New Multilingual onscreen keyboard released

Paragorn Software Group announced the release of the new onscreen keyboard Interkey for Windows Mobile.

"Tired of pressing little indiscernible keys and typing on unsuitable languages on standard keyboard? Need for effective text input tool for fingertip or stylus typing? In this case, Interkey for Windows Mobile will be the best solution. Interkey software provides multilingual onscreen keyboards for accurate text input. With new version of InterKey you can use up to 6 national layouts and enter words just by hand thanks to large finger friendly keys".

Interkey is compatible with Windows Mobile 5 Pocket PC, WM6 and 6.1 Professional and Classic edition.

More about InterKey from www.penreader.com/pocket-pc-software/Interkey.html

FunContact gets new skin

Vito Technology released FunContact 2.15 and gave it a new dark skin similar to SMS-Chat and ZoomBoard. The original skin is still available so you can switch. Besides the aesthetics, FunContact 2.15 now supports joystick. According to Vito Technology, "Joystick support has been the outcry from our customers since FunContact was released. New FunContact gives you the choice: you can scroll the list with a finger or with a joystick. Both variants are very convenient, and though the main idea of FunContact is to manage contacts with finger, some FunContact users addicted to joystick now can also benefit by performing all the basic operations in FunContact like calling, texting ,etc. with joystick".

FunContact is available for $19.95 at iwindowsmobile.com/contact-manager.html. FunContact supports English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Norwegian, Danish, Portuguese, Greek, Polish, Chinese, Japanese, and Russian.

Download FunContact:
iwindowsmobile.com/files/FunContact.cab
iwindowsmobile.com/files/FunContact.exe

Checkout GottaBeMobile.com amazing giveaways

GottaBeMobile.com is giving away a lot of interesting stuff that is filling up their office. In the list, one can find the HTC Advantage and Tilt, Zunes, T-shirts, UMPCs etc. Quite frankly, if I could get my hands on that Advantage...

Here's a list of the stuff they are giving away:

• 1 HP TC1100 Tablet PC + Docking Station + rubber flap.
• 1 Samsung Q1P Ultra-Mobile PC with extended battery and organizer case
• 1 BatteryGeek.net Portable Powerstation
• 1 HTC Tilt - unlocked
• 1 HTC Advantage - unlocked
• 1 Vista Ultimate
• 1 Tom Bihn Ristretto Bag
• 1 Limited Edition Microsoft Surface Bag
• 10 Bluebeam PDF Shirts
• 3 Lenovo 2 GB USB drives
• 5 HP shirts
• 1 limited edition GottaBeMobile.com shirt
• 1 GottaBeMobile.com coffee mug
• 1 2007 Streets and Trips
• 1 2006 Streets and Trips
• 1 Planon Universal Mobile Charger
• 1 Linksys 8-port workgroup switch
• 1 iPod Shuffle
• 1 Red Zune (4 or 8 GB - I forget which one it is)
• 1 Black Zune (30 GB)
• 1 Lenovo portable mouse
• 1 Lenovo portable power kit
• 1 Labtec PC Mic
• 1 Neat Receipts folio
• 2 TabletKiosk stands
• 2 Shwame cleaning cloths
• 1 Kensington lock cable
• 1 Otterbox waterproof cellphone case
• 1 Lapworks Laptop / Tablet PC stand
• 1 Sony Portable CD DVD/RW Drive
• 1 Windows Vista USB file transfer cable
• 1 DocuPen scanner
• 1 Dazzle USB multi-card reader
• 1 BlueAnt Z9 Bluetooth headset
• 1 Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000
• 1 autographed picture of Warner Crocker
• Some Splotches
• 1 Linksys Portable Wireless Router
• 1 $50 HPShopping.com Gift card

If you want to know how to win, check out the instructions on http://www.gottabemobile.com/Ho+Ho+Ho+It+Is+Christmas+Time+At+GottaBeMobilecom.aspx

Astraware brings 4th of July fireworks free to your device

On Friday 4, our American friends will celebrate their independence, one of the most important holidays in the U.S. On this occasion, Astraware is offering a free fireworks software that lets you display 4th of July fireworks on your device screen with sounds and patriotic backgrounds.

"Astraware Fireworks is a simple FREE application, showing sequences of fireworks flying and exploding into the air. As 4th July is traditionally a time for fireworks and celebrations in the USA, the features have been created to help our American friends highlight one of their major holidays - Independence Day!"

Happy 4th of July to the American people.

Free: New Task Manager released

DotFred relased a new free Task Manager that can be downloaded free from http://www.dotfred.net/TaskMgr.htm. The application runs on Windows Mobile 2003SE and above. However, some functionalities like the Device Manager works with Windows Mobile 5 and above.
Task Manager features are:

- Process manager
- CPU usage
- Application Manager
- Service Manager
- Device Manager (only WM2005 and above)
- Windows Manager
- Notification Manager
- IP Config utility
- Ping utility
- Net Stats utility
- Registry Editor
- Run program utility

Visit DotFred's space to learn more and download Task Manager 3.1.

Microsoft launches Total Access website for Windows Mobile device owners

Microsoft recently launched a new Windows Mobile site to replace Windows Mobile Owners Circle. Renamed Total Access, the site is the result of the feedback provided by users. More tips and free stuff are available.

Benefits are as follows:

More ringtones, extras, and add-ons

When you want to personalize your phone, there are simple things you can do for maximum impact. Total Access helps you make your phone uniquely your own..

How: Free, exclusive and limited ring tones, themes wallpapers and detailed but instructions on how to find, set and use these assets

Tips, premium help & how-to (for FREE!)

Total Access helps familiarize you with all the things your Windows Mobile phone can do, plus gives you access to premium help and support from user forums and other experts when you have questions.

How: Customized and premium help and how to content from Microsoft and 3^rd parties; help forums seeded and moderated by Microsoft MVPs

Software, service & more

Your Windows Mobile phone does a lot—and can be even further enhanced. Total Access offers free games and is your guide to the software and services that help you get even more from your phone.

How: Free, exclusive and limited interactive games, Media Applications (Viigo, Zumboi), Software (e.g.Photo contacts) and access to Microsoft mobile services and offers

Check it out: http://www.microsoft.com/windowsmobile/en-us/totalaccess/default.mspx

Opera Mobile 9.5 first beta to be released on July 15

I've been a longtime user of Opera Mobile and it is my number one browser on my device. Presently, version 8.65 can be downloaded/purchased from www.opera,com/products/mobile/products/. Version 9.5 promises to be even better and I've been eagerly looking for a release date. Finally I've got one, the 15th of July. Note that Opera Mobile 9.5 is already running on devices like the HTC Diamond Touch and Advantage.
You can read the announcement titled "The wait is (almost) over" at http://my.opera.com/operamobile/blog/2008/06/26/the-wait-is-almost-over

Posted using my Windows Mobile phone.

Press-Release. Spb Software Collaborates with Toshiba to Create the Ultimate User Experience

Spb Software, the leading Windows Mobile applications vendor, is partnering with Toshiba Information Systems (UK) Ltd - Mobile Communications Division, to deliver the ultimate mobile device experience through the recently launched Toshiba Portege G810. The Portege G810 features the Spb Mobile Shell-based Toshiba Touch Interface, a customized version of Spb Full Screen Keyboard, the Spb Pocket Plus smart scrolling component, and other Windows Mobile customization enhancements. The strong combination of a powerful platform and functional hardware, complemented by a set of usability tools from Spb, make Toshiba's Portege G810 a very fast and intuitive smartphone.
"We designed the Portege G810 as a stylish touch screen Windows Mobile phone, ideal for both mobile-working and socializing, as it combines a powerful operating system with an incredibly user-friendly interface," says Bertrand Issard, Head of Product Planning & Strategy, Toshiba Information Systems (UK) Ltd. "We turned to Spb Software, with their extensive Windows Mobile software and usability expertise, to support us in creating a highly intuitive user interface for our Portege G810," he concludes. "Microsoft is committed to support a vibrant partner ecosystem and always delivers opportunities to create solutions that meet a wide range of Windows Mobile customers' needs," comments Fabio Falzea, acting as Mobile Communications Business Lead, Microsoft Central & Eastern Europe Area. "The Toshiba - Spb synergy is one good example of the rich benefits the Microsoft ecosystem secures to the market, where partners are able to complement each other's strengths and deliver new innovative and rich experiences on Windows Mobile platform". The Toshiba Touch Interface has been localized into 13 languages, has been skillfully embedded into the operating system, and is incredibly stable. "Toshiba's Portege G810 has a very fast and responsive screen, with outstanding color quality," - says Yaroslav Goncharov, Spb Software CTO - "the Spb Mobile Shell gestures and animation are especially striking, emphasizing the pure beauty of this finger-friendly mobile device."

