Nokia E90 Communicator lands in India

    World's largest mobile handsets maker 'Nokia' on Thursday launched its most advanced smartphone in the latest 'Communicator' series aimed at business people.
Nokia E90 Communicator, is a part of Nokia’s decade old Communicator series in India. The Nokia E90 Communicator is the complete device to enhance productivity and improve business communication with convenient email access, web browsing and maps application for location-based services.

    The Nokia E90 Communicator is the first enterprise device from Nokia with two cameras (3.2 mega-pixel camera with flash and auto-focus; and a QCIF camera), video conferencing and active notes (a unique feature that allows to take notes and tag it to an individual’s name, helping as a powerful reminder when talking to that person). In addition, the Nokia E90 offers fast connections over WLAN and HSDPA with enhanced 3G to accelerate the mobile use of data and transmission of rich business applications.
    Nokia Enterprise Solutions General Manager, Chakrapani G K, said E90 also allows users to view, open and edit email attachments with 'Quick Office' besides offering Adobe Acrobat Reader and Zip Manager.
    Based on S60 platform where a host of additional mobile applications are also available, the E90 has an integrated GPS (Global Positioning System), the only fully functional Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) and Nokia maps applications that helps in finding routes and locating services.

Technical specifications
    * Quad band GSM / GPRS / EDGE: GSM 850/900/1800/1900
    * Singleband UMTS / HSDPA: W-CDMA 2100
    * HSDPA 3.6 Mbit/s
    * Integrated GPS system
    * 3.2 megapixel camera with flash and autofocus
    * QCIF camera for video calling
    * Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11g)
    * Bluetooth 2.0
    * USB 2.0 (mini USB)
    * IrDA
    * micro SD
    * Stereo FM radio
    * Push to Talk over Cellular (PoC)

do you know Yahoo Pipes?

According to an overview page at yahoo pipes site ,

Pipes is a free online service that lets you remix popular feed
types and create data mashups using a visual editor. You can use Pipes
to run your own web projects, or publish and share your own web services
without ever having to write a line of code.

You make a Pipe by dragging pre-configured modules onto a canvas and
wiring them together in the Pipes Editor.

Each Pipe consists of two or more modules, each of which performs a
single, specific task. For example, the Fetch module will retrieve a feed
URL, while the Sort module will re-order a feed based on criteria you provide (you can find a
complete list of available modules in the documentation)

Each module has one or more terminals, represented by small circles
in the interface. You can wire modules together by clicking on one
module's output terminal and dragging the wire to another module's input
terminal. Once the terminals are wired together the output from the
first module will serve as input to the second module.

In addition to data feeds, Pipes also lets you add user input fields
into your Pipe. These show up at runtime as form fields that users of
your Pipe can fill in.

I've not tried this yet, so more to come once i take this to try....
stay tuned.

Getting "No default member found for type 'Integer'" Error in .NET

Recently while working on a .NET software, I got an error that says

Error Message:No default member found for type 'Integer'.

the root cause of this error was a silly mistake, somewhere in the class i had a function say,

Public Function Colors(id) as Double
....
....
End Function

Now in the same class in some other function, a variable was diclared with same name and it was accessing the same funciton
e.g.


Private sub somesub()
....
Dim Colors = nothing
....
Colors = Colors + Colors(2)
....
End Sub

This lead to the error, Now to solve the problem, i renamed Colors(...) to getColorsID(...) and it worked.

How to get physical path of the virtual directory on the server in ASP.net application

I recently wanted to know the physical path of the virtual directory on
the server in some ASP.net application i was working with.
There i used code inline and in .aspx page i can use Server.mappath()
(member of System.Web.HttpServerUtility) and it serves the purpose.
BUT
In other files placed in App_Code folder, I can't use that directly.What i found is that there is another alternate to Server.mappath(), that's,
You may use System.Web.Hosting.HostingEnvironment.MapPath() function to
do the same.so in my class some where i can write

Public Class clsUtils
....
Public LogFile As String =
System.Web.Hosting.HostingEnvironment.MapPath("~/Log/") & "\LogFile.txt"
....
....
....
End Class

This is complete information about both function, from MSDN.

