Dec 22 vulnerability on SOTI Pocket Controller 5.0 Discovered
Published by Vesselin Nerdeff in:Mobile News,

Airscanner Corp, a research and development company working in the mobile security areas have disclosed information of a vulnerability on Pocket Controller 5.0 for Windows Mobile Pocket PC and Smartphones. This vulnerability could allow an attacker to remotely initiate a “Hard Reset” and wipe all data in the main memory of these devices.

The company has set the severity level as medium to high, since any Pocket PC or Smartphone running the Pocket Controller application can be hard reset using a remote connection, while the device is connected to a cellular data network or to a wireless network.

Pocket Controller Professional is a popular, powerful remote control and management program that allows a user to remotely control a PDA from their PC computer.

Some details were disclosed and a proof of concept is available to MARA (Mobile Antivirus Researcher's Association) members.

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Dec 22 Opera Mini Browser for Java Mobile Phones
Published by Vesselin Nerdeff in:Mobile News,

Typically, full Web browsing is reserved for users of smartphones or handsets with powerful processing capabilities. Opera Mini is designed to improve on the limited Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) surfing available on many phones, allowing users of Java-capable cell phone to surf the Web.Users of Java-capable cell phones anywhere may find browsing the Web easier and cheaper now that Opera Software is allowing anyone to download its Opera Mini application. The official worldwide launch of Opera Mini is planned for January but Opera has quietly lifted restrictions that previously allowed only residents of some Nordic countries and Germany to download the application, a spokesperson has confirmed.

Cell phone users download the Opera Mini Java application, under 100K in size, to their phones. The small client communicates with servers operated by Opera that strip down the size of Web pages, making them quicker to transfer to the cell phone and rendering them to fit on the small screen of the phone.

Opera is hosting the back-end servers and cell phone customers can download and use the application free of charge, except for the fees related to using the mobile networks. Using Opera Mini should reduce fees that customers pay their cell phone operators because the system compresses the size of Web sites by 70 percent to 80 percent before sending them to the handset, Sivertsen said. Most mobile data users pay based on how much data they download.

Users must have a cell phone capable of downloading a Java application. Sivertsen figures that 700 million phones being used today are capable of downloading Opera Mini.

Opera is also offering Opera Mini to operators and content providers that can offer a branded and customized version to their users. The operator or content provider could host the back-end servers themselves or hire Opera to do so for them. Once users have the Opera Mini browser on their handsets, the operator or content provider can push content or special promotions to the browsers, for users to see when they launch the browser. Opera is testing Opera Mini with operators and content providers around the world, Sivertsen said.

Opera Mini is meant to coexist with Opera Mobile, a full-fledged browser. Opera Mobile is designed for smartphones and can do anything a browser on a desktop computer can do, Sivertsen said. Opera Mini, by contrast, can be used on less powerful handsets, and has only limited support for advanced Javascript and other advanced Web site tools.

Opera quietly enabled the download of Opera Mini to be able to prepare for the increased traffic on its servers before the official launch next month. The download has previously been available to cell phone users in Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, and Germany.

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Dec 22 P2P Positioning by using Wi-Fi/Cellular
Published by Vesselin Nerdeff in:Tips,

When Cyril Houri and a group of friends he refers to as “GPS alpha geeks” were frustrated by poor satellite reception in the big cities where they lived, they decided to do something about it. The result is Navizon, a wireless positioning system that works on Pocket PC PDAs by triangulating signals from Wi-Fi access points and GSM cellular towers. The company hard-launched today after three months of testing with a network of 5,000 users.

Houri has been around geopositioning for awhile. His first company, Infosplit, developed a positioning system based on using IP addresses. He sold it in March 2004 to competitor Quova Corp. Navizon offers much more precise positioning.

Here’s how it works. You load the software on a Pocket PC with built-in GPS and, ideally, both Wi-Fi and cellular phone functionality. Then, as Houri says, “you just live your normal life.”

As you walk around your city, the device receives broadcast signals from Wi-Fi access points – hotspots, home Wi-Fi networks, company WLANs (much like the competitive service built by Skyhook Wireless), but Navizon adds cell towers to the mix. The Navizon software takes signal strength measurements from the built-in Wi-Fi and/or cellular radios – at three different locations for each AP or tower detected. Since Navizon knows its own location from the Pocket PC’s GPS, the readings of signal strength are enough, using sophisticated algorithms, to triangulate the position of each AP or tower. The software then records those locations. The Navizon software does all of this automatically.

