Archive for category Mobile

Windows Mobile Consumer Features 2009

Posted by Mark Raborn in Mobile on 2009/01/01

At WIGITAL, each new year we renew our certifications in Windows Mobile Devices. You can learn about the latest features on this platform at http://www.windowsmobiletraining.com

In renewing our education we also have an opportunity to update our links to the most commonly requested sites and features for consumer use on these devices. Here are some of the must have links for Windows Mobile. Each with a brief description and opinions about the services.

Connecting Windows Mobile Devices to a PC

Windows Mobile Devices can connect to your PC and syncronize a variety of data. Syncing directly to PC is enabled by installation of a software application developed by Microsoft. The application is completely free but is not installed on your Windows PC by default.

To download the Sync application for Windows Mobile to your PC, please be aware there are two versions. Choose your version based on whether you are running Windows XP or Windows Vista. Check out the Microsoft ActiveSync Downloads page for more information about syncing. Choose your Sync Application by Operation System:

  • Windows Vista users should download Windows Mobile Device Center to connect and sync to a Windows Mobile Device
  • Windows XP users should download ActiveSync 4.5 or later to connect and sync to a Windows Mobile Device

Windows Mobile Email

For personal email, you can sync Gmail, Yahoo and Live Hotmail (along with many other ISP/Webmail solutions) to your Windows Mobile Device. The device can retrieve/sync email using POP, IMAP and a Windows Live application for Windows Mobile (as well as corporate apps like Exchange Server).

Email in Windows Mobile 6.1 can be setup easily using the Getting Started Center

The best of these services in my opinion:

I consider Live Hotmail and Gmail the best consumer email services because they provide a two-way sync for free (in the case of Windows Live not only of email but also of Contact information). This is a make sense way of syncing email to mobile and a lot less frustrating than working with POP.

The most limited of these services is Yahoo for two reasons:

  1. because Yahoo is a POP based service (POP “Post Office Protocol” is a retrieval protocol only which means that you pull the mail into your phone). Pulling from the server means that unless you leave duplicate copies on Yahoo’s servers, the mail is no longer available at Yahoo or downloadable to your other email clients (such as Outlook, etc…).
  2. The second reason is because Yahoo’s free email service is a limited service in terms of features. Yahoo does offer what they call a “Premium Service” for a $fee that does allow a syncronous relationship to Yahoo, however this is only to your Desktop PC. They currently do not support mobile clients with the same features.

GMAIL

to learn more about syncing your Gmail account to mobile via IMAP go to https://mail.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?answer=78886 and http://www.google.com/mobile/winmo/mail.html or  http://mail.google.com/support for general information

WINDOWS LIVE HOTMAIL

to learn more about Windows Mobile go to the windowsmobile.com site. Also, to download the Windows Live Application which enables Hotmail in Windows Mobile use your Windows Mobile phone and go to http://wl.windowsmobile.com from Internet Explorer in your WinMo device.

YAHOO

to learn more about Yahoo Mail Plus (the pay service) go to http://overview.mail.yahoo.com/enhancements/mailplus

 

Live Search for Mobile

One of the stronger features available for Windows Mobile is the Live Search application. This is a freely available application that can be downloaded (using your mobile phone only) from http://wls.live.com using Internet Explorer in your WinMo device.

Live Search for Mobile is easy to install. Once downloaded and running you simply launch the application in your Windows Mobile phone and it communicates over the web to various Live Services to provide an excellent array of information in a very usable mobile form. This is one of the areas where Microsoft go it right. Features include:

  • Maps
  • Directions
  • Traffic
  • Movies
  • Weather
  • and more…

I have used the directions component extensively and found it to be one of the best of it’s kind around. Live Search also works together with the voice command features of the Windows Mobile device enabling you to quickly enter your location (by speaking the City and State, etc… ). This makes locating points of interest in your area a very quick process.

Live Search 411

Live Search also offers a 411 feature. Remember when information was free? With this Live 411 service, it is again and this service will connect you (freely to businesses) as well as text you with the information you seek (mobile carrier text fees apply).

