BostonPocketPC

Just a friendly reminder...

The next meeting will be held on Wednesday, June 18th starting at 6:30 PM at the Microsoft offices in Waltham, MA (201 Jones Road, 6th Floor).

The featured presentation this month will focus on the newly released (and recently reported on) Windows SideShow for Windows Mobile Developer Preview. We will see the developer preview in action and talk about the technologies used, including the Windows SideShow Managed API for .NET developer. We'll also talk where the potential lies in opportunities for developers.

We also plan to give attendees a "heads-up" announcement regarding some upcoming contests at BostonPocketPC.com with some really fantastic prizes! As always, we will have the usual assortment of great items up for grabs in our random drawings, so don't miss out!

Last Month I received an extended battery from Mugen Power . This extended battery is 3000mAh compared to the standard 1350mAH that comes with the HTC Kaiser.

Top view comaprison battery and cover

What attracted me to this battery was not only to have more juice available to me, but also the nice looking battery cover that comes with it. The battery cover is not like any others where you have a bulging top or bottom on the device. No, this cover was straight from top to bottom. The cover has many features as the original cover has as well. The opening for the camera is in a chrome finish with an opening for the lens and a speaker like shield for the speaker.  The only thing I am missing is a clear lens cap that covers the hole for the camera. Now dust can get on my original lens easily and also into my device. The cover has a nice shiny black finish to it and also a WiFi and Bluetooth logo printed on it. If you use an external GPS antenna, you still can with removing the rubber cap also in this cover. Since that the cover is straight al over the device you will have some empty space under the cover where the battery is not located.

Original battery and cover compared with Mugen Power solution

Now the performance! They clearly make a statement that you have to use it to drain the battery as much as possible before recharging. You have to do this a couple of time to reach the maximum capacity.

In the first couple of days of using this battery it indeed didn’t give me the 3x more power as I had hoped for. However this started to increase dramatically after a couple of days. I have Emoze (Push E-mail) constantly running on my device and I use my phone heavenly many other ways in receiving data. Now instead of really only 8 hours of use, I can go to a trade show early in the morning and continue on to late in the evening without any worries.

Extended battery placed in device

This extended battery makes your device a little heavier and clunky, but for those long days I really need it. The unit still fits in the original holster but unfortunate it does not fit in my custom car holder due to the extra thickness all over the length of the device.

Device with the cover of the extended battery

Original height of the device

Recently I have upgraded my device with a new radio and the drain of my battery has dramatically been reduced. I am now able to go 2 full days with my original battery and almost a week with this extended battery from Mugen Power Batteries.

Mugen Power Batteries is your source for the extended battery of your device. Please check out their website and see their whole line up of extended batteries for most mobile devices.

Introduction

In a continued effort to check out the latest and greatest accessories for our toys, I contacted Garmin and requested to try out their Garmin Mobile 10 navigation package. They were quick to respond and sent me a package via overnight mail to try out. I have used TomTom and Odyssey Mobile in the past but have never tried the Garmin Navigation software, so this was exciting for me to try it out. I got it in the mail the next day and tore into the box. The Garmin Mobile 10 package is a combination of navigational software and their Bluetooth GPS receiver. The GPS receiver is called the GPS 10X. The software itself is called Garmin XT. It is compatible with Windows Mobile for Smartphone and Pocket PC, Palm Treo, and Nokia S60 2^nd and 3^rd edition. Bluetooth is required on your device. My review will be focused on the main features of this. I tend to try show the everyday users such as myself the good and the bad. While I may not get into every single detail, I think you will find this very informative.

What you get

This package contains all you need to get going. Inside the box, you get the Garmin Bluetooth GPS receiver, a plastic clip on belt clip for it, GPS battery, car power cord, instructions and inserts, and the software that is loaded with the application and maps on a Mini-SD card with SD adaptor. Traffic alerts, Weather, Hotel rates/ratings and fuel prices are also available through the software, as long as you have a data plan to get onto the internet. All in all, it’s a complete package. Note that the package I got was Garmin Mobile 10 for Smartphones. The package for the PDA’s is different, but the same software. Also note that you can get the software separately as well, which will most likely be on a DVD.

