[Q] 'Always On' Messenger Idea - Windows Mobile Software Development

Hi everyone,
I have been tinkering around with WAD and havent decided on what theme to make. Currently I'm working on Windows XP theme, but I wanted to do something a little different. I thought it would be great to implement an exact replica of yahoo messenger interface (easily done with docks and images for the GUI), but the problem which is stopping me is the communication with the yahoo server to receive realtime messages and status. Was wondering, does anybody know how to do this and would it be legal? I don't think it would be legal though due to copyright issues regarding the images etc. I'm talking an exact replica of the messenger ported to windows mobile but this would be an 'always on' version part of the homescreen/ desktop page when the phone starts up. I'm pretty certain it's possible, but doubt it would be able to be distributed to the public without a license from yahoo messenger. Only other way round it would be to distribute it with out the images and let people add the images themselves.
What do you think? Is it a good idea?

Related

The What's Missing from WP7S Club...

I am interested in knowing what features you expected in WP7S OS that aren't there (yet).
These are already well established (in no particular order):
1) Copy and Paste
2) Full unrestricted multitasking
3) OS Skins (such as SPB and Sense)
4) File system access
5) Sideloading apps
6) Restriction-free app market
...what else???
Please justify *****ing and moaning with substantive ideas or solutions
For starters, I was hoping to get system-wide Voice navigation. If this were integrated into the OS, all 3rd-party apps could take advantage of it. I would love to voice my text message replies instead of typing.
WhyBe said:
I am interested in knowing what features you expected in WP7S OS that aren't there (yet).
These are already well established (in no particular order):
1) Copy and Paste
2) Full unrestricted multitasking
3) OS Skins (such as SPB and Sense)
4) File system access
5) Sideloading apps
6) Restriction-free app market
...what else???
Please justify *****ing and moaning with substantive ideas or solutions
For starters, I was hoping to get system-wide Voice navigation. If this were integrated into the OS, all 3rd-party apps could take advantage of it. I would love to voice my text message replies instead of typing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thats a good idea send that to the wp7 dev team, maybe somebody could add in as a app
whats missing tho is xbox live without real time multiplayer & there is no sending of messages to people on xbox either which is the most disappointing thing ive heard so far
Lots of important APIs seem to be missing - i.e. you can't manipulate internet or bluetooth connections directly from your program (thus no realtime multiplayer for you), SNAPI and POOM seem to be missing, no Power Manager/hardware access, etc. I'm not 100% sure about these, it's just stuff I didn't find in the docs/emulator. If this is true, I'm having trouble imagining many useful apps beside fart ones. Native APIs would allow to circumvent these limitations, but they aren't available either.
havox22 said:
thats a good idea send that to the wp7 dev team, maybe somebody could add in as a app
whats missing tho is xbox live without real time multiplayer & there is no sending of messages to people on xbox either which is the most disappointing thing ive heard so far
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That doesn't make any sense...all you need to do to send someone a message on xbox is to log into MSN Live Messenger...Even if there is no MSN Live Messenger client, just use meebo.com to log into MSN Live Messenger, and send a message to anyone you want.
gom99 said:
That doesn't make any sense...all you need to do to send someone a message on xbox is to log into MSN Live Messenger...Even if there is no MSN Live Messenger client, just use meebo.com to log into MSN Live Messenger, and send a message to anyone you want.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
from the games hub genius nobody whats to jump thru all those hoops to send a message when you should be able to do it from the start since the phone is suppose to be connected with xbox live

Replace Android with WM

I'm very unhappy with my new Desire. It is of course, also, the problem regarding "the change" from WM to Android, but... I cannot choose "My location" and now I just discovered that YOU CAN'T SYNC NOTES AND TASK with Outlook. This is unbelievable! If the problem with My location and weather shown in the HOME Screen it's not so serious (you can check the weather on line) the problem with the sync it's awful, and there is no program on the "market" to solve it.
I can't believe that I just bought a 500 euro phone and it is so useless. Is there any chance to replace the famous "Android" with a real OS like WM 6.5 (from HD2) for example???
Please I'm desperate!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
buy a HD2 instead. (!!!11!1!!!)
Why did you buy an Android phone if you want to install WM 6.5 on it?
Why do people still use Outlook is beyond my belief
Why do people still sync to a computer (that can only be in one place at a time) is again beyond my belief.
I have my Desire for 2 weeks now and I never even installed the sync app, don't even know what it looks like.
But to answer your question: NO you can't replace Android to the fake ... i mean real OS Windows Mobile.
I came from Windows Mobile and I couldn't be happier i got rid of it. Stop thinking offline, and start thinking cloud sync... it'll eventually be the default weather we like it or not.
You can argue (From a technical pov) that WM6.5 is a real OS and that Android isn't. In fact even Symbian would be more of a "Real" OS than Android. The difference is that those two OSes can run native code and Android just runs everything via Java. This doesn't mean much to most users but to developers it means a lot.
someone please shut this thread before the OP gets flamed to death......
If native code means a deficiency of decent apps, where even the few good ones are jerky, clunky and Windows CE...ey then I'm all for Java - go Java.
