This past weekend traveled 1,377 mi (2,216 km) from Seattle to LA on a Coast Starlight Amtrak train.

What an experience!

Doing what you ask? Writing Green/Eco-friendly Mobile Applications on Windows Phone platform for Windows Phone. The even is called Windows Mobile Train Race, sponsored by Microsoft and AT&T Developer program.

Kevin Wolf and I teamed up right away to write a Share-A-Ride application, and we feature completed v1.0 on the train!

Kevin did the lion’s share of the work providing live web services to drive mobile app and I helped out with the concept, UI and more artistic aspects of the project. We will be unveiling it in the marketplace this year, it would have been super useful at PDC09, if we had more time – as train arrived in LA at 9PM the night before PDC09 opened it’s doors.

It was great to talk spend two days with amazing people from Microsoft, AT&T Developer program and the participants who were enthusiast, professional developers and Microsoft MVPs.

Kevin Wolf just blogged about the trip in more detail here.

Check out the Photo Album here.

Don’t forget to check out agenda to the Windows Phone Camp coming up December 5th. They will even have new Windows Phones to give away!

I’m very excited to see some progress and buzz at Tampa Code Camp since we announced. We are still accepting speaker submissions and we are working having more sessions now. Continue spreading the word in person, online and even in general public too!

We can still use your help to reach out to your fellow geeks and let them know about Windows Phone Camp, you never know who is not admitting to be a fan.

Don’t believe the hype? At  the very least come out and learn about what’s new for yourself. We will even have a few devices on display for you to play with.

Our website is: http://www.windowsphonecamp.com

Expect to:

• Learn everything you need to get you started developing for the new Windows Phone
• Meet other Mobile enthusiast and professionals
• Cool raffle prizes
• Chance to attend WinMoDev StartUp event later that night [see earlier post]

Here are just a few of the sessions you will see:

• Why Windows Mobile Platform?
• Getting started with Developer tools
• What is Marketplace for Mobile and how to Submit My Application
• How to work with SQL Compact and Sync Services
• What are Widgets and how to develop them
• How to build a Touch friendly Application
• A Windows Mobile Gaming Framework
• A bonus Zune HD XNA game programming session

Don’t forge to RSVP - http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=xcEvvkDzUJvsuX7m4f8ftA_3d_3d

Got Questions? Want to be a Speaker?
Or if you or someone you know, knows of a Mobile Company that would like to sponsor this event?
Then email us at contact@windowsphonecamp.com

It’s official - Windows Phone Camp is happening in Tampa, FL on December 5th 2009 !!!

The event will be similar to a CodeCamp, not BarCamp style event. There will be a schedule with tracks, topics and speakers.
Also with enough interest – even OpenSpace/Collaboration area and a Consumer track were attendees can learn and see changes in Windows Phone 6.5 that improve the phone experience.

Being the first Windows Phone/Mobile focused event in the area we need your help:

1. 1. Please RSVP so we can place an order for an appropriate amount of food and plan the seating.
   
   If we show lots of interest it will be easier to get additional prizes, more speakers and sponsors for the event making it even better for all of us.
   
   
2. 2. Please help us spread the word!

Official site: http://www.windowsphonecamp.com/

Blog for updates: http://www.windowsphonecamp.com/blog/

Link to the RSVP

Saturday November 7th, 2009, I will be presenting at Tampa Code Camp 2009.

This Code Camp is second behind infamous South Florida Code Camp in number of attendees…close to 500 planning to attend.
So be sure to register to get your spot and in-person must be present to win raffle prize opportunity: http://www.tampacodecamp.com/ 

Hope to see you there. Be sure to ask to see my Windows Phone.

Here are the abstracts on the sessions I will be presenting:

Windows Phone Widgets

Intro on how to build Windows Mobile Phone Widgets. Level 100.

In this presentation I will discuss the strategy, scenarios and applications of how an online presence, RIA application can be extended to a Windows Phone near you!

I will explain how to design and develop a widget. Also how to carry over your excising talent, assets and expertise in Web space to mobile application world.

Windows Marketplace for Mobile

In this session, Nikita Polyakov (Mobile Developer MVP) and Kevin Wolf (Mobile Device Collector) will introduce you to what it takes to get your Windows Mobile Application or Widget published to Windows Marketplace for Mobile. We will cover signing up for the program and any special requirements for your software as well as the steps involved to submit your application.

This weekend, October 3, 2009, I will be presenting at SW Florida Code Camp. 

Hope to see you there. Be sure to ask to see my phone, I have something really cool to show you.

Here are the abstracts on the sessions I will be presenting:

Windows Phone Widgets

Intro on how to build Windows Mobile Phone Widgets. Level 100.

In this presentation I will discuss the strategy, scenarios and applications of how an online presence, RIA application can be extended to a Windows Phone near you!

