iYogi Launches Dedicated Support for Windows 98 Second Edition and Windows Me

iYogi, provider of live computer support for home users and small businesses has established a dedicated support centre for Windows 98 SE (Second Edition) and Windows ME (Millennium Edition) users.

This announcement comes close on the heels of Microsoft Corporation withdrawing live support for these operating systems, on July 11th.
www.microsoft.com/windows/support/endofsupport.mspx

iYogi technical support executives for Windows 98 and Windows ME are certified Microsoft Certified Desktop Support Technician’s (MCDST).

“Microsoft currently has millions of subscribers, still using Windows 98 SE and its Windows Me operating system, an estimated 20% of all Windows machines. Since they stop providing support on July 11th 2006, we have seen a dramatic increase in the number of support calls for these operating systems. This has spurred our decision to establish a dedicated support centre that caters exclusively to these customers,” commented, Vishal Dhar, President -- iYogi.

An independent provider of 24/7 live technical support for hardware, software and peripherals, iYogi delivers a new customer experience, at a new price-point for Home Office and Small Business Users. This subscription base service provides unlimited access to Microsoft Certified Professionals (MSDST) on phone, email, online and via remote access.

The Company offers a variety of subscription packages including $89.99 for a whole year or $35.00 for three months. Support extends to all major hardware manufacturers, operating systems, applications and peripherals. For more information, please visit US website address www.iyogi.net or call toll free at 1-800-237-3901

Vishal Dhar added, “While we agree with Microsoft’s recommendation to upgrade to Windows XP operating system, it is at the expense of buying new hardware, for its richer functionality. These customers today, do not have a viable alternative, except for iYogi technical support. Since inception of our service in 2005, we have witnessed that vendors are reducing their scope and live support options, due to cost and other imperatives. This combined with the increasing dependency on our computers is creating a deep void that iYogi fulfills.”

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Turn It Up!

Download the test version of the newest Windows Media Player.

Simplicity in Design
Bring a whole new look to your digital entertainment.



More of the Music You Love
Breathe new life into your digital music experience.



All Your Entertainment in One Place
Store and enjoy all of your music, video, pictures, and recorded TV.



Enjoy Everywhere
Stay connected with your music, video, and pictures no matter where you are.

Sprint Nextel, Motorola Break New Ground in Rugged Phone Market

New Motorola ruggedized walkie-talkie phone for Nextel's Network meets military specifications for blowing rain and features an embedded camera and Bluetooth wireless technology.

Continuing to lead the industry in the area of rugged phones, Sprint Nextel and Motorola today announced availability of the Motorola i580. Answering the call for a ruggedized, stylish and fully equipped handset, the i580 is the only iDEN rugged phone in the industry to feature an embedded camera and the first with a clam form factor to include Bluetooth wireless technology*. The i580 is also the first rugged iDEN clam phone designed to meet military specification 810 F for rain resistance, as well as for dust, shock and vibration. The phone's durable design and easy-grip rubber exterior can withstand even the toughest day on the job or the most demanding outdoor activities for those who enjoy an active lifestyle.

"Sprint Nextel recognizes that business customers in industries like construction, transportation and field services often experience harsh weather conditions or the need for documenting proof of work," said Danny Bowman, vice president of product marketing for Sprint. "With first-in-its-class features like an embedded camera, Bluetooth wireless technology and military-level rain resistance, the i580 is the total package for extending the workplace."

"At Motorola, we constantly strive to deliver products that are as remarkable as their users — whose lives are fast paced and demanding — and the Motorola i580 is designed to live with them, through tough weather conditions or less than optimal treatment," said Peter Aloumanis, general manager, U.S. Markets Division, Motorola's iDEN Mobile Devices.

The Motorola i580 provides Sprint's unmatched Nextel Walkie-Talkie capabilities, allowing for instant one-on-one, group and off-network communication with the touch of a button. The most complete ruggedized phone yet, the i580 contains notable features such as:

— 1.3 megapixel digital camera with video record functionality - the i580
is the first ruggedized iDEN clam style handset to offer an integrated
1.3 megapixel digital camera, producing high-quality images, a self-
timer, up to 4X digital zoom and an LED light that can light up an
image in a range up to 2 feet in low light conditions.

— Removable micro SD card slot - Store images, MP3 files, and video to
removable micro SD memory cards. 64MB card included.

— Bluetooth wireless technology

— GPS support - Get step-by-step driving directions, trip planning and
more when you add GPS-based applications like TeleNav, MapQuest FindMe
and Trimble Outdoors.

— Large, internal color display

— Support for advanced walkie-talkie capabilities including Direct
Send contacts and pictures.

— Messaging services - send or receive multimedia and/or text and voice
messages.

— Front ported audio support - equipped with dual, frontal speakers

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Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership Installs WiFi Network

Taking your laptop or PDA to lunch will soon no longer be a hi-tech challenge as the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership (PDP) has begun installation of Downtown Pittsburgh's free outdoor wireless access in the Central Business District.

The WiFi Downtown Pittsburgh installation phase was unveiled in Market Square as Mayor Bob O'Connor hung the network's first transmission radio. Installation of the Downtown wireless network, which will be powered by US Wireless Online, will be completed by September 2006.

Speaking on behalf of the WiFi initiative, Michael M. Edwards, president and CEO of the PDP, said, "Free outdoor wireless will be a tremendous enhancement for workers, residents and visitors who want to utilize laptops, PDAs and other electronic equipment in Downtown Pittsburgh."

O'Connor said the service allows the city to continue to build on the already existing amenities the area has to offer. "Now people who live and work in Downtown Pittsburgh will have the freedom to enjoy being outside and still have access to the communications equipment that keeps them connected," he said. "It's the first step in bringing a wireless network to the rest of the city."

As an innovative initiative, WiFi Downtown Pittsburgh will provide wireless access to the Central Business District/Golden Triangle, North Shore and Lower Hill District at various service tiers, including: US Wireless Online FreeConnect, which allows free access for up to two hours each day and US Wireless Online DayConnect, which provides usage at a higher bandwidth and can be purchased in increments of $7.99 per day, $14.95 per month or $119.99 per year. FreeConnect users will be provided a minimum of 512 Kbps of bandwidth, while DayConnect users will receive 1 Mbps. DayConnect users also will benefit from VPN and other security encryption protocol support.

Bringing cutting-edge amenities to Downtown Pittsburgh is a key goal of the PDP. According to Michael Edwards, WiFi Downtown Pittsburgh will be enjoyed by Downtown residents, workers and visitors. In addition, he says, "The free WiFi access distinguishes Downtown in the marketplace for both business and living. It's something you will only find Downtown."

In addition to its wireless Downtown component, WiFi Downtown Pittsburgh will provide municipal benefits, including four secured mobile command units for the City of Pittsburgh's public safety use, and will address digital- divide issues by providing complimentary connections in partnership with Wireless Neighborhoods, an alliance of community and faith organizations committed to support children's education, promote economic development and address other social barriers.

WiFi Pittsburgh was funded by the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation, Colcom Foundation, Grable Foundation, The Heinz Endowments, Hillman Foundation, Laurel Foundation, McCune Foundation, Mellon Financial Corporation and Richard King Mellon Foundation.
US Wireless Online has installed similar technology in Baton Rouge and Los Angeles. Timothy J. Pisula, Chief Technology Office, US Wireless Online, said, "The impact of the technology on these cities has been enormous." He also added, "We are proud to partner with the PDP and the City of Pittsburgh to bring this state-of-the-art wireless Internet access to the Downtown community."

For more information on WiFi Downtown Pittsburgh, visit www.DowntownPittsburgh.com.


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HP Teams with Vodafone for Global Mobile Connectivity

HP has announced a marketing initiative with Vodafone, the world’s largest mobile community, which will provide customers around the world with access to Vodafone’s global 3G and 3G broadband high-speed service built into future HP Broadband Wireless business notebooks.