I left the HD2 because Windows Mobile is unreliable (believe it or not) because it was never meant to handle such complex skins as Sense UI and therefore leaked memory like a teabag full of pulped brain; and also because there was a deficiency of decent apps (despite its supposed ability to handle 'native code'). If it's so great then why are most of the .cabs people install fixes and patches rather than ACTUAL apps? And why are there no decent alternative Facebook apps etc? Is Windows Mobile 'TOO GOOD' for this sort of software development? For an OS a fifth of the age of Windows Mobile, Android has ten times as many IM apps (for example). Why is this so?
Android allows for one to code/install apps for even CORE applications like SMS and Email: show me a decent email replacement for Windows Mobile? One that ACTUALLY REPLACES the native one....you can't? Android can.
And as capricious as it might seem the rubbish email client in Windows Mobile was one of the reasons I started to loath the OS. What is the point of the 'click to scroll right' and 'pictures blocked for security reasons' BS??? Is it REALLY necessary? And why is it so....ugly?
Anyway I thought I'd get my word in before this thread gets closed. If you can't move with the times then go and buy a TyTn 2 or something. Outlook syncing will soon be as dead as Windows Mobile so for Google to include it would be a backwards step, being as more necessary features are still to be implemented.
It's all about the cloud.
P.S. research before jumping in and buying a phone as you seem to have very specific requirements. Outlook task and notes syncing is a VERY SPECIFIC requirement which in the overall scheme of a burgeoning OS would be deemed unnecessary by Google. I wouldn't buy a Renault Megane if I needed a tractor.
I think it's just a case of people not liking change at all. So the different and sometimes better things that Android provides seem not so good.
Why do people still use Outlook is beyond my belief
Why do people still sync to a computer (that can only be in one place at a time) is again beyond my belief.
I have my Desire for 2 weeks now and I never even installed the sync app, don't even know what it looks like.
But to answer your question: NO you can't replace Android to the fake ... i mean real OS Windows Mobile.
I came from Windows Mobile and I couldn't be happier i got rid of it. Stop thinking offline, and start thinking cloud sync... it'll eventually be the default weather we like it or not.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For work purposes most likely? Information that has to be stored securely in outlook on a system which they DO NOT want in the cloud? But would like to sync via hard wire or secure connection to the device?
Outlook syncing will be alive as long as Microsoft push it and businesses continue to use it and would rather not have information in the cloud, even Windows Phone 7 offers outlook syncing, it isn't going anywhere.
I havn't tried but doesn't htc sync allow to sync with Outlook?? I though that was what it said on the box....
Anyhow, i've just come from an HTC Touch HD where i have tried all the versions of windows and senses and other interfaces and i have to say i am loving my new desire!!!!
I am no developer but Android is so much better adapted to a smartphone, it's fast, fluid and allows all sorts of customization and when i had my HD, as far as i can remember, there were like 20 apps on the marketplace, i thin android market is at 30.000???? No question, no comparison!!!
An app on the Market - Touchdown allows tasks syncing with outlook. Not sure about Notes.
But to be honest, as has been said, why spend €500 on a phone and not have done any research into wether it will do what you want it to.
Not only that, but if its a problem, then in most instances you wil be able to return it within 7 or 14 days for a refund (less any charges) so you should have done that.
Whats the moral of this tale :- Always do your research!
solaris78 said:
I'm very unhappy with my new Desire. It is of course, also, the problem regarding "the change" from WM to Android, but... I cannot choose "My location" and now I just discovered that YOU CAN'T SYNC NOTES AND TASK with Outlook. This is unbelievable! If the problem with My location and weather shown in the HOME Screen it's not so serious (you can check the weather on line) the problem with the sync it's awful, and there is no program on the "market" to solve it.
I can't believe that I just bought a 500 euro phone and it is so useless. Is there any chance to replace the famous "Android" with a real OS like WM 6.5 (from HD2) for example???
Please I'm desperate!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you had such explicit requirements, why didn't you do the research before hand?
Regarding issue with syncing tasks, use the calendar to create your tasks in outlook, use an app on your computer called google calendar sync to upload it to a gmail account, then you'll have them on your phone... simple.
Gustibus non disputandum est!
That means (I hope I write it down correct): the tastes are not questionable!!
I did my research before buying this toy, and I can return it in 30 days (10 to go), and the HD2 was the first option but the sizes ... to big for me.
At the office I use Outlook on my laptop to do notes, task, appointments (on my laptop)... and so on, and when I'm on the field maybe I need some of them, so.... I WILL LIKE TO SYNC MY NOTES FROM LAPTOP WITH MY PHONE. What is so hard to understand? That not everybody use the phone for games and billions of apps which are doing the same thing. In 3 hours of searching I found not more than 5 interesting application (and the WM has 3 of them in the original OS). That's all!
Why I use Outlook ? Because I have a job and an server e-mail and like any more than 70% of this world computers I use MIcrosoft Software. I received an advice from one forum: use Gmail notes! You gotta be kidding ! This 500 euro phone should have some real business apps. I don't use phone for music, pictures and games, instead I need a mail client which allow me to select different mails and mark them like read, or unread. I receive hundreds of mail daily and I need to organize them. What it's so hard to understand?
