Turn your old Surface into into a large touchpad. As part 3, add a Text Output control to the UI that can note which button is pressed along with (later on) output from the remote app.

Read the rest of entry »

Turn your old Surface into into a large touchpad. As part 2, specify the buttons and app config via a Json Configuration file. This reworks a previous GitHub project.

Read the rest of entry »

Turn your old Surface into into a large touchpad:

Have you got an old RT Surface 1 or 2 gathering dust and don't know what to do with it?

• Create a UWP app to run on a Surface (ARM or x86), or any touchscreen Windows laptop. Could even recycle an Windows Mobile (8.1/10) phone.
• Uses rounded boxes a touch keys.
• Can remotely act as the UI for an app running on any system that supports Serial, Bluetooth(serial) or has network connectivity.  Azure IoT Hub is also envisaged as a communication medium.

Read the rest of entry »

We are looking a short-cutting getting started with Xamarin Forms for cross platform app development, if you are already a UWP app developer. This article discusses the rudiments of an Xamarin Forms app project from the perspective of a UWP app developer.

Read the rest of entry »

So we have seen the need to use Xamarin. So lets get started. This article covers installation in Visual Studio on a Windows device

Read the rest of entry »

OK so you have been creating Windows apps for ages including UWP. You have developed apps that run on the Windows desktop and the phone. You understand the rudiments of developing a modern UI app MVM etc. You understand PEM, properties events and methods for classes and GUI elements. You understand database CRUD can attach a database to an app using formal database invocation methods. You might even have mastered the Entity Framework and/or have a deep understanding of ORM. Overall, in coding terms, when confronted with a new programming context you know what you want to do and how you do with UWP or Windows Forms; you just need to do it in the new context. Xamarin Forms, bring it on!

Read the rest of entry »

In this article I discuss two ways to the refer a UWP app to an Entity Framework Model Class Library, which appears to not be possible through the normal method of adding references between projects in Visual Studio.

Read the rest of entry »

WiFi modules have become way more accessible since a few years, and prices are going down fast. Starting from the work done on a student's project, I used the tiny RedBear Duo to build an Azure connected weighs. Well... from the top it is an "off the shelf" weighs, the interesting part comes when you turn it upside down: The main job was to connect the existing four sensors to a dedicated HX711 amplifier circuit  (bottom left, small PCB). Then an LCD display was added to interact with the user (bottom left, large PCB) The weighs has four capacitive buttons which were also connected (botton left, blue wires) The original power supply was replaced with a stronger 5V with a switch. (top left and center) The ReaBear board is the brain of the weigths, it has all I/O interfaces plus WiFi connection to report to Azure. In addition to indicating weight, the system provides a clock from the Azure connection. Measures are pushed to a dedicated Azure table, and provides a good following for indi ...

Read the rest of entry »

Occasional PC video failures may be due to system overheating and may be rectified by added robust exhaust fans. An assumption that it was the power supply, which had previously resolved the matter, wasn’t the cause for my most recent errant PC condition. Note that if swapping over power supplies, only use the power cables supplied with the new supply. Otherwise you can fry hard drives! 
Also covered is how to simply get system uptime and a recommendation for PC Health (CPU temperatures, fans etc) is given. 

Read the rest of entry »