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Windows Phone 7 SkyCat App - Windows Phone 7 Software Development

Hi,
I am the developer behind Windows Phone 7's Mockingbird IM application. I have gotten reviews from it, however, I am not currently working on upgrading Mockingbird IM yet.
Instead, I would like to announce a new application being developed by me. As stated in the description of Mockingbird IM, SkyCat will be coming to the marketplace soon.
However, I am in a little dilemma. I really don't know what features you guys liked or disliked on Mockingbird IM, I have given a whole new interface (without themes) to SkyCat. As one of the reviewers stated that the UI was clunky.
SkyCat will be replacing Mockingbird IM as a better IM client and will support multiple IM protocols (AIM, IRC, etc...)
I would love to see some feedback on the application if anyone wants to leave me some, detailed feedback would be nice so SkyCat will be in near perfection by the time it comes out on 10/11/11.
Thank you for reading my post.
Update:
Source has been opened and is available at http://groovyim.codeplex.com
THank you.
Update 2:
The application is now available on Microsoft's App Store, and is fully supported, you can buy it now for a limited time only at $0.99, it will go back to $4.99 on January 15th.
The version available on Codeplex is no longer updated or supported by us, and we do not recommend using it. Please find the latest version on the Microsoft App Store, and if you see any problems with it, please let us know and we will work on fixing it as soon as possible.
UPDATE:
APPLICATION CURRENTLY DISCONTINUED ON WINDOWS PHONE 7; FOR A LIMITED TIME ONLY USERS WHO BOUGHT THIS APPLICATION ON WINDOWS PHONE 7 ARE ABLE TO GET IT FOR FREE ON iOS AND / OR ANDROID FOR FREE. PLEASE PROVIDE US PROOF OF PURCHASE, THANKS. PROMOTION ENDS 04/06/12.
Thank you.

Hi,
i just drop in here on my way to somewhere else... not a user of ur prog but very interested in the multi-messenger thing.
on android there is Trillian, which is also available on a select few other OS. I love trillian and the whole concept of it but it doesn't look like them gonna go for WP7.
Now, is your SkyCat supposed to be something like that? Because then i would most defo be interested in using it and would also be willing to test for you (on my wifes Telephone tho hehehe).

Sneakyghost said:
Hi,
i just drop in here on my way to somewhere else... not a user of ur prog but very interested in the multi-messenger thing.
on android there is Trillian, which is also available on a select few other OS. I love trillian and the whole concept of it but it doesn't look like them gonna go for WP7.
Now, is your SkyCat supposed to be something like that? Because then i would most defo be interested in using it and would also be willing to test for you (on my wifes Telephone tho hehehe).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi,
Thanks for your interest.
I currently only develop for Windows Phone 7, as it is a great operating system. I believe everyone should be switching to Windows Phone 7, but to get that to happen, more programs need to be made available, which is the point of "SkyCat" (Officially named Groovy IM).
I see that the only multi-messenger application currently available for Windows Phone 7 is IM+ and that lacks many features consumers are wanting which is why Groovy IM is going to bring those features into one application for Windows Phone 7 and hopefully be better than our competitors over at IM+.
As trillian's userinterface matches that of Android's, mine will be matching Windows Phone 7. I do have some screenshots to upload today. As some people may be wondering what it will look like, however, be aware, this application is far from finished and I am only taking suggestions (not beta testers) currently for the application.
You can offer suggestions for Groovy IM over this forum (XDA-Developers.com) as I currently do not have a website devoted to Groovy IM.
Please note that only certain features can be shown as of this time and it may not be the final outlook of the program as it can change through out time.
Please see attached images for current design of application...
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
"Settings" About Section.
Main Page Contains: Chats, Profile, Contacts.
Thank you.

Will it be based on Libpurple or something similar, or use a web proxy to cover the different protocols?
Sent from my OMNIA7 using XDA Windows Phone 7 App

at45 said:
Will it be based on Libpurple or something similar, or use a web proxy to cover the different protocols?
Sent from my OMNIA7 using XDA Windows Phone 7 App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi,
Thanks for your interest in Groovy IM.
The protocols will not use Pidgin's source, however, some of the features included will come from Pidgin.
The supported protocols (as of this time) will be...
AIM / AOL / ICQ / iChat
Facebook
Google Talk
Groovy
IRC
MSN / Window Live
UnfairNET
XMPP / Jabber
Yahoo
We may add or remove some of the above protocols based on suggestions / requests received here.
You will not be forced to sign in with Groovy, however, you can chose to create an account and sign in on your own.
We expect a beta release (for anyone who is interested) to be released around 10/15/11, give or take a few days.
For those who wish to test the program, you may send us a PM and on the beta-release date we will upload our program as a private program to Microsoft's marketplace and release a link to where you can get it from the marketplace.
Thank you for your concern in helping Groovy IM become better.

Hello,
i am unsure if you got my point.
i am currently very busy getting into WP7, which i believe to be a very good OS. I am feeling a big lack of Multi-IM there tho...
Trillian is what i love(d) on pc and Android. Them just seem not to be very keen on getting onto WP7 themselves. So someone else needs do that job.
Obviously you try to.
You requested suggestions. I will try:
Keep facebook simple. Its basically already integrated into wp7, only lacking an interface that shows online buddies. so that'd be the only thing i'd wish for with facebook.
Try to have contacts all in one list no matter what service, but include means of sorting them by e.g service or state or name or both or all.
have a live tile that shows infos like join/part, online/offline msg etc.
make it run in background without dehydrating to keep it active (like whatsapp doesn't yet do - it delays msg when brought to halt).
have a very clear history regulation like have everything logged, have nothing logged, have a cloud-based log (use google cloud for example), have certain services logged, have only certain persons logged etc. Follow principle of: "User Privacy by default" - very, very important these days!
am sure there's more but cant currently think of more. I am rather simplicity- oriented. thats why i love wp7. its very minimal. keep the prog the same way. that'd be cool.

Sneakyghost said:
Hello,
i am unsure if you got my point.
i am currently very busy getting into WP7, which i believe to be a very good OS. I am feeling a big lack of Multi-IM there tho...
Trillian is what i love(d) on pc and Android. Them just seem not to be very keen on getting onto WP7 themselves. So someone else needs do that job.
Obviously you try to.
You requested suggestions. I will try:
Keep facebook simple. Its basically already integrated into wp7, only lacking an interface that shows online buddies. so that'd be the only thing i'd wish for with facebook.
Try to have contacts all in one list no matter what service, but include means of sorting them by e.g service or state or name or both or all.
have a live tile that shows infos like join/part, online/offline msg etc.
make it run in background without dehydrating to keep it active (like whatsapp doesn't yet do - it delays msg when brought to halt).
have a very clear history regulation like have everything logged, have nothing logged, have a cloud-based log (use google cloud for example), have certain services logged, have only certain persons logged etc. Follow principle of: "User Privacy by default" - very, very important these days!
am sure there's more but cant currently think of more. I am rather simplicity- oriented. thats why i love wp7. its very minimal. keep the prog the same way. that'd be cool.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi,
Thank you for your concern with Groovy IM.
I agree Windows Phone 7 is a great operating system, however, lacks many features of matured operating systems, including but not limited to Multi-IM clients, better multi-tasking support.
I also believe that applications should stay simple - easy to use, get in, out and information from at the same time.
Facebook Chat will be integrated with a great contacts list supporting it.
I believe sorting by service, name, groups, and status are also great features, and as such, they are being integrated into Groovy IM.
Due to Windows Phone 7 not having true multi-tasking support applications cannot constantly run 24/7 as they can on Android or iOS. You must keep them open to constantly run otherwise Groovy IM will exit Chat Rooms, and log in at a set timeframe checking for offline IM's.
Groovy IM already has support for logging the things you chose and it will give you options to save the logs on your phone or through a cloud service.
Thank you for your interest.

Hi !
Would it be possible to support Skype as well ?
And, it is probably impossible, but could you find a way to keep the Wifi ON, while the phone is in standby ? so the application could keep synchronising even if the phone is in standby mode ?
Thanks

FBK said:
Hi !
Would it be possible to support Skype as well ?
And, it is probably impossible, but could you find a way to keep the Wifi ON, while the phone is in standby ? so the application could keep synchronising even if the phone is in standby mode ?
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi,
Yes it would be possible to support Skype, Skype is planned to be added in a later release (Version 1.2).
The beta release (1.0) will not support Skype, and should be coming soon to those who wish to beta test.
I do not understand what you mean by "standby" mode on the phone. Do you mean when the user / application goes idle and the lock screen comes up? If so, yes, there is a way and a option you can turn on that will keep the application constantly running as long as it is opened and infront of the other apps.
Thanks.
Hi,
I am editing this post because I would like to share some pictures of Groovy IM once again with you all.
I hope these pictures don't make you too anxious for Groovy IM. Please continue suggesting ideas you would like to see in Groovy IM.
Anyway...
This picture is from the Groovy service.
The above image shows how Groovy IM's group chat looks on the Groovy service.
You will be able to change the color on your username of DarkRed to other colors such as DarkBlue, DarkGreen, etc...
Your friends color is based on the phones set theme color.
Thanks.

Kuzcoed,
sounds beautiful. What about the new Mango Multitasking? As i understand, there is a way to keep apps open and alive in the background if the dehydrate-key in the registry is modified to not dehydrate background apps. i understood, this means that the app is kept in working state and does not drain its contents from memory. am i correct?
Thank you for your work.

Yes, it is what i was meaning by "standby". Because, when the lock screen come up, the wifi is automatically switch off (at least on my phone, but i think it is because of wp7 no ?) and so i can't know if i get new messages.
And i agree with Sneakyghost, i think you should keep it simple.To me,it is important that kind of application to start quickly, as i am often switching between many applications.

Sneakyghost said:
Kuzcoed,
sounds beautiful. What about the new Mango Multitasking? As i understand, there is a way to keep apps open and alive in the background if the dehydrate-key in the registry is modified to not dehydrate background apps. i understood, this means that the app is kept in working state and does not drain its contents from memory. am i correct?
Thank you for your work.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for your interest in Groovy IM.
As of this time, there is no official support from Microsoft for full background multitasking, and I do not believe Microsoft will be integrating full background multitasking anytime soon.
As far as dehydration of your phone, I do not recommend it, and I do not believe Microsoft endorses the "hack" either.
I cannot comment on dehydation, as I have little to no information on it.
Thanks.
FBK said:
Yes, it is what i was meaning by "standby". Because, when the lock screen come up, the wifi is automatically switch off (at least on my phone, but i think it is because of wp7 no ?) and so i can't know if i get new messages.
And i agree with Sneakyghost, i think you should keep it simple.To me,it is important that kind of application to start quickly, as i am often switching between many applications.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi,
I have not experienced that problem on my test HTC HD7. I cannot comment on your mobile phone as it may have the settings different than mine. If you wish to know more about "standby" mode please contact Microsoft. My application has a option to keep it from going idle however. When it gets sent back to the background it will open a notification thread which checks for IMs often.
Yes, I understand your concern and will try my best to keep the application launching quickly, however, have it have the features you and others want.
Thanks.

