MobileViews Blog

Author: todd

  • Microsoft Windows Mobile Device Center is Available

    Microsoft released the production versions of Windows Mobile Device Center (WMDC) for Windows Vista on January 31. WMDC replaces ActiveSync for Vista users. There are two versions available…
    Microsoft Windows Mobile Device Center Driver for Windows Vista (x86)

    Microsoft Windows Mobile Device Center Driver for Windows Vista (AMD64)

    Please note that you must check which version of Windows Vista you are using. I suspect that many people with AMD Athlon 64 based PCs (like me) are running the 32-bit version of Vista for driver compatibility. So, just having an Athlon-64 CPU does not mean you should download and try to install the AMD64 version of WMDC.

  • Windows CE vs. Windows Mobile

    Reader Z.M. asks: Two products I have seen, the Cisco/Linksys WIP330, and the Y5 World handset use Windows CE/Mobile for the OS and browser, but they do not have the full UI suite you see on Windows Mobile mobile phones. They both use what looks like the same 3rd-party UI kit for a telephony UI. I was wondering if you know who makes this software?
    Microsoft provides the base platform for Windows CE that is used in embedded devices such as the ones you mention (and many more). This base platform is then molded and enhanced by independent developers to create products like the ones you mention. This is a large number of embedded systems developers working to develop these kinds of products.
    Windows CE is also the underlying platform for Windows Mobile devices: Pocket PC, Pocket PC Phone Edition, and Smartphone. The Windows Mobile Shell, Office, and other teams add on the features you see on Pocket PCs and Smartphones based on Windows Mobile.

  • EV-DO applicability in Japan?

    Reader J.V. asks: Would a BlackBerry with Ev-DO technology (such as the 7703e) be usable in Japan? Would a BlackBerrys on GSM/GPRS and EDGE networks be usable in Japan?

    Most of the world does not use CDMA/EVDO. Most of the world tends to be GSM/GPRS/EDGE/UMTS. Japan’s NTT DoCoMo invented W-CDMA used by both FOMA used in Japan and UMTS used in a lot of places (except for most of the US where we tend to lag behind in the wireless world).

    I took a look at taking my GSM/GPRS phone with me when I visited Japan back in 2005. I ended up leaving it behind. In speaking with people who visit Japan regularly, it seems that they tend to buy a phone with rechargeable SIMs (fixed number of minutes). If you read the article I wrote about my trip for O’Reilly’s MacDevCenter…
    Japan Primer for the Mac Techno-Tourist

    …you’ll find a section sub-titled Mobile Phones, Broadband, & Wi-Fi Hotspots that provides links to sites that discussing phone roaming options.

  • Ready for Windows Vista for Windows Mobile?

    Microsoft Windows Vista is finally available for anyone to purchase/upgrade. Are you ready to sync your Pocket PC or Smartphone with Vista? Here’s some references for you to check out if you’re planning to use Vista with your Windows Mobile device.

    Microsoft Windows Mobile Device Center

    Couple of important notes from this page. First, if your device pre-dates Windows Mobile 2003, you can’t sync it with Vista and WMDC. Second, the oldest version of Outlook supported is XP (2002). I’ve seen some sites say Outlook 2000 is supported. But, that is not indicated on Microsoft’s WMDC page. Third WMDC appears to still be in a beta-release stage.

    Synchronizing with Vista -Windows Mobile Device Center FAQ

    The site above is maintained by fellow Mobile Devices MVP Chris De Herrera.

    Troubleshooting Vista Windows Mobile Device Center

    Finally, the blog entry linked above is by Microsoft’s own Mr. Mobile Jason Langridge.

    Happy Vista-ing, folks!

  • TxtMan: IM-like Interface for SMS

    I’m not much of a SMS (texting) user myself. But, if you are, you may want to take a look at Ben Hirashima’s…

    TxtMan

    It is currently freeware. However, its web page has a notice that a more robust commercial version is being developed.

  • Windows Mobile Motion & Orientation Detection

    While doing some research for a blog entry for a new site I started contributing to this week (Inside Port 25), I learned about some reasonably priced add-ons for Pocket PCs and Smartphones that add the ability to detect orientation and motion (sort of like the Apple iPhone). You can learn more about these products at…

    pocketmotion.com

    I haven’t bought any of their products. So, I’d be interested to hear from anyone who has. They sure sound interesting and are reasonably priced consumer gear.