Business Data Accessibility with "Mobile Data Now"

One of the frequently heard promises of the handheld mobile device and services industries has long been instant and easy access to business data from any location at anytime.  The practical fulfillment of that promise has been nothing less than illusive, if not downright disappointing.

Along comes “Mobile Data Now” from Mobile Data Now Ltd in New Zealand.  According to their website: “Mobile Data Now provides a platform for accessing business data and applications by simply using the messaging applications users have on their mobile phones and are already familiar with, such as email, SMS and instant messaging.  If you can send a message, you can use Mobile Data Now.“

For years I have been intrigued with practical prospects for the deployment of mobile solutions that easily provide actionable back office information to mobile workers.  Accordingly, I will be taking an in depth look at “Mobile Data Now” and will be reporting back with a complete review.

In the meantime, you can learn more directly from the Company at their website.

Copyright ©2008 Richard A. Bilancia — All Rights Reserved

Microsoft & Yahoo deal lives again!

from The Wall Street Journal moments ago…

May 18, 2008

“Microsoft said that it is considering an agreement with Yahoo and opened up the possibility that it would consider buying part of the Internet company. In a statement, Microsoft said that it “is considering and has raised with Yahoo an alternative that would involve a transaction with Yahoo but not an acquisition of all of Yahoo.” The Redmond, Wash., software maker didn’t provide details on the transaction being discussed. Microsoft on May 3 withdrew a bid for Yahoo that it made earlier in the year. Since Microsoft’s withdrawal, activist investor Carl Icahn has tried to push Yahoo into a deal with Microsoft by proposing an alternative slate of Yahoo directors and had bought 10 million shares and options to purchase 49 million more.”

A Visit to OtterBox Headquarters

A couple of months ago, you may have seen the MobilitySite.com posting by gasusan2005 titled “OtterBox Launches Stylish Protective Case for New BlackBerry Pearl Smartphones.”  I had heard of OtterBox and their products before seeing that posting, but until then I did not realize that their offices in Fort Collins, Colorado were only a few short miles away from my home.  At the time, I was brand new to MobilitySite.com and looking for article ideas so I asked myself, “Why not visit their office and write about the Company?”  I recently made that visit and here is my report.

[Read more]

HP iPAQ 510 Voice Messenger SmartPhone Review

For years I’ve been searching for the ideal converged handheld device.  While the commercial offerings keep getting better and satisfying more of my wants, I’ve learned that my wants keep changing.  Hence, the search is never ending.

As I’ve previously written, I’ve been having an annoying and impossible to resolve problem with my T-Mobile Dash–constant rebooting.  Recently, after returning  to the US from an international trip, I was unable to turn on the phone at all.  I was therefore unable to call and and make contact with the driver for my pre-arranged ride home.  Having a “geek” reputation and trying to explain why my phone didn’t work was nothing short of embarrassing!

I needed to do something.  When I got a little less emotional I concluded that it was time for a new phone.

[Read more]

Google2Go! (not from Google) application available

Late yesterday, the site theunwired.net had a post about a new application “Google2Go!” for Windows Mobile users.  Details available at The Tech Turf include:

“Google2GO! is a mobile application for Google services, similar to Yahoo!Go. This application is not related to Google in any way.

Requirements:

Windows Mobile Professional 6 (touch screen capable)

  NOTE: Windows Mobile Professional 5 has been reported to work as well

Windows Mobile .Net framework 2.0

Data connection (Wifi will work also)

Screen Resolution of 320×240 (recommended)

Features:

Access to all Google mobile services including:

• Google Web/Image Search
• Google Local Search
• Gmail
• Google Calendar
• Google Reader
• Google Docs
• Picasa
• Google News
• Google Notes

Other features:

• Amazon
• eBay
• Weather.com
• Wikipedia
• Dictionary/Thesaurus

“

To try it, download it here.

T-Mobile leaving Starbucks — to be replaced by AT&T

This morning, Starbucks issued a press release that they will be offering free WiFi via AT&T.  Details can be found here: http://www.starbucks.com/aboutus/pressdesc.asp?id=827

No news about this on the T-Mobile website yet.

What does this mean for T-Mobile?  Does it really matter when their 3G gets complete?  What about their Internet plan service rates?  I guess that we’ll just have to wait and see.

MSN Direct Technology Preview

I just installed the recently announced MSN Direct technology preview on my T-Mobile Dash this morning.  So far (other than a performance hit on the device) I like what I see.  You can learn more about MSN Direct at http://phone.MSNDirect.com .  To download a copy of technology preview, you can visit http://phone.MSNDirect.com from your mobile device and follow the instructions.

My Journey with Windows Mobile 6 Standard (SmartPhone) constant reboots

I’ve been a proud owner of a T-Mobile Dash (a Windows Mobile SmartPhone) since they first came out in late 2006.  However, once I upgraded the phone to Windows Mobile 6 last year, I began having a problem that has been nothing less than almost continually annoying.  Whenever I restart the Dash, there is the high probability that it will go into endless reboot loop unless I remove the microSD card.  This anomaly does not just occur on the Dash, it has been reported on a number of WM6 devices.

1. When I initially updated to WM6, here’s what happened:
   1. I Flashed to WM6 with no microSD card in place
   2. after one successful boot, I replaced the card and tried to reboot.
   3. the Dash would not stop rebooting unless I removed the battery and the microSD card.
   4. placing the card in place after a boot allowed the card to function properly.
   5. after backing up the MicroSD card, I reformatted it in FAT32, place the card in the Dash and it rebooted properly exactly one time. Thereafter the rebooting resumed.

My primary microSD card was a Sandisk 2GB MicroSD, but the problem was the same with an off brand 512MB MicroSD.

