Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year 2009

To all the readers here, I wish a Merry Christmas and a good year for 2009. Let's pray that the world's economic recession will just be a bad souvenir. I also want to thank you all for your support throughout the year. Without you, this blog has no reason to exist. God bless you all and enjoy the holidays.

Linley.

Sunday, December 21, 2008

iPhone go home

Finally the iPhone is here much to the deception of those who went to the release with the intention to get one. According to Armand, who posted a comment to my previous post, there were many in the line to purchase an iPhone, except that they all went home without one because of the exaggerated price imposed by Orange. For the readers out there, note that a dollar equals Rs32.46 and Orange is offering an 8gb iPhone 3G for Rs11,899 plus a monthly charge of Rs1259. This is simply outrageous. According to other sources close to Orange, they manage to sell only 40 units with the first buyer getting one free. Knowing that one owner of an iPhone can only purchase applications through the Apple store, and that internet connection costs that much, I strongly suggest that Mauritians buy the HTC Touch series instead, because Orange requires that you sign up for a postpaid service whereas Emtel offers internet access for prepaid as well.

Clearly, the iPhone or any Apple products are geared towards the haves. And those are relatively few in Mauritius compared to the have nots. So now is the time for Microsoft Indian Ocean Islands to evangelize Windows Mobile in the consumer market. The HTC Touch brands released by HTC lately are much cheaper and "open" in the sense that Mauritians don't have to sign up for an onerous plan with Orange or purchase Apple-chosen applications. The Windows Mobile developer community is much more important and wider than Apple. Not only you get to buy software but there are plenty of free applications on the web that you can download. The only limit is the memory available on your device. Above all else, a Windows Mobile phone was designed to work with XP,  Vista and Mac.  How many Macs do we have out there? Does the iPhone work with Microsoft products? Is it worth it to shell out so much money fo it, knowing that the iPhone has so many limitations?

I forgot to mention that the iPhone has no removable battery.

Friday, December 19, 2008

The iPhone 3G reaches Mauritian shores

Just a quick note to say that Orange is launching the iPhone 3G today in Mauritius. The device has been on sale on the "Black market" for a while now and despite all the hype, my countrymen does not seem particularly attracted by the device or the iPhone frenzy we've witnessed everwhere else in the world. PDAs are still considered devices from Mars here. So far Nokia rules. Coincidentally, HTC rep has been posting some cool billboards across the island lately promoting the Touch HD. 

The war has started. Will there be a winner? Will Nokia and Blackberry survive (Nokia for sure)? 

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Palm releases application store

It's Palm's turn to offer a free application store for its Windows Mobile powered and Palm powered devices. The application gives access to 5000 games and apps. Palm is also offering 25% on the first purchase. Use coupon code SHOPMOBILE.

http://appstore.pocketgear.com/palm/

Press Release: Spb Holiday Sale: Software Treats for All Tastes

SPb is offering 30% off on all their products. If you've been thinking about getting one or several, now is the time.

Spb Software, the world's leading Windows Mobile software developer announces the start of Spb Holiday Sale 2008, which will run from December 16th until December 30th at the developer's official website. For the first time ever, Spb launches a major sale campaign, offering a 30% discount across its entire product line: from usability applications to platform enhancements, from advanced business applications to games.

"The Holiday Season is a time when people exchange special signs of care," comments Olga Gachko, Marketing Manager at Spb Software. "This year we are proud to be able to offer our customers more of our famous software for less money, and we do have quite a bit of new titles in store for everybody," Olga concludes.

To claim the discount, shoppers need to enter the "SpbHolidaySale" discount code in their shopping carts at
http://www.spbsoftwarehouse.com, and see 30% deducted from the order total. The Spb Holiday Sale offer is not valid with any other promotion.

Thursday, December 11, 2008

Press-Release. Spb Survey 2008 Results Announced: Analyzing the Future

Spb Software, a leading mobile software developer announces the results of fifth annual Spb Survey. This year, Spb Survey was held between 10th and 24th of December, and aimed to track changes in mobile device preferences and brand loyalty, smartphone and software use cases, user profiles and behavior. Originally, Spb Survey addressed only the Windows Mobile audience, but this year, users of all mobile platforms were invited to participate. The majority of Spb Survey respondents are mobile activists with clear interest in mobile technology, and are not fully representative of the entire global mobile community. However, as mobile connectivity enters more spheres of everyday life - the global mobile community is becoming more active and technologically-savvy throughout, and accurate industrial outlooks and estimations can be made, based on the answers provided by Spb Survey respondents.
 
Thousands of survey responses given in 11 languages by people from 22 countries were analyzed and condensed into the following Spb Survey results summary:

The majority of survey respondents are still male (95%), 57% of them are aged between 19 and 35, and 58% have at least a Bachelor's degree

The majority of Spb Survey respondents are from North America and Western Europe

About 17% of respondents are students, 17% work in the field of mobility, and an amazing 68% are 'device fans'

Brand-wise, HTC smartphones have the absolute leading position, being the brand of choice for over 49% of all Spb Survey respondents. HTC is followed by HP with nearly 6%, Asus with 5.5%, E-TEN with almost 4%, Dell with a little over 3.5%, Nokia and Samsung with 3%, Qtek with 2.6%, MiTAC with 2%, Toshiba, Sony Ericsson, Palm, T-Mobile, and i-Mate - each at around 1.5%, and Fujitsu Siemens with O2 XDA at about 1%. All other brands ranked below 1%

The single most popular mobile device model is HTC TyTn II, followed by HTC Diamond, and HTC Touch Pro. Among the top ten most popular smartphone models, only one is a non-HTC device

Surprising 27% of all respondents use a second SIM card

62% of respondents would buy a device of the same brand, and 56% claim they would even buy the same model

Among the best things about their devices, 69% of respondents first put the looks (design), 68% - the availability of built-in Wi-Fi, 47% - business features and big screen, with the 'price' placing 8th in importance, and 'music platform' - last

The top two aspects most disliked in devices are 'Low memory' and 'Weight'

The majority of respondents upgrade to a new device once in every two years

Most respondents user their smartphones first for business - then for entertainment

31% of respondents use Push Email

80% backup their data

Nearly 80% of respondents use software they paid for

Spb Software invites the mobile community to view full Spb Survey 2008 results here: http://spbsoftwarehouse.com/about/pressreleases/docs/spbsurvey2008.html

Windows Mobile: What Microsoft Needs to Fix

I was reading this article in the link below on BusinessWeek and I thought I'd share it with you readers and especially to Microsoft. According to research firms, Windows Mobile has dropped to the 4th place on the mobile market. To be honest, that does not surprise me because I still have to use a stylus to move around in Windows Mobile. Thinking that Apple and Google just join the mobile bandwagon,  I'm stumped. I write this bearing in mind that Microsoft released Surface this year. They could have developed a similar technology for Windows Mobile instead. Based on news on the web, they plan to have a better technology than the iPhone with Windows Mobile 7. The problem is that WM7 will be released in 2010. Meaning that Windows Mobile will remain at its 4th position until then. I write this knowing that Windows Mobile was initially designed for the enterprise. For those of you who do not agree with me, well think about it. The only Mobile OS that lets you scan barcodes, connect to a database or web interface to publish data, use online forms is Windows Mobile and Windows CE. Android, Blackberry and iPhone do not support these features. In other words, Microsoft has the monopoly in enterprise mobility. Proof is that they licensed Exchange Activesync protocols to the fruit company and it won't be long before we see the G com joining the bandwagon. So I'm going to ask BusinessWeek and other major Tech news Corp to stop bashing Microsoft Windows Mobile. Do your homework.

