Sunday, April 30, 2006

Cell Phone Data Eraser

Now you can sell, donate or recycle your old cell phone worry free! The Cell Phone Data Eraser gives you all the tools you need to remove personal information like contact names and phone numbers from your cell phone. To begin, simply:

Select your phone manufacturer
Select your phone model
Click the Download Instructions box
Follow the easy, step-by-step instructions


Stop over at Wireless Recycling and get the Data Eraser

The Rethink Initiative offers a fresh perspective on the challenge of e-waste, with information, tools and solutions that make it easy to sell, donate, or recycle used cell phones, computers and electronics.

Snapshot 'Holiday Tips' Special!

My good friend Richard over at the Daily Gadget had a few tips to offer now that the days are longer and spring is well on its way. Richard says its time to be thinking about getting those perfect holiday snaps. Of course, it's often difficult to capture the moment but he has some tips to help you out.

Take a moment and wander over to the Daily Gadget and check out what he has to say about the following tips for those special photos you may want to snap.

Tip #1. Get a handy digital camera
Tip #2. Lighting
Tip #3. Flash
Tip #4. Spare batteries
Tip #5. ISO Speed
Tip #6. Mini tripod or beanbag
Tip #7. Learn what your camera can do
Tip #8. Thumbs

Top 10 Windows XP Tips


George Jones from Yahoo! News wrote an article on the Top 10 Windows XP Tips that give you the most "bang for your buck". These tips cover a gamet of areas that will offer you some neat ideas for improving your ability to Experience Mobility and as George said "are just plain cool".

Tips like:
Tip 10: Halt background services to improve performance.
Tip 9: Increase available disk space by scaling back System Restore.
will show you in simple steps how to make your system work a whole lot better.

Like it? I did and I believe you will too. If you want to read all 10 of George's tips, click here to see those that are most useful in terms of security, functionality, and PC performance; and that are just plain cool.

Block Pop-up Windows

I really dislike "pop-ups" and tend to boycott sites that use them. From my way of thinking it is just another form of SPAM and I don't want it.

Some advertisers on the Internet use pop ups to display a message and when they do, it is almost a guarantee that I will not buy that product. I think that websites should say upfront that they use this form of advertisement and should give an option for you to choose to see them or not but unfortunately that is not the case.

Sadly, there are some pop-up windows contain inappropriate content or worse still, can be a way for you to accidentally download spyware or adware onto your PC.

Fortunately there is a pretty effective means of blocking "Pop-up Windows" within Internet Explorer. With Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2) Internet Explorer allows you to prevent most pop-up windows from appearing over pages you want to view while you're using the Internet.

There is a nice article on Microsoft that shows you how to Block Pop-up Windows with Internet Explorer. It is a quick read and I guarantee that you will be happy you used it.

SuperFetch, ReadyBoost, and ReadyDrive

New terms? You bet they are and many of you are probably wondering what they mean. Steve (FYI Guy) over at Boston Pocket PC posted an article that talks about it. In part, this is what fyiguy had to say:
Are you ready for some new terms to get familiar with in Windows Vista. People have seen SuperFetch and some people may have seen some features that went by the codename of EMD and Piton, but now they have official names... Drumroll...

They are: Windows Super Fetch, that basically preloads applications you use most; Windows ReadyBoost this was demonstrated by Jim Allchin at PDC last year, by adding to the overall usable memory via an External Memory Device aka EMD, like an SD card or USB thumb drive; and Windows ReadyDrive, which get this, uses a Hybrid Hard Drive that combines non-volatile flash memory o­n today's hard drive hardware for fast boot up and resume times from sleep and hibernation. Now how cool is that!!!



Take a few moments and wander over to Boston Pocket PC and see what fyiguy had to say...it is worth the read!

Do You Like Jazz?


MSN Video to Exclusively Stream the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival


Live webcast and video highlights on demand will bring the festival and soul of New Orleans into households around the world.

Who:

Jazz Fest scheduled performances by Bruce Springsteen, The Dave Matthews Band, Dr. John, Keb’ Mo’, Elvis Costello, Herbie Hancock, Allen Toussaint, Galactic, the subdudes, Sonny Landreth, the Preservation Hall Jazz Band with special guests begin airing live on MSN® Video April 30, 2006.

What:

MSN Video will offer an exclusive live Internet stream of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival performances this Sunday, April 30, from 3 to 8 p.m. EDT at http://msnvideo.com/jazzfest. However, starting April 28, MSN is also offering interactive artist downloads and photos, interviews, original feature stories, news, playlists, New Orleans travel guides, and other dynamic content from the festival, bringing to life the next generation of online entertainment. MSN will donate all advertising proceeds from the show to New Orleans Hurricane Katrina relief efforts. The second installment of the festival will be streamed live on MSN beginning the following weekend, May 7, 2006.

When:

The first live broadcast airs Sunday, April 30, 2006, from 3 to 8 p.m. EDT.

(The second live broadcast airs live on MSN May 7, 2006.)


Where:

The exclusive content can be seen now at http://msnvideo.com/jazzfest.




ENTER OPENING PARAGRAPHS HERE ENTER REMAINING TEXT HERE
Click read more below to see the full news item

What To Be A Graphic Artist?


Dream. Design. Communicate.

SketchUp is a simple but powerful tool for quickly and easily creating, viewing and modifying your 3D ideas.


