Book Description

The Windows Phone 7 platform, now recently updated, provides a remarkable opportunity for Windows developers to create state-of-the-art mobile applications using their existing skills and a familiar toolset. Pro Windows Phone 7 Development, Second Edition helps you unlock the potential of this platform and create dazzling, visually rich, and highly functional applications for the Windows Phone Marketplace—including using new features like copy-and-paste and API improvements in the NoDo and Mango update waves.

For developers new to the Windows Phone platform—whether .NET, iPhone, or Android developers—this book starts by introducing the features and specifications of the Windows Phone series, and then leads you through the complete application development process. You’ll learn how to use Microsoft technologies like Silverlight, .NET, the XNA Framework, Visual Studio, and Expression Blend effectively, how to take advantage of the device’s sensors with the location service, accelerometer, and touch, how to make your apps location-aware using GPS data, how to utilize the rich media capabilities of the Windows Phone series, and much more. Finally, you’ll receive a full tutorial on how to publish and sell your application through the Windows Phone Marketplace. And in this second edition, learn quickly and easily how to take advantage of new API capabilities and HTML5 support right in your browser.

What you’ll learn

• The specifications and capabilities of the Windows Phone series and how to harness that power in your applications Download Now »

Book Description

Windows Phone 7.5 (code-named Mango) marks a significant upgrade to Microsoft’s smartphone products. Packed with sophisticated new features and functionality, the device is a .NET developer’s dream, easily programmable using Silverlight, XNA and C#.

Windows Phone Recipes utilizes a proven problem-solution approach, providing a concise guide to all the phone’s features in recipe book format. First, the problem you’re facing is identified. Then, a clear explanation of the solution is given, supported by a fully-worked code sample that demonstrates the feature in action.

All aspects of development, configuration, testing, and distribution are covered. You’ll find recipes that unlock advanced user interface features, deal with data storage, integrate with cloud services, add media and location services, and much more. It’s everything you’ll need to put a professional polish on your Windows Phone 7.5 applications!

What you’ll learn

• Understand how to design, develop, test and distribute your Windows Phone 7.5 applications
• Create compelling user interfaces using all the phone’s features, including the camera, GPS and accelerometer
• Learn how to debug your applications and package them for distribution Download Now »

Book Description

JavaFX 2.0: Introduction by Example provides a quick start to programming the JavaFX 2.0 platform. JavaFX 2.0 provides a rich set of APIs for use in creating graphically exciting client applications written solely in Java. You get a large set of customizable components that can be skinned using CSS techniques that you already know from doing web development. The platform even includes a web rendering engine enabling you to mix HTML content into your applications. Hardware acceleration means that your applications are fast and snappy, taking full advantage of modern graphics processing support at the hardware level. JavaFX 2.0 opens the door to business applications that look good, are fun to use, that take advantage of the medium to present data of all types—text, audio, video, etc.—in ways that engage the user and lead to increased productivity.

Getting started with JavaFX 2.0 is surprisingly easy. You already have the Java skills. Very likely you know enough of CSS to get by. All that’s left is to get a leg up on the API, and that’s where JavaFX 2.0: Introduction by Example can help. In this short book, author Carl Dea takes you through a series of engaging, fun-to-work examples that bring you up to speed on the major facets of the platform. Begin with the fundamentals of installing the software and creating a simple interface. Move in progressive steps through the process of developing a working dialog box for an application. Then let the fun begin as you explore images and animations, audio and video, and finally learn to embed JavaFX applications in a web page as well as embedding HTML5 content within an application. At the end of this book you’ll have a good grasp of what JavaFX is all about Download Now »

Book Description

The Azure Services Platform is a cloud-computing technology from Microsoft. It is composed of four core components—Windows Azure, .NET Services, SQL Services, and Live Services—each with a unique role in the functioning of your cloud service. It is the goal of this book to show you how to use these components, both separately and together, to build flawless cloud services.

At its heart, Windows Azure Platform is a down-to-earth, code-centric book. This book aims to show you precisely how the components are employed and to demonstrate the techniques and best practices you need to know to use them to best effect. That said, author Tejaswi Redkar regularly takes time out to provide a thorough overview of the architectural concepts that underpin Windows Azure. Without this understanding, you will find it hard to use the platform to its full potential.

By the time you’ve read this book, you will be comfortable building high-quality end-to-end Azure services of your own.

What you’ll learn

• Know everything you need to about the Azure Services components—from Access Control to SQL Services, from the Service Bus to Workflow Services
• Understand both the architectural thinking behind Azure and the nuts-and-bolts code that binds your service together
• Design, build, and deploy an Azure service with the assistance Download Now »

Book Description

OS X and iOS Kernel Programming combines essential operating system and kernel architecture knowledge with a highly practical approach that will help you write effective kernel-level code. You’ll learn fundamental concepts such as memory management and thread synchronization, as well as the I/O Kit framework. You’ll also learn how to write your own kernel-level extensions, such as device drivers for USB and Thunderbolt devices, including networking, storage and audio drivers.

OS X and iOS Kernel Programming provides an incisive and complete introduction to the XNU kernel, which runs iPhones, iPads, iPods, and Mac OS X servers and clients. Then, you’ll expand your horizons to examine Mac OS X and iOS system architecture. Understanding Apple’s operating systems will allow you to write efficient device drivers, such as those covered in the book, using I/O Kit.

With OS X and iOS Kernel Programming, you’ll:

• Discover classical kernel architecture topics such as memory management and thread synchronization
• Become well-versed in the intricacies of the kernel development process by applying kernel debugging and profiling tools
• Learn how to deploy your kernel-level projects and how to successfully package them
• Write code that interacts with hardware devices
• Examine easy to understand example code that can also be used in your own projects Download Now »

Book Description

You will start by studying an alpha-stage iOS app and learning how you can use the tools provided in the iOS developer’s toolbox, plus popular third-party tools, to take an app to a final product and ready to ship. Your own app development will never be the same again!

• Learn the tools available to all iOS developers: Xcode, Instruments, network diagnostic tools and version control
• Techniques for debugging by using Instruments, as well as the new features available in newest version of Xcode
• Performance tuning techniques and workflow enhancements

What you’ll learn

• How to set up a bare-bones shopping cart app; from creating a new project to using a distributed version control system for setting up the environment
• How to work your way through an app and tune the user interface for performance
• How to diagnose and address memory issues, leaks and dealing with intermittent crashes
• How to deal with networking issues and reliably recreate or simulate these environments
• How to address multitasking, behind the scenes power drains, and reduce/optimize power usage from the radio and other power draining features in iOS devices
• How to distribute your app to beta testers, prepare for the App Store and speed up development time by learning shortcuts and other enhancements to developer tools

Who this book is for
This book is for iOS developers looking to fully utilize iOS 5 tools like Xcode Download Now »