Develop Bugs

[Q] MIME types and Iso storage

Hi,
I remember from owning an IPhone having to synchronise my ewallet (a password manager) files over the air from the desktop whilst the app was running on the phone. (I'll admit it was a minor annoyance).
Having moved to android and using a combination of dropbox and keepass, I don't really think about anymore - I just open dropbox and click the file and keepass opens up.
But, what about WP7? I realise that apps are only permitted to use their own storage. If I were to build a say, a keepass app for WP7, would I be back to building some desktop client software that allow syncing over the air whilst the app was running (like IPhone/ewallet), or hooking into any number of online sync services like Dropbox, Box.net, Pogoplug, etc, just to get the file some place the app can reach it.
I'm having trouble thinking of any other option given the lack of any common storage.
Thanks

If you did develop Keepass for WP7, you'd have your first customer here!
I'm actually tempted to try and port it myself, and I've come to the same conclusion as you regarding storage. The local KDB file would need to held in private storage and synchronised to an off-device copy, be that a desktop app or something like drop box.

A keepass app is one of the things I was considering. Not so sure about it now.
I'll have a look round for an elegant solution.

Well, isn't Skydrive the same as Dropbox? As I understood WP7 uses Skydrive to store your files 'in the cloud'; so why not put your Keepass file there?

Seven_PRX said:
Well, isn't Skydrive the same as Dropbox? As I understood WP7 uses Skydrive to store your files 'in the cloud'; so why not put your Keepass file there?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'd not considered skydrive/mesh. I'll 'ave a look.
Thanks for the heads-up.

I'm thinking of writing a desktop synching app myself. That way any WP7 app could connect to it to import files from a PC.
I've thought about using skydrive myself, but it doesn't seem to offer a way to download the file directly.

How to copy any file to your WP7 device

My problem was to copy a pdf-file to my phone and after some research, I figured out that the only way to do this, is to email me this file. I think this is pretty awkward and I found an easier way to do this.
If you have a dropbox-account just move the file to your dropbox-folder on your pc, then install a dropbox-client on your phone. now you can access every file that's in the dropbox-folder from your phone... problem solved
If you're new to dropbox, I would appreciate it if you use my refferal-link so that both of us get 250MB extra free space.
Here's my referral-link: http://db.tt/OV3ERGB

Why not just use your free Skydrive? That's what I do, then navigate to your Skydrive on your phone (pin the link to your start screen for ease) and click the file's icon and it will download to your phone.
No need to use dropbox at all.

Jim Coleman said:
Why not just use your free Skydrive? That's what I do, then navigate to your Skydrive on your phone (pin the link to your start screen for ease) and click the file's icon and it will download to your phone.
No need to use dropbox at all.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I use dropbox too.
I think it easier because it has a Dropbox client for PC and WP7 (with app "Boxfiles for dropbox"), no need to create internet shortcut on my phone.

Why not Skydrive? Because it doesn't work half as well with either Windows or Windows Phone.
Unlike Dropbox, I can't just map my cloud storage to a folder easily on my PC.
And on my phone it doesn't let me download some files (funnily, Microsoft Office files). It shows presentations as web docs and there's no download link in default mobile view. I need to switch to desktop view which is unbearably slow.
This is plain ridiculous.

vangrieg said:
Why not Skydrive? Because it doesn't work half as well with either Windows or Windows Phone.
Unlike Dropbox, I can't just map my cloud storage to a folder easily on my PC.
And on my phone it doesn't let me download some files (funnily, Microsoft Office files). It shows presentations as web docs and there's no download link in default mobile view. I need to switch to desktop view which is unbearably slow.
This is plain ridiculous.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
how does dropbox work with mp3s can u copy those over to device memory and add them to ur llibrary without syncing via zune?

vangrieg said:
Why not Skydrive? Because it doesn't work half as well with either Windows or Windows Phone.
Unlike Dropbox, I can't just map my cloud storage to a folder easily on my PC.
And on my phone it doesn't let me download some files (funnily, Microsoft Office files). It shows presentations as web docs and there's no download link in default mobile view. I need to switch to desktop view which is unbearably slow.
This is plain ridiculous.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
this is being fixed in the mango update.
I don't transfer many files to my phone so its not an issue for me but I can see the frustration for some.

