jkOnTheRun

Palm clearing PDA stock: buy a TX, get a Z22

This is timely since folks were just debating the merits of a PDA vs. a smartphone the other day. You can go old school and get a good deal in the process if you hit the Palm store. The deal is: buy a Palm TX and you'll get a Palm Z22 for free. The $299 TX offers integrated WiFi and Bluetooth for use on a color half-VGA screen (320 x 480). There's 128 MB of internal storage and an SD card slot for more.

The entry-level Z22 PDA would normally cost you $99 and would make a nice introductory PDA for someone new to the mobile space. Actually, I think this whole idea was stolen from my OPDAPC idea earlier this week: remember "one PDA per child?"

(via Palm Infocenter)

HP iPAQ 210 PDA reviewed at Brighthand

There aren't too many pure PDAs left in the market since everyone is jamming cellphone capabilities in handhelds these days. Actually, that's a poor choice of words... "jamming cellphone capabilities" is technically illegal, but you all know what I meant. HP continues to soldier on in the remaining market for PDAs, which is likely served today by the enterprise; at least until the OPDAPC, or One PDA Per Child project gains traction.

So what's HP up to in the PDA space? Plenty based on Brighthand's review of the iPAQ 210. The device reminds me of my ol' Dell Axim X51v with the large VGA screen in many ways, but there's a few odds and ends that are improved. Instead of just a single card slot like many older PDAs had, the 210 can handle both Compact Flash and SDHC for example. If you're in the market for a Windows Mobile 6 PDA without the phone and you've got around $400 to drop, I think the iPAQ 210 has to be on your short-list of potential devices.

Documents to Go upgraded for Palm OS, adds create and edit functions

DataViz announced a point upgrade to Documents to Go for the Palm OS today; the old v10.001 becomes 10.002 as of today. There's a revision history of Documents to Go available, but I don't see the details of the new version just yet. The biggest upgrade however, has to be support for document creation and editing of Office 2007 artifacts like Word, Excel and PowerPoint docs. From my recollection, the prior version only supported document viewing; if I'm incorrect, someone can lend and hand and point out the inadvertent error.

If you purchased the prior version (10.001), you're eligible for a free upgrade from DataViz. Got an older version on your Palm OS device? You can grab the Premium Edition of this version for $29.99. New users can download a free trial and decide if the full price of $49.99 is worth it.

HP iPAQ 100 series unboxed, twisted, turned... and dropped

The market for non-phone PDAs continues to decline, but that doesn't mean new products won't impress. After watching the Pocket PC Thoughts video unboxing and overview, I think HP has a nice product in their iPAQ 100 series device. Nice enough to turn the tide towards phone-integrated devices? No, but for folks that don't want the phone, this looks to be a solid offering. The device has the same rubberized feel that I like on my Dash and the screen looks very generous in size; it takes up about 80% of the front face. The iPAQ looks to be as thin as the Dash and iPhone as well, yet it's crammed with WiFi, Bluetooth a 3.5mm headset jack and a full sized SD card slot. Combine all that with a zippy 624 MHz CPU and it's a solid little package. Literally solid. You can tell when Jason drops it accidentally and it keeps on tickin'!

HP iPAQ 210: you might see it in February, 2008. Or not.

The PDA market just can't catch a break. First, they all seem to be getting replaced by those new-fangled smartphones and now, the latest and greatest models are getting delayed. While this won't come as a major surprise to our regular readers since we broke news that the HP iPAQ 210 delivery dates were in question, there's a little more info to share.

Palm Daylight Savings rules: be sure you're up to date

Don't forget this is the first year we've had in quite a while (ever?) where the Daylight Savings Time start and end dates were changed. DST started earlier and ends this weekend, which is later than usual; I'm sure that Ben Franklin and William Willett are smiling down on us right now. Or maybe they were an hour ago?

Palm owners will can make sure they're not losing an hour of light by reviewing the information at the Official Palm Blog. There are links for both Palm OS and Windows Mobile devices; chances are you've already got the update from the pre-DST time frame, but if you missed it, now's the time... and now you know why you've been an hour late to every appointment since springtime.

New HP iPAQ 110, 210 delayed?

We heard about HP's triumphant return to the iPAQ PDA line back in September and expected to see devices getting delivered sometime this month. But something's up in iPAQ-land and it might not be good if you wanted one of these babies sooner rather than later:

• jkOTR reader Roger just pinged me via e-mail saying: "I had ordered the IPaq 210 a few weeks ago. Today an HP rep called and said that all 110 and 210 orders were being canceled and that the IPaq's would be delayed until possibly "the first quarter of next year or later".
• "I noticed a similar comment on Engadget: "I called HP today and they told me the 110 and 210 will not be released until sometime in November."
• I did a standard Google search for "HP iPAQ 210", clicked the first HP store link and got the "Coming in 2008!" screenclip shown for the 210. Hmm...

Have any other readers heard about shipping dates moving or had an order canceled? Can anyone from HP shed some light? Folks are excited about the new devices; it would be a shame to see the momentum get slowed down...

