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

Dec 28 Nextel i930 Explained
Published by Vesselin Nerdeff in:Mobile News,

The Nextel i930 will appeal to two types of Nextel users: Microsoft fans and global roamers. The phone uses the Microsoft Windows Smartphone 2003 SE OS and works on networks across the globe. It fills a few key gaps in Nextel's lineup, but as a smartphone, it's behind the times.The i930 is a heavy (5.9-ounce) black-and-silver Windows Smartphone that's too thick for a pocket; you'll be most comfortable clipping it to a belt. The front is dominated by a big, somewhat washed-out color screen.

Press a side button, and the 3.5- by 1.9- by 1.2-inch (HWD) phone neatly flips open to show a sharp 176-by-220, 65,000-color internal screen and a keypad of small but well-separated keys. There's a full-size SD card slot in the side—an unusual choice in this day of miniature memory cards—and 64MB of flash memory for programs and data. A built-in camera with an LED flashlight takes somewhat overexposed pictures and records jerky 176-by-144, 8-frame-per-second video.

This is a Nextel phone, so the earpiece and speakerphone are loud. We heard some distortion from the speakerphone at top volume and some background noise on a busy street, but the sound was otherwise clear and sharp. Battery life, at four hours 53 minutes of continuous talk time, is lower than that of other Nextel phones. And although the company estimates standby time at four days, we got fewer than three.

The i930 supports Nextel's 800-MHz iDEN network and the global 900/1,800-MHz GSM bands, so unlike other current Nextel phones, you can use it in the U.S. and Europe. Nextel's roaming rates are high, though: from $1.29 per minute in Western Europe to as much as $4.99 in parts of Africa.

This is the only Microsoft Smartphone so far with a built-in GPS, and it runs MapQuest FindMe, Telenav driving directions software, and Trimble Outdoors hiking software—all of which require extra monthly subscriptions. Telenav gave us clear directions, but we had trouble getting a GPS satellite lock under cloudy skies or around trees. While that experience is on a par with other GPS phones, the newest GPS chipsets, such as the one in the Garmin Nuvi, have much less trouble getting a lock.

The Windows Smartphone 2003 SE operating system means that the i930 syncs contacts, calendars, and its e-mail inbox easily with Windows PCs. You can also fetch e-mail over the air from Microsoft Exchange 2003 or POP3 servers, and the phone comes with Westtek Clearvue's very good attachment viewers, letting you read Microsoft Office documents. —Continue Reading

This Smartphone Needs a Tutor

The i930 is last year's smartphone in a lot of ways. It has a full Web browser, for example, but doesn't support frames. Then there's the Nextel iDEN data network, which crawled along at from 12 to 20 kbps in our tests. Sprint's EVDO system is about 35 times as fast. And although the specs say that Windows Media Player on the phone supports video synced from a PC, we couldn't make it work.

Beyond those drawbacks, there's no photo caller ID, no Bluetooth, and no speaker-independent voice dialing. In addition, you can't send or receive SMS in the U.S. And Smartphone 2003 doesn't support the most important capability for Nextel's business clientele: push e-mail.

The phone is also missing Nextel's latest set of push-to-talk features such as Enhanced Group Connect, which enables on-the-fly creation of calling groups; Direct Talk, an off-network walkie-talkie; and Direct Send Picture for quickie photo messaging. The i930 works as an MP3 player thanks to Windows Media Player and its SD card slot, but we weren't entranced by the sound through a pair of cell-phone headphones.

This is a balky smartphone, too. We've played with some responsive models, and this isn't one of them. There's a noticeable delay sometimes between when you press a key and when the action occurs. That was acceptable in 2004, but we want more now.

Admittedly, Nextel's slow network isn't the i930's fault, and the company says it's installing a new, faster network called WiDEN. But even that promises only a little better speed than dial-up access and will be easily outpaced by the new high-speed networks from Cingular, Sprint (which now owns Nextel), and Verizon.

