Pocket PC magazine, October/November 2004

by MS Reader version $5. 99

  Now that you know the rules, you are probably wondering what the common failure points are so that you can focus your efforts there. The final six points (below) are the most common failures I’ve seen when testing applications. These aren’t the only failures in the certification tests, but they are the most common ones I found in the more than 1,000 applications I have tested personally or overseen testing for.Don’t leave registry keys behind after uninstalling the application. This is one of the most common reasons for failure. No one likes an application that leaves a lot of registry keys around after uninstalling (Fig. 1). The registry is an important file and it can grow like a weed. Microsoft wants you to do your part in weed control, so make sure your application gets rid of the registry entries when it’s uninstalled.

  (above) Fig. 1: Avoid leaving orphan registry entries behind when your program’s uninstalled.

  This also helps with security. Many applications are available as demos, and you don’t want people to just keep using the demo. What then? Well, I have a simple answer: if I can find the registry key, others can as well, so get rid of it.

  Don’t leave files and folders behind after uninstalling the program. This is another common failure that I see. Because space is at a premium, you should remove all files that are not created by the user. Some common files that are left behind are the .ini files. Most of the time, these are created after the install and therefore the uninstaller doesn’t know about them. A quick fix is to create the files during install. That way, the uninstaller will recognize them.

  Don’t put the shortcut icon in the wrong place.This is probably one of the easiest problems to fix. Keep it out of the Start Menu unless the user specifically requests that it go there. Games should go into the Games folders, and other applications should most likely go into the Programs folder. There are exceptions, such as Today Screen applications, which go in the Today Screen, and Settings, which, of course, go in the Settings folder.

  Make sure it doesn’t crash and that it functions as described. Hard as it is to believe, this is a common problem. Before submitting your application, have someone who’s unfamiliar with the application play around with it for about an hour. If you do this, you will likely catch most of these problems. If a problem surfaces during testing, the certification lab you work with may help you figure out where the problem lies (I always do). But it still might cost you the certification retest fee.

  Make sure the Smartphone back button acts as a backspace in edit mode. This problem applies to Smartphones only. Typically, the back button backs a user up in pages or menus, but when in edit mode it should work as a backspace. Try it out on all editable fields. Some date/time functions that have spinner controls have issues with this, and the backspace doesn’t do anything with these controls. Microsoft has agreed to waive this requirement for those fields, but only those fields.

  Make sure your program obeys auto shutdown commands. The final most common error, more typical on Pocket PCs than Smartphones, deals with auto shutdown. As you know, when memory gets low on the Pocket PC and Smartphone, the operating systems start shutting down applications. This is so you’ll have enough memory to run the new programs you open. Because this is not an easy problem to fix, please test it thoroughly before submitting an application for certification.

  To test the auto shutdown, first copy some really large files onto your mobile device. Then, start the application you’ve developed and use it for a short period. Next, open every application you can on your mobile device. This should cause your application to get a request to shut down from the OS. Finally, check to see if your application shut down properly. On the Pocket PC, go to Setting>System>Memory and look at the Running Programs screen. If your application isn’t listed in the Running Program list, your program passes this test! If it is listed, and the other applications that you opened at the beginning of the test are not there, your application fails the test. (The testing process is similar for Smartphones, but you will need to install a third-party application to look at the running programs.)

  One final point: if the user can’t open other applications because your program disables the Start Menu, you don’t have to worry about this test, because the only way to open another application is by quitting your application first.

  There you have it: the ten things you should watch out for when certifying your Windows Mobile application. If you take care of these areas, you have a very good chance of getting certified the first time through. Your application might still fail—sometimes it happens to the best of products—but you can greatly reduce that probability and at least it won’t fail for the most common reasons. I have seen some really great applications fail the first time through. Usually they are fixed within 24 hours, and some certification test labs will give you 24 hours to resubmit for a free retest.

  What next?

  Once you’ve passed the logo certification test, what’s next? First of all, be sure you sign and submit the Microsoft Logo License Agreement (LLA). This will allow you to get the Designed for Windows Mobile logo kit with artwork and instructions on use of the logo.

  If you’re certifying an application for Smartphone or Pocket PC Phone Edition, your application may need to be "code signed" before you can sell it or deploy it to a commercial device. For more on the code signing process, go to VeriSign (http://www.verisign.com) or Betrusted (http://www.betrusted.com).

  To complete the process, go to the Mobile2Market Web site (http://www.mobile2market.net). You will need three product images (small, medium and large), a short and long description of the product, the Unique Product Identifier (UPID) that you received from your test lab when you submitted your application for testing, and your system requirements. Provide the information requested on the site, submit it, and, after review, your application will be loaded into the Mobile2Market catalog for thousands of potential users to find and purchase.

  Just remember to read the handbook, comply with the requirements, and test your application before submitting. That’s all it takes to sail through certification testing with confidence.

