As well as going along to the HTC Diamond launch this week, I was in London to attend the European Launch of MWg, the Windows Mobile company formerly known as O2 Asia and now backed by well known device store eXpansys.
At the launch MWg announced their Atom V and Zinc II devices, as well as offering up their device roadmap for those in attendance.
I captured the Roadmap presentation on video (as you can see), but also took a still you can see below (after the jump for news page readers!). Particularly interesting points...
- MWg plan to make a Smartphone - MWg plan to make a Shift-esque UMPC - MWg plan to release a lot of devices - MWg plan to release a WM7 device before the end of 2008!
If it's right (and let's be honest, the roadmap errs on the side of vague), that has to be VERY good news (and it'd be great to see another Smartphone released too)!
New broadband option offers free smartphone for web and e-mail on the move
BT takes broadband out of the home with the launch today of BT Total Broadband Anywhere, an all-inclusive package which offers a free, internet-capable smartphone – the BT ToGo – worth around £150, and BT’s Total Broadband service in the home.
From £23.99 per month1, only £5 more than the price of BT Total Broadband Option 3, the new BT Total Broadband Anywhere option delivers the most complete broadband experience, both at home and out and about – for surfing the web, sending and receiving e-mails, making calls or texting.
John Petter, managing director, Consumer at BT, said: “Broadband Anywhere customers get the total broadband experience – BT’s top-of-the-range broadband service at home, and a free BT ToGo smartphone for when out and about or on the move.”
“Communications services are converging, and it is clear that customers want consistent access to the things that matter not only at home, but in the palm of their hands wherever they are. When shopping, waiting for a train or having a coffee, Broadband Anywhere enables you to read e-mails, check the football score or compare prices.”
Broadband Anywhere customers get a choice of two stylish, full-function BT ToGo smartphones2 – the HTC S620 or S710 – both powered by Microsoft Windows Mobile 6. When in range of a WiFi hotspot, the BT ToGo connects to the internet at broadband speeds and provides cheaper calls through BT Broadband Talk3. When out of WiFi, there is a 10MB4 monthly download allowance, and the package includes 50 call minutes and 50 texts on any network at any time5. Larger minute and text bundle options are also available.
The BT ToGo integrates seamlessly with many other BT Total Broadband services, and is preconfigured with a BT e-mail address, although customers are able to set up other popular email accounts easily. In addition, the BT ToGo comes with mobile security software for comprehensive virus protection.
The BT ToGo boasts a built-in camera for taking photos and video clips, and comes complete with a media player so customers can enjoy their favourite music and videos wherever they go. It also includes BT Snap & Send, which means photos taken with the BT ToGo can be quickly transferred to a personal online BT Digital Vault so they can be safely stored or instantly shared with family and friends.
At home, Broadband Anywhere customers get BT’s premium Option 3 Total Broadband service, including a free, future-proof black wireless Home Hub with Hub Phone, download speeds of up to 8Mb/s6 with unlimited downloads7, advanced online security8, free 5GB Digital Vault9 secure online storage and free 24/7 customer support.
All Broadband Anywhere customers automatically join the BT FON WiFi community. Using any wireless device, including the BT ToGo, customers get unlimited WiFi access7 at more than 82,000 BT FON Hotspots in the UK, a further 190,000 hotspots around the world and over 2,500 BT Openzone hotspots10 in the UK and Ireland. A range of BT Total Broadband Anywhere packages are available, each offering BT’s top of the range Total Broadband Option 3 and an inclusive BT ToGo.
4. 10MB usage per month. Additional usage will be charged at £1.50 per MB. Any allowance not used during the month may not be carried forward. As a launch promotion, all BT Total Broadband Anywhere customers receive unlimited GPRS usage for no additional cost until 31 July 2008. After that date, customers will be able to choose whether they wish to continue with unlimited GPRS (at additional charge) or retain the 10MB inclusive allowance.
OMG BT what are you thinking?
At first site this seems pretty sound. A bolt on to your existing broadband = good, home hub = good, WinMo Smartphone = good, WiFi access = good, Digital Vaule = good I guess but 10MB per month usage cap = absolutely ridiculous, not to mention the £1.50 / MB over-use charges.
[Edit: 2 additional videos after the jump showing the 'pulse notifications' on the dpad (different 'pulses' mean different things), plus the Zoom on dpad in Album and Opera.] (currently uploading!)
