Mobigasmic Moved!: PDA

PDA Nirvana

Fri, 28 Mar 2008 13:54:10 GMT

As annoyed as I am by Ubiquio/MWG's total abandonment and nonexistent customer service the truth of the matter is that I love my Ubiquio 503G. In fact, my husband recently commented that he hasn't seen me this content with a device since I had my Treo 650. And believe me, that's saying a whole lot.
I think back to my Treo 650 days and wonder why they seem so idyllic, and if its ever possible to go back to that frame of mind. The answer, unfortunately, is that ignorance is bliss. I didn't really know any other operating system beside Palm, so everything I read about devices seemed foreign and far-removed from me. I also realize that the canndybar QWERTY form factor is a necessity for me. From November of 2006 to November of 2007 I used a Samsung Blackjack almost exclusively. In fact, if it hadn't been for the limitations of Windows Mobile Standard I probably would have been happy with it for longer.
Its been about 4 months with my Ubiquio 503G now and I must admit- I'm pretty content. I seem to have found the perfect balance of software which works well on it. I've grown accustomed to the quirks, especially the double-press needed to get a period. I've looked at other devices (most recently, the HP 910c) and with the exception of the promise of company support, I can't really see what other pressing features it would bring me. In other words, I just may have found that elusive PDA peace I've been looking for.

My Next Phone?

Wed, 19 Mar 2008 02:55:31 GMT

While I've been happy with my Ubiquio for the most part, I've been disgusted with the lack of support from TechFaithWireless/MWG. To date I am still waiting on a Rom upgrade to fix the following issues:

-Occasional freezing of the D-Pad

-Jumpy scroll wheel

-ROM and RAM increase

-Name search as default, not numbers

-LED for emails.

The support team has been MIA for over 4 months now, and it seems they've totally abandoned the device. So, it seems that the Rom version 3.06 may never see the light of day. I don't know if I can stay faithful to a device that has reached the end of its potential.

The HP iPaq 910C seems like it may be a worthy successor. In addition to everything that the UBiQUiO has as well as GPS. Hey, maybe I'll take up Geocaching!

The two devices are eerily similar, and rumor is that the HP will be released this year on AT&T. That couldn't be better news for me, since I'm eligible for an upgrade in April!

Blackberry Curve Question

Sun, 16 Mar 2008 02:41:44 GMT

As everyone who reads Mobigasmic knows, I do not do Blackberry. I don't know, it's just not my style- they can Curve it, Pearl it- I'm not fooled. However, my cousin is, and she insists on dragging me into her Black(berry) hole with her. First she wanted me to help her track down an IM client. Today she called to lament that she couldn't open Word documents, and apparently the only solution is to buy a 3rd party program which costs a hefty sum.

Anyone out there know if there is a workaround to view and/or edit Word and Excel documents on the Blackberry Curve or am I going to have to drag her kicking and screaming over to Windows Mobile, or at the very least Palm?

HP iPaq 614c available Monday

Sat, 16 Feb 2008 10:52:41 GMT

http://rss.feedsportal.com/c/473/f/6512/s/9248fb/story01.htm

No, I wasn't in a zombie trance when I wrote a few days ago that the 614 had been cancelled- its been cancelled only here in the States, which makes it even more cruel!

Today Screen Animation

Tue, 12 Feb 2008 19:42:06 GMT

MyMobiler has just released a new version of its software which not only allows you to control your device from your desktop, but also allows you to capture video images. To test this, here is my Today screen.

MSN Direct Drops

Tue, 12 Feb 2008 11:19:33 GMT

MSN's answer to YahooGo was released to day and it definitely seems like a promising attempt. So far its only available for Windows Mobile Standard, which excludes yours truly, but from the footage I've seen it looks pretty fetching. It only shows weather, news and stocks for now which is less than Y!Go but it does include a homescreen plugin which would appear to up the ante somewhat.

HTC P3470

Mon, 11 Feb 2008 11:01:35 GMT

This HTC looks like a trimmed down, sexier version of the Touch. Unfortunately it has no 3G or WiFi, but it does have GPS. However, for $650 I'm sure there are more fulfilling devices to be had in Europe.

PDA Wishlist

Fri, 08 Feb 2008 19:19:27 GMT

Overall, I've been pretty happy with my UBiQUiO 503G as well as the selection of software loaded on it. But, as the perfectionist I am, I still have some minor wishes that I would love to see fulfilled sometime soon:

Device:

-On my UBi, I would love for the scroll wheel and navpad to be fixed. The scroll wheel is way too jumpy and the navpad misses a press every now and then.

-Every once and again I get a keypad freeze up, but I suspect its related to a piece of software.

-I need to be able to program the video call button to something else!

