SMARTPHONE MAGAZINE by Teresa Elguer

The Microsoft® Windows Mobile Line of Business Solution Accelerator 2008 Delivering new innovations and development best practices to the Windows Mobile platform with Visual Studio 2008, the .NET Compact Framework 3.5, SQL Server Compact 3.5, a working Supply Chain application, over 5,000 lines of commented code plus over a hundred pages of helpful documentation. Adapt your App :: Create a single binary that runs unchanged on Windows Mobile Standard or Pro, Portrait or Landscape, Rectangle or Square. No more wasting time building separate executables to accommodate different screen sizes or input methods. Sync Services for ADO.NET :: Synchronize your data between SQL Server 2008 and SQL Server Compact 3.5 using the new Sync Framework. Keep all your occasionally-connected mobile workers on the same page. Windows Communication Foundation (WCF) Store and Forward :: Reliably push messages to servers or other devices via Exchange Server 2007. Programmatically notify peer devices that they have new orders waiting for them and need to sync. MapPoint :: Guide delivery drivers to their customers via either the shortest or quickest route. Integrated mapping means you’ll never get lost again. LINQ :: Use the new Language Integrated Query to filter results from Generic Object Collections. Query both your objects and XML using a familiar, SQL-like syntax to boost developer productivity. Custom Controls :: Capture signatures and dazzle your end-users with 3D and Alpha-blended controls that alter their behavior depending on the platform they’re running on.

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Managed Stored Procedures and Triggers :: The pluggable data layer allows you to say goodbye to compiling Dynamic SQL inside your code and fires events to react to INSERT, UPDATE, and DELETE operations. Notifications and Online Help :: Formerly only supported on Pro, say hello to Popup Notifications and Online Help on Standard. Popup Notifications, also known as “toast,” display an HTML message and then disappear after a pre-determined amount of time. Using Online Help on every screen reduces your applicationtraining costs. Language Switching and Localization :: Change Language/Regional Settings inside your app and watch text and Online Help speak a different language. Don’t wait until your application is finished to realize that it needs to be world-ready. Time to Market :: Stop reinventing the wheel and use this Accelerator as the foundation for your next Windows Mobile development effort. If you don’t want to use the whole thing, pick and choose the components that are the best fit for your project. Find out More :: The first Windows Mobile Line of Business Solution Accelerator has been downloaded tens of thousands of times and has served as the foundation for some of the largest and most important Windows Mobile projects in the world. Visit http://msdn.microsoft.com/windowsmobile to accelerate your career as a Windows Mobile developer.

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June/July 2008 (Vol. 11, No. 3)

10 Sony Ericsson’s new

Windows Mobile 6.1 WM 6.1 smartphone Regular Departments 5

Inbox (Letters to the Editors)

NewsBYTES (Recent Windows Mobile news)

Carrier and General News

Advertisers Index

Windows Mobile Smartphones and PDAs 8

Windows Mobile 6.1: New Update Enhancements found in the latest version of Microsoft’s mobile OS makes life easier for the general consumer and enterprise user

Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1

Software and Accessories 18

Syncing Windows Mobile devices with Apple’s OS X computers

Sprint’s ACE in the Hole Sprint’s new Samsung ACE is a thinner and more powerful version of the BlackJack II

My 5 Favorite Accessories These accessories protect my Windows Mobile device, add capability, and make using it easier and more enjoyable

Pull the (Power) Plug Charge your WM device anywhere without using the standard power adapter

Keep Critical Info Secure with eWallet 6.0 Ilium’s electronic wallet offers greater security and incorporates some of the best features of a former competitor

Create a Wireless Office using Windows Mobile Create and read Office 2007 documents, record ideas quickly, access PC data from anywhere, and more

MWg Atom Life This attractive WM 6 Professional device incorporates an unlocked GSM phone, fast processor, and plenty of memory

Smartphone Insider: HP iPAQ 110 and 210

Experts on Communications Software

Games Roundup: Big Games from Small Developers

Inside scoop on HP’s new iPAQ 110 and 210 Windows Mobile “Classic” PDAs

Mobile World Congress 2008 New devices, software, accessories, chipsets, and more at the world’s largest mobile exhibition

Will the XPERIA X1 be an iPhone killer?

Windows Mobile Meets Apple’s OS X

At A Glance Feature by feature comparison of Windows Mobile devices

28, 30

New Soft Keyboards for Your Windows Mobile Device TouchPal is one of the best soft keyboards available. Does it compare to the real thing?

A look at 5 great games published by small software development houses

New Products

Top 5 Accessories; Power Solutions 2

S M A RTPH O N E & POCKET PC Jun/Jul 2008

Enterprise Solutions 52

Welcome to the iEnterprise How does iPhone 2.0 impact the business environment?

Choosing an Enterprise Handheld Both HP and Socket Mobile are targeting the enterprise user. How do their new devices compare and which one’s best for you?

FCC Auction Results Verizon & AT&T won big—what does it mean?

System Center Mobile Device Manager

58 Rugged Handheld

and Rugged Terrain

New Microsoft solution elevates the Windows Mobile device to the status of “First Class Citizen of the Enterprise”

Surveyors, Snow Shoes, and a Rugged PDA Team uses ruggedized Archer Field PC for environmental survey on Utah’s Monroe Mountain

Celio REDFLY A paradigm-shifting “mobile companion”

Four Ways to Make your Mobile Solution Better Tips for mobile developers and project managers

Line of Business Solution Accelerator Microsoft’s free solution accelerator speeds up enterprise application development

How to Use 66

Windows Mobile Goes On Tour With Cheap Trick An interview with Rick Nielsen, founder and lead guitarist

Cheap Trick

On the road with

What’s Online: Free sources for mobile content Mobile video from vTap; Zumobi mobile widgets; Hubdog mobile content; Mippin RSS feed access; Skyfire Web browser; more

Experts Online: Smartphone & Pocket PC Blogs Visor-mounted Bluetooth speaker; Can Raketu replace SIM cards? The iGo Stowaway keyboard is discontinued; more

Tips from the Smartphone Magazine Forums Lower music bit rate for Bluetooth headsets; Most WM 5 apps work with WM 6; Converting media files; Clean out storage memory; more

Tips and Tricks Recycling old phones; Color code cables; Perform restart immediately; Call history symbols; Windows Mobile tips on YouTube; more

Pocket View: Windows Mobile and the Future

Redfly Mobile Companion Jun/Jul 2008

S MARTP HO NE & P O CK E T P C

From The Editor Rich Hall Executive Editor/Publisher

Hal Goldstein • hal@Smartphonemag.com

I’ve Got to Admit It’s Getting Better

s it turns out, John Lennon and Paul McCartney seemed to know something about the way Microsoft approaches software development. Witness the latest release of the Windows Mobile OS and application suite—version 6.1. Internet Explorer has a new zoom feature that makes it easier to move around Web pages. A new “Getting Started” application makes life easier for the new user. A built-in Task Manager lets you switch to open apps or close them down completely. And there’s a number of enterprise-related enhancements that improve messaging capability, make it easier to swap Office 2007 files, and manage mobile devices. For more on the WM 6.1 enhancements, check out the lead article. No, Windows Mobile still isn’t perfect. But it’s getting better all the time. We’re also seeing improved—and more interesting—devices based on the Windows Mobile software. In this issue, we publish a “first look” review of Sony Ericsson’s new XPERIA X1. It will be released sometime in the summer, running the Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional software. The X1 is the first Windows Mobile device to sport a Wide VGA (800 x 480 pixel) display, and one of the first to incorporate the new Qualcomm processor. More importantly, it comes with a customizable “Panels” user interface, which should make the user experience on this device better. The focus on improving the Windows Mobile user experience is in part due to the success of Apple’s iPhone. With Apple’s decision to open up the platform to third-party applications, and with the release of a Software Developer’s Kit for their device, the iPhone will be better able to compete with Windows Mobile in the area of third-party applications. And because Apple has recently decided to license Exchange ActiveSync for the iPhone, they will be better able to compete in the enterprise niche as well. We discuss this in the enterprise section, in an article titled “Welcome to the iEnterprise.” In addition, Hal discusses it and the future of Windows Mobile in his Pocket View column at the end of the issue.

Editor/Publications Director

Richard Hall • rich@Smartphonemag.com

Enterprise Editor

Nathan Clevenger • nclevenger@Smartphonemag.com

Associate Editor

Dan Hart • dan@Smartphonemag.com

Online Editor

Jim Karpen • jim_karpen@Smartphonemag.com

Contributing Editors & Writers

Nate Adcock • natestera@mail.com Robert Altman • robert.altman@itrgroupinc.com Chris De Herrera • teched@pocketpctalk.com Clinton Fitch • management@clintonfitch.com Dan Hanttula • danh@semperaptus.com Tim Hillebrand • chief@synergetics.org Tom Jaros • tom@empowermobility.com Jim Karpen • jim_karpen@smartphonemag.com Adam Kornak • adam.kornak@microsoft.com Don Overlander • overlander@itrgroupinc.com Eric Pankoke • epankoke@gmail.com Mike Riley • mike@mikeriley.com Werner Ruotsalainen • werner@smartphonemag.com Jan Saalfeld • jan@junipersys.com Patrick Salmon • psalmon@enterprisemobile.com David Seagull • davids@smartphonemag.com John Stewart • jstewart@cirruses.com Ed Zabrek • medicaleditor@smartphonemag.com Alan Zaks • alan@smartphonemag.com

New Products Editor

Noah Ouellette • noah@Smartphonemag.com

Copy Editor

Wayne Kneeskern • wayne@Smartphonemag.com

Art Director

Al Constantineau • albert@thaddeus.com

Cover Design

George Foster • george@fostercovers.com

Customer Service

Michelle Talley • michelle@thaddeus.com Marge Enright • marge@thaddeus.com

Executive Advisor

World Mobile Congress is the largest trade show dedicated to mobile technology, and this year’s event showcased a lot of exciting new devices, components, accessories, and more. We saw the XPERIA X1 there along with other new smartphones, we demoed the new version of the Opera Mobile Web browser, and we talked with manufacturers about new, more powerful and less power-hungry chipsets to power these devices. You can read about it in our Mobile World Congress 2008 report. There’s a lot more in this issue, but I’m over my word count already. Be sure to check out the table of contents, or just thumb through the magazine at your leisure. I think you’ll discover that Windows Mobile… is getting better all the time.

Rita Goldstein

Customer Service; Subscriptions

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We welcome tips, articles, and reviews

For article and Tips guidelines: www.Smartphonemag.com/submissions To publicize your product: www.Smartphonemag.com/publish.asp Printer Quebecor World Midland, 1700 James Savage Rd Midland, Michigan 48640 USA 800-448-4288 Newsstand Distribution Curtis Circulation Company 760 River Road, New Milford, New Jersey 07646 USA 201-634-7400 Newsstand Coordinator Carl Kopf & Associates 203-944-9466 Reprints The Reprint Outsource, Betsy White w.betsy@verizon.net 717-394-7350 mailing list rental Worldata, Jay Schwedelson jay@worldata.com 800-331-8102 x176 www.worldata.com Advertise Suzee Dittberner • suzee@Smartphonemag.com 913-344-1352 Fax: 913-469-0806 Rebecca Jones • rebecca@Smartphonemag.com 913-344-1392 Fax: 913-469-0806 Smartphone & Pocket PC (ISSN 1528-5456) is published by Thaddeus Computing Inc. at 110 North Court Street, Fairfield, IA 52556, USA. Periodicals postage paid at Fairfield, Iowa, Midland, MI and at additional mailing offices. Subscription rates payable in U.S. dollars, checks drawn on a U.S. bank, or by credit card—one year: $19.95; two years: $34.95. Postage: Within United States free; outside United States add $18 per year. Published bi-monthly, plus one bonus issue, in late fall/early winter. Please allow four to six weeks for receipt of first issue. Executive, Editorial, Circulation, Marketing Offices: 110 North Court Street, Fairfield, IA 52556. Telephone: 641-472-6330, Fax: 641-472-1879. Advertising Offices: Ascend Media, 7015 College Boulevard, Ste. 600, Overland Park, KS 66211; Telephone: 913-469-1110; Fax: 913-469-0806. © Copyright 2006-07, Thaddeus Computing Inc, all rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written permission. Reasonable efforts are made to provide accurate and useful information, but the reader must make his or her own investigations and decisions; the Publisher and Editorial Staff cannot assume any responsibility or liability for the use of information contained herein. POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to Smartphone & Pocket PC, Thaddeus Computing Inc, 110 North Court Street, Fairfield, IA 52556. “Windows” and “Windows Mobile” are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.

S M A RTPH O N E & POCKET PC Jun/Jul 2008

Inbox New iPhone-like interface for touch screen devices

Recently I bought a copy of your magazine at a store while traveling. I read with interest the news item titled “New Software gives iPhone-like interface to WM devices.” I liked what I heard so much that I went on the Internet and downloaded a copy of MobilityFlow’s new Touch Commander software for my Verizon XV6700 smartphone. It is a good piece of software.

We cannot respond to all letters or e-mail, but we do read them all. Please send us questions, suggestions for improvements to the magazine, ideas for new software, or general comments. All responses, unless otherwise indicated, are from Rich Hall, Editor of Smartphone & Pocket PC magazine. You can reach him at Rich@Smartphonemag. com. This column contains e-mail from readers as well as selected messages from the Smartphone & Pocket PC magazine forums. The content has been edited for clarity.

in Pocket Plus on the Today screen and tapand-hold until the menu comes up. Then, go to Add >File... and use the File Explorer to go to Windows/Favorites, and then tap the Favorite you want to have a shortcut to on your tab. Tap OK and that is it! (Note that my instructions assume that you have the Favorite stored on the device already.) Additionally, you can do this same file shortcut to virtually any file saved on your device with Pocket Plus. Just follow the same routine. I do this quite a bit with documents myself. I’ve created a video showing you the stepby-step on how to do this on my YouTube channel (youtube.com/clintonfitchdotcom). Look for the video “Adding Internet Explorer Favorites to Spb Pocket Plus Tabs.” Clinton Fitch, MVP-Mobile Devices

send it back for repairs while it is still under warrantee. Al Harrington

High capacity SDHC storage cards

Can my AT&T 8525 Pocket PC Phone Edition device use the higher capacity (over 2 GB) SDHC storage cards? Charles A. Cohen Unfortunately no. Support for MicroSDHC cards is in the newer AT&T Tilt, but not in the 8525. David Shier, Contributing Editor

Problem with audio volume on HP iPAQ 214

Home is an iPhone-like interface for Windows Mobile touch screen devices. Since then I have found an even better iPhone-like interface. The software is called Home and is from Pointui (pointui.com). While it is at this point still an Alpha release, it is, in my judgment from actual use, already a much better piece of software than Touch Commander. I encourage you to take a look at Home and let others know about it in your fine magazine. John Page

Saving URL shortcuts on Today Screen in WM 6? I read Clinton Fitch’s article on Pocket Plus 4.0 in the Feb. ‘08 issue and thought you might know if this is possible. I want to be able to save a shortcut to a browser URL on the Today screen, so that when I click on the shortcut it will start Opera Mobile and open the desired Web page. Andrzej Jan Taramina There is no problem in doing this with Pocket Plus. All you need to do is go to a tab

When it became painfully obvious that my iPAQ 4700 was on its last legs, I ordered an iPAQ 214 [also known as the 210]. I was thrilled to bits to receive my iPAQ 214 at the end of January. However, this joy turned to sorrow when I saw that the iPAQ—despite being held back by HP for over three months— was flawed. The volume level when adjusted to 100% volume is barely audible (in a slip case it is totally inaudible and alarms are impossible to hear). If you play a video/sound file using Windows Media Player, it interprets the 100% sound level (as indicated on the sound control slider) as being only at about 60% of maximum. To test this, I copied the Alarm 1 .wav file from the older iPAQ 4700 to the iPAQ 214 and played both of them at 100%. The sound from the 4700 is way louder (perhaps twice as loud). Herbie Skeete Herbie: I tested my 210 and it is just as loud as my other iPAQs. I played a video and song and both were very easy to hear. I also set an alarm (“Alarm5”) and had it go off while in the sleeve and it too was fine (albeit a bit muffled). If your 214 is half the volume of your 4700, then something is definitely wrong with the unit. Did you try headphones to see if the problem is with the entire audio system or just the speaker? In either case, you should

GPS on BlackJack II and Motorola Q 9

In the April ‘08 issue, a short article appeared on page 12 comparing the BlackJack II to the Motorola Q 9. I noticed one bit of information that seemed to be missing from the comparison, regarding the differences between the GPS capabilities of the two devices. Based on my research, the Q 9 uses AGPS and the BlackJack II has a traditional GPS receiver built into it. The difference is that AGPS uses the cell site triangulation to get the location, where traditional GPS uses the GPS satellite signals. AGPS has the added benefits of being faster and working better inside buildings. Of course, if the user goes way off the beaten path and loses their cell signal, they lose the AGPS capability as well. But for most people, this is not a big concern. I feel that it’s worth a footnote for those who are considering using their phone as a navigational aid. Aaron Schultz n

Jun/Jul 2008

S MARTP HO NE & P O CK E T P C

newsBYTES

Please e-mail any Windows Mobile related news to newseditor@Smartphonemag.com

E-TEN accepts acquisition offer from Acer

Windows Mobile to be ported to Mobile Internet Devices

Taiwan-based mobile device vendor E-TEN Information Systems has announced that they have accepted an acquisition offer from Acer Inc., the world’s third-ranked PC vendor. Expectations from the deal are for greater penetration of E-TEN products and services on a global level while at the same time allowing for improved local support to existing customers. The company is seeking to expand the footprint particularly of their Glofiish-branded products in a smartphone market that is expected to grow by more than 30 percent by 2011.

Microsoft recently hired new personnel to work on porting Windows Mobile to new form factors, including Mobile Internet Devices (MIDs). Previously, Microsoft only promoted ultra-mobile PCs (UMPCs) as the form factor that would come between laptops and smartphones. Both types of devices feature larger screens and faster processors than smartphones; MIDs are distinguished from UPMCs in that they lack the ability to view office applications and typically have smaller (fiveinch) screens.

Sybase launches iAnywhere Mobile Office, encryption

New phone records calls and simulates ambient noise

Sybase has announced the launch of iAnywere Mobile Office, a wireless e-mail, PIM, and security solution that is aimed at improving the mobilization of business processes by including multiple functions to exist in a single e-mail client. Also announced was the launch of a new mobile device encryption program that saves battery life by doing decryption on demand only and preventing lock-down of a device while GPS is active.

Gigabyte Communications has announced a new Windows Mobile-based phone that can record calls and messages as well as hide the caller’s location by simulating background noises. The background noise “Wisetalk” software includes different preset noises such as “airport,” “concert,” or “meeting room.” Other features of the quad-band GSM-based Gsmart MW998 include Wi-Fi (b,g), Bluetooth 2.0, a 2.8-inch VGA touch screen, and a 520 MHz processor.

Boingo releases Wi-Fi support software for WM 6 devices Boingo Wireless Inc. recently released a version of their Boingo Mobile Wi-Fi software for Windows Mobile 6 devices (mobile.boingo. com/download). Boingo Mobile allows users to automatically connect to the world’s largest network of Wi-Fi hotspots around the world at any time.

Nvidia unveils new CPU for Windows Mobile devices Nvidia recently unveiled its first CPU, a “system-on-a-chip” for Windows Mobile devices. The APX 2500 will hit the market late in 2008 and will feature an ARM11 processor and a variety of graphics tools such as a CSAA filter for 2D and 3D modes. The processor will be an “Ultra Low-Power GeForce” (ULP GeForce), which will require low CPU cycles for video playback, resulting in overall low power consumption. The APX 2500 can also support up to 12 megapixels in cameras and 1280 x 720 pixel displays.

Spb releases 2.0 version of “next-generation user interface” Leading Windows Mobile software developer Spb Software House recently released version 2.0 of their user interface plug-in Mobile Shell. Version 2.0’s improvements include gesturebased navigation to launch programs within any other program, a tabbed window that includes all functionality, full-screen menus for weather, time, contacts, and alarms, animated transitions from screen to screen, lower memory consumption, and more.

Microsoft announces Windows Mobile support for Flash Lite Microsoft announced a licensing agreement with Adobe to include native support for Flash Lite, Shockwave Flash (SWF), and Adobe Reader LE (lightweight edition) on Windows Mobile phones. The Flash Lite browser plug-in will enable Internet Explorer Mobile to work with popular Web video, animation, and document-sharing technologies, similar to the desktop Adobe Flash Player, which is the most widely used cross-platform player. With Adobe Reader LE, WM devices will be compatible with all PDF documents. Neither Microsoft nor Adobe has set a timeframe for the software integration. 6

S M A RTPH O N E & POCKET PC Jun/Jul 2008

Proximity technology to be added to Windows Mobile Microsoft has announced plans to collaborate with RFID vendor Sirit to implement near field communications (NFC) to Windows Mobile. This “proximity technology” will provide “contactless” payment, secure access, control of home entertainment systems, and other features to Windows Mobile devices. NFC technology is already used widely in Japan, where commuters can purchase train tickets or pay for parking by waving their phones in front of sensors. A report on NFC conducted by ABI Research projects that 30 percent of all phones worldwide will incorporate NFC technology by 2011.

Microsoft announces Windows Mobile 6 version of Silverlight Microsoft recently announced a new Windows Mobile 6 version of Silverlight, a cross-platform multimedia plug-in similar to Flash. The plug-in will provide animation, vector graphs, and media playback, and will support WMV, WMA, and MP3 content. The 1.0 version of the software will be available for Windows Mobile 6 phones in the second quarter of this year.

Windows Mobile receives Federal security certifications Microsoft recently announced that both Windows Mobile 5 and 6 have obtained U.S. Federal security certifications, enabling the operating systems to be used in secure operations such as combat and reconnaissance missions, battlefield medical triage, logistical support, and more. The new certifications also allow Windows Mobile devices to be used to authenticate government employees on secure networks in conjunction with government-issued identity badges.

HTC to introduce next generation CDMA phones in India HTC and Reliance Communications have announced an agreement to promote next generation CDMA devices in India. The move marks HTC’s first venture into the Indian CDMA market, which is rapidly growing. In conjunction with this announcement, HTC also introduced two new devices, the P3000 and the S720, which will run exclusively on Reliance’s wireless network. The network will cover 15,000 towns and villages and provide voice, data, and video communications, including high-speed CDMA 1X mobile Internet access.

newsBYTES AT&T, Verizon dominate wireless auction AT&T Inc. and Verizon Wireless, the two largest cell phone companies, bid a combined $16 billion out of the $19.6 billion in total bids at the government airwave auction. Verizon’s bids totaled $9.4 billion, while AT&T’s were $6.6 billion. The results of the auction raised concern over the lack of new competitors, such as Google, that could challenge the dominant cell phone companies. However, one new company, Frontier Wireless LLC, won enough licenses to potentially create a significant nationwide presence, bidding $712 million. The wireless spectrum was made available due to the nationwide changeover to digital broadcasting.

Verizon, Sprint introduce unlimited phone plans Verizon Wireless and Sprint both recently introduced new unlimited phone plans. Verizon’s Nationwide Unlimited Anytime Minute Plan begins at a flat rate of $99.99 per month and covers calls to anyone at any time, including land lines; the plan also includes domestic roaming. Sprint’s Simply Everything Plan is also $99.99 per month and

Social.FM to be distributed through Handmark A distribution agreement has recently been announced between Social.FM, a Web music service, and Handmark, a mobile media distributor. Social.FM provides over-the-air access to your music collection, social connectivity and access to your buddies’ music libraries, and thousands of radio channels, podcasts, and other audio. Handmark reaches five major operators (AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint, Orange, and Telus) in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Austria, Germany, and the Netherlands.

New findings on mobile Internet and consumer usability published A recent study commissioned by Bytemobile found, among other things, that mobile users in the U.S. are accessing the mobile Web on a daily basis more frequently than those in the U.K. (57 to 46 percent); mobile video isn’t being watched mainly because of device constraints (such as screen size, memory capacity, and battery life); 96 percent of consumers want their mobile Web browsing to function the same as their PC browsing.

Carrier News includes unlimited calling, text messaging, GPS navigation, Sprint TV, Sprint Music, and data.

Sprint upgrades Mogul to EV-DO Rev. A Sprint recently released a EV-DO Rev. A software upgrade for the Mogul, making it the first mobile handset in the U.S. that accesses the new high-speed data network (wherever available). The EV-DO Rev. A network should provide users with average download speeds of 600 Kbps-1.4 Mbps, up from an average of 400-700 Kbps. Average upload speeds should increase from 50-70 Kbps to 350-500 Kbps.

volved in the sign-up and consent process.

Verizon improves peerto-peer file sharing Verizon Wireless recently collaborated with Yale University researchers and file-sharing software companies to improve the speed of peer-to-peer file sharing. The test results will reportedly show that average download speeds will increase by 60 percent when an ISP cooperates with a file-sharing software maker, which has not been the trend in the past. ISPs have traditionally banned, blocked, and slowed peer-to-peer traffic to thwart it from overwhelming their networks, but Verizon’s tests may illustrate a turning point in this approach. As for the issue of illegal software being shared, Verizon has stated that they do not accept a police-type role in governing their network.

AT&T to expand coverage in Alabama

Sprint’s Family Locater available to all subscribers Sprint recently opened their Family Locater service to any subscriber with mobile access to the Web. The service uses GPS to give customers the whereabouts of a loved one, and is set up to protect privacy by requiring both the locater and the one being located to be in-

Industry News “World’s smallest” Bluetooth headset released A Bluetooth headset weighing less than 6 grams (.21 ounces) and measuring l.3 inches long and .63 inches wide was released by INVISIO, who claims that the G5 is the “world’s smallest Bluetooth headset.” The headset provides up to 4 hours of talk time and 150 hours of standby time and comes with a “Protective Charging case” that charges the headset each time it is placed in the case. When used with this portable rechargeable charger, INVISIO states that the G5 provides up 20 hours of talk time and 30 days of standby time.

Entertainment application sales outpace business apps According to the annual Handango Yardstick trend report that tracks smartphone application purchases, entertainment software garnered the highest percentage of application downloads with 17 percent last year, while

AT&T plans to invest more than $76 million to expand wireless coverage in Alabama. The plan will add 17 new cell sites to the state and will roll out a high-speed wireless network in Montgomery and Mobile by the end of the year. Other plans include expanding 3G coverage in the Huntsville metropolitan area.

business applications come in second with 16 percent. Two years ago, business apps were at number one with 18 percent, while entertainment came in third place. The most popular device for mobile content in 2007 was the BlackBerry Pearl, according to the report. For Windows Mobile Standard users, entertainment application sales easily came in first with 36 percent, while business app sales came in a distant second with 12 percent.

Gates foresees big technology leaps Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates recently spoke about his vision of technological leaps in the next 10 years to the Northern Virginia Technology Council. He speculated that the most important advances would be the ways in which people will interact with computers, such as speech and handwriting recognition technology and touch screen interfaces that will integrate a wide-ranging amount of information. Gates also spoke of television as becoming a targeted medium in which viewers could select customized content for news, sports, and entertainment. Gates also noted that he foresaw nothing that would impede the advance of technology, pointing out that academia and corporate researchers continued advancements after the Internet stock bubble burst in 2000.

Jun/Jul 2008

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Smartphones and Pocket PCs

Windows Mobile 6.1–New Update Latest version of Microsoft’s mobile OS makes it easier to get started and use a WM smartphone by Chris De Herrera

icrosoft recently introduced Windows Mobile 6.1, an upgrade of the Windows Mobile operating system. It adds new features and capabilities to the previous (6.0) version, enhancing your Web browsing and day-to-day use of Windows Mobile. It also adds new features and capabilities of interest to the enterprise users. This article looks at some of the more important enhancements.

Fig. 5: Non-touch screen smartphones have a new Home screen with a sliding menu.

New Getting Started app The new Getting Started application is accessed in the Programs folder on touch screen devices and from the Start menu on non-touch screen smartphones. Select the Getting Started icon to display topics of interest to new users (Figs. 1 & 2). The user selects the desired topic from this list to learn more about the features and capabilities of their device (Fig. 3 & 4). The topics include Make a call, Set date and time, Set up e-mail, Set up a device password, Set up a Bluetooth headset, Set background on the Today or Home screen, Set ring tone, Transfer music, and Add/remove Getting Started (which removes the Getting Started icon from the Today/Home screen, but does not remove the feature from the device).

Figs. 1 & 2: Getting Started main screen (touch screen left, non-touch screen right).

Figs. 6 & 7: Internet Explorer Mobile’s new Zoom feature, as seen on a non-touch screen smartphone. The left screen shows the thumbnail (Zoom Out) view of the Web page with the outline of the zoom selection box superimposed over a portion of the screen. The right screen shows that portion of the screen zoomed in on. Figs. 3 & 4: Getting Started individual tip screen (touch screen left, non-touch screen right).

Home screen’s Sliding Panel Microsoft enhanced the Home screen on nontouch screen smartphones to include a “sliding panel” option (Fig. 5). As with earlier versions of the OS, the Home screen displays the date, time, upcoming appointments and tasks, and other information. However, the new option slides a virtual magnifying panel over these elements as you scroll down the page, enlarging them and making them easier to read.

Improved Messaging Microsoft has made some significant enhancements in the Messaging application. For enterprise users Microsoft added Exchange AutoDiscovery, which makes it easier to set up synchronization with Exchange. Users are now able to download e-mail from all accounts at the same time. Microsoft added auto-complete for e-mail recipients, which makes it easier for users to enter e-mail addresses on small keyboards and touch screens. Also, Windows Mobile 6.1 added the ability to select multiple e-mail items in the list so you can easily delete 8

or move e-mail. Finally, Windows Mobile 6.1 includes optimizing the bandwidth utilization for Exchange, POP3, and IMAP4, which is very important to enterprise wireless data users.

Enhancements to Internet Explorer Mobile A very cool feature added to Internet Explorer Mobile is the ability to display a Web site in thumbnail view and to select a portion of that screen to zoom in on. Press the soft key labeled Menu and select Zoom Out to see the Web site in full-page “thumbnail” view, similar to what you see on your desktop PC (Fig. 6). Note that in this view, the outline of a small rectangular selection box is superimposed on the screen. Use the directional pad to move the selection box to outline the portion of the screen you want to view. (On touch screen devices you can use the stylus to drag the box around the screen.) Then press the soft key labeled “Zoom In” to display the selected area in full screen view (Fig. 7). Keep in mind that you will have

S M A RTPH O N E & POCKET PC Jun/Jul 2008

Figs. 8 & 9: The Clock & Alarms application on non-touch screen smartphones allows you to set a second alarm (left) and set alarm sounds, types, and volume (right). to wait until the whole Web page is downloaded before being able to Zoom Out on it. This may be especially slow if you’re connected to the Web via cellular GPRS networks. Enterprise customers will appreciate the ability to customize the Internet Explorer Mobile homepage. The customization provides the Chris is a special correspondent and contributing author for Smartphone & Pocket PC magazine. He maintains one of the best Pocket PC Web sites (pocketpcfaq.com), Pocket PC news (pocketpctalk.com) and discussion boards (forums.pocketpcfaq.com) as well as Tablet PC news (tabletpctalk.com). Chris is a Microsoft Most Valuable Professional for Mobile Devices and Tablet PCs, and writes articles on the Pocket PC and smartphone for his own Web site and for other mobile computing publications. Chris regularly participates in various newsgroups (including Microsoft.public. pocketpc.activesync). You can reach Chris at teched@pocketpctalk.com.

Windows Mobile 6.1 Smartphones and Pocket PCs you have made changes to a document open in Word Mobile, and use Task Manager to close the application, you may lose those changes. It’s best to close documents and data screens first, before closing the application with the Task Manager. Figs. 10 & 11: The new Task Manager app as seen on a touch screen device (left) and a non-touch screen smartphone (right). Fig. 12: An enhanced Microsoft Wi-Fi Configuration utility ships with many Wi-Fi enabled devices. enterprise the ability to use an HTML page to replace the homepage. The html page could include a disclosure about Internet usage, how to contact technical support, and links to the company’s homepage.

Enhanced Clock & Alarm feature The Clock & Alarm feature on non-touch screen smartphones has been enhanced to allow you to set a second alarm (Fig. 8). In addition, you can now select from a variety of alarm sounds, alarm types (e.g., increasing sound, vibrate, vibrate followed by sound, etc.), and alarm volume (off, loud, and 1-4) (Fig. 9). In previous versions of the OS for Windows Mobile Standard (non-touch screen or smartphone) devices, you accessed Clock & Alarm from the Settings folder. In WM 6.1, it’s a separate application in the Start menu. Again, this is an enhancement to the non-touch screen version of the OS only.

New built-in Task Manager Many of the previously released Windows Mobile devices had third-party task managers built into them, but Microsoft added its own to Windows Mobile 6.1. To access it, go to the Programs folder on a touch screen device or the Start menu on a non-touch screen smartphone. The new Task Manager is similar to the one on your Windows desktop PC. It allows you to see the list of running applications, the amount of RAM they are occupying, and the percentage of the CPU power they are using (Fig. 10 & 11). You can sort the list by Memory, CPU, or the Name of the applications. In addition, you can easily select an application and terminate it by selecting the End Task soft key. Be careful terminating applications with open documents or data screens. For example, if

Update Wi-Fi configuration Some Wi-Fi enabled devices ship with thirdparty Wi-Fi configuration utilities built into them, and some come with a Microsoft utility. If your device uses Microsoft’s, you should note that it has been enhanced in WM 6.1. Microsoft added the ability to configure the Wi-Fi network you are connected to as well as identify whether the network is connected to the Internet or Work (Fig. 12). With unsecured Wi-Fi networks, you can now connect with one click to select the network by name.

Office Mobile 6.1 Microsoft incorporated the Office Mobile 6.1 update into Windows Mobile 6.1. Office Mobile 6.1 adds the ability to save documents in the new Office 2007 format. This is an important feature for general and enterprise users alike, allowing them to share documents with friends and associates using Office on their PCs. However, you lose the ability to save new Word and Excel Mobile documents in the 2000 and 2003 formats. If you regularly send Word or Excel documents created on a WM 6.1 device to someone using a pre2007 version of Office on their desktop PC, that person will have to install the Microsoft Office 2007 Compatibility Pack on their PC to open them. It can be downloaded for free from Microsoft’s Web site (go to microsoft. com/downloads and search on “Office 2007 Compatibility Pack”).

Other enhancements to WM 6.1 A number of enhancements made to Windows Mobile 6.1 are of particular interest: • Bluetooth headset auto-pairing: Makes it easier to pair your device with standard Bluetooth headsets. • Bluetooth phone address profile: This enables the transfer of phone book information across phone-enabled Bluetooth devices. • Network Time (NITZ) Description: Automatically updates the time on a device when it moves into a new time zone or receives a Daylight Savings Time (DST) change from the cellular network. • Cut, Copy, and Paste capability added to Windows Mobile Standard (non-touch screen) smartphones. • Enhanced “Getting Started CD” not only contains user-installable versions of Mobile Device Center and ActiveSync, it includes software that helps the user set up their device and an application that makes e-mail setup eas-

ier by exporting their Outlook settings from a desktop PC to the Windows Mobile device.

Managing Mobile Devices— System Center Mobile Device Manager Last fall, Microsoft released a new server to manage Windows Mobile devices called System Center Mobile Device Manager (SCMDM). SCMDM actually adds Windows Mobile Devices to Active Directory and provides group policy management of the device security as well as a separate VPN connection optimized for Windows Mobile. Windows Mobile 6.1 is required to support SCMDM. SCMDM is covered in detail in the Enterprise section on page 55.

Windows Mobile 6.1 Upgrades Some carriers and manufacturers have already announced the availability of Windows Mobile 6.1 upgrades for their devices, including AT&T (Tilt and BlackJack II), Palm, (Treo 750), and Sprint (Samsung ACE, Moto Q9c, HTC Touch and Mogul). HTC will offer it for a number of devices, including the TyTnII and a US version of the Touch Dual. Finally, Windows Mobile 6.1 will ship in a few months on multiple devices from the top US wireless carriers. If you have another device, check with the manufacturer or wireless carrier that sold you the device to see if an upgrade will be made available.

Enhancements improve your experience With these new features, Windows Mobile 6.1 builds on the capabilities of 6.0 to make it an even better user experience. I expect that many users will like the new thumbnail approach in Internet Explorer Mobile. And the Getting Started feature will really help beginners get their feet wet and quickly come up to speed on their new Windows Mobile device. Windows Mobile 6.1 also expands and tightens the integration with the enterprise. Many users will like the new Task Manager because it allows them to see what application is using the most resources. Also, the enhanced features in the Messaging application will make users more efficient. The other important enhancement is the support of Office 2007 file formats and the integration of OneNote into the Office Mobile suite. These new features should benefit both enterprise users and administrators. n

Jun/Jul 2008

S MARTP HO NE & P O CK E T P C

Smartphones and Pocket PCs

Will the XPERIA X1 be an iPhone Killer? Future phone to have wider keyboard, 2 cameras, wide VGA, FM-radio, and more. by Rich Hall (with help from Werner Ruotsalainen)

he hot news at this year’s Mobile World Congress show was the premier of Sony Ericsson’s new XPERIA X1, a Windows Mobile touch screen smartphone with a “Wide VGA” display, a unique “arc slider” keyboard, and the customizable XPERIA Panels user interface.

Wide VGA display From the front, the XPERIA looks like a traditional Windows Mobile touch screen device. But it sports a “Wide VGA” color display. Measuring 3 inches diagonally, it’s not the largest display on a Windows Mobile device, but its 800 x 480 pixels make it the highest resolution screen we’ve seen, which should make the display easier to view.

Arc slider QWERTY keyboard Other Windows Mobile devices have slide-out keyboards, but the XPERIA’s 42-key QWERTY keyboard has an unusual “arc slider” design. As you slide the display up to expose the keyboard, the device tilts slightly to make it easier to use the keyboard and view the display. As with other devices, the display rotates to horizontal viewing mode when the keyboard is in use. (The device incorporates integrated motion sensor technology to auto-rotate the user interface.)

XPERIA Panels In an attempt to overcome the real (and perceived) limitations of the standard Windows Mobile OS, the XPERIA will include a user-customizable ninepanel interface to launch your favorite applications and access news, weather, slideshows, and more. It also includes a Media Experience Panel, which allows you to navigate seamlessly through captured photos and video clips, pictures, photo tags, games, music, videos, and more.

Two built-in digital cameras The XPERIA has two built-in digital cameras. The main camera is a 3.2 megapixel video and still-image camera with auto and touch focus capability. Pictures can be shared as a picture message or e-mail, or by using any available transfer method, such as Bluetooth. There is also a QCIF camera located on the front of the device for video-conferencing 10

S M A RT P H O N E & POCKET PC Jun/Jul 20 08

calls. Apparently, the version of the XPERIA released in Europe will be capable of capturing VGA videos at 30 frames-per-second, while the U.S. version will only be capable of QVGA video at 24 fps.

Wireless capabilities The XPERIA includes a quad-band GSM phone with GPRS and triband UMTS data capability. In addition, the device incorporates 802.11 b/g Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP wireless capability. The XPERIA also has an integrated FM radio.

Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional The XPERIA is a touch screen smartphone based on the Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional software. A full description of the software found on Windows Mobile devices can be found on page 78. A description of the enhancements made to the platform with the release of 6.1 can be found on pages 8 of this issue. As mentioned, Sony Ericsson built a customizable “Panels” user interface into the XPERIA,

XPERIA X1 Smartphones and Pocket PCs

allowing quick access to apps, media, and other things. Additional software has not been announced.

Other features The XPERIA is powered by a Qualcomm MSM7200 528 MHz processor, which also has built-in GPS capability. It was unclear at press time whether the device incorporated a graphics accelerator or not. It has 128 MB of RAM, 256 MB of flash ROM, and additional file storage can be added via the microSD card slot. A 1,500 mAh Lithium Polymer rechargeable battery provides power, but usage estimates were unavailable.

An iPhone killer? Everyone seems to be very excited about this device. Some see it as a challenger to the iPhone, offering not only a simple user interface but things the iPhone doesn’t have, like the Wide VGA screen, ArcSlider keyboard, better (3G) broadband connectivity, and a smaller form factor. The 3.2 megapixel camera is also an advantage. The unanswered question is whether the XPERIA’s Panel interface will be as easy to use as the iPhone’s UI. Price may also be a big advantage—if the device is sold by a wireless carrier. No formal announcements have been made, but speculation is that the XPERIA will be priced in the $200 range at launch, compared to the $400-$500 price of the iPhone. The price of the XPERIA assumes that, like the iPhone, it will be sold by a wireless carrier and require a 2-year service contract. If it is sold as an unlocked GSM device without a service contract, you can expect the price to be considerably more. The iPhone does have an advantage over the XPERIA in terms of internal storage space. Exact figures have not been released, but the XPERIA ships with 256 MB of flash ROM, and a portion of that is used to store the Windows Mobile OS and applications. That probably means that it will have 150-170 MB of file storage. You can add file storage to the XPERIA with a microSD card, but that will raise the price. So, for example, if you wanted your XPERIA to have similar storage capacity to the $400 version of the iPhone, you’d need to purchase an 8 GB microSD card, which will set you back another $140. You’d be spending $340 for the XPERIA and $400 for the 8 GB iPhone—still a savings but not quite as compelling an advantage. NOTE: The iPhone has no storage card slot. Sony Ericsson is promoting the XPERIA as a “game changing” convergent device that will blend productivity and entertainment features.

