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All posts tagged "windows"


Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Zune Music Pass Launches In Australia

Posted by Darius Wey in "Zune News" @ 05:40 PM

http://www.zune.net/en-AU/products/...ass/default.htm

Oh, yes, fellow Aussies. You'd better believe it. The Zune Music Pass has finally launched in Australia, which means 13 million songs and unlimited music video streaming are now at your fingertips on the Xbox 360, Windows Phone, PC, and web. You can get started now with a free 14-day trial; then, if it's to your liking, continue your subscription for $11.99 AUD per month, or go all out with an annual pass that nets you twelve months for the price of ten. Happy listening!


Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Exomount, The Only Mount You Will Need

Posted by Jeff Campbell in "Apple iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad" @ 01:00 AM

http://www.exogear.com/products-exo...unt-holder.html

"A simple car mount that won't fall mid-drive is all anyone really needs. Still, there's something to be said for one that can stick firmly to almost any surface."

ExoGear sells the mount for $29.95 USD, and it is pretty versatile as you can see from the photo above. Granted, all the photos show an iPhone 4 but if you visit their site you will see that it will work with any device up to a 5-inch screen (thinking tablet here). They even have it adapted to use as an iPad holder or stand by flipping the suction cup around. A one size fits all mount if you will and the price certainly is affordable.


Monday, February 15, 2010

Chat with Windows Phone Designers at the TED Conference

Posted by Pete Paxton in "Windows Phone News" @ 11:00 AM

http://windowsteamblog.com/blogs/wi...conference.aspx

"Here is a brief chat with Microsoft's Joe Belfiore and designers about how they think about design overall and how TED inspires them to utilize the ideas they take away from the conference to influence the design of products at Microsoft. The featured Windows Phone product members include Joe Belfiore, Albert Shum, Jae Park, Don Coyner, and Teresa Goertz."

You can either click here or on the banner above to head over to the Windows Phone Blog and check out the video chat with some Windows Phone product members at the TED conference. I heard the word beautiful, simplicity, and experience several times. I wonder how many of us are going to use those words after experiencing Windows Mobile 7. I sure hope so. I think Microsoft knows they have to come up with something that has an integrated but awesome feel to it as well as productive. I'm excited and I think it's going to happen.


Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Windows Marketplace Registration Opens

Posted by Darius Wey in "Pocket PC Developer" @ 09:50 PM

http://developer.windowsmobile.com/

"In the latest update to http://developer.windowsmobile.com, developers can now Register to participate in Windows Marketplace for Mobile. This marks another milestone in providing Windows Mobile Developers a clear path to develop, test, certify and distribute their Windows Mobile applications via the Windows® Marketplace for Mobile. Throughout the registration process, links to key documentation for distributing apps through Windows Marketplace for Mobile are provided."

Developers, if you haven't registered to participate in the Windows Marketplace for Mobile, now's as good a time as any to do so. You'll have to pony up an annual subscription fee of $99, but doing so will net you assistance with the development, certification, and distribution of your app. Check out the FAQ, if you have any queries. It's worth noting that participation is optional. You may consider the cost or the policies of the Marketplace to be too restrictive, in which case, you're still welcome to develop your app and distribute it through third-party storefronts as you're probably already doing so in this pre-Marketplace era.


Wednesday, February 25, 2009

EU to Force Microsoft to Bundle Competing Browsers on Windows and Windows Mobile

Posted by Jason Dunn in "Digital Home Talk" @ 10:38 AM

http://www.dailytech.com/EU+to+Requ...rticle14392.htm

"The EU will require Microsoft to package third party browser software with Windows. Furthermore, it will require Microsoft to provide further support efforts to make third party browsers' interface with Windows components like Windows Explorer as efficient as Internet Explorer's. The ruling is set to apply to both desktop Windows OS's and to Windows Mobile for cell phones."

Ah, the EU bureaucrats. With the world economy in tatters, they're still running after Microsoft, salivating for more money. Don't they have better things to do? Or maybe fleecing a big American company is part of their plan for the economic recovery of Europe - I wouldn't put it past them. We all know that Microsoft had some heavy-handed, monopolistic tactics back in the '90s - it's a matter of public record. But in the technology world, that's an eternity ago - politics, and even the law, can't keep up with the ferocious pace of technology and they look like idiots when they try. Read more...


