Tile space user interface for Mobile devices

Based on this document published on the U.S. Patent office website, Microsoft is working on a new interface for our devices. It seems that we’ll hardly have to leave the Today screen to access applications.

The subject disclosure pertains to systems and methods for providing an improved user interface for mobile devices. Data and services available through the mobile device can be represented as a set of tiles maintained in a display space. The tiles provide a snapshot of the current state of content available through the mobile device without requiring any interaction by the user. The tiles and display space are customizable and can be dynamically updated to display content to a user. In addition, tiles can provide functionality, including simple tasks to a user without requiring the user to navigate away from the tile display space. Tiles can also provide quick access to start software applications. Tiles can be organized in the display space by the user or the tiles can be automatically grouped based upon associated metadata. Read More

Vocal Instant Messaging for Windows Mobile

Palringo has just released the beta version of Vocal Instant Messaging for Mobile phones and PCs. This is a most welcome addition to IM on Windows Mobile devices.Visit their site and sign up.

Key features:
Voice: use your mobile to chat with friends by speaking or texting

Messaging: leave messages even when contacts are not connected

Availability: Instantly see status of contacts

Interoperability: Connect to users of popular PC IM systems

Open: Works independent of your mobile service provider

Why did we remove Bluetooth DUN? - Greg Scott

Greg Scott is a developer that provides core networking technologies on Windows Mobile. In this article he writes about the reasons why Bluetooth DUN has been removed. He writes that "Microsoft did not remove Bluetooth DUN completely. We still ship this technology to our OEMs. It is included in an optional package that OEMs and operators can decide to ship on a per device basis". Don't you think it's about time that Microsoft decides what's to be part of the OS and let operators and OEMs build and sell devices only? Don't you think it's about time that devices come as is instead of being stripped of Wifi by phone carriers to increase profits? Share your thoughts and Read Greg Scott's article here.

The Secrets of Da Vinci

This a quite an interesting game that has nothing to do with Dan Brown's novel. Here's a synopsis:

Château du Clos Lucé, 1522.
Valdo, an ambitious young apprentice working for Leonardo Da Vinci's disciple Francesco Melzi, is extremely disappointed when the scholar suddenly dismisses him. However, shortly afterwards, he receives a letter from a mysterious patron, asking him to locate one of the great master's missing codices.To access Leonardo Da Vinci's last residence, the Manoir du Cloux near Ambroise, Valdo tells its new occupant, a courtesan by the name of Babou de la Bourdaisière, that he is Francesco Melzi's apprentice and that he wishes to examine the inventions that still remain on the estate. Read more.

The Smell-o-phone comes to the U.S

This will bring marketing to a whole new level Motorola has a patent for a handset that releases scents by heating a gel pack apparently the same way a airfreshener works. According to this Article from crave recent marketing campaigns in the US have included the "Got Milk" people setting up a bus stop in San Francisco to smell like cookies. Makes you wonder what sort of effect this has on the world of nature.

Palm's official blog

Paul Loeffler of Palm has recently started Palm's official blog. Welcome to the blogosphere Paul Loeffler, it was about time. There has been an avalanche of comments since his first post. Click here to visit the site.

Q&A: How to keep Windows Media as the default MP3 player instead of TCPMP?

Q: I installed TCPMP on my PDA and now it’s the default MP3 player. I want Windows Media player to be the default player without uninstalling TCPMP. How do I do this?

A: Upon installation of TCPMP it does become the default MP3 player. Some users have reported that their MP3 ring tone stopped working because of that and they fixed the issue by uninstalling TCPMP. There is a workaround to make the two media players co-exist happily alongside each other while keeping Windows media as the default MP3 player. This is how to:

Start TCPMP, tap options > Settings. Tap Select Page at the bottom of the screen and select File Associations from the menu. Uncheck MPEG Audio Files box. This will make Windows Media the default for MP3s. This solution works for both Pocket PC and Smartphone.

