Smartphone Thoughts - Daily News, Views, Rants and Raves

"Wait no more! The latest bits for Windows Live Client for your Windows Mobile are available for download. To get yours now, point your mobile browser to http://wl.windowsmobile.com If you have Windows Live already installed on your device, you will need to uninstall it first. To do that, go to Settings->Remove Programs, select Windows Live entry from the list (if any) and click Remove. If you don’t find Windows Live on the list, then you are good to go."

There's a new version of Windows Live for Windows Mobile available, but don't expect to see anything other than bug fixes. Like the previous Windows Live release, Messenger isn't included; so, if your device already includes Windows Live with Messenger, get ready to wave goodbye to Messenger if you install this version over the top. If that's not something you want to do, you'll need to wait for your carrier/manufacturer to update Windows Live in an upcoming ROM update, which, of course, could take weeks/months/years to deliver. Uh-huh, that's a topic we just can't rant enough about.

"Did you know that there is an Encarta encyclopedia bot that you can talk to on Windows Live Messenger? That’s just one of the tips I wrote about in this new article on Microsoft.com’s Windows Mobile website area."



Todd Ogasawara has posted some fantastic tips and tricks on the Windows Mobile site. I had no idea that you could chat with an encyclopedia bot on Windows Live Messenger. Usually for some basic information like currency conversions, weather data, and even transit times - I use Google based web services. To read about other handy applications that can be used to keep yourself connected to the digital world, head on over to read Todd's article!

"Windows Live Messenger includes one feature I don't get - even after the product manager tried to explain it during the last MVP Summit back in March - and this feature is "contacts sync". Let me explain you what contacts sync does, if you haven't used Windows Live Messenger Mobile yet: Contacts sync synchronizes your Windows Live Messenger buddy list from the Windows Live server to your Windows Mobile device and in worst case it doubles some of your contacts. Let's say you have a contact called Joe User which uses joeuser as his Windows Live Messenger's user name. Then, after the synchronization, you have two contacts in your contacts list - Joe User with all the Outlook details and joeuser with the Windows Live IM E-Mail"

Arne Hess over at The::Unwired sheds some light on a significant risk you face when using Windows Live Messenger Mobile. While the problem isn't described in the quote above, I'm sure it's not hard to guess that it's related to your messenger contacts. Unfortunately, WLMM has this annoying habit of deleting your messenger contacts. You'll have to read Arne's article to find out exactly how he lost all of his contacts twice! I've all but stopped using WLMM because every time I logged in it would tell me I had no contacts online, which I know was incorrect. Maybe that's for the best as I've not suffered the loss of any contacts. I just can't chat with them. ;) Has anyone else had problems with Windows Live Messenger Mobile?

"Some may say the device is nothing special, it isn't bleeding edge technology having a 1.3 MP camera, and a 200mhz CPU, however I believe HP have done this deliberately in order to get a good battery life and a low weight. The quoted specs say the battery is a 1100 mAh Lithium-Ion (user changeable), with a talk time of up to 6.5 hours and a standby time of up to 6.7 days (160 hours). In my experience the battery life is excellent, the first day I received the unit I charged it and turned it on Wednesday at 2:30pm, I got a low battery warning Sunday night. The call log showed a total of 2hr 2mins of calls, I had done a fair bit GPRS Data sync with push email, and also used WiFi for a short time."



We've seen the first look comments and initial impressions of this device. Now it's time for the full on review. It looks like PocketPCSoft.net likes the overall experience of the phone. I still think it's a mistake to under spec the device as much as HP did. It would be nice if there was a little more under the hood, even if it meant a day or so less of battery life. The PocketPCSoft review looks at the voice commander software that comes included on the phone and how well it performs. It's worth a read - even if you don't plan on getting the device. With any luck, there might be a updated version around the corner.

"Hewlett Packard has a very longstanding relationship with Microsoft where its Windows Mobile software is concerned. The company was in at the start when Windows Mobile was first announced back in 2002. When Hewlett Packard and arch-rival Compaq merged, HP took on Compaq's iPAQ name, abandoning its own Jornada naming. As time went on HP integrated SIM support into its devices, but the company always stuck with the Pocket PC format with its large touch sensitive screen. At last Hewlett Packard has decided it is time to launch a smartphone and the result is the Hewlett Packard iPAQ 514 Voice Messenger. I was just about the first journalist in the UK to get my hands on one of these to test and as I write this review I've had it for less than a week. There are still one or two tweaks to be done to the ROM before this smartphone goes on sale; it isn't even up at Hewlett Packard's website yet and no operators have announced that they are taking it on. However, that doesn't mean to say operators won't announce it, and Hewlett Packard tells me that it will be available SIM free in May for less than �200."



