Toshiba brings another capacitive phone to WM portfolio.

Toshiba showed its second 1gHz processor phone with capacitive screen. The device has a 4.1 inch screen and has a slide-out keyboard. Known as the Ko1, it is powered by Windows Mobile 6.5.

Source: Engadget

Windows Phone 7 face appears on wall in Barcelona.

I spotted this on engadget. Windows phone 7 got captured by Learnbemobile. The interface looks to be very finger friendly with xBox intragation. Visit Engadget for more pictures.

Windows Mobile 7 countdown.

This is just a reminder for the upcoming Mobile World Congress which will be held in Barcelona starting tomorrow. All eyes will be on Microsoft who will announce Windows Mobile 7. The conference will be hosted by Steve Ballmer tomorrow at 6:00pm local time. You will be able to watch the conference live through the link below:

http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/presskits/windowsphone

Opera Mobile Beta 3 for Windows Mobile.

Opera announced yesterday the availability of Opera mobile beta 3 that includes an experimental version of Flashlite 3.1. According the post, flashlite performance on the HD2 was "quite good" and on other devices, performance varied "from mediocre to poor". Note that Flashlite is disabled by default. To enable it, go to Tools -> Settings -> Advanced and set plug-ins to "On".

Read more here.

Winter Sports Live for your phone.

Handmark is offering an application that will let you get news, scores photos and more in real time on your Andoid, Windows phone, Blackberry and iPhone. Winter Sports fans will certainly appreciate having this free application on their devices.

Winter Sports Live can be downloaded free here.

I'm more a summer sports and FIFA world cup fan. Hopefully, there will be a similar application for these events.

Steve Ballmer to host Windows Phone press conference at MWC on Monday 15.

Mark your calendar as Microsoft will hopefully steal the show at the Mobile World Congress with the announcement and public demo of Windows Mobile 7. While I don't expect to see any hardware for the new O.S to be showed, it will nonetheless be interesting to see what Microsoft has devised to counter Google's Android and and Apple's iPhone. This is going to be fun. No stomping Mr. Ballmer :)

Point your browser to http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/presskits/windowsphone/ to watch the press conference.

The event will start at 6:00pm local time.

Google Buzz released.

Google Buzz lets you post information on places you visit. for example, you may share your thoughts about a great restaurant and point it's location in Google Maps. Buzz is tightly integrated with Google Maps and Gmail. The latter lets you invite followers from your contacts. This did not work for me. It did display some folks from my contacts, but they had the wrong email address. Hopefully they will fix that soon.

Buzz seems to be a cool product and it works with Android and WinMo. Not sure if Google Maps 4 has been released for WinMo, but Buzz can be accessed through the browser by going to Buzz.google.com. Watch the video below or go to www.google.com/buzz to learn more.

Battery notification in Windows 7 not a bug says Microsoft.

Users have reported that Windows 7 was displaying a message "considering replacing your battery" on laptops. The blogosphere obviously went abuzz urging Microsoft to recognize a bug in Windows 7. Microsoft responded on the Windows 7 engineering blog through no other than Steve Sinofsky, the Windows president. This is what Mr. Sinofsky wrote to explain the issue:

"Essentially the battery was degrading but it was not evident to the customer until Windows 7 made this information available. We recognize that this has the appearance of Windows "causing" the change in performance, but in reality all Windows 7 did was report what was already the case."

Then he goes on to provide a list of points that contributed to their understanding of the reports. Read the complete article on the Windows 7 Engineering blog.

New software updates for Nexus One phone.

Owners of the Nexus One will receive an over-the-air update on their phones soon. The update not only fixes some issues with the phone and brings some more functionality:

Google Goggles
Google Maps 3.4
Pinch to zoom functionality
3G connectivity.
Learn more on the official blog of the Nexus One:

http://googlenexusoneboard.blogspot.com/2010/02/new-software-update-for-nexus-one.html

Sent from my HTC Touch Pro 2.

Update for HTC Touch2

I noticed a new update for the Touch2 on HTC's website: http://www.htc.com/www/SupportDownload.aspx?p_id=291&cat=0&dl_id=858

"This update allows for your MP3 to be set as ringtones for incoming calls."

If this is important to you, remember to keep the update handy as you will need to re-apply it after a hard reset.

Sent from my HTC Touch Pro 2.

Apple announces the iPad.

The highly anticipated slate-type device has been revealed to the world by Steve Jobs yesterday. I must admit that it is the first time that an Apple product gets my attention to the point that I'm planning on actually buying the device. With prices starting at $499, it's worth considering. Why? Well, it's thin as opposed to the devices in that category; Has wifi and, most importantly, 3G connectivity. And here are the specs:

Weight: 1.5 pounds
Display: 9.7 inch with multi-touch; 1024x768 resolution
Connectivity: Wifi, UMTS/HSDPA;Bluetooth.
For more specs, check it out here.

All you need to know about the iPad including Steve Jobs keynote and videos can be found here and here.

What do you think about the iPad? Is it worth the purchase now or wait for 2.0 to come out or Apple to drop prices?

Announcing SPB Quads contest.

In order to participate, you must be the owner of an iPhone and of course, a Windows phone.

That said, to participate, just play the game on the device in "time quad" mode and publish the result on SPB website. The contest will last from 12:00 PM GMT January 20 to February 8 at 12:00 PM GMT.

3 players will be awarded with the following prizes:

1. Amazon certificate worth $150.
2. Amazon certificate worth $100.
3. Amazon certificate worth $50.

More prizes will be offered by SPB.

To learn more, visit www.spb.com/pocketpc-software/quads/contest.

Good luck and have fun.

Sent from my HTC Touch Pro 2.

Bill Gates launches new site

The idea of this new website is to share what's on his mind, share information from trips, talks with world leaders, experts in various fields including namely, philanthropy, science, environment etc. The website address is www.gatesnotes.com.

Also, you may want to follow Bill Gates on Twitter:

http://twitter.com/billgates

Sent from my HTC Touch Pro 2.

Download your free apps in one place with OpnMaket.

So, you are already familiar with Microsoft's MarketPlace for Windows Phone. What about a similar app that let you download and install free apps to your device?

OpnMarket from Freewarepocketpc.net is one free application for downloading free software for your Windows phone in one place. It does have the same look and feel like MS MarketPlace. I'll post a short review soon.

Download a free copy from www.freewarepocketpc.net/opnmarket/

Sent from my HTC Touch Pro 2.

Android-based app helps catch thief.

Phandroid.com, a Android fan website, reports about how a couple living in Oregon in the US were able to catch a thief with the help of an application called Lookout. The thieves broke into their house at night and among the stolen stuffs, took the couple's Motorola Droid phones. The thief and his accomplice used the device to take pictures of themselves and this is where the LookOut applications does something that the thieves could not have possibly known. The application simply did an automatic backup to the cloud and the pictures got uploaded to the web. Read more at phandroid.com

I chose to relay Phandroid's report here because my wife and I experienced the same four years ago when a thief broke into our house at night and stole my wife's purse and phone - a Windows Mobile phone as it was known at that time. We were able to get the thief arrested with the help of an application called Eye on Thief that I had installed on the Smartphone. You can read the story here.

HTC introduces the HTC Smart powered by Brew Mobile!!!

The HTC Smart is a new feature phone from the Taiwanese phone maker. As such it does not run Windows Mobile or Android. Instead, Smart is powered by Brew mobile, an OS I'm not familiar with.

This new touch phone is compact and easy to use according to the overview posted on HTC's website. It also features HTC Sense. Looks like a phone for the non-geeks out there.

The device does look small and stylish; a bit like the Touch2 but smaller. It has 256MB of ROM and RAM; supports HSDPA/EDGE/GPRS/Bluetooth; 1100mAh battery; 2.8 inch TFT-LCD touch screen.

For more, go to www.htc.com/www/product/smart/overview.html.

No word about the price yet.

Sent from my HTC

The Nexus One is here.

The highly anticipated Google phone is finally available in some countries via Google's own store. Mauritius is, obviously, not on the list.

Want to know more about the phone and get a demo? Go to www.google.com/phone/. You'll get a demo for each app, a 3D tour of the phone itself and more.

Do you already have the Nexus One?

Sent from my HTC

Google Nexus video posted at Engadget.

Engadget got their hands on the Google Nexus and provides a hands on, video and first impression of the device. No word yet about availability and pricing of the device. It seems Google will be holding a press conference soon to officially introduce Nexus.

Until then, click the link below to watch the Nexus in action:

www.engadget.com/2010/01/02/exclusive-google-nexus-one-hands-on-video-and-first-impressio/

Enjoy.

