Technically Speaking

Still Searching for a Good Mac OS X Blog Editor

I am writing this post using the ScribeFire Firefox plug-in. I am still on the lookout for a blog editor that come close to all the features and ease of use found in Microsoft's LiveWriter - but runs on Mac OS X. I have found some close ones -- MarsEdit and X -- but their big achilles heel is that they don't recognize SharePoint blogs running on MOSS 2007 (sp1 or otherwise). Natch Microsoft would build support in to its tool - no one else does though. And I will be damned if I can find a way to manually configure it to work. Grrrr

Technorati Tags: MarsEdit, ScribeFire, LiveWriter

posted @ Wednesday, August 20, 2008 3:37 PM | Feedback (0)

Guitar Hero for the iPhone?

Why isn't Guitar Hero out for the iPhone yet in the app store? Don’t tell me the folks that make this awesomely addictive game have overlooked this platform! For anywhere from five to ten bucks I wouldn't even think twice about getting this game. Especially when it could be combined with the iTunes store in some fashion to download the songs from the game, or get exclusive game-related content like live song versions or other unreleased material – videos from the band or interviews? Rock on. And with the resources available in a company like Activision and the accelerated development platform Apple provides for the iPhone should make getting this to market low effort and high return. Throw the visual fret-board in the middle where the notes stream down and put visual touch buttons (red, blue, green , etc.) on the side. Figure out how to strum (home button?) and your set. To turn on star power? Tilt the iPhone! Let’s go Guitar Hero and get this app out pronto. Please?

posted @ Tuesday, July 15, 2008 9:33 AM | Feedback (1)

Microsoft SCMDM Team Blog Unveiled

From the mobility space: Microsoft’s System Center Mobile Device Manager team has started blogging! Follow Dieter and his team as they share their large and collective wisdom on SCMDM and all its related goodness. Hey guys? Can we get iPhone support in the next version? I can dream …

posted @ Friday, July 11, 2008 10:16 AM | Feedback (0)

XP Thin Client Runs on iPhone

From ZD Net Australia:

in brief Citrix used its thin client technology to demonstrate an Apple iPhone running Windows XP, at the recent Citrix Application Delivery Conference in Melbourne.

Windows XP, seen below running on the iPhone, was loaded using Citrix's thin client desktop software XenDesktop. Using the Citrix ICA client — a UNIX application that allows devices to access Windows sessions on a Citrix server — the presenter was able to run Windows on the iPhone via Wi-Fi.

Hit the link above to see screen shots of the client running. The iPhone’s native touch screen pinches and other controls work as well allowing you to zoom in on the thin client while running. Tres cool.

posted @ Wednesday, June 18, 2008 3:08 PM | Feedback (1)

WWDC Logistics Suck! Viva la TechEd Organization

Okay, I didnt know what to expect this being my first Apple WWDC. I am a vetran of ten Microsoft TechEd’s and a couple MECs. For the most part, Microsoft has cold the logistics of feeding, moving and running over ten thousand people around in an orderly fashion. People would joke about the strictness of the lunch ushers or the “soda and cookie nazis” that guarded the coolers and treats until just the right moment. We laughed at the guards that made us go a certain way and managed the ebb and flow of the geeky crowds. Having been at the Apple WWDC for one day, I laugh no more.

To say that there is no control over anything here would be generous. To wait through the ritualistic Jobsian hazing for this morning’s keynote was a case in painful point. My flight was late last night and I couldnt register on Sunday. Registration opens at 7am, three hours before the keynote. Even though I know the Apple fanboys are famous for lining up hours ahead of time, surely I say, registration would be a simple affair. Ha! How wrong I was. People waiting for the keynote seating and those waiting for registration are put together in one line. This I had to finally just accept as none of the guards or ushers at the front door could confirm this for me. I was told to just get in the big line. Later, some of my line mates confirmed this is indeed where I should be. Then the condensation of the line starts. As you move up you are instructed to make a line four across and the mass starts to condense. Then you are allowed in to the building in groups. At this point, you can continue on to wait in line or register. If you register you lose your place in line and have to then re-join the line wherever it happens to be when you are done registering. You are reminded not to lose your badge – you will not get another.

