Smartphone & Pocket PC Magazine: the end of an adventure

I read with dismay the email that Hal Goldstein sent to me last night. It is hard to believe that I will soon be reading the last and final issue of such a great magazine. I have been an avid reader of the Smartphone & Pocket PC magazine for two years or more and will surely miss the quality articles from the experts. Fortunately, these experts will still write great articles online. The forums and blogs will remain and that is good news. So all is not lost. BTW, Thaddeus Computing will soon release an iPhone Magazine.

A big thanks to the Smartphone & Pocket PC Magazine team.

Read Hal's blog post about the Final Issue of Smartphone & Pocket PC magazine:

http://www.pocketpcmag.com/cms/blog/4/final-issue-smartphone-pocket-pc-magazine

HTC announces the S740

The S740 is a stylish smartphone with the same design as the Touch Diamond except that it's a non-touch screen phone. Powered by Windows Mobile 6.1, the device also has a sliding QWERTY keyboard and is expected to be released in Europe as from September 2008.

Key HTC S740 Product Specifications
• Size: 116.3 x 43.4 x 16.3 mm
• Weight: 140g with battery
• Networks: WCDMA/HSDPA: 900/2100 MHz for EU and Asia
• GSM/GPRS/EDGE: 850/900/1800/1900 MHz
• Maximum speed: UL = 384 kbps; DL = 3.6/7.2 Mbps**
• Camera: 3.2MP, with the second VGA camera for video calling
• Operating system: Windows Mobile® 6.1 Standard
• Display: 2.4-inch QVGA screen
• Camera: 3.2 megapixel with fixed focus
• Internal memory: 256 MB flash; 256 MB RAM
• Memory card: microSD™
• WLAN: 802.11b/g
• Bluetooth®: 2.0 with EDR
• GPS: GPS/AGPS
• Interface: HTC ExtUSB™ (mini-USB and audio jack in one; USB 2.0 High-Speed)
• Battery: 1000 mAh
• Talk time: WCDMA: Up to 320 minutes*** / GSM: Up to 380 minutes***
• Standby time: WCDMA: Up to 400 hours*** / GSM: Up to 280 hours***
• Special features: Sliding QWERTY keyboard, FM radio, Google Maps, RSS Hub
• Chipset: Qualcomm® MSM7225, 528 MHz

Read the press release.

Handango Sale

Now through Tuesday, August 26, 2008, use code SECRET20 for 20% off everything at Handango.com.

Official details from Palm on the Treo Pro

Unofficial pictures and details have been leaking out for weeks on Palm's latest smartphone release: the Treo Pro. It comes right on the heels of the recently released Treo 800w. Now Palm has made their own official announcement and confirm such details as Windows Mobile 6.1, 320x320 touchscreen, GPS, Bluetooth, WiFi, and a 2 megapixel camera. If that sounds exactly like the Treo 800w, lets distinguish with the Pro being Tri-Band 3G / Quad-Band EDGE, including a 3.5mm stereo headphone jack, and a slightly bigger battery at 1500 mAh. Plus, this one looks a lot more iPhone-ish.

Details from Palm here. Unboxing pictures and details from Engadget Mobile here.
View a video from Palm about the device here.

The release date has not yet been unannounced, but the carriers have:
Europe: Vodafone and O2
Austrailia: Telstran
USA: unlocked version will be made available for GSM networks

Latin American and Asian carriers to be announced in the future.

Papyrus 2.0 released

Papyrus 2 brings many exciting new features, including: Search View for PIM item searching; Advanced filters management; Automatic attendees notifications, Popup selection effect for optimized display and much more! Papyrus 2 back-end engine was re-designing from the beginning and delivers the fastest experience for the pro user!

SBSH Papyrus 2 Highlights

All New Search View - Introducing extremely effective search functionality for your PIM items! Use the new Search View from any chosen view to easily browse through your different items!

Mobile Innovation - Automatically email notifications and appointment invitations to attendees; New Pop-out Effect on all views for better data display, Active timeline display, New professionally designed built-in category icon store with PNG format support and much more!

