Developer Required - General Topics

We are a software company who currently have a version of our software which will run on Pocket PC. This was developed for us by a third party but they have no experience XDA or similar devices. We now need to take this to the next level. Basically it is on site data collection (using the PDA) and then transmission to a centralised server where the information can be accessed via the web.
I am looking for a software house who has experience of developing this type of application to work with us.
We are based in North Buckinghamshire in the UK and would ideally like to work with a company reasonably local.
Anyone got any suggestions?

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Remote desktop software

Hey guys, Does anyone know if there's any decent FREE apps for the android that i can use for remote assistance? i work in IT and this would be very useful to me but im not willing to fork out cash just yet.
I know you can use VNC but this means installing software on client machines and setting that software upm which is no use to me.
thanks in advance guys
I have tried most and there are no good free RDC clients. (I started to write one myself but it was not very fun so I abandoned it.)
I would suggest biting the bullet and buying xtralogic's Remote Desktop client. At $19.95 it is the most expensive option but the controls on it are the best IMHO.
If you want cheaper ($7.98) there is Remote RDP by Walter Yongtao Wang but i find the controls are not as intuitive.
I know you said you do not want to fork out cash yet but the reality is if you want a good RDC client then for now you are going to have to pay for it. In the grand scheme of things $20 is a minor investment for the aggravation saved.
PhoneMyPC is the best one I've tried and I've played with almost all of them. Multitouch zooming makes it closest to what logmein ignition is on the iPhone. I think until logmein comes out with an Android app, it's the best bet even though it costs a few dollars.
yeah , i also use PhoneMyPC , works great , no problems
I have to agree. PhoneMyPC is extremely (surprizingly) fast and worked better than the RDP or VNC solutions from my testing.
I was very skeptical that it could perform well, but... call me a believer now.
Thanks for the answers guys, I'll try PhoneMyPc out first.
One more question, I would also like to Wake computers via LAN, Do these software's have the ability to send the "magic" WOL packets to wake a system up?
This is another feature i would find extremely useful.
Clearly my brain was not working last night. I misread what you were asking for. PhoneMyPC is nice but requires a client install.
If your goal is end client support and you do not want to require them to install an application you might consider UltraVNC single click for the client ( http://www.uvnc.com/addons/singleclick.html )+ a VNC viewer on android. While it will not perform as well as PhoneMyPC it has the benefit of being a zero foot print solution and works well in situations where the client may not want/be able to install applications on their system. I keep a build on my website and if a situation pops up that requires me to access the end user's machine have them download and run it.
Your request for WOL is a bit confusing though, which implies you are not going for end user support. What are you looking for:
- a solution to connect to your personal machine running in the same subnet as your phone
- a solution to connect to your personal machine from wherever you may be at
- a solution to connect to remote end users machines with a pre-installed application
- a solution to connect to remote end users machines without a pre-installed application
- something else.
WOL can be triggered remotely (with preparation) but regardless requires the machine to be set up properly and that you know the MAC address in advance, not likely in a remote end user scenario.
Does anyone know where can I get the PhoneMyPC installation file for the phone? I couldn't find any download link on their site.
On the market. search for "phonemypc". It is a commercial app (9.99 USD) so that is pretty much your only way to get it.
Trust me on this one, go with Remote Desktop Client from xtralogic.. I've been using it for nearly a year.. its the best RDP you will find, no client install needed.
PhoneMyPC is the BEST!
Wait... we're biased ;-)
I suspect the user base here is savvy enough to know much of this, but a few details for anybody who's interested.
PhoneMyPC uses a technology similar to VNC, but it's custom and generally performs better. It is a bandwidth-limited approach to remoting, and we chose this because (a) we wanted something that made no compromises on visual quality (no missing desktop wallpapers, no changed settings, no missing themes), and we see the trend in available bandwidth going steadily up for the forseeable future. This makes PhoneMyPC a good option for remote video, for example, because it is optimized for pictoral data rather than vector data.
RDP, on the other hand, is optimized for vector data, so typically consumed less bandwidth than PhoneMyPC, but much more CPU resources. It also has the advantage that it is built in to all Professional and Server Windows versions.
The biggest difference between the two however is how they handle the network. With RDP you must know and configure your IP, and you must update it when it changes (or use a DynDNS type solution). You must also know how to configure your router and other security mechanisms for port forwarding.
PhoneMyPC just works, because it uses our servers as a connection point between your phone and PC(s). You don't need to know your IP, or worry if it changes, becuase the PC will actually tell the phone what it's IP is every time you connect. You can use port forwarding to get a better, direct connection, but it is not required for the software to work.
Finally, RDP is a long-lasting, well established (and more or less un-changing) technology; that is an advantage from some perspectives. But if you compare what users are saying PhoneMyPC is at least as good, and it's new, still growing, always getting better, and we're not even close to done yet. That too is an advantage from some perspectives.
SoftwareForMe.com
Makers of PhoneMyPC
I've bought all of them, and I could never get Phone My PC to connect. RDC by xtralogic, Remote VNC Pro Android VNC work great (used with TightVNC).
EDIT: Any suggestions Softwareforme? Also constant f/c's when connected via wifi on N1.