-The LED only works for text messages. Fix this UBiQUiO!!

Software:

-I'd love for someone to develop a Twitter application that shows up on the today screen. Like SPB Insight, optional image of the user and regular updates. It would be amazing if somehow I could update my status right from within the application!

-Facebook needs something deeper than the mobile website. I recently found out about T9 Space which is a slight step up, but still doesnt work quite right. The API is now available, I'd love to see a Windows Mobile Facebook application that is more than just a notifier. Currently, I upgraded to unlimited Text messaging and have been relying on using Text notifications.

-Pocket IE isn't cutting it! I stopped using Opera Mobile because it was just too large, and took too long to open. But, I want something with more speed, and the simplicity of Pocket IE. Could Skyfire be what I need? Hopefully I get accepted into the beta!

-One of the simplest but most useful application for Palm was one called TrackerDog. The purpose of TrackerDog was to list all your installed applications, then check them to ensure you had the latest version. if it found your installed version to be outdated, you had the option of allowing it to download the updated program from the website during Hotsync. This is sooo needed for Windows Mobile! Keeping track of updated versions is just about a full time job.

Rainbow Pearl

Thu, 10 Jan 2008 01:47:41 GMT

While on the one hand its nice to see Blackberry offer the Pearl in different colors, its kind of inconvenient that the color availability is driven by carrier. Here are the red Pearl for Sprint and the pink (ugh!!) for Verizon.

Slingplayer for Blackberry...soon!

Sat, 05 Jan 2008 10:12:03 GMT

Even though Sling doesn't natively support the Ubiquio 503G...or,it seems, most landscape ppcs, I still consider it to be one of the major technological developments of the past decade. I use it on my laptop on a regular basis. Now Blackberry users will soon bee able to join in the fun! According to Engadget, Sling is going to demo this at CES this year. Am I the only person bummed not to be at CES?

Read the story below per Engadget:

***Sling announces SlingPlayer Mobile for BlackBerry

Windows Mobile: check. Palm OS: check. S60: yep. So what's the giant, gaping hole left in Sling's coverage of mobile clients? BlackBerry, of course, and the company has finally confirmed what we already sorta knew -- that a SlingPlayer Mobile for BlackBerry is officially in the works. Sling will be demonstrating its latest client at CES on a Pearl 8120, utilizing its WiFi connection (though 3G will work just as well) to stream down an endless barrage of mind-numbing content from the Slingbox of your choice. Look for it to show up on a BlackBerry near you "later this year" for a shade under $30. Hop on over to Engadget for a quick hands-on with the goods!***

Viigo RSS Reader

Fri, 28 Dec 2007 17:20:37 GMT

This is the newly released freeware RSS reader from Viigo. My verdict? I'm afraid I'm going to have to give this one a thumbs down-it lasted a grand total of about 5 minutes on my UBi. First, and most annoyingly, the GUI for this program completely covers the top and bottom bars- which would be fine except for the fact that every time you navigate within the program there is an annoying 'flicker' which briefly flashes said bars. Navigation is slow and almost seems like the data is offline and must be retrieved as you enter each article.
As much as it pains me to criticize freware, I'm afraid I must. You're better off using Bloglines mobile via your web browser- a solution which is also free.

Mobi-Overdose

Mon, 17 Dec 2007 19:30:51 GMT

There is such a thing as too much tech, as you can see. Here's what my desk looked like last week as I prepared to clean house. I've got the first Ubiquio, which I purchased but then arrived without the battery. I couldn't wait patiently like a normal person for the replacement battery to be sent, so I ordered another one! Then there's my Cingular 8525 which I picked up from my Cingular upgrade. I liked the device, but I am always weary of devices with moving parts. Also, with one arm/hand almost exclusively dedicated to holding the little guy I definitely needed a one-handed device. My Blackjack might have filled that void, but lack of WiFi and WM Professional made it come up short.

The three excess devices have all sold on eBay now, and I hope that they have found good homes where they can be appreciated for the gems they are.

My Mobiler

Sat, 15 Dec 2007 22:17:53 GMT

For some reason, it seems that I cannot get Soti PocketController working with my UBiQUiO 503G....I just end up with a fuzzy, snowy display on my desktop. After searching, I found that there is a freeware application called My Mobiler (www.mymobiler.com) that works just as well and does not have the issue of Soti's app. You can also zoom in to get a larger display of your device on your desktop. Use your mouse and keyboard to control the device as normal:

Windows Mobile 6.1

Tue, 11 Dec 2007 10:36:30 GMT

Hurray!
The latest update of WM6 is 6.1 and FINALLY includes native support for Office 2007 docs. Now I have a reason to seriously ponder getting O2K7 on my PC...hmmmm.