Redesigned Interface - Featuring the next generation of user-interface with automatic adoption to your Windows Mobile look and feel and easy to navigate dialogs! Additionally, Papyrus 2 includes especially designed features to take advantage of any screen orientation Smartphone!


Click here to find out more information about the new features and improvements available with the all new Papyrus 2 release!

Motorola Q9h WM6.1 update available

Jason Langridge posted about the availability of Windows Mobile 6.1 upgrade for the Motorola Q9h. The upgrade can be downloaded free from here. The Q9h owners will certainly like the sliding panel home screen. BTW, the sliding panel is only available on non-touch screen devices. I often receive emails asking where to find this feature on touch screens.

Visit Jason's blog at http://blogs.msdn.com/jasonlan/

Free Facebook client released

If you are a heavy user of Facebook, Snap2Face will certainly be of interest. Snap2Face will let you connect to Facebook wherever you are, provided you have a good connection and preferably an unlimited data plan.

The features of Snap2Face are:

• Sleek, graphic-rich user interface
  
• Set your status while on-the-go
  
• View friends' status and detailed information
  
• View friends' friends and send friendship requests
  
• Get notified of events like wall post, message,
  poke, and friend request
  
• View your pokes, wall, inbox, and friend requests,
  all in full text
  
• Poke friends, send message to friends, and post
  on friends' wall
  
• Access you and your friends' photo albums
  
• Ability to view, zoom in/out, and pan full-sized
  photos, and play slideshow
  
• Upload photos from built-in camera or file folder
  
• Import friends' profile photos to Outlook Contacts
  (photo Call ID)
  
• and more...

Check out this link for instructions to download, setup and configure Snap2Face.

---

Explore the seven wonders of the world Learn more!

Free: New version of Tiny Twitter is out

The new version include some interesting features like the message-like popup for new and unread tweets as well as replies to direct message. There is also the possibility to post your location to Windows Live maps.

Tiny Twitter can be downloaded free from www.tinytwitter.com.

Celio RedFly is Released!

On the heels of Palm's cancelled Foleo mobile companion comes the Celio Redfly, finally available now. This wonderful device allows you to use your compatible Windows Mobile device on a much larger scale. The Redfly is essentially a dumb terminal that simply provides a much larger interface for your device with an almost-full size keyboard, a touchpad, and an 8-inch screen at 800x480. It also has two USB ports, a VGA out port, and Bluetooth. Connect to your phone via USB or Bluetooth, and you are ready to enjoy WinMo on the big screen. :) Use that VGA out port to connect to an external monitor or a projector. If connected via USB, your phone will charge off of the Redfly's battery. Use the second USB port to connect a standard mouse for even more functionality.

For more information, check out the Info page and this full review and then you can buy your own at the newly lowered price of just $399.95 US.

The Redfly is now compatible with these phones:

• HTC Mogul
• AT&T Tilt
• Verizon XV6800
• Treo 700 w/wx
• Treo 750
• Samsung SCH-i760 (Verizon)
• Samsung Blackjack II
• Motorola Q9c
• Motorola Q9m
• Motorola Q9h
• T-Mobile Dash
• Sprint Touch
• HTC Touch (Original GSM)
• Treo 500
• Treo 800w

Press Release: Vito Technology release Winterface 1.1

VITO Technology released a new version of one of its best-sellers – Winterface. Winterface is a Windows Mobile shell that helps you to organize applications and settings at your PocketPC the way you like. The start gesture "rainbow" was replaced in new version by upside down tick ^. Moreover, it has become possible to add to the main screen not only applications, settings and contacts but also any files on your Pocket PC. Besides, calendar and tasks now can notify you about upcoming events, appointments and tasks. Minor bugs have been also fixed.

The new version 1.1 of Winterface includes numerous improvements. The major one is that we've changed the start gesture, now the application is started with the help of the upside down tick ^. This gesture is unlikely to interfere with other applications so that Winterface couldn't pop out each time you slide the screen. Drawing the gesture "tick" or letter "v" on your screen can close any application you are working in.