Sent from my HTC

Free customs background for the SMS screen.

Whether you’re a big sms user or not, you may want to bring some colors to the SMS screen on your Windows Phone. That is now possible by just running a cab file on your device, courtesy of some folks over at XDA forums. Where else.

Download your free copy from http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=603905

LG eXpo unboxed by MobilityMinded.

Johan Van Mierlo, a fellow MVP over at www.mobilityminded.com, has a great unboxing video of the LG eXpo. This is part one of the unboxing. So I expect a full review will follow.

Check it out at http://www.mobilityminded.com/5678/lg-expo-by-att-review-part-1-unboxing

SPB Software releases SPB Weather 2.3

On Wednesday, December 16th, SPB Software released SPB Weather 2.3.

New features:

* Weather.gov set as default data source for US cities
* Foreca set as default data source for non US cities
* Gismeteo data source removed from the installation package
* Meteonova data source added to the installation package
* Minor improvements and optimizations

You can download Spb Weather 2.3 from:

http://www.spbsoftware.com/pocketpc-software/weather/download.html


Curresponding to SPB upgrading policy this upgrade is free for all registered users of SPB Weather 2.X.

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Keep your friends updated— even when you're not signed in.

The Nexus One is real and coming soon?

I saw this video on Engadget showing the Nexus One taking 21 seconds to boot up. The device is laid on it's package box. Note that the Nexus One, Google's branded phone, appeared in the list of upcoming phones from HTC's 2010 roadmap which has been leaked recently. We are still waiting for an official announcement from Google about the Nexus One.

Looking at the video, I was wondering why would someone simply shoot the device booting up and so close? Weird...

Source: Engadget

ROM Upgrade for HTC HD2

HTC has released a new ROM for the HD2 for improved functionality. Note that applying this upgrade will erase your data and remove applications you installed. Make sure you do a backup.
The update can be downloaded at http://www.htc.com/uk/SupportViewNews.aspx?dl_id=804&news_id=401
ROM Version:
Greek 1.48.482.4 ;Russian 1.48.411.1 ;Norway 1.48.409.1; Germany 1.48.407.1; Spain 1.48.412.2;
Netherlands 1.48.404.2; France 1.48.406.1; Czech 1.48.479.1 ;Poland 1.48.479.1; Italy 1.48.408.1;
United Kingdom 1.48.405.2
Improved Functions:
1.Flipping back and forth between songs is easier than ever.  Whether you are listening to a defined playlist, or letting your phone shuffle your songs for you, your music will play continuously and fluidly.
2.Taking full advantage of the G-Sensor, Opera can switch seamlessly from portrait to landscape mode to allow more flexibility and allow for you to browse your websites however you want.
3.Staying connected to your loved ones is as important to you as it is to us, and we've enhanced our voice quality even more in this update.  Now updated, we're delivering crystal clear sound quality, making it even easier to feel close to your loved ones, even when you are on the move.
Before you proceed, please confirm that this software upgrade is a newer version than what is currently installed on your device. If it is the same version and your device is operating normally, there is no need to reinstall the software.
To check what version is installed on your device, click Start > Settings > System tab > Device Information > Version tab, and note the ROM version, CPU, and Radio version.

Sent from my Windows® phone

SPB Mobile Mobile Shell updated.

SPB Mobile Shell has been updated to support SPB Time which includes the following widgets for SPB Mobile Shell 3.5.2:
Next Alarm
City Time
Stopwatch
Moon Phase
Product subscribers can buy SPB Mobile Shell with 20% discount.

Main New Features in SPB Time 3.0
Fully reviewed and speed-improved UI;
Mobile Shell widgets;
Three types of alarms: Classic, Paranoid, Bio;
Online skins catalog;
Fully finger UI;
Scrollable Calendar with weeks numbers;
Moon phases;
New alarm sounds.

More at www.spbsoftware.com/pocketpc-software/time/

Sent from my Windows® phone

Update for HTC HD2

HTC posted an update for the HD2 that fixes an issue with the camera software. The update can be downloaded at http://www.htc.com/uk/supportdownloadlist.aspx?p_id=297&act=sd&cat=all.

Note that you will need to re-apply it if you hard reset the device.

Sent from my Windows® phone

Tweet your most embarrassing lost phone story and win a Windows Phone.

Microsoft is giving away three new Windows Phones for the most "embarrassing" tweet. The phone is yours if you can tell your story in 140 words. Quite challenging. The tweets must be directed to @windowsphone.

Unfortunately, you have to be a legal resident f the U.S. To participate.

Learn more at www.lostwithoutmyphone.com/

Sent from my Windows® phone

SPB Time 3.0 is out.

SPB Software, a leading maker of mobile applications, announces the release of SPB Time 3.0, a major update to the best-selling Windows Mobile time toolset. The updated version offers a completely new, reconsidered user interface and significantly improved alarm features. SPB Time 3.0 provides user with three different types of alarms to fit any needs. Paranoid alarm is designed to wake up deep sleepers while Bio alarm does its job in a very gentle way. Classic alarm is a good solution for those who don't believe in biorhythms and do not want to be disturbed too much in the morning time. A lot of features were reworked in the design aspect. For example, "World Time" feature is presented as a realistic looking 3D model of the Earth with chosen cities designated as spots on the surface. Countdown screen is supplemented with a picture of sandglass where the sand pours out as time goes. The splendour of these interface solutions are accompanied by a vast choice of skins in an online catalog. SPB Time 3.0 is also one of the company's Windows Mobile applications that is able to make use of SPB Mobile Shell's widget system. Four widgets are available for those who already have Mobile Shell version 3.5.1 and higher: City Time, Moon Phase, Next Alarm and Stop Watch.

SPB Time 3.0 New Features:
Snappier, better looking user interface
Classic, Paranoid and Bio alarms
More than 20 alarm tunes
Online skins catalog
SPB Mobile Shell widgets
Scrollable Calendar with weeks numbers
Moon phases.

Pricing and Availability

SPB Time 3.0 is compatible with Windows Mobile 5 and higher. It may be purchased for 14.95 USD, or a 15-day free trial version may be downloaded at www.SPBSoftware.com. Users of any previous versions of SPB Time are welcome to upgrade to SPB Time 3.0 with 50% discount. According to SPB Software's upgrades policy, all SPB Time users who have purchased the product within the last 90 days, are eligible for free upgrade.


*** Further Information and Downloads *** SPB Time 3.0 download page http://spbsoftware.com/pocketpc-software/time/download.html SPB Time 3.0 screenshots http://spbsoftware.com/pocketpc-software/time/screenshots.html

Emblaze brings new user experience to Else.

Confused by the title? Well don't and just head over to engadget to watch a demo of this new phone that's expected to hit the market in the second quarter of 2010. This is a whole new experience when it comes to navigating your phone. By the way, ELSE is the name of the phone and it makes the iPhone, Android and Windows Phone look pale.
Watch the last video on Engadget's site for a quick demo and tell me what you think about it.

http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/24/emblazes-first-else-unveiled-in-london-promises-to-be-a-game-c/

Smoking voids warranty according to Apple.

That one really made me laugh. Jason O'Grady, editor of PowerPage.org, reports that Apple refused to repair a Mid-2007 MacBook and an iMac because the first-named was used in house where there was smoking and represented "health risks of second hand smoke."

In the case of the iMac, Apple considered the machine as being "contaminated" and a thus a "bio hazard".

Jason O'Grady writes that "Apple will not force an employee to work on anything deemed hazardous to their health because of the obvious legal exposure that could create."

Hmmm...I suggest that Apple have their design engineers work on a hazardous material suite to protect its employees from any infection left behind by an insect. The suite must come complete with an oxygen bottle that could look like the magic mouse. That way, the employees won't breathe the dust on and inside an iMac. Just my thoughts...

Read more: http://blogs.zdnet.com/apple/?p=5312&tag=wrapper;col1

Sent from my Windows® phone

Download Google Chrome OS free.

The folks over at GDGT have done a great job by packaging a VMWare image of Google Chrome OS that an be downloaded for free from http://gdgt.com/google/chrome-os/download/. You will also need to download VMWare Player from https://www.vmware.com/tryvmware/?p=player&cmp=EMC-PlayerEvalActivation&li=activate.
 
In both cases, you will need to register before downloading.
 
Enjoy.
 
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/20/google-chrome-os-available-as-free-vmware-download/

Sent from my Windows® phone

Press release: Communication suite 2.0 is out.

VITO Technology releases new version of Communication Suite. This version includes the latest updates of all 4 best sellers (Winterface 2.04, FunContact 3.01, SMS-Chat 1.25 and ZoomBoard 2.04). Winterface has gained lots of features that will allow you to customize your phone to your needs: change skins (10 new skins are available), background color or picture, headings for the icons and much more. 

