tjlikes3G

iContact v0.92 Now Available

March 2, 2009 | By tjlikes3G

There is a program that XDA Developers member, supbro, has developed to improve the experience of using your contacts on your WinMo device. The program is called iContact v0.92, and it has just recieved a healthy update.

Supbro has worked very hard to bring you these updates, and any donations made will not only be appreciated by the developer, but will also secure you access to beta versions of iContact. Not too bad of a deal. Here is a list of the imrovements on v0.92:

Added support for True VGA skins
Made true VGA versions of default and iphone skins
Removed iphone skin from default install .cab file
Moved skin colors to skin.png file; eliminated .skn files
Sped up graphics in Settings
Cleaned up unused code in Settings
Fixed display bug with 320×320 screens
Added touch and wheel sensor scrolling for diamond (thanks l3v5y!)
Now stores settings in registry, removed settings.ini
Restored d-pad right arrow to send SMS for selected number
Reduced iContact.cab file size by 20%
Added “Favorites” category to language file
Improved “download more skins…” and “download more languages…” web pages

Please note: iContact 0.92 will work with all WM5.0 and above devices, even non-phone devices. But it will not work with WM2003 devices. For those, iContact 0.6 should work.

Another thing worth mentioning about iContact, is the fact that it resembles the diamond as far as the look and feel, but other skins can also be downloaded at the developers site. After all, variety is the spice of life.

To see the thread on XDA, head here, or go straight to the developers site here. Then hit the comments and let us know how iContact performs for you.

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Looking Through the Glass

February 28, 2009 | By tjlikes3G

XDA Developers members Blessed HD, and Giangishanghai, have made it possible for you to see more of that next message that hit’s your inbox, with a .Cab file that makes the envelope in the mail tab on TF3D transparent. Nice.

Pick between a thin or a thick glass envelope, whichever you think looks best.

Remember before installing them go to Start – Settings – Today – Items, turn off TF3D, install the cab, and then turn TF3D back on. Easy as pie, and it looks pretty slick as well.

To see the thread on XDA Developers or to download, go here. The download links can also be found here.

Hit the comments and let us know what you think.

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Acer M900 Strikes A Pose

February 25, 2009 | By tjlikes3G

Here we have the Acer M900. This device looks to be aimed at the business user or the security conscience, boasting a Full QWERTY keyboard and fingerprint sensor, but is also sporting a 5MP camera with flash, 3.5 mm headphone jack, and some other multi-media goodness. What business user would not want all of that at their disposal? Has this device been underrated?

The device is rocking a huge 3.8 inch 800×480 flush screen, scrollwheel, and is thinner than the Touch Pro 2. Not to mention that this sucker is running WinMo Pro 6.1, and is already compatible with Windows Mobile 6.5! Sounds good to us.

The M900 is using the Samsung S3C 6410 mobile processor at 533 MHz, and although the UI looks remarkably familiar to SPB Mobile Shell, “Acer said that it is their proprietary platform sitting on Windows.” Interesting.

Just for kicks, here is a full list of the specifications:

Operating system:

Genuine Windows Mobile® 6.1
Processor:Samsung S3C 6410 mobile processor (533 MHz)
System memory: 128 MB SDRAM for user applications and storage, 256 MB flash memory for operating system and embedded applications
Display:3.8? WVGA TFT LCD touch screen, 800 x 480 pixel resolution, 65536 colors
Expansion: microSD™ Card
Dimensions: 119 (L) x 62 (W) x 17.1 (H) mm
Weight: 188 g
Battery: Rechargeable lithium polymer battery, Capacity: 1530 mAh; Talk time: 3G: 5h depend on usage / 2G : 5h depend on usage; Standby: 160h depends on usage
CMOS camera: 5M pixels Auto-Focus with flashlight, up to 2560 x 1920 resolution
Audio: Built-in microphone, speaker
Communications: HSDPA Category 8/ HSUPA Category 5 ( 2100/1900/850 Mhz); GSM/EDGE: Quad-band, 850/900/1800/1900 MHz; GPRS/EGPRS: Class B, multi-slot class 11; WLAN: 802.11b/g Wi-Fi CERTIFIED® network connection; Bluetooth: Bluetooth® 2.0+EDR (Enhanced Data Rate)
GPS: SiRFstar III®
I/O interface: 3.5mm stereo jack / AC adapter, microSD™ Card, SIM card slot
Sensor: G-sensor
User interface:Acer Shell v2.0
Phone Tools: Phone settings, SIM toolkit, Speed dial, Call filter, Wireless modem, Communication manager
Add ringtone, CSD type, Voice commander, Connection wizard, SMS sender, MMS composer
SIM manager, Video Telephony
Multimedia tools: Pictures & Videos, Camera /Camcorder, Album, Streaming player, Media player
Utilities: Backup utility, Default Settings, Application recovery, Memory Optimization
In-box accessories: Mini USB headset, Mini USB sync cable, Mini USB AC adaptor, Battery pack
Optional accessories: Car mount kit

Overall the device looks pretty good and is easy to look at as well. What do our readers think? Will this device be able to compete in the open market? Has the Acer M900 not gotten the attention it deserves? Hit the comments and give us your thoughts.

