Smartphone Thoughts - Daily News, Views, Rants and Raves

Wednesday, July 25, 2007

Celebrity�s Devices Guessing Game (III)

Posted by Jerry Raia in "OFF-TOPIC" @ 05:00 AM

http://www.geardiary.com/2007/07/18/celebritys-devices-guessing-game-iii/

"We had a lot of fun with the last two celebrity�s device guessing games, so it�s time to do it again! This go round, the winner will be chosen from the entries that have at least ten of the correct celebrity�s devices named, and he or she will pick up the Tom Bihn Zephyr bag I recently reviewed, Jenneth, Matt from The Mobile Gadgeteer, Mike from Smartphone Thoughts, and I will judge the results."



Our own Mike Temporale is in on the judging here. If you want to have some fun discerning what devices the most popular among us are using, yes even the ones who get jail time, then this is for you. There is a prize for the winner, of course. Head on over to GearDiary for details.

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Wednesday, July 18, 2007

How To Secure Windows Mobile Devices on Your Network

Posted by Mike Temporale in "ARTICLE" @ 08:00 AM

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• Source: WMExperts

Monday, June 11, 2007

eSoft Releases Earth Day for Windows Mobile Devices

Posted by Mike Temporale in "SOFTWARE" @ 07:30 PM

http://www.esoftinteractive.com/ppc-ed.html

"Earth Day is eSoft Interactive's take on your regular shoot-em'up game genre. Earth Day is an action-packed arcade game that pits the player in an engaging experience of defending our mother Earth from fleets of alien spaceships attempting to invade our planet."



Think you're up to the challenge? Think you can save Mother Earth from alien invasion? Well, now you can find out with eSoft's latest game for Windows Mobile called Earth Day. You can download a demo from the eSoft website and start saving the world today!

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Tuesday, June 5, 2007

ActivePrint Printing Solution for Windows Mobile Devices

Posted by Pete Paxton in "NEWS" @ 10:00 AM

http://pocketwatchsoftware.com/ActivePrintBlog/

"ActivePrint is the award winning mobile printing solution for the Windows Mobile operating system. With ActivePrint, Windows Mobile users are given the invaluable capability of printing from their mobile devices to any Windows 2000/XP/2003/Vista compatible printer without the necessity of wireless hardware. By using software on your desktop or notebook PC, ActivePrint gives you the capability to print as many as 80 different document types, as opposed to most other mobile printing solutions which only support a handful of document types. All that is needed is a Windows Mobile device, a desktop/notebook, a printer, and a document to print."



Now I've only been using the trial of ActivePrint for about a day but I must say I am impressed so far. I am able to print a variety of documents from my Dash from anywhere in my house wirelessly using my WiFi connection. There is software to install on your desktop or laptop pc and a small ActivePrint client to install on your Windows Mobile 5 or 6 device. The program is easy to use and basically sets itself up so there's not much configuring. It supports 80 different document types so chances are you can print what you need to. There is a 7 day trial for a fully functional version and pricing ranges from $19.99 - $39.99 depending on your printing needs. If you've been looking for a way to print from your Windows Mobile device, ActivePrint may be it.

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Monday, June 4, 2007

HotSpot Providers Need to Better Understand the Mobile Devices World

Posted by Jerry Raia in "ARTICLE" @ 04:00 PM

http://www.theunwired.net/?itemid=3886

"Another day, another city and another coffee shop which offers a public HotSpot. So far so good I thought and fired up my Smartphone since I wanted to do some E-Mails, etc. Doesn't matter if it is a free HotSpot or one which costs, most HotSpots requires a login on a web frontend which is generally fine for me even if completely useless if it is a free HotSpot (like the one bellow). Anyway - it's okay and not bothering too much except if you get what I just got when I've tried to use the HotSpot in the cofffee shop I'm currently relaxing:"



Arne Hess had an interesting experience while trying to use a local hot spot. Read the article to understand what it was. Has anyone else ever experienced this? Personally I not longer have any use for hot spots. I have been sticking to unlimited data plans from the carriers I use.

