Zune Now Playing support for Digsby and Winamp-compatible nowplaying software.

July 17, 2010 by Dave · 4 Comments

The Zune media player delivers Now Playing information to Windows Live Messenger, but other software isn’t able to pick up these messages.  Quite a few users have asked for Zune Now Playing support in Digsby, so I put together this little app that lets this work.  The application itself is generic, converting Zune now playing messages into the more widely implemented Winamp now playing method.

Download the executable and source (C++).

Code Listing:

#include "stdafx.h"
#include "ZuneNowPlaying.h"
#include "LimitSingleInstance.h" // KB243953
#include <regex>
 
const std::tr1::wregex pattern(L".*?\\\\0Music\\\\0.*?\\\\0.*?\\\\0(.*?)\\\\0(.*?)\\\\0");
 
CLimitSingleInstance g_SingleInstanceObj(L"{24F3CD83-9FFE-4DE6-951D-63958942F834}");
 
HWND hWndWinamp;
HWND hWndWindowsLiveMessenger;
 
LRESULT CALLBACK WndProc(HWND hWnd, UINT message, WPARAM wParam, LPARAM lParam)
{
	switch (message)
	{
		case WM_COPYDATA:
			{
				COPYDATASTRUCT *cds = (COPYDATASTRUCT*)lParam;
				wchar_t *str = (wchar_t*)cds-&gt;lpData;
 
				std::tr1::wcmatch result;
				if(std::tr1::regex_search(str, result, pattern))
				{
					std::wstring ret = result[2].str() + L" - " + result[1].str();
					SetWindowText(hWndWinamp, ret.c_str());
				}
				else
				{
					SetWindowText(hWndWinamp, L"");
				}
				break;
			}
		case WM_DESTROY:
			PostQuitMessage(0);
			break;
		case WM_USER:
			if (lParam == 104)
			{
				return 1; // Winamp=Playing (always)
			}
	}
	return DefWindowProc(hWnd, message, wParam, lParam);
}
 
void RegisterClasses(HINSTANCE hInstance)
{
	WNDCLASSEX wcex = WNDCLASSEX();
	wcex.cbSize = sizeof(WNDCLASSEX);
	wcex.lpfnWndProc	= WndProc;
	wcex.hInstance		= hInstance;
	wcex.hbrBackground	= (HBRUSH)(COLOR_WINDOW+1);
	wcex.lpszClassName	= L"MsnMsgrUIManager";
	RegisterClassEx(&amp;wcex);
 
	wcex.lpszClassName	= L"Winamp v1.x";
	RegisterClassEx(&amp;wcex);
}
 
bool CreateWindows(HINSTANCE hInstance)
{
	// Pretend to be Windows Live Messenger, so WM_COPYDATA messages are sent to us.
	hWndWindowsLiveMessenger = CreateWindow(L"MsnMsgrUIManager", L"", WS_DISABLED,
		CW_USEDEFAULT, 0, CW_USEDEFAULT, 0, NULL, NULL, hInstance, NULL);
	// Pretend to be Winamp (any version), so apps will pick us up for Now Playing.
	hWndWinamp = CreateWindow(L"Winamp v1.x", L"", WS_DISABLED,
		CW_USEDEFAULT, 0, CW_USEDEFAULT, 0, NULL, NULL, hInstance, NULL);
 
	return hWndWinamp &amp;&amp; hWndWindowsLiveMessenger;
}
 
int APIENTRY _tWinMain(HINSTANCE hInstance, HINSTANCE /*hPrevInstance*/, LPTSTR /*lpCmdLine*/, int /*nCmdShow*/)
{
	MSG msg = MSG();
	if (!g_SingleInstanceObj.IsAnotherInstanceRunning())
	{
		RegisterClasses(hInstance);
 
		if (CreateWindows(hInstance))
		{
			while (GetMessage(&amp;msg, NULL, 0, 0))
			{
				TranslateMessage(&amp;msg);
				DispatchMessage(&amp;msg);
			}
		}
	}
	return (int)msg.wParam;
}</regex>

How it works:

It’s pretty simple, Zune software sends a WM_COPYDATA message to a window with class name MsnMsgrUIManager, the message contains a pointer to a unicode string, that looks something like this:

ZUNE\0Music\01\0{0} - {1}\0TRACK_TITLE\0TRACK_ARTIST\0TRACK_ALBUM\0zune:ZUNE_GUID\0
 
// TRACK_TITLE: Title
// TRACK_ARTIST: Artist
// TRACK_ALBUM: Album
// ZUNE_GUID:  A GUID that may refer to the Zune device, Zune account, or Zune software itself.
 