As part of the collaboration, future HP broadband wireless notebooks will integrate Vodafone’s global 3G and 3G broadband (HSDPA) high-speed service. This will enable customers to enjoy more secure wireless access to email, the Internet and critical business data while living, working or traveling throughout major Vodafone markets including Western Europe and the Pacific region.

“More and more business professionals around the world are looking to improve productivity by staying more connected while on the move with high-speed wireless networks,” said Eric Cador, senior vice president, Personal Systems Group – Europe, Middle East and Africa, HP. “Expanding the range of HP Broadband Wireless notebooks to include mobile connectivity from Vodafone and worldwide standards like 3G/3G broadband is critically important to addressing a truly global customer need for pervasive, high-speed wireless access when out of the office.”

The first notebook to support built-in 3G/3G broadband is the HP Compaq 6400 Notebook PC series. Available with HP Broadband Wireless, this innovative notebook includes configurations with integrated wireless WAN capabilities that will be expanded later this year to include support for Vodafone’s 3G/3G broadband high-speed wireless network. The agreement between HP and Vodafone calls for close collaboration around product development, testing and marketing.

“Working with HP is an important part of Vodafone’s plan to provide customers with ever more compelling mobile solutions so customers can experience the benefits of 3G and 3G broadband,” said Nick Jeffery, global director, Business Marketing, Vodafone. “Notebooks with built-in 3G broadband offer customers an easy to set up and access email, office data and the Internet on the move.”

This new collaboration between the companies focuses on future notebook designs that deliver on ease of use and the flexibility of international roaming. Notebook users can expect to experience connections that mirror what many have in the office, allowing them the freedom to work where they want to whether riding in the back of a taxi to a business lunch or downloading a drawing at a construction site within the coverage area. HP Broadband Wireless business notebooks with built-in support for the Vodafone 3G and 3G broadband wireless network are designed to support international roaming in many countries around the world.


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SAFETY RECALL from Lexar

LexarTM JumpDrive® Secure II



Warning: Some of these products can overheat,
creating a potential burn risk. No injuries have been reported.

Products affected are 1GB in capacity with a metallic silver housing
(sold only at Fry's Electronics between May 16 - 31, 2006).

ONLY THE PRODUCTS DESCRIBED ABOVE ARE AFFECTED.
The Lexar JumpDrive Secure II 1GB has a metallic silver housing. The
Lexar logo is embossed in the front, and the capacity is marked on the
back. The products can be identified by the product Hardware Part
Numbers and PCBA Part Numbers shown in the picture.
Lexar is offering a free replacement for affected products. For more
information, please contact Lexar at: 1-800-248-2798 (24/7) or visit: www.lexar.com

New Patches for Windows and Office

Robert McMillan from IDG News Service is reporting that seven software patches are expected next week from Microsoft.

In part, he says:

With online attackers taking advantage of holes in its Office software, Microsoft plans to release seven software patches next week.

Four of the updates will fix bugs in Windows while another three will address flaws in Microsoft Office, Microsoft said Thursday in a bulletin on its Web site. Both sets of patches will address critical flaws, which attackers could exploit to run unauthorized code on a PC without any user action.

You can read Robert's article here

Did You know Microsoft has....

... some pretty terrific Windows Genuine Advantage Offers?

Users of genuine Windows XP operating systems are invited to take advantage of the special offers. Here are just a few for you to look at and get if you want:

Microsoft Soccer Scoreboard

Follow this year’s FIFA World Cup tournament with Microsoft Soccer Scoreboard!

Follow your favorite teams and players during the FIFA World Cup tournament with Microsoft Soccer Scoreboard. This fun program allows you to access all the latest tournament news and information with the click of a button! Live game data allow you to cheer on your favorite teams while they are playing! Want more? Check out your team’s fixture (schedule), standing, and news as they advance through the tournament. If you are a soccer fan, don’t miss a minute of the action. Download Microsoft Soccer Scoreboard today!

Microsoft Private Folder 1.0

Microsoft Private Folder 1.0 is a useful tool for you to protect your private data when your friends, colleagues, kids or other people share your PC or account. With this tool, you will get one password protected folder called 'My Private Folder' in your account to save your personal files. Download and have your private folder today!

Microsoft Carioca Rummy

If you enjoy card games, you will love Microsoft’s Carioca Rummy! The object of this unique card game, popular in countries like Argentina and Chile, is to get rid of all of your cards during each round. The player with the fewest cards at the end of the game will win! This offer is available for genuine Windows customers. Download and play Carioca Rummy today!

And there is more...much much more! Take look here to see what you can get FREE from Microsoft.

LOOKOUT!

So what is Lookout, anyway?

Lookout is lightning-fast search for your email, files, and desktop integrated with Microsoft Outlook.

Built on top of a powerful search engine, Lookout is the only personal search engine that can search all of your email from directly within Outlook - in seconds...

You can use Lookout to search your:

Email messages
Contacts, calendar, notes, tasks, etc.
Data from exchange, POP, IMAP, PST files, Public Folders
Files on your computer or other computers
... Very soul (okay, not true)

Just enter your search and press enter. Results are instant. Lookout will find your search terms hiding nearly anywhere in your Outlook mailbox - subjects, bodies, phone numbers, addresses, etc.

This is a "very cool" tool and it is FREE!

You can get it here

Let's Play in the Sandbox

The MSN Sandbox .... a neat place to build you're knowledge!

The SANDBOX is the place to play with new MSN technologies, look at prototypes, and peek behind the scenes at some of MSN's new ideas. I am confident that you will enjoy your time in the "box".

Check it out here

Thankyou C/NET for World Cup Coverage

I have to admit that during the World Cup this year, C/Net has sparked an interest in me with some of their posting of news. I was extremely pleased with something I saw today and wanted to share it with those of you that are World Cup fans.

World Cup downloads

The FIFA World Cup 2006 has literally reached its last legs. Once the titanic battle between Les Bleus (France) and the Azzurri (Italy) is concluded on July 9, woebegone devotees of the beautiful game will have to wait another 4 years for the next game. Although this year's Cup is only the 18th ever, the tournament has already established itself as the granddaddy of all sporting events, due to the size of the audience and the wild passion of the fans. Follow the last of the football extravaganza with a collection of World Cup-inspired software and games.

Check out what C/Net has to offer here

Talk about being able to Experience Mobility

Autonomous Vehicle First to Conquer Pikes Peak

Spirit, Axion Racing’s autonomous Jeep Grand Cherokee, is the first unmanned vehicle to drive itself to the summit of Pikes Peak. The vehicle drove without human interaction or remote control. This is the first time an autonomous vehicle has completed the same course used annually by human drivers participating in the Pikes Peak Hill Climb race.

New Zealand’s Rod Millen is the fastest human to ever drive up to the top of Colorado’s Pikes Peak, at 10 minutes and 4.6 seconds, but he might start looking over his shoulder. The day after the 90th running of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb’s Race to the Clouds, Axion Racing’s autonomous vehicle Spirit completed the 12.42 mile route in 47 minutes and 10.3 seconds. It’s almost five times as long as Millen's record, but no one was driving as the vehicle drove around 156 corners, many of them 2,000 foot cliffs with no guardrails.


“We would have reached the top quicker, but Spirit kept having to apply brakes to stay back from slower human controlled vehicles,“ said Bill Kehaly, Axion Racing’s Team Leader, “Our top speed is presently 25 miles per hour and we think we can break 30 minutes at this September’s inaugural Pikes Peak Robot Hill Climb.”

Using on-board computers to analyze data from GPS signals, lasers, stereo cameras, sound systems, and radar units, the self-driving vehicle is able to know where it is and where it needs to go. These capabilities were successfully field tested when Spirit joined the half million people who reach Pikes Peak’s Summit House each year.

“It was visually stimulating watching the vehicle follow the road and drive confidently past the many beautiful vistas on Pike’s Peak,” said Kevin Shand, Interim Executive Director of the Colorado Film Commission. “It’s really going to be something to see multiple autonomous vehicles try their luck on the mountain, later this year.“ Shand was an observer in Axion Racing’s support vehicle, which followed Spirit and had an emergency override system, just in case.