Usually I like the reviews posted on TrustedReviews, but this time I feel like the review doesn't do justice to the HP's smartphone. The unique selling proposition of this device is the VoIP calling and its ability to integrate with the office IP exchange system. It almost seems like HP designed a unit based on feedback from the enterprise market where players like Cisco are offering VoIP handsets, but the combination of Windows Mobile and VoIP is what makes this device unique. While it is not easy to test the office IP exchange functionality, I would have expected that the reviewer had at least talked a bit more about this functionality. Instead the review focuses more on the standard software functionality that you can expect from any Windows Mobile Standard device. Anyway, sounds like HP is getting ready to launch its first Windows Mobile Standard device. I am sure it will have its share of success because of HP's access to the enterprise market.

"While at CTIA 2007 I had a chance to get some hands-on time with the HP iPAQ 500 Series Voice Messenger (whew, quite the mouthful!). This is a Windows Mobile Standard smartphone with some decent specs: quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE, WiFi 802.11b/g, Bluetooth 1.2, a Texas Instruments OMAP 850 200mhz processor, a two inch colour display running at 176 x 220, 64 MB of RAM, 128 MB of Flash ROM, a microSD slot, and an 1100 mAH battery that provides up to 6.5 hours of talk time and 188 hours of standby time. It weighs in at 3.6 ounces (102 grams) and is 16.3 mm thick. This is an enterprise-focused device, so it's not meant to be sleek and sexy like many of the new Windows Mobile devices - although I have to ask myself, can't an enterprise user take advantage of a T-Mobile Dash or Samsung Blackjack just as well as this device? I'm not the only one asking that question. The battery life is impressive, and the device felt sturdy - but the lack of a QWERTY keyboard may turn off some users. It will be interesting to see how this device does in the market when it's released this spring (meaning, soon)."



I do not think anyone will ever know why HP is releasing such a bare-bones device onto the market. My only guess was they picked up a prototype they had in storage, threw Windows Mobile 6 Standard on it and called it good. Hopefully though, that isn't what they did as I would like to believe they put at least a little bit of thought into the whole design process. I guess we will just have to wait and see! :)

"HP's latest iPAQ doesn't look like an iPAQ at all. It's a compact candy bar phone without a keyboard, and that features Wi-Fi and runs Windows Mobile 6. The 510's biggest innovation, however, is its Voice Commander technology, which enables the phone to read your e-mail aloud, open applications via voice, and respond to e-mail with voice notes. These features would be especially convenient for commuters who drive to work--if HP's execution were slightly better. At only 2.8 inches wide, the iPAQ 510 (See Photo Gallery) forgoes the QWERTY keyboard in favor of a standard number pad. The dark-gray body with black trim looks executive-chic, but this handset weighs a hefty 5.8 ounces and measures 0.7 inches thick, compared with the much sleeker dimensions (3.5 ounces and 0.6 inches) of the Cingular 3125. The reward for the iPAQ 510's extra bulk is a relatively large battery that promises 6.5 hours of talk time, versus the 3125's five hours."



The name iPAQ brings back memories of the revolutionary design that the then Compaq introduced in the form of the H3600 Pocket PC. It was miles ahead of the others, way back in the early 2000. Now HP has announced its first Windows Mobile 6 Standard phone which in my opinion lacks style and substance. I expect more from a company with the size and power of HP. :roll: This phone's unique selling proposition is its Voice Commander technology, which enables the phone to read e-mail aloud, open applications via voice, and respond to e-mail with voice notes. Unfortunately according to the reviewer this features is not quite ready for prime-time.

"Microsoft is currently working on Windows Live Messenger Mobile client for Windows Mobile devices and while everything was under NDA so far, Microsoft has allowed the current Beta users to publish more information and screenshots now. So what's the Windows Live Messenger Mobile is about? Well, basically it's the mobile device counterpart of Microsoft's new Windows Live Messenger for PCs which will replace the current Windows XP Messenger as well as the MSN Messenger clients to unify the messaging experience under one umbrella - Windows Live. The current version, which is available to a closed user group only, is an early Beta build and therefore far away from how it will works in the final version and since it is such an early Beta, it has some serious bugs."