Google SketchUp (free version)

Google SketchUp (free) is an easy-to-learn 3D modeling program whose few simple tools enable you to create 3D models of houses, sheds, decks, home additions, woodworking projects – even space ships. You can add details, textures and glass to your models, design with dimensional accuracy, and place your finished models in Google Earth, share them with others by posting them to the 3D Warehouse, or print hard copies. Google SketchUp (free) is a great way to discover if 3D modeling is right for you.

Google SketchUp is free for personal use. No registration is required. Download it now to start modeling.

Saturday, April 29, 2006

Skype Add-Ons


Skype is more than just a telephony client. There are many accessories that enhance the basic Skype functionality. Here are the ones we like the most.

Michael Hough from the Networking Pipeline wrote an interesting article on the add-ons he likes best for Skype. In part, this is what Mike had to say:

Being the webmaster of www.SkypeTips.com and the author of ‘Skype Me!' by Syngress Press I am often asked for my favorite Skype add-ons. Of course, a list like that depends on what you are trying to do. But I've gotten countless requests and advice about such a list from my family, friends and fellow Skypers. Based on their requests, and my personal inclinations, here's my list of the five top Skype add-ons.

One thing not mentioned in my list is the addition of video to Skype. But vide is now built in to Skype for Windows and there are additional video options available for Skype, so that is a topic for another article and my next book "Video Conferencing over IP" by Syngress Press due out in June 2006.


The add-ons discussed are:
1. VoSky (Formerly Actiontec) Internet Phone Wizard (IPW) (www.vosky.com)
2. DualPhone Cordless Telephone For Skype (www.dualphone.com)
3 NetGear WiFi Skype Phone (http://tools.netgear.com/skype/)
4. USB Telephones (Linksys USB phone)
5 Pamela (http://www.pamela-systems.com/)

You can read Michael Hough's The Top Five Skype Add-Ons here

Friday, April 28, 2006

McAfee Offers Mobile Anti-Virus Security For Cingular



McAfee, Inc. announced that it will offer Cingular Wireless customers mobile security solutions for business-oriented devices. McAfee provides comprehensive mobile security solutions that are designed to protect against and prevent mobile threats and vulnerabilities. Its flagship product is McAfee VirusScan Mobile.

"While mobile threats have presented themselves largely as proof of concept, we think it's important for carriers to get ahead of the curve, and offer proactive and preventative solutions before a significant attack occurs," commented Todd Gebhart, senior vice president of Worldwide Consumer and Mobile Sales at McAfee, Inc. "In doing so, we believe carriers and their customers will be able to avoid serious potential implications that include loss of service and permanent or temporary loss of data. Cingular has taken a leadership position among wireless carriers in providing virus protection for mobile devices and we look forward to providing market-leading protection to its customer base."
Under the terms of the agreement, McAfee VirusScan Mobile will be available to Cingular customers for download to their Symbian Series 60, Microsoft Windows Mobile Pocket PC or SmartPhone wireless devices. Individuals will be able to purchase a one-year subscription for $29.99 from McAfee through Cingular's MediaNet Web portal. The subscription includes automatic, over-the-air updates against any newly discovered mobile viruses and threats.

Mobile malware (viruses, Trojans, and other threats) has been tracked since 2004 by McAfee's AVERT (Anti-Virus Emergency Response Team) Labs. It has appeared on smartphones-mobile devices that can access the Internet-as well as feature phones, mobile devices that do not have Internet access and are used largely to make phone calls. In the case of feature phones, rather than being vulnerable to viruses or Trojans, hackers have exploited vulnerabilities resulting from poorly written software code. (In this instance, the most common damage has been denial of service attacks.)

McAfee VirusScan Mobile provides advanced scanning, detection and cleaning of mobile data to prevent corruption due to viruses, worms, spyware, malware, and other technology abuses. It protects devices against the threats that originate from e-mail, instant messaging, and Internet downloads, and protects multiple entry points including SMS, MMS, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. Up-to-date protection is delivered as soon as threats are identified through McAfee's leading research organization, AVERT. Currently McAfee supports Microsoft Windows Mobile PocketPC and SmartPhone as well as Symbian Series 60 operating systems.

With comprehensive mobile protection from malware attacks, VirusScan also protects corporate data and ensures regulatory compliance requirements for data protection. To further ensure mobile security, McAfee will introduce McAfee Firewall Mobile, which provides protection against hackers and data-stealing applications, monitoring both inbound and outbound communication for malicious behavior, in the second quarter of 2006.

"With the launch of VirusScan Mobile, McAfee is the first global security company to build an integrated end-to-end solution for real-time protection against mobile threats," furthered Gebhart. "VirusScan Mobile is the only product designed specifically for mobile protection and we will continue our diligence in ensuring that the consumer's experience is safe and secure."

Click read more below to see the full news item

The Mobility Guys - A New Podcast on Mobility

This is a podcast that has been over a year in the making. Don Sorcinelli, Steve Hughes, and Chris Leckness have been planning a podcast for over a year. A couple of months ago, they asked me(Jack Cook)to join them and now we are ready to go....

Mobility Guys is a podcast where the four of us come together in a round table discussion about what’s new in mobile technology and discuss our views on the world of mobility. The four of us are all Microsoft MVP's for Mobile Devices, so this should add a little extra special touch to the podcast. We have a wide array of accents, style, personality and knowledge and hope that this podcast can be both educational and fun to listen to.

There are bound to be some early bumps in the production (somehow I lost part of my volume near the end of the first cast), but with constructive comments, perserverance and practice, we expect to bring a high quality show to you.

Our 1st Podcast is now online at MobilityGuys.com!