Give me a break with this Android OS. I hoped that will be different than Iphone but it's the same sheet. I prefer to have notes instead Facebook...social communication ! And tasks instead youtube!
When I bought this phone I never thought that the sync software will not sync notes and tasks. The 5 years old Nokia or Sony that I used then had it. MY problem is that the solution is so simple but you prefer to tell me that I have 3 billions of apps, why I need notes when I can play poker or chess?in 5000 languages.
In my opinion Android is a great software but ... for this price you should think that are some people which are trying to use it for the daily job and not for messenger to pick-up minor teenage girls.
One of you wrote: why do you use Outlook, get on-line... Some information will never go on-line... company policy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And yes Android it's more simple to use than WM, but because it's simple he does simple things, but I NEED MORE! so I guess I need WM, complicated but it has what I need; it's just like cars: some people like muscle cars (pure power and simple technology), but others prefer German or Japanese cars which are maybe a little bit complicated but they offer something different.
thanks anyway!
snapilica2003 said:
Why do people still use Outlook is beyond my belief
Why do people still sync to a computer (that can only be in one place at a time) is again beyond my belief.
I have my Desire for 2 weeks now and I never even installed the sync app, don't even know what it looks like.
But to answer your question: NO you can't replace Android to the fake ... i mean real OS Windows Mobile.
I came from Windows Mobile and I couldn't be happier i got rid of it. Stop thinking offline, and start thinking cloud sync... it'll eventually be the default weather we like it or not.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
what mail client do you use: Gmail, yahoo? are you in the kindergarden? or maybe you use phone for Facebook and Youtube. It's so cool you can see your friends on-line. Take care, maybe someday you will lose contact with the real world, and than you will be in the MATRIX... and poor me I'll be offline!
Sorry I couldn't resist ! but now seriously :WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH THIS PHONE ?
So basically you're here to have a rant because you made a poor choice when buying a phone. Fair enough.
For what it's worth, I work in IT, and I use the Desire to keep a watch on my company email and calendar, sync'ed from Exchange Server. Does the job just fine. I don't use notes in Outlook because what ever you want to do, there is always a better alternative, even a note app on the phone itself would do a better job.
Sent from my HTC Desire using the XDA mobile application powered by Tapatalk
solaris78 said:
That means (I hope I write it down correct): the tastes are not questionable!!
I did my research before buying this toy, and I can return it in 30 days (10 to go), and the HD2 was the first option but the sizes ... to big for me.
At the office I use Outlook on my laptop to do notes, task, appointments (on my laptop)... and so on, and when I'm on the field maybe I need some of them, so.... I WILL LIKE TO SYNC MY NOTES FROM LAPTOP WITH MY PHONE. What is so hard to understand? That not everybody use the phone for games and billions of apps which are doing the same thing. In 3 hours of searching I found not more than 5 interesting application (and the WM has 3 of them in the original OS). That's all!
Why I use Outlook ? Because I have a job and an server e-mail and like any more than 70% of this world computers I use MIcrosoft Software. I received an advice from one forum: use Gmail notes! You gotta be kidding ! This 500 euro phone should have some real business apps. I don't use phone for music, pictures and games, instead I need a mail client which allow me to select different mails and mark them like read, or unread. I receive hundreds of mail daily and I need to organize them. What it's so hard to understand?
Give me a break with this Android OS. I hoped that will be different than Iphone but it's the same sheet. I prefer to have notes instead Facebook...social communication ! And tasks instead youtube!
When I bought this phone I never thought that the sync software will not sync notes and tasks. The 5 years old Nokia or Sony that I used then had it. MY problem is that the solution is so simple but you prefer to tell me that I have 3 billions of apps, why I need notes when I can play poker or chess?in 5000 languages.
In my opinion Android is a great software but ... for this price you should think that are some people which are trying to use it for the daily job and not for messenger to pick-up minor teenage girls.
One of you wrote: why do you use Outlook, get on-line... Some information will never go on-line... company policy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And yes Android it's more simple to use than WM, but because it's simple he does simple things, but I NEED MORE! so I guess I need WM, complicated but it has what I need; it's just like cars: some people like muscle cars (pure power and simple technology), but others prefer German or Japanese cars which are maybe a little bit complicated but they offer something different.
thanks anyway!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah after reading a bit, i think that you didn't really put much research into this... On your statements i would recommend Blackberry, its for emails, tasks and sync.
solaris78 said:
it's just like cars: some people like muscle cars (pure power and simple technology), but others prefer German or Japanese cars which are maybe a little bit complicated but they offer something different.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Show me the man who looks to buy a broken car, and I'll show you a HD2 that actually works as it's supposed to
solaris78 said:
what mail client do you use: Gmail, yahoo? are you in the kindergarden? or maybe you use phone for Facebook and Youtube. It's so cool you can see your friends on-line. Take care, maybe someday you will lose contact with the real world, and than you will be in the MATRIX... and poor me I'll be offline!