Another observer was Ray Sibley, Director of Risk Management, City and County of Denver (CO). “Axion’s test team had a human monitoring everything from the driver’s seat, there was the emergency override system, and Spirit has internal and external pause buttons,“ said Sibley, “Being able to safely stop the vehicle at a moments notice showed real planning by the team.”

This isn’t the first autonomous vehicle challenge that Axion Racing has been involved with. The team took off sixth in the inaugural 2004 DARPA Grand Challenge and was ranked by DARPA as the third best team (took off fourth) in the 2005 Grand Challenge.

“We’ve done really well qualifying against big money and universities for the DARPA Challenges.“ said Kehaly, “Only one team can win and we have been a little unlucky so far on race days.” Axion Racing had its GPS system give out on the 2004 Grand Challenge starting line and then went 67 miles (half-way) before unexpectedly pulling left into a ditch during the 2005 Grand Challenge. The GPS problem was fixed with a military grade Inertial Navigation System from Northrop Grumman and a half-hour wheel alignment fixed Spirit’s desire to pull to the left.

This fall, Axion Racing is scheduled to compete with almost 1/3 of the total 2005 DARPA qualified (23) teams. They’ll all be racing to hold the title “World’s Fastest Robot to the top of Pikes Peak”. The Pikes Peak Robot Hill Climb will be held September 23, 2006.

DriverlessMotorSports.com’s Sam Harbaugh will lead a team making sure each participant is ready to start near mile 7 on Pikes Peak Highway and then each self-driving vehicle will be given an adjusted time at the 14,110 foot summit’s finish line.

“We’re excited about our chances to set the autonomous record,” said Kehaly. “We’ve already proven that we can make it up to the summit and we’ll only get better over the next few months.”

Some people thought it was a special opportunity to view the future as Spirit showed off her stuff to visitors at the summit. “I’ll tell you, I would love to have my car drive itself back down this mountain” said Jodi Larson, a local Colorado Springs graphic artist, “It would be great to look out and take in all this beauty, without worrying about steering around the next curve.”

Rod Millen won’t have to worry about losing his speed record just yet, but someday it just might be a robot who own the quickest time up the mountain that inspired Katharine Lee Bates famous poem, “America the Beautiful.”

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MAGIX PARTNERS WITH EMUSIC AND LIVE365

MAGIX Offers Free Music Downloads and Internet Radio Services for Buyers of MAGIX Music Studio 11 deluxe and MP3 Maker 11


MAGIX (www.magix.com) announced today partnerships with the music download portal eMusic and Internet radio network Live365, making music lover’s money go a lot further.

When consumers buy MAGIX Music Studio 11 deluxe, the world’s most successful music creation software1, they receive a special 30 day free trial to the Internet radio network Live 365. MAGIX customers can enjoy Live365’s “Preferred Membership” premium radio subscription service for free with unlimited access to 10,000 stations in 260 genres, commercial-free in CD quality. They can also try out Live365’s broadcasting service and start their own Internet radio station to share their music and ideas with a worldwide community of four million fans.

In addition, customers who purchase the most successful MP3 software in the world1, MAGIX MP3 Maker 11, will be able to download 100 songs for free from eMusic, the world’s largest retailer of independent music and second largest digital music service. eMusic supplies more than 1.5 million tracks from 4,000 of the world’s leading independent labels in every musical genre, which can be downloaded as MP3s, edited with MAGIX MP3 Maker 11 and saved on your cellphone or other mobile device.

“We’re delighted that three strong partners have been able to join forces in this cooperation,”
said MAGIX CEO Jürgen Jaron. “Our software solutions provide all the options necessary for editing, enjoying, and transferring music to mobile players. eMusic and Live365, the leading music download and Internet radio providers, are the perfect musical complement to our products.”


About eMusic

Delivering more than one million downloads each month, eMusic is among the top digital music services, offering a diverse catalogue of one million tracks from established and emerging artists in every genre from the world’s top independent labels. Founded in 1998, eMusic was the first service to sell songs and albums in the popular MP3 format and the first company to launch a digital music subscription service.

About Live365

With thousands of stations and more than 4 million listeners a month, Live365 is the world’s largest Internet radio network. The company gives individuals and organizations a “voice” to be able to reach a global audience, while offering more than 4 million radio listeners per month an unparalleled choice in music and other audio content. Through easy-to-use tools and services, anyone with a computer and an Internet connection can create his or her own Internet radio station. As a result, Live365 offers the most diverse array of high-quality radio available today, with thousands of stations spanning myriad genres and representing over 150 countries.

About MAGIX

MAGIX AG, Berlin, is an international provider of software, online services, and digital content for the use of multimedia products and services in personal communication. MAGIX provides private and professional users with a range of technologically sophisticated and at the same time user-friendly software, online services, and digital content for the design, editing, presentation, and archiving of digital photos, videos, and music. In 2005, based on sales of products through retail distribution of photographic, music, and video software, MAGIX held a leading market position in Germany and various other European countries, and was one of the three leading market players in the USA.

1 Refers to the number of software products sold by retailers according to monthly measurement by Media Control Germany (Source: media control Panel) (PC/CD-ROM non-games Germany according to criteria of VUD), GfK Charts Netherlands, Belgium, France, Spain, Chart Track UK, NPD Data Charts PC/CD-ROM non-games US, Italy, Spain, Nordic. May 2005 to May 2006.


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New York's 'Free Wi-Fi in the Parks' Nearing Completion

Nokia announced today it has been selected to be the primary provider for mobile services in the free Wi-Fi networks in the parks of the city of New York. The networks currently being installed will cover 10 major parks in New York City, including Central Park, Union Square Park and Corona Flushing Meadows. The network infrastructure is owned and managed by WiFi Salon, a New York-based company that owns the exclusive concession rights from the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation for this purpose.

Nokia will introduce mobile multimedia services in the parks with local media partners during the summer. The media partners will provide complimentary mobile versions of their content to Nokia devices with Wi-Fi connectivity used in the parks.

"The Parks Department is pleased to partner with WiFi Salon and Nokia to bring free Wi-Fi access to ten major parks in New York City," said Commissioner Adrian Benepe. "The expanded Wi-Fi network will give park visitors even more options to enjoy. Now, park patrons can throw a pitch, score a goal, catch a wave or surf the Net at some of our City's greatest parks."

"This is a great opportunity for Nokia to showcase the capabilities of our mobile multimedia devices," said Floris van de Klashorst, director, multimedia, Nokia. "Wi-Fi in the parks is an excellent way to pilot new services with our partners in the media industry, while New Yorkers can enjoy some of their favorite pastimes while in the parks - such as reading the paper, listening to music or accessing the Internet - in an entirely new way."

Access to these multimedia services over the Wi-Fi network will be possible with Nokia products that have wireless LAN built in, such as the Nokia N80, the Nokia N91 - two of the latest multimedia devices in the Nokia Nseries range - and the Nokia 770 Internet Tablet, a portable multimedia tablet optimized for Internet communications. Park visitors can access the public Wi-Fi network using laptops or other portable devices with wireless LAN as well.

"Wi-Fi can be more than about Web surfing and checking e-mail," noted Marshall Brown, founder and CEO of WiFi Salon. "What if a hot spot was not just a gateway, but a destination? What if it offered rich multimedia experiences based on the neighborhood where you are located? As prime neighborhood meeting grounds, parks are ideal places for people to experience this new approach to public Wi-Fi."

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A New Standard for Mobile Camera Phones

Samsung Telecommunications America (Samsung) and Verizon Wireless set a new standard for mobile camera phones today with the availability of the SCH-a990, the first 3.2 mega pixel digital camera phone available to Verizon Wireless customers. The SCH-a990 enables photo enthusiasts to take high-resolution photos of a similar print quality as a standalone digital camera. In addition, the SCH-a990 boasts a number of media features, including video recording capabilities, V CAST to view video and V CAST Music to download music directly to the phone and Bluetooth(R) wireless technology, to allow a customer to print pictures wirelessly from the SCH-a990 to a Bluetooth-enabled printer basic print profile.