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Thursday, May 24, 2007

SoftBank Announces New Windows Mobile 6 Devices

Posted by Mike Temporale in "NEWS" @ 11:00 AM

http://www.akihabaranews.com/en/news-13915-Windows+Mobile+on+new+SoftBank+PDA+phones.html

"Windows Mobile 6 is finding a new home in some of the new PDA Phones sold by SoftBank, for example the X02HT (Smartphone) coming with a 2.4 inches screen, 2MPix, Wifi b/g, Bluetooth, GSM, W-CDMA and 120g in your pocket but also the X01T made by Toshiba featuring: HSDPA, W-CDMA, GSM, Bluetooth, 3 inches VGA screen, Wifi B/G, 2Mpix and 198g."



The specs on these devices are pretty nice, but it's the colors that have me orange with envy. I want to see more colorful devices like this. Sure, i-mate has the SPL line, but the different colors have yet to make it over this side of the ocean. Even if they do, it's only a TriBand phone. I don't expect the SoftBank devices to be any different when it comes to availability in North America. :( I think it's time to buy a can of spray paint and a replacement shell for my BlackJack. Then it could be called a RedJack or GreenJack. 8)

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Windows Mobile Devices Growing 64 Percent in the First Quarter of 2007

Posted by Pete Paxton in "ARTICLE" @ 08:00 AM

http://www.theunwired.net/?itemid=3865

"Shipments of Windows Mobile PDAs grew 64 percent in the first quarter of 2007, and this strong growth helped propel worldwide PDA shipments to 5.1 million units, a 39.7 percent increase from the first quarter of 2006, according to recently released report by Gartner, Inc.
Research In Motion continued to lead the PDA market, but its product mix has shifted toward smartphones, with the BlackBerry Pearl representing about 55 percent of RIM's total shipments in the first quarter of 2007. As such, RIM's PDA shipments were essentially flat."



I've had a Blackberry and a Nokia smartphone and I've sold them both. I'm a Windows Mobile fan all the way so it's no surprise to me that there has been such a significant sales jump in the first quarter of 2007. According to the article at the Unwired, Windows Mobile devices have sold 1.2 million more units than this same time last year. I'm sure the Q, Dash, Blackjack, and the Vox have helped considerably. :D

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Sunday, April 22, 2007

Sharp To Release High Contrast LCD For Mobile Devices

Posted by Rocco Augusto in "HARDWARE" @ 08:09 PM

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• Source: Engadget Mobile

Tuesday, April 10, 2007

Symantec To Provide PC-Level Security and Data Protection for Windows Mobile Devices

Posted by Pete Paxton in "ARTICLE" @ 07:00 AM

http://www.symantec.com/about/news/release/article.jsp?prid=20070326_01

"Symantec Corp. today announced it will offer Symantec Mobile Security Suite 5.0, a solution designed to provide customers with the same security and data protection capabilities on their Windows Mobile smartphones and PDAs as what has become standard for laptops and other computing devices. Symantec Mobile Security Suite 5.0 will include antivirus, firewall, anti-SMS spam, and data encryption technologies that are easy to deploy, manage and maintain. This kind of layered security can not only mitigate the unique security risks of mobile devices, but can also enable companies to more easily and cost-effectively comply with internal security policies and external regulations."



Well this is quite a security suite from Symantec. The question is: do we need it for our mobile devices? I personally don't use Symantec products. Their PC products seem a bit bloated to me and I haven't heard good things about their Mac products. The suite is scheduled to be released in May. So what do you think? Is this type of security suite necessary for Windows Mobile devices?