Download the Windows Mobile 6 product reference guide

Jason Langridge of Microsoft has blogged about the availability of a reference guide that contains detailed documentation of all enhancements in Windows Mobile 6. The file (12MB) is in pdf format and can be downloaded here.

Resco Call Recorder (Beta)

This is rather exciting, one of the things i miss from my old Ngage was the answering maching programs and call sound programs that was available on Symbian which due to hardware and OS restrictions in pocket pc devices is almost impossible.... untill now. Resco Call recorder will record both sides of a convosation on a pocket pc devices, yes thats right it will record a convosation which is the first application i have seen to do this on windows mobile. While this isnt an answering machine its definatly a step in the right direction, you can download the trial and read more here... (note that this is only in Beta)

Dell stops selling Axim handheld

Dell announced today (yes was a big day for announcements) that it will no longer be releasing the Axim handheld. "The Axim X51 family is no longer being offered, and we have no plans for a follow-on product at this time," Dell spokeswoman Anne Camden said in an e-mail. Camden noted that the company does sell handhelds from other makers on its Web site, including GPS devices and smart phones. More available here...

Palm announces Linux Palm

Palm has announced a venture into the world of the Tux (linux) today with a surprising move to try and revamp the stagnating palm OS, there has been a small and strong growing push within hand held computing devices for a linux solution. There is a few rom sets in development to replace the windows OS on pocket pc devices but no fully supported fully finished solution to replace the Windows Mobile OS with a linux os, this in mind Palm could be hunting for a new foothold back to attempt to reclaim its lead in the computing world. More available here which is palms official press release.

Automatically sync or backup any files, folders and storage cards of your mobile device to your computer

Easy Sync is a desktop application that runs on your PC and works over Microsoft Active Sync connection. It extends limited functionality of file synchronization presented in ActiveSync. Easy-to-use interface with customization options make Easy Sync available for novice users. Easy Sync is not free, but a trial is available. Learn more here.

Q&A: Excel Mobile cannot find my files

Q: I have an Excel sheet in a folder on my Storage card, but when I start Excel Mobile, this file is not in the list of spreadsheets. Am I doing something wrong?

A: This issue arises when a file is saved to more than one folder deep. If you want your file to appear in the aggregated list, it is recommended that you create a folder in the root of the storage card and save your files there. This is by design and is not a bug.

Download Retro Detonation free

Game lovers might want to download this game from Inscenic. It's free but registration is required.

Ultimate classical game with excellent graphics, nice music and easy-to-perform control. Help RD to blow up his enemies and go through five unique worlds and remain undamaged. Game features:
5 worlds, 10 levels in each of them;
2 game modes - classical and advanced ones with a store where you can buy weapons and bonuses;
16 various creatures (some of them kill being rather far from you);
20 bonuses and 4 types of weapons
the mazes are generated in random manner and that's why each of the levels is always unique;
modern graphics, unique music tracks for each of the worlds and SFX!

Beta testing Windows Live (Part 7)

When Mail is selected, it expands to display the first three emails in your inbox. The sender’s name and email’s subject are displayed.

Beta testing Windows Live (Part 6)

I used to have Hotmail listed; it’s now replaced by a Windows Live Mailbox.

Beta testing Windows Live (Part 5)

You can manually initiate a sync right from the Today screen

Beta testing Windows Live (Part 4)

When logged on to Windows Live Messenger

Beta testing Windows Live (Part 3)

The Windows Live Messenger Sign in screen.

Beta testing Windows Live (Part 2)

When Windows Live is selected, it expands to show your details. Notice the two green arrows. They let you move to other Windows Live features. When you sign in to Messenger, this screen will also display the number of contacts you have online.

Beta testing Windows Live (Part 1)

I am beta testing Windows Live since Saturday and all I can say for now is that it works great. This post is just about introducing Microsoft’s new application and I’ve also added some snapshots of the product. I have yet to play with it and will post another article about its capabilities in a few days. So far, I can tell you that I love the Push mail for Hotmail and how fast I was able to log on to Messenger and even add Voice clip while chatting. Below are some pictures with brief descriptions.

