BostonPocketPC

Back on Feb. 6th, Steve Hughes posted on some... um - "irregularities" regarding the now-infamous zzzPhone, which promised a fully-customized phone with lots of bells and whistles, including Windows Mobile for the OS, for only $149. At the time, Steve made some very valid points that led to the conclusion that this was in fact a scam - at least from the point of the price including a licensed copy of Windows Mobile on board.

Turn to today, when I decided to pay a visit back to the zzzPhone web site. Lo and behold - the specs now list the operating system as Windows for Mobiles.

Folks, this is the third time I have seen this operating system change. First, it went from Windows Mobile to Windows Mobile 6. This was not long after there were some inquiries to the "manufacturer" regarding whether or not Windows Mobile 6 was included. On a side note - the radio stack frequencies supported conveniently changed early on after it was noted in some forums that the frequencies listed would not support all US networks. Timing is everything, they say...

I still encourage people to take a good look around the zzzPhone web site. Try to find any copyright notices for operating systems. Any partnerships with OS licensers. Take a good long look at the mockups of the screen for the zzzPhone. It could very well turn out that these phones are running a legitimate OS on them, but Windows Mobile or Symbian? I don't think so.

I will be curious to hear from those who have spent the $149 to find out what they discover. Hopefully, they aren't expecting a refund if Windows Mobile is not on board. You see - the "service guarantee" on the zzzPhone web site states the following:

We guarantee our products to be free from manufacturer defects and will repair or replace your order within 30 days if there are any manufacturer defects in your phone.

A different operating system that works likely won't be considered a "defect", and there is no money back - only a replacement.

As always, ladies and gentlemen - Caveat Emptor...

At one of the press events during the CES. Pieker Acustic was showing of their Bluetouch at the Show Stoppers Event. This carkit has so many options with an easy to use interface. It requires an installation, but onces installed it will be so multifunctional and easy upgradable.

With BLUETOUCHmusic, the car door is open for any phone and MP3 player. The multimedia system from PEIKER acustic and ALAC supports all of the cult favorite cell phone’s functions. From telephony to music – all of the features can be operated conveniently and confidently via touch screen and voice.
 
Universality and ongoing optimization are the terms that best describe BLUETOUCHmusic. And rightly so: Free software updates published regularly on the homepage ensure that this development from PEIKER acustic and ALAC is always up to date. Its USB connection makes it all possible, enabling not only compatibility with the latest mobile phones, but also the integration of a whole spectrum of new functions. So it comes as no surprise that BLUETOUCHmusic is one of the first multimedia systems to fully support the Windows Mobile 6 devices and others. Users can talk on the telephone conveniently via Bluetooth, and thanks to the new software, rapid telephone book downloads via SyncML are now also possible. Another new feature is the telephone book search function. Any entry in the entire address book of the mobile phone that is hooked up can be found quickly. Depending on the mobile phone, a pop-up screen also indicates when a new SMS message has been received. Seamless communication is the guiding principle.
 
And yet the factor for which BLUETOUCHmusic is most popular is its music function: Users can play their favorite songs in MP3 format directly from USB sticks or SD cards. Those who prefer their music the old-fashioned way can connect their music sources using a 3.5-millimeter stereo jack. And the Bluetooth A2DP profile (if it is supported by the mobile phone) makes it possible to transmit songs directly and wirelessly to the car’s own stereo system.
 
BLUETOUCHmusic makes pulses quicken, particularly among fans of the Apple iPod. All of the current models, including the new iPhone, fit the specially developed interface. Once the device is connected, the user can use the touch screen or voice commands to browse titles, artists, albums, and playlists. The iPod or iPhone also charges at the same time. With features like this, you can feel right at home even in your car.
 
This is a multimedia car kit that supports almost any possible inputs.

For more information you can go to MyBluetouch.com

Many thoughts are going through my mind after returning from the CES in Las Vegas. But as Steven Hughes here at BostonPocketPC is recapping the show in a few words that says it all.

"Evolutionary but not Revolutionary"

With many things to see nothing was that exciting that would give the vibes. A Lot of the technology out there was put towards new and good uses.