I'm lucky enough to be one of the people testing this product and while I do see some potential for it in the future, at the moment it is just too buggy for me to use on a day to day basis. Reading through the beta site, I'm unsure what I can or cannot talk about at the moment so I'll only touch base on what Arne has touched base on. The RSS reader is pretty cool and I can see it replacing my current means of looking at news on a daily basis, everything else however is still pretty buggy. ;)

"Agilemobile.com Ltd. has announced the release of Agile Messenger for Windows Mobile 5.0, a multi-protocol instant messaging client for mobile phones and handheld computers. The software provides a seamless connection to the public instant messaging networks of ICQ, AOL, Yahoo!, MSN, Google Talk and any other XMPP networks. Features include AgileMobile's push to talk technology which enables users to send instant voice messages from mobile to mobile, and mobile to PC, as well as instant multimedia messaging, enabling the transfer of images and video."

AgileMobile has updated their Messenger client to support Windows Mobile 5 devices. If you're looking for an alternative to the MSN Messenger that comes installed on your phone, and you don't mind playing with ALPHA software (Alpha's are pre-Beta's in case anyone was wondering. ;) ), then you should really give Agile a try. The Agile Messenger is a really solid implementation, in my opinion. You can download a copy from AgileMobile's website.

"Michael Pearson has sent an email about this Orange Press Release which is actually from the 3GSM show on February 13th. It may explain the decision to drop MSN Messenger from the SPV range. The Press Release states an agreement between Vodafone and Orange for seamless instant messaging.. "The companies are actively seeking engagement from other mobile operators and ISPs to adopt the same open standard approach, in order to stimulate customer demand and drive the continued success of mobile messaging services. To date, the companies have received support and interest from China Mobile, O2 UK, Telefonica Movile Espana, T-Mobile International and Turkcell."

Ok, this is starting to worry me. I don't want mobile IM to end up costing my $0.10 a message. If the mobile carriers get their hands on this, something tells me that's what we'll end up seeing. I may not use it much now, but you can be certian I will use it even less then. :evil:

"It seems Microsoft almost completely stopped offering MSN Messenger to handset makers after carriers complained that the function undermined their revenue streams from voice and data transmissions. Microsoft had been quite active pitching MSN Messenger to handset makers, but carriers apparently stepped in to say they want the service to be an additional feature that they provide and collect revenues on."



Don't Panic! This only affects Java type phones. Smartphones we are assuming are excluded. It does illustrate, as if we didn't already know, that the carriers want every penny they can squeeze out of you.

"Enterprise Strength Universal Instant Messaging for the Microsoft Smartphone 2002 and 2003. imov Messenger(tm) gives you the ability to instantly communicate with your contacts using the Internet. The Jabber platform's extensibility allows imov Messenger(tm) to be compatible with multiple messaging systems. imov Messenger also provides significant enhancements over proprietary systems, including the ability to send messages to offline users (the user will receive the messages the next time they connect) and compose and send messages even when you are offline (messages will be automatically sent when a network connection becomes available)!"

If you're a imov Messenger user, you'll be happy to know that they have just released an update. I can't find a real list of bug fixes or updates, but it looks like they have added support for Google's new IM tool and a new interface. You can download a demo version or purchase a copy from our affiliate store for $19.95

"Three years ago Agile Mobile set out to develop a truly �agile� instant messaging client to provide seamless access to the instant messaging networks, wither it be from the bus, the beach or the gym, without sacrificing any of the functionality and power of the conventional desktop clients. During the initial development period we have allowed our loyal user base to use Agile Messenger for free. We want to thank everyone for their invaluable feedback, suggestions and bug reports, which have allowed us to make Agile Messenger into what it is today. Agile Messenger is currently the most widely used and feature rich instant messaging and communication tool for mobile devices in the world."



Agile plans to start charging a maximum of �2.99 per month through your carrier, so it will just appear on your monthly bill. At this point, there is no indication if they will support the monthly subscription in North America or not. However, if you don't want the monthly charge, they do make a comment about buying the software for a one time charge of �19.99 - which sounds like a much better deal to me. I personally don't use Agile anymore, MSN Messenger does everything I need. I'm sure that isn't the case for all of you. ;)

IM+ is an instant messaging client for various mobile devices, including Windows Mobile Smartphones, that supports AOL, ICQ, MSN and Yahoo clients. IM+ supports file transfers, message history, multiple languages, copy/paste, and sound alerts. A free trial version of IM+ is available or you can purchase a copy for $20.95 from PDATopSoft.