Microsoft - Hurry up with the next release of Windows Mobile. I'm just tired of reading such articles on the web. 

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Press release: new version Task2Gather 1.1

VITO Technology releases Task2Gather 1.1 for Windows Mobile. Task2Gather performs greatly as a personal to-do or shopping list as well as a collaborative tool for reaching common team goals. The major bugs of previous version were fixed. Moreover, the mobile version now has tag support, auto-login feature and many other minor improvements that make task management a whole lot easier.
         New features:
                tags
                auto log in
                indicator showing server connection
                German and Russian languages support
                exit via menu or minimize
                estimated/spent via edit mode
         Fixed bugs:
                landscape support
                list is shown from start
        
        Task2Gather for Windows Mobile is available now for $0.99. Special $0.99 offer is valid until the OFFLINE MODE release. 
        Since it entered the mobile software market in 2001 VITO Technology Inc. has developed an impressive portfolio of products for Windows Mobile. The latest VITO Technology's endeavour is iPhone and Web 2.0 software development. 


Useful links: 
Task2Gather page: http://vitotechnology.com/windowsmobile-task2gather.html  


Task2Gather download: http://vitotechnology.com/files/Task2Gather.exe 
                                            
VITO Technology's sites: http://vitotechnology.comhttp://iwindowsmobile.comhttp://task2gather.com

WM6.1 upgrade for Imate's Ultimate series released

If you own one of the I-mate Ultimate devices, you'll be happy to learn that upgrades are available for free downloads from https://www.imate.com/st-WindowsMobile6_1.aspx. The devices concerned are:
 
  • i-mate Ultimate 9502: Instructions | Available now
  • i-mate Ultimate 8502: Instructions | Available now
  • i-mate Ultimate 6150: Instructions | Available now
  • i-mate Ultimate 8150: Instructions | Available now
  •  
    An upgrade for the Jama 101 is coming soon.
     
    IMPORTANT: Read the instructions before applying the upgrades
                

    Skype 2.5 beta released

    The new version closely resembles its desktop counterpart and some novelties include improved sound quality and stability. Note that Skype 2.5 is still in beta.
     
    Download your free copy from:
     
    www.skype.com/download/skype/windowsmobile/
                

    Tuesday, December 09, 2008

    WVGAFIX3 - Free utility to change screen resolution

    I found this great and free utlity on Xda forums - where else. Basically, it lets you change your screen resolution so you can run applications that is not compatible with the original resolution. And it does that pretty well without stretching or distorting icons. 
     
    Download your free copy from http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=455974 and make sure you read the instructions first:
     
    Installation:
    *Copy CAB files to device
    *Install SdkCerts.cab first
    *Install second cab file
    *Do soft reset
    *Now you can see WVGAFIX3 in Programs.

    Press release: SBSH Calendar Touch announced

    SBSH Mobile Software announced today the all new Calendar Touch for Windows Mobile Pro/Classic! SBSH Calendar Touch for Windows Mobile Pro/Classic is an exciting new personal information manager that guarantees a great boost to your daily time management and productivity! Introducing new gesture-based navigation technologies to accompany latest developments in the Windows Mobile market.

    SBSH Calendar Touch release follows the successful release of SBSH Calendar (former Papyrus) for Windows Mobile Standard devices earlier in August this year, introducing a complete personal information management solution for our Windows Mobile Touch users!

    Calendar Touch packs exciting new features: Great looking and informative Calendaring and Tasks utilities, Search View; Advanced filters management; Automatic attendees notifications, Auto-adopting design to match your device look&feel, Popup selection effect for optimized display, advanced gestures navigation and much more! Calendar Touch is backed by a powerful engine to ensure the fastest experience for the pro user!

    SBSH Calendar Touch Highlights

    Personal Information Management - Full calendar views: Daily, Weekly, List and Monthly; Dedicated Tasks view; Search utility, PNG category icons with extensions support and more!

    Gestures and Touch - Navigate using gestures support. Swipe your finger left/right to move between dates, down to bring the Touch Date Selector and up to easily jump get back to current day

    Innovative & Powerful Tools - Automatic email notifications and attendees appointment invitations; Pop-out Effect for better display of current day events, Active timelines, Professionally designed PNG based category icon store for best display results

    Simplified and Innovative - Next generation user-interface which automatically adopts your current Windows Mobile look and feel. Additionally, especially designed features that take advantage of any screen resolution and orientation!

    Calendar Touch offers a myriad of exciting features and innovations! Click here to read the full development note posted at our company forums

    Pricing and Availability

    SBSH Calendar Touch costs $24.95

    Calendar Touch can be purchased using the SBSH Store at the following URL:
    http://www.sbsh.net/products/windows_mobile_pocket_pc/calendar_touch/add_to_cart            

    Friday, December 05, 2008

    HTC releases fix for Touch HD

    HTC has a fix for the HTC Touch HD device. "Sometimes the screen stops responding for about 3 to 5 seconds when running an application that needs to use the stylus to click the screen repeatedly within a short time. For example, the windows built-in software like SMS, email, solitaire, etc."
     
    The fix can be downloaded from http://www.htc.com/www/supportdownloadlist.aspx?p_id=179&act=all       
                

    Tuesday, December 02, 2008

    Eagle Eye Tracker Mobile 1.0 released.

    The Eagle Eye Tracker Mobile 1.0 is a software application that turns a Windows mobile phone with windows mobile 6.1 into an advanced tracking device with many capabilities no other tracking device on the market today offers. Our website eagleeyetracker.com is a free service where you can set-up an account and have up to 5 tracking devices on your account with absolutely no monthly service charges. Eagle Eye Tracker is the only World Wide tracking service that provides free basic service of 5 tracking devices.   
     
    Read more...         

    Friday, November 28, 2008

    SafeMode 3 released

    You're having issues with your device and notice that a driver or application is preventing from booting normally? I think you will more than happy to have SafeMode installed on the device. Similarly to the computer, SafeMode lets you boot your device into safe mode and fix your issues.
     
    Download a trial from http://www.monocube.com/

    Wednesday, November 26, 2008

    Black Friday is coming

    Mark your calendars, Black Friday is coming over at Handango on Friday 28. Expect massive savings on software.            

    www.handango.com

    Historia 1.0 Beta

    Here's your chance to try a call logging application that works better than the one that's built into Windows Mobile. To join the beta program, send an email to support@festinger.net and a free registration key will be sent.

    Features:

    # Detailed information on each call .
    # sorting by any column.
    # 15 lines of calls per page.
    # Copying a number.