I will explain how to design and develop a widget. Also how to carry over your excising talent, assets and expertise in Web space to mobile application world.

Windows Marketplace for Mobile

In this session, Nikita Polyakov (Mobile Developer MVP) and Kevin Wolf (Mobile Device Collector) will introduce you to what it takes to get your Windows Mobile Application or Widget published to Windows Marketplace for Mobile. We will cover signing up for the program and any special requirements for your software as well as the steps involved to submit your application.

Continuing to share some helpful mobile development tools I find. In this post, Widgets. [If you attended one of my community talks, this is the blog post I mentioned.]

The best resource for the Widget's details is the blog and MSDN page. That is what I used to prepare for my presentation and write a few widgets.
The Widgets are incredibly simple. I was suprised once I read up on everything I can find. That is it. It’s all there is. Incredibly simple in v1 of Widgets for Windows Phone OS.

1. Setting up and Getting started blog post: http://blogs.msdn.com/windowsmobile/archive/2009/06/04/getting-started-with-widgets-on-windows-mobile-6-5.aspx

2. Follow the new Windows Mobile blog – they have a running serious on Widget development that would be repetative to repeat here for now:
http://windowsteamblog.com/blogs/windowsphone/default.aspx

3. Comprehensive official Widget MSDN article detailing the Widget API: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd721906.aspx 

So what do I do original, you ask? I use a modified version of this:

Widgets Emulator by Mikael Söderström
This tool has been an extremely helpful tool in building Widgets’ UI for different resolutions & layouts. I simply code around the Widget API requests for now with if (false==devmode) { } kind of stuff so I can test all the UI and web code. To think of it, menu’s and API calls are not pivotal to what your app does for the most part. I am still tweaking how I work with this Emulator. I want to do some things differently or contribute to this project. But nevertheless this is stellar tool for UI testing. Thank you Mikael!

http://widgetemulator.codeplex.com/ 

Read: http://weblogs.asp.net/mikaelsoderstrom/archive/2009/08/05/windows-mobile-emulator.aspx

Channel9 posted my presentation from Episode 4 of the TV Show Russ Tool Shed presents... "It's All About The Tools"  

Tool Shed Tooltip #26 - Mobility and the Mobility Market Place 

I don’t physically have test devices, how do I develop for so many different screen sizes  on mobile devices? How do I make money selling my application for a mobile device?  Can I develop for Windows Mobile 6.5 now?
Lean the answers to these questions and more and join Nikita Polyakov, Microsoft MVP Device Application Development.

http://channel9.msdn.com/shows/toolshed/Tool-Shed-Tooltip-26-Mobility-and-the-Mobility-Market-Place

Feel free to rate and leave comments.

I will be speaking at next few Code Camps in FL.

Writing Widgets for WindowsMobile 6.5
“How to write a basic widget & use Widget API. How to use AJAX to talk back to your .NET application.”

Here are the dates:

1. Jacksonville Code Camp - Saturday, August, 29, 2009

http://www.jaxcodecamp.com/Agenda.aspx/SessionDetail/7fd6692b-440c-4c22-aecc-de49d11f839b

2. Tallahassee Code Camp - Saturday, September 5th, 2009

http://www.tallycodecamp.org/2009/sessions/Widgets

3 SW Florida Code Camp - Saturday, October 3rd, 2009 ???

Rumor has it SW FL code camp has a session submitted too:
http://codecamp.swfldev.net/Speakers.aspx Page 2

Find out more about Widgets here. Spoiler alert – they are awesome!

Here are some useful links to things I recently found:

Single most important file in the Windows Mobile 6.5 Widget – The Manifest file, great article:
http://windowsteamblog.com/blogs/windowsphone/archive/2009/08/12/widget-anatomy-the-manifest.aspx

Control Toolkit of Interest to iPhone developers looking to port their apps to Windows Mobile Marketplace:
http://fluid.codeplex.com/

Speaking of iPhone ports, here is a great article:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee355030.aspx

Another interesting CodePlex project is showing use of .NET CF in a great tutorial app controlling the camera:
http://winmocamera.codeplex.com/

Also, get ready to for Mobile Camps:

WinMoDevCamp - Windows Mobile Developer Camp

Wednesday, August 19, 2009 from 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM (PT)

Redmond, WA
http://winmodevcamp-seattle.eventbrite.com/?ref=twittershare

Breaking News!: Might as well start keeping weekends in early December clear for Windows Mobile DevCamp Tampa, FL. You will want to be there! Rumors? Questions? -> @NikitaP

Happy Mobile Coding!

Tampa NerdDinner tomorrow night http://www.nerddinner.com/874

Sorry for late notice. Please ReTweet and spread the word.

