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as well as a collection of Web 2.0 offerings that it’s pointless to try and enumerate because it would already be out of date.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)

[Read more]

New version of EQO available - Part II

As promised, here is a follow-up to Part I of this review.

Let me start off by saying that I took a week to mess around with the new version of EQO (pronounced like "echo"). If I didn’t already mention it, it is a beta, so know that when reading this. There may be fixes underway to the issues I have noted.

I have good and bad things to report. Let me start with the bad.

[Read more]

Will you be around Orlando, FL this Weekend?

If you are in any way interested in Development for Windows and Windows Mobile devices then you are invited to attend a FREE event Saturday and Sunday.

The weekend event is called Microsoft Community Summit 2008 or ]InBetween[ or Tweener (?!?!). The whole event is FREE. This event involves several minor events held during the weekend in between the TechEd Developer (happening this coming week) and the TechEd IT Professionals (the following week). It is a group of events organized by the Florida user group communities in the Orlando Convention Center.  It will have Sessions, .Net University, Open Space, Certification, Exam Cram, Train The Trainer, SQL University, SQL Saturday, Visual Studio U events.

[Read more]

Why Developers need to know about SQL Server Compact Edition (SQL CE)?

So you are a developer who works on applications that run on the desktop; or you are a project manager who has only heard of SQL Server Compact Edition… In any case, if you have hardly heard of SQL Server CE, or you are assuming that SQL Server CE runs only on portable devices, then you should read on to learn about some new powerful options available for your environment of choice.

Well, SQL Server CE in not only intended for devices who run on the Windows CE platform (Windows Mobile, Xbox 360 and many others among then) but also for PCs running XP and Vista:

WHAT? You didn’t know? Never mind, keep reading then…

While SQL Server comes in many flavors, SQL Server Express is not the smallest of them all. Yes, it’s free and it can run in your desktop if you want it… but do you really want to run a SQL Server on your desktop? Is that the smallest you can go?

[Read more]

Yahoo Go 3.0 Beta

I installed the beta of Yahoo Go 3.0 for WM Smartphone and have been messing around with it for a while. Wanted to highlight some features and issues.

All in all it is an interesting application for mobile. The basic gist of the app is that all the information is navigated through small mobile “widgets”. You scroll thru them and when you launch a widget, you get a specialized version of the site or service off which the widget is based. Lets start with the interface:

The custom UI (carousel motif) is fun to use and is nice looking. It’s actually a refreshing UI. You can tell they spent a lot of time working out this motif.

There is a library of widgets available inside the app itself, from which you can choose to your liking or need. It also looks like there is an SDK that developers or companies can use to create these widgets.

I noticed that most of the “Yahoo Developed” widgets I tried were reliable. I didn’t have as much luck with some of the 3rd party ones, like Facebook and Trapster. Additionally, I had initially installed a MySpace widget, that ceased to work and was mysteriously no longer in the widget library when I tried to re-install it (though it is still advertised at the download site as one of the flagship widgets–I can only assume there are contract or technical issues pending).

The Wikipedia Widget is probably the most useful one, to me. It does a nice job of parsing and formatting the info.

As for all their news feeds widget… eh, I am probably more likely to use a mobile rss reader like mDigger or Viigo, but it’s nice to have the option to add some news.

The maps widget didn’t work with my GPS service and didn’t seem as useful to me as say, Google Maps or Windows Live search. Additionally, I couldn’t find a “full Screen” toggle for the maps, but I will keep looking.

Bottom line

While it has some issues, it’s important to remember that this is a Beta, and that it’s FREE. They obviously have some things to fix, and hopefully the politics over at Yahoo right now won’t get in the way of finishing this little app. It’s definitely more of a “consumer” app and not really a “power user” app, in my mind. I would use it for certain things, but probably not as my mobile hub (which is how I think they are pushing it).

Review: Tritton AX Micro BT Headset

Reviewer: Andy Mason, aka Warthog
Product: Tritton Bluetooth Headset TRI-BH200, AX Micro
Manufacturer: Tritton Technologies, Inc.
Price: MSRP $59.99 (some online retailers offer significant discount)

Bluetooth headsets have been available for a number of years now. However, several states have enacted laws that make hands-free headsets less of an optional ornament and more of a necessary accessory. Tritton Technologies Inc. is known mostly for their USB devices, but they are venturing into the headset market with the AX Micro.

“The TRITTON AX Micro breaks the mold of traditional Bluetooth headsets by providing innovative features in a discrete stylish design. The AX Micro incorporates a new design with flexible finger grips that rest on the in-curve rim of the ear. This headset offers great stability and comfort whether used in an active or corporate environment.”

What’s in the Box?

My AX Micro arrived in a fairly plain black box that displays the headset through a clear, plastic window. Also included in the box are one small and one large sized rubber ear grippers, a lanyard and clip, an AC/DC adapter, and a charging cradle that can be powered by AC/DC or a mini USB.