For example:
- Live HD radio captioned for the hearing impaired.
- Live video conferencing for the hearing impaired. Maybe next year they will probably be joining together and the hearing impaired will be able to conference with anyone in any way and it won't be a handicap anymore.

With the technology out there that we always wanted, this was the show where the applications using these technologies were able to catch up before a new technology will replace it and everyone can go back to the drawing board

I was told this by Don when he came over for a movie viewing night between the holidays with some friends and their families. Yes I have known Don for over 7 years and never met his family, until now. Anyway one conversation that came up were the new laws for traveling with lithium ion batteries. According to Safetravel.gov effective January 1, 2008, you now have to carry your spare with you and can't pack it in your suitcase (in my opinion defeats the whole purpose anyway unless you are looking to lighten your load racing through the airport. :)

Here are the new policies so be aware of them before traveling this new year:

• Spare batteries are the batteries you carry separately from the devices they power. When batteries are installed in a device, they are not considered spare batteries.
• You may not pack a spare lithium battery in your checked baggage
• You may bring spare lithium batteries with you in carry-on baggage – see our spare battery tips and how-to sections to find out how to pack spare batteries safely!
• Even though we recommend carrying your devices with you in carry-on baggage as well, if you must bring one in checked baggage, you may check it with the batteries installed.

For more information on the new regulations head here:

http://safetravel.dot.gov/whats_new_batteries.html

The new rules are kind of confusing because what is permitted is based on the actual weight in grams of “equivalent lithium content.” 8 grams of equivalent lithium content is approximately 100 watt-hours. 25 grams is approximately 300 watt-hours:

Wow, It has been quiet from the non-partners of the Google's Android mobile platform. But this week we have seen 2 responses one from Microsoft in the name of Steve Balmer and one from Nokia CEO Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo .

Basicly both reations are down grading Android to either mere a press release and the other says they are just newcomers but credible. Android has a strong group of partners and definitly is credible. Just look at Google's history.

The amazing thing that the mere press release of Android has done is that other platforms are speeding up the way mobility will be presented to us through the carriers. Or as Nokia says "But now the U.S. market may in fact be adapting to Nokia…and other newcomers. Insofar as Apple (with its iPhone and lucrative revenue sharing deal with AT&T) and Google (with the OHA and Adroid) are the harbingers of a new cellular landscape, Nokia finally stands to win a halfway decent chunk of the U.S. market without all that bothersome 'adapting.' Who cares if it happens to be a competitor that's paving the way for these changes."

So who is paving the road map for who? Time will tell.

After reporting the overall poor financial performance at Palm, they now blame certification issues for the delay of the new Treo 800w. But there statement is: " We are pleased with recent improvements in our product delivery engine, the early success of Palm Centro."

Palm has been struggling now for a long time and the excuses are piling up. Palm still has his place, but it needs to keep its customers happy. Without proper timely releases I would go to explore and try new devices. Maybe wait for the Google androids which are also linux based.

According to the annual report of the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission, released last week, listed among Beijing's goals that of ensuring that Chinese space weapons are "conducted covertly so China can maintain a positive international image." China has called for a ban on space weapons at the United Nations.

The report said that China is also developing civilian technology that can be applied to military space programs and is acquiring the "ability to destroy or temporarily incapacitate every enemy space vehicle when it is located above China," the report said.

According to the report this will include the right to deactivate the American GPS technology using their anti-satelite and other weapons on Chinese soil. Of course if that ever will happen a battle will start which is will include the Chinese Beidou, Russian GONASS-system and maybe even the to be developed European Galileo-systems. Not to talk about all the other commercialized uses we have with our flying unmanned vehicles circling around the earth.

