I’m writing this post from my new toy, an HTC Titan that AT&T was kind enough to let me borrow for a couple weeks. I have a feeling that giving this phone back is not going to be an easy thing do.

I plan on using this instead of my normal phone as much as possible… which won’t be that hard to do.

Stay tuned!

I received approval yesterday to attend the Windows in Higher Education Conference 2012 in Redmond (April 29 to May 2). Held on the Microsoft Campus, this event is like a mini TechEd for those of us who work in Higher Ed.  I attended back in 2007 and wish I had made more of an effort to attend in the intervening years.  Presentations are split with half by Microsoft speakers and the other half by peers.  Take a look at the agenda from this year’s conference for an idea of what topics are covered and by whom.

It is sometimes difficult to find and meet up with other Higher Ed people at TechEd, so this is a good opportunity to network and compare notes.  I remember coming away from the 2007 event really excited about Live@Edu, and I’m interested to see what I will take away next year.

I’m also looking forward to getting back to Redmond and the Microsoft campus.  Hopefully I will be able to meet up with friends and contacts while I’m there.  I’ve only been to Seattle a few times, but always enjoy my time there.

Time to start a new countdown.  Only 193 days until TechEd, and 150 days until Windows HiEd.  See you there!

Have you ever started a weekend hoping to get caught up on projects and instead wind up writing a Windows Phone app? That’s what happened to me a few weeks ago. Before I get into how that happened, let me plug my app.

Easy Soundex is a free app in the Marketplace that generates Soundex codes for surnames for use in genealogy research (learn more about Soundex and genealogy). Check out the Easy Soundex page in the Marketplace for more info and to download the app to your phone.  As apps go, it isn’t anything exciting, but it works and does something useful.  So you will excuse me if I do the Snoopy dance to celebrate.

So how did I wind up writing an app?  The folks at GetGlue were looking for screenshots of their mobile site on Windows Phone.  Unfortunately there isn’t any native capability to take screenshots; you have to unlock your phone and load a homebrew app.  The Windows Phone SDK (download link) includes a Windows Phone emulator, however, so I installed it and figured out pretty quickly how to get the screenshots they needed.

My social media good deed done for the day, I started poking around in Visual Studio 2010 Express which was installed as part of the SDK.  Curious to see just what a Windows Phone app looked like under the hood, I created a new project and found pages with HTML-like markup, typical controls like buttons and text boxes, and C# which wasn’t that different from other languages I’ve used.  I decided I could probably put together something basic, and since that sounded more interesting (and fun) than entering receipts into Quicken, I set off on my coding adventure.

First, I gave $99 to Microsoft so I could unlock my phone and be able to publish my app to the Marketplace.  I wasn’t going to go through all this trouble and not have someone actually be able to use whatever I create.  Once I was an “official” Windows Phone developer, I had to decide what my app was going to do.  A Soundex calculator was an obvious choice (to me at least) since the underlying code is pretty simple and someone might need to come up with a Soundex code and only have a phone handy.  Stranger things have happened, right?

I worked on and off for the rest of the weekend, and by the time Monday morning rolled around, I had a working app.  Most of the time was dealing with getting the interface elements positioned correctly.  Getting up to speed on C# wasn’t that bad.  As I mentioned before, it wasn’t that foreign, so once I figured out the general syntax, it wasn’t that bad.  The IntelliSense feature in Visual Studio really made it easy to find the right elements and reference everything appropriately.

App in hand, it was time to submit it to the Marketplace via the App Hub. I had to submit the compiled XAP file, info about the program (what it does, cost, tags, etc.), icons, and screenshots. About a week after I submitted everything, the app was approved and available in the Marketplace. So far Easy Soundex has been downloaded nine times, so I consider that a success!

So what can you learn from my experience?  I’m not going to say that developing for Windows Phone is so easy anyone can do it.  If you’ve never programmed before, it is a safe bet you will be completely lost if you jump in like I did.  If you have some programming experience, however, and have an interest in mobile apps, download the SDK and give it a try.  You’re probably not going to write something like Evernote on your first try (or ever in my case), but you will learn a lot and have some fun in the process. What are you waiting for?

One of my favorite new features in Windows Phone 7.5 is the option under Speech to have text messages read aloud.  I find this esepcially handy when I’m in the car, because I can listen and respond to text messages without ever taking my hands off the wheel or my eyes off the road.