[Read more]

New version of EQO available - Part I

EQO (pronounced "echo") just sent me a message that a new version of their  IM/VOIP software is available. I will be running some tests and keep you all posted about results.

 

First a little background

Initially, one of EQO’s main benefits was that it allowed you to connect vicariously to Skype (before Skype had ports to mobile phones) and make data calls over that network from your phone. It worked like this: You installed Skype on your desktop, then you installed EQO on your desktop, then you connected the two apps, then you installed EQO on your mobile device which then connected to EQO on your desktop, wirelessly, and made calls vicariously on the Skype network, via the EQO/Skype pairing on your desktop. I first tried the J2ME version on my old Motorola L6 about 2 years ago. I have to admit, it was a little clunky and was more of a "power user" install, but it actually did connect, even over my old T-Mobile EDGE connection (hard to believe actually). Was it usable? Not really. But I think that was mostly due to latency of EDGE network and not that app itself. VOIP was still kind of new then.

I had also tried the IM port it offered, with mixed results. I always loved the interface though.

Fast forward a bit

About 3 months ago, I was looking for a better IM client for my Blackjack II and I decided to give EQO a try again. I installed the Winmo version and all the interface

[Read more]

Trapster keeps you safe from the cops

For my first post here at Mobilitysite, I want to mention something new about something old.

First, the old news.
Many of you may have heard of the software and service out there called Trapster. I think I first installed it on my Blackjack II back in March. In case you are not familiar, Trapster is a free Windows Mobile app/service that uses GPS and/or cell tower triangulation to let you know when you are approaching a  speed trap, traffic light camera or other fuzz-worthy areas. Since my phone has a GPS antenna,  I tried it and it works pretty well (incidentally, there is a reported traffic light camera .01 miles from my office - *note to self).

What is most interesting to me is how it works. It’s a social app really, that lets the committed speed demons of the US and Europe report speed/camera traps that they see. The app lets you report a speed trap, a camera trap… even live police sightings, and then captures your GPS or cell tower location when you make the report. The reports are collected at the main hub site and  software analyzes how many subsequent times that trap is also reported. Over time, the traps are confirmed or invalidated, based on the number of reports. Ah, the sheer power of  Darwinian methods. Also, it looks like it uses Google Maps API, which is cool and familiar.

So that’s the old news.

What’s new about Trapster, at least for me, is that it is doing a great job of kick-starting the GPS antenna in my phone.

Lemme ’splain. [Read more]

BlackBerry Trounces Windows Mobile

I was at a party last night and was shocked by how many people were sporting the BlackBerry Curve, including my wife.  Even a couple people who used to have Windows Mobile devices have made the switch. 

One of them used to have the Sprint Mogul PPC 6700, which is a really cool phone:

I couldn’t believe he had a Curve.  So I asked him why, and he told me that the form factor makes it so he can hold the Curve in one hand.  He said that Gmail Mobile for BlackBerry has really added a lot of functionality to his new device.  He loves the keyboard because it allows one-handed operation, as opposed to the PPC 6700, which requires two hands.  Even though the device does not have gps, you can find your location easily by with Google Maps.  He also likes the included media player.

I thought to myself that lots of phones have a similar form factor, such as the Samsung Ace, BlackJack, Palm Treo, and the Moto Q, to name a few.  So I figured there must be more to it.  He didn’t just get a new phone, he got an entirely new operating system.  Just then I spotted a girl I knew and went to say hi.  She, too, had a Curve.  So I also asked her what was up with that (I was the life of the party).  She told me similar things to my other friend, but added one important thing.  She loves the trackball.  With one hand you can navigate anywhere on the screen, just like with a trackball mouse on a computer.  You just click the trackball when your cursor is where you want it, then start typing.  This eliminates the stylus completely.  She told me she missed the touchscreen on her old Treo, but absolutely loves this new way of interacting with the device.  She can now do everything with one hand easily. 

I asked her if she minds only having Edge support instead of the faster 3G.  She couldn’t care less, she said, because the OS is very responsive.  The screen may not have as nice resolution, but for her purposes, it’s great.  She also uses and loves Gmail.  She showed me her family pix on the attachment viewer.

What really put it altogether for me was when  we dropped off our middle kid at another party earlier in the evening (isn’t anyone sick of Pump it Up yet?) and one of our friends agreed to take her home.  My wife pulled out her BlackBerry and got our friends’ vitals and typed them in very quickly.  She used the cursor to navigate through the fields and the excellent keyboard to input name, address etc. very fast. 

None of these people were power users in the Windows Mobile sense.  That is, they didn’t care much about third party apps, spreadsheets (though it sports an Excel and Word viewer), WiFi, 3G access, and gps.  But they are power users in the BlackBerry sense, and with its tremendous ease of use, and excellent form factor and features, Microsoft should take note, especially if they want to increase their market share from 13% to 40% by 2012.