Instant Access to Internet Radio and Podcasts


Orb Powers Instant Access to Internet Radio and Podcasts From Mobile Phones on Any Carrier Network


Orb Networks, the pioneering developer of software for instant enjoyment of content everywhere, today announced support for playing and recording Internet radio and for enjoying podcasts from any mobile device with a streaming Windows Media(R) Player, RealPlayer(R), 3GP player, or Macromedia(R) Flash(TM) Player on any carrier network and WiFi.

No specialized mobile software or mobile fees other than a data plan are required. Anyone can now play and record Internet radio and enjoy podcasts from the native Web browser and streaming media player of their mobile phones and PDAs.

Because Orb(TM) support for instant mobile access to iRadio and podcasts builds on its industry-leading support for instant enjoyment everywhere of home music and Audible.com(R) audiobook collections, users can mix and match home and Internet content to create their own completely personal mobile radio channels.

"The whole point of Orb is to empower our users to instantly 'mycast' all their favorite content to themselves wherever they are," said Ian McCarthy, Vice President of Product Marketing for Orb Networks. "Consumers demand more from mobile radio than an FM tuner in their phones or specialized satellite-radio devices and subscription services. Consumers need to be able to roll their own programming from all their favorite audio content, wherever it is. Orb puts that power in the consumer's hands. Our users can mix and match content from their favorite iRadio stations, podcasts, and home music and audiobook collections to create their own completely personal mobile radio."

Orb removes the media-format and bitrate challenges to making Internet radio and podcasts available to everyone on their everyday mobile devices. The free Orb software on a user's always-connected Windows(R) XP PC acts as the user's personal "mycast" server, serving up content streams in the media format and bitrate appropriate to the user's mobile device.

For example, an iRadio feed of a live FIFA World Cup(TM) match available only in Windows Media Audio format can still be enjoyed live (or recorded to play later) from a Nokia(R) mobile phone's RealPlayer. Similarly, .wma-format podcasts downloaded to the PC running Orb would be streamed from that PC as Real Audio. Content providers can publish iRadio feeds and podcasts in their own preferred media format and bitrate and still be sure that their audiences can enjoy the content on their everyday mobile devices.

"I love the idea of someone being able to listen to podcasts like The Media Center Show on any mobile device without my having to host the show in multiple formats," said Ian Dixon, host of the popular Media Center Show on The Podcast Network. "I can leave the conversions and plumbing to Orb."

Because Orb users have instant mobile access to their favorite podcasts and iRadio stations, breaking-news and other time-sensitive podcasts and iRadio programs can now reach their audiences right away even when their listeners are away from their PCs.

"Grassroots Enterprise is the firm that pioneered the use of podcasting in the political sector," said Arvind Rajan, CEO of Grassroots Enterprise, Inc. "Orb dramatically expands the power of podcasting as an effective medium for our clients to reach people with their messages where and when it matters."

Orb is available now for free download at www.orb.com.

About Orb Networks, Inc.
Orb Networks is the pioneering developer of software and services that give people secure, free, and instant access to all their digital media everywhere. The award-winning Orb software makes it easy for consumers to enjoy their home and Internet TV, music, videos, photos, podcasts, and other digital content from mobile phones, PDAs, and laptops everywhere. Orb is a member of the DLNA and is a privately held company in Emeryville, California. For more information about Orb, please visit www.orb.com.

Click read more below to see the full news item

Gas Prices Got You Down?


It is now possible to know where you can get the best gas prices while you are on your way to fill up. Information on the cheapest gas prices are now available directly to your cell phone. Fuelgo.com is a service designed to instantly compare and find the cheapest gas station prices with a simple text message, while you're on the go! All you have to do is send a text message of your zip code to gas@fuelgo.com, you will receive information on the lowest priced gas stations in that local area, and it's all free.

Fuelgo.com was launched this past week by Chad Priest who built the computer program because he decided that people needed easier access to information on gas prices. "I really like the online services to look up gas but realized that the information was never readily available when I needed it most" Said Chad Priest, founder for fuelgo.com.

The prices you will receive on your cell phone are provided by hundreds of thousands of volunteers nationwide. Fuelgo.com relies on local area residents to input pricing information. The prices are consistently being updated throughout the day. If the information on the prices of gas in the selected area are more than 24 hours old the prices will not be sent to your cell phone. This is due to the fact that the pricing in that area is no longer relevant.


"We are trying to create a service that not only benefits people by saving them money at the pumps but by also creating gas price wars between the stations themselves. If more people use the fuelgo.com mobile service and go to the stations listed as being the lowest price, then the gas stations will be forced to take notice and try to lower their prices to be the cheapest station listed" said Priest. "We're really excited about the exposure we are receiving as it helps to fight the war on gas prices. Within nine hours of launching the website we were shown on CNN's The Situation Room and on the night time radio show called The Hideout in Orlando, Florida only a few hours later."


The program designers have put together some helpful hints for using Fuelgo.com in an effort to make the technology as user friendly as possible. "Most people will be researching gas prices locally; If you normally lookup your local hometown prices all you have to do is resend an old message already in the message outbox of your mobile phone," said Priest. People not researching gas prices in their local area can quickly access the site as well, "Save the email address gas@fuelgo.com to your cell phone contact list with the name 1fuelgo. When you text for a non-local price lookup 1fuelgo will be at the top of your contact list. This makes sending the text a matter of two or three steps depending on your cellphone handset type and model," said Priest.

Additional information on the benefits and functionality of this new mobile technology are available on Fuelgo.com.