This almost seems to be a new outer space warfare in communication technology. Just think about .....now we need stealth satelites...or is this report needed as a backbone for our approval for the space defense system

Read more using this link.
http://www.worldtribune.com/worldtribune/WTARC/2007/ea_china_11_29.asp

Well, the announcement of EchoStar's acquisition of Sling Media hasn't slowed down what has already been in the works for some time. Sling Media today announced the release of a really slick-looking new Slingbox and support for Symbian S60 platform with SlingPlayer Mobile -

Foster City, CA — September 27, 2007 — Sling Media, Inc., a leading digital lifestyle products company, today announced the retail launch of the new Slingbox™ SOLO, a freshly designed new Slingbox that can connect to a standard definition or high definition set top box and features increased streaming performance for less than $200. Slingbox SOLO transforms PCs, laptops, Macs and a variety of smartphones into personal, portable TVs and builds upon the goals of the original Slingbox – giving consumers the freedom to view their home cable, satellite or digital video recorder (DVR) programming on a wide range of devices anywhere they can access the Internet. Slingbox SOLO is available in retail stores and at www.slingmedia.com for a suggested retail price of $179.99.

”Consumers are becoming increasingly aware of the benefits of place-shifting their favorite TV and DVR programming, and are demanding products that are both attractively designed and future-proof as they look to upgrade their TV service from standard definition to HD in the coming year. Slingbox SOLO has all of the right features built-in, making it an ideal fit for a wide range of customer needs,” said Blake Krikorian, co-founder, chairman and CEO of Sling Media. “The Slingbox SOLO fits the digital media needs of both new and existing customers, giving them the flexibility and capability to enjoy personalized content from any of their home entertainment devices - virtually anywhere.”

Slingbox SOLO is designed to meet the varied requirements of today’s multi-faceted TV-viewing households. The product includes standard (4:3) and widescreen (16:9) video support and increased streaming performance (full VGA resolution, up to 8Mbps around the home). Slingbox SOLO accepts inputs from either standard definition or high definition set top boxes, giving customers the ability to connect virtually any Audio/Video device via component video, S-Video or composite video connectors and features integrated looping outputs for each input.

Slingbox SOLO will be available nationwide through Sling Media’s retail partners, including Amazon.com, Best Buy, Buy.com, Circuit City, CompUSA, Fry’s, J&R and Micro Center as well as www.slingmedia.com for a suggested retail price of $179.99.

Sling Media also announced a new version of its SlingPlayer Mobile software today that is compatible with smartphones that run S60 software on Symbian OS™ including Nokia Nseries and Eseries devices. Customers who purchase an N95 receive a free version of the SlingPlayer Mobile software, a $29.99 value. For a list of compatible smartphones and more details on the Nokia N95 offer, please visit www.slingmedia.com/go/nokia.

I like the thinking on the feature set and price point for the SOLO. Position it between the AV and the PRO, provide built-in component connections for high definition and price it in an attractive fashion. All this and just in time for the holidays

I wish I could take this as an indicator that things will not change now that Sling Media is a part of EchoStar (as I mentioned in my post earlier this week). However, both the SOLO and the S60 SlingPlayer Mobile have been in the works for quite a while. I still hold the hope that EchoStar's acquisition does not result in a change of direction for Sling Media's independent hardware. The ability for Slingboxes to work with just about any other piece of hardware out there has always been a huge plus for the consumer.

The folks at HP and BuzzCorps want to know what has been missing in the laptop market today and want to fill that void by asking you what you would like to see in your next laptop and what has been missing.

There have been plenty of new laptops recently introduced and there is a great video by Andru from GearLive featuring an interview with Stacy Wolff director of product design for HP, on what goes into great Industrial Design of HPs laptops as well as some of the innovative features in their next line of laptops.

Stemming from this a website was formed by Gnomedex attendees to get a pulse on what power users and shapers of the blogosphere want in their next laptop. Feel free to add any comments and wish list items and we will pass this link along with links from other community sites participating in this wonderful feedback forum. Tell us if you want DVI-D as a standard so with a little adapter you can use VGA, DVI, etc.; modular bays for optical drives and extra batteries; all day battery life; modular WWAN, processor, and GPU cards; both active and passive touch screens; memory up to 8GB; lightweight package with a lightweight power pack (why should the power transformer and associated cords weigh more than your laptop?)

This is your chance to let your voice to be heard on what you want in your next laptop. Make your opinions heard!!!!