Picture below shows my Today screen. You get to choose to display both plugins , only one or none on your Today screen. Note: I use a HTC S620 Smartphone.

Site Announcement: New Q&A, Tips & Tricks link

Hello Readers,

This is to inform you that two new links have been added to the site which will let you easily find all Q&A and Tips & Tricks posted here. Hope you will find this small addition useful.

Happy Easter All,

Linley Meslier

Flipstart labs announces super compact PC

FlipStart offers the capabilities you expect from your laptop — comfortable application usage, communications, entertainment, and Internet connectivity. Its industry standard components include an Intel Pentium M Ultra Low Voltage platform, 1.1 GHz of processing power, and a 30GB hard drive with the choice of Windows XP Professional or Windows Vista Business operating systems. In terms of connectivity, this device has it all or almost. It’s got Wifi, Bluetooth and connection to Sprint Mobile Broadband Network. Indeed, flipstart is plan for release in the U.S only.
FlipStart labs is funded by Microsoft co-founder, Paul Allen. I think Mr. Allen has never heard of or seen a UMPC. More...

Q&A: Help! Activesync is draining the battery

Q: I have WM 5.0 and Activesync 4.0. Activesync turns itself on automatically on the PDA and drains the battery. As I read the instructions they say I should open Activesync on my PDA>Options>schedule and change the automatic to manual. The schedule function is not available (will not open).I have unsuccessfully tried to access the Schedule tab on the PC. Activesync does work fine and does what it should in terms of synchronizing. Do I have to un-install Activesync on my PDA and PC, and re-install so as to re-set the schedule function to manual?

A: The schedule tab is enabled only if when connected to an Exchange server. Obviously you're not but you can create a dummy one. Just open Activesync on your PC, click Tools and select Configure server Source. Type any name then click finish. The schedule tab should be enabled in Activesync. Just select manual from the both drop lists. Remember to delete the dummy exchange server afterwards.

V2R releases ActiveUI

V2R Active UI has been developed as a Todayscreen plug-in (for Windows Mobile Pocket PCs) and Homescreen plug-in (for Windows Mobile Smartphones) with a standard V2R icon- and animation-set.The V2R Active UI plug-in allows users to access the most wanted applications, settings or documents directly from the Today-/Homescreen. The standard version, which is for free, is shipped with predefined templates for animations, designs and functionalities. On the V2R Web page users can find more animations, designs and functional plug-ins which will feed all the different user needs. In the future, V2R will regularly release new free and payable plug-ins for the V2R Active UI with different plug-in sizes, animation styles and functionalities. More

Citibank's online mobile banking

Not so long ago, I blogged about sending money via sms using your cellphones. I just learnt that Citibank has just launched a new mobile banking service in the U.S. All that is required is a free downloadable software from their website. Check their faq page for more info.

Offbeat: Picnik – Online photo editing made fun

Picnik is a quick and easy way to fix your photos online. It is still in beta version and free to try. Picnik lets you fix underexposed photos, remove red-eye, crop and resize photos. It also lets you work directly with many photo sharing sites. Better yet, no software to install and it is compatible with Mac, Windows and Linux. Try here.

BenQ develops new concept phone

This is a cool phone. The concept of moving the slider to create more viewing space is simply neat. Posted on Thelastgadgets.

Sign up for free Windows Mobile themes

FreeWMThemes is a site offering free professionally designed themes for Windows Mobile. These folks really mean business since you can setup your device for RSS feeds that will keep you posted when new themes are added. Themes are available for QVGA, VGA and square screens. Register here.