Other improvements are concerned with tasks and calendar. For most of users their Pocket PCs are organizers and reminders. Therefore Winterface now have red indicators with numbers above Calendar and Tasks icons to show active tasks and upcoming events. When tapping Calendar you can see a semi-transparent window with all events. If you need to edit time or event you can go to the calendar if not you may return back to the screen. As for the tasks, pressing the icon you are put straight to the Tasks to look at them and to edit.

At one of the sites where we had great discussion with our users we were strongly convinced by the advanced WM users that they definitely need quick access to separate files. Therefore "Files" was added to the menu of the program that affords you to add any file to the screen. Moreover, we've made a possibility to switch off the lock screen.
Winterface now looks whiter as most of the standard icons were replaced by super stylish winter-like icons. You will be amazed by the cool looks of your Pocket PC screen.

Some of the bugs were fixed like: it is now impossible to delete Menu and Running icons of the program, some of the icons are not doubled any more (like Phone). The bug on HTC devices with battery icon was also fixed.
NOTE! If you need to backup your settings, you only should rename file pages.db (for example, pages_old.db) in the Winterface folder. Then you should uninstall the old version of Winterface, rename it back from pages_old.db to pages.db after that install new version of the program. All other updates that are higher than version 1.1 won't need this operation as the program will do it itself.

Winterface is available for $19.95 at www.iWindowsMobile.com/vito-mobile-shell.html.

Hot fix for resolving inability to download/open PDF files in HTC S620

HTC released a hot fix for the HTC S620 to resolve the inability to download and open PDF files. The fix can be download on their new support site at http://www.htc.com/www/SupportDownloadList.aspx?p_id=2&cat=all. By the way, the download page has moved from the e-Club to a new support page where the device serial No. is required to download instead of having to be a member of HTC e-club.

If you are trying to download and view Adobe PDF files from the Internet that were saved using the newer versions of Adobe Acrobat or Adobe Distiller, you may not be able to download/open them on the HTC S620. Please download this hot fix to be able to successfully download/open Adobe PDF files from the Internet.

Tips: Cannot recognize one or more recipients or the address is not valid

If you get the error mentioned in the title above while sending a text/SMS/E-mail message, do the following:

Open Messaging.

Click Menu > Options.

Click Address tab.

"In Contacts, get e-mail addresses from:" drop down list, select "All e-mail fields"

Source.

Astraware releases Insaniquarium Deluxe

Don't have an aquarium at home? Or may be you do, but you don't get to fight off alien creatures to protect your fish. Astraware has Insaniquarium Deluxe which "offers hours of frantic aquarium fun as you feed your fish, watch them grow and protect them from alien invaders!".

"Insaniquarium Deluxe is the craziest aquarium game ever - tend to your fish and keep them happy and they'll reward you with precious coins and jewels. Use the money you earn to buy upgrades for your tank or egg parts which hatch lots of different in-tank pets with special powers. These pets can help you feed your fish, collect coins, or even protect against the aliens that will invade your tank and wreak havoc. You can also use the money you earn to buy better weapons to see the aliens off quicker!"

Click here for more information.
Download a trial version here.

Olympics 2008 live on your device with Yahoo Go! 3.0

I wish I could stay home to watch the games in its entirety, but I doubt my boss will agree to that. Fortunately, Yahoo has a widget for Yahoo Go! that will let me keep in touch with what is happening in Beijing. If you do not have Yahoo Go!, open your browser on your phone and type get.go.yahoo.com. Download and install Yahoo Go! Then, all you have to do is search for "Beijing 2008 games" and add it to your widgets.

Free: Twitula, another Twitter client

A new Twitter client is now available free for download from http://www.kevdaly.co.nz/Software/Twitter/Twitula.CAB. I haven't tried it yet, but it looks nice.