The way food is distributed is a nightmare. It is just wheeled out to the masses and you would think they just threw one hundred pounds of red meat to five thousand starving tigers. At 3pm, after a morning of nothing but coffee and little dixie cups of water, they put out Odwalla juices, cookies, fruit and chocolate. Chaos insued as people fought and shoved to get to the juices and snacks. People were literally shoving and pushing to grab a juice or a bag of chips. It was a repeat when they rolled out drinks and hot hors d'oeuvres at the reception later that evening. I didnt even stay. I couldnt find anything redeeming about the  mess.

Lining up to get in to sessions isnt any better. Most of them fill up and you have to get in queue as soon as the previous session ends if you want to get in. There are plenty of Apple “staff” around, but not many get involved to make things a good experience.

Apple, send some people up to visit Brian’s team at Microsoft that runs TechEd. Take notes.

And lastly, why the top-secret, CIA type security at all the sessions with regards to giving out information and guarding what is presented? Again, Microsoft beats you hands-down with their transparency, open blogging by staff and information sharing. There arent many (if any) things they wont share and discuss with you, especially at their top technical conference. Community, learning and sharing are key examples they set.

posted @ Wednesday, June 11, 2008 12:18 AM | Feedback (0)

I Will Never Fly United Again

Mental note: Never fly United ever, ever again. Please cancel my United frequent flyer membership and flush all my miles down the proverbial toilet on one of your crappy planes.

We all know how bad off the airline industry is. They are limping along, or at best, trying to ‘reinvent’ themselves in to some kind of relevancy while slowly stripping us of benefits and things that were once standard wherever you flew. Now you pay for your luggage, you only get a granola bar for your $1200 first class seat and even going to the bathroom can be met with hostility. Now Delta in-flight engineers claim it is a security risk for coach passengers to use the first class bathroom. When called on their completely false logic, they then went on to say that all first class passengers have been pre-screened and we know more about them given their proximity to the cabin. Wow, even that guy you just upgraded? Touché. Do you think I am stupid?

The worst though was my wife’s recent trip to London. She flew United for the domestic leg to Dulles where she then took Virgin Atlantic across the pond. Her flight from DAY to IDA was delayed due to bad weather for over an hour. However, she was able to make her connection at Dulles in time. When she got to London, was her luggage there? Nope. With no helpful information coming from either carrier, she turned to me back in the States to try to help. I drove out to DAY and lo and behold what did I find at the United baggage office? Her luggage. Still_in_Dayton. Two days in London with no clothes or toiletries. Nice.

I went to the airport to pick her up a week later and guess what? You guessed it! They left her luggage behind at IAD *again.* She took it off of the Virgin Atlantic flight, brought it through customs and then re-checked it. On top of all of that , her flight to DAY was again, to no one’s surprise, delayed by two hours. So how does the baggage get left behind again?

My wife was understandably nuts at this point. Greeted by the United baggage rep with the same “we know nothing we will call you at some point when we find it” non-answer she was even more upset. At this point, the United rep responds “Ma’am, if you don’t calm down I am going to re-route your baggage to Beijing.” Nice. I finally resorted to working through the United 1-800 number for lost baggage and implored them to get it on the 10pm flight to DAY from IAD. That flight, was of course, delayed as well. To me, this means even more opportunity to get the baggage on there. Through the whole thing United wouldn't confirm anything. We can call in the morning and ask them to get it on the first flight. Why cant you call them *now* and ask them to get it on the 10pm flight? Our computers only send messages to each other every four hours. Wow. They certainly aren't spending money on computer upgrades.

I called back every hour through the night and was finally told the baggage ‘most likely’ was on the 10pm flight which was delayed to almost midnight. I picked up the baggage at the DAY airport at 1:50am.

“I hope your wife has calmed down by now” the agent from earlier told me. I am sure she has now that you didn’t route her baggage to Beijing.

posted @ Tuesday, June 10, 2008 2:24 PM | Feedback (0)

Mac OS X Snow Leopard

Announced today were the new features for the next OS version release for the Mac OS X – 10.6 – code named Snow Leopard. Each of the previous seven released over the last eight years since OS X was introduced ushered in over 1000 new features.

