Developer Interview: James Mundy of Travelnapp

This week James Mundy is our Windows Phone developer interviewee. Beingness the brains (and brawn) behind Travelnapp, he has allowed WP7 commuters to take a break from busy city life and zone out to their imaginary realm without missing their train stop. Too as travelling on runway, the app works for just most anything, travelling past car, bus or even walking (if yous somehow manage to sleepwalk).

Bank check out the interview later on the break.

Tell united states about yourself, what you do, background effectually programming etc.

I am currently a Physics student at Sheffield University and it was on this course (merely a couple of months ago in fact) that I did a module on programming in C. From this, my very first introduction to programming, I was hooked and relished the challenges and opportunities it presented. I spent a great deal of my time from and then on learning C#, Silverlight and then Windows Phone from books during my spare time. I particularly enjoyed the opportunity to use my creativity - which I didn't go to use much, if at all, doing Physics!

My experiences of programming and Windows Phone evolution have since led me to change courses to Software Evolution which I will begin adjacent twelvemonth.

What path(s) led you to develop for Windows Telephone?

The principal reason I was attracted to Windows Phone rather than other mobile platforms was the Microsoft DreamSpark program. Through DreamSpark any student can register and receive free copies of tonnes of Microsoft software. During the development of my app I saved at least £1000 with gratis copies of Visual Studio Professional and Expression Studio Ultimate!

Likewise existence gratis, Microsoft have put a lot into building a big and dedicated community of developers. There are tonnes of learning materials online as well as plenty of actually high quality books. I besides attended a Windows Phone vii workshop run by APPA Mundi and Microsoft, and as a consequence learnt a hell of a lot, met loads of devs and got a free developer phone to create my apps on!

Why do you lot continue to develop for Windows Phone?

I am continuing to develop for Windows Phone for much the same reasons equally higher up. The customs is really fantastic – in that location's always someone to help out if you have a problem that you are stuck on. There is also the Windows Phone User Group (WPUG) based in London which meets every month and is a fantastic place to run across, discuss and share apps with other devs! I am yet to hear of any bad experiences anyone has had with Windows Phone development.

Practise you develop for other platforms? If and then, how does your Windows Phone experience compare?

I accept plans to develop for other mobile platforms in the future, just currently I'm solely concentrating on developing some neat apps for Windows Phone. While the market place is all the same immature it'southward an platonic time for devs to make a name for themselves!

What made you program out Travelnapp and did you come across any obstacles through evolution?

I really came upward with the thought for Travelnapp at to the lowest degree 10 years ago when I was trying to think of ways to cease my dad falling asleep on the train afterward piece of work. Back and so, when a Nokia 3310 was the smartest a phone got, I thought of maybe using an MP3 player but as I had no experience with product design/electronics I forgot all virtually it. When I began Windows Telephone development it seemed like the perfect opportunity to plough my idea into a product – very heady!

As I was a complete beginner, there were a number of obstacles I encountered throughout development – none that went unsolved thankfully (much credit to the community there!). I did have a corking deal of issues with tombstoning just thanks to Mike Ormond from Microsoft I was able to sort this out – lesson learnt: don't just copy code from the internet even if yous call back you know what information technology does!

What programmer-orientated features introduced in Mango are your favourites?

I'm actually excited by the new emulator which is really useful, and likewise the new API's opened up to developers. Looking forward to using these API's in some cool app ideas I have.

Where do yous see Windows Phone evolution going in the future and do y'all have plans for hereafter projects?

I retrieve development can only go better for Windows Phone and some of the opportunists that Microsoft accept planned for developers sound fantastic. I have plenty (in fact several pages) of app ideas from which in that location are hopefully a couple I'll brand successfully. As time goes on I hope to make them bigger and more aggressive so who knows what lies next.

Given the opportunity, what'due south the one thing you'd modify nigh the Windows Phone development process?

Microsoft are improving the app submission procedure solar day by twenty-four hours simply I'd nonetheless like to come across information technology improve more and get some issues ironed out. Besides that, I appreciate the amount of endeavour Microsoft and Brandon Watson have put into making Windows Phone seven dev as slap-up as possible.

Thanks and then much for your fourth dimension. Any parting thoughts for the Windows Phone community?

My pleasance. I'd say don't but sit back and watch other people brand apps. If yous accept an thought (and some spare fourth dimension!), then grab some books and free tools and go programming!

Righto chaps, you tin can cheque out Jame'southward (Mendzapp) website for more data on Travelnapp or time to come projects.

An internet connection will soon be required when setting up Windows 11 Pro

UH OH

An internet connectedness will soon be required when setting up Windows 11 Pro

Microsoft has appear that afterward this twelvemonth, users will exist required to connect to the internet and sign-in with a Microsoft Account during the out of box setup feel on Windows xi Pro. Microsoft has already been enforcing this requirement on Windows 11 Home since launch last October, and Windows 11 Pro is at present expected to follow arrange presently.