It's been a couple weeks since Agile Messenger 3.0 was announced, but they have finally made it available for Windows Mobile for Smartphones. It appears to be available for both 2002 and 2003 based devices. However, don't get too excited, as this is just a beta release. :( Normal disclaimers apply. (If you're not familiar with my disclaimer, then please check Opera post. :wink: )

"Agile Messenger is the most feature rich and versatile Instant Messenger for mobile phones on the market today. Agile Messenger is used daily by over 100,000 users and has been perfected based on feature requests and feedback from tens of thousands of users. No other mobile Instant Messenger is as mature and reliable as Agile Messenger. Agile Messenger is available for every networked hand held device that allows 3rd party software to be installed."



If you've been looking for an IM replacement, you might want to check out the all new Agile Messenger 3.0. It looks to have a nice feature set that includes a large list of supported platforms, and just about every IM service currently being offered on this planet. :wink: It's a free download, so check it out and let us know what you think.

"Roaming Messenger is a breakthrough solution for delivering real-time information for homeland security, emergency response, military and enterprise applications. Unlike solutions based on existing messaging technology such as e-mail, text messaging and voicemail, Roaming Messenger packages time-critical information into "smart courier" messages. These messages automatically roam throughout the wired and wireless worlds -- from mobile devices to desktop PCs to central servers -- tracking down people and getting responses in real-time.

"Existing messaging solutions are based on static client/server architectures where flat messages are pushed and pulled around, i.e. sending e-mails around. These solutions lack certain levels of mobility and dynamics necessary in the wireless world. Roaming Messenger, on the other hand, is based on a new class of software technology that turns messages into "smart couriers," each containing the necessary intelligence and mobility to move throughout the wired and wireless world all by themselves."



Roaming Messenger is an example of how an innovative enterprise application using mobile devices can automate and simplify complex work process. It is an example of how wireless mobile devices can enhance mission critical applications. Check out the case study video, it shows how the Emergency Response Teams can benefit from the Roaming Messenger and mobile devices like the Smartphones. This system is an enhancement or extension to our current E-Mail and SMS/MMS based messaging system. I am surprised that the industry didn't form a committee/alliance to come up with the specifications for this messaging system.

I was reading this story on GeekZone about how Microsoft is working on a web based version of MSN Messenger. A web based version is of great interest to me, as many of my clients have blocked access to MSN Messenger. :( I did a little 'Googling' and found the two sites that are mentioned in the article, unfortunately, they have already been blocked by my client, but that took me to another site called PhoneFox - eMessenger.



These guys are offering a web, mobile, and WAP based access to MSN Messenger, for FREE! I'm using the web based access right now. Have any of you heard of these guys, or tried using their mobile version? I would love to hear what others think about this. Especially the mobile version. :D

"imov Messenger(tm) gives you the ability to instantly communicate with your contacts using the Internet. The Jabber platform's extensibility allows imov Messenger(tm) to be compatible with multiple messaging systems. imov Messenger also provides significant enhancements over proprietary systems, including the ability to send messages to offline users (the user will receive the messages the next time they connect) and compose and send messages even when you are offline (messages will be automatically sent when a network connection becomes available)! imov Messenger works on all newer WindowsCE devices, including all PocketPC, PocketPC2002, HPC Professional and HPC/2000 devices. This version has been digitally signed and will work on all Microsoft Smartphones."



You can find some screen shots on the developers web site. imov Messenger is available for $19.95 here. [Affiliate] There doesn't appear to be a trial version available. If any of you have used this application, please share your experiences with us.

"imov Messenger gives you the ability to instantly communicate with family and friends using the Internet. The Jabber platform's extensibility allows imov Messenger to be compatible with multiple messaging systems. imov Messenger also provides significant enhancements over proprietary systems, including the ability to send messages to offline users (the user will receive the messages the next time they connect) and compose and send messages even when you are offline (messages will be automatically sent when a network connection becomes available)!"

This looks pretty nice, it supports AOL, MSNM, ICQ, Yahoo, and Jabber. They also have versions for the Pocket PC to help meet all your messaging needs.