// Note:  {0} - {1} is the format of how the string should be displayed in WLM - I ignore this entirely.
// Note2:  This method is used by other software, so I don't gate on ZUNE for the sake of maximum flexibility.  
// Note3:  The "1" after Music specifies the playing state.  0=Stopped, 1=Playing.  I ignore this and instead just use whether or not the other fields exist.

Note:  The \0’s in the above string are literally \ and 0, not NULL characters.

Using a regular expression to match the fields, The artist and title are extracted from the string, and set as the window caption for a window with class name Winamp v1.x. Software (like Digsby, or other now playing apps) may use FindWindow to locate the fake Winamp player, and read the caption with GetWindowText.

You may need to install the Microsoft Visual C++ 2008 SP1 Redistributable Package (x86).

GVNotifier moving forward

July 10, 2010 by Dave · 1 Comment

Thanks to an update on Lifehacker, GVNotifier has been installed 3,000 times in the past few days.  I’ve been flooded with emails and IMs–I apologize if I didn’t respond to you.  I generally try to respond to everything, but with working full-time, I wasn’t around and many messages were missed.  Thanks to those who have donated, and also those that left kind words!  I appreciate the feedback, good and bad.

As I have indicated in some email exchanges, I’m working full-time for the summer and and don’t have much spare time for development.  I’ll be picking back up at the end of August, but things are pretty stable right now.  The rest of this posts contains my thoughts on moving forward, as well as documentation of known issues and other reasoning.

Known Issues & Bugs

  • GVNotifier does not work outside of the USA:  This is a long-standing issue, Google allows connections to google.com/voice from a non-US IP address, but the authentication process is different.  I’ve built a new Silverlight library for Windows Phone 7 that uses ClientLogin, so I will likely switch over to this system.  (Milestone 1.5)
  • Search Crash:  Some people experience an occasional crash when searching contacts.  I have a fix planned.  The good news is that this is the only known crash.  (Milestone 1.5)
  • Bandwidth Usage:  A couple people have reported that the bandwidth usage is heavy.  This is true if you’re using metered internet.  I have an idea of how I can reduce usage, but this is not a priority right now.  (Milestone 1.6-1.7)
  • Contacts Sync:  Updating a contact that already has a window open doesn’t always work.  If you must sync contacts completely, a restart is required.  (Milestone 1.5)
  • Area code 406 numbers are hidden:  Since there actually are people with Google Voice in Montana, I’ll bring back a setting for this.  (Milestone 1.5)

FAQ

  • Can I change the polling rate?  Yes.  Edit %localappdata%\GVNotifierWPF\settings.xml.  Look for UpdateFreq, which is in seconds.  Using a zero-value will disable updating completely.
  • Can I invoke a manual check?  Yes.  Call GVNotifier.net.exe /check.  (Other arguments include: /signout, /quit and /update_contacts)
  • Can I change the notification sound?  Yes.  Edit %localappdata%\GVNotifierWPF\new.wav
  • Can I dial a number that isn’t in my contacts?  Yes.  Type the number into contacts search.
  • My contacts aren’t all showing, why?  GVNotifier will show contacts only if they have one or more phone numbers that are NOT within the 406 area code.
  • GVNotifier is doing something weird, what can I do?  Check out the log file at %localappdata%\GVNotifierWPF\log.txt.
  • Is my personal data safe?  As of 1.4.1, passwords are encrypted.  Your Google Voice login information is sent only to Google.com, and only via SSL.  Contacts information is stored in plain text, along with other settings.  The password encryption is not impossibly strong, but if you are worried, use full disk encryption (like BitLocker or TrueCrypt).
  • Where is %localappdata%?  Windows Vista/7:  C:\Users\<UserName>\AppData\Local.  Windows XP:  C:\Documents and Settings\<UserName>\Local Settings\Application Data.
  • Can I disable SMS for a certain contact?  Yes – include the text nosms in their Google Contact information.  The input box will be disabled for this contact.