Once the software has built a database of local AP and tower locations, it can accurately calculate its position by triangulating from three or more of them – again by measuring signal strength and applying proprietary algorithms. It works even when GPS doesn’t, including inside.

So Navizon solved the problem Houri and his fellow GPS geeks were originally grappling with – it complements and increases the accuracy of GPS in built-up areas where coverage is otherwise often poor. They took it a step further by emulating, at least conceptually, what peer-to-peer systems do. Navizon makes available the database of AP and tower locations built by GPS-equipped users – free – to users who don’t have GPS.

Houri is quick to point out that in one respect the parallel with peer-to-peer file sharing doesn’t apply. “It stops at the legality,” he says. “What we do is 100% legal.” The Navizon software doesn’t try to gain access to Wi-Fi networks through the APs it maps, it only has to receive the “anybody there?” messages that most continuously broadcast to make it easier for legitimate users to access the network.

Navizon does work like peer-to-peer systems in other respects. When a GPS-equipped user cradles his Pocket PC, the Navizon software synchronizes with a central server, uploading the new AP and tower locations he has mapped, and downloading new locations others have mapped for his local area – which is whatever area he’s in, but usually his home area.

In contrast, Skyhook maps out areas before hand so the users don't have to upload information if not inclined. Microsoft has also been rumored to be in the early stages of creating a similar initiative. Navizon is different, Houri says. “Because our system is based on a peer-produced database, it’s always very dynamic and up to date. We have people mapping their areas constantly in most major metropolitan areas, and in more countries than we can count, which makes it a very good snapshot of the Wi-Fi landscape at any given point. That’s as opposed to other companies that are sending trucks out to do the mapping. Two years from now, [those databases] will be very inaccurate.”

Anybody can register and download the free Navizon software for personal use. As long as they have a PPC with built-in a Wi-Fi and/or cellular radio, and as long as someone with a GPS has mapped the Wi-Fi and cellular “landscape” where they are, they’ll be able to get accurate positioning.

Peer-developed databases are all very well of course as long as the peers actually do the tasks required – in this case keeping their PPCs on and receiving GPS and Wi-Fi and/or cellular signals, and then synchronizing with the Navizon server. How dense is the map of AP and cellular tower locations? It various from city to city and region to region.

“In urban areas, it’s perfect positioning thanks to the density of access points you find there,” Houri says. “In suburban areas, it’s good enough. In rural areas, you might have a problem. This is why we also have cellular positioning. It’s one of the cool things about Navizon – that it combines GPS, Wi-Fi and cellular positioning.”

Registering as a user at the Navizon site, which you can do for free and without downloading the PPC software, gives access to the Google Maps the Navizon software uses. You can define a region by clicking at opposite corners of an imaginary rectangle and see a display of all the known APs and towers in that area. Their locations show up as map pins – red for GSM, green for Wi-Fi.

Major cities such as New York have been well mapped. My mid-size Canadian city appears to have enough sites mapped in a few areas to provide adequate positioning, but not everywhere.

Navizon doesn’t stop at basic positioning. It offers some cool location based applications as well and is promising more. You can find your own position if you’re in a strange place, for example – though not in real time, you have to click a button to download location data. Through Google mapping Navizon provides directions to points of interest such as the nearest Starbucks.

Users can already set up Buddy Tracker features to display the positions of their buddies on the Google maps. This has more serious applications, Houri says. Parents could use it to track family members, and businesses to track vehicles or employees.

A new application will let Navizon members post “geotags” – comments linked to particular locations, such as restaurants. Members will be able to subscribe to interest areas – restaurants, attractions, indie music – and will only see geotags related to their interests.

Navizon doesn’t currently generate any significant revenues for Mexens, but the plan is to eventually charge business users. If a limousine company wanted to use Navizon to track its fleet in a big city where GPS service was too unreliable for the purpose, it would have to pay Mexens for a commercial software license.

