I will be speaking at devLink 2009!  If you are not familiar with devLink, take a look at what great technical content you get over three days for only $75.  Here is my speaker bio, and my sessions will be:

Windows Mobile Development*
Do you want to learn how to develop applications for Windows Mobile that are useful in your personal life, or in the enterprise? Had enough drag-and-drop demos where you build boring-looking applications? This session will include an introduction to the Windows Mobile platform, .NET Compact Framework, Windows Mobile SDKs, SQL Server Compact Edition, and frameworks from Microsoft and third-parties. The latter half of the session will discuss and demonstrate creating advanced user interfaces with .NET CF as well as tools and techniques for testing, debugging, and tuning your applications. This session expects no Windows Mobile or .NET CF experience, but will presume some Visual Studio and .NET experience.

Compact and Capable!**
SQL Server Compact Edition is an in-process database for use in applications that extend data storage capabilities to the desktop and to mobile devices. It is ideal for distributed and embedded applications and delivers essential relational database functionality in a small footprint while providing the familiar programming and management interfaces of SQL Server.  This session will explore how you can leverage SQL Compact as a local data store for Smart Client and Smart Device applications.  Also covered will be Visual Studio support, deployment options, ADO.NET interfaces, and synchronization options. Leave this session empowered with knowledge how to make your applications work anywhere the users are.

My sincere thanks and appreciation to the devLink speaker selection committee for selecting my abstracts.  Register today and come join me in Nashville, TN from August 13 – 15, 2009.

* The WM Dev session is an in-depth session which will be a multi-hour session.
** Yes, I stole the tagline of the SQL CE team for my talk title (and think it quite apropos for the product).

TMM is back after a four month hiatus…

• Microsoft has slightly tweaked the Start menu in Windows Mobile 6.5 to remove the honeycomb graphic, but leave the staggered layout. They’ve also tossed in some slight UI polish including built-in kinetic scrolling with a 1-page_at_a_time scroll (vs. a scroll to the bottom of the list).  Check some stills at ArsTechnica. 
• Catch Loke and John previewing WM 6.5 and Marketplace for Mobile at MiX http://videos.visitmix.com/MIX09/T61F (this is the same video as embedded in the aforementioned Ars post, but this is larger).
  
• For folks in to Drupal, here is some content on mobile strategies for Drupal
• YouTube has announced a player app for Windows Mobile and Symbian S60
• areamobile.de has a great set of photos of the HTC Touch Pro2 (note: site is in German).  (via coolsmartphonenews.com)
• Fennec (aka Firefox Mobile) has reached beta 1 (but is only available for the N810)
• Phillipe discusses why he thinks iPhone 3.0 will not be enterprise ready.  I concur (and I’ll add to his comments the lack of management for the platform).  I know several large enterprise organizations who say “if we can’t manage it, we won’t support it” (and for them, iPhone falls into this bucket, much to the dismay of several C-level folks).

•  jiggy  Create native iPhone apps in your browser.
  
• Force Sensing/Mobile Device Interaction  ..and you thought twisting and bending a mobile device was a bad thing.
  
• Got a TyTN II?  Got Android?  Get some Android on your TyTN II. (running as an app, no less, not replacing WM).  Cool stuff from the crazy and inventive XDA-Dev crowd.  Although I'd prefer to get some peanut butter in my chocolate instead (and yes, I'm old enough that I remember these commercials on TV).
  
• Want Windows Mobile? Need dual-SIM? Check out what HKC just announced. Samsung also recently announced a dual-SIM, but without WM.
• Paul from MoDaCo, announces AppToDate, a generic updater for WM.
• Dale Vanderboom has a good post on .NET MF vs MRS  I would also suggest his post on Extension Methods for manipulating bitmaps in .NET CF.
• Jason Langridge tells us how to get clickable phone numbers on WM Professional.  Maddening issue, and sure, I figured this out a while ago, but why wasn't this fixed in for 6.1 ?
  
• Reed Robison has a great post on XML provisioning for WM devices. XML provisioning is very powerful stuff; I've used often to great effect. Also note that the latest issue MSDN Magazine (April 2008) has an article about this, too.

• The U.S. military has a controversial hand-held lie detector, PCASS. that is Windows Mobile-based. Check the PDF/PPT that is available.  The concerns lie with the software (and algorithms it uses) not with WM.

• Mobility Metro is coming to a town near you. (thanks, Loke!) A three day hands-on lab about building apps for Windows Mobile.  MM comes to the Queen City on June 23.

• Neil Cowburn gives us guidance in using CodeDOM to generate .NET CF assemblies.

• Doing .NET MF?  The Tahoe.NET platform is down to US$299.  Thanks, CJ Craft (and congrats on the MVP!).

• PowerShell on Windows Mobile?  Crazy. Check out Pash.  (thanks to, um, one of my Tweeps).

• Christopher Fairbairn blogs a how to on detecting WM AKUs.  He also has a great interview with Raffaele Limosani

I am delighted to announce that two of the abstracts I submitted for the Central Ohio Day of .NET 2008 have been accepted!  Go to http://cinnug.org/cododn/default.aspx for details, session list, and event registration (even though the event is FREE, please do register as it helps with planning for facilities, swag, and refreshments).  I hope to see you there on April 19, 2008!   My sessions are:

A Quick Tour of the Windows Mobile Development in Visual Studio 2008 (Level 200)
This session will give attendees a quick tour of Windows Mobile Development in Visual Studio 2008, primarily focusing on developing with the .NET Compact Framework 3.5 against the Windows Mobile API and SQL CE 3.5. See what features are in VS2008 to enable development of Windows Mobile applications for both the hobbyist and the enterprise. This session will also discuss and demonstrate use of Windows Mobile APIs including GPS, Outlook Mobile, SNAPI, and WISP as well as SQL CE 3.5

Access to Your Data Anytime and Anywhere With the Microsoft Sync Framework  (Level 300)
The Microsoft Sync Framework (MSF) is a comprehensive synchronization platform that enables synchronization, offline, and collaborative scenarios for services, applications, and devices. This session will discuss MSF, its architecture (including the default providers (Sync Services for ADO.NET, Sync Services for File Systems, and Sync Services for FeedSync)), and the mechanisms by which MSF can be extended. Demonstrations of MSF usage and building a custom provider will also be featured in this presentation

 I am very excited about the Sync presentation as I can also now talk about ADO.NET Sync Services for Devices which just released CTP1!