My 'UBi'

Mon, 10 Dec 2007 23:59:25 GMT

I know it seems like I say it every time I get a new device, but this time I really mean it....this is THE one. Its my new UBiQUiO 503g and it has everything that I've been looking for in a device:
-Windows Mobile 6 Professional (my Blackjack was nice but I just cannot be as flexible with the Standard version no matter how hard I try)

-WiFi (again, missing from my Blackjack and Treo 650 back in the day)

-QWERTY Keyboard (none of that slideout stuff-it just makes it inconvenient to access

-Pocketable size (remember my lovely Universal? Couldn't use that thing without a damn parade!)

-3G (this thing is FAST on the Cingular 3G network)

In other words, I love it. Its the perfect one handed device for me and now that I've tricked it out its exactly what I want it to be. There are a few issues that plagued it when it first came out, but UBiQUiO has been really good with releasing improved ROMs so I'm pretty comfortable.

Now my Blackjack and 8525 are going up on eBay!

TIme for a change

Wed, 08 Aug 2007 20:14:49 GMT

For the past few months I have been using the same homescreen on my Blackjack and I feel like it may be time for a change. Here is what my old screen looked like:

And here is one of the top contenders to be my new homescreen. I am still adjusting to the busy-ness of it, but so far its certainly got my attention:

If you like how it looks, you can get it over at the SBSH forum here.

Amazing YouTube Mobile Substitute

Tue, 17 Apr 2007 20:11:58 GMT

There's been a lot of hoopla lately regarding the availability of mobile video, YouTube-like content for your Smartphone or PocketPC. Basically, unless you have Verizon wireless, there isnt a whole lot to look forward to on the immediate horizon. So, as I always do, I scoured the web determined to find a solution....and boy, did I ever hit the mother load! Check out 'Avazing', this is a cool community based databank of mobile-optimized video clips and shorts. It kind of reminds me of what MSN Soapbox should be, but stops short because the videos just do not play smoothly on my Blackjack.

Avazing can be configured to download the movies to your phone only when connected to Activesync (great if you pay per KB of data) which means that it does store the data locally on your device-no streaming necessary. You determine the amount of clips you want to download and once it has downloaded you are presented with the list of all available clips on your phone:

Selecting the video will play the highlighted clip:

Once the clip started to play, I was a bit confused. The player looks exactly like the WM player with the Samsung skin built into the phone so I didn't understand why the heading said "Avazing video player". However, once I checked the menu, I noticed that the options are actually from the Avazing application:

This is one of the those finds that I absolutely love: its simple, it fills an open niche in my device and, most importantly ITS FREE!!!!

Multi-Platform Banking Solution

Mon, 09 Apr 2007 00:27:18 GMT

There are several different Banking software solutions out there, and if you own a mobile device then you know that trying to find a sync-able option is another battle altogether. Here's my dilemna....I own a desktop, a laptop and a Smartphone...but I'm not always on top of my syncs (i.e. sometimes I go a week between syncs). This means that it is very difficult for me to maintain my banking summary, and keep it updated, on all 3 devices. A persusal of a forum led me to a post where the writer suggested an online based solution for banking records...hmmm. At first I was skeptical, especially about the security aspect of the site, but when I checked out ClearCheckBook.com I realized that there is really no need to have the details of my transactions secure!

On this site you create an account and then can enter all of your bank accounts, credit cards, etc by name only and then enter the transactions. None of the information that you enter is sensitive data (i.e. $10 spent at Starbucks!) and then the information is available to you anywhere you have an internet connection!

The site loads in a usable fashion on my Blackjack, but I noticed that there is a daily countdown ticker on the page http://www.clearcheckbook.com/mobile which now indicates that a special mobile version should be available in 41 days!

Finally! TV Guide on my Blackjack!

Fri, 16 Mar 2007 15:27:19 GMT

One thing which has been a minor nuisance for me since I settled solely on a Smartphone device is the lack of a TV Guide program for this platform. The mobile TV Guide website hasnt worked in over a year, and UGuide which was available briefy in Beta has been closed, probably to reopen as a premium program (sorry, but I simply will NOT pay for a java app!) To me, the Tv Guide function on my mobile device helps me remember what comes on tonight, and if its an episode I've seen or not without having to interrupt a DVD I might be watching or if I'm away from home.

This week I revived this search determined to find a solution to this issue. And it was actually very simple! Styletap is a cool app that allows Windows Mobile devices to run Palm apps, and recently it has been appended for the smartphone. By downloading Styletap, I can run Pocket TVBrowser which is one of my favorite TV Guide applications. Not only that, but I can run a plethora of Palm apps that I previously had to abandon and were never adapted to the WM Platform (Helloooo BeBop!!!)