Xpedia X1 (left) and Apple’s iPhone (right)

The high resolution display, FM radio, and a variety of other hardware features discussed in this overview certainly support the entertainment end of things. And Windows Mobile offers plenty of productivity features. Will the Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1 change the game? In the end, the consumer will decide. The Xpedia is expected to ship in the second half of 2008. We’ll publish a review of the XPERIA as soon as we can get our hands on one. In addition, as we find out more information about the XPERIA, Werner Ruotsalainen will post it on our blogs. (Go to smart phonemag.com/blogs and click on the “Menneisyys” link at the top of the page.) n

Jun/Jul 2008

S MARTP HO NE & P O CK E T P C

Smartphones and Pocket PCs

Sprint’s ACE in the Hole Sprint’s new Samsung ACE is a more powerful version of the BlackJack II. by Edward Zabrek, M.D.

print is now offering the new Samsung ACE, a souped-up and slightly redesigned version of Samsung’s second generation BlackJack smartphone. From the front of the device, it’s a little difficult to tell the ACE and BlackJack II apart. But there’s a world of difference under the hood.

Slim, sleek world phone The ACE is a true world phone, with CDMA and GSM network capability. In the U.S. it connects to Sprint’s CDMA network. Outside the U.S. you can slip a SIM card into a slot under the battery and use it on almost any international wireless network. The ACE is a small and attractive Windows Mobile Standard device that’s easy to carry around with you in your pocket or purse. Like many other Windows Mobile smartphones these days, it has a QWERTY thumb keyboard below the display. What sets the ACE apart from its competitors is its very thin, sleek profile. Ergonomically designed for one-handed operation, I found the device very comfortable to use as a phone and data device. Its candy bar form factor, 5-way navigation button, and thumb wheel make it perfect for onehanded operation. Other features include Bluetooth 2.0, push e-mail capabilities, and good call quality. For wireless connectivity, the ACE runs on Sprint’s fast EVDO Rev. 0 and 1XRTT network. At the time of this review, there was no upgrade path to the faster EVDO Rev. A network. Globetrotters should be aware: while roaming abroad, you will be deploying the slower GPRS network.

More power; better user experience Astute cellular shoppers will notice that the Sprint ACE bears a striking resemblance to AT&T’s BlackJack II. They’re essentially the same de12

S M A RT P H O N E & POCKET PC Jun/Jul 20 08

vice with cosmetic and internal changes. Sprint customers will also enjoy a faster processor than its AT&T brother has. The ACE uses Qualcomm’s 312 MHz processor instead of the BJ II’s 260 MHz TI chip. This additional speed helps the ACE do an adequate job as a tiny road warrior. The ACE’s body is also thinner than the BJ II, making it easier to hold, especially if you have small hands. The 2.3-inch screen is wellsuited for watching Sprint TV, one of my favorite Sprint features. The ACE’s controls consist of two soft keys, a shortcut to the Today or Home screen, a Back button, Talk and End keys, and a square four-way directional D-pad with a select button situated in the middle. The BJ II’s rounded four-way D-pad is slippery and less comfortable to use than the ACE’s. The left and right soft keys “toggle” with the Home and Back key using a concave curve, giving the user the illusion and feel of two separate keys. The D-pad, in between the two “togglers,” is slightly elevated and has more space for scrolling up, down, left, and right without inadvertently activating the surrounding buttons. A microSD expansion slot is located on the upper-right side and is protected by an attached cover. Immediately below the microSD slot is a thumbwheel, which can be pressed to select items, and a second Back button below it. The thumbwheel makes it easy to scroll up and down when reading long documents or surfing the Web. Having the Back button near the thumbwheel lets you quickly escape from the current menu or applications. This combination of the thumbwheel and Back button enhances the one-handed experience. In addition, if you firmly hold down the thumbwheel for a few seconds, it brings up a “quick launcher.” This convenient feature lets you open several applications including the Alarm, Task Manager, Calendar, and Edit features. The Edit features allow users to program applications into this cool additional Thumbwheel feature. In addition, when you press and hold the side “Back” button, it activates the camera. The keys on the full QWERTY keyboard are slightly peaked in the center (like a roof), which makes text entry an easier and more enjoyable experience. The backlit keys make the device well suited for typing in dark or dim areas. The keys are a bit crowded, however, making it more difficult to type if your thumbs are larger than average. The number buttons are placed in rows 3, 4, & 5 and stand out against the non-numeric black keys due to their gray color. The function key acts as a “NUM Lock” for multiple numeric entries. The left side of the ACE contains the rocker volume control and covered power/USB sync/headphone adapter. Unfortunately, Samsung has included yet another proprietary adaptor port. I truly wish there could be industry standardization when it comes to power, sync, and charging adaptors. At least the ACE will charge when connected to the USB port of a computer. On the back of the ACE there is a 1.3 MP camera/camcorder (sans flash), speaker, and removable, replaceable battery. An additional exEdward M. Zabrek, M.D., F.A.C.O.G., is our chief medical editor, and a full time Ob-Gyn Hospitalist working for Delphi Healthcare Partners at NorthBay Medical Center in Fairfield, California. In this role, he has found that the use of Windows Mobile medical titles has enhanced patient safety at the point of care. He has an ambitious dream to “evolutionize” the practice of patient care with Windows Mobile devices. Formerly an independent consultant to Samsung Electronics’ Wireless division, he is always seeking ways to advance this dream. He can be reached via e-mail at MedicalEditor@smartphonemag.com.

Sprint’s ACE in the Hole Smartphones and Pocket PCs and a variety of other applications and configuration utilities. A more complete description of this software is found in the At A Glance section of the magazine on page 78. In addition, the ACE comes with Sprint’s Power Vision applications—a great addition to the device that includes Sprint TV. This gives you news, sports, weather, and entertainment, including full TV episodes at an additional cost. Other Power Vision features give users access to news headlines, sports scores, and much more on the fly. The ACE’s crisp, bright screen and high-speed EVDO network give viewers a worthwhile media experience. In addition, software can be downloaded directly to the ACE by clicking the “Sprint Software Store” icon which links to Handmark’s mobile Web store. Customers can find, download, and buy software, games, ring tones, graphics, and other Windows Mobile applications simply and securely. Additional titles are available for the desktop PC at softwarestore.sprint.com. Wireless e-mail is available from multiple corporate and personal e-mail accounts, including POP3 and IMAP. Users can also set up wireless access to Microsoft Outlook e-mail with a direct connection to Microsoft Exchange Server 2003. File Viewer allows viewing of MS Word, Excel, and PowerPoint documents. The Text Messaging Enabled feature allows you to send and receive text messages across the room or across the country.

Should it be your ACE? tended battery is available as an optional accessory.

Windows Mobile and Sprint applications The Sprint/Samsung ACE ships with the Windows Mobile 6 Standard OS and software suite built in and ready to use. The applications include Mobile Outlook (Calendar, Contacts, Messaging/Inbox), Mobile Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), Media Player Mobile, Pictures & Videos,

If you need a world phone with high-speed data while in the States, and you are looking for a solid, sleek smartphone, the ACE may just be your perfect upgrade. While partial to touch screen devices, this is the first Windows Mobile Standard device I have used that is truly a one-handed device. The improved button design and the ergonomic QWERTY keyboard are more reasons to add Sprint’s ACE to your short list of global phones. n

Spec Sheet: Samsung ACE Price: $199 (with 2-year service contract, after $100 mail-in rebate)

Contact, purchase at: Sprint.com

Pros

Evaluation score total:

7.25 (out of 10)

Thin and ergonomic device with improved QWERTY keyboard

Form and Style/Size

1.5 (out of 1.5)

Fast processor for a non-touch screen device

Battery Life

1.5 (out of 1.5)

Stability

1.5 (out of 1.5)

Connectivity Options

0.25 (out of 1.0)

True world phone with CDMA for the U.S. and unlocked GSM for the rest of the world

Cost

0.5 (out of 1.0)

Bright, brilliant screen great for Sprint TV

Cons

Speed

0.5 (out of 1.0)

Lacks Wi-Fi

Warranty/ Support

0.5 (out of 0.5)

Lacks built-in GPS

Compelling hardware and software features

0.25 (out of 0.5)

Included accessories

0.25 (out of 0.5)

No EVDO Rev. A upgrade will be offered Proprietary AC/USB Sync/Headphone port

Included software

0.25 out of 0.5)

Things missing from the device that should have been there

0.25 (out of 0.5)

Significant specs (Full specs in At A Glance, pages 78-85) Hardware CPU/Memory

312 MHz Qualcomm MSM6500, 64 MB RAM, 128 MB flash ROM

Wireless

CDMA (800/1900 MHz) / EVDO data; Unlocked GSM (800/1800 MHZ) / GPRS; Bluetooth 2.0, (no Wi-FI)

Keyboard Display

37-key QWERTY thumbpad 2.3-inch QVGA color (non-touch screen)

In the package

Samsung ACE smartphone, 1,300 mAh battery and battery cover, AC charger, two charger adapters (for U.K. and Europe), wired headset, USB data cable

Software Operating System

Microsoft Windows Mobile 6 Standard

Microsoft apps

See At A Glance, page 78

Third-party apps

Sprint TV, Sprint Software Store, Phone As Modem Service Plan

Jun/Jul 2008

S MARTP HO NE & P O CK E T P C

Smartphones and Pocket PCs

MWg Atom Life This attractive WM 6 Professional device incorporates an unlocked GSM phone, fast processor, and plenty of memory. by Tim Hillebrand

ometimes you can tell a book by its cover, as is the case with the MWg Atom Life. It comes packaged in an attractive blue box with a substantial magnetic flap cover. Lift the cover and you’re presented with an attractive smartphone cradled in the center of a blue field. To its right you find an abbreviate list of its rather substantial specs.

Traditional PDA layout The MWg Atom Life is a small Windows Mobile 6 Professional device. Although it incorporates an unlocked GSM phone, it has a traditional PDA layout without an integrated QWERTY thumb keyboard or number pad. It ships with a comprehensive printed user manual, a set of comfortable ear buds with extra pads, several international plug converters, an AC charger, a USB sync/charge cable, an extra stylus, and a Getting Started CD. Sadly, there is no carrying case or cradle provided with the device. Also, it is an unlocked GSM phone, which means that you must provide your own SIM card before the phone will function. Above the 2.7-inch color QVGA touch screen you’ll find an LED panel that lights up when your battery is low and when you’re charging your device or receiving incoming messages. To the left of the LED panel is the lens for a front-facing camera, which allows you to take self portraits. It can also be used for video phone calls, but unfortunately, no U.S. wireless carriers support this feature yet. Below the display is a five-way navigation button flanked by six hardware buttons: the left and right soft keys, the Call and End Call buttons, and buttons that activate the Start menu and Windows Media Player. The last button can be reprogrammed by the user to launch other applications. Stereo speakers flank the hardware buttons. On the top left edge of the device is an opening for attaching a wrist-loop lanyard. About an inch below it you’ll find two volume control buttons, and the infrared port is located at the very bottom of the left edge. The stylus silo is located on the top right edge of the device. Below it are two additional application launch buttons. By default, these activate the voice recorder and the built-in digital camera, 14

but like the Media Player button, they can be reprogrammed. A miniSD card slot is located on the top edge of the device, along with the power on/ off button. A 2.5 mm stereo headphone jack is located on the bottom edge of the device, along with a recessed soft reset button and a standard mini-USB connectivity port. On the top back of the Atom Life we find the lens aperture for another 2.0 megapixel camera along with a small self-portrait mirror and a mini-LED strobe flash (a nice feature that’s missing on many other devices). Finally, the battery cover on the back of the device lets you access the 1,530 mAh removable battery; the SIM card slot is located under the battery.

Sleek and powerful device nestles in your hand Without question, the Atom Life is a handsome unit that begs to be taken home. It’s a sleek, shiny black device that nestles in your hand as if it belongs there. It’s also responsive and quick, thanks to its 624 MHz Intel processor. Finally, it has one gigabyte of onboard flash ROM, 795 MB of which is available for file storage. You can bring plenty of reference documents, PowerPoint presentations, digital images, videos, and music files with you wherever you go. Most smartphones do not come close to this kind of power. It’s obvious that this machine is designed for a serious business user, but multimedia/ gaming users would like it as well. The builtin FM radio is a nice touch, but it only works when the ear buds or another stereo headset is plugged into the 2.5 mm audio jack. (I wish device manufacturers would stick to the more standard 3.5 mm jacks.) Interestingly, when the buds are plugged in, you can tap on the headset icon in the lower left corner of the screen to listen through the built-in stereo speakers. I was disappointed that I could not get the FM radio to play through Bluetooth to headphones, but I was able to use them to listen to Media Player music. There are so many nice features built into this unit. I love the voice dial and wireless management applications. The brilliantly clear 2.7-inch screen is nice too. I also appreciate a

S M A RT P H O N E & POCKET PC Jun/Jul 20 08

device that connects via mini-USB port, which allows me to use inexpensive and readilyavailable cables from third parties instead of expensive proprietary cables. I also like the idea that it’s an unlocked device, which lets me slap in my own SIM card and be in business. It’s too bad that the phone’s video conferencing capability is not yet supported by U.S. carriers. Hopefully, our hodgepodge of competing carriers will get their act together soon so we can catch up with the rest of the world. Finally, I was initially disappointed that such a powerful device did not have a QWERTY keyboard. However, I accepted it and soon found myself texting away with the help of TenGO (tengo.net), one of a number of excellent third-party soft input panels available for touch screen devices. Timothy S. Hillebrand, Ph.D., president of Synergetics International, is an archaeologist and mobile technology enthusiast who enjoys writing archaeological adventure novels, traveling, and working in his Japanese garden. He is a blogger and the Windows Mobile editor for Handheld Computing Magazine. He has contributed hundreds of articles and reviews to various publications. He offers a workshop for the legal profession on how to become e-legal, e-literate, and e-mobile. His e-mail address is: chief@synergetics.org.

MWg Atom Life Smartphones and Pocket PCs

Great unlocked value

Atom life includes a number of add-on applications, including FM Radio, Image Editor, and Voice Speed Dial.

WM 6 Professional and other software The Atom Life incorporates Microsoft’s Windows Mobile 6 Professional software, which includes the mobile OS, Outlook and Office Mobile applications, and a number of other productivity and entertainment applications. (A more complete description of this is available in the At A Glance section of the magazine, beginning on page 78.) It also has a number of excellent third-party applications built in, including the ClearVue PDF viewer, FM Radio (lets you control the built-in FM tuner), Image Editor (lets you in-

sert frames and text, and make other simple modifications to photos and images stored on your device), Equalizer (lets you tweak the audio quality), JAVA Midlet, Search, Setup Wizard, Self Diagnostics, GPRS Monitor, Wi-Fi utility, Voice Speed Dial, and a nice wireless manager application. It also includes and Auto Configurator utility that attempts to create the proper settings for GPRS, WAP, and MMS when you insert a SIM card. Unfortunately, this application is not set up for the United States yet—you must enter all these settings manually.

Tech support was a problem when I first received the unit—there was none in the U.S. Since then, e-mail support has been initiated and MWg promises that more robust support will follow. MWg plans on releasing two new Windows Mobile 6.1 devices in June. They will have slower processors, less memory, and a single built-in camera. But the Atom 5 will feature built-in GPS, and the Zinc II will offer a slideout keyboard and GPS. MWg is a new kid on the block in this country but well-known throughout the rest of the world. With an exclusive distribution contract, expansys-usa.com is the place to buy MWg devices. Because it’s sold as an unlocked phone without a wireless carrier subsidizing the price, the Atom Life is a little more expensive than something you buy from Sprint or Verizon. But $399.95 is still a very good price for a device with so much power and so many features. n

Spec Sheet: MWg Atom Life Price: $399.95 (unlocked device sold without service contract)

More info: mwg.com; Purchase at expansys-usa.com

Pros

Evaluation score total:

7.7(out of 10)

Small, well designed device fits easily in your pocket

Form and Style/Size

1.5 (out of 1.5)

Battery Life

0.5 (out of 1.5)

Stability

1.0 (out of 1.5)

Powerful processor enhances performance Plenty of onboard file storage space

Connectivity Options

1.0 (out of 1.0)

Built-in FM radio

Cost

0.8 (out of 1.0)

Dual cameras

Speed

1.0 (out of 1.0)

Cons

Warranty/ Support

0.5 (out of 0.5)

Compelling hardware and software features

0.5 (out of 0.5)

Included accessories

0.3 (out of 0.5)

No built-in QWERTY keyboard makes text entry more difficult Video conferencing capability not supported by U.S. carriers Battery life not good

Included software

0.3 (out of 0.5)

Things missing from the device that should have been there

0.3 (out of 0.5)

Significant specs (Full specs in At A Glance, pages 78-85) Hardware Processor

624 MHz Intel PXA 270 processor

Memory

64 MB RAM, 1 GB flash ROM (795 MB of which is available for file storage), miniSD card slot for memory expansion

Display Wireless

2.7” 262 K QVGA TFT LCD Tri-band GSM, Dual-band UTMS, HSDPA & EDGE data (must be supported by wireless network), Bluetooth 1.2, 802.11 b/g Wi-Fi, IrDA, FM Radio

Input

Soft-keyboard and onscreen dialer only; No physical keyboard/number pad

In the package

Atom Life, battery, stylus, ear buds with extra pads, international plug converters, AC adapter/charger, USB sync/charge cable, extra stylus, Getting Started CD, printed user manual

Software Operating System

Microsoft Windows Mobile 6 Professional

Microsoft apps

See At A Glance, page 78

Third-party apps

ClearVue PDF viewer, FM Radio, Image Editor, Equalizer, JAVA Midlet, Search, Setup Wizard, Self Diagnostics, GPRS Monitor, Wi-Fi utility, Voice Speed Dial, Wireless Manager, Auto Configurator. Jun/Jul 2008

S MARTP HO NE & P O CK E T P C

Smartphones and Pocket PCs

S m a rt p h o n e I n si d e r Smartphone Insider provides the inside scoop on today’s hottest smartphones, including strengths and weaknesses, problems and solutions, user feedback, news, and tips & tricks.

by Dan Hart & David Seagull

HP iPAQ 110 & 210 PDAs

n a temporary departure from past editions of Smartphone Insider, this edition will focus on two Windows Mobile devices without built-in phones: the HP iPAQ 110 and 210. The 110 and 210 are widely considered to be the top standalone PDAs currently available and have garnered quite a bit of attention from mobile enthusiasts since their release in late 2007 and early 2008. Also referred to as the iPAQ 111 or 114 and 211 or 214, they are the first PDA-only devices to be released in the U.S. in almost two years.

Strengths • 110 is very light and thin: only .54 inches thick and one of the lightest available (3.7 ounces) • 210 has the largest and clearest display available (4-inch VGA) • 210 has largest capacity standard battery on the PDA market today: 2,200 mAh • 210 has both a mini-USB port and a 24-pin connector for charging and connectivity • 210 is rated to withstand five-foot drops Both iPAQs • Updated PXA310 624 MHz processor that is faster than the older Intel 624 MHz processor • 32 GB expandability available with SDHC/IO card. The 210 also has a CF card slot. • 256 MB of flash ROM built in • Solid and durable

Weaknesses • The Up button on the 210’s D-pad can be difficult to press due to a design flaw. • Some reviewers have complained about the lack of volume and clarity of the external speaker on the 210. • Some CF cards may cause a battery drain in the 210. • Users complain about poor battery life on the 210.

Limitations & Solutions • Neither iPAQ has dedicated soft keys; however, the Calendar and Messaging hardware buttons can be remapped to serve as the left and right soft keys under Start >Settings >Buttons, which aids one-handed use. • The 210’s touch screen requires a little more force to be applied to it to enter commands than on other devices, which can cause some initial annoyance. With time, however, this issue proves to be less noticeable as you get used to it. • If both iPAQs are turned off or automatically go into sus-

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pend mode with Wi-Fi on, they take substantially longer than other devices to turn back on (2-4 seconds). If you want to avoid this, turn off Wi-Fi before you turn either device off; this way they shouldn’t take as long to turn back on. Also note that when both iPAQs do come on after the brief delay, tests have shown that they are immediately available for use (as opposed to some devices that power on immediately but have a delay before responding to screen taps). • Some have found that the 210’s battery life is less than desirable, since it may wear down before a full day’s usage of Wi-Fi, e-mail, and media playback. An extended battery (with twice the capacity) is available for the 210 from lionbattery.com and other online vendors. An extended battery for the 110 is also available. Note that using an extended battery will require a bigger back panel; the larger battery and panel extension will add size and weight to the devices.

Tips & Tricks • Remember that under Start >Settings >Buttons, both iPAQs have the ability to remap the three hardware buttons to perform up to six functions, three with a standard press and three more with the secondary pressand-hold function. • Both iPAQs have a light

HP iPAQ 110 and 210 Smartphones and Pocket PCs

S m a rt p h o n e I n si d e r sensor that automatically adjusts screen backlight settings to the ambient brightness, which saves battery life. To enable this setting, go to Start >Settings >System tab >Backlight >Brightness tab and select the Auto Sensor On checkbox. • Enabling the ClearType option on the 210 (Start >Settings >System tab >Screen >ClearType tab) makes a noticeable difference in smoothing out the pixilation of text. • Both iPAQs have a Voice Notes hardware button that will open a new Voice Note when pressed, which adds the convenience of being able to quickly record something with the use of one hand. The Voice Notes button is located on the left side of the 210 and on the right side of the 110. Note that the microphone aperture is located on the bottom side of both devices to the left of the connectivity port(s). • Both iPAQs have a built-in BT Phone Manager application that allows you to connect to an Internet-connected cell phone via Bluetooth and use it for connecting to the Web. Go to Start >BT Phone Manager, and your device will load the Configuration screen (tap

Yes when the prompt pops up). On the next screen, there is a list of cell phones that you can choose from. After choosing one, directions will be provided on the following screen to connect to the specific phone.

Odds & Ends • The 110 and 210 (as well as accessories) can be purchased directly from HP at shopping.hp.com/handheld for $299 and $449, respectively. The iPAQs are also available from other online vendors like expansys-usa.com and amazon.com. They are also carried by electronics vendors such as Circuit City, Wal-Mart, Target, Sears, and others. • Both iPAQs ship with a leather slipcase. If you want a different case, there are a number of online vendors, including ipaqcases.com, pielframa.com, and pdair.com. n

Software and Accessories

Windows Mobile Meets Apple OS X Syncing Windows Mobile device data with Apple OS X computers by Mike Riley

ue in part to the market’s tepid response to Microsoft Vista and Apple’s phenomenal success with their iPod and iPhone products, Apple’s Mac computer line is becoming more visible among the technical and executive ranks. However, many of the same users are reluctant to trade in their Windows Mobile smartphone for an iPhone because of the latter’s limited data synchronization capabilities and limited third-party software offerings. This becomes a problem for these users because Apple’s OS X does not provide built-in support for synchronizing Address Book and iCal calendaring/scheduling data with Outlook on Windows Mobile devices. Fortunately, several commercial solutions exist that not only help solve these issues but also enhance the experience beyond basic syncing needs.

program in this article that had problems running on it. The safest bet is to download and install the Free Edition first to make sure its basic synchronization features work with your Mac and Windows Mobile device. SyncMate is spec’d to work with Mac OS X 10.4 and higher and sync with both touch and non-touch screen devices running Windows Mobile 5 or a later version of the OS.

Fig. 2: PocketMac’s Device Selection asks for the size, not the model, of a user’s WM device.

PocketMac

Fig. 1: SyncMate Expert Edition ($39.95) adds iTunes and iPhoto synchronization and other features.

SyncMate SyncMate (eltima.com) is available in two versions. The Free Edition allows you to sync documents, text messages, Contacts, and Calendar entries between your Windows Mobile touch screen device and a Mac OS X computer. The Expert Edition adds iTunes and iPhoto synchronization and other features (see Fig. 1). Priced at $39.95, the Expert Edition is similar in price (and features) to its strongest competitor, Missing Sync. SyncMate installation was straightforward and ran well on an older G4-based Apple computer, but it failed to recognize my Windows Mobile device when I installed the program on an Intel-based MacPro. It recognized the USB port but failed to activate its synchronization routine when I plugged either my iPAQ 6315 or HTC Advantage into the computer. Alas, this could be related to its 1.0 entry, as this is the youngest product in this category. It’s possible that the MacPro I tested SyncMate on had issues of its own, since SyncMate was not the only 18

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PocketMac for Windows Mobile 5/6 (pocketmac.net) also helps solve the Windows Mobile to OS X data synchronization problem. Priced at $29.95, PocketMac offers most of the features found in competing programs and has some not found anywhere else. For example, it includes Excel Mobile and Word Mobile viewers that are useful for those Mac users who do not have Microsoft Office installed on their computers but need a way to view Excel and Word documents that were created on their Windows Mobile devices. The most recent version of PocketMac supports Windows Mobile 5 or higher devices. Users of older Pocket PCs will have to get the Windows Mobile 2002/2003 edition, and multiple device owners like me, with older and newer devices, will have to shell out $60 for both versions of the product. I haven’t tried installing both versions on the same Mac, but I’m concerned that there might be conflicts between the two since PocketMac’s online knowledgebase indicates a problem (as well as a solution) regarding the existence of multiple PocketMac Ports that can block the devices’ visibility to the program. As with SyncMate, I also had problems getting PocketMac to work Mike Riley was previously employed by RR Donnelley as the company’s Chief Scientist, responsible for determining innovative technical approaches that improved the company’s internal and external content services. Mike is a frequent contributor to several technical publications and specializing in emerging technologies and new development trends. Mike was also the co-host of Computer Connection, a technology enthusiast show broadcast on Tribune Media-owned CLTV. You can contact Mike at mike@mikeriley.com.

Software and Accessories Windows Mobile Meets Apple OS X correctly on an Intel-based MacPro running the 10.5 (Leopard) release of Apple’s operating system. PocketMac has released an update to its program specifically optimized for Leopard compatibility (pocketmac. com/updates.php), but even that version failed to synchronize properly with my HTC Advantage (I had no problems with the Tiger version, however). Granted, the Leopard version I tested was still considered beta, so hopefully these issues will be resolved soon. It also perplexed me to see the program’s “Device Locator Assistant” configures device type based on the display size and appearance rather than the actual model of Windows Mobile device I had (see Fig. 2). In addition to Calendar and Contacts, PocketMac also synchronizes music and photos with the Mac user’s iTunes and iPhoto libraries, respectively. Setting up these associations is as easy as checking a box (Fig. 3).

In summary, PocketMac is an adequate product for OS X Tiger users. Leopard users (the OS that currently ships with every new Macintosh computer today) should consider waiting until PocketMac releases a final, fully supported Leopard version before considering the product. Additionally, while the issue of needing different versions of the program for multiple devices and the problem I had syncing with the HTC Advantage are probably only important to a small percentage of Windows Mobile users, they do lessen the strength of my recommendation for this product.

Fig. 4: The main screen of the Missing Sync application for Windows Mobile. Fig. 3: PocketMac Synchronization options are easy to activate and offer the ability to save music and photos to a Windows Mobile removable storage card.

Missing Sync

Running on Tiger, the program worked as advertised, and while not as peppered with colorful icons and dialogs compared to the competition, PocketMac’s options are easy to identify and activate. Options to synchronize photos and iTunes music in addition to the usual Calendar, Contacts, Tasks, and Web Favorites worked consistently.

Priced at $39.95, Missing Sync for Windows Mobile 5/6 (markspace. com/missingsync_windowsmobile.php) is one of the more expensive Windows Mobile syncing solutions available. However, it also proved to be the most reliable solution. I had no problem installing it on the older PowerPC and the Intel platform running OS X 10.5, and it detected both of my Windows Mobile devices on both platforms. Missing

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Windows Mobile Meets Apple OS X Software & Accessories

Fig. 5: Running a virtualized version of Windows XP on an Apple OS X host.

Fig. 6: Running Microsoft ActiveSync in VMware’s Unity Mode.

Sync is one of the most established solutions in this space, offering a wide range of device and operating system support. It also offers a broad and flexible range of synchronization options, including an integrated e-commerce shopping tab for Windows Mobile users seeking an easy way to directly purchase and install commercial Windows Mobile applications. The interface is easily accessible yet packed with helpful information and flexible options (see Fig. 4).The only thing I didn’t like about the program was its application activation scheme, which locks the program to a specific computer and device. Users have to remember to de-authorize the program before installing it on another computer. If they don’t, they will have to contact Mark/Space for additional assistance. Overall, Missing Sync was the clear winner in the battle of the native OS X Windows Mobile sync solutions and one I heartily recommend. However, another option exists for owners of the Intel-based Mac computers.

which can be freely downloaded and perform such diverse functions as network monitoring and Web application servers, Fusion is my top recommendation for OS X users seeking a virtualization environment.

Create a virtual Windows PC on your Mac with VMware Fusion For those OS X users fortunate enough to own a newer Intel-based Apple computer, there is another approach to Mac-Windows Mobile synchronization: “virtualization.” This refers to the fact that an Intelbased OS X Mac can run software that turns it into a virtual Windows PC (see Fig. 5). You can then install ActiveSync (or any Windows synchronization solution) on the Mac. Two products exist that allow you to do this on the OS X Intel platform: Parallels Software’s Parallels solution and VMware’s Fusion program. Even though Parallels was the first virtualization program commercially available for the Intel-based OS X platform and brought several innovations such as their Coherence mode (what VMware calls “Unity”) and the ability to run 3D accelerated games inside a Windows virtual machine, Parallels is relatively unknown on non-OS X platforms (even though like VMware, Parallels offers versions that run on Windows and Linux as well). Of the two companies, VMware is clearly the market leader in the virtualization technology arena, and their Fusion program ($79.95: vm ware.com/products/fusion) ships with a stunning set of features, including the aforementioned “Unity” mode that melds a specific Windows application, such as ActiveSync, onto the OS X desktop, making it look like a fully native OS X application (see Fig. 6). Considering VMware’s market position, their commitment to the OS X platform, and their vast library of Virtual Appliances (pre-packaged virtual machines), many of

The drawbacks of virtualization Expense is one drawback of this approach. You not only have to purchase the $80 Fusion program, you also have to pay for a valid version of Windows XP or Vista to install on the Mac. This approach is far more expensive than the other solutions discussed in this article. The second and more serious drawback is that, while the synchronization solutions available to a Windows PC are more robust, they only allow you to sync with personal information managers running within the Windows Virtual machine. Mac OS X applications like Mail and iCal and the file systems they use have no connection to the virtual Windows environment. Thus, while virtualization might keep your Microsoft Exchange and authentication/authorization backend servers happy, it won’t make life any easier for the OS X user seeking a way to synchronize their schedule, contacts, and files between a Windows Mobile device and the OS X platform.

A true Mac companion Thanks to the solutions presented in this article, users of Apple OS X computers can use their WM device as a true Mac companion. As mentioned, OS X users with an Intel-based Mac can create a virtual Windows PC on their Mac and run ActiveSync or other Windows-based synchronization software. This is the most expensive solution discussed, requiring the VMware Fusion software, Microsoft’s Windows XP or Vista licenses, and the Windows version of Outlook installed on the Mac. It has the disadvantage of not being able to sync with Mac OS-based Personal Information Managers. If you’re looking for a free solution, check out SyncMate. If you need iTunes and iPhoto synchronization, consider purchasing SyncMate’s Expert Edition, but only if the Free Edition works for your device. As mentioned, there are a couple versions of PocketMac available. To find out which one is suitable for your device, check out the “Which PocketMac is for Me” page (pocketmac.net/devices_by_manufacturer. html). Unfortunately, a free demo version of PocketMac is not available. Based on my experience with the program, I think this product needs a demo version so you can test it first to make sure it works with your version of the Mac and your Windows Mobile device. Finally, readers seeking the most compatible, problem-free program should take a close look at Missing Sync. n Jun/Jul 2008

S MARTP HO NE & P O CK E T P C

Software and Accessories

Mobile World Congress 2008 New devices, software, accessories, chipsets, and more at the world’s largest mobile exhibition. by Werner Ruotsalainen

’d like to welcome all our readers to my report on Mobile World Congress 2008. MWC is the world’s largest exhibition for the mobile industry. Up until this year, the event was known as the 3GSM World Congress; this is why it is still often referred to as 3GSM. One of the first things I did was to meet with the folks at Spb Software House. They demoed the latest 2.0 version of Spb Mobile Shell, an alternate and customizable user interface for Windows Mobile touch screen devices. I plan to post a review of it and some similar programs on the blogs sometime in the future. I also had the pleasure of meeting with some of the top folks from i-mate, a worldwide vendor of Windows Mobile devices. Originally, HTC manufactured all of i-mate’s devices, but that relationship ended a year ago. In spite of rumors being circulated online, i-mate’s representative confirmed that they would not be switching back to HTC as their device manufacturer. I also asked them about their decision to use the Intel PXA 270 processor in some models of their Ultimate line, instead of the newer Marvell PXA310/320 CPUs. They said they were investigating using the Marvell processors in future devices.

Microsoft announcements I met with Microsoft’s John Starkweather and asked him about the rumors of talks with Microsoft and Nokia. I’d love to see a high-end Nokia phone similar to the N95, N82, or the just-announced N96 but powered by Windows Mobile. Unfortunately, it looks like it’s unlikely that Nokia will offer a Windows Mobile phone any time in the near future. However, Sony Ericsson did announce the XPERIA X1, a multimedia-friendly WVGA touch screen device powered by Windows Mobile. I also attended Microsoft’s press conference, which took place on Monday afternoon. The most important news here—in addition to the Sony Ericsson XPERIA announcement— was Microsoft’s statement that it was going to invest far more resources toward enhancing the gaming and entertainment capabilities of Windows Mobile—a long-awaited move. They were also showing MSN Direct in action at the press conference. MSN Direct is a digital service that allows portable devices to receive information from MSN services. Af22

ter the conference, I met with the MSN Direct folks to learn more about it. It’s similar to a RSS client that uses some kind of a bandwidthfriendly push protocol to receive real-time updates. Currently, MSN Direct client software is only available for the Windows Mobile 6 Standard (non-touch screen) smartphone (phone. msndirect.com/phone/index.html). However, they promised a touch screen version very soon; I’ll also announce this when it becomes available.

Portege is designed to be used as a clamshell device only—you cannot rotate the screen to Portrait mode for one-handed PDA use. The keys on the QWERTY thumb keyboard are pretty easy to use, but the screen was fairly small compared to the physical size of the lid. This seems to be a problem with other new clamshell-only Windows Mobile devices, such as the Asus M930(W) (a.k.a. P930).

i-mate Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1 A big crowd was gathered around the Sony Ericsson booth to look at demos of the new XPERIA X1, a Windows Mobile 6.1 touch screen device with a custom “Panels” user interface. I won’t go into detail here because the XPERIA is covered in a separate article on page 10.

Toshiba Portege G910/920 I also had a chance to play with the new Toshiba Portege G910/920, a Windows Mobile 6 Professional device. The most interesting thing about this series is the 3-inch wide WVGA (800 x 480 pixels) touch screen display. (The XPERIA X1 also has a WVGA touch screen.). Also of note is the fact that the

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I-mate was finally showcasing their new Ultimate 8502 and 9502, in addition to their somewhat older 8150 and 6150. The 8502 has a QVGA display, but the other three have VGA touch screens. For more on the advantages (and disadvantages) of these devices, go to our blogs (smartphonemag.com/blogs) and search on “i-mate’s new devices.”

Samsung SGH-i780 This model was the most interesting Windows Mobile device at the show, particularly for fans of smartphones with thumb keyboards on the face of the device (like the Treo, BlackBerry, and some Windows Mobile smartphones). The SGH-i780 is a big step ahead of the other squarescreen Windows Mobile devices in that it has a larger-resolution (320 x 320 as opposed to 240 x 240) square screen and the latest-andgreatest PXA310 Marvell CPU. The downside of this device is that the square screen is not compatible Werner Ruotsalainen is the world’s leading expert on WM software. In addition to being Best Software Awards Nominations Manager and administrator and lead/blogger for the Smartphone & Pocket PC magazine blogs, Werner is an MS Mobile Devices MVP and works for ITConsult-Pro (itc.hu), an IT consulting company. werner@SmartphoneMag.com

Mobile Word Congress 2008 Software & Accessories with most legacy games, the battery life isn’t great, and it includes a touchpad instead of a hardware D-pad. For a more detailed review, go to our blogs and search on “SGH-i780.”

core and fixes two of the biggest omissions in the browser. It now has the ability to save complete Web pages and find text within the pages.

Other Windows Mobile devices I saw at the show I saw a number of other interesting new Windows Mobile devices at the show, including: Gigabyte MS808: Gigabyte’s new VGA flagship model features a lot of goodies, including the new Marvel PXA310 CPU and a DVB-T/H and DMB TV receiver. E-TEN V900: Based on Samsung’s new S3C6400 chipset, the V900 is another multimedia-oriented Windows Mobile touch screen device with a VGA screen and a DVB-T/H and DMB receiver. As with the Gigabyte MS808, see the separate “Digital TV” section in this article for more info. MDA Compact IV: This T-Mobile device has a VGA screen and is similar in form factor to the HTC TyTN and AT&T Tilt. It has pretty nice specs too—certainly worth a look if you’re a T-Mobile subscriber and you can put up with VGA on a small screen. Asus P750: Asus’ new touch screen phone is certainly worth paying attention to. It has a small 2.6-inch screen that is capable of displaying VGA, but must be hacked to do so. For more info on the VGA hack, go to our blogs and search on “P750.” The info is also available on the MoDaCo.com forums. If you’re looking for a relatively cheap VGA device with a keypad on the front, and can put up with the small display, make sure you check it out. HTC X7510 (Athena/Advantage): This is a spiced-up version of the old X7500/7501 model with 16 GB of flash memory instead of the 8 GB microdrive found in the original. It has a slightly reworked QWERTY keyboard, but it’s not much better than the one found on the X7500 series. It’s a large device—too large for me! HP iPAQ 210: This is HP’s new WM 6 Classic device—a PDA without phone capability. The 210 has a large 4-inch color VGA touch screen and a fast 624 MHz processor. Some users have reported low speaker volume. It’s thicker than its predecessor, the highly-regarded iPAQ hx4700, but it’s currently one of the only large-screen VGA devices available running Windows Mobile. (The other is the HTC X7500 series mentioned above.)

Software and accessories Opera Mobile 9.5 I spent a lot of time at Opera’s booth looking at one of the biggest hits at the show—the recently-announced Opera Mobile 9.5. The mobile version of their popular Web browser is based on a complete upgrade of the Opera

Opera Mobile 9.5 has the ability to load saved Web pages. Once saved, Web pages can be loaded from the “Saved pages” menu within Opera Mobile. They also have a new and very useful Favorites synchronization feature, which I did not get to test, but is working very well in the desktop version of the browser and Opera Mini. The new version lets you zoom in and out of the page view using the stylus or via a menu option. It also has an accelerating scroll feature, similar to the one found on the iPhone’s Safari browser. Finally, the address auto-completion feature has also been enhanced; instead of displaying a drop-down menu, Opera Mobile now shows you a full “Known links” page containing both the title of the page (when it has one) and the URL. This is definitely an improvement over the previous method. Bluetooth There have been several new and interesting Bluetooth products at MWC; most importantly, Bluetooth A2DP headphones and external amplifiers/speakers. All major Bluetooth accessory manufacturers came up with devices of interest, ranging from Nokia to Plantronics. One of the most interesting products was Plantronics’ Voyager 855, a traditional Bluetooth headset easily convertible to a pair of full (stereo) A2DP headphones—without adding bulk. The lack of an external receiver, the price, and the very low weight make this a nice choice, should you like in-ear headphones. Nokia, in addition to showing the successor of their popular HS-12W, the fairly expensive BH-903, and the over-the-ear headphones, also showcased their new external Bluetooth amplifier and a DVB-H transmitter (more on this in the “Digital TV” section). Jun/Jul 2008

The Sennheiser folks, which run probably the most famous and popular audiophile headphone brand, announced a brand-new earbud model—their first A2DP product (which will be released later this year). I really hope the sound quality will be on par with the high-end Sennheiser wired earbud headphones. Samsung has also announced the SBH-700 and SBH-500 at CES; LG showed their HBS250 over-the-ear phones and the MSB-100 A2DP speakerphone. See smartphonemag.com/blogs/ index.php?p=2486 for more information.

Kingston Technologies’ SD card slot adapter (left) and 4 GB microSDHC card (right) Kingston memory cards Kingston Technologies was showcasing their latest products at MWC, including a new 4 GB microSDHC card, which I will review on the blogs. Unfortunately, they didn’t have any firm dates on when they would release their 12/16 GB microSD cards. The most I could get out of them was “sometime in 2009.” (SanDisk has already announced and sent samples of the 12 GB card to hardware manufacturers for compliance/conformance testing.) Five years ago, when I first tested their 128 MB SD card, I found that the data write speeds were very slow. Fortunately, this is not the case with their current models.