[Q] Will it work as iOS in regard of apps?

Hi,
I would like to change my current phone (ZTE Blade with Android 2.3). I am not to happy with the phone and not to happy with Android either. I got iPad1 but I am not a big fan of iOS as well.
All Windows Phone devices looks cool and prices for decent model are not as high as for iPhone. Unfortunately WP is very unpopular and since none of my friends got one there is no way I can find out few things about it.
Perhaps you will be kind enough to answer my questions?
1. On iOS there is no problem in getting apps from different markets. I live in Poland but with VPN service I got access to NBC, ABC, Hulu, etc. Getting an app is simple - you just switch iTunes account and as long as US or UK app is free I can download it without problem.
Android is a bit more difficult... had to root the phone (with some help) and for stuff like that I need to look in the internet no in Google Play shop.
As far as I know WP requires Live ID and this determines what is available to us. Switching Live ID's = hard reset :-(
So, question is: can I get (and how difficult is it) apps from US and UK markets to my phone?
If answer to Q1 is YES (with some details, please ) - than:
2. Will it work on any WP device or (like wit Android phones) some of them are "no go" in this area?
3. Does WP has a VPN client/support?
4. How features like above will or do influence Windows 8? Both WP & Win8 would be a great tandem but from what I know it looks that MS will try to "lock" both in order to make cash on appstore. Is this correct?
5. One more thing, is it possible to use WP device as GSM router for other devices (like in Android phones)?
Hi,
Some short answers here too
Your phone out of the box with your live id can't download/install apps from other marketplaces. It is possible to sideload apps, but I haven't done it so far, 'cause in Germany and for me I found everything needed. Don't know how the situation in Poland looks like.
WP7 does not support VPN. VPN will come in WP8, as Microsoft said in some dev blogs.
MS won't lock W8 to the new store. But you have to differ between W8 x86 and W8 RT (ARM). W8 RT will - I suppose - have some sort of lock like WP7 (and possibly WP8).
Yes, it's called Internet Connection Sharing, but it is not enabled on all devices. It depends on the device manufacturer. WP7 is able to share the connection, but if the manufacturer don't want the device to do it or maybe they want to save money in the development of the device ( ) you can't to it without some little hacking.
Does any one knows... if I will buy let say Lumia 800 in Poland, will I be able to:
- connect to the VPN service I am using?
- install Netflix (US market only)
- install Hulu + (as above)
- install BBC iPlayer (UK market only)
- usie the phone as mobile router
Where do I look for info. - how to do it?
The only current way to VPN on WP7 is to connect to a network that is already using a VPN (WiFi, such as by Internet Connection Sharing from your PC, or by plugging in the phone to the PC and running the Zune software, which will create an Ethernet-over-USB network for the phone).
I can't say for sure about the Marketplace access. It will depend on your credit card, your Microsoft account, and your VPN (if you use one), and possibly even your mobile operator.
Sharing the phone's Internet connection is a supported WP7 feature, but I'm not sure if the Lumia 800 supports it yet. The feature is called "Internet Sharing" and is in the Settings hub. It's available on all Samsung Windows phones, and I think on all HTCs too. Not sure if it's on the Lumias yet, but Nokia has said they were working on it some time ago. Note that if your carrier blocks or requires payment for this service (sharing the cellular Internet connection), the phone will block the feature until you comply. There are hacks to work around that restriction entirely, but those hacks are only currently possible on Samsung, HTC gen1, LG, Lumia 710, and a few Lumia 800 phones.
Thanks for your answer.
As much as I would love to dump Android - I simply can not :-(.