     
    Learn more at http://festinger.net/forum/default.aspx?g=posts&t=1          

    Spb Software Creates Finger-Friendly Interface for Major UK Carrier

    Spb Software, world's leading Windows Mobile software developer creates an Spb Mobile Shell-powered touch screen interface for O2 Xda Zest. Designed exclusively for O2's latest Xda handset, the 'O2 Menu' helps to make the device ideal for those subscribers new to the Xda phones. The O2 Menu is carefully fitted to O2's style and brand, and is integrated with the built-in Opera Mobile, for seamless Internet browsing.

    The new O2 Xda Zest is expected to encourage the conventional handset users to switch over to the more powerful Xda smartphones. The Zest's impressive 2.8" TFT screen with the sleek finger-friendly touch interface make for extremely easy device navigation, optimal for novice PDA users. Erik Staaf, Head of Own Branded Devices says: "Our established O2 Xda range has proven very popular with experienced PDA users but we are now pleased to also offer early entrants to the market a Pay & Go handset without an overcomplicated user interface."
     
    Read more at http://www.spbsoftwarehouse.com/about/pressreleases/2008/nov25.html

    Tuesday, November 25, 2008

    Forward your text messages to an email address with txtForward.

    This is nice application and a useful one. txtForward lets you forward SMSs to an email address and is quite useful as a way of archiving text messages. I spotted this utility on Jason's Langridge weblog: http://blogs.msdn.com/jasonlan/archive/2008/11/24/txtforward.aspx
     
    You can download the software from http://electricpocket.com/txtforward/
                

    Wednesday, November 19, 2008

    Take Control over Wireless Data Spending with Spb Wireless Monitor 3.0.

    Spb Software releases Spb Wireless Monitor 3.0 - a powerful software solution that offers full control over all types of smartphone data connections by monitoring them in accordance with configurable tariffs and data plans, and providing per application data traffic reports. First brought to market in 2002, Spb Wireless Monitor, formerly known as Spb GPRS Monitor, accounts for the lack of a built-in data tracking tool in Windows Mobile devices. A four-time prize winner in the Smartphone and Pocket PC magazine's Best Software Awards, shipped in over a dozen devices by ASUS, HTC, O2, Samsung, and T-Mobile, the Spb Wireless Monitor has over 3,000,000 loyal customers worldwide. The new name of version 3.0 comes with massive enhancements in features and abilities. 


    With the growing popularity of mobile Internet and captivating online services - crossing the data plan limits and receiving painful phone bills is common, especially with the high cost of roaming. Spb Wireless Monitor 3.0 prevents unwanted mobile service charges and gives subscribers control over their mobile data spending, by measuring data traffic, calculating the network charges, warning of costly data usage, and reporting which application exactly generates what kind of data traffic.

    The new Wireless Monitor supports both touch and non-touch screen devices, it can manage CDMA, GPRS, 3G, and even Wi-Fi and USB connections. Spb Wireless Monitor can provide per application traffic and cost reports, allowing users to single out guilty applications, responsible for high data charges. The new version has a modern, multilingual user interface and can manage several connections simultaneously.
    You can find this press-release online: 
    http://www.spbsoftwarehouse.com/about/pressreleases/2008/nov18.html


    Spb Wireless Monitor for Pocket PC product page:
    http://www.spbsoftwarehouse.com/products/wirelessmonitor/

    Spb Wireless Monitor for Smartphone product page:
    http://www.spbsoftwarehouse.com/smartphone/wirelessmonitor/

    Tuesday, November 18, 2008

    Microsoft Store now open

    Microsoft now have their Store open. This is the place where you can purchase both software and hardware products. For now, the store is accesssible to some countries only inclusing the U.S., UK ans some asean countries. More will be added later. Check it out at http://store.microsoft.com/home.aspx?lc=1033

    Adobe developing Flash 10 for Windows Mobile

    Mobile Crunch announces that Adobe will release Flash 10 for Windows Mobile devices late next year. Flash 10 will allow viewing of flash enabled sites on a WM device. At the same time, Microsoft is also developing Silversight mobile which offers the same functionality. However, Redmond has not anounced a release date yet.

    Read the article on Mobile Crunch:

    Thursday, November 13, 2008

    SMTP fix for WM6.1 released

    The Outlook Mobile team released a patch to fix a problem that prevented users to send email. Here's a description of the problem:
    "This feature allows operators to specify an alternate server that can be used only when your device has a problem accessing your mail account’s SMTP directly. When can this happen? Some mail services, like those provided by ISPs, only allow access to their SMTP servers when you are directly on their network. With this feature, it’s supposed to be easier for end users to send mail on a Windows Mobile device."

    The fix can be downloaded from the Outlook Mobile Team website:
    http://blogs.msdn.com/outlook_mobile/archive/2008/11/12/wm-6-1-smtp-fix-released.aspx

    Wednesday, November 12, 2008

    Vito announces new Weather 1.2

    Note that this application is free and now includes all U.S. cities. Check it out at http://iwindowsmobile.com/vito-mobile-weather.html

    Spb releases Spb Keyboard 4.0

    It's been a long time since Spb released the first version of screen keyboard software which I have been using on my good old Eten M500. At the time, the keyboard software was very handy to type without the stylus. So the next logical step for me was to simply get a device with a real keyboard. Ever since, I have had devices with front face keyboard and one with a slide keyboard. While Spb Keyboard does make text entry easier on touchscreen devices, I won't go back to a device without a hardware keyboard. If you're looking for a good soft keyboard, I certainly recommend Spb Keyboard 4.0. A trial can be downloaded from http://www.spbsoftwarehouse.com/products/keyboard 

    Wednesday, November 05, 2008

    SPB Software release SPB Traveler 2.0

    SPB Software released Spb Traveler 2.0 –" an expert mobile travel assistant application that is a pleasure to handle. The new Spb Traveler 2.0 offers a revolutionary animated finger-friendly user interface, a subscription-free flight search engine (powered by OAG), an animated 3D Globe with real satellite image of the sky, and a Geo Game for fun and learning.
     
    Winner in Smartphone & Pocket PC magazine's Best Software Awards, Spb Traveler provides valuable tools and information to travelers such as world time and global weather service (powered by Foreca, the trusted provider of msn.com), tip calculator and multilanguage phrase book, as well as currency, unit, and clothing size converters. In all it does, Spb Traveler 2.0 has the speed and usability of an Spb Mobile Shell-powered interface, topped off with high-class 3D animation and gestures."

    Read the complete press release at http://www.spbsoftwarehouse.com/about/pressreleases/2008/nov04.html

    Tuesday, November 04, 2008

    BIO.ID - New Text notification alert app with eye iris scanner support!!!

    That one made me laugh. In a nutshell, BIO.ID is a text notification alert with more features than the built-in one and to make the app fun to use the author added iris scanner support as well as fingerprint recognition. Of course these features are fake. They are just themes that you can use to impress.
     
    BIO.ID features:
     

  • 3 themes: eye iris scanner, fingerprint scanner, voice reconizing
  • 2 voices: woman, man, to announce messages, or short vibrating without announces
  • "You've got message..." repeats after a minute, then every 3 minutes, up to 10 times (to save battery)
  • auto-deleting every message marked as Read in Inbox, or when you open some message to read
  • delays of deleting: 15 seconds, minute, 15 minutes, one hour, or on the next morning
  • modes of deleting: move to Deleted Items folder, or delete completely 
  •  
    A trial of the software can be downloaded from http://www.jgui.net/bio.id./index.html. Yes it's not free. Purchase price: $9.95 on Handango.          