Trimble Recon ruggedized PDA gets price drop, offers two CF slots

Craving a rugged Windows Mobile device, but don't have $1,699 to pony up for the Trimble Nomad? Have no fear, the Trimble Recon line is here. And only a penny less than a cool grand after a $300 price reduction across the Recon line. All Recon devices feature Windows Mobile 5; the 200X drops the processor down to a cool 200 MHz but it can take the heat since it meets MIL-STD-810F standards for extreme temps, drops and vibration. Need faster speeds? The 400X ups the CPU to....wait for it....400 MHz and starts out at $1,199. Both units have options to add integrated Bluetooth and WiFi and each does provide an outdoor viewable, reflective TFT display. Additional options are availble through the not one, but two CF slots, so you might want to dig up those old WiFi compact flash cards. Specialized devices to be sure, but I'm betting there's a firefighter or mountaineer that could benefit. Hey, what's with the button that looks like a Mac power switch? ;)

Want iris recognition in your handset? Oki-dokey!

Oki Electric has developed a middleware iris scanning and recognition solution that can be used on various smartphones and PDAs. No extra fancy equipment is needed as Oki's solution can use fairly standard components: a 1-megapixel camera and a mobile CPU with a 220 MHz clock speed will do. This type of biometric recognition can be used to unlock a device without adding extra hardware like a fingerprint reader. Don't expect to see this technology integrated until next year when it could be available across Windows Mobile, Windows XP and Symbian S60 devices.

(via Windows For Devices)

PDA for the blind shows real promise

I always love finding out about mobile technology that is designed to help those with special needs be more productive and the GW Micro Voice Sense is just such a device.  Running on Windows CE.NET 5.0, the Voice Sense is chock full of features to rival any PDA:

• Processor: PXA270, 540MHz
• Memory: 1GB (separate user data area), 192MB (128 RAM and 64 OS storage)
• OS: Windows CE.NET 5.0
• Ports: USB OTG (USB 2.0 Compatible), SD Slot, CF Slot
• Keyboard: Perkins style Braille keyboard
• Audio Output: Stereo Speakers, Headphone jack
• Audio Input: Internal condenser microphone, Microphone jack
• Battery: rechargeable, detachable, user-replaceable, lithium polymer, 12 hours continuous use
• Networking: Wireless LAN (IEEE 802.11b/g) Bluetooth 1.1
• FM Radio Receiver
• Dimensions: W 18.8cm (7.4") x D 7.7cm (3.6") x H 2.5cm (0.98")
• Weight: .58lbs (266g)

The Voice Sense provides output using synthesized speech but can also be paired up with GW Micro's SyncBraille, a separate portable Braille display, to provide a rich computing environment on the go.  No word on pricing for the Voice Sense nor the SyncBraille.

(via engadget)

Palm OS- reports of its demise are greatly accurate

We've mentioned the lingering passing of the Palm OS more than once here on jkOnTheRun.  The Palm OS has been left largely unchanged for years and with Palm jumping on the Windows Mobile bandwagon it's no secret the OS is not going anywhere.  ComputerWorld has published a review of what is likely the last device to be released with the Palm OS, the Treo 755p.  They find the 755p to be like the Treos that came before it and find the worst part of the user experience to be, you guessed it, the aging Palm OS.  Palm needs to get away from the Treo format, sure it's been successful for them but they are beginning to stagnate on the hardware front like they did on the OS front.  Will Palm be around much longer?

OnCourse Navigator 6 released

Mobility Site shares the news for you GPS groupees: OnCourse Navigator 6 was just released! I don't use a GPS system on a handheld since we have a nav system in the truck, but if I did use one, I'd be taking a good look at OnCourse Navigator. I watched the short demonstration video and was extremely impressed with the voice directions, 3-D view, and apparent ease-of-use.

OCN 6 resides on a miniSD card but includes an SD card adapter if your handheld uses the larger sized memory card format.  If you already have a GPS receiver for your device, you can purchase just the software for $99 or $129, depending on how many POIs you want. No receiver? No problem since you can buy a bundle with a receiver for around $249. OCN 6 supports most Pocket PC and Pocket PC Phone devices running WM 2003 and up; for now Windows Mobile 5 Smartphone edition devices are not supported.

UPDATE: Mobility Site is giving away one OCN 6 bundle, which is the software AND a Bluetooth GPS receiver. Details here.

Ilium NewsBreak 2.0 review: Pocket PC Louisville

Windows Mobile news and reviews are still kickin' down in Louisville! Case in point: Matt Coddington just shot me a note about his review of NewsBreak 2.0 at Pocket PC Louisville. Looks like Ilium added solid podcast support, Windows Live integration and more to this Windows Mobile RSS reader application. Matt also likes the better support for one-handed navigation, as well as the ability to mark single items as read; previously, you could only mark an entire feed as read. If you hurry, you can purchase NewsBreak 2.0 for only $7.95; after March 15th, it jumps back up to the normal $19.95 price. For eight bucks, it looks like a winner to me but you could always get the free 30-day trial and see for yourself. Hey Matt, I could be biased, but I'm really liking the screenshots of your feeds! ;)

T-Mobile data plans suddenly stop working

I have been using a T-Mobile Dash Windows Mobile 5 smartphone for almost a week now and enjoying the seamless web integration that T-Mobile has put into the Dash.  Push email, the T-Zones connectivity, even web browsing on the Dash has been a real joy.  I have especially liked using the Mobile Google Reader to keep up with my RSS feeds when free time makes itself available.  Until this morning, that is.