For more information and pictures go here.

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So… What do You Think of the Start Menu on WinMo 6.5?

February 19, 2009 | By tjlikes3G

With the inevitability of Windows Mobile 6.5 hitting a device in your very own hands in the not so distant future, the exictement of something new always makes questions arise. Certainly with WinMo 6.5 on the brink, there will be some new features we will like, and maybe some we won’t. What about our beloved Start Menu?

An article was brought to my attention that may be a bit of a rant, but also makes a valid point or two about the importance of the almighty Start Menu we have been using on our current OS, and how the changes in OS 6.5 may affect the use of our handsets.

Lets get to the point. Multi-Tasking is a tremendous advantage of Windows Mobile, and the Start Menu plays a big role in the OS abilities to help maximize that strength. The article suggests, among other things, that the new start menu will impede usability by not offering the last five applications used. Valid point.

Personally, I do not find the current start menu exactly finger friendly, but it works. Quite well, I might add. Obviously Microsoft is trying to give 6.5 a fresh look and maybe make the device easier to use with one hand. Lord knows WinMo needed an overhaul, but certainly not at the sacrifice of its usability. So what is the middle ground here? Salvage a feature off of the “old” OS, or were the current cosmetic deficits of WinMo a greater danger to the OS itself?

So what are your thoughts on this matter? Do you like the current Start Menu, or are you ready for the new one? It should certainly make for good discussion in the comments section. Take the jump and tell us what you think. Seriously. We want to know.

Go here for the original article.

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CoPilot Live GPS Coming to the Toshiba TG01

February 13, 2009 | By tjlikes3G

CoPilot Live GPS from ALK Technologies will be ready to rock on the newly announced Toshiba TG01 when it is released.

CoPilot will utilize the devices GPS receiver to offer full featured turn by turn navigation on 3D or 2D widescreen map views, weather conditions, fuel prices and traffic alerts, all in real time.

Safety camera alerts and free camera database updates will also be offered, and can be downloaded right to the handset. Sounds good to us.

Pricing and availability details should be forthcoming in a short while.

For the original post, go here.

Let us know what you think in the comments.

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HTC Giving the Fuze a Little T.V. Time

February 13, 2009 | By tjlikes3G

So everywhere we look, we see AT&T commercials promoting various devices. There has definitely been however, a lack of advertisement in the U.S. for HTC devices carried by AT&T, until now.

The ‘How I Fuze’ television commercials are now upon us, and hopefully this powerful Windows Mobile device will start to get the attention it deserves.

It would be easy to sit around and debate who’s fault it was (AT&T or HTC) for waiting so long to put this gorgeous handset into the limelight, but we at wmpoweruser.com like to focus on the positive. The Fuze has now become visible for the masses to see from their living rooms here in the States, and we are definitely proud to have her.

Check out these videos:

It sure is nice to see these clips hitting the airwaves here in the U.S. Thanks to FuzeMobility for posting these. To see the original post, go here, then let us know what you think in the comments.

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GIGABYTE Communications is Headed to Barcelona With Multimedia, Business and Style.

February 12, 2009 | By tjlikes3G

Here is a little bit more news on what GIGABYTE Communications plans on bringing to the show at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona next week. GBC plans to bring a gang of devices under the categories of Multimedia, Business and Style. Very exciting.

The company has stated that it will be showing off two new devices in the Multimedia category, one of which, the MS820, was reveiled last year, with full disclosure of the device taking place at this years event.

Also on GBC’s itinerary is a new handset with higher specifications, and a PDA device that may just be the multimedia powerhouse some of you have been awaiting, with DVB-T and/or DVB-H capabilities.

Here is more excerpts of what GIGABYTE will have up it’s sleeve when they arrive in Spain:

“In the Business area, GBC will announce a device that is rather different from what it has unveiled before. The product is stated to come with more functions meant to ensure that the business operation is smoother and more secure.