Sorry I couldn't resist ! but now seriously :WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH THIS PHONE ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
dude, the thing is, YOU SHOULD NOT HAVE BOUGHT THIS PHONE. Period. When you bought it you know, it's running android. As for syncing with outlook, you could have research it before hand. If you explicitly use it for syncing with outlook, and your work has a lot to do with microsoft software, why did you not buy a windows mobile device? answer me, plz.
What next? ppl are gonna come out complaining they cant install windows mobile on their iphone? give me a break.
solaris78 said:
what mail client do you use: Gmail, yahoo? are you in the kindergarden? or maybe you use phone for Facebook and Youtube. It's so cool you can see your friends on-line. Take care, maybe someday you will lose contact with the real world, and than you will be in the MATRIX... and poor me I'll be offline!
Sorry I couldn't resist ! but now seriously :WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH THIS PHONE ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm actually working for a global telecom company as IT, so your statement above makes me laugh.
Do you guys don't separate your work life from your personal life? Are you doing work all the time.
My phone is exactly that, MY phone, not the company's phone, not the work phone. I'm not paying MY money to have a phone for work. My company gave me a phone and that's the work phone, that's the phone i'm called when someone from WORK wants to reach me, that phone is for work mail, that phone is for the stuff you said you needed. That phone that has the features my work requires from me.
This phone is my personal phone. I don't want to be contacted on this phone, I don't want to do work on this phone, it's MY phone and yeah, I do use Gmail as a personal email, I do use Google Calendar as my personal agenda, I do use Google Contacts and many many other cloud applications Google offers and I couldn't be happier. I want Facebook on MY phone, I want YouTube on MY phone.
Oh and that outlook you so much want is just a fronted to a MTA server, be it POP3, IMAP or Exchange. If you're not working for a secret spy agency most likely those MTA's are public and accessible from the internet. Why not connect to those and insist to connect to Outlook? If your company uses Exchange you can set up this phone to use it also, and you can sync everything outlook has ... through the cloud (that is if you work in a normal company that actually lets users check their mail when not at the office), so you don't need to be connected to anything, just need internet on the phone.
I configured the Exchange ActiveSync from my work account the phone and works like a charm, if i put an appointment on my phone it shows up on Outlook after a few minutes "just like that", if i put an appointment on Outlook it shows up on my phone "just like that". To tell you the truth since I got this phone, i never once hooked it to a computer, only transfered via Wi-Fi and Bluetooth sometimes.
foner78 said:
So basically you're here to have a rant because you made a poor choice when buying a phone. Fair enough.
For what it's worth, I work in IT, and I use the Desire to keep a watch on my company email and calendar, sync'ed from Exchange Server. Does the job just fine. I don't use notes in Outlook because what ever you want to do, there is always a better alternative, even a note app on the phone itself would do a better job.
Sent from my HTC Desire using the XDA mobile application powered by Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No man, I don't have a rant here, just trying to explain myself. It's not fair what happens to me here, because I asked a question and everybody jumped on me instead helping me. Exchange Server it's a great solution but unfortunately my company will not use a server for this. And for me there is no better alternative than Outlook, WE ARE DIFFERENT, accept it. I installed 10 notes apps, but none have sync with outlook. I know that I can use notes directly on phone but it's much easier on the laptop.
I repeat: I can, and probably I will return the phone. I love how it looks, dimensions, the hardware... and I was thinking that maybe because it's a software problem it can be solved. Why are so ... LOCKED ?

Tasks (To-dos) & Notes in WP7

As far as I can work out, WP7 will not support Outlook Notes and Tasks (To-Dos) or the synchronization of Notes & Tasks.
As I understand it, synch of email, calendar & contacts will happen via your Windows Live account (Windows Live will be an Exchange server soon), which can then synch to Outlook using the Windows Live Connector, but Notes and Tasks are absent from this setup.
There will be no native Notes or Tasks apps on WP7. There will be One Note, but that's a different animal and you have to purchase the PC version to be able to see your OneNotes on your PC.
Unfortunately, for me at least, Tasks is the app I use most on my phone. Since WM5.0, Microsoft crippled Tasks by removing the ability to filter out Tasks with a future Start Date, so I moved to using Pocket Informant which provides this essential feature.
Pocket Informant will not be developed for WM7 if news I've read on the Net is correct. This may be partly due to WM7 having no Tasks database, thus forcing any developer to create their own database engine for Tasks, and in any case there would be no synch with Outlook.
If all this is true, it will prevent me from moving over to WM7. My personal and business life revolve around my task list and I'd be lost without it.
Does anyone have any more information on this, especially any that shows me to be wrong?
Don't know about tasks and notes, but you can connect to any Exchange account you want.
http://www.ahead-app.com/
vangrieg said:
http://www.ahead-app.com/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
impressive app!
clear, simple! exactly what i need
i hope other apps will be as good as this one (maybe i should start developing wp7 apps too..)
warenbe said:
impressive app!
clear, simple! exactly what i need
i hope other apps will be as good as this one (maybe i should start developing wp7 apps too..)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yes you should
yup but i've no good idea right now
warenbe said:
yup but i've no good idea right now
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
if i think of something ill let you know
That Ahead app is more like a Project manager than a simple task manager. It only seems to support priorities called "Urgent", "Later", which doesn't tie in with Outlook's three priority levels. Also it only supports a due date, but no start date. Start date is really important, as a recurring annual task to get my car MOTed should have a start date of a couple of weeks before its due, so it doesn't appear in my task list all year round. It also needs to support lots of different types of recurrance - yearly, monthly, every weekday, every 2nd Friday of the month etc etc.
