Windows Mobile Pocket PC & Symbian Smartphone software and freeware, reviews, tips & tricks

May 05 QUALCOMM with support for Windows Mobile 5.0 Smartphones
Found in: Mobile News, Smartphone, Hardware,

Microsoft and QUALCOMM Inc. has just announced a collaboration that will include support for the Wm5 platform on QUALCOMM’s highly integrated Mobile Station Modem (MSM) chipsets. QUALCOMM may mean that Windows Mobile phones at last will be able to offer UMTS (and fast UMTS = HSDPA) also in case of low-end models. The collaboration will enable device makers to develop more affordable, feature-rich Windows Mobile powered phones while shortening their development times. Support will also give users extended battery life while running a wide variety of business and entertainment applications.

Microsoft and QUALCOMM will fully integrate and test the Windows Mobile operating system with QUALCOMM’s dual-core architecture. The integration and testing speeds time to market by removing some custom development work device makers previously undertook to build 3G Windows Mobile devices with QUALCOMM chipsets.

Support for the Windows Mobile platform on QUALCOMM’s highly integrated MSM solutions also gives users extended battery life while running a wide variety of business and entertainment applications, such as Microsoft Office Mobile and Windows Media® Player Mobile, along with third-party offerings.

Microsoft and QUALCOMM are fully integrating and testing support for the Windows Mobile operating system on Convergence Platform 7XXX-series MSM chipsets from QUALCOMM, which feature a dual-core architecture with an integrated ARM11 applications processor and ARM9 modem processor for superior performance. The testing and integration speeds time to market by enabling handset manufacturers to more easily develop Windows Mobile-powered devices featuring the Convergence Platform MSM chipsets by removing some custom development work that would otherwise be required. Additionally, device makers can take advantage of the CDMA2000 1xEV-DO and UMTS modem features, as well as the hardware-accelerated multimedia capabilities, multi-megapixel camera support, 3D graphics and Assisted-GPS engines from the Launchpad suite of technologies integrated with Convergence Platform MSM chipsets.

More information here.

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Oct 31 Reported images: New HTC Star Trek, HTC Hermes models
Found in: Mobile News,

MSMobiles.com has obtained what they say are rough rendered images of the upcoming HTC Star Trek clamshell smartphone and the Hermes PocketPC phone. The images are lacking in detail, but according to MSMobiles, the Star Trek has a QVGA screen, 64 MB RAM, 64 or 128 MB ROM, and quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE. The Hermes reportedly features quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE/UMTS, and possibly HSDPA.

The inclusion of EDGE and possibly HSDPA implies that these devices may see release in the US, since Europe primarily runs on GPRS and UMTS. Whether they do or not, MSMobiles places them for release in the first half of 2006, though knowing converged devices this will certainly be delayed.

http://msmobiles.com/news.php/4473.html
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Nov 30 Review of HTC Prophet by the example of GSM communicator Qtek S200
Found in: Devices, Qtek, Smartphone,

A Taiwanese company of HTC, which is an ODM/OEM manufacturer of Windows Mobile devices, follows existing traditions in its release of new platforms. Just remember after a successful HTC Himalayas, a keyboard model with an integrated Wi-Fi module, we mean HTC Blue Angel, appeared only in a while. And after it in the beginning of this year we introduced a renewal of HTC Himalayas. It had no keyboard, however was equipped with Wi-Fi. That was HTC Alpine with the same body and a slightly improved camera. By its appearance, HTC Magician gave a stimulus to a new gadget line, which is intermediate between Pocket PC and Smartphone. And even till now this device keeps high sale. And the company decided to develop its new branch using an approved way - HTC Wizard with Wi-Fi and a keyboard and run by a new operating system came out quite in a while. Now similarly to HTC Alpine, just at the same period after HTC Wizard, a new HTC Prophet comes. It has no keyboard; however Wi-Fi and an improved camera are both present.

Magician, wizard and… a prophet. Magician, Wizard, and Prophet are code names of the platforms. They will appear under various brands of operators and other companies like qtek , Dopod, I-mate, T-mobile, O2, Orange and others. The first two trade marks belong to HTC (and cover a European and Asian regions correspondingly). At that these models can have different design, body colour and some elements, extra software. And gradually HTC introduces more and more variations of the same platform. We tested Qtek S200 in black, and it differs from other models in nothing principal, so a code name of the platform will be used in the review.

