New version of TinyTwitter

Do you Tweet?

Do you have a Windows Mobile phone?

I do and I love TinyTwitter. It’s the best mobile client for twitter bar none (try it and see) and it’s now even better.

How could it get better you ask (because you already use it…. right… if not…. try it now!)

It’s better in two ways…

• Picture uploads: append a picture to any tweet and it gets posted to TwitPic. You don’t need to do anything, magic just happens. Click to see what I’ve uploaded.
• Geolocation: if you have a GPS you can tell everyone where you are. It takes the boring latitude and longitude numbers your GPS returns (built in or bluetooth connected) and can do a reverse address lookup to tell you where you are near (not close enough for stalkers to find you!) and posts it to your timeline along with a Live Maps link so people can see where you are on a map as well.

So if you want to try out the (new) goodness go to TinyTwitter.com on your PC or direct to m.ttwt.at if you are viewing this on a phone.

Oh, and there is a J2ME/Blackberry version available as well if you’re not a Windows Mobile user.

Oh, and on the PC I still like Digsby for updating Twitter and checking Hotmail and Gmail…

What sports do you do?

As a geek I’m guilty of perhaps not getting as much exercise as I need. Part of the problem is finding the time but that comes down to motivation. With the wonders of this socially networked age it’s easier to use technology to help with that motivation.

The geek in me likes stats. If I know I’m doing good, and overall improving against myself or friends then I have the incentive to keep going and doing better. You can do something simple like maintaining an excel spreadsheet or twittering your workout but as someone who’s recently rediscovered cycling after 20 years in cars I’m really blown away by SportsDo. All you need is a Windows Mobile device with GPS capabilities, a data connection and … to get off the computer and get some exercise!

Your first step is to register on the SportsDo.Net website and create a profile. From there you can download and install the Windows Mobile client (other devices are supported) or you can visit their over-the-air provisioning site directly from your phone (you can try out the application before buying – you’re just limited to the distance you can cover).

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Is that a widget on your screen?

You’re probably very familiar with the plethora of widget or gadget technologies on the web or your desktop by now – Vista Sidebar, Windows Sideshow, Google, Yahoo and Microsofts web and desktop offerings as well as a collection of Web 2.0 offerings that it’s pointless to try and enumerate because it would already be out of date.

Well, they continue to spread and Access (the folks behind the NetFront browser which has been doing a great job on Palm and Windows Mobile for several years) have brought a gadget runtime framework to Windows Mobile Professional (aka Touch or PocketPC) devices that they call Netfront Browser Widgets.

Installation and setup on my HTC Diamond was quick and simple. You need to register at the Netfront Browser Widgets site and from there download the installer to your phone (though you can do it over the air I found it easier via the desktop browser)

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Your life on the go

Lifecasting is a big thing at the moment. One step beyond blogging and tweeting is the ability to record and broadcast live video from a cellphone to share what you’re doing – and engage with your audience.

Qik is probably the best known of these, and is slowly rolling out an early beta service for Windows Mobile users. But Qik are not the only game in town – there are a couple of existing solutions that have great support for Windows Mobile users.

LiveCast provide a live video streaming platform for Windows Mobile and laptop or UMPC users. The video is synchronized with GPS position data so your viewers can see where you are when you’re broadcasting (or when they review archived footage where you were).

While the video quality on LiveCast (formerly known as PocketCaster from ComVu) is pretty good for high end phones the client is not the most intuitive (so expect to spend some time figuring it it), and the web site is a bit clunky. [Read more]

Windows Mobile feedback

Do you care about Windows Mobile? Do you use a Windows Mobile powered Smartphone or PocketPC? Do you have any feedback or comments on how Microsoft could make it better?

By all means leave a comment here, but the best place to get your voice heard (and let others contribute refinements to your ideas) is over at the Windows Mobile Connect site.

You don’t need to sign up in order to view existing feedback but if you want to comment or submit a new item you will need a LiveID to log in.

If you’re a developer you should also check out the Windows Mobile Developer Forums for more in-depth nut-and-bolts type discussions.

Sideshow on your mobile

If you’ve never seen Windows Sideshow in operation you’re in for a treat. Sideshow is a function in Windows Vista which allows small hardware gadgets to access data and control the host device.

The team have just released a runtime to enable you to turn any Windows Mobile device (touchscreen or smartphone, as long as both it and your PC supports Bluetooth) into a Sideshow device and host gadgets. You can find out more details and download it from their blog.

Examples of Sideshow in action include remote controls and external screens on laptops, Fridge magnets and messenger bags. Gadgets can be simple RSS readers, weather alerts or remote control for your Windows Media Player. You can get more detail at WindowsSideshow.com and SideShowDevices.com and find gadgets at the Windows Live Gallery.

The neat thing for developers is that the team have also just released a new SDK to allow development using Managed Code (C# rather than C++) which makes it easier to develop gadgets that can run on any Sideshow equipped devices.

I’ve been playing with it over the weekend and love being able to use my phone to control Windows Media from across the room. More practical uses include controlling a PowerPoint presentation or getting weather at a glance on both your Vista sidebar as well as a device you take everywhere with you.

Browsing gets better

With the advent of Safari on the iPhone there’s been a bit of a shake-up in the mobile internet experience – or at least the expectations.

Out of the box Windows Mobile comes with cut down version of Internet Explorer called IEMobile (aka PocketIE) which, while reliable, is getting a little long in the tooth.

IEMobile is based on IE5 so there are many sites that can take advantage of the capabilities available on mobile devices today. With the advent of IE6 for Windows Mobile things should only get better.

Of course, that’s in the future – what can you do today for a better browsing experience?

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Developing for Windows Mobile

Most of us are not professional developers (I’ve not really written a line of code in almost 2 years) but how often have you wished you had a little program to fit a specific niche, searched the web and given up?

If you’re planning on developing a professional application then you need to look at Visual Studio and the Windows Mobile SDKs but sometimes you just need something to quickly prototype an idea.

There are a few alternatives on the market – NSBasic and CASL spring to mind as good ways to get started but recently I’ve been playing with Basic4PPC from Anyware Software … and I like it.

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Freedom Bluetooth Keyboard

About a year ago there were a couple of posts talking about the Freedom folding keyboards (one Bluetooth and one USB).

While the USB one seems to have come and gone the bluetooth option is alive and kicking. This is good news as other alternatives (such as the iGo Stowaway) have been discontinued so it’s good to see at least one option out there for folks who need a better experience.

While I’m happy enough to knock out a quick email reply on my smartphone it’s not easy to be as productive as I’d like when I’m away from the office. That however was nowhere near as frustrating as trying to type on the split keyboard on my Samsung Q1U which I’ve not been able to get comfortable using.

So I finally ordered a Freedom Universal Bluetooth keyboard to try it out for myself.

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