Andy Pennell's Blog
See me blather about software development, Gadgets, Technology, Fatherhood, plus anything else that gets me going.
Updating Excel data with Project Siena
This post describes a method of using Project Siena with Excel data that can be updated later...
Author: Andy-Pennell Date: 10/10/2014
Getting the Name of your Windows Phone 8 device
You can name your phone to whatever you like, but how can an app display that name? There isn't an...
Author: Andy-Pennell Date: 11/09/2013
Handling Contract assertions on Windows Phone 8
If you are a fan of System.Diagnostics.Contracts and use them on WP8 you may find a problem: when a...
Author: Andy-Pennell Date: 10/18/2013
Native Code on Windows Phone 8: The assert Problem
So there you are, cranking out some new C/C++ (or CX/C++) code on Windows Phone. Its all new, so you...
Author: Andy-Pennell Date: 06/17/2013
The Best Microsoft Keyboard. Ever. The Natural Keyboard Pro.
Keyboards are a very personal thing. For those of us whose job requires their use basically all day,...
Author: Andy-Pennell Date: 04/03/2013
UPNP on Windows Phone 7.5 Part 2: Invoke
With UPnP discovery worked out, the next feature is to turn the discovery results into a Device,...
Author: Andy-Pennell Date: 01/08/2012
Car Head Unit Compatibility with Windows Phone 7.5 Mango
I recently had a desperate need to upgrade the audio system in my car, and wanted a good...
Author: Andy-Pennell Date: 09/27/2011
Finding the SSID of your wi-fi network on Windows Phone 7.5 Mango
Finding your IP address I have already covered, now for the next useful thing: your SSID name....
Author: Andy-Pennell Date: 08/30/2011
Attempting UPnP on Windows Phone 7.5 (Mango), Part 1: SSDP Discovery
[Update: SSDP is WORKING now: all code updated] I have been on a mission for maybe six months now to...
Author: Andy-Pennell Date: 08/24/2011
Finding Your Own IP Address On Windows Phone Mango
For reasons never adequately explained there is still no API to obtain the IP address of the phone...
Author: Andy-Pennell Date: 08/11/2011
Real World WCF on Windows Phone 7
I have already covered using WCF from Windows Phone 7 with my quick walk-through , but now, some...
Author: Andy-Pennell Date: 02/02/2011
Using LongListSelector without LINQ
The LongListSelector control is an awesome thing, but using it without LINQ I found a tricky...
Author: Andy-Pennell Date: 11/19/2010
Error Reporting on Windows Phone 7
[Minor code update Jan 15 2010] It may come as a surprise to some, but applications sometimes crash....
Author: Andy-Pennell Date: 11/01/2010
Blu-ray fails to overtake DVD as many predicted
Two years ago Disney predicted that Blu-ray sales would overtake DVD in two years. Like pretty much...
Author: Andy-Pennell Date: 10/25/2010
Using WCF on Windows Phone 7: Walk-through
Windows Phone 7 and WCF: a great combination, but can be tricky to get going. Here is how I did...
Author: Andy-Pennell Date: 09/20/2010
Cheap Video Card for Windows Phone XNA Development
With the release of the RTM version of the Windows Phone 7 developer tools, some folks are running...
Author: Andy-Pennell Date: 09/17/2010
Why Data Breakpoints are Disabled On Restart
Data breakpoints are both incredibly useful when you need them and yet can cause extreme pain under...
Author: Andy-Pennell Date: 08/06/2010
Why Address Breakpoints Are Disabled On Restart
If you set a [native] breakpoint by address, then restart your debugger session the breakpoint will...
Author: Andy-Pennell Date: 08/06/2010
Andy's Random KIN Phone Tips Page
Both my wife and I are happy KIN users so I thought I would share some information that might be...
Author: Andy-Pennell Date: 07/15/2010
Using a UK PayAsYouGo SIM when you are a foreigner
[Updated June 1st to correct ATM information and to add PayPal option] Recently I had the need to...
Author: Andy-Pennell Date: 04/15/2010
My Secret Project is no longer secret: the KIN phone
Since the demise of HD DVD (RIP) I have been working on the secret “Pink project” at...
Author: Andy-Pennell Date: 04/13/2010
Running a Family with Food Sensitivities
Gratuitous post time: my wife has been doing a great job dealing with various food sensitivity...
Author: Andy-Pennell Date: 09/23/2009
Celebrating the first Apollo Moon Landing
In a matter of days it will be the 40th anniversay of Apollo 11 landing on the moon, a seminal...
Author: Andy-Pennell Date: 07/15/2009
More HD DVD players than Blu-ray players in America. Still. In 2009.
In frankly amazing news even to me, a new Harris Poll shows that over a year and a half since the...
Author: Andy-Pennell Date: 06/18/2009
How Do You Debug A Movie?
How do you debug a movie? Before I get too old and forget, here is the story of one bug that I had...
Author: Andy-Pennell Date: 03/05/2009
Zune in my Boxster: Part 2
I've been enjoying my Zune installation for a while now, but I had one thing that bugged me:...
Author: Andy-Pennell Date: 02/20/2009
The Sinclair QL is 25 yrs old today!
Chances are that you have never heard of the Sinclair QL. However if you are as old as me and...
Author: Andy-Pennell Date: 01/12/2009
Converting Zune playlists into Windows Media Player playlists
For some inexplicable reason Zune playlists (ZPL) are different from Windows Media Player playlists...
Author: Andy-Pennell Date: 08/23/2008
Using a Zune 80GB as a Car Video Player
Following on the theme of trying to make it easier for my kids to watch movies in the car but...
Author: Andy-Pennell Date: 07/13/2008
Tricks and Tips for using the VMR9
A few months ago I did some work involving the VMR9, and I hit several brick walls. Many of these...
Author: Andy-Pennell Date: 07/10/2008
Who doesn't take credit/debit cards in 2008? Washington State Licensing, that's who
Normally I renew my car tabs online with a credit or debit card, but that wasn't possible this week...
Author: Andy-Pennell Date: 06/19/2008
Why HD DVD Really Lost The Format War
It's all my fault. I'm terribly sorry. Something critical happened in October 2007 that I forgot to...
Author: Andy-Pennell Date: 02/20/2008
Come see HDi at the Sundance Film Festival
If you are attending the Sundance Film Festival, please drop by the Microsoft House on Main Street...
Author: Andy-Pennell Date: 01/17/2008