Change the face of your device together with your mood! All for $24.95!

Winterface 2.04 now includes 10 new skins, changeable background, customizable headings and much more. Now the customization of the look of your phone can be done extremely quickly with quite a wide range possibilities. 

FunContact3x is a great contact manage. Alongside with new features like categories, favorites with pictures, etc. FunContact has preserved unique features that none of the competitors have, for instance, you can edit and add new contact info straight in FunContact without going to standard WM interface.

SMS-Chat 1.25 a part from including all functions of messaging software has unique interfaces and functions that allow you to manage all SMS correspondences into threaded SMS conversations. This way all chats are separate, clearly shown and organized for each contact.

ZoomBoard 2.04 is a soft onscreen keyboard for quick and accurate finger typing. Every time you press a letter ZoomBoard displays the zoomed image of the pressed letter in a popping-up lens. You can also use it to zoom the whole keyboard. The letter is typed only after you release the finger so that your text input will always be accurate and quick. 

Weather is a FREE weather forecast for Winterface with nice interface and good functionality.
 
Communication Suite is available for $24.95 at http://vitotechnology.com/communication-suite.html.  

Sent from my Windows® phone

Get Paragon Backup & Recovery 10 free

How often do you backup your computer? I do not do that as often as I should. Shame on me. Paragon software seems to know that I do not have a proper backup scheme for my computers and they're offering Backup & Recovery 10 for free and for non-commercial use. Stop reading here and click the link below to get your copy.

www.paragon-software.com/home/db-express/download.html

What is Google Chrome OS?

Google showed a preview of Chrome OS to developers yesterday. While the source code is available for anyone with developer skills, we will see the real thing late next year. Until then, what is Google Chrome OS? A browser? A Operating System? Watch the video.

SoftMaker Office 2010 beta

Don't get confused. SoftMaker is an independent software maker that just released the public beta of Office 2010. Yes, they have their own version of the software and coincidentally it gets released today. I've read positive reviews about the package. So if you want to try it alongside Microsoft Office 2010, got to www.softmaker.com/english/ofw10_en.htm

Sent from my Windows® phone

Office Mobile 2010 beta available for Windows Mobile 6.5 only.

Office Mobile 2010 beta is indeed available for download on Windows MarketPlace since yesterday. The only hiccup though is that it will showup on marketplace for Windows Mobile 6.5 devices only. I expect Microsoft will make the software available to the rest of us still running previous version of Windows Mobile in the days to come. Until then, here are some of the features of Office Mobile 2010:

View and edit your Microsoft® Office® documents with confidence.

Stay connected to work from anywhere with SharePoint Workspace Mobile.

Stay connected to work from anywhere with SharePoint Workspace Mobile.

Use PowerPoint Mobile as a presentation aid.

Sent from my Windows® phone

Opera Mobile 10 beta available for download.

I won't get into the details as I am on my way to a meeting. Opera has made the beta version of Opera Mobile for Windows Mobile available on their website. Note that this is not the first beta being released by Opera. Remember they announced 9.5 and 9.7 previously.

Learn more at www.opera.com/mobile

Sent from my Windows® phone

Respond to SPB survey and win a device of your choice.

SPB Software, world's leading mobile software developer, invites all mobile users to participate in its sixth annual SPB Survey (http://www.spbsoftwarehouse.com/support/survey.html). The SPB Survey is a questionnaire that captures user preferences and builds up a combined report that identifies the changing user profiles, mobile device expectations and the handset use cases. This report is expected to be released in early December 2009.

SPB Software, leading expert in mobile device usability and a recognized brand in the consumer market, desires to reach out directly to users of all mobile platforms with the survey. This will empower users to provide direct feedback bypassing the prism of mobile operators and professional consulting houses. This year's survey is an enhancement over the previous one, eliminating some of the inapplicable questions and adding a few fundamental ones. This year the survey is held in 10 languages: English, Chinese (Traditional and Simplified), Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, German, French, Italian, Dutch and Czech.

A few lucky, randomly picked SPB Survey participants will receive valuable 'thank you' gifts. The 1st place holder will be rewarded with a mobile device of their choice (within the limit of $1000) from such major internet retailers as Amazon or eXpansys and a $100 worth of our software. Second place will be rewarded with a $100 worth of smartphone accessories of choice from our partners at Smartphone Experts (www.smartphoneexperts.com) plus a $100 worth of our software. The prize for 3rd place is a $100 worth of our software.
 
The survey will last untill 7 p.m. GMT December 4th, with results expected to be publicly available by December 17th. All winners will be contacted with details on how to claim their prizes before December 20th, 2009.

Sent from my Windows® phone

Marketplace for Windows Mobile 6 and 6.1 phone released.

Owners of Windows Mobile 6 & 6.1 phones will now be able to access Microsoft Marketplace to purchase and download apps.

To download and install the official version of Marketplace, go to www.microsoft.com/windowsmobile/en-us/downloads/get-marketplace.aspx

Sent from my Windows® phone

SBSH GoNews Touch 1.2 released.

SBSH GoNews Touch 1.2 is powerful and optimized for mobile use like never before! Including new full screen reading mode for maximum article content display while reading; Re-designed backend engine for much faster updates; Online feed searching utility; Popup touch menus for easier to use interface and much more!


A few GoNews 1.2 Highlights

• Full Screen Reading - Full screen articles display for maximum reading view
• Online Feed Searching - Search and add new feeds directly within GoNews
• Faster than Ever - Re-designed engine for faster performances
• Popup Touch Menus - Special touch menus for easier finger-friendly navigation
• Multi Language Support - English, German, French, Portuguese, Italian, Russian and Spanish
• Updating Improvements - Read articles while updating content
• Improved Touch Tray Bar - Now provoding visual feedback when pressing one of the tray buttons

GoNews Touch 1.2 includes lots of additional exciting features that we couldn't list with this newsletter. We invite you to click here and read GoNews Touch 1.2 release post for a complete list of all the new features we've included with this new GoNews Touch release!

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Windows Live: Make it easier for your friends to see what you're up to on Facebook.

Amazon releases Kindle for PC.

Remember the time when we were complaining about having to carry a phone and a PDA? The industry responded with convergence and everybody was happy with just one device in the pocket. Now, why the hell would I want to puchase the Kindle or Nook for reading books on the go?

That would amount to rejecting convergence; Going backwards. But with one big difference: back at the time when PDAs were not phone enabled, both the phone and the PDA would fit in two pockets. Can you do that with the Kindle? It's great to be able to carry my books on my PDA wherever I go.

I use ereader to read and purchase my ebooks and I'm very happy with it. The Kindle and the Nook defeats the purpose of mobility or the concept of one device-does-it-all. Afterall, maybe those devices have not met the success that Amazon had anticipated and decided to reach out to the vast pool of PC owners through the Kindle Software that can run on Windows XP, Vista and 7 which runs on 90% of the PC out there. Amazon can be sure to make a profit that way. One thing I'm sure about is that Amazon put a lot of effort and money to market Kindle but never said how successful they are.

The Kindle for PC is still in beta. Download a free copy from www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html/ref=kcp_pc_mkt_lnd?docId=1000426311
It would be great to see the software ported to mobile platforms as well. That would be a smart move.

Sent from my Windows® phone

HTC releases two updates for Touch HD.

The updates are available for free on HTC'S website. One bring notification enhancement and the other, Office Mobile updates that will allow users to have an enhanced Find & Replace functionality.

Both updates can be downloaded from HTC'S support site.

www.htc.com/www

Sent from my Windows® phone

iPhone and Android everywhere, but no Windows Phone in view.

As usual, I started the day by updating my RSS reader on my Windows device to catch up with the news. And today, I wished I had not done so as I came across two articles on ZDnet and CNet where the authors share their views on where the mobile industry is heading and who are the players and losers. What struck me is that in both cases, Windows Mobile or Windows Phone was referred to as nonexistent or DEAD.
After reading these articles, I asked myself what the hell is Microsoft doing. How come Android 2.0 is getting such high reviews and Windows Mobile 6.5 is nowhere to be seen? Microsoft should be thankful that HTC's engineer built the HD2/Leo or else 6.5 would have gone completely unnoticed. But clearly that is not enough.
Jason Perlow writes on ZDNet that "for all practical purposes, Windows Mobile is a dead platform, which is why I didn't bother to include it in my evolutionary chart accompanying this article. Compared to Apple and Google's offering, there isn't a Windows Mobile phone on the market that can compete in terms of technology and capability with either iPhone or DROID." Notice the keywords in this statement: Dead and didn't bother. And then there is this: "Windows Mobile is currently the smartphone equivalent of Vista, nobody wants to touch it." Ouch!!!
For his part, Brooke Crothers, editor at CNET, hits hard at Microsoft right in the title: "First iPhone, now DROID. Who needs Windows?", and goes on to write: "if the iPhone didn't finish off Windows Mobile in the smartphone market, the Motorola Droid may."
"So the Droid may not be the iPhone killer but rather the Windows Mobile slayer. Microsoft, of course, will always have the unnassailable PC franchise. But, wait, isn't Android coming to Netbooks next year?"
So, is Windows Mobile dead? What do you think?