Public Shared Function MapPath(ByVal virtualPath As String) As String
Member of: System.Web.Hosting.HostingEnvironmentSummary:
Maps a virtual path to a physical path on the server.

Parameters: virtualPath: The virtual path (absolute or relative).
Return Values: The physical path on the server specified by the virtualPath parameter.


Public Function MapPath(ByVal path As String) As String
Member of: System.Web.HttpServerUtilitySummary:
Returns the physical file path that corresponds to the specified virtual path on the Web server.

Parameters:path: The virtual path on the Web server.
Return Values:The physical file path that corresponds to path.
Exceptions:System.Web.HttpException: The current System.Web.HttpContext is null.

Microsoft "Acropolis" CTP Released

Microsoft has released the Code Name "Acropolis" Community Technology Preview.

The Microsoft code name “Acropolis” Community Technology Preview 1 is a set of components and tools that make it easier for developers to build and manage modular, business focused, client .NET applications. Acropolis is part of the “.NET Client Futures” wave of releases, our preview of upcoming technologies for Windows client development.

Code Name "Acropolis" is a toolkit for creating modular, business-focused Windows client applications. "Acropolis" builds on the.NET Framework, and includes a run-time framework, design-time tools, and out-of-the-box functionality. "Acropolis" enables you to build reusable, connectable components and assemble them into working applications that are easy to change.

Acropolis builds on the rich capabilities of Microsoft Windows and the .NET Framework, including Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF), by providing tools and pre-built components that help developers quickly assemble applications from loosely-coupled parts and services. With Acropolis you will be able to:

• Quickly create WPF enabled user experiences for your client applications.
• Build client applications from reusable, connectable, modules that allow you to easily create complex, business-focused applications in less time.
• Integrate and host your modules in applications such as Microsoft Office, or quickly build stand-alone client interfaces.
• Change the look and feel of your application quickly using built-in themes, or custom designs using XAML.
• Add features such as workflow navigation and user-specific views with minimal coding.
• Manage, update, and deploy your application modules quickly and easily.

Acropolis buzz

You may get to know Great acropolis explanations at here
Also, over on the Acropolis team blog, Kathy is aggregating useful acropolis posts from the team.
Plus not to miss Acropolis Interview on DotNetRocks! at NET Rocks! #248 - Introducing Acropolis Visit this link to Listen now or download in nearly any format you want...

Acropolis in Action

Visit this link to see lots of video that helps you to get in touch with this new technology.
Some video available there are ,
Introducing Acropolis
Using Acropolis PartPanes
Using the Acropolis Designer

Download it here.

Surfing WAP sites easy and fun on your Firefox, Try WML Browser for Mozilla.

For all WAP site (sites intended for mobile users) content developers , who want to surf their WAP site in some PC browser, instead the mobile browser, there is a mozilla addon that can be used to do exactly same. To Surfing WAP sites your Firefox, Try WML Browser for Mozilla.

There is a plugin for Mozilla that allows to surf wml 1.3 or below sites using Mozilla. This should be a very good resource for those site developers who do not have a wml (in)capable cell phone to test on Info and download can be found at: http://wmlbrowser.mozdev.org/

the page at given url has one install link, or you may click here to go there.

ASP.NET quick start Tutorial

A good news for all ASP.NET developers, specially beginners, there is a very good tutorial site on ASP.NET that will show you most common task you will need to do in day to day programming in the sophisticated way possible. It's web address is http://samples.gotdotnet.com/quickstart/aspplus/

An intro page there says :
The ASP.NET QuickStart is a series of ASP.NET samples and supporting commentary designed to quickly acquaint developers with the syntax, architecture, and power of the ASP.NET Web programming framework. The QuickStart samples are designed to be short, easy-to-understand illustrations of ASP.NET features. By the time you have completed the QuickStart tutorial, you will be familiar with:

• ASP.NET Syntax. While some of the ASP.NET syntax elements will be familiar to veteran ASP developers, several are unique to the new framework. The QuickStart samples cover each element in detail.
• ASP.NET Architecture and Features. The QuickStart introduces the features of ASP.NET that enable developers to build interactive, world-class applications with much less time and effort than ever before.
• Best Practices. The QuickStart samples demonstrate the best ways to exercise the power of ASP.NET while avoiding potential pitfalls along the way.

