Silverlight Rumblings

This month we had Jason Grigsby of Cloud Four presenting at the Portland Silverlight User Group. Jason also runs Mobile Portland, and gave a great presentation on the state of mobile, where it's going, and where we might want to strategize our efforts. His presentation was only 53 minutes long. I've watched it twice, and I was even there in attendance (it's really that good).

WHO: Jason Grigsby
Jason Grigsby was one of the project leads on the Obama iPhone Application and helped design the user inferface for the Wall Street Journal's Blackberry application. He founded and organizes Mobile Portland, a local mobile group.

Jason is a co-founder of Cloud Four, a small start-up focused on mobile and web development. He blogs at http://CloudFour.com/blog and provides a frequent updates about mobile as @grigs on Twitter.

TOPIC: The Market, The Web, and Windows Phone's Future
There are few things more frustrating than reading the tech press in the United States try to cover the mobile market. First Microsoft’s mobile efforts are going nowhere. Six months later, it will be bigger than the iPhone by 2015. Say what?

Let's back up for a moment from the day-to-day horse race coverage of Android versus iPhone and look at what the big picture trends are in the mobile market. What makes mobile unique? What makes a mobile product successful? And finally does Microsoft have a chance to get back into the mobile game?

Mobile: The Market, The Web, and Windows Phone's Future from Portland Silverlight User Group on Vimeo.

The Portland Windows Phone User Group will be having our July meeting on Monday the 18th. For our next meeting we’re using a hack-a-thon format.  It will be a full afternoon of creating, hacking, and helping you with your apps for Windows Phone “Mango”. Details are below, look forward to seeing you there!

FYI, I have three devices which have “Mango” installed to help you test your apps.

WHAT: PWPUG - July 2011 Meeting

WHEN: Monday, 7/18/2011
11:30 a.m. Lunch / Networking
12:00 p.m. Presentation on new “Mango” Features
1:00 p.m. Hackathon, Demos, Help with Apps
4:30 p.m. Wrap up & giveaways

WHERE: Microsoft PacWest Office (map)
1414 NW Northrup St
Portland, OR 97209-2798

WHO: Kelly White
Kelly White is a Windows Phone Development MVP and has a passion for startups and ideas that can change the world. Kelly co-founded both the Portland Silverlight User Group and Portland Windows Phone User Group with Erik Mork. Kelly presents regularly at User Groups and Code Camps throughout the Pacific Northwest on Silverlight and Windows Phone 7 Development.

TOPIC: Windows Phone 7 Hack-a-thon
This event is follow-on from the Windows Phone 7 Unleashed Events that were held last fall.  The format is less structured, and more hands-on.  Whether you need help developing, architecting, pricing, integrating ads, or are just getting started, this is the place to be.  Our primary goal is to help you get ready for when “Mango” apps can be published to the marketplace later this fall.  We’re happy to share lessons learned from our own experiences (e.g. Alchemy, RunPee).  If you find yourself to have been inspired by MIX and just want to get together and hack a cool app, we’re more than happy to jump in and help you with that as well.

NOTE: Devices will be available for testing your apps.

If you are new and want to learn, then this is the place to be.

Sponsors: While you are at it, consider visiting our premium sponsors that make these meetings possible:

• Microsoft – http://www.microsoft.com/windowsphone/
• Silvertail Software – http://www.silvertailsoftware.com/

In about a month our summer vacations will be starting to wind down and the kids will be getting ready to go back to school.  At that point we'll also be a month away from the BUILD conference and yet still have no word from Microsoft on how Silverlight fits into Windows 8.  While Microsoft's silence is discouraging, I'm super excited right now.  Why?  Because in just over a month I'll be driving up the Seattle to attend Microsoft Gamefest for the very first time.  Woohoo!

Gamefest has been a conference that I've always wanted to attend and yet never been able to schedule time for.  This year is different.  I absolutely will not miss Gamefest this year.  I registered and booked my hotel last month (staying at the Sheraton).  I'm even taking the family with me, and why shouldn't I?  The conference is only two days long, and Seattle is such a short drive from Portland.