It surely is ailing.

To read Jason Perlow's article, go to http://blogs.zdnet.com/perlow/?p=11516&tag=wrapper;col1

Brooke Crothers: http://news.cnet.com/8301-13924_3-10392926-64.html?tag=newsEditorsPicksArea.0

Sent from my Windows® phone

Spb Mobile Shell 3.5.1 Beta 1 announced

Spb software has posted an update for their award winning application, Mobile Shell in beta 1. The update contains some bugs fixes listed below:

SPB Pocket Plus close button makes Shell unresponsive
Set Ringtone doesn't work for Contacts
6.5: Theme shows incorrectly for Carousel and Tiles views
Added current conditions threshold for weather widget
Agenda: One day is shown twice, 25 осt date is the transition to "winter" time
3D SMS viewer: First word disappears after enter
Twitter issues fixes
Kinetic scrolling doesn't stop on Asus P565
3D SMS viewer: Picture is absent.
3D viewer: Date isn't shown for SMS and Email
3D email viewer: First account always shows
Birthday widget doesn't update itself when contact info is changed
New filter category is available only after MS restart
Task widget makes task synchronization with Outlook longer
Feature: introduced default action for weather widget (now choose between "Open forecast" and "Open conditions")

Go to http://www.spbclub.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=29539, to download the update.

Do not download and install WMDC on Windows 7.

Just a quick note to invite you all to not install Windows Mobile Device Center on your Windows 7 computer. At least, do not do it manually. I am seeing a lot of issues related to devices not synchronizing. All these reported issues have one thing in common: the user downloaded and installed WMDC. In some cases, installation would simply fail.

Based on my experience, I strongly recommend that you do NOT manually install WMDC. Instead, just connect your device to the PC via USB and let Windows 7 do it all for you. It will take a few minutes to download and install WMDC and the drivers, so be patient. This has worked perfectly on multiple Windows 7 machine I've installed and there is no reason it should not for you.

For those out there upgrading from Vista, make sure you remove WMDC prior to running the upgrade. You will be asked to uninstall WMDC anyway.

Do not hesitate to share your experience in the Comments area below.

Sent from my Windows® phone.

Wizcode Photocopy Mobile

This is a nice application that lets you use your device camera to scan documents, pictures and convert them into pdf files to be shared or attached to an email. It’s quite cool to be able to just take a snapshot and with a few taps have it sent to a contact using a portable photocopier. That is what mobility is all about.

Features

• Scan materials using the built-in camera
• Import images from storage card or device
• Change the order of the pages
• Insert blank pages
• View, zoom, rotate or crop images
• Delete images
• Create high quality PDF files from images
• Save PDF files to your device
• View PDF files with your default PDF application
• Send PDF files by email and share them with other people

Technical specifications

• Supports native device camera interface application
• Supports PNG, BMP and JPEG image formats
• PDF files are fully compressed to minimize their size
• Images are embedded in PDF documents
• Automatically support both portrait and landscape orientations
• High-speed C++ PDF conversion engine

 

Learn more at http://www.wizcode.com/products/view/photocopy_mobile

Windows 7 launch in New York

If you've missed the Windows 7 launch in New York, here's the full video featuring Windows 7 of course and Kylie. Remember the 4 and half girl from the Microsoft I'm a PC commercials? If not, drill down a few post down on this blog to meet Kylie. Then come back to this post and watch the video. She's 5 and half now and got to introduce Steve Ballmer to the audience and walk away with a pink netbook, courtesy of Microsoft. Sit back and watch the video.

SBSH Facade 2 released

As its name implies, Facade offers a new customizable home screen for Windows Mobile Standard with PIM integration; Category colors and icons; easy skin packaging etc.

A twelve days trial can be downloaded from http://forums.sbsh.net/index.php?showtopic=26510

Sent from my Windows® phone

Create your own Windows Phone theme.

Not only has Microsoft released the 6.5 upgrade, but it also made available an online theme creator for touchscreen devices powered by Windows Mobile 6.5.

The tool is free to use and will let you design your own theme for your new Windows Phone. Point your browser to www.microsoft.com/windowsmobile/en-us/downloads/theme-generator.mspx# And click the "Start the custom theme creator". If like my work PC, you do not have Silverlight installed, it won't work for you.

Get there and let loose your imagination. Feel free to send your creation, i'll post them here. If you want to share of course.

Sent from my Windows® Phone

HTC Touch Pro2 and Snap get free Wm6.5 upgrade

I’m impressed at how fast they released the upgrade this time. If you are the proud owner of the Touch Pro2, head over to www.htc.com/europe/supportviewnews.aspx?dl_id=717&news_id=300.

The upgrade for the powerful HTC Snap can be downloaded from www.htc.com/europe/supportdownloadlist.aspx?p_id=262&act=sd&cat=all.

Read the instructions carefully before applying the upgrade.

Windows Mobile 6.5 powered devices reviewed.

A week has passed by since the release of Windows Mobile 6.5 and the latter has got mixed reviews. Since I haven’t got a device to play with and the chances that i ever get on are slim. I’ve sent several emails to HTC’s local reseller for getting devices for review, but my requests have all fallen into the cracks it seems. I’ve also learnt that Windows mobile 6.5 will be available sometime in November anyway.

Remo Knops over at MobilityMinded was lucky enough to get his hands on the HTC Touch2; a device pre-loaded with Windows Mobile 6.5. Remo posted an excellent review and thinks “that this is a feature rich device packed with a bulk load of helpful software.” I recommend you read Remo’s review at www.mobilityminded.com/4307/htc-touch2-review-windows-mobile-6-5-and-touchflo-3d-combined

Another review from PocketNow of the Acer NeoTouch S200 F1. This is an interesting device, the second device to sport the 1ghz SnapDragon processor. The firs being the HD2. Read the review by Brandon Miniman at http://pocketnow.com/review/acer-neotouch-s200-f1.

Microsoft unveils Windows Mobile 6.5

“We all want to connect quickly to the people and information that’s important to us from across our lives at work and at home,” said Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer. “A Windows phone lets people take their entire world of digital information, communications, applications and entertainment with them wherever they go.”

Microsoft today officially launched Windows Mobile 6.5 worldwide and the new OS has some improvements, which according to some reviews make it better than Google Android. I did not get a chance to play with it, so there is not much I can write about. The press release by Microsoft provides some info about the new OS and phones that will receive the upgrade.

http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2009/oct09/10-06WindowsPhoneLaunch09PR.mspx

Pre-order the HTC HD2 on Expansys.

This awesome device is available on pre-order on Expansys and you get a discount if you order at least 5 devices. Send me one and we'll be great friends until the next great device comes out ;).

www.expansys-usa.com/d.aspx?i=188312

"The HTC HD2 is among the first full touchscreen devices running Windows Mobile 6.5. The large capacitive display allows for one of the most user-friendly experiences in a Pocket PC yet. The 1GHz Snapdragon processor also makes for a very smooth and fast navigation experience. The HD2 also comes up big in the mobile photography area, with its 5MP autofocus camera."

Specifications
Size: 121mm x 67mm x 11mm

Networks
GSM/EDGE: 850/900/1800/1900
WCDMA/HSPA: 900/2100

Connectivity
WLAN
Bluetooth 2.1 with EDR
3.5mm audio jack

G-Sensor, Ambient Light Sensor, Proximity Sensor

OS: Windows Mobile 6.5

Display: 4.3-inch WVGA capacitive touch screen

Camera: 5 megapixel with auto focus, high power 2x LED flashlight

Internal memory: 512MB flash; 320MB RAM

External Memory: microSD

Chipset: Qualcomm MSM 8250, 1GHz

Battery: 1230 mAh

Sent from my Windows® phone.

Microsoft Recite discontinued

Mark this date: December 31, 2009. After that, Recite will no longer be available. It was a handy utility...

Follow the guide in the link to transfer your data from the phone to a computer:

http://recite.microsoft.com/pages/faq.aspx

Long live Recite.