What Level of Expertise Is Assumed in the QuickStart?
If you have never developed Web pages before, the QuickStart is not for you. You should be fluent in HTML and general Web development terminology. You do not need previous ASP experience, but you should be familiar with the concepts behind interactive Web pages, including forms, scripts, and data access.

Working with the QuickStart Samples
The QuickStart samples are best experienced in the order in which they are presented. Each sample builds on concepts discussed in the preceding sample. The sequence begins with a simple form submittal and builds up to integrated application scenarios.


worth a visit, grab it now !!

JavaScript Intellisense in Visual studio

I've already blogged that VS2008 is offering a new feature that promises Intellisense for JavaScript. this is going to be one of the features that web developers will really like with VS 2008. This is enabled in both the free Visual Web Developer 2008 Express edition as well as in Visual Studio, and makes using JavaScript and building AJAX applications significantly easier.

Not to mention that because of the multi-targeting support in VS 2008, we can use the JavaScript intellisense features with both ASP.NET applications built using .NET 3.5 (which has ASP.NET AJAX built-in), as well as with existing ASP.NET 2.0 applications (including ones that use the separate ASP.NET AJAX 1.0 download). This provides a very compelling reason to start using VS 2008 - even if you are using it to only target .NET 2.0 applications.

Get cell value when gridview column is visible false

When we set a columns visible property to false in Gridview, it's data is no longer available. for example,

<asp:GridView ID="GridView1" runat="server" AutoGenerateColumns="False" DataSourceID="SqlDataSource1" DataKeyNames="ID"

OnRowCommand="GridView1_RowCommand">

<asp:BoundField Visible="false" DataField="ID" HeaderText="ID" SortExpression="ID" />

<asp:BoundField DataField="NAME" HeaderText="NAME" SortExpression="NAME" />

</Columns>

</asp:GridView>

If you make a simple gridview with two columns and make both columns visible, you can use the code below to get the value.

e.g. gridview1.rows(0).cells(0).text will return some value.

But When you set visible="false" in the .aspx file, the value is no longer populated.
So gridview1.rows(0).cells(0).text will return empty string.

WORKAROUND

There are several, but what i did is like this,

If you need a value of a particular field of gridview but you don't want to display it to user, add it to your DataKeyNames property and you can access the value through the DataKeys property.

e.g. gridview1.datakeys(0).Item("ID")

Watching LIVE Streaming TV Channels on my Mobile, Sounds Great !!

In India Doordarshan (India's national television broadcaster Doordarshan) is working on some type of mobile tv technology. you might think it must be IPTV but no, it's something else.
It is latest Digital Video Broadcast-Handheld (DVB-H) broadcast mobile TV pilot project, using Nokia's open standards based DVB-H solution.

The Nokia Mobile Broadcast Solution will be delivered to Doordarshan via SHAF Broadcast Pvt Ltd in early 2007. During this pilot, Doordarshan will test the reception quality of the broadcast coverage, and explore the myriad of options of supporting different service schemes, such as advertising and interactive services.

The pilot will also enable Doordarshan to gauge consumer expectations of the service going forward. The pilot will use DVB-H technology, a robust broadcast technology
now used to support several extensive field pilots globally, chosen based on its merit to support mobility, small screens, indoor coverage, optimised use of battery and in-built antenna that are specific to handheld devices such as mobile devices.

This service does not comes through any kind of data transfer or GPRS. This service is just like your handset picks up FM radio signals from the air. Similarly your mobile handset will pick tv signals from air.
There's no need of any data transfer or buffering. This service is free of cost. Presently only 16 of DD channels will be aired. The region will be Delhi. India is 5'th Nation in the world to launch this service.