As noted, this is Nextel's only Microsoft OS option and the carrier's only global-roaming phone for now. It's a fine choice if you need to carry your contacts and calendar overseas, but we think the company's U.S.-based business clientele—especially those seeking e-mail access—will be better served by the Nextel RIM BlackBerry 7520 or BlackBerry 7100i (which we hope to review soon). If you're just looking for a standard Nextel phone, we'd recommend the i850 instead.

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Dec 28 News RAZR design on Motorola A1200
Published by Vesselin Nerdeff in:Devices, Smartphone,

Motorola has leaked a new device, called the A1200 which has 2 megapixel camera and weighs only 95 grams! This smartphone follows the RAZR design of being skinny and the OS is currently unknown but most probably UIQ, is still under development. Its 2.4" 240x320 pixels QVGA TFT screen has a smoke plastic cover and it supports POP3, IMAP, SMTP and you can also edit Microsoft Office files, even Powerpoint. Rounding up is its support of the most popular formats, Real Player, MP3, MP4, AAC+ and more.

The A1200 should be available in January, but don't hold your breath for a US release. Price is currently unknown.


Although it's unlikely we'll be saying "hello" to this Moto stateside anytime soon, the still-under-development A1200 seems like a design that could be popular in the US, although the similarly-styled A728 remains Asia-only as well.



This 95 gram (that's lighter than a RAZR), keypad-less smartphone does all the usual email, web browsing, and document editing functions, along with playing a supposed 10 different multimedia file types. Perhaps the nicest feature is the 2 megapixel cam, which doubles as a business card scanner for impressing all those important players you meet.

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Dec 28 Yahoo Mail now works on Windows Mobile smartphone
Published by Vesselin Nerdeff in:Mobile News,

Obviously Google Mail is superior according to most experts and users, but interestingly also Yahoo Mail, not just Google Mail, offers "keypad shortcuts" that make it possible to access functionalities with just one press of a key... To access, just type http://www.yahoo.com/r/m1 on your Smartphone’s IE address bar and you will be directed to (see screenshot below) then use keypad shortcut 1 (Mail) to access the login page.

To read more, including several screen shots from Windows Mobile smartphone, click here.

Please note: obviously Windows Mobile has built-in email client but web based solutions like mobile access to Yahoo Mail and Google Mail are in some respect superior - because user doesn't have to worry about mis-managing of messages by this client (deleting, removing from server, etc)...

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Dec 28 PetMaster - PDA for your pet
Published by Vesselin Nerdeff in:Devices,

Being a pet owner can be trying; you have to remember to feed them, pet them, give them their meds, take them to the vet, and find a groomer whose work is flattering enough that Spot won't feel the need to "thank you" for the haircut in your favorite pair of shoes. Enter the Pet Master - an electronic organizer for your pet.

Enter your pets schedule (vet appointments, medication schedule, playdates in the park) , phone contacts (vet, groomer, the shitzu with the cute owner), even their picture - and you'll be the most organised pet owner at the dog park. And if you've got a globe-trotting pet, Pet Master will help you locate pet-clinics and pet-friendly motels while you travel.

You can get the Pet Master from $30 from Neiman Marcus. Oh, and if your pooch is always running off why don’t you get him his own phone too.

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Dec 28 Samsung WiBro Slider Windows PDA Phone SPH-M8000
Published by Vesselin Nerdeff in:Devices, Smartphone, Samsung,

Yesterday Korean site AVing had photos of the Samsung SPH-H1000. Today they published close-up photos of the Samsung SPH-M8000 Windows Mobile 5.0 WiBro PDA phone. The Samsung SPH-M8000 has a full QWERTY keyboard that slides out at the bottom of the Windows PDA phone (runs still Window Mobile 2003 Second Edition and not Windows Mobile 5.0).

The SPH-M8000 features a Intel PXA272 520MHz CPU and a 2.8" 262k TFT-LCD screen with QVGA resolution. Of course it also has satellite DMB TV reception.

The Korean pushed WiBro is competing with the WiMAX. The SPH-M8000 was shown first in November, when Samsung introduced their first WiBro phones.