Since the dawn of Windows Mobile time, there has been talk of 'over the air' device updating.
Microsoft has built Windows Update into the OS and nobody uses it, and everybody blames everybody else for the fact that today, we still can't keep our devices up to date without tethering with a PC. A real pain if, like me, you don't generally tether due to using Exchange, and even more of a pain if, like me, you use a Mac
Fellow MVP Mauricio Freitas actually wrote about this recently entitled 'Windows Mobile update distribution is broken', and he's spot on.
While the people who supply us our devices decide who takes responsibility for deploying our updates, and as scores of users take to trying 'Cooked ROMs' to get the features they want, why not develop an OTA (Over The Air) update method of our own? It sure is possible using the work already done by others on custom bootloaders, and the work i've already done with AppToDate.
Check out the video, and remember you can grab AppToDate here!
Chris (Monolithix) and I are proud to announce the release of WinMo Week Twelve!
In this ~50 minute show, we talk about...
Intro
Atom V
PDAHut / Proporta battery pack
HTC LEAKAGE! The Diamond, Raphael and Titanium
New devices coming to Orange! i200, S730 and White Touch Dual
New (for them anyway!) device coming to 3! The TyTN II..
Close
...as well as the usual amount of tangents you'll find in our chats
As with all our shows, this episode is available in standard MP3 format or as an enhanced M4A format with chapters, images and links for use on an iPod or in iTunes. You can get the podcast in the following ways:
Direct download from the downloads section of the site
Your feedback is really valuable and will tell us whether it is worth our while to continue running the podcasts! Do you listen? What do you like? What do you not like? Please leave your feedback in this topic, or on the phone in number (which you can also use for questions for the podcast). The Phone in number again is:
+44 1379 888 101
You can also leave a voicemail via Skype by calling:
This post is where you will find all of our 'HTC 6th May Product Launch' coverage!
We'll be attending the launch event in London and posting news, thoughts, pictures and videos as well as LiveBlogging via CoverItLive and Live Broadcasting the event with uStream (both connectivity allowing of course!)
As Facebook, Bebo and eBay top the popularity charts on Vodafone Mobile Internet, Vodafone UK has today changed the way it structures its price plans to include access to the internet and email on their mobile as an integral part of the monthly price plan.
The move means that pay monthly customers will no longer need to buy an additional internet bundle for £7.50 but instead every plan will automatically include internet access. The new plans will give Vodafone customers reliable and fast unlimited* access to their favourite social network sites, email and the whole of the internet when out and about in the UK. Vodafone customers will now have even greater confidence to browse the mobile internet without the worry of additional charges, no matter what monthly plan they choose.
Price plans start at £25 and customers who select a £40 or higher price plan will also for the first time have the choice of unlimited texts, unlimited landline calls or unlimited Vodafone to Vodafone calls.
“Our customers want simplicity and services that are easy to select, buy and use. Today with our new price plans Vodafone customers have the confidence to browse for as long as they need with no extra costs when checking their e-mail, visiting their favourite social networking sites or making a final bid on eBay,“ said Ian Shepherd, director of consumer for Vodafone UK. “This will make Vodafone not only the network of choice for voice and text but also the internet. And what’s more, all customers who visit a store to sign up to the new plan will benefit from Vodafone’s simple two minute set up for email so that they can leave the store up and running.”
Since launching the internet on mobiles last summer Vodafone has witnessed the growth in consumers’ appetite for email, instant messaging, and social networking as well as more general services such as Google search. Favourites for customers include quick access to Facebook, MySpace or Bebo to share pictures and news, YouTube to check out videos on the move, and fast connections to eBay to make that last minute bid.
*subject to a fair usage policy of 500MB / per month
OK so it's got a 500MB FUP, but to get half a gig of data bundled into your price plan for free is pretty blooming awesome IMHO!
If you've been into Windows Mobile for a while, you probably remember the i-mate 'glory days'. The days when they were the most sought after Windows Mobile devices - admittedly the days when they were reselling HTC kit. Since they parted company with HTC, their devices have been lacklustre... however they are now trying to regain some momentum with their 'Ultimate' range.
The latest device to arrive on my doorstep is the 'Ultimate 9502', that you see unboxed here.
Priced at $899 and supplied to me by Smart Mobile Gadgets, the 9502 leaves little out of the spec sheet...