Sometime this morning I lost all ability to connect to the web.  Nothing is working, I get various error messages indicating the server is unavailable.  I spoke to Kevin who reports he lost his connectivity a few days ago and it still hasn’t come back online.  Matt Miller reports that his connectivity dropped recently, although he got his back after a few days.  Hearing this coupled with my own experience I sensed a pattern so I hopped over to the authority on mobile phones, Howard Forums.

It didn’t take me long to find a bunch of T-Mobile customers from all over the US reporting the same loss of connectivity.  What’s confusing is the lack of an apparent pattern, some people report the ability to connect came back after a few hours, others report the ability to get push email but not surf the web, others that they can use the WAP connectivity but nothing else. 

Some folks are offering the theory that T-Mobile finally caught on to users who have been using the web services by exploiting a hole in T-Mobile’s setup and that the carrier has blocked all the various ports to shut that down.  That is backed up by this internal T-Mobile Customer Service screen (posted on Howard Forums) to help reps deal with calls about this issue:

If this is the root cause of the total loss of data connectivity it is even affecting customers (like me) who have the total internet service from T-Mobile for $30 a month, we can’t connect at all.  Surely T-Mobile wouldn’t shut down their highest paying customers to curtail those who might be exploiting their system.

It’s not just the Dash owners that are suffering, it seems to be affecting almost every data user no matter the device they are using, although Windows Mobile devices seem to be particularly affected since they are heavy into data connectivity.  Let’s hope that someone can shed some light on this so a solution can be reached, the lack of access to my email is killing me, and I know it’s adversely affecting others too.

Access shows ALP at 3GSM

Remember a while back when Access bought PalmSource and announced the next generation Palm OS based on Linux called ALP (Access Linux Platform)?  Nothing much was heard after that until the 3GSM show a couple of weeks ago when Access was showing what it reportedly version 1.0 of the Linux OS for smartphones.  Based on the screenshots on PDA Street the UI is looking very polished and competitive with Windows Mobile and previous Palm releases.  ALP will run on Marvell PX3xx (formerly known as Intel) and the TI OMAP processors.

Sharp Zaurus- RIP

The Sharp Zaurus enthusiast community is buzzing with the news that Sharp is shutting down production of the Zaurus line of PDAs in February.  The Sharp Zaurus is a Linux-based clamshell PDA that has a huge community of owners and developers thanks to its open-source foundation and it will be missed once its gone forever.  I reviewed the SL-C3000 quite some time ago and found the little clamshell to be a very powerful gadget that many have embraced for years.  As is often the case with gadgets Sharp feels the line has reached the end of the road and will stop producing them shortly.  It's always sad when something like the Zaurus is discontinued and many enthusiast web sites are in mourning following the news.

(via MobileRead)

CorePlayer Media Player gets an upgrade

With several years of iPod hype and more recently, the Zune touching down, it's easy to overlook digital audio playback on a handheld device. Actually, with the watered down version of Windows Media Player for Windows Mobile, it's even easier, but that's another post for another day. Enter CorePlayer Media Player from CoreCodec; if it's not the best media player for Pocket PCs and Palms, it's a safe bet to call it "top-five".

Pocket PC Thoughts mentions that CorePlayer 1.0.0 was upgraded to v.1.0.4. There are a ton of changes and feature updates here; the main ones being support for older Windows CE devices, an equalizer function, new 3D skins, and a playlist manager. CorePlayer supports various music and video formats, as in just about any you can think of. The software costs $19.95 and oddly enough, I didn't see a trial download, which is typically normal of mobile device software. One other note: Symbian support is coming soon, so stay tuned!

A day in the life of a Samsung Q1 SSD

No question the most popular type of article I post on jkOnTheRun is the "day in the life" articles where I run through a whole day and describe how I use my mobile gear as the day unfolds.  The first such article I wrote covered my usage of the Toshiba e-805 Pocket PC in all its VGA splendor to handle everything I did during that day.  The look into my typical usage of the Toshiba resonated with readers and I realized this type of article could benefit a lot of people, so I promised myself to write new articles when my mobile gear changed.  The most popular "day in the life" article is without a doubt the article that describes how I used the Sony U50 as a mini-Tablet PC.  It is now time to take you through my day with the Samsung Q1 SSD (and friends) to show what I do with my mobile gear and how it makes my life easier and more efficient.  This is a typical day in the life of a Samsung Q1 (after the jump):

The fat lady has sung: Opera Mini for Palm Treos and RIM Blackberrys

It's been over 10 months since we saw the Opera Mini browser hit cell phones; Palm Treo and RIM Blackberry owners have reason to sing today: they too can join the Opera-lution. By pointing their device at http://mini.opera.com, Treo and Blackberry owners can enjoy the Opera experience that we've come to know and love on our phones and Windows Mobile handhelds. You'll save time and use less of your data plan as well: according to the company:  "Opera Mini™ offers faster and better page rendering while saving on memory and data usage, which reflects as a healthier handset and smaller bill for those with limited data plans. Opera Mini™ achieves this via a server-based component that compresses Web pages, ultimately reducing the size of data transferred and associated costs."