Perhaps you're  wondering why I'm making such a big deal out of what has typically been an Xbox focused conference.  If you know me then you know that I'm very focused on Windows Phone and lonst interest in Xbox Live Indie game development.  This year Microsoft Gamefest has a very large focus on Windows Phone.  Just check out the conference details and see for your self.

If you are thinking of building games for the Windows Phone then you really need to attend Gamefest this year.  I'm not going to try and convince you why you should attend.  Either you see the opportunity in front of you or you don't.  I will say that the early bird registration ends July 29th ($450 vs $550).

If you are a Windows Phone developer who uses Silverlight for all your games then you should still consider attending Gamefest.  You'll benefit immensely as a game developer by attending this conference, and eventually you will be adding XNA to your skillset (don't try to fight it).  Considering how the mobile markets are positioned right now, you've actually got a once in a lifetime opportunity placed in front of you.  What are you going to do with it?

I gave a presentation at Portland Code Camp on my Alchemy game for Windows Phone 7.  The game has been live for about 2 months.  I was very transparent with my numbers and my experience in trying out different pricing strategies.  I talked about the challenges of maintaining a mobile app, and what process I went through when I found I needed to do an immediate rollback.  I've also made the slide decks used in this presentation available for download (presentation, alchemy case study).  Hopefully you find this interesting.

Making Money With WP7 from Silvertail Software on Vimeo.

Earlier this month I participated in the Portland Code Camp.  Talk about an awesome event, over 500 attendees showed up and participated on what turned out to be the first non-rainy Saturday in months.  While many of them could have instead been partying at the beach they instead choose to focus on their professional lives in both teaching and learning from others.  Each year I am completely amazed by the dedication of the technical and professional communities here in Portland, Oregon.

Originally I was scheduled for just 2 sessions, but I did finally end up speaking in 3.  I wound up filling in at the last minute for a speaker who became sick.

In the first session I had about 30 people and we talked about the importance of UX in your mobile applications.  None of the crowd had really seen Windows Phone 7, so I spent a lot of time talking about it and what is new in Mango.  I then talked about some of the UX paradigms and how those can be translated over to over platforms (e.g. Live Tiles -> Widgets in Android).  We spent a while talking about the importance of push notifications and why you need them.  While I had a slant of what works in Windows Phone 7, really the discussion was about the general UX paradigms and how you can build a more engaging mobile experience regardless of what platform you choose.

My second session was on Making Money with Windows Phone 7.  That session was recorded and the slide decks are also available for you to download (see my other post).

My last session of the day was sitting in on a panel with Walt Ritscher, Bill Moore, and Joe McBride.  We had a blast talking about how UI/UX is changing because of mobile, kinect, and html5.  It was a very well rounded crowd, with most people coming from a background of using a non-Microsoft web stack.

Final Thoughts

One observation I took away from code camp is that really we're all in this together regardless of what our technological background is, and what unites and excites all of us is creating these engaging and immersive user experiences.  At the end of the day it's all about UX, as that's the language that each of us speaks and understands.  With this perspective it really makes the "silverlight vs html5 / silverlight is dead" discussions seem like trivial, petty, and entirely useless conversations.  The technology isn't what matters, it's the human element or what we commonly refer to as the User Experience (UX).

During the end of April I was able to share a 10 minute presentation for Mobile Portland on my Alchemy game.  I did a small demo and spent most of my time sharing actual numbers from the success I was seeing.  You can watch the presentation below.  I was the 4th of 5 speakers and start at 46:20.  My goal was to create a “successful” game in Silverlight and be able to use that as a case study for why developers should consider writing apps for the Windows Phone platform.

Mobile Demolicious, April Mobile Portland from Mobile Portland on Vimeo.

Here’s the deal:

• Any developer that publishes 5 new apps between April 1 and June 30, 2011 gets FREE advertising for 1 of their 5 apps.
• Impressions will run across MSN, Windows Live and Fox Sports mobile browser ad network for Windows Phone 7 devices.
• There is a limit of up to 4 offers per developer  (no gaming with multiple emails, multiple mailing addresses or variations of name)
• There is a limit of 200 offers in total
• This is open to all US based developers (that meet the legalese: 18+ years old,…); contest rules are at http://bit.ly/WP7DevOffer

Each developer that has at least one new app published and submitted will get a status email weekly so they know how they are doing.