• Microsoft® Windows Mobile® 6.0 Professional • 116mm(L) x 60mm(W) x 17.8mm(T) • 200g with battery pack • 400 MHz Qualcomm® MSM 7200™ • 256 MB ROM • 128 MB RAM • 2.8” VGA (640×480) Touch-screen • GSM / GPRS / EDGE Quad-band 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 • Tri-band UMTS / WCDMA, Band 1 (2100 MHz), Band 2 (1900 MHz), Band 5 (850 MHz) • HSDPA and HSUPA • Slider LCD exposes 39-key Qwerty keypad • 360° Jog wheel and OK / Back • Removable 1620mAH, Lithium ion-Polymer battery • 3.0 Megapixel auto-focus camera • LED Compensation light • VGA camera for Video Calls • WiFi 802.11 b/g • Bluetooth® 2.0 + EDR • TV + Audio out cable • MicroSD™ card slot
...the question is, is it the sum of it's parts?That's what I plan to find out!
Check out the unboxing video (including a demo of the TV out functionality!), and if you have any questions, feel free to ask away
In a discussion on the Mobius list earlier this week, someone commented on how difficult it was to find a free, simple solution to removing duplicate contacts. Being a developer at heart, I rustled up a quick 15 min app called 'DupeDeDupe' (quick and dirty is the phrase here).
Anyhow, DupeDeDupe was widely reported on *bizarrely) and people started to request new features etc., which set me thinking about the best way to develop / maintain the app. This in turn led me to think about a concept i've been pondering (and talking about) for a while, 'community development'.
The idea is that projects such as DupeDeDupe, NoData, DoNew etc. could be Open Source and completely viewable by the community at large, to help drive updates, improvements and education for those wanting to get started in development. Projects like these are ideal because they are generally small and simple, with lots of scope for tweaks. [b]The best way to enable this seems to be Popfly.[b]
Popfly does a lot of things, but the most interesting aspect for me is the Popfly Explorer. The PopFly explorer plugs into Visual Studio 2005 or 2008, and allows you to 'Share' your projects. I can open up DupeDeDupe for example, select to share it, and then my Popfly friends can just download the source etc. as I update it. Pretty cool, and of course it's FREE!
Now I don't know how well or if this is going to work, but if you are interested in development or like the idea, then load up your copy of VS, install Popfly Explorer, add 'paulatmodaco' as a friend and we'll give this thing a go!
Good idea? Bad idea?
Finally, if you're interested but you're not set up for development yet, I have a copy of Visual Studio 2005 to give away to the first person to reply asking for it (genuine interested developers please!), and you can grab the Visual Studio 2008 90 day trial version.
This comes straight to you from the 'hang on, why aren't people more interested by this?' department
This wasn't really covered back at the Windows Mobile 6.1 launch at CTIA, partly because we were a bit slack when it came to the actual Windows Mobile 6.1 announcement when it FINALLY came and partly because the press release was so, well, vauge... but Microsoft did made a significant announcement regarding Pocket Internet Explorer, and I figured today was as good a day as any to round up the facts
Right, so as the title suggests... "Desktop grade IE6 is coming to Windows Mobile 6.1 by the end of 2008".
Updated Internet Explorer Mobile Brings the Quality of Desktop Web Browsing to Phones
The new version of Internet Explorer Mobile adds the ability to easily view full-screen Web pages and multimedia on the Web with a smartphone. By taking advantage of Internet Explorer 6 technologies and supporting established and upcoming industry standards such as H.264, Adobe Flash and Microsoft Silverlight, the updated Internet Explorer Mobile gives people a rich mobile Internet experience. The update will be available to mobile phone partners in the third quarter of 2008, with the first Windows Mobile phones using the new version expected to be available by the end of 2008.
Pretty sweet eh? Come the end of 2008, you'll be able to forget about the second-rate rendering in Pocket IE, and enjoy the same experience you'd get on a desktop PC through IE6, but optimised for mobile!
The facts...
- It's IE6, ported to WM - It includes FULL Flash - It will include Silverlight (although perhaps not immediately) - It is not a core component of Windows Mobile 6.1 - With Flash (full) + silverlight later - Not in core 6.1 - It will be implemented at the discretion of OEMs, on selected devices - It will be avialable by the end of '08
What with the browser wars definitely hotting up (Opera, Skyfire, Netfront, Iris, Firefox Mobile etc.) it's very interesting to see how they will compare with Microsoft's own offering!
