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All posts tagged "beta"


Saturday, April 10, 2010

Oops! Microsoft Expired Your Office Mobile 2010 Beta

Posted by Ed Hansberry in "Windows Phone Software" @ 06:00 AM

http://blogs.technet.com/office2010...-april-5th.aspx

If you were beta testing the new Office Mobile 2010 suite of productivity apps on your Windows Mobile 6.5 device, you may have noticed it isn't working anymore. This is because it expired on April 5. While this info was given in the details when you signed up for the beta, Microsoft didn't do their usual announcements reminding beta testers of the pending expiration date.

"The Beta expired on April 5, 2010. We apologize for the inconvenience this may have caused. While the expiration date was mentioned in the product terms of use, we realize that you may have questions and we decided to answer them in today’s blog post."

The blog has the steps you can take to get a working copy of the previous version of Office Mobile on your device, though it might cost you some cash if your device didn't ship with Office. It does make me wonder how many people were actually testing it. The only place I heard about this issue was after MS posted their mea culpa, which was two days after the apps died. Were you testing it and if so, did you notice it quit working?


Sunday, March 7, 2010

Opera Mini Goes Native on Windows Mobile

Posted by Darius Wey in "Windows Phone Software" @ 11:30 PM

http://www.opera.com/mini/next/

"Opera Software today launched a native version of Opera Mini 5 beta for Windows Mobile 5- and 6-based handsets. By integrating Opera Mini with the Windows Mobile platform, Opera is able to deliver an optimized version of the popular Opera Mini browser that dramatically improves performance and the overall user experience. While Opera Mini traditionally requires Java, the new Windows Mobile version does not, which means that Opera Mini will work on any Windows Mobile phone. The Opera Mini 5 beta for Windows Mobile includes the same rich feature set as the Java-based version. Renowned features, including tabbed browsing, the password manager, bookmarks and Speed Dial, are built-in to deliver convenience while on-the-go."

If you've found Opera Mobile to be too much for your needs and prefer something a little more lightweight such as Opera Mini, then you'll be happy to know that the latest beta is now native on Windows Mobile. That's right, there's no longer any need for a JVM. It's free, so head over to the Opera web site, download it, and give it a whirl.


Tuesday, November 24, 2009

WMExperts Video Tour of Opera Mobile 10 Beta

Posted by Jason Dunn in "Windows Phone Software" @ 08:00 PM

http://www.wmexperts.com/video-revi...-mobile-10-beta

I haven't had a chance to check out Opera Mobile 10 beta yet, but this video covers it nicely - anyone else had a chance to try Opera 10 Mobile yet? What do you think of it?


WMDC With Office 2010 64 bit? Maybe, Maybe Not

Posted by Ed Hansberry in "Windows Phone Talk" @ 09:00 AM

By now most of you know that Office 2010 is in an open beta for anyone to download. I was perusing the release notes when I ran across something in the Outlook 2010 section that bothered me a bit.

  • Programmability / Add-ins:Windows Mobile Device Center (WMDC) no longer operates when 64-bit Outlook 2010 is installed on 64-bit Windows.
  • Upgrading 32-bit Outlook 2007 to 64-bit Outlook 2010 could also result in data loss during first sync with WMDC.
  • The WMDC will not be upgraded to work on 64-bit Windows when 64-bit Outlook 2010 is installed.

All of the fixes and workarounds revolve around retaining a 32 bit version of Office 2010 rather than a 64 bit version. I cannot tell if this is a temporary issue during the beta phase or a permanent one. If the latter, it means WMDC is nearing the end of its life. I think Windows 7 is the last 32bit OS Microsoft will release for desktops and it is likely that the next version of Office may be 64 bit only as well.

Before anyone jumps up and asks why anyone is using WMDC anyway, just remember, not everyone has a cloud solution to sync with and even if they do, some apps like eWallet or PocketBible still require WMDC to do record level syncing with its desktop counterpart. I am sure those apps and others are headed towards online syncing, but in the meantime, if you still need WMDC, keep the above warnings in mind when deciding between a 32 bit and 64 bit version of Office.


Monday, June 8, 2009

Opera Mobile 9.7 Is Beta, Faster

Posted by Darius Wey in "Pocket PC Software" @ 12:32 AM

http://www.opera.com/mobile/download/

"Opera Mobile 9.7 beta is now available to accelerate the mobile browsing experience for Windows Mobile-based phones. Speed is at the heart of this beta release due to the addition of Opera's recently launched technology for faster surfing, Opera Turbo. Opera has also included its newly upgraded browser engine, called Opera Presto 2.2, for faster page loads and better overall performance. With the added bonus of Opera Widgets, Opera Mobile 9.7 gets you the Web content you want in fewer clicks and less time."

The venerable Opera Mobile has just been updated to v9.7 and now promises a 25% faster mobile browsing experience. A beta version is up for grabs. It does have a few issues, though none too detrimental. And, unfortunately for Standard users, it's only compatible with Classic/Professional devices.


Friday, April 24, 2009

Windows Mobile 6.5 and Exchange to Auto-Sync SMS Messages

Posted by Rocco Augusto in "Smartphone News" @ 02:05 AM

http://wmpoweruser.com/?p=4136

"Microsoft (NSDQ: MSFT) is apparently looking to integrate Windows Mobile more tightly with the Windows computing experience. The newly available Exchange Server 2010 beta has shed some light on an upcoming Windows Mobile 6.5 feature - the ability to synchronize and archive all SMS text messages on the Exchange Server! Never again will you have to worry about losing important text messages or having to scroll through endless text-convos just to find a phone number."