AOL releases AIM beta for Windows Mobile

If your device does not come loaded with any Instant Messaging software, you might want to try AIM for Windows Mobile by AOL. With this software loaded, you will be able to communicate wherever you are, manage your buddy list and more. AIM works on almost every Windows Mobile 5 and 6 devices out there. AIM can be downloaded from Http://beta.aol.com/projects.php?project=aimwinmobile Posted using my Windows Mobile phone.

Iambic Summer sales: 50% Off

Iambic is offering 4 titles at discounted prices on their website. These applications are: Health & Diet Manager, Vehicle Manager, TravelTalk and EQuote. Of course the offer applies to both touchscreen and non-touchscreen devices. Note the offer will end on Wednesday 25, 2008.

Website: www.iambic.com

Posted using my Windows Mobile phone.

Yahoo Go 3.0 for WM touchscreen devices released

Previously Yahoo Go! 3.0 was available for non-Touchscreen devices only. Now the software has been ported to Pocket PCs and it's free. This new version has a nice interface and allows for uploading and managing a FlickR account right from the device. To download Yahoo Go! 3.0 directly on your device. Point your web browser to get.go.yahoo.com.

Posted using my Windows Mobile phone.

Microsoft Videos Beta

Check out Microsoft Videos which, as its name implies, contains videos about various Microsoft products including Windows Mobile. The site requires that you download Silverlight to watch the videos. Those can easily be shared with friends or linked to on a blog. For now, contents have been provided by Microsoft U.S. Subsidiaries will add their own later. Get a preview of the site and watch some videos at http://preview.microsoft.com/video/

Tips: When I connect to PC, device goes into slideshow mode

Q: I have a HTC device. Whenever I connect to my PC to sync, the phone goes into slideshow mode. Does anyone know how i can disable this?

A: Open Pictures and Videos on your device. To do that, go to Start > Programs. Click Menu > Options and click the slideshow tab. Uncheck "Play screensaver when conected to my PC and idle for 2 minutes.

Source: Windows Mobile Owners Circle forum.

Posted using my Windows Mobile phone.

New: Astraware releases Bubble Babble for Windows Mobile

I'm a fan of Astraware games. So when they release a new game, you can be sure I'll download it and add it to my game collection on my Windows Mobile gaming device. Now, before anyone asks if this is a new device, the answer is no. It's just that I set aside one of my PDAs, a Dell Axim, for playing games only. Oops, nearly forgot about the subject of this post.

Astraware released Bubble Babble today. "Challenge your word power with this undersea bubble-bursting brain teaser! Link together letter bubbles to form words and impress Wordsworth Smartygills - your friendly fishy host! Bubble Babble includes a fun interactive tutorial to teach you how to play with the bubbles and make words from them. Score points for each word you make. Impress Wordsworth with more complex or unusual words and he'll reward you with shiny shells for your collection!"

I strongly recommend you get this one. It's being sold at $9.95. The normal price is $19.95. Swim over to http://www.astraware.com/ppc/bubblebabble/?link=1/spin/0 to download a trial.

SMS-Chat upgrade supports animated emoticons

Here's another update for SMS-Chat released by Vito Technology and what an update some are going to say because it adds one of the basic functionalities you would expect to find in any SMS software: Animated Smilies. This is a nice addition. However, on reading the press release I thought Vito Technology added a new menu where to pick the desired emoticon, but I still have to manually type the signs ":" and ")" to insert a smile. Unless I'm missing something, SMS-Chat 1.1 only renders back an animated smily to make reading a sms more enjoyable and fun. Of course, your recipients will see them only if they also use SMS-Chat.

This new version also includes "feature that everybody really likes in the previous version of SMS-Chat is the ability to click hyperlinks to open in browser, to click phone number to place a call and e-mail to send a letter. Now this feature has become even cooler. In previous version you were to click the SMS to call out menu buttons afterward choose the needed action. As far as the new version you only need to click the highlighted text and SMS-Chat will automatically detect whether it should give a ring, e-mail or open the link in the browser".

SMS-Chat is available for $14.95 at http://iwindowsmobile.com. SMS-Chat supports English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Chinese, Japanese, Norwegian, Danish, Portuguese, and Russian.

SPB Backup 2.0 released

We all know that keeping a backup of data is of paramount importance in the enterprise and even outside in case disaster strikes. Backup software does not only apply to computers and servers, our beloved devices also need some safeguard. Enter SPB Backup 2.0.

Released yesterday by SPB Software House, SPB Backup 2.0 not only lets you restore your data in case of data loss. Not only does it restore your contacts, Calendar etc; you will not need to re-install your applications or ROM image. Better yet, SPB Backup 2.0 lets you restore to another device even the latter is using another ROM.

Want to know more about SPB Backup 2.0. The link takes you to SPB's press release:

http://www.spbsoftwarehouse.com/about/pressreleases/2008/jun10.html

Sync Vista Contacts and Calendar to your Pocket PC/Smartphone

I'm often asked whether it's possible to sync Vista Contacts and Calendar to a Windows Mobile device and obviously the answer is no. Microsoft does not support this feature and therefore Outlook 2003 or 2007 is required on the computer for a complete and successful sync. Well, this is until I read about Sybase XTNDConnect from Sybase. According to the product page, Windows Vista Calendar, Contact and Tasks sync are supported. What else to say, a trial version can be downloaded from www.sybase.com/download_xtndconnect_pc.

Updated version of Zumobi released

The new version of Zumobi now offers better performance for faster downloads of applications and a "smaller on-phone footprint".
The new on-phone gallery allows you to select and upload tiles directly on the phone. This new feature comes in handy while on the go.
Probably the coolest addition to Zumobi is the ability to create your own tiles with the Tile Wizard. You can then share your tiles and even go back to edit your customized tiles.

To download the update, point your device browser to http://get.zumobi.com

Posted using my Windows Mobile phone.

Softmaker releases Office 2008 for Pocket PCs

The default Office Mobile on your touch screen device does not suit your needs or lacks much needed functionalities while on the go, then consider SoftMaker Office 2008 for Pocket PCs. SoftMaker can boast about delivering a fullifledge software. SM Office 2008 abilities that makes Office Mobile a shame in comparison.
SoftMaker bundles the following applications:

TextMaker: The equivalent of MS Word. With TextMaker you can easily insert pictures in your documents, insert tables and pages, track changes and it has its own multi language spell checker.

PlanMaker: The equivalent of MS Excel has over 300 builtin functions and supports complex number and array calculation.

Presentations: The equivalent of MS Powerpoint. A large collection of template is available as well as slide transitions and animations.

SoftMaker Office 2008 is available for a 30 days trial from www.softmaker.com/english/ofpdemo_en.htm

Posted using my Windows Mobile phone.