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Friday, April 6, 2007

Wireless Devices Blur Work/Home Balance

Posted by Pete Paxton in "ARTICLE" @ 11:00 AM

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Thursday, March 22, 2007

Cellular Concepts to Distribute i-mate Devices in North America

Posted by Kris Kumar in "NEWS" @ 04:45 AM

http://www.mobileburn.com/pressrelease.jsp?Id=3218

"We are pleased to announce that Cellular Concepts has become a distributor of i-mate devices, a leading provider of Windows Mobile based devices and solutions. i-mate devices will be available in North America through its www.cellularconcepts.com site, its retail stores as well as through Cellular Concepts Wholesale and B2B distribution channels."



Folks interested in buying i-mate devices should check out this new vendor, Cellular Concepts. I wonder if this will help reduce the price of SIM unlocked handsets in the market. At least we have more choices, and are no longer restricted to eXpansys/MobilePlanet. I would like to ask our readers, where do you go to buy SIM unlocked devices?

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Tuesday, March 20, 2007

Orneta Updates FTP Client for Windows Mobile Devices

Posted by Mike Temporale in "SOFTWARE" @ 07:45 AM

http://software.smartphonethoughts.com/product.asp?id=5722

"Ftp Explorer Mobile, by Orneta is a simple and easy to use Ftp Client for Windows Mobile based devices. The simple and elegant design, is very powerful and feature rich; Ftp Explorer Mobile is so powerful, you can transfer web sites, videos, music, applications, or even documents to your home or office, in the background while you spend your time more productively. Fast, efficient and reliable transfers are handled by the device, providing a high performance yet easy-to-use mobile Ftp Experience. Transfers are simple, and fast even for novice users."



I'm not sure how many people need to FTP from their phones, but in case you do, Orneta has a solution for you. Orneta FTP is available for $14.95 from our affiliate store. There's even a trial version available so you can ensure that it works as you expected before you buy a copy.

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Thursday, March 1, 2007

Create PDF Files on Windows Mobile 5 Devices

Posted by Jerry Raia in "SOFTWARE" @ 11:00 AM

http://raineffect.com/RainEffect/default.htm

"Now you can create full fidelity PDFs directly from your Smartphone. Share photos, record business meetings or presentations, attach files, and encrypt it all for greater security."



Creating .pdf files on a Smartphone seems to me to be about as enjoyable as a root canal. However if you have been dying to do this, there is now a way. The downside is you need to install the .NET Compact Framework 2.0. They have a free trial or you can pick it up for $19.95 USD. I have not tried it myself so I don't know how functional the trial version is. The purchasing page states: "Your email address will only be used to send you an invoice and instructions for product registration." I read that to mean you may have to wait for the registration code.

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• Source: Mobility Site

Wednesday, February 28, 2007

Vista's Sidebar Gadgets Coming to Windows Mobile Devices?

Posted by Mike Temporale in "SOFTWARE" @ 09:45 AM

http://on10.net/Blogs/laura/vista-gadgets-running-on-windows-mobile/

"Windows Vista has so many great features and I know a favorite at the top of everybody's list are the gadgets. "But Laura..." you say..."I love my gadgets so MUCH that I wish I could take them with me everywhere!" Well, stop you're whining I say and check out this application that Mel Sampat is creating."



Mel Sampat talks with Laura from on10.net about a small project that he's been working on - getting Vista Gadgets to run on Windows Mobile devices. It would be really cool if a single gadget could be run on the desktop or a mobile device without any modification. There's a great potential for future coolness if this finds it's way to public release. :)

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• Source: Pocket PC Thoughts