Specific to the Palm Treo 650, Opera has an instructions page here which also clarifies that service is available to Sprint and Cingular customers. T-Mobile folks have to check their subscription plans and Verizon folks...well....you need to wait for the next act.

(via Gearlog)

JK gadget bag updated

Whenever the contents of my daily gadget bag changes I try to remember to post it here on jkOnTheRun and a recent post on fellow Houstonian Kent Newsome's blog reminded me it was time to update my daily kit.  Here is what I now carry with me daily in my Boa Booq XS backpack:

Samsung Q1 SSD- my daily workhorse.  I am taking notes all day on the Q1 with OneNote 2007 and when I am at a desk I use the Q1 as a mini-laptop.

Samsung organizer and USB keyboard- protects the Q1 in the backpack and turns it into a full laptop in 5 seconds

Verizon XV6700 phone- Windows Mobile 5 and EVDO, a good combination.  I tether the XV6700 off and on throughout the day when I need connectivity.  Of course I use a WiFi hotspot if one is available.  I am able to keep up with email whenever I have time free to process it.

Boxwave miniSync cable- I use this to tether the XV6700 to the Q1.  The retractable cable contracts to such a small size it fits in the tiny MP3 player pocket in the Booq bag.  The beauty of having the phone tethered to the Q1 is that the phone is charging the whole time it is attached.  I also have a charge only retractable cable that I use if I just need to charge the phone and don't want to take extra time for ActiveSync to fire up.

IOGear mini Bluetooth mouse- I use it when in laptop mode in the organizer.  A fully charged mouse will last days before needing recharging.

BatteryGeek Portable Power Station- I leave the PPS in a pocket on the Booq bag and connect it while in laptop mode so the Q1 is always fully charged when I head into meetings.  When a meeting lasts a couple of hours and I have to head across town to the next meeting I connect the Q1 to the PPS right in the Booq bag with the charge cable running from the Q1 pocket to the PPS pocket.  This way the Q1 charges the entire time I am travelling to the meeting and it usually picks up a sufficient charge to get me through the upcoming meeting.  If the Q1 battery level ever drops too low for comfort during a meeting I simply plug in the PPS cable for charging without having to remove the battery from the bag.  No one is ever the wiser in the meeting.  This is probably the slickest setup I have ever used.  The PPS will run the Q1 for at least 18 hours and leave me with a fully charged internal battery.

Ultimate Ears Super.fi Pro 5 headphones- simply the best headphones I have ever used.  When I have free time between meetings, especially in a noisy Starbucks or the equivalent, I plug into some nice music (or podcast) and the headphones totally block out the noisy environment.

TomTom One portable GPS- simply the easiest GPS navigation system I have ever seen.  I use it every day, it is always on while in my car.  Even if I don't have a route programmed I like to see which cross streets are coming up and it's a good compass.  I usually do program a route, however, because I can't tell you how many times I have run into a major traffic problem and pulled off the freeway to bypass it.  The TomTom One instantly calculates a new route and gets me to my destination as quickly as possible.  For security reasons I sometimes throw the TomTom in the Booq bag, it's so small it takes almost no room.

That's it, as my gadgets have gotten more capable the number of them I have to take every day has dropped dramatically.  What's in your gadget bag?

Windows Mobile Device center not playing nice with Windows Live OneCare 1.5?

I realize we're mixing two beta products here, which generally provides the same result as using one alpha application, but what can I say: I'm a risk taker! I mentioned earlier today that the latest version of PDANet now supports Vista for using a phone as a modem, but Bluetooth was the best I could do. For some reason Windows Mobile Device Center (WMDC) just never saw my XV6700 on the Q1, so I couldn't take advantage of PDANet's faster USB connection. Or so I thought...

Need a mobile search engine? Just Ask.com

Jeeves the butler is long gone, but perhaps Ask.com should get "Mini Me" from Austin Powers as the next face of Ask. The search portal now has a mobile-friendly search interface that you can find at http://m.ask.com. Ask's portal gives you several categories to search within, including Directions, Images, Business Listings, Maps, Area Codes, Weather, Bloglines and of course, a generic web search.

Two nice features jump out at me. First, Ask is using Skweezer for mobile content presentation, which is great. Second, the category or menu system can be quickly used with keypad devices. Let's say you want to search for a map, which is number 5 in the high-level menu: you simply press "5" on your keypad to use that category. Looks pretty quick and usable on a web-enabled phone.

Slinging TV to the Palm of your hand?

Boy, when it Slings, it pours! Not only did Sling Media announce three new products plus upcoming support for Symbian, but it seems like they're saving a little money on their product packaging too based on this pic from Dave Zatz. After all, if you're going to provide Slingbox support for Palm, why not just print the Palm logo on your product package and cover it up with a sticker? ;)

Seriously, this is great news for Palm OS owners, but at this point, details are between sketchy and few. Engadget has been doing some follow ups with Sling and is hearing that Palm owners might get TV anywhere in the fourth quarter. My advice: put the Slingbox on your letter to Santa now if you own a Palm device.