Number of new features being slated for introduction with Snow Leopard? Zero. None. Nada.

Okay, wait, there is one. Native OS integration with Microsoft’s Exchange server. Apple publicly acknowledged the market share Exchange server holds and has built native integration in to Apple Mail, iCal and the address book.

Snow Leopard (10.6) is slated to be released some time next year. Pre-release developer builds were handed out to attendees today. Exchange support requires Microsoft Exchange 2007. The presenter quipped that Microsoft should be happy with Apple for driving Exchange 2007 sales and adoption.

posted @ Monday, June 09, 2008 6:46 PM | Feedback (0)

Live Blogging from the WWDC Keynote

Everyone is streaming in trying to find the optimal seat. After four hours of waiting in line, I don’t care where I sit just as long as I am sitting. There are large plasmas all over the place which is good – from my vantage point, Jobs is going to be a dot. Huge applause – Al Gore is here in the audience. From my seat:

More cheesy pre-show music …

10:01 AM PST

Still waiting, people still streaming in. Whomever was in charge of the herd\logistics should be shot. Microsoft owns them in this regard – the all important conference logistics and organization!

10:05 AM PST

Still waiting – oh no, here we go – lights are down!! Applause. NDA on screen, all rights reserved, etc. Showtime!

Steve comes on stage to rabid and thunderous applause.

Record 5200 attendees. Sold out. Biggest venue we can find.

We have planned a lot of stuff to show you today.

Three parts to Apple: Mac, Music + iTunes, iPhone

Bringing up head of iPhone departments and product marketing

After lunch we get a peak at Snow Leopard!

iPhone

25K applied to paid developer program
iPhone 2.0

Enterprise Support

SDK

New User Features

Enterprise Support

Push email

OTA config

Certs

Remote wipe

Cisco VPN

Beta program – 35% of Fortune 500 participated

Showing video of customers like Disney that were in the beta

Customer testimonials from the beta program. Disney, The Army, Security companies, etc.

  Now the SDK

Opening uo the same API and tools they use internally to developers

Coca Touch – Media – Core Services – Core OS

Line for line same source code as Mac OS X

New feature called core location allows for location based services

Core Audio – open GL es and surround sound

Coca touch – OOF and UI optimized for full screen touch interface, makes building it a breeze

X Code will be used to write edit and debug

Interface builder lets you construct the user interface and then insert in code

iPhone emulator to debug and test

Instruments allows you to test, benchmark and appropriately size your apps.

SDK Demo with Interface builder

Interface builder interacts with X Code and knows about each other. Then compile in X Code and complete. Test in the simulator. Plug an iPhone in to the computer and you can then test on that iPhone. Signs it automatically, loads it on the iPhone and you can test. Debugger loads automatically. Looks at the location with location based services and can sort data based on that.

More developer demos.

Sega gets big round of applause for having Super Monkey Ball for the iPhone. In three months all development was complete. Game will launch with app store for $10

eBay – auctions on iPhone – watch lists and custom searches give updates in real time. Find out when you get out bid and when things you are tracking go on sale. Filmstrip allows you view all photos associated with sale. Will go live with the app store.

Loopt – location with a social network. Using location based services, you can see your friends on the map and see where they are. You can also share photos, comments and emails about\with where you are. Communicate with friends and get directions to where they are. Never eat lunch alone again. :) Free when the app store launches.

TypePad – post to their blogging platform natively from the iPhone. Blog the moment. Send photos straight to blog. Select photos from the photo album, scale and add. Add blog comments, choose blog, keywords, tags, etc. Then publish straight to blog. You can also view via Safari to check final product. Free at launch of app store.

Associated Press – mobile news network, read news streams, watch video, email stories to friends, you can also report the news you see from the iPhone (hmmmm – wonder how that will work out). Completed entire app in 5 weeks. Free from app store at launch.

More demos, more demos, I will be back after all the demos . . . .

MLB.com has media minutes on the iPhone after it happens. Near realtime streaming video.

And, a developer from an insurance agency developed an awesome band\musical application that allows you to make music on your iPhone.

