Pocket PC 2003
I use a Dell Axim X5. These are posts regarding software and hardware and development for this platform.
This post has been moved to http://www.rjdudley.com/blog/VoqA11AndWindowsMobile5.aspx. Pleas update your bookmarks.
Google recently launched its Local Mobile search function, so I decided to give it a whirl from our new Red Robin. Good burger, lousy search results. Naturally, I checked out 'florist' and '16001', and ended up with donut shops and photographers. These results are pulled from some other sources than the main index, and it seems as if Google is pulling anything related to weddings with its florist results. For once, Google has some more work to do. In the meantime, try the Freckled Lemonade.
There are some other mobile search and information sources. Search Day recently reviewed them at http://searchenginewatch.com/searchday/article.php/3498296.
Yesterday was Microsoft Strategy Summit in Pittsburgh, and interesting as it was, it was the final few minutes that were most memorable for me. I won the Sierra Wireless Voq Professional Phone for filling out the survey. Sweet! This is one bad-arse smartphone! This model came loaded with Windows Mobile 2003 SP1, and close to 30MB on-board memory. There's a slot for SD cards, and a groovy flip-out keyboard. Navigation is mainly done with a joystick located just below the screen, and you can sync via USB cable (cradle optional) or the infrared sensor on the top. Being a Windows Mobile-powered phone, there's all the bells and whistles that comes with that. The speaker is actually good for this type of device, and the screen is excellent. VoqMail Professional was included, which is an Outlook-type client that has native communications with Exchange--some of the rich features include continuous delivery, meeting acceptance/decline, attachments and calendering. It's even compatible with Lotus Notes, whatever that is. ;)
As excited as I am to have the phone, using it looks to be an adventure in my area. It's a GPRS phone, and doesn't work with Verizon in my area. The only carriers here that support it are Cingular and T-Mobile, two carriers that don't have great coverage in the mainly rural area in which I live. Undaunted, I headed down to the Cingular store near where I work, just north of Pittsburgh. The folks at the shop were amazed at the phone--they had never seen anything like it. I signed up for a voice and data plan, and Cingular has a 30-day cancellation policy. That was key, given the historical badness of the coverage in this area. Having a plan sold to me was relatively painless, but there were some additional steps to get the thing actually on the web.
Since the phone was not provided by Cingular, I had to set up the GPRS network myself. Doing so wasn't difficult--I had to download the developer details from another website, and punch in a few settings in the control panel, and I was off. Cingular is a DHCP-based network, so the DNS and IP settings I just left blank. This wasn't mentioned in the documentation, but I guess it's not necessary for the usual people reading that document.
So far, the data experience is pretty good. Coverage is four bars from where I sit, but driving around the next couple of weeks will tell the true tale. I'll keep you posted.
Want to take your webcasts with you? Part of the problem is that the webcasts need to be sized and compressed for the Pocket PC screen. I figured this out finally, and here's what you have to do:
1) Download the webcasts you want. Follow the instructions here: http://blogs.msdn.com/msdnwebcasts/articles/180027.aspx
2) Download and install the Windows Media 9 Encoder. Get it at: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/9series/encoder/default.aspx
After installing the Windows Encoder, start it up. You'll have a wizard that presents you with a number of choices. Choose “Convert a File”, and go from there. Make sure to choose Pocket PC as the output format, and I chose the landscape option. You can choose to save the format wherever; I chose to save directly to a Compact Flash card that I slide directly into my Dell Axim X5.
This is pretty good for 200 level webcasts, but not so good for 400 level webcasts. You can't read the code in any demos, so it's only good for an overview webcast. If you just want to listen, you can convert the audio only and send it to your iPod.
This process takes nearly as much time to convert as it does to watch the thing, so converting a few is best for a background activity.
Also (hypothetically speaking of course), try not to let your wife find out this is why you are runninng late for Christmas Eve dinner at her mother's house.
This is a test post from my Dell Axim, using Pocket Sharp MT2. The trick to configuring the CGI-BIN path is explained by Sajay.
Pocket Shap MT2 supports categories and draft posts, as well as text formatting. Very nice app for Pocket PC 2003.