vangrieg said:
Unlike Dropbox, I can't just map my cloud storage to a folder easily on my PC.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
http://mynetx.net/#!/2352/how-to-connect-your-skydrive-in-windows-explorer
or
http://www.tech-recipes.com/rx/7385/windows-7-how-to-map-skydrive-folders-as-network-drives/
or even
http://www.groovypost.com/howto/microsoft/windows-7-map-drive-skydrive-using-url-address-network/
There ya go, have fun.

I have videos on my dropbox, and BEFORE NoDo they worked, now they don't work.. tells me invalid format or times out (These would be WMV and 3GP) is it just me?

Where is the skydrive app or link on the phone.. cant find on my DVP.

At least things will get better with time. More premium apps are showing up in marketplace.

There's already a sticky thread for OS comparisons. Take this bickering, flaming, trolling there please
Sent from my Focus using XDA Windows Phone 7 App

Back on topic please!

[Q] win7 excel

I have been trying to find out if windows 7 mobile is able to support my excel spreadsheet. Some retailers say yes no problem, others say my formulas are to complex, no one has been able to try it for me. How can I find out if my spreadsheet can be read, edited and it calculates properly before I buy?
Does the handset make any differance or is the win 7 the same on all? I haven't purchased a handset as of yet as I am still trying to find out what apps I can use on them. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I very much want excel and word support, pdf reader is a must - creator would be a real plus. Gps would be real nice too.
Thus far I am leaning towards the htc surround, it seems to be one of the better options in my limited market.

before you buy the device,I have to let you know that,unless you are using microsoft sharepoint,if not the office application is kind of useless.
me as a student,I can't even transfer my lecture note to the device and revise it anywhere.
so,think twice before you buy a device

onenote is the only thing that you can sync to skydrive. so you can edit them on the web as well.
excel and word on the hand has to be emailed back and forth if you don't have sharepoint.
MS did demo a skydrive client at CES, which will be part of mango update, released in fall 2011, so that will be the resolve, but till then email is the only way to do it.

Thanks for the tips, I can see more research is in order.

You don't have to email word and excel documents in order to make them usable on a WP7 device. You can also choose to sync these items with either dropbox - which has several clients for WP7 - or software solutions like homepipe. Both work fine, either way.
But it's truely just a workaround until MS will provide full skydrive support. Which should have been part of WP7 from day one in the first place.

Transfering isn't a big deal, I would like to put the spreadsheet template on the handset, add in the data as needed and have excel do the calculations. Perhaps a quarterly backup to the computer would be fine. Will the handset excel sync with the desktop app, filling in the fields or would that have to be done manually?

Attila7 said:
Transfering isn't a big deal, I would like to put the spreadsheet template on the handset, add in the data as needed and have excel do the calculations. Perhaps a quarterly backup to the computer would be fine. Will the handset excel sync with the desktop app, filling in the fields or would that have to be done manually?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I never really tried that, because I hardly use excel. But the way I described works with word, so why should it be any different with excel? Just save the file created on your desktop PC to your dropbox folder (or any other folder you can sync with your handset), then download and open it from the client app on your device.

Attila7 said:
Transfering isn't a big deal, I would like to put the spreadsheet template on the handset, add in the data as needed and have excel do the calculations. Perhaps a quarterly backup to the computer would be fine. Will the handset excel sync with the desktop app, filling in the fields or would that have to be done manually?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, I just looked into my zune & LG Quantum transfer options, and I could not find any options regarding transferring any type of files that are not music, video or podcasts. EDIT: NM, miss understood your question. I don't believe the spreadsheets will sync. But using dropbox, this wouldn't be an issue, as you would always be opening the dropbox copy of the spreadsheet.
RE: seeing whether or not your excel spreadsheet will run properly, I am not sure how private/personal your spreadsheet is, but you could email it to a user here to test it and report back to you if it works.