Hi,
We are pleased to let you all know Groovy IM is still going smoothly. We are curious to what the users think about one of the ideas our developers want to integrate.
The feature will keep your accounts constantly connected by having you register an account with the Groovy "WP7" service.
The Groovy WP7 service will require you to login to the Groovy WP7 in order to add accounts, connect with your accounts, and constantly keep them logged in and receiving IMs / Chat Messages.
The Groovy WP7 service will be a secured service that will require you to enter your pin number for any modifcations on your account.
Let us know if you will feel safe using this application if we integrate the Groovy "WP7" service, which will store all your accounts, account information, account messages, and more, on our servers.
Thanks.

Well, trillian also did that with their Astra service about a year or two ago. The user concern was very large but finally overcome. Many people are using this cloud based service now to store and retrieve sensitive account data and log files. they had the advantage of a long build reputation of a trustworthy software company. You do not have that yet.you will need to earn that trust with good software. You might want to wait for a later date with this feature. I for sure will not put login-information into any server-structure if I have no proof of its security.
Sent from my HTC HD2 using Tapatalk

Sneakyghost said:
Well, trillian also did that with their Astra service about a year or two ago. The user concern was very large but finally overcome. Many people are using this cloud based service now to store and retrieve sensitive account data and log files. they had the advantage of a long build reputation of a trustworthy software company. You do not have that yet.you will need to earn that trust with good software. You might want to wait for a later date with this feature. I for sure will not put login-information into any server-structure if I have no proof of its security.
Sent from my HTC HD2 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi,
Thank you for your interest in Groovy IM.
Yes, I believe we will wait on this feature until more users feel safe about using Groovy IM, or Microsoft allows the application to run even in the background.
Thanks.
We have a new update for everyone here...we would like to show our Aliases now on our buddylist. Please be aware this is not the final version. We have a feature turned on to put all users online under a group named "Online Users" as you can tell.
Please let us know what you guys think.
Thanks.

Hi,
We are pleased to announce another screenshot on Groovy IM.
We are also pleased to announce that the developers behind Groovy IM are stating the application should start being messaged to PMs within the next 6 - 10 days.
Thanks.

Cool. Looking forward!
Are the app colors following the system colors or will we have to live with that red?
sent from my CoreDroid HD 2 using TapaTalk

Sneakyghost said:
Cool. Looking forward!
Are the app colors following the system colors or will we have to live with that red?
sent from my CoreDroid HD 2 using TapaTalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi,
The background is based on your phone settings (e.g. Light OR Dark).
The background border colors for groups are based on your select Accent Color on your phone (e.g. Blue).
Thanks for your interest.

Hi,
We would like to update you all on the current status of Groovy IM. We have not given up on the project, we are adding more protocols than originally expected for the beta version. We hope you will not mind.
Thanks.

Hi, your idea is very interesting!
I'd like to suggest you a feature, i.e. "virtual contacts". Let's suppose I have various contacts of a friend, being of various or even the same protocol (MSN, private Skype contact, work Skype contact and so on).
It would be beautiful to me to be able to group all this contacts in a single virtual contact, built as an ordered list of each contacts. Communication will happen with the first available protocol "behind the scene".
what do you think about?

Related

I'm trying to gauge interest in developing manila/sense tabs, I'm looking for:
1. people interested in working on the facebook tab
2. people who want to make other tabs
3. people who are app developers who want to tie into tabs
4. we also need some people comfortable doing window apps
(I think we need help getting started with the Manila Kitchen GUI tools - currently command-line). There is plenty of guys who have worked on the tools and know tons about manila, just need a framework in which to tie into.
Please state if you are expert or beginner or willing to learn.
I think in most areas, support can be given to most to get them started (even if it's not your area of expertise) and will probably prove a good learning experience.
Now, just need to work out how to make this a poll...
OK, you can select more than one option at time:
- Expert can be considered Expert/Intermediate skill, i.e. you've made something and it works quite well.
- Beginner would be someone who has done small tweeks or done simple programs.
Ahh, forgot window app developers, in this case, register your interest (if you are), in the TouchFLO/Manila/SenseUI social group (a great bunch of guys who helped me from knowing nothing about sense):
Project: Manila GUI Kitchen Environment.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/group.php?do=discuss&group=&discussionid=223

Links are not working for me :/

I'd be interested in working on a Phone tab. something that included not only a call history, but some dynamic icons that showed (at the very least):
Missed calls.
Voice mail.
SMS/MMS
Email
It's amazing to me that this was on earlier versions of Manila/TF3D but isn't on the newer versions. This entire concept was supposed to be designed for a pda/PHONE converged device, but the phone side of it has been weakened on every upgrade.

AdamiX said:
Links are not working for me :/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'll ask the group admin about it, perhaps you have to join as a member first...
http://forum.xda-developers.com/group.php?groupid=131
Trident said:
I'd be interested in working on a Phone tab.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can point you in the right direction if you need it, my method for working with manila at the moment, is decompile everything and then use a good search tool to find the kind of code I need. Seems to work quite well and you can find some interesting functions/features, I've also found using the registry is quite handy for experimenting since you can test out calling different apps with different arguments and also jumps to sense pages (which are internal URLs). Also it can give you a view of values which are being used internally.
So far getting interesting results on the poll!
Looks like a good mix of people which is great!
1. Those interested in taking the facebook tab further, I'm just working on a few bits at the moment for it (trying to tie in the last bits of HTC function), but will happily pass it on when people want me to. [I released it much sooner than I planned, but felt mean waiting any longer]
2. Those interested in learning about manila then have a look through my tutorials and that will hopefully get you started (I was a total beginner too when I started them). Please let me know if there are bits missing or bits which don't make sense etc, it's aimed at people who have done a little programming or at least get the general idea. If it's not clear enough then an entry level tutorial would be welcome (I've avoided too much click here, type this type detail because there is too much to explain in one go).
(leave feedback on the tutorial thread)
3. Those interested in developing manila and wm apps for using tabs, I'm hoping to build a "Custom Manila Interface Tab" which will ultimately provide an API type interface for apps. Will probably need a lot of work, so once I've done a basic proof of the concept, which will be very simple and populated via registry keys (i.e. simple list display which can be populated via a normal app) I will then open it up for group development.
4. Those interested in WM app development, hopefully with the new tab it will be easy to get started with some basic ideas and try them out. As the new tab (or it can be used as a sub-page) develops we will need to know what kinds of things we want to display.
i.e. for the facebook tab I can see this being used as a simple way for a external app to list notifications, comments and all kinds of information.
5. Windows application development, let me know if you can get on the group, I really hope that once given a framework a GUI can be put together. The mode9Editor is an excellent example (I think the author is on the group) and the CMD line kitchen is another amazing tool which brought together all the other fantastic tools (again I think most the original authors are there). Given a good start with a solid base, the GUI could become a very powerful tool!
-------
Developing wm is much easier than working with the manila files, and even HTC tend to tie into dlls/exes quite often to do the leg work, but it doesn't appear to be consistent (each module does things slightly differently) so a direct API would be a massive task. So hopefully an interface tab will bridge the gap, it'll probably provide a good point of reference for useful manila functions too. With the addition of a good GUI editor, I'll look forward to having fun making some really amazing apps (no not a fart selector app...).

Great thread meltwater, you may end up being the driving force of a whole new Manila experience

smeddy said:
Great thread meltwater, you may end up being the driving force of a whole new Manila experience
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, the guys before me have been that (would have been no hope without the tools), but hopefully we've got some interesting ideas on the table!

Excellent results on the poll.
Here is an update of what's currently happening:
1. Facebook Tab
I'm currently continuing development on the tab myself, since it is still providing me with useful knowledge on working with manila. It serves as a good driving force for me to try out more stuff.
[MOD][SENSE2.5TAB] Basic Facebook Tab - Developer Thread
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=663494
2. Custom Manila Interface Tab
I should be able to start work on this once I've learnt enough from doing the changes on the facebook tab. Currently my understanding of manila isn't quite good enough to tackle this yet, it's a big job particularly when the manila code isn't that easy to work with when there is no api.
The concept here is to make a basic tab where the content can be defined by a normal windows mobile app. This should allow many more tabs to be created, without specialist knowledge of manila code.
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
Something similar to this, but populated by an external app.
3. Manila/Sense Kitchen GUI
The group still needs someone to help kick off the project with some help in building the basic framework for the application. I really hope that this can be achieved, moving the whole process into a graphical app will really help with dealing with the difficult editing of the manila files particularly when defining the graphical components.
Please feel free to give feedback on what you think about my plans. Also if you want to get started on some simple(ish) stuff, there's bits in my tutorials etc.
Ok, trying to get a working development environment for windows mobile, is quite difficult if you don't have a full copy of Visual Studio. For now I will use a trial version, but after I'll post/link to tutorials on how to do it without Visual Studio and some initial steps for Windows Mobile development.
http://www.codeproject.com/KB/mobile/WiMoSansVS.aspx Is a good starting point...

Hi everyone,
Thanks for filling in the poll. There are plenty on here who would like to know how to get started etc with manila, windows mobile development etc.
Short of writing a "how to" which covers everything, which I don't have time to do at the moment, what do people need/want to know to get them started???
This thread can be a simple Q&A section if people need help with the initial steps...