Getting started -

• Download the CAB file (see link above), copy it to your device and double-click to install. (Or download the CAB file directly to your device and double-click)
• Select one of the options available from the menu.
• To do most thiTo do most things other than view the public timeline, first log in. ("Log in menu" option, left Soft Key menu) - You only need to do this the first time: credentials are stored between sessions, and you can log in with a different account or switch accounts.
• Click on someone's screen name (or select Menu->Send message) to send them a message (check the "Direct message" option on the form to send a direct private message). link in Internet Explorer.
• Check the "Auto-refresh (on/off)" menu option to refresh info displayed at (roughly) one-minute intervals.

Source: Http://blogs.msdn.com/jasonlan/

Developer's website: http://www.kevdaly.co.nz/Software/Twitter/Twitula.aspx

Astraware 25% Off Sale

Astraware is offering some of their most popular games on sale right now with their 25% Off 25 Hot Summer Sale. Offer ends August 17. http://www.astraware.com/promo/summer08/

Skype 2.2 for Windows Mobile released

Skype has released a new version of the popular software with support for Windows Mobile 6.1. Version 2.2 is available free for both Professional and Standard version and can be downloaded from www.skype.com/intl/en/download/skype/windowsmobile/

Experience Mobility moves to new home

I received an email from my friend and fellow MVP Jack Cook about his site having moved to a new domain after spammers exploited a vulnerability (Read Jack's statement below). Both the site and the database have been littered with spams and Jack had to start fresh. His blog is now at http://experiencemobility.net. If you subscribed to Jack's feed, please update to http://experiencemobility.net/?feed=rss2.
Good luck with the new site, Jack.

"Sad but true, I'm starting over after finding that Experience Mobility was infiltrated with a serious amount of hidden SPAM within my blog. Evidently there was a vulnerability that was exploited at sometime and no matter what I did to remove it, it kept coming back. I suppose I could have left it there but it was just the point of having it that bothered me. Because it was not only in the blog but was also riddled through my database, it was decided that the best tact to take was to start fresh.
So what about all my previous posts and reviews? I am not going to make an attempt to retrieve the old posts but over time, I will try to bring back my reviews but that will be a time consuming project and I am thinking it may well be a great Winter project".

Press Release: Task2Gather.com released - One Place for All Your Tasks

As we get more and more connected and our devices get smarter, it's great to see new services/products being released to keep us in sync with and manage our data. Vito Technology today announced the availability of Task2Gather, a free Web 2.0-based online service that lets you manage your Tasks. Unless I'm wrong, this is the first ever online service offering Tasks management service. The others out there tend to focus more on Contacts, Calendar, E-mails etc. Task2Gather is an innovative service which I recommend you try. For personal or professional use, Task2Gather can prove handy wherever you are.

Press Release
VITO Technology is proud to present Task2Gather - a brand-new free service for online task management. Task2Gather is one place for all your tasks and projects: family, social, business, and private. Task2Gather lets you put your tasks online and invite family members, colleagues, or clients to participate and achieve common goals.
Our guiding criteria for developing Task2Gather were simplicity, high performance, sharing, flexibility and mobility. As a result there has been developed a completely unique service applicable for successful collaboration practically in any sphere of life.
Simplicity. Task2Gather is so simple you can use it as a shopping list or as a to-do list and enjoy advantages of the online accessibility of this information at the same time. Task2Gather offers you unbelievably easy start as there is no need for training, reading manuals, or other time consuming activities. Sign up takes literally a couple of seconds and after this you see self-explanatory clear interface with useful tips for next steps.
Flexibility. Task2Gather can be used literally anywhere. It can equally well serve students, social service, construction teams, small businesses, and housewives. Task2Gather allows you to organize all your tasks & projects exactly the way you like. You can see yourself using Task2Gather for your work when in fact you started to use it for managing your personal tasks.
Sharing. Task2Gather is even more useful for collaboration and team-work. To invite somebody to a project you need to type in their email and press invite. After invitees logs in to their Task2Gather account they see not only their own projects & tasks but also the projects & tasks you have shared with them. Now you can assign each other responsible for particular tasks and start achieving your common goal.
High performance.Task2Gater for desktop computers is entirey web-based application (like Google Dos)... but you will never notice it. It works very fast and steadily.
Mobility. The soon coming Task2Gather clients for iPhone and Windows Mobile will prove that online task management can be as easy as a shopping/to-do list and very efficient at the same time.
Sign up for Task2Gather at www.task2gather.com. Task2Gather is a completely free service available on any computer with Internet access. It will be later available via paid subscription with more advanced features.