Also, Ahead App doesn't do Notes or synch them.
Whilst I appreciate the link, I'm afraid it's not what I'm looking for. All I need is an app that replicates all the functionality of Outlook's Tasks and Notes and synchs them.
I can't believe this functionality, which is present by default in every version of Windows Mobile, will be absent from WP7.
I'm going to keep my fingers crossed these two essentials appear in the final release of WP7, otherwise I'll have to stick with WM6.5 and Pocket Informant until they finally do appear, whenever that may be.
Jim Coleman said:
Whilst I appreciate the link, I'm afraid it's not what I'm looking for.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, I know. These tasks also won't be synced with Exchange and can't trigger alerts on the phone, so that's not what I need either.
This is very unfortunate, but neither the iPhone nor Android have tasks, so it looks like a trend these days.
tell me if i'm wrong, but with wp7 we will not be able to create an app wich can copy tasks from outlook?
if yes, we have to create a service wich send tasks on internet and then retrieve them on the phone...
Yes, that's right, you will need to install a connector on your desktop to sync tasks with Outlook or have an intermediary server to sync with Exchange for now.
vangrieg said:
This is very unfortunate, but neither the iPhone nor Android have tasks, so it looks like a trend these days.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Google have started to integrate Tasks into Google Calendar, but thus far it is extremely basic and again doesn't incorporate Start Dates. But I think the direction Google is moving in is to incorporate Tasks into Android and use Exchange Synch.
Notes is another issue though.
IPhone is.......well, let's just skip over that one.
Jim Coleman said:
Google have started to integrate Tasks into Google Calendar
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually, Microsoft has done that already on Live Calendar, so maybe that's the direction they'll go with WP7, too. When I asked the Office guy directly about Tasks he said "can't comment at this time".
The Answer to Outlook Tasks and Notes
The Answer to Outlook Tasks and Notes
is
1)wait for WP7 Windows Phone 7 to get up to speed
2) WM6.5 Windows Mobile 6.5
run it on as fast a processor as possible (like maybe the HD2)
(no keyboard but you can get used to it)
with as big a display as possible, again the HD2 (same pixels as the tilt2 but more room)
the latest manila / sense, 2.5 ish is now nice and the vendors are supporting the download
co0kies home today v2 is looking very nice, tasks on the home screen.
we who use Outlook for calendar, contacts, notes, tasks
have a single app sync, and we want it not to go away.
maybe we can live with getting exchange accounts, but we're really hoping for a wm7 windows phone 7 activesync.
until this gets in shape . . .
we wait.
looking @ manila/sense with co0kies home today on a fast cpu with a big display,
we're not waiting in that much pain . . .
After almost 17 years on AT&T I moved to T-Mobile
I just got so tired of AT&T lagging on the vendor relationships with HTC and Microsoft.
I upgraded the TILT2 to the latest rom so that I could Finally get tasks on the home page
(I am a long time a complete Outlook user, Requiring Notes, Task, Calendar, Contacts, with a single simple complete sync to the phone).
Co0kies Home Today 2 is marvelous!
The rom started crashing every few hours
CHT put manilla/sense over the memory edge.
it too 45 seconds for manilla to return from sending an sms.
AT&T has no solution.
The HD2 has no keyboard (something i was very worried about)
I dove in.
WHAT A CHAMP this HD2 is.
clock Twice the speed of the Tilt2
tons more memory
a screen of a size fitting the number of pixels available
and after a few days, guess what . . . i am over my keyboard phobia ! ! !
phone number xfer in just a few of hours.
knock on wood, nice transition so far!
only irritating thing is tmomail.net
seems too eager to convert to MMSs, just because they're over 160 bytes.
(small point, that)

Google Tasks for WP7 - Needed?

Hi, I'm the developer of GogTasks for WM6.5 (thread on this site). Do you guys think there is a demand for a similar app for Windows Phone 7?
The reason I ask is that I'm not very familiar with the platform from a user-perspective myself. I've developed one app for it, but I'm not a daily user of a WP7 phone. Are there tasks apps bundled with the phone, and if there is, does it have any integration with a) Outlook or b) Google? (I'm pretty sure the answer is no on b) at least).
Also I believe apps are not allowed to integrate with Outlook on WP7 (the API is blocked for third party developers), so I believe the app will be more of a Google Tasks front end than a sync app. Still I may benefit from the API reverse engineering I did for GogTasks for WM6.5 / Desktop Outlook, but is there a demand for it?
Appreciate all input.
Ohhhh yes, would be a cool addition. I can sync my Outlook Tasks to Google via gSyncIt Addin for Outlook and then comes your app for WP7. At this time there are some ToDo Task Apps available, but no no one with Google Tasks Support.
i second that!!! I used g tasks when i had android but no such luck on WP7
I also missing the feature of google tasks on my wp7!