Digital TV Digital (mobile) TV was one of the most popular topics at MWC. There are several new systems worth checking out, including DVB-H (Europe, Asia, Australia, some South American countries, Modeo in the U.S., etc.), T-DMB (South Korea and Germany), and 1Seg (Japan). Unfortunately, there haven’t been any new MediaFLO-compliant devices, let alone ATSC receivers—at least not for Windows Mobile, which means with the exception of DVB-H solutions, Windows Mobile users in the U.S. are pretty much left out in the cold. There is no news on the DTMB (a.k.a. DMB-T/H; used in China and Hong Kong) front either. DVB-H is currently the most widely approved digital mobile TV standard, and there have been several new smartphones sporting a DVB-H receiver. The most important of them are Nokia’s N78 and N96, which run the Symbian OS. The high-end N96 even has hardware video, sound decoding, and good S MARTP HO NE & P O CK E T P C

Software & Accessories Mobile Word Congress 2008 battery life—hopefully this is the route Windows Mobile manufacturers also go. Nokia has also showcased their new external DVB-H transmitter, but it’s only compatible with some of their Symbian smartphones, and currently there are no plans to make it compatible with Windows Mobile. Some new, high-end DVB-T/H & T-DMB solutions for Windows Mobile were announced or showcased at MWC. These include the Gigabyte MS808 and the E-TEN (now Samsung) V900. Unfortunately, neither of the units on display were in working order. Both of these models support, in addition to DVB-H and TDMB, the much more widely deployed (but not exactly mobile-friendly) DVB-T. Unfortunately, it seems you can either have DVB or DMB, but not both. That means, if you purchase a DVB-T/H-enabled device, you won’t be able to use it in a country using DMB. The opposite is true for DMB-enabled devices. (Note: I will publish a Digital TV Bible in the near future. Check the “Menneisyys” section of our blogs to find it.)

New chipsets for Windows Mobile devices Chipsets (also referred to as CPUs) are the heart of every computing device. The newer chipsets are faster, consume less power, and offer more features (3D graphics accelerator, H.264 video decoding, etc.). There were several very interesting chipset announcements at MWC. The most important ones are as follows: TI OMAP 3: The new OMAP 3 chipset is much more powerful than its TI predecessors. For example, it supports H.264 decoding and 3D graphics acceleration out of the box, along with a lot of other goodies. And, it’s already in mass production. Nvidia chipsets: Nvidia has announced that they will come out with a full application chipset consisting of not only a graphics accelerator (as was the case with its older Windows Mobile chipsets), but a full hardware platform. They have already demonstrated its HDTV decoding/playback capabilities and an iPhone-like 3D user interface. Unfortunately, we’ll have to wait at least 9-10 months to see actual devices based on it. Samsung chipsets: A year after the announcement of their S3C6400 platform, which will be used in the E-TEN/Samsung V900, Samsung announced the new and considerably better S3C6430 chipset. Among other things, the new chipset will incorporate 3D graphics acceleration and much lower power usage. Let’s hope the new chipset finds its way to Windows Mobile devices as soon as possible. Qualcomm chipsets: Qualcomm also announced a new chipset, but the specs are pretty vague at this point. However, it looks like they

will lack XGA output and (with the lower-end versions) 3D acceleration. Again, as new information becomes available, I will post it on the blogs.

Not Windows Mobile, but of interest

From left to right: i-mate/HTC Universal, Skype Phone, HTC S310/Oxygen, Nokia N95. Skype Phone Skype was showing off a non-functioning prototype of its yet-to-be-released Skype Phone. It will be relatively inexpensive (about $150). You can expand storage memory on the Skype Phone using microSD cards, but you must remove the battery to do this. Interestingly, the phone makes its Skype calls over a GSM voice connection—it does not have integrated Wi-Fi! The only way this might be a less expensive solution is if Skype introduced an alternate protocol that greatly reduced their bandwidth usage, so that their services could be used on low-speed EDGE connections. However, they did not discuss any plans to do this.

Readius has a flexible, folding display that may be the wave of the future. Polymer Vision I also saw a demo of a phone-eBook reader combo device called Readius by Polymer Vision (polymervision.com). The Readius had a

S M A RT P H O N E & POCKET PC Jun/Jul 20 08

promising new flexible display technology that folds over the device to close. Most eBook readers are based on the Linux OS, but the Readius is built on Windows CE. It won’t directly run Windows Mobile applications, but Windows Mobile developers would have a relatively easy time recompiling their applications to support the new device. This is very good news because Windows has thirdparty CHM support, while Linux doesn’t. This means it will have support for several eBooks not readable by the other dedicated eBook readers. Readius has a tri-band GSM phone built into it, with GPRS, EDGE, UMTS, and HSDPA data capability. It also has Bluetooth 2.0, but lacks Wi-Fi. Readius does not ship with a Web browser, but it’s not a locked system. If a third-party browser were available, it could be installed on the device and you would be able to browse the Web over a GPRS or 3G data connection. All in all, this device has a lot of potential. However, the developer needs to improve the foldable display. Currently, it doesn’t display PDF docs well because its effective screen resolution is about 350 x 280 pixels, which is considerably worse than on the other eBook readers. The Polymer Vision folks promised that the final version will be released in the second half of this year and will have a higher-resolution screen. No word yet on the price, but they seem to be targeting a high-end user, so it probably won’t be cheap. See smartphonemag.com/ blogs/index.php?p=2478 for more info. n

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Touch Dual

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X7501

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Microsoft Windows Mobile 6 256MB ROM/128MB RAM 240 x 320 pixels Quad-band GSM/GPRS Tri-bandHSDPA/UMTS • Micro SD • Bluetooth/WiFi

Microsoft Windows Mobile 6 256MB ROM/128MB RAM 240 x 320 pixels Tri-band GSM/GPRS, HSDPA/UMTS: 2100 MHz • Micro SD • Bluetooth

Microsoft Windows Mobile 6 256MB ROM/64MB RAM 240 x 320 pixels Quad-band GSM/GPRS HSDPA Video/Stills Camera Bluetooth/WiFi

Microsoft Windows Mobile 6 256MB ROM/128MB RAM/8GB HDD 640 x 480 pixels Quad-band GSM/GPRS Tri-band UMTS, HSDPA Video/Stills Camera Bluetooth/WiFi/GPS

$72995

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S630

TyTN II

N810

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Shift

• • • • • • •

Microsoft Windows Mobile 6 128MB ROM/64MB RAM 320 x 240 pixels Quad-band GSM/GPRS Tri-band UMTS, HSDPA Video/Stills Camera Bluetooth/WiFi

Microsoft Windows Mobile 6 256MB ROM/128MB RAM 240 x 320 pixels Quad-band GSM/GPRS UMTS, HSDPA Video/Stills Camera Bluetooth/WiFi/GPS

Maemo Linux OS2008 2GB In-built RAM 800 x 480 pixels Built in GPS Micro SD / MiniSD VGA Camera Bluetooth/WiFi

$89995 eXpansys code: 150276

7” inch widescreen display 30GB hard drive QWERTY keyboard Windows Vista Business OS Windows Media Player 11 Tri-Band UMTS/HSDPA WiFi and Bluetooth 2.0

$49995

$80995

$46995

Pre-Order

eXpansys code: 149749

eXpansys code: 159149

eXpansys code: 151713

eXpansys code: 150277

E90

E61i

Atom Life

X800

• • • • • • •

Symbian S60 3rd Edition 128MB user memory 800 x 352 pixels Quad-band GSM/GPRS, WCDMA Micro SD Video/Stills Camera Bluetooth/WiFi/GPS

Symbian S60 3rd Edition 60MB user memory 320 x 240 pixels Quad-band GSM/GPRS Micro SD Video/Stills Camera Bluetooth/WiFi

Microsoft Windows Mobile 6 1GB ROM/64MB RAM 240 x 320 pixels Tri-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE Dual-band UMTS/HSDPA Video/Stills Camera Bluetooth/WiFi

$90495

$40495

$51495

eXpansys code: 146173

eXpansys code: 146176

eXpansys code: 161051

Microsoft Windows Mobile 6 256MB ROM/64MB RAM 640 x 480 pixels Quad-band GSM/GPRS, HSDPA Micro SD Video/Stills Camera Bluetooth/WiFi/GPS

$59995 eXpansys code: 146997

Some devices are available with a T-Mobile activation - visit www.expansys-usa.com/tmobile Regardless of what kind of mobile device you’re using or thinking of buying, one thing is for sure - you’re going to need Flash memory to save all the photos, music, documents, email attachments, videos, ringtones and anything else you keep on your device. Kingston’s family of Flash memory solutions are affordable, high-quality ways to save your precious information. Buy Kingston memory products now at www.expansys-usa.com/kingston

We also stock these accessories: Power Adaptors Car Kits Card Readers Expansion Packs Mounts Memory Upgrades Screen Protection Battery Upgrades Cables & Cradles GPS Add-ons Cases Headsets Stylus Packs Keyboards ...and much more

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Software and Accessories

Favorite Accessories

They protect my Windows Mobile device, add capability, and make using it easier and more enjoyable.

Mike Riley is an advanced computing professional who specializes in emerging technologies and new development trends. You can contact Mike at mike@mikeriley.com.

by Mike Riley

have owned a Windows Mobile device since the original “Windows CE Handheld PC” was introduced nearly ten years ago. In that time, I have seen hundreds of hardware and software innovations flourish within the Microsoft mobile ecosystem. I have shared some of my favorite software titles in past articles, and introduced readers to a number of hardware add-ons that make Windows Mobile devices more usable. What are my favorite accessories? The current countdown begins with…

5: Styra–Ballpoint Pen $19.95 boxwave.com One of the most useful improvements I’ve made to the various touch screen devices I’ve owned is investing in better styli. My father gave me a Cross pen set when I graduated from college, and that gift has set my expectation for what a high quality writing tool should be. Unfortunately, nearly all of the styli bundled with Windows Mobile products simply don’t have the weight and satisfying tactile feel of quality writing implements. I wasn’t the only dissatisfied customer, and early on companies began offering replacement styli for touch screen handhelds. My current favorite is the Styra from Boxwave. It not only delivers better balance, but also includes a ballpoint pen hidden under its cap, for signing hotel registers, deposit slips, etc. Best of all, it fits in the stylus silo on your device. (When you order it, make sure and specify the device you will be using it with.) No, it doesn’t have the same feel as a Cross pen, but it’s light years ahead of the plastic sticks that ship with devices.

4: PDair Aluminum Metal Case $28 pdair.com I also recommend getting a good carrying case for your device. Most ship with a simple slip case, but you want more protection than that. The best source I’ve found for quality cases is PDair. Their selection is astounding—they have cases for virtually every make and model on the market. I selected their aluminum case for my HP iPAQ 6315. I could see that careful engineering went into its design—they cut access areas in just the right places without exposing too much surface area of the device. My iPAQ fit snuggly into the padded case, which protected the device and kept it free of scratches. A holder for a spare SD card is located on the inside front cover of the case. 28

S M A RT P H O N E & POCKET PC Jun/Jul 20 08

My 5 Favorite Accessories Software & Accessories PDair cases are available in a variety of styles, including metal cases, leather wallets, flip cases, clear plastic cases, and more. Whenever a new Windows Mobile user asks me where they can go to buy an attractive, high quality case, I point them to pdair.com without hesitation.

3: BlueAnt X5 Stereo Bluetooth Headset $119.99 myblueant.com I took a look at this extraordinary A2DP-compliant stereo Bluetooth headset for an article I wrote a few issues ago, and it quickly became my wireless headset of choice. The BlueAnt X5 achieves the perfect balance of excellent sound quality and full-featured functionality—all in a headset that supplies hours of use. Another nice touch is the Bluetooth connectivity LED, which pulses subtly to indicate when the headset is paired with your Windows Mobile device. (Many competing products overdo this.) The X5’s high-tech black contour design collapses into a tight package when not in use. Ultimately, headphones are judged by their sound quality, and the X5 excels in this. The deep bass, rich treble, and full tones cover the sound spectrum—few other stereo Bluetooth headsets can match it.

2: ScotteVest Evolution Jacket $150 scottevest.com A backpack or gadget bag could accommodate the mass of mobile devices and accessories I have accumulated over the years, but bags are easy to steal and bulky to carry around. Perhaps worst of all is the image of a beat-up bag, with drawstrings and zippers everywhere, bouncing on my back or by my side as I walk into a meeting—definitely not “business casual!” Fortunately, the talented designers at ScotteVest have created a line of attractive jackets and vests that allow you to carry a plethora of devices with you, hidden away in pockets but easily accessible at all times. One of their more chic designs is the Evolution jacket shown right. The Evolution combines utility and good looks, allowing me to carry my favorite mobile devices and accessories with me, unnoticed. It also gives me confidence knowing that I can walk into a business or social situation looking like a professional rather than a high-tech geek. The Evolution is a well constructed jacket made of high quality materials—it certainly makes brisk Chicago mornings considerably more tolerable.

1: Visiontac VGPS-700 Bluetooth GPS Receiver $199 visiontac.com Portable GPS receivers have been around for a while, but in recent years they’ve become smaller, less power hungry, and more accurate. In addition, the majority of the currently available GPS receivers incorporate Bluetooth connections to mobile computers, PDAs, and smartphones. The Visiontac VGPS-700 is an example of the best of this new breed. As you can see by the image, it’s incredibly small—small enough to be attached to a keychain, slipped into a pocket, or clipped on to my iPAQ’s carrying case. It employs a SiRFstar III chip set, which makes GPS signal acquisition lightning fast. The built-in lithium polymer battery powers the device for 8-12 hours—a remarkable amount of time for such a small device. It would be great if Visiontac added data logging capability to the VGPS-700 for those who occasionally need to retrace their steps. But it’s an excellent receiver as is, and has made my travels easier. I highly recommend it for anyone needing to add GPS capability to a Bluetooth-enabled Windows Mobile device.

Top 5 for early 2008 These are my favorite hardware accessories as of early March, 2008. You’ll notice that they fall into five general categories: styli, cases, headsets, carrying solutions, and GPS receivers. If the specific products I reviewed don’t suite you, look for others within those general categories. I don’t anticipate this top five list changing drastically in the near future, but you never know when a new “game changing” accessory will be introduced. Until it does, I’ll stick with these five accessories. They’ve made my mobile life easier and more productive than ever. n

Jun/Jul 2008

S MARTP HO NE & P O CK E T P C

Software and Accessories

Pull the { power} Plug Charge your Windows Mobile device anywhere... ...without using the standard power adapter. by Daniel Hanttula

he AC power adapters that ship with Windows Mobile devices are usually bulky, ugly, and expensive to replace. Fortunately, there are a number of third-party power solutions that are more portable, more stylish, less expensive, and offer far more functionality. Because there are dozens of products in this category, you should be able to find a solution that will let you “pull the plug” on your antiquated adapter and upgrade to a more “powerful” charging solution.

Three-in-one charging systems Perhaps the most versatile option for the mobile user is a three-inone charging system. This type of system, available from a number of manufacturers, lets you charge your device from an AC outlet, a DC outlet (like a car’s cigarette lighter or the power port available on many airlines) and a PC’s USB port. Some products even include foreign adapter plugs and support the higher voltages used in some countries. Three-in-one solutions cover almost every type of power source and let you recharge your device just about anywhere. VersaCharger Pro from the Boxwave Corporation is one of my favorite three-in-one solutions. It connects to an AC outlet or plugs into a vehicle’s cigarette lighter adapter and provides power to your device through a USB port. An optional “airplane adapter” lets you connect VersaCharger Pro to the proprietary power outlets available on some airlines. (According to SeatGuru.com, 125,000 seats on 40 different airlines have these power outlets.) Boxwave has found that many of the sync cables that ship with the newer devices (like the Moto Q, AT&T Tilt, and T-Mobile Dash) are not capable of working as a charging adapter, so you might need their miniSync or DirectSync cable to connect your device to VersaCharger Pro. Figs. 1 & 2: The VersaCharger Pro (left) combined with the miniSync cable (far left) allows you to charge your Windows Mobile device using AC, DC, or USB power. The VersaCharger Pro (Fig. 1) has been designed so that it doesn’t block the second port on a wall outlet, like the previous version did (and some other brands do). It can handle 110 or 240 volts, so you can use it just about anywhere in the world. (You will need a plug adapter to use it with European or Australia/New Zealand outlets.) The unit comes with a cap to protect the cigarette lighter plug, and the wall plug prongs fold into the housing to protect them during travel 30

S M A RT P H O N E & POCKET PC Jun/Jul 20 08

and to keep them from damaging other items packed with the charger. The system incorporates an “Intelligent Chip” that prevents overcharging of your device, and this latest version of the product provides more power (up to 5.5 volts DC) for the more power hungry devices. The VersaCharger PRO can be purchased directly from the Boxwave Web site (boxwave.com). The charger by itself is priced at $25.95. You can purchase it with a miniSync cable for $35.95 and with a miniSync cable and the airplane adapter for $47.47. Other three-in-one charging solutions Other three-in-one solutions are also available, including the JAVOMetaCharger ($16.99; javoedge.com) and the Lil’ Sync Penguin Charger ($24.95; PocketPCTechs.com).

Comprehensive charging systems The next step up from a three-in-one solution is a comprehensive charging system. These units are generally larger and more cumbersome, but you only need one system for an entire bag of gadgets. Your Windows Mobile device, MP3 player, Bluetooth headset, portable GPS receiver, digital camera, and laptop PC can all be recharged from a single system.

Fig. 3: The iGo everywhere85 (bottom of the image) packs enough power to recharge your laptop and Windows Mobile device at the same time, from a single AC or DC outlet. While the iGo everywhere85 (Fig. 3) from Mobility Electronics looks a little like the standard AC power adapter that comes with a laptop PC, its stylish silver finish and retracting cord are anything but standard. But what really sets it apart from other power adapters is its ability to charge your laptop PC and a second device at the same time. This can be an invaluable benefit when you’re fighting for power outlets in a busy airport! It’s also a very versatile product. When you’re on the road or in the air, you can change a cable and connect iGo everywhere to the DC outlet in your car or power outlet available on most planes. In addition, you can change the tips (small custom-designed connectors) at the end of

Pull the {Power} Plug the power cable and charge almost any mobile device on the market. The iGo everywhere automatically adjusts the current and voltage to the appropriate settings for each device. The iGo everywhere85 is priced at $129.99 and ships with the iGo dualpower accessory (for charging two devices at once) and connector tips for many popular laptop models. Tips for most mobile phones, PDAs, MPG players, portable gaming devices, and other mobile devices can be purchased separately for $9.99 each. All of these items can be purchased from iGo’s online store (igo.com) and many nationwide retailers including Best Buy, Brookstone, and Radio Shack. Other versions of the “everywhere” power kit, with higher and lower power production, are available on the iGo Web site as well.

Portable battery recharging system Another innovative idea is the USB Powerstick from Ecosol Solar Technologies. Powerstick is a portable battery that recharges itself via a PC’s USB port. I realize that if you’re on the road and are recharging a portable battery from your laptop PC, it’s like “borrowing from Peter to pay Paul.” But it does reduce the number of AC power adapters you have to bring with you. You only need one to power the laptop; you can keep the rest of your mobile devices charged via the Powerstick. It’s actually a great solution for world travelers. In addition, because USB is a worldwide standard, you can charge the Powerstick from someone else’s PC anywhere you are. Fig. 4: The USB Powerstick recharges when inserted into your laptop’s USB port and uses a custom cable to connect to and recharge your device. Because Powerstick is slightly larger than a pack of gum (Fig. 4) and weighs only 1.4 ounces, it can easily travel with you in your pocket. To recharge it, you simply insert its USB connector into any PC’s USB port. Powerstick has an 8-bar LCD power gauge that indicates when it is completely charged. (It takes about 90 minutes to charge it to 90% of its 750 mAh capacity.) To charge your device, remove Powerstick from the PC, attach the appropriate cable, connect it to your device, and press charge button (the only button on the device). The device comes with eight phone connection cables, an iPod cable, and a miniUSB cable (which recharges many of the current smartphones). A complete list of phones that are compatible with the Powerstick is available on their Web site (powerstick.com/catalog/ function_compatibility.php). Ecosol Solar Technologies Inc. claims that the sealed Lithium Polymer battery is good for more than 1,000 recharge cycles. The USB Powerstick is available directly from powerstick.com for $69.95; it’s expected to be available in stores by summer 2008. Other portable battery charging solutions A large number of similar products are available, but most of these solutions require that you use the longer and more unwieldy sync cable that came with your device to connect it to the battery. In addition, they require a separate cable to connect the battery to an AC or DC power source. Products in this category include APC Mobile Power Pack ($69.95; apc.com), JAVOedge High Capacity Portable Battery Charger ($49.95; javoedge.com), Mobile Power Pack ($69; pocket pctechs.com), and Mobile Device Charger or Mobile Device Charger Micro ($58.95 and $44.95 respectively; proporta.com).

Software & Accessories

Disposable power solutions If you don’t want to bother with the before-mentioned charging systems, a power source with disposable batteries may be the best solution for you. These devices use readily available alkaline batteries to recharge your handheld. Because of this, they can be an especially practical solution when you’re in a foreign country and don’t want to bother with plug adapters or power converters. And because they don’t use an expensive rechargeable battery or require electronics for converting AC to the appropriate DC voltage, they’re priced much lower than the other solutions in this article. Fig. 5: The Lil’ Sync AA Battery Adapter is designed to recharge your device using standard double-A batteries. One of the most feature-rich disposable power units available is the Lil’ Sync AA Battery Adapter (Fig. 5) from Pocket PC Techs. This unit accepts four standard AA batteries, which can be disposable alkalines or rechargeable NiCAD, NiMH, or LiIon batteries. (The latter three battery types must be recharged by a separate charger.) This battery type flexibility can help keep your costs down. For example, you might use NiCADs with the device for most situations, and purchase disposable alkalines if your trip is extended and you run out of charged NiCADs. The device features a special Voltage Reduction Circuit that allows you to configure the device for the type of battery being used with it. This protects the electronics in your Windows Mobile device by providing the correct amount of current to it. It also allows Battery Adapter to completely deplete a set of alkaline batteries so that you get every last “drop” of power transferred to your device. The Lil’ Sync AA Battery Adapter is priced at $19.99 and is available directly from pocketpctechs.com. It can be used with the sync/ charge cable that came with your Windows Mobile device or an optional Sync-N-Charge cable ($20). Other solutions with disposable components A number of other disposable power solutions are available for Windows Mobile devices, including Battery Adapter Pro ($22.50; boxwave. com), Energi To Go Instant Cell Phone Charger ($19.99; retail availability listed at energizer.com), iGo powerXtender ($15.99; igo.com), Turbo Charge ($19.99; turbocellcharge.com), and USB Battery Extender ($7.99; apc.com).

Solar solutions If disposable batteries seem like a waste of natural resources, you might take a look at solutions to power your device by converting the sun’s rays into electricity. Forget power outlets and external batteries, and leave your AC adapters behind. These ecologically friendly solutions are perfect for extended camping trips and other situations where access to batteries or power outlets may not be available. The Solio Classic (Fig. 6) from Better Energy Systems is a folding set of solar panels that charge an internal 1,650 mAh rechargeable battery. The Solio’s internal battery can hold its charge for up to a year. Once charged, you can use that battery to recharge most mobile devices twice. The unit ships with a Mini-USB tip that will connect to many Windows Mobile devices. In addition, a variety of additional “tips” are available that allow you to connect to and recharge a Sony PSP, GameBoy, GPS system, digital camera, and other devices. Better Energy Systems also offers the Solio Magnesium Edition, a more ruggedized product that can better handle the impacts and shocks Jun/Jul 2008

S MARTP HO NE & P O CK E T P C

Software & Accessories Pull the {Power} Plug short) that powers the system is filled with a mixture of alcohol, sodium borohydride, and alkaline, which the company claims isn’t harmful to the environment, even if the battery is thrown away. But Medis includes battery recycling information with the unit and the box is pre-addressed to ship to a recycler (you must pay the postage). Alternately, the DLFC can be recycled at your local battery recycling center. The DLFC cell is only slightly larger than a deck of playing cards and has a two-year shelf life. That means you can store it for two years, without activating it, and not lose any power. You activate it by removing a safety strap and squeezing the case. Then you plug the power cord that comes with Power Pack into the battery and connect it to your phone or PDA (Fig. 7). This creates a “draw” on the system and the power pack begins to produce energy. According to Medis, it can recharge a cell phone up to ten times. The specifications provided by the manufacturer show that the DLFC cell has a 4,500 mAh capacity, the largest of any of the battery-powered systems featured in this article (see chart at the end of this article).

Fig. 6: The Solio Classic is one of three alternate-power charging systems from Better Energy Systems LTD that harnesses the sun’s rays to recharge your Windows Mobile device. of outdoor use. This product is compatible with iGo power tips (covered in the “Comprehensive charging systems” section of this article) which means it is compatible with a vast number of devices and should continue to be well-supported as new devices enter the market. The Magnesium Edition has a slightly more capable 1,800 mAh battery built into it. The Solio Hybrid 1000 has a longer and wider single panel design and a less capable 1,200 mAh battery. Its advantage is that it can be clipped to your gear and will charge the battery while you’re hiking or biking. The other Solio chargers have a fold-out design that is less conducive to this type of mobile use. The Hybrid 1000’s battery can also be charged via a USB port when connected to a computer. The Solio Classic is priced at $99.95, the Magnesium Edition at $199.99, and the Hybrid 1000 at $79.95. All three are available on the Better Energy Systems online store (store.solio.com). Each includes a different set of device connector tips (check solio.com for more information). If a tip for your device does not ship with the charger, it is probably available for $9.95. Other solar power solutions Another solar powered recharging solution is offered by SOCO (soco. it). Their Oasi K2 + (135 Euros; approximately $250) incorporates a large solar panel that produces more power than the other products in this section. According to the company, it can charge a cell phone within one hour and produce enough power to run some cell phones directly from the solar panel.

Green proprietary battery systems A “proprietary” battery system is any unit which includes a special battery created by the manufacturer and a custom-designed cable system to connect the battery to your Windows Mobile device. Perhaps the most ecologically-friendly proprietary system is the 24-7 Power Pack from Medis Technologies. The Direct Liquid Fuel Cell (or DLFC for 32

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Fig. 7: The 24-7 Power Pack is a “green” battery that will recharge your device multiple times and then can be turned in for recycling. The 24-7 Power Pack “Starter Kit” (with one DLFC battery, the charging cable and connection tips for an iPod, Treo, and mini-USB devices) is available for $29.99 from poweritanywhere.com. Additional fuel cells can be purchased for $19.99 and additional tips for the system (there are more than a dozen, including tips for other phone models, the Sony PSP, DVD players, and more) are less than $5 each.

Purchasing advice Before you purchase any of the solutions listed in this article, you should do a little homework. Most of these solutions do not work with all Windows Mobile devices, and because of the nature of making a universal power accessory, there are a number of questions you should find answers to before you make a purchase: • Do they offer a cable or tip for your specific make and model of phone? • Is a cable included with the power accessory, or do you have to purchase it separately? • Do I live in, or travel to, a locale with special AC power adapter (unique plugs) or power conversion (different voltage) considerations? Have I checked to make sure that the power accessory I’m purchasing is certified to work under these conditions?

Pull the {Power} Plug Software & Accessories

COMPARE

Dimensions (inches)

Weight (oz)

Output voltage

Battery Capacity

Max output current

Power from

Lil Sync USB AA Battery Adapter with VRC

1.6 x 5.2 x .77

1.4oz (4.8oz with batteries)

5.6 (Alkaline) approx. 5 (NiCAD/NiMH)

N/A

1200 mA

AA batteries (4)

iGo everywhere85

6.1 x 2.5 x 1.3

Varies*

N/A

Varies*

AC/DC

Medis 24-7 Power Pack

3.8 x 2.67 x 2.23

6.5

3.6 - 5.45

4500 mAh

220mA

Proprietary fuel cell

Solio Classic

4.7 x 1.3 x 2.5

5.6

4 - 12

1600 mAh

1000mA

Rechargeable battery with built-in solar charging system

USB Powerstick

.93 x 4.13 x .59

1.4

750 mAh

700mA

Internal Lithium Polymer battery

VersaCharger Pro

4.01 x 1.77 x 1.61

2.5

5.3 - 5.5

N/A

1000mA

AC/DC/USB

* The iGo everywhere85 changes the output voltage and current based on the “tips” that are connected to it.

Comparison chart

Read about my “real-world usage” reviews

Above is a sample chart comparing the main products discussed in this article. To get the most out of it, familiarize yourself with these technical terms: Output voltage: This is the voltage that the power accessory recharges your device at. Ideally, you want this to be as close as possible to your device’s voltage requirements (check your user manual or manufacture’s Web site for this information). If a power accessory has listed your device as compatible, it should be providing the proper voltage to your device. Battery Capacity: This can be compared to the size of a car’s gas tank, but instead of gallons, battery capacity is measured in “MilliAmpere hours” (mAh). The higher the mAh rating, the more energy a portable battery stores. So, for example, a charging solution with a 1,600 mAh rating should be able to completely charge a Windows Mobile device with a 1,200 mAh battery (and have some power left over). A solution with a 4,500 mAh rating should be able to fully charge the same Windows Mobile device at least three times. Maximum output current: If battery capacity is comparable to the size of the gas tank, the maximum output current is comparable to the diameter of the pipe that transfers the gasoline to the car’s engine. Higher powered devices demand more output current; for example, if you use the device while it is charging you won’t drain the battery.

If you’d like even more information on these products, I’ll be writing on-the-road reviews on my blog (go to smartphonemag.com/blogs and click on “Hanttula.”). I’ll test each product extensively as I travel the world and only use one charging system each week, without the backup of my original AC power cord or the standard USB sync cable. You can read about my experiences, tips on which devices are the best in their category, and my suggestions for the perfect solution for specific travel scenarios. So go online and check out what I’ve been testing today. They’ll be titled starting with “Pull the (power) plug review.” n

Jun/Jul 2008

S MARTP HO NE & P O CK E T P C

Software and Accessories

Keep Critical Information Secure with eWallet 6.0 The latest version of Ilium Software’s electronic wallet program offers greater security and incorporates some of the best features of a former competitor. by Clinton Fitch

hether its PIN numbers, bank account information, passwords, or credit card numbers, the vast majority of us have an ever-expanding amount of confidential information that we need to keep secure. If we don’t, we open ourselves up to credit card fraud, identity theft, and other hazards. This problem is compounded by the fact that today’s world is very mobile. For example, I carry around much of my personal information with me on my Windows Mobile device so I can access it quickly if the need arises. But my mobile device is small, and it’s relatively easy to misplace it or have it stolen. For me, keeping that information secure is of paramount importance. Over the last few years, I have used eWallet Professional from Ilium Software to keep my personal information secure. It is one of a number of “electronic wallet” applications that let you store, organize, and password-protect personal info on your Windows Mobile device. Ilium recently released eWallet 6.0, a significant upgrade of the program that adds many useful features. (This review looks at the touch screen version of the program; a version with similar features is also available for non-touch screen smartphones and Palm OS devices.)

Enhancements to eWallet As with previous versions of the program, eWallet 6.0 allows you to password-protect your personal information. However, the new version increases this protection to 256-bit AES FIPS encryption (the current U.S. Government standard). This protection applies to both the Windows Mobile and the desktop PC versions of the program. Additionally, you can now configure eWallet to perform an automatic backup of your wallet file each time you close or lock the application. This means that you no longer have to worry about losing data in the unlikely event of a corrupted wallet file. You can also synchronize your wallet file to remote locations from the desktop PC version of the program via the Secure FTP feature. By doing this, you effectively create an offsite copy of your wallet. Why is this important? Suppose you have your laptop PC and your Windows Mobile device in the same bag and it is stolen at the airport. Although your equipment would be 34

Fig. 1: A PC version of eWallet ships with the Professional Edition of the program.

lost, you would still have your wallet information safe and secure on a server, which you could access once you get eWallet re-installed on another PC. One of the more exciting new features is still in beta. Ilium is working on a system called eWallet Web Companion. It allows you to access your wallet file, stored on a secure site, from Windows Mobile, BlackBerry, iPhone, or any Web-enabled mobile device. It has multiple layers of security and encryption so you can be assured your vital information won’t get out in the public. When it’s released, you’ll be able to access your personal information from a public PC or another mobile device without having to install eWallet on it. More information about this feature is available on Ilium Software’s Web site (iliumsoft.com/site/ ew/ew_olbeta.php). Finally, Ilium worked with the folks at WebIS in the development of eWallet 6.0. This new version of the program incorporates some of the best features of WebIS’s FlexWallet program, including the outstanding FlexWallet icons. In addition, you can import FlexWallet data files into eWallet 6.0. A full description of the process is on the Ilium Software Web site (iliumsoft.com/site/ew/ew_fwmain.php). More integration of FlexWallet features into eWallet will be coming later in 2008.

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Using eWallet eWallet 6.0 installs on your Windows Mobile device via an ActiveSync (Windows XP) or Windows Mobile Device Center (Windows Vista) connection. It requires approximately 4 MB of storage space on your device. The program is available for touch or non-touch screen devices running Windows Mobile 2003 or later. The “Professional” edition includes a desktop PC version of the program (Fig. 1) that occupies about 12 MB of hard disk space. By default, eWallet creates a start-up “wallet” on your device called “My Wallet.” You cannot rename this, but you can create additional wallet files from either the Windows Mobile or desktop PC version of the program. Once the PC version installed, you can synchronize eWallet data between the mobile and PC versions of the program. This is accomplished with the SyncPro application, which is built into eWallet. SyncPro works in conjuncClinton Fitch is a Microsoft MVP in Mobile Devices and owns Clinton Fitch (Dot) Com! and HPC:Factor. Clinton has been writing in the Windows Mobile community for nearly 10 years and can be found online participating in various forums and blogs including the Ask The Experts blog here at Smartphone & Pocket PC magazine. In his day job, Clinton is the Unified Communications Product Manager for Spanlink Communications. Clinton is married, has two teenaged children, and lives in the Dallas, Texas area. He can be reached at management@clintonfitch.com.

Keep Critical Information Secure with eWallet 6.0 Software & Accessories

Figs. 2 & 3: eWallet lets you save credit card, PIN numbers, etc., in a data card (left). The main Figs. 4 & 5: eWallet organizes your data cards into “Card Type” categories (left). When creating screen of the program displays a list of your cards, organized by category (right). a new card, select the appropriate category and a blank template is displayed, with the most common data fields for that type of card (right). tion with ActiveSync or Mobile Device Center to sync eWallet data between your device and PC. It also allows you to sync eWallet data with a server, an FTP site, or a USB thumb drive. One of the long standing advantages of eWallet over similar programs has been its ability to allow you to create virtually any type of data card to hold any type of data in your wallet file (Fig. 2). You can also categorize those cards to make navigation easier and to allow you to find your information quickly (Fig. 3). Included in eWallet are several builtin categories, including credit cards, automobile cards, password cards, ID cards, and other common card types. When you create a new data card, you are presented with a screen that lets you select the category of the card. Select the desired category and a blank card template is displayed, with the most common data fields used for that type of card. For example, if you select the Credit Card category (Fig. 4), you get a blank template with data fields that let you enter the Card Provider, Card Type, Card Number, etc. (Fig. 5). (Tip: You can rename the data fields by tapping and holding on the current field name.) Fill in the data fields, customize the appearance of the card, add attachments to the card, specify a background photo if you want, and select OK or Done. The final step is to enter the name of the new card. Note that if the built-in categories don’t meet your needs, you can create new categories easily. Select New >Menu >Category >New Category and fill out the data screen.

Top 10 List since 2004 because it’s easy to use and easy to customize. In addition, it has great online and live tech support. Ilium Software is one of the few companies that still offers toll-free phone support for their products. And when you ask them a question, they give you an accurate and reliable answer. Couple this with the product itself and you have a very compelling solution. The eWallet 6.0 standalone program (without the desktop PC component) is available for $19.95. The eWallet Professional program

(with desktop component with which you can synchronize data) is available for $29.95. A free demo version of the program is also available. You can purchase eWallet through a variety of online retailers, including the Smartphone & Pocket PC magazine online store (smartphonemag.com/swstore). You can also purchase it and find out more about it on the Ilium Software Web site (iliumsoft.com). n

Easy to use and customize; great tech support! It is hard to find anything to criticize about eWallet 6.0. It works exceptionally well and is a great way to keep your personal data secure, both on your PC and on your Windows Mobile device. This program has been on my annual Jun/Jul 2008

S MARTP HO NE & P O CK E T P C

Software and Accessories Get More from Windows Mobile

Create a Wireless Office Using Windows Mobile by Daniel Hanttula

hether you’re a hardcore road warrior or a desk jockey who would simply like to access work documents from the neighborhood Starbucks, you can turn your PDA or smartphone into a fully functional wireless office. Of course, Windows Mobile comes with all the basics to access your e-mail and documents, but with a few quick upgrades, you can make your handheld a powerful wireless office that opens the latest Office documents, verbally screens your calls, records your ideas, and even let’s you access information on your desktop computer when you’re miles away.

that person in your Contacts list. Obviously, it’s great to use this hands-free application while you’re driving, but it makes navigating through the Windows Mobile interface much easier in any situation. For example, saying “redial” calls the last number you dialed, and “callback” dials the number of the last person who called you. This is much easier than

appointments, Voice Command will announce your appointment subject and location instead of the usual reminder sound that’s played. You can even ask the software “What’s my next appointment?” and it will respond with the corresponding information for your next obligation. As its name implies, Voice Command lets

Create and read Office 2007 documents Until now, Windows Mobile devices were not able to open the new XML-based file formats (.docx, .xlsx, and .pptx) introduced in the desktop PC version of Microsoft Office 2007. But with the new Microsoft Office Mobile 6.1 upgrade, users can open documents saved in the Office 2007 format (Fig. 1), and save new ones in that format. The software also features new functionality, like enhanced charting capabilities in Excel Mobile and the ability to display SmartArt and themes in PowerPoint Mobile (Fig. 2). But, for most users, the compelling feature will be the ability to work with Office 2007 documents if your company is already working with the newest version of Microsoft’s Office suite. Microsoft Office Mobile 6.1 is available for Windows Mobile 5 touch screen devices with a build number higher than 14847 (tap Start >Settings >About to find your build number) and all Windows Mobile 6 devices (touch screen and non-touch screen). The upgrade is available for free for some users, and you can find out if you’re eligible by visiting Microsoft’s Web site (microsoft.com/win dowsmobile/software/officemobile/upgrade. mspx). Otherwise, you can purchase the upgrade at handango.com for $49.95 (search for “Microsoft Office Mobile”).

Hire a virtual secretary Another Microsoft application that will help you create a mobile office is Voice Command 1.6. This software uses voice recognition to respond to spoken commands that you give it. For example, saying “Call John Seabreeze at work” dials the work number listed for 36

Figs. 1 & 2: Microsoft Office Mobile 6.1 allows you to save files in the Office 2007 format (left) as well as the ability to use SmartArt and Themes in PowerPoint Mobile (right).

Fig. 3: Voice Command adds speech-activated functionality to many of the Windows Mobile applications. opening the Phone application, tapping the Call History button, and tapping on the last person who called you. Voice Command isn’t just limited to phone features. The software also adds commands for the Windows Mobile Calendar application so that you can ask your device “What is my schedule today?” and it will respond by reading you all of the day’s appointments in Calendar. And, if you set reminders for your

S M A RT P H O N E & POCKET PC Jun/Jul 20 08

you activate and control various features on your device with spoken commands. You can not only launch any application by speaking the program’s name, you can access features within the application. For example, speak the name of an album, artist, or genre to play it in Media Player Mobile. You can also say “play everything” to put your entire music collection into a playlist. If you hear an unfamiliar tune, say “what song is this?” to hear the name of the song and performing artist. You can also access your device’s system tools to ask for the phone’s signal strength, battery level, and time and date. Voice Command will even alert you when your phone’s battery is getting low. The software can act like a “virtual secretary” by announcing your incoming calls, e-mails, and appointment reminders. You can Daniel Hanttula has covered the handheld market for more than a decade, lecturing at PDA conferences, vertical market trade associations, and appearing on popular television series like TechTV’s Screen Savers show. He created an entire curriculum of Pocket PC training classes for the Moore-Norman Technology Center and has published hundreds of articles, including guest pieces for ZDTV, C|NET, Microsoft, Leo Laporte’s 2003 Technology Almanac, and other print media and online news sources. In March 2001, he published his first book, the Official Hewlett-Packard Pocket PC Handbook by IDG Books. He is the Head of I.T., U.S. for Engel & Völkers (engelvoelkers.com), one of the leading European real estate companies serving exclusive buyers and sellers of residential, commercial, and yachting properties. He can be reached via e-mail at danh@semperaptus.com.