Click read more below to see the full news item

Special thanks to HarryO for this item

Agenda Fusion 8 and CodeWallet Pro 2006 for Windows Mobile Handhelds


Developer One, a leader in the development of productivity enhancing software solutions for Windows Mobile handheld devices, announces the launch of Agenda Fusion 8 and CodeWallet Pro 2006. Both are major updates to the company’s two flagship applications.

“We are dedicated more than anything to helping our customers more effectively manage their time—managing your schedule and making time for work, family, and yourself is a never ending job, but one which pays off greatly,” said John Psiuk, president and CEO of Developer One. “The new versions of Agenda Fusion and CodeWallet Pro are designed to help our customers manage their lives even more effectively and, in the end, get more done. Our passion is not only for developing great products but to truly help users get more from their mobile devices.”

Pricing information:
Free downloads are available for Windows Mobile Smartphone and Pocket PC devices. Developer One Agenda Fusion and CodeWallet Pro are available directly from Developer One Software for $29.95/each at www.developerone.com.


Agenda Fusion 8, which delivers mobile time, contact and task management features comparable to fully featured PC software solutions, is loaded with some of the smartest, business-focused features to-date.

New features include:

Dual Reminders, which gives users the opportunity to not only set a reminder, say 30 minutes before an important meeting, but to make it nearly effortless to set up another reminder on the night before, or two days before.
Call Log Integration with Contacts, delivering a simple and effective way to view the call log of a specific contact without having to scroll through the rudimentary call log that is included in phone-enabled Pocket PCs.
Contact Event Integration (Birthday / Anniversaries), offering an at-a-glance view of upcoming birthdays for business associates, clients, family and friends.

Click here for more information about the new features


CodeWallet Pro 2006 provides a convenient and secure solution for managing sensitive personal and business information on a desktop computer or mobile device. The application offers completely secure organization of passwords, credit card information, website favorites, contacts, online shopping accounts, insurance policies, memberships, PIN codes, and anything that users want to keep handy yet outside the reach of others.

This new version includes a host of new features, including:

Enhanced synchronization, making it easier to keep information synchronized between a desktop PC and mobile device.
A new printing feature makes it easy to print out a hard copy of any card in a user’s wallet or the entire wallet.
Support for more languages, now including English, UK English, Danish, Spanish, Dutch, Norwegian, Hebrew, Afrikaans, Ukrainian, Russian, Hungarian, Italian, German, Lithuanian, Portuguese, Swedish.

Click here for more information about the new features

Click read more below to see the full news item

Thursday, April 27, 2006

ActiveSync 4.2 Beta Preview



ActiveSync 4.2 Beta Preview is an early look at the latest sync software release for Windows Mobile devices.

Microsoft ActiveSync provides a great synchronization experience with Windows powered PCs and Microsoft Outlook right out of the box. ActiveSync acts as the gateway between your Windows powered PC and Windows Mobile powered device, enabling the transfer of Outlook information, Office documents, pictures, music, videos and applications from your desktop to your device. In addition to synchronizing with a desktop PC, ActiveSync can synchronize directly with Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 so that you can keep your e-mail, Calendar, Notes, and Contacts updated wirelessly when you’re away from your PC.
*

Although ActiveSync 4.2 Beta Preview has a host of NEW features, I would urge caution on installing. If you have a second computer or can backup your current system easily then go for it. There is NO support for this release from Microsoft so your are on your own so to speak...peer-to-peer support is available with opportunity to provide feedback from the following site: ActiveSync 4.2 Beta feedback.

Because this is a beta, the ActiveSync 4.2 Beta Preview should not be used on production systems in mission-critical environments.

ActiveSync 4.2 Beta Preview supports PC sync via USB cable, Bluetooth, or infrared connection.


Download ActiveSync 4.2 Beta Preview here

A Little Diversion

Every once in a while you need a little diversion from what you are doing on the net. This is a "cool" little game that will get that adrenline pumping...GOOD LUCK!

Play this cool game here

An alternative to the standard add / remove control panel module


MyUninstaller is an alternative utility to the standard Add/Remove applet of Windows operating system. It displays the list of all installed application, and allows you to uninstall an application, delete an uninstall entry, and save the list of all installed applications into a text file or HTML file.
MyUninstaller also provides additional information for most installed applications that the standard Add/Remove applet doesn't display: product name, company, version, uninstall string, installation folder and more.

You can find MyUninstaller here

StreamerNet Launches Version 3.0 of Mobile Video Producer



StreamerNet Corporation today announced it has begun shipping Version 3.0 of its Mobile Video Producer audio/video streaming application. The newest version of the company's flagship software solution takes ease-of-use to unmatched levels for seven key streaming functions.

Currently, these primary functions of the StreamerNet Mobile Video Producer solution include:

* LIVE STREAMING — Webcast "live" action events or capture video segments
that can be edited and delivered at a later time

* VIDEO EMAIL — Send Video email without large attachment files
(video/audio messages are retrieved via Web URL so recipient inbox is
not overloaded)

* WATCH MY CAMERA — Real-time camera view of remote point-of-action
environments can be seen on a remote computer, Smartphone or other
handheld devices (surveillance, nanny-cam, remote eyes)

* ON-DEMAND MEDIA ROOM — Host your own library of videos in a private
media library (storage and distribution is made easy and secure with
password access options)

* MY TV/RADIO SHOW — Broadcast live or recorded Internet IPTV or Radio
Shows (become your own radio/TV station)

* SLING MY TV — Transmit home TV to personal desktop/mobile computer

* MEDIA CONVERSION — Convert old CD/VHS/Beta SP libraries to web-viewable
video archives streaming or on-demand distribution.