Styletap does two things which I really like. One is, it launches as the Palm Launcher to show you the Palm apps that you have installed on your device:

And the other is that it creates a shortcut directly to the application within Styletap so that I can add a TV guide shortcut to my WM Right Menu program and it automatically launches the TV Guide program and opens Styletap on its own. The reason that is important is that it speeds up my access to the program I need by not having to launch Styletap, then select the app I want. As you can see, Palm even has the version of American Baby to Go which I couldn't find anywhere!

Sneak Peek at the HTC Universal Sucessor

Sat, 17 Feb 2007 19:03:21 GMT

Here are some cool shots of the I-Mate 7150 which has Windows Mobile 6, 520Mhz SPU, VGA screen, WiFi and tri-band 3G

I love that this device is thinner than the Jasjar and also that it has the much needed soft keys on the front of it, which makes it more convenient to use when closed screen up. It also supposedly has Windows Mobile 6 but all the shots I've seen on it seem to be WM5. Hmmmm......

Empty "Remove Programs"List? Here's the Fix!

Mon, 12 Feb 2007 17:03:28 GMT

i've had one problem with all of my PDAs which I could never understand...eventually I would get to a point where my "Remove programs" list would be empty. I could not figure out why it was happening and just attributed it to something that I was doing wrong.Well, today I finally decided to look for a fix to this that didnt involve a hard reset (again!!!).The issue is that the remove programs list is only designed to list 50 programs, and once you have installed more than 50, the list becomes blank.

The solution to this can be found here. Its fast, its easy, and most importantly you do NOT have to do a hard reset. Yipee! Enjoy!

Documents to Go now available on Smartphone!

Wed, 17 Jan 2007 21:22:30 GMT

If you've ever had the pleasure of using Dataviz's Documents to Go for the Palm, then you'll understand my excitement at hearing that its been released for the Smartphone now! Asides from the fact that this is one great piece of software, it also marks the release of the first method to edit Word documents on the Smartphone platform (I used pTab for excel files previously). Dataviz currently has a free 60 day trial so if you've got a Smartphone and you have an interest in being able to create and edit Word, Excel, Powerpoint or view PDF and Zip files then head on over to their site and grab the free preview!

BluePulse....Tastes like Saki but goes down smoother

Fri, 15 Dec 2006 13:25:04 GMT

After i used the Java fix that i mentioned a few days ago I had an insatiable need tofind qualiy java applications. One of the best ones i have found is Blue Pulse....and i think i'm in love with it!
Blue Pulse reminds me of what Saki Mobile should have been except that it caters to a much broader spectrum than the 'Hot Saki Girls' (ugh, that still leaves a bad taste in my mouth!) and by being java based it runs on a much wider range of devices.
There are a few features that BP has which I find really exceptional...live chat rooms that are user created on the fly, RSS feeds, Multi-IM application (except AIM) and the live webcam viewer. The webcam viewer takes live images from webcams around the world. It also allows you to upload pictures and videos (from your phone and your desktop) to the site.
The only thing in my opinion that is missing from Bluepulse is the robust web client like Saki Mobile offers. However i do wonder if the use of such is wht eventully causes quality degradation. At least now with Blue Pulse your network of friends and buddies is one of people who are on a mobile device and have at least the know-how to add an application to their phone.

Bone Idle...And No Apologies!

Wed, 13 Dec 2006 14:58:37 GMT

If you read the title of this entry, then you already know that I make no apologies for my lack of posts the last few days. Its the Holidays, people!

So, of course, no sooner do I post an entry showing you how to hack Skype for your smartphone, than Skype release the official Skype for Smartphone! Well, this time I'm going to teach you another neat trick....take that, Samsung!

A lot of people who have made the transition from cell phone to Smartphone by way of the BlackJack may have noticed that the Java experience on it is less than good. In fact, its pretty downright poor. Now, for me this ordinarily wouldn't have been a problem, because I've never really been attached to any Java application. There were 2 things though that made me change my tune:

The first is, as you can see from the right side panel, I've recently become aquainted with a great web-based IM solution called Meebo. Meebo lets you IM your MSN, Yahoo and AIM buddies using their website. The other neat feature it offers are the widgets. I've placed a widget into this page, and anytime anyone visits Mobigasmic, they can directly chat with me if I'm signed on to Meebo. In addition, I can see visitors on my buddy list with a unique number so I can initiate a "Hello" to you! The last frontier for Meebo is a mobile version of their program so that you can reach me from my Blackjack. And judging from BluePulse, I'm betting its going to be a Java-based program.