Simply call 800-CALL411 from your wireless handset (that’s 800-225-5411). Check out http://www.livesearch411.com/ for more information and audio demonstrations.

MSN Direct for Windows Mobile

The MSN Direct platform is a derivative of a number of efforts including the early PocketMSN platform (since discontinued) . It has a freely downloadable component for mobile phones. The MSN Direct for Phones feature is “not well known” but it is available to Windows Mobile users and may be of special interest to those users who take advantage of MSN Services.  Find out more and download MSN Direct for Phones here. MSN Direct for Phones provides access to News, Weather, Stocks and other options all from the Home Screen of your Windows Mobile device.

Learn More about Windows Mobile

There are many more features available in Windows Mobile. You can learn more for yourself at http://windowsmobile.com

 

Thanks for reading :)
Mark Raborn
WIGITAL

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Samsung i760 and Vista 64 bit – WMDC and CDMA modem

Posted by Mark Raborn in Mobile on 2008/09/07

I’m going to upgrading my wireless phone this week. I’ve chosen the Samsung i760 available from Verizon Wireless.

Previously, I owned a Samsung i730 and remain generally happy with the device. Verizon recently released the Windows 6.1 upgrade for the Samsung i760 (within the last 2 weeks) which triggered my buying decision. Because using a phones and computers together can require a bit of research prior to getting it all together, I’m blogging some links here to help myself and the community. Here are lists (with links) to what we’ll be using and what we’re trying to accomplish:

DEVICES and SOFTWARE

LINKS

Samsung i760 – Verizon Support

Accessories – Samsung i760

GUIDES

Users Guide – Samsung i760

Samsung i760 Simulator – Interactive How To

Demo – WindowsMobile 6.1 Features Demo (Windows Mobile Team Blog)

Mark Minasi Newsletter (also using Samsung i760 with Vista 64 bit)

 

I will be back soon (after I purchase the phone) to provide a walkthrough on upgrading the Samsung i760 to Windows Mobile 6.1, setting up the phone, syncing to Windows Vista 64 bit using Windows Mobile Device Center and connecting to the internet using the Samsung i760 as a broadband CDMA modem. CU soon :)

 

2008-09-14

I purchased the Samsung i760 this week. Today is Sunday. I have some spare time this afternoon so I am going to update the phone to Windows Mobile 6.1 today. After doing some forum reading on the internet, I have decided to use a Windows XP Pro box to update the phone. It appears (even recently) there are some challenges updating with Vista using Windows Mobile Device Center and even though there is now a utility to update the Samsung i760 WMDC on Vista, it’s a 32bit app. I have the 64bit version of Vista installed and have not read anywhere of a 64 bit version of the update utility. Therefore, I’m taking the safe route and updating using a Windows XP Box. Here are the steps for updating on Windows XP:

I prefer NOT to install VZAccess Manager so the following installs only the necessary components.

  • download ActiveSync 4.5
  • install ActiveSync 4.5 on the Windows XP computer
  • use the Verizon VZAccess CD to install the CDMA Samsung Mobile USB driver 4.40
    • VZAccess CD:  <driveletter>:\Driver\SAMSUNG Mobile USB Driver(4.40.7.0) v1.6.msi
    • or download VZAccess Manager
  • once ActiveSync and the CDMA USB driver are installed, Restart the computer
  • download the SCH-i760 UPDATE to Windows Mobile 6.1 (WinXP version)

 

Connect to Verizon using Samsung i760 as CDMA modem

Verify you can connect to Verizon from the XP computer using the Samsung SCH-i760 as a broadband modem.

