Tweak of the Week: Twist your Windows Mobile!

Here’s a nice riddle for you guys: What’s wrong in this picture?

If you know the answer - click here and download the freeware that can make your windows mobile twisted forever!

(Actually not forever, but I wanted it to be dramatic…)

Arrival from ZumeLife: Zuri

Recently I was contacted about beta-testing a revolutionary new, portable medical device from ZumeLife, called a Zuri.  This post is just to announce my unboxing of said device, and to whet your appetite, as the review will come in the next few days, as I test it out.

The Zuri is (as found on the ZumeLife website):

The Zume Life system includes the Zuri (a handheld device) and personal web pages that significantly enhance people’s ability to track and adhere to their treatment programs and wellness regimens. It also enables users to stay connected with and draw inspiration and motivation from those in their Personal Wellness Ecosystem.

 

Remember that this is a beta test, and inevitably, there will be a noticeable change in the equipment supplied now compared to its public offering.

For more on this system, tune in next week!

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

Mobilizing Your Company? Be Prepared!

When attempting to transition your place of work from not using mobile devices to using them you may be faced with some serious challenges. No matter how prepared you can be or how well laid out your project really is, you could find some opposing forces along the way. Change, specifically aimed at progress, is always something that might be feared by some people. Just be prepared to hold hands and guide through the process and get armed with a killer training program so that changes are well received.

Some of the opposing forces to mobility could be counted as concerns which might as well be perfectly reasonable, just have in mind that a good implementation will address all concerns with smart and appropriately budgeted solutions.

Some of these concerns include:

• User Adoption
• Total Cost of Ownership
• Common IT Infrastructure
• Network Concerns
• Security

[Read more]

Is Your Company Thinking About Mobile Solutions?

If it’s not, then it should. Let me explain why. Every company wants at least their executives to have work email access on-the-go. They may not have it already but if they don’t they are certainly craving for it. We live in a business world that is globally managed 24/7/365. A good and timely decision right now can save millions. Smart business requires companies to take a similar approach with other groups such as the sales force to what they do with their executives. Sales force team members could make that extra sale a day just by having access to the information needed whenever and wherever they need it.

Most companies don’t really have specific mobile needs as long as their people have mobile email access. That is why most companies out there have email capable devices that can be configured to their corporate email system. Some companies even have a mix of Treos with Palm OS, Blackberries, Windows Mobile Standard, Windows Mobile Professional, etc. This can turn out to be a mess to manage, deploy and maintain. Turning the seemingly simple idea of providing email access into a self-defeating process.

[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]