HTC announces the HTC Touch Pro

When HTC released the Diamond Touch, I complained about the lack of keyboard and the poor battery capacity. Well, it seems that they had other plans with the Touch Pro which is similar to the Diamond except that it carries a slide out keyboard and a better 1340 mAh battery. On the other hand, HTC Touch Pro has only 512MB of ROM and 288MB of RAM compared to the Diamond's 4GB. That alone makes the Touch Pro a near perfect device. The Touch Pro is beautiful and HTC did a fantastic job by adding a 5 row QWERTY keyboard to bring the experience closer to a desktop keyboard. However, The Touch Pro is quite a dilemma for me. I already have a device running Wm6.1 and two others running WM6. The question is: Do I shell out money to buy it or keep saving for a Windows Mobile 7 device?

Until I figure that question out, I suggest you come and visit the HTC website to leran more about the device - http://www.htc.com/www/product.aspx?id=49524

Preview: Windows Sideshow for Windows Mobile.

Windows(r) SideShow(tm) for Windows Mobile(r) is an application for Windows Mobile 5 and Windows Mobile 6 Pocket PCs and Smartphones that allows you to use your Windows Mobile device as a Bluetooth SideShow-compatible device. This enables you to use your phone as an extra window into your PC. You can both access your computer's information from your Pocket PC or Smartphone, and control the computer through a gadget interface. While the phone is out of range, or when your computer is off, you can continue to view content sent to the phone previously. This makes it easy to send information to the phone that you'll need later on.

The developer preview is an English-only release

Download from http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=79f19684-f862-4e02-a2b0-0003b4565f34&displaylang=en

Posted using my Windows Mobile phone.

Customizing the Sliding Panel Homescreen

This is a nice article from Jorge Peraza, developer on the Windows Mobile Team, explaining how to further customize the sliding Panel homescreen found in Windows Mobile 6.1. As many of you are probably aware, the homescreen on a Standard Windows Mobile device are stored in the \Application Data\Home folder. The fact that the file uses the XML format makes it quite easy to customize the homescreen and add or remove features to it.
In this article, Jorge Peraza explains how to modify the file to move the photo plugin to the first position. There are a couple of other tips as well. Definitely worth reading.

http://blogs.msdn.com/windowsmobile/archive/2008/06/03/customizing-the-sliding-panel-homescreen.aspx

Posted using my Windows Mobile phone.

E-ten announces four new Glofiish

The Unwired reports that E-ten has announced four new exciting devices during Computex 2008; the DX900, the V900, the X900 and the X610. The DX900 is the first Windows Mobile powered device to offer dual SIM capability. The V900 for its part offers mobile digital TV for watching your favorite shows or the Euro 2008 on the go.
Read more on http://www.theunwired.net/?item=official-e-ten-announces-four-new-glofiish-windows-mobile-smartphones

Posted using my Windows Mobile phone.

New: Pocket Tunes for Windows Mobile

What about throwing away your iPod and carry your PDA or Smartphone only? With Pocket Tunes, you will be able to free up one of your pockets s it supports synchronizing your Windows Mobile device to your iTunes playlists. Of course, Pocket Tunes has other features as well including the ability to play hundreds of Internet radio stations. Definitely worth a try - www.pocket-tunes.com/?page=overview

Posted using my Windows Mobile phone.

Control your Windows Mobile device with mDesktop

I haven't played with mDesktop yet, but it does look cool. "Everthing you do with your Windows Mobile smartphone you can now do from your PC - on your big screen, big keyboard and complete integration with your desktop."
Among the features listed on the website are.

1. Make outgoing calls from the Smartphones address book

2. Threaded SMS.

3. Manage images

4. Manage calendar and contacts straight on your phone, no sync required.

There is more to mDesktop. To learn more, go to www.motionapps.com/product/mdesktop/index.jsp.

Posted using my Windows Mobile phone.

T-Mobile releases HTC Touch Diamond with sliding keyboard

Now I love the device. The Diamond without a QWERTY keyboard was not worth even considering for a purchase. But now that T-Mobile has one with a keyboard, I might change my mind if HTC themselves decide to sell it. The news here is that T-Mobile released the keyboard enabled Touch Diamond in Germany along with the T-Mobile Ameo 16GB. Click the link below for some pictures of the new devices - http://www.gsmhelpdesk.nl/en/read.php?id=2918&ch=1

Tips: Opera 8.65 closes by itself

I experienced my first serious issue with Opera 8.65 over the weekend. I use my device and Opera mostly to post to Microsoft Windows Mobile Owners Circle Forums where I'm a moderator. However, Opera decided that it would remain open for a few seconds and close without any warnings. I went through the basic troubleshooting steps to no avail. It was time to contact Opera support desk.
I sent them an email and almost immediately got a reply with a ticket number. Shortly afterwards, got another email from a support representative with the following:

"Please check if the cache is responsible for this behaviour. Simply remove all
files inside the cache4 folder found in application data/opera/cache4."

I did just that and Opera was running again flawlessly. Thank you Opera supportdesk for sorting this out.

HTC releases Windows Mobile 6.1 upgrade for the TyTN II

Owners of the TyTN II who live in Europe will be happy to learn that HTC has released the upgrade to Windows Mobile 6.1 for their devices. The upgrade is available through the HTC e-Club at http://www.htc.com/member/Login.aspx.

Press release: Spb Software Showcases Spb Online Shell at CeBIT Australia

Spb Online Shell is a convergence of online and media tools, targeted to helping mobile network operators expand their online services portfolios and meet high-end customization needs.

Sydney, May 21st, 2008 - Today at CeBIT Australia, Spb Software House, a leading mobile applications vendor, showcased Spb Online Shell - a practical on-device access point to online multimedia content and services. Spb Online Shell will help mobile network operators deliver improved content experiences to subscribers.

Spb Online Shell is an elegant content discovery solution that makes it possible to bring online radio, TV, video-on-demand, weather, gaming, music, and shopping directly to subscribers using Windows Mobile handsets. Set to reinvigorate user enthusiasm for mobile entertainment and data, Spb Online Shell is an easy to use and engaging single entry portal for online services and payments. It is designed to strictly adhere to, and enhance, a carrier's unique identity and brand.

Sebastian-J Schmidt, CEO, Spb Software, said: "The demand for mobile services is strong throughout the world. In Australia, we're now actively seeking partnerships with innovative mobile carriers, and believe that Spb Online Shell will resonate well here, since Australia is an early adopter of 3G and streaming content for mobile devices."

Spb Online Shell uses the engine of Spb Mobile Shell, an application that has been recognized by dozens of respected mobility experts around the world as the user interface improver, which reignites interest in Windows Mobile and changes the device experience completely.

"Not all services are created equal and success is not just about functionality. It ultimately is about the end user experience," said Vassili Philippov, COO, Spb Software. "We have seen a few million iPhones generate more web traffic than all the other web-enabled smartphones put together, so Spb understands that in any delivery, the 'how' is just as important as the 'what'.

To meet the growing demand for online mobile services and to adequately service its partners, Spb plans to set up a separate business entity.

Free: HushSMS

HushSMS is a nice and free utility that lets you send Class 0 messages of Flash SMS. In other words, your recipients will receive the message directly on their screen. However, it does not display the sender's name.
HushSMS also has the ability to silently ping a device. This way you'll know if the phone is switched on or off.
The software runs on Windows Mobile 5 & 6 and can be download from www.silentservices.de/HushSMS.html

Review: Vito Technology GoodWin

With all the hype surrounding the iPhone interface, it comes as no surprise to see competitors coming up with their own flavor of a similar interface for Windows Mobile. HTC led the pack with the TouchFlo technology on the HTC Touch. Actually, HTC is the only device manufacturer to have an iPhone-like interface on their devices. Third party developers are revamping their software to offer finger manipulation and Vito Technology is one them. This review is about GoodWin, a fully touch-enabled application. I don't know how these solutions compare to the iPhone interface as I do not use an iPhone and do not plan to buy one either. So let's get started with the review.

What is GoodWin?

Basically, GoodWin is an application launcher that can be downloaded for trial from Http://iwindowsmobile.com. It also includes SMS-Chat for threaded sms, Fun Contacts to manage your contacts and ZoomBoard for fast and accurate onscreen typing. The installation is quite straight forward. Connect your device and run the executable on the PC. I had no issues at all with the installation.