The StreamerNet Mobile Video Producer Version 3.0 has been significantly enhanced with a new graphical user interface (GUI) that helps users "launch" their chosen streaming function by simply dragging their cursor over the function icons and clicking options to activate each function. Once the function has been activated, lists of easy-to-follow steps are presented that take all the guess-work out of the process for each streaming function. From set-up to live streaming, the processes for all seven functions take no more than a few key-strokes and mouse clicks.

While the StreamerNet Mobile Video Producer is uniquely tailored for use with wireless network connections and in situations where mobility is crucial, the solutions are just as powerful in fixed network applications. Whether the application is in the enterprise/corporate environment, academic institutions or for personal/consumer use, StreamerNet has concentrated on making the solution simple, yet comprehensive, for a wide range of professional or casual implementations.

StreamerNet solutions are unique in the marketplace because they concentrate on direct point-to-point streaming at a moment's notice — a concept called "plug-and-play, click-and-stream." This type of offering is dramatically different from most currently available streaming offerings which require significant set-up time and also require considerable resources and expense to facilitate.

"We are introducing a new wave of powerful streaming technologies that are throwing wide the door to consumer implementation," stated Todd Atchison, StreamerNet founder and Chief Scientist. "With the installation of our Mobile Video Producer on a laptop or mobile computer with a cellular wireless card and a personal DV camera, anyone can stream a live event, or deliver a product demonstration, from wherever they are located."

"The future of multimedia communication," added Atchison, "is moving quickly toward models where individuals will primarily be streaming content to micro-communities of content specific, highly interested viewers. These are the areas in which StreamerNet has concentrated its research, intellectual property and technology developments."

"Version 3.0 truly sets StreamerNet apart in the market, particularly the option for the inexperienced business user to create easy product video ads," stated David D. Hornbeck, owner of BoskoWood Unfinished Furniture in Nags Head, NC. "We were looking for a comprehensive streaming solution that would not only let us showcase our offerings better on eBay but also enhance our traditional online marketing through our Web site. StreamerNet technology has enhanced our customer service tremendously."

Prior to the introduction of StreamerNet, both business or consumer users interested in deploying fully wireless audio/video streaming and hosting would need to locate a wide-range of hard-to-find, hard-to-assemble, hard-to-use and hard-to-afford hosting and distribution services from multiple vendors in order to match the completeness of the StreamerNet solution.

StreamerNet technologies, which were initially developed in 2003 as advanced technology concepts, have been enhanced more than five times over the past three years.

StreamerNet technologies provide the multimedia computing engine for a wide variety of mobile computing devices. These devices, which already exist in many forms, could be a laptop, cell phone, hand-held PDA, wearable computer, or any number of yet-to-be-developed devices designed to retrieve and communicate data. Utilizing open computing standards, StreamerNet technologies ensure that these and other devices can take advantage of full multimedia — anytime, anywhere.
You can visit StreamerNet Corporation here.

Click read more below to see the full news item

Server Issues

We are having issues with access to our server. It appears as if some are able to access Experience Mobility but some cannot....and we are part of the some.

It is expected that these issues will be fixed shortly and news will again be posted.

HP iPAQ hx2000 - Power Button Backlight Advisory


Advisory: The Power Button Backlight "Off" Control Is Not Linked to the System Backlight Control

The Power Button backlight Off control on the HP iPAQ hx2000 series Pocket PC is not linked to the System backlight control. If the power button is held down for a period of time while the Pocket PC and backlight are On, then the backlight turns Off. If you turn OFF the backlight using the Power Button, then you cannot turn ON the backlight with the System backlight control.

You can return to "normal" control by using the Power Button Backlight control to turn the backlight backONor perform a soft reset.


SCOPE
This issue affects all models of the HP iPAQ hx2000 series Pocket PC having either the Microsoft Mobile 5 Operating System (OS) or Microsoft Windows Pocket PC Second Edition OS.

RESOLUTION
There is currently no resolution for this issue. HP is devoting considerable resources to identifying the issue source and creating a fix. When a solution has been identified HP will update this Customer Advisory to include the Resolution.

You can read the advisory here



Wednesday, April 26, 2006

Chapura Updates PocketMirror Professional


Chapura announced that its popular Outlook synchronization software, PocketMirror® Professional for Microsoft Windows Mobile, now supports the Pocket PC and Pocket PC Phone Editions of Windows Mobile 5.0. This updated version of PocketMirror Professional offers owners of Windows Mobile 5.0-based devices, such as the Palm® Treo™ 700w smartphone, a way to transfer more information between Outlook on the desktop and Outlook Mobile on the handheld than allowed with ActiveSync alone. PocketMirror Professional for Windows Mobile also offers owners of these mobile devices a near desktop-like toolset for organizing personal information on the go.

Find out more about PocketMirrror here

Microsoft Spins Out a Wallop




There is something in the box...and it is about to jump out!

Microsoft Corp. today announced the spinout of a new social networking technology, developed by Microsoft Research, to create a new Silicon Valley startup, Wallop Inc. Wallop, whose aim is to deliver the next generation of social computing, is led by experienced entrepreneur and CEO Karl Jacob, with 30-year veteran Bay Partners providing Series A financing.

Launching later this year, Wallop solves the problems plaguing current social networking technologies and will introduce an entirely new way for consumers to express their individuality online. For example, today’s social networks have difficulty enabling people to interact in a way similar to the way they would in the real world. Wallop tapped legendary Frog Design Inc. to conceive a next-generation user interface enabling people to express themselves like never before. In addition, Wallop departs from the friend-of-a-friend model common in all social networks today and the root of many of their problems. Instead, Wallop developed a unique set of algorithms that respond to social interactions to automatically build and maintain a person’s social network.