On the one hand, HTC Prophet is a complete copy (both software and hardware are meant) of HTC Wizard. On the other hand, it's equal to HTC Magician in appearance. That is why today review will be quite short, we will only discuss external elements and a new camera, all other aspects were highlighted in the review of HTC Wizard. The appearance has not changed much from the HTC Magician's time, it just got rounder. Side edges are not splay as earlier, but slightly project. The body is made of a less smooth, almost dull black material (the front part is of metal, and the back and sides are made of plastic). I found this plastic pleasant to touch and it looks like expensive. A negative point is that the dull surface is easily soiled, and fingerprints remain on it.

As you can see the quality of macrophotos is on the high level. Small text fields will be the most suitable for taking photos, and taking photos with later recognition of visit cards is an ideal solution for macromode. But still this utility is not integrated; though such a program has already become standard on Windows Mobile communicators by Samsung. And I hope it will appear here also by the commercial launch of the product. Photos in macromode are ones of the best among smartphones. Let us see camera capabilities in a usual mode. You can see that outdoors photos are highly detailed, details are not blurred and no area is whitened. They look good, which makes a considerable progress as compared with the previous models. Although, the photos still lack picture brightness and vividness. I suppose that is a software problem - having slightly edited photos in Photoshop, you will make them much more attractive. Indoors photos are also very qualitative, incorrectly shown white colour and bright objects is the minus. White colour turns into yellow and bright objects like a lamp will get a special aura, extra luminescence. I was not really surprised by video recording. The maximum resolution (176x144 pixels) and the quality are low. There is a conclusion I made for the camera part. That is a giant leap for HTC, however still there is much to develop for the level of Nokia's and Siemens' smartphones (no autofocus, normal flash, normal nightmode, good software image developer). So, the developers should finish with the camera software before the release, a program for recognizing visit cards would be very suitable.

Conclusions, impressions HTC Prophet showed no problems with the connection quality. The best call melody should be MP3 or WMA. The call signal and vibro are average in power, so you can miss a call in a noisy place (the volume is now lower than in HTC Magician, which will be corrected by the commercial launch). The Prophet is some kind of a cocktail of the HTC Magician's appearance and HTC Wizard inside. Some negative and positive moments can be mentioned when comparing with HTC Wizard. Positive: * Smaller size and weight; * Full-size SD/MMC connector (more memory is available); * Extra buttons under the screen for comfortable control of the OS without a stylus. * Smaller price; * Considerably improved camera. Negative: * No keyboard; * No flash (that is hard to consider a disadvantage, since the one in the Wizard has not coped with its functions); * Two extra loudspeakers are absent, that is why the device sounds lower; * Later on the counters. And a similar comparison with HTC Magician. Pros: * A new OS, which prevents your data from loss even at significant battery discharge, comfortable control without a stylus, improved Office Mobile; * Integrated Wi-Fi version g; * Longer battery life; * The ergonomics of the control elements is slightly improved; /li> * The camera is a bit better. Cons: * CPU 200 MHz instead of 400 MHz (hard to play video, and work with Skype); * Less RAM. The model will appear on the counters on the joint of the first and the second quarter of 2006. Obviously, the price will be on the level of HTC Magician Dark (Qtek S110), but less than of HTC Wizard (extra pay for the keyboard). Some of HTC Magician's users, who need Wi-Fi and a new OS, however the presence of a keyboard is not as principal, will buy the Prophet. And the majority of the owners, who do not consider the presence of Wi-Fi crucial, will not exchange the device for HTC Prophet. The reasons are - nothing principally new, piratical software with the new OS for the Magician can appear. And the last is you may find it hard to part with megahertz and megabytes psychologically. And people used to changing the devices often will also change the smartphone. So, we see the ode is targeted at new users. And if HTC Magician had no rivals by the launch moment, then HTC Prophet will face well-deserved competitors in the person of E-Ten M600 and O2 XDA Atom. Still the model will compete with HTC Magician (qtek S110) for the first time. And at the same time, there is no evident advantage in any of the mentioned models; it is hard to call any a leading one.

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Nov 29 Review: Nokia 770 Internet Tablet
Found in: Devices, Reviews, Nokia,

Nokia's Latest News about Nokia first Linux-powered handheld product, the 770 Internet Tablet, is dedicated solely to Web browsing, media playing, and e-mail. Because the new portable device lacks voice-communications capabilities, it currently has few direct competitors except for the Wi-Fi enabled Palm Latest News about Palm TX. Nokia has geared the 770 to people looking for a pint-size Web-surfing device that can be used anywhere a hotspot connection is available. The sharp 4.1-inch widescreen display is great for viewing online content. Zoom and full-screen buttons make it easy to view segments of Web pages.