The second is my hunt for a simple TVGuide program. Now that I've been accepted into the Blackjack SlingPlayer Beta program (shhhhhh!), I really wanted to be able to actually see what was on TV and then log on to watch it. I knew that, seeing as how I haven't totally lost my mind, I would not be spending $30 a year for the Handmark TVGuide application, however, since the Wireless TV Guide page has been down for a few months now I needed something to bridge the gap. I stumbled across UGuide a while ago from the Treocentral website, but hadnt paid much attention to it at the time as it was Java. Now I realized this was definitely the one I needed!

The problem with the built in Java on the Cingular Blackjack is that it incessantly prompts you to confirm that you are allowing it to connect wirelessly. It is a huge nuisance! Yesterday I finally decided that it was time to buckle down and find a solution once and for all. My search led me to this page, which is the simplest and most wonderful work-around in history ever. I believe that this is a HowardForums user hosting the page but whoever you are, we love you! To quote from his page:

Instructions:

Download this file: IBMJ9GMapsGmail.ZIP
Unzip the file.

Connect via ActiveSync to the Blackjack
copy j9.cab to My Documents folder on Blackjack
copy JAD files from Google folder to My Documents folder on BlackJack
Copy tahoma and tahomabd from Windows/Fonts to Windows/Fonts on BlackJack
Disconnect ActiveSync
Use File Explorer on BlackJack and tap the J9 cab to install
After it installs, tap the JAD files to install GMail and GMaps

How simple is that!

Skookum- RSS for Smartphone!

Thu, 07 Dec 2006 17:40:13 GMT

I know that this is not a new application, but as someone who is coming late to the Smartphone game, I was suprised at how deep I had to search to find this great app:

I have been looking for a really good RSS reader for my Blackjack since I got it- so far I have been using the HubDog beta, but as I have expressed before, there are some fundamental things that need to be repaired on HubDog before its ready for primetime. The main issue that I have with it on my smartphone is that using it as an RSS reader is unfriendly because it does not utilize the entire screen to show you images. (However, I will now revert to using Hubdog as my vidcast viewer as I did on my HTC Universal).

Skookum is a neat and simple app which doesn't do a whole bunch of fancy things, but does download images for offline viewing (yay!):

The app has a nice layout which is great to take you to exactly the content you want to see or listen to:

It allows you to schedule updates (which I will try soon) and it is integrated with Audible subscription service, something I have never heard of!

You are presented with a basic list of how many read/unread articles are in each feed:

What you will not be able to modify is how many articles download- and since they are not dated I am not even sure how it figures out how many to grab. You won't be able to sort or arrange your feeds (no major biggie) and you can't edit a feed once it has been imported or entered.

I'm going to give this a whirl for a few days and see how it works out for me. There's also a version for the PPC so if you're so inclined, head on over and download away!

Skype on the BlackJack...Easy as Pie!

Wed, 06 Dec 2006 17:56:18 GMT

Let me start by saying that I haven't had a chance to test out calling on the Skype just yet (hopefully tonight I will get a chance) but, I have been successful in using the chat functionality on Skype. At first I thought I had to do all kinds of overclocking on my Blackjack, but then I stumbled across this useful gem which is supposed to be a tutorial to get Skype working on your Motorola Q but works just fine on the Samsung Blackjack as well! Here's a simple step by step:

1. Get the cab of the Pocket PC Skype.

2. Use Winrar or 7Zip to open the cab file.

3. Rename the file SKYPED~1.002 to SkypeDialer.dll

4. Rename the file 000Skype.001 to Skype.exe

5. Create a folder on your memory card called Skype and pull both those files into that folder.

6. Select and copy Skype.exe then navigate up to your /Windows/Start Menu folder and paste shortcut

Now on your Blackjack when you go to Start you can see the shortcut to launch Skype. My instructions are a bit different from Clay's...I couldn't find the Boing.wav file he mentions (which I think you don't really need) and the names of the files are slightly different. You also really dont need to connect to your pc to navigate, you just need to scroll down to the bottom of the terms of agreement page then use your left or right button to navigate to the 'ok' button. This is a bit tricky because you won't actually be able to "see" what you are highlighting but you can try again if you accidentally close the program by hitting "no". I had no problem using my Blackjack keyboard to input my signon criteria.

Blackjack Marketing Strategy

Fri, 01 Dec 2006 12:37:12 GMT

My lack of posts recently is in direct correlation with my love affair with my Blackjack- this relationship is getting serious and i am toying with the idea of exclusivity.
I have spent the last few days searching for the smartphone equivalent of some PocketPC and Palm apps I cant live without.
So far i have seen 2 different Blackjack commercials, one which essentially reduces it to just another music phone and another which is so well thought out that i had to replay it 4 or 5 times just to stare in awe at the marketing genius. Its an image of a card dealers hands shuffling Blackjacks and in between each flip and turn of the device as its being shuffled, it morphs into a generic camera, mp3 player, phone and movie player. The concept is so simple yet so unbelievably brilliant because the commercial makes you remember the name of the device (okay, so maybe some people might accidentally refer to it as the 'poker', but still) by seeing the dealer shuffling, and it gives you a quick idea of all its capable of. Well played Cingular and Samsung, after all since the Q commercials went into more depth about each of the functions (remember the 'Let There Be Q' commercials?) the Blackjack doesnt bother to duplicate that-after all, in this day and age people expect to be able to multitask on their phone what sets it apart is the unique features.