I was puzzled,,however, when my HTC Trophy would periodically fail to read new messages.  I would hear the phone vibrate while driving  but nothing over the car’s sound system.  I checked the Bluetooth setting, and it was always on and connected.  I checked the settings for Speech, and it was set to read messages using Bluetooth and headsets.

I scratched my head about this for a few days before the light bulb finally turned on.  Remember I said I heard the phone vibrate?  If phone was set to only vibrate, no messages were read.  If the phone was set to vibrate and ring, it would read the messages. Apparently the ringer must be on for this feature to work, although I wasn’t able to find any documentation to that effect.

So what did we learn?  If your phone goes mute while you are driving, don’t worry.  Your driving hasn’t scared the phone silent. You probably just turned off the ringer.

The Washington University ACM chapter sponsored a Windows Phone development workshop last night.  Elizabeth Moran, the Microsoft Student Rep (MSP) on campus, was kind enough to invite me to attend since she knew I have an interest in Windows Phone (that’s putting it mildly).  I figured this might be an interesting opportunity to learn more about developing for Windows Phone.

The workshop was in a computer lab in Urbauer Hall, and before it began, I wandered around in what used to be my old stomping grounds. Back in the late 80’s when I was a student, the Chemical Engineering department was located there (my undergraduate degree is a BS in Chemical Engineering).  Much has changed, but the Unit Ops lab is still there (hard to move a multi-story lab) as is the AIChE lounge.  The lounge was locked, but I’m sure it probably looks the same as it did 20 years ago, cramped quarters, ratty couches, and roaches that’ll steal your lunch right out of the fridge.  But I digress…

The event started late as the Microsoft person (he was out of cards, so I’ll update this after he sends me his contact info), was tied up in traffic.  In the meantime, one of the students, Shubhu Sadhu, presented the Windows Phone version of the new WUSTL Dining app that debuted last week for iOS devices.  Students were also passing around two LG phones they received from Microsoft for development use.

Eventually the speaker arrived and gave a general overview of the Windows Phone platform and its design goals, highlighting the idea of “Putting People First,”  the integration of information and communications around the people you know rather than an endless stream of disconnected apps. He then moved into a demonstration of Visual Studio 2010, the Windows Phone emulator, and built a couple of basic apps. He also highlighted the wide range of resources available online for programmers at the App Hub and in MSDN.

I haven’t poked around in the App Hub much, but I was amazed at all of the content there—code samples, tutorials, videos, etc.  It made me think that even I might be able to write something a bit more advanced than the first app I wrote last week with these resources backing me up.  That’ll be the true test.  Stay tuned…

By the end of the evening, even the students who were dismissive of the platform and making jokes about Windows on a phone before the event seemed to appreciate the ease of use of the development environment, the breadth of educational materials that are available (tutorials, code samples, etc.), and the benefits they receive as students through Microsoft DreamSpark.

If you’re not familiar with DreamSpark, Microsoft makes available to college students the same tools professional developers use, such as Visual Studio 2010 Professional and Expression Studio, at no cost.  They receive free access to the App Hub and the ability to distribute their applications in the Marketplace as well.  Plus so much more.  It really is an amazing opportunity for students with an interest in developing software.  If you’re a student or know one, check out the DreamSpark web site for more info.

What I liked about this event was the simple fact that Microsoft was there putting Windows Phone in front of people.  I’ve always believed that people need to see the phones and try it out for themselves to really understand what makes it different from other mobile platforms like Android and iOS.  Once you put a Windows Phone in someone’s hand, the phone sells itself.  Put the combination of Visual Studio and Expression Studio in front of a developer along with a Windows Phone, and I think it makes a compelling case for developing for the platform. Look at it this way, if I can install the SDK and have a working app by the end of a weekend, then just think what these students can create.

Hopefully this was just the first of many such events on campus.  I’m glad to see Microsoft putting people front and center at universities and making these resources available.  Kudos as well to ACM for bringing Microsoft in and making this event possible.

As most of you know, I’m a big fan of Microsoft’s Windows Phone.  So when I found out that Microsoft was hosting an event in St. Louis, I registered as quick as I could.  Dubbed the “Windows Phone Inner Circle,” the 15-city tour was announced on the Windows Phone blog and promised food, drink, hands-on time with the latest phones, and a chance to win prizes. What’s not to like?

The event was at Malt House Cellar, a special event space in the basement of the Centennial Malt House, home of Vin de Set. This was my first time there, and if you’re in St. Louis and need a space for an event, you should checkit out. It used to be the entrance to tunnels for a brewery, and they’ve made it into a unique space with a couple bars, pool tables, and lots of cozy seating.  Having your event in the cellar did have one unfortunate side effect though… poor service for wireless devices. Something for the WP7 team to think about for future events.