Intuitive controls make Internet browsing and sending e-mail simple. If you use a PDA Latest News about PDAs, then you should feel right at home: The color touch-screen allows you to input text using an included stylus via a virtual keyboard or natural handwriting, although a slide-out Qwerty keyboard would have been nice. A directional pad makes for easy scrolling.

Features

Measuring 5.5 x 3.1 x 0.70 inches and weighing 8.1 ounces, the Nokia 770 features both Wi-Fi Latest News about Wi-Fi and Bluetooth Latest News about Bluetooth capabilities. It runs on the Linux Latest News about Linux Internet Tablet 2005 OS and includes a Web browser, e-mail client, and RSS news reader.

The Internet Tablet features a myriad of multimedia applications such as Internet radio, several media players, and an image viewer. It supports formats includingMP3 Latest News about MP3 and AAC for audio, MPEG-4 and H.263 for video, and JPEG and GIF for images. If the 128 MB of on-board flash memory isn't enough, you can add more through an expansion slot. A USB Latest News about USB port gives the option of adding a portable hard drive or other peripherals.

Performance

The Nokia 770 connects to the Internet through any available 802.11b/g wireless Latest News about wireless access point. With built-in Bluetooth 1.2, you can also connect to the Web over a Bluetooth link-up with any compatible mobile device. The Internet Tablet delivers up to three hours of browse time or up to seven days of operation in the standby mode.

The big screen is a major benefit when compared to the smaller displays offered by the few Wi-Fi enabled smartphones Latest News about smartphone currently available. The Nokia 770 also will undoubtedly appeal to the open-source Latest News about open source community, which should speed the development of a wide spectrum of innovative applications for the device. Nokia expects to release a VoIPRelevant Products/Services from 3COM software component for the 770 sometime in the first half of next year, which might silence criticism over lack of support for voice communications.

The Nokia 770 takes up the cause of an emerging market of Web surfers who are tired of having to lug a laptopRelevant Products/Services from HP everywhere they go, and does so with success.

Nokia 770 Internet Tablet

Specs: 65,000 color touch-screen featuring 800 x 480 resolution; Wi-Fi (802.11b/g) and Bluetooth (v. 1.2) radios; 128 MB of on-board flash memory; RS-MMC expansion card slot; USB port.

Pros: A large, sharp display; support for many multimedia formats; multiple connectivity options.

Cons: No voice communications option until 2006; lack of Qwerty keyboard.

Verdict: The Nokia 770 takes up the cause of an emerging market of Web surfers who are tired of having to lug a laptop everywhere they go, and does so with success.

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Mar 08 Rollup e-book readers to ship summer 2006
Found in: Mobile News, eBooks,

The so called rollup displays are apparently ready to roll out right on schedule. According to the PC Magazine article, "The Readius appears to have the slickest design of any e-book reader yet—straight out of Minority Report. As shown, the flexible display folds up like a scroll; when you're not reading, it's as pocket-friendly as a pack of gum.

Sony will have the jump on Philips, though, as the two gadgets square off. Third-party designs of the Readius won't ship until the summer. If these two products don't herald the age of e-books, nothing will."

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Jan 17 Rumor of HP iPAQ version of O2 XDA Atom
Found in: Mobile News, Atom, O2, XDA,

Most notably known as the O2 XDA Atom, it looks like Quanta's HTC Magician "followup" might soon see the light of day under the auspices of HP, who's reported to have been working with the Taiwanese ODM on redistributing the device in the first half of this year.

Word on the street has it that it may even get a bump to 3G to better take advantage of that 416MHz Xscale processor, 2.7-inch 262k color QVGA display, and round out the Bluetooth 1.2 and WiFi it's already got. Guess we'll have to wait and see (so what else is new?), but between the Atom and the HTC Feeler it sounds like HP may well be starting in on a mean ODM streak.

According to Chinese-language newspaper the Commercial Times, Taiwanese contract manufacturer Quanta, which is building the device for HP, will begin volume shipments of the product some time in H1 2006.

The report suggests HP's version of the Atom will sport Windows Mobile 5.0 and incorporate a quad-band GSM/GPRS radio with support for the EDGE higher-speed data-transmission specification.