ActiveSync 4.5 Beta 2 available

Thanks to Ron's comment on James's Bluetooth ActiveSych woes, we see that Microsoft has released a beta version of ActiveSync 4.5. I doubt James will use to try and resolve his issues, simply because using a beta of an already semi-unstable application isn't something most people would do on their production systems. Then again I could be wrong.

Needless to say: for the bravest of the brave among, back up your important handheld data, download the beta and have at it! Since my ActiveSync is working at the moment, I think I'll leave well enough alone. Here's the skinny on the new version thanks to BetaNews:

• Changes in ActiveSync 4.5 Beta 2 help resolve issues related to setup, partnerships, and connectivity with the PC and Microsoft Exchange
• In addition, it includes a troubleshooter utility that scans your computer and device to identify problems and offers information and corrective actions to solve them

I'm very curious to see more details on the troubleshooter; current ActiveSync error messages tend to be quite cryptic.

No ActiveSync, er Windows Mobile Device Center in Vista RC1 yet

I got a glimpse of the new ActiveSync in Vista Beta 2, now known by it's more generic (and descriptive) name of Windows Mobile Device Center. I liked the fact that there was less conversion of files; hey a JPEG is a JPEG, right? All in all, I liked what I saw. Unfortunately, with Vista RC1, I'm not seeing the same thing. In fact, I'm not seeing WMDC at all, which is really disappointing for a Release Candidate. It also hurts my productivity testing.

Turns out that WMDC was pulled from Vista RC1 for the moment. According to Mel Sampat, the Windows Mobile Program Manager, "the WMDC team made some major architectural changes between Beta 2 and RC1 based on the feedback they collected from Beta 2. So the WMDC in RC1 is pretty different than what was in Beta 2, at least underneath the hood". The plan is for WMDC to appear in Windows Update within the next few weeks, but isn't this concerning given the late date of "major architectural changes"?

I think Microsoft will pull a rabbit out of the hat on this one, simply because WMDC is not a core Vista component, but is in add-on module. We're cutting the time-line a little close, though. Solid testing of WMDC isn't going to get done overnight. While we're waiting: what's the one bit of ActiveSync feedback would you give the WMDC team?

(via Pocket PC Thoughts)

No rx4000 for you! NEXT!!!

More details are emerging on that funky looking HP iPAQ rx4000 Mobile Media Companion, but I don't think you're gonna like 'em! Brighthand indicates that there's a good chance the handheld will have 64 MB of RAM and 128 MB of ROM plus the potential for a full gigabyte of additional internal storage. Unfortunately, there's an even better chance that the rx4000 won't see shores beyond Asia, based on this comment from HP:

"The rx4000 is a regional product available in the APJ [Asia Pacific Japan] market. It is not available outside of select countries in APJ."

As quickly as hopes increased, it's a marketing and business plan like this that kills potential good ideas quickly. Then again, if the device is successful in Asia, HP just might see the light with a more global market.

BTW: Ed Hardy at Brighthand had the great post title, but in the spirit of Seinfeld, I thought to mod it just a bit for appropriate reuse. Great headline Ed!

HP iPAQ rx4000 Mobile Media Companion blurring PMP and PDA lines

HP isn't out the handheld game just yet as they've announced the iPAQ rx4000 Mobile Media Companion series in Asia. The $299 device hits the Far East in October and has more of a portable media player look (and name) over HP's traditional PDA lineup. The rx4000 is Windows Mobile 5.0 at the core and the typical software suite of apps like Office Mobile appear to be included. WiFi and Bluetooth are inside as well and the device sports a 2.8-inch touchscreen like most other similar devices.

If the device appears in the wild like the photos shown, this is one of the first handhelds that appear to be primarily geared towards a landscape view, based on the logo orientation and alignment. Is this a more than a PDA? Will it have any unique PMP features that will excel in a landscape view? Difficult to say without more information and specs, so we'll hold off on any predictions for now; of course, you're always welcome to put your $.02 in the comments!

SPB Diary 2.0 available

Fans of the SPB Diary program should be happy: the latest version of the Today plug-in became available earlier this week. Version 2.0 of SPB Diary includes new features like:

• Dialing by photo contact
• Additional one-handed navigation features
• Better memory management (key for low memory devices like the 700w)
• Expanded Notes tab with support for PhatWare notes, .txt. .rtf and .doc files
• Skinnable interface

The new version costs $19.95 for new users; owners of version 1.x can upgrade for $7.49 and everyone can try a free 15-day download trial.

Windows Mobile security- a problem to be reckoned with?

ITBusinessEdge has published an article that points to a report by Airscanner that claims Windows Mobile software is insecure.  The report makes it clear that Windows Mobile is not the culprit but the third party software that is released by developers without proper security handling.  This problem has been brewing for a while, since most Windows Mobile devices are now sporting some form of connectivity that allows them to be connected over the web.  Software vendors need to step up to the plate and begin plugging the security holes their programs open up on such devices.  Of course, the report blames Microsoft for designing the Windows Mobile platform to allow these developers to create security problems:

Seth Fogie, the vice president at the company who wrote the report, pulls no punches. He concludes early on that “it is our belief that Windows Mobile platform creates an environment conducive to poorly designed security software.”

