FIX: Only the internal storage is available when you synchronize content from Windows Media Player 11 to a Windows Mobile 5-based device with AKU 2.3

SYMPTOMS
You try to synchronize content from Microsoft Windows Media Player 11 to a Microsoft Windows Mobile 5-based device with AKU 2.3 or a later AKU. When you do this, the phone connects. However, only the internal storage on the phone is available in Windows Media Player as a synchronization target.

CAUSE
This issue occurs because the canonical name for Windows Mobile 5-based devices with AKU 2.3 and later AKUs is truncated in Microsoft Windows Media Device Manager. This hotfix eliminates a bug that causes this truncation to occur.

Download patch for Windows Vista x86-based computers here

Download patch for Windows Vista x64-based computers here

Microsoft's deepfish squeezes websites for your mobile

While this is not new, Microsoft has decided to come up their own version of Skweezer. Deepfish is a piece of software that reformats website designed for PC browsing to fit on your mobile screen. Registration is required in order to test Deepfish. According to Jason Langridge, "signups have been completely exhausted!" It is available for download HERE

Microsoft Unveils Xbox 360 Elite

Gamers will certainly appreciate the Elite with its "120GB hard drive, a high-definition multimedia interface (HDMI) port, a high-definition cable, and a premium black finish for the console, wireless controller and Xbox LIVE® headset." Besides, this new console can also be used to store music and download your favorite show. The Xbox 360 Elite will reach U.S. stores in April. Read Microsoft press release.

Minimo 0.2: Open-source browser for Windows Mobile

Minimo is a free, open-source web browser for Windows Mobile (Also called Windows CE, Pocket PC 2000, 2002, 2003, and 2003se) and is based on the Mozilla codebase. It is small, fast and easy to use, and offers many advantages over Pocket Internet Explorer, such as tabs, spatial navigation and more. Read more about the browser at the Minimo Projects Page.

Flexible see-through battery power

All is no longer as it seems – the clear flexible plastic in the image is a battery – it is a polymer based rechargeable battery made by Japanese scientists. Drs Hiroyuki Nishide, Hiroaki Konishi and Takeo Suga at Waseda University have designed the battery – which consists of a redox-active organic polymer film around 200 nanometres thick. Nitroxide radical groups are attached, which act as charge carriers. Because of its high radical density, the battery has a high charge/discharge capacity. This is just one of many advantages the ‘organic radical’ battery has over other organic based materials according to the researchers. The power rate performance is strikingly high – it only takes one minute to fully charge the battery and it has a long cycle life, often exceeding 1,000 cycles. Read more via Gizmag.com

Microsoft Research Project AURA

Project AURA is the research project to convert Barcodes into Data strings via the pocket pc and smartphone device camera. Because most device cameras cannot focus to the level the AURA software requires Microsoft will send anyone that sends a self stamped addressed envelope a free Lens kit (worth doing just to get the Lens). You can download the AURA software for pocket pc 2003 devices here and for smartphone and WM05 here or get the desktop installer (which must cover both) here. You send the lens request to ....

Project A.U.R.A. Lens Kit Request
Microsoft Research, Community Technologies Group
One Microsoft Way Redmond,
WA 98052United States of America

note they will only send 1 lens per envelope

Q&A: Help! Settings folder has gone from the Start menu

Q: Settings folder is not listed in the Start menu anymore, how can I fix it?

A: In order to resolve this, you need to open File Explorer and navigate to the \Windows\Start Menu folder. Once there, tap and hold on an empty space until a menu appears and select New Folder. A new folder is created. Rename the folder to Settings. Close File Explorer and click Start. Voilà, your Settings folder is back.

Q&A: Activesync and Windows Vista

Q: How to download ActiveSync 4.5 on new Vista PC?

A: Activesync 4.5 was designed to work with Windows XP and earlier. Microsoft has built Windows Mobile Device Center for PCs running Vista to sync with Windows Mobile powered devices. Therefore, Activesync will not run on Windows Vista. If you’re still running Windows XP, download Activesync 4.5 here.
Windows Mobile Device Center supports Windows Mobile 2003 or later devices and is available for download here.

KoffeeWare unveils KoffeePhoto mobile photo sharing preview

KoffeePhoto mobile photo sharing allows KoffeePhoto users to access and share photo albums on their mobile phone. Storage is free and unlimited thanks to KoffeePhoto’s unique private distributed storage technology. Photo albums are available anytime anywhere. Pictures can be viewed interactively or using full screen streamed slide-shows. The size of the screen is automatically detected in order to maximize the display and optimize the file download.
While the applet runs well with a GPRS/EDGE connection, a 3G(UMTS)/3G+(HSDPA) or WiFi connection is recommended for an optimal user experience.