Unfortunately so far there is no wp7-app for google tasks.
I would also love a good google task app with a nice live tile.
Go for it
Ok thanks for your feedback. Maybe I should go for this, but there is one bump in the road - I just rememebered why I haven't done this before :/ ...Microsoft declined v1.1 of GogTasks for WinMo 6.5 on the marketplace because I use a non-public, non-supported WebService API (Google is about to release an open version of the API soon, but we never know how long that will take). I might try to publish anyway and see what happens.
redman99: What kind of info do you think would be relevant on the tile? Whether or not you have any tasks due today maybe? Or the date of the next due task? What if you have no tasks with due dates? Just a static icon?
This has kind of been done before: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=931316
Google supports the Exchange model now and sadly behaves better in this regard than Windows Live Mail/Hotmail. No flagged items, etc is a real PITA.
What you likely have to do with that app is set Google as an Exchange sync, not its normal email type. If Bring the Wine can pass marketplace approval using what I would expect is a somewhat undocumented Exchange API, I would think you could. Especially don't let a single submission keep an idea from being presented because apparently the certification process while rigid can be somewhat of a crap shoot.
Having said all this, Google Tasks do work in the IE browser I believe. They're not perfect but it was a decent stop gap for me. Now I'll try out BtW and if you do release your app, I'd give it a go as well.
w0rd-driven said:
This has kind of been done before: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=931316
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the hint... i not use Exchange so i still would love a sync app for google task that works without Exchange!
*wink @Nilzor
w0rd-driven said:
This has kind of been done before: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=931316
Google supports the Exchange model now and sadly behaves better in this regard than Windows Live Mail/Hotmail. No flagged items, etc is a real PITA.
.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm pretty sure Google's exchange sync protocol still does NOT support tasks. Have you tried this?
gTasks - Google Task Manager - Just released
An app to use Google Tasks natively on Windows Phone 7 is just released. Check it out by searching for "gTasks" in the marketplace or clicking on the link below.
social.zune.net/redirect?type=phoneApp&id=a56d575c-7253-e011-854c-00237de2db9e
rjonna said:
An app to use Google Tasks natively on Windows Phone 7 is just released. Check it out by searching for "gTasks" in the marketplace or clicking on the link below.
social.zune.net/redirect?type=phoneApp&id=a56d575c-7253-e011-854c-00237de2db9e
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the heads up. This probably means there's no point in me going forward with this.
Anyone care to test the app? The irony of being a developer from Norway is that I can sell apps, but not buy or download (yet).
Yes i have tested it. The App works, but it needs some developing on it. there should be a option to automaticly sync the entrys and as a startpage i would prever a list of the avalaible lists, to choose from. after choosing the right list, i would like to load the items for this particular list. i hope its clear what i mean.
btw: there is WIndows Marketplace Tool, where you can download and deploy any app, also when you are not a member of the country. so i can download apps for the us marketplace also, if im a german user. i dont know the name of the program yet, but it is somehwere here in the forum.
bilbo_b said:
btw: there is WIndows Marketplace Tool, where you can download and deploy any app, also when you are not a member of the country. so i can download apps for the us marketplace also, if im a german user. i dont know the name of the program yet, but it is somehwere here in the forum.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Cool. I did not know of this.
GooTa - an app for google tasks on windows phone
i also really felt the lack of google tasks on windows phone. i'm a heavy user and really love the nesting of tasks and how lightweight it feels in gmail.
and i didn't think that the gtasks app above me quite fit my needs...-_-
so i tried writing my own! check it out:
windowsphone.com/en-US/apps/49fd8ee0-7a38-426e-b674-7ccff5922333
it's called GooTa (google tasks).
let me know if it's missing anything you want -- there's a feedback link in the app. i hope this fits your needs! and if not, let me know and i can add whatever it's missing so it does

WP7 philosophy: Are MS blocking some apps in order to impose their own services

Hello,
I have a sincere and honest question. I came to a conclusion but I hope I am wrong...
- I notice that several months after WP7's launch there is still no official Google Maps app, still no official YouTube app, still no Google Earth app, almost no GPS navigation apps with offline maps.
- All the non official Google Maps alternatives created by third party developers are pretty slow. I asked some developers why, and have been replied that the main reason is that Microsoft forces them to use the apparently sophisticated but very slow Bing map system based on Silverlight (for zooming). As a result the map image takes between 30 seconds to 1 full minute to display on my phone (what a shame). I tested and compared with two iPhone and Android phones using Google Maps, same place, same network, the map image appear in less than 10 seconds.
- Today Shape Services, the developer of IM+ announced that it will not have Windows Live Messenger support because Microsoft doesn’t allow it.
http://www.wpcentral.com/im-will-not-support-windows-live-messenger
Therefore I am starting to wonder why I cannot have Google Maps on my phone. Why so many GPS developers (such as CoPilot or Tom Tom) refuse to join WP7. Or why IM+ cannot have Windows Live Messenger support.... ??
