Palm Treo 800w Review

I’ve got a little confession to make: I’m one of the unwashed masses who has never handled a Treo device before. I was tempted last year by the Treo 700wx when I was looking for a suitable upgrade path for my Motorola V3m, but decided in favor of the Samsung SCH-i760, the only Pocket PC phone with Windows Mobile 6 available from Verizon at the time. In any case, permit this neo-Treo user to share his thoughts on the new Treo 800wx Pocket PC phone via Sprint.

Read on for more information on this new Windows Mobile offering from Palm.

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E-Ten Glofiish v900 Video 1st Look

Just the other day I posted info about two new phones coming from E-Ten. I’ve had a chance to try out the v900 and put out another of my boring, yet informative video 1st looks. Check it out…

More to come as I have time to play with this one.

Contest: Win an E-Ten Glofiish M810

Hey everyone, this one is a different contest. This time we are bringing it back to the forums. This site was built on a strong forum community and it’s moving forward on both a forum community scope as well as the Mobilitysite blog. Thinks will be better integrated in the future as well.

Anyhow, I have up for grabs a shiny E-Ten M810 Pocket PC Phone! You can read a little about the device here.

• Prize: E-Ten Glofiish M810 Pocket PC Phone
• Deadline: My 17th Anniversary, September 28th 2008.
• How to Win: Head to the forums to find out…

Good luck and don’t forget about the Slingbox Contest.

Happy Labor Day

I had a great 3 day weekend and hope you guys all did to. I tried to stay disconnected most of the weekend but I failed. I did have a great time practicing baseball with my son. His 1st game is tomorrow night. He hits awesome, but throwing is lacking. Anyhow, Happy Labor Day!

Contest : Win a Slingbox Solo from Mobilitysite

In the spirit of Ryan Block’s contests to move his swag that has accumulated over the years over at Engadget, I decided to thin out my collection too. I cleaned my office up pretty good yesterday. I have a few items I will be dishes out over the next couple weeks as time permits. I have some cases to give away at Gotzune and the 1st item here at Mobilitysite is this Slingbox Solo.

The Slingbox SOLO allows you to watch and control your favorite TV source—including your HD content—from anywhere in the world on your laptop or cell phone. So now you can watch your DVR, digital cable, satellite receiver, or DVD player wherever you see fit. With the Slingbox SOLO, you can watch your favorite TV shows and sporting events from anywhere.

Read on for details…

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iWindowsMobile Communication Suite Review Part 1

The Suite contains four software programs which include, Winterface, ZoomBoard, SMS-Chat, and FunContact. Part 1 will cover Winterface v1.1.

For the record, Vito Software owns the iWindowsMobile website.

Winterface is a mobile shell for Windows Mobile 5 and 6. This launcher replaces your default screen and is fully customizable, allowing you to determine what programs, plug-ins, files and contacts you want to make easily accessible. I tested it on an Hp Ipaq Hx4705 running Windows Mobile 6.1.

Read on to learn more about Winterface.

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REVIEW: Papyrus 2

One of the key tools most people look for when they begin to explore the wide world of third-party Smartphone applications is something to quickly and easily manage their busy schedule, therefore it is always a big event when a new version of one of the leading PIM applications is released. SBSH Mobile Software announced today a new version of their well-known PIM application, Papyrus. Papyrus 2 is a robust, straight forward time management tool for devices running Windows Mobile 5 Smartphone edition or Windows Mobile 6 Standard.

I have had the original Papyrus installed on my Motorola Q for a very long time (though not as my primary calendar) and now have had the chance to use Papyrus 2 betas and release candidates for the last several weeks. While Papyrus 2 is clearly a progression from the earlier software, it is quite a step forward from what came before. I was very impressed with the new version, due to improvements to the look and feel of the product, refinements to it’s overall usability and the introduction of several innovative new features. This is not a simple upgrade, but a wide ranging redesign of the product, optimizing it’s existing features to suit the way we use smartphones today. SBSH obviously took a great deal of care to add the features and functions that would be most useful to their customers. Considering that SBSH has been producing mobile software for more than 10 years, they certainly should have a good sense for the needs of their market.

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Exploring WIFI and IE on the IPAQ 910c

Setting up my wireless network on the IPAQ 910c was very easy.  When I turned the WIFI radio on, the IPAQ 910c detected my network and prompted me for my WEP encryption code.  As soon as I entered the encryption code, the device was connected.  I had hoped that I could copy and paste the code from a note I have stored on my computer (I can do this on my windows mobile 2003 device), but copying and pasting the encryption code didn’t work on the 910c.

The WIFI connection settings options and input screens are fairly similar to those on my IPAQ hw6925, which runs WM5.0, but there are some notable differences.  WM6.1 allows you to connect to a network that uses WPA2 or WPA2-PSK authentication and AES data encryption.

