Dosboy's Bits and Bytes

I just tried to email what I consider to be a pivotal blog post from my phone. It won't send. Stuck in the Outbox. Why? I have no freaking clue. It just doesn't send. I then tried sending the same message (copy/paste) to my gmail account. Same thing... won't send. I cleared my Outbox and sent a test message to my gmail. Went through perfectly. I then queued up both of the failed messages and tried sending again. Failure. I then queued up another test message and tried sending. All three failed. So it seems that the two failed messages are preventing the test message from being sent. I can only presume that the messages are failing due to the length (as it's a somewhat long post). So, to avoid this problem I pasted the contents into a Word document on my phone and sent it to myself as an attachment. It went through fine. Problem is that it's a .docx (as opposed to a .doc file) which the Eee PC (and OpenOffice) won't read. So, the only way that I can think of, given my lack of computing power, to post that message, is to type it out manually. Or to use Mike's machine which has Office 2007 installed, though that's a bit of a cop out and not something I'm about to do at this particular point in time. I can think of no more frustrating a tech scenario that I could be presented with at 6am. Seriously... WTF?!

So I keep having the problem described here. No matter what I do, whenever I connect via USB I get a sync error. However Bluetooth seems to be working. I don't mind doing all my sync'ing via Bluetooth, but I need to be able to charge the Q over USB (especially if I'm constantly using Bluetooth). So I decided to disable the Allow USB connections checkbox in WMDC > Mobile Device Settings > Connection Settings. Now I can charge off of USB and sync reliably using Bluetooth.

Yee Haw!

Things were going along well for awhile (with the exception of that Bluetooth issue mentioned here). But over the last few days I've noticed that when I plug the Q in via USB things are odd. Right now for example, the Q is plugged in. ActiveSync says it's connected. But Vista (WMDC) is reporting an error, details of which are:

Synchronization could not be completed. See http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=72544.

That link takes you to the main MS Windows Mobile page, here. Utterly useless. The only references I can find to the error code, 0x8007274a, are regarding older versions of ActiveSync, and nothing relating to Vista. I suppose I could try the crap outlined here (4th post down) and adapt it to Vista, but that seems like a real pain.

I just looked down at the Q and ActiveSync said it was sync'ing. Wheel just spinning, nothing happening, error message in Vista. So I disconnect the USB cable and sync via Bluetooth. Works perfectly. ActiveSync on the Q says it's connected. WMDC on Vista has a nice little green checkmark.

Why is this tech so flaky? Where are my log files with some sort of useful information? Bah.

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Update: See here for a mediocre workaround.

Some kind soul posted the fix over at modaco.

Just add the following registry key (I had to create the Rotation key as well as the value). Worked like a charm.

[HKLM\System\GDI\Rotation]

"LandscapeMode"=dword:0

Boo. HTML email works via POP3, but won't work with Exchange until you update to 2007. Boo.

(via modaco)

So I had an idea for an app to help quit smoking (though it could be used anywhere that willpower is a factor). It started as a very simple idea... carry a picture in your wallet. A picture of something meaningful. A representation of the reason you want to quit smoking (or whatever). If it's cuz you have a baby, carry a picture of your baby. Whatever. Then I thought to myself, everyone carries a cell phone. Why not have a picture in there that you pull up? And all of a sudden a simple picture has so much more potential. Here's what I'm thinking long term:

• Images
• Video Clips
• Audio Clips
• {Insert Electronic File Here}
• Mimic those $80 devices that tell you when to have a smoke, but gradually increase the time between doses
  

Right now it just does images, and I don't even know what formats it supports (whatever the .NET Compact Framework supports natively I suppose). The other neat thing about it is that it keeps track of each time you use it. The theory being that you slowly stop looking at it over time for two reasons:

1. Initially I imagine that it'll be used quite frequently. The urge to have a cigarette, for example, may last 15 mins. In that time you might seek motivation a dozen times. And the frequency of these urges will also be quite high initially which will also contribute to a very high count. Over time however, the urges lessen so the frequency lessens.
2. I hypothesize that intelligence will override desire at some point, and instead of reaching for your phone to seek a placebo effect, our knowledge that that's all that's happening will kick in and the dependency on the placebo will lessen.

