Wednesday, October 03, 2012

If you like it so much, why don't you take a picture... (which is easy with this Windows 8 Photo/Camera app dev link round-up)

The blog of Rob Margel - Windows Help - 2 handy guides for Developing Windows Store device apps for printers and Cameras

Just spotted these 2  handy guides for anyone developing Windows Store device apps.

1. Developing Windows Store device apps for printers

This document describes how you can develop a Windows Store app for printers and assumes a working knowledge of how to author a Windows Store app for Windows 8.”

2. Developing Windows Store Device Apps for Cameras

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Microsoft Downloads - Developing Windows Store Device Apps for Cameras

"This paper provides information about developing a Windows Store device app to customize the capture experience and provide additional features for a specific camera. The intended audience is independent hardware vendors (IHVs) and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) who are interested in providing a Windows Store device app to differentiate their attached or embedded camera. Some sections of this paper assume that the reader is familiar with JavaScript, C++, and Media Foundation. This paper contains an appendix with special requirements for internally embedded cameras. "

Jerry Nixon - Walkthrough: Capturing photos in your Windows 8 application

"Windows 8 apps easily access all the sensors on a Windows 8 machine. But Windows 8 apps can’t access any sensors on a Windows 8 machine without first asking the user’s permission.

Asking Permission

Windows 8 apps are safe. That’s fundamental. Where desktop apps could (and can) do whatever the developer wants, Windows 8 apps are limited only to what the user allows.
Developers ask for device access by the application manifest. This XML file is in every Windows 8 app. It is manipulated by the GUI editor or notepad (for the die hard).
The manifest is how applications tell the operating system what sensors it intends to use. Just the manifest is not enough. Once requested, the operating system will verify access with the user first. 

Important note: checking webcam lets you capture photos. However, to capture video (including access to the vide stream) you need to ask for webcam and microphone. That’s just how it works.

Capture a Photo

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10REM.NET - Windows Store app development: Include that privacy policy

Privacy is a huge concern to most customers. Part of the Windows Store app certification process includes checking for the presence of a privacy policy if your app declares any capabilities which could affect privacy.

MSDN has a section (4.1.1) explaining what is expected from the privacy policy. I won't quote it here, but some important points jump out (emphasis mine):

Declaring certain capabilities in your app manifest makes us think your app collects the corresponding private information. For example, declaring Internet capabilities (internetClient, internetClientServer) in the app manifest makes us think you're collecting the IP number of the user.

Note that the default templates for apps in Visual Studio include the internetClient capability, so unless you change the default manifest, you will need a privacy policy.

So if your app connects to the Internet, you need a privacy policy explaining what you do with the information (IP numbers, for example).

Similarly, if your app captures Webcam images, Audio or video recordings, accesses Photos, Contacts, or Documents, or collects user-entered name, address, date of birth or other personally identifiable information (PII), you must have a privacy policy...."

Jerry makes it look easy and Pete makes it look a little scary (I mean I know I've never had to write a privacy policy before...). But even so Pete takes some of the scary away...

BTW, If you're in that boat of having to provide a privacy policy, make sure you also check out the related past post link below.

 

Related Past Post XRef:
Free advice on using the free Windows Azure Shared Web Sites to help your Windows 8 App get properly published

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