After June 30, 2011, you’ll receive a confirmation email with instructions on how to redeem your offer. You will be able to choose which one of your five apps you would like to have advertised for free across the Windows Phone 7 Mobile Ad browser network. Your app will receive 25,000 impressions, which is about 60 days of promotion.

Like I mentioned above, prizes are limited to the first 200 winners so don’t delay!

FYI, for everyone that attended one of my code camp sessions (or watches the online recording) please use the event code of K9AIP and the date of 6/4/2011 when you submit your entries.  Hopefully I'll also see you at the next Portland Windows Phone User Group meeting.

The Portland Code Camp for 2011 is tomorrow (6/4).  I'm assuming that most of you knew about it already and had already pre-registered.  If not then don't fret, you can still show up tomorrow morning and they'll take care of you at the door.

This is a code camp that you want to make sure you don't miss.  Lots of sessions on HTML5, Android, Windows Phone, WCF, and Azure.  Scott Hanselman will be giving the keynote during lunch on Lego, Open Source and Sucking Less: An Overview of the MS Web Stack of Love.

I'll be presenting two sessions:

Making Money with Windows Phone 7

Striking it rich in a mobile marketplace is a very intriguing and yet intimidating idea. Here's some of the questions I faced when first getting started:

• How many hours does it really take?
• Do I have to have a device?
• What if I don't think I have a good idea?
• Is a designer really necessary?
• How can I compete against an Xbox Live title?

In this session I break down my experience with Alchemy, a relatively successful Silverlight game. I talk about the approach I took which has allowed the majority of my revenue to come from sales and not advertisements. I'll be sharing hard numbers and analytics, and tips that I believe are best practices for building an engaging and compelling app.

Windows Phone "Mango"

Windows Phone 7 turned a lot of heads last year when it entered the mobile ecosystem. Last week the new features for Mango were announced and now the platform stands on its own as a serious competitor and a great strategic play. In this 2.5 hour “hands-on” session we’ll be diving into the newly released beta tools for Mango and building apps that showcase how to take advantage of these new features. If you’ve been waiting to jump on the Windows Phone bandwagon and are now thinking about testing the waters, this is the session for you to get your questions answered.

All Day (10 hours) of Hands on Programming, B.Y.O. Laptop!

Windows Phone 7 is HOT! Come check out Windows Phone 7 Unleashed for everything you need to know to develop for WP7. Whether you’re a seasoned veteran or you’re just starting with .NET development, there’s something in it for you.

The first half of this deep dive event is lecture and hands on lab. At the half point mark of the day, you’ll have a solid foundation for building WP7 applications.

The second half of the day is going straight to code.

Build the best app and win a $500 (1st place), $200 (2nd place) or $100 (3rd place) American Express gift card!

Free MarketPlace tokens for those putting their application into the marketplace (a limited supply of these, organizers of each event will collect names and we will distribute)

Telerik is sponsoring a $5,000.00 Grand Prize for the best application over all of the WP7 Unleashed events that are submitted to marketplace. The top 25 will be selected and then one of the top 25 will be randomly picked for the prize (So get your app into the marketplace after the event). They are also giving EVERY attendee a free set of their $99.00 WP7 Controls.

PDSA, Inc. is pleased to sponsor the WP7 Unleashed Events. They will be giving 2 lucky winners from each event a chance to win four 1 hour long videos on Silverlight. In addition 1 lucky person will win our Haystack Code Generator for .NET at each event that allows you to create the business and data classes and the WCF services that can be consumed by Windows Phone 7 applications!

O’Reilly will be giving away a free ebook to every attendee (Many WP7 titles) and will also donate a few books to raffle at each event.

Food and Drink (Water, Sodas) will be provided.

In order to deliver the best possible experience for attendees, seating at these events is VERY limited. Register now!

The hackathon held on Monday was a success, especially for having such a short notice. Many folks expressed an interest in having a follow-up hackathon at the end of this month, so that's what we're going to do.