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Dec 28 Samsung SPH-H1000 S-DMB WiBro Mobile Phone
Published by Vesselin Nerdeff in:Devices, Smartphone, Samsung,

We reported the first time about the Samsung SPH-H1000 when Samsung introduced it's first WiBro phones at a trade-show in November. Korean site AVing has a couple of close-up photos of this feature packed mobile phone.The SPH-H1000 supports satellite DMB TV and has a full QWERTY keyboard.

A 2.2 inch color QVGA screen is used in this still very compact phone. The phone also has a TV-out.

WiBro (Wireless Broadband) offers 30 to 50 Mbit/s (aggregated) and works also on the move at speeds of up to 120 km/h. The Korean pushed WiBro is competing with the WiMAX.

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Dec 28 Hear a Podcasts on your PDA device
Published by Vesselin Nerdeff in:Mobile News, Tips, PDA,

For those of you who don't own a slick new iPod, it's easy to hear a Podcast on your PDA. For the uninitiated, Podcasts are the fastest growing segment of iTunes. PDA users may be feeling a little left out in the cold, but we don't have to be.

Podcasts are essentially audio files, either MP3 or MPEG-2 audio available through iTunes (as well as various websites). Podcasts are available on just about every subject — from hard news to comedy — downloaded to your computer.

Getting Podcasts onto your Palm or Pocket PC is very easy, and you don't need to buy an iPod to do it.

The process is so straightforward, you'll wonder why you haven't done it sooner.

First, download iTunes onto your desktop computer. Yes, there is a version for Windows-based computers.

Next, from the main menu of iTunes, click on Podcast. Choose what category of Podcast you want to get or do a search for a specific Podcast.

Once you've found one or several, you can then click the icon to start downloading a specific Podcast or you can subscribe to the entire series.

The only technical thing you'll need to feel comfortable with, especially if you don't have an iPod that will automatically sync your content for you, is into which folder iTunes is putting your Podcast files. You'll need to be able to find that folder so you can transfer the Podcast files to your PDA.

Podcasts will automatically show up in Windows Media Player, which will let you sync directly to your storage card whether you are using a Palm or Pocket PC.

I strongly advocate storage cards for your Podcasts since they tend to be very large audio files. After you listen, you can always delete them and put on more if your space is at a premium.

Palm PDA users can skip Windows Media Player all together and sync directly to their storage cards using Quick Install.

From there, Podcasts work just like any other audio file on your PDA. All free or commercial music players will play them.

Unfortunately, Video Podcasts don't seem to transfer at all.

I admit to trying several different methods to copy and convert a Video Podcast MPEG-4 file to my PDA since the excellent and free video viewer application TCPMP (more about this great application next week) can handle the format. But all attempts ended in vain.

So, until someone comes up with a work around, we PDA users will just have to settle for the audio Podcasts, which are better than nothing. If I hear of a better solution, I'll be sure to let everyone know.

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Dec 28 RIM BlackBerry 7130e Review
Published by Vesselin Nerdeff in:Devices, BlackBerry, Reviews,

When it comes to memory, the 7130e improves upon its predecessors by doubling the amount of flash memory to 64 MB. The handset's swappable battery has a poor showing, however, delivering up to three hours of talk time and up to eight days of standby. The BlackBerry 7130e is the first BlackBerry handset from Research In Motion (RIM) specifically designed to operate over today's high-performance Evolution Data Optimized (EVDO) networks.

Measuring 4.6 x 2.2 x 0.9 inches and tipping the scales at 4.7 ounces, the 7130e looks more like a conventional mobile phone than many of the earlier BlackBerry models. Moreover, the handset's scratch-resistant color screen is definitely bright enough to be read under a wide variety of lighting conditions.

The slimed-down design of the unit's keyboard falls midway between a full-blown Qwerty-style thumb-board and the standard keypad found on conventional mobile handsets. RIM's engineers assigned two or more text characters on each of the smartphone's 20 keys, which means you may need to press each key two or more times to arrive at the desired text character. Fortunately, the 7130e -- like all of RIM's 7100 series handsets -- incorporates the requisite Suretype predictive technology to simplify text entry.

Features

The BlackBerry 7130e sports a high-resolution LCD screen featuring 240 x 260-pixel resolution, 64 MB of flash memory, and a built-in speakerphone. The handset also incorporates wireless Bluetooth technology for enabling hands-free operation by way of a Bluetooth-enabled headset.