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Mar 06 Samsung announces i310 smartphone with 8 GB Hard disk
Found in: Devices, Smartphone, Samsung,

This is the i310 and it comes with an 8Gb hard drive! Samsung are really throwing the punches at the moment. Their Samsung i320 QWERTY phone is already thinner and smaller than the Motorola Q, plus their i300 got uprated to a 4Gb HD with the i300x. The device is not a simple cell phone, but a smartphone with an Windows mobile 5.0 operating system.

The mobile phone obtained a 2 Megapixel camera with flash and possibility to record a video, MicroSD (TransFlash) memory card slot, TV-output, the USB 2.0 interface can be used as external connection. Furthermore, there are stereo speakers, a digital amplifier and support for the Bluetooth-profile A2DP.

This novelty by Samsung will be demonstrated on CeBIT 2006, which will begin on the 9th of March in Hannover. It is planned that the i310 will be released in Europe in the second-half of this year.

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Jan 02 Samsung i300 Smartphone with amazing featues
Found in: Devices, Smartphone, Samsung,

The new music phone from Samsung Mobile and O2, the Samsung i300, is available in stores. Samsung’s Smartphone, based on Microsoft Windows Mobile is equipped with easy-to-use Windows Media Player has an integrated 3GB hard drive, making it the first of its kind in Europe.Its one really amazing smartphone for european customers.

Exclusive to the O2 network in the UK, the Samsung i300 combines a phone, digital camera, Windows Media player and email client, replacing the need for separate devices and providing a truly converged mobile solution for fantastic music performance with world-class phone features.

Music enthusiasts are able to store up to 1000 music files on the phone’s 3GB hard drive. Powered by Microsoft Windows Media Player 10 and Windows Mobile software, the Samsung i300 provides consumers with a highly-compatible and familiar platform for downloading, managing and storing files from their PCs onto their i300 handsets. With high-quality dual stereo speakers and scroll-wheel navigation, the Samsung i300 can also be used on the go with a pair of stereo Bluetooth headphones.



Window Mobile enables users to easily communicate with friends, family or colleagues via instant message through MSN Messenger, via SMS and MMS or via email through Outlook. Plug & Play features allow users to quickly share contacts and calendar information between Outlook on their computers and on Samsung i300s, or to use the phone as a 3GB hard disk, enabling the backup of critical files and data on their PC.

Featuring a 1.3 megapixel camera with flash, and a Micro SD external memory option, photography buffs can take advantage of the phone’s superior digital still and video recording capabilities. Users can record, send, and receive still photographs and video clips instantaneously, whenever and wherever they desire.

As convergence technologies come to the forefront of phone innovation, the i300 provides a music phone with a familiar interface, compatible with Windows on a PC, to allow users to carry their music library with them. Samsung, Microsoft and O2 have worked together to bring the Samsung i300 to market - a converged device which drives ahead their digital strategy to meet consumer desires to acquire, consume and share digital media.



The new Samsung music phone will be sold exclusively through O2 in the UK until 22nd January 2006, and is available for purchase both online, and in stores. For more information, and to purchase the Samsung i300, visit: www.o2.com

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Feb 16 Samsung presents i320 smartphone at 3GSM
Found in: Mobile News, Smartphone, Samsung,

Samsung is set to introduce a compact and easy to carry smartphone, the i320. The Samsung i320 is a clean and compact smartphone running on Microsoft's Windows Mobile 5.0. One of the great things about the i320 is the whopping 120MB of onboard memory. The Samsung i320 is a tri-band GSM phone capable of GPRS/EDGE.

Roaming in other countries with the i320 is convenient since it can operate on a 900, 1800, and 1900Mhz band. Bluetooth technology provides a convenient method of connectivity as well.

As for the camera you have 1.3 megapixel one. In landscape mode the QVGA screen can display all of 65K color display at a resolution of 320 x 240 pixels. The Samsung i320 supports MPEG4 / H.263 / H.264 / WMV video formats and MP3 / AAC / AAC+ / WMA / WAV / OGG audio formats in its media player.

Samsung i320 features:

Band : GSM 900/1800/1900MHz
Data : EDGE/GPRS
Size : 111mm x 59mm x 11.5mm
Weight : 95g (3.35oz)
Display : 2.2" 320 x 240 262K Color TFT
OS : Windows Mobile 5 for Smartphone
Camera : 1.3 Megapixel Camera
Video : Video capture/playback
Messaging : SMS/MMS
Email : Yes (POP/IMAP/SMTP)
Bluetooth : Yes
Infrared : No
Java : Yes
Polyphonics : Yes
Memory : 120MB User Memory, External Memory (microSD)
Features : QWERTY Keyboard, Video Recording & Messaging (MPEG4/H.263), Video Playing (MPEG4/H.263/H.264/WMV), MP3 / AAC / AAC+ / WMA / WAV / OGG, Dual Speaker / Speakerphone, Bluetooth Technology / USB / Voice Recognition, Document Viewer


Samsung i320 Smartphone is scheduled for release in Q2 of 2006.