As a higher percentage of mobile devices become connected it is likely we will see an increased security threat so companies deploying them must be aware of the risks.

-jk

Globalsat BT-328 Bluetooth GPS Receiver: small in size and on the wallet

Looking for a GPS solution that doesn't break the bank? Consider Globalsat's BT-328 Bluetooth GPS Receiver at $75. Darius Wey over at Pocket PC Thoughts has a detailed review on the small unit that measures a scant 2.66" x 1.77" x 0.67". The BT-328 is basically a GPS radio that you connect to your PDA, Pocket PC or Smartphone via a wireless Bluetooth connection. The simplicity of this setup is what I expect keeps the price under a $100. The included software just gives you the bare-bones basics, but if you bring your own third-party mapping software to your handheld, the BT-328 should integrate nicely!

-kct

Print from your PDA with ActivePrint 4.7

For the true mobile warriors that actually view and modify documents, spreadsheets or other artifacts on a PDA, this one's for you. ActivePrint is a mobile printing application that runs right on your Windows Mobile device and the software has just been upgraded to v.4.7. I've previously used earlier versions of ActivePrint a few years back and found to be very useful.

It doesn't allow you to directly connect a printer to your PDA; instead, it queues up docs you want to print and then executes the print jobs via a host PC and printer the next time you synch using ActiveSync. Upon first glance, this might not appear too impressive until you actually think of how you would use it. You can mod some docs on that train ride to work, update some spreadsheets while waiting in line at a coffee shop or draw a quick diagram while waiting for the cable company to show (you know: "we'll be there between 8 & 11 or 1 & 4, otherwise we'll see you tomorrow"). After adding your docs to the ActivePrint queue, you'll get printouts of all of your updates when you cradle that device, which can add a bit to your productivity level. No such luck for the cable company's productivity, however....

Pricing for ActivePrint varies from $19.95 for the UltraLight version up to $64.99 for a corporate edition.

(via Boston Pocket PC)

-kct

PDA shipments are up, depending on who you ask

Gartner group says year-to-year PDA shipments are up 2.7% in the second quarter of 2006, but an IDC study over the same period shows a 26.3% decline. That's a huge gap to bridge, but it's all in the method of measurement. Gartner includes two units that IDC doesn't: RIM BlackBerrys and PDAs that have voice-communications. My belief is that a BlackBerry is a PDA as much as a Dell Axim or HP iPAQ, so inclusion makes sense to me. Voice-capable PDAs are by definition PDAs as well. One difference lies in a question that one of our readers, Ed, just asked today: why are some Windows Mobile 5.0 devices called Smartphones?

Personally, I like the Gartner approach as I think it's more representative of the true PDA market. Either way, whether you lump PDAs with phone capabilities into the mix or not, it's clear that the PDA and phone convergence we've watched over the past few years continues to grow. Are the days of the non-phone PDA coming to a close?

-kct

TypePad supports blogging from handhelds

Not that I'd want to blog solely from a Windows Mobile device, but it's nice to know you can. I've seen software options for blog platforms over the past two years, but TypePad just joined the fray with their TypePad Mobile application. It's not just Windows Mobile actually, TypePad Mobile is supported on the Palm (shown) and Symbian platforms as well. The new application is a direct result from SixApart's purchase of SplashBlog earlier this year.

Again, if you're a heavy duty TypePad blogger like James or me, this wouldn't be your main client. This is perfect for the occasional post while on the road or for a photo album blog. Come to think of it, with a camera-enabled handheld, TypePad Mobile would be killer for a photo blog, much like SplashBlog was. The download is free and available directly through the SixApart folks; you can pull it down directly from your handheld at this link.

(via Pocket PC Thoughts)

-kct

GTD on the go: My Life Organizer for PC and Windows Mobile

I continue to read David Allen's "Getting Things Done" each year and every time I do, I get closer and closer to fully adopting it, which is good. The downside is: I also see new tools and software implementations that can help my adoption every few weeks. Some folks use Pocket Informant on a PDA, while others use Microsoft OneNote or Outlook on a notebook. Pocket PC Thoughts raises another good option that works on both PDAs and notebooks with My Life Organizer.

My Life Organizer doesn't need to be used in conjunction with the GTD methodology as you can develop your own organizational approach. However, it does fit nicely with GTD; sneak a peek at this case study to see how well the software integrates with David's approach. There's a 45-day trial available, which is useful as most organizational methods don't change overnight and there are a ton of features to explore. The ability to synch tasks, projects, and goals between your mobile device and a PC is also empowering because nothing is worse than having all of the task management data on a device that's not handy. Better yet: if you use Mind Manager, you can import or export task lists between MLO and Mind Manager!

The desktop client runs on Windows 95 and up, while the handheld version requires PocketPC 2003 or better. I don't see any mention of MLO on the Windows Mobile Smartphone edition, so my guess is that it won't run.

Palm releases Traffic for Treos

Palm has released Traffic for the Treo that takes full advantage of all models of the popular phone.  Traffic sends live traffic information to the Treo in realtime by updating the data wirelessly.  Traffic data is available for a number of major cities and will cost you a monthly fee after the 14 day trial period ends.  Here is a feature list from Palm:

Live traffic data for major U.S. cities.
Get details on traffic incidents—accidents, construction, stalled cars and more—along all major and minor roadways. Information is updated wirelessly.