Several members of the Windows Phone team were there, giving demos and answering questions about Windows Phone and about the handsets that were on display.  We had the opportunity to get hands-on with the Samsung Focus S, Samsung Focus Flash, HTC Radar 4G, and HTC Titan.  The Titan was the belle of the ball last night, mostly owing to its truly titanic 4.7 inch screen as well as the fact that it isn’t available for purchase yet.

I won’t go into specs or details here, you can click the links above for more info or Bing the names for any number of reviews.  I’ll just mention a few thoughts:

• Focus Flash – I didn’t really look at this phone much.  You get a lot of phone for your money at only $49.99, but it was overshadowed by its big brother the Focus S.
• Focus S - Looks great, has a perfect size for the screen, and is amazingly light.  It seems almost too light though. I like a little bit of heft to my phone; not heavy, but it should feel like there’s something there to hang on to. I’d be afraid to slip it in my pocket, forget about it, and scratch or break it somehow.
• HTC Radar 4G – As the only light colored phone there it definitely stands out in the Windows Phone family. it has a nice feel to it, mostly thanks to the metallic case. This was the only non-AT&T phone at the event. See T-Mobile if you’re interested.
• HTC Titan – My first thought was that the screen was just too big. At 4.7 inches we’re talking a mini-tablet not a phone. Where would I put this thing if I carried it around every day.  Once I had a chance to hold one in my hand—more on that later— I shifted my opinion a bit. The screen is huge, but the phone itself is also amazingly thin, thinner than my Trophy.   And the weight is perfect. HTC did a nice job on this phone.

We were encouraged to tweet during the event with the hashtag #wpstl and each tweet was an entry into the drawings that were help throughout the night.  I’d tweet about the event even if there weren’t prizes, but I’m not one to turn down a free phone or other swag.  If you glance back at the title of this post, you can probably guess what happened… Yes, I was one of the winners. (If you thought something else, shame on you.) Remember I said I had a chance to hold one of the elusive Titans?  That’s because I won one, along with a Windows 7 skateboard deck.  The deck is literally the largest single piece of Microsoft swag in my collection.

I knew I had won even before they finished reading my name because whenever someone reads my name, “Scott” comes out first and then they hesitate on my last name. They’ll start to sound out the “L” then pause, then they just wing it and hope they get it right. Everyone there was thrilled that I had won. OK, maybe thrilled isn’t the right word.  What can I say? I seem to have good luck at these kinds of events. Count the Xboxes at my house for proof of that. Don’t hate me for being lucky.

Now I need to figure out what I’m going to do with the Titan. I just switched our service to Verizon from Sprint, and I’m not looking to open another account.  I’m torn though… it is a really nice phone. I think it’ll probably wind up on eBay in order to fund an upgrade in case Verizon offers something comparable.

TechEd 2011 LadeSwag Day 3

• Geeks with Blogs t-shirt
• Microsoft Desktop Virtualization plush mouse

TechEd 2011 LadeSwag Day 2

• Xiotech insulated plastic cup
• Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2 sticker
• Windows Azure lip balm
• Office 365 car
• Norton 2011 license
• Veeam glitter ball
• Veeam pen
• Microsoft Enterprise Desktop Virtualization plush rabbit
• Windows Intune power strip
• Windows 7 fake tattoos
• Microsoft Visual Studio t-shirt

TechEd 2011 LadeSwag Day 1

• Cisco “Got Servers” t-shirt
• Microosft Exchange “Super Sparkle Happy” t-shirt
• NeverFail “I’m Available” t-shirt
• AvePoint foam heart
• SharePoint 2010 car
• Office car
• Coyote Point LED flashlight
• ChangeGear blinking pin
• MS ICAB foam rocket
• Datalogics screen cleaner
• Microsoft Volume Licensing foam couch for business cards
• MicroExcel Keyboard Brush/Screen Cleaner
• Microsoft Services Premier Support blinking “ice cube”
• Diskeeper V-locity mug
• Infragistics cozie
• Microsoft BitLocker Administration luggage lock
• Brocade foam cloud
• DataCore dancing robot
• K2 blinking rubber ball
• EminentWare rubber duck (2)
• Office screwdriver kit
• Commvault yo-yo (2)
• Idera rubber duck
• Geekfest rubber duck
• Schneider Electric pen