Houri also hopes to license it to software developers so they could bundle it with offerings such as city guides. Users could not only read about a restaurant or attraction but also see its location and get directions from where they are. No company is paying Mexens for either type of license, yet, though the company has had approaches from prospective customers.

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Dec 22 Vodafone Hits German with VPA II Compact Pocket PC Phone Edition
Published by Vesselin Nerdeff in:Devices, Smartphone,

Vodafone Germany has launched its own version of the HTC Wizard Pocket PC Phone Edition. The device is running Windows Mobile 5.0 and comes with a 1.3 megapixel digital camera. The device is SMS, MMS and WAP capable, with other Internet capabilities, such as HTML browsing, email, synchronisation with Exchange servers over the air, and Instant Messaging. For multimedia use it includes the Windows Media Player Mobile 10.

The model introduces a sliding keyboard that will make it easier for users to take advantage of updated versions of office software, including Word Mobile, Excel Mobile and a new PowerPoint viewer.

This quadband GSM/GPRS Pocket PC Phone Edition also comes with Wireless LAN and Bluetooth wireless connectivity, plus a built-in 1,3 megapixel digital camera.

A TI Omap 850 CPU powers this device, and users will have 64MB RAM for program execution and 128MB ROM for OS and permanent storage.

Vodafone New Zealand and Vodafone Australia already sell the HTC Wizard under the brand name i-mate.

The VPA compact II united mobile phone and PDA functions in only one equipment and can simply over the Windows surface be served. For comfortable text inputs and compact dimensions a laterally shove outable keyboard provides. The screen display changes thereby automatically of the PDA Normalansicht in the landscape format.

Users can work on with it on the way very comfortably enamels and appendices of file as well as administer their dates and contacts. Besides has the VPA compact II 1.3 a megapixel digital camera and a multiplicity of helpful interfaces on board. The entrance to the InterNet or firm net can be made not only by means of fast GPRS data links, but also by local w-LAN-Hotspots.

The VPA compact II made possible above all business customer on the way very comfortable working - examples are self-employed persons, in addition, larger enterprises, who want to merge their mobile coworkers smoothly into the operational communication process.

With the VPA compact II can enamels, task lists, calendar and address data be administered and owing to Active Sync software with Microsoft Outlook be synchronized. The handy PDA brings straight once 160 gram on the balance and is at the same time a Quadband-mobile phone, which remains also on international business trips on receipt.

The VPA compact II becomes completely for all Vodafone services such as E-Mail, InterNet, Vodafone live! and SMS before-configures delivered. For communication with stationary computers or other mobile devices stand a Bluetooth -, infrared and US B interface for order. The VPA compact II is immediately available. In connection with a run time contract the PDA costs 149.50 euro. Without contract the price amounts to 799.50 euro.

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Dec 20 Toyspring released 3D Mines for Palm
Published by root in:Games,

The new dimension of MineSweeper is ready for your Palm device. The game is really amazing and the 3D engine provide a unique experience. 3D Mines costs only $7.77 available for order here



Grayscale support Some devices (like Zire 21) only have 4 bit (grayscale) display. The current version of the game is not compatible but you can try the new v1.1 beta 1 (download). Please e-mail the developer if it works on your device!

Here is a screenshot taken in v1.1 running on Treo 600 in grayscale mode.



Game overview
The new dimension of MineSweeper!

* 3D minefields of various sizes and shapes
* View the playing board from any angle
* Beginner, Medium and Expert difficulty levels
* Keeps track of your best times for each board and level
* Both "Long tap" and "Button tap" can be used to mark a mine

# How To Play
# Tap quickly to open a field
# Tap and hold to mark a mine (or: tap while holding the up/down button)
# Tap and drag to rotate the playing board
# Use menu to access more shapes and difficulty levels
# Wrong tap? Slide the stylus off the field to cancel
# In many cases you can rotate the board to gain a better view of the desired region
# You can adjust the sound volume in the system Prefs application (3D Mines respect the Game Sound settings)
# Adjacent fields are automatically highlighted while playing the Beginner level

If you have free time and a Palm OS powered handheld this game is more than recommended ;-)


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Dec 20 Mobile Instant Messaging presented and offered by Openwave and Thumbspeed
Published by Vesselin Nerdeff in:Mobile News,

"Mobile instant messaging allows consumers to access the most in-demand applications from leading instant messaging providers like AOL, MSN and Yahoo!, available conveniently on their mobile phone," said Olivier Bartholot, head of the client business unit at Openwave. "Our agreement with Thumbspeed gives us the opportunity to increase the availability of high-quality mobile IM services and is a win-win for operators and handset manufacturers in raising the appeal of their offerings with an increasingly popular form of communication."