If you do alot of online banking with Bank of America you may have noticed several blurbs about their upcoming service for mobile phones. I know this has been a sore point in many peoples sides for some time. Well, they now  launched their new Mobile Banking service to enable its customers to manage their personal finances on the go. Best of all it is free!

The new BOA's new service gives users an ability to check balances on their accounts, mortgages and home equity lines, pay bills, and transfer money between accounts and to other customers of the bank. One of the key issues with mobile banking is security, and Bank Of America promises highly secured environment for all mobile transactions — customers are protected with the bank's SiteKey security service, as well as its Zero Liability Online Banking Guarantee.

To access Mobile Banking, customers simply go to the web browser on your mobile phone and enter www.bofa.mobi. Once on the site, customers enter their Online Banking ID and passcode to access their accounts. For more information and the terms of service head here.

Good news for all you Cingular 8525 owners out there waiting for an update to your phone to actually use that push to talk button. More good news your Windows Mobile 6 update will be available soon... I have a review of the 8525 in Smartphone & Pocket PC Magazine available here in case you missed it.

Today AT&Tannounced today the availability of a re-branded and upgraded version of its popular Cingular 8525 now called  the AT&T 8525 Pocket PC (you may have seen the new branded unit in several television comercials for other products like DHL - the one on the golf course)— boasting additional services that will appeal to business customers and consumers alike. 

Now, the AT&T 8525 also comes with AT&T Push to Talk functionality pre-installed as well as the latest multimedia music and video services from AT&T.  AT&T boasts the largest Push to Talk network in America and its PTT service includes several differentiating features, including "availability" icons, quick group-calling and the ability to easily switch a PTT session to a regular wireless voice call.

To turn downtime into playtime, the AT&T 8525 provides access to AT&T Mobile Music — an integrated, on-the-go music experience that delivers "your music, your way" by providing simple access to the most robust collection of music content available today, including XM Satellite Radio, which comes pre-loaded on the device. 8525 users can easily access and enjoy 25 commercial-free music channels from XM Satellite Radio through the XM Radio Mobile service.

With AT&T Mobile Music, AT&T 8525 users can connect to a one-stop shop for everything music on the handset, such as full-track songs, music videos, ringtones, music news, MusicID, music chat rooms, streaming music and more. AT&T is the first U.S. carrier to offer subscription music to the handset, including music from leading online retailers, Yahoo! and eMusic.

The 8525 will also feature AT&T’s on-demand streaming video service, Cellular Video. Customers can watch a large selection of video clips of their favorite television shows, sports, news and weather, entertainment and premium content, including such hit HBO programs as “The Sopranos,” “Entourage,” “Sex and the City,” and “Curb Your Enthusiasm” and exclusive mobile content from World Wrestling Entertainment.

Those customers who own an existing Cingular 8525 can download the same software upgrades found on the AT&T 8525. The software upgrade can be found at: www.america.htc.com/products/8525/default.html. The AT&T 8525 will also be upgradeable to the latest version of Windows Mobile, Windows Mobile 6, later this year. 

“Our enhanced version of the AT&T 8525 Pocket PC provides an exciting new array of features that will allow our customers to do more during both work time and downtime,” said Cathy Quaciari, director of wireless B-to-B devices for AT&T. “The lines between work and personal lives are blurring, so end users now not only need a device through which they can access their work e-mail or other corporate applications, but also they want something that has music, video and other entertainment capabilities as a way to unwind at the end of the day.”

The first UMTS/HSDPA-enabled PDA in North America, the AT&T 8525 still features Microsoft Windows Mobile 5.0 with Direct Push Technology — which allows users to retrieve their important information in the familiar environment found on most desktop computers. 

In addition to Microsoft Direct Push e-mail for business customers, the AT&T 8525 also supports other popular wireless e-mail solutions, including Good Mobile Messaging^TM and AT&T Xpress Mail. 