    Saturday, November 01, 2008

    Sprint Picture Mail Officially Released (finally)

    Sprint has released Picture Mail for its Windows Mobile phones finally.

    To download:

    OTA: Open Internet Explorer and assuming that your homepage is the default Sprint page, click "Shop for Games & Applications". Then choose "Free/Demo". Then choose "Picture Mail Application Available NOW!".

    PC: To download to your PC to then load onto the phone, go to http://softwarestore.sprint.com/wap/phones.php and choose your phone from the list. Then again click "Shop for Games & Applications". Then choose "Free/Demo". Then choose "Picture Mail Application Available NOW!".

    Install it via the cab and then configure it. To configure it, go to Start > Programs > Configure Picture Mail. Tap on "Tap to Add" then choose Online Albums. That sets it up to work with the Sprint Picture Mail website. You can also configure your Photobucket and MySpace accounts there too if you want to use either of those.

    To send a regular picture mail message, open a picture and then choose Menu > Send Picture Mail.

    To upload a picture to MySpace or Photobucket once those are configured, choose Menu > Post to Service.

    When sending a picture mail, you can add more than one picture to each message too. Select the portion labeled Media and then choose Menu > Add to add additional pictures to the message.

    More info. at http://www.wmexperts.com/articles/sprints_picture_mail_app_offic.html

    Check the forum at http://discussion.treocentral.com/showthread.php?t=173377 for help and questions.

    Friday, October 31, 2008

    Live Mesh now in open beta

    Finally Live Mesh is here in free open Beta. With Live Mesh, you can sync your computer, laptop and mobile device to what Microsoft calls "the cloud". In other words, data that you want to sync via Live Mesh is stored in one of Microsoft huge datacenters and can be accessed anywhere provided you have an internet connection.
     
    Unfortunately, the beta program for mobile devices is still restricted to the U.S. and U.K. 
     
    To signup and download Live Mesh, go to www.mesh.com.

    Thursday, October 30, 2008

    Tips: Change the default location where camera saves pictures

    Out of the box, a device is configured to save pictures to the \My Documents\ My Pictures folder on the phones memory. The issue with that is it fills up memory very quickly. The camera settings does let you change that to the Storage card. In this case the pictures are saved to \SD card\My Documents\My Pictures folder. You can further customize that. Say you want to save your pictures to a location of your choice; for example: SD Card\Photos. Follow the steps below. This change requires you modify the registry, so be extremely careful.
     
    Open the registry editor on your device and go to:
     
    Hkey_Current_User\Software\Microsoft\Pictures\Camera\User\
     
    Change the value for DefaultDir to Sd Card\Photos. Make sure you verify the name of your storage card in File Explorer.
     
    This is it. From now on,every picture you'll take using the device camera will be saved to that location.
     
    A free registry editor can be downloaded from Http://www.phm.lu/Products/PocketPC/Regedit/
     
    Note: You do this at your own risk.

    Wednesday, October 29, 2008

    Free: GudenSoft Email Scheduler

    Spotted this on PocketNow. GudenSoft Email Scheduler is a nice utility that lets you configure the polling interval of each of the email accounts you have configured on your device on one screen. The software is free for download and requires .Net Framework 3.5. Unfortunately, GudenSoft Email Scheduler does not support Windows Mobile Standard. Only WM5 touchscreen devices and later are supported.
     
    Download from http://www.gudensoft.com/emailscheduler/
                

    Tuesday, October 28, 2008

    Bluehoo, first Windows Azure based app for Windows Mobile


    Windows Azure has just been announced by Microsoft and yet an application has already been released based on the new platform. "Bluehoo is a mobile app that helps you make new social connections with the people around you - for business or for please.

    Bluehoo uses Bluetooth to discover "hoos" around you right here, right now, shows you those people’s profiles and helps you start conversations."

    Bluehoo is still in beta version. therefore free to try. Download a copy from http://m.bluehoo.com/

    Now, you're probably wondering what is Windows Azure. Check out Azure's website:

    http://www.microsoft.com/azure/default.mspx

    Friday, October 24, 2008

    KB:You unexpectedly lose the ability to send eimail messages on a Windows Mobile 6.1-based device.

    Microsoft has posted a temporary fix regarding the issue in the title above. Note that Exchange-based email accounts are affected, only POP3 or IMAP. Read the KB article from http://support.microsoft.com/kb/958639/en-us

    Microsoft, I believe this is an opportunity to test Windows Update on our devices. Get a .cab file ready for a permanent fix and send it over the air.

    A cab file that fixes this problem is available on Tracy and Matt's Blog:

    Http://tracyandmatt.co.uk/blogs/index.php/2008/10/15/windows-mobile-smtp-fix

    Thursday, October 23, 2008

    Press release: SPB Software creates interface panel for Xperia X1.

    Spb Software, the world's leading maker of Windows Mobile applications, develops a user interface panel for Xperia X1. As part of the strategic partnership between Sony Ericsson and Spb Software, Spb has put forth a top-notch, Spb Mobile Shell-based solution that compliments the X1 in both style and speed. Taking advantage of the smartphone's unique panel technology, impressive hardware and dynamic wide VGA touchscreen, this custom version of Spb Mobile Shell is optimized for the new Xperia, and comes with all X1 devices as a free download.

    "We are very happy to be working with Spb, one of the most respected Microsoft Windows Mobile software developers in the market," said Mats Ekstrand, VP and Head of Convergence Unit at Sony Ericsson. "The addition of Spb to our panel ecosystem gives Xperia X1 users the opportunity to customize their handsets with an already established interface for the Windows Mobile environment, alongside enjoying the eight other active desktops through the unique Xperia Panel user interface." 
     
    Spb Mobile Shell is an application that improves the innate Windows Mobile user interface, making it more direct, logical, and slick. The first version of software came out in February 2007 and quickly gained recognition among end-users and media. Spb Mobile Shell fulfills the highest requirements of in-ROM software, paying a great deal of respect to criteria such as ROM, RAM, performance, battery life, and stability. Customized and improved menus of Windows Mobile devices are achieved without any damage to built-in system features or other third-party software.

    "The Xperia panels are an innovative approach to personalization," - comments Yaroslav Goncharov, the Product Manager of Spb Mobile Shell - "With 3D acceleration, the panels are visually appealing for consumers, and at the same time present new opportunities for the developer community." 

    Wednesday, October 22, 2008

    Getting started with Windows Mobile development.

    Luis E. Cabrera, from the Windows Mobile team, posted a short article on how to get started with developing applications for Windows Mobile. Besides the usual requirements such the device emulator, Visual Studio and the WM SDK, there are links to very useful resources.
     
    Check out the article on the Windows Mobile Team blog:
     
    http://blogs.msdn.com/windowsmobile/archive/2008/10/21/getting-started-with-windows-mobile-development.aspx

    Monday, October 20, 2008

    Opera Mobile 9.5 adds Opera Widgets to deliver a one-click mobile Internet experience

    Opera has released a second version of Opera 9.5 Beta introducing Opera Widget "enabling one-click Web content access". This new version, acoording to the press release loads pages faster
     
    "Opera has built its second Opera Mobile 9.5 beta based on user-generated feedback following its first public release earlier this year," said Jon von Tetzchner, CEO, Opera Software. "In addition to Opera Widgets, this new test version promises to be a smoother ride than the previous version, as we have improved page loading times and increased our focus on end-user productivity."
     