Product Highlights and Specs:

-Navigation to your destination or POI with detailed information

-Very customizable

-Plug and Play package

-SiRFstarII GPS receiver (which also can be used with a Laptop)

-Turn by Turn voice and auto recalculation

-Compatible with multiple platforms as listed

-Very finger friendly

Installation

I am using an iPAQ 210 for my testing device. I made sure I made a data backup should there be any issues. After I tore open the box earlier and looked at what was inside, I installed the software. The software, which is on the memory card, is plug and play. A window pops up on screen asking you if you want to install and run it. I clicked Yes. Done, it was ready to go. I turned on the Bluetooth on my device and the GPS receiver, all the while sitting at my desk at home. I enabled the communication between the receiver, the device and the software. Within probably 30 seconds, I had a solid fix with the Garmin GPS. I was impressed with that. I have always used a compact flash GPS receiver in the past, which has taken a little longer to get a good fix on. This was also the first time I have ever used a Bluetooth GPS Receiver. I may actually have to buy one of these receivers because I can already see the benefits. Inside the box is a 17 page setup and go manual/ guide. With the exception of briefly opening it, I did not have to read it to get this working. This shows you how simple this is to run. I went through the various screens of the software, which by the way is very finger friendly. The software I was testing was version 4.20.50wp.

Before I get to the different screens, let’s talk briefly about the GPS receiver. A battery comes with it. In my case, the battery was already installed because I have a loaner unit. The official size of the receiver is 1.65"W x 3.04"H x .7"D. It is reported to give up to 22 hours of use on a full charge. It comes with a belt clip and a power adaptor for the car, which connects to the receiver via mini-usb. It is a nice light little gray unit with a power button, power and Bluetooth indicator light. There are 4 rubber feet on the bottom as well. To me, it feels like and reminds me of a pager and is very light.

Here are the screens and a little description of their functionality and purposes.

On the main screen, you have buttons for your destination (Where to), map viewing, Tools, settings, Exit, and an icon at the upper left to get to the BT receiver connection. The “?” is you help button for topics

TOOLS

Garmin Online-Here is where you can access the traffic, fuel, hotel info, and weather. You need data access to the web for this. I checked it out and it is pretty neat. If you click on the weather, you get the current and upcoming forecast for your location, which can be edited. If you click fuel prices, the data comes back with the gas prices and locations based on your current GPS location. You choose one and it will route you to that gas station. If you choose the hotel rate check, you get a list of hotels, their rates and miles to. You can select one to get routed to that hotel. I tried the traffic option but no data was returned form where I am.

Route Details: This gives you the written details of you trip/route you set up

Browse Map- This is pretty self explanatory. Map pops up and you can explore it from here. You can zoom and also put some pins into to save the locations to you’re my locations area.

Where am I: This gives you the location detail of where you are when you click on it. This can come in handy if you have no idea where you are and need to call someone or some sort of emergency service. It lists the nearest address, your current location coordinates, and the nearest major intersections.

Manage my Data: Access your info saved such as your locations, contacts, tracks, map sets, and custom POI. IN your locations for example, you can change the name of it, change the locations, delete it, change the categories or symbol. Very customizable.

Trip Computer: This shows a bunch of different times, speeds, etc of the route you are on.

Simulate Route: This will allow you to check your route out after you have set it up. You are not connected to a live GPS when you activate this.

SETTINGS

Map- This screen lets you customize your map settings. Examples are 3D, map features, street labels, etc. There are a lot of options. You can let them stay as is, change a coupe or change them all. It is all up to you.

System- These are additional system settings.

Routing- This is your routing preferences screen. A think I liked about this is that you can change it to show car, motorcycle, pedestrian, emergency, bus etc. There are 9 settings for this. But I really liked the pedestrian option, which I why I think the belt clip is in the box.

Display-These are your display settings. Very straight forward.

Audio- This is your audio settings screen. Very straight forward

Garmin Online-This is where you allow or do not allow access to go online for the data services. You can also set it up to prompt you for access as well.

Proximity Points: Additional custom POI based on your needs. You are notified via an alert / tone when you are nearing the data that you had set as the proximity point. The alert tone is extra, as if you were using just a POI, you would get an on screen only notification. The proximity points give you visual and verbal notifications.

About-This lists the software version and licensing info

Restore defaults-Pressing this resets the GPS software back to factory settings. Another nice feature I think.