The GSmart S1200, a device that can be seen in the invitation card next to this article, will be added to the Style category. The S1200 comes with a chic and stylish design, featuring a simple round arc shape and including a special coated texture meant to avoid fingerprints on the handset. The device will run under Windows Mobile Professional 6.1 OS, and is powered by a Qualcomm 7200A (528MHz) processor meant to deliver great performance.”

The S1200 will also be rocking Smart Zone, a new UI developed by GBC, which is reportedly one of the most efficient UI’s available today, allowing the user to access any program in one or two steps. This is known as the ‘Core’ concept. We are now officially intrigued.

With all the great things that GBC seemingly will announce at MWC, along with everyone else and their brother showing off new devices and services, we can hardly contain ourselves here at wmpoweruser.com!

How does all this sound to you? Will a new device by GIGABYTE Communications be added to your arsenal of handsets? Give us a shout in the comments.

For the original article, head here.

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Windows Mobile Boasts 90% Market Share……in Korea

February 8, 2009 | By tjlikes3G

While Windows Mobile may only currently have about 11% of the global market share when it comes to smartphones, it can brag to having roughly 90% of the market share in Korea.

As we all know, Samsung uses a multiple Operating System approach in regard to their devices in the global market. In Korea however, all of Samsung’s handsets are of the Windows Mobile variety, and LG Electronics plans to throw it’s hat into the ring, by bringing their first smartphone to Korea with a version of the “Incite”, which will also be running on Windows Mobile 6.1.

“Symbian OS is leading the smartphone OS market with a 49.8 percent global market share, followed by RIM (15.9 percent) and Mac OS X (12.9 percent) in the third quarter of 2008, according to Gartner Group, a U.S. research firm. However, there is no Symbian OS-based smartphone yet here in Korea.”

It looks like Korea may be saturated with more of our favorite OS than any other country in the world. It would certainly be nice if Koreans could just convince the rest of the world to adopt the most powerful OS on the planet, don’t you think?

Head here for the original article, then let us know what you are thinking in the comments.

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TouchFlo Detacher BETA1: Another Alternative to TF3D

February 8, 2009 | By tjlikes3G

XDA Developers member thx1200 has developed yet another application to run TouchFlo3d and the regular Today screen at the same time. Named TouchFlo Detacher BETA1, this program is now available for download.

What makes this version different from SecondToday or ManillaControl? Well, we are glad you asked. Here is your answer, straight from the developer.

“Well, my app is actually very similar to MastSogo’s ManilaControl. The main difference is that I plan to actively develop it now for a while, whereas ManilaControl has been a bit frozen in development for a few months. Mine is also open source, licensed under the Ms-RL. Mine is on CodePlex, so download speeds should be much better than the average rapidshare link. Finally, mine is in English and not Spanish. Other than that, it’s just another solution for the same problem!”

The download comes in the form of a .CAB file and device requirements consist of Windows Mobile 6.1, .Net Compact Framework 2.0 or higher, and a device that runs TouchFlo3D / Manila. Installation instructions are as follows:

“As explained on CodePlex…
1. Install the CAB
2. Disable TouchFlo 3D in Today Items
3. Run the configuration app
4. Enable all the standard Today Items you want to use
5. Do not re-enable TouchFlo 3D in the Today items (if you do, it will undo all your other Today plugins)”

So there you have it folks. If you have been on the hunt for a solution of this sort, take a trip to the original post on XDA located here to snatch up your download, then let us know what you think of TouchFlo Detacher BETA1 over in the comments.

Thanks Parrotlover for the tip!

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GravityBalls: New G-Sensor Game for Diamond and Touch Pro

February 8, 2009 | By tjlikes3G

Well the folks at XDA Developers never seem to dissapoint us. It seems XDA member zehlein has designed a new game that utilizes the G-Sensor in the HTC Touch Diamond and the HTC Touch Pro.

Here is what this game is all about:

“This game is about gravity and balls. With the movement of your hand (left/right tilting) you control the paddle that explodes the balls. Tilting up and down changes the gravitational force applied to the balls. This way you can accelerate them, slow them down or even make them fly to heaven again…”

This game is brand new, and not a whole lot is known about it at this time. It does appear from the few responses given on XDA that the sensitivity of the G-Sensor controls could stand to be more sensitive, and there may be a possible issue with the backlight timing out.

Overall though, the game looks to be very stable right from the start, and we are certain that if any bugs are identified, they will be addressed with a quickness. As far as we can tell, compatible devices are the HTC Touch Diamond and the HTC Touch Pro.

So if you are a gamer and have been awaiting something new to pass the time, head to the original thread here to grab the download or to learn more.

Let us know how you like this game in the comments.