For more information, visit http://www.wallop.com.

Xbox.com Prima Guides


Prima has you covered with guides for all your favorite Xbox® titles. The world's leading publisher of official game guides and the exclusive guide publisher for Microsoft®, Prima continues to dominate the field it created in 1990 by providing the highest quality game guides available.

Lost in a particularly difficult level? Can't figure out how to beat that one boss? Wish you knew how to unlock that last character? Prima has you covered with guides for all your favorite Xbox® titles. The world's leading publisher of official game guides and the exclusive guide publisher for Microsoft®, Prima continues to dominate the field it created in 1990 by providing the highest quality game guides available. Get the best tips, maps, hints, and strategies from Prima's experts, and take your gaming further than you ever thought possible.

Download the Xbox.com Prima Guides here

AT&T Offers Faster-Speed Tier for Consumers



Elite Service Delivers Downstream Speeds of up to 6.0 Megabits per Second for Less Than $28 a Month When Ordered Online

AT&T Inc. announced a new, higher-speed tier for its AT&T Yahoo!(R) High Speed Internet service that meets consumers' growing demand for greater bandwidth, while delivering a market-leading price.

Beginning Monday, May 1, new residential customers who order AT&T Yahoo! High Speed Internet service online through http://www.att.com can purchase the Elite service -- offering downstream speeds between 3.0 Mpbs and 6.0 Mbps and upstream speeds of 384 Kbps up to 768 Kbps -- for only $27.99 a month (other monthly charges and a 12-month term commitment apply). Effective today, the new Elite service is available for $29.99 through AT&T sales channels, when it is ordered with a qualifying service bundle. Existing AT&T Yahoo! High Speed Internet customers can upgrade to the Elite service through the company's Web site and take advantage of the current pricing promotion beginning Monday.


The offer for the Elite service also includes a $49.99 mail-in rebate, which can be applied toward a $79.99 AT&T Wireless Gateway. When customers order both the Elite service and the wireless gateway through an AT&T call center, they are eligible to have the home network set up in their home, at no charge and after the mail-in rebate, by a CompUSA(R) Techknowledgist(SM)or by a support crew from other participating retailers.

The in-home service provides personal assistance for customers interested in creating a home network; most customers easily self-install their AT&T Yahoo! High Speed Internet service or receive assistance from AT&T technicians. The in-home setup offer includes the networking of two computers, with file-sharing enabled between each; the networking of one peripheral device, such as a printer, scanner or fax; and upon request from the customer, the activation of AT&T Yahoo! Online Protection.

The Elite service is available in the company's traditional incumbent local exchange area, in those areas where high speed Internet service is available. States included are Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio, California, Nevada and Connecticut.

Vonage has a NEW service for UK customers


Looks like my friends in the UK are about to have a new service from Vonage and The Cloud where they will be able to make calls from The Clouds hotspots at "landline" prices. With this service, Vonage will certainly take a share of the mobile market.

You need to be a Vonage subscriber that has paid for the Wi-Fi service (7.99 pounds). With it, you will be able to make calls from any of The Cloud's hotspots in the UK. As folks enter an area covered by The Cloud, the new handset will grab the signal, allowing calls to be made....of course if they wander out of the area, the call will drop so the traditional mobile phone will have to be used to continue chatting.

Hey...this a good opportunity for someone to develop a phone that will do both......

Visit Vonage (UK) here

Tuesday, April 25, 2006

How to Choose a Cellular Phone Service Provider


There are many different cell phone plans, and figuring them out can be confusing. This might help you out if you are either getting your first plan or are thinking of making a change.

You can visit eHow here

Record Voice with your iPod Video


This has been out since January but I keep going back to look at it....it must be something that I want!

MicroMemo
Digital Voice Recorder

Record CD Quality(16-bit) digital audio right into your iPod.
Capture high-fidelity audio of ideas, meetings, or just about any other content right into your iPod. Comes with a flexible, detachable microphone. Only $79.95.

Voice recording that's music to your ears:

Uses iPod high-fidelity recording (44 KHz/16 Bit - high quality recording)
Removable microphone with flexible neck
Compatible with 3.5mm-plug microphone
Instant playback with built-in speaker
One touch recording - even in Play mode
No batteries—iPod Powered
Only for iPod with video


Find out more here at ExtremeMac

Microsoft releases new Internet Explorer beta


Microsoft Corp. has released a new test version of Internet Explorer, the market-leading Web browser that is facing competition from smaller players.

The new beta, available Today for free download to English-languages customers, includes fixes for problems that were causing Internet Explorer 7 to stop working, said Dean Hachamovitch, general manager in charge of Internet Explorer development.

With the previous test version, Hachamovitch said the most common problems reported involved banking and news sites, in part because of security changes.

Improving security can be tricky since any changes can cause legitimate Web sites to stop working, frustrating users.

Microsoft also added more guidance to help people using IE's new browser tab functions, which let a user view more than one Web site from within one window, using multiple ``tabs.''

This is Microsoft's third beta of Internet Explorer 7 made available to the general public, and Hachamovitch said there are plans for one more. The new version comes amid growing competition from browsers such as Firefox, which has long offered functions such as tabbed browsing. Some also consider other browsers to be more secure, since IE, with its market dominance, is a popular target for attacks.

The final version of Internet Explorer 7 is expected to be released in the second half of this year, around the time a version of Microsoft's new Windows operating system is expected to be available for business users.