"Thumbspeed and Openwave both share strong backgrounds in the mobile content and messaging space," Hank Skorny, president and CEO, Thumbspeed. "This agreement offers operators and handset manufacturers the freedom to choose how and when they deploy mobile instant messaging services and provides users with a rich, instant messaging experience on the widest possible range of mobile devices."

The Thumbspeed IM client will be offered in addition to the Openwave(R) Instant Messaging Client that is currently embedded on mobile handsets around the world. The new IM client can work across Java (J2ME & BlackBerry(R)), BREW(R), Symbian(R), Windows Mobile(R), and Palm environments on devices from all major manufacturers, giving operators and handset manufacturers the most choice available in adding this solution to their available services. The Openwave Instant Messaging Client offers support for custom operator services and is used as the foundation for building full IM applications and presence- enhanced phonebooks.

The Openwave Instant Messaging Client is part of a suite of mobile messaging software offered by Openwave. Openwave's messaging, location, browsing and content services span all networks and devices. Today, Openwave software is used by more than 100 mobile operators, broadband providers and Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs) to enable access to data services for more than 500 million consumers around the world.

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Dec 20 Car-Pal OBD Interface Unit Works with Pocket PC and Palm
Published by Vesselin Nerdeff in:Hardware,

Vital Engineering Ltd is introducing the Car-Pal OBD Interface Unit. The Car-Pal OBD Interface Unit operates with any vehicle equipped with OBD II, using ISO, SAE or CAN protocols. This covers vehicles built for the USA market since 1996 and for the European and Asian markets since 2001.The product is fully compatible with the CAN protocols used on some vehicles built since 2004/2005 and with PWM, VPWM protocols used on some USA vehicles, including GM, Chrysler and Ford.

The software supplied with the Car-Pal OBD Interface Unit can retrieve and clear both Generic and Manufacturer specific diagnostic trouble codes (DTC); display generic code definitions on-screen; switch off 'Check Engine' Light; reset the ECU to clear fault codes; display live sensor data and freeze frame data (PC platform only); measure performance data, such as 0-60 mph times and Ό mile times (PC platform only); communicate with Engine Management System and Emissions Systems; record your own “freeze frame” data in software with one button click.

Users will be able to purchase a wired (RS232 serial) or wireless (Bluetooth) version of the product, which includes software for Palm OS or Windows Mobile Pocket PC and Smartphone.

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Dec 20 Twisted Grille for Pocket PC Released by Moon Valley
Published by Vesselin Nerdeff in:Software,

Moon Valley Software enters the PDA software market with a side-splitting photo editing program entitled Twisted Grille. Using Twisted Grille and a PC or a Windows Mobile Pocket PC, users can take the photos of friends, family and create strange images. A version for Palm OS devices is being developed.The software offers thousands of image add-ons to choose from. Users can customize the original picture with anything from detailed piercings, to a clown suit.

The program has also the ability to photoblog in seconds. Twisted Grille allows users to post doctored photos directly on Myspace as well as Blogger, Xanga, or Live Journal with no knowledge of HTML code required. For users without a blog space, the company offers a hosted solution of its own, Moon Valley Software offers a free 5 day trial after which the software can be purchased for US$9.95.

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Dec 20 iAnywhere Enhances Mobile Sync Software Portfolio with Launch of Updated XTNDConnect PC
Published by Vesselin Nerdeff in:Mobile News,

XTNDConnect PC is a software application that allows users to synchronize contacts, calendars, tasks, email and notes between mobile devices and popular PC applications such as ACT!, Microsoft Outlook, Lotus Notes and Novell Groupwise. XTNDConnect PC was recently acquired by Sybase through its purchase of Extended Systems in October 2005 and is being integrated into Sybase's iAnywhere subsidiary.

