Category Archives: Technology

Moving to Windows Phone Engineering

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It has been 3 months since my last post. Mostly this is due to TB and I moving to less frequent Owen updates—which reminds me we still need to post a 2 1/4 year photo. We have also fallen victim to the Facebook craze which most our family and friends use to keep up with our latest goings-on.

However, it is also due to my recent move to the Windows Phone Division from the Developer Division. Good thing I began my switch to Windows Phone when it debuted last year, eh?

I spent my entire 13 years at Microsoft in DevDiv working on a litany of platforms and tools developers have used to build consumer and enterprise applications for mostly desktop computers and servers. Now, I am off doing pretty much the same thing, building application platforms, but this time targeting mobile devices. Phones are obviously an exciting place to be with all the buzz and tremendous growth surrounding iOS and Android. Having worked on several seminal products—including Visual J++, ASP.NET 1.0 and Silverlight 1.0—I am accustomed to being the underdog in the highly-charged race to woo developers to nascent technology. Perhaps I will start a series on what I think makes Windows Phone special having spent the last few years as an iPhone devotee. Stay tuned…

In other news, Owen started playing soccer in Arena Sports Lil’ Kickers. He’s in the Thumpers (2-3 year old) group where they mostly run around, kick stuff, and learn to follow the coach’s instructions. It is really funny watching him develop and a good way to get the family outdoors each Saturday morning.

Owen’s First Soccer Practice

Increasing storage capacity of Samsung Focus by adding a microSD memory card

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If you are reading this post you know what you have (Samsung Focus Windows Phone 7 with the default, anemic 8 GB internal storage) and what you want (more storage capacity by adding a microSD card). This is not a detailed how-to. If you do not know how to upgrade your memory and the steps necessary to reset your device to recognize the additional capacity, I suggest finding someone who does rather than going it alone.

funny pictures of cats with captions

There is a lot of confusing information swirling around about Windows Phone 7 certified memory, which cards work and which do not, class 2 vs. class 6, etc. I am writing this because I stumbled across a comment in a forum I frequent that helped me upgrade my Samsung Focus from 8 GB to 24 GB by adding a $40 memory card.

** WARNING: THESE STEPS FACTORY RESET AND ERASE YOUR PHONE **

Step 1: Buy a KOMPUTERBAY 16GB microSD memory card from Amazon for $39. The 32GB card ($89) also works if you need more storage.
Step 2: Turn off the phone
Step 3: Insert the card into the empty slot inside the battery compartment
Step 4: Turn on and reset your phone (Settings->About)
Step 5: Confirm your Total Storage is now 22.12 GB (Settings->About)
Step 6: Redo your settings and configuration and reinstall your apps
Step 7: Fill your new 24 GB Samsung Focus with content

Enjoy!

Switching from iPhone 4 to Samsung Focus Windows Phone 7

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Last week I purchased a brand new Samsung Focus (SGH-i917) off Craigslist. The guy selling it had purchased it for his wife who decided, after playing with the one he bought for himself, she preferred her iPhone.

I have owned an iPhone for a little over 2 years beginning with the iPhone 3G, then the iPhone 3GS and upgrading to the iPhone 4 this past September. I like my iPhone as a portable Internet access and media device but I have never liked it as a phone. Further, I am opposed to the stranglehold Apple puts on its customers, partners and employees in handling support, services and the addition of new features.

cracked-iphone-4For example, Apple markets the toughness of the iPhone 4 glass. However, should the purported ’gorilla glass’ crack after dropping one foot, you will be charged $199 to have your phone replaced. I consider that price obscene, considering the iPhone 4 complete bill of materials is estimated at $187.51 by industry expert, iSuppli. An example of Apple’s new feature despotism is the change in behavior of the dedicated iPad switch—from orientation lock to mute—with the latest iOS 4.2.1 update. Everyone is unhappy with the change except our friendly captors in Cupertino.

