Cool tool for iPhone mockups
If you just work on designing iPhone UI mockups as an analyst, designer , product owner …etc. You may stay working on your windows machine.
MobiOne is a cool tool to use
It has a cool emulator too to try playing with the UI you just created, check it on the portrait / landscape views, and also check with different iPhone versions. You may even send that UI design and try on your device. No code behind needed.
Leave the Mac / xCode for the developers if you don’t need it and feel comfortable on your windows machine.
Custom Resolution on NVidia cards…
I tried to connect a new Samsung monitor to my laptop, but the image was really bad of course. Using 1024 * 786 for a 22’’ monitor is silly.
When I tried to check the resolutions available, I always get an error message that the mode is not supported. And the device manager always detects the monitor as a Generic non plug and play monitor..
The ideal resolution for the monitor is 1366 * 786 @ 60 Hz…
I tried to create custom resolution at NVIDIA control panel.
Click customize , then custom resolution
Now the new required resolution is available in the resolutions list
Orientation in Windows Phone 7
Orientation support is one of the new features on Windows Phone 7.
By default, when you code your applications it is not supported.
If you try to rotate the axis you get this !!
To solve this problem , you need to set the Suppored Orientation property for the application to PortraitOrLanscape
Things will then work fine
Masters in Project Management..
If you are interested in project management, you will find that everybody is talking about the famous PMP ceretification.
But, if you wanna go in a much deeper study, you may think of having a masters degree..
There is a great site, that got a list for universities providing master’s program in Project Management. This site is really worth your interest. Just have a look at http://mastersinprojectmanagement.com
SPB Keyboard
Bored of the small QWERTY keyboard on your windows mobile ? IF so and you don’t want to use your Stylus everytime you type on the mobile keyboard …
Check the SPB keyboard .. I tried it .. Amazing
Migrating to WordPress !!
Dear All..
This is my first post on WordPress.. Using Windows Live Writer ( as usual !!).
Microsoft will shutdown the spaces service on March 2011. The migration tool they provide to migrate from Spaces to WordPress is really simple. Just create your WordPress account, and it is only a button click.
The process all took about 2 or 3 minutes and everything was ready. Even, the url for my old blog ( http://TamerMaher.spaces.live.com) now maps to my new one automatically ( http://TamerMaher.wordpress.com). That’s really cool, as it will save me some time till everybody knows the new address.
What wasn’t migrated:-
. ALL the HTML modules I had , for the title and legal disclaimer on my old blog
. All my left side links:
. My about and photo.
. Amazon Support me wish list
. Linked in link
. Facebook link
. Tecnorati Link
. My Youtube link
. Visitor Locataions Gadget
. And of course My Colour theme.
. And on the right, a list of my favorite blogs..
So, untill I do some new modifications, to add that stuff back , it is enough for you to know it existed !!!
Hello world!
Welcome to WordPress.com. This is your first post. Edit or delete it and start blogging!
Hello World !! Windows Phone 7
Microsoft has now made a new IDE for windows phone 7.
I ‘ve tried the Visual Studio 2010 Express for Windows Phone ( beta). It is now available for download here.
After installing, launch the application.
Choose new project –> Type “HelloWorld” for the project name.
Make sure that Silverlight for windows phone is selected, and Windows Phone Application.
The IDE now has the toolbox, the emulator area , the XAML editor.
Also the properties window and the solution explorer. ( you can pin whatever you like).
Click on the first text block, in the properties window in the text property, type “Hello World”
I ‘d rather delete the page name.
Now, drag a text block to the emulator. The text block control is much similar to the label control on the windows applications.
In the text property , type “Enter your name:”.
Drag a text box below it. Set the text property to “”.
Drag a button below the text box. Edit the text property to “Hello!!”.
Your final output should look like this
Now, double click the button to move to code.
using System; using System.Collections.Generic; using System.Linq; using System.Net; using System.Windows; using System.Windows.Controls; using System.Windows.Documents; using System.Windows.Input; using System.Windows.Media; using System.Windows.Media.Animation; using System.Windows.Shapes; using Microsoft.Phone.Controls; namespace HelloWorld { public partial class MainPage : PhoneApplicationPage { // Constructor public MainPage() { InitializeComponent(); } private void button1_Click(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e) { string name = textBox1.Text; MessageBox.Show("Hello " + name); } } }
The code is almost the same as a regular windows application.
Now build the application, by pressing F5
The emulator loads
Enter your name in the text box and then press the hello button
Congratulatons !!!
Now you’ve got your first windows phone 7 application.
Project Delivery Estimate
For any project. we begin calculating the work items for the project and the estimate work time and force for each.
To have an accurate delivery estimate, you should also calculate a total buffer of 20 %.
PLUS
Add the calendar holidays and regular vacations for the working team on the project. You will then have a new delivery date that is a few months later than the original one.
Make sure that you verify all that stuff before giving a new delivery estimate after each change request.
Calculations:-
. If the work items estimate was by time then , just modifying your project management tool and adding the right values to it does it all.
. If you are using Agile or some other way to manage your project, estimates are given according to the business value.
You should then calculate the regular team velocity regarding the business values. i.e. If your teams delivers 100 business values in a 10 work days sprint.
Then if the whole team has a 10 day vacation , then you should add 100 business values for the vacations items before making your calculations.
Vacations should be calculated thoroughly according to your calendar and the work hours for each candidate and how that affects the whole team velocity. ( like having a team mix of full timers and part timers ) .
V1 vs. Agile Cards
In agile, people usually write user stories / backlog items ( whatever methodology you follow ) on sticky notes. They then put them on the walls in the right columns.
Afterwards, begin to pickup the sticky notes they like, move them to another one , like in progress or finished. ..etc
A software like Version 1 is really cool on that approach. You have your backlog items. You can have views that show your stuff as cards. The drag and drop features regarding those cards is really handy.
Plus, you will have lots of stuff that you can’t have by sticky notes, like, entering estimates, burn down charts, monitoring your team velocity ..etc.
Plus, of course, the flexibility of editing – copying the cards you have on the software rather than your sticky notes on the wall, and their availability anytime / anywhere for you ( regardless the team room issue on agile teams that is somehow against distributed teams ).
So , If the ON WALL CARDS / PAPERS won’t add a value, then it is a WASTE 🙂
Tamer Maher 