Sent from my Windows® phone.

Microsoft Security Essentials anti-virus software released.

Microsoft has finally released their anti-virus software and giving it away for free. Yes for free. Security essentials has been designed to work with XP, Vista and Windows 7.

According to Microsoft "Security Essentials prvides real-time protection for your home PC that guards against viruses, spyware, and other malicious software".

Get your free copy from www.microsoft.com/security_essentials/

Sent from my Windows® phone.

Press Release. SPB Mobile Shell 3.5: the World's Best-Selling Mobile Application Perfected

SPB Software, a leading mobile software developer and a holder of numerous globally recognized mobile application awards, officially announced the release of SPB Mobile Shell 3.5 for Windows Mobile today at a press event in Taipei, Taiwan.

SPB Mobile Shell has been publicly recognized as the best-selling mobile application across all smartphone platforms for three consecutive years: 2007, 2008 and 2009. By encapsulating support for gravity sensors and 3D hardware accelerators, the new version offers a thrilling, easy and fun to use interaction model with eye-catching 3D visual effects. For example, browsing email and text messages unfolds an intuitive animation offering both natural and engaging user experience.

SPB Mobile Shell 3.5 is all about customization and personalization. By incorporating great feedback from partners and customers, SPB Mobile Shell 3.5 increases flexibility in personalization and customization, enabling partners to build their own preferred styles with reduced time-to-market and low commercial risks. SPB Mobile Shell 3.5 works well with Microsoft's most recent Windows Mobile 6.5 release.

The new release presents several additional widgets supporting social networks like Facebook and Twitter, enhanced Internet searching with instant suggestions and many others.

"This version clearly shows where SPB Software is going," - says Sebastian-Justus Schmidt, CEO of SPB Software. "We are on the way to make it even more flexible for user personalization, as well as being a great partner for phone manufacturers and mobile operators. The fast changing market needs the right user interface with great flexibility in customization. And we are well prepared for the demand."

In addition to numerous OEMs that already license SPB Mobile Shell, SPB Software has announced several new partnerships, involving China's ZTE, Huawei and the biggest China-based OEM K-Touch. At the event SPB Software has also announced signing of a significant agreement with MediaTek, a leading fabless semiconductor company for wireless communications and digital multimedia solutions.

*** Pricing and Availability ***

SPB Mobile Shell 3.5 is available for Windows Mobile touchscreen devices (works on WM 5 or higher) from September 30th and on. A free trial version working for 15 days with some restrictions can be downloaded, or the full version can be purchased for $29.95 from www.spbsoftware.com. All registered user of SPB Mobile Shell 3.x can upgrade it to the version 3.5 for free.

*** Further Information and Downloads ***

SPB Mobile Shell for Windows Mobile touchscreens         
http://www.spbsoftware.com/pocketpc-software/mobileshell/

SPB Mobile Shell screenshots         
http://www.spbsoftware.com/pocketpc-software/mobileshell/screenshots

SPB Mobile Shell evaluation copy downloading page         
http://www.spbsoftware.com/pocketpc-software/mobileshell/download.html

Posted on the go.

Press Release: SPB Quads Game - a Transient Amusement and a Strategic Thinking Exercise Put Together

SPB Software, a leading mobile applications and games developer announces the release of SPB Quads 1.0 - a mobile game created to either help you spend those 5 boring minutes in a line, or have a long-term multi-level strategic fight for a place in our online high score table.

Based on SPB Quadronica game, SPB Quads is the new arcade game for Windows Mobile touchsceens in which one has to put together all his/her pattern-finding skills to succeed. A player's goal in this game is to reveal and mark rectangles' corners of the same colors in a field filled with color bricks, thus "destroying" them and earning scores. There are two modes in the game: a time-limited mode and an endless, "strategic" mode. This effectively creates two different scenarios of playing mentioned above.

********* PICTURE HERE *********

*** Main Features of SPB Quads: ***

* Addictive game play;

* Two game modes for different gaming scenarios;

* Attractive graphics;

* Native support for 240x320, 240x400, 320x320, 480x640 and 480x800 screens;

* 6 different types of bonuses;

* Online high scores;

* Finger-friendly interface matching all the modern resolutions of touchscreens.

*** Pricing and Availability ***

SPB Quads 1.0 is available for Windows Mobile touchscreen devices (works on WM 2003 or higher) from September 24th and on, in the following languages: English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Danish, Portuguese, Russian, Dutch, Czech, Polish, Traditional and Simplified Chinese, Japanese and Korean. A free trial version working for 15 days with some restrictions can be downloaded, or the full version can be purchased for $9.95 from www.spbsoftware.com.

*** Further Information and Downloads ***

SPB Quads for Windows Mobile touchscreens

http://www.spbsoftware.com/pocketpc-software/quads

SPB Quads screenshots

http://www.spbsoftware.com/pocketpc-software/quads/screenshots

SPB Quads evaluation copy downloading page

http://www.spbsoftware.com/pocketpc-software/quads/download

*** About SPB Software (www.spbsoftware.com) ***

SPB is a leading brand in mobile software, standing for a unique line of popular consumer products and partnerships with the world's most innovative handset makers and wireless carriers. SPB's software solutions deliver richer smartphone experiences and enable subscribers to do more with their mobile data connections. SPB Software is the maker of the world's single number one bestselling mobile application - SPB Mobile Shell. For more information, please visit www.spbsoftware.com.

Follow SPB Software on Twitter:

http://twitter.com/spb_software

Connect with SPB Software on Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/SPB-Software/77703564770?ref=ts

Tips: Setup Gmail DirectPush

To set up Google Sync on your Windows Mobile device, please follow the steps below.
Important Note: Make sure that you have backed up any Contacts and Calendars from your phone to your computer before proceeding.

Getting Started

1. Open the Active Sync application on your device's home screen.
2. Click the link Set up your device to sync with it.
3. Enter m.google.com as the server address.
4. Ensure that the SSL option is checked.

Sign In to Google Account

5. Click Next.
6. Enter your full Google Account email address as the User name.
7. Enter your Google Account password as the Password.
8. Leave the Domain field empty. If your device requires you to enter a domain name, enter google.
9. Click Next.
10. CheckContacts, Calendar, or Email, depending on which you'd like to sync.
11. Click Finish.

12. Press the Sync softkey on the left to synchronize.

You've now set up Google Sync for your Windows Mobile device.

Source: http://www.google.com/support/mobile/bin/answer.py?answer=138636&topic=14299

Winterface 2.0 released.

VITO Technology releases new version of Winterface. Now you may customize the look of your phone to your personal needs: change skins (10 new skins are available), background color or picture, headings for the icons and much more. Change the face of your device together with your mood!

NEW SKINS. Some time ago we had a contest "Give a new face to Winterface". Thanks to this we got lots of skins made by our users for Winterface. Now we're glad to announce the official support of the skins that we received during the contest. And all of our users now can choose the skins they liked here, download and install the cab file.

CHANGEABLE BACKGROUND. It is possible either to change background color in Casino and Tile skins or to change the whole background picture.

CUSTOMIZABLE HEADINGS. You may now either remove or add icon headings. Besides you can change them. Thus you may name apps on your device the way you like.

IMPROVED FUNCTIONALITY. The dots in the bottom are clickable now so you can be immediately put to the screen you want to. When opening the running apps you may not only close applications one by one but also close all running apps at once. The battery charge is now seen like a %. If you have any VITO software (http://vitotechnology.com/products.html) the icons in Winterface will stylistically coincide with the skin you choose.

BUG FIXES. The lock screen of Winterface won't interfere anymore while you're speaking over the phone. If your device is switched on with a password Winterface will allow you to enter it. Calendar widget now shows the appointment for all future events as well as repeated appointments. The locked Winterface can't be anymore closed by the "v" gesture.
 
Winterface is available for $19.95 at http://vitotechnology.com/vito-mobile-shell.html.  
Soon to be be integrated in Communication Suite available for $24.95

Engadget reviews the Zune HD

The folks over at Engadget have a great review of the Zune HD and I recommend you read/watch it. This device is fascinating except for two things: I wish it had a camera and…a phone chip.

Click on the link below to read the review:

http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/17/zune-hd-review/

New hotfixes for HTC Touch Diamond 2

HTC has posted a some hotfixes on their support website for you to download. Before you do so, verify that they are intended for the ROM version that you have. The hotfixes addresses the following issues:

• Update for HTC Touch Diamond2 for Caller ID Display
  
• Hotfix for resolving LED not showing a green light when the battery is fully charged for HTC Touch Diamond2

Note that the links point to the EMEA English site.