I would love to help but I have too much going on for now :/

This thread may not get noticed but since I started it to talk about and get developer interests I will post here anyway.
Since I've released the latest version of the facebook tab I have started work on my 2nd Tab Project. (Still developing the facebook tab v2.0 too).
The new tab will work along the same lines as Custom Manila Interface Tab concept but for now I have a specific application in mind. Hopefully we can keep this one open and the basis of the tab can be extended and reused to form other tabs working on the same principles.
So what do I need?
Well I have the very basics of the tab working, so I need some windows mobile developers to assist with creating a supporting app which will feed the data to the tab. They will need to handle xml data and potentially HTTP GET requests (I guess), we can go as fast or as slow with it depending on the developer(s) (I've got some ideas on how to start off slowly just like I did with the facebook tab, so beginners would be able to do it, they just need time and willingness to learn). I might start writing it myself but my time is limited and it would be nice to have this tab open to everyone (unfortunately I get too attached to my code/ideas when I've been working on them too long so want to avoid getting in too deep with that part - that is what happened with the FbTab).
What is it?
Not quite ready to announce what the tab will be but I've carefully chosen a good project.
What now?
PM or post here and I'll get back to you.
I'm not sure yet how this will work, but probably create a google code project so that anyone can contribute. Will create a developer thread for the project and once things are up and running a release thread to handle the releases/support etc.
Ideally, this project will be open as possible and allow new developers to have a go. There is plenty which can be done, by all ranges of skill levels. It would be excellent to have a wiki attached to the project which explains how it is put together etc, would be great to provide a stepping stone for future developers to get working with windows mobile and sense.
Also need suggestions on where to host the project, GoogleCode, CodePlex etc require change management software which I'd like to avoid. Perhaps something like 4shared maybe or dropbox?

wow
wow very good.

New to Winmo developement, but willing to seriously learn
meltwater,
I am new to the Winmo developement, but am taking it up in a serious manner. I am willing to take on new tasks with some support. I have the full version of Visual Studio 2010 and can allocate alot of time currently to any projects that you are looking for. Again, I would need to have some support, or be pointed in the right direction, but am very willing to assist. I will do what research I can and ramp up to begin as soon as possible.
One note..I am currently enrolled in school for programming, part of the cloud of programmers that work with Microsoft through VS 2010, and am working to become more proficiant with the WinMo SDK.
Can I help?

Mxdadevolper said:
meltwater,
I am new to the Winmo developement, but am taking it up in a serious manner. I am willing to take on new tasks with some support. I have the full version of Visual Studio 2010 and can allocate alot of time currently to any projects that you are looking for. Again, I would need to have some support, or be pointed in the right direction, but am very willing to assist. I will do what research I can and ramp up to begin as soon as possible.
One note..I am currently enrolled in school for programming, part of the cloud of programmers that work with Microsoft through VS 2010, and am working to become more proficiant with the WinMo SDK.
Can I help?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That sounds perfect, just the sort of thing I'm after.
I'm no where near being expert anyway, as I've mentioned a few times, the facebook tab is my 2nd windows mobile app, the 1st being "hello worlde", however I've learned tons doing it and I think it's not too bad (a lot of it is still unreleased). I have a long background in embedded software though.
One thing, visual studio 2010 is no good for windows mobile development, it only supports windows phone 7 not windows mobile (MS killing WM dev much?). Fortunately you might be able to get a FREE student licence via MS Dreamspark, although sounds like they might be able to provide what you need. The work I am doing is in C#.
I put together a little of the support code for the tab last night and the concept appears to work fine. I'll start up a project thread soon, still trying to work out what is the best place to hold/manage the code, want to avoid change management systems:
I don't want to install extra software to handle it
It creates an extra barrier to people having a try
This means codeplex, sourceforge and gogglecode aren't suitable. At the moment 4shared seems like a good choice (simple online storage area) or DropBox which I also use (which could be easiest).
Opened up the developer thread, project details will come soon.

meltwater said:
That sounds perfect, just the sort of thing I'm after.
I'm no where near being expert anyway, as I've mentioned a few times, the facebook tab is my 2nd windows mobile app, the 1st being "hello worlde", however I've learned tons doing it and I think it's not too bad (a lot of it is still unreleased). I have a long background in embedded software though.
One thing, visual studio 2010 is no good for windows mobile development, it only supports windows phone 7 not windows mobile (MS killing WM dev much?). Fortunately you might be able to get a FREE student licence via MS Dreamspark, although sounds like they might be able to provide what you need. The work I am doing is in C#.
I put together a little of the support code for the tab last night and the concept appears to work fine. I'll start up a project thread soon, still trying to work out what is the best place to hold/manage the code, want to avoid change management systems:
I don't want to install extra software to handle it
It creates an extra barrier to people having a try
This means codeplex, sourceforge and gogglecode aren't suitable. At the moment 4shared seems like a good choice (simple online storage area) or DropBox which I also use (which could be easiest).
Opened up the developer thread, project details will come soon.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sounds Great!! I'll be looking for the thread and details. I also have been working in C#, so I think that we'll learn alot together.

Count me in... can supplement SenseSDK if needed!
Ed

eboelzner said:
Count me in... can supplement SenseSDK if needed!
Ed
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hopefully a lot of the new tab will be within sense itself with a hidden support app to drive it, although later on it will probably use the SDK for configuring and managing things. Although that is only a rough idea at the moment. (will send you some details - will update the dev thread tomorrow and announce the project).
However, the facebook tab v2.0 is attempting to make extensive use of your sense SDK and greenhacks extended controls. I've currently pushed my ability to the limit with the interface though, hopefully when greenhack releases the latest extended controls I can fill in some of the missing holes. Still experimenting with the GUI aspects and possible concepts for how it should work. Will have think about the GUI again, there are a few areas which I've not quite been able to do what I was aiming for, which the Sense SDK might be modded to achieve.
I'm kinda aware though that a lot of the effort to implement the features for the facebook tab v2.0 will already be done by the Xda Facebook app being produced (so eventually we may tie it in to the tab after v2.0). The new project will hopefully help me expand what I can do with sense and allow better integration of apps.

New RSS Tab project is GO GO GO
[MOD][SENSE2.5TAB] RSSTab - Developer Thread
Thread has all the files ready to go, just not sure what people are waiting for...is it that scary?

Really?
meltwater said:
Also need suggestions on where to host the project, GoogleCode, CodePlex etc require change management software which I'd like to avoid. Perhaps something like 4shared maybe or dropbox?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why on earth would you want to avoid Source-code Version Control? SVN, GIT, and even CVS are an absolute God-send to any development group. i can see one or two pro's to avoiding it if you're the only developer on the team, but any more than 1 dev contributing code to a project turns it into a nightmare without a SVC ...

phalacee said:
Why on earth would you want to avoid Source-code Version Control? SVN, GIT, and even CVS are an absolute God-send to any development group. i can see one or two pro's to avoiding it if you're the only developer on the team, but any more than 1 dev contributing code to a project turns it into a nightmare without a SVC ...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well can't that be handled by a decent web-based on which does it on the server side?
I know you are totally right, version control is very important (I've used many on a professional basis), but do I really need to force all the developers (and myself) to install full SVN programs?
I was hoping there would be a web based version control system which allows you to check in/out files purely using a web browser.
Any suggestions would be appreciated...I've only used closed corporate solutions before so new to open-source.

CVS idea
Guys,
Can we use CodeBeamer for something like this? From what I'm reading this might allow us the versioning control. It could be downloaded for free for up to 6 users.
Any thoughts?
Here's the link for the version that I was thinking of.
http://www.intland.com/products/cb-mr/overview.html

Source: pocketnow.com
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As Chuong reported earlier today, a handful of tech reviewers have gotten to spend a couple of weeks with a Windows Phone 7 prototype devices made by Samsung called the Taylor. Overall the sentiment towards Windows Phone 7 is positive: reviewers agree that the operating system is generally well thought out, that it performs very well (with nearly no lag when jumping around the operating system), and that it has the potential to be a true contender in the mobile platform space.
After digging through several of these reviews, it's clear that there are a handful of features still missing from Windows Phone 7, some of which will be addressed by the time the platform launches this fall, but many of which will not. Here's a list:
- No Twitter integration
- No copy and paste
- No third-party multitasking
- No Flash, Silverlight, or HTML5 support in the browser
- No dedicated YouTube application
- No robust document editing capabilities in Office
- No way to stop Facebook contacts from mixing with global contacts
- No global email inbox
- No threaded email
- No organization of the full program list (it's alphabetical)
- No way of knowing if a long press is available
- No universal search
Some of these aren't too big of a deal and are very specific to use case scenarios that not everyone will experience (like adding multiple email accounts to a phone, etc). But some of the big ones like the lack of multitasking and Twitter integration could provide a reason for potential buyers to go with another smartphone platform.

ATHiEST said:
- No way to stop Facebook contacts from mixing with global contacts
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can do it relatively easily if you don't use Facebook directly but via Live, I think.

My 2 cents:
- No Twitter integration
Stupid when Facebook is there
- No copy and paste
Discussed so many times yet still unbelievable.
- No third-party multitasking
May be in the future?
- No Flash, Silverlight, or HTML5 support in the browser
Very bad indeed.
- No dedicated YouTube application
Will be I believe.
- No robust document editing capabilities in Office
Crazy.
- No way to stop Facebook contacts from mixing with global contacts
That will be a really annoying thing. What if I DON'T have Facebook??!!
- No global email inbox
??
- No threaded email
I don't care.
- No organization of the full program list (it's alphabetical)
Again a stupid, strange step BACKWARDS
- No way of knowing if a long press is available
Hmmm....
- No universal search
Awesome :-(
To sum it up, well....
I have to touch it of course.
But comparing this to WM 6.5 I see the main change will be interface itself.
Regarding functionality - so many things missing as hell.

yup, W7 is looking like a bag of sh*t

ATHiEST said:
- No Twitter integration
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There's already several Twitter apps for WP7 - The notification system allows seamlessly integration.
ATHiEST said:
- No copy and paste
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Read the 2000 other threads on this -- c&p is pointless, and not needed. I'm tired of repeating the arguments in every bloody thread.
ATHiEST said:
- No third-party multitasking
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same as above.
ATHiEST said:
- No Flash, Silverlight, or HTML5 support in the browser
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wrong. No HTML5 support, mainly because it's still a draft.
ATHiEST said:
- No dedicated YouTube application
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Write one, or let Google do that. I don't think Google would like Microsoft to write one for sure.
ATHiEST said:
- No robust document editing capabilities in Office
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Invalid. Better Office integration than any other phone on the market.
ATHiEST said:
- No way to stop Facebook contacts from mixing with global contacts
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Invalid, as there's no public phones out, you can't know this, thus it's a lie.
ATHiEST said:
- No global email inbox
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wrong
ATHiEST said:
- No threaded email
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The email application ain't done yet, where's your proof?
ATHiEST said:
- No organization of the full program list (it's alphabetical)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Use the search-button
ATHiEST said:
- No way of knowing if a long press is available
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Neither is on any other phone in the world.
ATHiEST said:
- No universal search
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Uniform search-api and seach-button support for all applications. Universal makes little sense.
ATHiEST said:
Some of these aren't too big of a deal and are very specific to use case scenarios that not everyone will experience (like adding multiple email accounts to a phone, etc). But some of the big ones like the lack of multitasking and Twitter integration could provide a reason for potential buyers to go with another smartphone platform.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Multitasking is the LEAST important problem. When do you fools start realizing this?
And again, Twitter is just yet-another-application. Android and iPhone don't have Twitter support either, there's just 20 different Twitter apps for each platform.