"We believe we are well-positioned to provide support for the multitude of Windows Mobile 5.0 devices that are now entering the market," said Gerd Uitdewilligen, XTNDConnect PC product manager at iAnywhere. "In addition, XTNDConnect PC provides great flexibility with its support for numerous phones and PDAs and multiple desktop PIMs in many different languages." Along with Windows Mobile 5.0, XTNDConnect PC 5.4 supports additional Windows-powered devices such as Pocket PC, Pocket PC Phone edition and Smartphone devices. Most Palm, Sony Ericsson and NEC phone models are also supported. XTNDConnect PC is available in 11 languages and has been validated in the market with more than 25 million copies shipped.

iAnywhere enables success at the front lines of business. The company holds worldwide market leadership positions in mobile and embedded databases, mobile management and security, mobile middleware and synchronization, and Bluetooth(R) and infrared protocol technologies. Tens of millions of mobile devices, millions of subscribers, and 20,000 customers and partners rely on the company's "Always Available" technologies, including SQL Anywhere, Afaria, OneBridge, and the AvantGo(R) mobile Internet service. iAnywhere is a subsidiary of Sybase, Inc. (NYSE: SY). Visit http://www.ianywhere.com for more information.

Sybase, iAnywhere, iAnywhere Solutions, SQL Anywhere, Afaria, OneBridge, XTNDConnect PC and AvantGo are trademarks, registered trademarks or service marks of Sybase, Inc. or its subsidiaries. (R) indicates registration in the United States of America. The Bluetooth trademark and logos are owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc. and any use of such marks by iAnywhere is under license. All other company and product names mentioned may be trademarks of the respective companies with which they are associated.

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Dec 20 Turn Your Mobile Phone into a PDA with Remo
Published by root in:Software,

Accessing your Email, Contacts, and Appointment Calendar from Your Desktop Making Your Phone an Affordable Alternative to Complex, Expensive, & Bulky PDA's or Smart Phone Devices.Remo is compatible with Microsoft Outlook, Outlook Express, Lotus Notes, and Palm Desktop software.Remoba Inc. the developers of software solutions for mobile phones, releases its latest build of Remo.

Remo is a software application that provides access to email, contacts, and calendar on every day mobile phones with synchronizing capabilities to your personal or corporate computer. The email application accepts POP, POP3, and IMAP formats as well as any internet based e-mail account such as Hotmail, Yahoo, and gMail. With Remo, regular mobile phones become high-end PDA/Smart Phones for a fraction of the cost. The Key Features of Remo are:
Easy to install, little to no IT support, no upfront fees, and no annual contracts
Get emails from up to ten different e-mail accounts, including corporate POP, POP3, IMAP, and free internet based email accounts such as Hotmail, Yahoo, and gMail.
Receive, read, compose, forward, reply, organize into subfolders, and delete emails
Capable of storing 50 customized Quick Messages with 22 ready to use messages provided by Remo
Integration with your email address book. No need to manually type in an email address, just pull it up in contacts and hit send.
Access to an unlimited number of contacts from your personal or corporate computer to your mobile phone and vise versa.
View, update, or delete events from your personal electronic calendar when and where you need it.
Receive text alerts before meetings or other important events such as birthdays or anniversaries
Search and call contacts by last name, first name, company name, e-mail address, or any combination by highlighting and pressing dial.
Access more than just phone numbers: get e-mail and personal addresses, company names, or anything in the notes field.
Two way sync: Back up the existing calendar and contacts from your mobile phone to your personal or corporate computer and download the new calendar and contacts from your personal or corporate computer straight to your mobile phone at the same time.

For security, Remo supports corporate firewalls, various proxy configurations, and up to 128-bit SSL data encryption to prevent interception of data. E-mails stay on the original server and are not permanently downloaded to your mobile phone Remo is a perfect cost and time saving solution for a gadget-cluttered world. From the student who wants to keep in contact with their friends to the business professional who needs mobile accessibility to their e-mails, calendar, and contacts when on the go, Remo is the perfect alternative to bulky PDA's or Smart Phones says Guru Thalapaneni, President & CEO of Remoba Inc.
Remo is available at Verizon Wireless and many other mobile phone carriers. Verizon customers may download Remo from the Get-It-Now section. For more information about Remo, please visit http://www.remoba.com/remo.html


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