Zune HD: First impressions

dgoldring over at JustAnotherMobileMonday (JAMM) was lucky to have the Zune HD delivered to him yesterday and has a quick preview and unboxing published. The author announced a more detailed preview for later. In the mean time, there are some great pictures of the Zune unboxing at JAMM. Enjoy.

BTW, the Zune HD is available in the U.S. only for now.

Opera Mini 5 beta released.

This new version of Opera Mini is really sleek. Among the features I like most  is the tabbed browsing, the new interface is finger friendly. The  traditional menus have gone away and have been replaced with auto-hide buttons at the bottom of the screen.

Click here to learn more.

Zune HD released

The Zune HD was announced yesterday by Microsoft. While I’ve never owned a music/video player before, the Zune HD has some great, appealing features: Touchscreen, HD radio, HD Video Out and Wifi.

Learn more at www.zune.net.

SPB Brain Evolution updated

SPB Software, a leading mobile software developer, announces that the Windows Mobile Classic and Professional (touchscreen) version of its famous developmental game SPB Brain Evolution has received a major update and now reached version 2.0.

SPB Brain Evolution is available since January 2007 and by now has achieved the world's best selling Windows Mobile game status (year 2008). The game allows hundreds of thousands of users worldwide to improve their mental awareness and maintain their newly achieved brain fitness.

The game currently contains twelve exercises which, put together, help users to keep their mind in a proper shape. These exercises are Sudoku, Numbers, Arithmetics, Quadronica, Guess Who, Memorica, Encyclopedia, Minesweeper, Matches, Balltracker, Geometry and Pairs, the latter two being completely new. They help user to exercise such basic mind activities as logic, arithmetic and memory. While the training mode prepares you for the battle the marking mode allows you to register your progress. The game also allows tracking the progress in your personal brain evolution which immediately becomes available in the form of a diagram or a score.

*** New Features: ***

* Two additional exercises mentioned above, Geometry and Pairs;
* A new scoring and progress tracking system;
* Sharing user's achievements online on SPB server;
* Posting achievements to Twitter;
* The new, finger-friendly interface that perfectly matches all the latest smartphones with bigger and more responsive touchscreens;
* Native support for 800x480 and 400x240 screen resolutions.

*** Pricing and Availability ***
SPB Brain Evolution 2.0 is available for Windows Mobile touchscreen (works on WM 2003 or higher touchscreens) from September 15th and on, in the following languages: English, German, Italian, Spanish, Russian, French, Danish, Portuguese, Czech, Polish, Dutch, Traditional and Simplified Chinese, Japanese and Korean. A free trial version working for 15 days with some restrictions can be downloaded, or the full version can be purchased for $19.95 from www.spbsoftware.com.

*** Further Information and Downloads ***

SPB Brain Evolution for Windows Mobile touchscreens 
http://www.spbsoftware.com/pocketpc-software/brainevolution

SPB Brain Evolution screenshots 
http://www.spbsoftware.com/pocketpc-software/brainevolution/screenshots

Pics of HTC Leo surface.

The Leo has a gorgeous screen with a 4.3" capacitive touchscreen, 800x480 display and it's not just about the looks. The inside is quite impressive with 512mb of flash memory, 320mb of RAM and a 1GHz Qualcomm processor.
Check out the great pics over at http://wmpoweruser.com/?p=7674

Free: Epilepsy Phone application

It's great to see technology helping with health issues. If you know anyone epileptic arround you, Epdetect is an application to have.

"Epdetect is an accelerometer based mobile phone application that uses advanced signal processing to detect epileptic seizures. It runs on most mobile phones that support SMS messaging, movement detection and GPS position location.

The addition of the seizure detection signal processing enables the phone to function as a wearable seizure detection system, with remote signalling to carers. Epdetect monitors the wearers movements, distinguishing between normal movement and movement associated with a Tonic–clonic seizure. If a seizure is detected, Epdetect will contact your carer with your status and GPS position."

Download and learn more here?

Motorola announces Moto Cliq powered by Android

Motorola's Cliq is the first Android device that managed to catch my attention and the interface developed by Motorola is for something. They named it Motoblur. The latter allows you to stay connected and up to date with Twitter, Facebook etc right from the main screen without having to enter your credentials more than once. I really like the looks of it and it has a sliding keyboard. Hmmm, could the Cliq be my next device??? Watch the short video below.

Windows 7 commercial.

This is a cute one. Say hi to Kylie.

Press Release: Palm introduces Pixi

I wonder when this cute device will make it to Mauritius and if I’ll ever get a chance to review it.

Palm, Inc. (NASDAQ:PALM) today introduced the Palm(R) Pixi(TM) phone for faster, more intuitive and personal communication in a compact and customizable design.(1) With the instinctively useable Palm webOS(TM) platform, strikingly thin design, a visible full keyboard and fashionable personalization options, Palm Pixi lets you express yourself in amazingly useful ways. It's scheduled to be available exclusively from Sprint in time for the holidays.
"With Palm webOS, we're creating a new, more intuitive smartphone experience defined by unmatched simplicity and usefulness," said Jon Rubinstein, Palm chairman and chief executive officer. "Palm Pixi brings this unique experience to a broader range of people who want enhanced messaging and social networking in a design that lets them express their personal style."
In addition to linking your information from Google(TM), Facebook and Exchange ActiveSync, Palm Pixi adds Yahoo! and LinkedIn integration to Palm Synergy(TM) and assembles it all in a single view.(2) You can get your Yahoo! contacts, calendar and IM, and access to your LinkedIn contacts, including job titles. Synergy on Palm Pixi makes messaging easier by showing you all your conversations with the same person in one chat-style thread, so you can start a conversation on AIM Instant Messenger, Google Talk(TM) or Yahoo! Messenger and continue it by text message later.(3)
Complementing the phone's already rich Facebook integration with the contacts, phone, calendar and photo applications, a new Facebook application will be available with Palm Pixi so you can see and comment on all the latest news from your friends, as well as easily update your status. The phone's full QWERTY keyboard puts it all at your fingertips, and the multi-touch screen lets you move back and forth between open applications using natural gestures.(4) The unique removable back cover is rubberized, making it scratch-resistant, slip-resistant and durable.

Personalization with Style
For those who want to express themselves with some extra style, Palm is introducing the Palm Pixi Artist Series. Designed by some of today's most unique and compelling artists, these numbered, limited-edition back covers let you change designs to suit your mood. You can see the first collection in the series, as well as information about the artists, at www.palm.com/artistseries. Palm will be showcasing the fashionable new Palm Pixi with the Artist Series covers this week at the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York (Sept. 10-17).
You can also tailor Palm Pixi to your interests with downloadable applications from the Palm Beta App Catalog, including the latest entertainment and social networking applications such as Local Concerts by iLike, and Yelp(TM).(5) You can use Palm media sync to customize your phone with music, photos and videos from iTunes (Versions 8.1.1-8.2.1)(6), or use the on-device Amazon MP3 store to purchase individual songs or full albums over-the-air.(3)
"Palm Pixi continues Sprint's leadership in providing useful and innovative devices on America's most dependable 3G network,"(7) said Dan Hesse, chief executive officer at Sprint. "We are pleased to be the first carrier to bring this device to market and offer both devices in the growing Palm webOS family. Sprint's Everything Data plans, which provide unrestricted access to the Internet, mobile content and applications, and our Ready Now retail experience make for a perfect combination with these new Palm products."
The Sprint Mobile Broadband Network reaches more than 271 million people, 18,652 cities and 1,838 airports, and Sprint's networks are now performing at best-ever levels.
Customers who purchase Palm Pixi will benefit from Sprint's Ready Now, which the company pioneered to help customers leave the store educated, comfortable and confident about the phones they're taking home. It is like having a free personal trainer that educates you on all your phone can do by setting up all the applications you want to use on the device.
Palm Pixi is also the perfect complement to Sprint's Simply EverythingSM plan, which provides unlimited nationwide calling, texting, email, social networking, web browsing, GPS navigation, Sprint TV, streaming music, NFL Mobile Live, NASCAR Sprint Cup Mobile and much more for only $99.99 per month. It's a savings of $1,200 over two years versus some comparable competitor plans.