Create a Wireless Office Using Windows Mobile Software & Accessories even set the software to read SMS messages aloud. And, the software can be configured to only speak during “free time” in your calendar, so your new assistant won’t disturb you during a meeting. Voice Command supports Bluetooth headsets, allowing you to access its features while your phone or PDA is stashed away in your briefcase, pocket, or purse.

Get More from Voice Command! You can configure Voice Command to only read e-mails aloud if they’re sent as high priority messages. Set this feature if you’re expecting a critical e-mail; when it comes in, Voice Command will read it aloud to you without any interaction on your part. This can be helpful if you’d like people to send you important updates while you’re in meetings or while driving, but don’t want to be disturbed with less important messages. Voice Command 1.6 is priced at $39.95 and is available for Windows Mobile 5/6 devices. (Note that it is built into some of the newer Windows Mobile 6 phones.) Installation requires 4 MB of storage memory and the program uses approximately 7 MB of RAM when its running. The U.S. version of the program is available for touch and non-touch screen devices. Currently, the French, German, and U.K. English version of the program are only available for touch screen devices. In addition, the Bluetooth feature requires a device with the hardware capability to route Bluetooth audio and implement Microsoft’s Bluetooth stack. More information about Voice Command, as well as “Buy” links are available on Microsoft’s Web site (microsoft.com/windows mobile/voicecommand/default.mspx).

Record ideas quickly, the instant you have them Windows Mobile devices are great for jot-

Fig. 4: Note2Self is a pop-up voice recorder that allows you to create a voice recording and then e-mail or save it with two quick key presses. ting down thoughts, ideas, discoveries, and just about anything that comes to mind while you’re on the go. Unfortunately, it isn’t always feasible to pull out the stylus or use the slideout keyboard to record a quick thought. Ideas can leave the mind as quickly as they come, so it’s important to be able to capture them quickly and without much effort. Note2Self instantly begins recording a voice note with a press of a hardware button that you define. This also causes the Note2Self main screen to pop up (Fig. 4), displaying the current recording time, and the file size of the recording. It also displays three soft buttons that allow you to stop the recording and send it to the e-mail address of your choice, stop and save the recording, or cancel the recording. Note2Self also solves one of the biggest pet peeves I have with Windows Mobile. The built-in Notes application on touch screen devices features a voice record capability. How-

ever, recordings and regular notes are listed together, making it more difficult to find the recordings. In addition, I prefer to have the most recent recordings displayed first in the list, and it’s difficult to do this. On a Windows Mobile device, you can sort a file list by Name (the default), Size, Type, and Date. But when you sort by Date, it displays the oldest files first and the most recent files at the bottom of the list. You can display the most recent files at the top of the list by selecting the Date option twice. As you can see, too many screen taps are involved in the process. Because I have Note2Self set up to send recordings to my own Inbox, the most recent recordings always appear there at the top of the list! I open the message, listen to the note, take any necessary action, and then delete the message. Very efficient!

Get More from Note2Self! If you have an actual assistant to whom you dictate letters, notes, and other information, you can enter his or her e-mail address into the Note2Self configuration. When you click the “Stop & Send” button, all the recordings you make will go directly to the assistant for transcription. This can also be a great way to quickly send notes to your spouse, or a fun way to communicate between friends. To create a private note for yourself, click “Stop & Save” instead. Note2Self can be configured to send the e-mails with voice recordings via ActiveSync, your wireless e-mail service, or the WebIS Note2Self Sending Service (an optional service available for a monthly fee). The program’s configuration menu lets you set the e-mail address and create a custom Subject line to include with the voice recording file attachment. By default, the program saves the voice note as a .wav file, which is a more universal format. However, you can set the application to record

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Jun/Jul 2008

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Software & Accessories Create a Wireless Office Using Windows Mobile

Figs. 5 & 6: DeskFinder provides a remote search to find any keyword (left) in e-mails, documents, Web history, and instant message history while the advanced search (right) lets you set more complex criteria to narrow your results.

PC if your handheld is misplaced or stolen. The Search screen (Fig. 6) includes tabs for e-mail, instant messages, files (like Word and Excel documents), and your PC’s Web page history folder. When the program returns search results, you can tap on any item to download the text or launch a URL (if the search result is a Web page). DeskFinder also includes an advanced search function that allows you to give more specific criteria to narrow the results or find a specific item. DeskFinder for Pocket PC (touch screen only) is available for $19.95 from SHAPE Services (shapeservices.com); a 7-day free trial is also available for download from their Web site. The software requires that Google Desktop (a free download available at desktop.google.com) is installed on the Internetconnected computer you wish to access. The DeskFinder PC software is available for Windows 98/ME/NT/2000/2003/XP. (I was not able to get the software to install on Windows Vista with Windows Mobile Device Center, but the company informed me they’re working on a Vista-compatible version.) The mobile software is designed for Windows Mobile 2003 and Windows Mobile 5 devices. (It did not work with the wireless features of my Windows Mobile 6 device.)

Get More from DeskFinder! Although the software’s taskbar icon displays when a Windows Mobile client is connected to your PC, you can also activate the DeskFinder Google Desktop sidebar plug-in that shows the time the connection was established and other critical information about logins, queries, and document access (Fig. 7). To activate the widget, click on the DeskFinder taskbar icon, and activate the “Enable plug-in in Google Desktop sidebar” option.

Want to “get more?” Fig. 7: The DeskFinder Google Desktop sidebar plug-in gives you detailed information on the connections made to your PC from a handheld device.

in the .ogg file format to reduce the size of the files that are being sent. Note2Self is available from Web Information Solutions (pocketinformant. com) for Windows Mobile 5/6 Standard (non-touch screen) smartphones and Windows Mobile 2003 SE/5/6 Classic and Professional (touch screen) devices. It is very reasonably priced at $9.95, and a free two-week trial version is also available. The WebIS Note2Self Sending Service is available for $5 per month for users that do not have a wireless e-mail account and wish to send their voice recordings OTA (over the air). A Wi-Fi network connection or a cellular data plan is also required to send voice notes OTA.

Access data on your PC from anywhere Have you ever saved a document on your office PC, gone home, and then realized that you needed it? If so, you’ll be grateful for DeskFinder from SHAPE Services. This software works with Google Desktop (a free download) to let you use your Windows Mobile touch screen device to connect to your desktop PC, search it for files (Fig. 5), and download them to your handheld—from anywhere in the world. When you run the installation program, it adds a desktop client to your PC, installs the DeskFinder application on your Windows Mobile device, and creates a “DeskFinder Service ID.” The Service ID is a unique code that prevents other people from accessing the documents on your PC. For security, you can only perform a remote search of your PC from a handheld that was physically connected to your computer during installation. You can also password-protect the handheld application, which will help prevent unauthorized access to your 38

S M A RT P H O N E & POCKET PC Jun/Jul 20 08

Are you an expert in a particular Windows Mobile technology and want to share your knowledge? Have you ever felt like you’re not taking full advantage of some feature of your handheld? In either case, send your comments to danh@semperaptus. com or rich@smartphonemag.com. We will try to make it easier to become a Windows Mobile power user! n

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Software and Accessories

Figs. 1 & 2: TouchPal has five tabs above the keys that let you quickly access its Figs. 3 & 4: TouchPal in Predictive mode features. You can enlarge the keyboard to make the keys larger and easier to hit. (above) and Precise mode (below).

Fig. 5: Tap on second tab to use the Numbers pad.

Fig. 6: Tap on third tab to use symbols and special characters.

TouchPal: One of the Best Soft Keyboards Plus a quick look at new soft keyboards from Dasur by Nate Adcock

“soft keyboard” program places a virtual keyboard on the touch screen of your Windows Mobile device, allowing you to enter text by tapping on the screen. A soft keyboard is built into all touch screen devices, but a number of third-party alternatives are also available. I have yet to find one that can match the speed and accuracy of typing on a near-full-sized portable keyboard like the iGo Stowaway Bluetooth Keyboard, but soft keyboards are definitely advancing. Recently, I came across TouchPal (from CooTek), as well as ThumbKey and SlideIT (from Dasur). These are some of the best soft keyboards on the market, but how do they compare to a physical keyboard? This review focuses on TouchPal, but I’ve included a brief section on the amazing capabilities of the Dasur programs as well. I conclude with a section that compares soft and hard keyboards.

TouchPal’s predictive and precise modes TouchPal (cootek.com) has a smart tabbed layout approach (Fig. 1) that lets you access the options of a full keyboard in a small screen footprint. The tabs let you quickly access the QWERTY keyboard and other features described later in the article. When first installed, the keys and tabs are barely large enough for fingers; fortunately, the whole thing can be resized (Fig. 2). In addition, you can switch your device to landscape viewing mode to make the keyboard more accessible (no resize in this mode, however), and the keyboard can also be shifted right or left of center, suiting your preference. The keyboard has two modes of entry: Predictive and Precise. In Predictive mode (Fig. 3), you simply start typing a word, and after a few letters TouchPal will display the words it “thinks” you need in the tabs above the soft keyboard. When the word you desire appears in one of the tabs, simply tap to enter it. If you make no selection and simply tap on the Space key, TouchPal enters what it “thinks” is the most likely word, which it has outlined in one of the tabs (note the highlighted word in Fig. 3). The program is amazingly good at “guessing” the correct word from the list as you type, allowing you to continue entering text without the distraction of constantly having to select words. In Precise mode (Fig. 4), you must manually select each character by sliding your finger or stylus over the keys. Each key contains a com-

bination of four characters from the standard QWERTY keyboard. For example, the first key in the upper left corner, below the tab bar, contains q, w, 1, and a semicolon. You move your finger or stylus up, down, right, or left to select the desired character. This mode is usually used for inputting passwords or URLs, going back to make corrections, etc. I was getting pretty fast using it as my standard text entry mode. You can quickly switch between the modes by sliding the Enter key upwards.

Learning to use TouchPal Using TouchPal in Predictive mode was frustrating at first because I thought you had to use the sliding motions. I ended up turning on the Precise input mode to get the hang of the keyboard first. The advantage of the Predictive mode is that you only need to enter a few letters of each word, and let the word guesser pick the best hit. You can enter text surprisingly fast in Predictive mode, but the speed usually comes at the price of accuracy. The faster you go, the more mistakes TouchPal makes, and you have to go back and fix incorrect words. After a frustrating first hour, typing with my fingers became a little easier, but I wasn’t able to enter text as fast as I can with my favorite full-screen soft keyboard, Sunnysoft Interwrite (sunnysoft.com). Fullscreen soft keyboards are okay for entering text in a Word Mobile document, for example, but don’t work as well with activities like chat because the keyboard occupies the entire screen and you have to switch between the keyboard and the program to send text. As mentioned, the TouchPal keyboard can be resized, which makes it easier to use. Unfortunately, the resizing feature only works in portrait viewing mode. The word-prediction engine is good but not perfect. For example, it can be a real pain to use when you’re going back to make changes, because it will suggest a word every time you enter a keystroke. I also found that it was easy to forget which text entry mode I was in. So, for example, if I thought I was in Predictive mode, but was really in Nate Adcock is a systems test and integration engineer with experience managing and administering a wide variety of platforms and network environments. He is a former military weather forecaster and has worked extensively with the Pocket PC OS and handhelds for several years. In addition to working on his own hobbyist blog (natescrap.blogspot.com), he is also a regular contributor to Smartphone & Pocket PC magazine’s Blogs and was an expert judge in our recent Best Software Awards 2007. natestera@mail.com Jun/Jul 2008

S MARTP HO NE & P O CK E T P C

Software & Accessories Hard vs. Soft: Which Keyboard is Best for You?

Fig. 7: In Professional version, tap on the third tab to use icons.

Fig. 8: Tap on the fourth tab to use direction pad.

Figs. 9 & 10: TouchPal’s Help/Options tab lets you tweak the basic options (left) and access a comprehensive Quick Start guide (right).

Tips on installing and configuring soft keyboards You install soft keyboards as you would any other third-party program, by downloading the program to your PC, establishing an ActiveSync/Mobile Device Center connection between your Windows Mobile device and PC, and clicking on the installation file. However, there are some things you should watch out for after you install the program: • Make sure your display is set to portrait (vertical) orientation before attempting to configure the keyboard options. If you don’t, some of the options at the bottom of the screen may not be visible. • The last soft input panel selected stays selected unless you perform a soft reset. After a reset, your device reverts to the standard soft keyboard as the default. Note, however, that TouchPal has an option that lets you set it as the default SIP. Some other soft keyboards also have this option, and you may be prompted to perform a soft reset after settting them as your default. • You may have problems getting the add-on keyboards to load properly when you have a large number of programs in your Windows/StartUp folder. The soft keyboard vendor’s site will have troubleshooting information to help you with this problem. It usually involves removing items from the StartUp folder, but you have to be careful doing this. Some of the items in the folder are associated with the Windows Mobile OS. The best way is to uninstall any third party programs you aren’t using, especially other soft keyboard programs. Another approach is to start your Windows Mobile device in “Safe Mode,” which starts your device without running any of the apps in the StartUp folder. This capability is not built into Windows Mobile devices, but you can add it with programs like Spb Pocket Plus (spbsoftwarehouse.com) or Airscanner PowerTools (airscanner.com). Precise mode, I’d end up entering lines of gibberish on the screen. Initially, I could type faster and more accurately with the Soft Input options built into my Pocket PC. But my speed and accuracy rapidly improved with practice. I found that I could do much better using TouchPal with a stylus than with my fingers, and I was fastest and most accurate laying my Pocket PC on a table or my lap and using two styluses simultaneously.

A ton of features The TouchPal tabs give you access to a ton of features—many more than you find in other soft input panels. However, several of these are only available in the professional version. Tap on the first tab to display 40

S M A RT P H O N E & POCKET PC Jun/Jul 20 08

Fig. 11: SlideIT (above) Fig. 12: ThumbKey (below)

the QWERTY keyboard, shown in earlier screenshots. The second tab provides access to a simple number pad with common arithmetic functions (Fig. 5). The third tab is particularly useful, allowing you to enter symbols, special characters, and a variety of smiley-face icons (latter only available in Professional version). It even has keys that let you enter common Internet domain notation, like @gmail, .com, .net, etc. (Figs. 6 & 7). Note that you can customize the third and fourth tab features in the Professional version of the program, adding your own smilies, boilerplate sentences, and hot-key combinations. For example, you can change the .net domain notation key to display .org or another address extension. You can’t change the .com button, however. The fourth tab lets you access TouchPal’s direction pad, which makes it easy to move around documents, and save your own keyboard commands (Fig. 8). I love it when a developer not only creates a feature-rich application, but takes the time to create a comprehensive and easy to use on-board Help feature for it. TouchPal’s Help/Options tab (Fig. 9) lets you tweak the basic options easily and access a comprehensive Quick Start guide quickly (Fig. 10).

Dasur SlideIT and ThumbKey Dasur, Ltd (dasur.co.il) has released two soft keyboards that are pretty amazing: SlideIT and ThumbKey. As the names imply, they are tailored for a particular mode of entry; either by using your stylus (SlideIT) or thumbs (ThumbKey). SlideIT (Fig. 11) uses a predictive word engine to analyze the pattern of your stylus trace as you drag it from letter to letter on the soft keyboard. Based on the trace, it presents a list of possible word hits. The default word it selects from the list is usually the one you want, allowing you to type/drag rapidly without stopping to make selections. ThumbKey (Fig. 12) uses a similar approach, except that instead of using the stylus, you can use your thumbs to type directly on the screen. Striking the wrong keys with thumbs (or stylus if you prefer) is compensated for by the predictive engine’s ability to provide accurate word hits, which it does with amazing reliability. Both keyboards also include a pre-loaded dictionary of word alias shortcuts. For example, when you type “PCM” the program enters “please call me.”

Hard vs soft keyboard—which is right for you? This closing section was written in Word Mobile on my iPAQ Pocket PC, using my new iGo Stowaway Ultra-Slim Bluetooth Keyboard (available at expansys-usa.com and other online sources). For rapid and accurate text entry, there’s really no comparison between a nearfull-size physical keyboard and any soft keyboard panel. A physical keyboard is more spacious and easier to use, you can enter text faster and more accurately, and more of the screen is available to display text. All this makes creating and editing documents quicker and easier.

Hard vs. Soft: Which Keyboard is Best for You? Software & Accessories The thumb keyboards found on BlackBerrys, Palm Treos, and the like are a different matter. I can definitely type faster with TouchPal or the Dasur keyboards than I can with those thumb keyboards. My son has an iPhone, which includes a soft keyboard that has many of the predictive text feaMy iGo Stowaway Ultra-Slim Bluetooth tures mentioned here. However, Keyboard connected to my HP iPAQ it wasn’t nearly as good as TouchPal or the Dasur keyboards. With practice, you might come close to the input rate of a physical keyboard with a soft keyboard. I was able to enter an amazing amount of text in a short time with the Dasur soft keyboards and TouchPal. However, these programs are really designed for creating and responding to e-mail and instant messages, taking short notes, and other non-intensive text entry tasks—times when maybe a physical keyboard cannot be used. TouchPal is the most powerful and intuitive soft input solution I have come across, and it will remain my soft keyboard of choice when

TIP Be careful accepting misspellings as new dictionary words Most of the soft keyboards I’ve tested include dictionaries used by their word prediction feature (or access the built-in Windows Mobile word list). In most cases you can add new words to these dictionaries, but be careful! They all have a feature that asks you if you want to enter a word into the dictionary, but it’s relatively easy to misspell a word and accidentally enter the misspelled word into the dictionary. For more on this, read the program documentation for your keyboard.

I don’t need the Stowaway. TouchPal Standard is available for free; the more feature-rich TouchPal Professional is priced at $12.98. Both can be downloaded directly from the CooTek Web site (cootek.com). It’s also available on the Smartphone & Pocket PC magazine online store (smartphonemag.com/swstore). NOTE: Our readers can get a 25% discount on the newly released TouchPal v3 if they use this discount code (SPM2TP) when purchasing the product from the CooTek Web site (cootek.com). n

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Jun/Jul 2008

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Software and Accessories

Ask the Experts: Communications Software

ver 90 experts judged more than 850 nominations for the Smartphone & Pocket PC magazine Best Software Awards 2007. Our judges had plenty to say about their favorite products. In this issue we are publishing their comments about the programs nominated in the Communications software category. We will publish their comments on other software categories in future issues.

The purpose of publishing the comments is to give insights into a variety of products—not to show how the judges voted. For the sake of brevity, we’ve included only 1-3 comments per product and edited them for clarity and conciseness. A listing of the 2007 winners and finalists can be found on our Web site (smartphonemag.com/awards/ main.asp).

Touch Screen The comments in this section were for the touch screen version of the application. We indicate if a non-touch screen version is available.

They could improve the product by adding a macro edit feature to assign custom triggers for more advanced mice with more buttons. (Mike Riley)

Bluetooth BlueMouse teksoftco.com Touch screen only BlueMouse works as advertised! I installed the app easily and was immediately able to use my Bluetooth mouse without any problems. Where has this product been all my life? (Amy Zunk)

The Experts Chris Brunskill

monolithix.org

Gianni Carfagno

solopalmari.com

Julie De Jong

mobilitysite.com

Helio Diamant

pocketpcfreak.com

Andreas Erle

worldofppc.com

Joel Evans

geek.com

Reynold Flores

mobilegadgetnews.com

Bradley Gillett

dashsmartzone.com

Dick Grier

hardandsoftware.net

Carlo Guerrero

theunwired.net

Tim Hillebrand

synergetics.org/sms

Steven Hughes

bostonpocketpc.com

Krishna Iyer

ril.com

Alex Januschewsky

mobilitynews.net

Raj Pillai

pocketpcfaq.com/raj

Vijay Rathour

vijay555.com

Mike Riley

mikeriley.com

Michael Sommer

firstcoastnews.com

Remzi Semsettin Turer sems.org Jon Westfall

pocketpcthoughts.com

Alan Zaks

smartphonemag.com/blogs

Amy Zunk

gadgetme.com

S M A RT P H O N E & POCKET PC Jun/Jul 20 08

BlueMusic teksoftco.com Touch and non-touch screen BlueMusic redirects any audio sent to the speaker through the Bluetooth transmitter on your device to a Bluetooth headset. It even gives you control over ringtone volume and will automatically resume music after you end a phone call. It works well not only with music, but with VoIP and GPS. (Steven Hughes) The setup process is complicated. The developer needs to combine the three-file setup into a single installation file. The installation also occupies a lot of memory. (Mike Riley)

files. (Steven Hughes) It did not work on my WM 6 device. (Chris Brunskill)

Call and SMS autoblocker/rejecters Call SMS Blocker winmobileapps.com Touch and non-touch screen This application is simple to use, but the interface could use some work. It was tested on and worked with a Palm Windows Mobile device, which handles SMS a bit differently. (Jon Westfall)

Bluezard wm-soft.com Touch and non-touch screen This easy-to-use Bluetooth connection manager also allows you to send files, messages, and check security settings on other devices. (Steven Hughes) The interface could be nicer. (Chris Brunskill)

MagiCall mobiion.com Touch and non-touch screen MagiCall has an easy-to-use and efficient rule-based interface. (Helio Diamant)

PhoneGate

Sniper gadgetapps.net Touch and non-touch screen Sniper allows you to scan for Bluetooth devices in your vicinity and send them messages and

maxicon.cz Touch and non-touch screen A very good program that lets you create a “white” list of contacts you want to receive calls from and a “black” list of unwanted contacts. It works well, but I was bothered by the need to create separate lists. They should use categories within Contacts for the white and black lists. (Helio Diamant)

Ask the Experts: Communications Software Software and Accessories

Call recorders & answering machines

language support is a big plus; lack of profiles is a big minus. All in all, this application is a “must have” for WM phones. (Raj Pillai) They could improve it by adding features that dealt with unread mail, missed calls, signal strength, etc. (Remzi Semsettin Turer)

CAB installation file is required for each of these. Inexperienced users might have trouble dealing with this multi-CAB file installation process. (Julie De Jong)

Photo Contacts Pro Pocket PhoneTools Pro Resco Audio Recorder resco.net Touch and non-touch screen It’s possible to control this audio recorder program with your fingers, thanks to the large buttons on the well-designed user interface. However, it doesn’t record phone conversations at a real audible volume level. (Gianni Carfagno)

bvrp.com Touch screen only This suite of software tools includes the ability to send and receive faxes from your device—it doesn’t involve a paid service from third parties. However, it hasn’t been updated in a while and is designed to work with Windows Mobile PDAs connected to a cell phone— not with devices with embedded phones. They need to update the program. (Helio Diamant)

Multifunction phone utilities

pocketX.net Touch and non-touch screen Photo Contacts is a good profile management utility with call filtering options. It does a great job of displaying the individual’s photo, but the Today screen plugin appeared magnified on my Windows Mobile 6 device. They should improve the user interface and allow fonts to be customized. (Raj Pillai)

PocketZenPhone pocketzenphone.net Touch screen only This phone profile manager and switcher has a simple and attractive user interface. You can access the application from the Today screen, system tray, or as a standalone application, but a separate

Spb Phone Suite spbsoftwarehouse.com Touch screen only Spb Phone Suite adds a collection of phone-related features missing from Windows Mobile’s Phone Dialer application. These included call filtering, photos in the call log, reject/reply with SMS, and more—all those great little functions that make phone use easier. (Bradley Gillett)

VITO AudioNotes vitotechnology.com Touch and non-touch screen AudioNotes has a well organized user interface. (Gianni Carfagno) This is a good program that supports all devices, but the quality of speakerphone recordings is poor. (Helio Diamant)

Fax eFax efax.com Touch and non-touch screen This online fax service lets you send and receive faxes as e-mail attachments. There are three levels of the service, two of which involve a monthly fee; the third is free. I would like to see a fourth level added that is less expensive than the mid-level ($16.95 per month) service but with more features than the free service. (Helio Diamant)

phoneAlarm pocketmax.net Touch and non-touch screen PhoneAlarm has a Today/Home screen interface that allows you to turn phone-related features off and on at set times of the day. The program is skinable, and there are a lot of skins to choose from, as well as a well-supported user forum to help create your own. (Steven Hughes) This great application allows you to set up to seven different user profiles on your phone. (Julie De Jong)

PhoneWeaver sbsh.net Touch screen only PhoneWeaver has a simple and appealing user interface that lets you start using it without having to read the manual. MultiJun/Jul 2008

S MARTP HO NE & P O CK E T P C

Software and Accessories Ask the Experts: Communications Software

Phone dialers

Jeyo Mobile Companion jeyo.com Touch and non-touch screen You can save your SMS on your PC or send and receive SMS using your PC with your Windows Mobile phone attached to it. It’s a good backup solution for SMS and for sending out mass SMS. If this included the MMS folder, it would increase its usefulness a hundred-fold. (Carlo Guerrero)

EZdial 2

Smaato Cost

mesoftware.biz Touch screen only EZdial 2 is an innovative and clever solution that works well but is somewhat redundant on phones running Windows Mobile 5 or later version of the OS. It needs to be more customizable and have better support for skins. (Vijay Rathour)

smaato.com/network.php Touch and non-touch screen This full-featured program helps me manage my minutes usage, GPRS usage, and SMS messages; it’s fairly easy to set up. It’s free, but displays advertising, which was not a problem for me until I went out of town and had to sync the ads. They should develop a commercial version of the program without the SOMA Launcher advertisements. (Julie De Jong)

PhonePlus mesoftware.biz Touch screen only The phrase support and SMS editor in PhonePlus are very helpful when you’re on the go. It has an attractive interface, functions fast, and works well. However, it doesn’t attempt to integrate into OS style or give customization options. (Vijay Rathour)

based VoIP service. (Remzi Semsettin Turer)

SMS autoreply / mass sending

Express Talk VoIP Softphone nch.com.au Touch screen only This VoIP program has a robust set of features, but is too complex for casual users. It’s great for a business environment. (Tim Hillebrand)

Fring fring.com Touch and non-touch screen Fring is a communication tool on steroids. It not only allows you to VoIP from your Windows Mobile device, it lets you communicate with different networks. Best of all, it’s free. (Remzi Semsettin Turer)

Mundu Speak beta speak.mundu.com Touch screen only Mundu Speak is the most feature-packed chat client for touch screen devices I’ve ever seen. (Alan Zaks)

Spb GPRS Monitor

Phone info access - WM Phone Dashboard Minute Tracker hudsonmobile.com Touch screen only This one has a great user interface and really nice graphics. It captures and displays information about minute usage and text messaging (SMS/MMS); setup is easy and precise. Add data usage (GPRS/EDGE, etc.) to this application and it will be perfect! (Julie De Jong) 44

spbsoftwarehouse.com Touch and non-touch screen GPRS Monitor is a long-time favorite of mine that has improved over time. It’s a perfect way of monitoring your wireless connection expenses. (Carlo Guerrero) The program has nice graphics and is easy to set up. However, they need to expand it to address more phone functions: tracking minute usage, SMS messages sent, etc. (Julie De Jong)

SIP and VoIP 4Talk 4pockets.com Touch screen only Finally, a program that lets you pair two or more touch screen devices to create a mini walkietalkie network. (Alan Zaks)

S M A RT P H O N E & POCKET PC Jun/Jul 20 08

Auto SMS Reply bytesurge.com Touch screen only Auto SMS Reply is the best application in this category—very complete and very stable. (Helio Diamant) A handy utility, but it needs multiple message capability, the ability to send to specific groups, and recognize, record, and categorize new senders. (Tim Hillebrand)

SMS Answering Machine boointeractive.com Touch screen only This software turns your Windows Mobile device into an SMS answering machine. It has multiple message capability, can send messages to groups, and recognizes and records new senders with the ability to categorize them. (Tim Hillebrand)

Synchronization CompanionLink for Google Calendar

Skype for Windows Mobile skype.com Touch and non-touch screen Skype has always been my VoIP application of choice, no matter the platform. It’s easy to install and works with any type of hardware I throw at it. (Amy Zunk)

X-PDA globaliptel.com Touch and non-touch screen X-PDA is a great, feature-rich application for users with a SIP-

companionlink.com PC program; syncs with touch and non-touch screen devices If you use Google Calendar, you need this product. It handles Calendar (multiple and shared) and Outlook synchronization. The developer needs to add Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity support. (Dick Grier)

Intellisync intellisync.com PC program; syncs with touch and non-touch screen devices Intellisync is a robust application, but they need to reduce the bloat. (Krishna Iyer) This is an

Ask the Experts: Communications Software Software and Accessories enterprise-level synchronization, push e-mail, and mobile device management product. It’s expensive! (Dick Grier)

Instant Messaging & IRC Agile Messenger agilemobile.com Touch and non-touch screen Agile Messenger is a feature-rich and user-friendly instant messaging client that lets you send text, voice, photo, and video messages. I loved the fact that you can shoot a video and then instantly share it with your friends or associates. It also offers interoperability across just about every IM service out there. (Joel Evans)

Missing Sync markspace.com Mac OS program; syncs with touch and non-touch screen devices Missing Sync is a must-have for Windows Mobile users with Mac desktops or laptops. It has even more features than ActiveSync/Mobile Device Center, and works like a charm on my Apple G5 with synchronizing my office sheets, iPhoto Albums, iTunes Playlists, and much more. (Alex Januschewsky)

Non-Touch Screen The comments in this section are for the non-touch screen versions. We indicate if a touch screen version is available.

Bluetooth Sniper gadgetapps.net Touch and non-touch screen This was definitely the most userfriendly Bluetooth application. I loved its ability to send items to multiple devices, which is very handy when you’re in meetings or conferences. (Bradley Gillett)

Bluezard wm-soft.com Touch and non-touch screen This has great functionality, but it can be quite confusing the first couple of times you use it, especially if you are not familiar with Bluetooth capabilities or are not very tech savvy. I found the controls to be somewhat cumbersome and clunky. (Bradley Gillett)

Phone tools and synchronization Jeyo Mobile Companion jeyo.com Touch and non-touch screen Mobile Companion is a simple product that can backup and restore as well as import and export SMS data, Call History, and Phone Book information. (Reynold Flores) I just love the ability to control my handset through my PC—it saves me from having to control two devices simultaneously. (Bradley Gillett)

SMARTFilter novomobile.com Touch and non-touch screen SMARTFilter lets you divert calls and block calls and filter them by callers or by your Calendar, preventing inappropriate interruptions. (Andreas Erle)

Fring

scanR

fring.com Touch and non-touch screen This one offers the best possible number of services (everything I want and more) as well as voice communication supported on WiFi and 3G, which is very stable in the last version. The user interface is a little complicated; it doesn’t indicate statuses beyond accessible/non-accessible. It’s also difficult to understand who is away, busy, or anything else. A help file and quick status table would help. (Helio Diamant)

scanr.com Touch and non-touch screen ScanR lets you use the built-in camera on your Windows Mobile phone for business-oriented

tasks. For example, you can snap pictures of drawings, diagrams, and text written on a whiteboard during a business meeting, send it to the scanR service, and have a perfectly usable version in your inbox when you get back to your computer. (Joel Evans)

Spb GPRS Monitor spbsoftwarehouse.com Touch and non-touch screen GPRS Monitor is great for someone who needs to count their minutes and usage for expense reports—it saves a lot of aggravation. (Amy Zunk)

VITO VoiceDialer for Smartphone vitotechnology.com Touch and non-touch screen VoiceDialer provides solid voice recognition, even in the noisiest environments. You can also record more than one voice tag for a Contact so that you can voice dial someone’s mobile, home, or another phone number. (Joel Evans) n

IM+ All-in-One Mobile Messenger shapeservices.de Touch and non-touch screen This straightforward and easy-touse program is a must for anyone who uses IM. However, it sometimes hangs up on logging into application. (Michael Sommer)

Mundu IM messenger.mundu.com Touch and non-touch screen Mundu IM has a simple to use interface that really shines. Within seconds you are effortlessly logging in and chatting with your buddies from just about every instant messaging service—you can even share photos and files. (Joel Evans) Jun/Jul 2008

S MARTP HO NE & P O CK E T P C

Software and Accessories

games roundup short reviews from Games Editor Eric Pankoke

Big Games from Small Developers

or this issue, I decided to take a look at some of the games published by littleknown developers here in the United States and abroad. They include a new take on a proven puzzle concept and an innovative new game in the platform genre. I sampled five very different titles, some of which brought much needed freshness to their respective genres.

Revival (A-) $24.95 (touch screen); $15.95 (non-touch screen); free demos available Developer and purchase smart.herocraft.com From a gaming perspective, an obvious weakness with the Windows Mobile touch screen platform is the lack of good turn-based strategy games. Thankfully, HeroCraft has helped fill that void quite nicely with their first strategy offering, Revival. The beauty of Revival is that the interface, while clearly designed for a portable device, does not sacrifice any depth of game play. It’s a bit difficult to master the controls—the tutorial wasn’t much help in this department—but once you do, they actually seem quite natural.

Revival gives you plenty to do. Over time you’ll build up to twenty-four different types of units, ranging from your basic barbarian to a sophisticated Mech robot, and several buildings (many of which can be upgraded). You’ll establish cities, strengthen your armies, and ultimately conquer your enemies. There were a few minor technical snafus that hampered my enjoyment a bit. One of my saved games would always lock up within three to four turns after reloading it. Certain interface elements didn’t always refresh correctly when cycling between units or cities, and there were occasions where it seemed like 46

units were moving on their own. HeroCraft was quick to turn around a new build for me to try, which seems to have cleared up some of the problems. This kind of commitment to software is very important to me. The graphics in Revival are probably the best HeroCraft has rendered to date. Smooth animations compliment the units, and little touches like birds flying through the air and dolphins playing in the waves grace the landscape. The only complaint I have here is that a couple of the interface icons look a bit cheesy. The music is pretty good, and so are the ambient sound effects as of the latest version (they adjusted the volume level so I can actually hear them). While my personal preference for turn-based strategy games is the fantasy genre, HeroCraft has done a commendable job of providing Pocket PC users with a TBS game actually worth playing.

Treasure Island (B) $8.99; Touch and non-touch screen versions and free demos available Developer huike.cn/enindex.asp Purchase smartphonemag/swstore Since Legend Of Zelda graced my TV screen some 20 years ago, I have always been a fan of the action-RPG genre. Beijing Huike Technology has done an admirable job of bringing this genre to Windows Mobile in the form of Treasure Island.

The plot is basic: Hero crashes on island and must defeat vengeful gods in order to rescue himself and the trapped princess. The action mainly revolves around you demolishing monsters with your sword and the four spells you learn along your journey. Defeated monsters leave behind gems that help you build up your character’s strength, and food that helps replenish health and magic points.

S M A RT P H O N E & POCKET PC Jun/Jul 20 08

You can use the stylus to swing your sword and cast a spell, but moving your character and selecting menus are actions that are strictly hardware key-driven, and that turned out to be a problem. On my XV6700, which is a smartphone with a slide-out QWERTY keyboard, I was able to do everything with my hardware keys except scroll through and cast spells. On my Dell Axim, which is a touch screen device without a phone or built-in keyboard, I couldn’t even activate the menu from within the game, so I had to wait until I died to quit. I definitely don’t recommend this game for a non-phone PDA. The graphics are very nicely done, with a crisp, colorful palette. The music is also quite enchanting, but there are unfortunately no sound effects in the game. The variety of monsters could have been broader, and the lack of a map means that if you set the game aside for a while and then come back, you might have a little trouble remembering which way you were headed. Treasure Island has its faults, but it’s a retro-romp that’s addictive and worth playing.

Impossible Sudoku (C) $12.95; Touch and non-touch screen versions and free demos available Developer and purchase umobilegame.com This is at least the fifth different version of Sudoku I’ve played on my Windows Mobile touch screen device. The rules haven’t changed, so what’s so different about Impossible Sudoku to make me want to play it versus any of the other versions?

Eric Pankoke has been a gamer for over 20 years, beginning with arcade games and moving to consoles and eventually handhelds and Pocket PCs. He has written over 100 gaming reviews, which have appeared on a number of gaming Web sites, including Pocket Gamer, PDArcade, Games-Art, PDAGround, TechnoBrains, and his own Web site (RustySabre.com). He’s also a regular contributor to our own blogs (smartphonemag.com/blogs). Finally, he’s involved with testing and (hopefully) developing games for the Windows Mobile OS. epankoke@gmail.com

Games Roundup Software & Accessories Like most versions of Sudoku, there are two modes: “notes” and “answers.” When you place a number in a square as a note, you’re simply reminding yourself that the number could go in the square, and when you’re placing the number in the square as an answer, that means you believe that number belongs in that square. To switch between modes, you either have to click the pencil at the bottom of the screen or select the Mark (or “notes”) mode off of the menu, also accessible from the bottom of the screen. Either way, this breaks up the flow of the game. The one nice part of the interface is that each square is “region” sensitive, so if you want to make a note that you think a 1 belongs in a particular square, click the upper left corner of that square to record the 1. Upper middle is 2, upper left is 3, and so on. The down side to this is that the squares are small enough that you’ll often find yourself marking or unmarking the wrong numbers in a square. The other big drawback in this version is that it lives up to its name. Once I started playing on my own, I found it difficult to complete a game in under 20 minutes—in Easy mode! I don’t mind if puzzles build up to a very difficult level, but they shouldn’t start there. Graphically, there’s not a whole lot you can do with a grid comprised of smaller grids. Impossible Sudoku does have some skins available, but they don’t really add to the game play, and in a couple of cases actually make the numbers hard to read. There’s no background music, and the sound effects become pointless before too long. If you’re willing to deal with the interface issues I mentioned and don’t expect any easy games, you might want to look at this one. Otherwise, I don’t recommend it.

Killer RoboRabbits From Mars (B+) $14.95; Touch screen version only and free demo available Purchase smartphonemag/swstore With a name like Killer RoboRabbits From Mars, how could you not want to try this game? It’s actually quite fun—and difficult. If you’re as coordinated as I am, you’ll probably spend lots of time replaying the same levels over and over again.

The object of this game is to run around each level smashing everything in sight. Each level is broken up into different areas, and all targets in an area must be destroyed before you can move on to the next. There are only two things you can do with your character. The first is to move it left and right, and the second is to swing its mallet. You can control these actions with your stylus or hardware buttons. I had difficulty controlling the game with the stylus (see next paragraph). I also had a problem with the hardware controls. You see, the game is played in Landscape viewing mode with the hardware buttons to the right. Unfortunately, I and about 10 percent of the population are left-handed, and there is no option to rotate the screen so that the controls are on the left. Shame on Goo Studios for that oversight! As mentioned, I had a problem with controlling the game play with my stylus. It was caused by the fact that the “tap points” controlling the left and right movements were too close together, making it difficult to change the direction of your RoboRabbit. In addition, you pretty much have to have the stylus right on top of the hammer to swing it. All this makes moving and hitting an object an exceptional challenge. Add to this the fact that the game is timed, and you’ll begin to see why I occasionally wanted to pull my hair out. On the other hand, I liked the fact that the game is all about smashing things and appreciated the contemporary “Itchy and Scratchy” graphical design. The graphics are colorful, and the characters are well animated, especially when they go “splat” under your hammer. I like the use of word bubbles for things like “splat” and “bam” as well. Each level takes place in a different area, so you’re not seeing the same background over and over again. The music is pretty decent, and varies with the levels. Killer RoboRabbits has a high difficulty level similar to the old MegaMan games on the Nintendo. Just like those games, however, Killer RoboRabbits manages to be enjoyable enough that I can almost forget about the difficulty. Throw in the colorful atmosphere and decent soundtrack and you’ve got yourself a pretty good side scrolling smash-em-up game.

Holy Beasts (C-) $8.99; Touch and non-touch screen versions and free demos available Developer huike.cn/enindex.asp Purchase smartphonemag/swstore After the release of Demon Hunter, it seemed like Beijing Huike laid low for a couple of months. Now all of a sudden they have several new releases for Windows Mobile devices, including the side scrolling shooter Holy Beasts. Jun/Jul 2008

Unfortunately, given the current crop of titles in this genre, Holy Beasts is average at best.