How it works?

When installation is complete, GoodWin adds itself to the Today screen along with icons for SMS, Tasks, Email and Call History. The buttons are big enough for the thumb. In fact GoodWin installs itself as new home screen with the battery, volume and operator icon at the very top of the screen. Just below these are the icons I mentioned above (SMS Chat, Fun Contacts and ZoomBoard).

By default, the main screen is locked, probably to avoid screen touches when the device is in the pocket. Use your finger to slide the padlock to the right to unlock the screen and start using GoodWin. There is no way to change that behavior or at least I did not find one to disabled the lock feature.

Goodwin's main screen displays:

Favorites and Running list

This is fully customizable. Meaning that you can add applications you use most often to this list for quick access. Other programs that runs on the device will also appear in that list after you minimize them. To really close these applications, use your finger and press the program icon for a few seconds until a context menu appear. You will then get the choice to Add to favorites and close the application.

Programs List

I forgot to mention that I'm running GoodWin on a HTC 8125 with Windows Mobile 6. Scrolling with the finger is fun and smooth. Even the context menu is big enough to be used with the finger. However the Programs list can make scrolling too long as you add more software to your device. The fact that GoodWin does not support subfolders is one aspect of the software that Vito Technology should review. A perfect example is the Games folder, where I have four games installed. Goodwin ignores the subfolder and displays the games icon alongside the other software in the Programs list. The result is that more finger scrolling is required. While it is indeed easier and faster using the finger to scroll, having GoodWin respect my folders arrangement would have been great. Vito Technology should consider adding horizontal scrolling to GoodWin. That would be neat to access subfolders or submenus: One flick of the finger to the right to open the submenu and another click to the left to return to the main menu.

Settings
There is nothing much to say about the Settings list. It regroups all the icons you have in Start > Settings.

Open an application.
A single tap is needed to open an application. However, as I said above, press and hold on the icon to access the context menu and you'll have options to run or add the application to the Favorites list so it's listed at the top of the screen.

You will find at the end of the screen, a Menu button that brings up another context menu that gives you access to GoodWin Settings, Help, About and the ability to close GoodWin. This button should have been at the top alongside the sms and email icons.

Goodwin is a great application that does not affect the device performance. It was easy and fast to learn scrolling with the finger even if at times, I would accidentally launch an application by pressing too hard on the screen. Nobody is perfect. After half an hour playing with GoodWin, I became very comfortable using it to the extent that it is now my default home screen.

Teksoft releases Skybox

Nothing to do with Slingbox. Skybox is a software and is another finger enabled application that replaces the default Windows Mobile interface. The fetures are:

Fast access to the vital functions of the device.

Easy to use and fingerfriendly

Display im portant data like phone signal, battery, missed calls, date and time.

Powerful features and registry hacks

Custom titlebar, infoscreen, menu, settings.

Read more at www.teksoftco.com/index.php?section=skybox

Windows Mobile Live Search 3.0 released

The update version now includes:

Map a contact: For any people in your address book, immediately view their address on a map and get directions there.

View Virtual Earth collections: View custom maps of locations and events that are created on the PC by you, your friends, or the broader community.

Web search: Launch web search directly from the client to find webpages, product price comparisons and reviews, news, images, and more.

Point your device browser to http://wls.live.com To download the new version.

Microsoft and RIM to bring Windows Live services to Blackberry Smartphone

In a joint press release today, Microsoft and RIM announced that they have an agreement to provide Windows Live services on Blackberry devices. With this agreement, Blackberry users will have access to Windows Live Messenger and Windows Live Hotmail on the Blackberry.
"The Blackberry platform is respected around the world for providing optimized messaging capabilities, and RIM continues to look for ways to provide customers with a wide range of communications options and the best possible experience," says Mark Guibert, vice president, Corporate Marketing at RIM. "Our relationship with Microsoft and the addition of Windows Live services to Blackberry smartphones help us build on that strategy for our customers."

Read more from www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2008/may08/05-12wlblackberrypr.mspx?rss_fdn=press%20Releases

New skin for ZoomBoard

VITO Technology releases a new version of ZoomBoard with a new skin. New ZoomBoard supports 2 skins: black HTC Touch style and bright skin with grey and blue colors. New ZoomBoard allows for quick and accurate typing and can satisfy even very squeamish users' demands with 3 different types of zooming: full zoom, lens zoom, float zoom. Now even more freedom for our users. You can change the color of your keyboard to suit your mood. Use either black stylish interface or bright-colored blue skin. The new black skin looks great on HTC Touch devices.
ZoomBoard is available for $14.95 at http://iwindowsmobile.com.

Vito Technology releases new version of SMS-Chat

VITO Technology releases a new version of one of its best-sellers – SMS-Chat. SMS-Chat is a Windows Mobile SMS messenger that organizes your SMS correspondence into threaded SMS conversations. You can create templates that you can use for quick answers, the ability to switch off popping up alerts. If you've received some telephone number in SMS you can click it to place a call or if there is a hyperlink click it to open it in a browser. You will be pleasantly surprised by the ability to change skins in new SMS-Chat.           The new version of SMS-Chat presents a lot of improvements. The most distinctive option is the ability to switch off the onscreen alerts. This way you can hide the onscreen SMS notification and nobody will peek on your incoming message. Other new options include the ability to create and use your own templates for quick answers so that you can send answers immediately, the ability to open hyperlinks and dial phone numbers right from the message with a single tap, the ability to send your contacts' phone numbers. Now SMS-Chat uses the default folders for saving text messages, therefore most bugs have been fixed, like the problems with full screen notifications. 
           The new version of SMS-Chat supports black skin in HTC touch style. Other minor changes include:
The notification window disappears when you tap the screen outside it. 
When clicking the cross icon the notification closes and message shows as unread in chat. 
Quick scroll has appeared for long chats. 
Clicking the name in the chat opens a contact details
It is possible to minimize the application right from the chat. 
 
Dates in chats are shown the same way as in the WM system  
            SMS-Chat is available for $14.95 at http://iwindowsmobile.com. SMS-Chat supports English, German, French, Japanese, Spanish, Italian, and Hebrew.

The Touch Diamond is superb, but...

HTC released the Touch Diamond yesterday. The device specs are really impressive. Powered by Windows Mobile 6.1, 256MB Rom; 192 MB DDR Ram and 4GB of internal storage. The display is a 2.8 inch TFT flat touch-sensitive screen with VGA resolution.
It has it all in terms of connectivity: GSM/GPRS/EDGE/HSDPA/WCDMA; Bluetooth, Wifi and GPS. Of course, HTC presents with the Touch Diamond, the new TouchFlo 3D.

For one thing, the Touch Diamond does look nice and refined. But I have two negative feedback about it: the battery capacity is a miserable 900mAH. Which is a shame. And there is no mechanical/QWERTY keyboard. A device without a keyboard and however beautiful it is, does not warrant I spend a dim for it.
Discover the Touch Diamond at http://www.htc.com/www/default.aspx

Free: Softkey Manager for Windows Mobile

I'm often asked if there is a way to change the default softkeys on the Today screen. The answer of course is yes, but requires tweaking the registry. This is certainly not the safest way to do it. Fortunately, FantasticBytes released Softkey Manager. A nice application that will let you easily change the left and right softkey to launch the applications you use most often. Softkey Manager also lets you set a softkey to your favorite webpage. Best of all, it is free.

Download from www.fantasticbytes.com/sminfo.php

Tips: Activesync won't start - Error 0xC0000142

The error in the title has been discussed and resolved on the Windows Mobile Owners Circle Forums. If you ever come across this error code, chances are that your user profile is corrupt. Read the thread to learn more:

Http://forums.microsoft.com/windowsmobile/showpost.aspx?postid=3206324&siteid=65

Tips: There is a problem with this Windows Installer package. A DLL required for this install to complete could not be run.

