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Mobile & Wireless UPDATE, December 19, 2002

Mobile & Wireless UPDATE—brought to you by the Windows & .NET Magazine Network
http://www.winnetmag.com


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December 19, 2002—In this issue:

1. MOBILE & WIRELESS PERSPECTIVES

  • Tablet PC Application and Development Considerations

2. ANNOUNCEMENTS

  • Planning on Getting Certified? Pick Up Our New eBook!
  • New! News, Tips, and More to Keep Your Network Humming

3. INSTANT POLL

  • Results of Previous Poll: Cell Phone Use in Public
  • New Instant Poll: Time You Spend on Your Wireless Device

4. RESOURCES

  • Event Highlight: The Conference on Mobile & Wireless Security

5. NEW AND IMPROVED

  • Build a Wireless Network
  • Work with Compressed Files on Your Pocket PC Device

6. CONTACT US

  • See this section for a list of ways to contact us.

1. MOBILE & WIRELESS PERSPECTIVES
(contributed by Steve Milroy, [email protected])

  • TABLET PC APPLICATION AND DEVELOPMENT CONSIDERATIONS

  • In the December 5 edition of Mobile & Wireless UPDATE, I looked at several aspects of the Tablet PC platform: the Microsoft Office XP Pack for Tablet PC (Tablet Pack), Tablet PC speech features, and gestures. This time, I look at Tablet PC development considerations, including application functionality and the Tablet PC software development kit (SDK).

    You can use any Windows XP-compatible application on the Tablet PC platform. You can use the Tablet PC's pen to manipulate menus and application features, and you can use the Tablet PC Input Panel to input text. As I discussed in the December 5 commentary, to access the Input Panel, you simply move your pen back and forth quickly above the screen. The Tablet PC transmits the words you write to the application you're using. However, if you want to take advantage of the power of the XP Tablet PC platform, you need to develop a custom application (or buy a specifically developed application) that lets you leverage the full functionality (e.g., signature capture) of Digital Ink.

    You can use Microsoft Visual Studio .NET or Visual Studio (VS) 6.0 to develop Tablet PC applications. If you use Visual Studio .NET, your application will be able to leverage the Microsoft .NET Framework. If you use VS 6.0, your applications will be based on COM Automation Objects. These two types of applications are commonly known as Managed and Unmanaged applications, respectively. Managed .NET Windows Forms (WinForms) applications are the preferred choice because the .NET Framework provides an easy environment for development. WinForms applications are client-side applications, so application execution and data storage occurs locally on the device. This client-side approach lets you integrate your custom Tablet PC application with other applications, such as Microsoft Outlook XP, on the Tablet PC. Another advantage of this client-side approach is that your application will have complete offline functionality on the Tablet PC, without network or wireless connections. You can store data in various client-side databases, but the Microsoft Data Engine (MSDE) is preferable. Using the MSDE lets you store and manipulate data in a local relational database, then use Merge Replication to synchronize the data with a Microsoft SQL Server system.

    To incorporate Digital Ink functionality into your custom Tablet PC application, you need to use the Tablet PC SDK, which you can download for free from Microsoft ( http://msdn.microsoft.com ). The Tablet PC SDK includes sample code, demonstration applications, and documentation. The Tablet PC SDK also includes various APIs that you can use to incorporate Tablet PC-specific functionality into your WinForms applications. These APIs fall into three basic categories:

    1. Ink collection
    2. Ink data management
    3. Ink recognition

    These APIs let you directly integrate pen input into custom applications. Functionality can include capturing and recording signatures and using the pen to enter text directly into your applications' fields. For more information about these APIs, go the following URL.
    http://msdn.microsoft.com

    You can now fully realize the power of the Tablet PC platform. For example, my team developed a custom Tablet PC application for sales force automation (SFA). The application integrates with Microsoft Outlook (for calendar viewing and sending email) and MapPoint (for obtaining driving directions and maps). Sales personnel can review customers, schedule sales calls, find directions, and enter orders directly on the Tablet PC. This functionality significantly improves productivity and was possible only by using a custom application.