VIEW MAP (On main screen) - this brings you right to the map

WHERE TO (On main screen) - This is where you set your route. You have several options to choose form.

(above screenshots)

-You can set your home address as your “home”.

-Set up by keying in the specific address,

-Go to a POI (hotel, mall, Food, Fuel, Attractions etc),

-Contacts (which reads the info from your built-in contacts application on your device)

-My locations- your destinations you have saved / programmed

-Recent Finds (your recent routes)

-Extras-This is where your Custom POI’s and extra downloaded map items would me. You can route directly to these

-Cities- cities and towns that are near your current location pop up

-Intersections-another search feature

-Coordinates-Type in the coordinate of you have that info

GPS INFO- This area gives you your GPS connection info. There are also bars on the screen that show you signal strength as well. Note that the software works with some 3^rd party GPS receivers, but not all. I would suggest that if you have a question on your particular device / receiver, that you contact Garmin Support before purchasing the software for compatibility purposes. If you have built in GPS on your device, you should not need the extra receiver. Do a little research first. I tried to connecting to my CF Receiver, but I could not get it to communicate.

How does it work

My original intention was to put this to a three week test because I was gong out of town. My plans changed and I had to cut it extremely short, so I stuck to local trips. I took it out on some trips around for testing in the car. Because the iPAQ 210 itself has low volume output with the built-in external speaker, you may need to use an external speaker or car stereo adaptor. I used a cassette adaptor to hear the voices on the car radio. The destinations programming was easy to do. When you program an address, you input the State first. The city name is next. You get the option to type the city name in or search all cities, based on the street address you type in after that. For example, I chose that option to search all cities and only typed in a street address of my destination. I typed in “100 West.” It gave me results of any street names called “100 West (ST, Ave, CT, etc)” in any city in the state I chose. It also listed the city/town info. I programmed my trips this way and I had also used the “Home” feature as well to come back. All times, directions and routes were perfect. The voice prompts were clear. I went in a different route to activate the auto reroute feature. That worked as well. There is not a lot of clutter on the route page that you are looking at when you are moving. Depending on where you are, the street info and or the next action is also shown on screen. There is a - / + button for screen zooming. I liked to see more detail on the streets I am driving, so I zoomed close, but that is all up to your preferences. I was not disappointed at all in the in car performance. The GPS receiver gets a fix real fast.

 

I tried it in both landscape and portrait views also. Same good performance and screen looks. I mentioned above that the screens were very finger friendly. I only used my stylus a few times when the package arrived.

I tried it in pedestrian mode as well. I walked my son to school, carried my iPAQ and had the receiver on the belt clip on my belt. I was not able to get a fix this way. There was a constant popup message and scanning bar saying it was trying to acquire a better signal. On the way home, I held the receiver in my other hand and had the same thing happen. I thought maybe that the trees were a problem, but I do not think so. There were many spots I was in where these were no overhead obstacles and the sky was clear. I do not know why it did not connect, especially since I got a fix from inside the house.

I tried it again on a different walking route in my neighborhood. It worked great. I got a signal on the GPS when it was on my belt with the clip and when it was in my pocket of my shorts. I could see where I was walking when I just went into view map mode. When I set up the directions for going home, it gives you the voice prompt to drive, but the written direction on screen say walk. This was accurate all the way home. A cool thing also was that I could zoom out and see my whole neighborhood and the town and streets around me. I thought this is cool, especially if you are in an unfamiliar area and walking around in a city or town. On my second pedestrian walk, I had gone under the same tree cover conditions as I did the first time when I did not get a GPS fix then. I guess I will have to admit there was probably some user error involved in the first case.

There is another feature I need to tell you about that I was not able to test because I have a traditional PDA. If you were using this software on a Smartphone, you would have an option that appeared called “peerpoints.” In a nutshell, as it was described to me, it’s basically sending a text message to someone else who has the Garmin software that includes a dynamic map of where you are in the message. The person receiving this message would be able to route to you. If the person who got the message did not have the Garmin navigation software, they would instead get a street address and static map. Sounds pretty cool to me.