High quality traffic coverage.
By supplementing traffic sensor data with camera and human input, MetroCommute, our traffic information provider, delivers more accurate, detailed information than you'll find from other sources.

Interactive maps.
Easily pan a map by tapping the on-screen navigation arrows, or use your five-way navigator button. Zoom in for more detail (up to five levels of zoom are supported).

Find out how fast traffic is moving.
Blinking colored traffic indicators show major (red) and minor (orange and yellow) slowdowns. Zoom in to find out the speed of traffic (shown as a circled number).

Get the details on a traffic incident.
Tap on any flashing alert to pull up more information about the incident, if available.

Bookmark your location.
Set a bookmark to save a location and zoom level so you can quickly navigate there in the future.

View roads near an incident.
Unlike radio traffic reports, you can get the details about traffic on nearby roads.

Navigate new cities.
When travelling to a new city, find out where the traffic delays are so you can avoid them.

Traffic will run on the following Treos:  700w, 700p, 650, 600 and requires a subscription with the Palm Traffic service which will cost you $4.99, $7.99, and $14.99 for one city, two cities, and all cities respectively.

Topix aggregates local news on your handheld

I used to use Topix.net for topical story aggregation but RSS steered me away from it at some point previously. It's a great service, but I really haven't looked at it in some time. Just last week, Topix gave me a new reason to review their service again: localized news for the small-screen mobile handhelds. If you have a BlackBerry, Palm Treo, PalmOS phones, Windows CE/Pocket PC/Windows Mobile, SonyEricsson, Symbian, or Nokia device you can use this link on your mobile browser: http://www.topix.net/ZIP. Just be sure to replace the word ZIP with your zip code; there's apparently zippo happening in the town of ZIP at the moment! This will also work on standard browsers for those that haven't made the mobile leap as of yet.

-kct

Palm Treo 700p reviewed

Jack Cook has been a Windows Mobile fan for as long as I've known him and happily so.  He has gotten his hands on the Palm Treo 700p, Palm's EVDO phone running the Palm OS, and he is surprised he really likes the device.  He's written up his first impressions and he is finding out what Treo owners have always known, Treos just feel right in the hand.  Take a look at his article that includes lots of photos and delight as a true geek discovers a whole other world.

-jk

Manage your gadget budget with SPB Finance 2.5

I could swear I've said before that SPB Software House is one of the top Windows Mobile development shops out there. If I never said it before, I've said it now. SPB just released an upgraded version of the finance program called SPB Finance and the new version is 2.5. I used to manage my money on mobile devices with SPB Finance, now I just spend my money on mobile devices. Some of the better features of the app include:

Windows Mobile 5.0 support

ActiveSync 4.0 support

Advanced reports

Improved Today Plug-In

Powerful Register View

Transaction Splits

Autocomplete

Customizable Reports

Transactions Scheduling (Standard edition only)

Pop-up Notifications for Scheduled Transactions (Standard edition only)

Categories and Classes

Data Encryption

QIF Import/Export

Data Backup (Standard edition only)

Synchronization with Quicken (Quick edition only)

Synchronization with Microsoft Money (Money edition only)

There are more great features in this upgrade, but these stood out in my mind as super strengths. The application costs $24.95 and of course, you can download a free trial to test the waters. If you want a "blast from the past" review, James gave this app 4 out of 5 stars back in 2003. He says it would have been a higher rating if it were compatible with Money or Quicken; maybe it's time for a new review? ;)

(via Pocket PC Thoughts)

-kct

WinMobile Fusion: RSS and BitTorrent in your hand

One of the most often looked for Windows Mobile apps I hear about are RSS readers. There's quite a few of them available and they all work fairly well; especially in the context of a mobile device where you don't want to be bogged down with a thick app. WinMobile Fusion from Adisasta might be the first one I've seen that supports both RSS and BitTorrent, however.

I like the look of the client as I see a multi-tab interface and although BitTorrent support sounds good, I'm not sure there's that much of a mobile need for it just yet. Do we really have enough connectivity to be part of the BitTorrent swarm in order to speed up the downloads of large media files? This might be a little ahead of its time, but that doesn't take away from what sounds like a solid product. Additional key features include Atom and OPML support as well as simple navigation and sort options.

WinMobile Fusion costs $25, but you can download a 14-day trial, which I'll likely do in the next week or so.

(via the::unwired)

-kct

jkOnTheRun reader question- Where are the good inexpensive Pocket PCs?

jkOnTheRun reader Michael Nelson asks:

Where are the good, inexpensive Pocket PCs?

I purchased my Dell Axim X30 (312 MHz, with wifi) in the summer of 2004 for approximately $220, directly from the Dell website.  That was almost 2 years ago and it still works brilliantly. I would expect to be able to find a superior product two years later given advancements in processors and memory (does Moore’s law apply to the PDA world?) However, that does not seem to be the case. The least expensive HP model (the iPAQ rx1955) is $299 and roughly comparable in features to my Axim (it runs WM 5 instead of WM2003SE). The least expensive Dell model is regularly listed at $299 (now on special for $239) but lacks wifi. To get wifi you have to spend more than $100 more!