New Features

  • Dial pad:  I’ll probably add this, even though there is a way to insert new numbers–I neglected how valuable a Dial pad would be with a touch computer. (Milestone 1.5)
  • SMS History:  I’d like to sync history in the message window, along with some other enhancements (contact photo, other contact info).  I’m considering adding an SMS History tab, but I’m not crazy about this.  (Milestone 1.6)
  • Mass-messaging:  I’d like to integrate groups from Google Contacts, and on-demand group messaging. (Milestone 1.7)
  • Let me know if you don’t see something you want here.  I consider any requests that aren’t ridiculous.

Things that are not being considered

  • Please don’t ask me to “compile this is without the .NET framework,” or “compile with .NET 2.0 because it is better.”  GVNotifier requires .NET 3.5sp1 and utilizes the Windows Presentation Foundation.  There is certainly a performance hit, but you’re welcome to not use this software.  I’ll be upgrading to .NET 4.0 in the future.
  • Open Source.  I’m not open-sourcing this project unless someone is willing to dedicate a large amount of time to adding new–and reliable–features.
  • “Making the UI more compact.”  I’m mostly happy with the interface, I will not be doing any NCA drawing (at the very top of the window; like Firefox4, Chrome, Opera, et al).  Getting this working perfectly is a waste of effort that is better spent fixing bugs and adding useful functionality.

Pandora One Media Keys – Enable them!

June 27, 2010 by Dave · Leave a Comment

I really enjoy Pandora – and I recently bought the upgrade to Pandora One, since I listen to it at work most of the day.  Aside from the player being AIR-based, my only gripe is the lack of media key support.  I’ve put together a simple application that runs in the background, redirecting media key input to the Pandora One player.

  • .NET 2.0 – Windows 2000 to Windows 7
  • Only the Next and PlayPause keys are mapped.  The attached source code includes Like and Dislike as well.
  • if the player is minimized, it will be restored, so you’ll want to keep the player behind your other windows.
  • The player needs to be in the now playing state, if you’re at the list of stations, the keys won’t work.
  • If you’d like to run the program at startup, create a shortcut and place it in your Startup folder, on the start menu.

Download Pandora One Media Keys.  This is a tiny project, so I’m sharing the relevant parts of the source code if you’d like to do something other than map the Next and PlayPause keys.

If this app is useful to you, please donate. :)

GVNotifier 1.4.1

June 27, 2010 by Dave · 2 Comments

GVNotifier 1.4.1 is live – auto-update to get it or download here.  This is a minor update, I’ve been very busy lately so this is a bugfixing release only.  Notable changes include:

  • Passwords are encrypted in the settings file, and in memory.  This is not strong encryption, but it’s better than plain text or simple encoding.
  • The old AppData directory is deleted if present (1.0-1.3)
  • Crash reporter – if the app crashes, a report is automatically sent the next time you run GVNotifier.

If you’re having trouble with ClickOnce, or need files for a portable version (create a blank settings.xml file), get the standalone version.  This version does not have auto-update!

GVAutoResponder 1.1 is out, tons of new features!

May 26, 2010 by Dave · Leave a Comment

GVAutoResponder 1.1 is out, tons more flexible than 1.0.  Below is a copy of the product page.  Everyone who bought a copy of 1.0 was sent a free upgrade via email.

Have you ever wanted to own your own SMS service?  Directing customers to send “MSG” to 123-456-789 for more information, or set up a whole menu of options.  Easily deliver customers with coupons, games, jokes or whatever else with GVAutoResponder!

GVAutoResponder turns your Google Voice account into a full-fledged business service.  Easily respond to customers with automated messages, even have a default option for users that don’t already know the commands. Send mass-messages to all your customers, or just a subset that have opted into a service.