Reminder: Anyone who publishes an XNA game to the marketplace will get a sweet XNA jacket (already gave one out on Monday).

To help us plan for food, please visit our Facebook Page to let us know if you're attending.

WHAT: Windows Phone 7 Hackathon

WHEN: Friday, 4/29/2011
11:30 a.m. Lunch / Networking
12:00 p.m. Hackathon, Demos, Help with Apps
4:30 p.m. Wrap up & giveaways

WHERE: Microsoft PacWest Office (map)
1414 NW Northrup St
Portland, OR 97209-2798

DETAILS: This event is follow-on from the Windows Phone 7 Unleashed Events that were held last fall. The format is less structured, and more hands-on. Whether you need help developing, architecting, pricing, integrating ads, or are just getting started, this is the place to be. Our primary goal is to help you get your app ready and submitted to the marketplace. We’re happy to share lessons learned from our own experiences (e.g. Alchemy and Soak Your Head). If you find yourself to have been inspired by MIX and just want to get together and hack a cool app, we’re more than happy to jump in and help you with that as well.

This is the place to be, whether you're new and want to learn, or want the latest info on what's coming in the "Mango" release.

NOTE: Devices will be available for testing your apps.
NOTE: A light lunch and snacks will be provided.

To help us plan for food, please visit our Facebook Page to let us know if you're attending.

WHAT: Windows Phone 7 Hackathon

WHEN: Monday, 4/18/2011
11:30 a.m. Lunch / Networking
12:00 p.m. Hackathon, Demos, Help with Apps
4:30 p.m. Wrap up & giveaways

WHERE: Microsoft PacWest Office (map)
1414 NW Northrup St
Portland, OR 97209-2798

DETAILS: This event is follow-on from the Windows Phone 7 Unleashed Events that were held last fall. The format is less structured, and more hands-on. Whether you need help developing, architecting, pricing, integrating ads, or are just getting started, this is the place to be. Our primary goal is to help you get your app ready and submitted to the marketplace. We’re happy to share lessons learned from our own experiences (e.g. Alchemy and Soak Your Head). If you find yourself to have been inspired by MIX and just want to get together and hack a cool app, we’re more than happy to jump in and help you with that as well.

This is the place to be, whether you're new and want to learn, or want the latest info on what's coming in the "Mango" release.

NOTE: Devices will be available for testing your apps.
NOTE: A light lunch and snacks will be provided.

The Portland Windows Phone User Group will be having our March meeting next week.  The topic is on using PreEmptive's new Runtime Intelligence product to build analytics into your application.  We'll also be covering the newly released WP7 tools from Telerik.  Details are below, look forward to seeing you there!

WHAT: PWPUG - March 2011 Meeting

WHEN: Monday, 3/21/2011
11:30 a.m. Networking / Showing off apps
12:00 p.m. Presentation
1:00 p.m. Wrap up & giveaways
~1:30 pm. Testing apps on devices

WHERE: Microsoft PacWest Office (map)
1414 NW Northrup St
Portland, OR 97209-2798

WHO: Kelly White
Kelly White is a Windows Phone Development MVP and is the Principal of Silvertail Software. He has over 10 years of industry experience building web applications, and has a passion for startups and ideas that can change the world.  Kelly co-founded both the Portland Silverlight User Group and Portland Windows Phone User Group with Erik Mork. Kelly is a regular guest on the show "This Week in Silverlight" on the Sparkling Client podcast. Kelly presents regularly at User Groups and Code Camps throughout the Pacific Northwest on Silverlight and Windows Phone 7 Development.

TOPIC: Using PreEmptive Runtime Intelligence and Telerik Controls
Microsoft, PreEmptive, and Telerik recently announced a program for user groups to get access to free tools for developing Windows Phone 7 applications.  In addition, each app built and deployed to the marketplace by our members which uses these tools results in $100 for our user group.  Woohoo!

I'll be walking through some of the Telerik controls and discuss how and where you want to use them.  I'll also be demonstrating how to use PreEmptive's tools to both obfuscate your app and instrument it for analytics.  Well go over the Runtime Intelligence reporting capabilities using an app that I deployed in the marketplace last week.  The last thing I'll show is how to notify Telerik so our group can take advantage of that $100 bonus.