Download the new Windows Internet Explorer 7 here

Movies to Go



Never thought you'd watch a movie on your phone? With a Windows Mobile powered phone, you can catch up on some oldies but goodies, watch trailers, shorts, cartoons, sci-fi - the selection is wide and entertaining.

Sound interesting...you bet it is!

Suzanne Ross wrote a great article that you just may want to read. In part, this is what Suzanne had to say:


Some people think that watching a movie on a phone can't be good. My husband thought so. He kept saying that, even as he nudged me out of the way to watch the old movie 'My Man Godfrey' on my Windows Mobile Smartphone. I was watching it in the kitchen while I cooked dinner. It's amazing how fast you get used to a small screen. We were only a few feet away from the TV, yet we were both watching the phone.

People used to read stories in installments, eagerly anticipating next month's copy of the Pickwick Papers. I could watch a movie on my phone in installments. Instead of waiting a month for the next chapter, I'd have the entire movie with me, to watch as I waited in the doctor's office, got stuck in traffic on the bridge across Lake Washington (as a passenger!) or when I had to pass a few minutes between meetings.
Though it's possible to copy DVDs to various devices, it's not always legal to do so. I've stuck with writing about the legal ways of getting movies onto your device.


You can read the entire article about Movies To Go here.

Linksys Unveils New Products


Linksys, a Division of Cisco Systems, Inc., announced the Wireless-N Gateway (WAG300N), Wireless-N Broadband Router (WRT300N) and Wireless-N Notebook Adapter (WPC300N), the first in a line of Wireless-N products available from Linksys that will be built to the 802.11n Draft Specification.

With up to four times the range and up to 12 times the throughput of Wireless-G, the WAG300N, WRT300N and WPC300N deliver wireless networks with the capacity to surf the web, enjoy multiple streams of high definition video, listen to digital music collections and make Internet phone calls — all at the same time.

Expected to become the next standard for wireless networks, the 802.11n draft specification includes a number of mandatory features that help to improve the overall user experience. These features include enhancements to both the speed and range of wireless networks and calls for mixed mode operation and backward compatibility.

Speed and Range Improvements Provide the Freedom to Do It All

Significant speed and range improvements compared to 802.11g are realised primarily through the use of MIMO (multiple input, multiple output) technology, which Linksys has employed in three generations of its award-winning SRX product family.

Like the SRX family, Linksys Wireless-N products utilize multiple radios to simultaneously transmit two streams of data over multiple channels, maximizing network performance. Using multiple spatial streams allows each 20 MHz channel to contain more than one stream of data, greatly increasing its capacity.

The 802.11n draft specification also allows Linksys Wireless-N products to transmit over two available channels at the same time, effectively creating a 40MHz channel that doubles the capacity for applications such as high definition video, audio streaming, online gaming and Voice over IP.

Mixed Mode Operation and Backward Compatibility

Two additional key pieces of the 802.11n Draft Specification are the requirements that products provide both mixed mode operation and backward compatibility with 802.11g and 802.11b. Mixed mode operation designates that, unlike previous proprietary networking technologies, 802.11n networks must maintain optimum speeds when operating with legacy products. Backward compatibility ensures that existing standards-based wireless products are able to work at their respective highest performance levels for that environment.

Security

As with all current Linksys routers, the WAG300N and WRT300N routers can encode wireless transmissions with industrial-strength WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access) encryption to help protect data and privacy. It can serve as a network DHCP server, supports VPN pass-through, and has a powerful SPI (Stateful Packet Inspection) firewall to protect against intruders and most known Internet attacks. Enabling these security features is easy with the Linksys Web browser-based configuration utility.

Pricing and Availability

The WAG300N, WRT300N and WPC300N will be available in June. The Manufacturers Suggested Retail Prices are 169.99 GBP incl. VAT, 129.99 GBP incl. VAT and 99.99 GBP incl. VAT. Additional products from the Linksys Wireless-N family designed for both the home networking and small business will be launched in the second half of 2006.

You can visit Linksys here

Worried about losing your device?


I read an interesting article today on the washingtonpost.com by Andrew Brandt of PC World entitled This Stolen Laptop Will Self-Destruct in 5 Seconds. It caught my attention because there are a growing number of laptops, PDAs, and cell phones that are stolen and this piece of software mentioned in the article can offer you peace of mind if there is sensitive information stored on your device.

PDAKill is designed to protect users of PDA's from loss/theft of their devices. It allows users to send a predefined SMS message which will hard reset the PDA, deleting the user data (including the storage area* and Storage Card which eliminates any files surviving the hard reset) returning the device to its original factory settings.

The PDAKill package also gives the option NOT to delete the storage area and storage card. PDAKill will search the whole of the SMS message looking for your pre-defined search string, if it is found, then PDAKill will activate and destroy all information which is held on the device.

PDAKill also carries within it protection against the illicit de-installation of the software from your device.

So what are you waiting for? For complete peace of mind take a look at PDAKill here!!

MPEG-4 aacPlus Audio for Windows Media Player Users


New aacPlus DirectShow Plug-in enables Microsoft's Windows Media users to enjoy near CD-quality radio at a mere 32 kbps.

Professional broadcast equipment manufacturer Orban / Circuit Research Labs, Inc. (OTCBB:CRLI), along with its partner, Coding Technologies, announced today the immediate availability of a public beta for the new Orban / Coding Technologies AAC/aacPlus(TM) Player Plugin. When installed, this free software will enable any of the 80+ million users of Microsoft's Windows Media Player to take advantage of the remarkably high-quality, low-bandwidth audio format that is changing the way consumers experience digital audio via the Internet, mobile and broadcast applications.