It can be downloaded from: koffeephoto.com/mobile. More information on http://www.koffeephoto.com/en/index.php/koffeephoto-mobile.

Send money via sms with your cellphone

Our devices are great for watching movies, listen to music, edit documents, review presentations, keep track of budgets using Excel, browse the web, send/receive emails, internet banking and a lot more. What about using these same devices to send money to loved ones across the world by simply sending a sms? This is the new trend and is possible in Kenya, for example. One might say that Paypal launched this service a while ago. The problem with Paypal is that every persons involved in the transaction need to have a Paypal account. With Safaricom, Vodaphone's carrier partner in Kenya, only the sender needs to have an account. Similar services have just been launched in Belgium too. Once you have your account, a simple sms to the recipient suffice. Basically this is how it works:

“Currently, customers of Safaricom, Vodaphone's carrier partner in Kenya, can register at any authorized M-PESA agent, put money into their account, provide a security question and then send a text message to a friend or family member. The recipient gets a PIN number and a message telling them to go to a Safaricom agent, where they can pick up their money. Only the sender needs to be a Safaricom customer.” Read more

There will be NO Google phone

Richard Kimber, Google's South-East Asia managing director of sales and operations, and Vinton Cerf, Google's chief Internet evangelist have said that Google has no intention of making their own phone. Cerf added, Google is "quite eager" to be part of the growing mobile sector, and "is very interested in the platforms other people are building."
I had doubts when I first heard of the rumor that Google would become a phone manufacturer. The phone business requires a lot of investment, research and marketing. It's not just about gluing a few parts together and you have a phone.

Read this article.

MantraGroup announces Causerie Mobile Messenger

Causerie Messenger provides a single point access to view all contacts (buddies) on your mobile phone and even chat with them irrespective of the network they belong to. With rich and powerful UI, Causerie allows access to most of the handy features in a single tap or two. Some of the features include IM services to popular networks (MSN, AOL, Yahoo, Jabber, ICQ, IRC, Google Talk, Sametime and LCS 2003), Presence & Status settings, Easy Buddy lists (Add/Delete buddies) maintenance, Color support, Animated Emoticons, Background mode and Quick Text. Causerie also pushes email for IMAP based servers similar to Blackberry Devices. The service is not free and a 14 days trial is available

Rumor Mill - Nokia to Acquire Palm

According to a number of sources today Nokia appears to be showing alot of interest in buying Palm. While nothing concrete or official has come out the rumors appear to be flying thick and fast. From a marketing point of view it would make alot of sence for Nokia to make this bold move as it would push the already powerfull brand into a new market very fast, a market that Nokia has struggled to break into over the last 5 years with many failed mobile device attempts.

Filter your calls

PhoneGate is nice utility that lets you reject unwanted calls. The caller on his side will only hear the busy tone. PhoneGate is undeniably very useful, however I recommend, for your own safety :), that you do not spread the word that you purchased it. Yes Indeed, it is not free and actually costs $9.00. But a trial is available.

My Eten M500 comes with a similar application already installed, but not my HTC S620.

Backup Contacts and SMS with EasyHelper

EasyHelper Contact + SMS backup helps you backup and restore contacts and SMS. With it, you can export/import/copy contacts and SMS to/from a file. However, it won't let you move your PIM data to a Storage Card. EasyHelper is just a $19.95 backup tool. Buy and read more here.

Microsoft Research introduces Lincoln

Lincoln is a prototype project by Microsoft Research that lets you search information about a photo by comparing it to a database. A client version for Windows Mobile 5 is available for download. For more information, click here. This is very useful, especially when travelling. Just take a picture of a monument and Lincoln will provide all related information.

Its a digital life....

A recent article i read got me to thinking the other day, it was entitled something along the lines of "what i carry with me in the world each day.." and was about the amount of tech someone carrys around. Well each day i take the following to work,

1. 1 256 meg MMC (my backup card)
2. 1 2gig SD (grr @ fake ebay sd cards)
3. HT820 Motorola bluetooth headset
4. 1 generic bluetooth GPS
5. original imate handsfree (incase headset goes flat)
6. IBM T40 laptop (my portable desk)
7. 2 USB cords (for PDA)
8. 1 usb card reader

Once at work ive got 3 desktop pc's (one of which is my network server) and at home 2 desktop computers. But hey at least i can see what the weather will be for the next week on my mobile :D

Off beat: Eye-Fi brings OTA technology to your SLR camera

This is not really an off beat since it's about mobility and the ability to post your pictures over-the-air wherever you are. This new technology has the form of a regular SD card and a Compact Flash (Type II) adapter that brings Wifi capability to D-SLRs camera. Basically, you will be able to upload your picture to your blog or home PC or Mac directly from your camera when you're within a hotspot range. "We are currently conducting our beta program in order to get early feedback on functionality and usability from those who share our vision for the future of digital photography," wrote Shannon Segers, Community Manager, in an email to Pocket PC Mauritius. Shannon Segers also added that tests are being made on numerous "camera brands and models, and continue to aim for broad camera interoperability". Eye-Fi's website does not provide much info about their product.