Showing off Apps
This is when you (the audience) will get 5 minutes to stand in front of the room and show off you app (3 minutes for presentation, 2 for Q&A).  You can either show it working on a device or in the emulator (device is recommended).  If you do not have a device then I’ll be happy to lend you one of mine.  Just bring your compiled XAP and I’ll load it up for you.

Showing off apps is done on a first come, first served basis.  Don’t worry, this part of the meeting won’t be recorded.

Sponsors: While you are at it, consider visiting our premium sponsors that make these meetings possible:

• Microsoft – http://www.microsoft.com/windowsphone/

About Portland Windows Phone User Group

The goal of this user group is educate and assist developers on the Windows Phone platform. The group does have typical meetings where presenters speak on a topic. However, the group does devote a large portion of time to members sharing knowledge in helping others to create apps/games and get them tested and approved in the marketplace.

Lunch

A light lunch will be provided (sandwiches and chips from Costco).  However, please feel free to bring your own lunch.

Schedule

Format

The showing off of apps will be done on a first come, first served basis.  Meeting presentations will be recorded and made available for online viewing.  Please email me if you’re interested in presenting a topic (kelly@whitepdx.com).

Testing Apps on Devices

If anyone is interested in testing their apps on an actual device, I’ll be available after the presentation to help.  All you’ll need to bring is your compiled XAP file.

Parking

There is a couple of parking garages and areas within a few blocks of the new location. We hope to have more information on parking opportunities for our members prior to the meeting. Plan to arrive early to find parking. Parking will not be validated.

Sponsorship

Please email me if you or your company is interested in becoming a sponsor of the group.

The Portland Windows Phone User Group now has a solid location and timeframe for our monthly meetings.  In the spirit of Mobile Mondays will be meeting on the 3^rd Monday of each month from 11:30am to 1:30pm at Microsoft’s new downtown office space.

Lunch

A light lunch will be provided (sandwiches and chips from Costco).  However, please feel free to bring your own lunch.

Schedule

Format

The showing off of apps will be done on a first come, first served basis.  Presentations will be recorded and made available for online viewing.  Please email me if you’re interested in presenting a topic (kelly@whitepdx.com).

Testing Apps on Devices

If anyone is interested in testing their apps on an actual device, I’ll be available after the presentation to help.  All you’ll need to bring is your compiled XAP file.

Parking

There is a couple of parking garages and areas within a few blocks of the new location. We hope to have more information on parking opportunities for our members prior to the meeting. Plan to arrive early to find parking. Parking will not be validated.

Sponsorship

Please email me if you or your company is interested in becoming a sponsor of the group.

WHAT: PWPUG - February 2011 Meeting

WHEN: Monday, 2/21/2011
11:30 a.m. Networking / Showing off apps
12:00 p.m. Presentation
1:00 p.m. Wrap up & giveaways
~1:30 pm. Testing apps on devices

WHERE: Microsoft PacWest Office (map)
1414 NW Northrup St
Portland, OR 97209-2798

WHO: Kelly White, Erik Mork
Kelly White is a Windows Phone Development MVP and is the Principal of Silvertail Software. He has over 10 years of industry experience building web applications, and has a passion for startups and ideas that can change the world.  Kelly co-founded both the Portland Silverlight User Group and Portland Windows Phone User Group with Erik Mork. Kelly is a regular guest on the show "This Week in Silverlight" on the Sparkling Client podcast. Kelly presents regularly at User Groups and Code Camps throughout the Pacific Northwest on Silverlight and Windows Phone 7 Development.

Erik Mork is a Silverlight Consultant and Trainer. He is a Silverlight MVP and Silverlight Insider who has been working professionally with Silverlight since the 1.0 release and is best known as the creator of the popular Sparkling Client Silverlight Podcast. He is an active contributor to community screencasts and Silverlight Open Source projects.