Would the dropbox copy be the same as the computer copy? Would someone be willing to try the template for me to see if it will run and calculate properly? That is a great idea! The template is about 1.5 mb. If anyone is willing to try this for me please PM me, thanks.

i use Excel a lot on my windows phone by using a budget spreadsheet I whipped up on my computer. I know there are multitudes of budgets apps but why do that when you can auto calculate averages, sums, and present them graphically with a simple spread sheet?
Now at the moment, the only way to get Office docs (Word or Excel) on the phone is via emailing your self or as others suggested dropbox or file server. The downside is changes made on the phone isn't synced back to the source. You have to email the changes to yourself.
Microsoft has demoed Skydrive integration coming in the Fall update. Changes made then will be automatically synced like One note is now.
As for formulas, my formulas and graphs work and show up on the phone just fine! However I am not sure if more complicated ones work as I was unable to edit an excel timesheet from my job on my phone (says unable to open this file created from earlier office version). I am willing to test this template for you.
Feel free to PM it to me.
Also one way to get office documents on the phone iis utilizing skydrive instead of dropbox
1, I mapped my skydrive "My Documents" folder as a network drive on my Windows 7 PC
2. I save all my office documents there. I can edit them, delete them, rename them just as any other folder.
3. One the phone you can access skydrive via the browser and download your files without needing drop box or 3rd party solutions. The downside is being unable to upload them back!
4. Do maintenance, email your changed document and replace it on the desktop yourself.
Hope this helps.

sayonical said:
1, I mapped my skydrive "My Documents" folder as a network drive on my Windows 7 PC
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
how did you do this? i would like to know as i've always wanted to do this as well. Windows Live Mesh doesn't seem to do it the way i want.

The Gate Keeper said:
how did you do this? i would like to know as i've always wanted to do this as well. Windows Live Mesh doesn't seem to do it the way i want.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you have Office2010 follow this easy guide
http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/04/25/use-office-2010-to-map-a-local-drive-letter-to-your-free-25gb-live-skydrive/

awesome! i'll give this a try when i get home.

[REQUEST] or [IDEA] for NEW Picture Homebrew application

Hi,
is possible to make HOMEBREW app which can access destinatation \My Documents\Zune\Content\0300\00\ and see the pictures which are in Picture HUB ?
This app should have also possiblity:
1. Edit images through programs like Photo Enhancer
2. Deleting multiple images
3. Manual Album creation
4. Share to Facebook, Twitter, Skydrive, Hotmail, Dropbox
5. Take pictures
6. Copy and Paste to Skydrive folders
Thanks for info.

You should add [REQUEST] or [IDEA] to the thread title
And I would actually LOVE an app that makes it able to organize pictures on-device. It's such an annoyance to first sync them to Zune and organizing them and then sync them back.
EDIT: I might do one myself, but if anyone knows anything about how Zune and the phone organizes pictures and videos I'd appreciate to get that info. Will look into it myself later today thou, but any help would be awesome
Regards
Izaac

IzaacJ said:
You should add [REQUEST] or [IDEA] to the thread title
And I would actually LOVE an app that makes it able to organize pictures on-device. It's such an annoyance to first sync them to Zune and organizing them and then sync them back.
EDIT: I might do one myself, but if anyone knows anything about how Zune and the phone organizes pictures and videos I'd appreciate to get that info. Will look into it myself later today thou, but any help would be awesome
Regards
Izaac
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OK, I added [REQUEST] or [IDEA] to the title.
Well I don't know much about how Zune organizes the pictures but I know that Zune, Camera saves photo this destination
\My Documents\Zune\Content\0300\00\ and save it to some file for example 3d.jpg; 03.jpg; 39.jpg etc.
But Zune must store [ some dat file maybe in \My Documents\Zune\Content\0300\00\zunedb.dat] the real name of the picture that on computer looks like WP_000002.jpg.
It will be nice to have alternative to Picture Hub and if you will look on it it will be great.
I don't know if I help you a little bit ?