And unfortunately my conclusion is that MS are maybe taking this terrible approach:
* MS refuse to allow apps that they think will duplicate functionality,
* Mainly MS actually want to impose their own services, such as Live Messenger, Skydrive, Bing and Bing Map, despite such services are either not available or mediocre in certain territories. In particular I am thinking of Bing Map which is so bad that it is almost unusable outside UK and US.
Microsoft have the right to take this kind of Apple's approach, ok. But then, as a customer, I would like to know it as soon as possible.
--> Practically does it mean that if I am using WP7 I will be forced to use Bing Map instead of Google Maps, MSN videos instead of YouTube, Bing instead of Google search, etc?
--> Practically does it mean that, as a customer, I will not have the choice between several alternative apps having similar functionality, just because MS will not allow them? For instance, does it mean I will never have the right to use an alternative Keyboard (Swype for instance) instead of the keyboard MS force me to use?
For instance does it mean that there will be no alternative player than Zune? (which also means no DivX|avi, the customer being bound to the only codecs MS will allow)
If so, I would like to know, because it's a weird philosophy, and a philosophy which I am definitely not ready to accept anytime soon... I don't want WP7 to be a new IPhone, even more locked down, with no freedom of choice at all...
Especially if I am totally not satisfied with the quality and efficiency of the various MS services such as Bing.
I probably made the wrong choice after WinMo and was maybe silly to stay loyal to MS.
Am I wrong?
Any clue?
It is google blocking its services from microsoft. They want android to succeed so they dont even give us the code for a youtube app (they gave it to apple for the origional iphone) let alone a google maps. Half of that is pure speculation so don't quote me on it but u try to watch a video in the stock YouTube app (the one in the market made by microsoft) and tell me how it looks.
Not sure why you are surprised, MS has made it clear that WP7 is going to be more tightly controlled than WM was but even then, they are not as draconian as you think. There is a gps program with offline maps available in Germany, Navigon. They have been asked several times if/when their program would be available elsewhere and their response seemed to indicate they were waiting for more users to come on board before releasing it.
As for youtube, MS recently filed a complaint in Europe against google claiming they are not allowing MS the proper access to deliver a better youtube experience. Even then, you have Supertube and Lazytube so I'm not sure what else is needed.
As for google maps, thats a google product and unless it is required that all mapping programs use bing (which is not the case, check GPS Navigator aSpass http://wmpoweruser.com/gps-navigator-aspass-provides-off-like-gps-map-caching/) that is up to google to make available. Swype wont be happening, been said a few time if I recall correctly.
Seems this time around MS it keeping a tight reign on certain categories of applications to ensure WP7 gives a consistent user experience. Just another factor to consider before purchasing a WP7 device.
Thanks for your replies,
So, i understand that WP7 will never have any official YouTube app or any official Google Maps app in the near future.
I can deal with LazyTube/SuperTube to replace YouTube
I cannot deal without the official Google Maps app, as all the other maps are too slow and too basic (no PoI, no Street View, etc).
And what about the fact that Microsoft refuses that Shape Services includes Windows Live Messenger support in IM+
And mainly, what about the fact that it seems almost impossible on WP7 to have:
- an alternative keyboard
- an alternative browser
- an alternative media player?
Whatever IE mobile is ok, whatever the WP7 keyboard is correct, it is a question of choice.
What about if people would like to use Swype instead of the regular WP7 keyboard, or Opera instead of IE?
At least would it be just possible to use such alternative programs? Or is MS' approach to forbid any alternative app?
efjay said:
Seems this time around MS it keeping a tight reign on certain categories of applications to ensure WP7 gives a consistent user experience. Just another factor to consider before purchasing a WP7 device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That would be fine only if services proposed by Microsoft were available worldwide (which is not the case) and were decent (which is not the case).
Well about the browser, I can't remember where I read it, but MS said that they are not blocking any browser application (Surfcube is a example)
Newness and Nokia
Hi all
I think that the problems and limitations of WP7 are to do with the fact that it is a new OS. The Mango update will bring a lot of APIs which developers will use to make better applications.
Also, I don't think Microsoft will let WP7, or any of it's main products, fall far behind the competition and I think that part of the deal with Nokia is to bring better mapping/navigation software to WP7 specifically.
Android has clearly had a lot more investment but in a couple of years WP7 will be a serious competitor.
Cheers
andrew-in-woking
arturobandini said:
Hello...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You've expressed your issues with Bing Maps a lot here but as I said before Microsoft is probably waiting on Ovi Maps to integrate into the OS to make the services useful outside of the US/UK. So I think your frustration will last a little while.
As for Google services I would guess it's more about Google not being interested in WP7 at the moment and Microsoft being happy to have that pretext to promote Bing. It's a new OS so I'm sure that will change eventually. Also remember Microsoft filed a complaint about Google so I might not be too far off.
Copilot, Tom Tom, etc. not being there is just about them not seeing the point with a small user base, that should change too eventually.
Now choice I'm afraid will stay limited. I think clearly WP7 wants to be somewhere between Android and iOS but much closer to iOS (for now at least). I think they will want the OS to mature before allowing alternative solutions (Opera and Skyfire came a while later on iOS). So yes I think you bought the wrong phone as I doubt all this will change in the short term and maybe Android is what you need until WP7 is a strong player.