Download Pocket Express today and enjoy it free for 6-months

This is yet another software that displays information right on your Today screen. You will be able to enjoy access to breaking news, local weather, stocks, up-to-the-minute sports scores and stats, maps and turn-by-turn driving directions, horoscopes, and even movie show times in one simple mobile option. The service is free for 6 months only. More here.

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

Call of Duty 2 (Played review)

I originally played COD1 on the Ngage (a few years back now) and loved it so much i must have finished it about 10 times if not more. There is a few good features i liked about the new pocket pc version. Using a sniper rifle for instance is great when you put it in scope mode, basically you cant miss just click what you want to hit and its done (this can be considered a bad point). The graphics are smooth and offer no lag, detail is a little lacking but decent. The controls are cumbersome, a few times ive walked out into a room and for a few seconds got hit while i reorientated using the stylus. The stylus as above gets in the way from time to time but once you get used to it is workable. All in all i quite enjoyed it, even jumped a few times some army guy ran out of a door way. The AI aspect of the "bad guys" is lacking, they will often start shooting before you even get to a place where they can see you. All in all i have to say its one of the better games available in the Pocket pc world.

Offbeat: Improve air quality with a USB air purifier.

This is Great Technology. This USB air purifier has no mechanical fan, no filters and yet it keeps the air around you germ free. Simply plug it to your laptop or PC and it starts the clean up. Read more here.

Opera mini 3.1 released

Sometime ago I download version 3.0 of Opera mini for testing and I’m not sure what to recommend about it. I’ve tried to access my bank’s website and it worked. However, it did not handle the JavaScript in the site. Now I use Opera 8.6 for my online banking transactions. But Opera 8.6 is not free, whereas Mini is. Nevertheless, I upgraded to 3.1 because it is very convenient when accessing my Gmail account. Otherwise it just sits there, almost useless. This new version obviously fixes some bugs, allow you to share photos (upload to your blog), safely bank online and subscribe to RSS feeds. Since this is a small file to download, just point your phone browser here.

Task Manager v2.7

This is great theres not much this little gem wont do.
This will show CPU usage, Regedit, Ping, IP config, and much much more. You can download for free (i like that word) from Here... for WM03 and WM05 devices

Wait! Do not upgrade to Vista yet

I was planning to purchase Windows Vista when I came across this article by Ben Stanley on Pocket PC Mag blogs relating the issues he came across after upgrading. Trust me, this is really worth reading. Ben reports that in order to sync your device you will need to purchase Office 2007, otherwise it just doesn’t work. Office 2007 is not cheap. Windows Mobile Device Center will let you sync your Mobile Favorites and files only. The article does not mention if Vista is compatible with Office XP/2003. Once more, this is recommended reading. Hasta la vista. Read more...

Review: Orneta’s Mobile Explorer

Last week I blogged about Orneta releasing Mobile Explorer 2007 and that a review will follow. Here it is, short and concise. I don’t like long reviews.

Windows Mobile users have always complained about the lack of functionality of built-in software on our devices. I take for example Pocket Internet Explorer, Pocket Outlook and even the built in File Explorer. Luckily for us there is a vast library of third party applications available online. Now, I consider this debatable. PIE does indeed lacks much needed feature that one would think to be a default. I’m here referring to its inability to handle JavaScript. On the other hand, I find Pocket Outlook very good and light, therefore fast. There are alternatives that are feature packed but exert a lot of pressure on our CPUs and batteries. Finally, there is File Explorer. It lacks a lot of features too.

The folks at Orneta decided to build their own File Explorer. No big deal you might say. However, if you try it, you will notice that it’s as fast as the default file Explorer and this is where all comparisons end.

One of the main features of Orneta’s Mobile Explorer is Filtering. This is quite self explicit. It’s very nice when you want to locate media files or pictures. However I have not been able to get this to work probably stripped out of the trial version or it just doesn’t work. You can also create your own filter.

When you first start Mobile Explorer, you will most likely notice that the icons and text are slightly bigger than File Explorer. This might seem insignificant, but it’s helpful when using fingers.