Credit news: http://vitotechnology.com/en/support/news/news_detail.php?ID=2076
Screenshot: http://task2gather.com/site/images_index/tree.gif

Opera releases fix for notification bug

Opera released a bug fix for Opera Mobile 9.5 beta 1. Since I've installed the beta version, I've lost notification sounds for new emails and text messages. I'm going to apply the fix to see if that solves the problem.
Now, I hope Opera will resolve major issues soon, like the out of memory probably which does not exist in the previous version. Support for Javascript will also be much appreciated. Read more on Opera's blog: http://my.opera.com/operamobile/blog/2008/07/29/updated-beta1

Windows Mobile G-Sensor Enabled Alarm Clock

If you own a sensor-enabled phone, you might want to try Klaxon. It is a simple alarm clock that uses the sensor to "shake off" the alarm.

G-Sensor Instructions:

Flip your phone over to snooze.

Shake your phone to turn the alarm off.

Klaxon can be downloaded free from http://www.koushikdutta.com/2008/07/klaxon-windows-mobile-g-sensor-enabled.html

Watch total solar eclipse with AstroNavigator II

The total Solar Eclipse takes place on the 1st of August 2008. It will be visible from a narrow corridor through northern Canada (Nunavut), northern part of Russia, western Mongolia, and China. You are far from that places but you still want to watch it? AstroNavigator II by VITO Technology gives you an opportunity to gaze the Eclipse right on your PocketPC.

With VITO AstroNavigator II you may gaze at any Solar Eclipse. To do this you are to put the exact time and place on the Earth where the eclipse is expected to be seen. Now you can enjoy being a part of the Universe knowing about the most significant events happening over there.

VITO AstroNavigator II is available only for $13.95 at http://iwindowsmobile.com/astronavigator.html. The 30% discount is available starting from 29th of July till the 2nd of August. Updates are free for customers who purchased AstroNavigator II within a year's time.

101 Ways to make your smartphone smarter

Here's a nice article on how to use your favorite to its full potential. Written by Jessica Merritt, the suggested tools are grouped by categories such as Communication, Finance, Travel, entertainment, security etc. Each proposed tools have links to the software vendor/developer. If you are new to Windows Mobile and are not sure which software to choose to maximize the efficience of your device, I recommend you go through this article.

Link: www.collegedegree.com/library/college-life/101_ways_to_make_your_smartphone_smarter/

New version of Windows Live available

What appears to be a new version of Windows Live for Windows Mobile has been released. It can be downloaded from http://www.microsoft.com/windowsmobile/mobile/wl/download-en-us.mspx. Note that this version does not include MSN Messenger. Therefore, if you are running a version of Windows Live with Messenger, do not install that one. Also, before installing, read the release notes first - http://www.microsoft.com/windowsmobile/mobile/wl/releasenotes.mspx.

Windows Live is available for Standard and Professional devices.

Stream live video to the web from your phone with Qik

Qik, which is actually in public beta, allows you to publish your videos to the web. You will thus be able to send videos to your loved ones wherever they are in the world, provided they have internet (of course). I wanted to give it a try, unfortunately only four Windows Mobile powered devices are supported and they are the Samsung SGH-I600 and the BlackJack II; Motorola Q9h and Q9c. Qik website states that the HTC Shift, Touch, Touch Diamond and the TyTN II will be supported soon.

Qik website: Http://qik.com/

Tips: Disable threaded SMS in Windows Mobile 6.1

Threaded SMS in Windows Mobile 6.1 is a great feature. But if you would like to disable it, follow the instructions below:

First, you will need to download a registry editor. PHM Registry Editor is the one I use and it is free. It can be downloaded from http://www.phm.lu/Products/PocketPC/RegEdit/

Open the editor and navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Inbox\Settings.