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Exploring Bluetooth on the IPAQ 910c

The Bluetooth settings under WM6.1 are quite a bit different than earlier Windows Mobile operating systems.  Setting up partnerships is much simpler, requiring a minimum of screen taps, but it is a bit disorienting.  So far I’ve set up the following partnerships on the IPAQ 910c:

• Two different Bluetooth headsets – one is a very basic Motorola earpiece and the other is a Sony A2DP headset.
• Bluetooth ActiveSync partnership with my laptop (using a Bluetooth dongle)
• With my IPAQ hw6925 to exchange information between the two devices

To access Bluetooth Settings, you’ll tap Start > Settings > Connection tab > Bluetooth.  With Bluetooth Settings, you find six tabs called Devices, Mode, COM Ports, Printer, File transfer, Security, and Image transfer.

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REVIEW: SOLO Vintage Leather Backpack

Reviewer: Andy Mason, aka Warthog 

Product: Solo Vintage Leather Backpack

Manufacturer: Solocases

Price: MSRP $84.96 (significant savings available online)

A year ago I purchased a laptop on eBay and the seller included a backpack with the transaction.  I carried my old laptop around in a briefcase and had never really considered a backpack until the “freebie” arrived with my new ThinkPad.  The backpack was spacious and very functional, but I was never a fan of the white cloth material and the black flap that overlapped the front of the bag.  It occurred to me one day that detachable pouch I was using for power cord/cable storage looked suspiciously like one of those travel make-up purses my wife uses.  My suspicions were confirmed through an online search that revealed I had, indeed, been carrying a woman’s backpack.  Ugh!  

I immediately began a search for a laptop backpack that could accommodate all my gear while, at the same time, restore my manly-man persona!  The kind folks at Solocases.com asked if I would like to review a backpack from their Vintage leather collection. The backpack is constructed in dark leather which, at first glance, reminded me of a WWII aviator’s jacket . . . you can’t get much more masculine than that!  Could the SOLO Vintage leather backpack handle my gear and reinforce my masculinity?  Take the jump and let’s find out . . .

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10 More Free Pocket PC Apps You Want

My last Freeware post (also here) elicited many responses.  Who doesn’t love free?  Many of the free titles are excellent.  Nothing beats the passion of writing great software that many of these authors exhibit.  I present them in no particular order.  Without further ado…

1. Calc 98

 

Downloaded over 1 million times, Calc98 runs on pocket pcs and desktops.  It won Pocket PC Magazines’ 2003 best software award as well as receiving various other accolades.

Thanks Dan!

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Commenting Restored

We had some sort of issue that went under the radar on August 6th that affected the ability to leave comments. I have been out of commission a bit over the last week and didn’t realize this until I found several contact attempts in my spam box. This problem is now fixed and I apologize about any inconvenience.

This problem affected some other functions of the site as well and I think they are all returned to proper working order as well, but if you find something messed up, please let me know here or via contact form. Thanks.

I’d also like to take this moment to say how much I appreciate everyone that reads Mobilitysite. It’s truly a pleasure knowing that so many people enjoy what we are sharing here.

InvisibleSheild Review

The HTC Advantage without invisibleSHIELD applied

I recently had the opportunity to test drive the invisibleSHIELD by Zagg.  It comes in full body protection or just screen protection.  I was intrigued by it because of Zagg’s description:  “The invisibleSHIELD is the toughest, most durable gadget scratch protection film available on planet Earth. The film has its origins in the U.S. military, where it was used to protect the leading edges of helicopter blades from wear and tear while traveling hundreds of miles per hour. Our proprietary film is a clear, urethane plastic (invisible, invincible) with unique properties that allow it to provide self-healing qualities and unparalleled abrasion resistance.”

 

Read more to find out how it works.

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BlueAnt Supertooth3 Bluetooth Handsfree Review

For those of you who don’t like Bluetooth headsets hanging in your ear while driving, BlueAnt presents the Supertooth3.  It features a built-in speaker that communicates with you through voice prompts, easy installation, and incorporates 6 languages.

Read on to find out how it performed.

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Poll: Digital Music, How do you Roll?

In light of a post I caught on PPCT today, I figure this would make for a good conversation. Before I ask the question, the article on PPCT is about Yahoo Music shutting their doors. I won’t speculate, but could it have something to do with Microsoft trying to buy Yahoo and having it’s own all you can eat music store? Any, Ed Hansberry reports that Yahoo Music users got an email stating that they were shutting down and their DRM licenses would expire September 30, 2008.

I love the concept of renting music. Sure there are albums you want to have forever and ever, but really, how many times can you listen to Shania Twain’s Up CD? Really. So I opt for the all you can eat plans that cost ~ $15.00/mo, that way I can download all I want, keep what I like and try some new stuff next month. I used Yahoo Music for 2 years before jumping into the Zune Pass all you an eat plan. In fact, Just yesterday there was a little Twitter buzz about how cool the Zune Pass is.

Don’t worry, If you steal music, I won’t tell. Your votes are counted but they don’t register against a user name, so you can be honest.