Q: Android dongle and Digital Signage

Hello
I am currently working on a project that requires digital signage. I was hoping that a combination with a android dongle (ideally with eth port) and some sort of software would work. has anyone got any real life experiences with this sort of setup and what could you recommend? All i need it to do is to refresh a website with stats, monitoring as well as display RSS feeds and so on. I know about Xibo but not sure how easy this would be to use.
any recommendation on hardware / software would be greatly appreciated.
I can help
Are you using a monitor or tv for this? How big are you going to go? P.M. Me with some more specifics. I have experimented with this and have a few good setups. The main consideration would be How Much do you want to spend?
Rick
I don't know if it would fit your needs, but check out RiseVision for a no-charge signage solution. They also sell hardware, but that's not a requirement to run their software for free as the source of your signage. They have software clients for Linux, Windows and Chromebook and you can find 3rd-party apps on the Play Store to run on Android.
I'm still looking for a nice, inexpensive Android Stick to hook up my account to a TV. So far, I've tried it on a Windows PC and a Nexus7 and both work great.
SideWynder said:
I don't know if it would fit your needs, but check out RiseVision for a no-charge signage solution. They also sell hardware, but that's not a requirement to run their software for free as the source of your signage. They have software clients for Linux, Windows and Chromebook and you can find 3rd-party apps on the Play Store to run on Android.
I'm still looking for a nice, inexpensive Android Stick to hook up my account to a TV. So far, I've tried it on a Windows PC and a Nexus7 and both work great.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thanks for the responses... We will be using Samsung DM48D screens which are magic info enabled as well. At present i am playing around with Xibo and a Dell Wyse Cloud connect dongle.
Ideally I want to control the android dongle as well but I have yet to find a way to root the Wyse CC dongle and stick a VNC server on it or similar. The RiseVision is a great idea however the information (sales stats dashboards) we want to display are sensitive and not externally available hence a cloud solution wouldn't work I believe.
holgmaster said:
Hello
I am currently working on a project that requires digital signage. I was hoping that a combination with a android dongle (ideally with eth port) and some sort of software would work. has anyone got any real life experiences with this sort of setup and what could you recommend? All i need it to do is to refresh a website with stats, monitoring as well as display RSS feeds and so on. I know about Xibo but not sure how easy this would be to use.
any recommendation on hardware / software would be greatly appreciated.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
PQ Labs with their iStick range specialise in Android sticks for signage and they also produce one with an ethernet port.
Could be dont using cloud-based Content Management System
All you need is a web-based content management system like "MobiLock Presentations" that allows you to monitor and control single or a fleet of digital signage displays right from a desktop or laptop.

Blackberry OS alternative for companies

Hello guys,
I'm working for a medium-sized company in europe (international company, just about 1500 employees). My company uses Blackberry OS and phones. Sadly (?) Blackberry won't continue developing their OS. Instead they will switch to Android without keeping the features that made Blackberry OS interesting for companies. For many companies however (for as far as I know), Android with especially GAPPS is not an option, at least not, if not secured or separated from the business side.
Now we are looking for an alternative OS that includes the following:
- separated areas for business and private applications
- the business area has full support and integration for VPN and the companies application running via VPN
- ideally the phone application can access both areas at the same time or has the possibility to always see who is calling, not depending on an unlocked business area
- full separation between private and business area
- ideally supporting Android apps.
These are just some ideas that we like to see included. My research for now did not come up with anything similar to the Blackberry OS.
I'd also like to point out that developing such an OS for a (specific?) phone also could be an option.
Does anyone know an alternative for Blackberry OS? Is anyone interested and capable of developing such a system?
Best regards
amalaiteko

An app, web.android.com, like web.whatsapp.com?

Dear Members,
Imagine: An Android Black Box without any screen but only USB Power+Data and Wi-Fi ports to be connected with a Lap- /Desk- top computer and the combo used as a Superphone
I have been planning for a long time to use internet — like the thread I had posted in Unix StackExchange in
unix.stackexchange.com/questions/86380/reading-sim-data-via-file-managers-using-usb-datamodem, around September 2013.
There I had posted the links of an idea: If Mobile-> Internet access Modem, why not datacard->mobile, posted in both Knoppix and Debian forums, around March 2013.
A killer of an idea came to me while I began using web.whatsapp.com
I have been doing research on the alternatives of the Android OS available on the web. These two links are sufficient for what I am going to present:
beebom.com/android-alternative/
itsfoss.com/open-source-alternatives-android/
Won't it be easier if, rather than to build free and Open-source alternatives to Android, Android itself is enhanced for its use with a computer, keyboard and mouse, using an app like the Whatsapp Digital Optical Code scanner, to have the display and button- and touchscreen- controls transferred to our lap- / desk- top computers, like we can in Whatsapp via web.whatsapp.com?
In Linux there already are ways to remotely control a desktop via appropriate permissions with a GUI interface.
This way, Google remains happy, while we too remain free from restrictive policies.
There are many emulators already available on the Open Source Linux systems, like QEMU, VirtualBox, and so on, not to mention the proprietary VMWare.
The app needs to have two parts:
(1) A rudimentary functionality of a Transceiver/Emulator, to slip right between the Hardware and the Android OS, creating a "What You Ask Is What You Get" one to one virtual communicator, and side by side, relaying the signals to the main app.
(2) A virtualisation of the user input signals and transceiving the same with the Android OS.
The main application having all the remaining functionalities to connect the Android OS with the Lap- / Desk- top via Wi-Fi, internet and its in-built optical scanner.
Of course, the App needs to have a cloud application to store all the data of the users on the cloud securely via SSL security like Whatsapp.
The App could earn its profits from the revenue structure Google has erected to have the app paid via advertisements. Interested users like us would also be more than willing to pay for the app, I believe.
In the end, again, a device could as well be developed to combine an Android SmartPhone Black-Box (without screen) Hot-plugged with a standard lap- / desk- top and forming a seamless combination of the two into one super-unit via Free and Open Source Software.
To conclude, I seek this opportunity to inform that I am a very empowering closet-entrepreneur, but I have my own limitations because of my inability to accept certain existing structures. So rather than forming an entrepreneurship venture, I like freely to share information. FOSI instead of FOSS, I for Ideas.

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