After RESTART
Switch Samsung SCH-i760 to USB modem

Settings | System | Data Connection | ( ) As the modem through USB

Wait for the system to discover the Samsung as a CDMA device (Samsung Mobile Modem)

GO TO Start | Control Panel
open Network Connections
Create a new connection (the Network Connection Wizard will start)
Click Next
Under Network Connection Type, select Connect to the Internet, click Next
Select Set up my connection manually, click Next
Select Connect using a dial-up modem, click Next
Under ISP Name, type VZW, click Next
Under Phone number, type #777, click Next
Under User name: type (your phonenumber@vzw3g.com) AND Password: vzw. Example
User name: 999777888@vzw3g.com
Password: vzw
Confirm settings, click Finish

Click Dial to connect

 

Run the Windows Mobile 6.1 update

 

 

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Windows Mobile and MSN Direct

Posted by Mark Raborn in Mobile on 2008/03/11

Windows Mobile has been laying the groundwork for years to enable Windows Mobile to more seemlessly interact Live.com and MSN. Over the last 2 years, this effort has made progress with the Pocket MSN download (which provided MSN functionality for Windows Mobile 5.0 and PocketPC2003/SmartPhone2003 directly in the phone) and mobile.live.com (which provides Live.com functionality in a mobile browser package).

Now, Microsoft is previewing their newest release in this work at MSN Direct. The MSN Direct line of products is implemented on a variety of platforms (appliances, watches, phones, and more) available for consumers and businesses. MSN Direct for phones is 100% a part of that vision and in my opinion demonstrates Microsoft’s commitment to move this particular technology forward for the long term. What is pertinent right now for business (and this article) is the phone.msndirect.com iteration. MSN Direct for phones will install on Windows Mobile 6.0 or higher phones and has the distinct advantage of being developed at a point in time where convergence is taking place between PocketMSN, mobile.live.com and MSNdirect technologies. To use plain language, we get it all. This means both Pocket MSN and mobile.live.com features are making it onto your phone in 1 package.

NOTE: These developments combined with the open API for LiveID may eventually enable these technologies to be used within a private company domain (i.e not just MSN.com but MyOwnPersonalBusiness.com). Corporate level apps are available already using Microsoft Exchange 2007/2003.

Microsoft has been working hard on the mobile platform. The affirmation of their progress is most noticible in the recent adoption of the Windows Mobile platform by Google in the development of Google Gears. Flashy entries into the arena (like the iPhone) get a lot of press for their UserInterface (look for Windows Mobile 7.0 and Windows Mobile 8.0 to improve the WinMobile UI) however, Microsoft’s biggest advancements are not in how it looks but in the underlying architecture and plumbing they’ve been building for the last few years. Live.com has been quietly rolling out services at http://office.live.com that will bring the entire Windows Business experience online. This technology brings years of enterprise operability and expertise with it as what Microsoft can do on the corporate network is rolled out to the mainstream (both consumer and  business) with the complete suite of applications available through Live.com

The short story for business is that you’ve got to check this out!

Microsoft offer’s free training at

http://windowsmobiletraining.com

You can also play with MSN Direct today (for Mobile 6.0 +) at

http://phone.msndirect.com/

For information on integrating these technologies with your Corporate Network, contact us at http://www.wigital.net

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sync PDA with Outlook in Windows Vista Business

Posted by Mark Raborn in Mobile on 2007/11/29

Windows Mobile Device Center

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsmobile/devicecenter.mspx

Revved up the ol’ Samsung i730 today on Vista. At one time I used the i730 regularly as a PDA/Contact Manager in Sync with my office computer on Windows XP. Over the last year and a half however, I have been “office bound” so the sync features have not been needed.

Fast forward to today. Syncronization is a very real need on the horizon, so today, I made the phone call to Verizon (my carrier) and reactivated Wireless Data and CDMA tethering (mobile phone as a Digital Modem).

Upon attempting my first sync of my PDA with my Vista Laptop (which once was so easy with XP and Active Sync) I discovered that I could not get my Outlook 2007 Contacts, Appointments, Tasks, Calendar to syncronize with my PDA on Vista! Wow! and after reading the first few searches through Vista help (F1) I did not get much further.

So off to the forums and some real digging and I discovered a new paradigm for Business syncronization with PDA’s and Windows Vista:

Windows Mobile Device Center 6.1

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsmobile/devicecenter.mspx

If you are running Windows Vista, want to sync Outlook and your PDA (mine is Windows Mobile 5.0) then you will need Windows Mobile Device Center.

You can learn more about Windows Mobile concepts here:

https://www.microsoft.com/windowsmobile/domore/default.mspx

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