, and the guidelines.

The evening is then over to the developers – so what are the topics you want our MVPs to cover – let us know;

post your comments to this post
Tweet James McCutcheon or Nick Randolph on Twitter

James : @jamesmcc
Nick: @BTRoam

We’ll update the topic lists here @ WMOZ, @ the Codemasons’ Guild, and James/Nick will Tweet as well.

Rego links coming soon – but slot some time in your diary.

PS – we’ll have some drinks & food on hand as well :-)

DonK

Technorati Tags: Windows Mobile 6.5,Marketplace,Developer

Windows Mobile 6.5 – Dev Training : Jumpstart Live Meeting #3

wmOz — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 02:00:28 GMT

Registration for #3 in the Codemason’s Guild Live Meeting Series (Jumpstart) is open.

Friday July 31st at 1pm is the 3nd in our series of Live Meetings to help Australian developers get started developing for Windows Mobile 6.5 – and to get those apps in Marketplace (Windows Marketplace for Mobile – Open for Developer registration) to distribute/sell to the millions of Windows Mobile users globally.

These Live Meetings have been running through July, every second Friday starting at 1pm. So grab some lunch, your favourite beverage, and get ready to learn.

So what is this Live Meeting all about? Widgets!

July 31 1pm – Widgets, the new Internet Applications.

Get insight into the Widgets platform for Windows Mobile 6.5 and discover how to develop powerful Widgets that leverage today’s web experience in a new way.

Registration Link : http://msevents.microsoft.com/cui/WebCastEventDetails.aspx?EventID=1032421408&EventCategory=4&IO=Yfl2qH71kGe9wv5R5uwpmQ%3d%3d&culture=en-AU&CountryCode=AU

DonK

Technorati Tags: Marketplace,Windows mobile 6.5,Developer

Codemasons’ Guild – Jumpstart Live Meeting #2 Q&A

wmOz — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 01:49:09 GMT

Last Friday James McCutcheon, Dave Glover & I (DonK) hosted the second in the Codemasons’ Guild Jumpstart series. If you want to review the first two LiveMeetings or look at either for the first time – head to www.codemasons.com.au, Jumpstart #1 is up, and Jumpstart #2 will be shortly.

We had some fantastic questions asked through, and at the end of, the Live Meeting – and here’s the listing of a whole host of them;

Q: I thought that WCF on WinMo wasn't available over HTTP, only exchange?

A: Only very basic http

Comment: (Nick Randolph) There is a new version of the MCSF: http://mobile.codeplex.com. It has been updated to drop the negative features Dave's referring to. Has support for lightweight DI and some other nice features :-)

Comment: (Nick Randolph) Unlike Silverlight which is not a true subset of the .NET FX, the .NET CF is IL compatible with the .NET FX. This means that you can run a mobile on the desktop - true build once, run anywhere

Q: Silverlight support?

A: We won't be bringing Silverlight support to Windows Mobile 6.5

Q: In trying to build your own "compelling mobile UI" would you recommend using the UI Framework posted on MSDN for gradients, transparencies, buffering etc? code.msdn.microsoft.com/uiframework

A: Yes

Q: Does the png transparency trick that you demonstrated also work on WinMo 6.1?

A: Yes

A special thanks to Nick Randolph for his input in the Q&A session – Nick is one of our local Mobile MVPs.

DonK

Technorati Tags: marketplace,windows mobile 6.5,developer

Jumpstart Live Meeting #2 – today 1pm

wmOz — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 01:53:24 GMT

Don’t forget the second in the Codemasons’ Guild Jumpstart Live Meeting series takes place today, 1pm.

If you haven’t registered already, then head to http://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/InviteOnly.aspx?EventID=69-37-B7-CD-C8-36-0B-BE-A3-7D-8A-9E-99-94-9E-CE&culture=en-AU

We will be covering off getting started developing for Windows Mobile 6.5 in todays session.

DonK

Windows Mobile 6.5 – Dev Training : Jumpstart Live Meeting #2

wmOz — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 01:22:44 GMT

Registration for #2 in the Codemason’s Guild Live Meeting Series (Jumpstart) is now open.

This Friday at 1pm is the 2nd in our series of 3 Live Meetings to help Australian developers get started developing for Windows Mobile 6.5 – and to get those apps in Marketplace (Windows Marketplace for Mobile – Open for Developer registration) to distribute/sell to the millions of Windows Mobile users globally.

These Live Meetings run through July, every second Friday starting at 1pm. So grab some lunch, your favourite beverage, and get ready to learn.

July 17 1pm - Getting started developing for Windows Mobile 6.5: developer tools, technologies, debugging and testing
Learn how to get started developing for Windows Mobile 6.5, what can be done with the new technologies and how to use your existing skills to start coding apps for Windows Mobile 6.5 phones via Windows Marketplace.

Registration Link : http://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/InviteOnly.aspx?EventID=69-37-B7-CD-C8-36-0B-BE-A3-7D-8A-9E-99-94-9E-CE&culture=en-AU

DonK

Technorati Tags: Marketplace,Windows Mobile 6.5,Developer