The AT&T 8525 provides users with both domestic and international 3G capabilities.  In the U.S., customers can use the AT&T 8525 on AT&T’s BroadbandConnect network in more than 165 major metropolitan areas with seamless access to AT&T’s nationwide high-speed EDGE network outside of 3G coverage areas. When abroad, customers can use the AT&T 8525 in 125 countries where UMTS/HSDPA, EDGE or GPRS networks have been deployed.

“AT&T and HTC continue to bring the best of mobile hardware and software innovation together with one of the most advanced wireless networks in the world,” said Todd Achilles, vice president of HTC America. “With the addition of Push to Talk and the latest multimedia services from AT&T on the 8525, customers are able to get the most powerful, fastest 3G-connected phone experience available anywhere in North America, Europe or Asia.”

Pricing and availability

The AT&T 8525 Pocket PC will be available exclusively from AT&T for as low as $399.99 beginning May 14, in Cingular (now AT&T) retail stores nationwide, select national retailers, http://www.cingular.com/, and through AT&T’s B-to-B direct sales team.

Accessing e-mail and other data wirelessly while overseas is now much more cost-effective as AT&T Inc. announced today the availability of international data plans that offer greatly reduced data roaming rates to customers using any AT&T-powered smartphone or PDA. The new global rate plans range from $44.99 to $69.99 a month, depending on device class and e-mail platform. They include 20 megabytes (MB) of international data use in nearly 30 countries with UMTS, EDGE or GPRS wireless data networks, as well as unlimited domestic access.  The plans apply to such devices as BlackJack™, the Cingular 3125 Smartphone, Cingular 8525 Pocket PC, HP iPAQ hw6920 Mobile Communicator, Palm® Treo™ 680, Palm® and Treo™ 750.

With AT&T’s new Global Smartphone and PDA plans, customers now have plan options to cover international data usage on any business-oriented wireless device sold by AT&T.  AT&T also offers international data plans for BlackBerry® and wireless laptop connectivity.          

“AT&T already has the broadest international voice and data roaming footprint of any U.S. carrier, and now it is the only wireless provider in the nation to offer global data plans to its entire portfolio of business-oriented devices,” said Jeff Bradley, vice president of wireless business data services for AT&T. “These new plans give our customers much greater control over their international wireless costs. They provide a large enough allocation of data and significantly reduced overage charges so that employees can use their smartphone or PDA to check e-mail, browse the Web or access other data applications when abroad without incurring higher pay-per-use roaming charges.”

 AT&T’s new international data plans for smartphones and PDAs can offer customers significant cost savings over traditional, per kilobyte (KB) data charges for use outside the U.S.  For example, 20MB of international data usage at a standard $.0195 per KB rate would result in a charge of $399.36, some $330 more than the highest tier combined monthly domestic/international charge under the new AT&T plans.

Smartphone Connect Global monthly plans start at $44.99 with a voice contract and PDA Connect Global plans begin at $64.99 a month with a voice plan. Customers can sign up for AT&T’s new international data plans for smartphones and PDAs at any Cingular Wireless retail store, or through AT&T’s wireless business-to-business sales organization.

For more information on the new plans, please go here.

To view countries included in the new international plans, please go here.

CBS Corp. announced today that it has signed a new deal with Sling Media to create the CBS Interactive Audience Network along with several other significant companies including AOL, Microsoft, CNET Networks, Comcast, Joost, Bebo, Brightcove, Netvibes, and Veoh.   This announcement is set to position CBS as the most widely distributed professional content provider online. Can you say a move in the right direction?

Sling Media’s role will be to distribute free, ad supported, full length as well as clip-based video content from CBS via Clip+Sling and enhanced SlingPlayer software, which will be launched for both Slingbox and non-Slingbox customers this summer. In addition, Sling Media plans to integrate the same CBS content into additional platforms including its forthcoming SlingCatcher.

"We are excited to extend our business relationship with CBS by offering our current and future audiences access to great long form programming from CBS that covers the spectrum from drama and comedy to sports and news," said Jason Hirschhorn, president of the Sling Media Entertainment Group. "CBS is proving they are a leader in the digital media space by embracing new platforms for content distribution. The announcement is an example of true ubiquity as evidenced by the cast of both new and established partners. We are proud to be working with them on this endeavor."