    Read the press release: http://www.opera.com/pressreleases/en/2008/10/20/
     
    Some widgets are pre-installed and other can be downloaded at widgets.opera.com.
     
    Opera 9.5 Beta can be downloaded from http://www.opera.com/products/mobile/

    Sunday, October 19, 2008

    Pre-Order the HTC Touch HD on Expansys

    It is possible to pre-order the HTC Touch HD on Expansys for the price of $799.99. The device will be available on the 18th of November though. I was expecting the HD to cost more than that.

    Saturday, October 18, 2008

    Windows Mobile® 6 Upgrade Deadline

    Spotted this on HTC's website. If you haven't upgraded yet, you have until October 31st to do so or simply download the upgrade and do it later. HTC will remove the file on that day.


    October 31st is the last day to take advantage of the free upgrade to Windows Mobile® 6. The upgrade link will be removed from HTC’s website at 12:00 pm (noon) GMT on October 31st.

    Removal of this free upgrade may affect users of the following devices: HTC S621, HTC S620, HTC P4350, HTC P3300, HTC Advantage.

    If you haven’t upgraded yet and your device has a Windows Mobile® version lower than 6, please take advantage of this offer before it expires. To check the version on your device go to Start > Settings > System tab > About.

    http://www.htc.com/europe/supportcontent.aspx?id=19302


    Friday, October 17, 2008

    Find all WM6.1 upgrades in one place

    Need to know if there is an upgrade for your device? I usually recommend you check the device manufacturer or mobile operator's website to find out. Even that can be difficult, especially if the sites are not user friendly. Well, search no more. Jason Langridge has put a list of WM6.1 upgrades on his blog. So, point your browser to http://blogs.msdn.com/jasonlan/archive/2008/10/16/windows-mobile-6-1-upgrades-how-to-find-them.aspx and see if your device is listed there. Good job Jason :)            

    Thursday, October 16, 2008

    Windows 7 Faq and WMDC

    Paul Thurrot has an interesting faq about Windows 7, the next version of Windows to be released in early 2010. Yes, Windows 7 is the official name of the OS as recently announced by Microsoft. Paul writes that Windows Mobile Device Center will be included in Windows 7. Therefore, no separate download anymore. Read Paul Thurrot Windows 7 faq at http://www.winsupersite.com/faq/windows_7.asp    

    Wednesday, October 15, 2008

    Registry tweaks for the HTC Touch Diamond

    I found this extensive list of registry tweaks for the HTC Touch Diamond on XDA forums and thought it might be of interest to HTC Diamond owners who are or will be reading this post. Bear in mind that tweaking the registry requires that you to be extremely careful. Therefore, you apply those tweaks at your own risk. BTW, if you know some tweaks that are not in the list, feel free to share it on XDA.
     
    Here's the link to the thread:
     
    http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=398265

    WisBar Advance Desktop released

    I'm surprised I missed the release of Wisbar sometime ago. But it's never too late. So, if you want to give your device a new look, go for Wisbar Advance. This application has been around for sometime already and lets you customize your home or Today screen according to your taste.
     
    "WisBar Advance Desktop replaces your existing Today screen. Using WisBar Advance Desktop, you can create shortcuts, system meters, floating windows and virtual pages to extend the functionality of your Windows Mobile device.
    WisBar Advance Desktop also supports most existing Today plugins. You can arrange them on multiple pages in order to maximize their usefulness".
     
    A trial version of the software can be downloaded from http://www.lakeridgesoftware.com/products/pocketpc/WisBarAdvanceDesktop/

    Tuesday, October 14, 2008

    Winterface updated, now with Weather.

    VITO Technology updates Winterface - mobile shell for Windows Mobile devices. The new version of Winterface features a Weather icon among other status icons with "live" info like time, calendar, e-mail, tasks and other icons. Winterface 1.14 also addresses some minor device specific bugs and provides further improvements.
    Since Winterface was released in July there has been a definite call from its users for weather support. Many users find Winterface much more attractive than the Today screen and want to see Weather information in Winterface.

    For this purpose VITO Technology has developed a free stand-alone product Weather. Weather installs on device just like any other application but its icon when added to Winterface displays the actual weather information. Weather is completely finger-friendly and easy to use application.

    Among other improvements there are numerous bug fixes and cyclic page scrolling, i.e. users can flip through pages with icons from the last page immediately to the first one and vice versa.

    Weather is a free application available for downloading here: http://iwindowsmobile.com/Weather.cab      
     
    Vito Technology website: http://iwindowsmobile.com
           

    Friday, October 10, 2008

    WM6.1 upgrade for HTC Dual released

    An upgrade to Windows Mobile 6.1 has been released by HTC for the Touch Dual.
     
    Download the upgrade from http://www.htc.com/www/supportdownloadlist.aspx?p_id=44&cat=all
     
    Check out this link to learn more about Windows Mobile 6.1:
     
    http://www.htc.com/www/supportdownloadlist.aspx?p_id=44&cat=all
     

    Thursday, October 09, 2008

    Windows Mobile 6.1 for Pantech Duo available for download.

    It's great to see more and more device manufacturers offering free Windows Mobile 6.1 for their devices. It's now Pantech's to join in with the upgrade for the Pantech Duo that can be downloaded from http://www.pantechusa.com/html/images/software/download.htm. Just make sure you read the instructions carefully on Pantech's website and backup your data before upgrading.

    Wednesday, October 08, 2008

    Press-Release. Play the Games, Play the Online Games of Spb!

    St. Petersburg, October 08th, 2008 - Spb Software, the world's leading maker of Windows Mobile applications announces the release of Spb Online Games as a separate suite. Originally, part of Spb Online - a set of online services under one roof, which attracted over 15,000 users in under two weeks (at the rate of more than 1000 users per day) - Spb Online Games is a collection of four instant online games, supplemented with an online chat service.

    Spb Online Games makes it possible to play two versions of Checkers, Hexagon, or Reversi with real people from virtually anywhere in the world, in real-time. Any online game can be launched within 30 seconds and if interrupted - continued from the spot it was left off. The service already has thousands of registered players on the network, with each potential opponent equipped with a configurable user profile (might include picture, name, type of handset, and network). The online gaming experience can be further personalized through real-time chatting with active online players.

    All of new Spb Online Games features (such as the online chat service and more informative user profile) will become available to registered users of Spb Online through automatic 'push' update to Spb Online version 1.1.


    *** Pricing and Availability ***

    Spb Online Games software is compatible with Windows Mobile 5 and later Professional and Standard devices, qVGA, VGA, Square QVGA, and WVGA screen resolutions are supported. A Wi-Fi, GPRS, 3G, or ActiveSync connection is required for online playing. A free, 15-day trial version is available, or Spb Online Games may be purchased for 14.95 USD at www.spbsoftwarehouse.com. 