By default, file extensions are hidden. It is easily activated through the Settings screen. This should be a basic requirement for all file explorers. But curiously, it is not available in Microsoft’s File Explorer.

These are some of the great features of Mobile Explorer. Now let’s take a look at one missing feature, the lack of a Search tool. Orneta did a great job developing this app but I don’t understand how they could have missed such an essential feature. And they’re asking $14.99 to acquire Mobile Explorer. This is a worthless purchase considering that I use Total Commander, a free solution with all the features you would expect in a file explorer.

Worst sounding ringtone ever!

This has to be the worst sound ive ever heard, although this will only work on certain people. Apparently anyone over 30 may not be able to hear it. Either way its still the worst thing ive ever heard. Download for free Here... or you can purchase and read more from Here...

Keep Bluechattin'

Keep Bluechattin' is a free, simple, Bluetooth-chatting (Bluechatting) application. It allows you to initiate chat with virtually any Bluetooth device via sending out and receiving unsolicited messages in form of e.g. vCards. It can also perform iterative range scanning and automated message broadcasting. available for free download for WM03 devices here... or WM05 devices here...

Explorer Mobile 2007 released

Orneta just announced the availability of its new version of Explorer Mobile 2007 for Windows Mobile 6. However, this new version is also compatible with WM5. Below is a list of features as listed on Orneta's website:

Takes full advantage of the compelling features of Windows Mobile 6
Theme, orientation, and resolution awareness pioneered by Orneta
Simple installation and easy to use user interface
Multi-State icon support

A free 14 day trial is available. Price: $14.95. Download here

I will post a small review later.

Fake SD cards

Be all ye warned, of the fake SD cards available on Ebay. i recently purchased a AUD$20 2gig SD card from ebay. I thought sure why not, its cheap and nasty but it should be ok to store extra movies and MP3 on. The trouble all started when i tried to setup 2 partitions (effectivly cut the card size into 2) which althought i tried for 2 days to get it to work, would not work. Eventually i turned to good ol google and came up with the following link (here..)Basically what the sellers do is get a card of half the size and install a boot record from a larger card, when your device looks at it and sees a 2 gig card its actually only 1gig, even at 1 gig its not stable. i guess at the end of it all you really get what you pay for.

HTC to offer free WM6 upgrades for the X7500, P4350 & S620

Mobinaute, a French site, is reporting that the Director of HTC France has announced during a press conference, that the company will offer free upgrades to three of its recently released devices namely: HTC X7500 Advantage, HTC P4350 and HTC S620. The upgrades should be available before the month of June. This is the first time that HTC provides upgrades for its devices and that’s great news for customers.

Sharp = EM - One

This device built by Sharp has the following impressive characteristics:
HSDPA
Wifi 802.11 b/g
4,1" touchscreen with 65536 colors
A Marvell Xscale PXA270 520mhz processor
A sliding Keyboard
An Nvidia Goforce 5500 graphic chipset

etc etc etc...

The device will be released in a few weeks...in Japan

Homescreen Designer 2.0 for Smartphone

If you're not happy with the proposed default homescreen of your Smartphones, here's a tool that will help you let loose your imagination and create your own homescreens. Of course Homescreen Designer is a WYSIWYG tool and works only with Windows Mobile 5, Smartphone Edition. Another version of Homescreen designer is available for Smartphone 2002/2003.

Download a trial here.

Self-Assembling Batteries

Those guys over at MIT come up with some brilliant concepts and if this one pays off ill be truly thankfull. Yet-Ming Chiang from MIT has come up with a way to organize electrodes and electrolyte materials that, when combined, organize themselves into the structure of a working battery. This all in the space of 10 micrometers, and the Batteries themselves are assembled in such a way that they assemble themselves using ultraprecise atomic-force microscope probes. While that all sounds like something out of a science fiction show what it means is sometime down the track is the current solid batteries currently used could be non existant or atleast alot smaller and alot more powerfull. More here...