The SCH-a990 has a unique design that looks first like a phone and then, when the screen is rotated 180 degrees, like a camera. This innovative design, along with the high resolution and features such as a flash and in-camera photo editing software, make the SCH-a990 the first mobile device that is as much a camera as it is a multimedia phone.

The SCH-a990 is also a strong V CAST multimedia phone with full music, video and game capabilities on a high-resolution screen. V CAST Music lets customers play music on their wireless phones — the same device they have come to rely upon for entertainment, information and mobile communication. V CAST customers can browse, preview, download and play high-quality digital music from their SCH-a990 over Verizon Wireless' broadband network — the most award-winning wireless broadband network in the nation — or from the Verizon Wireless V CAST Music online store using a personal computer.

With V CAST on the SCH-a990, customers can view video clips from the hottest names in entertainment, news, sports and more in the palms of their hands. V CAST is currently available to more than 150 million Americans from coast to coast.

"The launch of the a990 marks the first time a multimedia phone is fully integrated with a high resolution camera in the U.S.," said Peter Skarzynski, senior vice president, Samsung. "With a design that feels and looks like a phone and camera, Samsung's a990 is the premier print quality camera phone for photo enthusiasts in the U.S. market."

The new SCH-a990 also supports Verizon Wireless' VZ Navigator, a tool for customers that includes mapping, audible turn-by-turn navigation and the ability to find over 14 million points of interest.

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ActiveSync 4.2

Microsoft ActiveSync 4.2 is the latest synchronization software for Windows Mobile-based devices.

ActiveSync 4.2 is the latest sync software release for Windows Mobile powered devices. Microsoft ActiveSync provides a great synchronization experience with Windows-based PCs and Microsoft Outlook right out of the box. ActiveSync acts as the gateway between your Windows-based PC and Windows Mobile-based device, enabling the transfer of Outlook information, Office documents, pictures, music, videos and applications to and from 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 data, tasks and contact information updated wirelessly when you’re away from your PC.*

Changes in ActiveSync 4.2 help resolve connectivity related issues with Microsoft Outlook, proxies, partnerships, and connectivity.

Microsoft Outlook Improvements:

Resolves issues relating to error code 85010014

Proxy/DTPT interaction Improvements: Improved auto configuration of device Connection Manager settings when desktop has no proxy path to the internet.

Improved Desktop Pass Thru behavior with ISA proxy failures

Partnership improvements: Better resolution of multiple devices with the same name syncing with the same desktop

Connectivity Improvements: Better handling of VPN clients (resolve unbinding of protocols from our RNDIS adapter). New auto detection of connectivity failure with user diagnostic alerts

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


Download ActiveSync 4.2

This is the future...

This is very cool...you have to check it it out!

It is a Multi User Multimodal Tabletop Interaction Video that shows a brief video of multi user speech and gesture over Google Earth and Warcraft III. I can only imagine the possibilities....and expense!

You can watch the video here

Nope, it has not!

The emails keep coming and the answer is always the same. Apple keeps pushing the emails out that ask the question:

In the past thirty days has your PC:

1. Crashed
2. Frozen
3. Made you want to pummel your screen with a sledgehammer
now that was a really dumb question
4. All of the above

For me, and millions of others, the answer is NOPE...IT HAS NOT!

If it did, it would have had to be a program I installed from a third party and if I had a problem, I'd use the restore option Microsoft has built into Windows. The System Restore tool will return your computer to a previous working state. System Restore takes a "snapshot" of critical system files and some program files and stores this information as restore points. You can use these restore points to return Windows XP to a previous state.

Sometime back, I did installed a new program that had a very definite negative effect on my laptop. Using System Restore, I ended up with my computer back to where it was before I had installed that application...and it has worked perfectly.

Do we call it a "Micro-Player"?

It has been said that Microsoft will have an "iPod" type player on the market soon but this will not be just any ordinary player. This will be a wireless digital music and video player ... now that sounds very cool!

Imagine, sitting with some friensds, one is playing a song (or video) you really like; so you log on, download and VOILA...you've got it! Of course this is all speculation but I believe the sources that I am reading and hearing from are pretty credible. This could be a "hot" holiday season if it comes to life! From my perspective, it is all about timing, timing, timing and implementation.

I was thinking of getting a second iPod Video so sharing the device with the family becomes a little easier...now I'll wait. So what do you think?

The Lord of the Rings, The Battle for Middle-earth II

For those of you that are Xbox fans, Electronic Arts announced that the award-winning The Lord of the Rings, The Battle for Middle-earth II for the Xbox 360 shipped to stores nationwide today and will hit store shelves July 7, 2006.

This marks the debut of a strategy game available for the Xbox 360 system, boasting a new and innovative console-specific control scheme that allows novice players to enjoy the game's signature strategy gameplay while giving expert strategy players the flexibility needed to engage in deeply complex battles.

"We are thrilled to bring the first Real-time Strategy game to the Xbox 360 and offer you the opportunity to command massive armies from The Lord of the Rings universe for the first time on console," said Louis Castle, VP of Creative Development at EALA. "The Xbox LIVE gameplay is also truly enjoyable which features exclusive multiplayer modes. We can't wait to see you online!"

Based on the PC version of the same name, The Lord of the Rings, The Battle for Middle-earth II for the Xbox 360 system takes players into the heart of Middle-earth to live the battles seen in the blockbuster New Line Cinema films and detailed in the classic J.R.R. Tolkien literary fiction. Players now can command the epic battles of Middle-earth presented in spectacular high-definition from the comfort of their living room couch. To add to the intensity of the experience, players can challenge friends online and engage in intense, action-packed real-time battles over Xbox LIVE(TM)(1) -- a first in The Lord of the Rings(TM) videogame series. Directly controlling hundreds of units, players can attempt to defeat enemy armies, conquer new lands, and seal the fate of Middle-earth.

Developed at EA's Los Angeles studio, The Lord of the Rings, The Battle for Middle-earth II for the Xbox 360 offers a new depth of The Lord of the Rings fiction never before explored in an EA console game. The game makers at EALA have brought The Lord of the Rings world to life in accordance with an agreement with The Saul Zaentz Company d/b/a Tolkien Enterprises that grants EA the rights to develop games based on the books, in addition to a separate agreement that allows for games based on the New Line Cinema films.

The Lord of the Rings, The Battle for Middle-earth II for the Xbox 360 is rated "T" for Teen by the ESRB and has an MSRP of $59.99. The official videogame website can be found at http://www.ea.com/official/lordoftherings/bfme2_360/us/home.jsp.

For game assets or information about any of EA's games, please visit EA's press site at http://www.info.ea.com.

(1)Online play requires Internet Connection. Xbox Live online play also requires subscription to the Xbox Live service.

Click read more below to see the full news item

Toshiba gigabeat S - One Slick MP3 Player!

Looking to get a MP3 player?

Mike Kobrin from PC magazine wrote a comprehensive review that you might want to read. I think he likes it!

In part, Mike had the following to say:

The new Toshiba gigabeat S is one slick-looking MP3 player. Available in a white 30GB model (S30, $299.99 direct) and a black 60GB model (S60, $399.99), it sports a sharp 2.4-inch LCD, a slim profile, and a nifty cross-shaped button array. Although it lacks voice/line-in/FM recording, this Windows Mobile-based hard-drive player offers very good sound quality and is a solid alternative to an iPod for Microsoft Windows users. Media Center PC owners, especially, will be intrigued by its familiar Portable Media Center interface. Audio geeks will dig the player's support for the WMA Lossless format, and photographers will like the USB Host feature, which lets you connect the player directly to a camera or other USB device. I hope that a good accessory market will spring up around it soon.

Checkout Mike's entire review here...it is an excellent read!