  * * *

  Scott Kovacevich is a Project Manager/Site Manager for QualityLogic’s Redmond location, a full-service outsource testing and software Quality Assurance company. He is responsible for the successful execution of all projects at QualityLogic’s Redmond, WA lab, including Pocket PC and Smartphone certification testing. Scott graduated from the Computer Science and Network Technology School at Lake Washington Technical College. To get certified for the Microsoft Designed for Windows Mobile logo, go to http://www.Qualitylogic.com. Contact Scott at skovac@qualitylogic.com.

  Pocket Profile

  The Pocket PC: A Real Estate Agent’s Friend

  by Bruce Herwig

  In October, 2003 I changed careers and moved into the real estate field. I had been using a Palm Pilot for the last six years and was looking for an excuse to upgrade to the more robust Pocket PC platform. This career move was just the reason I needed. After much research I settled on the iPAQ h1945. I love its small size and quick speed, and the full color screen still blows me away.

  Like many people switching over from the Palm, I didn’t like the Today screen arrangement for launching applications. I hate having to scroll down through a long list of Start menu programs to find the application I want. I immediately began looking for a program that would add a more functional user interface to the h1945. Pocket Launcher from Conduits Technologies (http://www.conduits.com) fit the bill perfectly (Fig. 1). It displays multiple pages of application launch icons. I can customize the icons, the groupings and even the background picture to my liking.

  (above) Fig. 1: Pocket Launcher provides an enhanced user-interface for the Pocket PC.

  Alternate personal information manager

  Like many sales and service jobs, in real estate you live and die by your ability to collect and access client information. I use Microsoft Outlook on my desktop PC to help me with this and was looking forward to using t
he Pocket PC’s Contacts and Calendar applications. However, after only a few days I realized that I needed something more powerful. Researching alternatives, I discovered Pocket Informant (http://www.pocketinformant.com), a program that won Pocket PC magazine’s "Best Productivity Software" award for 2003. I downloaded and installed the free demo version, tested it, and was hooked. This program replaces Calendar, Contacts, and Tasks with a single integrated application that is more powerful and easier to use, and its integration with ActiveSync is flawless.

  The convenient way the wild card "find" filters the contacts list is worth the price of the program by itself. I simple enter the first few letters of the first, last or business name and Pocket Informant quickly narrows down the list. Pocket Informant also lets you "link" to virtually any calendar item, task or other program. For example, if I’m looking at a "Task" that says "Call Mr Jones", I can set a link to Mr Jones’ contact information. One click and I can immediately see his phone number. This excellent time saver allows you to ‘jump’ between task, calendar and contact information (Fig. 2).

  (above) Fig. 2: Grouping tasks by category helps keep me organized.

  Along with the enhanced calendar and contacts functions, Pocket Informant allows for some unique grouping and sub-grouping of tasks. This was very important to me, as I have incorporated some productivity ideas from David Allen’s book Getting Things Done (http://www.davidco.com). David’s ideas on improving personal and organizational productivity have changed the way I handle task categories. For example, all the projects I do at the office go under the Category "Projects—Office." These larger tasks get broken down into "next action items" and placed in their appropriate category (e.g., calls, errands, computer, etc.). Pocket Informant was flexible enough so I could configure it to match the way I handle task categories on my desktop PC (Fig 3).

  (above) Fig. 3: Link to any calendar item or task from within Pocket Informant.

  Pocket Excel comes in handy

  I tend to use simple spreadsheets without a lot of formatting, so the built-in Pocket Excel applications works fine for my needs. I created a few spreadsheets that come in handy while I’m out in the field, including a gross rent multiplier, lock box tracker, and property management checklist. One of my favorites is a square foot calculator that I use when measuring the size of a house (Fig. 4). All I do is punch in the length and width of the room in feet and inches, and the spreadsheet does the math. This solution works well, unless I run into an oddly-shaped room.

  (above) Fig. 4: I use a simple Pocket Excel spreadsheet to calculate the square footage of rooms.

  Transferring Word documents between work and home

  While I use Microsoft Word a lot on my desktop, I don’t find that I do much work on Pocket Word. For me, the form factor is still a bit too small and I can’t transcribe fast enough to make it more than an exercise in frustration. What I needed what the ability to transfer Word files back and forth between my office and home computers. I was using a USB Portable Memory Drive to do this, but reasoned that my Pocket PC and SD memory card should be able to do the same thing.

  I was frustrated when I found out that ActiveSync automatically converts .doc files to the ‘neutered’ Pocket Word format. While there are Pocket Word replacements like TextMaker 2002 (http://www.softmaker.com), I haven’t yet been able to justify the cost. What I ended up doing was turning off the translation feature in ActiveSync. This allows the files to bypass ActiveSync and my Word files travel unchanged to the Pocket PC. Pocket Word can still open regular Word-formatted (.doc) files if I need them. And once they are open, I can modify them and save them in Rich Text Document (.rtf) or Word 97/2000 Document (.doc) format by selecting the "Save Document As…" option from Pocket Word’s "Tools" menu.

  How much is the monthly payment?