Once Upon a Time...

in the begining there was pocket pc / smartphone ... and it was good. But some people got together and spawned a website that could make it better, a little tweak here a little patch there and hey presto a brand new ROM (ROM is what they call a new version of a operating system). I talk of a website called XDA developers, i myself am a member of this proud proud community. Call us/ them what you will, crazy, wierd and sometimes bizare but they are an innovative lot, once a new phone comes out these are the people that pull the operating system off (rom) and rebuild it working out all those annoying little bugs. Well it seems Microsoft in all the wisdom of the Gates has ordered the good people at XDA developers to remove all ROMS from the FTP they ran from the site. I Urge everyone that reads this to please post on this partition to stop this from happening (or atleast show support for it) while we enjoy the microsoft suite of products i really do question the motives behind this latest action, here is the site to show your support here...

Activesync 4.5 out of beta

The final version of activesync 4.5 is available here for download. This new version can be considered a minor upgrade as it includes a few bug fixes and that's about it.

Documents to go for Smartphone commercially available.

You miss document editing on your Smartphone, then Dataviz's Documents to go is just for you.

Documents To Go is a must-have for mobile email users:
The only way to view, edit and create Microsoft® Word, Excel and PowerPoint® files, view Adobe® PDF files as well as unzip files on your Windows Mobile 5 Smartphone Edition handset.
Never lose document formatting when you make edits on your smartphone using InTact Technology™. The only mobile Office suite with 100% file fidelity!
Easy to use - Documents To Go has the familiar look and feel of the programs you use on your desktop. Visit the site to learn more and buy. By the way, Windows Mobile 6 lets you edit documents and spreadsheets.

Latest news from 3GSM

Yesterday I posted about TheUnwired being our eyes and ears at the 3Gsm show in Spain. Since then the site editor, Arne Hess, has posted several very interesting news, mainly about new device releases running Windows Mobile 6. Here are some links:

T-Mobile Dash users get WM6 free upgrade

i-mate announces its new colored SPL Windows Mobile Standard line

3GSM LIVE: Toshiba to launch the D500 Windows Mobile Standard smartphone

Or just visit the site to read more.

Windows Mobile 6 is here

Microsoft officially announced Windows Mobile 6 at 3GSM World Congress in Barcelona. Naturally, a new OS means new devices. Toshiba will release two devices with the new OS and I-mate will reveal at least two during the congress. T-mobile Dash owners will be able to upgrade to WM6. This is great news, but nothing yet regarding HTC S620 devices. If you can't make it to the congress in Barcelona, you might want to check Arne Hess blogroll on the::unwired.net. The site will be updated hourly. Stay tuned.

Sounds Cool

I came across this program while looking for ways to jazz up my device a little, this installs on your computer and via activesync will backup and change your default sounds on your pocket pc or smartdevice. There is 14 free themepacks available but you have to purchase the main program. You can see more (including screenshots) here unfortunatly there is no trial version, you can purchase via the website.

Q&A: No sound notification when new emails arrive

Q: I’ve set my device to play a sound when new emails arrive, but it vibrates only.

A: This is because the profile you’re using is set to either vibrate or none. Depending on which profile you’re using you have to set it to Vibrate & Ring. If you have a Pocket PC, go into Scenario and tap Detail at the bottom of the screen. You will notice that all settings are disabled. Tap Setting to enable them and select Vibrate&Ring in the dropdown list.
If you have a Smartphone, go to Start > Settings > Profiles. Select the profile you’re using and select Edit from the Menu. Choose Vibrate and Sound from the Notification Type list.
These steps apply to my devices (Eten M500 & HTC S620), so they might be slightly different on yours.

Windows Mobile 6 - What's "Officially" new?

Jason "Mr Mobile" Langridge has a post about the new features of the long awaited Windows Mobile 6. Some of the features I like most are support for HTML email, Pocket Outlook now has a ribbon that lets you easily check your next available time without scrolling, Office Mobile for Smartphone and Windows Live. Read more...