When I was in the market for a PDA a couple years ago there was no way I was going to spend more than $200. I was convinced to stretch my budget a bit ($20), but even that made my wife a little unhappy. I was and still am, after all, a graduate student with little income. Now that I have had my Axim for a couple years, I realize that within another year or so I will likely want to upgrade. But what will my options be (especially as a–hopefully—new professor with the typical low salary new professors receive)? Will there be any comparable Pocket PCs for the budget-conscious? Will I be able to get something that is an improvement on my old, reliable Axim?

Michael, basically what we have run into is a combination of two things.  The OEMs have not made any real advancements in Windows Mobile devices on the hardware side.  We are still working with the same processors we had two years ago with nothing really new on the horizon.  The Windows Mobile Pocket PCs available today look for the most part like your Dell of yesteryear.  Speaking of Dell, since they have killed off the Axim line there are no really cheap Pocket PCs likely to come along that are cheaper than you paid for your Dell.  Usually hardware gets cheaper over time but you are correct in your observation that apparently that's not true for Pocket PCs.

The other factor at play here is the sales numbers that show Phone Editions and Smartphones are passing the traditional PDA so OEMs are shifting in that direction.  These devices with integrated radios, often 3G, are more expensive to produce so the only way to get cheap hardware is to sign up for a data plan and get the Phone Edition subsidized.  Those that have no need for wireless connectivity are getting left in the dust.

Anybody want to chime in and share your thoughts with Michael?

-jk

ActiveSync 4.2 officially released: which WM versions are supported?

If you have a Windows Mobile device you might consider upgrading ActiveSync to the latest version: Microsoft just released ActiveSync 4.2 and you can download it here. Among the fixes and enhancements:

• Microsoft Outlook Improvements: Resolves issues relating to error code 85010014
• Proxy/DTPT interaction Improvements: Improved auto configuration of device Connection Manager settings when desktop has no proxy path to the internet.
• Improved Desktop Pass Thru behavior with ISA proxy failures
• Partnership improvements: Better resolution of multiple devices with the same name syncing with the same desktop
• Connectivity Improvements: Better handling of VPN clients (resolve unbinding of protocols from our RNDIS adapter). New auto detection of connectivity failure with user diagnostic alerts

The system requirements state that this version of ActiveSync works with every mobile OS from Pocket PC 2002 on up, but I'm not so sure about that one. Regardless, this should certainly work with Windows Mobile 5.0 Pocket PC and Smartphone editions.

(via Geekzone)

-kct

My push email quest- resolution

Since updating the Palm Treo 700w to AKU2 which supports push email with Exchange Servers running SP2 I have been jonesing to get it enabled on my device.  My last episode with MailStreet, my Exchange Server provider, left me wondering if it was time to switch providers since I could not get a good story from them why they had upgraded many customer's servers to SP2 but they hadn't upgraded mine.  I have been a loyal customer for going on five years and it made no sense to me why my server was not being upgraded.

A couple of weeks ago I had enough and contacted MailStreet tech support once again and demanded to know why they had not upgraded my server to SP2.  The tech support rep informed me that I was on one of their original Dell servers and that these servers had failed the upgrade testing and Dell refused to support them running SP2.  Naturally, I asked him what they were going to do about it since I was the one caught in the middle, not MailStreet as he implied.  His response that they were going to do more testing, and this a full 3 months after I originally asked to be upgraded and that was frankly not acceptable.

Just how does DirectPush e-mail work anyway?

I always thought there were little Oompa-Loompas with text pagers in the Exchange servers; boy, was I wrong! This article is a few months old, but it's fresher than the newest MSFP upgrade that Verizon just added to the XV6700, so that's gotta count for something. If you were curious how Microsoft's DirectPush e-mail works from an Exchange server point-of-view, you have to read this very informative article on the MSExchange.org site. Now, back to finding those little buggers in the server....

(via Pocket PC Thoughts)

-kct

In depth look at Windows Mobile Device Center: Smartphone Thoughts

I've been so busy with the Q1, that I haven't looked at Vista lately; in fact, I'm pulling down the latest build right now. We previously heard that ActiveSync becomes Windows Mobile Device Center and is included natively with Vista, and now Smartphone Thoughts has a nice in-depth look at the new component. For folks running the Vista beta, you can get the new application by running Windows Update in Vista. If you don't have Vista, check out the first looks because it's clear that Microsoft is better integrating mobile device usage with not-as-mobile devices in Vista.

(via Pocket PC Thoughts)

-kct

HopStop for directions on your PDA

Boy, I could have used HopStop last week when navigating New York City! HopStop is an on-line, city-transit guide in four major cities and they now offer a mobile-friendly version of the same. New York, Boston, Washington, D.C. and San Francisco residents can take advantage of the site and find directions for walking, subway, bus or better yet: any combo of the three! For folks with a GPS integrated in your car: that GPS works great when you're IN your vehicle, but you might consider checking out the free HopStop service when out and about! If you want to preview the mobile-friendly screen on your PC, just hit this