PDAMill Rats!! Contest Winners

We have our contest winners for the PDAMill Rats!! game.  Thanks to all those brave souls who answered, and thanks again to PDAMill for their generous contribution!  The 5 winners picked for some wacky answers to what might make Morty’s power pack biohazardous are (in no particular order):

smwoodcrafts

lodai

bob hagen

JohnPan

daddybfree 

Congratulations!!

Winners, kindly contact me, breley, so I can send you your license key.

Easy Sync 2.8.6 Review

Active Sync will synchronize files between your pocket pc and your desktop, but it is very limited in how it does so.  Desktop files must be placed in your pocket pc’s My Documents folder.  That means that all files to be sync’d on your pocket pc must be in the My Documents folder.  What if you want to place files on a flash drive on your pocket pc?  What if you want to sync files from a network to your pocket pc?  Active Sync won’t help you.  But Easy Sync will.

Easy Sync claims it has bidirectional sync, one way transferring of unlimited number of files, supports transferring over network, and syncs several devices.  It won’t replace Active Sync, but will enhance it.  Here are some of its features:

• Bidirectional synchronization, one-way upload and download
• Able to process unlimited number of files and folders
• Supports Storage Card and Network locations
• Sync multiple devices with one computer
• Real time monitoring of changes made to files
• Flexible scheduling
• Filter by mask (e.g. *.txt, *.mp3, etc.)
• Sound notifications and pop-up messages
• Simple and intuitive user interface 

So how does it perform?  Read on.

[Read more]

Fun Contact 2.0 Contest WINNERS!

Sorry for the delay, gang. I was out of town last week and it slipped my mind that I forgot to announce the winners before I left. The winning answer was: 249 contacts.
The three closest guesses, without going over, were:
1) Gamblinman - 229
2) byron1957 - 227
3) zacksba - 225
(Note: Jake Speed also guessed 225, but lost the coin flip to zacksba)

Winners, please contact me via PM or email with your contact email address so the software codes can be delivered to you.

Thanks, everyone!

PDAmill RATS!! Game Contest

 

It’s the last day in April, and it’s been a cold, miserable last couple of days in my neck of the woods, so I thought, "Why not brighten things up with a contest?"  So, here we are with a contest!  Our friends at PDAmill, skilled in the craft of fine mobile games, have been kind enough to provide me with 5 copies of their excellent platform game, RATS!!.  I reviewed this game a while back, and it was a blast to play.  My oldest boy kept asking to watch me play it on my X51v, so it’s been a family favorite.  It was also a Finalist in the Smartphone and Pocket PC Awards for Best Platform Game of 2007, too!

Want to take a shot a winning one for yourself?  Here’s all you need to do.  Did you notice something odd on Morty’s (that’s the rat above) backpack generator?  It’s biohazard symbol.  Post below what you think might be powering Morty’s backpack generator that would be biohazardous, and you’ll garner yourself an entry…something like "Leftover Coquille St. Jacques that was left in our hot garage for a week."  Winners will be picked from the most creative answers, so there’s no "right" answer I’m looking for.  Just keep it clean, please. ;-)   Here are the nitty-gritty rules:

1. Suggest what’s biohazardous in Morty’s generator backpack in a comment on to this post
2. One entry per person
3. Staff may enter

Deadline for entries is Thursday, May 8 at 12:00PM

CONTEST: FunContact 2.0

It’s CONTEST time again.  This time around the good folks at VITO Technology Inc. have contributed 3 copies of FunContact 2.0 to our prize vault.  How do you  win a copy of your very own?  Simple: guess the number of contacts I currently have on my HTC Mogul. 

Rules: (yeah, there are always rules)

1. One guess per person

2. Closest guess to the actual number of contacts without going over wins.

3. You can choose the same number submitted by another entrant, but only one guess per person

4.  In the event that more than 3 entries have the correct number (or are closest without going over) I will randomly draw 3 names to select the lucky winners.

Deadline for entries is 12:00 NOON, EST Friday, April 25, 2008

Good luck! 

30 Reasons Windows Mobile is Superior to iPhone

Last week I published an article about my initial experience with my brother’s pride and joy, his iPhone. I found the iPhone to be lacking in several areas compared to my Windows Mobile Professional device. Since then I have been delving deeper into the virtues of iPhones and found even more astonishing lacks that I hadn’t noticed or had taken for granted would naturally be there. The inability to highlight, copy, cut, and paste is one example.

In this article, I have included my initial observations and added some new ones for a condensed list of 30 features lacking in the iPhone. I say condensed because I have subsumed some items into a single point. For example, rather than list all the peripherals the iPhone does not support, I merely say that it doesn’t support peripherals. At the end of the article, I try to be fair by pointing out what I like about the iPhone in its current stage of evolution.

I suppose you could call this a wish list, but it is still an inventory of what I found lacking in an iPhone. There may be more, but I grow weary of the process. Here is my condensed list:

[Read more]