Pros

-Easy to use

-Finger friendly

-Very Accurate

-Customizable

Cons

-The bundle seems expensive to me. (A positive from this is that you are paying for quality and you can find it for a lower price through an online dealer)

Pricing and availability

You can purchase this from Garmin or through one of their dealers. Visit the How to Buy page for details. The suggested retail price for the Garmin Mobile XT maps are $99.99. If you want the Garmin Mobile 10 bundle (The software and the receiver), the suggested cost is $199.99. Visit through the dealer links and you will probably find a better price on it.

Garmin has a buyers guide you can also visit.

Conclusion

First off, thank you to Garmin for sending this test unit for me to try out. The representative that contacted me when I made the request has been awesome to work with. Being a TomTom user for years, I thought it could not get any simpler or easier to use a GPS. That was until I actually used the Garmin XT set up. I was very impressed with the simplicity and accuracy of it. Plug, Play, and Go. I am a fan of simple. But don’t let that fool you because it is loaded with lots of features as well. You can’t get any easier than that. Not using any previous versions of Garmin GPS software in the past, I cannot make any comparisons of the different versions and the, what got better and what did not. However, as a first time Garmin user, I was very pleased. I am also very pleased to see that Garmin is still supporting traditional PDA’s for GPS software navigation. If you get a change to try one out or see it in action, do it. It was fun and you will like it.

Introduction

JAVOedge was kind enough to send me some of their screen protectors to try out on the new iPAQ 200 series. The iPAQ 200 series (210, 211, 212, 214) out earlier this year, is starting to get more and more accessories for it. I wanted to provide other iPAQ users some examples of some great quality accessories for their new toy. Please note though, that anyone with a mobile device requiring a screen protector should take notice of this review, as it applies to your device as well. JAVOedge sent me a sample of their JAVOScreen 2.0 Ultra Clear and their Anti-Glare screen protector.

Over the past several years, I have been using a different brand of screen protector

When I got my new 210, I had to start using the universal size of this brand and had to cut to fit my screen size. To me, this is a real pain in the neck. I have also never been a fan of putting on the screen protectors, because of the possible dust, bubbles and repositioning. I get irritated very easily with it. But with that said, I will not use my screen without a screen protector on it. The first one I tried from JAVOedge was the Ultra Clear protector. I had visited their website to see what the actual install process was before I opened the package.

The 5 steps they list are:

1) Clean the screen with the provided cleaning cloth

2) Remove and fold the plastic backing on the new protector

3) Align the protector with the screen

4) Gently pull the full backing off

5) Gently use the application card to get rid of the bubbles

Seems simple right? I was not fully convinced yet. I opened the package to look at the contents. Inside the package were the following pieces.

1) Screen protector inside a plastic sleeve. The protector has separate plastic coverings on the front and back, which are taken off for the installation process. There are also a couple tabs that tell you which is the back and front, with the appropriate steps

2) Instruction sheet insert

3) Cleaning cloth in a separate wrap

4) Application tool in a separate plastic wrap attached to the inside of the cardboard packaging

It truly is a real nice and thought out package and kit.

Installation

I removed the old screen protector from my device. Just as JAVOedge advertised, within seconds, I followed the easy installation steps and had successfully installed the Ultra Clear screen protector. There were not many bubbles. There were 4 bubbles that remained after I used the application tool to finish. The instructions said to “allow up to 48 hours for additional air bubbles to work their way out.” I looked at my device approximately 90 minutes later, and there was absolutely no air bubbles remaining. This is incredible for me because, I have always had an air bubble or two in my previous brand and they never seemed to go away. This seemed to go easier than I thought. Could it be this easy to put on a screen protector?

Now you are probably asking what the screen looked like. It looked awesome. My iPAQ 210 has VGA, so this in itself is a great screen resolution and I wanted to keep it that way. Looking at the iPAQ with the power on, you cannot even tell there is a screen protector on it. I even showed my wife, and she could not tell there was anything on the screen either It is also very smooth and very clean looking. Putting the protector on initially, I got a sense that this would be a durable product based on the design, flexing, and general construction of the screen protector. The images and words on the screen are very crisp and clean. My stylus moves smooth on the screen and I had no tapping responsive issues.

