After creating a similar app on Windows Phone, I had fun making a similar app on Windows 8: Patiner.

The app allows you to view the status of the ice rinks on the island of Montreal by navigating the map. It’s very simple and that’s intentional, but improvements are already planned for future versions.

The data comes from Patiner Montreal, which offers an excellent web portal and links to apps for other operating systems.

It is very easy to create your first Windows 8, Windows Phone 8 or iOS application with Azure Mobile Services tools. In this post, I will demonstrate how to create a sample “ToDo” application. In fact, it will take you longer to read this post than to execute the steps in it!

Log in to your Windows Azure portal and go to the Mobile Services section. Click on the Create a mobile service link.

Here is a second application of my own creation: InterUrbain.

This utility application allows you to determine if calls between two phone numbers are local or long-distance. Simply enter the area code and the first three digits of the number to determine their distances. Simple, effective, and most importantly free!

If you have any suggestions, comments, or need support, do not hesitate to contact me (see the link at the top of this page).

When developing applications, we always want to make our investment profitable and maybe even make a little profit. With Windows Phone 7 (WP7) there are 2 methods to generate revenue: app purchase and ad display. This article focuses on the second method.

Creating a pubCenter account

First, you need to create an account on the Microsoft Advertising pubCenter. pubCenter is the hub for WP7 ads and Windows 8 apps. Very simple and easy to use, so I will omit the account creation details in this article.

After a few months of experimenting with programming for Windows Phone 7, but without really publishing the application, I decided to try to launch an application that would be published: Sports MTL. An application that allows you to know the status of various recreational/sports venues such as ice rinks, slides, and cross-country ski trails.

This application is available in French and English, in trial or paid version. If you have any suggestions or comments about this application, please visit the UserVoice site for Sports MTL.

For some time now, Microsoft use the UserVoice platform for gathering feedbacks from some of their products, which mostly target developers. UserVoice is really good for that task and its looks even better than Connect for feedback, which is still use for bugs and technical issues. But I don’t they are any list detailing theses site. So here’s my short list, and if you found one, let me know!

• ASP.Net
• Expression Encoder
• Expression Super Preview
• Expression Web
• Microsoft Advertising
• Silverlight
• Visual Studio
• WCF RIA Services (Thanks Colin!)
• Windows Phone (Users)
• Windows Phone (Developers) and the WP7 application for this site
• Windows Phone Interoperability

Here is the next generation of Windows, Windows 8, ideal for tablets and if you have a Windows Phone, you will easily find your way around:

Building “Windows 8” - Video #1

When is the release?

To learn more: http://bit.ly/iCTxY6

Microsoft has just published the User Experience Design Guidelines for Windows Phone for Mango (Windows Phone OS 7.1). For anyone developing for WP7, it is a must to create pleasant applications for your users, as some miss the mark!

Here is an example from the guide:

Happy developing!

If you ever develop applications for Windows Phone using location services, there is a GPS emulator that allows you to simulate movement and thus test your application without going outside with your phone.

Other “recipes” for Windows Phone.

Well, it may not be connected to a cellular network and it may be second-hand, but yesterday I received a Samsung Taylor for Windows Phone 7 (WP7) development!

I had fun with it last night and I am very satisfied with the device. Obviously, since it is a pre-production development device, it does not have all the features of a production phone. But all in all, it has all the functionalities of WP7.