@Windcape
As well as you have great valid points,
I must say that this of your sentence:
"c&p is pointless, and not needed. I'm tired of repeating the arguments in every bloody thread."
Where did you get that?!
It's a CRUICAL feature on any device.
Maybe you're this person who don't use it, maybe you never do
any serious stuff on your device, but why do you spread here such a false and pointlesss information?! It's the same as you'd say that a phone doesn't need a speaker.
It's the basic function, present on any mobile OS since 2000,
and also supported even by those who wanted to omit it and tell people they know better.
It's a BASIC function with any txt work, whether it's office, mail.
Man, how hard is it to get it? Or what false logic brought you to this senseless conclusion?
I hope you'll never be responsible for any serious development with such false statements.

No, it's not a crucial feature. The navigation-handlers allows for much better transitions than using c&p.
A smartphone is not a PC -- People use it differently, and copy&paste doesn't make sense. A lot of you might think it's easy to implement for text, and partially is (WP7 only supports Unicode, there's your first challenge), but for random objects (images, binary, etc.) it's a completely other story.
Instead of just repeating yet another "omg no copy&paste", then perhaps read some of the lengthy discussions about the subject, instead of believing in it in blind faith.
I would ask the relevant user groups, and have their reaction. Nerds who think they need c&p, but actually never use it, are not a relevant user group. Ask people who got a iPhone or Android if they uses copy&paste often, or if they missed it on previous versions of the iPhone. They'll probably say no.
Hell, where I need it most is in my browser, and Android's default browser have such terrible support, that it doesn't work anyway. I'd rather have a navigation-handler auto-converting emails to click-to-open-email-application links.
This argument is getting tiresome. Can we move on to something else? Like complaining about lack of socket APIs and SL4 support?

Windcape - some of those are legit. There is no way to downselect your FB friends, no threaded email, and no unified/global email inbox. See the many reviews for evidence. While it's not quite done, it's pretty darn close. They have to give the OEMs lead time in order to be able to manufacture devices with the RTM code on it.
But to the OP et al, see this post on WMPowerUsers which echos my sentiments very closely. Basically, calm down... take a deep breath.

Windcape said:
No, it's not a crucial feature. The navigation-handlers allows for much better transitions than using c&p.
A smartphone is not a PC -- People use it differently, and copy&paste doesn't make sense. A lot of you might think it's easy to implement for text, and partially is (WP7 only supports Unicode, there's your first challenge), but for random objects (images, binary, etc.) it's a completely other story.
Instead of just repeating yet another "omg no copy&paste", then perhaps read some of the lengthy discussions about the subject, instead of believing in it in blind faith.
I would ask the relevant user groups, and have their reaction. Nerds who think they need c&p, but actually never use it, are not a relevant user group. Ask people who got a iPhone or Android if they uses copy&paste often, or if they missed it on previous versions of the iPhone. They'll probably say no.
Hell, where I need it most is in my browser, and Android's default browser have such terrible support, that it doesn't work anyway. I'd rather have a navigation-handler auto-converting emails to click-to-open-email-application links.
This argument is getting tiresome. Can we move on to something else? Like complaining about lack of socket APIs and SL4 support?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Listen, are you reading with comprehension?!
Who gave you the right to call me nerd huh?
I think you're rather nerd who doesn't really speak on the topic.
Don't tell me or anybody else how we actually use our devices!
How do you know? Have we met?
You're incompetent troll, like somebody else stated in other thread.
Maybe go to other forums instead of telling complete lies here.
Also your sentence:
"I'd rather have a navigation-handler auto-converting emails to click-to-open-email-application links."
Has NOTHING to do with work on txt!
Please move away from here with your "maybe" and "probably".

If it's actually based on hands-on reviews, then I'll agree it might be considered a problem.
The thing is, half of the articles out there complaining about the phone, is basing it off data from Feburary/March, or unlocked emulators -- both I consider highly invalid.
And I'm calm, I'm just annoyed we got 50 threads with focus on multitasking and c&p, which is the most irrelevant problems there is from a developer perspective.
I find it much bigger issues that the phone only support Unicode, don't have socket APIs yet (because it runs SL2/SL3, and not SL4). And a few other things here and there which is vital to application development.
People keep nitpicking about the least important issues, which sadly removes focus from the important problems.

doministry said:
Listen, are you reading with comprehension?!
Who gave you the right to call me nerd huh?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
We're posting on a forum for mobile hackers, that means we're nerds
doministry said:
Don't tell me or anybody else how we actually use our devices! How do you know? Have we met?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's more likely that technical interested people focus on more technical features.
Most people who buy a iPhone 4 don't buy it because it can do copy&paste, but because it looks awesome, and have a fantastic screen (Retina Display).
doministry said:
"I'd rather have a navigation-handler auto-converting emails to click-to-open-email-application links."
Has NOTHING to do with work on txt!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It have everything to do with regular phone use. Copying links, email addresses and phone numbers.
The phone isn't meant to be a Blackberry replacement, or a notepad replacement for editing Excel spreadsheets on the run.

One last thing:
You can implement copy&paste internally in your application. It's just c&p data between applications that's not supported.
I guess that helps a lot for your office/spreadsheeting edition, no?

ATHiEST said:
- No Twitter integration
- No copy and paste
- No third-party multitasking
- No Flash, Silverlight, or HTML5 support in the browser
- No dedicated YouTube application
- No robust document editing capabilities in Office
- No way to stop Facebook contacts from mixing with global contacts
- No global email inbox
- No threaded email
- No organization of the full program list (it's alphabetical)
- No way of knowing if a long press is available
- No universal search
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
- Twitter will be back working with Windows Live soon. Twitter changed their APIs a month or two ago, and Microsoft need to update things to make it work again.
- Copy and Paste is coming in a future update
- Multitasking is also planned to be out in a future update
- Flash is coming in a few months after launch, Silverlight we don't know about
- We may see a YouTube app come from Google after launch, if not flash will work in the browser so that's all good
- As a start, the Office tools on Windows Phone 7 are good for basic editing, and collaboration. More features may come, but I do question if you need much more really, with such a small screen.
- We know when adding a Google account, you can choose to add all or only some of these options: Contacts, Calendar, Email. It is possible facebook integration can be done in the same way, but I don't use facebook, so I am not too fussed. However thanks to the Quick Jump List controls, you can click the letter in the blue box, and choose a letter to find your contact. Or even press the search button to find a contact.
- I actually prefer the idea of having a separation between my Live Mail and Outlook Email inboxes, and is a great way to maintain your work life balance if you are using the Phone for work, and personal uses. You do have a combined calendar, which does make sense, because you only have on schedule at a time
- Threaded mail, or conversation view, will be coming, you should know this as Outlook and Hotmail now support it.
- This one I agree with, I would like a button appear below the arrow on the left, to switch to flat list, category, favourites, or alphabetical sorting, using the Quick Jump Lists.
- Well, this is a trial and error thing, you don't get told when you have a right click menu available, there is no indicator, you just expect it and find it for yourself.
- If the Hub/App doesn't have internal search, the search button will pull up bing. In future dev tools, they will provide an API to override the search button as you can the back button presently. Patience, my friend, Patience!

Windcape said:
c&p is pointless, and not needed. I'm tired of repeating the arguments in every bloody thread.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Windcape said:
Write one, or let Google do that. I don't think Google would like Microsoft to write one for sure.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually, these two statements contradict each other somewhat. By far the two most often reasons for me to watch a video on Youtube are a) watching embedded videos on web sites and b) getting a link in an email. Now, pray tell, how am I going to watch those videos in a third party application in a sandboxed environment without a way to open a URL directly in this application or without an ability to copy and paste this URL there? Let's say on many web sites I can search for the video if it's properly named, but what about this link in an email? Am I supposed to memorize it and type into the app? Or maybe write it down on a piece of paper?
I would certainly prefer it if links to videos opened directly in this Youtube app (or better yet, a standalone flash/video/html5/whatever player), that would be a "smartlinking" scenario that I would prefer to c&p. But that's not available either. C&P may be a kludge, but in the less than perfect world we live in those are often needed.
Windcape said:
And again, Twitter is just yet-another-application. Android and iPhone don't have Twitter support either, there's just 20 different Twitter apps for each platform.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Now let's be consistent please. If we like the way data from multiple sources is integrated in WP7, a Twitter app isn't a perfect solution.
Twitter will be there though. It will be supported in Windows Live or separately. It's missing temporarily in the current version as Twitter changed their API or something like that.

@Windcape
Are you a tard??
a) I didn't write the review so stop quoting me as if I wrote the list and the trying to contradict me.
b) Dont need copy and paste? are you on crack? You must be because I can see endless list or reasons why its a MUST!
c) The review is NOT from a emulator its a HANDS ON review of a prototype phone!
Also people remember this isnt a list of what will NOT be in WP7, its basically a round up of features currently still not in WP7, OBVIOUSLY its not finished and will have more to come.
Either way I still think the OS looks like sh*t, But the flashaholic in me will still end up flashing it to my HD2 when/if its ported.

a) It's easier to quote you to respond to the points. Why is that a problem? Wasn't the whole point with quoting the important points of the article to turn them into a discussion?
b) No, and there's little reason to be rude.
c) O'rly

vangrieg said:
Now, pray tell, how am I going to watch those videos in a third party application in a sandboxed environment without a way to open a URL directly in this application
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A 3rd party application will be able to register a navigation handler so you can open youtube links in a youtube application if necessary. Just like Skype plugin for PC browsers today.
vangrieg said:
but what about this link in an email? Am I supposed to memorize it and type into the app?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Navigation handlers will also apply to emails.
Basically you'll just have to click it. Much easier than copy, change application, paste, and activate it.
vangrieg said:
that would be a "smartlinking" scenario that I would prefer to c&p. But that's not available either.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes it is? That's how it's intended to be, and why Microsoft don't consider c&p a priority atm.
vangrieg said:
Now let's be consistent please. If we like the way data from multiple sources is integrated in WP7, a Twitter app isn't a perfect solution.
Twitter will be there though. It will be supported in Windows Live or separately. It's missing temporarily in the current version as Twitter changed their API or something like that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, on the "other" mobile platforms Twitter is just yet-another-application. If Microsoft integrates it in Windows Live, it's just better than the others.
It's not a loss either way.