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Nov 16 Security for Mobile Devices : Threats are Real, Time to Act Now
Found in: Mobile News,

Today's hot new technologies are wireless, smart and multifunctional.

Mobile devices with the latest features catch our attention all the time. And with manufacturers and carriers fighting to gain market share, consumers and businesses alike are benefiting from the advances, convenience, and functionality of these new gadgets.

A recent survey conducted by Bluefire Security revealed that a majority of mobile device users rely on their smartphones and PDAs for:

# surfing the web (65 percent),
# sending corporate and Internet-based e-mail (50 perecent),
# using text and picture messaging (60 percent)
# & voice communications. (85 percent)

You should consider some points before rushing out to buy the latest and greatest PDA or smartphone. Because today’s handhelds perform many of the same functions as a notebook computer, they pose similar vulnerabilities to themselves, to data and to networks. Securing and protecting these devices and ultimately the enterprise is an absolute must.

Industry Trends
But first, let's understand what is happening in the mobile industry. Several recent moves in the mobile industry point in one direction, e-mail.

Microsoft has launched a new version of the Windows Mobile operating system (Windows Mobile 5.0) with BlackBerry-like push e-mail added to the equation, while Palm, Inc. recently announced that the next edition of its very popular Treo smartphone (the Treo 700w, due early next year) will run that very same Windows platform and not the Palm OS. Palm isn't abandoning the Palm platform, its simply (and smartly) expanding its options.

Motorola has introduced the "Moto Q," an email-centric device modeled after the design of the well-received Motorola RAZR phone, that will be available in early 2006. Cingular Wireless, in conjunction with Hewlett-Packard, has released the new iPAQ hw6500 series Mobile Messenger. And Nokia is getting deeper into the e-mail game with a new series of devices including the Nokia E61, available with no fewer than five e-mail clients on board.

All of this industry activity means, among other things, that mobile e-mail is the "killer app" and it is here to stay. The e-mail a space looks so good everybody is now gunning for the messaging market position that was once owned almost exclusively by Research In Motion and its Blackberry devices.

Notwithstanding any challenges RIM faces in its ongoing patent dispute with NTP, there are even bigger challenges from global handset and service providers seeking to take a big piece of the mobile e-mail market that RIM pioneered.

Providing secure e-mail and network access will be one differentiator other vendors will offer to meet market demands and gain competitive advantage.

Survey Says
According to Bluefire's survey, when asked to indicate which items on their devices require security protection, survey respondents selected corporate e-mail access (e.g. Outlook) 89 percent, corporate network access (e.g. database, CRM) 80 percent, and the "my documents" folder (Excel, Word, etc) 61 percent, as the top three.

Clearly, users want and are getting more sophisticated functions from an appetizing menu of devices and operating systems. But the expansive and seemingly ever-increasing array of device and operating platforms certainly does not make the job of security any easier.

Along with the progress and increased functionality, there are also threats and bumps in the road. Once users realize they can download files, share pictures, add games, or connect to the web, Pandora's box is open and their devices—indeed, perhaps their corporate networks—are just as open to the outside world and all of the vulnerabilities. Bluefire's recent survey revealed that concern about the integrity of data residing on mobile devices and networks has reached a critical point: some 80 percent of respondents said that their purchase and use of devices would increase if they could guarantee security.

Where does one begin to understand and address the security of mobile devices, and the networks on which they run? Stay tuned.

Over the next few months, I will tackle in this space some of the key questions concerning mobile device and network security we encounter in our work for clients, in our discussions with partners, and in our dialogue and surveys of individual users:

# What are the security implications of the consolidation of operating systems - and the proliferation of mobile devices?
# What are the most serious threats to the security of my mobile devices and networks?
# Are there some immediate and cost-effective measures my organization can take to better protect data on mobile devices?
# How should I handle the issue of employee-owned devices used for work purposes?
# What are the costs and benefits of managed security service offerings vs. owning and controlling the security software myself?

There really is no time to wait. The time for action is now. It is my hope that information in this space will help you and your organizations make smart decisions about your smart devices. I look forward to bringing you honest analysis, direct answers, and useful advice, and I welcome your feedback, questions or comments.
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