Techtronic

Space Weather 2.0 Released!

tstewart — Fri, 18 May 2012 02:21:38 +0000

I just wanted to make a quick post and share an update on a Windows Phone app I have been working on over the last few months. It’s called Space Weather Weather and I have just released 2.0. Head on over to www.spaceweatherapp.com and check it out.

A More Beautiful Web is… Internet Explorer TV Commercial

tstewart — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 00:18:37 +0000

Microsoft is gearing up to release a bunch of Internet Explorer 9 videos on TV and the web. It’s nice to see them promoting the great work that went into IE9. It is fast, simple, and secure. I just hope they make it more extensible in the future. Chrome and Firefox have many great add-ons and IE has well… none.

Check out the ad below. I love the song, Too Close – Alex Care, great mix of indie style vocals with a bit of electronic dubstep-ish beat during the hook. Well done Microsoft.

Windows 8 Consumer Preview Released!

tstewart — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 15:56:16 +0000

Microsoft released the consumer preview of Windows 8, the next version of Microsoft’s flagship Windows product. A lot has changed in Windows 8. I’ll let the videos below do the talking.

Windows 8 Consumer Preview

Windows Blog Windows 8 Demo from Channel 9 – Consumer Preview

You can download the consumer preview here:

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-8/download?ocid=W_MSC_W8P_DevCenter_MetroApps_EN-US

Skype for Windows Phone Beta app

tstewart — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 02:15:41 +0000

Microsoft finally released Skype for Windows Phone, it is only beta however it runs really well. I installed it and I am on a call as I am typing this. The quality is great, almost better than a normal cell call. I have made calls from 3G, 4G, and Wi-Fi and they all work great. The Metro interface not only looks great, it is highly functional. You can check it out in the screenshots and video below. It’s a great start but still a long ways to go.

You can check out the video here:

Skype on a Nokia Lumia Windows Phone

You can download the beta here:

http://windowsphone.com/s?appid=c3f8e570-68b3-4d6a-bdbb-c0a3f4360a51

Windows 8 Logo Revealed

tstewart — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 18:34:33 +0000

I just wanted to create a quick post. I am actually creating this from my Windows phone using the WordPress app. Anyway…

Microsoft released their new logo for Windows 8 which better reflects the Metro design principles and it also looks like a window instead of a flag. You can read the full post from the Windows Team here.
http://windowsteamblog.com/windows/b/bloggingwindows/

Posted from WordPress for Windows Phone

Space Weather for Windows Phone Releases 1.21

tstewart — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 04:50:54 +0000

Any minute now the 1.21 update for Space Weather should hit the Windows Phone Marketplace. Microsoft finally gave the green light after a failed certification. Turns out I can’t use logos in my application unless I have approval, even if it is a Windows Phone logo! I get it, Microsoft has to protect their brand as well as other companies in respect to logos and branding. I only added a small little Windows Phone logo in the loading screen; it was only displayed for about 1 second. After I received the failed certification email from the App Hub I quickly changed it and resubmitted it… lesson learned. There was almost a 3 day turnaround for them to verify that I removed the logo. Anyway…

Space Weather 1.21 includes the following changes:

code optimization
added social links
discovered bug with movies on some phones, Microsoft will have to provide the fix, looking for a workaround.
added new AuroraMax web cam with live auroras!
more Metro UI design
added in app review button
prepping for next major release!
thank you for all of the feedback!

Sad to say that there is a bug with the Movies section. It seems like it is affecting most 2nd gen Windows Phones. The movies work fine on 1st gen and even in the Windows Phone emulator. I am looking for a workaround along with filing a bug with Microsoft.

Here are a few screen shots. Changes have been made to the loading screen, the About page has been redesigned with in app rating, and the AuroraMax web cam has been added.

Space Weather Windows Marketplace Direct Link (for Windows Phones)

Space Weather App Facebook Page

Space Weather App Twitter Page

Space Weather in the Windows Marketplace

Space Weather App Ranking

tstewart — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 17:47:32 +0000

This past week Space Weather has climbed the rankings! According to one of my favorite Windows Marketplace search replacements, AppFlow, Space Weather is:

#1 in the paid News & Weather category

#3 in paid apps (not including games)

29th in overall paid applications (again, not including games).

*This is according to the total of downloads in the last 25 days.

This does not include free apps (which of course have a lot higher rankings since they are free). Thank you to everyone for the great feedback and making Space Weather one of the top Windows Phone apps! Thank you to WPCentral.com for continuing to follow our application with great feedback (snarky or not =] ).

Space Weather for Windows Phone goes free for Christmas!

tstewart — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 03:10:04 +0000

To celebrate the Christmas spirit, Space Weather for Windows Phone is free for this holiday weekend only. Hurry to the Windows Phone Marketplace and get your copy for free for a limited time! There’s no catch, it’s not a trial, this is the full version of Space Weather for Windows Phone. The only thing we ask is that you check out our Facebook and Twitter page and leave a rating for the app in the marketplace. Feel free to share this link, re-tweet, and text it! Check the links below to get your free copy!

Space Weather Windows Marketplace Direct Link (for Windows Phones)

Space Weather App Facebook Page

Space Weather App Twitter Page

Space Weather in the Windows Marketplace

Please remember to rate the app after installing!

Upgrading my Untangle Box

tstewart — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 08:11:02 +0000

After a few years of running Untangle on my old IBM box, I finally upgraded to something a little more powerful and efficient. If you aren’t familiar with Untangle, it is a Linux-based software appliance that manages and protects every aspect of your network. It acts as a router, firewall, antivirus/spyware blocker, ad blocker, content filter, and so much more. It can be downloaded for free from www.untangle.com. You can turn one of your old PCs into an Untangle box in about 5 minutes. All you need is a PC with at least 800 MHz, 512 MB of RAM, and 2 network cards.

I am running mine on a mini ITX dual core Atom motherboard with 4 GB of RAM and 3 network cards. My Untangle box is well over the minimum specs but for a good reason. I am protecting all of my PCs here, my web servers, providing VPN access with OpenVPN, and sharing internet with the built-in Captive Portal. The Captive Portal is what really sold me on Untangle. It allows me to open up my wireless network and protect it with a username and password. This allows me to advertise my wireless network (to potential users) but still protect it with a username and password.

If you’re thinking about adding some functionality or protection to your home network, Untangle is definitely a good choice. Chances are, you have an old PC laying around you can convert to an Untangle box. At most, you may have to add an extra network card (which you can find for less than $10). If you have some time and some old hardware give it a shot. It is definitely worth the (small) investment.

Xbox update and Companion App for Windows Phone

tstewart — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 03:37:46 +0000

The update to Xbox seems to be a hit with most. I have a Windows Phone but no Xbox… yet. I think this commercial says it all. Can’t wait to try this out. This is another awesome way Microsoft is integrating all of their products telling the “better together” story once again.