TOPIC: Portland Windows Phone User Group Kickoff
This is our first meeting in our new space and at our new time.  We’ll start off with a summary of announcements from Mobile World Congress where Brandon Watson will be discussing the “State of the Union” for Windows Phone 7.  We’ll then dive into a discussion on the state of the current mobile ecosystem.  iPhone is clearly at the top with Android closing the gap, but what about Windows Phone 7?  Does it make sense to go after this platform right now, or should you focus your limited time and efforts elsewhere?  How much money are developers really making?  How should you price your app?  Is now a good time to quit your day job and get in as an app developer on the ground floor?

Showing off Apps
This is when you (the audience) will get 5 minutes to stand in front of the room and show off you app (3 minutes for presentation, 2 for Q&A).  You can either show it working on a device or in the emulator (device is recommended).  If you do not have a device then I’ll be happy to lend you mine.  Just bring your compiled XAP and I’ll load it up for you.

Showing off apps is done on a first come, first served basis.  Don’t worry, this part of the meeting won’t be recorded.

Sponsors: While you are at it, consider visiting our premium sponsors that make these meetings possible:

• Microsoft – http://www.microsoft.com/windowsphone/

When Windows Phone 7 was initially released, one feature that was noticeably missing was copy/paste.  A few months ago it was announced that this functionality would be added and an update would be released sometime after the first of the year.  While the phones haven’t gotten this update yet (and rightly so), Microsoft has released the Windows Phone Developer Tools January Update which will allow you to start building/updating your existing apps.  Most apps won't need to be recompiled to take advantage of this new functionality.  However, testing your app before a new OS release is always a good thing.

NOTE: This January patch incorporates all modifications from the previously released October 2010 patch.  In other words, if you're installing the tools for the first time then you don't need to install the October patch if you install this one.

I’ve noticed a few folks whining on Twitter and asking why Microsoft didn’t release the update to the phones at the same time.  It is very standard procedure to make the update available to the tools and developers first (iOS and Android follow very similar procedures).  At CES Microsoft announced that this update would be made available to phones in the next couple months.  Honestly, that timeline fits perfectly into the schedule of current apps I’m getting ready to release.

When you download the tools update you’ll notice two files are available for download.  You’ll need both of them.  Please read the installation instructions and notice that you must already have the Windows Phone Developer Tools RTM version installed.

Important Installation Instructions
There are TWO separate installations for the Windows Phone Developer Tools January 2011 Update.
Step 1: Follow the link to download WindowsPhoneDeveloperResources_[language]_patch1.msp (Windows Phone Developer Tools January 2011 Update)
Step 2: Follow the link to download VS10-KB2486994-x86.exe (Windows Phone Developer Tools Fix)

The Windows Phone Developer Tools January 2011 Update includes:

• Windows Phone Emulator Update – Exposes copy/paste functionality in the Windows Phone 7 emulator. For more information, see How to: Test Copy and Paste in Windows Phone Emulator. End users can use the copy and paste functionality only after receiving the corresponding update to the Windows Phone 7 operating system.
• Windows Phone Developer Resources Update – Fixes a text selection bug in pivot and panorama controls. In applications that have pivot or panorama controls that contain text boxes, users can unintentionally change panes when trying to copy text. To prevent this problem, open your application, recompile it, and then resubmit it to the Windows Phone Marketplace.
• Windows Phone Capability Detection Tool – Detects the phone capabilities used by your application. When you submit your application to Windows Phone Marketplace , Microsoft performs a code analysis to detect the phone capabilities required by your application and then replaces the list of capabilities in the application manifest with the result of this detection process. This tool performs the same detection process and allows you to test your application using the same list of phone capabilities generated during the certification process. For more information, see How to: Use the Capability Detection Tool.
• Windows Phone Connect Tool – Allows you to connect your phone to a PC when Zune® software is not running and debug applications that use media APIs. For more information, see How to: Use the Connect Tool.
• Updated Bing Maps Silverlight Control – Includes improvements to gesture performance when using Bing™ Maps Silverlight® Control.

WPDT Fix includes:

• Windows Phone Developer Tools Fix allowing deployment of XAP files over 64 MB in size to physical phone devices for testing and debugging.

NOTE: In the case of a successful install you will not see a completion screen.

See also the announcement by Brandon Watson and the announcement on App Hub.