I spent a few days with the clear protector on going through my daily routine, using GPS playing some games, surfing the web, etc, and decided to switch it out with the antiglare protector. Did I mention earlier that I disliked the changing process. It took me a little while to remove the clear protector. I tried the tape trick (# 2 on the FAQ page) unsuccessfully. I even tried using the applicator corners to get under the edge, to no avail. I ended up using the point on a needle (no need to cringe and I suggest that you do not use the needle on your device either). I took it off and cleaned the screen with the provided cloth and used an air canister to get rid of any dust. The Anti-glare protector has only one tab and one plastic covering on the protector itself (as compared to the Ultra clear one). I removed some of the backing and fit the product to the iPAQ corners and finished the install. I had a bunch of bubbles this time so I lifted it up, and reapplied. Looked good to me, no bubbles, perfect straight fit, clean looking.

In comparison to the Ultra Clear, in my opinion, the Anti-Glare does not seem to be as clear to me, which I think is the way it was designed and constructed. Don’t get me wrong though, as the screen still looked mighty fine to my aging eyes with it on. But after spending more time with it, it is actually very clear that I initially thought. During this test, I was also testing out a GPS system as well. What better accessory to be used with the GPS than the Antiglare screen. I took to the road both in car and pedestrian  GPS mode. The anti-glare protector does help in relation to glare. I was in both general sunny area and in very direct sunlight with full sun glaring on the device. It will not help if you have the full sun blasting on your device, but for realistic use, I thought it made a difference in most areas outside and inside.

Product Features and Highlights (of both types)

- Ultra Clear and Anti Glare versions available

- Helps keeps your screen smudge and scratch free

- Removable, Washable, and Reusable

- Durable

- JAVOedge supports many devices

I have included the links to each product that explains the way they are constructed. I cannot put these in better words or descriptions than JAVOedge has already done.

Ultra Clear Specs

Anti-Glare Specs

I have also provided the FAQ link on how to take care of your protector, especially for reusability. There is some good stuff in here.

PROS

Great Fit

Easy Install

Reusability

Cost Friendly

CONS

This may not be a con of the product, but more user error, but I had a challenge removing it from the device screen.

Pricing and availability

All of the JAVOedge products mentioned above and more can be purchased from www.JAVOedge.com. As it relates to the screen protectors reviewed, you can purchase different configurations. The single protector packs cost $10.95. You can also purchase a 3 pack set for $26.28. These can last for a very long time. The costs may vary for other models, so you should check it out.

Conclusion

In Conclusion, these were very nice and easy products to use. I want to Thank JAVOedge very much for the review samples. This product review is coming from a pocket PC user that I would say is in the level between mid to expert user. With that said though, I cannot test out every possible situation that the screen protectors can be subjected to based on everyone’s varying needs. Their quality seems top notch. It is definitely worth checking out, as I think you will be happy you did. For the price of the product, you have nothing to lose.

Don emailed me and Eric early this week about some cool new tools that Enterprise Mobile has come up with that are free for the public to use. I just got to downloading and playing with these last night and found them to be incredibly useful.

GUI CAB Signing Utility

Learn More | Download

The Enterprise Mobile GUI CAB Signing Utility provides a graphic interface that makes it easier to sign CAB files prior to deployment. Microsoft System Center Mobile Device Manager requires that all CAB files be signed prior to distribution, but only provides a command line prompt to facilitate the process. The graphical interface in Enterprise Mobile's utility reduces the time needed to accomplish this task. Download this free utility to realize the time savings you can gain with Enterprise Mobile's utility.

Windows Mobile IP Utility

Learn More | Download

The Enterprise Mobile IP Utility will install and run on any Windows Mobile device and provides a comprehensive set of tools to troubleshoot IP data connections. The utility lets you identify connection problems easily, regardless of the version of the Windows Mobile operating system or mobile device. Download this free utility to get real-time visibility into a Windows Mobile device's ability to reach a remote host.

This last utility is really cool and allows you to troubleshot network connections right from your Windows Mobile device like most utilities out there for network troubleshooting this utility allows you to run the following commands: ping, trace route, ping sweep a sequential range of IPs, perform a speed test, and ipconfig.

Note: It works on both Windows Mobile 5 & 6 devices, but you need at least the .NET Compact Framework 2.0 installed.

