Developer Interview: keyboardP of Air Pick Voice

WP Central

This calendar week nosotros've been joined by keyboardP, the developer behind Air Selection Phonation ("ballsy voice"), who agreed to a Windows Phone developer interview. Should you exist interested to acquire more than virtually his project and feel developing for Microsoft'due south mobile platform, caput on past the interruption for the total interview.

Tell united states of america almost yourselves and how yous got into software development.

I'm a cocky-taught developer and have been programming since the age of 10. I would stay after school in the computer rooms so that I could mess effectually with QBasic, which was the IDE the school had at the time. I started off writing simple text take a chance games in QBasic before moving on to other languages such every bit Coffee, C++ and C#. I pursued my involvement in computers and read Reckoner Scientific discipline and Business at university and interned at Microsoft, which was a peachy experience.

Games were primarily the main reason I got into programming every bit every time I played games, half of my concentration was on playing and the other half was on trying to figure out how developers created certain aspects. With the evolution of games and applied science, that curiosity all the same lingers within my mind equally I'm playing any game. It's too office of my inspiration to create applications and games that causes other people to inquire "how was that created?".

What do you think of Microsoft's platform (from a user perspective) and how do you compare information technology to competitors?

Like a lot of things in life, dissimilar platforms are suited to different users. The openness of Android, for instance, is suited to a certain demographic, but not necessarily the all-time choice for all consumers who really accept an Android. Likewise, those who want the ability to hack their phone however they like may non be as happy with their iOS or Windows Phone device (in their current states) as they would be with an Android device. In my stance, having had an Android device and a Windows Phone device, I'm very happy with the Window Phone from a user perspective. Everything merely works out the box and there are no custom ROMs required if you want to speed upwardly your device.

Yous're likewise guaranteed updates regardless of your carrier which, from a user perspective, is something I'd like to have every bit standard equally opposed to manually downloading and installing custom ROMs on to my device. It seems that Microsoft are taking the middle ground between iPhone and Android devices. The former has a limited number of devices with a consistent interface whereas the latter has a wide range of devices with the OEMs being able to customise it to their requirements. Windows Phone is the center ground where at that place are a range of devices, and then users take hardware options, only the software experience remains consistent. Despite the smoothness of the devices, the hardware specs are what consumers compare and, in my opinion, this is where Windows Phone has to improve if they want to outset battling on the marketing forepart.

What'due south the number 1 characteristic y'all love the well-nigh in Mango, and what are you looking forward to in the next update?

Mango adds a lot to the Windows Phone platform, then it's difficult to choose just i feature. However, I do like the 'Local Scout' feature which immediately shows nearby restaurants, bars, and things to do. I've used more times that I thought I actually would so it was something I underestimated in terms of usefulness to me. Every bit more of a concept than a single solid feature, I'm looking forward to the integration between Windows 8, Windows Phone and Xbox. It simply opens up a huge range of possibilities and, as a developer, my mind is constantly coming up with ideas of what this combination can produce.

What path(s) led you to develop for Windows Phone?

Existence a C# developer, it was certainly an advantage to not take to learn a new development environment or linguistic communication to go started. I was familiar with Visual Studio and since Windows Phone development uses Visual Studio, there was a very depression bulwark to entry in terms of skill ready. However, I believe it's important to be a 'programming language polyglot' every bit a developer and having to learn a new language shouldn't be the just reason to not piece of work on other platforms. When I get-go saw Windows Phone announced at a developer conference, I immediately felt that it had a huge potential.

With Microsoft falling behind in the mobile infinite, I felt that they would put a lot of resource into this projection to endeavor and become a competing strength against the iPhone and Android platforms. I experience that there is a popular belief that the iPhone marketplace and the Android market is a sure fire way to make millions, but because of the success stories y'all hear. The reality is, a vast majority of apps don't make information technology and you need a something unique and a bit of luck to be able to brand information technology in such a crowded marketplace. Equally a one-human being team, I felt that a dandy place to make a name would be in an emerging piece of technology which has huge potential.