If you ever encounter this error when trying to install Activesync 4.5, downloading the latest version of Windows Installer will fix it. Windows Installer 3.1 is the latest version that can be downloaded free from Microsoft website. Install Windows Installer and run Activesync setup again.

Download Windows Installer 3.1 here.

System Center Mobile Device Manager Forum

If you need assistance for deploying Mobile Mobile and System Center Mobile Device Manager in the enterprise, you might want to check this new forum put up by Microsoft. You may ask questions about any issues you come across and you will surely get an answer. So make sure you assign this site to your favorites list: http://forums.technet.microsoft.com/en-us/scmdm/threads/

Posted using my Windows Mobile device phone

Microsoft launches Windows Mobile Connection site

The Windows Mobile Connection site is intended for those who sell Windows Mobile phones or work work in the mobile industry.

We built this site for you, the mobile-industry professional. It's your destination for talk, opinion, and advice focused on selling and supporting Windows Mobile.You can use this site to connect with other Windows Mobile professionals, get advice from Microsoft experts, share photos, and learn about the Windows Mobile experience.

Read more...

Tips: How to switch from AM to PM and vice versa in the Calendar.

Yesterday, I had someone asking me this question to switch between AM and PM on Windows Mobile Standard edition device, aka as non touchscreen device, with a QWERTY keyboard.
This applies specifically when setting up a reminder. Once you've setup the time, use the d-pad to move to AM or PM depending on the time you're creating your appointment. To avoid confusion, let's say it's 10:00AM and you want to set the time to 10:00PM. Select AM and and press "P" on the keyboard to switch to PM. Pressing A will revert to AM.

Sent from my Windows Mobile phone.

Free: CESnipURL 1.0

This is a nice utility that lets you wrap URLs you insert in text messages and emails. SMSs only allows for 160 characters and inserting long URLs limits further the number characters. CeSnipURL helps wrap the URL, thus leaving room for you to type any descriptive you want. It is very efficient since some URLs are long. Check out the URLs on HPs website for example. CeSnipURl is available for free from www.kosertech.com/blog/?p=55

Remove duplicates contacts with DupedeDupe

Paul, a fellow MVP, over at Modaco, has developed a "very very very simple application" that allows you to remove duplicate contacts on your Pocket PC and Smartphone. DupedeDupe is available as a free download from www.modaco.com/content/pocket-pc-software/267793/dupededupe-remove-duplicate-contacts/



Via http://blogs.msdn.com/jasonlan/

Press Release: Vito Technology releases new black skin for Audio Notes Touch

Below is the press release by Vito Technology.

VITO Technology releases new black skin for Audio Notes Touch with absolutely new finger-friendly interface for audio recording on Windows Mobile. Minor bugs have also been fixed.
There are many users longing for black HTC Touch like skins in new finger-friendly applications at http://iwindowsmobile.com. VITO Technology has received a great amount of letters from our customers asking for a black skin of HTC Touch style. Therefore we decided to meet our users' demands and make black skin for Audio Notes Touch. Enjoy stylish and blackish design of your favorite application!
Minor bug connected with the ability to record on storage cards is fixed. When in autorecord mode Audio Notes Touch closes after saving the recording of the phone call.
Audio Notes Touch is available for $14.95 at http://iwindowsmobile.com/mobile-audio-recorder.html.

Sent from my Windows Mobile phone.

Free: Windows Mobile SMS sync

For some reason, SMS or Text Messaging is not available as an item to sync. This is quite unfortunate because I see so many request for such a feature across many forums.
If you have been looking for such a feature, then search no more. Brain Hama over at www.brianhama.com, has a free application that he developed to do just that. Windows Mobile SMS Sync works on Windows Mobile 2003, 5 and 6 and requires the Microsoft .Net Compact Framwork 2.0.
As stated on Brian's website, "this application will create CSV files for each of your SMS folders in the My Documents\SMS folder on our device."

Sent from my Windows Mobile phone.

What makes Windows Mobile 6.1 fun: Internet Explorer (Part IV).

Internet Explorer Mobile has two new functionalities. While these new additions do improve IE usability, it still does not catch-up with competing browsers. But Microsoft has announced a complete overhaul of the software which should be released later this year.

The first visible change is the Zoom out softkey. It is very useful when trying to navigate to a specific section of a large webpage.

Internet Explorer Mobile allows you to copy/paste text from websites to a document for example. To do that, open Internet Explorer and access any website and click Menu - Copy/paste - Select Text. Place your cursor before the text you want to select and press the select softkey. Use the D-pad to highlight your text and press the Copy softkey. This is quite a lot of clicks for such a simple process. I assume this must be a lot easier on a touch screen device.

Posted from my Windows Mobile phone.

Astraware releases Platypus

The prolific developers of Astraware strikes back with another new game. Platypus is a point and shoot game type and is designed to work with Palm OS and both flavors of Windows Mobile.

Based on the cult classic for PC and Mac, Platypus is a fast, frantic and fun side-scrolling arcade shooter with a difference - the entire game is made from clay! The vast continent-spanning city of Collosatropolis has finally reached the limits of its expansion, and tall buildings cover every available space. The Collosotropolan leaders have decided the simplest solution is to invade the neighbouring country of Mungola. They don't anticipate much of a struggle - Mungolans are simple, earthy types without much love for industry. In fact, Mungola's entire defence force consists of a single squadron of fighter planes - the venerable F-27 'Platypus'.

Your mission is to pilot your trusty Platypus and save peaceful Mungola! Fly across the squashy fields and trees, avoid the snowy mountains and protect your planet. Shoot down the enemy ships and marvel as they disappear in a splat! Collect fruit bonuses and a range of power-ups to aid you in your quest!

Read more at http://www.astraware.com/platypus

Posted from my Windows Mobile phone.

What makes Windows Mobile 6.1 fun: Start Menu (Part III).

There is only one noteworthy change with the Start Menu and that is the Recent Program list.

The Recent Program list appears when you press the Start button. It displays the last 8 applications that you used recently. To browse the Start menu as you would normally do, press the All Programs softkey.

This feature can be disabled as you can see in the screen above. To do that, access the Start - Settings - Home screen and remove the check before Show Recent Programs.

TouchBrowser for Pocket PC

TouchBrowser is a nice application that lets you use your finger to scroll when browsing the web on your device. It does not replace Internet Explorer Mobile, but is an addin. TouchBrowser also include an on-screen keyboard for entering URLs and make searches. Learn more from www.makayama.com/touchbrowser.html

Posted from my Windows Mobile phone.

What makes Windows Mobile 6.1 fun: Messaging (Part II).

Let's now see the new additions in the Messaging application. The new features affect both Text and E-mail.
Windows Mobile 6 Standard edition lacked the ability for multiple selection and deletion of emails/text messages. I know what a pain it is to delete them individually every day, not to mention move them to another folder. Good news, a new menu has been added that allows for
multiple selections of emails. You now have a new "Select Messages" option in the Menu with three choices: All, All Below and Several. Non-contiguous selection is still not supported.


Text size has also been an issue and previous version of Windows Mobile Standard suffered from the inability to modify text size. People with eye problems will be happy to learn that it now possible to change the text size while reading an email using the Text size feature in the View menu.


Another much needed addition is the Copy/Paste feature. Yes, it is now possible to select text in an e-mail/text and copy/paste them elsewhere, in a word document for example. You have to switch to edit mode for this to work. Copy/Paste also works in Internet Explorer and Office.


Text messaging has been revamped to include threaded sms. Now it's easier to track of conversations. Threaded messaging was first introduced on the Windows Mobile platform by Palm. It's nice to see that this feature is now native to Windows Mobile.


Next article will be about the Start menu.

What makes Windows Mobile 6.1 fun: Sliding Panel Homescreen(Part I).

I have been playing with WM6.1 for a while on a non-touchscreen device and though it is considered by many to be just a minor upgrade, it is one that brings long requested features to the OS. The Windows Mobile team is listening to customers and that bodes well for future releases.