Thursday, February 15, 2007

BlackBerry Connect to be Offered on Five New HTC Windows Mobile-based Devices

Posted by Kris Kumar in "NEWS" @ 09:30 AM

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• Source: Gizmodo

Wednesday, February 14, 2007

Why Windows Mobile 6 Standard Devices Still Need Documents to Go

Posted by Jerry Raia in "ARTICLE" @ 07:30 PM

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Wednesday, February 7, 2007

Didiom: Music for Mobile Devices

Posted by Rocco Augusto in "SOFTWARE" @ 01:00 PM

http://www.didiom.com/

"Introducing Didiom - a free and fun way to search, sample, buy and download music - wherever, whenever, at truly competitive prices. What's more, you can also place bids for the music you want and share individual song picks with friends and family - right from your wireless. Because our participating music stores already have vast music libraries, there was no need to build our own. And because there's a growing number of capable wireless devices and high-speed wireless networks out there, we didn't have to build any of those either. This represents a significant savings we pass on to our users. You only pay for the songs you download. Rather than maintaining our own giant music library, Didiom takes the music request you send to us from your wireless, searches participating online music stores, tells you what we find, and quickly delivers the music files over the air once you've purchased them. And because Didiom is currently designed to work on Windows Mobile wireless devices that utilize high-speed networks such as 3G and Wi-Fi, you use your wireless and your internet access at your convenience. Once you've downloaded Didiom's sleek application for your Windows Mobile wireless, you're ready to explore the world's bustling mobile music marketplace through a handful of intuitive icons. And when you're ready to download music, you can set up a free Didiom account - if you haven't already. There are never any memebership or service fees, and you only pay for the music you download. That's Didiom for you."



I really like the idea of being able to bid on music, because let's face it, not every track is worth $0.99USD. So far, I like the service though I have only played around with it for a few moments. Hopefully more record labels hop on board to offer their music libraries through Didiom's service as the current selection is a little lackluster.

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• Source: Pocket PC Thoughts

Thursday, January 25, 2007

HTC to Launch 12 New Mobile Devices in 2007

Posted by Kris Kumar in "NEWS" @ 08:30 AM

http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20070122PD206.html

"High Tech Computer (HTC) plans to introduce 12 new handsets in 2007 to help expand its business, according to company sources. But the company also expects its revenues for the first quarter of this year to decline slightly from the fourth quarter of last year due to seasonal factors, said the sources. Additionally, the company will continue to stick to its current policy by cooperating simultaneously with telecom services providers, ODMs and the channel in order to sustain its growth, stated company CEO Peter Chou late last week. HTC will also continue to expand the list of its global clients by strengthening its presence in emerging markets, including Latin America, the Middle East and India, Chou added."



The news article does not provide much details but 12 devices is a lot. Wish they had at least mentioned how many are going to be Windows Mobile Smartphones. :wink: This year we will see devices with Crossbow, the update to Windows Mobile 5.0; which means that out of the 12 devices slated for this year a big chunk will get released probably in the third or fourth quarter. Based on the info we have at this time, I am interested in the HTC and I know that the HTC Cavalier is the other favourite. What do you have your eyes on at this time?

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• Source: Pocket PC Thoughts

Tuesday, January 9, 2007

NewsGator Adds Support for Motorola Good Enabled Devices

Posted by Mike Temporale in "SOFTWARE" @ 04:30 AM

http://www.newsgator.com/news/archive.aspx?post=115

"Motorola, Inc. announced today that it has signed an agreement with NewsGator Technologies, Inc., the leading RSS platform company, to mobilize RSS content for enterprises. Under the terms of the agreement, Motorola will extend NewsGator-aggregated RSS content from behind the firewall to mobile users on a broad range of devices, including the Motorola Q, Samsung BlackJack�, the Palm� Treo� family and many other standards-based smartphones. This announcement follows Motorola's recently completed acquisition of Good Technologies. Motorola's Good Technology Group, which was formed upon the closing of the transaction, will work closely with NewsGator to implement the agreement and make NewsGator's technology available through its secure, managed service."



So the long and short of this is that NewsGator Mobile will support Good Technology. So you'll be able to access RSS feeds on your mobile device even if you are blocked by operators firewall. It's a pretty smart idea, and I hope that NewsGator doesn't stop with Good. I would like to see more services offered over Microsofts Exchange ActiveSync too. NewsGator has a great vision, and they sure seem to be working hard at making sure you can get your RSS everywhere. :)

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Friday, December 29, 2006

Pocket PC Techs Becomes North American Service Center for i-mate Devices

Posted by Mike Temporale in "NEWS" @ 04:45 PM

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