The Orban / Coding Technologies AAC/aacPlus(TM) Player Plugin is a free, full-featured Microsoft DirectShow component that enables MPEG-4 aacPlus audio files and streams within Windows Media Player. aacPlus (also known as HE-AAC) is an industry standard superset of the AAC codec that uses Coding Technologies' Spectral Band Replication (SBR) and Parametric Stereo (PS) audio compression technologies to provide CD-quality audio in a footprint four times smaller than content encoded with MP3 (MPEG Layer-3) technology. Digital television, radio and Internet broadcasters take advantage of aacPlus to deliver high-quality audio streams while realizing dramatic savings in bandwidth costs.

Consumers listening to aacPlus streams benefit from an enhanced listening experience. Their compact bit rates virtually eliminate content rebuffering, a process that interrupts source playback and negatively affects the consumer's listening experience.

The Orban / Coding Technologies AAC/aacPlus Player Plugin works with Microsoft Windows Media version 9 or 10. It supports standard ID3 metadata tags that display real-time stream data such as artist, album, and song information. Installing the free plug-in component is fast and simple. It takes less than a minute to install and requires no authentication, registration, monitoring or tracking.

The Orban/Coding Technologies AAC/aacPlus(TM) Player Plugin can be downloaded without charge from: http://www.orban.com/.

Consumers can tune into a wide variety of MPEG-4 aacPlus Internet Radio streams at: http://www.tuner2.com/.

Monday, April 24, 2006

AVIATOR Laptop Stand - Simple, Effective, Ergonomic


The other day I had the opportunity to try a pretty cool stand for my laptop. A very simple design provides comfort, safety and ergonomics when you use your laptop while "on the road". In particular, if you fly a lot, you will find this stand will make your work on the plane much easier to accomplish.

The new AVIATOR(tm) Laptop Stand from Keynamics® LLC is the first and only stand specifically designed for business travelers.

To provide comfort for laptop users aboard commercial aircraft, careful consideration was given to not only the position of the laptop for optimal user comfort, but also to accommodate the reclined seat in front. The AVIATOR(tm) is designed to be sturdy and extremely stable to handle turbulence and bumping from other passengers.

The AVIATOR(tm) Laptop Stand safely extends the laptop keyboard 2.5 inches over the front edge of the tray and raises the screen by 3 inches. The keyboard is positioned at a comfortable angle for typing and the screen is placed at the proper eye level for reduced neck bending and back strain.

The stand eliminates the "hunch" and allows the passenger to rest their back against the seat for spinal support, achieving neutral postures as OSHA recommends. The AVIATOR(tm) doubles as a portable desktop stand for use at the hotel, coffee shop or office.

Compact in design and weighing only 9 ounces, the AVIATOR(tm) stores flat in the side pocket of a briefcase.

The Street price is $19.99 (MSRP $24.99) available at http://www.keynamics.com

SEE WHAT EVERYONE IS LOOKING AT



The other day I posted a story abount Samsung following the lead of the Origami Project in the "hype" of something new to be introduced. At the time of the post there were 4 days to find out what Samsung was about to introduce but the wait is over. Today they introduced a LDD HDTV whiuch looks pretty cool.

IF YOU WANT TO SEE WHAT EVERYONE IS LOOKING AT



For those that did not see the original "hype", here is the link to my initial post and the link to Samsung's "Want To See What Everyone Is Looking At"

PowerJolt Charger for iPods


Griffin Technology Inc. announced a new, updated PowerJolt Auto Charger and Power Adapter for iPod. PowerJolt has been redesigned for ease of use, and its new stylish black industrial design complements any auto's interior.

PowerJolt charges your iPod whether it's playing music or in standby mode. With PowerJolt, you can listen to your music library while you drive, and still arrive at your destination with a fully charged iPod. PowerJolt plugs into any available 12V accessory port or cigarette lighter socket. A convenient status LED shows at a glance that your iPod is connected, and changes color to indicate whether the iPod is charging or fully charged. PowerJolt protects your iPod, too, with a replaceable fuse, so you won't have to worry about overcharging or power surges.

PowerJolt comes with a detachable, high quality 48" USB to Dock Connector cable that can be used for normal syncing and docking operations with your computer. And, for use with Griffin iTrip and iTrip nano, the PowerJolt package also includes a 48" USB to mini-USB cable.

Pricing & Availability
The new Griffin PowerJolt, priced at $19.99, is available at www.griffintechnology.com and wherever quality iPod accessories are sold.

Experience Firefighting - The Coveside Inn


I have been remiss in posting items because of a training exercise I participated in this past weekend. This weekend firefighters and emergency workers from all over Lincoln County, ME burned the historic Coveside Inn as part of an extensive training exercise.



The owners of the inn offered to donate the inn for training purposes to the South Bristol Volunteer Fire Dept. Almost every department in the county participated in the training including a contingent from Monhegan Island.


The training was intense but the knowledge and satisfaction gained well out-weighed the effort. Being a "new" volunteer fireman, I truly gained an immense respect for what firefighters do as well as an appreciation of my own limits and abilities.

I did not have the ability to Experience Mobility this weekend but I did Experience Firefighting---something that I will remember for the rest of my life. There is no question that firefighting is an incredibly dangerous occupation. The skills required for safe operations are regularly practiced during training evolutions at local departments but the opportunity presented this past weekend for a county-wide training was an invaluable opportunity for each department to learn, practice and develop skills needed in joint operations.














You can view more pictures of the Lincoln County Fire Training here