I can see in the future other Viacom entertainment properties moving in this direction as well like MTV, Nickelodeon, VH1,etc. Content will not be no longer be available as live only, but this brings a whole another direction to place-shifting television and Video on Demand. I have been watching "On Demand" CBS content on my Comcast cable box and I am assuming the same content will also be available. Me and my wife were able to catch up on the whole series of Jericho (a season and a half)in a single weekend and we watched it in HD!  I can't wait to see more and via my Slingbox optimized for my Windows Mobile device no less!

I received several emails asking what ZenZui - (where Zui is short for Zooming User Interface) was after it was mentioned by Peter Knook at CTIA a few weeks ago. Some are asking is this Deepfish on steroids? It may be, but it looks more like some of the same technology which also heralds from Microsoft Live Labs technology with very similar code that looks to be used in both Deepfish and Windows Mobile Live Search for their maps and directions currently in beta. ZenZui is a Microsoft backed startup that looks to deliver content to subscribers with mild advertisements geared toward the consumers interests that they indicate via a web portal.

I have yet to use it in person, but the video on YouTube I have seen looks interesting as well as playing with their flash demo here. The opening screen shows a flower-like ZenZui logo, with petals corresponding to the number keys on the phone. When a user presses a number, a corresponding collection of tiles appears and each subsequent keypress zooms the user into more detailed tiles or links to a specific Web site. The cool thing is that the tiles aren't just websites, but can be linked to applications like widgets and gadgets for weather, traffic, sports,etc; games and other media rich content. There can be a maximum matrix of as many as 36 tiles that serve as portals for content partners including Avenue A | Razorfish, Kayak.com, Traffic.com, Nike and the Fox Network (like The Family Guy). The company hopes to offer as many as 1,000 content partners in the coming months, allowing users to go online to pick their favorites and personalize their handsets.

It has an open API and they are looking for developers both large and small to partner with. The way it works is that applications can be suggested as well as sent and received in a "viral" fashion from other ZenZui users, and since everyone's getting paid based on the ad revenue their tiles generate. Could this be the next revenue stream for music and digital content where everyone gets paid? Its also an untapped market for large companies that have mobile advertising dollars, but don't know where to spend it. A few hours to program a ZenZui widget could prove very profitable for them and even a nice revenue stream.

From their products page they encourage developers:

If you’re a developer, bring your coolest mobile app ideas to life using our SDK (available summer 2007), and publish your best Tiles into the ZenZui Ecosystem. If it’s hot, it’ll get sponsored, and we’ll pass along a share of the advertising revenue (we believe in sharing the love). Or, if you’re not out to make a buck but just want to flex your talents of self-expression, just select “Ad-Free” when you publish, and we’ll pair-up your Tile with a message from a non-profit. That way, you can help us create a new mobile channel for community awareness and support charitable giving. At ZenZui, we believe good karma = good business.

The differences in Deepfish and ZenZui is that ZenZui is target toward websites that have been designed to interact with it and have specialized "tiles" of information. Deepfish technology actually allows mobile users to access existing Web pages in their original layout with Zoom,Pan, and a cue map functionality as well as interactivity with links. Basically ZenZui does away with complicated url strings and focuses on content the user is interested with a simple interactive iconized UI.

ZenZui's goal is to reshape the way people interact with and use their mobile devices by marrying the power of the Internet with the personalization of the mobile phone. ZenZui tiles transform the handset and give users the power to acquire information, conduct transactions and share experiences quickly and easily. More information on ZenZui is available at www.ZenZui.com.

Renata Almeida, a spokesperson for Microsoft at Waggener Edstrom, said that the ZenZui technology will be available this fall after a limited, invitation-only beta test.

John SanGiovanni the founder of ZenZui also has a great podcast that is also worth listening to called "sangiocasts" here.