Click the image to view the entire commercial

True 3G

Wed, 22 Nov 2006 19:54:41 GMT

Note to self- before boasting about 3G speeds, make sure USB cable has been disconnected from PC, ensuring that speed is actually 3G and not just PC throughput speed.

So, I disconnected from my computer and tested the speed of 3G and here is my average speed. I'll test it in a few more places through the city today and see if I top that.

Why I'd Rather Be inTexas Right Now

Fri, 17 Nov 2006 18:27:53 GMT

Because that's where my beloved BlackJack is right now!!! I must have phoned a million Cingular stores yesterday and the few who actually knew what I was talking about said they hoped to have the Blackjack "early next week". At first I thought I would keep trying to hunt it down, but then I realized that if I wanted to have it by Thanksgiving (giving me 4 full work-free days to play with it!!) then I couldnt risk them not having it and being forced to place a later order online. I placed my online order yesterday by noon and have been meticulously tracking its progress. Part of me hopes, with each refresh, that the page will suddenly change and the status will read "Delivered ahead of schedule"....is that odd?

Ode to the BlackJack

Thu, 16 Nov 2006 18:38:38 GMT

Alas, my love...

It seems today

Our love is not meant to be

For nary a store for miles

Has even heard of thee!

Cingular BlackJack Size Comparison

Tue, 14 Nov 2006 15:16:32 GMT

First of all, you should just resign yourself to the fact that I will most likely be raving about this device for a while. In fact, until I can place my overnight order on Thursday, this is probably all I will be able to think about. I did want to point out one interesting tidbit I noticed, though... I used SizeEasy to get a visual comparison of the size compared to the Treo 650 and they are identical except for the thickness! Take a look:

Moto Q Black

Tue, 14 Nov 2006 14:35:47 GMT

This is the Motorola Q in black which is being exclusively launched in Canada by Bell Canada. Its amazing how something as simple as a color change can totally breathe new life into a device. This Q looks less wide than its silver counterpart, and seems like less of a scratch magnet. I guess its similarity to the soon to be released Cingular BlackJack is also making me a bit soft on it too.

Cingular BlackJack

Mon, 13 Nov 2006 22:14:48 GMT

Well,well,well. It seems like Christmas has come early for me this year as Cingular has just announced the very thing I was hoping for, the perfect complement to my Xda Exec with 3g, Bluetooth and Thumbboard! I must have missed all the rumors of this device because this came as a totally unexpected and wonderful surprise! It also does not have WiFi which is great because I could count on one hand the numbr of times I've even bothered to fire up the wifi on my T-Mobile SDA. As a secondary device, I need it to have 3G, but still keep the cost down without including redundant features.
This phone is for me, it has tantalized me even beyond the Treo Lennon which I was still on the fence about. And more excitingly, its going to be available in about 3 days, so if you'll excuse me I'm going to head over and see if I can pre-order on the website right now!

BrainCast- Free Smart Voice Memos

Thu, 09 Nov 2006 18:44:56 GMT

If you've ever called your home to leave a reminder message for yourself, this is the app to take it to the next level! With Braincast you call a toll-free number and leave you memo to self, then when you get to a pc you will be able to play back the message. You can even forward recorded messages to anyone's email! Brilliant! Apart from sounding really good, its free, so what do we possibly have to lose? If you do set up an account and want to send me a personalized hello, you can forward me a recorded message using Braincast to my email address!

Edit: Soapbox Demo

Thu, 09 Nov 2006 14:57:00 GMT

Correction: the Mobile application for Soapbox is supposedly due out any day now. Still, at least actual images of it exist, which is a step up from YouTube which has been all talk so far (target for YouTube Mobile is 2007). I really need to get my hands on a 3g device before all this goodness is available..... Treo Lennon, where are you!!!

Veeker- Mobile YouTube?

Thu, 26 Oct 2006 16:00:35 GMT

Now that YouTube has been bought by Google, perhaps they will work to rectify one of my main irritations which is the inability to view YouTube videos on the go. I have recently been using the workaround of downloading and converting videos on my desktop and copying them to my memory card. Its okay, but I wish there was a better way. Actually, there is- adding a hubdog channel of certain tags should work but you cant be sure how big the video will end up being.