Wednesday, January 28, 2009

How Microsoft Intends to Regain Lost Ground In Mobile Territory

Posted by Darius Wey in "Pocket PC Talk" @ 08:55 PM

http://news.zdnet.com/2100-9595_22-264314.html

"Microsoft has made some stumbles in the mobile world, but a strategy shift made more than a year ago will soon pay dividends, the company's top Windows Mobile executive said in an interview with CNET News. Andy Lees, the executive brought over from the server unit a year ago, said that Microsoft's efforts to make sure that its mobile software could run on a wide range of phones resulted in an operating system that failed to take advantage of advances in hardware. "We aimed to go for a lower common denominator," Lees said. Microsoft was also limited by the origins of Windows Mobile, which was developed to power handheld computers that neither connected to a network nor handled voice. "We started out when we were in PDAs (personal digital assistants) and then a phone got strapped to the back of the PDA," Lees said. The company also failed to recognize that phones--even those that were used for business--were still as much personal as they were professional."

The first four paragraphs of the CNET/ZDNet article accurately highlight some of Windows Mobile's flaws, and why the once-venerable smartphone operating system, at times, appears feeble next to relative newcomers, iPhone OS, Android, and webOS. But it's not all doom and gloom for Microsoft. According to Andy Lees, we'll see some breakthroughs over the next 18 months, with the first set expected as soon as mid-February as Microsoft takes the stage at MWC. Lees hinted at an increased reliance on the cloud, the need to improve the core of Windows Mobile in order to keep up with the competition, and a closer relationship with OEMs (which we can only hope translates to more frequent and more consistent updates for all consumers).

Is this the right approach? Sound off in this thread.


Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Samsung SGH-i780, Verizon Wireless XV6900 Receive Windows Mobile 6.1 Upgrades

Posted by Darius Wey in "Pocket PC Software" @ 07:10 PM

http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/new...ade-thread.html

Both the Samsung SGH-i780 (European version) and Verizon Wireless' XV6900 (HTC Touch) have finally been blessed with Windows Mobile 6.1 upgrades. Visit our Windows Mobile 6.1 upgrade thread for links to these upgrades, as well as many more.


Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Feel In Touch: The Samsung Omnia Reviewed

Posted by Jon Westfall in "Pocket PC Hardware" @ 09:00 AM

http://omnia.samsungmobile.com/

Product Category: Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional Smartphone
Manufacturer: Samsung
Where to Buy: Expansys [Affiliate]
Price: $689 USD (16 GB), $634 USD (8 GB)
Specifications: 5 MP Camera, 3.2 TFT WQVGA Touch screen (240 x 400), Bluetooth 2.0, Wi-Fi 802.11g, Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE, HSDPA 7.2 Mbits, TV-out, FM Radio, Integrated GPS, microSDHC, 1440mA battery

Pros:

  • Fun to use & responsive;
  • Sleek design;
  • Innovative value-added features (e.g. flashlight, haptic feedback).

Cons:

  • Widget Bar: full of promise, low on usability;
  • No multitouch ability;
  • Price and availability.

Summary: I've posted news on the Samsung Omnia over the last few months and found it to be interesting enough to purchase. What I found when I opened the box got me excited to be using Windows Mobile again, something I doubted could ever happen. Read on for my experience re-discovering the OS through Samsung's vision of usability. Read more...


Thursday, December 11, 2008

Microsoft Updates Windows Live Services for Mobile

Posted by Darius Wey in "Pocket PC Sites & Resources" @ 09:30 AM

http://mobile.live.com/

"Great news! We are now live with our new and updated Windows Live services for mobile. Go to http://mobile.live.com from your mobile phone's web browser and check it out. There are a lot of new features and services that weren't even available for our beta users. We're really excited about these new mobile experiences! The new and updated mobile web services include Windows Live Home, Photos, Profile, People, and Spaces. These complement our existing mobile services, like Hotmail and Messenger. (An update to Hotmail for mobile web is on its way in the coming months - check this blog for more mobile news as it becomes available). With this release, we are extending even more of Windows Live to mobile devices, but with a mobile twist. To get started, all you need is a phone with a browser and a data plan. Using these services doesn't require a download - all you do is go to the new Windows Live website at http://mobile.live.com."