The folks at John L. Scott Realty have a really cool application for Windows Mobile devices utilizing Silverlight to help showcase houses they are selling. The program also uses Silverlight to provide an interface to Virtual Earth so users can interact with maps and house in their area. Clicking on a house will not only bring up information and picures, but can also display video as well. So while people are driving around or sitting on their couch at home they can peruse the available houses in the area they are looking. Channel 10 has a great video of the application in action.

Lennox Scott, Chairman and CEO of John L. Scott Real Estate and Sam Chenaur, Microsoft Platform Strategy Advisor, join me in the studio to talk about Silverlight on the mobile device and it's application in the Real Estate industry.

Sam walks us though a proof of concept (POC) Silverlight mobile app for John L. Scott Real Estate developed by Microsoft partner, Dr. Neil Roodyn, with the assistance of Loke Uei Tan from the Windows Mobile group.

This is a very cool application this combined the Collections search  in Live Search Mobile's Home Thinking:Recent Home Sales and Yakaz:Homes for Sale, you have some powerful and useful tools for house hunting on your mobile device.

For those of you without the Windows Mobile 6.1 update or a Treo and are heavy SMS users (or even if you are a light SMS user) your desire for threaded SMS can be satisfied with VITO Technology's  SMS-Chat . The latest version now supports smiles and other emoticons. :) With SMS-Chat telephone numbers, hyperlinks or e-mails that you receive via SMS are now more usable as you can simply click it and the necessary application with the data will be opened.

SMS-Chat is available for $14.95 at http://iwindowsmobile.com. SMS-Chat supports English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Chinese, Japanese, Norwegian, Danish, Portuguese, and Russian. There is also a free 14 day trial demo.

The folks at Astraware are always busy finding ways to distract me from working and it looks like they have done it again with a new title called Bubble Babble which is a brand new type of word game for both the Palm OS and Windows Mobile smartphones and PDAs.

Bubble Babble is like an underwater game show that challenges your word power with an underwater bubble-bursting brain teaser! You have to link together letter bubbles to form words and impress Wordsworth Smartygills - your friendly fishy host! If your are not one to read manuals and want to get up and started quickly, Bubble Babble includes a fun interactive tutorial to teach you how to play with the bubbles and make words from them. Basically you score points for each word you make. If you are witty and impress Wordsworth with more complex or unusual words and he'll reward you with some shiny shells.

Bubble Babble has 4 entertaining modes of gameplay which are perfect for both adults and children, for all levels of skill or vocabulary:

Challenge - create a set number of words against the clock,

Target - reconstruct the separated word from the letter bubbles,

Mystery - try different permutations of letters to find the hidden word,

Freeplay - just enjoy making words to boost your points score.

For some bonus action there is a daily puzzle where Wordsworth Smartygills will tell you the Word of the Day. Make this word during normal gameplay to earn a special award!

You can also utilize multiplier bubbles to enhance your points score, and get help from Stella Starfish, in her wildcard bubble! Unlock higher difficulty levels as you play - it can help you keep your brain sharp and maybe learn some interesting new words!

Bubble Babble is available now for smartphones and PDAs running Palm OS(R) 5 and above, and Windows Mobile Professional, Classic and Standard devices running Windows Mobile 2003 and later. T

Bubble Babble is available now from Astraware priced $19.95, with a limited time new release discount.

The PhatWare Corporation, announced the release of a new version of its PhatNotes notes organizer for Windows Mobile devices and Windows based PCs. The new version features improved compatibility with Microsoft Windows Vista, two new UI themes, Windows taskbar menu, and improved autobackup feature.

"We hope that all PhatNotes users, especially these who requested some of the new features, will be pleased with the new version.

PhatNotes allows users to easily create, search, and sort text-based notes on Windows-based Smartphones, Pocket PCs, and desktop PCs; it also allows synchronizing of notes between multiple platforms, giving users a powerful way to manage and access their personal information on-the-go. PhatNotes was named as Smartphone & Pocket PC Magazine's "Best of Category" honors in the "Utilities-Notes" category for the seven straight years.

