Smartphone Thoughts - Daily News, Views, Rants and Raves

"Not sure how it is about you but for me, Outlook lacks one important field: private mobile phone numbers. Outlook has many fields for contact details, like Assistant phone number (very useful), Business Fax, Home Fax, Other Fax (three fax number fields? ), Pager (who is using a Pager today), Primary and Radio (what ever it is) and even Telex (though the last Telex was disconnected in the late 80s in the last century) but Outlook 2007 has just one filed for mobile numbers! I'm not going to say that all the previously mentioned fields don't make any sense anymore today but please - why just one Mobile field after Microsoft just recently introduced its new Outlook 2007, Exchange 2007 and Windows Mobile 6? Wouldn't it be the perfect timing to introduce new fields?"



Is Microsoft just copying and pasting their Outlook mobile WM5 template into their Outlook mobile WM6 template and adding a few extra functions to make it look fresh? Sometimes I wonder if Microsoft is real-world thinking about what is really needed for 2007. Here we have an article that feels that the fields in Outlook mobile are outdated and should contain fields that are more revelent for today. What do you think? Does Outlook mobile need an overhaul such as number of fields to fit today's real world contact management functions? What else would you add or subtract?

Ever since BlackBerry introduced the push email technology for delivering emails to the mobile device, others in the industry have tried to offer the same. Microsoft, Good Technology, SEVEN Networks and Visto are the few companies that come to mind when I think about push email and wireless sync of contacts, calendars and tasks. Some like Microsoft, Good and BlackBerry offer server based sync functionality; what it means is that your corporation or email provider has to install a special server to enable mobile sync. On the other hand companies like SEVEN offer something called the desktop re-director, which installs on your desktop that has access to the mail server. Unlike the server based solution which centralizes the sync functionality for all users on to one system, the desktop re-director approach requires each user, who wishes to perform sync, to install the solution on their computer. I myself rely on Cingular�s Xpress Mail which is powered by SEVEN�s technology. There are features I wish it had but I am comfortable with the current solution. Recently I got the chance to try out Verizon�s Wireless Sync solution. Armed with the Moto Q and a new Verizon account, I effortlessly installed and configured the Wireless Sync solution to synchronize my email, contacts, calendar and contacts. I was happy to see that the calendar entry that created on the Q showed up in the Outlook on my desktop computer. Emails were being delivered to the inbox on my device within seconds of them arriving in my Exchange based mail box.



The happiness was short-lived as I realized how the solution was working behind the scenes to perform the synchronization. The Verizon Wireless Sync is based on the desktop re-director approach. This application kept tabs on my Exchange based account and monitored it for any changes like new email or new calendar item. This is something that most of the desktop computer based sync solutions do, including the one from SEVEN. The big difference was that instead of synchronizing the information directly with the mobile device, like in the case of the SEVEN�s solution, the Verizon Wireless Sync was sending all my personal information to a server hosted on the Internet by Verizon.why are they keeping a copy of all my information to begin with? This approach is not IT friendly. In fact I found out later that our IT department does not like this sync software for this very reason and they will take action against anyone found using this software.

Some might argue that it is okay for Verizon to store the information up on their servers as along as the sync functionality is provided and it works flawlessly. I don�t think I can argue with that point. The solution does work well and I don�t think I had any issues with the sync itself. Also there is an advantage, unlike the other systems like Cingular�s Xpress Mail, where I have to keep my desktop computer running all the time with the re-director software to access the information; with Verizon�s system I can view the last synchronized information anytime, even when the desktop software is not running. So if you are okay with it and your company is okay with the way it works, then there are no reasons not to like it. Well almost, what happens when you decide to terminate your cell phone account with Verizon? Or if the cell phone is provided by your work place and you have to return it or transfer it to someone else. Don�t you think you should be allowed to delete all your personal information before you terminate the account? You will be sorry to hear that there is no provision in the Wireless Sync system for the user to delete their personal information using a couple of clicks. I spent a long time on the phone talking to the technical support specialists:

What they recommended was deleting all my emails, contacts, calendar items, tasks and notes I-N-D-I-V-I-D-U-A-L-L-Y. I had more than 100 emails, around 300 contacts, 20 tasks, 28 notes and I don�t even know the total number of calendar items. I deleted all of them page by page using the Wireless Sync web interface, using the �check-all� option on each page to select the items, and then deleting the items using the delete button; but when I got to the calendar items, I got stuck as there was no list view for me to select a page full of items and delete them. Verizon�s answer was to visit each day in my calendar and click the little trash icon next to each calendar item! The only other alternative was to wait for up to 48 hours after I cancel my Verizon service and then the Wireless Sync account will get deleted automatically. This approach will not work if you were transferring the phone to someone else or returning it back to your workplace. Needless to say I gave up on the idea of deleting the calendar items manually and decided to leave the calendar items in the account, and prayed that the Verizon servers will do a good job of cleaning the information when they terminate my account.

Security does not mean adding firewalls to a server and encrypting user�s personal data. Security is about making the user feel comfortable with the system and feel in control of their information. That is where Verizon�s system fails. Another thing I found by accident was that in case you install the desktop re-director software on another computer and hook it up to another Exchange account. The dumb Wireless Sync software running on the two desktops will sync with the common account on the Verizon�s server and guess what, it will sync the information between the two Exchange accounts. You will end up with the emails and other information from the first Exchange account corrupting the second account and vice versa. The software does not even warn the user, when it is configured on the second desktop that the information on the Verizon server belongs to a different email/Exchange account. I would have expected the software to detect the presence of two accounts and prompt me with a question before proceeding with the sync. It can be seen as a feature; to me it is a hassle and a security risk. Corporate users and IT department should take note of this fact and ensure that the data is wiped clean before handing the phone to another worker.

While every system or solution has its own set of flaws, I like to be in control of my information; I do not like my personal information to be duplicated on systems that I do not have control over. In fact I like to keep the number of copies to an absolute minimum. That is why Verizon�s Wireless Sync scares me and if you are using it, then you should be concerned too.

"The New Jersey Assembly is considering a controversial new law restricting the use of cell phone cameras. It would require all of them to be equipped with sound or light signals. Supporters say it would warn subjects their photos were being taken. Opponents say the law is not enforceable, and is likely to be ignored by cell phone manufacturers. "

Seems some government official types in New Jersey think that passing a law will protect the privacy of citizens who don't want to be photographed by camera phones. The obvious problem here is that phone makers aren't going to make phones specifically for the New Jersey market - a law like this would have to be at the national level. Even then, if the government were to start banning the sale of phones that didn't screech when a photo was taken, people would just turn to the grey market to get the phones they want. Ultimately the law is a poor way to resolve technological problems, so I can't see this being very successful. What do you think?

On Sunday afternoon, I'm leaving for the Microsoft MVP Summit, held in Redmond, Washington. At the MVP Summit several team members from this site will have a chance to interact with Microsoft Product Managers and give them product feedback. These sessions can get somewhat heated, especially when the MVPs feel passionate about certain issues (close button, DRM, and eBooks come to mind). What I'd like to know, on behalf of all the Thoughts Media team members who will be there, is what are the issues you'd like us to raise? What are some of the top issues you run into, some of the most frustrating scenarios that you wish worked differently? This can be anything from a specific feature missing from an application to a core issue with the operating system. I can't promise we'll have enough time to pass along 100% of your feedback, but I give you my personal commitment that I'll do my best to make sure Microsoft is aware of the issues that you're facing. So what should I tell them?

"W32/Mydoom@MM spreads through e-mail. This worm can disguise the sender's address, a tactic known as spoofing, and may generate e-mail messages that appear to have been sent by Microsoft. Many of the addresses Mydoom uses are valid addresses that are being spoofed for malicious purposes.

Technical information about the virus is available from antivirus vendors participating in the Microsoft Virus Information Alliance (VIA). The Mydoom worm is also known by the names Novarg, Shimg, and Mimail.R.

If you ever receive a questionable e-mail message that contains an attachment, do not open the attachment. If you cannot confirm with the sender that the message is valid and that the attachment is safe, delete the message immediately. If you receive a questionable message that purports to be from Microsoft, you should be aware that Microsoft never distributes software through e-mail."