The idea of being able to backup your text messages has been a very popular request I have seen throughout the years but I it makes me uneasy to think that any SMS messages that were coming into my Windows Mobile handset were being backed up on an Exchange server somewhere. Email, contacts, calendar appointments and tasks are one thing since I purposely use Exchange to route that information between the cloud, my device, and my various computers. My text messages however have nothing to do with Exchange and it is my own personal feeling that they never should. Any information that was ever of value that was sent to me via SMS - such as a phone number, appointment, or address - was something that I would take the time to put in the appropriate program that managed that information. If I did lose a text message it wasn't that hard to ask the sender to pound out another 160 characters so I could have that message again. Am I the only one bothered by this new upcoming feature? This also brings up another interesting question I have been thinking about for a while now – how much syncing is too much syncing?


Monday, April 13, 2009

My Phone Beta Contest is Over!

Posted by Rocco Augusto in "Smartphone Software" @ 06:00 AM

http://myphone.microsoft.com

The Microsoft My Phone Beta contest is over! The contest was originally for two registration codes for Microsoft's latest mobile Beta program but luckily Jason was able to get a third code from one of his sources so we have three lucky winners to announce today! The triad of winners is rockcnu, jkovacs and leslietroyer. Congratulations to all of the winners! I want to thank everyone that took the time to send us their disaster stories and hopefully within the future we will not have to deal with annoyances like syncing errors.


Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Send Texts and Files With Skype 3.0 Beta for Windows Mobile

Posted by Darius Wey in "Pocket PC Software" @ 09:18 AM

http://www.skype.com/go/windowsmobilebeta

Skype 3.0 Beta for Windows Mobile has just been released, and it delivers two major features: SMS and file transfers. There's also a new user interface and a single installer for both Windows Mobile Classic/Professional (Pocket PC) and Windows Mobile Standard (Smartphone). Interested? Check out the video demo at the Skype Blogs, then download it and give it a whirl.


Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Skype for Windows Mobile 2.5 Beta Released

Posted by Darius Wey in "Pocket PC Software" @ 08:35 PM

http://www.skype.com/download/skype/windowsmobile/

"Based on feedback from you guys, our Mobile team have overhauled Skype for Windows Mobile and released Beta 2.5. It features improved sound quality, better stability and a more familiar user interface. Download it now and give it a whirl."

The eagerly awaited Skype for Windows Mobile update is now available for both Windows Mobile Standard and Professional devices. Go get it!


Wednesday, December 3, 2008

Become a Telmap Navigator Beta Tester

Posted by Darius Wey in "Pocket PC Software" @ 10:10 PM

http://www.telmap.com/tugPC

Telmap has opened its user group to you, dear Pocket PC Thoughts reader. Join the user group and you'll join a beta program that will allow you to test and use Telmap Navigator for free. Navigator is a turn-by-turn in-car navigation application, complete with 3D moving maps, traffic and speed camera information, text-to-speech capabilities, pedestrian support, and local search for millions of POIs around the world.

To register, visit www.telmap.com/tugpc. Feedback can be addressed to tugadmin [at] telmap [dot] com.

Update #1: The folks at Telmap have just written in to inform us that they've been overwhelmed by Pocket PC Thoughts readers interested in testing Navigator. As a result, they will soon be imposing a limit on the number of registrations in order to keep the group to a manageable size. So, if you want in, you'd better scoot off to the registration page before it's too late. We'll post a second update once the doors have closed.

Update #2: Telmap has received plenty of US registrations, so the limit is on US registrations only. The company is still welcoming registrations from readers based in other countries.


Friday, September 26, 2008

Photoshop.com Mobile Goes Live

Posted by Darius Wey in "Pocket PC News" @ 04:40 AM

http://https://www.photoshop.com/in....html?wf=mobile

"Adobe® Photoshop.com Mobile is the easiest way to upload, view, and share your photos online from your phone. All you need is a supported Windows Mobile phone and your Photoshop.com account ID. Photoshop.com Mobile beta will be available as a free download in September."

The beta of Photoshop.com Mobile - announced a few weeks ago - is now live, but only for US customers. Only a small handful of Windows Mobile devices are currently supported, but that list is set to grow, and you may still get lucky with your unsupported device, anyway. Anyone plan on using this service?


Thursday, July 17, 2008

Opera Mobile 9.5 Beta Released

Posted by Darius Wey in "Pocket PC Software" @ 02:32 AM

http://www.opera.com/products/mobile/download/

"Opera brings you the best Internet experience on any device, from computers and cell phones to portable media players and game consoles. Opera Mobile, first launched in 2000, and with over 100 million installations since 2004, was the first to bring the full Web to the small mobile screen. Opera Mobile for feature phones and smartphones has pioneered and set the standard in mobile browsing, supporting the latest technologies and receiving industry acclaim. Today, Opera continues to provide the best mobile Web experience with the first beta of Opera Mobile 9.5. Opera Mobile is the answer to the demands of Web fans everywhere. The first beta of Opera Mobile 9.5 comes outfitted with added performance, faster speed, a new UI, and Oper Dragonfly, and is ready and waiting to bring users the Web everywhere."

It's finally here! The public beta of Opera Mobile 9.5 is now available for Windows Mobile Classic/Professional (Pocket PC) devices (sorry, Standard (Smartphone) users). There are plenty of new features such as pan and zoom, a new UI, improved performance, improved standards support, AJAX support, tabbed browsing, offline browsing, auto-complete, a password manager, and Opera Dragonfly. Of course, 9.5 is not without its issues - be sure to digest them before installing. Happy browsing!


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