Windcape said:
A 3rd party application will be able to register a navigation handler so you can open youtube links in a youtube application if necessary. Just like Skype plugin for PC browsers today.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That would solve the problem indeed, but could you provide a source for this information? This is the first time I hear about a way for a third party application to meddle with IE/mail client behavior in WP7, and when I asked Brandon Watson he said nothing like that would be possible.

Dude, there is a edit button, no need to keep double posting. Oh and YES "rly", read the topic.
btw, what about copy and pasting files?, or even blocks of txt's like in a document or web page for example or am I missing something here, that seems a pretty simple but integral part of windows to me, ffs this isnt apple its windows.

Applications have access to the internet, and files on the internet, it just cannot run in the background or access local files outside of its own local isolated storage. (unless there is a task, launcher, or chooser available to apps)
Native Twitter feeds will be coming soon, Windows Live had it until Twitter changed some APIs, and it will be brought back.
Microsoft have not said Copy & Paste is not a priority, only that in order to get the phone out in time for an Autumn/Winter release, and that it will be coming soon.

*NEWS* Version 1.12 is up on Marketplace! Version 1.13 with social goodies is coming real soon!
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--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Howdy! I need some feedbacks from you guys
At the time I was coding this app, there wasn't any decent shows tracking app out there, so I decided to give back the WP community a little, hence the born of Prime TV.
[Functionalities wise...]
What's new (in version 1.12)?
65% faster load and resume time
Shake to change tile image (paid users only)
Image gallery for shows
More screen captures/images for episodes
Change default genre for shows grouping
Much more stable saving and loading mechanism
Fail safe mechanism to detect missing shows and automatically re-add them
Grouping options and alphabetical sorting option for tv shows
Live tile notification (paid users only, for now)
News feeds integration (general news on main page, show specific news on show page)
Auto mobilized browser for reading news (faster load time and to conserve bandwidth)
Search for missing high quality background on show page (see video)
The core is pretty similar to other apps.
You can follow shows (US, UK, Anime etc) as long as it's in thetvdb.com database.
My efforts in this app are to make it lighting fast and smooth transitions between pages.
It also supports auto timezone correction, so if you're in Australia but following US series, you'll know when it will air on local time.
In the future releases, I've planned to include
Notification system (Graduated)
Mark as watched (Graduated)
Preview trailer (In current version - beta)
JumpList to group episodes by Season number and/or air date (Graduated)
Support more languages (I only know 5 so I might need help from you guys
Social integration (twitter/facebook)
News integration from tv.com etc. (Graduated)
[So the questions are...]
I'd like to hear some feedback from you guys
What do you think about this app?
As a developer or user, what do you like to see in this app?
Don't be shy, request any features you like! I listen to everyone that has something to say!
You can find version 1.10 on Marketplace, and version 1.11 has been submitted for certification just a moment ago (26 April).

App is fast and the layout is pretty sharp, so points for that.
Some negatives: you need "feedback" to let you know you've added a show after you searched it. Right now you tap it and it adds, but you don't know that till you backed out of the search.
The app crashes in trial on a second launch, erasing my 2 saved shows--not sure if that's a limitation or not.
At $0.99, it's not yet there. You might be better offering a "lite" free version with basics (what you have now) and then a paid $0.99 with notifications, etc. Right now though, TVShow Lite is more stable, useful and free even if yours seems a tad faster and nicer (background image).

Hey malatesta, thanks for the feedback.
Sorry about the crash, I investigated into that and it's a bug.
Version 1.2.1 has been submitted with tons of bug fixes, even faster (framerate from 45 to 58) and better transitions.
I'm thinking of making an ad-supported free version with all current functionalities. And ad-free version with notification, mark as watched etc this week. I'm revamping the search page, adding something like "top shows", and of course the "feedback" you mentioned, thanks!
Also I'm thinking of removing the "aired" section, what do you think?

I played with the trial as well
The overall design is nice and pleasing and i like the backgrounds. I cannot comment on the loading since I could only load 2 shows and that's certainly not enough to say anything about loading time/transitions.
I agree with malatesta, when adding from search, you need some sort of way to let me know I have added it - also I would do away with the tap-add, just have a button that specifically adds, because you can imagine the accidental tapping would add a show and that would be annoying.
Panorama view is fine so far. I would personally expect to have only the most important things in pan view: my tv shows - upcoming - missed/aired (although only useful if i can track/check off episodes) - and maybe new/upcoming tv shows
I would also leave adding and news to the bottom as visible buttons and every other function should be hidden in the ... slideout menu
i like clean panoramas that contain only whats really and immediately useful, so that ^ is why i would not prefer to have a panorama page for every function
also the calendar-type view of the date is fine and i would say 24hr format is better, and it would get rid of the am-pm that sits off to the right
and last, i'm personally against ads i avoid apps with ads (except perhaps only to test and then buy or not), they destroy the whole design of the app, so if you want you can make a trial app with very basic functionality (have a look at other apps to see what is considered basic)
this is especially true since your layout is great and pleasing, any ads would make it look horrible
cheers

@nick109, hey thanks a lot for the comment! I'd like to invite you to be official tester of upcoming releases, what do you think? I develop this everyday it's just the annoying certification process that's slowing it down. But having said that you'd have to have a developer account or jailbroken phone to sideload the app though.
I too avoid apps with ads, I don't think putting ads is the way to go. So I'll consider putting ads seriously, at most it'll only appear in trial mode, definitely no way in paid mode.
Currently I'm implementing "mark as watched" feature, so that aired section could be useful. And also JumpList (like in People app you can select the alphabet and quickly jumping to a group) to group episodes by season number and by air date.
Time formatting is really troublesome here, I'm also changing the format according to user preference, e.g. what you set on your phone (region and languages), so this app will have a consistent look and feel.
Lastly, these days seems like social integration is the only way to make app popular, sadly But I'll make the app more solid before adding news/twitter etc.
Again thanks for your reply.

sure i'll gladly test it as best i can and inform you of any bugs i come across
and yes i will have to sideload it
and speaking of ads, i noticed google has released their sdk for wp7, and their design is actually quite great and fits well with the metro ui
news here

I bought the app (1.0) but it's still telling me i am using the trial version and i am unable to add multiple shows... already tried reinstalling/re-buying, no luck. any suggestions?
General suggestions:
- live-tile support as the "all-white" tile does not look so great (would have payed even more for the app with live-tile)
- fix for the "trial mode not being removable"
- maybe a link to "buy app" from within the app to fix the issue?
- as I have a LOT of shows i follow, maybe some way to rate shows or prioritize these
- confirmation once a show was successfully added
really looking forward to some updates and hopefully a fix to my issue!
cheers!

@nick109, thanks! I saw that as well, will definitely experiment it when critical features have been implemented/improved.
@pencilcase, I'm so sorry! I just investigated into that issue and it was totally my fault, an update (1.2.1) is on the way, i think it'll be approved tomorrow. Fortunately I revamped the trial system, it's still only 2 shows allowed on trial, but it won't have that nasty paid version issue. Again I'm sorry.
Good suggestions @pencilcase, I was thinking of using the settings page to allow collection sorting, like according to added time or rating. I have tested adding 20 shows, including America's Next Top Model which has 15 seasons, and it doesn't slow down version 1.2.1 at all.
I'm working on version 1.3.0, which has "Mark as Watched" and grouping system. Today I even bought a $149 developer library (from telerik) just to improve this app! Hopefully you guys will like it!

i gave the 1.2 version another go, i added simpsons which has a lot of seasons and episodes, and it did not lag, so very good on that
i also added Terra Nova, or tried to, but the app didn't respond by adding it, give it a try and see if it happens to you as well
yes, focus on the critical stuff for now, and in the future if you could keep in mind to have a setting to refresh background on each launch, that would be a nice eye candy

@nick109, currently my implementation is to cross reference thetvdb.com and tvrage.com database to find matching series. So that I could pull information from both databases and integrate them together.
That's actually why some series appearing on the selection couldn't actually be added, e.g. if information couldn't be matched.
I'm thinking to go with tvrage.com, they have more solid database, almost 99.99% uptime. And updating mechanism is simpler, plus I could actually implement video trailer for each episode with that database.
I'm implementing this on version 1.3, and a major UI overhaul is coming!
By the way, what do you mean that refreshing background on each launch? Currently it's getting the background of latest upcoming episode. E.g. if The Vampire Diaries has the latest upcoming episode it'll be the background of that, so at first glance you'll instantly know the latest upcoming episode. And if you delete that show (by tap and holding on "collection"), the background will be refreshed to the next upcoming episode.

ah i see now : )
and yes if from tvrage you could implement trailers that would be really nice!
looking forward to it

hey nick109, check out the preview video below, what do you think?

aha now you've done it! good work. have you sent this for approval yet?

thanks! no i haven't. there's still a couple of things i need to do, like manual timezone adjustment, because i don't live in a country with daylight saving, so i don't understand time property as well as others.
as a user, it'll be very frustrating that a tv show tracking app shows all kind of incorrect time, so i'm working on a page for "settings" to manually adjust each tv show.
at the same time i'm also working on live tile notification what do you think of the mockup live tile image below?

good idea for the time part, should help with non local TV series
The live tile looks great - I suppose it will update the picture too? Else I think the today part is unnecessary since it's understood

The new interface looks quite a lot to TVShow !
I bought 'Prime TV'and 'TVShow' and I prefer TVShow largely because he has already 'live tile' (which are updated every night without restarting the application) and converting local times for foreign TV shows. And it has more feature like : subtitles, translation, recaps, pictures

message edited

theoce2n said:
Howdy! I need some feedbacks from you guys
At the time I was coding this app, there wasn't any decent shows tracking app out there, so I decided to give back the WP community a little, hence the born of Prime TV.
[Functionalities wise...]
The core is pretty similar to other apps.
You can follow shows (US, UK, Anime etc) as long as it's in thetvdb.com database.
My efforts in this app are to make it lighting fast and smooth transitions between pages.
It also supports auto timezone correction, so if you're in Australia but following US series, you'll know when it will air on local time.
In the future releases, I've planned to include
Notification system
Mark as watched
Preview trailer
JumpList to group episodes by Season number and/or air date
Support more languages (I only know 5 so I might need help from you guys
Social integration (twitter/facebook)
News integration from tv.com etc.
[So the questions are...]
I'd like to hear some feedback from you guys
What do you think about this app?
As a developer or user, what do you like to see in this app?
Also do you like thetvdb.com database better or tvrage.com?
[Special treatments for XDA...]
If you guys like, I can probably release beta versions to some testers before it hits Marketplace, working on this alone I just can't seem to catch every bug
Don't be shy, request any features you like! I listen to everyone that has something to say!
You can find version 1.0 on Marketplace, and version 1.2.1 has been submitted for certification yesterday (even faster and more reliable).
I've set up a static website just for viewing pleasure, check it out at http://nineverse.com/.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You interested in making an app release thread in the Apps and Games section?

mine seems to not be saving shows i add anymore (FIXED by reinstalling)
any news on the new version with live-tile support? really looking forward to that

theoce2n said:
hey nick109, check out the preview video below, what do you think?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks guys to steal the design of TVShow...

