Windows SideShow for Windows Mobile Developer Preview released!

Question

Today at TechReady 2008, we released the Windows SideShow for Windows Mobile Developer Preview, which you can download at http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=79f19684-f862-4e02-a2b0-0003b4565f34&displaylang=en .

 

Using this software, any Windows Mobile 5 or 6 phone can work as a Bluetooth-based SideShow device!  We’ve got some favorite uses of it already, including using it to control PowerPoint presentations while viewing the speaker notes, using it as a remote control to Windows Media Player, and viewing RSS feeds on the road. Really, though, we’ve barely scratched the surface of what’s possible here, and developers have the opportunity to invent a whole new range of scenarios using the software and the Managed API SDK (see below) that allows Visual Basic and C# development, so we’re really excited to see what’s going to come out next!

 

This is a discussion thread for feedback and gadget ideas - I've created a seperate one for install help and known issues.

 

Toby Muresianu

Program Manager, Windows SideShow

Answer 1

Install was very smooth. Haven't had a chance to test it out with my media center box yet (thanks to some really nasty storms in the area), but I did want to share one piece of feedback.

 

Please, please, please, PLEASE do not change my home screen layout without asking! I have seen several applications for WM that do this, and it has to be one of the most frustrating behaviors I've seen. I understand that there may be some functionality of the application that makes use of a specific home screen layout. But changing the layout with no prompts is not customer friendly in the least. It requires several steps to get things back the way they were, and it shouldn't be necessary. Give me an option to change my layout to take advantage of the SideShow custom layout, sure. Don't decide for me.

 

Looking forward to playing with this more, hopefully I'll have some more positive feedback to share.

 

Thanks,

 

Andrew

 

Answer 2

We are in agreement with you on this, and are looking into ways to offer more user control over this for the RTM release; in the meantime, we have documented this issue in the install instructions online.

 

Thanks for your feedback, and hope you have better luck with the weather !

Toby

Answer 3

Aah... looking through the options, I see that you can set how much internal memory is allocated to SideShow (currently 4MB, potentially up to 47MB on my Cingular 8525). How about the option to use memory from the storage card (Mini-/Micro-/SD/CF/etc.)? I have a 2GB MicroSD inserted. My phone is hurting for space as it is.

EDIT: Guess I should really learn to read - this from the thread Can Windows Mobile Sideshow use the minisd card for storage, posted a day before this:

Toby Muresianu - MSFT wrote:

There is no way to do this currently.  Gadget files are generally very small, so typically not a lot of space is needed.  We are considering adding this feature for RTM, though.

Answer 4

You actually can do this because you can make the 8525 (and the 8125/8100) believe that the memory card is part of the phone's 'internal' memory.

Google is your friend and this is a 10 minute 'hack' which has been running on mine for some time with no problems!

Answer 5

Should it be possible to connect two or more Windows Mobile Devices to the same computer? Even if the only connected device is off I can not add a second Windows Mobile Device.

 

Answer 6

I have a problem regarding the bluetooth on my mobile (HTC TyTN, WM6). The bluetooth works perfectly in all other cases (A2DP, WMDC, GPS,...) but whenever I have used the SideShow on my device for a while the bluetooth seems to go off. It doesn't go off while I'm using the program but only after I have finished and/or went out of reach of the bluetooth. I don't know if it does this every time but at least it does it - and only after I have used the developer preview of SideShow on my device.

Sometimes the bluetooth goes off even without WM6 able to recognize it. I mean the Comm Manager says it's on but the blue led isn't blinking. Then I just need to disable and enable it again to get it working. It's not a big deal but it's a bit annoying.

Anybody else having the same issue?

Answer 7

Dear Toby,

 

I have a Moto Q9h (Global) from AT&T.

When it run under WinMo 6.0,  I installed the c.Net framework 2.0 and Windows Sideshow Beta worked perfect!.

I recently upgraded the phone to 6.1 (great new OS and a lot faster) I realized the Sideshow was not installed (due to the upgrade, obviously...).

So I downloaded the Application again.

 

I was not able to install the c.Net framework 2.0 because WinMo 6.1 has a later version, and trying to install the Sideshow CAB results in the phone rebooting but the application is nowhere to be seen. It's not even installed after rebooting.

Not in \Program Files, nor in the list to remove programs.

 

I just thought to drop you a line, hopefully you might have an answer.

 

If you do, please let me know and drop me a line at [e-mail]

 

Best regards,

 

Adrian

Answer 8

I tried to install it on my WM6 (Dutch) Smartphone (HTC s710), But it gives me an error: "Installatie mislukt. Het programma kan niet worden geïnstalleerd of de instelling kan niet worden doorgevoerd omdat de juiste systeemtoestemming niet beschikbaar is." or roughly translated: "Installation failed. The program can not be installed or the adjustment in the settings can not be made because the correct system authorization is not available."

And i cannot find a solution to this problem, (.net framework says that a newer version is already installed, and that i should remove it if i want to install this one. But i can not find the previous installation)

Answer 9

I have a similar problem, I have just upgraded my ipaq hx4705 to WM6.1 and found that while I can install the slideshow application i cannot get it to connect to my PC. Think I might be using a toshiba bluetooth stack which may explain the issue. Has anyone else had this problem? Or can someone suggest an alternative usb bluetooth adaptor which they have been able to get working.

