Wednesday, February 28, 2007

QRCode - Generating and Scanning

Do you know that QRCode is very popular in Japan for encoding information? QRCode is a type of 2D barcoding technique that encodes more information than what is traditionally possible with linear barcodes.

I will be covering how to generate and scan QRCodes using the MC70 in the upcoming course -
Windows Mobile 5.0 Pocket PC Programming using the .NET Compact Framework 2.0. Register for the course today!

Monday, February 26, 2007

Two New Courses Launched - Windows Mobile 6 and Windows Vista Sidebar & SideShow Gadgets Programming!

Today I launched two new courses:

At the moment, these two courses are only targeted at in-house training. If your organization want to have a quick overview of what is new in Windows Mobile 6 and Windows Vista programming, contact me at weimenglee@gmail.com.

Saturday, February 24, 2007

Build a Photo Viewer Using the New FTP Classes in .NET 2.0

Yet another highly useful but underappreciated feature of .NET 2.0? How about the FTPWebRequest and FtpWebResponse classes? These nifty classes let you built FTP file access right into your applications. See how it's done with this handy photo viewer example.

Wednesday, February 21, 2007

Ricavision's Vista SideShow Remote Control

Ricavision has announced their latest remote control that supports the Windows Vista SideShow technology. It supports IrDA and Class-1 Bluetooth, and a very sexy 2.5" QVGA LCD for SideShow. Enuff said, a picture is worth a thousand words.

New ASUS motherboards support SideShow

If you are looking to build a new PC to run Windows Vista, be sure to first checkout the new motherboards from ASUS - P5B Premium Vista Edition, M2N32-SLI Premium Vista Edition, P5B-Plus Vista Edition and M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition. These 4 models include numerous features specifically designed for Vista, among them my favorite is no doubt the ScreenDuo, which is a SideShow device. SideShow is a auxiliary display supported in Windows Vista that allows you to view important information without needing to keep your PC on all the time. Some of the early SideShow devices are commonly found in notebooks, but the four motherboards listed above brings SideShow devices to the desktop.

And of course, SideShow devices are useless unless you got a way to program them to display useful information. Well, of course you can! Stay tuned! ;-)

Monday, February 19, 2007

Sony Ericsson W850i

Recently, my old phone - the old trusty Motorola E398, gave way and I was searching for a new phone. As I have always been a great fan of Sony Ericsson, I finally decided on the W850i Walkman phone (I got the black one). This is a handsome handset that supports 3G and it has all the great features that you have come to expect from Sony Ericsson's line of Walkman phones. Sound quality is superb and it features a 2MP camera. It comes with a 1GB Memory Stick Pro Duo and hence I can reuse my memory stick for my Sony T10 camera.

I am still exploring the phone but so far I am a happy user!

Preorder Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Book 7)

If you are a Harry Potter fan, be sure to pre-order the "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Book 7)" from Amazon.com.

Sunday, February 18, 2007

Download my articles on CoDe Magazine!

In the Sep/Oct 2006 and Nov/Dec 2006 issues of CoDe Magazine, I have the following articles:

Programming Windows Mobile 5.0 Applications using the .NET Compact Framework

Fun with RFID

Thanks to the generosity of Code Magazine, they have kindly made the PDF copies of the article/magazine available for download. You can simply click on the above links to download the articles.

If you like CoDe magazine, be sure to check the following link for a great discount offer for subscribers! https://www.code-magazine.com/subscribe/vip ($10 discount plus they get a CD with the past 5 years of CoDe on it).

Thursday, February 15, 2007

GPS Module for your Symbol MC70

Another really cool device I tried recently is the 1058-GPS from Technology Solutions (UK) Ltd. This is another plug-in for the MC70 and it draws the power from the MC70 directly. Accessing it programmatically is a no-brainer - simply listen to COM1 and interpret the NMEA data sentences that it spew out. For industries that need to track the whereabouts of their staff and delivery vehicles, this is a perfect accessory for your MC70, which has GPRS and Wi-Fi capabilities, allowing you to transmit the geographical locations back to the server real time using wireless connections (GPRS or wireless hotspots).

I have an actual sample on how to perform real-time tracking using GPS and Pocket PCs at: http://www.devx.com/wireless/Article/32938/1763.