Either way, added motivation never hurts. I'm sure there are a ton of other uses for this and other ways that it could be expanded, but this is an 0.1 release. Tested on an HTC s620 (T-Mobile Dash). It might work on Windows Mobile 5, but I have no idea. Vista wouldn't let me create a WM5 project cuz the installer apparently failed silently due to UAC. So I had to make a WM6 project.

Deficiencies:

• It throws an exception when it first starts if there's no images in \My Documents
• It throws an exception randomly even when there are images in the directory it's configured for
• You have to press "0" to select the image path in the directory browser
• It creates the .ini file in the root of the device
• There's no installer. Just a zip file. Unzip it somewhere on your device and run the .exe. Create a shortcut yourself.
  
• The code is really really ugly, and probably quite inefficient and sloppy. But hey, it's my first .NET code in a couple of years.
• Image size is 320x186 and it doesn't scale. At least on the Dash. Might be different on a 3:4 display. mspaint.exe is your friend.
  

So, without further adieu, here it is for your download pleasure:


I think I'm gonna go have a celebratory smoke :)

When was that last post? Wednesday? 2 days ago? Well, check out the email I just received:

Hi Garth,

Thanks again for your thorough response. We've since added a new option to the WAP login page for failed logins. Please try this and let me know if you continue to experience problems accessing the site from your Mobile Device.

Thanks for contacting Facebook,

And ya know what?? It works! Not only did they reply with a meaningful response as opposed to something canned, they actually fixed the problem. Kudos facebook! [Editor's Note: Gawd I hate it when I use that word]

And yes Gillian, I still hate facebook, but I love mobile web apps. I'm torn.

So I emailed facebook support (ya ya, email support to a service which is free... bound to be MS-level support there), and this is their response:

Hi Garth,

Please try to download a new browser onto your phone. Certain browsers, such as Internet Explorer, have experienced problems in the past with accessing Java Script sites. If you still experience problems after this change, I suggest that you take your phone into your local service provider and explaining this problem to them.

They should be able to remedy this issue from your phone's standpoint. I'm sorry for the inconvenience, and please let me know if you have any additional questions or concerns.

Thanks for contacting Facebook,

And my response to them:

Pardon me for saying so, but this is a weak response. The only free browser for windows mobile is opera mini, and its slow, clunky and java-based. From a windows mobile perspective, pocket IE is really the only choice. As i said in my original report, any other website i've used works fine, but facebook mobile does not. Personally i don't really care whether you take the time to fix this or not as i don't use facebook that much. However the fact that it doesn't work on windows mobile means i'll use it even less. And since you get your revenue from active users via ads, you are in turn bringing in less revenue from myself and all windows mobile users.

To be blunt, my original email was intended to report a bug to you that you could fix. If you don't intend to, tell me that. don't blame the platform and present ambiguous solutions.

In other words, don't expect a fix any time soon. Or any time at all. But, whatever. Just means I use facebook less. Their loss.

... don't work together. At all. This was the case on my WM5 phone and on WM6 as well. And I've had a few friends try it with their WM devices with the same results. For some reason (and I've tested this thoroughly), PIE doesn't accept cookies from http://m.facebook.com. It accepts cookies from every other site, and m.facebook.com sends cookies to every other browser. I have no idea what the compatibility problem is, but others on the Intarweb seem to be experiencing the same problem. I don't want to be forced to use Opera Mini just for Facebook. Bah.

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UPDATE: It seems that people are still hitting this page in looking for a resolution. So let me point you googlers to my follow up posts. This one outlines my correspondence with facebook on the issue, and this one presents the resolution. Hope this helps some people out.

WM6 Media Player Still Sucks
Originally uploaded by dos-boy.

See the picture there? That's what playing back a movie under WM6 looks like. Notice anything odd? Like, my device's screen is wider than it is tall (i.e. 4:3 instead of 3:4), yet that image is clearly not taking advantage of it, and is in fact rotating the picture 90 degrees. And there's no apparent way to tell Media Player to stop doing that. I tried using CorePlayer, but it just hangs my device when I try associating Windows Media format with it and begin streaming. This puts a serious damper on my Orbing. Sucktastic.

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UPDATE: I noticed that someone came to this post looking for a fix for the sideways stuff, but this was the only page they hit. If you're looking for a fix, read this post.