Modality made an iPhone based app for medical students to learn all the parts of the body on in stunning detail with annotations and definitions. Quiz mode, etc. Brilliant.

MIMvista medical imaging software – medical imaging is a lot of data and a lot of action. They are showing slices of a fusion study from a CAT scan and metabolism from a PET scan at the same time in composite mode like a weather map. You can even self-mix it and they had a prototype in 3 weeks and a working model soon there after. It looks amazing and the detail is phenomenal. You can mark up all the images and make measurements, etc on screen. When you want to erase them you just shake the phone like an Etch-a-Sketch!!

Digital Legends has only been working on this for two weeks with the SDK. Demo of a game called Krull which looked absolutely amazing with full OpenGL 3D graphics. Available in Sept.

Demos over. Phew. Lets here the news!!!

Developers want notifications on actions even when the user is not running the app. IM and eBay alerts even when not running the app. They dont want to do this using background running apps. Drains battery and hinders performance. Just slammed WM6 using its task manager to kill background processes, like a “game or challenge” to keep your phone running well. Push notifications service will be used instead.

You can push badges to show how many unread emails you have, you can push sounds and you can push text alerts with actionable buttons. It scales. Works OTA on both WiFi and cellular networks.

Thats it for SDK updates.

Few more features:

contact search

Full iWork document support

Full Office document support

Bulk delete and move for email

Save images from email right to photo library

Scientific calculator

Parental controls

Languages – Asian, 2 Japanese, 2 Chinese, they can draw the symbols with their fingers if they want. Switch on the fly.

Comes out in Early July – free for all iPhone owners. $10 for iPod touch owners.

App store – opens in July when iPhone 2.0 comes out. Developers set price of app. Keep 70% of revenue. Can also give them away for free. No credit card or hosting fees.

Now going to be in 62 countries. If 10MB or less they can download over any network. If larger than WiFi or iTunes.

Enterprise app store, their apps only on their phones only. Distribute them on their own intranet. Users download them and sync to their phone via iTunes.

Ad Hoc is a third way to distribute apps. Ad Hoc distribution for up to 100 iPhones. User download and sync them on to their phones via iTunes.

MobileMe (the new .Mac)

Called “Exchange for the rest of us.” Better than activeStink. (sic). Now you can push email, contacts and calendars right to your mobile device. You can use Mac, PC or iPhone. Everything is stored in the cloud. When you get a message it is immediately pushed to all of your devices. Change a contact, make an appt. Get an email. OTA it is all kept up to date.

Can also be accessed via a web browser. Very nice interface. http://me.com

Sync photos as well. Documents and content too with iDisk. Cost? Log out when done with that computer if a public computer. Live demo took 4 seconds to sync changes across Mac, PC and iPhone.

$99 a year with 20GB storage for all contact. 60 day free trial. Comes out with iPhone 2.0 in July. Mobile.me replaces .mac – will get automatically upgraded.

Battery running low – will go on as long as I can.

iPhone first birthday on 6/29.

“The phone that has changed phones forever” & “Users love their iPhones.” 97% customer satisfaction. 98% mobile browsing. 94% email 80% are using 10 or more features.

6M iPhones and then ran out about 4 weeks ago.

Next challenges: 3G, Enterprise support, 3rd party app support, sell in more countries, more affordable!!!!

iPhone 3G!!!

• 3G
• Thinner
• Full plastic back
• Metal buttons
• 3.5 inch display
• Camera
• Flush headphone jack
• improved audio
• Feels better in your hand

3G for faster data downloads. Need for browser and email.

Test website 21 secs for 3G and 59 secs on edge

Great Battey life – 300 hours standby time – 3G talk time – 5 hours – industry leading – browsing 5-6 hours, video 7 hours, audio – 24 hours

GPS included in the new phone!!

Location-based services will rule. Location data from cell towers, wifi and GPS.

Full Exchange and Cisco support.

To the tune of “Its a Small World” the map gets populated to show it will be selling in 70 countries.

Moving on to “more affordable” - $599 for a 8GB, now $399 – will now go for $199 for an 8GB phone!!!