The premise is somewhat cool. You get to play the game as one of four characters: a dragon, a phoenix, a flying tiger, and a flying turtle. (Who wouldn’t want to play as a flying turtle?) Sadly, beyond the look of your avatar, there really seems to be no difference in the way the game plays. In fact, there’s really not much to the game play at all. Auto-fire is always on, leveling up is automatic when you’ve collected the right number of bonuses, and there are no special weapons of any sort to fire. In essence, the game could almost play itself. Graphically, Holy Beasts maintains the style of painted backdrops and colorful, wellanimated sprites that I’ve come to enjoy from Beijing Huike games. There are also some pretty neat creature designs in this game. The music is very good as well. On the other hand, as is also the norm with their games, there are no sound effects. I would think that even stock ones would be better than nothing. If you want something pretty to look at and that requires little effort on your part, Holy Beasts is for you. Otherwise, there are plenty of other shooters out there more worthy of your time.n

Smartphone & Pocket PC

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S MARTP HO NE & P O CK E T P C

New Software and Accessories

The products listed here include hardware, software, publications, events, and services for devices using the Windows Mobile operating system. They are new listings or major updates of products in our comprehensive Encyclopedia of Software and Accessories at Smartphonemag.com/encyclopedia.asp. We list suggested retail prices, but they may change without notice. These listings do not represent an endorsement by the editors. Many of the software products are available for online downloading. For live links to the Web sites mentioned in this section, visit our Web site at Smartphonemag.com and click on the “current issue” button. Information about the various Smartphones and Pocket PCs themselves can be found in our “At A Glance” section. Vendors: If you have a product to announce, enter it directly into our Encyclopedia Smartphonemag.com/encyclopedia.asp, or send an e-mail message to Noah Ouellette at noah@Smartphonemag.com. You can also read “How to Get Information Published in Smartphone & Pocket PC” Smartphonemag.com/publish.asp. l = Touch Screen

s = Non-Touch Screen

Cases

Adventure Games

for 802.11 (b, g, and n) networks. $59.95 Canary Wireless; www.canarywireless.com

Lion Battery l 1380 mAh Slim Battery for HP iPAQ 110 Classic Series PPCs l A 1380 mAh battery that is the same footprint as the OEM 1200 mAh battery. 3000 mAh Battery for HP iPAQ 110 Series PPCs l An extended capacity battery with more than twice the usage time of the OEM and a slight increase in size. 3000 mAh Battery for HP iPAQ 610 Business Navigator Series PPCs l Twice the capacity of the OEM battery. 4400 mAh Battery for HP iPAQ 210 Enterprise Series PPCs l Twice the capacity of the OEM battery. Price Varies $29.95 - $79.95 Lion Battery Inc; www.lionbattery.com Digital Hotspotter l s u Provides smart signal analysis, including network ID, encryption status and channel data 48

Encyclopedia of Software & Accessories for live links and downloads of products mentioned in this section!

cupy the enemy capitol. $14.95 RESETgame; www.resetgame.com

Accessories

Miscellaneous

SmartphoneMag.com

u = Desktop PC

Hardware

Cellkeeper cases l s A new form of wearable technology that leaves the owner hands-free and able to move about. $29.99 The CellKeeper Company www.cellkeeper.com

Go To . . .

Software Communication Multifunction Phone Utilities Quetim l s Text input for mobile phones. Tibo Software; www.tibosoftware.com Thumbkey l s Uses a unique algorithm that allows users to press in the general vicinity of the required key for the intended word to appear on the screen. $25 Dasur Pattern Recognition Ltd www.mobiletextinput.com SMS Client l A threaded SMS application. $7.50 Empirical Solutions; www.pocket-sms.com

Phone Info Access – WM Extreme Text l s Threaded SMS text conversations with emoticons, links, photo contact support, and more. $14.95 Birdsoft; www.birdsoft.net

SMS Autoreply / Mass Sending SMS-Chat l Threaded SMS messenger that organizes all text messages into separate chats. $14.95 VITO Technology; vitotechnology.com

Games Action Games Tank Ace 1944 l s Command a World War II tank charging to oc-

S M A RT P H O N E & POCKET PC Jun/Jul 20 08

Westward l Experience the life of a Frontier settler in this wild, rough and tumble world. $19.95 Astraware Limited; www.astraware.com

Puzzle Games Pockster Newspaper Games l s A collection of 4 games consisting of Crosswords, Crypto (cryptogram), Word Search, and Sudoku. $19.99 Pockster Software; www.pockster.com Samulos l s u A puzzle game similar to Tetris and Lumines. Freeware Miroslaw Zielinski; www.zielok.com Sequnetial l u Based on an old idea with extra possibilities added, which weren’t fully developed as the idea of the game is quite simple. Freeware Miroslaw Zielinski; www.zielok.com Spb Brain Evolution Smartphone s Helps to improve your mental awareness and maintain your brain fitness. $19.95 Spb Software House www.spbsoftwarehouse.com

Solitaire Games Astraware Solitaire for Smartphone s Features 12 types of popular solitaire card games. $19.95 Astraware Limited; www.astraware.com

Strategy Games Tradewinds 2 for Windows Mobile Standard s Offers players an adventure based in the exotic seas of the Caribbean. $19.95 Astraware Limited; www.astraware.com

Information Managers Sporting IntelliGolf Birdie Edition for Smartphones l On-course golf scoring software that automates scoring, wagering, and shot tracking. $49.95 IntelliGolf, Inc.; www.intelligolf.com IntelliGolf Par edition for Smartphones s Golf scoring software that automates golf scoring, wagering, and collects game-improving statistics on the course. $29.95 IntelliGolf, Inc.; www.intelligolf.com

Misc. Software Other SuperMemo Mobile l An application for learning foreign languages. Freeware SuperMemo World; www.supermemo.eu

Multimedia Image Management PhotoAce ls Manage and show photos on smartphone. TecAce Software; www.tecace.com

Misc. Audio Tools Pocket Alarm l Create recurring MP3 alarms with handwritten notes. $14.95 Wizcode Ltd; www.wizcode.com

Video UCee ls u Connects two computers or smartphones even when they are on separate private networks. Freeware Leapfrog Technologies, Inc. www.ucee.com

Professional Healthcare Medical Codes ls u Includes IDC-9-CM, IDC-10 and DSM-IV codes

l = Touch Screen

s = Non-Touch Screen

New Products Software and Accessories

u = Desktop PC

SlovoEd Express: Italian Dictionaries s A multilingual translation service with dictionary databases. $24.95 Paragon Software; www.penreader.com

in one convenient book. $9.99 MobileReference.com www.MobileReference.com

Text and Reference

Info Managers

eBook Complete Works of Josephus, Flavius ls u Contemporary maps, timelines, family trees, coinage, and units of measure as well as modern history and analysis of Josephus’ works. $9.99 MobileReference.com www.MobileReference.com Works of Jean-Jacques Rousseau ls u Includes Confessions and other major works. $5.99 MobileReference.com www.MobileReference.com

Multilingual Dictionaries SlovoEd Express: English, French, German, Italian, and Spanish Dictionaries l s Multilingual translation services with dictionary databases. $24.95-34.95 Paragon Software; www.penreader.com

Handy Weather s 7-day weather forecast, weather details, current conditions, and maps for 40,000 cities. $14.95 Paragon Software; www.penreader.com

Utilities Call Jockey s Quickly, discreetly simulate an incoming call. $6.45 Connective Tools www.connectivetools.com

Soft Keyboards SlideIT l Input text on touch-screen enabled devices.

DK Eyewitness Top 10 Travel Guides & Maps: Amsterdam, Barcelona, Las Vegas, London, Madrid, New York, Paris, Prague, Rome, Vienna l s Each Guide $29.99 Mobile Systems Inc. www.mobi-systems.com

Time Utilities

Launch Manager l A fast way to launch hundreds of applications and Call or SMS contacts in style on your Windows Mobile device. $14.95 Fantastic Bytes fantasticbytes.com Handy Converter 1.2 l s An all-in-one currency and unit conversion so-

Resco Keyboard Pro

Sprite Archie l s Monitors your SMS and Call activity and logs this activity to e-mail so that you can refer back to it at any time. $14.95 Sprite Software Ltd www.spritesoftware.com SwitchProfile! s A utility which allows you to switch sound profiles automatically at a desired time. $4.75 Connective Tools www.connectivetools.com ZoomBoard l An onscreen keyboard for quick and accurate finger typing on Windows Mobile Pocket PCs. $9.95 VITO Technology; vitotechnology.com

Task Managers GoodWin l A touch-oriented Windows Mobile launcher and task switcher for Pocket PCs. $19.95 VITO Technology; vitotechnology.com n

“This program is the missing link to my HTC Touch. I now love the phone and would not trade it for any other. This program is worth every penny.”

Brings you thumb typing at its best

t a

Travel Guides

User interface / menu improvers

CT Scheduler s Turns smartphone into fully automated assistant. $9.75 Connective Tools www.connectivetools.com

lution for Windows Mobile Pocket PCs. $12.95-9.95 Paragon Software; www.penreader.com

PocketAlarm l Includes many different alarms. $14.95 Sergey Khmaruk pocketalarm.googlepages.com

Misc. Utilities

q w e

$40 Dasur; www.mobiletextinput.com

“I love it. This one makes my Pocket PC avantgarde.”

n m

p Reviewers from Handango

http://keyboard.resco.net Jun/Jul 2008

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Enterprise Solutions Editor’s Note

Strategy 52

How does iPhone 2.0 impact the business environment? By Nathan Clevenger

by Nathan Clevenger 54

irst off, I want to thank Don Overlander and Rich Hall for their incredible help in wrapping up the enterprise section for this issue. My first child, Jonathan, was born right in the middle of crunch time, and Don and Rich really helped me out by picking up the slack. Thanks guys! Future Enterprise Editor Jonathan Clevenger Our lead-off story for this issue is a piece I wrote about Apple’s licensing of Exchange ActiveSync from Microsoft, allowing them to incorporate Exchange synchronization into the iPhone. Additionally, Apple has finally released its iPhone SDK. All this makes the iPhone a potentially strong player in the enterprise market, which may have surprising consequences for Microsoft. After that, we do a head-to-head comparison of the HP iPAQ 210 vs. the Socket SoMo 650—the leading Windows Mobile PDA devices on the market today. While consumers may not be as excited about devices without phones anymore, there is a significant market for these units within vertical deployments. Don Overlander gives us his views on these two devices from the perspective of an enterprise user. We’ve all heard about the FCC’s 700 MHz auction. Now that AT&T and Verizon have won and Google is nowhere to be seen, what does it mean to us and the entire industry? Robert Altman provides us with the details and his perspective on the impact the results will have. One of the most significant new features of Windows Mobile 6.1 is the ability to join an Active Directory domain and become a “first-class citizen” of the enterprise. System Center Mobile Device Manager is Microsoft’s new product to enable this in the back-end, as well as provide numerous security and device management features. Patrick Salmon gives us the details, and how we can implement this within our own organizations. You may have heard about the Celio REDFLY, but you might also be a little unsure about exactly what it is and what it does. I had the opportunity to spend some time with a pre-release model, and provide my first impressions and views on what may very well be a paradigm-shifting device. When the U.S. Forest Service needed to understand the impact of seismic oil and gas explorations on sensitive species, John Stewart and his 14-person crew were sent to perform a biological inventory in waist-high snow on the north face of Utah’s Monroe Mountain, armed with snowshoes and ruggedized Archer Field PCs. John and Jan Saalfeld tell us how they overcame the challenges to complete the project. Mobile development projects often appear to be deceivingly easy, especially to first-time mobile developers. Unfortunately, there are often complications that appear farther down the road. Tom Jaros 50

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Welcome to the iEnterprise

FCC Auction Results Verizon & AT&T won big—what does it mean? By Robert Altman

Implementation 58

Surveyors, Snow Shoes, and a Rugged PDA Team uses ruggedized Archer Field PC for environmental survey on Utah’s Monroe Mountain By John Stewart & Jan Saalfeld

Applications 53

Choosing an Enterprise Handheld Both HP and Socket Mobile are targeting the enterprise user. How do their new devices compare and which one’s best for your mobile deployment? By Don Overlander

System Center Mobile Device Manager New Microsoft solution elevates the Windows Mobile device to the status of “First Class Citizen of the Enterprise” By Patrick Salmon

Celio REDFLY A paradigm-shifting “mobile companion” to Windows Mobile smartphones By Nathan Clevenger

Development 61

Four Ways to Make your Mobile Solution Better Tips for mobile developers and project managers on how to improve the success of your deployment By Tom Jaros

Line of Business Solution Accelerator Microsoft’s free solution accelerator speeds up enterprise application development By Don Overlander

comes from the trenches to give us four key tips to improve the success of our mobile projects. Microsoft recently re-released their Line of Business Solution Accelerator, designed to show off many of the new features in Visual Studio 2008, .NET Compact Framework 3.5, and SQL Server Compact. Don Overlander gives us his impressions of this free tool, and a detailed look at what it provides. If you have questions or comments, you can always e-mail me at nathan.clevenger@smartphonemag.com.

Where we work,

outdoor rugged is more than a catch phrase.

A story from the great outdoors “We spend hundreds of days each year in the beautiful-but-wild forests of the Paciﬁc Northwest, California and Alaska—in all kinds of weather and often in rough terrain,” says Marc Barnes, president of Integrated Resource Management. “We tend to the region’s forests. Our clients count on us to provide a balanced approach to forest management using our innovative forestry practices. We count on Trimble rugged handhelds to get our job done.” “They’re tough as bark and reliable as our dog Maggie,” Marc says. “We’ve never lost project data due to a hardware failure. Even after a Ranger fell off the roof of a truck at 50 miles per hour, we were able to save the data and have the handheld ﬁxed.” Proven in the toughest environments Trimble handhelds designated as “outdoor rugged” meet the military’s rigorous MIL-STD-810F standards for vibration, shock and temperature extremes, and share an IP67 rating against water and dust.

Marc Barnes, president; Adrian Thayer, forest technician; and Maggie, company dog, of IRMForestry.com

Recon now starting at under

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Military

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Nomad Ranger and Recon—outdoor Nomad, rugged solutions for the mobile enterprise. www.trimble.com/rugged

Win a Nomad Visit our community site to see more stories like Marc’s. Better yet, tell us your story. On June 30, we’ll reward the best one with a Nomad, our new, high performance, outdoor rugged handheld computer. www.OutdoorRugged.com

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Public Safety

Agriculture

Utilities

Enterprise Solutions

Welcome to the iEnterprise How does iPhone 2.0 impact the business market? by Nathan Clevenger

ess than a year after the iPhone first launched, all of the key issues I had with the device have been addressed. First and foremost, there is now an SDK which allows the development of native applications. And while Exchange integration would eventually have arrived from a third party, Apple decided to bite the bullet and deliver it out of the box. Along with that comes a variety of device management and security features which demonstrate that Apple is aggressively targeting the iPhone for the enterprise.

New features and capabilities In addition to providing a relatively robust SDK to develop rich, smart-client applications, Apple licensed Exchange ActiveSync from Microsoft to be able to provide the following features: • Push e-mail • Push contacts • Push calendar • Global Address List • Certificates and Identities • WPA2/802.1x • Enforced security policies • More VPN protocols • Device configuration • Remote wipe

IT’s response Enterprise IT organizations are always looking to leverage existing investments, and one of the greatest benefits of Windows Mobile has been out-of-the-box integration with Exchange Service. This has been one of the reasons that Windows Mobile has been gaining ground against BlackBerry, and now Apple has decided to leverage Microsoft’s momentum and license Exchange ActiveSync for the iPhone. This will allow the iPhone to offer some of the key benefits also provided by Windows Mobile using Exchange ActiveSync, not to mention the fact that iPhones will now integrate seamlessly into any organization that provides Exchange support for Windows Mobile. There will still be the many organizations with significant BlackBerry investments who will continue down that path because of the investments already made (including the firms running Lotus Notes who are not able to provide Windows Mobile support without a third-party product anyway), but if anything this will only accelerate the adoption of Exchange ActiveSync as the industry standard for mobile synchronization.

Microsoft’s perspective As someone who has spent the last decade focused entirely on building applications for Microsoft’s mobile platform (since Windows CE 1.0), I’m torn when I look under the hood and examine the pure economics of the situation. Microsoft’s profit (or loss) related to sales of Windows Mobile devices is minor compared to the enormous profits and incredible margins in the sales of server and client licenses for Windows and Exchange Servers. Given that, it is no surprise that the formal job description for those Microsoft employees who are out there selling Windows Mobile specifically states to use “Windows Mobile devices 52

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to influence .NET Server sales related to mobility.” Given that context, it is absolutely no surprise that Microsoft chose to license Exchange ActiveSync to Apple for the iPhone. While it gives the iPhone significant competitive ammunition versus Windows Mobile, it actually accomplishes that by standardizing on back-end Microsoft server products, where Microsoft makes all of their money anyway. While I don’t believe for one second that Microsoft has given up on Windows Mobile, Apple has certainly raised the bar, and Microsoft will need to step up to the plate on a number of levels and execute a series of dramatic enhancements to their own platform.

The flipside While the iPhone is a great device for the average consumer, it is not for everyone. For instance, the form-factor, touch-screen keyboard, and inability to swap batteries are serious downsides for some users. And while the SDK goes a long way in enhancing the platform, the iPhone development platform doesn’t come close to the richness of the ecosystem around Visual Studio and the .NET Compact Framework. Given the fact that Apple must approve all iPhone applications, and with all distribution going through iTunes, there are many software developers and enterprises alike that will not necessarily appreciate these requirements. Additionally, there still is no support for products like SQL Server Compact or System Center Mobile Device Manager, which are significant challenges primarily for enterprise organizations. Although security is dramatically improved, there still is not yet the flexibility provided by other platforms.

My views While the iPhone still isn’t perfect, it has reached a level of maturity where IT organizations, small and large alike, need to place the iPhone on their radar if they haven’t already. This is good news for Apple and great news for Microsoft. As twisted as it seems, an alliance between Apple and Microsoft on Exchange ActiveSync will only increase profits for both companies, as they are now perfectly positioned to steal market share from BlackBerry as the next enterprise deployment cycle rolls around. My final thought is to make sure you don’t forget Windows Mobile. Unlike the iPhone, it’s not just a smartphone; it’s a robust platform for enterprise applications. In fact, it’s the mobile platform that Apple uses in their retail stores to process sales of iPhones, using Windows Mobile-powered Symbol/Motorola handhelds. In the end, if iPhone sales go up, Microsoft makes money on the Exchange Server licenses. If they go down, Microsoft makes money on Windows Mobile. Not a bad arrangement! n Nathan Clevenger is the Enterprise Editor for Smartphone & Pocket PC magazine, and also runs the Mobility Practice at ITR Group, a Microsoft Gold Certified consulting firm. Nathan strongly believes in technology not for the sake of technology, but rather to improve capability and efficiency. An avid evangelist of mobile computing, he is dedicated to raising awareness of the potential for this technology in business today. His email is nclevenger@pocketpcmag.com.

Enterprise Solutions

Choosing an Enterprise Handheld Both HP and Socket Mobile are targeting the enterprise user with their new Windows Mobile devices. How do they compare and which one’s best for you? by Donald Overlander

he HP iPAQ 210 and the Socket Mobile SoMo 650-M are Windows Mobile 6 touch screen devices marketed to the enterprise user. Neither of these has integrated phone capability. As you can see from their photos, they are similar looking devices. They also share similar specifications, which include 128 MB of RAM and 256 MB of flash ROM, and 624 MHz processors. The iPAQ has a 4-inch color VGA touch screen and the SoMo 650 has a 3.5-inch color QVGA touch screen, but aside from that, the differences between the two devices are relatively minor. How then do you select the device that truly fits your needs?

ety of peripherals available from third parties, and these would have to be tested on both devices. However, Socket Communications offers a wide variety of peripherals that are designed to seamlessly integrate with the 650’s hardware and built-in software. The 650 has the edge over the iPAQ in this area. As far as third-party or custom software is concerned, both devices run the Windows Mobile 6.0 software. Both should be equally compatible with existing software, and neither has a significant advantage over the other in terms of the development of custom software.

HP iPAQ 210 and the Socket Mobile SoMo 650-M

Targeting the mobile enterprise The differences between these two devices begin to show when you look outside the basic specs. But even then, they are subtle and choosing one over the other can be a tough decision. It basically comes down to which side of the “gray market” you find yourself in. This gray market encompasses skilled technicians and managers whose duties combine functions of both the blue and white collar workforces. Since this is the target market for both devices, and since they are similar devices, to choose between them it’s necessary to examine a few key indicators. Note also that if you are deploying a number of these devices, you have to consider how well they will be accepted by your targeted users. In this, visual appeal and “status” may play as much of a part as durability and reliability.

Setting the stage Since both devices have all the necessary Microsoft Office Mobile applications built into them, both provide a solid out-of-the-box deployment platform for supporting access to corporate spreadsheets and documents for the connected, mobile managers who are occasionally expected to take up blue collar duties. The biggest differentiating factor here is going to be how dependant your users will be on screen real estate and legibility. If the target audience is very document-oriented, or deals with large amounts of data on screen, the iPAQ is going to provide a much better viewing experience overall because of its larger VGA display. Another extremely important (and perhaps definitive) issue is going to be the cost involved in integrating peripherals and software on the devices after the base hardware has been decided upon. There are a vari-

The iPAQ 210: An executive workhorse with style

If you are in the market for a workhorse machine with pure executive appeal, the iPAQ 210 is probably the best choice. With a full 4-inch VGA screen, glossy black and matte silver finish, and smooth rounded edges, this device has a lot of style and will not embarrass you in the boardroom. The iPAQ is also ideally positioned to take advantage of existing business infrastructure and extend to a business-centric mobile platform. With its wireless capabilities and options for third-party add-ons, this platform is a solid foundation that makes a good choice for deployment to business and field sales professionals. While I have seen some accessory concepts to make the iPAQ 210 more durable for rugged field use, it is not directly marketed toward the ruggedized field force automation market. Much like a powerful sports car, you may not want to take the iPAQ 210 too far out in the field—that’s where the SoMo comes into its own.

The SoMo 650-M: Stylish presence with industrial tenacity If you want to give your field force a reasonably stylish presence without giving up any of the rugged industrial strength they need, the SoMo 650-M is the obvious choice. Designed with a ruggedized yet professional-looking black and blue finish, and smoothed corners and edges designed for impact protection (up to 3.3 feet onto concrete), the

Continued on page 54 Donald Overlander leads the usability engineering efforts for Mobile Enterprise application development at the Minneapolis based consulting firm ITR Group. His efforts are focused on designing Windows Mobile applications using a patent-pending methodology for automating the usability testing and heuristics analysis of interface design on mobile platforms. He can be reached at donald. overlander@itrgroupinc.com. Jun/Jul 2008

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Enterprise Solutions

FCC Auction Results Verizon & AT&T won big; What does it mean? by Robert Altman

n the recent FCC auction for the upper 700 MHz band (previously used for television broadcasting), Verizon and AT&T won an astonishingly large number of licenses. Verizon invested $9.6 billion and won nearly the entire coveted C block. AT&T invested $6.6 billion and won 227 B block licenses; this is in addition to their $2.5 billion purchase of spectrum in the lower 700 MHz band last October. In all, Verizon and AT&T invested $9.6 billion and $9.1 billion (respectively) in acquiring new spectrum for developing their networks. These numbers represent a major investment in the future of wireless communications; they also represent a significant victory for the two main wireless communications carriers in an effort to maintain their current business model. To understand the significance of this, it is important to understand the two competing communications models: Infrastructure and Application.

Infrastructure and application models The infrastructure model is concerned with providing the infrastructure irrespective of how it will be used; this is best exemplified by the Internet itself. The Internet is a collection of interconnected networks; it is not defined by how it is used. Further, no one “owns” the Internet, and hence, no one controls what applications or devices are used on it. In contrast, the application model is concerned with providing a limited number of applications (ways in which the network is used) and is typically owned and controlled (perhaps even policed) by a single entity which is able to determine how the network is used and what it is used for. There are a great number of examples of this type of network, including the current wireless networks, the (wired) phone network, and even the electrical grid. Each model has advantages and disadvantages. The infrastructure model is like an unpaved road; it lends itself to openness and innovation but requires a more sophisticated user (driver) and suitable devices (vehicles). The application model is more of a limitedaccess highway; it is better suited to low-maintenance, ready-made uses (like a daily commute or cross-country drive). Innovation and openness are sacrificed to ensure a consistent and suitable environment for the existing applications and uses.

Open access and comprehensive networks

cations networks is the recent Verizon open-access announcement (dubbed “Any Device, Any App”). Verizon has committed to opening their network to provide new uses (applications and devices). However, they have done so only with the caveat that the new uses not unduly interfere with the existing uses. In concrete terms, business users have come to rely on mobile voice and e-mail communications in their daily lives. Imagine if (or when) mobile video-conferencing becomes common for the mobile worker. Without safe-guards, video-conferencing could easily swamp the network’s capacity, making calls and e-mail unreliable. Verizon’s goal is to open their network, but also to retain the right to limit the impact new applications (such as video-conferencing) will have on the existing applications (i.e. voice and e-mail). The other significant impact of the recent auction is that AT&T and Verizon are both investing in comprehensive (geographical) networks. While the original 800 MHz (cellular) band was divided up into 734 Cellular Marketing Areas (CMAs), the 700 MHz block C is divided into 12 Regional Economic Area Groupings (REAGs). Verizon won 7 of the 12 REAGs, covering the entire continental U.S. and Hawaii. The remaining 5 REAGs (not won by Verizon) are: Alaska, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Gulf of Mexico, Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands and American Samoa. For its part, AT&T’s winning bids will supplement their existing 700 MHz spectrum (lower 700 MHz Block C, purchased from Aloha partners in October).

Lower frequency—better reception The last important detail is the spectrum frequency itself. Shorter frequency waves (represented by smaller numbers) penetrate solid-matter (like walls) better than longer frequency waves. The effect of this is simple and significant: better reception, especially inside office buildings. Where does this leave the emerging mobile enterprise network? Based on the efforts of both AT&T and Verizon to create consolidated networks, their growing recognition of the importance of open networks, and the shift to the better-penetrating 700 MHz band, it is likely that we will see many improvements in the wireless telecommunication network in the years to come. Expect a transition to 700 MHz networks to bring better coverage (inside metropolitan areas), new phones and devices, and new applications for mobile professionals, all while maintaining the current quality we presently depend upon. It seems clear that both AT&T and Verizon are positioning themselves to support the future of the mobile enterprise. n Robert Altman is a software engineer with Minneapolis-based consulting firm ITR Group, specializing in desktop and mobile development, software architecture, and improving the development process. Robert has been writing software since 1990 and now works almost exclusively in C# and Microsoft .NET. In his spare time, Robert raises two children, two rats, and is an avid cosmology-buff.

What is more telling about the future of the wireless telecommuni-

Choosing an Enterprise Handheld Continued from page 53 Socket SoMo can take your enterprise applications out in the field when and where they are needed. By offering a handheld computer in addition to their comprehensive line of peripherals, Socket has eliminated much of the risk and complexity that integration and compatibility with third-party offerings typically introduce. The benefit here is that implementing field data collection and field service automation functions are of much less concern on the SoMo 650-M.

Solid and reliable devices This brief comparison was based on devices furnished by HewlettPackard and Socket Mobility. Both were running Windows Mobile 6.0 54

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Classic, but the SoMo 650-M is also available running Windows Mobile 5 Premium Edition. (For full specs on these devices, see the At a Glance section on page 78.) Price is always a consideration in any deployment, but especially in a large one. Retailing at around $450, the iPAQ 210 is roughly $250 less than the SoMo 650-M. However, both offer a great platform from which to build or extend your mobile workforce capabilities. While the deciding factors will be unique to each situation and should be considered carefully, these are two very solid, reliable handhelds to consider for your next enterprise mobile deployment. n

Enterprise Solutions

Systems Center Mobile Device Manager 2008 by Patrick Salmon

ow do you go about taking an untrusted and unmanaged Windows Mobile device and elevating it to the status of “first class citizen of the enterprise?” The answer is to deploy Microsoft’s Systems Center Mobile Device Manager 2008. One of the interesting things associated with SCMDM 2008 is found in the “Assumptions” section of the product documentation: “To deploy MDM, you have to have a general understanding of the following:” • Microsoft Windows Server 2003 • Domain controllers • Global catalog servers • Active Directory Directory Service • Group Policy management • Virtual private networks (VPNs) • Network protocols • Domain Name System (DNS) • Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) • Microsoft Internet Information Service 6.0 (IIS) • Certificates and Secure Socket Layers (SSL) Conspicuous by its absence is any mention of Mobility. The reason for this is quite simple; Microsoft has created a product which leverages existing investment in infrastructure, licensing, and administrative expertise in order to facilitate uptake and adoption of Windows Mobile devices as a trusted and truly first-class citizen of the enterprise. SCMDM 2008 itself is entirely built on open standards including IPSec, OMA-DM, LDAP, DNS, DHCP, and X.509. By way of lending perspective, a product such as Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 began as something comparatively simple that addressed a business need, and has matured into a highly complex application with numerous dependencies. SCMDM 2008 has numerous dependencies out of the box, as listed in the Assumptions above. That said, however, the technologies upon which it depends are all mature and well understood in the enterprise. And SCMDM 2008 proves that a product can not only be elegant and beautiful, it can be complex as well. It has been so well thought through and designed that even though it may be a 1.0 product, it performs exactly as advertised. It does indeed elevate the Windows Mobile device to the same trusted and managed status as a PC or laptop. This is one of the best products yet to come out of Redmond.

Components SCMDM 2008 comprises three distinct components: Active Directory (2003 Native Mode only), a Microsoft CA (Enterprise Edition), and SQL2005 SP2 (any version, depending on the size of the deployment). All of these components run on Windows Server 2003 (again, any 32 or 64-bit version except for the CA, which must be installed on Enterprise Edition). Dependence on Universal Groups mean Mixed Mode Active Directory is not supported, nor is a third-party CA (although the MS CA is designed to function as a subordinate of an existing third-party Public Key Infrastructure), SQL200, or MySQL. The first step in trusting a device is Enrollment. This is carried out by the Enrollment Server which is an IIS instance running on Windows Server 2003 SP2 64-bit. All SCMDM 2008 components must be installed on this same platform; no 32-bit. Ideally, the Enrollment Server should be protected by a reverse proxy for reasons of security. The administrator will create an enrollment record (or the user may do it themselves through a self-enrollment portal) which creates a one-

time-PIN that is used to validate the device’s “Domain Enroll” (Start/ Settings/Connection/Domain Enroll). Through enrolling, the Enrollment Server will work with the Device Management Server to create an AD Machine object. This is ultimately managed through Group Policy, of which there are more than 130 presently. There are too many GP capabilities to list here, but application allow/ deny, turning off cameras, and creating a corporate “today” screen are but three examples which come to mind. The device itself will be furnished with a Machine Certificate issued from the internal CA which it will subsequently use to establish an IPSec session to the Gateway Server. The Enrollment and Device Management Servers may co-exist on the same x-64 server. This is not recommended as a best practice for security reasons, but is a supported configuration. For resilience and high availability purposes, both servers may also be load-balanced. The Gateway Server is a headless standalone server that resides in the Perimeter Network (DMZ) and is completely managed from the Device Management Console located in the internal network. The purpose of this server is to establish IPSec connections, distribute internal IP addresses (akin to DHCP), and monitor the state of the connection to the device. When the device changes its native (i.e., carrier-provided) IP address, the Gateway will use IKEv2 and MobIKE to ensure the end-toend connection remains intact and thus shields the LoB application from the consequences of roaming and poor or unreliable connectivity. The infrastructure is depicted in Fig. 1.

Security Microsoft refers to “Dual Factor” in a somewhat misleading sense. The SCMDM 2008 Gateway Server exists to permit the device to establish an IPSec tunnel to itself within which any protocol may be run. It is anticipated that the most prevalent protocol will be SSL; therefore, this creates a “Double Envelope” of SSL within IPSec for additional security. Given the trusted status of the device, passing user credentials across within an SSL session may be considered “Dual Factor,” but that’s very much a stretch. Strictly speaking, “Dual Factor” is defined as “Something you have, and something you know,” such as a SmartCard (something you have) with a PIN or passphrase that must be associated with it (something you know). Taking the device as the “something you have” and your user credentials as the “something you know” is unlikely to be bought into by corporate Security teams. One advantage amongst many is that regulatory requirements such as HIPPA are automatically met owing to all traffic being encrypted— so long as the traffic continues to be encrypted between the Gateway and target LoB host. Continuing the focus on security, SCMDM 2008 turns off split-tunneling. This is a good thing. The act of connecting to your corporate network while also being connected to the Internet effectively creates a bridge between networks and thus creates a huge security risk. SCMDM 2008 forces all traffic from the device to pass through the gateway, after which it is routed either to the LoB application (MS Exchange, CRM, Siebel, Oracle, whatever), or out to the Internet, and thus the user’s Web surfing experience can be made subject to corporate policy on Internet access. Another very clever thing Microsoft has done is that while the termiPatrick Salmon, CISSP, CCNP, is a Mobility Architect with Enterprise Mobile of Watertown, MA. He has been working with SCMDM 2008 since March 2007, wrote the Beta1 & Beta2 Deployment and Planning Guides, and has implemented SCMDM 2008 with a number of enterprise customers. Enterprise Mobile’s team of experts has carried out more than 20 SCMDM 2008 deployments in the U.S. and Europe and are the go-to team for this product. (PSalmon@enterprisemobile.com). Jun/Jul 2008

S MARTP HO NE & P O CK E T P C

Enterprise Solutions

Fig. 1

Systems Center Device Managment Center 2008

Fig. 2

nology “VPN” is used, it doesn’t mean the same as it does with a laptop or PC-initiated connection. With your laptop, when you VPN in through, say, a Cisco Concentrator or Nortel Contivity, successful connection will mean that you can see everything in your corporate network. With SCMDM 2008, however, the device is only permitted access to resources which are explicitly made available to them. This leads into the next point: The device connects to the Gateway, but this is a standalone server with no knowledge of the internal network. So how come the device is “Domain-Joined?” Simply put, it isn’t. It just looks that way. The mechanics of joining a mobile device to an Active Directory domain are very different when compared to a laptop or PC, but the end result is the same: an AD object will exist and Group Policy can therefore be applied to it. The differences—and similarities—begin and end there. Microsoft’s brilliance doesn’t end there. If the device never touches AD, how does Group Policy get to be applied? The answer: the Device Manager. When the device’s AD object was created by the Device Manager, it assumed a status akin to “I created you, therefore I can continue to direct you.” (It’s similar to a parent-child relationship until they turn into teenagers.) The Device Manager will function as a proxy between

Celio Redfly Continued from page 60 Not a standalone computer The REDFLY may look like a small laptop PC or Palm Foleo (may it rest in peace), but it’s not a standalone computer; it requires a Windows Mobile smartphone to be within Bluetooth range or connected via USB cable. If you don’t have a smartphone, or if you don’t always carry it with you, the REDFLY is not for you. If you need to run complex, graphic-intensive applications or full-featured PC programs, a laptop is probably a better choice. However, if you are looking to simply access communication, collaboration, and productivity-oriented applications on the road, the REDFLY might work perfectly.

The rough edges As a first generation product, the REDFLY is not perfect. The majority of problems were related to display compatibility issues (i.e., getting applications designed for VGA and QVGA devices to display properly on the REDFLY’s 800 x 480 screen). This presents somewhat of a chicken-or-the-egg dilemma, as software developers will not necessarily ensure compatibility until a large amount of units are on the market, and consumers will not necessarily purchase the units until there is greater levels of software compatibility. Fortunately, Microsoft continues to encourage developers to build apps with flexible UIs, and more devices are incorporating non-standard screen resolutions. This will likely motivate developers to support the REDFLY’s resolution and aspect ratio. Besides the display issues, there are performance issues. Some of these are inherent to the REDFLY’s architecture (rendering video or games with high-resolution graphics will have poor performance), but other applications like Internet Explorer Mobile simply decide to choke 56

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AD and the device itself such that AD thinks it’s applying Group Policy directly to the device when in fact this never happens. It’s very well thought-through and implemented. The Device Manager stores inventory information about the device in SQL Server 2005 and acts as the mechanism for pushing Group Policy and applications out to the device. Because everything is stored in SQL, there is a rich and quite comprehensive reporting mechanism, also. One very nice feature is that a lost device may be wiped—and owing to the encryption capabilities introduced with WM 6.0, the entire device including any SD cards can be encrypted. A further benefit to this encryption is that any SD card encrypted on one device cannot be read elsewhere; this is by design. Device wiping does not end there, however. Taking the example of the user who loses their phone and notifies the helpdesk to wipe it, should they subsequently find it, the wipe may be cancelled so long as it hasn’t already been executed. Wiping works by the Device Manager sending an alert through the Gateway to notify the device to connect. Upon connection, the device is immediately wiped. Overall, Microsoft has done a tremendous job with this new product. Out of the box it functions exactly as advertised, and is very much “set it and forget it” once it’s installed. Device and User administration is carried out by the familiar MMC snap-in, which means there’s no learning curve for administrators. The following picture (Fig. 2) is of the Administrative interface, which will look very familiar: It is not, however, perfect. Some may find the limitation on there being only one Device Manager in a forest unacceptable. In this version there is also no integration with Systems Center Configuration Manager (or any other COTS Application Distribution product), so Windows Software Update Services is leveraged extensively. n

under the pressure. Thankfully, there are often software alternatives that provide a much better experience—Skyfire or Opera offer higher performance browsers, for instance. Overall, most of these issues should be resolved over time as software developers optimize their applications for flexible form factors, and as Windows Mobile devices continue to receive faster processors and more computing power.

The enterprise potential I believe that the greatest opportunity to utilize this product is for specific line-of-business deployments within the enterprise. While consumers and individual professional users may struggle to find justification for the $499 price tag, this presents a very significant cost savings to the enterprise not only in hardware costs, but also in connectivity, deployment management, and support costs. Additionally, organizations can customize their specific line-of-business applications to run on Windows Mobile while maximizing support for the enhanced REDFLY experience. Specific deployments simply requiring a larger screen or significant data entry may not be possible on a handheld device today, which may require full-blown laptops and tablets often in addition to smartphone devices. The REDFLY now enables an entire class of enterprise deployments to be not only feasible, but quite economically effective. The REDFLY may change the rules of the mobile productivity game. While it is not for everyone, a very significant user base will be able to capitalize on the potential of the REDFLY. By improving the usability and capability of the smartphone experience, the REDFLY could create a paradigm shift, where the smartphone truly becomes the “server” in a “personal area network.” The only question is whether users and enterprises will take advantage of it. For more information, visit Celio’s Web site (redfly.com). n

Congratulations to the Recipients of the 2008 Frost & Sullivan Mobility Awards

Recognizing Today’s Leaders Adobe • AirClic • AirMagnet • Autodesk • DIDMO • FusionOne • Media Excel •Nokia • Panasonic • Siemens • Sprint • TeleNav, Inc. • Trimble Mobile Resource Management “We accelerate growth.” Frost & Sullivan, the Global Growth Consulting Company, partners with clients to accelerate their growth. The company's Growth Partnership Services, Growth Consulting and Career Best Practices empower clients to create a growth focused culture that generates, evaluates and implements effective growth strategies. Frost & Sullivan employs over 45 years of experience in partnering with Global 1000 companies, emerging businesses and the investment community from more than 30 offices on six continents. For more information about Frost & Sullivan’s Growth Partnerships, visit http://www.awards.frost.com.

For more information: w w w. f r o s t . c o m 877.Go.Frost myfrost@frost.com

Enterprise Solutions

Surveyors, Snowshoes, and a Rugged PDA! Team uses ruggedized WM PDAs for environmental survey on Utah’s Monroe Mountain. by John Stewart & Jan Saalfeld

ou don’t usually pack snowshoes for a survey project, but John Stewart and his 14-person crew had to when they performed a biological inventory in waist-high snow on the north face of Utah’s Monroe Mountain. Stewart and crew, working for Cirrus Ecological Solutions, were on the 11,000foot-high mountain in Fishlake National Forest to perform surveys that would be used by the U.S. Forest Service to determine whether and how to authorize 120 miles of seismic oil and gas explorations near Henries Hollow. Seismic studies involve setting off controlled explosives and monitoring the resulting shock waves with geophones strung out over miles of terrain, and the Forest Service wanted to avoid disturbing sensitive species where those lines crossed public lands. As part of their project, Stewart and his crew laid out transects for their biological survey based on these seismic lines. Fig. 1: The Archer Field PC with a Universal Extended Cap.

Preparing for the survey

The crew used eight Juniper Systems Archer Field PCs (junipersys.com), each equipped with a Universal Extended Cap housing a GPS receiver (Fig. 1). These Windows Mobile 5 devices were used to inventory bird species designated “sensitive” by the U.S. Forest Service. To prepare for the survey, predetermined “sampling points” (i.e., specific locations where the data would be collected) were laid out along the survey transects using ESRI ArcGIS 9.2 (esri.com) on Cirrus’ office computer. Each of the Field PCs used on the project was loaded with ESRI’s ArcPad software, which would be used for navigation during the survey and to record inventory data. For navigation purposes, a base map of USGS 7.5 minute topographic quadrangles was overlaid with shape files of area roads, survey transects, and existing Forest Service survey data. All this was loaded 58

S M A RT P H O N E & POCKET PC Jun/Jul 20 08

into the GPS-equipped Field PCs running ArcPad before the research crews were deployed. GPS capability was essential to the survey. Without it, field crews would have to rely on map and compass skills, and likely spend more time finding the sampling point locations. Having topo maps displayed was also crucial to efficiently navigate around complex and hazardous terrain. With GPS, field crew members could eliminate the guess work and navigate to where they were supposed to be quickly and safely.