I will be covering how to use the 1058-GPS Module in the upcoming course -

RFID Solutions for your Symbol MC70

If you are looking for a RFID solution and are searching for the mobile devices and its accompanying accessories, look no further. Recently, I had the opportunity to work with the 1059 HF Multi-ISO RFID Reader from Technology Solutions (UK) Ltd. The 1059 HF Multi-ISO RFID Reader is a plug-in for the Symbol MC70 and it draws its power from the MC70, and hence it does not require any external sources of power. It provides the ability to read and write to a wide variety of transponders at 13.56 MHz including ISO 15693, ICODE (I & II) and the complete Mifare family of ISO14443 (A&B).

Using the 1059 HF Multi-ISO RFID Reader, you can retain the barcode scanning capabilities of the MC70 and at the same time equip your MC70 with RFID capabilities.

I will be covering how to use the 1059-HF Multi-ISO RFID Reader module in the upcoming course -
Windows Mobile 5.0 Pocket PC Programming using the .NET Compact Framework 2.0. Register for the course today!

Wednesday, February 14, 2007

101 Ways to Manipulate the DataGridView Control

The DataGridView control, new in Windows Forms 2.0, is so versatile and powerful that beginners can easily be overwhelmed by the options. Here's an at-your-fingertips reference to some of the most common and useful things you can do with it. (OK there aren't really 101 ways but there are a lot!)

Monitor Your Web Cam from a Remote Computer

We've offered a few solutions for working with web cams within .NET to create fun and intriguing monitoring applications. In this article, we extend those ideas so that web cam images can be shared with multiple clients over the Web.

Sunday, February 11, 2007

Windows Mobile 6.0 SDK released!

Microsoft has recently announced the next version of Windows Mobile - Windows Mobile 6.0. In place of the current offerings, Microsoft has grouped them into three specific classes:

Microsoft SmartPhone ---> Windows Mobile Standard
Windows Mobile Pocket PC Phone Edition ---> Windows Mobile Professional
Windows Mobile Pocket PC ---> Windows Mobile Classic

You can now download the SDK for Windows Mobile 6.0 Standard and Professional.

Note:
To install the Windows Mobile 6.0 SDKs, you need to have the following:
1. Visual Studio 2005
2. ActiveSync 4.5
3. .NET CF 2.0 SP1

I will post more information after I have experimented with it! Stay tuned!

Friday, February 09, 2007

My Programming Sudoku book translated into French!

Today, I received a little surprise in the mail...I received a copy of my Programming Sudoku book translated into French! ;-) I hope I get the language right, for I do not understand a single word in the book, except my name and the familar screen shots. ;-)

So if there are french readers out there who have read this book, I really welcome your feedback!

Wednesday, February 07, 2007

Course on Windows Mobile 5.0 Programming


UPDATES: Includes coverage of Bluetooth Printing using Zebra Bluetooth Printers!!!

I am conducting a course on Windows Mobile 5.0 Programming on the 11th May 2007. Here are the details:

Course Title: Windows Mobile 5.0 Programming
Topics: RFID, GPS, IrDA Programming (and more!) on the Windows Mobile 5.0 Pocket PC
Date: 11th May 2007
Venue: Symbol Technologies Asia, Inc
Cost: S$299 (if you register before 11th March). S$399 after 11th March. Includes 1 lunch and 2 tea breaks
Register by: 11th April 2007.

To register, please send an email to weimenglee@gmail.com for the registration form. Alternatively, you can download the registration form directly here.

Synopsis
This course will introduce to participants the various techniques to program their Windows Mobile 5.0 Pocket PC devices. Far from being an introductory course, this feature-packed course will show you how to interface with external devices, communicate wirelessly with other devices, as well as access the data of built-in applications (such as Contacts, Outlook Mobile, and Calendar) from within your own.

What You Will Learn

  • How to access the information of your contacts in Contacts
  • How to integrate telephony functions into your application
  • How to connect to serial devices (e.g. GPS, computers) using Bluetooth
  • How to obtain geographical location information using a GPS
  • How to send and receive SMS messages
  • How to capture images using the built-in camera
  • How to perform barcode scanning
  • How to capture signature
  • How to program the IrDA port
  • How to connect to a remote computer using sockets programming
  • How to program RFID
Venue
Symbol Technologies Asia, Inc
230 Victoria Street
#12-06/10
Bugis Junction Office Tower
Singapore 188024

Important Note
You will be required to bring your own notebook computer for the course. The required software will be sent to you one week before the commencement of the course. Please ensure that the required software is installed before attending the course.

Loaner Windows Mobile 5.0 devices will be provided during the course for testing purposes.