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ThrottleStorage 0.1 For Windows Mobile

February 7, 2009 | By tjlikes3G

If you are one of those people obsessed with storage space on your device, much like myself, there is now a new application to assist in keeping track of all the content stored on your favorite Windows Mobile handset. ThrottleStorage 0.1 is now available, and ready to lend a hand in managing those files for you.

What exactly does ThrottleStorage do? Here is a short excerpt straight from the developers site:

“It shows you graphically how your storage space is being used displaying a circular chart so you can easily locate which folders are taking more storage. You can navigate through all of your folders and analyze each one in detail or exclude them from the report.”

ThrottleStorage 0.1 works with all WinMo 5 and 6 operating systems, and is compatible with all screen resolutions. .Net Framework 2.0 is required as is 30KB of free storage and at least 1.5MB of free memory. Installation comes in the form of an exe file using active sync. Currently, ThrottleStorage 0.1 is freeware, with donations gladly accepted.

If this utility sounds like something you have been on the hunt for, give it a shot and let us know in the comments what you think.

For the original descrption and to download, go here.

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SPB Wallet 2.0 Gets Released

February 5, 2009 | By tjlikes3G

Just in case you had not heard, SPB Wallet has been released for Windows Mobile devices. Here at wmpoweruser.com, we wanted to make sure you had easy access to the press release, so here you are.

The new Spb Wallet 2.0 — a secure repository of most valuable private information, such as PINs, passwords, keys, account, passport, and credit card numbers — has versions for non- and touchscreen Windows Mobile devices, Symbian Series 60 smartphones (including Nokia 5800 touch screen), Apple’s iPhone and iPod, and a desktop component. The new multiplatform approach allows users of Spb Wallet to keep their private data safe, even when they swap phones or mobile platforms.

Spb Wallet securely stores sensitive information AES 256-encrypted and password-protected, supports automatic lockup, clipboard cleanup, and protects from phishing. The data can be synchronized between (and accessed from) multiple PCs and mobile devices. The virtual, electronically stored items, such as cards and passports look like real ones: Spb Wallet 2.0 offers an integrated online database of over seven thousand most popular cards, and the option to order more custom images — for free. The new Wallet 2.0 for Windows Mobile boasts Autocomplete for PIE, new finger-friendly UI, adaptive skins, smart scrolling, gestures, animation effects, and a new logon panel. The desktop version offers advanced integration with web browsers, automatic supply and capture of websites login information, password generator, migration wizard from custom CSV formats and other wallet applications.

Spb Wallet 2.0, Select Features:

Supported platforms: Windows Desktop (2000, 2003, XP, Vista), Windows Mobile 5+ (Professional and Standard), Apple iPhone and iPod, Symbian S60 (9.0+)
AES 256 encryption
Integrated Online Templates Gallery with 7,000+ most popular cards, and option to order customized cards for FREE
Improved integration with Firefox and Internet Explorer: protection from phishing, login Autocomplete for familiar sites, automatic capture of login information for new ones
New desktop synchronization engine: synchronization with Google mail, network folders, Apple iPhone via Bonjour
Automatic wallet lockup & clipboard cleanup
Active card fields: open web sites, send emails, send text messages, make phone calls, and copy data to clipboard – straight from Spb Wallet
Importing wizard, password generator, quick search

Spb’s multiplatform approach to product development is dictated by the company’s position as a partner to mobile network carriers. “The Windows Mobile platform will always stay our primary focus,” — comments Vassili Philippov, Spb Software COO. “But we strive to adjust our offer to meet the demands of mobile operators, who are interested in solutions that cover a wider subscriber base, and can run on all major mobile platforms.”

Pricing and Availability

Spb Wallet is compatible with Windows Mobile 5.0 and Windows Desktop (2000, 2003, XP, Vista). A free, 15-day trial can be downloaded, or Spb Wallet for Windows Mobile may be purchased for 29.95 USD from www.spbsoftwarehouse.com. To be alerted of the latest Spb Wallet upgrades and availability please sign up to the product newsletter: http://www.spbsoftwarehouse.com/support/updates.html. As a limited time offer, users of Spb Wallet 2.x for Windows Mobile get the Symbian version for free, and vice-versa, please contact Spb Software support for details. According to Spb Software upgrades policy, all Spb Wallet 1.x users, who have purchased the product within the last 90 days, are invited to exchange the previous version of software for the newly released one, for free.

Further Information and Downloads

Further information regarding Spb Wallet can be found at the Spb website:Spb Wallet for Pocket PC video guide

So there you have it folks. To grab the trial version or to pick up a full version, or to read the original press release, head here.

If you have been awaiting this program or have already been using it, let us know how it is going in the comments.

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