MapQuest Mobile and the Weather Channel Are the Top Revenue-Generating Downloadable Mobile Applications

MapQuest Mobile was the top revenue-generating downloadable mobile application, according to Telephia, the leading provider of performance measurement information to the mobile industry. The Telephia Mobile Applications Report for Q1 2006 shows that MapQuest Mobile secured 21.9 percent of the total share of revenue for mobile applications, excluding mobile games and mobile TV (see Table 1). The Weather Channel came in second, with 5.7 percent of the total revenue share, while Verizon Superpages 2.0 came in third posting a 5.3 percent share. Two music applications, Music Choice and Sirius Music, rounded out the top five with revenue shares of five and 4.8 percent, respectively.

"Local maps/directions and up-to-date weather are well-suited to delivery via mobile phones because they are information needs characterized by immediacy, location-specificity, and time-sensitivity," said Kanishka Agarwal, Vice President of New Products, Telephia. "Downloadable mobile applications present a significant opportunity for higher ARPU, with more than 3.3 million mobile consumers downloading these applications during the first quarter of the year."

Top 10 Downloadable Mobile Applications

1. MapQuest Mobile
2. The Weather Channel
3. Verizon Superpages 2.0
4. Music Choice
5. Sirius Music
6. Accuweather.com Premium
7. eBay
8. Backup Assistant
9. America's Best Mobile Pix
9. Yahoo! Photos
10. ESPN Bottomline Pro

Click read more below to see the full news item

...and the Vision expands - Samsung NV3, NV7, NV10

Earlier today, I posted a release of a new Samsung camera that caught my fancy...the NV3. As soon as I posted the NV3 release, there were two additional releases in the new NV line, the NV7 and the NV10. I was particularly interested in the NV10...it looks to be a terrific camera in a great form factor that will enhance my ability to Eperience Mobility. You be the judge...check out these exciting new cameras from Samsung.

The release information for the NV7 and the NV 10 appears on the next page...click the the READ MORE to look at these exciting new cameras....oh, which one to choose from...what a dilemma!

NV7

Samsung’s New ‘Slim-Bridge” Camera Redefines The Style of Technology

Samsung Camera is pleased to announced a breakthrough in digital camera design with the launch of the NV7 OPS. Part of Samsung’s new NV Series, the seven-megapixel NV7 OPS has effectively created a new “slim-bridge” product category, packing an extraordinary 7x Optical zoom into a super-slim body measuring just 4.2” x 2.5” x .8”. This innovative and unique model also features two types of image stabilization—Optical Picture Stabilization, which physically adjusts the CCD to combat handshake and Samsung’s Advanced Shake Reduction (ASR), electronic image stabilization to ensure a steady, crystal-clear shot in almost any shooting condition.

The NV7 is one of three new models that make up the NV Series of digital still cameras from Samsung. All three models feature unique, slim designs with sleek bodies in brushed black, stainless steel and a trademark Samsung blue ring located around the lens. This premium line was developed after two years of extensive market research, and as a result, two of the NV models feature a revolutionary, easy-to-use Graphical User Interface (GUI) that allows users to easily toggle through menu functions using a convenient touch pad located along the LCD on the back of the camera, instead of the traditional dial located at the top of the camera. For outstanding image quality, the NV7 features legendary Schneider optics.

“We worked closely with our designers to develop a long-zoom camera that would fit within the lifestyle of today’s style-conscious consumer and came up with the slim-bridge design,” says Stewart Henderson, National Marketing Manager at Samsung Opto-Electronics. “As part of the NV Series, this model is sleek, compact and includes important features like optical picture stabilization in a package that can be easily slipped into a purse or pocket.”

For outstanding image quality, the 7-megapixel NV7 includes a world-renowned Schneider 7x optical zoom lens (equivalent to 38-270 mm in 35 mm format). For clear images in undesirable shooting conditions, the NV7 includes an Optical Picture Stabilization system. The system combats the many causes of blurry images, including handshake, long zoom shooting, long exposures and nighttime shooting, by incorporating a sophisticated CCD shift mechanism that senses motion and that will automatically shift the CCD to compensate for the movement. Also included is Samsung’s Advanced Shake Reduction (ASR) that electronically combats blurry images in environments lacking sufficient lighting.

For the more advanced photographer looking for additional control, the NV7 provides multiple manual functions at the user’s fingertips. The NV7 features three kinds of manual exposure adjustment, including Aperture Priority, which allows more control of depth, Shutter Priority, which allows better capture of fast motion, and Manual adjustment, which allows users to set the shutter and aperture themselves. For additional control, the NV7 also includes an Auto Macro function that automatically adjusts shooting distance and focus between 10cm to infinity, as well as a super macro mode that enables subjects to be photographed up to as close as 4 cm.

For smoother video and a larger view of the movie on LCD and TV screens, the NV7 can record in VGA (640x480) at 30fps. The NV7 also includes a movie stabilizer function that automatically detects and corrects minor lateral and vertical camera movement. For additional control the continuous video recording function allows the user to pause and resume video recording at any time, while the built-in movie editing function allows users to edit video in-camera. The NV7 features several special effects functions for creative control in-camera, such as Color Effect, Highlight, Photo Frame, Negative and Composite Shot. Color effects include B/W, sepia, blue, green and red.

For crystal-clear images under various shooting conditions, the NV7 features 11 scene modes including Night, Portrait, Children, Landscape, Close-up, Sunset, Backlight, Fireworks, Beach & Snow and Text Recognition. Text Recognition, a feature unique to Samsung digital still cameras, allows users to shoot documents such as books, papers and magazines and then extract text from the image taken using the bundled “Digimax Reader” text recognition software.

The Samsung NV7 has an MSRP of $449.99 and will be available in Fall of 2006.

NV10

Samsung Camera Debuts New 10-Megapixel NV Series Digital Still Camera

Samsung is proud to announce the newest addition to their technologically advanced and stylish NV Series, the NV10. This 10-megapixel model features the distinctive styling of the NV Series including an innovative touch pad Graphical User Interface (GUI), a sleek, brushed black aluminum body and compact design. The NV10, measuring just .7-inches thick, includes a Schneider 3x optical zoom lens (35-105mm equivalent), a 5x digital zoom and a large, 2.5-inch color LCD display.

The NV10, a 10-megapixel model, joins the NV Series of digital still cameras featuring unique, slim designs with sleek bodies in brushed black, stainless steel and a trademark Samsung blue ring located around the lens of each model. This premium line was developed after two years of extensive market research, and as a result, feature a revolutionary, easy-to-use Graphical User Interface (GUI) that allows users to easily toggle through menu functions using a convenient touch pad located along the LCD on the back of the camera, instead of the traditional dial located at the top of the camera. For outstanding image quality, the NV10 features legendary Schneider optics.

“The NV10 perfectly rounds out the NV Series offering consumers a broad choice of models—from advanced features like those found in the NV7, to a convergence product like the NV3, to a high-megapixel count like in the NV10,” says Stewart Henderson, National Marketing Manager at Samsung Opto-Electronics. “The NV10, along with the entire NV Series, is redefining the style and technology in digital still cameras.”

The NV10 is equipped with Samsung’s state-of-the-art Advanced Shake Reduction (ASR) technology to combat hand shake. The ASR function provides enhanced image clarity by electronically compensating for excess hand shake and improving color in environments lacking sufficient lighting where the use of the flash is not desirable.

With the touch of a button, the unique technology uses proprietary algorithms to interpret sharpness and color information to deliver an image that looks like it has been taken with the flash. As the flash is disabled, side effects, such as red eye, are prevented.

As with the entire NV Series, the NV10 can record in VGA (640x480) at 30fps, for smoother video and a larger view of the movie on LCD and TV screens. The NV10 also includes a movie stabilizer function that automatically detects and corrects minor lateral and vertical camera movement. For additional control, the continuous video recording function allows the user to pause and resume video recording at any time, while the built-in movie editing function allows users to edit video in-camera. There are also several special effects functions for creative control in-camera, such as Color Effect, Highlight, Photo Frame, Negative and Composite Shot. Color effects include B/W, sepia, blue, green and red.