    We'll be taking next week off, but Mobile & Wireless UPDATE will return January 2, 2003. Until then, happy holidays!

    2. ANNOUNCEMENTS
    (brought to you by Windows & .NET Magazine and its partners)

  • PLANNING ON GETTING CERTIFIED? PICK UP OUR NEW EBOOK!

  • "The Insider's Guide to IT Certification" eBook is hot off the presses and contains everything you need to know to help you save time and money while preparing for certification exams from Microsoft, Cisco Systems, and CompTIA and have a successful career in IT. Get your copy of the Insider's Guide today!
    http://winnet.bookaisle.com/ebookcover.asp?ebookid=13475

  • NEW! NEWS, TIPS, AND MORE TO KEEP YOUR NETWORK HUMMING

  • Networking UPDATE brings you the how-to tips and news you need to implement and maintain a rock-solid networking infrastructure. We'll explore interoperability solutions, hardware (including servers, routers, and switches), network architecture, network management, network security, installation technology, network training, and WAN disaster recovery. Subscribe (at no cost!) at
    http://www.winnetmag.com/email/networking

    3. INSTANT POLL

  • RESULTS OF PREVIOUS POLL: CELL PHONE USE IN PUBLIC

  • The voting has closed in Windows & .NET Magazine's Mobile & Wireless Solutions nonscientific Instant Poll for the question, "If you could ban cell phone use in one venue, which would it be? Here are the results (+/-1 percent) from the 79 votes:
    • 20% Automobiles
    • 52% Theaters
    • 16% Restaurants
    • 11% Schools
    • 0% Stores

  • NEW INSTANT POLL: TIME YOU SPEND ON YOUR WIRELESS DEVICE

  • The next Instant Poll question is, "How much time per workday do you spend on your wireless device?" Go to the Mobile & Wireless Solutions Web site and submit your vote for a) An hour or less, b) I use it periodically, between 1 and 4 hours, c) I rely on it for work, so between 4 and 8 hours, or d) My device consumes me both at work and at home.
    http://www.mobile-and-wireless.com

    4. RESOURCE

  • EVENT HIGHLIGHT: THE CONFERENCE ON MOBILE & WIRELESS SECURITY

  • February 11 through 13, 2003
    Scottsdale, Arizona

    The Conference on Mobile & Wireless Security focuses exclusively on safeguarding wireless and mobile devices and networks while maximizing their potential. Explore the latest tools and techniques for securing the wireless workplace. Get up to speed on the latest wireless LAN (WLAN) technologies, witness live demonstrations, discover how to secure Instant Messaging (IM), and more. For more information, go to the following URL.
    http://www.misti.com/northamerica.asp?page=0&subpage=0&region=1&disp=showconf&type=&id=mws03

    For other upcoming events, check out the Windows & .NET Magazine Event Calendar.
    http://www.winnetmag.com/events

    5. NEW AND IMPROVED
    (contributed by Carolyn Mader, [email protected])

  • BUILD A WIRELESS NETWORK

  • D-Link announced DI-714P, an AirPlus Enhanced 2.4GHz wireless broadband router that combines the necessary elements to build a high-performance wireless network. The router includes an integrated wireless Access Point (AP), built-in print server, a four-port 10/100 Ethernet switch, and a hardware firewall. Pricing is $189.99. Contact D-Link at 877-453-5465 or on the Web.
    http://www.dlink.com

  • WORK WITH COMPRESSED FILES ON YOUR POCKET PC DEVICE

  • Noisette Software released CrunchIt 3.0, compression software for Microsoft Smartphone and Pocket PC devices. The software provides Zip, Tar, Gzip, Bzip2, and Jar compression formats. CrunchIt supports file encryption and decryption, so you can secure and share data through the Internet. CrunchIT costs $19.95. Contact Noisette Software on the Web.
    http://www.noisette-software.com

    6. CONTACT US
    Here's how to reach us with your comments and questions:

    (please mention the newsletter name in the subject line)

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