Palm Pixi Features
High-speed connectivity (EVDO Rev. A)
2.63-inch multi-touch screen with a vibrant 18-bit color 320x400 resolution TFT display
Gesture area, which enables simple, intuitive gestures for navigation
Exposed QWERTY keyboard for fast messaging
Robust messaging support (IM, SMS and MMS capabilities), including Google Talk, AIM and Yahoo! IM
High-performance, desktop-class web browser
Integrated GPS(8)
Multimedia options, including pictures, video playback and music, and featuring a 2-megapixel fixed-focus camera with LED flash, and a standard 3.5mm headset jack
Email, including Exchange ActiveSync (EAS) (for access to corporate Microsoft Exchange servers), as well as personal email support (Google push, Yahoo! push, POP3, IMAP)(9)
Bluetooth(R) 2.1 + EDR with A2DP stereo Bluetooth support
8GB of internal user storage (~7GB user available)(10)
USB mass storage mode
MicroUSB connector with USB 2.0 Hi-Speed
The first handset to launch with Qualcomm's high-performance MSM7627(TM) chipset
Proximity sensor, which automatically disables the touch screen and turns off the display whenever you put the phone up to your ear
Light sensor, which dims the display if the ambient light is dark, such as at night or in a movie theater, to reduce power usage
Accelerometer, which automatically orients web pages and photos to your perspective
Ringer switch, which easily silences the device with one touch
Removable, rechargeable 1150 mAh battery
Dimensions: 55mm (W) x 111mm (L) x 10.85mm (D) [2.17 in. (W) x 4.37 in. (L) x 0.43 in. (D)]
Weight: 99.5 grams (3.51 ounces)
Sprint services, including Sprint TV(R) and Sprint Radio, Sprint Navigation, Sprint's exclusive NFL Mobile Live and NASCAR Sprint Cup Mobile Live

Availability and Pricing
The Palm Pixi phone is scheduled to be available from Sprint in time for the holidays. Pricing for the phone, as well as the limited-edition Palm Pixi Artist Series covers, will be announced closer to availability. Customers who would like to register to receive additional information about Palm Pixi and be notified when it's available can register at www.palm.com/pixi.

In addition, effective today the Palm Pre(TM) phone from Sprint is available for $149.99 with a two-year service agreement and after a $150 instant rebate and $100 mail-in rebate. You can find this great pricing at Sprint stores, on the web (www.sprint.com) and by calling Sprint's telesales group (1-800-SPRINT1). With the new Palm Pixi phone, and Palm Pre at a lower price, Palm and Sprint are bringing greater choice of Palm webOS phones to a larger audience.

Buy a Vista PC and get Windows 7 free.

I thought this offer was restricted to the American market only and I was happy to find out that Microsoft Indian Ocean Islands was also offering a buy-a-Vista-PC-And-Get-Windows-7-free. Well, it’s almost free. Actually, you have to pay for the shipping of the CD, which should be about $10 (Rs300), to get the upgrade. This is a limited offer as you need to buy the PC as from the release day of Windows 7 until January from a Microsoft partner.

This is quite a great offer. So make sure you buy your new computer from a Microsoft partner. If, like me you do  not know who the  partners are, feel free to contact Microsoft at the address below:

Microsoft Indian Ocean Islands
3rd Floor Barkly Wharf
La Caudan Waterfront
Old Pavilion
Port Louis
Mauritius

Phone: +230 202 8100

Fax: +230 210 1558

Or you can ask the Microsoft employee at the Microsoft stand at Phoenix Les Halles.

Now is the time to purchase a PC. Windows 7 is awesome.

Posting using Opera mini.

Here I am watching TV with my two year old daughter on this Friday afternoon. I've been watching cartoons over cartoons for over 30 minutes now. While this is fun, i would prefer watching some tech stuff. While my daughter is focused on the show, I thought I would post about how Opera Mini is helpful when I'm away from my PC and netbook. FYI, i'm posting using my HTC S620 Smartphone.
Even if the device only has GPRS connection, I very happy with it. Opera mini is so fast; lightweight. It works with with almost every site I want to access. Except some Google sites like Adsense for exemple. It's awesome for mobile banking, even if the banks themselves are unaware about this.
by the way, I prefer to use Opera Mini to keep in touch with the news rather than a RSS reader.

What is your experience with Opera Mini? Don't you think it's the best mobile browser out there?

New HTC Touch2™ Smartphone Delivers Full Touch Experience

Now it’s HTC’s turn to announce the Touch2 that will be powered by Windows Mobile 6.5. Of course, the device will be in customers hands as from October 6. I have no information about when such devices will be available in Mauritius. I will investigate.

Click the link below to read HTC’s press release.

http://www.htc.com/www/press.aspx?id=109430&lang=1033

Sony Ericsson Xperia 2 announced.

A few days back, the Windows Mobile team announced the launch of Windows Phones powered by Windows Mobile 6.5 on October 6. This announcement seems to have paved the way for manufacturers to showcase their first WM6.5 phones. This is the case of Sony Ericsson with the Xperia 2. A device, which besides running Microsoft newest version of Windows mobile, has a 8.1 megapixel camera with photo light and 16x digital zoom. In comparison, HTC devices, even the latest are still limited to 3 MP.

Click here to learn more about the second version of the Xperia. Check out the video interviews as well.

Nokia Booklet 3G first impressions.

Nokia officially announced its booklet 3G yesterday at Nokia World and those who had the chance to attend, were able to play with the device a bit. Mark Guim over at the Nokia Blog gives us his first impression of the netbook along with some nice pictures.

More on http://thenokiablog.com/2009/09/02/nokia-booklet-3g-hands-on-first-impressions/.

Windows Mobile 6.5 coming on October 6.

This is an official announcement made by the Windows Mobile team on their blog. Below is a list of operators, device manufacturers who will be launching Windows Phone next month.

I find this paragraph to be quite interesting: “When we started work on Windows phones, we met with people all over the world who were likely to buy a smartphone and talked with them about what’s important to them in their phone. Looking at the U.S. market, for example, we found that about 15 million people in the next year will buy a new smartphone.” I cannot help but wonder who these people are? Note that Windows Mobile 6.5 offers some great improvements. The one I like most is the ability to read new emails, SMSs etc without unlocking the phone first. Slide your finger on the new email icon and it opens the email account or the new email itself if there is just one. Simple but efficient.

Read more about Windows Phone release here.

Here’s the list:

· In North America: Mobile operators AT&T, Bell Mobility, Sprint, TELUS and Verizon Wireless, and phone manufacturers HP, HTC Corp., LG Electronics, Samsung and Toshiba Corp.

· In Europe: Mobile operators Orange, Deutsche Telekom AG and Vodafone Group Plc, and phone manufacturers Acer, HTC, LG Electronics, Samsung, Sony Ericsson and Toshiba

· In Latin America: Mobile operator TIM Brazil, and phone manufacturers HTC, LG Electronics and Samsung

· In Asia Pacific: Mobile operators NTT DOCOMO Inc., SOFTBANK Mobile Corp., SK Telecom, Telstra and WILLCOM Inc., and phone manufacturers Acer Inc., HTC, LG Electronics, Samsung, Sony Ericsson and Toshiba

About Windows Mobile licensing.

A few years back I purchased what I think is the best Smartphone ever, the HTC S620. With it came a companion CD that contained sync software, some third party apps, a user manual and a ROM image. The ROM image was particularly useful when I messed up with the device. Now it appears that HTC does not ship the image anymore and I find this to be unacceptable.

During the week, I messed up with my HTC Advantage x7510 and I contacted HTC to provide me a ROM image since they do not bundle it on the companion CD anymore. Unfortunately, the support desk was unable to help. They came up with all sort of baseless reasons to not give a ROM image which I think is mine. I always thought that by purchasing a Windows Mobile phone, that the price included the OS licensing. Therefore, they should include the image on the CD. Apparently, I’m wrong. HTC has made it clear that they will not give the ROM image. Isn't that scandalous?

What are your thoughts?

My first Windows 7 RTM BSOD

As I’m writing this on my Asus netbook, my desktop PC is continuously rebooting. I got two blue screen of death tonight and I’m unable to determine why because the screen just appears too fast for me to see the reason. The first time it occurred was when I was writing the previous article about Microsoft opening a tech corner in Mauritius. Duh, I may be the first to report a Windows 7 RTM BSOD. I will report back once I determine the cause.

Update: After multiple reboots, the startup repair is doing its thing.

further update: screen is pitch-black. I think it’s a memory problem.

Microsoft to open first tech corner in Mauritius. Not permanent though.

Microsoft Indian Ocean Islands (MS IOI) has had a presence, if I’m not wrong, in Mauritius since 2001 and they never had a direct communication with the Mauritian public, except through partners. This is something I’ve always complained about and this is about to change. I’ve learnt during the week that Microsoft will open a corner in a trendy mall in order to promote and educate Mauritians on their products; specifically and unsurprisingly on the upcoming Windows 7 operating system. This is good for consumers.