For crystal-clear images under various shooting conditions, the NV10 features 11 scene modes, including Night, Portrait, Children, Landscape, Close-up, Sunset, Backlight, Fireworks, Beach & Snow and Text Recognition. Text Recognition, a feature unique to Samsung digital still cameras, allows users to shoot documents such as books, papers and magazines and then extract text from the image taken using the bundled “Digimax Reader” text recognition software.

The Samsung NV10 has an MSRP of $399.99 and will be available in the Fall of 2006.

Click read more below to see the full news item

The Apple does have it blemeshes...

I must admit that I like some of the Apple ads that appear on TV...they are creative. There was on I saw recently that had two men standing, one saying "I'm a Mac" and the other saying "I'm a PC". The "PC" starts sneezing that leads into a discussion that ultimately gives the listener the feeling that only PC's get virus'...not Macs. It is a great ad but a bit deceptive IMHO.

I had to laugh today when I saw an article written by Gregg Keizer from TechWeb.com, talking about a "New Trojan(that)Takes On(the)Mac OS X ". He talked about Apple patching the Mac OS for five vulnerabilities and then mentioned that "Symantec posted a notice of a Trojan horse it called "OSX.Exploit.Launchd" on its security site, but had few details other than a successful installation would give an attacker root, or complete, access to Mac OS X 10.4.6 and earlier systems".

I guess when you rotate an Apple to hide the blemishes, they eventually show up all over the Apple!

Samsung NV3 - A New Vision - A New Way To Experience Mobility

Samsung Camera announces the introduction of NV3, one of three new camera models that comprise the revolutionary new NV series of digital still cameras featuring sleek, stylish designs and high technology. The NV3 is a 7-megapixel digital still camera that features Samsung’s exclusive Digimax Converter software to play movies and MP3 files. The ground-breaking NV3 is a state-of-the-art digital still camera featuring revolutionary SHD optics with the added convenience of a Personal Media Player that allows users to enjoy video content and their favorite music on-the-go.

Samsung’s new NV Series of digital still cameras are immediately recognizable by their highly attractive and sleek bodies in brushed black, stainless steel and a trademark Samsung blue ring located around the lens of each model. This premium line was developed after two years of extensive market research, and as with the NV3, feature the latest in Samsung digital imaging technology as well as personal media player functions.

“The NV3 is the epitome of the New Vision Samsung has set out to achieve with NV series,” says Stewart Henderson, National Marketing Manager at Samsung Opto-Electronics. “It combines cutting-edge technology with a bold, stylish design and an easy-to-use interface to create a truly unique and desirable product for today’s consumer.”

At the heart of the NV3 is a 7-megapixel digital still camera measuring a mere 3.7” x 2.2” x 0.7” with a 2.5-inch, high resolution LCD display. For outstanding image quality, the NV3 integrates a 3x optical zoom (equivalent to 38-114 mm in 35 mm format) capability with Samsung’s exclusive SHD lens technology.

The NV3 is equipped with Samsung’s state-of-the-art Advanced Shake Reduction (ASR) technology to combat hand shake and ensure crystal-clear images. The ASR function provides enhanced image clarity by electronically compensating for excess hand shake and improving color in environments lacking sufficient lighting where the use of the flash is not desirable. With the touch of a button, the unique technology uses proprietary algorithms to interpret sharpness and color information to deliver an image that looks like it has been taken with the flash. As the flash is disabled, side effects, such as red eye, are prevented.

For entertainment on-the-go, users simply use the included Digimax Converter software to easily convert their favorite MP3 files or watch their favorite video content on the large, 2.5-inch color display. The user-friendly software can seamlessly convert MPEG, AVI, MOV, WMV and ASF files for viewing on the NV3. For music on-the-go, the software can also convert MP3 and WAV audio files in several simple steps. The innovative software also allows users to view subtitles, adjust the screen size and crop and stretch the image to fit the screen as desired. Users can listen to their entertainment using the included ear buds or on the dual stereo speakers discreetly located on the camera, and for a seamless experience, even listen to their music while taking photos.

In addition to playing video, the NV3 can also make movies using MPEG-4, the high-compression, high quality video format. The NV3 can record in VGA (640x480) at 30fps, for smoother video and a bigger view of the movie on LCD and TV screens. For steady videos, the NV3 includes a movie stabilizer function that automatically detects and corrects minor lateral and vertical camera movement. For additional control the continuous video recording function allows the user to pause and resume video recording at any time, while the built-in movie editing function allows users to edit video in-camera. The NV3 features several special effects functions for creative control in-camera, such as Color Effect, Highlight, Photo Frame, Negative and Composite Shot. Color effects include B/W, sepia, blue, green and red.

For crystal-clear images, under various shooting conditions, the NV3 features 11 scene modes including Night, Portrait, Children, Landscape, Close-up, Sunset, Backlight, Fireworks, Beach & Snow and Text Recognition. Text Recognition, a feature unique to Samsung digital still cameras, allows users to shoot documents such as books, papers and magazines and then extract text from the image taken using the bundled “Digimax Reader” text recognition software.

To ensure the clarity of images regardless of shooting range, the Auto Macro function automatically adjusts shooting distance and focus. By using the macro button, users can set the camera to automatically adjust distance and focus from between 5cm to infinity. The NV3 also includes a super macro mode that enables subjects to be photographed up to as close as 1 cm.

All Samsung digital still cameras feature a built-in image editing function allowing users to edit a variety of images without the use of a PC. The Trimming function can be used to cut an undesired part of an image and save only the required part. When short of memory, shooters can use the Resizing function to recover some of the memory space, by resizing and saving images in a smaller size. The Rotating function allows users to rotate an image in the desired direction and save it.

The NV3 features 16 MB of internal memory and comes bundled with ear buds and a powerful lithium ion battery.

The Samsung NV3 has an MSRP of $349.99 and will be available in Fall of 2006.

Samsung Opto-Electronics America, Inc., Secaucus, N.J., is the U.S. subsidiary of Samsung Techwin Co., Ltd., Sungnam Kyungki-Do, Korea. Samsung Opto-Electronics markets a full line of auto focus cameras, zoom and digital cameras for the amateur as well as the professional under the Samsung brand name. CCTV monitors and lenses, motorized zoom lenses, binoculars, observation and security systems, and video presenters are other products in the family of photographic and optical equipment.

*Technical specifications subject to change prior to product launch



Click read more below to see the full news item

Vaja releases the Silver Collection

There is only one way to describe this new addition to the VaJa line: WOW!

This is one very slick looking case. It is no wonder why Vaja is happy to announce the release of the exclusive Silver Collection for Treo 650 & 700p/w



Handcrafted silver 925 appliqués highlight the T65/T7's sculpted lines, mesh protector and logo, giving your Treo a sophisticated and striking styling look. Made from the highest quality leather, available in several colors and featuring padded interior, headphones & reset access, syncs & charge cutouts and access to all functions.

Get Smart with the new Silver Collection. Available only at http://www.vajacases.com

About Vaja:
Vaja produces innovative high-end leather accessories for a wide range of electronic gadgets, including MP3 players, cellphones, notebooks, digital cameras, PDAs and more. All of its products are handcrafted by the most skilled artisans using full grain Argentine leather.

For more information, visit http://www.vajacases.com and http://www.vajachoice.com

Happy Birthday America!

On July 4, 1776, the people in America claimed independence from Britain and it was then that our democracy was born. From that time forward, there have been millions of people that have left their homelands to come to the "land of the free and the home of the brave". The United States has been blessed with people from all nations.

On July 4, we will again celebrate that freedom and independence that our forefathers fought so hard for. For many, they will celebrate with barbecues, picnics, family gatherings and of course, our spectacular parades and fireworks celebrations.

We are fortunate to have the Internet so we can communicate and share with people throughout the world. With understanding and knowledge, all nations will grow.

Happy Birthday America!