Windows Phone 7.6 Tango will include intergrated Skype and Google Plus... Windows Phone Just gets better each day Take that Apple and Android!
Source

rruffman said:
Windows Phone 7.6 Tango will include intergrated Skype and Google Plus... Windows Phone Just gets better each day Take that Apple and Android!
Source
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Besides the fact that the screenshot has already been identified as being a photoshopped fake, it's pretty common sense that having Google+ natively built in into Windows Phone is highly unlikely. There are no official APIs yet that could be used. Not to mention the fact that Google+ would be the first Google Service ever to be natively supported by our OS.

dkp1977 said:
Besides the fact that the screenshot has already been identified as being a photoshopped fake, it's pretty common sense that having Google+ natively built in into Windows Phone is highly unlikely. There are no official APIs yet that could be used. Not to mention the fact that Google+ would be the first Google Service ever to be natively supported by our OS.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I guess wishful thinking for Skype that is could care less about G+

rruffman said:
I guess wishful thinking for Skype that is could care less about G+
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
same here, don't care about google+.
It's gym of social networking. Everyone signed up for it and no one actually visits it anymore!
I would love the Skype integration in Tango though. However, that with full back up functions probably will be delivered in Apollo. Sounds more realistic. Worth the wait because we know MS can integrate it, and integrate it much better than we think!

WpCentral Does make a good point here "Edit: However, it's not clear if PocketPC.ch is claiming the screenshot is real or were just using it for illustrative purposes." it could be just an edited screenshot as maybe they do not have it on their phone per say but have seen or tried it...

There is at least some read-only Google+ API:
https://developers.google.com/+/api/
Furthermore there are Android and iOS Apps for Google+ so technically it should be possible if Google is not trying to stop MS from having Google+ integration.
Also Google is probably trying to get Google+ where ever they can.
Yeah the screenshot looks strange, but PocketPC.ch is a reputable source.

Google+ I don't care about. Google Talk though, that would be a huge bonus to get integrated into Messaging. If they managed to get Google Talk video and audio calls as well, that'd be awesome too, but unexpected. I'd think Skype will be the only native source for that.
I'm still going to take this news with a grain of salt though. Sounds like just wishful thinking to me.

The original source (pocketpc.ch) has leaked another image:
Old image
New image
In case these links do not work, just copy and paste these URLs into your browser (or visit pocketpc.ch):
http://www.pocketpc.ch/c/attachments/90521d1327761498-capture_02_10_33.png/
http://www.pocketpc.ch/attachments/...7-6-tango-skype-g-capture_02_10_33-kopie.png/
The author claims that he put the pocketpc.ch watermark behind the text and also explains how he did it (using multiple layers etc.).
Furthermore (like I said before), PocketPC.ch has quite a reputation to loose so I don't think they would present it the way they did if they were not really sure this is real. Otherwise something like this is clearly marked as a rumor, but this one was not.

slimshady322 said:
The original source (pocketpc.ch) has leaked another image:
Old image
New image
In case these links do not work, just copy and paste these URLs into your browser (or visit pocketpc.ch):
http://www.pocketpc.ch/c/attachments/90521d1327761498-capture_02_10_33.png/
http://www.pocketpc.ch/attachments/...7-6-tango-skype-g-capture_02_10_33-kopie.png/
The author claims that he put the pocketpc.ch watermark behind the text and also explains how he did it (using multiple layers etc.).
Furthermore (like I said before), PocketPC.ch has quite a reputation to loose so I don't think they would present it the way they did if they were not really sure this is real. Otherwise something like this is clearly marked as a rumor, but this one was not.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree with you and really looking forward to it if this is real.

Mines better O_O LOL
Google+
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
Google Talk
Don't you think Google Talk would make a lot more sense since Google+ is Google's social profile thingy, whereas Google Talk is Google's IM service lol just saying.
I still have doubts though, like I posted on WPCentral, Microsoft just announced a skype app soon, but if they were to integrate it in tango, the better. And implementation of Google services on windows phone is very unlikely, but then again, Google+ is becoming a flop (thats right people, failing), since most people did sign up for it but never actually uses it (take me and my group of friends for example-- actually scratch that, make that my whole facebook friends list). The news I heard that 90million uses Google services, well those are services apart from Plus. Again, very unlikely, apart from the fact that wp users dont have an official youtube app from either google or microsoft themselves (the one in marketplace from microsoft is just a link with a fancy icon).

</travis> said:
Don't you think Google Talk would make a lot more sense since Google+ is Google's social profile thingy, whereas Google Talk is Google's IM service lol just saying.
I still have doubts though, like I posted on WPCentral, Microsoft just announced a skype app soon, but if they were to integrate it in tango, the better. And implementation of Google services on windows phone is very unlikely, but then again, Google+ is becoming a flop (thats right people, failing), since most people did sign up for it but never actually uses it (take me and my group of friends for example-- actually scratch that, make that my whole facebook friends list). The news I heard that 90million uses Google services, well those are services apart from Plus. Again, very unlikely, apart from the fact that wp users dont have an official youtube app from either google or microsoft themselves (the one in marketplace from microsoft is just a link with a fancy icon).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well they only mentioned a Skype app in interviews, no real announcement.
Just a few days ago I read an article that said now that WP is somewhat mature and you can work with it, new features will be coming at a faster rate (e.g. LTE), so I think this Skype and Google+ integration might very well be true.
In the end we can only wait, maybe we will see something at MWC in February.

Windows Phone keeps on getting more interesting.
Just hope people are going to buy it more now, it's a great OS just the sales are not representative.

rruffman said:
Windows Phone Just gets better each day Take that Apple and Android!
Source
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
sorry???? Take that Apple and Android???
I don't know why WP7 users are so hyped about nothing!!
Listen, If I would be an Android or IOS user I would say, hahaha stupid WP7 users, you won't have Skype earlier untill tango,tae that! and we all know how much Microsoft takes to reléase an update.
how many years does Android users call gratis with skype??

Skype and Google, that's what MS considers an update? LOL, they need to focus on more features and functionality. Skype and Google are more of add ons than updates.

XxAndrexX said:
sorry???? Take that Apple and Android???
I don't know why WP7 users are so hyped about nothing!!
Listen, If I would be an Android or IOS user I would say, hahaha stupid WP7 users, you won't have Skype earlier untill tango,tae that! and we all know how much Microsoft takes to reléase an update.
how many years does Android users call gratis with skype??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Android launched - 23rd September 2008 - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Android_version_history
Skype App Announced Jan 2009 - http://about.skype.com/2009/01/skype_launches_on_android_plat.html/
Skype App released - 5th Oct 2010 - http://blogs.skype.com/en/2010/10/android.html
So After Android was released, it took 4 months to announce a Skype app and it took 21 months after that to get the app released. So in total 25 months just to get a Skype app on Android.
Windows phone released - October 2010
Skype app announced - April 2011
Skype app will be released - let's say April 2012?
So after Windows Phone was released, it took 6 months to announce a Skype app and it might take 12 months tops to get an app and probably by Oct 2012, Skype will be integrated right into the OS which makes it 18 months to release an app and 24 months to bake the whole utility inside the OS.
With 1 month to spare and Skype already integrated within the OS, I wonder if Windows Phone Users are hyping for nothing or Android fanboys are jealous of EVERYTHING?!
May I remind you the fact that we are talking about an OS that is not trying to copy and be cheap iPhone at all? - that's on top of that 1 month spare after integrating skype into the NEW Unique OS.
Please don't pee on your own legs again by posting silly things in Windows Phone development forums. This will save us all some happy moments. Have a lovely weekend.
---------- Post added at 05:58 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:53 PM ----------
sinister1 said:
Skype and Google, that's what MS considers an update? LOL, they need to focus on more features and functionality. Skype and Google are more of add ons than updates.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Anyone literate enough would know that these are add-on IN A update. A little reading and you would know what update might have on top of these ADD-ONs.

sinister1 said:
Skype and Google, that's what MS considers an update? LOL, they need to focus on more features and functionality. Skype and Google are more of add ons than updates.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can't undertand your reasoning ...
Who said Tango will be only Skype/Google+ integration ?
---------- Post added at 08:30 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:28 PM ----------
XxAndrexX said:
sorry???? Take that Apple and Android???
I don't know why WP7 users are so hyped about nothing!!
Listen, If I would be an Android or IOS user I would say, hahaha stupid WP7 users, you won't have Skype earlier untill tango,tae that! and we all know how much Microsoft takes to reléase an update.
how many years does Android users call gratis with skype??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't why Android/iPhone trolls are so scared of something they call 'nothing'.
This is pheraps one of the biggest misteries of the human history ....