    *** Further Information and Downloads ***

    Further information regarding Spb Online can be found at the Spb website:

    Spb Online Games for Pocket PC web page (http://www.spbsoftwarehouse.com/products/onlinegames)
    Spb Online Games for Pocket PC screenshots page (http://www.spbsoftwarehouse.com/products/onlinegames/screenshots.html)
    Spb Online Games for Pocket PC downloading page (http://www.spbsoftwarehouse.com/products/onlinegames/download.html)

    Spb Online Games for Smartphone web page (http://www.spbsoftwarehouse.com/smartphone/onlinegames)
    Spb Online Games for Smartphone screenshots page (http://www.spbsoftwarehouse.com/smartphone/onlinegames/screenshots.html)
    Spb Online Games for Smartphone downloading page (http://www.spbsoftwarehouse.com/smartphone/onlinegames/download.html)

    Firmware update for Samsung Omnia released

    If you live in Europe and own a Samsung Omnia, a firmware update is available for you to download. The update is to bring more stability to the device. It can be downloaded free from http://www.samsungmobile.com/promotion/omnia/index.jsp
    Applying the update will delete your data and software installer by the owner. It is important to do a backup and carefully follow the instructions on Samsung's website.

    Tuesday, October 07, 2008

    Fake Call Beta

    Trinket Software, which recently released PowerSMS, has announced a new product in beta. Fake Call is "a secret weapon against boring meetings and bad dates", says the site.
    It even lets you schedule a fake call. If you have a use for that kind of software, head over to www.trinketsoftware.com/FakeCall/ And download the beta version. Now, just avoid getting yourself caught using that "secret weapon".

    Monday, October 06, 2008

    Sign up for TextGuard Beta

    TextGuard is an application that lets you filter, Search, block, and archive text messages on your Windows Mobile device. You can also monitor all incoming and outgoing calls. TextGuard is still in Beta, therefore free to use. If you would like to participate, go to http://www.textguard.com/. I think they have a special offer for beta testers. Will confirm that later.
     
    Read the press release about TextGuard here.
     

    Press release: Best Software Awards 2008 Winners Announced


    The Winners in Smartphone & Pocket PC magazine's Eighth Annual Best Software Awards for Windows Mobile software have been announced at www.Smartphonemag.com/Awards.  Eighty members of the Smartphone & Pocket PC magazine Board of Experts judged 936 Windows Mobile products in 194 Pocket PC and Smartphone categories. Winners are also listed in the Smartphone & Pocket PC magazine 2009 Resource Guide first seen late November.

    From the Publisher of Smartphone & Pocket PC magazine, Hal Goldstein
    "The annual Smartphone & Pocket PC magazine Best Software Awards helps users select software that best suits their Windows Mobile Pocket PC and Smartphone needs by honoring companies that produce outstanding software. The awards process is a huge 6-month undertaking involving the experts of the Windows Mobile community starting with over 15,000 Pocket PC and Smartphone products."
    The Awards Process
    Nominations Manager, Werner Ruotsalainen, and the Board of Expert judges spent two months selecting 936 award nominees, about 20% of the software in the Smartphone & Pocket PC magazine Encyclopedia of Software and Accessories.
    The Board of Experts
    The Board of Experts voted for the finalists and winners are from all over the world. They run prominent Web Sites, serve as Microsoft MVPs, and write for Smartphone & Pocket PC magazine and other organizations. These experts all are volunteers and none are employed by Smartphone & Pocket PC magazine.
    Winners & Finalists listed in last issue of Smartphone & Pocket PC magazine -- available in new Knowledge Bundle
    The Knowledge Bundle contains 2009 Resource Guide (last issue) with Awards Winners & Finalists, GPS, How-tos and Accessories sections, 100-page How-to Guide, Back-Issues of Smartphone & Pocket PC magazine and a 15% discount on all Windows Mobile software.

    Friday, October 03, 2008

    HTC Cruise gets WM6.1 upgrade

    Owners of the HTC Touch Cruise can now download a free upgrade from http://www.htc.com/www/supportdownloadlist.aspx?p_id=59&cat=all.
    Applying the upgrade will delete data and software that was installed by the user. Therefore, I advised a backup before applying the upgrade.

    Thursday, October 02, 2008

    Steve Ballmer about Google's Android

    In an interview with BBC, the Microsoft Chief Executive said about Android: "You've got to remember Android is version one...and it looks like version one". Steve Ballmer went on to say that Google has "one handset maker, we've got 55. They're available through one operator, we've got 175." Crushing numbers :)

    He also admits that there had been problems with Vista. Read more at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7647399.stm

    Friday, September 26, 2008

    Celio Redfly on sales for $199

    This is indeed the new price for the Redfly, which as you  know is an extension to your Windows Mobile device in that it lets you use it as laptop. Simply connect your device to Redfly via USB or Bluetooth, and use it for your presentations for example. The special offer ends on October 31. Go to http://www.celiocorp.com/ to learn more and eventually purchase one.

    Wednesday, September 24, 2008

    Spb Online: The Spb Approach to Online Services

    Spb Online is a set of attractive online services that share a practical user interface and make superior quality mobile entertainment available on handsets at a single fixed-price fee (no subscription). The services offered include Mobile TV, Online Radio, News, Weather, Online Games, and On-device Catalog - all subject to automatic updates and powered by Spb's exclusive interface engine and patent-pending TV technology.

    Spb Online is robust and easy to use even for novice smartphone users.  All of Spb Online services support adaptive skins, smart scrolling, 3D transition effects, and one hand navigation.

    Features:

    *** TV ***

    Unlike any other solution on the market, Spb's mobile TV facilitates channel hopping, offers on-screen controls, intelligent video/audio stream tuning to account for broadband fluctuations, doing it all to deliver a genuine TV watching experience - on the go:

    - Fast channel switching

    - Picture-in-picture

    - On-screen controls

    - Integrated TV guide

    - Export of TV guide reminders to Outlook

     

    *** Radio ***

    Spb's radio offers a wealthy selection of the world's streaming radio stations, allowing users to tune into a news or music source of their choice in virtually any language or location of the planet:

    - Huge catalog of the world's real-time streaming radio stations

    - Stations sorted by popularity

    - Option to add custom URLs to catalog

    - On-screen volume control

     

    *** Online Games ***

     

    Spb's online games let real people play each other in real-time. All games take only a click to start and require no setting up or much of getting used to:

    - Play with real people

    - Configurable user profile with picture

    - Play Checkers, Hexagon, and Reversi

     

    *** Weather ***

    For any city from a database of 10'000, Spb's weather service attractively displays FORECA's five-day forecasts (provider used by msn.com) in one screen. The service allows scrolling between the screens of up to 10 selected cities with a finger swipe:

    - 5-day weather forecast in one screen

    - Detailed weather screen with morning/day/evening information for selected day

    - Option to select units and updates frequency

    *** On-Device Catalog ***

    Spb's on-device catalog makes it easy to discover and buy additional content directly from the mobile phone. Selected titles are downloaded, installed, and activated automatically:

    - The on-device catalog offers programs, games, themes, ringtones

    - All titles are 100% compatible with your device

    - Secure credit card payments

    - 'My Account' safely stores all your purchases


    *** Pricing and Availability ***

    Spb Online is compatible with Windows Mobile 5 and later Professional and Standard devices. qVGA, VGA, Square QVGA, and WVGA screen resolutions are supported. To enjoy the TV service a fast connection is needed. All other services are accessible with lower bandwidth; TV however, requires a reliable 3G, WiMax or WiFi network. For checking your connection and services compatibility, a free, 15-day trial version is available. Full Spb Online may be purchased for 29.95 USD at www.spbsoftwarehouse.com

    Windows Mobile 7 release delayed

    While Microsoft never announced an official date for the release of the next major upgrade to Windows Mobile, it seems that we will not, or atleast, partners will not get it in the hands until the second half of next year, according to CNet. What that means for us, customers. Well, simply we won't see Windows Mobile 7 on our devices before 2010 or maybe new devices will appear at the end of 2009.