Since getting a phone with a QWERTY keyboard, I've had one major issue. How do I call 1-888-ROGERS-1 or 1-800-BESTBUY? Well, in my travels yesterday I came across this post where they've found a solution, or at least a really good workaround. It's simply a .gif file that replaces the Carrier Logo. And the bonus is that it gets rid of some of the T-Mobile graffiti sprayed all over my phone. Screenshot below:

First thing I did after updating my ROM was to set up my GPRS/EDGE connection and my Exchange ActiveSync settings. So far so good. Sync over the air was quick and painless. A little later on I set up a partnership with my PC. When the "Syncing" began it was looking good. Then all of a sudden, errors. Sync errors.

On the Dash:
Error
Your Internet connection is not configured properly. Please verify your settings in Connections.
Error Code: 0x85020006

On the PC:
Sync Error
Cannot connect with current connection settings. To check your connection settings, select Start, then Settings, then Connections.

I googled the error code and the messages, and there don't appear to be any resolutions. Not to mention people are complaining about this message when they're via USB, when they're using Bluetooth, or when they're just using their device to play music with no network active. To try to resolve it I deleted my server source and all partnerships from my device and my PC. Established PC partnership first. Set up EAS connection through Windows Mobile Device Center (I suppose that has a better ring to it than ActiveStink) and tried sync'ing. At first it didn't do anything, then I realized that even though I'd set up the EAS source, by default no PIM functions were set to sync. So, checked 'em all off and hit sync. Bam! Same errors as before.

When I dig into Start > Settings > Connections, I'm not really sure where else to go. As a dumb user, I had my device connected via USB. So, I went into "USB to PC". The only option in there is a checkbox for "Enable advanced network functionality". I've tried both with this checked and unchecked, and neither works. I also tried this connection over Bluetooth, but I get the same errors.

So, as of right now I can sync with my PC over Bluetooth or USB. I can sync with my Exchange server over GPRS/EDGE or WiFi. However I can't sync with my Exchange server when I'm connected to my PC. WTF?!

And yet another bit of gheyness. I just went into the Comm Manager to test sync'ing over WiFi alone without cell networking getting in the way, so I disabled "Data Connection". When I tried to re-enable it, I couldn't select the box. I had to enable "DirectPush", which automatically enabled "Data Connection", then disable "DirectPush".

Don't people test this shit?

...

UPDATE: So, I finished writing this. Before I posted I figured I'd do one more test. I was planning on connecting via Bluetooth then hitting a website to see if TCP/IP passthrough was working over ActiveSync. Well, I connect via Bluetooth, sync begins, and then completes. Sans errors. So, now everything appears to be working. As I said before, WTF?!

It's shiny. Just like every MS OS upgrade, the icons are visually more appealing, as is the Today Screen (or Start Menu in the case of desktop OSes). Mail works (though I had read that it supported HTML mail, but none of the HTML emails in my inbox are displaying as HTML; maybe it's a special MSHTML that's required). Browsing works and seems to be a little snappier than WM5. It's nice that there's an Office Mobile, but you can't create docs in it, only edit existing. Voice Command is nice, but really from a phone perspective all it does is catch Windows Mobile up to the point that a $20 Nokia phone was at 5 years ago. Yay, I can say "Play Sandstorm" and it'll play the song... but I don't really like using Windows Media Player anyway so this feature is more bloat than anything. Wifi works, Bluetooth works. There's T-Mobile puke all over the place. On a positive note, the default sounds that are set are WAY less offensive than the default WM5 sounds, though I blame this more on T-Mobile than MS.

Overall, a very very minor upgrade. And yet, I'm filled with peace of mind because I now have the "latest and greatest". Heh heh... "greatest". Time to install OneNote Mobile.

So I just finished updating my Dash using the official T-Mo ROM. It is currently undergoing a "Cold Boot Config" and is "Configuring device". 34% done. This excites me far more than it really should. More to come.

Over the last few days I've been using OneNote. It's really grown on me. Historically, when I wanted to take a quick note I'd:

1. + r
2. notepad
3. [type type type]
4. Alt+F4
5. notes

When I had a new quick note to type the steps would repeat, except 5 would be "notes2", followed by "notes3", etc. Google Desktop Search helped me a ton with this, as prior to that I was manually opening and looking inside dozens of text files.