Create a new DWORD value called SMSInboxThreadingDisabled and set it to 1. Close the messaging application or restart your device. Open Messaging > Text and you'll see the classic view. To revert back to threaded view, change the value to 0.

Opera Mobile 9.5 beta 1 released

Opera Mobile 9.5 Beta has finally appeared on Opera's website for download. I have been waiting for this release for months. However, I'm sad that they released the touchscreen version only.

"The first beta of Opera Mobile 9.5 comes outfitted with added performance, faster speed, a new UI, and Oper Dragonfly, and is ready and waiting to bring users the Web everywhere."

Download a free copy from http://www.opera.com/products/mobile/
Read the press release: www.opera.com/pressreleases/en/2008/07/17/

Zeemote - a Wii-like joystick for mobile phones

The Zeemote is a wireless joystick for your mobile phone. It connects via bluetooth and lets you control your games like you would do using Wii or Xbox console.

"Sleek, ergonomic and, above all, easy to use, the Zeemote™ JS1 is here and gaming on your mobile phone will never be the same. Its small, sleek design features a full analog thumb-play joystick, four action buttons and a light, ergonomic design for optimal comfort. The Zeemote™ JS1 wirelessly communicates via Bluetooth with your phone. No cords -- just a mobile phone and the Zeemote controller and you can get your game in anywhere.

Games that work with the Zeemote controller deliver a near-console experience. Take a racing game as an example. Move the joystick to the left, and the car turns left. Move it to the right, and the car turns right. Move it a little, and the car turns a little; move it a lot and the car turns hard. It's really that simple!"

Read more: http://www.zeemote.com/features.html

Opera Mobile 9.5 launch delayed

Arne Hess reports that Opera Mobile 9.5 for Windows Mobile will not be released today as previously announced. Instead the beta version of the browser will be released on Thursday. According to Arne, "Opera's developers wants two more days to run the build through its quality assurance testing". We've waited so long, now two more days only prolongs the excitement.

Read more: http://www.theunwired.net/?item=delayed-opera-postpones-opera-mobile-9-5-launch-to-thursday

Palm Treo 800, the best ever?

Paul Loeffler over at Palm, has put together available reviews on the web of Palm latest device, the Treo 800w. The device looks great, but unfortunately I won't get a chance to play with it because Palm has no reseller in this part of the world (sigh!). Here's the link to Paul Loeffer's post: http://blog.palm.com/palm/2008/07/the-best-treo-e.html

Press Release: iWindowsMobile Communication Suite now to Include Winterface

VITO Technology releases iWindowsMobile Communication Suite v 1.05. The Suite contains #1 finger-friendly contact manager FunContact, unique texting application SMS-Chat, zooming onscreen keyboard ZoomBoard, and now outstanding mobile shell Winterface instead of GoodWin! The price is $39.95, not $70 when purchasing separately.

With iPhone 3G out rocking the market even the users of the foremost flagship Windows Mobile devices may feel they are a tad behind progress. iWindowsMobile Communication Suite proves that Windows Mobile still can impress its users. Taking the best from iPhone interface the four applications included in iWindowsMobile Communication Suite build on the strengths of Windows Mobile and greatly enhance its standard interface.

Instead of putting on the usual marketing blurb, let me quote independent customer reviews from Handango for each product from iWindowsMobile Communication Suite.

FunContact (5 stars): "This really puts the default contact manager to shame. Even the souped up HTC Touch Contacts app looks pretty poor compared to this…"

SMS-Chat (5 stars): "…Look no further, bought this within 10 minutes of downloading. Brilliant, clear to view and does exactly what is says. Really useful for keeping track of conversations with different clients."

ZoomBoard (5 stars): "The zoom modes really make it easy to make sure that you are hitting the right letter on your screen board!"