Microsoft's quest to roll out its new and improved Windows Live applications and services has extended to mobile devices. Windows Live Home, Photos, Profile, People, and Spaces have all been updated. Visit the Windows Live Team Blog for a detailed look, or check it out for yourself.


Thursday, October 30, 2008

Microsoft Launches New-Look Windows Mobile Developer Portal

Posted by Darius Wey in "Pocket PC Sites & Resources" @ 05:02 AM

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsmob...rs/default.mspx

Microsoft has just launched a new developer portal for Windows Mobile to help advertise upcoming events, showcase applications, and introduce you to a number of team members and MVPs. And, of course, there's no shortage of guides showing you how to turn that idea in your head into a working Windows Mobile application.


Wednesday, September 3, 2008

Live Mesh for Windows Mobile Surfaces at Tech.Ed Australia

Posted by Darius Wey in "Pocket PC Software" @ 02:10 AM

http://www.istartedsomething.com/20...-client-teased/

Your eyes aren't deceiving you. Indeed, that's e.aspx">Live Mesh for Windows Mobile running on a Palm Treo Pro. And there's word coming out of Tech.Ed Australia (where the aforementioned was demoed) that it will soon be available for public consumption. Any Live Mesh users here looking forward to this?


Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Palm Treo Pro Is Official

Posted by Darius Wey in "Pocket PC Hardware" @ 09:38 AM

http://www.palm.com/us/products/sma...phones/treopro/

iPAQ 910, look out! Palm's worst kept secret has finally arrived. You'd be hard pressed talking the Treo Pro down. It looks good (well, we think so, anyway), and has a great set of specs: Qualcomm MSM7201 400MHz processor, 128MB RAM, 256MB ROM, quad-band GSM/EDGE, tri-band (850/1900/2100MHz) UMTS/HSDPA, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, a 320 x 320 touch screen, a 2.0-megapixel camera, and a microSDHC slot supporting up to 32GB. There's also a 3.5mm headphone jack built just for your favourite cans. The Treo Pro runs Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional, comes in black (Palm prefers to call it 'obsidian'), and will be available unlocked for $549 as early as September. If you prefer the carrier route, Telstra (Australia), Vodafone (Europe), and O2 (Europe) will be selling it for the low, low price of 'free'.

Press release and images after the break. Now, who wants one?

Read more...

Tags: windows, mobile, treo, palm, pro, 6.1, 850

Friday, August 1, 2008

Skype for Windows Mobile Updated, Supports Windows Mobile 6.1

Posted by Darius Wey in "Pocket PC Software" @ 06:18 AM

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

If you're a Skype user who owns one of the latest and greatest devices on the block, good news! A Windows Mobile 6.1-friendly version (v2.2.0.45) is now available for Classic/Professional (Pocket PC) devices. Oh, sorry Standard (Smartphone) users - you'll have to sit this one out, unfortunately.


Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Windows Live for Windows Mobile Released... Again

Posted by Darius Wey in "Pocket PC Software" @ 10:09 PM

http://wl.windowsmobile.com/

"Wait no more! The latest bits for Windows Live Client for your Windows Mobile are available for download. To get yours now, point your mobile browser to http://wl.windowsmobile.com If you have Windows Live already installed on your device, you will need to uninstall it first. To do that, go to Settings->Remove Programs, select Windows Live entry from the list (if any) and click Remove. If you don’t find Windows Live on the list, then you are good to go."

There's a new version of Windows Live for Windows Mobile available, but don't expect to see anything other than bug fixes. Like the previous Windows Live release, Messenger isn't included; so, if your device already includes Windows Live with Messenger, get ready to wave goodbye to Messenger if you install this version over the top. If that's not something you want to do, you'll need to wait for your carrier/manufacturer to update Windows Live in an upcoming ROM update, which, of course, could take weeks/months/years to deliver. Uh-huh, that's a topic we just can't rant enough about.