My last reason, and it is certainly lowest in the stack, is I am a Microsoft employee and stockholder. I am not biased by my employment or investor status. Our house is an equal opportunity consumer of gadgetry. In addition to our iPhones, we have owned every generation of iPod. TB’s primary machine is a 27” iMac (running Windows 7) and I have an iPad and Mac Mini. On the other hand, Fanboi I am not. My primary machine is a tricked-out PC assembled by me. Our workhorse computers are a Windows Home Server and a Windows 7 Media Center, both built by me. I love ThinkPads and have carried a T40p, T43p, T60p, T61p and T500 (current) starting just before IBM sold the brand to Lenovo.

soapbox-preacherMy decision to start migrating to Windows Phone 7 is not a soapbox play. I still own an iPhone and other iDevices. I will continue owning iDevices as long as they fill gaps other devices do not at prices I am comfortable paying.

Having used my Samsung Focus exclusively this week during a Thanksgiving trip to Los Angeles, I believe the Windows Phone line is positioned to close the gaps that originally drove me from previous generations of Windows Mobile to iPhone. Sure, it is missing key apps and there are several fit-and-finish issues with the current software. Once those are addressed I see no real advantage to keeping an iPhone.

For example, the Samsung Focus has a 4” Super AMOLED, 480 x 800 display. In tandem with the Windows Phone variant of ClearType, the display produces crisp and vibrant images, text and colors. It is easier to read and more enjoyable to look at than the highly-touted iPhone 4 640 x 960, 3.5” Retina Display. Below is a comparison matrix for those interested in how the Samsung Focus stacks up against the iPhone 4. (reference)

iphone-4-samsung-focus-windows-phone-7-feature-comparison

This is not about side-by-side hardware comparisons or head-to-head app quantity/quality evaluations. The iPhone is still superior in ways that matter to most consumers. That said, I prefer the future and potential of Windows Phone over the trend of iPhone. Thusly, I begin my Windows Phone journey.

New Parent Tip: Travel light with a netbook

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Dell Inspiron Mini 9 Netbook If you are a gadget geek and Internet fiend like me, you never leave home without some type of Web device. While my iPhone is an excellent, on-the-go device that meets most of my communication, entertainment and surfing needs, it is still a challenge, and sometimes impossible,  to complete certain tasks that require heavy computation, keyboarding or editing. For example, processing loads of work e-mail; authoring documents; downloading, editing and sharing content from still and video cameras; and, lastly, writing to my blog are all tasks I find unsuitable on any Smartphone.

Whereas the iPhone is underpowered for such activities, my work laptop—a Lenovo ThinkPad T500—is absolutely overkill for personal travel. Why? It weighs over 10 pounds fully-loaded with extended batteries and power adapter. Ten pounds weighing me down while whisking through airports and Jetways with Owen in tow is not a good look.

That’s why a few weeks before Owen was born, I purchased a used Dell Inspiron Mini 9 netbook off eBay. The image below shows how the 3 devices compare in overall size and display real estate.

iPhone 3GS vs. Dell Inspiron Mini 9 vs. Lenovo ThinkPad T500

Once the Mini 9 arrived, I upgraded it to 2GB of memory and replaced the Windows XP Home Premium installation with Windows 7 Ultimate. It runs great and while the 8.9”, 1024×600 display and Lilliputian keyboard both take some adjustment, it is a much sleeker travel companion than the 15.4”, 1680×1050 display and full keyboard on the ThinkPad.

The Mini’s major advantages are its svelte dimensions, back saving 2.28 pounds, and zero moving parts. The absence of fans and spinning drives allows it to run completely silently. The iPhone display is 3.5”, 480×320, and its main advantage over the other two—besides being a phone—are it fits in my pocket, has a longer battery life, turns on immediately and puts my information and media at my fingertips in seconds.

While the Mini 9 has been discontinued, I find the MyDellMini fan site to be the most informative for existing owners and potential buyers of any of Dell’s netbooks. I recommend picking up the Mini 9 used on Craigslist or eBay as the newer models cannot be upgraded beyond 1GB memory.

I leave you with a photo demonstrating the space saving advantage of the Mini 9 vs. the T500. Drop me a comment if you have any questions.