    Read the article by Ina Fried on Cnet.

    Tuesday, September 23, 2008

    Move the Start bar to the bottom of your screen...

    Shayder over at XDA forums has developed a little application that lets you move the Start bar to the bottom of your screen and the softkey bar to the top. Kind of funny. So, why would one want to do that? Well, just for the fun :)

    Thursday, September 18, 2008

    Tips: Cannot open Messaging.

    You wake up early in the morning, switch on your device and connect to your home wireless network. As usual, you open the Messaging application to manually download your emails. However, there is no response from the device when you press the email button. It doesn't work in Start > Programs either. How to fix this?
     
    Simple. Open File Explorer and locate the following file: Inbox.mst123456789 (Check the storage card). Delete the folder and reboot your device. That's it. You should now be able to access Messaging again to send and receive your emails/SMSs.

    Pre-order the HTC Touch HD

    Expansys is taking pre-orders for the HTC Touch HD. So, if you want to be among the first to purchase the device, go to Expansys and add it to your basket. No price has been announced yet.
     

    Wednesday, September 17, 2008

    HTC announces 3 new devices.

    Yesterday I spotted the Touch HD on HTC's website. Today HTC has officially announced two more devices along with the Touch HD which will be released in October: The Touch 3G and the Viva. Both devices are slightly similar, except that the second named lacks 3g connectivity and is intended to be sold at an affordable price.
     
    "The HTC Touch 3G and Touch VivaTM embody our commitment to build a family of touch phones that are powerful and stylish but also offer something to everyone," said Peter Chou, president and CEO, HTC Corporation. "Whether you're a professional or a student you can now get an HTC touch phone with a beautiful touch user experience."
     
    Check out the press release here.
     
    Details about the Touch 3g can be found here.
     
    For Viva, click here.

    PowerSMS released

    I blogged about PowerSMS last week while it was still in its beta version. It is out of beta now and cost $9.95. Which is not bad a price. A 14 days trial is available. So if you're a SMS power user, PowerSMS should be a must have because of its ability to send SMS to groups, backup/restore and analyze your SMS usage and more.
     
    http://www.trinketsoftware.com/powersms/
     

    Tuesday, September 16, 2008

    Tips: Enable/Disable Recent Programs on WM6.1 Standard.

    Microsoft added a new feature in Windows Mobile 6.1 called Recent Programs. It's a kind of Most Recently Used programs list that is useful if using the Sliding panel homescreen. The latter does not display the MRU list at the top of the screen, the way the default Windows theme does. Whichever theme you are using, the Recent Programs feature is enabled by default. 
    So, what is it really? When you click Start on a non-touchscreen device, it displays the programs that you have recently  used. The left softkey changes to All Programs. Clicking that displays the list of installed software.
    Since I use the sliding homescreen on my device, I find the Recent Programs feature to be very useful. But if you want to disable it, just go to Start > Settings > Home Screen and uncheck "Show Recent Programs".

    HTC Touch HD appears on HTC's website

    It seems that the Touch HD (High Definition) will be released soon. It has already made it to HTC's website with the usual overview of the device as well as specs and pictures. While It's great to see HTC releasing a device with a 3.8-inch wide, WVGA (480 X 800 pixel) screen, I do hope that they'll come up with a device with a keyboard on the face. Since the HTC S620 and S630, HTC seems not interested to pursue the front face keyboard adventure despite the success of the S620/Dash. 
    Click here for more info about the Touch HD.



    Highlights of the Touch HD

    3.8-inch wide, WVGA (480 X 800 pixel) display offering a cinema experience on the go
    Vibrant TouchFLOTM 3D user interface, responding perfectly to your finger gestures when scrolling through contacts, browsing the web, and launching media
     Surf and download at broadband speed with HSDPA internet connectivity
    Google Maps enhanced by the wide screen viewing platform
    5 megapixel camera for quality stills and video
    3.5 mm audio jack makes the Touch HDTM compatible with the majority of audio equipment available

    Monday, September 15, 2008

    Tips: How to rename a Windows mobile 6.1 Standard device?

    Prior to the release of Windows Mobile 6.1, it was not easily possible to rename a non-touchscreen device. That required modifying the registry. Of course, this is not a recommended approach. 
    With Windows Mobile 6.1, this is now possible. Simply click on Start > Settings. Click 3 times on More and the "Device name" option will appear. Reboot the device after the change is done.

    Thursday, September 11, 2008

    Check out the HTC Touch HD


    The Windows Mobile community is abuzz again and, unsurprisingly, HTC is the cause of it all with the photos of a new device with impressive specs. The large screen is awesome.
     
    The folks over at Modaco have pictures of the beast.
     
    Features:
     
  • Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional
  • Qualcomm 7201A processor @ 528MHz
  • 512MB ROM / 256MB RAM (+32MB on processor)
  • WVGA!!!
  • 115mm x 62.8mm x 12mm
  • 'In stores for Santa'
  • GPS / HSDPA etc. etc.
  • 5 Megapixel camera (no flash)
  • No Dpad or scroll wheel, does have a stylus wink.gif
  • microSD slot
  • 1350mAH battery
  • 3.5mm headset jack on the top!

    More at Modaco.
  • Wednesday, September 10, 2008

    Palm Treo Pro Available for Pre-Order

    Palm's latest smartphone, the Treo Pro, is now available to pre-order with an estimated ship date listed of 2-3 weeks. It goes for $549 USD from Palm and you get a free international power adapter as well.

    http://store.palm.com//product/index.jsp?productId=3252772&cp=2584212&parentPage=family

    Tuesday, September 09, 2008

    Try PowerSMS Beta

    Spotted PowerSMS on Jason Langridge blog. PowerSMS is one of those must-have applications. Three features that I like most are Group Message; Auto Reply and Backup-Restore. I strongly recommend this all-in-one software.

    Features

    • Note to Self: Need to capture a thought or send yourself a reminder? With PowerSMS, there's no fumbling around to type your own phone number or search for a contact.
    • Group Message: Texting the same set of people over and over again? PowerSMS lets you create groups of contacts, and drastically reduces the number of clicks required to text them (see screenshot).
    • Auto Reply: Ever ignore a phone call while you're in a meeting or movie theater? Let PowerSMS respond to those calls automatically with a text message, thus politely letting them know when you'll call back (see screenshot).
    • Schedule SMS: Schedule greetings or reminders in advance. PowerSMS will automatically send the message even if you forget. Especially appreciated by loved ones (see screenshot).
    • Cool Stats: Let PowerSMS analyze your messages and tell you interesting things like when and with whom you text the most over a given period. Just for fun or to verify your bill (see screenshot).
    • Backup & Restore: Switching phones? Just need to get rid of old messages? PowerSMS will help you archive, transfer or export messages to your computer or to another phone (see screenshot).
    Learn more here. Download .Cab file here.