Thursday, June 5, 2008

Windows SideShow for Windows Mobile Developer Preview

Posted by Darius Wey in "Pocket PC Software" @ 06:08 AM

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...&DisplayLang=en

"Windows® SideShow™ for Windows Mobile® is an application for Windows Mobile 5 and Windows Mobile 6 Pocket PCs and Smartphones that allows you to use your Windows Mobile device as a Bluetooth SideShow-compatible device. This enables you to use your phone as an extra window into your PC. You can both access your computer’s information from your Pocket PC or Smartphone, and control the computer through a gadget interface. While the phone is out of range, or when your computer is off, you can continue to view content sent to the phone previously. This makes it easy to send information to the phone that you'll need later on."



Last year, I trekked over to Beijing with fellow MVPs and other technical community leaders to meet with the Microsoft Research and Windows Vista teams. There, we discussed the direction that Windows Vista was going to take over the next few years. Microsoft obviously wanted to make the user experience better, but they wanted (needed?) ideas. While a great deal of the week-long meeting focused on the product itself, we did spend some time discussing how it could better communicate with the rest of Microsoft's products, and most importantly, take advantage of them. For the most part, it was all about Windows Mobile, and I was brimming with ideas. Can you see where this is heading?

Yes, we discussed Windows SideShow, which at the time was one of Windows Vista's most impressive features, yet sadly, one of the most underused, too. Not everyone has a digital picture frame or a laptop with an in-lid display. But a lot of us have phones, and if you're reading this, it's probably a Windows Mobile phone. I often wondered why Microsoft didn't endow its own mobile product with SideShow support right off the bat. Some third parties cooked up their own solutions, but adoption was far from widespread, and I was sincerely hoping that Microsoft would realize their oversight and rectify the situation by releasing an official solution to bring SideShow to Windows Mobile.

So, here we are, a year later and Microsoft has heeded advice and finally released a developer preview. It's at v0.01, so don't expect it to be rock solid, but it'll still give you a taste of things to come. Our pal, Arne, has given it a test run and likes what he sees. Maybe you will too. Download it, install it, and let us know what you think.


Wednesday, May 21, 2008

More Mobile Advertising Heading Your Way

Posted by Darius Wey in "Pocket PC News" @ 06:00 AM

http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/...leBrowsePR.mspx

"Today at Microsoft Corp.’s online advertising leadership forum, advance08, Brian McAndrews, senior vice president of the Advertiser & Publisher Solutions Group, announced the availability of display advertising across two popular Windows Live for mobile services, the launch of new markets for Windows Live for mobile services, and upcoming advertising plans for its Live Search Mobile offering. This marks the first year that mobile advertising has played a leading role at the industry event that brings together some of the most influential thought leaders of the global advertising community. Announced today, advertisers can now extend their campaigns to social media through Windows Live for mobile in France, Spain, the U.K. and the U.S. by creating banner ads that will be visible across Windows Live Messenger and Windows Live Hotmail. This builds upon Microsoft’s initial launch of mobile advertising for MSN Mobile in, France, , Spain, the U.K. and the U.S. where mobile ads are available alongside premium MSN Mobile content. Advertising on Windows Live for mobile is already available in Spain, and later this month will be available in Germany, Italy and the Netherlands, further extending its availability for advertisers. All ads placed on these two popular services will adhere to Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) guidelines."



Microsoft has just announced an expansion in the availability of display advertising across its mobile services. You can already see an example of it at http://mobile.live.com/ (screenshot above). I know there's a vocal crowd out there who are strongly against ads in any way, shape, or form, and will go out of their way to block them, but the fact is they are both a direct and indirect source of revenue for many businesses, so denying them that is analogous to stealing. I'm all for mobile advertising - if a business wants to create awareness of their mobile applications and services, they should have a right to do so. My only hope is that given the small displays that mobile devices are endowed with, these ads don't end up being too "in-your-face".