Despite by best efforts to beg / borrow / steal there's no build yet for me to have a play with and let you know what it's like (probably unsurprising, given the time between now and release!) but I CAN provide you with a screenshot of the BA site rendered on IE6 mobile (not that it really gives much away, but apparently that IS a IE6M shot) and a short video courtesy of Brighthand (well worth watching!)
If like me you use a mobile ID storage application (CodeWallet, SplashID etc. etc.) then chances are you use a desktop companion product too. Put simply, entering all your data on the device itself is somewhat laborious and using your computer is a lot easier
If like me you have also made the switch to a Mac recently, then you've been somewhat out of luck when it comes to achieving the above. But not any more, courtesy of Splashdata, who have introduced Mac companion products for SplashID, SplashMoney and SplashShopper! Hurrah!
Each of the desktop companions retails at $19.95, but a trial verison is available for all of them PLUS there is a 60 day guarantee, so it's well worth a look!
About the products (which are available for both Smartphone and Pocket PC)...
QUOTE
SplashID - Password Manager
SplashID safely and securely stores all of your personal identification information, including user names, passwords, credit card numbers, calling card numbers, bank account numbers, PINs, frequent flyer numbers, and more.
SplashMoney - Personal Finance Manager
Do you want to keep an eye on your money and where it is going? Connect to your online bank and download transactions directly into SplashMoney. Create budgets, and then track and analyze your spending with customizable reports and charts. Compared to Quicken, SplashMoney makes managing your money fun.
SplashShopper - List Manager
Are you highly organized? Or maybe you’re looking for a way to get there? You need SplashShopper, the ultimate smart list manager that you can take with you. Track prices and stores. Manage your lists of groceries, gifts, to do’s, wines, music, movies, and more!
This just dropped into my inbox courtesy of those lovely people at Palringo (purveyors of the fine multi-im / group chat / picture / voice client of the same name)
QUOTE(Palringo)
Hello Everyone,
Yes, we know we have been a little quiet. I am sure that you have noticed all the great new updates which incorporate a few new improvements to Palringo!
All of our updates and improvements are down to you, our loyal users, and once again we need your help in telling us what we are doing right, what we are doing wrong, and anything else you think will make your experience using Palringo even better than it is now!
So... what are we asking for? Well, a few minutes of your time to fill out our survey by clicking on the link below.
"I'm a busy person and well, I am not sure if I have the time to fill out this survey", we hear you cry! Well, this is where we throw in a little incentive, because we're nice like that!
Fill in our quick online survey, and you stand the chance of winning an Asus P750 smartphone with you favorite IM pre-loaded, shipped to your door free of charge! Yes, you hear right, a minute of your time for a chance to win a free mobile. Now that's a deal even my granny wouldn't pass on!
So let's be hearing from you, and who knows, you might soon be the owner of a brand new, all singing, all dancing Asus P750.
Thanks again for all your loyal support!
Your Palringo Team
Aside from being a Palringo fan (drop by and join the 'modaco' group!), i'm also a big fan of the Asus P750 - it's my device of choice at the moment! With it's 3MP cam, VGA-capable screen, speedy processor and real keypad, it's a winner for me. Only downer is the £350 price tag, but that's where Palringo come in...
Birdsoft is pleased to announce the release of Version 3.25 of Extreme Agenda the Popular Full Featured Organizer. Version 3.25 adds new features like a Photo Icon based List and the ability to add 'New Task' and 'New Appointment' to our popular Spinner selection and support for updating via MoDaCo 'AppToDate'.
Additionally for Windows Mobile Touchscreen devices it adds other great features including VGA and 320x320 screen support, SPB Mobile Shell support, a full help system and even more...
This version is a FREE update for current users and a trial version is available at the Extreme Agenda homepage.
If you haven't checked out why so many customers are leaving their old Organizer for the Power and Ease of Use of Extreme Agenda, now is the time to come see! Great Competitive Upgrade offer available. So Get Organized the Easy Way.
Go Extreme!
Do you use the inbuilt PIM functionality on your device, or have you switched to a third party replacement?
I have tried Extreme Agenda, Agenda One and Pocket Informant (and probably a few others), but have yet to find one I really stick on (I'm trying Extreme Agenda again now!)... but i'd be intrigued to know what YOU use!
If the Xperia X1 is the device for you, it looks like you have a little while to wait yet i'm afraid! 
