BostonPocketPC

OK - in one of the latest rounds of "Blog Tag" (the tech equivalent of a chain letter, to be honest), my friend Jack Cook of Experience Mobility decided to tag me. The rules are simple -

• Tell 5 tidbits about me that are less than common knowledge;
• Pick 5 more people to tag.

We'll start with the 5 facts. Those of you who know me well might yell "I already knew that". That's why you know me well

1. I was a high school debator. Yes, yes. Start the wisecracks coming. Just remember - it was that experience that made me comfortable speaking on technical topics to large audiences later in life. It was also a wonderful experience in terms of travel. I had the opportunity to visit many cities around the US as a result of speech and debate tournaments. By the way - I wasn't half bad. a few boxes of trophies, highest honors in the National Forensic League (hey - I'm an NFL alumni ).
2. Computers were the furthest thing from my mind as far as formal education. I considered Pre-Law and Public Relations. Computers were a "hobby". Ironcially, my hobby kept on coming up as a job skill in my professional life, leading me to finally enter the field full time in 1989.
3. I was a "Metalhead" (and still am). My musical tastes include AC/DC, Black Sabbath, Ozzy Osbourne and other "Gods of Metal". Sadly, it gets tougher and tougher to watch an aging Angus Young parade in a schoolboy costume.
4. My "other careers" over the years include:
   1. Fast food worker;
   2. Movie theatre manager;
   3. Alarm system installer;
   4. Customer service representative.
5. I am a monsterous sports addict. I cannot get enough of sports. As a kid, I tried all I could. As an adult, I will watch just about anything labeled "sport". I am also a statisical nut; it goes back to when I was a kid. Some kids collected baseball cards for play. I memorized the statistics. I still believe my "dream job" would be a software developer for Stats, Inc.

The facts are the easy part. Picking 5 more people are the tough one. Let's see -

1. Steve Hughes. This one is obvious. Of course his 5 facts will dwarf mine, I'm sure.
2. Eric Hicks. Some of you may recognize him as "ThatKid" from various Windows Mobile newsgroups and occasional posts here at BostonPocketPC.com. One of my New Years Resolutions is to get him to lend his unique insights even more here. Maybe this will get things going.
3. Janek Parekh. Many people know Janak from Pocket PC Thoughts. If he plays along, I think you'll find some very interesting things out about him. And Janak - being a Yankees fan doesn't count. The entire world already knows that
4. Thom Robbins. One of my favorite Microsoft bloggers is also one of my favorite people. I hope he plays along - it will be a great read.
5. Duane Laflotte or Patrick Hynds. I list these two together because, well - they are a team in every sense of the word. Those who have had the opportunity to hear these two present on topics like security realize how fortunate they are. Those who have had the opportunity to present with them realize even moreso their fortune. Again - I hope they play along here, as I just know this would be one for the archives. 

As we finish up 2006, I thought I would take a quick moment to sum up where we stand here at BostonPocketPC.com. As most of you know, we suffered technical difficulties that were compounded by some hosting provider "complications" (note: the provider issues are a long story best left for another time). As a result, some pretty significant changes have occurred -

1. We are now with an entirely different hosting provider (Orcsweb). These guys are, well, AWESOME. When we first encountered problems, I was actually more concerned about restoring e-mail access. I went to the folks at Orcsweb looking for help. Fifteen minutes later (that is not a misprint), we were configured and running.
2. We are running an entirely different set of technologies (ASP.NET). When I first went through the hosting selection process for BostonPocketPC.com back in November/December of 2001, ASP-based hosting was cost-prohibitive (I left the "Understatement of the Year" for the last day of the year). As a web site that has always been "out-of-pocket", I ended up choosing the most cost-effective solution. As a result, we were PHP- and mySQL-based. You wouldn't believe some of the grief I have received over the years as a Microsoft-focused technology web site using non-Microsoft technology.
   Well, times sure have changed. We are now running on ASP.NET 2.0. I am very excited about this change, as it allows me to finally apply much of the knowledge I have used for the benefit of others for myself
3. We do *not* have the old site content migrated over. The technology challenges are the least of my issues here. Another "long story for another day". In the interim, my best suggestion is to use Google cache if you are looking for something in particualr. Simply search Google and include "BostonPocketPC" in the search. For any hits, use the "Cached" link.
   I know this is an inconvenience, but I ask you to put yourself in my shoes for a minute. Imagine 5 years worth of effort suddenly inaccessible. Believe me, I am the least happy person you'll meet regarding this. I could take the "I'm taking my ball and going home" approach and simply pack it in. Of course, that's also the least likely attitude you will find in my personality make-up.

All of this being said, we now have summed up where we are today. Now the future...

HEY! Would you look at the time! I gotta go... Seriously, though - I think the most appropriate time to look ahead would be tomorrow. It is not only the start of a New Year; it will also be BostonPocketPC.com's fifth anniversary. What better time to look forward?

Until then - We at BostonPocketPC.com would like to wish all of you, your firends and families a safe and happy New Year's Eve. We will save the 2007 wishes for tomorrow  

SD Times is reporting some interesting results from a recent research study conducted by Evans Data. Apparently, application development for Windows Mobile devices is sharply on the rise -

"Specifically, the study concluded that C# usage in mobile application development has surged over the last six months, partly due to the availability of Windows-based smart phones. According to Evans, 40 percent of mobile developers are now using C# somewhere in their development process.

Elsewhere in the study, Evans concluded that 30 percent of mobile application developers are using Microsoft SQL Server as their back-end database, while 20 percent use MySQL. The study was conducted this past November and encompassed 380 wireless developers."

I really don't find this all too surprising. Back in the first few months of the year, I received a large increase in the number of conversations with both enterprise and individual developers regarding the .NET Compact Framework. Time and time again, they pointed to a single event - a key decision-maker in an organization purchasing a Windows Mobile-powered Palm Treo 700w. These new owners were in many cases the same people who either didn't care or didn't believe in the power of the platform. Things certainly changed once they got their hands on a device

Here's to hoping the trend continues in 2007. I look forward to even larger turnouts at Windows Mobile developer events. 

While we are attempting to get things back to nornal, I do want to take a moment and put out the early word for the next Club Pocket PC - Boston meeting.

The next meeting will be held on Wednesday, January 17th starting at 6:30 PM at the Microsoft offices in Waltham, MA (201 Jones Road, 6th Floor).

Our next meeting will include:

• CES 2007 Roundup. Steve Hughes will be attending the 2007 edition of the Consumer Electronics Show ("CES") in Las Vegas. Steve will provide us with some of the highlights from the show.
• Windows Vista for Mobile Users. A few months back, Steve Hughes and I covered various pieces of information regarding Microsoft Windows Vista in relation to mobile users. Well, the code has shipped and we will be days away from the official launch. What better time to cover things in greater depth? 

We look forward to seeing you there!

I promised that we would be bringing BostonPocketPC.com back up in time for our 5th anniversary (Jan. 1, 2007). Well, we are getting there. This is the first step in what will be an ongoing process. For now, though, you can update your RSS feeds via the XML button.

Stay tuned... this is just the beginning...