Overview

  • Highly configurable and flexible rule system for generating responses
  • Respond to SMS, Missed Calls and Voicemail
  • Export users and messages
  • Easily send messages to one, some, or all users!
  • Cost-effective solution for managing one or more business Google Voice accounts
  • Works alongside GVNotifier

Get GVAutoResponder

GVAutoResponder v1.1.0.9 Windows XP/Vista/7 Download Documentation (PDF) Released May 26, 2010

GVAutoResponder will auto-update to the latest version if you already have it installed.

Features

GVAutoResponder runs on Windows XP/Vista/7 and monitors Google Voice for new messages.  If they match the criteria you select, they’ll get a response.  Using the rule editor, responses and triggers can be configured any way you like.

Send a message to one, some, or all of your users quickly with the mass-messaging features.

Export users and messages as CSV for use in excel or other applications.

Download the trial version now!   A signature will be appended to each message in the trial version, but otherwise the software is the same.

Order GVAutoResponder online now!

GVAutoResponder 1.1 may be purchased for a fee of $25 (for use with one Google Voice account) or $30 (for use with multiple accounts)

Single Account ($25) Unlimited Accounts ($30)




Send me an email, or contact me using the widget to the right if you would like a more customized solution. Please leave your email address so I can get back in touch with you!

GVNotifier 1.4 – an oveview

May 21, 2010 by Dave · 5 Comments

GVNotifier 1.4 is out – tons of great new features, just to name a few…

  • Contacts sync:  No more waiting for your contact list to load up each time you fire up GVNotifier!  Contacts and photos are stored on disk and synchronized after login, or each time you select the option on the notification area menu, or jumplist.
  • Windows 7 taskbar integration:  Common tasks and pinned contacts are available on the GVNotifier jumplist, just right-click on the taskbar icon.  Contacts sync progress is shown on the taskbar button as well.
  • Call History:  Call history is now a tab on the main window, 4 pages of calls from Missed, Placed and Received are loaded each time you start GVNotifier, an new events are updated in realtime.
  • Voicemil transcriptions & playback:  Click the voicemail tab on the main window to view or listen to voicemail.
  • Message Spellchecking

GVNotifier 1.4 was built using the Windows Presentation Foundation subsystem.  WPF is very flexible and building beautiful user interfaces has never been easier.  Inspiration came from Office 2010 and Windows 7.

With the upgrade to WPF, I took the time to rebuild my Google Voice connectivity library, removing the dependency on MSHTML, a component that was causing 50% or 100% CPU usage for some users.  This new library is more reliable than ever.

Check out the screenshots over at the product page.

Thanks to everyone over at the beta group, and Jared Kastriner for testing and reporting bugs throughout the process!  Special thanks also to everyone who has donated!

GVNotifier 1.4 is live

May 16, 2010 by Dave · 6 Comments

GVNotifier 1.4 is live, with contacts sync, call history, voicemail playback, a new UI and tons of other great features.  Documentation coming soon.

GVNotifier 1.4 Preview – Call History, Voicemail

May 8, 2010 by Dave · Leave a Comment

I’ve been working on GVNotifier 1.4, which will be a large change and due by the end of May.

You can get a beta copy here. GVNotifier 1.4 is now live!  (05/16)

The contact list has been revamped, and Windows 7 taskbar integration has finally arrived.


GVNotifier 1.3.132 resolves login issues – adds new features

May 2, 2010 by Dave · 2 Comments

Thanks to everyone who participated in the beta – I’ve pushed GVNotifier 1.3.  This build incorporates the login fixes, as well as a few new features:

- Ctrl+N will clear the messages from the current window.

- Ctrl+R (on the message window) to instantly check for new messages.

- Configurable fonts – set any size and style you’d like for the Contact List and Message windows.

- Connectivity test – GVNotifier won’t fail if your internet connection isn’t present.

GVNotifier login issues

May 2, 2010 by Dave · 1 Comment

It appears that Google has made some changes to the login system for Google Voice during the past couple of days.  Not everyone is seeing login problems, but some users are reporting it.

I’ve posted a beta version over at the GVNotifier Beta Group.  You can download it now, but I’ll likely be pushing it out to all users later today, or tomorrow.  If the beta version has fixed your login problem, please let me know!

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