The HFI-2200 ULE headphones - a 10 out of 10!

I love reading great reviews and I found one today that I think you just might enjoy if you like to listen to music, have it "cranked", and want to keep your neighbors happy.

Bob Katayama has posted another TechnoReview: HFI-2200 ULE Headphones from ULTRASONE and he really likes them (and his neighbors like them too!).


In part, Bob writes:

The HFI-2200 ULE headphones are a wonder of technology and a real pleasure to wear and listen to. If you listen to classical, jazz or other music categories that have numerous instruments, you will enjoy the range of sounds that encapsulates your whole head. If you currently use ear bud headphones at home, you may want to give your ears a rest and switch to these Ultrasone surround sound headphones. Your ears will thank you.

Check out Bob's excellent review here

And there is more! Call To Contact - Smartphone

Call To Contact - Quickly and easily assign phone numbers to existing or new contacts!

You asked for a smartphone version and they did it....nice going guys!!

Call To Contact allows you to easily add new phone numbers to existing phone contacts with just a few clicks. When an incoming phone call is received, Call To Contact checks to see if that number is already associated with one of your contacts. If not, Call To Contact will prompt you to add the number once the phone conversation finishes.

FEATURES:

Simple to use. Simply start Call To Contact, and it does the rest! You are only notified when necessary.

“One Hand-Friendly”. Call To Contact is designed with phone operation in mind, using softkey menu buttons and directional pad navigation to minimize the need for stylus input.

Check it out here at the BHighlyMobile site or at the Boston Pocket PC site

Questions and support should be directed to the forums at Boston Pocket PC .

....and if size matters

Klegg Electronics Unveils the New Video Klegg Mini


Keeping with the demand for portable digital media players with video capabilities, Klegg Electronics is proud to introduce the Klegg Mini V12 MPEG-4 players. The players will come in storage capacities of 1GB, 2GB, and 4GB. In addition, the 4GB model will include Bluetooth technology.

These new additions to the Klegg product line, allows users to access a wide range of audio and video content. The portable media players will support MP3, WMA, MPEG4, WMV, DIVX and AVI formats. Slightly smaller than an Apple(R) iPOD and starting at less than $100, the Mini V12s sports a bright 1.8" TFT Color LCD screen. A built-in lithium-polymer battery offers 20 hours of continuous playback between charges. The 4GB Mini V12 featuring Bluetooth technology, will allow users to listen to high quality stereo sound through wireless headphones.

The Klegg Mini V12 will be available online and at retail locations by mid-summer. Klegg expects to announce further details concerning distribution soon.

MobileTechRoundup Podcast #53

This is a terrific podcast to listen to. This weeks "cast" is 31:45 minutes long and is a 29.1 MB file in MP3 format.

HOSTS: James Kendrick and Kevin C. Tofel always have great things to say, and this one is no different. Among the topics discussed is a general discussion on flash-based drives in UMPCs and notebooks.

CLICK HERE to go to MoTR and listen directly or click here to go to JKONTHERUN

Windows Live Toolbar Beta

Safely search from any Web page

What it is

A super-useful tool that helps you find stuff
on the Internet faster and more securely.

What it lets you do

• Search from any Web page
• See a warning when a site may be trying to scam your personal info
• Cut down on unwanted pop-ups
• Collect, organize and share the info you find online
• Auto-detect a site's RSS feeds, and have them automatically sent to your personalized Live.com home page
• Effortlessly customize your toolbar with only the buttons you want
• Access your favorites from any PC
• Quickly switch between Web pages in the same window
• Fill in Web forms instantly

Check it out...I think you will like it.

You can read more here or download it here

The BHighlyMobile Group Releases Call To Contact Phone Edition V1.0

CHECK THIS OUT FOLKS...This is one terrific program and it is FREE!


The BHighlyMobile Group, L.L.C., a New Hampshire-based company focused on Microsoft mobility solutions, is pleased to announce the availability of Call To Contact Version 1.0 for Windows Mobile 5.0 Pocket PC Phone Edition devices.

Call To Contact allows you to easily add new incoming phone numbers to existing phone contacts with just a few clicks. When an incoming phone call is received, Call To Contact checks to see if that number is already associated with one of your contacts. If not, Call To Contact will prompt you to add the number once the phone conversation finishes.

Call To Contact V1.0 is being made available free of charge as a “thank you” to the Windows Mobile community for their continued support and interest in Windows Mobile-based solutions. Product details, screen shots, system requirements and download instructions can be found at the Call To Contact Phone Edition product page.


BTW, Don't forget to click on the image on the right to see different screen shots of this terrific program

Windows 98 - Its Time Has Come...and Gone!

So you still have that old Win98 computer, huh? Still works, heck, you're reading this post with it. Cool! But time is running out...quickly!

Windows 98 and ME folks are about to lose their support from Microsoft starting July 11. Sort of sad in a way---there are millions of old computers out there that work and are still being used but their time has come and gone!

So what are you going to do? I suppose you could just take your chances and see what happens and I suppose you could finally make the decision to upgrade. If you take a look in the Sunday paper advertisements, you can pick up a "low end" maching for real cheap money and if you are still using a Win98 machine, this new baby will do more and do it faster than what you have now.

So, start looking...it's time for a new machine! So where do you look? Well, there are a lot of places but one of the best deals I ever got was at TigerDirect on the net.

Right now, they have a Gateway 560GE Intel Pentium 4 630 3GHz(HT) / 512MB / 250GB HDD / DVD±RW Dual-Layer / Flash Media Reader / Windows XP Home / Refurbished Desktop PC for$499.99 ....it is worth checking out as well as those Sunday ads!

Corn Maze Design Kits

Martens Farms introduces a do-it-yourself Maze Design Kit for farmers, agri-tainment consultants and agricultural businesses. The Maze Design Kit enables anyone to design and precisely create mazes in cornfields, wildflowers, bamboo or other crops as well as hedges, garden plantings, straw bales, fences, walls and more. This Kit includes software, a professional-level GPS receiver, PDA with rugged mount, and basic training to start using the bundled products. The kit also enables field record-keeping, GPS mapping and data layering, and reports to better manage mazes with end-of-season crop harvests.

Additional information is available at www.123farmworks.com/cornmazedesign.htm or 877.585.6761.

Mazes are great outdoor fun for maze trekkers, and profitable for the operators. With the new Maze Design Kit from Martens Farms, anyone can produce amazing mazes. Centuries ago, mazes were only seen in the grand gardens of royalty. Now, field mazes are popping up all over the country as part of the booming agri-tourism and agri-tainment trend. Mazes are soaring in popularity by offering visitors affordable, nostalgic, family-friendly healthy activity. Mazes are attracting farmers' and agricultural businesses' attention because of higher profits compared to harvesting the crop by itself. Mazes may also help attract visitors to nearby businesses in rural areas.

"The beauty of our Maze Design Kit is that it enables anyone to create basic to intricate mazes using precision farming technology, saving time and money," says Lorra Martens of Martens Farms. Once the maze is designed, the Kit can be used to manage field records, create reports on basic field input costs, create custom reports and maps, and develop GPS-enabled games.

Editors note: Definitely pricey but it does look like a cool thing to do!
Click read more below to see the full news item

The Destruction Of The English Language?

Jon Westfall, a contributing Editor at Pocket PC Thoughts brought up a very interesting topic in a thread entitled "The Destruction Of The English Language?".

In part, Jon said:

Earlier This Week on a forum devoted to the Pocket PC version of an anonymous piece of software:

"hi people just installed the app 5 min ago, and be4 the app loads up i get a message saying Expired so how am i ment to c if it works on my device be4 buying. i have had non of the deluxe versions on my xda 4 more than a day cus non of the others worked can sum1 please help me i realy want to buy the app if it works"

Now there was a time when writing like this would have been thought to be the work of an 8 year old, today however, it's common. The scary thing is, it's starting to creep into forums and user groups that common sense suggests it shouldn't. After all, what would this guy use a Pocket PC for?