zunedb.dat work
I've been looking a bit on the zunedb.dat file in 101 Editor and the identifier or what ever it's called is ZMDB (Zune Media DataBase i think) and I could really use some help on this because this isn't really my area of expertise
Could attach a copy of the file I've been looking at if anyone is interested?
EDIT: Attached it in a zip anyway, and here is some of the information I've found so far.
The albums I've synced from my computer are these, with their respective start address in the file, or at least where the album name is in the file, and after each album name there are paths and such to the particular files, but also a lot of information that I don't know what it is.
Misc [47c00h]
tmp [47each]
Diablo 3 [48920h]
Regards
Izaac

Maybe it could help some Microsoft developer on Microsoft forum ?
But I think that nobody research it yet.

Posted a thread over at the development forum at Microsoft, like here:
http://forums.create.msdn.com/forums/t/105185.aspx
I really hope I could get some information regarding this.

Well it's 100% that this app wil not autorization from MS but for the homebrew app its not needed.
I hope that someone share the info which you need.
Just a question:
is it possible to create an own homebrew app which will take and save photo in
folder \My Documents\Pictures + it will have features like as I wrote
1. Edit images through programs like Photo Enhancer, 2. Deleting multiple images, 3. Manual Album creation,
4. Share to Facebook, Twitter, Skydrive, Hotmail, Dropbox, 5. Take pictures, 6. Copy and Paste to Skydrive folders ?
then we dont realy need any info from MS because you can upload it to Skydrive + you cann access the phone file system via WPDM or WMDC/ActiveSync launcher if zou have phone unlock etc.
What do you think ?
Thanks for info.
R,
Marek

Well, it's possible. There are other apps doing everything of that, except the saving location, so I doubt there would be any problems.
The reason for my app and what it does is that it enables you to organize the photos, add/delete/rename albums shown in the Pictures Hub, and move photos between these albums.
AND if zunedb.dat is "worked out" it will also enable us to add music and videos to the Zune app, which means if you use any Music Downloader, you could add them to the regular player, instead of having to open that particular music app to play them.
I hope you see why I think this really is something worth investigating.
Regards
Izaac

Yes, you are right, it's worth for investigating.
So lets hope that we will have good luck.
Do you know which apps can do the things like iwrote in previous comment?
Thanks.

I think there's an application called Private Hub that does most of it, not sure thou.
It will also enable you to password protect certain images/albums (in app ONLY)
Regards
Izaac

How to upload full size photos taken on WP to the cloud (Dropbox/sklydrive etc.)

This isn't a direct method but better than having nothing. Also some of you might already be aware of something like this or an alternative but I didnt come across it so I'm posting it here.
1) First of all go to phone settings in the zune app and in 'Pictures and Videos' choose 'leave pictures and videos on phone after copying' and in image quality choose 'original'. You should also switch to 'manual' in 'sync options' for Pictures and Videos, so that files are not deleted from phone if you delete them from PC.
2) Once you've done this, your original photos will be sync'd to your computer in 'My Pictures/YourWPdevice' every time you connect your phone to pc and open zune.
3) Now you should have the skydrive/dropbox app installed on your pc (which I assume all of you already do). I think Skydrive automatically keeps your photos sync'd in the cloud so you shouldn't need to anything any more. However if skydrive isn't doing that, you can just copy your 'my photos' folder and place it in the skydrive folder.
4 (Optional but handy) If you don't like wasting space then you could create a junction link of 'My photos' folder in skydrive folder. That should save you a lot of space on your pc if you have lots of photos. To create a junction link, I recommend using Hard Link shell extension. It's fairly easy to use and comes in handy if you are using skydrive and don't want to copy/paste all folders you want to backup or you want to keep your existing folder structure.
Anyway, if you complete first three steps I have outlined, every time you connect your windows phone to pc and open zune (which I think all of us already do on daily basis), your photos will be automatically sync'd to the cloud. You will need to have Dropbox/skydrive running of course.