| Gremlins strike Microsoft debugging webcast |
Dec. 18, 2008
 Microsoft has released a webcast that, while ironically devoted to debugging software applications, appears to have been attacked by gremlins (left). The (unlucky?) 13th in a series of 24 presentations devoted to Windows Mobile 6.1 software development, the presentation is available online now, the company says.
We'll attempt to explain the gremlins later in this story. But first, here's some information about the rest of the webcast.
  According to Microsoft's MSDN website, "24 Hours of Windows Mobile application development: Testing your Windows Mobile applications" explores different strategies for software testing and debugging. The "sample-filled" program, which lasts 66 minutes, is presented by long-time embeddded developer Maarten Struys (left), Microsoft community program manager Constanze Roman (right), and Microsoft documentation specialist Joshua Partlow (not pictured), Microsoft says.
A November webcast, ninth in the "24 Hours" series, covered automated unit testing of mobile applications. According to its presenters, the latest webcast covers additional testing mehods, including use of the integrated debugger included in Microsoft's Visual Studio 2008, plus Hopper, a testing tool that's said to stress applications randomly.
 
A PowerPoint slide (left) and screencast (right), contained in Microsoft's applications testing webcast
(Click either to enlarge)
Like the first twelve webcasts in the series, "24 Hours of Windows Mobile application development: Testing your Windows Mobile applications" features a mix of PowerPoint slides (above left), plus video screencasts (above right) demonstrating the use of Visual Studio 2008 and the Windows Mobile device emulator. The downloadable presentation is viewable in its entirety using Internet Explorer and Microsoft's Office Live Meeting software (as shown above), or as a Windows Media video.
Speaking of bugs ...
As we suggested above, this webcast -- the last planned by the Windows Mobile team before the holidays -- features an unusual glitch. At one point, Struys's Visual Studio 2008 demonstration gets rudely interrupted by a video of masked revelers, apparently playing in what looks like a Redmond, Washington park.
 
 
Could this be the "human" face of the Windows Mobile team?
The video, four frames from which are shown above, is too low-resolution to allow definitive identification of the hijacking gremlins. But, guesses Roman in her subsequent comments, they might be members of the "WinMob squad." Take a look at the webcast and guess for yourself!
Windows Embedded Evangelist Maarten Struys is a technical manager at PTS Software in the Netherlands. Struys speaks regularly at Windows-related conferences, according to Microsoft, and is also a freelance journalist who maintains a blog on the .NET for Devices website.
Constanze Roman, who has joined Struys for most of the webcasts, is a community program manager with Microsoft's Windows Mobile team. In addition to participating regularly in activities aimed at the Windows Mobile developer community, she maintains her own blog devoted to Windows Mobile development, Constanze's Mobile Musings.
Finally, Joshua Partlow is described as a documentation specialist who is part of Microsoft's Windows Mobile publishing team.
Other recent offerings in the "24 Hours" series have included guides to Windows Mobile networking, location awareness, automated mobile code testing, .NET Compact Framework 3.5 Power Toys, using Pocket Outlook functionality, developing "battery-friendly" applications and programming for different form factors.
Further information
To view "24 hours of Windows Mobile application development: Testing your Windows Mobile applications," go to MSDN, here. [A Windows Live ID and password will be requested].
To get a list of other available webcasts devoted to Windows Mobile development, see Microsoft's website, here.
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