As is the case with all other BlackBerry handhelds, the 7130e has been designed to operate in tandem with RIM's BlackBerry Enterprise Server software, which works behind the corporate firewall to push e-mail and other corporate data to wireless handsets with Microsoft Exchange, IBM Lotus Domino, and Novell Groupwise e-mail accounts. If you still have security Relevant Products/Services from Microsoft concerns, you also can take advantage of the software's end-to-end Triple DES encryption capabilities.

Small businesses and even individuals without the requisite BlackBerry support behind the corporate firewall will be able to use Verizon's Web client to access up to 10 corporate and/or personal e-mail (POP3, IMAP, AOL, or Hotmail) accounts from a single device.

You can also take advantage of RIM's Secure Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions (S/MIME) package, which employs public-key cryptography to provide additional security features such as writer-to-reader authentication and digital signatures.

Performance

When it comes to memory, the 7130e improves upon its predecessors by doubling the amount of flash memory to 64 MB. The handset's swappable battery has a poor showing, however, delivering up to three hours of talk time and up to eight days of standby, far less than the 5 hours of talk time of the Treo 650.

RIM also chose not to offer an SDIO or MMC expansion card slot in any of its latest handheld products. Connectivity options are further limited by the handset's Bluetooth radio, which will only work with a limited number of Bluetooth profiles, such as those associated with hands-free headsets and car kits. And like all other BlackBerry handsets, the 7130e fails to incorporate voice-dialing capability.

The Verdict

Available from Verizon Wireless for $299.99 with a two-year contract, the BlackBerry 7130e certainly would be a good choice for mobile workers looking for a stylish handset with high-speed EVDO support. However, unless you have corporate RIM server support, road warriors with deeper pockets may find the Samsung SCH i730 to be a better choice.

BlackBerry 7130e

Specs: Abbreviated Qwerty-style keypad; 64 MB of flash memory; 16 MB of SRAM; Bluetooth radio.

Pros: Svelte form factor; scratch resistant screen; EVDO.

Cons: No expansion card slot; Bluetooth support limited to headset and hands-free car kit profiles; sub-par battery life.

Verdict: The BlackBerry 7130e is an excellent choice for buyers looking for a slim and trim telephone handset that can also send and receive data at blistering EVDO speeds; however, the Samsung i730 may be the better choice for those looking for more connectivity options.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Price: $299.99 with two-year service contract

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Dec 28 ClearVue 3.0 for PocketPC just released
Published by Vesselin Nerdeff in:Software,

Office Mobile from Microsoft - even in its latest version (i.e. for Windows Mobile 5.0) - has no possibility to edit PowerPoint PPT files - it has only PowerPoint viewing capability. The newly released version 3.0 of Westtek ClearVue can do it!

Version for MS Smartphone however still is available only in older version - 2.41 ...

Tim Wells from Westtek said:

We just released verion 3.0 of ClearVue for the Pocket PC. The "Professional" version of the product allows native (PowerPoint PPT file) Presentation editing (round-trip device to desktop). Our image editor has also been enhanced (performance improvements, editing improvements - TextArt functionality, etc). PDF viewer now supports embedded fonts (with a new built-in font engine).

Through the end of the year we are also offering a 50% discount on all products.

Details are here:

http://www.westtek.com/products/

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Dec 28 Windows Mobile PDA phones from Acer in late 2006
Published by Vesselin Nerdeff in:Mobile News, PDA,

Acer plans to venture into the PDA phone market in the second half of 2006, with its smart handheld devices built with CPUs and flash memory chips from Samsung Electronics and running on Microsoft’s Windows Mobile operating system, according to company sources.

Acer’s first PDA phone will be a 3G-enabled model, and the company will launch the model in the second half of next year when the market for 3G handsets is more mature, the sources noted.

Meanwhile, Acer also aims to ship 1.5 million PDAs in 2006, with one-third of the shipments to be GPS-enabled devices, the source indicated, adding that all of the company’s PDAs will feature LCD displays of 3.5-3.7 inches in size.

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