What's your take on the Windows Phone development procedure?

I absolutely honey information technology. The fact that an existing skill gear up tin can be utilised from the kickoff is something that is often underrated in terms of importance. Yet, more than that, Visual Studio is a corking IDE and Expression Alloy is a brilliant UX development tool. I've been developing for Windows Telephone from the beta of the original SDK and information technology'southward great to meet it constantly improving. I call up what helps a lot are the official samples you can download for pretty much whatever major feature. Having the samples actually helps explicate how to utilise the various APIs and tools.

Have you lot adult for other platforms and if so how does the development process compare?

Windows Phone development experience is second to none. I've developed for iOS, Android, and Windows Phone and I tin can say without a shadow of a dubiety, the development experience on Windows Phone is past far the easiest and smoothest. The fact that a rough prototype of Angry Birds can be created inside a few hours, with barely a line of code, speaks volumes in my opinion. Every bit a ane-man team, I experience that prototyping should be a fast process and with the combination of Visual Studio and Expression Blend, the entire process is very efficient and effective.

Information technology'due south easy to forget that Microsoft puts a lot of store in developers and has done since its inception. Over the years, they've had the opportunity to listen to developer feedback and amend the development experience. The current country of Visual Studio is not something that sprung upward overnight and comparison information technology with my experience of the Eclipse IDE and XCode, you can really encounter the difference. Even if I'm developing an iOS app, I'd epitome it using the Windows Phone kit just because I discover it more efficient to exercise that and and so port information technology, rather than prototype with XCode and Objective-C.

The only surface area which Windows Telephone falls behind on, in my experience, is with its API. iOS has had the fourth dimension to expand the API and Android's API is smashing for being able to practise pretty much anything. Windows Telephone has to catch up on providing more APIs to developers as it'south currently more limited than the other two platforms.

Air Pick Phonation is an 'epic' concept, how did the thought came to be and what bug did you come across throughout development?

Cheers! My apps tend to be built-in out of personal experience. I feel that if I tackle a problem that I personally face up, I accept a better chance of solving information technology in the best possible fashion. I also have the trend to solve problems in a unique style which doesn't conform to expected solutions. I experience this non only spawns farther ideas, but can oftentimes result in a better solution. It likewise makes things more challenging, which is something I comprehend as a developer.

The offset time the thought for APV came near was when I was developing on a auto that didn't take my music. Whenever I wanted to heed to a particular song, I'd have to flick to the other motorcar and select the vocal which often cleaved my concentration. Additionally, I listen to music when I get ready in the morning and so when I was making breakfast, the randomised playlist sometimes played a song I didn't want to heed to. At that point I knew there must be a better fashion to set up this solution than to having to become back to my machine or to have to ringlet through thousands of songs on my telephone.

Speech recognition wasn't something I had played around with before and so the whole development process has been a learning feel. There are things I would and would non practise if I was to recreate this project from scratch. Besides a few hiccups, I think the biggest issue was speed and retentiveness. There is merely so much command I have over the boot upwards time and information technology was taking effectually vii seconds for 3500 songs. Using some tricks and relatively complex plumbing, I managed to cut the boot upward time to three seconds on my machine. I also managed to shave off over sixty percent in memory usage. I put a lot of endeavor into these two areas because this is a service I expect users to be running for an extended flow of time, hence the memory concern, and the possibility that the user has quite a large music collection then the speed was of import.

The project equally a whole sports some well sought later features (peculiarly the custom ringtone creation), why pack so much into a unmarried package?

When I was creating the various aspects of the app, I knew directly abroad that I could sell them equally private apps and perhaps earn a higher acquirement. However, the starting time and foremost aspect for me is to exist proud of my apps and to ensure that anyone who actually uses my apps are getting the best possible experience. I've been using APV in its current land for a couple of weeks and I think when users practice besides, they'll see that all the features work well together.