In the meantime, another player comes to the foray allowing you to easily upload videos to the web from your camera or video phone and its called Veeker. I'm not sure what makes it special except that it refers to seeing "video peeks", i.e. veeks, and the ability to share veeks with your friends, or syndicate them on your MySpace or Blogger page. I wish Veeker had spent the time coming up with a way to watch the videos on your phone, but as the watching experience requires FlashPlayer 8, I think thats totally out of the question for now. Check it out, and see if you can find some cool new ways to use such a program.

SlingBox- Satellite TV Anywhere

Mon, 23 Oct 2006 15:59:44 GMT

Yesterday we finally decided to tackle the issue of having a mobile television solution. Our current setup is that in the den, there is a television which gets just the basic network channels with the use of an antenna. One flight up is the living room television which has the Tivo and satellite signal. Finally, on the highest floor the bedrooms and study which share a satellite signal (i.e. Change the channel in the study and it changes in the bedroom as well). What we ultimately want to be able to do is to have access to the Tivo recorded shows from upstairs as well. Unfortunately we found out yesterday that multi-room viewing is only possible using 2 or more series2 Tivos.

What I did decide to do while we figure out how many Tivos we will be purchasing and how best to ultimately redo our home entertainment setup (hmmmm, I'm thinking HD Tv!) was to look at Slingbox as an option. I've heard a lot about Slingbox but it wasn't something I was interested in. I'd also heard that the Slingbox cost $300 which seemed to me like a lot of money for the luxury of watching TV on my pda. However, yesterday two things had me singing a different tune- one is that I am still determined to upgrade my T-mobile Sda to a Cingular 3G capable phone and find a way to dial up with my Exec and enjoy the high speed connection via my VGA device. The second is that the Slingbox was on sale for a mere $161 at BestBuy. We bought the box, followed the simple setup instructions and were up and running in no time. The tricky part was from something called uPnP which basically allows you to watch your SlingBox from a remote location. See, while we were able to watch the tv from laptops and desktops in the house, it was basically because we all share the same wireless network. uPnP is what allows you to dialup to your network from an outside internet connection. However, our wireless modem is a Westell and it does not inherently allow that type of connection. So I had to log in to the connection and change a setting to allow port forwarding. Today will be my first opportunity to use a connection faster than EDGE to connect. For some reason, I was unable to connect using my Edge connection, but I suspect that was due to the slower speeds.

I love Slingbox because it is a neatly thought out program that not only allows us to watch all the channels we have, but it also allows us to watch the shows on the Tivo box, which there never seems to be enough time to do. You can even set programs to record which is great as DirecTV does not support online scheduling. I am a bit disappointed that only one user can connect at a time. I would have like the option to watch in 'Cinema' mode, meaning that after the first person connects the others would have no access to the remote control options, forcing them to watch whatever is showing. (Kind of like the setup we use!). Fortunately, it seems like only one of us would be using it at a time, and if not we'd be watching together on a laptop while on trips. All in all, I think its worth the investment and its a good way to ensure the maximum use of the Tivo and satellite already being paid for.

Slingplayer Mobile with Favorite Channels Bar and with Remote Control:

SlingPlayer controlling Tivo:

SakiMobile becomes the latest Meat Market

Sat, 14 Oct 2006 17:32:38 GMT

*Sigh*

I had such high hopes for SakiMobile, kind of looked at it as the thinking man's MySpace. The tie-in with the Pocket PC platform meant that you had an instant connection with the other users. It has an RSS reader, weather, stocks and therefore seems like it could be THE mobile application.

Imagine my suprise when I received an email from SakiMobile encouraging me to vote for my favorite 'Hot Saki Girl'...what? First of all, did I miss the 'Hot Saki Boy' contest? Secondly, what the hell???? I looked at the contest rules and noticed that this has NOTHING TO DO WITH SAKIMOBILE!!!! Being half-naked does not have anything to do with a mobile device (I know- I've done both!)

So, as a happily married woman, not interested in showing a naked profile to the single Saki boys, I suppose there is no longer a place for me at SakiMobile. That's a shame. With all the work that Saki invested in their product, I thought they would go for a much broader approach and try to use a PR tactic to appeal to more than just the lower mid-region of college-aged boys. Saki, when you're done with your 'competition' and are interested in taking a more mature and sophisticated PR stance, let me know. We might be able to get you a business plan after all.

Why Won't They just give us VGA????

Mon, 09 Oct 2006 20:51:48 GMT

Here is a sneak peek from Engadget of the HTC Herald, and guess what; NO VGA!