Helicopters and snow shoes Accessing the survey points was difficult because the deep snow pack at the higher elevations being surveyed made many of the roads impassable. To meet schedules, the team used a helicopter to transport the surveyors to the inaccessible areas. Each morning, this aerial “taxi service” dropped the crew off in pairs at the tops of the mountains, along with their backpacks, snow shoes, and other equipment (Fig. 2). At the end of the day, field crews used GPS to find the pick-up zones. The helicopters were equipped with GPS navigation systems, but the pilots didn’t have project information loaded into them. Instead, Cirrus personnel used their Field PCs to guide the helicopter pilot using ArcPad’s navigation features. Although a helicopter ferried field crews to the beginning of the survey lines atop Monroe Mountain, the surveyors had to navigate to individual sampling points on their own. That’s where the snowshoes— and the PDAs—came into play. The survey lines ran straight up and down the mountains. Five lines were spaced 300 meters apart and sampling points were located every 300 meters on each line. The up and down part was sometimes the least of the surveyors’ worries. When the snow melted, surveyors walked the John Stewart is a biologist working for Cirrus Ecological Solutions, a Logan, Utah-based consulting firm that provides a wide range of natural resource and environmental planning and permitting services. He is responsible for organizing, conducting, and analyzing the results from field surveys over desert and mountain terrain to identify sensitive species of both plants and animals for a variety of clients in the Intermountain West. Jan Saalfeld is VP of Sales and Marketing for Juniper Systems, the company that makes the PDA discussed in this article. Juniper designs, manufactures, and sells high-quality, rugged Archer and Allegro CX Field PCs, a business partner of ESRI since July 2002. ESRI’s ArcPad software runs on both Archer and Allegro Field PCs. Jan has 20 years of experience providing mobile data collection solutions to natural resources applications.

Surveyors, Snowshoes, and a Rugged PDA! sampling lines in rough and brushy terrain. Maneuvering through steep canyons and even around cliff bands, the field crew would have had a hard time finding the sampling points without the GPS-equipped PDAs.

The wildlife inventory At each sampling point, surveyors stopped to play a recorded bird call and note the responses. With GPS, they could find their way to these sampling points on foot. And whether the day was sunny or cloudy, they could see the information clearly on the bright, transflective screens. “(They) read more easily in sunlight,” Stewart explained. “The Archers displayed maps with a ‘you are here’ icon (Fig. 3). You walk until the icon lines up with the survey point. It’s like a big video game, but instead of using paddles to move around, you use your feet.”

Enterprise Solutions

Fig. 2: Standard equipment for the team included a backpack, snow shoes, radio, tape player, and a Field PC.

Fig. 3: The Field PCs displayed a map of the area with the surveyor’s current location marked by a “you are here” icon. Twelve topographical maps were required to cover the entire sampling area. To make navigation even easier, high-resolution ortho-corrected aerial photography of the area was also loaded. All 12 maps and the aerial imagery fit on a single 1 GB SD card, with file storage space to spare. In fact, Stewart had maps for the Henries Hollow area and two additional projects loaded on his PDA.

Surveying day and night The day crew of eight surveyed for three-toed woodpeckers and northern goshawks, while the night crew of six surveyed for flammulated owls. They could have used pencil and paper to record data, but the same software that guided them to the sampling spots also allowed them to collect observed data on customized electronic forms—without the fear of getting them wet! Fig. 4: The ArcPad software included customized forms with drop-down menus to make data collection easier. These forms used drop-down menus to make data collection easier (Fig. 4) and eliminate data entry errors. These menus included date, time, weather, and wind. Every 960 feet (300 meters), the inventory protocol required that a surveyor play a recorded bird call. The surveyor then noted whether there was a response to the recording and characteristics of the birds that responded: whether they were male or female and from what direction the response came. While the day crew was visiting the sampling points, the field manager made sure the extra Lithium-Ion Battery Packs were being charged for the night crew. The battery can power the device for up to 20 hours, and it takes five hours to recharge the batteries. After the day crew returned, the fully-charged batteries were swapped in and the night crew was ready to go. Night crews began surveying after dark, stopping every 300 meters to play recorded owl calls and record what they heard. Having topo maps available made route finding between points straightforward, even in the dark, thanks to its backlit keys and display. Although the field surveyors were first-time users of the Field PCs, they only needed a basic overview to operate the device. Some had ArcGIS experience, which transferred easily to the mobile version of

the program, ArcPad. One surveyor in particular was unfamiliar with the software and hesitant about using it, but according to Stewart, a little extra guidance at the beginning and occasional help over the radio were enough to have him taking data comfortably and accurately. Finally, bumps and bangs are part of all field work, but the rough topography of the survey area made durability especially important. The same hesitant surveyor described in the previous paragraph learned about the Field PC’s reliability first hand. He was riding in a four-wheeler and accidently dropped the PDA off of the vehicle. It hit so hard, the battery was driven out. He retrieved the battery from the dirt, put it back in the device, and turned it back on without any problems—no data was lost!

Staying busy with ArcPad and the Archer PDA When the surveyors had finished gathering data for the Henries Hollow biological inventory, Stewart worked closely with the U.S. Forest Service’s biologist to prepare the environmental assessment. A seismic study with seismic transects adjusted to avoid sensitive nesting was authorized and is in process. Since the completion of the Henries Hollow assessment, Cirrus’s ArcPad-armed Field PCs have been staying busy. During the summer, they were used for surveys for a well site near Parowan, Utah, and another seismic survey near Beaver, Utah. This fall, Crested Butte Mountain Resort in Colorado is hosting an environmental assessment regarding a proposed expansion. Assessing potential impacts to animals and plants can involve navigating in difficult terrain, but this was made easier and safer with the Field PC and its GPS and geospatial mapping capabilities. Using ArcPad made data entry more efficient and resulted in fewer transcription errors. Overall, the Archer Field PC-ArcPad combo produced better information for public lands agencies to guide exploration activities. n

Jun/Jul 2008

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Enterprise Solutions

Celio REDFLY The paradigm-shifting “mobile companion” by Nathan Clevenger

itself, the REDFLY is able to provide a very respectable eight hours of battery life. While Bluetooth may be the most convenient way to connect, the REDFLY also has the ability to connect via USB cable—and charge the smartphone in the process. The USB port also allows you to connect it to an external keyboard, mouse, or flash memory drive. Finally, the REDFLY has a VGA-out port, which allows you to connect to a projector or larger monitor.

For mobile information workers

What exactly is a mobile companion?

Simplicity is the key

From the outside, the REDFLY looks like a sub-notebook computer; from the inside… well, there is no inside—under the hood it has no processor or memory. In simplest terms, the REDFLY is the modern equivalent of the “dumb terminal” that connected to mainframe computers 20 years ago. In this case, however, you are connecting to the smartphone in your pocket instead of a mainframe. Simply turn on your REDFLY, connect via Bluetooth, and you can access the full power of your Windows Mobile device. The REDFLY does not technically “run” Windows Mobile. Instead, it acts as a remote keyboard and display, allowing you to control and view any application running on your WM device. The REDFLY has an 8-inch display with a resolution of 800 x 480, a near-full size keyboard, and a touchpad mouse. It measures 1 x 6 x 9 inches and weighs two pounds. Since it’s not actually powering a processor or accessing memory

Simplicity is the key to the REDFLY. You do have to install a software driver on your Windows Mobile device, but after that you’re up and running in minutes. Since you already know how to use the applications on your smartphone, there’s no training involved. Since nothing is actually stored on the REDFLY, there are no redundant copies of your information requiring synchronization. And if your REDFLY is lost or stolen, there is no personal data at risk. For enterprises struggling to manage devices and data in the field, it is much easier to secure and support a deployment of smartphones (especially with new products like Microsoft System Center Mobile Device Manager— see page 55). The REDFLY can peacefully coexist in that environment, while laptops present significant security and management challenges.

hile the REDFLY may be one of the most innovative products of 2008, it is also one of the most misunderstood devices on the market. The REDFLY presents a truly significant paradigm shift in the world of mobile computing, but whether the marketplace will overcome their confusion to embrace it is a question that will only be answered over time. It is not a product that is right for everyone, but there is a large segment of professional and enterprise users who could revolutionize their mobile productivity if they were able to properly utilize this tool.

Remote Desktop from anywhere with the REDFLY After using the REDFLY for a couple of days, there were still some things I couldn’t do. Not only do the mobile versions PowerPoint and some other applications lack the features of their desktop PC counterparts, there are many PC applications I use on a regular basis (e.g., Microsoft Project, Visio, Expression, and Visual Studio) that aren’t available for Windows Mobile. However, I was certainly impressed with the device, and I could picture myself taking the REDFLY to brief meetings, on day trips, and maybe quick overnight trips. But I couldn’t see myself leaving behind my laptop for extended trips, let alone replacing my laptop with a REDFLY altogether. That is, until I tried connecting to a Terminal Server using Remote Desktop on the REDFLY. By configuring the Remote Desktop Client to display in full screen mode, and setting the option to fit the remote desktop to the screen, I discovered a very seamless experience where I was able to run instances of both Windows Server 2003 and Windows Vista in a native 800 x 480 resolution display. The performance of the high-speed HSDPA wireless connection on my smartphone was more than adequate to run all but the most graphic-intensive ap-

S M A RT P H O N E & POCKET PC Jun/Jul 20 08

Information workers are becoming more mobile and are always looking for ways to accomplish more with their smartphones. But given the physical size of the screen and keyboard on these devices, this can be quite a challenge. The REDFLY was developed to take the smartphone experience to the next level—making device control and text entry more efficient and viewing of information easier. It was not designed to provide a full desktop computing experience, but there are many users who will find that it more than meets their needs. In fact, this article was written using a REDFLY.

Continued on page 56

plications. While there was a certain amount of latency, the more that I used Remote Desktop on the REDFLY, the more that I began to get used to the lag. The experience was not perfect, but it was good enough to challenge my assumptions. On a recent three-day trip, my $2000 Alienware laptop never left its case. I lived on my smartphone, and when I needed a larger screen to read long documents or a bigger keyboard to type extended amounts of text, I pulled out the REDFLY. Whenever I needed to run an application that I didn’t have on my smartphone, rather than bothering to boot up my laptop, I used the REDFLY to simply connect to my Terminal Server at the office or my Vista machine at home using Remote Desktop. While I am the first to argue for the importance of connection-independent mobile smart-client applications, especially for specific line-of-business purposes, I find it very difficult to criticize the usability and sheer simplicity of running Remote Desktop on the REDFLY. Given the enterprise trends towards thin-client architecture (whether it be Terminal Services or Citrix), and the cost of deploying and managing laptops vs. a Windows Mobile smartphone/REDFLY combo, I can’t imagine enterprise IT not giving the REDFLY a second look.

Enterprise Solutions

Four Things to Make Your Mobile Solution Better Essential tips for mobile developers and project managers by Tom Jaros

f you’re in the business of authoring complex enterprise mobile solutions, then application performance, user interface familiarity, and overall stability are at the top of your client’s list of must-haves. The following are four things that you can incorporate into your daily coding routines to achieve the results your clients are looking for.

Do your heavy lifting on the desktop side Mobile devices, as powerful as they have become, still possess limited resources. Because of this, developers usually have to take special precautions to maintain application performance. One way to accomplish this is to identify areas in your client source code that produce read-only datasets from “data munging” and that could just as easily be performed in server source code on a desktop PC. If one or more areas are found, move them to the desktop and take advantage of the additional resources that reside there. All that would need to be downloaded now is the resulting read-only datasets, thus reducing your data footprint and time to access the results.

Normalize, refactor & reuse Redundancy in mobile software applications, whether it’s in application data or actual source code, is at the top of the list of things that foster bugs, performance issues, and application bloat. You can reduce these problems in your mobile apps by simplifying the data and creating reusable chunks of code through either object-orientated methods or general purpose APIs. As examples, normalizing redundant, read-only data before it makes it to the mobile device reduces your data footprint, the time to download it, and the time to look it up. Reviewing your source code ensures that it is being developed to specification. Reusing it through good objectorientated design promotes application stability and performance, and also simplifies debugging. Refactoring it keeps it clean, readable, and compact. Normalizing it reduces the chances for bugs and performance issues to occur. A basic rule of thumb is, as long as proposed changes clearly improve the overall performance and code readability of the application without negatively affecting the overall design or end-user experience, then it’s probably a good thing to do.

Learn the job For enterprise mobility developers, translating a client’s business process into a usable mobile solution can be quite a challenging task. In some cases, the development team may already know the type of business the client is in. Other times they may be particularly skilled in a component needed for the overall solution but not all that familiar with how the client anticipates to use it. One valuable technique to address these concerns is to designate one developer to be in charge of learning the client’s business process inside and out. Ultimately, this would entail visits to the client in order to witness the business process first-hand. Developers should be willing to immerse themselves in all aspects of the job, documenting the subtle points and properly assessing work flow. By doing this, the development team will be able to create a user interface that is immediately familiar to the field worker and much easier for them to learn. If they were to try to do this just from a design specification, they would likely not achieve the same results. Basically, as long as the visual cues are kept simple and in the context of the client, field workers will be able to effectively leverage the mobile solution and be more productive.

Meeting the client’s needs These are just some of the many techniques mobile developers can leverage to meet the needs of a client. Use the Web to find out more about these tricks and others that will help you make your mobile applications as good as they can be. Good luck and go mobile! Tom Jaros is the owner of Empower Mobility LLC and a veteran mobility developer with over 16 years of mobile software development experience. He provides a mix of design to deployment expertise in both product and enterprise mobility software spaces. He possesses a BS in Computer Science and is an active board member of the Vermont Software Developers Alliance, a non-profit organization that helps Vermont software companies grow and prosper. He can be reached by e-mail at tom@empowermobility.com.

Separate the business logic from device-specific layers Separating complex business logic and state machine management from any actual interaction with system layers helps to promote code readability and portability. To do this, add a layer of abstraction in your design that encapsulates the system level calls and separates them from the actual business logic. Then make use of the new layer in the business logic by calling it instead of the system level routines. When it comes to supporting multiple mobile platforms, this technique will be critical to your success. In fact, if done properly, all that you will likely need to change is the implementation of your abstraction layer when you make the move to another platform. Of course, choosing a common programming language that exists across all target platforms will also dramatically simplify the port. Be sure to check this out before you start coding. Jun/Jul 2008

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Enterprise Solutions

Line of Business Solution Accelerator 2008 Microsoft’s free example of successful enterprise application development by Don Overlander

any development teams have overlooked the original Line of Business Solution Accelerator (released in 2006), spending hours or days developing their own solutions when they could have been on the fast track to success with the pre-built and best-practice focused code available for mobile applications that the LOB accelerator provided. The updated Microsoft Windows Mobile Line of Business Solution Accelerator for 2008 brings a new round of innovative updates and solid best-practices to the Windows Mobile Platform, showcasing many of the new features released in the .NET Compact Framework 3.5 and SQL Server Compact 3.5. This sample Line of Business application features a set of sample projects, thousands of lines of commented, easy-tounderstand code, and an updated Supply Chain application that brings all the concepts together into a working model. Aimed at developers and teams who need to utilize the Windows Mobile platform to its fullest in consumer or enterprise applications, this update to the LOB Solution Accelerator provides all the tools, concepts, and best-practices to get on the fast track to success. Best of all, you can quickly adapt the whole application, or select only those components you want to use. Some of the most exciting features of this release are: • Intelligent Resolution Awareness • LINQ • Managed Stored Procedures and Triggers • Sync Services for ADO.NET • WCF Store and Forward • MapPoint • Notifications and Online Help • Language Switching and Localization

make sure the application’s interface fits the user experience demanded by your customers.

Professional development standards One of the best-practices evident in the design of the Solution Accelerator and supported by the resolution-aware examples in particular is this: Develop for WM Standard, test on WM Professional. Unless you are fortunate enough to know the single device or specification that your application will (ever) be distributed on, this best-practice belongs in your development process. Designing and developing for Windows Mobile Standard, with its lack of a touch screen and generally single mode (keyed) input as a basic platform, and then extending the application to function on Windows Mobile Professional at its optimum, provides the greatest flexibility and increases the potential for successful deployment.

Data access in Compact Framework 3.5 As more and more businesses of all sizes depend on automating their mobile workforces, the ability for those companies to create solutions for their mobile line of business is becoming critical. These applications will need to scale well to support the thousands of potential users present in deployments by international organizations. The Line of Business Solution Accelerator brings out the elegance of data access with the v3.5 releases, delivering some powerful new features to the Windows Mobile platform with an easy-to-understand business model. Examples provided show how clean data operations can be with managed stored procedures, triggers, and LINQ extensions. The comments throughout the sample application point out where other coding choices could be made to make data access and management tasks even more transparent.

Intelligent resolution awareness

Sync Services on mobile devices

As the Windows Mobile marketplace continues to expand, there has been an ever-changing variety of screen sizes and input methods brought to market. We continue to see screen and keyboard dimensions shrink to meet the demand for compact devices, right alongside the huge screens and innovative interfaces on devices that compete with UMPCs or niche market devices. The amazing variety provided to the marketplace has also come with a development cost that seems to nag many applications: orientation and platform awareness. Missing this simple feature can create both extended development times and frustrating failures in the usability of an application. This latest release of the LOB accelerator comes with the tools necessary to quickly design and build an application that can be compiled into a single distributable binary that runs on Standard or Professional versions of Windows Mobile without the need for custom compilations. The code in the LOB accelerator will also allow you to display your application equally well in Portrait or Landscape mode—regardless of the screen dimensions (rectangular or square). In providing a simple resolution to this problem, the LOB accelerator will save hours of fiddling with the display architecture, and let the design teams and developers

Synchronization Services allows you to synchronize data from multiple sources over a multi-tier and/or services-based architecture. This brings an exciting new consistency and reliability to mobile clients as these Services allow these applications to work against a local data store while managing many of the synchronization issues over an occasionally available network connection. The Solution Accelerator provides some very useful examples of how these services can be integrated with your application, making development of applications in occasionally connected environments a simple extension of similar development with a dependable and consistent network connection. Modeled after the ADO.NET data access APIs, and demonstrated cleanly in the Solution accelerator, Synchronization Services gives you an intuitive way to synchronize data on a mobile platform.

S M A RT P H O N E & POCKET PC Jun/Jul 20 08

Donald Overlander leads the usability engineering efforts for Mobile Enterprise application development at the Minneapolis based consulting firm ITR Group. His efforts are focused on designing Windows Mobile applications using a patent-pending methodology for automating the usability testing and heuristics analysis of interface design on mobile platforms. He can be reached at donald. overlander@itrgroupinc.com.

Line of Business Solution Accelerator 2008

Integration with MapPoint Having worked with competing mapping APIs, I was very interested in how the LOB application integrated Microsoft MapPoint Services. Live Search has always impressed me with its usability and intuitiveness on the Mobile platform—making the driving directions UI in the sample Supply Chain application a bit underwhelming—though this was very minor as the main focus of the Solution Accelerator is to enable developers to make use of the .NET Compact Framework, not a usability guide for graphical interfaces. I was impressed by the ease with which MapPoint integrated into the application, and the solid design of the methods by which the services obtained and displayed the data. It was also amusing to note that all delivery routes start at the “hardcoded” center of the universe: 1 Microsoft Way in Redmond.

Application Localization The sample application has been built to allow Localization of the user interface between Spanish and English and provides a very clear explanation of how Localization should be accomplished. The Localized help files are implemented as a set of HTML pages, while retrieval of the appropriate help files depends on the Current UI Culture defined for the device and a best-practice class for defining “global” fields within the application. Implementing global application variables, as the application does, allows for configuration of the device manually or remotely via a mobile device management application.

Leveraging the tool If you would rather not re-invent the wheel, you can count on the Line of Business Solution Accelerator 2008 as a reference guide of reliable “how-to” examples, as well as a library of solid classes to build upon. Its thousands of lines of commented code, excellent use of best-practices for mobile development, and wide variety of examples integrating some of the most powerful features of the Compact Framework 3.5 make this a resource that should not be overlooked. Take advantage of this free tool, and realize a new level of productivity in your mobile development efforts. n

Resco

MobileBusiness Toolkit Suite of components for .NET CF

Powerful Grid, Advanced List & Tree, Charts, Scheduling, ...

Enterprise Solutions

New book offers guidance on the implementation of data-driven architectures Rob Tiffany’s new book Windows Mobile Data Synchronization with SQL Server 2005 and SQL Server Compact 3.1 provides excellent reference and guidance on the implementation of datadriven architectures and data sync scenarios in scalable, enterprise level mobile applications. As Senior Technical Product Manager for Windows Mobile at Microsoft, and author of several books on Mobile Database development, Rob Tiffany is well positioned to provide an authoritative reference on the subject. The best-practices surrounding mobile data and data synchronization provided in this latest publication provide easy access for anyone looking to get up to speed on these topics, as well as challenging seasoned developers to improve their implementations and architectures. Provided in a very easy to follow step-bystep process, Rob covers nearly every aspect of mobile data synchronization from initial concepts through detailed configuration settings and considerations that will save you hours of headache. The book lists for $29.95 and can be purchased at amazon.com and other online sources.

Visual Studio Add-on for ERP/CRM Integrators Includes Sales Force/Field Service application prototype

Customers

Products & Services

Route planning

Orders

http://dev.resco.net Jun/Jul 2008

S MARTP HO NE & P O CK E T P C

NEC 900C

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Ä Ä Ä Built-In Software Ç Ç Ç

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Ä Ä Ä Windows Media Player Ç Ç Ç

Yes

Ä Ä Ä USB Expansion Ç Ç Ç

Ä Ä Ä Extended Networking Capabilities Ç Ç Ç

Pocket I.E. version 6.0 (Extended Browsing capabilities)

Built-in (Supports WEP and WPA)

Ä Ä Ä Internet Explorer Ç Ç Ç

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Ä Ä Ä WiFi Drivers for Linksys WPC11 Ç Ç Ç

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Pocket I.E. version 4.0

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Compatible for XScale

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How To Use

Windows Mobile Goes on Tour with Legendary Rock Band Cheap Trick An interview with Rick Nielsen, lead guitarist and founder by Adam Kornak

he crowd is waiting in anticipation. The opening act just left the stage and the crew is setting up the guitars and equipment for the main act to hit the stage. After every tiny detail is in place, the lights go down, and the crowd screams their approval. Year after year for almost 30 years, Cheap Trick has been entertaining their fans with award-winning songs like “Surrender,” “Dream Police,” and “I Want You to Want Me.” Few of us fans, however, know of what actually goes on backstage or on the road to make shows go off without a hitch. Believe it or not, mobile devices play a key role in helping bands and their management put on shows flawlessly. I was lucky enough to meet the guitar legend Rick Nielsen while on

tour and got to spend some time discussing the secrets of Cheap Trick’s success all these years. Amazingly, I found that mobile technology plays a huge part in making tours go smoothly. Even better, Windows Mobile devices, Microsoft UMPCs (Ultra Mobile Personal Computers), and Microsoft Office all play a key role in the management of the band’s schedule. I also asked Rick how other entertainers like him use mobile technology. Some of his answers surprised even me.

Adam: Thanks for meeting with me, Rick. So what is Cheap Trick up to today?

Rick N: Best place to go is CheapTrick.com to find out. We’re doing a lot. We’re finishing another album—recording and touring just like normal. I just got back from Japan doing a press tour for the 30th anniversary of Live at Budokan. We’re also playing for John Varvatos for a crisis center in L.A. and doing an ad campaign. The other night I did “shoot the puck” with Al Jourgensen from the band Ministry at the Chicago Blackhawks game. We’re touring in July, August, and September all over the country. I’m involved in 10 other projects as well as working on a bunch of corporate events.

Adam: Sounds like you travel a great deal. Whether traveling for concerts or other business, what tools do you take with you to manage your schedule, i.e. mobile technology?

Rick N: Yes, I travel a great deal. We have a tour manager/road manager. When we have questions, which we all do, someone has to have the master schedule. We have the itineraries. We need to know what kind of car is picking us up, what time a set is, is it 24-hour room service at the hotel, do they have high-speed Internet. But she [road/tour manager] does the master scheduling. We use MS Word or Excel apps with our itineraries and use paper copies so we can write notes on them when things come up. Our road/ tour manager carries a thick notebook of stuff. While she has it all on the computer, she needs to constantly make changes—like what kind of car we want, is my wife going to be there, etc. She has her hands full babysitting for four over-39 year-olds and all the affairs and the crews. It’s a logistical nightmare. She’s gone through five computers in five years. It’s brutal.

Adam: I know you like to use all kinds of mobile devices as well?

Cheap Trick photos courtesy of Mike Graham 66

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Adam Kornak is the Lead Mobility Strategist for Microsoft’s Financial Services Group, specializing in wireless and mobile solutions in the financial services industry. He has over 17 years of experience in the field of information technology, business process re-engineering, and business strategy. His current role within Microsoft is managing the mobility business for the financial services group. Adam has written a number of books and articles. He is the lead author of The Enterprise Guide to Gaining Business Value from Mobile Technologies and Cap Gemini Ernst &Young’s Guide to Wireless Enterprise Application Architecture, published by John Wiley & Sons. His books are available at amazon.com.

Windows Mobile Goes on Tour with Legendary Rock Band Cheap Trick How to Use years—probably ahead of the curve on that one. I only know of about one other person who has one besides me on the road.

Adam: What kind of other applications do you use on the phones? Rick N: E-mail, texting. I’ve seen from the execs from the large companies to the regular work a day guy, and everyone on the plane is watching movies, or playing solitaire or games like Sudoku. When you’re on the plane, you are away from the office. It’s handy to keep your mind active yet not working on your job full-time. I use it for music. I use my computers for tracking musical ideas on my portable phones & PDAs—it’s really handy to have. One of the disadvantages I’ve found (since I was a math major as a kid) using my cell phones—I have to look up people’s numbers. I don’t have people’s numbers memorized like I used to.

Adam: What do you like about the Windows Mobile phones you use?

Rick N: Great stuff! I like the GPS mapping on the BlackJack II. It Rick N: I like high-tech toys that work for me. Adam: What kind of mobile devices do you use? Rick N: I always have at least two phones with me at all times. At

just blows my mind—I love having that, instead of having separate GPS units for cars. It’s really handy to have something right in your hand. I have it on my computers, but it’s fun if you are riding in a car… but when you are walking or if you need something in a hurry, or want to hear the latest news, having a phone that can reach out to more things than just the telephone is wonderful.

home we have three lines, four telephones, and two other numbers with my wife’s business. My daughter has the latest technology with stuff I’ve never heard of (I’ve got the bills to prove it)… three sons & two daughters-in- law, all using mobile devices from the earliest stuff to the latest technology. I have a Samsung BlackJack II, iPhone, Palm Treo, Palm 500v Motophone, HTC Touch Dual, many Apple computers, a Fujitsu P1620—a mini computer which is really handy. Everyone on our road crew has a computer and at least one phone. We are a traveling telephone company.

Adam: What types of things do you like or dislike about some of the different devices?

Rick N: There is something different about each one that I like and dislike. I’m a guitar player. I took typing in the 7th grade and I’ve never gotten any better at QWERTY than I am now, which is pretty terrible. I wish all keyboards were bigger but I don’t want to carry around a bigger keyboard. So I’ve gotten by with using the sides of my fingers or a stylus. I hate abbreviating—the only time I think abbreviations are good is when people are giving speeches.

Adam: So you are obviously doing a lot of e-mail on your mobile phone?

Rick N: Lots of e-mail—most of my e-mails I’m doing straight from my computer. Most e-mails I do from the phones are forwards & pictures. I like the English language better than the keyboard does for me. That’s a problem. Another keyboard thing I have is the VDK—it looks like a laser keyboard. I love that thing but I still can’t type any better. I still have to go back and spell check.

Adam: You mentioned you are using the MS Office applications— Word and Excel—for the itineraries. I assume you can use them with your mobile devices since they come with them?

Rick N: Yes, I use them on the device. I prefer the desktop or laptops

Adam: Does that work with all of your mobile devices?

for the real detailed work, but you can do it if you have the patience to do it. I’m more of a hunt & peck kind of guy. My daughter though, the only thing she can do fast is avoid me and do e-mails and texting with her friends—she flies. I care more about spelling—“i” before “e” except after “Nielsen.”

Rick N: Well I haven’t tried it with every one of them. But when it

Adam: What is your idea of a perfect device?

does work it’s always a crowd pleaser. It is frustrating when it doesn’t work—usually when I want to show it off. I’ve had it for about three

Rick N: For me, a cross between the iPhone and the newest Motorola Jun/Jul 2008

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How to Use

Windows Mobile Goes on Tour with Legendary Rock Band Cheap Trick

Q 9. I can’t wait to get my hands on the Motorola Q 9. It’s more Rick Nielsen-friendly. I need something more substantial. I just got back from Japan. They have devices that we don’t have and we have devices they don’t have. The Japanese were complaining that their devices were getting so small they were losing them. I like the Treos even though they are getting smaller. I like the touch screen and good graphics. You want the screen to be x size—have half a screen & half keyboard. A hotspot corner to back to applications or keyboard—more to do here! Adam: I know you have an Ultra Mobile PC that you carry on the road with you, the Fujitsu P1620. What do you like about that device?

Rick N: I absolutely love it! It’s very light, incredibly small and compact, and extremely powerful for a small machine. Overall, it just knocks people out when they see it because of its small size and what it’s capable of doing. Adam: On the flip side, I know you also use Macs. What do you like about the Mac?

from Microsoft PCs, Macs, Windows phones, and just standard flip phones, also. There are things that people like about Windows devices and things they don’t like about Macs and vice versa. There are advantages and disadvantages to all these different technologies. I happen to like my Windows Mobile devices for e-mail because they have great keyboards. The BlackJack II is one I use regularly on tour. It also has great GPS capabilities for mapping locations, and just by chance right before you and I starting talking I got a text from Billy Corgan. He’s an interesting guy.

Adam: Do you see these same people using mobile devices like yourself? In other words, it sounds like you’re doing more than most rock bands when it comes to using mobile devices for managing their calendars, e-mail, writing music, and the like?

Rick N: You’re right, but I just love this technology and I find it helps me save time in ways I never thought possible. I even use a mobile device as my TV remote. The only thing it seems that these mobile devices don’t do for you is do your work for you. They just aid and help in doing your work, which is great. I still use a paper and pencil occasionally, but it’s awful nice to have things scanned to your device or take pictures whenever. I used my Windows Mobile device once to take a picture of a song I wanted to take with me on the road.

What else is going on in Entertainment?

Rick N: Well, I use the Mac for graphics, pictures, and writing music. For me, there’s a strong familiarity with Macs because I grew up using some of the early Apple laptops. I remember back then, the battery was bigger than the laptop itself. I had to keep the thing in my bag when I traveled on airplanes. I also used the early Apple IIC, I think it was called, where the screen was all green and the cursor was a blinking rectangle. I think I actually won my Apple at some event. We also have Windows PCs. We’re not all Macs, obviously. I don’t use one brand of guitar; I use a lot of stuff. The Fujitsu I have is terrific, and the Macs I use are good, too.

Adam: How do other entertainers that you work with use mobile devices? Feel free to name some of your favorite bands you’ve worked with.

Rick N: With the bands that I’ve worked with, everybody has a phone, first of all. Even our drummer, Bun E. Carlos has a phone. For the longest time he never even had a phone, but he saw all the things you can do with them and broke down. You really see everything, though, 68

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After leaving Rick to get back to his busy schedule, I did a little of my own research on mobility in entertainment. One interesting thing I found is how mobile devices were integrated with this year’s Noise Pop Music Festival. A new social discovery service called Whrrl, gave concertgoers access to real-time location mapping, status updates, friend notifications, and show and venue information from their cell phones. You can then share that information with anyone in your social network. You can get more detailed information about the service at whrrl.com. Mobile devices are everywhere. It’s clear that corporate America is not the only ones who are taking advantage of mobile e-mail and apps on the road, but so are some of the biggest names in the music business. As I sit and finish this article on my flight back home, I notice my fellow passengers with their smartphones playing videos, music, and tapping away frantically at their tiny QWERTY keyboards. n

what’s online

More Free Resources for Mobile Content

Jim Karpen

obile content continues to explode as mobile carriers and major Web sites realize that cell phone users are a huge new audience for content. Just two issues ago (Feb/Mar ‘08) I wrote about all the mobile portals available to you. And now I’m here yet again to write about additional convenient ways to get Internet content on your device. These include free applications for searching and watching videos and free mobile widget platforms.

access Internet content, you use Zumobi widgets (or “tiles”) to access AccuWeather, stock quotes, AP national news, AP sports, Flickr, MTV movie news, and even a couple games. Zumobi includes a default set of 16 tiles, which are displayed on Zumobi’s main screen (Fig. 3).

Mobile video via vTap

You can go to the gallery on the Zumobi Web site to select from scores of additional tiles in 10 categories to create a set of 16 tiles that most suit your interests. The categories include Entertainment, Finance, Games & Humor, Kids, News, See & Hear, Shopping, Sports, and Travel & Weather. While many of the tiles are related to Internet content, some are small applications such as a Check List utility. When you find one you want to add, you send it to yourself and it arrives in your Zumobi Inbox on your device. You then select which of the default tiles to replace with the new tile. You need to register on the Zumobi site in order to use the application, which you can download via your desktop computer or directly to your device. Microsoft is strongly behind this approach to mobile content and is partnering with Zumobi to help market and distribute this freeware. Zumobi is ad-supported, so you’ll see advertising prominently in the interface.

vTap (vtap.com), one of the more impressive freeware applications I’ve tried, lets you search for videos on the Web and then play them on your device. It gives you access to the universe of Web video, from YouTube to Yahoo Video to Metacafe. You simply type in a keyword, and as you enter letters, vTap immediately starts showing a list of results. This character-based incremental search expedites your search.

Fig. 3: Zumobi’s main screen displays 16 userdefinable tiles that let you access Internet content quickly.

Figs. 1 & 2: vTap allows you to search on any topic and displays a list of related videos (left). Tap the desired video and select the Play button to stream it to the vTap player (right). When you select a search result (Fig. 1), the video downloads to your device and plays in the vTap player (Fig. 2). I tried videos from several different services, and they all worked fine. However, my Verizon Treo broadband connection downloads at about 100k, which is faster than some data services but not as speedy as Wi-Fi. Because of this, I typically had to wait while the video downloaded. The vTap Tools menu lets you access other features, including Bookmarks, History, Past Queries, Safe Search, and more. In addition to the ability to search for a video by name, vTap lets you search on topic Categories, which include News, Sports, Music, TV Shows, Movies, Science & Technology, Travel & Places, How-To, and User Videos. It also lets you access Wikipedia—again via character-based incremental search. You can download vTap directly to your device by going to vTap’s mobile site (m.vtap.com). Go to vTap.com to find out more about the product and see it in action on your desktop PC.

Zumobi, a free “mobile widget platform” Zumobi (zumobi.com) is a free “mobile widget platform.” (As used here, a “widget” is a small, single-function application that gives you convenient and quick access to specific information or that lets you perform a specific task.) Instead of using a mobile Web browser to

Plusmo

Figs. 4 & 5: Plusmo makes it easier to access Web content on your Windows Mobile touch screen device (left) or non-touch screen smartphone (right).

Plusmo (plusmo.com), freeware that we’ve previously covered, also lets you run mobile widgets that make accessing blogs, RSS feeds, and Web sites easier (Figs. 4 & 5). Over 20,000 widgets are available, according to the Web site. The Plusmo site lets you preview the widgets (click on Get Started/Add/Widgets) in 10 categories, including News, Sports, Entertainment, Fun, Technology, and Fashion. Examples of available widgets include CNN, BBC, ESPN Sports, Engadget, Gizmodo, MovJim Karpen Ph.D. is on faculty at Maharishi University of Management in Fairfield, Iowa. He has been interested in the revolutionary consequences of computer technology ever since writing his Ph.D. dissertation–a study of the “digitized word” that anticipated the Internet revolution. He has been writing regularly about the Internet since 1994. His Web site, www.jimkarpen.com, contains selected Internet columns written monthly for the Iowa Source magazine. Contact Jim at jim_karpen@smartphonemag.com. Jun/Jul 2008

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How To Use What’s Online ies.com, YouTube, and Flickr Browser. If you like what you see, getting started is easy. You select your favorite widgets, register, and then Plusmo sends you an SMS message or e-mail with a link to download and install Plusmo along with the favorites you selected. You can also add RSS feeds as well as create and publish your own widgets. Like Zumobi, the Plusmo interface includes small display ads. Plusmo’s widgets may be something of a misnomer, though. Zumobi offers true widgets in the sense that it grabs the content and offers it in a self-contained interface. Plusmo simply seems to grab the RSS feed. For example, if you’re using the New York Times widget and click on Read More for a particular news story, it takes you to your Web browser, which loads the desktop version of the page. Unfortunately, this requires a lot of scrolling to read.

Hubdog mobile content Hubdog (hubdog.com), which we’ve also covered in the past, combines an RSS reader, a podcast player, a media search engine, and channels that can be shared among community members. You can use Hubdog to download and play or display news, radio, music and video podcasts, blogs, and any RSS feed onto your device (Figs. 6 & 7).

Fig. 8: Mippin is a Web-based RSS feed aggregator that simplifies the process of finding and subscribing to RSS content. Mippin is different. You simply point your mobile browser at mippin.com. Then in the search box, you can enter keywords or a Web address, and it will then dish up the latest RSS feeds. If you enter a Web address, Mippin will automatically find any RSS feeds on that Web page and present them in a convenient mobile format. A keyword search finds RSS feeds on that particular topic. Further, Mippin automatically personalizes itself to your interests, keeping track of your favorite content. I was quite impressed with this site.

Viigo, NewsGator Go: Free RSS feed readers Speaking of RSS readers, if you want a standalone app rather than the Web-based Mippin, there are a couple solid freebies to consider. Viigo (viigo.com) is a standalone application that gives you quick access to news, sports, entertainment, weather, markets, blogs, or any RSS feed that you want. It has a well-organized channel library that lets you select from hundreds of sources of information (Fig. 9). Fig. 9: Viigo’s channel library lets you select from hundreds of RSS feed sources.

Figs. 6 & 7: Hubdog lets you download Web content, which it displays in a channel list (left). Select the desired channel, and it plays the content on your device (right). One advantage of Hubdog is that it captures content so that you can read, listen to, or watch it when you’re offline. You can access content either through ActiveSync, Wi-Fi, or a cellular data line such as GSM/ GPRS, CDMA/1X, or 3G.

Alternate browsers now offering widgets Widgets are all the rage these days. Several developers have also announced this capability for their commercial browsers. NetFront 3.5 (access-company.com), one of the leading alternative Web browsers for Windows Mobile devices, now offers widgets that give you functions such as updated weather information, news headlines, favorites from YouTube, local maps, and photo feeds from Web sites. A public, but somewhat limited Technical Preview is already available. Opera 9.5 (opera.com), in addition to a faster speed and new interface features such as the iPhone-like OperaZoomT, also includes Opera Widgets. The Opera Web site has a video guided tour of the new browser. A public beta release should be available in April or May.

Mippin: Easy access to RSS feeds Mippin (mippin.com) is a new Web site that gives you access to RSS feeds—those constantly refreshing tidbits that alert you to the latest news or content on your favorite Web sites. Typically if you want to use a Web site or software application to “aggregate” RSS feeds, you have to find the RSS feeds and then manually add the links to your RSS reader. 70

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Navigation is efficient and easy. If you’re accessing a news source, for example, Viigo gives you a handy list of the headlines. Clicking on a headline brings up a capsule summary. You can then elect to view the whole article, which is nicely formatted for the small screen of your device. Viigo, unlike Plusmo, grabs the whole article. In general, I like the interface and the presentation of content. NewsGator Go for Windows Mobile (newsgator.com) was recently released as a freebie after having been a commercial product. This application gives you the ability to track and manage all your RSS content on your mobile device. It can also play streaming audio and video.

New Web browser: Skyfire Skyfire (skyfire.com), which will likely be free and ad-supported, sounds remarkable—it gives you access to the entire Web, mobilizing Web sites on-the-fly, and this includes content that’s not usually compatible with Internet Explorer Mobile, such as YouTube videos. According to the Web site, “Skyfire gives you speedy page loads, full audio, video, images, dynamic Flash content, advanced Ajax, Java, and more—just like your PC.” The Beta1 release of Skyfire was closed on March 1. You can sign up on their Web site (skyfire.com/sign-up) to be notified when the Beta 2 release is available. There are video demos on YouTube (youtube.com) from the Skyfire developers and from Brighthand. One of the first reviews of Skyfire was posted on Just Another Mobile Monday (go to justanothermobilemonday.com and search on “Skyfire”). This trend toward mobile content is only going to grow, and it’s great to see these useful resources being made available—for free. n

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Bluetrek...Raketu...E-Mail Etiquette...Keyboard Blues...CES Favorites...Revival...more Here are short summaries of just a few of the great posts published daily on the Smartphone & Pocket PC magazine blogs. We encourage you to read the complete post, post your own comments, and ask questions of the authors. Below each post we’ve placed the date of the post and the name of the person who wrote it. To find and read the complete post, go to the blog home page (smartphonemag.com/blogs) and use the navigation calendar in the right hand column to browse to the date in question.