There are alot of other cool technologies percolating over at the Microsoft Live Labs, a research partnership established in January 2006 between MSN and Microsoft Research. Some that look really cool are Photosynth, (which is something I have been waiting for since I saw the demo at SIGGRAPH 2006 in Boston check out the cool video here or download the tech preview here) a tool for compiling large numbers of photographs into zoomable 3D images; Seadragon, a project designed to optimize the way information is displayed on screens, regardless of their size-yes desktop and mobile devices; and Entity Extraction, a technology already built into the Windows Live Toolbar to help surfers find information related to the web page they are currently viewing.

Our good friend and Mobility Guys associate Chris Leckness was fortunate enough to make it down to Orlando, FL this week for the CTIA Wireless 2007 Conference. It has been a while since I have had the opportunity to attend this conference, but I can tell you it is a must-see for anyone interested in the cellular industry.

Chris was good enough to post some great "First Look" videos while he was there and post them MobilitySite, including:

• HTC Advantage Hands-On
• Toshiba G900 Video First Look
• Asus Aries Smartphone Video First Look
• HP iPAQ 500 Video First Look
• HTC VOX Video First Look

If you want to check out the "latest and greatest", this is a great chance to do so.

Great work, Chris!

At our last meeting we talked about the decision making process of choosing the correct Windows Mobile device and new naming conventions for Windows Mobile 6 and the differences between Classic, Standard and Professional. If you get confused one of our members came up with a simple mnemonic for remembering the differences P->Professional=Pocket PC Phone, S->Standard=Smartphone, C->Classic=Is just simply that, a Classic Pocket PC. I know its helped me remember which was which. There is a great breakdown of the differences of WM5 and WM6 that we disscussed at the meeting with images here and the PDF is posted up by Jason Langridge here

Now to get you hands on using and testing an Windows Mobile 6 device is a bit hard now a days since there are no devices shipping with it yet. To see the new features of Windows Mobile 6 you can use the Windows Mobile 6 Flash demo to get a handle of the new features, UI and how it works. If you want to test your applications you will have download the Windows Mobile 6 Software Development Kits and if you are developing for both the Smartphone, I mean Standard and Professional (includes Classic) there are two separate SDKs to download. Here is the breakdown of the emulators included in the SDKS:

• Windows Mobile 6 Standard SDK
  • Windows Mobile 6 Standard (176x220 pixels - 96 dpi)
  • Windows Mobile 6 Standard Landscape QVGA (240x320 pixels - 131 dpi)
  • Windows Mobile 6 Standard QVGA (320x240 pixels - 131 dpi)

• Windows Mobile 6 Professional SDK
  • Windows Mobile 6 Classic (240x320 pixels - 96 dpi)
  • Windows Mobile 6 Professional (240x320 pixels - 96 dpi)
  • Windows Mobile 6 Professional Square (240x240 pixels - 96 dpi)
  • Windows Mobile 6 Professional Square QVGA (320x320 pixels - 128 dpi)
  • Windows Mobile 6 Professional Square VGA (480x480 pixels - 192 dpi)
  • Windows Mobile 6 Professional VGA (480x640 pixels - 192 dpi)

In order to install the Emulators unlike in the past, this is not a stand alone install and requires Visual Studio 2005 even though some blogs said it was, you will also need to install the following:

1. Device Emulator 2.0 Beta
2. Compact Framework 2.0 SP1
3. Windows Mobile 6 Professional SDK (Standard, Professional or both)

So make sure you have Visual Studio 2005 with SP1, the programs will even prompt you if don't have it and will help you along. Note this will not work with Visual Studio Express. Hopefully a newer emulator will exist that is standalone, but I wouldn't count on it coming soon. I am hoping something will be available after MEDC. Also if you are installing it to a Vista machine you may encounter the following: 'Getting Installation Issue --> Could Not Access Network Location Common7\IDE\ProjectTemplates.' Frank Zandona has a solution by re-registering the VBScript.dll:

regsvr32 %SystemRoot%\system32\vbscript.dll

With the SDK there are some very cool tools included here are some of them: CabSignTool signs a .cab file and all its executable content; Cellular Emulator v1- emulates voice and data connections; Device Emulator v2 - new and improved SDK emulator, FakeGPS & GPS Settings-allows you emulate a GPS from a text file of NEMA data, Hopper- for stress testing; Local Server Framework- allows development of test application servers that run locally over localhost on the device;

Also for more information on developing applications for Windows Mobile 6 be sure to read this fabulous whitepaper: What's New for Developers in Windows Mobile 6  and check out the Windows Mobile Developers Wiki.