When I reported the situation to T-Mobile Customer Care, I was advised to re-flash with the microSD card in place.  It made no difference.

I called T-Mobile Customer Care back and they offered to ship me a replacement phone. I had two choices: $10 for ground shipping or $15 for expedited shipping.  I chose the latter even though I didn’t think that the problem was a hardware related as my device ran perfectly with WM5.  However, my Dash was one of the very first devices released in December 2006.  Hmmmm… 

I surmised that the problem was not a device issue or a microSD (TransFlash) card problem, but rather a software issue with WM6.  As I learned much later , that’s exactly what it was–it is a device driver problem.

When I received the replacement phone, it came with WM5. I flashed it to WM6 (without the microSD card in place) and the endless reboots occurred on the replacement phone too.  I tried re-flashing with the microSD card in place and got the same results.  This was getting old and I contemplated going back to WM5, however I stuck with it. 

After a lot of trial-and-error experimentation, I thought I’d solved the problem–no thanks to T-Mobile Customer Care.  I began successfully running WM6 without the constant rebooting with a microSD card in the slot.  Here’s the procedure that worked (at least for a while) for me:

1. turn the device off.
2. remove any microSD card.
3. follow the Dash hard reset instructions here.

PLEASE NOTE CAREFULLY that simply clearing the memory using the Start/Accessories/Clear Storage application is NOT the same as a "hard reset" for the Dash.

The above solution worked for a while, but the problem came back. Since I had the replacement Dash from T-Mobile, the solution worked as long as I did not replace my SIM card (I had put it in the other device during my testing). As soon as I inserted the SIM card and tried to boot the device, the endless reboots resumed.

I then tried using the SIM card from another T-Mobile phone and the problem went completely away!  Putting back my SIM card made the reboots resume. In short, the two phones exhibited the exact same conditions:
1. old SIM card with either of 2 different microSD cards caused the endless reboots.
2. new SIM card with either of the microSD cards in either of the phones, no reboots.

I did not re-flash or master reset either phone between switching the SIM cards.  Seemed like an OS problem that got triggered differently when making contact with the T-Mobile networks.

I went to a local T-Mobile Company store, explained the situation, got a replacement SIM card and the problem went away again.  The rep at the store verified both my problem and that the replacement SIM card fix worked.  I did not get charged for the SIM card replacement at the store, bit would have if I got it from Customer Care. 

Since I got the replacement SIM, the problem has recurred periodically, but not consistently.  One reason was that I usually try to put the device in "flight mode" before powering it off and resetting the phone. 

That was until the past couple of weeks.  I had left the country on vacation, but had forgotten to put the phone in "flight mode" before I turned off the phone on the plane.  When I landed, I could not get out of the constant rebooting in any way at all!  I tried removing the SIM card, then the MicroSD card, then both–nothing worked at all, even after I returned home!  After a couple of days, I took the plunge to do the hard reset again.  I had procrastinated making that choice since there were a few data changes on the phone since its last full backup.  The hard reset worked again!  Restoring my most recent Sprite backup got me up and going PDQ with just a few data losses.  However, I’m still looking for a permanent solution as I really do like the T-Mobile Dash for so many other reasons.

My research in the last few days has turned up a non-T-Mobile ROM for the Dash directly from HTC that is available here.  Comments that I’ve read about the ROM say it fully supports SDHC MicroSD cards (currently available up to 8GB) and that the reboot problem has been solved with this new WM6 ROM. 

I skeptical, but may take the plunge.  If I do, I’ll report back.

My T-Mobile Dash in My 2008 Honda Accord

I have been a cell phone user since 1985 and have used countless different cell phones.  My first cell phone (really a “car phone”) was a far cry from the battery-powered, handheld devices of today.  In those days, all a cell phone did was make and receive calls.  The phone itself was mounted on a pedestal attached to the car’s console, but the phone’s guts were located in the trunk in a box the size of a small suitcase.  The whole system had to be professionally installed at a cost of $250 to $300.  Obviously, I could only use the phone when in my car.

I’ve also been using a Pocket PC or Windows Mobile device since the days of the HP Jornada 548.  I switching away from a Palm V that I’d used before the Jornada.  About a year ago, I purchased a T-Mobile Dash Windows Mobile v5 Smartphone.  Since that time, I stopped carrying two devices.  As soon as it the Windows Mobile 6 upgrade became available, I made the operating system switch without looking back.  For me, it’s darn near the perfect converged device.

For the last few years, I’ve used several different Bluetooth headsets and hands-free devices to make talking on my phone more comfortable and safe when driving.  My biggest frustration was that the Bluetooth batteries always needing charging.  I lusted for the fully integrated Bluetooth systems in luxury cars!  No more!  I now have what I need in my new 2008 Honda Accord!

My pearl white 2008 Honda Accord V6 EX-L comes with a steering wheel controlled Bluetooth “hands free” capability.  Pairing the system with my Dash was straightforward.  Entire phonebook synchronization with the phone is not supported, but individual phonebook entries are easily accomplished.  As long as my phone is anywhere in the car, including the trunk, I can make and answer phone calls without my hands ever leaving the steering wheel.

The car also includes a auxiliary jack in the armrest that allows the phone’s sound output to be connected to my car radio.  Other music and sounds, including the ability of VoiceCommand to announce and/or read arriving e-mail and text messages is easily accomplished.

The Ford Sync from Microsoft has been getting a lot of TV advertising “air time” over the last several weeks.   However, I now have virtually all the same functionality and didn’t have to purchase a Ford.

I am still searching for the absolute perfect converged device.  Until someone makes it, I’m more than happy with my T-Mobile Dash WM6 Smartphone and my 2008 Honda Accord.