Bluetrek SurfaceSound Compact hands-free system The ability to use your device while driving is important for most of us, but more and more states are implementing rules about cell phone use. For the most part, the new laws state that the driver of a vehicle can’t use a cell phone while the vehicle is in motion. It is a pretty simple law, and violations can bring some stiff fines. Fortunately, there are exceptions to these laws that allow the use of a handsfree system. The folks at Bluetrek (bluetrek.com) have a rather unique hands-free solution in their new Bluetrek Surface Sound Compact, a flat, visor-mounted wireless Bluetooth speaker and microphone. I was immediately interested in this solution because it uses flat panel speaker technology developed by NXT, which allows manufacturers to develop products with extraordinary sound quality, but without the bulk usually associated with high-quality speakers... Posted on 2/19/08 by Jack Cook

• Rule 1 – Respond to every part of an e-mail that warrants a response. • Rule 2 – Respond to e-mails. • Rule 3 – Check your spelling. • Rule 4 – Consider using traditional letter formatting. • Rule 5 – Only use “Internetspeak” when appropriate. (For more details, read the post.) Posted on 2/10/08 by Ben Stanley

Can Raketu replace a SIM card? I recently received a lovely new WMG Windows Mobile 6 Professional device that came unlocked and without a SIM card, which limited some of its powerful capability. Without a SIM card, I could not use it to make phone calls or send text or MMS messages. However, when I discovered the wireless communication possibilities of the newly released Raketu for Windows Mobile devices, I was eager to give it a try. Raketu (raketu.com) is a VoIP-based service that has been available for desktops, but is now offered for Windows Mobile devices as well. It is supposed to enable you to use your handset to make calls anywhere in the world free. You can send e-mail as well as SMS and MMS messages… Posted on 2/5/08 by Tim Hillebrand

5 Rules of e-mail etiquette The rise of e-mail and other forms of instant electronic communication has eroded our respect for many of the conventions that we traditionally adhered to when writing paper letters, and has introduced several new bad habits into the way we communicate with one another on a daily basis. Those of us who use mobile devices to communicate are especially susceptible to bad e-mail habits because the size limitations of these devices encourage lazy habits, and because mobile device users tend to be busy, always-on-the-go types. In response to this phenomenon, I’ve decided to compile 5 rules of e-mail etiquette.

Keyboard blues: Bad news I regret to inform you that the production and support of the iGo Bluetooth Stowaway keyboards has been discontinued. After meeting with the iGo people at CES, I learned that the president of the company decided not to continue the line because of the unjustifiable expense of developing all the necessary drivers. I suspected something was up when I found out that no WM 6 drivers had been developed yet. (Note that the drivers for WM 5 seem to work fine with most WM 6 devices, but this may not be the case with future versions of the OS.) What a sad development, because the Stowaway Bluetooth keyboards were the best of the best, and there’s really nothing out there that I know of yet that will replace it. So, enjoy yours while it lasts, but don’t count on being able to upgrade it to a new device. Posted on 1/12/08 by Tim Hillebrand

No 2008 Best of Everything Software Package Why cancel the Best of Everything Package in 2008? The short answer—our Web site! For over two years I have wanted to “fix” this site. We’ve made a number of false starts with not much to show for it. On the one hand, IMHO, we have an awesome site of outstanding content: these blogs, the forums, Best Software Awards, Encyclopedia of Software and Accessories, archives of ALL past issues of Smartphone & Pocket PC magazine, device comparison chart, free newsletters, and the VIP site! Jun/Jul 2008

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Experts Online The problem is that the site has grown organically both inside and out. The main site has one look. These blogs, the forums, and our VIP site have a completely different one. The site consists of canned packages, like for these blogs, and custom code written in ASP, ASP .NET, and PHP. Data is stored in two completely different data base languages… So what does our redesigned Web site have to do with Best of Everything Software Package and Demo CD? We have a small staff, and creating the Best of Everything Software Package takes months. Our small Web and marketing team would have to drop most of their work on the new site to create the 2008 BOE. I finally decided we simply had to get the new site up, and so I pulled the plug. Posted on 1/18/08 by Hal Goldstein

CES favorite picks for Windows Mobile As one of over 140,000 attendees at CES, I sometimes felt as if I were a lemming going along with the flow from one exhibit to another, mostly in awe of the whole extravaganza. If there was any cohesive theme, it had to be centered on the concept of digital integration. It was evident in the inter-connectivity of devices in lifestyle and environments for the workplace, home, and automobile… While I tried to take in everything, I’m sure I missed some nifty stuff because it was all just so overwhelming. However, I did try to focus on two things: new Windows Mobile devices and UMPCs. I found several new WM 6 devices, which I will review thoroughly as soon as I receive the evaluation units from Asus, Samsung, HP, Motorola, and Verizon… Decent Wi-Fi access at CES was almost impossible, thanks to the teeming masses of attendees and exhibitors. For this reason, the press room had cabled connections for the likes of me, which I appreciated greatly. Wi-Fi was, however, certainly evident in a myriad of products from HDTVs to digital cameras, game consoles, and MP3 players… Posted on 1/14 and 1/29/08 by Tim Hillebrand

Revival: Finally a Civilization-like game for Windows Mobile One of the most striking voids in the field of games available for the Windows Mobile platform is the lack of turn-based 4x games in the tradition of Sid Meier’s groundbreaking Civilization series. I’ve been calling attention to this omission for as long as I’ve been playing Windows Mobile games. Finally, a Civilization-like game has arrived! I was so excited when I heard about Revival (smart.herocraft.com) that I could barely contain myself. I couldn’t resist the opportunity to write a review. I’m glad to be able to report that Revival delivers—for the most part… Posted on 1/6/08 by Ben Stanley

Increase productivity through SMS As our own Dr. Hillebrand has often said, the Western Hemisphere is behind the times when it comes to the power of SMS. Text messaging popularity still seems to be restricted to teen communications and the occasional quick “Whazzup” message between friends. In Europe, SMS is a serious business tool that is used for advertising and customer alerts… I recently discovered a Web site that I thought I would share with our readers. The site, Web-Alerts.com, allows the user to sign up for free (other than what you pay for text messaging through your cellular provider) text alerts based on RSS feeds from the sites you designate. The site lets you set up keyword filters to only deliver news or alerts in which you are interested… Posted on 1/4/08 by Dale Daniels 72

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“Weather” you like it or not… The weather affects us all, whether we like it or not. It can be a minor annoyance, slowing down our commute to the office or changing our travel plans, but sometimes having up-to-date weather information can be a matter of life or death. As long as you pack a Windows Mobile device in your pocket, you can have the weather report on your Today screen for easy access. As far as I’m concerned, the best weather application is, and always has been, PocketWeather by SBSH Software (sbsh.net). It simply has the most comprehensive weather info and the largest database of cities with the easiest retrieval among all competitors, and it’s available for touch and non-touch screen devices. The good news is that it just got better with a brand new 2.0 release… Posted on 1/2/08 by Tim Hillebrand

Now and then, I review weather programs in one of my blog categories (I was once a full-time weather geek). Most are effective at presenting basic weather info, but PocketWeather from SBSH Software House is one of the few that excells… Posted on 1/4/08 by Nate Adcock

Great GPS-ing indeed! So, I took some time off from blogs and decided to go on a little holiday to the mountains and visit the Luray Caverns in VA. A couple of weeks ago, I picked up a Freedom Keychain GPS receiver (available at mobileplanet.com) after reading about it in Tim Hillebrand’s blog. It worked instantly with my BlackBerry maps, and has helped immensely around D.C., but I needed an application that uses map data that is loaded internally or on a storage card. My BlackBerry is great for “on-the-spot” navigation needs, but its requirement to constantly update the map display via the high-speed cell network is not optimal. I could not count on having reliable cell coverage on this trip, so needed a local map source. A couple of years ago, I purchased a Navman Pocket PC GPS unit (an expansion sleeve for older Compaq models), which is mostly useless now that my old iPAQs are dead or dying, but I thought, I still have the software/maps. Maybe I could install and load the SmartST software on my newer WM 5 iPAQ hx2495, and use it with the new Freedom Mini key ring model. Well, it did work, but with a few tweaks, of course… Posted on 12/23/07 by Nate Adcock n

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Edited by Rich Hall & Dan Hart

have edited this material for clarity and to avoid repetition. We also include links to the original posts, which may have additional details. A very big “Thanks!” goes to all the forum members and moderators for sharing their knowledge with other users.

Hi. I’ve searched the Web and various forums to find the site that sells the Pocket MSN [Windows Live] software that is simply downloaded to your PC and then installed on your device via ActiveSync. Somehow I lost/deleted the CAB file on my old device and my new Samsung i760 doesn’t come with it either. Thanks in advance! azdps Z You can download Windows Live Messenger here: forum.xda-developers. com/showthread.php?t=334621 meslierlp smartphonemag.com/forum/topic. asp?TOPIC_ID=30400

Lower music bit rate for some Bluetooth headphones

Can someone please recommend a wireless Bluetooth ear piece just for listening to music while away from home? distinctive Z My teenage son has discovered that by lowering the bit rate for each song, he was able to use his Motorola BT Earpiece. We have three different earpieces in our collection and they all work with this method. Don’t go too low or you’ll lose (noticeable) audio quality. donmiller1 Z Good advice. Thank you. distinctive smartphonemag.com/forum/topic. asp?TOPIC_ID=29479

Seeing all Word docs and syncing storage card files 0 When I open Word on my Pocket PC, there used to be a list of all my docs that came up. Now, I actually need to go to File Explorer/Storage Card and find the title of the Word doc there. Any idea why this happened and how I can change it back? Also, after I sync with Active Sync and then open the desktop version of WM_ Owner, why can’t I see the documents that are on my storage card? I want to make some changes to some Word docs that are stored on my card but do not want to do it from my device. Any ideas? CassBH

All documents to be displayed in Word Mobile’s file list, “All Folders,” must be displayed in the folder heading located on the left side above the list. Z After you open Word, is “All Folders” selected in the drop-down list that is under the Windows logo at the top left side of the screen? Make sure you select “All Folders” so that the device will display all your documents. Documents that are stored on your storage card will not appear in the WM_Owner folder. The reason for this is quite simple: ActiveSync syncs files to the phone’s main memory only. meslierlp Z Thanks for solving my first problem! As for the second issue, what ways are there to ensure that the documents and programs on your storage card are backed up and safe? CassBH Z Try MightySync (mydocsunlimited.com) or SD Sync (handango.com). felixgza smartphonemag.com/forum/topic. asp?TOPIC_ID=30182

Most WM 5 apps work with WM 6 0 I bought an iGo Stowaway keyboard for my HTC Mogul. The CD has a driver for WM 5, but not 6. If I were to install the WM 5 driver, would I cause a problem on my Mogul? lambgroup Z It should work without any issues; most WM 5 applications work well with WM 6. meslierlp Jun/Jul 2008

MightySync is one third-party option for syncing and backing up storage card files Z Thanks! I installed it and it worked. lambgroup smartphonemag.com/forum/topic. asp?TOPIC_ID=30178

Configuring wireless networks 0 My HP iPAQ h2495 has around 17 wireless networks listed in the “Configure Wireless Network” window (under Start >Settings >Wi-Fi (or Wireless)). Is there any way to delete these useless wireless networks? Most of them were picked up at various airports. NV68 Z Try tapping and holding the stylus on each of them to pop up an edit menu; then select “Delete” from the menu. felixgza smartphonemag.com/forum/topic. asp?TOPIC_ID=30247

Converting media files

I have tried the free trial versions available for some video conversion programs, but can’t find anything that lets me convert AVI video to MPEG. Are there any available? dominic harris Z Movavi VideoSuite Converter (movavi. com/suite/) can do that conversion easily. It can convert files from any video format to any video format. You will be able to covert AVI to MPEG, MP4, DivX, VOB, or any other popular video format. Movavi VideoSuite is easy to use and gets the job done. darren95al S MARTP HO NE & P O CK E T P C

Tips From The SmartphoneMag.com Forums Z You could also try Nidesoft Video Converter (nidesoft.com/video-converter. html). videolovely Z I use TuneCab to convert protected and unprotected video, audio, and audiobooks. It works well, with a high conversion speed and super quality. It also has a YouTube ripper and CD ripper. You can download the demo here (tunecab. com/includes/download.php). Satori smartphonemag.com/forum/topic. asp?TOPIC_ID=29758

Realign screen when taps aren’t responding 0 I want to single-tap instead of doubletap on links and photos while on mobile phones and using the device to browse Web sites, e-mail contents, or cell phone programs. Is this possible? distinctive

Fixing Calendar sync error on iPAQs 0 I upgraded my iPAQ 2755 to WM 5, and ActiveSync is successful in synchronizing all files and Outlook components except my Calendar, for which AS 4.1 displays a “support code: 80070490.” Two computers, one running Win 2000, the other XP Pro w/ SP2 demonstrate the same problem. The Outlook is 2002 w/ SP3 installed. I have disabled Win Firewall, and set security settings as low as possible in Outlook, and no antivirus is running, but there is no change. Any suggestions? Any idea what this support code means? Thanks. Frank Barch Z I’ve found the answer (I believe) to the “support code: 80070490” problem for the iPAQ PDAs. The problem is a corrupt pim.vol file on your PDA. The solution erases all of your Calendar entries on your PDA (just resync to get them back). To solve the issue, sync up without Calendar (Calendar triggers the issue), go to your PDA’s File Explorer, hit “UP” to get to “My Device,” and rename the file “pim” (“pim.vol” if you look at it from ActiveSync on your desktop) to “pim. old” and do a soft reset. Then sync up and things should work fine. dsibley Z Thank you! That fixed the problem on my Dell Axim x51 also. csavchick Z It worked on my iPAQ 2490! Thanks again! ACFdude smartphonemag.com/forum/topic. asp?TOPIC_ID=20126

Align your touch screen if it is not responding properly to taps. Z You should be able single-tap on links and pictures with your stylus. By default, it works like that. Are you able to open applications with just one tap? If you feel like your screen is not responding to stylus tapping, go to Start >Settings >System >Screen and click the Align Screen button. meslierlp Z I had to align the screen in both Portrait AND Landscape mode. I originally only aligned it in Portrait mode. It’s responding fine now. Thank you! distinctive smartphonemag.com/forum/topic. asp?TOPIC_ID=30048

trash with use, such as the Web browser caches and temp folders. Apps like MemMaid (dinarsoft.com/memmaid) (my personal favorite) and SK Tools (s-ktools.com) include routines to automate clean-up of these areas for you. You can find good freeware whose sole purpose is this type of cleaning, which should be done regularly to prevent erosion of available storage space. YankeeJeep

Kilmist Storage Analyzer uses pie charts to display the distribution of memory. Z Yeah, I’ve found lots of apps that don’t clean up after themselves very well. The Live Search application from Microsoft creates a file called “GpsDebugLog.txt” that gets bigger as you are using the application. I am just now remembering to erase that after every use.

But to identify the problem, I found an older Pocket PC application named Kilmist Storage Analyzer (kilmist.com/ ppcStorageAnalyzer.aspx). It shows a nice pie chart that expresses the distribution of memory use by file type and folder location. I was able to use it to identify some files that didn’t need to be there and cleared up enough space to get rid of the low memory errors, but ultimately there’s no other solution for my Pocket PC other than replacing it. It only has 47 MB of storage space. I see a lot of newer units that I have interest in with 128-256 MB of storage.

So now I know, external memory cards are no substitute for having a large amount of built-in memory. alcedes smartphonemag.com/forum/topic. asp?TOPIC_ID=29968 n

Cleaning out storage memory 0 My Cingular 8125 is dangerously low on memory. It shows as having only 0.87 MB left. I’ve got a 2 GB memory card in it and was careful to install all of my programs on the memory card only. However, even though I specify the storage card as the target of all of my installs, there are cases where a portion of the installation files are put into main memory anyway. So even though I’ve got another 1.8 GB available on my storage card, it seems that I’ve reached the limit of programs that this device can hold; it will be necessary to uninstall something should I decide I want to install anything else. alcedes Z There are also folders that accumulate

S M A RT P H O N E & POCKET PC Jun/Jul 20 08

Tips and Tricks

Edited by Dan Hart For free access to our VIP site, see page 24.

Learning

Color code your cables when traveling

Recycling your old cell phone

If you do a lot of traveling and carry a ton of electronic equipment such as a Windows Mobile device, an MP3 player, a laptop, international power converters, DC adaptors for the plane, etc., each of these gadgets unfortunately comes with a number of power and sync cables.

(Touch screen, Non-touch screen) Recycling your old cell phones, accessories, batteries, and other mobile device objects can help reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. Before recycling your device, make sure that you have terminated your service contract and that you have removed all personal data from the device. Here are some recycling options: • Drop if off: Old cell phone items can be dropped off at some retailers and service providers, including Sprint, T-Mobile, AT&T, and Best Buy. For a list of links for recycling information, visit epa.gov/ cellphone/cell-recycling-locations.htm. • Mail it in: Sending your old items in to the retailer or service provider is another option. Visit the above link for more information. • You could also try selling your old items on eBay (ebay.com), Second Rotation (secondrotation.com), or TradeMyCell.com. VIP site, tip #1360

Know the Start menu structure (Touch screen) In order to take full advantage of the Start menu on touch screen devices, it’s helpful to know how it is structured and how it functions. The Start menu is divided into three sections:

The Start menu on touch screen devices is divided into three sections. 1. Top section: Contains links to a maximum of seven applications. By default, it lists Calendar, Contacts, Internet Explorer, Windows Media Player, and others. You can configure this portion of the Start menu to list any built-in or userinstalled application by going to Settings >Menus. (For more on this topic, see “How to customize the Start menu,” tip #456.) 2. Middle section: Contains up to five applications that have recently been launched. (If an item is already in the top or bottom sections, it will not appear in this section.) The last application that you previously opened will be at the top of this section, the previous application under that, and so on. 3. Bottom section: Contains links to the Programs and Settings folders, and to Help, in that order. Note that if an item appears in the top section, it will not be listed in the Programs folder. If you remove an application from the top section as described in “How to customize the Start menu,” tip #456, its icon reappears in the Programs folder.

(Touch screen, Non-touch screen)

One way to organize the clutter is to use Velcro color-coded cable ties. Each device that you carry can then get its own color tie. This easy identification system also has the secondary benefit of keeping your cables organized and tangle-free. Color-coded cable ties are available at most electronics stores, or you can purchase them online from a store like Amazon.com for a very reasonable $2.49.

Based on a SmartphoneMag.com blog post by Dan Hanttula VIP site, tip #1363

Perform restart immediately after uninstalling a program (Touch screen, Non-touch screen) In my work as Editor of Smartphone & Pocket PC magazine, I have to install a lot of third-party software on my device so that I can test and review products or edit other authors’ reviews. I usually wait until I’m finished with a series of reviews before I delete these programs from my device, but that can cause a problem.

Some third-party programs require your device to be “restarted” to complete the uninstall. In some cases, after you delete a program, a message is displayed that instructs you to “restart the device to finish removing the program,” (right). If you tap on OK, a soft reset is automatically performed. If you tap on Cancel, you can continue using your device, but must perform a manual soft reset at a later time to complete the uninstall process. A problem can arise when you are uninstalling more than one program at the same time. In some, but not all cases, if you uninstall a program, get the “restart the device…” message, tap the Cancel button, and then immediately uninstall another program, some of the components of the first program may be left on the device after you restart it. Again, this doesn’t happen all the time, but it’s happened enough for me to notice it. The solution is, if the uninstall routine tells you that you have to restart the device, tap OK and do so immediately.

By Rich Hall VIP site, tip #2844

VIP site, tip #1362

Jun/Jul 2008

S MARTP HO NE & P O CK E T P C

TIPS and TRICKS

Learning Call History symbols

Display the clock in all programs

(Touch screen, Non-touch screen)

(Touch screen)

Outgoing, incoming, and missed calls are all stored in Call History (press the green Send Call button to view Call History) on Windows Mobile devices. Each type of call has a symbol associated with it to distinguish what type of call it is, which is located along the left edge of the Call History screen next to each number. They are:

One of the most important and convenient features on Windows Mobile touch screen devices is the clock in the upper right corner of the screen. If you notice that the clock disappears from the top taskbar whenever you go from the Today screen to another application, this means that the “Display… in all programs” setting in the Clock & Alarms menu is not selected.

• Outgoing calls: A green arrow (or triangle) pointing away from the phone icon to the right • Incoming calls: An orange arrow (or triangle) pointing toward the phone icon to the left • Missed calls: A red (or white) exclamation mark to the right of the phone icon VIP site, tip #2887

Using

Go to Start >Settings >System tab >Clock & Alarms. Then, tap on the More tab and check the box labeled “Display the clock on the title bar in all programs.” Tap OK to finalize the change.

Based on a SmartphoneMag.com blog post by Hal Goldstein VIP site, tip #2845

Quickly deleting e-mails in Messaging (Touch screen, Non-touch screen)

View Microsoft WM 6 tips on YouTube

If you have accumulated a high number of e-mails in your Inbox and want to get rid of them quickly, here are a few tips to expedite the process:

(Touch screen, Non-touch screen)

Touch screen devices

Microsoft has produced a series of narrated and animated tips on using Windows Mobile 6 Professional (for touch screen devices) and posted them on YouTube (youtube.com). The tips cover the use of Contacts, e-mail, Call History, and more. To view the tips, go to YouTube and do a search for “Windows Mobile tips.” The Microsoft tips (numbered 1-9) should be the first search results listed.

To select a large number of e-mails for deletion (instead of having to delete them one at a time):

VIP site, tip #1359

Setting the Sensitivity in Tasks and Calendar Appointments (Touch screen, Non-touch screen) One of the built in features of Tasks and Calendar appointments is the ability to set the Sensitivity level. In the New Task or New Appointment screen, there are four Sensitivity levels to choose from: • Normal (default setting) • Personal: Use for content that contains personal (not businessrelated) information. • Private: Use for personal or business-related content that you don’t want others (who may have access to a PC you synchronize with) to see. Using this setting will cause the details of the Task/ Appointment to remain hidden on your PC after the Task/Appointment has been synchronized with it. • Confidential: Use for business-related content that has to do with the confidentiality policy of your company. (Note that on pre-WM 5 devices, there are only two choices: Normal and Private.)

You can set the Sensitivity level for Tasks and Calendar Appointments. VIP site, tip #2836 76

S M A RT P H O N E & POCKET PC Jun/Jul 20 08

Tap and hold the stylus on the desired e-mail and drag up or down to select multiple e-mails. Tap and hold again on the highlighted e-mails and select Delete from the pop-up menu. If your device has a QWERTY keyboard with a Shift key, hold it down and press the Up or Down arrow keys to select multiple e-mails. To mass-select all of your e-mails, open the soft keyboard and tap Ctl and then A. Non-touch screen devices Smartphones without touch screens do not have the ability to select multiple e-mails. If you have a Windows Mobile 6 device, however, here is one way to speed up deletion: In your Messaging Inbox, go to Menu >Tools >Options >Other and unselect the “Warn when deleting messages in the message list” option. This way, it will only take one key press (the Delete soft key) to delete an e-mail.

Disabling the deletion warning message in WM 6 smartphones will quicken e-mail deletion. Based on a SmartphoneMag.com blog post by Werner “Menneisyys” Ruotsalainen VIP site, tip #2885

Using the “USB Charging” option in HP iPAQs (Touch screen) Most HP iPAQs have a built-in feature called “USB Charging,” which enables the ability to charge your device from your PC’s USB port and allows you to set the rate of charge to “Slow” or “Fast.” To activate this feature, go to Start >Settings >System tab, tap on the

TIPS and TRICKS Power icon, and select the tab labeled “USB Charging.” Check the box labeled “Use USB Charging” if you want your iPAQ to charge while it is connected to a desktop PC via a USB sync cable. Once the box is checked, you can then select from one of two charging options: Slow Charge: This option charges your device at a lower power setting over a longer time period. Use it when don’t need to recharge your device quickly, especially for overnight charging. Because this setting provides less power, you should not use it if you intend on using your device while it is being charged. Also, be sure to turn off the screen if you choose this setting. Fast Charge: This is the default option when you activate USB Charging. It provides more power and charges your device faster. Note that this setting will cause your battery to heat up more than the Slow Charge setting, which may cause a reduction in the life of the battery over a period of time. Use the Fast Charge setting if you intend on using your device while it is charging. VIP site, tip #2892

Using the Device Lock feature (Touch screen) Windows Mobile 5 and 6 touch screen devices have a “Device Lock” feature that disables all input into the device. This feature is useful if you want to make sure that there will be no accidental button presses or other input into the device, perhaps while you’re carrying it in your pocket or a shoulder bag. To activate the Device Lock feature, tap on the icon labeled “Device unlocked” on your Today screen (it looks like an unlocked padlock). Note that this icon may be unlabeled on some devices and may be located in different places on the Today screen. Once it is tapped, the padlock icon will change from unlocked to locked, and the label changes to “Device locked.” In addition, an Unlock option appears in the lower left corner of the screen. To unlock the device, select the Unlock option by tapping on it or pressing the left soft key. Then, tap on the button labeled “Unlock,” which appears on the screen.

and check the box labeled “Today timeout.” Then select the amount of time you want your device to wait before timing out from the drop-down menu to the right of the check box. VIP site, tip #2894

Mastering The Today screen “New” menu (Touch screen) Pre-Windows Mobile 5 touch screen devices had a “New” menu that was accessed in the lower left corner of the Today screen. This convenient feature let you quickly open a new Word document, Excel worksheet, Contact, Appointment, Note, or Task without having to navigate to it through the Start menu. This feature was left off of touch screen devices starting with Windows Mobile 5, but a third-party freeware program called WM5NewMenu (samancz.com/ppc/index.html) adds it back to Windows Mobile 5 and 6 devices, along with many other features.

The third-party program WM5NewMenu adds a convenient New Menu option to the Today screen of Windows Mobile 5 and 6 devices. Based on a SmartphoneMag.com blog post by Tariq Bamadhaj VIP site, tip #2837

NeedHelp?

Also note that on most phoneenabled devices (both touch and non-touch), you can also lock the device by pressing and holding the red End Call button. For more on locking non-touch screen smartphones, see “Using the Lock feature on non-touch screen smartphones,” tip #1165.

The Lock feature has a menu to confirm that you want to unlock your device. VIP site, tip #2893

Using the “Today timeout” feature (Touch screen) The Today timeout feature allows you to set the amount of time (1-12 hours) that you want your device to wait before it automatically returns to the Today screen if another program is open. Note that your device must be powered off and remain idle for the allotted time in order for the Today timeout to work. Note also that we could only get this feature to work on a Windows Mobile 2003 SE device.

Post your question at

SmartphoneMag.com/forums “Newbies” welcome! Priority help for VIPs (p.24)

To activate this feature, go to Start >Settings >Today >Items tab Jun/Jul 2008

S MARTP HO NE & P O CK E T P C

At a Glance

Feature by Feature Comparison

Built-in Software

Most of the applications you’ll need are built into Windows Mobile 6 Smartphones and PDAs.

n addition to the Windows Mobile operating system, these touch screen and non-touch screen devices come with a variety of built-in productivity applications and configuration utilities, as well as games and multimedia programs. These programs, listed below, are pre-installed and ready to use, and are a permanent part of the device and cannot be deleted. Carriers and OEMs may opt not to include all applications listed below, and may substitute their

ActiveSync / Mobile Device Center Synchronization software that allows your Windows Mobile device to connect to a Windows PC and synchronize Outlook data, install third-party software, and more. There are two components to the software: The “client” ActiveSync program that is built into the Windows Mobile device, and a desktop PC version of the program. The Windows Vista version of this program is called Mobile Device Center.

version of a particular application. (Unless otherwise noted, these programs are on both touch screen and non-touch screen devices. The touch screen and non-touch screen versions of these applications have differences in terms of the features they incorporate and the interfaces they use.) Finally, some new applications were added to the application suite with the release of Windows Mobile 6.1. We indicate those with “WM 6.1 only.”

and more. You can assign photos to individual contacts and place phone calls from the application by selecting phone numbers.

Bubble Breaker Bubble Breaker is a puzzle game that challenges you to match like-colored bubbles to eliminate them and score points.

Calculator Simple math calculator with addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and basic memory storage functions.

Excel Mobile This is the mobile version of Microsoft’s Excel spreadsheet program. It can be found on both touch screen and non-touch screen devices, but the touch screen version is more feature-rich. For example, it includes charting capabilities, which are missing from the nontouch screen version. (The ability to open and save documents in Office 2007 format was added to Excel Mobile in WM 6.1.)

viewing modes to make Web page viewing easier. (The ability to zoom in and out on a Web page was added to Internet Explorer Mobile with the release of WM 6.1.)

File Explorer Offers basic file exploration, including the ability to browse file folders and delete, copy, cut, and paste files and folders. (Note: This application is called “File Manager” on some non-touch screen devices.)

Calendar

Messaging

Appointment calendar that lets you schedule single or repeating appointments and reminds you of them minutes or hours in advance. You can view the appointments by the day, week, or month, attach notes, and more.

Lets you set up and access your e-mail Inbox and text messaging accounts. The WM 6 version of Messaging allows you to display HTML-formatted e-mail.

Getting Started Center Helps new users get started using their Windows Mobile device by showing them how to set up e-mail, date and time, a device password, Bluetooth headset, and more (WM 6.1 only).

Contacts An address/phone book that lets you track contact information, including multiple addresses, phone numbers, e-mail addresses, 78

Internet Explorer Mobile The Windows Mobile version of Microsoft’s Web browser. Favorites list can be synchronized with the desktop PC version of Internet Explorer. The program has One Column, Full Screen, and Desktop

S M A RT P H O N E & POCKET PC Jun/Jul 20 08

Phone Dialer (Phone-enabled devices only) This application lets you place phone calls, check your call history, assign speed dials, and set other options.

Feature by Feature Comparison Notes

At a Glance

(Touch screen only) This is a simple note taking application that lets you enter information quickly. You can type in notes or use “Draw” mode to enter handwritten text or simple drawings, maps, etc.

Pictures & Videos Windows Live Mobile as well as select and shut the application down. You can also view the amount of RAM an application is occupying and the percentage of the CPU power it is using (WM 6.1 only).

Added to the application suite in Windows Mobile 6, Windows Live is a set if Web-based software (with components installed on the device). It includes Messenger, Hotmail, Search, Spaces, Local Search, SMS Services, and more.

This is a simple picture viewer that displays onboard images in thumbnail or full view. It also lets you perform minor editing functions, play slide shows, beam pictures to another device, and more. You can also use the application to launch video recordings in Media Player Mobile. (Note: This application may be called “My Stuff” or something similar on some non-touch screen devices.)

PowerPoint Mobile Lets you display PowerPoint presentations on or from your Windows Mobile device. Note that you cannot create PowerPoint presentations with this app. They must be downloaded from your PC.

Tasks Keep track of your to-do list. Add, delete, and edit tasks, set priorities and task categories, sort and filter tasks, and more.

Remote Desktop Mobile

This application allows you to create, edit, or view Word documents. (The ability to open and save documents in Office 2007 format was added to Word Mobile in WM 6.1.)

Other built-in capabilities

Setup and Configuration utilities Today/Home screens The opening screens display the Time, date, a list of unread messages, upcoming appointments and tasks, and more. (A “sliding panel” Home screen was added to non-touch screen smartphones with the release of WM 6.1, which makes it easier to find and view the appointments, tasks, etc.)

Voice Recorder

Solitaire This is the mobile version of the standard Klondike version of Solitaire that ships with all of Microsoft’s operating systems. You can change the image on the back of the cards, specify one or three card draw, and choose standard or Vegas scoring.

Tasks Manager Allows you to see a list of the applications running on your device

The mobile version of Microsoft’s Media Player application lets you play MP3 or WMA music files and WMV video files stored on your device or streamed to them over an Internet connection.

Word Mobile

(Touch screen only; known as “Terminal Services” on earlier versions of the OS) Allows you to remotely connect to a PC or server from your Windows Mobile device. This is a handy tool for network administrators or those wanting to access the content and capabilities of their PC from their touch screen device. Windows Mobile devices have a variety of small utilities that let you configure the features of the device and change the “look and feel” of the applications.

Windows Media Player Mobile

(Referred to as “Voice Notes” on non-touch screen smartphones. It’s a stand alone application on most touch screen devices, but it can also be accessed through the Notes application.) This app lets you create and play back short voice recordings on your device. These can be attached to e-mails, inserted into documents, and played back at your leisure.

Voice Command (This is a standalone, user-installable application that was made an optional part of the built-in application suite with Windows Mobile 6. Note that the device developer must choose to include this app with a device—not all come with it.) Control certain aspects of your device with voice commands. Jun/Jul 2008

Windows Mobile devices have a variety of other capabilities built into them, including: • Direct Push e-mail capability (when hosted by Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 or Exchange 2003 with latest SP) • Landscape viewing mode (touch screen only) • Text entry software (touch screen only) • External keyboard support • Infrared beaming (not on all devices) • Windows Update • Storage Card encryption • Server Sync client • VPN client • Many other features

Companion CD Windows Mobile devices ship with a “Companion CD” that includes additional user-installable software: • ActiveSync and Mobile Device Center: Synchronization software for your desktop PC. Install ActiveSync if you have a Windows XP computer; install Mobile Device Center if you have a Windows Vista PC. • Microsoft Outlook for your desktop PC. • Device User Guide, usually in Acrobat PDF format. • Additional user-installable programs from the device manufacturer or third parties. n S MARTP HO NE & P O CK E T P C

For upload, download na to web For upload, download na to web Depends on application and web need

For upload, download For upload, download to web to web Depends on application and web need Varies depending on service

Depends on application and web need

Phone companies often subsidize cost of device

In U.S.: CDMA - Sprint Options: Network, unlocked, or PDA-only & Verizon, GSM: AT&T, T-Mobile (no phone)

Store data

GPS

Keep price to minimum

Comments

Adds cost Used to add VOIP: talking over the Bluetooth Internet accessories

Adds cost

GPS receiver

Touch games usually better

Options: 1 or 2 memory VGA 640x480 pixels vs slots for CF, SD, Mini, or QVGA 320 x 240 Micro cards Many shapes: e.g. small rectangle, square, large â&#x20AC;&#x153;4â&#x20AC;? diagonal Options: numeric, small alpha, slide-out, none (only soft keyboard)

Adds cost, most devices have one expansion slot

Yes for maps

Yes

VGA more expensive

VGA better viewing

Depends on application

PPC or PPC with Up to 3 M Pixels. phone Most in 1M-2M range

More expensive More expensive

Touch apps na tend to be better

To take photos

VGA better (depending Yes on video) Yes

VGA better viewing

na Depends on how many, Touch apps If photo based app storage needs of software tend to be better

To store installed games

To embed photos in apps

For clicking links To upload photos serious For multiple or large files For regular use

To send photos

A little more efficient

Yes

Depends on software

If game supports it, VGA better

VGA clearer

Possibly VGA for HTML Possibly for attachments

Storage card capacity Touch screen

Possibly VGA for HTML Possibly for attachments

Screen resolution

Smaller screen less expensive

Bigger

Depends on application

Bigger

Probably bigger

Bigger

To view

Screen size

Better type-ability adds cost

Depends on application

For renaming, reorganizing photos

Minimal

For upload, download For upload, download to web to web

To watch from web

Bluetooth headphones

View and take photos

To watch from web

Minimal

Bluetooth headphones

To watch from web

To listen from web

Watch video

To listen from web

Minimal in most cases

Yes

For URLS and forms

Yes

Minimal

To Dial

Type-ability

Depends on software Depends on software

Listen to music and audio

To download apps

External keyboard

Headset

Bluetooth

For web multi-player Headphones, other games game accessories

For web links

Yes

VOIP

Wi-Fi

Install thirdparty software

Play games

Yes

For web multi-player games

Yes

Browse Web

Yes

For web multi-player games

Yes

Respond to email

Yes

For web links

Yes

View email

GSM: AT&T or T-Mobile

Yes

Phone network

For web links

Yes

Talk, traveling abroad

Use Office apps

Yes

Phone

Talk

What do you want to do?

Features needed: Camera

Send updated information to Dan Hart, dan@pocketpcmag.com or Alan Zaks, alan@pocketpcmag.com

Reviews of these, plus discontinued and hard to find Windows Mobile devices can be found at www.PocketPCmag.com

What do you want to do with your Smartphone or PDA?

At a Glance Feature by Feature Comparison

6 6

Unlocked: AT&T, T-Mobile, i-mate SP JAS, Dopod 595 World GSM Carriers (Based on HTC Breeze)

Unlocked: AT&T, T-Mobile, Dopod 310 (Based on HTC World GSM Carriers Oxygen)

Unlocked: AT&T, T-Mobile, Dopod C730W World GSM Carriers (Based on HTC Cavalier)

Unlocked: AT&T, T-Mobile, Dopod C500 World GSM Carriers (Based on HTC Vox)

Unlocked: AT&T, T-Mobile, (Based on HTC Volans/ World GSM Carriers Wings)

Unlocked: AT&T, T-Mobile, (Based on a TechFaithWorld GSM Carriers Wireless design)

Verizon and Sprint

Locked: AT&T

Unlocked: AT&T, T-Mobile, Locked: Vodafone World GSM Carriers

Unlocked: AT&T, T-Mobile, SPH-i325 World GSM Carriers; Locked: Sprint

Locked: AT&T

Unlocked: AT&T, T-Mobile, World GSM Carriers

Locked: T-Mobile

Verizon

HTC MTeoR www.htc.com

HTC S310 www.htc.com

HTC S630 www.htc.com

HTC S710 www.htc.com

HTC S730 www.htc.com

i-mate SPL www.imate.com

Motorola Q www.motorola.com

Motorola Q9m/c www.motorola.com

Motorola Q Global www.motorola.com

Palm Treo 500v www.palm.com

Samsung ACE www.samsung.com

Samsung BlackJack www.samsung.com

Samsung BlackJack II www.samsung.com

Samsung SGH-i620 www.samsung.com

T-Mobile Dash www.t-mobile.com

T-Mobile Shadow www.t-mobile.com

Verizon PN-820 www.verizonwireless.com

Verizon SMT5800 www.verizonwireless.com HTC Libra

Pantech PN-820

HTC Juno

HTC S620, Dopod C720W (Based on HTC Excalibur)

Samsung i617

Samsung i607

Moto Q9 H

Moto Q9 Music/ Motorola Q9c

Moto Q

Unlocked: AT&T, T-Mobile, World GSM Carriers

$544

$349

$249

$449

$Varies

$499

$229/ 449

$249 / 379

$399

$554

$505

$329

$325

$490

$319

$349

$100

$349

5^ $349

Hewlett-Packard iPAQ 510 Voice Messenger www.hp.com

i-mate Smarflip, Qtek 8500, Dopod S300, Dopod 710 (Based on HTC STrTrk)

Locked: AT&T

Cingular 3125 www.cingular.com

Price WM (may OS vary)

Locked: AT&T

Also known as...

AT&T Duo by Pantech wireless.att.com

Carrier(s)

2.4” 240x320 64 K Transflective TFT

2.2” 320x240 64 K Transflective TFT

2.6” 320x240 64 K Transflective TFT

2.4” 320x240 64 K Transflective TFT

2.3” 320x240 64 K Transflective TFT

2.4” 240x320 64 K Transflective TFT

2.2” 320x240 64 K Transflective TFT

2.3" 320x240 64 K Transflective TFT

2.6” 320x240 64 K Transflective TFT

2.4” 320x240 64 K Transflective TFT

2.2” 240x320 64 K Transflective TFT

2.4” 240x320 64 K Transflective LCD

2.4” 240x320 64 K Transflective TFT

2.4” 320x240 64 K Transflective TFT

2.0” 176x220 64 K Transflective TFT

2.2” 240x320 64 K Transflective TFT

2” 176x220 64 K Micro-reflective TFT

2.2” 240x320 64 K Transflective TFT

2.2” 240x320 256 K Transflective TFT

Display diagonal/pixels colors/type

64/128/ 53/57

64/64/ N.A.

64/128/ N.A.

64/128/ 83

64/128/ N.A.

RAM/ ROM/ Avail.

64/128/ N.A.

128/256

64/128/ N.A.

64/256/ 150

128/64

microSD

miniSD

microSD

SD, microSD

miniSD

microSD

Card Slot

Qualcomm 64/128/ 400 MHz N.A.

microSD

miniSD

128/256/ microSD N.A.

64/128/ N.A.

Intel Xscale 64/128/ 312 MHz N.A.

TI OMAP 200 MHz

Intel Xscale 64/128/ 416 MHz N.A.

TI OMAP 260 MHz

TI OMAP 220 MHz

Qualcomm 312 MHz

PXA270 312 MHz

TI OMAP 325 MHz

Intel Xscale 64/128/ 312 MHz N.A.

TI OMAP 200 MHz

Qualcomm 64/256/ 400 MHz N.A.

TI OMAP 850 64/128/ 200 MHz N.A.