Cheers.

Answer 10

 The link is broken, has it been taken down? :(

Answer 11

A bug has emerged wherein the program reports that the beta has expired and stops the program from operating.  We have a fix for this bug and will repost the software shortly.

Thanks for your patience,

Toby

Answer 12

Thanks, Toby...believe it or not, I had downloaded and installed this on Sunday the 4th, and discovered exactly what you've reported.

Any idea when the new build will be posted?  I'm anxious to give Sideshow on WM a shot!

Thanks,
BJ

Answer 13

QUOTE:

Today at TechReady 2008, we released the Windows SideShow for Windows Mobile Developer Preview, which you can download at http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=79f19684-f862-4e02-a2b0-0003b4565f34&displaylang=en .

 
Link is broken, relink plz.

Answer 14

Actually that version linked there no longer works (probably why they took the link down). Toby from MSFT advised they are reposting a new version soon. See his post 4 posts up from mine.

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Owner, Quilnet Solutions

Answer 15

Thanks everyone for feedback on SideShow for Windows Mobile.  We're documenting the issues you've been reporting and will look into them.

If you're looking for the updated SideShow for Windows Mobile, here is a link to the download http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=79f19684-f862-4e02-a2b0-0003b4565f34&DisplayLang=en

 

-TJSmith

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Tammy Smith

Answer 16

The updated SideShow don't wanna turn on gadgets on my phone. 

Windows 7 x64 Beta, Windows Mobile 6.1

The phone is connected and the sideshow service enabled.

Answer 17

Hello Kudesnick,
Can you give us a little more detail?  What exactly are you seeing? Are the gadgets greyed out in the SideShow control panel?  Have you selected the correct user on the WM device?  What bluetooth stack are you using?  Do you have active sync enabled?

Thanks!

---

Tammy Smith

Answer 18

Why not make the download available as a CAB file too?  Its a pain to have to install EXEs on computers when all I really want is the CAB install file :(

Answer 19

Hello, Tammy!

That's exactly what I doing:

1) Start SideShow on the PDA. Trying to connect.

2) It shows me the list of users (there is only one user - it is my home PC). And click Finish. Then see "No gadgets are turned on" on PDA.

3) PC. Go to the Control Panel - SideShow.

4) It shows list of gadgets (WMC, WMP, Calender) and my HTC Herald. All gadgets are grey so I can not swith them.

5) If I go to "Change device settings" then Pda show me list of users again.

I don't know what BT stack, I just connect them as usual. WMDC is not enabled, it is enabled only when I connect PDA via USB.

Answer 20

TheWOndaKid, 
I am curious if you've solved you're problem and if you know the bluetooth stack you used and what series of ROM you are using.
The hx4700 should be using the Broadcom stack.
I have similar problems.
Are you connecting to VISTA or Windows 7?
Thanks for taking a 2nd look.

Answer 21

I have a HTC Touch HD with windows 6.1. I loaded on side show. Smooth install. Then i tried it out. Fine. I disconnect it. Go somewhere. Come back. Try to connect. It connects. I have WMP and powerpoint gadgets checked. My Phone says that there are no gadgets open. also, when my phone is not connected it says there are no gadgets open. It's like its stuck on 'there are no gadgets open' but the phone still responds. I have just cleared the storage and will try again after.

Answer 22

I tried to install this on my HTC Touch and I got an error saying my framework was newer than the one needed for the software to run. So I'll pass until they recompile sideshow to run with the latest framework.

Answer 23

Hi Kudesnick,
Sorry my reply is so late.  We have fixed an issue we had with the Universal Driver which should address any looping user selection you may be seeing on your Windows Mobile device.  I would recommend you uninstall the current driver and re-install the Universal Driver from Windows Update again.  Let me know if this helps!
-Tammy

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Tammy Smith

Answer 24

Hi Kudesnick,
Sorry my reply is so late.  We have fixed an issue we had with the Universal Driver which should address any looping user selection you may be seeing on your Windows Mobile device.  I would recommend you uninstall the current driver and re-install the Universal Driver from Windows Update again.  Let me know if this helps!
-Tammy

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Tammy Smith

Hi, Tammy!

Thanx for reply! Meanwhile I bought a new PDA (HTC Touch HD), download SlideShow... and it works!!!

Thank you!

Answer 25

Hello everybody,

I recieve the IndexOutOfRangeException on every page with more items than canbe displayed, in every Gadget. Here are the first few StackFrames of the stacktrace:

Microsoft.AuxiliaryDisplay.Shel.VirtualListBox.VirtualListBox_paint()
System.Windows.Forms.Control.OnPaint()
System.Windows.Forms.Control.WnPRoc()
System.Windows.Forms.Control._InternalWnProc()
....

I'm using Windows 7 RC german. My Phone is a HTC Touch HD with WinMobile 6.1 Pro. Current used gadets are MediaCenter-Gadget 32bit (RTM) and Twitter-Gadget.

Please provide any support to fix this issue.

Kind Regards
Toni