A very interesting post that has had a lot of replies. I think you might find it interesting. Check it out here and post your thoughts.

I suppose we could sent folks over to the BBC where they have a page on LEARNING ENGLISH.

Virtual Agent

So if you are out looking at some property and you see that your Real Estate agent is always on the phone, don't think he is not interested, he just might be getting information for you.

SkyWire Media, Inc. and IVR (Interactive Voice Response) technologies have just introduced Virtual Agent, a web-based mobile marketing tool that provides Realtors and other real estate professionals with instant property data to potential clients.

Virtual Agent gives real estate professionals an extra edge and it's easy to use -- when a consumer dials SkyWire Media's toll-free phone number they are prompted to enter the property code. The Virtual Agent system will then deliver the property information, including up to six photographs to the potential homebuyer's mobile phone.

"SkyWire Media's unique use of SMS text messaging and IVR technologies blend perfectly to enhance the marketing potential for real estate agents," said Shawn Harris, president and chief executive officer. "Virtual Agent is very cost-effective for users, eliminating paper flyers which are expensive and generally provide a low number of leads. Virtual Agent allows the same data and photos to be delivered to a prospect's mobile phone and delivers their contact information to the listing agent in real-time."

Learn more here

Free WiFi Weekend in Pomona

City of Pomona and Technology Partners Launch Free WiFi Weekend Friday July 7 to Sunday July 9, 2006

As I was surfing today, I noticed a FREE Wi-Fi event coming up next weekend in Pomona that might be a cool event to go to. I know it will be a great event because a friend of mine is very much involved...I'll have to give him a call and get him to organize one of these events on the east coast!

If you live in Pomona or are close by you might want to stop over...there is some cool FREE stuff that they will have to give you. Click the READ MORE! below to get the full details.

WHAT: Kick-off event held to launch free WiFi service available to
anyone with wireless capability in downtown Pomona (one square
mile bordered on the north by Holt Avenue, south by Ninth
Street, west by Rebecca Street and east by Towne Avenue) from
Friday, July 7 to Sunday, July 9

WHO: Event sponsored by the City of Pomona, Cheetah Wireless
Technologies, Inc., ACS, Tropos Networks, Inc. and Nomadix

Representatives of the City of Pomona, Cheetah Wireless and ACS
will be on hand for one on one demonstrations of WiFi access
and how to set up a computer or use a PDA (personal digital
assistant) on the City of Pomona WiFi Network

WHEN: Kick-off event: Friday, July 7

WHERE: 7 a.m. to 10 a.m., Metro Link Downtown Pomona Station

-- WiFi Demos provided by Cheetah Wireless Technologies, Inc.
-- Free WiFi Tech Support for those who bring their laptops
-- Free "I was freed in Pomona" T-Shirts
-- Free Hi-Speed Wireless PrePaid service cards
-- Free breakfast pastries

11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Mission Promenade, 101 W. Mission Blvd.
(Inside the courtyard)

-- WiFi Demos provided by Cheetah Wireless Technologies, Inc.
-- Free WiFi Tech Support for those who bring their laptops
-- Free "I was freed in Pomona" T-shirts
-- Free Hi-Speed Wireless Pre-paid service cards
-- Free Hoagie sandwiches


Cheetah Wireless
Mitch Gonzalez, 702-243-3824
mgonzalez@cwti.net

or

Comunicano, Inc.
Andy Abramson, 858-523-1800
aabramson@comunicano.com
Sue Huss, 619-379-4396
sue.huss@comunicano.com

or

City of Pomona
Monique Valadez, 909-620-2572
Monique_valadez@ci.pomona.ca.us

Click read more below to see the full news item

GainSeeker Suite Now For PDAs

GainSeeker Suite now supports data collection and monitoring on PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants) and other handheld devices.

Hertzler Systems Inc. has announced that the latest version of their flagship software, GainSeeker Suite, now supports data collection, monitoring, and first-level analysis via Personal Digital Assistants (PDA's), palmtop computers, and other handheld devices.

Using a handheld device to collect data and provide real-time alerts offers many benefits:

* The data is immediately available to the rest of the enterprise, so no one has to wait for you to synchronize your handheld.

* A handheld device is the most portable and least expensive platform available for entering GainSeeker data.

* Wireless network connectivity eliminates the need to plug cables into your handheld device.

* Network connectivity to gages, weigh scales, and other measuring devices with RS-232 output also eliminates the need to plug cables into your handheld device. By connecting your gage to a TCP/IP interface device, your handheld device can collect data directly from the gage.

The release of GainSeeker 7.502 also makes it possible to track the latest real-time alerts from your handheld device. This makes it easier for engineers and support staff to monitor and troubleshoot problems anywhere in the enterprise — not only from their desktop computer or at the point of failure.

Kevin Rackham, Director of Quality at Consolidated Biscuit Corporation and GainSeeker user, said “A number of times I’ve been on the floor when I received an alert to my PDA that a problem was happening on one of the lines. Before arriving at the production line, I had reviewed the control chart and the operator comments and was ready to talk to the operators and supervisor about the problem.”

According to Byron Shetler, Chief Technology Officer for Hertzler Systems, handheld device support is a breakthrough in flexibility and cost reduction. “You can buy a fully-featured PDA for only $250. At that price, you can buy and break or lose 20 PDA's before you reach the cost of one $5,000 hardened device. Not only that, but if you are in a harsh environment, you can just slip the PDA into your pocket when you’re not using it. Try that with a full-sized hardened PC!”

Technical specifications for handheld devices are available on the Hertzler Systems Technical Support web site at www.hertzler.com or call 574-533-0571.

About Hertzler Systems

Hertzler Systems provides seamless, accurate data acquisition solutions that drive business transformation. They have been in this business for over 20 years, with a diverse customer base in service, transactional and manufacturing environments. Their software and services enable clients to connect, collect and analyze data; building a robust data infrastructure for making data-driven decisions. These capabilities help clients to reduce costs, cycle time and errors, and increase profitability. Hertzler’s clients include Boeing Aerospace, BAE Systems, Crown Audio, IDEX Corporation, Kraft Foods, McCormick & Company, Inc., Hormel Foods Corporation, and Titleist & Footjoy Worldwide, just to name a few.

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Smartphone & Pocket PC magazine invites the public to nominate software for its Sixth Annual Best Software Awards

Smartphone & Pocket PC magazine New Products Editor, Diane Dumas, and the 2006 Board of Experts have posted their preliminary selection of nominees for the 2006 Best Software Awards.

90 Windows Mobile experts from around the world have nominated 602 Windows Mobile products in 87 Pocket PC categories and 27 Smartphone categories from the 4000-product Encyclopedia of Software and Accessories. From June 30 through July 14, the public is invited to nominate their favorites. The final list of nominations will be frozen shortly thereafter and then published at www.PocketPCmag.com/awards. In August the experts will vote and determine finalists and winners.

Here are the practical details:

All details about the awards can be found at www.pocketpcmag.com/awards .
The goal is to have the top 20% of Windows Mobile Smartphone and Pocket PC software nominated.

For logistical reasons, vendors must submit their free product listing in the Encyclopedia to be eligible. Therefore, to be considered in 2006, vendors should submit their products immediately.

Judges, users, and vendors may use the nominations form to suggestion nominations, un-nominations, and mis-categorizations. Smartphone & Pocket PC will make final determination, with experts’ suggestions having the most weight.

Public discussion of the awards can be found at the Smartphone & Pocket PC forums .

Links:

Best Software Awards home page: www.pocketpcmag.com/awards

Preliminary list 2006 nominees: www.pocketpcmag.com/awards/category_all_2006.asp

Nominate products form: www.pocketpcmag.com/survey/nominationsfeedback.htm

Encyclopedia of Software and Accessories: www.pocketpcmag.com/encyclopedia.asp

Vendor submission form: www.pocketpcmag.com/update/

Subscribe to Smartphone & Pocket PC magazine: www.PocketPCmag.com/subscribe