A key new feature added to PhatNotes 5.3 is the new Windows taskbar menu which provides a quick access to the PhatNotes application and all opened notes and allows users to hide PhatNotes popup windows when minimized, create new notes, and change other application settings. New Application options allow to toggle PhatNotes taskbar icons and change basic application behavior. The new version of PhatNotes has been updated to support Microsoft Windows Vista Service Pack 1 and the latest mobile devices powered by Windows Mobile 6.1. In addition, the desktop potion of PhatNotes features two new UI themes and improved autobackup feature which allows creating multiple backup files and is now independent from the manual backup wizard.

"All improvements made in the new version of PhatNotes are based on the feedback that we've received from PhatNotes users" - said Stanislav Miasnikov, president of PhatWare Corp., -- "We hope that all PhatNotes users, especially these who requested some of the new features, will be pleased with the new version."

PhatNotes Pricing and Availability

PhatNotes 5.3 is available now at the list price of $39.95. A free 30-day trial version of PhatNotes 5.2 can be downloaded from the PhatWare web site at http://www.phatware.com/phatnotes. PhatNotes 5.3 is a free upgrade for all registered uses of PhatNotes 5.X. Through the end of June 2008, all registered users of previous versions of PhatNotes can purchase the latest version for a discounted upgrade price of only $19.95.

To learn more about PhatWare, visit www.phatware.com.

Spb Software House has just announced the release Spb Backup 2.0 a well known tool for making reserve copies of personal data and system settings for Windows Mobile phones. Spb Backup 2.0 not only safeguards from data loss, eliminates the pain of reinstalling applications after a hard reset, a ROM or device upgrade, and delivers a flawless restore experience it now makes the whole process easier. The choice of ASUS and Gigabyte, Spb Backup became the best-sold backup utility for Pocket PC in 2007. The new Spb Backup 2.0 is smarter, twice as fast, and makes moving data between Windows Mobile phones as easy as unpacking an archive.

Spb Backup 2.0 will come to the rescue if a hard reset disaster strikes, or if the device is stolen or lost. Spb Backup Sync makes it easy to keep a recent copy of all data and system settings at a secure desktop PC location. Spb Backup 2.0 will restore from the archive, even if data has to be moved to a new device or ROM. The backing up process itself is so easy, that regular backups will become second nature. Spb Backup 2.0 works for both Pocket PCs and Smartphones and copies the entire device, including contacts, sms, emails, storage card files, and even preferences and shortcuts.

Originally, Spb Backup sprung up from Spb Clone technology — a product, trusted by thousands of enterprises for creating exact copies of "master" PDA devices. The new Spb Backup 2.0 offers a handy desktop component — Spb Backup Unpack. The tool allows viewing and exploring the backup archive on a desktop PC and pulling out single contacts, messages, and tasks. During the restore process, Spb Backup will automatically detect if device or ROM upgrade is taking place and prompt to select the appropriate restore mode.

Spb Backup 2.0

• Device and ROM upgrade modes — NEW!
• Spb Backup Sync — NEW!
• Spb Backup Unpack tool — NEW!
• Smartphone version — NEW!
• File Black-list or "Ignored Files" — NEW!
• Copies the entire device: settings, SMS, Emails, tasks, software, shortcuts, preferences
• Storage card backup
• Customizable file restoration
• Scheduled backups
• Self-extracting executable backup files
• Full and custom backups
• Backup file compression and encryption

Pricing and Availability

Spb Backup is compatible with Windows Mobile 2003 and 5.0 for Pocket PC , Windows Mobile 6 and 6.1 Professional and Standard devices, as well as Windows 2000/2003/XP/Vista on desktop. VGA, Square QVGA, and QVGA screen resolutions are supported. A free, 5-run trial can be downloaded, or Spb Backup 2.0 may be purchased for 24.95 USD, or upgraded from older Spb Backup versions for just 9.95 USD, at www.spbsoftwarehouse.com. According to Spb Software House upgrades policy, all Spb Backup 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 backup can be found at the Spb website:
Spb Backup for Pocket PC web page
Spb Backup for Pocket PC screenshots page
Spb Backup for Pocket PC downloading page

Edit: Note that Spb Backup will also backup encrypted files. We received several emails concerning this issue and Spb responded as follows:

"So far there are no known unfixed issues with device encryption software. As for storage card encryption, Spb Backup handles it without problems.It will store the backup file in unencrypted mode so the backup can be read on any other device. To prevent the security flaw in this case the backup password protection is required."