Eten announces the Glofiish X800

The X800 has impressive features with support for 3.5G connectivity, a large VGA screen (640x480) and running Windows Mobile 6. The device will be launched in the second quarter of 2007. The X800 seems a good candidate to replace my M500. More here

How to make sure your customer data travels with you

This interesting article by Christopher Elliott published on Microsoft website offers a glimpse on how your devices can help your business earn more customers and keep customers' data handy and up to date while on the go. "I can't stress how important it is to stay in touch with your data when you are not in the office," says Sean T. Furman, president of S.T.F. Consulting in Rumson, N.J., a small-business owner himself. "The ability to carry all of my business-related data such as contacts, calendar, notes, tasks, and e-mail, is absolutely crucial to my success." After all that's what mobility is all about. Help you increase your efficiency in "having quick access to your contacts could make the difference between winning business or losing". If you own a small-business or even a big one, then this is a must read as it provides important guidelines to get you started. Read more...

Mundu IM V4 for Windows Smartphone

First of all, Mundu IM V4 is compatible with MS Smartphone and Palm OS but there is no version yet for Windows Mobile, Pocket PC edition. Pocket PC owners will just need to be a little patient. Just like St3v3, who asked me to test it because he doesn't have a Smartphone. For now, I'll just post about the capabilities of Mundu and will come up with a short review later.

In terms of interoperability, you can chat with all your contacts across AIM, Yahoo, MSN, Google Talk etc. Cross conferencing lets you invite friends from different platforms to chat within a single window. Other interesting features are: Photo Sharing, File Transfer, Email Notifications, organize your contacts by services, Multi-lingual chat...

Mundu is available at $11.00 for lifetime use and a five day free trial is available.

Ebook/ Audiobook Star Wars Dark Nest

Ive just finished this first book in the set of 3 which takes place (for all you hard core Star Wars fans) after the New Jedi Order series and well after the Empire has been kicked out of all systems. For people who haven't read the New Jedi Order series (which covers 20 Books) the newly ousted Empire is replaced with a mysterious new biological enemy with completely different tactics to the Jedi and the newly formed Governments. While i enjoyed the NJO series the new Dark Nest series is alot more cohesive within the books. You can read an excerpt here and or purchase to suit a different range of ebook readers.

Orions: Legend of Wizards v1.01

Linley pointed this one out to me a while back, i had a playable demo at the time but didnt think much of it. Well version 1.01 is out so i decided to give it another go. At first i thought it was another "pokemon" style card game, but was quickly proven wrong. Its a high paced stratergy RPG full of twists and turns because you never know how the cards will fall. One moment you are defeating an opponent with a firedemon the next you have no cards in play and getting attacked. You can download a Demo from here... and once that gets you addicted purchase from here...

Windows Mobile Pocket Outlook better than Blackberry & others

"Strategy Analytics recently benchmarked four popular mobile email clients and concluded that Windows Mobile Pocket Outlook offers the easiest configuration POP3 email accounts. In reaching its findings, the research firm surveyed an unspecified number of users of Pocket Outlook, BlackBerry BIS, Nokia S60, and UIQ v3.0 email clients.According to Strategy Analytics, Pocket Outlook's users achieved a 100 percent success rate at configuring their POP3 accounts. The email client was also tops in both speed and overall user satisfaction. "The BlackBerry Internet Service," on the other hand, "suffered fatal email configuration challenges, while discoverability was an issue for Nokia Series 60," the market research firm added."

I've always said that the builtin apps on our devices are best to use. They are light, fast, intuitive for even the newbies and make good use of our devices resource. Of course, if you need more features, there is a plethora of third party applications for Pocket PCs and Smartphones. Read more...

Free sFTP client for Pocket PC and MS Smartphones

sFTP lets you remotely access your server to retrieve files that you might have left behind. A nice tools that is free for the moment. It has many of the features available in the desktop version. Download here.

Ipaq Voice Messenger - Forget about writing emails

According to this french site, HP will soon release a candybar-like phone with the capability of "listening" to your voice to write your emails when your hands are busy. The phone features a 176x220 pixels screen, a 1.3 MP camera, bluetooth, Edge and Wifi. Of course the phone will come loaded with Windows Mobile 6. I doubt this phone will be of interest to anyone. Read more here (In French).