My Axim has a WiFi card, and now I can blog wherever I can get a connection. Sweet!
So apparently when I open ActiveSync, and navigate Explore >> Mobile Device, I'm supposed to see the SD and CF card (both being memory cards at the time, but the CF card is switched out for the WiFi card). Well, I don't see these cards. Anyone have any idea? I have an Axim X5 running Pocket PC 2003. The cards work fine from the Axim, I just can't copy anything to them without a utility like MighySync (http://www.mydocsunlimited.com/html/mightysync.html). I'd prefer to access these cards directly, like you're supposed to. Dell is no help.
<update 04-2005>
Upgrading to ActiveSync 3.8 remedied the problem. Download it from http://www.microsoft.com/windowsmobile/downloads/activesync38.mspx.
</update>
Photo Contacts (Pocket PC Edition w/ Photo Caller ID)
How cool is this? I use my Axim extensively to keep track of my contacts, and adding faces or icons is a great way to easily find who I'm lookoing for--with some of my business contacts, I don't always have the name to go with the face.
Install this on a Pocket PC phone, and the person's photo pops up when they call! Apparently it integrates with the contacts database already on your system, so you don't need to re-enter or import the contacts.
Really cool! (click the photo to see full product details)
I am almost excited to see this program available for Pocket PC. This is the program that nearly kept me from switching from my Handspring Visor to my Dell Axim. I almost stayed with a Palm device when I found out this was not available on Pocket PC.
As far as password keepers go, the Palm version of this app is the best one I've ever used. I've had several on each platform, and this one carried me through several years of Visor usage. SplashData's products are very well designed, easy to use, and inexpensive for the features you get. This program also comes with a desktop edition that syncs to the Pocket PC.
I say “almost excited” because since I switched to my Axim, I found FlexWallet 2005 Password Keeper from Two Peaks software. FlexWallet is everything I liked about SplashID, and on the Pocket PC platform. I probably won't switch from FlexWallet to SpalshID now that SplashID is available for the Pocket PC, since it's a real pain to migrate all those passwords. However, if you are looking for a new password keeper, you owe it to yourself to get the trial versions of both of these and see how they compare. Come back and add some comments once you've tried them.
Click here for more information on Spalsh ID Password Keeper for Poclet PC
This is a very cool (and looks like fun) example of game programming for the Compact .NET Framework.
Pocket 1945 - A C# .NET CF Shooter
Pocket 1945 is a classic shooter inspired by the classic 1942 game. The game is written in C# targeting the .NET Compact Framework
...
In order to play you need a Pocket PC enabled device with the .NET Compact Framework 1.1 installed. To install simply copy the Pocket1945.exe file and the level XML files to a new folder on your device. No installation is required.
To play the game, you use the direction keys on your device. To exit, click the calendar button (first hardware button). To fire, click the second hardware button. Since I don’t own a real device I’m not sure what the “name” of these buttons are. But, just give it a go!
The current game is far from “finished”, but it is safe to run the code and it is playable. The game consists of 4 levels. To add levels of your own, simply make new level XML files and copy them to the game folder on your device.
Get FlexWallet 2005 (with FREE Desktop Edition) by Two Peaks Software from Handango
Two Peaks has released a major upgrade for their FlexWallet program, and it's nice! Upgrading was easy--you can just import your old wallet. They have all new icons--XP style, and more of them. Other new features include the ability to edit templates even though there are cards using the templates, unlimited fields in each template, support for landscape and hi-res VGA devices, faster encryption, text or numeric lock codes, the list goes on. I'm digging it. Also, a minor update is promised that we can use custom icons as well.
Another cool Smart Client Code Sample
FotoVision
The FotoVision sample allows you to easily share photos on the web and demonstrates a variety of .NET technologies including Windows Forms, ASP.NET, Web services, and the .NET Compact Framework. It consists of a desktop, web, and Pocket PC sample applications. This paper provides information so you can get the most from the FotoVision desktop application.
<edit Jun 16 2004>
I thought that the FotoVision page at MS would have been fixed by the time this got posted. Guess not, and it's still not correct. In addition to Frank's blog entry that Colt points out below, Jonathon Wells also has the correct links for the various pieces.