There's a fluid interaction from one job to another and the custom ringtones sits very nicely in this process. If I'chiliad listening to a song and I all of a sudden hear a particular flake I want as a ringtone, I can immediately do that without having to exit the app. That experience is something I consider important and hopefully my users will appreciate that when they utilise information technology. I'm sure other apps of a similar nature will hit the Marketplace, but my priorities lie with the actual users of my apps even if that results in fewer sales.

What can nosotros await from APV in the hereafter once version 1 is out in the wild?

Firstly, I'd love to receive feedback and build up on that. I try and brand information technology piece of cake to contact me and do my best to answer to people who bulletin me on Twitter or e-mail me. Existence a one-human being team means that I can listen to my users directly and that's an advantage I'd hate to see become to waste material. In fact, I've already received feedback regarding the proper noun Air Selection Vocalism or APV. There's been mixed responses regarding the proper name and then I'm accepting new proper noun suggestions until Tuesday seventh (more information at www.keyboardp.me).

Besides feedback, at that place are some very absurd plans and I call back they adhere to my philosophy of trying to do things differently. Version 1 sets out to facilitate your listening feel from an interaction indicate of view but future plans, that take been with me from the beginning, attempts to improve it from a psychological bespeak of view. That's all I'm saying for now...

Are you looking forward to the upcoming Windows 8 to expand onto the large screen, equally well as mobile, with higher levels of integration being made bachelor?

Absolutely. I feel that Microsoft are carefully coordinating certain aspects of Windows Phone to coincide with Windows 8. Not only does this mean that even more things are going to be possible, but that the entire evolution process is going to be made even easier. Every bit someone who adores technology and its potential, Windows 8 and the integration it brings is something I'm very excited about.

What other Windows Phone projects are you working on?

I was working on a game (which, incidentally, was the app being adult on the car that didn't take my music). During evolution of the game, I created the prototype of APV (which was known equally 'PhoneZune') to solve the music issue, and the response to the video I uploaded was simply immense. A lot of people wanted APV then I put the game on the back burner and fabricated APV my main project over the last couple of months. I have a couple of other apps that I accept prototyped and I believe that they're all as unique as APV too as changing the way people perform sure tasks. Yet, APV is my current focus at the moment then you lot'll have to expect for a bit until I announce the other apps

What advice would you lot give to other aspiring developers?

Don't surrender. Every bit cliché as that sounds, I know of many developers who jumped into the deep terminate, tried to code an aggressive projection as their first endeavour and were permanently put off programming. It's important to outset off unproblematic and regardless of how pointless some of the more basic tutorials seem, at that place's always a reason they've become standard. There's cypher incorrect with ambition, simply it needs to be coupled with ability in order for anything to be realised.

I recollect it's besides quite piece of cake to be put off programming when you lot run into people on forums answering complex questions off the top of their heads. Information technology's important to remember that these people as well started off without any programming noesis and I think a mutual trait amid the best programmers is that they've always stuck at information technology.

Give thanks you for your time. Any closing words about WP7'south future?

I believe that Windows Phone is, and always has been, in this for the long term. I think information technology would be naïve to take expected Windows Phone to accept a huge chunk of the marketshare in a year or so. However, the platform is solid, the development experience is second to none in my opinion, and the final hurdle is to get this message across to the consumers. Having a great product isn't enough in this industry and sometimes you have to compete on numbers that don't necessarily take tangible effects.

A lot of non-technical consumers will look at the specs of a device and if it has higher numbers, they'd assume it's faster than a device that has lower specs. I remember Windows Telephone needs to, and will, start competing on the specification front even if it's just for the marketing aspect. I too believe Microsoft will starting time to target the lower end of the market where Android is dominating. I feel that the important question there is if people are buying Android devices because of the Android brand or because of the cost. Competing on positive branding is much more difficult than competing on pricing in this example. It'due south going to be an uphill battle, but the fact that Windows Phone is a solid device is a keen get-go to the climb.

Give thanks you for the interview, it's been an absolute pleasure!

You lot tin follow keyboardP on Twitter, view his previous videos, and check out his development blog to keep up-to-date.

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