Monday, May 12, 2008

Hexic for Windows Mobile Reviewed

Posted by Darius Wey in "Pocket PC Software" @ 05:00 AM



Product Category: Games
Manufacturer: Astraware
Where to Buy: MobiHand [Affiliate]
Price: $9.95
System Requirements: Windows Mobile Classic/Professional (Pocket PC) or Standard (Smartphone) device

Pros:
  • Addictive;
  • Multiple game modes;
  • Looks and feels just like the MSN Games and Xbox 360 versions.
Cons:
  • Lacks online leaderboards.

Summary:
Alexey Pajitnov knows how to turn any shape into an addictive puzzle game. Tetris, which needs no introduction, is a testament to that. So too is Hexic, which MSN Games and Xbox 360 gamers should be familiar with. For years, I searched high and low for a Windows Mobile version, but to no avail. Now, that search is over. Thanks to the combined efforts of Astraware and Carbonated Games, Hexic is available for all flavours of Windows Mobile, and it does not disappoint.

Read on for the full review! Read more...


Monday, April 14, 2008

E-TEN Announces the Glofiish M750 and M810

Posted by Darius Wey in "Pocket PC Hardware" @ 04:45 AM

http://glofiish.com/

"E-TEN Information Systems has announced the Glofiish M810 and M750, the first in a new series of Pocket PC Phones that put the focus on portable entertainment, dynamic social networking, and go-anywhere communications ideal for the web 2.0 generation. E-TEN's newest Pocket PC Phones harness the latest mobile hardware technologies together with innovations in software to create a pair of sleekly portable, multi-connected devices, designed to help the new breed of bloggers, podcasters, video makers, and chatters, stay online and updated wherever they are."



E-TEN has just announced two new Glofiish devices, the M750 and M810. Inside, there's a Samsung S3C2442 500MHz processor, 64MB RAM, 256MB ROM, quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE connectivity, 802.11b/g Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR, GPS (SiRFstar III), a 2.0-megapixel camera with auto-focus, a slide-out QWERTY keyboard, a microSD slot, and a 2.8" QVGA touch screen, all powered by Windows Mobile 6 Professional. The M810 has the added bonus of tri-band UMTS/HSDPA connectivity. Specs-wise, there isn't much here that sets it apart from previous Glofiish devices, but the design has certainly been kicked up a few notches.

Jump the break for a press release and another picture.

Update: Both have started shipping and should be available in 2-3 weeks. Read more...


Sunday, April 6, 2008

Robbie Bach's Keynote at CTIA Wireless 2008

Posted by Darius Wey in "Pocket PC Events" @ 12:55 AM

http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/...ach/ctia08.mspx



CTIA was where it all happened - the unveiling of Windows Mobile 6.1, the parade of devices running said OS, and the showing off of other bits and pieces that you'd expect to see at a mobile and wireless trade show. Robbie Bach, and a few others, were at CTIA to do the unveiling, so if you're interested in reading or watching the keynote, click here. It's a little over 26 minutes long, or however long it takes you to read a lengthy article, if videos just aren't your thing.


Friday, April 4, 2008

Phone Scoop Does CTIA 2008

Posted by Darius Wey in "Pocket PC Articles" @ 07:35 AM

http://www.phonescoop.com/articles/...php?a=189&p=236



CTIA was Microsoft's playground for the unveiling of Windows Mobile 6.1, and Microsoft's hardware partners certainly weren't afraid to make a showing. Phone Scoop, in their ever-so-thorough ways, have covered CTIA from top to bottom, and there's plenty of Windows Mobile content for your perusal. Obviously, there's coverage of 6.1 and plenty of eye-candy to drool over if you're a Standard (Smartphone) user. Yes, Professional (Pocket PC) users - you have a reason to be jealous. Moving on, there's more eye-candy and a video of the HTC Touch Dual that's set to invade Best Buy stores this quarter. There's Sony Ericsson's XPERIA X1 in all its glory, and it too is running Windows Mobile 6.1 (a little known fact back when the X1 was first introduced due to NDAs and the like). And then there's a lengthy article on Velocity Mobile, a new entrant into the Windows Mobile market. More on that after the break. Read more...


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