Winterface (user comment at MyTodayScreen): "This thing simply rocks! It is responsive and attractive, it's clearly the start of something big…"

iWindowsMobile Communication Suite is available at http://iwindowsmobile.com for $39.95. The users of SPB Mobile Shell get a 30% discount during this week on the Suite and on Winterface - Mobile Shell of next generation.

Download desktop installer: http://iwindowsmobile.com/files/iWindowsMobileCommunicationSuite.exe

Program page: http://iwindowsmobile.com/communication-suite.html

SmileySMS for Windows Mobile

One missing feature in Windows Mobile is the ability to add smileys in text messages. This is now possible with SmileySMS, a nice little application developed by Roozbeh over at XDA Developer forums. SmileySMS can be downloaded free from http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=328363.

New version of MobileArchiver released

There is a great demand, both from individuals and businesses, for the ability to archive SMSs. In some cases, this is a requirement in order to be in compliance the regulations. MobileArchiver lets you easily archive your SMSs to Outlook on your computer. Better yet, send SMS from your desktop.
To learn more and download a trial, go to http://mobilearchiving.com/.

Press Release: VITO Technology releases Winterface

A major breakthrough in the world of Windows Mobile interface. Winterface is the Next Generation Shell for Windows Mobile comprising the options of a launcher, a task manager, and a multitude of Today plug-ins. Winterface gives the user unprecedented freedom to easily lay out interface exactly the way they like it.

As a shell Winterface removes the necessity to turn to default Windows Mobile interface: Today screen and Start menu. Winterface opens instantly whenever users draw a simple gesture on the screen. It allows users to have as many screens as they need and put on them icons for applications, settings and contacts. The screens are flipped through with sliding finger gestures. The icons for such applications as phone, sms, email, battery, clock, calendar, memory, etc. - all show relevant information and thus replace a number of Today plug-ins.

As a launcher Winterface features one tap launch of any installed applications and settings. A tap on a contact icon opens a menu with contact details from where you can call, send text message, email, browse URL, etc.

As a task manager Winterface lets you easily switch between running applications. A fixed icon on the first screen lets users see running programs, switch between them or close them.

It is very convenient to organize icons on screens by a certain topic. Users can set up a screen with favorite contacts, a screen with most used applications, a screen with icons-indicators (battery, memory, calendar, clock, etc.), and so on, as far as their fantasy goes! Icons are easily moved on the screen and between screens by drag'n'drop gestures.

Winterface is available for $19.95 at www.iWindowsMobile.com/vito-mobile-shell.html. There is also a free 14-day fully functional trial available as a cab or exe installer.

Download desktop installer: http://iwindowsmobile.com/files/Winterface.exe

Download mobile (on-device) installer: http://iwindowsmobile.com/files/Winterface.cab

iGate for Windows Mobile 6/6.1 released

iGate - Nice Idle Screen is the first software that can replace system idle screen on Windows Mobile 6.0 or 6.1. With iGate you can get all necessary information on idle screen.

The Pocket PC provides very simple password protection that is pin or password entry. Especially, when the idle screen activated, you cannot see your device status and other information, let iGate protects your PDA and solves the problems.

As many questions to us, iGate is not Today replacement, it is System Password Screen Replacement. iGate used system password technology so it is very safe and secure.

Make sure you read the quick guide on the website before installing iGate - http://www.ppclink.com/?ppclink=product&do=view&id=63

O2 releases upgrade to WM6.1 for XDA Stellar

O2 has an upgrade to Windows Mobile 6.1 on their website. If you own a Xda Stellar, go to www.my-xda.com/software_updates.jsp

Credit: Jason Langridge - Http://blogs.msdn.com/jasonlan/

Free: Scroll Launcher for Windows Mobile

A new finger enabled software has just appeared on Xda Developers website. It's a simple application that picks up the .lnk files in the Start Menu folder to build its own scrolling list.

Requirements:
.NET CF 2.0
WM2003 and above Pocket PC device

Scroll Launcher can be downloaded free from http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=2364563#post2364563

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...