  Real estate agents get this question all the time and Loan Calculator Max (http://www.handango.com) is the program I use to calculate the answer. I like the built-in amortization table (Fig. 5) and its ability to export the results to an HTML file. It also has a nifty feature where you can view a pie chart of the total interest and total payment percentage (Fig. 6).

  (above) Fig. 5 & 6: Loan Calculator Max helps me determine monthly payments on a property, based on the amount of the loan, down payment, loan term, and interest rate.

  Indispensable programs; looking forward to Wi-Fi

  Here is a list of some additional Pocket PC programs that I’ve found indispensable:

  PocketPlus (http://www.spbsoftwarehouse.com) changes the close (X) button so that it really closes down an application; many other features. This was the first Pocket PC utility I purchased and would buy it again in a heart beat.

  Space Reclaimer (http://www.valksoft.com) deletes "obsolete files and folders, freeing up extra space and keeping your system at peak performance." I have it set to run automatically every time I do a soft reset. It’s quick and I feel better seeing the "bytes reclaimed" report.

  MightySync (http://www.mydocsunlimited.com) lets you sync any file located anywhere on your Pocket PC, with its counterpart located anywhere on your desktop PC. Why Microsoft didn’t build this feature into ActiveSync is beyond me.

  HTTPMail Provider (http://www.handango.com) allows you to seamlessly check your Hotmail account through the Pocket PC’s Inbox e-mail program.

  Pocket Quicken (http://www.landware.com/pocketquicken/ppc/) is the perfect companion to the desktop PC Quicken program. Save time by entering receipts into your Pocket PC as you make purchases. When you get back home, sync them with the desktop PC version of Quicken.

  While my iPAQ h1945 does not have built in Wi-Fi, I hope to add that capability soon with a solution like SanDisk’s Connect Wi-Fi SD Card (http://www.sandisk.com/retail_sdwifi.html). When this happens I’ll be able to access the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) from any Wi-Fi hotspot, providing my clients with accurate information on homes available anywhere in the U.S., updated continuously. No more lugging around laptops to stay in touch. I’ll take the clients to a Starbucks, buy them a cup of coffee, and check the MLS from my small Wi-Fi equipped iPAQ Pocket PC.

  * * *

  Bruce Herwig II is a licensed Real Estate Broker and lives in San Bernardino, CA with his wife and two children. He is in partnership with his father at Tri-County Realty http://www.HemetRE.com. A known techie, Bruce II enjoys researching computers and enhancing productivity by using technology in the workplace. Contact Bruce at bruceherwig2@hotmail.com.

  Pocket Profile

  Handango’s "Mobile Fanatics" Show You How to Take Full Advantage of Your Pocket PC

  by Rich Hall

  Handango announced the winners of its "Mobile Fanatic" contest on May 3 of this year. Participants submitted stories about how their use of mobile devices and software applications made them a "mobile fanatic." From a wide variety of stories submitted by the April 2 deadline, 15 judges selected 10 finalists and a grand prize winner. Below are the grand prize winner’s story and my synopsis of a few of the others. You can read them all on Handango’s "Fanatic Winners" Web page (http://www.handango.com/FanaticWinners.jsp). Note that all of the software titles mention in this article are available on Handango’s Web site (http://www.handango.com).

  Mobile Fanatic Grand Prize winner: Todd Hayes, Texas

  After I bought my iPAQ, life at the gym became fun!

  After a lifetime of struggling with weight problems, I decided to finally join a gym and get on an exercise and nutrition program. The problem: I hate dieting and exercising, especially cardio workouts (mind-numbingly dull). Little did I realize that a PDA would be my key to sticking to a healthy routine. In fact, after I bought my iPAQ Pocket PC, life at the gym became (almost) fun!

  I started by downloading eBooks to read while doing my cardio workouts. Then, I realized my Pocket PC was also an MP3 player, so I downloaded music to listen to while reading eBooks while doing cardio! Wow! I finally had something to distract me from my body screaming at me for torturing it! I quickly became t
he envy of the gym staff. But, eBooks and music were just the beginning!

  Being a movie buff, I figured watching flicks would be the ultimate way to pass the time and distract me from the agony of exercise. Again, my Pocket PC was the answer. I found software to compress and download full-length movies onto an SD card, and then watch them (with CD quality sound, no less) on my Pocket PC! If you think the gym staff was amazed by eBooks and MP3s, you should’ve seen their faces when I demonstrated a movie on my iPAQ! I was on a roll now to find even more uses for my iPAQ while at the gym, so I couldn’t stop there.

  I signed up for a nutrition program that requires me to track everything I eat. After a lifetime of dieting, I knew I couldn’t stick to such a tedious, time-consuming practice for the long run. Again, my Pocket PC came to the rescue with Pocket Diet Tracker software. All I do is select from the software’s list of foods and exercises and it automatically keeps track of all the calories consumed and burned! I downloaded fast-food restaurant info into the software, so I can even cheat once in a while and still keep track!