Dell Inspiron Mini 9 vs. Lenovo ThinkPad T500

Axis webcam simplifies remote baby monitoring

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Say you are a new parent whose relatives live far, far away. What if you could easily allow family to see your child doing basic things babies do without jumping on a plane? After all, grandmothers can never see enough of their grandchildren. Imagine how many cool points you would get if your mother-in-law in Chicago could watch your son sleeping (or sleepless) in Seattle. This post is a walkthrough of how I setup a webcam over Owen’s crib that can be viewed using any popular Web browser from anywhere on the Internet.

Let’s begin with the end in mind. Below is an image showing the final result. This is an actual screenshot from the webcam exactly as it was delivered to my browser. I think Owen knows when he is being watched. :smile:

owen-cam 

Assumptions

The required equipment turns out to be quite simple if we make the following assumptions about your home network.

  • You have a high-speed broadband connection (>1 Mbps up). This is true for most cable modem connections. Otherwise, call your ISP and request an upgrade.
  • You have a wired or wireless router/modem that allows you to connect several computers to the Internet. Otherwise, get the equipment from your ISP or visit Best Buy and tell them you want a wireless router.

Equipment

With the assumptions out of the way, the complete equipment list is as follows:

Yes, that’s it. No fancy computer or other electronics. No crazy HDMI, DVI, SCSI, IEEE-1394 or other expensive cables.

Before celebrating, you should know this is not your average Instant Messaging, MySpace or eHarmony webcam. This is a commercial-grade network camera often used by businesses and municipalities for asset monitoring and security. That means you get turnkey functionality, high quality and unsurpassed flexibility at a higher price point. What’s the damage? The Axis 207W runs $350 on Amazon. I paid $242.25 after shipping using eBay. Both prices are at the extreme of what one would typically pay for a consumer-grade USB webcam. However, you don’t need a computer or any special software to run an Axis network camera or to allow multiple people to access the camera at the same time. A single Axis camera is is also much cheaper than the roundtrip airfare it will save you and your MIL.

NOTE: Be sure to get the 207W model which supports wireless and wired connections.

Setup

Once you follow the included instructions to get the camera connected to your network, configuration is straightforward.

  1. Connect to the camera using your browser (e.g., http://192.168.0.123)
    1. Can you see the video? If not, check your equipment and connections.
    2. The Axis IP Utility can help determine your camera’s IP address.
  2. Click the Setup link and login as admin.
  3. Under Basic Configuration –> Video & Image
    1. Create user accounts
    2. Require passwords for access (optional)
    3. Set the date & time.
    4. Select the video size and quality. I chose 480×360 with a compression level of 15.
    5. Enable the date & timestamp. This step is optional but it lets viewers know what they are seeing is real-time.
  4. Under Live View Config –> Layout
    1. Choose ‘Motion JPEG’ for the default video format
    2. Chose ‘Java applet’ for the default viewer for IE and other browsers.
  5. Under System Options –> Network –> Basic
    1. Register the camera with the AXIS Internet Dynamic DNS Service. This assigns a friendly address like www.lesia.com your visitors can use to access the webcam.

A couple notes regarding the steps above.

  • I found motion JPEG with the Java applet produces the best quality  images. This does mean your visitors will need to first install the free Java runtime to access the webcam. Make sure you have them uncheck the Yahoo/MSN Toolbar installation option.
  • Remote webcam access requires changes to your firewall to allow visitors outside your network to access the camera sitting in your home. This is beyond the scope of my walkthrough but Axis provides instructions for configuring your home router for an Axis network camera.

Conclusion

Now you have a multi-user webcam that can be moved around as your child grows and needs (NannyCam?) change. How well does it work? In a word: great. Don’t take my word for it. Check out a public Axis camera running in Kiruna, Sweden. Yes, Sweden. You can also check out a list of public Axis cameras throughout the world.

But wait, there’s more. We eliminated the computer on the webcam side, what about for your visitors?

If they own an iPhone or iPod touch they can purchase Axis Cams by EyeSpyFx from Apple’s App Store for $4.99. With that program any Axis webcam can be viewed whenever their device is connected via 3G (iPhone only) or Wi-Fi (iPhone and iPod touch). You should check out TotalControl for your Windows Mobile, Blackberry or Android device.

Axis Cams   Owen Cam - iPhone  Owen Cam - iPhone - Landscape

Leave a comment if you have questions or encounter problems.