Goes on sale 7/11

posted @ Monday, June 09, 2008 3:55 PM | Feedback (0)

Waiting for the Keynote

Waiting in line for the keynote. Kind of a “cattle call” experience. At least we get moved around every hour or so. People started lining up last night. I woke at 5am and headed over and ended up being about 1000 back, wrapped three thirds of the way around the block.

It isn't easy standing amongst the faithful either. I heard about 100 Windows jokes in the span of an hour. Every story I heard told was always punctuated with ‘well you should see when I ran it on windows’ or ‘that would bring NT to its knees, ran on the Mac just fine’ and so on. Being in the very distinct minority I kept my mouth shut. :)

Around 6:45am PST they started to move us inside. If you have ever been to Disney World, you are familiar with this process. We proceeded to weave and wind around escalators, partitions and roping  around the convention center until we finally stopped. There we sat for another hour. Then we were moved upstairs to wait again. At least there are restrooms, water, coffee and bagels up here.

The other thing that is interesting compared to a Microsoft conference is that everyone is carrying the same thing. Everyone has an iPhone. Everyone has some size of a MacBook Pro or MacAir. The homogenous feel is overwhelming. I feel the urge to moo again.

posted @ Monday, June 09, 2008 11:46 AM | Feedback (1)

Photo Test Post

test of uploading photos

posted @ Monday, June 09, 2008 11:45 AM | Feedback (0)

Skyfire Mobile Browser Beta

Skyfire is a mobile browser that delivers rich web media "real fast." You can:

• Watch streaming video like YouTube
• Listen to streaming music like last.fm and Rhapsody
• Access social networks like Facebook and MySpace

Skyfire promises "blazing fast" page loads, as fast as your real PC. Skyfire also supports QuickTime, Java and Flash.

Sign up for the beta here.

posted @ Friday, May 09, 2008 1:18 PM | Feedback (0)

TechNet SCMDM Forum is Now Open

The public TechNet SCMDM (System Center Mobile Device Manager) is now open.

Here are some links to some good SCMDM blogs I have come across as well (link love):

• Marco Neilsen: http://myitforum.com/cs2/blogs/mnielsen/
• Patrick Salmon: http://patricksalmon.blogspot.com
• Enterprise Mobile (MS Partner): http://blog.enterprisemobile.com

posted @ Thursday, May 01, 2008 9:54 AM | Feedback (0)

Reply to All With Windows Mobile 6

As a person new to Windows Mobile 6 after being a corporate Blackberry user for many years, one of the first things that annoyed me was when I "replied to all" I also got a copy of the message in my Inbox. Even worse, if I was OOF, this also triggered my OOF message and I got that as well! The Blackberry doesn't do this and I was sure there was a way to fix it in Windows Mobile. Thanks to Vik for providing the info I needed. Although I am not sure why WinMo doesn't know this by default when you set up the email account for EAS ... I have provided a video demo using Jing on how to set it up.

 

posted @ Thursday, May 01, 2008 8:47 AM | Feedback (1)

Missing iPhone Ring Tone

At the end of the iPhone commercials there is a pleasant ring tone demonstrated that somehow never made it to the shipping iPhone. It is in fact, a sound from the iLife application that ships with new Macs. You can download it from this web site that solved the mystery!

posted @ Wednesday, April 30, 2008 2:02 PM | Feedback (0)

Microsoft System Center Mobile Device Manager Tools

Here are some helpful documents, guides and planning tools for those looking to evaluate or deploy System Center Mobile Device Manager.

System Center Mobile Device Manager 2008 Resource Kit Tools

System Center Mobile Device Manager 2008 Product Documentation

Microsoft TechNet Center: System Center Mobile Device Manager

Download the Windows Mobile 6.1 Device Emulator Kit (allows you to test SCMDM as phones pre-loaded with WM6.1 are not yet available, nor are upgrades.)

TechNet Edge: Intro to System Center Mobile Device Manager (scmdm) 2008

How Microsoft IT Secures Mobile Devices - wma file

Windows Mobile Parts 1-3 wma files - Part One - Part Two - Part Three

TechNet Forums - System Center Mobile Device Manager

posted @ Tuesday, April 29, 2008 4:21 PM | Feedback (0)