Presently only two handsets in India support this service.
1. Nokia N92 http://www.gsmarena.com/nokia_n92-1346.php
2. Nokia N77 http://www.gsmarena.com/nokia_n77-1859.php

VS2008 (aka Orcas) with .NET Framework 3.5 is coming...

It's expected that we'll have VS 2008 and .NET 3.5 Beta 2 at doorstep this summer. what's makes anticipation go high are the cool new features among some really new concept that it will present to. It includes the new LINQ support, integrated ASP.NET AJAX support, new ASP.NET data controls, and more....
it's also going to provide Multi-Targeting Support for Frameworks in IDE within. according to scoot,

"One of the big changes we are making starting with the VS 2008 release is to support what we call "Multi-Targeting" - which means that Visual Studio will now support targeting multiple versions of the .NET Framework, and developers will be able to start taking advantage of the new features Visual Studio provides without having to always upgrade their existing projects and deployed applications to use a new version of the .NET Framework library."

So that's a great news for some, it'll help those who are using older frameworks and wanna move to new one, they can try it easily, without any hassle to convert projects to new adopt new framework changes. This also means that if one doesn't want to use newer framework, still he'll be able to take advantage of new IDE. great !!

But keep in mind one thing that this multi-targeting support only works with .NET 2.0, .NET 3.0 and .NET 3.5 - and not against older versions of the framework (i.e. 1.0 and 1.1)

So people tighten your belt and get ready for new ride this summer...

p.s. For all those who can't wait that long and eager to try hands on present version, visit Visual Studio Code Name "Orcas" Downloads

Toll Free Help line Numbers of Indian Companies

Airways
Indian Airlines - 1600 180 1407
Jet Airways - 1600 22 5522
SpiceJet - 1600 180 3333

Automobiles
Mahindra Scorpio - 1600 22 6006
Maruti - 1600 111 515
Tata Motors - 1600 22 5552
Windshield Experts - 1600 11 3636
BanksABN AMRO - 1600 11 2224
Canara Bank - 1600 44 6000
Citibank - 1600 44 2265
Corporatin Bank - 1600 443 555
Development Credit Bank - 1600 22 5769
HDFC Bank - 1600 227 227
ICICI Bank - 1600 333 499
ICICI Bank NRI - 1600 22 4848
IDBI Bank - 1600 11 6999
Indian Bank - 1600 425 1400
ING Vysya - 1600 44 9900
Kotak Mahindra Bank - 1600 22 6022
Lord Krishna Bank - 1600 11 2300
Punjab National Bank - 1600 122 222
State Bank of India - 1600 44 1955
Syndicate Bank - 1600 44 6655

Cell Phones
BenQ - 1600 22 08 08
Bird CellPhones - 1600 11 7700
Motorola MotoAssist - 1600 11 1211
Nokia - 3030 3838
Sony Ericsson - 3901 1111

Computers/IT
Adrenalin - 1600 444 445
AMD - 1600 425 6664
Apple Computers - 1600 444 683
Canon - 1600 333 366
Cisco Systems - 1600 221 777
Compaq - HP - 1600 444 999
Data One Broadband - 1600 424 1600
Dell - 1600 444 026
Epson - 1600 44 0011
eSys - 3970 0011
Genesis Tally Academy - 1600 444 888
HCL - 1600 180 8080
IBM - 1600 443 333
Lexmark - 1600 22 4477
Marshal's Point - 1600 33 4488
Microsoft - 1600 111 100
Microsoft Virus Update - 1901 333 334
Seagate - 1600 180 1104
Symantec - 1600 44 5533
TVS Electronics - 1600 444 566
WeP Peripherals - 1600 44 6446
Wipro - 1600 333 312
xerox - 1600 180 1225
Zenith - 1600 222 004

Couriers/Packers & Movers
ABT Courier - 1600 44 8585
AFL Wizz - 1600 22 9696
Agarwal Packers & Movers - 1600 11 4321
Associated Packers P Ltd - 1600 21 4560
DHL - 1600 111 345
FedEx - 1600 22 6161
Goel Packers & Movers - 1600 11 3456
UPS - 1600 22 7171