At CTIA Wireless 2007 keynote Microsoft's Peter Knook announced that Cingular aka "the new AT&T" will provide free updates to new and existing customers to three of their Windows Mobile Devices from Windows Mobile 5 to Windows Mobile 6. The devices that will be getting the free update will be 3 of their newer and popular devices: the Samsung Blackjack, Cingular 8525, and the Palm Treo 750. Palm made their offical announcement here.

The update will be a downloadable update (you will need to flash your device) with a projected date of availability being around 2H of 2007. All new devices sold after proper testing is performed will ship with Windows Mobile 6. So if you were waiting on which devices will be supported this may make your decision making process a bit easier. For more CTIA 2007 coverage and pictures of some nice phones and devices revealed be sure to check out the blogs provided by Jason Dunn here and Chris Leckness here.

Motion Computing is gearing up for some business at the next HiMSS conference(booth 5137) in New Orleans that is coming up next week with a release of a Tablet PC designed to turn some heads in the clinical field, by announcing the new C5 Mobile Clinical Assistant (MCA) at UCSF Medical Center during a joint conference with Intel. The MCA is a new computing category, created by Intel with support from Motion to enable nurses, physicians and other clinicians to do their jobs on the move.

The Motion C5, the first product in the MCA category, which was designed from the ground up to be durable and to simplify workflows, ease clinician workloads and improve overall quality of care. The design is based on input from thousands of clinicians worldwide, the C5 brings reliable, automated patient data management directly to the point of care. Intel and Motion conducted extensive user level, ethnographic, human factors, time/motion and clinical workflow research. This research resulted in clear requirements for a purpose-built mobile device.

This collaborative effort resulted in development of the Motion C5 – designed with and for clinicians – that is now being implemented in clinician usability studies worldwide. The C5 is the first highly sealed, fully disinfectable computer to integrate into one durable device the relevant technologies important to clinician workflow and productivity. The C5 combines multiple devices into one -- including a built-in barcode and RFID reader for patient identification and supply, specimen and medication administration verification; a built-in camera; and a fingerprint reader to improve security and simplify clinician authentication.

Key Features:

Genuine Windows® Vista™ Business or
Genuine Windows® XP Tablet PC Edition Intel® Centrino® Mobile Technology
- Intel® Core Solo Processor U1400 (1.20GHz)
- Integrated Intel® PRO/Wireless 3945 ABG network connection 512MB RAM (Upgradeable to 1.5GB max) 30GB HDD (60GB option) 
 
Key Features and Options
- Highly durable design with magnesium-alloy internal frame
   and elastomer overmolding
- Highly sealed, disinfectable chassis
- Optional integrated 1D/2D barcode scanner
- Integrated 13.56MHz RFID reader
- Integrated 13.56MHz HF passive RFID tag
- Integrated 2.0 Megapixel Camera
- One-year standard warranty
   (upgradeable to two or three years) 

 For more information head to Motion's website here

If you are wondering what is new in Windows Mobile 6, Jason Langridge has a great writeup on some of the new features with screenshots called Windows Mobile 6 - What's Cool and What's New. Jaap van Ekris also covered a few things Jason left out in his article, What will Windows Mobile 6 bring for the highly mobile people? over at Modern Nomads. Chris Leckness has put together a pretty good video that is definitely worth checking out at MobiltySite on Windows Mobile 6.

Geek.com and Pocket PC Thoughts have some great gallery of shots and screen captures of the OS in action. Also Darius Wey has found some great news pertaining to the new imate ultimate devices and Windows Vista Sideshow, in that they can be used to display video as Windows Media Center Extenders with special docking stations.They will also be utilizing the AWS (Advanced Wireless Services) band, which