Cortado offers free Push Mail service

Free push mail with 20 mb of storage for Windows based devices and the others as well. Everyone who registers between March 15 and March 22, 2007, will be entered into a drawing for an Xbox 360 as well as two Nokia E61 and Nokia E50 mobile phones! Set up your phone here.

Popularity Dialer

Too bad this is only for the US, would be great to prank your friends with a call from it.

"Have you ever been in a situation where you wished your cell phone would ring? Maybe you wanted to look extra important or popular on that hot date. Or maybe you just needed an excuse to escape from an unpleasant meeting.
With "The Popularity Dialer", you can plan ahead. Via a web interface, you can choose to have your phone called at a particular time (or several times). At the elected time, your phone will be dialed and you will hear a prerecorded message that's one half of a conversation. Thus, you will be prompted to have a fake conversation and will easily fool those around you. "

for US only and you can read more here...

Flash based Windows Mobile 6 demos

If you need one to show the latest mobile OS features to customers or friends then download this demo from steve Clayton: Geek in disguise blog.

Q&A: Save ringtones to storage card

Q: How do save my MP3 ringtone to Storage card?

A: You've got some MP3 files that you want to set as ringtones but you don't want to save them to your device memory for obvious reasons. The easiest way to do it is just save them to the root of your Storage card, or to the My Documents folder of the storage card. So simple.

.Net Compact Framework for Symbian OS

If you own a Nokia or Sony Ericsson running Symbian 8.0a then you will be able to run Window mobile software on your smartphone after downloading .Net Compact Framwork for S60 developed by Red Five labs. Only applications written for .Net CF 1.0 will run "unchanged on Symbian OS". Download here.

Free: Password database for Pocket PC

I you ever wanted a secure database to keep track of all your passwords, then download Keypass for Pocket PC here. I nearly forgot: It's free.

Features
Highly encrypted databases
Support of master passwords and key-disks
Runs on all Windows operating systems and doesn't need to be installed
Export password list to TXT, HTML, XML or CSV files
Import from CSV, CodeWallet(Pro) TXT and Password Safe v2 TXT files
Easy database transfer
Support of password groups
Time fields and entry attachment support
Auto-type, global auto-type hot key combination and drag-n-drop support
Intuitive and secure Windows clipboard handling
Searching and sorting
Multi-language support
Strong random password generator
Low memory requirement
Plugin architecture
Open-Source!

Free: RSS newsreader for Smartphones

Looking for a free RSS newsreader? Then download NewsCopier for Smartphones.
You have instant access to the news you are interested in. The program can use your wireless connection, or update headlines when your Device is connected to the Internet. NewsCopier can either automatically refresh its information on a regular basis, or let you do the refresh manually. Download here

A new browser exclusively for Smartphones

jB5 is a new browser designed exclusively for Windows Mobile, Smartphone edition and Symbian Smartphones. I've downloaded and installed it and it's fast, faster than Pocket Internet Explorer. Plus you can choose to view pages with or without images, set the cache size and zoom in/out. It's still in beta version and is free. But you will be required to register, which only takes a minute. The beta version does not support secure site yet. Read more and download here

Calendar bar: View your schedule at a glance

The Calendar bar actually lets you view your calendar, not only appointments, from your Today screen. It will replace the default Calendar plugin. A nice utility.
Download here

View your colleagues' calendars

If your device is connected to an Exchange server, you will welcome this feature developed by Handstep that lets you plan a meeting and view colleagues' calendar using your Pocket PC and Smartphone.

Lets you view colleagues’ calendars and book meetings on the move
No installation needed on your server
Installs in seconds on your Smartphone or PDA
Synchronises automatically with your Microsoft Exchange server
No security issues – no personal information stored on the gateway
Integrates with your Pocket Outlook Calendar

Via Jason Langridge’s blog or go directly to the developer’s website.

Bluetooth remote control for Windows Mobile

Bluetooth remote control is a nice little software (if you need it) that lets you control applications running on your PC from your Pocket PC and Smartphone. Windows Media Player, PowerPoint, PowerDvd are among these applications that can be remotely controlled and more will be added. Bluetooth remote control for Windows Mobile is free. Download and read more here...

WM6 upgrade available for HTC Tytn and variants

Device manufacturers have not even produced a device running Windows Mobile 6 and already Xda-Developers already have a ROM for HTC Tytn/Hermes. The developer has added the following apps:
Dictionary Editor
HTweakC v2.1
MS Hearts for PPC
PHM Registry Editor
SMS Backup
StartClean
VJCandelaLite (Flashlight)
Windows Mobile Remote Display (CERDISP)

And those are missing:
Voice Call.
Push To Talk.
Smart Dialer.
Microsoft Live! Mobile.
Windows Mobile Update
If you plan on upgrading, note that you do it at your own risk. Read more here