No blogging last week on account of the MVP Summit, but we're back at it this week...

• Jon Box lists reasons for running WM 6 and WM 6.1
• Carlo Longino's well-written piece about the mobile web, in response to the Mowser situation.
• Dan blogs about an issue with CF 3.5
• Erik EJ gives us a sample of importing SQL Compact data into Excel
• Raffael gives us four gems: A three part series on GPS Programming Tips for WM, and a post on debugging Connection Manager code.
• Pavel gives us one way to simulate a Windows service on Windows Mobile using managed code

• Capacitive or Resistive  (which are you?)   Brandon Miniman at PocketNow discusses the different approaches to touch screens on Windows Mobile and iPhone.
  
• Engadget Mobile has the ever-popular HTC Touch Diamond vs iPhone comparison.  Also, an unboxing of the HTC Touch Diamond from SlashPhone.
• Steve Lasker gives an overview of the now public SQL Server Compact 3.5 SP1 beta    ..Compact just keeps getting better..kudos to Steve & team.
• Kevin at jkOnTheRun posts on the new Aliph Jawbone   Too bad they *still* don't use mini-USB...
  
• The LiveSide blog brings us news of Live Search 3.0 for Windows Mobile  Contact mapping, web searching, weather, viewing Virtual Earth collections, and expanded traffic support (hey, they have Cincinnati now!).  Have a previous version installed already? Launch it, then Menu > Client Update Available (should be enabled).  Don't have it yet? Point IE Mobile to http://wls.live.com
  
• Blackberry Thunder - BB goes touch from Electronista
• Thumbreport - Mobile news 160 characters at a time.
  
• Raffael has an excellent post discussing the issue of a LAP hanging a device at startup
• MobileStance discusses the possibility of Linux having success in mobile (unlike it has on the desktop).  I'm apt to agree here.  Although OHA will have serious competition from the LiMo Foundation now that Verizon and Mozilla are backing.

I’ll be speaking at the Microsoft Developer Care event this Friday, March 17 in Southfield, MI. Registration is here.  Come up and see me, Drew Robbins and Josh Holmes at this event.

11:30 – 12:00

Lunch

12:00 – 1:15  Building a Windows Mobile Device

To kick things off, we’ll demonstrate how to build a Windows Mobile 5.0 device using Microsoft’s Platform Builder tools. You may never build your own device, but this session will help you better understand the Windows CE operating system and the components available to you for building applications. If you will be creating devices with the Windows Mobile operating system, this session is essential for understanding Platform Builder and the various components involved with creating a device.

1:30 – 2:45  Creating and Deploying Mobile Applications

Now that we have a Windows Mobile 5.0 device, we’ll discuss how to target that device with Visual Studio 2005. This session will cover the options for creating applications using unmanaged code as well as applications built on the .NET Compact Framework. We will use Visual Studio 2005 to build an application and deploy it to a Pocket PC.

3:00 – 4:15  Connecting Mobile Applications

The true power of mobile applications is realized when the device allows us to take our work with us and stay connected to the home office. In this session, we’ll demonstrate how to build applications that synchronize with the desktop, connect to services on the Internet and integrate with enterprise systems.

4:30 – 5:00  Question & Answer

Stick around to ask questions of the Developer Care speakers.

Software / Hardware 

• i-mate has released their AKU 2.0 update for the i-mate K-JAM.  Here’s a thread at Howard Forums  (note A2DP is not in this update).  Also a thread over on xda-developers.com
• The ever-popular Spb Pocket Plus has revved to v3.1 – free upgrade for 3.0 owners

 Development

• Jim Wilson has added a page to the Mobile Developer Wiki on supported environments for SQL Mobile. Here’s his blog entry about it.
• John Kennedy talks about what makes a great application on a mobile device.  Excellent post – a must read.

In Other News . . .

• A reminder about newsgroup postings (just linking this again)

This morning I am sitting in a very full session by the P&P folks: "Patterns & Practices for Mobile Client Part 2/4 - Mobile Composite UI Application Block".  I have started to look at the Mobile Client Software Factory bits, evaluating the various components for use in my current project (of course comparing to Avanade's own ACA Devices asset). Once I have fully explored it, I'll be dropping some blog posts. Join the workspace for the MCSF and pull down the latest drop if you haven't yet. 

One great point that John [Socha-Leialoha] made during the presentation was that while some of the code looks complex, it allows teams to scale - as opposed to some simpler-looking code that won't scale (and becomes spaghetti code).  While you might think that this is only applicable to teams (or even large teams at that), I would argue that it is applicable and valuable to a team of one (just like source control). He also noted that they use pair programming (a concept which I admittedly still struggle with), and, of course, Test-Driven Development (TDD).

The Mobile CAB bits of MCSF (and MCSF itself) are a GoodThing(tm) for managed mobile application developers.  I am very excited to see this output from the P&P team. ...and go get the MCSF bits.   The bits, while not yet RTW'd, will release on June 30.