How to listen iPod while charging on Vista

While charging an iPod on a Windows Vista system without having iTunes installed, you might face the issue that the iPod is not willing to play any music as long as it is charging. Therefore, simply choose Safely Remove Hardware from the Vista task tray.

There you select Generic volume and click Stop. In the second dialog do the same, select Generic volume and click Stop.

After a few seconds your iPod will re-start and awaiting your commands while it is still charging.

Some features…

Some features in Windows Vista to be fixed by KB 938979 and KB 938194 if you can’t wait for Windows Vista Service Pack 1.

WPF and the Vista User Experience

I am working on a user interface (UI) for a client tool of our current project. Though, the last two have been a epic battle fighting with a various of minor things. However, each and every of these things does cost a remarkable amount of time.

Starting with WPF many developers will spend mcuh time with skinning in WPF. It’s a cool thing, but you should leave these things to designers. It is a enormous time sink. You make huge progress in the beginning but end up with endless fine-tuning in the end. The first have a look at the Windows Vista User Experience Guidelines. The really thing: you don’t have to read everything online, just download the 630 pages as PDF document. You will see that skinning should be used carefully. Much more important are some new guidelines to keep in sync with the Vista UI. BTW: if you are looking for the Vista icons you should have a look here (but I haven’t told you that and so use them only to inspire you by creating own icons).

Well, what’s about the cool stuff such as the new Command Link in Vista? Should be a new control? Well, not that easy. Daniel Moth found out to check the Vista Bridge Samples coming with the Windows SDK. you should go definitely for the Windows SDK Update for Vista. Daniel also gives a first impression how to use the TaskDialogs provided by the VistaBridgeLibrary.

Now you will definitely run into trouble if you don’t create a manifest file for you application using the following dependency:

<dependency> 
 <dependentAssembly> 
 <assemblyIdentity type="win32" name="Microsoft.Windows.Common-Controls" version="6.0.0.0" processorArchitecture="x86" publicKeyToken="6595b64144ccf1df" language="*" /> 
 </dependentAssembly> 
</dependency>

In my case, I also had to use strong-named assemblies since they are used within VSIP packages. You will realize that the VistaBridgeLibrary uses friendly assemblies, Junfeng gives a short introduction into friendly assemblies. You’ll discover that is not as easy since there have been some changes in Visual Studio 2005. Adrian figured out how it works. David cover’s the further steps and also provides a small tool to obtain the public key token of a signed assembly ready to be copy ‘n’ pasted into your Assembly.cs file.

Windows SDK Update for Windows Vista

Here we go, the Windows SDK Update for Vista:

“The Microsoft® Windows® Software Development Kit (SDK) Update for Windows Vista provides documentation, samples, header files, libraries, and tools designed to help you develop Windows applications using both native (Win32) and managed (.NET Framework) technologies. This release of the SDK supplies”

Windows SDK

There are two versions of the Windows SDK out there. The fist one is a .iso download, the second one the Web setup. They should be the same, however the .iso is version 5.0 while the Web setup is version is Orcas March07 CTP.

Windows Mobile Device Center 6

Windows Mobile Device Center 6 is available for download.

Toshiba Driver Availability

For quite a time, I am waiting for the drivers for my Toshiba m400 running Microsoft Windows Vista Enterprise Edition. Drivers availability is scheduled for end of January as the Toshiba support page says.

“Toshiba is committed to making final production BIOS and various software components for Windows Vista available for our Vista Capable systems within the timeframe of the public launch of Windows Vista, scheduled for January 30, 2007.”

Windows Mobile Device Center

Using my xda with Windows Mobile 5, I had to discover that Microsoft ActiveSync cannot be installed on Windows Vista. Instead Vista is suggesting the Sync Center. Actually I do not want to sync the media files on the device rather than my contacts and my calendar on that device.

Windows Mobile Device Center (Beta 3) is the replacement for ActiveSync and allows you to sync your Windows Mobile 5 device with Windows Vista. It looks like further version of the Device Center will be available though Windows Update. The current beta 3 is available as standalone download only and is about 10 MB. After installing the connected device was found immediately.

The device is set up by choosing the elements to sync: Calendar, Notes, Tasks, Mails and even OneNote is supported. After choosing the elements to sync, the device center appears to be ready.

What I personally like about the Device Center: It does not appear anymore as tiny window with quite small buttons. Instead it is easy to use. Another positive thing was the detection of the mobile device and the partnering process with the device. Very doable if you are used to ActiveSync.

Finally, also the Sync Center does support the Windows Mobile 5 device. Unfortunately, the syncing did not work while the device was still connected. The items did neither change on the device nor in my Outlook. Also the sync process was done after 2-3 seconds. I removed the device and plugged it in again. Now the sync process takes much longer but nothing happened.

To troubleshoot the sync issue you have to start ActiveSync on the mobile device, changing the ActiveSync settings their. The synchronization settings may be still set to the former partnership. After changing the items to the new partnership synchronization did start quite well.