Microsoft competitors are being quite aggressive on the market with a few iShop here and there. Recently, Google has started luring local developers towards its platform. Is the corner a way for Microsoft to counter attack? Yes and no. No because the corner is not permanent. According to the deal, its existence will last for a year only at a trend that still needs to be determine. I expect to see the corner manned by a “product ambassador” mostly during the weekends. That is when most Mauritians go to the malls. The “ambassadors” job will be to promote, educate users, and get feedbacks on Microsoft products. But is a week end enough? I doubt that. At least Microsoft is doing customer oriented projects other than just enterprise business via partners.

The latter will still have a role in this corner business with product demos. By the way, I may myself, as a Microsoft MVP for Windows Mobile, do some Windows Mobile demos. The mobile OS is still unknown in Mauritius as opposed to the iPhone. So I’m quite excited at the idea to educate my country men to a more open and robust system.

I definitely believe that Microsoft will benefit by establishing a direct communication with the population. Not only Mauritians will get to know more about MS products, it will also make fighting piracy more efficient. Kudos to the MS team. I also expect to see Microsoft going well beyond just a corner. A Microsoft store would be the next logical step.

Ask a Mauritian where in Mauritius is Microsoft office located and, most often, the answer is “ Microsoft has an office in Mauritius???”. The Microsoft corner is just the beginning of a great relationship between the software giant and paradise. Or so I hope.

Free translator

Do you need to tool that will translate over 20 languages on your device? FreeTranslator is the software that you need. I have not tried yet, so do not hesitate to post comments to share your experience.

www.nicolaottomano.it/freetranslator.htm

Technorati Tags: FreeTranslator

Press Release: Nokia Booklet 3G brings all day mobility to the PC world

Interesting to see Nokia releasing a netbook running Windows 7. I assume the later is the Starter edition. Anyway, Nokia’s netbook is the first to run Windows 7.

Powered by the efficient Intel Atom processor, the Nokia Booklet 3G delivers impressive performance with up to 12 hours of battery life, enabling people to leave their power cable behind and still be connected and productive. Delivering the rich experience of a full-function PC inside an ultra-portable aluminum chassis, the new mini-laptop weighs 1.25 kilograms, measures slightly more than two centimeters thin, and has the features one would expect from the world's leading mobile device manufacturer. A broad range of connectivity options - including 3G/ HSPA and Wi-Fi - gives consumers high speed access to the Internet, including Nokia's broad suite of Ovi services, and allows them to make the most of every moment and every opportunity.

Read more here.
Pricing and availability will be announced at Nokia World on September 2.

Contacts generated with Outlook won’t sync and lead to Support Code 0X8503001C

Technorati Tags: Support Code 0X8503001C

I answered to this thread on Microsoft’s Windows Mobile forums and thought I’d post a link to it here. Might be useful if you ever encounter this problem. Hopefully you won’t.

http://social.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/windowsmobileactivesync/thread/7030ce5b-ba61-4d9e-beb4-d91281c0b211

What a week

Indeed, what a week. On one side, Microsoft and Nokia partnering to take over mobility in the enterprise; on another Mr J. gold announcing the end of Windows Mobile. No to mention that most specialized sites see the Microsoft/Nokia partnership as the last move of the giants to combat the smaller Blackberrys and Apples or Androids. Notice here that I did not name Google since Android is an open source mobile operating system.

As I write this, Windows Mobile is still in the game; same for Nokia. The iPhone has exploded in the face of two kids in France and UK; HTC has announced that they sold a million Android device; Dell is to launch an Android-based device in China (go figure why in China only). What else? Oh yes, the Zune HD will reach the market in September. I have nothing much to say here. No new cool apps to announce, no new phones or OS; Microsoft still silent about Windows Mobile in Mauritius despite the fact that HTC, Samsung and Palm have a presence on the island. As an announcement, I’ll just say that no iPhone has exploded in Mauritius and another friend of mine has purchased a fruit phone. Yes there are a few Apple store in Mauritius.

If you are planning vacation in Mauritius and hoping to buy some Microsoft stuff, then you are out of luck. Even the Zune is not available here. Hopefully that will change with the Zune HD. I will ask my Microsoft friends about Zune HD availability. So stay tune. But…

For those of you following this blog, you know that I’ve been testing Windows 7 and that I’m now using the RTM version. Before you ask, I’m not aware yet of what Microsoft Indian Ocean Islands plans to do on the 22nd of October. I can only guess that there will be an impressive launch. Just like Vista...

To whom it may concern: Windows Mobile is, after all, an enterprise-based mobile OS.

Good Week end to all.

News: Microsoft and Nokia announce collaboration.

It is now official, Nokia and Microsoft will work together and the latter will bring Office Mobile to selected Nokia phones, namely the E series. Not only that, Nokia phones will also be able to access intranet and extranet portals built on SharePoint server. Office Collaborator is also part of the deal.

Learn more at www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2009/aug09/08-12pixipr.mspx

Sent from my Windows® Phone.

Mr. Gold has it all wrong; Microsoft will not drop WM.

Mr. Gold is the founder of J. Gold Associates, an IT analyst firm. In his latest publication for BusinessWeek, he stated that Microsoft should hang up on Windows Mobile as it is “losing support of many of its leading device makers”. He adds that HTC is “making a major commitment to Android. So is Motorola”. As a refresher here, HTC also made a major and firm commitment to Windows Mobile and has done that for years. HTC did indeed allocate some of its resources to Android development, the same way it did for Palm.  I admit that Windows Mobile has some catch-up to do, but that is no reason to kill it Mr Gold.

Windows 7 RTM is up and running.

I’ve just finished installing Windows 7 RTM on my desktop. It took me about 20 minutes to get it up and running and the first thing I did was to connect my HTC S620- after installing Office 2007 of course. Windows 7 immediately recognized my device, installed the drivers for it and also installed Windows Mobile Device Center(WMDC). So yes, WMDC is built into the OS.

Synchronization was fast and flawless. Not that I’d anticipated trouble, but I thought it was worth mentioning. I did not notice any change with WMDC itself. Looks pretty much the same.

Ok, I must admit I expected to see some kind of errors pop up. That is why I connected my Prophet to sync immediately after the S620. Here again, no errors. I did get some errors when testing Windows 7 RC though, but nothing dramatic.

Overall the system is stable and fast. Ciao Vista.

Resco audio Recorder 4.60 Beta 1 released

Do you have a need to record your phone conversation? If yes, then Resco Audio Recorder is probably what you need.

Changes and new features in Resco Audio Recorder version 4.60:

• Improved core of the application

• Improvements were necessary to make the application launch faster, especially with call recording. The modifications also brought less system load.

• Support for more devices

• Problems with call recording have been fixed and troubleshooting devices are finally good to go. These include Touch HD, Touch Pro 2 and other.

• Recorded file is saved as caller’s name

• There are many ways how recorded file can be saved. Although, this option has already been available, in most cases it didn’t work well. This problem is now fixed.

Plans for the near future

• Compatibility with Resco Contact Manager

• You are able to mark contacts whose calls are to be recorded automatically. On the other hand, when someone’s calling you, you get an option to choose whether to record the call or not yet before answering the call.

Learn more here.

Free chrome themes

Do you use Google Chrome? I used to. I did for a short while and was not at all impressed. Chrome looks like a retro toy to me and not so funny to use. It has to do with the looks of it I guess, because Chrome has a lot of great features. Before anybody asks, I have IE8 and Safari installed on my Windows 7 netbook.

For the Chrome users out there, 29 Chrome themes are available free of charge from https://tools.google.com/chrome/intl/en/themes/index.html.

Communicator Mobile updated

This new update contains a feature that lets you join conferences with a single click. A new “ Join Conference” option has thus been added into the Menu.

http://communicatorteam.com/archive/2009/08/02/864.aspx

Palm coming to Mauritius.

I saw an ad in l’Express yesterday (P.73) showing the Palm Pre, Treo Pro and Centro that will be available soon in Mauritius. This is great to see more mobile players coming here. Recently, MauriSystems released the Google phone (HTC Hero) for Rs19,900. A bit expensive for an open source OS. But that is nothing compared to the HTC Snap which is being offered at the same exaggerated price. If you are wondering what’s my point here, well it’s quite simple: The HTC Snap runs Windows Mobile Standard, a non-touchscreen device. Those devices generally cost much less than touchscreen phones for obvious reasons. Glad I can get it for a good price on Amazon or Expansys. Add shipping and taxes, you’re well behind the Rs19900 + VAT asked by MauriSystems.

Enough of the rant. Palm’s reseller does not have a website yet(neither does MauriSystems.), hopefully we’ll get to learn more about prices and store location soon.