Everyone likes to see clearly... given the choice I'm sure we would almost always pick the highest resolution possible, so why do companies like HTC, Palm (Treo) and others insist on rolling out QVGA devices? I constantly compare VGA and QVGA screens and I cannot fathom why anyone who sees them side by side would shun VGA.

Sure, the battery draw and memory resources are higher on VGA devices, but if the devices are not being built constantly, how do we ever expect to troubleshoot and find the fix for the problem? The HTC Universal has been out for over 2 years now and, with the exception of a few ROM updates, we have seen no sign that HTC has learned the cause of the rapidly disappearing memory, or has developed the technology to combat the problem. Sure its expensive to build a device, but at this point just about everyone who has an HTC Universal, myself included, would gladly shell out another $1200 for a qualified successor. The delay on the part of HTC to do so, or even confirm that such a plan is in the works, means that we'll have to take the money burning a hole in our pockets and spend it elsewhere. We might even be forced to shell out for a *shudder* Blackberry Pearl or 8800.

Perish the thought!

PocketXPDF- Free PDF Viewer

Wed, 04 Oct 2006 13:08:12 GMT

I could have sworn that when I got my Exec it came with a built in PDF reader, but now I'm thinking that must have been on my old Jasjar. A number of Pocket PC devices come with the ClearVue suite that includes a PDF viewer.
After I received my first PDF file and was unable to open it I scoured the web for the solution, and found it. PocketXPDF is an open source (free) PDF viewer which has been able to open every file I've thrown at it no matter how big or how detailed. Check out the images below to see the level of detail I get when viewing blueprints, as well as the Unofficial Guide to second Life. What I especially like is that it allows you to decide if you would like to use it as the default application to open PDF files or just use it manually for files that your built in PDF reader cannot open.
You can get your free copy of PocketXPDF from the developers website here.

Audio Recording on Your Pocket PC

Wed, 04 Oct 2006 13:04:08 GMT

One of my favorite things to do on my Exec is to record memos to myself. I usually leave myself a couple of messages a day which, when I get to a more convenient place, I convert to tasks or calendar events. I've tried out a number of applications and my all-time favorite is Vito AudioNotes. This no-frills recorder not only lets you record on the fly with minimum set-up, it also lets you record phone calls (a feature I don't use, especially since I don't use my Exec as my phone) and lets you append to your previous recording.
I find the recording quality to be exceptional, no matter how loud the background is when I record. In fact, I used Audio Notes to do my last podcast (Porn on your PDA) and it was infinitely clearer than podcast 1 (Windows mobile vs Palm). I'll be using Audio notes for Podcast3 (An RSS primer) which I plan to record as soon as I get my voice back completely!

New HubDog Version Due Possibly end of the week

Wed, 20 Sep 2006 15:24:32 GMT

According to one of the HubDog developers, there is a good chance that the new Beta may be released by the end of this week. This could possibly be the release that includes a version for the Smartphone as advertised on their front page as coming soon. If so, then there is definitely cause to celebrate! The combination of all the new HTC smartphones that have just been released and HubDog to boot is great news indeed!

HTC Universal Upgrade- HTC Omni?

Mon, 11 Sep 2006 17:43:42 GMT

I don't want to alarm anyone, but it seems that HTC MAY BE RELEASING A SUCCESSOR TO THE UNIVERSAL!!!!

This is obviously huge, I may need to lie down. I'm so excited! More news will be forthcoming as I hear it.

I'm Just Not that into 'Q'

Wed, 06 Sep 2006 16:56:40 GMT

I'm really not impressed by the Motorola Q. Developers are now scrambling to ensure that their apps are Smartphone compatible and I'm glad that its a gimmick-y enough smartphone to catch the eye of the public in general, but that's about all I can hope to get from it.
This device has no wi-fi, has QVGA display instead of crisp vga and is running Windows Mobile 5 Smartphone Edition. Those three things are crushing in my opinion. These are pretty much the same specs as my T-Mobile Sda (except that the SDA does have WiFi!) and I cannot imagine using that as my primary pda phone.
In addition to these major flaws, have you seen the cost of Verizon data service lately? That alone is enough to send me running for the hills! And lets face it, as a CDMA carrier its not like I can simply select any other device I like and pop my sim card into it. I'd have to pick a Verizon or cdma unlocked phone (does that even exist?), call Verizon and get my number switched to that phone. So, no second phone option on a whim, no quick switcheroo because I don't want to take my Q out to 'that part of the city'.
I suspect that the true target demographic is the population that has never owned a convergent device and are therefore impressed enough with its skinny specs and multimedia-centricity that they can forgive its other flaws. As a former Treo owner, I can tell you that this would definitely not be the device to have tempted me away, and as a Jasjar(brick)-carriers, you couldn't sway me for a second with that phone.

I'm sorry Motorola, its not me- its you. I'm just not that into Q