Samsung 400 MHz

TI OMAP 200 MHz

Samsung 300 MHz

TI OMAP 200 MHz

416 MHz

CPU

2.0

1.2

2.0

1.2

2.0

1.2

2.0

1.2

b, g

W-Fi

•

802.11 GPS

Li-Ion 6.5 hrtalk 188 hr standby

Li-Ion 7 hrtalk 220 hr standby

Li-Ion 3 hrtalk 240 hr standby

Battery /Type Life/(mfg est)

CDMA/EV-DO

GSM/EDGE, Quad-Band

GSM/EDGE, Tri-Band.UMTS/ HSDPA (Europe Only)

Li-Ion 3.5 hr talk 163 hr standby

Li-Ion 3.3 hrtalk 145 hr standby

Li-Ion 5 hrtalk 144 hr standby

Li-Ion 5 hrtalk 200 hr standby

Li-Ion 4.2 hrtalk 350 hr standby

4.1x2x.7”4.2 oz

3.8x2x.8” 3.9 oz

4x2x.59” 5.3 oz

4.39x2.46x.5” 4.2 oz

4.4x2.3x.46” 3.3 oz

N/A

4.4x2.3x.5” 3.5 oz

GSM/EDGE, Quad5.5 hrtalk Band. UMTS/HSDPA, Li-Ion 264 hr standby Dual-Band GSM/EDGE, Quad-Band. Li-Ion 7 hrtalk UMTS/HSDPA, Tri-Band 336 hr standby

4.6x2.3x.45" 3.9 oz

4.3 hrtalk 240 hr standby

CDMA/EV-DO Dual-Band; GSM Dual-Band Li-Ion

4.6x2.6x.46” 4.7 oz 4.3x2.4x.65” 4.2 oz

Li-Ion 5 hrtalk 200 hr standby

GSM/EDGE, QuadBand UMTS/HSDPA, Dual-Band

4.6x2.6x.47” 4.7 oz

4.33x2.52x.45” 4.06 oz

4.51x1.93x.47” 3.60 oz

4.1x2x.76” 5.3 oz

4x2x.65” 4.9 oz

4.4x2.5x.5” 4.2 oz

4.28x1.85x.73” 3.7 oz

4.4x1.6x.5” 4.2 oz

4.2x1.9x.64” 3.6 oz

3.88x2.02x0.62” 3.49 oz

4x2x0.78” 3.9 oz

Size Weight

4.5 hrtalk GSM/EDGE, Tri-Band Li-Ion 240 hr standby

Li-Ion 4.5 hrtalk 212 hr standby

Li-Ion 4 hrtalk 228 hr standby

Li-Ion 4 hrtalk 150 hr standby

Li-Ion 5.3 hrtalk 290 hr standby

Li-Ion 7 hrtalk 175 hr standby

Li-Ion 6 hrtalk 190 hr standby

Li-Ion 4 hrtalk 140 hr standby

CDMA/EV-DO

GSM, Tri-Band

GSM/EDGE, QuadBand. UMTS/HSDPA

GSM/EDGE, Quad-Band

GSM/EDGE, QuadBand. UMTS/HSDPA

GSM/EDGE, Quad-Band

GSM/EDGE, Tri-Band. Li-Ion 5 hrtalk UMTS (Europe only) 220 hr standby

GSM/EDGE, Quad-Band

Network Type

Smartphones (without touch screens)

2.0 MP camera; slide-out QWERTY keyboard

1.3 MP camera; flip-style form factor

2.0 MP camera; slide-out numeric keypad; unique “Neo” Home screen UI

1.3 MP camera; QWERTY keyboard

2.0 MP camera; second video camera; slide-out QWERTY keyboard; touch sensitive Send/End keys

2.0 MP camera; QWERTY keyboard; scroll wheel on D-pad

1.3 MP camera with video; QWERTY keyboard with scroll wheel

1.3 MP camera; QWERTY keyboard; works on both CDMA and GSM networks

2.0 MP camera; QWERTY keyboard

2.0 MP camera; QWERTY keyboard; Opera Mobile HTML browser; Docs To Go Office Suite; McAfee Virus Scan

1.3 MP camera; QWERTY keyboard; DataViz Documents to Go Office Suite

1.3 MP camera; QWERTY keyboard, scroll wheel; Razr form-factor; Picsel viewer (Office doc viewer)

2.0 MP camera; SLVR form-factor

2.0 MP camera; slide-out QWERTY keyboard; second video conferencing camera; 3G capable

2.0 MP camera, slide-out QWERTY keyboard

2.0 MP camera; QWERTY keyboard; 3G support

1.3 MP camera

1.3 MP camera; rocker key

1.3 MP camera

1.3 MP camera; external media-control keys; Razr form-factor

1.3 MP camera; dual slide-out QWERTY keyboard and T9 keypad; 3G capable

Comments

6 5 6 6

Unlocked: AT&T, T-Mobile, World GSM Carriers

E-TEN G500+ www.etencorp.com

E-TEN Glofiish M700 www.etencorp.com

E-TEN M600+ www.etencorp.com

E-TEN X500+ www.etencorp.com

E-TEN Glofiish X800 www.etencorp.com

Fujitsu/Siemens LOOX T830 Unlocked: AT&T, T-Mobile, www.fujitsu-siemens.com World GSM Carriers

HP iPAQ 600 Series Business Unlocked: AT&T, T-Mobile, Navigator www.hp.com World GSM Carriers

HP iPAQ 900 Series Business Unlocked: AT&T, T-Mobile, Messenger www.hp.com World GSM Carriers

Locked: AT&T

Unlocked: AT&T, T-Mobile, Dopod U1000 (Based on World GSM Carriers HTC Athena)

Unlocked: AT&T, T-Mobile, Dopod P800/W (Based on World GSM Carriers HTC Artemis)

Unlocked: AT&T, T-Mobile, World GSM Carriers

Unlocked: AT&T, T-Mobile, Dopod D810, Dopod CHT World GSM Carriers 9100 (Based on HTC Trinity)

Unlocked: AT&T, T-Mobile, (Based on HTC Sedna) World GSM Carriers

Unlocked: AT&T, T-Mobile, Dopod C800 (Based on HTC World GSM Carriers Herald)

Unlocked: AT&T, T-Mobile, (Based on HTC Panda) World GSM Carriers

HP iPAQ hw6920/6925 hw6940/6945 www.hp.com

HTC Advantage X7500/7501 www.htc.com

HTC P3300 www.htc.com

HTC P3350 www.htc.com

HTC P3600 www.htc.com

HTC P6500 www.htc.com

HTC P4350 www.htc.com

HTC P6300 www.htc.com

Cingular 6900 Mobile Messenger Series

AT&T 8925, HTC TyTN II (Based on HTC Kaiser)

Locked: AT&T

Display diagonal/pixels colors/type

2.8” 640x480 64 K Transflective TFT

2.8” 240x320 64 K Transflective TFT

$599

$N/A

$599

3.0” 240x240 64 K Transflective TFT

2.4” 320x240 64 K Transflective TFT

2.8” 240x320 64 K Transflective TFT

240x240 $Varies 2.4” 64 K Transflective TFT

$624

$519

$550

$639

$525

$549

$599

240x320 $Varies 2.6” 64 K Transflective TFT

Price (may vary)

2.8” 240x320 64 K Transflective TFT

$639

$599

3.5” 240x320 64 K Transflective TFT

2.8” 240x320 64 K Transflective TFT

240x320 $1,049 3.5” 64 K Transflective TFT

$599

$585

5” 640x480 5(7500) 6(7501) $1,200 256 K Transflective TFT

AT&T Tilt wireless.att.com

HTC TyTN, i-mate JASJAM (Based on HTC Hermes 100)

Locked: AT&T

AT&T 8525 wireless.att.com

WM OS

Unlocked: AT&T, T-Mobile, World GSM Carriers

Also known as...

Asus P527 www.asus.com

Carrier(s)

Samsung 400 MHz

TI OMAP 200 MHz

Qualcomm 400 MHz

Samsung 400 MHz

TI OMAP 850 200 MHz

TI OMAP 200 MHz

PXA270 624 MHz

PXA270 416 MHz

PXA270 520 MHz

Intel Xscale 416 MHz

Samsung 500 MHz

Samsung 2440 400 MHz

Samsung 400 MHz

Samsung 2440 400 MHz

Samsung 400 MHz

Qualcomm 400 MHz

Samsung 400 MHz

TI OMAP 200 MHz

CPU

128/256

64/128/ N.A.

128/256

64/128/ N.A.

64/256/ N.A.

64/128/ N.A.

128/256/ N.A.

64/64/55

128/256/ N.A.

64/128/ N.A.

64/256/ N.A.

64/128/ N.A.

64/256/ N.A.

64/128/ N.A.

64/256/ 130

128/256

64/128/ 51

64/128/ N.A.

RAM/ ROM/ Avail.

microSD

dual SD

miniSD

microSD

miniSD

microSD

miniSD

microSD

2.0

1.2

2.0

b, g

GSM, Tri-Band. UMTS (Europe) GSM/EDGE, QuadBand GSM/EDGE, QuadBand GSM/EDGE, QuadBand

• • •

Li-Ion 6 hrtalk 170 hr standby

Li-Ion 4 hrtalk 200 hr standby

•

Li-Ion 4 hrtalk 200 hr standby

GSM, Tri-Band

GSM/EDGE, QuadBand

Li-Ion 5 hrtalk 200 hr standby

GSM/EDGE, Quad-Band. Li-Ion 5.3 hr talk UMTS/HSDPA, Tri-Band 290 hr standby

GSM/EDGE, Quad-Band. Li-Ion 4 hrtalk UMTS/HSDPA, Tri-Band 200 hr standby

GSM/EDGE, QuadBand

5.1x2.7x.74” 7 oz

4.3x2.3x.67” 5.4 oz

4x2x.7” 5.3 oz

4.25x2.3x.72” 4.8 oz

4.25x2.3x.66” 4.6 oz

4.25x2.28x.66” 4 oz

GSM/EDGE, QuadBand

•

Li-Ion 4 hrtalk 200 hr standby

GSM/EDGE, QuadLi-Ion GSM: 5.5 hrs; 5.2x3.8x.8” Band. UMTS/HSDPA, UMTS: 4.5 hrtalk 12.6 oz Tri-Band 300 hr standby

4.65x2.8x.71” 5.8 oz

4.4x2.5x.63” 5.1 oz

4.6x2.4x.7” 5.1 oz

5x2.5x.8” 6.7 oz

4.4x2.4x.6” 5.2 oz

4.4x2.3x.61” 5.1 oz

4.40x2.39x.87” 5.82 oz

4.6x2.3x.77” 5.3 oz

•

Li-Ion 4 hrtalk 168 hr standby

Li-Ion 4 hrtalk 250 hr standby

Li-Ion 4 hrtalk 150 hr standby

GSM/EDGE, Quad-Band. Li-Ion 7 hr talk UMTS/HSDPA, Tri-Band 150 hr standby

GSM/EDGE, QuadBand

• • •

GSM, Quad-Band

GSM/EDGE, QuadBand

• Li-Ion 6 hrtalk 200 hr standby

Li-Ion 4 hrtalk 200 hr standby

GSM, Quad-Band

•

4.7x2.4x.9” 6.7 oz

4.4x2.3x.73” 6 oz

GSM/EDGE, Quad4 hrtalk Band. UMTS/HSDPA, Li-Poly 192 hr standby Tri-Band

4.4x2.3x.6” 4.5 oz

Size Weight

•

Li-Ion 5 hr talk 200 hr standby

Battery /Type Life/(mfg est)

4.43x2.28x.86” 6.21 oz

GSM/EDGE, Quad-Band

Network Type

GSM/EDGE, Quad4 hrtalk Band. UMTS/HSDPA, Li-Ion 200 hr standby Tri-Band

•

Wi-Fi Card Slot BT 802.11 GPS

2.0 MP camera

2.0 MP camera; auto-assisted slide-out QWERTY keyboard

3.0 MP camera; fingerprint ID sensor; remote wipe facility; 1 GB internal memory

2.0 MP camera; second video conferencing camera; iPhone-like look

2.0 MP camera

2.0 MP camera; FM radio

3.0 MP camera; detachable QWERTY keyboard; 8 GB mini-hard drive

6940/6945 sold direct by HP; 1.3 MP camera on 6925/6945; QWERTY keyboard

3.0 MP camera; QWERTY keyboard;

3.0 MP camera; 3G capable

2.0 MP camera; a second videoconferencing camera; QWERTY thumb keyboard

2.0 MP camera; VGA screen

2.0 MP camera; VGA screen;

2.0 MP camera

2.0 MP camera; slide-out QWERTY keyboard

1.3 MP camera; FM radio

3.0 MP camera; slide-out QWERTY keyboard; tilt screen

2.0 MP camera; slide-out QWERTY keyboard, scroll wheel; videoconferencing camera; (N/A On 8525); Push to Talk on 8525 through future update

2.0 MP camera; FM radio receiver; aluminum casing

Comments

Send updated information to Dan Hart, dan@smartphonemag.com or Alan Zaks, alan@smartphonemag.com

Smartphones with touch screens (Pocket PCs with phone)

Unlocked: AT&T, T-Mobile, (Based on an Inventec World GSM Carriers design)

Unlocked: AT&T, T-Mobile, UBiQUiO 501 (with slight World GSM Carriers variations)

Unlocked: AT&T, T-Mobile, Qtek 9000, Vodafone v1640, Dopod 900 (Based on HTC Universal) World GSM Carriers

Unlocked: AT&T, T-Mobile, World GSM Carriers

Sprint and Verizon

Locked: AT&T

Unlocked: AT&T, T-Mobile, E-TEN Glofiish X500 (Based World GSM Carriers on a Quanta design)

Sprint and Verizon; Unlocked: World GSM Carriers

Verizon

Sprint

Locked: Sprint

T-Mobile, World GSM Carriers

Verizon

i-mate JAQ www.imate.com

i-mate JAQ3 www.imate.com

i-mate JASJAR www.imate.com

i-mate Ultimate 6150 www.imate.com

MWg Atom Life www.mwg.com

i-mate Ultimate 8150 www.imate.com

Palm Treo 700wx www.palm.com

Palm Treo 750 www.palm.com

Pharos GPS Phone www.pharosgps.com

Samsung IP-830W www.samsung.com

Samsung SCH-i760 www.samsung.com

Sprint Mogul www.sprint.com

Sprint Touch by HTC www.sprint.com

T-Mobile Wing www.t-mobile.com

Verizon XV6800 www.verizonwireless.com 6

2.4” 240x320 64 K Transflective TFT

2.8” 320x240 64 K Transflective TFT

2.6” 320x240 64 K Transflective TFT

2.8” 240x320 64 K Transflective TFT

$499

$449

$499

$549

$349

$649

$699

$499

$549/ 499

$N/A

$399

$549

2.8” 240x320 64 K Transflective TFT

2.8” 240x320 64 K TFT LCD

2.6” 240x240 64 K Transflective TFT

2.5” 240x240 64 K Transflective TFT

2.6” 480x640 64 K Transflective TFT

2.7" 240x320 64 K TFT LCD

2.8” 480x640 64 K Transflective TFT

480x640 $1,049 3.6” 64 K Transflective TFT

$599

$499

$649

$694

$495

Qualcomm 400 MHz

TI OMAP 200 MHz

Intel Xscale 400 MHz

Samsung 400 MHz

64/256/ N.A.

64/128/ N.A.

128/256/ N.A.

64/256/ N.A.

64/128

64/128/ N.A.

Samsung 2440 400 MHz Intel Xscale 520 MHz

64/128/ 60

128/256/ N.A.

64/1000/ 795

128/256/ N.A.

64/128/ N.A.

128/256/ N.A.

64/128/ N.A.

Samsung 300 MHz

Intel Xscale 312 MHz

PXA270 520 MHz

PXA270 624 MHz

PXA270 520 MHz

Intel Xscale 520 MHz

TI OMAP 200 MHz

Qualcomm 400 MHz

Qualcomm 400 Mhz

TI OMAP 850 200 MHz

microSD

miniSD

microSD

miniSD

microSD

miniSD

microSD

miniSD

microSD

2.0

1.1

2.0

1.2

2.0

1.2

2.0

1.1

1.2

2.0

b, g

•

• Li-Ion 7 hrtalk 400 hr standby

Li-Ion 4 hrtalk 150 hr standby

CDMA/EV-DO

GSM/EDGE, QuadBand

CDMA/EV-DO

CDMA/EV-DO. GSM, Dual-Band

GSM/EDGE, QuadBand

GSM/EDGE, QuadBand. UMTS, Tri-Band

CDMA/EV-DO

GSM/EDGE, QuadBand

GSM/EDGE, TriBand. UMTS/HSDPA

GSM/EDGE, QuadBand

Li-Ion5.4 hrtalk 340 hr standby

Li-Ion 5 hrtalk 200 hr standby

Li-Ion 4 hrtalk 240 hr standby

Li-Ion 4.1 hrtalk N/A standby

Li-Ion 3.5 hrtalk 204 hr standby

Li-Ion 3.4 hrtalk 130 hr standby

Li-Ion 5 hrtalk 160 hr standby

Li-Ion 4 hrtalk 250 hr standby

Li-Ion 5 hrtalk 300 hr standby

Li-Ion 4 hrtalk 150 hr standby

Li-Ion 4 hr talk 200 hr standby

Li-Ion 4 hrtalk 150 hr standby

GSM/EDGE, Tri-Band. Li-Ion 4 hrtalk UMTS (Europe) 250 hr standby

GSM/EDGE, QuadBand

GSM/EDGE. Tri-Band Li-Ion 5 hrtalk UMTS/HSDPA 180 hr standby

GSM/EDGE, QuadBand

5 hrtalk GSM/EDGE, Tri-Band Li-Ion 200 hr standby

4.3x2.3x.7” 5.8 oz

2.3x4.3x.67” 5.9 oz

4x2.4x.6” 4 oz

4.3x2.3x.7” 5.8 oz

4.5x2.3x.77” 5.3 oz

4.5x2.2x.9” 6.4 oz

4.4x2.3x.6” 5.2 oz

4.4x2.3x.8” 5.4 oz

4.4x2.3x.9” 6.4 oz

4.6x2.4x.61” 5.3 oz

4.2x2.3x.7" 5.1 oz

4.6x2.4x.61” 5.3 oz

5.03x3.19x.98” 10.05 oz

5x2.6x.5” 5.1 oz

4.8x2.8x.9” 5.6 oz

4.2x2.1x.62” 4.2 oz

4.3x2.3x.6” 4.6 oz

3.9x2.3x.55” 4 oz

2.0 MP camera; slide-out QWERTY keyboard

2.0 MP camera; auto-assisted slide-out QWERTY keyboard; OZ IM client; myFaves; Handango InHand

2.0 MP camera; TouchFLO touch screen technology

2.0 MP camera; slide-out QWERTY keyboard; 512 MB microSD card

1.3 MP camera; slide-out QWERTY keyboard; unique numeric keypad on face

Slide-out QWERTY keyboard; dual-network (CDMA for U.S. and GSM for outside U.S.); Sprint: WM 5, Verizon: WM 2003 SE

2.0 MP camera; U.S., Canadian maps, car dock. WM 6 available for the E-TEN X500; Pharos upgrade may be available in Q3 of 2007.

1.3 MP camera; QWERTY keyboard; upgradeable through future firmware to HSDPA

1.3 MP camera; QWERTY keyboard

2.0 MP camera; NVIDIA GoForce 5500 graphics accelerator; FM radio tuner; video out port

2.0 MP camera; second video conferencing camera; FM radio

2.0 MP camera; NVIDIA GoForce 5500 graphics accelerator; FM radio tuner; video out port

1.3 MP camera and a second videoconferencing camera; swivel QWERTY keyboard

2.0 MP camera, QWERTY keyboard with scroll wheel

QWERTY keyboard; includes Poker, e-trust AV

2.0 MP camera; second video conferencing camera; TouchFLO touch screen technology; 3.5G capable

3.0 MP camera; TouchFLO touch screen technology;

2.0 MP camera; TouchFLO touch screen technology

Notes Availability: Dopod, E-TEN, Mio, and some i-mate and HTC devices are only marketed overseas. However, they may be available in the U.S. through MobilePlanet.com, onthegosolutions.com, and other independent vendors. RAM/ROM: The “RAM” portion of the memory is where programs are run. The “ROM” portion of the memory is where programs are installed and data is stored (in WM 5). “Avail.” is where users can store files such as music, programs, etc. N.A. where that information was not available. CDMA Phones: All CDMA phones include Internet connectivity via 1xRTT. One carrier’s CDMA phone will not work on another CDMA carrier’s network. GSM Phones: All GSM phones include Internet connectivitiy via GPRS. “Locked” GSM phones from carriers like AT&T and T-Mobile can only be used on those carrier’s networks. “Unlocked” GSM phones can be used anywhere in the world where GSM carriers are found (additional charges may apply). Network Types: There are four GSM bands (850, 900, 1800, 1900). North America uses the 850 and 1900 bands; Europe and elswhere use the 900 and 1800 bands. “Tri-Band” phones lack one of the bands, making them less suitable for North American use. There are three UMTS/HSDPA bands (850, 1900 and 2100). The 2100 band is used only in Europe, while the 850 and 1900 bands are used only in North America. Key ^ Windows Mobile 6 upgrade released * Windows Mobile 6 upgrade announced

(Based on HTC Titan)

HTC Herald (100)

(Based on HTC Vogue)

Sprint PPC-6800 (Based on HTC Titan)

Samsung SCH-i830

Vodafone Palm Treo 750v

Unlocked: AT&T, T-Mobile, (Based on HTC Nike/P5500) World GSM Carriers

HTC Touch Dual www.htc.com

Unlocked: AT&T, T-Mobile, World GSM Carriers

HTC Touch Cruise www.htc.com

Unlocked: AT&T, T-Mobile, (Based on HTC Elf) World GSM Carriers

HTC Touch www.htc.com

Asus MyPal A632/A636 Series www.asus.com

Asus MyPal A639 www.asus.com

Dell X51v www.dell.com

HP iPAQ 100 Series Classic www.hp.com

HP iPAQ 200 Series Enterprise www.hp.com

HP iPAQ hx2495 www.hp.com

HP iPAQ hx2795 www.hp.com

HP iPAQ rx5910/5915 Travel Companion www.hp.com

Mio P550 www.miogps.com

Pharos Traveler GPS 525 www.pharosgps.com

$Varies

$599

$499

$399

$449

$299

$499

$629

$599

$379

2.8” 240x320 64 K Transflective TFT

3.5” 240x320 64 K Transflective TFT

3.5” 320x240 64 K Transflective TFT

3.5” 240x320 64 K Transflective TFT

4” 480x640 256 K Transflective TFT

3.5” 240x320 64 K Transflective TFT

3.7” 480x640 64 K Transflective TFT

3.5” 240x320 64 K Transflective TFT

2003 2nd $505 Ed.

Asus MyPal A626 www.asus.com

Acer n50 global.acer.com

2.8” 320x240 64 K Transflective TFT

3.7” 480x640 64 K Transflective TFT

Acer n300 global.acer.com

$Varies

Display diagonal pixels colors type

$639

Acer c500 Series Travel Companion global.acer.com

WM OS

Price (may vary)

Samsung 300 MHz

Samsung 2440 400 MHz

Samsung 400 MHz

Intel Xscale 624 MHz

Intel Xscale 520 MHz

PXA310 624 MHz

Intel Xscale 624 MHz

Intel Xscale 416 MHz

Intel Xscale 312 MHz

Intel Xscale 520 MHz

Samsung 2410 266 MHz

Samsung 300 MHz

Processor CPU

64/128/111

64/2 GB/N.A.

64/2000/450

64/192/144

64/128/80

128/256/N.A.

64/256/N.A.

64/256/192

64/1000/N.A.

64/128/N.A.

RAM/ROM/ Available

SD, CF

SD, miniSD

SD, CF

1.2

2.0

1.2

2.0

1.2

2.0

1.2

2.0

1.2

b, g

Li-Ion 1300mAh

•

Li-Ion 1200mAh Li-Ion 1100mAh

• •

Li-Ion 1700mAh

Li-Ion 1440mAh

Li-Ion 2200mAh

Li-Ion 1200mAh

Li-Ion 1100mAh

Li-Ion 1300mAh

Li-Ion 1200mAh

Li-Ion 8hr

Li-Ion 1200mAh

•

Battery Type Wi-Fi Life BT 802.11 GPS (mfg est)

4.3x2.3x.7” 4.4 oz

4.5x2.8x.7” 6 oz

4.74x3.00x.65” 5.99 oz

4.71x3.01x.65” 5.8 oz

5x3x.63” 6.8 oz

4.6x2.7x.54” 3.7 oz

4.69x2.87x.626” 4.9 oz

4.8x2.9x.74” 6.6 oz

4.80x2.88x.77” 6.5 oz

4.6x2.8x.62” 5.6 oz

4.72x2.76x.65” 5.29 oz

4.33x2.76x.54” 4.76 oz

4.25x2.3x.66” 4 oz

Size Weight

swivel GPS patch antenna

A632 lacks Wi-Fi

Stainless steel casing

Availiable in 320-MHz version; 128 MB RAM available; has Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, and CF and SD card slots. Available in England & Europe.

VGA screen; has USB Host and Client. Currently available in England and Europe.

Comments

iPAQ Wireless; Today Panel Lite; iPAQ Entertainment, TomTom Navigator 6, TeleAtlas Maps, WorldMate Standard Edition.

HP Protect Tools, iTask, iPAQ Backup, ClearVUE Suite.

Ostia GPS navigation software and U.S. maps

A GPS-equiped Pocket PC with a huge amount of available ROM (persistent storage).

Includes a fingerprint reader for added security

Decent device with ample ROM memory, large screen. Dual CF & SD slots.

4-inch VGA screen; new-gen processor; lots of RAM; USB host

Large screen; new-gen processor

File Store, Backup, Switcher, Power Status, Dell WLAN Utility, Funk Odyssey Client 4.0, Resco Picture Viewer, Geo Rally VGA screen; 256 MB of flash ROM; SD and CF card slots 3-D Game, Toy Golf, Battery Pack Lite, Media Player 10

GPS Software, Microsoft Voice Command

In ROM: Lunar View, Pictures, Backup/Restore Utility, WMP 10 Mobile. On CD: Voice Dictionary, Pocket SlideShow.

In ROM: Lunar View, Pictures, Backup/Restore Utility, WMP 10 Mobile. On CD: Voice Dictionary.

Additional Software from Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) (see listing at beginning of section for MS software)

Send updated information to Dan Hart, dan@smartphonemag.com or Alan Zaks, alan@smartphonemag.com

PDAs (Pocket PCs) Card Comm

Hand Held Products Dolphin 9500/9550 Series www.handheld.com

Intermec 700 Series www.intermec.com

$Varies

TDS Ranger Series 300X/500X/NX www.tdsway.com

TDS Recon Series 200x/400x www.tdsway.com

Unitech PA500 www.ute.com

Unitech PA600 www.ute.com

$Varies

TDS Nomad www.tdsway.com

$Varies

Symbol MC35 www.symbol.com

$Varies

Symbol MC9000 Series www.symbol.com

Socket SoMo 650 www.socketmobile.com

$Varies

$2,195$2,845

Psion Teklogix WorkaboutPro www.psionteklogix.com

$Varies

Juniper Systems Archer Field PC www.junipersys.com

$Varies

Symbol MC70 www.symbol.com

Intermec CN30 Series www.intermec.com

$Varies

2003 $925 to 2nd Ed. $1200

Intermec CN3 www.intermec.com

$Varies

Symbol MC50 www.symbol.com

Intermec CK60 www.intermec.com

2003 2nd $Varies Ed.

Hand Held Products Dolphin 7900 Series www.handheld.com

Intermec 730B Series www.intermec.com

Ecom i.roc x20 Series ecom-ex.de

WM (may OS vary)

Price

3.5” 240x320 64 K Transflective TFT

3.8” 240x320 64 K Reflective TFT

3.5” 320x240 64 K Transflective TFT

3.5” 480x640 64 K Transflective TFT

3.8” 240x320 64 K Color or Mono

3.5” 240x320 64 K Transflective TFT

2.8” 240x320 64 K Reflective TFT

PXA270 520 MHz

Intel Xscale 400 MHz

Intel Xscale 520 MHz

Xscale 806 Mhz

Intel Xscale 624 MHz

Intel Xscale 416 MHz

PXA270 624 MHz

PXA270 520 MHz

3.6” 480x640 N/A Transflective TFT

3.5” 320x240 64 K Transflective TFT

Intel Xscale 520 MHz

Intel Xscale 400 MHz

Intel Xscale 520 MHz

Processor CPU

3.5” 240x320 64 K Transflective TFT

3.5” 480x640 64 K Transflective TFT

3.5” 240x320 64 K Transflective TFT

3.8” 240x320 64 K Transflective TFT

3.5” 240x320 64 K Transflective TFT

3.8” 240x320 64 K Reflective TFT

3.5” 240x320 64 K TFT LCD

3.8” 240x320 64 K Transflective TFT

3.5” 240x320 64 K Transflective TFT

Display diagonal, pixels, colors, type

64/128/N.A.

64/64/N.A.

64/256/N.A.

128/512/472

128/ Varies/N.A.

64/128/N.A.

64/64/N.A.

64/128/N.A.

128/256/N.A.

128/128

64/256/N.A.

64/64/N.A.

128/128/N.A.

64/192/N.A.

64/64/N.A.

64/32/N.A.

64/64/N.A.

64/128/80

RAM/ROM/ Available

SD, CF

CF, SD

SD, CF

miniSD

SD/ MMC

SD/MMC, CF I

SD/ MMC

miniSD

SD, CF

b,g

RS232

b,g

RS232

b,g

1.2

2.0

b,g

1.2 a/b/g

1.2

2.0

1.2

2.0

1.2

•

BT 802.11 GPS

Wi-Fi

Li-Ion 1950mAh

Li-Ion 2200

NiMH 15hr

Li-Ion 30hr

Li-Ion 5200mAh

Li-Ion 15hr

Li-Ion 1900mAh

Li-Ion 8hr

Li-Ion 1350mAh

Li-Ion 1200mAh

N.A. 3000/ 4000mAh

Li-Ion 20hr

Li-Ion N.A

Li-Ion 2200mAh

Li-Ion 2400mAh

Li-Ion 10hr

Li-Ion 14.8hr

Li-Ion N.A

5.5x3.35x1” 9.3 oz

5x3x.9” 7.5 oz

6.5x3.75x1.75” 16.96 oz

10.5x5.2x1.9” 2.1 lb. oz

6.9x3.9x1.9” 21 oz

9.2x7.6x3.6” 26.08 oz

6.0x3.0x1.5” 12 oz

5.35x2.95x1.13” 6.77 oz

5x2.6x.8” 6.5 oz

5x2.9x.8” 6.3 oz

8.8/7.9x4/4x1.6/ 1.6” 16/13.7 oz

6.5x3.5x13.7” 17 oz

6.82x3.52x1.35” 16.6 oz

6.3x3.2x1.1” 16 oz

6.82x3.55x2.08” 24.8 oz

7.0x3.5x1.5” 15 oz

7.53x3.5x1.97” 17 oz

9.6x3.45x1.66” 19.68 oz

7.3x3.5x1.7” 17 oz

7.3x3.3x1.5” 19.4 oz

Battery Type Life Size (mfg est) Weight

Ruggedized PPC Phone Edition, Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE; 2.0 MP camera; QWERTY keyboard; bar code reader

Rugged business class mobile computer; comes with leather case

Available in 2 models: C model with alpha-numeric keyboard, and S model with number keypad; Wi-Fi and GSM/GPRS EDGE modules optional; Optional barcode expansion modules

Fully rugged; available in 16 languages; GPS and bar code scanner extension options; Class I Div 2 non-incendive option; Serial port; USB host and client

Rugged mobile computer; integrated scanner and RS232 port; available with 14-keyor 56-key keyboard.

Ruggedized PPC Phone Edition, Tri-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE/3G EV-DO; 1.3 megapixel camera; QWERTY keyboard

Rugged mobile computer; RS232 port. Optional scanner modules; available with 32-key or 58-key keyboard.

Rugged mobile computer; integrated scanner and RS232 port. Available in an I-Safe model for use in explosion-prone environments.

Rugged; wireless WAN, LAN, and Bluetooth options; scanner options also available. 741 and 751 run WM 5; 761 runs WM 2003.

Rugged design; 3 keyboard layouts; optional modules for WAN, LAN, and PAN; weight varies from 19.7 to 25.8 oz.

Rugged design; built-in 1D/2D scanners, options for Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and GSM/GPRS modules. Available in 25 and 35-key keyboard options.

Three ruggedized models: the 420, 520 -Ex and 620 -Ex. Barcode reader modules available.

Comments

Varies

Sprite Backup

Varies

Rugged mobile computer; integrated laser scanner; 18-key keypad; lightest weight in its class

A ruggedized device capable of withstanding multiple 4-foot drops; Includes built-in laser-scanner

Rugged Mil-spec device; 2 models with varying processor speeds, ROM. Meets MIL-STD-810F and IP 67 ruggedness specs. O-ring seal for protection from weather,

Rugged MIL-spec device with thumb keyboard; 3 models with varying processor speed, RAM/ROM. Includes 9-pin serial port.

4 different models to choose from; Top of the line specs in most categories, incl. 2.0 MP camera, VGA screen

Rugged design, used for bar code scanning applications, backlit keypad; Also available with Windows CE.

Ruggedized Pocket PC Phone Edition; Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE. 28 numeric-key or 44 QWERTY-key keyboard.

Symbol’s Rapid Deployment Client which tracks application Ruggedized Pocket PC; 6 different models: 3 with keyboard, 3 versions, and Symbol’s Mobile Companion (manages without. Each unit can include a scanner, a 2-D scanner, or a 1.1 wireless network connectivity megapixel digital camera.

Varies

SmartSystems Support, Wavelink Avalanche Support.

Varies

Ecom Tools, ecom Edit, KioskMode, AutoInstall.

Additional Software from Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) (see listing at beginning of section for MS software)

Vertical Niche Devices Card Comm

Marketplace

WANTED Dead or Alive!

SmartphoneNotes Create text notes directly on your Smartphone and synchronize them with Microsoft® Outlook® on your desktop computer!

HP 200LX/HP 1000CX Palmtops

Cash Reward $$$ We’ll buy 1 or 1000! Email: wayne@thaddeus.com or call 800-373-6114 fax 641-472-1879

Outlook® notes in your smartphone

www.syncdata.it

The Most Durable Anti-Glare Screen Protector For LCD Displays NuShield™ manufactures the most durable nonadhesive, anti-glare screen protector film available for your PDA, SmartPhone, LCD monitor, PC tablet, laptop, GPS, car display and other handheld device. One package can last the lifetime of your LCD display. • Reduces glare on LCD displays outdoors • Filters out 99% of UV light from reaching your screen or reflecting to your eyes • Film sizes up to 50” diagonal LCD monitors • Protects screen against dust and scratches • Installs quickly and easily • Super thin surface with a pleasant feel • No reduction in screen brightness • No air bubbles, No adhesives, No glare!

For further information contact 215-500-6426 Visit www.NuShield.com/ppc and learn how to get 10% discount on your purchase. 86

S M A RT P H O N E & POCKET PC Jun/Jul 20 08

Marketplace

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(888)-323-8720 z (626)-968-4145 z usglobalsat.com *Hardware may require GPS navigation software to meet your application need.

Advertisers Index 3JTech

3jtech.com

DDH Software

handbase.com

DeveloperOne

developerone.com/itjustworks

eXpansys/MobilePlanet

expansys-usa.com

Fattafa

unifirm.com

Frost & Sullivan

frost.com

Illium Software

illiumsoft.com/tmi

Mark/Space

markspace.com/meetmac

Microsoft

IFC, 1

msdn.microsoft.com/windowsmobile

Nomad Electronics

nomadelectronics.com

NuShield

nushield.com/ppc

Piel Frama

pielframa.us

Resco

49,63

resco.net

Sapphire Solutions

sapphire-solutions.co.uk

Spb Software House

spbsoftwarehouse.com

SimonCells

simoncells.com

Sprite Mobile

spritemobile.com/discountp508

Syncdata

syncdata.it

Tekkeon

tekkeon.com

Textware Solutions

fitaly.com

Trimble

trimble.com

UsedHandhelds.com

25, 64, 65, IBC

usedhandhelds.com

USGlobalSat

usglobalsat.com

Web Information Solutions

pocketinformant/ppcmag

Zagg

invisibleshield.com

Apr/May 2008

S MARTP HO NE & P O CK ET P C

Pocket View Hal Goldstein Executive Editor and Publisher Smartphone & Pocket PC magazine hal@Smartphonemag.com

Windows Mobile and the Future

n this issue you’ll read about two different sides of the Windows Mobile 6.1 upgrade. End-users will find a new emphasis on ease of use. Enterprise IT professionals will discover that they can manage Windows Mobile devices as effectively as Windows laptops and desktops thanks to new security and control features.

becomes a vehicle for just about everything—news, social networking, movies, TV, music—MIDs will be a new generation of devices to deliver these media.

Microsoft may want to recommit to software developers

The next generation iPhone will allow the user to load a variety of yet-to-be-developed third-party software. Since the iPhone interface is Adding security and control features were the final necessary steps to compelling and non-threatening, and all software will be sold through make Windows Mobile a clear choice for many large organizations. En- iTunes, this should be a boon for third-party developers. With the opening of the iPhone platform, Apple will likely make terprise decision makers will find the new 6.1 features compelling, especially when coupled with robust push HTML e-mail, the ability to read inroads in an area that Microsoft has clear leadership and dominance. Office attachments, and an operating system that supports custom apps. Microsoft championed an open platform since it introduced Windows Although Windows Mobile devices have an incredible number of CE in 1997. It encouraged third parties by offering software tools that features, the average person still finds them too intimidating to enjoy. The made Windows Mobile development similar to Windows development. iPhone proved that a device could offer phone, Wi-Fi, e-mail, Internet, In addition, Microsoft seeded the Windows Mobile development and music, photos, and video in one device and not overwhelm the user. support community with Microsoft Windows Mobile evangelists, fundThe new Getting Started application eliminates some of the deficien- ing, a development conference (now defunct), and programs like MVP cies of the Windows Mobile user interface and helps users get through and Mobius. the initial learning curve. The new Today Screen Sliding Panel makes I communicate with a lot of software developers and owners of Web navigating through features more sites that support Windows intuitive. I’ve used the new sliding Mobile. Many are anxious to The HTC Advantage (left) panel on a non-touch HTC S620 move to iPhone and Google and NEC MobilePro (right) (T-Mobile Dash) for a couple of Android development and supweeks, and although it’s not perport. They no longer feel the fect, it definitely makes the phone appreciation, attention, or supeasier and more fun to use. port from Microsoft, and see Expect to see the next versions better opportunities elsewhere. of Windows Mobile designed to I hope Microsoft takes strong, make devices even more compelproactive steps to insure the ling for the end user. ongoing support of Windows It seems Microsoft wants to trump the iPhone with the XPERIA Mobile developers and knowledge-providers. X1. Microsoft’s new partnership with Sony-Ericsson demonstrates the importance of the “wow factor.” However, as Apple proved, substance Microsoft hedging bets and supports the iPhone must accompany hype. The user experience will be key in making the It was recently announced that Microsoft is licensing ActiveSync for the Apple iPhone. That means that, as the iPhone makes headway in the XPERIA successful. Exchange/Enterprise space, Microsoft will still be getting a piece of the New kinds of Windows Mobile devices action. In addition, there are Internet rumors about Microsoft making For years I’ve advocated that Windows Mobile technology be used on Windows Mobile Office apps available to iPhone users. Microsoft certainly wants Windows Mobile to win the smartphone larger devices. I was a big fan of the NEC MobilePro Handheld PC series with its half screen and touch-typeable keyboard. I am intrigued wars. However, perhaps even more importantly, it wants to get paid whenever a smartphone is sold, and wants Microsoft Exchange to reby the HTC Advantage. Why not use Windows Mobile to make a small, easy-to-use, bat- main dominant. tery efficient laptop? Given Microsoft’s new emphasis on ease-of-use, a Windows Mobile mini-laptop would be a great device for novices Focus on user experience and support partners who want out-of-the-box functionality. Unsophisticated users could Microsoft has worked hard to build devices that appeal to large organihave instant Internet, e-mail, music, video, photos, Word, and Excel zations and professionals. They have done an impressive job partnering all built-in and ready to go. It would also be a boon for road warriors with phone companies, and estimate that 20 million Windows Mobile who need basic computing functionality and wireless connectivity in a devices will be sold worldwide this year. However, Symbian, RIM (BlackBerry), Apple, and Google will prosmall, lightweight form factor with long battery life. Solid state storage vide stiff competition. Microsoft’s new emphasis on the user experience means instant-on and no vulnerable mechanical drives. It seems that Microsoft is committing to do just that. Microsoft has is a necessity to reach the huge new potential audience and to retain brought on Len Kawell—a former founding member of Microsoft Chief existing customers. In addition, I look forward to a renewed Microsoft Software Architect Ray Ozzie’s Iris Associates—to help the Redmond commitment to work with its many smaller partners that have helped software company port the Windows Mobile operating system to new make the platform so robust. n form factors called Mobile Internet Devices (MID). As the Internet

The thinking behind the Windows Mobile 6.1 update

S M A RT P H O N E & POCKET PC Jun/Jul 20 08

UsedHandhelds.com We Buy and Sell in Volume HP Jornada 720 HP Jornada 728

‰

‰ ‰

Pocket PCs

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NEC MobilePro 900/900Cs

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wayne@usedhandhelds.com • 800-373-6114