Well, with OneNote my steps are now:

1. + n
2. [type type type]

That's it! I could Alt+F4 if I want, but even if I don't my text is saved. This alone is enough for me to use it, and it doesn't even scratch the surface of the features. So, suffice it to say, OneNote is my new best friend. However, he brings with him a less desirable sort, his little bastard buddy OneNote Mobile.

You see, OneNote Mobile is for Windows Mobile devices. Since the "Notes" application on WinMo is, well, I'm not even sure one could call it an application. Basically it's useless. Has been since my first Pocket PC (iPAQ 3650), and just never improved. So really, anything is an improvement. But OneNote Mobile is not without its idiosyncrasies.

Synchronization
First of all, it requires an ActiveSync connection to sync. I'm assuming that this isn't really an issue for most, but I've become quite accustomed to never connecting my phone to my PC. In fact, I had never even installed the Windows Mobile Device Center under Vista. So, after some Bluetoothing and some sync'ing, I managed to get OneNote to sync with my phone. But this means that to keep stuff in sync I need to consciously perform an ActiveSync.

Now, I use Exchange for my email needs, and I use Exchange ActiveSync all the time. Why can't OneNote hook into that and bypass the need for the PC in the middle (for some reason when I was typing that I wanted to type "piggy in the middle" instead... and let me tell you, with Vista as the piggy, it's not a far off analogy). Who knows... maybe with Exchange 2007 and WinMo 6 it'll work this way. But somehow I doubt it.

Synchronization
You might think that I already talked about synchronization. And I did to some extent. However this is a different type of synchronization. Once you set up OneNote Mobile, a new Notebook is created within OneNote called OneNote Mobile. Within that Notebook is a Page called Notes from Devicename. Makes sense right? The problem is that the only things that sync with your device are pages underneath this Notes from Devicename. So, if I make a note on my PC I have to consciously move/copy it to that Notebook and Page if I want it to appear on my mobile device. And when I make a note on my mobile device I have to manually move it into the correct Notebook on my PC. Now, I can understand opting for this behavior if device storage is low or something, but I'd REALLY like to be able to blindly sync everything bi-directionally. To me, this is just another instance of a software developer trying to anticipate my needs... and getting it wrong. The cost of storage has dropped drastically (my buddy just bought an 8gb SD card for $90 CDN), so there's really no reason NOT to sync my entire OneNote setup. Or at least let ME define what I do and do not want to sync. Making that decision for me is ridiculous. Not to mention the whole advantage to OneNote is that it increases efficiency. If I was using Outlook Notes (which don't sync to a Smartphone, but that's another story) I'd create a note and it would sync. It would even sync over the air using Exchange ActiveSync. So why, why, why must OneNote tie my hands and treat me like a child?!

Synchronization
Thought I was done talking about syncs eh? Well, yet another oddity of OneNote Mobile is that when it syncs a note, it seems to do it by page. And when I say page (note the lower-case "p") I mean 8.5x11 printed page, or some fuzzy logic therein. For example, I sent a webpage to OneNote (very slick feature by the way) which created a Page in OneNote. This Page was probably two printed pages (were I to print it). I then added a text note and hyperlink to the Page. Well, when I sync'ed this over it showed up as three individual notes in OneNote Mobile (so much for "One" note :) ). These three notes, in alphabetical order, consisted of:

1. page 2 of the sync'ed Page
2. page 1 of the sync'ed Page
3. notes and hyperlink from the sync'ed Page

WTF?! I mean, I could understand breaking it up, sortof, maybe. But if you're gonna do that, at least keep the order correct.


Honestly, that's about all I have to say on the subject for now. If I decide to add more in the future I'll just call this Part I and move on from there (and I'm sure I'll have more to say once I've used it some more). The one thing that seems really promising is the ability to take a pic from your cameraphone, throw it into a Note and sync it. Then you can index/copy the text in the pic using OCR once it's in OneNote. Neat, except that my cameraphone blows and even _I_ can't read the text in pics I take with it, so OCR doesn't have a chance in hell. Why do WinMo cameraphones suck so bad?