NerdDinner: Tampa Bay MS Developers @ Green Iguana

When:

Where: 1200 N West Shore Blvd, Tampa, FL, USA

Description: Tampa Bay Microsoft Developers. Lots of Developer Evangelists from Microsoft are rumored to be in the area. This is a casual event. Tweetup at 8PM. Invite your nice friends. Don't forget that everyone is responsible for paying for their own meals. URL for hCalendar 

Tool Shed: Episode #4 - It's All About The Tools is now posted:
http://channel9.msdn.com/shows/toolshed/Show-Episode-4-Its-All-About-The-Tools-TV-Show/

You can find me 2/3 into the video. Thank you to Russ and the rest of the crew and speakers.

In this video, you will find tools to help solve these common developer challenges…

·       I've got an HD WMV file, but it does not play properly when streamed over the internet.

·       My browser-based blog posting tools are clunky and difficult to use - there's got to be an easier way!

·       I don’t physically have test devices, how do I develop for so many different screen sizes  on mobile devices?

·       Are you tired of writing wire up code, based on events in WPF or Silverlight, like storyboard1.Begin() on a mouse click event?

Remember, you have to know the code to get into the shed. KNOW THE CODE. Get some popcorn and enjoy the show! Russ

[ From the official blog post: The Race to Market from the Windows Mobile team. ]

On July 27th, 2009 - a historic moment for all Windows Mobile developers:

Windows Marketplace for Mobile is accepting application submissions from all 29 supported countries.

Registered developers and ISVs can now upload their application, game or widget to the Windows Marketplace platform and we’ll begin certifying those apps according to the process, policies and guidelines we’ve published.

We certify apps on a First In, First Out (FIFO) basis. Certification should normally take about 10 business days initially and you can always check on your application during the process through our Developer Dashboard.

To better market your app, you can provide us with all the product information and promotional materials you’d like us to use to describe and showcase your application for the more than 30 million Windows Mobile devices out there.

And an official contest:

Race to Market Challenge

• Prizes; 4 Microsoft Surface tables (Developer Edition), online marketing & promotion of your app and challenge trophies for the mantle. 
 
• Applications will be judged on:
  • Most downloads of a free app
  • Most valuable app (downloads x price)
  • Most useful (as judged by Microsoft panel)
  • Most playful (as judged by Microsoft panel)
• Contest runs from launch to Dec 31, 2009.

Further details are available at http://mobilethisdeveloper.com.

 

So get going!

This week I will be speaking on Windows Mobile Development at:

Tuesday July 21st

Lakeland.NET in Speaker Idol
Do you have the chops to compete head to head against other speakers on topics relating to .NET? Now is your chance to prove it! All welcome!

Wednesday July 22nd

Tampa.NET at live taping of "It's All About the Tools" TV Show.

Its all about the Tools - Expression 3, Windows Live Writer, Mobility and more - Russ Fustino, Bill Reiss, Nikita Polyakov and Stan Shultes

Be part of the TV Live studio audience (signed release waivers will be required) for the filming of Episode 4 of Russ’ Tool Shed presents “It’s All About the tools – TV Show”

So come out and enjoy some local events and be sure to talk to your local MVPs, Influentials and other Superheroes - ask them lots of questions - they like it. Secretly.

 
Also:

Wednesday July 29th

All new TampaUX.NET meeting, my other passion.
Come all, bring your designer friends and co-workers!

 

PS: I might be speaking at JaxCodeCamp on August 29th on "Windows Mobile 6.5 Widgets"

Breaking news!

In a recent blog post: Get Ready; Windows Marketplace for Mobile Offers Millions of Potential New Customers

Windows Mobile Marketplace is confirmed to be released for Windows Mobile 6 and 6.1 OS by the end of 2009.

The Windows Mobile 6.5 version will of course still ship as part of the OS in fall. [*see footnote]

Here are the major details, as listed in the blog

To recap the Windows Marketplace for Mobile announcements at Worldwide Partner Conference:
1.       Application Submission Opens on July 27th: Windows Marketplace will open for application submissions from 29 supported countries July 27^th.
2.       Windows Mobile 6.0 and 6.1 Support: Windows Marketplace will be available for Windows Mobile 6.0 and 6.1 by the end of 2009 (in addition to Windows Mobile 6.5 at launch in the fall).
3.       Business Center: Windows Marketplace will feature a "Business Center" category for business applications.
4.       Developer Contest: Microsoft will be disclosing the details of a Windows Marketplace developer contest on July 27.

[* WM 6.5 Phones will not ship with Marketplace on Verizon phones, as VZ says that they know best and will provide their own Marketplace on "all" of their phones, more on that here. Hope this will be pulled. One will be able to download and install Marketplace, but is a disheartening news to developers as details of what VZ is thinking for it's store strategy is unknown.]