Education
Edu Plus - 1600 444 000
Hindustan College - 1600 33 4438
NCERT - 1600 11 1265
Vellore Institute of Technology - 1600 441 555

Healthcare
Best on Health - 1600 11 8899
Dr Batras - 1600 11 6767
GlaxoSmithKline - 1600 22 8797
Johnson & Johnson - 1600 22 8111
Kaya Skin Clinic - 1600 22 5292
LifeCell - 1600 44 5323
Manmar Technologies - 1600 33 4420
Pfizer - 1600 442 442
Roche Accu-Chek - 1600 11 45 46
Rudraksha - 1600 21 4708
Varilux Lenses - 1600 44 8383
VLCC - 1600 33 1262

Home Appliances
Aiwa/Sony - 1600 11 1188
Anchor Switches - 1600 22 7979
Blue Star - 1600 22 2200
Bose Audio - 1600 11 2673
Bru Coffee Vending Machines - 1600 44 7171
Daikin Air Conditioners - 1600 444 222
DishTV - 1600 12 3474
Faber Chimneys - 1600 21 4595
Godrej - 1600 22 5511
Grundfos Pumps - 1600 33 4555
LG - 1901 180 9999
Philips - 1600 22 4422
Samsung - 1600 113 444
Sanyo - 1600 11 0101
Voltas - 1600 33 4546
WorldSpace Satellite Radio - 1600 44 5432

Hotel Reservations
GRT Grand - 1600 44 5500
InterContinental Hotels Group - 1600 111 000
Marriott - 1600 22 0044
Sarovar Park Plaza - 1600 111 222
Taj Holidays - 1600 111 825

Insurance
AMP Sanmar - 1600 44 2200
Aviva - 1600 33 2244
Bajaj Allianz - 1600 22 5858
Chola MS General Insurance - 1600 44 5544
HDFC Standard Life - 1600 227 227
LIC - 1600 33 4433
Max New York Life - 1600 33 5577
Royal Sundaram - 1600 33 8899
SBI Life Insurance - 1600 22 9090

Mattresses
Kurl-on - 1600 44 0404
Sleepwell - 1600 11 2266
Investments/ FinanceCAMS - 1600 44 2267
Chola Mutual Fund - 1600 22 2300
Easy IPO's - 3030 5757
Fidelity Investments - 1600 180 8000
Franklin Templeton Fund - 1600 425 4255
J M Morgan Stanley - 1600 22 0004
Kotak Mutual Fund - 1600 222 626
LIC Housing Finance - 1600 44 0005
SBI Mutual Fund - 1600 22 3040
Sharekhan - 1600 22 7500
Tata Mutual Fund - 1600 22 0101

Paints
Asian Paints Home Solutions - 1600 22 5678
Berger Paints Home Decor - 1600 33 8800

Teleshopping
Asian Sky Shop - 1600 22 1600
Jaipan Teleshoppe - 1600 11 5225
Tele Brands - 1600 11 8000
VMI Teleshopping - 1600 447 777
WWS Teleshopping - 1600 220 777TravelClub Mahindra Holidays - 1600 33 4539
Cox & Kings - 1600 22 1235
God TV Tours - 1600 442 777
Kerala Tourism - 1600 444 747
Kumarakom Lake Resort - 1600 44 5030
Raj Travels & Tours - 1600 22 9900
Sita Tours - 1600 111 911
SOTC Tours - 1600 22 3344

UPS
APC - 1600 44 4272
Numeric - 1600 44 3266

Others
Consumer Helpline - 1600 11 4000
L'Or?al, GARNIeR - 1600 223 000
KONE Elevator - 1600 444 666
Indane - 1600 44 51 15
Aavin - 1600 44 3300
Pedigree - 1600 11 2121
Kodak India - 1600 22 8877
Domino's Pizza - 1600 111 123
World Vision India - 1600 444 550
Telecom Monitoring Cell - 1600 110 420