Could be possible, Mango brought a lot in half a year (and fixed a lot of essential issues like PN). They have had pretty much the same amount of time for Tango. Also there has not been much word on the update, everybody is very quite, so it could be a good thing... hopefully they will try to surprise everybody.
At least I hope Tango will still open up some more missing API's and improve the multitasking. And hopefully they will expand all bing features to all localisations, e.g. I can finally use that barcode scanning program, but still no bing music (if not set to En-US) this is obviously ridiculous.
Although Skype integration will be amazing, I hope they will execute it better than the Facebook chat, which drains the battery like crazy and does not allow offline messages and does not allow you to log of on messenger and use facebook as standalone, hence useless in this implementation for most people I know who use WP7.
But other then that I'm very positive... can't wait for the update

Marvin_S said:
Although Skype integration will be amazing, I hope they will execute it better than the Facebook chat, which drains the battery like crazy and does not allow offline messages and does not allow you to log of on messenger and use facebook as standalone, hence useless in this implementation for most people I know who use WP7.
But other then that I'm very positive... can't wait for the update
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
how does Facebook chat drain the battery like crazy? I haven't noticed any rapid battery usage whenever I have it on which is all the time. I set it to away when I'm not using it and still no rapid battery drainage. As for the messenger problem this is why one should create a new live account and add that first when setting up WP.

prohibido_por_la_ley said:
how does Facebook chat drain the battery like crazy? I haven't noticed any rapid battery usage whenever I have it on which is all the time. I set it to away when I'm not using it and still no rapid battery drainage. As for the messenger problem this is why one should create a new live account and add that first when setting up WP.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It does, try it yourself without the fb chat on/away/whatever vs offline. The battery drains noticebly faster for me with the integrated messenger activated.
As for your second suggestion, no offence, but what you are saying is not a proper solution. A feature should not be half implemented so the average consumer does not even use it. If you want to lure users with cool features, than implement them properly so everybody can use them and tell their friends. You can toggle off facebook but you can't vice versa (yes I know the technical side of the story, but that is no excuse) which is just odd and not understandable for the average consumer.

Marvin_S said:
Could be possible, Mango brought a lot in half a year (and fixed a lot of essential issues like PN). They have had pretty much the same amount of time for Tango.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don't know when was Tango tree created, but Mango tree started in October 2010, before WP7 was launched even.

All of my past devices (Siemens SX56 & SX66; HTC Kaiser; and presently HTC Rhodium - see ROM below) have been Windows Mobile, so I'm hoping to appeal to those of you who made the leap to Android from WM to answer several newbie questions...
A Little Background History About Me & My Mobile World
As device technologies are steadily and rapidly advancing faster than they ever have before, I am finding myself wishing that my current device was capable of many of the tasks/speed that the newer devices are. Unfortunately, my lack of knowledge of other OSes are keeping me from making an informed decision that I will be able to confidently live with.
Coming from Windows Mobile, I bought a used LG Quantum (Windows 7 Phone) cheap from Ebay hoping to play with it for a bit to help me understand the new Windows OS and enable me to transition more easily to it's newer technology and features. Unfortunately, the most critical aspect of transitioning to Windows Phone is the ability to seamlessly and accurately transfer my data (calendar, contacts, tasks, etc.) from Microsoft Outlook to the new device. I was appalled to learn that Microsoft has completely removed the ability to sync via USB as I have always done with ActiveSync all these years!
Sure for many, this isn't a major problem, but for me it is an absolute deal breaker! My data is tied to my work PC and my company (being a very large global company) is very serious about it's data security, so they have blocked access to all third-party email and file storage options, therefore syncing my data to the Quantum in the conventional manner is impossible. I've tried extracting/importing the various Outlook data files with Google, Hotmail, etc., but the data's integrity proved to be worthless, as many contacts were missing their contact names and all of my recurring appointments were broken out into separate events making future rescheduling a complete and utter nightmare. So, needless to say, I ran screaming back to my Rhodium in less than 2 days!
I am an AT&T customer and an avid fan of a 'real' hard keyboard (an absolute MUST for my next device!), so I am considering the Samsung Captivate Glide as an upgrade option, hence why I am posing my questions in this subforum.
My Questions/Concerns to Users Who Made the Transition from Windows Mobile to Android:
I've been searching the web looking for newbie guides to Android and am finding that many of them are tailored to those users who have no prior experience with smart phones at all, as it basically describes what a smart phone can do and what 'apps' can be found for various simple tasks. What I need to know from you all is:
What obstacles have you encountered switching from WM to Android and how did you overcome them?
What are the biggest pro/cons that you have come across and how have you managed them?
How are you managing your data? It appears to me that Android also utilizes OTA syncing, however, I have read that there are programs out there that will allow you to work around this and sync via USB. Is this correct and which applications do you find work the best?
My Device Needs:
I am not a 'gamer' by any sense of the word, so I have no use or interest of what Android is capable of in that aspect. My interests clearly lie in contact, calendar, notes, & task data management; email (multiple AOL accounts); GPS-guided navigation; Internet access; photo/video capturing capabilities; and, of course, as a reliable phone.
I do not typically listen to music on my Rhodium, as I have a 60GB Zen which can store far more music than my phone can, but I do enjoy the ability to listen to FM radio or whatever MP3s that I do choose to store on my Rhodium. I don't usually watch videos/movies on my current device, but may choose to more often, as I expect the experience to be much more pleasant on the newer technology anyway.
In Conclusion
First and foremost, I appreciate you reading my post, as I am sorry it has gotten so long, but I wanted those responding to know what my experience has been, what my needs are... Basically, where I'm coming from. If there are other scenarios that any of you have encountered in your transition from WM to Android that I haven't addressed, I would be most grateful if you would care to share them with me.
Given all of the above, is the Captivate Glide a smart choice? I understand that the Android 'Ice Cream Sandwich' update is expected later this year, as well, and that the Captivate Glide is rumored to be among the devices slated to receive the update. Is the SCG a solid device that will be able to make good use of this anticipated update? Are there rumors of any new Android devices coming to AT&T (with a hard keyboard) that I should look out for before I consider my transition?
Thank you all again for the time that you have taken out of your busy lives to read my post and for your consideration in taking even more time to respond to my questions. I've been a member of this community for a few years now and have the utmost respect for the collective knowledge and selfless assistance that I've received thus far, so please feel free to direct me to any outside forums/sites, which are better suited to my needs as I may have missed them in my initial searches on the subject. Of course, I am open to conducting my research/questions via private messages, if forum administrators think that my inquiry is too elementary for the forum.
Debbie

I have not own a Win Mobile before so I can't answer most of your questions. But I can tell you what my android device(s) do for me.
-It performs well and can do almost anything you need while you're mobile
-SMS, MMS, email, calls, calendar, etc are most (let's say 90%) used functionality for me, and my Glide (and previous android devices) never failed me on those. So pretty much, telephony and PDA features are awesome.
-Android supports auto sync, so your apps (like Calendar and contacts) will push all changes as long as you have data active. This feature can be disabled.
-Email: the stock Samsung Email app does the job for me and can hold about 10 emails or so.
-Contacts, is very rich, from first name to nickname, to organization , you can add many details in one. Contacts merging is also available.
-Virtual Keyboard, just make sure you turn off some features like "Quick Fixes" and XT9 if you don't want your Android to mess up you're text. Many 3rd party Virtual Keyboards are available, for different styles, functionality, and looks. For a hardware Keyboard of the glide, it's not that great, but not bad as hell for the reason that the keys are almost flat that there is a little to no tactile feedback on some keys.
-Web Browsing, I am having a very good experience in terms of web. Renders pages in reasonable speed, supports flash, and there are third party WEb browsers that supports HTML5 as well.
-Wireless tethering (Rogers), I use this quite a lot too, and connection is solid and pleasant. (You may need to Root to activate tethering on ATT ROMs/Versions)
-APPLICATIONS all-in-all, a ton of apps are available
-Battery life: in my case, battery is about 50% from the morning I wake up til the night I am about to sleep. This is fine with me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you're gonna ask me about the 10% of my usage:
-7% goes to hacking: I am no developer, but I do learn a lot of tweaks (like Rooting) to make the fast device faster. I admit, it's was not easy for me at first, screwed up my androids(s) lots but everything paid up. Learn from mistakes i guess.
-3% goes to games....

Thanks!
Your post is very much appreciated, gabby131!
I just revisited the local AT&T store and they indicate that this device is the only Android model offered by them that has a hard keyboard, with no ETA on when other keyboard/Android devices will appear on the horizon. Therefore, it's very good to know that you are having pleasant experiences with your SCG. I have a few more months before I am eligible for an upgrade, so I have that much more time to conduct my research.
I will continue to keep an eye on the forum for other members' experiences with the ICS OS update when it comes out. 'Til then, I will continue to read this and other devices' forums for additional information.
All the best,
Debbie

I had windows Mobile 6.1 for many years. I went from a Dell axim X51V to a Samsung Omnia and now to the Samsung Glide.
Windows mobile had many downfalls but for the people who got used to it, we were able to use it quite well. Web browsing was always a pain on Windows Mobile. Android does fix this and I find I surf on my phone quite well ,especially using the Dolphin browser with the gestures that I have created.
I love the Glide for its ease of use with Excel and word files. The ability to open those and modify them on the fly with a hardware keyboard is great I just wish the hardware keyboard had a dedicated Number row.
Active sync had its benefits and its downfall. I loved that I could sync my phone with outlook and do miss that. I have come to move all my information in my outlook contacts to Google contacts and I just sync in the cloud. I also switched to using Google Calendar instead of the Outlook Calendar. This way I can access my calendar anywhere from any computer or my phone.
The touch display is 1 million times better on my glide then my Omnia as now we are talking capacitive over resistive. I will never go back to resistive!
Funny thing is that on My Windows Mobile device the voice command I find was better than on my Android. I used to tell Windows mobile to play a song and it would with no issues. With Android I am still learning how to do this, and if the screen is locked Bluetooth can not be used for voice commands.
The Glide is a better phone then many out there and the Hardware keyboard is what drew me to it, I just hope you will as happy as I am with mine.