The first visible improvement is the Sliding Panel homescreen. Quite frankly, I love it. It makes accessing the applications I use most very easy, requiring a few keystrokes.

Almost every task can be done right from the homescreen. Notice the right softkey changes to Compose when the Messaging slide is selected. Creating new emails or text messages is just a click away.

Using the D-pad, I can easily switch from one account to another. The more account you add to your device and it will automatically appear on the slide. By default the slide contains, Missed calls, Voice Mail and Text Messages.

The slides are not customizable and that is an issue. It would have been handy to be able to add/remove applications to and from the slides. I had to switch back to WM6 default homescreen after I installed Google Search on my device to make it appear on the homescreen.

The other slides allows you to access/view Calendar/Appointment; Windows Live (Live Search, Messenger etc); Windows Media player (only if you chose the Sliding Panel Media as the Home screen layout); My Photos slide displays all photos on your device; Settings slide offers access to Profile, Wireless Manager, Ringtone, Background image and Task Manager.

The sliding panel makes navigating the device very easy and fun. On the other hand, it would have been great to be able to customize it. In part II, we'll take a look at what's new in Messaging.

Download Windows Live

Microsoft has Windows Live available as a free download on their website. Jason Langridge, Microsoft Mr. Mobile, posted a link to it on his blog. This version of Windows Live does not contain Messenger, but you'll be able to get push Hotmail/MSN and Live Contacts on your device. Windows Live can be downloaded via Jason's blog at http://blogs.msdn.com/jasonlan/archive/2008/04/07/has-your-mobile-operator-removed-windows-live-hotmail-access.aspx. Or directly from Microsoft website at http://www.microsoft.com/windowsmobile/mobile/wl/download-en-us.mspx

Download Opera Mini 4.1 beta

A new version of the popular Opera mini is available for download. The new features include automatic completion of web addresses, tools for attaching files to web-based email, uploading photos to blogs or sites, downloading attachments to phone and saving and viewing pages offline. To download, visit www.operamini.com/beta/

Windows Mobile 6.1 is here.

As previously rumored, Microsoft did make an announcement yesterday about the release of Windows Mobile 6.1 at CTIA 2008. "Windows Mobile is improving smartphones to better meet people's rapidly expanding work and personal needs, Microsoft Corp. today announced. At CTIA Wireless 2008, the company unveiled the newest version of Internet Explorer Mobile, which adds desktop-grade Web browsing to Windows Mobile phones. In addition, Microsoft announced Windows Mobile 6.1, an update for its Windows Mobile software that includes new time-saving features, easier phone navigation and management, and increased security safeguards".
Note that WM 6.1 is just a minor upgrade offering some nice improvements, most of which seems to be mostly for the Standard Edition of Windows Mobile. I list some of the new features below:
* Threaded SMS
* New home screen design using Sliding Panel for ease of access to
emails, music etc
* Getting Started application
* Multiple selection in Messaging
* Ability to turn on/off the "Show Recent programs".
* Copy/Paste feature for Standard edition
* Zoom feature in IE Mobile

Read Microsoft release about the release of Windows Mobile 6.1:

http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2008/apr08/04-01WM61PR.mspx

Read a review:

http://www.pocketnow.com/index.php?a=portal_detail&t=reviews&id=1050&p=1

Vito Technology releases EyePhoto.

VITO Technology releases new application EyePhoto designed specially forviewing photos on Pocket PC Windows Mobile. Slide your photos with finger and enjoy watching them. User-friendly interface oriented on gestures is one of the main features. The program shows only the folders that include jpeg pictures. It is likely to become a photo album that allows you to watch all your photos at once.
EyePhoto organises all your photos into photo albums. Having started the program you face all folders containing jpeg pictures in the main memory and on a storage card. Upon opening a folder you are presented withphoto tiles displayed in one finger-scrollable window. Everything is done for your convenience. The preview window with photo tiles can helpyou find the photo you need just in a moment.
Tapping a photo tile opens a full screen photo. Now you can slide the screen with your finer to flip through the photos just like with a real photo album. Zooming in and out can be done by double tapping the image.
Tapping the photo only once will bring forward upper menu which shows the number of photos, the back arrow to go back to the list with tiles and the button for changing the view mode: landscape or portrait. When in landscape mode photos can be moved aflat, when in portrait - upright. Download a trial version from http://iwindowsmobile.com.

Free: Octro Mobile Instant Messaging with voice integration

This is a nice software that supports GoogleTalk/Jabber, MSN, AIM, ICQ, and Yahoo. Among other features is the ability to share files through Automatic file transfer, remotely access your PC etc. Learn more from www.octro.com

Astraware releases two games: Hexic and Mozaki

Astraware adds two more games to its already impressive library. Hexic and Mozaki are based on popular MSN games. Hexis is a fantastic twist on the match three genre by famed Tetris designer, Alexey Pajitnov. Hexic is deceptively simple to begin with - just rotate any trio of hexes in order to form a cluster of three or more same color pieces.
Mozaki is a classic brain-teasing strategy puzzler. Grab a piece from the stack and place it on the board, connect pieces of the same color to make an unbroken line from the colored edge to the centre of the screen, and connect the required number of lines and win the level. Read more and download a trial from http://www.astraware.com/.

Alerts on new emails in subfolders

This is a great find by Jason Langridge. Watchflag is an application that will alert you when new emails reach your subfolders. The default alert on our devices only warns us of new emails reaching the default inbox. This is not convenient if you rules set on the server to have emails from your boss sent to a subfolder called Boss. You'll end up missing important emails that could cost you your job.
Fortunately there is Watchflag. Read more on Jason's blog at

http://blogs.msdn.com/jasonlan/archive/2008/03/26/alerting-on-new-email-in-subfolders.aspx

Tips: How to compose new email from the Calendar

Last year I blogged about dialing a phone number right from the Notes section in the Calendar. Read the article in the link to learn more: http://pocketpcmauritius.blogspot.com/2007/11/tips-how-to-dial-phone-number-from.html. Today, a user asked me how to compose an email by tapping or clicking an email address from the same location. This requires that the email address be entered using the following format: Mailto:email@myemail.com. Tap the email address to start composing your new email.

Tips: remove your email address from a Reply All email

There is this annoying feature in Outlook Mobile e-mail whereby when you select Reply All, it also includes your email address. Therefore, you end up with a copy of the email in your Inbox. There is a way to remove this feature.
Open Activesync on your Pocket PC. Click Menu - Options. Select Email and click Settings. Tap the Advanced button and enter your email address in the My e-mail address box. Click OK.
The steps for Smartphones or non touchscreen devices are the same except after selecting Email and pressing the Settings softkey, you need to click Menu - Advanced. After entering the email address, press Done.

Free Developer Tools

If you are a student, take note. I just found a post on the Windows Mobile Team Blog announcing Microsoft's new DreamSpark initiative which provides full versions of developer tools completely free of charge to students. If you've ever wanted to try your hand at software development and you can prove your academic status, you can obtain suites such as Visual Studio 2008 Professional, Visual Studio 2005 Professional, Windows Server 2003 Standard RC2 SP2, SQL 2005 Developer, and more! Currently the program is only available to students in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, China, Germany, France, Finland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and Belgium.

To take advantage of this tremendous offer, go to https://downloads.channel8.msdn.com/

Automatically turn on the speakerphone

OldSap over at Xda forums has published a small application that allows you to automatically turn on the speakerphone when you receive or make a phone call. Speakerphone needs to be kept running in the background for this to work. According to OldSap, SpeakerPhone works with both Smartphones and Pocket PCs running WM5/WM6. Download from http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=369399.
Free registration is required to download.

Google launches Search plugin for Windows Mobile

Google launched a homescreen plugin for Windows Mobile that makes searching the web faster and easier. To download, point your mobile browser to mobile.google.com. The plugin will automatically add itself to your homescreen, ready to be used.