Personally I'm happy the way things are as WP7 aims to be an OS about integration and that's harder to make when there's too much choice. I'm annoyed about IM+ not having WLM messenger but after Mango that would have been redundant (I would have preferred to have it until Mango, they could have removed it later). Ideally they should be aiming to integrate all IM services to messaging (a huge task). Same goes for other services.
gremmmy said:
Well about the browser, I can't remember where I read it, but MS said that they are not blocking any browser application (Surfcube is a example)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Surfcube is still IE at its core though.
gremmmy said:
Well about the browser, I can't remember where I read it, but MS said that they are not blocking any browser application (Surfcube is a example)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's not completely correct. Surfcube - just like other browsers available on the marketplace - is built upon the IE engine. So all that's different from IE is the UI on top of the engine. Currently it's impossible to provide browsers with other engines like Opera for example due to the lack of APIs. I don't know whether this will change with mango or not.
As a matter of fact, Microsoft is at least partly going a way Apple has been going with their products for years. If you want a mobile device with an OS that you can tweak to your personal desires, you should go for an Android.
Remember, APIs for wp are in their infancy, mango will extend them, who knows how much. But a company like Microsoft push out they first party app and services first is fine with me. If they work right, I won't have to look for an app that does the exact same thing. I love the fact that I don't have to load a crappy Facebook app just to post one thing, or having a built-in upload to Facebook in the camera. And now with the new APIs with integrating apps into different hubs and apps, should "save us from our phones" more.
And for IM+ it could be API isn't available for Live messager.
I'm afraid we won't see any Google Maps before Ovi integration with Bing.
As for browsers all available now are just IE with different UI.
I remember Opera saying they are not interested in making a browser right now.
no loss there, who uses windows live anyway? I spent an hour on the phone a couple of days ago trying to explain to one of my computer illiterate friends how to use it. I eventually had to install it with him and discovered the incredibly horrible and terrible UI.. won't miss it one bit.
pillsburydoughman said:
no loss there, who uses windows live anyway?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's the most used IM client worldwide.
pillsburydoughman said:
no loss there, who uses windows live anyway? I spent an hour on the phone a couple of days ago trying to explain to one of my computer illiterate friends how to use it. I eventually had to install it with him and discovered the incredibly horrible and terrible UI.. won't miss it one bit.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why didn't you just have him go to www.live.com?
And as stated, its the most used IM in the world. Skype is second.
pillsburydoughman said:
no loss there, who uses windows live anyway? I spent an hour on the phone a couple of days ago trying to explain to one of my computer illiterate friends how to use it. I eventually had to install it with him and discovered the incredibly horrible and terrible UI.. won't miss it one bit.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
skype will have Microsoft logo soon..... and it will be on WP7 included in the OS...
and as someone said Windows live massanger is the most used IM in the world..
if the idea is to impose their own services they wouldnt have allowed flory (gtalk) and they would reject im+ (for using icq, gtalk, and many other non ms services).
if this was the idea they would have rejected shazam encore, since they are going to implement the same service.
unfourtunately i suspect that the issue with wlm is the deal they made with miyowa
as you can see they talk about a a "deal" between miyowa and microsoft for wlm
http://blog.miyowa.com/?p=1118
just search more posts and you can see they mention multiple times have some sort of agreement...
i know its far fetched but i think its more likely that the agreement they made included exclusivity until ms made their own native app. IMO this sounds more reasonable than not allowing duplicated functionality
edit:
personally i hate this, i would like to uninstall the miyowa app (its crap) and use im+ while we wait for native wlm.
revrak said:
if the idea is to impose their own services they wouldnt have allowed flory (gtalk) and they would reject im+ (for using icq, gtalk, and many other non ms services).
if this was the idea they would have rejected shazam encore, since they are going to implement the same service.
unfourtunately i suspect that the issue with wlm is the deal they made with miyowa
as you can see they talk about a a "deal" between miyowa and microsoft for wlm
http://blog.miyowa.com/?p=1118
just search more posts and you can see they mention multiple times have some sort of agreement...
i know its far fetched but i think its more likely that the agreement they made included exclusivity until ms made their own native app. IMO this sounds more reasonable than not allowing duplicated functionality
edit:
personally i hate this, i would like to uninstall the miyowa app (its crap) and use im+ while we wait for native wlm.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You might have a point there as everything gets dropped except Miyoma Messenger which is so crap I'd rather not have WLM rather than using it. They should be banned from making another app ever again.
revrak said:
unfourtunately i suspect that the issue with wlm is the deal they made with miyowa
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Or it may be with the way IM+ implemented WLM functionality. This could've taken some reverse engineering.
revrak said:
if the idea is to impose their own services they wouldnt have allowed flory (gtalk) and they would reject im+ (for using icq, gtalk, and many other non ms services).
if this was the idea they would have rejected shazam encore, since they are going to implement the same service.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And don't forget that just-added official Evernote app, which kind of directly competes with the OneNote/SkyDrive/Mesh combo (and currently beats it, IMO).

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