Thanks, dudejb!
Did you load Microsoft Office onto your Glide, or does it already come equipped with an application that will allow you to work with those files? I haven't had to use my device for MS Office files (outside of Outlook, Notes, Tasks, of course), but I really liked that I was able to, if the need ever arose.
Unfortunately, as all of my calendar/contact data is tied to my work PC, setting up this data on Google, etc. is really useless to me. Direct USB syncing is an absolute MUST for me, due to my company blocking other email services, so I have no choice. I'm hoping someone else who also syncs via USB on Android will chime in with suggestions on the best application to use.
I'll need to get used to the screen more. Looks fantastic, but I'm used to using my fingernails a lot and I noticed that the screen doesn't respond quite like my Rhodium does... Hey, I'll adjust! LOL
I used Voice Command a lot with my Kaiser and when I first got my Rhodium, but I've stopped using it after loading Jacko's ROMs, because his ROMs don't recognize/make use of the PTT button, which I always assigned to VC. Sure, I know that I could have used a 3rd-party software to assign the PTT button to that command, but I've just been too damned lazy.
I'm not totally sold on the keyboard, but even the Rhodium took some getting used to after coming from a Kaiser, as my fingers were used to the Kaiser's key layout. I gotta admit though, once I got accustomed to the layout, I determined that my Rhodium has one of the best keyboards out there and I will truly miss it. I played with the Glide on display at the AT&T store for quite some time the other day. To me, it felt that the keys on the Glide are spaced too far apart and didn't have a great feel to them. Shame it's the only keyboard Android model for AT&T right now. What I will truly miss that I never thought I would is the tilt screen of my Rhodium (and Kaiser)... I can't tell you how many times that thing came in handy and it would totally mesmerize my friends when they saw it in action! LMAO!
Again, thanks so much to the both of you for responding. I do believe that I may be taking the 'Android' plunge soon. I just gotta have a plan in place for USB syncing before I actually commit though.
Debbie

I had WinMo 5.x then 6.x devices for many years as well, still have the last one though (Touch Pro 2, runs great !).
But, I decided to move to Android because it had some great capabilities that WiMo 6.x didn't have:
- Managing Outlook sync OTA with more than one Exchange Server
- Managing / Merging Calendar Display (from different accounts : outlook, gmail, ...)
- Managing / Merging multiple contact lists (from different accounts : outlook, gmail, ...)
- User friendly Web browsing
- ...
Of course, I had to save some SMS/MMS and call logs in order to get exactly what I had when leaving WiMo world.
So over a year ago, I used (payed) for one of these migration apps from SPB (or any other) to migrate all my data. (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.spb.migration&feature=search_result).
Migration worked great. All data were restored on the Android device.
My first WiMo device replacement was a HTC Desire Z .. with a keyboard. No the same keyboard experience than the touch Pro 2, but it worked.
I then switched to a far more powerful device : the Glide.
I rely mainly on OTA sync : Outlook, hotmail, gmail, yahoo mail.
No USB sync at all (used to do that with Desire Z, but IMO OTA is better).
The Glide lacks a few things (FM tuner, ...) but it has a great processor, a great display ... and huge software library ! (TomTom is still missing !)
Keyboard is nowhere near the Touch Pro 2 experience, but it does the trick and you get used to it.
So Glide (and Android) is my day to day phone. It runs great and is reliable.
I kept the Touch Pro 2 just in case ...

frav said:
I had WinMo 5.x then 6.x devices for many years as well, still have the last one though (Touch Pro 2, runs great !).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's what I am currently using on AT&T... OMG, I *so* love that device!
frav said:
But, I decided to move to Android because it had some great capabilities that WiMo 6.x didn't have:
- Managing Outlook sync OTA with more than one Exchange Server
- Managing / Merging Calendar Display (from different accounts : outlook, gmail, ...)
- Managing / Merging multiple contact lists (from different accounts : outlook, gmail, ...)
- User friendly Web browsing
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm becoming more and more aware of how ancient my Tilt 2 is getting, although it's still an impressively performing phone with Jackos ROM below. The biggest reminder is when I use it's camera at only 3.2MP, no flash/zoom, and poor video quality. The SCG's camera doesn't zoom, from what I can tell either, does it?
frav said:
So over a year ago, I used (payed) for one of these migration apps from SPB (or any other) to migrate all my data. (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.spb.migration&feature=search_result).
Migration worked great. All data were restored on the Android device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'll look into that to see if it would help me out as well, thanks!
frav said:
My first WiMo device replacement was a HTC Desire Z .. with a keyboard. No the same keyboard experience than the touch Pro 2, but it worked.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was initially looking at the Desire Z as well, but it never came to AT&T and I don't want to sacrifice my data speed or call quality by not being able to utilize all the bands that I should have access to on the AT&T network, so I thought it best to wait a bit for something else to pop up.
frav said:
I rely mainly on OTA sync : Outlook, hotmail, gmail, yahoo mail.
No USB sync at all (used to do that with Desire Z, but IMO OTA is better).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I wish that I could use OTA syncing (because that would make my life SO much easier & open up a whole ****load of options to me), but my company will not allow me to upload my Outlook data to any 3rd-party email/file storage repositories, so I am left with no choice but to find a suitable USB-syncing method.
frav said:
The Glide lacks a few things (FM tuner, ...) but it has a great processor, a great display ... and huge software library ! (TomTom is still missing !)
Keyboard is nowhere near the Touch Pro 2 experience, but it does the trick and you get used to it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I will actually miss the FM Tuner on my device, and I never thought that I would, because it sure came in handy sometimes! LOL Yeah, I adore the keyboard on my Tilt 2 and it will really suck to have to give it up, but as you say I'll adjust.
frav said:
So Glide (and Android) is my day to day phone. It runs great and is reliable.
I kept the Touch Pro 2 just in case ...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh, make no mistake... I will never totally give up my Rhodium! As a matter of fact, I've already got another one in reserve (but it's got an effed up USB port) in case I ever need it. Hell, I won't even give up my Kaiser (original AT&T Tilt), because that thing rocked, too!
Thanks so much for your feedback on the Captivate Glide... I'm feeling more and more confident that this is the device for me (until something better comes out, that is), so you may be seeing me around this forum more often.
Thanks again!
Debbie

@Debbie
i believe that if you set up your Office Email on the Glide, you will also get the events, tasks, appointments, etc. You can use the stock Samsung email or any 3rd party apps that support outlook and/or exchange servers. (Please disregard if this is not allowed by your company you're working). As in my case, I need to download TouchDown app, and because I am happy with it, i purchased the license (yes it's kinda pricy, about $20). It does the job very well.

gabby131 said:
i believe that if you set up your Office Email on the Glide, you will also get the events, tasks, appointments, etc. You can use the stock Samsung email or any 3rd party apps that support outlook and/or exchange servers. (Please disregard if this is not allowed by your company you're working).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unfortunately, they got that locked up tight, too. There is no way that they will give me the Exchange server credentials to allow me to do that unless I am using a company-provided device, which would be a Blackberry... Yuk!
gabby131 said:
As in my case, I need to download TouchDown app, and because I am happy with it, i purchased the license (yes it's kinda pricy, about $20). It does the job very well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'll look into that, but I suspect that it may not help me much, so I'll be researching USB-sync software. If I poke around here enough, I might find someone who can recommend a reliable one.
Thanks for responding again!
Debbie

I believe the Samsung synch application for windows will allow you to synch with outlook and your android/Samsung Phone. I just found the application to be buggy and a pain to install. I tried at work and it did not communicate with my glide, but at home it worked but I did not attempt on connecting with outlook so I can not tell you how well that works but have heard others mention that it works.

Many Sync Options Apparently, But Which Actually Work???
dudejb said:
I believe the Samsung synch application for windows will allow you to synch with outlook and your android/Samsung Phone. I just found the application to be buggy and a pain to install. I tried at work and it did not communicate with my glide, but at home it worked but I did not attempt on connecting with outlook so I can not tell you how well that works but have heard others mention that it works.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Really??? Can it actually be *that* simple? LOL! Is the application that you speak of the one called "Kies" or something different?
My problem is a bit complex: I have Outlook 2003 at work and Outlook 2007 at home. My work PC is the one that contains all of my important data since that is where I get meeting requests, etc. My home PC's Outlook has never been accurate, since it is Vista and utilizes Device Center for syncing my WM Rhodium, which conflicts horrendously with MS ActiveSync on my work PC (which is NT), so I've ended up with tons of empty appointments and duplicate (even triplicate) contact entries. Back when both PCs were XP, I was able to sync both of them perfectly with ActiveSync and have my data agree at home *and* at work... I miss those days.
I've been giving the web search engines a work out on this one topic alone! Found this thread in the Android Software & Hacking General forum, which helped point me to SyncDroid.net. They have a listing of several sync applications (paid & free) that syncs various types of data using various methods of syncing. Out of that list, it appears that these softwares are the best for my particular problem and syncing needs:
- Android-Sync
- MyPhoneExplorer
- VCOrganizer Pro
- SyncRoid
Some are free, some not, and others have free trials or light versions. I'm not fussed with paying for an application if it actually works reliably. So, I'm hoping that others who share my scenario (which may be difficult to come by) can chime in on which are best. Even if I didn't have these limitations, I'd still be wary of putting my data out on the web. Are there others that I should be looking into, that I haven't come across yet?
Damn, why is something that should be so simple proving SO difficult?!
Many thanks!
Debbie

Did you try Kies first? I tried it again and it said it can synch with outlook contacts and Calenders.

Not yet, but will give that one a try first. Thanks!
dudejb said:
Did you try Kies first? I tried it again and it said it can synch with outlook contacts and Calenders.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

I'm glad I found this thread as I'm thinking about switching to android also.
My quick phone history
1. Samsung sph i330 (palm 3.0 or .5 don't remember)
2. ppc 6700
3. HTC touch pro 2 (current Phone)
All of these phones have been great, and as you can see once I find something I like I stick with it.
Okay Debbie, did you switch? What do you think of android?
For me my biggest concern is loosing my stylus, and other functions that come so natural to me like cut & paste. My wife has an Epic 4G (android) but I'm not yet sold the thing doesn't even have spell check!
The main reason for me to switch. I run a small business and want to accept credit card payments with Square (Android and I phone only), and I will never own anything made by Apple
Frav: do you miss the stylus?
If I do switch I'll be going with the galaxy S III
any input would be great!

If you are dead set on stylus you may want to look at the note as it also has a stylus. It is rather large but for businesses it may be worth it for you. A friend of mine has 1 and she loves it.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I927R using xda app-developers app

Thats a good point dudejb. I have thought of that, but i worried about the size. I'll have to give it a test run at the store

http://www.google.com/shopping/prod...tFbL02wWztsG1AQ&ved=0CGEQ8wIwAQ#hsec:overview
Stylus... $3
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I927 using xda app-developers app

Wow very cool thanks ajt1995. I didn't even know that existed! I guess I have been kind of sheltered with my Touch Pro 2.

you could always go with the Sausage Stylus:
http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/08/sausage-stylus-for-the-iphone-now-on-sale-in-the-us/
Though it sounds dumb and funny, but I hear it really works well.

84mopar said:
Wow very cool thanks ajt1995. I didn't even know that existed! I guess I have been kind of sheltered with my Touch Pro 2.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Glad I could help.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I927 using xda app-developers app