Recover your lost email account

Twice I had my Gmail account not working on my Pocket PC and I've never been able to fix it. Let me explain: I used to download Gmail email to Outlook and then someday, Gmail stopped working. I just could not access it anymore though it was still listed in Outlook and on my Today screen. I managed to delete the account in Outlook, but it was impossible to recreate the account with the same name afterwards. I wish I had MailAccountRepair at that time. Your free download here for Pocket PC. And here for Smartphone. It's an .exe file that you need to copy to your device. Run the file, select the email account from the list and click the repair button. It's that simple. Post a comment if you happen to use it.

Safemode 2 for Smartphone & Pocket PC

I beleive this is a required tool whenever a particular app or sevice is causing mayhem in your device. Safemode is really an advance tool as it lets you view processes running in the background that other task managers are unable to display. A 14 days trial is available and the price is really cheap. Download here.

Check out SPB Mobile Shell

I'm not surprised at all that SPB software has decided to produce a new shell for our devices. When Steve Jobs announced the Iphone, some of us started wondering if Windows mobile interface will ever change some day. With SPB Mobile Shell you have a new and dynamic interface that blends well with SPB software of course and the inherent features of our devices. A trial is available and the purchase price is $30. Quite expensive.

Q&A: Accessing Windows folder causes device to stall.

Q: I’m trying to open Windows folder on my PDA and for some reason the hour glass stays on the screen and all I can do is a soft reset. I can access any other folders and I can even browse Windows folder using an alternative file explorer or through Activesync on my PC.

A: Check that File Explorer is set to sort by Name instead of by Type or by Size. Open File Explorer and tap on the drop list at the top right side of the screen and select Name in the list.

A Vid of the HTC Althea

The only draw back with the Althea is the size, as you can see in the video on the link below its got alot of features and no way to fit it into a pocket. See via Utube here

Free math game for all ages

Want to know how quick you are in solving addition, substraction, multiplication and division in the least possible amount of time? Then download Arithmetick, afun game that will keep you and your kids busy. It works on both Pocket PC and Smartphone. Download here.

Windows Mobile Device Center for Vista released

IF you have already upgraded to Windows Vista, which I intend to do soon, you must download Device Center if you want to keep your devices in sync with your PC. I used the word MUSt because Activesync doesn't work with Vista, so you don't really have the choice here. So go for it, it's free. Download here, via Jason Landgridge's Weblog

More pics of the HTC Althea

ok the only real issue i have on this phone is its size, this isnt a Mobile phone but is truly a miniture laptop given its specs.

i still want one :D

you can view a whole lot of pics here.

Warning MMS Exploit Released for Windows Mobile – No Patch Available

I think to date Windows mobile has been quite lucky in the area of viruses. I havent seen a great deal of "virus" around or heard too many stories apart from the odd few that have a virus from a game or application that has been tried to install. This is a warning that has had rumors on for the last few months, as quoted

""User only needs to view the message to trigger exploit.” So I would add, only view MMSs from trusted sources"

inparticular any MMS with the attachment MNotification.ind is to be looked out for and not opened, More info available here from Symantic.

whilst the warning doesnt show the effects of the virus (or exploit) im sure it wouldnt be very nice.

Call of Duty 2

Ive been waiting to see this game fora while now, i first read about it back in November. Im yet to play the final version but just from the vids and pics ive seen plus played other versions of it this will be one game to get. There is one small catch though, the stats needed to run it mean that only some pocket pc and smartphones will be able to use it. It will run on WM 3 or 5 but you need a minimum 300hz cpu to run it and 32 megs of storage, for the full effect an intel2700g or GoForce 5500 is needed. With specs like that it makes me wonder why they created something in need of such high grade hardware as it only limits the number of users for the game. No trial version available as yet but you can purchase via here.