    Monday, September 08, 2008

    SMSSync updated

    Brian P. Hamachek, developer and Editor of www.BrianHama.com has just released an update for Windows Mobile SMSSync. The latter "allows users of Windows Mobile Devices (Smartphones and Pocket PCs) to backup their SMS (Text Messages). ActiveSync does not have any native support for this feature".
     
    Features:
     
  • Streamlined installation application.
  • Full User guide.
  • Ability to save to CSV file.
  • Windows Desktop application for viewing and searching messages.
  • Wizard for uploading messages to a SQL server database.  
  •  

    SMSSync is available as a free download from http://brianhama.com/Software/SMSSync.aspx






    Connect to the next generation of MSN Messenger  Get it now!

    Wednesday, September 03, 2008

    Google releases new browser, Chrome

    Chrome beta is available as a free download from http://www.google.com/chrome. I've just downloaded it and it works well. It's fast and utterly simple. The interface is not cluttered with a lot of cryptic menus and options. It does seems fast, faster than IE7. 
     
    According to a document released by Google, "Under the hood, we were able to build the foundation of a browser that runs today's complex web applications much better. By keeping each tab in an isolated "sandbox", we were able to prevent one tab from crashing another and provide improved protection from rogue sites. We improved speed and responsiveness across the board. We also built a more powerful JavaScript engine, V8, to power the next generation of web applications that aren't even possible in today's browsers."
     
    I've also been playing with IE8 beta 2 and the latter has a lot of improvement over IE7 as far as speed is concerned. The two browsers-in-beta are both impressive and bodes well for the future. Internet Explorer 8 Beta 2 can be downloaded from http://www.microsoft.com/windows/internet-explorer/beta/worldwide-sites.aspx?icid=ie8_asdf123.
     

    Windows Mobile 6.1 for the Blackjack released.

    The long awaited upgrade to Windows Mobile 6.1 is finally here. Click here to learn more.
     

    Samsung has released a software upgrade for the SGH-i617 (BlackJack II) which is recommended to be installed. This update includes an upgrade to Windows Mobile 6.1 and numerous software enhancements. The update may take between 10-15 minutes to complete if the system is already set up.
     
    This upgrade contains several enhancements and features. Highlights are listed below.

    • Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.1w/AKU1.0.1
    • Windows Mobile 6.1 includes new features such as:
      • New Look & Feel:  Using Windows Mobile 6.1, an easy-to-use Sliding Panel homescreen allows you quick access to your Samsung i617 primary functions by simply sliding vertically and horizontally through the homescreen panels.
      • System Center Mobile Device Manager (SCMDM):  When enabled by your business IT department, SCMDM provides device management enhancements and secure data access to your corporate network.
      • Improved GPS Navigation: With AT&T Navigator and assisted-GPS (aGPS), the Samsung i617 leverages both satellite and cellular technology to get you there on time.
      • Threaded SMS Messaging:  Rather than seeing a stand-alone response when you open an SMS message, you'll view the details of your entire conversation. Now you can easily see how the conversation has progressed.
      • Internet Connection Sharing:  Utilize your smartphone capabilities by using your phone as a high-speed wireless modem for your laptop. It's easy to set up and even easier to connect. Just click and go!
      • Mobile Banking:  Perform secure banking transactions with many of the nation's largest banks right from your Samsung i617.
      • Voice Command:  Voice Command transforms your Samsung i617 into your own virtual personal assistant, letting you use your voice to look up contacts, make phone calls, get calendar information, and play and control your music, as well as start programs.

    Tuesday, September 02, 2008

    Tips: Change IE Mobile default home page on WM6.1 Standard

    Changing the homepage on non-touch screen devices prior to the release of Windows Mobile 6.1 was a pain. In fact it required a registry modification that, if not handled properly, might damage the device. Fortunately, Microsoft has been listening to customers and has made this very easy and risk-free to do.

    Devices running Windows Mobile 6.1 have the option to change the default homepage in Internet Explorer Mobile. Open IE on the device, click Menu > Tools > Options. Select Homepage. In the dropdown list, you have the following choices: Use Default; Use Custom; Use Current.

    If you select "Use Custom", you will be able to type in the website of your choice. You can do the same without having to manually enter the URL. In IE, navigate to the page you want to set as default. It is probably in your Favorites list. After the page opens, click Menu > Tools > Options > Homepage. Click "Use Current". VoilĂ !

    Thursday, August 28, 2008

    USB 3.0 offers transfer rate of 4.8Gbps

    I spotted this article about the introduction of USB 3.0 on Gadget Reviews. Besides the speed, version 3.0 allows for bi-directional transfer and is backward compatible.

    Read more on Gadget Reviews.

    Adobe Photoshop.com mobile coming in September

    Adobe has announced that they will offer a new online free service where you'll be able to upload your photos and share with friends and the world. For those of you who, like me, believed that Adobe has developed a mobile version of Photoshop for editing photos, well this is not it. Adobe Photoshop.com mobile beta will be available as a free download in September.
    A list of supported devices is posted on Adobe's website and most of them are non-touch screen devices, with only the Treo 750w representing the touch screen devices. But there is a note on the page that reads: "Treo's Touch feature not supported". Non-touch screens rule.

    Read more...

    Dataviz releases Documents to Go for Pocket PC

    If you are not happy with the Microsoft Office Mobile need a more powerful software that does not rip your formatting, make sure you download and try Documents to Go from Dataviz. Initially, Dataviz had Documents to Go for non-touch screen devices only. I'm glad to see that they ported their robust software to touch screens as well. One the features that motivate the purchase of Documents to Go is the ability to password protect files.

    Features:
  • Create, view and edit native Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint files
  • The first and only commercially available mobile office suite to fully support (view, edit & create) Microsoft Office 2007/2008 files and attachments
    • View, edit and create Word 2007/2008 files
    • View, edit and create Excel 2007/2008 files
    • View, edit and create PowerPoint 2007/2008 files
  • View native Adobe PDF files
    • Supports embedded graphics and fonts for desktop-like viewing
    • Supports password-protected PDFs
    • Supports 40-bit and 128-bit encrypted PDFs
  • Decompress Zip Archives
  • "Zip and Send" allows you to compress and email an opened file instantaneously
  • Create, view and edit Excel charts
  • Access password-protected Word & Excel files (97-2004 formats only)
  • Supports rich formatting such as bold, italics, underline, tables, embedded graphics, footnotes, endnotes and much more...

  • Click here to learn more and download a trial copy.

    Wednesday, August 27, 2008

    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

    Tuesday, August 26, 2008

    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.

    Saturday, August 23, 2008

    Handango Sale

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

    Thursday, August 21, 2008

    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.

    Tuesday, August 19, 2008

    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!