Tips: Samsung homescreen calendar displays wrong day

Some owners of Samsung's devices who use the Samsung's Calendar as home screen are reporting that it's displaying the wrong date. For example, instead of showing "2008-03-20 Thursday", it shows "2008-03-20 Wednesday".
This is a known issue and a patch is available from http://www.theunwired.net/?item=fix-samsung-blackjack-blackjack-ii-and-ace-leap-year-calendar-patch-available. Note that the bug only affects Samsung's homescreen Calendar.

DST patches download page for WM2003

For those of you out there having difficulties locating the DST download page for Windows Mobile 2003, I'm posting this link to the download page on Microsoft website: http://www.microsoft.com/windowsmobile/daylightsaving/daylightdownload.mspx. This link seems to be hidden somehow.

There is a link on the Windows Mobile page, but it points to a page that contains the patches for WM5 and 6 only.

ZoomBoard version 2.0 released

VITO Technology releases new ZoomBoard version 2.0, an onscreen keyboard with zoomed preview for comfortable and accurate FINGER typing. Now ZoomBoard has 2 new zoom modes in addition to the previous lens appearing above the keyboard. The considerable number of layouts will really be a pleasant surprise for ZoomBoard users all over the world. New ZoomBoard also features a very convenient SmartZoom option and gestures support.
Download a trial from http://iwindowsmobile.com/onscreen-keyboard.html

Posted on the GO!

Adobe Flash Lite and Reader LE licensed by Microsoft

This is terrific news for Windows Mobile devices owners. Finally we'll get Adobe's Flash player on our devices. "Microsoft has licensed Adobe Flash Lite software, Adobe's award-winning Flash player runtime specifically designed for mobile devices, to enable web browsing of Flash Player compatible content within the Internet Explorer Mobile browser..." Read the full press release.

Spb Weather 1.7.4 released - Spb Mobile Shell 2.0 supported

Spb Software House released Spb Weather 1.7.4. This upgrade is free for all registered users of Spb Weather 1.X.

New features:

- Integration with Spb Mobile Shell 2.0

Please download Spb Weather 1.7.4 from:
http://www.spbsoftwarehouse.com/products/weather/download.html

Turn your PPC into an answering machine

This is a feature that is lacking in Windows Mobile. Fortunately iSecretary fills up the gap since this option is available by default on non Windows Mobile devices. iSecretary is a free utility that allows you to configure your Pocket PC to send sms or voice message to callers and record caller's message. This is a must have. Download it at www.isecretary.net/about.php

Sports Illustrated goes mobile

Jason Langridge, Microsoft Mr Mobile, posted about Sports Illustrated releasing the beta version of the mobile site for Windows Mobile devices. You will be able to keep up to date with your 4 favorite teams and more. Go to http://blogs.msdn.com/jasonlan/archive/2008/03/11/sports-illustrated-on-your-windows-mobile-device.aspx

Free: Divx player for Windows Mobile

Divx Mobile Player runs on Windows Mobile 2003 and above and can be downloaded at http://mobile.divx.com/divx.

Tips: List contacts as FirstName, LastName

By default, Outlook Mobile displays the names of Contacts using the LastName first. The only wy to change that is through Outlook on the desktop and sync. However, data on your phone will retain their initial format. Only new contacts will inherit the new settings.
Fortunately, there is Contact Changer. It's a nice application that allows you to change the contact format with a single tap on the screen. Not only does it work, it's also free. After downloading the cab file and running setup on your device, a Contact fix icon will appear in the Programs folder. Click to open and select the format you want from the drop down list. Notice that you can include the company name as well. Download Contact Changer at www.shubaroo.com/contact_changer_v1.3.cab

Hot fix for abnormal Nike TouchFlo screen...

HTC released a hotfix recently for the Nike Touchflo scree display. If the screen displayis abnormal and the keyboard output characters are incorrect, download this fix to solve the problem. Signin to http://member.htc.com/member/login.aspx. Note: This fix was released on the February 27.

Posted on the Go!

Spb Software House releases Mobile Shell 2.0

Spb Software House, the world's leading Windows Mobile software vendor, upgrades its outstanding Spb Mobile Shell software to version 2.0. Spb Mobile Shell is an application that completely overhauls the innate Windows Mobile user interface, making it more direct, logical, and slick.

The software first hit the market in 2007 and quickly gained recognition among end-users and mobile device manufacturers. By the end of 2007, Spb Mobile Shell became the best-selling Pocket PC application in the world, was named the best interface/menu improver by Smartphone & Pocket PC Magazine, the Best Evolution Application by Handango, and the Best Program for PDA's by the Shareware Industry Awards. Spb Mobile Shell turns the Windows Mobile device into a better phone: gives access to crucial information at a glance, enables one-hand navigation, minimizes the number of taps to launching programs, changing settings, making calls. The new Spb Mobile Shell offers a great choice of haptic animation, it is more futuristic and practical in design, yet it is lower in memory consumption.

"The application is deeply integrated and fits well with the operating system," - comments Yaroslav Goncharov, the Product Manager of Spb Mobile Shell. "The software has become the accepted Windows Mobile interface for many: people buy devices with Spb Mobile Shell preinstalled and use it, believing the software to be an inherent part of the Microsoft platform." Read more at http://www.spbsoftwarehouse.com/products/mobileshell/

FindMe, new Facebook application

FindMe allows you to easily locate your friends and vice versa without the need for GPS hardware. The beta version is available at www.facebook.com/apps/application.php?id=6643114437.


Posted on the Go!

Free DVD to Mobile Phone Converter until March 5, 2008

Daniusoft DVD to Mobile Phone Converter is a powerful and very easy to use program that can convert DVD to 3GP, MP4, AVI and WMV for different cell phones such as Nokia, Motorola, Samsung, Palm, LG, Pocket PC, and Sony Ericsson and so on. It also has multiple functions to edit DVD movies so you can watch them on your cell phone with the best quality.
NOTE: This software is free until March 5. Download at
http://www.daniusoft.com/free-download.html.

A Window Mobile PocketPC trojan that disables Windows Mobile application installation security has been discovered in China.

WinCE/InfoJack sends the infected device's serial number, operating system and other information to the author of the trojan. It also leaves the infected mobile device vulnerable by allowing silent installation of malware. The trojan modifies the infected device's security setting to allow unsigned applications to be installed without a warning.
The trojan was packed inside a number of legitimate installation files and distributed widely. It has been distributed with Google Maps, applications for stock trading, and a collection of games. Read more at:
http://www.avertlabs.com/research/blog/index.php/2008/02/26/windows-mobile-trojan-sends-unauthorized-information-and-leaves-device-vulnerable/

A February 2008 cumulative daylight saving time (DST) update is available for Windows Mobile-based d

This update supersedes and replaces update 941898. (Update 941898 was released in August 2007.) This update includes daylight saving time (DST) changes that were signed in to law after update 941898 was created.

If you have already applied update 941898, read the descriptions of the specific time zone changes that are discussed in the "More information" section to determine whether you should apply this update. Read more at http://support.microsoft.com/kb/949168.

Tips: Delete Categories in Outlook 2007

You have some Categories on your device that you want to get rid of and can't seem to find any option to do that anywhere, do not search the device anymore because this is done in Outlook on the desktop. So, open Outlook and click Edit > Categorize > All Catogories. The Color Categories window opens. Chedck the Categories you want to remove and click Delete. We're not done yet. These categories are still on your device. To delete them on the Pocket PC/Smartphone, connect the device to sync with Outlook. The categories are removed from your pda. However, they will remain in the Category field of the contacts they were assigned to. This is a default and the only workaround is to remove them manually.

Vito Technology releases Ringtone Editor v1.22

What about creating new ringtones right on your device and wherever you are. This is possible with Vito's Ringtone Editor. "RingtoneEditor v1.22 allows you to make ringtones out of your favorite songs. The functionality is the same but the looks have been renewed. Its skin has become of eye pleasing colors.

