How to enable remote access to IIS Express web sites

When developing web services with windows phone applications and using the emulator, Visual Studio provides a rich and integrated development environment.  However, once you move to a physical device, such as a windows phone 8.1 device, for additional testing, you might run into an issue with the device accessing the web service within the IDE.

While you could configure IIS to expose the site you would not have an integrated debugging environment.  However, IIS Express can be configured to expose the IDE website to remote (external) devices.

1.  Turn off or configure windows firewall to allow access to the selected website project port.  You can locate this in the projects properties under web.

2.  Navigate to the IIS Express applicationhost.config file. (%HOMEPATH%\Documents\IISExpress\config\applicationhost.config)

3. Find the website you working with (search for the configured port) and add the highlighted line changing localhost to the local ip address that the remote device will use to access the web site.

4.  Make sure that you run Visual Studio as an administrator.

WP7 Samsung Focus USB Tethering support

If you have a WP7 Samsung Focus from AT&T you can use the device as a tethered USB modem.
1.  Open phone dial pad
2.  dial “##634#”
3.  Hit send, this will install a diagnostic app in your application directory for future access.
4.  When the diagnostics interface comes up dial “*#7284#”
5.  You will see the “Micro USB Test” screen options for Zune Sync, Modem tethered call and modem USD Diag.  Select modem tethered. 
6.  Restart phone
7.  Connect your phone to your computer via the USB
8.  The drivers will be installed via the device USB.
9.  Locate the modem on your computer and change the settings to prompt for user name and these values;
           number            *99***1#
           user name        WAP@CINGULARGPRS.COM
           password         CINGULAR1

****WARNING; USE THIS HACK AT YOUR OWN RISK****

Getting Started with Windows Phone

If your looking at getting started developing applications on the Windows 7 Phone platform here are some links to get you started;
Getting Started with Windows Phone (MSDN)http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/wp7trainingcourse_wp7gettingstarted_unit.aspx
Silverlight for Windows Phone; http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/wp7trainingcourse_wp7silverlight_unit.aspx
Get Started with Silverlight for Windows Phone Video; http://www.silverlight.net/learn/videos/all/get-started-with-silverlight-for-windows-phone/
MCSD Magazine Getting Started with Windows Phone Development Tools; http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/magazine/gg232764.aspx
Windows Phone 7 Training Course; http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/wp7trainingcourse.aspx

Windows Phone 7 in 7 Minutes! Free webcasts to get you started!

msDev.com is offering several good short video on windows 7 phone.
http://jpda.me/coHrdk