The renewed VITO RingtoneEditor with pretty interface, smart buttons and simple functionality is an irreplaceable application for any Pocket PC. Isn’t it lovely to change your ringtones every time your mood changes? With RingtoneEditor you can create as many ringtones as you need from your favorite music anytime right on your mobile device." Read more...

Vito Technology celebrates 7th anniversary, offers software at $7.

To mark its 7th anniversary, Vito Technology is offering a huge discount on all their products. This offer will last until February 26.

Press release excerpt:
After 7 successful years in the market VITO Technology has so far released over 40 programs for Windows Mobile Pocket PC, Smartphone, and Symbian phones. The range of programs stretches from GPS navigation to multimedia, including communication and utilities.
Practically all VITO software titles - VITO AudioNotes, VITO SoundExplorer, VITO Voice2Go to name just a few - have become winners of the annual Best Software Awards held by Smartphone & Pocket PC Magazine. You can find all these prize winning best sellers at www.vitotechnology.com and www.iwindowsmobile.com AVAILABLE JUST FOR $7* FOR 7 days.

Free fake call emulator for Smartphones

Call Jockey is a utility that allows you to quickly configure your Smartphone to simulate a phone call. "Such fake calls are useful if you want to politely excuse yourself from conversation/meeting or make somebody think you are receiving a call". Wow, these guys are really serious about it. If you find Call Jockey "useful", which I don't, it's available as a free download till March 1 - www.connectivitytools.com/calljockey.html.

Windows Mobile 6 winner of the best mobile enterprise product

Windows Mobile 6, Microsoft latest Operating system for mobile devices was awarded the Best Mobile Enterprise Product at the GSMA Global Mobile awards in Barcelona. The judges' commented that Windows Mobile is "A leading platform for business owing to the ease of integration with Microsoft Exchange infrastructure. For the SMB market in particular, Windows Mobile 6 is an attractive proposition." read more at www.globalmobileawards.com/winners.shtml#winner_cat2a

Tips: Disable battery charging when synchronizing

If for some reason you want to prevent your battery from charging when synchronizing, modify the following registry key:

Hkey_Local_Machine\Drivers\Builtin\Usbfndrv\EnableUsbCharging.

Set its value to 0 to disable. The default value is 1.

C64 emulator for Smartphones released

Remember the Commodore 64 and its cool games? PocketHobbit has released an emulator for smartphones running Windows Mobile 5/6 that will let you play your favorite games and even start programming using BASIC on your device since it support keyboard input. This new version include the ability to switch between display modes and move diagonally. A Pocket PC version will be released soon. The emulator is free for download at http://pocketHobbit.qsh.eu/. However, feel free to donate some cash as an encouragement for the develper.

Posted on the GO!

GoodWin - iPhony launcher for Windows Mobile updated!

VITO Technology releases new version of task manager GoodWin. New GoodWin features Today plug-in and also fully supports FunContact and SMS-Chat. New GoodWin also features some minor improvements like quicker start-up and instant switching between favorites, installed programs and settings. Finger-friendly interface with animated menus is very appealing, once seen never forgotten, and once tried always used. Manage your Windows Mobile device with a flick of a finger!

Read more :

http://iwindowsmobile.com/mobile-launcher.html

 

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Express yourself instantly with MSN Messenger! MSN Messenger

Free: MSN Direct

MSN Direct brings news, weather updates and stock quotes to your home screen on the smartphone. While this is not new, I appreciate that the Smartphone edition was released first. This is unusual. Don't try downloading it to your Pocket PC, you'll receive a Unrecognize device error. Download here.

Try Iris Browser

A new web browser for Windows Mobile has surfaced and is worth a look. "With the Iris browser's revolutionary technology, you can access the full web on resource-constrained device and get the same functionality as you would on PC." The browser has been designed to run on WM6 devices. Download the cab file at www.torchmobile.com/download/

Sony Ericsson reveals impressive WM device

Forget about Nokia, Sony Ericsson has a superb device on their website running Windows Mobile 6. By the look of it, HTC has a reason to worry. The specs are quite impressive: 3-inch touchscreen (800x480), assisted GPS, internal 400mb memory, Wifi, Bluetooth and a full QWERTY sliding keyboard. Visit Sony Ericsson's website for pictures and videos of this awesome phone: www.sonyericsson.com/x1/?lc=en&cc=US

Nokia to run Windows Mobile?

ItWire reports that Microsoft is in discussion with Nokia "about plans to have the handset maker add Windows Mobile-powered devices to its portfolio."
Microsoft's mobile communications marketing director said, "they obviously have significant investments in Symbian but there are a lot of places where we have significant synergies and we would love to see the day where those synergies would extend completely with Windows Mobile." Read more at www.itwire.com/content/view/16510/127/

Fix for Windows Live Messenger not showing online contacts

If your contacts appear as offline in Windows Live Messenger, download this fix from HTC e-club. It's a .exe file that needs to be installed on HTC S620 devices. This fix applies to devices running build 18125.0.2.3 and earlier. To verify the build version of your S620, got to Start - Settings - about. Also the fix will work for the HTC branded Smartphone only. The fix can be downloaded at HTC e-CLUB -

http://member.htc.com/member/login.aspx

Opera Mobile 9.5 preview

Version 9.5 will be released during the Mobile World Congress 2008  that will be held in Barcelona. This new version promises a different browsing experience on our devices and this is one I'm really looking forward to. I heavily rely on Opera to post to forums or update/manage my blog and more. I'm just going to buy without trying it first. I've come to love Opera and blindly trust that version 9.5 will be a new exciting and productive experience.
 
Features:
 

Intuitive user interface

Tabbed browsing

Improved text wrap

Page overview, zooming and panning

Landscape mode

Save Web page for future offline access

Call phone number from Web page

Send link as SMS/MMS

Send image as SMS/MMS

Small Screen Rendering™

Password manager

Web address input auto-completion

History and bookmarks

Copy text

Opera Widgets

 
Follow the link for a guided tour: http://www.dailymotion.com/operasoftware/video/x49rb9_opera-mobile-95_tech

Pocket Wizards announces Mobile Drag'n'Drop

Basically, Mobile Drag'n'Drop lets you easily transfer files from your PC to device and vice versa using the drag and drop technique. This will be a great tool for moving files without the need to use the Explore button in Activesync/WMDC. Pocket Wizards is still working on it, so if you want to be informed of future developments, subscribe through the following blog: http://mobiledragndrop.blogspot.com

Sprite Achie out of beta

Sprite Software has released Sprite Archie. Remember, Archie lets you archive Sms messages and monitors your call activity also and logs this activity to email for future reference. Sprite Archie is being sold at $14.95 and a free trial is available at www.spritesoftware.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=201

Posted on th GO!

Vito Technology releases threaded sms application

Finally it's here. Sms-Chat is the new application from Vito Technology that brings threaded Sms to Windows Mobile. Of course, the application is finger-friendly. Sms-Chat has a number of features including the ability to search contacts by just typing their name or number. A trial can be downloaded at http://iwindowsmobile.com.

Posted on the GO!

New ROM update for HTC S710

HTC has a new ROM update for the S710. The main feature in this update is the connection setup application. Login to HTC e-club to download - http://www.htc.com/support/support.htm

Spb Wallet 1.5 puts an end to data vulnerability

With this new version, Spb claims that users can now safely keep passport and account numbers etc in Spb Wallet. Try it at www.spbsoftwarehouse.com/products/wallet/

Customize your alarms with Chronos

If you're having issues with the default alarms on your Pocket PC and Smartphone and need a more reliable solution, try Chonos. It has an unlimited number of alarms and timers and supports several file formats such as MP3, WMA and OGG. Alarms can be set to signal only on certain days of the week; can be one time or repetitive. Another feature is the ability to store the alarms on the storage card, thus saving space on the phone's main memory. A 15 days trial is available at www.activekitten.com/en/games/detail.php?id=351